Chapter 9: Preparations Before the Mission Begins

The company was small, so it didn’t take long for everyone to hear about Su Yi’s resignation.

A few colleagues who were usually on friendly terms with him came over to express their concern. After exchanging a few words, Su Yi returned to his desk to pack up his things.

“Su Yi, are you really quitting?” Wu Xiaomei set aside her work to ask.

“Yes, I am.”

“Why so suddenly?”

“The world is so big—I want to see more of it.”

“Speak plainly!” Wu Xiaomei retorted, dissatisfied.

If he told the truth, she wouldn’t believe him anyway. Su Yi could only offer the excuse he’d just given others: “There are some matters back home that I need to take care of. It’ll take over a month. Besides, I’ve lost my passion for work here in Zhonghai. Once I’ve handled things, I might look for a way to start a small business.”

“Are you planning to do it here in Zhonghai? If so, count me in if there’s an opportunity.”

“Uh, probably not.”

Unlike Su Yi, who was set on saving enough to leave Zhonghai, Wu Xiaomei, who hailed from Shandong, had always wanted to put down roots in this bustling metropolis. Over the years, she’d been diligently saving for a down payment on a home, occasionally posting ads on social media or moonlighting as a reseller. Su Yi had even heard that the year he joined the company, she and a friend tried investing in a milk tea shop, which hadn’t worked out. She was the quintessential self-reliant woman of the new era.

“Don’t worry, big sis. After all these years as colleagues, if I hit it big one day, I’ll be sure to help you out.”

“Get lost! Don’t think that being five months younger than me gives you the right to poke fun at my age.” Wu Xiaomei bared her teeth in mock outrage. “Seriously, though—if you need money after handling your family matters, just ask me. I don’t have much, but I can lend you fifty or sixty thousand, for the sake of your character.”

Su Yi felt a warmth in his heart, though he thought, Beauty, you really don’t appreciate the promises of a transmigrator.

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Once he had finished packing, Su Yi returned to his rented apartment. He bent the safety railing back into place, then lay flat on his bed, thinking over his plans for the next few days.

Most of the resignation process was already done; he just needed to return the day after tomorrow to finish the remaining formalities.

As for his apartment, he paid the rent every six months, and there were still about three months to go before the next payment was due. There was no need to worry that his landlord would come looking for him during his absence.

The crucial thing was to prepare and wait for entry into the next martial arts scenario.

As someone born in the 1990s, Su Yi had grown up surrounded by martial arts novels, games, and films—so many that he could talk about them all day. This had become a cultural imprint of China. Judging from his last experience in a scenario world, the upcoming martial world was unlikely to be one he already knew.

Still, there were things he could deduce. Since it was a martial arts world, the upper limit of force there likely wouldn’t be too high. Su Yi didn’t think he’d end up in a high-martial world where people could destroy cities or nations.

If it was a low-martial world, it would likely have an ancient setting. But would it be purely a cold weapons world, or one where firearms had already appeared?

During his last mission, that mysterious voice had hinted that he could bring protective gear with him, meaning he could carry supplies from reality into the scenario.

This was where he had to thank technological progress. At the very least, Su Yi figured he should bring a bulletproof vest and stab-resistant clothing.

Many martial arts stories featured poison experts—people who could take down foes with toxic smoke or by lacing their food. Simple tricks like covering his mouth and nose with a damp cloth wouldn’t be reliable; who knew if the toxic smoke spread like droplets or aerosols? It was better to bring a professional gas mask.

Compressed biscuits and canned food were also a must.

Ancient worlds were often vast and sparsely populated; camping in the wilderness would be unavoidable. A lightweight, sturdy tent was essential, as were a portable camp stove and insect repellent.

And then there was money. Who knew what the currency system was like in that world? Better to be prepared and bring some precious metals.

Lying on his bed, Su Yi thought through all of this. Memory was never as reliable as pen and paper, and since he still had a few days, he would write everything down and refine his list.

Ultimately, the most important thing in the upcoming scenario was to increase his martial prowess as much as possible—essential for both survival and completing missions.

He hadn’t yet tried out the “Sweeping Sand and Flying Stones” skill he’d drawn that morning. From the description, it seemed to be a highly useful ability, so he’d need to find time to practice it in the coming days.

But since “Sweeping Sand and Flying Stones” was a high-consumption skill, he’d need other means of defense. Although, after his breakthrough enhancement, Su Yi’s combat ability had surpassed that of an ordinary human—if he now faced the vampire monster from the previous scenario, he thought he could manage a fair fight. Even so, martial arts worlds had unreasonable powers like internal energy or true qi, so who knew what kind of enemies awaited him?

It was best to strengthen his ranged attack abilities.

Uncertain what the next world would be like, using firearms might not be practical, which left only bows and crossbows.

In the previous scenario, the introduction of firearms had already rendered bows nearly obsolete among humans. As a result, Sonam’s memories didn’t offer much proficiency with bows, so Su Yi would have to practice extensively to master this skill.

He searched on his phone while lying down. Thanks to Zhonghai’s economic status, the city boasted countless sports facilities. With a swipe of his finger, Su Yi found at least ten archery ranges or clubs within ten kilometers.

This, then, would be his most important task over the next few days.

Five days later, at an archery range in Zhonghai, Su Yi stood at his shooting lane, gazing at the target seventy meters away. After five days of intensive practice, he could now hit the ten-point ring with nine out of ten arrows. Such skill should suffice for the scenario world.

During these few days, Su Yi had informed his friends and family by message and phone that he would be away for quite some time. Fortunately, since he worked in another city, he didn’t have many people to keep in touch with, which saved him a lot of trouble. He then transferred most of his savings and the prize money from eating contests to his family.

At home, he purchased all the supplies on his list both online and in person.

He also practiced the “Sweeping Sand and Flying Stones” skill every night at the riverbank until he could control it with precision.

He could only hope that tomorrow everything would go smoothly.