"Congratulations, player, for unlocking the [Unexpected Encounter] achievement. Please keep up the good work. Achievement badges can be equipped, with a limit of three badges per player."
Unexpected Encounter?
Ka Ka blinked at the achievement notification in front of her and took a closer look at the details.
[Achievement: Unexpected Encounter]
[In a foreign land, a chance meeting. On a whim, you invited a stranger to be your travel companion and captured a moment of their life in a photograph. They became the protagonist in your eyes, just as you became theirs. Every encounter in life is, in itself, a miracle.]
[Equip Effect: Travel Kindness +5]
Travel Kindness! Does this mean that during her future travels, she will encounter more goodwill from others?
For example, hitchhiking, asking for directions, or getting lost—would she now be more likely to meet kind-hearted people? This seems like a great perk. Without overthinking it, Ka Ka quickly equipped the badge.
Traveling alone as a girl does come with its risks, especially since her [Travel Buddy] app assigns low rewards for visiting well-known tourist spots and big cities. Instead, it offers higher rewards for exploring lesser-known destinations, such as remote mountains and rivers, places most people haven’t heard of.
After three months of completing travel tasks, Ka Ka had already encountered some dangers early on. Back then, she wasn’t very experienced and had packed clothes more suited for traveling with friends—dresses and skirts. One night, while walking through an alley back to her hotel, she was followed by a drunk man who tried to hit on her. Thankfully, the system’s emergency protection feature kicked in, preventing any harm.
Since then, Ka Ka had become more cautious. She now wore a windbreaker, hiking boots, and carried a backpack. She even donned a face mask and sunglasses to appear less “feminine.” She also used her limited task rewards to purchase travel courses.
From outdoor survival skills in various environments to self-defense for women, learning local dialects, and bargaining strategies—she spent every break between tasks diligently studying.
After all, many of the task locations were quite remote. While state-managed places like farms and forests were relatively safe, places as isolated as Kaoshan Village were another story. If it weren’t for the kind-hearted villagers and the presence of strong young men, Ka Ka would have had to stay on high alert, ready to activate the emergency escape feature at any moment.
With the achievement badge equipped, Ka Ka was in high spirits. She had brought her camera along and asked Yan and Zhu Jue, “I just took a few photos of your backs. Would you like some front shots too? The sunset looks amazing right now. Later, you can take some photos of me as well.”
“Sure, thank you, Ka Ka. We appreciate it,” Yan replied with a smile, not refusing the offer.
With such a professional travel aura, the candid shots Ka Ka had taken earlier already looked stunning—very natural.
Yan and Zhu Jue didn’t pose deliberately. They simply sat together on a large rock at the mountain’s peak, leaning against each other and smiling at Ka Ka.
“Yan, your boyfriend should check your clothes. I think there’s a bug on you,” Ka Ka called out, causing Zhu Jue to immediately glance at Yan.
Seizing the moment, Ka Ka snapped a series of photos.
One turned their head, the other looked back, their hair tousled by the mountain breeze. The atmosphere in this shot was absolutely perfect!
Realizing they’d been tricked, Yan and Zhu Jue burst into laughter, and Ka Ka quickly captured their genuine, joyful expressions.
“Oh no, my facial control is completely gone,” Yan said, laughing as she covered her cheeks with her hands. Zhu Jue held her close, while Ka Ka continued clicking away with her camera.
“Alright, let’s take a look. These are so natural. You both look amazing without any forced poses,” Ka Ka said sincerely.
This couple, the key NPCs, were not only a perfect match but also incredibly photogenic. Ka Ka felt every frame she captured could be used as promotional material, straight out of the camera without any editing.
They switched positions, with Yan holding Ka Ka’s camera and Zhu Jue using Yan’s phone to take photos of Ka Ka.
Ka Ka stood with her back to the sunset, arms outstretched, laughing heartily. “The great rivers and mountains are all in my hands!”
“See? I’ve captured the sunset,” she joked.
Yan was doubled over with laughter, struggling to hold the camera steady as she snapped photos.
When it came to photography, both Yan and Zhu Jue had done some research. They knew how to adjust the zoom, find the right angles, and align the horizon. Even as non-professionals, they could take great photos by following a few online tips.
Ka Ka had initially been a bit reserved, but now she seemed to be channeling an extroverted vibe, which Yan found quite endearing.
After finishing the photos, Ka Ka set up her camera for a time-lapse shot. Since Yan and Zhu Jue had nothing else to do and the sunset was at its peak, they decided to sit on the rocks and keep her company. Being together at the mountain’s peak also felt safer.
“Ka Ka, have you ever recorded videos of the places you’ve visited? You could post them online,” Yan suggested.
She wasn’t sure when Ka Ka had become such a travel enthusiast, but Yan herself enjoyed watching travel vlogs during meals—cycling bloggers, RV bloggers, and family travel channels. If Ka Ka, with her focus on obscure and unusual destinations, started posting, she’d probably gain a following quickly.
“I’ve recorded some, but I’ve never posted them,” Ka Ka shook her head.
Each task came with a budget provided by the task issuer, and the rewards were converted into real-life living expenses. Since she was constantly on the move, Ka Ka didn’t place much importance on money at the moment.
She had considered monetizing her videos but felt awkward explaining why she chose certain destinations or talking to the camera alone.
More importantly, if her face was recognized in the videos, she wouldn’t be able to freely use the special tools provided by the app, like the Anywhere Door, capsule sleeping bag, and other items she coveted.
Not to mention the high-reward travel RV she dreamed of owning!
“If you don’t want to show your face, you could film in first-person perspective or use an avatar effect. Lots of people don’t show their faces these days,” Yan suggested.
“First-person travel videos, meeting local NPCs, triggering tasks—you could present it like a game. I think people would watch that.”
“But I’m just brainstorming. Don’t take it too seriously,” Yan added, realizing she might be overstepping and not wanting to annoy Ka Ka.
Ka Ka was struck by Yan’s idea. She hadn’t considered this angle before.
She rubbed her hands together, “That’s actually a great idea, Yan. You’re really creative.”
Over her travels, Ka Ka had recorded plenty of stunning scenery and interesting moments with her drone, camera, and phone. While she enjoyed them herself, sharing them with others could be fun too.
Yan waved her hand modestly, “I just thought of it because you mentioned NPCs. Maybe you’ll become the internet’s virtual travel buddy, Ka Ka.”
Ka Ka’s eyes lit up, “Yeah, I could even create some CG animations for transitions.”
“You know how to make animations?” Yan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I studied it in school. I’m not the best, but I can handle basic stuff,” Ka Ka admitted with a sheepish smile.
She had chosen her major based on passion, only to realize it was a tough field. Her parents often complained that her degree wouldn’t lead to stable jobs like teaching or civil service.
“Then editing and scripting should be easy for you,” Yan said.
Despite the slight age difference, Yan and Ka Ka clicked easily. Both were young, and when Ka Ka learned that Yan and Zhu Jue were freshmen at Bin University, she was impressed.
“Top-tier students! Now I can brag about having friends from a top-tier university. It’ll give me some serious bragging rights,” Ka Ka joked.
After some light-hearted banter, Yan received a message from her team about heading back to the village. Ka Ka finished her time-lapse recording, and the three of them descended the mountain together.
Kaoshan Village was small, with fewer than a hundred people, including the Extreme Path team and Ka Ka.
Despite the village’s size, and even though Ka Ka was a traveler with unique abilities, after spending the day together, Yan and Zhu Jue had come to appreciate her uniqueness.
“Zhu Jue, if we could meet more people like Ka Ka in the future, that’d be great,” Yan said.
There’s no dramatic plot, no tragic backstory, no special magnetic personality, just a fun and interesting character who could easily be a friend. Such a haloed individual could easily come by the dozen!
In Yan’s mind, she had quietly categorized the haloed individuals she had encountered into different types.
There were the all-around geniuses, the peak specialists, those with special abilities, and those who could traverse time and space.
Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao fell into the all-around genius category, while Lin Fan, Xiao Qingnang, Chu Shen, and Chu Bingbing were all specialists in their respective fields. Ding Ling’s identity as the Ghost King, Yi Zhi’s supernatural abilities, and Yuan Ye’s outfit-changing system all possessed extraordinary abilities that defied reality, so Yan classified them under special abilities.
As for Ye Ping’an’s interstellar livestream from thousands of years in the future, Gu Jiasui from hundreds of years ago, and the five individuals who seemed to have been reborn in a chain, they all involved changes in time and space.
The girl Ka Ka, whom Yan met in Kaoshan Village, didn’t seem to fit into any of these categories, so Yan silently created a new file in her mind.
Back when she used to play card-collecting games, there were always card indexes. Yan figured that what she had in her mind could be called a "Haloed Individuals Index."
At the rate things were going, she wondered how many more categories she’d end up creating in her lifetime.
Dinner was a communal meal in the village. The village chief of Kaoshan Village had previously worked in a restaurant, saving up a pension through hard work. Unable to forget his old friends in the mountains, he returned to the village. The vegetables, grains, chicken, and eggs were all freshly sourced from the village, and the home-cooked dishes were delicious.
The extreme racing team had been running tests in the Kaoshan Village area for three days. Yan had thought Ka Ka would leave after a day, as the team went down the mountain every day and could easily take her with them.
However, Ka Ka seemed to be serious about starting a video channel and stayed a few extra days in the village to film, setting up her tripod on the mountain peak to capture the changing clouds and mist.
By the time the team finished their tests, Ka Ka had truly "hitchhiked" her way down the mountain.
"Our team is heading to Bin City. If you’re going that way, we can drop you off at a station or a service area, and you can catch another ride from there," someone offered.
Ka Ka had spent a few days with the team in the village, mostly hanging out with Yan during the day and sharing meals. The villagers didn’t charge her for food since the team had already covered all the expenses, and adding Ka Ka was just an extra pair of chopsticks.
Neither Yan’s team nor the villagers charged Ka Ka, and this wasn’t the first time she’d encountered such kindness.
Once, during a mission in August when she went to a forest farm in the northeast, the locals were so hospitable that they nearly scared her off. They killed a chicken to make stew with mushrooms, took her to eat in a big iron pot, and when she secretly left 500 yuan behind, they chased her down at the station to return the money and even stuffed a bag of fresh fruit into her hands.
Since then, Ka Ka had learned to leave behind accurate addresses, postal codes, and contact information so she could send something back later.
If asked, she’d say she was sending printed photos, and no one ever refused.
As for whether the packages would reach remote areas? There was no need to worry—China Post always delivers.
Once she was gone, there’d be no way for them to return the gifts.
Ka Ka had hitchhiked with the team for several days, taking photos of the villagers in Kaoshan Village and capturing sunrise and sunset shots for many team members on the mountain.
The reason she stayed a few extra days wasn’t just to continue hitching a ride but also to see if she could trigger any tasks or achievements related to Yan and her boyfriend.
Unfortunately, by the time she left, she hadn’t unlocked a second achievement. However, the couple’s green, friendly aura seemed to have grown stronger.
"Thanks, you can drop me off at the Yancheng service area. I’ll find my own way home," Ka Ka said.
Since earning her achievement badge, Ka Ka had become more confident about hitchhiking, especially during holidays when there were plenty of cars and kind-hearted people. If all else failed, she had a budget for ride-sharing, and she could always catch a bus at the service area.
After leaving Kaoshan Village, Ka Ka’s "Travel Buddy" app showed that her task was complete, but she hadn’t settled it yet. She planned to do so once she got home and start planning her career as a video blogger.
At the Yancheng service area, the team refueled and replenished their water supply. Ka Ka waved goodbye to everyone, while Yan and Zhu Jue continued with the team on their way back to Bin City. Their days of enjoying the natural scenery in the mountains had come to an end.
"This holiday went by way too fast!" Yan said with a look of reluctance as she sat in the car.
Compared to the drama in the Mengda Desert, the days spent with Ka Ka in Kaoshan Village had been quite pleasant.
A lot of time was spent traveling, and if you subtracted the hours spent in the car, they hadn’t actually had much time to enjoy themselves!
"Once we’re back at school, it’s back to classes, and then there’s only the weekends—no more long holidays," Yan lamented.
October, November, December… Yan counted on her fingers, already longing for the next break.
Hearing this, the logistics team member let out a despairing laugh.
"I have even fewer days off. You still have winter break, but I can only wait for the New Year or take annual leave."
For this National Day holiday testing event, choosing to work for five times the pay meant giving up the holiday.
Hearing this, Yan’s mood instantly improved. After all, people’s joys and sorrows don’t align—she was still a college student with winter and summer breaks, after all.
The team’s return journey coincided with the end of the holiday. While the mountain roads were relatively empty, the closer they got to Bin City, the more congested the highway became.
Although they had set out early in the morning, the team didn’t arrive in Bin City until midnight. The next day was the last day of the holiday.
Yan and Zhu Jue didn’t return to school but stayed at a hotel with the team, letting their families and friends know they were safe. Exhausted from the journey, they fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed.
While Yan was sound asleep in the hotel, she completely forgot that Chu Bingbing, far away in Ning City, was attending a donation ceremony that day.
Ning City, the Palace Museum.
Chu Bingbing and Gu Jiasui had met at the hotel the previous afternoon. To prepare for the ceremony, Chu Bingbing had spent her time in Ning City shopping for a few high-end traditional Chinese outfits that would suit the occasion.
The night before, she had dragged Gu Jiasui into trying on the new clothes multiple times before settling on a knee-length dress with pearl and mica buttons. Gu Jiasui wore a cross-collar outer robe paired with a green strappy long dress.
Chu Bingbing had already visited the Palace Museum once earlier in the week as a regular tourist, but this time she entered through a special channel with Mr. Cui.
"It’s so quiet—Monday’s closure makes it feel so peaceful," Chu Bingbing remarked, though she didn’t recognize the surrounding palaces.
Gu Jiasui followed quietly, her gaze passing through the layers of palace walls, the white marble railings, and the narrow world beneath the red walls and glazed tiles. Her emotions were hard to describe.
"It is very quiet," she said.
Gu Jiasui had secretly visited the Palace Museum once after her college entrance exams. Back then, she had followed the tourists’ path, observing everything with a different perspective. She walked along the central axis, passing through the Imperial Garden and exiting the entire palace. If she walked quickly, it took half a day; if she took her time, she could cover all the open areas in a day.
What was now a half-day or day-long tourist attraction had, centuries ago, trapped countless people for their entire lives.
Gu Jiasui noticed a few stray cats walking freely on the paths, unbothered by anyone.
Even the cats in the palace were at ease now.
The Palace Museum had dedicated spaces for various ceremonies and press conferences, and the donation ceremony was held in one of these locations.
The artifact being donated, the "Handscroll of the Zhou Dynasty Emperors," had fetched 360 million yuan at auction and now enjoyed top-tier protection.
The ceremony was kept simple at Chu Bingbing’s request, but it still included the inevitable handshakes and brief exchanges with officials. Chu Bingbing received a special certificate for her donation.
At the edge of the exhibit, reporters interviewed experts about the historical significance of the "Handscroll of the Zhou Dynasty Emperors," while Chu Bingbing and Gu Jiasui stood nearby.
"This handscroll of the Zhou Dynasty emperors fills a gap in our understanding of XX, particularly its unique connection to the well-known Princess Jianing."
"Three generations of emperors’ writings, one generation of Princess Jianing’s calligraphy—the Jianing style was renowned throughout the land… More importantly, the content of this handscroll provides evidence that this generation of the Zhou royal family was one of the rarest in history…"
Gu Jiasui found it difficult to articulate her current emotions. The praises of the past felt like whispers in the wind to her ears.
As she gazed at the yellowed scroll, fragile as if it might crumble at a touch, everything that was once so familiar to her had now become a historical relic in people's mouths.
She felt increasingly distant from this world.
No one knows who I am anymore.
No one should know who I am.
This scroll was written after her cousin, the emperor. Her uncle and cousin had penned their wishes for the crown prince, and they asked her to contribute as well.
After she finished writing, the scroll was kept safe by her cousin. In fact, this was the first time Gu Jiasui had seen the complete version, including the part written by her young nephew.
A hundred years had passed, and she never expected to see it again in this form. Her nephew, the emperor, first thanked his grandfather, then the late emperor, and finally her—the aunt who never saw his ascension to the throne. His heartfelt gratitude was all contained within this scroll.
Gu Jiasui felt a lump in her throat. This was the significance of museums.
Things that have endured for centuries might have been ordinary in their time, but now, after countless changes in the world, they still allow people today to understand the past, to know it, and to feel the same emotions.
"Excuse me, expert, does the museum have any plans to exhibit the *Zhou Dynasty Imperial Scroll*? I believe today's news will surely excite many history and artifact enthusiasts."
"With respect to the wishes of our donor, the *Zhou Dynasty Imperial Scroll* will be exhibited as soon as the necessary preservation and research processes are completed."
Hearing the exchange between the reporter and the museum staff, Gu Jiasui silently thanked Chu Bingbing several times over.
If it weren't for Chu Bingbing's sudden invitation, she wouldn't have known how long it would take for the museum to display the scroll.
And by the time it was exhibited, she likely wouldn't have been able to view it as quietly and completely as she did now.
Chu Bingbing, a young woman who had voluntarily donated a national treasure, was met with admiration wherever she went. The experts at the museum, moved to tears by the scroll, praised her as a "young talent, a pillar of the nation, and a remarkable woman."
This goodwill extended to Gu Jiasui as well. When Chu Bingbing introduced her to a program related to cultural relics, people immediately reached out to make her acquaintance.
The two of them even managed to have a meal with the museum staff in the Forbidden City. The food was delicious, and they were given a tour of the restricted restoration area and the palaces being prepared for public viewing.
In one exhibition hall, Chu Bingbing saw her name listed among the donors for 2024. As she looked further back through the years, she recognized many names from history books and literature—patriotic merchants and others who had donated their family heirlooms.
Seeing these names, Chu Bingbing felt humbled. After all, the money she had used was essentially a windfall, but compared to those who had donated their private collections, they were the ones who had truly given something precious.
They stayed in the palace until the afternoon, when they had to catch a flight from Ning City back to Bin City.
By the time they landed at Bin City Airport, it was already 9 p.m. Gu Jiasui's chauffeur picked them up, and in the privacy of the car, she thanked Chu Bingbing.
"Bingbing, thank you for taking me to the Forbidden City this time."
Chu Bingbing, yawning from exhaustion, waved her hand dismissively. "I just brought you along so I wouldn't be bored. These kinds of events can be intimidating alone. You should thank Yan instead—she's the one who told me to bring you."
Hearing this, Gu Jiasui was momentarily stunned.
"Yan told you to invite me?"
Chu Bingbing replied casually, "Yeah, she knew about this when I first got involved. But she went on a trip with her boyfriend, so when I asked her if she could come back to Ning City to attend, she said she wouldn't make it in time and told me to bring you along instead. She said it would be good for you to get familiar with people since you're preparing for that show."
Gu Jiasui understood the importance of networking before the show, which was why she had agreed to come.
The program Lin Lu had mentioned was still in negotiations, and having connections at the museum would undoubtedly give her an advantage.
But if Yan had been present when Chu Bingbing acquired the scroll, that changed everything.
Gu Jiasui's eyes darkened. She had once gifted Yan a calligraphy piece in her signature style—the *Jianing Script*—and the handwriting on the imperial scroll was identical.
"Was there anything else at that auction besides the scroll?" Gu Jiasui asked.
"There were some jewelry pieces and other antiques—about ten items in total. Yan's family seems to know a lot about these things. When I showed her my new place, she pointed out a lot of things I didn't recognize," Chu Bingbing said, fiddling with her manicure.
Yan knew about these things?
Gu Jiasui's mind raced. That time she had given Yan a jade bracelet, Yan had refused to wear it and returned it the next day, saying it was too valuable.
That alone showed Yan had a keen eye for assessing worth.
Moreover, the brushes and ink Yan used were of exceptional quality, a sign of her family's expertise.
Gu Jiasui clenched her fists. If Yan knew about these things, she couldn't have failed to recognize the handwriting on the imperial scroll as Gu Jiasui's.
Yan had made up an excuse for Chu Bingbing to bring her along. Could it be that Yan had figured something out? Or was she merely speculating?
