I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 238

Chapter 238: A Large Bucket of Popcorn is Equal to About Half a Nuo’er

 

With Xiao Mo’s magical abilities, we quickly arrived at the entrance of the movie theater in Nanqi district, where Ouyang Xue helped us book tickets.

 

Just like the reports online during this period, the movie theater, which was very popular a few years ago, could now be described as “desolate.” Even though there’s a small pedestrian street nearby with many snack stalls and milk tea shops, the lobby of the movie theater is empty.

 

At least in terms of appearance… I think the milk tea shop next to this movie theater should be making more money. After all, there are still people inside the milk tea shop.

 

But this is also to be expected.

 

As society and even the world enter a period of “low desire,” coupled with changes in people’s living habits, the first to be affected are cinemas.

 

The situation of movie theaters is similar to that of internet cafes, but even more severe.

 

Decades ago, when mobile phones were not prevalent and computers emerged, most families couldn’t afford computers and could only experience this high-tech product at internet cafes. Later, with the rise of online games, university students and even after-work entertainment for many people mostly involved going to internet cafes to play games.

 

Now, as people’s living standards have improved and computers have become cheaper, as long as they are not enthusiasts, they won’t lack channels to play games. Like Xiao Mo and me before, buying an ordinary computer for two or three thousand yuan, even in areas like Shenzhen City where the average salary of college graduates is relatively low, saving three to five hundred yuan a month for half a year can afford a computer capable of playing mainstream online games and watching anime movies.

 

You don’t even need two or three thousand yuan, less than a thousand yuan can get you a good computer—get a motherboard from a relative’s old computer, borrow a graphics card from a friend, take the hard drive and memory from a friend’s discarded one, pick up a couple of unused mouse and keyboard from a bankrupt internet cafe, and negotiate at a flea market for a monitor for a few dozen yuan plus a pack of cigarettes… It costs almost nothing.

 

With most households owning computers, online games facing strict scrutiny, mobile games emerging, and phones capable of watching movies, anime, and playing games, along with the option of cloud gaming, coupled with the fact that there have been few exciting game releases in recent years, people’s enthusiasm for this has naturally declined, leading to a downturn in internet cafe businesses.

 

Similarly, since most households now have smartphones and computers, and there are so many pirated movies available online to watch at home anytime, why would I want to spend a lot of money, go out, take transportation, and travel far to the cinema?

 

In a society of low desires, most people don’t engage in dating or socializing, but during high school, college, or work, they may still make a few good friends. Occasionally, they might even go to an internet cafe together to experience the atmosphere of a game. Before this, the mainstream consumer groups for cinemas were “couples” and “families,” with very few good friends eagerly anticipating the release of a new movie and then going together to buy tickets and watch it.

 

*Ding…*

 

Walking into this cinema with Xiao Mo, I scanned the QR code on the side of the self-service ticket machine, opened the cinema’s app, and requested tickets. The movie Ouyang Xue helped us buy starts at 8:30 in the evening, lasts nearly three hours, and the seats are in the middle of the front row facing the big screen.

 

*Swipe, swipe, swipe…*

 

Shortly after applying, the machine in front of me spit out two movie tickets.

 

“Here you go.”

 

I held two tickets and asked, “Xiao Mo, do you want to sit on the left or right?”

 

“In the middle,” the girl in front of me replied playfully as she casually took one of the tickets.

“Feels like there aren’t many people here.”

 

“Yeah, it’s like how it’s set in the movie ‘Age of Aquarius’, many industries are disappearing.”

 

The reason I wanted to watch ‘Age of Aquarius’ with Xiao Mo tonight is mainly because only this movie fits the atmosphere I expected for today.

 

‘Age of Aquarius’ is classified as “yuri,” “future technology,” and “romance.”

 

Apart from this movie, there are actually quite a few other “blockbusters” today, including ordinary campus romances, police action films, and superhero battle films like “Pacific Rim”, “Transformers”, and “The Avengers”.

 

But I feel like none of these movies are suitable for Xiao Mo.

 

First of all, Yin Xiamo has lived in another world for thousands of years. She definitely wouldn’t be particularly accustomed to the campus romances here on Earth. It’s probably a… cultural difference. Even if Xiao Mo doesn’t mind, as her lover, I shouldn’t demand that she adapt to the culture and customs here on our first movie date.

 

And as for police action films, Xiao Mo probably wouldn’t be too comfortable watching them either. These types of films require a sense of tension. Tension is what makes them thrilling—cops being caught, undercover agents being discovered, the protagonist about to be killed—all of these create a tense atmosphere.

But Xiao Mo probably wouldn’t feel that tension. Being a deity herself and capable of using magic, she’s used to being invincible. It’s hard for her to empathize with the perspective of mortal protagonists. Swords, guns, and knives are just toys in her eyes that can’t harm her at all. So, watching these types of movies, Xiao Mo would likely feel no sense of engagement.

 

Similarly, superhero movies like “The Avengers” aren’t quite suitable for Xiao Mo either. She’s already a “superpowered individual” herself, so if the movie features anything different from the “magic” setting she’s used to in her otherworldly experiences, Xiao Mo would probably feel awkward, like asking an expert in a field to watch something pseudoscientific.

 

That leaves us with choices that Xiao Mo is completely unfamiliar with… “sci-fi” and “future humanity.”

 

For example, ‘Age of Aquarius’. Even I can’t fully comprehend its setting because it’s truly ahead of its time.

 

I remember this movie premiered in April and became quite popular in May. However, during that time, I was busy job hunting, and by May, Xiao Mo had transformed into a girl, embarking on a new life, so I didn’t pay much attention to movies. Therefore, my understanding of this movie is quite limited.

 

I only know its setting is very avant-garde, and it features a rare yuri or “transformation yuri” setting, which could also be considered “pseudo-transformation, true yuri,” because I’ve seen online discussions where people say the protagonist was originally female, and the “gender transformation” is just a plot device. But the only thing I can confirm is that the two girls in the movie do end up together at the end. So, I feel it’s a good idea to catch the movie’s hype at the end and watch it with Xiao Mo.

 

“One bucket of popcorn and two large colas,” I said to the female attendant playing on her phone near the service counter after picking up the tickets from the self-service ticket machine at the cinema entrance.

 

Whew… it still feels like these places are more down-to-earth.

 

I looked around the somewhat deserted cinema and felt the tension I had been carrying release. Although the entertainment center near the Beiyang District and the Canjing District was lavishly decorated, and the security guards didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, I always felt… it wasn’t quite right being in such a place. A cinema and street like this, leaning towards the more common folk, suited me better.

 

“Alright, would you like a large bucket of popcorn?” There was only one attendant behind the counter at this moment. She appeared to be in her early twenties, just graduated from college. Upon hearing my voice, she immediately set down her phone and turned to fill the large glass bucket with popcorn.

 

“Yes, a large one,” I replied from behind. “And also, two large colas.”

 

If it weren’t for the dubbing job I did for the “Honey Girl” character in the Yae-Honeydew and the tip sent by the Editor Catnip for the dubbing, I wouldn’t have much money on me right now. But it’s okay, tomorrow is “payday” at the café, and I’ll be receiving over 10,000 yuan. Additionally, in about half a month, around October, it’ll be the “payment day” for the Honeydew Novel website. My 2 million-word novel will be completed, there’ll be a completion bonus, plus the full attendance and subscription bonuses. By then, I can truly call myself “financially free.”

 

Or rather, I could consider myself “financially free” now. No debts, no loans, I can buy whatever I want to eat without worrying, at least not as miserable as before.

 

“A large bucket of popcorn and two large colas.”

 

In no time, the attendant at the counter had prepared my order and walked over to the adjacent cashier, gesturing towards the payment code on the side.

 

“One large cola for 15, popcorn for 25, total of 55 yuan,” she said.

 

Well, well, it’s almost more expensive than the movie ticket itself.

 

Although I was mentally prepared for the “expenses” here at the cinema, hearing this quote still surprised me a bit.

 

I took out my phone and cautiously glanced at the nearby price list:

 

Small cola 10 yuan, large cola 15 yuan, small popcorn 10 yuan, medium popcorn 20 yuan, large popcorn 25 yuan. Additionally, they also offered items like sausages, chicken nuggets, potato chips, and other snacks.

 

If I recall correctly, most cinemas don’t actually make much money from the “tickets”. Their main revenue comes from food, specifically these cans of cola and snacks that cost several tens of yuan.

 

But then again, this “large popcorn” is really quite large, a huge bucket indeed.

 

I tapped my phone against the nearby payment machine, making a “beep” sound, and proactively picked up the bucket that seemed even bigger than myself.

 

Hmm…

 

Speaking of being short, it’s really inconvenient. Other people can easily carry this kind of popcorn… with just one hand, while I need… two hands… And even then, I can’t fully grasp the bucket. It’s fortunate that this thing is popcorn and not too heavy. Otherwise, if it were another snack, I might not even be able to lift it…

 

Seeing me struggling to carry the popcorn bucket, almost unable to see the road ahead, Yin Xiamo on the side picked up the two cups of cola with a somewhat amused expression.

 

“Your stomach is so small, why did you buy so much?” she teased.

 

“This is our… first movie date. I’d rather buy a little more,” I explained, gesturing for Yin Xiamo to walk ahead.

 

“You might finish them later.”

 

“Okay, okay, I promise I’ll enjoy Nuo’er’s first date,” Yin Xiamo said, chuckling.

 

Then, she curiously inspected the popcorn in my arms. “What are these? They smell like corn and sugar.”

 

“It’s just a snack made from special corn, expanded in a special way to make them this size, and then a little sugar added,” I explained.

 

“Xiao Mo, have you never eaten these before?”

 

“No,” Yin Xiamo shook her head.

“I… rarely pay attention to these things.”

 

I chuckled, “Just a moment ago, Xiao Mo was solemnly talking about the situation in the Zhao family and Shenzhen City, and now the real Xiao Mo doesn’t even recognize popcorn.”

 

“Knowing popcorn isn’t necessary!”

Yin Xiamo retorted somewhat arrogantly, “Where are we going?”

 

I gestured towards the empty entrance ahead, “Over there, the movie is on the right, at theater number 2.”

 

Actually, I already knew.

Just like how she had never eaten sweet and sour ribs before, at this moment, Xiao Mo also didn’t understand “popcorn.”

But she could understand.

 

As a deity, since she could easily teach Fei Luo the language of this world in just two or three days, she could certainly take the initiative to learn various “common knowledge” and ultimately become an all-knowing and all-powerful “Grim Reaper.”

 

But if she did that, it might not be a good thing for me.

 

If Xiao Mo truly did become all-knowing and all-powerful, transforming herself into a beautiful girl and then coming to “date” me, the only result would be turning my world into stagnant water, and I wouldn’t even consider Xiao Mo as a “true friend” with whom I could confide.

 

I would only see Xiao Mo as someone very, very distant from me.

 

Distance, yes, it’s about distance.

 

When I made sweet and sour ribs for Xiao Mo, she curiously leaned over and asked what it was and if it tasted good.

I felt extremely proud because I thought I was helping Xiao Mo, and I also felt that Xiao Mo and I were almost inseparable because even the powerful “Grim Reaper” Yin Xiamo had many things she didn’t know, made mistakes in life, and was sometimes careless. Most importantly, this kind of Xiao Mo “needed” me.

 

I don’t know if my reasoning is correct, but at least so far, this incarnation of “Grim Reaper Momo,” the clone Yin Xiamo, has always given me a very real feeling, giving me a sense of happiness like that of “family.” If this “Yin Xiamo” knew everything, I might lose a lot, such as my desire for life. Then I would probably just be living as a “toy in the hands of a Grim Reaper.”

 

The all-knowing and all-powerful Xiao Mo entered my life. Instead of asking curiously about the sweet and sour ribs I made, she just watched me finish and then effortlessly made a more perfect and excellent dish than me.

 

The all-knowing and all-powerful Xiao Mo managed to get the most powerful computer on the market through her own means. She silently helped me upgrade my old computer to the latest components, and then patiently taught me how to use this high-tech product.

 

When the all-knowing and all-powerful Xiao Mo saw the popcorn, she didn’t show any surprise, just calmly stating that it had high calories and was high in calories, but it was okay for me to eat because my body was special…

 

Thinking about this kind of Xiao Mo, I feel very bored. It’s as if I suddenly have no expectations for future life at all. Perhaps this is because Xiao Mo has stored most of her knowledge and abilities in her “main body.” After all, only by doing this can the incarnation “Yin Xiamo” be a real “person,” a… partner who can hold hands with me every day and play and joke with each other.

 

But Xiao Mo hasn’t put all her abilities into her main body. For example, she has always retained her crisis response ability. For instance, when someone came to cause trouble today, Xiao Mo immediately looked up all the information about the people behind those thugs and made the corresponding counterattack.

 

“Why suddenly silent?”

 

Walking in the aisle of the cinema, perhaps my sudden silence made the girl in front curious. Xiao Mo turned around, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely finish this popcorn properly later.”

 

“Ah… that’s not it.”

I quickly explained, “I’m just thinking, has Xiao Mo been secretly doing a lot for me over the years…”

 

“The little author likes to daydream.”

 

The girl in front smiled, “Even if I did, what’s wrong with that? With Nuo’er’s current abilities, she can’t find out anyway, she can only obediently be eaten by me.”

 

I protested, “Who’s going to eat whom is still uncertain!”

 

“Oh? Is our lovely water mage ready to show off her skills again?”

 

“I’m not a water mage!”

 

“……”

 

Playfully bantering, Xiao Mo and I arrived at the entrance of the movie “Age of Aquarius.” We collected the 3D glasses from the security guard at the entrance and entered the theater.

 

Soon after, we discovered… the entire cinema was empty.

It was only the two of us here.

Did we rent the whole place?

 

“……”

 

……