I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 72
“Dear Miss Grim Reaper…”
In the rented room filled with the sound of rain, like the patter of raindrops, I heard the “request” of a certain young girl on the sofa. I felt that the strands of hair that had drooped due to the rain seemed to stand up again, and there was probably a “!” sign near my forehead, thinking, ‘Where did you learn this mischief from, and from which era? As the one who started it, you must know that before I became like this, I was…’
“I’m middle-aged man nearing thirty, with no accomplishments, no savings, no house, no car, no wife, and no close friends…”
The Miss Grim Reaper on the sofa continued my words, “The company I worked for went bankrupt, the website where I wrote novels closed down, and my future is uncertain, right?”
You…
It took me a while to regain my composure. “Yes, I did… back then, there was a slight mistake at work, but that has nothing to do with what we’re talking about now. Regardless of whether I used to be a successful person or a social outcast, I am still a male… a man, a macho man. You know what a macho man is, right?”
I extended my hand, rolled up my long sleeves, flexed my muscles, and said with a feigned calm, “Back in the day, I was a tough guy who could carry two buckets of water up to the eighth floor without getting out of breath!”
“I don’t know.”
The Miss Grim Reaper shook her head. “All I know is that there’s a little girl trying to act cute right in front of me.”
“Cough, cough…”
I bent over like a frost-stricken eggplant and asked, “So, who’s the creator of this little girl in front of you?”
“My creation,” the grim reaper admitted without hesitation. “I referenced the world’s most beautiful elves, succubus, and human princesses, using the skin texture and body curves of the elves, some organs and nerves of succubus, and the appearance of the most beautiful human princess from the human kingdom and the eyes of an angel… that’s how I determined your current body.”
Huh?
I gave the Miss Grim Reaper a “Are you serious?” expression.
She responded with a “I don’t know!” look.
“Can’t we change the terms?”
Seeing that she was not budging, I said with some helplessness, “You know I’m a middle-aged man. Making me wear… women’s clothing and having to show it to the whole world for approval, isn’t that a bit strange?”
“It’s not strange. I’m superficial. Your previous appearance doesn’t matter, what matters is that you look cute now and in the future.”
“Have mercy on me…”
I chuckled, took a few steps forward, trying to persuade her, “I’ve just had some weird dreams these past few days, there’s no such thing as a ‘hero’s memory.’ I’m sure I’m not the person you’ve been looking for. I’m very grateful for the second chance you’ve given me, but this… dressing as a woman…”
“Who said I was looking for a hero? Does this world even have heroes? No, it doesn’t. Even in another world, there’s no need for heroes because I’ve already taken care of the Demon King.”
The Miss Grim Reaper wore a mischievous smile. “Over here, I only know a very cute and helpless little girl named Yin Nuo’er, you know?”
There was no arguing with that logic… I just rescued an ancestor!
If I had known, I would have just stayed in bed on this rainy day, instead of dealing with all this.
“It’s just wearing a few pretty dresses, right? Can’t girls wear dresses?”
Maybe she saw the despair and unwillingness on my face because the Miss Grim Reaper on the sofa sat up slightly and said, “By the way, your phone must have gotten wet in the rain, right?”
It’s all your fault!
Just mentioning it made me furious.
In today’s society, people are extremely reliant on their phones. Apps like QQ and WeChat, which are closely tied to personal identity and work, are bound to phones. The need for phones to perform actions like using a new device or receiving verification codes can’t be ignored. Nowadays, we use our phones for most transactions, not the old-fashioned way.
In shops and convenience stores, giving someone a one-hundred-yuan bill might not even get you change. In some places like private communities and the subway, which place a high emphasis on “security,” you can only enter by scanning your phone.
Now, my phone is fried, and even if I have around a thousand yuan in savings, it’s challenging to get a new phone quickly and transfer all the old data. If my savings are in Alipay or WeChat, I’d have to withdraw the money to my bank account using a computer. If logging into these apps on the computer requires phone verification, it becomes even more troublesome. Even if it doesn’t, after successfully withdrawing the money to the bank account, I’d still need to go to a nearby bank branch with my bank card to withdraw the cash and then find a phone store.
Furthermore, the two sets of clothes I bought yesterday for my current body are either still wet from washing or drenched in the rain. How do you expect me to go outside like that? Should I go out in that adorable nightgown?
If I want to buy clothes without leaving my home, I have to use my phone. Without a phone, even if I place an order on the computer, others can’t contact me. If I can’t buy clothes, I can’t go out, and if I can’t go out, I can’t buy a phone, plunging me into a never-ending cycle.
Since you, this rotten grim reaper, can open spatial rifts while injured, why did you disappear the whole night and signal me to come during the day? The biggest responsibility for my phone breaking lies with you!
“Well, how about this,” the Miss Grim Reaper, perhaps sensing the intense dissatisfaction and murderous intent in my eyes, suggested somewhat sheepishly. “I’ll add one more condition on my end and I’ll give you the latest phone available on the market. How does that sound?”
Huh?
“Really?!” I suddenly became less composed. “Any kind of phone?”
To be honest, I was tempted, truly tempted. What does the latest phone on the market mean? It means not only solving my immediate problem of “can’t go out without a phone” but also fulfilling a small wish I’ve had for a long time.
During my college years, mobile gaming was just taking off, and society quickly entered the era of mobile gaming. Almost everyone, from four- and five-year-old children to seven- and eight-year-old seniors, was playing mobile games. Researching dungeon strategies, character development, and gacha advice…
As an author, the most frustrating thing is being out of touch with the world. It’s understandable for ordinary people to come home after work and play the games and watch the anime they like without having the time or energy to keep up with the latest trends. But as an author, I cannot afford to disconnect from my readers.
Just as I firmly believe that I must move myself to move my readers, if I can’t understand the various memes and game images in various QQ groups and WeChat groups, and if I can’t blend in with my readers, then I, as an author, have failed.
It’s relatively easy to catch up on video novel memes and pop culture elements; you just need a forum or video app, and most phones can handle them. But mobile games are different; some of them have very demanding hardware requirements for the phone.
At least my old, beaten-up phone couldn’t run most of the mobile games currently on the market.
A phone that can’t play games makes it challenging to truly immerse oneself in the emotions of the game, no matter how many videos you watch or how many forums and discussion boards you browse. I also don’t have the patience to dryly watch a game’s plot without getting involved in it.
“Yes, any kind of phone will do, along with helping you get your ID card as agreed. I’ll consider it as an advance payment for your services,” the Miss Grim Reaper said on the small sofa, smiling brightly. “As long as your videos can get a hundred thousand views this week, buying a few sets of beautiful women’s clothing for you to wear at home, the ID card, and the phone will all be gifts from me.”
Darn it.
I began to weigh the pros and cons in my mind. On one hand, there was the phone I had long desired, and on the other hand, there was my dignity as a man.
As for the ID card, I currently look the way I do thanks to Miss Grim Reaper. Shouldn’t she be responsible for the ID card issue?
Unconsciously, I had already equated “losing my male dignity in the short term” with “getting a new phone.”
It’s just wearing women’s clothing for a week, no big deal, right? This kind of thing doesn’t mean losing your male dignity!
Yes, it should be fine. Wear women’s clothing for a week, make a few videos to appease this Miss Grim Reaper, and get the phone.
“Deal.”
With that thought in mind, I confidently looked at Miss Grim Reaper on the sofa.
“Deal!”