Let you join the army to quit Internet addiction, but you create the Matrix
Chapter 2 - Father's Arrangement, Serve as a soldier to quit Internet addiction!

Chapter 2: Father’s Arrangement, Serve as a soldier to quit Internet addiction!

The stifling shuttle bus travelled on the bumpy road, and the route from the county town to the village resembled a battlefield riddled with deep potholes.

Chen Ming’s family occupied the rearmost row, enduring the most severe jolts throughout the journey. His father, Chen Gensheng, and mother, Wang Yan, flanked him on either side.

The aged bus rattled. Its frame emitted squeaks, seemingly on the verge of falling apart. The adept driver skillfully coordinated the throttle and clutch, cautiously gripping the steering wheel while the old engine roared effortlessly.

Apart from Chen Ming’s family, the passengers were few, but most, laden with bags, wore smiles, relishing the opportunity to showcase their city purchases.

The ticket seller, a chubby woman in her fifties, familiar with the route through countless seasons, greeted passengers by name and engaged in friendly conversations.

After chatting about a grandmother’s grandson just starting school, her gaze shifted to the silent family at the back. The once bright smile on her face faded as she sighed, observing Chen Ming’s dark-circled countenance.

Initially a promising lad, Chen Ming’s life took a downturn due to internet addiction, a fact the ticket seller was well aware of. She couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of him.

Following a bumpy ride, Chen Ming’s family reached their destination, disembarking and entering the village. The parents led the way, Chen Ming trailing behind. As they walked, children who had returned from vacation pointed and whispered about Chen Ming, a living example of the village’s negative influence.

After a few minutes, they finally arrived home—a plain flat with walls painted in a muted grey. In the centre, a rudimentary table and a few stools, handcrafted by Chen Gensheng, constituted their humble living room.

Chen Ming’s father, seated on a self-made chair during idle farming hours, pulled out an empty cigarette case and lit a cheap cigarette, filling the hall with a pungent odour.

Since Chen Ming’s rebellion, he unconsciously developed a smoking habit to cope with his troubles.

Chen Ming’s mother sat beside his father, discreetly wiping away tears. As the smoke lingered, the father extinguished the cigarette butt with his foot.

With a stern gaze, Chen Gensheng declared, “Tomorrow, accompany me to town. I’ll enrol you in the military. If I catch you in an internet cafe again, I’ll break your legs!”

Unconsciously, he reached for a wooden stick under a stool—a frequently used tool to discipline his children.

Chen Gensheng, a lifelong farmer, lacked modern education, resorting to the same disciplinary methods he experienced as a disobedient child.

Standing in the hall and looking around, Chen Ming nodded, “Oh, I see.”

Chen Gensheng was stunned and looked at Chen Ming in disbelief.

When Chen Ming’s grades were irretrievable last year, Chen Gensheng proposed to let him serve as a soldier more than once. But every time, Chen Ming would inevitably fight with him and sneak out again in the middle of the night.

Chen Gensheng simply did not expect that this rebellious son would agree so readily this time, making his hand that was about to take the stick not know what to do for a moment.

It’s not true if you take it, and it’s not true if you don’t take it.

He was a little at a loss for a while.

The mother turned around and looked at Chen Ming. The tears in the corners of her eyes were still obvious, but there seemed to be a gleam of light in her eyes shrouded in disappointment.

“Okay, hurry up and take a shower and eat. This time, just listen to your father, don’t touch the computer again, okay?” Wang Yan said.

Wang Yan stood up and urged Chen Ming to take a shower while she went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. Only two faucets were in the small toilet, and one hung higher than a person. This was the ‘shower’ for their family.

The ‘shower’ was turned on with great effort, and the water flowed down. The water was very hot, not because their house had a water heater, but because the water pipes were arranged around the house for convenience during the decoration.

Looking at this thin body, Chen Ming wiped his body under the water.

“The physique, can it pass the physical examination?”

“Never mind him, try it first.”

Chen Ming finished his lunch quickly and lay on the bed, full of thoughts.

He also accepted the fact that he was reborn. Anyway, his previous life was not satisfactory. Since God gave him a chance to be reborn, he should take advantage of this time and live a good life again.

But what to do?

He can’t remember the numbers of lottery tickets or anything, and he doesn’t know anything about stock funds.

Only a few industries go back and forth on the rich list—real estate, games, and Internet-related things. But these require a lot of investment. Now that the family is in such a state, they can’t even paint the house, let alone invest in real estate.

The Internet may be feasible, making short videos or videos that may become popular. But in 2008, smartphones were still in the research and development stage, and the slogans in the village were still praising the 2G network signal. With the rise of the Internet, it will take several years to get it. He can’t just sit and eat in the past few years.

After thinking about it for a while, Chen Ming still felt it, so he temporarily followed the advice given by his parents and enlisted in the army. Come back in a few years, use the retirement fee to buy some Moutai stocks, invest in virtual currency, and wait for the time to make a fortune.

“Okay, I’ve decided to join the army!”

Chen Ming lay on the bed and decided on the direction of development.