Brother Monkey, Are You All Right?

My name is Lin Quan. I’m an ordinary corporate drone. Yesterday, I was still working overtime revising a proposal.

Today, I opened my eyes to the Water-Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain. A monkey was sitting there with one leg crossed, asking me:

“Know how to play? Come have some fun with your Old Sun.”

I thought I was having a ridiculous dream.

Then he casually turned me into a heavenly soldier and sent me to capture the “demon monkey.”

Then he turned me into Tang Sanzang and forced me to chant the tightening spell.

Finally, he tossed me into an alchemy furnace and laughed. “Hold out for fifteen minutes, and I’ll give you eternal life.”

The whole world went mad.

Every day, ten random people are dragged into “The Great Sage’s Game”:

Some run parkour in the Heavenly Court, some fight for survival in the Bottomless Pit, and some go on blind dates in the Kingdom of Women.

Those who clear a game can win superpowers, vast fortunes, or even a longer lifespan.

Those who fail get turned into Zhu Bajie and made to stare at a mirror for three days.

Countries around the world set up special task forces to crack this globally livestreamed “mythological invasion.”

Psychologists call it mass hysteria, physicists call it a dimensional rift, and theologians kneel and pray.

And I’m the only person who has seen Sun Wukong’s true face and made it back alive.

Now that monkey is squatting on a cloud, munching on a peach as he grins at the cameras broadcasting worldwide:

“Next game: ‘Havoc in Heaven, Remastered.’ We’re short one Jade Emperor.”

“Who wants to give it a try?”

All of humanity holds its breath.

Then my phone buzzes with a private message:

“Kid, the way you crawled out of that alchemy furnace last time made you look a lot like me back in the day.”

“This time, want to play an even bigger game?”

When Brother Monkey decides the Three Realms are too peaceful and boring,

he starts making all of humanity play games with him.