Chapter 4: The Mysterious Master

  "Chen Jie, you guys are having a midnight snack again..."

  They bought supper back, Chen Guo called the internet cafe staff to enjoy it together. The dishes were placed in the internet cafe, and the aroma immediately triggered a wave of complaints from the crowd. At a time when dinner had already been digested, suddenly smelling the aroma was not enjoyment, but temptation.

  "Line up for instant noodles, don't be disorderly." Chen Guo called out.

  "Sister Chen eats at a small stove every day, while we eat instant noodles." The crowd that cannot resist temptation can only use internet cafe instant noodles to satisfy their cravings, looking at others' six dishes and one soup with envy, jealousy and hatred.

  "If you want to eat it yourself, go buy it from across the street, don't always think of making my people go," said Chen Guo.

  "Next time you want to go, give a heads up in advance, can't even help carry things?" someone said.

  "How many people are in the internet cafe, can you bring them over? So much nonsense, if you really want to eat but are too lazy to buy it, just make a phone call across the street, will they not be willing to deliver?" Chen Guo said.

  "Does Sister Chen have a phone? Let me borrow it to make a copy." someone said.

  "What's the point of having a phone? I have people who can run errands for me, why bother others?" Chen Guo said.

  This time it wasn't just the online crowd that was moved to tears, even the internet cafe staff were also crying. Ye Xiu found an opportunity and asked in a timely manner: "Boss Chen?"

  "Uh-huh, Chen Guo, I've seen your ID, you're younger than me, it's fine if you call me sister, and you won't be at a disadvantage." Chen Guo said.

  "Whatever......" Ye Xiu dryly laughed.

  "Today's fish-flavored shredded pork is so spicy, Xiao Chu you've eaten it all." Chen Guo hadn't eaten much either, after taking a bite of the fish-flavored shredded pork he sucked in air and threw down his chopsticks to go drink water. After hugging the cup back, he kicked Ye Xiu's stool with one foot: "Finished eating? Hurry up."

  "What's wrong?" Ye Xiu asked.

  "It's almost time." Chen Guo raised her wrist for Ye Xiu to see the watch, which read 11:53 PM. There were only seven minutes left until the tenth server of Glory opened.

  "Are you going too?" Ye Xiu was a bit surprised. He had played Chen Guo's account, Chasing Haze, before. It was a five-year-old account from the fifth district, if calculated from the day the new district opened. That account couldn't be compared to their professional players' top accounts, but among ordinary player groups, it was already quite good and not easy to give up.

  "Take a look at the excitement." Chen Guo said.

  The new district opening is indeed very lively, an ordinary day becomes bustling due to the opening of a new district, making Xingxin Internet Cafe's business booming during this time period. Looking around, it seems like the new district players have booked the whole place, everyone has already opened their login interface, with their mouse hovering over the still grey tenth district, waiting for the opportunity to pounce.

  Entering the new district for the first time, rushing to top the level rankings, rushing to be the first to clear dungeons, rushing to set records, and so on. There are too many things waiting for players to do, which is what makes pioneering so exciting. Chen Guo looked at these guests and couldn't help but be moved by this atmosphere, but when he turned his head, Ye Xiu was still leisurely picking at the vegetable threads, completely unaffected by the atmosphere, really lacking the quality of a pioneer.

  "What's taking you so long?" Chen Guo looked more anxious than the person himself.

  "What's the hurry?" Ye Xiu was truly calm, not pretending. It couldn't be denied that Glory's promotional hype and operational success had made players care about in-game competitive rankings more than ever before. These things relied on true strength, not money or luck that could be easily obtained. However, for a professional veteran who had already possessed all of Glory's highest honors, these things were somewhat dull and unremarkable in Ye Xiu's eyes.

  Just seeing Chen Guo's face full of murderous aura, Ye Xiu thought that he still had to give his boss some face, so he reluctantly put down his rice bowl and sat down at a computer.

  "Ge, it seems like I'm the one who's being bullied, what kind of person is this?" Chen Guo scolded from behind Ye Xiu. The other employees in the internet cafe were all secretly laughing on the side. They discovered that today's new network manager seemed to be a bit different, able to easily make their boss Chen Da Xiaojie lose her temper, which wasn't something just anyone could do.

  Chen Guo sat down at the machine next to Ye Xiu and logged into her account, "Heavenly Domain". The popularity of players from the other nine districts hadn't decreased much due to the opening of the tenth district. In fact, the older the district, the more so it was true that managing an account in Glory wasn't easy. Chen Guo's Heavenly Domain had taken five years to become a top player among ordinary players, and she couldn't bear to give it up easily. Moreover, in the end, everyone would be rushing towards the tenth district's common map, the "Domain of the Gods".

  This divine realm is not just a map, it's another world. The size of the map is comparable to the sum of five ordinary worlds. Here, there are more difficult instances, more powerful equipment, more precious materials, and a freer atmosphere. If you're a high player, you'll always meet in the divine realm. This is where players make their final stand.

  Time was about to reach zero, the last ten seconds, and someone in the internet cafe involuntarily started counting down. As the sound grew louder and louder, when the final "zero" burst out, the tenth district in the login window flashed and the grayness disappeared. The movements of the people in the internet cafe were incredibly uniform, collectively inserting their account cards into the login device and clicking on the tenth district with their mouse.

  Chen Guo turned her head to look at Ye Xiu, almost spitting out blood. Everyone was rushing into the game, but this guy had opened a webpage and was leisurely reading it, glancing up to see that it was actually a newbie task flow strategy guide.

  "Damn it, you don't even know this? Do you still need to look at the strategy guide?" If it weren't for that authentic first edition card, Chen Guo would never believe that this guy had ten years of gaming experience.

  "This newcomer's stuff hasn't been touched in many years, how can I still remember it?" Ye Xiu said slowly.

  "Haven't you ever brought in a newcomer and taught them the ropes?" Chen Guo said.

  "This aspect... really doesn't exist." Ye Xiu said.

  "He has no sense of public morality." Chen Guo scorned.

  "There is no time." Ye Xiu said.

  "People who don't have time won't come and play games, those who play games are just passing their spare time," said Chen Guo.

  "I'm just busy playing games." Ye Xiu said seriously.

  "What about your job?" Chen Guo said.

  "Let's play games!"

  "Wow, you're still a professional player?" Chen Guo said.

  Ye Xiu smiled: "Still quite high-end."

  "Pretty high-level? Professional player?" Chen Guo was taken aback.

  Ye Xiu nodded proudly.

  "Come down!" Chen Guo said.

  "How did you know?"

  "Nonsense, at your age," Chen Guo said.

  Ye Xiu forced a smile.

  "I said how could it be over in just 40 seconds, that guy was a professional level, although he's a half-baked one." Chen Guo said.

  "What's wrong with you?"

  "A well-known professional master, I know them all. Ye Xiu? I've never heard of him, what a nobody?" Chen Guo asked.

  "Haha, so that's how it is." Ye Xiu smiled.

  "Don't pretend anymore, actually you're not retired, but were eliminated because you couldn't compete for a position," Chen Guo said.

  Ye Xiu fell silent.

  "Sorry......" Chen Guo realized that this sentence had touched a sore spot for the other person.

  "It doesn't matter." Ye Xiu sighed.

  "Don't be discouraged, 25 is not too old, practice well and make a comeback." Chen Guo said.

  "Exactly what I meant." Ye Xiu smiled.

  "If that day really comes, I still have something to ask of you," said Chen Guo.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Sign it," said Chen Guo.

  "Why wait until then? I'll sign it for you now!"

  "Who wants your autograph now? I'm asking you to help me get my idol's autograph." Chen Guo said.

  "Oh? Who?"

  "Su Mu Cheng, and also Ye Qiu, Ye Qiu's possible weakness is that he likes to pretend to be mysterious." Chen Guo said.

  "Is that so?" Ye Xiu's eyes were filled with tears, and Ye Qiu was chatting face-to-face with you, sister.

  "Yes, he rarely shows up. I said you're just a half-son, but also mixed in this circle, don't you know?" Chen Guo said.

  "I knew it, of course I knew it. Let me tell you a secret, actually I am Ye Qiu." Ye Xiu said.

  "Really? I'll tell you a secret too, actually I'm Su Mu Cheng." Chen Guo said.

  "I am indeed Ye Qiu." Ye Xiu wept.

  "I'm really Su Mu." Chen Guo said.

  "I..."

  "Whatever, I'm done with you, go look at your strategy!" Chen Guo waved her hand, she was no longer getting worked up over Ye Xiu's slow pace. This was someone who had mixed it up in the professional circle, even if they were eliminated, did they need to worry about themselves?

  But after his line of sight returned to his own screen, Chen Guo couldn't help but say a sentence: "Actually, if you're not clear about anything in the new hand task, just ask me."

  "I think I'll just focus on doing quests that reward attribute points and skill points, the other quests only give experience and equipment, might as well go run some dungeons instead." Ye Xiu said.

  "That's right, this is what an old bird's thinking looks like. You don't need to research it yourself, just flip to the last page of that strategy you're reading!"

  "Oh?" Ye Xiu listened to the end of the page and suddenly felt a wave of shame. Thinking about it, this newbie task hadn't changed in ten years, and it was something that players had thoroughly figured out. With his mindset of only doing valuable tasks, wouldn't an ordinary veteran player have already summarized such a strategy? What was laid out before him now was exactly the kind of strategy he needed. Ye Xiu immediately prepared to follow the strategy to receive the task, and instantly tears flowed down his face. He was a man known as the Glory textbook-level, yet he was now doing newbie tasks with a newbie strategy - how humiliating!

  Today, I deleted "Wang Jin" from my bookmarks and replaced it with "The King's Avatar". In that instant, I felt a pang of melancholy... Life is just like clicking on bookmarks and recommendations.