The King's Avatar

Chapter 4: Mysterious Expert

"Chen Jie, are you having late-night snacks again..."

Having bought late-night snacks, Chen Guo invited the employees from the internet cafe to enjoy them together. The aroma of the dishes filled the internet cafe, immediately eliciting protests from the online crowd. At a time when everyone had already digested their dinner, suddenly smelling the fragrance of food was not an enjoyment but a temptation.

"Those who want instant noodles, line up; don't make a mess," Chen Guo called out.

"Chen Jie eats home-cooked food every day, and we have to settle for instant noodles," the tempted crowd could only satisfy their cravings with the internet cafe's instant noodles, looking at others with envy.

"If you want to eat, go buy it across the street yourself. Don't keep ordering my people around," Chen Guo said.

"Next time, if you're going, give us a heads-up. Can't you bring some for us too?" someone suggested.

"How many people are there in the internet cafe? Can I bring enough for everyone? Instead of wasting time talking, if you really want to eat and are too lazy to buy, make a call to the place across the street. Would they refuse to deliver?" Chen Guo replied.

This time, not only the online crowd but also the internet cafe staff were in tears. Ye Xiu found an opportunity and casually asked, "The boss's surname is Chen, right?"

"Yeah, Chen Guo. I've seen your ID; you're younger than me, so calling me 'Jie' is fine. You won't lose out," Chen Guo said.

"Whatever..." Ye Xiu dryly chuckled.

"The shredded pork in fish-flavored sauce today is so spicy. Xiaochu, did you eat it?" Chen Guo didn't eat much, taking a bite of the shredded pork in fish-flavored sauce and then, inhaling air, put down her chopsticks, picked up her water cup, kicked Ye Xiu's stool, and said, "Finished eating? Speed up."

"What's the rush?" Ye Xiu asked.

"It's almost time," Chen Guo raised her wrist to show the time to Ye Xiu. It was now 11:53 PM, just 7 minutes before the opening of Glory's Tenth Server.

"You're going too?" Ye Xiu was a bit surprised. He had played Chen Guo's account, Zuyan Xia, on the Fifth Server. If today was considered the starting point for the new server, then it had just turned five years old. While it couldn't compete with the top-tier accounts of professional players, it was still excellent among ordinary players. It wasn't easy to give up such an account.

"Just checking out the excitement," Chen Guo said.

The opening of a new server was indeed lively. What was originally an ordinary day became bustling due to the opening of a new server, keeping Xingxin Internet Cafe busy even during this time slot. Looking around, it seemed like a private reservation for new server players. Everyone had opened the login interface, with the mouse hovering over the still dim Tenth Server, ready to launch.

Entering a new server meant racing for the level rankings, first kills in dungeons, records of dungeon completions, and much more. There were so many things for players to do, making the initial exploration thrilling. Chen Guo looked at the customers and couldn't help but be moved by the atmosphere. However, when she turned around, she saw Ye Xiu leisurely picking at the dishes, completely indifferent to the excitement. His response was not that of an enthusiastic pioneer.

"Hey, why are you still dawdling?" Chen Guo looked more anxious than the person involved.

"What's the hurry?" Ye Xiu was genuinely calm, not pretending. Admittedly, the successful promotion and operation of Glory had made players unusually concerned about various in-game rankings. These rankings were truly based on skill rather than money or luck. For a veteran like Ye Xiu, who had held all the highest honors in Glory, these things seemed rather mundane.

However, seeing Chen Guo's face full of killing intent, Ye Xiu considered giving face to the boss. Reluctantly, he put down his bowl and finally sat down at a computer.

"Damn, it's like I forced him to play or something. Who is this guy?" Chen Guo scolded behind Ye Xiu. The other employees in the internet cafe chuckled on the side. They noticed that the new network manager, who had just arrived, seemed a bit different today. He could easily provoke their boss, Miss Chen, who was usually not easily irritated. This was not something an ordinary person could achieve.

Chen Guo sat down at the computer next to Ye Xiu, casually logging into her account, Zuyan Xia. Despite the decline in popularity with the opening of the Tenth Server, players from other nine servers were still active. It was challenging to manage a Glory account well, and it took Chen Guo five years to become outstanding among ordinary players. She was not willing to abandon such an account easily, especially considering that everyone would eventually head to the shared map of the Top Ten Servers' God's Domain.

The God's Domain wasn't just a single map; it was another world altogether. The size of the map equaled the total sum of the ordinary worlds in the five major servers. It featured more challenging dungeons, stronger equipment, rarer materials, and a more liberated atmosphere. If you were a top player, you would inevitably encounter others in the God's Domain. This was the ultimate battlefield for players to strive in.

As the time approached midnight, in the last ten seconds, people in the internet cafe began an involuntary countdown. The volume increased with each number, and when the final "zero" burst out, the dimness of the Tenth Server in the login window had already faded. In unison, the internet cafe patrons reached for their account cards, inserted them into the card reader, and clicked on the Tenth Server.

Chen Guo turned to look at Ye Xiu, but nearly sprayed blood in shock. Everyone was rushing to log in, but this guy had opened a webpage and was casually reading. Glancing at it, she found he was looking at some newbie guide.

"Damn, you don't even know this? You need to read a guide?" If it weren't for the genuine first-edition card he showed her, Chen Guo wouldn't believe that this guy had a decade of gaming experience.

"These newbie things, it's been many years since I touched them. How can I remember?" Ye Xiu said nonchalantly.

"You've never brought in new players or given them guidance?" Chen Guo asked.

"In this aspect... really never," Ye Xiu said.

"No sense of public spirit," Chen Guo scoffed.

"It's a lack of time," Ye Xiu said.

"If you don't have time, why play games? People play games to pass the time," Chen Guo said.

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

"What about your job?" Chen Guo asked.

"Playing games!" Ye Xiu said.

"Oh, so you're a professional gamer?" Chen Guo said.

Ye Xiu proudly nodded.

"You retired, right?" Chen Guo said.

Ye Xiu fell silent.

"Sorry..." Chen Guo realized her words had hit a sore spot.

"It's okay," Ye Xiu sighed.

"Don't be disheartened. At 25, you're not too old. Practice well and make a comeback," Chen Guo said.

"That's the plan," Ye Xiu smiled.

"If that day comes, I'll have something to ask you for," Chen Guo said.

"What is it?" Ye Xiu asked.

"A signature," Chen Guo said.

"Why wait for that day? I can give you a signature now!" Ye Xiu said.

"You're being vain! Who wants your signature? I'm asking you to help me get signatures from my idols," Chen Guo said.

"Oh? Who?" Ye Xiu teared up. Comrade Ye Qiu was currently having a face-to-face chat with you, Sister.

"Sù Mùchéng and Ye Qiū. Ye Qiū might be a bit tricky; that guy likes to be mysterious," Chen Guo said.

"Is that so?" Ye Xiu wept. Comrade Ye Qiu is currently having a face-to-face chat with you, Sister.

"Yes, he rarely shows up. I'm surprised someone like you, who's been in the scene, doesn't know this," Chen Guo said.

"I know, of course. Let me tell you a secret: I'm actually Ye Qiū," Ye Xiu said.

"Is that so? I'll tell you a secret too: I'm actually Sù Mùchéng," Chen Guo said.

"I'm really Ye Qiū," Ye Xiu cried.

"I'm really Sù Mùchéng," Chen Guo said.

"I..."

"Okay, let's not tease you. Go on with your guide!" Chen Guo waved her hand, no longer getting irritated by Ye Xiu's nonchalant attitude. This person had been in the professional scene. Even if he had been eliminated, did he need to worry about these things himself?

But after returning her gaze to her own screen, Chen Guo couldn't help but say, "If you're unsure about anything in the newbie tasks, just ask me."

"I want to study it myself. I've only done the tasks that reward attribute points and skill points. The other tasks mostly give experience and equipment, so it's faster to level up by doing dungeons," Ye Xiu said.

"That's right! This is more like the mindset of an old bird. But you don't have to study it yourself. Just flip to the last page of the guide you're reading!" Chen Guo said.

"Oh?" Ye Xiu looked at the last page after being reminded, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Thinking about it, the mechanics of newbie tasks hadn't changed much in ten years. It was something that players had explored inside out. With his approach of only doing valuable tasks, he hadn't considered that experienced players would have already summarized such guides. Now, a guide of this kind was in front of him, exactly what he needed. Ye Xiu was immediately ready to follow the guide to complete the tasks, tearing up at the thought. He was a man acclaimed as the textbook figure for Glory! Now, he was looking at a newbie guide to do newbie tasks. It was truly heartbreaking, oh, how heartbreaking!