We Were Young

Chapter 6: New Player Troubles

After securing the hosting job and seeing Lila’s shocked expression as she ran off to make a call, Serena enjoyed a brief moment of satisfaction. But as reality set in, doubt began to creep in—What had she gotten herself into?

In her mind, gaming, like internet cafes, was something alien and unexplainable. She couldn’t understand why people would get so excited over a bunch of virtual pixels or yell at the screen over colorful avatars. And throwing away money on in-game items? That was just absurd. As far as she was concerned, that time and energy would be far better spent on extra study materials or even a new pair of Jimmy Choo heels—something with real-world value.

Sighing, she stared at the enthusiastic reply from her student council senior about the job, wondering if she was getting too old for all this. With a slight frown, she opened her chat with Talia to seek some guidance.

[Miss Serena: Hey, heard of League of Legends?]

[Salty Talia: Heard of it. Is this a new excuse to avoid doing practice problems?]

[Miss Serena: Be serious.]

[Miss Serena: I just took a side gig hosting some League of Legends tournament at an internet café. Never heard of the game, though. If I want to host responsibly, shouldn’t I at least understand what I’m talking about?]

[Salty Talia: …Okay, back up. Did you just say internet café? Hosting? Gaming? You’re all over the place today, Serena.]

[Miss Serena: You’re not here to mock me. Spill what you know.]

[Salty Talia: Sure, sure. Just a bit shocked, that’s all.]

[Miss Serena: Spare me.]

[Salty Talia: Alright. Well, League of Legends, or LOL, is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game by Riot Games. It’s really popular among younger players, especially since it’s distributed in China by Penguin Games. The gameplay revolves around battles between teams, tower defense, gathering resources, and ultimately destroying the enemy’s base. It’s intense, with some players treating it almost like a career path.]

[Miss Serena: I see… not really.]

[Salty Talia: Ever heard of DOTA?]

[Miss Serena: …]

[Salty Talia: Just give up. Leave this gig for someone who actually has a passion for it.]

[Miss Serena: No way. The “passionate person” is the same girl who stole my Chanel lipstick and basically cursed my family’s fortune. That’s not happening.]

[Salty Talia: …Got it. Well, if you insist, go to an internet café, find someone who plays, and ask them to show you the basics. It’s full of gamer types; just sit down, and you’ll have at least one guy ready to show you how it’s done.]

[Miss Serena: Fair enough.]

Not being a gamer herself, Serena was about to rely on her other assets—namely, her long legs and pretty face.

Empowered by her friend’s advice, she set her phone aside and headed off to wash up, prepping herself for her new venture.

In the dead of night…

Her roommate, half-asleep, heard a faint rustling that sounded like a mouse digging through trash. Squinting in the darkness, she noticed a figure moving around.

“Who’s there?” she mumbled, startled.

“It’s me,” came Serena’s calm voice. “Go back to sleep.”

The next day…

After class, Serena returned to the dorm, quickly refreshed her makeup, and pulled out a sleek tube of black Chanel lipstick. Her roommate’s eyes widened.

“Hey, isn’t that…” the roommate began.

Serena smirked. “Yep, picked it out of the trash last night. Wiped it down with some tissues, and voilà—good as new. You think I’d really throw it away?”

The roommate blinked, speechless.

Twenty minutes later, Serena, sporting sunglasses, a blouse, and a short skirt, stood outside Beiyu Internet Café. She took a deep breath and ordered herself a laptop online, eyeing the estimated delivery time: the next morning by 10:00 a.m.

With a resigned sigh, she pushed open the café door, half-tempted to announce her arrival like some kind of diva descending from above. But once inside, she found herself surrounded by intense gamers glued to their screens, each wearing a range of expressions from pure joy to murderous rage, like they were experiencing something life-changing.

It’s like I’ve stepped into an alternate dimension, she thought.

She typed another message to Talia.

[Miss Serena: Who even goes to internet cafés these days? Why not just play at home in peace?]

[Salty Talia: It’s all about the vibe.]

[Miss Serena: ???]

[Salty Talia: Don’t “???” me. You’re acting like a grandma who doesn’t get it.]

[Miss Serena: The kids these days, honestly…]

[Salty Talia: Alright, grandma. Just sit down and observe.]

As Serena took in her surroundings, she had to admit the café was cleaner than she’d expected. They even had a non-smoking area, which was a nice touch. Heading over to the front desk, she tapped the counter, her sunglasses still in place.

“Excuse me. Do you have League of Legends here?”

The guy behind the counter chuckled, giving her a once-over. “We sure do, ma’am. You here to play? Or are you here to bust a boyfriend who said he was at the library but is actually playing LOL?”

“Just here to play,” she replied flatly.

“Alright,” he said, looking slightly amused as he held out his hand. “I’ll need your ID for registration.”

She raised an eyebrow, slightly wary. “Why do you need my ID?”

The guy looked genuinely confused. “You didn’t know? All internet cafés require real-name registration these days. If you’re underage, there are limits on playtime.”

Internally, Serena was delighted. He thinks I look underage? Sweet.

Feeling suddenly generous, she handed over her ID without a second thought. After all, who could suspect someone who thought she looked young? With her account set up, she was ready to tackle this gaming adventure.

Once in the non-smoking section, she inspected her designated station, wiping down the keyboard, mouse, and even the desktop with a tissue before sitting down. The place was much cleaner than she’d expected, so with everything properly sanitized, she finally booted up the computer.

Alright, she thought, scanning the dozens of unfamiliar icons cluttering the desktop. Now to find this game.

After clicking on the League of Legends icon, she carefully filled in her login details, sitting patiently as the game loaded. Just then, from the smoking section behind her, came a raucous group of teenagers dressed in military-style fatigues, each shouting animatedly at their screens.

“Boss, I’m here! Let’s kill him!”

“Too late! You’re only here now that I’ve wasted all my skills. You just show up to eat the leftovers!”

“Hehe, just let me have one kill! Come on, you’re already at the top of the rankings. Help a brother out!”

“Do you have any idea how many hours I grinded to reach this level? I’ll wring your neck if you steal another kill!”

“I want to live a little longer, Boss! Come on, look—they surrendered! Boss, you’re a legend!”

“Whatever, I’m going to play ranked. You guys keep playing for fun.”

“Don’t be like that! You know League is only fun when we’re all playing together. It’s a social game, man!”

“Then go tell that to Director Huang with his receding hairline. Playing with you guys is t*****e… Now let go of my arm!”

The group bantered back and forth, their voices filled with both camaraderie and chaos.

So noisy, Serena thought, casting a judgmental look their way. With all that energy, shouldn’t the military training have worn them out by now?

But even as she mentally grumbled about them, something about their conversation felt oddly familiar. In the background, one particularly loud voice rang out—their self-proclaimed “boss” sounding suspiciously familiar.

Shrugging it off, Serena focused on the bigger problem: the character on her screen, frozen in place.

She glared at the figure in frustration. How do you make it move?

Unable to remember anything from the game’s introductory tutorial, she glanced back, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone’s screen for guidance. After a few glances between her screen and the guy’s screen behind her, she was confident enough—he was playing League of Legends too.

Moments later, she strolled over, her expression sweet and humble as she tapped the guy’s shoulder.

“Excuse me, hi!” she said. “I’m sorry to bother you, but could you help me with something? I, uh, skipped the tutorial, and now I can’t figure out how to make the character move.”