"For your brother's sake, I suppose I should at least check your credentials," Chen Guo said with resigned authority, extending her hand. "Let me see your ID card."
Ye Xiu produced the document with formal politeness, presenting it with both hands in a gesture that spoke of ingrained courtesy.
Chen Guo studied the plastic rectangle, her eyes widening as she processed the information. "Ye Xiu? No way—you have the same surname as my idol, Ye Qiu! And your given names are so similar too... Ye Qiu, Ye Xiu..."
Her voice carried wistful disappointment as reality reasserted itself. "But you're obviously not the legendary Ye Qiu himself. That would be too incredible to believe."
She sighed with the melancholy of a devoted fan confronting the impossible gap between dreams and reality.
Ye Xiu's response was a carefully neutral smile that revealed absolutely nothing.
"So, trial period starts tonight?" he asked with practiced casualness.
"Exactly. One night to prove you can handle the overnight shift. If you pass, we'll discuss a proper contract tomorrow morning."
Chen Guo turned to leave, then paused mid-step as if remembering something important. "By the way, I still don't know your little brother's name."
"I'm Luo Luo!" the boy replied with perfectly calibrated enthusiasm, his voice carrying just the right mixture of politeness and childish energy.
"Such a nice name," Chen Guo said warmly, reaching out to ruffle his spiky hair with maternal affection.
"Since Luo Luo has such incredible gaming talent," she continued, studying Ye Xiu with renewed interest, "I'm curious about your own skills. How do you measure up to your prodigy brother?"
"I'm... adequate," Ye Xiu replied with characteristic understatement.
"Adequate? That's it?" Chen Guo's competitive instincts flared. "How about we settle this with a match? One game to see what you're really capable of."
"I'd love to accommodate you, but I don't have an account anymore," Ye Xiu explained with genuine regret. "I gave it away recently."
"Gave it away?" Chen Guo blinked in amazement. "That's either incredibly generous or completely insane. Those high-level accounts represent serious time investment!"
"Hai..." Ye Xiu's sigh carried weight beyond simple agreement.
His account wasn't just any character—it was "One Autumn Leaf," a legend within Glory's competitive scene. The loss felt like surrendering a piece of his identity.
"Well, you could always start fresh in the new server," Chen Guo suggested helpfully. "District 10 opens at midnight tonight."
"Right, I'd almost forgotten about the new zone launch."
Ye Xiu reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a small plastic card—old, worn smooth by years of handling, but still functional. This was his original Glory account card from the game's very first year, predating his professional career and all the complications that followed.
"Holy shit—is that a first-edition card?" Chen Guo's voice jumped an octave as recognition struck. "Those are only available to players who joined during Glory's inaugural year!"
She leaned closer, studying the aged plastic with the reverence reserved for historical artifacts.
"How long have you been playing Glory?" she asked, her tone shifting from casual curiosity to genuine awe.
"Almost ten years now."
"Ten years?" Chen Guo's jaw dropped. "I considered myself a veteran after five years of play, but a full decade... That's serious dedication. What kept you hooked for so long?"
Few players maintained such extended commitment to any single game. The typical lifecycle involved initial enthusiasm, gradual skill development, eventual plateau, and finally boredom-driven departure. Ten years suggested something far deeper than casual entertainment.
While Chen Guo processed this revelation, Ye Xiu had already logged into the system, his character creation screen waiting patiently for the server launch countdown.
"Perfect timing for your trial period," Chen Guo declared with renewed confidence. "You'll work the full night shift—if you can stay awake until morning without falling asleep at your post, the job is yours!"
Given his decade of Glory experience, she felt comfortable assuming his basic competence. The real test would be maintaining alertness during the grinding hours between midnight and dawn.
"Thank you for the opportunity," Ye Xiu replied with sincere gratitude.
After his humiliating departure from Excellent Era, finding employment at an internet café felt both ironic and oddly appropriate. At least here, his gaming expertise would be genuinely valued rather than treated as corporate liability.
"Don't thank me yet—thank me after you survive the night shift," Chen Guo warned with good-natured severity. "By the way, have you and Luo Luo eaten dinner?"
"We grabbed something before coming here," Ye Xiu confirmed, thinking fondly of the fish-flavored shredded pork rice that had provided both sustenance and comfort during his transition between worlds.
"Good. Here—" Chen Guo pulled several crisp bills from her wallet and pressed them into Ye Xiu's hands. "Go buy me some late-night snacks. Use whatever's left to pick up toiletries for yourself and Luo Luo. You'll both need the basics if you're staying here."
The gesture carried kindness wrapped in practical necessity. Ye Xiu understood the subtext—Chen Guo was providing essential supplies while allowing him to maintain dignity through the pretense of errand-running.
"I appreciate this more than you know," he said quietly, pocketing the money with careful hands.
"Don't get sentimental on me," Chen Guo replied with embarrassed gruffness. "Just buy good snacks and don't get lost on your first day."
After Ye Xiu departed on his shopping mission, Chen Guo turned her attention to Luo Luo with maternal efficiency.
"Come on, let's check out your accommodations. I'll show you where you and your brother will be staying."
She led the boy toward the staircase connecting the internet café's two levels.
"Sister Chen Guo, you're such a wonderful person!" Luo Luo declared with heartfelt sincerity that would have made cynics weep.
"Hah—maybe I am, maybe I'm not," Chen Guo chuckled, pleased despite herself. "Jury's still out on that verdict."
As they climbed toward the second floor, her curiosity got the better of her restraint. "Luo Luo, if you don't mind me asking... how did you and Ye Xiu end up getting thrown out of your home? You're obviously school-aged—what family would abandon children during winter break?"
She glanced back to check his reaction, only to find Luo Luo walking with his head down, seemingly lost in thought.
"I'm sorry!" Chen Guo immediately backpedaled, assuming she'd touched a sensitive nerve. "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."
In reality, Luo Luo was frantically improvising plausible explanations for their fictional family drama. His manipulation skills were impressive, but they required constant creative maintenance.
"It's okay, Sister Chen Guo," he finally replied with carefully modulated sadness. "It's all in the past now. As for school—we're on winter break, so there's plenty of time before classes resume."
"Right, of course. Almost forgot about holiday schedules."
The deflection worked perfectly, allowing them to move past dangerous territory without arousing suspicion.
The second floor of Happy Internet Club was noticeably smaller than the main gaming area below, divided into private rooms and VIP suites for customers willing to pay premium rates for enhanced privacy and comfort. Chen Guo's personal residence occupied one section—a modest three-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that served her basic needs while keeping overhead costs manageable.
Two bedrooms were already occupied by other tenants, leaving only the storage room as available space.
"I'm afraid this is all I have left," Chen Guo said apologetically, opening the storage room door to release a wave of stale, musty air. "It's not exactly designed for human habitation."
The smell hit them like a physical wall—months of accumulated dust, cardboard deterioration, and general neglect concentrated into an assault on the respiratory system.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!" Luo Luo doubled over as the contaminated air invaded his lungs, his small stature making him particularly vulnerable to the concentrated fumes.
"Luo Luo! Are you alright?" Chen Guo immediately began fanning the air with her hands, her maternal instincts triggered by his distress.
"I'm fine, Sister Chen Guo," he wheezed, straightening up with determined resilience. "Just caught me off guard."
After several minutes of ventilation, the room's atmosphere became marginally more breathable.
"This place will need serious cleaning before it's livable," Chen Guo observed, surveying the chaotic landscape of boxes, forgotten electronics, and accumulated junk. "It's going to be quite a project."
"Don't worry about it!" Luo Luo declared with enthusiasm that seemed entirely genuine. "I can handle the cleaning while you take care of your other responsibilities. Brother Ye Xiu will be back soon—between the two of us, we'll have this sorted out in no time!"
Before Chen Guo could protest, the determined boy had physically guided her out of the room and begun attacking the mess with impressive systematic efficiency.
Chen Guo stood in the doorway for several minutes, watching this remarkable child tackle adult responsibilities with cheerful competence. Finally, shaking her head in bemused admiration, she returned to her own tasks.
Ye Xiu returned within the hour, laden with Chen Guo's requested snacks and a small bag of essential toiletries. After delivering the food and receiving directions to the storage room, he found Luo Luo had already made impressive progress against the accumulated chaos.
"Let me help with that," Ye Xiu offered, setting down his purchases and surveying the work remaining.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Luo Luo replied with relief. "Some of these boxes are heavier than they look."
Working together, they transformed the cramped storage space into something resembling habitability within an hour. Chen Guo appeared periodically to check their progress, eventually delivering bedding and pillows with apologetic explanations about the lack of proper beds.
"Floor sleeping builds character," Ye Xiu assured her with the philosophical acceptance of someone who'd endured worse accommodations during his competitive career.
As midnight approached and the new Glory server prepared to launch, Luo Luo expressed interest in witnessing the event. However, Chen Guo's protective instincts overruled his gaming enthusiasm.
"Absolutely not—growing boys need proper sleep schedules," she declared with maternal finality. "The game will still exist in the morning."
Reluctantly accepting defeat, Luo Luo settled onto his makeshift floor bed, his mind already churning with plans for the following day. He needed to contact Gustave about acquiring legal identity documents in this world—a practical necessity that his fictional backstory couldn't address indefinitely.
As sleep gradually claimed him, Luo Luo reflected on the day's unexpected developments. His impulsive decision to follow Ye Xiu through the dimensional gate had led to new friendships, comfortable shelter, and exposure to an entirely different gaming culture.