"It's nice that you got the item you needed," Chen Guo said.
Ye Xiu, who had just logged out, admitted happily, "Yeah, good thing I had a helper."
"Helper? You mean those guys who berated you earlier—and that item hog?" Chen Guo said disdainfully. She was referring to Sleeping Moon's insults and Bandage Fist's item hoarding.
"Haha!" Ye Xiu just laughed lightly and placed a cigarette in his mouth. "They were still helpful, weren't they?"
"Whatever..." Seeing his carefree attitude, Chen Guo dropped the topic. "Let's go, Little Tang. We can continue creating your account."
"Oh? Little Tang's interested in playing Glory?" Ye Xiu asked in surprise.
Tang Rou offered a polite smile. "I wanted to learn how to play the game properly."
"That's good, then. Have you chosen a class yet?" he asked.
Tang Rou pondered for a moment. "I haven't thought about which class to choose yet."
"I see... Well, at level 20, you can choose whichever class you want. Until then, you're free to explore different ones," Ye Xiu said.
"Why not become a Launcher like me, Little Tang? You're already familiar with it," Chen Guo suggested.
Tang Rou pinched her chin thoughtfully. "Launchers are weak against Assassins, right? I don't think I'll choose that class."
"..."
Hearing her reasoning, the two didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Launchers are weak against Assassins? Who said that? It all depended on the player's skill.
"Well, we can check out the other classes," Chen Guo said instead of arguing. She had lost miserably to an Assassin once while using a Launcher—something that probably traumatized Tang Rou.
Ye Xiu went outside to smoke, while Tang Rou and Chen Guo headed to Area A, where Tang Rou was playing. She had noticed his "No Name" character earlier while they were watching Ye Xiu and thought he hadn't logged out yet, so she decided to play close to him. Since his spot was near the counter, it wasn't hard to find him.
However, this time Tang Ron wasn't playing Glory. His headset was resting on his neck while he talked to someone on QQ about a client task. He sent a video of Thousand Creation dying, and his client simply replied with the transaction record.
Ron checked his phone for a transfer message. Once he confirmed everything was settled, he logged out.
By then, Tang Rou had already opened the computer next to him, and so had Guo Guo. She noticed Ron but didn't talk to him since he seemed to be in a private conversation—it would be rude to peek.
"I'm on now, Guo Guo!" Tang Rou said as she inserted her account card.
"Okay!" Guo Guo replied cheerfully. Being a good friend and an expert at Glory, she was ready to help.
"Let's choose a name for your character first," Chen Guo said.
"A name..." Tang Rou pondered while playfully twirling a strand of her hair with her slender fingers.
"No rush! No rush!" Guo Guo assured her, also logging into her Glory account.
Their small commotion caught Ron's attention. He turned his head slightly, only to meet Tang Rou's gaze. The two locked eyes.
"Hi..." Tang Rou smiled at him.
"H-hello..." Ron was startled for a moment. He blinked a few times before turning back to his computer.
Seeing his flustered reaction, Tang Rou inwardly smirked. *I won.* For some reason, it gave her a strange sense of satisfaction—like she'd scored a huge victory.
"I'm thinking of playing Glory," she said, still watching him.
"Oh?" This time Ron only glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Seeing she was still looking, he shifted his gaze back. "Good for you. I think you've got the potential to become an expert," he said casually. It wasn't empty praise—he meant it.
"Thanks for the compliment. But actually, I'm planning to beat you," Tang Rou declared.
Hearing this, Ron slowly turned his head again and looked into her eyes, seeing the unwavering determination there. His expression turned serious, his shyness gone.
"Beat me? I haven't heard that in a long time," Ron said, feeling nostalgic. How long had it been since someone looked at him like that and said those words? Probably a decade ago, when he had just started and quickly succeeded. He was just a kid back then.
Remembering the past, Ron couldn't help but smile. "You remind me of someone... She said the exact same thing to me years ago."
"Is that so? What happened then? Do you mind telling me?" Tang Rou asked.
Ron replied without emotion, "That person neither beat me nor surpassed me."
"Oh... that's quite tragic. So she failed?"
"Failed, huh? Not exactly... It's just disappointing," Ron said, shaking his head and sighing deeply.
"Disappointing how so?" Tang Rou asked.
"I mean, I worked hard to climb to the top because I wanted to see the view from above—and share it. But before I knew it, there was no one left beside me. I'd shattered everyone until I was all alone at the summit."
"..." Tang Rou stayed silent, listening intently.
"The reason I called it disappointing," Ron continued, "is because the one person who could have surpassed me chose to follow my path and blend into my shadow." He sighed, realizing he had said too much, then gave Tang Rou a final glance. "Little Tang, I hope you won't disappoint me."
Ron turned off his computer and left.
Tang Rou didn't say anything, only watched his back as he disappeared.
Chen Guo, who had been listening to their conversation, was unusually quiet. At first, she had promised to help Tang Rou beat Ron, knowing that was her reason for playing. But after hearing his story, something felt off. She couldn't help but think deeply about it.
After helping Tang Rou create her Glory account and showing her the basics, Chen Guo walked outside, lost in thought about Ron's words. Along the way, she bumped into Ye Xiu.
"Boss, careful!" he said, narrowly dodging before she could bump into him.
"Oh? Sorry about that—I was thinking about something."
"Really? What is it? If you need a listener, I'm all ears," Ye Xiu said, lighting a cigarette.
"It's just a fleeting thought," she said softly. "You know, Ye Qiu was considered the best in Glory. I was wondering... did he ever feel lonely, knowing there was no one left who could compete with him?"
It was a different kind of question—one that came from considering others rather than herself. Yes, he was great, but that was all she knew of her idol. She didn't know his struggles or how he really felt.
Hearing this, Ye Xiu's heart softened. It was a rare, thoughtful question. He smiled faintly. "I think you've got the wrong idea, Boss."
"Really? Why's that?" Guo Guo asked.
"What makes the journey fun isn't reaching the destination, but the experiences along the way," Ye Xiu said, looking up at the sky. No one knew what he was thinking.
But Chen Guo suddenly felt enlightened. Being kind-hearted and feeling sympathy for someone like Tang Ron, she felt compelled to act. Without hesitation, she rushed back to meet Tang Rou, who was still in the beginner's village.
"Little Tang!" Guo Guo shouted.
Hearing her name, Tang Rou turned her head to see Guo Guo approaching energetically. She sensed something was up.
"Did something happen, Guo Guo?" she asked.
"Hmm... No, it's nothing!" Guo Guo shook her head before focusing on the screen. "Little Tang, I want to help you beat him."
Seeing the determination in her friend's eyes, Tang Rou realized something must have happened—maybe related to her conversation with Ron earlier. She didn't know for sure, but she was grateful.
"Really? Then I'll be counting on you!"