The King's Avatar

Fighting for the dungeon records was not as exciting as it had been without all the ruckus caused by the big guilds. It’s just like how a marathon is only exciting when the winner emerges from a large group of runners. If there is only one runner in the whole race, then the race would be very boring. There won’t be any suspense to the results.

This was the case with Guild Happy hogging Gloom Forest’s dungeon records. They had turned one of the most anticipated competitions into a dull monologue. Conquering the top ten positions on the standings awed the players of the tenth server time after time. The members of Guild Happy couldn’t be more proud about this. However, this was getting rather tiresome for the five people who were creating the records and monopolizing the rankings.

Horse Shooter and Thousand Creations were not exceptions to this. After making ten records in a row, their initial excitement was already history. In the end, everyone was bored with making records.

“New record?”

“Yep, new record.”

Even the exclamation mark was gone this time.

“What’s next?” Tang Rou asked Ye Xiu. It was clear that she hated the lack of challenges.

“It’s good that there are no more troublemakers. Let’s keep leveling up!” Ye Xiu was more realistic. His doubts about the lack of response from the big guilds were nowhere to be seen.

Therefore, everyone continued with dungeon crawling, monster killing, missions, and other necessary leveling up works. Due to the difference in levels, the team members stayed the same everyday. A multiplayer online game now just feels like a singles player stand-alone game. It was getting a bit repetitive. However, Ye Xiu was still quite into it. In addition to leveling up his own character everyday, he would also spend some time on guild matters. He also helped out Tang Rou and Steamed Bun Invasion, these two promising young players.

He paid attention to Concealed Light’s skill progress and dungeon research time after time as well.

One day, two days….. Time passed like this day by day. Everyone continued to level and pro matches continued to be played.

Ever since that day, Happy Internet Cafe maintained its tradition of broadcasting matches on match day. However, Excellent Era no longer became the sole match. Other exciting matches were chosen instead. Because of this, the cohesiveness of the guests declined greatly and the match days lost much of its former excitement in the Cafe.

After all, in the past, the loyal spectators during match day were there because they supported the same team. They were all friendly with each other because they shared a common language. These spectators might not necessarily like that big projection screen, but they certainly loved cheering and cursing together as a crowd, encouraging their favorite team.

Happy Internet Cafe’s match day event had been so successful because of this type of atmosphere. But now, without the cohesiveness from supporting Team Excellent Era and only that projection screen, the results were completely night and day. On these match days, when an attractice match came on, the Internet Cafe was able to gather quite a few spectators, but it was never as exciting as it had been before.

Many people felt that it was truly a pity. Some of them even tried to persuade Chen Guo to return to the original format, but Chen Guo always rejected them without hesitation.

Happy Internet Cafe couldn’t compare in popularity to before on match days, but the regular business wasn’t affected. The flow of customers every day was as strong as ever.

The peaceful days went by quickly. During the entire leveling process from Levels 44-46 in Gloom Forest, Guild Happy didn’t receive any challenges from the top guilds and, just like that, the dungeon records were conquered.

In the blink of an eye, it was already near the end of the month, and it was time for the Spring Festival. Glory had released Spring Festival events awhile ago. The Spring Festival events were the same every year, with plenty of rewards.

However, no matter how amazing the event was, it would be very difficult for it to upsurge the Internet Cafe’s business.

After all, the Spring Festival wasn’t on the same level as Christmas in China. Even for the Pro Alliance, no matches were held during the Spring Festival. The usual frequent customers went back home during this time.

Chen Guo was a generous boss and had let her employees go on vacation quite early.

“What about you?” Chen Guo asked the employee that had been hired this year.

“What about you?” the employee Ye Xiu asked back.

“This is my home.” Chen Guo said.

“Let me stay here…..” Ye Xiu said decisively.

“You’re not going back home?” Chen Guo frowned.

Ye Xiu slowly shook his head.

Chen Guo sighed, but didn’t say anything. Family matters were his business. Even though the two of them could be considered as friends, Chen Guo didn’t understand his family situation too well, so she didn’t feel qualified to say anything.

“Not bad. I’ll have someone to accompany me this year.” Chen Guo welcomed Ye Xiu to stay.

“What about Little Tang?” Ye Xiu asked.

“She’s packing her things!”

“She’s going back home?” Ye Xiu’s question was a bit weird.

Chen Guo nodded her head.

“Where.. does she live?” It was the first time that Ye Xiu had asked about Tang Rou’s personal life.

But Chen Guo unexpectedly shook her head: “I don’t know.”

“Hm….. Don’t you think that Little Tang’s background is quite mysterious?” Ye Xiu asked.

Chen Guo only laughed: “So what? It’s not like she’s a bad person.”

“That’s true.” Ye Xiu nodded his head. He turned around and continued to play the game. Tomorrow was Chinese New Year’s Eve. There wasn’t a single customer in the Internet Cafe. Only the sounds of Ye Xiu’s mouse and keyboard could be heard. The other employees had been given their red envelopes already and had gone back home happily to celebrate the festival.

Chen Guo walked around, bored. Soon afterwards, she saw Tang Rou carrying her luggage downstairs and hurriedly went over to help. However, Tang Rou shook her hand: “It’s not heavy!” and carried it down herself.

“Everyone’s gone?” Tang Rou looked around the Internet Cafe and said after her gaze landed back onto Chen Guo.

“I’m still here!” A hand was raised behind a computer in the corner. The hand waved around, answering the question for Chen Guo.

“You’re not going back home?” Tang Rou called out.

“I don’t have time. I have work to do.” Ye Xiu replied.

Tang Rou and Chen Guo couldn’t help but laugh. They had a general understanding of Ye Xiu’s situation though and knew that he was just joking. That obviously wasn’t a reason not to go back home. In reality, what family didn’t have a computer in this day and age? The Internet Cafe provided a type of atmosphere. For a special time like the Spring Festival, everyone had their own important atmospheres to experience. Those who liked to frequent the Internet Cafe temporarily went back home to play.

“Don’t forget to keep leveling when you go back! Don’t be like Steamed Bun and lag behind after the event is done.” Ye Xiu stopped doing his “work” and went over to sincerely warn the departing Tang Rou several times.

“Got it……” Tang Rou chuckled.

“Come here, take the red envelope.” Chen Guo handed over a big red envelope.

“Thanks, boss. Happy New Year.” Tang Rou smiled splendidly and didn’t decline it.

“What about me?” Compared to not declining it, there was also someone taking the initiative to ask for it.

“What are you in a hurry for!” Chen Guo rolled her eyes.

“I’m not even going back home. I should be getting money for working overtime.” Ye Xiu asked.

“Little Tang, let me help you call a taxi.” Chen Guo ignored Ye Xiu. After months of working together, Chen Guo deeply respected Ye Xiu’s skill, but she no longer adored or revered him anymore.

“Have a safe trip home!” Ye Xiu waved his hands to send Tang Rou off.

“Happy New Year!” Tang Rou waved her hands towards Ye Xiu and hopped into the taxi. Chen Guo and Ye Xiu sent her off until she could no longer be seen.

“How cold! Let’s go back!” Ye Xiu rubbed his neck and called after Chen Guo.

“Mm.” Chen Guo replied and the two went back to the Internet Cafe.

“You’re going to leave it open?” Ye Xiu pointed to the Internet Cafe’s entrance.

Chen Guo looked at it: “It’s not like it matters. Just leave it open!”

“There was even a tree for Christmas. You’re not going to put anything up for the Spring Festival?” Ye Xiu asked.

Chen Guo stared blankly for a long while: “That….. I hadn’t thought about it.”

“You have no common sense.” Ye Xiu said.

“I’ve always been by myself. I’ve been too lazy to do it.” Chen Guo said.

“Oh, but not this year. The weather’s nice today. Why not go out and buy some decorations?” Ye Xiu said.

“The weather’s not bad? Didn’t you just say that it was cold outside?” Chen Guo asked.

“It’s cold because I’m wearing too little.” Ye Xiu rushed upstairs to wrap up a makeshift overcoat. Chen Guo stared dumbly at him for a long while.

“You don’t have a second jacket?” Chen Guo said.

“It’s true!” Ye Xiu said.

“Didn’t you move over from across the street? How could you be so lazy! You didn’t bring anything?” Chen Guo said.

“You have to know that I wasn’t prepared to retire and work at your Internet Cafe!” Ye Xiu said.

“Then where’s your stuff?” Chen Guo asked.

“Probably.. at Su Mucheng’s place?” Ye Xiu asked.

“Ah!” Chen Guo immediately grew excited, “How about I come with you to get it? We can go a hundred times. There’s no rush.”

“There’s nothing to be in a rush for.” Ye Xiu said.

“That’s not important.” Chen Guo clearly wasn’t concerned with Ye Xiu’s stuff.

“Chasing after a star? Don’t be in a hurry. She’s also on break. I’ll just have her come over some time.” Ye Xiu said.

“What day? What day?” Chen Guo hastily asked.

“What day would you like?”

“Every day!”

“…… I’ll go ask.”

“Okay, let’s go get the decorations first though.” Chen Guo was excited.

After cleaning things up for a bit, the two left the Internet Cafe.

“I say…… Your jacket can’t be the only piece of clothing you brought, right?” Chen Guo began to wonder.

“What do you want to say?” Ye Xiu glanced sideways.

“Have you washed and changed your clothing before?”

“Since we don’t have the same work and rest schedule, I’ll forgive your poor observational skills.” Ye Xiu said.

“But how come I’ve never seen you buy anything?” Chen Guo questioned.

“Taobao, miss!”

“……”