novelThe Reason
| ← Ch.384 | Ch.386 → |
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Meet? How would we meet?"
Li Dong was puzzled. Would they meet via video chat?
Why did Mu Wanqiu want to see him? Was the guild not automatically disbanded?
"I bought a ticket to Chuzhou city tomorrow. I'll go to your school to find you. I want to talk about some things with you, " the voice over the phone said.
Huh?
Li Dong was stunned. His heart thumped. A face-to-face meetup of two online friends? The two of them would meet in reality?
He would know at a glance how Mu Wanqiu looked, and whether she was a male or a female.
Why did Mu Wanqiu want to meet him in person, and what did she want to tell him? Could she not tell him what she wanted to say over the phone? Did they have to meet face-to-face?
He was full of doubts; however, the words came out of his mouth."Um, is this very important? Is it better to say it in person?"
"Yes, It's... a little better to say it in person."
"OK. When are you arriving tomorrow? I will pick you up at the station."
"Ok. I will arrive at 4 PM tomorrow."
...
The next afternoon.
At Chuzhou high-speed rail station exit.
Li Dong, who had changed into something more presentable, looked at the gantries behind the railing and then further beyond.
He felt a little apprehensive.
A young girl? A cute and innocent, but air-headed girl? A really ugly girl? A crossdressing man? Or... a stereotypical straight male?
How would he deal with those different situations?
What if she turned out to be a real female?
"Huff..." Taking a deep breath, he silently said to himself, "No matter what happens, I must act natural. I must act like the Commander that I was in the game."
He looked at the time on his phone. It was past four. He waited for a while more. A wave of noise came from the gantries. The passengers were coming out in droves.
Li Dong's gaze was swept over each passenger's face. He focused on the younger men and women... Mu Wanqiu said she was in her third year of university and had just turned 20.
"Um, a couple, a pair of girlfriends, a single male, a single male, a couple, a single male... a single female, but she didn't look at me; it's probably not her."
Suddenly...
Li Dong's breath became sluggish.
A beautiful girl with long flowing hair and a tall physique, wearing light-pink colored sportswear, walked out of the passage.
Li Dong's eyes met hers and his heart skipped a beat. Was it her?
But the girl quickly shifted her gaze and walked out through the gantry. She headed out without looking back.
"Not her then."
Li Dong shook his head and returned his gaze to the exit to continue his search.
All the disembarking passengers had left the station, but no one came to greet him... He had sent his photo to Mu Wanqiu yesterday. She would probably take the initiative to give him a wave as a signal after spotting him.
"Didn't she get off the train? Should I call her?"
Li Dong picked up his mobile phone, ready to make a call.
"Hi!"
Someone tapped his shoulder from the back, "Are you the Commander? I'm Mu Wanqiu."
A beautiful and charming face appeared in front of Li Dong, and he smelled a sweet scent.
"It's you?"
Li Dong was taken aback. It turned out to be the beautiful girl who had met his eyes. Why didn't she say hello to him when she saw him?
However, when a girl took the initiative to come and meet a guy, it was normal to be a little on guard and wary. She probably observed him in secret, and judged that there was nothing wrong with him before tapping his shoulder.
"I thought you missed your stop, or perhaps you were not on this particular train. I wanted to call and ask you." Li Dong smiled and put his phone back in his pocket."It's so good to see you, I'm the Commander, but... well, I'm nothing now, hehe..."
He patted the back of his head.
Mu Wanqiu blinked and then smiled."Indeed, you're still the same Commander from game who cares about others. How are you? You're back to square one in the game that you've invested three years of effort into. I heard from Qinghai and the others that you've been depressed for a long time. Are you feeling better now?"
"I'm alright. It's okay now."
"Are you really all right?"
Mu Wanqiu leaned her head in close and stared at his face. She knew very well the Commander's love for the game. He knew nearly all of the game's strategies like the back of his hand. He behaved like an elite gaming enthusiast when it came to the development of technology, the combination of different types of arms and battle commands. He had written many highly practical articles on strategy. He was also very famous even among players who did not spend any money in the game.
But now he had been killed by the millions of dollars that a nouveau riche had spent in the game.
It would be strange if he were not depressed or upset. It was impossible to recover from the impact so quickly.
"I'm okay now; I'm really okay."
Li Dong gave a sunny smile, and there was no trace of depression on his face.
Indeed, anyone would be depressed and upset for a few days when the results of three years of work in the game returned to zero. But he was a man with two spiritual pillars. They were gaming and animation, respectively. The spiritual pillar of gaming had been struck down, but there was anime to keep him company. Hence, he could still face this dismal life with a smile.
"Sigh..." Mu Wanqiu breathed a sigh of relief. She put her hand on her chest and said, "That's good; I feel much more at peace now that you truly seem to be better. If not, I would have died from guilt."
He looked confused."Guilt? What does this have to do with you?
"I have to apologize to you. You can't play that game anymore, either. Thank you for coming to help me, " Li Dong said sincerely."To become best friends with you all is the greatest thing that I have gained in these three years. The value of this friendship is more important than the game."
These words caused a shock to go through her heart. And, on the contrary, they only made her feel even more guilty.
"Commander, this place is not very convenient. Let's find a quiet place to talk. I really do have something to tell you." The woman looked around and walked outside.
"Do you drink coffee? There is a Starbucks near my school. Why don't I treat you to a cup of coffee?" Li Dong had prepared in advance. If Mu Wanqiu turned out to be a girl, then they would go to a cafe, and if she turned out to be a boy, then they would go to a restaurant with a unique theme for a beer or two.
"Ok."
...
In Starbucks Cafe.
In a standalone booth.
They ordered two cups of coffee and chatted a bit.
Mu Wanqiu suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to him. She said, with a remorseful expression, "Commander, I'm so sorry. It was my mistakes that led to the destruction of the guild; your blood, sweat, and tears have come to nothing... I'm really sorry!"
Li Dong was taken aback and quickly got up."What are you doing? You didn't do anything wrong, why are you apologizing to me? Come on, get up!"
"Really, it's all because of me."
Mu Wanqiu explained: "I know the player Supreme King, who destroyed our guild, in real life. He is a student at my school, but also a second generation rich kid. He has been chasing me for two years, but I have always rejected him. He entered the game after learning that I play Homeland VR, and spent money to buy an account close to our guild. He would often send me private messages to add him as a friend, but I did not pay attention to him...
"I don't know why he became so crazy suddenly. He topped up a lot of money into this account, bought a lot of battleships and came directly at us, so... everything is my fault. I'm sorry, Commander!"
She gave another deep bow.
What?!
Li Dong was stunned speechless.
The entire guild was destroyed because a second generation rich kid failed to get a member of the guild to be his girl.
What the f*ck was this?
| ← Ch. 384 | Ch. 386 → |