The scarf was heavy yet soft, and once worn, it made the young man even more strikingly handsome, drawing the eyes of onlookers.
Only after the scarf was properly adjusted did the driver let him go.
Jing Mian stood still, biting his lip, his ears slightly flushed, perhaps from the cold.
He waved at the driver.
The car window slid up.
The vehicle started and drove away.
Jing Mian paused for two seconds, then turned around, crossing the street and walking towards the club along the corner of the office building.
Chen Xi slightly parted his lips, taking a long time to regain his senses.
He felt as if his jaw might freeze off.
If he wasn’t mistaken, that man had personally brought Jing Mian to the club, wrapped a scarf around him, and even given him the ring that Jing Mian sometimes wore during training.
Could it be that the two of them… were married?
And it seemed like they were already living together!??
Chen Xi felt his brain short-circuiting, his blood pressure rising.
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to calm down, unable to resist recalling the scene from just now.
However.
As he thought about it…
He found it a bit sweet.
Last time, when he draped his coat over him, it was probably out of jealousy; this time, he personally dropped him off at work, reluctant to part ways immediately, calling him over to the driver’s seat, gently yet possessively wrapping the scarf around Jing Mian.
To be honest, from that angle, he almost thought they were going to kiss.
Those two were just too sweet.
If it really was Ren Congmian…
What a divine husband!?
Jing Mian quickly arrived at the club.
Chen Xi followed shortly after, carrying a box of water, with a delivery man trailing behind. However, Chen Xi’s expression was somewhat unnatural, as if he was still blushing from earlier and dared not look at Jing Mian.
Xuan Cheng glanced at his watch and said, “The people we’re meeting later are all high-ranking figures in Glory. Just one of them holds significant power, so be careful. If I cough, it means you all should stop talking, okay?”
The other members munched on chips, crunching away.
Jing Mian nodded.
Xuan Cheng: “…”
Only the one who needed to listen the least was actually paying attention.
Having eaten a hearty breakfast, Jing Mian hardly touched his food during lunch at the club, waiting until the whole team was ready to depart.
The group boarded the car of the captain and seniors, arriving at Glory’s headquarters in half an hour.
This was Jing Mian’s first time seeing the headquarters building of Glory.
In the past, he had only focused on the game, on following Ash’s footsteps; Glory felt more like a vessel carrying his faith.
Jing Mian occasionally browsed game forums but had never paid attention to the stories behind Glory.
So he felt a strange sensation.
This massive building had created the hottest game today, pulling him from the abyss, even leading him to secretly leave home for the first time, to defy his father’s wishes, to stay in this virtual world. Now, he could even lie without a hint of embarrassment, claiming he no longer played games.
As they entered the building with the captain, a receptionist immediately greeted them.
She led them to the elevator, taking them to the 16th floor.
The elevator came to a slow stop.
Following the staff’s guidance, they walked through the corridor to a spacious conference room, where it seemed someone had been waiting for a while.
After a series of pleasantries, Me. Team was taken to the gaming area of Glory’s headquarters.
Before that, Jing Mian went to the restroom.
He bent down to wash his hands in front of the mirror, not removing his mask or hoodie. As he lowered his eyelashes, the soft light cast a delicate shadow on his eyelids.
Suddenly, Jing Mian heard footsteps approaching from behind.
He turned slightly and saw a few tall young men in casual clothes, about five or six of them, likely in their twenties.
They were chatting as they walked past the restroom when the leader suddenly stopped.
He whispered something to the person next to him, seemingly confirming something.
Soon, Jing Mian heard the footsteps of that person approaching, accompanied by a curious voice:
“Sorry to interrupt, are you… Sheep from Qingfeng District?”
Jing Mian was taken aback.
Realizing he was fully armed and looked just like he did during his livestreams, it wasn’t surprising to be recognized by someone from the esports circle.
He didn’t hide it and nodded, “Hello.”
“It really is you.” The man smiled and shook Jing Mian’s hand. “I’ve watched your livestreams and have been looking forward to meeting you in person.”
Jing Mian shook back, somewhat puzzled, “…And you are?”
“I’m an executive consultant at Glory.” The young man flashed his business card and smiled. “I used to be a player, my ID is Mobo, and then I was recruited to the headquarters… though I haven’t retired yet.”
Mobo?
Jing Mian’s pupils widened.
Wasn’t he a well-known veteran player in Glory, almost on par with someone like Greek?
Mobo scratched his head, seeming a bit shy, and said, “Actually, we have other connections, like Ash.”
Jing Mian’s heart skipped a beat.
“After your successful PK, I adjusted Ash’s character to become a Shadow Guard, triggering protection in critical moments. The adaptation during that time was done by me…”
Jing Mian understood, shock washing over him.
In other words, the Shadow Guard of Ash would call out his name, protect him at crucial moments, and perfectly blend into the NPC’s image—all personally adjusted by Mobo.
Jing Mian sincerely said, “…Thank you.”
Mobo was momentarily taken aback, then smiled back, “It’s nothing, it’s my job.”
He continued, “Besides, Ash and I are old acquaintances, so it’s just a small favor.”
Jing Mian, still in shock, found it hard to breathe.
“How about we exchange contact information? My WeChat is on my business card; if you have any questions about Ash, feel free to reach out.”
Jing Mian felt his throat tighten as he accepted the business card.
The headquarters of Glory had a wide variety of departments; some were responsible for game operations, others for finance and publicity, while a portion focused on developing new maps and gameplay.
This constant influx of new elements kept Glory shining brightly, attracting more players.
Besides internal testers who could try new maps and gameplay before release, there were also these skilled players affiliated with teams.
They were invited to engage in PKs to test the feasibility of new maps.
At the same time, it was a reference point for higher-ups when selecting newcomers or promising players.
Thus, they arrived at the gaming function area.
Under the planner’s guidance, two team members sat down, corresponding to two characters in the map.
After a random match, they donned their headsets and began a one-on-one PK.
Jing Mian wasn’t called, so he temporarily observed.
He stood on the side of his teammates, who were ultimate enthusiasts of the second level’s Haunted House in Glory.
Jing Mian quickly observed that this was indeed a completely unfamiliar map he had never seen before.
The location seemed to be on a cargo ship, filled with various complex containers, providing excellent cover.
This allowed the senior to find many unexpected hiding spots, leaving the enemy at a loss, running around the map for dozens of circles in frustration.
The opposing member immediately protested, “Hey, brother, you can’t play like that. This is a shooting game, and you’re turning it into a ridiculous game of hide-and-seek.”
The other side retorted shamelessly, “Hiding this well is a skill too. If you can, go hide somewhere I can’t find you.”
Soon, the first round ended.
Jing Mian’s team senior won, grinning smugly.
Jing Mian: “…” He actually felt like he learned something.
He didn’t move from his spot, continuing to watch how the skilled senior toyed with the enemy.
After three rounds, Jing Mian had roughly memorized the entire layout of the map.
Finally, when it was Jing Mian’s turn to take the stage, he found that his opponent had suddenly disappeared, leaving him alone at the other end of the table, the computer screen facing him.
Jing Mian: “?”
But soon he understood; his opponent was not any of the seniors or teammates from today’s team.
One of the planners smiled and said to Jing Mian, “Sheep, actually, since the last Cross-Server Competition, we’ve been looking forward to your performance.”
“If you keep battling your own team, it might feel a bit stale, and since you might have already figured out each other’s habits during training, it could lead to a lack of adaptability in real combat.”
Jing Mian blinked, seeming not to understand what the planner meant.
But soon he realized, the man opened the communicator, which was the game’s battle button, to connect online.
Quickly, the game interface emitted a beeping sound.
Jing Mian: “Isn’t this supposed to be an offline PK?”
The planner chuckled, “I found you a more suitable opponent; you might know him from before.”
“Have you heard of Greek, the player ranked second on the PK leaderboard?”
The man smiled, “We contacted him to practice with you.”
“…”
Jing Mian was stunned.
How come it had been all about teammates training each other, and suddenly he was switched to face the most popular veteran player on the PK leaderboard?
He really… didn’t need this kind of ‘benefit.’
Jing Mian vaguely remembered that his last brief encounter with Greek was when Greek’s team paid for a pinned message, and he politely declined, but the other party didn’t get angry and even added him as a friend.
So far, they hadn’t played any team battles together.
Even if Jing Mian had a calm mindset, upon hearing he was about to face Greek in a PK, he couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the mouse, his throat tightening.
After all, he was a newcomer, while the other was a well-known veteran in Glory for many years.
Who wouldn’t be nervous?
Just as Jing Mian was about to refuse,
The beeping sound suddenly stopped.
—It was connected.
From the microphone came the other party’s nonchalant voice: “Are we doing the PK now?”
“What’s the name and ID of the newcomer you mentioned? Have I heard of him?”
Jing Mian remained silent.
He then realized that it seemed Glory’s headquarters hadn’t informed Greek who he was about to face.
They only mentioned it was a newcomer, not very old.
Later, the staff explained their reasoning to Jing Mian; if they revealed his identity and if he and Greek had interacted before, Greek might go easy on him.
That would significantly diminish the reference value of the PK.
Jing Mian thought for a moment, wanting to say that wouldn’t happen.
After all, he had directly declined the invitation from Greek’s team last time, even when they pinned the message and offered triple compensation.
In Greek’s eyes, even if he hadn’t offended him, he at least had a reputation for being proud.
So Jing Mian had no objections; anonymity was safer.
However, while he was fully exposed, if he got utterly crushed, it would be a live broadcast, akin to a large-scale car crash scene.
Jing Mian sighed silently.
Forget it, just go for it.
After all, this wasn’t his livestream, nor was it an important match for the team; even if he lost, it would only be a small loss of face.
Moreover, losing to the formidable Greek… wasn’t that embarrassing.
Having come to terms with it, Jing Mian put on his headset and signaled to the staff that they could start.
Seeing one of the parties had agreed, the staff beamed with joy.
They adjusted the game level and difficulty, quickly allowing both characters to enter the match.
Jing Mian still wore the new headset given to him by the team. Following everything he had observed earlier, the black screen soon changed, gradually revealing the scene where the characters were located.
It was a massive cargo ship.
With various iron and wooden boxes, players could run along the top iron frames or take side paths, making for a complex and abundant cover.
Moreover, conveniently, weapons would randomly appear next to each cargo rack, with a variety of types, including the most popular submachine guns placed atop containers that were abundant in the war zone.
The teammate who had sat next to Jing Mian during the Cross-Server Competition silently stood behind him to observe. This time, he suddenly had a hunch and a premonition.
Sure enough, as the match began, the character Jing Mian controlled immediately started running as soon as it appeared on the cargo ship. He found the nearest gun without hesitation and stashed it in his backpack.
Next, Jing Mian moved past many covers, collecting various weapons, causing his character to make a clattering sound as he walked.
Teammate: “…”
He hadn’t changed at all.
Goodness, those who knew they were in a match would think Jing Mian was a crazy weapon collector if they didn’t know better.
It was one thing to play like this during the Cross-Server Competition, but how could he not change his approach when facing the renowned veteran Greek?
At this moment, the teammate sighed silently.
He had a feeling Jing Mian might lose badly, but he just hoped this failure wouldn’t dampen the kid’s enthusiasm. After all, even if Jing Mian wasn’t as strong as Greek, his professional career was still in its early peak.
While he was lost in worry and thought, he noticed that the character Jing Mian was controlling suddenly stopped.
At that moment, Jing Mian was navigating through a narrow gap between two containers, just wide enough for one person to pass.
But sensing something, Jing Mian immediately halted his movements.
A few seconds later, he began to backtrack.
The sound of his retreat was very light, but it seemed to catch the attention of the other side.
The opponent seemed to have sensed his intention to escape, and before Jing Mian could retreat behind the container, he charged out.
Then, with a bang.
A shot to the head.
The young man silently covered his eyes, letting out a soft sigh; he couldn’t bear to watch.
The match started with a one-shot kill. Although he knew Jing Mian likely wasn’t Greek’s opponent, he hadn’t expected the actual combat to be this brutal.
What he didn’t know was that at that moment, Jing Mian’s mind was still lingering on the conversation from earlier in the restroom.
Mobo knew Ash.
Ash’s Shadow Guard was adjusted by Mobo, and just now, they had exchanged contact information.
This might be the closest he had ever been to his idol.
Jing Mian thought, if Mobo was familiar with Ash, then Ash might…
Would he occasionally know that the character he had retired from had become an NPC, guarding a player with the ID Sheep?
Jing Mian bit his lip, his thoughts unable to settle.
Since it was a one-on-one PK match, to save time, the characters would have a respawn effect rather than repeating the battle round by round.
Jing Mian quickly returned to the previous respawn point.
After Greek killed him, he continued to roam the map, his position uncertain, potentially appearing in any corner of the map.
Thus, taking the initiative was crucial; once the opportunity was missed and he was suppressed, it would be hard to find a chance to turn the tables.
This time, Jing Mian initially thought he would run to the upper iron frame to observe Greek’s hiding position, but instead, he returned to a familiar spot and collected several different types of guns.
Teammate: “…”
What an absurd strategy.
Though he was a teammate, he couldn’t help but start to doubt whether Jing Mian’s unexpected three headshots during the last Cross-Server Competition had been partly due to luck.
…
But in reality, the teammates and staff here were mistaken.
Jing Mian didn’t need to climb to the top of the iron frame to survey the entire map for Greek’s hiding spot.
Because the other side didn’t even bother to hide.
In Greek’s mind, Jing Mian seemed unworthy.
When they met, a direct kill was enough.
Fate seemed to play tricks; this time, Jing Mian and Greek encountered each other again in the gap between those two containers.
Only this time, their positions were reversed.
In stark contrast to the last time.
Before anyone could react, the headset transmitted a bang, and Jing Mian’s character fell, respawning once more.
At this point, small sighs could be heard from the staff in the gaming area.
It seemed that the last Cross-Server Competition had been largely due to luck.
They had set their expectations too high for Jing Mian, but in reality, the young man seemed unable to bear such expectations.
This time, some staff members who had been focused on watching the match had already started looking down at their phones.
The ensuing one-sided suppression was easy to imagine; even without watching, they could predict the final outcome.
Greek might consider the face of Glory and let Jing Mian win a few times.
Or perhaps he wouldn’t.
After respawning, Jing Mian returned to the familiar spot to collect a few more guns.
The weight of some of the items was too heavy, making Jing Mian’s character’s footsteps sound much heavier than the opponent’s, appearing quite clumsy.
Greek, with his abundant experience, could deduce where Jing Mian was just by listening to the sound of his footsteps.
Then, appearing at the end of the path, he trapped his prey, gun in hand, delivering the final fatal blow.
But this time, Greek vaguely heard that the newcomer seemed to have returned to that gap between the two wide containers and was wandering back and forth.
Greek couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement.