WOW, the King Has Arrived!
A fine spring rain began to fall from the sky.
Off-road Motorcycle speed along the elevated ring road late at night.
"Drop!"
I opened the Friend System and started a voice call with Gun Like a Dragon.
"Ding Han?"
The Gun Like a Dragon, catching the target instantly. He chuckled and asked, "What is it?"
"Alliance Leader Long, you know Cao Weidong, right?"
"I know, everyone knows that. What's wrong? Did he offend you?"
"Um."
I nodded. "I'll go over there and take him out now. See if you can help me out. If you don't nip it in the bud, it'll grow back in the spring. I can't kill them all by myself, so I'll need your help."
"Damn..." Gun Like a Dragon suddenly froze.
"What's wrong?"
I frowned. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, not really, it just triggered a quest, hahaha~~~"
"I've Gun Like a Dragon an A-level mission, which requires me to contact nearby player factions and coordinate with me. You go and destroy Cao Weidong's lair, while we'll clear out their remaining strongholds. Hahaha, having a mission makes things easier. I'll gather the men and set off right away. You take it easy over there."
"Don't worry, what difficulty could an A-level mission possibly have?"
"Too..."
It's midnight.
BOX Bar in the city center.
When I parked my Off-road Motorcycle outside, there were a few shady-looking young men standing there, while two girls staggered out of the bar and vomited loudly by the roadside.
Several young people surrounded it, like a swarm of flies around a cracked egg.
I didn't say much, locked my motorcycle, and entered the bar. Immediately, I was greeted by somber music and a series of young, decadent faces. After passing through the bar, there was a parking lot ahead. I climbed over the wall, and behind the parking lot was an old factory. I followed the blueprints sent by Zhengrong Years and found the factory. There, I saw a thug with an afro walking towards me.
A deep red health bar instantly appeared above his head. He pointed at me and hissed, "Who goes there?"
"Whoosh!"
A deep blue light flashed in the night sky, Wind Chaser instantly severed his head!
Using Power Sword to kill these small fry really feels like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Pushing open the door behind the thug, you'll see a staircase leading underground. Inside, you'll hear the same decadent music, and even see women dressed as bunny girls carrying trays walking around.
Who is it?
The moment I stepped into the casino, a thug with bruises still on his face recognized me immediately and roared, "Damn it, it's you, you bastard! You dare to come here!"
At that moment, he raised the watermelon knife and charged forward!
Switching to the silenced UZI, three consecutive shots blasted the opponent's head apart, like a watermelon split open, splattering blood onto a group of thugs behind him.
"Grass!"
The others instantly woke up and roared as they charged forward!
"Brother Hu, something's happened! That guy has a gun!"
Someone shouted in the distance, and then a group of thugs rushed into the casino's private room, bursting out with handguns and Submachine Gun!
Damn it, they really are thugs, illegally possessing firearms!!
My body sank, the Stardust Wall activated, and I entered shooting mode!
With the Lv10 Shooting Master buff, I felt like a seasoned gunslinger who had spent years on the battlefield. Every time I aimed, I had a feeling of divine inspiration, just like the critical hit described in the game. The moment I pulled the trigger, I knew I would hit the target precisely. Every shot's aim and lead were perfect!
In an instant, chaos erupted inside the casino. Large numbers of thugs fell to the UZI's firepower, while the gamblers crouched on the ground, clutching their heads and screaming in terror, their faces ashen with fear!
"You bastard!!"
Hu Mancang roared as he stormed out of the cubicle, brandishing a shotgun, his face contorted with rage. "Fuck you...!"
"Die!"
In an instant, I raised my right hand and hurled the Power Sword with a "whoosh." With a surge of Yuan energy, the Power Sword emitted a dazzling blue light and severed Hu Mancang's head in mid-air!
"Thump~~~"
His head fell to the ground, blood gushing from his neck. The group of thugs around him turned pale; they had never seen anything like it.
As a player who has been fighting against Dark Tide, alien species, insect swarms, and demons for many years, I have long been immune to this kind of 100% realistic battle and killing scene, and I am completely unmoved!
UZI continued firing, and in a single stride, he drew his Power Sword from the wall and charged forward several meters. With a flash of sword light, several more heads flew into the sky!
In the heat of the battle, a flash of sword light nearly chopped a bunny girl to pieces!
"Aaaaaahhhhhh~~~"
She screamed, "Handsome, it's not my fault! I didn't do anything..."
"Oh!"
I looked at the green health bar above her head. I couldn't kill her. If I did, I would be expelled and hunted down by the Crimson Dragon Country, which was no joke.
"Go away, I don't kill women..."
I moved the sword away.
"Xie Xie you, handsome..."
She was so frightened that she trembled all over and slowly left, her heart pounding.
But just then, a bell rang in my ear—
[Battle Prompt: Please note that Mercenary Lisa (Purple BOSS) has used the skill "Psionic Chain" on you. After assessment, your Mental Power is more than 50% higher than hers; the skill attack has failed!]
With a "whoosh," a huge MISS flew up from above my head!
"Not good!"
On the second floor, a woman in a gray robe suddenly cried out in alarm. Immediately afterward, as she fired her Submachine Gun, a silver light flashed in her pupils, and three consecutive Psionic Storm descended from the sky, forming a storm below that obstructed the view and raged on.
Hahaha~~~
A man's voice came from the second floor. "Damn it... you bastard, you actually killed so many of my people, but you probably didn't expect that I would actually hire a Psionicist to oversee things, did you? No matter how tough you are, can you be tougher than a Psionicist?!"
It's Cao Weidong, the leader of this criminal gang, he's finally shown up!
As for the Psionicist mercenary's firepower, it was just a scratch. Her triple Psionic Storm couldn't even break through my Stardust Wall. As for the Submachine Gun's firepower, it would probably be just as ineffective against my nearly 2700 armor!
"Whoosh!"
Amidst the raging storm, he suddenly leaped into the air, directly targeting Lisa with a powerful Leaping Chop!
"This is bad!"
Lisa was horrified and hurriedly retreated, but it was too late. The next second, the Wind Chaser made a "click" sound, and a beautiful head flew into the air. The corpse was still reflexively pulling the trigger, and bullets flew wildly in the casino.
"You fucking..."
Cao Weidong was terrified. "I'm sworn brothers with the city's bigwigs... If you dare kill me..."
Before I could finish speaking, I had already shoved the scorching hot muzzle of my UZI into Cao Weidong's mouth. With a hissing sound, I pulled the trigger, and a barrage of bullets shot out from the back of his head, violently spraying blood and brain matter onto the wall behind him.
Continue!
Holding the UZI, he kicked open door after door, shooting down anyone with a red health bar until he had wiped out all of Cao Weidong's men in the casino. Only then did he leave with the UZI, leaving behind a cold and ruthless figure for the trembling bunny girls and gamblers.
Entering the alley, I switched back to normal mode, hopped on my beloved little motorcycle, and started my return journey.
A few minutes later, a bell rang--
[Congratulations! You have completed the daily quest "Urban Undercurrent" (Rank A)! Rewards: 800,000 Character Experience, 3,500 Reputation Value!]
It's alright. The character experience is so-so, but the Reputation Value are plentiful. Besides, the main purpose of this mission is to eliminate threats to Feiyang Internet Cafe and Lu Xiaobei; everything else is secondary.
"Drop!"
A message came from Gun Like a Dragon: "Ding Han, how's it going on your end?"
"The mission is complete. Cao Weidong was indeed prepared; he actually hired a Purple BOSS- level Psionicist. Unfortunately, he was too weak; he was cut down with a single sword strike. How are things going on your end?"
"Shen Jin, Worldly Uncontested, and I have gathered all the players scattered across the country and are targeting their hideouts nearby. Currently, the hideouts in Huaining City that are connected to Cao Weidong have basically been wiped out. There are fewer hideouts in Jiangning City, Donghai City, and Creek City, and players have already gone there. Basically, by tomorrow morning, Cao Weidong's organization will disappear directly from the Crimson Dragon Country."
"Um."
I nodded. "And what about his protectors?"
"Don't worry about that."
Gun Like a Dragon grinned. "We've gathered a lot of evidence of Cao Weidong's crimes, as well as evidence of his bribery. The national intelligence agency just called, saying they're going to investigate this thoroughly and eliminate all of Cao Weidong's protectors. After all, the person Cao Weidong and his gang bullied this time is a recipient of the Silver Star Hero Medal..."
"Holy crap..."
I exclaimed in surprise, "The Silver Star Medal is that powerful?"
"Pretty much. The Bronze Star Medal already has a lot of power, and the Silver Star Medal is even more extraordinary..."
"The Gun Like a Dragon Crimson Dragon Country's resolute stance this time can be seen as a declaration of their position to our Player Faction Like a Dragon.
"That's good..."
I smiled and said, "Thank you, Alliance Leader Long. I owe you all a favor this time."
"What are you saying? We players are all on the same side!"
"Um!"
One o'clock in the morning.
The hotel behind Feiyang Internet Cafe.
Cai Cai stood with her arms crossed, like a door god at the door of room 201.
"How did it go?" I asked with a smile.
"Boss, you're back? Everything's fine. Kou Mei's inside with Lu Xiaobei."
"That's good."
"Has the matter with Hu Mancang been settled?"
"All done, they've all been slaughtered."
"Comfortable..."
Cai Cai grinned. "That's why they say in the Crimson Dragon Country, we players are the biggest H-society..."
He makes a lot of sense; I'm starting to think so too now.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and things went smoothly.
For the past few days, I have been asking Ruolin, Kou Mei and others to take turns protecting Lu Xiaobei's safety, but nothing has happened. Just as Gun Like a Dragon said, Cao Weidong's forces have been completely eradicated, and no one will threaten Lu Xiaobei and Lin Qingying's safety anymore.
The crisis is over, and life has returned to normal.
In the early morning, looking at the daily revenue of the internet cafe, I took a deep breath. The income is rising steadily, which is naturally a good thing, but it feels like the scale is not big enough. Feiyang Internet Cafe's expansion pace is a little slow.
But she was too embarrassed to tell Lu Xiaobei, since most of her money came from Lu Changzai, and it was really difficult for her to ask Lu Changzai for money.
As for Lu Xiaobei herself, although her collaboration with Milo on "Plain Face" became a huge hit across the country, she insisted on not accepting any endorsements or advertisements, which was quite willful. Therefore, she probably didn't have much money to expand her internet cafe business.
In the morning, after fixing the computer, I stepped outside.
"Where are you going?" Lu Xiaobei suddenly called out to me.
"I'm bored. Let's go find Gao Tianyu and have a game of ball skills."
"Then I'll go watch the game."
"Alright!"
"Wait a moment, I'll go back and change my clothes, I'll be quick!"
She left in a whirlwind and returned in a whirlwind, dressed in a white knit sweater, a beige long skirt, and a gradient-colored cardigan. It made me feel as if I had suddenly returned to my days in Creek City, and she had become the Lu Xiaobei I knew before.
"Ding Han, would you like some milk tea?" she asked.
"Sure, you're treating?"
"Um!"
She rushed to the COCO Milk Tea Shop, ordered two hot milk teas, and came back with a smile, saying, "Shall we go?"
So, the two of them walked towards Huaining University while drinking milk tea.
We were quickly stopped by the gatekeeper.
"We could go in before, why can't we go in now? What's going on?" Lu Xiaobei asked angrily.
"Young lady, this is a school regulation. People from outside the school can't just come and go as they please. There's nothing I can do about it; it's a school rule."
The old man acted as if he owned the place, with his hands behind his back; anyone who didn't know him would think he was the president of Huaining University.
"Sir, could you please make an exception?"
Lu Xiaobei started to whine, "I'm a celebrity, you know, I have my pride too..."
The old man was unyielding. "Even celebrities aren't allowed; rules are rules!"
"Cough cough..."
At that moment, I took out the pack of Liqun from my storage space, pulled one out and handed it to the old man, smiling, "Uncle, please make an exception. We need to go talk to the student council about a collaboration, it's serious business."
"Oh..."
The old man, twirling Liqun, squinted and smiled, "Alright, I'll make an exception. Just don't wander around inside, okay?"
"Rest assured!"
Once inside the campus, Lu Xiaobei was furious and kicked at the plane tree leaves by the roadside.
"This society has truly deteriorated; people's hearts have lost their traditional values!"
Lu Xiaobei said, "The social atmosphere is ruined by people like this, don't you think?"
"I don't know..."
As I sipped my milk tea, I chuckled and said, "Maybe it's because I'm getting older, so my way of doing things is a little different from yours. I think getting things done is enough; I don't care much about anything else."
"Do you know what this is called? This is being assimilated by society, losing your own principles, losing your original aspirations! Ding Han, you're making me feel a little heartbroken!"
She patted her chest proudly, and once again I heard a shameful echo.
Court.
Gao Tianyu arrived as agreed, bringing several of his teammates, while I invited a few students from the Department of Atmospheric Science who were good at playing ball.
"You..."
Gao Tianyu, wearing his school team uniform and with a basketball tucked under his arm, walked straight up to us, stared intently at Lu Xiaobei, and asked, "Are you a celebrity?"
"Ah?"
Lu Xiaobei almost burst into tears of joy. Finally, her celebrity identity had been discovered by these idiots at Huaining University!
"Um."
She nodded.
"Ding Han."
Gao Tianyu looked up at me and said, "How could such a beautiful star hang out with someone like you?"
"You son of a bitch..."
I was completely baffled. Gao Tianyu was acting strangely today, mostly because of Zhang Ruolin. He felt ashamed after his confession to Zhang Ruolin failed, and the fact that I was with Zhang Ruolin and Lin Qingying that night probably made him misunderstand and think there was something between Zhang Ruolin and me.
But this guy is too blunt; he's already turning his anger on me?
So, I need to teach him a lesson today and show him what basketball is all about!
The two sides quickly engaged in combat.
The school team lived up to its reputation, their Department of Atmospheric Science was excellent, and they scored more than ten points in the blink of an eye. On the other hand, I, as a god, carried four weak teams, keeping the score close and never letting the other team gain an advantage.
"Knock knock knock~~~"
During the intense dribbling, Gao Tianyu and I were head-to-head, and it was time for another one-on-one match.
"Ding Han, don't even think about getting any points from me!"
His eyes flashed with ferocity. "I, Gao Tianyu, swear!"
"What good are oaths? I'll get the points from you."
On the sidelines, Lu Xiaobei, holding a cup of milk tea, shouted, "Ding Han, don't hesitate, attack his weakest point!"
I immediately dribbled the ball frantically, staring into Gao Tianyu's eyes, and said, "Zhang Ruolin doesn't even look at you!"
Ah~~~~
Gao Tianyu broke through my defense and suddenly reached out to intercept the ball, but his hand landed on mine, resulting in a foul.
After that, the game turned into a complete massacre, and I ultimately led the Department of Atmospheric Science to a 66-42 victory!
"They're gone!"
After putting on my coat, I left Huaining University with Lu Xiaobei. After defeating Gao Tianyu, there was nothing left on campus that could interest me.
"Ding Han, you're all sweaty. Want to come to my place for a shower?" Lu Xiaobei asked.
"No."
I shook my head. "Being covered in sweat is nice, it smells like hormones."
"Pah! It stinks!"
She didn't insist and came back to the internet cafe with me.
In the evening, Lin Qingying sent me a message saying she had to work overtime, so I didn't want to go home too early either. I stayed at the internet cafe to work overtime as well. Eventually, Lu Xiaobei saw that I hadn't left, so he invited Zhao Yihang and me to eat dry pot.
It was the same Jijiwa Wa restaurant again. I ordered a big pot, plus two servings of egg fried rice and some drinks.
"Business has been pretty good these past few days."
Zhao Yihang, "During the prime time of 8 pm, the computer usage rate can generally reach over 75%, and on league days, the usage rate can jump to 85%. I've looked at the usage rates of internet cafes in Huaining City, and they are basically not as good as ours. Even the largest Zhuoyue Internet Cafe, is slightly worse than us."
"Ah, this is so nice..."
Lu Xiaobei smiled and said, "The Flagship Store in Huaining City is indeed doing much better than the other Flagship Store."
"Young people, don't be complacent too early!"
I slammed my hand on the table and said, "Is a mere 85% enough? I don't think so. Our Feiyang Internet Cafe is so excellent; during peak hours, it should be 100% full, with customers queuing up to get a computer!"
Lu Xiaobei rolled her eyes. "A 100% success rate? How popular would that business have to be?"
"It's not necessarily impossible to achieve."
I was unconvinced, and the next moment, a bell rang in my ear. My argument with Lu Xiaobei had actually resulted in a super daily task—
[You have triggered the daily quest "Strive for the Peak, Feiyang Internet Cafe!" (SS-rank)! Quest objective: Use all means to increase the peak usage rate of Feiyang Internet Cafe's Huaining Flagship Store to over 95% during prime time! Quest reward: "Ring of the Go-Getter" (Quality: Cyan)!]
Holy crap, the reward is a cyan ring!!
When I saw the task reward, I was immediately struck by the fact that Feiyang Internet Cafe was indeed my lucky place. Although a 95% attendance rate is difficult to achieve, it is not impossible if you are willing to put in the effort. And the cyan ring is not something that everyone can get!
If this ring has three attributes plus critical hit, life steal, or Burst Skill, then it would be an incredibly valuable ring!
Thinking about this, I couldn't help but smile.
Hehehe~~~
"Hey, Ding Han!"
Zhao Yihang, who was standing next to me, tilted his head and glanced at me. "Why are you smiling so lewdly? Did you think of something good?"
"Huh? No?"
I chuckled and said, "I was just thinking how amazing it would be if our Feiyang Internet Cafe could maintain a 95% usage rate with 300 machines..."
"But I think maintaining an 85% availability rate during prime time in the league would be pretty good. As for 95%, that's really too difficult. There are only so many people using the internet around Huaining University. If we want to improve further, we'll have to squeeze money out of other internet cafes," Lu Xiaobei said.
"Not necessarily."
Full of confidence, I said, "How about we make a bet? What if I really can get a 95% success rate?"
"Bet..."
Lu Xiaobei gave a weak look. "I feel like you're trying to trick me. If I agree to the bet, you're sure to win. I think I'd better not. Even losing to you for a meal would make me feel bad for days. Treating you to a meal would at least earn me a favor, but losing would be too painful."
"The boss is brilliant!"
Zhao Yihang gave a thumbs up. "I also feel that there's nothing Ding Han can't do in the internet cafe business. This guy is simply amazing when it comes to internet cafe operations..."
I grinned, but didn't say anything.
As for why we are confident in achieving a 95% or even 100% occupancy rate during peak hours at Feiyang Internet Cafe, it's because after the Crimson Dragon Country's competitive players won the WCG Warcraft III World Championship, another major event is about to happen in the world of <Star Abyss>!
Three days later...
The groundbreaking 3D MMORPG World of Warcraft, published by The9 Games, is coming soon!
Riding the wave of WOW popularity, getting Feiyang Internet Cafe's occupancy rate to 95% is definitely not a problem. It all depends on how I operate and manage this super hot trend!
"Xiao Bei."
I glanced at Lu Xiaobei across from me and said, "Do you have any more business-style clothes?"
"What's wrong?"
She asked in surprise, "Doesn't this outfit look good on me?"
"Not exactly."
I smiled and said, "Business attire would be even better. Tomorrow you're coming with me to visit the Huaining City branch of The9 Games, so it's better to dress formally."
The next morning, at Feiyang Internet Cafe.
I appeared at the internet cafe for the second time wearing the Armani suit that Lin Qingying had bought.
"Holy crap..."
Zhao Yihang craned his neck to take a look and said, "Ding Han, judging from your posture, you're determined to take over Jiucheng today!"
"Let's do our best; who can guarantee success?"
"Too."
Where is Lu Xiaobei?
"They were just here, probably went to buy breakfast."
Sure enough, before he finished speaking, Lu Xiaobei walked in from another door, dressed in a beautiful women's formal suit. She was just missing a name tag, otherwise she would have looked like a beautiful senior executive of some group.
"You..."
The moment Lu Xiaobei saw me, he froze, then said, "Your clothes... must be expensive, right?"
"Armani, of course, isn't cheap."
"..."
She looked at me incredulously. "You're so stingy, how could you afford such expensive clothes?"
I grinned, but didn't mention that it was a gift from Lin Qingying, otherwise it might have affected her mood.
"Pity."
I glanced at her clothes and said, "Your red Ferrari isn't in Huaining City. Otherwise, if we drove this car to discuss the cooperation, with both of us dressed today, the success rate would increase by at least 10%."
You should be content.
While eating her breakfast, she said, "Do you think everyone is like that Soft Egg Ken, insisting on driving his R8 over a thousand miles to get here? He's all about showing off!"
"That makes some sense..."
I wholeheartedly agreed, and then walked to the roadside and hailed a taxi.
The driver frowned, glanced at the two of us in the back seat through the rearview mirror, and gave us a strange look, as if he felt that Lu Xiaobei and I shouldn't have taken a taxi dressed like that.
Upon meeting the driver's gaze, Lu Xiaobei felt a little annoyed and said, "Ding Han, shouldn't we get a car? After all, business is booming, and both of us need a car to get around Huaining City."
"There's no rush yet."
I shook my head. "Let's talk about it after the business picks up. How much money have we made at our internet cafe? With your spending habits, you probably wouldn't even look at a cheap car."
"You were peeking through the crack in the door, weren't you?"
Lu Xiaobei retorted, "I'm planning to buy a Buick minivan that costs two or three hundred thousand yuan."
Let's talk about it later.
In the morning, we arrived at The9 Games.
Downstairs at the reception desk, I handed over my and Lu Xiaobei's business cards and said, "I'd like to schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss a potential offline partnership for the internet cafe."
"Please wait a moment, I'll call Manager Lu right away."
The receptionist made a phone call, said a few "uh-huhs" before saying, "I'm sorry, Mr. Lu, President Ding, our Manager Lu has a very full schedule of meetings today, I'm afraid he won't be able to see you."
"It's okay, we can wait until he finishes his meeting."
"It's like this..."
The receptionist looked embarrassed and said, "After the meeting, Manager Lu has to fly there, so he simply can't find the time to see you both. I'm so sorry!"
I took a deep breath and led Lu Xiaobei out of the The9 Games building.
"He clearly doesn't want to see us!"
Lu Xiaobei was furious, gritting her teeth as she said, "It's all an excuse! Ding Han, don't you think so?"
"Yes!"
I nodded in agreement with her assessment and said, "Xiao Bei, don't be angry. Let's go back first and think of a solution later. I refuse to believe we can't get past this mere branch manager."
"Um."
Back at Feiyang Internet Cafe.
"Drop!"
An in-game message actually came from Chen Dongqing: "Ding Han, our Manager Lin's hand is injured, what happened?"
"It happened a few days ago, and you're only just finding out?"
I briefly explained what happened at Feiyang Internet Cafe.
"Depend on..."
Chen Dongqing said, "I never expected that there would be someone like Cao Weidong lurking in the shadows of the seemingly prosperous Huaining City... It's fortunate that we players encountered him; if it were an ordinary person, they would probably have suffered a great loss."
"Um."
I nodded and said, "By the way, Lao Chen, you're in business, I have something I'd like you to analyze for me."
Then, he briefly explained how Lu Ping'an, the manager of the Huaining branch of The9 Games, refused to see me and Lu Xiaobei.
"I'm only speaking from my own perspective."
Chen Dongqing said, "Firstly, it's possible that Lu Ping'an simply doesn't value the cooperation with you. After all, he might think that Feiyang Internet Cafe is just a small chain internet cafe, and even the Flagship Store only has a few hundred people using it at most, while World of Warcraft is a game for the whole society, so he simply doesn't think much of you."
He continued, "The second possibility is that with the game's release imminent, Lu Ping'an might be genuinely busy and unable to meet with you. You can judge for yourself. I think the first possibility is more likely. Ding Han, if you really want to cooperate with them, you need to demonstrate your strength and impress them with your abilities. After all, cooperation is a two-way street. If you can't show your value, they naturally won't take it seriously."
"Understood, thanks for reminding me."
I smiled and ended my conversation with Chen Dongqing.
Afterwards, sitting on the network administrator's machine, he typed in code rapidly, using his master-level programming and communication and networking knowledge to directly hack into the network of the Huaining branch of The9 Games. Sure enough, according to their internal work schedule, there was no meeting in the morning, and Lu Ping'an was also in his office.
I frowned, accessed their security system, entered my fingerprint information into their employee database, and then confirmed the building information and Lu Ping'an's office number.
Then, he looked up at Chen Xiaoman and said, "Sister Xiaoman, print out the detailed operating reports for our Feiyang Internet Cafe Flagship Store for the past month and give them to me. Use A4 paper, not too big."
"Ding Han, what do you need this for?"
"It's useful, don't ask."
"Okay, I'll go retrieve the data right away."
After watching Chen Xiaoman leave, I sat down again and started making tables. I also collected data on WHL's influence from various media and online sources, and incorporated some data from media and live stream clips.
They were busy like this until noon.
"Ding Han."
Lu Xiaobei walked in from outside, carrying several of our lunchboxes. He stood behind me, glanced at me, and said, "What have you been up to all morning?"
"Detailed data on WHL Social Influence."
I smiled slightly, "I plan to go to The9 Games again to see Lu Ping'an."
"Oh? When are we going?"
"You don't need to go this time."
I took a deep breath. "I've decided to infiltrate the branch office of The9 Games and go directly to see Lu Ping'an, giving him no chance to refuse me."
"..."
Lu Xiaobei pursed her lips and looked at me with admiration. "As expected of you, I knew you were capable of doing something like this just by listening to it."
That doesn't sound like a compliment.
I grabbed a boxed lunch and started eating with gusto.
Afternoon.
After hailing a taxi, I headed back to The9 Games.
This time, I didn't go through the front door, but went straight into the parking lot and entered the building through the back door. The two security guards frowned and looked over, but didn't say anything. I strode over and had my fingerprint verified.
"Drop!"
"Employee No. 0154, verification successful!"
To be honest, having good programming skills is definitely an advantage!
I entered the elevator and went straight to the sixth floor without any hindrance. Dressed in Armani suit and leather shoes, no one stopped me, so I went straight to the manager's office where Lu Ping'an was.
The door wasn't locked, and it opened with a "click".
"Who... who are you?"
Behind the desk sat a young man wearing an employee ID card, looking at me with disbelief. After confirming several times, he said, "You don't seem to be from our company?"
"That's definitely not it."
I pulled a folder from my pocket and slammed it onto Lu Ping'an's desk. Then, I sat down on the sofa with an air of authority, raised an eyebrow at Lu Ping'an, and said:
"I am Ding Han, the operations manager of Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe. I tried to see Manager Lu this morning, but Manager Lu was too busy. I think it's because I wasn't prepared enough, so I went back and compiled the internet cafe's operating reports and the social impact data of our WHL event at Huaining University. They are all here. Could you please take a moment to look at them, Manager Lu?"
"..."
Lu Ping'an frowned, wavering between anger and cowardice.
He was just a lean young man who looked a bit unhealthy, while I was different. With 1000+ strength, 560+ agility, and 380+ spirit, I looked like a strong and energetic young man. If we were to have a one-on-one fight in the office, he would be no match for me.
So, Lu Ping'an started looking at the data.
I continued, "Manager Lu, the WHL event hosted by our Feiyang Internet Cafe has generated a lot of buzz, even topping the trending searches in Huaining City at one point. We also have a deep partnership with the HGL Game Channel. Furthermore, our opening match was even featured on Huaining TV Station's evening news, receiving a very positive social response and having a significant positive impact on promoting the development of esports."
"Um."
Lu Ping'an nodded. "I have indeed heard about the WHL league."
"Manager Lu, I know your company is very strong and capable of handling things independently, but I believe that even a hero needs help. Besides, public opinion is still not very friendly towards competitive and online games. Many people think of them as monstrous threats. So even if WOW is truly a groundbreaking and excellent game, I think we should not ignore the objective factor of its social impact."
"Um..."
Lu Ping'an raised his hand. "Ding Han, don't speak yet, let me finish reading the report first."
"Good!"
I stopped speaking and simply waited.
After nearly ten minutes, Lu Ping'an finally looked up from the report and said, "I've finished reading the report, and to be honest, I'm very interested. However, I have a question: how did you get into our company building? You know our security system is quite strict."
I smiled and said, "To be honest, I hacked into your company's system and added my fingerprint to get in."
"..."
Lu Ping'an looked surprised, then slowly stood up and smiled, "Then let's wish each other success in our cooperation. Also, remember to delete your illegal fingerprints so you can enter through the main door properly next time, okay?"