Encounter

Ten years—an entire ten years. Countless times, Lu Yang had wished in his dreams that he could live his life over and change all these tragedies. Now, it had truly come true.

In his previous life, he had lost because of trust. But Lu Yang had also seen clearly who had stepped forward to save him when he was at his most desperate, and who had kicked him while he was down.

"Liu Jie, thank you for everything you gave me. You made me see who was a friend and who was an enemy. Since I've been reborn, I'd like to see whether your family's wealth is more formidable, or my knowledge from ten years in the future." Lu Yang's eyes held not only hatred, but excitement as well.

The hatred from his previous life had not been settled with that single gunshot. If not for Liu Jie, he would not have lost his family and lover, much less endured so many hardships. Now that he had been reborn in this life, the first person Lu Yang would not spare was Liu Jie, along with his family.

As for how to take revenge, Lu Yang turned his gaze toward the calendar.

Lu Yang did not know the lottery numbers, nor did he know the development trends of real-world society over the next ten years. But he knew one thing: today was the open beta launch of "Second World."

Beginning in 2010, virtual games had been viewed favorably by everyone. Yet no one knew that thirty years later, virtual gaming would develop into a colossal entity with over three billion people online simultaneously, integrating online shopping, virtual classes, game wars, film production, and countless other functions.

Countless financial conglomerates saw the business opportunities and entered the game. It was precisely because of their investments that the exchange rate between in-game currency and real currency became extremely high. Virtual equipment was driven up to millions in price, and together with the massive prize pools of various in-game leagues, top players earned far more than real-world celebrities, while the income of professional studios surpassed even some large companies.

In his previous life, Lu Yang had wanted to enter the game immediately. But seeing the expensive helmet, he could not bring himself to spend the money. It was not until half a month after school started, when a friend introduced him to it, that he joined the game and became a gold-farming team member at Frost Ice Studio.

Thinking back on his experiences at Frost Ice Studio in his previous life, Lu Yang smiled nostalgically. His little sister had been there too. But in this life, he could no longer join Frost Ice Studio.

With a full ten extra years of gaming experience, Lu Yang had countless money-making methods, dungeon strategies, bug exploits, superior combat awareness, and unparalleled fighting techniques in his mind.

Having been reborn, Lu Yang would rely on these things to swiftly establish his reputation in the game, earn enough money to build the world's number one guild, and find once again the brothers who had stood by him through thick and thin.

"Brothers, the kindness I failed to repay in my previous life, I'll repay twice over in this one. Dad, Mom, your son will never disappoint you again." Lu Yang gritted his teeth as he spoke.

To enter Second World, one had to purchase a dedicated game helmet. Lu Yang remembered that at this time, his parents had gone with an engineering crew deep into an uninhabited mountain valley to build a railroad. They would not return for another three months. Lu Yang was alone at home, and his parents had left him 2,000 yuan for living expenses in the drawer.

Lu Yang took the money and headed toward the school. To ensure that everyone who loved gaming could buy a helmet, the game company had set up sales points all over the world. There was one near the school as well.

As if guided by some unseen force, Lu Yang arrived at the school's main gate. The words East Capital University were written above the enormous beige gate.

This school carried all of Lu Yang's memories of Shen Mengyao. In his memories, this was where he had first met her in his previous life.

Fate was a strange thing, impossible to describe with words. It was as though this person was simply meant to meet you at this particular time.

He remembered how radiant Shen Mengyao had been then. She had just begun her freshman year, yet a single photo had made her the goddess of the entire school. So many people pursued her, but she had never been moved by any of them. Instead, she would always secretly tell him about the troubles they caused her.

Lu Yang had truly wanted to tell her how much he wished to be one of those troubles. Recalling the way Shen Mengyao had looked while confiding in him on the stadium steps, Lu Yang could not help looking up at the sky, his eyes damp.

"Excuse me, but... uh..." A voice he could never forget suddenly sounded beside him. Lu Yang froze completely. When he turned around, who else could it have been but Shen Mengyao?

Shen Mengyao was still as beautiful as ever. Her large eyes were clear and pure, without the slightest impurity. Her hair was tied into a ponytail that fell down her back. She was not especially tall, around 1.68 meters, but her lovely pink-and-white dress and long, fair calves accentuated her slender figure.

"Excuse me, are you homesick? Is this your first time traveling far from home too, like me?" Shen Mengyao asked apologetically.

Lu Yang's emotions were a tangled mess, yet his face burned red. This was not how he had imagined their first meeting after his rebirth would go.

"No, sand just got in my eyes."

"Oh~~ Is that so?" Shen Mengyao's pretty face was full of disbelief.

Lu Yang covered his forehead and smiled helplessly. This girl was still as mischievous as she had been in his previous life.

"What did you need me for?" Lu Yang asked.

Shen Mengyao lightly tapped her head. "Oh no, I forgot. I wanted to ask how to get to the girls' dormitory. I got lost."

Lu Yang laughed. In his previous life, Shen Mengyao had always been terrible with directions.

"Go straight and turn right at the first fork. Turn right again at the second fork, left at the third, and right at the fourth. Go around the school's rear cafeteria, pass that library, then turn right and left again, and you'll be there." Lu Yang asked, "Did you remember that?"

Shen Mengyao's little face was filled with confusion. "That's so complicated. It's too hard to remember."

"I knew you wouldn't remember. I'll take you there. Follow me," Lu Yang said.

"Thank you." Shen Mengyao followed Lu Yang into the school.

It was the height of summer in August, and the trees on campus were lush and flourishing. Ten-meter-tall banyan trees blocked the entire view overhead as Lu Yang led Shen Mengyao through the paths as though traversing a maze.

"Are you a student at this school too?" Shen Mengyao asked curiously.

"Not yet," Lu Yang said. "But I will be in September."

"You're a freshman too?" Shen Mengyao said in surprise. "Then how do you know this school so well?"

"Because my home is nearby. I've exercised at this school since I was little, so I know every corner of it."

"No wonder," Shen Mengyao said. "The trees in the school are so tall that they block your view, and the paths below have so many forks. I got lost several times."