First Encounter

On the way there, Yi Dong gave Mo Tan a rough explanation of the situation. There were only seven or eight participants in this gathering, all children of his parents' friends. The reason it had been organized was rather bizarre. Apparently, the parents had planned to get together for a small Christmas gathering, but felt it would be inconvenient to bring their children along. So one of them had suggested that the younger generation gather together as well and get acquainted. That was how this sudden gathering had come about.

Mo Tan had met Yi Dong's parents several times. His buddy A's father was a handsome man who looked very cool—or rather, a handsome middle-aged man—with a calm face. He rarely spoke, and his expressions were just as sparse.

Yi Dong's mother, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Time had left almost no trace on her. She looked like an energetic woman in her twenties. She had apparently studied in Japan when she was young and was rather boisterous. Rather than a mother, she seemed more like a young girl—and she was also a rabid yuri fan!

So Mo Tan was somewhat interested in the children of his friends' parents, whose personalities were so drastically different from those of his own friend's parents.

Yi Dong knocked lightly on the door twice, then pushed it open and entered with Mo Tan.

Both of them had decent appearances and looks. Yi Dong did not possess the air of nobility common among the children of wealthy families, but he took after his father in appearance and had a cold, handsome air about him. He looked cool when he was silent, and his well-tailored suit accentuated his tall, slender build. His excellent upbringing and refinement had given him an impressive bearing. He had had plenty of admirers since middle school and was worthy of being called one of the "tall, rich, and handsome."

Although Mo Tan was wearing a full outfit of cheap street-market clothes and was half a head shorter than Yi Dong, his innate aura of insanity was also quite appealing. He possessed a complicated charm that created a strange contradiction, and coupled with his slightly sinister, righteous, or approachable gaze—depending on the situation—his presence was no weaker than Yi Dong's. If he had not deliberately kept his social circle small, some girls probably would have taken a liking to him as well.

That was why whenever the two of them happened to stand together at school, everyone else present always had the illusion that their own presence had been greatly diminished.

However, the two men and three women in this private room all possessed a bearing and presence no weaker than theirs—in fact, some were even more impressive...

"Hi, you two!" The young man sitting near the door raised a hand in greeting. Then he looked left and right in confusion and muttered, "One, two, three, four, five... Huh? I remember we were supposed to have six people."

Mo Tan shrugged and jerked his chin toward Yi Dong. "I'm his lackey~"

"Quit messing around~" Yi Dong shot him a glance, then smiled faintly at the others. "This is my friend. I hope none of you mind?"

He had already made up his mind. If anyone said they minded, he would immediately turn around and leave with Mo Tan. At least he had shown up, so he could explain that to his parents when he got home.

Although everyone present came from extremely wealthy families, none of them had spoiled, arrogant personalities. No one objected. Another young man dressed in colorful clothes and resembling a performance artist immediately shook his head. "Of course not. We're all about the same age. More people make things livelier. Before you two came in, I was so stifled I could barely breathe~"

As he spoke, he raised his eyebrows at the long-haired girl sitting farther inside and made a face.

Yi Dong and Mo Tan then took the remaining seats.

"Ahem~" The short-haired girl in the center, who was wearing a baseball cap, cleared her throat and said with a grin, "All right, everyone's here now. Since we've never met before, let's introduce ourselves first. My name is Ji Xiaoge. Ji as in season, Xiao as in know, and Ge as in pigeon~"

She was a girl overflowing with youth and vitality. Her delicate, refined features made her look like a porcelain doll. Although her baseball cap, casual shirt, and jeans made her look somewhat like a tomboy, and her face was completely free of makeup, nothing could conceal her stunning beauty. Anyone could develop a strong sense of familiarity with her in an instant.

"Ji Xiaodao." The girl sitting beside her spoke softly, then fell silent. She was the "low-pressure" person the young man who resembled a performance artist had hinted at to Mo Tan and Yi Dong.

Ji Xiaodao looked somewhat like Ji Xiaoge, though her beauty was not as striking as her sister's. Her temperament was completely different, too. Her eyes were gray and dull, as though she cared about nothing, and her expression remained cold and stiff from beginning to end. She wore a black outdoor jacket and was slightly thinner than Ji Xiaoge, with long, straight hair that fell to her waist. She looked taciturn—and in reality, she was taciturn.

"Hehe, my little sister hasn't liked talking much since she was little~" Ji Xiaoge stuck out her tongue. "She's actually a good kid~"

The last girl present stood up next. She seemed somewhat introverted, and accidentally bumped her hand against something as she rose. Pressing her little lips together, she said quietly, "My name is Yu Chen. Um... Please take care of me!"

She was not short—at least around 170 centimeters—but for some reason, despite having perfectly fine height and proportions, she still gave off a tiny, delicate feeling. She wore a pale yellow sweater and shorts, with her long hair tied into a clean, refreshing ponytail. Her small face was flushed for some reason, and she looked extremely shy. After speaking, she hurriedly sat back down and lowered her head so far that it nearly disappeared into her chest.

The boy who had first greeted Mo Tan and Yi Dong scratched his hair. "I'm Wan Yang. When are we ordering? I'm kind of hungry..."

He was tall and sturdy, with well-balanced proportions. He was unmistakably Asian, but his short hair was a furious red that did not look dyed. His clothes were similar to Mo Tan's—simple casual wear. Although he seemed somewhat goofy, there was also a hidden air of defiance and wildness about him.

"Kang Lan, twenty-one, single, artist~" the young man who resembled a performance artist said solemnly. "I also read palms part-time."

Mo Tan noticed that Kang Lan's eyes drifted toward Ji Xiaoge several times while he was speaking...

Kang Lan was on the thin side and wore a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses that looked quite heavy. He was handsome—judging solely by looks, he ranked somewhere between Yi Dong and Mo Tan. His hair was messy. Although he seemed uncalculating and dressed like a performance artist, he somehow gave Mo Tan an unfathomable feeling. That was quite rare.

Yi Dong then gave a brief introduction as well. In fact, no one really knew where to begin. They were unfamiliar with one another, so most of them had only mentioned their names.

Finally, it was Mo Tan's turn.

"Hmm..." He pondered for a moment, then stood up. "My name is Mo Tan. I'm highly professional at ordering food, and I offer excellent value for money."

"Pfft~" Ji Xiaoge burst out laughing. She bent over and slapped the table several times before finally recovering. "You're so funny!"

Hey, hey, hey! This girl has a pretty low threshold for laughter! If I seriously prepared a joke, wouldn't she roll right off her chair!?

Mo Tan thought to himself. Although he had intended to make a joke, he had not expected her reaction to be so intense.

"My hero!" Wan Yang, who had been complaining about being hungry since earlier, immediately presented the electronic menu with both hands. "I'm counting on you!"

"Sure, sure~" Mo Tan said with a smile. He was not entirely bluffing. Since his own cooking skills were limited to dishes costing less than two hundred yuan, Mo Tan liked to visit different restaurants to treat himself whenever he craved something good. Over time, he had developed a fairly sophisticated skill for ordering food. Moreover, he had deliberately researched the hotel on the way there, so after glancing over the menu twice, he quickly knew what he wanted.

In less than ten minutes, a table full of dishes had arrived. However, since everyone was still unfamiliar with one another, they remained somewhat reserved and did not say much.

"Ahem~" Yi Dong glanced at Mo Tan and said with a roguish grin, "How about finding a topic?"

When everyone's gazes focused on him, Mo Tan immediately smiled. "Sure. How about we discuss 'the awkward man in the suit'?"

"Pfft!"

"Ahem... Hahaha... That's a little harsh!"

"Pfft~ I can't hold it in anymore~ Pfft, hahaha~"

The instant Mo Tan finished speaking, Yi Dong's entire body stiffened. Everyone else burst out laughing. Even Yu Chen, who had not said another word after introducing herself, let out a "pfft." Ji Xiaoge and Wan Yang laughed until their faces turned red, while Kang Lan tried desperately to keep a straight face but failed miserably. Only Ji Xiaodao remained relatively composed, though the corners of her mouth lifted slightly...

Yi Dong was mortified. He was completely innocent, too!

He had assumed that since his parents had insisted on him attending this gathering, everyone would be young people from families comparable to his own. Such people usually liked to put on airs, so Yi Dong had changed into a decent suit and even planned to make Mo Tan change as well. But once he arrived, he realized—great, he was the only special one. The situation had already been awkward enough. After Mo Tan brought it up, this "awkward man in the suit" wished he could crawl into a crack in the floor.

"Student Yi Dong, bringing your friend here was absolutely the right decision!" Ji Xiaoge said with a snicker. "Condolences~"

They were all university students, so the way she addressed him was both appropriate and familiar.

Wan Yang laughed as well. "I have to remember this joke. It'll make a great blackmail condition later~"

"Count me in~" Kang Lan joined in cheerfully.

"Seconded." Even Ji Xiaodao, who had kept a cold expression the whole time, suddenly spoke.

Yi Dong was nearly in tears. "Please, everyone, just forget it. This meal is on me. If we get together again, that'll be on me too~"

Then he saw Mo Tan calmly take out his phone and press a button. After that...

"This meal is on me. If we get together again, that'll be on me too~" Yi Dong's voice clearly came from the phone.

Mo Tan looked around at everyone. "We should exchange contact information later. I'll send you the recording."

"I never should have brought you here!" Yi Dong shouted through clenched teeth, pointing at Mo Tan.

Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.

So, Mo Tan merely did not intend to expand his social circle. It did not mean he was bad at socializing. In fact, as long as he was willing, livening up the atmosphere was effortless for him. It was just that Yi Dong had become the sacrifice this time. Still, it did not matter. Anyone who could become Mo Tan's friend had generally already grown accustomed to being tricked by him.

They ate and chatted.

Young people's topics were generally the same: school life, entertainment gossip, food and fun. Some people might also enjoy flaunting their wealth and status, but none of those present were like that. The seven of them chatted happily, without creating the atmosphere of a "rich second-generation tea party."

What made Yi Dong rather nervous was that Mo Tan underwent a personality change during the process. However, because of the "five-minute buffer technique" and the lively atmosphere, no one else noticed anything unusual. Besides, Mo Tan, who was currently in his primary personality, had long since grown accustomed to such things. He continued chatting and eating as usual, and everything appeared perfectly normal~

Yi Dong had noticed only because the two of them were simply too familiar with each other.

As they chatted, the topic gradually shifted to games, and then...

"Hey, does everyone know about that Innocent World game that officially went on sale yesterday?" Wan Yang wiped his mouth and suddenly asked the group.

Yi Dong shook his head. "No."

Yet aside from him, everyone else actually knew about it!

"You play it too? I stayed in there all night!" Kang Lan said excitedly. "I'm a devoted fan of D&D-style games!"

Yu Chen raised her hand as well. "Me too. A classmate dragged me into playing..."

"Xiaodao and I played too, but we only created characters and played for a little while last night~~" Ji Xiaoge widened her eyes. "What a coincidence!"

Mo Tan shrugged. "Me too."

Yi Dong's shoulders drooped gloomily, and he sighed in utter dejection. "So I'm the only awkward man in a suit who hasn't kept up with the trend..."

"It's not too late!" Wan Yang laughed. "I'm in the Chaotic Good alignment. The system made me an Orc. My character's name is Huo Yanyang, and I'm a War Priest."

Kang Lan pushed up his thick, bottle-bottom glasses. "I'm Lawful Good. My race is Wood Elf, and my name is Lu'en Zhilan. I'm a level-three Jungle Ranger and a level-one cleric."

As expected of a fervent player. Mo Tan estimated that Kang Lan was probably the strongest player here in terms of practical ability. But then...

"I'm Absolute Neutral~" Yu Chen blinked lightly beneath her long lashes. "I'm human. My name is Yu Chen, and my class is... um... a level-five priest."

Her words shocked everyone. Kang Lan nearly toppled out of his chair and cried, "You said what level, level, level, level, level!?"

"Ah!" Yu Chen was startled by his exaggerated reaction and timidly replied, "A level-five... priest..."

"How did you manage that!?" Wan Yang asked, equally dramatically. "From last night to this morning, there were at most twenty-three hours of playtime. How did you level a class to five!?"

"I didn't play that long~" Yu Chen lightly scraped her smooth cheek with her index finger as she recalled. "After I finished the tutorial, the archbishop told me to pray. Then I stared blankly at the goddess statue for a while, and I think I heard some kind of voice. By the time I came to, I was level five~ The archbishop also said I was some kind of god... god..."

"God-Blessed."

Mo Tan and Kang Lan spoke in unison.

"Yes, that! I'm God-Blessed!" Yu Chen nodded vigorously. By now, she was no longer as restrained as before, and her voice had grown noticeably louder.

"That sounds really amazing." Ji Xiaoge said with awe, "My sister and I only played for a little while. We finished the tutorial and logged off. I'm Chaotic Neutral, and my race is Half-Orc. My name is Ye Ge~ I haven't chosen a class yet~"

"Chaotic Evil." Ji Xiaodao said blandly. "Dark Elf. No class yet."

Mo Tan, however, was stunned. "Chaotic Evil?"

"Is there a problem?" Ji Xiaodao asked.

"No problem." Mo Tan shook his head. "It's just..."

Wan Yang picked up the thread. "Apparently, no Chaotic Evil players have appeared so far. At least, that's what the forums say~"

Ji Xiaodao snorted and curled her lip. "How ignorant!"

"Actually, I don't think Xiaodao suits Chaotic Evil either, but she seems to be different from me." Ji Xiaoge touched her lips as she spoke. "When she logged into the game, there was only one door there. I heard everyone else got nine doors representing the different alignments. I got nine too."

Mo Tan suddenly felt a slight pain in his head.

"Um, I wanted to ask something." Yi Dong finally managed to get a word in. He asked the group, "You said that game can be played at what time? Are the external devices still available for purchase?"

Mo Tan glanced at him and smiled. "Seven tonight. The external devices are sold out. You couldn't get your hands on one?"

"Then let's split up for now!" Yi Dong rubbed his hands together with a grin. "We'll add each other as friends in the game tonight, okay?"

Everyone exchanged knowing smiles~

"All right. Oh, right, what's your name in the game, Mo Tan?" Wan Yang stood up and stretched. "You're the only one who hasn't said."

Mo Tan thought for a moment, hesitated for a long while, and finally said, "Absolute Neutral, human. My name is Hei Fan, and I'm a level-two priest."

"Got it! See you all later." Ji Xiaoge waved cheerfully at everyone.

"See you~"

"Don't forget to add me!"

"Don't forget the recording~"

"Let's go!" Yi Dong dragged Mo Tan into the elevator as if they were being chased by dogs. "Come help me buy an external device first~!"

Two hours later

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