TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 4

At the beginner’s spawn point, a little wizard with a pointed hat squeezed through a crowd of burly men shouting, “Trainer service, level up for 20 bucks an hour.”

King’s Tomb was incredibly popular, which led to the creation of many surrounding industries, and one of them was trainer services. Xia Tong, being a complete newcomer, wanted to experience the fun of leveling up. In one corner of his vision, a small silver-white hourglass appeared. Clicking it revealed a floating menu with options for items, equipment, and task instructions.

Following the task instructions, Xia Tong went to a small hut up ahead. Outside the hut, there was a crying farm girl with waist-length hair, wearing a slightly puffed light blue dress. Her name “Lucia” floated above her head. Xia Tong patted her and was surprised to find that the NPC’s clothes felt rough and real, and even her body temperature could be felt.

Since the game connected to the player’s senses, everything in the King’s Tomb continent felt incredibly real. The girl looked up at him and said, “Xia Xia Tong, my father is sick, and we have no food. Can you get me some wild boar meat?”

A floating interface appeared with the options [Reject or Accept].

This was a beginner task.

Xia Tong clicked “Accept” and went to the nearby forest, where wild boars were running around. He saw a powerful Axe Warrior punch a wild boar away, and Xia Tong followed suit, throwing a punch at a dark pig’s backside.

The next second, everyone doing beginner tasks saw a little wizard being chased by a pig through the forest.

“Damn!!”

Xia Tong’s soul almost left his body. He saw a tree ahead, climbed it without hesitation, and held on tightly as the wild boar watched him below, its health bar showing 98/100.

What’s going on! The other guy can kill a pig in one punch! Why is my punch doing so little damage?

Xia Tong couldn’t help but look at his own health bar.

60/100

…He’s worse than a pig.

Xia Tong felt despair. His body still hurt from where the pig had bumped him. This game had gone too far—it wasn’t just about touch; even pain was real!

At this moment, a notification suddenly popped up on the interface: “[Tonight I Love You] invites you to join the team.”

Without thinking, Xia Tong clicked “Accept.” A purple light struck the wild boar, and with a “ding” sound, he received shared experience and coins from the team, immediately leveling up. Xia Tong froze for a moment and saw a purple-haired wizard in a magnificent cloak and knee-high boots walk over, slamming his staff onto the ground. “Among the five main classes, only Sword Warriors use their fists to attack. Your staff isn’t just for decoration, but with a punch like that, losing two drops of health, you’re probably an Omega.”

“How did you know?” Xia Tong asked foolishly.

“Combat strength in a holographic game is linked to physical fitness. The better your real-life fitness, the higher your basic stats in the game. That’s why holographic esports are mostly an Alpha’s domain,” Tonight I Love You said. He raised his staff and killed a few more wild boars, and Xia Tong leveled up several times, noticing his skill bar lighting up.

“Pick the Soul Shatter spell; it’s good for farming monsters,” Tonight I Love You suggested.

“Okay,” Xia Tong responded, sliding down from the tree.

Tonight I Love You glanced at him with half-closed eyes. “You have a nice face. Did you create it yourself, or was it downloaded?”

“I didn’t create it. I just clicked the default,” Xia Tong replied while studying his newly upgraded skills.

Tonight I Love You hummed thoughtfully, “Where are you from?”

“S City.”

“How coincidental, I’m from there too,” Tonight I Love You said. “It’s hard for beginners to level up alone, so come join our team. There are many kind big brothers who will teach you how to play.”

“Sure,” Xia Tong said without suspecting anything, gratefully adding, “Thank you.”

“[Tonight I Love You] invites [Xia Xia Tong] to join [Late Night Warm A and O].”

“Our team’s main base is in S City. There’s an offline meetup tonight. The exact address is in the team announcement, so don’t forget to come. We’ll give all the new members a strategy guide,” Tonight I Love You said.

“Ah?” Xia Tong didn’t expect this. After just a few words, they were jumping straight to an offline event, which felt a bit sudden. But before he could refuse, Tonight I Love You logged off.

Xia Tong was confused. He took his staff off his back and held it in his hand, mimicking Tonight I Love You’s earlier motion to cast Soul Shatter on the wild boar. A red lightning bolt shot out, and the wild boar instantly fell to the ground.

It felt as though he had become a real magician. In that moment, he even felt the recoil and a slight vibration. Xia Tong was ecstatic; he finally understood why so many people were addicted to King’s Tomb, and he felt immense gratitude toward Tonight I Love You.

So, he found the team interface and clicked on it, seeing the announcement: “7 PM, 3rd floor, Tai’e Club. Offline meetup.”

At 6 PM, in the VIP room on the 3rd floor of Tai’e Club.

Cai Lun, the manager of the Saber Tooth Tiger team, was excitedly talking about the contract laid out on the table.

“Really, Zero, if you come back to play professionally, the entire esports circle will be thrilled! Look at you, still in great shape, your energy and spirit haven’t aged a bit! We often tell Dylan to learn more from you.”

Lin Mingfei casually rested a hand on the back of his chair, his body relaxed. His thin eyelids were half-closed, giving off an uninterested vibe, and he didn’t engage in conversation. But it was precisely this nonchalant demeanor that made Cai Lun feel uneasy, as if he was facing a lion that hadn’t woken up yet—one wrong move, and the lion could destroy the entire forest.

Cai Lun gave Du Yong, who was sitting beside Lin Mingfei, a look.

Du Yong licked his dry lips.

“Zero, you’ve wasted two years. You should settle into a valuable team as soon as possible to get back on track. I’ve already spoken to Manager Cai, and he’ll definitely treat you well, considering our relationship—”

“What kind of offer does Saber Tooth Tiger plan to give me?” Lin Mingfei interrupted him, his tone calm.

Cai Lun quickly said, “As long as you’re willing to join, the transfer fee is eight million…”

“I remember Dylan’s worth is thirty million, right?” Lin Mingfei said quietly.

Cai Lun’s face stiffened, and he forced a smile. “It’s a bit lower than Dylan’s, but we’re considering letting you rotate as a starter with him…”

“Considering? Rotating?” Lin Mingfei bit down on the words, flipping the contract over. He pointed at a small line of text at the bottom.

“In case of any changes, the final interpretation rights belong to Saber Tooth Tiger Club.” He suddenly smiled coldly. “Am I a newbie, so easy to fool?”

This smile made Du Yong feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Though Du Yong had once been the owner and manager of the Polaris team, he still felt intimidated by Lin Mingfei.

The esports industry changes rapidly, but Lin Mingfei was a one-of-a-kind existence. Most people only saw his glorious moments as the core DPS of Polaris, addicted to the calm demeanor shaped by years of experience, not realizing his past full of wild arrogance.

In King’s Tomb, the max level was 100, and most professional events were for max-level players, so early leveling was crucial. The main ways to level up were monster farming and quests—simple and safe, but time-consuming, which is why training services became widely popular.

However, Lin Mingfei had never played PVE in the early stages. His leveling speed was much faster than most people’s, and the reason was simple: he leveled up by killing people.

Killing players in the wild granted large amounts of gold and experience, but it was high-risk and difficult, which is why Lin Mingfei’s game ID had stayed at the top of the bounty list for months, with people constantly raising the bounty. He became notorious in the game and forums, almost reaching the point where everyone wanted him dead.

But until the bounty expired, no one managed to catch him. He was like a true hunter, lurking in every hidden corner of the King’s Tomb continent, only to suddenly strike with a sniper rifle, taking out his target from miles away.

It wasn’t until he joined a club that he pulled away from this anti-human style of play and gradually started to walk the proper path. However, he still created many “dirty tricks” that made people both love and hate him. He ignored all mockery and insults, as if no one could catch his attention. It wasn’t until Zero’s name frequently appeared on the leaderboard that people began to understand his arrogance—it was because he had the right to be arrogant. When it came to sniping, no one could match him.

“Z-God, don’t be so serious.” Cai Lun smiled awkwardly as he handed over the pen. “Sign here, and I’ll call a few pretty Omegas to play cards with us. How about it?”

Lin Mingfei tapped his fingers on the table, took the pen from Cai Lun, and placed it on his middle finger, pressing down with his index finger.

“Crack”

The pen snapped in two and was thrown into Cai Lun’s arms, who looked pale with shock.

Lin Mingfei stood up and walked away, while Du Yong picked up his coat and, looking distressed, followed him out.

“Zero, don’t do this! I won’t hurt you!” he shouted.

Lin Mingfei stopped, scoffing coldly. “Du Yong, didn’t I tell you to wait two years? I’d come back and double the compensation for what we lost in those two years. Did you think I was joking and just dismantle Polaris and sell it off?”

Du Yong swallowed and yelled, “Two years, not two days! Who knows if you’re lying to me! What if you don’t come back? Leaving me to watch over this crappy club losing money? I know you’re mad that I forced you to be submissive to Dylan, but don’t think you’re still the same as two years ago. Maybe your current worth isn’t even worth the 8 million I helped you get!”

“Yeah, I’m worthless now.” Lin Mingfei said.

Du Yong choked, then awkwardly said, “That’s not what I meant… Zero, to be honest, I don’t want to be in this business anymore.”

“Then what do you want to do?” Lin Mingfei asked.

“I want to try entertainment and media,” Du Yong answered, not saying more, but pleading, “Look, I’m sending you off today, and from now on, I want nothing to do with Polaris. It wasn’t easy for me either when I sent them off, but they’re doing fine now. I really mean no harm. We’ve known each other for a long time. Let’s part amicably today, don’t make it so ugly, alright?”

“Sign the transfer agreement for Polaris.” Lin Mingfei said.

Du Yong was stunned. “What… are you planning to run Polaris alone?”

“None of your business.” Lin Mingfei pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

“No… Lin Mingfei, do you know how much it costs to run a club? The league starts in three months, and you can’t even gather enough people!” Du Yong was shocked.

“Are you done talking?” Lin Mingfei said.

Du Yong had no choice, so he turned and went to the car to get the documents.

The two of them silently exchanged the papers, and without a word of goodbye, they parted ways down the road. Two years, and it wasn’t just things that had changed, but people as well. Lin Mingfei exhaled deeply and threw the cigarette butt into the trash.

This club was clearly no legitimate establishment, and Lin Mingfei didn’t want to stay a moment longer. As he walked, he took out his phone and saw dozens of panda emojis full of insults towards that scum Alpha, sent by Shi Ya.

He curled the corner of his lips and turned down a quiet corridor, where he saw someone outside the large VIP room.

“Xia Tong?” Lin Mingfei immediately recognized the delicate little Omega.

Xia Tong was crouching between the front and back doors of the large VIP room, pressed against the wall, looking like he was stuck in a predicament. Hearing the sound, he looked up.

Just as Lin Mingfei couldn’t help but speculate, trying to figure out if Xia Tong had come to catch someone in the act, and who he was looking for, he saw Xia Tong open his arms to him in helplessness. The little Omega’s brows were slightly furrowed, a worried expression lingering on his face. That pitiful look seemed to say, “Can I have a hug?”

No way?

Lin Mingfei’s mind exploded in a burst of fireworks.

Is he looking for me?

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