Chan Guo returned to Area C, seat number 47, and handed Ye Qiu his ID card.
"Here, you forgot your ID at the reception desk," she said, her tone lacking any enthusiasm.
"Oh, thanks," Ye Qiu replied, taking the card and slipping it into his wallet, then placing it in his back pocket. As he did so, he glanced at her again, noticing that she was staring at him intently. She squinted her eyes as though trying to figure something out.
"You..." She began, her brow furrowed. "You look..."
She couldn't quite place the word, but Ye Qiu finished her sentence.
"Pale," he said, 100% sure that was what she was going to say as he did get that alot.
"Pale? ...Yeah... that too," she muttered. "Looks like you don't go out often. An indoor gamer?"
"Yeah," he replied.
"A loyal one?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He smirked.
"You could say so," he said casually.
"And you... work here?" he asked, looking at her with a hint of curiosity.
"More like I'm the boss here," she said, trying to downplay it, though a slight tone of pride slipped into her voice.
"Oh," Ye Qiu murmured, nodding in acknowledgment. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
"So..." he began, "I saw on your internet cafe homepage that there's a vacancy."
"Ah... yes..." Chan Guo wasn't expecting him to suddenly express interest in a job at her cafe.
"I saw the requirements and it seems like I fit all the categories. So, I was thinking about applying here," he continued, his voice casual but purposeful. "Good thing I met you here personally. So, if you could consider it for a moment..."
He paused, watching her carefully, hoping she would say yes as he couldnt tell by her expression.
Chan Guo stood in silence for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she considered Ye Qiu. She didn't know much about this new guy, but something about him intrigued her. Although she had expected someone else—someone with a high profile,a professional gamer. But the guy in front of her wasnt that person. Still, there was an air of mystery about him. He wasn't the "Ye Qiu" she thought he was, but how he had played the game and completed that impossible level with such ease made her curious.
Her mind raced. She had no solid answers, but she was sure that having him close would only help satisfy her curiosity. Besides, there was something odd about him. A quiet confidence, perhaps, or the way he seemed so nonchalant despite the unspoken tension around them.
Finally, she broke the silence, her voice cutting through the air like a challenge.
"Well, I'll consider hiring you," she said with a slight smirk, "but only if you duel with me in Avatar Epic Quest."
Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow, unsure whether she was serious or just messing with him.
"That's not part of the job requirements," he replied, confused.
Chan Guo crossed her arms. "I know, that's my personal requirement. Consider it a test," she said, with an air of finality.
Ye Qiu studied her for a moment, his expression thoughtful. This woman was certainly the strangest person he had met today. But as he thought about it more, he realized that she must've seen how effortlessly he completed that level earlier. Perhaps that had sparked her curiosity about his skills.
He sighed inwardly. It seemed like he was in a bit of a corner now.
"Come on," she urged, clearly eager. "Log in to your account already, let's duel."
Ye Qiu hesistated.
"Well… about that, I can't," he said, his tone casual.
She blinked at him in confusion, not understanding. "You can't? Can't beat me, or can't even play the game?"
He smiled faintly, maintaining his calm demeanor, though inside, he was growing slightly uncomfortable. "Sadly, both."
Now, Chan Guo was even more confused. "You don't have an account?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Ye Qiu nodded, his smile never wavering. "Yep."
She stood there for a moment, staring at him as if trying to gauge whether he was joking. "Then how… how were you able to pass that level so quickly? I mean, you had no experience, no account, and yet you finished a level that's been driving me crazy for days. What kind of trick are you pulling?"
Ye Qiu let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. This woman really didn't stop asking questions, did she? He had hoped she would focus more on the job at hand, but it seemed that her curiosity about him had already overtaken any interest in his qualifications.
The truth was, he didn't want to get into the specifics right now. There were some things he wanted to keep to himself—things he wasn't ready to talk about. But with her being a potential boss, and clearly someone who had a stake in the game industry, he had no choice but to speak.
"I do have experience," Ye Qiu said with a sigh, his voice steady, though there was a hint of resignation in his tone. "I had an account, but… I lost a game recently. So, now I'm back to square one—no account, no nothing."
Chan Guo nodded in understanding. She could relate to the frustration of losing something you worked hard to build. The Avatar Epic Quest game was brutal, especially when you had reached a high level only to lose it all in a moment of weakness.
"Well, good thing you're here," she said optimistically. "You can just try out a new account."
Ye Qiu didn't seem to share her enthusiasm. His expression remained indifferent, and she noticed the subtle shift in his demeanor.
"You don't want to?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her voice curious.
"For now, yes," he replied, his tone calm but resigned. "I kinda need a break from all that."
Chan Guo felt a pang of sympathy for him. She had been in the game long enough to know the emotional toll it took to reach a high level only to lose it all in an instant. It was a brutal cycle, and she understood the pain that came with it. She had even felt guilty for pressing him with her earlier questions. But even then, she couldn't help but feel a nagging curiosity that pushed her forward.
"So… how long have you been playing?" she asked, despite the lingering uncertainty in her mind.
"About 10 years now…" Ye Qiu's voice was soft, almost distant, as if the weight of those years was pressing down on him.
"10 years?!" Chan Guo gasped, her eyes widening in shock. She couldn't hide her surprise. She had been playing Avatar Epic Quest for five years, and in her mind, that already made her a seasoned veteran. But to hear that Ye Qiu had been playing for double that time… It was hard to imagine. He was probably one of the first players of the game, someone who had witnessed its evolution from the very beginning.
She couldn't fathom the loss he must have felt. Ten years of progress, gone in a single game. That was an immense amount of time and effort. She felt a mixture of admiration and pity for him.
"I can't believe it," she muttered under her breath. "What a loss for you…"
Her gaze softened as she turned to face him. "Cheer up, Ye Qiu. At least now you're here. You'll be able to get your mind off of it."
She gave him a gentle tap on the shoulder, trying to cheer him up. To her surprise, his face lightened, the faintest smile curling at the corners of his lips.
"Are you saying I'm hired?" he asked, his voice a little lighter now, a touch of amusement creeping in.
Chan Guo smiled and folded her arms across her chest, a playful glint in her eye. "Well…" She paused, a teasing smirk forming on her face. "What do you think about being the network manager?"
Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Sure, I'd love that," he said without hesitation. He had expected a much more complicated hiring process, but this was easier than he had thought.
"So, which shift are you looking at? Day or night?" she asked,
"Night shift," Ye Qiu replied without a moment's hesitation, causing Chan Guo to blink in surprise. She was used to hearing people avoid the night shift, given the unusual hours and the fact that it started at 11 p.m. and ended at 7 a.m. Most people didn't want to have their day and night reversed.
"You're fine with that?" she asked, her voice tinged with genuine surprise.
Ye Qiu nodded, his expression relaxed. "It's no problem. I prefer working at night."
Chan Guo studied him carefully, weighing his response. There was something about him—something that piqued her interest. His calm demeanor, his willingness to take on the night shift without a second thought, and the way he carried himself with an almost effortless confidence. She wondered what kind of person he was behind that quiet exterior.
As her eyes wandered over him, she took in his appearance. He was tall, with a lean build that suggested agility rather than strength. His pale skin contrasted sharply with the dark clothes he wore, making him stand out in a room full of people. His light brown eyes, had an almost otherworldly quality to them—calm, and observant
There was a certain quiet appeal about him, though it was subtle. His looks wasn't the type to draw attention to himself, but then staring more one would see how good looking he was
After a long pause, she cleared her throat, realizing she had been staring at him for longer than necessary. She quickly looked away and then folded her arms across her chest.
"Alright then," she said, her voice regaining its usual confidence. "Come with me."
She turned and started walking, her footsteps confident and purposeful. Ye Qiu followed her without a word, still processing everything that had just happened. As they walked down the hallway, he couldn't help but feel like this was the start of something new. Whether it was a fresh beginning or a new chapter in his life, he wasn't sure yet. But Whatever it was, he was willing to see where it led.