Chapter Three: We Need You

“How did you know all that?” I was a little surprised that Xu Lin had such detailed information about me.

“Hmph, if I didn’t know what kind of person you are, how could I feel safe letting you sleep in my room?”

Xue Han blinked at me and said, “I know you. You’re the champion of the Shanghai CG tournament, right? That must mean you’re amazing!”

I didn’t say anything, but I felt a faint ache in my heart.

Xu Lin answered Xue Han’s question, “The Shanghai CG champion is at the top national level in both reaction speed and manual dexterity. After Lin Fan finished the CG qualifiers, his world ranking was eighth. If he kept competing, who knows how high he could have gone.”

“Heavens, world number eight! What does that even mean?” Xue Han’s mouth dropped open in amazement.

Xin Yu pressed herself against my arm, her chest rubbing against me as she laughed. “I knew from the start you were more capable than the other guys!”

I still didn’t speak. Xu Lin stared at me, finally growing a little impatient. “Lin Fan, if you joined us, it would make my financial dreams so much easier to achieve.”

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, making her look even more beautiful.

“Why should I join you?” I finally asked after a long silence.

Xu Lin paused, looking at me with those lovely, expressive eyes. “Because for the past half year, we’ve treated you as one of our own. We’ve lowered all our defenses and shared everything with you.”

“And what’s in it for me?”

Xu Lin sighed softly and spoke each word with care: “To prove yourself.”

Such a distant topic. Wasn’t everything I’d done all this time for that very reason?

But if I continued skipping classes, I’d be expelled. Spending all day in games, my girlfriend would leave me for someone else...

...

“All right, all right, just join us already. Can’t you see how anxious Lin is?” Xin Yu nudged me, and only then did I realize Xu Lin was looking at me, her beautiful eyes full of hope.

“Fine, I’ll join.” I saw the joy on Xu Lin’s face and added, “I can’t promise what I’ll accomplish, but I’ll do my best to grow stronger in the game. At the very least, I won’t let any of you get bullied.”

Xue Han’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me, and even Xin Yu, who was usually so playful, went quiet, gazing at me with those beautiful eyes.

Xu Lin snapped her fingers and smiled. “Settled! Now we need to order the gaming equipment and arrange accommodations. Should we set up the gear here or find somewhere else?”

Xue Han asked, puzzled, “Are we not going to keep the foot massage parlor running?”

“No, not for now. We’ll stay in the game for half a year—my savings should last us that long. If we can’t make it, we’ll figure something out.” Xu Lin seemed confident and continued, “I think we should move to a residential area. Cooking here is a hassle, and utilities are expensive. I have a four-bedroom house in the southern part of the city. Xiao Lin gets one room, and the rest of us can squeeze in—it’ll be enough.”

Xin Yu grinned. “So Xiao Lin gets a room to himself? How about this: I’ll make a little sacrifice and share with you, how about that?”

I was speechless—Xin Yu’s suggestive gesture was downright shameless.

Xu Lin, expressionless, came to my rescue. “Sharing with you would be a privilege for Xiao Lin. If we’re doubling up, it should be Xue Han and Xiao Lin together—they’re such a good match!”

I didn’t mind, but Xue Han was already blushing furiously.

True to her word, Xu Lin made the order right away, and we packed up to move to the residential area.

****

In just half a day, these normally troublesome ladies had all their belongings moved to the new place. Before dinner, the gaming company had delivered eight sets of equipment and manuals, including a limited-edition game guide.

I flipped through it and realized the Big Three of the online gaming world had high hopes for “Eternal Moon.” They’d even skipped the open beta. The manual was vague, describing the game’s background like a story, but not mentioning any data or stats.

“So, will this help us in the game?” Xue Han asked, blinking her beautiful big eyes.

Her background was mysterious. I’d only heard she’d run away from home, but nothing more.

“Not really. All I learned is that there are eight main classes: Warrior, Archer, Mage, Priest, Summoner, Beastmaster, Thief, and Knight. There are also eight secondary professions, but no details yet. Still, it’s enough for us to pick our classes before the game starts.”

Xu Lin nodded. “A team needs high damage output and support. Let’s all say what we want to play. I’ll be a Mage—high attack and essential for any team.”

Xin Yu thought for a moment. “I’ll go with Archer. With my figure, not being an archer would be a waste.”

“Careful, if your chest’s too big, you’ll lose balance and miss your shots,” I joked.

Xin Yu stuck out her chest and glanced at me proudly.

Li Qing chose Summoner, Liu Yun picked Beastmaster, and the others split the remaining classes. In the end, none of us chose Priest...

“Don’t look at me—I’m playing Thief. No way am I being the team’s healer,” I said, intimidated by Xu Lin and Xin Yu’s gazes.

Xue Han, who had been quiet, spoke softly, “I’ll be the Priest.”

Everyone cheered—the main classes were all covered.

Xu Lin looked at the installation instructions and smiled. “Xiao Lin, help us set up the gear. The game launches at midnight the day after tomorrow. Be sure to log in as soon as possible and create your characters—aim to rank high worldwide. The more experts our guild has, the more people will hire us for quests or PvP, and the more money we’ll make. High-level gear can be sold, too. The higher your stats, the stronger you’ll be, and money will follow. Got it?”

“Got it!”

“Good. Tomorrow we’ll go buy some daily necessities. From now on, the seven of us girls will take turns cooking each week. Xiao Lin, focus on leveling up—you’ll be the guild’s star. Early on, Thieves burn through a lot of potions, so if we have extra cash, we’ll give it to you.”

“No need, I can handle it myself!” A man’s pride—how could I spend their money?