Chapter 7: Maybe... He's a Good Person?
"Promoted to Glory Gold IV."
Looking at the promotion screen covering the entire monitor, Lin Wan slowly let out a sigh of relief.
He had failed his promotion three times, but he had finally made it!
He picked up a large white steamed bun, dipped it in some chili sauce, and eagerly stuffed it into his mouth.
After his focus had improved, it became much easier for him to get into a learning state. His thinking also felt much quicker, and he could stay focused much longer.
Of course, that meant study time!
Unlike before, his brain no longer became dizzy after using it for a while.
However, he did not agree with what the Spirit had said about getting "a little hungry."
A little hungry?
More like extremely hungry!
His appetite had become huge. He ate like someone who had been starving for days.
Before, three steamed buns were enough for an entire day.
Now, after using his brain a little, he needed at least five every day.
If he did not eat enough, his arms and legs felt weak.
Yesterday, after playing ranked all day, he had eaten eight steamed buns.
Every bite made Lin Wan's heart ache.
He had not even earned any money from gaming yet, but his food expenses had already gone up by 70% to 200% because of it.
He rubbed his stomach.
How had he never noticed before that this thing could hold so much food?
He finished two steamed buns at lightning speed, and the hunger finally disappeared.
Feeling refreshed, Lin Wan started another ranked match.
On the sixth day of the holiday, he finally reached Gold I.
But after that, he could not climb any higher.
No matter which role he played, he always won one game and lost the next.
Every time he reached the promotion matches, he failed.
At this rank, the game felt different from Silver.
It was no longer just about whoever stayed alive longer getting more minions.
Many things happened during matches that he did not understand, and they kept stopping him from climbing.
Everything seemed to point to one conclusion.
This was probably his limit.
After thinking for a long time, he finally logged back into Huhu Meow's account.
When he saw that "Both Hands Create Dreams" was online, he opened the chat window.
What if he sent a message now and the other person did not see it?
Or what if they were busy?
Wouldn't he just be bothering them?
And what if they saw the message but did not reply?
After all, they barely knew each other.
Lin Wan's awkward personality started acting up again. He stared at the chat window for a long time without typing a single word.
But then he thought about all the money he had already spent. That was even harder to accept.
He had invested not only time into this game but also a huge amount of money.
A shocking total of... 30 yuan!
With such an enormous investment, if he could not earn it back, he would not be able to eat or sleep peacefully.
After a long mental struggle, Lin Wan finally typed a message.
Huhu Meow: Hello. I hope I'm not bothering you. May I ask you a few questions?
The other person did not reply right away.
Lin Wan picked up his phone and started watching another game guide video.
He pretended not to care about the chat window.
But every few seconds, his eyes could not help glancing back at the computer screen.
Ding!
Halfway through the video, the other person finally replied.
Lin Wan immediately put down his phone, placed both hands on the keyboard, and looked at the chat.
Both Hands Create Dreams: Go ahead.
Huhu Meow: After reaching Gold I, I can't climb any higher. The game feels different now... What should I do?
Both Hands Create Dreams: What's your ranked win rate?
Huhu Meow: 63%.
Both Hands Create Dreams: Okay. Add this account. ID: 1818018.
Huhu Meow: Okay.
Lin Wan wrote down the ID, logged into his own account called "Tomorrow Will Be Better," and sent a friend request.
As soon as the other person accepted, they immediately started a ranked lobby and invited him.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Wan accepted.
The other person was using a Gold IV account.
1818018: Set Support as your first choice. We'll play while I explain what you should do.
Tomorrow Will Be Better: Okay.
1818018: Turn on voice chat.
Seeing that message, Lin Wan hesitated.
To be honest, he had never used voice chat with a stranger in a game before.
It made him feel a little embarrassed. But after coming this far, if he backed out now, all his effort would have been wasted.
He put on his headset and turned on voice chat.
"Hello, can you hear me?"
A slightly deep male voice came through the headset.
"Mm," Lin Wan answered softly.
"Good. Then I'll start the game."
Because Lin Wan had chosen the Support role, they found a match very quickly.
The champion selection screen appeared.
When it was the other player's turn to pick, he chose the same champion he had used when dueling Lin Wan before, Ashe.
Seeing that, Lin Wan pressed his lips together.
He remembered how completely he had been beaten.
The other player began explaining.
"This champion is pretty strong in lane. She has good poke damage early in the game, and her skill can also help check where the enemy jungler is. But she isn't very strong later in the game because she has no escape skills. Still, her ultimate is great for starting team fights. She's one of the few marksmen who can start fights from a long distance. You can use it either to begin a fight or work together with your jungler.
If you play a squishy support, we should play aggressively during the laning phase because this combination gets weaker in the middle and late game. If you play a tank support, we'll have much stronger team-fight initiation. Later on, you can combine your skills with my ultimate to create more chances for our team."
After listening to all that, Lin Wan was a little shocked.
So there were really this many things to learn in this game?
In the end, he picked a tank support.
He felt that a real man should charge in and fight face-to-face!
After entering the game, the other player explained many more things that Lin Wan needed to pay attention to.
For example, at the start of the game, they should look at both team compositions to decide whether to fight a level-one team battle. If they were not fighting, where should everyone stand?
When the minion waves arrived, the other player also explained how to move, how to control the minion wave, and how to make the enemy uncomfortable.
Throughout the match, the other player kept explaining while playing.
Twenty minutes later, they easily won the game.
Lin Wan could not help sighing.
So this is what it feels like to be carried by a strong player?
Winning was so easy.
That afternoon, they played six ranked matches. Lin Wan successfully reached Platinum rank.
Except for one game where two teammates disconnected, they won every match.
During those games, the other player's teaching helped him a lot. He finally understood why he had been unable to climb any higher before.
"Alright, let's stop here for today," the other player said over voice chat after the sixth game.
"Okay. Thank you."
"No problem. By the way, are you from Qingnan University?"
"Uh..."
"Haha, I'm just asking. I'm from Qingnan University too."
"Huh?"
"What year are you in?"
"First year."
"Hello, junior. Alright then, bye-bye. I'm hungry, so I'm going to eat."
"Bye."
………………………
Dorm Room 502
Zhuo Feng logged out of Zhou Heng's game account, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes for a short rest.
Great.
Now he had confirmed that the other person really was from Qingnan University.
He had also successfully talked him into playing support.
The only problem was that he was a little shy.
After several games, Zhuo Feng had done almost all the talking.
Someone like that might not be easy to recruit into the team. Now he had to think about what to do next.
He would continue helping him rank up while teaching him more about the game.
After all, people usually feel grateful when someone helps them.
Once he had carried him to a higher rank, it would be the perfect time to invite him to join the team.
It would be hard for him to refuse.
Zhuo Feng quietly planned everything in his mind.
……………………
The Last Day of the Holiday
Lin Wan was still in the dorm, playing ranked together with Zhuo Feng.
Compared to yesterday, he was much more relaxed.
He no longer answered with just one or two words.
Lin Wan said, "The enemy jungler went mid. I'll go help our mid lane."
Zhuo Feng replied, "When you come back, place a ward outside the dragon pit. If he doesn't get a kill, he might clear his red buff and come bot."
"Okay."
After playing together through many matches, the two of them worked together more and more smoothly.
They climbed much faster than the day before.
Click.
The sound of a key turning came from the door. The dorm door opened, and a chubby figure walked in, pulling a suitcase.
Lin Wan glanced over when he heard the noise, then immediately focused on the game again.
This match would decide whether he could reach Platinum I.
The game had already reached the late stage.
If they lost one team fight, they might lose the whole game.
He could not afford to be distracted.
Inside the game, in the jungle...
While placing a ward, Lin Wan happened to spot the enemy jungler stealing a jungle monster and trying to escape.
He controlled his champion, Thresh, stepped forward, and threw out his hook.
The enemy instinctively dodged to the right.
Just as Lin Wan had predicted.
The hook landed perfectly. It was a great opportunity.
As long as they killed the enemy jungler, their team could secure Baron and then push straight to destroy the enemy base.
Lin Wan quietly called into his headset, "Come here. I hooked him!"
Then he threw a lantern over the wall toward Zhuo Feng's champion.
After Lin Wan slowed the enemy, the two of them worked together and successfully killed the jungler.
They then took Baron and won the game in one push.
When the match ended, the screen showed that Lin Wan had successfully reached Platinum I.
Standing behind him and watching the game, Sun Mao felt as though he were dreaming.
He rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not seeing things.
It really was Platinum I.
That was a rank he had never managed to reach, even after playing for years.
"Lin Wan, what day of the holiday is today?"
"The seventh day."
The seventh day...
I remembered correctly.
But after only seven days, this guy reached Platinum I?!
That makes no sense!
Could the random theory I made up actually work this well?
Then why can't I climb?
Could Lin Wan really be one of those once-in-a-lifetime geniuses who can master everything after reading one martial arts manual?
"Okay, thank you. Bye."
After the other player left to eat dinner, Lin Wan exited the room.
Looking at his new rank, he took out his phone, planning to take a picture to remember this moment.
Hmm?
Hearing that, Sun Mao sensed something unusual.
"Brother Wan, were you playing with someone just now?"
"Yeah."
Sun Mao immediately looked like a heartbroken wife who had been abandoned.
"Brother Wan, you...!"
"What's wrong?"
Lin Wan looked confused by his reaction.
"We agreed we'd always queue together, but you secretly found someone else!"
He felt like the cabbage he had carefully grown had been stolen away.
"He's a King-ranked player. He was helping me climb."
"......"
Sun Mao's expression changed instantly. He immediately put on a flattering smile.
"In that case, please let me join too!"
"Uh... alright. I'll ask him later."
"Thank you, my honorable benefactor!"
Sun Mao cupped his fists in thanks, then asked curiously,
"Brother Wan, how did you get to know a King-ranked player?"
"Didn't you make that forum post before? He saw it, added Huhu Meow's account, and dueled me. That's how we met."
"But wasn't that supposed to be a girl's account? You two used voice chat when you played together. Didn't he get angry after finding out you were a guy?"
Lin Wan answered casually,
"No. He probably guessed it a long time ago."
Hearing that, Sun Mao felt like he had been struck by lightning. He stood there completely frozen.
So my disguise...
Was really that easy to see through?
"But wait... if he knew you were a guy, why did he still help you rank up?"
Lin Wan thought for a moment. Then he lightly hit his left palm with his right fist.
"Maybe... he's just a good person?"