After leaving the school gate, according to their usual habit, Ma Shicheng and the others should have turned right directly into the Yucai Internet Cafe.

Unfortunately, recently, there's been a crackdown, with Mr. Yan, the dean, leading a team to raid illegal Internet cafes outside the school. The Yucai Store got unlucky and was forced to temporarily shut down its Internet cafe business.

At the intersection.

Cui Yu scrutinized the sign of 'Zhengde Restaurant.'

He asked, "Brother Ma, is this our new spot?"

Ma Shicheng: "For now, yes."

Wang Longlong: "Zhengde Internet Cafe, what a great name!"

They entered the restaurant, where the owner, a short old man, kindly led them to the backyard, and then opened a room with four computers inside and a flat bed beside it.

"Let's get going, let's get going!" Cui Yu rubbed his hands together eagerly. With Brother Ma's gaming strategies, he's now a 'Quasi-diamond' rank expert.

"No rush, no rush. Let's eat pancakes first." Meng Gui took a big bite of the crispy pancake and sipped his bubble tea, "So delicious!"

After high school evening self-study, eating favorite snacks with a growling stomach is truly one of the greatest joys in life.

While eating, Ma Shicheng arranged, "Brother Yu, Brother Gui, Brother Jun, today the three of you take on two bosses, no problem?"

Some bosses just want you to log into their account and help them rank up, while others want you to play with them to boost their rank.

Usually, the latter type of boss pays more, as it falls into the category of companionship play.

Cui Yu said confidently, "The boss is only at Silver rank, and me, a [Quasi-diamond], how could I not dominate?"

For an S4 [Quasi-diamond] player, there's significant value, especially since, at that time, there weren't as many smurf accounts as today.

Though Cui Yu is quite the Quasi-diamond, gaming skill-wise, he's the strongest among the brothers, second only to Brother Ma.

Cui Yu volunteered, "I can handle one boss all by myself, no problem."

And since he's logging into the boss's account, he earns double for each game, flying with joy.

Ma Shicheng pondered a bit. Cui Yu is extroverted and doesn't like to hide under towers while gaming. He enjoys showing off his skills, though his flashiness sometimes leaves him exposed in Diamond tiers.

But the lower the tier, the more formidable Cui Yu becomes.

Ma Shicheng said, "When you play with the boss, make sure not just to rank up, but also to make the boss enjoy playing."

Cui Yu: "Oh, everyone knows my emotional intelligence."

Although Cui Yu usually fools around, he is very serious when it comes to making money.

"Alright." Ma Shicheng let him give it a try, then told Meng Gui and Hu Jun, "You two try taking one boss, in Silver rank."

As for Ma Shicheng, he's got King-tier strength and got there breezily, so he directly chose Diamond rank, as the jobs at this tier pay well.

Ma Shicheng decided to take on two bosses himself, to keep it steady. He sent a message: "Jiang Ning, want to game?"

...

At the river dam.

After washing up, Xue Yuantong put on her nightgown and snuck into Jiang Ning's bedroom while her mom wasn't watching.

As she entered the room, she found Jiang Ning holding a laptop, watching a video on the couch.

"Jiang Ning, why aren't you using the desktop?" she asked.

"Because you came over," Jiang Ning replied.

Xue Yuantong laughed, "Hahaha."

Then boldly, she sat on her rightful throne.

"Chuchu's not coming today; she's staying home to study," Xue Yuantong said.

Actually, Chuchu kind of wanted to come, but Xue Yuantong sensed that Aunt Hua was subtly unhappy, seemingly not wanting Chuchu to keep playing games.

When Xue Yuantong was a kid and went to Chuchu's house to play, she also noticed Aunt Hua's faint displeasure.

After all, no one wants their daughter to be out messing around all the time.

But young Xue Yuantong was thick-skinned and pretended not to see, always visiting Chuchu, leaving Aunt Hua speechless.

As she grew up, due to family reasons and the sensitivity typical of children from poor families, the visits became less frequent.

With his Divine Sense, Jiang Ning understood more than Tongtong, having even overheard Aunt Hua telling Xue Chuchu to take things seriously.

Seeing the little girl trying to play it off, Jiang Ning knew her heart was heavy, so he said:

"No worries, let's play games together."

"Yes, yes!" Xue Yuantong's eyes gleamed instantly.

She was so happy, for it had been some time since Jiang Ning last gamed with her. He either was glued to his phone, tinkered with his wood and stone, or sometimes just sat there staring into space, which made Xue Yuantong feel distant from him.

She only wanted to play with Jiang Ning, even if it meant having fewer snacks.

Jiang Ning said, "Let's play LOL, I'll use the laptop, and you cover me."

Xue Yuantong immediately sat up straight: "Through fire and water, no problem!"

"Whoever bullies you, I'll teach them a lesson." She really wanted to protect Jiang Ning in the game, as a way to repay his kindness.

Jiang Ning said, "Wait a bit before we start."

He navigated to his cousin's chat, copying the game account and password from Jiang Junlong to Xue Yuantong.

Seizing the moment, Xue Yuantong poured two cups of hot water and brought out a package of cookies, saying, "My mom bought these milk biscuits, they're so good."

She shared half with Jiang Ning, enjoying the blessing together.

Once logged in.

Ma Shicheng messaged him privately, "Who's the other person, is she your friend?"

Jiang Ning said, "Xue Yuantong."

Ma Shicheng thought for a moment, frequently seeing Xue Yuantong gaming on her phone in class, assuming she might play LOL, but didn't expect her to be Diamond V rank.

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