Wang Shenmu, not an expert in emotions, couldn’t understand. After pondering for days, he pulled out his laptop and logged into the Human World Game Forum, which he hadn’t visited since the storm had settled. He tried searching for posts containing “Changshengdian,” only finding some old posts from half a year ago; the posts related to Ji Canghai’s trolls had all been deleted. Nothing had happened, so what did Qin Chuan’s words mean? Puzzled, Wang Shenmu tried searching for posts mentioning “Hongyao Tang,” and instantly, a thread with hundreds of pages of replies appeared.
[Collecting Confessions and Blessings! Please help me, my friends known or unknown, to reach 9999 floors! Give me the courage to confess!]
[Main Text: I used to be the tycoon in your eyes, just using RMB to stack up gear, seeking satisfaction from your envious looks. Later, she showed me the real world of gaming, she was the one who pulled me up, nurtured me, from a novice to a leader of a group of thieves. My gratitude and admiration for her are beyond words.
This summer, I’ll graduate, my classmates all have girlfriends, but I don’t. Apart from her, I can’t fit anyone else in my heart. Yet, she’s so close yet so far, I lack the courage to say what I want to…
The heroine that the brave leader of the thieves lacked the courage to confess to was now clear. Wang Shenmu looked at the countless blessings in the replies, unsure of what to do. In his heart, Chen Wang, that child, certainly couldn’t compare to Qin Chuan. However, before he left S City, Su Yao indeed seemed quite close to Chen Wang, with constant phone calls… If Su Yao had changed her mind, then Wang Shenmu would have to join Qin Chuan in the sorrowful task of feeding the sea. He finally understood the meaning behind Qin Chuan’s blessing.
That night, Wang Shenmu received two calls. The first was from Yan Guila, his former site manager, after four years of silence: “Will you be at the IT conference in S City in a couple of days? Let’s find some time to catch up, it’s been four years since we last saw each other…” “I’ve resigned.” “Weren’t you fired?”
Wang Shenmu frowned, mentally cursing the other.
“The website is managed by someone else now, no need to call me Site Manager.” Yan Guila paused before continuing, “As for you, if you’re not used to it out there, come back. The new manager is very easygoing.”
“I don’t need your charity.” Wang Shenmu hung up with a click. After a while, Su Yao called. “Are you still in S City? It’s been over a month, have you found him?”
“He told me to tell you he hasn’t.”
“What the hell do you mean?”
“In fact, I didn’t find Changshengdian or THANATOS, I only found a guy named Qin Chuan, who told me to tell Hongyao Tang that he wishes her happiness and hopes she doesn’t see him looking like a disheveled madman, and he made me promise not to tell Hongyao Tang that I met him.”
Su Yao thought for a long time. Finally, she chuckled, “Alright, Hongyao Tang knows nothing, but the Great Demon King Su Yao knows. Since that’s the case, tell him, I’m heading to S City for a meeting at the XX Hotel, it’s that IT business gathering, see if he comes or not.”
Wang Shenmu nodded, speechless.
When Chen Wang and Ji Canghai rushed to S City to seek help from Su Yao due to the dire fate of Changsheng Island after they built the Nest of the First Emperor, Qin Chuan was asking Wang Shenmu, “What am I going there for?” Wang Shenmu looked at the distant horizon: “You’ll go,” he said.
The next day, Wang Shenmu went to the conference venue at the hotel. He got out of the taxi to see flower baskets and large red banners, bustling elites from all fields, and the media surrounding the stars of the event. Wang Shenmu walked alone on the red carpet stairs, not knowing why he had come. Although he held two electronic invitations from Human World Company and the Chinese Hackers’ Association, he truly didn’t know what he wanted to do there. The hotel had several exhibition halls divided by community, gaming, trading, and other business platforms. Su Yao should be in the gaming company section, but Wang Shenmu had no desire to see his former colleagues from Human World. However, fate seemed to be against him, as he ran into the CEO of Human World right as he passed the gaming hall.
As soon as he saw him, he walked over with enthusiasm and said, “Xiao Wang, you’ve finally come. Since you left, the expansions they’ve designed have been a complete disaster. We’re still holding on with the summer expansion, but I’ve sent back several autumn versions. They’re just there to make a laughingstock of us! Xiao Wang, come back, it’s our company that wronged you. Here’s the deal, after the meeting, come back with me, and I’ll double your annual salary. Your colleagues miss you so much.”
Wang Shenmu gave the CEO a cold glance, continued walking forward with his head down, only to have his arm grabbed. “Think it over carefully, really, there’s no brighter future than this. Look, who’s this?” The CEO beckoned a tall, stunning beauty over, “The hottest female celebrity right now, Du Qingqing! I’m planning to have her endorse our game. Look, the most active online game of the year, the most touching online game… because of you, we’ve been so successful. Oh, Miss Du, this is the chief planner I told you about, he’s a bit cold, but his mind is filled with genius ideas. I believe he hopes more than I do that you’ll endorse our game…”
The female star extended her hand for a friendly shake, but Wang Shenmu, revolted by the heavy scent of makeup, bluntly said, “Why not get Lianying Liuli to endorse it?”
After dropping this piece of his unique genius idea, Wang Shenmu walked away.
By some twist of fate, he ended up in the last “Other” category exhibition hall, where the minds behind websites not fitting into common categories gathered discreetly, including the most mysterious Chinese Hacker Association. Here, only those who knew each other recognized one another. A large sign at the entrance prohibited any media entry. After showing his invitation, Wang Shenmu was let in. Then, an embrace even more enthusiastic than the human company CEO’s clamped onto Wang Shenmu’s proud shoulders. Looking up, he saw a face he thought he’d never see again.
“Thanks to you, I’ve made something of myself. My studio has gained fame and was just acquired by the game team under ‘Utopia’. They said you’d be coming, so I’ve been waiting for you to say thank you!” Gu Chaoyan looked up, his radiant smile illuminated by the lights.
“Welcome home,” said the old webmaster in a sarcastic tone, raising a glass of red wine in welcome.
“Welcome home,” echoed the new webmaster, also raising his glass. To his surprise, it was the familiar face of the Dragon’s Hack creator.
“Welcome home,” the old comrades-in-arms raised their glasses in unison, saying, “This is home.” Perhaps even the proud and stubborn might have teared up at that moment.
Watching the heavy rain outside, Chen Wang felt utterly helpless.