Chapter 035: Dining

The three who had easily stepped out of the place of endless cycles pushed and shoved each other as they staggered into the public area on the first floor of the Science Web Café. Passing behind a hundred or so brothers enduring the peculiar air created by burping, farting, propping bare feet on the power fans of their computer towers to air them out, and other such behaviors, Lin Jia and his two brothers felt rather proud, as if they possessed a unique aristocratic aura.

The smoke produced by those beast-like brothers just from their cigarettes alone was enough to make one feel suffocated, but they generously allowed everyone to absorb a healthy dose of carbon dioxide and nicotine, all while frantically puffing away and shouting at the top of their lungs. The sound of screams and shouts released from the computer speakers filled the hall, blending into a cacophony. Those who knew understood they were playing Legend; those who didn't might have thought everyone was watching an American disaster film together.

It's not fair to blame the café's environment. No matter how well renovated, the dozen ventilation fans on the roof could hardly keep up with a hundred chimneys. The cashier and network administrator, a young woman, looked utterly exhausted; she was probably considering whether to ask the boss for a gas mask. The cold air sprayed from the four high-powered cabinet air conditioners was thick with tobacco, and from outside, the row of exhaust fans above the door billowed white smoke. If it weren't for the hot weather causing the cold air to condense into fog, some concerned auntie nearby might have called the fire department.

Perhaps it was simply the sheer number of people, or perhaps the excitement of gaming had gotten out of hand, but all the men—whether fat or thin—were bare-chested in the air-conditioned café. Eyes streaming from the smoke, they tilted their heads and shouted through clenched mouths, "Heal me! I'm dying!"

Lin Jia watched with pity as the few young women also playing Legend stared unblinkingly at their screens, frantically typing, rubbing their dry, irritated eyes with small hands, coughing now and then. Lin Jia shook his head and sighed, "Why put yourself through this?"

As the three brothers pushed open the door to leave, they happened upon the café owner unloading several large boxes from a taxi. Well now! Industrial-grade exhaust fans! It seemed even the owner could no longer withstand the smoke attacks from the crowd inside, and was planning to install a few more powerful ventilators. Previously, there hadn't been such a fog of smoke, but since the public beta of Legend began, the old chimney gamers had started logging in en masse, which only worsened the pollution.

Where there is a web café, there are restaurants—especially in such hubs. Near the Science Web Café, several small private eateries clustered together: greasy tables, plastic chairs, and a rickety electric fan clattering away, all enough to bring the boss, who doubled as chairman, manager, cashier, host, waiter, chef, and runner, a considerable income. At lunchtime, every one of the dozen nameless eateries was packed. Had it not been after one o’clock already, the three brothers might have had to queue.

A plate of shredded pork with green pepper, a bowl of pickled potato noodles, and a dish of eggplant with oil. Before the food arrived, each brother grabbed a bottle of Wanderer’s Pavilion beer. Wiping the cap against an arm that was hardly clean, they bit the caps off with a twist of the mouth and eagerly gulped it down.

"Wahaha!" They gasped simultaneously, faces scrunched up from the icy chill of the beer, looking for all the world like a trio of budding chrysanthemums.

Lin Jia and the eldest had impressive tolerance for alcohol, but the fourth brother was hopeless—a single bottle and he was down. After half a bottle, he burped a few times, shivered, and his face flushed red. Excited, he pulled off his sweaty shirt, revealing a sturdy physique. Though beer was delightful in weather like this, the fourth brother wisely pushed the rest of his bottle to Lin Jia; the allure of online games was clearly greater than that of beer.

Lin Jia and the eldest were used to the fourth brother's antics. After two more bottles apiece, they dove into the food, and the restaurant owner nervously handed Lin Jia a third plate piled high with rice, watching as he scraped the leftover sauce from the empty plates onto the rice and wolfed it down. The owner watched with a heavy heart; in these small eateries, only the dishes and drinks cost money, and rice is unlimited. Usually, after a couple beers, customers wouldn't eat much rice, maybe a palm-sized scoop in a disposable bowl. But these boys bypassed the small bowls entirely, demanding rice on plates—something the owner had never seen.

After wiping his mouth, Lin Jia pulled out the fifty yuan his father had given him that morning and handed it to the owner, turning to the eldest and saying, "I'll give you the money for the card together later, okay, eldest?"

"What are you babbling about! If I need money, I'll come find you!" The eldest’s face was flushed from the beer, quite charming, though her boisterous tone spoiled her elegance a bit. Still, her boldness gave her a heroic air, no wonder Lin Jia and the boys got along so well with her.

The owner stared at the plates, cleaner than if a dog had licked them, and wondered whether he'd made or lost money on this meal. The three brothers, already sweating from their feast, grew impatient as the owner fumbled through his pockets, searching for change. Lin Jia called out loudly, "Boss! Hurry up! What’s taking so long?"

The eldest chimed in, laughing, "Boss has made so much money, he doesn’t know where to put it!"

The owner laughed awkwardly, "Not at all! I barely make two mao per dish! Business is tough! Here you go!" Perhaps he was intimidated by their impatience, and hastily shoved a handful of small bills at Lin Jia. This area was once a native village called "Qiaomiaoling," known for its fierce folk; every household was tied to the docks, and the locals all had names that rang out in the community. There was even a family surnamed He, three brothers who dominated the town as notorious gang leaders. Although things had cleaned up lately, their legacy still lingered, making outsiders nervous to pass through. Any boss opening shop here dared not offend the local youths, lest they run into trouble with one of the feared brothers.

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(Trouble: Sorry, brothers! I’ve been working overtime for two days straight, sixteen hours a day, and haven’t been home! So updates paused for a day. But after returning, I found the rankings had improved—many thanks for your support! I squeezed in some writing last night and posted two chapters today. I should post another tonight, but I have one last overtime shift, so I’ll only be back tomorrow morning. Apologies!

I’m thrilled this book has been so well received! I’ve read all the suggestions in the review section, not missing a single one. Some complained about the word count—let me explain: this book is on the new book chart, which requires 150,000 words to drop off. I’m dragging it out; other charts have no such restriction. You understand?

Also, Legend is a game some love and some hate. It’s brought joy to many, and pain to others. I won’t discuss it in detail here; the story will unfold gradually. Please vote if you like the book; if not, don’t insult others. We Wuhan folk are civilized—if you really argue with a Wuhan native, you must have lost your mind!

Finally, some brothers want more in-game stories and less real-life content. Oh, my goodness! I’m writing primarily about my old gaming experiences, not some fantasy VR online game. Without a year’s worth of updates, there’s no nutrition here. The slow pace at the start is to help readers unfamiliar with Legend understand. Later chapters are more outrageous, but still focus on stories outside the game related to Legend. If I only wrote about in-game events, how much material would there be? Legend isn’t a fantasy online game! It’s just an old ship’s plank with a few nails—if I write it all out at once, you wouldn’t enjoy it anyway. If you find the pace slow, treat it as an urban novel.

Enough rambling! I’ve written more here than in the main story! One more chapter to go! Damn, I’ve lost out again—so much extra word count, I’ll drop off the chart faster! All you wolf cubs, howl with me!)

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