Game of the World Tree

Morning of September 30th, Imperial Capital Airport.

A young woman, carrying several bags, walked into the airport’s departure lounge.

She appeared to be in her early twenties, with fair skin and a tall, slender figure, accentuated by a pair of strikingly long legs.

As she hurriedly jogged along forward, she called then out over her shoulder:

“Su Yuan, hurry up! we’ll miss our flight if we’re any later!”

Following behind her was another young woman of a similar age.

The girl, who was on the shorter side, had a bob haircut, a sweet and adorable face, and a small tuft of hair sticking up atop her head.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she panted as she ran whilst complaining in a playful, whining tone,

“Haah, s-slow down… I don’t have long legs like you, I can’t run that fast you know…”

Hearing this, Zhou Menghan turned her head and shot her friend an annoyed glare.

“Who told you to stay up so late playing games last night, anyways? And if you did, why didn’t you just sleep within the game? You knew we had to leave today! Good thing I came to the capital to find you, or else would you have kept grinding until tomorrow and skipped our meetup altogether?”

Su Yuan merely yawned in response.

“Haah… Didn’t they say that recently, there’s this superstition that if you play games while sleeping, it’s harder to draw a spot for the job advancement? So I figured I’d just drink more coffee and stay awake to try it out myself…”

Hearing this, Zhou Menghan was left speechless.

It was a surprisingly convincing reason, especially since Su Yuan was one of the lucky few players who had actually managed to secure a spot for the job advancement promotion early on.

“So, did you get it?”

Zhou Menghan asked.

Su Yuan perked up and flashed a victorious smile, all the while holding up two fingers in a peace sign.

“Yep!”

Zhou Menghan gave her friend a surprised look and raised an eyebrow.

“Not bad. Not many players from the fourth-beta managed to get it.”

“Hehe, of course! Who do you think I am? I’m a devoted follower of the Goddess! She’s definitely watching over me, making sure I got the advanced job promotion! Hehehe, now I won’t fall behind you! Just give it some time, and I’ll be a high-level player too just like you!”

Su Yuan replied, her hands firmly on her hips and chest thrust forward, with a proud gleam in her eyes.

Seeing her friend’s antics, Zhou Menghan couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Come on, enough showing off, or we’re actually going to miss the flight!”

“Well, if we miss it…then we can just book another one…you know?”

“Get lost! I’m not as rich as you!”

Zhou Menghan retorted.

Later that afternoon, at Yaodu Southern Station.

The standard, melodious announcements flowed through the air, echoing lightly above the constant hum of voices.

Every so often, a sharp train whistle would cut through the noise, punctuating the atmosphere with a sense of urgency.

The myriad of sounds—chatter, footsteps, whistles—created a lively symphony that filled the station, making it feel like a living, breathing entity pulsing with the anticipation of countless journeys.

As the economic hub of the southern region, Yaodu’s train station were always bustling, full of energy and vibrancy.

Meanwhile, at Platform 8, a young man in his early twenties, wearing a denim jacket, walked out of the train car.

He had a sturdy build, a fresh haircut, and an average-looking face with a slightly round chin.

He stood still for a couple of seconds to check his surroundings before moving forward as he pulled along a medium-sized roller suitcase.

Although he looked a bit tired, with red-rimmed eyes, his spirits seemed high, and he appeared to be in a good mood.

Whilst glancing at the large sign that read “Welcome to Yaodu,” he let out a long yawn before breaking into a bright smile.

“Whew, I’ve finally arrived,”

He murmured in a voice filled with joy and a hint of nervous anticipation.

He glanced around once more before deciding to head toward a nearby restroom, dragging his suitcase behind him.

After a brief stop at the aisle, he stood before the mirror at the sink, carefully tidying up his appearance.

Hair style, perfect.

Smile, perfect.

Clothes….ehh, seems fine enough.

The only thing that bothered him was his slightly bulging stomach, which he couldn’t quite hide despite wearing a loose sweatshirt.

“This should still be presentable enough, right?”

He rhetorically mumbled to himself.

“But the weather is a bit too hot for my liking. I didn’t expect Yaodu to be this scorching—sigh, I definitely dressed too warmly.”

He tugged at his denim jacket, recalling the sudden wave of heat that hit him as soon as he got off the train.

He really wanted to take it off but ultimately decided against it. Shaking his head in resignation, he knew that this jacket was the only item in his wardrobe that made him look slimmer.

Whilst touching his protruding belly, the man sighed with a tinge of regret.

“I need to lose weight. I’ve only been in college for a short time, and my once six-pack abs have now become just one big piece…”

“Li Mu, you bastard,” he muttered to his reflection in the mirror, “once this trip is over, you better start running and working out, you hear me? Even your usually apathetic dad noticed you’ve gained some weight when you went home for the Mid-Autumn Festival yesterday. You’ll definitely never gonna find a girlfriend if you don’t lose some pounds soon…”

He then let out a deep sigh and turned on the faucet, letting the cold water splash over his face.

“Ugh, even though I’ve made plenty of videos online, actually meeting people in real life like this still makes me nervous. Especially when there are supposed to be quite a few female players coming this time…”

He murmured to himself, trying to boost his spirits by pinching his thigh as he attempted to snap out of it.

“Focus! You’re here to meet the people you’re acquainted with, not to flirt and pick up girls!” he reminded himself with a rueful chuckle.

With a renewed sense of purpose, he picked up his suitcase, opened his phone, and spoke directly close into it:

“Xiao E, Xiao E, navigate me to Tianchen Grand Hotel.”

In Yaodu’s Xinghe District, inside a three-story villa with a Western design…

“Aunt Liu! Aunt Liu! How does this outfit look on me?”

In front of a luxurious full-length mirror, a girl who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen held up a purple dress, eagerly looking at the middle-aged woman behind her.

The woman, known as Aunt Liu, furrowed her brows slightly.

“Guoguo, don’t you think this dress makes you look a bit too mature?”

Hearing this, the girl pouted, then grinned,

“That’s the whole point! With me being the president, I need to look like I’m in charge!”

Aunt Liu hesitated for a moment, then sighed.

“If you want to appear more mature, you might want to change your hairstyle and put on a little makeup.”

The girl’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, and she quickly sat down at the vanity table.

“You’re right! Please, Auntie Liu, help me fix up my look! I need to at least look like an adult!”

Seeing her niece’s eagerness, Aunt Liu nodded with a resigned smile and began working on the girl’s hair.

“By the way, have the preparations at the hotel been finished? There are a lot of people coming this time,” the girl asked.

“Yeah I’ve heard no problem so far.”

Aunt Liu nodded.

After a brief pause, she added, “One more thing… Guoguo, I need to remind you that while it’s fine to host events at the hotel since it’s part of our household’s company, you still need to be mindful of the expenses…”

“Don’t worry, Auntie Liu. This offline event for our game only covers part of the attendees’ costs. Most people are just getting a small discount,” the girl explained, counting on her fingers.

She then squinted slightly and added, “Besides, if you really think about it, with the number of people attending, I’ve already calculated that the hotel will still make a profit overall! I’m even considering making these meetups a regular thing. Don’t worry, the hotel won’t lose money, I promise.”

“I’m not some spoiled rich brat who can’t budget. I know how to manage my finances. Even in the game, while I spent a lot of pocket money at first, I’ve cut back on asking for money, you know?”

Aunt Liu finally nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.

“Well, as long as you know what you’re doing.”

Just then, a melodious ringtone filled the room—a tune the girl had set as her favorite piece of background music from the game.

She picked up her phone from the table, with her eyes immediately lighting up upon seeing the caller ID.

Excitedly answering the call, she sweetly said, “Hello, Sister Birdy, it’s Miao Miao!”

“What? You’re already here? Where are you? I’ll come get you right away!”

— 398 —

【 OFFLINE MEETUP (PART ONE) 】

The Chinese word “果果” (guǒ guǒ) is often used as a nickname or term of endearment, and it can mean “fruit” or “sweet” in a playful or affectionate context. It doesn’t have a specific, widely recognized meaning on its own but is used more for its sound and charm in names or informal settings.

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