In the warm-up matches, Xiang Wan's performance was just right after her initial dominance; neither outstanding nor inferior. She didn't want to be at the top in the warm-up games and become the target of everyone's criticism. Unless the final showdown was inevitable, maintaining this level of performance was enough as long as she wasn't eliminated.
At noon, Manager Liu invited Xiang Wan to lunch, which she accepted. She was the only woman among them, and Manager Liu reportedly thought highly of her. The sudden change in attitude didn't surprise Xiang Wan at all, and she was happy to cultivate a good relationship with Manager Liu, as it might help her secure future benefits. Several other staff members accompanied her, and Xiang Wan enjoyed listening to their conversation.
"Boss, are you giving us some perks?"
"This is great, the more the better. Our tough lives as programmers desperately need some flowers to brighten them up."
"Come on, how can I, a man who's already taken, possibly accept this?"
"Tch, that's too much. There's a limit to how much you can show off your love."
"Alright, don't scare them. We'll be busy this afternoon. Eat more later."
Manager Liu interrupted them, glancing apologetically at Xiang Wan to let her know not to mind. Xiang Wan smiled and shook her head. She had indeed been a homebody for too long; being with these people actually gave her a slightly joyful feeling of being with her own kind.
During dinner, someone asked Xiang Wan why she chose to play video games. Girls generally don't like game characters that involve fighting and killing, let alone competing in them.
Xiang Wan simply replied, "Practicing hand speed."
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the person straightened up in surprise and exclaimed repeatedly that the person was a freak, comparable to another freak in their company.
Xiang Wan looked displeased at being called a freak, and the man quickly explained, "Don't mind it, I absolutely didn't mean to belittle you. You don't know, we have someone in our company who's just like you, who's been practicing his hand speed and is unbeatable all over the country. I heard he's going abroad to beat up foreigners recently. That's the nickname we gave him, 'freak'."
"oh."
Xiang Wan reacted calmly, but the man got excited: "Don't just say 'oh' or 'ah,' I'm telling you, he's absolutely a god-level player. If you can get into the international competition and meet him, you'll know if what I'm saying is true."
Xiang Wan turned her head to look at him, puzzled, "I don't think I said I wanted to enter the international competition, did I?"
"With your speed, it's only a matter of time before you get in." The man leaned down and whispered mysteriously in Xiang Wan's ear, "I secretly tested your hand speed, and if nothing unexpected happens, you're definitely going to be the champion this time. If you win, our company won't treat you badly; the compensation will be so generous that you could live a life without ever having to work. If I had your speed, I would never want to be stuck here as a miserable programmer, without even a girlfriend."
Xiang Wan smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
In the afternoon's group stage, the champion of each group stayed, while everyone else was eliminated, whether due to machine malfunctions or poor performance. That's the nature of competition—cruel and realistic.
Each round consists of twenty participants who freely choose their professions. The winner is the one who kills everyone else within the allotted time. Tactics are allowed; the last person standing is the champion.
All the machines in the lobby were checked by the central computer before the competition, and only then were the first groups allowed in. Xiang Wan was assigned to the third group, and she would have to wait for about two hours. She asked Manager Liu for leave, left her things at the nearest hotel, and bought some water and biscuits to eat.
After a fierce competition, Xiang Wan effortlessly eliminated the rest of her group, claiming the championship. Originally, she planned to observe first, letting the others fight amongst themselves before eliminating the last remaining person. However, some people secretly plotted to clear the area while waiting. Xiang Wan was among those targeted; surrounded and attacked, she lost her temper and unleashed a killing spree. Don't forget, she was trained in the mission world; she knew exactly how to move, how to quickly counter-attack, and how to use the terrain to dodge. Therefore, anyone who angered her was swiftly eliminated.
The next day, the champions from each remaining group had to compete in a head-to-head battle, with the winners randomly selected by the computer. This time, it wasn't a team battle, but a one-on-one duel, with the victor staying behind. During this time, some people complained that Xiang Wan was too fast, which must be due to the computer. Xiang Wan didn't argue; she simply switched to the computer and defeated her opponent in one round, starting a brutal beatdown.
Those monitoring the scene exchanged bewildered glances, and one of them couldn't help but sigh, "We finally got a flower, but she's a tyrant at that. We can't handle her."
The others nodded silently; in their eyes, Xiang Wan had become synonymous with ruthlessness.
Xiang Wan didn't know any of this, and even if she did, she wouldn't care.
In the final round, only four players remained. Each player had to play against the other three, and the player who won all three matches would be the champion.
These people were considered experts in the game, their skills far surpassing those of ordinary players. Xiang Wan learned a great deal from their battles, honing her character to a higher level of proficiency.
The final showdown was less of a competition and more of a friendly exchange. When you reach a certain level in gaming, what matters is no longer winning or losing, but the interplay of various skills and the test of mentality. Simply put, whoever can remain calm and maintain their composure will be the ultimate victor.
Every match has a time limit, and when Xiang Wan faced an opponent who had never lost before, she waited until the very last second to eliminate him. Because if the score remained tied after the time limit, both would be eliminated. Xiang Wan capitalized on this; in the final seconds, her opponent became impatient and acted hastily, giving Xiang Wan the opportunity for a decisive blow.
She could have easily solved the problem from the beginning, but considering that there would be more and more opponents like her in the future, she wanted to hone her patience and time management skills in advance. It was somewhat risky, but the results were good.
As she left the hall, her competitors congratulated her. They were convinced of her victory.
Manager Liu told her that the district champion would be participating in a qualifying competition in another province in two weeks, and only the winner would be able to enter the national league. When asked if she wanted to attend the company's training, Xiang Wan declined, saying she needed to go back and take care of some things.
The voice messages her parents sent her were about random things, as if they were trying to cover up something. She was worried and had to go back to check on them; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the upcoming competition training.
She regretted it as soon as she got back. If her parents had explained it to her earlier, she would never have chosen to go back at that time.
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