Chapter 3: A Mind Like Bamboo

Seeing Dai Guang looking lost and absent-minded, Lu Kuan smiled and said nothing more. Dai Guang had been Lu Kuan's friend for decades; they had weathered storms together, encouraging each other through the hardest times of their previous lives. Lending him a hand was only natural for Lu Kuan, who would never hesitate to help.

The two walked across the sports field toward the school gate, which was already crowded with waiting parents. At a glance, Lu Kuan spotted his own mother and father among the throng, craning their necks, anxiously scanning the flood of students pouring out of the exam hall.

Their eager expressions brought a sudden heat to Lu Kuan’s eyes. He drew a deep breath to steady himself, then bid Dai Guang farewell and made his way to the gate.

His father was waiting on a tricycle, while Lu Kuan and his mother sat together on the back. Afraid of disrupting his mood before the next exam, his parents kept their conversation light, steering clear of any mention of the tests.

Lu Kuan understood their intentions and took the initiative, saying, “The Chinese exam went pretty well—shouldn’t be a problem to get a hundred.”

His mother, who had managed to maintain a calm expression thus far, immediately beamed with delight. Even his father, pedaling at the front, paused in surprise and glanced back. “Don’t you go bragging now,” he said, half in jest.

Lu Kuan just chuckled, offering no rebuttal. His mother, however, put on a stern face. “Kuanzi, even if you did well, we can’t get complacent. There are still three more subjects to go…”

Once she started, she couldn’t stop. Lu Kuan only listened, smiling, as if humbly accepting her advice. His father glanced back occasionally, his weathered gaze softening at the sight of such an obedient son.

That afternoon’s math exam was Lu Kuan’s strong suit, and everything unfolded just as he expected. After dinner that evening, when he shared his estimated math score, his mother couldn’t stop smiling, and even his usually stern father allowed a hint of a grin.

The two days of the college entrance exam passed in a flash. When the last subject was finally over, Lu Kuan stepped out of the exam hall and let out a long breath—surely, this was the beginning of a new destiny.

That night, upon hearing Lu Kuan’s self-assessment—a score as high as 620—his parents were incredulous. After all, Lu Kuan’s usual marks barely broke 500; even accounting for an extraordinary performance, such a leap seemed impossible.

In truth, Lu Kuan was deliberately being modest. By his own conservative estimate, his results shouldn’t be lower than 640.

But, not wanting to frighten his parents, he reported a lower figure. Even so, his mother and father were astounded, and even his father—who rarely pressured him—seemed a little restless, overcome by excitement and joy.

Lu Kuan said no more, sharing a cheerful dinner with his parents before heading straight for the Zero Distance Internet Café. The professional advancement quest would open tomorrow, and there was much to prepare.

The café was already packed, but fortunately, Lu Kuan had prepaid for his computer for two weeks, securing a fixed spot in the corner of the first-floor hall.

As he entered, many people at the front desk cast him curious glances. News of Lu Kuan’s bet with Liu Xueliang had already spread among the café’s regulars, and most believed Lu Kuan had walked straight into Liu Xueliang’s trap.

Lu Kuan ignored the stares, walked calmly to his station, slotted his ID card into the headset, and entered the game world.

Wispy white clouds drifted past, and above him stretched a boundless blue sky. It felt as though he were soaring high above the earth, his game character—a bow-wielding archer—hovering before him. There were still a few minutes until 8 p.m., so Lu Kuan used the time to pull up his character panel and check his current stats.

Name: Old Deer
Race: Northern Human
Level/Class: Level 9, Apprentice Ranger
Current Experience: 730/816
Health: 196/196

Energy: 100/100 (+1/sec)
Stamina: 48/48
Strength: 6.8
Agility: 8.8
Constitution: 4.8
Intelligence: 4.8
Intuition: 5.8
Charisma: 4
Resistance: Cold 5 (racial trait)
Available Skill Points: 0
Available Attribute Points: 0
Class Skills: Shock Shot (Level 1), Shatterbone Arrowhead (Level 2), Reconnaissance (Level 3), Listening (Level 2), Aiming (Level 1)
Life Skills: Herb Gathering (Level 4), Alchemy (Level 2)
Current Equipment:
Polished Shortbow (Common)
Requirement: Level 4
Max Range: 45 meters
Durability: 100%
Max Stamina Use: 2
Ranged Weapon Trait: Accuracy -15%
Inferior Leather Breastplate (Common), Inferior Leather Shorts (Common) …
Reputation: Unknown
Combat Power Score: 30

Energy was a ranger’s unique combat resource. Most skills consumed energy, a few generated it, and energy would also recover slowly over time. The ability to manage energy effectively—balancing damage output with sustainability—was a key measure of a ranger’s skill.

With each level gained, all five attributes (except Charisma) increased by 0.1 automatically; every three levels yielded one free attribute point, making those points especially precious.

This ranger character had accompanied Lu Kuan for more than ten years in his previous life, and now, to have another chance to start from scratch was thrilling beyond words.

A pleasant chime sounded—eight o’clock sharp. Lu Kuan collected himself and entered the game world.

After a brief darkness, countless lines of white code swept across his vision, constructing towering walls and ancient green trees out of the void. A dazzling starry sky unfolded above, and within moments, the imposing Lava Fortress came into view.

It was still early morning in-game, and the advancement quest wouldn’t open until 8 a.m., so the streets were sparsely populated by players.

Lu Kuan checked his friends list; as expected, Dai Guang was not online. He headed to the general store to clear out his overflowing backpack, most of it filled with gray junk like gnoll claws and tangled fur. Then he collected yesterday’s mail by the mailbox, quickly filling his bag with various materials. Scratching his head, he realized he would have to find time to organize his bank inventory later.

“Hey, expert! What a coincidence, running into you again~”

Lu Kuan, busy with his chores, heard a familiar voice behind him. Turning, he saw an elven mage.

The man appeared to be in his forties, bald, with a round face and a mustache. His genial, friendly smile inspired instant warmth and trust.

He was a professional trader as well, with the in-game ID "Clever Sloth," though Lu Kuan simply called him Old Lazy. Over the past week, Lu Kuan had spent every evening camping the auction house, and in the course of those nights, he and Old Lazy had become acquaintances.

Lu Kuan grinned. “Old Lazy, you’re not getting any younger. Don’t stay up so late; it’s not good for you.”

“What do you mean ‘not getting any younger’? I’m in my prime! Fifty-one and still blooming, don’t you know?” Clever Sloth shot him a disgruntled look. “But lately, business is getting harder and harder. Any decent item with a bit of profit disappears as soon as it appears. I wonder who’s so ruthless~”

Lu Kuan’s expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn’t picked up on the veiled probe in the words.

His nightly auctions and his ruthless, sharp eye for bargains had made the other Lava Fortress traders uneasy, convinced a true profiteer had emerged. Yet Lu Kuan always bid anonymously, so even the most suspicious could only guess.

Old Lazy, on the other hand, had witnessed Lu Kuan’s magic first-hand.

Some materials he’d never even heard of—Lu Kuan dared to buy them for two silver at a flat price, only to resell them for ten silver the very next day. That daring and insight won Old Lazy’s genuine admiration, as a fellow professional trader.