CHAPTER 1: SECOND WORLD

“Ding Ling Ling Ding Ling Ling” I woke up abruptly with a jerk from the bed and my forehead was covered in sweat, wiping the sweat with one hand said: “Ah, there can be no mistaking now, this alarm clock is too loud.” I turn off the alarm clock.

Then got out of the bed and opened the curtains, the sunshine glared into the cold bedroom, looking at the alarm clock, the time is now 7:35 CST, having looked, “Shit, It’s not good, I am late, I forgot that today’s the day of the college entrance examinations.” Saying so, in less than five minutes, brushed, changed clothes, ate four slices of bread from the table and one bottle of nutrients hastily, and running out bolted down the stairs, riding his bike at 80 miles per second, sped along to school.

After reaching the school gate, quickly put down the bike, burst into the classroom, and then sat down at his spot, while gasping for breath.

Patting my shoulder with his hand, a person said: “Long Ling, you were almost late for the college entrance exams, were you appreciating the pillows at home! Hahaha.”

I said “Ye Shuang you don’t have to worry about me whiling the time away, if it were not for your alarm clock, perhaps I would have been really late.”

This Ye Shuang guy is my buddy, don’t think of us as just best friends, since kindergarten we have been together, through the window made the mistake of going to prostitutes together, our relationship is a complete and total mess.

Ye Shuang is a top student in the school, is the Student Council President, the class monitor, head of the group, with grades always among the best, is almost good in sports.

Comparing him to me, I do the odd jobs in the student association, in the class am the P.E. representative, don’t have any merits, don’t have much physical strength,

We both talked nonsense, until the test finally started, as the test sheet arrived, examined the test paper, as I went down the paper, my heart also sank down, there’s nothing that I could learn by heart now or know inside out, but my brain was totally blank right now, my only hope was my friend.

But a tragedy unfolded infront of me, as for this test, odd and even number people were separated, moreover, my student number was 11th while his student number is 12th, oh the heavens are so cruel to me, if I did anything wrong in my past life, please forgive me God.

After this strong ideological struggle, I finally finished all the questions, God knows whether right or wrong, after finishing the liberal arts, finally arrived the sports test which I am adept at.

Teacher brought us to the School Auditorium, the first test was the vaulting box test, which was something like a piece of cake for me, as I immediately volunteered but at the same time demanded the height to be raised to the 20th level.

After taking a deep breath, I stood at the starting point and said: “At this trivial height, I don’t even need to pay attention, hmph! Watch me, soar throught the sky!” Then I started the run-up and jumped, at which point I thought that I would be able to clear this 20th level height but in my arrogance I had missed a step, the result being that I hit the 20th level vaulting box head first, fortunately the ground was properly rubber cushioned, otherwise I would have had to get admitted into a hospital.

The next test was swimming, the school’s swimming facilities are very good, there was a proper swimming pool in the gym, and it also acts as a platform for the college entrance exams, this test was to swim 400m in one stretch, the distance was Ok, but Ye Shuang was not mentally prepared and found it a bit difficult to finish, even was about to drown and I had to jump in and save him.

After the day ended, we accompanied each other back on the way home, Ye Shuang said: “Long Ling, do you know about Second World, the super online game?”

I said: “I heard about Second World, which gaming company is bringing it out?”

Ye Shuang said: “Come on, it is now the world’s most famous gaming company, Dragon Soul Group, after spending several billions, and with the joint effort of over twenty countries accross the world and over a thousand well-known enterprises, a specially adapted helmet to go with the game was developed, the realism is over 90%, there are five basic classes Warrior, Mage, Archer, Priest and Summoner, and more importantly can make money, if we are able to develop our character well.”

I said: “That’s true, we could become professional players like in those novels and such.”

Ye Shuang: “Well, tomorrow we will go together to buy helmets, you better not be late.”

“Ofcourse, with your alarm, it is difficult to be late.” I laughed.

The next day, we met at the bus stop and walked to where the helmets were being sold.

On the way, Ye Shuang asked: “Do you know wha this means?”

I was puzzled and asked: “What?”

“That means I would be able to grope many beautiful MMs” He said laughing. [TLNote: MMs in Chinese slang means Young/Pretty Girls for those not keeping in touch with Zhan Long or other chinese gaming novel, I could use girls instead if you guys want]

I said: “So boring, what is the point in groping, we should instead make them come to us, right.”

Ye Shuang said: “You are way more evil than me.”

Saying that, we both laughed.

As we arrived at the place where helmets are being sold, there is a long queue, and since we don’t want to jump the queue, being as civic-minded as we are, we wait until the 12’o clock, but the queue has not shortened and our location is still the same.

Getting impatient at last, Ye Shuang dragged me to accompany him to fix his hair, did not want to go, but neither did I want to wait till 1:30 in this hot sun, and most importantly, I am hungry.

After waiting for almost half an hour in the barber shop, a fresh and handsome boy came to stand infront of me, and said “Long Ling, am I not the most handsome in the whole school.”

I said: “Very handsome and very bad, I shit you not, I am starving to death, come on let’s go eat lunch.”

Ye Shuang said: “Ah, let’s go to KFC” checked his pockets found only twenty quick bucks, said “Well no money, you better eat dumpilngs.”

I said: “Boss, do you want me to take out from the helmet money, do you have the heart ah.”

“It’s ok, I will take out some from the card” saying that he pulled out a card infront of me, which looked very familiar.

“It looks so familiar.”

“It’s from your own pocket.” said Ye Shuang.

“You have quite a few traits from your Dad.” I said touching my pockets.

Ye Shuang said: “Do not mention him, and I don’t have any traits from my father, forget about him.” The reason Ye Shuang said to forget about him was because his father for the crime of theft was sent to jail during his childhood, therefore the whole neighbourhood took to heart the assumption that the whole family is full of thieves, and every theft was usually blamed on him, it made his childhood very difficult, his mother was even forced to move away, because of this, he and his mother felt wronged by his father, who after getting released from prison got a divorce and left them, and that is why Ye Shuang hated his father because he was an irresponsible man.

I said: “Ok, I won’t mention him, but walk quickly or I am going to bite a few mouthfuls out of you.”

The KFC was also overcrowded, “Long Ling, you get in queue, I go and hold the seats”, putting it bluntly, he told me to keep standing while he sat down, this fellow just loves to take advantage of me, well never mind.

I am unambiguous, took a family bucket + a bottle of coke, and three burgers, Ye Shuang seeing the table full of things, said: “Don’t you know that others are trying to lose weight, even then you buy so many things, unable to eat, will go to waste.”

“Ah, you with that fragile physique als want to lose weight, is akin to committing suicide, hurry up and eat it.” Then as I am about to bite the chicken leg, from the corner of my eye, see a MM wearing a miniskirt which is moving up and down.

“Does she have any attractiveness, with thighs that thick, even in our class there are several more attractive than her.” Ye Shuang said, fortunately was a good distance from the MM who was unable to hear.

“Come on, our class is full of airports, and aren’t you ashamed of comparing them to others.” Truly, that elder sister’s figure is pretty good with mighty waves, can be regarded as posturing.

After that I pack up everything and get up.

“Hey, I did not eat anything.” Ye Shuang said.

I said: “Go, you can either eat or you can buy a helmet.”

Then we both went to the shop, the number of people had reduced a lot, because it was lunch time, the warm receptionist explained to us the necessary details, and after that we paid 10,000 bucks, 5,000 bucks a helmet, man what a ball-ache! [TLNote: Ball ache. Testicle ache. Usually refers to doing something extremely unreasonable or ridiculous out of boredom or having nothing better to do.]

We go back to my home after buying the helmets, this Ye Shuang also moved in to my house starting today, anyways, included in my family there is only me,my parents were killed in a car crash when I was six, although the perpetrators and the insurance companies paid out a million bucks, but my pain was not something that money could fix.

After the helmets were installed, “Long Ling have you decided what class you are going to take, I am going to play as a Warrior.” As soon as I heard that, in my mind a funny scene played of him fighting others in hand-to-hand combat unable to hit for several minutes and then drop down out of exhaustion, so said: “You are so fragile and yet want to play as a Warrior and fight melee with others, it would be better for you to play as a mage, they level fast as you are able to freeload the experience easily.”

“Hmph Hmph, this idea is good, then I will be relying on you for my potion costs.” Ye Shuang said.

“Go to Hell!” I replied.

“Hey, Long Ling, I want a good name, suggest me some.”

“Yea right, whichever game you play you always take the name God something something, so start the game fast and get online now.” Saying that they joined the lobby to get online.