Chapter 13: Solitude of the Elite (Part 1)

is thoughts regarding his maternal uncle. Xiao Fei still treated Su Can like a high school student and this made Su Can inwardly chuckle. He pretended to innocently divulge some of Ceng Quanming’s opi...Chapter 13: The Solitude of the Elite (Part 1)

This CD game room was located on a slope a few blocks away from their workplace, at an intersection that was relatively bustling. Across the street stood an international three-star hotel in Haishan City, which also happened to be on Su Can's daily route to school. Outside its entrance, one could occasionally see BMW cars parked there—extremely rare vehicles in this small city.

As they walked past the opposite side of the street where the hotel was located, Liu Rui suddenly pointed across and shouted, "It's them!"

A group of four men and one woman emerged from the bright lobby of the international hotel. They looked extremely distinguished in their appearance and demeanor; however, they appeared to be younger than what would typically be expected for guests at such a high-end establishment. This discrepancy was enough to raise eyebrows.

Su Can initially thought these people might be高手們前來挑釁，但從他們氣勢來看，令他也不免皺了皺眉頭。

【此處的中文原文有誤，正確的句子應該是：“原本蘇燦還以為是其他街區的高手前來挑釁，但看他們的架勢，令他也不免皺眉。” 我將直接翻譯為英文而不做額外註釋：】

Su Can initially thought they might be elite players from another district coming to challenge them, but the air of arrogance around these individuals made him frown.

Their apparent leader—a man with clear and delicate features, already showing signs of future handsomeness—smiled at them and waved his hand. The three men beside him had an arrogant look on their faces as they pointed and joked about the trio.

But it was the only girl among them that made Su Can's heart skip a beat.

Simplicity in her pale-colored dress, standing elegantly; with black eyes sparkling like stars, and an oval face close to perfection. She was very beautiful.

Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui swallowed hard, "Just now, there wasn't a girl... Who is she"

Their distribution among the three schools in Xia Hai City was quite dramatic. The three famous middle schools—First Middle School, Second Middle School, and Third Middle School—were where Xue Yiyang went to First Middle School, Liu Rui attended Second Middle School, while Su Cun happened to be at Third Middle School. It seemed as if they had planned their distribution beforehand. From any perspective, the girl sitting opposite them could easily be considered a campus beauty. However, even gossipy Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui hadn’t heard of her in their social circles. Could it be that she was from Third Middle School

Su Cun couldn't recall such a girl being present during his middle school days It might be possible to forget the names of classmates, but one would certainly remember the name of the most beautiful girl in the grade or even the entire campus.

Unfortunately, he could not find any recollection of her.

The atmosphere in the CD game room instantly became tense when they arrived. The group that had challenged them earlier that afternoon approached with everyone's faces clearly displeased. Everyone soon noticed the girl's presence; usually, women didn't frequent these kinds of gaming rooms like they would future internet cafes where they could play games such as Counter-Strike in groups. A girl appearing in a CD room was quite rare.

A few older men sitting at one corner promptly extinguished their cigarette ends and straightened up from their side-sitting positions, playing their games properly while occasionally glancing at the girl, causing them to blush involuntarily.

The girl's body-hugging dress accentuated her perfect figure, hinting at her incredible growth potential. Her hair was pitch-black and cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, with deep-set eyes and an air of sophistication that few could match. Even Su Cun, standing not far from her, felt his heart rate quicken—a sensation he hadn't experienced even when encountering Tang Wu earlier.

Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui immediately sat down at a machine to divert their gaze, feeling too intimidated to look directly at the girl.

One of them laughed loudly, "So, you've brought reinforcements Does he represent your highest level"

This was clearly directed at Su Cun. Xue Yiyang and Liu Rui had declared a challenge earlier and brought Su Cun after dinner, leading the others to mistakenly think that he was their secret weapon.

"That's my brother. He came here just to have a friendly match, but you guys will still face us!" Liu Rui quickly explained. In fact, among the three of them, Xu Yi Yang had the highest level in playing Pro Evolution Soccer (PES), followed by Liu Rui himself, and then Su Cai. Xu Yi Yang and Liu Rui couldn't let go of their frustration from earlier that afternoon, feeling indignant about why they were inferior to others at a game everyone played.

“Oh.” Wang Weiwei, the leader, looked slightly disappointed at Su Cai for a moment. He rarely got into games but when he did encounter Xu Yi Yang in the afternoon, it was clear that Xu's skills could only make him struggle momentarily; his satisfaction of beating him vanished quickly. Without an opponent to challenge him, upon seeing Su Cai arrive, he had thought this person might bring someone better at the game. Yet from Liu Rui’s words, it became evident that Su Cai came merely to cheer them on and boost their morale, which disappointed Wang Weiwei.

Over here, a man in his thirties inside the gaming room could no longer tolerate the arrogance of these youngsters. He challenged one slightly plump young man among them who was also wearing oversized sportswear. The match ended quickly with the younger man losing 0-2 and sitting there dumbfounded.

The plumper, in a large sports outfit, took off his NIKE cap from his head, tossing it to the ground as he stood up. "In this small town, don’t expect to find any worthy opponents! This little city is too insignificant both in size and people quality; look at these rookies. What joy do you get by beating them Even I can't let off steam!"

The other two immediately agreed, causing everyone's faces in the gaming room to flush with a mixture of shame and anger.

"Little Five, what are you saying" Wang Weiwei frowned as he looked at the girl beside him.

True enough, the girl also crinkled her nose at the vulgar language from the slightly plump young man referred to as "Little Five," causing Little Five to immediately shut up. He scratched his head and said with a bashful expression: "Heh, just now... I was just excited... Lu Ran, don't mind me, heh, ha..."

Lu Ran!

All ears perked up at the name, finding it pleasant to hear.

Lin Luoran didn't seem to like her cousin very much. They had come here for a gathering of the family elders, and as juniors they naturally had to accompany them. But her cousin and his group found it uncomfortable staying at the courtyard guesthouse where they might be subject to strict discipline from their elders, so they secretly checked into one of the best hotels in town. Since she didn't like attending gatherings with the elders either, Lin Luoran spent her time with her cousin, Friday, Wang Weiwei and the others.

Wang Weiwei wasn't happy when everyone focused on Lin Luoran, so he sat down next to Liu Rui and declared war with a dismissive laugh. "Hehe, as usual, if you beat me in one game, I'll pay for everything."

The others were taken aback.

Maybe this guy was the son of some bigwig A second-generation rich kid!

Su Can sized up Lin Luoran and Wang Weiwei and his group. Their clothes looked like they had been made to order, styles that couldn't be found in Xiahai in 1998. From Su Can's perspective as a time traveler, these clothes weren't out of date either; they were quite understated, with no brand names visible—except for the NIKE sneakers on their feet. Back then there was not a single NIKE or Adidas store in all of Xiahai, let alone people who could afford to wear them.

One's clothes can be changed, but one's temperament and personality are shaped by innate ability and environmental influences. Although this group wore modestly, their bearing was exceptional; if they were business tycoons' sons, it would not fit for them to dress so reservedly. They must then be the sons of officials. Though they didn't lord over others, sometimes their haughty mannerisms could only be exhibited by children from well-to-do families.

Combining his past experiences and careful observation, Su Can deduced this conclusion but then shrugged offhandedly; what difference did it make if he knew who they were or not Everyone was having fun together—why worry about such things This might be the appeal of competitive games: everyone is equal on the playing field.

A sigh went up as Liu Rui, under Wang Weiwei's dribbling pressure, fought hard but still couldn't tie the game. With his final goal, Wang Weiwei won 3-1.han ostentatious in Su Cen's eyes. Sentry boxes at both sides of the gate were manned by armed police officers who saluted as the black car pulled up.Su Cen carried his office supply bag and walked in...