**Chapter 7: First Acquaintance**
On the way there, Yi Dong had roughly explained the situation to Mo Tan. The gathering wasn't large, only about seven or eight people, all children of Yi Dong's parents' friends. The reason for the gathering was rather peculiar—it seemed the older generation planned a small Christmas get-together but felt it inconvenient to bring their children along. So, one of the parents suggested letting the younger generation gather together as well, to get to know each other, and thus this sudden party came to be.
Mo Tan had met Yi Dong's parents a few times. His Buddy A's father was a cool-looking handsome man, or rather, a handsome uncle, with a perpetually calm face and very few words or expressions.
Yi Dong's mother, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Time had left almost no trace on her; she looked like an energetic young woman in her twenties. Rumor had it she studied abroad in Japan for a while when she was younger, and she was a bit loud and boisterous. More like a young girl than a mother, she was also an avid cosplay enthusiast!
So, Mo Tan was somewhat interested in meeting the children of his friend's parents, who were such a stark contrast to each other.
Yi Dong gently knocked twice on the door, then pushed it open and entered with Mo Tan.
Both of them had decent looks and presence. Although Yi Dong lacked the typical aristocratic air of a wealthy family, his features took after his father, giving him a cool, aloof handsomeness. When he didn't speak, he seemed very cool. A well-fitted suit accentuated his tall, slender, and well-proportioned figure. His excellent upbringing and cultivation gave him good temperament. Since middle school, he had had many admirers, truly deserving the title of "Tall, Rich, and Handsome."
Mo Tan, on the other hand, was wearing cheap clothes and was half a head shorter than Yi Dong. But his innate eccentric aura was also quite something, giving him a complex charm full of contradictions. Coupled with a gaze that held a hint of wickedness/righteousness/warmth (depending on the situation), he was not inferior to Yi Dong in terms of presence. If he hadn't intentionally kept his social circle small, he would probably have girls interested in him too.
So, whenever the two of them happened to be together at school, others present would always feel a strange illusion that their own presence was greatly diminished.
But the two men and three women in this private room... all possessed presence and temperament on par with, or even surpassing, theirs...
"Hey, you two, how's it going~" The young man sitting near the door raised his hand to greet them, then looked around with slight confusion and muttered, "One, two, three, four, five... Huh? I thought it was supposed to be six people."
Mo Tan shrugged and gestured with his chin toward Yi Dong: "I'm his sidekick~"
"Don't talk nonsense~" Yi Dong glanced at him, then smiled slightly at the others: "This is my friend. You all don't mind, do you?"
He had already decided: if anyone said "I mind," he would immediately turn around and leave with Mo Tan. At least he had shown up, so he could report back home and call it a done deal.
Although everyone present came from incredibly privileged backgrounds, none of them were spoiled or willful, and they had no objections. Another young man, dressed in colorful clothes that made him look like a performance artist, immediately shook his head and said, "Of course not. We're all around the same age; more people make the atmosphere livelier. Before you two came in, I was so stifled I could barely breathe~"
After saying that, he raised his eyebrows at a long-haired girl sitting further inside and made a funny face.
Then Yi Dong and Mo Tan took the nearest seats.
"Ahem~" The short-haired girl in the middle, wearing a peaked cap, cleared her throat and said with a grin, "Alright, now everyone's here. Since we've never met before, let's all introduce ourselves~ My name is Ji Xiaoge—Ji for season, Xiao for knowing, Ge for pigeon~"
She was a girl brimming with youth and vitality, with delicate and refined features like a porcelain doll. Though her peaked cap, casual shirt, and jeans made her look a bit like a tomboy, and her face was completely bare of makeup, it still couldn't hide her stunning beauty, which could instantly make anyone feel a full sense of warmth.
"Ji Xiaodao." The girl sitting beside her said softly, then fell silent. She was the one the performance-artist-looking young man had hinted at as the 'low-pressure zone' to Mo Tan and the others...
Ji Xiaodao looked somewhat similar to Ji Xiaoge, but her beauty wasn't as striking, and her temperament was completely different. Her eyes were gray and seemed indifferent to everything, her expression perpetually cold and rigid. She wore a black windbreaker, was slightly thinner than Ji Xiaoge, and had long hair reaching her waist. She seemed quiet and taciturn... and indeed, she was.
"Hehe, my little sister has never been much of a talker since she was young~" Ji Xiaoge stuck out her tongue. "She's actually a good kid~"
Next, the last girl present stood up. She seemed a bit shy, accidentally bumping her hand as she rose, and murmured softly, "My name is Yu Chen... um, nice to meet you!"
This girl was quite tall, at least around 1.7 meters, but for some reason, despite her height and figure being well-proportioned, she still gave off a small, delicate impression. She wore a light yellow sweater and shorts, with her long hair tied into a neat, clean ponytail. Her face was inexplicably flushed, and she looked extremely introverted. After speaking, she quickly sat back down, lowering her head so much it was almost buried in her chest.
The first young man who had greeted Mo Tan and the others scratched his hair and said, "I'm Wan Yang. When are we ordering food? I'm a bit hungry..."
This young man was quite tall and well-built. Though he was undoubtedly Asian, he had a head of fiery red short hair that didn't look dyed. His attire was similar to Mo Tan's—simple casual wear. Despite a somewhat dazed expression, he exuded a faint, underlying sense of arrogance and wildness.
"Kang Lan, 21 years old, single, artist~" said the guy who looked like a performance artist in a serious tone, "And I also do palm reading on the side."
Mo Tan noticed that as he spoke, his gaze kept drifting toward Ji Xiaoge several times...
Kang Lan was somewhat thin, wearing a pair of heavy black-rimmed glasses on his face. He was quite handsome—in terms of looks, he'd probably rank between Yi Dong and Mo Tan. His hair was messy, and although he seemed unguarded and dressed like a performance artist, for some reason, he gave Mo Tan an unfathomable feeling. This was quite rare.
Then Yi Dong also briefly introduced himself. Actually, no one really knew where to start, and since they weren't familiar with each other, they mostly just mentioned their names.
Finally, it was Mo Tan's turn.
"Hmm..." He paused for a moment, then stood up and said, "My name is Mo Tan. I'm professional at ordering food, and I offer great value for money."
"Pfft~" Ji Xiaoge burst out laughing on the spot, bending over and slapping the table several times before she could recover: "You're so funny!"
[Whoa, whoa, whoa! This girl has a really low laugh threshold! If I seriously prepared a joke, she'd probably roll off her chair!]
Mo Tan thought to himself. Although his intention was to crack a joke, he hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her.
"This hero!" Wan Yang, who had been complaining about being hungry since earlier, immediately handed over the electronic menu with both hands: "I leave it all to you!"
"Easy, easy~" Mo Tan laughed. He wasn't entirely bluffing. In fact, since his cooking skills were basically limited to dishes costing under two hundred yuan, whenever he craved something better, he liked to treat himself at different restaurants. Over time, he had developed a fairly sophisticated skill for ordering food. Besides, on the way here, he had specifically researched the information about this hotel. After glancing at the menu for a moment, he quickly had a clear idea.
In less than ten minutes, a large table full of dishes was served. However, because they still weren't very familiar with each other, everyone was a bit reserved and didn't talk much.
"Ahem~" Yi Dong glanced at Mo Tan and said slyly, "So, uh, how about finding something to talk about?"
Seeing everyone's attention shift to him, Mo Tan immediately smiled and said, "Alright, how about we talk about the topic of 'the awkward guy in the suit'?"
"Pfft~"
"Hah... hahaha... that's a bit harsh!"
"Pfft~ No, I can't hold it in~ pfft hahaha~"
As soon as Mo Tan finished speaking, Yi Dong froze completely, while everyone else couldn't help but burst out laughing. Even Yu Chen, who hadn't spoken a word since her self-introduction, let out a "pfft." Ji Xiaoge and Wan Yang laughed so hard their faces turned red. Kang Lan tried hard to keep a straight face but with little success. Only Ji Xiaodao remained relatively calm, though the corners of her mouth curled up slightly...
Yi Dong was so embarrassed, so wronged!
He had originally thought that his parents, being quite serious about sending him to this gathering, would have invited only young people from families of similar standing—people who usually liked to put on a proper front. So Yi Dong had changed into a well-fitted suit and even planned to make Mo Tan do the same. But when he got there, well... turns out he was the only one dressed up. That was already awkward enough, and when Mo Tan brought it up, this "awkward suit guy" wished he could just crawl into a crack in the floor.
"Yi Dong, bringing your friend here was absolutely the right call!" Ji Xiaoge snickered. "My condolences~"
Since they were all college students, her address was perfectly appropriate and even had a friendly ring to it.
Wan Yang also laughed. "I've got to jot this down~ It'll make a great blackmail material someday~"
"Count me in~" Kang Lan joined in the laughter.
"Seconded." Even Ji Xiaodao, who had been stone-faced the whole time, suddenly chimed in.
Yi Dong was on the verge of tears. "Please, folks, do me a favor and forget this. This meal's on me. If we ever meet again, it's on me too~"
Then Mo Tan calmly pulled out his phone, pressed a button, and...
"This meal's on me. If we ever meet again, it's on me too~" Yi Dong's voice came through clearly.
Mo Tan looked around at everyone. "Let's exchange contact info later. I'll send you all the recording."
"I should never have brought you here!" Yi Dong pointed at Mo Tan, gritting his teeth.
Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.
So, Mo Tan simply had no intention of expanding his social circle, but that didn't mean he lacked social skills. In fact, whenever he wanted to, livening up the mood was a piece of cake. This time, Yi Dong just happened to be the sacrifice, but that didn't matter—anyone who became Mo Tan's friend was already used to being set up by him.
They chatted and ate like that~
Young people's topics were nothing special—school life, entertainment gossip, food and fun. Some might have liked to flaunt their wealth or put on airs, but no one in the group did that. The seven of them enjoyed their conversation without creating any kind of "rich kids' tea party" vibe.
However, what made Yi Dong quite nervous was that Mo Tan underwent a personality switch during the meal. But thanks to the "Five-Minute Buffer Technique" and the lively atmosphere, no one noticed anything unusual. Besides, by now, Mo Tan in his main personality was long used to this and just kept talking and eating as usual—everything seemed perfectly normal~
Yi Dong could only tell because the two of them were just too familiar with each other.
As the conversation went on, it gradually shifted to games, and...
"Hey, do you guys know about that game [Innocent Realm] that officially launched yesterday?" Wan Yang wiped his mouth and suddenly asked everyone.
Yi Dong shook his head. "No idea."
But to his surprise, everyone else knew about it!
"You play that too? I spent the whole night in it yesterday!" Kang Lan said excitedly. "I'm a die-hard fan of Dungeons & Dragons-style games!"
Yu Chen also raised her small hand: "Me too, I was dragged into playing by my classmates..."
"Xiaodao and I are the same, but we only created characters last night and played for a little while~~" Ji Xiaoge widened her eyes and said, "What a coincidence!"
Mo Tan shrugged: "Same here."
Yi Dong gloomily slumped his shoulders, sighing with extreme dejection: "So that means I'm the only one in this awkward suit who hasn't kept up with the trend..."
"It's not too late now!" Wan Yang laughed heartily: "I'm in the [Chaotic Good] alignment, the system turned me into an Orc, my in-game name is Blazing Sun, a War Priest."
Kang Lan pushed up his bottle-thick glasses and said: "I'm in the [Neutral Good] alignment, my race is Wood Elf, and my name is Rune Daystorm, Jungle Ranger level 3, Priest level 1."
As expected of a hardcore player, Mo Tan estimated that Kang Lan was probably the strongest player among those present in terms of raw skill, but he didn't expect...
"I'm [True Neutral]~" Yu Chen's eyes beneath her long eyelashes blinked gently: "I'm a Human, named Chen Wangyu, and my class is... um... Priest level 5."
Her words stunned everyone, and Kang Lan nearly fell off his chair, exclaiming: "What level did you say?!"
"Uh!" Yu Chen was startled by his overly dramatic reaction and said timidly: "Priest... level five..."
"How did you manage that!?" Wan Yang asked somewhat exaggeratedly: "From last night to this morning, you can only play at most less than twenty-three hours of game time. How did you level a class to five?!"
"I didn't play that long~" Yu Chen extended her index finger to lightly scratch her smooth cheek, recalling: "After finishing the tutorial quest, the Archbishop told me to pray. Then I stared blankly at the goddess statue for a while, and it seemed like I heard some kind of sound. By the time I came to, I was already level five~ The Archbishop also said I was some kind of God's... God's..."
"God's Favorite."
Mo Tan and Kang Lan said in unison.
"Yeah, that's right, God's Favorite!" Yu Chen nodded vigorously. By now, she was no longer as reserved as before, and her voice had grown much louder.
"That sounds really impressive." Ji Xiaoge said, not fully understanding but sensing it was significant: "My sister and I only played for a little while. We logged off right after finishing the tutorial quest. I'm in the [Chaotic Neutral] alignment, my race is Half-Orc~ My name is Nightsong~ I haven't chosen a class yet~"
"[Chaotic Evil]." Ji Xiaodao said flatly: "Dark Elf, no class chosen."
Mo Tan was taken aback: "Chaotic Evil?"
"Is there a problem?" Ji Xiaodao asked.
"No problem." Mo Tan shook his head: "It's just..."
Wan Yang interjected: "It seems like no player has appeared with the Chaotic Evil alignment so far, at least that's what the forums say~"
Ji Xiaodao gave a light snort and curled her lips: "What a fuss over nothing!"
"I also think Xiaodao isn't suited for Chaotic Evil, but she seems different from me." Ji Xiaoge tapped her lips and said, "When she logged into the game, there was only one door there. I heard that others had nine doors representing different alignments. I also had nine."
Mo Tan suddenly felt a slight headache.
"Hey, I want to ask something." Yi Dong finally managed to interject, turning to the others and asking, "What time can we start playing that game? Are the peripherals still available for purchase?"
Mo Tan glanced at him and smiled, "Seven in the evening. If the peripherals aren't for sale, you can't get your hands on them?"
"Then let's call it a day!" Yi Dong rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Add me as a friend in the game tonight, okay?"
Everyone shared a knowing smile.
"Alright. Oh, by the way, Mo Tan, what's your name in the game?" Wan Yang stood up and stretched, asking, "You're the only one who hasn't said."
Mo Tan thought for a moment, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "True Neutral, human, named Hei Fan, Priest level 2."
"Got it! Well then, see you all later." Ji Xiaoge cheerfully waved her hand at everyone.
"See you later~"
"Add me as a friend."
"Don't forget the recording~"
"Let's go!" Yi Dong grabbed Mo Tan and dashed into the elevator as if being chased by a dog. "Come with me to buy the peripherals first~!"
...
Two hours later
[Your mental connection has been detected. Synchronizing personal information...]
[Connection complete. Loading character information...]
[Welcome back, True Neutral Hei Fan. About to load into Innocent Realm. Good night.]
Chapter Seven: The End