Chapter Four: The Hawk's Resurgence

Xiao Jie let out a noncommittal hum. Just mentioning Liu Qiang brought back that familiar sense of unease.

Could that kid, Liu Qiang, really be that kindhearted? Was there some sort of trap buried in this? No matter how wild his imagination ran, Xiao Jie couldn't fathom what kind of risk an online game could possibly pose.

Fifteen minutes later, the two arrived at a mid-range restaurant near their residential complex called "Haitian Eatery." Due to the recent decline in their studio’s business and shrinking profits, they had cut back on food expenses significantly and rarely ate out anymore. Usually, they just threw together a stew or boiled some noodles to get by; occasionally grabbing a bowl of beef noodles was considered a luxury. In Han Luo’s words, their palates were becoming so bland they were practically going stir-crazy.

Feeling good tonight, Xiao Jie decided to treat Han Luo to a proper meal to boost their morale. He ordered four hearty dishes as soon as they sat down: braised pork ribs, guo bao rou (sweet and sour pork), squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, and shrimp stir-fry with greens, along with four bottles of beer. The food arrived shortly after.

Han Luo had been feeling deprived of good food lately, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the spread. "Nice, Boss! The food is top-notch tonight."

"It's alright. Once we start making money, we’ll have four dishes every day. Come on, brother, stop staring and let’s dig in."

Neither of them were the type for formalities; they picked up their bowls and dove straight into the feast. Xiao Jie ate quickly, finishing his meal in under ten minutes. Watching Han Luo’s voracious pace, he knew it would be a while before he was done.

"You keep eating; I’m going to go buy some fruit for tonight."

Han Luo waved his hand without looking up, still chewing.

Stepping out of Haitian Eatery, the sky had already darkened. Watching the neon lights in the night, Xiao Jie felt a sense of relief. As the head of Wuji Studio, he desperately needed a phenomenal game to revive their business. He could still vaguely recall the studio's glory days back when online games were sweeping the world. The studio had been thriving, practically raking in money effortlessly; they hadn't just made a fortune domestically, but had even expanded their business overseas.

Unfortunately, with the rise of mobile games and the decline of traditional online games over the last few years, the studio had struggled to regain its former splendor. Of course, the biggest problem was that online games simply weren't fun anymore. Over the past few years, every time a new game launched, he would download it with high expectations, only to be met with disappointment. Game companies were only interested in cashing in, churning out games filled with cookie-cutter laziness.

Even the gaming studios had shifted from focusing on game content to competing over high-tech "botting" scripts. Running a dozen accounts on a single computer, farming gold 24/7, they were essentially overdrafting the game's lifespan for profit, leaving no room for traditional workshops like Wuji, which relied on mastering game mechanics. In the end, only he and Han Luo were left, stubbornly holding on.

But now, everything was about to change.

The difficulty of *Old Earth* was indeed high, likely scaring off some casual players, but the game's visuals and sense of impact were so stunning that it would definitely spark a craze. As long as the hype built up, there would be no shortage of players. Besides, high difficulty had its benefits: the harder the game, the more important technical skill became.

With his level of gaming prowess, Xiao Jie was confident that he could capitalize on the experience and techniques he had accumulated over the years to ride this wave of profit.

Xiao Jie was so lost in thought that he didn't notice a red sports car speeding toward him, ignoring the red light. It wasn't until a piercing horn blared in his ears that he snapped back to reality. As he turned, his mind went blank at the sight of the blinding headlights.

*It’s over! Am I going to die here today?*

In that split second, Xiao Jie felt despair and deep resentment. It wasn't that he was unwilling to die young—though he wasn't even thirty yet, he was someone who had long since made peace with the fragility of life. What he resented was that he hadn't even had the chance to truly play the incredible game he had just discovered. If he missed out on such a masterpiece, he wouldn't be able to close his eyes in peace.

He leaped up by instinct, though he had no real hope—it was merely a reflexive reaction born of despair. But then, the unexpected happened. The moment his body left the ground, he soared into the air, rotating into a side-flip like a stuntman in a martial arts movie.

The car roared past behind him.

Xiao Jie’s body completed a full 360-degree rotation in the air, landing on the ground ahead with the grace of an acrobat, narrowly dodging the "grim reaper" of a sports car.

It took a long while after landing for Xiao Jie to regain his composure. When he turned back, the car was already gone. He was covered in a cold sweat, his heart finally settling down.

*Holy crap, I almost died just now—wait, how did I do that?*

Xiao Jie stood there, bewildered, still in his one-knee-down landing pose. He stood up and reflected on the flip he had just performed. It was like the reaction of a martial arts master in an action film, but that was impossible! He knew his own physical condition all too well. Because he spent his years sitting in the studio gaming, though he occasionally exercised at the park, his fitness wasn't great. He absolutely should not have been capable of such a high-difficulty move.

Was it an adrenaline rush from being in extreme danger? Or... wait, why did that move feel so familiar?

A flash of insight struck Xiao Jie’s mind—*The Harrier’s Somersault!*

That was it. The rotating flip was almost identical to the move he had learned in the game. As a man who had grown up playing games, he had certainly fantasized about using game skills in real life—he’d spent his childhood practicing air-punches and posing like he was performing a dragon punch. But once he entered the real world, he had stopped having such fantasies.

To think he had actually pulled off a game skill in a life-or-death moment? It felt surreal. Was he dreaming? Or was he hallucinating from the beer?

He rubbed his face. He’d only had two bottles; he wasn't drunk, and this was definitely not a dream.

He took a deep breath. There was only one way to find out if it was real. He kicked off the ground with force.

*Harrier’s Somersault!*

His body spun, completing another large mid-air flip and landing cleanly on the ground.

It was real! It was actually real!

Xiao Jie was overcome with wild joy, his whole body trembling as countless thoughts flooded his mind. Had he received a divine revelation or awakened some hidden talent? Had he been chosen by a "system" to be a host? Or was it because of the game *Old Earth*—could the skills from the game be brought into reality?

"Jade Emperor? Taishang Laojun? Buddha? God?" he shouted into the air.

There was no response.

"System?"

Still nothing.

So, it really was because of the game? He found it hard to believe, unable to grasp the logic behind it, yet it seemed to be the only explanation.

If he could truly bring game skills into reality, then damn, that would be earth-shattering! He had only learned a low-level skill and could already perform such a cool move. Based on the game’s CG, there were many supernatural elements—lightness skills, internal energy, immortal arts, Taoist magic... If he could bring spells into reality, why would he still be grinding away at this job? He could just ascend and attain immortality...

*No!*

After a moment of indulgence, Xiao Jie suddenly felt that something was very wrong. How could such a good thing happen in this world? Xiao Jie was a realist; having been beaten down by society for so long, he would never believe in pies falling from the sky.

Moreover, if this game were truly so magical, why would Liu Qiang give it to them for nothing? He knew that kid’s character all too well. There must be some hidden danger he hadn't discovered yet.