Chapter 113: Instigating Meimei to Go Astray

There are many young people like Lin Jia and his friends who, due to a reckless and playful youth, missed the prime time for their studies and failed to get into college. Their self-esteem, already battered by the cold sarcasm and goading of their parents, was on the verge of collapse. Burdened by the fact that they truly lacked any specialized skills or abilities, they could only wander in pain, lost and helpless about their future.

Seeing Lin Jia drinking so fiercely, Mei Mei pulled on his wrist with a look of worry. "Crazy! Eat something before you drink! You'll be drunk in no time if you drink on an empty stomach!" Lin Jia was taken aback by her gesture, while Lao Da and Lao Si burst into laughter.

Lao Da smirked, "Oh my, oh my! Our future sister-in-law hasn't even crossed the threshold yet, and she's already starting to boss him around? She won't even let our second brother drink? Hahaha! When are you two going to invite us to the wedding banquet?"

Mei Mei was so embarrassed and flustered by Lao Da’s words that she quickly retracted her hand from Lin Jia’s wrist, pouting coyly, "What are you talking about! I'm not... it's nothing like that..."

Lin Jia reached out, grabbed Mei Mei’s small hand, and held it in his palm, chuckling, "We’re already like an old married couple, why are you still being shy? Everyone is happy today! Come on, Mei Mei, have a drink with me!" As he spoke, he grabbed the beer bottle and poured her a glass.

"Who’s an old married couple with you! You’re so thick-skinned... hey, hey! That’s enough! I don't know how to drink!" Mei Mei’s pretty face flushed pink as she glared at Lin Jia, but seeing him determinedly filling her glass, she panicked and reached out to stop him, forgetting to even pull her hand from his grasp.

"Come on, come on! To celebrate us unemployed youths making money for our drinks for the first time through our own hard work, how about we have a toast with our arms linked, Mrs. Lin Jia?" Lin Jia, brimming with high spirits, raised his glass and teased the adorable girl with a cheeky grin.

Lao Da and Lao Si erupted in laughter, cheering them on. Mei Mei was suddenly thrown into a panic, "What? A toast with linked arms..." Urged on by Lin Jia’s constant prodding and the heckling from the others, the shy Mei Mei had no choice but to link arms with Lin Jia and down the so-called "nuptial cup." As soon as she put the glass down, she wrinkled her nose, stuck out her tongue, and fanned her mouth with her hand, crying, "So bitter! It’s so bitter!"

Lao Da quickly handed her a piece of Jingwu duck neck to help settle the taste, laughing, "Heh! It’s a bit bitter the first time. I remember when I first tried beer, I thought it tasted like three-day-old swill left over from washing rice—sour, astringent, bitter, and full of foam. It was disgusting. But once you get used to it, you realize beer is actually quite good; it has a sweet aftertaste. Drinking beer is all about the 'refreshing' feeling! You have to drink it in big gulps; if you sip it, it’s just miserable. Come on, let’s have one, sister!"

Without waiting for an answer, Lao Da poured Mei Mei another full glass. Mei Mei squealed, "That’s enough! It’s full!" But the unlucky girl, caught in the trap of these three bad influences, closed her eyes and, holding her delicate nose, downed the entire glass under the encouragement of three pairs of shining, mischievous eyes. Lao Da, the disgrace among girls, egged her on: "That’s it! Big gulps! Swallow it down! That’s how you get that refreshing feeling!" When Mei Mei finished the last drop, the three brothers erupted in wild cheers.

The flush on Mei Mei’s cheeks had deepened into an alluring, wine-induced red, and a fine layer of sweat beaded on her pert nose. She elegantly covered her red lips with her slender, delicate fingers and let out a cute little hiccup, which sent Lin Jia and the others into fits of laughter.

Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, Mei Mei grew less inhibited and asked curiously, "Crazy! Why can the items you sold in that game be exchanged for real money? I see so many people playing *Legend* at the internet cafe, and none of them spend money to buy items. How come so many people bought them when you guys sold them today?"

As soon as the topic of selling gold bars came up, the three brothers grew excited. Lao Si chimed in, "We’re selling in-game currency. You need money in the game, so players who don't have enough buy our gold bars to use..."

Mei Mei still didn't understand. "Then why do you guys have in-game money and they don't? Isn't it the same game?"

"Uh..." Lao Si was stumped. Explaining these seemingly simple concepts to a girl who knew nothing about games was truly difficult. Lacking eloquence, he could only look to Lin Jia for help.

Lin Jia chuckled and said triumphantly, "Mei Mei, that’s where you don't get it! Why do we have money and they don't? Because we are masters of the game! We have good luck! And we spend more time! That’s why we have money. Still don't understand? Think of it this way: we’re like scavengers! We know which trash heaps have the most junk to pick, and every time we go, we happen to find a lot. Plus, we start picking from before dawn until the middle of the night. You tell me, shouldn't we make more money from our trash than those who don't know where to look, have bad luck, never find anything, and are too lazy to spend the time?"

Lao Da, Lao Si, and Mei Mei were all sweating at this analogy. It was crude, but at least Mei Mei understood why Lin Jia and his friends had more money in the game than other players. Whether it was accurate or not didn't matter.

"The game has only been open for a few days, and you've already made 700 yuan, and you have 10 more of those 'gold bars'—isn't that another 1,000 yuan? You guys are making money much easier than a regular job!" Mei Mei said with envy. Lin Jia and his friends realized she was right. Since they wouldn't make much money finding regular jobs anyway, they might as well just focus on farming in-game currency to trade for real money!

Lin Jia shared his plan, and both Lao Da and Lao Si were thrilled. Being able to play games while making money was perfect. The three brothers shouted and raised their bottles, yelling wildly to celebrate the fact that they had finally found a goal to strive for—an opportunity where they didn't have to ask their parents for money anymore. They didn't care about the disgusted looks from other diners; they were just venting their excitement. This was youth! This was what it meant to be young!

Lin Jia and his friends kept pouring drinks for Mei Mei. Having never experienced such camaraderie before, Mei Mei forgot herself in the excitement, drinking glass after glass with heroic spirit. By the end, they didn't know how much they had consumed; they only remembered sharing heartfelt words of friendship, talking about how much equipment they would loot in the future, how much money they would make, and how wealthy they would become.

Beer bottles lay scattered on the floor, and the people at the table were swaying. Lao Da even hugged Mei Mei, who was now like a drunken beauty, and patted her chest, promising to look after her in the game. Poor Mei Mei, who had never really drunk before, had no idea what she was talking about.