As Jiang Yuan arrived at the Songjiang City high-speed rail station, it wasn't long before he spotted Ding Ye walking out of the exit.
"Old Ding!" "Yuanzi!"
The two long-lost best friends shouted each other's names and embraced tightly!
"Damn! You've really shaped up, man. When did you get all this muscle?"
Jiang Yuan hugged Ding Ye, his arm brushing against the other's solid biceps. He squeezed them hard—firm as rock—and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Freshman year, I joined a fitness club to chase a girl. Didn't get the girl, but somehow stuck with it till now! Haha!"
Ding Ye lifted his shirt, showing off his six-pack abs to Jiang Yuan.
"Awesome! No wonder you play a warrior in the game. With muscles like that, you can probably take a beating!"
Jiang Yuan gave a thumbs-up in approval.
"Screw you!"
Ding Ye wrapped an arm around Jiang Yuan's neck, laughing and cursing.
The two walked out of the station and hailed a maglev taxi. Jiang Yuan first accompanied Ding Ye to drop off his luggage at home, said a quick hello to Ding Ye's parents, and then they headed out together.
"Haven't had breakfast yet, right? Come on, let's go to that donkey meat flatbread place we loved as kids!"
Leaving Ding Ye's house, Jiang Yuan slung an arm over Ding Ye's shoulder, and they strolled to a nearby restaurant.
After breakfast, Jiang Yuan grabbed his phone to pay the bill. Just as he was about to put it away, a message popped up in the group chat set up by Hamster Pudding.
"Landed. You guys go hang out at this place first—I've arranged everything. Ask for Manager Xu at the lobby when you arrive. I've got a business meeting, I'll join you at noon."
Below was a location shared by Hamster Pudding, showing "Jinsongling International Hotel."
"Whoa, Jinsongling! A five-star hotel! I've never been to a five-star in my life!"
Ding Ye had also received the group message. Opening it, he couldn't help but exclaim.
This time, they didn't take a taxi. Instead, they walked together to a subway station near Ding Ye's home. Jinsongling Grand Hotel was in the city center of Songjiang, not far from Jingchao District, so taking the subway was the most cost-effective option.
Half an hour later, after passing 12 stops, Jiang Yuan and Ding Ye arrived at Jinsongling Grand Hotel in the city center.
"Holy crap, this is way too tall!"
Standing in front of the hotel, Ding Ye craned his neck, trying to count the floors. But even after straining, he couldn't figure out the number.
"Stop counting. Go in and ask, you idiot!"
Jiang Yuan smacked Ding Ye on the back of the head, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him through the entrance.
Inside the hotel, a young man dressed as a bellhop immediately blocked Jiang Yuan's path.
"Do you two have membership cards?"
The bellhop asked politely.
"Where's Manager Xu from the lobby? Tell her to come see me."
Jiang Yuan didn't have any membership card, so he recalled what Hamster Pudding had said in the group and mentioned Manager Xu's name.
"Alright, please wait a moment."
The bellhop bowed to Jiang Yuan and turned away. Before long, he returned with a young woman in a cheongsam, leading her to Jiang Yuan and Ding Ye.
"You two are also here at the guild leader's invitation?"
Manager Xu was short, with a delicate oval face and small eyes. She smiled immediately upon seeing them.
"Guild leader? Manager Xu plays *All Worlds* too?"
Hearing her refer to Hamster Pudding as guild leader, Jiang Yuan asked in surprise.
"Yes! We're actually in the same guild. My in-game name is Chuangshi Xiaoyun!"
Manager Xu smiled, her eyes narrowing into slits.
The name felt unfamiliar to Jiang Yuan, but Ding Ye beside him slapped his forehead and shouted, "I remember now! You're that level 86 sharpshooter in the guild!"
"Oh! You know my class? What's your in-game name?"
Manager Xu covered her cherry-like mouth in surprise, looking at Ding Ye.
"I'm the number one MT of Chuangshi—Ding Dashuaibi!"
Ding Ye patted his muscular chest and grinned.
"So you're Ding Dashuaibi! But I don't see what's so handsome about you, hehe!"
Manager Xu made a funny face at Ding Ye and giggled playfully.
"And you?"
After asking Ding Ye, she turned to Jiang Yuan.
"I'm Jiang Yuan. Same name in the game."
"Oh! So you're the legendary Jiang Yuan! You're so young—I thought you'd be middle-aged!"
Manager Xu stared at Jiang Yuan, her face full of surprise, and covered her mouth with an embarrassed smile.
"Heh, do I look that old in the game?"
Jiang Yuan chuckled, asking.
"No, no! Come on in, I'll take you upstairs. There are private rooms here for gaming. A few other guild members have already arrived and are playing inside. Follow me!"
Manager Xu waved her hand with a smile, then led Jiang Yuan and Ding Ye through the lobby to the elevator.
"Manager Xu, how many floors does this hotel have? It looked way too tall from outside!"
Once inside the elevator, Jiang Yuan struck up a conversation.
"Jiang Yuan, this hotel has 88 floors. It's part of the guild leader's family business!"
Manager Xu smiled slightly.
"What? This is the boss's family business? Isn't their group based in Longping?"
Ding Ye's face twisted in exaggerated shock.
"Hehe, the guild leader's family's Hengyun Group has investments all over Longguo. This is just one of their projects!"
Hearing this, Jiang Yuan and Ding Ye finally understood why Hamster Pudding's Chuangshi Guild could rival Wending and Aoshi as one of the three major guilds in Longguo's gaming world—backed by such immense wealth!
As they spoke, the elevator stopped. Jiang Yuan glanced at the button panel—66th floor!
Stepping out, he saw that the entire floor was an arcade, filled with all kinds of gaming machines lining the hall.
Manager Xu led them through the hall to a row of private rooms. "These are e-sports suites for guests. Our guild's other brothers are in room 888. I'll introduce you."
With that, she took the lead. Jiang Yuan and Ding Ye followed, and when they reached room 888, Manager Xu turned the handle.
Inside, several people playing *All Worlds* heard the noise and took off their VR helmets, looking toward the door.
"Let me introduce you all. This is Chuangshi Yongge from our guild, this is Chuangshi Xuanxuan, this is Chuangshi Xiaoxuanfeng, and these two are the guild leaders of Yunqi Guild and Baihuagong Guild."
"Everyone, this is our guild's big shot, Jiang Yuan. And beside him is our number one main tank, Ding Dashuaibi!"
After Manager Xu finished the introductions, the people in the room quickly stood up to welcome Jiang Yuan and Ding Ye, all beaming with smiles.
Except for the guild leader, Hamster Pudding, every senior member of Chuangshi Guild was gathered in room 888!