Chapter 3: The Han Sisters at Play, Hua Tian Signs the Contract

Late at night, the lights shone brightly, illuminating the entire ancient-style high-rise villa complex. In the distance, among the tranquil silhouettes of grand villas, stood the one belonging to the Han sisters.

As Han Qianyun pondered whether her younger sister had passed her exams, on the second floor, in a girl's bedroom piled high with plush toys and cartoon dolls, set against pink walls, there lounged a peculiar oversized blue chubby cat… Or rather, Han Qianyu wearing a lifelike cat pajama suit, expertly drawing something with her mouse at her computer desk. Feeling content, she stretched out on the soft sheets, gazing toward the window, where cartoon curtains framed her enchanting figure.

Quiet as a fox, Han Qianyun crept to her sister's door, opened it a crack, and peeked in. Seeing her sister staring at the window, she slipped inside and, with practiced stealth, climbed onto the bed from the other side.

“Oh! What is my little cutie up to? What are you thinking about?”

Startled out of her musings—caught between whether her own sister or the cartoon beauty was more attractive—Han Qianyu turned at the sudden voice from above. Seeing her sister dressed in a new, fluffy nine-tailed white fox pajama set, not her usual bold attire, Han Qianyu’s eyes twinkled with curiosity and delight. In a sweet, childish tone, she called out, “Sister…”

Han Qianyun noticed her adorable sister’s coy turn, looking ever more like a big blue cat, closing one eye and stretching out all four limbs as if begging for a hug, meowing sweetly, “Meow meow?” (Hello, sister.)

A mischievous, almost wicked idea sparked in Han Qianyun’s mind.

Half an hour later, “Sister, no! Stop, please! I give up, I was wrong!” “Let go of my legs, my feet are really ticklish.”

Han Qianyu’s expression was one of utter torment; tears streamed from her eyes as she pleaded and lightly pounded her sister with her little fists…

After a bout of gleeful play, the two finally collapsed on the bed, chatting idly.

Their conversation was interrupted when the computer lit up and a simulated male voice spoke from the speakers.

“Second Miss, I’ve sent the video you wanted. Be careful watching it, or the eldest miss will kill me if she finds out.”

Hearing this, the elder sister rose, casting a peculiar glance at her sister, whose head was now blocking her view. As she approached, Han Qianyu suddenly jumped up with a cry, “Let me click it, not you—oh, no!”

She dashed over, slipped on their favorite blanket, and with a thud, landed bottom-first into her sister’s back.

Just as Han Qianyun heard her sister’s cry behind her, she was knocked forward toward the computer desk. In the confusion, her hand accidentally clicked on a folder meant to be hidden—secrets tucked away deep within the computer…

While Han Qianyu nursed her sore backside, her mood brightened at the day’s discoveries, but she soon noticed her sister’s icy gaze fixed upon her.

Since her sister rarely lost her temper with her, Han Qianyu assumed she was about to be praised and smiled smugly, chin raised, as if to say: “Yes, I did it, but I never do anything bad…”

“You look so pleased! Should I reward you?” Han Qianyun pulled a soft, bouncy toy baton from her sister’s drawer.

“Yes, sister, are you finally recognizing my talent?”

“Your talent? If I’m so happy about your talent, why don’t you use your own photos for your ‘talent’ instead of mine?” She hadn’t finished her sentence before the baton descended.

Dazed after being knocked on the head twice, Han Qianyu stared blankly at her sister, as if discovering a new continent.

“What did I do now?” Han Qianyu, ever the drama queen, widened her watery eyes at her sister, ready to charm her once more. Just as her sister prepared to strike again, Han Qianyu suddenly remembered: The photos? She’d been annoyed earlier, unable to use her own cute pictures to draw, so she’d vented her jealousy by turning her sister’s graceful photos into pig-faced caricatures.

Dodging her sister’s flurry of attacks, Han Qianyu hurried to switch the video. Once done, she put on her most pitiful good-girl act. “Sis, stop hitting me, that’s not what you wanted to see.” She replaced the photo with the video and clicked play.

The video was short, even briefer than usual. On screen, a player stared in shock at a sudden horde of snarling zombies. He froze, then dodged their initial attack, maneuvered skillfully, searching for an escape. Finding none, he noticed the zombies had clustered together. Then, from his backpack, he drew a basic shield, held it aloft, and charged straight into the horde, driving them to the base of a high platform—killing them all. The video ended.

The realism and intensity were striking; Hua Tian, the viewer, hadn’t expected the zombies in “Professional Zombie” to be so lifelike, not just a marketing exaggeration. There was no way to access internal game materials, and even if you could, they’d be unaffordable.

A perfect score icon appeared. Instantly, Han Qianyun realized she’d misunderstood her sister.

“First, he confused the zombies, making them overconfident, then lured them in before unleashing a normal skill to charge…” Han Qianyu analyzed excitedly.

“No, he was scared, not luring them. He ran out of places to go and, with no other option, made a desperate stand. The best way to conquer fear is to not see it at all—hide behind the shield. What’s his name and class?” Han Qianyun commented cynically, though in the end, the player still got a perfect score.

“I think his name is Madslayer, a Berserker Shieldbearer,” Han Qianyu replied after watching several times, as if confirming her sister’s theory.

Han Qianyun, seeing her sister’s excitement, remembered why she’d been angry. As she left the room, she clenched her fist and shouted, “Delete all those pig-faced caricatures you made of me!”

“Of course, I will!” Han Qianyu covered her head with one hand and gently nudged her sister’s angry hand away with the other, acting as if she was terrified of another smack.

…

After logging into the game, Han Qianyun searched for “Madslayer,” confirmed the class, and sent a friend request. Fearing he might ignore her, she included a note: “I’m the captain of the Hanguan Team. Do you have time to chat?” She sent the request several times for good measure.

The next morning, golden sunlight bathed the vast game world, casting holy, ancient light throughout the city. Every corner of the main city shimmered with radiant hues.

Having just finished learning new skills, Hua Tian was preparing to teleport to the Hall of Learning for further study. Gazing at the majestic, mysterious spectacle, a notification chimed: a friend request. Following the instructions, he opened the interface and found a player named Yun’er.

At first, he was indifferent, expecting another clingy message: “Handsome, I’m super sweet, carry me!” Bah! I’m destined to rule the world; how could I get tangled up in such trivial romance and lose sight of my grand ambitions? But then he saw the remark—his eyes widened.

Hanguan Team—he remembered hearing about them on the radio last night: third place again, known as the Goddess Team. Could it really be them? No other team would dare impersonate them, right?

He immediately accepted and typed: “Hello!”

Yun’er had been waiting a long time. Noticing the notification, she quickly sent a voice message in return: “Hello, I’m the captain of the Hanguan Team. Do you have time? If so, please come to the main city’s Hanguan recruiting office—I’d like to discuss something with you.”

Hua Tian nearly lost himself at the sound of her voice, but after a moment composed himself. There was nothing urgent after his lessons, so he decided to prioritize joining a top team over his lone-wolf ambitions. He replied with a single word: “Okay.”

…Half an hour later.

Hua Tian had trouble finding his way among the towering golden buildings and spent some time just admiring the scenery. Embarrassed to ask Yun’er to fetch him, he figured the recruitment office was a common enough landmark and asked other players for directions.

At last, he found the Hanguan recruitment office—a new building marked with five bold characters. He sent a voice message: “I’m downstairs, which floor should I go to?”

The two met at the main city’s Hanguan recruitment office. In a uniquely decorated private room, Han Qianyun activated information recognition and examined his profile.

She confirmed: the strong, white-clad male avatar was indeed named Madslayer and his class matched.

Suddenly she stood, extending her fair hand. “Hello!”

It was Hua Tian’s first time seeing such a cool beauty—dressed in a deep crimson mage-elf outfit, skin like ice and jade, a slender waist, a peerless presence. Seeing her reach out, he respectfully took her hand in both of his, displaying perfect manners, not even a hint of impropriety.

Han Qianyun found the gesture off-putting but, since she had sought him out, decided to let it go for now.

“Please, have a seat. I’d like to invite you to join my team. The monthly salary is twenty thousand gold—that’s the minimum for pros—”

“Deal!” He agreed instantly, not hesitating for a second at the mention of twenty thousand.

Han Qianyun was cut off by his abrupt answer and, seeing his odd reaction, asked, “Hmm? Is something wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. I just wasn’t expecting you to agree before I’d finished. Sorry if I was rude.” Inwardly, Han Qianyun sighed: Another one—never listens to the whole offer. No manners, no upbringing...

She then presented six contract terms:

[Team Contract Conditions]

1. All loot must be reported to superiors immediately. Failure to do so will result in a pay deduction or, in severe cases, expulsion and a massive fine.
2. Items may be traded, but superiors must be informed. Top-tier gear and skills must be reported to the captain.
3. White-tier items, except skills, can be discarded or given away freely. If someone wants them, it’s your own business, but only applies to white-tier.
4. Items bought within the team can only be purchased with team credits, not gold. Team credits can only be earned by completing team tasks or selling valuable items to the team.
5. If you leave voluntarily within three years, you owe a penalty. If you’re expelled by the captain (unless for serious misconduct), there’s no penalty.
6. Players who have competed in five pro tournaments may leave at any time without penalty.

“No problem. Ready to sign,” Han Qianyun said patiently, standing to set the contract in front of him, her gaze falling over his seated figure as she sat back in her bamboo chair.

“All done!” he replied.

You didn’t even read it, she thought, but didn’t bother commenting. She sipped her coffee with practiced elegance, then said, “Alright, that’s settled. You’ll mess up my plans for today, so just report to Hancheng before 8am every morning. If I need you, I’ll call; otherwise, train freely with the others. There are six members right now. I have things to do—goodbye.”

“Understood! Take care.”