C15 Destruction!

Now was not the time for excitement; every minute and second spent here cost War Coins. He swiftly retreated, dodging the puppet's next punch, and quickly rubbed the corner of his mouth—it really hurt.

Glancing at his palm, he saw blood. "My teeth got loosened, huh? Damn it, I'll take you down," he muttered, eyeing the puppet as it charged at him again. He calmly took up a defensive stance.

...

Amidst another piercing scream, Lee Kai groggily opened his eyes, dug at his ears, and looked around. "Is this my room?" He noticed he was still a few steps away from his gaming cockpit.

"Do I return to where I was before? How long have I been gone?" As Lee Kai was about to check the time, the door swung open. In came a familiar, burly figure—Wei Han.

Upon seeing Lee Kai, Wei Han relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. He sauntered over to the room's only bed and plopped down with a grin. "Welcome home, Lee Kai."

"Uncle Wei? What brings you here?" Lee Kai asked, puzzled. The man who had once brought him back was known to stay in his room all day, rarely venturing out even a few times a year.

"Ah, I heard you'd been missing for a few days and no one could find you, so I came to check on you. Those guys are such fools; they can't find someone as big as you, a bunch of useless people. Look at me, I found you as soon as I woke up. I think I could be a detective," Wei Han joked.

"I've been gone for several days? It seems time in the platform aligns with the real world," Lee Kai pondered.

"Ah, I had to step away for a bit, but don't worry, I'll quickly level up and gain strength. I won't let the studio's ranking in the game slip," Lee Kai assured Wei Han.

"Ah, the place you've been must be pretty secluded, huh? Didn't you know 'Sacred War' has been shut down?"

"What? 'Sacred War' is closed?" Lee Kai exclaimed in shock. He had been thinking about studying the game's skills more thoroughly upon his return, hoping to gain even more abilities the next time he entered the platform. But now he was greeted with this distressing news.

"Why did it shut down? When did it happen?"

"It shut down the day before you left. I'm not sure why, but it just did. Apparently, there was some glitch with the game's AI system. It didn't just shut down the game; it wiped all information about the Holy War from the internet. Dream Game Company launched a new game afterward, promising to double the compensation for any losses, which quieted down all the online critics. You got lucky. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to break it to the boss. Imagine, a guy who's supposed to be making money for the company just vanishes. That's a big deal to a boss who's suddenly taken an interest in cash. Next time, don't just disappear like that. If you're going to leave, give us a heads-up. Otherwise, the boss might just lose it, you know?"

Lee Kai listened to Wei Han's explanation, feeling a bit perplexed, but he didn't press for more details. With the game shut down, and despite being one of the top players, he was, after all, just a high-end gamer. Getting to the bottom of the closure was out of his reach, so he let it go.

"I'm sorry, I'll explain things to the boss."

"No need," Wei Han said with a smile. "I've already talked it over with him. You're an adult now. You were just a kid when I first brought you back, and now you've grown up. We've decided you're not needed for the next game. Just play casually from now on. It's time you went out and found yourself a girlfriend."

"Ah? What?" Lee Kai was incredulous, unable to believe what Wei Han was suggesting. Was this some kind of joke?

"Look at you, all surprised. What's so shocking? You know the boss and I are bachelors. Aside from the occasional night out at the club, we don't really mingle with women, and neither of us has kids. We've come to see you as our own. You shouldn't be cooped up in your room forever. You need to get out more."

"But... with so many people in the game room, if I get special treatment, it might..."

"Worried about gossip? No, you're not the type to care about that. Are you concerned people will speak ill of me and the boss behind our backs?" Wei Han looked at Lee Kai, who was expressionless, and chuckled. "Don't worry about us. The game studio was set up for your development. We didn't want to drag you around, so we founded it for that purpose. We wouldn't be here otherwise. You don't need to worry about our opinions. Just remember, you have two old men with graying temples back home waiting for you."

"Tsk, two old guys? Impossible. Don't think I haven't noticed the sinewy muscles on you both. Sure, I've got a decent physique from working out, complete with a six-pack, but it's nothing like your bulging muscles that look like loaves of bread stuffed under your skin. And yet, you two claim to be graying and over the hill? What kind of joke is that? Even if the boss has white hair, it's clearly dyed. So, I don't buy a single word of it."

A palm suddenly smacked the back of Lee Kai's head. "Why do I get the feeling you're bad-mouthing me, my dear Kai?" Another voice reached Lee Kai's ears from behind. Stunned, he glanced at Wei Han, who remained seated on the bed, then turned his neck stiffly. "Boss?"

"Hmm? You call me boss? Did you misspeak? I'll give you a chance to rephrase that. If you still can't please me, then we'll need to have a serious training session. I want to remind you of something I've said before."

"What did you say?" Lee Kai was puzzled, but quickly spoke up, "Mr. Zhao, I apologize." The boss, referred to as Mr. Zhao by Lee Kai, had a glint in his eye but a mischievous grin spread across his face. "It seems you really lack emotional intelligence, calling me 'uncle.' I definitely need to teach you a lesson."

"Hey, Zhao Lang, enough already. If Kai doesn't call you 'uncle,' what should he call you?"

"Do you think I'm like you? An old dog on the decline? I'm still young, so he should call me Brother Zhao. Besides, I've already told him to stop practicing those flashy but useless moves he found online. If he wants to learn real combat, he should come to me. Yet he persists in his arrogance, which frankly, infuriates me. How can I, a martial arts master, allow my protégé to be so inept? I need to train him properly." With that, Zhao Lang removed his hand from Lee Kai's head, grabbed the back of his collar, and dragged him out the door.

As the door shut, Wei Han raised his hand to his face. "When did you ever tell him that? Was it just in your thoughts? And what's this 'young and decrepit' nonsense? I'm the picture of health, with muscles to boot. Tsk, some people just have no appreciation for the art of muscle." He rambled on for a bit, then turned to where Lee Kai had been standing. Rising from the bed, he walked over, reached out as if to grab something from the air, then retracted his hand. "Destroy?"

"Mr. Zhao, what's the big idea? And please, stop dragging me along, okay? I can walk on my own!" Lee Kai protested, feeling rather mortified to be hauled around like this in public. He was only mildly autistic, uncomfortable with speaking to strangers, not shamelessly oblivious.

"No way, you're still calling me 'Uncle,' which I simply can't stand. So, I'm going to set you straight. And another thing..." Mid-sentence, they had already entered the gym, and Zhao Lang tossed Lee Kai onto the ring. He cast a scornful glance over the gym's occupants. "What are you lot up to? Don't you realize it's work time? If you don't hone your skills, how will you earn money for the studio? All you do is mess around with each other. Do you think you're rich? Own a house? A car? Those of you without a dime to your name, get back to work, now!"

Seeing the boss in a fury, everyone scattered from the gym as quickly as mice fleeing a cat.

Wei Han, arriving at the gym entrance, found a group of onlookers stretching their necks to peek inside. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his face. "Honestly, such busybodies," he muttered before approaching one of them and pressing down on their shoulder.

"What's so fascinating here?" he inquired.

"The boss is dealing with Lee Kai. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the boss, who hardly ever steps in, face off against Lee Kai, who dared to go AWOL. I'm really excited about this," the onlooker replied, then suddenly realized something was amiss, but before he could react, he was sent flying.

Wei Han, looking at the line of upturned backsides, couldn't resist and booted them all into the gym. Then, facing the stunned youngsters who turned to look at him, he said, "Got too much free time on your hands? Envious of Lee Kai? Well, I'll join in the fun." He loosened his neck and cracked his knuckles, the sounds sending shivers down their spines.

This time, everyone was genuinely frightened. The boss rarely showed up, but Wei Han, who was right in front of them, was their direct supervisor. Each one had felt his wrath before. With his warning, if they didn't leave, they knew they'd be in for a world of pain. Su Hen, who had interrupted Wei Han's sleep just two days prior, was still unable to get out of bed in his room.