Jinghai City, Linjiang Province, North Road of Jinghai University, Starway Internet Cafe.
Lu Zhixing woke from his heavy sleep, feeling a numbness in his arm.
Then, he heard the sounds of keyboards and mice around him, occasionally mixed with a few knocks on desks.
"Damn, got counter-killed in a three versus one, can you even play?"
"Did you see that? That move just now was awesome!"
Lu Zhixing rubbed his somewhat sore temples and, after glancing around with bleary eyes, he was stunned.
What situation was this?
This was the hall of an Internet cafe, with a low occupancy rate of only about thirty to forty percent. The customers were mainly young people, with most of them playing games and a few watching dramas. The atmosphere in the Internet cafe was quite good.
It seemed that Lu Zhixing had fallen asleep at a computer in the corner of the cafe.
"How could this be... Have I developed hallucinations from overworking?"
Lu Zhixing subconsciously reached for his phone only to find that his recently purchased, latest model fold-screen phone, which he had spent a month's salary on, had vanished. In its place was an ordinary-looking student model phone.
The cheap plastic frame and the outdated screen-to-body ratio indicated that even in his original world, this phone would be considered of entry-level quality.
The high emotional intelligence term for it would be the youth edition, and the low emotional intelligence term would be electronic trash.
It wasn't until Lu Zhixing turned on the front camera and saw a somewhat unfamiliar handsome face that his mood shifted from confusion to shock.
Crap, I've transmigrated...
Memories rushed into his brain like a torrential downpour, along with a multitude of complex emotions from the original owner, instantly overwhelming all his thoughts.
Lu Zhixing, eighteen years old, a freshman majoring in game design at Jinghai University.
Orphaned parents, he and his brother, Lu Mingyuan, depended on each other for survival.
To make a living, Lu Mingyuan had switched between numerous jobs—selling goods on the streets, working as a waiter, delivering takeout—until three years ago, when he took over this Internet cafe with the capital he had painstakingly saved. Only then did life for the two brothers start to look up.
Lu Zhixing was finally able to study without any concerns and had successfully gained admission to the game design program at Jinghai University.
However, just as their lives had begun to improve, they were once again met with a crisis.
There were issues with the operation of the Internet cafe, with a significant decline in customer turnout. Although the older brother, Lu Mingyuan, tried to appear nonchalant, behind closed doors, he was often so anxious he couldn't sleep at night, and his hairline had receded who knows how much more.
Just as Lu Zhixing was pondering this, he saw Lu Mingyuan clutching a briefcase and walking over, apparently about to leave.
"Zhixing, I've got a meeting with some promotional directors from several gaming companies tonight. I might return late, so make sure you eat on time."
Although Lu Mingyuan resembled Lu Zhixing somewhat, many people wouldn't think they were brothers at first glance.
This was because the early pressures of life had caused Lu Mingyuan's hairline to recede, wrinkles to form, and his figure to become out of shape, leading to significant differences in temperament between the two.
"Don't worry about the money, I'm already figuring something out. You just focus on your studies as before, graduate smoothly, find a good job at a big company, and I'll be at ease. Got it?"
Lu Mingyuan quickly gave a few instructions and didn't give Lu Zhixing much of a chance to speak before leaving the Internet cafe.
Lu Zhixing opened his mouth, but couldn't find an opportunity to interject.
It had always been like this.
In the original owner's memories, the older brother, Lu Mingyuan, always did everything possible to meet all the requirements for his education. He himself would save as much as possible, and whenever a crisis arose, Lu Mingyuan would cheerfully assure him not to worry, promising to solve everything.
Although from the results, Lu Mingyuan indeed resolved each crisis, albeit narrowly, the hardships they endured were only known to the two brothers.
"Forget it, with his character, he won't listen to anything I say right now."
"I'll figure something out on my own."
Lu Zhixing fell into deep thought.
"According to the original owner's memories, the key issue with the Internet cafe right now is the financial shortfall. At the end of the day, we need to think of a way to make money."
"I may not understand how to run an Internet cafe, but the technology in this world seems quite advanced, and being an experienced game developer, my mind is full of successful game scenarios..."
"Maybe I could try making games to make money?"
...
Following the original owner's memories, Lu Zhixing went to the storeroom on the second floor of the Internet cafe.
Aside from storing miscellaneous items for the Internet cafe, there was also a cot where the two brothers would rest after a night shift.
In a corner, Lu Zhixing found a neatly packed cardboard box.
Inside was the 5th Generation VR Gaming Helmet, the lowest spec version that the original owner had worked hard over the summer to save up for, spending over nine thousand yuan.
This kind of helmet was currently the hottest digital product with groundbreaking technology, marking the first time virtual reality technology with consciousness connection was realized.
But now, the original owner had packed it up, planning to sell it.
The original owner thought that even though it wasn't much money, it could help support his brother's Internet cafe for some time. Perhaps a turning point would come soon?
However, Lu Zhixing looked at the packed gaming helmet and felt that this was clearly thinking too small.
Even if the gaming helmet could be sold off smoothly at a discount, so what?
A few thousand yuan is trivial for the expenses of an Internet cafe, hardly enough to make a difference.
The VR helmet contained a game editor that could be used for creating games!