A new day has dawned, and the Internet cafe is open again.
There's still half a month before the new set of cheap games available, and Liu Yuan has just paid off the money he owed after purchasing Mugen and Mugen - Balance, so he has no desire to buy any new games for the time being.
"So boring!"
The complaint came from a pink-haired devil. Her greatest joy was introducing newcomers to games and watching them play. But currently, there were only five people in the second branch, including the new arrival, Krillin, and it lacked the vibrant atmosphere of the main store and the first branch.
Kisara turned to Liu Yuan who was engrossed in a book. "Boss! Is there something wrong with this store's location? Why hasn't anyone else shown up?"
Liu Yuan put down his book and replied, "Don't worry, I'm more anxious than you are. I'm counting on this branch to make more money, but so far, we're still losing a lot! We're bleeding money!"
As he spoke, Liu Yuan clutched his chest in exaggerated pain. He had invested millions into this branch, but the combined consumption of the five customers so far hadn't even reached 200,000. The store had been losing money since its opening, and Liu Yuan was feeling the sting.
However, just as Liu Yuan was lamenting his losses, a blond boy entered the cafe, instantly lifting everyone's spirits.
"Welcome to the 4-D Space Internet Cafe, where you can get everything you desire, whether it's knowledge, power, or the opportunity to change your future."
"Hey, hey, hey?"
The newcomer, Shirogane Miyuki, looked around in shock. In his memory, he should have been at home preparing dinner for his unreliable father, but suddenly, he was here? What was going on?
Liu Yuan watched Shirogane Miyuki with curiosity. It wasn't that the boy was particularly special, but the world he came from was interesting.
He was from the same world as Yoshida Saki, or even the same country.
But while Yoshida Saki had entered the No. 1 branch, Shirogane Miyuki ended up here.
Upon examining the reason, it turned out that the world Yoshida Saki and Shirogane Miyuki came from was located between the No. 1 and No. 2 branches. Yoshida Saki's area was closer to branch No. 1, while Shirogane Miyuki's area was closer to branch No. 2. This led to the newcomer being assigned to branch No. 2.
Though Liu Yuan understood Shirogane Miyuki's situation, he decided not to explain it to him. Instead, he was curious to see what the boy would do in the Internet cafe.
"Everything I desire? Don't be ridiculous…"
Shirogane Miyuki initially dismissed the place as a dream or perhaps a hallucination. Maybe he missed Kaguya so much during this time that his mind conjured up this space where wishes could be fulfilled?
But just as he was about to leave, Kisara extended her hand, admiring her fingers as she spoke indifferently, "Dear guest, you can leave by pushing the door, but if you do, you may never be with the person you like in this life."
This sentence froze Shirogane Miyuki in his tracks.
Kisara continued, "Here, you can exchange anything you have for knowledge, power, or even relationships and connections. It's up to you whether you live a mediocre life and watch the person you like marry someone else, or fight for some money and get a chance to become famous. Oh! By the way, the time ratio here is different from reality. One hour here is equal to one minute in your world. As an excellent student, you should understand what this means, right?"
Leticia stood beside Kisara, smiling at the young man without saying a word.
Shirogane Miyuki was stunned. One hour here equals one minute outside? If the outside world knew about this, people would go crazy. Even if he didn't use it just for studying online, it still equated to more than ten hours of study time each day, which would stabilize his grades.
Liu Yuan, as if speaking offhandedly, added, "By the way, some games here also speed up the internal time. A few days in the game can equal just a few minutes in reality. So, you only need to pay a little money to gain at least a week's worth of time in just ten minutes of your world's time."
"How do I spend here?"
Shirogane Miyuki agreed without hesitation. He felt that if he refused, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Even if he couldn't come to this place every day, visiting just once a week or month would still give him an extra week compared to others. If he had an extra week of study time, he could also use more time for work or dating.
As he thought of this, Shirogane Miyuki blushed and his breath quickened, especially when he imagined the scene of successfully holding hands with someone special.
Though the Internet access here was indeed expensive, if the time ratio was true, spending more than 10,000 yen for several days of study time was affordable two or three times a month.
So, he paid the fee and logged in.
Leticia guided Shirogane Miyuki to a computer. She was also thinking about what for recommendations. He was an ordinary person with relatively good academic performance, and his primary goal for playing games was to spend more time studying.
But which game would be most suitable for that?
Rainbow Six and Red Alert were the top contenders. The former was set in the 21st century, with technology and culture not far removed from reality. Plus, the Rainbow team featured plenty of experts, making it perfect for study. Although Red Alert's timeline was a bit earlier, its physics and chemistry were as advanced as in any typical world. Time machines and weather controllers even were been developed, making it another great option for studying science and culture-related subjects.
Choosing one of the two would be normal, but since Leticia became the network administrator, she had figured out Liu Yuan's core priority—making money. So, while letting the guests experience the wonders of the Internet cafe, she also aimed to maximize their spending.
Thus, Leticia began guiding Shirogane Miyuki toward spending more.
"Currently, Rainbow Six and Red Alert are the best options for you, but for maximum efficiency, I suggest you buy both. Study politics through Red Alert in the morning and modern knowledge through Rainbow Six in the afternoon."
"But is there enough time for that?"
As an excellent student, Shirogane Miyuki knew how to manage his time. He felt that if he tried to tackle both, he might end up mastering neither. Instead, specializing in one might be more effective.
"Not really. Do you think you can win someone over just by having good grades?"
Leticia didn't know who Shirogane Miyuki liked, but from experience, she knew that when someone had a secret crush, they often felt inadequate in various ways. With a little nudge, she could hook them into buying both games simultaneously.
Of course, Leticia wasn't blindly upselling. These two games could genuinely help Shirogane Miyuki. As for any potential conflict in learning both? Not at all. She had tested it many times—the Internet cafe's game system was quite magical and wouldn't cause any interference.
Shirogane Miyuki followed Leticia's recommendation and entered the Red Alert world. As soon as he logged in, he was greeted by a bald man staring at him.
"Oh! My dear Proselyte, what problems have you encountered this time?" Yuri asked Shirogane Miyuki in the kindest voice.
For some reason, seeing this bald man made Shirogane Miyuki feel as if all his secrets were laid bare.