The Gamer’s Gambit

Seeing Serena frown and cast a wary glance my way, I tilted my head, adopting a bewildered expression.

“What are you talking about? Where did that even come from?” I exclaimed. “Don’t just spout nonsense, you! When did I ever say I wanted you to help me escape?”

“Then what do you mean?”

“I want you to return my phone, of course. Didn’t Chen Si Yi entrust it to your care?” I stated calmly. “I’ll help you climb to Gold rank, and every day when Chen Si Yi goes to school, you’ll give me back my phone. That’s a pretty good deal, isn’t it?”

“You, what do you want the phone for?” Serena, standing nearby, covered her chest, her expression turning wary.

“To play some games, obviously.” I shrugged. “You guys have me cooped up at home all day; I’m practically dying of boredom. I’ll help you rank up, and in return, you’ll give me my phone to play mobile games while Chen Si Yi is out. Then, when she gets home from school in the evening, I’ll give it back to you. What do you say? How does that sound?”

“But… but, this…”

“Oh, there are no ‘buts’! Don’t worry, don’t worry. If you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything, who else would ever know?”

Seeing Serena’s pink lips part slightly, a conflicted expression spreading across her face, my heart immediately swelled with delight. A sly, triumphant smile crept onto my lips.

‘Yes, playing on the phone was, of course, a mere pretense!’

It was nothing more than a smokescreen, or rather… the cornerstone to achieving a grand ambition.

A golden opportunity had suddenly appeared before me; how could I possibly ignore it?

I never expected Serena, of all people, to be a gaming addict! It was truly astonishing; her demonic nature seemed completely at odds with such an intense obsession with games. This certainly caught me by surprise.

As a former esports enthusiast, I almost burst out laughing when I discovered this hidden trait of hers.

The allure of ranking up was irresistible to anyone, but especially so for a newcomer like her, eager to reach higher tiers.

I vividly recalled my junior high days, when we didn’t even have a computer at home. One weekend, in my quest to climb from Gold to Platinum, I spent two consecutive nights at an internet cafe, not even returning home.

This, however, drew the ire of Chen Si Yi, who was left alone at home. In a fit of pique, the girl actually called our parents to complain, prompting Dad to fly back in the dead of night, specifically to catch me at the internet cafe.

I was in the thick of a game when Dad tapped my shoulder from behind. Without even turning my head, I slammed my mouse down and yelled:

“Net cafe attendant, just put the instant noodles anywhere! And bring me two more cans of Red Bull. This young master is going to battle until dawn tonight!”

…………

What followed scarcely needs recounting. In short, the moment I realized the person standing behind me wasn’t the attendant but my Dad—veins throbbing on his forehead, still dressed in his company-issued black suit—my face went instantly pale. I was so terrified I nearly lost my soul.

Then, under the sympathetic gazes of everyone in the internet cafe, I was hoisted by my neck like a kitten by my merciless father and carried back home.

Ah, recalling it now, it was truly a past too dreadful to revisit.

By the time I was dragged back to our living room, the wall clock already pointed to three in the morning. What surprised me most was that Chen Si Yi, who usually went to bed early, was still awake. She sat alone on the sofa, rubbing her red eyes, the hem of her nightgown faintly marked with water stains.

Upon seeing Dad and me return, she merely turned her head, let out a cold huff, and then slammed her bedroom door shut without a backward glance, retreating to continue her sleep.

Only the next day did I learn the full story from Dad.

It turned out that on the second night I hadn’t come home, a violent thunderstorm had erupted. With fierce winds, lightning, and thunder raging, my usually timid younger sister, left alone, was naturally too frightened to sleep.

She had tried to call me, but I had silenced my phone, engrossed in the game. Feeling utterly helpless, she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, and eventually resorted to crying as she reported me to Mom and Dad.

It seemed that from that very night onward, I never again pulled an all-nighter at an internet cafe. Even if I occasionally visited one, I would always be home before seven in the evening.

After all, I never wanted to see my sister with those red, helpless eyes again.

Therefore, it’s easy to imagine how unbearable a gaming addiction can be for someone. Even I, who loved my sister so dearly, could commit such an unforgivable mistake due to my greed for gaming.

Based on my own personal experience, my plan to deal with Serena, this gaming-addicted girl, was as follows: As Chen Si Yi’s loyal lackey, Serena would undoubtedly find it unrealistic if I immediately asked her to help me escape the house and break free from Chen Si Yi’s control.

I needed to proceed step by step, gradually enticing her. I would start with the simplest request—playing on my phone—and leverage her gaming addiction, using the allure of ranking up as bait to slowly draw her deeper into my scheme.

Finally, when she had no retreat, and I had driven her to commit acts so egregious that they would be unforgivable by Chen Si Yi, my plan would be complete. I would have successfully bound Serena to my cause!