CH 105

Chapter 105: Mint Cigarette Extras (1)

Time flies, after the first generation of old PG retired, LPL has changed from one super to many strong comebacks to the chaotic situation of competing for hegemony.

The five top players all retired at the peak, advancing and retreating together, causing countless controversies.

But they didn't care about the public opinion in the world, and they took time to get together every year.

Just like this wet and cold winter night, New Year's Eve.

Small red lanterns were hung as the lights in the neighborhoods along the Huangpu River, and couplets and blessings were pasted on almost every door.

Shi Zhong opened the door and welcomed the twins in black sweaters and a strong man carrying the chicken.

"Why is Brother Zhong still wearing an apron..." One of the twins couldn't help but chuckle, "House husband."

"There is no other way, there is a picky lover at home who can only wash her hands and make soup." Shi Zhong's warm black eyes narrowed, as if he could penetrate people's hearts, "You are still single, so you won't understand."

The twins choked and were pushed away by Li Dingbei behind them.

"Don't stop here, I'm still carrying vegetables." The man has extremely strong muscles with a dark wheat color, and his facial features were colder than before, like a sharp sword that can be unsheathed at any time, showing a cold light silently.

"Dingbei, keep your voice soft, she is still making up her sleep in the room." Shi Zhong reminded.

Li Dingbei nodded and went straight to the kitchen.

The twins shrugged, changed their shoes, and walked into the living room.

"The shape of these cigarettes and white chocolate is interesting." Meng Dongliu picked up the snacks on the table and glanced at the flowery English logo on it. "Oh mint flavor? Not bad."

Meng Xishang was sitting on the soft sofa and caught a glimpse of a lady's down jacket hanging on the armrest of the sofa, exuding a faint mint fragrance.

The whole house was very comfortable, with waxed cherry wood floors, north-south ventilation, and a wide balcony with a direct view of the river.

But the picky twins were still not satisfied.

"I really don't understand why my sister rejected the half-mountain villa in the western suburbs. The scenery is much better, and it's only half an hour's drive from where she works, and there is no traffic jam." Meng Dongliu whispered beside his brother.

"Brother Zhong doesn't agree." Meng Xishang gave his brother a mocking look, "It's impossible for him to agree to live with us." The last sentence was very low.

The twins talked, and the atmosphere gradually became subtle.

They were already the bosses of the most profitable game company in the world, and the technology in their hands was protected by the state.

At this time, between the conversation and laughter, the greenness in their eyebrows has long been transformed into a cynical calmness.

At this moment, a rustling sound came from the master room at the end of the corridor, and soon, a girl in a white velvet nightgown appeared in the living room.

Her hair has grown long, slightly curled down to her chest, and her delicate eyebrows have not changed from a few years ago.

"Eh... it's you guys." Her eyelashes were half-open, and she seemed to be tired, and her dry lips looked extra tempting to kiss.

Meng Dongliu clenched the cigarette chocolate in his hand and said lightly, "Sister, we are here for the New Year."

Bi Ming picked up her cup, took a sip, and opened her eyes, a little sober: "Aren't you going back to the United States this year?"

"Well, my mother told us not to go back, otherwise it will be very troublesome to be detained in the United States for investigation." Meng Xishang looked at her without blinking and explained slowly.

"After all, you have that kind of technology," Shi Zhong, who came over, smiled lightly. "You have also applied for domestic protection, so it would be strange that they don't investigate."

Bi Ming gave him a helpless look: "Don't scare them."

Shi Zhong held her hand and tried the temperature: "It's so cold, where's your electric blanket?"

"I forgot to charge," Bi Ming frowned, "I was busy with the translation last night, so I didn't have much energy. Since the assignment of the handover meeting was arranged, the overtime has become endless..."

"Sister, the coffee I brought from South Africa is very refreshing." Meng Dongliu interrupted their conversation with a smile, "I'll bring it to you later, or you can get it next door."

Bi Ming was about to respond when she heard the voice of the man beside her: "She can't drink coffee recently."

The twins looked startled at first, then panicked.

"What...is the meaning?" It wouldn't be what they thought, would it?

"Her stomach is upset," Shi Zhong's expression became cold. "Coffee will exacerbate the irritation."

Twins heaved a sigh of relief: "Brother Zhong, can you finish your speech in one go?"

"Otherwise what did you think?"

"We..." The twins' handsome faces showed smiles of the same arc, looking at Bi Ming, "We thought we were going to be uncles."

"Don't think too much." Bi Ming sighed.

"No way, single dog." The two brothers looked at Shi Zhong, "Unlike Brother Zhong, you can only wash your hands and make soup."

Shi Zhong calmly responded to their little provocation: "Well, so you can hurry up and find a girlfriend."

The twins who were defeated by this sentence:"…"

"That's it."

"It's good to be single, I love being single."

When they exchanged words, Bi Ming was distracted by another strong aroma.

"What's going on in the kitchen, it smells so good."

"It should be chicken soup," Shi Zhong followed her line of sight and explained, "Dingbei brought local free-range chickens from his hometown, one for soup and one for stew."

"He's not going home for the New Year?" Bi Ming tilted her head, her black curly hair fluttering on her cheeks.

This question was a bit subtle, Shi Zhong was silent for a moment, and Meng Xishang had already laughed:

"Sister, Brother Bei was urged to marry by his family recently—"

"So Little Bei escaped." Meng Dongliu continued.

"Is that so, it's really boring to get married." Bi Ming took Shi Zhong's hand and shook it, "Right?"

Shi Zhong touched her head and smiled without saying a word.

His principle is to let her do as she pleases.

This is also the reason why Bi Ming has been tied to him for so long—

Maybe it's also because the two get together less and leave more, every time they take a holiday, they feel that they are better than newlyweds, and they bring their own freshness.

The twins who were forced to eat dog food have habitually looked away to avoid the dazzling scene.

Shi Zhong is their former captain, and this teammate relationship is by no means false.

But it can only be another unspeakable feeling to make them come over in their 30s.

'I want to be close to her and spend the New Year's Eve with her.'

'Even if only as a friend, I still want to be closer to her.'

The night was darker, and the table was finally covered with various dishes.

Shi Zhong fried a few big dishes, Li Dingbei made bread and dumplings by himself, while the twins made baked apple pie and pizza in the oven, and Bi Ming set up the mandarin duck hot pot, and made several dishes of different flavors.

Apple cider, plum wine, and wine were placed side by side on the table, the russet liquor in the goblet was brewing with small bubbles, and the air was slightly drunk with sweetness.

"Happy New Year!" The cups were raised and jingled together.

Bright smiles and sincere blessings were intertwined this New Year's Eve.

From this moment on, this warmth will last as long as they can imagine.

Part2. "East and West"

When Meng Dongliu and Meng Xishang were young, they preferred their English names.

Because they thought their Chinese names were too awkward.

Their mother, a mature woman full of ambition and career, was also too busy to take care of the little confusion of her two children because of her busy work life.

It was not until the age of six that the two children returned to China for the first time. Under the leadership of their mother, they received their own household books.

"Mom, what is this?" The two little ones were extremely curious.

"It's proof of home," their mother told them word by word. "It's where our blood and soul belong."

At that time, the twins were still confused: "But... isn't our home in California?"

"It's different," the women pinched the tip of their noses. "Home and living place is different."

The mixed-race beauty and cheerful and lively personality made the two little boys grow up happily in the United States, but they still didn't understand what their mother said to them back then.

But perhaps it was a family influence, that they made a major life decision at the end of their seventeenth year:

Become a professional League of Legends player.

Many clubs in North America had sent them invitations, and offers of high salaries of tens of millions were imminent, but they were moved by an invitation that crossed the ocean.

"I want to go to the first division."

"I want to go back to 'Home' to play."

After coming to the PG club, they finally experienced a culture that was very different from their growth environment, and they also met Li Dingbei, who was stable and kind-hearted, and Shi Zhong, the captain who was still strong after controversy and would protect them under his command.

The first season didn't go well, they played badly, and because of the jungle's weakness and vision problems, there were often problems with their team alignment.

The audience ridiculed them as "Soft-footed shrimp in the competition" and "Million vases", and asked them to simply participate in the entertainment industry, where they might become more popular.

Neither of the two brothers could bear to hold in their temper. They wanted to directly tear up the Weibo posts, causing several disturbances.

Until one day, the manager told them that the team would welcome a girl to try out.

"Unbelievable."

"Big Bear is crazy."

The brothers looked at each other and smiled sarcastically, thinking it was another hilarious tryout.

Then their faces were swollen.

Beautiful and handsome short-haired girl, helped them get back to their state during the trial training and burst the opposite line.

"Brother's hook is very fierce." She lowered her eyebrows and smiled, like a swaying poppy flower.

The twins don't know what it means to be in love, but maybe from then on, their eyes couldn't take away from her.

Her personality is different from ordinary girls.

It was not weak, she didn't need protection from others, and she didn't chatter.

Most importantly, she was very good at gaming.

Under her shelter, they grew slowly, charged aggressively, roamed the edge of danger with her, and felt the adrenaline rush.

"She understands us." After the first regular season with BU, the two brothers were convinced of this.

When Meng Xishang found out that Meng Dongliu had saved those fanart pictures on his mobile phone, Meng Xishang was a little annoyed for a while.

But whenever he wanted to scold his younger brother, he would see the other party's clear eyes.

"Brother, we seem to be really poisoned by these comics."

In the picture, they were rubbing their ears and temples with a woman, and their limbs were entangled.

In reality, they could only restrain their instinctual desires.

Her red lips kissed every inch of them in their dreams, and it felt maddening.

But in reality, she seemed to be more interested in their captain, such as the menthol cigarette, which she never shared with them.

Not being able to get it only exacerbated their desires.

Meng Dongliu would buy the 18X copy of the fan artist, panting and fantasizing about some bad scenes in the silent late at night.

Meng Xishang preferred words, and in those words, her lovely forbearance and sweet gesture were infinitely magnified.

They had just grown up, their desires were flourishing, and their desire for her were like tidal waves.

If she agrees, the young twins were willing to give her everything.

However, after winning the S competition, the test of the beach house was unsuccessful.

She started holding hands with Shi Zhong, looked at him, and whispered in the corner...

Although they did all this with restraint, the two brothers had already noticed the tricks behind it.

"You are too young," she said at the time.

The two brothers thought it was an excuse to perfunctory them at first, but in the following long and difficult years, they gradually understood the true meaning of this sentence.

Their sweetheart is close at hand, but out of reach.

In lasting patience and pain, they began to grow as a man, learned to face failure, restrain their own desires, and like Brother Zhong—

Break away from the halo of the original family and walk on their own.

They began to choose the future path carefully, such as rejecting the almost sky-high contract renewal conditions given by PG, returning to the high-tech industrial zone in California, and using the bonuses and wages accumulated for many years to start a brand-new game company, studying them obsessively from small to large open-ended game with high degrees of freedom.

Perhaps the saying love will bring surprises was true, and they succeeded quickly, and the profits of "Zero Plan" far exceeded their expectations.

During this period, they encountered a lot of peach temptations, some from partners, some from fans' self-recommendations, and some from dinner parties...

At that time, the twins who were going from teenagers to youth phase also hesitated. Why can't they forget her and choose a more free and happy life when they are young, handsome, and rich?

And just when they were in a state of uncertainty, a number of old game companies launched a siege against them. Under the combination of financial giants and the rotten policies of the American government, their new game empire was crumbling.

Inner ghosts leaked information, peers competed maliciously, industry policies were tightened, and the public opinion navy attacked... Under the pressure of many parties, two complacent young people finally fled the United States in embarrassment.

During that time, they thought about asking for help at home, going crazy with alcohol, and even thought about using drugs to release their stress, like many young Californians.

But before taking that step, they received a message from her.

[I just saw the news, how are you guys?]

The twins' reactions were consistent: [Not good/terrible.]

The other party seemed a little surprised, but she quickly sent them an invitation: [Maybe you need a short vacation, I will stay in London for further studies this half year, and I can show you around my new campus.]

Perhaps because of this invitation, they took back their feet from the other world.

London, England was a gloomy and rainy place with humid air, but the sun was shining brightly the day they arrived.

"I got admitted to a national unit. Now I'm studying abroad." Her hair had grown to her shoulders, and the jet black was hanging down thickly, making her skin fairer and more translucent.

The twins found that from the moment they saw her, their repressed thoughts spread like vines.

As soon as they saw her, they were already afraid of her leaving.

After a simple communication, she seemed to understand their predicament: "So your company's internal spies leaked out your new version?"

"The key data is now on the table of our competitors." The twins looked frustrated. "The rest can be handled."

The woman looked at them as if looking at two frustrated puppies.

She shook her head: "What about your core technology?"

"What?"

"I remember you mentioned before starting the company that your dream is a holographic game, and you will spend 50% of your profits on research and development."

"Yes—" The twins looked at each other awkwardly, "But it will take a long time."

She seemed to think about it for a while: "I don't think so. I saw a new technology called pseudo-holography during classes. You can look for it."

The twins originally came to London to relax, so they simply rented an apartment near her University for half a year.

This spacious and comfortable apartment was much better than the University's cramped double room.

They invited Bi Ming to stay with them, but they were rejected.

But in her spare time, she would also help them research the compensation plan.

And the "Pseudo-holographic technology" she proposed did provide them with a new idea.

"Fortunately, it wasn't the R&D team that had problems with us." Twins postponed the update time of the new version of the game and proceeded to develop Pseudo-holography based on the original holographic technology research.

Unlike the holography that can load consciousness into the game by lying in a dormant bin, many technologies required for quasi-holography have already appeared on the market, such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence.

In a new direction, Twins finally figured out a way to break the predicament, which is to turn the new version into a holographic game.

With a goal, everything seemed to be back on track, and their careers took off again. She also came over in her spare time to make a "little proposal" for their research.

Sometimes she discussed it too late with them and stayed in the guest room.

But it was also a torment for the two brothers.

The soft skin, the aroma of mint, and the lips that were close seemed to exude temptation all the time.

"I will endure it until they break up one day." Meng Dongliu complained to his brother.

"But at least for now, we can't break her trust." Meng Xishang responded.

Maybe one day, alcohol will help them get their wish.

Maybe one day, she will get tired of playing with her private boyfriend and turn to their arms.

But in any case, until then, they will have to endure.

After spending half a year in London, their holographic technology finally made a breakthrough.

At the same time, they also gave her half of their original shares.

The twins' reasoning was simple: "You gave our game a whole new meaning."

Once the epoch-making technology was born, it would inevitably cause a worldwide panic. Under Shi Zhong's suggestion, the twins brought the technology patent and the company's core personnel back to the country, and exchanged technology's information for the support of the country.

The following year, their "Holographic version" finally opened the era of God blocking and killing God.

The twins have also become the world's most well-known game company's owners, the fathers of holographic games.

At the celebration dinner, they saw their mother who was busy with her career giving them a gratified smile:

"You have grown up."

The hallmark of a person's growth is to go through the pain and then get back on his feet.

They finally understand that growing up means that they will have independent personalities, respect for the abilities of others, and the determination to take responsibility.

Why did Bi Ming choose Shi Zhong instead of them?

The reason was already in front of them, but they dare not admit it.

"There's only one question left, our name."

"I've found a word that is very similar to our name, and it's called 'Dongliuxiong'."

The meaning of the word is "The homeland is hard to leave".

They can understand the literal meaning, but they can't touch the mother's real emotions.

Until that day, they received an obituary.

The name above led the brothers to think that someone was making a bad joke.

They rushed back to China overnight, and then in the house by the Huangpu River, they saw a black and white photo with her face printed on it.

"There was a terrorist attack on the Jordanian side, a lot of people around the consulate sought refuge, and she was hit by a stray bullet."

Shi Zhong's explanation was simple and indifferent. If it weren't for the shaking of his stiff, pale fingers, the people around him could hardly capture his emotions.

"Where are her ashes?" Meng Dongliu's eyes were full of red bloodshot.

"I didn't find it." Shi Zhong paused for a long time, as if sorting out his emotions, "I can't find it again."

The twins' chest cavities seemed to explode, and frantic emotions rushed through their bodies.

[She left them forever—]

This unprecedented concept sent them into a huge panic.

The heart seemed to be pulled out suddenly, unable to reach the sky or the ground, and the whole world became a broken hollow.

Meng Xishang looked at his younger brother's pale face, and suddenly remembered the sad whispers of his mother when he was a child:

"People always regret when they lose."

"Dongliu, Xishang, mother doesn't want you to do the same."

It was their mother's missing hometown, and perhaps a declaration from an old friend.

They finally felt the same at this moment.

It turned out that the heart stayed in their homeland, and could no longer be inseparable.

Two of the greatest game kings of the century fell into a love that never started and ended.

Just like their names, from that day on, they did not return to this land until their death, but their souls miss the place they regard as "Home" all the time.