During the summer after elementary school graduation, my four best friends and I ruled the arcade playing The Battle of Red Cliffs.
> On the first day of school, I discovered that “Arcade Guan Yu,” who had beaten me ten times in a row, was actually my deskmate, Lin Wan.
> “Call me Big Sis and I’ll teach you how to beat the game,” she said, raising an eyebrow as she sucked on a lollipop.
> I sneered and tore up her failing math test. “Call me the class genius and I’ll tutor you.”
> Ten years later, at our reunion, a hidden level suddenly appeared in the game she’d developed.
> Pixelated Cao Cao held up a QR code. “Beat the level and I’ll tell you who reported you for skipping class back then.”
> As we crowded around the old arcade machine, frantically mashing buttons, the owner yelled, waving a key ring: “Half price all night! Just like the old days!”
