Those Days We Spent Pioneering Together

Keep a game card tucked in your pocket, and two cups of instant noodles will see you through;

Freeze the world with an ice ring online, then seal the deal in a suit offline!

Back in 2008 in Jizhou, who hadn’t spent a few all-nighters in an internet cafe in the urban villages?

Lu Chen is one of those post-’80s guys who “controls Azeroth’s snowstorms with his left hand on the mouse, and commands the city’s business world with contracts in his right.”

In the game, he’s “Hanxing,” a top-tier star frost mage on the Chinese servers and the backbone of the Northern Glory guild. He leads Naxxramas raids until his voice is hoarse, and one cast of Frost Nova makes the whole server tremble. He can make a 30-yuan game card go a long way and still play like a master.

In real life, he’s the president of Xingtu Technology and the head of Dark River. He drives his business rivals to tears and keeps troublemakers in line, while beneath his sharp suit still burns the passion of those all-night internet cafe sessions.

On one front, his guild brothers are waiting to claim the world-first kill. On another, business rival Zhao Lie, whose game ID is “Lieyang,” is setting traps for him on both fronts.

On one side, his old Dark River comrades hope for a peaceful transition. On the other, undercover police officer Su Muxue, whose game ID is “Muxue,” approaches him with a mission.

The frustration of a full-party wipe, the thrill of a world-first kill, the dangers of business warfare, and the loyalty between brothers all mingle with the smoke-filled air and aroma of instant coffee from those days.

This isn’t just a life shaped by games. It’s the story of post-’80s players carving out two worlds, virtual and real, with their youth, passion, and sense of responsibility.

Here’s to the old friends who pooled their money for game cards, stayed up all night raiding, and carved brotherhood into their bones:

How’s your Azeroth? Are you still holding the line in your own world?