Building a sect from scratch.

Chapter 22 Ah? Me?
Hearing Aunt Wang say that piqued Han Yi's curiosity: "You guys can play games?"

He thought that people who did this kind of work had to be ascetic and have no entertainment at all!

Aunt Wang laughed and said, "Of course, games are the tenth art. I sometimes play them after get off work, but I can't play games with too much technical skill. I just play games like Candy Crush to relax. After all, we need to balance work and rest!"

Han Yi nodded in realization, his posture becoming less stiff: "Oh! Candy Crush! My mom plays this too!"

"Yes, many old-fashioned people think that online games are poisoning children's minds, but that's an outdated idea. With the advancement of technology, the internet and digital life have long been integrated into society and into everyone's daily life. What's the difference between online games and outdoor games like hopscotch and jump rope from decades ago? Right? Of course, outdoor sports are definitely better for physical health, but we can't forcefully block the tide of this era. It's better to guide than to block. We should make reasonable use of it, standardize it, make it healthy, and even make it educational and entertaining. This is the path more suitable for social development."

Han Yi listened with great interest and couldn't help but slap his thigh: "That's absolutely right!"

"Besides, who says being good at games means you can't get ahead? Look, Xiao Han, you're good at games, that's why we came to find you!"

"That's it—huh?"

Han Yi instinctively wanted to agree, but suddenly realized something was wrong. His brain raced for a moment, and he pointed blankly at himself: "Me?"

Han Yi is indeed quite good at games, but "quite good" only means he's pretty good among ordinary people. He wouldn't even rank among professional gamers, let alone among the average player nationwide. He's aware of that—obtaining a minor national ranking isn't difficult over time, but truly professional-level gaming skills are extremely rare, one in ten thousand!

To put it bluntly, this path is truly a highly competitive and narrow one. Compared to those immature teenagers who think they are the best in the world and have unparalleled talent after winning a couple of MVPs, Han Yi is well aware that this path is far more difficult and arduous than the college entrance examination. Therefore, he plays games purely for entertainment and to "have some fun," and he has no intention of pursuing a professional career!
For a moment, Han Yi even began to doubt that the "Aunt Wang" on the other end of the line was a fraud, but recalling the phone call from his advisor just now, he rejected this deduction and began to fall into self-doubt: Am I really a fucking gaming genius?

"Haha, Xiao Han, don't overthink it. There are many people who are good at this game, but there aren't many who are both good at the game and lucky. What's that saying again? Luck is also part of skill! Our project doesn't actually require you to be the best in the world at the game. Luck plays a big part, and you happen to be smart and capable. Don't rush to doubt yourself. Look, Xiao Han, you got into one of the well-known 985 universities in our country. The college entrance exam is not easy. Thousands of people squeezed through, which proves that your intelligence and ability are just a little bit better than the average person your age!"

As Aunt Wang's praise sounded particularly sincere, Han Yi couldn't help but puff out his chest, but he still humbly said, "Oh, not at all. There are so many 985 and 211 universities every year, and I didn't even get into two of the top universities in Beijing. I'm really just average..."

"Hey, Xiao Han, we can't be modest here! And Aunt Wang doesn't lie either. Look, he's good at games, has excellent learning ability, and is lucky. There aren't many young people who have all of these qualities!"

Aunt Wang counted on her fingers and said, "Our project is actually related to that game that's been really popular online lately. It's because you won the game qualification that we say you're lucky."

Han Yi suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "The Records of the Ten Continents?"

"Yes!" Aunt Wang nodded with a smile. "This is a secret project of our country, involving a lot of research and testing. However, due to some reasons that cannot be disclosed at the moment, the selection of people is limited. There are over fifty players, and although many meet the requirements, there are very few who are as outstanding as Xiao Han in all aspects. That's why we came to you here. We're recruiting talents!" Han Yi's eyes widened: "So, Guo Jia is really behind 'Ten Continents Chronicle'?"

Aunt Wang didn't say anything, she just smiled and looked at Han Yi.

Suddenly realizing what he was imagining, Han Yi jolted and awkwardly changed the subject: "So, back then, the lottery for beta test slots was really random, right? Why didn't they just arrange it outright..."

At this point, Han Yi looked at Aunt Wang, whose smile had become even more amiable, and suddenly shuddered. He simply pursed his lips and pretended to be mute, even reaching out to make a zipping motion over his mouth.

Seeing that the naive boy had been completely fooled, Aunt Wang cut to the chase: "So, here's the situation. We have an opportunity where you can play games every day and earn credits, plus the project bonuses are quite substantial. If you perform exceptionally well, you might get a direct job in your field after graduation, with guaranteed benefits. However, there are downsides. For example, you might have very few holidays because you absolutely cannot fall behind in your university courses and cannot fail any. We'll arrange for professors to tutor you, and the exam schedule will be adjusted accordingly. Of course, this is temporary. Once you graduate, it won't be so tough anymore, and you'll have a normal job. This kind of opportunity is rare, so Xiao Han, think it over carefully."

Han Yi hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Can I...can I call my parents?"

Aunt Wang readily nodded: "As long as it doesn't involve the specific content of our conversation, you should handle this carefully. Seeking your parents' opinions and guidance is only natural."

Han Yi secretly wiped the sweat from his palms on the sofa, then turned on the screen and dialed a familiar string of numbers.

"Hey Mom, where's Dad? Is he parking? And you? How much longer until the meeting? Half an hour? That's enough, that's enough. I have something very important to tell you both, something very, very important. Hurry up and call Dad..."

Han's mother had never heard her son speak in such a serious tone before, and she was startled. She hurriedly called Han's father over to the phone as well. The two of them had already imagined everything from dropping out of school to a car accident, from being hospitalized due to school violence to murder, arson, and burying a body. When they heard Han Yi vaguely say that someone above wanted to recruit him for a project, the two of them breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Han's mother's first reaction was exactly the same as her own son's: "Xiao Yi, you weren't scammed, were you? Do you want money back? How much? You haven't already given it to me, have you?"

Han Yi: "..."

Mr. Han was also worried: "Scammers have so many tricks up their sleeves these days, it's impossible to guard against them all. Do you have an anti-fraud app on your phone?"

Han Yi swallowed hard, his voice weak and feeble as he tried to explain, "It's free... My advisor confirmed this for me..."

(End of this chapter)