Chapter 832: The Grandmaster
The development of *Assassin's Creed: Origins* was proceeding steadily, while players at the experience center eagerly awaited the new game's release.
The waiting period for a new game was always the most agonizing. For many veteran players of the experience center, the previous games had grown stale, leaving them in a state of limbo with nothing fresh to play.
However, for new players who hadn't experienced many of Chen Mo's games yet, visiting the experience center was a completely different kind of experience.
Since there were no new game demos during this period, foot traffic at the experience center had dropped significantly.
But on this day, a new guest arrived.
A middle-aged man in a white shirt walked in, looking to be around forty years old. His appearance had a certain ethereal air about it. He was clearly a fortune-teller, and he carried himself with an air of mystery.
Li Jingsi was at the front desk and asked, "Hello, sir, is this your first time here? Do you need any help?"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "No need. I follow the will of heaven; I'll go with the flow."
Li Jingsi was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. "Alright, sir, please feel free to look around."
The middle-aged man nodded slightly and began strolling around the experience center.
Chen Mo happened to be coming downstairs and saw this man. He asked Li Jingsi, "Who's that?"
Li Jingsi whispered, "He's a fortune-teller from the pedestrian bridge on the next street over. Calls himself Grandmaster Lin, or Master Lin. They say his readings are pretty accurate. He's got a bit of a reputation around here; a lot of people know him."
Chen Mo was a bit speechless. "Grandmaster Lin? Cosplaying as a Mount Longhu Taoist, huh... We can't afford to neglect him. Since it's the Grandmaster's first visit, we should give him a proper welcome. Hey, do you think this Grandmaster can really read fortunes? Know good from bad, blessings from disasters?"
Li Jingsi looked confused. "How would I know?"
Chen Mo lowered his voice. "I have a way to test him..."
Just as Grandmaster Lin finished swiping his ID card, he saw a man and a woman walking toward him.
Li Jingsi smiled and said, "Master Lin, first time at the experience center, right? We're staff members here, responsible for guiding new players."
Grandmaster Lin shook his head slightly. "No need. I follow the will of heaven; I'll go with the flow."
Chen Mo said, "Well, Master, we have a game here that's perfect for you. Would you be interested in trying it out?"
Grandmaster Lin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What game is that?"
Chen Mo replied, "This game is full of demons and evil spirits. It requires great wisdom and compassion to redeem them. Only someone who truly understands the ways of the world can overcome it. I think you're the perfect candidate, Master."
Grandmaster Lin seemed intrigued. "Is that so? Let me do a quick divination."
Grandmaster Lin actually began seriously counting on his fingers, muttering incantations under his breath.
After a moment, his expression turned grave. "The hexagram... reveals a fierce omen. But if I don't enter hell, who will? Slaying demons and vanquishing evil is my mission. Come, lead the way!"
Li Jingsi asked, "Master, isn't that a Buddhist saying?"
Grandmaster Lin shook his head calmly. "Buddhist or Taoist, it's all the same principle. I long ago mastered both schools and understood the ways of the world..."
Chen Mo gestured. "Master, this way, please."
The three of them arrived at the VR game experience area. Chen Mo found an empty VR gaming pod for Grandmaster Lin and said, "Master, once you're inside, you'll see it. The game is called *Dark Souls*. By the way, Master, you won't have any trouble with foreign demons, will you?"
Grandmaster Lin smiled faintly. "Heh, demons and evil spirits are all the same. I'll go take a look."
With that, the Grandmaster entered the gaming pod.
Li Jingsi looked at Chen Mo. "Aren't we being a bit too harsh?"
Chen Mo smiled. "What are you talking about? Since the Grandmaster can read fortunes, he can surely turn bad luck into good."
Li Jingsi nodded. "True, if the Grandmaster can always calculate the right path and avoid danger..."
Ten minutes later, the VR pod's hatch opened.
Grandmaster Lin's face was pale, and his hands were trembling slightly.
Li Jingsi hurried over. "Master, how did it go?"
Grandmaster Lin: "...Farewell!"
Li Jingsi struggled to hold back her laughter. "Master, you said you understand the ways of the world. Fortune-telling is about figuring out heaven's intentions, isn't a game the same? First, you need to think about the designer's intent..."
Grandmaster Lin snorted coldly. "Intent? His intent was probably to kill me..."
Li Jingsi: "..."
Grandmaster Lin paused, still seeming unsatisfied. "After I went in, I calculated over and over, and every single path was a dead end! A dead end! What kind of designer makes such a malicious game? Truly..."
Chen Mo coughed twice. "Sorry, that would be me."
Grandmaster Lin froze, looked at Chen Mo, and said, "...You're the owner here?"
Chen Mo nodded. "That's right."
Grandmaster Lin's pale face instantly broke into a smile. "I knew it! I said you had an extraordinary aura, a sign of great wealth and fortune, and now I see it's true! I just calculated it myself—this game, though full of countless dead ends, has one barely perceptible path to survival. If you can walk that path, you can ascend to immortality... Young man, would you like a fortune reading?"
Chen Mo chuckled. "Master, no need for a reading. Actually, I have another game here called *Outlast*..."
Grandmaster Lin quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no, no. Such games require too much calculation and drain one's heavenly fortune. I think playing a mobile game would suit me better."
Chen Mo smiled. "Alright, Master, have a seat in the lobby for now. I'll go grab a phone from the mobile game experience area."
---
Grandmaster Lin sat on the sofa in the experience center's lobby, still trying to recover from his earlier emotional trauma.
Zhao Lei happened to come downstairs, grabbed a milk tea from the front desk, and sat on the sofa drinking it, looking very upset.
Grandmaster Lin asked, "Young man, I see a shadow over your face. Are you troubled by something?"
Zhao Lei sighed. "Master, my idiot boss is picking a fight again for no reason. I really can't take it anymore. I want to snap back at him. Master, give me some advice—what should I do?"
Grandmaster Lin smiled calmly and said in a soothing tone, "What's the big deal? No matter how rich you are, no matter how many houses or cars you have, after you die, your grave will be the same size as everyone else's. Why bother sweating the small stuff?"
"Oh..." Zhao Lei pointed at the TV behind Grandmaster Lin. "Then, Master, could you please explain that?"
Grandmaster Lin turned around.
On the TV, a promotional video for *Assassin's Creed: Origins* was playing. A sweeping shot just flashed across the screen, showing the majestic pyramids standing proudly in the desert.
Grandmaster Lin: "..."