Chapter 96 - Mastermo Is A Bot?

Zhihao had no strength to say anything in his defense since he too felt like the bot was saying something that was true for him. He really was stupid. 

How could he even think about beating the Gamemaster like this? He didn't have the skills, at least, not yet. 

This was something that would discourage most players, but Zhihao wasn't like those other players. He was motivated to hear Alvi bash him. 

He had to work hard. 

He had to get better. 

He had to prove to this stupid bot that he was not just bluffing. 

He was serious when he said that he was going to beat the Gamemaster and he wasn't going to let anyone say anything about that.. 

He wasn't going to let a stupid bot get to him. 

He was going to get better!

He knew he could do it and he was sure that he was going to do it!

If someone else were to hear this, they really would think that Mastermo was crazy. He was already the top player so how higher was he going to aim? By saying that he was stupid and untalented, wasn't he indirectly saying that the others weren't even qualified to call themselves capable of being his competition? 

It really did sound funny. As if a god was saying that he wanted to be even greater. 

The other players might be shocked and think that Mastermo wasn't normal, but Li Ling was different. When he saw the fire in the man's eyes, he was sure that Mastermo had a lot of potential that was yet to be polished. 

If this gaming diamond was polished, he would shine brighter than any other star in this universe. 

He was going to become the greatest one day. So great that nobody would ever even think about beating him. So great that not even Yingli would be able to pose a challenge to him and as it stood at this moment, Li Ling couldn't say that this was the case. Compared to Yingli, Mastermo wasn't lacking, but he wasn't doing too amazing either. 

At any moment, Yingli could overthrow him from the top player seat.

Zhihao opened his mouth to let the bot know that he wasn't backing down just yet, "Let's play some more." 

"Huh?" The smile on Li Ling's face froze as he heard this. 

Sure, he supported the man's ambitions, but that did not mean that he wanted to play more. 

A whole night had gone by and the day had changed! He was tired! He wasn't going to play more! If he was to play with this fatigue, he was sure that he would not even last a minute inside the level. 

At this moment, like every other player that looked at Mastermo and felt like he wasn't human, Li Ling also felt like this really was the case. 

There was no way this man was this energetic this late at night. 

So was he really considered a human if he wanted to play another few rounds this late at night? 

Li Ling wasn't even sure what time it was, but he was sure that it was so late that he would need to go collect the morning newspaper at any moment now. 

Zhihao had not played this game for an entire week, so there was no way he was going to be satisfied with that last loss. 

"Umm... Can I pass?" Li Ling was tired and yet he didn't want to leave Mastermo on his own. 

If Zhihao asked him to stay at this moment, he really would do that. He would leave behind his sleep and be here to give Mastermo company, but what if Mastermo gave him permission to leave? 

"You must be tired." Zhihao sighed softly, "You can go. Good night. I sometimes forget that you have to go to work too." 

Li Ling blinked.

He seemed to forget it sometimes too. 

Li Ling smiled, "Good night." 

Zhihao watched on as Li Ling went offline and when he could no longer see the player, he sighed. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't a bit dejected. 

He wanted Li Ling to stay here longer, but he was afraid of becoming a nuisance. He was afraid that if he had really asked Li Ling to stay, the man would have listened to him and it would trouble Zhihao. He was afraid that one day this man would start to find Zhihao troublesome. The last thing Zhihao wanted was to become a troublesome over-obsessed gamer. 

[Are you going to continue?] 

Mastermo nodded his head as he answered the bot, "Let's continue." 

Alvi was amazed at this player who played throughout an entire night and was still ready to play more. She almost questioned if the bot here was her or if it was this player in front of her. 

On this day, Mastermo played so much that Alvi was afraid the player was cheating. 

While Mastermo was burning off all his fuel and energy on a virtual game, Li Ling was sound asleep in his soft bed. 

Just like he had expected, it was so late when he had gone to sleep that he could not even get a complete five hours of sleep as someone came to interrupt his precious sleeping time. This intruder was a man who was around the same age as Li Ling or at least looked like he was around the same age. 

In reality, this man was much older than Li Ling but he was blessed with a baby face that never seemed to age. He had dark colored hair that seemed to look a bit overgrown but it was still well-groomed compared to Li Ling's bed hair that had greeted the man when the door opened. His eyes were darker than Li Ling's and his lips were thin yet it went along perfectly with his face. If someone were to see the man for the first time, they would think he was a model. His face was just that handsome and captivating without even following the so-called beauty standards. 

Li Ling was still not fully awake as he looked at the face of the man who had come to break his sweet dreams of going on a date with Zhihao. 

"You're here? What do you want?" Li Ling asked without bothering to greet the man. He rubbed his eyes and scratched his head as he straightened up his back, waiting for the man's response. 

"What do you mean why?" The man had a deep voice that didn't go with his baby face but it made him seem even more attractive, "I knew you were going to forget it." 

Li Ling opened the door wide and gestured the man to enter as he stepped back, receding back into his living room. 

"Want some water?" Li Ling asked as he moved towards his kitchen counter and poured a glass of water, not for the man but for himself. 

The man didn't respond to the question and instead continued on the topic he had come here for. He wasn't here for friendly greetings and he was the least interested in drinking water right now so why would he want to waste his time responding? 

Li Ling was not shocked by this as he had already known the nature of this man. He had grown accustomed to the man's cold behavior. 

"Sit down and talk." Li Ling lightly scolded as he took a sip of the water that he had poured for himself. 

The man sighed and sat down on the sofa, listening to Li Ling like an obedient dog. 

"Now tell me what I'm forgetting." Li Ling placed the glass away and started to go through the cabinet in search of something. 

"You forgot that you have a meeting." The man glanced down at his watch and then back at Li Ling's face, "In about twenty minutes." 

Li Ling didn't stop his action as he heard this, he didn't even seem to be shocked as if he hadn't forgotten it. 

"Xia, can you go buy me some cereal." Li Ling spoke up after a minute of silence, "It seems like I ran out of it." 

The man named Xia didn't look to be pleased as he heard this, "I'm your secretary, not your maid." 

"Of course, you are not my maid," Li Ling chuckled, "You are a man, how could you be my maid? You should be called my butler." 

Xia frowned as he heard the man trying to joke around with him, "I'm not your butler either." He frowned, not liking the man's playful nature. 

"Really? That's sad... Would you like to take the job?" 

"No need." Xia shook his head, he felt like this man was really out of his mind sometimes. 

"But can you still go buy me some cereal?" 

"..."

"You're my personal assistant. It's your job." 

"How so?" 

Li Ling turned his head and mischievously smiled as he looked at the man, "Didn't you say that we have a meeting in twenty minutes?"

"What the hell does that have to do with me buying you cereal?" 

"If I go there with an empty stomach, I won't be able to focus on the meeting." Li Ling beamed shamelessly.