The pacing in these chapters is really interesting because the author is basically running two engines at once and the RPMs are completely different. The Consort De scene is slow, suffocating, deliberate. Every beat drags—the silence, the perfunctory replies, the teacup gripping, the toddler's entrance, the snack ordering, the awkward exit. It's meant to feel uncomfortable, and it does. You want Yinzhen to just leave, and when he finally does, the relief is palpable. Then we cut to Li Wanran's storyline and the pace picks up immediately. There's action here—investigation, deception, revelation, negotiation. Xiao Yuzi gets scammed, then gets real info, then gets reimbursed and rewarded. It's a complete mini-arc in just a few pages. The transition between these two threads is where I think the author really shows their skill. After the emotional devastation of Yinzhen's visit, we get this lighter, more pragmatic scene with Li Wanran dealing with kitchen politics, and it's exactly the palate cleanser the chapter needs. But then when Yinzhen appears at Li Wanran's courtyard, the pace slows again—not to the ice-cold speed of the Consort De scene, but to something warmer, more intimate. The author controls the reader's emotional temperature like a conductor. Fast, slow, fast, slow. And that final scene where Li Wanran is talking about her childhood and Yinzhen is asking about her paintings? It ends on this note of genuine connection that feels like a breath of fresh air after everything that came before. The chapter structure is basically: emotional low → practical middle → emotional high. Classic but effective.
There's something so specific and alive about how the author renders this world. It's 1988, and you can feel it in every detail. The blazing summer heat that makes Wen Quhua's whole body sticky. The handheld fan she waves constantly—not just as a prop but as a character detail, this delicate thing that matches her. The bus station situation: Langcheng Station has already been demolished for reconstruction, so train services stopped and she has to take a bus to the provincial capital first. That's such a grounded, real-world detail that anchors the whole story in a specific time and place. You don't get that kind of specificity from just saying 'it was the late 80s.' Then there's the green train—the eight or nine hour sleeper ride from the provincial capital to Beijing. The whole journey feels tactile. The ticket seller shouting from the front of the bus. The crowded bus smelling unpleasant. The suitcase being shoved between legs. And then Beijing: the Sheng family car waiting at the station, the red envelopes from grandfather and uncle, the grandmother who specially tailored qipaos for her over several months, the aunt's jewelry box filled with pieces saved over years. This is a family that loves her visibly and materially. The qipao detail especially—hand-stitched by a master craftsman in Beijing over several months—tells you everything about her background without a single exposition dump. The contrast between the sticky, crowded, chaotic journey and the refined, warm, almost cinematic family reunion in Beijing is gorgeous. The world feels lived-in because the author cares about the texture of everyday life.
I keep coming back to the hunger motif in these chapters and I think it's doing a lot more work than just being a plot device. Yun Yun is literally starving on stage while smiling and making heart gestures, and this image of forced performance—of hiding your suffering behind a grin for the sake of the audience—feels like it's pointing at something bigger about what these streamers do for a living. She 'dared not voice her thoughts, afraid that people in the live streaming room would think a newcomer like her was making too much fuss.' That's not just about one hungry girl, that's about the entire economy of livestreaming where performers must constantly perform gratitude and joy regardless of their actual state. The rock-paper-scissors game is interesting too—Yun Yun literally prays 'Please don't let me win this round of rock-paper-scissors!' and then wins anyway. She's trapped by luck, by talent, by the very thing that should be her advantage. And Y, meanwhile, is the only one who sees through the performance. Everyone else thinks she's fine, but he notices 'she really wanted to get off stage.' His act of sending gifts to Caicai instead of Yun Yun is almost symbolic—he's giving her the one thing she can't give herself: permission to stop performing. The private message exchange that follows is where the theme crystallizes. She says she's not tired, just hungry. He says 'Why didn't you tell the host?' She's been conditioned to endure silently; he's challenging that conditioning. The five-win streak becomes this double-edged sword—her greatest achievement and her greatest punishment. And the solo dance reward at the end? That's the ultimate performance, the prize that's also a sentence.
Shameless Review from the lovely author.
So far so good, I’m just starting with the book but so far it’s got a great start. Enjoying the world and character development. I’m anxious to see where this goes!
superb book this book really needs to have more attention
Reading this TNO Sequel and DamnIt really is a Harsh World NowThis is not VR anymoreNobody starts off same infact they have headstart of a few years to centuriesAnd TheBoss Leo starts off from scratch now, plus the penalty of Memory LossClans and Great organisations already existBacked by Gods of Unknown PowerAtleast in VR you could start relatively same, just strong class and sector benifits were there at startThe peak power limit is higher now Grandmaster, Transcendent, Monarch, Demigods and Gods, and beyond? Hmm?Can't wait to see what's there for Leo
Love the way the characters are getting the cheats
Firstly, I love the title. ☺️ second Nile is going through a lot sincerely feel bad for him and hope things get better ? awesome novel keep it up.
An excellent work with an attractive plot. The protagonist travels back and forth between the game and reality, navigates the business world, and moves among beautiful women with ease. It is a rare masterpiece, and I look forward to the author's continued updates.
This is a xianxia inspired novel taking elements from modern day system rpg elements. Very promising start and the grammar is good, I hope the quality remains the same
i started reading novel in web novel app newly,but i liked yhis series so you must read this.g=just give a try...now i am going to continue reading this. i hope you will also like it