Breaking the Firewall Line

Lu Xiannu is finally thirteen years old today. @Fortune and Prosperity Akko: Ah ah ah, I just did something that required a lot of courage.

Akko: ???

Lu Manman: I blocked Yuan Xiu.

Akko: Why = =

Lu Manman: He called me “wifey” right in front of me. I was… incredibly confused inside!

Akko: Aren’t you two a couple? What’s the big deal about him calling you wifey. – –

Lu Manman: It’s one thing if fans online are hyping it up, but he called me that right in front of me, okay? I was totally flustered!

Akko: Flustered my foot!

Lu Manman: qaq

Akko: Wait a minute, does he know you are w?

Lu Manman: He doesn’t know.

Akko: Then why be flustered? He was calling w wifey, not you.

Lu Manman: I meant, I don’t know if he knows I’m w! Pay attention to the punctuation!

Akko: Then there are only two possibilities:

1. He doesn’t know, congratulations, you’ve got a super fanboy.

2. He knows you’re ‘w’, in which case congratulations are in order again; Lu Manman, you’ve finally been flirted with by a guy!

Akko: ??? 【Sorry, you are not friends with the other party, unable to send message】

Akko: … 【Sorry, you are not friends with the other party, unable to send message】

---

The solo finals of the real-world competitive gaming event had been going on for an hour. The match was being streamed live on a popular platform, with the number of viewers steadily increasing.

In a dilapidated two-story building, the sound of paintballs hitting the windows echoed through the room.

Lu Manman, clad in a deep green camouflage outfit, was braced against the wall. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing the smooth lines of her forearms.

Sweat dampened the strands of hair falling across her forehead.

She gritted her teeth, feeling in her back pocket. Only five paintballs remained.

The surrounding gunfire intensified.

Lu Manman had an uneasy feeling that something was off about today’s match.

From the start of the game, it seemed like she had become a target for many players.

Even the combatants engaged in battles would stop and shoot at her as soon as they saw her.

It was almost as if there was a prearranged plan.

Lu Manman estimated that at least fifteen people were targeting her—not for winning the game or getting kills, but specifically to “eliminate” her!

With this kind of setup, how could the game be played?

She wasn’t sure if these people were from Zhou Jialiang’s group, but it was clear that their goal was to obstruct her performance today.

The match had entered a critical stage, and the safe zone was about to shrink. She needed to get into the safe zone immediately, or she would be eliminated. However, with so many people outside the house not focusing on moving to the safe zone but instead guarding the room where she was hiding, any time she showed herself, they would immediately take her down!

If there was cheating involved, the game was effectively ruined.

In professional tournaments, this kind of situation where multiple people target one player would be immediately flagged as cheating and result in disqualification.

But in this amateur school-level competition, it was unlikely anyone would intervene.

Lu Manman was both angry and anxious. Her wristwatch indicated that the safe zone had started to shrink. If she didn’t hurry and make her way into the safe zone, she would be eliminated.

Apart from the scarce paintballs, her only weapon was a pot lid, which wasn’t for attacking but for defense—protecting her backside.

She crouched and moved to the edge of the window, peeking out to see that three or four people were still lying in wait outside.

Hearing the dense barrage of bullets, their equipment must be quite sufficient.

A recent burst of paintballs hit the window frame, sending up dust and causing Lu Manman to cough repeatedly.

It looks like today might be where it all ends!

Damn it, it’s so frustrating.

Being defeated by these guys and losing in such a low-level competition is unacceptable. After all, she is the undefeated goddess, Smile W.

However, the only consolation is that no one knows she is W. Otherwise, losing to these amateur players in this kind of school-level competition would definitely make her the laughingstock of the American League.

Thinking about her rivals, Qiao Xingye and Judy, a burning desire for revenge ignites within Lu Manman.

It really is unacceptable! Her opponents are getting stronger and battling everywhere, but here she is, having come to China and unable to even join a professional team, getting eliminated in an amateur match.

It feels like a tiger fallen in the plains… being bullied by dogs.

She still dreams of returning to America and taking revenge on those people…

Lu Manman rubbed her nose and took a sip of mineral water from her backpack, swallowing down the sour emotions.

She leaned against the wall, sitting despondently, waiting for the safe zone to shrink and for her to be eliminated.

Amidst the dense gunfire, Judy’s sharp, mocking voice came through: “The era of W is over. Accept it.”

Zhou Jialiang said, “W’s success had nothing to do with her; it was the historical environment that created it… In this era, there will never be another W.”

It’s really damn disheartening, but maybe they are right.

Maybe coming to China was a mistake, maybe… everything she has strived for won’t yield results.

Lu Manman took another sip of water, and suddenly, she recalled Yuan Xiu’s slightly deep, mellow voice: “This is the worst of times… To compete professionally, innate talent alone is not enough.”

“But I still firmly believe that diligence is more important than talent!”

The mineral water bottle in Lu Manman’s hand was crumpled, making a hissing sound as the plastic twisted.

“The era of W is over.”

To hell with that!

The era of Lu Manman has just begun!

Footsteps echoed from downstairs. Lu Manman immediately stood up, carefully positioning herself against the wall, while loading the last three paintballs into her M4 rifle.

They couldn’t contain their impatience and had come into the house, eager to take her “life.”

Lu Manman slowly moved to the door, closing her eyes and holding her breath as she listened intently to every movement downstairs.

Determining locations by sound was a skill she had practiced countless times in the jungle. She could easily determine the enemy’s position and number by listening to the sound of footsteps and the crunch of branches.

The early mornings and rigorous training sessions that started before dawn, the long hours spent in the training camp—those were tough times.

Of course it was hard.

No one achieves success casually, and the hardships she endured were not in vain. All the effort and struggles had forged the W of today.

With one hand holding the gun and the other gripping the pot lid, Lu Manman carefully made her way to the top of the stairs.

Thud, thud, thud.

Even though the sounds were very faint and the intruders were trying to move quietly, Lu Manman could still hear them and sense the dangerous aura in the air.

They were coming!

The moment the opponent appeared at the corner of the stairs, Lu Manman fired immediately. The instant the opponent was hit, she nimbly dodged to the side, taking cover behind a nearby sofa to avoid the incoming return fire.

Her years of experience gave her an edge, something amateur players couldn’t match. Every move they made was already calculated by her.

While the two men behind her fumbled to reload their paintballs, Lu Manman took her time and eliminated them one by one.

Three people were out.

These three had relentlessly pursued and harassed her, but now Lu Manman had no time to question whether they were part of Zhou Jialiang’s gang. The clock was ticking, and she needed to quickly reach the safe zone.

After collecting the well-equipped gear from these three, her ammunition was finally replenished.

With supplies in hand, she was calm and composed. In the final battle, she easily defeated the remaining opponents and won the match.

The battle was exceptionally tough, but Lu Manman managed to emerge victorious, securing the overall championship in the school-level solo competition.

---

In the computer accessory store, a staff member was sitting at a desk, working on intricate wiring. Ah Heng held up a graphics card and asked, “It seems the graphics card is short-circuited. Can you see if it can be repaired?”

Yuan Xiu, who had come along to help Ah Heng with the graphics card, happened to hear the loud voice of the commentator from the speaker behind him: “M4 has won again, and once again is the highest scorer of this match! Congratulations to M4 for advancing to the provincial competition!”

Yuan Xiu turned around and saw the computer behind him was playing a live stream of the B University solo finals on a popular streaming platform.

Lu Manman walked out of the training area, holding a transparent glass trophy. Her face still glistened with sweat, and her expression was calm, her eyes indifferent. She seemed to have rehearsed the scene of victory countless times and faced it with complete composure.

As the staff member held up a phone to livestream her, she said:

“I am M4. I won.”

Her calmness was almost unnatural for a nineteen-year-old girl.

Indeed, she was W, a name that represented “win.”

But now, others called her M4. It was just as uncreative a name as W, but it was catchy nonetheless.

The staff member asked, “M4 is a nickname given by your classmates. Will you be using this name?”

Lu Manman nodded, “This name sounds good.”

The staff member encouraged her, “M4, you’re about to prepare for the provincial solo competition. Good luck!”

Lu Manman pondered for a moment before replying, “Yes, thank you. But I still need to continue with the upcoming doubles competition.”

This statement shocked everyone, including the viewers on the streaming platform!

The staff member’s voice trembled slightly, “You still want to compete in the doubles?”

Lu Manman nodded and smiled slightly, “It shouldn’t conflict.”

“It doesn’t conflict, but… it seems unnecessary. You’re already the solo champion. It would be better to focus on preparing for the provincial league. Why still participate in the doubles?”

There’s no real reason—whether for honor, reputation, or money, winning the solo competition already provides all of that.

She replied calmly, “What W can do, every girl who loves competitive gaming can do. This is not a game that only boys can excel at; girls can be good at it too…”

In a noisy bar, Cheng Yu pushed away the chubby hand extended by a man beside him, his eyes fixed on the streaming screen not far away.

“I want to show everyone that girls are not just decorative vases on the sidelines, meant to be admired and to accompany meals, drinks, and entertainment.”

On the screen, her determined gaze resonated deeply with him.

“Maybe ordinary, maybe humble, but we have dreams and will never give up.”

In the library’s multimedia hall, Xia Tian adjusted his glasses, holding a heavy IELTS vocabulary book. His mother’s stern voice echoed in his ears: “You need to score 7.5 on the IELTS to apply to the best schools. I want you to be among the top 7% of students…”

“This is the worst of times and the best of times, because I firmly believe that diligence is more important than talent!”

Lu Manman looked at the phone camera, suddenly breaking into a smile. She then raised her hands high above her head, crossing her index fingers to form an X gesture.

Yuan Xiu’s lips curled into a slight smile.

She’s greeting him!