Rivalry: Infinite Buff

Chapter 3- Fight through the Night

Ivan and Leo were in a run-down neighborhood of San Francisco when Ivan asked, “Boss, do you have a preference for this kind of old-fashioned neighborhood?”

Leo smacked the back of Ivan’s head angrily. “You ignorant brat. Our company has just been established. All businesses are in full swing and all departments are going through intense preparation…”

Ivan rolled his eyes upwards and said faintly, “Don’t talk to me like that.”

Leo spread his arms with profound resignation. “No money.”

Ivan had expected that when Leo said about going to San Francisco that he would earn $10,000 by playing computer games and pay off the debt quickly. However, it turned out that when they arrived the business was still up in the air and they had no money. They were so broke that they were eating frozen dinners for every meal. 

Ivan was daydreaming about making money playing computer games when a knock at the door startled him. He was stunned when he opened the door and saw a woman with a fair complexion and her hair in pigtails. She had a big suitcase on the floor next to her and was wearing a pink dress that matched her rosy cheeks perfectly. 

She wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead and asked, “Excuse me, is the Trump Studio?”

Ivan wasn’t sure what she meant, “What are you talking about? Are you sure you are in the right place?”

Trump Studio? Which thick-skinned guy uses such an arrogant name? Ivan thought.

“I came up with the name for our studio. I just didn’t tell you yet. How does it sound? Awesome, isn’t it?” Leo laughed. 

Ivan didn’t know what to say. He just nodded and thought, you do have a thin skin. The name sounds like an idle boast, yet I do like it. And, since my nickname just so happens to be Trump Card, the name perfectly fits my temperament and taste.

“Haha, Claire, here you are. Come in!” Leo greeted the girl and looked strangely at Ivan. 

“Hey, Leo,” the girl responded with a smile. “Could you help me bring my suitcase inside?” she said to Ivan.

Ivan immediately picked up her suitcase and gazed at the girl’s beautiful figure. He put his free arm around Leo’s shoulder and smirked. 

Leo rolled his eyes. “Stop it! She is Claire Burrell, my cousin. So, knock it off! Plus, she’s only 18 years old.”

Ivan shrugged. “You’re mean. I’m 19 years old. I think we would be a perfect match!”

Leo swatted Ivan’s arm away and warned Claire, “Claire, you can sleep in the inner bedroom. And, beware of Ivan. This guy is a s*x maniac.”

“Damn you! Where do I sleep?”

Leo pointed to the sofa with several big holes. “There. It’s made of leather.”

“f**k off!” Ivan held up his middle finger at Leo to show his discontent.

…

After lunch, Ivan, Leo and Claire sat round one of the tables. The air was heavy among them, and all had a solemn expression.

Leo took out two cigarettes and gave one to Ivan. After lighting the cigarette, he said in a steady voice. “Today the Trump Studio is officially set up. Next, I’ll announce the assignment of personnel!”

“Ivan Peck?”

“Here!” Ivan stood up and answered intently.

“Ivan Peck is appointed as Head of the Strategy Department.” Leo stated.

“Claire Burrell?”

“Here!” Claire stood up, grim-faced.

“Claire Burrell is appointed as Head of the Public Relations Department.” Leo announced.

“Mr. Peck, nice to meet you.” Claire reached out her hand and grinned charmingly.

Ivan looked at Claire’s delicate hand and grinned back. “Miss Burrell, nice to meet you, too.”

Both of them knew that it was their first official meeting, it seemed kind of funny and they knew they would look back on how ridiculous it was. 

Leo waved his hand in the air as a sign for them to sit. He continued, “I am now going to explain the direction of our company. We mainly earn money from the new game Rivalry in whatever way. It is okay to resort to trickery or robbery as long as we can make money.”

Ivan hesitated. “What does the strategy department do? And what about the public relations department?”

“In fact, I don’t really know, either. I watched the news on TV yesterday and saw that The Sun Group had the Strategy Department, Human Resources Department, Public Relations Department and so on. Its success made me think maybe we should do the same,” Leo laughed.

Ivan and Claire looked at each other and smiled, neither knowing how to respond. 

“I have one more question. We don’t even have a computer. How do we play games? Are we going to use our cellphones?” Ivan continued to ask.

Claire burst into laughter. “Ivan, it seems your understanding of play games remains in the traditional mode using the mouse and keyboard. You are lagging behind. Do you know why Rivalry is said to be the latest game? Because, it is the online game that the biggest association, The Sun Group, invested many years and a large sum of money to produce. It abandons the use of a mouse and a keyboard. Its players log on to the game with a helmet. The reality dynamics analogue chip in the helmet makes people feel as if they themselves were in the game. The game is much more exciting and enjoyable that way.”

“Wow, cool. I really want to have a try. But where is the helmet?”

Leo took out his cellphone and answered with certainty, “I ordered the helmet two days ago. It’s not cheap. It cost $6,000 just for one. I have charged it to your account. Just let me check the shipping info. I will let you know in a minute.”

Ivan felt as if he was going to have a nervous breakdown. What the f**k! Are you crazy? How can you charge everything to my account?

“Actually, it should be here any minute.” Leo said. 

Less than ten minutes later, a courier delivered the game helmet. After they quickly unwrapped it, Ivan caressed the metal helmet, and could hardly tear himself away from it. Ivan noticed that besides The Sun Group’s logo, there was a number on it: 33205566. He looked again, not able to believe his eyes. It was such a coincidence; the number was the exact coordinates where he got killed by King and dropped his equipment in Epic.

“Does that son of a b***h also play Rivalry? I’m going to get revenge if we ever meet again!” Ivan mumbled to himself. 

Ivan continued to play with the helmet for a long period of time and then realized that he knew very little about the game. However, he was deep in debt, and he had joined the studio to become a professional player so he knew he had to work hard and Leo back as quickly as possible. 

It was very inconvenient not to have a computer in front of him. All Ivan could use was his cellphone to find out more information about Rivalry. He went to the website and saw that the system would be live at 8:00 p.m.

Ivan clicked on the link to “Game Strategies” but got no results. With a little more research, he found out the game had been tested internally so there was no external information. He found a basic introduction but no useful strategies.  

“I guess it shouldn’t be a problem. I am a pro when it comes to gaming. Let me get in there and I will be able to play,” Ivan said confidently. 

…

Leo ordered pizza for dinner and after filling up, the three of them sat on the sofa, waiting for game time. At 7:55 p.m., Ivan smiled faintly and put the helmet on. 

Swish—

Ivan entered a twisted and shaking space-time continuum. It was pitch-dark and quiet, then all of a sudden, he heard horses galloping, flesh being cut, men swearing, women panting, then a loud explosion. After a long time or maybe only a split second, Ivan wasn’t sure, he could hear the faint sobs of women and children. Amidst the dismal background music, a line of words emerged in mid-air, “Heroes enter into rivalry to fight for territories. The winner is king and the loser becomes an outlaw!”

Staring at the line, Ivan seemed to realize something and also seemed to understand nothing. His mind went blank and although he hadn’t witnessed the cruel war, what he had heard was shocking enough. 

“Oh damn! I should have checked the sound first. My head is throbbing,” Ivan muttered, still in a state of shock. “But, the game’s opening is special. It definitely has style. I like it. For the sake of novelty, I will spend some time winning a territory just for fun before I do anything else. Tonight, I am going to fight through the night!”