Hao calmly walked to stand a few metres away from that bald man.
Hao raised his eyes and looked at all the silent and curious faces of the students here. "I just recently joined here, but from what I saw, they never treated any of you with fairness or care."
He lowered his eyes and met those of that hostile man as he added in a loud and audible tone to everyone present, "we live in the slum dorm. What else can you do to students here? Feed them to the dogs or what?"
Hao's words managed to leave that man shaken out of rage and shock. He expected Hao to be shaken and afraid from what he said, but in turn Hao seemed calm and well to his eyes.
In fact after what Hao said, that man felt a great wave of hatred and hostility emanating from every direction of the dorm. He had to turn away and walk out as fast as he could, before things would reach an unsalvageable point for him.
"Just put this very deep in your mind, the slum dorm won't be a pushover as long as I'm staying here!" Hao didn't let that man go away this easily before shouting with his loudest voice to make everyone here hear him.
And in the next moment, the entire dorm rumbled with cheers. Shouting, with his name echoed across the entire dorm.
"Hao!" "Hao!" Hao!" "Hao!"
Unintentionally like this, the board of the academy just did Hao a great favour. In just the few minutes since those scary bodyguards trespassed into the dorm, Hao turned from that alien to the students to their hero.
Hao looked at the faces here, shouting in excitement, and simply raised his closed fist high in the air. His move inspired more adrenaline through the students' veins, making them shout with even louder voices.
Hao didn't know how that man came up with such a silly idea. Threatening the already exiled and looking down people to have a much worse situation? That was so hilarious in his eyes.
"You… Are really something," just as he turned back to his room, Hil, who stood all the time silent behind him when he stepped out of the room, ran after him and said with a big grin over her face.
"It's just me," Hao shrugged. After all, inspiring the audience was a trait any pro gamer should have. Also facing threats and insults without losing one's calm was a must to have as well.
"But you gave him what he deserved," she kept walking by his side while Rayan waited at the opened door of his room. "Coming here and trying to threaten us? As if we are having a good time in the first place," she harrumphed in an angry way before adding, "but do you know who is behind all this?"
"I can guess," Hao said before reaching his room, "come in, or you still not finished with the cable thing?"
"I left this to Ibra, he is majoring in such things," she was just about to enter before suddenly pausing, retreating a step as she patted her forehead, "damn! I forgot about the internet company. I'll have to call them again to verify the upgrade."
"Do it then," Hao nodded in encouragement. From just his performance back then, his image in her mind changed for the better.
He looked more reliable, like a mountain she could lean over.
Walking away in such a refreshed mood, Hao couldn't help but smile at her back. "Let's go."
"What was that all about?" Rayan followed him back while not getting what just happened.
"A dog came barking for his masters, so I just scared him away," Hao expressed it in such a light way, "now we'll wait until preparations are done then we can go to the meeting together."
"I… Can I try these things first?" Raya looked at the keyboard and glove in expectation.
"Well… Without the game, these things are just cold metal," Hao sighed, "it's just an hour or two."
"Can I bring my friends over then?" Rayan seemed a lot different than before. When he came in here, he looked more hesitant than the excited one now.
"Your friends?" Hao didn't know what made him change his mind. Was it his speech about the game and its gears, or his little show just now.
In fact it was a mix of the two. Rayan stood on the side watching in silence how Hao dealt with such a situation. He felt like he was standing in front of a trustworthy youth.
After the meeting with Hao in the morning, Rayan didn't let the matter of his friend's betrayal die down easily. He gathered all of his friends and had an intense quarrel with that traitor.
Things ended up with more rage and regret than he initially thought. Part of his hesitation to come here was this. He feared having a new friend, one that might backstab him later on.
But when he watched Hao step up and speak for the students here, Rayan was moved. Of course he didn't know anything about the situation in the academy, but from the clear earth shattering response from the students here, he realised what Hao did.
Or else why did they all move in unison to shout his name and cheer like this?
At least he wasn't the type to stand only for himself… At least he wasn't like his last friend.
"They play in different games actually," he paused before adding, "but one or two of them are quite good players."
"Invite them over," Hao didn't reject his offer, "I'm going to hold tests for everyone to determine their initial skills and abilities. So let them come and let's see…"
Hao already planned to use Rayan as another guide for him in the local gaming community here. So letting him do this was just fine. At least it showed how Rayan viewed Hao's guild.
"So if they are good, can they join?"
"This game is much bigger than you think," Hao realised that Rayan was still thinking with the old concepts of the gaming world. Teams wouldn't just be made from few players, but they would turn to massive guilds. "Anyone can join, but their place will differ according to their talents and skills."
"I see," Rayan stood up, "I'll try to bring them before the meeting."
"Great," Hao nodded and watched him leave. "This day is just getting more interesting," he muttered before his phone suddenly rang with one name on the screen; Cher.
"Have you got the news already?" he said the moment he accepted the call.
"I can't believe how daring these people are! I just ended the meeting after giving everyone his share of my anger to just be met with what those bastards did! That's simply outrageous! I won't let this incident go by like this!"
"Calm down," Hao realised she was much stirred up and mad even more than him, "we have to achieve our target in the end."
"But not like this! Listen to me, I know these people. If we remain silent they won't stand idle on the side and watch."
Her voice was coming in an explosive way. Hao had to move the phone a few inches away just to save his ears. "Where are you now?" he knew talking over the phone wouldn't help.
He wasn't agreeing on taking any action, at least not now. In fact that was what his enemies waited for. That rude bald man from before was sent over by the same people who also sent those lawyers with the fake contract.
If Hao didn't know how big Dawn was going to change the entire market and its great impact over almost all the big brands and names in any industry, he would have been puzzled and even would act just like Cher.
But he knew this game wasn't a normal game. Just a few months ago when he was with his team, the game company already secured deals with the top one hundred companies all over the world.
Even those big defence contractors joined the race. This wasn't out of the blue. The game was made by the collaboration of many companies, including one big behemoth in the world of social media.
It was the one behind the invention of that glove. And as this company invested that much in the glove technology, it wanted the game to be more successful even more than the game developers themselves.
After all this company's real aim was towards securing almost most of the futuristic VR world. And this glove was just the entry door the company chose, and Dawn game was the guarantee ticket to secure that market early on.
So the game held much potential to be taken lightly. Of course as Cher knew about the game, the other shareholders here also heard about it.
Who would let a dorm filled with students, who knew nothing in the world but gaming, and leave them to fall in others hands? Of course they'd fight using all the dirty methods possible.
So the most painful response Hao and Cher should really consider was to let their enemies miss this chance. The two had to glue the dorm students together, unifying their front and let them all join their guild.
Like this they would deal a big blow to their foes. Instead, thinking about taking actions and escalating things wouldn't do any good. In fact that would be distracting, so much that Hao got a headache just from considering what Cher intended to do.
But he had to wait for her to come over and attend the meeting. In fact he wanted her to join, but he knew she was busy dealing with her dirty lawyers and the big enemies standing behind them.
With her presence, convincing the students here would be much easier. And after the little show he put in front of them against the representative of the academy, he was sure most of the students would join him.
Of course there would be people like Edward and his little gang, or people already having good deals with other teams from outside. Such people were destined to leave.
"We sacrifice some, and gain some in return," Hao muttered to himself while not feeling any regret about losing these gamers.
Hil and Rayan were going to bring fresh blood over. And this was just the beginning.
From the moment of the official launch of the game, he would work actively towards recruiting players from inside the game. Of course he expected fierce competition from other teams, but at least the market would be much bigger and a lot easier to find gamers than now.
"We are ready," just as he was in the middle of his future plans, the voice of Hil jolted him awake. He looked up at her to find the same smile still present over her face.
"We have renewed everything. As for the internet company, the lady called and she handled the fees. Ah, she says she is going to come in the next half an hour."
"Great," Hao already knew about Cher, "did the boys from that team come?" Hao asked about the team Hil recruited today.
"They have ten minutes to arrive," she said, "I already spread the word. Everyone is gathering up and the meeting is going to be held in half an hour.
"Good timing," Hao looked at the clock in his phone. It was almost eleven P.M., two hours away from the opening of the pre-release. "We can start in one hour or so," he thought, "I also need people to take this desk and these gears to the stage. Also take two other desks with you."
"For what?" She was surprised when she heard that.
"I'll start playing the game in front of everyone," Hao stood up, stretched his body before adding, "nothing is better than seeing things with one's eyes, right?"
"Ok," Hil understood why he would postpone the meeting for another half an hour. "I'll bring boys over."
"I'll wait here for Cher," Hao went to his bathroom, "but first I'll have a shower. Also order a meal for the two of us. Ah, make sure to provide coffee for everyone, this night is going to be long."
"For all of us?" Hil pointed at herself in doubt, "you know we have to order these from outside, right?"
"Ah, that canteen thing… We have to do something about it," Hao patted his forehead while stopping half a metre away from his bathroom, "alright, get everyone a big mug of coffee. It's on me, a treat for this historical night."
"You are the boss," Hil shrugged before getting herself out. As for Hao, he went inside and took a refreshing cold water shower that lasted for almost half an hour.