TSA Chapter 100

With strong promotion from both the government and the game’s official developers, had become the most popular game in the empire, with over 80% of the population playing it. Naturally, any news related to drew immense attention. The previous night’s guild war, as well as Night Owl becoming the first max-level player and receiving a one-billion-star-coin reward, instantly became the top headline across major news sites.

In just an hour, the news had already amassed over a hundred million clicks, a testament to ’s overwhelming popularity. The men of the Ran family inevitably came across the article as well—after which, a heavy silence settled over the entire household.

All of them sat with grim expressions, staring at the image displayed on the holo-screen. It was a game screenshot featuring two young men dressed in black-and-white game attire, smiling at each other—one tall and handsome, the other refined and gentle. Even through the screen, their intimacy was palpable.

The article’s author had written at length about their seamless teamwork and deep mutual understanding, sounding like an ardent fanboy. He even dubbed them the ‘Golden Duo.’ This sentiment resonated with countless netizens, leading to a flood of CP (couple pairing) comments under the article. Many fans claimed the two were a perfect match, sharing even more intimate screenshots. Some even went so far as to claim that Night Owl and Ran Qi were a real couple in real life.

The more Ran Shaojun scrolled, the darker his expression became.

Ran Kai and Ran Hui didn’t look much better, and even Qu Qing had his brows furrowed slightly.

Finally, Ran Shaojun took a deep breath, shut off the holo-screen, and strode toward Ran Qi’s room.

“Shaojun!” Qu Qing quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist. “What are you doing?”

“What else? I’m going to ask Xiao Qi who this Night Owl really is!”

Even though he had never explicitly asked his youngest son about his in-game identity, he instantly recognized the white-robed priest in the screenshot as Ran Qi. Meanwhile, the man named Night Owl was gazing at his son with unmistakable fondness, and Ran Qi’s eyes sparkled in response, his joy barely concealed. Anyone could see that their relationship was far from ordinary. This realization filled Ran Shaojun with a deep sense of frustration—like a cherished cabbage he had carefully nurtured was suddenly snatched away by some unknown pig.

How could someone from an online game be a viable romantic partner? No matter how good-looking he was, there was no telling who was really behind the avatar. What if he was a ruthless space pirate? What if he was just a deceptive con man with ill intentions?

Ran Shaojun was fiercely protective of his children, and he worried that his youngest son, still young and naive, might be tricked. That’s why he was in such a hurry to have a talk with him.

“Xiao Qi is probably still in the game right now,” Qu Qing reasoned. “If you barge in like this, the game pod’s security system might force him to log out abruptly, which could put unnecessary strain on his body.” Though Qu Qing shared the same concerns, his priority was still their son’s health. “Let’s wait until he logs out before we ask him. Besides, Xiao Qi isn’t the same as before—I don’t think he’d be reckless.”

Ran Qi had always been frail since childhood. The entire family cherished him like a fragile treasure, treating him with the utmost care. Perhaps because of this excessive pampering, Ran Qi had developed a rebellious streak—always wanting to do the things they forbade him from doing. Previously, he had secretly piloted a mecha without permission, which resulted in an accident that nearly cost him his life.

Fortunately, after that ordeal, Ran Qi seemed to have learned his lesson. He matured significantly, and even his temperament became more composed.

Now that he was older, it was only natural for him to fall in love. However, none of them had expected that out of the three brothers, the youngest, Ran Qi, would be the first to enter a relationship.

“I’ll talk to him later,” Qu Qing said with a slight frown. “And you—watch your attitude. Don’t be too harsh.” He was deeply concerned. Even though Ran Qi had matured, he wasn’t sure if his stubborn streak had completely faded. If they came at him too aggressively, he might see it as an interrogation, and his rebellious instincts could flare up again. If that happened, who knew what kind of trouble he’d stir up? Qu Qing really didn’t want to see his son get hurt again.

“I know…” Ran Shaojun sighed, realizing the same thing.

When Ran Qi finally emerged from his room, he was met with the sight of several family members sitting in the living room, all wearing serious expressions.

“Little Dad… What’s going on?” Ran Qi asked in confusion.

“Xiao Qi, come sit down,” Qu Qing said with a forced smile, gesturing for him to join them.

Sensing that something was off, Ran Qi hesitated but still walked over as instructed.

“Little Dad?”

“Xiao Qi…” Qu Qing started but then hesitated, as if struggling to find the right words.

Ran Qi turned to his two older brothers, looking for an explanation. Ran Hui, who was usually impatient, was just about to speak when Ran Kai held him back.

Ran Kai gave him a gentle smile and said, “Xiao Qi, I saw the news. Congratulations! Your guild won the guild war yesterday—looks like you got a lot of rewards.”

At the mention of this, Ran Qi’s face immediately lit up. “Yeah! I was just about to tell you guys. I got a ton of exchange coupons this time! Our guild leader even pooled together more than eighty coupons for me, so now I can finally exchange them for an enhancement potion!”

“What?” Ran Kai and Ran Hui were both stunned.

Ever since it was revealed that in-game exchange coupons could be used to obtain food with special nutrients beneficial to the human body, their value had skyrocketed. The price had gone from five figures to six figures, and even then, they were incredibly hard to come by. Yet Night Owl had casually given Ran Qi over eighty coupons—without asking for anything in return?

And if they remembered correctly, an enhancement potion required 500 coupons to redeem. Their little brother had already saved up that many?

The two brothers exchanged a look, utterly shocked.

“I’ve already redeemed the potion,” Ran Qi continued. “And I still had some coupons left, so I used them all to buy food. I figured we could have a feast to celebrate!” He glanced at the holo-screen. “The delivery should be arriving soon.”

Octopus Express was known for its speed. Within minutes, a drone carrying numerous packages landed on the Ran family’s balcony.

“Why did you buy so much?” Qu Qing asked in surprise, seeing the piles of food. “Can we even finish all this?”

“We’ll finish it! Half of it is for my friend,” Ran Qi said cheerfully, pulling out a finely crafted wooden box from the pile. “Big Brother, Second Brother, help me take out the ingredients. The fruit just needs to be washed, and I’ll handle the rest. I’m going to my room to drink the enhancement potion first.”

The Ran family: “…”

They had no doubt that among Ran Qi’s so-called ‘friends,’ Night Owl was at the top of the list!

“Wait, let me take a look at that potion.” Just as Ran Qi was about to take the potion into his room, Ran Shaojun called out to stop him.

Ran Qi understood his father’s concerns, so he obediently handed the potion over.

The enhancement potion was stored in a small box. It was a simple-looking vial filled with a blue liquid. The packaging had a straightforward instruction: drink it directly. However, physical enhancement wasn’t an instant process—it required time to take effect, approximately three months. During this period, the user needed to supplement their nutrition and undergo a weekly medical examination to monitor the changes in their physique.

“How about I take it to the company for testing? I’ll bring it back for you tomorrow.” Although Ran Shaojun had developed a certain level of trust in the items sold in the game’s marketplace, this was still something his youngest son was going to consume. Unless he could confirm its absolute safety, he couldn’t set his mind at ease.

“Alright…” Ran Qi hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed.

“Now, let’s talk about another matter.” After putting the potion away, Ran Shaojun spoke again.

“What is it?” Ran Qi looked at his father’s serious expression, feeling a little confused.

“The person standing next to you in this photo—who is he?” Ran Shaojun pulled up the screenshot circulating online.

“Yeah, who is he?” Ran Kai and Ran Hui also stared at him intently.

“He… he…” Ran Qi hadn’t expected his in-game screenshot to be seen by his family. He hadn’t even figured out how to tell them about his relationship, yet here he was, facing an interrogation. His mind went blank, and he started stuttering.

“Xiao Qi, don’t be nervous. It’s okay if you don’t want to say,” Qu Qing quickly took his hand and comforted him softly, while also shooting a glare at Ran Shaojun and the other two.

Ran Shaojun realized that his overly serious expression might have scared his son, so he rubbed his nose and softened his tone. “Yeah, I was just casually asking. It’s fine if you don’t want to answer.”

Even so, Ran Qi knew his family’s concern and worry for him. Besides, he was already an adult—dating wasn’t something he needed to hide.

So, he simply admitted, “He’s my friend from the game. We’re… dating.”

Still, he couldn’t help blushing a little.

Seeing this, both Ran Shaojun and Qu Qing felt a strange mix of emotions. Their most treasured little cabbage… was now out of their hands.

“What does he do? How old is he?”

“He’s still a student, three years older than me. He’s the top student in the Imperial Star’s Mecha Department—he’s really amazing!”

Imperial Star? That was pretty good… but the Mecha Department…

Now, whenever Ran Shaojun and Qu Qing heard the word ‘mecha,’ they couldn’t help but recall their son lying weakly in a medical pod after the accident.

“Since you’re both on break, invite him over to our home sometime.” They needed to see for themselves whether this person was reliable or not.

“Ah…” Ran Qi was stunned. He hadn’t expected to meet the parents so soon.

“What? Are you not dating with marriage in mind? You can’t even let us meet him?” Ran Shaojun’s face darkened immediately.

“N-No… It’s just a bit sudden… I’ll ask him later…”

“Good. Don’t forget.”