Chapter 50: Dreams May Weep, But They Never Fall

Looking at that naive little face, Huo Qitai struggled to hold back his laughter, barely able to contain himself.

Xiao Minfei, a native of Zhaowu County, Jianzhou City, was an epic, star-level player of *Honor of Kings*, the world's most profitable video game.

Because of his legendary, game-winning backdoor maneuver with Han Xin, he was etched into the memories and idolized by countless players.

He was even elevated to the status of "one of Han Xin's two great benefactors in life"—one being Xiao He, and the other being Meng Lei.

It could also be said that he was the very embodiment of the dreams held by countless young boys who loved playing games.

By mastering the game to a god-tier level, he sought to break free from the shackles imposed on him by reality and his family.

As fellow townsmen in their past lives, Huo Qitai had once met Meng Lei at an *Honor of Kings* event in Beijing, chatting with him in their local dialect for quite a long time.

At that time, Meng Lei was going through a low point in his career, and Huo Qitai had suffered multiple failures in entrepreneurship, giving the two of them plenty of common ground.

Especially when Meng Lei learned that Huo Qitai had also been addicted to games and the internet during high school, only to buckle down and study hard in the final three months to get into a top-tier university, he looked at him with sheer admiration and... envy.

It was precisely because of this that Meng Lei opened his heart to Huo Qitai and said:

"Brother Huo, to be honest, I deeply regret not studying properly in high school.

Although in external interviews I always proclaimed with full confidence that I carved out a different path through gaming,

if time could turn back, I would still rather have studied hard and strived to get into a decent university.

You can play games anytime. But failing to get into a good university is a lifelong regret for me.

I really don't want to become that Meng Lei in other people's mouths who became famous and made money playing games without ever attending a proper university.

Many young people look up to me as a role model and idol, but who knows my anxiety and my pain?

The AG gaming club has suffered consecutive defeats, and the prime years for players like us have passed. I have no idea what I can do in the future.

How many more years can I play professionally? I've never won a single championship; the runner-up curse is practically branded onto my forehead.

Everyone only sees the dazzling glory of the champion, but no one knows how the runner-up walks off the stage.

I know, I know it all too well, I've walked that path countless times...

Even if we actually win a championship later and retire without regrets, where should we go from there?

Be a professional game streamer for the rest of my life? Every time the official platform uses me for promotional material, I feel truly ashamed.

The more of the world I see, the more insignificant I feel. The arrogance of my youth was truly fueled by nothing more than youthful impulse.

I was merely lucky, coupled with perhaps a shred of gaming talent, and that's how I scraped my way out.

However, there are countless former comrades of mine whose glorious gaming lives will, at some point, dim and fade, stripping away all their halos.

I'm so terrified! I've set a bad example for the youth.

Many kids use me as an excuse to persuade their parents to let them play games to their hearts' content.

Some even become obsessed with dropping out of studies, trying every possible means to join the youth training camps of various esports clubs to become professional players.

Sometimes, I really want to record a video to warn all the students who love and admire me: Wake up!

Meng Zhilei Shang regrets it himself, so stop trying to copy him.

How I wish I could have gotten into a good university back then.

That way, I could proudly and confidently tell all the fans who love me that Meng Zhilei Shang loves gaming, but he loves studying just as much.

Gaming is not an excuse or a reason to escape studying; gaming and studying are not in conflict or opposition. If you want to follow my path into pro gaming, prove yourself in your studies first, and do not use gaming as a so-called shortcut to escape life."

His words struck a profound chord with Huo Qitai, who was himself at a low ebb in life at the time.

Yet, Huo Qitai never expected that after being reborn into the past, he would actually run into a pint-sized Meng Lei.

Looking at the young Meng Lei before him, whose eyes flashed with a spirited glow as he attempted to extract a "Peking University top student says I'm not suited for studying" validation from him, Huo Qitai simply couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

"Top Student Brother, what are you laughing at? Are you laughing at how naive I am?"

"No, no, no! I just mean that people need to be realistic and not chase unattainable dreams."

Huo Qitai said earnestly.

"But this is my dream! I've looked it up online; playing games abroad can become a professional career, and esports is a form of sports.

Playing games allows me to become an athlete. If there are worldwide esports competitions in the future, maybe I can be just like the Olympic athletes and bring glory to our country!" young Meng Lei said with firm conviction.

"A person always needs a reason to live. Since you've already found that reason in your heart, why bother asking me?

You've decided that playing games is your gun, and the moment you grasp that gun, you also grasp your destiny.

Before reaching victory, there is no turning back. The path you've chosen is like the narrow gate of eternal life—the path is small, the travelers are few, and do you really think you can squeeze through? There are never too many stepping stones!

If you don't become a winner, the only alternative is a dead end. It's not too late to turn back now!"

Huo Qitai muttered these cryptic, almost contradictory words with a chuckle—which were, in reality, nothing more than the catchphrases of the hero Han Xin from the future *Honor of Kings*.

"Top Student Brother! You really are a top student! Every single word has such profound meaning, and every sentence feels like it's touching my very soul. It's as if these words were born just for me..."

Upon hearing this, young Meng Lei experienced a profound shock that reverberated through his soul, mind, and body.

Even so, his resolve to play games remained unshaken; it would not be swayed by these few words of dissuasion from Huo Qitai.

"I know this path won't be easy, but I will definitely make it out. I have that much confidence in myself!

The four characters 【Meng Zhilei Shang】 that Top Student Brother just mentioned struck right at the core of my heart. Meng Zhilei Shang—dreams may shed tears, but they will never fall."

"Then what if one day, you truly make it out, only to regret it?"

Huo Qitai posed another soul-searching question.

"Regret? I won't regret it even if I fail, so it's even more impossible for me to regret it if I succeed."

Young Meng Lei found it quite bizarre; this Top Student Brother's train of thought was truly erratic, somehow coming up with such a bizarre question.

"You might regret not studying properly, not getting into a good university. Even though you become an idol to the youth, you secretly feel unworthy and realize you're a bad role model?" Huo Qitai pressed on.

"I will have succeeded! I will have proven that gaming can be professionalized, that it can make money, bring fame, and bring glory to the country.

Everything that people who study hard and get into university can do, I can do as well, and perhaps even better and more brilliantly.

Then I will rightfully be the idol of countless young people; how could I possibly be a bad role model? Top Student Brother, your logic cannot convince me."

"Oh? Heh heh heh! It seems something is missing in that head of yours. What if these young people fanatically worship you, learn from you, take you as their role model to convince their parents, and then drop out of school one after another to play games? How many do you think can become professional players and make a living?

Perhaps, because of the success of one person—you—acting as a role model, tens of thousands of adolescents will attempt to walk the exact same path as you, only to have their entire lives ruined and left in complete shambles!"

At this point, Huo Qitai stopped talking.

Because he noticed that young Meng Lei's face had turned pale white, his brows tightly furrowed, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.