XX City is located in the southwest of China, bordering Hubei in the east, Guizhou in the south, and Sichuan in the west. There are mountains and cities in the city here, and there are two rivers rushing through this place, and there is a great trend in the "Yueyang Tower": 'connecting the distant mountains and swallowing the Yangtze River'. It is the central city of our country and one of the megacities in the entire western region. XX City is not only the economic, financial, shipping, trade and logistics center of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, but also an important strategic fulcrum for the development of the western region.

However, no matter how big the city is, it can't fit everyone's dreams, and there are legends of successes and failures in the office buildings of bustling cities; Palatial shopping malls can be parked with dazzling luxury cars, can accommodate people in luxurious clothes, and their glass windows can also reflect homeless people. There is no perfect city, how beautiful the night view of the metropolis is! But behind the glittering high-rise buildings, where most roads can't reach and lights can't reach, there are often dilapidated houses left, and these houses are inhabited by many outsiders whose dreams have been shattered.

Unfortunately, An Ran is one of them, he studied here and then failed the college entrance examination, he dreamed here and his dream was shattered. He tasted the bitter fruits of youth and frivolity and learned a lesson, knowing that his youthful dreams were too naïve and ambitious, so he finally bowed to fate and worked as a small worker with peace of mind, so he was laid off.

In the west of Jiupo District, XX City, there is a patch of low houses. The houses, made of red bricks and covered with asbestos tiles, are so hot in the summer that they are dead cold in the winter, and they are shabby, low and low, with circles painted on the walls and the word 'demolished' written in large letters. These houses are treated like prisoners with tattoos on their faces, so that wide roads do not extend here, and high-rise buildings avoid them, and only the poor, frustrated, and struggling people keep company of them.

Walking against the wall, there is a winding stone road under your feet, and there is still standing water in some places, and the light coming from a window somewhere can see that there are some bricks, wooden planks, and household garbage piled up on one side of the stone road, and in front of it is a rusty iron that is open all year round, and there seems to be a courtyard inside the iron gate, and some ropes are horizontal between the houses, and there are cold clothes on it. Be careful at night, you might end up under a bra and panties hanging from a rope. An Ran lived in the first room on the left hand side of the door.

The smoke was exhausted, An Ran put the cigarette butt into the ashtray and extinguished it. Actually, it wasn't necessary, his house was not much cleaner than an ashtray.

The house is a one-bedroom apartment, with a kitchen and toilet, a TV cabinet in the living room but no TV on it, a coffee table with a broken leg and paint off, a dining table and plastic stools stacked on top of each other, a double wooden bed in the bedroom, and the quilt and pillows are messy. Next to the bed was an old-fashioned desk from the last century, with a computer and black helmet on top of it, and a wardrobe next to the bed. The walls of the house were scraped with paint and the floor was made of cement.

At this time, An Ran was twenty-six years old! The years took away his innocence and romance, and gave him a resolute face and a strong body. He is now about 1.8 meters tall, his hair is still black, his facial features are still extremely exquisite, and his face, which was slightly immature at the beginning, has also been carved more sharply by the carving knife of time. He has an excellent proportioned figure, slender thighs, moderate muscles on his body, and the whole person looks flexible and explosive. Let me put it this way! If there is one thing that is out of place here, it can only be An Ran himself, he is as handsome as a star, and a star should not belong here.

"How long have I been here?" Because his throat was a little dry, he poured himself a glass of water, "From 08 years to school, open a game studio, run an advertising business, and then to a winery!" It has been 11 years since I first started studying. Thinking of this, his heart was sour.

People are really strange animals, and whenever they are frustrated, they often recall the past, and An Ran is like this at this moment. He recalls walking the streets and playing arcade games when he was a teenager; the scene of leaving his hometown and parting with his friends and father; On the first day in this city, the scene of swarming like a headless fly; He paused when he thought of some memorable moments in high school, and his mind didn't move quickly towards the present, like a movie in fast forward that suddenly played normally.

When he entered the school that day, the school was crowded, An Ran dragged a big box to the playground, and the boys and girls along the way stared at him. He found a report on the side of the playground track, which was the fifth class of high school he was going to attend. A girl with a ponytail and a T-shirt and jeans ushered him to the classroom on the second floor of the school building, where he forgot what they had said, but the girl was enthusiastic.

He then met the head teacher and the subject teacher, the head teacher was a kind-faced woman surnamed Wu, who held a class meeting, took the students to the teaching office to register, pay the tuition and accommodation fees, and then took them to the boys' dormitory to settle them down.

Most of the semester has passed, he and the other men in the dormitory are already very familiar, he sleeps on the top bunk of the bed on the east side of the dormitory, after the evening self-study, the dormitory is always noisy, they will tell some interesting things in the class and bragging about how awesome they are, discuss and argue about certain games, An Ran will occasionally mix in a few words as an audience member most of the time. The young man was impressed by a boy in the dormitory, who was short and small, and who was best at telling pornographic stories, and who could also relate to tell them himself.

At the end of the first semester, during the winter vacation, An Ran received the first call from Zhao Chunmei, and he remembered that he hadn't called her yet, she asked him if he would go home for the New Year, and he made an excuse that he was going to a certain city or a relative, he thought she was going to blame herself, but she didn't, just asked him to take care. During the winter vacation, An Ran found a place to live near the school, and the young man bought a computer and found a temporary job as a dishwasher in a restaurant.

With a place to live, An Ran started her dream and worked hard to become a professional esports player. The young man downloaded and tried all the games that could participate in the competition, and finally found a problem, he had no talent and no time, and the Internet was slow to death, but it was not without gain, because he knew where he lived, the classmates in the dormitory came to sleep in circles.

After the spring sports meeting in the second semester, An Ran's appearance and athletic talent turned him into a celebrity in the school, and when young people played basketball, football, or other things in the playground, they always attracted the attention of some girls, and of course, some boys' unkind eyes. In the days that followed, he received a lot of love letters, confessions and threats, in the face of love letters and confessions, An Ran could always find a suitable reason to refuse, and he could avoid threats in the face of threats.

During the summer vacation, a tall boy with glasses in the dormitory did not go home, and bought a brand new computer and put it in the house rented by An Ran.

He is a great player of "World of Warcraft", so they naturally chose "World of Warcraft", which was still very popular at the time, to start their journey. With Brother Glasses leading An Ran is naturally very relaxed, he explains to him, takes him to level up, and helps him find equipment. This game allowed An Ran to show extraordinary talent, in just one summer vacation, the young man rushed his mage account to the full level under the leadership of Brother Glasses, and then they followed some guilds to brush advanced copies every day, battlefields, classes during the day, and stay up vigil at night, so by the end of the second semester of high school, An Ran's equipment was already surprisingly good, his skills had surpassed Brother Glasses, and he was the number one great god mage in the entire Ten Districts of Warcraft.

Because of his reputation in World of Warcraft, he can play games and earn some money at the same time, An Ran is very satisfied with the current situation, he doesn't care about those MOBA games anymore, and his dream of being a professional e-sports player has long been thrown out of the clouds. If you want to stay up at night and play games, you can only doze off in class during the day, and the academic performance of the young people who were still in the past has plummeted, and the teachers have no choice but to give up after many persuasions.

When he was in his third year of high school, An Ran suddenly found that he had grown a head, and he was already nearly 1.8 meters tall, which made more girls join the team that liked him. He's too handsome and he's a game god - they don't care how he learns! So of course, there are sometimes some beautiful girls in the young man's house, and then there are inevitably more boys.

Now it was lively, whether it was day or night, the miasma of laughter and smoke in his house may have been reported by a neighbor, and finally one day the police were alarmed, and they came to the door to take them to the police station to make a record, and when they learned that they were students and did not do anything illegal, they notified the school to pick them up.

This was a disaster for An Ran, the young man was criticized by the school for a major demerit, their computers were confiscated by the school, and his house was repossessed by the landlord. The head teacher knew and finally knew An Ran's lie, the young man did not live in a relative's house, but rented a house outside the school, so this woman who was still amiable at the beginning directly sentenced him to death - temporary student status is not allowed to come to class without inviting parents, she does not need such a student. What about An Ran? Where does he have parents to please? Could this senior in high school really have his lame father all the way to school?

So An Ran's high school career ended like this, there was no college entrance examination, no farewell, the original dream of being an e-sports professional player was shattered, and his savings were about to be spent, so he could only leave the school alone to find another source. Zhao Chunmei would still call and chat with him every once in a while, and what they talked about was nothing more than the interesting things in their school, life and learning, of course, she would also ask An Ran about the situation, and An Ran's answer was the same 'very good'.

When he found a house in Lin'an District again, Chen Qiang also called, he asked An Ran to remember his number and contact often, and he asked him which school he was going to? Is there a chance in a city? He said he hadn't thought it through. Chen Qiang also said that Zhao Chunmei had someone he liked, he was his classmate, and they were going to be admitted to a certain university in Beijing together, An Ran's nose was sour, but he sincerely blessed them.

Thoughts began to fly towards the present, and the pictures in my memory flashed like slides.

An Ran couldn't lose his account in World of Warcraft, he was looking forward to working with Brother Glasses again to earn money while playing the game, but Brother Glasses told him that he was going to go to a certain place to study in a junior college and then have a chance to talk about it, so he simply broke the kettle and bought another brain with his remaining savings in a vain attempt to make a comeback, but the young man didn't hold on for three months in the end, and the speed at which he led people to level up couldn't keep up with the speed of game updates; The equipment he worked so hard to sell with the gold group could not keep up with the inflation in the game, and the gold he earned was worthless.

can't make money in the game, and without a source of livelihood, An Ran has to count the tickets in her bag even for dinner. Finally, under the pressure of reality, the young man sold his game account, put down the copy and battlefield in the game, and had to go to the battlefield of life. With no education or skills, he had to find the most strenuous jobs, starting with distributing leaflets to merchants in shopping malls in downtown areas, then running business in advertising agencies, and finally moving here to work as a distiller's lees shoveler.

Putting the glass on the living room table, An Ran walked to the bedroom, he looked at the black thing like a motorcycle helmet next to the computer and couldn't help but smile, "Old guy, you have made me miserable." The young man muttered to himself.

"An Ran! An Ran! Are you there? Brother An Ran! Suddenly, a child's voice came from the opposite room, "I'm done with my homework!" You said you were going to take me to the top of the score? “

"It's coming!" After agreeing, the young man shook his head helplessly, grabbed his mobile phone and walked to the opposite room.

"Brother Wu, sister-in-law is good!" After entering the house, An Ran greeted a man and a woman in the room.

The man is thirty-seven or eighteen, a middle-aged man with curly hair and a ruddy complexion, and the woman is thirty-four or five wearing an apron, and is sorting out her son's schoolbag at the moment.

A chubby, teenage boy ran up and led An Ran into the room, and then hugged a small chair for him, "Brother An Ran, you sit, you sit." The boy said.

"Have you eaten?" The woman asked while packing her schoolbag, and then she said to her son: "You only know how to move a stool for your brother An Ran, and you don't ask if your brother An Ran is hungry." This kid - must go to bed at ten o'clock. ”

The little boy cocked his mouth and sighed.

"I've eaten my sister-in-law," An Ran said with a smile, "Besides, if I'm hungry, will I be polite to you?" “

"That is, An Ran is not an outsider." Brother Wu handed the teacup to the young man and said.

"As long as your heart is big, everyone is like you?" Sister-in-law Wu glared at her husband with a smile and said, "You don't care about your son, you have to trouble An Ran to help pick you up, or just let him be An Ran." “

The tea that had just been drunk was almost sprayed out by An Ran.

"What is this?" He thought, "Oh! I'll be my son as a son, and then you will be my wife, and give your man a hat greener than the prairie? "Hah! He couldn't help but laugh at the thought of this.

"What are you talking about..... you bastard!" Brother Wu was speechless.

"You say it again?" Sister-in-law Wu crossed her waist and threatened his man.

"I didn't say anything - what, Anran fast-forward to the game." Brother Wu changed the subject.

"How long do you have left? Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time! The little boy was not satisfied.

They play a MOBA mobile game called "Honor of Kings", this game is a tower pushing game, the battle is divided into five people, as long as the opponent's crystal can be knocked off, it will be a victory. There are many heroes in the game for players to choose from, suitable for all kinds of people, and it doesn't take long to fight, most of the time it's only a dozen or twenty minutes a game. Due to the short time of a game, the operation is simple, and it is a mobile game, anyone as long as they have a little spare time, take out their mobile phones and can play one or two, so they are deeply loved by the majority of players, streets, buses, subway entrances, offices, from time to time you can see someone playing it, this game is currently quite popular.

They play in five rows, with three of their own people in teams, and the system arranges two more passers-by players. An Ran's rank is Xingyao Er, the father and son are still hovering in the diamond rank, this rank has reached the recruitment mode, and will participate in the link of banning heroes and selecting heroes, and the four heroes will be banned from the fourth and fifth floors of both sides at the beginning, and then they will start to select heroes to play the game. Banning heroes and choosing heroes are a bit particular, just like playing chess, the competition is about the understanding and familiarity of both sides with the game, and I won't explain it in detail here.

After three rounds of playing with the Wu family's father and son, An Ran chose the position according to the plastic surgery of both parties, and the father and son came completely according to their own preferences.

The first game: The little boy chose the standing pile shooter Luban No. 7, Brother Wu chose the mid-laner Mage Milaidi, and the passers-by chose the jungler Zhao Yun and the top single Lu Bu, with Na Ke Lulu and Gongben on the opposite side, Ran An had to choose a big beef bull demon in the auxiliary position to protect them, and in the first game they won the highest score in the auxiliary, and Lu Ban ranked second.

The second game: At the beginning, the shooter position was robbed by passers-by, Xiao Wu didn't care, and continued to take his favorite Luban No. 7, someone chose Zhuge Liang in the middle single position, and Comrade Wu took a Xiahoudun to play the top single. An Ran couldn't do it, so he simply chose Xiao Ming to take Lu Ban, who led Xiao Wu's classmate, to go around to fight wild and eat economy, and in just a few minutes, the two defense towers on his side were the first to be broken, and passers-by began to scold Xiao Wu. An Ran asked the Wu family father and son to close the chat in the bureau, and continued to lead Xiao Luban to hide from the opposite side to play the economy. After a while, the highland defense towers of this side were about to be pushed, at this time this pair of conjoined babies (in the glory of the king, Xiao Ming is Ming Shiyin, and Xiao Ming often leads a hero to run together, everyone jokingly calls them 'conjoined babies') before going out of the mountain, with Xiahou and Xiao Ming's injury resistance Xiao Luban completed four kills under the tower, Zhuge Liang harvested a head, and then they took the opportunity to fight the situation after the juggernaut improved. Economically, no one can bear the No. 7 Luban led by Ming Shiyin, and the five of them followed the big dragon to win the victory, and Luban became the MVP in the second game.

In the third game: Xiao Wu played a mid-laner Angela on a whim, Lao Wu still played a single Xiahoudun, and passers-by chose Li Bai to play the jungler, and the auxiliary was Donghuang Taiyi. An Ran took the shooter Baili Shou Covenant, he first reversed the opposite blue with Donghuang Taiyi, and killed the opponent's jungler Sun Wukong, and then sniped off the bloody Bai Qi with two skills and two shots in the lower lane. After a while, the opposite lower lane defense tower was pushed off, and then Baili Shou and Jungler Auxiliary invaded the opposite lower half of the field at the same time to establish an economic advantage, this set was easier to win than ten minutes before the opposite crystal was exploded, and Baili Shou became the MVP of the game with about 11 kills, 1 death and 8 assists.

"Alright!" An Ran quit the game and stretched, "Xiaojie, let's play together next time we have time!" “

The little boy was still unsatisfied, begging his father to play another game with An Ran.

"Obedient, Brother An Ran still has something." Brother Wu kindly persuaded his son.

"But—"

"—What is it? What time are you looking? Let me go in and sleep! Brother Wu's wife began to roar in Hedong.

"Xiao Wu, a man has to talk about it, Brother An Ran will bring you something delicious tomorrow." An Ran said while persuading and touching the little boy's forehead.

"Okay!" The little boy finally put down his phone and went back to his room.

"You're the only one who spoils him like that." Brother Wu's wife said with a smile, her words full of emotion.

An Ran didn't say anything, said goodbye to the husband and wife, and the young man walked through the courtyard and returned to his house.

He first opened a black website to log in to his account, and then pressed the power switch of the helmet, at this time, a green light the size of a pea on the left side of the helmet lit up, and the web page showed that the device link was successful, please start the data test. The young man put his helmet on his head and began to walk around the house, drawing and gesturing like a ghost.

"Hey! An Ran's child is good for everything, but his life is hard," the Wu family's wife sighed while lying on the bed, "I got this disease at a young age, and I haven't seen anyone take care of him." “

"Somebody has to take care of him," her man said, "have you seen him go home after all these years?" Or has someone come to see him? ”

"Do you think he's going to be an orphan? Such a good guy is not small, hey! She turned over to her husband beside her and said, "You said that girl from our hometown Sangui...... Do you want to introduce him? ”

Lao Wu gave his wife a blank look in the dark.

"People can see it? Just the girl from Sangui'er's family...... And he's in his twenties, and you still call him a child? ”

"He's sick with a woman—what are you doing?" She lifted his hand at once.

"Brother An Ran said that he was doing radio gymnastics." The little boy next door who had not yet fallen asleep said coldly.

An Ran was still moving, jumping, and gesturing around the room with that black helmet, and every time the handsome young man moved, a large string of unintelligible numbers or symbols would pop up on the computer screen. Sweat drenched his hair, beads of sweat running down the tips of his hair, salty liquid slid across his face, across his shoulders, and wet his clothes. What's he doing? Isn't he tired? No! He's sick, he's dancing a dance that others can't understand, and the name of this dance is Unwilling to be ordinary.

If life is as impermanent as the sea, suffering is like a night without stars, suffering will make life gray, and the night will make the sea dark. What if you are unfortunate enough to be left in this dark sea of life? Don't let your choices kill us, we should breathe like a fish, let the sea of life run into our mouths, suck the breath of hope into our stomachs and spit out the bitter water.