God's Left Hand - Book 1: Chapter 1

Alright guys, here are with Book 1 of God's Left Hand! Also I've been talking with Hsi and we might start posting 2 chapters a week, one on every Saturday like usual and once on Monday. We'll make an announcement on the blog on when we plan to start.

Enjoy!

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Sunshine came into the library through the glass.

Bright and clear.

Ai Qing, with her chin resting on her palms, looked at the book titled “Origin of the Color of Gemstones”.  There were two other books next to her, “Gemstone Appraisal” and “Instruments for Appraising Gemstones”.  The girls next to her looked at these books curiously, then looked at her and exchanged few words in a low voice.

Ai Qing sighed quietly.  

She wouldn't have chosen jewelry appraisal as her major if she had known better.

Because it was such an unpopular major on campus, something considered rare and exotic.  Almost no one knew that this university had a serious bachelor of arts degree in jewelry appraisal.

Those girls, after their mutters, began to talk about various activities at school.  Finally, their focus turned to a certain DotA league.  It seemed that there’s a corporation organizing a Chinese DotA league.  In order to promote it commercially, all the tournaments were held on various college campuses.  And the tournament in this city was being held on the fifth floor of the school library.

At three o’clock this afternoon.

It was said that there were going to be 26 teams from different colleges of the city.

It was said that there were many handsome guys there.

It was said that the winning team could go on to national finals.

“Small instruments for the discrimination of colors are, spectroscopes, dichroic beam splitter, color filter, UV lamp……” Ai Qing deliberately read aloud to hint to the girls that their gossiping was bothering others…… but they continued unabated.  Finally, she had collected her books and quietly left her seat.

On her way downstairs, she happened to run into the contestants for the game going upstairs.

They wore different colored uniforms and backpacks, all boys except a few rare women team captains.

She held her books and finally passed through all these people.  Suddenly, someone called out “Gou Gou”.  Ai Qing unconsciously turned her head and saw a face with a big smile and huge surprise.  “It’s really you, Gou Gou.”

Ai Qing grinned.  “Call me Ai Qing.”

“Ai Qing.”  That shy Mian Bao before was now more than a head taller than her, he’d totally grown up.  “I’m here for the tournament.  Are you here to watch the matches?”

“I’m a student here.”  Ai Qing raised the books in her hands.  “Jewelry Appraisal.”
“Jewelry Appraisal…...is it fun?”

“It’s a niche market,”  Ai Qing told him mysteriously.  “There are only 800 registered jewelry appraisers in the country so far.”

She succeeded in fooling Mian Bao.  After showing a stunned expression, he commented that it was no wonder she would give up video game competitions since she had found such great profession.

Ai Qing smiled and didn’t respond.

Because of the enthusiastic invitation from this old acquaintance, Ai Qing sat at the last row of the venue and watched a whole afternoon full of video game matches.  More and more commercial sponsorship and more and more college level leagues.  It’s just like what they said in the opening statement of this tournament: nowadays, video game competitions were no longer just a sport, but a commercial event.