It was the beginning of summer when Xiang Chen received a small letter in the mail. Just as he was about to open up his letter, he got a phone call from his cousin, Xiang Liang. “Chen Ge, did you get a letter in the mail today?” 

 

Xiang Chen glanced down at the small letter in his hands, getting a strange feeling at the coincidence. “En, received today.”

 

There was a long sigh over the phone before Xiang Liang spoke up again. “Just got a reply back from Techno and found out that I didn’t win the prize…” There seemed to be a lot of grievances in his voice. 

 

“Prize…?” There was a furrow between Xiang Chen’s eyebrows as he tried to recall what Xiang Liang was referring to.

 

“Yeah! Remember last year, that gaming giant company Techno announced that they’d open up a spot for beta testing a new virtual gaming device? I made all our cousins and my friends apply!” 

 

Xiang Chen’s memory came back, and he recalled Xiang Liang’s excitement last summer when he had gone home to visit family. Xiang Chen barely went home because he was busy with the last year of his university, but he always remembered his little cousins and brought back gifts. That particular past summer, he had bought a popular video game from the company Techno that Xiang Liang idolized. That was how Xiang Liang had found out about Techno releasing a new VGD, virtual gaming device. Then the ecstatic high schooler made everyone sign up to win the prize of beta testing the new game. Honestly, it sounded a bit like a health hazard to Xiang Chen who was a medical student… Who knew what the repercussions were to testing out a newly developed technology? Virtual gaming was not uncommon, but it was still considered fairly early in the stages of development. 

 

“Ge, did you open the letter yet? What did it say ah?” Xiang Liang’s voice sounded excited. Xiang Chen carefully began to open up the small letter in his hands. Honestly, Xiang Chen didn’t expect much, but he was still willing to entertain his little cousin.

 

However, as he read the contents of the letter, Xiang Chen was quite with surprise. 

 

“Chen Ge? Are you still there?” Xiang Liang’s voice brought Xiang Chen back to reality. 

 

“...En.” 

 

“What does it say ah?”

 

Xiang Chen’s eyes roved over the letter one more time to confirm. “...Says I won the prize.” 

 

There was a moment of silence. And then Xiang Liang’s loud shouting could be heard in the background. “Chen Ge, are you serious!?”

 

“En.” Xiang Chen was surprised himself. He hadn’t expected to win the prize for such a thing. 

 

“Okay, hold onto it tight! Don’t let it go! Come home this weekend, okay!?” His little cousin sounded almost out of breath excited. He was also insistent on Xiang Chen returning home. 

 

It was close to summer break, so Xiang Chen had already finished most of school papers and exams. He could afford to head home a little earlier than usual as long as he informed his professors. “En, I’ll come home.” 

 

They chatted a little more before hanging up with the promise of Xiang Chen returning home next weekend. 

After informing his professors and finishing up his schoolwork early, Xiang Chen headed home for an early summer break. He took a long two hour train ride home before being met at the station by Father Xiang in his car. They chatted a bit in the car until they got home where Mother Xiang was waiting for them. But as soona s Xiang Chen opened up the door to go inside, he was greeted by the grinning face of his little cousin Xiang Liang. 

 

“Chen Ge, you’re back ah!” He grinned wide, showing dimples on each cheek. 

 

Xiang Chen laughed, reaching out a hand to ruffle the fluffy brown hair. The Xiang family always had a trait of light features; light brown eyes, hair, and pale skin. But the highschooler before him was tanned from playing outside so much. “You rascal, couldn’t keep still at home, huh?” 

 

“Xiao Liang, your ge just got home and you’re already pestering him?” Scolded a familiar voice from the kitchen. It was Auntie Wei, little Liang’s mother and Father Xiang’s sister-in-law. 

 

“Chenchen, you’re back!” Mother Xiang stood at the doorway to the kitchen in an apron with a ladle. The familiar sight and smells of home made Xiang Chen smile. 

 

“En, I’m back.” He replied as he was instructed to put his stuff away in his old room. Xiang Chen was an only child, and so was Xiang Liang; so naturally, the two cousins were as close as brothers growing up. Uncle Xiang, Father Xiang’s younger brother, passed away in a car accident a few years back, so Auntie Wei and Xiang Liang lived close and were naturally taken care of by his family because they lived near each other. 

 

Therefore, it wasn’t strange when Xiang Liang came barging into Xiang Chen’s room with bright eyes. “Chen Ge, where’s the letter ah? I want to see with my own eyes!” 

 

Xiang Chen smiled, handing over the letter before ruffling that fluffy head once more. “Here bah, take it. You can have it.” He chuckled. 

Xiang Liang quickly took the letter, reading it over. His eyes widened as he did. “You actually won! This is so crazy!” Then he paused as he heard Xiang Chen’s words, looking at him in disbelief. “I can’t take it, Chen Ge. You won fair and square!” 

 

“I only applied because you insisted. I really don’t mind giving it over to you. I’ll be happy if you are able to enjoy it.” 

 

“Chen Ge, I wish I could, but I can’t…” Xiang Liang gave a long sigh. 

 

Xiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

 

Xiang Liang made a face, throwing himself onto Xiang Chen’s bed as he gave another long dramatic sigh. “To avoid fraud, they do background checks on the applicants. Then, they only allow the person who won to receive the prize. You can’t just gift it to me…” 

 

“Not even if I call them to let them know the situation?” Xiang Chen inquired, feeling a bit regretful for his little cousin. 

 

“No… because one person can only get one chance or else it wouldn’t be fair.” 

 

Xiang Chen felt bad for his little cousin who had been so excited. “Then I won’t go, and maybe they’ll pick someone else. Maybe it’ll be you.” He reasoned.

 

“No, you can’t!” Xiang Liang quickly sat up on the bed. “You have to go!” 

 

Xiang Chen was taken aback by Xiang Liang’s insistence. “What do you mean?”

 

“If you go, there’s another prize ah! I read about it when they announced more information about the beta testing!” Xiang Chen said excitedly as though he just remembered about it. 

 

Just as they were about to speak more, Mother Xiang called them from the kitchen to eat. Xiang Chen and Xiang Liang continued their discussion in the kitchen, prompting stern stares from both mothers. However, after a long plea, Xiang Liang managed to convince Xiang Chen to go through with receiving the prize. So after dinner, they called up the number listed on the letter to confirm the prize and get more details. 

 

The beta test was actually a lot more scientific and time-consuming than Xiang Chen had realized. He would have to take a full one month’s break from university to participate, and he even had to live in the housing provided by Techno in the meantime. This was to ensure that the participants could be monitored to ensure that the Mirage VGD had no physiological or psychological repercussions to one’s health; Xiang Chen, being a medical student, had to applaud them at their willingness to go so far. But he guessed that it wasn’t only for the participants’ safety but also for the safety of the technology’s secrets from getting out before its release. 

 

Once the details were hashed out, Xiang Chen’s interest was piqued learning that the game that was going to be played was a horror survival type. He’d always liked horror movies growing up, so he was quite intrigued to be playing a virtual game in such a thrilling genre. The game was called Five Tales of Terror, and there was also a mini competition between the beta testers that would give a prize at the very end, but the Techno rep refused to tell more details until closer to the testing date… 

 

“Sounds exciting, Chen Ge! You’re going, right?” Xiang Liang’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

 

“En. I’ll go.” Xiang Chen replied before reaching out to ruffle Xiang Liang’s fluffy hair one more time. It honestly sounded a bit interesting, and he could use a break from university for awhile.