Our Love

In an instant, five damage numbers jumped up from above Blood and Sand's head!

"9235!"

"12744!"

"18882!"

"37987!"

Not a single critical hit was triggered, but the Power Sword ignores armor, and with a damage increase of 60%+, even with Blood and Sand's top-tier gear and a lot of Damage Reduction, it still took him down in one combo!

"Whoosh~~~"

The light of time reversal flowed, and the body, torn apart by Blood and Sand, was restored to its original state, entering an invincible state, waiting to choose whether to revive on the spot or be teleported away!

"Hiss--"

The next second, wisps of Cosmic Frost appeared on the Power Sword in my hand; the Cold Star Piercing Bone skill was ready!

Then, on the face of Blood and Sand, I saw the words "Holy shit!" Without hesitation, he chose to teleport away, his body turning into nothingness and disappearing from the spot!

"Retreat!"

Not far away, a Caucasian Player shouted to retreat, saying it was an order from Blood and Sand.

Another player, who appeared to be of Asian descent, shouted, "Retreat! Retreat! Although Shadow Chaser's combat power is terrifying, if we all run away together, he might not be able to kill us all!"

Then, more than 20 Caucasian Player ran backward and used their movement skills, then pulled out motorcycles from their Dimensional Storage Space. More than 20 Off-road Motorcycle roared and sped off to the north!

"Chase!"

Without saying a word, I stepped forward and decapitated a blond youth who had just gotten on a motorcycle with a single sword stroke. His body immediately tilted and fell, triggering the Resurrection Sacred Canon, but the motorcycle was left behind!

He quickly raised his Conqueror and fired a burst of bullets, blowing another motorcyclist's Headshot off and knocking him down. He then turned around, aimed at the third person, and finished him off with another burst of bullets!

But the Off-road Motorcycle were too fast. Just as they said, if they really wanted to leave, there was no way we could stop them with just a few of us.

"RPG!"

I yelled and switched to my RPG, firing rapidly. Immediately, explosions echoed through the jungle, blasting five motorcycles to pieces. Although the enemy had the Resurrection Sacred Canon and failed to kill anyone, this was still a heavy loss.

"Ding Han, should we pursue him?" Ruolin asked.

"Don't chase."

I looked at the dark expanse of the northern sky and frowned. "Blood and Sand have learned their lesson. Their people all have the Resurrection Sacred Canon, so we won't get anything out of them. Besides, we don't know much about the situation in the north. There's no need to risk our Resurrection Sacred Canon. Let's pack up and call it a day!"

"Um!"

In a clearing in the woods, three intact Off-road Motorcycle lay on the ground, left behind by the three players who had been killed.

"Does anyone need to replace their motorcycle?" I asked.

Everyone's eyes lit up instantly. Cai Cai immediately traded her little donkey for a high-end motorcycle painted with Bumblebee paint. Kou Mei and Bingzi also traded for one. Since I had a lot of storage space, I stuffed all their motorcycles into it. When we got back to the Player Black Market, I could sell them and recoup some money.

The return journey was long, and the eight of them sped along under the starry night.

"Drop!"

A player message came from Gun Like a Dragon: "Ding Han, you guys just had a firefight with the Blood and Sand guild from the foreign server?"

"Yes, the battle is over."

I chuckled. "Alliance Leader Long, your information network is incredibly efficient. We finished our battle less than ten minutes ago, and you already know."

"Haha, my intelligence network is pretty good. To be honest, we have people in several factions, including the Star Maple Federation and Dark Tide, so intelligence gathering is quite convenient. After you finish your battle, Blood and Sand will post a message on the Dark Tide faction's Dark Web, telling players in the Stream City Wilderness to avoid you and not run into you."

"I see."

I couldn't help but smile, "Blood and Sand... they're actually quite considerate of the bigger picture."

"Snort!"

Gun Like a Dragon said, "Blood and Sand are top three players on the North American server. They recently created the 'Winner Takes All' guild, which has been gaining immense popularity lately. They've subdued a large number of dissenting players and their power is growing. They've been lurking in the wilderness around the Creek City recently, and they've clashed with several guilds from the National Server. Both sides have suffered losses, but overall, the National Server has been at a slight disadvantage."

He chuckled softly, "How many Resurrection Sacred Canon did you destroy this time?"

"About ten or so."

"That's good enough, enough to keep them quiet for a while."

"I Gun Like a Dragon originally planning to take the Crimson Firmament Alliance's elite troops to clash with them tomorrow, but it seems completely unnecessary now. You've already taken care of it for me, hahaha~~~"

I was speechless for a moment. "Then remember to treat our Ding Han Squad to a meal sometime!"

"Sure, just let me know when you're free, I'm happy to treat you anytime!"

OK!

Around 8 PM.

Arrive at the Teleportation Array and return to the Huaining City Player Black Market.

I traded with Old Ma, sold off a bunch of unused equipment and items, and then bought 50,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. This way, I won't have to worry about running out of Assault Rifle ammunition in future battles!

I texted Lin Qingying to let her know that I had returned to Huaining City, but she was still working overtime at the company, so I took a taxi back to the internet cafe and ordered a boxed meal from there.

"Ding Han."

Chen Xiaoman, wearing a bodycon skirt, walked over and said, "The machines in Zone B are all installed. Please check them out. If there are no problems, Zone B can start operating tomorrow."

"Good!"

Overjoyed, he followed Chen Xiaoman to Area B.

This used to be the Dream Paris Bathhouse, but now the central wall has been demolished and renovated, with the style exactly the same as Area A. In addition, Area B also has its own milk tea bar. The internet cafe business is really growing bigger and bigger. The 500 machines look like a huge, imposing sight, almost like a super-giant ship.

"How was it? Not bad, right?"

Chen Xiaoman laughed and said, "I took a video and sent it to Xiao Bei. She was very satisfied and told us to open Area B as soon as possible so we can make money and break even sooner."

"Um."

I nodded. "I'm satisfied too, so let's open it up then."

The next second, a bell rang in my ear--

[Congratulations! You have completed the daily quest "Grow Stronger, Feiyang Internet Cafe" (S-class Main Quest)! Rewards: 10 million character experience, 1 Charm Value, and an additional reward: "Chaos Blade" (S-rank Skill Tome)!]

"The Chaos Blade?!"

A chill ran through him, and he quickly turned his gaze to the Dimensional Storage Space, where he saw a golden skill book lying in the corner, its entire body flowing with misty light.

[Chaos Blade] (S-rank Skill Tome): Fuses the Chaos Power with a melee weapon, increasing the weapon's attack power by 100% for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Required level: 50. Required class: Super Weapon Master.

Sure enough, daily tasks are more likely to yield top-tier skill books!

The Chaos Blade skill is very powerful, increasing weapon attack power by 100% for 30 seconds. This means that the higher the weapon's attack power, the greater the skill's benefit!

It's a great skill, but unfortunately there are no skill points left. You need to reach level 52 to regain skill points, but the current level cap is 50. Unless version 3.0 is released, all players will be stuck at level 50.

In other words, at this stage, Super Weapon Master can only learn one fifth-tier skill, and I've learned the strongest fifth-tier Power Sword Storm, which is already very good. As for this Chaos Blade, I'll keep it and learn it later.

The upgrade system in <Star Abyss> emphasizes "fairness and impartiality." Even if you are a peerless genius and reach the maximum level of the version, you must stop and wait for the other players.

Go upstairs and write the algorithm.

Around nine o'clock in the evening.

"Drop!"

A message came from my WeChat group with Milo and Lu Xiaobei. It was Milo speaking, "Ding Han, are you in Huaining City?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"Xiao Bei and I will be landing in Huaining City tomorrow morning. Please take some time out of your schedule to treat us to lunch."

"No problem..."

I laughed and said, "Anyway, I work at an internet cafe now, so I can invite you anytime you want."

"Great, impressive!"

Milo touched Lu Xiaobei: "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I just had a fight with Old Lu, don't talk to me."

"..."

Milo and I both sent ellipses, then asked, "So are you coming to Huaining City tomorrow?"

"Come on, bring Zhao Yihang back with you. The WBL matter is settled."

"That's fine."

Time flies, and the next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

At noon, Milo and Lu Xiaobei barged into my office. He was wearing sunglasses, a leather jacket, and had a very fashionable hairstyle.

"Is it a cloudy day today?"

I complained, "Wearing sunglasses in this weather? Can't you stop trying to look cool?"

"Damn it..."

Milo took off his sunglasses. "I'm a celebrity, for goodness' sake! Can't you give me some face? You keep criticizing me like this, don't I have any dignity? Xiao Bei, you agree, right?"

Lu Xiaobei plopped down on the desk and looked at the algorithm code I had written.

"Can you understand it?" I asked.

"Can't read."

She shook her head. "But it looks pretty impressive."

"Snort..."

I smiled and asked, "Where should we eat lunch?"

"Let's keep it simple and have dry pot," Milo said.

"OK!"

So, at noon, the three of them gathered at the Chicken Frog Dry Pot Restaurant again, ordered a big pot of dry pot, and then got to work.

"This time I'm going back to Huaining City..."

I glanced at Milo and asked, "Mainly for?"

"Looking for you."

Milo kept his head down as he ate, not daring to look up for too long, afraid that someone would notice.

Lu Xiaobei, on the other hand, was much more straightforward. He took off his sunglasses, enjoying his lunch, and lowered his voice to say, "Ding Han, I've confirmed that I'll be collaborating with Nine Heavens Music on our first album, but Milo said he's unsure which songs to choose. We all think you have some musical talent, so we came back to find you for just one thing—to choose songs together!"

"Choose a song?"

I took a deep breath. "Okay, let's all eat more and try to get this done in the afternoon."

"OK!"

Milo laughed and said, "This afternoon we'll go directly to the Nine Heavens Music branch in Huaining City. They've prepared a recording studio for us; we can just choose songs and do the tuning there."

"I'll listen to you."

I didn't say anything more, I just kept eating.

In the afternoon, at the Huaining branch of Nine Heavens Music.

Inside the recording studio.

Milo and Lu Xiaobei were tuning their instruments, while I held half a watermelon and a spoon in my hand, looking like an uninformed bystander.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're still eating?"

Lu Xiaobei glared at me and said, "It's time to get down to business."

"Alright then."

I reluctantly put down the watermelon, then walked over and sat down in front of Milo, saying, "Milo, which song do you plan to use as the title track for Xiao Bei's new album? If nothing unexpected happens, this song should also be the album title, right?"

"That's right."

Milo said, "I prepared several songs for Xiao Bei to choose from, and she finally chose 'Hibernation'."

Hibernation?

I exclaimed in surprise, "It's... the one you listened to, the one about falling leaves at the end of autumn?"

"Um."

Milo nodded. "It's this one..."

"It's not that I can say anything, but let me start by giving my opinion. The climax of this song is indeed quite good, and it has a high chance of becoming a hit. However, apart from the climax, the rest of the song is a bit bland."

"I can't help it. Xiao Bei loves this song. She said that as soon as she heard it, she felt that it was the destined title track for her first album because it perfectly suited her state of mind. She also really wants to hibernate."

"..."

I was Wu Yan.

Lu Xiaobei was a little embarrassed and said softly, "I really like the melody of this song 'Hibernation,' and the lyrics also match my feelings. I feel that only when I sing this song can I put real emotion into it."

"That works too..."

I nodded. "Luo'er, I also agree that Hibernation should be the theme song. What's next? What else have you prepared? But I have to say, now that the style of the theme song has been decided, the style of the next few songs should be closer to it, not too out of place. That would be safer."

Don't worry.

Milo said, "Most of the songs Xiao Bei can choose are of this kind. For the second song, Xiao Bei chose 'The Purer, The Happier.' What do you think?"

"This one's good, I like it!" I immediately nodded and smiled, "I like this song too."

"It's done!"

Milo gave an OK sign and smiled, "The third song is a not-so-popular one called 'The Last Page.' I don't know if you've heard it before."

"I've heard of it, 'Take care, Prime Minister.' I used to see it a lot when I was scrolling through Douyin), and it always made me feel uneasy whenever I thought of the Prime Minister. This song is pretty good too, the choice is alright!"

"Um!"

Lu Xiaobei nodded repeatedly. "I really like this song too after listening to the melody!"

"And the fourth one?" I continued.

"Always Quiet."

"Can."

I nodded without hesitation when it came to this song.

Actually...

Milo looked at me excitedly and laughed, "I recommended the theme song of the Legend of Sword and Fairy, 'Wolf of the Kill,' to Xiao Bei before, but she didn't like it very much, feeling that the style didn't quite match."

"This..."

I frowned and said, "If you want to play Wolf of the Kill, can you really replicate the invincible intro of this song? If not, then forget it."

"It's a bit difficult, but it's worth a try."

"Forget it, we'll talk about this one later."

"Alright."

"Milo, is there a song you've recommended to Xiao Bei?" I suddenly remembered something.

Which one?

"Our Love."

"That song by F. I. R."

"Um."

"I forgot..."

Beside him, Lu Xiaobei asked excitedly, "Ding Han, what's this song like? Can you sing a few lines?"

"Okay, give me the guitar."

I took the guitar from Milo, recalled the sheet music, and then played the intro, not caring whether the notes were correct or not, focusing on emotional investment:

"I vaguely recall my childhood, with clouds floating in the blue sky..."

Just two lines of text, and suddenly I got goosebumps.

Some songs have long been intertwined with time; just a few lines of lyrics can touch the depths of the soul.

After singing only two lines, Lu Xiaobei suddenly stood up and said, "This song must be included in my first album."

Milo was somewhat taken aback, as was I.

So, after a flurry of activity, they went over the lyrics and sheet music for "Our Love" with Milo. They were both very happy and nostalgic for their old world.

"Ding Han."

Milo said, "What do you think... should we add a couple of songs that aren't so 'depressing'? The songs we've chosen all seem like breakup songs. How about adding a couple of slightly more upbeat ones at the end of the album?"

"It's not impossible."

I chuckled and said, "There are many more like that. I recommend Jolin Tsai's 72 Changes, especially 'Say I Love You' and 'Rewind.' Jay Chou composed the music himself, and I think they're absolutely amazing!"

"Sure!"

Milo was overjoyed. "Then let's add 'Say I Love You' and 'rewind'!"

"Yes, yes!"

The two of them excitedly went over the lyrics and tried to recall the melody. When they couldn't remember some of the lyrics, Milo would ask for help in the game. He had a small group of players who were also music enthusiasts. They could definitely help each other with the lyrics.

So, after working until about 7 p. m., we finally finalized all 10 songs for Lu Xiaobei's first album, titled "Hibernation." The first single was "Hibernation," and all the other songs were classics. In fact, any of them could have "Explosive Kill" Hibernation, but Lu Xiaobei liked that particular song, so there was nothing we could do about it.

Besides, Lu Xiaobei poured his heart into the song "Hibernation," so if he were to actually sing it, the effect might not be bad.

Around 7 o'clock, Lu Xiaobei treated everyone to dinner.

This time, we booked a private room at a large restaurant and ordered a table full of delicious food.

"Xiao Bei."

Milo raised his glass and said, "Now that the songs are settled, I'll speed up my work here and get your first album out as soon as possible. Don't forget my contribution when you become a hit across the country!"

"Yes, yes, yes."

I nodded. "And don't forget about Xiao Ding, who's far away in Huaining City; he also did his part."

Lu Xiaobei rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, if I really become famous, you two will each get 25% of the credit, is that okay?"

"Okay, okay, bottoms up!"

A glass of beer, downed in one gulp.

The next moment, Lu Xiaobei looked at me. "Ding Han, the Flagship Store has now expanded to 500 machines. I asked Zhao Yihang, and the usage rate today is not bad. However, the total number of students at Huaining University who go online is only so many. Our Feiyang Internet Cafe has become quite famous in Huaining City because of WHL. Recently, many people have left messages saying that they hope we can open more chain stores in Huaining. What do you think?"

"It's not about what I think, it's about what you think."

I looked at her and asked, "Do you want to continue expanding and dominate the internet cafe market in Huaining?"

"Of course I want to."

Lu Xiaobei said, "I hope to open two more branches in Huaining City, each with about 300 machines. With all three branches operating together, Feiyang Internet Cafe will be able to dominate the internet cafe industry in Huaining City."

The next second, the bell rang in my ear, and Lu Xiaobei's boastful words triggered another daily task for me.

[You have triggered the daily quest "Feiyang Internet Cafe, Growing Bigger and Stronger!" (S-class Main Quest). Quest details: Lu Xiaobei's ambition goes far beyond just one Flagship Store. She hopes to open two more internet cafe branches in prime locations in Huaining City. Please assist Lu Xiaobei in realizing her vision. Each branch must have at least 300 computers. Upon completion of the quest, you will receive a very generous reward!]

That feels great! Hanging out with Sister Bei means I never stop with my daily tasks.

I think it's a good idea!

I immediately stated, "This branch store must be opened. What kind of Flagship Store it if there isn't a branch store?!"

"Really? You agree?!"

"Of course, but is there enough funding?" I asked.

"This..."

Lu Xiaobei hesitated for a moment, then said, "I heard that Old Lu's company has encountered some minor problems recently, and I really don't want to ask him for money. However, I can transfer funds from the other Flagship Store in Beihai, Jiangning, and Donghai. If that doesn't work, I can borrow some start-up loans from the bank."

"Let's not bother the bank."

Milo said, "Just tell me how much you need. I don't have anything else, but I have a lot of money right now..."

"Cough cough!"

I glanced at him and said, "Milo, we don't need you this time. Xiao Bei, try your best to raise the money first. If it's not enough, I can make up the difference."

As he spoke, he glanced at the pile of money in his storage space. "Are you kidding me? I'm a big shot with over 4 million in cash now!"

"No..."

Milo stared wide-eyed and said, "Ding Han, what's going on with you now? You actually have money?"

"Damn it!"

I said casually, "You don't actually think I don't make any money every time I go out, do you? Then why am I running around like a headless chicken in the Frigid Tundra and the Stream City Wilderness? What's the point?"

"Awesome..."

Milo gave a thumbs-up, looking sly. "No wonder you're a top-tier player in Huaining City. A noob like me can't compare. I only ever lose money in the game, damn it..."

Lu Xiaobei rolled her eyes, then looked at me excitedly and said, "Milo is flying to Beihai first thing tomorrow morning to prepare for my album. Ding Han, let's go out and look around tomorrow morning to choose locations for the two new stores."

"Can."

Late at night, in the old house.

Lin Qingying was still working, seemingly organizing a data spreadsheet.

"You're back?"

"Um."

I sat down next to her and said, "Milo and Xiao Bei have come to Huaining City to prepare for Xiao Bei's first album. In addition, she plans to open two more branches in Huaining City. Xiaoying, as a native of Huaining, do you have any suggestions on the location selection?"

"Internet cafes, you know..."

Lin Qingying put down the documents and smiled, "I think it's still best to open near a university. After all, university students are the main internet customers right now. As for the location, I have two suggestions. One is Huaining University of Science and Technology in Donghu District. The houses around the old campus are cheap, but there are a lot of students, so it should be a priority. The other is the Jiangning University Branch Campus in the new district. It's a university town, so if we open a branch there, business will definitely be good."

"Good!"

My eyes lit up, and I took out my phone to write it down.

The next morning, at Feiyang Internet Cafe.

I changed back into my presentable Armani suit and arrived at the internet cafe. I saw that Lu Xiaobei was also wearing a suit, and even had his Feiyang Internet Cafe employee badge hanging on his chest.

"Hurry up and eat. After breakfast, let's go check out the University of Science and Technology in Donghu District." She tossed me a breakfast.

In fact, I had already had breakfast with Lin Qingying, but Lu Xiaobei bought me crab roe buns, which were so irresistible that I ate a few more.

"Ding Han."

Standing to the side, Zhao Yihang, "Do you need me to come along?"

"You want to go?" I asked with a smile.

"I'd like to... Following behind you and the boss would be good for learning a lot..."

"Great, it's clear you really want to improve!"

I gave him an approving look, then turned and said, "Xiao Bei, take Zhao Yihang with you. This kid will have to stand on his own sooner or later, so he needs to train with you beforehand."

"Um."

Lu Xiaobei nodded. "Zhao Yihang, you sit in the back row and don't say a word, just watch quietly."

"Okay, boss!"

Zhao Yihang bowed and scraped, looking every bit the sycophant.

Around nine o'clock in the morning, they drove the Cayenne, carrying Lu Xiaobei and Zhao Yihang, from the South City District to the Donghu District.

After a journey of about twenty minutes, we arrived near Huaining University of Science and Technology in the Donghu District.

The area is filled with old buildings. This area is the old town of Donghu District. Although its overall development speed is inferior to that of South City District and Xincheng District, it has a rich history. The old campus of Huaining University of Science and Technology, the oldest university in Huaining City, is located here. Although it is dilapidated, its teaching staff is second only to Huaining University.

The old campus of the University of Science and Technology has more than 10,000 students. In addition, there are some fake colleges in the surrounding area, such as Huaining Vocational College and Huaining Urban Development College. So Lin Qingying is right, this is definitely a holy place to open an internet cafe.

After parking the car, Lu Xiaobei got out first, took out her phone, made a peace sign at the camera, and immediately took a beautiful photo of herself and the gate of Huaining University of Science and Technology.

She was so relaxed, it was almost unbelievable. She probably forgot why we came here.

"Call..."

I took a deep breath, pulled my notebook out of my pocket, and started scribbling on the blank pages.

"Ding Han, what are you drawing?"

Zhao Yihang watched for a while, but still didn't understand.

Lu Xiaobei also walked over, craned his neck to take a look, and asked, "What's this?"

"A map showing the distribution of several schools."

I quickly sketched the outline of the streets on the map and marked the names and directions, saying, "The south gate of Huaining University of Science and Technology and the north gate of the College of Urban Development are less than 300 meters apart, while the east gate of the university and the west gate of the vocational college are less than 200 meters apart. So do you two know what this means?"

"That means the gates of these schools are several hundred meters apart," Zhao Yihang.

"..."

I glanced at him, barely suppressing the urge to beat him up.

Lu Xiaobei squinted and smiled, "That means we have two options. The best location for us to open an internet cafe is at the intersection of these two school gates, right?"

"That's right."

I turned to Huaining University of Science and Technology and said, "Xiao Bei, let's go to a few schools and see if the closest buildings to the two potential locations are dormitories or classrooms. We'll analyze the density of pedestrian traffic and then decide which location to choose for the new store."

"Holy crap..."

Zhao Yihang was stunned. He gave a thumbs up and said, "Ding Han, you're really professional... I've really learned something this time."

"Useless trash!"

Lu Xiaobei and I both gave him a disdainful look.

Afterwards, the group registered as tourists and entered the campus of the University of Science and Technology.

Just like Huaining University, the University of Science and Technology is also full of youthful energy, which is very appealing. Students come and go, chatting and laughing, living an enviable university life.

As I walked forward, I scribbled in my notebook, marking the locations of all the student dormitories and teaching buildings at Huaining University of Science and Technology. Finally, we arrived near the East Gate.

The east gate is not the main gate, so there is only an iron gate. Currently, the gate is open, and students come and go in an endless stream. Near the gate is a small commercial street with fruit shops, book rental shops, video and audio disc shops, and so on.

"Classmate."

I stopped a college student who looked rather naive and asked with a smile, "Excuse me, is the east gate open every day? Are there any specific opening hours?"

"This...?"

The college student said, "It's open every day, and I think it closes at midnight at the latest. But if you come back late and knock on the door, the old man will open it for you."

"I see..."

I continued, "One more question for you: between the east gate and the south gate, which gate do you think is usually the most crowded?"

"Of course, it's the east gate."

Without hesitation, the other person replied, "There's a commercial street here. This street outside is full of restaurants, internet cafes, and so on. Basically, everyone goes through the east gate after class. Although the south gate is the main gate, there aren't many people there."

"Okay, thank you!"

I nodded and smiled, then asked no more questions.

"Let's go check out the vocational college."

I walked ahead, while Lu Xiaobei jogged to catch up and walked alongside me, asking, "Have you made up your mind yet?"

"Um."

I nodded. "If there's a decent amount of foot traffic near the west gate of the vocational college, then we'll definitely prioritize this street for location selection. But it won't be that easy. We'll have to check if there are any vacant shops or prime locations for sale. Hopefully, there will be, otherwise this won't be something that can be settled in a day or two."

"It's alright, we'll look for it slowly," she said reassuringly.

Just then, a student looked at Lu Xiaobei in surprise and asked, "Excuse me... are you Lu Xiaobei, the singer of 'Plain Face'?"

Yes, hello.

Lu Xiaobei remained calm and smiled, "Want to take a picture together?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The boy was grinning from ear to ear. He hurriedly took out his phone, and Zhao Yihang acted as the photographer, taking a few pictures of them. Then, Lu Xiaobei grabbed my sleeve and practically ran out of the university gates.

Vocational College, West Gate.

Students came and went in a constant stream.

I asked a few students and confirmed that the west gate is open all day. Because it's a diploma mill, the management of vocational colleges is not as strict as that of public universities like the University of Science and Technology of China. However, I also found out some things: the students at vocational colleges are quite wild and often get into fights outside of school!

"Ding Han..."

Lu Xiaobei was a little worried. "Shouldn't we hire more security guards for the new store? Otherwise, what if students cause trouble, fight, and smash our machines?"

"Anyone who dares to damage our machines will have to pay double the compensation!"

I said dismissively, "Don't worry too much. I checked when I came over; the nearest police station is only one kilometer away."

Zhao Yihang sullenly, "You're so thoughtful..."

"Let's go, let's go check out the streets outside the school and choose a location for the new store."

So, the group walked back and forth on the street three times and finally came up with three options. The first was a poorly managed sauerkraut fish restaurant that was up for sale. This restaurant was 500 meters away from the two school gates. And students, as everyone knows, will lie down if they can, so 500 meters was enough to ruin the business of this sauerkraut fish restaurant.

The second option was a public bathhouse, but unfortunately, it was a bit small and probably wouldn't be able to fit 300 machines inside.

My last choice, and the one I'm most satisfied with, is a hotel called "Romantic House." It has two floors and more than a dozen rooms, and its location is excellent, situated between two school gates, less than 100 meters from each gate—truly a perfect choice!

Unfortunately, the owner mismanaged the business, resulting in a poor-quality hotel environment and decor. In desperation, the owner lowered the room rates, but this reduced profits. After deducting daily expenses and rent, there was hardly any money left, so the owner is now considering transferring the business.

Lu Xiaobei and I stood calmly in front of the hotel, staring at the sign for a long time, before finally walking in side by side in perfect unison.

"Stay-in, two people?"

The boss, a lean man, greeted us with a smile.

"We're not here for accommodation; we're here to discuss cooperation."

I smiled and said, "Boss, I heard you're subletting your shop. We run an internet cafe and are interested in this location. We'd like to know how many years are left on the lease and what the price is?"

"Ah?"

The boss was taken aback at first, then overjoyed. "Come, come, let's talk inside!"

After a short while, the owner's smile faded, because Lu Xiaobei's bargaining was too ruthless, leaving the owner with significant losses. I, on the other hand, acted as a peacemaker, saying things like, "Xiao Bei, you've bargained too much. Give the owner a break." In the end, we secured the sublease contract for the hotel at a very reasonable price.

Noon.

The three of us ate at a small restaurant next to the school.

Just after sitting down, a message popped up from Lin Qingying: "How's the new store location selection going?"

"Everything went smoothly. The store in Donghu District has been secured. It's very close to the gates of the University of Science and Technology and the Vocational College. I'm very satisfied with this location, and I expect business will be good!"

"That's good. Remember to eat."

"Yes, you too."

The two exchanged a few words of advice, and then went about their own business.

Lu Xiaobei treated us to lunch, and Zhao Yihang and I ate until we were stuffed.

"Sigh... I wish I could take a nap during the afternoon."

Zhao Yihang rubbed his stomach. "Boss, Ding Han, how about we find a foot massage parlor to lie down for a while? We've been so tired this morning..."

"Useless trash, get up!"

I glanced at him, stood up, and said, "Let's go, let's head to the Jiangning University Branch Campus in the new district!"

Lu Xiaobei stood up happily, looking full of energy. Sure enough, Zhao Yihang, the employee, was the most listless member of the team!