This Is My Treasure, Lu Xiaobei
After wiping out Blood and Sand, and looking at their strategic reserves, they found they only had 15 Stinger Missiles left, and none of the enemy players they killed had dropped them. So, before they could exchange for the Glory Barrier, they were at a huge loss!
But there's no way around it; if you can't catch the thug without your wife, you have to give up some things.
In the morning, I was still wandering alone in the northern region of the Ash Plain.
In one morning, I dealt with dozens of foreign server players, and my honor points reached 487. I only need 13 more kills to exchange for the first Power Shield in the National Server from the honor shop!
Unfortunately, it was already very difficult to catch isolated opponents at this point. Players from both the Star Maple Federation and Dark Tide factions seemed to have really been hurt, and they were basically all clustered together, making it increasingly difficult to earn honor points.
"Bang!"
As I was pondering this, a gunshot suddenly rang out in the distance, followed by a splatter of blood on my shoulder—I had been pierced by a large-caliber sniper bullet!
"3098!"
Wow, that deals incredible damage! (Pink sniper rifle!)
Immediately afterwards, bullets came flying from the front, piercing through the surrounding trees and even causing the weeds and soil to bounce up.
This is bad! The other side has a lot of people!
I slammed on the brakes and quickly put the motorcycle back into the storage compartment to avoid the fuel tank exploding, which would be a real problem.
He immediately raised the Wind Whisperer, turned sharply to aim at the distance, but in that instant he was hit in the shoulder by a bullet, dealing over 3100 damage. At the same time, the tree he was using for cover was also hit by several bullets!
The opposing team not only outnumbered us, but also had excellent marksmanship!
At that moment, a familiar voice came from within the star map. "Ding Han, you can't escape."
The speaker was none other than Moon Soil, hailed as a Tier 0.5 player on the European Server!
The next second, the roar of motorcycles came from afar, and a group of tall and strong players rode motorcycles at high speed, brandishing huge blades and shouting "whoosh whoosh whoosh" like nomads hunting.
"Shadow Chaser, you can't escape this time!"
Another sinister voice came from the Moon Soil, this time from the Vice Alliance Leader of the alliance, Light Priest Rags Ragus!
I quickly grabbed my gun, crouched low, and moved to a new position. Glancing around, I saw a large group of players rushing towards us from afar, each with the same guild emblem above their heads.
Holy Grail Dragoons!
This guild is already infamous in the National Server. It is said to be the number one guild in the European Server, founded by a British man named Moon Soil. But these people are not gentlemen; they have killed countless National Server players in the wilderness!
"Ding Han, how about we make a deal?"
Within the star map, Moon Soil sneered, "How about you leave your death to me? In return, I might consider giving you one of those ten Resurrection Sacred Canon. Neither side will lose out, how about it? Hahahaha~~~"
"Idiot!"
I replied with one sentence.
"You fucking bastard!"
Moon Soil broke through our defenses with a single sentence. It was clear that he had spent a skill point learning Chinese, hence his fluent Mandarin and familiarity with our swear words.
"If you don't want to give it, fine, I'll just take it myself!"
With a command from Moon Soil, "Charge! Kill him like a pack of wolves devouring an elephant!"
Instantly, more than a dozen large motorcycles sped over, and the burly Gene Warrior on the motorcycles, like ancient knights, launched attacks with battle axes, spears and other weapons in the blink of an eye!
The speed was too fast, and my reaction couldn't keep up. In the blink of an eye, I was hit several times, and my health bar dropped to about 70%.
But just as the next Gene Warrior was thrusting forward, one hand on his motorcycle and the other wielding Monomolecular Spear, I charged straight at him, my Power Sword flashing – Rising Dragon Slash!
"Bang!"
The motorcycle sped off, leaving the Gene Warrior hurled into the air.
He quickly followed up with a normal attack + Ash Sweep + normal attack, instantly killing him. Then, he suddenly Explosive Charge, leaving the other Gene Warrior behind with a loud "bang," and killed him instantly with a normal attack + Ground Spike Slash + normal attack!
"Ding Han!!!"
In the distance, Moon Soil roared, holding a Power Sword that gleamed with a blue light. This sword was called Starburst, and it was quite famous in the European Server.
Moon Soil charged forward, unleashing a powerful Explosive Charge, her Power Sword arcing through the air before slashing down!
Wow, so fast!
My gaze turned cold, and I quickly raised my Power Sword to parry!
"Clang~~~"
The two Power Sword collided, instantly sending sparks flying in a dazzling display!
Moon Soil's movements were fluid and seamless. The moment their swords clashed, he launched Whirlwind Slash followed by a normal attack, a "hit behind" tactic. He used this move with such skill and without any hesitation.
And I did the same, instinctively launching Whirlwind Slash backward while simultaneously unleashing a sword strike!
"39689!"
Whirlwind Slash deals high damage, instantly wiping out nearly half of Moon Soil's health bar.
As for me, although my armor was probably slightly higher than theirs, after taking 250% damage from the Whirlwind Slash and then being bombarded from a distance by a group of them using Explosive Gun, my health bar had dropped to around 40%.
"Clang~~"
The sword strike aimed from behind was actually blocked by Moon Soil's backhand strike.
He quickly retreated several steps, raising his shield to block the bullets, and simultaneously used a Medical Box. At the same time, he swung his right hand sharply. "Come on!"
Starlight swirled around the gauntlets, unleashing Burst Skill — Star Vine!
Moon Soil hurriedly shouted "Be careful!" and at the same time activated his Invincible Burst Skill.
Players like Rags, who reacted quickly, also used their invincibility abilities. However, at least 50% of the players didn't have time to release their invincibility and were thus immobilized in place by the Star Vine!
"Go!"
I removed my shield, pointed my five fingers to the sky and yanked it sharply, activating my Burst Skill — Maya Lightning Array!
If you want to kill me, you'll have to pay a price, won't you!?
"Boom boom boom~~~"
Thunder and lightning rained down from the sky, constantly creating dense damage in the crowd. At the moment of unleashing two Burst Skills, he was hit by two attacks from the Moon Soil, and his health bar was once again reduced to almost zero!
"Whoosh!"
Absolute Space!
My invincibility was also used up. After using three consecutive Burst Skill, it was completely exhausted, and my Essence Points was reduced to single digits. All of this was already part of the plan!
Kill!
The sword flashed, and several people were cut down in succession!
"He's gone mad!"
Moon Soil retreated, sword in hand, his eyes filled with hatred.
Obviously, he activated his invincibility skill first, so he'll definitely finish before me. He's afraid of being killed by me during the invincibility window. After all, he's the number one player on the European Server, and losing a resurrection item is a small matter compared to losing face!
He's smart, and that's what I really think too.
So, after wielding his sword and killing multiple people, seeing that the invincibility effect only had two seconds left, he produced a Phase Teleportation Core in his Left Hand and crushed it!
"Oh no, he's trying to teleport!"
Rags's face was contorted with rage and hatred.
The Holy Grail Dragoons' ambush, which they were determined to win, ended up with several of them killed by me, but they couldn't even get a resurrection book. As a result, they didn't get the reward from the opposing faction's GM. What a loss!
Moreover, losing money to revive is a small matter, but losing face is a big deal. If this gets back to the European Server forums, not only will the Holy Grail Dragoons, but even Moon Soil Rift will be humiliated.
"Whoosh!"
The teleportation was instantaneous, and I was randomly placed at another coordinate on the minimap!
"Depend on..."
When I opened the mini-map, I was immediately shocked. The location of the battle was less than a kilometer away, separated only by a small grove of trees. I could even hear the sound of Explosive Gun coming from that direction!
Let's go!
He quickly turned around and headed in the opposite direction!
But after running only a few steps, they heard the roar of an engine and saw a bright red Off-road Motorcycle speeding through the jungle. The driver was a female player who was almost lying on the motorcycle with her whole body on it. She had short black hair that reached her shoulders and her cape was fluttering in the wind.
This woman is so cool!
Unfortunately, there was a small Union Jack suffix after her ID above her head, clearly indicating that she was targeting me!
[Elizabeth] (Starry Sky Super Weapon - Sword Specialization - Tier 5)
Level: 58
Guild: Gilded Rose
Position: Alliance Leader
Regional Ranking: 1
This girl is really high level!
I stepped back, crouched in the grass, and activated Pandora Armor's Burst Skill —Transformation!
"Whoosh!"
The next second, I transformed into an inconspicuous Gray-Haired Wild Rabbit.
No doubt about it, let's pull a fast one on her and give her a surprise!
An ominous aura seemed to emanate from the wind, and in the next second, Elizabeth became alert and quickly reduced the speed of her motorcycle.
But it was too late!
The moment Elizabeth looked over, the Gray-Haired Wild Rabbit bristled and transformed into a player clad in Heavy Armor, charging forward with Explosive Charge.
"Boom!"
As the charging afterimage flashed by, Elizabeth had just drawn a cyan Power Sword, but before she could make any move, she was stunned and frozen in place!
"Die!"
My gaze turned cold, and my sword flashed past. I unleashed a flurry of attacks—a combination of Cold Star Piercing Bone, Ash Sweep, and Bloodthirsty Assault —instantly depleting Elizabeth's health bar!
"Waaah..."
Elizabeth turned and glanced at me, her eyes filled with a hint of resentment, as if she wanted to explain something. But seeing my cold gaze, she didn't dare hesitate and immediately resurrected and teleported away!
On the star map interface, a public message for the region pops up at the bottom.
[Regional Public Channel: Player "Shadow Chaser" has successfully killed player "Elizabeth"!]
This feature, which was also one of the additions after the last system update, is similar to how a national flag emblem appears after a player's ID when they enter the wilderness. The details are complex, and few players will bother to look at them.
Of course, I didn't watch it either.
Subsequently, in the Star Chart's public channel, people kept posting, and when I turned on the text translation function, lines of text appeared—
[Oh no, Elizabeth has been killed!?]
[My god, didn't Elizabeth just acquire a cyan Power Sword called "Radiance"? Besides, Elizabeth's skills are top-notch, and her level is higher than her opponent's. How could she lose to Shadow Chaser?]
[Damn! Who exactly is this Shadow Chaser? Is he going to wipe out all the top players on our side?]
[Brothers, brothers, calm down. I just found out that Elizabeth was killed in Shadow Chaser.]
[Damn! That makes perfect sense now. This Chinese guy is truly despicable, shameless, treacherous, and cunning. He's utterly despicable. I knew it! How could my goddess lose to him?]
So, it turns out there are also simps on foreign servers.
I was speechless for a moment, then quickly left the spot and retreated southwest. I only needed to kill four more people to reach 500 honor points, so I could head back.
"Drop!"
Just then, a voice call request came from Gun Like a Dragon.
"Ding Han, did you just kill Elizabeth?!"
After the call connected, he immediately spoke in a flustered and even somewhat exasperated manner.
"Yeah, what's wrong?" I was completely confused.
"Damn, I knew it..."
"Elizabeth has no hostility," said Gun Like a Dragon. "She's one of the few players on the foreign servers who opposes infighting. From the beginning, she's believed that players shouldn't fight amongst themselves, but should concentrate all their resources on expanding and developing, finding the rules of this world, and then going home together."
He gritted his teeth and said, "She was just chatting with me on her phone not long ago, saying she was going to the front lines to mediate, and it would be best if she could talk to you. Who would have thought she'd be killed by you!"
"Holy crap..."
I was shocked. "Why didn't you say so sooner? How was I supposed to know? I just had a fight with those people from Moon Soil, and when I teleported out, I saw Elizabeth charging towards me aggressively. Of course I could grab her and take her with me!"
"Look at the mess this has made, how am I supposed to explain this to her...?"
Gun Like a Dragon speechless for a moment, then grinned. "Um... as far as I know, Elizabeth and Moon Soil are in the same Tier 0.5 on the European Server, and she just got a blue Power Sword. With her skill and equipment, you'll have a hard time killing her, right?"
"So I ambushed her, I was hiding in the bushes and suddenly jumped out to scare her and then killed her instantly!"
"As expected of you..."
"Don't attack her next time you see her," said Gun Like a Dragon. "She's never killed any National Server players before. This girl is quite special. And I heard from our insider that she's actually one of the heirs to the British throne. She just happened to run into the game Star Abyss and got sucked in."
"Do you think it's reasonable for the heirs to the British royal family to play 2D game?" I quipped.
"Ahem, that's the premise; whether it's reasonable or not isn't important," he replied.
After ending the call, continue heading south, taking out any foreign players you encounter along the way.
Afternoon.
A mage player, Shadow Assassin, stumbled into my arms like a headless fly. After taking him down, my honor points finally reached a perfect 500!
Open the Honor Shop and redeem Glory Barrier!
Suddenly, a bell rang out in the air—
[System Announcement: Congratulations to player [*Shadow] for successfully spending 500 Honor Points to exchange for the item [Glory Barrier] (Quality: Pink) from the Honor Shop!]
In an instant, the National Server was filled with lamentations.
Many players fighting for the Glory Barrier were moved to tears, and the star map of Ash Plain was flooded with comments.
Player "Worldly Uncontested": Holy crap!! You were that fast? I only have 297 honor points...
[Player Forgotten]: The Cold Emperor is indeed the Cold Emperor, speed is the only word...
[Players Mr. Zhou and Ms. Li]: I'm so envious! Ding Han, you deserve to die!!!
Player "Flower Falling Under the Moon": Holy crap, the first Power Shield in the National Server, and a second-generation pink Power Shield at that, just like that, it was taken away! Why wasn't it me? Oh, heavens, why are you so cruel to me...?
Player Qianli Qingqiu: Woohoo, thank goodness I don't need a shield, otherwise I'd be totally frustrated~~~
Just as everyone was dawdling, another bell rang—
[System Announcement: Congratulations to player "**Yakuza" for successfully spending 300 Honor Points to redeem the item "Modified SMC Submachine Gun" (Quality: Pink) from the Honor Shop!]
Good heavens, it has to be the wise and shrewd Alliance Leader Long!
Upon seeing that the Power Shield was gone, he immediately and decisively swapped it for the pink Submachine Gun, which was ranked second among the prizes!
"Worldly Uncontested" should be wailing right now. If I had redeemed the Glory Barrier half an hour later, he would have had a chance to snatch that pink Submachine Gun!
The Pink Gun is a top-tier treasure at this stage, and it's incredibly valuable!
The next moment, I stopped paying attention to the hustle and bustle of the world and turned my gaze to the Dimensional Storage Space. Sure enough, a majestic oval shield lay there quietly. The workmanship was quite exquisite, with a built-in force field generator and a lion head pattern engraved on the shield surface, which was very much in the style of the heavy shields in WoW.
Where the gaze lingers, the attributes of this first-ever Power Shield in the entire server slowly emerge—
[Glory Barrier] (Quality: Pink)
Rank: Fifth Tier
Type: Storm Soul Grade Power Shield II
Base Parameters: Defense 1800, Perfect Block Chance 50%, Projectile Damage Block 97%, Resilience 10000/10000
Strength: +60
Agility: +57
Physical strength: +55
Blessing: Damage Reduction +4%
Specialty: Attack damage +17%
Blessing: Mighty Strength - II, increases attack power by 600 points.
Blessing: Rock-II, increases defense by 600 points.
Exclusive Trait: Defense Field, capable of withstanding attacks from Destruction Field.
Blessing: Resilience, increases your Max Health 12,000 points.
Burst Skill: [Glory Mark], grants a Glory Mark to friendly targets within 40 yards, increasing their armor by 30%. Consumes 60 Essence Points, lasts for 5 minutes, and has a 10-minute cooldown.
Biography: The Glory Barrier, a second-generation Storm Soul Grade Power Shield forged by renowned craftsmen of the Crimson Dragon Country, possesses extremely strong defensive capabilities and Field Energy Level. Its power is extraordinary; it was once the weapon of a Dragon General Guard the Great Wall, and after the Dragon General's martyrdom, it was temporarily sealed away in the National Treasury.
Strength required: 1100
Stamina required: 500
'Holy shit...'
Looking at the attributes of the Glory Barrier, I was dumbfounded. These attributes are too domineering. Compared to it, the Flame Breaking Shield that I used before was completely crushed!
Leaving aside the basic attributes, 1800 armor points and nearly 100% Projectile Resistance make for an incredibly powerful defensive capability!
In addition, it has all four major attributes: Might, Rock, Damage Increase, and Damage Reduction. It also adds a large- All-Target Buff Burst Skill Glory Mark. Before the big battle, give your brothers a mark and then charge together. The 30% armor increase makes you fearless of the enemy's firearms. Just thinking about this scene is already incredibly exciting!
Of course, most importantly, this is a Field Weapon. The shield's surface can gather a Power Sword, and it certainly has a super strong defensive effect against various Grenade Launcher and laser beams.
In short, with the Glory Barrier and the like, my character will truly reach perfection in terms of Combat Power!
The next moment, after equipping it, the character's attributes had undergone a dramatic change when the character panel was opened again.
[Shadow Chaser] (Starry Sky Super Weapon - Sword Specialization - Tier 5)
Level: 57
Attack: 9824-11100
Defense: 6837
Life: 109200
Critical Hit: 24%
Bloodsucking: 34%
Damage Increase by 107%
Damage Reduction: 20%
Charm:51
Yuanli: 150/150
Overall Combat Level: 72552
Potential Point Allocation: Strength 1379 / Agility 926 / Spirit 804.4 / Stamina 571
Achievements: 93
With nearly 7,000 armor points, it's enough to outclass all players at this stage, especially in terms of resistance to firearms. Once the shield is up, it's practically like taking no damage, unless the opponent can deplete the 10,000 durability points of the Glory Barrier!
Furthermore, with Max Health nearly 110,000 and Damage Reduction reaching 20%, it's simply terrifying.
No doubt about it, it's practically unbeatable!
I took out my Off-road Motorcycle and sped south; it was time to go home.
In the Team Channel, Cai Cai asked, "Boss, can you check the stats of the Glory Barrier?"
"It's for internal use only, not to be shared outside," I said.
"Yes, I understand!" The group chat erupted in nods.
So, I shared the illustration of the Glory Barrier in the group.
"Holy crap..."
The fat man stared in disbelief. "I wish I could have a shield."
Ruolin said, "It's said that Firepower Specialist can indeed equip shields, but they need to wear Power Armor later on, since your strength is too weak and it's difficult for you to lift Power Shield."
"Then there's hope!" the fat man exclaimed excitedly.
"How's your haul going?"
I reminded them, "I reckon the event is about to end, so redeem what you need to redeem now."
"It's been changed."
Ruolin smiled and said, "Everyone on our side exchanged for a piece of cyan equipment, and we used the remaining honor points to exchange for consumables. Not a single one was wasted. What about you?"
"Me too, I'll stop once I reach 500 honor points and go home!"
"Yes, let's go home!"
The moment I blocked the Teleportation Array, a bell rang in my ear, and the mission that had almost been forgotten was completed at that moment.
[Congratulations! You have completed the quest "Battle of Ash Plain" (S-rank)! Rewards: Character Experience +22.4 million, Charm Value +1. Due to achieving the highest honor Points in the battle, you also receive an additional reward: "Resurrection Sacred Canon" (S-rank recovery item)!]
Not bad, they even gave me an extra copy of the Resurrection Sacred Canon as a reward.
In short, in these PvP-type missions, the stronger the player, the more they benefit. Conversely, those who are weak will likely only be slaughtered if they enter the battlefield, not only losing a Resurrection Sacred Canon but also giving the opponent some honor points.
Player Black Market.
After trading with Old Ma and selling off some miscellaneous items and the Flame Breaking Shield, I saved up a little money and barely managed to buy 15 Stinger Missiles, bringing my reserves to 30, far from the peak of 50.
But there's no other way; this is the only option. The money in the storage space still has to cover the operating costs of the e-sports hotel and the renovation expenses for Cheng Shuang's side, which is an astronomical figure.
At this moment, it feels like that feeling of living a frugal life has returned!
Leaving the black market, we entered the Tea Room.
The Gun Like a Dragon, was indeed there, and so was the Guide.
"The Guide, why did you submit the task so quickly?" I asked.
"That's it. Now that we've vented our anger, let's leave the rest of the fighting to fate."
The Guide chuckled, "Ding Han, don't be so formal with me anymore. Calling me 'The Guide' all the time is so awkward. Just call me Old Zhou from now on. I'm not that much older than you anyway."
"Okay, I hope Brother Zhou will give me more guidance in the future!"
"Hahaha, you're on the right track!"
The Guide chuckled, "Actually, I have to thank you this time. If you hadn't participated in this PK, we would have been at a significant disadvantage. The foreign players are just too strong; we really wouldn't have been able to beat them."
He grinned and said, "Now that's great! You've taken down 500 kills all by yourself. This incredible feat has terrified the opposing team. I heard that players from the Japanese and Korean servers have quit Ash Plain, and most of the players from the European Server and American servers have left too. Nobody wants to give away Resurrection Sacred Canon there for free."
Gun Like a Dragon: "By the way, Ding Han, isn't Elizabeth beautiful?"
"Ah?"
I hesitated for a moment. "He killed her too quickly, I didn't notice her face, but she must have a pretty good figure."
"Tsk tsk, what a pity..."
Gun Like a Dragon said, "I've heard that Elizabeth is the number one beauty in the European Server, with tons of players pursuing her. But this woman is too powerful, and she also has the super guild 'Gilded Rose' under her command. She always does things her own way. Sigh, if a woman like that were to..."
"You still want to have some fun with foreign girls?" I said, speechless.
"Ahem, is it a crime to even think about it?"
"No, that's not it."
I laughed and said, "Alliance Leader Long, congratulations on getting the pink Submachine Gun!"
"What's there to congratulate about this?"
Gun Like a Dragon rubbed his nose. "I originally wanted to get the Glory Barrier, but who knew you'd be such a scoundrel, racking up 500 honor points in less than 24 hours! You're a beast!"
The Guide also laughed.
After chatting for a while, I sent Lin Qingying a message that I had returned. Then, Fatty and I took a taxi directly to Yuening. Since I was on temporary assignment in Yuening, I would have to go there every few days. Earning more Skill Experience would definitely not be a bad thing.
As your level increases, you'll need to upgrade more and more skills, which requires a massive amount of Skill Experience.
We arrived in Yuening around 2 p. m.
"Ding Han, Fatty, you're here!"
Xu Hao greeted them proactively, smiling, "You've come at the perfect time. We just received feedback on a batch of faulty appliances this morning, and we've been almost overwhelmed with work. Your arrival is just in time."
"Ding Han!"
A veteran repairman pointed to a mountain of laptops piled up beside him and said, "Look at all these laptops, with all sorts of problems. We're so busy we're practically suffocating!"
"Haha, excellent!"
I plopped down at my workstation and glanced at it. Sure enough, my name, employee number, and job title were posted next to me. No wonder it's a big company; it's so professional!
Xu Hao helped me move things, and in the blink of an eye, my front was filled with all sorts of malfunctioning electrical appliances, mostly cell phones and computers.
So they disassembled, adjusted, and skillfully repaired each component.
Although I didn't sleep well last night, seeing so much Skill Experience, I wasn't sleepy at all and worked straight until about 5:30, gaining countless Skill Experience.
Suddenly, the office fell silent.
A pleasant fragrance filled the once smelly, masculine office, and I knew it was Lin Qingying.
I turned around, and sure enough, she was standing right behind me, smiling at me.
"You're off work so early?" I asked.
"Okay, time to go home!"
Lin Qingying said, "You don't need to bother anymore."
As she spoke, she looked at Lu Zifeng, indignant on my behalf. "Why does Ding Han have so many appliances on his desk? Nobody else has any. What's going on?"
Lu Zifeng was horrified, his face turning pale.
The other group of long-term employees also fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.
"Cough cough..."
I stood up and said, "I asked for it myself, Xiaoying, you've misunderstood them."
"So."
Lin Qingying looked apologetic. "Then it's alright."
"It's alright, it's alright..."
Lu Zifeng's face turned deathly pale, and he almost collapsed into his chair.
Lin Qingying is the CEO, wielding absolute power over the operation of the Yue Ning Group. It's understandable that Lu Zifeng and the others are so nervous.
"Old Yang, time to go home!"
Just then, an arrogant voice came from the doorway; it was Shen Yue.
However, when she swaggered in, intending to give the fat man a hug, she saw Lin Qingying standing next to me.
"Mr. Lin... Manager Lin..." Her previous arrogance vanished instantly.
Xu Hao and several veteran employees were desperately trying to suppress their laughter, probably because they had been thoroughly exhausted by Fatty and Shen Yue's daily displays of affection these past few days.
"Shen Yue, do you want to have dinner together?" I asked.
"No... is that alright?"
Shen Yue said, "I made plans with Old Yang to have Western food."
"Alright."
I looked at Lin Qingying: "Qingying, shall we go eat hot pot?"
"I'll listen to you."
She handed me the bag.
For a moment, Lu Zifeng, Xu Hao and the others all showed envious expressions. Who would have thought that President Manager Lin was usually so serious and unsmiling, would have such a gentle and obedient side?
Downstairs, Lin Qingying's Bentley followed Shen Yue's CC out of the garage. Trying to slip away from us for a secret date? No way!
They went to the Yuening Commercial Plaza across the street, and we followed them. We parked our cars in the ground-level parking lot and then walked into the mall together.
"Ding Han."
Shen Yue asked, "Do you really have to track me and Old Yang?"
"No, there's a hot pot restaurant upstairs too. Xiaoying and I just wanted to save time."
"Um!"
Lin Qingying nodded vigorously. "Shen Yue, you guys do your thing, don't worry about us."
"Oh, okay, Manager Lin..."
Shen Yue remained as respectful as ever.
So they went to the third floor for Western food, while I took Lin Qingying to a Sichuan Hot Pot Restaurant called "Shudao Mountain" on the second floor. After tasting it, Lin Qingying praised it highly.
"Ding Han, this hot pot is so delicious! I think it's the best hot pot I've ever had. And their ingredients are also excellent—not only are they fresh, but the quality is top-notch."
"If you like it, that's good."
I solemnly declared, "In that case, I'm officially adding this Shudao Mountain Hot Pot Restaurant to our list of must-try dates!"
"Uh-huh!"
She nodded with a smile.
Just then, the young owner walked over and said, "I'm glad you two like it. Since you'll definitely be regular customers, I'll give you a 30% discount on this meal. Please continue to support me in the future!"
Lin Qingying immediately took out her phone and signed up for a membership.
The boss initially smiled, but seemed a little dazed when he saw Lin Qingying's name. He hurriedly searched for some information on his phone, and after repeatedly comparing it, his face turned ashen. He finally realized that this beautiful woman was actually the owner of this Yue Ning Plaza.
To avoid embarrassing the boss, I took Lin Qingying out with me, bought milk tea, and then went home.
Everything was as usual, and everything was so sweet and lovely.
The next day, early morning.
I arrived at Feiyang Internet Cafe early and continued writing code.
"Snap~~"
The office door suddenly opened; if it opened without warning, it must be Lu Xiaobei.
"Ding Han."
She sat crookedly on the edge of the desk, peered at the code I was writing, and said, "I'm leaving."
"Ah?"
I looked up at her. "Where are you going?"
"Leave Huaining City, go somewhere where I won't be hurt by some heartless guy," she said with a hint of melancholy.
"Xiao Bei, are you serious?" I asked, frowning.
She chuckled and said, "Just kidding. The truth is, my new album has started to be released gradually, and it's already available for online listening. The company wants it to be perfect, so I'm going to take a plane soon. First to the Moon Gazing Sea, then to the Great Desert, to shoot a decent music video for each of my songs."
"Oh, that's a good thing."
I nodded and smiled, "I sincerely wish you great success and fame. Honestly, if you become incredibly famous, as your friend, I will be extremely happy and proud!!"
"Really?"
Lu Xiaobei blinked, quickly moved closer to me, and when our faces were about 30 centimeters apart, said, "When I become a big star in the future, if you see me on TV when you're singing karaoke with your friends, will you proudly tell them, 'This is my darling Lu Xiaobei,'?"
"..."
I was completely bewildered. "Isn't that unnecessary, baby?"
"All right."
She said, "Ding Han, I really wanted to ask you to make a cameo appearance in my music video this time, but you're with Lin Qingying now, so I can't do that. But when I release my next album, could you make a cameo appearance with just your back view? I only need your back view, not even a side profile, just a few seconds of screen time."
"Just a glimpse of his back, that should be fine."
"Okay, it's a deal then, I'll make the reservation now."
She pursed her lips, looked at the patterns on the table, and muttered to herself, "But maybe by then you and Lin Qingying have already argued and broken up. If I take advantage of that, it won't be as simple as just a glimpse of your back or a profile, hehe..."
"Lu Xiaobei, why did you blurt out your true feelings? Were you waiting for this?"
"Ah!?"
Lu Xiaobei's face flushed red instantly. "I'm leaving. See you in two weeks!"
With that, she fled as if she were escaping.
I felt a bit helpless, unsure whether to call her naive or simply say she wasn't very intelligent.
Afternoon.
The bar area on the first floor of the internet cafe.
Chen Xiaoman handed over the bill, which showed the bank's transactions so far this month.
As I was examining the internet cafe closely, Zhao Yihang leaned on the counter and said, "Ding Han, the boss and his team went off to shoot a music video and have a good time. Now it's just the two of us poor buddies left in the internet cafe again..."
I glanced up at him.
"Holy crap, what kind of look is that?"
"Just say what you have to say, or shut up. Hangzi, you're not a deep person, don't try to be like those people who hold back their words."
"All right."
Zhao Yihang, "Ding Han, last time Fang Tuo from Yue Ning said you were writing some kind of algorithm for Yue Ning, so you must have a lot of knowledge about computers and the internet, right?"
"I'm alright, what's wrong?"
"Could you teach me how to design a forum? Or, could you teach me how to buy a domain name, create a personal website, or something like that? Do you know anything about these things?"
"You're asking me about something this simple?"
I was speechless for a moment. "I'll find you a few forum frameworks later. You can just stuff your content into them. It couldn't be simpler. But why did you suddenly decide to learn this? I remember you studied something like social management at that shady college in Creek City, right?"
"People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill. I, Zhao Yihang, also want to improve myself and one day make a name for myself!"
"Knew."