"Yelan complained to me about it."
"Oh... right..." Kiana scratched her head. "Ahem, anyway, this young lady is Kiana Kaslana. Why are you two looking so aggressive this time?"
"We're here to wreck the place."
"Huh?"
Kiana froze for a moment. She was, at the very least, the receptionist and the guard, right?
And they were saying they were here to wreck the place right in front of her?
"To wreck Yelan's place."
Kiana froze again upon hearing that, then decisively closed her eyes and rested.
Whew, they had scared her to death. She had thought they were here to cause trouble, but they were actually here to beat up Yelan.
The only reason Kiana did not say, "Please come right in, sir," was because she was dependent on others and could not act too recklessly.
"She's in the third-floor office."
As Liu Bai passed by, Kiana was even afraid he would not be able to find her.
"If you can't beat her, shout for help. This young lady will call the police and an ambulance for you."
Well, although Kiana really wanted to see Yelan get beaten up, she had to admit that Yelan had some skills.
Could they really beat her...
"Oh dear, oh dear. The creditors have come knocking."
Yelan had already noticed Liu Bai and Guinaifen entering through the surveillance cameras.
It was time to run.
As the saying went, the first burst of effort was strong, the second weaker, and the third exhausted.
Considering how guilty she was right now, even if she did not get beaten up when they met, she would still get cursed out thoroughly.
With that thought, Yelan immediately left the office.
Two minutes later, a square-faced man who looked obviously successful in his career returned to the office and sat upright behind the desk.
Given the current traffic in the guild, they should need another two minutes to get upstairs...
The "man" silently counted down in her heart.
Bang—!
"B-Boss, that's not Yelan?" Guinaifen was baffled when she saw the stunned middle-aged man behind the desk.
"Who are you people? What do you want with Lady Yelan? Security! Security!"
"Little Gui, beat him up."
"Huh?"
"At the very least, make him shut up first. Otherwise, don't you think this will be troublesome?"
"Uh, I guess so?"
"..."
The middle-aged man who had been shouting for security immediately fell silent after hearing that.
"Everyone, there's no need to resort to violence, is there? You came looking for Lady Yelan? We can sit down and talk."
Guinaifen, who had just rolled up her sleeves, hesitated again at those words.
By the way, since Guinaifen's clothes from yesterday had not dried yet, she had borrowed a set of Natasha's clothes.
They fit reasonably well, but the black stockings looked somewhat... ordinary.
"Don't listen to him. Keep beating him. He's stalling for time. Maybe he has already secretly pressed some button beneath the desk. He's the only one who has seen both our faces. Give him a concussion first."
"...Wouldn't that be a little bad?"
"Yes, yes, that would be a little bad."
The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly as well.
"...It does seem a little bad." After briefly considering it, Liu Bai nodded. "Then tie him up and take him away. Since he knows Yelan's whereabouts, we can take him with us and question him slowly."
"Um, Boss, isn't that kidnapping?"
"This is merely an invitation—if he cooperates, it isn't kidnapping. If he resists, that means he has a guilty conscience. Give him a concussion, then take him away."
"Don't go too far, you brat!"
An irritated female voice came from the middle-aged man's throat.
"Eek! Eek, eek, eek??"
The man's voice change startled Guinaifen.
"You lost." Liu Bai calmly looked at the middle-aged man... no, Yelan.
"You were betting that I wouldn't be able to hold back?" Yelan yanked off her disguise.
"I already knew you were here—wasn't Kiana still guarding the entrance?"
Liu Bai gave a reason that had been completely outside Yelan's blind spot.
It was neither personality analysis nor prior investigation. There was only one thing: Kiana.
"What the hell would that girl know? I was already at work while she was still sleeping in, tsk. Fine, you got lucky."
Yelan clicked her tongue. She had not expected to expose herself in such a way.
"You would leave Kiana behind and run away on your own?" Liu Bai dismissed the idea of luck and looked at Yelan. "World Serpent, Schicksal, the Liyue Merchant Guild... no, strictly speaking, you, Yelan. Of these three sides, World Serpent is the local force, and Schicksal came chasing after the aircraft crash. What about you? You arrived long ago, didn't you? Before I crashed, the only reason you could have come here was..."
"Kiana."
Yelan finished the sentence for Liu Bai.
Yelan Favorability: 2025
Yelan loved to gamble, but she only gambled on situations within her grasp. Liu Bai's sharpness and insight... suited her tastes far too well.
"Even while caught in the middle of the storm, you still noticed that detail—honestly, no one is paying attention to Kiana anymore—I really am starting to like you more and more."
Although Yelan had acted under orders as well, based on the people involved, she could vaguely infer that the Sky Dome Zone had probably been built as a stage for Kiana.
Yet after Liu Bai arrived, Raven launched two symbolic attacks and then nothing followed. Rita's side was also wholeheartedly investigating Liu Bai.
"It is precisely because I'm in the storm that I pay attention to whether there is any straw around me that can pull me out of it."
"Then I'm sorry, but Kiana cannot be your lifeline—unless you manage to win that girl over."
Yelan took off the heavy camouflage coat that had padded out her figure.
"I know she isn't my lifeline. What about yours, Ms. Yelan?" A trace of coldness suddenly flashed through Liu Bai's eyes. "You've fallen into a trap, Yelan."
"Wha—?"
Yelan's relaxed, teasing expression instantly froze.
"Forgetting the enemy's original objective because you relaxed is a grave taboo."
Liu Bai leisurely sat down on the guest sofa.
Having already realized the problem, Yelan immediately wanted to run—but it was too late.
In that instant, Guinaifen pounced like a tiger and directly knocked Yelan to the ground.
A drumstick in one hand and a fist in the other.
"Big Sis Yelan! Today, please grit your teeth for Little Gui!"
Apologies and Compensation Must...
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... that was really strong."
Yelan complained as she applied medicine to her bruised face in the mirror.
Yelan Favorability: 2527
Liu Bai: "..."
No, Liu Bai was not surprised that Yelan's favorability had increased after getting beaten up. After all, she was kind of a masochist.
What surprised him was the notification that had appeared from the system.
Achievement Completed: Defeat a Powerful Enemy · Yelan Reward Obtained: Gacha Coins ×30
Of course, Liu Bai knew there was such a reward system, but... did horsing around count too?
Well, although Yelan's face was now covered in bruises, this really was just "horsing around," at most a little excessive by ordinary standards.
But compared to the underhanded things Yelan had done, this was mild.
"Alright, now it's your turn to talk." Liu Bai temporarily set aside his surprise and looked at Yelan. "Are you really not afraid of retaliation?"
"I can still tell whether you want to take my life." After applying the medicine, Yelan sighed. "What do you want me to say? I'm guessing you don't want some full-body prostration apology, right?"
"...That's true."
Actually, if she stripped naked and performed a full-body kowtow apology, Liu Bai would not necessarily reject it.
"Oh, right. Little Gui, hit a little more lightly next time, and stop always aiming for the face."
"...I'll keep that in mind next time."
Guinaifen was actually angrier than anyone else. Mainly because after beating Yelan up last night, she had indeed felt a little scared afterward.
So while fighting, she had been trying very hard to restrain herself, leaving her feeling slightly unsatisfied even after she was done.
"Ask away. I'll answer whatever I can."
Yelan sat in the chair, her response straightforward.
"You guessed I would win?" Liu Bai's first question did not sound important.
"..."
Yet Yelan fell silent at this question.
Was the very first question... already this sharp?
This level of perception rivaled Ningguang's.
"No, but I could guarantee that I wouldn't lose."
Yelan admitted that she had actually had a grasp on how things would develop.
Unless necessary, she only gambled on situations within her control.
But there could not possibly be situations that were naturally within her control from the start.
Traveling everywhere, gathering intelligence, and planning ahead—those were the keys to bringing a "gamble" into her hands.
Of course, if she was sure she could not win, she could simply withdraw.
Liu Bai nodded slightly, acknowledging that explanation.
If one had to say it, although betting on both sides somewhat damaged her image, such decisions between factions were certainly made by people higher up.
The fact that Yelan had discreetly offered a warning still counted as honorable.
The main reason they had come to beat her up this time was actually the issue of being tracked.
"You found out my location by hacking my wristband? Is there any way to prevent hacking?"
"Oh, that... no. Although Anti-Entropy hacked your wristband, it had nothing to do with tracking. They merely intercepted your communications."
As Yelan spoke, she reached toward Liu Bai's lower body.
"What are you doing?"
Liu Bai was startled by Yelan's unexpectedly bold action.
"Virgin?"
Before you continue