Only Giving Away

"Oh."

Lan Yu's little face immediately filled with disappointment. She wanted to say something more to Lu Yang, but did not know how to begin.

Lu Yang could not help himself when he saw her expression. The corners of his lips curled up as he spoke two words that stunned everyone present.

"Only giving it away."

"What?" The surrounding players instantly fell silent. Even Xiong Ba and Old Twilight looked at Lu Yang in surprise.

Lan Yu was stunned as well. She asked tentatively, "Expert, what did you just say?"

Lu Yang leisurely rose to his feet and placed the staff before Lan Yu. "I said I'm giving you this Silver-grade Focus Staff."

"You're really giving it away?"

The surrounding players erupted into an uproar. This was no ordinary piece of equipment, but a Silver-grade Focus Staff—the best weapon a priest could use before level 10.

"Huh?" Lan Yu's little face was full of confusion, and she did not reach out to take it.

"What do you mean, 'huh'? Remember what I told you last time? The next time we met, I'd give you a gift. This is it. Catch." Lu Yang spun the Focus Staff around in his hand before tossing it into Lan Yu's hands.

Lan Yu stared blankly at the Focus Staff that had landed in her hands. This weapon meant far more to the players present.

The Silver-grade Focus Staff was listed in the guides as the finest healing weapon in the beginner village. With it, a healer could often save an entire team during dungeon runs.

"This gift is too valuable. I can't accept it," Lan Yu said.

Xia Yuwei walked to Lan Yu's side and looked at Lu Yang warily. "Frost Ice Studio appreciates your kindness, but this weapon is too valuable for us to accept. Tell us your account number instead, and we'll transfer the money to you. Five thousand Credit Points."

Lan Yu looked at Xia Yuwei in surprise. Generally speaking, Xia Yuwei only spoke so formally when she disliked someone.

"Yuwei, what are you doing?" Lan Yu sent Xia Yuwei a message.

"Xiao Yu, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Something's wrong with this guy," Xia Yuwei replied.

Lan Yu wanted to argue. She did not think Lu Yang was that kind of person, but she did not know how to say it.

Seeing this, Lu Yang realized that he might have gone too far and acted too hastily. Still, he did not care much about such things. With a faint smile, he said to Lan Yu,

"Little girl, if you really think it's valuable, then keep my secret for me. Don't tell anyone, understand?"

"Oh." Lan Yu still looked somewhat dazed.

Lu Yang wanted to rub Lan Yu's little head as he had in his previous life. This girl was simply too adorable. Unfortunately, he could not do that yet, or Lan Yu would definitely misunderstand him.

Besides, the game had rules: intimate actions required permission. Otherwise, the system would impose severe penalties.

"All right, everyone, move along. I don't have any more equipment to sell." Lu Yang spoke to the players around him, who still had not recovered from their shock. After playing all afternoon and into the night, he was exhausted. He needed to log off and get some proper rest.

"What a shame. I didn't get to buy a single piece of equipment."

"Sigh, let's go."

The surrounding players gradually dispersed. Some lingered behind, but when they saw that Old Twilight and Xiong Ba were still standing there, they could only sigh and leave.

"Brother, brother, don't go yet," Xiong Ba called out before anyone else could.

"Is there something else?" Lu Yang asked.

Xiong Ba said, "Brother, are you interested in joining our guild? You know what kind of person I am. I never mistreat my brothers. If you join, you'll go straight into the main team."

Old Twilight also walked up to Lu Yang. "I'm willing to sign you to a three-year guild leader contract. What do you say? The benefits I offer are quite generous."

Lu Yang had known they would say this, but he had never considered joining someone else's guild. After being reborn, how could he possibly live under someone else's roof again?

"Sorry, I'm not interested." Lu Yang turned and entered a nearby inn, spending ten copper coins to rest.

"He just left like that?"

"Anyone else would have been overjoyed to receive personal invitations from the leaders of two major guilds and wouldn't know which one to choose. Yet he just turned around and left."

"And he said he wasn't interested?"

The players behind Old Twilight and Xiong Ba Fengyun all looked displeased. However, neither Old Twilight nor Xiong Ba Fengyun said anything. They merely exchanged a glance before leading their respective teams away.

Xia Yuwei, Lan Yu, and the others also remained behind. They had originally intended to pay Lu Yang, but after seeing Xiong Ba and Old Twilight recruit him, Xia Yuwei stopped speaking.

Lan Yu, Xia Yuwei, and the others had originally been guessing which major guild Lu Yang would join. They had not expected him to tell both men that he was not interested.

"I really can't tell whether this guy is genuinely skilled or just an idiot. When have Old Twilight and Xiong Ba ever personally recruited anyone?" Zhang Zibo said.

"He's just brainless. He passed up such a great opportunity and even offended both of them. Just wait, that kid will definitely be hunted down by the two major guilds," Zheng Yuan said irritably from the side.

"Enough. Say less. If it weren't for you, we would have gotten that staff long ago. Would we have needed to go through all this just to make Lan Yu owe him a favor?" Xia Yuwei said with a frown.

At the mention of this, Zheng Yuan's jealousy flared up again. He said resentfully, "Who does that guy think he is, making Lan Yu owe him a favor? Lan Yu, tell me his name. Once the exchange function opens, I'll immediately help you repay him."

"No need," Lan Yu said.

"How is there no need? If someone like that gets his hooks into you, you'll suffer for it. He definitely has bad intentions," Zheng Yuan said.

Zhang Zibo glanced at Zheng Yuan and thought, You're the one with bad intentions, aren't you? Still, when he considered how Lan Yu might become entangled with a stranger who was even stronger than them, he felt uneasy too.

"I agree with Zheng Yuan. This person is too mysterious. We don't even know his name or where he got all that equipment. It's better to be cautious."

"See, Xiao Yu? They agree with me too. Just tell me that person's name. I'm not short on money," Zheng Yuan said.

Lan Yu still shook her head. "Let's log off too. That person won't bother me."

"How can you be sure?" Xia Yuwei asked, then immediately realized something. "He told you to keep it secret. Does that person have some secret?"

Lan Yu's large eyes filled with nervousness. "Ah, n-no, there's no secret. Let's log off. I'm exhausted."

Xia Yuwei looked suspiciously at Lan Yu as she entered the inn, then said to Zhang Zibo beside her, "There's definitely something going on."

Zhang Zibo nodded.