Bai Jun's gaze landed on the two lions lying before the floor-to-ceiling window by the entrance. In Xianzhou terms, they were oversized kitties. Watching these huge beasts, each capable of fitting a human head in its mouth, roll around and act cute gave Bai Jun an inexplicable sense of amusement. It was probably a stereotype carried over from his previous life.
Then his gaze shifted to Elena, who was playing with the little animals nearby. She possessed the spirited air of a workplace beauty, a touch of maternal gentleness, a measure of youthful energy, and an abundance of pure determination and steady adaptability.
He remembered that she came from the Interstellar Peace Company. By rights, she should have seen the extravagant, decadent lives of the upper class, yet she was still willing to return to an ordinary lifestyle, becoming friends and playmates with little animals. No matter how he looked at it, she seemed like a heroine invented for a two-dimensional story, didn't she?
Bai Jun smiled and squeezed Zhang Zhang in his arms. The soft, warm feeling made him reluctant to let go. "Zhang Zhang, having a master like her must make you pretty happy, right?"
Elena and I are friends, not master and servant... Damn, why do you smell so good? I seriously can't take it anymore!
Before Bai Jun could react to the words that suddenly surfaced in his mind, Zhang Zhang in his arms bit down on his hand.
Stories Always Had a Way of Taking Strange Turns
"You're so cute, little one. What's your name?"
Elena placed one hand on the fluffy tricolor head of the little kitty and happily scratched beneath its chin with the other. Her remarkably practiced technique quickly made the kitty wear an intoxicated expression as it sprawled on the floor and narrowed its eyes in comfort.
"His name is Laimi. He only arrived a few days ago, so he's a newcomer."
The owner of the pet shop was a very gentle-looking woman. Upon seeing Elena arrive, she set aside her work, walked over, and softly explained.
"Hello, Shop Owner. Long time no see. How have you been lately?"
"Long time..." The owner chuckled. "You're an Outworlder, so I suppose that's not wrong." She remembered this adorable girl clearly, since Elena had taken a little kitty home from here not long ago. "How has Little Eight been doing with you?"
"Little Eight is doing great! He's very healthy and gets along wonderfully with the other little animals."
Elena patted her chest and promised with complete confidence. Her cute, proud little pose made the owner smile as well. "That's good. I can rest easy knowing Little Eight is with you. What brings you here today? Buying cat food or something else?"
"Nothing in particular. I just had nowhere else to go, so I wanted to come see all these little ones."
Elena's gentle gaze fell upon the animals on the floor. Cats and dogs of all colors looked very healthy, until her eyes landed on a mysterious pink creature. "Wow, what kind of animal is that?"
A pink little pig with a long nose and round ears...?
But it was really cute.
The owner noticed Elena's confusion and explained with a smile, "That's a Dream Tapir. It arrived here recently too. Mild in nature, sweet in flavor..."
"Sweet in flavor?"
Elena's thoughts immediately drifted to the pink dessert called Tapir Roll from after dinner yesterday. She instantly covered her mouth, panic appearing on her face. "Could that Tapir Roll be—?!"
"No, no, no. Dream Tapirs aren't edible. And aside from the color, Tapir Rolls have absolutely nothing to do with Dream Tapirs. Let me finish first, little Elena."
The owner hurriedly waved her hands, which finally eased Elena's heart from its violently trembling revulsion.
"Dream Tapirs are creatures that survive by consuming Memory Essence. Sleeping while holding one can improve sleep quality, treat insomnia and excessive dreaming, and relieve anxiety and depression. These little fellows also favor strong-flavored Memory Essence. The more anxious you are, the happier they are when they eat."
The owner picked up the Dream Tapir. The little creature immediately waved its long nose around, pressing it against her body and sniffing deeply like a vacuum cleaner, as though it were absorbing something.
"You see? Like this, the Dream Tapir can absorb the Memory Essence from your body."
"How amazing. But won't having Memory Essence absorbed affect your health?" Elena wanted to hug the Dream Tapir too, but she cautiously chose to ask first.
"Not at all. Dream Tapirs only take the Memory Essence that naturally leaks from you. On Zhuming, they're even used to treat insomnia."
The Dream Tapir had only been feeding for less than half a minute before it contentedly retracted its nose. The owner gently stroked its fur and prepared to hand it to the girl before her. "If you don't believe me, try it. It won't affect your body at all."
Elena hesitantly reached out. Just as she held the adorable Dream Tapir that had been handed over to her, Bai Jun's scream came from the entrance.
"Agh—!"
Elena immediately turned around, only to see a painfully familiar sight—Zhang Zhang was biting Bai Jun's hand and rolling around like a crocodile performing a death roll.
"Zhang Zhang! Why are you biting people again?!" Elena rushed over angrily, yanked Zhang Zhang off Bai Jun's hand, and smacked it several times in irritation. "You've really disappointed me, Zhang Zhang!"
"Snort, snort!"
Elena did not want to hear Zhang Zhang's explanation right now. She carried it into a corner and gave it a thorough scolding.
Bai Jun rubbed his aching palm, recalling the words brought by Mind Catcher earlier. He was both startled and puzzled. Why did this Trotter keep saying he smelled good every time?
Before he could think further, a series of suctioning pulls suddenly came from beside his leg. Bai Jun looked down and found a pink Dream Tapir.
"A Dream Tapir? Why would a pet shop have something like this..."
Bai Jun had dealt with these things plenty of times back on Zhuming. Seeing the familiar little creature inevitably made him nostalgic, so he picked it up.
Dream Tapirs were very gentle by nature. It obediently lay in Bai Jun's arms, pressing its long nose against his hand. Seeing that, Bai Jun gently rubbed its head. His sleep quality had been rather poor lately, so he might as well let the Dream Tapir treat it.
The Dream Tapir also seemed to like Bai Jun very much. It pressed itself against him in bliss, its long nose continuously drawing in the Memory Essence from his body as it made delighted noises.
That immediately made Zhang Zhang unhappy. It suddenly broke free from Elena's arms and charged toward Bai Jun—or rather, the Dream Tapir in his arms.
You stinky pink pig, he's mine. Don't you dare steal him from me!
Zhang Zhang's sudden inner voice seemed to be explaining its actions. Then, before Bai Jun and Elena's horrified eyes, it kicked the Dream Tapir straight out of his arms.
"Zhang Zhang! What on earth are you doing?!"
Knowing Zhang Zhang's strength all too well, Elena let out a frightened scream. She hurried to the Dream Tapir's side and checked its body. Fortunately, Zhang Zhang had not put any force into the kick, so the Dream Tapir was only dazed and unharmed. Otherwise, it really would have turned into Tapir Roll.
Once she confirmed the Dream Tapir was fine, Elena's panic quickly turned into pure fury. She pointed directly at Zhang Zhang, who was lying in Bai Jun's arms and pretending nothing had happened. She had not expected Zhang Zhang to become more and more unruly lately. If she did not discipline it now, who knew what outrageous things it might do in the future? She grabbed Zhang Zhang and smacked its butt like an enraged mother.
Just as Bai Jun was about to step forward and stop Elena, the arriving owner stopped him.
"Are you little Elena's boyfriend?" Her expression was stern and serious. She was surely angry over what had happened to the Dream Tapir.
"Uh, no. I'm sorry about the Dream Tapir. Elena will compensate you for however much it costs."
"So you're not her boyfriend. That's wonderful..."
Under Bai Jun's wary gaze, the gentle woman suddenly revealed a meaningful smile.
After finishing with Zhang Zhang, Elena had intended to hurry over and apologize to the owner. But when she turned around, she saw the woman blushing furiously as she leaned close to Bai Jun and spoke shyly yet with boundless affection.
"My name is Jin Xi. I'm three hundred and thirty-two years old, unmarried, and I like raising little animals. At the moment, I only run this pet shop. May I get to know you? Please! I have some money too. I can support you! You only need to go out and play mahjong every day!"
Bai Jun: "..."
Elena: "?"
What Flowed Through Her Blood Was a Desire for Victory
This time, Elena was the one dragging Bai Jun out of the pet shop.
Although she did not understand why she had done so, seeing the owner's lovestruck expression gave Elena an unpleasant feeling, as though something that belonged to her was being coveted.
She was clearly not greedy for money, nor had she ever been obsessed with anything. Yet she had somehow experienced emotions like jealousy and greed. She did not quite understand it, and even wondered whether she had taken the wrong medicine today.
"Thanks for getting me out of that just now. Otherwise, it would've been a real hassle."
The faint sensation on her shoulder pulled the distracted Elena back to reality. Bai Jun lightly patted her shoulder, smiling as he thanked her for what had happened earlier.
"It's nothing. But I'm curious—if I hadn't helped you... what would you have done, Bai Jun?" Elena shook her head, unable to suppress the emotions in her heart. Her clear, blue eyes looked at Bai Jun curiously.
"I would've told her to get lost. What else was I supposed to do?" Bai Jun stretched lazily and spoke as though it were only natural.
"Pfft—" Hearing that bizarre yet unsurprising answer, Elena blinked her beautiful eyes and smiled. The faint displeasure in her heart instantly vanished. "What kind of answer is that? She didn't even offend you. Why say something so mean?"
"It was just a hypothetical, a hypothetical. Things didn't go in that direction anyway. And what was so mean about what I said?" Bai Jun curled his lips. "Forget that. Where are we going next, Miss Elena?"
"Mm, I haven't decided yet..."
Elena rested her hand against her soft cheek, her gaze following the disorderly crowd. Then, when she spotted a huge advertisement sign, her eyes lit up and an idea came to her. "Got it! Let's go play at the shooting range!"
"A shooting range?"
Bai Jun followed the direction of Elena's finger and soon saw the advertisement for a shooting venue. He did not remember this place having a facility like that before. It must have opened recently.
"That's right. Shooting assessment is a required part of the Interstellar Peace Company's entry test for new hires. By the way, I got a perfect score."
Mentioning one of her strengths, Elena proudly raised her chin, looking as haughty as a victorious feathered beast returning from battle. "It's fine if you don't know how, Bai Jun. As your senior, I'll make sure to teach you properly."
"I never said I didn't know how..."
"Then that's even better. Come on, come on!" Having decided on their next destination, Elena quickly pulled Bai Jun toward the shooting range.
Because some hidden rich lady had booked the entire place, the venue was quite empty. Compared to the clean, orderly exterior, the cement walls inside looked somewhat battered. Perhaps it was that so-called battle-damaged style? There was even a faint smell of gunpowder in the air.
All kinds of firearms hung in a circle around the old, worn walls. Different calibers of ammunition lay spread out in boxes across the tables, making the place look rather chaotic. Most absurdly, Bai Jun even spotted a few round grenades among them.
"Could these all be real weapons?" Bai Jun casually took a long gun from the wall. The heavy metallic feel did not seem fake.
"Mm, probably not. I remember the structure being different."
Words were useless, so Elena found a handgun that fit her hand best. After skillfully loading it, she turned, assumed a shooting stance, and rapidly fired at the target sheets fifty meters away without even looking.
Three shots rang out, and a bright hole appeared precisely in the head of each humanoid target.
"They really are replicas. The genuine version should be much more powerful than this."
Elena quickly reached her conclusion. If she had used the gun assigned to her at the company, those three targets would not have merely had holes punched through them. They would have exploded with a bang into scraps of paper flying everywhere.
She coolly holstered the pistol at her waist, swept the hair from her forehead, then looked at Bai Jun, who she expected to be stunned. "Hehe, what do you think? I'm pretty amazing, right?"
"Not bad, Elena."
Bai Jun's tone was remarkably flat. He nodded from time to time at the side, wearing the air of someone offering an appraisal, as though he had seen scenes far more impressive than this.
It felt as though something she had anticipated for a long time had fallen flat. Elena felt a little dissatisfied, so she walked over, poked Bai Jun's waist with a mischievous smile, and used the sort of phrasing Xianzhou people loved most. "Since we're already here, why don't you give it a try too, Bai Jun?"
"I'm not skilled with firearms, but you're right. Since we're already here, not trying would feel like a waste."
Facing Elena's eager expression, Bai Jun stroked his chin and thought it over. He felt that not giving it a try would be wasting money.
"Not bad. But I won't go easy on you, okay? Giving it your all is the greatest respect you can show an opponent." Elena had expected him to refuse decisively, so she was pleasantly surprised. She bounced over to the firing station and began adjusting the shooting mode.
"The greatest respect... You're right. I didn't expect to be lectured by you." Bai Jun muttered to himself, then suddenly smiled in relief. His original thought of merely humoring Elena vanished completely.
"Hm? Did you just say something?"
After adjusting the number of targets, Elena lifted her head in confusion. She had not heard Bai Jun's muttering. She only saw him loading bullets into the magazine one by one before clicking it back into the pistol.
"Nothing. I'll show you the greatest respect I can, Elena." The laziness in Bai Jun's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a trace of seriousness. With the sound of the weapon being chambered, he rested his finger against the trigger guard to prevent an accidental discharge.
"Hehe, talking big, are we?"
Although Bai Jun's current demeanor had startled her a little, Elena still trusted her own abilities. She could guarantee that she never missed a shot. At the very least, she would not lose to someone unfamiliar with firearms. At worst, they would tie... though a tie would be pretty embarrassing too.
"Let me explain the rules. The range will simulate a combat scenario. Your job is to find the blue points of light and destroy them. But before that, you'll have to deal with challenges from various enemies. The enemies will also shoot at the blue points to claim them, which means you have to destroy the blue points before they do. Do you understand?"
To make sure Bai Jun understood, Elena explained a little more slowly.
"So the ultimate goal is just to destroy the blue points, right?" Even though Elena had already explained it clearly, Bai Jun still asked.
"Mm, that's right. The gun in your hand will record the blue points you destroy, so you don't need to worry about anything else. Oh, right, only ten points will appear in each person's range, so don't miss them."
"I understand."
Bai Jun understood the whole process. In short, kill, kill, kill. Just blast everything clean.
"Then the match begins in ten seconds. Remember to use all your strength. All of it." As Elena finished speaking, several machines at the far end of the range slowly activated.
Bai Jun briefly scanned his surroundings. Several humanoid markers slowly rose as well. Those were probably the enemies Elena had mentioned.
10, 9, 8, 7... 3, 2, 1—!
As a piercing horn sounded, three blue markers gradually appeared in their ranges. Just as Elena confirmed their positions and prepared to fire, three crisp gunshots rang out beside her, far faster than she had been.
Her attention instantly shifted to Bai Jun. The three blue markers in his range shattered the moment the shots rang out. But it was not over. Three more shots followed, and every humanoid marker that had risen around him was headshot before slowly lowering again.
Clearly, Bai Jun's earlier claim that he was not skilled with firearms had been complete bullshit. This liar's shooting skills were obviously no worse than hers.
Elena was both shocked and angry. She hurriedly turned her focus back to her own range, quickly firing three shots to shatter the blue markers, then following Bai Jun's example by firing several times to knock down the enemies.
When the first round ended, both of their scores stood at three points.
The second round followed immediately. The movement pattern of the blue markers suddenly changed. The formerly stationary markers became mobile, darting wildly across the walls like flies. At the same time, the enemies around them rose again, clearly moving even faster than before.
After weighing her options, Elena chose the safest approach—take down the enemies around her first, then destroy the blue markers on the wall one by one.
Just as the outline of her plan formed in her mind, Bai Jun in the neighboring lane had already shattered the markers on his wall with a flurry of shots. That made Elena somewhat anxious, but her skills were no joke either. When the second round ended, she had not missed a single blue marker.
The difficulty surged in the final round. Blue markers and enemies appeared almost simultaneously, while numerous heavy obstacles rose from the ground and blocked the markers at precisely the worst positions.
Under such circumstances, an ordinary person would already be doing well to claim one or two markers. But Elena truly deserved her near-perfect physical assessment score at the Interstellar Peace Company. The instant the obstacles rose, she had already thought of a solution.
She fired several shots to deal with the troublesome enemies around her, then sent several bullets into the same point on an obstacle to break it apart. Finally, she picked off the blue markers one after another with ease.
After finishing all that, Elena first looked toward Bai Jun beside her. Just as she wanted to see how far he had gotten, she discovered that he was already removing the bullets from his magazine one by one, looking so relaxed that it was as if he had merely warmed up.
"You liar. Didn't you say you weren't good with firearms?" Elena slowly set her pistol down on the table and sighed, feeling powerless as though she had been played.
Before you continue