The Inevitable Node

11:30 AM.

The Fujin Hall, a small banquet hall in Hongfu Tower, was bustling with noise, its nearly twenty tables almost completely full.

Relatives exchanged greetings, children chased each other between the chairs, and waiters wove through the crowd to begin serving cold dishes.

Chen Yu squeezed over to Lin Yi's side, his face full of excitement as he lowered his voice:

"Brother Yi, the stuff is in my car. When are we going down to get it?"

"Let's go now. You head out first, I'll greet everyone and be right there."

After saying this, Lin Yi turned to his parents, his uncle, his aunt, and the others who were chatting nearby and smiled:

"Uncle, Uncle, my good buddy Chen Yu prepared a 'special gift' for me. I'm going down to grab it, and I'll perform a show for everyone later!"

He intentionally kept them in suspense.

Zhou Jianjun, his uncle, asked with interest: "Oh? Little Yi even prepared a show?"

"Sigh, this kid, he's been fussing around at home for days," his mother, Zhou Jinghua, said with a smile, urging him on, "Go ahead, don't keep everyone waiting."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

With that, Lin Yi turned and walked quickly downstairs.

In the hotel parking lot, Chen Yu was already waiting beside a sapphire blue SUV, the brand of which Lin Yi couldn't name.

Seeing Lin Yi approach, Chen Yu opened the trunk and clicked open the lid of the silver-white box inside.

In the center of the box lay the mysterious black titanium alloy armor components, with a black iron short staff on each side.

"How is it? Cool, right?"

Chen Yu patted the armor proudly.

"It's insanely cool!"

Lin Yi laughed and punched Chen Yu on the shoulder. He then picked up the two black iron short staves to examine them, aligned the card slots, and gave them a twist.

With a click, the two short staves instantly transformed into a Great Sage Weapon almost identical to the one in the game.

He weighed them in his hands; they were cold, heavy, and perfectly balanced.

"Thanks a lot, A Yu. Everything depends on this later..."

Lin Yi paused for a moment before continuing: "Let's move it up first. We'll put it in the lounge behind the small stage in the hall for backup."

The two of them worked together to carry the box to the corner of the lounge next to the small banquet hall on the second floor.

By the time they returned to the main hall, the cold dishes had been served, and the hot dishes were being brought out one after another.

Lin Yi checked the time; it was nearly twelve o'clock, so he didn't wait any longer and walked directly onto the small banquet stage.

He held a beer in one hand and a microphone in the other, his face showing the youthful awkwardness and solemnity appropriate for his age.

"Grandpas and grandmas, uncles and aunts, and my good friends..."

Lin Yi cleared his throat, his voice carrying clearly through the microphone across the somewhat noisy banquet hall, drawing everyone's attention.

He wore a smile, his tone sincere.

"Thank you all so much for coming to my graduation banquet today!"

"To be honest, getting into Qingteng University wouldn't have been possible without the hard work and dedication of my mom and dad over these years, nor without the care and encouragement of all the elders and friends here..."

"I toast this drink to everyone. Thank you all!"

Lin Yi tilted his head back and downed the beer in one gulp, drawing a round of warm applause and cheers.

He set down the glass and turned his gaze toward his parents.

"Dad, Mom, you are the ones I want to thank the most. You've worked so hard all these years!"

Lin Yi fell silent for a moment, then broke into a bright smile.

"I won't say any more sappy things. I wish Mom and Dad peace, joy, and good health in the future! I also wish all our relatives and friends good health and success in everything!"

The applause grew even more enthusiastic, mixed with exclamations of "What a good kid" and "So sensible."

Lin Ruiming and Zhou Jinghua's eyes reddened, and they nodded repeatedly.

Then, Lin Yi changed the subject, his face taking on a youthful liveliness and a hint of shyness:

"So... today, besides eating, I've prepared a little show to liven things up! My desk mate, my good friend A Yu..."

He nodded toward Chen Yu, who was sitting at the table with the other students.

"You've all probably heard of Dark Great Sage recently, the Pride of China that was featured on CCTV."

"He gave me a set of super cool Great Sage Equal to Heaven cosplay gear today. This is titanium alloy armor and a long staff crafted by a master! It's the real deal!"

Everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to Chen Yu, who stood up proudly and waved.

"I've been watching a lot of Dark Great Sage videos lately, and I've been secretly learning a few staff techniques. I'm not very good, so please don't laugh!"

Lin Yi scratched his head and gave a sunny smile.

"It's just a personal hobby, and I'm just making a fool of myself. I figured everyone is probably tired of singing and dancing, so I thought I'd put on a performance to add to the fun!"

"Great!"

"Give us a show!"

"Little Yi has this kind of talent too?"

The Banquet Hall was suddenly filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Lin Yi glanced at the wall clock: 12:02.

"A Yu, do me a favor and help me change into my gear backstage." He called out to Chen Yu, then cupped his hands toward the crowd, "Everyone, please wait a moment, I'll be right back!"

Amidst the expectant gazes and laughter of the crowd, Lin Yi pulled Chen Yu quickly toward the lounge next to the Small Stage.

Once the door closed, shutting out the noise from outside, Lin Yi nimbly opened the Silver-white Alloy Box placed in the corner, speaking at a rapid pace.

"Quick! A Yu, help me put this on!"

The dark-colored armor components shimmered with a cold, hard luster under the lights, and beside them lay the heavy Black Iron Long Staff.

"Damn, Brother Yi, you're being so serious—are you actually nervous? It's just a performance."

Although Chen Yu teased him, his hands moved quickly, helping Lin Yi pick up the Back Armor.

The two worked in tandem, one handing over parts while the other fastened the buckles, their movements clearly showing a mix of unfamiliarity and haste.

Lin Yi deliberately made his movements appear a bit clumsy, struggling to align the buckles several times before they finally clicked, muttering to himself:

"Even though this thing is titanium alloy, it's not exactly light... Where's the buckle? Is it here?"

Chen Yu was also flustered, "Right, right, here! Hold it down!... Oops, this strap seems to be tangled..."

With Chen Yu's help, the set of imposing and ferocious Qitian Battle Armor was finally fully equipped.

Of course, Lin Yi firmly refused to wear the exaggerated Phoenix Winged Purple Gold Crown, using the excuse that "if it's not tied tight, it'll easily tilt during a big move, and then it'll become a joke."

Lin Yi grabbed the cold Black Iron Long Staff, weighed it in his hand, and tried moving around a few times; the heavy Alloy Combat Boots made muffled thuds against the floor.

He glanced at the wall clock: 12:08.

"Let's go!"

Lin Yi took a deep breath, his eyes instantly becoming sharp and focused, as if he had truly stepped into the role.

He pushed open the lounge door, the armor components clanking with the friction of metal as he walked, and under the astonished and curious gazes of everyone, he strode to the center of the Banquet Hall's Small Stage.

"I'll show you my clumsy attempt!"

Lin Yi let out a low shout. As the music from the CG Animation on the Large Screen began to play, he gripped the middle of the long staff with both hands and struck the classic opening pose of the Great Sage from the Dark Great Sage game.

The movement was a bit stiff, but the stance was very well-executed.

Immediately following, Lin Yi first performed a slightly awkward staff flourish, then began to wield the long staff.

The movements were not complex, consisting mainly of basic Staff Moves like chopping, sweeping, lifting, and poking; the speed wasn't particularly fast, and while there were clear traces of imitation and a hint of nervous stiffness, the whistling of the staff wind, combined with the dark-colored armor, still carried quite a bit of power.

"Bravo!"

"Whoa! That's actually interesting!"

"That staff looks pretty heavy!"

The Banquet Hall suddenly erupted with cheers and discussions.

Lin Ruiming and Zhou Jinghua exchanged helpless glances, then looked at their son on the stage, feeling both amused and proud.

As for Chen Yu, he stood by the Small Stage with his chin held high in triumph.

After all, once his good buddy finished the performance, he would still need to help him take off the armor, so he simply didn't return to his seat.