The Courage to Hold Back

[Examinee: Bu Liuxing]

[Verification Date: January 15, 2025]

[Polarized Sextant - Review Results]

[Inspiration: A]

[Spirit: B]

[Combat Skill: S]

[Madness Index: A]

[Will to Survive: A]

[Intracranial Contraband - Spirit Calamity Concentration: 92%]

This is A Xing's sextant panel data six months later; the changes are enormous.

The lobby manager also looked surprised when he saw the Braille card.

Covered in grease and grime, Bu Liuxing squatted nervously beside the construction site, wearing a small yellow hat, gazing longingly at the steel beams of the coffee shop.

He mentioned the card to the manager.

"How am I? Dear brother! How am I?"

Manager: "I'm very surprised."

Bu Liuxing immediately asked, "Is it good or bad? Am I mentally unstable?"

The manager squatted down with A Xing.

He reached out and slapped A Xing's face, as if picking through pork, wiping away the cement dust from the boy's face, and immediately saw that Liu Xing had grown a thin beard.

This guy hasn't shaved in a month; he looks sloppy.

After reviewing the meteor's appearance, the manager returned to business.

"Did you use pyroxene to boost your strength during the examination, kid?"

Meteor sprayed out a mouthful of mineral water, and the foreman and Xue Ming on the construction site immediately dodged far away.

"--Huh? Can't we do that?"

Manager: "It's not impossible."

Meteor: "It doesn't really matter, does it?"

Manager: "It doesn't matter much."

Meteor, half-understanding, said, "I thought that when doing security checks and tests, you had to be at full power like a Saiyan!"

"There's no such requirement. You're getting a security check card, not a certificate of excellence," the manager explained. "It will just confuse the station's security inspectors."

Upon hearing this, Xue Ming immediately squatted down.

"What's wrong with him? Is something off about this kid?"

The manager chuckled and said, "It's nothing, it's just that the rate of growth is a bit frightening."

Meteor scratched his head, then suddenly pulled Ming Ge to his side, pointing at Ming Ge: "He did it all! He taught me how to fight!"

At this moment, the manager didn't take the shooting star's joke to heart and wanted to explain the data on the Braille cards in detail.

"No, it has nothing to do with your combat skills. The Radiant Stone is an amplifier of emotions; it can make your brain and body work at an overclock and enhance your combat skills, but it won't affect your basic hardware—the growth I'm talking about is the growth of your spirit and Inspiration, as well as the growth of your will to survive."

Meteor asked, "Is this kind of growth rare?"

The manager lit a cigarette, as if he had thought of something unbelievable.

"It's very rare, especially after adulthood. As people grow up, the rate of growth of their spiritual essence slows down noticeably—many thoughts and ideas stop changing with age, learning efficiency decreases, and naturally, there's no such thing as growth."

The exhaled smoke, interfered with by the threads of the spirits, arranged itself into various shapes.

It was a crawling baby, gradually becoming a teenager, a young adult, and finally an old person and a tombstone.

"Bu Liuxing, judging from the data, the Polarized Sextant has almost completely changed you in the past six months, it's a radical transformation."

Meteor nodded vigorously. "Yes! It's Ming Ge's been training me constantly! I used to love staying up late, but after overcoming that bad habit, my muscles and body fat have remained in a very healthy state—and my strength and spirit have gradually become stronger."

The manager smiled and said, "Congratulations, this is almost an unbelievable stroke of luck."

Meteor put his arm around Ming Ge's shoulder and asked curiously, "So what is Ming Ge, in the eyes of the Polarized Sextant?"

Manager: "Sexant didn't treat him like a human being."

Bu Liuxing: "."

Jiang Xueming: "."

The manager continued, "Once we have a safety screening procedure for the monsters, we can throw him in; we might get a pleasant surprise."

Bu Liuxing: "What surprise?"

Manager: "An off-the-charts surprise!"

Jiang Xueming didn't say anything, silently pulled away from A Xing's arm, and busied herself building the house.

With only ten days or so until the eve of the Lunar New Year, and the actual Lunar New Year's Eve only twenty days away, the construction of the three-story house, totaling more than 900 square meters, is definitely not going to be completed. At most, they can only build the bare load-bearing beams, columns, water and electricity pipelines, and roads on the first floor.

As for the construction of the second floor, it can only officially begin after all the reinforced concrete of the first floor has completely solidified and steel beams have been borrowed from the bedrock of the Council of Five Kings's windows to reinforce the pool's foundation.

Meteor, this young master, had never been to a construction site before, nor had he ever done such rough work. He came up and broke two support plates with his bare hands. Xue Ming felt sorry for him and made him mix concrete. Seeing that there was less and less material in the pile and more and more mud on A Xing's body, Xue Ming told him not to do anything and to find a place to rest.

Nothing much happened. The manager delivered the Security check Braille card to Meteor and left, leaving behind two packages, both containing mail addressed to Jiang Xueming.

Meteor patiently refrained from touching Ming Ge's personal belongings, but a burning curiosity drove her to gently shake the mailbox, eager to know what was inside.

The sender of the email became even more curious.

One of the packages was delivered by Teacher Victor.

The other package was delivered by Commander Jessica.

Do not open, absolutely do not open--

--Ah A Xing kept chanting a spell in his mind, thinking that things couldn't go on like this.

He called out, "Ming Ge! I'm going to find my waiter to play!"

Jiang Xueming was using a handsaw to cut through the steel bars, while a tower crane next to him had just started working and looked like it would be a long time before they finished.

Xue Ming didn't even turn her head. "Go! We'll go have dinner with Seventh Brother in four hours! Then we'll go home."

The shooting star was about to leave--

Xue Ming immediately ran out, used a handsaw to cut open the mailbox, and told A Xing to go out and have fun without any worries.

A Xing smiled and said, "You really know me! Come and see what it is! Is it a New Year's gift?"

Mr. Victor returned the pen and sent an explanation letter.

[To my foolish apprentices, especially Jiang Xueming]

[Next time you make me a fountain pen, make sure the lead is made of vanadium, not titanium steel. I'm not used to it.]

[It weighs 270 grams; please reduce its weight to 192 grams.]

[At the point where the thumb and Thumb grip the pen, make a slight adjustment; I have large hands and like to hold the pen tightly while writing.]

Thank you for the New Year's gift. It looks exquisite, but it's actually quite rough around the edges. However, I like it very much.

[When I was giving my report to the BOSS, I learned of your recent situation, so I sent a servant to find sacred relics and silver to help you fight the vampires. I also found a ceremonial silver sword in my old house in my hometown of Vienna. According to your family's chronology, it should be an antique from the Qianlong era, and it has already been melted down into silver ingots. Please use them well. If my parents could know this in the afterlife, they would surely shoot me and break my legs. But my disciples, I, as your teacher, have no more ability to impart knowledge and skills; I can only give you these material possessions.]

[You must survive. If you can't win, that's okay, just run away. But after you run away, remember that we're not running away; we're bearing the humiliation of defeat, but you must still live on bravely.]

[If you escape, I'll capture Wen Bucai and make him retrieve your Steel Heart —after all, I spent a fortune buying him a motorcycle, and he has no reason to refuse this request.]

[ --David Victor]

Beneath the envelope was a box of drafts wrapped in moisture-proof gauze—a small gift for A Xing.

The sacred objects that Teacher Victor mentioned were six sets of silver wind chimes used for church decoration. They were carved with images of the Holy Mother Maria and inscribed with the Rosary. They were proper exorcism bells and funeral bells.

Meteor frowned, and at the slightest provocation, she started wiping away tears.

Xue Ming: "Why are you crying again?"

Meteor: "I'm sorry, but I was thinking that if one day, Professor Victor leaves us, I will never receive such a gift again, and I will never feel such care again, and I couldn't help but say that."

Xue Ming roughly kneaded Bu Liuxing's face, shaping it into various forms, and with a skillful yet ruthless technique, used a handsaw to shave Liuxing's beard clean.

"Wake up! A Xing! Do you know what you just said? You actually want to use your lifespan to send this immortal being away? Who's sending whom away! Teacher just hopes that we can both live as long as possible in his long life!"

"That's right!~" A Xing immediately stopped crying and perked up, "I will try my best to live!"

Xue Ming packed away the sacred objects, letters, and silver ingots from a hidden compartment, preparing to use them to make steel silver bullets. He then opened Commander Jessica's package.

The letter is written in a delicate and elegant hand.

[To Jiang Xueming and Bu Liuxing]

[We agreed to keep in touch online! The ironworks' internet is working! But neither of you even left me your WeChat IDs!]

[We've been out of touch for over half a year. If I hadn't had a head transplant and come to the boss to ask, I would have thought you were really dead!]

I heard that Jiang Xueming is going to become the head of the Nameless Gang!

That's great! You did a good job!

[Mimir Hot Springs are right above me, not far from the Dead Puppet Agency City, about 80 kilometers away directly above it. I really want to go there and see it!]

[I used my salary this month to buy you two G26s. Don't steal other people's guns anymore! That's wrong! That's terrible!]

[I also heard that Xue Ming, you're going to modify Joe's guns. You have some good stuff like submachine guns, so get his short sword and modify it too. The .45 ACP has no future; you need to modify the barrel and bolt to reduce the caliber and increase penetration. I need my uncle at the ironworks to make the barrel for you. Remember that! You absolutely must remember!]

[I prepared three types of projectiles for Bu Liuxing: flashbangs and stun grenades made to the caliber of a 12-gauge bullet, and incendiary rounds—which can be fired from a smoothbore gun and will definitely be useful against vampires.]

[I'm on vacation! Do you guys want to take me out for fun, let's go to Sky Station! I'll lead the charge!]

[ --Jessica, only her head remains, written by Nanami]

Xue Ming's nose turned red, she was a little sad, and she almost cried.

Bu Liuxing: "Ming Ge, what's wrong? You can't cry, you're a sexy tough guy!"

Jiang Xueming: "No! I'm angry!"

Bu Liuxing: "Why?"

Jiang Xueming: "She still didn't leave her WeChat ID."

Before the workshop was even built, Xueming asked Axing to send the materials and parts to the storage facility for safekeeping.

--Construction then resumed immediately.

Upon receiving the order, Bu Liuxing immediately carried out these tasks. Holding the manuscript sent by Teacher Victor, he patiently suppressed his intense curiosity and prepared to take the story to the waiter San San for a review.

He ran back to the ward, hurriedly knocked on the door, and bumped into Seventh Brother making the bed.

Meteor peeked around cautiously, not entering the room, but looking left and right. Unable to find 3301, he politely asked, "Sister-in-law! Do you know where my waiter is?"

"Her?" 9527 tidied up the ward, preparing to move out. "Her injuries were relatively minor. The mucous membranes of the mouth and nose are among the most resilient tissues in the body. She took on a transport security job and went on a mission."

Bu Liuxing panicked. "When did they leave?!"

Xiao Qi raised an eyebrow. "Oh my? You care about her? Tell me more!"

Bu Liuxing still asked, "When did she leave? Which bus?"

Xiao Qi pursed her lips, looking embarrassed.

Actually, they just left because they smelled your scent and ran away.

Bu Liuxing suddenly felt dejected. "Doesn't she want to see me?"

Xiao Qi casually took an apple from the fruit basket and tossed it over.

"Platform 3, train in 16 minutes. She likes apples."

Bu Liuxing caught it immediately, his movements flustered but his eyes brave. "Is there any more?"

Xiao Qi pulled a red scarf from her luggage and tossed it to Liuxing. "Our destination is District 69 in the Northern Territory. It's very cold there. She forgot to bring a scarf—oh no, I should say, I hid it and specially left it for you."

"Oh!" Meteor's eyes lit up. "You're so despicable, sister-in-law!"

Xiao Qi looked disdainful. "Why don't you smell it first? Smell the scarf? I don't remember if it's been washed or not."

Meteor lowered her head to smell the fragrance on the red scarf, her gaze growing increasingly determined.

"Sister-in-law, you've done so much for me, so I'm afraid I should also do some despicable things for you, like some ambiguous and ambiguous things with Ming Ge, right? Hehe!"

Xiao Qi looked completely confused. "What are you talking about! What did you smell? Are you even crazier than me?"

"The smell of Blue Moon laundry detergent" Bu Liuxing's expression return to normal.

Xiao Qi tried to kick the person away, intending to shove him in the butt, but ultimately missed.

"Come on! Stop putting on an act! You drama queen!"

Meteor hugged the apple and the draft with her scarf and ran towards her destination: the Council of Five Kings to retrieve all the Universal Elixir from HC, a total of eight vials, nearly two liters.

He thought to himself that any medicine he didn't need in this life would definitely not be saved for the next.

He ran to the platform's arrival corridor and caught up with 3301 halfway there. Meteor remembered clearly the sharp, side-swept bangs and the way he walked with his head held high.

He was certain that it was the clearest image he had ever remembered in his life, even if she were in human form.

--The arm I was gripping was so strong.

After returning to the station from Fang Feng, the waiter San San grabbed his ear and dragged him to the infirmary while cursing all the way.

After returning from the Golden Township, when Meteor was in a daze, the waiter San San kicked him into the large bathtub on the square terrace to bring him back to his senses.

Meteor didn't dare to pull too hard on Teacher San San's arm, waiting quietly and awkwardly.

All that was left was for the girl to turn around, take out her glasses, put them on, and see the employer's bewildered expression.

In an instant, all of A Xing's memories became clear.

After I finished drinking with Ling Weng--

She took me back to my room.

After I said goodbye to my mother--

--She stayed at my house for so, so long.

How should I greet her? I haven't even asked her real name.

How should we get to know each other again? I'm starting to believe what Ming Ge said.

This is a very important person in my life.

3301: "Is there something you need, sir?"

Bu Liuxing, no longer brave, said, "My sister-in-law asked me to deliver something to you."

3301 asked in confusion, "Sister-in-law?"

Bu Liuxing explained, "It's... my Ming Ge's waiter, 9527."

3301 accepted the scarf and apples, stuffing them into the suitcase. "You mean, Xiao Qi asked you to deliver these things? You're just running errands?"

A Xing nodded and then shook his head, handing the draft over. "Oh no! I also wanted to give you this!"

3301 was puzzled and did not take the book from A Xing's hand.

A Xing immediately explained, "This is a book written by my teacher. I really like it, I like it so much!"

3301 shook his head. "But I don't like it, my eyesight is bad."

A Xing let go of San San's arm. "How about I go with you to ride the bus! I'll read it to you!"

3301 gave a subtle smile, "You want to skip the ticket? I'm Qingjin. You'd better follow the rules, or I'll have a hard time."

"I'm sorry," Bu Liuxing, feeling a sense of loss. He suddenly realized how clumsy he was with words, and he thought bitterly to himself, "Why was I so natural when I used to chat up other girls?"

But at this moment--

He began to hesitate and tremble, feeling both annoyed and ashamed.

My heart, have you betrayed me?

What are you doing? Why are you jumping so fast and so urgently?

I had to throw away all my charm, elegance, and confidence.

3301 suddenly said, "Could you please stop staring at me like that?"

Bu Liuxing was puzzled, but his eyes were glued to the screen. "Why?"

3301 pointed outside the platform. "I'm about to board the train. Your face is so red, and your eyes are so big, you can see the fire in them."

At this moment, in this instant.

Bu Liuxing unlocked the clasp on his chest that Fusou Wannian.

Unlike previous unlocking procedures, this time Fusou Wannian had no chance to relock. Its lock cylinder seemed to have been shattered by a tremendous force and could never be restored.

A thousand thoughts exploded in his mind, like brilliant fireworks.

3301 continued, "My eyesight isn't good; I'm red-blue phobic—most canines have this problem. So I'm asking you, did Xiao Qi really ask you to deliver these things? Don't lie to me."

Bu Liuxing: "No!"

3301 continued, "Just like before, what would you do?"

Bu Liuxing shouted loudly and seriously, "I want to get to know you! I want to know your name! I want to know your zodiac sign! I want to hitch a ride on a train! I want to travel with you!"

"Well, if the last few requests don't work, I'll personally send you to the transit station for detention." 3301 finally took the book from Meteor's hand. "Employer, although we rarely see each other and you haven't paid much attention to me, I have an occupational hazard—I like to pry into people's privacy. I know you, and I've spent some time with your aunt—I know you're a playful person, and I know how much you love this story. Giving me Professor Victor's manuscript is truly an honor. You must be very, very upset, but I'll accept it."

A Xing pouted, looking completely unconcerned. "I'm not wronged!"

3301 took out a business card from his inner pocket and handed it to Bu Liuxing.

"Nice to meet you."

Bu Liuxing took it, but didn't have time to look at it.

"Nice to meet you."

3301 had already boarded the bus and was sitting by the window, waving at Bu Liuxing.

A Xing simply stayed where he was, taking one last look.

In just one minute, the soul boarded the vehicle.

He clearly saw 3301 take off his glasses, open the manuscript, and bend down to examine the words on the pages with a magnifying glass, looking at them very carefully, as if he were investigating a case.

A Xing immediately ran forward; he felt that 100 meters was such a long distance. It used to only take a few seconds.

The railway is so, so far away; the Nine Realms are thousands of kilometers away from the Sixty-Nine Districts of the Northern Territory.

San San turned around at the sound and called out, "Be good!"

Bu Liuxing immediately stopped trying to climb onto the train and stood by the window, looking up.

Teacher San San took the apple out of the suitcase, vigorously wiped off the dust with a scarf, broke it in half, and leaned out of the window.

"Here you go! Here you go! Take it!"

Meteor immediately jumped up and took the half of the fruit from San San's hand.

He quickly held up the briefcase and presented the Universal Elixir: "Here you go! I almost forgot! I hope you stay safe and sound too!"

3301 brought the box, but we haven't had a chance to open it yet.

The special train heading towards the abyss emitted a low, mournful whine.

The towing hooks interlock, propelling the heavy carriage forward.

Bu Liuxing stood there, munching on the apple bite by bite, leaving not even the core.

3301 stared intently at A Xing.

As long as A Xing keeps running forward--

She immediately frowned.

A Xing wanted to move closer to the train.

Her expression immediately changed.

Until A Xing obediently stayed on the platform and did not make any further rash moves.

Close the lid of the Universal Elixir box.

3301 looked like he was walking off the execution ground, with an expression of relief at having narrowly escaped death.

She thought to herself, her heart almost melting. She nearly wanted to pull the shooting star onto the train.

She tilted her head, thinking about the past and the future.

Thinking of that very tall boy, who never seemed to grow up at all.

Thinking about this mischievous little devil who never stops moving...

--How strong must his determination be to make him stay obediently by the platform? How powerful must his will be to keep up with the rules? How strong must his love at first sight be to give his most beloved and precious treasures to the girl he "just met"?

3301 thought so.

We can't let him be fooled again.

Thinking of this, San San called Xiao Qi.

San San: "Hey! Seven. My employer just came looking for me."

Xiao Qi: "How was it? How was it? How was it?!"

San San: "His eyes are so big, like a little child's. Have you ever seen a picture of Cupid? He has long eyelashes and big eyes. Many times I feel like he's a minor."

Xiao Qi: "Hmm? Oh? Ah?!"

"It's very beautiful."

"Then what!"

"Her breasts are also very large."