Little kids make choices, I want them all

"Li Ran, Li Ran."

Just then, Song Linjia came running over from the distance in a great hurry.

"Are you looking to form a team with me too?"

"How did you know?"

Song Linjia looked at Li Ran in surprise, then glanced at the others.

"Are you all..."

It was clear that everyone gathered at the meeting point today was looking to team up with Li Ran.

Actually, this was a good thing, and Li Ran didn't feel the slightest bit of resentment.

"I can help, but I charge a fee." A faint smile tugged at the corner of Li Ran's mouth.

Xiao Yi pushed up his glasses, his brows furrowing slightly as he said, "Can't we just split the rewards equally if we team up?"

Li Ran wagged his index finger and said, "My fee is simple: after completing the mission, I take half the points. I don't want anything else."

"You're asking for the moon," the burly man beside Xiao Yi said indignantly.

Li Ran smiled and said nothing. He had already stated his price; whether they could accept it was their business, and he had nothing to lose.

"I agree."

Lu Zhaohui didn't hesitate at all, saying directly, "Help me with my mission first, and I'll give you half my points."

"I have no problem with that either," said Song Linjia.

Song Linjia had already reached a similar agreement with Li Ran back at the pond when dealing with Granny Mi, so naturally, she wouldn't refuse him now.

In contrast, Xiao Yi and his two companions hesitated. Xiao Yi's expression turned incredibly dark, yet he persisted, unwilling to give up:

"I am sincerely inviting you to join us."

"I've received a multi-player mission with a high difficulty level. With me, Chen Jiabin, and Huang Wentao, adding you makes four—just enough to complete it."

"This mission has generous rewards. It's unreasonable for you to take half of everything for yourself," the tall boy said.

The tall boy was Huang Wentao, another survivor who had been rescued by Xiao Yi from a sealed warehouse yesterday.

Xiao Yi, Chen Jiabin, and Huang Wentao had teamed up and completed quite a few missions yesterday.

The Mysterious Power and points of the three were all very similar.

"We're all teammates, Li Ran, don't be like this," Chen Jiabin said.

Li Ran looked at Xiao Yi, then said indifferently to Chen Jiabin, "Do you remember how your hand was broken? If I were you, I wouldn't team up with him again."

Li Ran still remembered how, during Grandpa Ge's mission in the security room, Xiao Yi had feigned concern while actually goading others into acting as cannon fodder.

If a mission ever went sideways, he would definitely be the first one to run.

After spending time with him, Li Ran already understood what kind of person Xiao Yi was.

It was truly pathetic that Chen Jiabin and Qiu Zhongji were being used as pawns without even realizing it.

Chen Jiabin froze for a moment, then laughed, "Are you trying to sow discord between us?"

Li Ran paused, then said, "I've said what needed to be said."

At this, Xiao Yi stepped forward, his face displeased: "Li Ran, I admit there were some unpleasantries between us before."

"But too many teammates have died already, and that's in the past."

"This is already the fifth day. It will only get more dangerous, and the missions will get harder. We must stick together if we want to survive to the end."

Xiao Yi knew that Li Ran's strength was definitely the highest among them. At the Fortune Teller's, Li Ran had obtained a blue-tier item, and after completing various missions since, his strength was far beyond his own.

If Li Ran could join this mission, their task would go much smoother, and they would secure the generous rewards.

Xiao Yi's expression softened. He glanced at Huang Wentao and Chen Jiabin behind him, then turned back to Li Ran: "Besides, the three of us combined are definitely more useful than you are alone. You'll run into difficulties too."

He thought this would persuade Li Ran, but Li Ran simply replied, "Are you talking about the utility of cannon fodder?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi's face turned black on the spot.

"Oh, I've changed my mind. If you want me to join you, I want all the points!" Li Ran said.

In terms of strength and utility, Li Ran was far beyond what they could imagine.

A person like Xiao Yi would sell out his teammates without a second thought; he was deep and treacherous, and Li Ran disdained to associate with such people.

Four people splitting one mission's rewards?

Did he look like he would agree to that?

Only children make choices; he wanted it all.

Xiao Yi was so angry his teeth ground together, and he finally spat out, "Just you wait, I'll make you regret this!"

Xiao Yi left with his two pieces of cannon fodder, and as they walked away, both men glared fiercely at Li Ran.

Li Ran just smiled indifferently, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Chen Jiabin walk away into the distance.

Lu Zhaohui urged Li Ran, "Brother Ran, let's go. Help me clear my mission."

Li Ran finally withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at Lu Zhaohui: "What is your mission?"

Lu Zhaohui took out his phone, opened his social media feed, and tapped on the profile picture of a girl named Meng Ge.

Meng Ge was the girl he had been pursuing for his guidance mission; Li Ran had even written a detailed outline for him on how to woo her.

Judging by the Mysterious Power on him, he had already completed the guidance mission.

There was a new post on the girl's feed.

Meng Ge: Once you've been protected by a wolf, you won't like little puppy-dogs anymore...

Lu Zhaohui looked at Li Ran, feeling uneasy, and asked: "Brother Ran, what does she mean? Is she talking about me?"

Upon hearing this, Song Linjia covered her mouth and laughed: "Some guys see a girl they like post something, and not only do they overthink it, but they also insist on making it about themselves?"

"Is that so? She isn't referring to me?" Lu Zhaohui asked, puzzled.

Li Ran smiled and said: "What kind of trouble have you run into this time?"

"Last time, I followed the outline you gave me and completed the guidance mission, but then I triggered a new mission: to make the girl take the initiative to contact me."

"I sent her a greeting before bed last night, and she hasn't replied yet, but this morning I saw she posted this new update."

"What does she actually mean? By not replying to me, is she rejecting me?"

Lu Zhaohui was burning with anxiety, speaking at a rapid-fire pace.

The more Song Linjia listened, the more she wanted to laugh, and she couldn't help but say: "A masterclass in a simp's forced over-interpretation?"

"Then you tell me, what does she mean?" Lu Zhaohui asked anxiously.

"Girls posting on social media doesn't necessarily mean there's a hidden message. Sometimes they don't even know what they're posting themselves; they just want to post something."

"Of course, that's not absolute; it still depends on how you two get along."

As a girl, Song Linjia understood the female perspective quite thoroughly.

Li Ran finally understood: it was nothing more than a triggered new mission, changed to requiring the girl to take the initiative to find Lu Zhaohui.

To be honest, for many simps, this was quite difficult.

However, Li Ran was no simp; he was the King of Single Men, the kind of person even the Matchmaker couldn't help find a partner for, even if he welded the red threads with iron bars.

Of course, excluding the situation where he was already a father in the dungeon.

Song Linjia looked at Lu Zhaohui and shrugged: "Sorry, I can't help you with this."

"Brother Ran, please help me think of a way. This mission has a one-day time limit. If I fail, I'll die a miserable death!" Lu Zhaohui had no choice but to look at Li Ran with a pleading gaze.

Li Ran said: "Pay first."

"Alright, I'll transfer it to you right now."

Soon, Li Ran received 100 points in his Points Mall.

This guy Lu Zhaohui was truly honest; wasn't he afraid of being scammed?

In other words, this mission rewarded 20 Mysterious Power and 200 points.

Li Ran smiled; since the money was received, he definitely had to help.

Song Linjia was also very curious about how Li Ran would make a girl like Meng Ge take the initiative to find Lu Zhaohui.

Li Ran took Lu Zhaohui's phone and tapped away, leaving a comment under Meng Ge's recent post.

Lu Zhaohui and Song Linjia leaned in, full of doubt.

When they saw what was on the screen, their jaws nearly hit the floor.

Meng Ge: Once you've been protected by a wolf, you won't like little puppy-dogs anymore...

Lu Zhaohui: If possible, I suggest you find a human instead; after all, animals carry a lot of bacteria and parasites.

When Lu Zhaohui saw this, he nearly went insane: "It's over, it's over. She's definitely going to be furious, and after she's furious, she'll ignore me even more."

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than his phone rang.

"Her call is coming in, answer it quickly." Li Ran handed the phone back to Lu Zhaohui.

Lu Zhaohui was scared to death and hesitated for a moment before answering.

A woman's voice came through the phone, sounding far from gentle.

"Where are you!"

"At... at, at the entrance of the residential complex."

"You stay right there and wait for me!"

With that, "click," the call was hung up.

"See, the mission is completed. How simple," Li Ran said.

Song Linjia was dumbfounded and said: "This actually works?"

"Works my foot! When she gets here, she's going to eat me alive." Lu Zhaohui felt no excitement about completing the mission; instead, he was even more anxious.

Li Ran stepped forward to reassure him, "Based on my observations over these past few days, as long as the mission is completed, it generally won't affect the subsequent plot."

"Really?"

"Of course, don't you trust your Brother Ran?"

"I do!"

"Then that settles it. When she arrives later, just tell her you resorted to this desperate measure because you couldn't get in touch with her. Then, go to the Happiness Supermarket, buy a bouquet of roses, and you'll win her over easily. After that, just continue following the outline—ask her out to dinner. Do I really have to teach you everything?" Li Ran said.

"I... I'll go prepare right now."

Watching Lu Zhaohui run toward the Happiness Supermarket like a total blockhead, Li Ran rubbed his nose sheepishly and muttered, "Maybe I was a Casanova in my life before last, which is why I was punished in my previous life and cursed to be a lifelong bachelor in this one."

"Are you playing out some 'Three Lives, Three Worlds' drama here?" Song Linjia rolled her eyes in annoyance before directly transferring 250 points to Li Ran via the Points Mall.

"The points have been transferred. It's time for you to help me complete my mission."

Li Ran was quite satisfied with such a sensible teammate. "Let's talk while we walk."

After Song Linjia's hundred points arrived, Li Ran's total reached 3,150. In the mall, he should be able to exchange that for a piece of top-tier fine equipment or a rare piece of equipment without skills.

Song Linjia led Li Ran toward a restaurant outside the residential complex.

"Do you remember the guidance mission I told you about?" Song Linjia asked.

Li Ran replied, "I remember. A stray cat was killed by a terrifying monster."

Song Linjia opened her mouth slightly, surprised, "Your memory is quite good. I've already completed two parts of that mission's follow-up, and I just triggered the third one yesterday. The mission requires me to subdue that monster."

"Where is the monster? Take me to see it," Li Ran asked curiously.

"This way." Song Linjia pointed to a small alley beside the restaurant, her expression turning grave. "It's very dangerous. It's the most terrifying monster I've seen in all these days. I'm afraid that with just the two of us, we might not..."

"Is the mission reward 500 points?" Li Ran suddenly asked.

Song Linjia asked, puzzled, "Yes, why?"

"Then it's not a problem."