The One Left Holding the Bag

The next day, Xiao He and Ye Wanqing took everyone to their resort on the deserted island to celebrate their engagement.

"Then let's congratulate Yinglong and White Marsh on their successful engagement," Cui Man said, raising her wine glass.

"Sister Man, what's the alcohol content of this cocktail?" Xia Yu asked, staring at the pink liquid in the glass with a hint of fear.

"Oh, just drink it," Cui Man urged Xia Yu, feeding her the cup. "Everyone here knows us."

"Sister Man, I'd like to try a cocktail too," Ye Wanqing said with a smile. "The colors look beautiful, and it smells wonderful."

"Are you sure!? That's an alcoholic beverage!" Xiao He warned in alarm.

"It's okay, this cocktail has a very low alcohol content," An Xiuru said with a smile. "Besides, it's a rose-scented cocktail designed for women, so drinking a little won't hurt your health."

"Hey, look at you, you're not even married yet and you're already bossing your wife around?" Cui Man poked his cheek and laughed, sounding like she was already drunk.

"..." Xiao He looked around, then whispered to Xie Haining, Yue Feng, Qin Weize, Han Tianyu, and Zhang Ming beside him, "When these women get drunk, only we men will be able to control the situation. You understand what I mean, right? These women are quite difficult to control when they're drunk..."

"I'll do my best, Mr. Yinglong!" Han Tianyu said excitedly. "But it's just a cocktail, it should be fine, right?"

"Tsk, a kid is a kid. What's the point of drinking if you don't get drunk?" Yue Feng sneered, turning to Xiao He: "My only target is you! Come on, I won't stop until I've drunk you out!"

"That bastard, he not only doesn't help but also causes trouble!" Xiao He, somewhat annoyed.

However, under Yue Feng's leadership, everyone turned their attention to Xiao He.

Zhang Ming immediately chimed in, "That's right! I might not be able to beat you in a fight, but surely I can outdrink you!?"

"Then... I'll give it a try too," Qin Weize said with a hint of eagerness.

"What are you guys doing! The Special Response Department has rules. As Mutant in the Special Response Department, how can you act so recklessly!? You have no self-control at all!" Xiao He said irritably.

But at this moment, Cui Man grabbed Xiao He's neck and laughed cheerfully, "Come on, let's drink to our hearts' content! Anyway, there's no competition tomorrow, so nobody's leaving until I'm drunk!"

"..." Xiao He covered his forehead.

Ye Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Come on, everyone's having a good time, don't spoil the fun."

"Alright, my wife has spoken," Xiao He sighed, shaking his head. "How about I have a few drinks with you guys today?"

After several rounds of drinks, only Xiao He and Xie Haining's family remained at the scene; everyone else was in a daze.

"This cocktail has an alcohol content of 36 percent!" Xiao He exclaimed in surprise as he looked at the cocktail bottle.

"You can really drink, Little Xiao," Tong Xiaojie said, covering her mouth and laughing as she hugged Xie Xinya. "We only escaped this ordeal because we didn't drink."

"Actually, it's because I have Miracle Factor in my body," Xiao He said with a wry smile. "Alcohol has no effect on me."

"Anyway, congratulations!" Tong Xiaojie said with a smile. "You're so young and already engaged."

Xiao He glanced at Ye Wanqing, who was asleep with her head on his lap, and gently stroked her rosy cheeks, saying softly, "Actually, sometimes I wonder if it's a bit too fast, but I just want to quickly settle down with such a good girl, so she doesn't run away."

"As long as you love her, she'll never run away," Tong Xiaojie said, glancing at the Mutant present. "I think that now that you're married, you should leave this circle as soon as possible. It's not good to always make your wife worry; I understand that feeling very well."

"I'm sorry," Xie Haining said softly with a smile, gently touching Tong Xiaojie's cheek. Tong Xiaojie looked even thinner these days.

"I understand you, after all, the situation is quite chaotic right now." Tong Xiaojie smiled. "But, as a man, it's only right that you consider your wife's feelings, isn't it?"

Xiao He and Xie Haining nodded in unison. Then Tong Xiaojie stood up, hands on her hips, glanced at the chaotic scene, and laughed, "Alright, let's start cleaning up this mess, shall we? This whole bunch of drunks..."

"Godfather." At this moment, Xie Xinya reached out her hand to Xiao He in a soft, sweet voice.

"What's wrong, Xiaoya?" Xiao He asked with a smile. The girl's wide-eyed expression was really cute.

"Here you go," Xie Xinya said, opening her small hand and placing a piece of candy in his. "I saved it up."

"Hehe..." Xie Haining couldn't help but chuckle, explaining softly, "Xiao Jie is very strict; she only gives this girl two candies a day. She specially saved one for you."

"This child is such an angel... I wish I had a daughter too." Xiao He exclaimed, taking the candy and then patting the little girl's head with a smile, "Thank you, Xiaoya. So, Xiaoya, what do you want? Anything is fine! Even the stars in the sky."

"Then..." Xie Xinya said, glancing at Xie Haining, "I hope Dad will always be healthy."

"Having a daughter like this, my life is worthwhile..." Xiao He, a tough man, almost shed tears.

"Don't worry." Xie Haining touched her face. "Dad's illness is cured. Nothing will happen to him again."

Xiao He was about to complain about Xie Haining, who was practically setting a flag with every word he uttered. But Ye Wanqing suddenly clung to him, softly chuckling as she uttered two words: "Husband."

Xiao He shuddered, feeling his whole body go numb: Ye Wanqing's "husband" was so sweet, cute, and obedient that he wanted nothing more than to push her down and bully her for hours.

"Hehe, soon Old Xiao will be my husband!" Ye Wanqing laughed drunkenly. "We're going to have two babies, right? You promised me. I've always felt so lonely Little One up alone. Nobody was there for me, and nobody helped me when I was bullied... That's why I have to have two kids! That way, we'll have someone to keep us company, support each other, and protect each other..."

"I'm here," Xiao He said softly. "I will protect you and the child."

Ye Wanqing looked at him, blinked her beautiful eyes, which were exceptionally bright at that moment, and then smiled gently, a smile that made Xiao He want to immerse himself in her tenderness and couldn't help but say, "Yes, I believe you!"

"Silly girl," Xiao He sighed, patting her head, then picked her up and said, "Let's go to sleep."

"No... I said I wanted to have a baby!" Ye Wanqing pouted, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm going to give birth all night tonight!..."

"Oh, let's go back to the room and talk, okay?" Xiao He quickly interrupted her, carrying her back to the room to rest.

Fortunately, the house was big enough and the temperature was comfortable enough that there was no need to send the drunks back; they could just sleep there.

Xiao He covered the group with blankets, complaining irritably, "Tsk, Yue Feng was so arrogant, but he passed out after just two drinks. Trash... trash! And Han Tianyu too, he said he'd help me fend off drinks, but he couldn't even handle half a glass!"

"But these women all have a pretty good alcohol tolerance," Xie Haining joked. "Li Xue and Xiuru have both drunk quite a bit. As for Sister Man, Wanqing, and Xia Yu... well, they're probably just there to make up the numbers."

"This woman is the most troublesome," Xiao He poked Cui Man's cheek and said irritably, "She's awful and loves to drink..."

"Chief Cui has it tough, he's always so busy," Xie Haining said with a smile, glancing at Cui Man, who was sleeping with her mouth open and drooling. "Do you know how many forces Chief Cui faces pressure from every day? It's not just foreign forces, many domestic forces are also targeting us Mutant."

Xiao He asked, puzzled, "Why is it within the country?"

Xie Haining explained, "Some conservatives believe that we shouldn't promote individual heroism. They think we should control the Mutant, use them if we can, and monitor or imprison those who can't. We absolutely cannot let the Mutant endanger public safety; it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. Especially you and Wanqing, they'd rather not have this pair than let the two of you be together."

Xiao He understood the meaning behind these words, because his combination with Wanqing was too powerful, which made the higher-ups somewhat wary.

"It was Chief Cui who withstood the pressure because she believed you could become heroes and guide others onto the right path," Xie Haining said, smiling at Cui Man. "Just think about how many people are eyeing this opportunity, and you'll know how hard she's worked."

"That's why I love her so much," Xiao He said with a smile and a sigh, covering Cui Man with a blanket to make her more comfortable.

"Cocktails won't make you drunk..." Cui Man rolled over, still talking in her sleep.

Xie Haining chuckled and patted his shoulder, "Alright, go to sleep early. I'm taking my wife to rest too."

"Yes, feel free to use the bedroom upstairs," Xiao He said, pointing to the ceiling.

The next morning, the drunkards woke up one after another.

"Ooh--!" Ye Wanqing stretched lazily next to Xiao He, then turned to look at Xiao He, smiled sweetly, hugged his neck, and happily said, "Good morning, Old Xiao!"

"Good morning, my little darling." Xiao He gently pinched her little nose. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

Ye Wanqing tilted her head, her eyes darting around, then a blush crept across her face, but she still tried to appear calm. "W-what's wrong? We do those things every day, what's the big deal! We're engaged, why are you making such a fuss..."

"Alright." Xiao He patted her head and laughed, "You have big breasts, so everything you say is right."

Ye Wanqing snorted, sat up, and started getting dressed. "Alright, it's time to get up. Everyone will be waking up soon."

Xiao He and Ye Wanqing went outside. By this time, most of the drunken crowd had gotten up, looking listless.

"My head hurts so much..." Xia Yu complained, clutching her head. "Seriously, Sister Man, I'll never trust you again."

"What are you saying, child? You drank two glasses and then started complaining about how delicious cocktails were, and then you even snatched your sister's drink from you," Cui Man muttered, tossing her disheveled hair.

"Well, that's because I was drunk and my brain was foggy!" Xia Yu said awkwardly. "Honestly, you have such a low alcohol tolerance, yet you still love to drink so much!"

Looking at the crowd before him, Xiao He suddenly felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Because of his conflict with Lin Tiannan, he was already all alone before coming to Beichang City. Lin Tiannan's family was wealthy and he was well-liked in the department. Everyone was worried that being with Xiao He would lead to his isolation, so they gradually stopped associating with Xiao He.

Before the "Lin Tiannan Incident," Xiao He was already alone. So when Cui Man offered him a new life, he agreed without hesitation because he had nothing to hold him back.

And now, without realizing it, he finds himself with a group of companions. Although he doesn't think it's as exaggerated as the "bonds" in Japanese anime, he really likes this feeling.

Humans are ultimately creatures that fear loneliness.

Thinking of this, Xiao He turned to look at Ye Wanqing: After having a girlfriend, the happiest thing is probably that someone remembers your birthday, sends you blessings on holidays, cares about your feelings, and replies to your messages immediately, letting you know that you are "not alone".

"Haha, we had a really fun time last night," An Xiuru said, putting her arm around Li Xue's shoulder. "I think we should have more parties like this!"

"You two can really drink..." Han Tianyu said with a wry smile, rubbing his head.

"Damn it, why can't I outdrink Yinglong? This is unreasonable..." Yue Feng said, looking exhausted.

"With your two drinks, who can you possibly outdrink..." Zhang Ming rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Alright, alright, everyone drank too much last night. Let's take a day off and rest. We have the inter-group team match tomorrow." Cui Man said painfully, rubbing her head. "I want to go back and have a bowl of hot porridge..."

"Xiao Jie, Xiaoya, come watch the sunrise!" Xie Haining suddenly called out.

It was only then that everyone noticed that the sun had just peeked over the horizon.

So everyone just stood there dumbfounded, watching the sun rise, the darkness slowly dissipating, and the world gradually being painted with color. They felt a sense that "no difficulty is insurmountable," and their bodies seemed to be filled with strength.

"This place is really nice," Cui Man said with a smile, arms crossed, and the people around her echoed her sentiments.

"Well then, let's celebrate properly after all the matches are over and we've secured the final victory," Cui Man said with a raised eyebrow and a smile to the people behind her. "Now, let's go back and prepare for tomorrow's match."

After escorting everyone back to the arena's rest area, only Xiao He and Ye Wanqing remained on the island.

"So many beverage bottles, Old Xiao. Let's collect them and give them to the old lady who collects trash downstairs when we get back to Beichang City," Ye Wanqing said, Collection the cocktail bottles from last night and putting them in a bag.

This girl hasn't changed at all. Xiao He felt a warmth in his heart and hugged Ye Wanqing from behind.

"What's wrong? Silly boy." Ye Wanqing turned her head and kissed him on the cheek, smiling.

Xiao He pressed his face against hers, feeling her warmth and fragrance. "I'm hungry too, I'd like some porridge..."

"Then I'll go make it for you." Ye Wanqing rubbed her little head against his face, then said irritably, "Why don't you let go!"

"I won't let go," Xiao He laughed. "I'll never let go in this lifetime, I'll never be separated from you."

"Really... you love to act so cute." Ye Wanqing said coquettishly, "Silly husband..."

The alcoholics went back to rest and recuperate for a day, and then it was time for the team competition between Group A and Group B.

That morning, everyone from the Special Response Department arrived at the common lounge early. After the drunken night before and the rest of the previous day, everyone was full of energy.

"Alright, I know you might think that Group B doesn't have any strong opponents besides M Country ..." Cui Man said, pausing for a moment, "But! M Country is the biggest problem, because they have so many Level 5 Mutant that they can lend them to other countries, which means they have a trump card up their sleeve."

Cui Man said, looking around at everyone present, "For today's first match, let's have Yinglong, Candle Dragon, and Qilin take the stage."

"What about me?" Yue Feng was stunned for a moment, then roared angrily, "Who the hell is Qilin?!"

"Sorry, I am Qilin." A voice came from behind, followed by Li Zhengliang, dressed in a simple black outfit, who emerged from behind the door, looking like someone who had traveled from ancient times.

"Is this the newcomer?" Yue Feng asked suspiciously.

"Why doesn't he wear a suit?" Xiao He asked, puzzled. Cui Man rolled her eyes and whispered a complaint in his ear, "This guy absolutely refuses to wear a suit. He said he wouldn't fight if he wasn't dressed in martial arts style clothes... I guess that's just teenage angst."

Cui Man turned to Xiao He and the other two. "The first match is very important. Winning will greatly boost morale, so... let's get off to a good start."

"Okay, Sister Man." "Yes, Chief Cui." "No problem." The three replied.

"The three of us have very different styles, so let's each do our own thing," Xie Haining said calmly.

"You all just fight your battles, I'll play it by ear," Li Zhengliang said, putting on his Qilin mask. Then, he suddenly struck Xie Haining on the back with his palm, and a beam of light flowed from his hand to Xie Haining's body. He then explained, "Iron Shirt Technique, I'll pass this technique on to you, just in case."

Immediately, Li Zhengliang slapped Xiao He on the back and said calmly, "Here's your Wave-Treading Steps)."

"..." Xiao He was silent for a moment before exclaiming in astonishment, "What?! This guy can actually pass on his martial arts skills to others!?"

"Martial arts, after all, can be taught. Once I give them to you, I won't be able to use them anymore, but I can take them back after the fight," Li Zhengliang said calmly. "When I'm about to die, I'll pass on my internal energy and skills to someone else, and then he'll become the next 'Qilin.' With my power as a foundation, he can slowly cultivate on his own and eventually become stronger than me."

After Li Zhengliang finished speaking, Xiao He suddenly realized something: "Qilin" is someone who can replace "Yinglong".

Because Li Zhengliang's Superpower is firstly rooted in the martial arts culture of the Dragon Country, and has a distinct Dragon Country style; secondly, his Superpower is very comprehensive, capable of both offense and defense, ranged and melee combat, and both damage dealing and support; finally, his Superpower can even be passed on to the next generation, ensuring that new Qilin will always appear, and each generation will be stronger than the last.

As for Yinglong, once it's gone, there won't be another one.

"Now we've found someone to take the blame," Xiao He thought to himself with a smile, turning his attention to the three enemies in front of him.

Today he's going to test his other Superpower, the "Usurpation" that Ruiwen triggered for him.