Chapter 8

Bending over with both hands braced on her knees, Bai Qingfeng tilted her head and carefully examined the two plants in the cart.

That round, chubby Wall-nut had obediently curled up in the center of the overturned cart. It was thick and hefty, making anyone want to poke it;

Beside it, Garlic's cloves wriggled faintly. Its white skin glistened moistly under the sunlight, and a sparkling drop of water hung from the tip of its sprout.

Most notably, Garlic kept blinking its big eyes at her.

Bai Qingfeng blinked her almond-shaped eyes as her mind rapidly calculated:

The backyard already had a Threepeater planted in it. Her luck at the start had been pretty good—she had even gotten a Peashooter and a Sunflower. There were still two lanes empty.

If she chose Wall-nut, she would gain another layer of sturdy frontline defense. But Garlic could alter the Zombie's route, which seemed to have greater tactical value when it came to strategy...

"Decided."

She planted her little hands on her hips, thrust out her chest, raised her chin slightly, and did her best to look like she knew exactly what she was doing. Then she pointed at the purple Garlic with her index finger. "This Garlic is mine! You can't fight me for it..."

After saying that, as if afraid Lin Yue might change his mind, she rose onto her tiptoes and patted the Garlic in the Lawn Mower.

Lin Yue looked at her, barely tall enough to reach the Lawn Mower.

The speck of dirt on the tip of her nose had yet to be wiped away. She was clumsy yet earnest. Lin Yue sighed inwardly, but the corners of his mouth had already curved upward.

Garlic was bewildered.

Garlic didn't understand what the two humans were saying. But it could sense that the round-faced little girl with the braided hair seemed to like it very much. Its body trembled faintly, which counted as a silent response.

"Gurgle... gurgle~"

Even though it was only an immature Wall-nut seedling, it was still quite heavy.

Lin Yue's Lawn Mower rolled over the seam in the stone road. The wheels gave a dull creaking sound, as if arguing with the stones on the ground.

He pushed the cart out of the park, with Bai Qingfeng following closely beside him. Her two little legs moved rapidly, afraid that Lin Yue would run off with the two plants, though her talent told her that he was a good person.

But what if he wasn't?

The instant they stepped out of the park gate, the gazes from the street swept over like spotlights.

"Whoa... what's that?"

"Garlic! That's Garlic! And Wall-nut!"

"Where did they get those? Were they inside the park?"

A group of students swarmed over. Some clutched shovels, while others had empty hands but eyes shining like searchlights.

In the blink of an eye, seven or eight people had surrounded Lin Yue and Bai Qingfeng. Their chatter surged over like a pot boiling over.

"Bro! Big Sis! Where did you find those? Please, give us some tips!"

"I went into that park to look around. It was nothing but swamps and rotting leaves. I got smoked out halfway in! How did you find them? This is killing me!"

"Is there a hidden path? Or do you need some specific tool to trigger it?"

Are you playing a video game? What do you mean, a special tool to trigger it?

Lin Yue was completely baffled by the group.

"Big bro, look at me~" A round-faced boy squeezed to the front, anxiously yanking at the collar of his school uniform and forcibly flipping out the Ninth High School emblem on his chest. "This uniform is exactly the same as yours! We're practically wearing matching couple outfits! Just tell me, big bro..."

A male creep? Stay away from me!

You should go find Wang Mao, damn it!

Lin Yue was blocked in the middle of the street. People surrounded the cart on every side, leaving the wheels unable to turn.

He lowered his head and glanced at Bai Qingfeng beside him. Two tall boys had blocked her from view, and she was nearly squeezed out of existence. Only half of her braid poked through the gaps between them.

She was struggling to squeeze toward Lin Yue, but her small body had no advantage in the competition. Like a tiny fish swimming against the current, she was spun around by the human waves.

Lin Yue seized the opportunity and took Bai Qingfeng's hand. Her little face instantly flushed red. Though she was extremely shy, she still let him hold her.

Only after Lin Yue pulled her to his side, seeing all the people in front of them, did she grab the corner of Lin Yue's clothes with her other hand.

Sure enough, I need a helper. My talent didn't lie to me.

Seeing Bai Qingfeng clinging tightly to his side, Lin Yue couldn't have been happier.

This soft sensation... wonderful~

"Want to know~?" Lin Yue drawled, deliberately sweeping his gaze around at the flushed, anxious faces. He slowly reached toward the two plants in the Lawn Mower.

The group craned their necks. They fell silent for half a second, waiting for him to speak, then grew as frantic as ants on a hot pan, pacing along its rim.

"That park behind us—after you go in, don't take the main path." Lin Yue raised a hand and pointed behind him. "Go all the way to the back, circle around that pile of fallen dead trees, and look for a corner where a heap of rubble has grown together with some vines. Turn it over, and they're underneath. When I found them, the two plants were squeezed together, leaning against each other like brothers. That's the only spot. Once you've searched it, there won't be anything left."

"But the ground inside is full of swamp mud pits. Watch your step when you go in. Don't step into empty space and fall into some stinking ditch."

Dare Block Me, I'll Hit You (?_?)!

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd boiled over for half a second before most of them scattered with a whoosh. Seven or eight people immediately sprinted toward the park, running faster than they did during physical education class. The Lawn Mower wheels clattered noisily over the stone road.

Three or five people remained. They blocked the road ahead, their eyes shifting back and forth between Lin Yue and the Wall-nut in the cart. Their hesitant expressions made them look as if they had swallowed an entire egg that was stuck in their throats.

Their gazes remained fixed on the two plants in particular.

"All right, stop blocking the way." Lin Yue pulled the cart handle toward himself and spoke first. "Don't ask whether I'm selling... If you ask, the answer is no. I've told you everything I can. You'll have to walk the rest of the road yourselves, so don't block me here."

Lin Yue still had to protect Bai Qingfeng behind him. He didn't dare loosen his grip at all and drew her closer to his side.

Bai Qingfeng stumbled when he tugged her. Her nose nearly hit his back. Her cheeks puffed up slightly, but she made no sound and obediently followed beside him.

"Excuse me..."

Lin Yue pushed the cart past the remaining people. His voice was polite but unequivocal, while the wheels clacked over the seams in the stone road.

The students stepped aside, though their expressions varied. Some still glanced toward the Wall-nut, while others had already turned around, preparing to chase after the first group.

The street was finally clear.

Lin Yue pushed the cart forward another dozen steps. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a figure suddenly crossed in front of him.

The man blocked his path with both hands in his pockets and his head tilted to the side, a loose smile hanging from the corners of his mouth. His school uniform jacket was unzipped, revealing a gaudy trendy T-shirt underneath. A gleaming thin chain hung around his neck, with a silver six-pointed star dangling from it and flashing blindingly in the sunlight.

Most importantly, the label of his underwear was sticking out. Apparently, that was part of the young man's outfit.

Lin Yue recognized the familiar face from their school. Zhao Lei, from the neighboring class. His family supposedly had considerable influence in the Ninth Federation, and he usually walked with his chin several centimeters higher than normal.

But Lin Yue himself was even more famous at school. Who in the school didn't know the name Jiahao?

"Bro Hao, don't leave yet." Zhao Lei didn't hurry to move aside. Instead, he took half a step forward, his gaze landing on the Wall-nut in the Lawn Mower. The smile at the corners of his mouth deepened as he spoke slowly.

"You're really not selling the plants? Think it over again, okay? My father is a member of the Ninth Federation's council.

You know how much power a councilor has, right?

As long as you give me the plants, once we return from this trial, you can walk around sideways and no one will dare stop you."

Zhao Lei emphasized the word "councilor" as if throwing out his trump card. His gaze swept from Lin Yue's face to Bai Qingfeng's, then from Bai Qingfeng's face back to the cart, before finally locking onto the two plants.

At the same time, he wondered inwardly, A short woman? So Jiahao likes this type.

Lin Yue stopped and looked down at that deliberately casual face without saying a word.

"I told you, I'm not selling. Move."

Zhao Lei's smile stiffened for a moment, but he didn't retreat. Instead, he turned sideways and went halfway around, turning his face toward Bai Qingfeng behind Lin Yue.

He switched to a gentler, more "negotiating" tone and bent slightly to lean closer to Bai Qingfeng. "What about you, miss? What do you think? Are you selling?"

Bai Qingfeng tightened her grip on Lin Yue's hand. She seemed very afraid of the man in front of her. What would she do if he really tried to rob them?

Pressing her lips together, she raised her almond-shaped eyes to look at Zhao Lei, then glanced at Lin Yue's back. Her heart began to pound.

Bai Qingfeng's luck at the start had indeed been good: Threepeater, Peashooter, and Sunflower. Even without this Garlic, she could scrape by.

But this man claimed that his father was a councilor... Should she really offend him?

In novels, offending people like this was troublesome.

"If you don't sell, I'm finished." Zhao Lei spread his hands and put on a helpless expression. His voice held an exaggerated, theatrical quality. "I started with nothing but seeds. I don't have a single mature plant. Please, classmate, help me out..."

The scales in Bai Qingfeng's heart wavered.

But then she suddenly remembered her information talent.

The information talent in her mind had already given her a cold warning: [Today's information quota has been used up. Unable to verify the truthfulness of the other party's words.]

Her almond-shaped eyes widened slightly for an instant.

While she was distracted, Lin Yue's voice suddenly rang out. It wasn't loud or soft, but every word sounded as though it had been ground out of his throat...

"If you can't understand words, then get some sleep."

His right hand raised the shovel without any warning.

In other words, it was spellcasting with no wind-up.

The shovel blade traced a cold gray arc beneath the sun. The movement was as fast as flattening a patch of earth in a field, and he held back not at all as he slammed it solidly into Zhao Lei's head.

"Bang!"

The dull impact echoed once.

Zhao Lei's head jerked forward. His entire body was like a toy whose power had been cut off. One knee buckled, and he half-kneeled on the ground, letting out a muffled, drawn-out "Ah!"

He was knocked straight to the ground.

The students nearby who hadn't gone far all stopped and turned to look.

After all, watching the drama was everyone's favorite pastime...

"You... You dared to hit me?"

Zhao Lei climbed back to his feet, the back of his head bright red and tears almost spilling from his eyes, but his mouth was still running. "Jiahao... Do you know who my father... is..."

Zhao Lei's voice suddenly rose as he shouted at the surrounding onlookers, "Classmates, get him! He hit someone! Just take his Lawn Mower! I'll take responsibility for anything that happens! My Dad Is a Congressman!"

The few people beside him who had already been itching to act exchanged glances.

The Wall-nut in the cart was like a chunk of juicy meat, swaying back and forth. Combined with Zhao Lei's promise that he would take responsibility, it was like a get-out-of-jail-free card that absolved them of all consequences.

Of course, plenty of people still had brains and continued watching from the sidelines.

Three people tentatively took half a step forward, then edged forward a little more. Their gazes shifted from Lin Yue's face to the cart handle, and their breathing grew heavier.

But Lin Yue didn't retreat.

It was time to tell them why he was called Jiahao.

He reached one hand behind him and firmly shielded Bai Qingfeng, while the shovel in his other hand remained raised. The blade lay diagonally across his front, its edge facing outward. The traces of freshly turned earth on it had yet to dry and shone with a thin, cold gleam beneath the sunlight.

Standing in the middle of the street with his back straight and his shoulders broad enough to stretch the outline of his uniform, his entire presence soared in an instant.

After years of acting cool, Lin Yue had practiced this. What kind of stance would be the most intimidating?

The corner of his mouth even lifted slightly.

Guess why Lin Yue liked being called Jiahao?

Because the more people there were, the more excited he became. The more people watched him, the better it felt!

That thing buried in his bones, the thing he could never suppress, was surfacing now.

Usually, he could joke around and bicker with his parents, squat in the yard and foolishly chat with Chomper, or secretly laugh at Bai Qingfeng's clumsy behavior.

But once someone crossed the line in front of him, the string inside his body would snap taut with a clang. Blood surged to his head, and his entire aura changed from the inside out.

My Hao Will Points are full!

The more people watched him, the calmer he became.

The more he was bullied through someone else's power, the more fiercely the defiance in his bones surged.

"I'll say this one last time." His voice dropped, deep and resonant, every word bitten out with crystal clarity as it firmly suppressed the surrounding whispers. "These things belong to me. Whoever dares reach out and touch them..."

His wrist sank slightly, and the shovel blade struck the ground heavily.

"Clang!"

The crisp, ear-rattling collision of metal against stone seemed to hammer beneath everyone's feet.

The three people who had stepped forward stopped simultaneously. They froze in place, unable to advance or retreat. Their gazes moved from the cart to the shovel held across Lin Yue's body, then to his eyes, so calm they were almost cold.

"Don't try to intimidate me with your councilor father."