Relying on Friends

*Rap, rap, rap!* A crisp knock sounded at the door. "Who is it?" In the middle of her bustling, Mother Lu opened the door and saw a man with an odd expression standing outside. In a sense, it was truly hard to describe that look on his face. It was as if he were trying his best to smile through numb shock while simultaneously holding back tears... She couldn't quite put it into words, but he carried an overwhelming aura of bad luck. "I—I'm..." The visitor held a black suitcase in his hand, his facial muscles twitching in an effort to produce a smile. "Yu... Little Yu..." "A friend of Xiao Ji?" Mother Lu was confused, but she stepped aside. "You're here so early! Please, come on in... Lu Feng, don't just sit there watching! Entertain our guest!" On an occasion like this, to spare Puppy some embarrassment, she didn't call him by his pet name. However, Puppy didn't seem interested in saving face. He remained on the sofa, munching on mandarin oranges with a faint, mocking smirk. "Mom, I think it's better if I just sit here and watch." Lu Feng spat out a seed and gave a slight shrug. "Otherwise, our guest might feel uncomfortable." Yu Hanguang remained silent, the corner of his eye twitching. His twitchy grimace morphed into a veneer of sweet politeness. "Hello, Mr. Lu. *Cough, cough.* Long time no see." "Indeed." Lu Feng smiled and nodded, picking an orange from the fruit basket and setting it on the coffee table. Through it all, his eyes remained fixed on Yu Hanguang. "Want an orange?" "N-No thanks." Yu Hanguang cleared his throat, lowering his posture even further. "May I ask where Mr. Ji is...?" "Upstairs," Lu Feng said. "Make yourself at home." Yu Hanguang didn't say another word. He hung his head, went upstairs, and knocked on the study door. Moments later, the door swung open. "Well now, Team Leader Yu? Long time no see." Ji Jue's eyebrows raised, looking ostensibly flattered. "If there was anything, you just had to say the word and I could've headed over to Lihua District. Why trouble yourself with a personal visit?" "Just passing through! Merely passing by!" Yu Hanguang beamed deferentially, placing the suitcase onto the desk, and cut straight to the point. "I heard Mr. Ji recently moved, so I came especially to offer my congratulations." He popped open the leather latches, spun the case around, and pushed it across. "A modest token of my regard. Please don't take offense at its humble nature." "Oh, you shouldn't have," Ji Jue said, waving a hand politely even as his gaze dropped into the case. The brilliant radiance of gemstones. Crystal-clear and luminous. Arranged across the velvet cushion was a full array of crystalline gemstones of every hue—red, blue, green, and yellow. Far from the ordinary commercial goods sold in jewelry stores, every single one was a rare crystal harvested directly from the earth's ley lines. Free of any impurities, their clarity was on par with the gemstones Ji Jue had seen in the simulation. Eighty-one in total, utterly flawless, with the smallest weighing over twenty grams. Even for prospectors of the Desolate Ruins path, assembling a case like this would take years of combing famous mountains and grand rivers. For an artisan, these were supreme vessels and carriers for blessings, and could also serve as materials for inlaying or transmutation. With countless versatile uses, they could elevate any craftwork. In terms of pure monetary value, on the order books of the Balance Chamber of Commerce, the least valuable among them was worth several million, while the sapphire resting on top—nurtured by ley lines over countless years to undergo a frost-flow transmutation—was simply priceless, beyond what money could buy. With these in hand, Isis could undergo an immediate upgrade without being constrained by basic materials, restoring a fraction of her former glory from the simulation. "Ah, this... isn't this a bit excessive?" Ji Jue lowered his eyes. "I'm afraid I wouldn't dare accept such an extravagant gift." "Mr. Ji, what are you saying? It's merely a small gesture of goodwill." Yu Hanguang's smile grew increasingly earnest, clear and innocent, radiating pure virtue. "If not for your righteous deeds back then, who knows how many more scumbags would still be out there swindling people in the name of the Security Bureau? These are merely some stolen goods recovered from that old bastard Jiang Jin, and it's only right that they be used to compensate the victim." "Jiang Jin?" Ji Jue looked puzzled. Yu Hanguang's expression froze for a moment, visibly flustered. "You know, that... that guy..." "Oh, oh, right! That guy..." Ji Jue chuckled in sudden realization. "I had no idea Team Leader Yu had been keeping such a trifling matter so close to heart. To care for the public like this—you are truly a rare pillar of the Security Bureau, a true blessing for the people of Lihua District." "You flatter me, you flatter me." Yu Hanguang forced a fawning laugh. Cold sweat poured down his back in sheets, while bitter tears wept uncontrollably in his heart: *I sure as hell didn't want to keep it in mind, but you fucking do!* Back then, getting slapped into the hospital by Ye Xian for months on end had been bad enough, but he could have just played dead and pretended nothing had happened. As long as he wore the skin of the Security Bureau and had the Yu family backing him, he wasn't going to end up "committing suicide by shooting himself a dozen times in the back." It was just some insignificant nobody holding a grudge against him. When you lived in the underworld, who didn't have a few enemies? Yet from that point on, things gradually started going off the rails. During the Wild Gathering's infighting, one could still chalk it up to the kid having a death wish and getting damn lucky. But by the time of Quancheng, he realized what kind of monster that old dog Jiang Jin had provoked and dragged home for him. When the very first name on the Ring of Taiyi's announcement list appeared this year, Yu Hanguang's vision had practically gone black. And once he discreetly nosed around and uncovered bits of Ye Xian and Ji Jue's illustrious track record—especially the various creative methods and little tricks they used to dispose of their peers—he stopped being able to sleep at night. *Fuck! I'm just a side-branch kid from a concubine's line who clawed his way up through sheer grit. I finally reached the Regeneration rank, and my blissful life of throwing my weight around and doing whatever the hell I want had only just begun! How did I get targeted by a fucking Tyrannosaurus rex?!* *Heaven be my witness, all I wanted at first was to dig up some dirt and do a little workplace bullying on a coworker! Why the hell did that coworker's family turn out to be hiding something so ridiculous?!* *Jiang Jin, you old cur, you fucking deserved to die!* Yet the most painful thing in the world was precisely this: the dead guy was gone, while he was still alive, yet he might be about to die too—or worse, suffer a fate far worse than death. Once he realized he couldn't cover it up, he had no choice but to turn to his clan for help. The only response he received from the clan head was two slaps across the face and one clear path forward: take the goods, go kowtow, and resolve this on your knees. If you can't resolve it, go hang yourself in front of Ji Jue's doorstep, but don't come back. You can die all you want, just don't bring calamity back home. *The main family's fortunes have been going downhill day by day for the past two years, and you thought life was too easy and wanted to give us a little extra trial?!* *You really have no idea how ruthless Ye Xian is!* *She actually dared to take on Kanemoto!* *Do you dare? Well, I sure as hell don't!* *If you don't want to die, go kowtow—kowtow until you drop dead!* Downstairs earlier, with so many people around, it hadn't been convenient to perform. But here in the study, if Ji Jue dared so much as knit a brow, Yu Hanguang was fully prepared to throw himself on the floor and bawl his eyes out. The world was too beautiful. *Brother, I don't want to die.* Yet Ji Jue hadn't shown the slightest bit of hostility, which made him panic even more. Considering the average moral character of artisans... he was already wondering if he should just hit the floor and go through the motions right now. Until a soft sigh came from across the desk. "Team Leader Yu is truly thoughtful." "A small token, just a small—" "However, I am merely an artisan who just recently acquired his license. I have little ability, and at present I can't even afford to set up a workshop—" Ji Jue paused, letting out a wistful sigh. "I'm afraid I won't be able to offer any decent gift in return." "What are you saying, Mr. Ji? It's just a gesture of goodwill; how could I possibly take anything in return?" Yu Hanguang wiped his sweat and squeezed out a smile. "Besides, hardship is always temporary. I have full faith that with—" "Indeed, well said, Team Leader Yu!" Ji Jue nodded with a smile, agreeing wholeheartedly. "There's really no need to be so polite. In the days ahead, there will be many occasions where I'll need to trouble you." "Ah? Oh, oh, right! Exactly." Yu Hanguang wiped his sweat, forcing a smile from a heart that had plummeted to rock bottom, though it looked barely any better than weeping. "It is my bounden duty! Truly my bounden duty. Though I fear my humble influence is limited..." "Having the heart for it is what matters. Why worry so much about the rest?" Ji Jue comforted him warmly, taking his hands in his own with utter sincerity. "I have no family or ties here in Yacheng; good friends like Team Leader Yu are precisely what I lack. Surely Team Leader Yu wouldn't look down on a mere artisan like me, would you?" "No, no, absolutely not!!!" The overwhelming warmth washed over him like wearing a padded winter coat beside a blazing brazier in midsummer; Yu Hanguang felt quite literally on the verge of being scorched to death. Gazing into those dark eyes that seemed to harbor smoldering embers, he could no longer afford to feel heartache for his wallet or make excuses. Either his wallet joined Ji Jue's workshop, or he himself would become raw material for Ji Jue's workshop. He knew full well which of the two was more important. Even if he had to bankrupt himself and take out loans, that was still infinitely better than Ji Jue refusing to take a single cent! He had only one chance. Restoring the glory of the Security Bureau was definitely off the table for him now—so long as he didn't break down sobbing, it was already a victory. "Ah, look at the time." Ji Jue glanced at his watch, growing even more hospitable. "Since you're already here, why not stay for a bite to eat?" Yu Hanguang was taken aback, immediately followed by pleasant surprise. "Would... would that be appropriate?" "Of course! Why wouldn't it be?" Ji Jue smiled. "Quite a few people are coming tonight. Aside from Teacher, I've invited plenty of friends. We can all celebrate together. Just wait a bit longer, the banquet will start shortly!" "..." A momentary silence fell, and the corner of Yu Hanguang's eye twitched uncontrollably. His delicate hand, still held in Ji Jue's grip, turned icy cold in an instant. *Fuck, wait any longer?!* *If I wait any longer, when you guys start the feast, I'll be the damn dish on the table!* "Ah, what a shame. There are still so many matters waiting at the bureau, and Lihua District hasn't been peaceful lately." He choked on a cough and lowered his head. "Next time! Definitely next time!" "Take care on your way out, then." Ji Jue slowly released his hand, offering a sincere smile. "I won't see you out. I'll be sure to pay you a visit soon." And so, he watched as Yu Hanguang practically fled for his life. By the curb outside the window, the car vanished into the distance. Ji Jue returned to the desk, lifted a small diamond, examined it briefly, and tossed it back into the case. "See? Like I said, sometimes you can just sit at home and money will come knocking at your door." "Incorrect," a cool voice sounded. "Purely in terms of value, compared to this trivial gift, that Mr. Yu is actually worth considerably more. Whether for research or practical application, he qualifies as rare, premium material." "Fair enough. Very true," Ji Jue nodded in agreement. "Understood. Memo updated, scheduled item recorded," Isis replied. From beneath the ceiling fixture that unfolded like a lotus flower, a hand of quicksilver extended, picked up the case, and vanished from sight. Before departing, she gave one final reminder: "Your friend has arrived, sir." "Yeah, I see him..." Ji Jue sighed, trying his best to keep his blood pressure under control. Under his gaze, a flashy hot-pink sports car came weaving along at a sluggish thirty kilometers per hour, followed by repeated, futile attempts at parallel parking. Until, driven by complete despair, it simply drove right onto the curb and ground to a halt. What was a traffic ticket and a few points deducted, anyway? Pocket change! Moments later, a beaming, fair, plump man climbed out of the car, carrying a money tree adorned with red ribbons. With a flamboyant flick of his hair—which hadn't been disturbed by the breeze in the slightest—he waved toward Ji Jue standing at the second-floor window.