Confusion

Abi had just been about to keep persuading him, but before he could get a word out, Long Ming logged straight out of the game and vanished. "Damn it!" Abi couldn't help cursing. Another big fish had slipped away. Inside Room 666 of the Xingyuan Star Café, a hiss of escaping air sounded, and the lid of the game pod opened automatically. Long Ming opened his eyes and slowly sat up. He coughed a few times, then took stock of his body. This time he had spent nearly three whole days in the game, yet his body felt neither exhausted nor hungry. Sure enough, you get what you pay for—the performance of a game pod was nothing a helmet could compare with. He climbed out of the pod, put on his shoes, walked out of the room, and came to the self-service area outside. Long Ming casually picked up a bottle of mineral water and twisted it open, then pulled a medicine bottle from his pocket, tapped out a few pills, and swallowed them. With that he headed for the stairs, meaning to go back and get some rest. Before long, Long Ming arrived at the first-floor lobby. The lobby was bustling, with a crowd gathered below the projection stage. Manager Mila, dressed in a sexy black slip dress, stood up there and announced with a face full of smiles: "Congratulations to our esteemed guest, Mr. Zhou Ning! He found a purple-tier item in Civilization Paradise and successfully evacuated, completing this star café's event, Birth of the Strong—a special reward of 500 Shan coins in internet fees!" Applause broke out across the room. "Thank you!" A young man in a blue T-shirt grinned from ear to ear, while the big screen behind him projected the dashing sight of his evacuation. "Good little son, all right, come on down." Zhou Ning's roommates, who had come along with him, all shouted up at him. "Oh, get out of here." With his roommates heckling him, Zhou Ning could only run off the stage in embarrassment. Watching this scene, a trace of nostalgia crossed Long Ming's face. Then Manager Mila smiled at the many guests gathered below: "Everyone, quiet, please. Next, the Xingyuan Star Café Club will present a thrilling evacuation video. Please watch!" At her words, everyone turned to the projected screen. The image cut. In the footage, a young man wearing a bulletproof vest, holding a submachine gun, and carrying a tactical backpack was sprinting across a low rooftop, then leaped onto the roof of the neighboring building. Not far away, a mechanical evacuation platform sat on an open patch of ground. When the young man spotted the evacuation platform, the smile on his face grew even brighter. Bang! A bullet suddenly whizzed past him and struck the wall. The young man twisted his head for a backward glance—five players armed with automatic pistols were closing in. "Don't even think about running!" The five players kept firing at him. Ignoring the gunfire at his back, the young man kept racing along the slanted rooftop as though it were flat ground. Just as the five players were about to catch up, he leaped off the building, landed smartly on the mechanical platform, raised his wristband, and tapped Evacuate. By the time the white light flared up, the five pursuers had arrived too—but it was all too late. All they could do was watch in fury as the young man evacuated. Then Mila said to everyone: "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Chu Xian of Group 16 of the Xingyuan Star Café Club's pioneering team has successfully evacuated with a profit of 5 million Yiwei coins—2 million above the Xingyuan Star Café Club's previous 3-million evacuation, an outstanding result that set a new record. The Star Wish Club will award him a special prize of 10,000 Shan coins. Please welcome Mr. Chu Xian to the stage!" A man with a proud air and slanted bangs walked up onto the stage. "Freaking awesome!" "So cool!" "Big bro, take us with you on a dungeon run sometime!" The surrounding guests shouted excitedly. "If I get the chance, I definitely will!" Chu Xian replied out of courtesy. Long Ming glanced over once, then quietly walked to the bar. "Checkout for Room 666." "Sir, were you satisfied with the game pod?" Seeing Long Ming come over to settle the bill, Xiao Qi asked warmly. "Satisfied. Add it up." "All right. You were in for 64 hours and 13 minutes total—I won't charge you for the odd minutes. That's a time fee of 6,400 Shan coins, plus 3,000 Shan coins for the nutrient injections. 9,900 Shan coins altogether." "Thanks." Long Ming picked up his phone, paid, and turned to leave. Seeing him about to go, Xiao Qi hurried out from behind the bar after him and called: "Sir, one moment." "What is it? Is there something else?" Long Ming stopped and looked at her in puzzlement. "Sir, would it be all right to add you on Weiliao? That way, whenever you want net time in the future, you can just come find me." "You're hardly short of business here, are you? Especially with so many people booking the game pods?" "Sir, what star café ever complains about too many customers? And whoever you book through, it's still the same booking. That bit of sales might as well go to me—let me earn a little extra." Xiao Qi blinked at him and coaxed him in a sweet, playful voice. "Fine." Long Ming thought it over, and in the end agreed. "Thank you, sir! Here's my Weiliao—if you ever need anything, just come find me. And if you want to use a game pod, let me know ahead of time. I can't promise I can book you one right away, but I can put your name down first." Xiao Qi quickly brought out her phone and opened the add-friend screen. "Mm. I'm off." Long Ming scanned it, then turned and left. "Take care!" Xiao Qi called politely after him. At that moment, a young man in a work uniform, with a black mole at the corner of his mouth, came over and asked curiously: "Xiao Qi, who was that guy who just left? Why did you add him?" "What business is it of yours?" The smile vanished from Xiao Qi's face at once. She shot Cao Jie an irritated glare, then turned and walked off. For a moment, Cao Jie was left scratching his head, unable to make sense of it. "Did I say something wrong?" In a corner on the edge of Fanxing City, a towering man in mechanical chest armor stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant scenery—1.9 meters tall, muscles like steel over his whole body, a face as if carved by a knife, eyes sharp as blades. Behind him stood a line of subordinates bristling with menace. Just then, Old Ghost came running up carrying the gene box, all smiles. But just as he was about to get close, two subordinates reached out and blocked his way. Old Ghost's expression stiffened, and he could only speak in a humble tone. "Lord Qiansha." "Where is it?" Hearing Old Ghost, Qiansha immediately turned to face him and asked with an air of authority. "Here." Like someone offering up a treasure, Old Ghost handed over the unopened gene box. A subordinate took the gene box and respectfully passed it to Qiansha. Qiansha accepted the unopened gene box, a gleam of excitement in his eyes, and gently stroked the box. "It really is a gene treasure chest." "Congratulations, my lord. If you can open a perfect gene potion to present to the City Lord, I believe the City Lord will surely see you in a whole new light. The next City Lord will be none other than you." A powerfully built man with a buzz cut and hands covered in calluses offered his congratulations. "My lord, Captain Alang is right." The rest of the subordinates present chimed in one after another.