The Gift

"We are deeply grateful to both of you for acting courageously in the face of danger. We intend to award you an honorary banner..." Outside Clock Tower Square Station, a group of incapacitated mercenaries was escorted away by the police, bound for a retirement complete with room and board. Yaxiu and Rose were in a rush to join the countdown at Clock Tower Square and naturally had no time to listen to the officer chatter. Reasonably enough, the police did not force them to stay, though they still requested identification. "Yaxiu Heath... It's really Mr. Heath!?" Yaxiu was long accustomed to such reactions and smoothly asked, "Would you like an autograph?" The young policewoman hopped with excitement, hurriedly fishing out a notebook for him to sign. She glanced at Rose's identification, then handed it back with a smile. "Miss Lena, happy birthday to you." "Mhm." As Yaxiu and Rose left the subway station and were about to cross through the underground mall toward Clock Tower Square, Yaxiu suddenly registered what had just been said. "Today is your birthday!?" "Mhm." "Why didn't you tell us? We would've celebrated with you!" "How did you plan to celebrate?" "Order a few custom cakes, have a cake fight, smash cake into your face..." "I never celebrate birthdays," Rose said flatly. "Do not do anything." "No way!" Yaxiu took Rose by the hand, steering her toward a nearby shopping arcade. "At the very least, I'm getting you a birthday present!" "I don't want one." Rose pulled him to a dead stop. "I dislike gifts. They are far too troublesome." "Receiving a gift is troublesome?" "Because giving me a gift is equivalent to establishing a distinct social contract between us. When your next birthday arrives, I will be obligated to present you with a gift of equivalent value—one that cannot disappoint you and must make you happy." Rose's nose twitched. "At that time, I will need to investigate what you have recently been lacking, what current trends you favor, and only then analyze what gift you might desire... It is far too much trouble. I would rather receive no gifts at all." Yaxiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Then you don't have to give me anything in return. I honestly don't mind." "That will not do. This is a conventional social contract; both parties' contributions and returns must be balanced. If you do not let me honor it, I will feel deeply uncomfortable, just as if I worked for you and you refused to pay my wages." Rose shook her head firmly. "If you do not wish to cause me distress, do not give me a gift." "Besides, I lack nothing. No matter what gift you give me, I do not need it." Yaxiu thought for a moment and explained, "I'm giving you a gift primarily to show my appreciation. You've helped me so much during this time, and I want you to know how sincerely grateful I am for everything you've done." "Then do not give me a gift." "No, I'm definitely giving you one!" Yaxiu suddenly gave a playful grin, dragging her into an adjacent accessories shop. "Sorry, but we sorcerers are just that willful and self-indulgent. Didn't I just tell you earlier that all sorcerers are wicked?" Rose wasn't about to indulge him. Her cheeks puffed with irritation as she latched firmly onto his arm. It was all Yaxiu could do to drag her into the shop, drawing curious stares from nearby pedestrians. He hadn't expected Rose to be so stubborn. He had no choice but to compromise. "How about this: I'll pick a gift for you, and you can just work a little extra on normal days to offset its value. How does that sound? You won't have to get me a return gift, and the contributions and returns will remain balanced." Rose sank into a mental tempest, seemingly calculating whether such an exchange complied with the social contract. Fearing things might go sideways if he hesitated, Yaxiu scanned the shop, immediately spotted a decent-looking ribbon-bow hair scrunchie, and promptly swiped his card to pay. Before Rose could even react, he thrust it into her hands. "Happy birthday!" Rose pouted, looking thoroughly displeased. "I already have an elastic hair tie." "And so?" "I have no use for a hair scrunchie. If you give it to me, it will only sit idle. I do not need it." Yaxiu felt utterly drained. "Then keep the hair tie as a spare and wear this scrunchie on regular days." "Why would I need a spare?" "In case you lose it..." "I do not lose things," Rose stated earnestly. "I remember where every single one of my belongings is. I have used this hair tie for six years and have never misplaced it once. I project it has three years of service life remaining, and once it snaps, I will purchase a new one." Yaxiu racked his brains. "Can't you just keep the scrunchie as a collectible? Or throw the old hair tie away?" "I do not keep redundant items, nor do I waste things that remain functional." Clutching the ribbon scrunchie, Rose's mood visibly sank. "There is no room in my backpack for this scrunchie either. Storing it would require buying a case to protect it... Having an unneeded item is so troublesome..." Yaxiu felt on the verge of dropping to his knees. "Then pass the hair tie along to Niya or Feili. That wouldn't be wasteful, right?" "That would equate to me giving them a gift," Rose said, deeply conflicted. "What if they give me things I don't need in return? And if they don't, I will dwell on it and feel uneasy." Only at that moment did Yaxiu genuinely realize he had blundered. He should have listened to Rose and remained a brainless, useless Lalafell. Just then, Rose's eyes lit up. She removed her hair tie, brushed out her azure hair, fastened the new ribbon-bow scrunchie, and held out her hand toward Yaxiu. "Give me your hand." Unsure of her intentions, Yaxiu extended his hand, only to watch Rose tie the hair tie around his wrist. "Giving the hair tie to you will suffice. Since you gave me a gift, giving this back to you means the social contract is flawlessly fulfilled. Neither of us owes the other, and the hair tie's destination is resolved. However, the hair tie is cheaper than the scrunchie, so I must still work a bit of overtime to make up the price difference." Yaxiu hesitated, ultimately not daring to utter suicidal nonsense like 'I have no use for a hair tie.' At that point, they noticed the crowd surging toward the exits. Yaxiu realized only three minutes remained until the New Year countdown, so he hurriedly took Rose's hand and sprinted toward Clock Tower Square. He pulled out his phone to contact the others, but due to the overwhelming crowd, the cell towers were at full capacity, and his calls failed to go through. The two pushed through the crowd to search around, but there was no sign of their companions. On the giant screen beneath the clock tower, the host had already begun the final countdown, and the entire plaza joined in a collective cheer: "10!" "9!" "8!" Yaxiu and Rose had no choice but to stop, looking up at the clock tower display to welcome the end of the year 1668. "3!" "2!" "1!" "Happy New Year!" The melodious tolling of bells resonated beneath the starry sky as jubilant cheers erupted across the plaza, while surrounding neon screens flashed an array of New Year blessings. Yaxiu glanced at Rose and smiled. "Happy New Year." "Happy New Year." Just then, they saw the people around them embracing one another, leaving the two of them looking like the only outliers in the vast square. Yaxiu and Rose exchanged a glance. Yaxiu felt a little awkward, but Rose hesitated briefly before suddenly saying, "Hold out both hands." She retrieved a bottle of fragrant hand sanitizer from her backpack, applied some to Yaxiu's hands, and then took his hands, rubbing them thoroughly back and forth. She scrubbed with utmost dedication. Beyond the palms and backs of his hands, she intertwined her fingers between his, meticulously rubbing every single digit as the milky-white sanitizer foamed and lathered across their skin. Once the sanitizer was completely rubbed dry, Rose opened her arms and held Yaxiu in an exceedingly stiff embrace. Yaxiu's eyes went wide. He felt a pang of deep regret over failing to meet up with the others—Rose had actually initiated a hug, yet he had no one around to brag to! Still, seeing how rigid she was, Yaxiu couldn't suppress a snicker. "If this is too uncomfortable for you, don't force it. Let's head back." "No, this is a traditional All Stars custom. When the New Year countdown ends, one must embrace the nearest friend." Rose spoke stiffly. "Hurry and hug me." Yaxiu gently hugged her. Rose pressed against his chest and remarked, "You are very practiced." "I'm just at a normal level! Not practiced at all!" "Your reaction is strange; I was clearly complimenting you." Rose released him and tilted her head. "So this is how a hug feels..." "I hope it wasn't an unpleasant experience for you," Yaxiu said with a smile. "A single sample cannot determine good or bad. More tests are required to evaluate what tier of experience this constitutes." Rose pondered. "Then during the next New Year countdown, let us hug again." "Booking ahead all the way to next New Year's countdown already...?" Yaxiu's lips twitched. "Though, if possible, I hope I can spend the next countdown with you as well." At that moment, the atmosphere in the square subtly shifted. They noticed the couples around them were no longer satisfied with mere hugs, moving on directly to far more intimate kisses. Yaxiu blinked nervously. Rose tilted her head in confusion. "Is this also a traditional custom? If so..." She produced a roll of clear plastic wrap from her backpack, pulled off a strip, plastered it over Yaxiu's mouth, and blinked at him with an expression that practically demanded: *Aren't I clever? Praise me.* Yaxiu pushed the plastic wrap aside and declared with absolute certainty, "This is definitely not a traditional custom. It's just something couples do. Let's go back." "Oh." Rose put away the plastic wrap with a hint of regret. *** Meanwhile, in the old quarter on the other side of the city, intense gunfire delivered a warm greeting to the New Year. "Halt!" "Leave the goods behind, and I'll spare your life!" "Stop right there!" In a fit of fury, 'Black Wolf' Hadawa fired three shots at the cloaked figure ahead, missing every single one. He wasn't the only one; none of his underlings' shots had landed either. As the largest illicit arms dealers in Linguang City, ammunition was the last thing they ever lacked. Even if they weren't marksmen, at this distance, there was no reason for every single shot to fail! It could only mean the cloaked figure possessed the capability to dodge bullets! Which rival had hired this mercenary? Vicious Biao, Fire Crow, or...? Just then, the cloaked figure ran beneath a streetlight beside the river and finally halted. Overjoyed, Hadawa quickly ordered his men to encircle her, snarling fiercely, "Hand the goods back, and maybe I'll spare your miserable life!" Only a short while ago, this cloaked figure had abruptly breached their workshop and snatched the jewels from their safe—years of Hadawa's accumulated wealth. He had foreseen that chaotic times were arriving in All Stars and that paper currency could no longer be trusted, so he had rushed to convert his assets into easily portable jewelry, only for the entire stash to be stolen in one swoop. Yet the cloaked figure merely raised a hand, pointing toward a traffic light not far away. "There is a surveillance camera over there." The voice was that of a crisp, pleasant young woman, but Hadawa had no leisure to mind such minor details. Aiming his firearm at her, he sneered viciously, "Do you think I'm afraid of killing under a surveillance camera? I'd love nothing more than for everyone to witness what happens to anyone who dares cross Hadawa!" "Very well." The cloaked figure drew a straight-bladed sword. Beneath her Asura mask, a crimson glow flickered in her eyes as she spoke placidly: "I, too, need witnesses to your end."