Chapter 30: A Hasty Love

It has been three days since leaving the Star Gate. It is a little past eight in the morning.

Ren Ye had a quick breakfast before heading to Xu Peng’s office. He hadn’t gone home last night, staying instead at 88 Lianhu Road, but he hadn’t slept well; his mind was filled with the image of that couple who had died so tragically.

"Sit down," Xu Peng said, his complexion looking poor as he popped two pills into his mouth.

Ren Ye sat down across from him. After a long silence, he suddenly asked, "How is the investigation into last night's case going?"

"It was likely the work of a few rogue players," Xu Peng replied, taking a sip of tea. As the morning sunlight hit his face, his tone grew warm. "I’m still too slow... my progress is sluggish. If I could reach the second or third stage, I might have had a chance to let them take one last look at this world, to let them say goodbye to their families..."

At this point, both men fell silent.

After a long while, Xu Peng opened the "course materials" he had prepared for the day and turned to the first page. "Today, we’ll discuss the promotion system of the Star Gate. As of now, the promotion sequence for Star Gate players consists of seven stages, with ten levels in each stage..."

...

Ten-thirty in the morning, Tongren Road.

In an office that clearly had floor-to-ceiling windows, it was as dark as night. Heavy curtains blocked out all sunlight. On an exquisite bronze and wood desk, a single desk lamp cast a very dim glow.

Sitting on a sofa was a man in his fifties. He had a kind face, leaned on an English-style cane with his right hand, and wore an expensive, custom-made black suit, exuding the aura of a "financial tycoon."

He was known to the players in Shanghai as the "Crippled Man Who Lives in the Shadows." He owned an entertainment bar called "Money Tide" on Tongren Road, and among the players in the surrounding area, he held considerable prestige.

Not far away, "Big Spray" — Old Yin, who had fought a passionate battle with Mr. He the previous night — stood with his back half-bent, his face full of fawning smiles. "Boss, I’ve finished investigating the information Mr. He commissioned. I haven’t collected the final payment yet. Do you think... should I give him the news?"

"The Bell Society is vying for a very important Star Gate. If they succeed, everyone will benefit." The elegantly dressed Cripple paused only briefly before replying, "You can give him the information, but leave no trail."

"Understood."

Old Yin, his hips swaying slightly, bent down and pulled out a black velvet bag, placing it gently on the table. "Boss, for yesterday’s news, Mr. He gave seven thousand Star Sources, totaling fourteen pieces. I’ve set aside six pieces as your share."

The Crippled Boss didn’t even touch the bag, merely asking softly, "Was that all fourteen?"

Old Yin froze, his eyes clearly showing a hint of fear as he explained, "Actually... it was sixteen. But two of the Star Source pieces... were... were earned by me personally."

"?"

The Crippled Boss looked up at him.

"It’s like this, he... he and I... we..." Old Yin didn’t dare to hide anything and recounted the experience of how he had earned the money last night in detail, then asked proactively, "I don't need to hand over a share of these, right?!"

The Crippled Boss was silent for a full five seconds. "Not handing those over... is indeed reasonable."

"Right?!" Old Yin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Arrange a relatively safe hideout for the Bell Society people," the Crippled Boss instructed.

"Understood."

...

Fifteen minutes later.

Old Yin walked back to the "Fight to the End" chess and card room, where he met Mr. He in the second-floor tea room.

Since a bit of a bond had formed between them, Old Yin didn’t bother with pleasantries. "I found out, but I have to warn you, this isn't an easy job."

"…!" Mr. He didn’t say much, only hooking his finger at him.

*Swish!*

Old Yin tossed a document onto the table. "Fine, then... stay safe. This afternoon, I’ll find you a new place to stay."

*Clatter!*

Mr. He threw a bag over, took the documents from the table, and asked softly, "The other two things I asked you to investigate in the private room last night—did you look into them?"

"I did, but information from out of town is slower, and the clues you gave were too vague." Old Yin held his teacup. "Dozens of players participated in the Star Gates for those two prerequisite missions, and without specific information from you, it’s hard for me to lock down their identities in the real world."

"Do your best. I can pay more."

"Alright." Old Yin agreed immediately.

*Pat!*

Mr. He patted Old Yin’s wrinkled cheek. "...Thanks for your hard work."

"Are you adding two more Star Source pieces tonight? If you are..." Old Yin looked at him with eager eyes. "There are too many acquaintances here in the card room; we can go outside."

"Husband! The time has come; watch as this slave dons her armor to slay that scoundrel...!" Mr. He sang a line from a play he had improvised, his tone slightly neurotic, and floated away with the documents in hand.

Old Yin watched him go. "What a man full of mysteries. You’d think he’s just a damage-absorber, yet when he gets busy, he’s so vicious...!"

...

After leaving the tea room, Mr. He opened the documents and looked down. Inside were three personal profiles: a young man, an old man, and a college senior.

A little while later, Mr. He returned to his lodgings and threw the documents on the table. "The young one should be with the Watchmen unit; the old one has disappeared and can't be found for now. Only this girl is easy to handle. We'll go tonight..."

...

The day passed in a blur, and in the blink of an eye, it was past eight in the evening.

Shanghai, near the University Town.

Four girls who had just finished a meal at a revolving hotpot restaurant were walking back to their dorms, arms linked, chatting away.

Among the four was a girl about 1.7 meters tall with exquisite features. Her name was Ren Qingning, the younger sister of the "Seven-Gun War God," the "Prince of Da Qian."

Ren Qingning had a well-proportioned, athletic figure; from her slender waist up, her chest rose and fell rhythmically. Her round, oval face looked quite sweet, and when she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks.

"Ningning, did you go to Suzhou-Hangzhou to sign your contract yesterday?" a chubby little friend asked with concern.

"No, I just went to take a look," Ren Qingning replied cheerfully. "I want to earn money to buy a big house for Ren Daguo and the ex-convict. I can’t sign anything yet, so why rush? I’ll just save up slowly."

"That's right. Don't listen to those guilds and talent agencies; their contracts are all predatory. Plus, I’ve heard that for a beauty streamer like you, many are forced into 'unspoken rules.' It’s miserable. If I were you, I’d rather submit resumes to various editorial departments with us and get an internship...!" Another girl said, holding the sentiment of wanting her friend to do well, but not wanting her to end up driving a Range Rover.

"Fine, I'll go with you to submit resumes tomorrow."

"By the way, has your brother been asking you for money lately? I have to say, having a loser brother like that must be tough."

"You can't really say it like that. When he was employed, half of his salary went to me," Ren Qingning responded lightly.

As the four girls chatted, they left the main street and turned onto the path they had to take to get back to their dorms. Their university, the Shanghai Media University, was on a new campus, and the location was a bit remote. Every day, they had to pass through two dark little alleys.

Just as the girls entered the side path, a very fat young man wearing a wool cap slowly followed them. He was a member of the Copper Bell who had participated in the ambush of the Little War Wolf the night before and was the first to harm the ordinary couple.

His name was Fat Dragon, and as he walked, he poured a sticky black liquid into his mouth.

"They've entered the alley," Fat Dragon said, his facial muscles twitching as he stared greedily at the girls' backsides, speaking softly into his headset. "Tell Skinny Monkey to block the road. I'm making my move."

In the headset, Mr. He commanded coldly, "The three ordinary people cannot be left alive."

"Hehe, even if you didn't say it... they'd die anyway," Fat Dragon replied with a lecherous gaze, stepping forward.

*Swish!*

Just then, Ren Qingning, who had just entered the side path, suddenly stopped and turned to her three best friends. "...I forgot! I need to buy milk tea for Xiaohan. Let's go back for a second."

The chubby girl replied lazily, "Forget it, just let her order it herself...!"

Ren Qingning smiled, pinched the chubby girl’s wrist, and insisted, "Let's go. I promised to treat her, and she always brings us things, too."

The chubby girl hesitated for a moment, then nodded obediently. "Alright, let's go!"

And so, the four girls, who had been about to enter the alley, suddenly turned around and walked back toward the bustling street close by.

Fat Dragon, who was just about to follow them in, frowned. He looked back at the noisy street outside the alley, his hand clenching involuntarily.

*Swish...!*

The four passed him, about five meters away.

"...The four of them just went into the alley and came back out, saying they want to buy milk tea," Fat Dragon whispered into his headset.

"That's not our zone. Don't be rash; wait a bit longer," Mr. He replied.

Fat Dragon paused, tilted his head back to gulp down some more of the viscous liquid, and followed them out.

...

After Ren Qingning led her three friends back to the noisy main street, the chubby girl immediately asked in a low voice, "Why did you pinch me just now?"

"...Quiet, be quiet, just follow me." Ren Qingning’s brows furrowed slightly. She walked at a steady pace to a milk tea shop they often visited and ordered five cups from the owner.

While waiting, Ren Qingning glanced out of the corner of her eye at the side path and saw a fat man loitering in front of a two-yuan store.

"Forty-five total, thanks."

After a long while, the owner called out.

Ren Qingning paid and, carrying the milk tea, said, "We aren't going back to school that way."

"Why? What's going on?" Another friend was confused.

"Quiet!"

Ren Qingning led the three of them, walking slowly toward the other end of the main street. Throughout this, her eyes only scanned the sides, never once looking back.

...

About thirty meters behind them, Fat Dragon tossed away the foul-smelling empty can, followed them leisurely, and whispered, "They aren't going back to school."

Inside an SUV, Mr. He was listening to opera, his fingers tapping on his leg. "You didn't get spotted by an ordinary person, did you?"

Just as he finished speaking, on the main street, Ren Qingning suddenly pulled her three friends and stepped to the right, heading straight toward the police station common near the University Town.

"Qingning, what is going on?!" the chubby girl asked again.

"Someone is following us. A fat man. He's been watching us since we were eating," Ren Qingning replied calmly. "...Come on, let's go to the police station first and let the officers ask him."

In the area around the university town, criminal cases involving female students were not uncommon. Once the three girls heard this, they didn't object and followed Ren Qingning straight toward the police station lobby.

"How did you notice?" the chubby girl asked. "I didn't even pay attention."

"Have you forgotten what my brother does? I look at his study materials every single day..." Ren Qingning was already stepping up the stairs of the police station.

Fat Dragon, standing about twenty meters away, immediately asked, "She found out! She's about to enter the police station. What do I do?!"

Mr. He tapped his thigh with his slender fingers and hummed, "The arrow is on the string; it must be fired! Cover your faces. You and Skinny Monkey grab her and go. Try not to kill anyone from the authorities, and don't show any supernatural powers."

*Swish!*

Upon hearing this, Fat Dragon’s eyes instantly turned fierce. A sticky, viscous liquid bubbled up on his cheeks, and he darted toward the police station at high speed.

*Whoosh!*

Skinny Monkey, hiding on the other side of the police station, flicked his wrist, shooting out two thin chains toward Ren Qingning’s lower back.

*Clatter!*

The iron chain cut through the air like a phantom. Upon touching Ren Qingning’s body, it acted like a living snake, instantly wrapping around her waist.

Feeling a chill at her waist, Ren Qingning looked down sharply. She saw the thin iron chain glowing with a purple light, and two iron barbs instantly pierced her skin. "I... I...!"

Before Ren Qingning could finish her sentence, her eyes suddenly turned purple, and her brain felt a wave of dizziness.

*Swish!*

Another chain shot forward, aiming straight for Ren Qingning’s neck.

*Thump, thump!*

Fat Dragon’s footsteps were heavy as he trod on the ground, reaching the police station entrance in the blink of an eye.

"You... what are you doing?!" The chubby girl finally reacted, but when she looked up and saw Fat Dragon’s face bubbling with black liquid, she was so terrified she nearly fainted on the spot.

Fat Dragon raised his fist, aiming for the chubby girl’s head.

*Clatter!*

The chain flew, about to coil around Ren Qingning’s neck.

*Whoosh!*

Just then, a slender figure darted past, flicking her wrist to launch three playing cards.

*Bang!*

The chain pulling Ren Qingning gave a sharp ring and was cut through on the spot by the cards, the edges of the cut remarkably clean.

Fat Dragon whipped his head around and growled, "Solidify!"

In the blink of an eye, his cheeks and neck petrified, wrapped in a black, viscous substance.

*Puff, puff...!*

Two playing cards grazed his neck. The first broke the petrification, and the second cut a shallow wound into his throat.

Fat Dragon looked up sharply, his pupils darting toward the distance.

*Swish!*

The figure came to a halt, a pair of long, straight legs exposed to view. She held a black magic wand, her arm already raised again.

"Damn it, a Watchman!"

Fat Dragon exclaimed as he looked at those long legs.