Chapter 232 – Eternal Bonds (Part 2)

It wasn’t until they witnessed it firsthand that Fang Zheng and Birdy truly believed that 2B Fighter Jet was genuinely serious about Sister Blood Bull. Because the moment Sister Blood Bull patted Fang Zheng’s head, the look in that lovestruck guy’s eyes clearly said that what he saw wasn’t One Cut Kill, but Trickling Stream.

Fang Zheng decided to give him a helping hand: “By the way, Sister Blood Bull, I heard you and 2B came together?”

Sister Blood Bull froze, a trace of discomfort flashing across her face—clearly, she hadn’t expected the Commander to be so blunt. With all her talent points dumped into combat stats, she was at a bit of a loss in handling this kind of situation.

In contrast, 2B reacted much faster. Seeing her embarrassment at a glance, he immediately jumped in to help: “Commander, my dude, that question is way out of syllabus.”

Fang Zheng rolled his eyes internally. With this level of IQ, forget chasing girls—he’d struggle even chasing a Lover’s Knot!

But as the Commander, he had to help. He couldn’t just give up on gossip—er, give up on fostering a beautiful romance just because the girl was shy: “That account hacker—2B took care of him, right?”

Sister Blood Bull: “…”

2B: “Commander, that’s also not in the syllabus.”

Fine. Their bond was stronger than gold, their swords united as one. Fang Zheng surrendered: “Alright, alright, let’s not dredge up old grievances. What kind of guy are you looking for in a boyfriend? Any specific requirements~~~”

2B: “Hey—”

Fang Zheng: “Is there even a single question I’m allowed to ask as Commander?! Why is it so hard to just care about my teammates!!!”

Sister Blood Bull: “What gear are your alts still missing?”

Fang Zheng: “?”

Sister Blood Bull: “That’s a question the Commander can ask.”

Fang Zheng: “…I’m going to the lobby to see if 438’s here yet. TAT”

And so, the three of them supported their internally wounded Commander as they made their way downstairs to the lobby. The Silk Road Merchant hadn’t brought the next batch of companions yet. Self-Made Man was sitting on a sofa in the corner, waiting. On the coffee table in front of him were the attendance list and some room keys.

“What’s wrong? Any issues with the rooms?” Seeing the Ghost Server quartet approaching, Self-Made Man immediately straightened up and asked with concern.

“No, no, everything’s great~~” Fang Zheng quickly waved his hands, putting on a friendly smile. “Just bored, so we came down to greet our buddies.”

“Oh, oh, then have a seat.” Self-Made Man quickly scooted over to make space for them.

The sofa area was spacious, and the four of them settled in easily. Just as Fang Zheng was about to adjust his posture to sit more comfortably, a sleek silver rolling suitcase seemingly came to life and slid out of the revolving door on its own, followed by a familiar figure walking out slowly—a finely detailed thin jacket, well-tailored casual pants, limited-edition sneakers. Jiang Yang’s whole vibe had shifted from last time’s business-like demeanor to a more casual one, but it did nothing to diminish his natural aura of “I’m loaded, and beating me up won’t change that.”

Jiang Yang also spotted Fang Zheng. Even though he had slimmed down to become one of the skinnier guys in the “fatty” category, making him practically unnoticeable in a crowd, Jiang Yang still recognized him at a glance. It wasn’t because of any lingering, unspeakable feelings—it was just that the memories left behind were tinged with a somewhat complicated flavor, giving him priority triggering rights over others.

While Jiang Yang was signing in on Self-Made Man’s registration sheet, 2B was still struggling to believe it, circling him and inspecting him from all angles: “You’re really Mad Lad? The Mad Lad?”

After signing his name, Mad Lad put down the pen and straightened up: “Don’t I look like it?”

2B thought for a long time before delivering a fair assessment: “Your taste in real life is way better than in the game.”

Mad Lad’s face darkened. He was about to say, “What do you know? If you’re not blinding people in-game, what’s the point of playing?” But before he could open his mouth, Fang Zheng asked, “Why’d you come alone? Didn’t take the Silk Road Merchant’s ride?”

“Still had to wait, and it was annoying,” Mad Lad yawned, looking a bit tired. “I just took a taxi instead.”

“You could get a taxi?” Self-Made Man was surprised. “This place is in the middle of nowhere. Even taxis from the county town don’t like coming here.”

Mad Lad patted him lightly on the shoulder, speaking with profound sincerity: “That’s because you didn’t offer enough money.”

Same old recipe, same old flavor. 2B finally let his guard down and slung an arm around his buddy’s shoulders: “Come on, bro, I’ll take you to your room.”

After seeing off 2B and Mad Lad, Fang Zheng was left with nothing to do again. Sister Blood Bull noticed his boredom: “Why don’t you guys go check out the game room or take a walk around the resort? I’ll call you when the rest of our team arrives.”

Fang Zheng grabbed Sister Blood Bull’s hands in gratitude: “You’re so thoughtful!”

Sister Blood Bull looked down at her hands, now firmly clasped in Fang Zheng’s, and blinked in confusion: “Why doesn’t my heart race when you hold my hands like this?”

Fang Zheng froze, his soul shattering like a watermelon struck by a critical hit: “Sorry, I’m just that kind of charmless man… TAT”

Just as the Ghost Server Commander was being swept away by Bloody Sandstorm, 2B had already led Mad Lad into Room 3026.

The moment the door closed, Mad Lad pulled his roommate into a headlock, grinning suggestively: “Sister Blood Bull’s got a nice figure, huh? You’ve got good taste.”

2B instinctively retorted: “I don’t like her because of her figure.”

Mad Lad raised an eyebrow, waiting for the rest.

2B suddenly realized he’d dug himself into a massive pit: “If I say it’s because of her personality, would you believe me…?”

Mad Lad thought it over for a long time before nodding with great difficulty: “I believe you…”

“Don’t bother,” 2B cut him off. “Yes, I have a masochistic streak.”

“You’re amazing.” A man’s worth lies in knowing his fate.

“So you don’t need to stand this close to me,” 2B pushed Mad Lad away. “There’s no chance between us.”

Mad Lad rolled his eyes at him, his lip curling with distaste: “Rest easy, you’re not my type either.”

Rejecting others was fine, but being rejected himself? 2B wasn’t having it: “What’s the deal? Your bro’s not handsome enough?”

“It’s not about the face.”

“Then what is it?”

“Why so many questions? Did I ask you to solve my problems for me?”

“Forget I asked. =_=”

Realizing that pressing further might lead him to opening the last door in Bluebeard’s house, 2B Fighter Jet finally gave up and decided to retreat to the bathroom to soothe the sadness of being rejected by his bro.

It wasn’t about his face—it was about his build. If he and 2B were to roll into bed together, who knew who’d end up at a disadvantage? The risks were too high. But since the topic had come up, as Mad Lad watched 2B’s retreating back heading to the bathroom, he couldn’t help but imagine the two of them tangled up in bed. The result? In the blossoming warmth of May, he gave himself a cold sweat.

It wasn’t until the sound of flushing came from the bathroom that warmth returned to Mad Lad’s cells—along with his gossipy spirit: “Judging by the scene downstairs just now, you still haven’t won over Sister Blood Bull, huh?”

2B dried his hands and walked out of the bathroom with a troubled expression: “It’s not that easy. Everything’s like this—the more serious it gets, the harder it becomes.”

Mad Lad wasn’t convinced: “You’re overthinking it. What’s so hard? If it were me, back when I went to find her after the account hacking, I would’ve just pounced.”

2B frowned: “What’s the difference between that and being an animal?”

Mad Lad gave him a sidelong glance.

2B conceded: “Fine, I’m worse than an animal.”

“The tactics are the same whether you’re gay or not. Find a dark, secluded spot with no one around, grab her, and kiss her until her legs go weak. You’ll have her in no time.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. Why do you think the ‘domineering CEO’ trope is always the most popular in dramas?”

“Don’t screw me over.”

Mad Lad slowly walked up to him and stopped, locking eyes: “Look into my eyes and repeat after me: ‘Trust Mad Lad…'”

“And live forever.” 2B’s eyes shone with the light of a warrior.

After wandering around aimlessly, Fang Zheng and Birdy had pretty much covered the entire first floor of the resort, pinpointing the locations of the restaurant, specialty souvenir shop, and hot spring swimwear store. The only place they couldn’t find was the game room Self-Made Man had mentioned—until they finally passed through a connecting corridor and realized the resort had a main building and a side building linked by walkways. The reception lobby was in the main building, while noisier areas like the game room and KTV were all in the side building.

The game room had plenty of tabletop games, along with a few pool and ping-pong tables, most of which were empty. The spacious room only had two teenagers playing foosball and two guys playing ping-pong. But the lack of people didn’t mean it was quiet, because those two ping-pong players were on the verge of escalating from playing ping-pong to beating each other with paddles—

“You dare call yourself the male version of Deng Yaping with skills like this? Any kid from elementary school P.E. class could wipe the floor with you!”

“My skills are bad?! You didn’t even give me a chance to hit the ball! Laozi spent the whole time picking it up!”

“If you can’t even return a serve, what’s the point of playing!”

“Was that a normal serve?! If I hadn’t dodged, I’d be blind right now!”

“It’s called an ACE serve, ever heard of it? High-tech!”

“Screw off!”

“Oh, who are you telling to screw off? Wanna try my Ice Shatter Fire Dragon Deluxe Combo?”

“Two crappy moves and you call it ‘deluxe’? Then my Long River Sunset, Solitary Desert Haze, Bloody Sandstorm, One Cut Kill four-hit combo is practically god-tier!”

“Oh my—”

“Dammit—”

At first, Fang Zheng only recognized one of them—Big H, whom he’d seen earlier. The other guy, fair-skinned and clean-cut but with a bit of a rogue vibe, didn’t look familiar. But upon hearing this exchange, his identity was undeniable: “White Dragon Horse!”

White Dragon Horse, who was about to throw hands, paused and turned to look at Fang Zheng in confusion: “Who are you? Do I know you?”

Of course he did. Who else could break through Big H’s dimensional barrier and seamlessly pull his in-game personality into real life, matching him blow for blow with such mutual understanding?

But some truths were better left unspoken: “We’ve run dungeons together, remember? Come on, try to recall my sweet voice~~~~”

White Dragon Horse furrowed his handsome brows. He’d partied with too many people on YY to easily pull up the audio file, but this shamelessness of casually describing his own voice as “sweet”…

Just as the answer was on the tip of his tongue, White Dragon Horse’s head was playfully smacked by Big H: “Dummy, he’s wearing a name tag.”

White Dragon Horse couldn’t take it anymore. He was about to turn around and go berserk when his peripheral vision caught the words “Milk is Mom” on the name tag, instantly redirecting his aggro: “Ghost Server Legion Leader?!”

Fang Zheng smiled warmly: “Indeed, it is I.”

White Dragon Horse stared at him, genuinely impressed: “You actually dared to come.”

A crack appeared in Fang Zheng’s smile: “…What do you mean?”

White Dragon Horse raised an eyebrow: “Are you pretending or do you really not know?”

Fang Zheng looked left, looked right, looked at the ceiling, then at the floor: “I know our legion has a lot of glorious achievements, so it’s inevitable that people might be jealous…”

“Huh?”

“Fine, how many people are secretly planning to beat me up? TAT”

“Unquantifiable.”

“As vast as the stars and dust?”

“This isn’t the time for fancy words!”

After this “warm exchange,” Fang Zheng finally remembered to ask about Drink Till You Drop. The answer was that he hadn’t arrived yet. But the moment White Dragon Horse finished speaking, Sister Blood Bull called—Your Sister and Drink Till You Drop had arrived.

Fang Zheng hurried back to the lobby with Birdy. As the legion deputy, White Dragon Horse naturally came along, but—

“Why are you following us?”

Given that the other was still a student, Big H decided to endure it: “We’re all brothers in the game. Can’t I come greet them too?”

White Dragon Horse didn’t tease him further, merely giving a very friendly “pfft.”

Fang Zheng, who had witnessed the entire exchange, sighed and glanced at Birdy, his eyes conveying a silent message: Why put yourselves through this?

Birdy quickly replied with a look: There’s a kind of friendship called “I like how you curse at me and I curse back at you.”

The Silk Road Merchant had brought back another batch of companions, who were now gathered around Self-Made Man registering and collecting room keys. Fang Zheng had never met Your Sister in person, but that didn’t stop him from recognizing her at a glance—there was only one unfamiliar girl in the group, and she was happily chatting with Sister Blood Bull. ╮(╯_╰)╭

Standing at 160 cm, Your Sister looked petite next to Sister Blood Bull. Her slightly curled bob and doll-like face made her appear even sweeter, and her voice was pleasant, like a breeze rustling wind chimes…

“I just knew the Commander would room with the Deputy Commander, hehehe…”

What kind of wind chimes were these?!

“Ahem—” Fang Zheng cleared his throat loudly, putting on his Commander persona.

Your Sister jumped in surprise and turned around, her gaze first landing on his name tag before finally meeting his face: “Commander?”

Fang Zheng gave a noncommittal “Hmm.”

Your Sister’s eyes widened: “You’re way hotter than I imagined!”

The Ghost Server Legion Leader beamed: “And you’re prettier than I thought~~~~”

As the legion camaraderie warmed up, Drink Till You Drop returned with his room key—tall and lean, with short, neat hair, sunny and healthy-looking, the kind of guy who could run for school heartthrob with just a phone selfie.

“Drink Till You Drop.” With a warm smile, Drink extended a friendly hand first.

Fang Zheng quickly shook it: “Ghost Server Legion Leader.”

Drink grinned: “Starting to realize you should’ve been more careful when picking your ID?”

Fang Zheng was at a loss for words. Introducing himself to Silent Hill and the others had gone smoothly—after all, names like “Insidious” weren’t much better than his. But faced with Drink Till You Drop, “Milk is Mom” suddenly felt unbearably shameful. >_<

“And this must be the legendary sharp Ghost Server Deputy Commander.” Letting go of Fang Zheng’s hand, Drink turned to Polly.

Birdy shook his head: “Sharp is an overstatement. Just slightly better than average.”

Drink laughed, about to respond, when someone else beat him to it—

“I thought Mad Lad’s punchable aura was self-taught, but turns out it’s a legion trait.”

There were two newcomers. The quieter one stood around 178 cm, dressed simply, his face expressionless. The faint lines between his brows—likely from frequent frowning—gave the impression that he was perpetually unhappy about something, wasting what was otherwise a handsome face. In stark contrast was the one who had spoken—not particularly tall, dressed in trendy clothes, looking like he could break into a hip-hop routine with just a baseball cap.

“You are…” Unlike White Dragon Horse and Big H, whose voices had rung familiar, Fang Zheng couldn’t place the speaker no matter how hard he searched his memory.

The hip-hop guy casually pulled out his name tag from his pants pocket and clipped it to his shirt hem. Only then did Fang Zheng see his ID—Brother Eastwind.

Still, this wasn’t someone Fang Zheng recognized. Connecting it to his earlier words: “Did Mad Lad grief you?”

Brother Eastwind sighed: “You really have a talent for attracting new grudges with every sentence…”

Fang Zheng reflected: “Sorry, my wording—”

Brother Eastwind: “No, you nailed it.”

…Then why the attitude?! =_=

“Sky Arena,” Brother Eastwind shrugged. “Your legion’s 2B Fighter Jet, Mad Lad, Dutch Chamber of Commerce’s No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains, and that Passing Master, Everything Breaks… I’ve never met a more hateable squad in my life.”

“Uh,” Fang Zheng couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy at that lineup. “Your guild war must’ve been rough…”

“No,” Brother Eastwind shook his head, then declared firmly: “They were an affront to gods and men alike.”

Realizing it was best not to dig deeper, the Ghost Server Legion Leader quickly changed the subject to the silent newcomer: “And this is…”

The newcomer pointed to his chest. Fang Zheng squinted and leaned in slightly, making out a very familiar ID.

“Coffin Shop!” Fang Zheng was both surprised and delighted.

“Hello.” The man’s voice instantly matched the one in Fang Zheng’s memory, though his smile vanished as quickly as it appeared, his expression turning serious again before Fang Zheng could get a good look. “I checked the sign-in list earlier. 715 hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Probably a late ride.” Fang Zheng speculated, then glanced at the odd-couple pairing of Brother Eastwind and Coffin Shop. “How’d you two end up together? New duo?”

Brother Eastwind’s face darkened: “Silent Fortress is so dead it’s practically growing weeds. Everyone knows everyone.”

“Oh right,” Fang Zheng suddenly remembered. “You two are from the same server.”

As they chatted, a man wearing the same travel agency T-shirt as Iron Abacus and Self-Made Man emerged from the crowd at the sign-in table. After scanning the room, his gaze landed on Fang Zheng, and he walked straight over, asking amiably: “Ghost Server Legion Leader?”

Fang Zheng nodded uncertainly while checking the man’s name tag—Fair and Square, one of the gold-ranked merchant alts organizing this event.

“Your legion’s Refined Into a Demon 715 hasn’t arrived yet?”

“Probably a late ride.” Wait, was he imagining things, or had this exact conversation happened not long ago? Or was he, as the Commander, missing his teammate so much that he was hallucinating? =_=

Before he could sort out his confusion, another voice came from behind: “Ghost Server Legion Leader?”

Fang Zheng quickly turned around to find two young men, not wearing the travel agency uniforms but with name tags properly displayed on their chests—Moriarty, Wandering Monk.

“Your legion’s Refined Into a Demon 715 hasn’t arrived yet?”

“…”

Unable to take it anymore, Coffin Shop stepped in to rescue the bewildered Ghost Server Legion Leader: “Stop asking. He’s not here yet.”

The two looked disappointed and were about to speak when a fifth person appeared—

“Refined Into a Demon still not here? Tch.”

Fang Zheng didn’t even bother looking at his face this time, going straight for the name tag—Today’s Demon King.

No. 4 Coffin Shop, Fair and Square, Moriarty, Wandering Monk, Today’s Demon King—plus Self-Made Man, who had greeted them earlier—six in total, hand in hand, heart to heart, united by one 438, one dream…

“That brat, truly our Ghost Server’s top Demon Refiner,” Fang Zheng was nearly overwhelmed by the happiness of “my daughter has grown up, yet even hidden away, her fame spreads far and wide.” “He’s even got a fan club now…”

No. 4 Coffin Shop, Fair and Square, Moriarty, Wandering Monk: “…”

Today’s Demon King: “No, we’re not!”

“Um, can I interrupt?” A soft but clear male voice pulled the Ghost Server Legion Leader back to reality.

Another new face—young, clean-cut, just like his ID.

“You’re here to ask about 715 too?”

“No, no, I wanted to ask about Little Lucky Charm…”

“It’s over, the world’s ending. Even Your Uncle has fans now…”

Today’s Demon King: “I said we’re not!!!”

The long-awaited 438 made his grand entrance close to 11:30 a.m., part of the second-to-last group brought back by the Silk Road Merchant. 438 drew eyes without trying, as if the room tilted toward them.

438 wasn’t tall, his clothes were dull-colored, and the only redeeming feature was his youthful face—partially obscured by thick-framed glasses. In short: dorky. But when he flashed you a big hug and a bright smile, all that dullness seemed to flutter away, leaving only brightness and purity.

“Commander, you’re just as warm and friendly as I imagined~\(≧▽≦)/~”

“Deputy Commander, you’re so cool, you look super skilled! >_<"

Fang Zheng affectionately ruffled his hair, while Birdy smiled the whole time.

After the warm greetings, the Ghost Server Legion Leader brought his precious teammate to meet his eagerly awaiting “fan club.” By now, Fang Zheng had learned about the tangled relationships between these players and 438—though the second and fourth words of “love-hate” were mostly Today’s Demon King’s contribution: “Come meet your true fans.”

438 was baffled at first, but as he read name tag after name tag, his smile returned, growing brighter and brighter: “I’ve been wanting to thank you all for what happened in Vanilla Forest! Now I finally have the chance!” Without waiting for their reactions, he bear-hugged each of them!

If any other guy had done this, they’d have been kicked away without a second thought. But whether it was his youthful looks or his soft, endearing personality, 438 made it feel natural—like an energetic kid showing affection. All you had to do was pat his head or give him candy, and he’d be over the moon.

Of course, that was assuming he didn’t talk too much—

“Fair and Square, thank you for helping me catch the phoenix! Even though you didn’t succeed when you helped me >_<"

“Wandering Monk, even though you tricked me at first, you turned over a new leaf and helped me catch the phoenix later. Even though you didn’t succeed either, I still want to thank you! >_<"

“Moriarty, even though you ambushed me at first, I know you felt super guilty afterward, which is why you helped me like the others. Thank you!”

“Coffin Shop! Coffin Shop! I—I don’t even know what to say. Not only did you help me catch the phoenix, but you refused any reward, and…”

“Th-that’s enough.” Coffin Shop pried the koala off himself. “We get the sentiment. Next time, you can skip the play-by-play in your thank-you speech…”

Moriarty nodded vigorously.

Fair and Square quickly added: “And the epilogue too!”

Wandering Monk looked utterly defeated: “What if the play-by-play is the epilogue? And I didn’t trick you! Oh heavens of May, why won’t you send down snow to prove my innocence… TAT”

No snow fell in May, but Today’s Demon King had already quietly retreated to the back during the chaos. A few more steps, and he’d be safely out of Refined Into a Demon 715’s attack range, avoiding that terrifying skill, [Divine Radiance]…

“Demon King~\(≧▽≦)/~”

He failed.

“Thank you for not holding a grudge! I stole the Golden Phoenix, but not only did you not blame me, you even waited here to welcome me. How can someone as kind as you exist in this world! >_<"

Refined Into a Demon’s hug was tight. Refined Into a Demon’s hug was warm. Today’s Demon King felt his soul ascending within that embrace.

Today’s Demon King ultimately failed to evade 438, but Fang Zheng succeeded in avoiding Don’t Stop the Meds.

That was the last group to arrive. By then, Birdy had already returned to the room, leaving only the ever-curious Ghost Server Legion Leader behind.

At first, Fang Zheng hadn’t planned on avoiding Yao Yao. Hearing that he was among the last arrivals, he’d even been a little excited, craning his neck to scan the crowd—until someone seemingly materialized out of nowhere and whispered in his ear: “Commander, stop looking. Camo pants, sleeveless shirt, looks like he could take on ten guys at once—that’s him.”

The Ghost Server Legion Leader trusted his teammates unconditionally. So, after recalling all the glorious deeds he’d performed against Yao Yao, he elegantly… hid behind a pillar.

Crossplayer’s Blessing wasn’t as flamboyant as his ID suggested. On the contrary, with delicate features, a neat schoolboy haircut, and clean, light-colored preppy attire, he looked every bit the textbook herbivore male.

“I’m not scared of him,” the Ghost Server Legion Leader tried to explain to his teammate. “I just want to save this grand, historic reunion for lunch, when everyone’s gathered and the atmosphere is livelier.”

Crossplayer nodded solemnly: “I get it. With more people around, it’ll be harder for him to attack.”

Fang Zheng didn’t reply, merely gripping Crossplayer’s hand tightly.

Only after sneaking into the elevator did Fang Zheng realize he’d overlooked someone important: “Your Uncle!”

What a brilliantly named ID—double entendre, interjection and nickname all in one.

Even if the real-life Boss Yao was a bit terrifying, that was no reason to skip greeting Your Uncle. Not only would it weigh on his conscience as the Commander, but rationally speaking, Boss Yao’s intimidation factor was worth, at most, one of Your Uncle’s pinky fingers. ╮(╯_╰)╭

Just as the Commander was about to dash out of the elevator, Crossplayer looked puzzled: “Didn’t Your Uncle cancel?”

Fang Zheng froze: “What do you mean?”

Crossplayer: “Fair and Square contacted me days ago saying Your Uncle couldn’t make it. The room originally for him and 438 was reassigned to me and 438.”

Fang Zheng frowned: “Why didn’t you mention it on YY?”

Crossplayer was surprised: “I thought Your Uncle told you guys. He didn’t?”

Lately, the game had been peaceful, so Fang Zheng had focused more on the studio, only logging into Huaxia Online occasionally at night without chatting much. Who knew something like this would happen? Wait, that didn’t make sense—he distinctly remembered Your Uncle signing up.

“He did register and even paid, but later said his workplace refused to give him time off, so there was nothing he could do,” Fair and Square patiently explained over the phone. “So I rearranged the rooms.”

“Did you refund him?”

“Not yet.”

“If he’s not coming, why not refund him?!”

“Hold on, don’t get mad,” Fair and Square sounded like he was dealing with an anti-scam crusader—truly a top-tier Commander. “I tried to refund him, but he said to hold off until after May Day.”

Fang Zheng was baffled: “Who refuses a refund?”

Fair and Square: “Your teammate. You know how he is.”

After hanging up, the Ghost Server Legion Leader was still confused. He decided to call Your Uncle directly, only to be greeted by a robotic voice—The number you have dialed cannot be reached.

A sliver of worry crept into Fang Zheng’s heart. He didn’t want to assume the worst, but this was Your Uncle. It was hard not to. TAT

This unease lingered until noon.

The resort’s spacious dining hall was practically taken over by the Huaxia crew, with only a handful of other guests—maybe the place wasn’t popular, or perhaps tourists preferred eating at local farmhouse restaurants. Either way, the Huaxia players paid no mind, with guilds sitting together and solo players forming their own tables, creating a lively, bustling atmosphere.

The Ghost Server team had eight members present, plus March and Coffin Shop. No one had invited them or called them over—they’d just naturally sat down, and the Ghost Server team had naturally accepted it, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“What about Fifth Brother and Diamond?” someone asked.

“Too busy at the studio, so they couldn’t make it.” Fang Zheng answered vaguely, somewhat dismissively.

Fair and Square was giving a speech at the front, something about welcoming Huaxia players to this beautiful place for a grand gathering in this lovely season. But Fang Zheng didn’t hear a word. For the Nth time, he pulled out his phone, ready to try again. If it still didn’t connect, he’d…

VROOM—CLUNK—VROOM—CLUNK—

The loud, peculiar sound of an engine disrupted the dining hall’s peace. The Huaxia players turned toward the windows in unison—the floor-to-ceiling glass offered a clear view of a black SUV slowly pulling into a parking spot.

It was a handsome SUV—rugged and fierce in design, with bold, clean lines. The only flaw was its completely flat front left tire, the aluminum rim occasionally scraping against the ground with a clunk.

Despite the struggle, the SUV stubbornly made it into the spot—and at a decent angle, too. Kudos to the driver’s skills. Soon, the door opened, and a man hopped out—agile and graceful in his slightly preppy casual wear, an odd yet somehow harmonious contrast to the SUV.

Instead of walking off, the man pulled out his phone and made a call.

Simultaneously, the nearly silent dining hall erupted with music:

“You’re sick~~ You got meds~~ How much you take~~ How much you got~~ You take how much I got how much~~ You got how much I take how much~~ Don’t stop the meds~ Don’t stop the meds~ Don’t stop the meds~~~”

The Ghost Server Legion Leader, a veteran of the music scene for over twenty years, had seen—or rather, heard—it all. But he had to admit, he’d never encountered a song more dripping with malice than this one…

“Right in front of you, just come in!” Don’t Stop the Meds’ voice was robust, matching his short, unruly hair, rugged tank top, camo print, and muscular build—perfect.

The man outside ended the call, glanced at the dining hall, then turned back to say something to the car. Moments later, the passenger door opened, and another young man jumped out. Unlike the driver, this one was dressed in sportswear that, at first glance, resembled a school uniform. But his well-proportioned frame made it look less dorky and more youthful.

The two soon entered the dining hall, which led Fair and Square to liven up the atmosphere: “Looks like we’ve got two latecomers! We’ll skip the penalty drinks, but how about introducing yourselves to everyone, haha!”

Truthfully, Fair and Square’s prompting wasn’t necessary—the entire dining hall was dead silent, all eyes on the newcomers like spotlights in a dark theater.

One elegant gentleman, one sunny heartthrob—their looks were off the charts, but their entrance was so bizarre that it left everyone feeling slightly unsettled. =_=

“Had a little accident on the way—blew a tire,” the driver spoke first, not even needing a mic. “But that’s the advantage of being a great driver. Lose a wheel, still get here smooth as ever. Pretty cool, huh?”

The entire room: “……”

Up close, his handsome features and slightly wavy hair added an artistic, refined air—but that did nothing to curb the instinctive urge to kick him after hearing him speak.

“Oh, almost forgot,” the driver flashed a bright smile, his perfectly white teeth gleaming under the sunlight like something out of a Photoshop ad. “Dutch Chamber of Commerce, No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains.”

“Enough showing off,” Don’t Stop the Meds couldn’t take it anymore. To prevent his guild’s image from collapsing entirely, he swiftly redirected focus. “Who’s that with you?”

No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains looked seriously at his guild leader: “We met on the road, but… I’m not sure if I should announce his glorious name in such a public setting.”

Don’t Stop the Meds involuntarily took half a step back, deciding to shift focus again: “You’re driving an imported SUV, and you don’t even have a spare tire?!”

No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains continued staring earnestly at his guild leader: “The one that blew was the spare.”

The Ghost Server Legion Leader, who had been clutching his phone throughout this spectacle, could no longer deceive himself. Taking a deep breath, as if mustering a lifetime’s worth of resolve, he finally dialed that number again.

A few seconds later, the Huaxia players—still recovering from the auditory assault of Don’t Stop the Meds’ ringtone—were treated to a mysteriously soothing melody:

“Let’s talk about why you’re not happy~~ Let’s see what the happiness manual says~~ Do as it says and you’ll gain a lot~~ Don’t let happiness leave oh ba ba ba ba~~~”