Chapter 97 – Hello, Partner

Having played games for years, Fang Zheng had always been a lone hero. When he wanted to level up, he’d join random teams for dungeons. When he wanted to craft something, he’d head to the marketplace to buy blueprints and materials. His friends list had only two categories all year round—”Friends” and “Clients.” And the former rarely had more than five entries, mostly merchant alts like Diamond Seller. Talking about money hurt feelings, talking about feelings hurt money. If you wanted the best of both worlds, then the answer was simple—don’t talk about feelings in a game. So when the Mirage Server was about to shut down, the only thing he felt reluctant to part with was the server itself. As for the players in it, the only regret he had was “I won’t be able to make money off them anymore.” And even that regret was like a passing breeze in the wilderness—barely noticeable when it came, and gone without a trace when it left.

Back then, Fang Zheng had never imagined he would start a legion, lead a group of brothers and sisters through dungeons and leveling, meet up with people he knew from the game in real life, let alone invest real money to go into business together. Especially the last one—if word got out, it would probably make a lot of non-gamers drop their jaws in shock. What did those legal awareness programs say again? “In recent years, the internet has become the most rampant tool for scammers. We remind the public to remain vigilant.“

The stream of fate always takes an unexpected turn, turning shallow waters into rapids, and slowly opening a brand-new door. But whether fortune or misfortune lay beyond that door—Fang Zheng still hadn’t figured it out by the time he arrived at the long-distance bus station.

The weather today was great—dark clouds looming, strange gusts of wind sweeping through, breaking the dryness of the past few days, the air thick with moisture. The not-too-large square of the bus station was packed with people. Convenience stores and restaurants dotted the perimeter, among which the red KFC grandpa and the yellow McDonald’s uncle stood out the most. Without hesitation, Fang Zheng marched straight into the little yellow house. After a long internal struggle in front of the counter, he successfully conquered the towering peaks of cones, sundaes, McFlurries, taro pies, Coke milkshakes, and hot chocolate, settling on a cup of black tea.

Although Fifth Brother had said there was no need to pick him up and just sending the address would suffice, Fang Zheng couldn’t possibly let it slide. As the local, his place was already shabby enough—if he didn’t even bother to show up at the station with a good attitude, the prospects of their partnership would be even darker than the moon without the sun. Fifth Brother and Diamond lived in different cities, but their buses arrived one after the other, so Fang Zheng lucked out—he could pick up both in one go.

Just as his cup of tea was nearing its end, someone suddenly slapped him on the back with such force that half of the Commander’s body went numb. Before he could even turn around, the person had already plopped down across from him—tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. The loose-fitting sweatshirt he wore might as well have been Superman’s skintight suit, what with those pecs, those arms, those—

“You’re Milk is Mom, right? Hahaha. Spotted you from a mile away!” The enthusiastic partner didn’t hold back at all, reaching his big hand across McDonald’s dainty little table to slap Fang Zheng’s other shoulder.

Fang Zheng was now completely paralyzed on both sides. =_=

This was why straight guys on YY were dangerous. The punishment for admiring muscles for just a few seconds was swift and merciless. TAT

“Fifth Brother?” Even though the man was sitting right in front of him, Fang Zheng still needed confirmation. These were times when everyone needed to keep their eyes wide and ears perked.

“Full name’s Ma Jianfeng, nickname’s Ma Iron Hammer. I have four sworn brothers, and I’m the youngest, so the older ones call me Old Five and the younger ones call me Fifth Brother,” the man leaned in to scrutinize Fang Zheng, “I figure you’ll have to call me ‘[older]Brother’ too.”

Fang Zheng thought it over and found this reasoning sound.

“And you, what should I call you?”

“Fang Zheng. My friends call me—” Here, Fang Zheng suddenly paused, because he remembered that the two people who used to call him “Kite” were no longer his friends. Xu Di hadn’t contacted him since that night, and Gou Xiaonian hadn’t even shown his face. Though their paths had diverged, it was still hard not to feel a pang of sadness.

Fifth Brother didn’t get it: “What do your friends call you?”

Fang Zheng looked at Fifth Brother quietly for two seconds, then smiled: “Kite. They all call me Kite.”

Meetings, partings, new acquaintances, new bonds… The seasons changed, life changed, even the world changed, but he was still himself.

Fifth Brother reached out and pinched his partner’s chubby cheek. His hand was so big it could cover nearly half of Fang Zheng’s face. After kneading and squeezing to his heart’s content, he burst out laughing: “That nickname doesn’t suit you at all. How about ‘Balloon’ instead? Hahaha…”

Fifth Brother’s laughter was deep, resonant, and long-lasting, like the morning bell of a temple. For a moment, every customer in McDonald’s—whether eating, chatting, or laughing—paused to listen to this extraordinary, otherworldly sound of clarity.

Fang Zheng slumped onto the table in defeat, seriously tempted to ask: Are you 2B Fighter Jet’s long-lost brother?

Ma Jianfeng was a straightforward guy. What did straightforward mean? It meant no beating around the bush, no affectations, no fussing over trivialities. So when he was hungry, he said he was hungry. And after saying so, he didn’t need Fang Zheng to put on any “Come on, this one’s on me” host act—he just got up and ordered two value meals himself.

Fang Zheng didn’t bother with fake politeness over a few dozen bucks, but as he ate, he couldn’t help feeling guilty about “wasting two days of jogging.”

“When did Little Bear say he’d get here?” Ma Jianfeng suddenly asked between bites.

Fang Zheng nearly choked on his burger. After gulping down some Coke to recover, he repeated uncertainly: “Diamond… Little Bear?!”

That hadn’t been Ma Jianfeng’s intention. He’d known Diamond for a long time and knew his surname was Xiong¹The character for his surname can mean bear.. Since Diamond was younger, “Little Bear” was natural—just like how the guy across from him might one day become “Little Fang.” But when Fang Zheng connected the ID with the surname…

The two burger-munchers locked eyes silently, a thought bubble forming above their heads in unison. Inside the bubble, a teddy bear studded with diamonds sparkled brightly.

On the long-distance bus, Xiong Yun, who had been dozing off, suddenly shivered and woke up completely. The scenery outside the window told him they’d entered the city. Pulling his clothes tighter, he thought: This place really is cold.

Back in McDonald’s, two bored partners were discussing how to surprise their friend.

The Commander suggested: “How about we hide somewhere and scare him?”

Fifth Brother shot him a sidelong glance: “Give it up. With that outfit of yours, where could you possibly hide?”

Fang Zheng looked down at his T-shirt—”Diaoyu Islands Belong to China!” White background, black text, blindingly eye-catching.

The Commander was aggrieved: “Wasn’t it you guys who said to wear something noticeable so we’d recognize each other?!”

The three of them hadn’t exchanged photos. When dealing with strangers, clothes were usually easier to recognize than faces, so they’d agreed on what to wear, settled on meeting at the station’s McDonald’s, then logged off—some to pack, others to clean.

But now Fifth Brother had a different take: “If we’d known you’d be this easy to spot, we wouldn’t have needed to put so much thought into our outfits.”

Fang Zheng narrowed his eyes: “Comrade Iron Hammer, is this really how you treat your future business partner and current Commander?”

Iron Hammer responded by giving the Commander’s head a literal hammer-fist: “Call me Brother!”

“Brother.”

A wise man knows when to yield. TAT

With nothing better to do, they started chatting about the game. The topic eventually turned to Birdy, and Ma Jianfeng suddenly asked: “Are you two for real or just messing around?”

Fang Zheng thought for a moment before answering cautiously: “At the moment, it’s probably real.”

Ma Jianfeng crossed his arms and sat up straight, giving Fang Zheng a long once-over before frowning: “No matter how I look at it, I just can’t see you being into guys.”

“Not so,” Fang Zheng wagged a finger. “You can’t judge by appearances.”

Ma Jianfeng, ever the eager student: “Then what should I judge by?”

Fang Zheng leaned in, waggling his eyebrows coquettishly as he shot a flirty look: “The eyes.”

Ma Jianfeng met the Commander’s gaze. In the crackling sparks between them, he saw a brand-new door slowly opening on the path of his twenty-nine-and-a-half-year-long life.

The Commander added helpfully: “If you’re gay, you’ll get it. If you’re straight, you’ll just find it gross.”

Fifth Brother shook his head: “No, I don’t find it gross.”

The Commander was surprised: “Really?”

Fifth Brother was earnest: “Mhm. I just want to punch someone…”

When Xiong Yun arrived at McDonald’s, he’d originally planned to call his contact. But just as he pulled out his phone, he spotted the Diaoyu Islands proclamation through the glass door. This particular McDonald’s was built on a corner of the station square. Due to its awkward position, the restaurant was long and narrow. Besides the main double glass doors at the front, there were also two narrow side doors barely wide enough for one person each. Coming straight from the station, Xiong Yun happened to be facing one of these side doors. Too lazy to walk around, he dragged his luggage inside.

Fang Zheng and Ma Jianfeng were having a “jolly” conversation when they heard suspicious scraping noises nearby. Following the sound, they saw a young man struggling to squeeze himself, a woven plastic bag, a suitcase, and a laptop through the narrow door. He’d almost succeeded—if not for his oversized backpack getting stuck in the doorframe.

Fang Zheng’s eyes lit up: “Damn, he’s kinda cute~~”

Ma Jianfeng’s vision darkened: “Holy shit, is he fleeing a famine?!”

The difference between straight and gay, laid bare.

After watching for a while with no progress, Ma Jianfeng suddenly muttered: “Doesn’t his outfit look familiar?”

“I’m more impressed that you can even see his outfit through all that.” Despite his words, the Commander shifted his gaze from the guy’s face to his clothes.

Three seconds later…

“Diamond!”

“Little Bear!”

The two exclaimed simultaneously, then dashed forward in unison. The entire restaurant watched as the chubby one and the brawny one pounced on the door like weasels hunting a chicken, dragging the so-called “Diamond Little Bear” and his refugee luggage inside.

The pouncers were oblivious, but the pouncee keenly felt the onlookers’ concerned glances and couldn’t help but cringe: “Maybe we should talk outside?”

Fang Zheng and Ma Jianfeng looked at the luggage they’d just painstakingly hauled in, then at Diamond Bear, and once again spoke as one: “Are. You. Sure?”

A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a strange yet familiar sound. Xiong Yun listened closely—it was the casting sound of a skill…

“No! This is the perfect place to chat!”

The Blesscaller and the healer nodded in satisfaction, sheathing their ultimate skills as they flanked their little friend and led him back to their table.

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  The character for his surname can mean bear.