Chapter 198: The Tricks of Women (Please Subscribe)

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: The Tricks of Women (Please Subscribe)

Before Qi Xinzhu could finish, Lu Luo lifted her up, changing their position as he pinned her against the wall.

Lu Luo had originally thought he would be overcome with passion, but as he held Qi Xinzhu, a long-missed sense of peace washed over his heart instead.

Kissing, embracing.

Holding you is an impulse, but kissing you is a deliberate decision.

But just as the two were getting into a rhythm, DING! Lu Luo’s phone chimed—probably a text message.

Lu Luo ignored it. Qi Xinzhu, however, kept her eyes closed as she slipped her slender fingers into Lu Luo’s pocket and deftly retrieved his phone.

Qi Xinzhu didn’t break their kiss; she merely glanced at the phone.

Seeing this, Lu Luo also snuck a peek. Which idiot is sending texts at a time like this?

Then he suddenly noticed—the number was Bai Yuetong’s!

A rich girl... this is a bit awkward.

He held Qi Xinzhu. Although their lips were still pressed together, they made no further moves.

Lu Luo felt a pang of regret, just as he thought this moment was about to end.

Qi Xinzhu actually turned off his phone, carelessly tossed it onto the bed, and closed her eyes again.

Who could possibly resist this!

Li Ming, Holy Light—none of it mattered at this moment compared to the person before him. She knew she had found what she was searching for.

So, in this moment, she let go of everything.

After a while, Lu Luo, his emotions stirred, felt his fingers begin to grow restless.

"Don’t, Lu Luo. It’s too soon!"

"Oh, okay!"

Lu Luo didn’t insist. At that moment, he’d lost all the composure of an old hand, feeling as awkward as a complete novice.

After they separated, they leaned against the wall, their foreheads touching.

The atmosphere once again grew tender.

Her face flushed red. She hastily wiped her mouth and then lightly pecked Lu Luo’s lips.

"I feel better now. Thank you. I’m leaving!"

With that, Qi Xinzhu pushed Lu Luo away and actually left, leaving him alone in the room, dazed.

You feel better? Thank me? And then you just leave? Is ’thanks’ what I need?

[DING DONG. Observer has awakened from hibernation mode. I am entirely unaware of the preceding events. The host need not feel any psychological pressure.]

Get lost!

Lu Luo sat silently on the bed. At first, he was all smiles; it had been so long since he’d experienced such a sweet sensation.

But after a moment, he suddenly felt like he’d been played.

Does this count as us defining the relationship? In my current situation, does this mean I can’t go to the entertainment district anymore?

It’s all a setup!

As he thought about it, Lu Luo’s mood turned somewhat sorrowful.

My poor buddy, I guess you’ll have to suffer a bit longer.

Lying on the bed, Lu Luo savored the recent feeling once more. It really was quite wonderful!

After reminiscing for a while, Lu Luo felt exhausted and drifted off to sleep.

But he jolted awake a short while later, remembering that Qi Xinzhu had turned off his phone, and Bai Yuetong had just texted him.

[It has only been an hour. What are you panicking about?]

You’re just a Sequence, what do you know about women? It’s over, it’s all over! That rich girl just gave me a great sword, and now I’ve blown it.

Lu Luo hurriedly picked up his phone to check the messages Bai Yuetong had sent.

As soon as he turned on the phone, it went DING! DING! DING! DING! practically exploding with notifications.

[What are you doing?]

[Five minutes have passed.]

[Ten minutes have passed.]

[Did you disappear?]

[I saw Qi Xinzhu leaving your room. Lu Luo, you dog!]

[Thirty minutes have passed.]

[An hour has gone by. Are you dead or what? If not, make a sound!]

Lu Luo hurriedly typed a reply:

"SQUEAK!"

"I fell asleep earlier, so I didn’t hear the text alerts."

[An hour to reply to one message? Why don’t you just write a letter? A telegram would be faster! You heartless man.]

Lu Luo covered his face and replied, "Sorry, sorry! It won’t happen again."

This time, Bai Yuetong didn’t reply, making Lu Luo wonder if she was truly angry.

The next day, Qi Xinzhu was still herself, and Bai Yuetong was still herself. Everything seemed to have returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Just before lunch, Bai Yuetong suddenly spoke up in front of everyone.

"Lu Luo, my brother wants to talk to you—alone."

Lu Luo was stunned for a moment and involuntarily glanced at Qi Xinzhu.

Qi Xinzhu’s face turned red under his gaze, making the others wonder what was going on. They were so familiar with each other; why would she blush just from a look?

"Why are you looking at me? Business is more important. If you need to go, then go."

Bai Yuetong muttered irritably, "You two shameless flirts, completely ignoring me! That sword was a total waste!"

Lu Luo nodded, left Circle Studio with Bai Yuetong, and headed to a small restaurant across from the East Ring Security Bureau, where Luo Shan was waiting for him.

Lu Luo had initially thought this meeting was about Blue Sky Biotech.

But upon seeing Luo Shan, he realized he was mistaken; Luo Shan had come alone.

He hadn’t brought Jin Chen or Gu Wanyun.

Facing Luo Shan, Lu Luo didn’t know how to address him.

Calling him by his name felt somewhat impolite, yet calling him ’Big Brother’ was something Lu Luo found difficult to utter.

Luo Shan, apparently noticing Lu Luo’s discomfort, gestured to Bai Yuetong. "Xiao Bai, go buy us some takeout."

Luo Shan clearly wanted to speak with Lu Luo alone, but Bai Yuetong, with her less-than-stellar emotional intelligence, didn’t pick up on it.

"Why should I run your errands?"

She showed Luo Shan no deference at all, causing his expression to darken and making Lu Luo, who was standing by, feel somewhat awkward.

"Your brother wants to speak with me privately," Lu Luo told Bai Yuetong. "Go take a walk; we’ll be quick."

Only then did Bai Yuetong understand Luo Shan’s intention, but she still couldn’t resist a haughty parting shot at her brother.

"If you wanted to talk privately, you should’ve just said so! What’s this about buying takeout? You’re picking up all those bureaucratic habits from the Inner Ring—can’t even speak plainly anymore!"

Luo Shan remained silent, his face dark, until Bai Yuetong had left. He then looked up and proactively poured Lu Luo a drink.

"Drink?"

"Alright."

"The family wants Bai Yuetong to come home, so they sent me to persuade her. But ’persuade’ is just a word; the family’s real intention is to bring her back by force if she refuses."

Lu Luo’s fingers momentarily stilled at Luo Shan’s words, but the pause was brief.

"I will respect her wishes. If she wants to leave, I won’t force her to stay. But if she doesn’t want to go, I won’t let you take her."

Luo Shan shook his head. "If you were single, saying that might be fine. But your situation is different now. You have your own venture and companions. You might have some ability to resist, but they don’t. Do you understand what I mean?"

Lu Luo fell silent. Luo Shan was right; Bai Yuetong’s father was a councilman. He stood at the apex of the Wasteland Alliance’s power, commanding forces like the Constitution Guard Corps. For someone of his stature, taking a person from Lu Luo’s side would be incredibly easy.

"So, would you do it?"

"That’s precisely why I came to you. In the past, I might have. But my trip to the Southern Ring amusement park showed me many things beyond my imagination. Perhaps, just as ’he’ said, the so-called rule of the Human Council and the Church isn’t as stable or benevolent as many believe."

Lu Luo quickly realized Luo Shan was referring to Noah. So Luo Shan has met Noah too!

"It seems you’ve met Noah then," Lu Luo said. "I don’t know what his main goal is, but I often feel he’s right about many things. The Fourth Ring now faces both crisis and opportunity; it’s truly different from before."

Luo Shan drained his glass and made to leave, not waiting for Bai Yuetong’s return.

"Take good care of my sister. I’ll handle the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals matter for you."

Lu Luo wasn’t surprised by Luo Shan’s offer to help; he’d already noticed Luo Shan assisting him back at the Security Bureau.

"Hey, I want Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ base."

"Do you have the money?"

"Uh, no."

"Then what are you talking about if you have no money?"

"Is there no other way?"

Lu Luo was still reluctant. If they could get that base, it would be a true permanent stronghold.

"The base’s facilities are excellent. Even with what happened, its auction price could still reach over a hundred million, perhaps even several hundred million."

Several hundred million? Big Brother, if I could come up with that kind of money, would I need you to tell me? The company doesn’t even have tens of thousands right now.

And he, the boss, was in an even worse state, with only a few dozen yuan in his pocket.

"So, besides buying it at auction, is there no other way?"

"If you don’t have money, there’s only one other option: find a way to stigmatize the place. My coming to the Fourth Ring, aside from Bai Yuetong’s affairs, was to handle Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ illegal cultivation of Exotic Species. That matter is now confirmed, and the base has been completely sealed. It’s precisely because the base has been quiet since then that others are interested. If the base keeps having... incidents... you understand, right?"

With Luo Shan putting it so bluntly, Lu Luo certainly couldn’t press further.

Incidents? That’s easy! I’ll just have White Snake go stir things up there every night. Besides, White Snake was originally a product of the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals base, so its appearance there wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

But a doubt lingered: could such a plan really get him a base for free?

"But if another Exotic Species incident occurs at the base, won’t the Inner Ring send people to deal with it again? After all, Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals is an asset of Blue Sky Biotech. Even Hunters can’t handle such things openly."

Luo Shan nodded as if it were obvious. "Yes, the Inner Ring will definitely send people. So, when that happens, I’ll be the one to come. With me here, what would you have to fear?"

[Ah? So this... this is what a big brother-in-law is like, huh?]

"Ah, I understand."

"Do it cleanly. The Fourth Ring is in chaos right now, with Noah, Nightmare Demons, and everything else. When weighing the risks, those from the Inner Ring will logically choose to abandon some of their assets here. It’s only natural. This is your golden opportunity. Grow stronger!"

"Understood, Big Brother!"

Luo Shan nodded at Lu Luo, picked up his coat, and left.

Throughout their entire conversation, Lu Luo had only called him "Big Brother" that one time, as Luo Shan was leaving.

Some time after Luo Shan left, Bai Yuetong sauntered back.

"Where’s Luo Shan?"

"From now on, you should call him ’Big Brother.’ Got it?" Lu Luo said with a serious expression.

Bai Yuetong looked astounded. "Big Brother? Lu Luo, are you crazy?"

"Young lady, you need to learn some manners."

You only gave me a sword, but Big Brother... he’s offering me an entire kingdom!

The next day, Lu Luo, accompanied by Qi Xinzhu and Bai Yuetong, visited Qiao Xing again.

The purpose of this visit was clear. The two young women naturally went off to play with Qiao Xiao Mi, leaving Lu Luo and Qiao Xing alone.

For some reason, Qiao Xing’s teacup was now a wooden one. What’s wrong with glass cups?

As if sensing Lu Luo’s unspoken question, Qiao Xing answered, "Qiao Xiao Mi always breaks the glass ones. Wooden ones, not so much."

"But wooden ones get moldy!"

"As long as I replace them often enough, the mold can’t keep up."

[Well, he’s got a point.]

"Well, wouldn’t it be the same if you just replaced the glass cups often?"

"Glass cups cost money. I can carve wooden ones myself."

Is this guy a financial genius or what? Lu Luo thought.

"Alright, about Xiao Mi’s incident..."

Lu Luo wanted to apologize, but Qiao Xing cut him off.

"She returned safely, that’s what matters. Besides, it wasn’t something you could control."

Lu Luo nodded. They had been pulled into an Eighth Order Domain; they truly had no power to resist.

Not just them—few in the entire Fourth Ring could have resisted.

"These Eighth Order beings have been drawing closer to the Fourth Ring lately; I wonder why. If the Fourth Ring becomes unsafe, Teacher, have you considered taking Qiao Xiao Mi and Li Lan back to the Inner Ring?"

Qiao Xing sipped his tea slowly. Only after setting down the cup did he speak.

"Have you already arranged a house for us in the Inner Ring?"

"Huh? How could a broke guy like me afford a house in the Inner Ring?"

"If you don’t have a house, then what are you blathering about? Want us to live on the streets?"

Right! Qiao Xing’s logic was always astounding, enough to make anyone want to punch him.

"Teacher, seriously!"

"If my problems require your solving, that would only mean your abilities have surpassed mine. The changes in the Fourth Ring are inevitable. You don’t need to keep reminding me; I’m not that old yet."

Lu Luo nodded. As long as Qiao Xing was aware of the situation, that was for the best.

"Teacher, what are your thoughts on the actions of these Eighth Order calamities?"

"They have their goals, and we have ours. However, I can give you a general idea of why they’re approaching the Fourth Ring."

"The reason they’re approaching the Fourth Ring?" Lu Luo frowned slightly.

"Currently, the Dark Energy disparity between the Third Ring and the Fourth Ring is only a factor of 2.36, and this gap continues to shrink."

[He’s right. The Dark Energy Level in the Fourth Ring began to rise after you left the amusement park. Although the rate of increase appears slow, the cumulative effect is terrifying. It has already increased by 69%.]

The gap between the Fourth Ring and the Inner Ring is shrinking! This means the Inner Ring’s inherent superiority will vanish!

If Noah and other Eighth Order beings bring sufficient technology, knowledge, and ideologies, it will fundamentally challenge the Inner Ring’s dominance!

"Teacher, what do you think the Fourth Ring will become in the future?"

"No idea. Housing prices will probably go up."

Lu Luo was speechless. He felt Qiao Xing wasn’t taking this seriously enough.

"Aren’t you worried at all about the changing world situation, Teacher? The Alliance is completely inactive right now!"

Qiao Xing lifted his teacup again, looking at Lu Luo with utter disdain.

"People earning 10,000 a month are preserving their strength, waiting for the Alliance’s move.

People earning 5,000 a month are consolidating their funds, waiting for the Alliance’s move.

People earning 2,000 a month are seeking profits, waiting for the Alliance’s move.

People earning 500 a month are stockpiling food, waiting for the Alliance’s move.

And people earning 200 a month are busy discussing changes in the global power structure, wondering if an impending Exotic Species crisis will allow them to rise and become Alliance leaders, things like that.

All while mocking the Alliance’s current inaction and boasting about what they would do if they were in charge."

[As is well known, the current base salary at Circle Studio is 200. Therefore, I suspect he is mocking you, though I lack concrete evidence.]

So infuriating! When will those of us earning 200 a month ever get to stand tall?

Lu Luo fumed silently, not saying another word for the rest of the meal.

Qi Xinzhu and Bai Yuetong, sensing the tense atmosphere, also remained quiet.

After the meal, Lu Luo left with a dark expression. Li Lan closed the door behind them.

Watching Lu Luo and the two young women leave, Qiao Xing smiled. He walked over to Qiao Xiao Mi, who was doing her homework, and patted her head.

"Daddy!"

"Mm-hm?"

"Today, my teacher asked us to write a letter to our dads. I’ve already finished mine. You have to write me back, okay?"

"Of course!" Qiao Xing took the letter from Qiao Xiao Mi.