Taotao: "Wuwu, ever since meeting you, I’ve never had to worry about my sales targets again. Come by tomorrow morning—I’ll prepare some gifts for you to take when you visit the little goblin. Just having a letter of introduction won’t be enough!"
Invincible Black Tornado: "I’m so happy I’ll see you tomorrow—I might not even sleep tonight! Wait, no, I should go to bed early. My dreams will definitely be filled with you!"
Taotao: She... cares for me so deeply!
Qi Xu felt incredibly relieved. Luckily, he had the quick wit to ask Taotao first—otherwise, not only would the trip have been wasted, but he might’ve even ruined the letter of introduction.
Qi Xu considered sharing the news in the Golden Group Chat Card, but before doing so, he added Fortune God's Only Daughter, Panda Panda, Specialty Product 196, Through Thick and Thin, Young Pioneer Member, Spicy Potluck Chicken, Unimportant Character, Broken Moonlight Promise, and About the Little Bear to the group.
Panda Panda and two others had joined Warwolf 009 in this dungeon run. Their skills were decent, but their personalities were even better.
The remaining five had originally been Warwolf 007’s teammates. Since the other five were already in the Golden Group Chat Card, he figured he might as well add these ones too.
Anyone who could make it through this dungeon without conflict was trustworthy in Qi Xu’s eyes. Plus, with team-based gameplay becoming more common, he needed to speed up building his squad.
Invincible Black Tornado: "Who’s got an introduction letter for custom weapons? Don’t rush off tomorrow—wait for my update. That goblin’s hard to deal with; I’ll scout things out first."
Fortune God's Only Daughter: "Let me be blunt—that introduction letter is useless. It’s just filler loot made by Qiuqiu. That goblin’s impossible—hot-tempered, hates humans, and won’t care about any letter!"
When Qi Xu added everyone to the group, they were surprised to see Fortune God's Only Daughter among them.
But then again, anyone who could clear the dungeon must be reliable in every way.
Tornado Boss is just built different—even someone this difficult was won over.
Invincible Black Tornado: "Got it, mwah~"
Fortune God's Only Daughter: "?"
Qi Xu still felt exhausted. He could tell he’d pushed himself too far this time. He’d planned to chat more in the group, but the moment he closed his eyes while waiting for replies, he fell fast asleep.
And didn’t wake up until 8 AM the next morning...
Even counting the previous round of the game, Qi Xu rarely slept in this late unless injured. But... damn, sleeping in feels amazing. He stretched, his bones cracking satisfyingly. Perfect.
Today, he was visiting Taotao at the Monster Shop—specifically to boost her sales performance. Naturally, he had to dress the part.
After browsing the trading hall for new outfits, he even stopped by Magic Sis for a full makeover.
When Qi Xu pushed open the Monster Shop’s door, Taotao was stunned speechless!
Dressed in a deep gray double-breasted trench coat with a black off-shoulder dress underneath, paired with patent leather ankle boots, Qi Xu flashed a confident smirk as she adjusted her tortoiseshell sunglasses—exuding absolute dominance!
Taotao scampered over, her eyes turning into literal heart shapes.
"Qi Qi, you’re here!"
"Mm, missed you." Qi Xu casually handed Taotao her gifts—a beauty-enhancing tea from Magic Sis and a diamond the size of a pigeon egg.
Most NPCs would think you were an idiot for gifting this, but Taotao adored it—so much that her favorability rose by another 5 points.
Qi Xu cut straight to business. "What’s on the first floor today?"
"Nothing special, just the usual stuff."
Even so, Taotao pulled up the item list for her to see.
[Mosquito Repellent: 20 Survival Coins]
[Yogurt Fruit Granola: 5 Survival Coins]
[Spicy Duck Snack Pack: 10 Survival Coins]
[Vehicle Rain Cover: 50 Survival Coins]
[Weight-Loss Hula Hoop: 1 Survival Coin]
[Durian Mille Crepe: 8 Survival Coins]
[Telescope: 10 Survival Coins]
[Monster Summon Card: 50 Survival Coins]
Ten items in total, none particularly rare, and each limited to one purchase. Qi Xu skimmed the list before declaring, "I’ll take it all. Let’s head to the second floor—this barely makes a dent in your sales."
Taotao tried to dissuade her. "Survival coins aren’t easy to earn! Only buy what you need."
"Don’t worry. The whole reason I earn them is to spend them here."
Taotao took a deep breath. I love Qi Qi so much.
"But... Ah Hei’s guest is upstairs right now. That player’s loaded too—apparently a top player from another server. If we go up now, it’ll switch to auction mode. Anything you want could end up costing way more.
Let’s sit down first—I’ve learned some new pastries. I’ll bring them out for you to try!"
Qi Xu frowned. "I thought the Monster Shop only matched players from the same server?"
"That’s only for the first floor. The second floor can have players from any server in the country."
"Got it. Let’s go up. I told you—today’s about showing off for you."
Taotao hesitated. With any other customer, she’d have agreed immediately. This month’s sales would determine who became the Monster Shop’s head manager. If she didn’t rank first, she might be reassigned...
She loved working here but didn’t want to burden Qi Xu with that pressure.
But a little fox couldn’t hide her thoughts. A few glances were all it took for Qi Xu to piece things together. Without another word, she took Taotao’s hand and led her upstairs.
[Welcome, esteemed customers! The Monster Shop Auction House is now open. As first-time participants, both players will enjoy an 20% discount on all purchases today! If you hold a membership card, this becomes an additional discount!]
The announcement played the moment they stepped onto the second floor—triggered automatically by the auction mechanics.
Qi Xu’s gaze immediately locked onto the player already seated there.
Dressed head-to-toe in black, a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, the man lounged lazily on the sofa. His long, slender fingers rested idly on his knees as he studied Qi Xu with the same assessing look.
Qi Xu hadn’t expected such a coincidence—just yesterday, she’d heard his name, and now here he was.
The player who’d kidnapped Little Master Chef, according to Milk Baby—HappyEnding, Xie Shaoning. A former national idol turned all-around powerhouse in the survival game.
The moment their eyes met, the air between them crackled with tension.
.........
Note: No CP, no male lead, no romance, no ambiguous tension, no unrequited love.
