Qi Xu raised an eyebrow slightly—this single sentence revealed quite a bit of information.
Glancing at the remaining seven or eight lamb skewers, Qi Xu tossed them all into the black mist.
"Life on the road isn’t easy. If you’re hungry, just tell me directly—no need to be polite. It’s easier for me to get food than for you to scrounge up something."
The black mist twisted rapidly, suddenly forming the shape of an emoji:
"(T＿T)"
Qi Xu tried to engage it in more conversation and even fed it a bit more, but it remained unresponsive.
Now that his emotions had settled, Qi Xu yawned and went back to sleep until dawn.
Waves stir in the heart’s sea, all because idle time overflows—too much free time! After a good fight, drenched in sweat, finally felt satisfied!
Drowsiness took over, and he burrowed into the blankets, sleeping straight through till morning.
However, Qi Xu, too distracted to check the screen, missed a crucial update: while no server merge happened at midnight, one suddenly occurred at 4 a.m.?
The player count had returned to 9999+, but the timing felt off—weren’t merges supposed to happen at midnight?
Every morning at six sharp, "Wealth from All Directions" would post a message in the group chat:
"Today’s Bargains:
1. Stir-fried Pork with Cabbage (500g, handmade by Master Chef) — 30 survival coins
2. Green Apple (reduces fatigue) — 3 survival coins
3. Basic Vehicle Repair Kit — 10 survival coins
First three players to DM me with ‘1’ for each item get purchase priority."
These deals weren’t for profit but purely to expand his customer base.
He’d also add well-behaved players to his exclusive client group, giving them first dibs on future sales—a networking strategy.
Today was no exception.
But then, a message broke the pattern, standing out like a sore thumb:
Blank Space: "Holy crap, are you all shills? 30 coins for stir-fried cabbage? Only idiots would buy that! At least pretend convincingly."
Cursed by Fate: "Uh, buddy, did you miss the ‘Master Chef’ part?"
mOmO: "Even if it were made by some ‘Grand Chef,’ that price is insane. What’s going on?"
Ruan Shizi: "Fck you, you mutt! Who asked for your opinion? Brain-dead moron, begging for a fight first thing in the morning!"
Ruan Shizi had been camping here daily for a month.
"Wealth from All Directions" was affiliated with "Invincible Black Tornado," so occasionally sold dishes by Chinese Master Chef. But competition was fierce—he’d never managed to snag one.
Finally scoring a win today, only to be called an idiot? Already in a foul mood, this provocation lit his fuse.
He unleashed a torrent of 50+ messages, verbally bulldozing the critics into silence before finally feeling somewhat vindicated.
Cursed by Fate: "Hold your insults—I just noticed something wild. Check the group’s total member count."
Fake Melancholy Gets Beaten Up: "Wait… why are we now in Server 88, District 666? We were District 499!"
Blank Space: "@Ruan Shizi, did your leash snap? Barking like a rabid dog? I just asked a question—how was I supposed to know your server’s quirks? Why target me?"
Fortune God's Only Daughter: "Ruan Shizi’s a mad dog, and you’re a dumb one."
Ruan Shizi: "Oh, you’re back?!"
Fortune God's Only Daughter: "Just watching your meltdown."
Blank Space: "Freaks. Your whole server’s insane. Merging without warning? This game’s a joke—getting worse by the day!"
Wind’s Emotion: "Enough. Anyone see the ‘Heart Demon Evades Heaven’ disaster alert on the panel? Merging with the top server isn’t so bad—might benefit us."
Blank Space: "Benefit my ass. They’re clearly gatekeeping! That ‘Soft Persimmon’ guy’s just picking fights!"
Cilantro Eradicator: "Shut it. This noise is giving me a headache."
Ruan Shizi: "Yeah, I’m picking fights—got a problem? Come kneel and beg, maybe I’ll spare you."
Cilantro Eradicator: "?"
Cilantro Eradicator: "Did you miss my ‘shut up’? Does your server have no respect? When a top player speaks, you listen. Understood?"
Boss Yue Can’t Sleep: "@Cilantro Eradicator, calling yourself a ‘top player’ in front of Invincible Black Tornado? Even I’m cringing, bro. Chill—don’t end up a greyed-out avatar."
Buried Love 2009: "Who crowned you ‘top player’? Get lost."
Heartbroken Kitten: "Pfft—self-proclaimed ‘top player’? What a clown."
By the time Qi Xu fully woke up, the chat had devolved into chaos.
As District 499’s former top-ranked player, Cilantro Eradicator was used to being worshipped. Suddenly merged into a new server and disrespected? Letting this slide would ruin his rep.
So he used a Location Card to hunt down Ruan Shizi.
Ruan Shizi, once Zhu Fu’s teammate, had led their squad to the national rankings—thanks partly to Zhu Fu’s guidance, but his own skills were solid.
Like Old White Dragon in the Waves, his stats exceeded 150 across the board. Not top-tier, but formidable, with combined attack power over 600.
If not for Zhu Fu’s influence—and their volatile tempers and foul mouths—Qi Xu would’ve recruited them long ago.
The argument escalated into an open brawl.
Nearly 20 players from District 444 and the newly merged District 499 duked it out via Location Cards. The result? District 499 got utterly steamrolled.
But when it came to finishing them off, Heartbroken Kitten intervened:
"Invincible Black Tornado leads District 666. She already dislikes us—killing them might backfire."
Ruan Shizi grumbled, holstering his gun. "Why care? She only wanted that Wealth guy anyway." Still, he held back.
Later, Qi Xu received a battle report—a video of the defeated group kneeling, singing "Conquest."
Heartbroken Kitten: "Not our fault. They provoked us, even Location Card-ed Ruan first. We just defended ourselves."
Invincible Black Tornado: "And?"
Heartbroken Kitten: "Can we kill it? We're just worried you might not be happy if we do it directly."
..........
