Qiuxiu immediately replied, "Sweetie, you’re the big shot who’s triggered so many server-wide announcements—how can you lack confidence now? What kind of crappy rewards did that noob from Zone 666 even give you? If you were mine, you’d already be miles ahead of every other player! So stop wasting time. You and I are the perfect match, the ultimate duo."
Qi Xu kept rereading the contract, raising his hand only to lower it again, slapping his thigh in frustration before lifting his hand once more... Then he brought it to his chin, deep in thought, occasionally sighing and smacking his forehead—a perfect performance of indecision.
S1 Qiuxiu didn’t pressure Qi Xu to make a quick decision. Big shots had their pride, after all, and pushing too hard might backfire.
Just then, they arrived at the cinema.
Qi Xu casually tossed the contract back onto the table. "I’ve got things to do. I’ll decide whether to sign this later."
"You came here for the player ‘Lord of Demon Island,’ didn’t you? Was the Assassin Guild’s leader also sent by you? Listen, babe, that guy’s a joke. Sign the contract, and I’ll design a way to crush him! What kind of trash dares to challenge the top-ranked player? You won’t even need to lift a finger—that’s the power of S1 Qiuxiu!"
Qi Xu finally realized what he liked about his own Qiuxiu. Sure, it could be ruthless under the rules, even snarky and infuriating at times. But his Qiuxiu never disrespected life or carelessly interfered with any player’s fate.
This S1 Qiuxiu? Today, it was the Lord of Demon Island. Tomorrow, if someone stronger than Qi Xu showed up, he’d turn on him just as easily.
Not cute at all. In fact, the comparison made Qi Xu appreciate his own silly Qiuxiu even more.
"Ah, you wouldn’t understand," Qi Xu said, as if confiding in S1 Qiuxiu. He rambled on and on, leaving S1 Qiuxiu utterly baffled—who knew the server’s top player was such a chatterbox?
"I get it. You humans always cling to pointless principles. Fine, do your thing. Call me if you need help. But just a heads-up—if you don’t sign the contract, you can’t stay long in Zone 01, District 01."
Qi Xu gave a noncommittal hum and stopped paying attention.
Probably just another scam. Sweet-talking was practically a Qiuxiu specialty.
With eager anticipation, Qi Xu stepped into the cinema and immediately spotted Dongfang Yuan waiting on a couch.
Two sulky little cats stood beside her.
Qi Xu’s eyes lit up. Weren’t those the two from the zoo copy who did the "chest-crushing boulder" act?
"Esteemed gue—huh? Invincible Black Tornado?! Waaah! Miaomiao and Mimi finally see you again! Fengfeng, we’re so grateful! If you hadn’t cleared the zoo with a perfect 3S rating, we’d still be stuck doing that awful act!"
"Mhm! You’re so handsome when you’re normal, Fengfeng! Miaomiao and Mimi like you~"
[Cinema Ticket Sellers Miaomiao & Mimi’s favorability toward you has increased by 5 points. Current favorability: 85!]
Qi Xu grinned. Every animal in the zoo had at least 60 favorability with him—his grassroots support was rock-solid.
But what did they mean by "when you’re normal"? He was always this dashing!
"You two just started working here, right? Tell me how to spend—let me boost your sales. Gotta say, those uniforms look great on you. Really brings out your energy..."
With effortless charm, Qi Xu slung an arm around each cat, leaving Dongfang Yuan stunned. Now she understood how he got along so well with every monster NPC.
His casual generosity and silver tongue were skills she’d need a lifetime to learn—and Caibao would need two.
"This is a cinema! Different movies give different rewards. Let’s check the prices first. No matter what you pick today, it’s on us."
Miaomiao and Mimi were genuinely grateful. Unless you’d been trapped in the zoo, you couldn’t understand the despair—constant hunger, forced to scheme against humans, treated like commodities, stripped of dignity...
Even the owl managers wanted out of that hellhole, let alone the rank-and-file monster workers.
Seeing their sincerity, Qi Xu didn’t refuse outright. He skimmed the price list first.
Ip Man (106 min): 10 Survival Coins. Post-viewing, enhances understanding of combat techniques and practical application.
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (93 min): 5 Survival Coins. Fully relaxes mind and body, reduces fatigue.
Silent Witness (119 min): 5 Survival Coins. Experience the duality of human nature and feel an intense longing for family.
Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child (110 min): 30 Survival Coins. Gain the resolve to "defy fate and shatter prejudice."
(Chance to awaken the skill "I Am the Master of My Fate"! Only for ability users. Ordinary players will see no effect. Non-ability users also cannot see this skill description.)
Casually, Qi Xu asked, "How many players can enter one screening? Are viewers of the same movie grouped together?"
Miaomiao and Mimi nodded in unison. "Same big theater! No crowding, no noise. Don’t worry~"
"Got it. Which movie’s the most popular?"
"Ne Zha. One player’s been grinding for that skill—comes at opening, leaves at closing. Watched it 119 times already. Insane dedication. Still no luck, though."
Qi Xu chuckled. "Alright, two tickets for Ne Zha—me and my friend."
"Oh, she’s your friend?"
The cats suddenly lowered their voices. "Is she... mute? She just sat there without saying a word. If she’s disabled, she qualifies for a 50% discount."
Qi Xu barely held back a laugh. Poor Dongfang Yuan—so afraid of offending anyone she’s pretending to be disabled now.
"Nah, she’s just temporarily speechless. Here, for the tickets."
"No, no! We said it’s on us!"
"Not happening. Don’t break rules for any player. I get your gratitude, but I don’t need Survival Coins. Our bond won’t change over something this small.
"Just add me to your contacts. I’ve got a group chat for working monsters—everyone hangs out and chats. Great vibes."
And just like that, the little group of animals grew by two more adorable kittens～
..........
