Invincible Black Whirlwind had always been the strongest boss in the district, amassing vast resources. While everyone else took breaks to chat, he silently went out to shovel snow, sparing no effort to secure supply crates.
This impressed the group far more than him sharing a fancy meal in the chat.
[Congratulations, player! Your "show-off points" have exceeded 10,000! Title upgraded! From [Cheeky Little Show-off] to [Master of High-Class Flexing]!
With this upgraded title, you can now store your show-off points. At 50,000, 100,000, and 200,000 points, you can exchange them for Diamond Supply Crates, Obsidian Supply Crates, and Aurora Supply Crates respectively!]
Qi Xu gasped. In the previous round of the game, he had only obtained an Obsidian Supply Crate once, and Aurora Supply Crates were something he’d rarely even heard of.
Now, he actually had a chance to exchange for these special crates—ones without any monsters inside...
Qi Xu immediately decided to wait. With over 31,000 show-off points already, he’d hold out until he reached 200,000 to exchange for the Aurora Supply Crate.
Today was a mix of good luck and impatience.
He had the Universal Copy-Paste Box, but lacked energy stones to replicate anything valuable.
He had plenty of show-off points, but with his title upgrade, he didn’t want to settle for ordinary supply crates—so he still had to wait.
Just as he was growing restless, Old White Dragon in the Waves suddenly sent him a private message.
No words—just 10 energy stones and 10 bottles of plum wine.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "What’s going on? How’d you get so many energy stones?"
Qi Xu waited, but Old White Dragon in the Waves didn’t reply. So, he inspected the plum wine first.
[Plum Wine: Crafted by the Drunken Monkey at the Monster Tavern. Unlike the ordinary booze sold there, each bottle increases agility by 3 points—but only the first 10 bottles count.]
Without hesitation, Qi Xu twisted open a bottle and downed it. He wasn’t planning to drive later anyway.
The wine had a faint, refreshing plum aroma, and the warmth spread through his body with the first sip. The taste was smooth and pleasant.
But after finishing the bottle... Qi Xu felt slightly tipsy. Then again, he rarely drank.
Even without the agility boost, this plum wine was a treasure.
He placed it in the Universal Copy-Paste Box...
Well, that dashed his hopes. He’d briefly considered trying to replicate a Three-Stats Enhancement Pill, but now that idea seemed downright terrifying.
A single bottle of plum wine required 1,325 energy stones to replicate. A Three-Stats Enhancement Pill? Forget about it.
Qi Xu had been slightly worried that Old White Dragon in the Waves might have gotten into trouble, but by 9 PM, seeing his avatar still online put him at ease.
Maybe it was the wine, but Qi Xu slept exceptionally well that night. The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed, all fatigue gone.
After washing up, eating a coconut bun, and drinking a carton of milk, he finally saw Old White Dragon in the Waves’ reply.
"Had a drinking contest with that Drunken Monkey yesterday—almost lost. That thing can drink. I nearly died. Got back to my car and meant to message you, but passed out before I could finish."
Qi Xu smirked. "You really went overboard. Wasn’t worth the risk."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Nah, no way I’d pass up free booze. Missing out would’ve killed me more than the drinking. That stuff was amazing—gave me +5 strength. Too bad they don’t sell it.
I only bought 30 bottles of plum wine. Weak stuff, not much kick, but it boosts agility—though only the first 10 count."
Qi Xu sighed. "Not bad. I’ll take the wine and energy stones. Need anything in return?"
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Nah, I got way more out of this than you’d think. Even landed a job—official Tavern Drinking Champion."
Qi Xu blinked. "I’ve heard of bartenders, but ‘Drinking Champion’?"
Old White Dragon in the Waves sent a voice message, his voice hoarse like a rusty chain.
"That Drunken Monkey got promoted to manager, so I took his old gig. Don’t have to stay at the tavern full-time, but if someone challenges me to a drink-off, I gotta show up. Monthly salary plus commissions.
Best part? I can teleport to the tavern anytime. But the Drunken Monkey warned me—before 6 AM or after 9 PM, teleporting might be... risky."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Yeah, during those hours, monsters can attack players freely. Step more than 8 meters from your vehicle, and the rules won’t protect you."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Got it. I’ll grab more booze for you guys when I can."
Qi Xu transferred 50 Survival Coins. "Get me anything useful."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Whoa, that’s a lot of Survival Coins!"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Because I’ve got a job too. [smug]"
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Hah! Figured. Probably something to do with bulk supplies, right? Chinese Master Chef must have one too—everything makes sense now."
Invincible Black Whirlwind didn’t confirm or deny, just sent a few thumbs-up emojis.
At 6 AM, all players received a notification:
[Due to severe weather conditions, today’s required travel distance has been adjusted. Wishing everyone safe passage through the cold snap.]
Qi Xu checked the screen. The past few days had required 70 kilometers; today, it was just 20.
But then... he remembered something.
Everyone knew that players who failed to meet the daily distance quota would be erased. But today was special—players who exceeded the quota would receive rewards, with greater distances yielding better prizes.
Qi Xu messaged the group: "Drop everything today. Push for maximum distance."
Chinese Master Chef: "Aw... I was gonna make buns."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Make them tonight. Focus on distance!"
Chinese Master Chef: "Got it. I’ll give it my all—this chubby life’s on the line."
Wolf Warrior 009: "Roger! Heading out to clear snow now."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "On it. Gonna splash some snow on my face to sober up."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Huh? Just noticed we’ve got a new guy in the group. Welcome, bro! Here, drinks on me!"
[Old White Dragon in the Waves has sent a gift to each group member. Accept?]
Everyone claimed theirs. Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt hesitated, not wanting to freeload, but eventually accepted—though he sent Old White Dragon in the Waves a bulletproof undershirt set in return.
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Thanks, man! Won’t say no—this undershirt’s got ‘safety’ written all over it!"
.........
