After AFK for five years, I returned to be number one in the entire server.

On Saturday afternoon, Ningchuan City enjoyed a rare sunny day.

Although the sun shone through the clouds onto the street, the winter wind was still biting.

Inside the Hang Lung Plaza, the largest shopping mall in the city center, the heating was on full blast, completely shutting out the freezing cold outside. The mall was bustling with people on the weekend, with every floor packed with young people shopping and families pushing strollers.

Lin Ye and Shen Yi wandered aimlessly along the circular corridor on the third floor.

Shen Yi wore a down jacket and dark jeans today. Her hair wasn't tied up casually like it was when she went to her part-time job; instead, it was softly draped over her shoulders.

This outfit is very casual, but it still looks cute and sweet against her striking face, making people stop and stare.

Shen Yi turned around to face Lin Ye, looked up and asked, "Lin Ye, do you see anything different about me today?"

This is a classic question that almost every guy encounters in a relationship, and it's very easy for him to lose points.

Lin Ye's gaze swept over Shen Yi's face and body several times.

He looked very carefully, trying to discern Shen Yi's differences with his naked eye.

"Are these clothes new?"

"No, guess again."

"Did you change your shampoo?"

"No, wait, guess again."

"Handpin?"

She took a small step forward, bringing them closer so that Lin could see her lips clearly.

"I put on a new lipstick."

Lin Ye's gaze unconsciously fell on her lips. Her lips had an extra layer of glossy sheen than usual, and their already perfect shape appeared even fuller under the light, exuding a faint sweet fragrance.

"It's strawberry flavored."

Lin immediately turned his head away, forcibly shifting his gaze from Shen Yi's face, and pretended to look at the window of a shop selling designer watches next to him.

A smile appeared on her lips; she found Lin to be quite adorable.

The two walked to a relatively open riverside square, and Lin Ye's gaze shifted slightly.

In an open space not far away, a middle-aged man in sportswear was playing badminton with a young man in his twenties.

The young man was covered in sweat, his hands supporting his knees as he gasped for breath, barely able to hold onto his racket; he was clearly at his physical limit.

In contrast, the middle-aged man was breathing evenly, without breaking a sweat, and looked as relaxed as if he were walking a bird.

"I'm not playing anymore, Uncle, I really can't run anymore." The young man waved his hand and plopped down on the bench next to him.

The uncle, still savoring the game, twirled his racket, his gaze falling on Lin Ye and Shen Yi as they passed by.

His eyes lit up, as if he had spotted new prey, and he waved to it in a very familiar manner.

"Hey, young man! You have amazing bones and a steady gait. How about you play a few rounds with me?" The uncle's voice was full of energy and could be heard from more than ten meters away.

Lin glanced at him but made no move to stop.

"Don't go! It's just a few rounds, it won't take you more than a few minutes." The uncle walked a few steps forward with his racket, his tone carrying a familiar, elder-like warmth that was hard to refuse. "Look, I've just warmed up, and my opponent is already down, feeling a bit restless. The young lady can rest for a bit over there too."

Lin felt that if he continued to refuse, the other party would probably keep pestering him, which would be more troublesome than playing a game.

He released Shen Yi's hand, letting her sit on the bench next to him, and walked towards the open space.

Seeing this, the young man handed the racket to Lin Ye as if he had met a savior, and didn't forget to whisper a reminder: "Dude, take it easy, this uncle is really weird, his stamina is like a bottomless pit."

Lin also took the light badminton racket and walked to the center of the court.

The middle-aged man grinned, casually tossing the shuttlecock into the air. With a flick of his wrist, the shuttlecock flew back in a gentle arc. Lin also slightly raised his hand and casually hit the shuttlecock back.

"Smack."

"Smack."

The shuttlecock flew back and forth between the two players, making a crisp, rhythmic sound.

At first, it was indeed just a very ordinary sport. The uncle moved with ease, and every shot was just right, as if he were just doing a digestive exercise after a meal.

Lin also stood in place, calmly deflecting every incoming ball.

After four or five rounds, Lin felt he had played enough and prepared to deliberately miss the next ball to end the match.

The middle-aged man opposite Lin Ye seemed to notice Lin Ye's perfunctory attitude, and the smile on his lips suddenly deepened a little.

Just as the badminton shuttlecock landed in front of him again, the uncle's previously relaxed muscles suddenly tightened.

His seemingly casual swing suddenly accelerated in mid-air, causing the surrounding air to emit a muffled groan.

The shuttlecock transforms into a white streak that is almost invisible to the naked eye the moment it makes contact with the racket.

The air was violently torn apart, the sharp sound of it cutting through the air pierced the eardrums, and a strong gust of air instantly swept outwards from the man, causing several trash cans at the edge of the square to shake violently.

This seemingly light badminton shuttlecock now carries an exceptionally terrifying and destructive kinetic energy.

If it loses control midway and crashes into the adjacent high-rise commercial area, it could absolutely blast through a concrete building in an instant, turning it into ruins.

Lin watched calmly as the white light hurtled towards him like a shooting star.

The arm that was about to be lowered was raised again, the wrist holding the racket sank in the process, and swung directly at the force that was enough to destroy a building.

boom!

A deafening explosion resounded across the open ground, and he forcefully suppressed this terrifying destructive force within a small area where the racket made contact.

The shuttlecock was returned along the same path, carrying the same powerful and oppressive force, crashing towards the uncle like a heavy cannonball.

"Well done!"

The middle-aged man laughed loudly, planted his feet firmly on the ground, and assumed a stance that suggested he could easily catch the ball.

His racket accurately predicted the ball's landing point, and he used both hands to try to pull the ball back.

But the moment the ball touched the racket's net surface, his brow furrowed, and a tremendous recoil force surged violently into his arm along the racket shaft.

The man withstood the force, twisted his elbow sharply, and slapped the ball back.

With this strike, a visible white shockwave burst open in the air.

The poor shuttlecock let out a piercing shriek, its speed increasing several times over.

It carried a terrifying force capable of sinking an aircraft carrier, heading straight for Lin Ye's face.

Wherever the sphere passed, the air was violently pushed out, and the enormous wind pressure plowed a clear vacuum track on the flat granite ground, drawing in the cold winds on both sides and forming miniature storms.

Lin Ye's eyes reflected the rapidly expanding white light, and the racket met it with a seemingly ordinary trajectory that actually drew out the air with a sonic boom.