Love, Gun, Cupid

"After dinner, Dad (withdrew)... Uncle and Aunt will kick us out. Let the young people develop their own feelings."

I plan to review some things, then play online games with Weiying, and go to bed around 11 p.m.

What about your end?

Lin Jiade replied: "I just finished the unveiling ceremony and I feel so tired. I'll eat something later and then have my last tactical analysis class."

We'll prepare on the 31st, have a brief New Year's Eve event, the final match will be at 8 PM on January 1st, and we'll return on January 3rd.

Everything was as planned, so Jasmine felt relieved and stopped talking. Seeing that she wasn't replying, Lin Jiade put down his phone, lay down on the bed, and was startled when Du Juan's gaze suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

"Wow, Miss Azalea, when did you appear?"

Just as Lin Jiade was about to sit up, Du Juan pressed him back down. She lay down next to him, arm to arm, thigh to thigh.

"I've always been here, but I couldn't show myself in the atmosphere between you and Kapok. Are you still unable to let go?"

"Yes, some. What's my current affinity with Kapok?"

Du Juan looked at it and replied, "27."

Lin Jiade breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems we're not even friends. This number is... accurate. I was worried that there was still more than 50 points of affinity between us, which would have been awkward."

“Wouldn’t it be better if she were over 50?” Du Juan whispered seductively in Lin Jiade’s ear. “Whether you choose to suffer, resist, or submit to the mark, you can make a contract with her and continue to torment and pity this woman you both love and hate.”

"No, there's no need for torture. Even if taking revenge on the other person brings pleasure, it's like repeatedly tearing open your own scars, which is very painful. I don't want to... I don't want to relive those past events or create new enemies for myself."

Du Juan grabbed Lin Jiade's hand: "Your thoughts are all jumbled up. I'm really worried about your performance."

"Even if this hadn't happened, I would definitely be in a mess. This is the final, and who knows what kind of situation the King of the Forest and the Temple of Diana are going to be like. How could I not be nervous?"

Miss Du Juan, how should I adjust my mindset?

Du Juan had been waiting for these words. She rolled over and sat on the young man, pressing her hand against his and casting a shadow on him. Lin Jiade turned around, embarrassed, and felt Du Juan's hand caressing his chest.

And then, that was it. Du Juan turned over and sat up, while Lin Jiade sadly touched the spot Du Juan had just touched.

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Preparatory Measures (20→19)

Du Juan wasn't doing nothing. In her field of vision, a chain was cleverly wrapped around Lin Jiade's broken thread of fate, preventing it from connecting with the kapok tree again.

After sealing the thread of fate, Lin Jiade would subconsciously avoid any option that might repair his relationship with Mu Mian, allowing their relationship to remain as it was, or even regress.

After doing all this, she handed the water glass to Lin Jiade.

“‘Drink more hot water,’ I know what you mean.” Lin Jiade rolled his eyes. “Experience has proven that hot water is useless.”

Du Juan asked in surprise, "You've actually done it?"

“That was in early October. Jasmine wasn’t feeling well and asked me to rub her belly. At that time, we had just started our relationship and the most intimate contact we had was kissing. I was too embarrassed to do that, so I got some hot water for Jasmine.”

"and then?"

“She was sipping and spitting the last drop onto my face. I couldn’t stand it, so I immediately flipped her over and spanked her bottom. I spanked her twenty-seven times.”

"You remember it so clearly."

"Because she whipped me twenty-seven times with her tail afterward, we were fighting and naturally made physical contact, and then we naturally fell asleep together. I think this is the principle of 'no fight, no friendship'."

Du Juan smiled but didn't answer. Lin Jiade asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

“Look, aren’t you feeling much calmer now? You seem to be in a good mood.” Du Juan walked over and grabbed Lin Jiade’s hand. “When you’re feeling uneasy, think about the people you care about. That will help you get rid of your anxiety.”

A peach-pink heart-shaped eye entered Lin Jiade's field of vision and invaded his entire world. Thus, in those unsettling daydreams, the cuckoo replaced everything else and became the source of Lin Jiade's peace.

After patching the problem, Du Juan looked at Lin Jiade, who was refreshed and in a state of sagehood, with satisfaction. She then disappeared from the spot. A few seconds later, He Huan notified him to attend a meeting. When she saw Lin Jiade's expression, she was stunned for a moment.

Discussions and implementation regarding the published woodlands and related maps took place from Monday to Thursday; the current phase is merely a matter of filling in the gaps. The review concluded that they had done everything possible, while Kapok needed to carry over 20 kilograms of combat supplies to ensure compliance with multi-terrain operations—and this was only the bare minimum of equipment.

On December 31, the Kapok team reviewed their tactics once again and sparred with Kapok as a warm-up. The cooperation between Lin Jiade and Kapok was satisfactory, which relieved the pessimistic members of the team. They had noticed the subtle estrangement between Lin Jiade and Kapok, but seeing that they were cooperating well now, it seemed that there was no problem.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Kapok said privately to Lin Jiade. "There's a small New Year's Eve party at seven tonight, and I hope you can come. It's to dispel people's doubts about our relationship."

"No problem, I'll play along with your act."

"Lin... junior."

"What's wrong, senior?"

"You're a bit... never mind, this is fine."

Mu Mian felt that Lin Jiade's sage-like calmness was a bit off. At first, she thought he was faking it, but when she held his hand, she knew that his calmness came from the heart.

There was neither love nor hate. When Lin Jiade looked at her, it was like looking into a mirror… This feeling sent chills down Mu Mian's spine. No emotion meant no future. From this perspective, she would rather Lin Jiade hate her.

At 7 p.m., the young people who had left their hometowns for the competition started a party. Lin Jiade found that most of the people present were not in pain because they could not reunite with their families. They were making a lot of noise, while some couples were whispering in dark corners.

Lin Jiade stood with Mu Mian for a while and even danced for a few minutes (Mu Mian and Jianlan had both taught him a little), before leaving by pretending to go to the toilet.

As he went upstairs, he encountered Di Tao, who was wearing an evening gown. She was heavily made up, wearing high heels, and her jewelry of gemstones and diamonds was a mesmerizing array of colors.

Lin Jiade glanced at her calmly. Di Tao was undeniably beautiful, but not worthy of his second look. It was only because Di Tao had stopped him, scrutinizing him from head to toe, that he misunderstood.

"It's truly... indescribable. It's amazing that you could stand with Kapok in the face of such revelations," she said.

“If you were satisfied with my presence, then I had no choice but to come. You contributed the most to that matter, so now you have to pay the price—we'll settle the score in the competition on January 1st.”

"Alright, I'm also looking forward to the moment when I trample you and Kapok under my feet." Di Tao opened her fan to cover her face. "You'd better pray that you get a good ranking, otherwise you will both face a tragic end."

What if you lose?

“I came prepared for the consequences. Kapok used cruel methods against me before. Even if she wins, it will just be a repeat of the same scenario.”

Lin Jiade said calmly, "Why bother? Your parents don't love you or your sisters. They're just raising poisonous insects."

Di Tao's gaze was almost murderous towards Lin Jiade, but Lin Jiade continued upstairs indifferently, taking the elevator to the nineteenth floor. There, Yi Lu Tingfeng and Qi Yanli were whispering to each other, but upon seeing him arrive, they immediately walked away.

He sent a message to Hehuan, describing his encounter with the contestants. He returned to his room and started a video call. At Jasmine's house, Jianlan and Jasmine were also busy with New Year's Eve preparations. Jianlan was in charge of decorating, buying ingredients, and cooking, while Jasmine's only task was to eat.

“Jasmine studies hard all the time, so let’s treat her to a meal these next few days.” Jianlan wiped her apron with her hand, then patted Jasmine’s head. “Don’t worry, I’ll fatten her up so she’ll have the strength to give birth.”

"Being too fat isn't good either... Oh no, Jasmine, I didn't mean you were fat."

Lin Jiade calmly watched his two girlfriends, talking and chatting with them, watching them leave a bowl and chopsticks for him while he was gone. Soon after, Du Juan squeezed into the frame, blinking her eyes to indicate that her visit yesterday was a secret between them.

Lin Jiade nodded knowingly. Soon after, Wei Ying appeared in the video and the game almost simultaneously. She played games with Lin Jiade. When they lost, her teammates took the blame, and when they won, she carried the team. They were as noisy as ever.

As the clock struck twelve, fireworks burst into the sky outside the window, their overlapping explosions becoming deafening. Lin Jiade's face was bathed in multicolored light. He looked down and saw the radiant Gladiolus and the yawning Jasmine wishing him a Happy New Year.

He wiped his phone screen and replied, "Happy New Year."

Chapter 99 The Final (1)

On the evening of January 1st, the final of the 2044/45 qualifying tournament was held at the Sanae Hotel in Dongfeng Valley. This was perhaps the most eye-catching tournament in recent years because it changed the format, combining the semi-finals and finals into one, and this change only happened in this tournament.

Opinions among the extraordinary individuals regarding the temporary changes to the competition format and the King of the Forest's mechanics were mixed, but it was generally agreed that the introduction of neutral units increased the unpredictability of the competition.

The biggest objections came from major betting organizations. Their actuaries were working themselves to the bone to develop new mathematical models to allow the companies to set up odds, but the unprecedented format of the competition made it difficult to build such mathematical models.

The sponsors also had their complaints. Two competitions were shortened to one, and two advertising opportunities were reduced to one. They demanded liquidated damages from the organizing committee—which on the surface satisfied the onlookers' desire for a spectacle, but in reality, they sought other forms of compensation.

The organizing committee was quite generous in compensating the sponsors, but remained silent when asked who pressured them to change the competition format.

However, all of this was irrelevant to the four contestants who were about to participate. With the help of her companions, Kapok did a final check on her equipment; "Lin Jiade" had been transformed into a sword and was being nurtured in its sheath.

As the relationship between the two changed, the colors of Lin Jiade's sword transformation also changed. The most obvious change was that the royal blue almost completely disappeared, replaced by an expanding pink, a newly emerging grass green, and silver on the sword.

She then settled into the egg-shaped competition pod, where the scanning equipment would faithfully record her and her supplies into the virtual space. Mu Mian glanced at the time; the screen displayed a 60-second countdown. The competition pod operated silently, and the world became eerily quiet. Mu Mian once again whispered to Lin Jiade, "I'm sorry."

Lin Jiade gave a slight vibration, prompting her to refocus on the competition. At the moment the countdown reached zero, Mu Mian's vision jolted. She knew that she had entered the virtual space, and the competition... began from the sky.

The four contestants had just calmed down when they found themselves sitting in a helicopter. Below them was a vast ocean, with a ship vaguely visible.

“Listen,” the NPC pilot said, “I will take you to the Titanic below. That ship will take you to the fishing village, where you will disembark and travel to the woods to visit Diana.”

Di Tao shook her head: "I have a better idea."

Before anyone could react, she pulled out a pistol and shot the pilot, then destroyed the control stick. Two seconds later, the helicopter began to spin uncontrollably and plummeted downwards.

"See you on the ship, everyone."

Di Tao's laughter was shattered by the rushing wind. She leaped down, and Mu Mian glanced at the other two, noticing their surprise, anger, and helplessness. She jumped down immediately afterward, and Qi Yanli and Yi Lu Tingfeng followed suit, disappearing from the helicopter's range.

Four swords slid out of Di Tao's backpack and attached themselves to her back. A rotating magic circle lit up the space connecting them, and Di Tao's weapons became steel wings, helping her fly in the sky.

Magic circles lit up on both sides of Kapok's waist, and surging air currents helped her slow down in the air until she was under control. Earth Peach wasn't going to let Kapok have her way, so the madwoman attacked, drawing her fifth sword and clashing with "Ling Jiade".

"Wow, that's insane."

She opened her parasol and used it as a makeshift parachute to sway and descend towards the sea. The small parasol was not enough to resist the acceleration due to gravity, so she tucked it under her arm and held her violin in her hand.

Beside her, Qi Yanli fell even faster. She drew her bow and shot arrows continuously at the sea. The arrows disappeared without a trace on the surface of the sea, while Qi Yanli continued to fall, seemingly about to freefall straight into the ocean.

"Ahhh!"

Spectators, especially those choosing Qiyanli's first-person perspective, screamed like bungee jumping beginners; the thrill of freefall from a great height was too much. However, just as Qiyanli's feet were about to touch the seawater, a magnificent eagle emerged from the surface, grabbed Qiyanli with its talons, and took flight.

Today's match commentary is handled by the extreme one-for-one duo "Lei Huang" and "Rude Makeup Girl". They are the two-dimensional punishers, the lifelong enemies of the Mongolian top laner, and two capable henchmen under the uncle who never gets angry.

"Lei Huang" was in charge of the commentary, while the mentally challenged makeup artist, true to her name, was only responsible for constantly changing makeup and giving the audience a performance of her superb head-changing skills.

"Thunder King" explained in a charmingly hoarse voice: "Originally, the organizers arranged for the plane to land and the ship to disembark so that the contestants could get into the zone, choose allies and opponents, and be presented with a series of puzzles on the ship for them to solve."

The stages before reaching land test the contestants' social skills, observation skills, and decryption abilities. If they can work together, they can obtain clues to deal with the King of the Forest before the ship gets close to the land.

However, contestant Di Tao shot and killed the pilot right away, demonstrated how to jump out of the plane, and even tried to fight in the air, which destroyed the fragile trust and cooperation among everyone and turned the competition into a competitive phase right from the start.

We can see that the four contestants each showed their unique skills after jumping out of the helicopter. First up is contestant Di Tao, whose impressive performance of forming steel wings with four long swords is a testament to the skill. This technique originated from Cold Mountain Extreme Sports Lab, but contestant Di Tao modified it by replacing the protective equipment with weapons.

Kapok's approach was a modern improvement on the first generation of paratroopers' airborne technology, which seemed somewhat outdated in the current era. However, Kapok was a swordsman, and weak aerial combat ability was an inherent weakness of swordsmen, which had nothing to do with Kapok's personal strength.

The way Yi Lu Ting Feng landed was by opening a parachute, but that wasn't enough; we could only hope that her violin playing would give us some surprises.

As for Qi Yanli... Junying, she summoned Junying, first using the traditional pentagonal shooting method of the Diamond Elf to construct a position, and then summoning Junying from the position.

The eagle maintains the alliance with the diamond elves, and every diamond elf who travels has their own eagle companion. Now, contestant Qi Yanli has demonstrated this to us—what a beautiful and elegant creature!

Junying led Qiyanli to find their target first, steadily escorted her onto the ship, and secured a suitable position for the archers to perform.

The NPC crew members were unfazed. Qi Yanli shaded her eyes with her hand, her crescent-shaped pupils gleaming as she observed her three competitors through her energy vision.

Chapter 100 Final Round (2)

As the second to land, the violin she played in mid-air transformed into a shockwave, causing her to bounce and hop around before landing somewhat clumsily on the deck. Not far above her head, the intertwined peach and kapok trees separated, one landing on the bridge and the other on the bow.

“Gentlemen, wait a moment,” Qi Yanli said. “We are indeed competitors, but there’s no need to settle things here. Otherwise, the King of the Forest will be the one who’s happy, and he’ll clear us all out.”

Yi Lu Tingfeng, holding the umbrella handle, said, "I agree. We're here to compete for a senior professional title, not to fight to the death."