Forge a path to success

The next morning, Ji Huaisu got two steamed buns and a bowl of congee with preserved egg from the cafeteria. Just as she sat down to eat, she saw a small snake sneak over and coil up next to her seat.

"What's wrong, Youyou?" Ji Huaisu asked, sipping his porridge.

"Huaisu, let me tell you, developing feelings is a gradual process, not something that happens overnight," Youyou earnestly advised. "Being proactive is certainly a good thing, but you can't rush it. People like the martial arts practitioners from Longxiang, who are immersed in martial arts training every day, won't know how to handle you if you rush them, you understand?"

"I understand, I understand." Ji Huaisu munched on a steamed bun. "I watched Dad and you grow up since I was a child, and I learned a lot of experience from you both."

Youyou flicked her tail and said, "What nonsense are you learning?!"

Ji Huaisu chuckled as she wiped her mouth: "You two have shown me from your own experiences that love should be quick and decisive; if you drag it out, you never know how long it will drag on!"

"Huh? When did I go too fast..." Youyou realized, "Ji Huaisu!!"

"I'm going to go find love now, bye-bye, Lord Huilong~"

"This kid!" Youyou angrily flicked its tail, and the other ordinary team members eating nearby pretended not to hear and dared not utter a sound.

Chu Hengkong spent a long time fixing his hair in front of the mirror, but he was distracted.

Fan De went to the city library early in the morning to read. He planned to ask Ji Huaisu out for a chat again today, and he had to make his thoughts clear to the girl. But he wasn't good at these things. If he said the wrong thing, Ji Huaisu would probably be sulking for half a day, and if it caused a misunderstanding, he might even get slapped.

This time, the Immortal Machine resolutely refused to provide assistance, and he had to rely entirely on his own brain for the simulation calculations. He was really struggling to think about it, and his head was throbbing.

Just then, a lively knock sounded at the door, and Chu Hengkong opened it, startled. Ji Huaisu stood at his door with her hands behind her back, wearing a white dress and a casual jacket. Unusually, she wasn't wearing a ponytail today; her blonde hair was casually draped over her shoulders.

She revealed what she had hidden behind her: a box of DVDs and a large bag of potato chips.

"I bought the Shura Island anime DVD yesterday, wanna watch it together?"

"Okay."

He moved aside, sat back on the sofa, and watched Ji Huaisu busy herself in front of the water screen at home. After a while, an image appeared on the water screen, and she sat down next to Chu Hengkong, slamming open the bag of potato chips.

"Are you going to eat?"

"Give me half."

They naturally sat side by side and watched the entire 60-minute animated feature film, "The Heartbreakers," occasionally offering their comments. The second season required new discs, and Ji Huaisu went to get them again. Chu Hengkong complained, "It's not as convenient as on Earth."

"You don't use discs over there?"

“We don’t use them anymore. The old discs could hold more information, at least enough for one more episode…” Chu Hengkong said, then realized something was wrong. “No. That’s not right. Stop right there. That’s not what I was going to say.”

"So what are you trying to say?"

Ji Huaisu put her hands on her hips, leaned closer to him, and smiled, revealing her little tiger teeth: "Are you talking about other girls? Or is it the past you can't forget?"

"I..." Chu Hengkong was speechless for a moment.

The blonde girl sat down next to him and put her arm around his shoulder: "Ah Kong, you should know that you've never been one to keep secrets. I can tell just by looking at you. Otherwise, why didn't I take you yesterday?"

"What do you mean 'take care of me'?! Seriously?! You actually have such thoughts?!"

"Liking someone but having a purely spiritual relationship with them? You're kidding me." Ji Huaisu nudged him. "It's natural to be with someone you like, but don't treat love like a task you have to complete. That will make life exhausting."

“I’m always like this.” Chu Hengkong was silent for a while. “Huaisu, can you give me some time?”

"What, are you planning to get married tomorrow?"

“No,” Chu Hengkong said with a wry smile. He said earnestly, “What I want to say is that I still need some time to change, to finish what I have to do… but I also want to be with you. So…”

Ji Huaisu turned his head and listened attentively.

He took a deep breath and made up his mind.

"Maybe I only like you right now, but would you be willing to date me first?"

"Sure," Ji Huaisu smiled. "Then you'll be my boyfriend!"

He breathed a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart, and his tense body relaxed. Ji Huaisu put her arm around his and said slyly, "You feel relieved because you don't feel like you've let me down, right?"

"Correct."

"Do you like me a little more now?"

"Have."

"Then you'd better be prepared. Now that we're already dating, I'll keep making advances every day."

"I will be conquered by you."

"You are an impregnable fortress!"

A new animated film started playing, and Chu Hengkong watched it calmly for a while.

Huaisu.

"how?"

"Thank you," he said softly, "for being with me."

Ji Huaisu tapped him, and the highlight in the water curtain overshadowed the blush on his face.

“…You.”

Chapter 263 Procurement Record

“Reproduction complete.” Shakes put down Jinye’s notebook. “Give it a try.”

Jie An and Gu Libo cheered and each picked up a controller. The black box beeped, and the adapter projected the image onto a special water screen, where the Nintendo logo appeared against a red background.

"The clarity is amazing!" Jie An exclaimed. "It's much clearer than Chu Hengkong's phone."

Gulibo jumped for joy as he looked at the ultra-clear water screen, then grabbed the controller and pressed buttons for a while before realizing something was wrong: "Why aren't there any games?"

“I don’t play video games,” Shakes said. “I only reproduce basic designs by guessing; software is not part of my business.”

"How could this be..." Gulibo was greatly disappointed. "What's the use of a game console if there are no games to play..."

After thinking for a while, Jie An suggested, "Detective Chu must have played it before. Why don't we ask him to gather some information and then ask someone else to make one?"

"Are there still people in the city who can make games?" Gulibo's expectations were rekindled.

“That girl is very knowledgeable; she’ll have no problem with this little thing,” Jie An said confidently. “Could you please make another mental interface?”

“The last time,” Shakespeare sighed.

He created a touchpad-like adapter next to the game console and made it open source, allowing other Ascendants on the Path of Floating Light to directly connect to mental programming. After completing the modification, he tossed Jin Ye's notebook into his storage relic; according to the deal, the book now belonged to him.

During his few days of rest and recuperation in Huilong City, he assisted in improving the standard weaponry and some special operations equipment of the resurrected troops, in exchange for Jin Ye's notes and a large amount of hard-to-find materials. Jie An had repeatedly told him that the value of the technological improvements far exceeded the material rewards, and that the reward he was asking for now was too little. But Shakes knew the math; Huilong City was not related to him, and helping with medical assistance was simply a favor.

If you owe someone something, you have to pay it back; otherwise, you can't live a simple life.

"Thank you so much, assassins are really loyal." Jie An smiled broadly. "Is there anything else you need? Just let me know if you're interested."

“That’s enough,” Shakes shook his head. “I’m going to make some purchases.”

"Give me a kiss." Gulibo stretched out his paw. "I want to bring everyone souvenirs."

"I need to buy some groceries, let's all go together." Jie An reached for his car keys, ready to drive off.

Did these guys even know that his "purchase" referred to acquiring weaponry? He wasn't going to buy souvenirs; he was going to buy grenades, portable traps, replacement modules and modification materials for the Boundary Wheel. But talking to them was pointless; one of them carried his father's Cup of Honor, and the other carried a seed of a bio-weapon, running out nonchalantly. They wouldn't react much to seeing guns and ammunition, only saying things like, "Shax, your souvenirs are really unique, but they're a bit pricey."

Shax sighed again, and he began to understand why the snake sighed so often. He sent out a mental signal, and the Wheel of Judgment took off from the helipad and hovered outside the window.

“I’ll drive,” he said.

·

“I regret it,” Shakes said expressionlessly. The cook and the little animal sat on either side of the training wheels, laughing wildly.

The Boundary Wheel is fast enough to be readily available as a personal weapon, and as a vehicle, it is flawless. However, the recently rebuilt Dragon City has not yet fully equipped its transportation system, and lacks experience in handling vehicles for air travelers, especially those of medium mass. Their vehicle configuration is only suitable for small aircraft, while the Wheel of Judgment has a wingspan of over forty meters.

So the three of them had to hover above the bustling market, basking in the gaze of thousands of tourists from all over the world. A barrage of flashbulbs illuminated Shax's face, turning it deathly pale, while children and women waved enthusiastically at him.

"May I take a picture, sir?" an adult Fufu asked. "Your flying machine is incredibly cool!"

"Fufu!" its fluffy little cub chimed in loudly.

"I have to say, your style is really popular with kids, Mr. Gunman," Jie An said gloatingly.

"The procurement plan is cancelled." Shakespeare said with a grim face.

At that moment, a cherry blossom-colored light flashed by, manifesting as a helipad made entirely of energy at the edge of the market. A path parted in the crowd, and Qi Su walked over, carrying a large flowerpot, and gently waved his cane at the surrounding citizens.

"Please show respect, everyone. This is a powerful being at the level of 4," she said in a singing voice. "I'm not sure if his Boundary-Breaking Wheel will go awry, so I suggest you all make way."

The crowd dispersed at the sound of the call, afraid of being too slow. Qi Su guided the Boundary-Breaking Wheel to land, peering out and saying, "Such a bold design... To be honest, I've never seen such an unstable structure. Is your requirement for your Boundary-Breaking Wheel just that it can fly?"

"As long as it can fly, that's enough," Shakes said, unconcerned.

"That's brutal, you're even more extreme than a real machine." Qi Su curled his lip. "Young man, if you set off without making modifications, you're going to suffer on your Moon Gazing Journey."

“You’re worrying about the wrong thing. That’s exactly what he’s after,” Jie An said. “Our sniper finds pleasure in dangerous situations; the more dangerous it is, the happier he is!”

Shakes didn't react, leaving Gulibo completely confused: "What are you talking about?"

"Qi Su is referring to a traditional ritual."

A gentle voice came from the flowerpot, and the leaves of the bud swayed slowly: "After ascending to point mass 4, the ascendants will take an independent journey across the Dust Island. They need to rely on their own strength to fly out of their homeland, soaring under the dark moonlight, and resisting the gravity of the First Abyss, hence the name 'Moon Gazing Journey'."

"But point 4 has already crossed the first abyss?" Gulibo asked, puzzled.

“There will always be a difference between theory and practice, so we need a way to test our abilities,” Finya replied. “Moon Journey is not ‘mandatory’ and it does not hinder the progress of Ascended Ones. In fact, many young people have abandoned this tradition because the current environment is too dangerous.”

“Those are people who can’t fly,” Shakes said. “They’ll never fly.”

“Child, I think you will surely fly very high,” Fenya said. “But as Qisu said, you must be well prepared before you set off. Come with me—please let me pay the bill this time; everyone has helped me so much along the way.”

Qi Su quickly picked up the flowerpot and followed Fenya's directions. Shakespeare believed that Fenya had a thorough understanding of the entire market, because when Qi Su first stopped, he saw the new handgun he wanted in the shop window.

"The so-called Divine Tree Network?" Shakes asked.

"It's a kind of application of mental energy vines, allowing me to quickly understand the needs of those around me." Fenya swung the sprouting vines. "It's a very interesting feeling, and I'm still learning."

Gulibo was more concerned about another issue. It hopped around the flowerpot as if facing a formidable enemy: "Why are you hugging the Divine Tree?"

Qi Su smiled broadly: "Because I also admire the Divine Tree very much~"

Gulibo exclaimed in shock: "Impossible! The Divine Tree can't do anything but talk!"

"You are not allowed to insult the gods!" Qi Su roared, slapping the word "foolish" across Gu Libo's forehead. The little white mouse's eyes widened instantly, and it hopped around on the spot, "Bo, bo, bo, bo..."

“Please don’t be so harsh on Gulibo, it’s my good friend,” Fenya said. “Letting it jump for half a minute is enough.”

Jie An patted Guli Bo's head, rushed into the store, grabbed an old book, and exclaimed, "I'll take this cookbook!"

·

Under Fenya's guidance, the purchasing activity proceeded with great efficiency. Shax bought the new gun he had been longing for this season, Jie'an acquired several cookbooks and a large quantity of herb seeds, and even Qisu found several ancient books that interested him.

However, the three of them combined did not have as much as Gulibo, which was dragging a huge cloth bag and stuffing it with all sorts of strange and wonderful snacks like Santa Claus in a Christmas rush.

"This is what the shopkeeper likes, boo~" Gulibo picked up a box of mushroom chocolates and tossed it into the already nearly bursting bag without hesitation. Then it turned and ran to the rug next door, grabbing a handful of fried potato chips: "This is what the shopkeeper likes too, boo!"

“You’ve already bought nearly ten kilograms of the store manager’s favorite food. I strongly suspect you’re trying to murder the store manager,” Jie An commented.

"That's not how it is! The manager likes to eat everything!" Gulibo grabbed another bag of dried meat. "The manager likes to eat all kinds of delicious food, and he doesn't mind trying anything that's not tasty... Can I get some food packed from the cafeteria later? I think the manager would like it."

Shakes stared at the huge bag piled high with food, feeling his appetite waning just looking at it. Qisu stared blankly: "Is your seafood bookstore actually a restaurant...?"

"No, it's just that the store manager has a big appetite. The manager eats very little; he's happy as long as you bring him some little girl toys~"

"This manager is even more problematic than the shop owner! He's so indecent!" Qi Su's face turned red.

Gulibo placed the solid wood, posable Sailor Moon sculpture, which the stall owner had enthusiastically recommended, into a separate small bag and said with satisfaction, "This will make the shop owner and manager happy~"

Then its ears drooped, and the tip of its nose turned a grayish hue from worry: "But I still haven't found a gift the editor likes... I've been absent for so long, if the editor takes it seriously, my performance in the first quarter will be ruined..."

"You've already won over the shop owner and manager, so why are you afraid of a mere editor?" Shakes couldn't help but interject.

Gulibo turned his head, on the verge of tears: "The shop owner and manager don't do any work... The Poison Otter editor is the animal in charge of the main business..."

"Turns out they're just two mascots! You're basically buying treats for your pets!" Qi Su couldn't help but exclaim.

Gulibo sat down against the large bag, holding its head in its paws: "What should I do... I haven't found anything the editor would like! It doesn't like snacks or dolls, and I can't afford the alcohol it usually likes!"

"This 'elite capitalist of the animal kingdom' sounds pretty shady, doesn't it?" Jie An said. "Doesn't this guy have any hobbies?"

Gulibo looked up pitifully: "It likes to deduct my performance bonus when I skip work to tend the garden..."

"It's obvious you were in the wrong first. You even openly admitted to skipping work, so who else should you dock your pay if not yours?" Jie An rolled his eyes.

"And they even like to deduct my leave when I skip work to go to a plant exhibition..."

"Isn't this still slacking off! Even if you change the wording and don't go to work, the fact remains the same!" Qi Su joined in the doubles.