“It’s nothing serious…it’s just that at the exchange meeting, well, this,” Xiao Song stammered, blushing, “Mr. Bei kissed a soldier in public…”
Everyone was stunned. One of the Allied people was somewhat dissatisfied, "Old Liu, is this person you invited even useful? This kind of secret shouldn't be told to outsiders in the first place."
Liu Anshi said with a smile, "You should be happy that we have someone in our ranks who can keep him in check... otherwise we wouldn't have been able to invite such a capable person."
The Allied man stopped arguing, and Old Liu didn't argue with him either, quickly moving on to the next topic.
After the meeting, Old Liu slowly called his assistant, changed into a thick protective suit, and went for a stroll in the camp.
The exchange meeting had ended, and the soldiers were scattered in twos and threes. Some were stretching, some had dug an ice hole to fish, and many more were probably enjoying the warmth in their tents. Recently, for the sake of humane considerations, they were no longer restricted from playing games or engaging in other recreational activities.
When they arrived at Xia Guo's training room, Old Liu happened to see Wen Zheng lift the curtain and come out. Upon seeing him, Wen Zheng stopped and politely greeted Old Liu.
"Wen Zheng, is that you?" Old Liu asked kindly, his hair gray. "Are you busy?"
"I'm done with work," Wen Zheng said. "The training room is all tidied up. I'll head back to the dorm later. Is Old Liu looking for me?"
Old Liu: "Haha, it's nothing serious. If you're not in a hurry, why don't you take a walk with this old man?"
Wen Zheng nodded naturally.
Liu Anshi had imagined what kind of person Wen Zheng would be.
To retain such an extraordinary and remarkable person, there must be something special about them. Was it exceptional beauty? Or a petite and charming personality? Or perhaps a kind and honest person who inspires a sense of security?
Upon meeting him in person, Mr. Liu was surprised yet convinced—Wen Zheng seemed unremarkable at first glance, yet he exuded a calm demeanor and had clear, upright eyes. He was a very bright young man.
Such a person can be both ordinary and rare. Old Liu has lived for decades and seen all kinds of people. He knows that being an upright and courageous person is not as simple as it sounds.
"How old are you this year?" Old Liu asked.
"Twenty-three." Wen Zheng replied, "After the New Year, I will be twenty-four by the traditional Chinese age reckoning."
Old Liu sighed, "Youth! So brave, so vibrant, such a wonderful time... Have you ever regretted it?"
Wen Zheng thought for a moment: "This is not the path I chose, so I have no regrets. But I hope to win, and that the world will know about my parents' sacrifices."
Old Liu promised him, "I've heard your opinion, and I assure you. Is there anything else you want besides that?"
Wen Zheng was slightly surprised, and after walking a while, he said shyly, "I want a pair of holographic glasses..."
"Hahaha!" Old Liu was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter: "They're young after all, always wanting to have fun."
Wen Zheng didn't explain, letting him misunderstand, and put on a smiling face.
The two talked about poetry, songs, and life ideals, but they didn't get to the question Wen Zheng thought he was going to ask. Later, he couldn't help but ask, "Old Liu, do you want to ask me about Bei Sining?"
Old Liu shook his head and said with a smile, "I just wanted to see you, get to know you, and make friends."
The Arctic sun never rises high in the sky; it's a little past three in the afternoon, and the sun has already begun to set.
The golden-red sun was slowly approaching the horizon. The extremely low temperature caused the air to refract, and the golden-red light occupied the sky in a cross shape.
"Having lived to my age, I'm more tolerant of everything. When I first heard about Mr. Bei's existence, I was startled, but then I thought, why is it impossible?"
Looking at the horizon, Old Liu slowly said, "Even things like the subspace exist, so why must elves and magic, fairies and immortals, be fake? Our ancestors in Xia Kingdom had a saying: 'The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge.' Lately, I've been thinking a lot, is there also a divine will at play?"
Wen Zheng silently followed him, passing by two Allied warriors who were enthusiastically drilling into the ice cave.
"The future of the world is in your hands." Old Liu turned around and looked kindly at Wen Zheng: "I want to thank you for being such a good young man, and for meeting Mr. Bei and keeping him here. Keep up the good work! Hahaha."
Wen Zheng was taken aback by Liu Lao's wink at him, "…………Hmm."
The sun sank into the sea, its icy blue light enveloping the Arctic ice sheet.
Wen Zheng returned to his tent, lifted the curtain, and was still pondering Liu Lao's words.
What exactly does he mean?
"You want me to take the initiative and keep Bei Sining firmly in my grasp?" That's too much! Wen Zheng shuddered and refused to think about it anymore.
However, it wasn't a complete loss; the holographic glasses he asked for from Old Liu should be delivered. I wonder when they'll arrive?
The temporary dormitory was steaming hot. Bai Shuang shouted, "Zhengzheng, close the door! You're letting all the heat escape...9 three with two!"
They're playing cards again!
Has he gotten carried away? When he gets back, will he form a fixed team to participate in the gambling king competition?
Wen Zheng silently bypassed the enthusiastic group of four—Bai Shuang, Wang Weina, Xu Qian, and Sun Gaoda—and immediately turned the corner to find love—Bei Sining, who was sitting on the innermost bed, angrily typing on her phone.
Upon seeing Wen Zheng return, he immediately accused, "Some idiot insulted me!"
Okay, today I'm not "insulting you", I'm "insulting me".
There was still half an hour before dinner, so Bei Sining moved to the side of the bed and gestured for Wen Zheng to sit down and enjoy the meal with him.
Obediently, he sat down. The small bed was placed in the corner, with the milky white blackout curtains hanging slightly, creating a somewhat ambiguous little world. Wen Zheng hung his protective suit on the clothes rack above the bed, his body heat dissipating from the clothes.
The phone happened to have a signal at that moment, so Wen Zheng leaned over to look at its screen.
"Silly Dog Doesn't Bite Bones": Your marketing is undeniable, and you're still trying to defend it? You manipulated fan emotions to their peak, then suddenly went online saying you're fine, and the hype continued, right? You've got a clever scheme going on. You're so smart to be so manipulative with your players, huh? [Horse emoji]
A familiar ID replied in the comments.
May: Hello, dear, is something wrong? I suggest donating your brain to someone in need.
"?" Wen Zheng asked in surprise, "Is it Yu Jin?"
Bei Sining nodded dejectedly: "That stupid dog bone has been jumping around on your Weibo, posting smears against you every day. I used to help you curse him every day. He's even on my notebook. These past few days I haven't been online, and he's become even more arrogant! Then Yu Jin started helping you curse him... Yu Jin copied me!"
Wen Zheng glanced down and found that Yu Jin had replied quite a bit.
Silly Dog Doesn't Bite Bones: Let's stop hyping up superheroes, it's embarrassing to watch. Overthinking is a disease, it needs treatment.
Reply in May: There's no way to save you, you're daydreaming, wake up.
"A stupid dog doesn't bite a bone: [screenshot.jpg] Wow, look at how wildly these Z fans are jumping around! 'Most people who play survival games are smart,' is that true? So playing battle royale games means you're stupid? Look at how capable you are!"
Reply in May: Look at you, I now realize how stupid survival game players can be.
A silly dog doesn't bite bones: [Further reading: How far can idol management go?]. Today I saw Z fans whitewashing Z again, thinking he's exceptionally good, right? Why don't they go and be his slaves, polishing his shoes and washing his feet?
Reply in May: I'm so sorry, you're not even worthy of washing my feet.
"..." Wen Zheng: "When did Yu Jin start talking like that?"
He went into each of the listings and looked them over; every single one had a heated argument that went on for twenty floors. Bei Sining shook her head blankly as well.
Finally, here's today's portion.
"Stupid Dog Doesn't Bite Bones": Your country is doomed, and I just said a couple of truths, and I got banned. Who is Wen Zheng anyway? Does the earth stop turning without him? Amazing! Are some of those trolls scared? Or are they too guilty to show their faces after reporting me? Haha, I'll just outlive you, you'll see if I die after you do.
Before Yu Jin could reply, Bei Sining had already started arguing with him until the page was turned.
Wen Zheng has seen and forgotten how many times he's cursed someone like that, but it's quite rare to see someone as persistent as this fool.
Bei Sining: "He's been badmouthing you ever since you were in Rongcheng, and he even became famous because of it!" This is the thing he can't tolerate the most: "Is he crazy?!"
The signal quickly disappeared, and the comments below stopped loading. Wen Zheng locked his phone and tossed it aside. "Why are you so concerned about me?"
"What?" Bei Sining's face flushed red. "I didn't! He's just asking for it."
After saying that, he realized something was wrong. Wen Zheng had already lowered his head, so his expression was not visible.
Bei Sining suddenly stammered, "No, it's not that I don't care, sigh. If you like me, I have to like you too, of course I care."
Wen Zheng looked up, trying hard to suppress his emotions, and pretended to be indifferent: "I want to see the gift now."
Bei Sining: "You can't see it."
The conversation ended, and Bei Sining's slight smugness hadn't faded when Wen Zheng suddenly tapped the corner of her mouth.
"The gift you gave me is mine. You are mine too. I can look at you whenever I want."
The following day, Wen Zheng indeed received the promised gift from Old Liu—a brand-new holographic game simulation headset from MX Company. Today's market trend is calm, the exchange meeting went smoothly, and the predicted breakout time is still some distance away.
Wen Zheng avoided Bei Sining until the sun set and the stars hung low over the plains.
He quietly entered a small conference room in the command center, a place that wasn't used often; a thin layer of dust covered the tabletop. Wen Zheng closed the door.
He tried it during the day and found that the chip Bei Sining gave him could be read directly by the glasses, but he needed to log in to the main game interface of the survival space before he could select the local instance to enter.
The signal was good in the command center, so Wen Zheng came in specifically to use the Wi-Fi; he didn't want to delay any longer.
He absolutely had to hear what Bei Sining wanted to say to him before entering the space. Even now, the password left by his parents wouldn't have made him this anxious.
The small room was completely silent, with only a small patch of moonlight.
After a while, Bei Sining rushed over.
He used a small spell to unlock the door, pushed it open, and went inside, a hint of hesitation on his face.
Author's Note: Zhengzheng: You are mine, I can read you whenever I want.
Ningning: Where do you want to look?! ???
(Tomorrow! Finally! Ahhh! See you tonight =333333=)
Chapter 92
Wen Zheng closed his eyes, and his consciousness gradually returned.
Someone is telling a story in a soft, gentle voice.
“Once upon a time, there was a silly little kitten. When he was born, he had a companion stone in his mouth, a beautiful, bright red one. The elders were all very happy.” The woman spoke slowly, like a piece of smooth silk, gently sliding down the table: “The First Elder said, ‘This kitten has exceptional talent; he will surely achieve great things in the future.’ The Second Elder said, ‘That’s absolutely right. Such a vibrant companion stone is rare even among our Fate-Holding Cat clan; he might even be smarter than a human.’”
The woman paused at this point.
"...At this moment, the Third Elder suddenly exclaimed in surprise: 'Oh dear, this kitten has swallowed the companion stone!'"
Wen Zheng felt his body move uncontrollably. He slowly opened his eyes, blinked groggily, and then rolled over to face up, right in front of the girl's gentle, smiling face.
Only then did he realize that the soft touch beneath him was her thigh. His body was sticky and clinging to her, like a cat that loves to be pampered.
He felt himself swallow hard, and then heard himself nervously speak, his voice a clear, youthful one.
"Then what?"
"And then..." The girl in the pink dress narrowed her eyes, a gentle smile appearing at the corners of her eyes, "and then this little kitten was caught and its belly was cut open!"
"Hiss!" He sprang to his feet, then glared angrily at the woman for a moment: "You scared me!"
The woman chuckled for a while, then continued, "Everyone searched his stomach carefully, but oh dear, where's the companion stone? What? He ate it and couldn't find it?... This cat is ruined, let's throw it away!"