Chapter Thirty-Five: Deceit

Zhu Wanwan burst into laughter, shaking her head. “You silly boy, you’re too honest! You can’t even tell a lie, can you? I teased you and you just admitted to it?”

“Wanwan, I don’t want to lie, and I can’t lie either. Maybe I was trying to please you a little, but I never thought I’d run into you here. I wanted to give it to you last time, but after it was custom-made, I never got the chance.”

...

I was so mortified I couldn’t face anyone. Like a turtle retreating into its shell, I dove under the covers, pulling the blanket over my head.

No sooner had my words faded than applause erupted across the field. Then, in each of the four corners of the arena, fireworks were set off in a burst, marking the official start of the finals.

Some time ago, Xu Qiangwei had heard there was a newly opened Western restaurant near the trade center, with rave reviews and booming business. Everyone who’d eaten there gave it top marks, and they even served French cuisine.

Just as Lefan finished speaking, a staff member rushed in, clutching a copy of the agreement.

Her mouth parched, lost in the endless desert, Lin Xue pressed on without stopping. Her watch was strapped on backwards, catching and reflecting the sunlight, sending out signals in hopes that Han Wei and the others would see. Lin Xue knew that if any one of Han Wei, Li Hua, or Liu Shi spotted the signal, they’d come running at once.

“I only feel a vague sense of familiarity with him, but I still can’t remember. Besides, the promise was for the next life, yet he remains in this one. The one I await is the Mu Jinfeng of my next life. The lifespan of a demon is so long that centuries and millennia pass in a blink. I can afford to wait,” Yuhua’s eyes shimmered with mist.

“What scream? I didn’t hear anything,” Zhang Ning looked at Ren Qiuyue with pleading eyes, silently begging her not to give him away.

Once we lit the bonfire, we gathered around and started eating. We’d brought enough food and drinks to last a week, so there was nothing to worry about.

Liu Shi pulled Lin Xue back, clamping his left hand tightly over her bleeding neck. Even at that moment, Lin Xue hadn’t regained consciousness. It should have been the most painful point, so what kept her in this living-dead state? And Zuo Linlin was in the same condition.

With that, he turned to lead the way for Long Yao, who followed with a faint smile.

“You, Old Fa’er, Ethan, and an asset appraiser!” Jia Lei counted on his fingers.

Since Long Yao had met Xiao Hanyan, he had helped her exactly eight times in moments of difficulty. Coincidentally, the dishes Long Yao had ordered earlier numbered exactly eight.

“Don’t panic! There were only noises just now, no one’s come out. Fall back, all of you!” The chieftain sensed something was amiss and, fuming, snatched up his horsewhip, lashing it to both sides.

“No wonder you’re losing money! If your research goes in the wrong direction, no matter how delicious the new variety is, nobody will buy it. The market just won’t accept it!” Jia Lei said.

Although Mu Li refused the kindness of others, it was purely instinct. Something within her warned her not to form too many attachments, because she vaguely sensed she was different from these people, though she couldn’t say exactly how.

“Stop looking! The elderly man needs peace and quiet to recover. Maybe the recent heat is getting to him. Give it a couple of days, and he’ll be fine!” Jia Lei quickly said.

“That’s enough, let’s not drag this out between our companies! Just tell me straight, what kind of cooperation is Microsoft looking for with Netscape this time?” Marc Andreessen asked impatiently, slumping into his chair, genuinely fed up with the self-important, posturing Microsoft negotiator sitting across from him.

The water-element spiritual energy within the great formation was not inexhaustible, but continuously converted from somewhere within the city—a place that must be the array’s core.

Thus, with this as a foundation, whenever Zhang Feng used his blessing and prayer skills, he could consistently deliver attacks scoring between 98 and 100.