Just as Qin Siyang was chatting with Li Tianming, he received a text message from Zhou Xing.
["5 PM, 38324 Safe Zone exit, 500 meters south of the public transport station, Hongyun Restaurant."]
Qin Siyang glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already past three in the afternoon.
Li Tianming looked up at Qin Siyang.
"What, Zhou Xing messaged you?"
"Yeah. I'll sit here for a while, then I should head out."
"Sit for what? Hurry up and go!", Li Tianming was already itching to kick him out.
Qin Siyang thought about it and figured he should go early to show humility and respect as a student.
"Old Li, give me some copper coins."
Qin Siyang changed how he addressed him because always calling him "Principal Li" felt too distant, making it inconvenient to ask for money.
"Huh?"
"Need money for public transport."
Li Tianming slammed the table in frustration, "You have eighty silver coins, and you're asking me for public transport fare?"
"Public transport doesn't take silver coins."
Li Tianming just wanted to send Qin Siyang away as fast as possible. He pulled five copper coins from his drawer, "Take it and scram."
"You only gave me the fare to get there, but I need to come back too."
Li Tianming impatiently counted out five more copper coins, "Scram, scram, scram!"
"Thanks, Old Li!"
Qin Siyang left the office cheerfully.
Watching him go, Li Tianming took a deep breath to calm his anger.
"That brat really gets under my skin. Gotta call Xiao Yang over to ease my mood," Muttering to himself, Li Tianming opened up his game.
———
On his way out, Qin Siyang stopped by the library to tell Wen Shu that he had something to do and asked her to lock up after school.
Wen Shu had no problem with that.
On the way to the transport station, Qin Siyang kept rehearsing how to greet Zhou Xing.
According to Li Tianming, the special recruitment slot was crucial and rare.
He had to make Zhou Xing feel good.
When it came to flattery, Qin Siyang was a pro. After all, in his past life, he had flattered Li Jingwen plenty—he had experience.
"Hello, Old Zhou! No, too casual."
"Hello, Director Zhou! No, too formal."
"Hello, Uncle Zhou! Hmm, this sounds just right."
Once he got on the public transport, Qin Siyang found an empty seat and sat quietly, waiting for his stop.
Everyone on the transport was wearing cold-resistant suits—they were probably heading to the 38324 Safe Zone exit to hunt divine creatures.
At that moment, a Sequence Ability User noticed Qin Siyang and froze.
"You… you're Qin Siyang?"
Qin Siyang looked at the speaker. He had no impression of him.
"Yeah, that's me. What's up?"
The man quickly shook his head, "Nothing, nothing."
The other Sequence Ability Users on the transport who heard Qin Siyang's name also glanced at him with a hint of fear.
At the next stop, all the passengers scrambled to get off, leaving only Qin Siyang behind.
Qin Siyang scratched his nose and sneered, 'They all look scared of me. Is that really necessary?'
The Sequence Ability Users who got off let out a sigh of relief.
"I heard this kid isn't mentally stable. When he fought John, he smashed his head flat. I'm not sitting on the same transport as him—what if he suddenly loses it?"
"Exactly! Too creepy! Besides, he has [Insurer]—his background isn't ordinary. Better not mess with him."
.
.
.
Almost an hour later, Qin Siyang finally arrived at his stop.
Just then, he received a message from Qian Wenzhao.
["How did the conversation go?"]
Qian Wenzhao was probably asking about his private talk with Olov.
As an ally with shared interests, Qian Wenzhao obviously didn't want Qin Siyang to run into trouble.
But if he really did, Qian Wenzhao wouldn't hesitate to cut ties.
["He's sharp. He figured out my Sequence registration. But I've handled the trouble for now."]
Qin Siyang didn't hide anything and directly shared his situation, keeping control over the details.
This way, he could make Qian Wenzhao more wary of Olov while also proving his ability to handle problems.
It was a carefully considered response. He wanted their back-and-forth exchanges to strengthen Qian Wenzhao's confidence in their cooperation.
A moment later, Qian Wenzhao replied: ["No need to worry about the Bureau."]
Following Zhou Xing's address, Qin Siyang found the Hongyun Restaurant.
Since it wasn't five o'clock yet, the restaurant was mostly empty.
However, all the ceiling lights were on, making Hongyun Restaurant the only bright spot in the surrounding darkness.
Daring to waste such expensive electricity meant the owner must have some serious backing.
With one glance, he spotted a refined-looking middle-aged man sitting at a corner table.
The man wore black-rimmed glasses and had neatly combed-back hair. His dark tie paired well with his light-colored shirt, giving him a steady and composed air. A navy blue suit jacket was draped over the chair beside him.
Qin Siyang studied him and noticed he looked somewhat similar to Zhou Yang.
'Is this Zhou Xing?'
'He got here even earlier than me?'
Qin Siyang hesitated before stepping forward, "Excuse me, are you Uncle Zhou?"
The middle-aged man looked up at the young Qin Siyang and immediately smiled warmly.
"That's me. You must be Xiao Qin, right? Have a seat, have a seat! Boss, let's order!"
Qin Siyang pulled out a chair and sat down, "Uncle Zhou, sorry to keep you waiting."
"No worries, no worries. I just arrived early. You got here fast—does school let out early in the afternoon?"
Qin Siyang shook his head, "Because of the whole John situation, I spent a whole day being questioned by the Bureau and the police. I wasn't in the mood for class. As soon as I got your message, I came straight over."
Zhou Xing chuckled, "It's been a long time since a Sequence Ability User died in the battle arena in our 14121 district. It's normal for them to question you. Don't take it to heart."
"I understand."
At that moment, a middle-aged man with a beer belly and scruffy beard approached them. He smiled politely but confidently.
"Director Zhou, would you like to order now?"
"Yeah. Do you have a menu? This student is visiting for the first time, so he doesn't know what's available."
"Of course, one moment."
Qin Siyang said, "Uncle Zhou, you go ahead and order. I don't know what's good."
"Come on, who invites someone out and only orders for themselves? Don't worry, this place has great food—whatever we pick will be delicious."
The owner returned with the menu, "Director Zhou, you're putting a lot of pressure on me. If the food doesn't taste good, won't you report me to the Education Bureau?"
Zhou Xing chuckled, "How could I dare? At most, I'd just tell Director Du that you're ripping off an old friend."
"If my brother found out I wasn't giving my all in cooking for you, he'd scold me to death. I'd rather you report me."
The owner turned to Qin Siyang, "Take a look, kid. Order whatever you want. I promise I'll give it my all, so Director Zhou won't have a reason to talk behind my back."
Listening to their conversation, Qin Siyang thought, 'This restaurant owner must have connections too.'
He took the menu and glanced at the signature dishes.
His eyes froze.
'Red Fermented Bean Curd Braised Pork Trotters?'
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