Chapter 76
Scorched under the summer sun, many cars could be seen on the roads, and the street stalls had already opened.
Du Thirteen, half-naked to show off his muscles, flirted with girls in short skirts on the street. He was extremely lonely.
"Good legs!" Thirteen clapped and laughed. "If only I could touch them.”
Gui Guzi gulped down half a bottle of beer and said, "Brother B looks really perverted...”
I nodded, and chugged half a bottle as well to express my accord for Gui Guzi’s words.
"Thirteen, how much did we earn from last night's business?" I begun inquiring about the workshop's income.
Du Thirteen thought and said, "350 Rank 5 Magic Consumables. I raised the price slightly and sold them for 408 gold. You gave me more than 300 pelts, they all sold for 40 to 60 silver each, netting 150 gold. In total, 558 gold. I exchanged everything at the trade platform and converted it at 55 RMB per gold rate. Taking away the bank fees, we got 30383 yuan and 10 cents!"
I nodded and said in praise, "Good, you are really skilled at doing business.”
Gui Guzi asked, "A declining business?"
Du Thirteen said, "You know too much...”
I laughed and raised my bottle of beer. "Come, let's toast to the first big revenue of the workshop!"
"Good!"
The beer bottles clinked together, and gave off the sparks of youth.
We ordered several dishes, things like braised fish, spicy duck, and potatoes with green pepper. They were all good dishes to drink with. We managed to finish two cases of beer, about seven or so bottles each. We felt extremely tipsy.
Gui Guzi leaned back in his chair and grinned. "I didn’t expect to encounter two good friends after surviving my great illness...”
Du Thirteen raised his empty bottle and tried to drink. He asked, "Little Gui, what great illness?"
Gui Guzi said, "Acute appendicitis, almost died. I logged on just a day after my surgery. My body was too weak, my measured vitals were all low. And so, I got the Undead Knight class.”
I asked in concern, "Are you alright now?"
"Yes, no problem. Thanks, boss.” Gui Guzi laughed and said, "Right, Boss Broken Halberd, you got Undead Swordsman, what happened to you?"
I stilled. Du Thirteen was about to speak when I interrupted him and said, "Nothing really. I had a bad cold that day, and my situation was similar to yours.”
Gui Guzi put down the beer bottle and said, "That's good. The three of us will live a century, and make the Bloody Mercenaries famous throughout China. Ha, we can’t let anything happen to us. We have to keep on living and bring calamity to others!"
I nodded and smiled. "No problem. Let's toast; to our long life!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
After drinking for a while, Du Thirteen looked at the other side of the road and rubbed his bleary eyes. "Hm? Isn't that... Beauty Lin?"
I used a chopstick to support his tottering head and said, "Thirteen, you’re drunk. How could Lin Yixin be here?"
"Look, it is her...”
Du Thirteen stood up and pointed to the other side. As expected, there was a beauty standing next to a booth, dressed in a dark brown uniform and a short skirt. Her long white legs looked alluring.
She seemed to be waiting for something, holding a bag in her hand, as she looked into the distance.
Du Thirteen took a few stumbling steps. I feared he would end up under the bus, and hurriedly grabbed his arm. But the guy waved his arm and shouted toward Lin Yixin, "Beauty Lin, such a coincidence, are you also eating street food?"
Lin Yixin heard him and looked over at us. She looked both amused and exasperated.
I felt extremely awkward. I pulled Thirteen back as I cursed, "Damn, street food your mom! She drives a Benz, why would she eat street food!"
But it was too late. Lin Yixin was already looking at the incoming cars, crossing the street as her hair gently waved in the wind.
"Hm? Lu Chen, such a coincidence!"
Lin Yixin stood in front of me with a smile. She sniffed hard, her brows furrowing immediately, and said, "How much did you drink?"
I used my intoxication and looked at this young beauty, saying with a smile, "Not much, not much, drunk after three jars...”
Lin Yixin said exasperatedly, "Go die, don’t try to throw poetry at me!"
At this time, a black Lexus stopped on the road. The window came down. A young man with delicate features smiled and said, "Lin Yixin, how come you're on the other side? Let's go, we’re shooting at 7 pm!"
"Oh, coming!" Lin Yixin responded.
She said to me with a smile, "You worked really hard last night, right?"
At the side, the boss of the stall gaped. Such a beautiful girl praising me for my work last night? Who knew what she meant?
Lin Yixin continued, "Continue to work tonight. I forgot to tell you that I reached Level 46 today. You are too slow...”
"Damn!"
I was speechless. Her leveling speed was terrifying!
I glanced at the young man in the Lexus, twisting my mouth and asking, "Beauty Yi, are you going to work? What kind of work?"
In my memories, “shooting” was something very particular actors, like Sola Aoi, would say.[1] Thus, I felt slightly uncomfortable. What was Lin Yixin doing? Was this bright-eyed beauty in that profession? I reached a terrifying conclusion.
Seeing my expression of despair, Lin Yixin gritted her teeth in anger. She suddenly went forward and grabbed my collar, saying angrily, "You bastard. Hm, if you have the time, come with me and see for yourself!"
I was bewildered. "You don’t mind me watching?"
Lin Yixin's gaze could kill people. "Who cares! Come with me!"
As she spoke, Lin Yixin pulled me into the car.
Du Thirteen was shocked. "Lu Chen... Damn! Lu Chen is being kidnapped...”
Bang!
Extremely drunk, Gui Guzi held half of his cracked beer bottle, pointing at the auntie baking sweet potatoes on the other side of the street and shouted, "Damn! You dare kidnap our Boss Broken Halberd? Don’t get cocky. You think I won’t cut you?"
Lin Yixin sat next to me and watched the comedy outside. She was speechless. "Are these the core members of the Bloody Mercenaries? What kind of species are you raising...”
I was even more speechless. I shouted out the window, "Gui Guzi, Thirteen, go back and sleep, or level up!"
Gui Guzi said, "Boss Broken Halberd, take care.”
Du Thirteen lamented, "This meal is on me again, damn...”
……
The Lexus flew onto the bridge and headed for the technology park.
I felt my head was heavy and dozed off against the seat. Lin Yixin glanced at me and muttered, "Are you even an expert? One day you’ll be sold without even realizing...”
Some unknown period of time later, someone shook my arm.
I looked up. Oh, I fell asleep on Lin Yixin's shoulder. Her face was bright red as she pointed at her shoulder, sobbing. “My new clothes!"
Damn! There was a wet streak on Lin Yixin's dark brown uniform.
I asked, "What is that?"
Lin Yixin gave me a soft punch and said, "Someone's drool. Quick, get out of the car!"
After leaving the car, I appeared on a plaza with a tall building ahead. The words "VITRA" were engraved on the wall.
After a moment of thought, I said. “This logo looks familiar.”
The young driver said, "VITRA, a famous international clothing branch. It entered Chinese market two years ago, and is very popular on the market.”
I murmured, "No wonder. I've only seen it in the mall before...”
Lin Yixin covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Stop wasting words, go!"
"Go where?"
"Go see me shooting~"
I followed Lin Yixin. We came to a brightly-lit photoshoot inside VITRA.
Two photographers with long hair came forward and looked oddly at me. Then they asked Lin Yixin, "Little Lin, who is this?"
Lin Yixin thought and said, "No one important. What styles are we shooting today?"
"Oh, fourteen new styles. Let's try to finish them all in two hours.”
"Good!"
Lin Yixin took a new set of clothes and entered the changing room. A few minutes later, she walked out. Her appearance made the entire room light up. She wore a pink dress. While it wasn’t necessarily that pretty on its own, it looked unspeakably beautiful and intoxicating on Lin Yixin.
I realized my mistake. Lin Yixin's work was not like Sensei Aoi’s, she was just a normal model.
Tsk tsk, this VITRA really had good eyes to pick a beauty like Lin Yixin to be their model. Really good eyes!
Lin Yixin transformed and dazzled the eyes like a beautiful fairy with this change of clothes. I was lost for words, and the photographers were singing praises next to me.
Lin Yixin would always have a beautiful smile when she faced the camera, but when she glanced over at me, she would look irritated.
An hour and a half later, it was done!
Lin Yixin changed back into her normal clothes. She walked next to me and said, "Let's go, time to go back...”
I nodded. "Mn.”
At this time, a photographer came over and said, "Lin Yixin, uh... our boss wants me to ask, are you willing to sign a long-term agreement with VITRA? Will you be our image spokesperson?"
Lin Yixin turned and smiled sweetly. "No, didn't you sign 040?"
"Uh... haha, you really aren't willing?" The photographer looked straight at Lin Yixin, and said, "The yearly contract is worth 500,000 RMB. This is a very high salary for a student. You really won't consider it?"
Lin Yixin smiled and shook her head. "Bye!"
As she spoke, she pulled my sleeve and ran out. I asked as I walked, "Why don't you agree? 500,000 a year!"
Lin Yixin said, "No reason. Even if I’m farming gold, I’ll earn more than that each year. Why should I sign with them? I’ll have to obey others, and VITRA's boss is an old Italian. His mere look makes my hair stand on end...”
I laughed. "Who made you so cute...”
"Oh?"
Lin Yixin suddenly stopped outside the building and looked at me with a smile. "Am I really cute?"
I nodded and said, "Yes. Many years ago, I knew this one girl, Sister Feng, who was also as cute as you…”[2]
"You... are asking for a beating!"
Lin Yixin waved her fists. I dashed off, reaching the speed of 9.5-second hundred-meter dash like nothing. With the beauty chasing me, we made it to the bus stop and inserted our coins to return home.
1. Former AV idol.
2. Internet celebrity and bully meme in late 2009 China. Became famous for passing out flyers with high requirements for a marriage partner.