Night.
Under the city lights, the starlight had long since blurred into obscurity, leaving only the night wind swirling and whispering through the ink-black sky.
Beneath the curtain of night, a white sports car, its headlights on, cut through the darkness that flowed like a tide.
Inside the car, Ye Shuang gripped the steering wheel, gazing at the remaining few kilometers to his destination, yet his mind was occupied with the events of the day—
An Shiyu and... what the price would be.
Back when Ye Shuang had saved Heart Fish, the system had also made him pay a price. As for what that price was, he wasn't entirely clear, only feeling he had lost something very important, perhaps something related to Zhao Mengyao's memories.
Which meant to say...
This time, would the price be memories again?
"If you want to gain something, you must pay a price..." Ye Shuang sighed softly. Although he didn't know exactly what he would have to pay, it seemed he couldn't just stand by and do nothing about Super Memory Fish either.
Having spent twenty years studying An Shiyu within that space, saying he felt no affection would be a lie. In his eyes, both fish were the same.
"You're right, I really should work on my personality..." Ye Shuang murmured with a smile, recalling An Shiyu's words while kicking him.
"But, let me be just a little bit more willful for now."
The sports car's engine whined, vanishing into the night like a white ghost.
...
...
At a certain seaside grand hotel, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up at the main entrance. The doors opened, and Chen Qin, along with her assistant, stepped out.
"President Chen, we seem to be the earliest to arrive," the assistant beside her remarked.
"Mhm." Chen Qin took out her phone to use the mirror function, checking her outfit—a simple grey-green checkered coat over a fitted grey top and white trousers.
Her tall figure, paired with simple small gemstone earrings, gave Chen Qin an air of considerable elegance.
"Not bad." Chen Qin nodded in satisfaction. Before getting out of the car, she had deliberately spritzed on a bit of perfume.
Ye Shuang should be able to smell it later.
Tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear, Chen Qin turned slightly in front of the hotel's glass windows. Her enviable figure, combined with light makeup, exuded a full pure-and-sexy style.
The assistant watching nearby wasn't quite sure what to say.
President Chen had come straight from the company. The moment she got in the car, she had started fussing over her appearance. The assistant had originally thought Chen Qin was already beautiful enough and didn't need such deliberate dressing up, even changing her outfit—but she didn't dare voice that thought.
The only one who could make President Chen dress up like this was President Ye.
"What good fortune he has," the assistant couldn't help but think.
"Little Li, how does this outfit look? It won't be embarrassing, will it?" Chen Qin turned her attention back and asked her assistant.
"How could it be? President Chen, you've always been the most beautiful woman in our group."
"Is that so." Chen Qin smiled slightly.
She didn't take it to heart, because those words weren't spoken by Ye Shuang.
Things like confessions of love, cheesy pick-up lines—the feeling they evoke is completely different depending on who says them. If some "simp" spouts cheesy lines, the other person will just find you disgusting. But if it's someone you like, it feels romantic instead.
That's just how reality is.
"President Chen, this way, please." The hotel manager had been waiting nearby and now led Chen Qin to the private dining room.
As her assistant had said, Chen Qin and her party were indeed the earliest to arrive. Located dozens of floors up in the hotel, through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, one could see the city's landmark—a giant seashell-shaped structure flashing with lights.
"The dishes haven't been served yet. Would you like something to drink?" a waiter asked softly as soon as Chen Qin sat down.
"Something to drink..."
Chen Qin asked, "Do you have coffee?"
"Our hotel has prepared coffee beans from Deborah Geisha."
"Mhm." Chen Qin was about to agree but suddenly remembered she didn't need to work now, and they would be drinking wine later, so she hesitated. "A glass of grape juice, please. Freshly squeezed."
"Certainly."
While waiting, Chen Qin noticed people arriving one after another. Some executives seemed a bit surprised to see Chen Qin there so early.
After all, for usual business dinners, Chen Qin was typically the last to arrive.
What wind was blowing today?
"President Chen."
"Have a seat first, not everyone is here yet." Chen Qin spoke and had the waiter prepare the appetizers.
As soon as the executives sat down, Chen Qin started discussing some company matters—a habit of hers, hardly able to go three sentences without mentioning work.
Fortunately, the group was developing steadily now, with plenty of cash flow in the accounts to handle any troubles.
"President Chen, my apologies, I'm late." Xu Yitian arrived at that moment, greeting Chen Qin with a smile.
"President Xu, you're here. Please, have a seat."
Xu Yitian looked around and finally chose to sit next to Chen Qin.
Seeing this, Chen Qin initially wanted to say that seat was reserved for Ye Shuang. After all, she had dressed up today specifically for him.
"President Xu..."
"What is it, President Chen?"
"Never mind."
But since Xu Yitian had already sat down, Chen Qin felt it wasn't appropriate to say anything. In such a setting, it wasn't suitable to make willful or self-indulgent remarks.
Xu Yitian, of course, had done it on purpose. The other executives were shrewd; they naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to sit next to Chen Qin. But Xu Yitian was different. He wanted to see the expression on Ye Shuang's face when he arrived.
It would surely be wonderful.
"Heh heh..."
With most people present, Chen Qin now instructed the waiter to start serving the dishes. At that moment, Xu Yitian spoke up, "President Chen, is President Ye unable to make it?"
"Oh, there might be heavy traffic." Chen Qin glanced at the delicate watch on her wrist. He was indeed a bit late, but it was fine.
She was often stood up by him anyway. Waiting a little while was no problem for Chen Qin at all.
"It seems President Ye's sense of punctuality still needs improvement. What if it delays work?" Xu Yitian shook his head, putting on a concerned-for-the-company demeanor.
Chen Qin wasn't really paying attention to Xu Yitian's words at that moment and casually added, "Well, he's on leave today."
Just then, the door to the private room opened.
"Good evening." Ye Shuang, dressed in simple business attire, greeted the executives present.
However, the expressions on several executives' faces weren't great. After all, Ye Shuang was somewhat of a bogeyman within the group, having offended quite a few people.
Nevertheless, many still forced smiles in response. Whatever grievances they held privately were one thing; surface pleasantries still had to be maintained.
"President Ye is finally here. Please, have a seat." Xu Yitian spoke up first.
Ye Shuang raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, then noticed the seats next to Chen Qin were already taken. To her left was a wall with a painting, and the only seat to her right was occupied by Xu Yitian.
"I'll sit here then, there are plenty of seats left." Ye Shuang said with a faint smile, finding a seat and sitting down.
Seeing this, Chen Qin slowly stood up.
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
