The Ning Family.
Just the surname "Ning" alone gives the impression of a prominent family straight out of a novel.
However, Lin Mo had no intention of getting involved.
For Yan Huang Jue Xing to deploy such a large-scale operation to protect this family, the backing behind them must be formidable.
Considering that Southeast Asian mercenaries were behind the earlier attack, the situation had escalated to an international level, making it an even murkier mess.
He had his own plans, but now wasn’t the time to reveal his strength. Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Though Lin Mo had his sights set on dealing with places like Japan and Korea, he wasn’t in a hurry.
There was no need to recklessly expose himself.
Before long, the French toast and ice cream arrived.
The golden, crispy French toast was essentially a peanut butter sandwich drenched in egg batter and deep-fried—terrifyingly high in calories.
This way of eating tasted great, but it was a calorie bomb.
Lin Mo leisurely placed a scoop of cold ice cream atop the freshly made French toast.
"If the calories are going to explode, might as well cool it down with something icy."
He cut into the toast with a knife and fork, the melting ice cream blending with its creamy sweetness as it seeped into the golden pores of the bread.
"What kind of eating style is this?" Director Huang asked, intrigued.
"Nine Layers of Ice and Fire," Lin Mo replied without hesitation.
He cut a piece and naturally placed it on Director Huang’s plate. "Try it, Director Huang. It’s not bad."
"Alright, my meal hasn’t arrived yet anyway."
Director Huang took a bite of the ice cream-dipped French toast.
The initial chill was quickly balanced by the warmth of the toast—crispy on the outside, soft inside, with the salty richness of peanut butter intertwining with the sweet creaminess of the ice cream, creating a rich, layered texture.
"Hey, not bad at all!" Director Huang’s eyes lit up. "Though it’s too sweet. If my kid had this, he’d lick the plate clean."
The two sipped on strong Hong Kong-style lemon tea, chatting idly.
Soon enough, Director Huang’s instant noodles finally arrived.
Staring at the familiar wavy noodles in the bowl, he couldn’t help but complain:
"Seriously? Instant noodles? And they charge over twenty bucks for this?"
"Director, the noodles are just the vessel. The real stars are those pieces of curry beef brisket on top," Lin Mo explained with a smile.
"Hong Kong-style diners prioritize speed. High turnover is the name of the game."
Director Huang poked at the brisket with his chopsticks and muttered, "So I’m paying for the soul, and they threw in a pack of instant noodles for free."
As the two ate, a voice sounded behind them again—this time, a phone ringtone.
"What? I’m not some combat specialist! Can’t I enjoy an afternoon tea in peace? Got a problem with that?"
"Fine, fine. The Ning Family’s so high and mighty, making us run errands. Whatever, at least they’re staying put in the safehouse."
After hanging up, the punk girl rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Let’s go, Zhai Xun. We’re heading to the Ning Family’s estate to retrieve something."
Zhai Xun barely reacted, just grunted in acknowledgment before getting up to pay the bill.
As they left, the punk girl clutched an unfinished club sandwich, munching on it while walking.
Only after the two had completely disappeared did Director Huang withdraw his gaze, though his brows furrowed.
"One of those two just now… I think he’s military."
"Huh? How’d you know that?"
Lin Mo was surprised Director Huang could tell.
Director Huang chuckled, patting his generously proportioned belly.
"Don’t let my current appearance fool you. Back in the day, I was a soldier too.
That guy’s posture was textbook—never leaned against the chair, back straight as a steel rod.
And his eyes? Seemed like he was zoning out, but his peripheral vision was constantly scanning the entrance and windows.
That kind of habit is ingrained in the bones. Even years in the military might not drill it into you. A guy like that? Definitely elite."
Director Huang gave a thumbs-up but didn’t elaborate further, keeping it brief.
The two left the diner and headed to a nearby supermarket to stock up on sugary drinks.
After all, a competition like this drained mental energy, and sugar was the best replenishment.
Nothing beat a cold cola or lemon-lime soda.
With milk tea shops not yet ubiquitous, they simply bought two large bags from the supermarket.
By the time they reached the school gates, it was competition time.
--System: As everyone knows, safehouses are anything but safe--
BOOM!
The violent tremor sent dust cascading from the ceiling. The metal walls reverberated from the shockwave, the air thick with the stench of gunpowder and scorched concrete.
"Damn it! Where’d they get an RPG?!" A teammate rolled aside, dodging shrapnel as he blindly returned fire.
"Who cares where?!" Xia Zhi barked back, gripping her gun one-handed while dragging the Ning Family’s middle-aged man deeper into the passage with the other.
"The barrier’s about to break! Move if you don’t wanna die!"
BOOM!
Another deafening explosion erupted behind them, the heatwave scorching their backs.
"Who leaked our location?!" The middle-aged man staggered, clutching an unconscious little girl to his chest, his face twisted with grief and fury.
A few agile figures provided covering fire with pistols while ushering the group toward the emergency exit.
"Now’s not the time for blame!" A burly, bearded man roared, bracing his back against a loosened steel plate to buy the others a precious two seconds.
"Xia Zhi, get them to the speedboat! I’ll hold them off!"
Beneath the emergency passage, a speedboat waited, ready to whisk them away from this dockyard-turned-safehouse.
At the end of the tunnel, the briny sea wind rushed in. A black speedboat bobbed gently on the waves.
Xia Zhi shoved the Ning Family members aboard before leaping on herself.
She turned back, locking eyes with her partner.
"Don’t die. Good partners are hard to come by."
"Who do you take me for? I was the king of soldiers, remember?"
Standing alone at the passage entrance, he cut a figure of unyielding defiance.
Without hesitation, Xia Zhi gunned the engine and sped away.
The bearded man glanced at the retreating speedboat and shook his head with a wry smile.
"Could’ve at least said something touching before leaving."
By the time the boat reached open water, the dockyard behind them erupted in a massive explosion.
Xia Zhi’s eyes burned as she stared at the inferno.
She turned to the trembling middle-aged man, her gaze fierce—but before she could relax, blinding high beams pierced the darkness.
Gunfire followed instantly.
"How?! Where’s the coast guard?!"
Her heart sank. Their entire operation had been compromised.
How else could the safehouse, coast guard, and military guards all fail simultaneously?
Who was behind it?
A figure flashed through Xia Zhi’s mind, but before she could dwell on it, the pursuing boat closed in.
The middle-aged man took a deep breath and handed the unconscious girl to Xia Zhi.
"Miss Xia Zhi, you must protect Qing Cheng at all costs. She is the hope of the Ning Family and the key to the Yanhuang Awakening Project. Her parents have already sacrificed their lives for the nation. No matter what happens, you must keep her safe."
As he spoke, the middle-aged man tore off his tie, his entire body erupting in a blinding white light.
Bullets struck him, yet they had no effect whatsoever.
Gaia!
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?"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
