"Hey, handsome, coming right up," the waiter responded cheerfully, jogging over.
"Do you have a bigger booth here? If not, can we combine these two tables?"
The waiter glanced at the two groups and smiled. "There's a large booth at the very back that seats fifteen."
"Oh? Is it by the window?"
"Absolutely, right by the window."
"Then let’s switch to that one."
"Sure thing! But just so you know, handsome, that booth is priced differently. I should mention that upfront."
Su Yang gave a faint smile. "Just switch us over."
"Got it!" The waiter beamed as he led the group to the spacious booth at the far end of the bar, right by the window.
The booth was indeed much larger than the standard ones, with a long table in the center and a lengthy sofa lining three sides, leaving only the window side open.
"This should definitely fit all of you."
"Great. Could you bring the menu again? We have a few more friends joining, so we’ll need to order more."
"Of course, just a moment."
The group settled into their new seats, with the five newcomers sitting along the side near the aisle.
Among the five, aside from Xia Li, there was another woman who appeared slightly younger, around 25 years old. She wore a white low-cut dress with a large pink bow tied in her hair.
Her face was oval-shaped, with large eyes and a high nose bridge—a classic beauty.
Overall, she gave off a delicate, girl-next-door vibe, somewhat reminiscent of Lu Yun’s style.
But in Su Yang’s eyes, she was at best a 75-80 out of 100.
To confirm his assessment, he silently asked in his mind:
—System, scan this girl.
[Deng Qingqing, Age: 24]
[Height: 165cm]
[Weight: 51kg]
[Appearance: 77]
[Figure: 85]
[Relationships: 2, Single]
[Partners: 2]
[Traits: Skilled]
—Damn?! I wasn’t even interested, but now…
—Ah, never mind. There are plenty like her. Not worth it.
The other three men accompanying Xia Li included one who looked to be in his thirties.
His fair skin suggested he wore makeup, but his features were naturally well-defined—high nose bridge, thick eyebrows, and neatly parted hair.
His outfit was simple yet stylish: a black-and-gray Gucci T-shirt, loose dark trousers, and white sneakers. His slightly older age gave him a mature charm.
But despite his good looks, a closer look at his eyes revealed a hint of frivolity.
Something about his face felt off the longer Su Yang stared, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. His first impression of the man wasn’t great.
The other two men paled in comparison, looking more like bodyguards than companions.
Yes, bodyguards.
The man sitting next to Xia Li appeared to be under thirty, towering at least 185cm tall with a clean buzz cut. But his gaze was sharp.
Su Yang studied him for a moment, and the man returned the look.
There was a cold, calculating ruthlessness in his eyes—something most ordinary people wouldn’t exude.
Not only was he tall, but his build was also imposing. His black fitted T-shirt stretched over a broad chest, his skin noticeably darker than average.
His arms were thick, his upper body solid, with pectoral muscles more pronounced than some women’s.
Su Yang thought, ‘Is this guy Xia Li’s personal bodyguard? Probably. Rich people always have security.’
The other man sat beside the slightly sleazy-looking guy.
He, too, radiated menace—square-jawed, with short hair and a sparse mustache above his lips.
Standing around 180cm, he wore a military-green T-shirt and denim shorts.
Though not as bulky as the first bodyguard, he gave off an even deadlier vibe.
In a fight to the death, the muscular guy might not stand a chance against this leaner one.
Su Yang suddenly had a thought and called out mentally:
—System, can you scan men?
[Yes. First-time male scans unlock new attributes.]
—What?! Why didn’t you say so earlier? Scan these three—first the slick-haired guy, then the muscular one, and finally the mustached guy.
[Zhao Rui, Age: 33]
[Height: 179cm]
[Weight: 73kg]
[Physique: 70]
[Appearance: 80]
[Figure: 75]
[Combat Power: E-rank, 48]
[Occupation: Media Company CEO]
Su Yang’s eyelid twitched. He quickly replied mentally:
—Damn?! Wait, wait! Two new attributes?
—Occupation makes sense, but what’s "Combat Power"? Fighting ability?
[Correct.]
—Are you kidding me? Such a crucial stat, and you drop it now? Keep scanning.
[Qiao Lianhu, Age: 28]
[Height: 186cm]
[Weight: 87kg]
[Physique: 80]
[Appearance: 71]
[Figure: 87]
[Combat Power: C-rank, 61]
[Occupation: Xia Li’s Bodyguard]
[Kong Fang, Age: 29]
[Height: 181cm]
[Weight: 78kg]
[Physique: 82]
[Appearance: 69]
[Figure: 85]
[Combat Power: C-rank, 65]
[Occupation: Zhao Rui’s Bodyguard]
After hearing the system’s rundown, Su Yang’s mind was in chaos. He urgently asked:
—System! Explain this "Combat Power" thing right now!
The new attribute left him bewildered but strangely exhilarated. To avoid drawing attention, he kept his expression calm, maintaining a polite smile.
[Combat Power Attribute Breakdown]
[F-rank: 1-29 (Weakest—elderly, sick, disabled, etc.)]
[E-rank: 30-50 (Average civilians)]
[D-rank: 51-60]
[C-rank: 61-70]
[B-rank: 71-80]
[A-rank: 81-90]
[S-rank: 91-100]
As he read the virtual screen’s explanation, Su Yang swallowed hard, momentarily speechless.
His mind was racing.
This unexpected new attribute sent his excitement soaring. He sensed that his life might take a dramatic turn because of it.
[Ding! Detecting host’s heightened emotions. Reward: 1,000,000 yuan.]
Just then, Xia Li called out to him: "Hey, handsome, I still don’t know your name?"
Snapping back to reality, Su Yang glanced at her and replied coolly, "Su Yang."
"Now we’re officially acquainted. I’m Xia Li. This is my friend Zhao Rui, and this is Deng Qingqing, an actress from my company."
Xia Li introduced them to Su Yang and the others.
The group exchanged polite self-introductions, though Su Yang noticed Xia Li didn’t seem inclined to introduce the two bodyguards.
He took the initiative and smiled at the two men. "And you two, brothers? What should we call you?"
"Oh, I'm Qiao Lianhu, a friend of Sister Xia. Nice to meet you all," Qiao Lianhu replied in a deep voice.
"I'm Kong Fang. Hello," Kong Fang’s voice was similarly low and slightly hoarse. After a brief nod to the group, he immediately turned his attention back to his phone.
Meanwhile, Zhao Rui glanced at Meng Wenzhou with a smile. "You must be Young Master Meng Wenzhou, right?"
Meng Wenzhou nodded. "Yes, hello. First time meeting—may I ask what field you’re in?"
"Ah, just a manager at a short drama production company. Nothing noteworthy," Zhao Rui chuckled softly, his gaze flickering toward Pan Ning beside Su Yang before quickly scanning Lu Yun, Tang Ziyun, Han Xiaoyu, and Xia Keke.
His smile lingered, though his thoughts remained unreadable.
As the two groups chatted, the waiter returned with menus.
"Here you go, ladies and gentlemen," he said, handing them over.
Xia Li took one and looked around with a grin. "Did you all order drinks yet?"
"We got two crates."
"That probably won’t be enough," Xia Li shook her head with a laugh and turned to the waiter. "Bring us two more crates of beer, please."
"Coming right up!"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
