"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!"
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
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.
