Bringing Friends Can I Bring My Apprentice Instead

Maomao took a moment to process before continuing,

"Oh..."

"If you're free, would you like to have dinner with me and my friend?"

Lin Yu's mind raced.

Her friend too?

Probably that stand-in sister from earlier.

If he could have Shangying investigate her background later...

And during dinner, avoid discussing anything too technical.

If it came up, someone could help cover for him.

Having a meal together didn’t seem like a big deal...

Fortune favors the bold!

Tricking a refined hacker of her caliber into moving into a shared apartment wouldn’t be easy.

He’d have to rely on chance encounters to find the right opportunity.

Rejecting the dinner invitation would be like giving up without a fight—an instant loss.

72 hours!

That was all the time he had left.

Once he made up his mind, Lin Yu replied,

"Sure, bringing a friend is no problem."

"Can I bring my apprentice too?"

(Mo Shangying: ???)

(Ye Mengfu: ???)

Maomao was stunned, her mouth hanging open. "You have an apprentice?"

Lin Yu shrugged. "I can’t let my skills die with me!"

In their line of work, especially at a certain level of expertise,

most of their time was spent holed up at home alone.

Maomao was shocked that Lin Yu even had time to teach an apprentice.

Had she misjudged his personality during their online battles?

Was he not the same kind of reclusive tech geek with a matching sleep schedule?

"Of course, it’s only fair if I bring a friend and you bring someone too."

On second thought, there really was no reason to refuse.

Lin Yu’s reasoning was simple.

He’d only gotten in touch with this "potential recruit" through Shangying’s connections.

He couldn’t just cut her out and meet Maomao alone.

How could he face Shangying afterward?

He wouldn’t even have a decent excuse.

Bringing Shangying along would not only help avoid exposure

but also keep her from questioning him later.

Across from them,

the Male Manager: "..."

Weren’t they supposed to be rivals?

Why did they seem to be getting along?

Ever since he’d sat down, the two had been chatting like he wasn’t even there.

As if his presence made no difference.

He’d come all the way from headquarters with an important mission.

Male Manager: "Should we... maybe start discussing work now?"

Lin Yu: "Sure."

Maomao: "Sure."

Male Manager: "..."

Weirdly in sync.

...

The Male Manager from 860 headquarters was undeniably skilled in his role.

He quickly analyzed the challenges facing 860 Cloud,

outlining exactly how ZerO and Maomao could help counter the high-frequency attacks.

This technical discussion was well within their expertise—

if they weren’t capable, they wouldn’t have been chosen in the first place.

The overseas attacks wouldn’t last forever.

860’s internal security team wasn’t incompetent either.

Given time to patch the system’s vulnerabilities,

they could fully resolve the crisis in as little as ten days, or at most a month.

As temporary "freelancers,"

ZerO and Maomao’s initial contract with 860 was set for two weeks.

If the issue was resolved within that time, the collaboration would end,

with generous bonuses for both.

During this "business negotiation,"

Lin Yu tapped into his middle-school-honed "professional skills"—

nodding attentively at the right intervals while maintaining a focused expression.

Meanwhile, his brain was busy with:

What should I eat tonight?

Should I squeeze more money out of my apprentice later?

What brand are Mengfu’s tarot cards?

What daily quests do I still have left?

Did I forget to use my free gacha pull?

When does the elementary school teacher get back from her summer trip?

Which street is the antique shop sister working at?

Is playing with fire on the stove reckless or just cooling off?

...

Anything unrelated to this dull business meeting was fair game for mental distraction.

After a grueling forty minutes,

they ceremoniously signed a contract.

When it came to writing their real names,

they both instinctively shielded their papers like top students guarding test answers.

Once the 860 meeting was wrapped up,

the system notification chimed again.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host! Emergency Quest "Debate on Formations" completed!]

[Substituted for the Formation Hall Elder in a profound discussion with a worldly expert—great insights gained!]

[Rewards: 300 Sect Contribution, 600 Spirit Stones, 1 free system shop gacha pull.]

Tsk tsk.

As expected, emergency quest rewards were far better than daily ones.

The generous payout left Lin Yu thoroughly pleased.

This wasn’t the right environment to focus on a gacha pull, though.

He needed to wrap things up here and find a quiet spot to spin the wheel.

The Male Manager knew the boundaries of business etiquette.

Once his duties were done, he didn’t linger for a second.

Maomao didn’t stick around to chat with Lin Yu either,

only reminding him that tomorrow’s dinner location would be sent via their usual online channel.

Ever cautious, Maomao didn’t leave through the café’s main entrance with Lin Yu.

Instead, she slipped out through a side street.

Lin Yu had no reason to follow or stop her.

If he wanted to lure the kitten into his apartment,

he couldn’t push too hard from the start.

...

Ten minutes later,

outside a budget hotel room.

Knock knock knock!

Knock knock knock!

"..."

Lin Yu had to rap several times before the door finally opened.

Seeing the tightly drawn curtains and the messy bed,

he grumbled,

"While I’m out there risking my life, you two are here getting a room? Really?"

Mo Shangying ignored his complaint,

grabbing his arm excitedly.

"Long live Master!"

"You played ZerO perfectly—that was Oscar-worthy acting today!"

"Seriously, if I’d been there without knowing, I’d have been completely fooled too."

Lin Yu straightened up proudly.

"Eh, it was nothing. Don’t act like you’ve never seen talent before."

"But..."

After a pause, he continued,

"The situation was complicated. At first, I turned down Maomao’s dinner invite."

"Then it hit me—wait, I’m ZerO right now. I’m representing you."

"Shangying, you know how I am..."

"So, weighing the pros and cons, thinking of the bigger picture, I had no choice but to accept as ZerO."

After this explanation,

the two girls exchanged glances, falling into brief silence.

Lin Yu: "Don’t believe me?"

Mo Shangying smirked. "Heh, of course I believe you, Master... Little Fufu, pay up."

Ye Mengfu pouted,

digging out fifty yuan from her pocket and handing it over.

Lin Yu: "......"