Chapter 110: Five Senses (Combined)

Chen Shijin was not at all surprised by Le Feng's appearance in this world.

What puzzled him was how this guy seemed to thrive in every world he found himself in, no matter how harsh or restrictive the environment. Le Feng always managed to seek amusement according to his own will.

But upon deeper reflection and considering the most implausible possibility, everything fell into place.

"Hmm? Sweet Gold, why are you looking at me like that? Is it because I don't look cool enough today?"

Chen Shijin chuckled. "Who would dare say you're not handsome, given your existence?"

Le Feng laughed. "That's right. Anyone who dared say I'm not handsome has either been eaten by various monsters or met an untimely death. They just lacked vision."

Chen Shijin raised an eyebrow.

"So, shall we eat then?"

At that moment, a staff member called out loudly, "We don't have a rule here where we pay halfway through work! If someone is treating you to a meal, hurry up and go! You'll only get your wages after completing all tasks tonight!"

Chen Shi Jin was a model employee, truly abiding by company rules to the letter.

However, the entire morning of entertaining with conversation, smiles, and posing had thoroughly drained both his physical and mental energy. He genuinely felt exhausted and famished. Thus, when a free feast was presented to him, he saw no reason to decline.

"What do you want to eat?"

Le Feng coolly snapped his fingers. "Anything you desire."

They proceeded straight to the 39th floor of the mall, where a revolving restaurant resided on the rooftop. The restaurant specialized in high-end seafood dishes, but it also offered a variety of renowned cuisines from both within and outside the country.

Chen Jin was genuinely determined to indulge in a hearty meal without any reservations.

However, when all the dishes were served, he fell silent. For the first time, he earnestly cursed the damned Big-Eyed Monster and Spider Demon in his heart—

Because red and green were inverted in his eyes, the green leafy vegetables before him now appeared as glaringly bright red, while the meats he had been looking forward to, such as tuna, king crab, sweet shrimp, and premium wagyu beef, all seemed to be drenched in green.

Had anyone ever seen a pure green king crab? The color lent an inexplicable melancholy to the species.

And the vividly green, marbled wagyu beef looked utterly nauseating.

Chen Shijin: "..."

Damn this world.

"Customer? Is there a problem? Our seafood is freshly caught and air-shipped immediately, ensuring both taste and quality. You'll know once you try it!"

The waiter, alarmed by Chen Shijin's constipated expression, knew he had to treat this esteemed guest with utmost respect.

Chen Shijin sighed but eventually closed his eyes and continued eating.

Nothing could deter him from his mission. Even though the appearance was peculiar, as long as it tasted delicious, that was all that mattered.

After all, he only needed to fill his stomach; he didn't need to be so picky.

However, halfway through his meal, something even worse happened. Chen Shijin unintentionally opened his eyes to find that the green meat and red vegetables in his vision had turned dull. Initially, they were less vibrant, but after he finished his second bowl of rice, all colors vanished from his sight.

Chen Shijin slowly put down his utensils.

Le Feng's cheerful voice echoed nearby, "Sweet Gold, they say the ice cream here is delicious. Let's each have ten scoops!"

Those around him might not have noticed his oddity, or perhaps they did but simply chose to ignore it. However, Chen Shijin, gazing at the dim world, couldn't deny that his mood had been severely affected. More importantly, he found himself struggling to see distant objects clearly, which left him speechless.

This was only natural.

In a world where one could manipulate the senses, how could it be limited to merely confusing red and green for him?

Chen Shijin was certain that eventually, he might lose his sight altogether, becoming completely blind.

"Sweet Gold," Le Feng's voice deepened slightly.

"Do you want some ice cream?"

Before Chen Shijin could respond, he continued, "Do you need my help?"

I'll give it to you if you do.

This world was one crafted with all the might of the Deity of Senses and the All-Seeing Eye, a realm bent on his destruction at any cost.

Should one venture alone, they would confront unspeakable hazards and suffering.

Le Feng propped himself on the table with one hand, gazing intently at the youth whose eyes had lost their luster.

He regarded everything in this world as mere playthings, deserving of contempt and loathing.

Yet, he sensed that this person before him was distinct from those disposable scraps. He possessed vivid hues and a sweet aroma, along with something indescribable that surfaced occasionally...

When these unique qualities combined, they stirred within him a feeling he identified as "attachment."

It must be attachment, right?

Attachment that prevented him from letting him die easily, thus hindering the trash spider's assault.

Attachment that made him intervene time and again to foil the Evolutionary God's deadly strikes against the bloodied, yet resilient warrior.

If someone else were as troublesome and persistently courting death, he would likely roll his eyes and watch them go without intervention.

Yet, each time he observed, he couldn't remain indifferent; it was truly an infuriating yet... somewhat delightful matter.

After all, no one else could shine as brightly as his Sweet Gold in a dazzling counterattack at the end.

But his reluctance seemed to have escalated, or perhaps transformed into some other emotion that he couldn't quite identify yet.

For now, he couldn't even bear to see him go hungry, longing to treat him to delicious food and witness his contented smile.

When he didn't smile, he unexpectedly felt a sense of loss and displeasure.

Thus, Le Feng uttered words he had never spoken to anyone before, carrying unimaginable power within them.

"Would you like my assistance?"

If you need it, I'll give it to you.

And then, you will belong to me.

In that moment, Le Feng's handsome, wild, and perfect face suddenly became indistinct.

It wasn't due to deteriorating vision, but rather because he was now an overwhelming power that the entire world found hard to bear, akin to a deity.

The question was asked with remarkable calmness, as if inquiring whether one would like an ice cream or not.

Yet, Chen Shijin fell into a prolonged silence, so much so that the surrounding environment seemed to quieten down around him.

"I couldn't possibly finish ten ice creams. Let's start with two," Le Feng narrowed his eyes slowly.

The smile that had returned to the youth's face aligned perfectly.

"As for help, just treat me to a meal. For the rest, one should handle their own affairs."

This was a rejection.

Ah.

Blatant rejection!

For a fleeting moment, the waiter standing by felt an icy chill run down their spine, an irresistible urge to scream and shiver overwhelming them.

But that sensation vanished abruptly as the handsome youth gracefully stuffed a piece of beef with a crunchy bone into the tycoon's mouth.

Le Feng chomped on the beef with a satisfying crackle, as if he were biting down on someone who dared reject his initiative in conversation.

"Huh. Huhu."

No worries, he wasn't angry.

He would simply watch this guy dig his own grave, then ask him, condescendingly, if he wanted help when he was howling in agony, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Or perhaps he'd wait until the fellow died, trapping his soul to make him his eternal possession.

In the end, all roads led to Rome; whatever caught his eye would eventually belong to him.

It was a rare sight for Chen Shijin to see Le Feng so visibly infuriated, and he couldn't help but find it amusing as he watched on.

Before Le Feng could lose his temper, Chen Shijin intervened with a diplomatic remark, "Of course, your assistance would be invaluable, but you can't be by my side all the time. I can't constantly rely on your help."

"Take care of your own affairs."

"Shoulder your own responsibilities."

"Settle your own scores with enemies."

Chen Jin finished his last spoon of ice cream contentedly, summarizing, "This is how it should be."

"My mother taught me never to rely on others for hope."

"Never lose control of your own destiny."

Only then am I truly myself.

Not belonging to anyone, free and strong.

Le Feng scoffed.

"Heh heh."

Empty talk is easy; he had encountered his fair share of reckless individuals.

Chen Shijin understood the hidden meaning behind Le's chuckle and rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. At least now I have a fighting chance, don't I?"

"If the opponent truly lacks martial ethics or if it comes down to the most crucial moment, I'll remember your great kindness if you lend me a hand."

Le Feng tilted his chin up, squinting at him, then proceeded to settle the bill and prepare to leave in a domineering manner.

Rarely, Chen Shijin found himself worried if the guy was upset. Just as Le was about to exit, he suddenly chuckled, "A great kindness should be repaid with one's own body."

Chen Shijin: "?!?!"

Who said that a great kindness should be repaid with one's body? Can't it be repaid with gratitude in one's heart or by returning a favor in the future?

Nonetheless, the domineering Le Feng who had treated them to lunch left with arrogance. Chen Shijin still had half of his flyers to distribute before 5 pm.

It was nearly 2 pm, leaving him with three hours.

Chen Shijin counted the remaining flyers. He had 185 flyers for women and 166 for men left to distribute.

At the rate he was going this morning, he was certain to finish his flyer distribution task ahead of schedule in the afternoon.

But now, his vision was deteriorating, and he risked losing it altogether. Under these circumstances, where he could only distinguish males from females based on the text on the flyers, the likelihood of him handing out the wrong ones would significantly increase.

After some thought, Chen Shi Jin sat down in the restaurant and spent fifteen minutes meticulously examining the remaining flyers one by one.

Sure enough, he identified five flyers that were incorrectly sorted. Three male flyers were mixed among the female ones, and two female flyers were tucked within the fitness flyers.

Previously, he could easily differentiate them by color, but now, he had to rely solely on the content.

If he didn't inspect them now, he might not even be able to read the content clearly in the afternoon.

It was truly excessive, cunningly so.

Amidst the astonishment of the female server who had been standing guard, Chen Shi Jin divided the flyers into two piles. He securely tucked one portion into the right side of his pants, fastening it tightly with his belt. Then, he buttoned up his shirt, put on his coat, and carried the other half in his arms.

"Sir, um, we can provide you with a tote bag."

Chen Shijin waved his hand. "No need, it's not safe to carry it in a bag. I'll put it in my waistband. I don't believe anyone can sneakily tamper with it or switch it!"

Then he took out the flyer for an all-female massage parlor from his chest pocket and handed it to the female server. "Here, beauty, you must be tired after a day of work. Why not treat yourself to a 15 yuan massage after your shift? You won't regret it, and you can pass some flyers to your colleagues too. That way, we support each other's businesses."

The female server: "..." As a server at a five-star restaurant, what could she do? She could only accept with a smile.

After finishing his meal at the top-notch restaurant, Chen Shijin returned to the ground floor to distribute flyers.

As expected, while distributing the flyers, his vision became increasingly blurry. Not only had he completely lost the ability to distinguish colors, but everything appeared in shades of black and white. Most importantly, his eyesight worsened by about 100 degrees every half hour.

At two o'clock, he could still easily tell if someone approaching was male or female. But by four o'clock, after finishing all the flyers for women and focusing on men, he found it difficult to discern the gender of someone three meters away.

Especially when the person walking over had a somewhat androgynous appearance and hairstyle, he could only confirm their gender when they were right in front of him.

This significantly slowed down his pace of distributing flyers.

By four-thirty, he still had fifty flyers for the male gym left.

Chen Shijin pressed his temples, feeling an indescribable exhaustion and rare irritability.

Fortunately, there were still fifty flyers to distribute, but he'd have to quicken his pace.

Fortunately, a group of what appeared to be athletes approached. They were tall, and their attire and vague facial features suggested they were all males.

One of the players even stepped forward, smiling, "Bro, what kind of flyers are you handing out? Let me take a look."

Listening to the man's robust voice, Chen Shijin studied his face and Adam's apple before smiling and passing him the flyer.

"It's an advertisement for a gym, with beautiful trainers providing professional guidance. It's a rare opportunity, guys. You can also show off your muscles there."

"Wow," the player whistled, eagerly examining the flyer.

The dozen or so others who followed behind also approached with curious expressions, reaching out for their own flyers.

"Hey, buddy, give me one!"

"Me too, me too! Let me have a look!"

"Are there really beautiful trainers? Can she help me with my back workout?"

Thus, a dozen hands swiftly reached out towards him, with some impatient souls even snatching the flyers from his grasp.

Chen Shi Jin held onto the flyers tightly, not allowing any hand to snatch them without first clearly identifying their owners' faces before passing them out one by one.

As he held onto the basketball player's hands, examining both their upper and lower bodies, he indeed spotted among the group of male players, a tall girl dressed in the same style as the males, but with distinct female features.

She too was reaching out her hand at that moment. Her knuckles were prominent, and her hand was even larger than Chen Shi Jin's, yet she had no Adam's apple, no bulge below, and though her middle area wasn't overly obvious, it was certainly not flat like a plain.

She then gave him a malicious smile, but the next second, she wore a regretful expression as if she had been discovered.

Chen Shi Jin expressionlessly took her hand and pulled her aside. "Good girl, don't go to a gym designed for men. You can head to the massage parlor on the twelfth floor."

"Oh, okay. Actually, I was quite interested in checking out the gym."

"Though it's fine if you don't."

And with that, she followed her thirteen brothers away.

Thirteen flyers instantly vanished from Chen Shi Jin's hands.

There were twenty minutes left until five.

Chen Shijin pondered and walked toward the intersection, deliberately distributing flyers only when pedestrians paused.

With his warm smile and the naturally high NPC soul affinity, he managed to hand out flyers at an accelerated pace.

By 4:55, he was left with just two flyers in his hands.

He needed to give one more person the flyer.

Chen Shijin headed towards the mall, holding the flyers.

Suddenly, a lady snatched the flyers from his hand. "Young man! What kind of flyers are these? Why are you only giving them to young men and uncles? Why are you discriminating against aunties like me? Let me take a look at what's on this flyer!"

Looking up, Chen Shijin saw the obstinate expression on the lady who held onto his flyers. He knew right away that reasoning with her would be futile.

Chen Shijin exhaled.

"Auntie, look over there! That uncle is entangled with a beautiful curly-haired auntie!"

In an instant, the expression of the elderly woman holding Cheng Shijin's flyers transformed drastically. Her aura surged like a fierce tiger, and she swiftly scanned the crowd with a turn of her head. The moment her fingers relaxed, Cheng Shijin seized the opportunity to snatch the flyer and dart away at lightning speed.

At precisely 4:58, he finally stood before the staff member.

The staff member frowned at the two flyers remaining in his hand, "You still have two left! You won't get paid if you don't finish distributing them all—"

Before he could finish, Cheng Shijin stuffed a flyer into the staff member's hand and another into his own, wearing a smile.

"I've finished. Both of us are genuine men, not pretenders, right?"

Staff: "..."

Well played, indeed.

Reluctantly, the staff handed Chen Shijin the hundred yuan bill.

As Chen Shijin received the money, his vision had deteriorated to such an extent that he could barely discern the numbers on the bill unless he held it inches away from his eyes – a severe case of nearsightedness.

Chen Shijin rubbed his temples, estimating that his myopia had surpassed a thousand degrees.

And this might not even be the final outcome.

Truly, what a terrible world.

Well, at least he had enough money to buy food for two or three days. He should head to the supermarket and grab some instant noodles first.

He recalled that there was a large supermarket in this mall. As Chen Shijin couldn't help but squint his eyes while walking into the mall, he suddenly heard a scream from above him:

"Get out of the way!"

Chen Shijin looked up, vaguely seeing something falling from the sky.

However, he couldn't clearly see what it was or its position, which seemed to be just a few steps diagonally in front of him, quite close by.

At this crucial moment, he swiftly closed his eyes, allowing all the surrounding sounds to enter his ears.

There was a faint sound of wind breaking through the air above him, and as that sound reached its peak along with the screams and cries around him, he quickly stepped to his left.

Bang!

A cactus pot crashed precisely where he had just been standing.

Chen Shijin opened his eyes, his expression unreadable.

In truth, he didn't need to look; his subconscious mind could already predict the pot's trajectory to his head. All he needed was to listen to the approaching sound, sense the mounting pressure and danger, and take a step in any direction at the last moment.

Suddenly, Chen Shijin noticed that the screams, gasps, and comforting voices around his ears, which were initially somewhat noisy, had become less distinct and quieter.

After sight, comes hearing?