Chapter 140: Friend-Making Groups

Chapter 140: Friend-Making Groups

Lu Xiaozhao bestowed upon Lu Yan an online name so down-to-earth it couldn't be more so, then deftly entered the friend-making square, haphazardly searching for a few group numbers and applying to join them one by one.

"Based on my experience," Lu Xiaozhao said, "as long as your ID name is flamboyant enough, eight out of ten groups won't reject your application to make friends. Then you can just privately chat with someone in there about online dating, get familiar over a few days, and start selling goods."

Clearly well-versed in this, Lu Xiaozhao patted his shoulder at the end. "Brother, remember, most of these group members know each other in private. One target per group is enough for you; trying to hook up with several simultaneously is likely to backfire."

Lu Yan asked, "What happens if it does?"

Lu Xiaozhao's face fell. "If it does, you'll be reported for fraud and your account will be banned. I've already had several banned."

Lu Yan was speechless.

Previously, the system had said that Lu Yan was a playboy who loved online dating, but he felt they must have been mistaken. Clearly, Lu Xiaozhao was the one who played the field without bounds.

Lu Yan slowly exhaled, forced to bow his head by circumstances. "Understood."

Though Lu Xiaozhao was a college student, he hadn't actually attended class in a long time. Poor people were busy earning every minute of their day, who would have the leisure to attend classes? Even sitting still had become a luxury. He left the apartment with his backpack full of fake gold watches to sell his goods. The door closed, and the room fell into complete silence.

Occasionally, cries of a baby could be heard from next door. In his memory, a poor couple lived there, and the sound of children crying filled the house all year round, yet he had never seen any children come out.

Lu Yan redirected his gaze back to the computer. It seemed Lu Xiaozhao's words rang true, as several groups actually accepted his friend request, and a flurry of messages popped up one after another.

"Woah, is it really true that the handsome Xiao Lu, who's 187 cm tall, warm-hearted, and has eight abs? Show us pictures! Show us pictures!"

"I don't care about your face, brother, I just want to see if you really have eight abs."

"Quickly show us pictures, or you'll be kicked out of the group!"

When Lu Xiaozhao joined groups, he specifically targeted those whose members were all male, gay dating groups. This way, even if Lu Yan was asked to voice chat or share photos, he wouldn't be exposed. However, he overlooked one thing: Lu Yan's height of 187 cm was real, and so were his eight abs. Only his warm-heartedness was fake.

Seeing the group messages, Lu Yan hadn't decided whether to take a photo when, within moments, two groups had already kicked him out.

"Ding! You have been kicked out of the group chat!"

"Ding! You have been kicked out of the group chat!"

Lu Yan cursed silently.

Lu Yan focused on the remaining two groups. One was called "Wandering Everywhere." Its members stirred slightly due to Lu Yan's addition, but they didn't resort to extreme actions like kicking him out for not showing pictures. As for the other group...

The other group didn't even have a name, only a peculiar symbol of a black crescent moon. There were roughly thirty members, and the atmosphere was eerily quiet. Lu Yan felt like an intruder who had mistakenly wandered in – which was indeed the case.

At times, he suspected he had stumbled into some sort of pyramid scheme.

Unlike the Devil City's desolation, Sky City took the opposite extreme of opulence. By dawn, Xing Yuan and the others were still immersed in the nightlife, playing billiards overnight in a private lounge. The crisp sounds of billiard cues colliding echoed incessantly.

Yan Feng was the first to notice the new addition to the group. During a break, he took a drink from a server and nudged Luoyang, who was aiming at a ball. "Hey, why is there suddenly someone new in the group? Is he a relative of yours?"

This group was created by Luoyang, and its members were some of the psychics in Sky City. They usually met up to hunt together in Devil City at night when bored, hardly chatting or allowing outsiders in.

Luoyang casually replied, "I don't know him. I let him in because I found his nickname interesting."

Yan Feng frowned disapprovingly. "How could you let strangers in so easily?"

Luoyang's tone was full of resentment. "This group is for me to make friends, not some confidential organization. If it weren't for Xing Yuan organizing night hunts and crushing everyone until they dare not speak, would it be so quiet all the time?"

Xing Yuan, holding his cue stick, leaned over to aim at a tricky angle on the table. The bottom of his black training uniform slipped down, revealing a lean waist. His eyes narrowed as he struck the ball with precise force, watching as two balls collided and fell into the pocket. Only then did he straighten up and ask, "Making friends? Are there people here you don't know?"

He was completely oblivious to Luoyang's resentment.

Luoyang chuckled. "You wouldn't understand. Online chatting and meeting in person are entirely different experiences... Never mind, you've never chatted online, so you wouldn't get it."

After saying this, he stretched and patted Xing Yuan's shoulder. "I'm going back to sleep now. You should go back early too. Don't be so energetic."

There were at least a thousand psychics in Sky City, but Xing Yuan was the only unique lightning-type, renowned for his extremely destructive power. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was in high demand, yet this man was very picky. No one caught his eye, and he remained free of romantic rumors.

Luoyang claimed he was going home to sleep, but no one had actually seen him do so. During a break, Xing Yuan glanced at the group messages and noticed Luoyang was flirting with the new member.

Luoyang's approach to flirting was always straightforward and crude, yet it was always effective. He directly sent a 72-hour credit red envelope in the group, equivalent to three days of life given away for free. Few could resist such temptation:

"Welcome to the group, little brother. How old are you this year?"

Luoyang's tone was akin to a child trafficker coaxing a kid. Since being forced to meet Big Fat Fish yesterday, Lu Yan now had psychological trauma from hearing the word "little brother." His fingertips hovered over the keyboard, wondering if Luoyang might also be a wanderer. Finally, he typed a brief response: [21.]

His rather indifferent reply contrasted sharply with his ID name. There was no sign of 187 cm, no indication of eight abs, and certainly no warmth or friendliness. He didn't even claim the red envelope.

Luoyang was amused, thinking how aloof Lu Yan was. He continued to press, "Since I'm older than you, calling you little brother isn't taking advantage. Do you have a partner, little brother?"

Lu Yan's response this time was even simpler: "No."

Luoyang continued to chat with him, using all sorts of tactics, but Lu Yan simply wouldn't engage. It left Luoyang feeling quite frustrated. In the end, he lost his temper. "Little brother, what did you come to the group for?"

Lu Yan seriously typed a line: "To find a partner."

Then he proceeded to sell his fake gold watches.

Luoyang laughed. "Then look for me, big brother. I'm single, but you have to show me pictures first, so I can see if you really have eight abs."

Lu Yan was browsing the list of group members, contemplating whom to add as a friend to sell his fake watches. Seeing Luoyang's message, he took a moment to respond. "No, I can only show them to my partner."

Luoyang's mouth twitched, struggling to come up with a retort. "You're quite protective of your morals."

Lu Yan replied, "Absolutely necessary. Basic operation."

Seeing this message, Xing Yuan gave it a rare second glance. He wasn't interested in the new member, but he found the sentiment agreeable. Who would send private photos to strangers right after joining a group? Only Luoyang had a preference for that type.

Lu Yan: "I'd be a dog if I lied to you."

Luoyang retorted, "Your profile picture is already a dog."

Lu Yan glanced at his profile picture, which was an anime red fox basking in the sun with its head up. Perhaps due to the angle, it did resemble a dog somewhat: "I won't argue with you. Go see an ophthalmologist first."

Luoyang was so infuriated that he was about to unleash a keyboard war when Yan Feng suddenly messaged him privately in the small group: "I just checked his IP address. He's located in Devil City. He's probably an internet scammer who accidentally stumbled into our group. Don't reveal too much information; just kick him out."

Only those who had personally experienced life in Devil City knew how unbearable it could be. Unlike the residents of Sky City, who possessed superpowers and equipment to hunt wanderers for life supplies, time was constantly depleting there. Countless people died almost every day, and job opportunities were scarce. Out of ten people, eight were unemployed at home.

In Devil City, the most numerous were the poor, followed closely by internet fraudsters. They specifically targeted the wealthy in Sky City to swindle them. If they encountered someone like Luoyang, who casually tossed out 72-hour time division red packets, they would make a fortune.

Upon hearing this, Luoyang became instantly excited: "Brother Yan, you're amazing! You can even find that out. Can you check if he really has eight abs?"

Yan Feng was speechless: "He's already being so obvious with his scam. Why bother checking? Kick him out quickly before he causes trouble in the group."

Xing Yuan, who had been lurking all along, surprisingly sent a message. Even through the screen, one could sense the faint sarcasm in his tone: "It's not exactly a proper group anyway. Are you afraid of a little disruption?"

Luoyang was unashamed but rather proud: "Exactly. It's just a dating group. Kicking him out would make it seem like I'm retaliating because I couldn't handle him. That would be so petty."

Despite saying that, after realizing that Lu Yan might be an internet scammer, Luoyang didn't engage with him anymore. The group fell silent once again.

Xing Yuan didn't check the group messages anymore. He left his cue stick on the table and flew straight back home. The sunlight in Sky City was particularly blinding. Those familiar with Xing Yuan knew that he liked to sleep at home during the day and only came out at night, a true nocturnal creature.

The black, white, and gray tones of the room inadvertently revealed the coldness of its owner. After taking a shower, Xing Yuan emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a white towel around his waist. Water droplets trickled down his chest onto his abdomen. His well-trained physique was as beautiful as a merman's, but those dark eyes always seemed to harbor an indelible bloodthirsty intent, akin to a wanderer's desire for prey.

Xing Yuan pulled back the covers and slipped inside, closing his eyes contentedly. It was evident that he was now exceptionally relaxed. The smooth silk sheets clung to his skin, outlining his slender figure. However, upon closer inspection, his legs had somehow transformed into a swirling mass of black mist, lazily emerging from under the covers, swinging back and forth.

If Lu Yan were here, he would surely recognize this black mist as the aura of a wanderer, capable of condensing into human form—a clear sign of a high-level boss monster.

Xing Yuan was about to fall asleep when his phone, placed beside his pillow, suddenly rang. He picked it up casually, expecting another message from the talkative Luoyang, only to discover it was a friend request.

"Ding! Passionate, cheerful, and handsome Xiao Lu with eight abs has sent you a friend request!"

Xing Yuan raised his eyebrows slowly: "…?"

Lu Yan had never forgotten his mission to sell goods in the group. He had been selecting targets among the group members. Luoyang was definitely out of the question. This person appeared easy-going with a smile, but in reality, he was as slippery as an eel—probably not easy to deceive. After much deliberation, he chose Xing Yuan, whose profile picture was a black fox, and directly sent him a friend request.

They both had foxes as their profile pictures. They should have plenty of common topics to discuss?