Chapter 187

Chapter 187

Watching Ji Xinghai choose the skill 'Raging Blood' without a moment's hesitation, the people at the Command Unit silently covered their faces.

Well, it was actually expected. Ji Xinghai has always been this kind of person and acted in this manner. If he weren't, he wouldn't have made it this far.

His current status wasn't achieved through steady and cautious steps but by leveraging rules and taking calculated risks.

"I believe he will make good use of this skill, but we need to be mindful of public opinion. After all, many people care more about their own gains than the greater good," said the Minister.

"…Maybe not necessary. The audience has already come up with reasons for Brother Hai."

Everyone turned to another screen, which displayed the comment section.

"I understand now. Brother Hai chose this skill to maximize the benefits of the three resurrection opportunities. From the information gathered so far, resurrection in this game doesn't reduce attributes or skills, so resurrection is essentially a safety net."

"Reasonable, got it."

"Indeed, as expected of Ji. The mission requirements didn't specify that resurrection opportunities must be preserved; they only care about ranking."

Considering the time ratio between the game world and the outside world is ten to one, everyone has been watching in fast-forward mode. Yet, they didn't miss any details of Ji Xinghai choosing his skill and quickly came up with all sorts of justifications for him.

True love, indeed true love.

The audience felt they understood everything and marveled at how Ji Xinghai always thought beyond the norm, walked paths no one else dared to tread, and won through unconventional means.

This adoration was so thick that even the Minister momentarily doubted himself: Could it be that he underestimated Ji Xinghai's choice of Raging Blood, thinking it was merely for excitement?

Seeing him lost in thought, the Minister's successfully mutated fat cat stood up and scratched him three times: "Meow." Wake up, two-legged creature.

The Minister snapped out of it and saw his cat pointing at the screen.

On the screen, Ji Xinghai selected his first piece of loot, a War Pet Crystal.

"Meow~" Look at him! Learn from him!

The Minister: ...

Having a pet that had mutated also had its downsides; it was too smart.

In the game world.

Four-star skill Raging Blood, four-star War Pet Crystal, three-star armor blueprint, three-star material Night Owl Feather, three-star material Night Owl Claw, and twenty-one free attribute points—this was the loot Ji Xinghai received this time.

"It's too much," he said.

"This is based on the mission contribution. Without you restraining the female Night Owl for ten minutes, there wouldn't have been only two severely injured."

Ji Xinghai still felt he had received too much. He mentally noted it and transferred seven hundred sixty contribution points to A-Jin. Her button bomb was worth three hundred eighty contribution points, and he insisted on repaying double.

A-Jin accepted it.

Then came the time for eating and drinking. The food, packed in insulated containers, was brought out one by one, filling the semi-enclosed private room with rich aromas.

The Special Operations Group consumed a lot and preferred high-calorie, high-protein foods. They didn't opt for light soups, so most dishes served were meat-based. Even though each portion was small, the variety ensured they could eat their fill.

Ji Xinghai quietly gnawed on an entire beef rib. The marinated rib was perfectly grilled, with myoglobin oozing out when bitten.

The texture was crispy on the outside and tender inside, truly a chef's masterpiece. But what he liked was the energy; in the virtual world, food only had taste.

He had no particular attachment to taste since his parents were often busy and rarely cooked, so the family usually ate out.

The steamed buns, dumplings, and beef potstickers from the breakfast shop downstairs…weren't they delicious and nutritious? And those restaurants catering to dual-income families also served home-style meals.

Of course, if he had a personal chef who took his orders daily, he would be very willing.

"Dad~"

Ji Xinghai lowered his head and placed a peeled tangerine on a small plate. The hotel provided thin-skinned, juicy, sweet, and refreshing seedless tangerines, which he could eat half in one bite.

Beside him, A-Jin watched in shock as he fed fruit to the black snake: Was the black snake a vegetarian? Unsure, she watched further.

Seeing Ji Xinghai take out the black snake and place it on the table, with both calling each other 'Dad' and 'Son,' they found it amusing and released their own war pets.

These war pets weren't all high-ranked. High-ranked war pets required a higher standard of environment and were expensive to maintain. Moreover, ordinary people couldn't afford to supply high-ranked war pets with the massive amounts of advanced war pet crystals needed for advancement.

"Actually, what suits you best is the best. The rank represents the level of their parents, not the limit of the war pet's evolution. Ji Hai's black snake is quite unique; even if you tried, you might not find another like it."

Not all war pets could speak. Bandai indicated that 'speaking' was a rare trait among war pets, so even though black snakes were common, speaking black snakes were one in a million.

As they spoke, the dish 'Braised Fresh' that Ji Xinghai ordered finally arrived.

The clay pot was placed on a tray, accompanied by a large spoon.

They saw the steaming white broth, dotted with star-like oil droplets, pale yellow bamboo shoots with a hint of green, red-brown lean ham slices distinct from the fatty parts, and ribs submerged in the rich soup. Green scallions, yellow ginger threads, and red goji berries adorned the dish, making it visually appealing.

Taking advantage of the perfect temperature, Ji Xinghai scooped half a bowl of soup and tasted it lightly. It was rich yet not greasy, fresh yet not floating. The aroma filled his nose, the taste lingered on his tongue, and the comfort reached his stomach, blending together harmoniously.

He squinted his eyes; if he had a tail, it would be swaying in an S-shape.

"Let me try." Seeing Ji Xinghai's expression, the others became curious and couldn't resist scooping half a bowl of soup.

They drank it in one gulp, smacking their lips, unable to find the right words. Lowering their heads, they scooped another large bowl of soup with ingredients. After a table full of heavy, salty, and sugary dishes, suddenly tasting such a delicious soup made their tongues cry out for another bowl.

"Young man, you know how to eat," they commented. Too light wasn't their preference, and their tongues accustomed to strong flavors didn't enjoy thin broths like water. This degree of richness was just right—removing the grease without losing flavor.

"Next time, let's have beef soup." Ji Xinghai said, holding his bowl.

"Is it good?"

"It's delicious."

Ji Xinghai described how delicious it was, making the team members drool and the audience outside feel their stomachs churn with hunger. They had already been hungry as dishes were served one by one, but in fast-forward mode, each dish disappeared quickly, leaving little room for reflection. Now, however, they were full and leisurely sipping soup, allowing the audience to see every detail of how they drank the soup, ate the meat and bamboo shoots, and even lifted the clay pots...

"Maybe we should have braised pork tonight?" they couldn't help thinking.

After the meal, it was free time. Ji Xinghai went to a substation and spent three thousand contribution points to upgrade his storage bracelet to a capacity of one thousand cubic meters. He then spent another eight hundred points to upgrade his map. Afterward, he sent all the materials and equipment blueprints he had collected to the students pursuing life skills careers.

As for other things, he planned to consult Sister Mei before making any purchases.

Sister Mei had been waiting for him. The items piled up in the warehouse were taking up space without being useful. If converted into contribution points, they could be used immediately or at least be available when needed. Their team, "Burnt Chestnuts," had been poor for too long.

"Come on, I'll take you to the warehouse."

Sister Mei teleported them to another city, and Ji Xinghai noticed she wore the same watch on her wrist, using up one of her teleportation slots. It seemed that formal Special Operations Group members could teleport three times a day, regardless of whether they were NPCs or students.

Their warehouse was located in a special industrial park. Sister Mei explained that all the warehouses here belonged to various teams or individuals. Due to the high rent, only influential figures or merchants could afford them.

"Aren't you guys considered influential figures yet?"

Sister Mei looked at him with an odd expression. "Do you think any of us can single-handedly defeat an A-class monster?"

Foolish child, not everyone can be called an influential figure.

"Such a high standard?" Ji Xinghai suddenly recalled the mecha he had seen once. "What about using a mecha? Can it defeat an A-class monster?"

"Mecha? Of course it can. However, the conditions for using a mecha are very high; all three attributes must exceed one hundred, which is the minimum requirement. To use it well, you'd need around three hundred attribute points. Do you have a need for this? Hmm... I suggest focusing on improving yourself first, ideally raising your attribute points above two hundred."

"I saw a mecha over a hundred meters tall once. During that encounter with a B-class monster, they fought for several minutes. That wasn't considered skilled?"

"Fighting a B-class monster with a mecha?" Sister Mei pondered for a moment. "I see. That guy didn't get the mecha himself; it was his sister's old one. His sister is quite the figure, able to defeat C-class monsters with one strike and B-class monsters with just two. Clearly, if someone lacks skill, even with a mecha, they won't be able to unleash its full potential."

Sister Mei knew many details and shared them with Ji Xinghai. Through her descriptions, a complex world slowly unfolded before him. Even within a Special Operations Group, it felt like a vast, mysterious forest, and they, the students, were still at the edge, picking up twigs and bullying small animals.

But many believed what they saw was everything.

Ji Xinghai had a hunch that this simulation world existed not just for their evaluation but rather that they were borrowing this space during their evaluations.

Regardless of their presence, this holographic world operated according to its own rules.

They walked and talked, soon arriving at a warehouse door. Sister Mei verified her identity, and Ji Xinghai watched her check her iris, fingerprints, and voiceprint. The metal door slowly dissolved to reveal an entrance.

"Come on, this entrance will close automatically in one minute."

Ji Xinghai followed her inside.

The modest-sized warehouse contained custom shelves filled with items packed in white plastic bags. Each bag had a label indicating the item's name and remaining durability. Used equipment couldn't revert to card form and was simply packaged and placed on the shelves.

Ji Xinghai picked up a few bags and found that none had less than 60% durability, indicating they were relatively new. Moreover, the items they selected as transitional gear were quite useful.

"What do you think?" Sister Mei waved her hand. "Take everything except what's on that shelf. Those are backup items that might still be needed."

Ji Xinghai took a look around. "How many in total?"

"Including large and small items, there are six hundred and three pieces, totaling fifty-seven thousand one hundred and ninety-one contribution points. Considering our colleague status, I'll waive the extra and make it fifty-seven thousand."

Sister Mei tapped on her calculator. "Will you pay directly or in installments? If in installments, the first payment is 30% within ten days, 40% within thirty days, and the final 40%. I believe you can manage, especially if your income remains similar to today."

"In installments," Ji Xinghai decided firmly.

"No problem, seventeen thousand one hundred, thank you for your patronage."

Seeing his contribution point balance halved, even Ji Xinghai, who didn't value money much, felt a pang of pain.

And this was already at a 20% discount; the original price would be even higher.

Once the transfer was confirmed, Sister Mei smiled brightly and asked, "Where should we send it? We offer forwarding services, but you'll need to cover the postage. I recommend the affordable option; for valuable items, the fee will be higher."

He agreed and quickly arranged for the collected equipment to be forwarded, along with the items obtained from defeating night owl cubs (too low-level to be of interest). The warehouse was now half-empty.

Turning around, Ji Xinghai saw Sister Mei open a large binder filled with unused skill cards, smiling like a lucky cat. "Young man, how about some one-discount skill cards?"

"..."

This time, it would really hurt.