Chapter 50: The Fiftieth Cup

Chapter 50: The Fiftieth Cup

Today, He Wuning and Yi Luo were both in the safe zone.

Against their will.

They stood in front of the service hall entrance. He Wuning looked utterly bored, while Yi Luo managed to keep a smile on his face, albeit with a hint of amusement as if watching a play. Xue Xun, wearing an official smile, stood beside them and nudged them gently with his elbow, whispering, "Smile, it's time for the photo."

He Wuning barely curled his lips in response, while Yi Luo's smile grew wider as he turned to He Wuning and said, "Here they come."

He Wuning glanced to the side and saw the old man, whose face seemed to exude "glamour," walking up to him and shaking his hand enthusiastically. "You must be Xiao He!"

He Wuning merely lifted his lips slightly in acknowledgment as the old man continued, "I've heard all about you. Impressive, young hero!"

The old man smiled skillfully at the camera, embodying the demeanor of an exemplary entrepreneur.

Scenes like this were common for He Wuning before entering the game, but he never expected to encounter them within the game. For a moment, besides feeling annoyed, he also felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

He glanced sideways at the "enthusiastic entrepreneur" and wondered what else he had planned. Xue Xun's face was numb from smiling, his worried gaze constantly drifting towards He Wuning, fearing that he might lose his temper and walk away.

He Wuning was surprisingly cooperative, not letting down Xue Xun's repeated reminders.

Mr. Zheng, the "enthusiastic entrepreneur," was in A City on business when he got trapped here. His company wasn't small, and his children took the opportunity to show their loyalty by sending supplies and pleading on forums, "Please take care of my father."

While they used the official channels to send supplies to Mr. Zheng, they also donated generously to the officials. Even though there were suspicions of family power struggles, the officials mostly turned a blind eye.

This time, He Wuning and Yi Luo were forced to be here because Mr. Zheng wanted to donate "fragments."

The news of the officials collecting mysterious fragments was public knowledge, posted openly on the bulletin board, but most people didn't know what they were.

Xue Xun found out through inquiries that Mr. Zheng had recruited some skilled players using his resources and formed a team. He collected items dropped in dungeons using these resources, and the fragment was likely one of those items he had gathered to fill his warehouse, unexpectedly finding it useful.

Mr. Zheng, a seasoned businessman, quickly realized from the officials' attitude that this fragment was not only valuable but rare.

He didn't ask for much, just a video record to prove he had contributed something to the world. He specifically requested that He Wuning, who had recently gained popularity on the forums, be present.

The officials agreed, seeing the potential for positive publicity by posting the video online.

He Wuning remembered Xue Xun telling him, "This person genuinely means no harm; he's always been involved in charity work outside the game. He just loves being in the spotlight."

Given Xue Xun's reputation as a human lie detector, He Wuning believed him.

He cooperated throughout the process, finally reaching the last step—the delivery of the fragment.

Mr. Zheng touched the fragment, and He Wuning thought he was about to hand it over. Instead, he turned and called over a young girl who looked like a student, around eighteen or nineteen, poised and graceful. Mr. Zheng placed the fragment in her hands.

He introduced her with a smile, "This is my granddaughter, Zheng Xianyue. Xiao He, you're around the same age; you should get to know each other."

He Wuning: "..."

Wait, something seems off.

Zheng Xianyue approached with the fragment, Mr. Zheng smiling broadly, one hand holding his granddaughter's, the other pulling He Wuning to place his hand on the fragment. It didn't look like a formal transfer of resources but more like passing down a family heirloom.

He Wuning's hair stood on end. He instinctively tried to back away, but Yi Luo curiously peeked from behind him, took the fragment, and weighed it in his hand. "Hey, this isn't heavy at all? Do we need three people to carry it?"

"Stop causing trouble!" Xue Xun rolled his eyes, seemingly pushing Yi Luo away but actually handing the fragment to him, averting a potential meltdown from He Wuning.

"Oh..." Zheng Xianyue looked at him taking the fragment, glancing at her grandfather.

Mr. Zheng's expression remained unchanged. He smiled at Yi Luo, "Ah, I know you. You must be Xiao Yi, another young hero. Everyone should get to know each other, ha ha ha."

Xue Xun breathed a sigh of relief, joining in the laughter to smooth things over.

After a brief exchange, He Wuning finally escaped, darting away like a rabbit. Mr. Zheng, who had hoped his granddaughter would chat with him, was left empty-handed.

He Wuning ducked into a corner, adjusting his collar uncomfortably, and sighed deeply.

Yi Luo teased him, "Oh, here comes the precious son-in-law?"

He Wuning approached and kicked him, his face darkening, "Get lost."

Yi Luo laughed uncontrollably, "I can't believe it. At this point, our fellow countrymen still think about matchmaking. What are these old folks thinking?"

Q chuckled, "You're jealous!"

Yi Luo tapped his head lightly, "You're asking for it."

Xue Xun peeked from the alley, relieved, "There you two are."

"Yeah, done?" Yi Luo called out to him.

"Done. I really didn't expect you to hold out until the end. I was afraid you'd lose your temper." Xue Xun tossed the fragment over, "Here, take it. How's the amphibious milk tea cart coming along? How much more do you need?"

He Wuning remained silent, feeling that Mr. Zheng's need for recognition reminded him of his mother. He reluctantly cooperated.

Looking at the fragment in his hand, it was 5%.

"We still need 3%."

If it weren't for the fact that they were nearing level 20 and needed to venture into the ocean area, He Wuning wouldn't have attended such a request for a fragment.

Xue Xun read his unspoken thoughts and chuckled, "Don't worry, this is the last time. If he tries to contact you again, I'll handle it."

"Of course," he half-joked, "unless you're interested in his granddaughter. Then I wouldn't want to interfere with a potential match."

He Wuning hadn’t even reacted yet when Yi Luo already raised his eyebrows.

He Wuning didn’t even lift an eyelid: "Not interested."

Yi Luo leaned lazily back against the wall again: "Besides, that little girl is still of school age. It might even be considered puppy love."

"Furthermore—" he drew out his tone, adopting the manner of a fortune-teller who could predict relationships, "I don't think you two match."

He Wuning glanced at him but didn’t respond.

It was Xue Xun who asked with interest: "Oh? Then what kind of person do you think would suit him?"

Yi Luo had been waiting for someone to ask. He became excited and extended one finger: "First, they need to have enough strength to go on adventures with him and come back unscathed."

Xue Xun nodded: "That makes sense."

Yi Luo extended two fingers: "Second, they must like him and take the initiative. Look at this stubborn mule who’s all about saving face; it’s unlikely he’d ever confess his feelings."

Xue Xun laughed: "That's true."

"Third..." Yi Luo looked at He Wuning with a smile, "let's keep that a secret for now."

He Wuning, listening to their back-and-forth like a comedy routine, snorted: "Can't think of anything else, can you?"

He turned away, "Where in the world would such a person exist?"

Yi Luo chuckled, and He Wuning looked disgusted: "If you dare say it’s yourself, I’ll stab you."

Yi Luo opened his mouth but closed it again, clearing his throat.

He Wuning frowned: "What are you doing?"

Yi Luo smiled brightly: "Just making my presence known."

Xue Xun watched them, both amused and exasperated: "Alright, stop fooling around. There’s something else. Brother He, about this..."

"Ahem, this is also about your real name."

He Wuning remained expressionless. He glanced at Yi Luo, who nervously shifted his gaze elsewhere.

Xue Xun spoke up: "Previously, there was a Ms. He who has been donating supplies to us and asked us to help find two children, one named He Anan and another named He Ningning..."

He Wuning raised an eyebrow, and Yi Luo curiously asked: "Ms. He?"

"Yeah, my mom," He Wuning nodded.

Both he and his brother took their mother’s surname. His father had married into the family, reportedly a gentle and handsome young man who caught Ms. He’s eye and was pursued enthusiastically. However, after marriage, Ms. He’s bad temper persisted, eventually leading to their separation.

Xue Xun sighed in relief: "We never found anyone matching the description before. He Ningning was always listed as missing. We didn’t expect you had changed your name... Now we can finally give her some closure and let you know."

He Wuning furrowed his brow, suddenly alert: "Wait, make sure she doesn’t get involved! Tell her not to come in here!"

"Huh?" Xue Xun was taken aback, "She never mentioned wanting to come in before..."

"She’s impulsive. Keep an eye on her!" He Wuning thought about the potential chaos if she entered the game and quickly instructed Xue Xun, "She spends her days in an office with air conditioning and complains about walking in heels. She’d only cause trouble if she came in. Don’t give her the chance!"

Xue Xun was stunned. They had no reason to bring civilians into the game, but if someone volunteered, it would be hard to refuse...

He reluctantly agreed and then asked: "What if she asks how you’re doing in here?"

"Just tell her I’m well-behaved and never wander around," He Wuning said without emotion, "Whatever you do, don’t mention that the He Wuning on the forum is me."

Xue Xun: "..."

What a big lie.

Yi Luo couldn’t help but chuckle.

Author's note: Ms. He: Ahchoo—I sneezed; my son must be thinking of me.

This chapter is an extra update due to reaching 3k nutrient fluid.

Thank you to those who voted for me or provided nutrient fluid from 23:01 on August 30, 2021, to 02:01 on August 31, 2021.

Thank you to the little angels who left mines: Chachazi (2).

Thank you to the little angels who provided nutrient fluid: Tianertf, Gu Jiuxi, and Temperamental Me (1 bottle each).

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!