"By the way, shouldn't we settle our bet?"

Zhou You raised an eyebrow, put on his headset with Shao Qi, and logged into the game. After being absent for three days, the leaderboard had changed. The new champion was a familiar face, Tang Lian, who had once again claimed the top spot.

Zhou You briefly checked the forum, finding a thread detailing Tang Lian's recent activities. Tang Lian had been solo grinding, making a steady rise, and soon enough, he was at the top again. The second spot was occupied by Cheng Yuran.

Shao Qi compared the scores of both their teams from the day they made the bet and realized he had lost by a slim margin.

He sighed regretfully, "What a pity. Looks like we won't be claiming that reward."

Zhou You glanced at him, "Here's my condition: reclaim the top spot within the day."

Shao Qi laughed, "You're surprisingly competitive. Fine, just the two of us. I guarantee we'll knock Tang Jiu off the top. Want to revisit that place I went to? There's a cave with a powerful creature inside, likely one of the top ten threats. We're no match for it right now."

"Why go there if we stand no chance? We still haven’t dealt with that mutated tiger from last time."

"That's nothing. Given our recent progress, I think we can level up again the next time we're out with the team. Hunting a mutated tiger shouldn't be too hard."

"Let's go, don't waste any more time. Any place will do for today. If I remember correctly, today is the last day of the month. The ranking competition resumes tomorrow. We can't let Tang Jiu get ahead." As soon as Zhou You and his companion entered, the news spread quickly among the surrounding people. They remained unaware, but soon after, experts from various sects came in, some wanting to get acquainted, and others hoping to measure their skills against them.

There are rules in the game, but competing within the game has also become a popular way to settle scores. Especially since fights and brawls are prohibited within the base and will result in the city guard's intervention. Those with disputes opt for in-game duels. There are dedicated dueling arenas where life-and-death contracts can be signed. Once signed, the duel won't end unless one party dies.

Zhou You and Shao Qi used a teleportation charm to randomly transport themselves to an unknown location, eluding even those who might want to track them.

"It seems our outings will draw a crowd from now on."

Zhou You isn't concerned. His specialty is blending seamlessly into crowds. As for Shao Qi, the fact that he has managed to keep his true identity hidden suggests he's an expert at concealment.

And with this heavy snowfall, who would want to go outside anyway?

Three hours isn't a long time. The two of them teamed up today and worked efficiently. They could tell their scores were rising rapidly. When Shao Qi reclaimed the top rank, the system announced it to all players, with bright fireworks bursting in the sky. Zhou You and Shao Qi paused to watch for a moment.

Dodging an attack from a mutated beast, Shao Qi loudly asked Zhou You, "Should I leave the top spot for you?"

"Who said I needed you to? The game isn't over. May the best player win."

"Alright, from now on, no more teaming up. Every man for himself."

The two ran in opposite directions, attracting a horde of mutated beasts chasing after them. When the game's timer ran out, both were forcibly logged out, with a new announcement: "Congratulations to player Zhou You for tying the leaderboard at rank one."

Chapter 164: Proposal

"Oh, I forgot to wish you a Happy New Year. Wishing you prosperity—where's my red envelope? By the way, do people still give red envelopes during the New Year?" Zhou You only remembered this on the fifth day of the lunar year.

Shao Qi laughed heartily, slapped Zhou You's hand playfully, and after a few taps on his ID card, a significant amount appeared in Zhou You's account.

It happened so quickly that Zhou You didn't even have time to decline. He said with a chuckle, "What are you doing? I only wanted a red envelope with some banknotes inside. Speaking of which, do we even have banknotes now?"

"Some families keep them as collectibles since they are now considered antiques. I can easily get you some, though I don't have them right now. But I did prepare a Lunar New Year gift for you."

"Oh? What is it?" Zhou You returned the money and curiously followed Shao Qi into the kitchen, thinking, "What can he possibly hide in the kitchen? Especially when everything in there was prepared by me."

Shao Qi retrieved a nondescript plastic bag from a corner of a cabinet. Zhou You hadn't noticed it before. Shao Qi handed it to Zhou You, urging him to take his time, and then left the kitchen.

"What's with the secrecy over a gift?" Zhou You opened the bag and found a beautifully crafted small box within.

A strange excitement bubbled up in Zhou You, and he felt a guess forming as he opened the box with trembling hands. He mused, "Have I regressed to my younger self? It's just a... Who's scared anyway?" Inside the box was a pair of rings, one small enough to fit his ring finger, adorned with a gem-like stone the size of a grain of rice.

He then looked at Shao Qi's plain ring, noting the engraved patterns inside and began to understand.