TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 52

Xia Xiao Tong.

Ten minutes ago, he had just rejected this wizard and even mocked him in the process.

And now? That wizard turned out to be Zero’s apprentice?!

How could this coincidence even be real?!

Guo Zi Li Bu Li stood as if struck by lightning, his brain grinding to a halt. Suddenly, the real reason Zero had joined the team became all too clear—he had come solely to bring Xia Xiao Tong into the raid. If Guo Zi Li Bu Li refused…

A shiver ran down his spine. This was the same Zero, infamous for his ruthlessness in PvP and now a legendary sharpshooter. If Guo Zi Li Bu Li dared cross him, he could very well imagine Zero keeping a mental “blacklist” and sniping him into oblivion in every future encounter.

At that moment, a new private message popped up:

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “Sweetheart, I finished my math homework! You promised to get me loot. Can I join now? 💕”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li stayed silent. If this immersive VR game could sync with his nervous system, his forehead would surely be sweating bullets.

Meanwhile, the team members continued their lively chatter, oblivious to the storm brewing in Guo Zi Li Bu Li’s mind.

[Team Chat]

Lu Zhou Hao Cha: “A wizard? Perfect! We don’t have any yet. No one to compete with him for gear!”

Li Bai Bai Cong Jun Qu: “Zero, you’re taking an apprentice? That’s so down-to-earth! I thought you only knew how to ambush people!”

Bai Jie Shi Er Hao: “Ahhh, who’s lucky enough to be Zero’s apprentice?! If I’d known, I would’ve played Hunter! I want to be Z-God’s apprentice too!”

 You Xiong Qian De Hong Ling Jin: “Did Zero join this raid just for his apprentice? He’s like a god descending from the heavens to spoil him!”

Bai Jie Shi Er Hao: “Why isn’t the apprentice in the team yet? Team leader, has a wizard applied?”

You Xiong Qian De Hong Ling Jin: “Z-God, just invite him yourself!”

Polaris_Zero: “If the leader doesn’t agree, what’s the point of me inviting him?”

Zero’s calm remark carried a subtle sharpness that sent chills down Guo Zi Li Bu Li’s spine.

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Well, um… Sorry, but I already promised a wizard friend a spot…”

Bai Jie Shi Er Hao: “There are still open slots! Your friend and Zero’s apprentice don’t conflict!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “But… more wizards make this raid harder…”

Li Bai Bai Cong Jun Qu: “Two wizards and you’re worried? It’s not like half the team is made up of wizards!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “But just to be safe, I think it’s better not to have too many wizards… I don’t want this raid to get too complicated, and I’ve got things to do later.”

Polaris_Zero: “Team leader, it’s just one wizard. They’ll take the gear at the base price, right?”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li’s heart skipped a beat.

Polaris_Zero: “Let’s make sure the gear doesn’t mistakenly get treated as spare pieces for a ‘spare gear boss.’”

This comment seemed to wake everyone up.

Lu Zhou Hao Cha: “Yeah, that’s a good point. Team leader, you should clarify before we start. If wizard gear drops, they’ll bid starting from the base price. How can we let it slip away as spare gear?”

Bai Jie Shi Er Hao: “Team leader, are you the spare gear boss?”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “I am… We agreed earlier, didn’t we? I paid 2,000 for all the spare gear.”

You Xiong Qian De Hong Ling Jin: “Team leader, this doesn’t add up. That wizard is your ‘friend,’ right? Don’t tell me you’re planning to pocket their gear as spare gear!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “No, no, I’m not doing that!”

Li Bai Bai Cong Jun Qu: “Whoa, calm down, everyone. To avoid any misunderstandings, here’s an idea: if wizard gear drops, let’s destroy it on the spot in front of everyone. Problem solved, right?”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “…”

You Xiong Qian De Hong Ling Jin: “I like this idea. Team leader, you don’t need those materials, do you? Consider it an investment in your reputation. Otherwise, who would join your teams in the future?”

Bai Jie Shi Er Hao: “Exactly!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li didn’t reply. He was too busy nervously negotiating with his girlfriend, Chen Xi Zhao Lu, in private chat.

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “Why should I spend money on bidding for gear? I’ve never paid for gear before!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “This is a special case, sweetheart…”

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “What’s so special about it? Didn’t you promise to get me gear?”

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “You even promised to get me gear forever! You Alphas are all liars!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Baby… there are so many people watching, and Zero is here too!”

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “Who’s Zero? Some little hussy you found on the side? Is that why you care so much about what he thinks?”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “No! Zero is a famous pro player! If I get caught giving you gear under the table, my name will be blasted on the forums! And he might secretly target me later!”

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “So what if he’s a pro player? Does that make him more important than me? Can he hunt you down in real life?”

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “I don’t care! You said you’re the team leader! What you say goes! I won’t pay for gear. I want you to give it to me for free, or I’m not raiding!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “…”

His head was pounding.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team, egged on by Polaris_Zero’s subtle nudges, grew increasingly suspicious and agitated.

Li Bai Bai Cong Jun Qu: “Z-God has sharp eyes. He spotted something fishy right away.”

Bai Jie Shi Er Hao: “The team leader is totally planning to pocket gear. Look, he still hasn’t responded to us.”

You Xiong Qian De Hong Ling Jin: “Then why are we still here? Let’s leave and form a new group.”

Lu Zhou Hao Cha: “Wait, wait, let me jot down the team leader’s ID. I’m posting this on the forums so people know to avoid him!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li panicked. He never expected things to spiral this far, forcing him to choose between his reputation and his girlfriend.

After weighing his options, losing some money seemed like the lesser evil.

He gritted his teeth and messaged Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “Fine, stop making a fuss. I’ll bid for the gear for you, okay? Base price, 5,000. It’s not that much! Hurry up and join the team.”

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “You said it! Don’t go back on your word!”

Moments later, everyone saw a wizard named Chen Xi Zhao Lu join the team. Shortly after, Guo Zi Li Bu Li added a hunter and an elf to fill the remaining spots.

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Sorry, everyone. This is my ‘friend.’”

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “Friend? I’m his girlfriend!”

Li Bai Bai Cong Jun Qu: “…”

Bai Jie Shi Er Hao: “…”

You Xiong Qian De Hong Ling Jin: “Ah, well…”

Polaris_Zero: “Oh, no wonder.”

That simple “no wonder” carried an unmistakable undertone of sarcasm.

Guo Zi Li Bu Li began sweating again.

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Apologies, everyone. My leadership isn’t the best, and I was worried that having too many wizards might complicate things. But I assure you, I’m not planning to pocket any gear. All drops will follow the regular bidding process—nothing will be handed over at spare gear prices.”

Chen Xi Zhao Lu: “Girlfriend!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “[Sweats nervously]”

The explanation seemed to pacify the group temporarily, but Polaris_Zero struck again, his tone devilishly calm:

Polaris_Zero: “Your leadership is… questionable.”

Polaris_Zero: “I think this team might be more trouble than it’s worth. I’ll form my own group instead. Anyone interested can join me.”

[Polaris_Zero has left the team.]

Two seconds later:

[Li Bai Bai Cong Jun Qu has left the team.]

[Lu Zhou Hao Cha has left the team.]

[Bai Jie Shi Er Hao has left the team.]

[You Xiong Qian De Hong Ling Jin has left the team.]

In the blink of an eye, Guo Zi Li Bu Li’s team was emptied, leaving only him and his girlfriend, Chen Xi Zhao Lu.

“Are you messing with me?” Guo Zi Li Bu Li exclaimed in shock.

It’s rare for a professional player from Polaris to announce they’ll open a raid in another team to run dungeons! Back in the preparation period, Polaris was part of the first-tier professional clearing teams! Everyone wanted to witness their skills! Guo Zi Li Bu Li was stunned. He could feel Lin Ming Fei’s playful intentions—extremely sophisticated, like a direct shot to his head, hitting hard!

At the same time, Lin Ming Fei directly invited Xia Tong to the party.

Xia Tong, confused, said, “Huh? Why did you leave the party again? I thought you were going to leave me behind!”

Lin Ming Fei chuckled lightly: “I said I’d run the dungeon with you. You didn’t join the party, how could I go alone?”

Xia Tong smiled: “Zero, you’re so nice! I really like you!”

Then he saw many people gradually joining the team.

Xia Tong was puzzled: “Why are so many people joining suddenly? Huh? Isn’t Li Bai Bai the one who was just in the other team? And this red scarf person too!”

Lin Ming Fei replied indifferently, “Oh, I brought them over.”

Xia Tong: “Huh? If they all came over, how will Guo Zi Li Bu Li do the dungeon? Doesn’t this mean we can’t play anymore?”

Lin Ming Fei snorted lightly: “Whether he can play or not is none of my business.” He paused, then bent down to tap Xia Tong’s little nose. “It’s also none of your business. If he doesn’t play fair, don’t blame us for retaliation. So don’t feel guilty, understand?”

Xia Tong thought for a moment, then nodded. He probably felt that the scene Lin Ming Fei painted was quite satisfying and couldn’t help but smile broadly again.

Lin Ming Fei smiled too, seeing Xia Tong so happy.

“Just remember, if you’re being bullied, come tell the captain. The captain is good at dealing with all kinds of unfairness.”

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