C7 7

Before long, Wang Qi led Qu Menghan into the cafeteria. He set a tray in front of her with two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and two steamed buns, then said, "Eat." "Why is there only one pair of chopsticks? Aren't you eating?" Qu Menghan asked, puzzled. Wang Qi only propped his chin on his hand and smiled at her, and he had brought just one pair of chopsticks. "Liu Chao said he'd treat me to hot pot. If you didn't have evening study hall, I'd have taken you with me," Wang Qi said with a smile, shaking his head. "This is so much. How am I supposed to finish it all by myself?" Qu Menghan said, holding a bun, her expression a little troubled. "It's fine. If you can't finish, pack it up and take it with you. When you get home tonight, you can have another meal," Wang Qi said with a laugh. Then his gaze turned teasing as it drifted to Qu Menghan's chest, and he joked, "You'd better eat well and grow up properly. You can't starve my son." "Ugh. You're talking nonsense again. I'm not talking to you," Qu Menghan snapped, flushed with embarrassment, and she immediately lowered her head, not daring to look up. "Be good and eat. See you tomorrow," Wang Qi said. Qu Menghan looked so soft and adorable that he couldn't resist reaching out to pinch her cheek before he left the cafeteria, humming a little tune. From beginning to end, Wang Qi never noticed that in a corner of the cafeteria, someone had been watching the whole scene. Two days of being treated differently had Zhang Wantine on the verge of losing it. She could accept that Wang Qi no longer liked her, but she could not accept losing to a country girl who was inferior to her in every way. Breakfast, snacks, and even someone who would help bring her meals, all of it had once been hers. After Wang Qi left, Zhang Wantine could not hold back any longer. She slapped the table and stood, then, under her best friend's startled gaze, strode toward Qu Menghan. "Zhang Wantine, is there something you need?" Qu Menghan asked nervously when Zhang Wantine sat down beside her. It was not as if there was any particular history between them. In everyday life, they barely interacted, the kind of classmates who would not even greet each other when they passed. Qu Menghan was too insecure to try, and Zhang Wantine had probably never even truly noticed her. But Zhang Wantine's posture now made Qu Menghan uneasy, and she did not know how to respond. "Stop putting on that pathetic, innocent act. I'm not Wang Qi, and I'm not falling for it," Zhang Wantine said, glaring at her with resentment. "Three years together, and I never realized you had this in you, you little vixen."

"Huh? I..." Qu Menghan was taken aback by Zhang Wantine's words. "What do you mean, 'what'? Look at you. What makes you think you're better than me? Can you teach me how you managed to steal Wang Qi's heart?" Zhang Wantine continued her relentless sarcasm. "I... I didn't..." Qu Menghan stammered, trying to defend herself, but Zhang Wantine cut her off again. "Didn't what? Do you even realize that the milk you drink and the candy you eat should be mine? Do yourself a favor and take a good look in the mirror. Do you really think you deserve it?" Zhang Wantine said, slamming the table and making Qu Menghan flinch. "Do me a favor and stop being so pathetic, okay? It's disgusting!" With that, Zhang Wantine stood up. "Wantine, what's wrong?" At that moment, Zhang Wantine's friend came over, linking arms with her and coaxing, "Come on, let's go back and eat." "I'm not hungry anymore. This little brat has filled me up with anger." Zhang Wantine huffed, dragging her friend away and leaving Qu Menghan sitting there, silently lowering her head. Why does the bread taste a bit sour today? Turns out, it's mixed with tears. With her head down, Qu Menghan couldn't hold back her tears as she nibbled on the bread in her hand.

"What did you just say? Brother Legend is yours?" In the bustling hot pot restaurant, Liu Chao stared wide-eyed, chopsticks frozen in midair. "Keep it down," Wang Qi gestured for silence, adding, "This is between you, me, and the walls. Not a soul more, got it?" "Don't worry, Mr. Qi. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping my mouth shut." Liu Chao nodded eagerly, leaning in with a grin that screamed flattery. "Back off, will you? If you've got something to say, say it. Quit being so annoying," Wang Qi grimaced, pushing Liu Chao's face away. "Come on, Mr. Qi, we've known each other since our first shots at the doctor's office. You've been getting into trouble, and I've been getting the blame. That's a bond, right?" Liu Chao settled back into his seat, still wearing that ingratiating smile. "I'll get you some in-game currency and the top-tier armor set," Wang Qi said with a casual wave, knowing exactly what Liu Chao was hinting at.

"Mr. Qi, you're like a brother from another mother." Liu Chao was so thrilled he almost bowed to Wang Qi. "But there's a catch. You need to stir things up in the game, target the leaders and managers of those guilds, and make sure you take down the castle lord this week," Wang Qi said with a sly smile. "I... can I do it? Am I worthy?" Hearing Wang Qi say this, Liu Chao got even more excited. "When I say you can, you can. Just speak up if you need anything. I've got the connections to make it happen." Wang Qi took a sip of his drink and added, "Even if it means tweaking your character to be invincible with just a sliver of health, it's just a line of code." "Mr. Qi, today I owe you a drink. Hey, bring me a bottle of beer." Liu Chao was so thrilled he almost wanted to pour his heart out to show his loyalty to Wang Qi. "Forget it. Just eat up. Once we're done, I need to update the server with some new features." Wang Qi waved off Liu Chao's offer for a drink and continued eating. After filling up, the two headed to a nearby internet cafe, which was packed. Many people were standing, waiting for a computer, but luckily, the two had reserved their spots since yesterday and hadn't logged off. "Chao, you're here. I heard you have a pair of War God boots you don't need. How about selling them to me for 80 bucks?" As soon as they sat down, two bottles of cold Coke were placed in front of their computers. "Sure thing. I'm just hanging out in the game. Come over, and we can trade." Liu Chao smiled as he took the 80 dollars from someone and started the transaction. A complete War God set, including the title, consists of 12 pieces. Wang Qi set the price at $1,200, which breaks down to $100 per piece. Selling individual pieces at $80 each is not expensive, to be honest. The Holy War set is priced at $888, the War God set at $1,200, and the top-tier Celestial set at $3,000. Although these prices seemed outrageous back in 2003, there were indeed quite a few buyers.

On the Official Server, even a single Dragon-Slaying Blade could sell for well over $100,000. With a price cap of $3,000, it was nothing to some players.

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