Chapter 75
Chapter 75
“Oh… it’s you, Jibu.” Feng Bu Jue glanced back and saw Jibu Shao Ye alongside Name Zhen Nan Qu, plus two unfamiliar faces.
Feng didn’t recognize the newcomers, but in the mall, every player’s nickname displayed openly. A glance at the pair revealed their names: [namereallyhardtodecide] and [reallyhardtoname]. Clearly, they were all in the same group.
Players who chose linked usernames like that obviously knew each other offline. Only those who started the game together would coordinate such names, making it safe to assume they were real-life friends.
Jibu’s solo username, however, stood out like a sore thumb…
“Pfft, don’t act all chummy like we’re close,” Jibu scoffed. “You totally screwed us over in that last scenario, remember?”
“How so?” Feng asked innocently.
“Don’t play dumb! You told us to grind weapon proficiency at the gun shop, then outta nowhere this super-powered monster one-shotted us!”
Feng tilted their head. “But did you at least grind your gun proficiency up to E?”
“…Yeah, we did,” Jibu grumbled.
“Then what’s the problem? Mission accomplished, right? You leveled from N/A to E, got gear, and died—so what? I never promised to keep you alive,” Feng countered. “And besides, who even could guarantee survival? I’m not some newbie guide player.”
“That’s… actually fair,” Xiao Ming chimed in.
“Fair?!” Jibu snapped, flustered. He’d been too stunned by Feng’s audacity back then to argue. He and Xiao Ming had willingly followed Feng’s lead, so he couldn’t exactly blame them. “Ugh, whatever. I’m magnanimous enough to let it slide. Besides, we got some XP from the clearance reward later, so I’ll spare you.”
“Pfft,” the three behind Jibu scoffed in unison.
“You’re all such loyal employees,” Jibu muttered. Running his studio was rough—only three staff, all childhood friends who’d rather mock him than work.
True camaraderie among men often looked like this: trash-talking relentlessly but never holding grudges. If two guys were overly polite and reserved, that was just "a friendship as shallow as water."
“Hey, nice uniforms,” Feng remarked. “How’d you get custom gear?”
The mall’s system now offered endless customization, letting players ditch default outfits. Feng still wore the basic black tee and pants—either a newbie Open Beta player or a broke Closed Beta one.
Jibu’s squad wore matching sportswear: white long-sleeve tops with blue accents on the left shoulder and right sleeve, paired with black loose-fit pants. Their right shoulders bore a custom logo—vertically written [Hiei Studio] with a pale blue ice rose hovering above. The new guild system let leaders design logos, automatically displayed on members’ gear.
“It’s our studio’s emblem!” Jibu beamed. “I designed it myself!”
“Clarification: I think it’s hideous,” namereallyhardtodecide (Lao Qu) cut in. His avatar had a spiky punk hairstyle, contrasting his real-life boring buzzcut.
“And I clarified we were forced into these outfits,” reallyhardtoname (Zhen Ge) added, sporting a mohawk—nothing like his actual short hair.
Of the four, only Jibu’s sleek hairstyle was flattering. Xiao Ming’s avatar was bald, Lao Qu had a messy mop, and Zhen Ge’s mohawk screamed “regret.” All just living out their real-life hairstyle fantasies.
“Yeah, the logo’s… bold,” Feng said, smirking. “But I admire your… unique fashion courage.”
“Who said it’s bold? It’s elegant and icy-cool!” Jibu protested.
“More like a lemon-cream piping bag explosion,” Feng deadpanned, patting Jibu’s shoulder.
“Don’t touch me! And what the heck does that mean?!”
Xiao Ming sighed behind them. “See what we deal with? He never listens.”
“Stubborn to the end,” Lao Qu muttered.
“Rename us ‘Hiei Studio Host Club’ already,” Zhen Ge joked.
“Shut up! I’m the leader!” Jibu roared.
His shout triggered a nearby security drone—a 6’3” humanoid robot with a skeletal metal frame, Terminator vibes, and a giant “GM” stamped on its back. These enforcers materialized whenever public disturbances occurred, like heated arguments or fights.
“Is there an issue here?” it droned, voice flat but intelligent.
“Just chatting,” Feng replied. The drone scanned them, then vanished.
“I should revisit the Open Beta manual later,” Feng mused, watching it leave.
“Whatever,” Jibu huffed. “Don’t want to waste time arguing. Once Hiei Studio rises to fame, this logo’ll symbolize power—haha!” He cackled, waving his lackeys onward. “Later, Feng! If you beg for my autograph someday, I’ll consider it—ha!”
Feng’s eye twitched. “Sure thing… see ya…”
(End of Chapter)
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