Chi Liu forced a smile as he saw off the third enthusiastic Yingwang employee who had come to congratulate him on winning the grand prize. Before the fourth one arrived, he deftly slipped away and hid on the terrace.

The employees were all excitedly discussing what they had won in the banquet hall, so there was no one on the terrace for the time being.

A refreshing cool breeze blew in gusts. Chi Liu stood in the moist night air and stretched his body. As far as he could see, neon lights were shining everywhere, and cruise ships were slowly sailing on the river, with promotional lights on the hulls advertising Yingwang’s celebration.

Above the river, golden fireworks were blooming in large swathes, filling the entire night sky.

This world was beautiful, as beautiful as the world where his family was.

Chi Liu curved his eyes. He had rarely seen fireworks that were so purely golden, so he couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

Secretary Wen opened the door to the terrace at this moment, still wearing a suit and looking refined, but he was carrying a huge black vacuum-sealed bag quite heroically on his shoulder. The packaging tightly outlined the shape of a long, three-dimensional piece of meat, longer than the average person’s leg.

Chi Liu heard the noise and turned around, raising an eyebrow when he saw it: “Is that the prize you won?”

Secretary Wen pushed up his glasses: “Ah, not bad. This type of ham is delicious but challenging to produce, resulting in relatively low production volumes. Winning it is a good deal.”

Chi Liu: “Congratulations.”

Thinking of how his colleagues had been congratulating Chi Liu on winning the prize, Secretary Wen’s mind immediately conjured up the image of his boss, who was so frustrated that he had gone on a business trip and worked overtime like crazy for a whole week. His expression became a little subtle.

He carried the large ham to Chi Liu’s side: “Um… should I also say congratulations on winning the special prize?”

Chi Liu’s lips twitched: “…Not really…”

What kind of backward corporate culture was this! The special prize was actually having dinner alone with the president!

What company’s employees wouldn’t want to win some tangible benefits instead of wanting to have dinner alone with the boss?

Secretary Wen chuckled. He casually put down the ham and patted Chi Liu’s shoulder in a comforting manner, finally revealing the truth to the friend he had managed to make: “Our Yingwang anniversary celebration has been held for four years, and this special prize has been the one thing that every employee has hoped not to win since it was established.”

Whether they were NPC employees or night shift employees, they all respected and feared the boss. The boss was also notoriously difficult to deal with, and no one wanted to have dinner alone with him.

That was why his colleagues had congratulated Chi Liu with such genuine emotion just a moment ago. After all, if someone won it, the people drawing prizes later would be safe.

Chi Liu: “…”

Damn it, so his luck was so bad today.

But it didn’t matter; he just wouldn’t redeem it.

Secretary Wen patted his shoulder again to comfort him: “I’ve told quite a few employees about your bar. After it opens, they’ll support you, even if it’s just to thank you.”

Chi Liu smiled: “Thank you.”

Another cluster of fireworks exploded. Secretary Wen rested his elbows on the railing, admiring the brilliant fireworks formed by the exploding eyeballs of fire-type players, and then said, “Boss Chi, I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

Chi Liu smiled: “Go ahead.”

Secretary Wen: “After your bar opens, can you hire Xiang Xiang? Of course, his salary will be paid by me.”

After a pause, he lowered his eyes and said, “Because of my mistake, he was once… kidnapped and experienced some terrible things. He likes you very much, and I want to make him happy as much as possible.”

At that time, the dungeon he was in charge of was broken through by the commander of the players, who took Xiang Xiang away and dissected him.

It was the boss who rescued the fragmented Xiang Xiang and reconnected Xiang Xiang’s body with his own eyeballs.

Xiang Xiang’s body had 25 eyes, and the black eyeball belonged to the boss. He had been asleep for a long time and had only recently woken up, so he brought him with him.

The night breeze brushed past their black hair, and there was a moment of silence.

Chi Liu looked at the brilliant lights across the river and laughed: “I’m not so poor that I can’t afford to pay my employees yet.”

Secretary Wen paused.

Chi Liu then said frankly, “I like him very much. He looks a lot like my little niece, whom I’ll never see again. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.”

No one would immediately develop a liking and pity for another person for no reason unless they had ulterior motives.

It was only fair to tell Secretary Wen about his ulterior motives towards Xiang Xiang. Otherwise, Secretary Wen would owe him a great favor.

And friends should be honest with each other.

As for missing loved ones from the old world in the new world—Chi Liu curved his eyes, his gentle and clear amber pupils sparkling with brilliant light—he would always move forward but would never lose the bonds he had forged along the way.

Secretary Wen finally chuckled softly when he heard this. He looked at Chi Liu, and a glimmer of light appeared in his usually inorganic green eyes, and said, “Anyway, thank you.”

Chi Liu raised an eyebrow and smiled: “You’re welcome.”

…

Before midnight, Yingwang’s annual celebration finally ended, and Chi Liu took a taxi home.

In the elevator, Chi Liu wore a thin windbreaker over his bartender’s uniform. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his eyelids fluttering. He seemed to be growing increasingly tired lately.

The bar’s renovation was in the late stages, and he went to supervise it every day, so he was too tired.

Chi Liu thought that perhaps he should give himself a day off tomorrow and go to the hospital for a check-up.

At this moment, two “dings” sounded simultaneously: the elevator’s arrival sound + the text message notification sound on his phone.

Chi Liu’s long, thick eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes. He took out his phone from his windbreaker pocket as he walked out.

With a soft “thump,” the winning number ball in his pocket was brought out and rolled onto the floor of the hallway.

Chi Liu first looked at the text message on his phone: Yingwang’s finance department was indeed very efficient! His bartender’s pay had actually arrived now!

Secretary Wen was right, Yingwang was indeed generous with compensation. He had received 200,000 for bartending all night.

Chi Liu, who had been drowsy, suddenly felt much better.

Then he finally remembered the number ball that was rolling towards his neighbor’s house. His lips twitched, and he quickly took a few steps, bent down, and picked it up.

Suddenly, he paused—in his lowered gaze, he saw two legs wearing black suit pants. Black leather shoes were standing with their backs to him in front of his neighbor’s door.

Chi Liu blinked: His mysterious neighbor, whom he had never met, was back?

He picked up the numbered ball and slowly stood up. His eyes then caught sight of a tall figure in a suit and tie, with a well-built physique.

The suit looked very expensive, but it was a mess, covered in a splatter-like, angry, light blue liquid that was layered and appeared to have not been washed for at least a week.

Whether it was his imagination or not, he felt that the man’s body was a little stiff.

Chi Liu smiled kindly and reached out to the other person, greeting him politely: “Hello? If you live here, then we’re neighbors. My name is Chi Liu, and I live across from you.”

The man’s body visibly stiffened for a moment. He quickly opened his door and then flashed inside extremely quickly—he even flashed out an afterimage!

Finally, he slammed the door shut with a “bang.”

Chi Liu, who was getting this kind of response for the first time when greeting someone: “…”

…

In the dark room.

Countless dark blue tentacles surged out. Some tentacles frantically tore apart the dirty clothes on the remaining human form, some tentacles desperately rummaged through the closet for new clothes, some tentacles went to get a wet towel from the bathroom, and some tentacles…

The entire empty room was filled with the afterimages of dark blue tentacles!

A moment later, Chu Qi, wearing expensive and handsome new clothes, stood clean and refreshed in front of the door.

He was about to turn the handle, but he suddenly thought: He hated him so much that he would throw up just hearing about him from other people!

If the other person knew who he was directly…

Would he still talk to him and reach out to him like he did just now…?

A childish sadness appeared on Chu Qi’s handsome face. Then, he activated teleportation, and his figure completely disappeared from the room.

The next second, he appeared in a large shopping supermarket, hacked the surveillance cameras, picked up a life-size bear doll, scattered a large handful of coins, and disappeared without a trace.

Appearing at home again, several tentacles moved at the same time, quickly tearing apart the body of the stuffed bear, and cotton flew everywhere in the room.

…

Chi Liu came back to his senses, looked at the closed metal door, and twitched his lips—had he done anything to offend his neighbor?

Did the other person hate him so much?

Speaking of which, he had never even met him!

In less than a month since arriving in this other world, he had already provoked a pervert who threw mimosa flowers and bones at his door, and now he had another neighbor who inexplicably hated him so much that he didn’t even want to look at him?

Speaking of which, he had even asked the property management to check the surveillance cameras on his floor, but he couldn’t find out who the pervert was!

Anyway, there weren’t many opportunities to meet, so hate him if he wanted.

Thinking this, Chi Liu was about to withdraw his hand when the metal door made a soft “thump” and opened again.

Chi Liu: “?”

He was about to speak when he froze in place:

His neighbor, who had changed into a new set of clothes and was now head and shoulders taller than him, stood in front of him, holding the hand he hadn’t had time to withdraw—it was good that the neighbor who had hated him had become a friendly one.

But why was his neighbor wearing a stuffed bear headgear?

A tall, handsome body in a suit and tie, with a super cute bear headgear…

No matter how you looked at it, it was strange…

But perhaps his neighbor couldn’t show his face due to privacy concerns? For example, he had a scar on his face or something and didn’t want people to see it?

Chi Liu barely convinced himself and put on a barely friendly smile: “Hello?”

The man continued to hold Chi Liu’s hand. His palm was large, his finger bones were pale, and he gripped it tightly. The cute bear headgear shook, as if it were a little sad, suggesting that he couldn’t speak.

Chi Liu: Was his neighbor a mute who couldn’t let others see his face?

That would explain his behavior just now?

Chi Liu immediately said enthusiastically, “Well, I live across the hall. Just knock on my door if you need any help.”

As he said this, he tried to pull his hand out—uh, he couldn’t pull it out.

Chi Liu smiled again kindly: “I’m going to rest.”

The man’s body stiffened, and then he lowered his hand in disappointment.

Chi Liu was about to say “goodbye and good night” when his face suddenly turned pale. He gently stroked his abdomen and smiled apologetically at the man, saying, “Well, I’m really sorry, but I want to use your restroom—”

With that, he didn’t wait for the man to reply and immediately strode through the slightly ajar door behind him. He stepped over the messy clothes and stuffed bear remnants that had been tossed aside, maneuvered through the flying cotton, quickly oriented himself toward the bathroom based on the layout of his own home, opened the door, and before he could turn on the light, Chi Liu’s entire body went limp by the sink as he retched…

From behind, his waist, which could be encircled with one hand, was so soft that it seemed like it was about to break…

…

Outside the room, Chu Qi stood there stiffly, staring blankly at his palm through the holes in the bear doll’s eyes:

Even with the headgear that NPCs thought was very cute, he still… as soon as he saw him, he hated him so much that he wanted to throw up…

Hated him so much that he wanted to throw up…

Wanted to throw up…

——————–

President Chu, who has returned from his business trip, continues to draw mushrooms: He wants to throw up when he sees me.

Little Chi: Heh.