Chapter 209: Chapter 198: New Technology from the Imperial Capital’s Artifact Refining Master

’Mom is unbelievable. She went and told Zhang Xiaohao more about me. I need to call her later and stress, once again, that she can’t be telling other people my business.’

Wang Ling’s gaze flickered between Zhang Xiaohao and Su Yue for a few moments. As her bright, dark eyes shifted, a theory began to form in her mind.

Her old friend had complained to her before that her mom had recommended a few guys for blind dates.

Clearly, this handsome Zhang Xiaohao must be one of the men Su Yue’s mom had recommended.

But judging by her old friend’s reaction, she was obviously not interested in this handsome Zhang Xiaohao.

"Zhang Xiaohao, what are you here for?" Su Yue asked.

"A friend of my mom’s gave her some concert tickets, but she’s too busy with work to go, so she passed them on to me.

I figured you’d be free after work, so I was hoping to take you to dinner and then to the concert..." Zhang Xiaohao invited with a smile.

"Uh..." Hearing Zhang Xiaohao’s invitation to dinner and a concert, Su Yue instinctively opened her mouth to refuse.

But then she remembered that their parents had been good friends for years. He had come all this way to her workplace; it would be rude to just turn him down so bluntly.

Wang Ling and Su Yue had been classmates and roommates for all four years of college, after all. She could tell with a single glance that her best friend was in a tough spot.

Seeing her friend in distress, Wang Ling knew she couldn’t just stand by and watch. She smiled at the waiting Zhang Xiaohao.

"Sorry, handsome! Su Yue already has plans with me, so she can’t accept your invitation to dinner and the concert."

’When did I make plans with you?’ Su Yue wondered instinctively upon hearing Wang Ling’s words. But, being quick-witted, she immediately realized Wang Ling was just trying to get her out of the situation.

"Oh...?" A look of disappointment crossed Zhang Xiaohao’s face. "Is that so! What a shame. I guess I’ll just have to wait and invite Su Yue to a concert another time."

Afterward, Zhang Xiaohao lingered in the flower shop for a few more minutes before leaving.

Zhang Xiaohao had been wearing a gentle smile, but the instant he turned his back to Su Yue and Wang Ling and stepped out of the flower shop, his expression turned dark and sullen.

’Fuck... Does she take me for an idiot? The way Su Yue reacted, there’s no way she had prior plans... That woman, Wang Ling... If she’d been just a few seconds later, Su Yue might have accepted my invitation. Damn her!’

His face dark, Zhang Xiaohao stalked to his car. He yanked the door open, dropped into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and slammed his foot on the gas, peeling away in a fury.

Back in the flower shop, Su Yue and Wang Ling watched through the glass door as Zhang Xiaohao’s car disappeared around the corner. Su Yue turned to Wang Ling, her face full of gratitude. "Wang Ling, thank you for getting me out of that."

"Don’t mention it. I can’t count how many times I had to bail you out back in college.

Making up excuses to help you is practically second nature to me by now," Wang Ling said with a hearty laugh.

"Sigh... I don’t know what’s gotten into Zhang Xiaohao, but he’s been asking me out so often lately. Before, it was maybe once a week.

Back then, I’d think about how our parents are such old friends, and I figured I owed him the courtesy, so I’d occasionally agree to grab a meal or something.

But now he’s asking so often it’s giving me a headache," Su Yue sighed, venting to her best friend.

In truth, the reason Zhang Xiaohao had become so persistent lately was mainly because of their last get-together.

He had been provoked when he saw Lin Li picking Su Yue up in a van, which led to this drastic change in his behavior.

"Tsk, with your parents being old friends for so many years, this is a really tricky situation..." Faced with Su Yue’s predicament, all Wang Ling could do was scratch her head, unable to come up with a solution.

"Oh well, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I don’t want to think about him anymore..." Seeing that her best friend was also stumped, Su Yue smiled and dropped the subject.

"My parents aren’t home tonight, and they told me to just eat out. Why don’t you skip cooking later? We can find a restaurant and have dinner together!" Wang Ling suggested.

"Sure! What should we get tonight?" Su Yue asked with a nod.

"Hmm... How about lamb spine hot pot? I know a restaurant nearby that makes a really delicious one. I’ll take you after we get off work."

"Sounds great!"

Just as Su Yue and Wang Ling finished deciding on their dinner plans, a group of customers walked into the flower shop, and the two of them got busy helping them.

......

「Ping’an Garden District. Only the last vestiges of twilight remained on the horizon.」

The quiet living room was cloaked in darkness.

Suddenly, a figure in a black training uniform materialized out of thin air in the dim living room.

’I spent the whole afternoon touring in a horse-drawn carriage and only managed to cover a small part of the East District of Dongwu City. This place is much bigger than I thought!’

Lin Li, now back on Blue Star after his trip to Dongwu City in the Chu Kingdom of the Spirit Realm, recalled his afternoon. He had spent it riding in a carriage, touring the city and chatting with the young driver.

The young driver had been very talkative, and through their casual conversation, Lin Li had learned even more about Dongwu City.

’When I go back to Dongwu City tomorrow, I’ll visit that local Spiritual Artifact Shop the driver mentioned. I want to see those Spiritual Artifacts that even ordinary people can use...

Yeah, and if I see any I like, I might buy a few for fun.’

Lin Li went to his bedroom, changed his clothes, and then headed out for dinner.

......

The residential district was quite lively after sunset.

Elderly folks who had already finished their dinner gathered in twos and threes in the district’s pavilion, holding their little granddaughters or grandsons and chatting cheerfully.

Having finished two bowls of savory beef noodles for dinner at a street-side noodle shop just outside the district, Lin Li strolled leisurely back inside.

DRING DRING DRING...

The phone in his pocket suddenly rang. Lin Li pulled it out and saw it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" Lin Li answered. ’If this is another telemarketer,’ he thought, ’I’m just going to hang up.’

A pleasant voice came from the other end of the line.

"Hello, I’m with the Rongcheng Superpower Administration Bureau, employee number 1002. Am I speaking with Mr. Lin Li?"

’The Superpower Administration Bureau? What’s going on? Why would someone from the Superpower Administration Bureau be calling me?’

The moment Lin Li heard the caller was from the Superpower Administration Bureau, he was instantly on his guard.

He was a law-abiding citizen, but he had secrets he couldn’t tell anyone. It was only natural for his mind to race when dealing with an official government agency.

"Yes, this is Lin Li. How can I help you?"

The person from the Superpower Administration Bureau spoke in a friendly tone. "It’s like this, Mr. Lin. A few days ago, in the outskirts of the East District, you assisted our case officers in apprehending a criminal.

That criminal’s case has now been closed, and the Bureau has approved a fifty-thousand-yuan reward for you. We’d like you to come and collect it in the next few days."

’So they just want me to go to the Superpower Administration Bureau to collect the reward! That scared me. I thought my golden finger had been exposed...’ After hearing the explanation, Lin Li let out a sigh of relief.

......