Chapter 172: Mom, I’m In Love!
A complaining voice suddenly came from behind. Yuan Zhu turned to look, his pupils instantly dilating as he froze in place.
Holy crap, a beauty!
Behind him was a long-haired girl wearing a white shirt paired with a dark gray fitted vest, her chest curves defying gravity, a blue tie around her neck. Her skin was glowing white, yet exuding an extremely healthy reddish glow.
The other party had a head of soft gray-brown long hair casually draped, staring fixedly at Yuan Zhu with a pair of big eyes with bright red pupils, paired with a perky nose bridge and a pair of sharp fangs, giving off a full provocative vibe. It was the type that was both energetic and highly aggressive.
The girl wore a pair of flashy sport shoes on her lower body, paired with cargo pants, sitting boldly with legs spread wide on the stone steps. One arm propped on her knee, the index and middle fingers of her other hand hooked a bottle of beverage swinging back and forth, showing an unhappy expression, annoyed that Yuan Zhu was blocking her view.
Yet it was this face paired with this expression that made his heart race!
Yuan Zhu: Mom, I’m in love.
Little Spicy Stick: “Sigh! Mom will definitely help you!”
Alright, Yuan Zhu, who had seen countless beauties today, had his aesthetic threshold rising steadily to a certain level, in a semi-sage state. He could objectively and rationally view any beauty and give her a fair score.
But at this moment, he suddenly felt a ‘love at first sight’ physiological liking. The other party’s appearance and features weren’t necessarily better than those of the popular contestants he’d seen before, but he just had this indescribable palpitation.
This was an innate liking etched into his DNA, bursting with endless passion with just one glance.
“Eh~! What’s with that expression, such a buzzkill.”
The girl tilted her head looking at Yuan Zhu whose eyes were sparkling and somewhat dazed, showing a disdainful look: “What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and move, you’re blocking me.”
Yuan Zhu snapped back, looking at this pretty face, his heart excited and a bit shy as he said: “Uh, you’re just so beautiful, I was mesmerized and couldn’t pull myself away.”
The long-haired girl bared her little fangs, showing a satisfied smile like ‘you’re teachable’, slightly tilting her head up to acknowledge Yuan Zhu: “Hmph, good eye. This lady is one of the top-sequence beauties among today’s contestants.”
Seeing this face, Yuan Zhu asked, both as expected and a bit curious: “You’re a contestant too? Why are you sitting here instead of preparing for the competition?”
“The competition time is so long, and it’s not my turn yet. Killing time anyway, so I’m sitting here enjoying the beauty performances! Move aside, don’t just stand there dumbly.”
Yuan Zhu slightly sidestepped, no longer gazing at the stage but staring intently at her, liking her more the more he looked. Yep, exactly my type: “You like watching the competition too? Analyzing other contestants?”
“???”
The girl gave an expression questioning ‘do you have any eye for this?’, shaking her head in refutation: “How could that be? Someone as stunningly beautiful as me, needing to worry about other competitors? I’m just purely appreciating beauties. They may not surpass me, but their looks are decent, pleasing to the eye.”
Oh no! Yuan Zhu’s mood suddenly sank, a bit depressed. Could she be a lesbian? Is my first love ending before it even starts?
So he asked heavily: “You like women too?!”
The girl waved her hand: “Just pure appreciation of beauties, I’m not interested in women. But don’t get any ideas, this lady only talks business, not romance.”
Hearing her words, he first felt relieved, then inexplicably disappointed at the rejection, puzzled: “Talk business?”
“Yeah, you’re carrying my card, what else to talk if not business? Romance? Hilarious!” The girl pointed to the steps beside her, signaling Yuan Zhu to sit next to her and chat.
“Card?” Looking at that pretty face not older than his own, Yuan Zhu was briefly confused for a few seconds, then under Spicy Stick’s urging, shook off his infatuation with her beauty, his intelligence slowly coming online: “You’re A Miao from Cat Street? Or an employee under A Miao?”
The girl lazily slanted a glance at Yuan Zhu: “You come looking for someone without even checking properly? I’m the ‘A Miao’ you’re looking for, just call me Sister Miao.”
Yuan Zhu really couldn’t equate this energetic girl who looked seventeen or eighteen with exceptionally high appearance, with the Running heavy criminal in Zheng Hao’s mouth who handled ‘arms, smuggling, fencing stolen goods, counterfeiting, reception, fleeing…’ all in one. The contrast was too huge.
“Hard to accept that Sister Miao Miao has a black history of moonlighting as an idol? Rest assured, I’ve never done that kind of thing in Running, I refuse performances that sell my looks.”
A Miao took a lollipop from the vest pocket, stuck it in her mouth, and said casually.
Yuan Zhu: “Then why are you participating in this competition?”
“Sigh! Isn’t it because [Lei Shen Company] offered too much, the arms sales person in charge held up my goods, and knelt there hugging his head crying, begging me to represent their company. What could I do? Thousand wrongs myriad wrongs, who told this lady to be so pretty, had to agree.”
A Miao had a nonchalant face, no desire in her eyes for advancing in the competition, completely a laid-back attitude and absolute confidence in her own appearance.
At this time, she changed to a comfy new pose, right foot on left knee, striking a classic [Navy Three Admirals] crossed leg pose, then turned to Yuan Zhu: “What about you? What’s your name, and why are you looking for me? Chased all the way from Running to Taixi, in a hurry?”
Yuan Zhu still couldn’t link this pretty and casual girl with the arms dealer in his mind: “I’m Yuan Zhu, looking for you to talk a arms business deal.”
“Ha! Looking at your young age and decent background, actually wanting to order arms? Since you seem likable, a reminder: don’t casually step onto the path of crime, if the Investigation Bureau targets you, you’ll regret it later.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing. Can this business be done?”
A Miao’s gaze focused on the stage, replying in a distant tone: “That depends on your demand volume. Too little and I’m not interested, too much and I won’t take it. Plus, we don’t know each other yet, let’s try a few deals first. First time awkward, second time familiar, deeper cooperation after we get to know each other.”
Yuan Zhu thought, the first batch of arms he’s taking to Insect City isn’t large volume. Mainly to deliver to his subordinates for trial experience, testing if those weapons can produce decent effects in the Underground World.
So he replied: “Good, not too much not too little, what can you provide?”
“I’ll give you a list later, check the ones you want, mark the quantities. Can you decide yourself? If yes, I’ll arrange it for you later. If not, go back confirm quantities, hand to [Lei Shen Company], I’ll get it back to you in Running.”
Yuan Zhu: “How to pay?”
“That depends on what you have? Do you know Cat Street’s rules?”
“No.”
A Miao propped her chin with one hand, revealing a slender swan neck: “Sigh, don’t know where you popped out from, dummy? Knowing nothing and running to Taixi to find me. I first collect equivalent cash as goods payment, on top of that, extra value-added service fees, after all not legit channels, charging more makes you feel secure, right?”
Yuan Zhu replied: “If you don’t charge me value-added fees, I’d be happier.”
“Hehe! Extra service fees usually not settled in money, but special goods. Could be stolen goods, superhuman materials, or other… Of course, can also settle with favors. When I need, you do some feasible things for me. I see you have special energy reaction in your body, you get what I mean?”
Yuan Zhu: “Yeah, I can provide what you want. How about Kunlun System variant pills?”
“That’s good! Value-added fees are never the point, just a way to show your wealth and value. The higher your credit with me, the richer the channels I’ll introduce you to later. You know, I run an underground platform, services not just ‘arms’, you can commission me for any needs later.”
For the sake of her being so pretty, Yuan Zhu didn’t plan to do just this one deal, so he nodded: “Good!”
“Mm, time’s not early. I sensed the ‘card’ earlier out of curiosity and came to check. Now I gotta prepare for the competition, if you have time and money, remember to vote for me. Keep this list, has plenty of [Lei Shen]’s new goods, interested can order small quantities, remember user feedback after use.”
With that, A Miao pulled a sheet listing various weapons from her shoulder bag, tossed it to Yuan Zhu. He glanced down, somewhat like a hotpot menu, could check arms items needed and fill quantities.
Done with that, A Miao stood up, lightly bounced a few times to loosen up, then waved goodbye to Yuan Zhu: “Wish me luck!”
She just lightly bounced a few times, jump height far exceeding normal limits, every move exuding lightness and flexibility. Clearly, the other party was also a ability user, and the aura she emitted felt somewhat familiar.
Not recorded in Immortal Scripture’s pollution samples, but gave him a strange sense of closeness. Yuan Zhu suspected his heart’s strong impulse, besides her really being pretty making him lustful, likely also mutual attraction between ‘Pollution Systems’.
Otherwise, he’d seen so many pretty misses performing song and dance in Yellow Millet Town, none made him want to fall in love?
Watching Cat Street’s A Miao bounce away to prepare for the competition. Yuan Zhu simply stayed on the stone steps she’d been on, refocusing his gaze on the big stage.
The soft cute girl currently performing seafood cooking on stage, appearance only second sequence, inferior half a notch to Happy Home’s appearance rep (Zhou Chu), evaluation not as good as Miao Miao.
About ten minutes later, another contestant took the stage, competitive content guqin performance, niche but good appearance first sequence, audience below voting on looks, cheers much higher than the previous cute girl who laboriously made a big pot of pre-made seafood to sell.
Little Spicy Stick: “Boss, I suspect you have some issue? Facing that [Miao Miao], your mental state was off, trending toward simp behavior, remember that! Look at this miss now, not inferior to that Miao Miao at all.”
Yuan Zhu carefully recalled his earlier performance, indeed a bit out of control: “Could it be some [Charm] ability?”
“I don’t think so, her personality not like a green tea. [Firewall] didn’t detect ‘mental pollution, charm erosion’ signals.”
Yuan Zhu puzzled: “Then what did you feel facing her?”
Little Spicy Stick: “So heart-fluttering, wanna lick her face! Felt like I was in love too.”
“…”
Yuan Zhu: “How do you have the face to say that about me?”
Little Spicy Stick argued convincingly: “Isn’t it because I always put your needs first! Our three views and aesthetics align, saw that [Miao Miao] and fell in love at the same time. But boss your priority above mine, I worry about what you worry. So you had a bit of simp tendency, but I couldn’t simp, could only painfully let go in my heart, silently wish you happiness. Thus my heartbreak overcame impulse, successfully letting maternal love for you dominate, more rationally observing your mental changes.”
Yuan Zhu: “???”
He said baffled: “What the hell is this [Pure Love Bull Warrior Psychology]?!”
“This is [Bala Bala Mind Mentor]’s power, mental analysis, self-analysis, then analyze you. Eh… Miao Miao’s about to take stage, quick look, quick look!”
Under Spicy Stick’s urgings, Yuan Zhu hurriedly craned his neck, soon seeing A Miao with a sunny smile, bouncing continuously like a boxer warming up below stage.
She wore white shirt + fitted suit vest, highlighting her killer figure, giving a complex business-yet-lively feel. After another contestant finished performance and vote-pulling, A Miao waved arms onto stage, cheers erupting below.
Looked like she had quite a few fans for her look, not just Yuan Zhu into her.
At this time, fast-paced explosive music started on stage, A Miao raised right hand high, snapping fingers.
Yuan Zhu originally thought she’d sing along to accompaniment, but waited ages no mic, instead ten or so metal targets rose at stage edges.
Before he realized, the fitted-vest energetic girl suddenly put hands behind back, twisted at waist, palms suddenly holding dual pistols.
Dual pistols spun rapidly on fingertips, her movements fusing perfectly with explosive music, 100% sync, entering unity of heaven and man state.
Arms suddenly straightened, under stunned and surprised gazes of audience below, she raised hands aiming at lookouts below (actually stage-edge targets in straight line), then index fingers on beat, continuously pulling triggers.
Bullet firing sounds perfectly overlapped music drum beats. Girl gunner aimed at audience continuously firing, gun barrels spitting fire tongues, hitting metal targets sparking, casings flying nonstop, music more explosive, girl using dual pistols for excitement, bullet sounds replacing drum beats in percussion performance.
Corners of mouth grinned high, showing wicked excited smile, little fangs glinting coldly.
Little Spicy Stick: “Holy crap, she’s so cool, Boss I’m in love!”
