Chapter 51: The Business-Savvy Woman

After the Tongren Road incident concluded, the Vigil Keepers in Qingfu District finally had a chance to rest and avoid working overtime.

Due to the magnitude of the case and the commotion it caused, handling the follow-up work was too much for the district-level Vigil Keepers to manage. As a result, Old Huang handed over the criminal players and the case files to the Shanghai headquarters and washed his hands of the matter.

That same evening, Ren Ye returned to his office, exchanged a few words with his father and sister, and then fell into a deep sleep.

He was utterly exhausted lately. Whether in Star Gate or the real world, he had been functioning on the kind of sleep measured in weeks. Lying down in bed, he felt an overwhelming sense of impending collapse.

—

Without thinking about anything, he slept until noon the next day, waking up groggily.

After a quick freshen-up, Ren Ye called his father and sister, intending to invite them out for lunch. To his surprise, they had already returned home.

That was fine, though. After all, there wasn’t a single “normal” person at the Vigil Keeper unit—drug dealers, poison handlers, and neurotics were everywhere. If his father and sister stayed too long, they might start noticing something was off.

As for safety, it was guaranteed. The Bell Society members who had come to Shanghai had been completely wiped out. After the events of the previous night, Tongren Road was now quiet.

Moreover, the Vigil Keepers placed great emphasis on security, so whether at the office or outside, the level of safety wouldn’t drop.

Over the phone, his father suggested Ren Ye come home in the next couple of days for a comforting family meal, to which Ren Ye readily agreed. At this point, he had just over 30 hours left before re-entering the Star Gate.

This time, he wanted to spend some quality time with his family and enjoy a meal with his closest loved ones.

At noon, Ren Ye grabbed a simple meal at the Vigil Keeper cafeteria before heading to the first-floor office area to wait for Huang Wei’s summons.

However, as soon as he walked through the door, he unexpectedly saw Gu Nian sitting at her workstation. She was resting her chin on one hand, her eyes intently focused on the computer screen, mumbling softly.

Today, Gu Nian was wearing ultra-short shorts, her long legs crossed and glowing with a fair, translucent radiance. Her silky hair was tied up, and her still demeanor carried a touch of girlish charm. Her ample chest was pressed against the desk, almost completely flattened…

“Nice!” Ren Ye couldn’t help but praise softly.

“Hm?”  

Gu Nian turned her head toward him, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

“Last night’s Red Devils game was fantastic,” Ren Ye quickly covered, waving at her with a slightly awkward grin. “Good afternoon, magician.”

“Good afternoon.”  

Gu Nian nodded absentmindedly and turned her attention back to her work.

Ren Ye bent over and sat at an empty workstation nearby, pulling out his phone to idly fiddle with it.

Not long after, Gu Nian rested her chin on her hand again and began muttering to herself:  

“Mortgage, 12,000. Shoes, 900. Medicine, 3,200. Phone bill, food expenses… Oh crap, property fees are due tomorrow, and I still need to buy tampons… Ugh, just kill me already. Another month in the red.”

Hearing her complaints, Ren Ye raised an eyebrow in surprise. From what he had heard from Xu Peng, Vigil Keepers had decent pay, with both cash and Stellar Essence subsidies. Yet from Gu Nian’s words, she seemed to be living in tight circumstances.

Heh, probably another vain and materialistic woman.  

Ren Ye glanced at her out of the corner of his eye but noticed her clothes were quite plain. They looked like the kind of heavily discounted items you’d find in clearance sales.

“Thump, thump!”  

Just then, Xu Peng, Qingfu District’s merchant, walked into the room, casually grabbing a drink from a private fridge.  

“Nian, I’m taking a bottle of water, okay?”

“Six yuan,” Gu Nian replied without even turning her head.

“…Seriously? We just fought side by side last night,” Xu Peng protested, standing behind her. “Can’t you treat me to one?”

“Six yuan.”

“How about I trade you for some pills?” Xu Peng offered tentatively.

“…Do you want me to report you?!” Gu Nian turned around, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. “Transfer the money. Now.”  

“Fine, fine!”  

With no other choice, Xu Peng reluctantly nodded and actually transferred six yuan to Gu Nian through his phone.

Ren Ye was stunned. At first, he thought the two of them were joking, but to his surprise, Gu Nian really accepted the six yuan.

Wow, this girl is unbelievably stingy! Does she even understand how office dynamics work? That guy who sells fake medicine is practically a ‘miracle doctor’—what if he doesn’t help you when you’re in trouble?

“Thank you for your patronage,” Gu Nian said cheerfully after receiving the money.  

“You’re welcome,” Xu Peng replied automatically as he sat down next to Ren Ye. “You waiting for the boss?”  

Just then, Gu Nian leaned in like a phantom and asked Ren Ye, “Has the headquarters agreed to give you housing? And take care of your father’s medical benefits?”  

“Oh, Mr. Yan brought it up himself. I haven’t decided yet,” Ren Ye replied, crossing his legs and bragging a little. “Still negotiating.”  

Hearing this, Gu Nian ground her teeth in frustration, pounding her chest. “That’s so unfair! It’s just not fair! Why don’t I get benefits like that? I risk my life in Star Gate, too!”  

“It’s different. Ren Ye’s case is unique—he entered Star Gate as an ordinary person, so the danger he faces is way higher than ours,” Xu Peng explained matter-of-factly. “Honestly, I’m just happy as long as the boss lets me sell medicine.”  

Gu Nian rolled her eyes and ignored him, suddenly turning back to Ren Ye. “Hey, my dear comrade-in-arms, do you have any Stellar Essence?”  

R                en Ye blinked in surprise. “Why?”  

“I’ve got two magic talismans I drew myself. Want to buy them?” Gu Nian asked with surprising enthusiasm, showing more zeal for business than even Xu Peng. “One lets you cast a fireball, and the other summons a homing pigeon as a scout. Super cool! Interested?”  

The sudden offer caught Ren Ye off guard.  

“Boss, you don’t have a class inheritance yet. You need some skills to get by out there,” Gu Nian said, lifting her arm to reveal two magic talismans. “Take two—can’t go wrong, can’t be cheated!”  

“Get outta here!” Xu Peng scoffed, pointing at the talismans. “Buying those is a waste. You’re better off getting some poison from me. I’ve got stuff so lethal it’ll wipe out an entire family. Just toss it at the right moment, and they’ll all drop neatly.”  

“Hey, you looking for a fight?” Gu Nian glared at Xu Peng with wide eyes. “Don’t you know about first-come, first-served?”  

Watching the two banter, Ren Ye blinked and asked, “Do you guys think I’m an idiot? Someone easy to scam?”  

“No, no! I’m genuinely concerned for your safety…” Gu Nian waved her hand.  

After a moment of thought, Ren Ye pointed at the two talismans. “How much Stellar Essence are you asking for?”  

“Two for no more than one unit,” Xu Peng quickly interjected.  

Gu Nian considered for a moment. “Fine, one unit each.”  

“Deal, I’ll take both,” Ren Ye said, as though making a major decision. Raising his arm, he produced two units of Stellar Essence in his hand.  

This unexpected wealth was loot he’d taken from the Bull Terrier. Considering how much Gu Nian had gone through recently to protect his sister, he decided to support her business a little.  

The transaction went smoothly, and two magic talismans appeared in Ren Ye’s consciousness space. He wondered whether these items could be brought into the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate.  

Gu Nian, delighted, pocketed the two units of Stellar Essence and playfully stood up, striking a magician’s bow as though leaving the stage. “Thank you, kind patron!”  

“No need for thanks. I’ll just grab a bottle of water,” Ren Ye said with a grin.  

“That’ll be six yuan, thank you,” Gu Nian replied, her hands clasped in front of her, her face brimming with a polite smile.  

“Come on! Two units of Stellar Essence, and I can’t even have a bottle of water?!” Ren Ye was flabbergasted.  

“Six yuan, please,” Gu Nian said with the same cheerful smile.

“You’re too stingy to make friends!”

“Got used to being poor since childhood. Hope you’ll forgive me,” Gu Nian replied, clasping her hands in a mock salute.

“Unbelievable!”  

Ren Ye had never encountered anyone so tightfisted. On his way out of the office area, he specifically asked Xu Peng, “Is she… always like this?”

“…Sigh, you’ll understand her family situation in time,” Xu Peng replied with a shake of his head, sighing poetically, “She saves her smiles for the workplace, which is why I don’t mind spending money with her.”

…

That afternoon, Ren Ye accompanied Huang Wei to Duoduo’s Pet Paradise.

After entering Yan Duoduo’s office and exchanging a few pleasantries, the three of them took their seats.

Yan Duoduo was dressed in a white suit, legs crossed, exuding the smug demeanor of a self-proclaimed pretty boy. “Ren Ye, how much longer until you enter the Star Gate?”

“Tomorrow night at 8 PM,” Ren Ye replied after glancing at his watch. “About… thirty hours left.”

“Hmm,” Yan Duoduo nodded thoughtfully.

Ren Ye rubbed his palms together as a thought struck him. “Oh, by the way, Mr. Yan, I’m allowed to bring one other person with me this time. Has the company decided who yet?”

“We’ll discuss that in a bit,” Yan Duoduo waved it off, his expression turning serious. “I read your report on the Star Gate content. You mentioned multiple times that in the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate, there seems to be a suspected player who has shown no hostility toward you?”

Ren Ye hesitated briefly. “Yes, that’s my ‘consort.’ I suspect she’s a player, though I don’t have any concrete evidence…”

At this point, Huang Wei interjected, “But based on Ren Ye’s description, his success in defeating the Body Projection of Old Daoist Xu in the Hall of Tranquility was due to replicating the consort’s ultimate move. If her combat strength is that formidable, and she’s a player, it might break the balance mechanisms of the Star Gate.”

“No, no, you missed a key detail,” Ren Ye waved his hand. “The consort personally told me that the soul-gathering technique she taught me is something she herself can’t use for now. When I asked why, her answer was vague—she just said it was due to suppression from the Star Gate.”

“Then why can you use it?” Huang Wei asked, puzzled.

Ren Ye replied truthfully, “The ability of the Imperial Brush lets me replicate anything extraordinary within the Star Gate. But that doesn’t mean I can wield it at its full power. To put it simply, I only learned the basics. You get what I mean?”

Yan Duoduo immediately caught on. “The consort can’t use it because if she did, the forbidden technique would make her too strong, triggering suppression from the Star Gate. But you’re different—you’ve only grasped maybe 30% or even less than 10% of its full potential?”

“Exactly,” Ren Ye nodded.

“That’s peculiar,” Yan Duoduo said, his expression betraying a hint of shock. “If she’s a player, there’s no way she could be this strong. The invitation mechanism for Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate is clear—it only invites ordinary people or Tier-1 Chaotic Legacy players. Essentially, it’s a Tier-1 Star Gate with limitless potential. But if you say the consort isn’t a player… your instincts about her seem pretty strong.”

Ren Ye pondered deeply. “So, what are you implying?”

“Your primary objective in this entry is to uncover the consort’s identity,” Yan Duoduo said, frowning. “I have a feeling that securing her allegiance will significantly increase your odds of success.”

…

Inside the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate.

Lian’er arrived at the consort’s palace and softly addressed the maid, Xue’er. “Please inform the consort that I have urgent matters to discuss.”

“I’m sorry, the consort has been away for several days…” Xue’er replied with a gentle smile, shaking her head.