Chapter 395: How Did You Know My Nickname?

Despite feeling suspicious, he still decided to take the items.

After spending quite some time doing all that, Chen Xiaolian finally returned. Although his body had been enhanced, he still felt tired to the point of sweating. Yet, despite the fatigued state of his body, his mind felt somewhat excited.

After Fatty led him out, Chen Xiaolian found that the holographic figure of Sarah was waiting for him outside the door. When the two of them emerged, Sarah informed them that Bluesea had made the arrangements and she invited Chen Xiaolian who had finished gathering up his items to follow her to rest up.

Fatty did not say anything. He simply said goodbye to Chen Xiaolian. Before parting ways however, he winked at Chen Xiaolian.

Chen Xiaolian then recalled the matter Fatty had asked from him back in the warehouse and a weird feeling arose within his heart.

Putting that aside, Chen Xiaolian then followed Sarah. After going through the teleportation tile once more, he was sent to a certain unknown floor. Sarah gestured for Chen Xiaolian to enter a corridor courteously. “Please rest up here. The access clearance for this room has been given. However, I must remind you that your clearance to move around is limited to this room. In order to avoid any unnecessary issues, please do your best to limit your activities to within this room. If you have any requests, please summon me whenever.”

Mm?

Chen Xiaolian’s heart skipped a beat.

Do my best to limit my activities to this room?

Doesn’t that mean my freedom is being restricted?

However, after pondering about it, he observed that he was presently in someone else’s base. Having his actions restricted was only a matter of course.

Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild was a super great guild after all. If any outsider were allowed to wander around inside their base camp, wouldn’t they end up as the butt of the joke?

After having considered that point, Chen Xiaolian did not feel dissatisfied anymore. He then simply moved inside and went to rest.

The room was a huge suite and the furnishings inside gave off quite the cozy feeling. All the tools inside it were very advanced. It was very similar to the hotel belonging to Rodriar Guild that he had stayed in back then.

After stepping through the door into the room, Chen Xiaolian headed directly to one of the soft couches inside the living room and lied down on it.

He felt the new Storage Watch that he was wearing on his wrist and thought about it. With this much items, to what level could he increase his guild’s strength to?

As he mulled it through, he could not help but feel excited.

Then he recalled the mountain like stacks of materials and equipment inside the warehouses that he had seen earlier…

How much of those did he get?

Today, he finally caught a glimpse of the astonishingly deep foundation and strength of a real great guild.

He recalled the silhouette who was a member of a resident guild of Zero City. The silhouette had spoken to him in an arrogant manner, making him out to be an insignificant character.

In hindsight, that attitude was not something strange.

The gap of strength between the guilds outside Zero City and the resident guilds of Zero City was too horrifying!

Having thought of that, Chen Xiaolian’s heart that was excited inexorably turned cool.

Making comparisons was a fearful thing. After making a comparison, his original feelings of triumph was greatly dispelled.

After resting for a few hours, Qiao Yifeng came.

The expression on Qiao Yieng’s face and his mood remained terrible. After entering the room, the first thing he did was to cast a glare at Chen Xiaolian.

Chen Xiaolian understood that he was in the wrong. However, he remained calm and said, “About what happened with Bluesea earlier, it’s my fault. I should not have run around recklessly. Furthermore, I should never had eavesdropped on your conversation. Although it was not done on purpose… mm, at any rate, I am the one who did wrong. Please accept my apology. If there is an issue on Mr Bluesea’s side, I can go apologize in person.”

Qiao Yifeng was originally holding onto a belly full of anger. Unexpectedly, Chen Xiaolian had chosen to put matters out in the open. Thus, Qiao Yifeng found that he was unable to vent out his rage. He glared at Chen Xiaolian and held himself back. Then, he said dryly, “Have you picked up all your stuff?”

“I humbly thank your guild for these gifts. I have already picked them all up.”

Qiao Yifeng paced back and forth in the room. After pacing twice, he said, “Since that is the case, first stay here and rest for one night. Tomorrow, I will bring you to meet Bluesea. After you say goodbye to him, you can leave. As for the matters with the mine, my subordinates will contact you.”

“Will Qiao Qiao and Soo Soo be leaving with me?” Chen Xiaolian quickly asked. “You had promised me that before coming here.

Qiao Yifeng’s eyelids twitched and he uttered in frustration, “Yes! I will bring them over to meet up with you tomorrow! No matter what, I am still their father! Before parting ways, I want to spend at least one more day with them! Do you have a problem with that, kid?!”

Seeing as Qiao Yifeng was on the verge of exploding, it was only natural for Chen Xiaolian to stop poking him. He simply gave a polite smile.

Qiao Yifeng was angry to the point of choking and the two of them fell silent.

Seeing that there was no conversation going on, he was unable to stop himself from asking, “About that thing I heard in the afternoon… Blood Verdict, what is it?”

Qiao Yifeng glanced at Chen Xiaolian and said coldly, “Don’t ask about things that does not concern you!”

Those words from Qiao Yifeng did not cause Chen Xiaolian to become angry.

He had already accomplished what he came here for. Thus, getting stabbed through words by Qiao Qiao’s father was not something that he would care about.

However, there was something peculiar about the way Qiao Yifeng was acting.

From all outward appearances, everything had been settled. Since this old man considered him to be an eyesore, why would he bite the bullet and continue to stay here? There was nothing that the two of them could talk about either… why was he doing this?

Qiao Yifeng was not moving to leave and it was impolite for Chen Xiaolian to chase him out. He could only bear with it and accompany Father Qiao who was seated before him.

The youngster and the elder stared at each other for over 10 minutes, not uttering a single word in the process.

In the end, seeing Father Qiao pull out a piece of cigarette and was about to light it up, Chen Xiaolian was no longer able to hold no. He sighed and smiled wryly as he said, “Mr Qiao, if you have something to say, then don’t beat around the bush. If you don’t let it out, you’ll suffocate miserably while I’ll be distressed.”

Hearing Chen Xiaolian’s words, Qiao Yifeng immediately bounced to his feet and he shouted angrily, “Nonsense! What else could I have to say to a kid like you?!”

After saying that, Qiao Yifeng waved his hand and stomped off. When he reached the door leading out, he turned his head and said, “Be obedient and stay in this room. Don’t go running around! If you run around recklessly again and end up triggering the alarm, I won’t be responsible if you end up dying!”

Watching Qiao Yifeng leave, the suspicion within Chen Xiaolian’s heart only grew.

Qiao Yifeng was clearly tussling with some issue. Thus, he had stayed here for so long only to say nothing – could it be there was something troubling that he wanted his help with?

Chen Xiaolian was unable to sort out this suspicion in his mind. Thus, he chose to put it aside for now and went to rest.

First, he went for a bath. Next, he inventoried the items he acquired today.

After examining them in his mind a few times, he thought about how to make best use of these materials and items…

It was unknown how long he spent doing so. Then, as Chen Xiaolian was still pondering on the matter, he suddenly noticed that the Storage Watch that he was wearing was flashing!

A voice came from it.

“Brother Xiaolian? Brother Xiaolian?”

Mm?

Chen Xiaolian was taken aback.

The voice coming from the Storage Watch clearly belonged to Fatty.

Chen Xiaolian’s heart gave a pound; he brought the Storage Watch closer to his face, and he began inspecting it.

“Brother Xiaolian, can you hear me? Can you see the three buttons on the side of this watch? Press the top most button and you will be able to talk to me.”

Chen Xiaolian first got up and checked the room. He hesitated a moment before pressing the button and said, “I’m here.”

After that, Fatty seemingly gave a sigh of relief. “Good, good. I finally managed to contact you.”

After hearing that, Chen Xiaolian sighed. “Back in the day, when you gave me this watch, you had already intended to do this, didn’t you? This watch can also be used as a communication device?”

There was an awkward tone in Fatty’s voice as he said, “The warehouse is not the place to talk,”

Chen Xiaolian smiled wryly and said, “Brother, it would seem that this present of yours is not a straightforward one. Now, I am regretting accepting this gift of yours. I keep getting this feeling that the thing that you are planning to ask of me is not that simple.”

Fatty snickered. “Back when we were chatting during the day, I figured I would likely be unable to meet you at night. That is why I first gave you this thing as a present. Brother, although I was not straightforward about it, this present is a truly valuable gift. At any rate, it proved very useful for you, didn’t it?”

Chen Xiaolian sighed. “Fine, I owe you one. Out with it then. What is it that you want my help with? I’ll have to say it first, if it’s too outrageous, don’t even bother opening your mouth. But if I can do it, I won’t refuse.”

Fatty who was on the other end laughed a few times before slowly saying, “Don’t you worry. I won’t ask you to harm Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild. This matter is really risk-free. There is also no need for you to bear any responsibility.”

“For real?”

“But of course! I’ve planned it out, so you can be rest assured. I know where to draw the line!”

Chen Xiaolian replied dubiously, “If that is the case, then tell me about it. What is it exactly?”

Fatty said, “Let me first tell you about my situation. Some time ago, I broke some of the guild’s rules, so the boss punished me and had me confined. But as you heard today, the boss was being generous and had lifted the confinement punishment. However, my actions are still restricted. Boss placed a curfew on me and I cannot move in and out at night. Furthermore, I have to stay in the boss’ residence and I am not allowed to walk out the door. If I do anything out of line, that Sarah will certainly report to him. If boss gets furious, I fear this time I would not be forgiven. So…”

“Don’t beat around the bush. Out with it.”

Fatty smirked and said slowly, “It’s a very simple matter. The way I see it, I will be confined to the boss’ residence for somewhere around ten days to half a month’s time. The boss is afraid that I might provoke some trouble. So, he is probably not going to allow me to go out anymore. But sitting here is boring for me. So, I want to get some items to play with to kill time with.

“But the boss is unwilling to give me that. Since it’s a punishment. It must look like a punishment. If I get to spend the days somewhat too happily, that would no longer be considered a punishment. Thus…”

“Can you not just be frank?” Chen Xiaolian frowned. “Brother, if you continue to beating around the bush, I’m going to lose interest.”

“Don’t, don’t, don’t. I’m getting to it right now,” Fatty anxiously said. “I want to ask you to go somewhere to fetch something for me.”

“… … …” Chen Xiaolian was stunned.

“Hello? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I’m listening,” replied Chen Xiaolian in a very cool tone. “Where do you want me to go and what is this thing you want?”

“Mm, go to a warehouse and fetch a…”

Without waiting for Fatty to finish, Chen Xiaolian instantly rejected it. “No!”

After pausing for a moment, Chen Xiaolian spoke up again. It didn’t feel too good to outright reject it after all. “Actually… brother, since you’ve given me a gift, it is only natural that I help you out a little. However, you need to understand something. In here, I am simply a guest. How can I just run around wherever I like? About that warehouse. Back then, I was able to go into the warehouse and fetch those items because I had the permission from its owner. Those were gifts by the owner. But now, you want me to go inside and help you steal something? What is this supposed to mean? Besides, you know full well what this place is. And yet you want me, an outsider to sneak into your Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild’s warehouse?

“Brother, this joke of yours is… I’ll just pretend that I’ve never heard it!”

After saying that, Chen Xiaolian moved to cut off the communication.

“Wait a minute! Wait!” Fatty anxiously called out. “Wait! You misunderstood! You misunderstood!”

“What did I misunderstand?”

Fatty’s pant could be heard as he said, “Brother, no matter how reckless I am, would I ask you to go steal something from my own guild’s warehouse? How I could do something so ridiculous?

“Don’t worry. The warehouse that I am talking about is definitely not an important place that houses our equipment like the one you went to this afternoon. Sigh, you’ve misunderstood me.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“A misunderstanding! Misunderstanding! An absolute misunderstanding!” Fatty rapidly spoke up, “It is not an equipment storing warehouse! It’s definitely not some important location! Sigh!

“Don’t fret and just patiently listen to my explanation.

“The warehouse that I am talking about is one dedicated for waste materials. Waste materials, do you understand?

“Broken equipment that we no longer use, ruined equipment, things that no longer have any maintenance value would all be categorized and stored in an area.

“In my guild, there are quite a number of old fellows. Although their items are old and damaged, they won’t toss them away. At any rate, they would leave it as a form of memorabilia. Thus, there is a place here dedicated for these items.

“Not to mention, I am not asking you to go take someone else’s item. Don’t worry, I just want you to take something that belongs to me.

“About that place, everyone in the guild will have a storage space for themselves. With the exception of the owner of that space, no one else will be able to enter that space. If they try to, they will end up triggering the alarm. That is why I will never ask you to do something so stupid!

“I’ll be honest with you.

“I am someone who likes messing around with mechanical related stuff. My capability is of the mechanical route.

“Last time, I created a certain mechanical device and ended up provoking a bit of trouble. Thus, the boss punished me and had me grounded. I am also not allowed to play with machines.

“I am on the verge of suffocating to death here.

“That is why I want to ask you to go to my own storage space and help me gather up some of my own items. I had kept some items inside. They’re all machine related toys. Help me gather them up and find an opportunity to secretly hand them to me tomorrow.

“That way, my days of being confined won’t feel so boring.”

Chen Xiaolian knitted his eyebrows and said, “Brother, it is not that I don’t want to believe you. But your story is a bit ridiculous. If you just want to get some mechanical toys, you can just discuss it with your boss and be done with. Why would you need an outsider like me to secretly help you out?”

Fatty quickly said, “Sigh, I’ve just told you. The reason I caused a trouble last time was because I created a mechanical device. Thus, the boss punished me, forbidding me from touching anything mechanical related again. If I am to request the boss of this, he would most likely say no. That is why I would need to ask for your help.”

Chen Xiaolian shook his head and said, “No, I don’t trust you.”

Fatty continued asking but Chen Xiaolian simply shook his head and refused.

In the end, Fatty’s tone suddenly changed. “Brother Xiaolian, are you really not going to help?”

“Not going to.”

“Really?”

“No!”

“Then, let me ask you. Those items you picked up this afternoon, are they all in the Storage Watch that I gave you?”

When he heard that, a sense of unease rose from within Chen Xiaolian’s heart. “… … what are you trying to say?”

“I am skilled in the mechanical field. Although the Storage Watch is a product from the system, I would usually make some modifications to those equipment. Xiaolian, I am not threatening you here. Although I have given you the watch, there are some minor functions that I personally added to it; I just did not have the time to inform you about.

“For example, I put in a self-destruct function on the watch. That function can be controlled remotely. If I am to do something here… in five seconds time, that watch will self-destruct.

“Do you understand?

“The Storage Watch utilizes a form of spatial technology. Once it self-destructs, the spatial point will be cut off. When that happens, the items you stored inside would all be…

“Lost forever!”

When Chen Xiaolian heard that, his face twisted and he angrily said, “Fatty! You dare!”

Fatty simply replied in a reckless sounding voice, “What do you think?”

“If you do, aren’t you afraid that I will go complain to your boss, Mr Bluesea? He does not appear to be someone unreasonable. Besides, he was the one who gave me those items!” Chen Xiaolian took a deep breath. “This action of yours is pointless! Your boss will definitely punish you… besides, even if you do destroy the watch and the items inside gets destroyed… your boss will compensate those items for me.”

Fatty calmly replied, “You are right. If I do so, I will definitely be punished. However, I just happen to not fear being punished. Just ask around. In Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild, getting punished is a common matter for me. The confinement room is pretty much my own bedroom. Would I be afraid of getting punished?

“As for whether or not the boss will compensate you for those items…

“I don’t know about that.

“Considering the boss’ noble disposition, maybe he will. In fact, it is highly likely that he will.

“However, brother Xiaolian, some of those items are limited. The boss could give it to you once, but twice?

“If it’s those ordinary materials or Sentinel mechs, then giving you another set is no big deal. After all, we have loads of them.

“But what about that Tidal Fighter? We only have a few of those in our warehouse.

“Even if the boss is willing to compensate you, he might not give you another fighter. Maybe, he would just throw in a few more mechs as compensation.

“Are you willing to accept that?

“All right, let’s say that the boss is willing to give you another Tidal Fighter.

“What about the Assembly Station?

“Losing one means one less of it! It is pretty much a precious object in our guild.

“After you’ve ruined one, do you think the boss would be so generous as to give you another?

“Having lost the Assembly Station, even if you were to be compensated with 17 or 18 Thunderstorm Tanks and a bunch of mechs, can you feel happy?

“Ha ha!”

Chen Xiaolian was dumbfounded.

This damned fatso!

He possessed a simpleton’s appearance. Unexpectedly, he was such a vicious person!

No question about it, he had caught onto Chen Xiaolian’s weak point.

If he were to disregard everything else and destroy the watch…

This batch of items would be gone.

Even if he were to complain to Bluesea about this tomorrow…

Would it be of any use?

After all, he was an outsider. Although Bluesea appeared to be a decent fellow, only God knows if he was someone who would cover his own faults.

What if he decided to be unreasonable?

Who could Chen Xiaolian complain to then?

Even if Bluesea did step forward to get justice for him and was willing to compensate him with another batch of items.

While the more common items would not be an issue, what about those that were scarce? Would Bluesea be willing to give him another one?

At the end of the day, he was an outsider!

Take that core equipment, the Assembly Station for example. Would he be willing to give Chen Xiaolian another one?

Who could tell?

Chen Xiaolian himself did not feel too optimistic about it.

The more Chen Xiaolian considered the issue, the more vexed he became. Unexpectedly, this Fatty who appeared like a good fellow had actually blackmailed him!

“I say, are you willing to help or not? If you’re not, then I will activate the self-destruct device,” Fatty said casually.

Chen Xiaolian took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice, “You… Fatty! Did you consider the consequences of this action of yours? I have a partnership with your guild. Are you not afraid of breaking apart your guild’s business deal? How can you act without thinking of the consequences, you’re simply, simply… simply a 250!” [1]

Fatty laughed, “Ha ha ha! How did you know my nickname? I’m not afraid to tell you this, but everyone in Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild knows of my infamous name! My nickname is indeed ‘250’!”

1 250 is a Chinese wordplay which means half-crazy. It means someone who would do things recklessly and in a silly manner.↩