The business was indeed slowly improving, just not fast enough.
So slow that the Boss Lady had no savings left.
Looking at another month of losses, she painfully clutched her head.
The waiter who was helping with the accounts looked at her with pity and said:
“Boss Lady, why don’t we leave the dishes out a little longer? You’re losing too much every day.”
The Boss Lady shook her head firmly, saying nothing. The helpful waiter could only sigh, "Alright, at least we get free fresh food every day now, no one has to buy groceries."
But if this shop goes out of business, where will we find such a good boss again?
Late one night.
The Boss Lady personally brought out the last stool, cleaned the floor with a mop, and then, unusually elegant, sat on the floor, hugging her legs like a little girl.
“I can’t keep going like this.”
She said with a bitter smile.
Her savings from the past few years were all gone.
What could she do next?
Confusion, unwillingness, anger, hatred.
Just then, a tall woman wearing an inverted cross robe slowly entered the shop.
She glanced at the Boss Lady and said in a seductive voice:
“Do you want to continue? To let more people eat your hot pot?”
The Boss Lady looked up from her legs, her face streaked with tears. For some reason, she broke down in front of this stranger, letting down all her defenses.
“Yes!”
“Then, why not try my method? I can let more people eat your hot pot.”
As she spoke, the person took out a mass of what looked like pulsating red flesh from under her robe and handed it over.
The illusion suddenly fluctuated, as if greatly disturbed, and quickly came to an abrupt end.
But that was enough for Xin Nan to recognize the meaning behind that attire.
Is this your solution?
You are truly bastards—Repentance Society!
Xin Nan raised his head.
His gaze was emotionless, as cold as a painting.
He didn't utter any harsh words, because he wasn't strong enough yet.
Without a doubt, the Repentance Society was a Transcendent organization.
To him, it was an absolute Colossus. Even people from the Materialist Bureau were severely injured because of it. What could he, who wasn't even Transcendent and couldn't find a way in, do?
He glanced at the thing that brought him great danger, the only Transcendent thing he had encountered so far.
The thing seemed to say, "Eat me, and you will gain Transcendent power."
Xin Nan averted his gaze, ignoring the pulsating flesh.
As he walked out of the hot pot restaurant, amidst the harsh wail of sirens, fully armed SWAT officers in black, fully sealed uniforms, armed and ready, ascended to the third floor.
Everyone along the way was controlled, not allowed to leave the vicinity of the building.
Xin Nan raised his hands in full cooperation.
The leading SWAT officer stepped forward, approaching cautiously. Upon seeing Ye Lan, who appeared severely injured and unconscious, he was greatly shocked. From his reaction and that of the background painting behind him, Xin Nan deduced that this person knew Ye Lan and was well aware of his identity.
But even though Ye Lan was bleeding profusely and looked like he was dying, the officer did not immediately rescue his "companion," this valuable combatant. Instead, he cautiously retreated, and along with all the other SWAT officers, aimed their guns at Ye Lan on the ground.
Xin Nan didn't know what expression to wear at this moment, but he had already glimpsed a corner of what was called Transcendent.
At this moment, the harsh sound of a sports car approached from downstairs. Amidst the tires' sympathetic groans, something, after a barely audible light sound, climbed directly up the outside of the building and landed in front of Xin Nan and the others in just two seconds.
Ignoring the SWAT officers, this girl in a JK uniform, with twin ponytails and a lollipop, quickly walked to Ye Lan's side. After a glance at Xin Nan, she suddenly stomped on Ye Lan's wound.
After this horrifying action, Ye Lan's arm stopped bleeding abruptly, and his wound seemed to be covered by an invisible membrane, emitting a silver light.
The girl breathed a sigh of relief and said in a clear, cold voice, "They are all fine. Execute procedure B. I'll go recover the elements."
With that, she walked into the hot pot restaurant, while the SWAT officers swarmed forward, quickly apprehending Xin Nan and rescuing Ye Lan.
Xin Nan's astonished gaze remained fixed on the girl.
Because he recognized this girl!
The first background painting with color he had ever seen belonged to this girl!
It was also she who made Xin Nan begin to pursue the Transcendent.
The rabbit behind her was something Xin Nan would never forget in his life.
The rabbit was cyan, twice the girl's height, and looked as if it had crawled through some disgusting insect mucus.
And its huge, three-lashed eyelashes, like short swords, were inserted into the girl's body like IV needles, occasionally twitching as if sucking something.
So she was from the Materialist Bureau.
With everyone taken away, the hot pot restaurant seemed empty.
The JK uniform girl walked in, sensing the pollution lingering there, and frowned, muttering to herself:
"Even though he's so lazy, he risks his life every time to save someone. He doesn't even bring an auxiliary team to avoid unnecessary sacrifices. What an eccentric."
As she spoke, she had already walked in front of the mass of red flesh.
"Although it has shrunk due to hibernation, it does indeed feel like powerful pollution. Is this Fourth Order? It's amazing you survived."
The girl said, about to begin the containment procedure for the pile of flesh in front of her, but just then, a light laugh suddenly rang out.
"Little sister, you can't take that thing."
A person in an inverted cross robe emerged silently from the darkness.
If "he" had launched a sneak attack, it would probably have been very successful.
But "he" didn't.
The girl in the JK uniform didn't turn around, her face expressionless. She slowly turned, looking at the person.
And behind the JK uniform girl, a giant cyan rabbit suddenly began to materialize from the void, bit by bit.
First, the head.
A face with a weird smile.
Then, the body.
As the body appeared, the smile on the face vanished. The rabbit's mouth turned down, its eyes narrowed, and it began to emit mental pollution named anger.
"Then let's try it, Lord 【Ye Lan】 of the Repentance Society."
"Heh heh."
The person hidden in the shadow of the robe quickly waved his hand.
"No, no, no, I don't need to fight you, because I already have the thing."
As he spoke, he flipped his palm, and the mass of flesh actually appeared in his hand, as if it had crossed spacetime.
The JK girl's eyes narrowed. She subconsciously looked behind her, only to see that the mass of flesh was still there. But at this moment, as she turned her head, her gaze fell upon the flesh, and it had indeed disappeared!
The giant green rabbit instantly moved to where the Repentance Society member had been, swinging its fist to attack!
But there was only darkness left there.
The JK uniform girl froze in place for a long time. The anger on her face slowly subsided, and she said coldly:
"As expected of 【Ye Lan】? You really played me."
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