Chapter 131: Zoo

Gao Yang opened his eyes and immediately rolled to a stand, energy concentrated in his two hands.

It was one o’clock in the morning. In the silence of the room, the quiet moon shone through the swaying curtains. He didn’t see anyone.

His window had been closed!

Someone was in his room earlier.

Gao Yang quickly accessed his system. His Luck points hadn’t spiked.

He rushed to the window and zeroed in on his desk, his brows knitted as he picked up a silverish white strand of hair. Under the gentle touch of the moonlight, it looked like translucent silk.

The white cat!

Gao Yang’s heart jumped to his throat.

He had considered applying to the organization for some trap items to install in his room, preventing intrusion while protecting himself. However, he was worried that he might anger the white cat instead, and he gave up on the idea.

While the white cat didn’t seem hostile to him at the moment, it wasn’t good for his heart to see it popping up out of nowhere when he least expected it.

Gao Yang sighed. It wasn’t a good feeling to not be in control of his own fate.

It reminded him of the animated film Dragon had talked to him about,

Uproar in Heaven

. Although the Monkey King could’ve led a blissful life in Mount Huaguo, it got on his nerves that the Heavenly Court was watching everything in the mortal world from a seemingly unreachable height. Perhaps that was the real reason the Monkey King ended up stirring up trouble in heaven.

Gao Yang no longer felt like sleeping, but he wasn’t sure what he should do.

Then his phone rang.

Wu Dahai had sent a photo to their encoded chatroom. In the breakroom, he and War Tiger were playing games on the couch while having beer and fried chicken.

Every day, this guy sent photos to the chatroom for attention. Gao Yang usually found him annoying, but at this moment, fellow members of the organization seemed like a source of comfort.

Gao Yang responded.

Dark Horse: Can I join?

Electric Mouse: Come, come! True bros play games until sunrise!

White Rabbit: You’re still up, Dark Horse?

Dark Horse: Um, can’t sleep. Aren’t you up too?

White Rabbit: Well, unfortunately, I stumbled on a real good novel right before bed. Next thing I know, it’s already early morning!

Electric Mouse: What novel? Let me see!

White Rabbit: It’s written by someone called Violent Waves, titled

My Buddy is the Chosen One

. The relationship between the two

very good friends

is amazing[1]!

Electric Mouse: No thanks.

Electric Mouse: Come on, Dark Horse! Teacher War Tiger is a total noob. He can’t even beat me when I have a robotic arm.

War Tiger: Help, my disciple!

...

Three o’clock in the morning, Gao Yang rode the private elevator to the underground sixth floor and entered the Rabbit Room.

Inside the breakroom, War Tiger and Wu Dahai were still playing a game on the couch. It looked like a fighting game.

Gao Yang walked in just in time to see a large ‘K.O.’ pop up on the screen.

War Tiger had a chicken bone in his mouth while he held a controller and insisted, “The combos don’t make sense in this game!”

“No excuse for being a noob!” Wu Dahai stood on the couch, his voice impassioned. “You’ve lost thirty times in a row! You have to honor your word and take me and Qing Ling to the next mission. It’ll be my chance.”

“Wu Dahai.” War Tiger sighed and shook his head. “Don’t you understand that you’re never getting Qing Ling?”

“Why?” Wu Dahai insisted. “She’s the only girl who agreed to let me touch her. Well, it didn’t actually happen, but still!”

War Tiger scoffed. “Do you really think of Qing Ling as someone who will do anything to get stronger?”

Wu Dahai paused. “Is she not?”

War Tiger knocked him in the head with the controller. “Think with your thick head. If Qing Ling really is that kind of person, why hasn’t she let you or other perverts have their way yet?”

Wu Dahai gaped. “That’s right. Why?”

“Because Little Qing Ling would reject the advances for her,” Gao Yang cut in with a smile. “No matter how many times it happens.”

“Bingo!” War Tiger nodded approvingly. “For survival and power, Qing Ling, the dominant personality, has abandoned many things. But her other self, Little Qing Ling, has helped protect what she shouldn’t give up as a regular girl. No matter how close you think you’ve gotten to success, Little Qing Ling will always take a stand when necessary and kick you as far away as possible.”

Wu Dahai opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

“So.” War Tiger spread his hands. “Little Qing Ling is a part of Qing Ling. You have to make her accept you before Qing Ling will. But do you think it’s possible?”

“Shit!” Wu Dahai slumped into the couch, finally coming to a realization. “How am I supposed to make Little Qing Ling not hate men?”

“Well, she doesn’t hate all men.” War Tiger smirked and turned to Gao Yang.

Wu Dahai looked over his shoulder to glare at Gao Yang. “Dark Horse! I hate you!”

“Haha.” Gao Yang smiled awkwardly even though he had been dragged into the conversation as an innocent bystander.

“Wu Dahai, you brat,” War Tiger said exasperatedly, “You would’ve gotten into the top 30 in power ranking if only you were as persistent in getting stronger.”

“Oh, I haven’t checked it for a while!” Wu Dahai forgot about his frustration as soon as he heard the mention of ranking. “Nesokia Genie! Show me the real-time ranking.”

The screen immediately changed to display the ranking for awakeners.

Wu Dahai quickly found himself, and he flailed around in triumph. “54th! I’ve made a big leap!”

War Tiger didn’t seem surprised. “Well, our organization did find the Time-Space Rune Circuit. And after surviving the ambush, you got the most advanced prosthetic arm, courtesy of the Qilin Guild. All that has boosted your fame.”

Gao Yang quickly found that Qing Ling, Officer Huang, and he had entered the top 70.

“But don’t let it get to your head, Wu Dahai.” War Tiger crossed his arms. “Below the top 30, the ranking is all based on empty fame. It has very little to do with actual power.”

“Of course I know that.”

Wu Dahai then muttered, “But fame will help me get girls.”

Gao Yang’s eyes lit up as he checked the top ten on the list. “Teacher War Tiger, both you and Captain have moved up a spot!”

“Oh, is that so?” War Tiger smacked his lips at the screen. “Well, that proves how important people consider the Time-Space Rune Circuit!”

“Yeah, we almost died to get it.” Thinking about the strange space still made Gao Yang shudder and gave him chills.

He went through the top ten awakeners again with more care.

10th: Vermilion Bird

9th: White Tiger

8th: War Tiger

7th: Black Tortoise

6th: Azure Dragon

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

5th: X

4th: Alcoholic

3rd: Surnamed Li

2nd: Dragon

1st: Qilin

Surnamed Li was the head of the Hundred Rivers Union. It was certainly a very unassuming name.

Alcoholic and X didn’t seem to belong to the three major organizations. They must be prominent unaffiliate awakeners.

Among the Twelve Zodiac Signs, Dragon and War Tiger claimed two spots of the top ten, while the Qilin Guild claimed the rest of the five, making their dominance in the field clear.

“Haha.” Wu Dahai cackled. “Every time I check the top ten, I feel like I’m visiting a zoo.”

War Tiger chuckled as well. “Well, if you guys get into the top ten as well, it’ll be an actual zoo.”

War Tiger’s phone rang.

He picked it up and glanced at the screen, his gaze darkening.

“Who can it be at this hour?” asked Wu Dahai.

“It’s an encoded message.” War Tiger made some clicks on his phone. “A moment, I’ll connect through bluetooth.”

Soon, War Tiger’s phone screen was projected on the big screen before them.

It was an invitation from the Qilin Guild.

Fucking hell!

Gao Yang almost screamed out loud.

Aren’t you working too efficiently, Qilin Guild? Don’t you ever sleep? Wouldn’t you give me some time to prepare myself?

1.

Xiongyong

, a word to describe violent waves, is a synonym to

Pengpai

, the author’s pen name. And White Rabbit described the novel as depicting a touching

xiongdi qing

, bromance/male friendship, which can actually be a euphemism for m/m relationship in China to avoid censorship. ?