Cheng Shuili picked up her teacup, blew on the cold surface, and took a sip.
“Faster than expected.” Her tone was casual, as if the people arriving weren't opponents competing for resources, but friends who had agreed to meet for tea.
Master of Slacking swallowed nervously, subconsciously trying to shrink back behind the crates.
Cheng Shuili caught him in her peripheral vision and chuckled. “Don't be afraid, friend. You're our guest now, perfectly safe.”
The words sounded like comfort, but they sent a chill down Master of Slacking's neck, causing him to stand at attention, afraid to move again.
“That squad has stopped behind a broken wall two hundred meters away. They seem to be observing,” Ailin continued to report, her voice as calm and professional as if she were reading raw data.
Inside the warehouse, Qi Wanyi's long sword was already unsheathed by an inch, a cold glint faintly visible. Jiang Tang and Chu Xue also gripped their weapons, their breathing slightly hurried but their gazes firm.
Cheng Shuili set down her teacup, her fingertips tapping lightly on the wooden crate.
“Any movement from Fengyun Tianxia?”
She asked it as if it were a casual remark.
Master of Slacking jumped, quickly shaking his head. “N-no! There hasn't been any new news in the group chat. They might be… they might still be hiding from the rain or…”
Or, with only those three left, they didn't dare to muddy these waters at all.
He didn't dare to say the rest out loud.
Cheng Shuili nodded, seemingly unsurprised.
“Then let's entertain our guests here first.”
She stood up and walked to the main entrance, peering out through a crack in the door.
Amidst the curtain of rain, some blurry figures could be faintly seen moving between the ruins.
Suddenly, a figure in the southwest darted out from behind cover, moving with startling speed, heading straight for the warehouse door! The figure dragged a blur behind it in the rain, clearly a result of attribute point bonuses.
“Bang!” Ailin’s rifle fired first. The bullet whistled through the rain, landing right in front of the person and forcing him to a sudden halt.
The figure was forced to roll, ducking behind a half-broken concrete pillar, effectively suppressed by their firepower.
Cheng Shuili stood up, pulled open the heavy iron door, and stood right in front of it.
This sight left Master of Slacking terrified; this person truly had no fear of death!
Even if the rain affected visibility, it didn't affect bullets. Was she really going to stand exposed in front of the muzzle like this?
The person present who understood her logic best was undoubtedly Ailin.
Only after seeing that bullet veer off course the moment it touched Cheng Shuili did Ailin realize why the top-ranked player was the top-ranked player.
Cheng Shuili stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip, the other gripping Night Hunt. She cleared her throat and shouted loudly: “Friends since you’ve arrived, we can discuss the materials. If you want to be civil, you can come in and sit for a while; I’ll treat you to tea. If you insist on making a move, then I can only treat you to bullets.”
Cheng Shuili’s clear voice pierced through the rain, carrying a strange, penetrating quality that carried clearly outward.
The figures moving between the ruins seemed to pause for an instant.
The person behind the concrete pillar didn't respond immediately; the sound of the rain became the only background noise.
Inside the warehouse, Qi Wanyi’s long sword was fully unsheathed, the cold blade pointing obliquely at the ground, reflecting the dim light of the warehouse. Behind the high windows, Ailin and Xinxue’s rifle muzzles remained steadily locked on several potential entry points, unmoving.
After a brief silence, a slightly raspy male voice came from behind the concrete pillar, carrying a hint of vigilance and probing: “Tea? Interesting. Which squad are you? How did you get so many coatings?”
Cheng Shuili smiled, her voice remaining relaxed. “Friend, it’s polite to state your own name before asking about others. What should I call you? Do you plan on just hiding back there to talk?”
Four or five seconds of silence followed; the other party seemed to be weighing the situation.
But soon, the person suddenly raised both hands and stood out from behind the concrete pillar.
“We’re definitely from the same region, friend. Let’s talk things over. I’m Qian Xun, ranked second on the leaderboard, and those people behind me are my teammates. Can we have a proper chat?”
It was too far to see his expression clearly. But for him to dare to stand out like that, he clearly had confidence in himself.
Cheng Shuili was, of course, welcoming of this; being able to talk things out and give away the supplies was certainly better than fighting.
Cheng Shuili was a peace-loving person, after all.
“Qian Xun? I’ve heard much about you.”
The smile on Cheng Shuili’s face became a bit more sincere, and she gestured to the side. “It’s raining hard, why not come in and talk? I’ve brewed some tea; though the water temperature leaves something to be desired, the tea leaves are good.”
The player named Qian Xun was a tall man, dressed in a sleek black combat uniform, with rainwater dripping down his slightly disheveled hair.
Cheng Shuili thought inappropriately, was this guy going to go bald?
Qian Xun’s sharp gaze swept over Cheng Shuili and her ready-to-fight team members, lingering for a moment on the rifle muzzles looming behind the high windows, before finally landing on Cheng Shuili’s overly leisurely tea set. The corner of his mouth seemed to twitch.
He made a gesture, and five more people stood up one after another in the ruins, following him as he slowly walked toward the warehouse.
Their movements were cautious and professional; they were clearly experienced players as well.
“And you are?” Qian Xun walked into the warehouse, his probing gaze landing on Cheng Shuili. Although he had his suspicions, there were many capable people who weren't widely known; it didn't necessarily mean she was Angry Crow Takes Flight.
Cheng Shuili was very direct. She grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, looking harmless. “You wouldn't know me by name, so I’ll just give you my ID. Angry Crow Takes Flight, nice to meet you.”
So it really was her...
Qian Xun and Master of Slacking both took a deep breath at the same time.
Qian Xun’s expression grew even more serious. He had no appetite for tea now.
“This setup is well-deserved of your reputation. Let’s get straight to the point. How are we splitting the coatings?”
His teammates stayed near the entrance, not fully entering, maintaining a posture where they could advance or retreat.
Both sides maintained basic vigilance.
Cheng Shuili didn't answer directly, instead slowly pouring him a cup of cold-brewed tea. “Don't be in such a rush, try some first? In this hellish weather, it’s not easy to find a place to hide from the rain.”
Qian Xun: “…”
He looked at the teacup handed to him, feeling somewhat speechless, but took it anyway and touched it to his lips symbolically.
“The tea is drunk. Can we talk business now?”
“Of course.” Cheng Shuili picked up her own cup, smiling. “The coatings are all here, 300 in total. My team only needs 50…”
Cheng Shuili glanced at Master of Slacking and suddenly changed her wording. “60. The rest, logically, should be enough for the other two squads to split.”
Master of Slacking’s eyes lit up, and he was almost moved to tears.
Cheng Shuili saw his foolish expression in her peripheral vision. This guy… he didn't think she was going to give them to him for free, did he?
Why would she?
Leaving him ten was only because he was sixth on the leaderboard and surely had good items. It was better to trade with this sixth-ranked player than to give them to someone else.
Rate on N.U.
