Chapter 133 - 98 Audio-Visual Bracelet

Chapter 133: Chapter 98 Audio-Visual BraceletJi Xinghuo chose the "Audio-Visual Bracelet" for his equipment, which allows the wearer to select a target and share synchronized visual and audio perceptions. It was prepared for Qing Hong. Alien Coexistence enables one to establish a mental connection with Qing Hong, but does not synchronize what Qing Hong sees and hears. Sometimes, when the distance is too great, one cannot give timely and correct commands, missing out on opportunities in battle. If visual and auditory perceptions could be synchronized, it would lead to better cooperation. The Audio-Visual Bracelet is a Superpower One Star Equipment and, being an accessory, is somewhat more expensive, priced at 5 million Ya Yuan on the list. Ji Xinghuo had a 20% discount, so he only needed 4 million Ya Yuan. "Please wait a moment." Director Li nodded and looked at Jing Ji and Alex, who briefly glanced at the list and lost interest. They had bought equipment many times before, already owning what they wanted from the list and desiring what was not available on it. "Mr. Ji, please check." Soon, Director Li brought the synchronized bracelet, a cash amount of one million Ya Yuan, and a third-level Heroic Medal. Ji Xinghuo confirmed there were no issues and signed to accept the rewards. "Jing Ji, I have a few words to say to you," Alex suddenly said. Everyone in the reception room was surprised. Jing Ji turned to Ji Xinghuo and said, "Brother Ji, please wait for me for a moment." "Alright." Ji Xinghuo exited the reception room and entered the restroom of the bounty hall, placing the acquired cash and medal into Qing Hong’s Dimension Stomach. He then took out the silver bracelet packed in a box, beautifully simple in design and very light in weight. Ji Xinghuo wrapped it around his right wrist, activated it, and immediately in his mind, an intangible point concentrated, and he chose the Qing Hong on his palm to establish sensory contact. Qing Hong, already aware, showed no resistance. The next second, Ji Xinghuo saw from an additional perspective, viewing himself from his palm. This was exactly Qing Hong’s perspective, where he looked like a giant. He approached Qing Hong, seeing a large face coming closer in the synced view, both perspectives overlapping as if looking into a mirror, his own face moving onto the mirror, feeling quite peculiar. Not only the visuals but the auditory sense was synchronized as well. He gently "hmm"ed. In his ears, the two "hmms" almost overlapped, resembling an indoor echo. "There’s a delay in the synchronization." Ji Xinghuo had previously thought it was immediate, but after using it, he discovered there was about a 0.1 second delay in synchronization, although it seemed manageable. The biggest issue was still one brain processing dual visual and auditory inputs, difficult to manage and requiring frequent practice to get accustomed to this kind of synced senses. Otherwise, it might affect his own vision and hearing. "How do you feel?" Ji Xinghuo inquired internally to Qing Hong. He then found out that Qing Hong looked dazed; it too had its vision and hearing synchronized with his, but its brain seemed to malfunction, as if it had crashed. It took several minutes before Qing Hong gradually adapted to this sensation. Ji Xinghuo felt its excitement because his own vision was much better than Qing Hong’s; during the synchronized vision and hearing, it was as if a new world had opened up, seeing entirely different scenery than before, not only seeing further but also noticing many more details! In the synchronization, Qing Hong also gained some functions of the Wanxiang Star Pupil. Ji Xinghuo chuckled. "You’ll get used to it later, it’s no big deal." He patted Qing Hong’s small head and disconnected the effect of the Audio-Visual Bracelet. Using Superpower Equipment consumes Star Power, and although the consumption for audio-visual synchronization is not significant, it cannot be maintained at all times. Later, with more robust Star Power, it might be possible to sustain all-day synchronization. Ji Xinghuo went outside the bounty hall and waited for a few minutes before Jing Ji also came out, his face unreadable. "Let’s go, I’ll buy you a drink," Jing Ji said with a smile. The two left under the curious gazes of other bounty hunters and soon sat down in a bar in the second-level city area. Since it was morning, the bar was nearly empty. Jing Ji, apparently a regular here, expertly ordered two drinks, which the waiter promptly served. "Brother Jing..." Ji Xinghuo began. "Just call me Jing Ji," Jing Ji waved his hand, "I’m not much older than you. From now on, I’ll also call you by your first name." Ji Xinghuo nodded. "Originally, when I invited you for a drink, it was just to make friends," Jing Ji continued. "However, after talking with Alex just now, there actually is something I need to discuss with you." "Does this have to do with your bet?" Ji Xinghuo guessed. "Exactly," Jing Ji said with a rueful smile, lifting his drink to take a big sip, "Alex is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and he’s quite awkward. I didn’t understand him before and a misunderstanding arose over a trivial matter, so we made that bet." "Initially, it was just competition between the two of us, but as the word spread, more and more people got involved, and the situation got somewhat out of hand." Ji Xinghuo asked, "Can’t it be canceled?" "If it were a few months ago, it would have been canceled with just a word, but now it’s too late," Jing Ji shook his head, "this matter has escalated from a personal issue to a competition between our countries, with Alex and me representing our respective nations." Ji Xinghuo understood when he heard this. In this century, the global theme was the rivalry between Alien Coexistence and the United States—two superpowers. This rivalry spanned all aspects. Military, economy, culture, entertainment, etc., from personal matters to national diplomacy, and the alliances of both sides, competitions occurred everywhere in every field. The aim of both sides was only one, to defeat the other. To prove that their system was better! Even a trivial matter, as long as it gained exposure and attracted more attention, would invariably rise to a higher level. Even if it was not the intention of the parties involved, they had to bear significant responsibilities. Winning certainly brought fame and fortune. If lost, though most people would offer tolerance and comfort, it was inevitable to be despised and cursed by some, becoming a target of scorn, making it difficult to recover. Such cases were all too common. Ji Xinghuo remembered that more than a decade ago, there was a domestic super league team that had battled through numerous challenges to win the national championship and then went on to compete in an international tournament. They fought and won successive battles with unstoppable momentum, only to face a team from the United States in the final. That match carried too many expectations and was watched globally. The result was that the domestic team lost and missed the championship. Overnight, team members went from national heroes to laughingstocks. Being the runner-up was a disgrace. The runner-up was the biggest loser. Although most people sympathized, thinking that being the runner-up was already quite an achievement, even if only one percent criticized, it was a terrifying pressure of public opinion that was hard to bear for ordinary people. Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That team never recovered and a few years later, the club disbanded. Jing Ji said, "The bet has already been passed back to Earth and has become a news hotspot. Recently, I have reporters asking for interviews every day, all of whom I have refused." "Alex just told me that there are people in the United States hyping this issue." "The heat is rising continuously, and there might be follow-ups domestically as well." Ji Xinghuo sighed. Both Jing Ji and Alex were now in a difficult situation. One could imagine the immense pressure the losing side would face afterward. "So what are you planning to do?" Ji Xinghuo asked. "There’s no choice, we have to really compete. Neither Alex nor I will back down," Jing Ji said confidently. "I have an advantage and am likely to win this bet. As long as I win, everything will be fine." "However, Alex made a suggestion." Jing Ji looked at Ji Xinghuo. "He thinks that since we’re really going to compete, and it has escalated to national honor, we should involve more people. Both sides can form teams, but no more than three people. The spoils must be divided equally among the team members, but the final results will still be compared based on mine and his individual points." "Did you agree?" Ji Xinghuo asked. Jing Ji nodded. "It’s a good proposal. It can divert public attention from individuals. If we win, it won’t affect the popularity, and if we lose, there are others to share the responsibility." This was about sharing the blame! Ji Xinghuo was momentarily speechless. Who would normally agree to join? "Don’t be in a hurry to refuse," Jing Ji persuaded. "Of course, I won’t let you do this for nothing. We’ll split the spoils for points, but I won’t take any of the bounty, it will be divided between you two." "You two?" Ji Xinghuo was puzzled. "Who is the other person?" Jing Ji replied, "Also a friend of mine, a very sharp bounty hunter, but he’s not at the Midpoint Fortress at the moment. I’ve already sent someone to contact him. We should be able to meet him tonight. What do you think? If you join, we’ll be stable." Ji Xinghuo was still hesitant. He was now accustomed to hunting alone. The bounty wasn’t very attractive to him, and he wasn’t short of money at the moment. "I’ve been at the Midpoint Fortress for several years, and I’ve already figured out many enemies’ defensive arrangements," Jing Ji said. "There are several good targets. I can’t take them down alone. If we can form a team of three, we will definitely be able to deal a severe blow to the Beiluo Shimen Clan, not just earning a bounty and points but likely also a commendation." He indicated that such a commendation would be awarded by the military for outstanding achievements. Ji Xinghuo was somewhat tempted. But what excited him was not just the military commendation, but the significant targets Jing Ji mentioned, which would certainly involve hunting many enemies, allowing him to harvest a large amount of Spiritual Origin Ability. "Okay, I’m in," Ji Xinghuo, after much deliberation, agreed. "Excellent!" Jing Ji’s face showed a smile. "I knew you would agree. Cheers!" The two downed their glasses of wine, agreed to meet again at the same place in the evening, and then each went back to rest. When Star Night fell, Ji Xinghuo returned to the bar. The bar was bustling at this time, with guests sitting at tables and booths. As soon as Ji Xinghuo entered, a waiter led him to a private room. Jing Ji was already there, accompanied by a tall and thin man. "Xinghuo, let me introduce you," Jing Ji said, standing up and pointing to the man beside him. "This is my good brother, Yuan Chongzhen. He’s a top-tier Half-orc and a senior bounty hunter. He has been active around Sword Valley Fortress. If you had come last year, you would definitely have heard of him." Then he introduced his friend, "Chongzhen, this is Ji Xinghuo, currently the best bounty hunter at the Midpoint Fortress."