Chapter 49: Hunter Members +2

Lu Luo narrowed his eyes. The Observer could still sense that You Xiaoqi was Second-Tier, but it couldn’t even perceive this portly Ding Peng. This was a predicament! Beside him, Zhou Kai was somewhat nervous and flustered, while Gu Fangyi regarded You Xiaoqi as if she were a formidable enemy. They were all just students. Although they had experience killing Exotic Species, nervousness was inevitable when facing a true Hunter. Only Lu Luo’s expression remained relatively normal. He knew that what would follow would be a negotiation concerning the power distribution of Circle Studio. "I am Lu Luo, and I am very grateful that you two could come to help me at Captain Ludie’s request." Lu Luo emphasized that they were there to help him at Ludie’s request; the implication of his reminder was quite clear. However, You Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow, seemingly oblivious to the implication in Lu Luo’s words, and continued, "Don’t be so polite with us. Just follow my lead from now on. We’ll do the work, and the money will be distributed to you according to a set proportion." You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng were straightforward in their attempt to seize power. They clearly came with ill intentions. Upon hearing this, Lu Luo stood up. When Gu Fangyi saw Lu Luo rise, he immediately followed suit. Although Zhou Kai was panicked, he still chose to support his brothers at this moment; the three of them stood united. "Miss You Xiaoqi..." "Most people call me Brother Qi." This is an attempt to seize control of the conversation. This person is no ordinary individual, Lu Luo thought, narrowing his eyes slightly. Lu Luo dared not make any rash moves in front of these two. A verbal conflict was one thing, but a physical one was entirely different. There were many reasons humans could fight Exotic Species beyond their tier. Powerful abilities, profound Cultivation Techniques, and exquisite equipment could all greatly enhance combat power. A peak Second-Tier Transcendent posed a much greater danger than a Second-Tier Exotic Species. This was especially true for one whom the Observer had indicated was very powerful. Still, dealing with a creature like a woman should be much easier than dealing with an Exotic Species, Lu Luo mused. "Brother Qi, it seems you’ve misunderstood. Captain Ludie asked you to come here to help, not to take charge. Are you planning to seize control of Circle Studio?" Lu Luo put on a somewhat aggrieved expression. Combined with his handsome face, it immediately gave You Xiaoqi the impression she was bullying a fresh-faced pretty boy. "So what do you propose we do?" "How about this: we play a game to decide the winner. For example... how about Fight the Landlord?" For some reason, upon hearing the words "Fight the Landlord," both You Xiaoqi’s and Ding Peng’s expressions changed. It was as if they had glimpsed some great terror that lay between life and death. You Xiaoqi looked at the three of them, then suddenly pulled out a short dagger and slammed it onto the table. "Fight the Landlord is child’s play; I don’t do that. And I won’t bully the weak. Let’s play a different game: Stabbing Fingers. Three hundred stabs in one minute. You pick someone. As long as they can do it, you win. I’ll go first." As soon as You Xiaoqi finished speaking, she began. The dagger, like an afterimage, danced between her fingers with a rapid TAP, TAP, TAP. Her hand speed was extremely fast; she completed 300 stabs in only half the allocated time. Is that all? Are they underestimating me, the powerful Grade S Sequence Observer? Go for it, Lu Xiaoluo! Overclock and put her in her place! "Your turn." Just as she tossed the dagger over, Gu Fangyi was about to reach for it, but Lu Luo stopped him, much to Gu Fangyi’s confusion. "What are you doing? I have Hawk Eye; I should be the one to do it." "This is a trivial matter; no need for you. I’ll do it." Lu Luo took the dagger with a smile. He knew their two opponents were formidable, far stronger than his own group. Although Gu Fangyi could also achieve 300 stabs unharmed by relying on his Hawk Eye, based on his understanding of Gu Fangyi’s abilities, even if he could do it, his speed definitely wouldn’t match You Xiaoqi’s. There would be a significant time difference. If the difference in skill shown was too vast, then even if they won this game, any ’help’ they received would inevitably be on the other party’s terms, with them taking the lead. Once the other party took control, it would be difficult to turn the tables. Lu Luo didn’t want that, so he had to step up himself. Sequence S-11-Observer: Overclock mode activated. Lu Luo looked at You Xiaoqi with a half-smile, his gaze intense and invasive, causing her to frown. "Watch closely, Brother Qi." Lu Luo took the dagger. The blade danced around his fingertips—swift, precise, and graceful. Although he was slightly slower than You Xiaoqi, the blade struck perilously close to the flesh between his fingers—a method far more dangerous by untold magnitudes. He finished 300 stabs, his speed only a fraction slower than You Xiaoqi’s. You Xiaoqi stared in astonishment, surprised by Lu Luo’s surgical precision and a speed not much inferior to her own. She watched Lu Luo, her eyes suddenly lighting up, her expression eager, as if wanting to challenge him again. "Fine, you win this round. Let’s go again." Oh! The little miss isn’t convinced, eh? She’s taken the bait! Host, invite her to your room tonight and give her another ’poke.’ That’ll show her what’s what. Tsk, that Observer’s comment is so suggestive! Lu Luo thought. Seeing You Xiaoqi concede, Gu Fangyi relaxed. It was obvious Lu Luo had performed better than he could have. Zhou Kai, never one to miss a chance for a biting remark, began to mutter, "What do you mean ’consider it Brother Luo’s win’? Anyone with eyes can see Brother Luo won by a landslide! An overwhelming victory! Applaud, people!" Zhou Kai’s talent for mockery was indeed formidable. Coming from the weakest member of their group, his comment sharply deflated the opponents’ arrogance. "You..." Ding Peng stopped You Xiaoqi. He had stopped eating the moment Lu Luo began his turn with the dagger. "Hey, hey! Xiao Qi, my dear Brother Qi, we’re here to help, not to cause trouble. Can you keep it down a bit? Besides, the air here is fresh, the surroundings are pleasant. I could even pop next door to watch them play cards. Isn’t working here pretty good?" Blocked by Ding Peng, You Xiaoqi said no more. This woman clearly held Ding Peng in high regard. However, Lu Luo felt a twinge of regret. He’d wanted to play for higher stakes with You Xiaoqi. Brother Kane, that fellow, really didn’t know how to read the situation today! That fatty has been observing you all along. Your strength must have piqued his interest. Lu Luo didn’t assume Ding Peng was an easygoing person just because he had played peacemaker. The Hunter’s creed was the law of the jungle. It was precisely because Lu Luo had displayed strength worthy of notice that Ding Peng showed this amicable side. If Lu Luo had truly been a weakling, Ding Peng, given his nature, probably wouldn’t have uttered any comforting words. More likely, he would have remained silent and simply watched You Xiaoqi ’play’ with them. Fortunately, Lu Luo’s strength was solid enough to force the situation onto an equal footing. He extended his hand towards Ding Peng. "In that case, here’s to our successful cooperation, Brother Qi, Brother Ding." Ding Peng extended his thick palm and shook Lu Luo’s hand. "Not bad, for someone the Boss values. But in the future, just ’Brother.’ Drop the ’Fat’!" 「About ten days passed.」 With Ding Peng and You Xiaoqi joining, Circle Studio’s capabilities increased significantly. Lu Luo expanded Circle Studio’s business scope to include paranormal cases, criminal investigations, and even tasks like searching for missing people or items. He listed their services on two large signs, one hung above the studio’s main door and the other at the building’s main entrance. Though unsightly, the signs were certainly eye-catching. Ordinary tasks like finding lost pets or investigating extramarital affairs were obviously not for Ding Peng or You Xiaoqi. Even Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi were unlikely to handle them. Assigning such tasks fell to Mr. Zhou Kai, the studio’s operations manager. As for attending classes? Lu Luo skipped most of them, only showing his face occasionally when there was absolutely nothing else to do. Consequently, Han Shiyu hadn’t seen Lu Luo for several days, and her ’pursuit of the dawn’ initiative was temporarily on hold. Lu Luo entrusted all personnel recruitment for the studio to Zhou Kai. After Lu Luo shared some key techniques for making grand, motivating promises—drawing from his past life’s leadership experiences—Zhou Kai treated this knowledge like a priceless treasure. Not only did Zhou Kai master these techniques within three days, but he also innovated, creating countless new inspirational ’promising’ routines. He practically became a life coach, an industry expert in the art. Currently, Mr. Zhou Kai was delivering a speech to the employees he had... cajoled—no, recruited. He pulled a prime example of his handiwork into the center of the hall. "Xu Minglei, why aren’t you working? Have you forgotten the studio’s current situation? "I, Zhou Kai, was orphaned at a young age, left destitute! Success was my only option! "But you? What can you even do if you go back to your hometown? "Aside from inheriting your family’s pig farm, your father’s properties, his cars, those fifty acres of land, and those hundreds of thousands in cash... "Tell me, what else do you have? What are you then?" Xu Minglei hung his head, whimpering aggrievedly, "I have no talent for this, Brother Kane. I really can’t handle investigating extramarital affairs. "I should just go home and inherit my dad’s pig farm, those properties, the cars, that fifty acres of land, and the hundreds of thousands." With that, he turned to leave. Seeing Xu Minglei was serious about quitting, Zhou Kai immediately switched tactics and played the emotional card. "Xu Minglei, have you forgotten the oath we swore at the studio entrance?" "Brother Kane, I haven’t forgotten." "Louder! I can’t hear you!" "Brother Kane, I haven’t forgotten!" "I believe you can succeed! I believe you are the god of investigating extramarital affairs! Tell me, am I wrong?" Feeling Zhou Kai’s fervent gaze, Xu Minglei seemed to rediscover his conviction. "Yes! I, Xu Minglei, am the God of Investigating Extramarital Affairs!"