Chapter Eighty-One: A Bountiful Harvest

When Bai Shuangfei's corpse collapsed to the ground, Zhang He also fell flat on his back, utterly exhausted. The final battle had lasted less than five minutes, but the danger within those fleeting moments could not be described in a few words.

After using “Withered to Flourish,” and without invoking his full cultivation, his inner strength could sustain normal usage for about three minutes, which is why the previous twenty-some strikes left him unscathed. But from the moment the opponent’s blade turned real and slashed at his lower body, he began to combine inner strength techniques with offensive martial arts. The simultaneous exertion of force and cultivation—using moves like Golden Coin Darts, Flying Lotus Throwing Knives, and Flowing Cloud Blade—drained his energy, strength, and constitution at a tremendous rate.

Finally, when he drew the Azure Frost Sword and unleashed his ultimate movement technique in a decisive blow, his core attributes were halved. In this battle, he’d nearly emptied his arsenal: Slaughter Swordplay, Flying Rock Swordplay, Golden Coin Darts, Flying Rock Palm, Stone-Crushing Kick, Withered to Flourish, Heroic Spirit Surges, Return Breath Breaks Gold, and Song-Stepping Walk.

Lying on the ground, weak and spent, he silently recited “Clear Wind Formula” and “Whirlwind Formula” to recover.

All enemies had been vanquished. The only lingering guilt in Zhang He’s heart was toward the three leaders. In truth, he had used them—sacrificing their lives to wear down Bai Shuangfei’s attributes and to observe his fighting style.

But all sacrifices proved worthwhile, for Zhang He’s composure, calculations, observation, and relentless training finally reaped rich rewards.

Yan Yishan, a notorious red-named player, exploded in death, leaving a heap of loot on the ground:

- Empty Echo Ring (Rare): Level 35 requirement; Strength +15; Affix: Courage +5, Inner Strength +5
- Shocking Sky Greaves (Rare): Level 60 requirement; Defense +25; Affix: Agility +10, Strength +12

Bai Shuangfei’s red-name death also littered the ground with valuable items:

- Elasticity Ring (Rare): Level 40 requirement; Strength +20; Affix: Inner Strength +5, Constitution +5
- Indigo Cloak (Rare): Level 40 requirement; Defense +35; Affix: Agility +15, Courage +10
- Blacksteel Pauldrons (Uncommon): Level 85 requirement; Defense +40; Affix: Strength +25, Constitution +20, Agility +15

Zhang He couldn’t use any of these items yet, and the pauldrons would be completely out of reach for some time. It was only now that he understood why Bai Shuangfei dared to take the Finance Bureau Director’s “Overhead Smash” head-on.

In fact, Zhang He felt a lingering fear. Both foes had red names, yet their gear wasn’t even top-tier. If they’d been equipped with their best sets, he would have been forced to respawn long ago.

If the two experts’ loot was a generous gift, then the boss’s drop could only be described as a feast:

- Copper coins: 280 pieces
- Silver: 103 taels
- Gold: 66 taels
- Potions: 18 Large Health Bottles
- Skill Book: “Swallow’s Whirling Return,” requirement: Initial Strength + Flourishing Inner Strength at Level 40
- Immortal Breeze Boots (Rare): Level 40 requirement; Defense: 25; Affix: Agility +20, Constitution +10
- Wind Thunder Staff (Rare): Level 40 requirement; Inner Strength: Initial Realm; Attack Power: 100; Affix: Strength +20, 15% chance of critical hit, 5% chance of perfect strike
- Golden Scale Armor (Rare): Level 45 requirement; Defense +50; Affix: Inner Strength +20, Agility +15

After stashing all these items in his pack, Zhang He found himself nearly overburdened and had to reluctantly abandon the various crafting materials dropped by the Goldfish Spirit.

Naturally, he wouldn’t pass up the final prize—a brocade box that Yan Yishan and Bai Shuangfei had fought to the death for. Unable to resist, Zhang He opened the box.

Inside, there lay a solitary lump of blackened substance, resembling a burnt rice ball. It was hard and cold to the touch, almost metallic.

“Heavenly Meteorite: Crafting Material.”

Such a fiercely contested treasure was introduced in a single, simple line. Zhang He examined it for a long time before finally stowing it away. He didn’t know yet what could be forged from it, but he understood one thing: sometimes the simplest things possess the most extraordinary quality.

“Simplicity is not simple!”—one of Jun Ruojian’s insights, as well.

After clearing the battlefield, Zhang He finally realized the most urgent problem: how to leave this room.

He suddenly recalled Yan Yishan’s earlier words: “This place is a bubble at the bottom of Ripple Lake!”

If that were true, he might still have a chance. He still had two weapons, after all. But after hacking and stabbing at the water-walls all around, the “bubble” remained unbroken. Searching the room thoroughly yielded nothing, and so, defeated, he slumped heavily to the ground.

This room was a dead end, or perhaps it was simply that his skills and weapons were insufficient to pierce the water bubble and escape.

What made it worse, the air in the room was becoming stiflingly hot, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Zhang He was no fool. He realized that after such a fierce battle, the oxygen in the room was no longer enough to sustain a player’s breathing. Carbon dioxide would only accumulate, and every breath would consume the remaining oxygen. Even the glow of the luminous grass began to fade, their colors dimming, as though their lives, too, were withering, wilting, and finally dying.

The underwater room grew darker. Zhang He simply lay down, exhaustion, hunger, and terror flooding over him like a creeping shadow. He’d died in “Dynasty” before, but he’d never waited for suffocation to claim him in the darkness.

This was not merely about waiting for death; it was a kind of torment, an agony almost unbearable. Yet he could only endure.

After a long time, he suddenly began to sing out loud, the same high-spirited folk song from Yunnan:

“This plump lady is truly stout,
Her hips as wide as a wine vat,
Her waist as thick as three arms round,
When she walks, she sways about.
Ah, plump lady, how you sway,
Young man, you’re a novice, blind to beauty,
If you marry my plump lady,
You’ll sleep soundly every night,
Ah, my brother, you’ll sleep sweetly every night…”

It was a ridiculous song, hardly fitting for the moment, a situation so dire it made one want to cry instead of laugh. Yet Zhang He sang loudly, refusing to die with tears in his eyes—if he was going to fall, he’d do it boldly and gladly.

Darkness crept in, swallowing all light at the bottom of the lake. Zhang He’s eyelids grew heavier, and at last, he closed his eyes.

***

Zhang He was jolted awake—not by a miraculous escape, but by a phrase more important than survival itself.

“Payday! Payday!” Yu Yan’s voice wasn’t loud, but everyone in the office heard it clearly.

Zhang He sat bolt upright, all signs of his usual drowsiness gone, and dashed toward the finance office.

This month, his long probation finally over, Zhang He had become a regular employee. His base salary was 1,200 yuan, plus a 1,000 yuan bonus from General Manager Li—totaling 2,200 yuan. He was finally free from the poverty of the socialist trial period. Rent for Mr. Ma’s place was no longer a problem, the Shushan utilities could be paid without worry, and tonight he could even treat himself—instant noodles from the Lucky Noodle House were a thing of the past. Perhaps it was time to enjoy some barbecue and improve his life.

As he daydreamed about living in luxury, Chu Bo drifted over to his desk like a ghost.

“Xiao Zhang!” Chu Bo, imitating Jiang Yao, knocked on the desk, trying to act like a leader.

Zhang He looked up blankly, “Manager Chu.”

Chu Bo gave a mysterious smile. “Xiao Zhang, I have a lead here. Interested?”

He was sure Zhang He would be interested. After all, Zhang He had just become a regular employee with barely 2,000 yuan in earnings. Having someone hand you a lead was a windfall.

“Oh,” Zhang He replied unhurriedly, leaving Chu Bo a little puzzled—he could never quite figure this guy out.

“It’s like this…” Chu Bo got to the point. The deal wasn’t huge, but not small either—thirty thousand yuan in total. Chu Bo was working on several big deals and didn’t have the time, so he was passing this one to Zhang He as a favor.

Of course, this wasn’t out of pure kindness. With Jiang Yao nearby, he was hoping to curry favor and win her approval.

Sure enough, Jiang Yao looked a little surprised and turned to Chu Bo with a thoughtful gaze.

But neither Zhang He nor Jiang Yao knew Chu Bo’s real intention: the client was notoriously difficult, and not only had the product not sold, but the client had complained several times about Chu Bo harassing her.

The main office was already aware. With the problem escalating, General Manager Li was feeling the pressure and told Chu Bo he must close the deal.

If he didn’t, he’d have to eliminate the negative impact; if not, company policy dictated a choice: pay a fine or accept a demotion.

So, in desperation, Manager Chu turned to Zhang He. He didn’t believe Zhang He had the talent to pull it off—after all, last time’s “Chu Xingzhi” incident was company legend, but everyone knew it was just dumb luck.

A salesperson who relies solely on luck is doomed to starvation.

So in Chu Bo’s view, if Zhang He could close this deal, he could probably sell an axe to Lu Ban himself.

Did Zhang He seem like that kind of person? Clearly not. So if the deal failed, the blame would naturally fall on him.

Jiang Yao, unaware of the real situation, was suddenly impressed by Chu Bo. “Zhang He, you should give it a try. With your abilities, I believe you can handle it.”

“Well, since you say so, Sister Yao, I’ll give it a try,” Zhang He replied, looking reluctant.

Chu Bo was overjoyed—the matter settled so easily! He immediately voiced his support, “Xiao Zhang, I absolutely support you. You can do it.”

“Really?” Zhang He glanced at him, narrowing his eyes. Chu Bo felt a pang of guilt but insisted, “Of course! Go for it. I’ll always have your back.”

“Alright!” Zhang He stood up slowly. “Then let’s head out and visit the client together.”

“Uh…” Chu Bo was stunned. He’d hoped Zhang He would go alone—having to accompany him meant sharing the risk.

He hesitated, but seeing the encouragement and concern in Jiang Yao’s eyes, he relented. Still, he had to keep up appearances: “Well, alright then, let’s go now.”

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