Returning From Level 900

Chapter 174: Perhaps It’s Fate

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Chapter 171: Perhaps It’s Fate

Qin Dongbei was taken aback by Wang Wen’s reaction.

His one-on-one fight offer was only a formality. He was already embarrassed to block the path and grab the other party. What kind of boss would he be if he did not say something about it?

Should a reasonable person not remain silent after hearing that?

If it did not work, he could always resort to sarcasm!

Why did he appear so eager to give it a shot?

Was he crazy?

Qin Dongbei was taken aback.

He turned around and fled with his men without saying anything!

He turned to the three people beside him halfway through and solemnly said, “There is something wrong with that Wang Wen! Send all our forces to conduct a thorough investigation. I want to know how many grains of rice he consumes per day! Let’s see what makes him so fearless, despite only being on the 300th floor!”

They all looked at each other suspiciously. They returned their gaze to Wang Wen, who was getting further and further away. They were perplexed, but they followed Qin Dongbei’s instructions anyway.

Wang Wen’s eyes shone with a distinct trace of regret.

He was not entirely certain he could eliminate the Tiansheng Group in one fell swoop.

After all, it was the first time he had completed a triathlon in his two lives, and his strength had surpassed the 600th floor. That was just his opinion based on his experience. After all, he had not been tested in actual combat, and no one knew what would happen. Who knew if the chosen one would be presented with many opportunities?

It was necessary to exercise caution.

One should not laugh before one had money in one’s pocket. One should not put one’s knife away until one’s opponent was dead.

Wang Wen was not afraid of the other party knocking on his door, but he also could not take the initiative to charge forward and fight him head-on.

Getting into a one-on-one fight and crushing the entire team was completely different.

As a result, he could only watch as Qin Dongbei left and expressed his disgust at the other party’s actions.

The First Consortium’s five-person team approached him.

They looked at Wang Wen with interest.

Regardless, those people were there to assist him. “Thank you, Captain Lu,” Wang Wen said politely to the leader.

The leader was slightly stunned, and his expression became even more curious. “You recognize me?”

“There are only a few top-notch tower climbers,” Wang Wen said calmly. “I should have at least heard of them even if I had not seen them. I have always admired the First Consortium’s top elite team, and I finally got to meet them today. It is my honor.”

Captain Lu did not say anything, but his eyes flashed with an odd smile.

Wang Wen looked at him and greeted him the moment he opened his mouth. He was obviously certain of his identity. It was not as simple as admiring him.

He paused briefly before saying, “Chief Gu greatly admires you. “I am intrigued. What did you do to earn his admiration? He even got into a heated argument with the boss about you.”

Wang Wen, for his part, was perplexed.

Logically, it was natural for him to harbor deep affection for Gu Jianbing. He had sentiments for Gu Jianbing in his previous life, after all.

On the other hand, Gu Jianbing’s unusual fondness for him was out of the ordinary. The two did not know each other at the academy.

“Perhaps it was destiny.”

That was Wang Wen’s response to Captain Lu.

Both parties said their goodbyes.

Wang Wen went back and forth through the World Tower’s portal.

He eventually arrived outside District 6’s portal.

Gu Jianbing’s hometown was still some distance away. He flagged down a taxi to get there.

After another 30 minutes, the car slowed down.

“We are only a few steps away from our destination,” the driver said politely. “Please exit the vehicle and walk around. The slum road ahead is difficult to navigate, and I won’t get any rides there. I can give you a little discount.”

Wang Wen examined the number 31 on the meter and politely told the driver, “That’s okay. Just keep the change.”

The taxi driver was taken aback by his logic.

He paid the bill and exited the vehicle.

He was obviously kidding when he told the driver to keep the change.

Wang Wen paid the exact total.

Automated vehicles were becoming increasingly popular, and human drivers were becoming increasingly scarce. A rare and protected animal deserved more attention.

He walked into the slum ahead, closing the car door casually.

The road was indeed difficult to navigate.

The road was uneven, and much of the cement had cracked, revealing the sand beneath.

The street was extremely narrow and walking down it frequently felt like passing a stranger.

Well…

He happened to walk past a dark, skinny man taking a selfie with his phone. “Hello, everyone,” he heard the man say toward the phone. “I am Weak Kidney Brother. My old friend, Sick Indifference, gave me another 100 points today. My strength is incredible! I wanted to go to work, but I did not. After all, young people need to work to support themselves. Now that I have a living, why do I still have to work? Looks like I just have to do it!”

Wang Wen turned his head in surprise, curious to see what the man had seen through life.

That Weak Kidney Brother was a thin figure who seemed like he was fading away.

Wang Wen’s perception of the slums changed dramatically after witnessing that scene.

He did not have the opportunity to go there in his previous life. No matter how poor he was at the academy, he had enough savings left by his parents to last until graduation. And, long before graduation, he had already climbed ten or twenty floors of the World Tower to earn some extra cash. After graduation, he joined the First Consortium and no longer had to worry about food or clothing.

Even though Chief Gu mentioned his old home in the slums on occasion, he never had the opportunity to visit it.

Gu Jianbing, after all, had not left the First Consortium at the time. He worked tirelessly until the day he died.

Wang Wen was rarely bothered by the word money.

He could not understand why so many people in the world would rather die in the slums than enter the tower and become wealthy.

As the Weak Kidney Brother had asked in passing—why did they have to work if they had enough food to eat?

Wang Wen could not comprehend such profound philosophy.

Wang Wen walked as he thought about it.

He soon arrived at an old house that Chief Gu had mentioned numerous times.

It was a sparsely populated neighborhood.

The dried riverbed was overgrown with weeds, mosquitoes and flies were everywhere, and groups of small flying insects hovered above his head.

It was difficult to imagine the head of the First Consortium’s intelligence department living in such a location.

Wang Wen approached the front door, climbed the steps, and knocked on the wooden door.

“The door is not locked,” an elderly voice said from within. “You may enter.”

The wooden door creaked open as he reached out and pushed.

He saw a small courtyard that was old but relatively clean. An older man with a hunched back sat at a stone table, clutching a large bowl of noodles.

When he noticed Wang Wen, the old man’s gaze seemed to pause.

Then he asked, “Have you eaten? You can fill the pot on your own.”

Wang Wen followed the old man’s finger and entered a dark stone kitchen to the side. He opened the large pot’s lid and scooped some noodles, placing them in a bowl of the same size.

He returned to the courtyard, carrying the bowl, and sat at the stone table. They shared a bowl of noodles. It had no salt and little oil.

They had not eaten properly in a few days.

The noodles were quite fragrant.

Wang Wen chewed until his brow was drenched in sweat.

After eating the noodles in large mouthfuls, he set the bowl down and exhaled deeply. He was at ease.

Gu Jianbing narrowed his eyes and cast a sidelong glance at him. He was smiling. “It doesn’t look like you’re pretending. With your ability, you probably won’t starve. It’s rare to see you eat a bowl of noodles so well. You always do so well.”

Wang Wen rolled his eyes and thought, ‘You wouldn’t say such things if you knew how I have been spending the last few days.’