Hearing Zhang Yuanqing's words, the tension in Anne's body slowly eased. She struggled to lift herself. She had intended to lean against the sofa, but her back injury forced her to keep her posture upright. Receiving the cup from Yuanshǐ Tianzun, she drank the medicine down in one go. Her complexion gradually warmed, and with a long, steady breath, she murmured, "Thank you." Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Bill has gone to handle the aftercare matters—you can rest a bit longer. By the way, 'aftercare' means the follow-up work after resolving issues." He watched as Anne bent to place the cup on the side table, then gently gathered her hair with slender, graceful fingers and tucked it behind her ear. She looked pale, composed and quiet. Indeed, when she was still, there was a noble grace about her—like a lady of noble birth—only that in daily life, she often played with charm and allure, masking her true elegance. "Thank you so much for your life-saving assistance, Yuanshǐ Sir. I will send an email to the association headquarters to mention this matter." "This also counts as a contribution. The Goddess Association will record your efforts, and when you accumulate enough points, you can exchange them for the resources you desire." After finishing her formal remarks, Anne smiled warmly, saying, "Mr. Bill mentioned you would be coming today, so I've been praying to God ever since—praying that Mr. Yuan Shi would arrive promptly. God heard my prayers, and I'm truly delighted." Her face, graceful and radiant, carried a gentle smile—bright and natural, neither overly charming nor overly formal. You should have said, "Oh, my God, He heard my prayers"—that's the correct intonation used by your people. If Mr. Shi were here, he would certainly correct your pronunciation. Zhang Yuanqing shifted his gaze, realizing a rather unfortunate development: the cost of the Mountain God's staff had begun. He could only mutter his complaints silently, redirecting his attention. At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing could clearly sense that Anne was becoming more respectful toward him. Indeed, respectful! Previously, Anne had been all about winning him over, seducing him, constantly showcasing her charm whenever she got an opportunity—something that felt like a lack of respect, as if men only wanted to sleep with women. But since Anne had woken up, Zhang Yuanqing hadn’t sensed any impulse in her to “sleep with her.” This indicated that she was deliberately taming her charm. After a brief rest, nurtured by the medicine, Anne’s condition had largely recovered and she said, “Mr. Bill isn’t strong in handling those kinds of situations—I’ll go help him.” “Wait—” Zhang Yuanqing quickly interjected. But it was too late. As Anne stood up, her white shirt slipped down, her black lingerie followed, leaving her upper body almost bare before Zhang Yuanqing. ——Her white blouse and shoulder straps had been cut open, and when she sat, they were loose and flapping; as soon as she stood, they simply slipped off. A delicate collarbone, a snowy chest, full and smooth, of considerable size yet remarkably well-shaped—upright and rounded—descending into a flat, slightly rounded abdomen. The shirt hangs loosely on either side of the chest and waist, half-unbuttoned, adding to the allure. Zhang Yuanqing was spellbound, a warm current rising from his abdomen, his mouth dry, his tongue thick, an irresistible urge to move in and embrace her taking hold. "Sorry..." Annie gently grasped the collar, smoothed it, neither loud nor flushed. It was hard to tell whether she had done it deliberately. At this moment, having been observing Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's reaction all along, she noticed the unusual sensation beneath his dantian... He truly feels this way about me? Simply seeing my body has already stirred such strong desire in him? Annie's eyes sparkled, her body softened, and she settled back into the soft sand, her gaze lingering with quiet grace: "Mr. Yuan Shǐ, as a specialist from our Beauty Goddess Association, I also provide personal living services—should you wish so." She is a devotee of passion, most sensitive to sensuality, and can sense the intensity of Yuanshishen's current yearning that is consuming his very being. As she speaks, she gently leans closer. Anni is delighted—she has repeatedly courted Yuanshishen with her charm, only to be rejected each time. Though she successfully secured his membership in the Beauty Goddess Association, his "three conditions" have significantly dampened her confidence. Now it seems his earlier rejections were merely acts of composure, masking a deep desire for her body. Zhang Yuan bows slightly, quickly retreating to the edge of the sofa, and forces himself to shift his gaze, speaking steadily: "Now is not the time for romance—by romance, I mean enjoyment." This woman's Chinese proficiency is limited to everyday conversation; she often doesn't understand idiomatic expressions, so additional explanations are required. Annie suddenly felt sobered, recalling how the company had sacrificed so many innocent employees. The romantic sentiments faded. She rose and went to Bill's desk, picked up the suit jacket hanging on the back of his chair, and said, "I'll go back to my office to change." She had her own assistant's office. This evening, let's show off our skills—hope we haven't lost our touch... Bill murmured to himself. …… Two hours later, the office. After coordinating with the police to transport all the unconscious employees to the ambulance and closing the company doors, Bill leaned wearily against the sofa in the lounge, slowly exhaling a thick breath. "This disaster has claimed twelve lives, left twenty-four seriously injured, and another thirty with minor injuries. With so many talented employees gone, I don't know how to face their families." Bill's sorrow was genuine. As a conscientious professional, his character was commendable—except when it came to business dealings. "Moreover, although the other six managed to shoulder a significant share, I've had to deduct one-third of the moral capital I've painstakingly accumulated over the years." Bill sighed, clearly distressed. "At least you're still here, and nothing could be more rewarding than that, Mr. Bill," said Anne, now dressed in her new office attire. Zhang Yuanqing interjected at the right moment: "Mr. Bill, don't you know that the people from the Wine God Club keep an eye on you?" Mr. Bill paused, then sighed: "Mr. Yuan Shi, I'd rather not dwell on this sad matter right now. If I'm not mistaken, you've come to me for a transaction—what would you like to buy? Let's wrap it up quickly so I can return home and rest." Zhang Yuanqing immediately stated his requirements. After listening, Mr. Bill didn't hesitate at all and said: "The materials you're looking for—my warehouse has only half of them. The other half will need to be requested from the Guild. With the best of luck, they'll be available within two days." As a successful merchant, he was thoroughly familiar with his inventory. "How much would that cost?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. "Three sets of materials, two of which are of Saint-tier quality. Though the materials are less expensive than equipment, the materials specific to the Night Wanderer class are quite rare. The total comes to fifty million." Mr. Bill replied. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment, then said, "What about the core materials? How much for the supporting ones?" Mr. Bill replied, "Twenty million." "Count me in—how about two million, considering I saved your life?" Zhang Yuanqing cut off a slice. "One hundred and fifty thousand," Anne added her cut. Mr. Bill: "...” The successful businessman thought hard, his face showing genuine distress, and finally agreed. "Life is priceless!" he comforted himself. The deal was finalized. Then Zhang Yuanqing turned to ask, "Mr. Bill, what was the name of the shoe you were wearing before?" He still vividly remembered Mr. Bill's graceful movement—a slide, gliding through the crowd, untouched by any attack, his body moving with effortless elegance. "Is this the one you mean?" Mr. Bill opened his palm and summoned a pair of black running shoes, identical in appearance to ordinary running shoes, except without a logo. "It's a special item for the Void profession," he explained, "one of my life-saving essentials." "Can I take a look at the attributes?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. "Absolutely!" Mr. Bill handed over the shoes. Zhang Yuanqing took the boots and waited a few seconds, and the item information appeared: 【Name: The Slide of Extreme Anger】 【Type: Footwear】 【Function: Evasion】 【Description: People differ in their physical constitution; under conditions of extreme anger, this slide can help you defuse crises. Remember always—acting with diligence does not necessarily lead to downfall.】 【Note: You may use it up to five times per day; otherwise, you will be exiled.】 Mr. Bill smiled: "It can deflect both physical and mental attacks. For anyone below the Sovereign Realm, it's nearly impossible to threaten you. However, its drawback is clear—it can only be used five times." Zhang Yuanqing clutched the running shoes tightly and said with enthusiasm: "Mr. Bill, I'd like to purchase it..." "No, no, no!" Mr. Bill shook his head. "This is a non-sale item. No matter how much you offer, I won't sell it." "Mr. Bill, you're a businessman, and for businessmen, nothing is impossible to sell." Zhang Yuanqing spoke with bold confidence. "Set your price." "One hundred million!" "Hahahaha—only one hundred million? That's it? I see..." Zhang Yuanqing quickly pushed the running shoes back. "Please keep them!" "...” Attacks below the Sovereign Realm—whether on a spiritual or physical level—could be completely immune, even though the item only allowed for five glides. It was undoubtedly a divine artifact, even more valuable than certain rule-based items. Unfortunately, it was too expensive, and only the money-minded Mr. Zhang could afford it. Zhang Yuanqing felt a sense of regret. Mr. Bill spoke seriously, "If you can present me with a high-quality Sovereign Realm artifact, I'll consider making the trade." A high-quality Sovereign Realm artifact? Zhang Yuanqing paused for several seconds. The divine artifacts embodying the Saint's qualities on his person were the "Mountain God's Staff," "Later Earth Boots," "Master of Sword Technique," "Unyielding Guardian Mirror," and the "Great Celestial Star Disk." Among these, only the "Great Celestial Star Disk" and the "Mountain God's Staff" could be considered high-grade. However, both of these items possessed exceptionally strong attributes and could not be sold. Acquiring a high-grade artifact from the Saint's realm was not particularly crucial to me. Zhang Yuanqing nodded firmly: "Set then!" In the living room, where the cold wind howled, Uncle came by to visit after dinner. Everyone sat on the sofa watching TV. Uncle said, "Parents, why don't we head south to our exile destination to escape the heat?" "No way!" Grandfather immediately rejected it without hesitation. Grandmother shook her head as well. "With our age, we can't endure much disruption." "It's only a three-hour flight," Uncle persisted, encouragingly. "Look, Yuanzi has just started his summer break—perfect time to take him along." "No, no," Zhang Yuanqing firmly refused. "He's still young and can't handle much upheaval." He had official duties that required him to remain within his jurisdiction, even though the past few weeks had been calm, with hardly any assignments. Song Hai remained calm as well. The male villains from the Wine God Club had chosen to remain hidden, without causing any disturbances. In recent days, he occasionally visited the Queen and the young green tea, always bringing Guan Ya along—never secretly spending time with either of the two women. Xiao Green Tea and the Queen's friendship has flourished rapidly— they are either out shopping or dining, or simply lounging at the villa watching movies. Mr. Bill's application has been approved, and Zhang Yuanqing has once again secured the primary materials for crafting Yin Shi and Ling Pu from the Taiyuan branch, raising both Blood Rose and Ghost Bride to level four. Xiao Doudou has also seen significant improvement in intelligence, particularly demonstrated by the fact that Zhang Yuanqing can no longer fool him with a handheld controller that doesn't connect. The price, however, is that he has exhausted all his savings and now owes Fu Qingyang 5 million yuan, bringing his total debt to 35 million yuan. Fortunately, the gentleman known for his integrity, who values kindness over interest, has no strict repayment terms. Xiao Yuan hasn't been neglected either—he visits every two days, though the lovely aunt, once she's had her back pressed against the chair by his gun, tends to ignore him. There remains one matter that Zhang Yuanqing continues to worry about: Li Chunfeng has yet to respond. Additionally, before mid-July, the first instance of his becoming a Star Official will arrive. The previous one was a solo instance, and according to the Spirit Realm mechanism, the July instance should be a group-based one—whether it's team versus or team collaboration remains to be seen. "Be quiet!" At this moment, my grandfather interrupted my uncle's continuous chatter, focusing intently on the television. A news report from Jiangnan Province was being broadcast. "After several days of excavation, the archaeological team has finally uncovered the first artifact within this ancient tomb. It is a bronze sculpture standing two meters tall. According to experts present, the craftsmanship of this sculpture likely originates from the Song Dynasty. If this is indeed the case, the era of the tomb can be confirmed. The bronze sculpture will be transported to the local museum tomorrow, where experts will conduct further research..." The photographer took a close-up shot of the sculpture. Two meters tall, clad in armor, holding a three-foot-long bronze sword, with large, copper-bell-like eyes fixed ahead, his face remarkably fierce. Zhang Yuanqing didn't like watching TV. He gave a拍拍 and stood up, shouting to Jiang Yuhe, who had a bun in her hair: "Uncle, come to my room and play games!" "Yes, yes!" Jiang Yuhe happily followed her nephew inside. The grandmother turned her head, watching the two for a few moments, then said: "Don't stay too late. You must finish by eleven." ... The next day, after breakfast and brushing his teeth, Zhang Yuan清 knocked on Jiang Yuhe's room door. "I only have ten minutes. If you don't come out in ten minutes, I'm going to head out and play by myself." He had gotten caught up yesterday playing games and had accidentally agreed to go shopping with Jiang Yuhe tomorrow. From inside the room came Jiang Yuhe's voice: "Hmph! Ten minutes isn't even enough for me to apply my foundation." "You took thirty minutes to bathe and another thirty to get ready—then we might as well just stay home and have lunch." Zhang Yuanqing said angrily "Got it, got it," Aunt said with a sigh, "a little fairy must always get her makeup on when she goes out." Zhang Yuanqing turned and walked off, then went back to his bedroom to catch a few more hours of sleep. As he passed through the living room, he heard the news on TV: "Jinhui City has suddenly been hit by dense fog today, resulting in frequent traffic accidents throughout the city. Ambulances are struggling to reach their destinations, and the situation is becoming increasingly serious. According to reports from the scene, some unscrupulous individuals are taking advantage of the fog to commit crimes—there have already been dozens of incidents involving injuries to people." Jinhui City? Zhang Yuanqing stopped and looked at his grandfather, who was seated on the sofa, and asked, "Wasn't that the very spot where we unearthed the bronze statue yesterday?" His grandfather nodded, puzzled, "It's so hot today—how can there be such thick fog?" At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing heard his phone ringing in the bedroom. He didn't pay any more attention to the news, but went into the bedroom, picked up the phone, and saw the caller was "There's a mission," Fu Qingyang said. "Take your team and head to Jinhui City in Jiangnan Province to investigate an ancient tomb, and also rescue a small team that's been lost in the thick fog."