Chapter Seven: The Old Friend, Lan Yu

Xia Yuwei sensed Lu Yang’s hesitation and said sincerely, "My friend, we really need the recipe for the electric eel meat. We hope you can help us. Although our Cold Ice Studio isn't large, we will definitely do our best to help you in the future if you ever need anything. We also guarantee that we will not leak this recipe to anyone else."

A man standing beside Xia Yuwei, clearly displeased by how politely she was speaking to Lu Yang, frowned and interjected, "Yuwei, why are you being so polite to him? Why not just buy it from him with money? Hey kid, how about one thousand credits for your secret? That should be more than enough."

Lu Yang recognized the man. His name was Zheng Yuan, a classmate of Xia Yuwei and a typical "second-generation rich kid." He was arrogant and overbearing, yet possessed no real ability. He held a natural sense of superiority over ordinary people and used money to try and win over any girl he took a fancy to.

Ever since meeting Xia Yuwei, he had pursued her relentlessly, but his usual tactics were useless on her because her family was even wealthier than his. Later, the appearance of Lan Yu made things even more complicated for him. Unable to decide between the two, he simply tried to pursue both, treating them as his private property. He couldn't stand anyone else interacting with them, and he would be annoyed for hours if anyone even spoke a word to them. Unfortunately, neither Xia Yuwei nor Lan Yu liked him at all. By the time Lu Yang was reborn, Zheng Yuan hadn't succeeded with either of them—a total tragedy.

He was a tragedy in his past life, and he was the same in this one.

Although Lu Yang was poor, he had his pride. Looking at Zheng Yuan’s unsightly expression, Lu Yang said coldly, "Sorry, it's not for sale."

Zheng Yuan was stunned. Thinking he had grasped the situation, he sneered, "What, not enough money? Do you think you can sit there and demand a higher price from me for a beginner cooking recipe? Let me tell you, kid, don't push your luck. It’s one thousand credits—give me your bank account number now. I don't have time to waste on you."

Lu Yang spat out a single word: "Scram."

"You motherf—" Zheng Yuan flew into a rage, but just as he was about to attack Lu Yang, a man beside him grabbed his arm and pointed toward a nearby NPC, saying, "If you want to die, don't drag the rest of our team down with you. If you attack here, the guards will intervene."

This was exactly why Lu Yang had chosen this spot to cook; otherwise, the crowd surrounding him would have long since forced him to reveal how to complete the quest.

Lu Yang glanced at the man who had stopped Zheng Yuan. He recognized him as Zhang Zibo, a decent person with a good head on his shoulders and the team’s main tank. However, his concern was unnecessary; even if it weren't for Lan Yu’s sake, Lu Yang wouldn't have sabotaged them.

Xia Yuwei knew Zheng Yuan was going to ruin things. She had Zhang Zibo pull him away and apologized, "My friend, my companion didn't mean it that way. Please don't be angry. We are truly sincere about wanting this recipe. Please, help us."

In the early stages of the game, the function to exchange real-world currency for game currency had not yet been enabled; trades could only be conducted through external platforms. But since this was the first day, money wasn't yet "king" as the saying would later become. Wealthy players like Xia Yuwei had money but nowhere to spend it. Facing their meager copper coins and the expensive potions at the shop, Xia Yuwei had to humble herself and plead to ensure they didn't fall behind the top tier of players.

Lan Yu also stepped up to Xia Yuwei’s side and said softly, "Sir, we were in the wrong earlier. Please, don't take it to heart."

Having had a friendship in his previous life, and seeing Lan Yu personally pleading, Lu Yang thought for a moment and said, "I can tell you the method, but you must keep it a secret."

The earlier tense atmosphere had led Xia Yuwei to believe Lu Yang would never share the secret, so she was stunned when he agreed so readily.

Xia Yuwei and Lan Yu exchanged a look of pleasant surprise and said in unison, "Thank you so, so much."

Lu Yang smiled nonchalantly and gestured to Lan Yu. "Little girl, come here. I'll tell you how to complete this quest. Everyone else, move back and don't let anyone nearby overhear."

Xia Yuwei hurried to lead her team away to drive off the players trying to sneak a listen, while Lan Yu approached Lu Yang with a touch of shyness.

Lu Yang whispered the location for obtaining the electric eel meat to Lan Yu. Just as she was about to thank him, Lu Yang leaned in closer and whispered, "Coordinates 7985.9867. There is an old man there. Complete the quest he gives you, and he will send you into a cave. The cave is filled with level 1 and 2 monsters; it’s perfect for your team."

This was something a player had discovered on the fifth day after the game’s launch in his past life. Because the location was extremely remote and the old man’s quest was tedious and required a full team to complete, very few people had bothered with it.

Once the guides were released later on, everyone realized it was a great leveling spot. However, the place hadn't been suitable for Lu Yang; the cave was vast and swarming with monsters. Without finding a "bug" spot, and with his skills and equipment not yet up to par, entering would have meant certain death.

Lan Yu looked at Lu Yang in surprise. "Is that true?"

Lu Yang laughed. "Why would I lie to you? Bring enough for ten thousand electric eel meats; that’s enough to keep you grinding there all night."

Lan Yu nodded repeatedly, excited. "Thank you."

At a time when most players were struggling just to fight over monsters to level up, having a spot where no one would compete for kills was, to Lan Yu and her team, even better than being able to exchange cash for game currency.

Lu Yang teased, "Aren't you afraid I'm lying? What if you go in there and run into level 5 elite monsters instead?"

Lan Yu replied, "Your eyes are so clear. You look like a good person at first glance. I know you wouldn't lie to me."

Lu Yang chuckled; the girl was still as sharp as ever.

"Alright, I'm off." Having wasted over two hours, Lu Yang was ready to go level up. There would be plenty of time to chat later, but in a new server, every second spent leveling was precious.

Seeing Lu Yang about to leave, Lan Yu sent a friend request and said, "Let's add each other as friends."

Lu Yang nodded. "Of course."

System notification: You have accepted a friend request from Lan Yu. You are now friends.

Waving at Lan Yu, Lu Yang headed back toward the town.

Lan Yu watched the direction Lu Yang had disappeared in, feeling a strange sense of loss. She didn't know why, but Lu Yang gave her a very familiar feeling, as if he were an old friend she had known for many years.

Xia Yuwei walked over to Lan Yu and teased, "He’s long gone, still looking?"

Lan Yu flushed and said shyly, "That person is so mysterious. He feels really powerful."