The sky gradually brightened.
The fireworks and firecrackers that had been going off all night showed no sign of stopping; the buzzing sounds of the cannons echoed across the dawn sky.
Creak.
Lin Qiye pushed open the door and walked out of the office. The hall behind him, which was originally used for "business consultation", was now a mess, with scattered wine bottles everywhere.
On the two sofas used for entertaining guests, Wen Qimo and Wu Xiangnan were fast asleep like two dead dogs, while Hongying was lying on the dining table, hugging the last wine bottle, muttering in her sleep and giggling foolishly.
Si Xiaonan returned to her bedroom in the basement and fell asleep immediately, while Chen Muye and Lin Xi Chen remained unaffected, washing dishes in the kitchen and chatting with each other.
As for Leng Xuan... he disappeared before Lin Qiye woke up.
Lin Qiye rubbed his temples. As high school students who had just come of age, their alcohol tolerance seemed to be quite good. Even though he had drunk so much with this group of lunatics last night, he was still relatively sober when he woke up today.
What made Lin Qiye curious—and caused him to question reality—was that Lin Xichen had downed even more alcohol than he had, yet somehow managed to wake up earlier than he did.
He walked to the door of the office, looked at the quiet Peace Bridge Street, and took a few deep breaths of fresh air.
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the air seems to be filled with a festive atmosphere. Firecrackers can be heard in the distance, and the streets are covered with Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (fortune). Everywhere you look, there is a strong festive spirit.
Lin Qiye reached behind the door and took out a broom, then began to sweep the snow.
As he swept, his brow furrowed slightly.
The training camp's holiday this time is not long. If nothing unexpected happens, tomorrow, which is the second day of the Lunar New Year, will be the last day of the holiday. But so far, those enemies hiding in the shadows don't seem to have made any big moves.
Although he had encountered several attacks before, he was able to resolve most of them on his own. However, Lin Qiye certainly did not believe that there was not a single enemy of a high level among the group that attacked this time.
Moreover, the mysterious Medusa's agent, namely the Ancient God Church [Snake Woman], has not yet appeared.
Did the instructors secretly eliminate them, or did they all run off to Baili Pangpang's place? Or... are they still waiting for an opportunity?
He believed that the instructors must have taken some action over the past few days, but he still had no idea how far the situation had developed.
Cangnan City has undoubtedly become the eye of the storm, but Lin Qiye, who is at the center of this storm, is living the most peaceful life.
Just as Lin Qiye finished sweeping the last piece of snow and was about to turn around and go back inside, a buzzing explosion came from afar.
Because it was mixed in with the sounds of firecrackers, the sound didn't seem so abrupt. If Lin Qiye hadn't seen the thick smoke rising in the distance with his own eyes, he would probably have thought it was just his imagination.
Lin Qiye squinted, looking in the direction from which the thick smoke was rising.
"That is..."
...
Boom—!
Boom—!!
Boom—!!!
Several fireballs erupted in succession inside the hotel, leaving the old building in ruins. Amidst the billowing smoke, three figures leaped out of a second-floor window.
Two figures landed steadily on the ground, while a chubby little boy fell flat on his backside with a thud, then rubbed his bottom and hopped away.
"You two...you don't need to run so fast, wait for me!"
Baili Pangpang's face still had a slight flush from being drunk, and he opened his mouth and shouted loudly.
Shen Qingzhu frowned, reached out and clenched his fist in the air, instantly sucking out the air from some of the rooms on the second floor of the hotel, and the burning flames vanished without a trace.
With a flick of his finger, the compressed air bullet deflected the glass shards and other objects that had been flying into the air, ensuring Baili Pangpang's safety.
Cao Yuan gritted his teeth, hoisted Baili Pangpang onto his shoulder, and ran with difficulty toward the other end of the alley.
"I told you to drink less last night. The enemy is attacking today, and you're still drunk!" Cao Yuan said coldly.
Baili Pangpang let out a drunken hiccup and chuckled, "My two beloved ministers, don't panic. I told you long ago, my bodyguard team has been protecting me secretly. Nothing will happen... nothing will happen, hiccup!"
As soon as Baili Pangpang finished speaking, four figures rushed out of the inn, quickly soared through the sky, and landed steadily in front of Cao Yuan and the other two.
Cao Yuan suddenly stopped, carrying Baili Pangpang on his back, and reached for the black box with his other hand, his eyes filled with solemnity.
Shen Qingzhu walked silently to Baili Pangpang, his fingertips creating a whirlwind, his eyes as cold as icebergs.
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Amidst this tense atmosphere, Baili Pangpang let out another burp, a smile playing on his lips, and waved to the four people in front of him from Cao Yuan's back.
"Hi~~"
"The Four Symbols Envoy of Earth, Fire, Feng, and Water, greet the young master!"
The four men, who exuded murderous intent, suddenly knelt down and bowed respectfully to Baili Pangpang.
Cao Yuan:...
Shen Qingzhu:...
"My esteemed subjects, please rise." Baili Pangpang dismounted from Cao Yuan's back, patted the two men on the shoulders, and said, "Let me introduce you. These are the four forbidden artifact wielders of our Baili family, and also my personal bodyguard team."
"A forbidden artifact user?" Shen Qingzhu's eyes showed doubt.
"Some high-risk forbidden items cannot be used by everyone. They must be used by a suitable owner to maximize their effectiveness. These people are called forbidden item users."
Baili Pangpang explained while rubbing his bottom.
"By the way, the term 'forbidden item master' is generally only used by our Baili family, because only our family in this world possesses so many high-risk forbidden items..."
"These four forbidden artifact wielders each possess peak combat strength at the 'River' Realm, and when the four of them work together, they can even fight against those at the 'Sea' Realm!"
"That's why I said we're perfectly safe..."
As soon as Baili Pangpang finished speaking, the Fire Envoy, the leader of the four Forbidden Artifact Envoys, stepped forward, carrying three heads in his hands. These were none other than the three "Chuan" Realm experts who had just attacked the inn.
"Young master, the enemy has been completely wiped out, please rest assured. Furthermore, as you instructed, the entire inn was booked in advance, so no one was injured."
"Hmm, well done."
Baili Pangpang nodded slightly, striking the pose of a wealthy young master.
Just then, the Wind Envoy seemed to sense something, his brow furrowed slightly, and he stepped forward.
"Young master, there are still enemies approaching nearby. Please wait here; we'll be right back!"
"Go ahead, go ahead." Baili Pangpang waved his hand.
Whoosh!
The four forbidden artifact wielders vanished in a flash, leaving only the three of them in the empty alleyway.
After a long pause, Cao Yuan spoke softly, "So this is what real financial power is...?"
Shen Qingzhu finally came to his senses, looked at Baili Pangpang, and spoke in a tone of disbelief:
"So... what do you want me to do?"
Baili Pangpang pondered for a moment, "Just to get three people together to play Dou Dizhu?"