Chapter 11: The Cocktail Party and the Human Shield
Du Xin set the time dilation within his "Pocket World" so that one day in the outside world equated to one hundred years inside. Once the time ratio was configured, Du Xin reappeared in his own room.
Bored, Du Xin decided to play a couple of video games. He logged into his "Bronze" tier account, and the moment he queued for a ranked match, kills began erupting across the map in rapid succession. In less than ten minutes, the opposing team surrendered. Du Xin realized that, given his current reaction speed and manual dexterity, playing video games felt like nothing more than "stomping noobs"—a complete mismatch. This would hold true even against world-class professional players. It wasn't that the others lacked skill; rather, it was akin to someone trying to play a match against you using a computer from the last century while you were running a top-of-the-line "Titan" rig. It had ceased to be a contest of technical skill; Du Xin was essentially "hacking"—and performing even better than most standard cheat programs.
Du Xin shut down his computer, unaware that he had just thoroughly annoyed someone on the other side of the internet.
Han Yawen was a Second Lieutenant in the Cyber Technology Division of a national special forces unit. Her only leisure after get off work was playing a few rounds of video games during her downtime. Despite working in cyber technology, she wasn't particularly skilled at gaming herself, typically hovering somewhere between the Bronze and Silver tiers. Yet, the moment she launched the game today, she encountered a player clearly using scripts. Based on her years of technical expertise, she determined that no human—not even a "King" tier professional—could execute such precise movement and ability usage; certainly not someone in the Bronze tier. After the match ended, she attempted to add the cheating player as a friend, only to discover that he had already logged off. This further validated her suspicions, so she put her professional skills to use and began furiously typing away at her keyboard...
Still bored, Du Xin watched television for a while, only to find himself growing even more restless. He retrieved his superhero costume and was just about to head out to fight crime and uphold justice when a knock sounded at his door.
"Du... Hello? May I ask if Mr. Du is in?"
The person knocking was Tan Xiaoxiao. When Du Xin opened the door, she simply stared at him with a look of utter confusion.
"I *am* Du! Uh... You must be looking for my younger brother, right? He's not here. He... went to America. I actually had him buy this house for me. Is there something I can help you with?"
Du Xin, who had been about to ask a question of his own, paused abruptly. He suddenly remembered that he used to be quite overweight. Although he had spent at least two months inside his Pocket World, only two days had actually passed in the outside world. "Um, Mr. Du, could you do me a favor? I actually intended to ask your younger brother, but he isn't around."
Tan Xiaoxiao spoke with a hint of shyness. Ever since undergoing physical augmentation, Du Xin's physique had become absolutely magnificent—a perfect embodiment of the golden ratio. Moreover, his facial features were already quite handsome to begin with; now that his acne had cleared up and his complexion had improved, he looked like the quintessential "fresh young idol"—the kind that was particularly fresh and delectable.
"Xiaoxiao... *Sister*—go ahead and say it. You're a friend of my brother's, so I'll definitely help you out."
Du Xin was actually feeling bored at the moment; having someone show up at his door to give him something to do was exactly what he wanted—he couldn't have been happier.
"Well, it's like this: I'm attending a party tonight. It's... well, there will be a lot of young people there, including a few... a few guys who are pursuing me. But I really don't like them, so I was hoping..."
"You want me to be your shield, right?"
Tan Xiaoxiao looked up, gazing at Du Xin in surprise. Just as she braced herself for a rejection, she was astonished to find that Du Xin agreed without a second thought.
"Alright, I accept. I don't have anything to do right now anyway, so finding something to occupy my time is actually a good thing. I just hope those friends of yours aren't too boring. But you've got to let me change clothes first—I can't exactly show up dressed like *this*, can I?"
Tan Xiaoxiao hadn't noticed his attire earlier, but hearing Du Xin mention it, she realized he was still wearing a bathrobe. Her face immediately flushed red with embarrassment.
"Okay! In that case... I'll go change my clothes, too. I'll see you downstairs in a bit—I'll come pick you up."
With that, and without waiting for Du Xin to reply, she swiftly vanished down the stairwell.
"That little rascal!"
Closing the door behind him, Du Xin shook his head and chuckled.
Before long, Du Xin had changed into a sharp, well-tailored suit. Enhanced by the impeccable cut of his outfit, his handsomeness became even more striking.
Since changing didn't take much time, Du Xin was waiting downstairs well in advance. After politely fending off three groups of girls asking for his phone number and two others asking to add him on WeChat, a Porsche pulled up to the curb below. Tan Xiaoxiao stepped out of the car and walked over to stand before Du Xin. Tan Xiaoxiao appeared in a flowing sky-blue gown, paired with a pair of glittering blue sky-high heels. Her hair was simply tied back, accentuating the slender elegance of her fair neck, while the exquisite dangling earrings she wore became the focal point of her ensemble. For a moment, Du Xin was left utterly spellbound. Tan Xiaoxiao had always been beautiful, of course, but Du Xin's mind had been preoccupied with other matters these past few days; now that he suddenly took notice, he was truly dazzled by her beauty.
Upon seeing Du Xin, Tan Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up as well. His tall stature, combined with a physique that was lean yet strong—never frail—his handsome features, and skin so flawless it would make any woman envious, left her momentarily stunned.
Two seconds later, both of them finally snapped back to reality.
"You got changed so quickly! I thought you'd take ages."
Du Xin quickly regained his composure and walked toward Tan Xiaoxiao, breaking the awkward silence with his question.
"I don't wear heavy makeup, so it never takes me very long anyway. Besides, no matter how fast I was, wouldn't you still have been waiting for me for quite a while? By the way, what brand is your suit? The fabric is exquisite, and the cut is fantastic—it suits you perfectly."
Tan Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes playfully at Du Xin, then turned her attention to his suit. She asked her question with a hint of curiosity, having realized that Du Xin's suit was undoubtedly of the highest caliber—likely among the finest in the world—and she simply couldn't help but ask.
"Oh? This one doesn't have a brand name, and I didn't actually pay for it. It felt pretty comfortable, so I just decided to wear it."
Du Xin's simple, offhand remark actually left Tan Xiaoxiao astonished. A garment of this quality with no visible brand label could only mean one thing: it was a bespoke creation by a world-renowned designer—one who had likely been specifically instructed *not* to include a label. To command such influence—and to receive it completely free of charge—only served to underscore just how extraordinary Du Xin's true identity must be. However, Tan Xiaoxiao didn't press the matter further; instead, she took Du Xin by the hand and led him to the car.
"This is a gift. We're heading to a birthday party shortly; when we get there, I want you to give this to the guest of honor as a birthday present."
Once they were seated in the car, Tan Xiaoxiao produced a blue gift box. As she spoke, she placed it firmly into Du Xin's hands. "What is this? Whose birthday is it? Maybe I should go prepare a gift myself."
"There's no need. I already feel bad enough for troubling you; making you spend money on top of that would be even worse. Thank you for today."
As she spoke, Tan Xiaoxiao started the car and drove toward the city center.
Engrossed in conversation with Tan Xiaoxiao, the time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived at their destination.
The destination was the Huangxin Restaurant in the city center. The name was rather tacky, but it was undoubtedly the finest establishment in the entire city. Outside, the place was packed with sports cars and high-end luxury vehicles—models Du Xin didn't really recognize. He hadn't needed to recognize them in the past, and now... well, he still didn't need to recognize them.
Greeted by the hostesses, Du Xin and Tan Xiaoxiao entered the main hall. The entire space was already packed to the brim with people; socialites and gentlemen mingled and exchanged pleasantries. Du Xin even spotted a few celebrities he frequently saw on television. Before Du Xin could fully take it all in, Tan Xiaoxiao took him by the hand, led him up the stairs to the upper level of the restaurant, and found a quiet corner for them to sit down.
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