Chapter Thirty-Three: This Person Is a Master of Pretending

"Zi Xuan, can you stop fooling around? Xiao Yudie can't stand your influence..." The leader of the group, named Lin Xiaofeng, hadn't finished speaking when Chen Hao emerged from below the earthen slope, smiling. "Sorry to intrude, friends. I happened to overhear your conversation just now. May I discuss something with you?"

The four players eyed Chen Hao warily. Their feud with Slaughter Blade stemmed from encountering a special monster in the Smoky Ghost training area, only to have Slaughter Blade and his crew snatch it away. This time, luck was on their side—they had found another special monster and obtained a quest ring. Who knew if the man before them harbored ill intentions?

Chen Hao studied the group. The leader was a young man of about twenty, wielding a carrying pole as a weapon. Beside him stood a girl with shoulder-length hair, dressed in an eccentric fashion, her beginner’s cloth outfit worn in a novel style.

The starter set included an outer garment and a tight inner shirt; those who hadn’t bought new clothes all looked alike. This female player, however, had removed her outer garment and tied it around her waist, turning it into a skirt that accentuated her graceful figure.

After Chen Hao appeared, she reached into her satchel and drew an arrow, nocking it to her bowstring, clearly ready to act at the slightest provocation.

The two players at the back were younger. The silent boy looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. The girl had a gentle, quiet appearance and was calmly studying Chen Hao with curiosity.

The leader stepped forward. "What do you want?"

Chen Hao smiled. "I overheard you obtained the quest item, the golden ring, and you’re dealing with the NPC Podolsky. I know a bit about this quest—it’s quite difficult to complete. That’s why I’d like to propose cooperating..."

"Can you make your story sound any more convincing?" scoffed the graceful girl with the outer garment at her waist. "There aren’t many players in the Bully Training Area. I believe we’re the only ones who got the golden ring. How could you possibly know the quest?"

The leader gripped his pole tightly. "You say you want to cooperate, but what do you offer us in return?"

Chen Hao had anticipated these questions before he approached, and was well prepared. He smiled. "I haven’t obtained the golden ring, but I too am searching for the quest NPC Podolsky. He’s been captured by the Boxers. To complete your quest, you’ll need to rescue him."

"You have the quest item, but your strength alone won’t suffice. With me in your party, I guarantee we can complete the quest, one hundred percent," Chen Hao declared confidently.

The eccentric female player burst into laughter. "We’re all level seven players. Are you saying, together, we’re still no match for you?"

The leader replied calmly, "If we’re to cooperate, how do you propose dividing the rewards after completing the quest?"

Chen Hao had no intention of revealing the chain quest. He answered crisply, "If we rescue Lieutenant Podolsky, the Mauser pistol he awards goes to you. I only ask to leave with Podolsky."

Suspicion deepened on the leader’s face. He sneered, "You’re trying so hard to convince us, yet you ask for nothing in return? When does the world offer such favors?"

Chen Hao explained, "My quest also involves Podolsky, but it doesn’t conflict with yours. As long as he’s rescued, my quest can proceed."

The leader glanced at the female player beside him. "Zi Xuan, what do you think?"

She snorted. "Whether this guy’s telling the truth or not, I refuse to cooperate. I hate people who act as if they’re the best in the world."

The leader shook his head and addressed Chen Hao, "Sorry! We appreciate your offer, but we believe we can complete the quest ourselves..."

Chen Hao wasn’t offended. He smiled gently. "No problem! My name is Chen Baxian. If you run into trouble, feel free to send me a message."

As Chen Hao left, Zi Xuan raised her middle finger at his back. "He’s such a poser. We refused him, and he still manages to smile."

The younger girl spoke softly, "Zi Xuan, I don’t think he was lying. Having him in our party wouldn’t hurt us."

Lin Xiaofeng frowned. "Don’t worry, Yudie. Let’s try the quest ourselves first. If it’s too tough, we already know his name. We can contact him later if needed."

"Hey, what are you saying?" Zi Xuan retorted, annoyance clear on her face. "Even if we fail, I won’t contact that pretentious guy. I won’t lose face like that."

Lin Xiaofeng took out the golden ring and examined it. "He did give us a clue. I was planning to look for Lieutenant Podolsky at the German base in Jiaozhou Bay, but he said Podolsky was captured by the local Boxers. We can check there first."

Chen Hao felt no disappointment. His constant smile wasn’t an act; he simply knew the four couldn’t complete the quest.

The Shandong Boxer Uprising erupted in 1900. The Boxers were mostly lower-class farmers and small craftsmen, ignorant and fiercely xenophobic.

They called foreigners ‘Big Maozi,’ Catholics among Chinese ‘Second Maozi,’ those in Western dress ‘Third Maozi,’ and so on up to ‘Tenth Maozi.’ Anything linked to foreigners became a target. Some Chinese were even killed for carrying fountain pens.

Although the Boxers contributed greatly to the anti-imperialist movement, they also killed many innocents. Lieutenant Podolsky was unlucky. Sent to Penglai for supplies, he encountered Boxers at the south gate of the county and was kidnapped.

Without rescue, Podolsky would face certain death, and in a particularly brutal manner. He had discreetly dropped the golden ring as a clue during the kidnapping, prompting the system to generate a special quest.

Podolsky was held in the ancestral hall at Xiaowang Village, guarded by four Boxers. Though ignorant, the Boxers all knew martial arts; even ordinary members had at least 30 points in combat.

The game had only been running for two days. Players with 30 combat points were top-tier, and Chen Hao’s 40 points were almost unheard of.

The four players were only level seven. While that made them elite, Chen Hao doubted they could defeat Boxers with 30 combat points. So he felt calm about the rejection; he’d left his name, and they would likely contact him after failing the quest.

But Chen Hao miscalculated—Zi Xuan, the female player in their group, was so stubborn that even if they failed, she wouldn’t allow the leader to ask for his help.

(P.S.: Woke up to find it’s still Chapter Thirteen. Still far from Chapter Twelve. No matter what, here’s another chapter—please vote and click!)