Chapter 853: Work Hard! (Bonus Chapter)
After finishing the discussion of marathon details, it was already dusk!
Martin, Nicole, and the others had been standing the entire time and were long impatient by now!
"Hurry up and arrange a place for us to stay. You should at least have some basic hospitality, right?"
Jiangnan's eyes lit up brightly, and he quickly stood up.
(｡･᷅ꇴ･᷄)و "Arrange it! I'll arrange it for you right now!"
Charles shuddered violently: "Master! I think we should just go out and stay at a hotel. Otherwise, there's a good chance we'll be buried alive in the middle of the night!"
Martin's expression froze.
More than just being buried alive—if they got buried, they'd probably have to pay them compensation too!
"Then let's just..."
Before he could finish, Nova glanced casually at Jiangnan and then said, "Lord Martin, I think staying at the academy is better. After all, it's an academic exchange!"
"We can't afford to show weakness in momentum. If we stay outside, they'll think we're afraid of them!"
Even Ivy raised her hand: "I... I also think staying at the academy is good!"
Nicole smiled: "I don't care about you all, but I'm definitely staying at the academy!"
Martin's expression stiffened, and he could only submit to the majority's decision.
Jiangnan was overjoyed and quickly led the exchange group to the reception building.
Seeing the building—which looked like it had been bombarded by cluster bombs and had half collapsed—Martin gritted his teeth.
"You're letting us stay here? Even a pigsty isn't this broken? We're foreign guests!"
Jiangnan: ╮(•́ω•̀)╭
"What's the problem? Look at our dean's house!"
He pointed with a raised eyebrow toward a villa in the distance that had two-thirds of it collapsed.
Martin: (≖_≖)…
Charles: =͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇)
However, the data emperor Shaun didn't care at all. A powerful telekinetic force surged out, silently reinforcing the entire building!
"Don't worry about staying here. It won't collapse!"
With that, he walked in on his own.
The members of the exchange group cast provocative glances at Jiangnan, sneering coldly.
As if they would let you have your way!
Jiangnan: (yǐ yì yǐ ٥) Tsk!
Then Shirley walked up to Zhong Yingxue, tilting her head slightly.
"This time, without any other influencing factors, I'll make you lose face in front of everyone!"
"I'll let everyone know just how pathetic the so-called Flame Queen really is!"
Zhong Yingxue stepped forward, meeting Shirley's gaze directly. "Oh? Is that so? Like the way I beat you back then?"
Shirley's face reddened, and just thinking about it made her stomach ache faintly.
"Hmph! This time, I won't give you the chance to get close!"
Zhong Yingxue squinted: "I don't need to get close!"
(｡･᷅◠･᷄)─✦─(˘•～•˘｡)
Jiangnan: (˵ಡ.̮ಡ˵) "Ah, la la~ They're about to clash!"
"Go, Xuexue! Beat her until she cries, then catch her and make her lay eggs!"
If there's anyone who loves watching a good fight, it's probably Jiangnan!
After arranging the exchange group, Jiangnan ran back to the dormitory building to set up his street stall again.
Still, hardly anyone bought anything. However, the four selected ones—Rabbit Baby, Wei Teng, Mo Tian, and the others—sneaked over to the stall.
Their expressions were a bit uneasy.
Mo Tian said guiltily, "Chief Nan, I'm a recovery-type. I can't even run as fast as Rabbit Baby. I'll hold everyone back tomorrow!"
Wei Teng also frowned: "I'm not afraid of speed, but the exchange group isn't just a pushover. They must have prepared something!"
"Qin Shou, you're an ice-type attacker. Speed isn't your strong suit either, right? Aren't you worried?"
Qin Shou: (΄◞ิ.̫.̫◟ิ‵) "That's why I came to Chief Nan to beg for some slippers!"
"I'll throw away my humanity tomorrow if I have to—can't let the academy lose face!"
Jiangnan smiled brightly: "Don't worry. Just perform normally tomorrow. As long as you don't fall too far behind, leave the rest to me!"
With that, he handed each of them four backpacks, which contained various gadgets he had prepared.
Slippers, Strength Fruit Pulp, and the like were all included. Having followed Jiangnan for so long, Qin Shou and the others naturally knew how to use these things.
Holding the backpacks, they felt a wave of reassurance wash over them.
In the distance, seeing Nicole and Shaun walking slowly toward the stall, Qin Shou and the others quickly hugged their backpacks and ran off.
Jiangnan was startled. What were they doing here?
Back in the Abyss, Jiangnan had witnessed firsthand just how ruthless Nicole could be.
She had sent a wind blade straight at Jiang Xiaonan back then. Even now, Jiangnan shuddered at the memory.
Shaun came up to the stall and pulled out his phone: "Give me the nine cross swords. Cash on delivery. We agreed on 900 million—no backing out!"
Jiangnan: (๑¥3¥) Pfft—
Shaun was the one Lance sent to redeem the swords?
Oh my god! Are you my little angel?
Jiangnan almost drooled. This would directly pay off the debt, and he'd even have some pocket money left!
Without a second word, he laid out the nine great swords on the stall.
Shaun also generously transferred 900 million to Jiangnan.
Under his telekinetic control, the nine mithril great swords floated slowly around him.
"I have to admit, you're strong. But no one is perfect. Your weaknesses are just as obvious."
"This time, you'll taste the bitterness of defeat. The face my master lost, I'll get it back for him!"
Jiangnan: (ૢ⁼̴◡⁼̴)ﾉ
"Yeah, yeah, makes sense. God, take care. Welcome back anytime!"
Shaun's expression stiffened, and he turned and walked away with the swords.
[From Shaun's Resentment Value +777!]
'Anytime' my foot—there won't be a next time!
Nicole, however, crouched down with a smile in front of the stall.
Jiangnan shuddered at her smile and quickly stepped forward to protect his treasures on the stall.
"What... what do you want? I'm telling you, there's law here! Don't do anything rash!"
Nicole: (๑･᷄◡･᷅)
"Little brother Jiangnan? Can you tell me where Wang Dalei is in the Huaxia territory?"
"Big sister has something to find him about!"
Jiangnan was stunned. Why was she looking for Wang Dalei? Wasn't Nephew Big Thunder at the forward base in the Western Frontier?
As a Dao Heaven from the Eagle Country, Nicole wasn't allowed to run around freely in Huaxia territory.
"I'm not telling you. Who knows what you're planning to do?"
Nicole pouted: "Oh, come on~ Just tell me, okay? Otherwise, wouldn't I have come here for nothing?"
"It's not for anything bad. Why don't you ask Big Thunder's opinion first?"
Jiangnan was baffled. What did she mean by 'for nothing'? Didn't they come for the academic exchange?
And what was with the pouting?
"Hmph! Even if you pout, I won't..."
(๑•̀◡•́)つ.[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅๑¯ٹ¯ิ)̲̅$̲̅]
Jiangnan: (๑◔ꇴ◔ิ๑)ᕤ
"Hello? Nephew Big Thunder? It's your Uncle Jiang!"
Wang Dalei was taken aback: "Oh? What's up? Are you coming over here? The Void Sea hasn't opened yet! You..."
Jiangnan shook his head: "No! That Nicole from the Eagle Country is with me. She says she wants to find you! She's asking for your location!"
"Should I tell her or not?"
Wang Dalei's eyes widened: "What? Just as I thought! That Nicole—I obviously didn't teach her enough last time! She dares to come and provoke me?"
"I'll send you my coordinates right now. Let her come over immediately! I'll teach her a good lesson tonight! Make her unable to even walk!"
Jiangnan: (´ﾟࡇﾟ)?
So urgent? What kind of lesson?
He remembered the injuries and bruises on Wang Dalei's body from before.
His face darkened.
Could there be something going on between those two?
So that was why Nicole was so eager this time—she came for Nephew Big Thunder?
Good heavens!
"Work hard! Show off the momentum of our Huaxia! Your uncle is cheering you on from here!"
With that, he hung up the phone, clicking his tongue in amazement.
Nicole asked expectantly, "So? Will you tell me the location?"
Jiangnan looked at Nicole and suddenly felt she wasn't as detestable as before.
Technically, she was his niece-in-law now, right?
So he added Nicole as a friend and sent her Wang Dalei's coordinates.
Nicole hugged her phone with excitement and was about to take off.
But Jiangnan grabbed her and pulled out a plastic bag. From the stall cloth, he picked up a bottle of Strength 2.0 and a bundle of chives, handing them to Nicole.
"Ahem, by the way, I'm technically considered an elder. Since time is short and I don't have much prepared..."
"Just take these. Give them to Big Thunder later. Consider it a little token from your uncle."
Nicole: (yǐ^yǐ‶)
How did you become an uncle?
But since he gave her the location, Nicole didn't bother to argue.
She took the plastic bag, and a breeze sprang up around her, carrying her off toward the west at terrifying speed.
Jiangnan tucked his hands behind his back, looking deeply moved.
"The battle tonight must be extremely fierce! Go, Nephew Big Thunder! Awesome!"
The night was as heavy as water. Martin was sleeping soundly in bed when suddenly, with a *crack*,
the entire bed collapsed. Startled, Martin jerked awake and sat up.
"What the hell? What kind of crappy bed is this? I'm so annoyed!"
Rubbing his eyes, he got up, slipped on his slippers, and headed to the bathroom.
Opening the door, just as he was about to step inside, a gust of cold wind blew him wide awake.
Behind the bathroom door—there was nothing. It had completely collapsed, directly exposing the outer wall of the seventh floor.
He nearly fell from the seventh floor with that step.
Martin: (ꐦ͡ಠyì͡ಠ) Hiss—
Is this what they call FaShiOn?
A bathroom with zero privacy?
[From Martin's Resentment Value +1000!]
At the same time, Nova and Sophia, wearing spaghetti-strap pajamas, lay on the balcony, wide awake.
Their gazes fell on the Maple Villa where Jiangnan lived. With deeply furrowed brows and cold sneers on their faces.