Chapter 2332: Since You're Already Here
The next morning, the group gathered for breakfast. Taking advantage of this rare break, they discussed some of the instances they had previously experienced, exchanging experiences and exploring new ways to use their items—such as how to combine them and when it was most appropriate to use items with limited usage counts.
Xu Huo had just come into a windfall, and the items he had collected hadn't all been sold yet, so he simply took them out and let the others pick whatever suited them.
Most of the players he had killed before were B-rank players. There might not be many good A-rank items, but there were plenty of excellent B-rank items.
Yuan Yao was video-calling with Liu Jia. When he saw the table full of items, his eyes went wide, and he shouted, "Everyone gets a share!"
"Then come over," Xu Huo said indifferently. Selling a few more or fewer items wouldn't make much difference in price.
"I'll be right there!" Yuan Yao immediately replied. "Save a few good ones for me!"
He was fast too. In less than a few minutes after putting down the communicator, he arrived, bursting in and pouncing onto the table. "Brother Xu, you're too amazing! Are all these items ones you don't need?"
"They're all for sale. Pick a few if you like any." Xu Huo casually tossed one to him. "Try this."
Yuan Yao caught it immediately. After excitedly testing it a few times, he pretended to be coy and said, "I haven't even reached C-rank yet, and I'm already using A-rank items. Isn't that too extravagant?"
"If you don't need it, you can give it back." Xu Huo lifted his eyelids to look at him.
"I want it, I want it!" Yuan Yao hurriedly stashed the item into his luggage compartment, then added, "I just feel a bit embarrassed owing such a big favor... But then again, great kindness needs no words of thanks. I've long considered Brother Xu my own brother. Between brothers, I won't say anything polite. In short, if Brother Xu ever needs anything, I'll definitely go through fire and water for you!"
"It won't come to you going through fire and water." Liu Jia pushed him from the side. "Stop being cheeky."
Then everyone seriously began selecting items.
Item configuration generally involved two aspects: attack and defense. Attack included close-combat types and long-range attack types, and defense was the same. If items were scarce or the user wasn't proficient, it was best to prepare a complete set in advance so that time wouldn't be wasted picking items during a fight.
Zhou Ning and Liu Jia were still reserved, but Yuan Yao had no such concerns. However, he felt embarrassed about being generous with someone else's belongings, so he could only frequently hint for the two of them to pick the good ones.
In the end, Xu Huo selected the better ones from the items they had their eyes on. Additionally, there were some special items with peculiar effects, and quite a few potions.
"Enough, enough." Liu Jia saw him picking without stopping and blushed. "Too many, really too many..."
"They're all going to be sold anyway," Xu Huo said. "I'm not short on money right now."
Yuan Yao looked at him with envy, leaned in, and hugged his arm, acting clingy. "Brother Xu, you're my real brother!"
Xu Huo poked him away.
Yuan Yao didn't mind at all. He slapped his thigh and said, "Today, we're going out for a proper meal. My treat!"
At that moment, the Painting Woman quickly indicated that she also wanted to invite a few friends over for a meal.
"Friends?" Yuan Yao and the others paused. "When did you make friends?"
It wasn't that they looked down on the Painting Woman, but aside from Xu Huo, she rarely interacted with anyone else. Plus, her way of thinking was a bit different from others, so those who had actively approached her in the past had eventually drifted away. They rarely heard her mention the word "friends."
"Friends you made yesterday?" Xu Huo asked.
The Painting Woman nodded. "I met them while shopping. They want to be my good friends. Yesterday, they treated me to a meal, so today, I'm treating them."
"Nowadays, there's no player in Ting City who doesn't know Li Chun," Liu Jia said tentatively. "Are they ordinary people?"
"They're not players," the Painting Woman waved her hand. "They're just some not-so-wealthy ordinary people."
Everyone present shut their mouths. When it came to wealth these days, no one was richer than her. Although Ting City's finances weren't under her control, the government and the Special Defense Department would cover her expenses without any limit.
Xu Huo said it was fine.
The Painting Woman made a peace sign, then designated a members-only restaurant, saying she had already mentioned it yesterday—she wanted to treat them to a meal there.
"Sister Li Chun has good taste." Yuan Yao happily called the restaurant. "If it were any other time, I'd have to queue up for a reservation. With you around, it's different."
Booking a table went smoothly. As soon as the restaurant heard that the Painting Woman was coming to eat, they immediately said they would reserve the best room for them. They just didn't expect that the number of people coming to eat would end up being a bit large.
Besides Yuan Yao and the others, Tan Yang also called in the morning. He wanted to represent some player organizations and have a meal with Xu Huo. It wasn't to form any alliance, but simply to show face. They planned to move their families to Ting City as well, so it was only polite to inform him.
Xu Huo had no objections. "Since you're already here, let's do it together."
So Yuan Yao sent the address to Tan Yang and the others.
Just as they were about to leave, Sima Xiao'er also wanted to join in the fun. He and some branch members were now fans of Xu Huo and really wanted to get close to their idol. That's why they had asked Sima Xiao'er to help, and Sima Xiao'er shamelessly begged Xu Huo to give him this face, so he could look good in front of the Special Defense Department.
What else could Xu Huo say? Come along, since they hadn't gotten to eat at the last big venue.
When they arrived at the waterside restaurant, they happened to run into Gu Yu—she was filming nearby.
"I was just about to find you after I finish my work here. Since we've run into each other, let's eat together!"
Actually, the number of people wasn't that large. Two tables would have been more than enough. But when Yuan Yao went to book the tables, he came back with a strange expression and said to the Painting Woman, "Your... friends are here."
The Painting Woman happily went out to greet them. Two minutes later, a flood of people poured in through the door. Several young women led dozens of children inside. The children were chattering noisily, while the adults looked apprehensive, especially when they saw Xu Huo and the others drinking tea. Their faces turned pale.
They might not recognize Xu Huo or the Painting Woman, but Tan Yang and Sima Xiao'er were quite well-known in Ting City. Gu Yu was also there. The gap between players and ordinary people was no longer as simple as the gap between rich and poor. They immediately realized that the person who had invited them to eat was actually a player!
The Painting Woman didn't notice their anxiety at all and cheerfully invited them to sit down.
"You're having a gathering..." one of the women said, her lips trembling. "There are too many people today... Maybe we should eat another day..."
The Painting Woman looked confused and raised her communicator. "Didn't you ask me to treat you? Isn't this the most expensive restaurant in Ting City?"
It was impossible to hide their conversation from the players' ears. Liu Jia put down her water glass and stood up. "I'll go handle this."