# Chapter 2420: Friendship Forever
Sure that she just doesn't like talking to you?
Bai Kou's annoyance toward her mother was already on full display, not even bothering to hide it in front of outsiders.
Madam Bai wasn't really asking, not caring whether Xu Huo answered. She continued, "Because she prefers her father."
"Madam Bai, this is only our second meeting. There's no need to delve into such deep topics," Xu Huo interrupted with a smile. "I have no interest in meddling in a friend's family affairs."
Madam Bai seemed surprised by his response, her expression gentle yet fragile. "I rarely see Kou Kou bring friends home to play. You're the first. She must like you very much."
"In a sense, she and I are competitors." After all, most of He Pu's inheritance had gone to him.
"You don't understand a girl's heart. Only those who put in genuine effort can earn their special regard." Madam Bai's hand gently covered his wrist, her eyes fixed on his as she spoke slowly, "Your presence can make her happy, and that makes me happy too. So I hope you can stay, stay in Platinum Eye."
Xu Huo looked at the hand pressing against his wrist, frowned, then shifted aside. "Madam Bai, if you truly understood your daughter, you wouldn't think that way."
Madam Bai's smile deepened. She picked up another flower and said unhurriedly, "How could I not understand my own daughter? Because of her father's death, she's been at odds with me for years. I've had to pour double the energy into her. Every move she makes, even the color of a single strand of her hair, I know clearly. I've even neglected my younger daughter because of it."
"But what can I do? She's my most beloved daughter. Whatever she wants, I'll do my best to get it for her."
"I've already applied for a Gray Player identity for you. You're a good child; you deserve peace and happiness."
At this moment, Xu Huo truly witnessed the extraordinary nature of this mayor's wife. She wasn't wearing any props or using instruments, and her mental energy showed no fluctuation whatsoever. Yet the words she spoke, even those with ambiguous positions, entered the brain like hypnosis.
And no matter how he looked at her, she was just an ordinary person.
Xu Huo's index finger twitched, but at the same time, a player stood behind him, warning him not to move.
Madam Bai's gaze remained on the flowers, as if she hadn't noticed that the person she'd tried so hard to keep a second ago was now being threatened.
Xu Huo felt a subtle sensation and suddenly spoke, "Madam Bai, do you really want to invite me to stay in Platinum Eye?"
Madam Bai turned to look at him. "You're unwilling? Even for Kou Kou's sake?"
Before Xu Huo could answer, another Enforcement Team member approached with a communication terminal. Madam Bai took it and spoke a few words with the person on the other end. Since the communication was shielded from others, they couldn't hear what was said. But the next second, this noblewoman raised her hand to the person beside her.
Xu Huo was "invited" out again.
"You may leave."
The flower shop door closed from the inside.
It seemed the matter was settled.
Xu Huo spotted another flower shop not far across the street, so he went over and bought a ready-made bouquet of red roses, asking the shop to deliver it directly to Mechanical Castle.
But just after he paid, Bai Kou's call came through.
"Nothing happened, right?"
"What could happen?" Xu Huo brushed a plump flower petal. "But if I'd stayed a little longer, I wouldn't know."
Bai Kou actually laughed. "I don't believe you'd really kill her."
"That lady is indeed... extraordinary," Xu Huo said vaguely. "How has someone like her survived until now?"
For instance, he had instinctively felt the urge to kill the moment he sensed something wrong with this person. Many players must have dealt with Madam Bai, and he was certainly not the first. Yet she maneuvered between different forces, unscathed and even well-liked. That was abnormal.
Bai Kou agreed with his assessment but sounded regretful. "No one can kill her. Not even I can."
"Does she have a special life-saving prop?" Xu Huo asked casually. When there was no answer from the other end, he continued, "Your mom was going to make you a bouquet. I saw she picked all black flowers, and her craftsmanship was poor. So I chose a nice one from another shop. When she comes to see you, wave it in front of her face more often."
"You think that will upset her?" Bai Kou's tone lifted at the end.
"Haven't you noticed? She doesn't want anyone around you, not even an ordinary friend." Xu Huo said, "Do as I say. I guarantee she won't sleep all night."
"I'll give it a try." Bai Kou ended the call in high spirits.
"Sir, your flowers are ready. Our shop has added a new petal engraving service. Would you like a blessing engraved on the petals?" the shop assistant came over and said. "Petal engraving ensures no damage to the flower itself. The words you want to say will stay fresh along with the bouquet for a long time."
Xu Huo thought for a moment. "Write 'Friendship Forever' on them."
The shop assistant finished quickly. He looked at it—the so-called petal engraving was actually using a machine to write on the petals. Because the machinery was precise, it didn't damage the flowers themselves after writing. Moreover, viewed from different angles, the words would show different colors, as if the text had naturally grown inside the flower.
"Write it on every flower. I'll pay extra."
Xu Huo didn't know what effect the bouquet would have when delivered to Mechanical Castle. After finishing up, he checked into Yongxing Hotel and informed Xin Rong of the situation.
Xin Rong was very pleased to hear that things were settled and directly told Xu Huo that all his expenses in Platinum Eye would be charged to the Xin family's account.
Xu Huo didn't refuse. He rested solidly at the hotel for a full day before starting to prepare for the next dungeon.
He needed to replenish food and water, and replace some damaged props and instruments. Fortunately, the prop money Xin Rong had taken had also arrived. He purchased a few more items, including two special passive defense props at high prices. Their effects were similar to "Unhesitating Substitute for the Deceased" and "Cat's Triple Life Loan"—both helping the holder evade high-risk attacks.
Having just used a Perfect Potion once, it was best not to use a second one in a short time. So improving the Evolution Rate could wait for now.
After his player level rose to B, he had only completed four dungeons. One of them was a failed clearance, and another was rated A. This had already lowered his overall performance. It seemed that to level up again, the number of dungeons would definitely increase. So this time, he didn't choose a specific dungeon but prepared from the clearance tickets the game had sent him.
A district had multiple dungeons. The ticket only showed the station name. In most cases, stations weren't named after dungeons. So after selecting a ticket, he could mostly only investigate the general environment of that district, while specific dungeon information was hard to pin down.
This time, Xu Huo wanted to choose a district with fewer dungeons to quickly lock onto his target.