Chapter 3035: Mother and Daughter
“You’re unwilling?” Madam Bai asked him in return. “You and Kou Kou share a bond of friendship, yet you’re not willing to do such a small thing for her.”
Xu Huo smiled. “This is the first time I’ve heard such an unreasonable request.” And delivered with such entitlement and self-righteousness.
Madam Bai also smiled, sighing slightly. “What can be done? As a mother, I always have to think of my daughter.”
“I respect the diversity of the human brain,” Xu Huo said flatly, not following her lead.
“You and Kou Kou are friends; it’s normal to see things from her perspective,” Madam Bai said. “You’ve only just become an A-rank player. You don’t yet know where the truly terrifying parts of the game lie. You haven’t even reached the top of the player hierarchy.”
“Go out and take a look. When you return to Platinum Eye one day, I believe you’ll agree with my words and stand in my position to persuade Kou Kou.”
Madam Bai seemed to have come only to persuade him. After saying this, she prepared to leave, but at that moment, Xu Huo spoke up. “If Bai Kou could truly get what she wants, wouldn’t it be more convenient for you to seize power from her hands? Or are you worried that this daughter will completely slip out of your control, and you have to use Platinum Eye to keep her tethered?”
Madam Bai didn’t hide her surprise. “You’re a bit sharper than Kou Kou.”
She resumed a conversational posture and continued, “Even if children don’t understand, parents still want to make the best plans for them.”
“Kou Kou is too naive. She thinks the chip she led the development of has absolutely no leaks?”
“Others are just waiting for her.”
“And the new energy source she’s so proud of isn’t a unique breakthrough in the game. She, the chip, and Platinum Eye are like a cake, just waiting for someone to take a slice.”
“Fortunately, I have a few powerful ex-husbands. Otherwise, Platinum Eye would have fallen back into the hands of the district government this time.”
“Even if they have to destroy and rebuild, the district government wants to take this city back.”
Xu Huo made no comment and didn’t delve into the truth of her words. “You’d rather say these things to an outsider like me than to your own daughter?”
“That’s the joy of raising children,” Madam Bai said. “It’s also cute when a child stomps her feet in anger.”
She then wore a melancholic expression. “Although my ex-husbands are all powerful, I truly loved Kou Kou’s father. She misunderstands that my union with her father was only to inherit Platinum Eye. Heaven knows, the first time I met her father, he was still a street salesman. He died without knowing he had inherited a considerable fortune.”
“But her father was also a very lovely person. I found love in him.”
A smile returned to her face, as if she were immersed in her own emotions. She laughed to herself for a while, then said to Xu Huo with implication, “The role of a lover is to charge into battle for their beloved.”
“Unfortunately, my several ex-husbands didn’t do very well in that regard. Only Kou Kou’s father.”
“But people are so simple and straightforward. The more you have, the more you fear losing. Only those with nothing dare to give everything.”
“Love also requires the right time and place.”
“You dared to come save her once, and there will be a second time.” Madam Bai leaned forward slightly, pressing down on Xu Huo’s hand as he poured her tea, staring into his eyes. “For my daughter, charge into battle.”
The steaming water continued to pour into the teacup. Time seemed to freeze at that moment, but just as the cup was about to overflow, Xu Huo lifted the spout.
His movement broke the previous stagnation. Madam Bai leaned back, smiling as she watched the young man before her, a hint of admiration in her gaze.
“I have my own matters to attend to,” Xu Huo said, responding to her for the first time. “I think Platinum Eye might not want to face my enemies one day.”
Madam Bai covered her lips with a smile. “Who doesn’t have a few enemies? Perhaps one day, you’ll be glad to have Platinum Eye’s friendship.”
Xu Huo smiled. “I hope that day never comes.”
Madam Bai laughed out loud, as if she found his words childish and ridiculous. But she didn’t explain further. She rose gracefully. “The future is still long.”
She quickly left with her people.
Xu Huo looked at the teacup in front of him, somewhat surprised.
It seemed Madam Bai had tried to hypnotize him earlier, but he hadn’t sensed any strong power fluctuation from her. It was as if that enchanting murmur was an innate trait, not a Super Evolution power.
But with just that ability to beguile, it shouldn’t be enough for her to wield power in the game world. She must have obtained some special game item… The fact that she could live so peacefully until now was indeed somewhat surprising.
However, he wasn’t interested in Madam Bai’s past, nor did he care about her parenting philosophy. He was merely a passerby in Platinum Eye.
He slept well that night. The next morning, he bought some gifts and went to visit Old Lady Lu.
Given the major incident at Platinum Eye, Old Lady Lu had long since returned. The house had been tidied up, all losses compensated by the government, and because she was an Artificer, the government had provided additional welfare support.
She was delighted to see Xu Huo and asked Fang Jie to call the two children out.
Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi had been injured during the Platinum Eye attack, but not severely. They had mostly recovered by now.
However, after this major event, both of them seemed much more mature.
“Were you scared?” Xu Huo patted Xiao Yuan’s head.
“Not scared,” Xiao Yuan straightened his back. “The teacher praised us for staying calm in the crisis.”
Xu Huo smiled. “I heard. You both performed very well.”
“I brought you some local specialties.”
“Are they from Uncle’s hometown?” Xiao Yuan asked happily.
“Some are. Some were prepared by Mr. Dong.” Before coming to Platinum Eye, Xu Huo had visited District 011. The people there had sold him out quickly during the Eerie Sound Knights’ bounty, so he had to settle accounts.
But Mr. Huahan had already handled the matter. Xu Huo’s identity was almost an open secret. Even if the district merger hadn’t been connected, learning of the Eerie Sound Knights’ leader Jin Feixue’s death should have made it clear that Xu Huo was from District 014.
That he was so close was unexpected to many. Even more unexpected was that he had taken down the slippery Eerie Sound Knights without subsequent pursuit from other district forces. Some old families in District 011 probably guessed that Huahan was backing him.
But after witnessing Xu Huo’s displayed strength, they were pleased. Huahan didn’t have long to live, and District 011 needed a pillar. The last time someone achieved multi-directional Super Evolution with balanced progress was the rising star Carmen Field. They dared not imagine how wonderful it would be if District 011 had a Carmen Field—they would probably laugh in their dreams.
And such a person had become Huahan Werner’s disciple.