Mini World Game Console-Chapter 757 - 758: Stop Loss
"I can't believe XXX actually died..."
"The part about 'Long live Hydra' really cracked me up."
"The special effects during the all-team assembly were totally worth the ticket price."
At 3:00 a.m., numerous young men and women streamed out of the cinema. Only these energetic youths could afford to watch a premiere on a weekday and then go to work after less than four hours of sleep. Of course, quite a few of them didn't have to work at all, like Qiao Muyi and Ren Suo.
To advance to the fourth transformation, Yu Kuangtu had taken a five-day long leave. Consequently, Qiao Muyi had been on duty for five days straight. Now it was his turn to repay the 'debt,' so Muyi also got a mini-vacation.
As for Ren Suo, with his flexible work schedule, that went without saying.
He no longer distracted himself with browsing forums, watching videos about games or technology, visiting unmentionable websites, or other forms of short-term entertainment. Instead, he focused on writing papers and researching how to enhance emotional value. He had already completed most of this month's paperwork. The only thing left was some technical work, which involved increasing emotional ties through debates with Gu Yueyan.
After coming out of the cinema, Ren Suo asked, "Did you drive here?"
"I did, but..." Qiao Muyi walked forward two steps, turned her head, and looked at Ren Suo with a seductive gaze full of ambiguous emotions. "What's it to you?" she said.
Tonight, Qiao Muyi wore a beige long coat over a very figure-hugging white shirt. Her outfit was completed with belted hotpants, black stockings, and knee-high boots, flaunting her curvaceous figure: an ample chest, a slender waist, and long legs.
When she displayed even a hint of girlish demeanor, she instantly captivated all the men nearby. Soon, the air was filled with the painful yelps of men being pinched on their waists or having their ears twisted by their girlfriends.
"You don't always have to be so charming. I'm not going anywhere," Ren Suo said with a laugh, spreading his hands.
"Hard to say. In this world, only specimens don't run away," Qiao Muyi shook her head. She stepped closer to Ren Suo, placing her hand on his chest, black flames igniting at her fingertips.
Ren Suo remained completely unfazed, allowing Qiao Muyi's flames to merge into his body. "Where am I staying tonight?" he asked. "Your place or a hotel?"
"Stay in the toilet, why don't you? That public toilet over there suits you well," Qiao Muyi snorted haughtily. "In the morning, the sound of people peeing can be your alarm clock."
"What about you?"
"Me? Of course, I'm going home to get some good sleep. Then, bright and early, I'll go for a run, run over here, use the restroom, and pee you awake."
"That's really thoughtful of you," Ren Suo laughed. After Qiao Muyi finished Casting Spells, he asked, "New Spell? Fourth transformation?"
"'Malicious Glance.' It's a new Spell, but only second turn," Qiao Muyi said. "It's used to track imprisoned suspects. The Spellcaster can gain more images of the target simply by focusing. It's almost impossible to dispel and lasts for 24 hours. If a criminal tries to escape using supernatural power, this Spell can be used to quickly recapture them."
She continued, "Generally, the maximum range of this Spell is about 3,000 meters. However, if I'm the one who casts it, even if you were on the other side of Earth, I could still intermittently receive glimpses of you."
Ren Suo laughed. "I'm right in front of you. Is it really necessary to use this kind of Spell on me?"
Qiao Muyi glanced at him and commanded, "Take off your mask." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Ren Suo obediently removed his mask. Seeing the actions of nearby couples, he voluntarily wrapped his arms around Qiao Muyi's slender waist and leaned down to kiss her—
After a familiar sensation of spatial transfer, Ren Suo found himself hugging thin air.
The bustling entrance of the cinema suddenly turned quiet. The alluring scent of Qiao Muyi vanished like smoke, replaced by a fresh and calming fragrance that soothed the mind.
"Suo, good evening."
Dong Chengling, dressed in a nightgown, was drawing mysterious trajectories in the air with her fingers. Ren Suo knew she was using hand gestures to assist in casting a spatial transfer Spell.
Dong Chengling looked at Ren Suo's awkward posture, her expression calm, as if seeing Ren Suo heading to the restroom in the middle of the night were just as ordinary.
Ren Suo, unfazed and composed, straightened his appearance, put on his mask, and nodded. "Sorry for disturbing you again, Cheng Ling."
"I think the thing you should apologize for isn't just this one," Dong Chengling said.
"But I've already apologized for the other things," Ren Suo asked. "Are you still mad?"
"Mm."
"Do I need to compensate you?"
"Hmm?" Dong Chengling raised an eyebrow slightly, looking curiously at Ren Suo. "How would you compensate me?"
Looking at Dong Chengling, who still appeared tranquil and lovely in her nightgown without makeup, and recalling the 'Malicious Glance' Qiao Muyi had cast on him, Ren Suo suddenly had an epiphany.
So that's how it is. They may have their Zhang Liang's Stratagem, but I have my ways to get over the wall.
It seemed Qiao Muyi and Dong Chengling had already reached some consensus. While Qiao Muyi couldn't stop Dong Chengling from taking Ren Suo away, Dong Chengling couldn't dispel the 'Malicious Glance' Spell cast by Qiao Muyi. If Ren Suo did anything inappropriate after returning, or during their upcoming dates, what might happen was anyone's guess.
Ren Suo said, "I can stay and sleep with you."
Dong Chengling's ears turned slightly red, but she seemed to have anticipated this and asked indifferently, "Just sleep?"
"Just sleep," Ren Suo laughed. "But your bed is rather small; it's too cramped for two people. We wouldn't have room to stretch. And if you were to sleep on top of me, it would be rather hard on me. So how about I sit by the bed and keep watch over you?"
After some thought, Dong Chengling quickly accepted this bizarre yet unthinkable compensation.
After all, Ren Suo's reasoning was sound. The single beds provided by default in teacher dormitories were just right for an adult. Someone as tall and broad as Zhao Huo might even find it a bit narrow. Two people would definitely end up squeezed together unless they slept embraced or even stacked.
Moreover, Qiao Muyi had already informed Dong Chengling about the Spell "Malicious Glance." Although Dong Chengling and Qiao Muyi were on good terms in matters unrelated to Ren Suo, she didn't plan to share such bedroom delights with her friend.
More importantly, although Dong Chengling had made up her mind long ago, she was still quite conservative and traditional at heart. Yet, Dong Chengling understood that a man's hormonal impulses were frequent at a young age. Even though she found Cultivation and cooking more interesting than such matters, if Ren Suo had any needs, she wouldn't deny him.
Since Ren Suo had taken the initiative to suggest gradually deepening their relationship, Dong Chengling naturally agreed without suspicion or vigilance. She turned off the lights to sleep under Ren Suo's gaze. "Suo, good night."
"Good night."
Ren Suo reached out to hold Dong Chengling's hand, sat by the bed, and took out his phone. He saw that Qiao Muyi was sending him emojis.
Qiao Muyi was also angry.
Although Qiao Muyi had anticipated this, watching her boyfriend being snatched away right before her eyes would infuriate anyone, especially the Calamity Witch Qiao Muyi.
The fact that she didn't storm over to confront him directly, but instead went home sulking and sending Ren Suo emojis, was already very considerate of her.
As the saying goes, the greater the Hope, the greater the disappointment. Ren Suo didn't know what kind of Hope Cha Xian'er had instilled in them, but from the current situation, he simply couldn't meet the expectations of all four women.
Luckily, Luna hadn't completely turned human yet, and her nature was more cat-like; otherwise, Ren Suo's room to maneuver would be even more limited.
But not all of this could be blamed on Cha Xian'er. She had merely lit the fuse; the explosives, kindling, and spark had already been there.
Even without Cha Xian'er, as time passed, their Hopes and expectations for him would only grow.
This was only natural. Possessiveness is a human driving force, and private ownership is one of the basic hallmarks of an efficient economic society—key to the development of productive forces.
Without a doubt, all four women were intensely possessive. Even Dong Chengling, who had the fewest material Desires among them, harbored no thoughts of retreating in this regard. It was precisely because their Desires burned so fiercely that they could advance their respective careers. Even Gu Yueyan, who hadn't achieved much yet, was beginning to show promise under his guidance.
There are women who can accept sharing, and relying on my current appearance, status, income, and methods, I could attract a large number of partners who could provide emotional value.
But I can no longer fall in love with anyone else. Therefore, I can only depend on the other party to unilaterally increase emotional value. This approach is too risky and time-consuming. Furthermore, human nature is such that people always want more. What was acceptable before might become unacceptable due to the inability to monopolize, thereby diminishing emotional value.
Fans of console exclusives always feel more superior and satisfied than players who embrace all platforms.
I no longer harbor any complaints about this. However, the fact that my previous, weaker self could only attract such strong, cute, Beautiful, and caring girlfriends is now causing me considerable inconvenience and trouble.
I had to watch four movies today. What about tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?
The higher their expectations of me, the greater their disappointment will be. My previous self retained them with a personality charm akin to that of a fool, but can my current self do the same? I'm no fool.
And even if they don't leave, the prospect of declining emotional value is almost certain.
I now essentially hold four stocks that will continuously depreciate. No matter how much I try to average down by buying more, these four stocks are mutually detrimental. With Cha Xian'er having already lit a fire under this 'stock market,' as long as these four stocks coexist, they are bound to keep falling.
Following rational investment logic, I should immediately cut my sunk costs, count small losses as wins, and choose the best stock—one that will surely rise—before the others hit rock bottom. Then, I should maximize my profits, cash out, and make a smooth exit.
Fools try to reverse the trend; wise people strive to keep the downside within an acceptable range.
Looking at Dong Chengling, who had slowly fallen asleep, Ren Suo sensed the room temperature and noticed a slight chill. Although Cultivators like them rarely caught colds, they could still feel discomfort. So, Ren Suo activated 'Flame Overlord' to raise the temperature, allowing Dong Chengling to sleep more comfortably.
Looking at Dong Chengling's sleeping face, recalling the enchanting Qiao Muyi, and thinking about Ren Xingmei for the morning and Gu Yueyan for the afternoon, Ren Suo closed his eyes. He began to brainstorm, evaluating the comprehensive value of the four women.
It was time.
