Chapter 16: One Strip of Sea Cucumber  

Strivon / Ash Editor: Geoffrey / Lancent

“Whoosh-----”

Helian Lie gave off an air that was both astonishing and imposing. His hand was as fast as lightning, like a high-speed crystal rail train. He hadn’t even made contact, but the eye-blinding gale he produced had already hammered fiercely upon Li Yao’s face.

Li Yao’s eyeballs were like pin cushions. A chill rose up his spine and collided into his heart. Suddenly, it seemed like a “Gate” had opened from within the recesses of his mind. Five incomparably sharp senses had just awakened from the dream of grandeur a moment ago to descend once again.

Within a tenth of a second, he saw with absolute clarity the dumbstruck faces of three rich youths standing not so far away. He saw clearly each stem, branch, leaf, and flower of every plant. He smelled the fragrance of a dozen dishes coming from within the kitchen fires. He even clearly saw a mosquito wobble in flight at a distance of seven to eight meters away.

At the same time, he also saw a sea cucumber lying on the floor in between himself and Helian Lie. He had dropped that sea cucumber on the floor just a moment ago.

From the depths of his mind, a mass of numeral digits exploded, exploded, and exploded. They combined together into a series of wondrous formulas, condensing into countless torque rotational forces, levers and fulcrums, force vectors, motion trajectories, and more as a flow of information.

After this tenth of a second had passed, Li Yao blinked and blinked his eyes. His body reacted first before his thoughts had yet to produce a response. He subconsciously shifted a small step to the left.

Helian Lie immediately reacted at the moment of Li Yao’s shifting. His figure slightly shimmered, moving his attack trajectory by 0.1 meters. Thus, when he slammed down fiercely with his right foot, he stepped perfectly on the slippery sea cucumber and lost balance in his body!

Helian Lie would not have been this careless if he were facing a different opponent, but Li Yao was no more than an insignificant piece of trash in his eyes. Afflicted by rage, Helian Lie was simply not prepared and his leg slipped out from under him.

Li Yao turned slightly sideways. Helian Lie slid across from a hairs distance by Li Yao’s side. Li Yao even saw clearly Helian Lie’s shocked and heartbroken expression. Helian Lie’s bulging eyes seemed to be bursting out of their sockets. After sliding three meters, Helian Lie crashed into a table filled with food, flipping it over. With a “Crash!”, three or four large plates of food flipped over and smashed onto his skull.

The thick juice of the sea cucumber had the rich smell of scallop. The sublimely delicious pearl fish balls... not a single bit was wasted. All of it appeared on the Helian Lie’s hair, face, shoulder, and his expensive hand tailored lavish clothing. It looked like Helian Lie had just taken a bath in a bucket of slosh.

He was silent. It was a terrifying silence, like the silence of a cemetery!

Helian Lie was stupefied. Every nerve in his face was frozen. His bizarre expression had been twisted into being somewhat confused, ashamed, wrathful, and crazed.

Li Yao blinked his eyes. He looked helplessly at the strip of sea cucumber on Helian Lie’s “sharp eyebrows and starry eyes” that was like a carved work of art. The sea cucumber slid leisurely down onto the floor, appearing reluctant to part from Helian Lie.

“This, this fun situation is escalating into something big. Where did this youngster spawn from? He’s too reckless!” Not far away, Zheng Dongming seemed to be violently twitching like an epileptic. His once healthy face had already turned purple from stifling his laughter.

He dragged the two rich youths and backed a few steps in a calm and collected manner. He couldn't help but laugh and say, “I never thought watching a guy eat food could be more fascinating than watching a girl strip her clothes. Do you guys think Helian Lie set this entertainment show up specifically for my birthday?”

One of the rich youths hesitantly said, “It can’t be? I remember Helian has some sort of O.C.D. Junior Zheng, look and see. From Helian Lie’s expression, it looks likes he’s about to cry. Should we go help him?”

“Obviously not. This sort of wonderful show simply comes once in a blue moon. Obviously, we must watch until we’re fully satisfied!” said Senior Zheng without any loyalty at all.

Sure enough, Helian Lie had awakened from his initial shock and stupefaction. He was now like an active volcano that had awakened from a state of hibernation. Broiling hot magma was about to erupt. A concentrated aura of fire, so dense that the naked eye could make out its essence, coiled around his body. The temperature of the atmosphere within a half meter radius had risen by several degrees!

“Crack! Crack!” A series of explosions like the cries of firecrackers rang out from his entire body. It caused one to tremble with fear.

Li Yao’s brain went off processing at maximum velocity. Countless memory fragments whirled frantically within the depths of his mind. The surfaces of each of these memory fragments reflected images of intense battle.

On the surface, it appeared that he was completely intimidated and suppressed by Helian Lie’s bottomless fearsome aura, that Li Yao was struck as dumb as a wooden chicken.

But beneath his lifeless exterior, every muscle fiber of his began to slowly tighten. He was like a spring compressing to its utmost limit, gathering and condensing a great and powerful force.

His hands grasped the void, but he automatically reached towards both sides of his body. It seemed like he was gripping two shafts of thousand pound hammers. He rocked faintly, waiting to unleash his stored power.

Right when the air was splitting, right when he was hanging by a thread —

A fat, chubby hand occupied the space on Helian Lie’s left shoulder. A middle-aged fatso weighing around 200 pounds wore the uniform of a manager had appeared behind Helian Lie without making a sound. With a smile, he said, “Senior Helian, you’re drunk.”

Helian Lie’s pupils abruptly contracted. His concrete hostility turned 180 degrees, fully disclosing the enmity towards the fatso’s direction.

This large fatso manager did not seem to be the type to have cultivated in any sort of martial techniques. However, when confronted against Helian Lie’s hostility, he brushed it away like the spring breeze, completely unaffected.

He said composed, “Absolutely any guest who comes to Little Border of Hidden Lake to eat a meal are given top quality service. We depend on them to make a living. This goal has been our tradition for the past dozen years at Little Border of Hidden Lake. Who doesn’t know this out of all those in the upper eastern district? If Senior Helian isn’t drunk, why else would you behave this way? To strike a hand at the guests who I need to make living?”

“Are you threatening me?” Helian Lie paused after each word, his tone was heavy.

The fatso manager gave a slight laugh; the fat on his face jiggled randomly. He had a somewhat cunning appearance when he said, “I would not dare to threaten Senior Helian even after eating the heart of a bear and the guts of a leopard. This is nothing more than a one sentence reminder. Behind Senior Helian at the third corridor, eating at dining table number 22 is a journalist of the Floating Spear City Entertainment Daily.”

“There's a reporter?” Helian Lie’s face turned absolutely ugly. He lowered his head to look at the mess on his body. If a photo this “glorious” was shot by a tabloid reporter, he would absolutely become Floating Spear City’s most famous rich and powerful youth within half an hour. He absolutely did not want this type of fame.

He tenaciously, tenaciously glared at Li Yao. He gritted his teeth, bearing the pain and without saying a word or looking back, he slipped out of Little Border of Hidden Lake.

It was only then did the fatso manager turn his head to look back. He silently sized up Li Yao.

Li Yao’s external appearance was completely different from his cool and collected manner, causing the fatso manager to be a bit astonished. After a brief stare, the fatso manager apologized with complete sincerity, “This honored guest, I am truly sorry for the inconvenience. It’s because we neglected our jobs that we let you receive harassment at Little Border of Hidden Lake. I wish to compensate for your damages. Today, your meal is completely on us. Think of it as a treat by us. I hope today’s episode won’t influence your impression of Little Border of Hidden Lake, and I hope you will continue to find our store favorable.”

This restaurant was able to stand for several dozen years in the upper eastern district because they possessed great attention to detail and exceptional design. The manager would not judge a guest based on their appearance and their identity. In all, they carried on the ultimate service, following its theory. It was only through this remarkable level of service that the restaurant was able to build a public praise that was worth its weight in gold.

Li Yao gave a stare, and right when he was about to give a nod, the fragrance of wine assaulted his senses. A peeping youngster with oiled hair and a powdered face appeared right in front of Li Yao. There was a smile across this youngster’s face.

“My fellow student, I am called Zheng Dongming. You can call me Junior Zheng. You can also call me Big Dong, but never in a million years can you call me Small Ming. I saw everything that just happened. I feel that you are simply a giant amongst men, one picked out of ten-thousand, the best quality goods of the best quality goods. How ‘bouts you and me be friends?”

Under the vigilant watchful gaze of Li Yao, Zheng Dongming reached out his hand cooly and calmly. A gorgeous spirit-patterned business card was wedged lightly between his fingers. “No need to be nervous. I have no ulterior motives. I just wish to introduce you to an extraordinary professional insurance sales agent. I suggest you to go withdraw all your money right now and immediately buy the most expensive personal injury protection insurance you can afford, because —”

He paused for a bit. A smile of utter strangeness permeated across Junior Zheng’s face. He said sorrowfully, “Believe me, you will be using it tomorrow.”