Chapter 308 - 195: My Name is Jin Heon
Gao Ping continued to send messages:
"My girlfriend, Emily, saw the video you recorded in her New York University sorority’s private group chat today!"
"I just looked you up today and, damn, bro, you’re the real deal! You’re making all of us from the Celestial Dynasty proud!"
"Would you do me the honor this weekend? I’m putting together a get-together, want to come out for dinner and have some fun? How about we go for a mountain run?"
Li Wei stared at the string of messages on his screen, his expression blank as he prepared to type out a rejection.
His time was extremely precious right now, and his mind was completely focused on finding an Alchemist. Accompanying a chubby, second-generation rich kid he’d just met and barely knew just to boost the guy’s reputation was clearly not something a big star like him should be doing.
However, just as he was about to pretend he hadn’t seen the messages and simply ghost the chubby kid, the [Chattering Court Jester’s Skull], which he had forgotten to put away, suddenly erupted in a red glow. Its jaw, reattached with brass, began clacking manically up and down as a long stream of dialogue flooded Li Wei’s vision like a waterfall:
[Ha! What gut-bustingly hilarious cowardice! My master, a Silver Knight who could be considered an expert in this era, is afraid of the perfumed, glittering high society of the Royal City! In the face of true sensual indulgence, you’re like an ostrich burying its head in the sand!]
’Even if you mock me, I can’t be bothered to go play along with them.’
Just as Li Wei was about to put the skull back into his inventory, the system unexpectedly popped up with another quest:
[You have encountered the quest: Vanity Fair (Fearless)]
[The victorious Knight has led his legion to a 6-win streak, and now the jesters and clowns of the Royal City have extended an invitation to you. A true Knight should not live like an ascetic monk of the Holy See, but should, after experiencing all things, remain true to their original heart.]
[Quest Objective: Participate in Vanity Fair]
[Quest Reward: +0.1 Free Attribute Points]
Then again, Li Wei checked his schedule. His next race was on Monday night, so he actually had time for this so-called mountain run on the weekend.
He sent messages to Anya and Elizabeth, but they both turned him down.
The reason was simple: not everyone had a brain with a 4.0 Spirit stat and a superhuman memory.
Anya had taken time off to see an exhibition in France, but that didn’t mean she could just skip her classes. It was the same for Elizabeth. On weekends, they would sometimes even get tutored by Li Wei just to barely keep up.
Li Wei, on the other hand, had already finished self-studying all his courses before even enrolling—he could even recite the textbooks from memory. That was why he was so brazenly confident.
Since the freshmen didn’t have time, he could only find someone who was free.
"Li Wei? My big star! What’s got you calling me at this hour?" Sebastian sounded energetic on the other end, and there was even music in the background.
"Some students from the Celestial Dynasty are having a get-together this weekend. A mountain run at Bear Mountain during the day, then relaxing at night," Li Wei said, looking at the event details Gao Ping had sent him. "You busy this weekend? Want to come?"
"Are there a lot of rich people?" Sebastian asked in return. "The students from the Celestial Dynasty don’t know how to party, so their get-togethers are boring. But getting their dads to deposit money with me, now *that’s* interesting."
Li Wei had almost forgotten that Sebastian was currently interning in the private banking division at JPMorgan Chase.
"Probably quite a few," Li Wei said after a moment’s thought. "Bring a nice car."
"You got it," Sebastian agreed quickly. "Count me in."
「A few days later.」
In late October in Manhattan, the sky was a heavy, grayish blue. With Halloween approaching, the cold wind blowing off the Hudson River already carried a bone-chilling cold.
Puddles on the road reflected the dim yellow streetlights. The only things on the streets were the occasional passing garbage truck and the white steam rising from sewer grates. The entire city was still in its deepest, most exhausted slumber.
Li Wei sat in the driver’s seat of his Black Badge Cullinan. The beast of a vehicle, as deep and dark as a black hole, was parked quietly on the side of a road near Columbus Circle.
The interior of the car was as warm as spring. A thick, soft cashmere carpet lay at his feet, and the starlight headliner above cast a gentle glow. Central Park was right next to him. Everything was perfect, until—
A beast of a car, flying low to the ground, cut aggressively into the lane and stopped in front of the Cullinan. Judging by the angle it parked and the sound of the brakes, the owner seemed to be holding quite a grudge.
Sebastian clambered out of his car, fuming, and walked up to Li Wei’s window, knocking on the glass.
"I’m not trying to give you a hard time, buddy," Sebastian said angrily, "but if I weren’t curious to see what those little rich kids from the Celestial Dynasty are up to, I would absolutely block your number for picking this godforsaken hour."
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy," Li Wei shrugged. "You look full of life to me."
"Oh? Really?" Sebastian raised his wrist and tapped the Patek Philippe on it. "Why don’t you take a look at what time it is?"
"No need," Li Wei said. "It’s 5:07 AM."
That’s right. It was just past 5:00 in the morning.
Mountain runs were an activity best done early, not late. There weren’t actually many mountains near New York, so the popular route was to take Seven Lakes Drive out of the city toward Bear Mountain. Plus, you had to leave early to avoid both the morning rush hour traffic and the cyclists who frequented the mountain roads.
Then you’d snap some photos for social media around noon, grab a bite to eat nearby, and drive back.