Chapter 543 - 336: Xu Qinghe: Let’s Bet Again
Lin Qi started typing a reply in his inbox, but after a glance at the time, he closed it.
’Replying at this hour is worse than not replying at all...’
’I’ll just wait until we meet in the morning. Someone as smart as Liu Xuan can probably guess I was in the workshop with no signal to receive emails.’
’She... won’t be angry, right?’
Lin Qi could hardly recall a time he had seen Liu Xuan angry.
After hesitating a moment, Lin Qi finally shut down his Intelligent Brain and went back to his room on the second floor.
...
「8:00 AM.」
Lin Qi, who hadn’t slept all night, received an email from Liu Xuan right at eight o’clock.
[Xu Qinghe and I have discussed the itinerary. We’ll have breakfast on the top floor of the Eye of the East Mansion in Tang Han District at 8:30. Before 10:00, we’ll head to the Nocturnal District Alliance Racing Arena to watch today’s Formula Dogfight. Afterward, we’ll go to Liu’s Physiotherapy Clinic to relax at noon, and in the afternoon, I’ll take her to visit Liu’s Prototype Machine Exhibition Hall...]
Liu Xuan had sent Lin Qi the planned schedule for the day.
The morning and noon activities were mostly standard entertainment, with few novel experiences.
After all, Xu Qinghe came from a top corporation in the Eastern Alliance. With her extraordinary background, there were hardly any luxury experiences she hadn’t tried.
But after reading the schedule, Lin Qi’s expression was a little odd.
’Formula Dogfight?’
’Liu’s Prototype Machine Exhibition Hall?’
Today’s itinerary seemed a bit too hardcore, filled with an aesthetic of violence and machinery.
’Would Xu Qinghe, a distinguished S-Class Pharmaceutical Researcher, actually like this kind of stuff?’
Lin Qi didn’t know, but he didn’t dwell on it, instantly replying to Liu Xuan’s email:
[Got it. I’m heading out now!]
He immediately got up, washed up as quickly as possible, and then left the Prosthetic Clinic.
On the first floor, Doctor Lin, who was getting ready to open the clinic for the day, glanced at Lin Qi’s departing back and wondered aloud, "Doesn’t that brat usually punch in right on the dot? Why is he leaving so early today?"
𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
Doctor Lin didn’t give it much more thought. All he had on his mind right now was making money. He muttered to himself, "Whatever, who cares about that brat. I’ve got almost thirty Divine Iron Bull installations scheduled for today. I need to get ready."
Lin Qi paid the old man no mind. After getting into his flying vehicle, he immediately activated the navigation.
Despite living in Red Fruit City for so many years, Lin Qi’s travels had rarely taken him beyond Edge-12 District and the core district where his company was located.
’Entertainment?’
’No entertainment!’
The underclass of the Cyber World had no right to such luxurious enjoyments.
It was only thanks to Xu Qinghe that Lin Qi had the chance today to experience the extravagant, pleasure-seeking consumption of Cyber Society.
At the Eye of the East Mansion, Lin Qi took the elevator to the top floor.
Immediately, a female attendant in elegant attire with a standard-model Prosthetic Body approached him. "Hello, sir. Do you have a reservation? If so, please tell me the name it was made under."
Lin Qi replied immediately, "Liu Xuan."
Even though this was Lin Qi’s first time in such a luxurious establishment, he showed no signs of being intimidated.
’It’s just spending Credit Points!’
’Liu Xuan’s paying anyway! What’s there to be nervous about?’
A light flickered in the attendant’s eyes. After checking the information, her attitude became even more respectful. "This way, sir," she said.
Lin Qi followed behind her at a leisurely pace, taking in his surroundings as he walked deeper into the restaurant.
The restaurant, named Eye of the East like the mansion itself, belonged to the Eye of the East Restaurant Group.
From the name, you could tell the company was from the Eastern Alliance, and this corporation, which primarily focused on the restaurant business, was impressively ranked among the major enterprises.
To build a major enterprise out of the restaurant business—in the entire Asian Administrative Region, probably only the Eastern Alliance had that kind of power.
A few minutes later, Lin Qi finally saw Liu Xuan.
Besides Liu Xuan and Xu Qinghe, Lin Qi also saw an unexpected familiar face.
"Long time no see," Lin Qi said, his expression showing a hint of surprise.
As for Liu Li, she shot Lin Qi a fierce glare and then said, "What? Surprised to see me? Do you think I’m a third wheel?"
Lin Qi quickly said, "Of course not. It’s just that it really has been a long time."
The last time he had seen Liu Li was before heading to Greenfield City. But afterward, as the assassination attempts on the heir intensified, she had been hidden away for protection by the Liu Clan upon their return to Red Fruit City.
Lin Qi sat down, his gaze turning to Liu Xuan. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Um... that last email you sent last night, I didn’t get it until almost five in the morning. I was messing with a Prosthetic Body in the workshop all night, and there was no signal. I’m sorry."
Lin Qi apologized sincerely.
Liu Xuan showed no sign of dissatisfaction. "It’s fine," she said. "Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t anything important."
Of course Liu Xuan chose to forgive him; after all, she had already guessed what Lin Qi was doing last night.
Liu Xuan was magnanimous, but Liu Li, sitting beside her, couldn’t stand it. "Listen here, Lin," she snapped. "You think you can just say sorry and that’s the end of it? Let me tell you, my sister didn’t sleep a wink last night waiting for your reply! And I had to stay up all night with her!"
"And on top of that... you show up at the last second! We said 8:30, and you waltz in at 8:29! You think you’re clocking in for a shift?"
Liu Li never held back. That was the confidence that came with being a Liu Clan heiress—she always spoke her mind.
Lin Qi was a little surprised. He glanced at Liu Xuan’s eyes; the pale blue light in her left one glowed with a moderate brightness.
But he recalled what he’d seen from a distance when he first arrived—the light in her left eye had been much brighter then.