Chapter Forty-Four: Cooperation

"Alright, let's say your reasoning makes sense," Mo Xiaoxiao nodded. "Do you need me to go with you?"

"No, I'll go alone," Xiao Zhang replied, making a simple disguise. "Keep an eye on Bai Bai for me. I really have a strange feeling about this place."

This time, Xiao Zhang went straight to Qi Guanbei's stall.

Qi Guanbei looked up at Xiao Zhang. "Young man, what do you want to buy? How about this one?"

"Can we talk?" Xiao Zhang asked.

A peculiar smile flickered at the corner of Qi Guanbei's lips. "Sure."

Xiao Zhang followed Qi Guanbei to a secluded corner where no one else was around.

Qi Guanbei glanced up at Xiao Zhang, not the least bit surprised. He smiled and looked at him, "Go on."

"Can I ask, when did you see through my identity?" Xiao Zhang took a deep breath, eyeing Qi Guanbei warily.

"No, I didn't," Qi Guanbei replied with a smile. "Someone just told me some interesting things ahead of time."

Xiao Zhang quickly thought back. Was it Haonan? Or was this man actually in league with Haonan? "Haonan?"

"That's right," Qi Guanbei approached Xiao Zhang, studying him closely. "You seem rather ordinary, yet you managed to deal with those two? What's your name?"

"Xiao Zhang. Want a smoke?" Xiao Zhang offered him a cigarette.

Qi Guanbei took it without suspicion and lit it. "Not a bad choice, kid. Qi Guanbei."

"Aren't you curious?" Xiao Zhang frowned.

"Curious about what?" Qi Guanbei chuckled. "As long as you aren't a threat to national security, why should I care what you do? Besides, you might have stumbled into doing something good, after all."

Qi Guanbei looked at the silent Xiao Zhang. "So, are you here to ask for my help?"

"My friend is a newcomer," Xiao Zhang said quickly. "But he was chosen for this instance, and I wasn't, so—"

"You want an entry ticket from me?" Qi Guanbei asked coolly.

"Yes," Xiao Zhang nodded slowly.

Qi Guanbei frowned. "How do you know I have a spot for entering the instance?"

Xiao Zhang hurried to explain, "Haonan said that if I met him in the instance next time, I could join his organization. Since you know him, I figured you might be in the same group!"

Though Qi Guanbei kept a calm demeanor, inwardly he was shocked. Has this kid really figured out who I am?

Xiao Zhang continued, "But I won't let you waste your spot on me for nothing."

Qi Guanbei's eyes glinted with interest. "Oh? Then tell me, what would make it worthwhile?"

"Qi Guan, do you know, when I learned about the existence of Awakeners, I was worried? The foreign Descenders can't stay in our world all the time, but Awakeners are natives who suddenly gain abilities beyond the ordinary. When an average person gains power beyond the rules, chaos is bound to follow. But clearly, someone is keeping this in check. I suspect that's what you do."

"Are you sure about this?" Qi Guanbei asked again. "Aren't you afraid I’ll send you on a mission you can't complete?"

"I don't think you would. I trust that your organization wouldn't do that," Xiao Zhang replied.

Qi Guanbei smiled at him. "You're a sharp one. You got part of it right. But Haonan and I aren't in the same group. He's dedicated to protection, while my job is to root out dangers from within."

"And do you realize what's different about this instance?" He took a deep drag of his cigarette.

"Is any instance ever safe?" Xiao Zhang asked.

"This time is different," Qi Guanbei replied slowly. "Does the location of this instance mean anything to you? You're probably new, so you wouldn't know. This one is a Mythic Instance, all of them are medium to high difficulty, and this is a Mythic one."

Seeing Xiao Zhang's confused expression, Qi Guanbei frowned. "A Mythic Instance is like a raid—there will be many participants, both Descenders and Awakeners, a complete melee."

"Aren't all instances like that?" Xiao Zhang asked with a frown.

"You think anyone can just walk into a Mythic Instance? The Descenders can enter freely, but for us Awakeners, the entry threshold is extremely high. In battles with Descenders, we're always at a disadvantage. This instance perfectly illustrates that. By tradition, Descenders will outnumber Awakeners by a wide margin."

"Is it like one of those raid dungeons in toxic MMOs?" Xiao Zhang joked. "Will there be a main DPS leading the group?"

Qi Guanbei nodded. "In this kind of raid, there definitely will be some main damage dealers leading. You can't imagine how powerful those people are. Once inside, we Awakeners have to fight not only the monsters, but also become prey for those powerhouses. There might even be conflicts among Awakeners over resources—"

He sighed. "So, if I were you, I’d give you a piece of advice: since you’re lucky enough not to be chosen this time—"

"If you never face life and death, you'll never grow stronger," Xiao Zhang cut in.

Qi Guanbei laughed. "You’re an interesting one. Most promising newcomers would do anything to avoid an instance like this. Yet here you are, fighting to get in. Aren’t you afraid you’ll die in there?"

Of course, Xiao Zhang couldn’t admit to being a cheater, so he asked instead, "Qi Guan, do you want to be someone who just tags along and shouts 'Awesome!' all your life, or do you want to be the MVP?"

Qi Guanbei’s expression shifted. For the first time, he regarded Xiao Zhang with a solemn gaze. "You've got some drive, I’ll give you that. And just call me Qi Guan, not Qi Guanbei."

"So, you agree?" Xiao Zhang asked.

Qi Guanbei frowned. "Interesting kid. Is everyone from BD like this?"

Xiao Zhang lowered his voice. "To be honest, I have another reason. I don't want my friend to face these things alone, because I'm the one who led him down this path."

Qi Guanbei smiled gently. "Let's hope, when you’re facing life and death, you’ll still feel the same."

Xiao Zhang simply nodded in response.

"So you refuse to give up on your friend? Even knowing how dangerous this instance is, you still want to join him?" Qi Guanbei looked at the young man before him, his thoughts drifting back to his own youth... Only, things were different now...