Volume 1, Chapter 25: The Talent Show

Shang Runyu was startled by the sudden voice; she stumbled backward, tripped over a stone stool, and fell to the ground.

Pointing at Shang Yinqiong, she stammered, "You... you, how did you know I was here?"

Shang Yinqiong calmly brushed the pastry crumbs from her fingers and turned around with composure. "Your breathing gave you away long ago."

"Second Sister, I know you wouldn't dare to push me."

Shang Yinqiong said this with a tone of absolute certainty. Having witnessed all manner of underhanded schemes within the imperial palace, she viewed Shang Runyu—a sheltered noblewoman raised on a pedestal, barely allowed to step outside—as someone capable of little more than...

"Do not reach for the stars; focus on talent development. My thoughts align with yours; I am merely drawing from the military chief's philosophy on external recruitment. Honestly, Old Bai, if you weren't so preoccupied with the frontline, you would have realized this sooner. That is why they say the bystander sees more than the player."

Later, when he investigated her, he discovered that the girl often spent her time out drinking and gambling, ending up dead drunk.

Bo Yan walked a different path than Bo Yin. While Bo Yin was a proper Army special forces soldier, Bo Yan was in the Air Force.

The air inside the tent was warm. A bead of sweat trickled down Yun Qixi’s forehead and across her delicate brow, heading toward her eye, but she was so engrossed in her bandaging that she did not notice.

Of course, a welcome did not mean indulgence. The Colombian government was aware of the legend of the Lake of Gold, but they did not connect the drilling team to it. Out of respect for Standard Oil, the government did not even send a routine liaison officer, which greatly facilitated the team's work.

Early the next morning, the news reached the palace, and the Emperor’s hearty laughter echoed from the Chengqian Palace.

A harsh, screeching sound cut through the air. Bai Yi quickly donned thick, heat-resistant gloves, picked up the gun barrel that had just finished its annealing process and cooled, and held it up to the light behind him to inspect the smooth, natural-looking rifling inside.

A few strands of hair hung in a slightly disheveled, beautiful way across Bo Yin's forehead. I noticed that from the moment we met, he had always been dressed in a formal suit.

She looked at him, but before she could speak, he had already pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket.

Why was Bo Yin so certain that this child was his? Was it his trust in me, or his trust in He Shen?

The old man shouted, "You have a lot of nerve, daring to hurt my disciple! Watch how I deal with you." Without asking for an explanation, he struck at Bi Yao, but he did not draw his twin blades; instead, he cast them aside.

"It’s extremely difficult. Ozumat is a demigod in its own right, and every demigod’s soul is entwined with the Emerald Dream. Even if its physical form dies, its soul will be dragged into the Nightmare of the Emerald Dream by N'Zoth. Resurrection is only a matter of time for it," Kaisa said, pouring cold water on the situation as she always did.

"Hanzhang is also the name of a famous ancient sword. My father used to work in ordnance, so he didn't stray far from his old profession when naming his grandson," Gu Yuzhou joked.

Xiao Zuyu did not know how the Bai family managed to maintain such a comfortable temperature using only a small amount of ice.

How could the Prince of Zhao not know that he was being used as a shield? Yet, since the Emperor had entrusted him with the task, he had to fulfill his duty. How could he just throw it away and only show his face on the day he welcomed the Prince of Qi from Eastern Qi?

Xia Xiaosong felt relieved and gazed at Tang Beibei’s exquisite features. She gave him a sweet smile, took an orange crystal core from her pocket to give to him, and then held one in her own hand, intending to begin her cultivation.

Si Nan pressed his lips together slightly. Unlike Xiao Se’s anger, his emotions were more complex, and He Jindong could not decipher them.

"Do you think Death Gun is specifically targeting these players who live alone?" As the words were spoken, Kikouoka walked in, rubbing his temples.

To demonstrate the strength of the Xia Empire’s navy to the Jewish people, stabilize their morale, and earn face for the Rothschild family, Zhang Wei prepared to dispatch one Xia-class battleship, two Baiqi-class battlecruisers, and ten destroyers to Bima Port in the Jewish Special Zone by September 10th.

"Mr. Li Muran, the prisoner you captured is just ahead. I do not have authorization to enter that area, so I will not accompany you. Please, go ahead," a handsome-looking Lier-Ta said at the end of a long prison corridor, speaking to Li Muran with great respect and admiration in his eyes.

"Old Madam, you truly are benevolent..." Auntie Yun was just about to offer some flattery; few farming families could afford a carriage, and perhaps if she pleased the old woman, she might receive a generous tip.

"Mother, who is family with her? Are you confused? Do you know that she previously helped outsiders bully me and my cousin? I want her to apologize." Zhen Li, failing to notice her mother’s growing displeasure, continued to act spoiled and unreasonable.

"Bipolar disorder? How long? Three years?" She suddenly grabbed Xie Ming’s arm and rolled up his sleeve to reveal dozens of scars, both deep and shallow, all precisely located over his arteries.

"I have never forced you to do anything, Shen He. The guards around me have changed one after another, yet you have always remained by my side." Chen Mo explained that he held a different place in his heart, using the most indifferent tone possible.

Behind the sedan, an inconspicuous black car followed from a distance. It always kept a certain gap, never drawing too close, yet never falling behind.

I froze, watching as he reached out to stroke my face, his eyes gradually deepening and dimming.

Unexpectedly, the moment the director entered the classroom, he was struck in the bridge of the nose by a punch from the boy who had been guarding the door earlier.

"Brother Long, how did you know that Liufang City had that window leading to the world outside the wall? Why have I never heard you mention it before?" Jiang Jingwen asked, her curiosity piqued, determined to get to the bottom of it.