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May Day Update is here, and after reading, don't rush to play; remember to cast your monthly vote first. Starting now, during the 515 Fan Festival, you can enjoy double monthly votes, and there are other activities offering Red Envelopes as well!
At the same time, Raefus shared some information about the Doctor with Cui Ming. The Doctor's real name is Hart. Dr. Hart is not an ordinary person but a practitioner. He established a criminal network, and his main goal is not money but the various cutting-edge technologies of Nordo City. Indeed, Dr. Hart is an evil practitioner scientist. Seven years ago, an explosion occurred at a research institute in a county of the Dawn Empire, resulting in many casualties. The person in charge also died in the explosion. Raefus found out through his channels that Dr. Hart was the head of this research institute. Due to the seriousness of the matter, the Force Alliance intervened, but they found no trace of Dr. Hart. In fact, there was no record of him as a practitioner on the Force Alliance database. Subsequently, one of Dr. Hart's assistants took over his criminal network. Over the years, with technological advancements and increased global information sharing, along with the rise of competitors, the criminal network established by Dr. Hart has been severely impacted.
From seven years ago until now, there has been no news about Dr. Hart. Raefus has two guesses: the first is that the Dawn Empire is concealing information about Dr. Hart. The second guess is that Dr. Hart's inventions have made significant progress but are unsuitable for further experimentation in the Three Continents, possibly leading him to some unknown location. However, it is certain that Dr. Hart is still alive and has no interest in his criminal network anymore.
Given this situation, Cui Ming is not in a hurry to find Dr. Hart, as he has little interest in him. What he is more anxious about is finding a suitable team member; there are only seven days left until the Assessment Match. Three days after the conclusion of the Assessment Match, it will be the final registration deadline, followed by the start of the first Alliance Competition. Young people are eager to showcase their talents and competitiveness. While Cui Ming shares this sentiment, it is not particularly strong for him. What intrigues him more is that Wandering privately promised that if their group places in the top three, he would reward one of them with a treasure. As for what kind of treasure it would be, Wandering did not specify.
This left Cui Ming quite dissatisfied; he thought to himself, "You old man, I help you out and you expect us to place in the top three just to get a reward?" True to his name, Wandering roams around freely and possesses considerable experience. He does not care whether Cui Ming is satisfied or not; at least he has sparked their competitive spirit. The first Competition Match aims for great success, hoping everyone can give their all.
On the balcony, while reading a newspaper, Cui Ming asked, "Hey you two, can you focus on finding someone?"
Mi Xiaonan, munching on popcorn while watching a drama series replied, "You can make the decisions."
Li Qing added, "I think so too."
Cui Ming continued, "Can we bring over Wei Wei?"
"No," replied Li Qing. "Wei Wei was taken away by Dina. The side branch of the Ding Family and their lineage are competing; can we invite external help?" He explained further: "Among six members from their lineage, only Dina can take center stage; having Wei Wei join would just be for show."
Continuing to read the newspaper, Cui Ming exclaimed in surprise, "What? Jinjin signed up for the Assessment Match! Wasn't she not part of the Force Alliance!?" Known as a rogue in the criminal world of the Western Continent, she had been causing havoc with weapons crafted by Master Nan. However, she had toned down her activities in recent years and had hardly been heard from.
Without turning around, Mi Xiaonan remarked, "Jinjin is a guest participant with a wildcard; she was recommended by the Dawn Empire for the competition." A wildcard refers to practitioners who are not members of any alliance.
"Oh." Then I might as well go bring over Zhir. No wait; that guy can't leave the desert. Even if he could leave it wouldn't work out; my relationship with him isn't as good as with others like Feng. Speaking of which, where's Feng? His abilities are quite impressive too.
Heading into the living room to contact Raefus, he learned that Feng had left an address with him. However, when he asked about Feng's whereabouts, Raefus admitted he didn't know where that guy had gone.
Feeling frustrated, Cui Ming realized he didn't know many people well; he had some connections with a couple from the northern plateau but they were quite prominent figures and had enemies—those enemies were not mere rivals but rather another tribe led by a strong woman named Mi Xiaomo. This team would participate in both assessments and competitions together. Most importantly, he only needed one person; it wouldn't be appropriate to break up a couple.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Upon opening it, he found a waiter delivering the latest edition of the Force Report. As he walked while reading it, he suddenly exclaimed in shock: "What on earth? The world has changed dramatically."
"Did Sister have a bowel movement?" asked an oblivious Mi Xiaonan, turning back to look.
With an annoyed kick towards her direction while still reading the paper, he said: "Fire Cult will send a team of practitioners to participate in the Competition Match!”
"Oh?" Li Qing stopped meditating, rolled over, and walked over to take a look. So many words! Just reading them made his head spin. He returned to his seat and said, "Junior brother, read it out loud."
"I won't read it; there are too many words," Cui Ming replied as he sat down. Mi Xiaonan was sitting on the edge of a chair, looking at the back of a newspaper. Cui Ming continued, "Wow, Lank is participating in the Competition Match with an external card and has given an interview. He mentioned that both of his brothers were secretly plotted against and killed, and now he needs to find two more experts to supplement his team. He also boasted that he is here to take first place. Heh, Wandering is really cunning; he has derived many plans from one single scheme and has pulled Lank into it. The Pirate King, who controls the seas of the Western Continent, is someone whom the Dawn Empire and even the Eternity Alliance cannot do anything about."
"Wow!" Mi Xiaonan exclaimed as she looked at the back of the newspaper. "Silent City will also send a team to participate in the Competition Match? What on earth? This competition is bringing out all sorts of characters."
Cui Ming glanced at the back again. "The Prophet of Silent City will represent Silent City in the Competition Match. The Prophet stated in an interview that Silent City's participation in this Competition Match is a sign of respect for the Force Alliance, and they believe that Silent City and the Force Alliance can seek common ground while reserving differences for some cooperation. What does the Prophet want? Is he planning to showcase his strength before everyone after achieving some level of cultivation?"
Li Qing didn't care about all that; he clapped his hands and said, "This Competition Match is going to be exciting! Mi Xiaonan, stop slacking off; we need to quickly choose our teammates. We should pick strong allies so we can make a name for ourselves in this Competition Match." He was getting excited too; he had already received notice that after the Competition Match concluded, he would complete another mission and officially become a Hunter. Wandering had also told him that letting Sadin go was the right choice, but some things still needed to follow procedure. Initially, he wasn't very enthusiastic about the Competition Match, but now that all these characters were showing up, his interest was piqued.
Mi Xiaonan stood up. "Where am I slacking off? Where am I supposed to find teammates?"
Li Qing replied, "Getting some food is part of our business. I'll contact Wei Wei to see if anyone has recommendations. Cui Ming, you have a good relationship with the Ye Family; you can chat with Yellen and see if they have any unique insights on some lesser-known but powerful individuals. Brothers, let's get moving! The alliance playing house isn't meaningful anymore; now that all sorts of characters are coming out, we need to show our faces too."
...
Who should they look for? More people from Hero City were starting to arrive; hotel occupancy had reached 30%. Many early arrivals were individuals looking for a competitive team since they were solo players. Some knew their own strength and just wanted to participate for fun, while others had higher expectations and hoped to join stronger squads.
The North Moon Group was undoubtedly a team that many mid-tier players valued. They had gained some fame but were not top-tier; there was a chance for them to achieve decent results but not much hope of breaking into the top three. With six days left until the Assessment Match, visitors began arriving one after another, but Cui Ming's group always found something unsatisfactory about their guests. Some introduced themselves hesitantly; others genuinely lacked strength or were difficult to get along with for various reasons—too aggressive or having overly strong leadership styles.
Just as Li Qing's group was preparing to select from among those who seemed less impressive, Ding Ze returned.
The three went to a restaurant for lunch and upon returning found the door open. As they entered, they saw Ding Ze lying on the bed with a cigarette in his mouth while reading a book. Ding Ze waved cheerfully at the three astonished individuals: "I heard you guys are looking for people?"
Unlike the other four, Ding Ze had changed somewhat; previously somewhat fastidious about cleanliness, he now lay on the bed without even taking off his shoes. It was unclear how long it had been since he'd showered—the room was filled with an unpleasant odor reminiscent of decay emanating from him. Once very concerned about his appearance, Ding Ze's hair was now tangled and dirty like little braids, and his beard was unkempt; if it weren't for his signature pose of lying back smoking, they might not have recognized him.
Cui Ming asked in confusion, "What happened? Running away?"
Ding Ze extinguished his cigarette butt, sat up, pulled out a crumpled cigarette from his jacket pocket, lit it up, took a puff, and said, "Do you believe me? I came back from the northwest of the Western Continent without spending a dime or doing anything wrong."
"I don't believe it," the three shook their heads.
"Don't insist on details! I took a boat or something; of course I didn't pay," Ding Ze said as he walked over and hugged Mi Xiaonan. She stepped back immediately; Cui Ming also took a step back. In the end, Ding Ze only hugged Li Qing.
"Li Qing" sniffed the air and asked, "Ding Ze, what did you bring back? It smells terrible."
"Ding Ze" grinned, and a wave of bad breath hit "Li Qing." She took two steps back. "What’s wrong with you? How long has it been since you brushed your teeth or took a shower?"
"Ding Ze" thought for a moment. "About two years and ten months, I guess. The northwest is truly a desolate place—poisonous miasma, swamps, toxic fog. Leaves fall into the swamp, rot, and emit a stench that’s really nauseating."
"Shut up and go take a shower," "Cui Ming" said. "Right now."
"Ding Ze" wore a helpless expression as he walked toward the bathroom. He turned back at the door. "It's great to see you all again; seeing you feels like seeing family."
"Cui Ming" was already dialing a number. "Please send room service to room 1012 and bring a set of clean clothes."
"Get me a pack of cigarettes," "Ding Ze" said. "These past few years have been torture for me." Quitting smoking isn’t just a physical issue; it’s also psychological. Even if the body doesn’t crave it, the mind will. Otherwise, why do relapse rates for recovering addicts approach 100%?
"I know, just hurry up and go in," said "Mi Xiaonan." The three of them lived together; "Mi Xiaonan" watched dramas at night while "Li Qing" slept on the rope bed that "Cui Ming" used. "Cui Ming" slapped his forehead. "I’m such an idiot; we have two other rooms we can use. Brothers, let’s change positions. I can’t believe how bad 'Ding Ze' smells; it’s hard to imagine how he’s lived like this for years."
"It’s not that bad," "Ding Ze" replied from the bathroom as he ran the water. "Once you get used to it, you won’t smell anything."
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