Simultaneous Transmigration: From Douluo Continent to the Pinnacle

Upon hearing the stranger's introduction, Zeng Xiaoxian squinted, sizing him up as he quickly processed what he saw. The man looked refined and didn't seem like a bad guy; he looked more like a lost person. Clearing his throat, he struck what he considered a dashing pose and called out, "Hey handsome, what are you looking for? You look so worried, are you lost?"

Hearing the voice, the man turned around abruptly, a hint of surprise flashing across his face, quickly turning into deep confusion. He strode forward, handing the note to Zeng Xiaoxian, and said rapidly, "Hello! My name is Guan Gu Shenqi, I'm from Japan. I'm looking for Aisen Apartment, but... but the door number here is different from the one on the note, and I asked the security guard downstairs, but I couldn't quite understand what he was saying." As he spoke, he helplessly shrugged, his glasses slipping down to the tip of his nose. He pushed them up, his eyes filled with bewilderment, like a lost fawn.

"Guan Gu Shenqi?" Zeng Xiaoxian muttered the name, his eyes lighting up as an idea suddenly formed in his mind. He had recently had a stroke of good luck, being named the vice chairman of the Love Apartment by the neighborhood committee, and he was just worried about not having a chance to showcase his "leadership skills." Besides, the apartment had been rather deserted lately, and if he could bring in a new resident to liven things up, it would be a great thing for the apartment.

He patted his chest, a confident "I've got this covered" look on his face, and raised his voice a few decibels: "Mr. Guan Gu, right? You've come to the right person! I'm Zeng Xiaoxian, the vice chairman of Love Apartment, in charge of neighborhood harmony and welcoming newcomers!" He deliberately emphasized the words "vice chairman" and straightened his back, trying to make himself look more authoritative.

Seeing that Guan Gu still looked confused, Zeng Xiaoxian quickly moved closer, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "To tell you the truth, you absolutely must not go to that Aisen Apartment! Let me tell you, that place is a rip-off! There are tons of bad reviews online, like leaky walls, cockroaches running around, and exorbitant water and electricity bills—it's all too bad to list!" He spoke with great enthusiasm, gesturing wildly, his exaggerated expression as if he had personally witnessed monsters roaming the Aisen Apartment.

Guan Gu's eyes widened, his brows furrowed even more, and he nearly crushed the note in his hand: "Really? But I've already paid the deposit..."

"Deposit? Hey, what's that!" Zeng Xiaoxian waved his hand dismissively. "Compared to the suffering you're about to endure, that deposit is nothing! Here's what we'll do: I'll find you a knowledgeable person to thoroughly investigate the Aisen Apartments. I guarantee you'll be convinced!"

After saying that, Zeng Xiaoxian turned and shouted into the house, "Zhanbo! Lu Zhanbo! Come out quickly! We have work to do!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lu Zhanbo came running out of the room, carrying a laptop and shuffling in slippers. He had dark circles under his eyes from staying up all night, and his hair was a mess, like a bird's nest. "What's up, Xiaoxian-ge? Is there another website I need to hack?" Zhanbo asked excitedly as he ran, rubbing his hands together. He always enjoyed doing this kind of information-gathering work.

"Go away, what's with all this talk about shady dealings? We're just doing a legitimate inquiry!" Zeng Xiaoxian slapped Zhanbo on the head and pointed at Guangu, saying, "This is Mr. Guangu, the amazing guy. He was originally going to stay at Aisen Apartments. You quickly check for him how much the price-performance ratio differs between Aisen Apartments and our Love Apartments, given the same price range!"

"No problem!" Lu Zhanbo immediately perked up, squatting on the corridor floor with his laptop in his arms, his fingers flying across the keyboard, the clattering sound dazzling to the eye. Guan Gu curiously leaned over, his eyes fixed on the computer screen, occasionally letting out a gasp of surprise.

Zeng Xiaoxian paced back and forth, constantly recommending Love Apartment to Guan Gu: "Look at our Love Apartment, the environment, the atmosphere, the neighborly relations, it's simply a paradise! Living here, I guarantee you'll be happy every day and won't want to go home!"

Not long after, Lu Zhanbo stopped what he was doing, adjusted his glasses, and said with a confident expression, "We found out! Under the same rent, Aisen Apartment has a usable area that is 15 square meters smaller than our Love Apartment, and it doesn't have a private balcony. The property management fee is also 20% higher. Most importantly, in the past month, it has received 27 complaints, all about outdated facilities and poor service!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Gu's expression shifted from confusion to shock, and then to relief. He let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and bowed repeatedly to Zeng Xiaoxian: "Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, I would be living in that awful place today!" He paused, a hint of expectation in his eyes, and cautiously asked, "Um... do you have any vacant rooms in the Love Apartment? I'd like to stay here."

"Yes! Of course!" Zeng Xiaoxian grinned, his eyes crinkling into slits, patting Guan Gu's shoulder with a smug tone. "I already reserved it for you! I guarantee you'll have a comfortable stay!"

After saying that, Zeng Xiaoxian led Guan Gu into the living room of apartment 3601. At that moment, Chen Meijia was sitting on the sofa, munching on sunflower seeds and watching a melodramatic soap opera, occasionally wiping away tears at the most exciting parts. Hearing the door open, she looked up, saw Guan Gu, her eyes lit up, and she immediately threw down the sunflower seed shells, standing up enthusiastically: "Wow! Handsome! Are you the new resident? Welcome, welcome!"

Lu Zhanbo also came over, excitedly saying, "Mr. Guan Gu, let me show you the room! Let me tell you, our internet speed here is super fast, you won't experience any lag while playing games!"

Looking at everyone's warm smiles, Guan Gu felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and his previous confusion and anxiety vanished. He nodded emphatically, a bright smile spreading across his face: "Thank you everyone! I love it here!"

Zeng Xiaoxian patted his chest, striking a pose of heroic confidence: "Guan Gu, don't worry, from now on, if you need anything at Love Apartment, just come to me! Whether it's something in your life or something at work, I'll help you solve it! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Guan Gu was so moved that he thanked them repeatedly and immediately decided to give up staying at Aisen Apartment and happily moved into Love Apartment instead. For a time, the living room was filled with laughter and joy, bustling with activity.

However, this excitement did not last long.

As dusk fell, the setting sun cast its orange glow over the city. Zeng Xiaoxian, having nothing to do, strolled down to the bar. He had just found a seat and ordered a cocktail when he saw a figure that infuriated him—Lu Ziqiao.

Lu Ziqiao, dressed in a flashy pink shirt and with his hair slicked back, was sitting at the bar, chatting happily with a beautiful woman in a sexy short skirt. The woman was laughing hysterically and would occasionally pat Lu Ziqiao's arm. The two were very close, their posture excessively intimate.

Zeng Xiaoxian's eyes widened like saucers, and he slammed his wine glass on the table with a loud bang. "You, Lu Ziqiao! Chen Meijia is such a good girl, how dare you cheat on her?!" Zeng Xiaoxian was furious. He immediately pulled out his phone and quickly tapped on the screen, dialing Lin Yao's number.

"Hey? Lin Yao? Where are you right now?" Zeng Xiaoxian's voice trembled with anger. "Come down to the bar right now! It's big! That brat Lu Ziqiao is actually carrying Meijia on a date with another woman! We have to catch him red-handed!"

After hanging up the phone, Zeng Xiaoxian stared intently at the bar, afraid that Lu Ziqiao would run away. As he kept an eye on it, he was mentally planning to teach this womanizing bastard a lesson when Lin Yao arrived.

Not long after, Lin Yao and Lin Wanyu rushed to the bar. Lin Yao was dressed in simple casual clothes with a serious expression on his face, while Lin Wanyu was wearing a white dress and holding a camera, clearly prepared to "collect evidence".

"Where is he?" Lin Yao walked up to Zeng Xiaoxian and asked in a low voice.

Zeng Xiaoxian pointed at the bar and said through gritted teeth, "Look! It's that guy in the pink shirt! The woman with him, she doesn't look like a good person at all!"

Lin Yao looked in the direction Zeng Xiaoxian pointed, his brows furrowing tightly. Lin Wanyu quietly raised her camera, adjusted the angle, and snapped several photos in the direction of the bar, each one clearly capturing the intimate scene between Lu Ziqiao and the beautiful woman.

"The evidence is irrefutable!" Zeng Xiaoxian stared at the photos on the camera, his beard bristling and eyes wide with anger. "Let's go! We're going back to the apartment right now and tell Meijia about this! Let her see Lu Ziqiao's true colors!"

The three of them paid the bill immediately and hurried back to Love Apartment. As soon as they entered room 3603, they saw Chen Meijia sitting on the sofa, hugging a cushion, watching TV listlessly.

"Meijia! Look!" Zeng Xiaoxian rushed forward, shoved the camera in front of Meijia, and said excitedly, "Lu Ziqiao cheated on me! We saw it with our own eyes at the bar! We even took pictures!"

Chen Meijia took the camera and glanced at the photo. In the photo, Lu Ziqiao and the beautiful woman were very close, smiling brightly. Her face instantly darkened, and she slammed the camera on the sofa. She stood up, hands on her hips, and angrily said, "That bastard Lu Ziqiao! I knew he wasn't a good person! I'm so angry!"

Her voice was loud and clearly angry, and her eyes were slightly red, as if she was really furious.

However, Lin Wanyu, standing to the side, keenly sensed something was amiss. She frowned, stepped forward, looked sharply at Chen Meijia, and asked calmly, "Meijia, are you really angry? But when I saw you smash the camera just now, your hand didn't even tremble, and your eyes didn't seem that angry."

Lin Wanyu's words struck Chen Meijia like a thunderbolt. Her body stiffened abruptly, the angry expression on her face hardened, and her eyes began to dart away, unable to meet Lin Wanyu's gaze.

Zeng Xiaoxian and Lin Yao also sensed something was wrong. They exchanged a glance and both saw confusion in each other's eyes.

"Meijia, are you hiding something from us?" Lin Yao stepped forward and asked gently. "You can tell us what's wrong, and we'll help you."

Under the watchful eyes of the three, Chen Meijia's defenses gradually crumbled. She bit her lip, her eyes growing increasingly red, and finally, tears streamed down her face. She squatted down, covered her face with her hands, and choked out, "I... Lu Ziqiao and I weren't really a couple at all..."

Upon hearing this, Zeng Xiaoxian and Lin Yao were both stunned.

"Not really a couple? Then what about before..." Zeng Xiaoxian scratched his head, looking puzzled.

Chen Meijia sniffed, her voice thick with nasal congestion, and said haltingly, "We...we pretended to be a couple who fell in love at first sight in order to get a rent discount...The landlord of the apartment said that couples could get a 30% rent reduction...Lu Ziqiao and I were both short of money, so...we decided to put on this act..."

Seeing Chen Meijia crying her eyes out, everyone fell silent. It turned out that it was all a farce. But behind this farce, it seemed, lay some untold emotions.

After a long while, Chen Meijia gradually stopped crying. She stood up, wiped the tears from her face, and her eyes hardened. She took a deep breath and said resolutely, "I'm going to find Lu Ziqiao! I need to talk to him!"

After saying that, she ignored everyone's attempts to stop her and rushed out of the apartment.

The group hurried after them, but they were too late. When they arrived at the coffee shop downstairs, they saw Chen Meijia slap Lu Ziqiao hard across the face.

The sharp "snap" sounded particularly jarring in the quiet coffee shop.

Lu Ziqiao covered his face, staring at Chen Meijia in disbelief, his eyes filled with astonishment. The sizzling beauty sitting opposite him was also stunned. She stood up, looking embarrassed, and said, "Um... I have something to do, I'll go first." With that, she hurriedly left.

Chen Meijia's eyes were red and swollen, tears welling up, but she stubbornly held them back. She looked at Lü Ziqiao, her voice trembling slightly, yet utterly resolute: "Lü Ziqiao, our agreement ends here! From now on, we go our separate ways, and have nothing to do with each other!"

After saying that, she couldn't hold back any longer, turned around, and ran out of the coffee shop crying.

Lu Ziqiao covered his face and stood there, motionless for a long time. His eyes were filled with complex emotions: surprise, confusion, and a hint of disappointment that he himself did not realize.

Everyone watched this scene in silence, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

Back at the apartment, Chen Meijia, her eyes red, bowed to everyone, her voice filled with deep apology: "I'm sorry for lying to you all for so long. From now on, I will never have anything to do with Lu Ziqiao again."

After saying that, she returned to her room, looking dejected, and closed the door.

As night deepened, the Love Apartment returned to its usual tranquility, but with an added layer of inexplicable melancholy.

Lin Yao stood on the balcony, gazing at the myriad lights of the city outside the window, a conflicted feeling settling in his mind. Tomorrow, Zhanbo was treating everyone to dinner, a welcome-back dinner for Guan Gu. He was pondering whether to invite Lin Wanyu and Chen Meijia along. Inviting Lin Wanyu was a given, but Chen Meijia was in such a low mood; would she not want to go? Besides, Lu Ziqiao would also be there; would their meeting cause any unpleasantness?

He frowned, his mind a jumble, unable to make up his mind for a moment.

Just then, his phone rang.

Lin Yao took out his phone, glanced at the caller ID, and his pupils contracted slightly.

The caller was Lü Ziqiao.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally pressed the answer button and put it to his ear.

"Feed?"

On the other end of the phone came Lu Ziqiao's deep and complex voice.