Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Chapter 150 Youthful Spirit, Extraordinary Gathering, Exchange of Commissions

The headquarters restaurant is located on the second floor of the building. It is spacious and bathed in soft light from a huge crystal chandelier.

Xilun glanced at the menu board standing by the door, which listed different set meals based on employee ID cards and badges. Class distinctions were clearly defined here.

Xilun found his tier: B-level medal holder, who could go to the third window to get food.

Xilun walked to the window and looked at the steaming, fragrant food.

He looked around carefully and said to the cook serving the dishes, "One serving of potato stew, one oxtail soup, one serving of toasted butter, and one plate of fresh asparagus."

He carried his tray to the table by the window and sat down.

Yuri, on the other hand, was much more extravagant. His plate was piled high with cakes covered in thick cream, bubbly sweet drinks, and a large plate of sizzling, fried fatty meat.

After Yuri sat down, he immediately began to eat heartily, grease sliding down the corners of his mouth, which he wiped away with the back of his hand without a care.

Xilun remained extremely quiet. He first picked up a spoon and took a sip of oxtail soup, feeling the warm liquid slide down his esophagus into his stomach, before slowly eating the stewed potatoes and crisp asparagus.

His chewing motions were very regular, as if eating was just a mechanical task to maintain bodily functions.

Finally, Xilun ate everything on his plate, leaving not a single drop of soup.

Yuri burped, leaned back in his chair, picked his teeth with a toothpick, and said, "You seem to be quite disciplined with your diet. What's wrong? With your current training intensity, you don't seem to be afraid of gaining weight."

Xilun put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "I won't gain weight."

Yuri said, "Then why not eat something more delicious and flavorful? Like those crispy fried steaks, or sweet pastries. Extraordinary beings expend a lot of energy, so they deserve to enjoy these things."

After a moment's thought, Xilun looked out the window at the gray street and said, "It's just an idea in my mind. I feel that to train hard enough, I need a strong will, or rather, a powerful desire."

He turned to look at Yuri, his eyes thoughtful, and calmly said, "But once I'm satisfied elsewhere, like with food or sex, I always feel a little complacent."

I think this is what I was like when I was young, this is my rebirth.

If I fail to strive continuously where I can, and instead neglect training, I fear I will regret it in my old age.

Yuri stopped picking his teeth and asked in surprise, "New student? What does that mean?"

Xilun fell into thought, his mind flashing back to two lifetimes and the soul that had died unexpectedly. After a moment, he said, "I had some things before, like a dream."

When I woke up from the dream, I felt like I had been given a second chance at life.

Now that life has given me a second chance, I don't want to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.

Yuri stared at Xiren for a long time, then shook his head and sighed, "It seems you have a past that is not ordinary. Young people, seeing you always makes me marvel; your success is not without reason."

Or rather, no one succeeds without a reason.

Yuri picked up the sweet drink and took a sip. His gaze became distant as he murmured, "Young man, I once had that too. But when I reminisce about it, I realize that I didn't cherish it in the past."

Sometimes I wonder why I can't simultaneously possess the youthful spirit of youth and the feelings I have about all that youthful spirit from the past.

The afternoon sun pierced through the haze of the foggy city and shone on the streets of Saint Laurent.

Yuri was taking a walk in the park outside, with Xiren silently following behind.

The park is filled with tall plane trees, their withered yellow leaves rustling in the autumn wind.

Yuri seemed to know many people, and well-dressed gentlemen or ladies would occasionally tip their hats to him.

Xiren followed behind Yuri, nodding mechanically.

He sometimes felt he should keep smiling at these people, after all, it was a matter of social etiquette.

Sometimes I feel it's unnecessary. When I'm low on energy or have just gone through a period of intense stress, I tend to wear a long face.

Forcing him to force that fake smile would make his facial muscles feel uncomfortable.

After the two left the park and walked through a quiet, tree-lined path, Yuri took a deep breath and said, "The fresh air is even better in the morning."

He stopped, pointed to a building surrounded by an iron fence, and instructed, "The host of the gathering is just ahead. Relax, it's just a simple afternoon tea, a chat. Listen more, talk less."

The two arrived in front of a beautiful villa. The villa's exterior walls were covered with dark red ivy, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

Yuri handed a gold-embossed business card to the guard at the door. After a moment, the guard bowed respectfully and allowed him to enter.

Xilun followed them into the villa. Outside, there was a small fountain with water flowing from a winged stone angel jug, making a crisp sound.

The house has two floors, and Xiren followed Yuri in from the left.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, you'll find yourself in a large room.

The interior decoration is extremely elaborate and luxurious in the Victorian era, with deep red velvet curtains half-drawn, filtering out the outside light to make it dim and ambiguous.

A huge Persian carpet covered the floor, and it was so soft that you could walk on it without making a sound.

Several large leather sofas were arranged in a staggered manner, and the mahogany coffee table in the middle was filled with exquisite pastries and steaming tea.

There were already five or six people sitting inside.

They were dressed in various ways, some in suits and ties, others in large cloaks.

Upon seeing Yuri enter, several people looked up and casually waved as a greeting.

Xilun's keen senses instantly spread out. He could clearly feel that these people possessed a subtle, surging power, but it was well concealed.

They were all extraordinary individuals, and certainly not the kind of novices who had just started learning.

Xiren followed Yuri and found a sofa near the edge to sit down.

Yuri leaned back on the sofa cushions and said in a low voice, "Sit down and you can have some tea or snacks. Feel free to share your thoughts in a bit, or you can stay silent. There's no need to be too nervous."

Xilun nodded, his gaze sweeping over the coffee table.

The tea was Ceylon black tea served in a silver teapot, exuding a rich aroma; the dessert was golden-brown scones, accompanied by cream and bright red strawberry jam in small porcelain bowls.

Without being polite, Xilun picked up a scone and took a bite.

The aroma of flour and butter spread in my mouth, and the taste was alright.

He picked up his teacup and drank his tea, his eyes discreetly observing his surroundings.

More people came in one after another. Some of them seemed to know each other. They gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones.

After a while, a steady sound of footsteps came from the second-floor staircase.

The host of the party arrived. He was dressed in a well-tailored long black coat, tall, with a thin face and deep-set eyes, but his eyes were unusually bright.

He walked to the middle of the crowd and smiled, "I'll take up half a minute of your time. We have a new guest today, so please allow me to introduce myself."

My name is Marich, and my hobbies include collecting things and making friends.

Maric's gaze lingered on Xilen for a moment, with a hint of scrutiny, before he continued, "I like being friends with you guys, then meeting up to chat about everyday things, or going out to play ball, or watching a few games."

"Everyone can have some tea and snacks, chat for a few more minutes, and then we'll get down to business."

Siren listened silently without saying a word. He picked up a spatula, dipped a scone in half jam and half cream, and slowly chewed until he finished the pastries on the plate.

A few minutes later, the buzzing conversation gradually subsided, and it finally began.

Maric clapped his hands and introduced, "Afternoon tea and snacks are almost finished. I hope everyone can talk about the experiences of extraordinary individuals, anything is fine, I'm quite interested in that."

In addition, if I find anything of value, I am willing to buy it and collect it.

You can also discuss an exchange privately, but I won't be responsible for it.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment. A man in a gray woolen overcoat on the left shook his head and sighed, "I've been studying breathing techniques at home this month, but I've hit a roadblock. I haven't gone out, so there's not much to say."

Others echoed this sentiment. Most of them had stable jobs or peaceful lives, and often did not experience the hardships and struggles of war. The lives of the extraordinary were just as filled with tedious trials in peacetime.

Xiren sat in the corner and thought for a moment whether he could bring up a topic and then learn some information about mysticism or other forces by listening to their responses.

After he and some others had talked about trivial matters, he continued calmly, "I'm going to the woods on the east side of St. Albans to gather some herbs."

During this time, I encountered a middle-aged woman who appeared to be a novice scholar. She had a strange tattoo on her face, possessing a gray, magical power.

Xiren briefly recounted the information about Huma that he had heard from Susie, omitting the details of the battle, and then remained silent, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.

Upon hearing this, several extraordinary individuals who had been somewhat lazy suddenly opened their eyes, seemingly quite interested in the topic.

A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses frowned and said, "Gray magic, the tattoos on the face—could it be the Raven School?"

Everyone immediately began to discuss in hushed tones.

The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses and said in a deep voice, "This school of thought seems to possess a special technique that can bring misfortune to people through a medium. They are extremely troublesome."

Another person snorted and added, "Not only are they difficult to deal with, but they also have no bottom line."

Some say that this school of thought advocates education for all, and although many of its techniques come at a severe cost and can even distort the mind, it always manages to attract some madmen who crave revenge or power.

That's why some people say that the Raven School members are all crazy.

If you encounter them, it's best to either kill them outright or stay far away.

Xiren memorized all this information. It seemed that killing Huma had indeed gotten him into trouble with a troublesome organization.

After listening to everyone's discussion, Marich smiled and gestured with his hand, saying, "The story is almost over. Does anyone have anything they don't need, or anything they'd like to trade for? You can bring it out now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man with many dark red birthmarks on his face complained impatiently, "You should have gotten to this part earlier. Who wants to listen to stories from irrelevant people?"

After complaining, the man pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and said, "I planted some things in a field outside, but recently the garden has attracted some strange creatures, which is really a headache."

I'd pay £20 if someone could clean this up for me.

Some people immediately became interested, after all, 20 pounds is not a small amount for an ordinary extraordinary person.

A burly man on the right, carrying a huge axe wrapped in rags, asked in a gruff voice, "What kind of mutant is it? How much do you know about it?"

The man with the birthmark explained, "It looks like one of those poisonous frogs from the sewers, green with pustules on its back."

I don't know much about it; I've only seen it once.

Upon hearing that it was a poisonous frog, some people immediately hesitated.

This is not easy to deal with. The strength of the sewer poison frogs is unpredictable. Some of the stronger ones can reach the level of a first-tier extraordinary being. Moreover, the venom they spew is extremely corrosive, so you need to prepare a lot of expensive antidotes. You might not even be able to earn back the money you spent on medicine.

Finally, the burly man carrying the axe weighed his options for a moment, then accepted, saying, "Prepare two bottles of antidote for me, and I'll take it."

The deal was struck. On the other side, a woman wearing leather armor stood up and said from a long wooden box behind her, "I have two weapons here. One is a short sword, similar in quality to the one that the Knife Workshop released last year. It's forged from fine steel through repeated folding and pressing, and it only weighs 5 pounds."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gaunt man on the left shook his head and sneered, "Why don't I just go to the knife workshop and buy it? After all, it's not an extraordinary item. Who knows if your mysteriously sourced thing will be lost in the battle?"

The woman chuckled sheepishly, "I'm a pound cheaper, after all. The knife workshop sells it for 6 pounds."

The gaunt man remained unmoved and said, "I'll buy it if you sell it for three pounds."

The woman frowned and shook her head firmly, saying, "Then I've lost too much. Although it's a result from two years ago, I spent nearly five pounds just on practice materials."

The man shook his head and said sarcastically, "No wonder you haven't sold any in two years."

The woman glared at him with some displeasure, then pulled out a sheepskin blueprint from the bottom of the wooden box and showed it to everyone: "There is another weapon, which I recently developed, an eight-sided longsword with excellent resistance-breaking effect against alien species."

The drawing depicts a uniquely shaped medium-length sword with an octagonal blade covered in intricate patterns.

She explained, "This is a medium-length sword engraved with runes. It has exorcising properties and is very effective against undead creatures or vengeful spirits."

Even the normal mutants are sharp enough; the serrated teeth on their swords are enough to inflict wounds that are difficult to heal.

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