I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

"Shut up." Shen Xi kicked him.

As the two whispered their ambiguous conversation, Lin Xuanqi listened and observed, then suddenly nudged the boy's shoulder, "Cheng Fei, it seems like those two guilds you mentioned are about to fight."

The two shut their mouths and looked in the direction of the sound.

At some point, the players of the Starry Sky Guild ended their standby state and moved to the area where the Exemplary Guild was located. As two guilds that could compete for the title of the strongest in the entire server, this scene attracted all kinds of attention.

Seeing the Starry Night Guild members approaching with hostility, the Exemplary Guild players immediately went on high alert, and the atmosphere became tense.

Then a person wearing a tattered hood stepped forward and raised his hand to stop everyone from the Exemplary Guild, saying, "Big Whale, you don't want internal strife right now, do you?"

"Crow." The tall man named Great Whale frowned and stared at the other person, slowly uttering two words.

The man pulled down his hood, revealing a face with dark circles under his eyes and a stubble beard, resembling that of a middle-aged office worker who had been working overtime.

"Cheng Fei, who is that uncle who looks like he wandered onto the wrong set?" Lin Xuanqi asked curiously from afar.

"Raven, he's the president of the exemplary guild." The boy scoffed.

"How could anyone design such an ugly character?" the haughty girl muttered.

"It probably fits his real persona better, and some people like that," the boy said casually.

“Yes, Cheng Feiyu is an example. He has the despicable temperament of a villain inside and out.” Shen Xi sneered.

"Teacher Shen, only you in the whole world think I have that kind of temperament." The boy glanced sideways.

"Exactly, my husband is so handsome and sunny, he's practically a heartthrob for every girl." Lin Xuanqi's lips curled into a smile.

"Someone surnamed Lin?!" Shen Xi gritted her teeth and glared at him.

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to, hehe." The arrogant girl covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Teacher Shen, to be fair, she was very objective this time." The boy stroked his chin and nodded, looking pleased.

"Trash!" The aloof girl struck him without hesitation with her white boots.

Meanwhile, the two major guilds on the other side were still locked in a standoff.

"I just wanted to warn you not to do anything stupid. Nobody will believe you this time," the giant whale said in a deep voice, gripping the hilt of its sword.

"I thought you were going to steal my eggs." Han Ya scratched his messy hair and grinned. "Instead of warning me, you should warn that 2887. I heard his real name is Cheng Fei. Is he here too? Don't let him try to be clever again."

“He’s at least stronger than you, and he’s even less likely to have that kind of opportunity this time.” The giant whale tilted its head and looked in a certain direction.

The crow followed his gaze, and the shift in their attention triggered a chain reaction, causing members of both guilds and other players watching to look in the same direction.

Discussions arose among the players.

"Which guild is that over there? Why is everyone looking at them? Are they really that strong?"

"The Real Band is here too! I've always been a fan of Asuna!"

"What real band? It's that person, 2887..."

"Who is 2887? He's not the keyboardist for the real band..."

"My system is #2887. Veteran players know it's the one who killed the boss of the second-level large portal..."

"He must be really amazing, right?"

"No, he's very cunning..."

The boy, who had suddenly become the center of attention, seemed oblivious to everything. He looked around, searching for something, and then retreated as if to take the opportunity. "Teacher Shen, have you seen my hood?"

Shen Xi narrowed her eyes as she looked ahead, then kicked him lightly to stop him.

"Cheng Fei, I feel like they all have a grudge against you." Lin Xuanqi felt an invisible pressure and moved closer to the boy.

The giant whale withdrew its gaze from the boy, recalling his previous performance in leading the Corridor Research Department to reform, and shook its head at the crow, "In short, you'd better watch yourself, or I won't be polite."

As soon as the words were spoken, Starry Night Guild turned and left, unmoved by the Exemplary Guild's gaze.

"President, what do we do...?"

"Don't rush, be patient..."

As they waited, more and more players arrived at the core area, including a large number of people who were just there for the excitement, making the underground world feel overcrowded.

Another familiar team appeared next to the Corridor Research Department.

"President Cheng, you seem to be getting a lot of attention." Tang Yu approached, her tone not without a hint of teasing.

"Cheng Fei, how are you planning to win this time? I'm really looking forward to your performance." The player, a girl with pure blonde hair wearing a crown, was also very interested.

"President Kalior, what's with all this talk about winning or losing? I just want to enjoy the game together with everyone." The boy shook his head seriously.

Shen Xi looked at this with undisguised contempt.

The boy glanced at Lin Xuanqi, then walked over to Kalio and lowered his voice, "By the way, what exactly are the conditions for the shield to be removed? Could you tell me in advance?"

“This cannot be leaked. Everyone must wait for the information to be released so that we can compete fairly. This is the principle of the game.” Kali said, crossing her arms.

"Actually, I think so too. Fairness in the game is the most important thing." The boy nodded without hesitation.

Meanwhile, on the edge of the core area, in a corner that no one paid attention to.

"With so many competitors, even I have to admit I'm feeling a bit of pressure." The fully armed, pompadour-haired guy shaded his eyes with his hand as he observed everything in the core area.

"Is there really any hope? It feels like we're just some random people on the side of the road." Du Xinhua glanced sideways.

"What do you mean 'just by the roadside'? I've already planned it out. These people will definitely turn on each other in the end. We'll just stand by and watch, and then descend like a divine weapon at the last moment to behead the BOSS!" Chen Hao waved his hand forcefully.

"So you mean stealing kills? That's impossible, right?" Du Xinhua opened his mouth.

"Of course it's possible. Haven't you heard that the person who killed the second-level teleportation portal boss did it all by himself?" Chen Hao's eyes sharpened.

Du Xinhua asked in surprise, "Really? But could that person be very powerful?"

“Actually, I haven’t looked into it in detail either, but even the most capable person has their limits. With the two of us now, our success rate is probably twice as high as his.” Chen Hao gazed ahead, his eyes shining.

"Twice? That's quite high." Du Xinhua's lips twitched.

"Just follow me, and I'll give you half the credit after it's done," Chen Hao said, patting his chest.

The two people who were secretly plotting in the shadows did not notice that behind them, a void being covered in tattered equipment was crouching on a high place, its gaze firmly fixed on the inside of the shield in the core area.

Suddenly, it turned its head and looked into the distance.

On a pillar supporting the underground world, a glimmer of light flashed briefly from the edge of a protruding platform.

A young girl with a black umbrella appeared there. She first stared at the core area without moving, then turned her head to meet the gaze that noticed her.

Two special beings briefly looked at each other from a distance, then looked ahead as if nothing had happened.

Time ticked by, and at exactly 8 p.m., just like any other game announcement, information about the third-level portal boss was released through various channels.

Cheng Fei and Shen Xi left the game immediately to check the situation.

"Didn't they say the restrictions would be lifted at eight o'clock? Why is this shield still there?" Zhou Han looked around curiously, but the shield covering the core area showed no signs of wavering.

After reading the announcement and returning to the game, the boy shook his head. "The shield won't disappear on its own; players need to obtain permission to open it."

"How do I get it?" The petite girl stared at his face.

“Teacher Shen, I think I understand why they sent the players here.” The boy looked to the other side and smacked his lips.

"Set off immediately," Shen Xi ordered, taking a deep breath.

On the first floor of the corridor, a game announcement appeared simultaneously in front of all players.

"...Players who failed to complete the third level challenge need to hack into the Authority Tower to obtain temporary core management privileges. Each temporary privilege lasts for one hour, and only one authorized player is allowed to exist on the entire server at a time. Warning: Approaching the Authority Tower will trigger a large-scale attack by out-of-control machines..."

While the research department in the corridor was having a conversation, the players guarding outside the shield had already started to move, like ants receiving a command, rushing one after another to the same goal in the underground world.

……

The authority tower mentioned in the announcement is located in an inconspicuous, remote location outside the core area.

A pillar supporting the underground world stands here, with indicator lights flashing on its surface from time to time. Although it is called a pillar, a closer look reveals that it is more like a skyscraper, surrounded by low-lying facilities of unknown purpose.

"Teacher Shen, is that the Authority Tower?" Cheng Fei stood on a high place, shading his eyes with his hand.

"Probably." Shen Xi stared ahead, her small face serious.

"They've already started fighting, let's hurry and go help!" The boy nodded and immediately prepared to walk forward.

Under the onslaught of swarming players, the space around the Authority Tower has been reduced to scorched earth.

The flashes and dazzling beams of explosives were as intense as a fireworks display. Players in heavy armor advanced the front line, while agile players flanked from the sides, each eager to be the first to rush through the gates of the control tower.

Meanwhile, out-of-control machines poured out of the darkness in an endless stream. Groups of small out-of-control machines fearlessly pounced on the players, while large out-of-control machines moved slowly forward, unleashing a barrage of dense firepower at the players and trampling those who tried to crawl under them.

Amidst the constant deaths of players and the exploding, out-of-control machinery, the entire battlefield descended into chaos.

"Wait a minute." Shen Xi suddenly grabbed Cheng Fei.

"What's wrong?" The boy looked down at her holding his small hand. "Teacher Shen, although I really want to hold your hand and talk about love, things are more important right now."

"Stop talking nonsense. What I mean is we can observe the situation first." Shen Xi kicked him.

"Observe the situation? You'd be better off saying wait until they've fought enough and then take advantage of the chaos to pick the fruit." The boy saw right through her in a second.

"What's the problem?" The aloof girl glared at him.

"Teacher Shen, what did I say before? You're so despicable! You seem kind and cute on the surface, but when it comes to yourself, your little brain immediately starts generating bad ideas!" The boy pointed at her.

"I was just about to ask what's going on with Cheng Feiyu?" Shen Xi said unhappily, her little face showing confusion. "She's always so careful with everything she does, afraid of suffering even the slightest loss, but now she's planning to rush up and become cannon fodder?!"

"Teacher Shen, although the announcement says that the Permission Tower can only authorize one player at a time, if everyone doesn't contribute, the end result will be that no one can get in. Don't you think it's too selfish to stand idly by at a time like this?!" the boy said righteously.

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Xi's brows furrowed, her eyes widened slightly, and she froze as if she had heard something unbelievable. "I'm selfish?"

"Let me say something, haven't you two gotten this backwards?" Lin Xuanqi looked back and forth between the two of them, not without a hint of teasing.

"Actually, I'm the one who's upright and honest, thank you." Cheng Fei nodded without hesitation.

"Shut up, you surnamed Lin. You have no right to speak." Shen Xi glared at him fiercely.

Lin Xuanqi frowned slightly and opened her mouth.

"Um, Lin, no matter what, it's best to just wait on the sidelines when those two are arguing," Nagasaki Asuna casually reminded her.

The haughty girl pursed her lips and simply turned her head to the other side.

"Teacher Shen, in short, I think we should join the battle immediately." Cheng Fei said seriously.

"Reason?" Shen Xi frowned.

"Everyone for me, and I for everyone." The boy raised his chin, his expression solemn.

The aloof girl stared at him in silence for a moment, then suddenly kicked him. "Trash, are you up to something again?"

"Teacher Shen, I was just about to ask you why you said that," the boy said, looking unwilling.

"The reason is that Cheng Feiyu's strange attitude, as if he's taken rat poison, is clearly problematic." Shen Xi continued kicking him.

"Sigh, stereotypes." The boy shook his head and sighed, then glanced at the escalating battlefield.

Despite the gathering of almost all the elite players from the server, the battle was far from easy. The sheer number of out-of-control machines surging from the darkness was terrifying, as if the entire underground world's out-of-control machines had been enraged and were endlessly gathering towards them.

"Teacher Shen, we really have to make a move. If we keep going like this, we won't be able to win." The boy's tone became more urgent.

"I understand. So what are you planning to do? What can we change now?" Shen Xi's face was displeased, but she still chose to believe him for the time being.

“It’s simple, just send out our invincible nanny, Nana.” Cheng Fei pulled Nagasaki Asuna in front of him.

"Eh, me?" The sweet girl let the boy do as he pleased, tilting her head slightly with her fingers, looking completely harmless.

977. The Corridor Research Department Becomes a Flagship

After some time, the battle beneath the Authority Tower intensified.

Du Xinhua peeked out from behind the bunker and calmly opened fire on a nearby target. The energy weapon projected a scorching beam of light, melting through the small, out-of-control machine that was charging like a porcupine.

He turned his gun around and fired at another out-of-control machine that was roaring toward him. He pulled the trigger and heard a faint buzzing sound before noticing that the weapon's small screen had already indicated that the battery was dead. He froze.

The deafening sound of large-caliber live ammunition came from behind him, blowing up the out-of-control machine on its way. He turned around and saw a complete stranger gesturing to him, and he quickly nodded in acknowledgment.

This situation is happening everywhere under the Authority Tower. A large number of out-of-control machines are surging out of the darkness of the underground world, and the players who were trying to attack the Authority Tower have somehow turned into fighting side by side back to back.

"We agreed to just watch, so why did we suddenly join in?" Du Xinhua muttered as he changed the battery.