The First Order

In reality, Ren Xiaosu was someone who knew how to be content. Having a superpower was better than having nothing at all. It was quite fortunate he did not randomly copy the master-level jumping rope skill.

Ren Xiaosu felt that Luo Xinyu must have also possessed a very high level of proficiency at jump roping. After all, he thought it would be pointless for Yang Xiaojin to jump rope by herself…

Although he was content, he still felt a little peeved when he thought about how he had the chance to copy Shadow Door in its entirety the previous time.

The palace should have said so earlier if it couldn’t fully copy the skill during the duplication process. What was the point of finding out it was flawed only after the skill was copied over to him?

Ren Xiaosu really wanted a power like Shadow Door when he thought of how Luo Xinyu had used it repeatedly to escape with Yang Xiaojin. If he could utilize Shadow Door fully, he would no longer have to worry even if he encountered the wolf pack again.

In the end, he could only get one of his arms through it! What could he do with that? Steal?

Moreover, he still couldn’t open the Shadow Door wherever he wanted to. Just based on the earlier deviation, it seemed impossible for him to accurately control the location of the door.

However, Ren Xiaosu felt he could improve on accuracy through additional practice. There would definitely come a day when he could open the Shadow Door precisely where he wanted it.

In reality, what Ren Xiaosu did not know was that Luo Xinyu had spent nearly a year just to practice opening the door. Only then was she able to manipulate the Shadow Door at will.

When Ren Xiaosu returned to the shop, he locked himself in his bedroom to practice. He tried to find out if there was a pattern to controlling the Shadow Door by opening it over and over again.

Luo Xinyu would probably be shocked if she saw this, because when she started practicing at the beginning, she would get exhausted and dizzy after just one or two tries a day. Even now, she could only use the door within a one-kilometer range. Even if she did not expend all her mental strength, she still could open the door only three or four times a day.

Meanwhile, Ren Xiaosu had opened it more than a dozen times in just a short period.

At this moment, Xiaoyu knocked on his door. Ren Xiaosu opened the door and asked, “What’s the matter, Big Sister Xiaoyu? Is it time for dinner?”

“No, not yet.” Big Sister Xiaoyu asked with a dark expression, “I just wanted to ask you where Yan Liuyuan is. Did you forget to bring them back from school?”

“Huh?!” Ren Xiaosu finally came around. He should have gone to pick Yan Liuyuan and Wang Dalong up from the junior high section before heading home together in the first place. However, he had forgotten all about them and left them behind at school just so he could find out where Yang Xiaojin lived. “I’ll go and fetch them immediately!”

“What kind of an older brother are you?” Xiaoyu grumbled. “Pick them up and come home for dinner. I’m almost done making it.”

But a moment later, Jiang Wu walked in with Wang Dalong and Yan Liuyuan. She smiled and said, “Didn’t you say we were going to continue learning how to ride a bike today? Why did you leave by yourself after school?”

Xiaoyu smiled and said, “Ms. Jiang Wu, you’re here? Quick, wash your hands and join us for dinner.”

Yan Liuyuan gave Ren Xiaosu a cold stare. “I stood in the school building and saw you and Yang Xiaojin leaving together with my own eyes.”

Ren Xiaosu was a little embarrassed. “Hahaha, I had something urgent to attend to!”

Then they heard the rumbling of a car engine coming from the outside. It sounded like it had stopped outside their doorstep.

Eh? Ren Xiaosu wondered what was with today as people kept coming to the grocery store in wave after wave.

He heard Luo Lan’s voice come from outside. “Ren Xiaosu? Come and have a look at my new car. What do you think?”

Ren Xiaosu couldn’t help but roll his eyes. ‘Look at how cocky you’ve become after buying a new car. So what if you are rich?!’

But why did Fatty Luo suddenly like coming here so much? Wang Fugui had mentioned Luo Lan had already been here to deliver the money at noon.

While he was thinking about that, Luo Lan and Tang Zhou walked in from outside. Tang Zhou was even carrying a lot of items in his arms. Luo Lan told Tang Zhou, “Take these over to Miss Dong Funan. These tonics are all beneficial to her recovery.”

Ren Xiaosu sensed Luo Lan was in love.

Curious, Ren Xiaosu asked, “Do you have to resort to all this? As a big shot of the Qing Consortium, why do you still keep coming back here even after you’ve been snubbed?

Luo Lan said unhappily, “What do you know? There used to be so many girls coming in and out of my life, yet I never once took a fancy to any of them. Now that I’ve changed, I realize that only Miss Dong Funan is worthy of me!”

“You’ve never taken a fancy to any of them?” Ren Xiaosu laughed. “So you mean you gave the medicine that you bought from me to Tang Zhou?”

“Don’t you slander me. When have I ever bought any medicine from you!” Luo Lan looked downright indignant.

Dong Funan had been recuperating in Xiaoyu’s room. But when she heard Luo Lan’s voice, she locked the door from the inside. With a click, Luo Lan could not look any more embarrassed.

However, Luo Lan was not a normal person either. He pulled Ren Xiaosu aside and changed the subject. “Can you lend Chen Wudi to me for some time?”

“What do you want Chen Wudi for? How can I lend a living, breathing human being to you? You can ask him yourself.” Ren Xiaosu washed his hands of the matter.

“These past two days, I found out that other powers are coming into this stronghold as well.” Luo Lan whispered, “It’s said that there’s research that’s about to be completed in the university of Stronghold 109, and many people are interested in getting ahold of the research results for themselves.”

“What kind of research is it?” Ren Xiaosu was starting to get interested but did not show it on his face.

“I’m not sure…” Luo Lan said.

“You’re having ideas about something you don’t even know?” Ren Xiaosu wondered. But considering the circumstances, the Qing Consortium’s people had probably not infiltrated into that university yet. He wondered how Luo Lan had found out about it. Yang Xiaojin had also mentioned the Li Consortium was trying their best to protect this thing.

This thing… was probably so important it would change the entire structure between the organizations. That was why all the different powers were placing a lot of emphasis on it.

And on the night some supernatural beings fled from the site of the explosion, the Li Consortium only expelled the known members of the Pyro Company who were present in the stronghold, but did not conduct a thorough search to make any further arrests. It seemed like they did not want to complicate things further since most of their manpower was probably used to guard and protect the research results.

However, Ren Xiaosu was curious about something. How could the Qing Consortium possibly not know what the research results were about? Others already knew, but only you were still in the dark?

“We never paid any attention to this university before.” Luo Lan said, “But it must have a very special value for so many powerful forces to be targeting it! How about this? Why don’t you order Chen Wudi to protect me and I’ll pay you for it!”

Ren Xiaosu felt that Luo Lan was lying through his teeth. He definitely knew what the research results were. He just didn’t want to tell Ren Xiaosu!

He shook his head and rejected Luo Lan. “If you want Chen Wudi to protect you, you can talk to him yourself. I will not order him about.”

Right at this moment, someone from the Qing Consortium walked in. He whispered a few words to Luo Lan before leaving in a hurry. As Ren Xiaosu watched the man from behind, sensing the Qing Consortium might be plotting something.

Ren Xiaosu wondered what made the research results so important. Could he steal them using the Shadow Door if he could ascertain its location?

Seeing that Ren Xiaosu was not planning to lend Chen Wudi to him, Luo Lan did not waste any more time on it. He just simply went over to talk to Dong Funan from the other side of the door. Before he could say much, Dong Funan said coldly from the bedroom, “I’ll come out to see you after you’ve slimmed down.”

Ren Xiaosu chuckled and said, “Then you’ll probably never get to see him.”

Luo Lan said angrily, “Don’t say such discouraging words. Isn’t it just losing some weight? I’ll slim down very soon!” Then Luo Lan whispered to Tang Zhou next to him, “How can I slim down quickly?”

Ren Xiaosu smiled and said, “You’ll definitely slim down if you only eat one steamed bun each in the morning, at noon, and during the evening.”

Luo Lan got lost in thought. “…Do I eat them before or after my meals?”

Ren Xiaosu was speechless.