"Several of you, frankly, I really didn't want to witness those magnificent two acts just now," Lin Liqiang sighed heavily, as if Qin Fen were his rival and Radam his dearest friend. "Pity, what terrible luck. I saw both of your glorious moments of being instantly defeated..."

"Young Master Lin..." Radam managed a wry smile. "Whatever condition you set for our silence, just name your price."

"Oh?" Lin Liqiang's expression suddenly brightened considerably. He clapped Radam on the shoulder. "Kid, not bad! Seems the rumor about my big mouth and my penchant for embellishing everything has already spread through the circles?"

Radam could only offer a bitter smile in return. Lin Liqiang had the knack for taking an ant-sized blunder and, through his retelling, inflating it to the size of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Today’s two incidents were already mortifying enough; if Lin Liqiang exaggerated them, there was a real chance they could be removed from the list of family inheritors.

"Alright then, I won't beat around the bush," Lin Liqiang suddenly sighed. "You know I only have two hobbies. I love gossip, and I love chasing pretty girls. That second hobby, well, it requires funds. And I dislike using family money—even the cash for attending this concert was earned by Old Yin working odd jobs."

"Understood, Young Master Lin," Radam nodded. "How much do you need?"

"How much," Lin Liqiang grew serious. "I must state clearly beforehand: I am not taking advantage of your predicament. I'm just a bit short on cash, borrowing some money in a time of urgent need, you understand?"

Given the circumstances, Radam could only offer a dry laugh. "Young Master Lin speaks truly, truly. I privately hold great admiration for you, Young Master. It is my honor that you would even consider borrowing from me."

"Since you find it such an honor, then I suppose I can't refuse your request," Lin Liqiang acted as if he were making a huge sacrifice. "Lend me a hundred thousand or eighty thousand..."

"One hundred or eighty thousand?" Radam gave a wry smile. "Per person? Or total?"

The major families wouldn't completely curb the spending of the younger generation, but they also maintained a certain level of control to avoid raising wastrels.

Radam and the others had some money, but it was tied up in stocks or other investments. Few of them could probably access a hundred thousand in truly liquid funds.

"A total of one hundred thousand will suffice," Lin Liqiang was acutely aware of the situation within their circle. "It's just because I'm soft-hearted and don't want your reputations ruined in the community."

Radam could only offer another strained smile, quickly pulling out his phone to execute a bank transfer, sending half of his savings to Lin Liqiang. The others stepped forward one by one to do the same.

Watching Lin Liqiang leave after having thoroughly cleaned them out, Radam could only sigh. Although he suspected something was amiss about Qin Fen using Lin Liqiang’s ID to fight, he couldn't use that knowledge to threaten them, as he didn't know what the other party’s ultimate trump card was.

Because of this uncertainty, they ended up being exploited by Lin Liqiang, yet none of them felt overly resentful. Rumor had it that many people in the circle had been fleeced by Lin Liqiang; being scammed by him was hardly a source of shame.

Having lost two consecutive matches, Radam and the others felt too ashamed to remain with the team. He approached Qin Fen. "We have some matters to attend to today. I wonder if fellow student Qin Fen is available tomorrow? I find that being around you, I can learn a great deal. If possible, I would like to learn something different from you tomorrow."

The others nodded in agreement. Losing today was due to insufficient preparation. If they could prepare for one night and fight again tomorrow, the chance of retrieving their honor would be high, and they wouldn't be under Lin Liqiang's thumb.

Fight again tomorrow? Qin Fen sensed the challenge and his eyes immediately lit up. Fighting again tomorrow meant he could simply avoid any match-ups he wasn't comfortable with. Losing money was absolutely out of the question.

When Radam and the others departed, the atmosphere in the group instantly became much more relaxed.

Song Jia was a smart girl. Knowing that Qin Fen hadn't seen Lin Liqiang in days and must have a lot to catch up on, she didn't insist on staying with the group. Instead, she arranged a dinner time with Qin Fen and left with the other girls.

In the blink of an eye, the group, which had been numerous moments ago, was reduced to just Qin Fen, Lin Liqiang, Inzarota, and the persistent, clinging Xue Tian—the four of them remaining.

"Heh heh..." Lin Liqiang assessed Xue Tian with a very casual smile.

"Ha ha..." Xue Tian equally assessed Lin Liqiang, his smile just as nonchalant.

The two stared at each other, shared a few laughs, and then strangely, sniffed the air around each other’s bodies.

Suddenly! Both simultaneously extended their hands and clasped them tightly.

"The scent of a peer!"

Lin Liqiang and Xue Tian spoke the words in unison, their demeanor one of old friends meeting in a distant land, leaving Qin Fen and Inzarota utterly stunned.

What on earth were these two? Were they wolves? They could confirm they were kin just by smiling and smelling each other?

"Let me reintroduce: Xue Tian, Qin Fen's new friend."

"Lin Liqiang, Qin Fen's old friend."

The two quickly progressed from shaking hands to linking arms, looking like old pals of many years to any unknowing observer.

"Here."

The usually silent Inzarota retrieved a fountain pen from his coat and handed it to Qin Fen. In this age of electronic media, fountain pens were mostly decorative.

Qin Fen was also curious; why the sudden gift of a pen?

The moment the pen was in his hand, Qin Fen's pupils flickered twice. This pen clearly only possessed the exterior form; the interior must be something else entirely.

"Life-or-Death Pill antidote," Inzarota explained. "Potential activation is not a one hundred percent success rate. Take this if you need to counteract the Life-or-Death Pill."

Qin Fen was deeply moved. So much time had passed, yet Inzarota still remembered the defect of the Life-or-Death Pill he had given him.

"The Life-or-Death Pill, don't overexert yourself," Inzarota, violating his usual habit of speaking little, cautioned again. "Some people, even with potential, cannot be activated by the pill, and the result is only death. If it doesn't work, take the antidote and abandon the activation."

Qin Fen nodded. A Life-or-Death Pill that Inzarota reminded him about repeatedly must be far more dangerous and severe than he imagined. It was best not to touch it unless absolutely necessary.

"Great! We make our move tonight! We will fill the empty hearts of the Seoul beauties with our magnificent love!" Lin Liqiang suddenly exclaimed with mock seriousness, drawing the attention of several passersby.

"And bodies too!" Xue Tian added from the side.

"Exactly! Bodies too!"

Lin Liqiang and Xue Tian shared a hug, as if they had jointly conquered a major scientific hurdle for the Federation.

Qin Fen and Inzarota could only smile wryly at the scene. Chasing girls was normally a casual affair, but with these two, it looked like they were engaged in some profoundly serious and great undertaking.

"Air combat, beautiful."

After several days apart, Inzarota's speech was slightly more frequent than before.

"Trained severely, one must show some improvement," Qin Fen replied with a slightly weary smile. Hiding things from friends would only seem hypocritical and distant; admitting it was more genuine.

Lin Liqiang walked over at that moment, casually draping an arm over Qin Fen's shoulder. "Buddy, how is that thing I gave you?"

The bio-beast egg? Qin Fen found it strange just thinking about it. Logically, the egg should at least show some fluctuation by now. He couldn't feel anything at all.

"Still the same."

"Still the same? Not changed at all?"

"Nope."

A look of confusion crossed Lin Liqiang’s face, and his voice dropped to a low tone. "Not even the slightest fluctuation?"

Qin Fen nodded slowly. "None."

"How is that possible?" Lin Liqiang looked utterly perplexed. "According to the calculations, it should be on the verge of hatching by now."

Qin Fen unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, pulling the fabric down to reveal the bio-beast egg Lin Liqiang had gifted him. The crystal-clear, perfectly round egg shimmered under the sunlight, radiating the glow of a top-grade pearl.

"This...?" Lin Liqiang took the bio-beast egg from Qin Fen’s chest, examining it closely, a faint gloom beginning to cloud his brow. "There seems to be something wrong. Let's find a place to sit down so I can examine it."

Having witnessed the terrifying power of terrorists combined with bio-beasts, Qin Fen was eager to truly possess his own bio-beast and readily agreed.

Xue Tian remained indifferent. "If Old Qin has doubts, whatever works is fine with him."

Inzarota had no objection either. The group found a corner booth in a Starbucks. In a place where friends gathered for leisure, no one paid any attention to the four of them.

Lin Liqiang pulled out a small, diamond-like loupe from his pocket, placed it over his eye, and meticulously observed the egg. Deep inside the crystalline white, a faint trace of micro-red was subtly visible. This tiny bit of red was extremely concealed; it wasn't something Qin Fen could see just because his eyesight was good.

To see that trace of red, one needed deep knowledge of the field of bio-beasts.

Xue Tian propped his chin on one hand, listlessly gazing out the window, continuously murmuring, "That one's an eighty, that one's a seventy-five, that one’s a ninety. Hanju is truly a feast for the eyes. Even if some of it is surgically enhanced, it still contributes to urban aesthetics."

Qin Fen sat opposite Inzarota, leaving him the primary responsibility of conversation. Only at this moment did Qin Fen truly grasp the previous function of Lin Liqiang.

"Brought by Strong Guy?"

"Yes." Inzarota nodded, his face tinged with a measure of helplessness and bitterness. Since Qin Fen joined the military, Lin Liqiang’s visits had increased dramatically. That shamelessly persistent attitude was something Inzarota couldn't fend off.

This trip to Hanju for the concert—what was that band, Feixin Yue? Inzarota had zero interest. But Lin Liqiang had shown an extremely strong enthusiasm, single-handedly arranging the flights and hotel without even a word of consultation, then rushing to his school to drag him to the airport.

"Oh, right. I met a chef who specializes in nutritional meals in the army," Qin Fen said, looking at the steel pen in his hand. "He taught me cooking recently, always talking about nutrition and similar things. I initially thought he was a nutrition master, but later, based on the tone of a few instructors, he seems to hold high authority in pharmaceutical manufacturing."