Working Records in a Weird World - 73

 

| WRIAWW | What's Your Type? | 73

Zong Le simply couldn't figure it out.

With so many missions and so many survivors in the Infinite Space, how could Joshua just happen to run into him again?

If the last time was a coincidence, then what about this time? Another coincidence?

Could there really be this many coincidences in the world?!

Not wanting to interact too much with the other man, Zong Le quietly shifted to the side, trying to blend in among the other survivors. This time, luck was on his side.

Taile Cinema had invited quite a few professional movie critics, or rather, survivors, to promote their new movie. Judging by the numbers, this wasn’t one of those small-scale missions with just three or five people that Zong Le had done before.

Instead, it was a large-scale one, with at least forty or fifty beams of light descending from the sky.

With so many people around, maybe he could avoid being noticed if he kept his distance?

Watching Joshua being swarmed by enthusiastic survivors in the center of the crowd, Zong Le couldn’t help but think.

But in reality, he was being too naive.

Sure, Joshua was famous in the Infinite Space, but Zong Le himself wasn’t exactly a nobody now.

Before he could take more than a few steps away, a survivor called out to him.

“Zong Le?”

Being addressed by his full name was quite rare for him. After getting used to titles like “Boss,” “Sir,” and “Dean,” it had been a long time since anyone had directly called him by his name. Puzzled, he turned around and met a pair of sharp, dark eyes.

“It really is you! I didn’t expect to actually run into the talented newcomer in this mission. Heh, that’s something.”

Once the survivor confirmed it was indeed Zong Le, he excitedly waved over his companions. “There are quite a few familiar faces this time and there's even two S-levels! And this is just an A-level mission. We’re really lucky, we might even get carried through.”

“Well, it’s a large-scale A-level mission with nearly a hundred people. The difficulty’s probably not much different from a small-scale S-level mission.”

“True, having one S-level isn’t that unusual, but two of them? I didn’t see that coming.”

Though he didn’t attract as much attention as Joshua, Zong Le still managed to stir up quite a commotion.

Some malicious survivors, didn't hold back to stir the pot, immediately went to ask: “Zong Le, I heard you messed up your stats?”

Zong Le was confused. “Messed up my stats? What do you mean?”

“You know, putting your points into mental when you were supposed to focus on strength, is it true?”

“What’re your strength and mental stats at now? If you really messed them up, maybe we can help you figure something out.”

Most of the onlookers were A-level or B-level survivors. In this mission, only Zong Le and another unlucky C-level, who had no choice but to take an A-level mission, were the exceptions.

The higher-ranked survivors gathered around, laughing and offering advice that seemed friendly on the surface, but the gloating in their eyes could not be hidden at all.

They had clawed their way up through blood, sweat, and tears, while Zong Le had skyrocketed to fame overnight, hogging resources that should’ve been theirs.

Anyone would be bitter about that.

As for Zong Le, these questions left him in a bit of a dilemma.

If he could actually improve his stats, he would’ve answered truthfully. But the problem was, he hadn’t. His one and only attempt had been rejected by the Main System.

“Well... I’m not really sure what my stats are right now? But I’m definitely no match for you seniors.”

The humble praise didn't bring understanding, but instead stirred more discontent.

"Just tell us your strength level honestly instead of beating around the bush."

"Exactly. I bet you actually made a mistake and now your scared to admit it now that people are looking, right?"

Just as the crowd was ganging up, a soft, effeminate voice suddenly spoke up: "What an eye-opener. So many high-level survivors ganging up on a C-level, aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"

The onlookers were about to retort, but their expressions changed when they saw who was approaching.

"Bluebeard."

"Hello, Boss."

Undoubtedly, this was S-level Bluebeard, ranked 82nd. Although his reputation among S-levels was nearly at the bottom, as a veteran S-level who had long dominated the leaderboards, his strength was undeniable, and no one wanted to cross him.

The A-level who had initially set a trap for Zong Le quickly put on an apologetic smile: "Boss Bluebeard, you've misunderstood. We were just joking around and having some fun. Everyone was just trying to help out the newcomer, it's not as serious as you're making it out to be."

"You know what you were doing."

Bluebeard sneered, then turned to Zong Le, his expression instantly shifting to one of warmth: "You must be the newcomer who has been making a lot of noise recently, right? Not bad, really not bad."

Zong Le felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

Bluebeard looked like a typical middle-aged intellectual. with gold-rimmed glasses, neatly trimmed beard, even a fountain pen in his suit pocket. 

It made him look odd as he had a burly, bear-like frame and the powerful muscles that even his clothes couldn't conceal. It made him somewhat resemble the Beast from "Beauty and the Beast" in human form.

The moment he spoke, the forced refinement became apparent, beneath that gentle exterior lurked something else entirely. His pronounced dark circles were particularly striking.

This S-level seemed... genuinely strange.

Yet Zong Le couldn't sense any malice from Bluebeard.

As he pondered this, Bluebeard continued: "I admire you. This is a large-scale A-level mission, it's quite challenging for a C-level, and somewhat dangerous. How about this, you come with me. As your senior, I'll naturally take care of you without asking for anything in return."

Though Zong Le still found it odd, this was the first time anyone had offered him protection. For someone from Guiyi City, such kindness was rare and precious, so he agreed.

"Really? Okay, thank you."

Then Zong Le noticed the expressions of the surrounding survivors shift dramatically.

'What the hell? So he's just a gigolo.'

'Unbelievable. I thought this newcomer was the self-reliant type, but turns out he's selling himself too.'

'If he's already a newcomer, he'll probably reach S-level eventually. Why stoop to this?'

'You don't get it, who wouldn't take shortcuts if they could? It's like getting a free S-level bodyguard for a high-difficulty mission. Though I've heard Bluebeard is pretty stingy, he'll sweet-talk his way into bed, then find excuses to take their survival points afterward.'

'Well, this should be entertaining. But this newcomer is something else, I remember someone posting that 1st seemed to favor him during a mission and mentoring him. Who'd have thought he'd throw that away to degrade himself like this?'

Though everyone had dirty thoughts and understood the implications, with an S-level present, no one dared speak up, they could only exchange knowing glances that said "you know what I mean."

Only Zong Le remained clueless, still grinning foolishly, thinking the survivors were all kind-hearted souls.

Seeing the newcomer agree, Bluebeard was overjoyed.

He'd always been fascinated by youthful bodies, let alone one with so many outstanding qualities. These traits would have inspired envy in other survivors, but for high-ranking S-levels like him, they merely added spice.

When he first saw Zong Le's photos on the forum, he was drawn to the man's tall frame and delicate features. Meeting him in person exceeded expectations, Zong Le was far more attractive, radiating an innocent, naive purity that was both rare and thrilling. 

Bluebeard's interest was immediately piqued.

"You're the strength type, right? Though you don’t look very muscular."

"I guess... I do have some lean muscle."

Bluebeard kept finding topics to chat up his new prey.

Zong Le didn’t catch on at first, answering honestly until he noticed the questions increasingly skirting inappropriate territory.

Before he could fully process his discomfort, another C-level interrupted their conversation.

"Um, Bluebeard, sir... I’m also C-level. Could you take me under your wing too?"

The C-level, named Su Yuchen, had the misfortune of landing in this A-level mission. He’d entered with despair, knowing that without a Soul Lamp and facing such a high-difficulty task, a C-level like him, who lacked even advanced skills, stood no chance.

But refusal meant system erasure, so he came anyway. Discovering two S-level veterans leading the mission, including the legendary lifesaver 1st, gave him hope, though not enough. With so many participants, even Joshua’s abilities had limits.

Anxious and terrified, Su Yuchen seized the chance when Bluebeard offered Zong Le protection.

He’d seen forums about Bluebeard, a gay man with extreme BDSM preferences who occasionally descended to lower-level missions for random "hunting." Yet fear overrode pride.

It's a pity that he has an average appearance and can only be considered ordinary. Bluebeard, having found his perfect prey, dismissed him with a glance: "No."

"It’s fine, I’ll protect you," Zong Le offered, pitying Su Yuchen’s ashen face.

To his surprise, Su Yuchen ignored him, pleading with Bluebeard instead.

This reaction sparked an idea.

A lavish feast was satisfying, but appetizers could enhance the experience. Two at once might offer... creative possibilities. It had been a while since he’d experimented.

Bluebeard finally relented: "Fine, you can tag along. But let me make this clear, I won't go out of my way to protect you. You're on your own."

"Thank you, boss! Thank you!" Su Yuchen was overjoyed and immediately began expressing his gratitude. Without missing a beat, he rushed to fetch hot water from a nearby attendant, fawning over Bluebeard with excessive flattery.

Zong Le, who had been completely ignored during this entire exchange: ?

Not only that, but he also started receiving hostile glares from Su Yuchen.

Unfortunately, the situation didn't allow for further contemplation.

The negotiations didn't last long. After brief pleasantries, everyone returned to the main topic.

Staff members stood at the entrance collecting invitations as the survivors entered the theater one by one. Just as half had gone in, a stretch limousine slowly pulled into the venue.

The moment the car door opened, dozens of pre-positioned cameras erupted in blinding flashes. The rapid-fire shutter clicks came like a torrential downpour, the dazzling strobe lights forming an almost painful glare that threatened to sear retinas.

Several beautifully dressed figures emerged gracefully from the limousine. Judging from the staff beside them holding their skirts respectfully and the host's suddenly pitched voice, they were probably the leading actors of this movie, the movie stars of Guiyi City.

"If this weren't the ultimate dungeon, they'd look no different from regular celebrities in the real world..." Zong Le overheard a survivor mutter nearby.

"True, and they've got the attitude to match," he agreed.

These stars seemed to be very popular in Guiyi City. As soon as they got off the car, they were blocked by many crazy fans who came spontaneously. However, the fans in Guiyi City were obviously not so well-mannered. 

Many of them touched their hands, hugged their necks, and pulled their hair in the hope of keeping a souvenir. If it weren't for the equally tough bodyguards on the scene who beat them up with rubber sticks, they might have succeeded, turning the scene into utter chaos.

Naturally, the organizers ushered the movie stars inside first before turning their attention to the survivors.

The premiere was held in the cinema's largest theater, featuring a screen rumored to have cost over ten million to create, promising the most immersive viewing experience possible.

Everyone followed instructions and entered in an orderly fashion.

Halfway there, Su Yuchen suddenly claimed he needed the bathroom. After inventing eight hundred excuses, he insisted on dragging Bluebeard along with him.

Somehow, whether through some unspoken signal, he actually got his way.

"I'll take Yuchen to the restroom first. The mission's just begun, so stick with the main group and you'll be safe."

"Okay." Zong Le couldn't care less.

There was one undeniable advantage to having so many survivors, side missions got completed lightning fast.

After sitting down, Zong Le heard that the first survivors to enter the theater had already rushed to get autographs from the seated celebrities. With so many cameras rolling, including live broadcasts, even the most temperamental stars wouldn't be foolish enough to refuse publicly.

Thus, many signatures were collected before the movie even started. Soon, the side mission counter showed only one remaining.

"That was quick, we just need one more star to complete the side mission!"

"Not bad, not bad. Let's aim for a perfect rating."

"By the way, where did that celebrity go at the end? According to the credits, she should be the supporting actress."

At the beginning, one of the survivors had showcased their silver-tongued eloquence, successfully retrieving the cast and crew list of "The Matchmaker" along with the viewing instructions from the display stand.

Strangely enough, the viewing instructions were quite simple, stating only that audience members were not allowed to leave their seats during the screening, even bathroom breaks had to wait until the intermission after the first half.

"I just asked the security guard, the supporting actress went to the restroom. We can get her autograph when she comes back."

"Alright. Speaking of which, it's quite a coincidence that this actress played the female weird in the movie. Do you think there's some hidden meaning there?"

"Don't worry, there definitely is. This is a horror movie screening in the ultimate dungeon, it'd be a shame if nothing unexpected happened. In fact, if nothing goes wrong now, something will soon. Just wait and see."

Amidst the chatter, Zong Le took advantage of the dim, ambient lighting in the theater to glance at the viewing guide in the survivor's hand. The first page was printed with the promotional poster for "The Matchmaker."

The entire image had the classic hues of a horror film, dull and faded. At the top, the promotional text "Qixi Festival: Red Threads Bind Souls" was written in brushstrokes, while the bottom was smeared with gradually fading blood.

The most striking feature at the center was a pair of delicate, corpse-spotted hands, faintly bearing the marks of hanging. Many survivors began discussing the poster, speculating that "The Matchmaker" might be the weird they needed to eliminate in this mission, and that her cause of death was likely hanging.

Zong Le joined in the contemplation. Though he wasn't particularly skilled at this, the collective effort made him feel involved. However, halfway through his thoughts, the rustle of fabric came from the seat beside him as someone nonchalantly walked over and took the spot next to him.

"I never would've guessed your type to be Bluebeard."

Hearing the familiar voice of the silver-haired bad guy, Zong Le had a headache.

He knew he couldn't escape this.

"Why are you in the same mission as me again?"

"Of course it's... fate," Joshua said with a smile.

The dim theater lights cast a soft glow over his silver hair, as if applying some kind of ethereal filter. Even though Zong Le remained wary of him, he had to admit the man's appearance was utterly deceptive. With just a glance at his face, one might easily mistake him for some angelic, holy being. 

Unfortunately, his heart was more akin to a devil's.

Zong Le eyed him suspiciously.

There was no way he'd buy that nonsense about fate, yet here Joshua was, in the same mission with him again.

With no other choice, he changed the subject: "What do you mean by Bluebeard being my type? I think he's a good guy, who takes the initiative to help the weak, and is very kind-hearted. He shows genuine concern for others and is always asking questions."

"I meant literally," Joshua glanced over, confirming the utter confusion written on the dark-haired young man's face before lowering his voice abruptly.

"You didn't know? Bluebeard is notoriously known in the Infinite Space as a gay survivor who's particularly fond of one-night stands with extremely kinky and heavy tastes. There were even forum posts exposing how he nearly played someone to death before, but with his level, no one dared to say anything. On the contrary, some low-level people, take the initiative to stick to him, in order to survive the mission or to curry favor with him."

Zong Le: "???"

He gaped in disbelief, only finding his voice after a long pause: "Huh???"

The content of Joshua's words was simply too explosive for Zong Le, a complete virgin who'd never even been in a relationship. He was utterly dumbfounded, he'd never encountered anything like this before.

Thinking back to the first time he met Bluebeard, and vague sense of disobedience on the other party, Zong Le suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart: "Are you saying that when he approached me and talked about protecting me, it wasn't out of kindness but because he... fancied me???"

"Mhm." Joshua nodded, then watched with amusement as the dark-haired youth's face alternated between red and pale.

Joshua had taken this mission entirely for Zong Le's sake. Even while surrounded by others, he'd kept part of his attention fixed on Zong Le, and naturally witnessing the entire process of Bluebeard's invitation and Zong Le's cheerful acceptance.

Seeing this, Joshua had initially been quite surprised.

Other survivors didn't know Zong Le's true strength capabilities, and they all thought he was just a talented newcomer about to fall from grace. 

Only Joshua understood, Zong Le didn't need any S-level bodyguard, he could protect S-level instead.

Given this, the only possible reason for accepting Bluebeard's invitation was... being into that sort of thing.

Though on second thought, if Zong Le truly was interested... For the sake of controlling such formidable combat power, Joshua wouldn't mind adjusting his approach. 

He was aware of certain peculiar preferences in the gay community, many gay men supposedly favored burly physiques, and privately called this type "bears."

Given his body fat percentage, achieving that look would be quite challenging.

Fortunately, Zong Le wasn't actually into that, nor was he some hypocrite who appeared pure while being wildly promiscuous in private.

Judging by his reaction to Bluebeard's notorious exploits, he was likely a virgin. This balanced Joshua's mood somewhat, as he had been forced to admit his own lack of romantic experience in the prayer room back then.

Powerful, naive, clean private life, no romantic experiences.

Each trait offered the perfect conditions for him to control.

Joshua found himself liking Zong Le more by the minute.

The most direct manifestation of this "likeness" was the number above the dark-haired youth's head. Although Zong Le's favorability toward Joshua remained stubbornly at 0, Joshua's favorability toward Zong Le had quietly climbed to 10 without him noticing.

For Joshua, this was an exceptionally high value. His favorability toward 99% of people was 0. Only those with value, those he could utilize, would merit a 1 or 2, with the exact number determined not by emotion but by their usefulness.

Incidentally, the person he hated the most is Qin Ye, who stood at -5.

Even if Qin Ye had value it wouldn't be a high number, so this just shows just how high the number 10 is.

"Didn't you realize it? Do you really think there's anyone among the survivors who would selflessly and freely carry newcomers through missions?"

"......" Zong Le fell silent.

"If I had known he was gay like you and had the same intentions, I definitely wouldn’t have agreed."

Joshua: ?

Joshua: "Gay like me? What do you mean?"

"In the prayer room, you personally told Madam Xue that you were gay. I remember it clearly."

When the topic came up, Zong Le immediately became wary, giving Joshua a look that said, "Don't even think about making excuses."

"Huh? That was just an excus..." Joshua was about to explain.

Right then, Bluebeard and Su Yuchen hurried back from the restroom just before the movie started. No one knew what the two had been up to, but one was flushed red while the other looked rather pleased.

Seeing them, Joshua suddenly changed his words and smiled, "Ah, yes it's true."

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