Chapter 86: Interlude of the Night

Chapter 86: Interlude of the Night

“Business has been a bit slow lately.”

Sunday night, South District, Tong Yao Tavern.

As closing time approached, Yan Huan, dressed in a bartender outfit, was wiping down the tables and chairs when he caught Tian Li’s words from behind the bar, wearing a thoughtful expression.

Yesterday morning, the evil hypnosis overlord Ye Shiyu was wrecked by the iron-fisted Aunt Ye, and now she was probably still locked up in the villa for some serious reflection.

Yan Huan did indeed have plans for the future, but they weren’t something that could be executed on the weekend.

So, without the terrifying pressure from Ye Shiyu, he had rare moments of peace for two days, enjoying the weekend.

Of course, he didn’t skip his training.

With the effect of bare training wear, his recovery rate was astonishing, to the point that even a strict coach like Tong Yingying couldn’t help but call for a break.

Thus, on Sunday, he was working at Tong Yao Tavern all day.

Hearing Tian Li speak up like that, he wrung out his cloth and walked over to the bar, asking, “Li-ge, was business really bad this week while I was away?”

“Ah.”

Tian Li crossed his arms, nodding, and replied, “Didn’t Tong Jie say we needed to hire another person? But with the current customer flow, we can manage just fine with the two of us.”

Hearing Tian Li say this, Yan Huan finally remembered that today was the weekend.

During normal weekends, the customer flow would usually surge significantly, which was why Tong Yingying said she would deduct his pay when he took leave on the weekends.

But today, the customer flow was surprisingly similar to that of a weekday.

By that logic, the usual weekday numbers must be even less.

“The tables outside are set up! What are you two chatting about?”

Outside, Guan Rong clapped her hands as she returned, looking at the two guys at the bar and asking.

“We’re discussing why the customers are fewer lately.”

“Yeah, Rong Jie, do you know why?”

Guan Rong bore a puzzled expression, shaking her head as she said, “I have no idea. We all live nearby, and there aren’t any new shops opening up to compete with us, right? The prices haven’t changed, and Ali’s cocktail level is still mediocre—what’s going on?”

“Hey, I’m still here!”

Yan Huan pondered for a moment, pulling out his phone while also asking, “Tong Jie must know about this.”

“Of course, she’s over there checking the accounts!”

“I’ve already talked to her about it.”

Yan Huan nodded, waving to the couple and walking toward her, “Okay, I’ll look for the reason later. For now, that’s it. Bye, Li-ge, Rong Jie.”

“Bye, Little Huan.”

With his phone in hand, Yan Huan headed toward the back door.

In a familiar lounging position, Tong Yingying was dressed in a loose black T-shirt and slightly faded jeans.

With her long legs propped up under the warm tavern lights, she looked at the accounts in her hands with a deadpan expression.

“Tong Jie.”

Hearing Yan Huan approach, she put down the accounts, glanced at him, and asked, “Finished tidying up?”

“Uh-huh, Li-ge said the customers are fewer this week?”

“Ah, indeed.”

At her words, Tong Yingying didn’t seem very concerned but looked over at Yan Huan, who was wearing the bartender outfit.

After appraising him, she nodded and remarked, “It seems pretty effective; you can barely fill this outfit now.”

Yan Huan took a glance at his body and excitedly told Tong Yingying, “That’s true, but it feels a bit flashy. Tong Jie, do you think I should add some other training?”

Tong Yingying chuckled, seemingly recalling something, “I don’t have any objections; I happen to have corresponding methods for that. But it’ll definitely be tougher than now. Well, given your relentless training over this week, your progress should be pretty quick, right?”

Yan Huan looked at his phone, smiled slightly at Tong Yingying, and said, “Thanks to you, Tong Jie! I really appreciate it!”

“Less formalities; if you really want to thank me, just bring out something practical. Like…”

In a spot where Yan Huan couldn’t see, Tong Yingying’s expression turned deadpan as she slightly licked her lips.

Slap! Slap!

A distant crack of a whip echoed in his mind.

But Yan Huan nodded at Tong Yingying and said, “Yes, isn’t this me presenting something practical as thanks to you?”

“Huh? What?”

Without responding, Yan Huan simply handed her his phone.

Upon receiving it, Tong Yingying looked at the search term on a certain social media APP, the keyword was “Tong Yao.”

Glancing a few times, the first user post that popped up read:

“Avoid this place! Ladies, make sure to dodge this tavern called ‘Tong Yao’ in South District!!”

Tong Yingying opened her mouth, looking at the user’s complaint below, stating,

“I came here for a drink after work, but as soon as I saw the prices, I felt dizzy. Plus, the selection is lacking, the taste is mediocre, the environment is bad, and the service is downright terrible!

“Specifically calling out the owner; I wanted her to pay the bill, but she looked back with a super impatient expression.

“It felt like we were begging her to let us spend money here! Avoid, avoid, avoid!”

Tong Yingying lifted an eyebrow and continued scrolling through the comments,

“LOL, is this your first time here, lady? We only come here to look at the handsome guy. If you really want to drink, who would go to Tong Yao?”

“Right? That waiter, oh my, total eye candy! Just watching him makes my mouth water~”

“I order three caramel puddings every time I go. It’s not because I love sweets; I mainly want to see the hot guy sweat as he makes them for me.”

“But I heard that hot guy has quit recently? I was planning on going to see him this weekend because I saw pics my friend posted from before, and now I’m craving~”

“I’ll find out more since I live nearby. Stay tuned; I’ll reply to everyone once I have news.”

“CY”

“CY”

“Wishing good fortune for a lifetime~”

“…”

Tong Yingying’s fingers swiped the screen a bit harder, the veins on her forehead gradually bulging.

“Tong Jie, why don’t you take a look at the other posts too? There’s also…”

Thankfully, Yan Huan didn’t see the comments beneath the ones he had handed her.

Tong Yingying closed the APP, handed the phone back while scoffing, “So what?”

Seeing her impatient expression, Yan Huan advised, “Tong Jie, listen to advice and eat your fill. Li-ge knows his cocktail skills are average; he wants you to teach him, but you find it bothersome. He’s always self-learning online.

“It’s ended up like this; the variety of drinks is so limited. Maybe it wasn’t an issue before, but we’ve hit a bottleneck now.”

He took the accounts Tong Yingying had just read and pointed at the red numbers, saying, “You bought this tavern, and without rent pressure, it’s still losing this much; that really is quite something.

“I’ll think of ways to help you turn things around, consider it a repayment for the training you’ve given me during this time.”

Tong Yingying looked like she was about to refuse as she opened her mouth.

She had her own plans for repayment, even had the whip ready to urge him to train.

Now you’re saying this to me?

But Yan Huan smiled, stood up, and told Tong Yingying, “Before I find a solution, I’ll come by the tavern to brainstorm; maybe some inspiration will hit.”

Hearing Yan Huan say he would come by more often, Tong Yingying leaned her chin on her hand, contemplating.

After a moment of silence, she finally impatiently rested her chin on her palm and asked Yan Huan, “Fine, fine, fine. I’ll follow your lead. Are you full of energy all day long? Don’t you ever self-pleasure at night? You train so much, how do you sleep at night?”

Meow-chan tilted her head as she appeared on Yan Huan’s shoulder, her smile instantly stiffening.

“… Tong Jie, it’s fine to be coarse, but aren’t you being a bit too rough? If you had even a shred of femininity, you wouldn’t be in this position now.”

Tong Yingying snorted derisively, pulling out a lighter to light a cigarette, “Femininity? What’s it worth? Or do you prefer that type of lady?”

Yan Huan thought for a moment and, for some unknown reason, the graceful and dignified smile of Vice President Sakuraguchi appeared in his mind.

“President~”

Thus, he nodded earnestly, “I guess… maybe.”

Tong Yingying scoffed, exhaling smoke, “Then it’s best you stop liking those kinds of ladies starting now.”

“Tong Jie, we need to separate work from personal life. A boss can’t meddle in their employee’s private affairs. Why? Because you aren’t that kind of lady?”

“Am I stingy? Kid, it’s because ladies are the best at deceiving and stabbing you in the back, you got that?”

Tong Yingying waved her hand, wearing an expression that seemed to say, “What do you know, you little brat?”

“Alright, alright, hurry back to rest. You have school tomorrow, right?”

Thinking Tong Jie was just “sour grapes” for not getting any, he felt that her slandering the more refined ladies’ character was ridiculous.

But as he changed clothes, Yan Huan thought it over carefully and felt she had a slight point.

For example, Ye Shiyu, if you throw aside her excessive possessiveness, she visually fits the mold of a refined young lady.

Yet, it seemed impossible to separate.

It all felt like a “disregarding reality” kind of beauty.

After changing, Yan Huan shook his head and kept the thought of “helping the tavern recover its business” close to his heart for later.

Because today was Sunday night, he still had something quite important to do.

Tonight at midnight was when the Modifier reward would refresh!

“Yan Huan, did you forget? As the level of the Modifier increases, it requires more and more fragments to upgrade.”

As midnight approached, Meow-chan sat primly in front of Yan Huan on the bed, its tail wrapping around its little feet, creating a cute cocoon.

“So that means, the fragments that dropped from Ye Shiyu aren’t enough for an upgrade now?”

“That’s right. Hmm, we need at least one more fragment to upgrade.”

Yan Huan couldn’t hold it in, but after thinking carefully, it was supposed to drop fragments only at step three.

He just hadn’t expected Aunt Ye to be quite so terrifying, swiftly dispelling the hypnosis overlord in just a few moves, dropping the fragments.

There would be more chances ahead.

Besides, he couldn’t keep relying on Ye Shiyu to farm the fragments, right?

In total, he obtained three fragments—two from Ye Shiyu, and one he didn’t even know belonged to whom.

It could only be said that as a punishment for her nocturnal mischief, Ye Shiyu bore the brunt of it all.

“Fine, if it doesn’t upgrade, then show me this week’s rewards.”

“Meow~”

Meow-chan cutely meowed, and as time marched into Monday, ethereal golden mist wafted from its mouth.

【Modifier Level: 3】

【Reward Pool Level: 1】

【Evolution Route: Light and Dark Pact】

Yan Huan watched nervously as Meow-chan unleashed three golden orbs of various sizes from its body.

From left to right, they increased in size, and notably, the smallest orb was surrounded by a white halo, while the largest was ensnared in ominous darkness, symbolizing eternal blessings and curses.

【Blessing: Muscle Building Shower Gel. Once a day, the shower gel you use will slightly amplify your training results.】

【Reward Level: 1】

【Description: What did you say? Did you apply this to your trapezius?!】

【Benefit: Instantly gain three random attribute fragments and two attribute points.】

Yan Huan blinked, then asked the cute Meow-chan in front of him,

“Meow-chan, what’s the difference between attribute points and attribute fragments?”

Meow-chan nodded, stating, “Attribute points are basically the bigger version of attribute fragments. Attribute fragments will only give you a slight increase, and if you’re not mindful, you probably won’t even notice it. But attribute points will immediately and significantly boost a particular attribute.”

Yan Huan sat on the bed, stroking his chin, “So, what attributes are there? I know of stamina, strength, intelligence, charm, and… reproduction?”

“There are actually many types of attributes, but broadly, they are divided into ‘internal’ and ‘external’ ones; the specifics depend on their literal meaning, I’m not sure how many kinds there are, meow~”

Yan Huan looked at the sincerely earnest Meow-chan, slightly skeptical. He momentarily set that aside and chose to look at the remaining rewards.

【Ability: Bloodthirsty Berserker. By drinking the blood of any living being, you will lose all rationality, resulting in a 300% boost to your physical stats, lasting one hour. While in this state, you can extend the duration by drinking more blood, up to a maximum of one and a half hours.】

【Reward Level: 3】

【Description: For!! The great Blood Dynasty!!】

This second reward made it hard for Yan Huan to keep a straight face.

But that wasn’t the most ludicrous one; the next one was even heavier.

【Form: Ascetic.】

【Reward Level: 5】

【In exchange for decreasing your enthusiasm for all things by 75%, gain the following two effects.】

【Effect 1: No Traces of Six. Your intelligence, endurance, and other brain-related attributes will receive a 150% boost.】

【Effect 2: Copper Head, Iron Arm. Your stamina, strength, and other body-related attributes will receive a 150% boost.】

【Description: You’ll have none of those worldly desires. .jpg】

Seeing the last line sent Yan Huan’s expression dark.

Especially notable was a line of glimmering ethereal text below,

【Warning: You have only one form. When you choose a new form, you will lose all effects of your previously chosen form.】

【If you choose to do so, its accompanying curse will also disappear.】

【Your current form is: Naturalist.】

After reading every word of the last light orb’s text, both Yan Huan and Meow-chan, who was beside him, raised their heads simultaneously.

After a second of silence, Meow-chan seemed to already anticipate what Yan Huan was about to do.

“Meow!”

It turned tail and tried to flee, but was just a moment too slow, caught by the dark-faced evil human behind it, ready to be promptly refined.

“Meow-chan! What kind of nonsense are you giving me?! Just garbage bonuses; how am I supposed to deal with anything like this?!”

“I’ve told you multiple times! It’s random! Random! RANDOM!!!”

Yan Huan coldly rubbed Meow-chan’s plump face into various shapes, then suddenly recalled that it had played an outstanding part in saving him from peril multiple times this week.

Fine, I’ll let you off this time.

Yan Huan released the poor Meow-chan, turning to confront the painful reality.

The second reward, “Bloodthirsty Berserker.”

He felt that if he were to traverse to a dangerous Western fantasy or exotic world, this might come in handy.

But in Linyi, he had never even tasted blood hotpot more than a few times, let alone actually drink blood.

Eliminated.

The third reward, “Ascetic.”

Just the description made Yan Huan feel tense.

In the brain command center, small-headed Yan Huan was nervously observed by the many little versions of himself in the “court” ahead, cold sweat dripping from his cheeks,

“You guys aren’t really thinking of making me a eunuch, are you?! Supplements… at least I’d like to escape from Chu Nan first…”

Under the spotlight, small-headed Yan Huan couldn’t see the small versions of himself clearly but noticed that the one representing “Wisdom” adjusted their glasses and spoke seriously,

“What are you thinking? Though we sometimes think you’re a bit of a nuisance, especially in the mornings, we’re not without affection.”

The little version representing “Emotion” gave a slight smile, adding, “But you will always be part of us.”

The “Memory” version yawned heavily, heavy dark circles appearing under its eyes,

“Right, right.”

Small-headed Yan Huan opened his mouth, gazing at the smaller versions of himself, emotions stirred,

“Guys…”

“Wisdom” Yan Huan frowned, looking at the options before him, finally deciding,

“No choice, I’ll have to go with the first option! At least there’s a boost to gain some attribute fragments.”

There wasn’t much choice left; let’s go!

【Buzz~】

【Congratulations! You have received the following rewards.】

【Attribute Fragments: Stamina Fragment ×1, Strength Fragment ×2】

【Attribute Points: Reproduction Attribute Points ×2】

【Your reproduction attribute has been significantly enhanced!】

Yan Huan gaped, staring blankly at the lines of golden text that appeared before him.

In the brain command center, all the little versions of Yan Huan were equally stunned watching the rewards materialize, panic spreading across their faces,

“This is bad! Why are this week’s rewards so trash?!”

“Yeah! Without powerful rewards, how are we going to contend against those Modifier hosts?!”

While Yan Huan’s brain command center spiraled into chaos, a growing shadow steadily loomed over their small forms.

Everyone shockedly looked up, seeing the giant small-headed Yan Huan grinning menacingly down at them.

“It’s simple! I’ll just C!”

“Squee!”

“It’s little head getting stronger!!”

“Supplements!!!”

In reality, Yan Huan glared darkly at his own body, then turned back to look at the guilty-looking Meow-chan seated behind him.

Not opening his mouth yet, Meow-chan hurriedly meowed and explained,

“That, how should I put it… all these attributes are really useful! They will definitely come in handy in the future, or maybe even sooner than you think…”

“Meow-chan, come here.”

“Meow! This isn’t my fault!!”

In the rental room, the human and the cat began a chase.

And so, another tumultuous week came to a close.