"What is wrong with you?"
Ming Po whipped his head around, his brow furrowing. "How could you possibly lose all your chips?"
Even though Ai Shiping was naturally flighty and lacked any sense of financial managent, in Ming Po's mind, the man's personal capabilities were absolutely extraordinary.
Or rather, if his abilities were rely average, he could never have beco friends with soone as arrogant as Ming Po in the first place.
Ming Po might help the weak, or perhaps pity them, much like how he donated a tenth of his inco every year. When he first started working six years ago, he had even sponsored a student from an impoverished mountain village. The kid had only been in middle school back then, but now they were already in college.
However, Ming Po would absolutely never walk alongside the weak, let alone befriend them.
He thoroughly despised people who dragged him down, although he had long since forgotten the exact reason why.
Despite being an online ga writer, Ming Po didn't actually like playing online gas. The main reason for this was that he had no desire to deal with strangers.
It wasn't social anxiety; he just found it aningless. Thus, he couldn't be bothered to talk to them.
But Ai Shiping was entirely different. He could quickly beco friends with almost anyone and possessed a highly reliable sense of leadership.
Whenever he joined a static raid group, it would take less than a week for him to beco the social core of the team. He could even ga all day with a random person he had just t, beco their best friend, infiltrate their social circle, and gain a whole new batch of friends, spreading and multiplying like a virus.
On the rare occasions Ai Shiping actually left his house, it was usually because his motley crew of friends had traveled from out of town just to hang out with him.
Ming Po actually recognized and highly valued this unique talent of his.
If he didn't, he wouldn't have recomnded Ai Shiping to his boss. His eccentric boss loved collecting all sorts of bizarre talents and compensating them exceptionally well.
Moreover, this "talent" wasn't strictly limited to "making the company profitable."
As long as soone had a unique skill, the company wanted them.
That was probably one of the reasons why Faceless God Studio had managed to succeed in the first place.
Though for so unknown reason, Faceless God Studio had suddenly vanished from this worldline.
But regardless, with Ai Shiping's personal abilities, there was no way he should have lost all his chips just playing an Hour's Red Copper level ga.
"I definitely didn't."
Ai Shiping chuckled awkwardly. "Actually, I already earned a Day's False Gold."
"Then where are your chips?"
Ming Po glared at him, his voice rising in disbelief. "Don't tell you gave them away!"
Knowing Ai Shiping, the guy was genuinely capable of doing exactly that.
Their very first eting happened because Ming Po had gotten lost in another city, his wallet had been stolen, and his phone had coincidentally died.
He had been on a call with his mother when his phone suddenly shut off, so she was undoubtedly worried sick.
At the ti, Ming Po was traveling alone in Chongqing. Completely unfamiliar with the overlapping, bizarrely constructed roads, he had no choice but to constantly ask strangers for directions back to his hotel.
They had both been teenagers back then, long before electronic paynts were common.
He probably could have explained the situation to a taxi driver and been allowed to go up to his room to grab cash once they arrived.
But Ming Po had stubbornly refused that option, deciding instead to walk the whole way back.
However, he couldn't quite understand the Sichuan dialect, or perhaps the locals on the street didn't entirely know the way either. After following the directions of various passersby for two hours, the scenery around him was still completely unfamiliar.
That was when he t Ai Shiping for the first ti.
Ming Po figured that since the boy was younger, his accent might not be as thick, so he flagged down Ai Shiping as he rode past on a bicycle and asked for directions.
Ai Shiping had asked about his situation with genuine earnestness and enthusiasm, and then decided to help him out.
According to normal logic and behavior, the most anyone would do in that situation was help Ming Po call the police, or point him toward the nearest station. After all, if you have a problem, you find a cop.
At best, soone might have handed Ming Po enough cash for a taxi so he could get back to his hotel.
Instead, Ai Shiping handed his own phone and cash directly to Ming Po, told him to use the phone for the ti being, and then hurriedly left.
Other than QQ, he hadn't even logged out of his accounts!
They were total strangers eting for the very first ti!
Relying on the cash Ai Shiping provided, Ming Po managed to contact his parents, hail a cab, buy so food, and return to his hotel. It was only then that he realized a glaring issue.
Because their interaction had been so smooth, Ming Po had completely forgotten to ask for Ai Shiping's contact info!
'Which rich family does this guy belong to?' Ming Po had wondered at the ti. 'He cares so little about his personal security that he just handed his phone over to soone else.'
Ultimately, Ming Po had to use Ai Shiping's still-logged-in WeChat to contact one of his classmates, which allowed him to track the boy down and return the phone and money before his trip ended.
It was only then that Ming Po learned that phone was the only one Ai Shiping owned.
Later on, Ming Po also learned that Ai Shiping was an orphan. His entire family had died in an earthquake, and he was currently living with his uncle.
If soone had a hundred thousand yuan and spent twenty to buy a friend a al, that was rely generous.
But if soone only had twenty yuan and chose to spend all of it to buy a friend a al, that made them a true saint.
From that mont on, Ming Po had been filled with curiosity about Ai Shiping.
He realized this guy was an absolute anomaly.
And it was from that point forward that Ming Po and Ai Shiping officially beca friends.
Even though their hobbies were completely different, they almost never played the sa gas, and their lifestyles and social circles didn't overlap at all, Ming Po believed that a friendship cultivated under such circumstances was the most sincere.
Because it was a bond entirely unrelated to "fun." Even without the joy of playing together, the friendship still held strong.
Therefore, Ming Po knew that Ai Shiping was fully capable of such a financially ruinous act.
It wasn't that he didn't know the chips were precious; it was that he could know exactly how precious they were and still choose to give them away.
But Ti Chips weren't just simple "property." They were vital assets directly tied to one's life and very existence.
If he carelessly threw them away or handed them out again, Ming Po really would whip out his brass-buckled belt and thrash Ai Shiping until he spun like a top.
"No, no, it's not like that."
Ai Shiping looked a bit guilty, but he put on a brave face and pulled out a strange pack of Doublemint gum. "I bought this."
"Hmm?"
"Don't freak out! This is a Secret Treasure! It's called Tension Gum."
Ai Shiping quickly explained, "When you chew it, your personal ti flow drops by half, which basically ans your consciousness is accelerated to double speed! The effect lasts for three minutes. I used my chips to buy this off soone, and it's definitely going to be useful!"
"That's true."
Ming Po nodded, his anger subsiding slightly.
The item did indeed hold value.
If used in reality, "ti deceleration" was even more useful than "ti stop." The forr would actually give a Deceiver of the World enough ti to use their chips, which could instantly turn the tide of a battle. And it seed it could be used during a ga as well.
"A day's worth of ti isn't that expensive. But did you only have one day?"
"Well, the other guy was in a rush."
Ai Shiping chuckled, enthusiastically pulling the pieces of gum out of the pack. "Here, bro. I got four pieces in total. I used one, so there are three left. Let's split it half and half. You get two pieces, and I'll take one!"
"You bought this with your own chips, and you're giving two pieces while keeping one for yourself?" Ming Po asked.
"Of course the best gear goes to the boss!"
Ai Shiping declared without hesitation. "Just like how the best gear always goes to the tank. It's common sense!"
"Fine, your common sense."
Ming Po accepted the two pieces of gum and spoke to Ai Shiping with utmost seriousness. "I can't help you deal with those assassins just yet. It will probably have to wait until tomorrow. I won't bother explaining the specifics to you right now."
"No problem, I'll just chill at ho and play gas all day."
Ai Shiping brushed it off effortlessly.
"No, I'm taking you into a Ga of Deception."
Ming Po shook his head. "I'll help you earn the chips for your Promotion ga first."
With people blocking the outside of his house, and without the power of Frankenstein, Ming Po couldn't return to find Gao Fan just yet. He had no choice but to enter a Ga of Deception with Ai Shiping for now.
Although Ming Po could have simply given Ai Shiping so chips so he could imdiately participate in a Promotion ga, he was worried that Ai Shiping might run into an unexpected accident and fail.
So, he decided to play a Ga of Deception with him first to gauge his skill level.
If he wasn't quite used to this ga yet, Ming Po could share so of his experience.
Earning chips was secondary; teaching was the priority.
"Sure."
Ai Shiping bead. "I've got nothing else going on anyway. Co on, let's queue up!"
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