"Thank you both so much for your bravery. We plan to award you with a pennant..."
Outside the Clock Tower Square station, a group of incapacitated rcenaries were being escorted away by the police, awaiting a retirent life with full board. Ash and Heath were busy heading to Countdown at Clock Tower Square and naturally didn’t have ti to listen to the police chatter. The police were understanding and didn’t force them to stay but still requested them to leave their identification information.
"Ash Heath... it’s Mr. Heath!?"
Ash was used to this kind of reaction and skillfully said, "Need a signature?"
The little policewoman jumped up happily and quickly found a notebook for Ash to sign. She glanced at Rose’s ID, returned it with a smile, and said, "Miss Lena, happy birthday."
"Mm."
Ash and Rose left the subway station. When they were about to pass through the underground mall to reach Clock Tower Square, Ash suddenly realized, "Today is your birthday!?"
"Mm."
"Why didn’t you tell us? We would have celebrated your birthday with you!"
"How do you plan to celebrate?"
"Order a few cakes and then have a cake fight, saring cake all over your face..."
"I never celebrate birthdays," Rose decisively replied, "You all don’t need to do anything."
"No way!" Ash grabbed Rose’s hand and turned to the nearby mall: "At least I have to give you a birthday gift!"
"No," Rose forcefully held Ash back, "I don’t like gifts, they’re too troubleso."
"Receiving gifts can be troubleso too?"
"Because giving a gift ans establishing a special social contract between us. On your next birthday, I must give you a gift of equivalent value that can’t disappoint you and must make you happy," Rose’s nose twitched, "At that ti, I need to investigate what you’ve been lacking recently, what trends you like lately, then I can analyze what gift you’d want... It’s too much trouble, I’d rather not receive any gifts."
Ash was both amused and exasperated, "Then you can choose not to give a gift. I don’t mind."
"No way, it’s an established social contract that requires equal effort and reward. If you don’t let follow it, I’d feel uncomfortable, like I worked for you but you didn’t pay ," Rose shook her head firmly, "If you don’t want to trouble , then don’t give a gift."
"Besides, I lack nothing. Whatever gift you give , I don’t need it."
Ash thought about it and explained, "I give you a gift mainly to express my gratitude. You’ve helped so much these days, and I want you to know that I’ve always been sincerely grateful for your effort."
"Then don’t give a gift."
"No way, I’m giving you one!" Ash suddenly chuckled, pulling her into a nearby accessory store, "Sorry, we mages are always self-assertive and do whatever we want. Didn’t I tell you earlier that mages are bad people?"
Rose wouldn’t go easy on him, her cheeks puffing with anger, and she clung tightly to Ash’s arm. Ash had a hard ti dragging her into the accessory store, and nearby passersby couldn’t help but cast curious glances their way.
He hadn’t expected Rose to be so stubborn and could only compromise, "How about this? I’ll pick a gift for you, and you work a bit more than usual to offset the gift’s value, how about that? You won’t have to give a gift in return, and both sides’ efforts and rewards would also be equal."
Rose hit a ntal block, seemingly analyzing whether this exchange fit the social contract. Ash feared dreaming too long, quickly scanned the accessory store, imdiately picked out a nice-looking butterfly ribbon hairband, paid with his card, and stuffed it into her hand before she realized, "Happy birthday!"
Rose pouted, showing a very unhappy expression, "I already have a stretchy hair tie."
"So?"
"I can’t use the hairband. If you give it to , it’ll just sit idle, I don’t need it."
Ash felt exasperated: "Then the hair tie can be a backup, and you can use this hairband daily."
"Why would I need a backup?"
"In case you lose it..."
"I won’t lose anything," Rose said seriously, "I rember where all my things are. I’ve used this hair tie for six years and have never lost it. I estimate another three years before it reaches the end of its lifespan; then I’ll buy a new one."
Ash racked his brains, "Can’t you just collect this hairband? Or you can just throw away the old hair tie."
"I don’t keep any excessive things, nor do I waste anything still useful," Rose said, her spirits dampening as she held the ribbon hairband, "There’s no place for this hairband in my backpack. Collecting it would an buying a box to protect it... So much trouble with an unnecessary item..."
Ash felt like he was about to kneel, "Then give the hair tie to Nia or Filly, that’s not wasting it, right?"
"That would be like I’m giving them a gift," Rose said hesitantly, "What if they gift sothing I don’t need in return? If they don’t give anything back, I’ll feel uneasy and keep thinking about it."
Only at this mont did Ash truly realize he had made a mistake. He should’ve just listened to Rose and been a brainless sidekick.
Just then, Rose’s eyes suddenly lit up. She took off her hair tie, brushed her blue hair, and put on the new butterfly ribbon hairband before extending her hand to Ash, "Give your hand."
Ash handed it over without understanding, and watched as Rose tied her hair tie onto his wrist.
"Giving you the hair tie ans since you’ve already given a gift, I give it back, perfectly fulfilling this social contract. There’s nothing owed between us now, and the hair tie has found a ho. But because the hair tie is cheaper than the hairband, I still need to work a little extra to make up for the price difference."
Ash hesitated but didn’t dare to say sothing foolish like ’I can’t use a hair tie.’
At this point, they noticed the crowd rushing towards the exit. Ash realized there were only three minutes left until the New Year countdown, and quickly pulled Rose to run to Clock Tower Square.
Ash took out his phone, attempting to contact the others. However, due to the massive crowd, the signal tower was at full capacity, and his calls couldn’t go through. They squeezed through the crowd looking around but couldn’t find anyone. At this point, the host on the Clock Tower’s screen began the final New Year countdown, and everyone in the square cheerfully shouted along:
"10!"
"9!"
"8!"
Ash and Rose had to stop, looking up at the bell tower’s display screen to welco the end of 1668.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Happy New Year!"
The lodious sound of the bells echoed through the starry sky, the square filled with joy, and neon screens all around sent various New Year blessings. Ash looked at Rose and smiled, "Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
At that mont, they saw everyone around hugging each other, and the vast square seed to have only the two of them as odd ones out. Ash and Rose exchanged a glance, Ash feeling a bit awkward, Rose hesitated for a mont and suddenly said, "Put out your hands."
Rose took a bottle of fragrant hand sanitizer from her backpack and applied it to Ash’s hands, then she grabbed Ash’s hands and started rubbing them.
She was very serious about it, rubbing not just the palms and backs of the hands, but even inserting her fingers into Ash’s to carefully rub each finger, the milky white hand sanitizer foaming up between their palms as they rubbed.
Once the sanitizer was all rubbed in and dry, Rose opened her arms and very stiffly hugged Ash.
Ash’s eyes widened in surprise, regretting that he didn’t get to et up with others — Rose was the one who hugged him, and he couldn’t even brag about it!
But seeing Rose so stiff, Ash couldn’t help but laugh, "If you can’t accept it, don’t force yourself, let’s go back."
"No, this is an Allstars tradition, after the New Year countdown you hug the closest friend," Rose said stiffly, "Hurry up and hug ."
Ash gently hugged her, Rose leaning against his chest, comnted, "You’re very skilled."
"I’m just normal! Not that skilled!"
"Your reaction is strange, I was clearly complinting you." Rose released her hold, tilting her head slightly, "So this is what a hug feels like..."
"I hope it didn’t leave you with a bad experience," Ash smiled.
"One test isn’t enough to evaluate good or bad, more tests are needed to judge the level of this experience," Rose pondered, "Let’s hug again for the next New Year countdown."
"You’re booking all the way to the next New Year countdown..." Ash twitched his mouth, "But, if possible, I hope to be with you again for the next New Year countdown."
At this ti, the atmosphere in the square subtly changed, they noticed the couples around were no longer satisfied with hugging and had moved directly to a more intimate kissing stage.
Ash blinked nervously, Rose tilted her head in confusion, "Is this also a tradition? If so..."
She took out a roll of transparent wrap from her backpack, pulled it out and placed it across Ash’s mouth, blinking at Ash with an expression that said, ’Aren’t I clever, praise .’
Ash moved the wrap aside and firmly said, "This is definitely not a tradition; it’s just sothing between couples. Let’s go back."
"Oh." Rose took back the wrap with a bit of disappointnt.
...
...
anwhile, in the old district on the other side of the city, intense gunfire sent a warm New Year’s greeting.
"Stop right there!"
"Leave the stuff, and I’ll spare your life!"
"Stop right there!"
The frantic ’Black Wolf’ Hadava shot three tis at the cloaked figure in front, not hitting once. It wasn’t just him; none of his lackeys’ shots hit either. Given they were the largest weapons black market dealers in Linguang City, bullets were never in shortage for them. Even if they weren’t sharpshooters, there was no reason for not a single effective shot at this distance!
This could only an the cloaked figure had the ability to avoid bullets!
Which rival sent this rcenary? Shura, Fire Crow, or...?
At this mont, the cloaked person finally stopped running under the streetlamp by the river; Hadava was overjoyed, quickly had his subordinates surround them, and said fiercely, "Give back the stuff, and I just might spare your life!"
Just recently, the cloaked person had suddenly stord into their workshop and snatched away the jewelry from the safe. Those were Hadava’s years of savings. He could see Allstars was falling into chaos and that money was unreliable, so he quickly converted his assets into more easily liquidated jewels. He didn’t expect them all to be snatched in one clean sweep.
However, the cloaked figure raised their hand, pointing to the nearby traffic light, "There are surveillance caras there."
The voice of the cloaked person was a clear and lodious female voice, but Hadava had no ti to care about such details; he aid at the opponent and snarled, "You think I’d be afraid of killing under surveillance? I can’t wait for everyone to see what happens to those who dare challenge , Hadava!"
"Very well."
The cloaked figure drew a straight-blade knife, eyes glowing red from the Shura mask, calmly said:
"I also need witnesses to your fate."
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