Intending to think of some more ways, Zero began to be frequently "coincidentally encountered" by the various rich men of Xianzhou.
Under the enthusiastic invitations of many rich men, he had no choice but to transform into a time management master, arranging his schedule just right.
After all, having taken other people's money, he always had to give back something, right.
The rich men took him as a bosom friend; once they met him, they exclaimed "fated to meet," either inviting him for tea or inviting him for a meal.
But as for the news of being closely associated with the General of Xianzhou, how could they possibly let it spread to others' ears? At once, with a big wave of the hand, they booked out Xianzhou's most luxurious restaurant.
The Chief Strategist was numb.
Which general goes everywhere looking for rich men to sponge meals off of?
After too many times, the Chief Strategist couldn't bear it anymore. He endured until he could not endure, "Remember to pack up."
Zero, "..."
Fine then, seeing as his subordinate was working overtime day and night approving documents for him, he would pack up food and bring it back for his subordinate.
This time again, he was coincidentally encountered. The rich man again booked out that familiar restaurant, forcefully dragging him over.
After consecutively, with different bosom friends, entering and leaving the same restaurant, he felt that the waiters' gazes at him were no longer right.
The rich man knew nothing of this.
"To be able to crush the Mara-struck in just a short month, truly too remarkable! I heard that on the other area, the war is still fierce, still not yet finished!"
The rich man and Zero chatted more and more excitedly, slapping his thigh and sighing, "A genius as brave as the General, simply once in a hundred, no, a thousand years hard to encounter! Xianzhou is truly too fortunate!"
The rich man, once he thought of how the quickly ended battle had saved him so many losses, and then indulged in envisioning the scene of himself becoming the dragon head of Xianzhou, the smile on his face could not be stopped. Then he introduced to Zero the unfamiliar face at the table.
It was a senior executive from the Interastral Peace Corporation.
The other party's EQ was also full score; a meal was eaten with guests and host both delighted.
As per habit, Zero added a few dishes, had the waiter pack them, then carried the packed boxes, bidding farewell to the rich man and the executive.
Unexpectedly, the company executive's expression became exaggerated, suddenly leaning closer, stuffing a check into Zero's hand, his tone full of emotion, "To be able to meet a man of such noble conduct as the General, I could die without regret! General, please, you must be friends with me!"
Zero glanced at the countless zeros on the check, calm-faced and calm-hearted, stuffing it back to the other party.
"If you want to be friends, then take it back."
The executive looked deeply at Zero, once again handing the check over, then, in an exaggeratedly operatic tone, said, "Oh, my dear General, you must accept it!"
"All that you have done deserves to be personally engraved with divine power by 'Remembrance' itself! Even 'Elation' must yield to your stratagems! This is a treasure countless faith points could not buy, I fear I might offend you, "
The executive's smile deepened, and his voice suddenly lowered, like a whisper.
"The Masked Fools send you their sincere greetings."
Zero twitched the check in his hand, and when he raised his eyes, the company executive who called himself a Masked Fool had already disappeared without a trace.
"'Elation' yield to his stratagems"?
The one he sent off to work was really the Aeon Aha?
Then, what was the "Remembrance" the Masked Fool mentioned?
He carried the food box back to the General's Mansion, gave the meal to the oil-burning, lamp-lighting, document-approving Chief Strategist, then handed over the check.
The starving Chief Strategist, counting the numbers on the check, his expression from disdain gradually twisted, then burst out with a sharp scream, unable to believe,
"General, just how many people have you deceived again?"
Zero, "..."
'How can you call it deceiving, clearly it was they themselves who were moved and gave it.'
He raised his hand, pressing the food box, cold-faced declaring, "Your meal is gone."
"You finally couldn't hold back, copied the rich men's homes? You mustn't copy..."
Zero carelessly opened the system map, only to find there was one more person inside the General's Mansion.
His eyes narrowed, looking toward the corner where the stranger was.
An indescribable, twisted biological thing, writhing in the dark corner.
Borrowing the dim light beside the desk, one could faintly see the monster's body covered by a brightly colored mask.
'The Masked Fools?'
Zero, without blinking, stared at the monster, quietly signaling with a gesture toward the Chief Strategist.
"Work hours are over, you go home."
The Chief Strategist followed the General's gaze, eyes widening, hurriedly snatching up the food box and striding quickly away.
The monster seemed to have no intention of suddenly injuring anyone, rolling and crawling on the ground by itself.
Zero watched for a while, then turned his head, sitting by the desk to look at documents.
He had originally thought Aeons would not be crazy to this degree, but…the words of the Masked Fools shocked him immensely.
Combined with the "Elation" Aeon's happy-at-being-in-the-middle appearance…
'Too free, right! You Aeons are all like this?'
No so-called dignity, not caring about face, mingling with humans, enjoying watching chaos, rushing to the front lines of causing trouble, devoted to acting as the ultimate spoons-stirring-shit in everything.
For a time, Zero really didn't know what to do.
What kind of emotion should he show, to make the other side feel bored?
'Furious? Frightened? Pretending?'
Probably only giving them what they want, being treated by fanatical believers of "Elation" as a joke to watch, right.
As for tearing the face, treating the other as a BOSS to farm?
He wasn't afraid to fight, just afraid it would cost money.
If only the venue were changed, he would have already struck.
Smash up the General's Mansion, he would have to pay to repair it.
Most importantly, afraid of fulfilling the other side's wish, beating them to joy.
The Aeons had come to Xianzhou to stir trouble, could their believers not follow? A group of people turning his territory upside down, still wanting to find fun?
That must absolutely not happen.
He thought over and over, maybe best just ignore it.
Once they couldn't find fun by his side, naturally they would leave.
Zero ignored the distorted crawling being drawing closer, focusing on work.
He skillfully flipped the documents to the last page to see the key points, then compared with the system map.
After consecutively approving over a dozen documents, the unknown thing still refused to leave, becoming even more arrogant, squirming up onto the desk, trying to sway its tentacles to attract Zero's attention.
Zero, "..."
Zero rubbed his forehead, softly sighed.
"Do you have some matter?"
The unknown thing suddenly emitted a sharp, ear-piercing noise.
Carefully distinguishing, it turned out to be laughter.
Only the laugh was strange, more like metal scraping against metal, the noise produced.
The sticky, tar-like unknown being gathered at an extremely slow pace, gradually forming into a humanoid.
That brightly colored mask shifted upward, finally resting on the monster's head.
The other chuckled with a strange, eerie voice.
Seeing the unknown being had no intention of speaking, Zero took the initiative, "May I ask, who are you?"
The unknown being, hearing this, immediately excitedly leaned forward,
"Didn't you just recently send me off to be a prostitute? Don't recognize me anymore?"
Encountered the worst situation, The Aeon of "Elation," Aha.
Zero deliberately revealed a look of sudden realization, smiling, "As a General, it is my duty to fulfill every Xianzhou person's dream, no need to thank me."
After speaking, he looked up and down Aha's body constructed of sticky black mud, face troubled, with difficulty opening his mouth, "Could it be, you are looking for someone to help you with performance numbers?"
Aha, originally chuckling wildly, instantly became like a chicken whose neck was grabbed, immediately silenced.
He was silent.
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