Chapter 80: Green Arrow Technologies

One minute later, Wu Hua was delighted to receive a sharp retort: “I’m not a pig. Please call me Auntie from now on. What you’re seeing right now is just an illusion.”

Wu Hua was overjoyed. “I’m in Sky Blue City for some fun, but I can’t find my way at the service port. Are you in the city?”

Half an hour later, Yu Jialing arrived without hesitation, even pulling up in a green “Dongfeng Hummer” military vehicle.

Wu Hua whistled in admiration. “Wow, you really are patriotic—even your car is homegrown.” This Dongfeng Hummer was comparable in performance to the American model, but much cheaper—just over twenty thousand credit points would buy one. Its biggest advantage: it could carry people.

Wu Hua suspected Yu Jialing might belong to some elite organization in Sky Blue City since you didn’t need to buy the most expensive things—something simple and practical would do.

Yu Jialing’s greeting this time almost made Wu Hua spit blood. “Gosh, what happened to you? I don’t remember ‘beggar’ being a class in Star Wars.”

Wu Hua looked down at himself and felt dispirited.

All this was the result of his adventures in the Ayat Underground City: his combat suit’s pants had two scorched holes, his shoulder was burned, he was filthy, and there were weeds stuck to his shoulder strap. Covered in dust and grime, he looked nothing like the handsome man he imagined himself to be. Well, perhaps he hadn’t been handsome to begin with.

“Did you get robbed sleeping in the park? Or did you lose everything in a wild loot drop?” Yu Jialing speculated wildly.

“Ran out of travel funds? Poor thing!” Her eyes shone with genuine sympathy.

Wu Hua glared at her. “Could you please stop treating me like some errand boy, beggar, nurse, or artist every time? I’m a gunner, alright?”

“Haha, alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Come on, let’s get in the car and talk.”

The vehicle slowly rolled into the city. Yu Jialing, hands on the wheel, smiled. “No place to stay, right? Come to my place.”

“Huh?” Wu Hua’s eyes widened with curiosity. What exactly did she mean by that?

Perhaps it was because Wu Hua had helped her with the crystal quest last time—Yu Jialing was particularly warm toward him, treating him like an old friend.

“I live there in Star Wars. Want to come take a look?” Yu Jialing smiled gently, her expression as warm as a spring breeze.

“It’s a house?” Wu Hua asked.

Yu Jialing laughed even harder. “Of course it’s a house—where else would I live?”

“Does it have a bed?” Wu Hua asked.

“Of course! Are you tired? Want to rest?” Yu Jialing was a bit puzzled, though Wu Hua truly did look half-dead.

“Just the two of us?” Wu Hua’s thoughts began to run wild.

Yu Jialing was even more confused. “Of course, just us two.”

Wu Hua suddenly felt his heart pounding—two or three times faster than usual.

When a beautiful woman you’re attracted to suddenly says, “My room has a bed, and it’ll be just the two of us,” it’s only natural for a man’s mind to start wandering.

The whole way there, Wu Hua was both excited and pondering two important questions: first, could this game allow for certain… strenuous activities? Second, had he actually become more attractive?

Another half hour passed. The military vehicle stopped in front of a boutique factory. The blue floor-to-ceiling glass at the entrance shimmered with an electronic sign:

“Green Arrow Technology Research Center!”

“We’re here?” Wu Hua couldn’t help asking.

“Yes, this is it. I live here most of the time.” Yu Jialing took out the car keys. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

Wu Hua’s heart sank again. He had reminded himself countless times not to let his imagination run wild at the sight of a pretty face, but some habits die hard.

This Green Arrow Technology Research Center was rather small, only three stories, but the surroundings were tranquil and lush, and the center itself looked as refined as a secluded villa.

“We’re a studio team—both collecting and crafting equipment,” Yu Jialing explained.

Studios were nothing new to professional players. Wu Hua recalled what Ajie had said: Yu Jialing worked at a small company—could this be the in-game studio?

“How much can a studio like this make in a month?” Wu Hua asked curiously.

Yu Jialing chuckled. “Not much—just a few thousand.”

Wu Hua was surprised. “You mean you can get equipment worth tens of thousands of credit points every month? Purple-grade, right? Impressive.”

Yu Jialing smiled. “Why don’t you see for yourself? You wanted repairs and an appraisal, right? We’ve got tech specialists here.”

Wu Hua perked up. “Let’s go!”

Inside, the center’s facilities were far more sophisticated and modern than Monica’s Boutique Factory. Wu Hua knew the studio’s backer must have spent a fortune in credits renting this place from the Federation, all to give their mechanic players an ideal research environment.

After all, at this stage, mechanic players’ intelligence specialization hadn’t yet surpassed the npnetbsp;  As soon as Wu Hua entered the exhibition hall, he was drawn to a beautifully crafted red-grade assault rifle in display case number one. It was an assault rifle with the firepower of a sniper—its name was impressive: SIG550 Sniper Rifle.

“Amazing, right? I knew you’d have that look on your face,” Yu Jialing said happily. “Our tech specialist crafted it herself.”

“Crafted it herself?” Wu Hua was genuinely surprised. “Your specialist must be level 30 at least, right?”

“Wrong!” a woman’s voice came from behind. “I’m already level 33.”

“Wow!” Wu Hua couldn’t help exclaiming. He turned to see a plump woman in a white lab coat and glasses approaching. “Xiaoxue, is this your boyfriend?”

Wu Hua gave a wry smile. “If only.”

Yu Jialing laughed as well—Wu Hua’s answer was more effective than any explanation.

“Brickie, this is my friend, Boomcrazy. He helped out with the S-grade crystal quest last time,” Yu Jialing introduced.

“Wow!” This time it was the woman with glasses who was amazed. “You’re the gunner who took out the Great White Shark with the AUG! Nice to meet you. I’m called ‘Brickwork Smithing.’ Welcome to our place.”

“Great name—truly professional,” Wu Hua said with a grin.

After some polite small talk, Wu Hua got the lay of the land. This studio, like Blue Company, had one thing in common: it was staffed entirely by women, fifty-two in total, with clear divisions of labor. There was an elite team for farming equipment, merchants who supplied the auction house and black market, and mechanics dedicated to research and crafting. The woman known as ‘Brickwork Smithing’ specialized in modification, crafting, and appraisal—a top-tier tech specialist. To be honest, mechanics like Ice Coffee were already among the best players, and this Brickwork girl was level 33. Wu Hua had to admit: in this world, it’s not the bold you should fear, but the truly extraordinary.

“Heh, actually I’m a doctoral student. I don’t really have any special skills—just read fast and remember everything,” she said.

Wu Hua gave her a thumbs up. “A PhD who plays online games—now that’s impressive.”

Brickwork Smithing laughed. “You wanted some equipment appraised, right? Normally, our studio doesn’t offer appraisals for outsiders, but since Xiaoxue is my close friend, I’ll make an exception and appraise one item for you for free. I guarantee the item’s attributes will be perfect.”

Wu Hua was overjoyed. After all, his favorite word was “free.”