Chapter 181: Filial Piety
The authorities clearly valued Li Zhi. Upon learning about the current situation, not only did they not turn a blind eye, they even issued a transfer order for Li Feng, assigning him to assist Li Zhi in the new instance.
Li Feng’s individual capabilities were beyond question—he had always been a key player among the official ranks. Originally, he was meant to lead a group of new players arranged by the organization, but once he received the order, he came at once.
The last time the siblings teamed up was during Li Feng’s own beginner instance. That fortunate coincidence hadn’t happened again—so this time, being able to pair with her brother once more, Li Zhi was genuinely happy.
After greeting the driver who had brought him, Li Feng turned and patted his sister’s head, frowning. “Why are you mixed up with those kinds of organizations?”
Groups like Peacock were by no means beneficial to the nation or its people. They thrived on power and money, and in truth, they were likely to become a hindrance in the authorities’ efforts to combat the [Specters].
These players, who had gained unprecedented power, status, and wealth from the advent of the [Specters], were the ones who least wanted to see the system vanish from the world.
Though Li Feng had never thought much of these people before, now that his sister was involved—and even being threatened with death by another organization—he was naturally very displeased.
Li Zhi beamed and hooked her arm around his. “It’s just a light collaboration. Nothing serious.”
Li Feng furrowed his brow, stared at her for a moment, and finally sighed. “As long as you know what you’re doing.”
His sister had always been strong-willed and more capable than he was. If she chose this path, she surely had her reasons.
Once the big brother showed up, everyone in the villa instantly became obedient and well-behaved. Li Feng naturally carried an aura of authority—even a single frown made them feel like they were about to get scolded. None dared to act up like they usually did.
Li Feng had no idea he was seen as such a commanding figure. Sitting on the sofa and sipping water, he even whispered to Li Zhi, “It’s too quiet here.”
He knew his sister preferred lively environments.
Staying somewhere so gloomy couldn’t be good for her mood. Li Feng frowned as he scanned the room, wondering if his sister had picked the wrong housemates—everyone looked more dispirited than the last.
The heavier his gaze, the heavier the atmosphere. Ou Wendong could barely breathe.
Li Zhi stifled a laugh for a while but couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Bro, you scared them.”
Li Feng fell silent. “…So it’s my fault?”
Li Zhi leaned on her hand, tilted her head, and grinned at him. “But Bro, you’ve definitely gotten more serious lately. Did you get promoted?”
Li Feng looked helpless. “Yes, but what does that have to do with this?”
Li Zhi: “Of course it does. The higher the rank, the greater the aura.”
Her teasing made Li Feng laugh, and the tension in his brows eased noticeably. The higher his position, the greater the responsibilities, and the deeper he was involved in the core operations—he understood better than anyone just how precarious the world was right now.
Inside and outside the instances, he hardly ever relaxed.
Only when he was with his sister did he feel like he could set down the burdens on his shoulders and simply exist as her brother.
That’s why he would never let anyone harm her.
The instance was scheduled for the afternoon. After Li Zhi used the team card to bind with Li Feng, the Peacock side must’ve sensed it—soon, she received a call. The caller introduced himself as Yan Yingrui, captain of Peacock’s entry team this round.
After exchanging greetings, Yan Yingrui asked, “Do you mind telling us who you’re entering the instance with? We’d like to adjust our plans accordingly.”
After all, they were escorting a sponsor. If Li Zhi brought someone too weak, it could become a liability. Better to clarify things in advance.
Li Zhi said, “My big brother.”
“Your big brother…” Yan Yingrui paused, then realized she didn’t mean a criminal underworld ‘big brother’ like them, but her actual brother. His tone relaxed considerably. “You mean Li Feng?”
Though Li Feng wasn’t on the overall popularity rankings, he was a well-known figure in the scene. The Li siblings were often talked about with admiration, and as Li Zhi’s fame grew, so did his. But no one ever accused Li Feng of riding her coattails—his capabilities were recognized by all.
His joining meant one more formidable top-tier player for the team. Naturally, Yan Yingrui was pleased. He gave her a brief on their setup. “We’re sending in four people. Besides me, there are two familiar faces and one new face. Tianwen probably doesn’t know you’ve joined us yet. We plan to work along two lines—overt and covert. You and the new face should avoid being exposed.”
Li Zhi agreed and asked for the identities of the other teammates.
“Jing Da and Jiang Can are Peacock veterans. People from Tianwen know them—they’ll be with me to protect the sponsor. The new face is a recent addition to Peacock—you probably know her, Lu Caiwei, she used to be an actress.”
Of course she knew her. Lu Caiwei was a rising star in the entertainment world, skyrocketing to fame overnight from a nobody thanks to a popular period drama. Just as she was about to explode into stardom with endorsement deals pouring in, the [Specters] arrived.
From overnight fame to being slammed back to square one, no one knew what kind of journey she’d had.
After the instances began, she disappeared from public view, becoming just another struggling player. No longer watched, no longer famous.
Who would've thought she joined Peacock. If she had made it in—and was even trusted to escort an important sponsor—Lu Caiwei must be no ordinary player. To transform from an average player into a high-level one, the price she paid must have been enormous.
Hearing her name, Li Zhi’s thoughts drifted for a moment. She seemed to see, in Lu Caiwei, the reflection of countless others striving to survive.
Everyone was trying their best to stay alive.
After a hearty lunch, the siblings prepared to enter the instance.
Li Zhi touched the sunflower charm she kept close and leaned on her resting brother. “Bro.”
Li Feng opened his eyes and looked at her.
Li Zhi blinked. “We might run into Ah Xi this time.”
Li Feng: “Heh.”
Li Zhi tugged on his sleeve.
It was a move Li Shuang used often when acting cute, but as far as Li Feng could remember, Li Zhi had never done it before.
All right—just for Li Jianxi, she even used Li Shuang’s ultimate trick.
Li Feng scowled, then said coldly under her expectant gaze, “Don’t worry, I won’t beat him up.”
Li Zhi’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “Thanks, bro.”
Just before entering the instance, under everyone’s urging, You Jingmeng approached Li Feng. “Big Brother, may I ask—what’s your favorite color?”
Though confused, Li Feng replied, “Green, I guess.”
From the back, Ou Wendong chimed in flatteringly, “Big Brother’s truly a national warrior! Military green is forever!”
Li Feng added, “...It’s the color of vitality in spring.”
Ou Wendong: “Big Brother’s actually kind of romantic!”
Everyone: “…”
Did you have to flatter him like that?
Li Zhi’s phone dinged—it was a message from Yan Yingrui, reminding her the instance was about to begin. Everyone quickly offered their well wishes, and soon, the familiar sensation of teleportation overtook her. When she regained consciousness, she was inside a moving minibus.
A minibus? Was this another travel-themed instance like Butterfly Village?
As she opened her eyes, the others began to stir.
There were eight people on board, including the driver. As Li Zhi scanned the cramped interior, others were also glancing around. She immediately spotted the boss they were assigned to protect: the pay-to-win player Lu Ao.
The youngest son of a billionaire, Lu Ao was born into luxury, knowing nothing of hardship. His only real challenge was his first, unexpected instance, which gave this arrogant young master quite the beating.
His tearful, panicked display in the beginner instance embarrassed him so much he became noticeably more restrained. And in this world, where money was no longer almighty, his former status didn’t mean much anymore.
In a world where anyone could be killed at any time, Lu Ao might still be proud, but he wasn’t foolish. Since being forced into the game, he’d become more grounded. Deep down he remained cocky, but he was at least better at behaving now.
He was quite happy upon hearing that Li Zhi would be one of his bodyguards—after all, she was someone money alone couldn’t hire. Even though there were only eight people in the van—fewer than the five bodyguards he’d expected—the presence of Li Zhi reassured him.
Peacock had told him that Li Zhi was a covert asset and should not be exposed, so Lu Ao refrained from approaching her.
On the other hand, Lu Caiwei, also operating undercover, excitedly dashed over to Li Zhi like a rookie. “Big Boss Li Zhi, it’s great to meet you! I’m Lu Caiwei!”
Lu Ao scoffed and mentally gave her a poor review.
So unprofessional! Not even as composed as the client!
Li Zhi smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Lu Caiwei sat beside her, reacting no differently than other players who had met Li Zhi in past instances. “Now that you’re here, I feel totally safe! We’ve got this!”
She was smart—using a very typical reaction to perfectly hide her true identity. Even if Tianwen had people on board, they wouldn’t easily suspect her.
A male player in the front seat turned around. “Yeah! Just seeing Big Boss Li Zhi calms me right down!” He held out his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Zhao Yangzhou.”
While they were chatting, a young woman in the front passenger seat kept glancing back at them. Li Zhi heard her mutter, “Feels like a fan meet or something. Isn’t she just a minor actress?”
Everyone in the van heard it. Several people exchanged looks before Zhao Yangzhou snapped, “Minor actress?”
The girl faltered but straightened up quickly. “Well, yeah. You’ve barely acted in anything, no experience, no fame. What else would you be? I didn’t say anything wrong!”
Acting… drama…
Could this instance be related to film production?
Li Zhi and Lu Caiwei exchanged glances. Lu Caiwei giggled and whispered, “Looks like this round is right in our wheelhouse.”