Chapter 134
Jiang Jitang hadn’t mentioned evolution in advance—he thought it would be a nice surprise. Look at how delighted the players were now!
The official players were all blown away. Han Shuo even called specifically: “President Jiang, Daddy Jiang, you should have said it could evolve, even super-evolve! I’d have camped outside overnight just to guard that shelf!”
See? They were calling him “Daddy.”
Jiang Jitang comforted them: “It’s useless. If it’s fate, you don’t have to chase it; if it’s not, chasing won’t help.” He followed the Taoist philosophy—go with the flow.
Before Han Shuo could express his disappointment, Jiang Jitang added: “No more magical beasts, but there’s plenty of fierce beast meat. Want some?”
“Fierce beasts?”
After ending the call, Jiang Jitang checked the time: “To carve beef, I need a master chef. Where can I find one? Can the two masters at the training camp handle it?”
Parsons, listening to him ponder, thought Jiang Jitang might handle the fierce beasts privately. But judging by this, he seemed to plan to go public with it at the official C-Nation channels.
There were pros and cons to this approach. Revealing it early avoided future misunderstandings but could attract attention prematurely. Jiang Jitang seemed to trust the C-Nation government to manage the potential fallout.
“Does he really trust this government so much?”
Parsons recalled the details of dealing with C-Nation officials and realized something: this country was ruled by the proletariat. That explained a lot.
Meanwhile, in the players’ circles:
Jiang Jitang believed fate would provide, but the players didn’t share that view. How long had the first magical beast appeared? Less than half a day, yet another wave of players was being forcibly guided, their luggage in tow, rushing to Jin City.
Healers couldn’t attract attention, special-effect gourmet food couldn’t hold them—but magical beasts…
“My destined pet! Wait for me, Daddy and Mommy are coming!”
Parsons, accompanying Jiang Jitang to the training camp to meet the master chefs, also received messages from teammates desperately asking about the magical beast. Word of the lucky player forming a bond with the magical beast had already gone viral in various player chat groups.
Parsons calmly replied: “I already have one. Suit yourselves.”
Teammates: …You have one, and you don’t care about us at all?
“Can we meet it, boss?”
“Not convenient.”
The secret-seekers erupted in frustration: “Who says men in love change for the better? Boss is driving us crazier! Did this rock never get any affection?”
“Shall we go today? They say the queue is over a thousand meters long, even attracting ordinary people. But ordinary people automatically leave at the door.”
“Let’s go!”
“Okay, all hands on deck. Bath, change clothes, make a good impression on the magical beast baby.”
At the official player training camp:
“What’s the matter? Secret-seekers asking about the magical beast?”
“Mm, not important. Ignore them.” Parsons got out of the passenger seat, waiting for Jiang Jitang to close the car door, then followed him into the kitchen to meet the master chefs. These two had been sent from the capital city. Jiang Jitang had learned a lot here, benefiting from their guidance. Parsons, as a family member, also snagged a spot.
“Yo, President Jiang!”
“Master Tian, don’t call me that. I didn’t dare come.”
“Well, let’s keep it professional.”
Before arriving, the two master chefs had been instructed on who they were there to serve. Since Jiang Jitang could appreciate and understand food, and had great cooking talent, they treated him like a semi-disciple, grinning broadly when he arrived.
“Did you hear a new batch of dried abalone came in today? Want me to make you a bowl of abalone porridge?”
“Not yet, I have something good to dissect, but we need a bigger space.”
The masters looked at the huge preparation table. Handling a tuna would be no problem. “Is this not enough? You’ve got a cow waiting for us two to serve?”
“Bigger than a cow. Just a bit bigger.” Jiang Jitang made a “just a little” gesture.
The masters believed him. They had their disciple clear half the kitchen to make room, laying mats on the floor to prevent blood from spreading.
“Big enough? Big enough even to dissect a whale.”
Once ready, Jiang Jitang snapped his fingers, and a massive creature—seeming to weigh five or six tons—appeared before them.
Master Tian almost choked: “You call this ‘just a little bigger’?”
“What is this thing? Looks like neither a bear nor a kangaroo,” Master Liu said, having never seen such a creature in his life.
Master Tian nudged him: “Forget what the boss said? Don’t pry.”
Master Liu immediately closed his mouth. He was familiar enough with Jiang Jitang to almost forget the instructions.
Jiang Jitang was unfazed: “Fierce beast. I don’t know the species or flavor. We’ll cut a couple of pieces and try it.”
“Raw-cut?” Master Liu gasped. This thing was unmanageable by hand.
“Call the crane. Hang it, bleed it, then use the cutting machine.” Tian rubbed his meaty hands excitedly. Cooking a monster like this was a first in his life.
Since the creature was massive and unfamiliar, cutting it without minimizing waste would take some time.
“No worries, I leave this to you two. The meat goes straight into the freezer; bones, teeth, nails, scales—keep them. I’ll use them later. Thanks in advance.”
“No problem. Go ahead, we know you’re busy.”
Jiang Jitang and Parsons left again, but this time Parsons drove. Jiang Jitang was checking the details of the last task, planning to handle it today.
Of course, Parsons didn’t accompany him—he saved the travel tickets for crucial moments.
“Wow, true to a Rouge World. In the modern world, even the dust flies.”
Parsons drove while listening carefully: “What kind of task?”
“Cheap dad delivers gifts to cheap daughter, then resumes wandering, continuing dad duties.”
Ye was a powerful leopard totem warrior. He was called a “totem warrior” because he was a wandering soul, disdainful of any tribe’s recruitment.
Five years ago, he fell for a fox-warrior woman. They were together over six months but parted because he didn’t want to marry.
What Ye didn’t know was that half a year after he left, she gave birth to a leopard-totem child—Ye had excellent genes, perfect for passing on. Marriage wasn’t important in the Rouge World.
Now, Ye unexpectedly learned he was a father. He had traveled far to deliver a gift to his child: a tooth dagger symbolizing courage, taken from a fierce beast he’d killed himself.
Would it hold special energy like other materials from fierce beasts? Jiang Jitang examined the dagger—it had armor-piercing and poison effects.
“Profit.”
“Why exchange such a commemorative item?” he asked the system.
“He has a pair,” the system replied.
True, fierce beasts don’t only have one tooth. So exchanging one tooth dagger for other items made sense.
Ye wanted only to deliver a gift as a father’s blessing, then resume his wandering life. This was personal pursuit: beyond survival, he had found a life he wanted, to see the world’s sights until he fell permanently.
This was the first and last meeting with the child; they might never meet again.
He was strong, reckless. In the modern world, maybe not suited to be a husband or father, but in the Rouge World, it was normal. The fox warrior didn’t care, nor did the child. Jiang Jitang, as the courier, didn’t care either.
“Probably a once-in-a-lifetime meeting,” Jiang Jitang mused, stroking his chin.
The fox clan wasn’t huge, and the mother was capable; the child had enough resources. As the father, what gift should he leave? Besides the courage dagger, there could be more.
“What gifts should we prepare?”
“Leave happiness. Material things fade, but good memories last forever,” Parsons said.
During the period without this person, memories carried him forward. Whenever he hesitated, those memories gave him courage. Even when hunted, beaten, and wandering like a stray dog, he saw the real world and found his true self—not the perfect paladin the church wanted.
Along the way, he found like-minded companions: scholars, nobles, mages, and overlooked commoners and slaves, all striving for the future.
Exhausted, his body deteriorating from prolonged harsh conditions, he often recalled that person.
“If it were you, what would you do?” he asked himself, feeling strength surge.
“Looks like we agree,” Jiang Jitang said, clapping hands. “I have an idea.”
Parsons snapped back to reality from memory, smiling at the thought of that person.
Although he didn’t know the idea, if Jiang Jitang deemed it appropriate, it must be excellent.
“Do we need a free driver and mover next?”
“If they don’t mind.”
“They don’t.” Parsons said. “Where to next?”
“Capital City.”
Parsons slammed the brakes: “Capital City?”
“There’s a fantastic illustrator. I think he can capture Ye’s memories beautifully, conveying them to anyone who sees it. I believe he has this ability.”
Jiang Jitang’s plan was simple: travel the world, see sights—that was Ye’s dream. Could they capture all of it on paper as a gift for the child?
The artist’s brush could distill surprise, and images transcend language and culture. This gift couldn’t be eaten or worn but could tell the child her father measured mountains, seas, and lands with his feet. Beyond survival, there was another way to live.
Just like when Mrs. Jiang left C-Nation: she pursued her dreams, hoping he’d love a Jiang Sujin who chased excellence.
He adored her, loved her. Behind her was a sky that belonged solely to her.
“From our perspective, he isn’t a qualified father, but he is a rare idealist, aligned in thought and action. Ye can be a key to open a mysterious door for that child.”
People in the Rouge World were more free-spirited; the child could admire him without needing to love him as a parent, seeing further horizons through his shoulders.
“But sending such a gift may cause misunderstandings, even lead the child to follow the biological father’s path. That’s a treacherous path—bloody, wandering.”
“If she chooses that path, it’s her destiny. Winged creatures instinctively long for the sky…except ostriches,” Parsons said, not wanting him to bear someone else’s responsibility.
“Also, flightless chickens,” Jiang Jitang added, and they laughed in the car.
Jiang Jitang bought natural-colored parchment and contacted Zhuguang, asking if he was available for a special order—using natural mineral pigments, multiple landscape paintings extracted from Ye’s memories.
Due to the large workload and tight deadline, the payment was a charm that could prevent three certain-death crises—a product of Jiang Jitang’s effort to avoid the “purchase amount” bug.
“Anytime, seven days is enough.” Zhuguang agreed before all images transferred.
“Check the images first. Ten pieces is a lot. Should I send the parchment?”
“No, I’m in Jin City. I’ll pick it up myself.”
He even knew about Zhuguang’s promotion—clearly now part of Jin City’s official ranks.
Jiang Jitang smiled at Parsons: “No need to go to the capital.” He sent Zhuguang a thumbs-up emoji.
“Where are you? I’ll come immediately.”
“Here, house a bit messy.”
Parsons didn’t speak; he sensed the familiar vibe in the rapid-fire exchange—like a fan staring at their idol’s name, losing all rationality.
When they reached Jin City, Jiang Jitang personally handed the carefully chosen parchment to the young man. Parsons was convinced.
Like the noble youth who felt “he understands my soul” after reading Jiang’s works, Zhuguang had a stubborn innocence.
Parsons did nothing; when Zhuguang looked, he just nodded politely.
Zhuguang also noticed the tall, handsome foreign man—unlike the last bodyguard who stood a meter away, this one stood shoulder-to-shoulder.
Two outstanding faces in one frame: one traditional C-Nation handsome, the other like a European noble—cool silver hair, noble aura softened by a humorous T-shirt.
They wore identical clothes, same pants color—impossible not to notice.
Is this Jiang Jitang’s friend?
Artists instinctively chase beauty; Zhuguang couldn’t help but look again.
Handsome man’s friend is also handsome, with looks and aura. When can I join Jiang’s colorful social circle?
“Don’t stay up late, sleep early, don’t worry if you can’t finish. Ten small pieces, seven days—no problem.” Jiang Jitang understood sustainable work.
“Uuu, he cares about me!” Zhuguang hugged the parchment: “I’ve got this!” Ten-inch pieces, no precision needed. He could handle it!
Parsons observed all and looked away: another fool.
