Chapter 84
Great! Deal!
If Parsons weren’t still radiating his usual intimidating aura, Nick would’ve almost nodded on his behalf: As long as we’re not getting ripped off, you two lovers can play however you want.
“Ahem, well… you should probably discuss the details with our boss.”
Everyone’s gaze naturally shifted to Parsons.
“Just kidding. You’re Parsons’ teammates—pretty much family—so standard market price is fine.” Jiang Jitang teased for a moment, then let it go.
Even just to keep this powerful player team around, he had to give a discount. Besides, their group was called “Mystery Seeker.” Still—friendship is friendship, money is money. You don’t mix the two. Unless it’s Parsons. Then that’s a different story.
Parsons held his cup, face unmoving from beginning to end.
He was far too familiar with this kind of teasing, unlike his teammates who believed anything on the first meeting. Of course, Jiang Jitang was just playful—he never meant harm.
“Thank you,” Parsons said.
“Is that all?” Jiang Jitang drawled.
“You say it, I’ll do it.” Parsons replied instantly, ignoring the teammates whose eyes were about to pop out. If he didn’t respond fast, more embarrassing things would definitely come. This was the hard-earned wisdom of years of dealing with Jiang Jitang.
Sure enough, Jiang Jitang looked disappointed—answered too fast, no sense of accomplishment. But only slightly. He quickly perked up. “Do you have anything else today? Want to accompany me at work?”
Seeing him so energetic, even the frost between Parsons’ brows melted. “Okay.”
He had many questions, but given Jiang Jitang’s identity now, he no longer had to struggle alone as a lone wolf in the Cube World. Everything felt… unbelievably good.
The two of them naturally fell into their own private rhythm—hard to blend in with others. They didn’t realize how this atmosphere looked to outsiders. Mystery Seeker’s group had already concluded they definitely had something going on. Meanwhile, the official staff were quietly shocked too.
Weren’t they just “friends”?
Friends like… this?
Minister, our healer is being stolen away!!
In the strange atmosphere, only the ignored little black pony “Grey” neighed twice, sounding like cursing.
Mystery Seeker’s members sat for a bit, then all left—minus their boss.
On the way back, the team was silent, as if still processing everything. Only after the kindergarten disappeared from sight did the car finally explode with chatter.
“It’s him, right? The one boss went on a date with that day?” Jennifer turned practically ninety degrees, gossiping with the back row.
“Obviously,” even Sam, who rarely engaged in gossip, joined in. “Boss didn’t even try to hide it.”
“He looks really enthusiastic. And he gave boss a little pony too—so cute! Enough to melt the Arctic ice!” Jennifer got more excited as she spoke.
Another woman, Evita, was just as thrilled. They spoke in coded language only women understood.
“I always wondered why boss suddenly moved houses. Does that mean our safety is better now?” the chubby Toby finally reacted.
Nick, who’d been silent while typing on his laptop, closed it. “Judging by the results, as long as boss doesn’t lose his abs and good looks—yes.”
“Oh my god, Nick, don’t make him sound shallow. That man is a healer who can treat hundreds of gravely injured players a day. He could have an entire harem if he wanted. But he chose boss. I respect boss, but he’s absolutely not suited for romance.” Jennifer said boldly now that Parsons wasn’t there.
“You’re right,” Nick gave a polite smile. “So, would you choose someone with no physique management and no looks?”
“No,” Jennifer answered instantly. “What do you take me for, someone without standards?”
“Exactly. So it’s reasonable for boss to maintain his competitive edge. Honestly, I’m relieved. Others? Probably not so much.”
He thought of all the people hoping to cooperate with that healer. They could forget about it now—his energy was limited; he wouldn’t take on too many commitments.
Of course, there were side effects. Boss’s partner was from C-Nation’s official forces. Accepting his favor meant being bound to his duty. That man had a very strong stance.
And judging from the way Parsons instantly threw all teammates to the opposite sofa earlier, he probably didn’t even think—it was pure instinctive behavior.
That was what made it terrifying.
Just like how Parsons had informed them when he decided to come to C-Nation—if you don’t want to come, quit Mystery Seeker. If they ever had conflict with that healer, the first to take action would likely be Parsons.
Anyone in a high position without that decisiveness wouldn’t stay there long.
Nick himself had no ambition—or rather, his ambitions didn’t conflict with the current circumstances—so he accepted everything comfortably. But he wasn’t sure about the others.
Hopefully they had enough brains to know what was best for them. Otherwise, with how well they all knew each other, he’d hesitate for several whole minutes before making a move.
“In any case, remember: do your job well, and don’t have any conflict with C-Nation. We’re all freelancers anyway.”
Nick resumed typing. As Mystery Seeker members, they were also part of Parsons’ “competitive value.” Better to have a lover from the top player organization than someone unknown.
For the sake of practical survival, they really needed to work hard.
“Browning, what about you?” Toby asked the one who hated healer players most.
“…He’s not like those other healers. He’s actually… really good.” Browning admitted. He didn’t see any arrogance in the healer’s eyes—something extremely rare.
“How does he compare to your external aid player?” Toby asked.
“The Support Aid? Of course the Support Aid is better! No questioning it—External Aid is invincible!” the iron-blooded external-support fan declared, even nodding twice for emphasis.
Toby spread his hands. “Alright, as long as you’re happy.”
—
Parsons, meanwhile, had no idea his teammates were worrying about his “competitive edge.” He sat in a guest chair while people walking by stole covert yet intense glances at him—like they wished they could see through him.
Jiang Jitang, meanwhile, was pestering Minister Jiang for a one-time use of the BGM Generator: “I refuse to believe this thing is targeting only me!”
Minister Jiang didn’t understand his precious one’s strange obsession, but since it was just a single-use voucher, he gave it.
A few minutes later, Parsons held the BGM card, looking confused.
“Missing you is a pain that breathes… it lives in every corner of me… humming the songs you love hurts… reading your letters hurts… even silence hurts…”
“Breathing Pain” BGM Card (by Fish Leong)
Parsons’ Exclusive BGM
Duration: 4:08
Effects while playing: +30% attack power, bonus crit effect — the more pain, the stronger.
Note: EMO for what? Charge forward! Forced love tastes sweeter!
Parsons, now fluent in C-Nation’s daily language, recognized it as a heartbreak love song. Why on earth did that weird item spit out something like this?
Even though the effects were strong, everything about the card—from the content to the notes—radiated exaggerated absurdity.
“Don’t think about it. Come on, work with me.” Jiang Jitang tugged him away, guilt flickering across his face. No time to let Parsons ponder.
It was all random. Completely unreliable.
Just like that, Parsons was dragged off. He and Jiang Jitang drove to the suburbs.
Thankfully, Parsons had passed his C-Nation driving test yesterday. Otherwise, they’d be pushing an electric scooter like before.
The area was an agricultural production zone. Gray cement roads branched out like leaf veins, each section filled with farmland and high-tech greenhouses.
Remote-controlled sprinklers and lighting—very different from the farming systems in the Beast Realm.
Jiang Jitang tried to focus on the scenery, but his gaze kept drifting sideways.
Parsons had taken off his jacket—leaving a white shirt underneath, layered with a small vest. His long silver hair draped down. The black strap on his arm—was that an armband? It tightened over his muscles, outlining their shape, strong and proportionate.
Jiang Jitang stole another glance at the vest. That area was… broad. Parsons had even undone two buttons. The third was strained, about to snap.
Jiang Jitang quickly straightened up and snuck a hand to his own stomach. Thank goodness he had trained before—there was still a bit of definition on his abs, and his chest had some shape.
The mage with surprising physical strength sat up straighter, trying to make his half-finished muscles show more.
Parsons, concentrating on the narrow country road that barely fit one car, didn’t notice any of this.
He was still curious about Jiang Jitang’s “work.” It used to be delivery. Now it was C-Nation official business… and in Jin City, players whispered of “that person.”
Was Jiang Jitang still a player? But that item hadn’t worked on him…
“I really am a delivery guy,” Jiang Jitang suddenly blurted out. As for the healer stuff—he didn’t see the need to explain. Parsons also used “flowery language” to gloss over game mechanics all the time.
“If you need someone to enter the game with you…” Parsons chose his words carefully. “I’m always available.”
Parsons carried a forward-charging determination. The brutality of the Cube World couldn’t break him.
And now, he had a new reason to grow stronger.
Only by becoming stronger could he survive, and have everything.
Jiang Jitang’s eyes curved with a smile. If he were an ordinary player, he’d definitely drag Parsons to play together. Too bad—no party option for him.
“Aren’t you accompanying me at work right now?”
“Dear Knight Commander, you’re still the same—cool on the outside, sweet on the inside.”
The moment he saw Parsons at the door earlier, Parsons hadn’t questioned, doubted, or tested anything—just trusted him, as always. He was like a little piece of candy hidden inside fate.
Parsons gripped the steering wheel as a faint red climbed his ears. The fearless warrior was defeated by sweet talk.
“What comes next might be different from what you imagine. My delivery job isn’t exactly conventional.” Jiang Jitang leaned closer and put a finger to his lips. “Shh… you’ll have a lot of questions. Can you wait until it’s over?”
His gentle tone sounded like a soft plea. Parsons felt bewitched—and when he snapped back to reality, the car had crashed into a roadside tree.
His first crash since getting his license.
“Hahahahahaha!” Jiang Jitang’s laughter filled the car.
Parsons held the wheel tightly. The man beside him was laughing so hard his hair brushed Parsons’ arm—tickling even through the sleeve.
The crash didn’t do much—low speed meant the tree was fine, the car was fine, only a bit of paint scraped.
The lane was meant for tricycles anyway, not cars. They pulled out and parked roadside, then walked through the fields looking for workers.
Fortunately, they soon found someone coming out of a greenhouse—the owner of this small section.
“Picked vegetable leaves? Someone already collected them. If you’re not here for anything else, don’t disturb my work.” The owner glanced at their clean, upscale appearance and assumed they were troublemakers.
“Really? Sorry for bothering you,” Jiang Jitang replied pleasantly, unaffected.
Parsons studied him carefully. He really wasn’t bothered.
The second one, third one… only at the fourth greenhouse did someone agree to help.
“My workers come at 3:30 to harvest. By 4:00 the vegetables must be packed for transport. If you want anything, come before then. And clean the place after taking things.”
“No problem.” Jiang Jitang finally relaxed.
A good start. After that, two more greenhouse owners agreed to help.
“All carrot leaves. Take them if you want. Ah—I get it, you’re agriculture students, right? Using this for compost? Or animal feed? You students have it hard… but this research is good. Without your research, how could I grow such good veggies? Everything’s domestic seeds now—cheap and excellent!”
The owner rambled happily the whole walk.
Then the luck ran out—many rejections followed, even some mockery about wearing satin clothes while begging for scraps.
Parsons silently watched. He was the type to obey rules; no matter how turbulent his emotions were, he didn’t show them. Though… several times, he nearly lost control.
By the time night fell, they decided to head back. Jiang Jitang had gotten permission from five greenhouses. Tomorrow he’d collect a load of free leftover cabbage leaves, carrot tops, corn husks, deformed potatoes, bad corn, bug-bitten beans…
And, of course, clean all those greenhouses in return.
Meanwhile, Parsons’ confusion had reached its peak.
“I’ll tell you on the way back.” Jiang Jitang sat in the passenger seat. “And this time, try not to hit a tree.”
“…I never hit trees,” Parsons muttered. “Or anything.”
It took half an hour to drive from the suburbs to their neighborhood, longer during rush hour. Parsons navigated the glowing river of headlights carefully.
“My job is to provide certain people in hardship with the supplies they need—at the most suitable price.” Jiang Jitang finally said. “Sometimes, to achieve the best outcome, I need to do extra work. Sometimes physical, sometimes mental.”
“You enjoy it,” Parsons observed. From beginning to end, Jiang Jitang hadn’t shown a hint of impatience— not even when chased away.
Hard to imagine. A top-tier healer could easily access most resources.
But then again, in the magic world, he had been willing to abandon his identity as a duke and his privileged life to fight for the powerless. So maybe it wasn’t weird.
“They need material support. And I… need emotional support. We all lack and desire something. It’s a fair trade.”
Parsons pulled over, both hands resting on the wheel. His eyes fell into shadow, turning a deep moss-green.
“Can I be one of your trading partners?” he asked quietly. Can I be the one to give you the emotions you need?
Those moss-green eyes turned toward him—like an ancient well, dark and bottomless.
