Death Progress Bar 129

by GoldBerry · March 16, 2024

“Marriage”

Zhang Zhuoyuan was going crazy. Today was the day before the conference began. According to previous years, as the most reliable ally of the official side, the leader of Annihilation would usually choose to stay indoors today to avoid causing psychological pressure on the leaders of some small and medium-sized organizations who came to say hello.

But this year, Annihilation’s style has completely changed.

“Director Zhang, when I came over here, I saw a group of people dining in the restaurant, including Gua Two from Annihilation and soldiers in Air Force uniforms. With these two groups of people together like this… may I ask if there’s a celebration event happening on the ship?” a veteran leader of a medium-sized organization inquired curiously.

Zhang Zhuoyuan pressed down the veins bulging on his forehead and replied with a forced smile, “No… They just happened to run into each other by coincidence and decided to have a meal together, that’s all.”

“I see.” The leader of the medium-sized organization suddenly realized, then asked with growing suspicion, “I heard that Gua Two from Annihilation was addressing a young man very respectfully. Is that young man affiliated with Annihilation? And by the way, why didn’t Mr. Lian Jun appear? His subordinates coincidentally met with military personnel but he didn’t come out to take a look.”

Zhang Zhuoyuan looked at the seemingly simple-minded but actually probing “old fellow” in front of him and replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “This year, Mr. Lian, the leader of Annihilation, couldn’t attend the meeting due to some personal reasons. Instead, he sent his partner, who you referred to as Shi-shao, to represent him. Shi-shao is a bit more lively in personality and gets along easily with people.”

The leader of the medium-sized organization was surprised and said, “Mr. Lian didn’t come to this conference? That doesn’t comply with the regulations…”

“It’s in compliance. Mr. Shi Jin is now the deputy leader of Annihilation. His identity was officially reported to our side by Mr. Lian before the incident with Tarantula at the end of last year. So, it’s completely fine for him to represent Annihilation at the conference,” said Zhang Zhuoyuan, shutting down any objections about the rules. His forced smile was almost frozen on his face.

“I didn’t expect Annihilation to have an additional deputy leader. This is quite a big deal…” The leader of the medium-sized organization sighed, his face wearing a seemingly innocent expression. Suddenly changing the subject, he quickly asked, “So, why didn’t Mr. Lian attend the conference this time? Is he unwell?”

“Yes, he’s not feeling well. He recently had a minor illness and needs to rest,” replied Zhang Zhuoyuan honestly, following Shi Jin’s instructions. Then, unable to bear it any longer, he picked up his schedule and glanced at it, smiling as he said, “Sorry, my assistant just informed me that the next leader has arrived…”

“Oh, oh, oh, sorry for taking up your time. I tend to talk too much. My apologies, my apologies,” the leader of the medium-sized organization quickly apologized with embarrassment, then excused himself and turned to leave.

Zhang Zhuoyuan’s expression instantly collapsed, and he rubbed his forehead in frustration. With full mental preparation, he allowed his assistant to let in the next leader.

The next person to enter was a leader of a quasi-first-tier organization, also a cunning old fox. He exchanged pleasantries with Zhang Zhuoyuan upon entering, then casually shifted the topic as if by chance, “By the way, I just passed by the restaurant and saw a young man addressing an Air Force officer as ‘Fourth Brother.’ May I ask, are military personnel allowed to bring their families to such important meetings now?”

Crack.

Zhang Zhuoyuan almost snapped the pen in his hand, forcefully suppressing the urge to vomit blood, he replied, “That’s not the case… That young man is the deputy leader of Annihilation. He is a legitimate participant in the conference.”

“Oh, so he’s from Annihilation. But why was he calling the Air Force officer ‘Fourth Brother’?”

“Perhaps it was just a slip of the tongue, or maybe you misheard,” Zhang Zhuoyuan replied with a fake smile, while secretly harboring more suspicions about Shi Jin in his heart.

The leader of the quasi-first-tier organization also put on a fake smile and said, “Perhaps… By the way, where is Mr. Lian Jun staying? I have some matters I’d like to consult with him about.”

Here they go again. Zhang Zhuoyuan continued to force a smile, repeating what he had just said to the previous leader to the newcomer. He emphasized, “Mr. Shi Jin’s status as the deputy leader has been officially recognized, making him qualified to participate in the conference. There are no issues in terms of the rules.”

The gaze of the quasi-first-line organization leader swept over him, his fake smile deepening. “I see.”

After seeing off this guest, Zhang Zhuoyuan drank a whole pot of tea to calm down before instructing his assistant to bring in the next leader.

“That Director Zhang, I saw a young man in the lounge area playing mahjong with the Rear Admiral orderly officer. Is he…”

Zhang Zhuoyan: “……” Shi Jin @#￥%!

Zhang Zhuoyuan, who prided himself on having a good temper, couldn’t help but curse Shi Jin’s character in his heart.

Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!

“Achoo!” Shi Jin turned his head and sneezed. He frowned as he said, “I feel like someone is cursing at me.”

“It’s normal. Being a leader of Annihilation, you’re bound to be cursed behind your back.” Gua Two continued as he shuffled the mahjong tiles. Glancing at the wide-open door of the lounge, he lowered his voice and whispered, “The leader of Tiger Roar, a quasi-first-tier organization affiliated with Epoch, and the leader of Mystic Gate, a medium-sized organization affiliated with Meridian Gate, have both been here. They probably have already gathered all the information they need.”

Shi Jin arranged his tiles and replied, “Epoch and Meridian Gate are more impatient than I expected. They were probably intimidated by the armed helicopters flying around the area earlier and the attention I got from calling an Air Force officer ‘Fourth Brother.’ Let them speculate. The more they talk about me, the less they’ll focus on Lian Jun.

“But is it appropriate to directly reveal Jun-shao’s physical discomfort like this?” Gua Two asked.

“Yes, the more straightforward the truth, the less likely those individuals will believe it. Right now, they’re probably speculating why Lian Jun isn’t attending the conference this time, and instead sent me, this ‘young master,’ over. They might even be thinking that some conspiracy is brewing,” Shi Jin replied with a smile playing on his lips, a hint of cunning in his demeanor.

Gua Two nodded, his tone turning mocking. “You’re right. Those who lick blood from the edge of a knife are the people least likely to believe the truth when it’s presented to them… I’ll make sure they pay closer attention to the winds over there.”

‘Over there’ refers to Lu Shan. Shi Jin nodded, then changed the subject. He turned to look at Xiang Aoting, who had been quietly standing behind him the whole time, and said cheerfully, “Fourth Brother, I’ll teach you how to play. Have you played this before?”

Xiang Aoting had heard Shi Jin’s entire conversation with Gua Two, and felt a complicated mix of emotions. Seeing him now, seemingly unaware of the danger and displaying an innocently happy demeanor, Xiang Aoting couldn’t help but reach out and pat his head, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Shi Jin was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and nodded, saying, “I know, Fourth Brother is the most formidable.”

Bang!

Li Jiuzheng angrily threw down a tile in frustration.

“Pung.” Fei Yujing didn’t hesitate to claim his tile.

Gua Two glanced at the two of them and silently lit a candle for them in his heart. Obviously, among the three older brothers present, Shi Jin clearly favored the fourth elder brother. Even before the game started, Fei Yujing and Li Jiuzheng had already lost.

If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.

It was clearly against regulations for military personnel in their uniforms to play mahjong on the official conference ship. In order to avoid trouble, Xiang Aoting ultimately chose not to join the card table, and instead sat behind Shi Jin and watched him play for a while. However, even just this gesture was enough to stir up the other organization leaders, sparking discussions and suspicions.

People who went to inquire about the news from Zhang Zhuoyuan came and went in waves. Those who passed by the lounge also came and went, creating a continuous flow of activity. In just one afternoon, it became known among all the leaders of the criminal organizations that this year, only a deputy leader from Annihilation had been sent to the conference. Furthermore, news of the close relationship between this deputy leader and an Air Force commander has spread rapidly. They discussed this matter, speculated about Shi Jin’s background, guessed the motive behind Lian Jun’s absence from this year’s conference, and interpreted the significance of Shi Jin’s various actions. Their were imaginations endless.

Among them, Lu Shan, as an ‘enemy’ who had kidnapped Shi Jin before, naturally received inquiries from ‘allies.’

“Shi Jin’s background is very complicated. Lian Jun does indeed value him a lot, no, it’s not just valuing, Lian Jun can be said to be infatuated with him.” Lu Shan commented with a sarcastic tone mixed with resentment. “Daring to bite me like that, Lian Jun deserves to die!”

The old grudge between Tarantula and Annihilation was well known to other organizations. On the other end of the call, Meng Qing pondered for a few seconds upon hearing this, then asked, {What do you mean by Shi Jin having a complicated background?}

“It means exactly what it says. After the incident in G Province, everyone should have investigated Shi Jin’s background. But you didn’t find anything significant, did you?”

Meng Qing responded: {Indeed, he seems to have suddenly appeared in the country, and the name he’s using should be his real name. But his information is even more obscure and difficult to trace than that of Gua One and his team, who uses code names.}

“He does have a code name. The new generation of Gua Four in Annihilation is him. He also attended last year’s conference. He’s the guy who pushed the wheelchair for Lian Jun. You probably didn’t pay much attention to him.”

Meng Qing was a little surprised. He did remember Lian Jun bringing a young newcomer to the conference last year, but at the time, he hadn’t noticed anything special about this newcomer. In less than a year, from newcomer to deputy leader, what ability does this Shi Jin really have?

“And also, the reason you couldn’t dig up Shi Jin’s background isn’t because Lian Jun protected him too well, but because his father hid him too deeply in the past. Haven’t you always wondered why I suddenly moved against him? It’s because I got word that the Shi Jin beside Lian Jun is none other than the youngest son of Shi Xingrui, the former CEO of Ruixing Corporation abroad. His status is not lower than some organization leaders.”

Meng Qing frowned deeply and asked: {What did you say, Ruixing?}

“It’s Ruixing. When I captured him back then, it was to confirm this news, but I ended up falling into my own trap. I found it strange before. How could Lian Jun suddenly bring along a new guy who looks so green? Now I understand. Partner? It’s laughable. He’s probably just a pawn, right? Ruixing’s such a big company. It would be very useful.” Lu Shan’s tone was mocking, filled with malicious speculation and belittling of Lian Jun.

Meng Qing pondered her words for a moment, extracted the information from it, and then asked after a while: {Why didn’t you mention this news earlier?}

Lu Shan honestly replied, “At first, it was distrust. Later on, I didn’t think much of it. So what if it’s Ruixing? It’s just a relatively big company, not much of a threat to us. Our target is Lian Jun. Paying too much attention to this little guy is putting the cart before the horse. Besides, the current head of Ruixing isn’t him but his elder brother, Shi Weichong.”

{But Lian Jun still sent him to attend the conference,} Meng Qing said with a cautious tone. {This Shi Jin also seems to have gotten quite close to the new Air Force Commander Xiang, who arrived this year. We need to quickly clarify the relationship between the two of them.}

Seeing that he was really digging into it, Lu Shan felt happy in her heart but kept a dissatisfied expression on her face as she said, “Meng Qing, don’t you think we should focus more on why Lian Jun didn’t attend the conference? No matter how complicated Shi Jin’s background is, he’s just a rich kid. The reason he has a place here is because Lian Jun values him. There’s really no need for everyone to focus too much attention on him.”

Meng Qing was a bit conceited and couldn’t stand being contradicted. With Lu Shan’s remarks, he became even more determined to investigate Shi Jin. He said: {Shi Jin is very likely another pawn of Lian Jun’s. Lian Jun never does anything without purpose. Moreover, if Shi Jin really is the young master from Ruixing, then we’ll have something to work with at tomorrow’s conference.}

Lu Shan’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this and asked, “What do you mean?”

Meng Qing, however, didn’t respond. Instead, he said: {I’ll contact Qi Yun, and you get in touch with Yuan Peng. We need to have a small meeting.} With that, he hung up the phone.

Lu Shan looked at the phone after the call ended, tapped her finger to its back, and chuckled coldly, “Arrogant fool!”

Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!

On the official ship, Shi Jin put down his phone and looked at Gua Two, who was sitting beside him, saying, “They’ve indeed started digging deep into my background, and they’re speculating that there’s a conspiracy behind Lian Jun’s decision to send me to the conference. It’s working quite well.”

Gua Two frowned and asked, “Is it alright? Won’t this implicate Ruixing?”

Shi Jin reassured, “It’s okay. After the conference ends, they won’t have time to care about me anymore. Right now, Ruixing isn’t the focus. The key point is the relationship between me and my Fourth Brother. They wouldn’t want to see a ‘marriage’ between Annihilation and the official forces.”

Marriage.

Gua Two was amused by his choice of words and said, “You always have quite an imagination… Get some rest soon, tomorrow won’t be as easy.”

Shi Jin nodded and smiled at him. “I know, thank you. You should rest early too.” After seeing him off, he glanced at the progress bar for Lian Jun, a hint of fatigue showing on his face.

If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.

Shi Jin woke up early the next day without any dreams. He changed into his combat uniform—a retro-style three-piece plaid suit, adorned with the gold-rimmed sophisticated glasses provided by Fei Yujing. After arranging his accessories, he, along with Gua Two and the others, went to the deck. He sat beside Zhang Zhuoyuan and assumed the posture of helping him manage the scene.

Zhang Zhuoyuan’s mouth twitched as he glanced at the chair Shi Jin was sitting on. He placed his hand to steady his overstimulated heart and asked, “Why did you sit down?” And where the hell did you bring this chair from!

Shi Jin looked up at him strangely and asked, “Didn’t I see Lian Jun also sitting and presiding over last year’s conference? Can’t I sit?”

“Lian Jun was in a wheelchair!” Zhang Zhuoyuan gritted his teeth.

Shi Jin frowned: “Then do you want me to sit in a wheelchair too? It’s not impossible, but I didn’t bring one…”

“I want you to stand up! Stand up!” Zhang Zhuoyuan’s voice couldn’t help but raise.

Gua Two immediately took a step forward and smiled, “Director Zhang, it seems like your voice is a bit loud. Everyone around you is looking over.”

Now was the time for each organization’s ships to help each other in setting up gangways. There were indeed many people around. Zhang Zhuoyuan heard Gua Two’s warning and felt a little startled. He suppressed his irritation and politely said, “Mr. Shi, everyone is standing, isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to be sitting alone?”

“It does seem to be the case.” Shi Jin stood up very amiably and gestured for Gua Two to move the chair away. He then obediently stood by Zhang Zhuoyuan’s side.

Zhang Zhuoyuan breathed a sigh of relief and felt that Shi Jin, although young and somewhat unreliable, was not beyond redemption and could still be communicated with.

“Fourth Brother! Fourth Brother, why are you standing outside the captain’s cabin! Come down and stand with me!” Shi Jin suddenly raised his hand and waved enthusiastically towards Xiang Aoting, who was standing outside the captain’s cabin, and greeted him warmly.

Swish, swish swish. Countless scorching gazes fell on Shi Jin and Xiang Aoting, sweeping back and forth.

Zhang Zhuoyuan’s heart shrank, feeling like he was suffocating— he missed that steady and reliable Lian Jun very much, extremely so!

Standing besides Xiang Aoting, Liu Zhenjun’s eyes flickered as he casually glanced around at the ships of several major organizations nearby. He remarked, “Commander Xiang, your younger brother is quite lively.”

Xiang Aoting looked helpless and said, “That’s just his nature… Admiral, excuse me.” After speaking, he left the captain’s cabin and went to the deck, standing next to Shi Jin.

Shi Jin was extremely happy and immediately started chatting with him incessantly.

What a picture of cheerful brotherly conversation.

“Mr. Shi, could you please try to be a bit more low-key?” Zhang Zhuoyuan pleaded desperately.

Shi Jin glanced at him and reluctantly took off the diamond watch, saying, “Is this better?” Then he lifted Xiang Aoting’s wrist and put the watch on him.

Zhang Zhuoyan: “……” That’s not what I meant by low-key, you bastard!

Ah, my heart is so tired, I feel like jumping into the sea.

Half an hour later, with the gangways set up, the conference was about to begin. The leaders of various organizations boarded the ship one after another. Liu Zhenjun also came down from the captain’s cabin and stood next to Zhang Zhuoyuan.

Still standing with Xiang Aoting, Shi Jin’s gaze openly swept over the leaders of various organizations coming and going, like a young master out to see the world and enjoy the spectacles. From time to time, he would whisper a few words to Xiang Aoting.

When the leaders of other organizations saw his actions, the suspicions in their hearts became heavier.

When Lu Shan boarded the ship, Shi Jin clearly glanced at her, his eyes unwavering. Lu Shan’s mouth twitched, displaying disdain and dislike towards him, she gave him a “kind” look before turning her head to ignore him.

“It seems like the deputy leader of Annihilation still remembers the grudge you held against him when you kidnapped him,” Yuan Peng, who had walked up beside Lu Shan at some point, suddenly spoke, his tone somewhat peculiar.

Lu Shan glanced at him and warned, “Don’t think that just because Qi Yun spoke a few good words for you that you can do as you please. Behave yourself, I brought you into this alliance, don’t come and stir up trouble with me.”

Yuan Peng’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he wore a smile on his face as he said, “I was just joking.”

Meng Qing and Qi Yun, the last to board the ship, saw the scene of Lu Shan and Yuan Peng talking to each other. One frowned and the other raised an eyebrow, then they both very tactfully averted their gaze, and proactively approached and greeted Zhang Zhuoyuan and Shi Jin together.

Shi Jin politely returned the greeting, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Meng Qing and Qi Yun. Whether it was out of sheer boldness or deliberate rudeness was unclear.

“I wonder how Mr. Lian’s health is?” Qi Yun, the leader of Epoch, who had a rather refined appearance and who was barely forty years old, took the initiative to bring up the topic, his attitude gentle and casual, as if engaging in ordinary small talk.

Shi Jin smiled and replied: “Quite well, just a bit thin. Before I left, he was reluctant to get out of bed. I’m sure these past few days while I’ve been away, he’s been picky about eating again and skipping meals. It’s worrying.”

Lian Jun? Lazing in bed? Picky eater?

Qi Yun’s smile was dry as he scrutinized Shi Jin’s expression and for a moment, he was unable to discern whether he was joking or answering seriously.

“Mr. Shi and Commander Xiang seem to have a good relationship. Are you old acquaintances?” Meng Qing, whose appearance was rather rugged, but whose demeanor had settled due to nearing his fifties, casually interjected into the conversation with a smile, appearing nonchalant as if it was just a trivial question.

Shi Jin looked at him, not avoiding the question, and proudly patted Xiang Aoting’s shoulder, saying, “We’re not old acquaintances. Commander Xiang here is my real brother.”

Xiang Aoting allowed Shi Jin to pat him and nodded towards Meng Qing and Qi Yun, saying, “My brother doesn’t have much experience attending conferences, so I hope you two seniors can take care of him more.” Implicitly, his words meant that you old hands should not bully my younger brother, who is new to this.

Blood brothers?!

Meng Qing and Qi Yun looked back and forth at the serious expressions of Shi Jin and Xiang Aoting, feeling as if a thunderbolt had struck their minds, sparking countless thoughts instantly— Isn’t Shi Jin supposed to be the young master of Ruixing? Doesn’t he only have one brother, Shi Weichong? How could Xiang Aoting be his blood brother? Is Shi Jin’s statement true or false? If it’s true, does Lian Jun know about Shi Jin’s relationship with Xiang Aoting? Why did Xiang Aoting come to this conference this year? Is Lian Jun’s decision to send Shi Jin related to Xiang Aoting? Or is Xiang Aoting’s presence related to Shi Jin’s attendance? If it’s false, why would Shi Jin lie? Or did Lu Shan misunderstand, and this Shi Jin isn’t the young master of Ruixing?

Shi Jin met their gaze and pretended not to notice their internal turmoil, smiling back with a faux “greeting,” he asked, “By the way, it seems that Mr. Meng and Mr. Qi have a good relationship. Are you two also old acquaintances?”

Meng Qing and Qi Yun were surprised in their hearts and couldn’t help but think more about it— What did Shi Jin mean by this? Was he just making casual conversation, or did Lian Jun realize something, prompting him to come over and pretend to feign ignorance to test them? Is this Shi Jin genuinely naive, or is he playing dumb while hiding his true intentions?

The more they thought about it, the more they felt that Shi Jin’s expressions, behavior, and language carried deeper meanings. Finally, Qi Yun was the first to come to his senses. He smiled in response, “So you two are brothers, no wonder you get along so well. Meng Qing and I see each other at the conference every year, so I suppose you could say we’re old acquaintances. The conference is about to start, Mr. Shi, excuse me.” With that, he nodded towards Shi Jin, Xiang Aoting, Zhang Zhuoyuan, and the others, then turned and walked towards the conference room.

Meng Qing gathered his thoughts, took a step back, and bid farewell. His gaze swept over Xiang Aoting and Shi Jin before he left as well.

Shi Jin watched them leave and chuckled lightly, his expression ambiguous.

“What’s wrong?” Xiang Aoting asked, his brows furrowed, clearly displeased with the way those people were sizing up Shi Jin.

“I just find it amusing how they scare themselves,” Shi Jin replied, adjusting his suit with one hand before turning to Xiang Aoting. “Fourth Brother, thanks for coming. You saved me a lot of trouble.” Then, he turned to look at Zhang Zhuoyuan and warmly invited him, “Director, the conference is about to start. Let’s go in.”

Zhang Zhuoyuan glanced at him, his eyes completely devoid of spirit—he couldn’t believe that Shi Jin had been so candid about his close relationship with Xiang Aoting. How could Shi Jin be so loose-lipped? He couldn’t imagine how the upcoming review of last year’s activities would be twisted by Shi Jin. It’s over… This year’s conference is completely ruined.

If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.

Extra: Postscript

Reporter: Please evaluate your Fourth Brother.

Shi Jin: Very useful.

Xiang Aoting: ???

Translator’s Notes

“those who lick blood from the edge of a knife”– Accustomed to violence and bloodshed.
“pung” – Also, called peng. According to google, “If you have two-of-a-kind in your hand, and another player at any point in the game discards a matching tile that would enable you to complete your set of three, say “pung” and before anyone has a chance to react, reach over and add the tile to your hand.”

Translator: GoldBerry

GoldBerry:

Me: I wonder when the translator will post again.

Me: Oh wait, that’s me! Rushes to finish this.

For real though, I’m sorry for this chapter being quite late. Some of you know, I had midterms in the past few weeks. I was so stressed that I kept staying up for days and one day, I literally passed out asleep for a whole day ╥﹏╥

To top it off, we picked up our weekly clinicals and I have to keep getting up by 6 AM.

Anyways, I apologize once more and hope you enjoy this chapter. Updates shall be regular once again ( ノ ^o^)ノ …hopefully…