Death Progress Bar 143
Invitation
Summer vacation was meant for enjoyment. On his third day back in B City, Shi Jin took the initiative to invite Liu Yong and Luo Donghao out to hang out. Liu Yong and Luo Donghao were greatly surprised. Liu Yong even panicked and asked if Shi Jin had been possessed, shouting and clamoring for quite a while before excitedly accepting Shi Jin’s invitation.
After making the arrangements with them, Shi Jin went to find Lian Jun to tell him about going out to play.
Lian Jun was handling work. Hearing this request, he was visibly startled for a moment and asked, “You’re going out?”
“Mhm. Donghao and the others have been asking me out for a long time, but I’ve never gone out with them, which felt quite embarrassing. Since everyone is free during summer break, I thought I’d invite them out to get together,” Shi Jin answered, then reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful about my safety, and I’ll disguise my face properly.”
Lian Jun glanced at the going-out outfit Shi Jin was wearing, set down his documents, and asked to confirm, “You’ve already set a time?”
“Yep, we agreed to meet up at Liu Yong’s family’s bowling alley first. After playing for a bit, we’ll get lunch, and in the afternoon we’ll play a live-action laser tag and paintball fight. If we can’t make it back tonight, we’ll stay over there for the night.” Shi Jin recounted the itinerary in detail, then leaned his hands on the desk, tilting forward to look at Lian Jun, and asked expectantly, “Can I go?”
Facing Shi Jin, who looked so full of expectation and had already made plans and detailed arrangements with his friends, how could Lian Jun possibly say no? However, this was only Shi Jin’s third day back from abroad. To be honest, he couldn’t bear to let Shi Jin leave for an entire day, and he felt immensely unaccustomed to a situation like this.
In all the time they had spent together, Shi Jin had never abandoned him to go out and play alone when they had just reunited after being apart. No— to be precise, Shi Jin had not only never voluntarily left him behind to go play, but whenever Lian Jun actively offered to let him go out and have fun, Shi Jin would decisively refuse and stubbornly stick by his side.
But now Shi Jin was proposing to go out alone— just one day after they reunited, shortly after ending a sweet date, and not long after Lian Jun had finally abandoned his wheelchair… Was it because Lian Jun had basically recovered, so Shi Jin felt he no longer needed to keep watch over him constantly and wanted to have his own life?
Lian Jun thought about many things, though he showed none of it on his face, and said, “Of course you can go. But it’s best to take someone with you, as well as a locator and an alarm. Although Meng Qing’s attention has been drawn to C City by our distraction, it’s summer break now, and his people might shift their gaze back to B City.”
Bring someone along?
Shi Jin looked a bit conflicted and negotiated, “I really will be very careful. Can I not bring anyone? Donghao and the others would find it strange, and I’m afraid they wouldn’t feel relaxed…”
Lian Jun hadn’t expected Shi Jin to actually oppose his suggestion, freezing again. The feeling of uneasiness in his heart grew stronger, and he replied, “This is for your safety… I will only have someone follow you from a distance without acting alongside you, guaranteeing your friends won’t notice. Is that okay? Shi Jin, I’m not at ease with you going out alone.”
With things said to this point, Shi Jin couldn’t refuse any further. He reluctantly agreed to this backup plan, then leaned forward to give Lian Jun a kiss, saying, “Then I’m heading out! Remember to eat properly, I’ll bring you back a gift!” Saying that, he smiled at Lian Jun and turned around to leave with expectant, joyful steps.
Lian Jun watched him leave, raising a hand to touch the spot where he had been kissed. Staring at the study door, an empty feeling gradually settled in his heart. He had originally planned to finish up his work quickly today and spend some quality time playing mahjong with Shi Jin— after all, Shi Jin used to cling to him so much… No, he shouldn’t think like that. Before, Shi Jin had sacrificed far too much to take care of him. He couldn’t keep tying Shi Jin down as before. Seeing Shi Jin willing to step out and enjoy the break like an ordinary student was something he should feel happy about.
Knock, knock.
The study door was suddenly knocked on. Returning to his senses, Lian Jun gathered his thoughts and called out for them to enter.
Gua One pushed the door open and entered, reporting, “Jun-shao, Shi-shao has left. I have arranged for Gua Three to protect him.”
He’s already gone? So in a hurry.
Lian Jun frowned slightly, hummed in acknowledgment, and picked up his documents to continue working.
“In addition, word just came from below that there’s movement in C City. Meng Qing’s people likely discovered that Fei Yujing returned to the country and vanished, so they re-focused their sights back domestically. Following the clues we planted, they traced their way to the fake Shi Jin and seem to be plotting something,” Gua One continued to report.
Lian Jun’s expression instantly went cold. Putting down his files, he asked, “What has the fake Shi Jin been doing lately?”
Gua One pulled out a document and replied, “Just like an ordinary university student. As soon as break started, he went out playing every day, attending various class reunions and activities. When Fei Yujing got into trouble, he created the false illusion of going abroad to visit him per orders, then stayed quiet for a while until Fei Yujing arrived on our side, after which he resumed external activities according to orders.”
Hearing the words “ordinary university student,” Lian Jun’s fingers curled reflexively. After thinking it over, he said, “Have him head toward Rong City under the pretense of visiting Li Jiuzheng, exposing a flaw to lure Meng Qing’s men into taking action. Figure out Meng Qing’s personnel arrangements as quickly as possible, lay a trap for them on the road, and wipe them out in one fell swoop.”
“Yes!” Gua One acknowledged and turned around to make the arrangements.
“Wait.” Lian Jun called out to stop him again, saying, “Give me that document.”
The document?
Gua One looked down at the file in his hand recording the fake Shi Jin’s vacation activities, looked up at Lian Jun, and stepped forward to place the file in front of him.
Lian Jun casually tossed the file to the side and further instructed, “Tell Gua Eight and Gua Ten to speed up wrapping up the business integration. Once finished, have them immediately withdraw to the MZ branch and prepare to wage a business war against an organization like Meridian Gate.”
Hearing this, Gua One’s expression turned solemn as he asked, “Is it about to start?”
“If Meng Qing suffers another setback at our hands, he should realize he’s been trapped in the snare Shi Jin and I laid all along, and he won’t be able to sit still any longer. Furthermore, nearly three months have passed since the conference; the four-family alliance has stabilized, and the heat from the shipping route incident has mostly blown over. It’s time for them to make a move.” Lian Jun answered, tapping his fingers on the desktop before asking, “What has Zhang Zhuoyuan been up to lately?”
“He’s busy with the cleanup operation targeting illegal violent organizations in the Northeast region.”
“Inform him to contact me once he’s finished.”
Gua One assented.
Lian Jun signaled for him to leave. Leaning back against his chair, he turned his head toward the document detailing the fake Shi Jin’s vacation movements. After pondering for a few seconds, he reached out and picked it up.
—What do ordinary university students do during vacation?
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
Shi Jin was thrilled. The moment he stepped out of the sanatorium, he pulled out his phone, opened his notes app, and began reviewing his list of “harmonious-unfriendly items” he had compiled the night before. That’s right— hanging out with Liu Yong and the others was just a front; going out to purchase “tools” was his true goal!
When two men do it, extra care needs to be taken. Lian Jun was in frail health, so Shi Jin had to be thoroughly prepared.
Xiao Si felt somewhat hopeless at his enthusiasm and advised once more, <Jinjin, for this kind of thing, it’s better to let Darling send someone to buy it. You don’t need to go in person…>
“No way. Anything used on Lian Jun must be hand-picked by me personally,” Shi Jin refused sternly.
Xiao Si was choked into silence— things used on Lian Jun… how do you even dare say such things out loud?
It was in agony, so much so that it wanted to crash its system. Last night, after Shi Jin arrived at that terrifying conclusion, he instantly became excited and ignored all of its advice, tapping away furiously on his phone to search online, before quickly locking in today’s outing plan!
Having witnessed Shi Jin’s entire search process, it felt its pure mind suffered tons of damage— how could people on the internet be so shameless! Types and choices of condom-X, types of lube-X, tutorials on using prop-X… they really dared to discuss anything, and what was even scarier was that Shi Jin actually believed everything he read!
While it suffered, Shi Jin was still drawing up detailed plans, his mental abacus clicking away furiously: “Once I buy everything back, I’ll use the excuse that B City’s summer is too hot and staying cooped up in air-conditioned rooms isn’t good for recovery to borrow Aunt Lu’s resort villa, then have Lian Jun take me up the mountain to escape the heat! As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place— who would ever guess Lian Jun is staying at Lu Shan’s summer villa! Most importantly, last year at the villa Lian Jun almost did ‘that’ with me. This location is great; I must make good use of it!”
Xiao Si: <……> Although it really wanted to watch Darling and Jinjin make babies, this method of making them… boo-hoo-hoo.
If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.
Liu Yong’s family’s bowling alley was located in a newly built commercial district in B City. It was medium-sized and equipped with a gym, tennis courts, an internet cafe, pool tables, and other facilities, serving as a comprehensive recreational complex catering mainly to young people.
After meeting up with Liu Yong, Shi Jin was given a tour around the place. The more he saw, the more he liked it, and he couldn’t help punching Liu Yong playfully, saying, “You guy, you basically grew up in paradise! You always say your family only runs a small business— is this what you call a small business?”
“No, no, my family only made its fortune in recent years. Back when we were hustling in our hometown, the business really was tiny,” Liu Yong replied humbly before adding, “By the way, when my parents heard that the friend who helped me out in military training was coming, they specifically cooked up a spread at home. How about having lunch at my place later? It’s right in a residential area nearby, super close.”
“No problem!” Shi Jin agreed immediately. Without waiting for Luo Donghao to arrive, he dragged Liu Yong into the bowling alley to start playing.
Half an hour later, Luo Donghao arrived, and to everyone’s surprise, he drove his own car.
Overwhelmed with envy and jealousy, Liu Yong ran downstairs and circled Luo Donghao’s new car several times, grumbling indignantly, “You sneaky guy actually went and got your driver’s license behind our backs! Dammit, I wasn’t old enough last year, and now that I’m old enough this year, I don’t have time to take the test. Who knows what year I’ll finally get to drive my own car.”
“You can sign up first, practice driving on weekend breaks, and schedule your test during a major holiday once you’re comfortable. As long as you don’t fail, you can get your license within a single semester— that’s how I did it,” Luo Donghao suggested, then turned to Shi Jin and greeted, “You’re back from abroad. How’s your brother doing?”
On the first day of break, Shi Jin had left the country. Liu Yong and Luo Donghao had invited him out in between, and he had honestly explained that he was abroad taking care of his brother.
Shi Jin answered with a smile, “He’s recovered now. Thanks for asking.”
After exchanging pleasantries, the three went upstairs to continue playing. Shi Jin had brought gifts for them this time— two classic fighter jet models unobtainable domestically and two drones. Once Luo Donghao arrived, Shi Jin took out the gifts and handed them over.
Liu Yong was thrilled beyond measure. He insisted on dragging them to an open spot to fly the drones for a while, and only when lunchtime arrived did he reluctantly pack things up and lead the two to his house for lunch.
Liu Yong’s parents were very generous and warm-hearted, much like Liu Yong himself. Since Liu Yong frequently talked about Shi Jin’s glorious deeds at home, Papa Liu felt an instant affinity with Shi Jin, chatting non-stop once he started and almost dragging Shi Jin to drink alcohol with him.
After a lively and warm meal, according to plan, the three were set to head to the laser tag and paintball club. Since Luo Donghao brought a car, they decided to drive there themselves. As the car drove out of Liu Yong’s residential complex, Shi Jin coughed embarrassedly and said, “Um, I want to go to one more place first.”
Liu Yong asked in confusion, “Where to?”
Too embarrassed to say it out loud, Shi Jin replied, “You’ll know when we get there. Donghao, I’ll send you the location.”
Half an hour later, Liu Yong and Luo Donghao stood in front of a shop with a strange signboard. Watching Shi Jin walk in with a calm expression, they exchanged glances and silently backed away a few meters from the storefront.
Liu Yong marvelled dryly: “The world of couples… sure is colorful…”
Luo Donghao: “Mm.”
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
On the way to the club, the atmosphere in the car remained awkward. Eventually, Shi Jin couldn’t stand it first and said, “This is what the adult world is like; you guys need to get used to it.”
Liu Yong broke character and punched him in jealousy, saying, “You talk as if Donghao and I are still kids! Just you wait, sooner or later I’ll get into a relationship too, and then I’ll flaunt my romance right in front of you to blind your eyes!”
Shi Jin teased him with a smile, “I’m looking forward to that day. Good luck!”
Luo Donghao was rendered speechless by their mindless banter, but he couldn’t help chuckling as well.
If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.
At the sanatorium, Gua Three was reporting Shi Jin’s movements to Lian Jun: {Shi-shao spent the morning playing at his friend’s bowling alley, had lunch at his friend’s house, then visited a shopping street for a casual stroll with his friends. Right now, he is driving towards the paintball club with them.}
Lian Jun asked, “Does he seem happy?”
Gua Three was startled by the question and gave a conservative reply: {He should be happy; Shi-shao has had a smile on his face the whole time.}
Has a smile on his face the whole time… Lian Jun hung up the call. Flipping through his empty text inbox and call logs, he frowned slightly and placed the phone aside: “Didn’t even call back during lunch.” Was he completely unconcerned with whether Lian Jun was eating properly?
He picked up his files, trying to force himself to focus on work, but ended up unable to read a single word. After hesitating for a moment, he picked up his phone again.
Buzz buzz. A text message just happened to come through from Shi Jin. His fingers tightened as he hurriedly opened it.
Shi Jin: [Donghao said the club has a ‘Treasure Night’ event tonight, so I won’t be coming back tonight. See you tomorrow! Remember to eat well and go to sleep on time.]
Thump!
Lian Jun couldn’t help slamming his phone face-down onto the desk.
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
To make up for neglecting his two good friends, upon arriving at the club, Shi Jin threw himself completely into the game. Leading Luo Donghao and Liu Yong, he dominated the matches in the club, and ultimately, with a team of only three, won first place in the Treasure Night event! He helped Luo Donghao win a free VIP annual membership card and a chance to claim any firearm of his choice for free with a gun permit.
Liu Yong roared with excitement, while Luo Donghao was too thrilled to speak. In the end, both pounced on Shi Jin, wrestling and celebrating together in a heap.
The laughter and clamor of the three echoed around. Staying in the adjacent lounge, Gua Three twirled his phone with a headache: “How am I supposed to report to Jun-shao in a bit? Say that Shi-shao is having so much fun at the club that he forgets to return home? Jun-shao’s tone earlier did not sound good at all.”
The club events didn’t wrap up until 3:00 AM. With Shi Jin’s attention absorbed in gaming, he naturally didn’t make any bedtime call to Lian Jun that night. Lian Jun lay alone in his wide bed, tossing and turning through the night without falling asleep.
If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.
Having slept so late the night before, Shi Jin and his friends didn’t wake up until noon. After grabbing a quick lunch, they exited the club and walked toward the parking lot.
“Should we go play something else this afternoon? It’s rare for Shi Jin to come out,” Liu Yong suggested while yawning.
Luo Donghao agreed that it was a good idea and said, “How about going to see a movie?”
Liu Yong said disdainfully, “Watching movies is so boring. Shi Jin, is there anything you want to do?”
Shi Jin actually felt like going back. Just as he was about to speak, his peripheral vision caught sight of a familiar car parked near the outer area of the parking lot. He froze for a moment, then abruptly stopped in his tracks, staring incredulously at the car and re-checking its license plate multiple times.
Noticing that he had suddenly stopped, Liu Yong and Luo Donghao looked back at him in confusion. Seeing him staring intently at a car, they shifted their gaze over as well. Liu Yong asked, “Shi Jin, why are you staring at that car? Why did you stop?”
The moment those words left his mouth, a soft click sounded. Under their gaze, the rear door of the car opened from the inside, and a leg stepped out.
There was actually someone inside the car they were staring at! Startled, Liu Yong hastily looked away and tugged on Shi Jin.
Shi Jin’s eyes widened, his gaze glued to that spot. Spotting that familiar leg, he couldn’t help gasping— it really was Lian Jun’s car! How could Lian Jun be here? Could Lian Jun have discovered that he secretly bought those X-rated items and stayed up late playing laser tag, coming all this way to catch him red-handed?
Liu Yong grew increasingly puzzled: “Shi Jin, what on earth is wrong with you? Stop staring, it’s impolite.”
The next second, the car door opened fully. Lian Jun bent down to step out of the car, straightened his tall frame, and raised his eyes to look over.
“Shi Jin,” he spoke, closing the car door behind him. As he moved, the diamond ring on his finger reflected a soft, deep-blue shimmer under the sunlight, dazzling to the eyes. “I’m here to pick you up.”
He was dressed somewhat formally today. His jet-black hair was combed back, revealing his handsome, full forehead. On top, he wore a dark striped shirt with the top two buttons undone and sleeves rolled up, displaying the elegant contours of his forearms and attractive hands. On the bottom, he wore black suit trousers whose crisp tailoring subtly masked his slender leg shape, making his legs look remarkably long and handsome. Standing there tall and slender, he looked as if a model from an artist’s canvas had come to life.
Huh? So it’s someone Shi Jin knows?
Liu Yong froze, looking toward the car again. Seeing Lian Jun clearly now, he also couldn’t help taking a sharp breath.
The temperature today was high and the sun burned intensely, giving anyone standing in the sun the illusion that their skin was melting. Yet looking at Lian Jun, Liu Yong felt that this tall, slender man with fair, glowing skin and strikingly dark hair and eyes seemed to still be living in winter. Staring at him, Liu Yong almost hallucinated the faint scent of winter snow wafting off his figure.
He was an exceptionally attractive man. An ordinary set of dark shirt and trousers on him looked filled with unique elegance and charm. Furthermore, his aura was distinct— his voice was gentle, and his expression wasn’t particularly cold, yet one could not shake the feeling that he was hard to approach, and even… a bit dangerous.
Liu Yong’s small-animal instincts told him not to look Lian Jun in the face, so he began frantically tugging at Shi Jin and asked in a low whisper, “Who is this? Is he here for you?”
Shi Jin had actually been stunned by Lian Jun’s appearance today as well. Snapping back to reality when Liu Yong pulled him, he quickly replied, “This is my boyfriend.” He then stepped forward to meet Lian Jun, asking guiltily yet joyfully, “How did you think of picking me up? When did you arrive? Did you eat lunch? Why didn’t you call me beforehand?”
Lian Jun glanced from the corner of his eye at Liu Yong and Luo Donghao standing not far away. Reaching out to hold Shi Jin’s hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed it naturally, replying, “I missed you, so I came.”
Wow.
Liu Yong opened his mouth in exaggeration, stunned speechless: “Turns out I was too ignorant! Shi Jin’s boyfriend is really… How can someone be this good-looking! I clearly saw a side profile of him once before and was deeply impressed, but I didn’t even recognize him just now!” It felt almost like two completely different people.
Luo Donghao was also somewhat dazed. He hadn’t expected that the lover Shi Jin constantly talked about— who was supposedly in poor health and required quiet recuperation, preventing Shi Jin from going out during holidays— would look like this in person.
He felt it was quite different from what he had imagined— more… he didn’t know how to put it, but definitely not the gentle, mild-mannered image he had pictured.
While the two were staring in daze, Lian Jun had finished exchanging words with Shi Jin and walked over together. Stopping two steps away from them with a polite, flawless smile, he proactively reached out his hand and introduced himself: “Hello. I am Lian Jun, Shi Jin’s fiancé. Thank you both for taking care of Shi Jin at school.”
Fiancé?
Liu Yong was stunned, then nervously shook his hand, responding with a hesitant “Hello.”
Standing by the side watching Lian Jun exchange pleasantries with Liu Yong and Luo Donghao in a gentle, ordinary manner, Shi Jin felt the hairs on his back stand up in terror. He frantically poked Xiao Si in his mind: “Why do I feel like Lian Jun is acting strange? Is he angry? Is he mad? Did the people following behind me really tell Lian Jun about me entering that kind of shop yesterday to buy stuff and staying up all night playing games?!”
Xiao Si played dead, refusing to pay him any attention.
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
Translator: GoldBerry
