Death Progress Bar 146
Fishing
On the night they moved into the mountain resort, Shi Jin was forced to thoroughly enjoy the hot spring pool. Naturally, he woke up late the next morning. Lian Jun was not in the room. Sitting up, Shi Jin found that his waist was unexpectedly not very sore. Remembering the feeling of someone gently massaging his waist while he was half-asleep last night, he raised a hand and scratched his hair.
“So it wasn’t a dream… How many hours of sleep did Lian Jun even get?” he muttered, feeling a little displeased.
Although Lian Jun had basically recovered and no longer needed to strictly adhere to his previous recuperation schedule, he couldn’t afford to push himself too hard either; a baseline amount of sleep was still necessary. Don’t think he didn’t know—that ring he gave Lian Jun looked like the red string had been removed, but in reality, only the outer loop around the finger was gone; the line on the inside was still there and had even grown a layer thicker.
In other words, Lian Jun hadn’t gained much weight at all.
He had to help Lian Jun nourish his body back to health! Bedroom activities were physical labor after all; if they overdid it and Lian Jun became physically drained, what then?
Shi Jin thought about it endlessly, growing more anxious the more he pondered. He couldn’t help pulling out his phone to search for various kidney-nourishing foods.
Xiao Si felt a bit hopeless again and warned, <JinJin, whatever you do, don’t let Darling see your phone search history…> It would lead to big trouble.
Shi Jin found this completely baffling: “How could Lian Jun possibly see my search history? He respects me very much and never touches my personal belongings.”
Xiao Si thought about it and realized it was true—Lian Jun indeed never messed with Shi Jin’s things—so it put its heart back in its chest.
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
That evening, a bowl of soup clearly meant for kidney nourishment appeared in front of Lian Jun.
Xiao Si: <…> It had set its mind at ease far too early.
Lian Jun glanced at the soup, then looked at Shi Jin, who was staring straight at him with strangely bright eyes. Lian Jun asked, “You… think I can’t satisfy you?” For any man, seeing his lover set down such a bowl of soup in front of him probably wouldn’t inspire wonderful feelings.
Shi Jin was taken aback by the question, then shook his head frantically and explained, “No, I don’t think you’re incapable! You’re… cough, you’re great! I’m just worried you’ll get physically exhausted—overdoing that kind of thing really strains your body! Look, you haven’t been sleeping well either, so I wanted to feed you up a bit.”
Lian Jun looked at him deeply and asked again, “Given our current frequency of once a week, you think I’ll suffer from physical exhaustion?”
Shi Jin choked. Seeing Lian Jun’s darkening expression, he hurriedly tried to clarify: “That’s not what I meant, you misunderstand! I was just worried…”
“Let’s eat,” Lian Jun said as he suddenly picked up the soup spoon and stirred the soup in front of him. “I hear this type of soup, besides nourishing the body, carries a few side effects.”
Shi Jin suddenly felt a chill down the back of his neck.
“You should drink more too.” Lian Jun scooped a bowl of soup for Shi Jin as well, setting it before him and gently stroking his cheek. “I won’t let your kind intentions go to waste.”
Shi Jin: “…”
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On their third day at the resort, Shi Jin woke up late again. After coming to his senses, he leaned against the bed feeling weathered and, after deep reflection, said, “How could I forget that besides nourishing the kidneys, that kind of soup is also an aphrodisiac… I still prefer the gentle and earnest Lian Jun.” The wild version was too terrifying; he couldn’t handle it.
Xiao Si reminded him tactfully, <JinJin, Darling has basically recovered now. You… maybe you don’t need to be so nervous anymore. Darling is trying to gradually shed the innate shackles of being a patient. You… should help him out.>
Shi Jin froze upon hearing this. He rubbed his waist, which Lian Jun had carefully massaged again last night, and looked at the clothes Lian Jun had tidied up and placed on the nightstand ready to wear. Remembering Lian Jun’s meticulous care over the past few days, he finally understood.
Lian Jun had already entered a new chapter in his life, yet Shi Jin was still viewing him through his old lens, panicking over Lian Jun’s health at the slightest sign of wind or rustle of grass. From a certain perspective, his mindset could be considered a form of patient discrimination… Would Lian Jun feel hurt and helpless because of it?
He suddenly remembered last night after they finished, when he fought off sleepiness to hold down Lian Jun’s massaging hand and urged him to go to sleep quickly, Lian Jun had softly murmured, “I want to take care of you too.” Shi Jin rubbed his face and simply flopped back onto the bed.
No way—he had to keep pace with Lian Jun’s rhythm too.
Rolling over on the bed, he pulled out his phone and sent Lian Jun a text message.
Less than a minute later, Lian Jun pushed the door open and walked in, asking anxiously, “Why did you suddenly text me? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Shi Jin’s gaze rested on Lian Jun’s legs—which showed no trouble at all even when walking fast—and after lingering for two seconds, shifted upward to his face, which was somewhat lean but ruddy with good color. Extending a hand toward him, Shi Jin said, “Yes, I feel uncomfortable in my heart. It’s been three times now—every morning after we finish, you leave me alone in the room. I can understand that you have work to handle, but I still feel unhappy about it.”
Lian Jun was startled, then frowned slightly. He stepped forward to sit by the bedside, took the outstretched hand, and said with guilt, “I’m sorry, that was an oversight on my part.”
“Then next time, stay and sleep in with me?” Shi Jin sat up and asked.
Lian Jun stroked his hair, his lips curving up slightly, and replied, “Alright.”
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
On their seventh day at the resort, while Shi Jin was sitting by the pond fishing, he ran into Gua Nine, who came carrying his luggage to say goodbye to Lian Jun.
“Where are you off to?” Shi Jin asked, taking off his sun hat.
Gua Nine leaned over, looked into Shi Jin’s completely empty bucket that held not a single catch, and reached out his hand, saying, “Lend me your phone for a second.”
Perplexed, Shi Jin pulled out his phone and handed it over.
Gua Nine unlocked the phone, performed a few quick operations, and handed it back, saying, “Fishing is a technical skill. I searched for an online forum for you so you can pick up some tips there. Jun-shao is still waiting for me. I’m off now—enjoy your fishing.”
Shi Jin watched him leave, glanced at the fishing forum on his phone, and grumbled with a frown, “I only just sat down a moment ago, okay? It’s not like I don’t know how to fish.” Even as he said this, his knitted brow never unraveled.
An hour later, Gua Nine came out carrying his luggage and stood beside Shi Jin once more. This time, there were two big, fat fish in Shi Jin’s bucket.
“I’m off to meet up with Gua Eight and Gua Ten. Meng Qing has gotten smart and is trying to poach our major clients, so I have to go help Gua Eight and Gua Ten gather intelligence.” As Gua Nine spoke, he suddenly reached out and patted Shi Jin’s head. “When I get back, let’s go fishing together.”
“Sure thing.” Shi Jin turned back to look at him, smiling brightly as he waved his hand. “Come back early, and have a safe journey.”
Gua Nine smiled as well and said, “Shi Jin, goodbye.”
Gua Nine walked away, never turning back.
Shi Jin flicked his fishing rod, scaring away a fish that was just about to bite.
“You can’t do it like that,” Gua Two’s voice came from behind him at an unknown moment. Biting an unlit cigarette in his mouth, he said contemptuously, “With your terrible skills, every time, you’ll only catch enough for you and Jun-shao to eat. When will us subordinates ever get to taste the fish you catch?”
Shi Jin rolled his eyes toward the water’s surface: “If you want to eat, catch them yourself.”
Both fell silent. The sound of cicadas and chirping birds brushed across the water’s surface carried by the wind; leaves and grass swayed, lively yet lonely.
“Gua Nine has the cleanest background among us and the easiest path back to a normal life,” Gua Two suddenly spoke up, his tone unusually despondent. “He took over as the new Gua Nine and stayed by everyone’s side for only a few years. His hands have never been stained with human life, nor has he truly engaged in any harmful business. He always remained behind the scenes. Many big organizations don’t even know that Annihilation’s intelligence gathering genius, codenamed Gua Nine, actually has a baby face.”
Shi Jin flicked his fishing rod again without saying a word.
“I figured Jun-shao would let him leave first.” Gua Two pulled out a lighter, clicked it open, and brought it to his mouth, intending to light his cigarette. But as the flame neared, his hand slowly lost its strength. “Once we finish what needs to be done, there will be no more Gua Nine in Annihilation. This code name will become history, and the person it’s bound to will finally be free.”
“Do you miss him already?” Shi Jin asked.
Gua Two gave a soft sneer and didn’t answer.
“Do you know his real name?”
Gua Two clicked open his lighter again: “I don’t. Everyone only knows their own real details, not anyone else’s. Jun-shao instructed us never to pry into each other’s true information or plans. Once you leave, never return, and never contact anyone you knew before. Flying far away and severing ties with the past completely is the only true safety.”
Shi Jin didn’t flick his fishing rod this time. He said, “It doesn’t matter. When he finishes his work and comes back to fish with me, I’ll just ask him his real name then.”
Even though Gua Two hadn’t lit his cigarette, he acted as if he was choked by smoke. After freezing for a moment, he turned his head aside, covered the lower half of his face, and coughed thunderously. Only after taking quite a while to recover did he turn his head to look at Shi Jin’s back and ask, “Fishing? He said he’d come back to fish with you?”
“Why, is that not allowed?” Shi Jin retorted.
Gua Two’s expression shifted repeatedly before finally turning into gritted teeth. He said fiercely, “It’s allowed, of course it’s allowed… Damn that Gua Nine, tricking everyone right when he’s about to leave… Just wait till he gets back, see if I don’t smash his beloved computer to pieces!”
Having blustered out his threats, he turned around and left. Shi Jin didn’t turn around; he flicked his fishing rod once more, scaring away another fish that had approached.
Let them all leave.
He pulled down his hat, his face expressionless.
In this bucket, keeping just these two fish was enough.
If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.
Half a month later, Meridian Gate successfully poached two major clients from Annihilation. Afterwards, under the pretext of discovering, during business talks, that Annihilation was secretly building an armaments factory, they went to Zhang Zhuoyuan to file a heavy complaint against Annihilation, demanding that the authorities strip Annihilation of its official license.
Secretly constructing an armaments factory was something that even a legally armed organization was strictly forbidden from doing. On the surface, Zhang Zhuoyuan immediately treated it with gravity, putting on an air of apprehension and an intent to thoroughly investigate Annihilation, but privately he made a phone call to Lian Jun.
“He wants to drive a wedge into our relationship, sever Annihilation from its official partnership with the authorities, and deal with me alone,” Lian Jun analyzed Meng Qing’s intentions with a mocking tone. “I didn’t expect he could actually sway my clients… Don’t worry, Annihilation has definitely never built an armaments factory. Annihilation’s resources are secretly purchased through special channels, which I will separately discuss with Major General Liu later. On the surface, you should continue to show caution and distance yourself from Annihilation—we can’t stay permanently tied together either.”
Faced with his decisiveness and candor, Zhang Zhuoyuan felt both relieved and worried. He spent a long time trying to formulate his words but still didn’t know what to say, finally only offering: {Lian Jun, I hope there is no deception in our cooperation.}
Lian Jun replied, “I hope so too, Director Zhang. I can guarantee that I am not deceiving you—can you say the same?” With that, he hung up directly.
Seeing this, Shi Jin immediately set aside his tablet and leaned over, asking with a smile, “The resort kitchen sent over two wild ducks today, and I made roast duck. Do you want some?”
Lian Jun’s brows and eyes softened with warmth, and he stood up to lean close to him.
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
A few days later, the authorities indeed sent personnel to high-profilely investigate Annihilation’s operations. Meng Qing took the opportunity to follow the trail from the clients poached from Annihilation, unearthing an entire supply chain and several resource transport routes belonging to Annihilation. This dealt Annihilation a considerable blow, destroying more than half of Annihilation’s business in the MZ branch.
The frustration pent up in Meng Qing’s chest finally dissipated a little. He took the initiative to call Lu Shan, saying, “Thanks to the intelligence you provided me this time, we were able to expose Lian Jun’s true face to the authorities and deal Annihilation a heavy blow. Since we’re all allies, whenever there are harvests like this in the future, we should share them often.”
Lu Shan also softened her tone, which was rare for her: {This success was mostly due to the resource support on your end; I merely provided negligible intelligence, nothing worth mentioning. Meng Qing, don’t take offense at my harsh words a while ago; I was just anxious at the time, and you know I have a foul temper. Now that everyone can lay aside their grievances and cooperate properly, my mind is finally at ease.}
“Not at all, not at all, I was indeed a bit blind earlier,” Meng Qing enjoyed being flattered by her, so he gave her some face by reflecting slightly on himself, before shifting the topic: “So regarding the business we poached from Annihilation here…”
{My side won’t take it. Tarantula needs to keep its focus domestically now and has no energy to manage overseas matters. You were the main force this time, so I think it’s best if you take it all,} Lu Shan tactfully relinquished her claim, then added, {By the way, now that Annihilation has taken a bite, they will definitely counterattack later. Everyone, remember to be careful recently.}
Highly satisfied with her tactfulness, Meng Qing exchanged a few polite pleasantries before hanging up. After thinking it over, he turned to call Qi Yun, saying straight to the point, “She gave up her share of the profits.”
{That’s typical of her style—doesn’t put in huge effort, but doesn’t demand huge gains either, prioritizing stability above all,} Qi Yun mused, then asked, {Old Meng, how are things on Yuan Peng’s end?}
Hearing this, Meng Qing’s gaze darkened slightly, and he replied, “I don’t know what he’s up to. A while ago Zhang Zhuoyuan targeted his usury businesses, and since then he’s been quiet.”
Qi Yun picked up on the anomaly in his tone and asked, {What’s wrong?}
“Last time… when Lu Shan called me, she asked if I was egged on by Yuan Peng to move against Shi Jin. The relationship between them seems poor,” Meng Qing said, feeling suspicious. “Yuan Peng did ask me about the progress of investigating Shi Jin before and offered to help… Do you think Yuan Peng is plotting something?”
Hearing this, Qi Yun frowned as well, but spoke comforting words: {Yuan Peng probably just wants to curry favor with you. After the G-Province incident, although Lu Shan didn’t move against Snake Fang, she’s always harbored resentment against them. Yuan Peng likely knows he can’t mend ties with her, so he wants to align with you, the strongest party.}
This was music to Meng Qing’s ears. His tone stabilized, and he said with satisfaction, “In that case, I can’t just leave him out in the cold, since we’re allies after all… How about this: I’ll assign a portion of the MZ business to Snake Fang. What do you think?”
{You decide. Those were your spoils of war to begin with,} Qi Yun replied cleanly, making no attempt to claim a slice of the pie.
More satisfied than ever, Meng Qing hung up the phone and, filled with a sense of superiority and charity, dialed Yuan Peng’s number.
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 mountain resort, Lian Jun finished listening to Gua Ten’s report on Snake Fang’s sudden entry into the MZ business, curled his lips in satisfaction, and instructed, “Prepare to counterattack.”
A week later, Annihilation’s business in MZ completely collapsed following Snake Fang’s aggressive entry. Annihilation consolidated its commercial network back and launched a fierce counteroffense.
First, Meridian Gate’s cargo at various ports in MZ and warehouses across neighboring regions suffered unexplained damage or direct attacks. Next, an established resource line belonging to Meridian Gate was seized. Then came Snake Fang: the supply chain it had just built in MZ lost all of its clients overnight before even handling its first transaction—those clients poached by Meridian Gate either went missing or were met with fatal accidents, leaving not a single one reachable.
In less than a month, the operations of all major organizations in the MZ region turned into complete chaos, with no one gaining any advantage. By the end, except for Tarantula and Epoch, which had kept their heads down, all other organizations suffered heavy damages.
“Lian Jun is a lunatic!” Meng Qing, whose mood had only recently brightened, turned furious once more and blustered, “He actually killed the clients! What is he trying to do—make sure nobody lives well?!”
In the four-way video call, Lu Shan, occupying the upper-left screen, also wore a grim expression and said, {What’s the point of saying all this now? Isn’t this completely normal? With Annihilation targeted like this, Lian Jun must have discovered our four-way alliance. Us getting benefits means Annihilation is at a disadvantage—naturally, if he’s having a hard time, he won’t let us off easy either. Just watch, this isn’t over yet. Didn’t I warn you earlier to be careful of Annihilation’s counterattack?}
“Stop making sarcastic remarks! Lu Shan, I see you were never sincerely aligned with us! You provided the intelligence this time, but you didn’t exert any effort yourself—” Meng Qing paused abruptly, then looked towards Lu Shan with eyes filled with intent to kill and suspicion, saying, “Lu Shan, you wouldn’t happen to be a double agent, would you?”
Lu Shan’s brows furrowed deeply, looking as if she were about to be driven to laughter by sheer anger: {What did you say? A double agent? Meng Qing, you were the one who actively sought me out and forced me to hand over the intelligence, and you were the one who kept guarding against me, keeping me from acting so you could swallow all the profits yourself! Out of respect for our alliance, I didn’t expose anything, and now you turn around and accuse me like this?!}
Qi Yun frowned and spoke up to mediate: {Calm down, everyone. Don’t fight amongst ourselves.}
{This isn’t something that can be resolved by keeping calm!} Lu Shan slammed the table, stood up, grabbed the camera, and glared at Meng Qing coldly, mocking, {Meng Qing, I’ve wanted to be blunt with you for a long time—with your temperament of growing more paranoid and unable to afford losing as you age, how on earth do you expect to beat Lian Jun? You call me a double agent, but I suspect you are the one instead! Didn’t I warn you long ago that Lian Jun would strike back? It’s bad enough that you didn’t guard yourself carefully, but you even dragged Snake Fang—whose foundation is already unstable recently—down into the water, and failed at basic tasks like warning and protecting clients, turning MZ into a complete mess! You truly deserve to lose to Lian Jun! I am sick and tired of your distrust, conceit, and egocentrism! An alliance, is it? I’m out—you guys play by yourselves! Once you finish off Annihilation, don’t forget to come and wipe out Tarantula too!} With that, she exited the video conference directly.
The atmosphere fell into a dead silence. Yuan Peng glanced at Meng Qing’s contorted, furious expression on screen and at Qi Yun who was frowning in deep thought. Recalling Lu Shan’s earlier words and Snake Fang’s losses this time, he suppressed his temper, looked at Meng Qing, and said, {Snake Fang’s foundation has been hit hard by the losses in MZ, so I probably won’t be able to participate in alliance activities in the near future. We’ll speak again later.} Having said that, he also exited the meeting.
Meng Qing was on the verge of losing his mind, saying in disbelief, “Yuan Peng, that useless trash who took the benefits, actually dares to put on airs with me! I—”
{You what?} Qi Yun interrupted him, raising a hand to rub his temples. {Old Meng, they are our allies, not your subordinates. Even if you look down on them in your heart, you shouldn’t show it. If things continue like this, everyone will be finished. The situation is clear—now is not the time for infighting.}
Meng Qing kept a dark face and said nothing.
{I’m glad you’re willing to listen to my words at least. Think it over carefully.} Qi Yun also exited the call.
Looking at the three darkened video windows, Meng Qing slammed the desk forcefully and shut his laptop.
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
Immediately after exiting the video conference, Lu Shan called Lian Jun.
{The alliance’s first wave of friction has begun,} she said, her voice carrying a lingering fear. {That guy Meng Qing is surprisingly keen, and Qi Yun’s gaze is always creeping me out. I almost blew my performance.}
Lian Jun said, “Thank you for your hard work. Take a rest for a while and ignore those three organizations for now. Meng Qing will bow his head and reach out to you on his own initiative.”
Lu Shan acknowledged him and asked, {How are things on your end?}
Lian Jun looked at the list and documents in his hands, drawing out the file representing Gua Nine: “We have to take it step by step, no rushing.”
{Call me if you need anything,} Lu Shan instructed.
Lian Jun responded in a softened tone and then hung up the phone.
If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.
After MZ fell into chaos, Annihilation’s counterattacks still didn’t stop. It began extending outwards from MZ, gradually expanding into several other major regions, comprehensively blocking and seizing Meridian Gate’s and Snake Fang’s businesses.
Meng Qing hadn’t anticipated Lian Jun’s vengeance to be so relentless. After struggling frantically for a while, he finally couldn’t help taking the initiative to contact Qi Yun.
{Go persuade everyone to come back,} Qi Yun’s attitude wasn’t as bad as Meng Qing imagined; instead, it was quite gentle. {Lian Jun is playing for big stakes now. On your own, you definitely won’t be able to outplay him.}
Meng Qing knew this was true too. Gritting his teeth, he suppressed his reluctance and agreed.
Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translator’s site to get the fastest updates!
Without realizing it, summer vacation drew to a close and the weather turned cool. Everyone no longer needed to stay on the mountain to escape the summer heat, yet no one had any intention of moving down the mountain—this was Tarantula’s territory, and no one would suspect that Annihilation’s leader was living here. Compared to the club and the sanatorium, this was far better suited as a temporary base of operations.
As September arrived and university classes were about to start, before heading to school to report, Shi Jin couldn’t help asking about news of Gua Nine.
Lian Jun helped adjust Shi Jin’s clothing and replied, “He is in Region X, Snake Fang’s main sphere of influence.”
Shi Jin hesitated for a moment, but still said, “When he leaves… remember to let me know.”
Lian Jun gently rubbed away the involuntary crease between Shi Jin’s brows and nodded.
If you’re seeing this notice, you’re reading this chapter on pirate site – the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.
Translator: GoldBerry
