"Mr . Gao, are you free today?" Gao Peng received a call from Liu Senlin right after he left school .
"What is it?" Gao Peng stopped .
"I would like to invite you to a meal . I have a few other friends who will be attending as well . I hope you can grace us with your presence and allow me to introduce them to you . " A hint of flattery could be heard from Liu Senlin's end of the line .
But it was hard to blame him for that . After all, the survival of his company rested largely in the hands of Gao Peng .
Gao Peng thought for a bit . There was still quite a bit of food in the refrigerator, so he did not need to worry about Dumby starving at home .
"Alright, I am free today, I'll be there-" before Gao Peng could finish, a black sedan in front of the school gate slowly drove over and stopped in front of him .
The car windows wound down . Liu Senlin was sitting inside, all smiles .
"Sorry for troubling you . " Gao Peng put Da Zi in the trunk then took a seat in front . It was only then that he noticed that there was a 17-18 year old girl sitting in the back seat . She had neat, shoulder-length hair .
"It's no trouble at all . It's on the way, actually," replied Liu Senlin with a laugh . "My daughter coincidentally also studies at your school . I'm here to fetch her today . "
"This is the second time you've been to my school this year . The first time was on the first day of school," muttered Liu Zhaoyu from the backseat quietly .
Liu Senlin kept silent .
Mao . At this moment, the sound of a cat's meow came from the back .
This cat's meowing was a little unorthodox . Instead of the usual "meow," it went "mao . "
Liu Zhaoyu gently stroked the chin of a white, long-tailed cat sitting in her lap . The cat's eyes squinted happily and it lazily lied on its owner's lap without moving at all . She looked curiously at Gao Peng, who was sitting in front .
This person was from the same school and looked around her age, but he could actually make her father personally drive over to their school .
Gao Peng leaned back on his seat and began to nod off, but Liu Senlin suddenly spoke from the driver's seat . "Mr . Gao, if you have the time, do you think you could help Zhaoyu and take a look at her Familiar?"
Liu Zhaoyu was surprised . How did she get suddenly involved in this?
"I'll be in my studio this Saturday and Sunday . She can come find me at my studio this weekend," replied Gao Peng .
"Mm . " Liu Senlin kept quiet afterwards, concentrating on his driving . The atmosphere in the car turned silent .
After a short while, the sedan stopped at the entrance of a neighborhood . Liu Senlin turned around and spoke to Liu Zhaoyu . "Go home first, ok? I still have some stuff to do with Uncle Gao . "
Through the car windows, Gao Peng managed to see the Familiar that Liu Zhaoyu was carrying in her arms . It was a large, long-tailed white cat that was around a foot and a half long . Its eyes were squinting as it lay in Liu Zhaoyu's arms, but they were crystal clear, like green-colored amber .
[Monster Name]: Mint Cat
[Monster Level]: 12
[Monster Grade]: Normal
[Monster Attribute]: Wood
[Monster Weakness]: Water
[Requirements for Promotion to Excellent Grade]: …
A cat Familiar . That was a rare sight .
After the cataclysm, many cat species underwent mutations, but almost all of them became uncontrollable .
It should be known that cats are said to be insane animals, and that it is not possible to know what goes on in their minds . Especially after they went through mutations and gained greater intelligence; they simply became more insane .
After the cataclysm, many cat monsters fled the human-inhabited cities, making cat Familiars a rare sight .
The sedan left the neighborhood and headed towards the outskirts of the city .
"Who are these friends of yours?" Gao Peng asked curiously .
"You will find out when you arrive, Mr . Gao," replied Liu Senlin with a nod .
Finally, they stopped in front of an antique-looking traditional Chinese mansion .
They alighted and went into the mansion . Only then did Gao Peng realize that this was a mountain villa transformed into a high-class restaurant . It had been refurbished to include a landscape garden . There was even a small footbridge and flowing waters that gave a Jiangnan feel .
This would be the work of a master designer that was proficient in both Northern and Southern classical Chinese garden designs .
Walking through the courtyard, they entered a first grade patio . There were already around a dozen people seated inside, both male and female . When they saw Gao Peng, they all looked at him as though they were sizing him up . Although they did not seem to be looking down on him, there was still a look of scrutiny in their eyes .
Gao Peng knit his brows . Being stared at with this kind of look made him feel very uncomfortable . If not for Liu Senlin, he would have simply turned around and left .
Before Gao Peng could ask anything, Liu Senlin enthusiastically introduced them to him . "This is Captain Song Si of the Firefly Hunter Team, this is Captain Jiang Gu of the Heavenly Star Hunter Team . . . "
Before Gao Peng could ask anything, Liu Senlin enthusiastically introduced them to him . "This is Captain Song Si of the Firefly Hunter Team, this is Captain Jiang Gu of the Heavenly Star Hunter Team . . . "
In one breath, he introduced everyone seated there to Gao Peng .
Hunter Team was short for Monster Hunter Alliance Team .
Gao Peng's eyes narrowed . When Liu Senlin talked about meeting his friends, he thought he would simply be meeting with Liu Senlin's close friends in his everyday life . But right now, every single one of them seated here were representatives of Monster Hunter Teams . This was definitely no mere coincidence .
If they wanted him to raise some of their Familiars, Gao Peng would definitely not reject them . After all, no matter which of them chose to work with him, it would mean having more business .
But if they went through Liu Senlin to get his services, that would be unethical . Liu Senlin could very well have used his connection with Gao Peng to get some benefits from them, and the thought of that made Gao Peng very unhappy .
Gao Peng did not like to involve business and other complicated matters in his friendships with others .
Furthermore, if he really wanted to be calculative about things, he and Liu Senlin's relationship was purely that of a work partnership . In this relationship, it was Liu Senlin that owed him, instead of the other way around . The number of commander tier Familiars that he had raised for Liu Senlin was definitely worth much more than the pay that he received .
Gao Peng simply nodded in response to Liu Senlin and sat down with a neutral expression on his face .
At the center of the patio was a small fountain . Surrounding it was a stone table that was shaped like a ring . The ring-shaped stone table even had some delicate pulley mechanism that allowed the table to rotate .
Waiters came forward and placed various delicacies on the stone table . The dishes had everything: color, fragrance, taste . They were extremely appetizing .
While they were eating, Gao Peng would often be asked about Monster Breeding . From their tone of voice, Gao Peng could easily tell that they were testing him, or insinuating what they thought of his abilities .
One of the captains was even downright aggressive in his manner of speech . "How are you so sure that this must be the right method of training? I consulted Mr . Zhang before, and Mr . Zhang is an experienced intermediate level Monster Breeder . He said that my Familiar can't eat pumpkins and durians . " This was an example of the kind of questioning Gao Peng received .
Gao Peng restrained himself and replied all these questions politely . The moment something else was mentioned, he would take the opportunity and attempt to change the topic .
Gao Peng restrained himself and replied all these questions politely . The moment something else was mentioned, he would take the opportunity and attempt to change the topic .
He did not behave like the typical overpowered web novel protagonist, flying into rage and flipping the table the moment he felt unhappy . Doing so would definitely feel good, but only for a moment . There would definitely be many repercussions for such behavior .
In the real world, no one would give you 30 years to get stronger . They would simply nip any potential threats in the bud .
Gao Peng definitely wished that he had what it took to simply tell all these people he did not wish to talk to to get lost . But he did not have the ability to do so yet . For now, he could only obediently play by their rules .
After eating, Gao Peng let out a sigh and said, "My apologies, I am new to this field and my skills are mediocre . Besides, you all here are representatives of the top teams amongst Monster Hunters; such an important role is too heavy a burden for a high schooler such as myself to bear . I would not know how to bear the responsibility, should any accidents happen . " With that, Gao Peng refused Liu Senlin's offer to drive him home with thanks, and headed home after calling for a taxi .
"This kid doesn't know what's good for him . Hmph," said Heavenly Star Hunter Team's Captain Jiang Gu coldly . He was a little annoyed . In his eyes, Gao Peng should have felt honored to be allowed to raise his Familiars . He was, after all, a big name in Chang'an . Working with him, Gao Peng could easily receive a lot of benefits, and gain a good deal of fame as well .
All the captains present had multiple decades of experience in their fields . They could easily tell that Gao Peng was unhappy and uninterested .
In their eyes, this was just the stubbornness of a child .
"Forget it, he's just a child . Captain Jiang, you surely won't hold it against a little boy, right?" Song Si smiled gently . She did not take Gao Peng's childishness to heart at all .
"Hmph, of course I won't be so calculative with a child," said Jiang Gu as he picked up a piece of sliced beef with his chopsticks .
"Alright, alright, let's continue eating then . It's nothing much, just a small matter . Manager Liu meant well by inviting us all here anyway," said one of the captains to lighten the mood .
The little conflict during the meal ended like this .
The various Hunter Team captains did not think too much of the matter . Although Gao Peng did leave them with a bad impression, no one did anything like going out of the way to make trouble for him . After all, everyone there was an adult and they were busy with their own lives .
As everyone left, Liu Senlin sighed . This time he had failed to get into the good books of both parties, and offended both sides instead .
Mr . Gao, are you free today? Gao Peng received a call from Liu Senlin right after he left school . What is it? Gao Peng stopped . I would like to invite you to a meal . I have a few other friends who will be attending as well . I hope you can grace us with your presence and allow me to introduce them to you . A hint of flattery could be heard from Liu Senlins end of the line . But it was hard to blame him for that . After all, the survival of his company rested largely in the hands of Gao Peng . Gao Peng thought for a bit . There was still quite a bit of food in the refrigerator, so he did not need to worry about Dumby starving at home . Alright, I am free today, Ill be there- before Gao Peng could finish, a black sedan in front of the school gate slowly drove over and stopped in front of him . The car windows wound down . Liu Senlin was sitting inside, all smiles . Sorry for troubling you . Gao Peng put Da Zi in the trunk then took a seat in front . It was only then that he noticed that there was a 17-18 year old girl sitting in the back seat . She had neat, shoulder-length hair . Its no trouble at all . Its on the way, actually, replied Liu Senlin with a laugh . My daughter coincidentally also studies at your school . Im here to fetch her today . This is the second time youve been to my school this year . The first time was on the first day of school, muttered Liu Zhaoyu from the backseat quietly . Liu Senlin kept silent . Mao . At this moment, the sound of a cats meow came from the back . This cats meowing was a little unorthodox . Instead of the usual meow, it went mao . Liu Zhaoyu gently stroked the chin of a white, long-tailed cat sitting in her lap . The cats eyes squinted happily and it lazily lied on its owners lap without moving at all . She looked curiously at Gao Peng, who was sitting in front . This person was from the same school and looked around her age, but he could actually make her father personally drive over to their school . Gao Peng leaned back on his seat and began to nod off, but Liu Senlin suddenly spoke from the drivers seat . Mr . Gao, if you have the time, do you think you could help Zhaoyu and take a look at her Familiar? Liu Zhaoyu was surprised . How did she get suddenly involved in this? Ill be in my studio this Saturday and Sunday . She can come find me at my studio this weekend, replied Gao Peng . Mm . Liu Senlin kept quiet afterwards, concentrating on his driving . The atmosphere in the car turned silent . After a short while, the sedan stopped at the entrance of a neighborhood . Liu Senlin turned around and spoke to Liu Zhaoyu . Go home first, ok? I still have some stuff to do with Uncle Gao . Through the car windows, Gao Peng managed to see the Familiar that Liu Zhaoyu was carrying in her arms . It was a large, long-tailed white cat that was around a foot and a half long . Its eyes were squinting as it lay in Liu Zhaoyus arms, but they were crystal clear, like green-colored amber . [Monster Name]: Mint Cat . [Monster Level]: 12 . [Monster Grade]: Normal . [Monster Attribute]: Wood . [Monster Weakness]: Water . [Requirements for Promotion to Excellent Grade]: … A cat Familiar . That was a rare sight . After the cataclysm, many cat species underwent mutations, but almost all of them became uncontrollable . It should be known that cats are said to be insane animals, and that it is not possible to know what goes on in their minds . Especially after they went through mutations and gained greater intelligence; they simply became more insane . After the cataclysm, many cat monsters fled the human-inhabited cities, making cat Familiars a rare sight . The sedan left the neighborhood and headed towards the outskirts of the city . Who are these friends of yours? Gao Peng asked curiously . You will find out when you arrive, Mr . Gao, replied Liu Senlin with a nod . Finally, they stopped in front of an antique-looking traditional Chinese mansion . They alighted and went into the mansion . Only then did Gao Peng realize that this was a mountain villa transformed into a high-class restaurant . It had been refurbished to include a landscape garden . There was even a small footbridge and flowing waters that gave a Jiangnan feel . This would be the work of a master designer that was proficient in both Northern and Southern classical Chinese garden designs . Walking through the courtyard, they entered a first grade patio . There were already around a dozen people seated inside, both male and female . When they saw Gao Peng, they all looked at him as though they were sizing him up . Although they did not seem to be looking down on him, there was still a look of scrutiny in their eyes . Gao Peng knit his brows . Being stared at with this kind of look made him feel very uncomfortable . If not for Liu Senlin, he would have simply turned around and left . Before Gao Peng could ask anything, Liu Senlin enthusiastically introduced them to him . This is Captain Song Si of the Firefly Hunter Team, this is Captain Jiang Gu of the Heavenly Star Hunter Team . In one breath, he introduced everyone seated there to Gao Peng . Hunter Team was short for Monster Hunter Alliance Team . Gao Pengs eyes narrowed . When Liu Senlin talked about meeting his friends, he thought he would simply be meeting with Liu Senlins close friends in his everyday life . But right now, every single one of them seated here were representatives of Monster Hunter Teams . This was definitely no mere coincidence . If they wanted him to raise some of their Familiars, Gao Peng would definitely not reject them . After all, no matter which of them chose to work with him, it would mean having more business . But if they went through Liu Senlin to get his services, that would be unethical . Liu Senlin could very well have used his connection with Gao Peng to get some benefits from them, and the thought of that made Gao Peng very unhappy . Gao Peng did not like to involve business and other complicated matters in his friendships with others . Furthermore, if he really wanted to be calculative about things, he and Liu Senlins relationship was purely that of a work partnership . In this relationship, it was Liu Senlin that owed him, instead of the other way around . The number of commander tier Familiars that he had raised for Liu Senlin was definitely worth much more than the pay that he received . Gao Peng simply nodded in response to Liu Senlin and sat down with a neutral expression on his face . At the center of the patio was a small fountain . Surrounding it was a stone table that was shaped like a ring . The ring-shaped stone table even had some delicate pulley mechanism that allowed the table to rotate . Waiters came forward and placed various delicacies on the stone table . The dishes had everything: color, fragrance, taste . They were extremely appetizing . While they were eating, Gao Peng would often be asked about Monster Breeding . From their tone of voice, Gao Peng could easily tell that they were testing him, or insinuating what they thought of his abilities . One of the captains was even downright aggressive in his manner of speech . How are you so sure that this must be the right method of training? I consulted Mr . Zhang before, and Mr . Zhang is an experienced intermediate level Monster Breeder . He said that my Familiar cant eat pumpkins and durians . This was an example of the kind of questioning Gao Peng received . Gao Peng restrained himself and replied all these questions politely . The moment something else was mentioned, he would take the opportunity and attempt to change the topic . He did not behave like the typical overpowered web novel protagonist, flying into rage and flipping the table the moment he felt unhappy . Doing so would definitely feel good, but only for a moment . There would definitely be many repercussions for such behavior . In the real world, no one would give you 30 years to get stronger . They would simply nip any potential threats in the bud . Gao Peng definitely wished that he had what it took to simply tell all these people he did not wish to talk to to get lost . But he did not have the ability to do so yet . For now, he could only obediently play by their rules . After eating, Gao Peng let out a sigh and said, My apologies, I am new to this field and my skills are mediocre . Besides, you all here are representatives of the top teams amongst Monster Hunters; such an important role is too heavy a burden for a high schooler such as myself to bear . I would not know how to bear the responsibility, should any accidents happen . With that, Gao Peng refused Liu Senlins offer to drive him home with thanks, and headed home after calling for a taxi . This kid doesnt know whats good for him . Hmph, said Heavenly Star Hunter Teams Captain Jiang Gu coldly . He was a little annoyed . In his eyes, Gao Peng should have felt honored to be allowed to raise his Familiars . He was, after all, a big name in Changan . Working with him, Gao Peng could easily receive a lot of benefits, and gain a good deal of fame as well . All the captains present had multiple decades of experience in their fields . They could easily tell that Gao Peng was unhappy and uninterested . In their eyes, this was just the stubbornness of a child . Forget it, hes just a child . Captain Jiang, you surely wont hold it against a little boy, right? Song Si smiled gently . She did not take Gao Pengs childishness to heart at all . Hmph, of course I wont be so calculative with a child, said Jiang Gu as he picked up a piece of sliced beef with his chopsticks . Alright, alright, lets continue eating then . Its nothing much, just a small matter . Manager Liu meant well by inviting us all here anyway, said one of the captains to lighten the mood . The little conflict during the meal ended like this . The various Hunter Team captains did not think too much of the matter . Although Gao Peng did leave them with a bad impression, no one did anything like going out of the way to make trouble for him . After all, everyone there was an adult and they were busy with their own lives . As everyone left, Liu Senlin sighed . This time he had failed to get into the good books of both parties, and offended both sides instead .