Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Prelude to the Banquet (Part 1)
Editor: Noodletown Translations
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The female store manager was stunned when she heard Mu Fan’s words. This kid actually spent five thousand to buy a set of men’s employee uniforms? He could easily go to another store and buy a cheaper suit.
“Alright… all right.” Seeing that more people were turning their attention her way, the female store manager felt her face heat up. This was really embarrassing for her. She hurried to send this “distinguished customer” away. She had already offended the lady who turned away, and if she didn’t handle this well, the store’s reputation would suffer. Ah, what a self-inflicted ordeal.
The clothes were quickly packaged and fetched. A light gray suit with a soft fabric that felt quite high-end to the touch. Mu Fan brushed his hand over it with satisfaction. It was indeed worth the money. If he hadn’t been at the Martial Arts Hall these days, he probably wouldn’t be able to afford such a suit for several years.
There was not the slightest bit of dissatisfaction, as he had always been very open-minded about these things. He was just going to hang out with Fatty anyway. It was a shame he didn’t get a chance to thank the girl from earlier.
“By the way, could you give me a pair of shoes too?” Mu Fan suddenly glanced down at his feet and asked with a smile.
“Yes! I can!” The female store manager gritted her teeth. She had already noticed people trying to hide their laughter with their hands. Her pride was nearing its breaking point today. In an unfriendly tone, she ordered a nearby employee who was watching the scene, “Go and fetch a random pair of spare men’s shoes.”
“My shoe size is 43,” Mu Fan interjected sharply, causing the staff member fetching the shoes to pause.
…
When Mu Fan came out of the fitting room, everyone present was amazed. Mu Fan already had an excellent muscular physique, but his usual clothes were too loose. It must be said that the Clothes Sand staff uniform was quite stylish, perfectly accentuating Mu Fan’s tall and straight figure. The confidence in his eyes exuded an abundance of charisma. No one expected the shabby-looking boy from a minute ago to carry such a commanding presence in a staff uniform.
A few female staff members were secretly eyeing Mu Fan. He turned out to be quite the handsome little guy; how did they overlook that!
Mu Fan adjusted the shirt collar over his chest, flashed a confident smile at his reflection in the mirror, and then turned around saying, “The clothes are nice.”
And so, under the scrutinizing eyes of the crowd, Mu Fan walked out of the tailor shop.
Wearing formal attire really felt uncomfortable, with the cuffs, collar, and waist snugly fitted, he always felt it unsuitable for movement and combat. He couldn’t even manage large movements, and now and then, people would glance over, so Mu Fan had to restrain himself.
Not wearing clothes was still the most comfortable. Mu Fan lamented in his heart, longing for the previous thrill of running and jumping bare-chested through the jungle.
Next was to buy a micro earpiece, to stay in constant contact with Black. Attending an upper-class social gathering for the first time, the unknown gave him a sense of loss of control. He needed Black, but with just the Sky Communication on him now, he didn’t know how to contact Black, that unreliable intelligent life.
With a thousand left, he walked and thought, quickly reaching a communication equipment store. Mu Fan thought of keeping three hundred for himself and used the rest to pick up the smallest-looking headset at the store. According to the store owner, it could be used continuously for almost a month. Placed inside the ear, its bone conduction technology made it extremely discreet, hidden beneath the side hair near the ear.
Mu Fan was very satisfied, now everything was more or less settled.
The headset was tucked in his left ear. He pulled out the Sky Communication to check the time; there was less than two hours before he was supposed to meet Fatty. Finally, when Mu Fan was leaving after buying a sweet Miluo and nibbling on it, the Sky Communication buzzed!
Swiping his thumb across the screen, the Sky Communication suddenly projected a figure upward at an angle. It was Young Master Harry, whom he hadn’t seen for a day. Now, this little chubby was wearing a black suit, unable to button his white shirt’s top row. This guy even intentionally skewed his bow tie into a slant, such an unruly chubby guy!
The image of Mu Fan saw this side’s Mu Fan in good spirits, excitedly saying loudly: “Mu Fan, I’ll send someone to pick you up soon. It’s the floating car from this morning. Where are you now? Send me your coordinates. I’m in District No. 2 on the other side of the Planet. You have to take an Earth Core Car to get here. Heh heh, see you soon!”
Where was District No. 2, and what on earth was an Earth Core Car?
Having spent most of his time outdoors, Mu Fan had no clue. He sent his coordinates via Sky Communication to the number Fatty just called from and soon received Fatty’s voice message: “Wait there for twenty minutes.”
When Mu Fan finished munching on the fat Miluo, a floating car happened to stop beside him. A middle-aged man, the same one who had given Mu Fan the Sky Communication earlier, got out of the driver’s seat. He politely opened the rear door and bowed slightly to Mu Fan.
“Young Master Mu Fan, please get in. The banquet starts in an hour and a half.”
Curious, Mu Fan sat inside, the soft, comfortable seat prompted him to press it with intrigue.
“Don’t be so curious, you’re embarrassing Lord Black, aren’t you?” Suddenly a voice from the side startled Mu Fan. Carefully checking, he realized it was the bone conduction earpiece in his left ear transmitting the voice.
Black! The elusive Black!
“Aren’t you curious to hear my voice, huh? Heh heh heh. I went to do some meaningful things these past days and also found some fun stuff. I’ll tell you about it later. Anyway, you can’t talk now.” Black’s triumphant voice came through the earpiece.
“Don’t forget, I’d bet you’re wondering how I can see you right now. Haha, I can traverse the Planet’s network freely now. Look up and check out the tiny recording lens in front of you; say hi!” Black’s mischievously annoying voice spilled out without waiting for Mu Fan to ask, answering all his own questions.
Mu Fan noticed the float car’s top front had a small hole, reflecting the glass’s sheen, so he subtly nodded toward it.
“What do you think, isn’t it amazing! Lord Black is practically omnipotent.”
“By the way, Mu Fan, why did you only buy the earpiece today? Didn’t I tell you to get it a while ago?”
“Hey”…
This chatterbox, Mu Fan really couldn’t resist the urge to turn off the earpiece. At this point, an intelligent life form, akin to being locked in solitary confinement for hundreds of years, at his ear’s side chattering non-stop, yet he couldn’t really turn it off. He simply leaned back, closed his eyes, and remained still.
Staying with Black first required a strong mental state!
After thirty minutes, the floating car rapidly traversed the district, the suburbs, and the satellite city… Mu Fan suddenly felt the car gradually decelerate, then heard the butler’s voice from the front: “Young Master Mu Fan, we have arrived at the Earth Core Car junction station, please wait a moment.”
Looking out through the tinted car window, a massive silver ring structure with an overwhelming visual impact stood before them. From his angle, Mu Fan could only see a corner of the ring. Yet here, there were already more than a dozen magnetic rail lines directly leading in, along with dense crowds forming long queues. The vehicle he was in seemed to be taking a special passage, steadily driving inside.
When the floating car stopped in the VIP area, the butler opened the door for Mu Fan. Through the uninterrupted isolation glass, Mu Fan saw the massive, dark, bottomless circular abyss that seemed to swallow the sight, open upwards, leading straight down to the Earth. “Shocking” was the only word for it. Except for shock, there was nothing else. At that moment, a roar of wind, that overpowering air pressure felt through multiple layers of separation, was heard. A hill-sized iron dome emerged from the dark abyss beneath the ground, rising until it almost touched the building’s top, finally stopping with a hum amid the scattered airflow.
Noticing Mu Fan’s first encounter with the Earth Core Car, the butler smiled and explained, “Young Master Mu Fan, this is the Earth Core Rail Car, an essential transportation tool on each Planet. Depending on the Planet’s diameter, it can traverse the Earth’s core in 15 to 60 minutes, reaching the opposite side of the Planet. Isn’t it a great invention?”
Mu Fan nodded affirmatively, only to hear Black’s disdainful tone coming from the earpiece: “What an uncultured reaction.”
Seeing the car had stopped, the butler smiled and guided Mu Fan: “Young Master Mu Fan, please walk this way. We have a dedicated boarding bridge and cabin, but since the Earth Core Car has a unique structure, the vehicle requires separate placement, please follow me.”
Unwilling to remain silent, Black’s voice, full of mockery, came through again: “It’s only due to gravitational changes requiring constant seat adjustments, nothing structurally unique, a blatant show-off; I’ll give this stunt 99 points.”
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PS: Thanks to the reader “Artistic Poetic丶Ren Xiaowei” for the 100 currency reward!