Starforce Warriors - Chapter 110: Freeloader

Chapter 110: Freeloader

“You invited me, so I definitely had to accompany you,” Li Xiaofei said with a smile. “Why ask so many questions? Could I possibly refuse my own friend?”

Tan Qingying’s eyes seemed to sparkle with light as she smiled. “Let’s go, we’ll set off now. First, let’s change clothes.”

She grabbed Li Xiaofei’s hand and started to walk to the door. Li Xiaofei did not resist. Meanwhile, Uncle Chen watched them leave with a cheerful smile.

At the entrance of the alley, Tan Qingying saw Li Xiaofei’s motorcycle parked next to her death metal motorcycle. She turned to Li Xiaofei and asked, “Is this yours?”

“Yes, it’s a random modification,” Li Xiaofei said as he was about to get on.

Tan Qingying stopped him and tossed her motorcycle key to Li Xiaofei. “Ride mine. It’s faster.”

Li Xiaofei did not refuse. Compared to the perfectly modified bike of the city leader’s daughter, his bike, which he had taken from the Blackblood Gang, was nothing more than a little donkey. Which man wouldn’t want to ride something better?

The engine roared. Tan Qingying jumped on and instinctively wrapped her arms around Li Xiaofei’s waist. This time, neither of them wore helmets. The girl’s black shoulder-length hair fluttered in the wind as they rode through the streets.

She directed him into the center of the base city. It was Li Xiaofei’s second time heading so deep into the base city. The first time, Chen Fei had taken him to meet the city leader, Tan Zhenwei. But they had gone directly to the government office. This time, they were now in the most prosperous commercial district of the base city.

The area was brightly lit, and the streets were wide. Green plants, rare in the slums and shantytowns, were everywhere here. Neon lights, various 3D advertisements, extravagant statues, and patrolling single hovercrafts made the place seem like a future world.

Wait, am I in a futuristic world now?

Li Xiaofei was directed to the underground parking lot of Starry Sky Tower. Tan Qingying’s motorcycle had evidently been registered, since security smoothly pointed them toward slot 029 as their parking spot.

“Let’s buy some clothes first,” Tan Qingying said. “The first five floors of this building are a shopping mall. Let me show you around.”

Five hundred years ago, Li Xiaofei had been to large shopping malls like Vanda and Outtime. He thought he had seen it all. But those were worlds apart in comparison to this building. The lighting, the ambiance, the flooring, and the decorations all had a super-modern futuristic feel.

“I didn’t expect to find such a place in the base city,” Li Xiaofei marveled.

When they reached a bank of elevators, Tan Qingying swiped her card and entered the elevator.

“This is a property of the Star Council,” she explained softly, holding Li Xiaofei’s arm. “It’s the most prosperous place in the entire base city. Every business that operates here is either a domestic or international brand with a market value of over a billion or has a special background.”

Li Xiaofei listened thoughtfully.

He originally thought that humans could only trade and communicate through the online light-network in this era of rampant star beasts. After all, the wilderness beyond the base cities was full of dangers. But he didn’t expect that multinational companies would still open branches around the world. It seemed that the world was even more amazing than he had imagined.

“Above the fifth floor is the Starry Sky Hotel,” Tan Qingying said, leaning close to Li Xiaofei’s ear, her breath soft and fragrant. “Remember, you can offend anyone, but never offend people from the Starry Sky Hotel.”

“Why, what’s their background?” Li Xiaofei asked curiously.

Tan Qingying explained, “The Starry Sky Tower is a property of the Star Council, and the Starry Sky Hotel has an even higher status. On the surface, it’s just a hotel, but in reality, it’s the Star Council’s branch in Liuhe Base City. The hotel manager has another role.”

“What role?”

“The Star Council’s inspector stationed in the base city.”

“Wow.”

“Surprising, isn’t it?”

“Very surprising.”

Ding!

As they were talking, the elevator stopped on the second floor.

“Let’s go, I’ll help you pick out some clothes first,” Tan Qingying said, clearly familiar with the place. She grabbed Li Xiaofei’s hand and briskly led him to a store called Louis Vingt.

Two beautiful women dressed in professional suits stood at the entrance. When they saw Tan Qingying from afar, they said something into their earpieces. As soon as the pair reached the entrance, a beautiful woman who looked around thirty years old greeted them with a warm smile.

“Good evening, Miss Tan.” The store manager said enthusiastically. “VIP fitting room number one is ready for your use. Please follow me.”

“Thank you,” Tan Qingying responded politely.

She turned to Li Xiaofei, “Louis Vingt is an internationally renowned brand and most famous for its formal wear. Many of the season’s new styles are always in high demand.”

The beautiful store manager subtly assessed Li Xiaofei. She was well-acquainted with people of Tan Qingying’s status. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have rushed out to greet them when she was notified of their arrival.

However, she couldn’t quite place Li Xiaofei’s identity. The young man was wearing an ordinary school uniform made of rather humble material. In any other context, the store manager wouldn’t have given him a second glance. He had no place being within a hundred meters of Louis Vingt’s entrance. But now, this plainly dressed boy was being closely held by the city leader’s daughter.

The store manager struggled to decipher the relationship between the two.

Relatives? No. Relatives of the Tan family are either wealthy or noble. Boyfriend and girlfriend? That didn’t seem right either. Given the Tan family’s status, they won’t likely allow their daughter to date a commoner. Unless this young man has some extraordinary qualities.

As the store manager’s mind raced, she suddenly heard the boy say calmly, “I don’t really like foreign brands.”

The store manager was taken aback.

Tan Qingying was also slightly stunned and said, “The formal wear here really has a unique style.”

Li Xiaofei glanced around and said, “Is there no store in this mall that sells our own Great Xia brands?”

“There should be,” Tan Qingying thought for a moment and replied.

Li Xiaofei said, “Then let’s go have a look.”

Tan Qingying laughed, “Alright, alright. Since we’re buying clothes for you, you should like them… But let me make it clear, I’m buying tonight, so you better not fight to pay.”

“Alright, it’s up to you,” Li Xiaofei replied, seemingly agreeing reluctantly .

The store manager stood there, stunned. Miss Tan’s temper was famous. She was known for her nonconformity, and even the city leader couldn’t do much about her. Yet today, she was being completely accommodating to this plainly dressed boy.

What was even stranger was that this boy seemed to be taking advantage of her kindness. Taking advantage of the city leader’s daughter? If this got out, it would be big news.

For a moment, the store manager considered secretly photographing the scene and leaking it to the media. But her professional integrity and respect for the city leader’s family quickly extinguished that thought.

“Miss Tan, please take care. We look forward to your next visit,” the store manager said professionally as she saw them off.

Just then, a harsh, mocking voice came from the side. “Ha, this is interesting. A freeloading pretty boy actually dares to look down on the internationally renowned brand Louis Vingt. This is hilarious.”