Chapter 156: Lin Jia's Version of Pavarotti

Sensitive Meimei naturally sensed it. Her delicate, pretty face flushed red, and with a coy glare, she secretly slipped her small hand around Lin Jia's lower back, delivering a fierce "Universe Reversing 720-Degree Beauty Pinch."

Lin Jia let out a sharp hiss, almost letting out a Pavarotti-style howl.

Boss and Number Four snickered maliciously nearby. Number Four wiggled his brows and whispered sneakily into Lin Jia's ear, "Reached that stage already, huh? A-B-C-D?"

The "A-B-C-D" Number Four referred to were the four popularly known stages of romance:

Stage A is the "My, the moon is so round tonight! Aha-ha-ha-ha~~" level;

Stage B is the "Oh! Your hands are so tender?! What brand of hand cream do you use? Let me test the texture first..." level;

Stage C is the "Look! My teeth are so white! What? I have a cavity? Impossible! Because I use Colgate! Look closer! Get a little closer! Mmm-hmm! Even closer—um~~ squeak-squeak~~ squeak-squeak~~ hum-hum~~ smack-smack~~~" level;

Stage D is:
1. I'm just looking! I promise I won't touch!
2. Uh~~ I'll just touch it once! I promise I won't take it off!
3. Look here~~ I'll just rub against the outside! I promise I won't put it in!
4. Oh-huh! Darling! I can't take it anymore! I'll just put a tiny bit in—just a tiny, tiny bit! I swear I won't put the whole thing in!
5. Mhm~~ Ah~~~ Ooh~~~ Oh~~ Hiss~~~ Slurp-oooh~~~

"Get lost and die!" Lin Jia disgustedly drove Number Four far away, then actually began to ponder what stage he and Meimei had reached. Yet, thinking it over, he realized that although their progress seemed decent, they didn't even have official titles yet. Meimei hadn't even admitted or agreed to be his girlfriend!

"If you won't say, you won't say! What's the big deal!" Number Four looked at Lin Jia with contempt. Not being a bro at all! He wouldn't even share his resources. Even if he couldn't live-stream it, he could at least broadcast and provide commentary!

Meimei looked up curiously at Lin Jia and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Talking about whether our night the other day counted as the third stage or the fourth stage—oh!? No! No!" Lin Jia, who had been contemplating whether his relationship with Meimei belonged to stage D's second or third step, blurted it out when she suddenly asked. By the time he realized his mistake, Meimei's slender neck had already blushed bright red with embarrassment. Biting her tender lower lip in anger, she grabbed the flesh on Lin Jia's lower back and gave it another vicious twist, then turned and bolted. Lin Jia let out a long, agonizing scream right on the spot, the tone and pitch rivaling the world-famous master Pavarotti!

About a third of the players in the internet cafe were slumped over their computer desks asleep when they were suddenly startled awake by the ghostly howl in their dreams. Jumping up from their desks, they looked around in confusion. Discovering it was just Lin Jia standing in the middle of the cafe with a look of agony, clutching his lower back, they muttered curses under their breath and slumped back down. Most of the regulars surfing the net here knew what had happened a few days ago; the bandages on the guy's hands hadn't even been unwrapped yet. To provoke them right now was practically asking for a beating! Could they afford to mess with people who could lay out a huge gang of thugs and still return to the internet cafe to surf as usual the very next day?

Rubbing his sore spot in agony, Lin Jia slowly walked back to the counter toward an angry-looking Meimei, and coaxed with a smile, "I was just saying it for fun! Why get so mad!? Pinching so hard, are you trying to murder your husband?!" This time, Meimei might have genuinely been angry; she kept busy tidying up the items inside the counter and completely ignored Lin Jia.

Lin Jia sheepishly rubbed his nose, ran over to the counter to grab a sheet of A4 paper, and started doodling again. Just as he was drawing with great enthusiasm, a voice came from beside him: "Huh? Are you looking to sell gold coins? Selling?"

Lin Jia turned his head and looked—oh, wow! He actually laid eyes on a handsome guy!

Standing 1.8 meters tall, with a slender build, slightly long messy hair, and striking facial features that formed a very masculine face, it was as if he had "This guy is handsome!" written across his forehead.

"You're from Guangmang too? We're on the same server! Are you selling gold coins? Sell me some, bro!" The handsome guy greeted Lin Jia with a cheeky smile. As he spoke, he leaned over the counter and winked at Meimei, saying, "Hey, pretty beauty! Open a computer for me!"

"This guy is bad news!"

Lin Jia was absolutely certain! Just based on the way he was flirting with Meimei, Lin Jia felt extremely annoyed! So what if you're handsome?! Even if I have gold coins, I won't sell them to you!

"Not selling!" Lin Jia coldly turned his head away.

"Then this..." The handsome guy paused for a moment, pointing at the unfinished "For Sale" sign on the counter.

"Selling! Why wouldn't we sell?" Boss suddenly popped out from the side, glared at Lin Jia, and said to the handsome guy, "Handsome~~ Want to buy gold coins? Talk to me! Minimum purchase is one gold bar!"

The handsome guy was taken aback. He glanced at Meimei behind the counter, who was playing Legend and ignoring Lin Jia, and then looked at Boss in front of him, laughing in astonishment, "There are quite a few beauties playing Legend in this internet cafe!! How many gold coins do you have?"

Boss chuckled maliciously and lured the handsome guy off to the side to talk business. Lin Jia let out a disdainful snort. Sneaking into an internet cafe to surf in the middle of the night—he definitely wasn't any good. Just by looking at his flashy clothes, you could tell he was a playboy trying to trick naive young girls.

However, Lin Jia wasn't too worried about Boss. Given Boss's toughness, if this playboy tried to take advantage of her, the outcome probably wouldn't make him second-class disabled, but at the very least he wouldn't be able to care for himself.

Lin Jia looked at the half-drawn advertisement in his hand, losing all motivation to finish it. Tossing it onto the counter, he glanced around to see the cafe's players either gaming or sleeping, then sneaked over, ducked low, and squeezed himself into the already crowded space behind the counter. Meimei let him be and completely ignored him. Lin Jia spent the time alternately whispering apologies and enthusiastically instructing Meimei on how to operate her Taoist girl character, "Bewitching Breeze," in Legend—he was practically wagging his tail and begging for mercy.

After a long while, seeing that Meimei was truly unresponsive, Lin Jia hardened his heart and began getting hands-on. He poked Meimei's soft waist with his finger, causing her to squirm, though she still ignored him. Then he tickled her under the arm, and this time Meimei couldn't help it anymore. Bursting into giggles, she turned around, glared angrily at Lin Jia, and chided coyly, "What are you doing?" Lin Jia only grinned back.

Just as the two of them were flirting playfully, Boss walked over with a smile, waving several banknotes in her hand. Lin Jia glanced over and asked, "Sold?"

Boss waved the bills and said, "Yup! 500 yuan! I kept 2 million for our own use, but we need to figure out a way to make more money!"

Lin Jia snorted and said, "As if it's that easy to make! We'll just have to try our hardest to hunt gear and sell it. Looks like we still have to keep going to the Zombie Cave! Only there is the drop rate for gear a bit higher!!"

Boss nodded, then suddenly lowered her voice with excitement, pointing at the long-haired handsome guy who had just taken a seat in the main hall. "That guy is from Guangmang too! He's a Taoist! Such a high level—already level 30! His name is 'Little Cupid'!"

"Little Cupid?" Lin Jia blinked in surprise, somehow suddenly reminded of "Little Malevolent Spirit," who had gifted him so many skill books previously!