Pretending To Be A Boss

Song Que was similar to Li Zheng in temperament. Their upbringing had instilled in them an air of authority that didn't require anger to assert itself.

In this day and age, the aesthetic preferences of both men and women had become increasingly distorted and bizarre, exhibiting a bit of a cyberpunk flair.

But wherever he went, Song Que ought to be considered a handsome man.

That is, as long as he didn't smile.

Somehow, when such a person smiled, it inexplicably made him appear somewhat simple and honest. There are just those types of faces in the world.

For example... the lead actress from the ancient American drama Game of Thrones, whose beauty oscillated between a one and a nine with her smile—the Mother of Dragons.

Unfortunately, Song Que was naturally cheerful and sunny, smiling frequently.

Therefore, at the First Fortress, Song Que also had a nickname, "Song the Simple."

It wasn't that this eldest son of the Song Family was truly simple-minded. Song Que's honest simplicity was real, but when it came to scheming, there were few who could rival him.

After the Korean player Li Haochang, who had swept through the board game circles of all the fortresses, took Song Que as his disciple, he soon retired from the game.

This, however, was a fact only the Song Family knew the reason for.

Song Que said with a smile, "Dad, I haven't seen her. I've heard she's good-looking and smart."

"Of course she is, this marriage won't be a disadvantage to you. If we're talking about real men, the Li family can't compare to the Song Family, but when it comes to the ladies of the Song Family, compared to that girl from the Li family, they fall far short."

Song Que scratched his head, thinking his eldest sister and third sister were also quite outstanding.

"In a couple of days, we'll go to the Thirty-Nine Fortress, and you'll meet that girl."

"She seems rather fierce, what if she doesn't like me?"

Song Que resembled a chick who wanted to be seriously in love but was also somewhat timid and cautious.

Song Gengzhao nodded, unable to refute this fact—the second young mistress of the Li family was notoriously fierce, and not a few young masters from great families had turned from young lords into young ladies.

It seems no one had dared to propose to the Li family in the Thirty-Nine Fortress these years, aside from the disparities between families, there were also some concerns beyond matching one's social status.

Song Gengzhao said with a smile,

"Just treat her well, with your good looks and honest nature, she won't mistreat you. Affection can be nurtured slowly."

Song Que nodded, no longer discussing the matter. He was somewhat looking forward to meeting Li Xiaoyu.

"By the way, how is the preparation for the hunting festival going?"

"The team members are arriving one after another," Song Que said.

"These team members are no ordinary people; it cost the Song Family quite a bit to recruit them. Do they follow your lead?"

This was Song Gengzhao's greatest concern.

His son was undeniably talented, and on the hunter's chart, probably only the mysterious and unfathomable Akasi could compete with him.

Yet paradoxically, the role he chose to play in the team was the least respected one, "the eyes."

Song Que said,

"Don't worry, Dad. Indeed, they are all capable people, and truly a joy to be around! But they still respect me."

"Oh? A group of capable people, each prouder than the last, willing to acknowledge you as their leader?"

Song Que nodded earnestly and said,

"It's only right that strong individuals have their own personalities and temperaments. To earn their respect doesn't hinge on whether I choose to be 'the eyes' or not, being stronger than them is all that matters."

Song Gengzhao was very satisfied with his son's confident attitude.

"Alright, train as much as possible these days. This hunting festival will be swarming with all manner of bizarre creatures. Don't take it lightly. The prize is secondary for you, honor is what's most important."

Song Que nodded.

After some casual conversation, Song Que left the study and not long after, headed to the mining district.

The Amara Continent was the largest mining area for humans.

Almost all fortresses had their own territory and fortifications here, and it was also the starting point for the "newbie village" of each fortress.

Lin Jue, swinging a baseball bat, was smashing an elite-level creature that had carelessly wandered into the safety zone.

It was just a way to kill the boredom.

"Speaking of Song Que, that lad, he's a pampered prince, isn't he? Why doesn't he have a few women to serve him?"

Lin Jue tossed away his cigarette butt and continued to beat the corpse with a baseball bat.

The hunters by his side were used to it by now. This old thug, who seemed full of ruffian charm, was not to be underestimated in strength. He loved two things in life the most: fighting and women.

"Such temper so early in the morning? The captain is a decent man, if you want a woman, go find one yourself at the club on the third floor." Discover hidden content at empire

The man speaking had only one eye, with a fierce-looking face, as he wiped the firearm in his hand.

It closely resembled a Barrett heavy sniper rifle. Such a heavy object seemed as light as foam in his hands.

Lin Jue shook his head and said,

"Being the boss as a rookie is the least fun. I really miss the days when I was on my own. Back at Fortress 39, I cuckolded an entire school's worth of teachers. Those were the glory days."

"Lin, give it a rest, you've told us that story over eighty times. As someone who's been demoted, you can't go back to the third floor either."

The doctor laughed and waved his hand, stopping Lin Jue's walk down memory lane.

Lin Jue felt somewhat embarrassed and chuckled.

"That's true, if I could go back to the third floor, I would have already asked Cyclops for those club addresses."

"We follow Song because he's smart. Although I've always looked down on brainiacs, his talent would be wasted if he didn't use it. Stop harping on about women. Win a place in the rankings, and you'll be able to go back."

Lin Jue nodded, acknowledging the logic in that.

However, Song Que hadn't arrived yet, and unable to bear the boredom, he said,

"The Song family's old man hid his son for so long, he really knows how to hold back. If it were me and I had such a son, I'd have shown him off on my social circle ages ago."

"Give me a break, with your record of whoring around without settling down, who would want to have a kid with you?"

The one-eyed man taunted Lin Jue.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lin Jue wasn't annoyed and laughed heartily,

"Well, I couldn't produce a kid with brains like that anyway. He's the second smartest young person I've seen."

This statement suddenly made the rest of the crew, also waiting for Song Que, pause.

"What bull are you spouting now?"

"What's the situation, you've seen someone smarter?"

Lin strutted his stuff and said,

"Of course, when I was at school, even the principal had to address me as Teacher Lin! I've seen plenty of kids."

"Stop blowing smoke about your past exploits, the only thing you're interested in besides women is still women, no other fresh stories."

"Let's leave it at that, that kid supposedly messed up later, cheated on an exam and got expelled; now, I can't even find any news about him.

It's a shame, really. He was smarter than Song Que, just didn't have the talent. Compared to Song Que, it's all about fate. It's not easy surviving at the bottom, who knows if the kid's already kicked the bucket."

"What the hell are you talking about? It's all gone to waste now," the one-eyed man cursed.

To him, a smart kid with no talent was common at the bottom; brains alone didn't impress him much.

After all, Song Que wasn't just smart.

The doctor smiled, slightly surprised.

They had been partners for a while now, doing life-threatening trades, not listed on the hunters' rankings. But their abilities were not to be underestimated. They also knew each other fairly well.

He knew Lin Jue and the one-eyed man were both rogues who spoke roughly and loved to boast, but the regret in Lin Jue's eyes couldn't be faked right now.

So he consoled him,

"Smart people will always find a way to live comfortably. Don't regret it, maybe you'll meet him again someday."

"I hope so, that kid did save my life once."

(Alright, it probably won't blow up like this tomorrow)