Chapter 136: A Hair's Breadth

After getting off work on Friday, several female colleagues from the customer service department of Shenghao Group held a small gathering to welcome Song Yao, an intern who had recently joined the company.

By the time Song Yao finished dinner with her colleagues, wandered through the shops for a while, and finally took a taxi alone to the Starlight Bar, it was already eleven o'clock at night. The opening of the test login for the "Xuan Ying World" was less than an hour away. Yet, Song Yao still bore no "Xuan" mark, which meant she had not been granted the qualification for the test login. Song Yao figured that the qualifications must have all been distributed by now and that she simply wasn't destined for this opportunity. However, she had never held high expectations to begin with, so she didn't feel particularly disappointed.

The Starlight Bar was a quiet lounge; the lighting inside was soft, the atmosphere elegant, and it was free from any overwhelming noise. Song Yao took out a photograph of her brother and asked the bartender, "Excuse me, has the man in this photo been here recently?"

The bartender shook his head.

"Thank you." Song Yao put the photo away. "Give me a Gin and Tonic, please." She then found a seat near the bar and sat down alone.

She had finished less than half of her drink when she saw a familiar figure enter the bar. It was Pei Wangshu, the daughter of the Shenghao Group's chairman. She was wearing a form-fitting gray T-shirt, a lightweight hooded windbreaker, tight pink sweatpants, and sneakers. Clearly, she had come straight to the lounge after working out and was not accompanied by any bodyguards.

Song Yao hurriedly raised her glass to shield half of her face; after all, no one wants to run into their boss after work.

A man who had been sitting in the corner suddenly stood up and waved at Pei Wangshu. "Wangshu, over here."

Pei Wangshu walked toward the man and sat in the empty chair opposite him.

"Su Quan, when did you get back? You didn't even give me a heads-up," Pei Wangshu said. Su Quan, also a child of a wealthy family, had attended the same prestigious university as Pei Wangshu and had been in her class.

"I've been back for a while," Su Quan replied.

"Then why were you in such a rush to see me?" Pei asked. "What could be so urgent that it couldn't be said over the phone, requiring me to make a special trip?"

"Wangshu, I... I want to borrow some money from you," Su Quan said.

Pei Wangshu remained calm. "Go ahead. How much did you lose in the stock market this time?"

"Not much."

"Then how much do you want to borrow?"

Su Quan rubbed his hands together and said, "Fifty million. That shouldn't be much to you, right? Your father has only one daughter; the entire Shenghao Group will be yours one day."

"Hahahaha!" Pei Wangshu burst into laughter. "Su Quan, have you lost your mind? Fifty million? You really have the nerve to ask." She added, "You don't actually think our friendship is worth fifty million, do you?"

With that, Pei Wangshu stood up to leave.

"Wangshu!" Su Quan called out immediately. "We were classmates. Even if you aren't willing to lend me the money, since you're already here, why not have a drink with me? I remember you like Johnnie Walker. I'll go to the bar and get you a glass."

After saying this, Su Quan headed toward the bar on his own. Seeing this, Pei Wangshu sat back down.

Su Quan took a glass of whiskey from the bar, but secretly slipped a pill into it—an act that just happened to be glimpsed by Song Yao, who was sitting at the bar. Su Quan returned to Pei Wangshu with the whiskey and handed it to her. "The whiskey here is quite good. Give it a try."

Just as Pei Wangshu picked up the glass, Song Yao walked over and stopped her. "Manager Pei, don't drink that. He drugged it."

Su Quan panicked and shouted at Song Yao, "Who are you to spout such nonsense? Wangshu, don't listen to her! We were classmates; how could I ever—"

Before he could finish, a glass of liquid splashed across his face.

Pei Wangshu set the empty glass back on the table. "Su Quan, I never expected you to become so shameless. You’ve truly disappointed me." She then turned to Song Yao and asked, "Are you alone?"

"Yes?" Song Yao nodded.

"Are you heading back now? I drove here. Do you want a ride?" Pei Wangshu offered.

"Sure." Song Yao nodded again. It was quite far from the city center, and catching a ride with Pei Wangshu would save her the taxi fare; she didn't feel the least bit embarrassed.

However, just as Pei Wangshu and Song Yao walked out the door of the bar, they were blocked by five large men. Su Quan walked out behind them, his face twisted into a sinister expression. "Pei Wangshu, I'm sorry. If you won't lend me the money, I'm finished, so I can't just let you leave." He continued, "I've booked a room at a hotel nearby. Let's go there and talk it over properly."

Clearly, he intended to take both her money and her person. As the sole heir to the Shenghao Group, if he could manipulate her, the entire company might eventually fall into his grasp.

Pei Wangshu looked at Su Quan. "Su Quan, I didn't realize you could be this shameless."

Su Quan sneered, "I'm only resorting to this because I have no other choice."

"Run!"

Song Yao suddenly grabbed Pei Wangshu's hand and bolted toward a side alley.

"What are you standing there for? Chase them!" Su Quan shouted to the five men.

The Starlight Bar was located on the outskirts of the city, and at this hour, there were almost no pedestrians on the road. Song Yao wasn't familiar with the area, so she just dragged Pei Wangshu along as they ran blindly. The road ahead seemed to have no streetlights, and it became clear that Su Quan and his men were about to catch up. If they were cornered in such a place, it would truly be the end.

However, at that critical moment, the clock finally struck twelve.

Simultaneously, every Xuan Stone Stele across the globe erupted with a dazzling cyan light. A golden "Xuan" mark appeared on Song Yao's forehead, and an identical mark appeared on the fair skin of Pei Wangshu's neck. A strange voice echoed in both their minds: "The first test login for the Xuan Ying World has begun. Selected players may log in immediately."

Neither Song Yao nor Pei Wangshu had expected to be granted login qualifications. They exchanged a look and simultaneously whispered to themselves, "Login!"

In an instant, the two of them transformed into beams of golden light, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the boundless night.

Su Quan, who had been chasing them, witnessed the scene. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. "Twelve o'clock."

"At twelve, the first test login for the Xuan Ying World officially opens. I never imagined that both Pei Wangshu and that girl would receive qualifications."

"They must have physically logged into that world by now—damn it! I was so close to catching them!" Su Quan smashed his phone on the ground in a rage.

"No, there’s still a chance. This test session only lasts for three months. I remember the official *Xuan Ying World* website mentioning that time flows differently between the two worlds. Three months in that world is only six hours in ours."

"That means at six o'clock in the morning, Pei Wangshu and that girl will return here from that world."

"As long as I wait here until six, I'll be able to catch them the moment they emerge."