Pretending To Be A Boss

Mining area, forest of trees.

After arranging the matters to follow, Tang Xian brought Dong Ran and Tang Xiaojiu to the mining area.

To Dong Ran's astonishment, Tang had actually brought a child to the mining area. Only when she noticed how familiar Tang Xiaojiu was with the surroundings of their treehouse residence did she realize that Tang Xiaojiu had been to the mining area before.

Dong Ran was very curious about Tang Xiaojiu's identity and how she had come to be there.

Reading the numerous doubts in Dong Ran's mind, Tang Xian did not resolve them but simply said,

"You must not tell Li Xiaoyu about this."

"Why? Miss Second won't be jealous of a child."

Tang Xian shook his head and said,

"It's unrelated to that imbecile, in any case, this matter about my sister, apart from future team members, must not be mentioned to anyone else."

Tang Xian spoke in a calm tone, but his gaze was very serious. Dong Ran nodded in understanding.

Observing Dong Ran's current level of frankness, Tang Xian was reassured and said,

"The reason I don't tell you is not that I don't trust you. It's just that some things are troublesome to explain and there's no need. Xiaojiu is someone we should protect and be close with. That's all you need to understand."

"I also find Xiaojiu very cute," Dong Ran said.

Tang Xian nodded appreciatively, noticing that Dong Ran liked Tang Xiaojiu and that Tang Xiaojiu also liked Dong Ran. Having a woman looking after her would certainly be more convenient than a man doing it.

"Big Chest Sister, are you calling me? Is there something to eat?" The little fox's ears were sharp, accurately capturing her name within the faint dialogue between the two.

Tang Xian started cooking fish, as the air in the mining area was fresh, naturally inducing the desire to eat.

Dong Ran held Tang Xiaojiu's little hand, watching Tang Xian prepare the food.

"Tang, it's been four days since that report... Is Qiao Shanshan still alive?"

"I don't know. If she's been badly injured and has held on until now, even after the whole team has died, she would be the person I'm looking for."

What Tang Xian was making was Zhuge grilled fish, having prepared the oil and other ingredients before his departure. Now that he had the side dishes, he could make a real grilled fish dish, rather than just simple barbeque.

"But why wouldn't she return? I think Qiao Shanshan is mostly likely dead already; otherwise, why wouldn't she go back to the Pyramid?" Dong Ran said.

"Maybe the portable teleport fracture device broke, or perhaps the trauma she suffered was too much, and it affected her mind. Anyway, since the news mentioned she has not returned, it means we can find her, or at least her body," Tang Xian handed Dong Ran a handkerchief.

Dong Ran didn't understand, then following Tang Xian's gaze, she realized that Tang Xiaojiu was drooling in anticipation.

"But tomorrow is the fifth day..."

"Is there a problem with the fifth day?" Tang Xian asked, puzzled.

"Don't you die if you stay in the mining area for seven days?" Dong Ran said.

Tang Xian knocked Dong Ran on the head and calmly said,

"Seven days are seven days, five days are five days. People always love to set psychological barriers for themselves. In response to the rule of certain death after seven days, they limit themselves to leaving the mining area within five days. Over time, five days become three, and three become one. Exiting and re-entering take ten hours—wouldn't that be a waste of time?

"From now on, shift your internal safety line to six days, twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes."

Dong Ran was shocked. Tang's way of thinking was fierce. To stay in the mining area for six days, twenty-three hours, fifty-nine minutes? Was he a devil?

It felt like driving at the edge of a cliff.

To reach the destination in the shortest time, you must go as fast as possible. But to prevent falling off the cliff, you also have to brake in advance.

"How long will it take us? It will take a good amount of time just to get to Waning Time Valley, right? And then there's the time to find her; we might even exceed seven days."

Tang Xian stopped what he was doing to give the question some thought.

After about five or six seconds, Tang Xian finally said, "We'll probably find her within three to five hours before Qiao Shanshan's seven-day limit. Hmm, there's enough time. We won't die."

"..." Dong Ran was speechless.

Could Tang's concept of having ample time be different from ordinary people's?

...

...

A night passed. Tang Xiaojiu slept holding onto Dong Ran. Both the wooden house and the fox den had hard pillows.

Tang Xiaojiu was originally accustomed to it, but after sleeping with Dong Ran, she couldn't get used to it anymore.

Considering the time to spare, Tang Xian had intended to sleep in, as most people are in a rush in the mining area and would only relax in the Pyramid.

Contrarily, Tang believed the mining area was the proper place to rest. In comparison, the Pyramid with all its running up and down, buying this and that, was troublesome.

However, a stupid bird woke him up.

"Gazi! Tang Xian, get up. A strange woman has come into the house!" Tang Gazi believed Tang Xian was a good friend and should warn him of the danger.

Especially after seeing Tang Xiaojiu's formidable strength, having collapsed into the bosom of this strange woman, Tang Gazi kept sounding the alarm.

It was just like an owl alarm clock.

Tang Xian woke up. He opened his bloodshot eyes and rubbed the sleep from them, and his first thought was how best to cook a mynah's tongue.

Luckily, once Tang Xiaojiu woke up, Tang Gazi stopped calling.

"Ah... there are birds that can talk! This bird even called out your name!" Dong Ran exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent.

Tang Xian glanced at the dumb bird and the dumb woman.