Pretending To Be A Boss

Qiao Shanshan's eyes widened as a force gripped her cheeks and chin, forcing her mouth open. Her consciousness was quickly returning, and she could already see an unfamiliar man at the corner of her eye.

The man was rough, stuffing some unidentifiable object right into her mouth.

"No need to thank me. Nice to meet you, I'm Tang Xian."

After pushing the Bogen Fruit into Qiao Shanshan's mouth, Tang Xian wore a smile. His tone was gentle, like that of a tender-hearted, warm man. Tang Xian also thought of himself as very warm, having saved Qiao Shanshan's life and even hand-feeding her.

He figured the first impression must be quite good.

Qiao Shanshan could only taste the sour and astringent flavor on her taste buds. But she felt a bit more spirited.

She didn't speak, just staring at Tang Xian with wide eyes.

Tang Xian paused for two seconds, then suddenly realized.

The logic was probably similar to how a person can swallow a light bulb, but can't spit it back out. Qiao Shanshan didn't have the strength, it seemed she couldn't bite through the Bogen Fruit, nor spit it out.

Something about the scene seemed off, so Tang Xian considerately pulled the Bogen Fruit back out a bit.

Qiao Shanshan's face was somewhat red, whether from anger or something else.

"Who are you?" her voice was weak, but her tone somewhat guarded.

"I've introduced myself already. She's Dong Ran, this is my sister, Tang Xiaojiu. In short, we are here to rescue you. Also, I've formed a team and we're short a doctor. So I'm here to recruit you as well."

Tang Xian believed there was plenty of time, but he chose to get straight to the point.

Dong Ran no longer wished to speak.

The first impression Tang had given Qiao Shanshan was probably as bad as it gets.

Seeing that Qiao Shanshan hadn't eaten, Tang Xian pointed at the fruit and said:

"This is Bo..."

"I know, you don't need to tell me, shut up." As a doctor, Qiao Shanshan naturally recognized some of the plants from the mining area.

Her gaze was icy, but she still accepted Tang Xian's kindness.

Among the ways to commit suicide, the least likely to succeed was to starve or suffocate oneself to death.

Once the craving for food or oxygen reached a certain level, one's rationality would instantly crumble.

Qiao Shanshan didn't like eating in front of others, especially... in front of strangers, and especially such food. The fruit's unpalatability was one thing, its suggestive shape was another. And there was also a man looking at her calmly. But Qiao Shanshan was just too hungry.

Looking at the juicy Bogen Fruit, Tang Xiaojiu got tempted again: "Tang Xian, is that fruit tasty?"

"Want to try?" Tang Xian took out a smaller Bogen Fruit.

After Tang Xiaojiu took it, she bit into it without hesitation. Two seconds later, her gaze became vacant.

Everything Tang Xian gave was tasty, so was the fruit really bad or had something happened to her taste buds?

"Like it? If it's tasty, eat more." Tang Xian said with a smile.

Convinced that the first taste was just an illusion, Tang Xiaojiu took another bite, but it still tasted awful. Her panicked and doubting expression amused Qiao Shanshan, who was trying to keep a straight face nearby.

"You, why are you bullying the kid. Little sister, that isn't good, just throw it away."

Tang Xiaojiu glanced at Tang Xian, then at Qiao Shanshan, and back at the food which was supposed to be tasty, and began to question everything.

Seeing the child's innocent charm and being rescued by someone had softened Qiao Shanshan's expression.

"I have to return, I've been here too many days already. Thank you for saving me, I have some assets, just tell me your contact information, I will repay you." Qiao Shanshan was very calm.

Tang Xian passed the Red Tail Fruit to Tang Xiaojiu and took the Bogen Fruit from her hand.

After a bite of the tasty Red Tail Fruit, Tang Xiaojiu had an epiphany; the previous experience had been an illusion, how could anything given by Tang Xian not be delicious?

Tang Xian said, "Your request is reasonable, but my demand is for you to join my team. I don't want to waste time on you, I'll say it straight, either you die here and let the Scorched Blood Group become history, or you choose to live. I will also take you to slaughter the Nvwa Snake. It may not mean much, but since you're so fixated on revenge, it would at least fulfill a life goal."

He casually bit into the Bogen Fruit, like he did when he was a child picking cucumbers with his father, eating a bite whenever he held a cucumber in his hands.

As for the shape of the fruit, and whether eating it looked indecent, people concerned about such things, in Tang Xian's view, simply weren't hungry enough.

Qiao Shanshan found this man to be very blunt. She shook her head:

"My teammates and I have trained together for four years, we've laboriously climbed to the twenty-ninth rank on the Hunters List. They may be dead, but they are forever my teammates and partners, I cannot abandon them. If you have other conditions, I can agree to them."

"Admirable, then farewell."

Tang Xian stood up and immediately pulled Tang Xiaojiu to leave.

Dong Ran was stunned.

What just happened? Why didn't Tang insist any further?

Tang Xian reached the entrance of the cave, and seeing Dong Ran still standing there, he looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Dong Ran looked back at Qiao Shanshan, then at Tang Xian, and finally followed them.

They left.

Qiao Shanshan was a bit dazed.

Though her response to Tang Xian was not a polite formality but genuine disinterest in joining another team, she had thought to herself that, even if they couldn't come to an agreement, this man would still save her, right?