Chapter 42: An Old Acquaintance

President Wu paused for a moment, then spoke slowly: "What is his personality like? And what is his attitude toward the association?"

Chen Feng recalled Han Ning's demeanor and replied cautiously: "He is extremely vigilant and doesn't care much for socializing, but he respects the rules. Once I offered the terms and he passed the test, he joined straightforwardly without asking too many questions."

"I see," President Wu nodded. "Someone like that usually dislikes being tied down."

"President, should we invite him over for a chat now to show how much we value him?" Chen Feng probed.

Before President Wu could respond, the robust young man beside him shook his head first:

"Not a good idea. Based on your description, this man is clearly a lone wolf with exceptionally high vigilance."

"If we summon him out of the blue, he won't see it as a sign of appreciation; instead, he'll view it as probing and surveillance, which will only provoke his aversion and guard. Forced melons are never sweet, especially at a time like this."

He was slightly younger, around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with a powerful build, short hair like steel needles, and a booming voice full of vitality.

President Wu gave a slight nod. "Vice President Zhao is right. With someone like this, we can only approach him gradually and warm him up with our attitude."

"But... our time is limited right now, and Vice President Wang is deep within the fog, at constant risk of getting lost!" Chen Feng said anxiously.

A brief silence fell over the suite, broken only by the crackling of candlelight and the dull sound of rain outside the window.

"Han Ning?"

Right at that moment, a barely audible murmur sounded from the darkness.

Then, a pleasant yet lazily magnetic female voice came from the shadows at the inner side of the suite, breaking the silence:

"Let me go and approach him."

Inside the suite, as that lazily magnetic female voice trailed off, the air froze for a fraction of a second.

President Wu and the robust man both wore looks of surprise.

Chen Feng and Lu Yunping shifted their gaze toward the shaded area whence the voice had originated, their faces etched with undisguised astonishment.

One had to know that this Vice President Lin, who had volunteered herself, possessed unfathomable strength. She was widely acknowledged within the association as second to none among the vice presidents, and on top of that, she possessed exceptional management and coordination skills.

Out of the more than fifty Awakeners in the association, nearly a third had a good relationship with her and were willing to follow her arrangements.

Yet, strangely enough, this vice president, who possessed both stunning looks and an elegant temperament, had never been linked to any romantic gossip with anyone, always maintaining an impenetrable sense of distance.

President Wu was the first to react. He turned his head slightly, a gentle smile blooming on his face:

"Come to think of it, Vice President Lin's ability traits happen to complement Han Ning's quite well. Since Vice President Lin is willing to take this on personally, it is naturally for the best. I'm sure this matter will go smoothly."

His tone carried complete trust in Vice President Lin.

"Mhm," came a faint response from the shadows.

"Then we shall await the good news." President Wu nodded and, along with the robust man, left the suite.

***

Until President Wu departed, the woman's calm voice rang out: "Chen Feng, where is Han Ning right now?"

"He should still be gathering supplies in the banquet hall market on the second floor," Chen Feng answered.

"Understood." Lin Qianqian acknowledged, then stepped forward and silently left the suite.

Leaving behind Chen Feng and Lu Yunping, who looked at each other in dismay.

***

Outside the banquet hall doors, Han Ning had just stepped out, ready to head back.

"Han Ning."

A pleasant female voice drifted down from the stairway ahead.

Han Ning paused. This voice... why did it sound somewhat familiar?

He instinctively looked up.

Standing at the top of the stairs was a tall woman.

She appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven, wearing a well-tailored dark grey windbreaker with the zipper pulled down below her collarbone, revealing a simple black turtleneck underneath.

On her lower body, she wore hard-wearing dark cargo pants, and on her feet were a pair of designer outdoor hiking boots.

Her long, dark hair was tied back simply, exposing a smooth, high forehead and a charming face.

Han Ning stared at this face for a few seconds before speaking with some uncertainty: "Boss Lin?"

He remembered now.

The person before him was none other than his previous boss from his last job, Lin Qianqian.

About a year or so ago, he had joined a small-scale game development company as a programmer.

Though the company was small, its profits were decent. The boss, Lin Qianqian, had graduated from a prestigious domestic university and seemed to have some family background, running the business quite successfully through her connections and capital.

The reason for his resignation had nothing to do with the work itself; his close family member had fallen gravely ill, forcing him to quit and go home to care for them.

He never expected to encounter this former boss again in this apocalyptic, otherworldly realm.

Seeing the look of astonishment on Han Ning's face, the corners of Lin Qianqian's lips curved upward into a faint smile:

"It really is you. When Chen Feng mentioned your name earlier, I thought it was just a coincidence."

Han Ning suppressed the shock in his heart and regained his composure.

He and this former boss had never been particularly close; their interactions were strictly limited to a professional superior-subordinate relationship with zero personal contact.

"What a coincidence," he nodded politely. "Is Boss Lin looking for me for something?"

Lin Qianqian didn't mind his somewhat distant address. She took two steps forward, reaching the edge of the stair landing to stand side by side with Han Ning.

Her gaze swept past the snow-cake by his feet before returning to Han Ning's face.

"I heard Chen Feng describe your ability in detail."

Lin Qianqian got straight to the point without beating around the bush: "I won't mince words with you."

Looking directly into Han Ning's eyes, she articulated clearly:

"I want to explore the fog zone with you."

Han Ning was somewhat surprised by this sudden team-up invitation from his former boss.

Instead of answering immediately, he maintained his habitual vigilance and asked in return: "Are you also an Awakener? What ability did you awaken?"

Without a word, Lin Qianqian extended a finger, her fingertip glowing with a halo of pearlescent white light.

"Touch my finger."

Recalling that Lin Qianqian had actually been quite decent to her employees back then, Han Ning figured she was unlikely to pull any malicious tricks.

Still, as a precaution, he glanced down at the snow-cake at his feet.

Then, he raised his right hand, extended his forefinger, and gently pressed it against Lin Qianqian's glowing fingertip.

The moment their fingertips touched:

Hum!

A gentle warmth surged from Lin Qianqian's fingertip into Han Ning's body.

This warmth wasn't violent like the blue energy clusters obtained after slaying monsters.

It was milder, purer, resembling the most soothing sunlight of a winter day.

Han Ning clearly sensed that the spiritual energy he had consumed through combat was rapidly recovering.

[Spiritual Energy: 17 → 18 → 19...]

Within just two or three seconds of contact, his depleted spiritual energy had recovered by two or three points.

"This is..." Han Ning couldn't help but look up at Lin Qianqian's delicate face.

At the appropriate moment, Lin Qianqian withdrew her finger, and the pearlescent glow vanished from her fingertip.

"I can help you recover lost energy. That is my ability."