Chapter 69: Susu?

An uncontrollable wave of guilt welled up in the crowd. They suddenly felt they had let Director Su down.

"The company didn't mind that you're all a bunch of dead men walking, and even provided you with jobs. Now! To increase your chances of survival the next time you enter the Nightmare World, we took the painstaking effort to send you to the Abandoned District for training. People couldn't buy such a great opportunity even if they paid for it.

"But what about you? Instead of cherishing it, you aggressively demanded money. Do you think that's right?"

At these words, Murong Mengli's beautiful eyes widened. She had originally thought Su Mu was going to use his status as a Transcendent to oppress the crowd. She never expected him to say something like this. Wasn't this going to provoke public outrage?

But the real shock was yet to come. The very Nightmare Apostles who had just been haggling over prices were now all bowing their heads in shame.

One of the younger girls even began to sob. "Director Su, I was wrong..."

Murong Mengli was speechless.

"Director Su, you're absolutely right to lecture us. I'm a real piece of work. The company gave me a job and an opportunity to train, so how could I make the company spend money? I am personally willing to offer fifty thousand... no! One hundred thousand! To subsidize the company!" the man with the tattooed arm said in deep shame.

Facing the crowd's guilty gazes, Su Mu shook his head with a heavy expression. "The company doesn't want your money. As long as you can appreciate the company's good intentions, that is enough."

Hearing that the company didn't even want their money, the crowd felt even more ashamed.

Murong Mengli's mask of composure completely slipped. Her rosy lips parted slightly, and her eyes widened on their own. She might have lost some of her aloof, executive edge, but it made her look stunningly real.

Watching the crowd look so ashamed they wanted to find a hole to crawl into, she even entertained the absurd thought: would these people suddenly wake up in the middle of the night, slap themselves in the face, and mutter, 'I really deserve to die'?

"Alright, go down and reflect on yourselves," Su Mu ordered. The deeply ashamed crowd all dispersed.

Then, he walked toward Murong Mengli. A complicated emotion flickered in her eyes, and she was just about to thank him when a deep, magnetic voice sounded by her ear. "Remember to transfer all their money to me."

Murong Mengli fell silent.

She froze in place. The words of gratitude stuck on her lips, unable to be voiced.

Su Mu ignored the stunned Murong Mengli and began strolling around the Transcendent base. After all, this was his future workplace; he definitely needed to familiarize himself with it beforehand.

Before long, his gaze was drawn to an enclosed plaza. The walls inside were entirely silver-white and looked extremely sturdy. It also housed some steel training dummies and fitness equipment.

There were quite a few marks on the walls and the dummies, ranging from fist imprints to sword scars.

"This is the training room, a practice ground provided for Transcendents," Murong Mengli's voice sounded behind Su Mu.

Su Mu turned around to look, only to see that the noble lady had recovered her previous calm and steady demeanor.

He pointed to the marks on the dummies. "Who left these traces?"

"Han Yu comes here to train sometimes."

Su Mu raised an eyebrow. "Han Yu uses a sword?"

Murong Mengli looked at the sword scars on the dummies, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. "Perhaps."

Su Mu nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask further.

"By the way, Director Su, do you have time for a casual lunch at noon? And Mr. Yang as well. Since both of you are new to the Upper District, I should at least do my part as the host," Murong Mengli invited politely.

Yang Dongqing showed a hesitant expression. He missed Jasmine. As a young man in the honeymoon phase of a new relationship, he was at his most passionate, and he would have to leave for the Abandoned District in two days, separating from Jasmine once again.

More importantly, he still wanted to see Jasmine in that backless, hip-hugging dress.

"If Mr. Yang has urgent matters to attend to, you can go handle them first. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future," Murong Mengli said, noticing his hesitation.

Yang Dongqing nodded. "I really do have a very important matter to deal with. You guys go eat."

In the end, only Su Mu and Murong Mengli went to eat.

Inside a private room at a high-end restaurant.

"Miss Murong seems to have something to say to me?" Su Mu asked while elegantly cutting a premium M9 Steak.

"What does Mr. Su usually like?" Murong Mengli smiled, though this time her smile carried a little less distance.

"Smoking and drinking."

Murong Mengli paused slightly before smiling. "I thought a gentleman like Mr. Su might have some more unique hobbies."

Su Mu offered a faint smile. He pushed his cut steak in front of Murong Mengli and then pulled her untouched steak over to his side. "Let me phrase it another way, then. I like the clouds in a cigarette pack and the ocean in a wine glass."

Eating the steak, Murong Mengli couldn't help but let out an amused smile. Still, she politely finished chewing and gently wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin before saying, "Mr. Su is truly extraordinary."

She raised her wine glass in a toast. "But that isn't what I was asking."

Clink!

The two lightly tapped their glasses together and downed the dark red liquid.

"I was asking if Mr. Su prefers money or Artifacts?"

"What do you mean, Miss Murong?" Su Mu's eyes flickered, faintly guessing what she was getting at.

"Mr. Su, we are already partners. Calling me Miss Murong is too distant. Besides, in certain situations, this surname will immediately expose my noble identity. You can just call me Mengli." Murong Mengli's red lips curled up slightly. Even though she wasn't trying to be alluring or seductive, the gesture alone was enough to make any man's heart race.

"Understood, Miss Mengli. You may also call me by my name directly."

Murong Mengli pursed her lips slightly. The wine she had drunk earlier was steadily taking effect, bringing a flush to her fair, striking face. She gave Su Mu an inexplicable look.

"Alright, Su... Susu."

Susu?

Su Mu raised an eyebrow. He didn't like women who lacked a sense of boundaries.

Yet Murong Mengli acted as if she hadn't noticed. "Susu, you still haven't answered my question. Do you prefer money or Artifacts?"

"Neither."

"Then what does Susu like?" Murong Mengli asked, raising her glass for another toast.

The two finished their wine again. Su Mu frowned slightly, studying the flushed woman in front of him. He noticed that a layer of mist seemed to veil her eyes, giving them a hazy, alluring look.

That sticky, almost syrupy gaze couldn't help but remind him of a certain phrase: the innate tide-rhythm sacred physique. He had a whole reinforced company of women with that kind of physique back in the dreamscape.