Chapter 262: Idol

"Alright, alright, stop rushing me. I already said we'll talk about it when we get there." Zhang Wenda hung up the phone.

He'd made the call, but Jia Junpeng had ended up being even more excited than he was. He had no idea what the guy was so worked up about.

In the short time it took him to eat, Jia Junpeng had already called several times.

Tossing his spoon onto the empty plate, he looked over at the still-sleeping Song Jianguo and gave her a firm smack on the butt with the back of his hand. "Still sleeping? Get up. And remember to bring some cats."

"Where are we going?" Song Jianguo yawned, struggling to stretch.

"To the Internet World. We need to find someone and ask about the red thing."

Full and satisfied, Zhang Wenda grabbed his enamel mug from the table, stuffed it into one of the holes on his body, and walked toward the living room.

Now fully awake, Song Jianguo scrambled to her feet and said very seriously, "Hold on a minute. I need to have a serious talk with you about my salary. I'm so powerful now, shouldn't you give me a raise?"

She recalled yesterday's TV show and continued loudly, "Oh, right! And my benefits! I must protect my legal rights and interests! Like paid vacation! And sick leave!" Song Jianguo planted her hands on her hips, full of confidence.

Zhang Wenda glanced at her. "Did you pick up some more nonsense from TV yesterday?"

He was about to open the door when Song Jianguo spread her arms to block him, craning her neck to look up at him. "It doesn't matter where I learned it! I need to protect my personal legal rights and interests!"

Zhang Wenda sighed. "Fine. If you get pregnant, I absolutely guarantee you nine months of paid maternity leave."

Sensing she'd gotten the better of him, Song Jianguo was overjoyed. She raised her right hand and high-fived the Black Cats falling from the sky, feeling like she'd won.

"Don't celebrate just yet. Let's go, let's go." Zhang Wenda grabbed Song Jianguo and was just about to reach for the doorknob when he heard a knock. "KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK."

'Who'd be looking for me this early in the morning? Hu Maomao? Or Xiaohua, here to play with Song Jianguo?'

As Zhang Wenda opened the door with this thought in mind, he saw an upside-down Jia Junpeng, eyes twinkling with excitement, walk in from the ceiling.

"Wow, is this the apartment the Third Line assigned you? The benefits are amazing!"

He gawked at the place like a wide-eyed tourist, exploring every nook and cranny—not even sparing the bathroom—and clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Wait, how did you get in? Didn't anyone stop you?" Zhang Wenda asked, staring in astonishment at Jia Junpeng on the ceiling.

"The guy at the door checked my communication logs. As soon as he saw it was you, he let me in."

Jia Junpeng looked at the walls covered in statues of gods and buddhas and couldn't help but marvel internally. 'Just as expected of the Third Line. Even their decorations are so original.'

"Wenda, what rank in the Third Line do you have to be to get an apartment assigned to you? How many years would I have to work to afford a place like this in Shanghai?" Jia Junpeng asked, his head stuck in the refrigerator.

"Didn't we agree to meet at the entrance to the forum? Let's go, this is urgent," Zhang Wenda said, pushing him toward the door.

"I just wanted to take a look! After all, I'm kind of one of the Third Line's people now. How could I not know my way around?"

Once they were outside, Jia Junpeng still couldn't behave. He looked at and touched everything, as if it was all a rare curiosity.

He was especially loud when passing by some open training rooms, drawing the attention of others.

Some of the operatives inside, who were sparring or training, became his new target of fascination.

He even bent down to pick up a piece of cracked concrete from the ground and secretly stuffed it into his shirt.

Zhang Wenda had Song Jianguo grab a cat's head and shove it right into his mouth. The annoying noise finally stopped. "Can you not be so damn excited? Anyone who didn't know better would think you're crazy."

Jia Junpeng pulled the slobber-covered cat head out of his mouth, his eyes wide. "How can I not be excited? These are all my idols! It was my childhood dream to join the Third Line!"

"What's there to be so envious of about the Third Line?"

Just then, Wang Xiaohua ran past, her ponytail swinging, and asked with a smile, "Brother, where are you going?"

The young woman's appearance had changed again. Her other pupil had turned completely black; she had clearly obtained a new Thought Wave item.

Compared to before, there was a new scar on her fair neck, but she didn't seem to mind it at all.

"I have to step out for something. How have you been? Lots of missions lately?"

"Same as always. But I worked hard and got promoted a rank. Look!"

While the two were chatting, Jia Junpeng spotted a small, sharp sword pin on her chest. His eyes filled with extreme desire, and his legs nearly gave out from under him.

After Wang Xiaohua left, Zhang Wenda hauled him up from the ground and said irritably, "Could you be any more embarrassing? I swear, you're unbelievable."

"But she's an operative from the Security Department! A real, live one! It's the first time I've ever seen one!" Watching Wang Xiaohua's slender figure retreat, Jia Junpeng's eyes burned with the fervor of a starstruck fan.

"Are they that rare? This is the Security Department. Everyone in this entire building is an operative." Hearing this, Jia Junpeng's body twitched, and he looked so excited he was about to pass out.

"Let's go, let's just get him out of here. I've had it with this guy. This is too embarrassing."

A Black Cat turned into a rope and dragged him along, as Zhang Wenda fled Bureau 507 almost as if he were escaping.

Once they were back in Thought Wave World No. 13, Zhang Wenda finally let him down. "I was wondering why you came running in here for no reason. Turns out you were here to chase after your idols."

"I've been to a thousand different places, so I had to make a trip there at least once~" Jia Junpeng said, pointing in the direction they had come from.

"Stop with your stupid memes and get up," Zhang Wenda said, kicking him.

Jia Junpeng jumped right up and said excitedly, "Boss, wait a second. Help me with something first. It'll be quick."

He quickly pulled a phone out of his pocket and started making calls to different people. Soon, Zhang Wenda saw all sorts of people, walking on progress bars, rushing over from all directions. In no time, Zhang Wenda was surrounded by over a hundred people.

There were all kinds of people, including pixelated people and doll people.

Just as Zhang Wenda's guard went up, wondering if the kid had tipped off the Big Circle, he saw Jia Junpeng place a hand on his arm and shout proudly to his nearby friends, "Look! Take a good look! He's an operative from Bureau 507! And I'm his informant."

Hearing the gasps of awe and envy all around them, Zhang Wenda finally understood what the guy was doing. And it wasn't just him; even Song Jianguo got it.

She leaped onto Zhang Wenda's shoulder, crouched down, and whispered in his ear, "This kid's using you to show off."