HR Alliance Mall

In the bustling city of Jiangnan Base, one of the six major base cities in Huaxia, stands an impressive 88-story skyscraper. Its exterior walls proudly display the letters "HR." The ground floor surrounds a beautiful plaza, home to the largest fountain in Jiangnan Base. But what truly sets this building apart is the strict security—over a thousand armed soldiers patrol the area, ensuring that no outsiders step foot inside.

Passersby gaze at the skyscraper with curiosity and envy. Most residents of Jiangnan have never set foot inside its grand halls.

A sudden electronic chime interrupts the scene. The guards and patrols immediately make way as a military off-road vehicle, emblazoned with the letters "HR," pulls up to the entrance. The doors swing open, revealing three fully armed warriors—each carrying a different weapon: a spear, a sword and shield, or two large iron boxes.

"Please enter, gentlemen," the doorman at the skyscraper's entrance greets them with a respectful bow.

The three warriors stride into the building.

"Come, Luo Feng," says Chen Gu, one of the team members. "Let's head to the nearby bar and wait for the captain."

Luo Feng chuckles. "I've never met the captain. I wonder what they're like." He takes in the opulence of the HR Alliance Mall—the underground consortium formed by super families and corporations from around the world. As the headquarters in Jiangnan Base, the building exudes luxury.

The lobby floor gleams, and even the simplest decorations are extraordinary. The male and female servers wear smiles that could melt hearts.

Seated on a plush sofa, Luo Feng, Chen Gu, and their teammate Zhang Ke prepare for their meeting.

"May I take your orders, gentlemen?" The server bows slightly, her smile unwavering.

"Tie Guan Yin tea!" Chen Gu declares.

"Pu-erh tea with a hint of jasmine," Zhang Ke adds.

Luo Feng raises an eyebrow. Back at the Extreme Martial Hall, these two were frequent drinkers. Zhang Ke, with arms as sturdy as an ape's, laughs. "Luo Feng, no drinking in the Wilderness Zone. We can't afford to be careless."

Luo Feng nods, realizing he can't indulge in alcohol while in the dangerous wilderness.

"Give me a cup of Pu-erh too," he requests.

Soft music fills the lobby—an enchanting melody played on a flute. Its tune shifts between soothing and lively, refreshing the soul.

"First floor is the guest lounge," Chen Gu explains. "From the second floor upward, you'll find the marketplace where items are sold. The prices here at the underground alliance mall are generally lower than those on the 'Extreme Home' online store. Of course, they're higher than our internal half-price."

Luo Feng agrees. The half-price deal is exclusive to the Extreme Martial Hall's members.

"The biggest advantage of this underground alliance mall," Chen Gu continues, "is that we can sell monster materials we've hunted at a premium price. The martial hall offers lower prices but contributes to our merit points. Here, it's all about the money—no merit points. The choice is yours."

Luo Feng smiles. He's read forum posts about this. Selling to the martial hall earns both money and merit points, while the alliance mall offers higher prices but no merit points.

"Wang, you've been up all night. Rest now; I'll take care of things here." A clear, gentle voice interrupts Luo Feng, who was still holding his teacup. He turns to see a young woman in a white shirt and black suit pants, relieving another manager at the bar.

The bar has twelve servers and one manager, operating 24/7 with eight-hour shifts. Luo Feng's eyes widen as he gazes at the newcomer. Who is this captain they're about to meet? The luxurious HR Alliance Mall holds more secrets than he anticipated.

"Xu Xin?" Luo Feng stared in disbelief at the female manager behind the bar. She exuded an air of professionalism and natural elegance. To be a manager in the underground alliance's welcoming hall bar, she must be exceptional. This place was specifically for entertaining warriors!

Even an ordinary server here would likely be a graduate from a prestigious university, having undergone extensive training in etiquette and other protocols. But a bar manager? That was even more impressive.

"Xu Xin…" Luo Feng began, but his mind raced. How could the Xu Xin he remembered from high school transform into this poised woman?

"Chen Ge, Zhang Ge, excuse me for a moment." Luo Feng left his backpack, shield, and sword on the sofa and walked toward the bar.

Inside the bar, Xu Xin was busy checking the stock of drinks and supplies. Suddenly—

"Xu Xin." A familiar voice rang out.

"Hmm?" Xu Xin looked up, surprised. In this lobby, most people knew her as "Manager Xu," not by her actual name. How could someone address her as "Xu Xin"? And why did this voice sound so familiar? As she raised her head—

Outside the bar, Luo Feng was crouched, peering in. Their eyes met.

In that instant, both Luo Feng and Xu Xin felt a sudden connection, a flutter in their hearts.

"Luo Feng, what are you doing here?" Xu Xin recovered first, standing up and smiling.

"If even Xu Xin can become a manager here, why can't I?" Luo Feng replied with a smile. Looking at the young woman before him, memories flooded back—those days in high school when he silently admired her from behind, day after day. He had harbored a secret crush, but never found the right moment to confess.

He had thought he'd never see Xu Xin again, but here she was, in the HR Alliance Mall. And it was the first time he'd seen her since that encounter before heading to the Wilderness Zone.

"Ah, Luo Feng, you're a warrior now?" Xu Xin's eyes widened, pleasantly surprised.

"Yes, I'm heading to the Wilderness Zone soon," Luo Feng said, grinning.

"The Wilderness Zone?" Xu Xin's expression shifted slightly.

Beyond the base cities, the entire land was referred to as the Wilderness Zone. For humans living in the cities, it was synonymous with danger and death—a place teeming with all sorts of monsters. Some cunning and eerie, others brutally powerful, and a few nearly invincible beings.

Only the human "warriors" dared venture there, battling these creatures.

Xu Xin hadn't expected… Luo Feng was now a warrior, and he was about to enter the Wilderness Zone.

Honestly, Xu Xin knew that Luo Feng had a soft spot for her. It wasn't something she could hide—Luo Feng would steal glances at her during class, and she'd occasionally catch him staring. They both understood each other's feelings, yet neither had broached the subject.

"Captain's here, Luo Feng, come over," Chen Gu called.

"I'll be right there," Luo Feng told Xu Xin.

"Okay," she nodded.

Returning to his original spot, Luo Feng noticed three more people arriving. Two of them looked like twins, both carrying shields and curved swords. The third person was incredibly burly, with two silver-tinted black hammers strapped to his back.

"Meet the famous 'Twin Crescent Blades' brothers from the Wei family—Wei Tie and Wei Qing," Chen Gu introduced. The Wei brothers nodded at Luo Feng, setting down their shields and swords to take a seat.

"Brother Tie, Brother Qing," Luo Feng greeted them.

The rest of the Fire Hammer Squad were significantly older than Luo Feng. Compared to the others, he was the youngest.

"And this," Chen Gu continued, "is our Fire Hammer Squad captain, 'Double Gale Hammer' Gao Feng." Luo Feng studied Captain Gao Feng closely. Though not exceptionally tall, he exuded strength—like a man forged from steel.

Gao Feng grinned, his facial muscles tightening like rock: "Luo Feng, you also wield a blade. When we enter the Wilderness Zone, learn from Wei Tie and Wei Qing. Your talent is impressive, and I believe you'll quickly become an integral part of our team."

"Understood," Luo Feng nodded.

Regardless, his primary goal now was not to be a burden to this elite squad of battle commanders.

"Take a break; we're setting off soon," Gao Feng announced.

"Yes, Captain."

All five, including Luo Feng, nodded.

Just twenty minutes later, after finishing their tea, Gao Feng and the others stood up. "Let's go. Depart for the Wilderness Zone." Luo Feng immediately slung his Bloodshadow Warblade and shield.

"Wait, Luo Feng." A voice called out.

Luo Feng turned to look.

Xu Xin's chest rose and fell slightly. For some reason, the thought of Luo Feng entering the perilous Wilderness Zone made her uneasy. Perhaps she felt a special connection to the boy who had secretly admired her during high school.

"Hmm?" Luo Feng regarded Xu Xin.

"In a few days, I'll be starting school. But during university, on Saturdays and Sundays during the day, I'll be here as the manager," Xu Xin called out. "You must come by then." Her face flushed as she spoke.

"Sure, I'll definitely come," Luo Feng replied, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Wow, you've already made a move? Impressive!" Chen Gu slapped Luo Feng's shoulder, laughing.

"That's the advantage of youth—beautiful women come to you," Gao Feng chimed in. Since they'd decided to include Luo Feng in the Fire Hammer Squad, they already considered him a brother.

Luo Feng merely chuckled.

"Let's go!"

"Get on the bus!"

The six members of the Fire Hammer Squad boarded an HR Alliance special vehicle, heading directly to the train station. From there, they'd take a train out of the base city and into the Wilderness Zone.