The New Team Member

Knock knock knock!

Just as Jason was feeling down, a knock echoed through the room!

A spark of hope ignited within him. He quickly got up and opened the door, only to be immediately disappointed.

Standing outside was a young, overweight guy.

"Excuse me, is this the room for 'Twilight Glow'?" the guy asked, standing at the door.

"Yeah, I'm the team leader, Jason. What can I do for you?"

As he spoke, Jason sized up the guy in front of him. He was slightly shorter, probably around 160 pounds. Not overly heavy, but definitely a bit chubby.

"Oh, so you're the team leader! I'm Lee Feihong.I come from China. My English name is Simon. I just got here and saw that you guys were one person short, so I was wondering if I could join your team?" The guy immediately got to the point.

Jason hesitated for a moment, but then his eyes caught sight of something behind the guy… Five suitcases?!

This guy had more luggage than Jason himself. He'd been struggling with two suitcases and was still sore from hauling them around. How the heck had this guy managed to drag five?

For someone like Jason, who had nothing left to his name, the material goods could be a game-changer. If they were allowed to go out, it would be one thing, but here, in this closed-off environment, there was no way to leave.

With that much stuff, suddenly everything seemed so much easier.

With that thought, Jason opened the door wider and stepped aside.

"Welcome aboard, come on in," he said with a smile, even offering to help bring in the suitcases.

"Thanks, Jason!" Feihong grinned, clearly happy with the decision.

Jason couldn't help but shake his head. This guy's too trusting. He's never had to deal with the harsh realities of life. Maybe he could even take the food from him later, let this guy taste what the real world's like.

But, that was just a passing thought. He wasn't about to do something like that—after all, they were all stuck in this tiny tower, and he'd inevitably run into Feihong again.

"Feihong, give me your magnetic card. I'll take care of your team registration," Jason said as he noticed the guy was busy unpacking his bags.

Team registration had to be done by the leader, and Jason would need to take Feihong's magnetic card to the first floor's office to process it.

Without thinking, Feihong handed over the card.

Jason couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. This guy's got no guard up. In this place, your magnetic card is like your wallet. He just handed it to me without a second thought?

Jason tucked the card into his pocket. Well, good thing he met me. Otherwise, he might've been scammed out of his stuff.

Leaving the room, he walked down the hallway. People were moving around quickly, some carrying various bags, others empty-handed. A few, like Feihong, were waiting outside rooms, looking for teams to join. There were even smaller, weaker people who clearly hadn't been accepted by any team yet.

Jason passed them without much interest. His own situation wasn't any better than theirs.

He made his way to the elevator, heading to the first floor. But just before he stepped in, he spotted Sakura in the lobby sitting in the lounge area.

She was talking to a strange man, and from the looks of it, they were deep in conversation.

Jason's heart sank. He thought about ignoring it, but to his surprise, Sakura noticed him and waved him over with a smile.

Caught off guard, Jason hesitated but finally decided to walk over. Avoiding it wouldn't solve anything.

As soon as he reached her, things quickly got awkward.

Sakura stood up and casually leaned toward him, then turned to the stranger and said, "This is my team leader, Jason. If you want me to join your team, you'll need to get his permission first."

What the hell?! Jason thought. Is she trying to start a fight between us? Or is she just using me as a shield?

He glanced at the man across from him. He wore glasses and had a refined air about him, but his muscles looked a lot stronger than Jason's.

And the way the guy was looking at him now, it was clear—there was hostility in his eyes.

Great! Jason thought. He hadn't said a word, and already Sakura had managed to escalate the tension.

At this point, Jason had two choices: either back down and give in, or stand his ground and refuse.

Sakura was no fool. She could tell that the man was trying to make a move on her. Given that, it seemed likely that she was just using Jason as a shield. Even if he backed down, she would probably still refuse the guy's offer. But then, Jason would have lost his dignity.

So, the only option was to stand firm.

"I'm the leader of Twilight Sunset, and she's a member of my team," Jason said, without hesitation.

The man sneered as he sized him up. "You're new here, huh? Go ask around about the strength of Captain Chi Yan. Some things aren't as easy to grab as you think."

Jason didn't flinch. This guy's delusional. You're a mercenary and you think you can intimidate me?

"Thanks for the advice, but I've got it figured out. And just so you know, she's not 'property.' She's her own person."

Jason's voice was icy, and with that, he turned to leave. He wasn't worried about getting attacked. The Dawn Tower had clear rules against malicious violence.

It felt so good to act that tough! If it weren't for those rules, I wouldn't have dared to talk like that.

After he left, Sakura followed closely behind. The refined man was left standing, clenching his fists as he watched them walk away.

"What's up, little brother? Where are we headed?" Sakura asked, casually draping her arm around Jason's neck.

Jason couldn't help but feel confused. Her behavior was so casual—didn't she just put him in a tough spot? Was she the one who took the food?

"I'm just heading to the first floor to take care of some business. By the way, where's all the food on the table?" Jason finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"The food? Oh, that old guy packed it away in a cupboard," Sakura replied with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hmm... I'm starting to think you got worried. Did you think that I and the old man took your food and ran off?" She smiled at the thought.

Jason's heart skipped a beat. So that's what happened... I totally overthought things.

"Ah, I see now. I was just too impatient," Jason said, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Well, that cupboard has a temperature control, so the food won't spoil in there."

"Got it."

Jason finally let out a sigh of relief. Since everyone was still around, it worked out in his favor.

Sakura couldn't stop laughing as she watched him try to play it cool.

"You're just like that old guy, always looking so serious. Come on, give me a smile."

"Alright, alright, Sakura. I've got stuff to take care of."

Sakura tilted her head. "Oh? What kind of business?"