Future Masters in Modern Times

Chapter 40: Anne’s Thoughts

A young woman suddenly emerged onto the deserted street. Dressed in a red, low-cut top, her eyes full of allure and a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing at the corners of her lips, she walked slowly, captivating countless men along the way. Every move she made exuded endless allure, making her a striking sight on the street. She was Annie. Anne smiled as she touched the device at her waist, a smug grin spreading across her face. “I’ve finally pinpointed your location. Let’s see what you can do to get rid of me this time.” Anne wasn’t the least bit worried that Zhao Wuji would get angry; when the time came, she could simply claim it was a coincidence. How could Zhao Wuji possibly know that she’d actually had his whereabouts under her control all along? After walking for a while, Anne took out the device again, glanced at it a couple of times, confirmed her direction, and continued on her way. Inside the tavern, the atmosphere was at its liveliest. Setting aside the patrons who were drinking with great enthusiasm Zhao Wuji Group was now gathered around a table, sipping strong liquor in a warm, convivial atmosphere. “Zhao, you wouldn’t believe it! Not long after you left, Aleks actually sent someone to clean up the tavern for me and even gave me some money. I never would have thought Aleks would back down like that.” Garcia’s weathered face beamed with joy, flushed with color, as if he’d grown several years younger. Zhao Wuji smiled but didn’t respond, simply continuing to drink on his own. The young girl, Vanessa, stood by the table. While her father wasn’t looking, she secretly took a sip of the liquor, wanting to taste it for herself. If Garcia was happy, how could she not be happy too? Suddenly, Garcia turned to look at her. Startled, her hand trembled, and she dropped the glass onto the table. “Haha,” Garcia laughed heartily, reaching out to pat the young girl on the head. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Have a little, just a little.” “But don’t drink too much!” The trouble weighing on Garcia’s mind had finally been resolved—no wonder he was so happy. Vanessa carefully picked up the glass, seemed to bring it close to her nose to sniff, wrinkled her little nose, then slowly tilted the glass and stuck out her little tongue to take a lick. “Yikes!” she squealed. She felt a burning sensation spread from the tip of her tongue, and in an instant, her entire tongue went Mamu. Vanessa quickly stuck out her tongue, fanning it with her little hand and blowing on it. This set Garcia off into another fit of laughter, and even Zhao Wuji couldn’t help but chuckle. Once the laughter died down, the little girl hurried off to drink some water. Garcia seemed to think of something and said, “Buddy, are you really going to the Siberian Training Camp? I’ve heard the training regimen there is brutal—coaches can beat and berate the boxers at will, and even kill those who dare to disobey. You…” A hint of concern flashed in Garcia’s eyes. He was deeply grateful to Zhao Wuji for resolving so many of his problems, and now he found himself worrying about Zhao Wuji’s safety. “It’ll be fine.” Zhao Wuji bit his lip, grabbed a large chunk of steaming beef, popped it into his mouth, and began chewing heartily. Sikov also chuckled. “Old man Garcia, don’t you trust Zhao’s skills yet? For others, the Siberian Training Camp might be a place of no return, but for him, it’s practically a paradise.” “A paradise?” Garcia was a bit puzzled, but he understood that the Siberian Training Camp posed no risk to Zhao Wuji at all, so he felt slightly more at ease. The three of them chatted casually, eating beef and drinking wine, and found the moment quite pleasant. Just then, a clear, crisp voice rang out in the tavern. Every man inside looked up toward the source of the sound—what kind of person could possess such a captivating voice? She wore a form-fitting, strapless top that highlighted her perfect, curvaceous figure; her fiery red lips were irresistibly alluring, and her short, ear-length hair further accentuated her stunning beauty. Who else could it be but Annie, who had found her way here? “Boss, a shot of vodka.” Anne found an empty table, sat down with a sway of her curvaceous hips, and let her eyes wander—casting a subtle, almost imperceptible glance at Zhao Wuji, who was sitting nearby. Sikov and Garcia, of course, didn’t sense Anne’s gaze; only Zhao Wuji felt it. Catching a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, he furrowed his brow. “It’s her. What’s she doing here?” Garcia stood up and said rather warmly, “Miss, vodka is too strong. We also have some milder drinks here—how about that?” Anne’s face lit up with a radiant smile as she looked up and said, “Boss, no thanks—I’ll stick with the vodka.” Garcia had no choice but to go get the vodka for Anne. “Clink!” The bottle was placed on Anne’s table. She glanced around—almost all the men were staring intently at her, and many of them were swallowing hard, their throats bobbing up and down. Once the glass was brought over, Anne pulled out the cork and poured the clear liquor into the glass with a gentle gurgle, instantly filling the air with the aroma of vodka. Just as she was about to fill it to the brim, she paused, set the bottle aside, and looked at the glass now filled with liquor. The clear liquid rippled gently, and under the light, Anne’s lovely face was clearly visible. Lifting the glass, Anne downed it in one gulp. She let out a slight sigh, only to see the men around her all gasp in unison. Wow! To dare down such strong vodka in one gulp—this woman is really something else! After finishing the glass, Anne stole a glance at Zhao Wuji, who remained completely unfazed, downing glass after glass of the strong liquor as if it were water. Anne gritted her teeth and poured herself another glass. After downing that last glass, a wave of heat washed over her, and Anne could already feel the alcohol taking effect. Although she could hold her liquor fairly well, drinking glass after glass like this meant it wouldn’t be long before the effects fully set in—and when they did, she’d definitely be unable to hold her own. Sikov belched, stood up with bleary, drunken eyes, and staggered toward the stairs. “I’m going to bed.” Zhao Wuji nodded and asked, “Do you need me to help you?” “No… no!” Sikov’s feet wavered, but his hands moved swiftly—he’d already grabbed the banister. Holding onto it, he made his way up the stairs step by step, feeling his way into the room. “Seriously!” Zhao Wuji shook his head, then went back to drinking his own drink. Annie had already downed who knows how many drinks; her cheeks were flushed a vivid red, making her incredibly alluring, and she would occasionally stick out her delicate tongue to lick the wine from the corners of her lips. This sight set the blood racing through the veins of every male present, nearly causing them to bleed from the nose. Beads of fragrant sweat glistened on Anne’s forehead, trickling down onto her snow-white chest; bathed in the soft light, they cast a halo of purity. Finally, one man couldn’t hold back any longer. He set down his bottle and moved toward her, intending to take advantage of her drunkenness. “Miss, you’re drunk. Let me take you home!” It was a man who’d been drinking heartily, his chest bare; his eyes now glowed with a greenish light, as if a wolf had spotted its prey. Anne didn’t react; she simply turned her head away. Unable to resist, the man reached out to place his hand on Anne’s back. “What are you doing?!” Anne suddenly snapped, turning her head and shouting with all her might—but the alcohol had already taken hold, leaving her too weak to stop the man’s advance. “Hey!” The man let out a sinister laugh and reached out to touch Anne’s face. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his like a pair of iron pliers. Anne’s drunken eyes lit up as she turned her face—it was Zhao Wuji! “Take your hand off her,” Zhao Wuji said expressionlessly. Whenever he saw something he couldn’t stand, he intervened directly—and this was precisely the kind of thing he detested most. “What’s it to you?” The man froze for a moment before snapping back at Zhao Wuji. Zhao Wuji snorted coldly and struck the corner of the table with both palms. There was a loud “crack.” The corner of the table was cleanly sliced off by Zhao Wuji’s palm strike. The man was startled and dared not say another word. He cast a fearful glance at Zhao Wuji before slinking away in frustration. The other patrons in the tavern, who had also been eyeing the cheap drinks, fell silent, no longer daring to entertain such thoughts. Zhao Wuji snorted and sat back down at his table, only to be met by a wave of a sweet fragrance. “May I sit here?” Anne asked, her eyes hazy with drink and a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth, revealing a subtle sense of joy. Zhao Wuji glanced at her but didn’t reply. Anne pulled out a chair herself and sat down. Just then, Zhao Wuji spoke. “I think you should go back to where you belong, don’t you?” Zhao Wuji looked at Anne, who still seemed eager to drink, and said, half in a tone of dissuasion. “Don’t bring that up—I haven’t even thanked you yet,” Anne changed the subject, opening her blue eyes and gazing deeply at Zhao Wuji, as if trying to etch his image into her memory. “I just couldn’t stand by and watch. If it were anyone else, I would have done the same.” Zhao Wuji met Anne’s gaze and said with a hint of deeper meaning. Anne didn’t look away either; she boldly met Zhao Wuji’s gaze. “You’re the most masculine man I’ve ever met—it’s absolutely mesmerizing, you know?” Anne licked her moist lips, exuding pure seduction. Zhao Wuji chuckled softly. “You’re playing with fire.” The seductive glint in the corners of Anne’s eyes grew even more pronounced as she murmured, “I don’t care—because I am a moth.” Anne leaned forward, her face almost touching Zhao Wuji’s cheek. Her warm breath tickled his ear, sending a tingling sensation through him. Zhao Wuji shifted his body slightly, but to his surprise, Anne wrapped herself around him like a water snake and said even more boldly, “Do you want me?” Zhao Wuji decided not to resist any longer, but replied somewhat coldly, “I don’t sleep with women of unknown origin.” Zhao Wuji’s meaning was already crystal clear. In that instant, he abruptly pulled away slightly, and Anne could clearly sense the cold distance in his words. Anne felt a pang in her heart, and her smile grew a bit forced. “Let’s just treat this as a business deal, okay? As long as you agree to join the Fire Wolf Mercenary Corps, I’m yours for today. After tomorrow, neither of us owes the other anything.” Anne didn’t know what kind of resolve it took for her to say those words. She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth and spoke with a hint of pleading. After speaking, she thrust out her ample assets, leaving nothing to the imagination. Zhao Wuji glanced at them and said indifferently, “Not bad—pretty big. But I’m not interested.” He stood up, ready to leave. Panicked, Anne hurriedly stood up, only to feel a wave of dizziness wash over her, and she was about to collapse. Zhao Wuji thought to himself, “What a hassle,” and reached out to steady her. Noticing that her intoxication had gotten the better of her, he decided to help her upstairs, find a room, and make do for the night—he’d figure things out the next day. And so, Zhao Wuji led Anne—who was clinging tightly to him—up the stairs. There were quite a few empty rooms above the Garcia family’s tavern. Zhao Wuji found an empty room and helped Anne inside. There happened to be a bed in the room. Zhao Wuji laid Anne down on it and was about to leave. Just then, a soft moan escaped her lips. A pair of soft arms wrapped around Zhao Wuji’s neck, and a pair of full breasts pressed tightly against his back. Unbelievably soft…