242: Chapter 243 The King Returns! The Fatty's Tears!

Tianhai City, Huichun Hall underground vault.

Zhang Wei had been keeping watch here without eating, drinking, or sleeping for who knows how long.

He had lost a significant amount of weight; his eyes were sunken, his beard was unkempt, and he looked haggard and dejected.

The communication terminal screen in front of him remained pitch black.

Since the day the signal dropped to zero, he hadn't received any news regarding the Dragon Tomb.

He had asked around.

But the Dragon Tomb sub-space had been jointly blockaded by the Federal Military and several major Families, and no news could get out.

He only knew that those Prodigies like Xiao Kuangyun had made it out alive.

But after coming out, they all seemed dazed and were strictly protected by their Families.

As for Lin Qi, there was no sign of him, dead or alive.

Rumors had already begun to spread that the overall champion of the Prodigy Championship, Lin Qi, had unfortunately perished during the Dragon Tomb expedition.

Even the bookmakers had started paying out to those who had bet that Lin Qi would die in the Dragon Tomb.

Despair.

A despair that grew heavier day by day was weighing on Zhang Wei so much that he could hardly breathe.

Looking at the vault full of money and those priceless IOUs, he felt for the first time that these things were so cold and meaningless.

"Brother Qi... where the hell did you go..."

The fatty buried his face in his hands, his shoulders twitching as tears fell through his fingers.

"You promised to take me along to act cool and soar, to make me filthy rich... how could you break your word..."

"I've got the money for you, 688.6 billion, not a cent less... where are you..."

"If you're really gone, what's the point of me guarding this pile of money..."

He cried like a three-hundred-pound child.

Just then.

Buzz—

The communication terminal he had tossed aside vibrated suddenly without warning.

The screen lit up.

Zhang Wei's sobbing stopped abruptly, as if someone had grabbed him by the throat.

He jerked his head up, his bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at the glowing screen.

It wasn't a message notification.

It was an... incoming call request.

Two words he would never forget for the rest of his life were flashing on the screen.

[Brother Qi]

Zhang Wei's mind went blank with a buzz.

He thought he missed him so much that he was hallucinating.

He rubbed his eyes hard and pinched his thigh fiercely.

It hurt!

It wasn't a hallucination!

That incoming call request was still flashing untiringly.

The fatty's breathing instantly became rapid, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of his throat.

With trembling hands, he reached for the communication terminal.

Several times, because his hands were shaking so much, he failed to press the green answer button.

Finally, he took a deep breath and pressed down with all his might.

"Hello?"

His voice was raspy and trembling, carrying a hint of anticipation that even he couldn't believe.

On the other end of the line, there was silence for a few seconds.

Then, a voice that couldn't be more familiar and was incredibly calm came through.

"Fatty, it's me."

Boom!

The moment he heard that voice, Zhang Wei could no longer hold back his tears; they gushed out like a floodgate had been opened.

It was him!

It was Brother Qi's voice!

He was still alive!

He really was still alive!

"Brother Qi! Waaa... Brother Qi!"

The fatty could no longer hold it together, hugging the communication terminal and wailing loudly.

He cried heart-wrenchingly, enough to move heaven and earth.

He cried out all the worry, fear, and despair he had felt over these past days.

"Where the hell did you go! Do you know how worried I've been! They all said you were dead! I almost believed them! Waaa..."

He cursed while he cried.

He was incoherent and rambling.

On the other end, Lin Qi didn't interrupt him, just listened quietly.

He could feel the heavy weight of concern from the fatty's undisguised display of emotion.

In this world, besides Instructor Su Qing, perhaps only this fatty was truly and sincerely worried about his safety.

Once the fatty had mostly finished crying and his voice was hoarse, Lin Qi finally spoke slowly.

"Alright, stop howling. Am I not doing just fine?"

"Fine my ass!" Zhang Wei sniffled and roared with a thick nasal tone, "Do you know what the rumors outside are like! Those bastards from the Li Family have been spreading news everywhere that you died in the Dragon Tomb!"

"Oh?" Lin Qi's tone was completely flat. "What else did they say?"

"They also... they also issued a Bloodlust Bounty in the black market! There's a 500 billion bounty on your head!" Zhang Wei poured out all the information he had gathered, his voice turning tearful again. "Brother Qi, where are you now? Are you safe? You absolutely mustn't come out! The world is full of lunatics who want to catch you for the money!"

"A black market bounty? 500 billion?"

Lin Qi mulled over those words; instead of being nervous, he let out a light chuckle.

"Is my head only worth that much?"

"How can you joke at a time like this!" Zhang Wei was so anxious he was about to jump. "This isn't funny! Not at all! Listen to me, find a place to hide quickly! Don't worry about the money; I'll find a way to sell those IOUs anonymously and exchange them for unregistered Crystal Cards to send to you! With money, we can live anywhere!"

"Hide?" There was a hint of playfulness in Lin Qi's voice. "Why should I hide?"

"Huh?" Zhang Wei was stunned.

"Fatty." Lin Qi's voice suddenly became serious.

"Here... I'm here!"

"Get ready to receive the 'goods'. And while you're at it, help me put some news out."

"What... what news?"

"Just tell those who want my head, and those who owe me money."

Lin Qi paused, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable dominance.

"I, Lin Qi, have returned."

"It's time to settle the accounts, one by one."

Having said that, he hung up the phone.

Zhang Wei held the communication terminal emitting a busy signal, completely dumbfounded.

In his mind, only Lin Qi's last few words kept echoing.

Returned...

Settle the accounts...

An indescribable surge of ecstasy and excitement rose from his heart, instantly dispersing all worry and fear.

He knew that the omnipotent Brother Qi, the Devil King who treated all rules as nothing, had truly returned!

And he was stronger and more domineering than before!

"Good! Good! Good!"

The fatty leaped up from the ground, the tears on his face not yet dry, but already wearing a brilliant smile.

"Settle the accounts! I've been wanting to settle accounts with them for a long time!"

He rushed to the vault's control console and operated it with both hands.

At this moment, the entire commercial network of Huichun Hall was fully activated by him!

A massive storm stirred by Lin Qi's return was about to begin in Tianhai City, and even the entire Federation!