Chapter 92: The Allure of Celebrity, Pets, and a Secret Identity

Given the rate at which these two elite spiders were losing health, it would likely take over ten minutes to defeat them.

Having made arrangements for their subsequent plans, the women began to chat.

“Have you pre-ordered Yang Ye’s new album yet?”

“Even though it’s a remake of her older piece, ‘The Earth,’ it’s still a Yang Ye production, so it’s guaranteed not to disappoint, right…?” Cannon Fairy remarked, initiating a conversation with Su Yingning about topics beyond the game, a perfectly ordinary part of their daily routine.

“Is that even a question?” Su Yingning retorted triumphantly, severing one of the elite monster’s legs with a flourish of her sword.

“Even if I were starving, I wouldn’t miss Yang Ye’s new album!

What’s more, this time, they’re collaborating with ‘Pursuit II,’ and every album purchase comes with an activation code that can be redeemed for a random pet in-game!”

“Haha, but that also means pets will be absolutely everywhere once the album officially drops in a couple of days,” Cannon Fairy mused, launching a fire orb the size of a washbasin—presumably a Pyroblast (TL Note: A powerful fire spell in many fantasy games.)—from her hands.

She continued, “After all, nobody, from the elderly to children, would ever miss a Yang Ye album…”

The name Yang Ye was truly legendary, echoing through the minds of many.

She stood as the 21st century’s most brilliant female musician, a renowned philanthropist, and a prevailing trendsetter.

Her works permeated every street and alley, earning widespread admiration.

She was also an idol to Su Yingning and countless men and women, and even if Su Shunhua didn’t actively follow her, news about her invariably reached his ears.

“Apparently, there’s a chance to draw an A-rank pet this time,” Su Yingning said, her face alight with anticipation.

“Even Iku’s (TL Note: Yang Ye’s famous pet fox.) image has been added to the pet gacha pool as an easter egg, named Yi Yi.

If we’re lucky, we might even pull the super-rare, growth-type pet, Yi Yi!”

Su Shunhua had certainly heard of Iku, the musician Yang Ye’s beloved pet.

This remarkably intelligent fox, with its palm-sized, snow-white, and delicate form, embodied peak cuteness, captivating countless girls and becoming the quintessential pet of their dreams.

In fact, this creature’s fame rivaled that of the great musician Yang Ye herself.

Every few days, tabloids would churn out sensational headlines: [Shocking! The Coca-Cola and Fried Chicken Vixen! The Nation’s Beloved Pet’s Private Life is So Scandalous!]

[After seeing this creature’s luxurious sea-view villa, do you still think it’s cute?]

[Exclusive Scoop! Iku’s Ambiguous Relationship with a Popular Female Fox!]

[Netizens Expose Iku’s Close Ties with a Certain Young Heartthrob, Suspected of Coming Out!]

[The Deduction King Reveals: It’s Actually a Transmigrator!]

[What the Heck Does “Meow Ji Meow Ji” Even Mean?!]

[The Tragic Past of the Adorable Pet You Never Knew – Castration Gate, Squeezed Past… (TL Note: The original Chinese text contains censored characters here, likely implying a crude or vulgar incident.)]

Su Shunhua could never fathom just how empty-headed those paparazzi must be to stoop to secretly photographing a fox.

It was precisely because of this little creature’s existence that Su Yingning had adored foxes since childhood, harboring a lifelong wish to own a pet fox.

She would often gaze with deep envy at classmates who brought their pet foxes to school.

However, pure-blooded Iku foxes were exorbitantly expensive, reserved solely for royalty and nobility.

Conversely, wild foxes without pure Iku lineage were notoriously difficult to raise, being both boisterous and aggressive, making it impossible to take them out as one might imagine.

Su Shunhua, for his part, could certainly afford one, but he couldn’t possibly explain the pet’s origin to Su Yingning.

Just a few days prior, explaining the provenance of the S-rank Nine-Tailed Fox had taxed dozens of his brain cells, ultimately forcing him to fabricate an official lottery website and use the excuse of a prize won in a draw to brush her off.

However, a real-life pet fox was a different matter entirely.

Every Iku-blooded pet fox was officially registered with the state, with records kept at all major pet clubs.

Their origins could be traced with a simple inquiry.

“It’s a shame each account can only use one activation code…” Cannon Fairy sighed, shaking her head.

“Oh, well, even if it means going bankrupt, I must draw Yi Yi!

It’s both practical and adorable; truly the best pet in the game right now!”

Su Yingning echoed her sentiment, also shaking her head with a sigh.

Su Shunhua didn’t quite grasp these women’s obsession with Iku and Yi Yi, but he could certainly witness the extent of their fervor.

For such a tiny creature, a mere vessel for their maternal instincts, countless individuals were genuinely willing to squander their entire fortunes.

“We still don’t know the drop rate,” Su Yingning chimed in.

“I hope the chances are high; even if we don’t draw it, we might save some money by buying it directly…”

‘Speaking of which, Master, is it truly alright for you to be gushing so openly about someone else’s pet right in front of me?’

Su Shunhua pouted in protest. ‘This is absolutely not what I intended! The system forced me to do it!’

“Are you going to the press conference?” Cannon Fairy asked excitedly, extending an invitation.

“It’s being held at the Pursuit II Game Carnival.

Shall we have an offline meetup that day?

And Big Sister Ya Ya (TL Note: A persona Su Shunhua, a male, uses to appear as a female ‘big sister’ to other players.)~ join us, won’t you?”

“You all go have fun; I’ll pass,” Su Shunhua replied, feigning aloofness.

Of course he had to refuse!

‘There’s no such thing as a Big Sister Ya Ya in this world, is there? This Big Boss is your Big Brother Deity!’

“Oh, come on~ It’s rumored that Yang Ye and Iku might make a personal appearance at the press conference that day!” Cannon Fairy cajoled.

“Joining them will be the World Dance King Nicholas Zhao Si (TL Note: A famous Chinese comedian and actor, known for his dancing in rural-themed TV shows.) and Oscar-winning actor Jason Guo Dasen (TL Note: A famous Chinese comedian and actor, known for his skits and often compared to Jason Statham for his bald head.)!

It’s a full-blown celebrity gala!

You’ll definitely regret it if you don’t go!

A life without that day is simply incomplete!”

Cannon Fairy’s voice, like that of a mischievous imp, was laden with temptation.

Alas, she could rack her brains all she wanted, but she would never guess Su Shunhua’s true reason for not attending.

Su Yingning, on the other hand, appeared quite swayed, seemingly yearning to go.

“Let’s talk about this later…” Su Yingning said, sidestepping a direct answer.

“The monsters are almost dead!

Be careful; they might retaliate fiercely before they perish!”

She shifted her attention entirely to the two monsters before them.

Both monsters were down to a sliver of health.

Due to the mages consistently unleashing area-of-effect spells, and Su Yingning persistently targeting the monster with higher HP, both elite creatures were poised to fall almost simultaneously.

With a satisfying “thump” that resonated deep within, one monster’s body exploded entirely, revealing a treasure chest radiating a faint sky-blue luminescence.

Immediately after, a second dull thud followed, signaling the demise of the other monster.

“Aha! The moment of truth has arrived!” Cannon Fairy exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the two treasure chests with a greedy glint.

“Who’s going to open them?”

“I will!” Su Shunhua declared, puffing out his chest and volunteering.

It was time to show them the power of a true Luck Emperor (TL Note: A player with exceptionally good luck in games, often in gacha or loot drop mechanics.)!