CHAPTER 87: CHAPTER 0087: FIRST HEARING OF THE WORLD’S STRONGEST FIGHTERS TOURNAMENT _1

Zhang Bin felt a bit gloomy because Liu Ruomei was also going back with them, determined to be the third wheel to the very end.

However, he had a way to deal with it. Using the excuse of discussing strategies with Liu Ruolan, he let Liu Ruomei drive while he and Liu Ruolan sat in the back.

Now, this was much better. He boldly took Liu Ruolan’s delicate hand, playing with it to his heart’s content. Of course, he made sure the driving Liu Ruomei couldn’t see. Liu Ruolan shot him countless glares, but Zhang Bin pretended not to notice. Helpless, she could only let him take advantage of her. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and her breathing grew slightly heavier. She was clearly flustered by him.

"The Diao Clan is coming to bend the knee this time, right?" Zhang Bin asked with a grin.

"Bend the knee? You’re too naive," Liu Ruomei scoffed from the driver’s seat.

"You mean they aren’t here to call off the engagement?" Anger welled up inside Zhang Bin.

"This time, they are indeed here to call off the engagement. They’re being forced to by the great Hacker Rabbit King and are under pressure from the wrath of countless netizens, so they have to provide an explanation. However, they will certainly set conditions for canceling it. They’ll probably demand your Bright Eye Liquid and Weight Loss Pills," Liu Ruomei analyzed.

Liu Ruolan, however, said nothing. Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with pain and exhaustion. Clearly, she had already anticipated all of this.

"Sister Lan, rest assured, your engagement will be called off soon. I’m willing to pay any price," Zhang Bin said affectionately to Liu Ruolan.

"I’m sorry for dragging you into this," Liu Ruolan said with a catch in her voice.

"Sister Lan, we’re in this together, through life and death, weathering every storm. As long as we work together, there’s no difficulty we can’t overcome," Zhang Bin seized the opportunity to wrap his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace as he spoke with a resolute voice.

Liu Ruolan was genuinely touched. She struggled gently a couple of times before giving up, letting him hold her.

Liu Ruomei was so irritated she nearly spat blood, glaring at Zhang Bin countless times through the rearview mirror. Uncharacteristically, however, she didn’t lose her temper or scold him.

Zhang Bin, of course, was ecstatic, holding Liu Ruolan in his arms as if she were a precious treasure. He even had the audacity to say, "Sister Mei, could you turn up the AC? It’s getting a bit hot."

"If you’re hot, then let go of my sister. You’re even more shameless than Liu Bei," Liu Ruomei retorted irritably.

"Was Liu Bei very shameless?" Zhang Bin asked in surprise.

"You’re so ignorant! I have no idea how my sister fell for you," Liu Ruomei said.

"Of course, it’s because I share the same fine qualities as Liu Bei," Zhang Bin boasted, feeling proud instead of ashamed.

"Pfft!" Nestled in Zhang Bin’s arms, Liu Ruolan giggled. The sorrow in her heart seemed to dissipate. With Zhang Bin by her side to face this trial, the Diao Clan no longer seemed so fearsome.

"So you admit you’re more thick-skinned than a city wall?" Liu Ruomei teased with a mischievous smile.

"I only admit that Liu Bei and I share the same fine qualities," Zhang Bin deftly parried before launching his own topic. "Sister Mei, you just said the Rabbit King is a great hacker. Do you admire him?"

"You’re right about that. I admire the Rabbit King. He’s the great Sovereign of the Virtual World, the most powerful hacker with Divine Skills. If I knew who he was, I would definitely go after him," Liu Ruomei said with a dreamy, star-struck expression.

"I’m a supreme martial arts master, and you don’t admire me. I’m a Divine Doctor who can bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on White Bones, and you don’t admire me. Yet you admire a hacker? That’s preposterous!" Zhang Bin feigned a look of indignant frustration.

Inwardly, he was blooming with joy, because he, Zhang Bin, was the Rabbit King. After all, he was Tutu’s master, and Tutu only ever acted on his orders.

"Me, admire you? In your dreams," Liu Ruomei said scornfully.

"What, not impressed? Can you defeat me in a fight? Is there a better doctor than me in the entire world?" Zhang Bin demanded angrily.

"I certainly can’t defeat you, but there are far too many experts stronger than you. Any member of the Special Action Team is much stronger than you are, not to mention the powerful individuals among civilians and abroad. Let me tell you, you wouldn’t even crack the top 10,000 on the Ranking of the World’s Strongest. As for your medical skills, they are indeed extraordinary, but you aren’t the best—your master is. The person I admire must be number one in the world. The Rabbit King is the undisputed number one hacker. To this day, no one has figured out how he breaches computer systems," Liu Ruomei said, laying out her case.

Special Action Team? I have the credentials for that, Zhang Bin thought to himself. Out loud, he asked with curiosity, "The Ranking of the World’s Strongest? Such a list really exists?"

"Of course. It’s a state secret, so ordinary people don’t know about it," Liu Ruomei said.

"How is the ranking decided?" Zhang Bin asked.

"Through the World’s Strongest Contest, of course. It’s held once every three years, and the ranking comes from the results," Liu Ruomei explained.

"Can I participate?" Zhang Bin asked.

"You should probably forget it. Without breaking through 15 meridians, you can’t get into the top 10,000, which means you don’t even qualify to register," Liu Ruomei said.

"When is the next World’s Strongest Contest?" Zhang Bin asked after a moment’s pause.

"There are still over two years left. Don’t tell me you think you can break through 15 meridians in that time?" Liu Ruomei mocked.

She was well-informed, so she naturally knew about Zhang Bin defeating Turen Xiong and that he had broken through 11 meridians. That was why she was certain he couldn’t possibly break through four more in just two years; even breaking through one would be an arduous feat. After all, the later the meridian, the harder it was to break through, primarily due to the immense difficulty of accumulating enough True Qi.

"Then I’ll go to the next World’s Strongest Contest," Zhang Bin declared.

"Do you have the qualifications?" Liu Ruomei said with contempt.

"Can’t I go as a spectator?" Zhang Bin retorted indignantly.

"Pfft!"

Liu Ruolan and Liu Ruomei both burst out laughing at almost the same time.

Finally, they arrived back at the Liu Family estate. It was just five in the afternoon.

Zhang Bin naturally received a warm welcome from Liu Ruolan’s parents and Elder Master Liu. He was given a room in the most luxurious guest wing of the Liu estate.

He surreptitiously closed the door, took out his phone, and said, "Tutu, I’ll need your full cooperation during the negotiations with the Diao Clan later."

"Master, how can I help?" Tutu’s virtual image materialized on the screen, speaking in a delicate voice.

"Here’s the plan..." Zhang Bin explained.

"Master, why don’t you establish a neural link with me? That way, you can issue commands with your thoughts at any time. There’d be no need for all this secrecy in the future," Tutu suggested.

"A neural link? How would that even work?" Zhang Bin asked, stunned.

"The human brain is a sophisticated computer. If one’s spiritual power is strong enough, they can link with me. Master, you’ve taken the Wisdom Pill, and after breaking through so many bottlenecks, your spiritual power is very strong. Connecting with me won’t be a problem at all. It’s very simple to do..." Tutu explained.