"Hahaha what's so difficult about that? Did you forget who I am?" Wu Haotian's distinct voice sounded out from the other end of the line.
Yan Bingru rolled her eyes in disgust.
Why did it sound like this guy was proud of what he had done?
"Hello? Is the line still connected?" Wu Haotian asked after not receiving a reply.
"What are you calling for?" Yan Bingru snapped coldly.
"Ouch! Why do you sound so angry? Wait, are you really still angry? I told you that it was a misunderstanding!"
"Just say what you want to say!"
"Okay, okay, I will speak! I saw on the Spaceport webpage that your space vessel had just landed, so I am calling to check if everything is okay!"
Yan Bingru hesitated for a moment.
If she mentioned the issue with the reporters, would this conversation drag on even longer? Thinking up to here, Yan Bingru immediately decided against doing so.
"…of course everything is okay. You got my number just for this? Do you have too much time on your hands?"
"Actually on top of that, there was one more thing!"
"I just knew you would not be this nice. Speak up, what is it?" Yan Bingru mentally prepared herself for whatever unreasonable request was coming next.
"I just wanted to hear your voice!" Wu Haotian exclaimed with his clear voice.
"…"
Yan Bingru ended the call right there, couldn't be bothered with Wu Haotian's nonsense any longer. Thankfully, this time Wu Haotian did not call back immediately, unlike the two times before.
She still made it a point to save down his number though, so that she would at least know who it was if he were to call again.
[Sky Lowlife]
When Yan Bingru looked up after saving Wu Haotian's contact details, she finally realised that almost every member of the crew was staring at her.
Damn it, she actually forgot that she was still in the presence of the rest of the crew members. Thankfully she did not accidentally blurt out the other party's name, otherwise who knew how they would react!
"Ahem-!" Yan Bingru cleared her throat awkwardly. "Telemarketers are really persistent these days!"
Black lines could almost be seen on everyone's forehead when they heard what she said.
Did you have to give such an obvious excuse?
How was that any way to speak to a telemarketer?
Even so, nobody bothered to ask further. This was a relatively short Hunt Operation, and nobody had gotten close enough to Yan Bingru for them to really bother about her private life.
"Everyone, this way please!"
At this time, a Spaceport employee finally appeared and started guiding the group through a back channel.
Relieved that she was saved from the awkward atmosphere, Yan Bingru hurriedly followed along.
Many VIPs would require such treatment for security purposes, so this was not the first time that the Spaceport made such arrangements. The group was quickly led through winding corridors devoid of any signs of life, and everyone was out of the Spaceport before they knew it.
Yan Bingru quickly got herself a taxi, and had only barely set off when her phone rang once more.
Seeing that it was her manager from the guild, Yan Bingru hastily accepted it.
While Li Xingxing was in charge of managing her portfolio and activities, Yan Bingru was only one of the many Hunters under her. Thus, it was rare for Li Xingxing to find the time to find the time to call.
"What is the matter, Sis Xingxing?"
Yan Bingru's gentle tone was completely different from when she accepted Wu Haotian's call.
"Bingru, I know you just returned so you must be feeling tired. But do you have some time to drop by the Guild? I promise it would not take too long!" Xingxing asked in return.
Hearing that, Yan Bingru could roughly guess that it was probably about the failed Hunt Operation. She would have preferred not to deal with that mess right now, but agreed to Li Xingxing's request nevertheless.
Whatever! Since Li Xingxing had already called, she would just get this matter over and done with!
As the taxi went on its way, Yan Bingru gazed out of the window and at the bustling city. Huge displays that were screening advertisements floated at differing altitudes, making full use of the air space available.
Faces of artistes filled up the majority of these advertisements, acting as the different companies' spokespersons However that was only for the relatively smaller displays.
On those screens that were significantly larger than the rest, the people shown were not artistes, but Hunters!
Ever since the first Hunters were hailed as heroes after eliminating a monster threat, media attention had skewed greatly towards focusing on Hunters. Even though their jobs were not as relatable as that of actors and singers, what they provided the masses was a sense of heroism and a thrill that could not be found anywhere else.
Then someone started filming an entire Hunt Operation.
No one knew who first started it, but it was an incredible hit!
Many people yearned for things that they knew were beyond their own capabilities, and these people were able to achieve a sense of substitution by watching Hunt Operations.
On top of that, it was impossible to perfectly script a Hunt Operation, and truly anything could happen next. This provided a sense of mystery and unpredictability to viewers, enabling the creation of a scene that was much more engaging than even the most dramatic movie.
Powerful Hunters who always did well were worshipped, and their following skyrocketed beyond reach of even the greatest artistes.
The Hunter World gradually shifted towards one that emphasised viewership, and had eventually became a commercial industry that was now part of the entertainment circle. Each space vessel that went on a Hunt Operation would now stay in orbit, deploying powerful sub-vessels that filmed the entire process from the safety of outer space.
In this day and age, the prestige of Hunters had already surpassed that of other artistes.
Now, Hunters were the top celebrities!
But of course, the dangers they faced were far greater as well…
At this time, Yan Bingru looked at the biggest floating screen with mixed feelings. It was showing a face that had always seemed so far-off and out of reach, but things had completely changed after this one Hunt Operation.
Yan Bingru could not help but roll her eyes again when she recalled the shamelessness of the Sky Lowlife Wu Haotian, and immediately turned her attention away from the window.
She would rather sleep during the journey than watch his commercials!
It took around an hour before Yan Bingru finally reached Guild Everlasting Road where she was a member. After entering the tall office building, she headed straight for Li Xingxing's office.
"Sis Xingxing, I'm here!" Yan Bingru cheerfully exclaimed after entering the room.
No matter how nervous she was feeling, she had to show her bright side to her manager Li Xingxing. This was an important networking skill!
"You are here, Bingru. Please have a seat," Li Xingxing gestured to the seat across her desk. "I am so sorry for asking you over even though you just returned."
"Don't worry, I am free tomorrow anyway so I can always sleep in all day. What is this about though?" Yan Bingru asked curiously.
"The thing is…" Li Xingxing hesitated, contemplating how to phrase her next words properly.
"Is this about the failed Hunt Operation?" Yan Bingru sighed.
Seeing the awkward expression on Li Xingxing's face, Yan Bingru knew that she definitely guessed it right.
"Is the Guild unhappy about it?" Yan Bingru asked again.
"No, no, that is not the case at all!" Li Xingxing hurriedly denied. "Do you know who the Hunt Director is for this time's Emergency Hunt Operation?"
Yan Bingru thought for a bit. At that time, she had been too irritated by Wu Haotian that she had just gone straight back to the space vessel, not bothering to interact with anyone from the rescue party.
So she truly did not know who the other members of the crew were, and that naturally included the Hunt Director.
Seeing the blank look on her face, Li Xingxing did not need to wait for her reply to know her answer.
"It is Hunt Director Duan Yuanping! That Top-tier Hunt Director who is famed for the extremely high success rate of all his Hunt Operations!"
"Eh?" Yan Bingru was surprised, but she still felt confused.
Yes, Hunt Director Duan Yuanping is amazing and all…but what has that got to do with me?
Did you really have to ask me over just to tell me this?