Sally's surprised reaction was clearly because of the word "friend".
Growing up alone and being bullied all the time, she went to a noble school like Saint Thorn High School, where she was despised by almost all the students and even got the nickname "Unlucky Sally".
For Sally, having a friend was a luxury.
Who could have thought that at the start of the school year, she would make a new friend, and also the only friend.
Although this friend, strictly speaking, was her junior.
From the beginning of their encounter, and that heart-stopping scene just now, it was hard to tell that their relationship was that of a senior and a junior. It was Sally who was in the position of being absolutely protected.
The experience of this whole day was something Sally had never felt in her past dozen years.
Even now, she still felt a sensation like she was floating in midair, unable to truly touch the ground, her excited and joyful emotions well concealed.
If possible, she even wished it could continue, this was the brightest spot she had ever felt in her dull, miserable life.
Unfortunately, before she could savor the feeling for a few more seconds, a rough, hoarse voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Sally, is that you?"
"What are you doing out so late, not hurrying back home?"
The voice came from upstairs, very distinctive, along with the "tap tap" sound of footsteps on the wooden floor, which immediately conjured up the image of a plump woman with a gloomy face approaching.
Sally was startled, then quickly came to her senses, first shouting, "Mom, it's me, I'm coming up right away."
After shouting, she turned anxiously to Tang Qi and said, "If you cross this street and then walk past Midtown Avenue, you will see the bus stop, don't stay here too long, it's very dangerous."
"I'm going home now, see you tomorrow."
With that, Sally, seemingly worried that her mother would peer out the window and spot Tang Qi below, turned and pulled out her keys, opened the big iron gate, and deliberately made a loud noise as she went upstairs.
Tang Qi couldn't help but shake his head at the abrupt farewell but didn't say anything, turned around, and headed towards the stop, following Sally's directions.
Although he now possessed the Chaga Fighting Technique as a means of attack, it didn't cover the fact that Tang Qi was still a high school student with feeble physical strength; he could deal with unarmed thugs indeed.
But if faced with those vicious gangs, then Tang Qi would be in trouble.
To avoid becoming just another corpse on the street, Tang Qi had to leave quickly.
However, just as he turned around, a very strange sensation suddenly emerged, and the hairs on his arms stood on end.
"Hm?"
"Being watched? Targeted?"
Tang Qi turned around in surprise, looking in the opposite direction towards the end of the street.
That was the way he and Sally had come.
But after looking over, other than the swaying streetlights, the deserted streets, and the darkness that couldn't be illuminated by the light, nothing else was visible.
Focusing on that special interface, he also didn't spot anything amiss.
And that strange sensation of being watched also dissipated at this moment.
Tang Qi paused for a moment, then without hesitation turned and left.
After a few steps, Tang Qi unconsciously used the techniques of Fighting Skill, like an agile cheetah, silently and quickly crossed several streets and arrived at a stop on Midtown Avenue.
The lights of several late-night buses that appeared simultaneously gave Tang Qi a slight sense of relief.
After discerning the many destinations on the stop's buses, Tang Qi quickly chose one. Before the conductor could speak, he took out six copper coins wei lei and handed them to the conductor, saying, "Midtown Avenue!"
Copper coin is the most basic currency of the Divine Eagle Federation, a single unit called wei lei, a hundred wei lei equaling one silver coin nar, and then the Divine Eagle Gold Coin, known as Divine Grace, obviously a remnant of the Church's influence.
Of course, Gold Coins weren't entirely gold but an alloy mixed with a bit of gold and other metals.
Tang Qi had sold the inheritance and received a large sum of Divine Eagle Gold Coins.
Compared to other people of his age, Tang Qi was a super-rich individual.
Originally, Tang Qi's plan was to go to several pre-determined destinations to buy the things he wanted during the weekend.
```
But after what had just happened, he changed his mind.
As night fell, the car sped away quickly. In just a few minutes, the vehicle had left the Bronk District with a "whoosh," and Tang Qi had arrived at his destination.
Stepping out of the car, Tang Qi beheld a broad avenue.
Converging streets appeared in every direction, with bright street lights everywhere, shimmering signs, skyscrapers full of modern flair, and pretty streets lined with an array of stores.
Were it not for the hazy purple moon still hanging in the sky, the scene almost made Tang Qi think he had returned to his hometown.
He exhales deeply, steadies his mind, and without lingering on the foreign prosperity, Tang Qi discerns his bearings and dives into a street that looks less bustling.
Compared to the others, the lighting here is cooler, and there are fewer shops.
However, the products within each shop are quite similar.
Weapons!
More specifically, guns.
This is Gun Street of Messer City.
Although the "gun ban wave" continues to sweep through the Divine Eagle Federation, it's unfortunately difficult for even the more progressive states to make headway, let alone the staunchly conservative Secret Phoenix State.
The local custom of valuing brute force here is not for show – steel and industry are the mainstream.
Otherwise, Tang Qi's birth parents wouldn't have chosen to establish a steel company in Messer City.
Right now, Tang Qi looks just like a high school student fascinated by curiosities, walking past each gun shop and lingering with admiration for the different firearms on display.
However, he only looked from the outside and entered none of the shops.
Not that he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.
Even if a ban on guns isn't realistic in the Divine Eagle Federation, all Federation residents support the rule that prohibits gun ownership for those under eighteen.
So, even though Tang Qi really wants and needs a gun.
His current body's age restricts that possibility.
The inherited weapons from his birth parents were definitely part of the inheritance, but they never appeared in Tang Qi's memory, obviously confiscated directly by the Messer City Government after the accident.
Knowing this, Tang Qi still came here.
The reason is simple, while he couldn't openly defy that regulation, there were ways to work around it.
For instance, right now, Tang Qi's figure suddenly halts in front of a somewhat peculiar gun shop.
"Ding-ding"
Tang Qi pushes open the door and upon entering, lifts his gaze to see in the center and on both sides of the shop protective glass cases displaying various firearms—from handguns to assault rifles, with just everything, and a few customers gently moving around, seemingly making their choices.
"Welcome... Kid, this isn't the place for you, surely you're not of age to handle guns, you better head home," a burly white store owner approaches to welcome but immediately changes his tone upon seeing Tang Qi.
The other customers shopping also notice Tang Qi, one particularly large African American bursts into laughter and says, "Hey, Richie, don't be so harsh, maybe the kid just wants to feel the charm of a firearm firsthand, take a look at this perfect design, this irresistible touch, oh, she's got more charm than my wife."
The large man caresses an exaggeratedly styled black pistol in his hand, speaking in a tone that sends shivers down one's spine.
The rest of the customers couldn't help but smile.
The white shop owner laughs along, sarcastically retorting, "Wake up, Freeman, your wife ran off with the soap salesman ages ago. Remove that disgusting paw of yours or buy this Black Hawk home. She might not replace your wife, but next time a soap salesman comes knocking, you could blow him away with it."
"Hahaha..."
The pain of one is the joy of another—everyone in the shop burst into laughter.
Amid the laughter, the shop owner turns back with a softened expression but his decision remains unchanged, still a rejection: "Listen kid, until you're eighteen, this place and Red Bird Street are off-limits to you, you better go home."
Hearing himself treated as an excitement-seeking teenager, Tang Qi doesn't get angry or flush with embarrassment in denial.
Instead, he gives a "shy" smile, not looking at the cold firearms in the bulletproof glass cabinets, but instead pointing to the old, worn firearms of various kinds on the walls.
"Uncle, you've got the wrong idea. I'm not here to buy guns. I'm here to buy a birthday gift for my father; he likes those things."
Tang Qi said earnestly.
```