OFR – Chapter 94 Late night chat.

Half an hour later, at the Inkwood Residence, Mu Bai had explained things to Hai Qing. In a day or two, they would arrange an online meeting with Qian Nan Shen to see what this matter was about.

Before ending the conversation, Mu Bai added, “Hai Qing, later, ask Ah Wen, Xiao Yue, and Jing Bao if they’re worried about offending any major teams by staying with me. If they want to leave, they can go without worry—I won’t hold it against them.”

Hai Qing quickly responded, “Got it, Cold Boss. But don’t worry about Ah Wen and Xiao Yue. They think the same way I do. As for Jing Bao’s team, I’ll ask for you.”

“Alright, it’s late. Go get some sleep,” Mu Bai replied.

“Okay, goodnight, Cold Boss.”

After this short exchange, Mu Bai closed the chat window. He didn’t dwell much on the invitation from Qian Nan Shen and the Yu Wan Alliance. Whether their intentions were good or bad, he was confident in his ability to handle the situation. After all, as a virtual magnate, it would be disgraceful if he couldn’t even manage a streaming guild.

It was already past midnight, and Mu Bai felt a wave of sleepiness wash over him. He yawned, got up from the sofa, turned off the living room lights, and headed to his bedroom to sleep. Though he’d napped in the car earlier, the rest wasn’t very good, so he fell asleep quickly after lying down.

Meanwhile, in the quiet hours of the early morning, a usually silent group chat of his old classmates from the village middle school suddenly became lively.

The group, consisting mostly of middle school classmates from the same village, had grown inactive over time. Since the school’s academic performance was poor, few classmates went on to high school or college. Most had joined the workforce right after middle school. Those who did continue their education moved on to new social circles, and years of no contact left them with little to talk about.

The group often went weeks without a single message. However, in the stillness of this late night, things unexpectedly heated up.

Group Admin Zhang Xiashan tagged everyone: “Hey, old classmates, let’s chat a bit. It’s so quiet in here that it’s spooky. Oh, by the way, is anyone in Nanjing?”

After this message, a few people gradually started replying.

Classmate Li Jie: “Huh? Xiashan, it’s past midnight. Who’s awake for this, besides us night owls?”

Classmate Ning Ning: “Oh! I’m in Nanjing for college. What’s up, Zhang Xiashan? Are you planning a meetup for us Nanjingers?” (Cute emoji)

Classmate Zhao Yi: “Yeah, disturbing us this late—how about a red envelope to lift our spirits? If not, I’m not chatting!”

Classmate Zhang Xin: “I work in Nanjing. What’s going on, Xiashan?”

The admin’s tag stirred some curiosity, and while many peeked in, only a few actively joined the conversation. Most were prepared to exit the chat until Zhang Xiashan sent a message that kept them glued to the screen.

Group Admin Zhang Xiashan: “Do you guys remember Mu Xiaoxiao, who was a year ahead of us?”

The mention of “Mu Xiaoxiao” conjured memories of a beautiful girl for many. The male classmates, in particular, had vivid recollections since most of them had harbored crushes on her during school.

Once that name came up, more people started joining the conversation.

Classmate Zhang Zhi: “Of course I remember. Xiashan, get to the point, will you? Stop keeping us in suspense—may you never have luck with women!”

“Mu Xiaoxiao? Oh yeah, didn’t she have a close relationship with Mu Bai back then?”

“Yeah, I remember. They were the only two students with the surname Mu at our school. I always thought Mu Xiaoxiao was Mu Bai’s older sister until I found out they weren’t related.”

“Mu Xiaoxiao… the first girl I ever had a crush on.”

“Wow, you guys liked older girls, huh?”

“Please don’t generalize! Some of us are into lolis, thank you very much.”

“Hey, Zhang, you’ve asked two cryptic questions in a row. Could you please just tell us what you’re getting at?”

More and more classmates joined in, and the group was becoming animated. Finally, after a short pause, Zhang Xiashan sent a message that truly sparked a wave of excitement in the chat.