Ye Xi lingered in Zhou Huai's embrace for a long time.

She was like a kitten that had found its harbor, greedily soaking in the long-lost warmth and security.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she abruptly lifted her head.

Her clear and bright eyes stared intently at Zhou Huai.

"Oh, right, Brother Zhou Huai, I came today because there's something else I need to tell you."

Zhou Huai couldn't help but chuckle at her serious little demeanor.

"What else is there?"

Ye Xi's cheeks still held a faint blush, but her voice was full of anticipation.

"In five days, it's my birthday."

"My father will be holding a birthday banquet at home then, and I'd like to invite you to attend. Can you come?"

After she finished speaking, there was a hint of imperceptible pleading in her eyes.

After Zhou Huai became paralyzed, he became completely withdrawn, hardly ever stepping out of his room.

Now, having been cast out of the Zhou Family, he lived alone in this secluded villa.

Ye Xi was very worried that he would continue to be so downcast.

She wanted to use this opportunity to get him out, to see the world outside.

Zhou Huai's heart warmed as he saw the anticipation in her eyes.

He reached out and dotingly flicked her upturned nose.

"How could I possibly miss your eighteenth birthday banquet, Ye Xi?"

He paused, his voice filled with confidence.

"Not only will I go, but ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) I'll also bring the best birthday gift in the entire venue."

"Really!"

Ye Xi's eyes instantly lit up, like the brightest stars in the night sky.

She happily jumped up from the chair.

"Then it's a promise, you absolutely must come!"

...

Unconsciously, five hours quietly slipped by.

The afterglow of the setting sun painted the window frame a warm orange-red.

Only then did Ye Xi reluctantly get up to bid farewell.

At the door, she turned back, giving a worried reminder.

"You must come then, okay?"

Seeing that Zhou Huai only smiled and nodded, she puffed out her cheeks again, like a little Life Qi pufferfish.

"If you don't come..."

"I... I'll..."

She seemed to be searching for the most intimidating punishment, and after thinking for a long time, she finally blurted out a sentence.

"I'll ignore you for a week... oh no... three days!"

Zhou Huai didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and repeatedly promised that he would definitely go.

Watching the young girl's skipping figure depart, the smile on Zhou Huai's face lingered for a long time.

How could he let go of such a good girl?

...

Time flowed like water, and three more days passed in a blink of an eye.

In these three days, a Guild named "Eternal Night Guild" was quietly established.

Guild Master, Molly.

Vice Guild Master, Yasuo.

Molly, with the five million great xia currency start-up fund given by Zhou Huai, accompanied by Yasuo, first spent five hundred thousand to successfully register at the Guild Center.

Then, she invested over a million great xia currency to buy a deserted Guild base located in the suburbs.

The base occupied a considerable area, and its facilities were all-inclusive.

Training grounds, dormitories, meeting rooms, and even several independent forging rooms specifically prepared for blacksmiths.

It only needed a simple renovation to be immediately put into use.

After all this was done, it came to the most crucial, and also the most difficult, part.

Recruiting people.

Eternal Night Guild, a newly registered, unknown small Guild.

The Guild Master was an unknown C-Grade support.

Although the Vice Guild Master seemed powerful, no one knew him either.

It was not easy for such a Guild to recruit people.

However, Molly quickly thought of a solution.

She took the silent Yasuo and went straight to the Professional Task Hall.

This was the most chaotic place in Donghai City.

The air was filled with the sour smell of cheap ale and the salty dampness of sweat.

The clamor, curses, and bargaining were incessant.

Besides members of various Guilds coming here to hand over tasks, there were more lone professionals struggling at the bottom.

Most of them were D-Grade or C-Grade Classes, with mediocre talent and low strength.

Large Guilds looked down on them, and they felt small Guilds had no future.

They could only barely make a living by taking on some unwanted low-level tasks.

They were the lowest existence in the professional world.

Yet, they were also the group least willing to be ordinary, and most eager for power.

Molly took a deep breath and took out a thick stack of flyers from her spatial ring.

She walked to the center of the hall and distributed the flyers to the surrounding lone professionals with numb eyes.

"Eternal Night Guild is recruiting, those interested, please learn more."

A burly man with a full beard took a flyer, glanced at it, and then sneered.

"Eternal Night Guild? Never heard of it."

"Oh, the benefits are pretty good."

He read aloud.

"Join the Guild, guaranteed monthly salary of five thousand great xia currency?"

"Complete tasks, the Guild only takes a ten percent cut of all earnings?"

"And three Elementary Life Qi potions provided for free every month?"

"Am I seeing this right? Even E-Grade Class are needed?"

He crumpled the flyer into a ball, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it with his foot.

"If they're not scammers, then it's some rich second generation who doesn't know what's good for them, with too much money to burn."

A burst of laughter erupted around him.

"Exactly, how could there be such a good thing?"

"They're probably trying to trick us into being cannon fodder."

"Little girl, you should go home and drink milk, this place isn't for you."

The harsh taunts, like needles, pricked Molly's heart.

Her cheeks flushed, and her fingers gripping the flyer turned slightly white from the force.

In the past, she might have been scared away and fled.

But now, her master's words echoed in her mind.

"I don't keep trash."

Molly clenched her fists, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.

She suddenly looked up, her chest heaving violently, and shouted with all her might.

"That's right!"

"Our Eternal Night Guild just has too much money to burn!"

This roar silenced the entire Task Hall for a moment.

Everyone's gaze focused on this seemingly fragile girl.

Molly met those mocking or curious gazes, and the fear in her chest seemed to be dispelled by an invisible force.

She straightened her back, her voice clear and firm.

"Our Eternal Night Guild isn't afraid if your Class grade is low, only if you don't dare to fight!"

"I can tell you very directly, our Guild's benefits are absolutely top-tier in the entire Donghai City!"

"But likewise, the risks we will face will also be much greater than any other Guild!"

Her gaze swept across the hall, and her voice took on a hint of determination.

"What we want are not good-for-nothing who just muddle through!"

"What we want is a group of madmen who are not afraid of death!"

"A group of madmen who dare to risk their lives and fight for a future with me!"

She forcefully scattered the remaining flyers in her hand into the air.

The paper pieces fluttered down like snowflakes.

"Now, those interested in joining our Guild, follow me."

"Those who want to continue being maggots here, just stay!"

After speaking, she no longer looked at anyone, turned and left.

Yasuo silently followed behind her, like an unshakeable mountain.

The entire Task Hall fell into a dead silence.

The lone professionals looked at each other.

In their eyes, there was hesitation, struggle, disbelief, and also a flicker of ignited flame.

Finally.

A burly shield warrior suddenly slammed his wine glass on the table.

"Damn it!"

"I've had enough of this crappy life!"

He stood up, walked out of the crowd, and strode to catch up with Molly's retreating figure.

"Count me in!"

His action was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating a thousand ripples.

"What's there to be afraid of! Anyway, it's just a rotten life!"

"I'm going too!"

"Add me!"

More and more people stood up.

They silently followed behind Molly, forming a silent torrent.

In the corner of the crowd.

A scrawny young man was wiping the old dagger in his hand.

He heard Molly's words, and his wiping motion paused slightly.

He looked up, and a complex light flashed in his cloudy eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, he returned the dagger to its sheath, stood up, and silently joined the steadily growing team.