Yu-Gi-Oh!: Ultimate Duelist

Lin Hao walked up to Ma Ge, paid him the money, and said, "Ma Ge, today's barbecue was a little bumpy, but I'm still very happy. Here's the money."

Ma Ge looked at Lin Hao with gratitude, pushed away the money Lin Hao handed over, and said, "Xiao Hao, I really can't accept this money. If it weren't for you today, I don't know what kind of mess my stall would have been made of by Bald Biao and the others. I don't know how to thank you."

Lin Hao quickly interrupted Ma Ge and said, "Brother Ma, we've known each other for so long, and you know what I'm like. If you don't accept me today, I, Lin Hao, won't be able to come to your place for barbecue in the future."

Ma Ge said embarrassedly: "But..."

Lin Hao said: "That's it, let's go."

Then, Lin Hao stuffed the money in his hand into Ma Ge's hand, and left with Lin Xue and Chen Siyu.

……

The three of them walked on the street at night, and the breeze blew gently, as if soothing their tense mood.

The night, like a thick black veil, silently enveloped the earth. Lin Hao and his companions walked leisurely on their way home. The soft light from the street lamps cast long shadows on the ground, as if quietly telling a story full of warmth.

Lin Xue raised her head slightly, scanning the surroundings with her eyes. She said in surprise, "Oh, I never thought this place would be so close to our home. I hadn't even noticed it before."

Lin Hao looked at his sister's innocent appearance, a smile on his face, and teased, "You, every day after school, you either dive into the world of anime or play with your phone non-stop. How can you pay attention to the things around you?"

When Lin Xue heard this, she immediately retorted angrily, "Humph, you only know how to criticize me, as if you are so great."

Lin Hao showed a confident smile and said firmly: "Brother, of course I am better than you. At least I can observe the surrounding environment."

Lin Xue snorted coldly, then turned her head away in a huff, no longer paying any attention to Lin Hao.

Chen Siyu's face was full of curiosity, and she asked Lin Hao, "Brother Hao, are you really a one-star duelist?"

Lin Xue also quickly turned around and asked curiously, "Yes, brother, judging from your performance in the duel today, you don't look like a one-star duelist at all."

Lin Hao smiled faintly and patiently explained, "A duelist's strength can't be determined solely by their rank. After all, some people don't care about the reputation of a duelist's rank; they focus more on pursuing their true strength."

Lin Xue curled her lips in disapproval and said, "But brother, you're not the kind of person who doesn't care about fame."

Lin Hao's face was filled with black lines, and he said helplessly: "What are you thinking about in your little head? Is there a possibility that your brother's level is not high because he doesn't have time to participate in the assessment?"

Lin Xue tilted her head and thought seriously for a while, then nodded and said, "Oh, so that's how it is."

Chen Siyu's eyes flickered with thought as he continued, "I heard today that Su Ming defeated a four-star duelist. And since you, Hao, were able to defeat Su Minghui, this proves that you, Hao, are at least a four-star duelist, and possibly even higher."

When Lin Xue heard this, her eyes lit up instantly and she said excitedly, "Yeah, it seems like you're really strong, brother."

Lin Hao shook his head and said seriously, "You can't calculate it so simply. There are many factors that affect the outcome of a duel, so this calculation is not accurate."

Lin Xue curiously asked, "Brother, how many stars of a duelist do you think you are now?"

Lin Hao pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Probably two or three stars. After all, I have come into contact with too few duelists, so I can't estimate it accurately."

Chen Siyu smiled and said, "But Brother Hao, you're already amazing. After all, there aren't many people who become Duelists before even going to the Dueling Academy. Unless they come from very wealthy families, it's rare for normal families to have one-star Duelists, let alone someone like you, Brother Hao, who's beyond one star."

Lin Hao smiled and said, "It's mainly because I'm very interested in duels. I usually like to think about these things, so maybe I've accumulated a lot of experience and then made a breakthrough."

Chen Siyu said: "That's true. After all, Brother Hao did a lot of things, and I didn't understand them at first."

As they chatted and laughed, they walked slowly forward and unknowingly arrived at the gate of Lin Hao's community. Chen Siyu stopped and said softly, "Brother Hao, you guys go back first. My home is nearby."

Lin Xue quickly said, "It's too dangerous at night. Let's take you back."

Chen Siyu waved her hand and said with a smile, "It's just across the street, how dangerous can it be?"

Lin Hao said decisively: "Okay, no need to argue. Let's send Xiaoxue to my house first, and then I'll send Xiaoyu back."

Chen Siyu wanted to say something, but Lin Hao interrupted her without waiting for her to open her mouth: "Didn't you say that it's nearby? I can just treat it as exercise. Besides, I ate too much at midnight snack tonight, and I need exercise to digest it." As Lin Hao spoke, he deliberately puffed out his belly.

"Pfft, haha, I didn't expect you to be such a brother." Lin Xue was the first to be amused and burst into laughter.

"Okay, why don't you just listen to Brother Hao?" Chen Siyu was also amused by Lin Hao and immediately agreed to his request.

They first sent Lin Xue to the downstairs of Lin Hao's house, and Lin Xue jumped into the building like a happy little bird.

Afterwards, Lin Hao and Chen Siyu continued walking towards Chen Siyu's home. The night breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness.

After sending Chen Siyu to the downstairs of her house, Lin Hao stood there quietly, watching her get on the elevator with gentle eyes.

Watching the elevator door slowly close, Lin Hao felt a little relieved.

Then he turned and walked home.

The residential complex where Chen Siyu lives is indeed not far from the one where Lin Hao and the others live. Although there is a traffic light in the middle, you can just turn a corner and walk straight for more than 800 meters to get there.

On the way back, Lin Hao picked up the Bald Biao card deck he got today and looked at it carefully.

However, as Lin Hao walked, a strange feeling suddenly came over him. The surrounding environment was too quiet, so quiet that it made him feel uneasy.

Although the place where they were was not the bustling core area of ​​the city, it was still in the city after all.