GRMFBS CH15

At 1:40 PM, Tequila walked into the Craftsman’s reception room right on time.

This was his first time meeting the Craftsman, though it wasn’t the first time he had heard of him.

The black market was a chaotic place where origins and backgrounds didn’t matter. Anyone—be they human, demon, or ghost—could come, making it a mix of all kinds. In this mess, the Craftsman was undoubtedly one of the most mysterious and formidable figures.

The Craftsman was famous for his crafting abilities. The interests tied to him were immense, and everyone wanted to recruit such a master. Unlike the major powers above ground, those in the black market had no qualms about using any means necessary. Yet, the Craftsman had survived in the black market for over a decade, remaining independent and even securing his own exclusive room in this chaotic place.

When Tequila learned that the Craftsman had accepted his order, he was initially thrilled but quickly calmed himself.

Everyone wanted the Craftsman to take their order, but his choices were always based on his whims. Tequila didn’t know what about his order had caught the Craftsman’s attention.

Cautiously, he stepped into the reception room, his gaze quickly and discreetly sweeping the surroundings.

The Craftsman’s reception room was extraordinarily luxurious. Tassel drapes hung on the walls, a tall grandfather clock stood in the corner, and sculpted vases adorned the table. The Craftsman himself sat on a sofa, draped in a black trench coat, with a wide-brimmed hat casting a raven-black shadow over most of his face. Only a small, snow-white, delicate chin was visible, making it hard to determine his gender.

The shadow under the hat brim was as hazy as mist, obscuring all attempts to see through it—not merely a trick of the light.

That hat was likely an extraordinary artifact. As expected of the Craftsman.

What drew even more attention was the butler standing beside the Craftsman—a tall and upright man.

Who was this? There had been no mention of such a figure accompanying the Craftsman.

While Tequila was pondering, the Craftsman suddenly asked, “The materials?”

His voice carried a distinct synthetic quality, making it impossible to discern gender. It was clearly an artificial voice.

Tequila carefully placed the materials on the coffee table between them.

The Craftsman didn’t move. It was the automaton butler who inspected the materials.

“No issues,” the butler said.

During the inspection, Tequila had been observing the butler. The more he looked, the more he noticed something unusual. This butler… didn’t seem to be alive.

But he couldn’t be entirely sure. In the black market, Tequila relied on his keen perception to survive. He scrutinized even more closely.

The Craftsman chuckled. “Figured it out?”

Tequila hesitated, unsure if the Craftsman was referring to the butler. As he deliberated on how to respond, the Craftsman continued, “I took this order because you have a good eye.”

Tequila understood immediately. “What do you want me to do?”

The Craftsman said, “I heard there’ve been some people suddenly going mad in the black market recently.”

Tequila asked, “You mean?”

In a place like the black market, people going mad wasn’t unusual. Some caused trouble; others suffered from curses or residual effects. Tequila wasn’t sure which cases the Craftsman was referring to.

“People who shouldn’t have gone mad but did.”

Tequila’s heart skipped a beat as he quickly recalled: “Two days ago, someone went berserk in the Magician’s general store and attacked the staff. He was a regular in the black market, and there hadn’t been any prior signs.

“Twelve days ago, a dog demon died in the auction house. He also seemed normal before.”

It wasn’t surprising for newcomers to the black market to encounter issues, but both of these individuals were regulars. Tequila had even seen the dog demon a few days before his death. At the time, the demon’s condition seemed off, but Tequila had chosen not to interfere since they weren’t close.

If the recent incident was similar, what had triggered their madness?

The Craftsman’s ability to connect these two events was impressive. No wonder he had achieved his status in the black market.

“If you find more cases like this, inform me in advance. I’ll give you a 20% discount this time,” the Craftsman said.

“No problem,” Tequila agreed without hesitation.

A 20% discount from the Craftsman was incredibly valuable. More importantly, it established a connection with him.

After sending Tequila off, Jian Suiru removed her hat and coat, then lazily slumped over the armrest of the sofa.

The automaton butler swiftly removed the silk cushion from under her: “Silk wrinkles easily, Master. Please lie down in the rest room.”

Jian Suiru flopped into the corner of the sofa with a “plop,” wedged between the armrest and seat. “…Can’t you just iron it?”

The butler calmly replied, “It’s troublesome.”

“You’re even learning to be lazy!” Jian Suiru sat up.

Being too humanlike had its downsides.

“Come here! I’ll give you a fresh coat of oil!”

…

Elsewhere, Jian Yan and Matthias finished lunch and discussed plans for the next day. Jian Yan had to visit his school and wasn’t sure if he could meet Matthias, depending on how his conversation with Tian Youcheng about learning English went. Next weekend, Jian Yan would have free time, but Matthias had plans to meet friends in another city.

Matthias expressed his regret: “Yan, you’re an amazing friend and guide.”

Unfortunately, as the son of his business partner, he couldn’t spend all his time with him.

In the afternoon, Matthias had other matters to attend to, so Jian Yan dropped him off at his hotel and returned home to continue investigating Ling Yuteng and his father.

Then he discovered that, in just a few hours, a new trending topic had appeared on Weibo: #LingYutengFansTearIntoFoodBlogger#.

Jian Yan: ……

Clicking into the topic, a circle of confused bystanders gathered below.

[Isn’t Ling Yuteng a celebrity? What’s up with his fans? What’s up with the food blogger?]

Some made speculative guesses:

[Did Ling Yuteng eat the food blogger’s cooking and vomit?]

Others spouted nonsense:

[Did the food blogger cook Ling Yuteng into a dish?]

Given his dad’s style on Weibo, it’s no wonder people misunderstood.

The comments under Zhan Yunkai’s Weibo were already a mess. With his tiny fanbase, how could they stand up to Ling Yuteng’s fans? Now it was utter chaos.

Zhan Yan clicked into Ling Yuteng’s Weibo. Half an hour ago, he had just posted:

[When you bloom, the breeze comes naturally.]

In the comments below, fans were gushing with praise, hugs, and sympathy.

[Ge is right! When you bloom, the breeze comes naturally. Zhan Yunkai has been stuck at the same level for years; it’s clear he’s just not good enough! Brother’s success is entirely because he deserves it!]

[But Ge is so calm and composed. We can’t just sit back and watch him get bullied!]

[Let’s go! Attack them!]

Zhan Yan: Ha.

He opened his gossip system and typed in “Ling Yuteng.”

The guy was currently in a meeting with his team, discussing how to minimize the damage.

Ling Yuteng was furious. He had worked so hard to reach his status as a top-tier idol, only to end up clashing with some D-list veteran actor by sheer misfortune!

No matter how this turned out, he was at a disadvantage! He had the bigger audience. Winning wouldn’t look good, and losing would look even worse.

But there was no denying that his looks had been completely overshadowed. How the hell did Zhan Yunkai look like that? Even heavy editing couldn’t outdo him!

Ling Yuteng’s jealousy burned fiercely, and a pimple popped up on his chin as he applied a face mask.

“We have to handle the role-switching issue properly! Don’t let the production team spread any rumors.”

If he couldn’t compete on looks, he’d have to compete on something else.

Zhan Yunkai had a major flaw: his acting was terrible. But the problem was, so was Ling Yuteng’s.

Zhan Yunkai only took roles that relied on his looks and, at least, had no black marks in his history. But Ling Yuteng? His cringe-worthy performances were well-documented.

The opponent’s strengths outweighed his own, and their weaknesses were the same.

What a mess!

If nothing else could be compared, then he’d have to rely on character.

As long as he could firmly establish himself as the victim in this role-snatching incident and paint Zhan Yunkai as morally bankrupt, he’d have the upper hand.

Ling Yuteng and his team were confident. With a face like Zhan Yunkai’s, if he were in their company, they’d have made him famous ages ago. Lack of acting skills? Who cares? Plenty of talentless people make it big these days. If Zhan Yunkai had been acting for over a decade with zero buzz, it wasn’t just about lacking connections—he must have offended someone and been suppressed!

Zhan Yan sneered at the gossip thread and kept scrolling. If he didn’t dig up all of Ling Yuteng’s dirt, what was the point of binding himself to this gossip system?

One swipe: Whoa! Bullying on set!

Another swipe: Whoa! Hooking up with fans!

Another swipe: Whoa! Sleeping with his boss!

Huh? He was already with his boss, so why was he still hooking up with fans? Did his boss not care?

Ling Yuteng’s boss was named Lu Jiandong. Zhan Yan searched his name.

[May 26th: To commemorate the day they first met, Lu Jiandong carefully prepared a gift and a candlelit dinner, waiting for his beloved Ling Yuteng to come home.]

So his boss was all about true love?

Zhan Yan searched for Ling Yuteng on the same day.

[May 26th: To comfort his secret girlfriend Jing Yao, Ling Yuteng prepared a matching ring for her.]

Zhan Yan was utterly stunned. How many legs did Ling Yuteng have to juggle all these relationships?

With the gossip threads in hand, finding evidence became much easier. Zhan Yan spent the entire afternoon compiling proof and uncovered eight simultaneous partners Ling Yuteng was dating.

While shocked, Zhan Yan packaged the dirt and sent it to Ling Yuteng’s eight partners, his competitors, and a well-known paparazzi blogger in the entertainment industry.

After finishing all this, it was almost evening. Zhan Yan stretched, feeling hungry.

Damn Ling Yuteng!

He went downstairs to heat up some buns and heard his phone buzz. Opening the message, he saw Gu Jiancheng asking about today’s clue.

Zhan Yan: [Don’t play dumb.]

[The clue’s already out there.]

Gu Jiancheng: [?? Where?]

[This is the first message you’ve sent me all day!]

[If I don’t message you, you never take the initiative to reach out to me.]

[Angry]

Zhan Yan rested his chin on his hand, smiling at the screen. [I mentioned in the class group chat that I’m going back to school tomorrow.]

[I thought that was already a cheat code for you.]

[So dumb.]

[If you can’t figure it out, let’s just stop playing this game.]

Gu Jiancheng: [So harsh, Yanyan.]

[Sad kitty face]

[Are you this strict with your boyfriend too?]

[Don’t act cute, boyfriend.] Zhan Yan replied lazily, biting into a bun.

[Rules are rules.]

He had said he was going back to school tomorrow, which meant his current residence was within commuting distance of the school. That was enough for Gu Jiancheng to deduce his living area.

Gu Jiancheng stood at the airport, carrying no luggage, waiting alone in the terminal. Dressed in a semi-fitted long-sleeve shirt and pants, his excellent physique was on full display. His unique aura made him stand out, attracting glances from passersby. But his expression was so aloof that no one dared approach him, only sneaking glances from afar.

This sharp-featured man suddenly smiled. Instead of following the rules of the deduction game, he preferred exploiting its loopholes.

He typed on his phone:

[Can’t you give your boyfriend a little special treatment?]

[I really, really want to see you.]