FI CH52: Calling for Backup

A group of people gathered around the coffee table.

They formed several small groups, and the five decks of cards were being used to play a variety of games.

Lin Su, having woken up after being sleepy for 17 years, was surprised to find that even playing cards had been updated to version n.0. He was momentarily fascinated.

“Nima, entertainment has also developed so quickly.”

[Okay.]

He Zhenling played a couple of rounds with them.

Afterwards, he stopped playing and went to the front desk to raid it for some melon seeds, drinks, and snacks, placing them on the table.

The lobby instantly became even more lively.

At five-thirty, a ray of dawn light fell upon the ground.

In the lobby where everyone was gathered, the noisy chatter gradually subsided, and some people started to doze off drowsily. Just then, a sound suddenly came from the main entrance directly opposite:

Clang!

Everyone woke up in an instant, looking over sensitively. …What was that?

“Is it a ghost again?”

“Is it a staff member? They could have just pushed the door open and come in.”

Amidst the speculation, the main door shook twice more: Clang, clang.

The participants, still shaken, put down their playing cards, and some had even quietly reached for their magical instruments.

Lin Su took the opportunity to get up and suggested amicably, “Why don’t we go have a look together.”

He Zhenling glanced at him silently.

The crowd looked at each other. “Right. There are so many of us, what’s there to be afraid of.” They all stood up, grabbing their tools on the way.

…

The main door faced the lounge.

The group walked over in a mighty procession, with Lin Su and He Zhenling trailing at the back.

When they reached the door, the rustling sounds hadn’t stopped.

The crowd raised their magical instruments vigilantly.

One of them paused, reached out, and pulled the latch. With a “click,” the door was unexpectedly pushed open, and a figure stumbled in—

“Ouch…!”

Yu Yixun charged right into the encirclement.

He looked up sharply, his voice cutting off abruptly.

A group of people surrounded the doorway, three layers deep inside and out. Over a dozen pairs of eyes stared at him, and several hands held magical instruments high, as if ready to strike down at any moment.

Yu Yixun was so startled by this scene that his whole body tensed up.

He stared, aghast. !

The crowd also looked down. …???

Both sides fell into a deathly silence.

Suddenly, Lin Su spoke, clapping his hands in front of his chest.

“Hey, welcome back~”

“…”

Yu Yixun was stunned for a long time before finally finding his voice. “Wh-what are you guys doing here!?”

The raised magical instruments around him were slowly lowered.

Scrutinizing gazes fell upon him. One of them asked suspiciously, “We should be the one asking, what are you doing here? Why are you coming back from outside?”

Yu Yixun was instantly speechless, breaking into a slight sweat.

With a guilty conscience, he feigned calmness and said, “…I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk outside.”

“A walk?”

Someone in the crowd sneered. “When did you go out for this walk?”

Yu Yixun secretly calculated the time, picking a moment late at night when he thought he was least likely to be noticed.

“Around three or four o’clock.”

As soon as he said it, Hao Niubai let out a “Ha?” sound, half-smiling. “We were all playing cards in the lobby at three or four. We didn’t see you go out!”

Yu Yixun froze. …What?? He almost couldn’t maintain his expression. Who the hell plays cards in a group in the lobby at three or four in the morning!?

The surrounding gazes grew more suspicious.

He quickly changed his story. “I saw you guys playing cards, so I slipped out quietly. You didn’t notice.”

The crowd exchanged glances, uncertain.

Lin Su suddenly spoke up. “Ah… I forgot. I was the one who locked the door.”

He said considerately, “When I came to the lobby after midnight, I was afraid someone might accidentally run out of the hotel and encounter danger outside, so I specifically locked the main door.”

Yu Yixun’s face stiffened, suddenly flustered.

Lin Su looked at him reproachfully. “You’re too careless.”

Everyone: “…”

Yu Yixun: “…”

Tang Yin couldn’t hold it in and shouted, “Hey! What’s your deal? Since you were also here last night, then tell us, what happened last night!”

The crowd surrounded the doorway, staring at him.

Yu Yixun’s lips trembled, and he was unable to speak.

However, this situation didn’t last long.

Around six o’clock, a staff member came to the hotel.

As soon as he arrived, he saw Yu Yixun being cornered by the crowd at the door. He was startled and hurried over. Under the smiling mask, his tone was no longer steady.

“Everyone, what’s going on?”

A barrage of questioning gazes shot over.

The staff member instinctively took half a step back. ?

Lin Su explained calmly, “Contestant Yu was out all night. We’re concerned about where he was wandering.”

“…”

There seemed to be a held breath behind the mask, then he raised his hand. “…If there are any problems, why don’t we all go inside first and talk.”

Lin Su nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

He looked over meaningfully. “After all, everyone has been up all night. It’s not good to chat at the doorway.”

The staff member stiffened. “You’re right.”

…

The sky was now dimly lit.

The participants who had stayed upstairs, also sleepless, came down one after another. Seeing the scene in the lobby, they were all stunned.

“What happened?”

The people next to them explained the situation.

They also let out an “Ah?” and looked over with frowns, waiting for an explanation.

Everyone was present.

The staff member scanned the crowd, then took a slight breath and said slowly, “Actually, Mr. Yu Yixun did indeed leave the hotel before midnight last night.”

An uproar erupted all around. He admitted it?

But soon, they heard him say, “However—”

“Mr. Yu Yixun left because he foresaw the chaos that would happen last night, and to ensure his own safety, he stayed with the staff in their resting area.”

The smiling mask said, “To ensure the safety of our participants, we of course would not refuse.”

“What???”

“To ensure safety!?”

Someone immediately sneered and questioned, “Do we look safe to you!”

The staff member said, “If anyone felt unsafe, they could also have come to seek help.”

Hearing this, Yu Yixun, who was standing to the side, immediately seized the opportunity. “That’s right. You guys didn’t foresee it yourselves, what does that have to do with me?”

He had recovered from his panic and was now speaking with righteous indignation.

Hao Niubai’s eyes were practically shooting fire. Her lips moved, and a string of curses could vaguely be seen passing her lips.

In the middle of the stalemate, a voice was suddenly heard.

“I remember before we checked in, you said this was the main venue for the event. If we felt unwell, we could leave first.”

Lin Su exclaimed in surprise, “So this ‘leave’ meant you could leave and come back again.”

Staff member: “…”

Yu Yixun: “…”

Everyone immediately reacted. “That’s right!”

“Leaving the main event venue without permission, isn’t that a violation?”

A wave of condemnation rose again.

Yu Yixun’s momentum, which hadn’t even returned for ten seconds, was crushed again. In his panic, he actually hid behind the staff member. The latter’s hand seemed to tremble for a moment, then he faced the storm and said:

“This… was an oversight on our part. But since it doesn’t involve scores for the official competition, it’s not considered a violation. How about this—”

He apologized, “From now on, everyone can freely enter and exit the hotel, as long as it’s for safety reasons.”

The crowd’s voices died down a bit, as if considering.

What happened last night was shady, but it indeed didn’t involve the official competition. However, the seed of suspicion had been planted. Their gazes towards Yu Yixun were now filled with scrutiny.

They were not looking at the first-place winner, but at a usurper.

After a moment, someone finally snorted. “Fine, I’ll be waiting to see your ‘real skills’ next.”

Another person also sneered and left.

Tang Yin followed behind, staring straight at him. “I’ll be watching you, forever and ever.” After saying that, he swaggered away.

The crowd dispersed one by one.

Yu Yixun’s face turned green and then white.

Lin Su and He Zhenling passed by him and also paused. The staff member tensed up inexplicably. Then Lin Su pointed towards the lounge:

“Remember to clean up the cards and trash.”

He left with a yawn.

“…”

The elevator rose to the 13th floor.

Ding! The elevator doors opened.

Lin Su and He Zhenling walked out together. A voice came from the side, “Your room, or my room?”

“…”

Lin Su paused and turned his head.

He looked at He Zhenling’s half-hidden handsome face. “You know I’m so sleepy I’m yawning, and you still say something like that.” He sighed tolerantly. “You really know how to take advantage of someone’s weakness.”

He Zhenling let out a light scoff. “…Then don’t walk towards my room.”

Lin Su gracefully floated over. “So sleepy, hurry up and open the door.”

The answer he got was the sound of a key card unlocking the door.

As soon as he entered, Lin Su curled up on the sofa.

Xuenima curled up in his arms. [What a pity. We didn’t hammer that nepotism baby to death in one go.]

“No rush. It would be a pity for him to die halfway. Besides, if he’s gone, how can this event continue?”

As he was speaking, He Zhenling also sat down in front of him.

“With this incident, the event area has been unlocked. From now on, everyone will be watching Yu Yixun. If he wants to cheat again, it probably won’t be so easy.”

Lin Su said leisurely, “So I guess the content of the next competition will change.”

“What do you think it will be?”

“A competition that doesn’t require psychic abilities.”

He Zhenling’s lips curved. “I thought so too.”

He was about to say more, but the person in front of him suddenly turned over. Lin Su, cuddling Xuenima, closed his eyes on the sofa. “Alright, our heart-to-heart talk ends here. I’ve been playing cards all night, so sleepy…”

He Zhenling said, “…Go back to your room to sleep.”

Lin Su said peacefully, “Wake me up when it’s time. Good night.”

It was quiet in front of the sofa.

He Zhenling stared at him for a few seconds. Just as his fingertips moved, the person in front suddenly opened one eye.

Lin Su squinted. “I’ll be sleeping very soundly. Make yourself at home.”

After saying that, he snapped his eye shut again. huff.

“…”

He Zhenling sneered, “Heh!”

…

He slept straight past noon.

When Lin Su woke up, he was still on the sofa with a jacket draped over his waist. He sat up and looked at the jacket. Oh…

He saw He Zhenling sitting by the window a few meters away, casually reading a book to pass the time.

“Why are you sitting so far away?”

He Zhenling didn’t look up. “I’m afraid if I sit too close, my chastity will be gone.”

“…” Lin Su: Nima, he’s still concerned about that.

[Things that don’t exist are always what people care about.]

Over there, the book closed. He Zhenling stood up. “Let’s go. Someone came to notify us while you were sleeping. The third competition starts at 2 PM. It’s time to go down.”

Lin Su nodded and handed him the jacket. “Put on your chastity, don’t catch a cold.”

A hand took it. “…Heh, how thoughtful.”

There was still a quarter of an hour before the competition.

The two arrived in the lobby downstairs.

They saw sets of tables and chairs arranged neatly in the lobby, like for an exam.

Everyone had already come down. After a morning of recovery, everyone’s spirits were a bit better.

The masked staff member stood at the front.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, he announced, “Considering that everyone did not rest well, and some are injured and have limited mobility, the content of our third competition will be adjusted to a written test.”

Xuenima exclaimed in amazement. [It really is a competition that doesn’t require psychic abilities!]

Lin Su curved his lips, not surprised at all.

The staff member displayed a sealed bag. “The test paper consists of objective and subjective questions, with a ratio of 4:6, for a total of 100 points.”

“Subjective questions?”

Someone immediately sneered, looking in Yu Yixun’s direction. “How subjective is your ‘subjective’? Who is qualified to grade us?”

After he finished, he heard an unhurried voice from the front:

“Of course, we have invited the Grand President to personally judge.”

As soon as the words fell, a commotion erupted! The participants looked at each other in amazement.

“The Grand President!?”

“Is it true? Didn’t they say the awards would be presented by the Grand President? The grading is also done by the President?”

…

Lin Su’s eyebrows moved slightly. He looked up. Oh…

The staff member stood steadily at the front, a red dot faintly flashing on his collar, syncing the situation on site to the other side.

Soon, someone else asked, “How can you prove that it’s the Grand President grading it?”

A nonchalant voice came through the staff member’s earpiece. “Just tell them there will be the Grand President’s signature at the bottom of the test paper. We can just forge one later…”

“They have no way to verify it anyway, and…”

That voice chuckled. “Worse comes to worst, we’ll find a way to eliminate them all in the end.”

The staff member nodded and announced at the same time, “The test paper will have the Grand President’s signature.”

“The President’s signature!?”

The crowd’s previous dissatisfaction was replaced by excitement. The announcement “The competition is about to begin” was made at the right time, and the group chose their seats and sat down.

Seeing this, Lin Su also chose a corner seat and sat down.

The test papers were distributed one by one. With the sound of the timer starting, the competition began.

Lin Su picked up the test paper and scanned it.

His fingertips tapped lightly on the pen, then he spoke. “Nima.”

A head popped up on the desk. [Okay?]

“Remember I planned an interesting outcome for this event?”

Xuenima listened attentively.

“Help me run an errand. Go to the nearest Tianshi Association and send an email to the headquarters.” Lin Su thought for a moment. “I don’t know if the old email address has changed… just send it to the complaint box. For the ‘person being complained about’ field, fill in: Bai Jiang.”

That should get it delivered in the fastest time.

[…]

“The content can be anything. Just sign my name.”

With that, it turned into a ball of light and flew out of the hotel. [Okay.]

After Lin Su finished, he looked up again and called over a staff member. “I filled in some information incorrectly. I’d like another test paper.”

“Okay, one moment.”

There were several spare papers. A new test paper was quickly placed on his desk. He filled in his name, placed one paper under the other, and changed his pen.

As the pen moved, the writing appeared on both papers simultaneously.

The answering time was one hour.

Lin Su controlled his time to finish in 50 minutes, then took advantage of the crowd turning in their papers to pocket one of them.

He went up and submitted the other paper.

Because of last night’s chaos, there was only one competition today.

The written test ended at 3 PM.

The crowd finally got their free time, and the range was unlocked, so they could even leave the hotel.

The signal here was interfered with, and they had been holding it in all day.

As soon as the written test ended, Hao Niubai immediately called Lin Su. “Hey! Want to go for a walk somewhere further away?”

As soon as she finished, a figure appeared in front of her.

He Zhenling walked over. “Upstairs?”

Lin Su nodded and said to Hao Niubai, “You go ahead, I’m not going.”

Hao Niubai: “…”

The two figures walked towards the elevator together.

She watched the elevator doors open and close. Her mouth also opened and closed. After a moment, she savored the taste, turned, and slowly walked away.

…

Although they could enter and exit the hotel, to prevent any situations where they couldn’t get back in time, everyone didn’t go too far.

They just found a place with a signal to send messages and go online.

Hao Niubai also found a good feng shui spot to nestle in.

While sending messages, she was still replaying things in her mind. Slowly, she remembered: That’s not right. When she looked up Lin Kun before, it seemed like he already had a partner.

But why does he seem so… with Mr. He Daniao?

No, cheating shouldn’t be it.

Hao Niubai thought about it and suddenly had a jolt.

She picked up her phone, using the slow signal, and re-opened the group name Lin Su had authenticated before: Ling Sheng Group.

Then she exited and clicked on a business lookup app.

After an anxious loading period, the webpage popped up.

Legal Representative: He Zhenling.

Surname He.

“Holy crap!!?”

Hao Niubai shot up from her spot, holding her phone with a dumbfounded look, her heart pounding. Wait, she remembered the name of the president of the Tianshi Supervisory Association was also—

No way, there are actually two big shots in this event!

…

On the other side.

A plane at 4:30 landed at the airport on time. A figure hurriedly came out, hailed a taxi, and rushed to the town.

Driving all the way to the village, the tires rolled over a small road full of gravel and suddenly burst with a “bang.” The driver helplessly stopped the car.

“Young man, I told you this stretch of road is not easy to drive. Alright, you can get out!”

“Sorry, sorry, I was in a hurry…”

A tall and slender figure got out.

He walked helplessly under the sun for a while, then his eyes suddenly lit up. He waved his sleeve and flagged down an ox-cart.

“Old sir, could you give me a ride!”

The old man driving the ox-cart stopped and saw the young man in front of him had an elegant posture and a face like a spring breeze, looking to be in his early thirties.

“Oh, get on. Where are you going?”

“This address.”

Under the bright sunlight, the wheels rolled over the yellow dust.

A snow-white long robe sat on the ox-cart.

Bai Jiang was jostled and swayed, holding the letter and looking ahead, excited and nervous.

He didn’t expect him to suddenly contact him.

—Is he finally going to meet his big brother, who is like a teacher and a father to him!

__

Author’s Note:

Xuenima (Lovingly): I told you you held him when he was a baby.

Su: …

Hao Niubai: There are two big shots in this event!

Su: Actually, there’s one more~ (sways)

*This unit is Kun Kun’s vacation + main story transition unit. There is no client, but there will be no shortage of face-slapping~

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