FI CH37: Heavyweight Identity

A Weibo post revealing the identity drop exploded like a thunderclap on a clear day!

Melon-eating netizens swarmed to spectate.

Clicking on it, they saw two pictures with the right hand captured from the exact same angle: one was from the live stream after the pen tap, as the hand was lifted; the other was from the main show, where the right hand tapped on the “Fu” character charm on the door.

The two frames were even superimposed, the bones and hand shape almost perfectly overlapping. It was accompanied by a detailed analysis:
『I thought it looked familiar when the behind-the-scenes came out! But it went by too fast. It wasn’t until the main show was released: isn’t this right hand the exact same?!』
『And although the voice was processed, that nonchalant, sarcasm-filled tone is completely the Masked Boss!!』
『And do you guys remember the “Corner of the World” production team saying that Xiao Sheng made the mask himself at the beginning? I have a bold guess… the spirit fox mask the boss is wearing, could it be— [covers mouth] [looks left and right]』
…

The analysis, from the pictures to the logic, was simply well-reasoned and well-supported.

At the height of the trending topic, the comment section instantly exploded:
—Holy crap!! A microscope!
—I thought so too when I watched the behind-the-scenes! Sis, you’re amazing! Let me add one more thing, the clothing style is also a dark-colored Chinese-style outer coat.
—Ahhhh!? The little boss is such a big shot! [little doggo is so shocked, can’t come back to its senses]
—Went to check out the live stream after hearing about it! I’m on my knees after watching! [tears]

These past few days, Bai Xuanrui’s young fans had been relentlessly setting the pace and slinging mud in the topic. Now that the netizens had caught up, they immediately came back for a round of mass ridicule:
—Still talking about being possessed, the guy is a master of exorcism. [laughing-crying emoji]
—The production team specially invited a god-level figure to hold down the fort, and what happened… he courted death himself. Even a god couldn’t save him.
—What else do the plagiarist’s fans have to say? [expectant]
—They’re not going to say the boss’s special-class status is fake, are they? The last person who said that… I suggest you watch the full live stream before you open your mouths. [cute smiley face]

Amidst the mass ridicule, a few more posts from local villagers popped up: “The ‘Fu’ character charm has been pasted back. We were wondering who did it! Thank you, boss. [image]”
—Holy crap! Good as new, a miracle!
—The boss even cleaned up the mess, my god… [looks to the heavens]

While the storm caused by the identity reveal was still ongoing, the netizens didn’t miss another point of interest:
—So! This mask was most likely made by Xiao Sheng [heart eyes]
—And it’s a spirit fox pattern! It matches…!
—Was it handmade by Xiao Sheng? Absolutely beautiful!!!
—Ahhhhh what kind of dream collaboration is this… [so ecstatic I’m a blur]

Among the vast number of comments, a few of Bai Xuanrui’s fans were still being stubborn: “You say it like it’s real, who knows if the decoding is even right?”
…

Lin Su was temporarily unaware of the storm online.

At this moment, in the lounge.

After springing up, the master found there was no retreat. He Zhenling and Lin Su were both blocking the door.

He looked around in panic. Bai Xuanrui and his manager were also uncertain and alarmed, their hearts sinking:
…What happened!?

He Zhenling had already put away the ID. With a stride of his long legs, he walked in. The master saw a half-opening at the door and was about to do a carp-jump and rush over.

Before he could even reach Lin Su, he was slammed down by a powerful force—

Thump! The next second, his face hit the ground.

He Zhenling had slammed the man to the ground with his bare hands. As he bent over, his coat flew up, revealing a section of his lean, powerful waist. The speed of his reverse movement was so fast that the person in front hadn’t even reacted.

“Ugh, ah…!”
Bai Xuanrui screamed in fear, “How dare you hit someone?”

He Zhenling twisted the man’s hands behind his back and, in a few moves, cuffed him with a thin cord that looked like handcuffs. Then he grabbed him and lifted him up, the blue veins on his wrist bulging, his expression relaxed.

Lin Su leaned against the door, watching: Oh…

The person in front lifted his eyes sharply. “What are you looking at?”

Lin Su: “It’s rare to see you not use a knife.”

He Zhenling said faintly, “Not necessary.”

After he finished, he glanced at Bai Xuanrui and his manager, who still wanted to call security. “Supervisory Association, law enforcement.”

Although Bai Xuanrui didn’t know what that was, seeing the master as quiet as a quail with a grief-stricken face, he knew he had hit an iron plate. His face suddenly turned pale, and he fell back into his seat with a whoosh.

He Zhenling didn’t spare him another glance. He carried the man straight out the door and made a phone call on the way.

Lin Su leisurely finished watching the show.
Before leaving, he turned his head and gave a gentle smile, reassuringly saying:
“Don’t worry, he’s just taking a step ahead. He’ll be waiting for you at the next intersection.”
After speaking, he closed the door amidst their horrified gazes.

Click.

Out the door, he saw He Zhenling standing at the corner, holding the man.

Lin Su walked over. “How to deal with him?”

He Zhenling said, “In a moment.”

Not two minutes later, a set of footsteps could be heard from down the corridor. Immediately after, with a flutter of a long robe, Kong Fu appeared before them with a smile.

Lin Su was amazed. “Old Zhang?”

Kong Fu nodded, took the man, and led him away.

He Zhenling said, “Let’s go, back.”

Lin Su walked back with him, suddenly remembering what Bai Xuanrui had said about “the stuff online.” He mulled it over for two seconds and said:
“You haven’t been around recently, I’ve been very lonely.”

The footsteps beside him paused. He turned his head.

Lin Su looked at him expectantly. “The blue-v account, quick… open it.”

“…” He Zhenling lowered his eyes, a smile on his lips, and took out his phone. “Heh heh, I knew it.”

Lin Su took the phone. “Are your thoughts becoming impure?”

“Compared to you, they’re still crystal clear.”

With the blue-v account in hand, he magnanimously ignored the comment.
He logged into Weibo and clicked on the topic.

Lin Su had been prepared to face the antics of Bai Xuanrui’s fans head-on, but unexpectedly, when he clicked in, all he saw was a sea of: Ahhh, the little boss is the masked boss!
Accompanied by screenshots: his hand, his mask.
“—!”

As for those misbehaving fans, they had already been swept under the sea by the huge wave, and no one cared.

Lin Su: “…”

Perhaps seeing him staring at the phone without speaking, He Zhenling’s gaze fell upon it. “What’s wrong, you…” His voice trailed off.

The two were silent for a few seconds.

After a moment, Lin Su raised his head and sighed with emotion, “Are they all equipped with microscopes?”

He Zhenling scanned it with one glance and saw that his two identities and the mask had been mostly figured out. He paused: it was about to hit rock bottom.
“What are your plans?”

“There’s nothing I can’t admit to.”
Lin Su looked at the time. “It’s almost been ten minutes, let’s go back first.”

…

Back in the lounge.

Sheng Lingyu turned his head upon hearing the sound. “You’re back?”

Lin Su waved. “Xiao Sheng, come here.”

The little puppy approached.

Lin Su said calmly, “My identity has been revealed. Coincidentally, the netizens also figured out that you made the mask.”

Sheng Lingyu: 0.0!
He opened his mouth. “It really is an all-around melon-bearing, little senior.”

“…”

“Then, little senior, you—”

“I’m preparing to claim it. You should prepare too.”

“Hmm??”

Before Sheng Lingyu could react, Lin Su, already on the official blue-v account, picked the clearest close-up screenshot of the mask and posted it on Weibo.

@Lingsheng Group V: The mask Xiao Sheng gave me, handmade. I like it very much. [screenshot] @Singing Yu V

As soon as it was posted, the melon-eating masses who had been waiting exploded:
—Ahhhhhh!! He admitted it, he admitted it!!!
—Heavens!! I knew a person’s aesthetic taste doesn’t change. Wifey, wifey! My long-lost wifey! [crying] [kissing]
—The little boss of Lingsheng Group, a special-class boss! A double, heavyweight identity!
—Wifey is still as amazing as ever! [scatters flowers]

And Sheng Lingyu’s fans were also dancing in ecstasy:
—It really is a mask made by Xiao Sheng! Absolutely beautiful!!! This beats the production team’s by a mile, doesn’t it!?
—Sheng-shi beauty + absolutely beautiful mask, isn’t this picture the ceiling of visuals? [entranced]
—So stunning, Xiao Sheng is an all-rounder!

Amidst the chorus of praise, there were also many curious voices: “Did Xiao Sheng and the boss know each other before? He even gave him a handmade mask!”

Then they saw Sheng Lingyu also reposted and responded.
@Singing Yu V: Thank you, little senior, for acting heroically and helping me catch a thief! [fist] I’m glad you like this thank-you gift. [flowering] //@Lingsheng Group V: …

The response set off a wave of “wows”:
—Waaaaah! Acting heroically, the little boss is indeed domineering!
—Beats up people when he sees people, catches ghosts when he sees ghosts.
—I thought the little boss was a mage, turns out he’s a warrior [eating fingers]
—Xiao Sheng is so cute, you have to protect yourself when you’re out and about [concerned]

Lin Su was passionately munching on his own melon when a voice came from beside him, “Are you done scrolling?”

He turned his head to meet He Zhenling’s eyes. “You want to surf too?” He then handed the phone over helplessly.
“I really can’t with you. Here, you can have it.”

He Zhenling let out a soft laugh and took it, but his fingertips moved.

Lin Su leaned over. “Liking my post?”

Just as he finished, he saw swoosh! the official account issued a lawyer’s letter.
“The lawyer’s letter is drafted. Just as well, I’ll send it out now while I’m at it.”

Lin Su: “…”

This was the height of the storm.
A lawyer’s letter, specifically picking out the few of Bai Xuanrui’s fans who had been the most boisterous, suing them for defamation. Although the fans hadn’t used Lin Su’s full name, they had mentioned Lingsheng Group—
The weight of a huge defamation lawsuit was like Mount Tai crashing down. Bai Xuanrui’s fans collectively went silent.

The netizens all went: Holy crap!
—A lawyer’s letter has been sent, so satisfying!
—They deserve it. Do they think spreading rumors and cyberbullying has zero cost? What a bunch of law-illiterate people. [knocks on wooden fish]
—He’s the little boss of Lingsheng Group, would he let you slander him?
—Eh? Why are you all quiet now? Is something on your minds? [concerned]
—The reposts and likes have exceeded 500. Take care of yourselves. [farewell]
…

Not long after it was posted, the official account’s backend quickly received several private messages from people admitting defeat, crying and begging for mercy:
“I was just talking casually.”
“Can I retract it? I’ll delete it now, really…”
There were also frantic little essays, terrified of getting involved in a lawsuit.

He Zhenling glanced at them and handed the screen to Lin Su.

Lin Su extended a finger and swiped. “Why are there spam messages? Delete them.”

He Zhenling calmly took back his phone.

…

The online matters were taken care of.

Lin Su didn’t look any further. Sheng Lingyu also logged off Weibo, preparing to go into the recording studio to record his song.

The company had equipped him with an excellent team.

It was Lin Su’s first time watching a live song recording. He was immediately captivated and sighed with emotion:
“Nima… times are really changing fast.”

Xuenima was also pressed against the glass: [Ang-da.]

As the person and the spirit were observing.

A young girl who looked like a staff member moved a chair over. “Little boss, please have a seat.”

Lin Su said “thank you,” then, with another insight, “…you’re also surfing the web.”

The person in front of him smiled, pressing her lips together.
Then she said, “I didn’t expect the little boss to use the company’s main account. Do you have a personal account?”

“No.”

Lin Su thought for a moment, then turned his head and asked, “Should I apply for a side account?”

He Zhenling: “To surf the web?”

“To engage in slaughter.”

“…” He Zhenling was objective. “The lethality isn’t great enough.”

Lin Su was thoughtful. “I can call it, Lingsheng Group’s Side Account.”

He Zhenling’s eyebrow twitched. “Then you might as well use the main account.”

“True.” Lin Su said to the dumbfounded young girl in front of him, “No side account then.”

The young girl said “un” and floated away in a daze.

Once the person had left.

Lin Su dragged his chair and sat down next to He Zhenling. “The reason you let me use the main account directly?”

He Zhenling looked ahead. “Anyway, the work here is all in service of the Divine Emissary.”
He then lowered his eyes to look at him. “Haven’t you noticed your念力 (niàn lì – psychic power) has increased quite a bit?”

Lin Su blinked and savored the feeling:
He had been making waves these past few days, and his psychic power had indeed recovered a lot. It felt like… it felt like he could stir up another tsunami later!

Suddenly, from beside him, “What are you thinking?”

He turned his head. He Zhenling’s gaze was fixed. “I think I saw a disaster forecast in your eyes.”

Lin Su blinked the disaster away and said softly, “How could that be? My eyes are clearly filled with a great big you.”

He Zhenling stared at him for a few seconds, then let out a soft laugh. “Perhaps.”

After the song was recorded, it was almost dinner time.

Sheng Lingyu had already found a nearby restaurant. It had good privacy, and the ambiance and food were also excellent.

The four of them sat at a table in a small private room.

After ordering, they chatted while eating.

Sheng Lingyu toasted with tea instead of wine, saying gratefully, “That I am where I am today is all thanks to little senior and Mr. He. You are both my貴人 (guì rén – benefactors).”

Lin Su lightly clinked his cup with his.

Xuenima looked left and right: [Benefactor Lin, Benefactor Bird.]

“…” A hand dragged it away. “Don’t suddenly insert advertisements.” He added, “And don’t let Xiao He hear you.”

The conversation at the table continued.

Speaking of the music program “I Sing My Heart,” it was said to have been boycotted by the entire internet and was pretty much dead.

In contrast, the variety show “Ghost Hunting Principles” saw its ratings soar. Both Ye Yuzhu and Chen Keqing gained a lot of fans, and Sheng Lingyu, in particular, became the flag-bearer of traffic.

Brother Xi, thinking of how his suffering had finally paid off, couldn’t help but cry while eating. “Wuwuwu… our Xiao Sheng has finally made it… Before, before he suffered so many grievances…”

Lin Su gently paused and didn’t speak.

He Zhenling also silently watched him unknowingly eat all the chicken skin that Lin Su had peeled off.

After a long while, when the person had finished all the chicken skin.

Lin Su finally handed over a piece of tissue. “It’s alright.” He glanced at the eight characters of Sheng Lingyu’s birth chart above his head.
“His great luck is about to begin. From now on, it will be smooth sailing and without worry.”

Brother Xi’s tears stopped. He and Sheng Lingyu looked up at the same time, as if their hope had been lit.
“We’ll take your auspicious words.”

…

The meal was nearing its end.

Lin Su had eaten his fill and started drinking tea.

The teapot was on He Zhenling’s side. He handed over his teacup. “Boss He, please pour me two cups of tea.”

He Zhenling looked at the single teacup in front of him. “A new type of finding fault?”

Lin Su: “You can wait for me to quickly finish this one, and then seize the opportunity to pour another.”

Xuenima couldn’t hold back: [Such a strong feeling of being sneaky.]

He Zhenling let out a ‘heh’. He took an empty bowl from the side, filled it to the brim, and pushed it over. “I’ve poured you three cups. You don’t have to drink so, flustered.”

“…”
Lin Su picked it up. “slurp.”

Seeing that the two had both finished eating.

Sheng Lingyu also put down his chopsticks, gathered his thoughts, and said, “By the way, little senior. I’ve finished making the lanterns these past few days. As a thank-you gift for the commission, I brought them with me today.”

Lin Su was expectant. “Let me see? Perfect, I can post another Weibo.”

Sheng Lingyu’s eyes were bright. “Really?” He said, taking them out from a bag on the side. “Actually, I made one for each of you—”

Two lanterns were brought out. Under the light, the golden threads shimmered, exquisitely woven.
On one side of each was pasted a “喜” (happiness) character.

He shyly put them together. “You can also hang them at home.”

Lin Su: “…”
He Zhenling: “…”

__

Author’s Note:
Sheng Lingyu: I’ve already posed, go ahead and take the picture. (obediently expectant)

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