FOBTS CH48

Chapter 48: Don’t Be Polite

Jian Yuheng: “:)”

This… was the currency of the Stone Age—stone coins.

Jian Yuheng said in his heart, imitating Doraemon’s tone.

[Jian Yuheng]: Rewind two seconds. I just paid at the restaurant and pulled out a rock.

[Jian Yuheng]: I can’t explain this away.

[Song Ruochen]: Aren’t you embarrassed?

[Jian Yuheng]: Must you cause me secondary trauma? :[

[Ding-dang.]

“Mr. Jian, how would you like to pay?” the cashier asked.

Jian Yuheng calmly pulled a black card from his wallet and handed it over.

Meanwhile, Song Ruochen had already rewound himself back to the car. He gazed out the window with interest at the towering esports stadium, when suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure under the prominently displayed team banners.

[Zou Renhang.]

The system notification popped up.

“That rat who bullied Da Zao.” Song Ruochen muttered. “Who is he talking to?”

[Xia Xiaocheng, streamer, commentator trainee, Zou Renhang’s sworn, undying best friend.]

Song Ruochen: “? Illiterate system, are those words even used correctly?”

Then, he remembered. In the original novel, Zou Renhang had posted a photo with Yan Ci, causing netizens to misinterpret their relationship and go wild with speculation. He had even secretly exposed some dirt about Yan Ci’s parents and older brother, leading to a drop in Yan Ci’s popularity.

Both of them had benefited from the betrayal—one became the top commentator, the other won Best Streamer of the Month.

[Should we warn Yan Ci and Jian Feng in advance that someone’s planning to backstab them?]

“I’m a secretary, not a fortune-teller,” Song Ruochen said. “…How am I supposed to explain foreknowledge?”

[Uh……]

[Shifty eyes, whistling.jpg]

[Then should we retaliate and leak Zou Renhang’s dirt too?]

Song Ruochen tilted his head. “Was it written in the book? Lend me a copy to crib from.”

[No……]

[Got any clever ideas, Little Grape?]

Song Ruochen: “:D Got any sand coins?”

[I have three. I exchange them every week, and the latest update fixed the targeting bug.]

[New version of Rewind Sand Coin: Command ‘Ding-le-ge-dang.’ Allows the user to rewind a single inanimate object to a previous state for a set time. Once the host rescinds the command, everything reverts.]

Song Ruochen: “:D”

“Then let’s haunt him.” Song Ruochen grinned.

He entered the stadium and sat in his designated seat, waiting for Fuzzy Monster to return.

His phone screen lit up.

[Jian Yuheng]: Grilled strawberry cheesecake drizzled with chocolate sauce. [Image]

[Song Ruochen]: I need a new phone that can taste food!

“Jian Yuheng” retracted a message.

[Song Ruochen]: Where can I get that?

[Jian Yuheng]: A dessert shop near my place. It’s a bit hard to find, but if you want, I can give you directions.

[Jian Yuheng]: Or, I could reluctantly buy one for Secretary Song?

[Song Ruochen]: Sure, sure, I can work for Second Young Master.

[Jian Yuheng]: With your mighty outsourcing team? Middleman Song Ruochen.

Middleman: “……”

“Just say whether I got the job done, Second Young Master.” Song Ruochen sent a voice message.

The other party seemed mildly annoyed and didn’t reply.

“I’m back.” Meng Yumian pushed his wheelchair to the side and sat down next to Song Ruochen. “The match starts in two minutes.”

Then, Meng Yumian’s gaze quickly darted to Song Ruochen’s phone screen, taking in their entire chat.

Meng Yumian picked up his phone and sent a voice message: “Mutter, mutter.”

Song Ruochen: “?”

“Grape Song,” Meng Yumian said. “There’s one more thing the doctor mentioned that I forgot to tell you.”

“What is it?” Song Ruochen asked.

“When I was picking up my meds, the doctor mentioned in passing that the special suppressant is harmful to the body, and it doesn’t last long,” Meng Yumian said. “It’s not nearly as effective as a high-compatibility Alpha.”

Meng Yumian smirked. “Didn’t you use it the other day? How was Jian Yuheng’s effect? Did it feel good?”

Song Ruochen nearly jumped up. “…Huh?!”

“The pheromone soothing.” Meng Yumian clarified. “He was the one who helped you that day.”

Song Ruochen: “……”

No wonder, whenever he recalled that feverish haze, his memories were filled only with a faint, sweet-and-sour scent—none of the usual torment of his rut.

It was like… someone had let him rest his head on their lap, their calloused fingertips gently kneading the back of his neck, dabbing away the cold sweat on his forehead with a tissue.

What else had he done?

Had he… grabbed onto the man’s pants and told him not to leave?

“Why are you squirming?” Meng Yumian asked.

“I feel like I’m sitting on a volcano,” Song Ruochen muttered. “Roasting alive.”

This was a life-or-death grape emergency, and yet, Jian Yuheng hadn’t just let him croak?

If he were out of the picture, Jian Yuheng’s world would be so much quieter.

He’d treated him like a rat to be caught, vented so much resentment onto him… and yet, Jian Yuheng didn’t want him gone? Or was it… because hawthorn was actually a kind hawthorn?

[Hiss……]

“I get it now,” Song Ruochen murmured. “Xiaoshi really can’t do without Secretary Song.”

[……]

[Stroke chin.jpg, frown.jpg, tilt head.jpg, gasp.jpg.]

“Oh, by the way, Chenchen.” Meng Yumian said. “I convinced my parents. They said our Fuzzy-Grape-Zao trio can try starting a business. They even gave me a little bit of startup capital.”

Song Ruochen: “0.o How much?”

Meng Yumian: “Three million.”

“I’m going all in against you rich people!” Song Ruochen raised the flag of rebellion.

The two teams competing today were evenly matched, going back and forth in the game. Yan Ci’s commentary was also spot-on. The omega’s gentle voice, amplified by the sound equipment, reached every corner of the arena.

Compared to Yan Ci, Zou Renhang’s commentary was somewhat lacking. To an outsider like Song Ruochen, it felt more emotional than professional, merely serving to enhance the atmosphere.

“Song Ruotao!” After finishing work, Yan Ci pounced over.

Song Ruochen: “Madam, you can’t just make up names.”

Was it because the furry monster had no room to perform anymore?

On the roadside outside the venue, workers were removing the “Under Maintenance” sign and sealing the manhole cover.

“I have long lost my real name.” Meng Yumian (now sporting a head full of bumps) said, “But I am different. I will only call you Secretary Song.”

“But your ‘Secretary Song’ has a suffix,” Yan Ci said. “Secretary Song at work—does he make you very anxious?”

Yan Ci: “Little Grape… he doesn’t need you at all.”

“I’m going to peel off your fake red date skin.” Meng Yumian rammed Yan Ci with his wheelchair.

“Yan Ci, I’m heading off first.” Zou Renhang, together with Xia Xiaocheng, greeted Yan Ci, “See you the night after tomorrow.”

“Bye-bye~” The busy Yan Ci turned his head and responded.

Once the match the night after tomorrow ended, it would be time for the popularity-based commentator rankings.

Song Ruochen estimated that the backstabbing for this event would happen within the next two days.

“Let’s go, Da Zao,” Song Ruochen said. “It’s getting late. You can spend the rest of the night with President Jian.”

Yan Ci: “0.0.”

A luxury car worth tens of millions, belonging to Xiao Shi, sped over. Song Ruochen opened the door: “Madam, Young Master Meng, please get in.”

“This title of ‘President of Xiaoshi’s wife’ has given him quite a boost, hasn’t it?” Zou Renhang commented from where he stood. “The esports world doesn’t need commentators who rely on their husbands to climb up.”

“If he didn’t see you as a friend, we wouldn’t even know he had such disgusting parents.” Xia Xiaocheng said. “So why not let his little fans see which garbage dump their favorite streamer crawled out of?”

Song Ruochen turned back and gave the two of them a cold glance.

[Ding-le-ge-dang.]

A rewind coin flew out, hitting the manhole cover.

With a swoosh, the manhole cover shifted to the side. With two splashes, Zou Renhang and Xia Xiaocheng fell into the sewer.

“You two can climb out of the sewer first.” Song Ruochen told the system.

[6.]

The next day, in the president’s office.

Jian Yuheng lounged comfortably in his ergonomic chair, scrolling through the news on his phone.

“A game commentator and a streamer claimed last night that there was a ghost on the road, saying they both fell into a sewer. After struggling to climb back up, they found the manhole cover perfectly sealed…”

“Crazy. Idiots.” Jian Yuheng closed his eyes to rest. “Where’s the ghost?”

“Haha, little brother, you asked a similar question when you first came back.” Jian Feng, standing to the side, said.

Jian Yuheng: “?”

Song Ruochen?

Come to think of it, when he got home last night, he did hear a rewind command.

What was Song Ruochen up to again? Why wasn’t he coming here to mess with him?

“Little brother, I am relieved.” Jian Feng said. “A harmonious home brings prosperity. Come visit your big brother more often.”

Jian Yuheng: “Agreed. I’ll move my desk here later.”

Jian Feng: “…?”

[Attendance registered.] The punch-in machine outside the office spoke.

“Good morning, President Jian.” Song Ruochen pushed open the door. “Good morning, Yuheng.”

Jian Yuheng: “皿.”

“President Jian, three employees from HR were fired for leaking company secrets.” Song Ruochen reported. “They need your signature.”

“Alright, I’ll sign it after I finish replying to these emails.” Jian Feng said.

“Go now. HR is waiting.” Song Ruochen said.

“Okay, Secretary Song.” Jian Feng said.

Jian Yuheng: “……”

Jian Feng closed the door and hurried off.

“What did Xiao Zha come here for?” Song Ruochen asked.

Jian Yuheng: “To… visit his brother.”

[ …? ]

[ Scratches head.jpg ]

“Zha-ge,” Song Ruochen was curious, “Your pheromones smell like hawthorn, but President Jian’s smell like coix seed. You two don’t seem like brothers at all.”

“Mom smells like Chinese yam.” Jian Yuheng said. “If I put it that way, doesn’t it sound like a series?”

Song Ruochen: “0o0.”

“Wait a second.” Jian Yuheng lifted his gaze. “How do you know my brother’s pheromones smell like coix seed?”

“I saw… uh…” Song Ruochen quickly changed his words. “Madam told me.”

Almost slipped up.

Song Ruochen opened the paper bag he brought and took out a crepe: “Little waiter, I’m going to start my paid breakfast.”

Jian Yuheng: “……”

Song Ruochen’s slightly reddened fingertips, chilled by the cold, clutched the paper bag as he carefully bit a small crescent shape into the crepe.

Song Ruochen: “:D”

 Song Ruochen started wolfing down his food with loud chomping sounds.

The corners of Jian Yuheng’s lips lifted slightly. Then, he saw Song Ruochen open his laptop and enter a livestream.

In the stream, the host was rambling nonstop. Jian Yuheng froze for a moment before recognizing the person from that ghost news report just now.

“I swear I’m not lying! Do you guys believe me or not?” Zou Renhang kept talking incessantly. “I really fell into that perfectly sealed sewer.”

Zou Renhang: “Really, I’m not crazy! I’m not delusional!”

Jian Yuheng: “……”

That sounded oddly familiar.

But for some reason, watching Grape cause trouble for someone else didn’t make him feel empathetic at all. Instead, it made him quite happy.

“My friend was with me—Xia Xiaocheng. You guys know him too.” Zou Renhang said. “No one believes us.”

“Forget it, let’s talk about something else.” Zou Renhang continued. “Lately, I’ve been partnering with Yan Ci for commentary, and it’s been amazing. You’ve all seen it. We have great chemistry. I’ve never met an omega commentator as skilled as him.”

The bullet comments were full of Zou Renhang’s fans, easily swayed by his words. Soon, the topic shifted to Yan Ci—

[Speaking of which, Yan Ci married into a wealthy family, right? Feels like he’d be happier with an alpha from the esports scene instead.]

[Yeah, yeah, Zou Renhang seems like a great choice. They have so much in common!]

[Haha, just look at Zou’s physique—pleasing a little beauty like Yan Ci would be easy. Definitely better than that mysterious CEO husband of his.]

“By the way, I recently took some great photos with Yan Ci.” Zou Renhang said, pulling out some pictures he had prepared to show the audience.

[Ding-le-ge-dang.]

Jian Yuheng heard the system’s notification.

“Let me show you—ahhh!!!” Zou Renhang suddenly screamed in the livestream and fell to the ground.

Jian Yuheng turned his head and saw Song Ruochen biting into his crepe, speaking rapidly toward the computer screen: “Revert.”

“The chair… the chair just folded up by itself and then returned to normal! The chair can move!” Zou Renhang screamed.

Bullet comments—

[?]
[Is he actually crazy?]
[A chair with legs, hahaha! Streamer, stop being so funny, I’m dying here.]
[From now on, I won’t believe a single word this guy says, hahaha. Forget commentating, go be an entertainer instead!]

The livestream cut off abruptly, clearly because Zou Renhang, terrified, had shut it down.

Jian Yuheng saw a certain troublemaker smiling mischievously, his eyes curved in delight as he enjoyed his food.

Song Ruochen liked this crepe. Jian Yuheng would buy it for him again tomorrow.

His cheek was gently turned to the side as Jian Yuheng grasped his chin, using his thumb to rub lightly against the corner of his mouth.

“Secretary Song, you got jam on yourself.” Jian Yuheng said indifferently.

Song Ruochen: “Oh… oh.”

But the alpha’s grip was a bit too firm, rubbing against his skin hard enough to sting slightly. He pursed his lips, feeling a bit warm in the face.

“Xiao Jian has a keen eye.” Song Ruochen quipped as usual.

[Stroking chin.jpg, deep in thought.jpg]

[(Work Channel) The villain’s ** score has increased to 300%.]

[ …? ]

[(Work Channel) Boss, boss system, are you back? Something feels off.]

“‘Ding-le-ge-dang’ is a partial rewind of an object?” Jian Yuheng asked.

Song Ruochen: “Yeah.”

Song Ruochen: “Want to test it on Second Young Master?”

Jian Yuheng: “Don’t—”

“No need to be polite.” Song Ruochen flicked his wrist, sending a rewind coin flying toward Jian Yuheng.

Song Ruochen (chewing on his crepe version): “Mmm… so good. Mmm… tie.”

The coin struck Jian Yuheng’s belt.

Click. Jian Yuheng’s belt buckle came undone.

Jian Yuheng: “:|”

Song Ruochen: “……”

[Unclear command. Recognized as ‘belt.’]

“Ahhh.” Song Ruochen said. “I swear I’m not a pervert.”

Song Ruochen: “I’ll buckle it back for you.”