GRMFBS CH31

Qi Ye’s streamer account, Seven Big Coconuts, had over 10,000 followers. She was usually busy and didn’t stream often, so her fanbase was entirely built on skill—real skill. Qi Ye kept her ordinary identity and her superhuman identity strictly separate, never using her abilities when gaming with regular people.  

She treated her updates like a personal diary. Her followers knew she’d recently found a cushy part-time job with a lot of downtime, often playing games with her boss—and getting utterly destroyed by said boss.  

Given that Big Coconut was known to be highly skilled at games, her followers had long been curious about her boss’s level.  

Shortly after her update, replies started rolling in:  

“LMAO, you called the little brother cute just because he sucks at games, didn’t you?”  

“You get wrecked by your boss, so you go wreck the boss’s little brother?”  

Pfft! Not only couldn’t she wreck the boss’s little brother, she now had to carry him in ranked matches!  

The little brother still thought his sister was at about his skill level. If the boss could play evenly with him, and Qi Ye dared to stomp him into the ground, she’d probably be fired on the spot!  

Before heading home, Zhan Suiru and Jian Yan stopped by the market to buy groceries under the head chef’s instructions, reviewing last night’s “How to Pick the Best Radish” lesson along the way.  

When they got back, Jian Yan saw his dad scrolling through his phone with a strange expression—some pride, some fondness, and a hint of “Why can’t you do better?”  

Jian Yan was curious. “Dad, what are you looking at?”  

Was it the comments on his latest breakfast Weibo post?  

Zhan Yunkai was browsing the Supernatural Forum.  

He’d been frequenting the forum lately and had stumbled upon the “Who is the Chongming Demon King?” post. There, he saw Approaching Science listing his past achievements, then ripping the OP to shreds in defense of him.  

Approaching Science was definitely his fan!  

Once confirmed, the Demon King’s paternal instincts toward his junior flared up uncontrollably.  

Approaching Science clearly had talent but didn’t quite know how to use it—otherwise, they wouldn’t have only started gaining attention now.  

Later, I’ll ask which race this kid belongs to. How’d they end up so chummy with the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs?  

Zhan Yunkai closed the forum and shooed his kids out of the kitchen, telling them to go play in the living room.  

Cooking was sometimes a bit like magic—if someone else so much as stirred the pot for him, the flavor would go off.  

Jian Yan and Zhan Suiru lounged in the living room, snacking on gossip.  

“That creep who caused Dad’s mob scene last time seems to have been arrested.”  

“Not that fast—they’re just being investigated for now.”  

“Tsk tsk, those celebrities’ fans are tearing their company apart!”  

…  

Before bed, Jian Yan received another message from Gu Jiancheng.  

Just as Jian Yan was saying goodnight and about to hang up, Gu Jiancheng’s voice lowered. “Did you forget something?”  

Jian Yan paused, then remembered—a week had passed since his last clue.  

They’d just met yesterday, and he’d completely forgotten about their game.  

…Almost as if he’d taken it for granted that they’d see each other again next week.  

Jian Yan counted the days. Only three weeks of summer break remained. Not much time left.  

“This job… exposes me to a lot of information.” His gaze fell on the small cinnabar bottle by his bedside. “The latest news.”  

After saying this, Jian Yan stopped. He held the phone, as if he could hear the breathing on the other end.  

The line went quiet for a moment before a soft chuckle came through. “Yan Yan, do you want me to find you?”  

Jian Yan wasn’t sure if he “Mmn”-ed or “Hmph”-ed before hanging up.  

He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, unsure why he’d added that last part.  

“Exposed to a lot of the latest news” was practically spelling out “journalism industry.” And how many news agencies in Yunjin City were hiring?  

Gu Jiancheng held the phone in one hand and a small essential oil bottle in the other.  

The smile hadn’t yet faded from his face, but his brows gradually furrowed.  

Reaching Top 1 in the Infinite Game and then leaving it wasn’t something that could be done without paying a price.  

Gu Jiancheng suffered from severe aftereffects. Before meeting Jian Yan, he could barely sleep a full night.  

This essential oil bottle had been in his pocket all along. Gu Jiancheng hadn’t slept last night. This morning, remembering the oil Jian Yan had given him, he’d dabbed a few drops on, closed his eyes in the soothing herbal scent, and—fallen asleep.  

He hadn’t woken until dusk. Staring at the bottle afterward, he’d been lost in thought.  

He wasn’t surprised Jian Yan had noticed his headaches—Jian Yan had always been unnervingly perceptive. But ordinary essential oils shouldn’t have worked on him.  

This tiny 10ml bottle was something money couldn’t buy.  

Only by touching the supernatural could one obtain such an item. And low-level superhumans almost never had access to something potent enough to affect him.  

Gu Jiancheng couldn’t help but think of all the methods he’d tried to mitigate his aftereffects—and how astronomically expensive those attempts had been.  

When they’d met yesterday, he’d confirmed it: Jian Yan was definitely an ordinary person, lacking even the most basic Yin-Yang Sight. So how had he gotten this oil? A regular person getting involved with high-level superhumans was dangerous.  

Jian Yan had never left Yunjin City, which meant there were still deep secrets hidden within it.  

Gu Jiancheng rubbed his temples and opened the Supernatural Forum.  

He couldn’t rely on the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs to solve this.  

…  

Gu Jiancheng was strong in combat but not skilled at gathering intel. So he needed a long-term information specialist to work with.  

Wan Shitong was capable, but as a network-type, his investigative abilities were limited. Back in the Infinite Game, Gu Jiancheng had a long-term informant, but unfortunately, they hadn’t survived—dying in a later dungeon. After that, the Infinite world exploded, and Gu Jiancheng hadn’t needed a new informant. Wan Shitong was sufficient.  

But now, he needed an information-type superhuman who could keep up with him.  

The wanted fugitive of the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs decided to browse the forum.  

Information-type superhumans were usually specialized. For example, the Bureau’s famous Domain duo—the sister was network-type, while the brother excelled only in research. Some information-types were only good at on-site investigation, others could only sense people’s strength and abilities. Finding a relatively versatile information-type was hard. The skilled ones not affiliated with major factions were few and far between—after scrolling through the mission board a few times, they all started looking familiar. Gu Jiancheng felt zero interest in them. As a highly wanted fugitive, most of these people had already tried to investigate him—and failed to uncover even a single hair.  

Was there really no new, strong information-type superhumans around?  

Gu Jiancheng, with little hope, opened the forum’s chit-chat section.  

And there, he saw Fang Pai’s promotional post for Approaching Science.  

Gu Jiancheng knew Fang Pai—a highly skilled freelance superhuman, best known for sealing techniques.  

The post hadn’t been up long, but replies were already piling up.  

Gu Jiancheng clicked in. The gist was that Approaching Science had helped Fang Pai complete a highly troublesome mission. Due to personal reasons, Fang Pai hadn’t posted the task publicly but had contacted Approaching Science privately.  

The collaboration had been extremely efficient, the intel highly accurate. If anyone else had tricky information-related tasks, they should consider Approaching Science.  

A reply asked:  

2L:  

“Is this the same Approaching Science who’s been arguing about the Chongming Demon King recently?”  

3L:  

“If an information-type’s abilities are strong enough, they can cover network-type tasks.”  

“The advantage of network-types in info-gathering is just that they’re more versatile, right?”  

6L:  

“Wait, no? A friend of mine was approached by Fang Pai for that task. He said the target’s network barriers were insanely strong. Isn’t breaching firewalls something only network-types can do?”  

10L:  

“Depends on the purpose. If it’s just to access protected info, theoretically, some info-types can skip the breaching step entirely.”  

13L:  

“How ‘theoretical’ are we talking? Fang Pai contacted so many top-tier network-types and none succeeded. I refuse to believe someone capable of setting up such barriers wouldn’t also shield their info.”  

…  

The thread was filled with people tagging Fang Pai, trying to get him to clarify. But Fang Pai never reappeared.  

Some also tagged Approaching Science, but there was no response either. No idea if they were offline or just ignoring it.  

After reading through, Gu Jiancheng grew somewhat interested in Approaching Science.  

He hadn’t seen the name before—likely a newcomer. If their skills were legit, they might be worth collaborating with.  

He directly messaged Wan Shitong for intel on Approaching Science.  

Wan Shitong, perpetually online, replied instantly.  

“Him? I mentioned him to you before, boss.”  

“The guy who first spotted the ‘Youth’s Grudge’ anomaly.”  

Gu Jiancheng thought back. That did ring a bell. At the time, he’d been busy gaming with Yan Yan and hadn’t paid much attention.  

“He’s been pretty active on the forum lately,” Wan Shitong continued.  

“Exposed a forum user’s crimes and solved one of the ‘Forum’s Top Ten Unsolved Mysteries.’”  

Gu Jiancheng: “What’s the ‘Forum’s Top Ten Unsolved Mysteries’?”  

Wan Shitong paused. Boss really doesn’t browse the forum much, huh?  

He sent a link.  

“Just something forum folks made for fun, but some of the questions are legit tough. Solving them carries weight.”  

“He cracked the identity of the Chaofu Mountain moderator.”  

Network-types couldn’t solve this unless they could withstand the Ten Thousand Phantoms Ghost King’s curse, evade Cyber Specter’s patrols, and breach Vajra Mingwang’s impenetrable defenses.  

No one was that bored just to uncover a username.  

Other info-types also struggled—the Chaofu Mountain moderator was likely a Ghost King. Every superhuman had passive info-interference abilities, and the stronger they were, the harder to investigate.  

This question had hung on the forum for years, its reward pool growing, yet no one had solved it.  

Gu Jiancheng’s interest was piqued.  

“Oh, and he’s also a fan of the Chongming Demon King,” Wan Shitong added.  

Gu Jiancheng’s enthusiasm plummeted.  

To be precise, he was a wanted fugitive by three factions: the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs, the Demon Alliance, and Chaofu Mountain. The Bureau pursued him most aggressively—rumor had it they’d formed a special task force just for him, which was ridiculous. The Demon Alliance hunted him half-heartedly, only acting on solid leads. Chaofu Mountain likely just posted a bounty for appearances’ sake.  

But no matter the faction, Gu Jiancheng held no goodwill toward any of them.  

I helped you all fight the Infinite Game! And now that it’s over, you remember the bounties? Pfft!  

Gu Jiancheng replied with a bland “Oh.”  

But after searching around and finding no better candidates, he decided to give Approaching Science a shot.  

So he’s a fan of the Chongming Demon King. That doesn’t mean he’s with the Demon Alliance.  

Even if he was… Wouldn’t using an enemy’s own people against them be even more satisfying?  

Gu Jiancheng opened Approaching Science’s private messages, ready to test his skills.  

The moment the chat loaded, a notification popped up: “This user restricts non-followers to three messages.”  

No wonder people were publicly @-ing him earlier. Probably ran out of message slots.  

JustSavedTheWorld: [Wanted Notice – Triple Bounty]  

JustSavedTheWorld: “Taking jobs?”  

JustSavedTheWorld: “Follow me.”  

For Approaching Science’s sake, Gu Jiancheng—who rarely browsed the forum—started checking in frequently.  

And then, he waited.  

For three days.  

The messages remained unread.  

—  

Jian Yan had a habit of checking the forum twice daily—morning and night—always from home, where the info-connection was safer.  

Mornings were for quick scans, checking for emergencies. Evenings were for deeper dives and task management.  

But recently, his morning logins had stopped. And they wouldn’t resume for a while.  

Because his dad had dragged him into morning workouts.  

His dad had even learned to check his step count on WeChat!  

Youth had its perks—even after early exercise, he stayed energetic all day. But the lost sleep had to be repaid. Lately, Jian Yan crashed hard at night.  

With his parents and siblings all home, he’d also been spending more time with family instead of holing up in his room.  

True Science News Agency had also been dropping plenty of experience packs, so Jian Yan’s enthusiasm for the forum had waned. He hadn’t logged in for two days.  

On the third night, he finally remembered to check the forum. Just as he was about to activate the gossip system in bed, a new message popped up on his phone.  

Ma Dazhuang:  

“Yan, remember that guy from the other company we met last weekend?”  

“He says their partner’s in trouble.”  

Jian Yan remembered. Ban Weidong—the guy who’d been crumbling after two years of silently following his mom’s career.  

Matthias had originally planned to leave Yunjin City last weekend, but Ban Weidong’s sudden appearance made him stay to renegotiate with Shoude Company. According to Luo Luo, he’d been unusually accommodating, even willing to concede profits.  

Ma Dazhuang:  

“We found out! That company’s boss has contracted a very strange illness.”  

“I think we should go see.”  

Visiting a sick business partner? Was this some corporate etiquette thing?  

It wasn’t entirely unrelated to him. He and his siblings were often deployed for “show of goodwill” scenarios that didn’t require actual negotiations—his brother mostly for “stand there and look reliable” situations, his sister… Well. His sister hated business trips.  

Jian Yan also remembered that Zhen Hua had promised him time off for his overtime work, which he hadn’t used yet. He did have availability.  

But why was Matthias the one telling him? Shouldn’t his mom or Luo Luo be handling this?  

Maybe sensing his hesitation, Matthias elaborated.  

Ma Dazhuang:  

“Yan, I believe you can easily resolve this!”  

Jian Yan: ?  

“I feel like, in this case, a doctor would have more say.”  

Matthias kept explaining.  

Jian Yan understood now. The boss’s illness seemed abnormal—Matthias suspected it wasn’t a disease but a curse from dark forces. And so, he’d thought of Jian Yan, with his ghost-whispering, evil-spirit-banishing abilities.  

Jian Yan: “…”  

Just as he was about to reply, Luo Luo messaged him too.  

She asked if he’d be willing to take a small business trip—basically a paid vacation.  

Since Matthias’s tech was crucial, and Luo Luo (unaware of their ghost-hunting history) assumed they just clicked, she saw no issue with Matthias’s request for Jian Yan to visit the ailing partner.  

She also wanted to know the real situation and how it’d affect their collaboration. The other side was tight-lipped—after digging, Luo Luo had only heard it was some incurable terminal illness, but she wasn’t sure if that was true.  

Luo Luo:  

“It’s good if you go. You’ve met before.”  

Jian Yan couldn’t recall.

Luo Luo reminded him: “At a small banquet two years ago where you represented the boss. Wen Yinghui—the one who loves fitness, super buff.”  

Jian Yan’s memory conjured up a figure standing at 180cm tall, muscles so bulging they threatened to burst the buttons of his shirt. This Boss Wen loved showing off his physique, enthusiastically sharing fitness tips with everyone around him, standing out starkly among the crowd of polished elites.  

They’d exchanged greetings back then. Following generational etiquette, Jian Yan had called him “Uncle.”  

The man had then lamented Jian Yan’s “frail build” and proceeded to lecture him on workout routines.  

Luo Luo said visiting the patient would only take half a day, and he could spend the rest of the time sightseeing.  

Just as Jian Yan was hesitating, his door suddenly rattled with a knock.  

Zhan Yunkai stood there, radiating paternal warmth as he called him downstairs for midnight snacks.  

For some reason, Jian Yan felt his dad’s fatherly affection had skyrocketed lately, as if he’d been bottling up an excess of love with nowhere to direct it—until now, showering it all over him and his siblings.  

The snack was seafood steamed egg custard—silky smooth, perfectly balanced between egg and water, strained through a fine mesh for tenderness. Diced seafood, each piece no larger than a mung bean, added both texture and umami.  

After delivering a bowl to his room, Zhan Yunkai started unpacking the day’s快递.  

Jian Yan had just lifted a spoonful when he noticed his brother giving him a look.  

His brother began typing. Jian Yan’s phone vibrated.  

He opened it.  

Zhan Jinli: “The package I picked up today was heavy.”  

“Felt like dumbbells.”  

A foreboding sensation crept up Jian Yan’s spine.  

Zhan Yunkai had already unwrapped the快递, holding several weight plates with unsettling gentleness. “Yan Yan, after you finish eating, come try these. Let’s see how many plates you can lift.”  

“I also ordered a bench press setup. Fitness isn’t just about running. We’ll tailor a scientific workout plan. Dad will design a muscle-building meal plan for you too.”  

Jian Yan’s scalp prickled.  

“That’s… really not necessary, Dad. I think jogging is fine.”  

Zhan Yunkai disagreed. So Jian Yan was dragged to test the weights.  

Zhan Jinli and Zhan Suiru, having finished eating, lingered in the living room to watch the show.  

Jian Yan glanced at his audience and decided to share the suffering. “Dad, it shouldn’t just be me! Shouldn’t Brother work out too?”  

Zhan Jinli shot his traitorous little brother a silent look, then walked over, plucked the dumbbell Jian Yan was struggling with from his grip, and effortlessly juggled it.  

Jian Yan’s eyes nearly popped out.  

Zhan Yunkai chuckled. “Your brother doesn’t need it. Between unloading supplies and kneading dough at his bakery, he’s already in shape.”  

Zhan Suiru, smirking, also stepped forward, hefting a fully loaded dumbbell like it weighed nothing.  

She gave Jian Yan’s bicep a pinch. He howled.  

“Tsk tsk, Yan Yan,” she sighed. “Your strength’s pathetic. Can’t even outlift a girl. You do need training.”  

Jian Yan rubbed his arm, eyes watering. “How are you this strong?!”  

Zhan Suiru shrugged. “You know how sculpting works, right?”  

Zhan Yunkai nodded gravely. “Yan Yan, your stamina is lacking. More drills!”  

After one day of “drills,” Jian Yan wisely chose to accompany Matthias to visit the ailing boss.  

[You believe knowing when to quit is also an art.]  

Zhan Suiru gifted him pain-relief massage oil.  

Jian Yan swiped away the gossip system pop-up, wincing as he applied the oil. “Don’t think this makes up for you egging Dad on last night!”  

He hadn’t even tried redirecting the torment toward her!  

Zhan Suiru patted his head, grinning. “Aww, does Yan Yan hate his sister now? Whatever shall I do? Your hair’s getting long—I’ll trim it when you’re back.”  

Jian Yan’s hair grew fast. He’d mentioned needing a cut last week but kept procrastinating. Now it was long enough to tie into a tiny ponytail.  

Zhan Yunkai ruffled his son’s hair. “Looks nice like this. We’ll see later.”  

He’d hidden one of his plumes in each child’s hair—his wife’s was nestled in her wedding ring. In emergencies, they could manifest, capable of cushioning a plane crash! As the kids grew older, sometimes venturing beyond his protection, extra safeguards were non-negotiable.  

That afternoon, Jian Yan met the “terminally ill” boss and saw the five-lobed, palm-shaped red lesions marching down the man’s legs.  

Wen Yinghui, a hulking figure with a face carved from granite, refused to yield even in a hospital bed, his fitness enthusiast persona unshaken.  

He grinned at Jian Yan and Matthias.  

“Little Yan! You’ve bulked up. Last time, you were skinny as a twig. Been working out?”  

Jian Yan: “…I was growing taller back then!”  

“Yep,” Jian Yan said (one day of training counted). “Uncle Wen, how are you holding up?”  

Wen Yinghui flexed, his biceps still gym-ad worthy. “I’m fine! Minor issue—won’t affect our deal.  

“Heard the rumors? People say I’m dying. Bullsht! Since when is eczema terminal?  

“Your current routine’s still lacking. Once I’m better, I’ll teach you real techniques.”  

A nurse arrived to change his bandages.  

Wen Yinghui’s face contorted, sweat gushing as he gritted out, “I! AM! FINE!”  

Jian Yan couldn’t bear to watch.  

Matthias nudged him, whispering in Spanish, “Yan, isn’t this illness… strange?”  

It was bizarre. Normal skin conditions didn’t form such geometrically precise lesions. They looked less like rashes and more like brands from a shaped iron.  

Suspicions mounting, Jian Yan activated the gossip system:  

[Wen Yinghui decided to wage corporate warfare by sneakily pouring boiling water on his rival’s money tree.]  

[The money tree spirit is furious.]