MCL CH64

Chapter 64: Between me and Yan Xingzhou, I believe…

As Yan Xingzhou spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly. “So what you mean is, in order to welcome Professor Shen’s visit, I need to make myself scarce first?”

“Of course, the best solution would be for you to leave this place first. But for now, I can’t be sure of Shen Nanyang’s location, nor do I know if there are other people downstairs, so…” Lin Xi sized up Yan Xingzhou’s expression, leaned in, and gave him a rewarding kiss on the lips. “Tell me you’ll be good, right, President Yan?”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Yan Xingzhou nodded. “Understood.”

Casually picking up his jacket and hanging it on his arm, he walked towards the bathroom.

Watching the bathroom door close, Lin Xi checked the time and heard the doorbell ring.

He opened the door directly and saw Shen Nanyang standing at the entrance. He seamlessly switched to a very approachable smile. “Sorry, Professor Shen. I was too tired yesterday and just woke up, haven’t had time to tidy up.”

He welcomed Shen Nanyang in, casually tossed the clothes piled on the sofa aside, and made an inviting gesture. “Please sit. I’ll get you a glass of water.”

“No need to trouble yourself.” Shen Nanyang’s gaze fell on the sofa Lin Xi had just cleared. After a brief pause, he turned around, pulled another chair over, and slowly sat down after meticulously placing a handkerchief from his pocket on it.

Lin Xi observed this action and raised an eyebrow, not at all surprised.

After three years, this Professor Shen’s almost terminal mysophobia hadn’t changed one bit.

Shen Nanyang’s gaze swept around the room and finally landed on the closed bathroom door.

Lin Xi’s expression didn’t change at all. He said calmly, “I was just about to take a shower when I got your call. The hot water was only halfway full. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of Professor Shen.”

“It’s my fault,” Shen Nanyang looked back at Lin Xi, his expression and tone both very friendly. “Normally, I should have made an appointment before visiting. It’s just that I happened to be in the area today for some business, and I was anxious to confirm something with Mr. Lin, which is why I visited so suddenly.”

“Confirm something?” Shen Nanyang hadn’t chosen the sofa, so Lin Xi himself sat down gracefully in the now-empty spot. Hearing his words, he met his gaze with a smile. “To make Professor Shen personally make this trip, I feel it must be good news.”

Shen Nanyang’s tone was calm and steady. “I spoke with Executor Gu Beiqiu last night. He said that as long as you have no objections, he doesn’t mind notifying the United Administration to suspend the ongoing onboarding process and have you report directly to my Central Research Institute.”

Lin Xi hadn’t expected this development and let out a laugh. “Professor Shen, for me to enter the Central Research Institute with my academic qualifications, isn’t that taking favoritism a bit too far?”

“The Research Institute has more than just research positions. Since I can extend this invitation, I have definitely already thought of a suitable position for you.”

Shen Nanyang replied, “Mr. Lin, from our conversation yesterday, I can clearly sense your dissatisfaction with the Wanyuan Group. If you want to escape their control, compared to the United Administration, which has deep ties with the Wanyuan Group, the Central Research Institute might be a better choice for you.”

After a pause, he added, “And, in terms of identity, it is also the public servant position you favor.”

The surprise in Lin Xi’s eyes deepened even more.

After all, based on his understanding of Shen Nanyang, this chief professor, apart from his daily hustle between various laboratories and complex data formulas, could be said to be completely detached from the mortal world. For him to actually think of using the focus of a “public servant,” a point of concern for ordinary people, to entice him, was clearly a great effort. And others might not understand, but as a former Executor, he was very clear that under Shen Nanyang, the entry threshold for the Central Research Institute had been raised to the extreme. For him to now personally offer a position to a layman, if he hadn’t seen the man himself sitting in front of him, he might have suspected this Professor Shen was an impersonator with a special ability.

Even the voice in his mind rang with alarm: [To offer courtesy for no reason is either villainous or thievish. Is this Professor Shen trying to lure a dog in to kill it?]

“Before you start cursing people, try not to curse yourself in the process…”

Lin Xi, speechless, retorted silently in his mind. He looked at Shen Nanyang, the curve of his lips suddenly becoming more distinct, and asked with a smile, “Professor Shen made this special trip, surely it wasn’t just to throw me this tempting olive branch? I’m a person who tends to overthink things. For Professor Shen to value my matter so much, I’m starting to suspect you have your eyes on something about me.”

Shen Nanyang: “You can understand it that way.”

Lin Xi’s words paused. “What?”

“I am indeed interested in you, Mr. Lin.” Shen Nanyang showed a faint smile. “In recent years, not only in our country but globally, the frequency of ability awakenings has been continuously rising. Almost every day, new ability users register with the administration. But among these ability users, 95.8% are of low to medium intensity. The last special-grade one appeared two years ago in R-Country. After returning yesterday, I have read all the information related to you, and that has only made me more certain that keeping you by my side would be a very worthwhile matter, whether it’s because of your ability’s intensity, your interesting experiences in N-City during this time, or because…”

His words paused subtly here, his gaze lingering on Lin Xi’s face. “In short, this is absolutely your best chance to completely get rid of Yan Xingzhou.”

However, he didn’t continue, which prompted Lin Xi to slowly stand up from the sofa.

No one had taken a sip of the water poured on the table. He now walked past the table as if he didn’t see it, came before Shen Nanyang, and looked down at him with a teasing smile in an almost offensive posture, finishing the latter half of Shen Nanyang’s unsaid sentence, “Is it again because of the person I resemble?”

“…” Shen Nanyang did not avoid his gaze. “It seems you know more than I thought.”

“Of course. To get benefits from President Yan, one must have a few tricks up one’s sleeve.” Lin Xi smiled and leaned down slightly. Noticing Shen Nanyang’s deliberate avoidance as he got closer, the smile in his eyes deepened. “I was originally thinking, with the good luck of awakening a special-grade ability, I finally wouldn’t have to rely on others to climb up. I didn’t expect that after using one Yan Xingzhou, now comes Professor Shen. The dividends from this face are not yet exhausted, it seems. I’m actually quite curious. First President Yan, and now you, Professor Shen. Just what kind of person could make you both so unforgettable?”

“A smart person wouldn’t have too much inappropriate curiosity.” Shen Nanyang appropriately turned his face away as Lin Xi leaned in. “And just in terms of looks, strictly speaking, you are not similar. Mr. Lin, I am not Yan Xingzhou. The tricks you use on him will not have any effect on me. This invitation to join the Central Research Institute is the last and only dividend I can offer you.”

“Professor Shen is indeed cold and ruthless. In terms of attitude towards me, President Yan is much gentler than you.” Lin Xi was not at all annoyed by this attitude of keeping others at arm’s length. After a moment of thought, he said slowly, “I understand your purpose for coming here today, and I don’t deny that joining the Central Research Institute is indeed a very good choice. But on my way to J-City, I had already promised Director Su Qiuyin that I would report to him. How about this, since the procedures are almost complete anyway, I’ll work at the United Administration for a while first. If I find it really unsuitable, it shouldn’t be too late to report to you then, Professor Shen.”

“Are you playing hard to get?” Shen Nanyang asked.

There was no joy or anger in his tone, but it was enough to make the air around them subtly pause for a moment. Lin Xi, however, answered as if he hadn’t noticed. “If you think so, then it is.”

Perhaps it was because this attitude was too slick, a flash of disgust finally crossed Shen Nanyang’s face. But when he looked up at Lin Xi, something in his eyes seemed to waver.

Just for a moment of distraction, he had already looked away. “The positions at the Central Research Institute will not be vacant for one person for too long. Between me and Yan Xingzhou, I believe you will make the right choice.”

As his words fell, a brief silence descended.

Finally, Lin Xi replied with a smile, “Of course. As soon as I have a decision, I will definitely let you know immediately.”

Seeing this expression, Shen Nanyang said after a moment of silence, “The number from the call just now is my mobile number.”

He was about to say something more when a knock suddenly came from outside the room. When Lin Xi went to open it, a waiter stood respectfully at the door. “Hello, may I ask if you ordered the massage service?”

Massage service?

Lin Xi’s brow arched slightly. His peripheral vision swept over the closed bathroom door, and a knowing smile instantly appeared in his eyes. “Ah, it seems there was such a thing.”

“Then you rest well. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.”

The appearance of the waiter seemed to be an appropriate signal to leave. Shen Nanyang stood up from his chair, briefly straightened the wrinkles on his clothes, and gave Lin Xi another look at the door. “For the sake of both of us, I hope to get your reply as soon as possible.”

Lin Xi returned a smile. “Take care, Professor Shen. I won’t see you out then.”

He stepped aside, clearing a path for Shen Nanyang.

It wasn’t until that figure disappeared from his sight that he looked back at the waiter standing at the door. “Thank you for your hard work. Someone will settle the bill later. Please go back first.”

The waiter, who was about to enter, was stunned. “Huh?”

“Here, someone is already providing the massage service.”

Lin Xi politely bid farewell to the waiter and had just closed the door.

At almost the same time, he could hear a faint movement from behind him.

Before he could turn around, a figure was already pressing tightly against him.

In an instant, Lin Xi was pressed against the wall, the familiar scent carrying a faint, warm vapor.

Yan Xingzhou’s hands were on either side of Lin Xi. From the backlit angle, he couldn’t see the expression on his face, only hearing a slow, steady voice by his ear. “Are you sure you want to go to the Central Research Institute?”

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