Chapter 267: Backstage
by 夜阑妖歌Chapter 267: Backstage
With Wen Ying exposing this matter, not only the Disaster Department and the Church needed to monitor public opinion, but the Wen Corporation did as well. Lin Tianbao was currently replying to the Public Relations manager, giving a perfunctory response to his father's fearful words.
After all, Wen Ying usually didn't go too far with humans.
Lin Gubing was very dissatisfied with Lin Tianbao's attitude, but he could only endure it patiently for now.
After reporting to their superiors, Li Zhiyuan and Lin Kaiguang were instructed to stay put and continue reporting any developments from the other side.
The two of them stood in the living room, where the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
This was definitely a front-row seat to a juicy drama. If it weren't for one of the main characters being a demon, they would have been quite content to stay and watch.
Wen Ying sat at the dining table, scrolling through his phone as usual. The backend of the Demon Realm Court's account was almost flooded with mentions, and several of his demon classmates had called him to ask what was going on.
Wen Ying gave them a simple answer without elaborating before hanging up, telling them that he would explain in detail later.
Among those whose calls were hung up on, a few, like Wu Shaluo, were so angry that they almost crushed their phones.
Wen Qinxue observed her husband and son engrossed in their phones. After some thought, she approached Li Zhiyuan, wearing a polite, faint smile as she asked, "May I ask you both a few questions?"
Li Zhiyuan replied, "Of course, feel free."
"It's regarding what my mother-in-law mentioned earlier. I'm rather concerned about it."
Shi Cailing's eyelids twitched, silently cursing Wen Qinxue in her heart.
Li Zhiyuan and Lin Kaiguang sensed a hint of gossip in the air.
Wen Qinxue said, "Didn't my mother-in-law just say that if there's a demon among us, you would take them away?"
Lin Kaiguang immediately responded, "No, that... your son also mentioned that we don't arrest demons on sight anymore."
"It's not that," Wen Qinxue shook her head. "Our family has demonic heritage. Would that affect our company, in terms of ownership, management, and operational scope?"
Li Zhiyuan pondered for a moment. "I don't think it should be a problem. There's no precedent of a demon running a company to refer to."
"Isn't the Demon Realm planning to open a direct-managed department store now?" Lin Kaiguang pointed out. "I assume the higher-ups wouldn't interfere with the Wen Corporation's business sector." Secretly, who knows what they might do to your group, Lin Kaiguang thought to himself.
Lin Tianbao, hearing this, deliberately spoke loudly to Wen Qinxue, "Qinxue, don't worry. Even if we lose some current projects, our direct sourcing of raw materials from the Realm of Magic will allow us to continue growing and thriving."
Lin Kaiguang and Li Zhiyuan exchanged glances. The pie was substantial, and many were eager to take a large slice, but with the Wen family having the Devil of the Magic Mirror, their share might only increase, making it difficult for others to snatch it away, no matter how envious they were.
Wen Ying turned to Li Zhiyuan, "How did their discussion go? What explanation does the Church plan to give me?"
His casual question instantly pulled both men back from their spectator-like and envious state into the tense seriousness of the high-pressure situation.
Lin Kaiguang stammered, "Well... it seems they haven't finished discussing yet."
Li Zhiyuan suppressed his urge to complain, saying, "You gave them a deadline within today, so they might provide an answer late at night." Though he tried to tone down the sarcastic tone, the hint of genuine frustration was still evident in his words.
Up above, the group was engaged in endless debate. The Secretary-General had grumbled that during major meetings, exorcists from the Church and Association would often engage in verbal battles first. When it came to personnel allocation and profit sharing, their arguments could last an entire day, occasionally escalating into physical altercations.
Due to the government's intention to divide and control, the Disaster Response Department had a structure where Church members might lead while Association members were subordinates, or vice versa for higher-ups and middle management. This caused friction, slowing down efficiency. The government-appointed exorcists, who were ordinary civilians, found themselves caught in the middle. Lacking power, they now devoted themselves to cultivation, striving to stand their ground firmly—no, to respond forcefully—when faced with the other side's taunts.
The rivalry between the two factions further hindered cooperation, and the government mediators were of limited effectiveness. Their lack of strength meant their words carried little weight. Now, these civilian-originated government exorcists were determined to improve their skills, hoping to retaliate with strength when confronted with the other side's snide remarks.
Wen Ying posted a new message on the official account of the Demon Realm's Judicatory, openly acknowledging his identity as a Devil Mirror Demon. He then put away his phone and said to Lin Tianbao, "Dad, there shouldn't be any significant negative public opinion about the group, right?"
Lin Tianbao replied, "The people online are currently more concerned about the incident where those three exorcists from the churches attacked your mother."
The church's online army had entered the fray, dividing the originally one-sided public opinion, with a growing voice claiming that this was a self-staged drama by the devil.
Wen Ying's gaze swept over the unusually silent Lin family, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The Lin family trembled under his scrutiny.
Shi Cailing tried to maintain her composure and said, "I am your grandmother, and I did this for all of our sakes. If she really was possessed by an evil demon, wouldn't you all be grateful to me?" She had merely been deceived, not involved in the conspiracy itself.
Lin Kaiguang whispered to Li Zhiyuan, "I think it's time to update those anti-scam videos. We need to fill in the gap in the section about demons."
Li Zhiyuan agreed, "I concur."
Wen Ying gave him a half-smile before shifting his gaze to the ostrich-like Lin Hang, taunting, "Perseus seems quite intrigued by the person you introduced to him."
Lin Hang felt a chill run through his veins as he stammered, "It was just a joke, not to be taken seriously. You can't make jokes like that at weddings..."
Lin Tianwang mustered the courage to speak up for his son, "Yes, it was just a wedding joke."
This damn kid was waiting for them here; no wonder he had been so accommodating back then, even offering half of his family's assets. Who wouldn't be swayed by such a generous deal?
"Were you joking?" Wen Ying's tone held a hint of depth. "Well, it doesn't matter. A few days ago, he said that after such a long discussion, he wanted to meet my family."
Shi Cailing's smile was more pained than a sob. "T-That won't be necessary. Tianbao is, after all, a groom who has married into our family. Our relationship with your boyfriend isn't close enough to warrant meeting the parents."
Wen Ying shrugged, cheerfully returning to his room. "Dad, Mom, I'm going to take a nap. Call me if there's anything."
Regardless of what answer the Church ultimately gave him, his goal had already been accomplished – revealing his identity and securing a favorable position.
To be honest, despite the revelation of his identity, he felt an incredible sense of relief now that it was out in the open. No more running around and hiding from cameras. He could walk out in the open with his original body.
As for how events would unfold from here, he'd worry about that when he woke up. He was exhausted – he had only just lain down to sleep at five this morning.
Yawning, Wen Ying drifted back to sleep.
His original body and the clone used different physical vessels. Since the original hadn't slept, he felt extremely drowsy here. However, since the mirror clone had been resting, Wen Ying's consciousness within this body wasn't sleepy.
There were classes early today.
The Mirror Image clone opened the dormitory door to find several demons already waiting outside.
There were quite a few—around ten of them—that one might have thought they were having a meeting.
"Wen Ying, you hung up that call quite nonchalantly," Wu Shaluo said with a sarcastic tone, his gaze piercing as he appraised Wen Ying. "It's actually a clone. I underestimated you."
Muershi raised an eyebrow. "You've been hiding deep. Where did you get this cloning magic?"
Tiji silently raised her hand. "There has always been a fluctuation of my innate magic on him."
Surprised, Muershi looked at her and asked, "You knew all along?"
Tiji shook her head. "I didn't."
Liar, Muershi thought to himself, not expecting Tiji to be so cunning.
Lan Jiaying observed Wen Ying with a calm expression, while the figure in her heart furrowed its brows so tightly that it could crush a fly. The demon she had gotten familiar with now seemed entirely new. He was, just like Wu Fei, a hybrid.
"Perseus, you seem completely unconcerned about the thing you should be most concerned about," Lan Jiaying said, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Did you know beforehand?"
The demons' gazes fell elegantly upon Beros.