Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Fu Xiuning went to the legal department of the company.

No one was working during the weekend, but there was a duty officer on standby to respond to any potential emergencies in a timely manner.

The duty officer had been taking a nap and was caught off guard by the boss's visit, almost stumbling over himself in a hurry to offer a greeting.

Fu Xiuning paid no attention, and asked, "Where is the contract for this batch of trainees?"

The duty officer, still wiping sweat off his brow, promptly retrieved a file box from the cabinet. "Everything is in here."

Fu Xiuning took it. "I'll take this back to my office to look over. I'll return it later."

The duty officer said, "Okay," raising no objections.

The original contracts were kept in a secure location. What they had here were copies. Even if the boss accidentally damaged one or two, it wouldn't matter.

Back in his office, Fu Xiuning went through the file box and found Xing Shi's contract, signed by the original host during the winter vacation.

He made a copy of the contract, replaced the original with the new, pristine copy, and took the duplicate with him as he drove home.

As soon as he entered, he headed straight for the newly purchased bookshelf, pulling out Xing Shi's class notebook. After confirming the content matched recent knowledge points from the textbooks, he took it to the study for copying. Then, he called his assistant.

When the assistant arrived, the boss handed over a file bag.

Fu Xiuning said, "Find a handwriting expert to check if the handwriting inside is from the same person. Deliver the results to me personally, as soon as possible."

Given the system in place, he couldn't directly test Xing Shi without risking detection. Besides, Xing Shi was in a state of amnesia, and he likely wouldn't get any useful information out of him. This was the most direct and effective method.

He emphasized, "Keep this confidential. Don't tell anyone."

The assistant, feeling the weight of the instruction, accepted the task solemnly.

As the assistant left, Fu Xiuning quickly reviewed the details in his mind.

The system wouldn't waste energy on unnecessary tasks. The other hosts were all out of town, making it highly unlikely they were watching him.

Lin Kecheng was in the city, but his attention wasn't on him at the moment. Moreover, during these actions, he had kept his phone far away. Even if a host had the system check on him, they wouldn't know what he was doing.

This personal assistant had been trained by the family and had withstood several attempts at bribery by various hosts over the past two years, which made him trustworthy. Additionally, he frequently helped with all sorts of unimportant tasks, which had caused the hosts to lose interest in investigating him.

Satisfied that there were no loose ends, Fu Xiuning returned to his room.

Xing Shi, as usual, stayed and trained at the company until late at night.

When he went to his apartment to pick up clothes the day before, Yu Yi and the others were all at the company and were unaware he was moving.

He had no intention of mentioning it for now, and as he reached the ground floor, he volunteered, "I'm not going back to the apartment tonight."

Yu Yi and the others assumed he was heading back to school, as it was Sunday night and he had classes the next day.

They said, "Be careful on your way," and parted ways there.

Fu Xiuning's house was situated between the company and the school, forming an irregular triangle. There was a subway station nearby, but it required a walk. Xing Shi, like in the morning, scanned a shared bike and rode it back.

Entering the house, he input the password and saw the lights in the foyer and living room were on.

Xing Shi changed his shoes and walked in, coming face to face with the person sitting on the sofa.

Fu Xiuning was dressed in pajamas, his temperament gentle under the light, not as aloof as usual, seeming slightly more genuine.

He was playing with his phone and looked up when he heard the sound, saying warmly, "Back already?"

Xing Shi responded with a soft "Yeah" and walked over.

As the distance between them closed, he heard the familiar notification sound again.

"Beep."

"Current favorability: -4."

It had dropped to -5 after lunch, but now it was back up to -4.

Xing Shi ignored it and curiously observed Fu Xiuning, a state rarely seen by outsiders, and asked, "Still up?"

Fu Xiuning put his phone away. "About to sleep. How did you get back?"

Xing Shi said, "Bike-share."

Fu Xiuning asked, "Do you want me to arrange a driver for you? It's Qi Changyi who's paying the salary anyway."

Xing Shi said, "No need, I'm a trainee, why would I need a driver? That's unnecessary."

He thought for a moment. "Maybe I'll buy a scooter with a lamb design, some people ride them on campus and they look pretty cool. I'll buy two helmets, and we can go for a ride when we're free."

Fu Xiuning couldn't imagine that scene and stood up, saying gently, "Go to bed early."

It was Xing Shi's second night sleeping here, and the sleep quality was still better than before.

The environment was quiet, unlike the apartment or dormitory where there were many people, so he wouldn't be startled awake by various noises.

Both of them had morning classes, so they finished breakfast and went to school together.

Xing Shi's new look made its debut on campus, and the gazes directed at him didn't stop the entire way.

When he entered the classroom, it caused a stir. Everyone was familiar, and they didn't hold back anymore, their reactions direct.

Several roommates who had joked about bearing his children looked him over and said, "You're really starting to look like an idol."

Xing Shi smiled and sat down next to them. "It's because I was already good-looking."

His roommates cursed playfully, but none of them disagreed.

Despite the occasional glances from his classmates, Xing Shi calmly finished a class and received a message from Lin Kecheng, saying he wanted to meet.

He readily agreed and asked the system, "After he saw my favorability that day, he didn't respond with anything other than a 'congratulations?'"

The system said, "Yeah, do you think they believed it?"

Xing Shi said, "We'll see when we meet."

Lin Kecheng hadn't been in a good mood since that day.

He had decided to take action against Xing Shi, and the first thing he did was ask the system to check Xing Shi's information to find out who around him could be used. He was shocked to discover that Xing Shi was He Fengbo's son.

Some time ago, when they were investigating Qi Changyi's information, they had discovered the relationship between Qi Changyi and He Fengbo, which had not been made public and was unknown to the media. He had thought about how to leverage this information, like deliberately praising one in front of the other, but now he had been swiftly slapped in the face by it.

Technically, Qi Changyi would be Xing Shi's cousin. Although the information indicated that Xing Shi had a conflict with He Fengbo, the person inside Xing Shi's body wasn't the original, but a transmigrator!

He lost his composure on the spot.

All the opportunities he had schemed for and the people he wanted to get close to were all easily attainable for Xing Shi, with treatment that was like night and day.

He burst out laughing, but it was bitter and full of anger. "This is what you call random? You really know how to play the odds, huh?"

The system was extremely surprised. "How does he have this kind of background?"

Lin Kecheng said, "Is your main system just designating a final winner while we hosts are just here to make up the numbers?"

The system replied, "Impossible, all hosts have the same opportunities!"

Lin Kecheng shot back, "With this appearance and background, you're telling me the opportunities are the same?"

The system choked, taking a few seconds before saying, "But… but he's clueless!"

Lin Kecheng instantly calmed down.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, the system tried to reason, "He's not only clueless but also suffering from amnesia, not as smart as you. If we play our cards right, his advantages can work in our favor."

Lin Kecheng took it to heart. "Hmm."

The system sighed in relief and analyzed, "Fu Xiuning probably knows his identity, which is why the favorability returned to -5. Through Xing Shi, we can get close to Qi Changyi. Are you still planning to go after him?"

Lin Kecheng countered, "Why not?"

He said, "My ultimate goal is Fu Xiuning. Let's first see if Fu Xiuning is special to him, then we'll talk about other things."

The system, having just persuaded him, naturally didn't argue. "Alright."

The location they agreed to meet was a café on campus.

Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning had been here before and even ordered desserts.

When he entered, Lin Kecheng was already there, waving at him with a friendly expression, inviting him to order.

Xing Shi's persona was that of a naive and sweet person with no emotional intelligence. Whenever they were together, it was always the generous Senior Lin who paid.

He didn’t bother being polite and went to the counter to order a latte and a small cake, then sat down on the sofa.

Lin Kecheng, observing his new look up close, felt a pang of jealousy, thinking that if he had these conditions, he wouldn’t be at -5.

Xing Shi caught a fleeting moment of jealousy in him but saw that he quickly regained his composure. Harmlessly, he asked, "Our partnership is still in effect, is there something you need from me, Senior?"

Lin Kecheng looked at him. "I was also at the roadshow on Saturday."

Xing Shi had suddenly been asked for his favorability that day and had made a rough guess, feigning surprise. "Really, then why didn’t you come say hi? Fu Xiuning was there too."

Lin Kecheng said, "I saw you arrived together, and it looked like he had a soft spot for you, so I checked your background."

Sighing helplessly, he said, "Look, we’re on the same team. There are some things you need to tell me so I can help you strategize. If you had told me about your relationship with Qi Changyi earlier, I would have come up with several ways to pursue Fu Xiuning, and I could have arranged to get myself into the company, making it easier for us to work together."

He looked somewhat disappointed, sighing again. "The other players are all keeping an eye on him. They’ve been here longer than us, so the sooner we act, the better. Just look at how many opportunities you’ve wasted."

Xing Shi wasn’t falling for this manipulation, innocently saying, "But I don’t get along with Qi Changyi."

He said, "When I had a falling-out with my dad, it affected my stepmom too. Qi Changyi actually dislikes me. Every time I go to the office, I’m walking on eggshells, worried I’ll run into him."

He said with lingering fear, "You wouldn’t believe what he said to me during dinner that day. He said he would take me to shoot a variety show and a movie. At first, I thought he was nice, but the system warned me that he might be trying to isolate me to screw me over."

Of course, that wasn't true.

At first, he and the system were worried that Qi Changyi might try to make things difficult for him, but he wasn’t blind. After a brief two-day interaction, he could see that Qi Changyi didn’t seem to have any intention of causing trouble.

However, Lin Kecheng, projecting his own thoughts, believed that the system’s analysis was probably accurate.

Using this as a teaching moment, he said, "Then you should have told me, so I could help you deal with the potential issues."

Xing Shi replied, "I was worried that you'd think I was dragging you down, Senior."

Changing the subject, he continued, "But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When I said I wasn’t sleeping well, Qi Changyi took the opportunity to suggest I move in with him. Fu Xiuning, seeing my father was there, politely mentioned that I could stay at his place too. His tone sounded rather casual, but I didn’t care if he meant it or not. I agreed on the spot!"

The person and the system across from him went, "What?!"

Lin Kecheng’s "caring" expression cracked instantly, "...What?"

Seemingly oblivious to the other’s expression, Xing Shi said happily, "I’ve already moved in. Fu Xiuning arranged a guest room near the door for me. We’re separated by a hall, and I leave early and return late, so it seems we rarely see each other. But it’s okay, I’ll keep it up!"

Lin Kecheng clenched his fists, forcing a decent smile, "How nice."

Xing Shi said, "Yeah!"

At that moment, the coffee and dessert were ready and brought over by the staff.

Lin Kecheng drank his coffee as if it were torture and left quickly after finding an excuse.

Xing Shi hadn’t finished his dessert and remained seated.

The system asked, "What did he want from you today? Just to scold you?"

Xing Shi replied, "Obviously, he wanted me to know I was wrong and be more obedient in the future."

The system thought silently, 'How naive. I can’t even make the host obedient, let alone Lin Kecheng.'

It was somewhat worried, "Now that he knows your background, what if he gets angry and exposes you in the future? I told you not to ally with him. Otherwise, no one would guess our identity."

Xing Shi remained calm, "That’s why I told him I’m living with Fu Xiuning now. I’m so useful that even if he’s angry, he has to hold back."

The system said, "What if he realizes how valuable you are and decides to team up with others to deal with you?"

Xing Shi laughed, "Even better. I’ll take them all out at once, and we win!"

The system went, "???"

Meanwhile, Lin Kecheng and his system were also discussing Xing Shi.

The system believed that since Xing Shi had moved into Fu Xiuning’s house, he was useful. As for Fu Xiuning’s true feelings toward him, they could observe slowly without taking risks by making a move.

Lin Kecheng wasn’t listening. He admitted that, deep down, he was just jealous and wanted to mess with that idiot.

Ever since they met, the idiot had constantly irritated and upset him. He needed to vent his frustration before he could feel better. He could accept a failed plan without getting revenge, but he couldn’t stand doing nothing. Anyway, that idiot wouldn’t suspect him.

"Besides, observation requires the right timing and patience," he said, "I don’t want to waste any more."

The system knew his narrow-minded personality and that his mental state was still a mess, so it didn’t stop him, "What do you plan to do then?"

Lin Kecheng said, "Don’t worry, I won’t take direct action. Go check those trainees again. Isn’t there anyone who has a problem with him?"

The system had checked on Saturday, and indeed, there were some, but with Fu Xiuning’s protection, no one dared to provoke him.

Lin Kecheng wasn’t entirely satisfied and pondered for a moment before asking, "I've heard them mention some kind of talent show before. Apparently, the spots are limited. Is he in it?"

The system checked and found that, by a stroke of luck, there was a new development.

The originally proposed list had been finalized, but there was a new twist today because the directors had just stormed into June Culture Media and specifically asked for Xing Shi. The trainees were discussing this in a small group chat, but it was still unclear whether they were going to add Xing Shi or replace someone on the existing list.

Lin Kecheng laughed and took out his phone. "What's this called? Speak of the devil."

The system watched him send a message and advised, "Just try this once. If it doesn't work, let it go, alright?"

Lin Kecheng chatted with the people in the group, and his mood improved. "Alright."

He secretly stirred up some trouble and still felt unsatisfied. "If you could spread some buzz, the chances of success would be a bit higher."

Unfortunately, the system could only search for info, so he had to handle everything himself.

The system said, "I can also upgrade, as long as you gain enough favorability."

Lin Kecheng said confidently, "I will."

Xing Shi was finishing his dessert when he received a message from Fu Xiuning, asking where he was.

He sent over the name of the coffee shop and soon received a call from the other side.

Fu Xiuning asked, "Do you have anything else to do after this?"

Xing Shi replied, "No, I'm preparing to head back to the company and come back for class in the afternoon."

Fu Xiuning said, "Wait for me by the roadside. I'll drive over and we'll go back together."

Xing Shi remembered that Fu Xiuning had mentioned he had two classes in the morning, so logically, he shouldn't be able to leave until noon. Confused, he finished his dessert and headed outside.

Once he got in the car, he learned that a director had come looking for him at June Culture Media. He said, "Didn’t I already turn him down yesterday?"

Fu Xiuning replied, "He didn’t give up."

Xing Shi said, "Can you reject him again for me?"

Fu Xiuning said, "I did, but he said he wants to talk to you in person. You can go and hear him out."

Xing Shi was curious. "Is he very impressive?"

Fu Xiuning said, "Yes, he's a director who specializes in variety shows. He's worked on several hit shows and is quite famous."

That’s why he cut class to head back.

After all, he would need to send several hosts out to make money in the future, and they would definitely need to appear on variety shows, so he was willing to do the director a favor.

Back at the office, they went straight to the reception room.

The director and his assistant had been waiting, and their eyes lit up as they entered.

The director had been informed that the boss was bringing Xing Shi back, but he wanted to confirm, "You're Mr. Fu, right?"

Fu Xiuning nodded slightly. "Director Wei."

Director Wei took a deep breath, looking at him and then at Xing Shi. He suddenly wanted to recruit Fu Xiuning as well. Just seeing the two of them on stage would be enough to send fans into a frenzy.

But of course, he knew the boss wouldn't agree, so he shook hands with Fu Xiuning and greeted him before turning to Xing Shi with a friendly smile. "You're Xing Shi, right? Finally meeting you in person."

The list for the talent show variety program actually needs to be confirmed long in advance, but June Culture Media's situation is unique. All of the first batch of trainees under their training have already debuted, so the new list had to be selected from the newly trained individuals, which is why it was submitted late.

On the day the trainees of this batch made it to the hot search, they noticed Xing Shi. Initially, they thought he would be recommended, but he wasn't. To be honest, the moment they saw Xing Shi, they knew he would be a breakout star. If they were lucky, he could even carry the entire show's traffic, so naturally, they didn't want to miss out. Today, they came with full sincerity.

However, June Culture Media said that the artist's personal wishes must be fully considered, so they had to talk to him directly.

Sitting opposite, Xing Shi listened to his words and politely said, "Sorry, I'm not interested."

Director Wei's smile stiffened slightly. "Do you have any reservations?"

Xing Shi said, "I just became a trainee, and I don't know anything."

Director Wei comforted, "That's okay. After you join the program, you'll go through a training camp. Our team has scouted quite a few people this time, and several of them are newcomers who also don't know much yet."

Xing Shi said, "No."

Director Wei said, "The revenue split from the program is negotiable. I can offer you the highest guaranteed base pay, and I can ensure you make it to the end."

Xing Shi insisted, "No."

Looking at him, Director Wei tried asking, "Do you have any specific terms in mind? If you do, mention them. Even if you want to bring friends to participate, we can discuss it."

Xing Shi blinked. "Anything?"

Director Wei immediately saw hope. "Anything! Just tell me."

Xing Shi pointed to Fu Xiuning. "If he goes, I'll go."

Director: "?"

Fu Xiuning: "..."

Everyone else present: "???"

Director Wei did want to sign him but looked at Fu Xiuning inquiringly. Seeing the calm expression in Fu Xiuning's eyes, he turned back to Xing Shi, somewhat puzzled by today's youth. "May I ask why?"

Xing Shi seriously said, "He's my brother. As long as my brother is there, I feel comfortable."

Director Wei thought to himself, no wonder! He had been wondering why a big company couldn't decide on a trainee. So that's what it was!

Still not giving up, he said, "Your brother is the boss. He's usually very busy. Besides, he's not debuting. Are you saying that if he doesn't debut, you won't either?"

Xing Shi said, "Once I've practiced enough and gained confidence, I can debut. Right now, I'm not capable enough. If I perform poorly on stage, I'll be ridiculed. My fans definitely won't stand for that. They'll argue with others. You might get buzz, but who cares about my well-being? At times like that, if my brother were there, and we were both getting scolded together, I'd feel better. But if he's not there, how lonely would I be?"

Director Wei: "..."

Everyone else: "..."

Brotherly love, as close as brothers, you're really clinging to your brother.

Fu Xiuning knew immediately that Xing Shi was using him as an excuse.

Turning his head, he said, "Alright, head to class."

Xing Shi obediently bid farewell and left the reception room, feeling much lighter.

Stepping into the practice rooms, he saw everyone looking at him. Guessing they might have heard the news, he calmly walked to the end of the line.

This was the last small section of class in the morning. After class, as usual, he walked with Feng Zifan and the others to the restaurant upstairs for lunch.

The elevator was always too crowded, so they usually took the stairs.

Feng Zifan climbed a couple of steps and, noticing Xing Shi’s usual expression, couldn’t resist asking, "I heard Director Wei came?"

Xing Shi said, "Yeah."

Feng Zifan asked, "He came for you?"

Xing Shi said, "Yes."

Feng Zifan couldn’t help but hiss.

He was about to press further, but noticed the guys ahead slowing down, so he held back and decided to wait until they were alone.

Lunch was pretty peaceful. Even though a lot of people who were eager for gossip sat nearby, they knew better than to bother them. They didn’t mention it and finished their meal in peace, then went for their usual post-meal stroll downstairs.

Noticing the stairwell was clear, Feng Zifan was about to pick up where they left off when laughter and teasing came from behind.

He reluctantly gave up again. They took a few more steps when a startled "Whoa!" echoed behind them. One of the people who had been fooling around lost their balance, stumbled, and fell straight into Yu Yi.

Yu Yi was caught off guard and bumped into Xing Shi.

Xing Shi’s right foot was about to hit the ground when the impact caused him to miss the step.

He had just finished eating and was a bit relaxed, so he didn’t dodge in time. But the reflexes he’d developed in high-pressure situations weren’t a joke. He immediately pushed off with his left foot, jumped down two steps, and turned around to firmly hold Yu Yi's shoulder, stabilizing him. The entire process took less than three seconds.

Feng Zifan, who had been walking beside Xing Shi, didn’t react in time and only caught on afterward, rushing to help Yu Yi.

Seeing this, Xing Shi let go, lifted his eyelids, and looked up at the person above him.

The person who had fallen hurriedly steadied themselves against the wall and, seeing that they had been hit, rushed over.

The other two also panicked and ran down to apologize. "Sorry, sorry, we were just fooling around and didn’t notice. Are you guys okay?"

Yu Yi had smacked his nose, his eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked like he might start crying.

Xing Shi was unscathed, and Feng Zifan wasn’t affected at all. The group of people worriedly surrounded Yu Yi, making sure he was okay before breathing a sigh of relief and sincerely apologizing again.

The minor incident was quickly resolved.

Xing Shi headed to the lounge on the third floor and plopped down into the sofa.

Feng Zifan sat next to him and, after a moment, glanced at him.

Xing Shi asked, "What do you want to say?"

Feng Zifan rubbed his nose. "I swear I'm not trying to stir up trouble, but it was really coincidental."

Xing Shi had already noticed that two of the people had shifty eyes and wasn’t surprised by his words. "What was coincidental?"

Feng Zifan said, "Among the people fooling around was Gu Zheng, and the person who bumped into us was his roommate. Gu Zheng is last on the company’s nomination list. If you were to replace someone, it would be him."

He unlocked his phone, opened the chat group, and handed it over. "You haven’t checked the group messages, have you?"

Xing Shi took it and saw familiar names.

Lin Kecheng: "I heard there’s going to be a talent show. Will you guys be participating?"

"Yes."

"But only a few."

Lin Kecheng: "Congratulations! From now on, I can boast to others that I know a big star. I’ll get everyone I know to support you and vote for you."

"Thank you, Senior!"

"We’ll help with the rankings too!"

Lin Kecheng: "Everyone who made it will get a special treat. Don't push yourselves too hard during training; your health is the priority. Sometimes when I watch movies and see someone about to participate in an important competition suddenly encounter an accident and can't compete, it breaks my heart. These cheesy plots are a nightmare."

"Haha, me too."

Lin Kecheng: "So you guys must take care of yourselves, know your limits, and keep going! Keep it up!"

Xing Shi raised an eyebrow.

Feng Zifan said, "I swear I'm not trying to stir up trouble, but it was just too coincidental."

He recalled something, "Could it be that what we said earlier leaked out, and they found out that Director Wei is really after you? It just so happened that Lin Senior's message was sent not long ago, so they acted impulsively... Of course, this is just my cynical guess."

Yu Yi sniffled, "But... wouldn't what they did be too obvious? And they were directly involved; they’re bound to be suspected."

Feng Zifan chuckled, "Given the relationship between Xing Shi and the boss, he’d have to take matters into his own hands if he wants to cause trouble."

He continued, "Maybe they’re using this as a cover? For example, 'Even a fool knows that causing a scene at this time would raise suspicion,' to prove it was just an accident. If we accuse them without proof, we’ll just look like we’re overreacting."

Yu Yi was deeply shocked, "But they don’t even know if Xing Shi plans to join the competition."

Feng Zifan analyzed, "Maybe they’re just desperate. Everyone has heard about Director Wei's personality; he's a very persistent person. Gu Zheng is older than us and only achieved his results through hard work; his inherent conditions are actually quite average. If he doesn't get selected this year, by next year, you designated trainees will definitely surpass him, and he’ll likely not get selected again, pushing his debut even further into the future. I’ve said it before; the chances of a trainee debuting are pretty slim, and the competition is more brutal than you can imagine."

He looked at Xing Shi, "In any case, you should be extra careful these next few days. By the way, are you going to the competition or not?"

Xing Shi said, "Not going."

Feng Zifan visibly relaxed, "Then it’s fine. It’ll be okay once this news gets out."

Xing Shi nodded and handed his phone back.

It’s understandable that Feng Zifan didn’t suspect Lin Kecheng. From Lin Kecheng’s perspective, there’s no way he could know that Director Wei would suddenly come to June Culture Media and ask for him specifically.

But Xing Shi knew that Lin Kecheng had access to a system and could easily keep track of such things. After all, he had personally witnessed Shao Jianbo, who had been screwed over by Lin Kecheng, want to kill him.

It seems the other party is still unhappy with him and is trying to mess with him.

What Lin Kecheng did wasn’t directly sabotaging him; it was more like enticement, which wasn’t covered by their agreement.

But Xing Shi decided to truly mess back. He called out to the system, "When does my alliance with Lin Kecheng expire?"

The system replied, "2:43 PM tomorrow."

Xing Shi nodded approvingly. "Good."

The system asked, "Why are you asking about him? Shouldn’t you be thinking about how to deal with those trainees? Are you planning to let this slide?"

Xing Shi said, "Impossible."

The system was eager, "What do you want to do? I’ll help!"

Xing Shi said, "It’s simple."

He pulled out his phone and messaged Fu Xiuning: "Bro, I think someone’s trying to mess with me."

Fu Xiuning: "?"

Xing Shi: "Can you check the security footage for me?"

It wasn’t the footage of the corridor.

He didn’t want to analyze any movements, expressions, or paths to determine if it was intentional, so he went straight to the restaurant footage. When he saw Gu Zheng glance twice and follow them out right away, he knew it was probably deliberate.

He commented, "His roommate is tight with him. He actually dares to do something that invites trouble."

Fu Xiuning looked down and finished watching, then signaled Xing Shi to go back for his lunch break.

Later that afternoon, when the work hours resumed, he called over the training department staff, asked for the ranking list of Class 1, and after confirming that the person ranked after Gu Zheng wasn’t that roommate, he said, "Switch him out."

The teacher was startled and tentatively asked, "Is everything okay?"

Fu Xiuning said, "No, just messing around."

He curled his lips and said, "Have someone quietly update the form and submit the new list, but announce it on the last day."

The teacher’s heart skipped a beat.

Announcing it the day before they entered the facility, when Gu Zheng thought everything was set and had already packed, would probably drive him nuts, right?

She was certain something was up but didn’t dare to ask further, just nodded, and left.

In the afternoon, Xing Shi went back to school for a class and then returned to the company, training as usual until nighttime.

Feng Zifan and Yu Yi both knew what happened at lunch and the results of the investigation. The two had waited until now, not hearing a single sound, and whispered, "What did the boss say about it?"

Xing Shi said, "He told me not to worry about it."

Feng Zifan asked, "Then?"

Knowing Fu Xiuning’s mischievous side, Xing Shi replied, "We’ll just have to wait and see."

No matter what attitude Fu Xiuning had towards him now, with Qi Changyi around, Xing Shi wasn’t worried that Fu Xiuning would ignore the matter.

He waved goodbye: "I’m still not going back to the apartment tonight."

That evening, Fu Xiuning was still sitting in the living room playing with his phone. Upon seeing him, he greeted as usual.

Xing Shi sat down beside him, somewhat curious: "Bro, how was it handled?"

Fu Xiuning said, "Switched him out."

Xing Shi said, "But I didn’t hear anything about it."

Fu Xiuning smiled: "I told them to announce it on the last day."

Xing Shi thought to himself, nice, it had to be Fu Xiuning.

With his curiosity satisfied, he moved on to the next topic: "Are you free tomorrow afternoon?"

Fu Xiuning said, "Mostly in the company."

Xing Shi mentioned a time slot and asked, "No meetings during that time, right?"

Fu Xiuning said, "Not open," and waited for what was to come.

Xing Shi said, "Then wait for my signal. If I text you 'class is over,' give me a call."

Fu Xiuning asked, "What for?"

Xing Shi replied, "I've got something planned. Not sure how it'll go, so it's a secret for now."

The system was also curious. "What are you doing?"

Xing Shi said, "You'll know tomorrow."

After a good night’s rest, he showed up at school the next afternoon, feeling energized.

After finishing a class, he called Lin Kecheng and said he wanted to renew the contract.

Last night before bed, Lin Kecheng asked the system to check on Xing Shi. When he learned that Xing Shi had turned down Director Wei’s offer and the trainees already knew, he let out a disappointed 'tsk.'

But like he said, after pulling his little stunt, he felt a bit better and didn’t drag his feet with the contract renewal. He cooperated and came over.

He waited at the entrance of the teaching building for a while but didn’t spot Xing Shi. So, he called him.

Xing Shi answered right away, "Senior, I’ve got something happening in my classroom. It might take a bit longer. Can you come up?"

Lin Kecheng didn’t object and headed upstairs after hanging up.

Xing Shi had the system update him on Lin Kecheng's location. When he learned Lin Kecheng had entered the stairwell, he immediately walked over, holding a book in one hand and fiddling with his phone in the other.

When he saw Lin Kecheng, he smiled and said, "I’m done. Just give me a sec to finish this message."

Lin Kecheng nodded and walked downstairs.

Xing Shi followed him slowly and sent three words to Fu Xiuning.

Two seconds later, his phone rang, and he answered, "Hey, boss~"

Fu Xiuning, hearing the cheerful greeting, responded with a simple "Hmm."

Walking ahead, Lin Kecheng's steps faltered when he realized it was Fu Xiuning on the phone.

But Xing Shi didn’t stop. Instead, he bumped right into him.

Lin Kecheng lost his balance and instinctively tried to grab the handrail. However, because Xing Shi had bumped into him, Xing Shi stumbled and accidentally knocked Lin Kecheng's outstretched arm away.

Lin Kecheng lost his balance and, in a panic, instinctively grabbed the nearest person—Xing Shi.

Xing Shi didn’t even try to dodge and let out a surprised yelp as he went down with him.

The descent was swift, and Xing Shi handled the entire process with ease.

The moment Lin Kecheng landed on the buffer platform, Xing Shi seized the opportunity and pressed down hard.

The next second, a scream rang out, "Ah—!!!"

Still on the call, Fu Xiuning was left speechless.

Xing Shi ignored his phone, winced, and stood up. "Ouch... Senior, are you okay?"

Then, he preemptively said, "Why’d you stop out of nowhere and drag me down with you?!"

Lin Kecheng was in so much pain that his face turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled, but he didn’t make a sound.

Xing Shi rubbed his arm. "It’s probably going to bruise..."

Halfway through, he saw that Lin Kecheng was lying still and immediately crouched down, worried. "Senior, are you okay? Talk to me! Please don’t scare me!"

He grabbed his phone, his voice panicked. "Boss, Senior Lin looks really bad. I’ll hang up now. Remember to help me ask for leave from the teacher! Oh no, Senior, hang in there—"

Fu Xiuning said nothing.

It was the time between classes, and many students were passing by. Hearing the commotion, they all rushed over, surrounding them in a crowd.

Lin Kecheng was eventually taken away by an ambulance.

Xing Shi, with a grave expression, followed him into the ambulance, all the way to the emergency room of a nearby hospital, where he witnessed Lin Kecheng being wheeled in and out. He felt a twisted satisfaction, thinking that it was good for Lin Kecheng to be lying there helplessly, like a sheep being sheared.

Meanwhile, Fu Xiuning called to get the address and drove straight to the hospital.

He saw Lin Kecheng in the ward, with his right foot elevated.

It was a severe fracture.

The injury was still in the immobilization stage, and surgery to insert steel pins would be needed later. It would take months to recover, and Lin Kecheng would be out of commission for a while.

Fu Xiuning had overheard Lin Kecheng’s conversation with the system on Saturday and had been thinking about how to deal with him. But just two days later, he had ended up like this.

Lin Kecheng, seeing Fu Xiuning, struggled to lift himself up, trying to maintain some dignity. "Senior, you’re here."

Fu Xiuning gently said, "Stay still, don’t move."

He asked, "What happened?"

Lin Kecheng gave a bitter smile. "Didn’t stand steady while going down the stairs."

Fu Xiuning advised, "Be more careful from now on."

Lin Kecheng nodded, his face still pale.

Seeing him like this and connecting the dots with Xing Shi’s series of actions, what was there that Fu Xiuning didn’t understand?

So, Xing Shi had gotten back at Lin Kecheng for plotting against him by sending him to the hospital?

The door creaked open.

At the same time, the system’s notification sounded.

"Beep."

"Current favorability: -3."

He knew it was Xing Shi and looked up.

Xing Shi entered with a stack of medical reports, and upon seeing Fu Xiuning by the bedside, immediately found his anchor. "Boss, you’re here!"

Fu Xiuning looked him over, concerned. "Are you okay? Did you get injured?"

Xing Shi said, "Just a few bumps, it’s mainly Senior Lin."

Fu Xiuning nodded. "Glad you’re not hurt."

His phone rang. Seeing it was his assistant calling, he said, "I'm going out to take a call."

He stepped out of the ward and walked a distance down the corridor before he couldn't hold back a laugh and answered the call.

The assistant said, "Boss, the handwriting analysis is ready."

Fu Xiuning's hand paused, and he arranged to meet at the hospital's parking lot.

The assistant received the location and rushed over, handing him a file bag.

The handwriting expert's report process is quite complex.

Private firms usually take about 30 business days to complete the analysis and provide results.

It depends heavily on the expertise of the handwriting expert, and photocopies aren't as reliable as originals or high-resolution scans. But the assistant got lucky. When he arrived, he found out the person in charge was an old classmate from uni, and the experts working on the case were all in Z City and just happened to be free.

Once the payment was made, everything went smoothly.

Fu Xiuning took the file and waved the assistant off.

He got into the car, ran his fingers over the sealed envelope, and opened it.

His eyes skimmed over the technical jargon and analysis, and there it was—the result.

The handwriting matched—it was definitely the same person.