Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Xing Shi was munching on snacks and interrupted their conversation, "How's it going?"

Shang Shang Qian replied, "Proceeding as planned."

It then briefly summarized Yan Feng's plan.

99 exclaimed, "You really think a little trick like that can kill someone? Dream on!"

Shang Shang Qian had witnessed Xing Shi's abilities and knew Yan Feng's plan was doomed to fail. Even if Xing Shi was unaware, Yan Feng's team would most likely fail, especially since their side was prepared.

She said, "When I left, they were just finishing up the details. Not sure if they'll change anything at the last minute."

Xing Shi said, "It's fine."

After finishing his snack, he wiped his hands on a tissue. "Don't move around too much, you two."

The moment he finished speaking, 99 and Shang Shang Qian felt a wave of energy wash over them.

99 screamed, "Ahhh, Xing Shi, what are you doing?"

Xing Shi said, "Just getting familiar with you two."

Shang Shang Qian understood this was preparation for capturing the system.

Having the same energy within her core, she had grown accustomed to it over the days and calmly hovered in place.

99, however, was terrified, clearly feeling the high-level energy swirling around it, as if it might swallow it at any moment. It said nervously, "S-s-star, Xing Shi, please calm down! I'm still useful!"

Xing Shi said, "If you keep screaming, I might just take you apart."

99 quickly silenced itself.

Xing Shi circled them a few times, then retracted the energy.

At the same time, Yan Feng was confronting his system.

Shang Shang Qian had deliberately left before they were completely finished, choosing to depart during the final stages to further exacerbate their conflict.

Not sensing Shang Shang Qian's energy, Yan Feng assumed it had left and continued to go over the final details with his system. But when he didn't get a response, it took him nearly a minute to hear back.

He asked, "What were you doing?"

Hou Lai Ju Shang gathered his thoughts and replied, "Seeing it off as it left."

Yan Feng said, "I called out to you just now, but you didn't respond?"

Hou Lai Ju Shang honestly admitted, "I heard you, but I was a bit slow to react. Sorry, boss."

Yan Feng said, "It wasn't just a little slow."

Hou Lai Ju Shang said, "I wasn't used to sharing a host with another system, so I got distracted. It's my fault. I shouldn't have let emotions cloud my judgment during such an important moment."

Yan Feng sneered, "I hope you're not just making excuses."

Hou Lai Ju Shang said, "Of course not. My loyalty to you is unwavering and sincere!"

Yan Feng sneered again but decided to let it slide for now.

The car drove for more than two hours before arriving at the destination.

The area was blessed with picturesque mountains and clear waters, and the temperature was slightly lower than in the city, making it a great place for a trip.

As it was the tail end of the summer vacation, a considerable number of people were trying to make the most of the last few days to go out and have fun, so the place was quite lively.

They got off the car one after another, lugging their luggage to the hotel lobby.

Fu Xiuning's private car was fast and had already arrived ahead of them. He gave the king-size room that Yan Feng had booked for him to his assistant and booked a presidential suite with twin beds for himself, checking in with Xing Shi.

Yan Feng was all too happy to save on Xing Shi's hotel bill. After settling their luggage, he took them to play in the water.

The first stop was rafting.

They drifted down from the mountaintop, with rapid currents and many rocks along the sides.

Most people were in two-person boats, but Yan Feng, responsible for buying the tickets, chose a larger boat for more people, claiming it would be more fun.

He then strategically chose who would sit in the boat, making sure to sit next to Xing Shi, planning to "accidentally" knock him overboard. Underwater, there were no cameras, and with so many rocks, perhaps he could find an opportunity to get rid of him.

Back in the room, Fu Xiuning had asked Xing Shi what Yan Feng was planning, but Xing Shi was worried that the favorability might spiral out of control and only told him that he would know when the time came.

At this moment, sitting next to Xing Shi, he quickly guessed Yan Feng's plan with a glance across from him.

Yan Feng secretly assessed the angles between them and thought the chosen position was just right.

The system agreed, thinking it was a good choice, and activated its praise mode: "As expected of the leader, you really know how to choose! We're just testing the waters this time, so no worries if it doesn't go as planned, boss. Don't stress."

Yan Feng sneered: "Who are you talking to? Would I be nervous?"

The system immediately corrected itself: "I would be nervous, I..."

Before it could finish, they heard the long-awaited notification sound.

"Beep beep"

"Current favorability: -6"

Yan Feng: "?"

The system: "!!!"

The system was shocked: "What's happening?"

Yan Feng looked at Fu Xiuning and, seeing him glance at the others in the boat, suddenly realized: "Is this because we're cramping their style?"

The system also noticed Fu Xiuning's gaze, was speechless for a moment, then regained its composure and said: "Don't worry, boss, this is just a one-off. But if Xing Shi really ends up dead because of us, the favorability will plummet even more."

Yan Feng snorted: "Who cares, when I eventually subdue him, the favorability will rise again sooner or later."

The system said: "Exactly, leader is mighty!"

In the meantime, the boat was pushed down.

It immediately encountered a series of steep slopes, with waves pouring in, soaking Xing Shi and the others from head to toe in an instant.

Yan Feng was quite satisfied with this and, spotting another rapid ahead, deliberately failed to hold on, lunging forward towards Xing Shi, but got hung up in mid-air.

With the small space in the boat, Fu Xiuning stretched out his long legs, using his foot to block Yan Feng, and with a little force, kicked him back.

The people around him reached out simultaneously and quickly helped him steady himself.

Fu Xiuning instructed, "Hold on tight."

Yan Feng put on his best acting face, hiding the irritation in his eyes, and said, "The current is too strong; it really gave me a scare."

Xing Shi said, "Feng Ge, hang on tight!"

Yan Feng nodded and didn’t give up.

After each rapid section, there was a buffer zone.

The buffer zone was a place for water fights, and even if people didn’t know each other, they would all join in the fun.

The people on Xing Shi’s raft were too eye-catching, especially Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning. Once you saw them, you barely noticed anyone else, and Yan Feng had to take a back seat.

Thus, Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning quickly became the targets of the attack. During this time, someone recognized Yan Feng, which made them even more enthusiastic.

Yan Feng saw another opportunity.

He pretended to be fully engaged in the counterattack, holding onto the plastic water scoop until they left the buffer zone. Then, he was hit by the rapid current and toppled over again.

This time, Fu Xiuning let him have his way.

He grabbed Xing Shi and pulled him, causing Xing Shi to lean over him.

Yan Feng’s momentum was too strong, and he couldn’t brake in time.

So, in the next moment, he flew over them and plunged headfirst into the water, hearing a sound simultaneously.

"Ding!"

"Current favorability value: -8"

The raft drifted several meters away in an instant, ignoring the passengers' cries.

Yan Feng was pulled up by the lifeguards on the side and placed onto another raft behind, where the trainees were waving.

Caught off guard, he swallowed a mouthful of water and was furious as he was placed on another raft.

The person behind him hastened to calm him down. "Look, this plan was always risky. If Xing Shi gets knocked out, drowns, or even just gets a minor injury, things could go south. We might even get blamed. If it doesn’t work, let’s just move on. Tomorrow’s the big day anyway."

Yan Feng felt like an idiot, more frustrated with himself than ever before.

Seeing that he wasn’t responding, the person behind him continued, "Tomorrow is the main event. Let’s just enjoy today."

Yan Feng said, "What if I get dodged again tomorrow, or get knocked off... Wait, where’s my water scoop?"

The person behind him said, "It probably fell into the water with you and drifted away."

Yan Feng angrily said, "That was bought with my money, and you didn’t even remind me!"

The person behind him: "..."

In a situation like this, who has time to worry about that?

The rafts had no paddles, so they moved entirely with the current. The trainees would have to rely on luck to meet up.

Xing Shi watched as Yan Feng fell into the water, thinking that unless something unexpected happened, he likely wouldn’t return.

With no one else causing trouble, he began to focus on playing with water.

The boat soon entered another buffer zone, which was larger and more crowded than the previous one.

Unsurprisingly, they were once again in the spotlight.

Xing Shi didn’t flinch; if anyone dared to challenge him, he’d take them on.

The others nearby were initially hesitant, but when they saw his attitude, they became more enthusiastic.

Fu Xiuning felt the water splashing from all sides and quietly glanced at the lively person beside him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone lose control of the water scoop, which was now flying toward them. He quickly pulled Xing Shi into his chest, shielding him from the splash.

Blinded by the water, Xing Shi buried his face in Fu Xiuning’s shoulder for cover.

Both wearing life jackets, they were somewhat insulated from each other.

But Fu Xiuning still found a strange sense of contentment.

During the earlier close encounter, everyone’s focus had been on Yan Feng, leaving no room for distractions. Now, feeling the warmth under his palm, he couldn’t help but swallow hard.

"Ding"

"Current favorability: 89"

99: "!"

Shang Shang Qian: "..."

Xing Shi’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stood up, forcing himself not to look at his brother.

Fu Xiuning didn’t touch him again, restraining himself, and handed the water scoop back to someone nearby as requested.

The small boats lined up to go down the slope and resumed their journey.

The two maintained their distance and sat like that all the way to the foot of the mountain.

After changing his clothes in the locker room, Xing Shi went to the service area to buy water and saw a row of electric rocking chairs. He chose a lazy sheep chair and looked at his brother. "Why don't you sit on it?"

Fu Xiuning gave him a gentle look.

Xing Shi added, "Not for playing, just sit for a moment."

Fu Xiuning said, "Useless."

Xing Shi said, "If you do it for me, maybe it'll work."

Fu Xiuning looked at him in silence.

Xing Shi met his gaze, his expression serious. "I'm your brother, after all. Consider it an early birthday gift."

Fu Xiuning stared at him for a couple of seconds, then walked over.

There was no way he’d sit, but Young Master Fu might at least stand next to the Lazy Sheep chair for a moment.

Without missing a beat, Xing Shi snapped a photo of him.

Seeing this, Fu Xiuning's body stiffened slightly.

"Ping"

"Current favorability: 87"

Xing Shi: "!"

Fu Xiuning: "..."

Shang Shang Qian: "..."

Xing Shi quickly gives a thumbs-up. "That's great!"

He asks, genuinely curious, "Bro, are you sure you don't want to sit for a bit?"

Fu Xiuning glances at the chair beside him, picturing how awkward it would look if he actually sat down.

If he were to sit on it in front of everyone, and Xing Shi took a photo, Xing Shi might even print it out and frame it at home.

"Ping"

"Current favorability: 86"

Fu Xiuning says, "No, I won’t sit."

Xing Shi knows his brother has already imagined sitting down, and he also knows this is the lowest his favorability will go.

Over the past few days, no matter how annoyed Fu Xiuning gets, his favorability never drops below 86.

He put away his phone and headed to join the main group.

By now, it was noon, and they found a farmhouse restaurant nearby.

The news of the stars coming to play had spread, and the owner, seeing them enter, was secretly delighted. He offered them a discount and requested a group photo.

Yan Feng finally got a break. Maintaining his cool, celebrity vibe, he nodded calmly, not only taking a group photo but also posing for a solo shot with the owner.

The trainees admired, “Feng Ge is awesome!”

Yan Feng said, “You guys can do it in the future.”

This time, he spent a lot, primarily to handle Xing Shi, with the rest going toward winning hearts, as advised by the system.

With the thought that 'these guys will be working for me someday,' he subtly tried to win them over in front of Fu Xiuning. “Train hard, work diligently, and you'll have everything. If you run into any trouble or have questions after you debut, hit me up.”

The trainees said, “Okay!”

Fu Xiuning played it cool, slowly sanitizing their utensils with hot water before handing them to Xing Shi.

They dined in a private room, and by the time they came out, a crowd had gathered outside, including several influencers hoping to catch a glimpse of them.

They quickly left and returned to the hotel.

Yan Feng had no plans for the afternoon. First, frequent disruptions would raise suspicion. Second, the facilities here were too expensive, and he didn’t want to be a fool spending money.

Now that they were surrounded, he had an excuse. “We can’t stay together in the afternoon; the target is too big.”

He said, “Everyone got up too early this morning. You’re free this afternoon. Those who want to sleep can nap in their rooms, and those who want to play can go out and play, but make sure to stay safe. We’ll all turn in early tonight so we can hit the trail bright and early tomorrow.”

Everyone said their goodnights and headed back to their rooms.

Fu Xiuning had snagged the room with the best view. Since they weren’t sleepy, the two sat by the floor-to-ceiling window to enjoy the scenery.

Their phones were charging in the bedroom, and Xing Shi quietly briefed Fu Xiuning about what Yan Feng was planning for the next day.

Yan Feng, having come from a talent show, had a few obsessive fans and a group of fervent followers. Using a throwaway account, he had leaked tomorrow’s plans to them, intending to create chaos on the mountain and push Xing Shi down, allowing him to blame the fans for it.

Fu Xiuning looked at him. "Are you going?"

Xing Shi said, "I can go later."

Fu Xiuning nodded, relieved.

They took a nap in the afternoon and went for a stroll around the surrounding area after waking up.

The mountain was peaceful, and aside from one annoying factor, it was a great place to unwind.

That evening, Fu Xiuning didn’t join Yan Feng and the others for dinner. Instead, he found a local specialty restaurant and drove Xing Shi there.

The next morning, everyone gathered in the hotel lobby at the agreed time.

Yan Feng looked around and didn’t see Xing Shi, so he made a phone call.

It was Fu Xiuning who answered. He said, "You guys go ahead. We’ll be there later."

Yan Feng said, "It’s okay, no rush. We’ll wait for you. There’s a temple up there, and the incense is said to be quite good. We can all pay our respects together."

Fu Xiuning was decisive. "Go ahead."

Without waiting for further persuasion, he hung up.

Yan Feng and the system both froze in shock.

Yan Feng stared at his phone, feeling like he'd been hit by a bolt out of the blue.

The system felt like the whole plan was about to fall apart. They had worked on so many details, but the main character wasn’t showing up.

It asked, "Boss, what’s our next move?"

Yan Feng tried to push back, asking the second group to contact Xing Shi.

They received the same response. "The boss told us to go ahead."

At this point, they began collectively advising Yan Feng.

Yan Feng was fuming but had to maintain his composure.

The system chimed in, "Boss, be careful—the fans are probably already here."

Yan Feng didn’t want to talk.

The system hesitantly suggested, "Maybe we could wait for them on the mountain and see if another chance comes up?"

Yan Feng snapped. "Those two are sharper than foxes. What chance do I have? Should I play the fool again like I did yesterday?!"

The system quickly shot back, "Boss, you’re not an idiot! Don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re awesome!"

Yan Feng growled, "Shut the hell up!"

He snapped, "Cut the flattery. It was you who suggested inviting this group of people. Now look! We've spent the money, but the person is still alive!"

Later Ju Shang sighed in resignation.

Yan Feng continued walking with his head down and soon encountered some fans, who quickly surrounded him.

This was different from the area they had planned to act in. It seemed that the fans hadn't waited for him at the location he hinted at but had instead moved down on their own.

He glanced around and saw that the scenic area was well-secured, making it nearly impossible for anyone to fall. In other words, even if Xing Shi came, he might not achieve his goal.

He lost it and started yelling at the obsessive fans.

The obsessive fans clashed with him on the spot.

Realizing things were escalating, the trainees rushed to break up the fight and took forever to pull the two sides apart.

Later Ju Shang tried to calm him down and reminded him to watch his image.

Yan Feng said, "Screw that! I’m about to lose my life—what does my image matter now?"

Later Ju Shang said, "Boss, if it really doesn't work out, why don't we just hire someone?"

Yan Feng refused without a second thought.

It wasn’t because he was worried about the money. If he hired a killer, he’d be giving them leverage.

The Fu family had too much influence here, and Fu Xiuning was ruthless. If the hired killer couldn't withstand Fu Xiuning's revenge and betrayed him, it would be no different from Xing Shi holding something over him now.

He couldn’t trust anyone else—he only trusted himself.

Later Ju Shang persuaded him earnestly, "Spending some money is okay; we can earn it back in the future."

Yan Feng said, "It's not about the money."

Later Ju Shang thought, if not money, then what? He asked, "What is it then?"

Yan Feng vented his concerns irritably.

Later Ju Shang said, "No problem, let's get professionals to make it look like an accident. If we do it ourselves, we might end up being held responsible."

Yan Feng questioned, "How professional can they be?"

Later Ju Shang said, "Should I search the dark web?"

Yan Feng said, "Tell me how to access the dark web; I'll search it myself when I get back."

Later Ju Shang was helpless. Ever since the host realized they could absorb souls for power, he’s been cautious and barely lets it help. It was unclear when this wariness would fade.

It said, "Alright."

By the time Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning arrived at the mountain, the video of Yan Feng scolding fans was trending.

Fu Xiuning received a call from the PR department, and upon hearing that they were going to shift the public opinion onto the obsessive fans, he voiced his approval with a simple "Hmm."

After hanging up, he pulled up the online video, watching the chaotic scene on-site, and then slowly made his way to the temple.

The two asked the trainees for Yan Feng's location. Fu Xiuning signaled Xing Shi to find Feng Zifan and walked over alone.

After sincerely praying to the God of Wealth, Yan Feng spotted Fu Xiuning standing in the courtyard as soon as he stepped out.

At that moment, the system’s notification chimed in.

“Beep beep”

“Current favorability: -10”

Lai Hou Ju Shang was stunned: “!!!”

Yan Feng walked over and muttered, “What’s his problem?!”

Fu Xiuning said calmly, “The PR department just called. We should head over.”

Yan Feng was quite dissatisfied with the commanding tone Fu Xiuning used and suppressed his temper as he followed him to the open space outside the temple.

There were a few short trees nearby, adorned with red blessing ribbons. Fu Xiuning glanced at the ribbons casually, seemingly ignoring Yan Feng.

Yan Feng waited for a long time before taking the initiative to explain, “Those were just obsessive fans. Everyone will turn on them, so I shouldn’t get any heat for this.”

Fu Xiuning nodded and picked up a blessing ribbon to examine it, his palm facing himself, just enough to hide the corner of his mouth. “So, tell me about the host situation,” he said.

Host and system: “!!!”—this was bad news.

Yan Feng froze, a cold sweat trickling down his spine. “What do you mean by ‘host’?”

Fu Xiuning asked, “You’re telling me you don’t know?”

Yan Feng tried to stay calm. “I don’t know, boss.” As he thought of the culprit, he quickly added, “I only heard that term from Yu Yi, but didn’t he just make it up?”

Fu Xiuning replied, “I don’t think it’s just crazy talk. This is actually pretty intriguing. I’ve already got a few potential hosts in mind, and I’m planning to call them in for a little chat.”

Host and system: “!!!”

If Fu Xiuning went through with this, the hosts would report straight to the main system, and they’d be screwed.

Yan Feng forced a laugh. “Boss, I’m not following you.”

Fu Xiuning said, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

He put down the blessing ribbon and looked at Yan Feng gently. “In the future, don’t be so impulsive with obsessive fans. Forget about this incident.”

As he spoke, he walked past Yan Feng and left.

Yan Feng stood still, realizing it was no longer about the obsessive fans, and hurriedly called the system.

Lai Hou Ju Shang remained silent.

As part of the main system, it instinctively resisted separating from him. But they did have independent personalities and could make the most accurate judgments at critical moments.

Like now.

Since Fu Xiuning knew about the host matter, he might call those suspected hosts at any moment. The situation was urgent. Yan Feng’s favorability was now at -10, his temper was bad, and he had become wary of it. There was no need to remedy this.

Yan Feng said anxiously, “I’m calling you, are you deaf!”

He continued, “Can you go to the group and make up some lie to stop them from bringing the hosts over? We’re in trouble…”

Lai Hou Ju Shang instantly erected multiple barriers and, without a second thought, detonated the energy reserves.

A silent roar erupted in his mind in an instant.

Yan Feng didn’t finish his sentence before his body lurched forward. He wiped his nose, only to find it was bleeding.

Xing Shi had kept an eye on Yan Feng at all times to arrive at the scene as soon as possible.

Seeing this, Xing Shi quickly moved to Fu Xiuning’s side, feigning a casual glance at Yan Feng before asking in surprise, “Feng Ge, what’s wrong?”

Fu Xiuning turned back, and both of them rushed forward to catch Yan Feng as he collapsed.

There were many people nearby secretly observing the celebrities, and they were shocked by the scene, rushing over in a flurry.

Feng Zifan and the others, who were nearby, also rushed over when they saw what was happening.

Xing Shi’s hand was on the back of Yan Feng’s head, pretending to support it.

He could feel the energy leaking out, absorbing it carefully to avoid accidentally tearing into Yan Feng.

They had gone to great lengths to design this whole setup, with the plan to use "Hou Lai Ju Shang" as a test subject. They intended to install Xing Shi’s energy into it, then put it back into the main system to test the waters.

If the main system didn’t send any updates after a while, the Shang Shang Qian would be able to return.

"Hou Lai Ju Shang" was completely dumbfounded at this moment.

It had had a plan: disconnect from the main system to escape punishment, then absorb the host’s soul to recharge, which would be enough to sustain it for a long time. It could even find other systems, help them conquer Fu Xiuning, and make up for its mistakes.

But now, it realized just how naive it had been: first, without energy, it couldn’t run any programs, meaning it couldn’t absorb the host’s soul; second, it was the first victim of a nearby explosion.

Its data felt all messed up, and it was left dizzy from the blast.

Before completely blacking out, the only thought that flashed through its mind was: “Shang Shang Qian, you abstract scam, I’m your sworn enemy!”