Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The thought of it brought Xiao Mu to Su Jianglou’s mind again. He stood up and stretched his neck.

He had been so busy lately that he hadn't really had the chance to check in on Xiao Mu. Now, with some free time today, he decided to visit him.

The moment this idea surfaced, Su Jianglou immediately headed out of his office.

He planned to drive to the Tourism Park today. After seeing Xiao Mu, he could even arrange some time off for him and take him to see their new home.

Su Jianglou’s personal driver was always on standby in the office building. When Su Jianglou decided to go out, a mere thought was enough—by the time he reached the ground floor, the car was already waiting just outside the office building.

The three-story office building of Su Jianglou’s tourism group wasn’t far from the Tourism Park. Half an hour later, he could vaguely glimpse the park’s entrance through the car window.

It had been over half a month since the Tourism Park changed ownership. After undergoing reforms, the park was gradually getting back on track.

After the anomalies in the folk-custom area of the Tourism Park were dealt with, Su Xuanxiao no longer personally oversaw the park. Instead, he appointed a manager from a subsidiary to serve as the Director, managing the park on his behalf.

Since his eldest brother wasn't around, Su Jianglou didn't bother going to the Director's office. After getting out of the car, he entered the Tourism Park and headed straight for the staff dormitory.

He had never been to Xiao Mu’s dormitory, but that didn't mean he didn't know the room number.

After going upstairs, Su Jianglou walked purposefully down the hallway and stopped in front of a single dorm room.

The door wasn’t locked, suggesting someone was likely inside.

Su Jianglou knocked casually. “Xiao Mu?”

“It’s me, your third brother. Third brother is here to see you.”

A faint sound came from inside the room. Su Jianglou’s lips curved into a slight smile as he watched the door slowly open.

Then… an unfamiliar face appeared, wearing a small green hat.

The mushroom anomaly who opened the door was trembling with fear. “Are you also Mr. Su?”

“I didn’t mean to take over Young Master Su’s dormitory. Before Young Master Su resigned, Minister Huang 12 mentioned keeping the dormitory reserved for him permanently, but Young Master Su selflessly declined the offer.”

After the dormitory became vacant, he had to overcome many challenges to secure the right to live there, hoping to absorb more of the powerful anomaly’s aura.

“Resigned?” Su Jianglou’s smile vanished completely.

The green-hatted anomaly opposite him was so intimidated by the powerful aura that his legs nearly gave way.

Su Jianglou’s tone was calm, but it carried an undercurrent of stormy anger. “Who approved his resignation?”

“M-Mr. Su,” the green-hatted anomaly stammered, quickly correcting himself when he realized the ambiguity. “The Chairman.”

“Do you know where he went after resigning?” Su Jianglou asked, though he already had a hunch.

In some ways, Su Jianglou and Su Ximu were indeed similar—both possessed strong intuition.

Sure enough, the green-hatted anomaly, unable to withstand the pressure, crouched down and covered his head. “I-I heard he got a new job, at some production crew.”

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Su Jianglou didn’t bother tormenting the underling. But as he turned to leave the dormitory, he clenched his fists in frustration.

The next second, a collective earthquake struck 45 remote villages across five nearby cities, including Tanzhong.

Su Jianglou’s anger took a long time to subside. He knew it! He knew it! His eldest brother might talk a good game, but he never actually intended to let Xiao Mu go!

Having lived for many years as an anomaly, Su Jianglou had developed a keen sense of character. With careful observation, he could usually figure someone out.

Xiao Mu had mentioned wanting to change jobs before, saying a friend had recommended it. It was clear that Xiao Mu was genuinely interested in the new opportunity at the time.

But Xiao Mu wasn’t the type to stubbornly ignore advice. Su Jianglou had explicitly told him, “The outside world is dangerous. Xiao Mu, even though you’re an adult, you’ve had little exposure to society. Don’t trust those unreliable friends! You’ll regret it if you get tricked.”

Given Xiao Mu’s personality, he might have disagreed with the “unreliable friends” comment, but he wouldn’t have confidently ventured into the outside world without considering the risks, especially after such a warning.

Even if he really wanted a new job, his first instinct would have been to present his case logically and seek parental approval.

That was why Su Jianglou had felt so reassured about Xiao Mu these past few days.

But he hadn’t accounted for one thing: to Xiao Mu, he wasn’t the only authority figure at home.

In fact, due to the memories Su Jianglou had implanted, Xiao Mu subconsciously viewed his eldest brother as the head of the family.

Xiao Mu trusted his eldest brother implicitly!

If his eldest brother had approved his resignation and supported his new job, Xiao Mu would have assumed the new environment was safe.

That would have overturned Su Jianglou’s earlier warnings about the dangers outside.

Because, in Xiao Mu’s mind, his eldest brother would never harm him.

On the contrary, his eldest brother was all too capable of it!

A naive puppet willingly delivered to him—his eldest brother would see it as trivial, never acting like a responsible guardian offering guidance.

He would simply watch as the puppet, trusting him completely, walked into unknown dangers.

If the danger level of the Tourism Park was 1, Su Jianglou estimated the danger level of that talent show production crew was at least 3.

Why did the world always harbor such malice toward such an obedient, harmless puppet?

Su Jianglou sighed, suppressing the urge to confront his eldest brother immediately. Without taking the car, he vanished on the spot.

The fact that he wasn’t suffering any backlash meant Xiao Mu was still safe for now. But in this world, danger could strike at any moment.

Su Jianglou thought, once he saw Xiao Mu again, he would take him directly to their new home.

Some anomalies held too much malice toward Xiao Mu. Returning to the new home he had prepared was the safest option.

***

While Su Jianglou was on his way to Guiyi Island, Su Ximu was walking with Group Leader Lan242 toward the props department warehouse.

A trainee from the third floor, which he was in charge of, had asked him to help find some special effects makeup.

Remembering the tools he used every night to draw red eye circles and scars, Su Ximu gave some of his own supplies to the trainee who had asked for help.

He had the tools, but he was short on pigments.

He was now on his way to the props department to get more.

As they walked, he chatted with Group Leader Lan242. “The trainees really have it tough. They don’t even have time to go to the props department to get the items for the elimination round performance.”

Moreover, to maintain their weight, they ate very little each day. He had seen many trainees still relying solely on the energy bars he had given them earlier.

Although the packaging claimed one bar could provide energy for a whole day, for ordinary people, overcoming cravings was already a challenge.

Lan242 nodded in agreement. “It is quite tough.”

But he didn't forget to affirm the boy's work achievements: "However, under Xiao Xi's attentive care, none of the third-floor trainees have gotten sick so far."

"I think the next time the show hands out employee awards, it should go to our Xiao Xi."

Su Ximu was getting used to Group Leader Lan242's habit of praising him. Upon hearing the compliment, he no longer got as flustered as he used to. Instead, he turned to Group Leader Lan242 with a smile, his eyes crinkling into a smile.

He returned the compliment: "Group Leader Lan242, you're pretty impressive too. Every time I go to find you, you've already finished your work."

The work of the logistics group is different from that of the Dormitory Selection Officer, who at least gets breaks.

The fact that Group Leader Lan242 has so much free time without the assistant director calling him out in the chat must be because he is really efficient and completes many tasks quickly.

The props group warehouse is pretty far from the trainee dormitories, which explains why the trainees never make it out there.

Su Ximu thus strolled along side by side with Group Leader Lan242, opened his mouth, and was about to say something more, when suddenly he was pulled aside by Group Leader Lan242.

Startled by the sudden relocation and carefully set down, the boy instinctively turned his head and saw a coconut landing with a heavy thud on the beach.

If Group Leader Lan242 hadn't noticed in time, that coconut would've clocked him on the head.

Su Ximu raised his hand to touch his head and breathed a small sigh of relief.

Then he saw Group Leader Lan242 walk over to the fallen coconut, squat down to pick it up, and shake it with both hands.

Since he was facing sideways, Su Ximu couldn't see Group Leader Lan242's exact actions. But when Group Leader Lan242 stood up and walked back, two straws had already been inserted into the coconut.

Lan242 held the fallen coconut and brought it to Su Ximu's mouth: "Take a sip? It should be fine."

"Yeah." Su Ximu nodded obediently and took a drink of the coconut juice.

Watching the boy's expression that basically said, "I've tasted it, it's sweet," Lan242 also lowered his head and took a drink through the other straw.

The two kept walking with their big coconut. The sea breeze carried the faint sound of the boy thanking him: "Group Leader Lan242, thank you. Otherwise, I might have been hit by the coconut. I might've been knocked out."

"A coconut that big definitely could've done that."

"Want more?"

"Yeah."

Behind them, Su Jianglou stepped out from behind a coconut tree, watching Lan242 walking alongside Xiao Mu.

Right, how'd he forget? Wasn't it because a "friend" had recommended a new job to Xiao Mu that he initially wanted to resign?

Now that friend had also come here with Xiao Mu.

Su Jianglou looked like a wild leopard that had already locked onto its prey, his dark golden eyes completely cold and intense.

He had wondered what kind of anomaly would be that nice—introducing a job to a colleague and even following him to the new job after knowing each other for only a few days.

Su Jianglou closed his eyes and recalled how, when the coconut fell, Lan242 had acted protectively toward Xiao Mu a step ahead of him.

He even shared the same coconut with Xiao Mu.

Could the coconuts on Guiyi Island even be consumed? Standing here, how could he not know? That coconut was solid when it fell!

After a long while, Su Jianglou finally reopened his eyes and slowly exhaled.

***

At night, after bidding Xiao Xi goodnight, Lan242, who appeared to be asleep in his dormitory bed, suddenly opened his eyes. The next second, he appeared at the dormitory door.

By the window, the single dormitory bed had silently melted away.

Failing with his first strike, a strange glint flashed in Su Jianglou's eyes. Deciding to abandon concealment, he raised his hand and launched an attack toward the eerie figure across from him.

Everyone had already returned to their own dormitories, yet this thing was still tapping on the window with a clothes hanger!

I'll teach you to tap!!!