Chapter 39 – New Mission
Si Xu rushed home to find chaos in the living room.
A vase lay shattered on the ground, white roses scattered everywhere. Some flowers were only heads, others were carefully trimmed, while some had been stripped of all their petals, leaving just bare stems.
Aunt Chen stood in the living room, visibly anxious, hiding a pair of flower shears behind her back.
Seeing Si Xu return, she was about to speak, but he raised his hand to stop her.
Song Mozhi sat on the sofa, her long hair loosely tied back, her elegant shawl thrown on the floor. She was quietly sobbing.
Si Xu walked over gently and crouched down in front of her, “Mom.”
Song Mozhi looked up, her eyes red. Her voice was soft, “Ah Xu, you’re back. Are you busy with work?”
Si Xu sat beside her, “Not too busy. I heard from Aunt Chen that you were upset, so I came to keep you company.”
Song Mozhi shook her head, “I’m not upset. I’m just worried about your father. He hasn’t been home for days, hasn’t called me, and I can’t reach him. Has something happened to him?”
Si Xu comforted her, “No, dad is on a business trip. It’s probably just poor signal. He’ll be back soon.”
“No,” Song Mozhi shook her head, her emotions growing agitated, “No, I dreamed that he fell into the sea. Something must have happened… Have they come for him again? Did they kidnap him? You should go to the authorities and ask them to rescue him…”
“Mom.” Si Xu held his mother’s trembling hand, “Dad is safe. Nothing has happened to him. It was just a dream.”
Tears welled up in Song Mozhi’s eyes again, “Ah Xu, you have to take care of yourself. You’re my only child. You must protect yourself… Are you still taking your martial arts lessons? Make sure your father hires the best instructors for you. You need to be strong, so no one can hurt you.”
“I know. I’ll keep practicing. No one can hurt me.” Si Xu gently reassured her. He hadn’t needed a martial arts instructor since childhood, but he understood that his mother’s memory was jumbled again. She constantly feared someone was out to get him.
At one point, Si Xu wasn’t allowed out of her sight. If he was gone for even a moment, she would panic and cry, convinced that someone had taken him away. After years of treatment and their family’s care, her condition had improved significantly. Now, it was only during moments of fear or distress that her mind would spiral. When calm, she was just like anyone else.
Song Mozhi cried for a while longer, then urged Si Xu to call the higher-ups and ask when her husband would come home.
Si Xu patiently comforted her, explaining that his father’s work was very confidential, and no one knew where he was, which made him safer. Once his work was finished, he would return, and the higher-ups couldn’t reveal his location.
Song Mozhi thought her son’s reasoning made sense—safety was the priority, and keeping his whereabouts secret was essential.
Looking at the dark circles under his mother’s eyes, Si Xu knew she hadn’t been resting well lately. Without the Black Star Pearl regulating her sleep, her mental state would have likely collapsed by now.
“Would you like to rest for a bit? I’ll stay with you,” Si Xu suggested, hoping his mother would get some sleep. She wasn’t in good health and couldn’t afford to exhaust herself like this.
Song Mozhi shook her head. Having forgotten what she had just said, she asked again, “When is your father coming back? Can you take me to find him? I don’t want to just sit at home doing nothing.”
Her mind was too tense, and with his father’s return uncertain, Si Xu knew if this continued, his mother would have a mental breakdown.
He didn’t want to see her living in constant fear anymore.
Just then, Si Xu’s phone rang, and Song Mozhi immediately looked at him with worry.
Si Xu glanced at the phone and reassured her, “It’s nothing, just a call from a friend.”
Knowing how sensitive she was, Si Xu didn’t avoid her and answered the call in front of her.
It was Lin Jiu, asking if Si Xu wanted lunch prepared for him.
After a brief pause, Si Xu softly asked his mother, “Do you want to go have some Silver Carp?”
Recalling the delicious fish, a smile spread across Song Mozhi’s face. “Sure, let’s go together.”
The last time Lin Jiu had given Si Xu some Silver carp, he shared it with his family. Since his mother was in poor health, the fish was good for her recovery. His grandparents, being older, usually refrained from eating it when they had only a small amount, saving it for Si Xu. But now that they had more, they could also enjoy some.
On the other end of the line, Lin Jiu heard a gentle female voice. Si Xu’s tone, too, was softer than Lin Jiu had ever heard.
“…You want to have Silver carp? For two people?”
“Either way. Three people. We’re heading over now,” Si Xu replied.
Lin Jiu agreed and hung up to prepare for their arrival.
Aunt Chen brought over a wheelchair, and with her help, Si Xu lifted his mother from the sofa into the chair. Aunt Chen pushed Song Mozhi upstairs to get ready.
Since Song Mozhi had trouble walking, the house was equipped with an elevator to make it easier for her to move between floors.
After freshening up, Song Mozhi regained her usual elegance and grace. She had stopped crying, and a smile returned to her face, her mood clearly improved. Ever since the incident, she rarely went out, and when she did, she was always accompanied by a large group of bodyguards, which made things quite inconvenient.
This time, she would still have bodyguards, but with her son accompanying her, Song Mozhi seemed much happier.
Aunt Chen, who had been with the family for many years, always followed Song Mozhi closely, taking care of her wherever she went.
Once they were ready, Aunt Chen pushed Song Mozhi outside, and Si Xu opened the car door, carefully lifting his mother into the vehicle. After folding the wheelchair and placing it in the car, they set off for the Demon Fish shop.
When the car arrived at the shop, Si Xu helped his mother put on a mask, sunglasses, a scarf, and a hat. He himself only wore a mask. The bodyguards had already set up the wheelchair, and Si Xu lifted Song Mozhi out of the car and placed her in it.
Si Xu noticed someone taking pictures and glanced over but didn’t intervene. The bodyguards were already handling the situation.
No matter how famous Song Mozhi had once been, she no longer belonged in the public eye. The former queen of dance had been out of sight for over ten years. No one knew that Si Xu was the son of the world-class dance queen Song Mozhi. The two never interacted publicly, and they never appeared at the same events. Rumors about Si Xu’s background had circulated, but no one had ever uncovered his true identity. And even if someone did, they wouldn’t dare reveal it.
Outside the Demon Fish shop, fans of Si Xu gathered daily. After the first encounter, Si Xu had refused all further autograph and photo requests, so now the fans who waited could only take pictures from a distance without disturbing him.
However, today, no one was allowed to take photos, not even fans.
Si Xu didn’t need to worry about it; the bodyguards would take care of things.
Lin Jiu saw the situation from inside the shop and quickly opened the door for them.
“Thank you,” Si Xu said as he pushed Song Mozhi into the restaurant and headed straight for a private room.
The other diners were curious and watched them until they disappeared from sight.
Lin Jiu hadn’t expected that the person Si Xu brought would have such difficulty getting around. He followed them to the private room and opened the door, where he saw a beautiful woman smiling kindly at him. Even in a wheelchair, she exuded elegance.
“Hello, you must be the owner, Lin Jiu. Ah Xu mentions you often.”
Her voice was just as gentle as the one he had heard on the phone.
Lin Jiu froze for a moment before replying, “Hello.”
He knew who she was—Song Mozhi, the world-renowned ballet queen.
Lin Jiu had seen clips of her performances on TV before, amazed by her graceful movements and ability to perform difficult routines with ease. What impressed him most, though, were her eyes—they looked just like Si Xu’s.
Glancing back and forth between Song Mozhi and Si Xu, Lin Jiu suddenly understood something.
Si Xu smiled and said, “This is my mother.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
So it was true.
Lin Jiu had never considered that the two might be related. Song Mozhi still looked so young, with a great figure, and everyone assumed she was unmarried. Who would’ve thought she not only married but had a son this grown?
By the time Lin Jiu entered the entertainment industry, Song Mozhi had already retired. He’d heard she was in a car accident, and it was probably that accident that injured her legs. Losing her legs must have been the most devastating thing for a top dancer.
“Lunch is ready. Should I serve it now?” Lin Jiu asked Si Xu.
Si Xu replied, “Aunt Chen, could you look after my mother while I help out?”
Aunt Chen nodded.
Si Xu followed Lin Jiu out of the private room, carefully closing the door behind him.
With other customers around, Lin Jiu didn’t prepare a magic meal for Si Xu. Instead, he placed the prepared lunch on two large trays, one for each person, and delivered them to the private room.
Since he heard they wanted to eat silver carp, Lin Jiu specially prepared a thick-cut silver carp sashimi for them. This dish alone costs over 100,000 yuan and is only available for select guests—it’s not on the menu to avoid attracting too much attention online. Even a dish like steamed shrimp claws is rarely ordered, simply because it’s too expensive.
Si Xu never hesitated to spend money at the Demon Fish shop, so Lin Jiu only needed to focus on making the food delicious when preparing meals for him.
Lin Jiu made enough for three people. To Song Mozhi and Aunt Chen, the dishes seemed exquisite and unique—things they had never seen before. But for Si Xu, he was already familiar with them.
Today’s main course was seafish rice ball, served with golden shrimp balls, grilled magic claw crab legs, fish roe and clam soup, thick-cut silver carp sashimi, creamy baked shrimp tails, and steamed rainbow snails. The last two dishes were new, and Si Xu had never tried them before.
The creamy baked shrimp tails didn’t use cream but a fruit with a creamy fragrance. The aroma of the fruit completely soaked into the shrimp meat, making it tender, juicy, and bursting with the unique flavor of the Demon Lobster —an indescribable delight.
The steamed rainbow snail was thinly sliced, arranged inside a smooth, colorful shell. The shell had shallow ridges and resembled a beautiful round wine glass more exquisite than a typical snail shell. The steamed snail meat was soaked in ice water, then marinated briefly in a sauce, making it fresh, salty, crisp, and incredibly tasty.
Song Mozhi had never tasted such delicious seafood. She ate quite a bit, and perhaps because she was so focused on the meal, her body and mind began to relax. Before lunch was even over, she started to feel sleepy.
Si Xu had been keeping an eye on his mother, and when he saw her getting drowsy, he knew the food had taken effect.
Aunt Chen quickly finished her own seafood rice ball, wondering if she could recreate such delicious dishes herself. Both the lady and young master seemed to enjoy the meal. She glanced at Si Xu, asking with her eyes if they should take the lady home to rest.
Si Xu nodded, stood up, and went out to settle the bill. Aunt Chen tidied up Song Mozhi and pushed her out of the private room.
As they passed the cashier, Song Mozhi greeted Lin Jiu, “Mr. Lin, your cooking is excellent—very delicious.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Lin Jiu replied.
His gaze landed on the Black Star Pearl bracelet around Song Mozhi’s wrist. The dark, night-like beads made her skin look even paler.
After a brief word with Lin Jiu, Si Xu said he would take his mother home to rest.
Song Mozhi fell asleep in the car before they even reached home.
Meanwhile, a message popped up in Lin Jiu’s mind from his system:
*“Congratulations to the host! Customer Si Xu spent a total of 1.1519 million yuan at the shop. His affection level has met the criteria, granting him access to dine on the second floor. The host is also rewarded with a free blind box draw. Good luck!”*
Lin Jiu: “…”
The surprise came too fast—he wasn’t ready.
Lin Jiu loved drawing blind boxes. The items inside were always random, and what he got depended entirely on luck. From small items like coral to high-tech kitchen equipment, he had drawn them all, and now he was excited to see what he’d get this time.
Blind boxes were different from treasure chests. Blind boxes could contain both good and bad items, whereas treasure chests were of varying qualities. The higher the quality, the better the item. From a wooden chest, the best item he had ever gotten was a one-cubic-meter fish pond, but usually, it would be something more ordinary, like a fishing net bag. For example, the beginner gene enhancement potion could only be found in a black iron chest.
Lin Jiu still had a wooden chest left, but he wasn’t planning to open it. He had learned from the system that collecting ten wooden chests could be combined into one black iron chest, which had a higher chance of containing something valuable. So, Lin Jiu was saving up.
It was clear that treasure chests were best earned through completing tasks.
Recently, the system had been quiet, without giving him any tasks.
[System sensing the host’s eagerness to maintain the balance of species in the Magic Sea realm.]
Lin Jiu: “…”
Lin Jiu: “Wait, hold on…”
[Demon Hunting Task: Invisible Fish x3]
[Description: The stealth experts of the Demon Sea.]
[Task Duration: 100 days]
[Task Reward: 30 magic points]
[Failure Penalty: 30 magic points deducted, and the realm gate will be closed for 300 days.]
Lin Jiu hadn’t even finished saying, “Let me deal with my lawsuit first,” when the task was assigned.
Lin Jiu: “…”
Why did he keep relying on task completions to collect treasure chests?
Lin Jiu tried negotiating with the system, asking if the task could be delayed for a few days.
This time was too crucial for him. Besides his lawsuit, there was something else he cared about—Si Xu’s birthday was coming up.
If Lin Jiu took on this task, he’d miss Si Xu’s birthday for sure. He had planned to throw a birthday party for Si Xu to thank him for all his help. But if he was off doing the task, wouldn’t he miss it completely?
[The task has been issued. As long as the host completes it within the given timeframe, you may delay it at your discretion.]
Lin Jiu: “…”
Was that what he meant?
Lin Jiu took a deep breath and calculated the time. Si Xu’s birthday followed the Earth’s timeline, so there was still some time. The task duration followed the Demon Sea realm’s timeline, where one day on Earth equaled five days there. Lin Jiu decided to wait one more day and see how things turned out.
He was already prepared to complete the task ahead of time—he didn’t want to miss Si Xu’s birthday.
Anxiously, Lin Jiu waited until the next day. Surprisingly, the results were announced that very day.
The quick resolution was likely due to the massive attention the case received and the help from Captain Lu and his team. Otherwise, the case wouldn’t have been handled so quickly.
According to Lin Jiu’s contract violation compensation, he owed his company 3 million yuan per year for breach of contract. With 11 years remaining on his contract, the total penalty amounted to 33 million yuan.
In addition, Lin Jiu had to pay 5.758 million yuan for damages caused by his unauthorized one-year business closure, which included breach of work contracts and reputation damage to his management company.
In total, Lin Jiu’s settlement came to 38.758 million yuan. Since he had already paid 40 million yuan to “Creation Star” in advance, the company now had to refund the excess amount back to him.
Lin Jiu publicly announced that he would not keep a single penny of the refunded money and asked his lawyer to donate it all to a children’s welfare home.
As for why he didn’t donate the money himself, the reason was simple: he was heading out to restock supplies, so the small shop would be temporarily closed.
This time, Lin Jiu posted the announcement of the temporary closure on Weibo, ensuring that a lot of people would see it and no one would come by in vain.
Meanwhile, “Creation Star” is now embroiled in a series of troubles. Scandals continue to emerge about the company’s artists, and the company itself is facing hefty fines. Whether they will survive this is uncertain, but for now, General Manager Zhang, Qiu Er, and Duan Chengzhou have all broken the law and will be prosecuted.
Duan Chengzhou’s career as an artist is now over.
Duan Chengzhou’s fans are devastated, refusing to believe their idol could be such a person. Moreover, the whole situation feels bizarre—executives, managers, and artists from “Creation Star” all came forward at once to expose themselves. Have they been cursed or something? Why else would they do such a thing?!
Superstitious rumors are rampant, and online debates are a chaotic mess.
