I’m No Longer Human After Being Blacklisted – CH52

Chapter 52: No Lending, Keeping Distance

With the hype from both Si Xu and Demon Fish restaurant, Stock God Old Jiang’s post quickly became a trending topic.

The comment section went wild, with people asking if it was true.

“Everyone, calm down. Just because it’s about Demon Fish restaurant doesn’t mean we have to go all sci-fi. The video is definitely fake—just a publicity stunt.”

“Experts have already examined it. There are no signs of video editing. It’s likely real.”

“Why do I suddenly feel like the world’s gone sci-fi? Do superpowers really exist?”

“Fake! Only fools believe this. Clearly, Demon Fish is staging this for attention!”

“If eating there gives you superpowers, can we all guess if Si Xu has any superpowers?”

“Ahhhh!!! Superpower Si Xu! He’s too cool!”

“Say no more, I’m already writing my resignation letter. I’m gonna camp out at Demon Fish daily. If I get superpowers, who’d need to work every day?!”

“Forget that, I’m already skipping work and queuing up. I’m definitely eating at Demon Fish today!”

“…..”

The customers of Demon Fish restaurant, whose worldviews had already been shaken before, were extremely excited after seeing the video and comments. While others were skeptical, they had witnessed things firsthand. Whether Lin, the owner, had superpowers or not, they weren’t sure, but another person who had controlled monsters from afar definitely had powers!

If eating a few times at Demon Fish could grant superpowers, what were they waiting for? They had to eat there every day, ahhhh!!!

However, before they could finish their excitement, the video and all related discussions disappeared entirely.

Stock God Old Jiang’s account was even banned.

Everyone: “???!!!!!!!!!”

The customers who knew what was going on internally shouted in their hearts: ‘They’re here, they’re here! As expected, they won’t let things develop like this!’

Lin Jiu soon received a call from Shi ShuQing, who asked him to clarify things on Weibo to avoid causing public chaos.

Lin Jiu was brushing his teeth and mumbled, “Is that guy really a strength-enhanced person?”

Shi Shu Qing: “Yes, he’s already been taken back to the base.”

Lin Jiu acknowledged and continued brushing his teeth.

Shi ShuQing: “Do you remember him? How many times did he come to the restaurant, and what did he eat?”

Lin Jiu didn’t respond immediately. He rinsed his mouth and washed his face before stepping out of the bathroom, phone in hand.

Lin Jiu asked the God Chef System to pull up this customer’s dining records.

“He came seven times in total. He had the large seafood rice three times, crab congee and assorted sashimi twice, shrimp congee and grilled shrimp legs once, and the ¥6998 set meal once.” Lin Jiu reported truthfully.

Shi ShuQing took notes, then paused before saying, “We can now basically confirm that your food can directly turn people into enhanced humans.”

This was much safer than experimenting with radiation, and much easier than trying to raise RT values through intense effort. If eating delicious food could achieve this, why did they have to work so hard?

Lin Jiu said, “There are so many customers at Demon Fish, but only three have turned into enhanced humans.”

He could hear Shi ShuQing gasp. “I really wish you’d take some time to visit the base and see how hard we’ve worked to create just a few enhanced humans.”

Lin Jiu: “…”

Sensing that Shi ShuQing was trying very hard not to lose his temper, Lin Jiu wisely kept quiet.

Since it involved Demon Fish, when the video went viral and sparked a huge online debate, Lin Jiu’s Weibo couldn’t remain untouched. A flood of people poured into his Weibo, asking if the whole thing was true.

Lin Jiu posted his third Weibo update of the day.

Lin Jiu: “I run a seafood restaurant, not a superpower factory. When you start doubting yourself, remember these ten words: Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread rumors, trust in science.”

The waiting netizens: “…”

“Why is it that I didn’t believe it before, but now after Lin’s denial, I suddenly feel like it might be real?”

“Boss Lin’s attempt to debunk the rumors didn’t convince me; it actually made me more uncertain.”

“Truth comes from practice. Instead of speculating here, I’ll personally try it out. I’ll post the results on Weibo afterward.”

“I agree with the person above, I’ll try it myself too!”

Lin Jiu exited Weibo and didn’t pay any more attention to the matter.

Last night, there was a missed call from Si Xu, but Lin Jiu had fallen asleep and didn’t hear it.

After hesitating for a while, Lin Jiu sent Si Xu a message, saying he was too tired last night and forgot to call him back.

Si Xu was likely busy since he didn’t reply.

Lin Jiu got ready, rode his bike to the restaurant, and saw a crowd gathered at the entrance. He had already anticipated this situation.

As soon as people saw Lin Jiu approaching, someone eagerly asked, “Boss Lin, can people really gain superpowers from eating at your restaurant?”

Lin Jiu placed his bike by the window. “What kind of answer do you think I should give you?”

“Yes or no, just one word!” a customer boldly shouted.

Lin Jiu: “No.”

“Then is the story online true? Is that person with alleged superpowers really a customer at your restaurant?”

Lin Jiu was about to say he wasn’t sure. After all, he saw so many people daily, how could he remember everyone? But a customer answered for him.

“That guy does come to Demon Fish often. I’ve seen him here at least twice.”

Someone immediately got curious. “So, do you come here often? Have you noticed anything special?”

“I’ve been here a few times. So far, nothing extraordinary. If I had to say, maybe my health improved. A while ago, there was a flu going around, and while many people got sick, I, who usually gets sick easily, didn’t catch anything at all. Isn’t that special in itself?”

Lin Jiu listened to their conversation and said, “If you can’t get a seat, don’t wait around. Come earlier next time.”

Lin Jiu entered the restaurant, put up the menu on the small blackboard, and as usual, the price was ¥6998 per person, which wouldn’t be changing for now.

Once lunch was ready, he invited the customers inside.

Two people sat at the bar, and Lin Jiu wasn’t curious at all, until one of them greeted him.

“Hi, long time no see.”

Lin Jiu looked up and met a pair of large eyes. He had just seen this face online a few days ago.

It was Qiu Yuxi.

She hadn’t changed much—still as cheerful as ever. Her dyed long hair was tied into a bun, and with her light makeup and white down jacket, she looked fresh and radiant.

“Hello, I’m Qiu Yuxi’s agent, Yu Shan.”

Yu Shan stood up, smiling warmly, and extended her hand. But halfway through, she hesitated and retracted it when she realized Lin Jiu was busy peeling shrimp and couldn’t shake hands.

“Hello.” Lin Jiu glanced at them briefly without much reaction and went back to preparing the food.

Yu Shan sat back down, giving Qiu Yuxi a knowing look, but Qiu Yuxi was too focused on watching Lin Jiu handle the ingredients to notice.

“I never realized you were so skilled at this. All those wasted years in the industry—turns out cooking suits you best.” Qiu Yuxi spoke naturally, as if she had no clue about the recent controversies online.

Lin Jiu didn’t respond, methodically plating the peeled shrimp.

A woman sitting next to Qiu Yuxi occasionally glanced at her, unsure if she recognized her.

Qiu Yuxi had never been very famous, and in the past couple of years, she hadn’t had any notable work. Aside from her fans, almost no one recognized her anymore. Now that she had signed with Fengshuo, the company was planning her comeback. Coincidentally, Lin Jiu, with all his online fame, had been thrown right into her path.

Now it wasn’t just Lin Jiu—even Si Xu had noticed her.

Whether Si Xu’s Weibo post was criticizing her or not, as long as there was a response, it would generate buzz for Qiu Yuxi. The difference in status between them was huge, but even a small amount of curiosity from fans looking into her name would bring traffic.

Qiu Yuxi didn’t seem to mind Lin Jiu’s lack of interest and continued, “In just a few years, everything’s changed. You left the industry, Ling Chen was bought by Huasheng, and Huo Wei is now with my company—he’s also at Fengshuo.”

She smartly avoided mentioning Duan Chengzhou.

Lin Jiu’s hands didn’t stop, but internally, he was surprised. He had been so preoccupied with his injuries and the birthday banquet that he hadn’t kept up with news about Ling Chen or Huo Wei. He didn’t expect them to be sold off too.

Qiu Yuxi sneered, “Creation Star is just an empty shell now. Any artist with even a bit of potential has either been sold or poached. It’s nearly impossible for them to make a comeback.”

Lin Jiu remained silent. He wasn’t interested in reminiscing with someone he wasn’t close to. Even if Huo Wei were standing in front of him chatting away, he likely wouldn’t respond.

Under the table, Yu Shan kicked Qiu Yuxi, signaling her to say something useful. This wasn’t the place for conversation. It’d be better to arrange a private meeting with Lin Jiu to discuss mutual benefits. Lin Jiu would likely agree.

Qiu Yuxi casually moved her leg and sighed deeply. “The saddest thing is about Sister Wen. Did you know she’s sick?”

Lin Jiu finally reacted, looking at Qiu Yuxi. “What illness?”

Qiu Yuxi said sadly, “Breast cancer. I heard she’s undergoing treatment, but I’m not sure how she’s doing.”

Last time, Lin Jiu had already sensed something was wrong when talking to Jiang Xiwen, but when he asked her directly, she hadn’t mentioned anything.

Lin Jiu: “Which hospital is she in?”

Qiu Yuxi: “The Central Hospital. If you’re going to visit her, can I come with you? Sister Wen took good care of me back when we were at the company.”

Lin Jiu glanced at her without saying anything.

Qiu Yuxi explained, “I only found out about it recently and was planning to visit her. I’m sure Sister Wen would be happy to see us.”

Lin Jiu didn’t lift his head. “No need.”

Yu Shan quickly added, “Our car is right outside. It’d be easy to go together…”

Lin Jiu picked up the prepared plate and served it to the first table.

When Lin Jiu returned, Yu Shan still wanted to speak, but Lin Jiu coldly interrupted her, “Please don’t interfere with my work.”

Yu Shan: “…”

She had to awkwardly shut her mouth and then kicked Qiu Yuxi again, hoping she would say something. Qiu Yuxi remained silent.

Lunch was delicious, but both Qiu Yuxi and Yu Shan were distracted, always looking for an opportunity to talk to Lin Jiu, who, however, remained quiet.

He messaged Si Xu, asking if he needed lunch prepared for him, but after waiting for a long time, there was no reply.

Lin Jiu became a bit worried and went outside to call Si Xu, but the call was out of the service area.

Lin Jiu then called Jiang Ge, who fortunately answered. Lin Jiu mentioned that Si Xu’s phone was unreachable, and the message said he was outside the service area, asking Jiang Ge if he knew where Si Xu had gone.

Jiang Ge, familiar with such situations, explained that Si Xu had probably gone to the Reinforcement Base.

Lin Jiu, being in the know, was aware that mentioning the base to him wasn’t a violation of rules.

Knowing Si Xu’s whereabouts, Lin Jiu felt reassured. At this time, Si Xu might have gone for a physical check-up.

As he hung up and turned around, he saw Qiu Yuxi standing at the door, watching him.

Lin Jiu frowned slightly, “Something wrong?”

Qiu Yuxi approached him, “My agent wants to talk to you.”

“About what? I don’t think there’s anything to discuss.”

Lin Jiu turned to leave, but Qiu Yuxi instinctively tried to grab him. Lin Jiu stepped back, keeping a distance.

“Please maintain your distance. I don’t want the netizens to misunderstand.”

Qiu Yuxi opened her mouth but took a while to speak, “I’m sorry. I apologize for the online incident. Last night’s post was made by sister Shan without my knowledge. If necessary, I can delete it.”

Lin Jiu replied, “Whether you delete it or not is your choice; it has nothing to do with me.”

Qiu Yuxi’s smile was somewhat forced, “I know this behavior is annoying. I came here today mainly to apologize and also to ask if you’d be willing to collaborate. Fengshuo is planning my comeback and hopes to leverage some of your popularity…”

“Sorry, not interested.” Lin Jiu felt he had made himself clear and started to walk back into the shop. Before entering, he added, “If you know it’s annoying, stop doing it. My temper’s not very good right now.”

Lin Jiu entered the store, finding Yu Shan standing inside. It was clear she had been giving them space to talk privately.

Lin Jiu didn’t speak to them again for the rest of lunch.

After finishing up at the shop, Lin Jiu tried calling Si Xu again, but his phone was still out of the service area, meaning he probably hadn’t come out yet.

Lin Jiu found it odd. Just how remote was the Reinforcement Base that there was no signal at all?

He then called Jiang Xiwen to ask about her hospital room.

Jiang Xiwen tried to play dumb, “What hospital room?”

Lin Jiu responded, “I know you’re sick and in the hospital. What floor and which room?”

Jiang Xiwen was silent for a while before finally giving him the room number.

Lin Jiu headed upstairs to the smart kitchen, pulled out an invisible fish, and began preparing it.

These five invisible fish were incredibly valuable. Lin Jiu had originally planned to save them all for Si Xu, but since Wen Jie also needed them, he decided to give her one and save the remaining four for Si Xu.

The invisible fish resembled moonfish, but their colors were far more vibrant. There were big and small ones, and the five Lin Jiu had caught varied in size. He selected the smallest one.

Sensing it couldn’t escape, the invisible fish tried to use its camouflage ability to survive, which meant Lin Jiu had to rely solely on touch to prepare it. It felt like he was cutting through air, and after much effort, he finally processed the fish. He divided the meat into two portions, saving the head and bones to make soup later.

He packed the fish into two small insulated boxes—one for Wen Jie and one for Si Xu. If Si Xu hadn’t returned by the time Lin Jiu visited the hospital, he planned to deliver the meal to the Reinforcement Base himself.

Lin Jiu prepared everything and took a taxi to the hospital.

As he got out and hadn’t walked far, he heard the quick click of high heels behind him. Lin Jiu turned to look and stopped in his tracks.

Qiu Yuxi caught up with him, holding a bouquet of flowers and smiling brightly, “Let’s go together.”

Lin Jiu paused, “What do you mean? Are you trying to force yourself on me?”

Qiu Yuxi lowered her eyes, looking a bit at a loss.

Yu Shan quickly caught up, “Fengshuo is willing to pay. Name your price.”

Lin Jiu scoffed, “Do I look like I need money?”

Qiu Yuxi: “…”

Yu Shan: “…”

Lin Jiu looked around, “Have you already arranged for paparazzi to take photos? I told you, my temper’s not great right now. If you try anything shady, I won’t hesitate to blow things up. When I was an artist, my manners were already questionable. Now that I’ve left the industry, I’m even less restrained. Consider yourselves warned.”

With that, Lin Jiu turned and walked away.

Qiu Yuxi hesitated for a long time before reluctantly following at a distance.

Lin Jiu ignored her and made his way to Jiang Xiwen’s hospital room.

Jiang Xiwen was staying in a private room, sitting up in bed watching TV. She looked much the same as when Lin Jiu had last seen her, except her complexion was a little worse.

She wore a loose hospital gown, and one side had a soft tube extending from it with blood flowing into a bag. She had clearly undergone surgery.

The door was open, and Lin Jiu knocked lightly.

Jiang Xiwen looked over and, upon seeing Lin Jiu, immediately said, “How did you find out I was sick?”

Then she noticed Qiu Yuxi behind him, “How did you two end up together?”

“I… I just happened to want to visit you too,” Qiu Yuxi mumbled, not daring to say it was a coincidence. Jiang Xiwen had been a manager for so many years and was well aware of such tactics.

Lin Jiu approached the bed and placed the insulated box down. “I’m not with her.”

Qiu Yuxi: “…”

Jiang Xiwen glanced at them. “I really don’t want people I know to see me like this. How did you find out I was sick?”

Qiu Yuxi hesitated, “I told him. That’s how Lin Jiu found out.”

Jiang Xiwen looked at her for a while and then said, “It was Yi Ning who told you, right? You’ve both been sold to Fengshuo. Now it seems like you’re getting along quite well. Are you being ostracized at the new company, so you have to stick together?”

Qiu Yuxi felt a bit awkward. Everyone in the company knew that Yi Ning had fallen out with Jiang Xiwen, and Jiang Xiwen didn’t like her. Now that she was on good terms with Yi Ning and had come here with Lin Jiu, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

“Sorry, Sister Wen…”

“There’s no need to apologize. Yi Ning probably can’t wait for the whole world to know that I have cancer and am dying. It doesn’t surprise me that she told you. What surprises me is that you came to see me yourself,” Jiang Xiwen said meaningfully.

Jiang Xiwen had her surgery a few days ago. Although she was still in the hospital, she hadn’t been offline. She knew a bit about what was happening online, so seeing them come together made her feel strange.

Lin Jiu scanned the room. “Are there any cameras in here? I brought some food, but I’m worried the doctor might catch me.”

Jiang Xiwen: “…No.”

Jiang Xiwen: “Did you bring something you’re not supposed to?”

Lin Jiu rubbed his nose, “I brought some sashimi.”

Jiang Xiwen was silent for a moment. “Do you think I can eat that?”

Lin Jiu nodded. “Yes, but you have to eat it in secret. I’m worried the doctor might think I’m trying to harm you.”

Jiang Xiwen: “I think so too.”

Lin Jiu held a small thermal container, “Do you want to eat?”

Jiang Xiwen: “Of course! It’s not every day you get to eat sashimi from Demon Fish Shop. Not eating it would be foolish.”

Lin Jiu opened the lid, just about to take out the invisible fish slices, then turned and looked at Qiu Yuxi. His meaning was clear.

Qiu Yuxi had been awkwardly standing there for a while. Seeing Lin Jiu and Jiang Xiwen both looking at her, she couldn’t bear it any longer.

“I… I have something to do, so I’ll leave now,” she said, setting down the flowers and hurrying away.

Lin Jiu locked the door behind her, then returned to take out the invisible fish slices.

Jiang Xiwen: “…”

All she saw was a layer of crushed ice with nothing on top.

Jiang Xiwen: “Are you giving me ice?”

“Fish.” Lin Jiu picked up a pair of chopsticks and pressed them over the ice. The chopsticks didn’t touch the crushed ice, as if there was a transparent layer on top.

Lin Jiu tried to pick up the fish with the chopsticks, but it either slipped away or got stuck in the ice. Finally, he gave up on the chopsticks and handed Jiang Xiwen a pair of disposable gloves.

“Use your hands.”

Jiang Xiwen put on the gloves and felt around the ice. She found something soft and cool, picked up a piece, and inspected it. It wasn’t just transparent, it was invisible, blending seamlessly into the environment.

She put the invisible fish in her mouth. It had the texture of sashimi—cold, delicate, and tender, melting instantly in her mouth. It was delicious!

Jiang Xiwen nodded continuously. “It really is fish, and it’s very good.”

Jiang Xiwen quickly finished one portion of the invisible fish and gestured for the second.

Lin Jiu said, “That one’s not for you.”

Jiang Xiwen wasn’t greedy. “What kind of fish is this? It’s amazing.”

Lin Jiu: “Invisible fish. It boosts immunity and attacks cancer cells. A few servings should show results.”

Jiang Xiwen: “…”

Jiang Xiwen: “I’m really curious where you get all these strange ingredients.”

Lin Jiu: “Don’t worry about where they come from, as long as they work.”

Lin Jiu stayed with Jiang Xiwen for over an hour. It was already past 3 p.m. He took out his phone, about to call Si Xu again, when Si Xu’s call came through.

Lin Jiu answered, “Are you out?”

Si Xu’s deep voice came through the phone, “I’m at the hospital entrance. Come down.”

Si Xu didn’t sound happy. Lin Jiu, worried about his test results, didn’t delay. He said goodbye to Jiang Xiwen and ran out with the thermal container.

—