Chapter 11
Lin Kecheng nearly lost control of his expression.
He struggled to remain composed. “It’s probably because of the previous incident. Maybe the police said something to him, but we can absolutely clear ourselves. Once the investigation results are out, this score will bounce back, and when he realizes he misunderstood me, it might even go up further.”
His system made a sound of agreement but was inwardly panicking.
Lin Kecheng’s optimism came from not knowing how many hosts had already tried to conquer Fu Xiuning, but the system knew the truth.
Fu Xiuning’s favorability scores showed significant fluctuations only in the first couple of years. Over time, the changes became minimal, as though he was gradually losing his human emotions. Some hosts were eliminated while still stuck at -5.
This meant that baseless suspicions wouldn’t normally cause Fu Xiuning to deduct points.
The system worried that after leaving the student council, Fu Xiuning had mentally downgraded his former subordinates back to mere passersby, resetting the favorability score to the initial -5.
If that were the case, Lin Kecheng would need to enter Fu Xiuning’s company to find new opportunities to raise the score.
Meanwhile, Xing Shi and his system were also in conversation.
The system asked, “Why are you trying to test him? If you think he might be a host, wouldn’t it be better to just be cautious? What if he starts suspecting you because of your probing?”
Xing Shi replied, “I’m curious.”
“But it’s risky,” the system warned.
As Lin Kecheng approached the car, Xing Shi unbuckled his seatbelt. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”
Before Xing Shi could open the door, Fu Xiuning asked, “Where are you eating?”
Lin Kecheng overheard and answered proactively, “Cultural Plaza.”
He had quickly composed himself and explained, “Junior has training tonight, so it’s close and convenient.”
Fu Xiuning nodded. “Get in.”
Lin Kecheng smiled gratefully and opened the car door.
Since Fu Xiuning’s company was in the same direction as the plaza, it was clear he intended to drop them off on the way.
As they rode, Lin Kecheng brought up the Shao Jianbai incident, hoping to explain and recover some points.
Fu Xiuning replied, “The family lawyer is handling it; I haven’t asked about the progress.”
He curved his lips slightly, his tone as comforting as it had been on that day. “Intentional assault carries a definite sentence. That’s just the kind of person he is—don’t let it bother you.”
The smile on Lin Kecheng’s face froze.
His system screamed internally. So the deduction had nothing to do with that!
Both the host and system were on the verge of a breakdown, frantically analyzing where the lost point could have gone.
Xing Shi glanced at the driver’s seat.
A few days ago, Fu Xiuning’s words had clearly suggested he suspected Lin Kecheng of orchestrating the event. Now, his soothing demeanor made him seem genuinely concerned.
But considering the records, Xing Shi understood that Fu Xiuning was simply used to these situations after enduring so many. It was no wonder his default attitude toward others was -5.
Five years of relentless targeting, yet Fu Xiuning remained composed and polite—calmly chauffeuring the person who had schemed against him not long ago. Truly, the genteel heir had become a textbook example of a twisted boss.
Fu Xiuning kept his gaze on the road while listening to two conversations.
Lin Kecheng had studied Fu Xiuning’s records and chosen a strategy: becoming useful to him first, then slowly developing other bonds. Now, he was lamenting that the “student council tactic” had expired, cursing aloud, and resignedly discussing how to enter Fu Xiuning’s company as soon as possible.
On the other hand, Xing Shi’s system was still trying to dissuade its host from testing Lin Kecheng. Fu Xiuning’s attention was primarily on their dialogue.
He had revealed details about Lin Kecheng because of the latter’s propensity for scheming. Fu Xiuning wanted Xing Shi to stay wary.
Lin Kecheng, like previous hosts, was nothing more than a source of amusement to Fu Xiuning. Xing Shi, however, was different. With so many anomalies surrounding him, Fu Xiuning couldn’t afford to let anything happen to him before uncovering the truth.
Perhaps that was why Fu Xiuning now found Lin Kecheng increasingly irksome. Having an exceptional host like Xing Shi around made Lin Kecheng—who hadn’t brought in any profits and only stirred trouble—seem entirely disposable.
System 99 failed to dissuade Xing Shi.
With a sigh, it said, “You should at least consider the worst-case scenario before acting. If he starts suspecting you, what’s your plan?”
“I’ll just admit it,” Xing Shi said matter-of-factly. “Own up to your actions.”
“?”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
The system almost crashed. “What? Why would you do that?”
“I’m an open book,” Xing Shi replied without hesitation.
The system didn’t believe him. “Are you planning to form an alliance with him?”
Xing Shi paused. “Oh, so alliances are possible?”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The ultimate reward can only go to one host, so you’re technically competitors. If the alliance ends, he might deal with you first.”
Xing Shi remained unfazed. “No problem. There’s a chance I might handle him before it ends.”
“…”
Who was it that just claimed to be an open book?
Exasperated, the system explained, “Systems aren’t idiots. To ensure the safety and interests of our hosts, alliances require contracts. During the alliance period, neither party can harm the other. If one side breaks the contract, the other can file a complaint with the main system. Once the alliance is formed, a ‘Friends’ tab appears on the interface, allowing the parties to exchange messages and share locations at any time.”
“Phones can do that too,” Xing Shi pointed out.
“Ours eliminates the risk of leaks. You don’t even have to send it yourself—just tell me, and I’ll do it.”
“How do you form a contract?” Xing Shi asked.
“The hosts shake hands to signify agreement, and we finalize the contract.”
Xing Shi’s thoughts stirred. He suspected there might be an energy exchange during the handshake.
Initially, his idea of revealing his identity to Lin Kecheng had another purpose, but now it seemed there could be unexpected benefits.
Intrigued, he asked, “Is there a time limit? What if I only want to ally for a day?”
“That’s allowed.”
Xing Shi was satisfied. “Good. Are the materials ready?”
The system hesitated. “They are… but are you going to form an alliance?”
“Yes,” Xing Shi replied. “I’m thinking of starting with two days.”
“???”
Fu Xiuning slowly brought the car to a stop at a red light, glancing briefly at the person beside him.
He could sense that Xing Shi was up to something again and felt tempted to follow and listen in. However, his presence would prevent the other two from having a proper conversation.
Thus, he calmly tuned into the two overlapping dialogues in his mind while driving to the Cultural Plaza.
*
Lin Kecheng failed to persuade Fu Xiuning to join them for dinner and could only lead Xing Shi into the mall with a hint of regret.
The two had already decided on their meal and headed straight to a restaurant on the upper floor.
Once Lin Kecheng placed their order, Xing Shi, using the clues his system had found, downloaded a mobile app, located a specific novel, and activated the read-aloud feature.
A cold male voice immediately rang out:
“Host, your mission is about to fail!”
Lin Kecheng, in the middle of a sip of water, choked violently and turned away, coughing uncontrollably.
Struggling to catch his breath, he caught snippets of the continuing audio and realized it was from a novel. Turning to Xing Shi, he asked, “You…”
Xing Shi frantically tapped his screen, shutting off the sound, and looked up. “Sorry, Senior! I hit the wrong button. Did I scare you?”
Lin Kecheng grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth, laughing dryly. “Yeah, the sudden voice startled me. Are you reading a novel?”
Xing Shi nodded. “My roommate recommended it, and said it’s a great read. This is my first time trying web novels, and it’s quite interesting—about a protagonist bound to a system, traveling across different worlds.”
He sighed wistfully. “If only I had such an incredible system! But, well, it’s just wishful thinking. Something like that could never happen, right?”
A fleeting glimmer of pride flashed in Lin Kecheng’s eyes. “Of course not.”
Xing Shi noted his reaction and silently confirmed his suspicion that Lin Kecheng was likely a host. He called out to his system, “Looks like he doesn’t know about other hosts.”
The system agreed. “Yes, he doesn’t seem suspicious of you at all. Are you still planning to form an alliance?”
“Of course,” Xing Shi replied.
He flashed a charming smile at Lin Kecheng and lowered his voice. “Just kidding, Senior. Actually, I suspected you were a host, so I wanted to test you. Because I am one too.”
Lin Kecheng, who thought himself unique: “???”
His system, already harboring doubts: “…”
Xing Shi continued, “I have no idea where the other hosts are. Do you have any guesses, Senior?”
Lin Kecheng, the self-proclaimed “chosen one,” was thrown into turmoil. While frantically consulting his system, he asked, “Other hosts?”
“Yes,” Xing Shi said casually. “There are six of us in this batch.”
Lin Kecheng: “!!!”
Xing Shi rested his chin in his hands. “I’m a transmigrator. Senior, are you one too, or are you a native of this world?”
Lin Kecheng’s worldview crumbled. “…Transmigrator?”
Xing Shi studied him, hesitating. “Senior… don’t tell me you don’t know anything?”
Lin Kecheng’s sore spot was hit, and he completely lost his composure.
His system, scrambling to console him, stole a glance at Xing Shi, thinking, What kind of lunatic is this? So reckless!
Xing Shi pressed on. “Well, that’s not important.”
He frowned in mock frustration. “The real issue is that Fu Xiuning is so hard to deal with. His favorability keeps fluctuating by just a few points. After two months, I still haven’t broken past -10. You’ve been at this longer, Senior. Your score must be much higher, right?”
Lin Kecheng and his system, who had spent six months raising one point only to lose it: “???!!!”
Lin Kecheng’s system couldn’t hold back and opened the group chat to vent.
[Heaven’s Blessing]: “A certain newbie claimed to still be stuck at -10, is acting all high and mighty. Amazing!”
The chat erupted in disbelief.
The other systems, who had painstakingly gained favorability point by point, bombarded “LongLiveLooks” with mentions.
System 99 ignored the chaos and focused instead on Xing Shi’s next moves.
Xing Shi, meanwhile, got to the point. “I’m not very smart, and doing missions alone is exhausting. Why don’t we form an alliance, Senior? Could you guide me?”
Both Lin Kecheng and his system paused in surprise.
They had already discussed in the car how to make use of Xing Shi, and now that he was confirmed to be a host, things would be even more convenient.
After a quick briefing from his system on the mechanics of alliances, Lin Kecheng immediately agreed. “Sure!”
Xing Shi asked, “What’s your favorability score, Senior?”
Lin Kecheng remained calm. “That’s classified information. I can’t reveal it until after we sign the contract. Once we do, we can exchange screenshots.”
Under Lin Kecheng’s tense gaze, Xing Shi pretended to consider before relenting. “Alright, but let’s start with a one-week trial to see if we’re compatible.”
Lin Kecheng, hoping for a three-month agreement, didn’t push further and decided to win Xing Shi over during the trial period.
Xing Shi extended his hand, discreetly activating the absorption state he’d used to extract magical energy in the past.
As their hands clasped, he felt a faint energy flow and attempted to absorb it.
Just before they let go, a sliver of energy slipped into his mind and vanished.
Though he couldn’t trace where it went, the fact that he could absorb it was clear.
If I can persuade Lin Kecheng to extend the alliance after this week, I can keep milking this source of energy!
Delighted, Xing Shi grinned.
Lin Kecheng and his system, holding onto a favorability score of -5 and betting big on this alliance, were equally pleased to have secured a strong teammate.
Both parties exchanged favorability screenshots through the newly unlocked “Friends” tab and eagerly checked the images.
The screenshot revealed one number: -8.
Lin Kecheng and his system: “……”
Kkkkkkk. Obrigado pela tradução ?