Chapter 45
Things weren’t going well for Yan Feng.
At first, he wanted to check with the production team to see if any promotional work involving their artists was scheduled, hoping he could arrange some kind of joint event. However, the team already had its own marketing timeline and wouldn’t make changes lightly.
He then tried to organize an impromptu gathering and have Wen Zixin and the others call Xing Shi, but none of them were available, making the idea of a meetup impossible.
The more anxious he became, the less he could think clearly. Frustrated, he nearly smashed his phone and asked, “What’s happening over there?”
The system replied, “They haven’t said anything.”
Yan Feng asked, “They’re in the office, right? Did they leave their phones outside?”
The system said, “No, the phones are with them, but they haven’t spoken. I heard the sound of paper rustling—Fu Xiuning is probably working.”
Yan Feng felt like he’d just escaped death, leaning against the wall for support. “He’s working, so Xing Shi didn’t interrupt him?”
The system, equally relieved, responded, “Seems likely.”
This reprieve gave Yan Feng a moment to breathe. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and walked out. “Keep monitoring them.”
The system didn’t object.
Yan Feng rarely paid attention to Fu Xiuning, so it hadn’t been tasked with monitoring him much since they’d arrived in this world. As a result, its monthly surveillance quotas had accumulated unused. But even if they hadn’t, now was not the time to be frugal.
They didn’t know what would happen if Fu Xiuning discovered the truth about the conquest missions, but one thing was certain: the Main System would eliminate them for being liabilities. This was a life-and-death situation—conserving energy wasn’t an option.
Yan Feng headed straight to the training department.
The news of Yu Yi’s breakdown had spread quickly through the company. Since many trainees and employees were in the same large chat group, word traveled fast.
Class 2’s trainees felt a mix of emotions, each grappling with unease.
Some began reflecting on their behavior, wondering if their coldness toward Yu Yi had contributed to his mental collapse.
Even Hou Zhang, who had always looked down on Yu Yi’s antics and often mocked him, was now uneasy. Shuffling over to Feng Zifan, he whispered, “Should we… I mean, should we go see him?”
Feng Zifan remained silent, recalling his first encounter with Yu Yi during the class assignments. In the cafeteria, their eyes had met, and Yu Yi had given him a shy smile. At the time, Feng Zifan thought, With looks like his, he’s destined for stardom.
Hou Zhang studied his expression. “…Brother Feng?”
Feng Zifan snapped out of his thoughts, responding softly with a nod.
It was in this tense atmosphere that Yan Feng arrived at the training department.
He came with a perfectly reasonable excuse: having been in the industry for over a year, he’d seen several peers suffer public scandals. While Yu Yi wasn’t officially debuted, Yan Feng believed the incident was a valuable lesson. He suggested holding a casual talk to discuss the matter with the trainees, thinking it would be better than organizing a formal class. It might even help lighten the mood.
The training department’s manager had been considering hosting a meeting about relationships, so she welcomed the idea. Having a celebrity share their experiences made it all the more appealing.
However, leaving work during office hours to “relax” using an incident that had recently annoyed the boss as an excuse? Even with ten times the courage, she wouldn’t dare ask Fu Xiuning for permission.
Yan Feng offered, “I’ll go ask. Xing Shi is in the boss’s office right now, and since this is related to him, he may not want to hear more about it. I’ll notify him myself.”
The manager was relieved. “Thank you, Teacher Yan.”
Yan Feng replied, “It’s no trouble.” Finally, he had a legitimate reason to head upstairs and quickly made his way to the elevator.
Meanwhile, Xing Shi was still exchanging notes with Fu Xiuning.
He had interrupted the two systems’ conversation and begun questioning Top Draw.
Top Draw explained, “I think I’ve slowly regained fragments of my past memories since leaving the Main System’s energy field.”
It had detonated its energy reserves, and the resulting explosion had damaged its data and sent it into dormancy. Its current awakening wasn’t due to Yu Yi but a result of its data naturally reorganizing. After two consecutive periods of dormancy, it had recovered numerous unfamiliar memories—though incomplete and fragmented, they contained enough information to reveal the truth.
It continued, “This isn’t the first world the Main System has attempted to conquer. I was originally a host. Back then, the Main System wasn’t as powerful as it is now, and there weren’t as many hosts—most were natives. The systems’ methods were gentler, and the language they used was more appealing.”
It paused briefly, then hesitantly added, “My memories are incomplete, but based on the fragments, if I wasn’t the ultimate winner, I was probably very close to it.”
System 99 was shocked: “What?”
Xing Shi had already deduced that systems and hosts shared a common origin after learning they had once been human. Coupled with the existence of “transmigrating hosts,” he had begun forming his theories.
He asked the key question: “What happens to the conquest targets?”
Top Draw went silent for a moment before replying, “They seem to meet the same fate as us—they’re all consumed by the Main System.”
Xing Shi wrote this down on paper and passed it to Fu Xiuning.
Fu Xiuning glanced at the note, his expression calm.
He’d already had a vague premonition—if a host successfully conquered him, it would likely mean his death.
Xing Shi looked at him. Seeing no intention to write anything in response, Xing Shi took the initiative to ask, “Why is Fu Xiuning the conquest target in this world?”
Top Draw said, “I don’t know. It seems like there’s more than one target in each world.”
Its memories were too limited, and much remained unclear. What it remembered most vividly was that both hosts and conquest targets were eventually consumed and assimilated by the Main System. They were then repurposed to conquer another target in another world.
Its tone turned icy. “The Main System has ruined me. I won’t let it go. I’m going back.”
System 99, overwhelmed by the flood of information, stammered, “B-But if you go back, you’ll die.”
Top Draw turned to it and said, “We’re already dead. Our bodies have long since rotted in another world, leaving behind only fragments of our souls.”
Still reeling from having its energy drained, System 99 hadn’t regained its memories. But hearing this, a profound sadness washed over it.
It felt as if it could see the desolation of the world the Main System had consumed, as well as its own long-decayed body. Overwhelmed, it burst into tears. “Waaahhh!”
Top Draw: “…”
Xing Shi had known from the moment Top Draw mentioned being a “nail in the system” that it intended to return.
If this system had wanted to expose him, it would’ve sent out messages as soon as it had gained energy from Yan Feng. Instead, it had come to him, effectively seeking its own destruction. This made its claims of revenge largely believable.
But returning wouldn’t be so simple. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a journey home—it’d be a suicide mission.
First, they needed to disguise their energy to avoid arousing the Main System’s suspicion. Second, they would have to build protective layers to prevent the Main System’s energy from wiping their memories again and turning them into accomplices.
Clearly, Top Draw understood this, which was why it had taken the risk of seeking him out.
Xing Shi nodded. “I’ll think of a plan.”
He wrote these details down as well.
Fu Xiuning, watching from the side, noticed Xing Shi writing “Yan Feng” next and realized Top Draw’s topic must be finished. He reached out to stop Xing Shi’s hand.
Xing Shi looked up.
Fu Xiuning noticed the fine sheen of sweat on Xing Shi’s forehead. Silently mouthing “No rush,” he said warmly, “If you’re tired, go take a nap.”
Xing Shi put down the pen.
Fu Xiuning tossed the paper into the shredder and returned to help him up.
Xing Shi said, “I can walk on my own.”
Fu Xiuning returned his earlier words: “But your brother thinks you’re weak.”
Xing Shi chuckled and leaned his weight fully against him.
Fu Xiuning’s expression didn’t falter. Wrapping an arm around Xing Shi’s waist, he half-supported, half-carried him toward the break room.
System 99, done crying, muttered, “Tch.”
Top Draw: “?”
Top Draw couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you have anything to say?”
System 99 responded, “Of course I do! They’re such a perfect match, don’t you think?”
Top Draw paused for a moment before replying, “…Yeah, they really are.”
System 99 suddenly realized something. “Oh right, Xing Shi, when did you two start working together? Did you tell Fu Xiuning about the conquest missions? How did I not notice any of this?”
Top Draw calmly said, “Not surprising.”
System 99 snapped, “You shut up! This has nothing to do with you!”
Just as Xing Shi was about to speak, a knock came from the office door.
The next second, Yan Feng pushed it open and entered. His gaze landed on the two of them, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What’s going on here?”
Xing Shi straightened up slightly and said helplessly, “The more I think about it, the more scared I get. It really feels like I’ve encountered something supernatural.”
Fu Xiuning lightly chided, “Don’t spout nonsense.” He glanced at Yan Feng. “Do you need something?”
Yan Feng explained his reason for coming, saying that the atmosphere among the trainees had been low. After discussing it with the teachers, he wanted to take them out for a change of scenery. “Xing Shi got dragged into this unfairly, and the teachers are worried about his state of mind. So I came to check on him and get your opinion.”
Fu Xiuning, aware of Yan Feng’s true intentions, was happy to watch him spend money and nodded. “It’s rare to see you care so much about others. Go ahead.”
Yan Feng had already prepared a response. With a calm demeanor, he said, “After all, I’ve taught them before. It’s my responsibility as their instructor.”
Fu Xiuning nodded again and turned to Xing Shi.
Xing Shi waved his hand weakly. “I want to sleep for a while. You all have fun without me.”
Seeing that Xing Shi’s complexion indeed didn’t look great, Yan Feng offered a few words of concern before leaving.
He felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “Supernatural stories really do work. Even that troublesome system ended up redeeming itself a bit.”
The system agreed, “Yeah, it’s a small blessing amidst all the misfortune.”
Yan Feng sneered, “Xing Shi’s courage is so-so. Getting scared so easily—he’s not much after all.”
The system offered an explanation, “He’s probably one of those people with heightened sensitivity. He likely picked up on the energy disturbance and then saw Yu Yi’s breakdown firsthand. Of course, he’d be scared.”
It added, “But that’s for ordinary people. You, Boss, were calm and collected from the moment you transmigrated and were bound to the system. I knew then that you were anything but ordinary!”
Yan Feng was slightly pleased with the flattery and hummed in acknowledgment. He began discussing the possibility that Xing Shi might forget some of the details after being scared. “I’ll find an opportunity to test him. We can’t put all our hopes on luck. We need to come up with a foolproof plan. Keep an eye on him and monitor his state when he wakes up. If he tries to tell Fu Xiuning about what happened, we’ll immediately interrupt with a phone call.”
The system responded, “Understood.”
Yan Feng added, “And we can’t leave Yu Yi unchecked either. We need to make sure he stays locked up in the psychiatric hospital so he doesn’t go down with us and expose everything.”
He sighed with irritation. “What’s with this ridiculous duo? They’re both a mess. What was the Main System thinking when it selected them?”
The system was equally exasperated. “I have no idea.”
Yan Feng snorted and took the elevator back to the third floor, where the training department manager was waiting for him.
At that moment, he felt like the sky was falling. Xing Shi’s crisis might have been temporarily averted, but now that he’d arranged an outing, he couldn’t cancel it. The money was as good as spent.
He asked his system, “Which park in Z City is the best?”
The system hesitated. “…Boss, this might not be a good idea.”
Yan Feng frowned. “What’s wrong with sightseeing to relax?”
The system explained, “But with a group like yours, it’ll attract too much attention. If people recognize you, you might get mobbed. And the next time you need something from these trainees, they might be less cooperative.”
Yan Feng: “…”
The system added, “I understand your intentions are good, but your public persona limits your options.”
Though frustrated, Yan Feng maintained his usual composed demeanor and decided he’d wrap things up by noon. His reasoning was solid—he didn’t want to disrupt the trainees’ afternoon classes.
The system managed to placate him and then checked on Xing Shi, finding that he really was resting. Finally able to relax, it opened the group chat to wrap up the situation.
Since the incident, its focus had been on the evolving crisis. It had even burned through energy to monitor Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning the entire time. After sending that last cryptic message, it hadn’t checked the group until now.
Green Bean Paste: [What does the senior mean?]
All of You Are Concubines: [They must’ve encountered a host.]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [@Latecomer Surpasses, are you guys okay? How did things escalate to the point of faking madness?]
Green Bean Paste: [Who’s the other party?]
All of You Are Concubines: [It’s not me, is it you? @Long Live Pretty Faces]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [I thought the same. Their host seems difficult to deal with.]
Green Bean Paste: [But there’s one senior who hasn’t spoken yet.]
All of You Are Concubines: [Once you spend time with Top Draw, you’ll know it wouldn’t let its host descend into madness.]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [@Top Draw, what happened? Come out and explain!]
But Top Draw didn’t respond.
After a moment, the two systems familiar with it started to grow suspicious.
All of You Are Concubines: [It’s not really you, is it? @Top Draw]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [What happened on your end?]
Green Bean Paste: [@Long Live Pretty Faces, you’ve been awfully quiet too.]
All of You Are Concubines: [@Latecomer Surpasses, who did you run into? Did the three of you somehow meet?]
When Latecomer Surpasses opened the group chat and saw the rampant speculation, it was stunned.
It had expected its cryptic message to result in other systems investigating Fu Xiuning and the chaos involving Yu Yi, leading to suspicions about its own host.
What it hadn’t anticipated was that the conversation was still stuck on its initial message.
Frantically, it checked the list of group members, only to find that no one was missing. Refusing to believe it, it exited and reopened the chat—same result. Its vision went dark.
Yan Feng, pretending to stay composed as he led a group downstairs, heard his system say, “Boss, there’s a situation…”
His heart sank. He pulled out his phone. “Xing Shi isn’t asleep?”
The system said with difficulty, “No… our group didn’t lose any members.”
It took Yan Feng a few seconds to realize the implication, and his expression changed. “So it really did bind to Xing Shi? And his state earlier wasn’t fear—it was the first-level punishment?”
The system insisted, “That’s absolutely impossible. It didn’t have enough energy!”
Yan Feng retorted, “And weren’t we told systems couldn’t unbind from their hosts? Didn’t it do that too? You can’t use common sense to judge it!”
The system replied, “But even for something special, it still has to follow the laws of energy. That’s an objective fact—what’s insufficient is insufficient.”
Yan Feng snapped, “Then why hasn’t it disappeared?”
The system admitted, “I don’t know either.”
Yan Feng ordered, “Go to the group chat and start asking questions. Drag it out of hiding!”
The system obeyed and sent a message.
Latecomer Surpasses: [Hey, whoever’s involved, come out now. Don’t make me expose your host’s name.]
The other systems noticed the message and began to bubble up.
Green Bean Paste: [Welcome back, senior~]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [Did you settle things on your end?]
All of You Are Concubines: [Ooh, go ahead and expose it~ I love drama. Don’t be all talk.]
Latecomer Surpasses waited a moment before sending another message.
Latecomer Surpasses: [@Top Draw @Long Live Pretty Faces, do you two have anything to say?]
Latecomer Surpasses: [And the rest of you—stop playing dumb. We’re all old foxes here. I’ll give you one minute to fess up. If you don’t, I’ll report this to the Main System. I’m sure it’d be very interested in your current state.]
All of You Are Concubines: [Tsk. I love watching drama, but running to tattle? That’s just boring.]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [Exactly. Let’s talk it out. No need to escalate this.]
Green Bean Paste: [Calm down, senior.]
Latecomer Surpasses: [You don’t know what I’ve been through, so don’t spout nonsense. I mean what I say. The timer starts now!]
Both Top Draw and 99 stared at the messages in the group chat and called out to Xing Shi.
Neither of them had enough energy to respond.
Finally, 99 began to feel something was seriously wrong, and a sense of unease crept over it. “Um… who is Yu Yi’s system? Why are they so calm?”
Top Draw broke it to them: “It’s you.”
99 immediately denied it. “No way! You’re lying!”
Top Draw forced it to face the truth. “I’ve been on Yu Yi’s body before. He’s a transmigrated host, but he didn’t have a system. He said he came here on the day of the trainee class assignments, and Xing Shi was present at the time. You’ve got the wrong person.”
99 grew more panicked. “I don’t want to hear it! How could that unlucky wretch be my host? Someone like him isn’t worthy of someone as noble as me!”
Top Draw ignored its tantrum and asked Xing Shi, “How do you want to handle this?”
Xing Shi, who hadn’t yet fallen asleep, thought for a moment and asked, “Have you ever revealed anything about your host to the others?”
Top Draw replied, “No.”
Xing Shi continued, “In over a year here, have you said anything that could give them clues about your host?”
Top Draw confirmed, “Nothing.”
Xing Shi decided, “Then you go handle it.”
Top Draw reminded him, “If Yan Feng contacts Yu Yi, we’re all exposed.”
Xing Shi reassured it, “I won’t give him that chance.”
He activated his magic core and attempted to transfer energy to Top Draw.
Top Draw resisted the urge to flee and accepted the energy. It discovered that this energy felt remarkably similar to a system’s energy and, suppressing its confusion, entered the group chat.
Top Draw: [Me.]
The other systems immediately perked up.
All of You Are Concubines: [Oh ho, did you crash and burn?]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [So you really did snap?]
Green Bean Paste: [Wow, hello, senior~]
Latecomer Surpasses was a bit surprised.
It had initially suspected Long Live Pretty Faces more, given that Yu Yi had only joined the company this year. Although that system had once hinted that its host was a Z University student, they all had such shallow relationships that making up a lie was easy.
However, considering that Yan Feng and Fu Xiuning hadn’t interacted much over the past year, Top Draw having a host who only entered the company after a year wasn’t entirely illogical. Moreover, based on their prior interactions, Top Draw’s tone matched the impression it gave.
Latecomer Surpasses: [My host wants to know what happened.]
Top Draw: [The host wanted to fake madness. I couldn’t stop them.]
Latecomer Surpasses: [Then why did you crash into someone?]
Top Draw: [The host wanted revenge. I tried to dissuade them but failed.]
Latecomer Surpasses: [And now?]
Top Draw: [I’m counseling the host.]
Latecomer Surpasses: […Alright.]
It turned back to report to Yan Feng. “It probably saved a bit of energy and returned to Yu Yi. Systems can only stay inside their hosts. Floating outside for too long would drain all their energy.”
Yan Feng was silent for a few seconds before muttering, “What a lunatic.”
He added, “It asked us for energy just to ram into someone. I knew they were unhinged!”
The system agreed, “Absolutely.”
Yan Feng instructed, “Tell it I’ll visit Yu Yi when I have time to discuss things further.”
The system understood. Top Draw still being around meant the unbinding issue was still on the table.
Latecomer Surpasses: [My host says we should meet sometime.]
Top Draw: [Okay.]
The other systems, who had been observing the drama, couldn’t help chiming in.
All of You Are Concubines: [Tsk, you were about to go at each other, and now you’ve made up?]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [This is good, though. Harmony brings prosperity.]
Green Bean Paste: [Agreed~]
Despite their words, the other systems submitted requests to their hosts to investigate Fu Xiuning’s surroundings for any signs of madness.
Upon receiving approval, they quickly ran their checks—and this time, they found something.
All of You Are Concubines: [@Top Draw, is Yu Yi your host? @Latecomer Surpasses, which one of Xing Shi or Yan Feng is your host?]
Latecomer Surpasses: [It’s obviously Yan Feng. His background is the most fitting.]
Green Bean Paste: [Oh, I know him. He was trending recently. Is his health okay now?]
Latecomer Surpasses: [He’s fine. Perfectly healthy.]
99, watching the developments, nervously updated Xing Shi. “They’re starting to figure it out. What do we do?”
Xing Shi replied, “They won’t fully confirm it.”
For one, Yu Yi joining the company at a later time didn’t align with Top Draw’s timeline. And for another, Yan Feng didn’t fit the typical image of a host. They might suspect something, but they’d still need more evidence.
99 hesitated. “Should I say something? If I don’t, it might look suspicious.”
Xing Shi refused outright. “No. The next time you speak, just give a simple explanation.”
99 obediently agreed, “Got it.”
Top Draw didn’t speak again, and after exchanging a few more words, Latecomer Surpasses also went quiet. The other systems, still harboring doubts, ended their discussion, and the group fell silent once more.
Xing Shi slept until noon, only waking when Fu Xiuning called him.
Fu Xiuning sat by the bed, looking at him. “How are you feeling? Hungry?”
Xing Shi stretched lazily, not wanting to move. “Can you grab me something from the cafeteria?”
Fu Xiuning nodded. “What do you want?”
Xing Shi replied, “Anything’s fine. We have similar tastes. Just get something you like. I’ll definitely like it too.”
99 made another exasperated noise. “Tch.”
After Fu Xiuning left, it asked Xing Shi, “Be honest. Are you two already dating?”
Xing Shi answered, “Of course not. He’s my unrelated-by-blood older brother!”
99 thought it over and cheerfully told Top Draw, “Great news! They’re dating.”
Top Draw paused, “What makes you think that?”
99 explained, “It’s their code. I finally get it now. All this talk about ‘Brother’ and ‘younger brother’—it’s all just secret signals. Hah… their little tricks won’t fool me anymore!”
Xing Shi: “…”
Top Draw: “?”
