《Asked you to write a book, not to confess your criminal record!》 Chapter 1: 1: Suspect Mr. Lin? Chapter 1: Suspect Mr. Lin?
Name. Lin Chuan. Age. 24. upation. Novelist.
In the parallel world of Anling City, inside the interrogation room of the criminal investigation team, Lin Chuan faced the stern questioning of two police officers, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles. Novelist, so youre a writer. The lead interrogating female police officer, Shen Qianqian, had her hair tied back in a ponytail, neat and tidy, which highlighted her delicate features, her clear eyes steadily focusing on Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan was surprised, Is a novelist considered a writer? Shen Qianqian thought for a moment, I suppose so. Lin Chuan straightened up, sitting upright, as this was a recognition of some sort for a struggling writer. Shen Qianqian asked, Why were you summoned? Lin Chuan immediately shook his head and said, I dont know. That morning. Lin Chuan was full of ambition, ready to write with gusto on hisputer. However, two police officers suddenly showed up at his door, Lin Chuan, we suspect you havemitted a serious crime. Come with us, please. But Lin Chuan couldnt for the life of him understand, what could a serious novelist, who merely writes books, have done tomit a crime?
The only possibility was a text message he receivedst week: Brother, are you home alone? For 200 Yuan, I cane over and help with yourundry. But Lin Chuan was too thrifty to spend that 200 Yuan; after much thought, he ended up washing his clothes by hand. Back in the interrogation room. Shen Qianqian frowned and took out a photo, cing it in front of Lin Chuan, Do you remember this ce? The photo showed a bedroom in full view. In the center was a soft,rge bed with neatly folded bedding, on the side a wardrobe and vanity, the room lit brightly, exuding a clean and cozy atmosphere. After examining the photo several times, Lin Chuan still shook his head, I dont remember it. Shen Qianqian exchanged a nce with the male officer taking notes beside her. Then, Shen Qianqian took out another photo, What about this one? Does it ring any bells? The photo was of a brown-ck door, with room number 2001. Lin Chuan shook his head again, No impression. However, the semiconductor fingerprint smart lock on the door, Lin Chuan recognized it at a nce.
It was a household fingerprint anti-theft electronic lock retailing for 1998 Yuan, equipped with a Grade C lock cylinder, very high in security. Shen Qianqian fell silent. The other officer also looked intently at Lin Chuan. Suddenly, the interrogation room became quiet. Feeling the gazes of the two officers on him, Lin Chuan felt uneasy, as if ants were crawling all over his body. People who frequently visit the station know that the interrogation room is a rtively closed space, with cold walls, an oppressive and serious atmosphere, exerting an invisible pressure on the person inside. Someone with a weaker mental fortitude might have already confessed to which adult films they had seen. Officers, may I ask, what crime did Imit? Lin Chuan asked, feeling anxious. After a long silence, Shen Qianqian responded, We strongly suspect that you are involved in a burry. Startled, Lin Chuan quickly became anxious, Officer, you cant nder someones innocence like this! Liu had at least eaten his bowl of noodles, but I havent touched it!
nder someones innocence? Shen Qianqian huffed, Yesterday, that is, March 9, you published a novel, you remember, dont you? Lin Chuan was confused, Writing novels isnt a crime, right? Shen Qianqian smiled, In your novel, you clearly recorded the entire process of a perfect burry in Jiangnan Residential Community. Lin Chuan was shocked and immediately defended himself, That is a fictional work, you cant just charge me with a crime based on that, can you? Shen Qianqianughed, Fictional? As if I would really go out and steal? Lin Chuan retorted, I always abide by thew! We suspect that this isnt fiction youve made up, but your diary! Shen Qianqians face changed suddenly, and she pressed the issue. Lin Chuan was taken aback, Who writes diaries if theyre respectable? Shen Qianqian flipped through a stack of documents, At 19:23 on March 8th, we received a report from the owner of house number 9-2-2001 in the Jiangnan Residential Community of Qingxiu District, that jewelry worth a hundred thousand yuan had vanished into thin air. Lin Chuan hurriedly defended himself, Thats got nothing to do with me. Listen to me first.
Shen Qianqian stretched out her hand, signaling Lin Chuan to pause, That night at 19:38, our criminal investigation team arrived at the scene to collect evidence and initially concluded that this was a nearly perfect burry. Lin Chuan was stunned, this case His expression did not escape Shen Qianqians observation, Afterparing, the descriptions in your novel closely match the details of the case, almost eighty percent simr. What? Lin Chuans eyes widened. Complete nonsense, utter nonsense! Shen Qianqian seemed confident, In your novel, you described the lock on the door of room 2001 as follows: On the dark brown door, there was a smart fingerprint lock with a grade C lock core, very secure, but not difficult to open. Furthermore, you detailed the lock-picking process. Our criminal investigators easily opened this lock using the method described in your novel. Hisss! Lin Chuan himself took a sharp intake of breath, Officer, if I say its a coincidence, would you believe me? A coincidence? Shen Qianqianughed sarcastically instead of getting angry, The bedroom scene in room 2001 was almost exactly the same as the detail in your novel, and you call that a coincidence?
Well, this Lin Chuan hadnt recovered from the shock yet. This waspletely beyond his expectations. Continuing to press with evidence, Shen Qianqian produced something else, Additionally, we found this in your home. As she spoke, a small ck bag about the size of a palm was ced in front of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuans face changed, he knew very well what was inside. These were professional lock-picking tools he had bought online, including pliers, screwdrivers, bump keys, and wires. How do you exin this? Shen Qianqian asked. Lin Chuan exined, I recently learned lock-picking. Shen Qianqian clearly didnt believe him, Why would a novelist learn lock-picking? Lin Chuan was somewhat embarrassed, Because Im broke. Shen Qianqian frowned and muttered, I thought authors made good money? Lin Chuans straight spine almost bent under the weight of that remark. Influent Authors are the real writers. Failing authors are called scribblers. How much can a failing scribbler earn? Lin Chuan had no choice but to exin, Comrade officer, I really dont make much money from writing novels, so So you took the risk andmitted burry? Shen Qianqians eyes sharpened. Lin Chuan quickly waved his hands, protesting, Absolutely not! I bought these lock-picking tools only to take up a side job for some extra ie. However, weve checked your records, and you did not register it, Shen Qianqian stared at Lin Chuan. Even part-time lock-picking needs to be registered with the station. Lin Chuan showed a bitter expression, I hadnt got around to registering yet when you came. Excuses! Shen Qianqian snorted coldly, The stolen jewelry is worth a hundred thousand. Given therge amount involved, you could be sentenced from three to ten years of fixed-term imprisonment. If you confess, we can seek a lighter sentence or leniency for you. I really didntmit any burry, how can I confess? Lin Chuan cried injustice! How could my novel match up with the case, with details eighty percent simr? And now, Ive be a suspect! Chapter 2: 2: Isn’t this too much of a coincidence? Chapter 2: Isnt this too much of a coincidence?
Still not ready to confess? Shen Qianqian asked coldly. This was the first case she had taken on after transferring to the Criminal Investigation Team, involving a huge amount of money. The chief personally urged to crack the case as soon as possible. Looking back at the case, the suspect had not left any fingerprints in the room, not even footprints. There was only a lock at the door, which, after meticulous investigation, revealed slight traces of tampering. As for surveince, the criminal suspect had already destroyed it. At that time, facing this perfect level of burry, the entire criminal investigation team was at a loss where to start.
As Shen Qianqian feltpletely stumped, she happened to see a novel. Novel author: Mr. Lin. The protagonist of the book was a thief. This immediately piqued Shen Qianqians interest, and as she followed the story up to the most recent chapter, Shen Qianqian was astonished. In Mr. Lins novel, thetest chapter detailing a theft was rmingly simr to the perfect burry that had urred in the Jiangnan Residential Community of Qingxiu District! Coincidence? Impossible! Unless it was his own experience. She suddenly remembered a saying: every suspect whomits a perfect crime will record the entire process of the case in some form, which they consider their art. So, seemingly a novel, Mr. Lins book was actually a record of the crime. The possibility was significant! Inside the interrogation room.
Lin Chuan wore a troubled expression, Officer, I have never been to that Jiangnan Residential Community! How can you convict me just because my novel resembles the case? Never been there? Shen Qianqians brows furrowed, Your novel has about an eighty percent simrity to the case, please exin that. If the novel was published before the crime happened, it would be a prophecy. If the crime happened first and then the novel was published, it would be considered a crime record. In Lin Chuans case, it was thetter. He didnt understand thew well and didnt know if the simrity between a novels plot and a case could make him a criminal suspect, but the current situation was very unfavorable for him. Several big names in the online fiction circle wrote themselves into their stories. Officer, the plot of my novel came from a dream I had, Lin Chuan tried to exin. The dream was an excuse fabricated by Lin Chuan. In reality, he was a system owner. On March 7th, Lin Chuan activated the Career Life Experience System, which allowed one to experience different careers lives by umting a certain Poprity Value.
Simr to a life simtor, it was conducted in first-person perspective using Virtual Reality AR technology. Every scene felt as real as an actual experience. Afterpleting the experience, Lin Chuan would gain the skills of that profession, and the life experiences he went through would automatically generate a novel. The system gifted him a Life Experience Card upon initiation. Lin Chuan immediately began to Experience Life. Unexpectedly, the first career he experienced turned out to be a thief! After the experience, Lin Chuan gained a series of theft-rted skills, and his life experiences automatically generated the novel Thief. What a predicament! Lin Chuan decided to try and publish the novel Thief, but the editor Youyou was on leave, dying its release until March 9th. A dream isnt that a bit too coincidental? Shen Qianqianughed. No wonder he was a novelist; making up stories came naturally to him.
But no matter how much he fabricated, it couldnt possibly have such a high degree of simrity to the case. A novel as a record of crime, possession of aplete set of professional lock-picking tools, strong lock-picking skills and no record Buff stacked to the max! So, there was only one truth! Lin Chuan was in the police station for the first time and was very nervous, repeatedly emphasizing, But on March 8th, I didnt go to the Jiangnan Residential Community in Qingxiu District at all. We retrieved the surveince footage from themunity where you rent your house, and it shows you went out around 4 pm, which matches the time of the crime exactly! Shen Qianqian said. ording to the marks on the door lock at the scene, the crime should have urred within the past three hours, which is between 4 pm and 7 pm. Lin Chuan argued back, I went out that day because I was helping my reader catch a cheater. Shen Qianqian was stunned, ??? The male officer who had been taking notes also stopped writing, ??? Do those involved in inte novel literature all have such wild imaginations?
Even daring to weave a tale about helping readers catch a cheater? Who would believe that? Tell me about it. Shen Qianqian eyed Lin Chuan suspiciously. Lin Chuan exined everything in detail. It turned out that Lin Chuan was an unsessful novel writer whose work had never been well received. He didnt socialize much and mostly just chatted with fellow writers and readers. Over time, he became familiar with his readers. Lin Chuan would chat with the readers about anything, including that he could pick locks. On the 8th. Suddenly, a reader from Anling City contacted Lin Chuan via voice message, saying he couldnt enter his home because the door had been locked from the inside. He suspected his wife was cheating and hoped Lin Chuan could help him pick the lock.
The reader then sent over his property deed, identity card, and other information. After much consideration, Lin Chuan decided to help him out. The lock was picked. The reader cried. His suspicions were confirmed; his wife was cheating. Lin Chuan described the events in great detail, leaving the two police officers stunned. This kind of scenario is really quite rare in real life. With such a talent for storytelling, your novels shouldnt be flopping, Shen Qianqian said, giving Lin Chuan a strange look. Lin Chuans mouth twitched. That really hit home! But the story wasnt made up! Officer, Im telling the truth. You can ask the reader. He even has a video of catching the cheater, I should be in it. Shen Qianqian and another officer were skeptical. After asking for the contact information of the reader, Shen Qianqian stepped out of the interrogation room and called the reader. After a long wait. Shen Qianqian re-entered the room, Lin Chuan, youve been cleared of suspicion. It was confirmed that Lin Chuan indeed went to catch a cheater and had an solid alibi. Lin Chuan left the interrogation room, relieved. But you cant leave yet! Shen Qianqians beautiful eyes looked at Lin Chuan as she smiled. Lin Chuan was taken aback, Why not? Shen Qianqian smiled sweetly, revealing shallow dimples, You can pick locks, but you havent registered with the police station yet. You need toe with me to the public security bureau to make a record. After confirming Lin Chuan wasnt a suspect, Shen Qianqians attitude towards him changed significantly, less oppressive than in the interrogation room and a bit more gentle. Thank you, officer. Lin Chuan let out a sigh of relief, hurriedly thanked her, and once again noticed how delicate Shen Qianqian looked and how her voice was slightly muffled. Who would have thought that such a girl would be a criminal detective? Could it be she apprehends criminals by saying, Hello, may I see your ID please (in a Taiwanese ent)? So pure, yet so prison-like, I dare not think further. With Shen Qianqian leading the way, Lin Chuan smoothlypleted the lock-picking registration. At the entrance of the police station. Lin Chuan, your novels are so realistic and immersive, I think you dont need to take up lock-picking as a side job, Shen Qianqians curly eyshes and shallow dimples made her smile very attractive. Officer Shen is joking. Lin Chuan said with a bitter smile, shaking his head helplessly. When he first started writing novels, he thought highly of himself and believed just that. Now he understood, flopping was the norm. Struggling to get by on perfect attendance was the reality. If he didnt find a side job, he might not even be able to pay the utility bills. Failure, always a constant in life. Dammit! Chapter 3: 3: Experience the New Career Immediately? Chapter 3: Experience the New Career Immediately?
Overcast skies, the sky a nket of gray, like a massive curtain folded upon itself, hiding the warmth of the sun beyond the clouds, felt somewhat oppressive, as though rain was about to fall. Lin Chuan walked out of the police station and boarded the Route 13 bus without hesitation. Ring-ring-ring His phone rang. Mom, whats up? Lin Chuan answered the call. Chuan, hows the novel youve been writinging along? His mother asked with concern from the other end of the phone.
Lin Chuans face twisted with bitterness, Its not going well recently. Not going well, eh? Chuan, your auntie came by today and mentioned that her workce is hiring clerical staff, contract-based. Why dont you give it a try? Your auntie said the sry is decent. Including subsidies, you could make four or five thousand a month, and if you do well, theres even a chance to be a regr employee. That would mean job security for the future. His mother rambled on and on. After thinking for a moment, Lin Chuan replied, Ill consider it. His mother began to worry about his life-long matters, If you have a job at an institution, itll be easier to find a girlfriend. Remember that girl Hua from next door? She already has a kid Lin Chuan gave a bitterugh. A girlfriend It wasnt as though there had never been a girl he liked, but shortly after they graduated, she married a rich second-generation and is now a married woman. Cough, although shes be more attractive, Lin Chuan has gradually drifted further and further from her. Out of reach. Chuan, are you listening to me? You stay in your rented room writing novels all day, not going out. Where will you find a girlfriend? Are you waiting for the girls toe knocking on your door? His mother inevitably nagged a bit.
Girlsing to knock on my door? Well, dont you know, there actually was one! Only she was wearing a police uniform, taking me to the police station, locking me in an interrogation room, and grilling me fiercely. But such a girl was nothing more than a ship passing in the night to me. Meet again? Forget it, Lin Chuan is scared Shen Qianqian might drag him back into the interrogation room for questioning. Too draconian! Absolutely nightmarish! Get out more, you hear me? his mother reminded again. Lin Chuan agreed, Okay, I got it. After hanging up, Lin Chuan looked out at the dim cityscape through the bus window, feeling the hard seats of the bus, quite ufortable, not nearly as soft as those in the interrogation room. Lin Chuan took a deep breath and briefly summarized his current situation.
Good news: He possessed a golden opportunity. Bad news: The golden opportunity was a bit tricky. Good news: He could generate novels automatically. Bad news: It almostnded him in jail. This golden opportunity, well Lin Chuan thought it resembled a mystery box. Careers were random. If he could experience some remarkable careers, then he would likely have a chance to gain the corresponding skills That would mean life on easy mode! But his first time, he experienced life as a Thief, receiving lock-picking skills. That was seriously tricky! So, Lin Chuan had to pin his hopes on writing novels.
There isnt a child that cries every day, nor a novel that flops with each release, right? As for love, marriage, and carrying on the family linethose life events werent even within Lin Chuans considerations. When making ends meet was a problem, what was the use in thinking so far ahead? With money, he would have everything. It might seem utilitarian, but faced with the stark reality, thats just how it was. Money can solve most problems. As for the things money cant solve, those arent for Lin Chuan to worry about. So, make money! Lin Chuan opened his system panel. [Work: Life of a Thief] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 76/100] Life of a Thief, 329,000 words, was published all at once on Sailing Novel Website.
Sailing Novel Website is a rtively liberal tform; you can publish serialized novels or release everything at once. It uses AI algorithms to distribute and rmend works. (Parallel world) Just 24 more average subscriptions, and I can unlock the next career experience, Lin Chuan said with a knowing smile. After that, Lin Chuan opened the QQ reader group with great interest. In the reader group with dozens of members, many people were @ing Mr. Lin. [Author, your book is written so realistically!] [Its too thrilling, author youve got talent!] [Eh, somethings off, Author you should be popping up about now!] [Its been over three hours, howe theres no sign of you?] [You didnt really get locked up, did you?] [Its quite possible he went out to look for new inspiration and got arrested on the spot!] [] Lin Chuanughed and quickly sent a photo with the caption at the police station to the group to dispel the rumors: Bros, Im not locked up!
The group wasnt big, but it was rather active. [Holy moly, author, did you really get locked up?] [Did you actually go out to find inspiration?] [Sheesh! Author, youre actually living your diary!] Lin Chuan hurriedly defended himself, Go away, I am a good citizen just helping the police with an investigation, dont get weird ideas! [I dont believe it, theres got to be some case on you, Author!] [Case closed, no wonder its written so realistically!] [Using whats at hand, is this why the author never hits a block?] [At this rate, with one word from you and one from me, the author will end up in prison!] A few active readers were stirring things up. The mood in the group suddenly became jubnt. [Author, hurry up and teach me some lock-picking skills, there are still some locks I cant open.] [Little brother, you were supposed to read the book, and now youre learning the tricks?] [The author is so awesome, definitely a writer with techniques and practical experience!] [Whatever the author writes next, Im definitely following!] [I also want to learn some new skills, hehe] [+1] [+1] The next book? Lin Chuan leaned back on the stiff bus seat, muttering to himself. The next book, huh. When the average subscription reaches 100, Ill experience a new life, then Ill know. Hehe The Route 13 bus wove through Anling City. Arriving at the stop, Chuan got off. Lin Chuan returned to Happiness Community from the police station. This was an old neighborhood, with no crossbar restricting vehicle entry or exit, pale brick walls, and peeling ster, which looked like it had grown moss, all faded and old under the gray sky. The slow pace here was out of sync with Anling Citys rapid rhythm, seeming more like a chugging old trainclunking and jolting For Lin Chuan, as long as it was livable, that was enough. As for everything else, it didnt matter. Lin Chuan, free from suspicion of any crime, felt light-hearted as he quickly opened the metal door of his rental, ready to boil some instant noodles. Then. He turned on theputer, focusing on the average subscription data on the backend. But Life of a Thief wasnt attracting much interest, and the subscription rate grew very slowly. Until the three hands of the clock lined up at the 12 oclock position. [Work: Life of a Thief] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription Number): 100/100] The Poprity Value finally reached 100! At that moment. A sweet electronic female voice arrived as expected. [Always full of enthusiasm, always with anticipation, a new life, a new experience.] [Congrattions, the novel adapted from the thief life you experienced has reached 100 average subscriptions, that is, 100 Poprity Points, and you can unlock a new career experience.] [Would you like to immediately experience a new career and start a new life?] Chapter 4: 4 I am so terrible! Chapter 4: I am so terrible!
The sound of rain gently pattered outside the rented rooms window, rhythmically in the silent night, asionally a whiff of wind would slip through the cracks of the window, stirring the eardrums,posing a soothing and light folk song. The gloomy weather of the day, like many worries knotted in the chest, Lin Chuan liked it better now, with a little rain. Listening to the voices in his mind, Lin Chuan revealed a smile. A new profession, a new life, had arrived. It was less to call it a life experience, and more a pass that allowed Lin Chuan to walk from reality into the Virtual World. This Virtual World was just like opening a blind boxthere was an unknown expectation waiting for Lin Chuan.
Experience a new life immediately! The next instant, Lin Chuans vision began to intertwine reality with the Virtual Reality. He could hear the rain outside the window, feel the chill of the night wind prating the room, and he could also experience the fresh sensory impact brought by another Virtual World. I hope this time its a beautiful life experience. Lin Chuan silently prayed in his heart. [Each experience is your beautiful memory.] [This system will save this memory for you in the form of a novel.] [In this experience, your profession is] [Swindler!] Lin Chuans eyes bulged. Swindler? Alright, alright, so this is how you y, system?
Last time, Thief. This time, Swindler. Youre too cruel! [Congrattions, host. You have obtained a skillCheating Techniques.] [Using Virtual Reality technology, we are creating a new world for you.] With the drop of the sweet electronic sound, a new world gradually appeared before Lin Chuans eyes. In the Virtual New World, Lin Chuan had clear sensory perceptions of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste, and moreover, had a high degree of freedom to control his own behavior. He could do whatever he wanted. Inside the new world. In a huge and luxurious hall, exquisite sculptures, dazzling crystal chandeliers, and glittering gold decorationsthe halls neon lights shed non-stop, weaving into a colorful tapestry. Dreamlike and hazy. Amidst the crowded throng, Lin Chuan was there, the scent of perfume and tobo flooding his nostrils, his ears filled with a cacophony of sounds.
Someughed loudly, some cheered, and others wailed in despair. This must be a casino, Lin Chuan muttered to himself. Where a Swindler appeared, a casino was the likely ce. This life experience was truly cruel! Lin Chuan quickly made his way through the crowd, and a beautiful waitress in a white shirt and a tight-fitting ck skirt, with a graceful figure, immediately greeted him. Sir, how may I assist you? Id like to y a couple of hands. Lin Chuan had acquired the systems gifted Cheating Techniques; his mind was filled with information about dice, cards, mahjong, and more. Very well, sir, please follow me, the pretty waitress beckoned Lin Chuan up to the second floor. On the second floor, there were spacious lounges, noisy and bustling with loud voices and foulnguage amid the din. To hell with it, Im flowering on the gang! Damn it, All-in!
You wretched little cheat, your grandpas got four Ks! Lin Chuan strolled leisurely, casually entering one of the lounges. Inside the lounge, a group of gamblers with stern faces surrounded a gambling table, their eyes bloodshot from concentration, gazing intently at the table, full of expectation and tension. In front of the gambling table stood a sexy woman. She shook the Dice Cup in both hands; the dice spun and tumbled inside it, making a crisp colliding sound. In the casino, this woman was known as Dice Girl. Lin Chuans ears twitched; he could clearly hear the sound inside the Dice Cup, and every collision was subtly different. If it were another time, Lin Chuan, the casino newbie, surely wouldnt have been able to distinguish it. But now, he was a master of Cheating Techniques, no longer a neer. ck! The Dice Cupnded on the table, and the dice settled with a clear sound to the ear.
The gamblers hastily ced their bets. Lin Chuan lit a cigarette and casually tossed a chip onto the table. Bet small. No more bets! Dice Girl leaned over with a charming smile and slowly lifted the dice cup at an extremely slow speed to reveal the result. Big, big, big, big, big! Lin Chuan inadvertently caught a glimpse of the scenery when Dice Girl leaned over, and it indeed was big but was the product of technology. The dice cup was opened. 122, small. Lin Chuan had bet correctly. Lin Chuan smiled, listening dice skills werent so difficult after all. Each face of the dice had different degrees of indentations, which led to each side making different sounds upon collision and when hitting the ground.
Inside the dice cup, each collision the dice made emitted a subtle difference in sound. The sound ofnding was even more distinct and audible. Ive really done it, Ive be an expert in listening dice! The next round began. Dice Girl continued to shake the dice cup, the amplitude of her shaking wasrge, and the two mounds of technology on her chest also began to shake, drawing the gamblers gleaming eyes to unanimously look up and down. The casino was filled with a unique kind of excitement. Lin Chuan continued to ce bets. If Chen Xiaodao could turn twenty dors into twenty-five million, then earning two hundred and fifty thousand shouldnt be a problem for me, right? Lin Chuan thought to himself. However, he remained cautious and didnt ce loud bets. Theres always someone better than you are, heaven beyond the heavens. In the casino, surely there are more than one swindler. And with advanced technology nowadays, who knows what might be waiting to trap a swindler. Lin Chuan decided to keep it low and practice his hand, getting familiar with listening dice. In the following few rounds of betting, Lin Chuans bets were very urate. But each time he bet small amounts of chips and even intentionally bet wrong asionally. In a casino, a person who always wins is certainly suspicious. In the dice room, Lin Chuan made a small profit. Change venues. Lin Chuan left the dice room and entered the poker room. There are many ways to y poker. Lin Chuan sat at an All-in round table. All-in, also known as a Flush. The ultimate showdowns of God of Gamblers, Knight of Gamblers, Saint of Gamblers, they all y All-in. At the start of the game, the croupier would hand out two cards, and the yer with better cards would decide the betting amount, while others choose to call, raise, and so on, to not call is to lose. Until five cards are dealt, yers reveal their bottom cards, and the yer with the higher hand wins. Lin Chuan began to y All-in. Lin Chuan looked at this angle and quietly hummed a tune to himself. Dum-dum-dum-dum The exclusive BGM of the God of Gamblers! This scene was too novel for Lin Chuan, he had only seen it in films. But now, it was a real experience. The croupier was a handsome young man who looked at everyone, Which gentleman would like to shuffle the cards? Lin Chuan raised his hand, took the deck of cards, but only casually cut the deck a couple of times. In the gaps, he nced at the corners of several cards, with no further development. The first hand, Lin Chuan felt his cards and did not call. The second and third were the same. However, each time Lin Chuan shuffled the cards, even though it seemed casual, he caught a glimpse of several cards. By the fourth hand, Lin Chuan began to call. He had the Two of Hearts face down, with the Three of Clubs, Four of Clubs, Five of Diamonds on the table, and the final card, the Ace of Spades. Though a small straight, it already swept the board. It turned out that Lin Chuan hadnt cheated by stealing, hiding, or swapping cards; he created extremely subtle creases on the cards with each shuffle and memorized them, and after three rounds, he reshuffled the deck to arrange the cards into the sequence he wanted. The fifth hand, he won big all the same. Suddenly, a special rm sounded in the poker room and the gamblers immediately panicked. The police are here. Run! Damn it, I just won some money! Lin Chuans heart skipped a beat. Was he going to be caught so soon? Chapter 5: 5 I’ve Become a Taoist! Chapter 5: Ive Be a Taoist!
The gambling hall erupted into chaos as the gamblers bolted, scattering in all directions, not even bothering to collect their chips. This way, someone said. Lin Chuan also ducked his head, quickly blending into the departing crowd. In reality, he hoped the swindler would be caught. But in the virtual world of Experience Life, he was the swindler, and all he wanted to do was escape. If he were to be caught, wouldnt his Experience Lifee to an abrupt halt?
That simply wouldnt do. If the Experience Life wasntplete, he might not even be able to take the Cheating Techniques back to reality. Lin Chuans card skills were terrible, he always lost to all three yers when ying with friends. Learning this poker cheating technique, he didnt need to swindle, just not losing so badly would suffice. Life was already tough enough, there was no need to rub salt in the wounds. If he could pick up a thing or two, maybe when he got a girlfriend in the future and had to y mahjong with his mother-inw, he wouldnt be at such a loss. Losing everything. Cough, wishful thinking. Lin Chuan was still a single dog, with no end in sight to his bachelorhood. Real world. Night rain shattered against the windowsill, blooming in a burst of fleeting flowers, the cool breeze carrying the chill of early spring, blowing into Lin Chuans room. The experience of Life continued. Scenes after scenes, as if from a first-person point of view, projected like a movie before Lin Chuans eyes. Lin Chuan, a master of Cheating Techniques, could y dice, poker, mahjong, Pai Gow Every game was his domain in the Martial World, and he seldom met his match!
Life, as fascinating as a novel. The night rain in Anling City had stopped. Outside Lin Chuans window stretched a clear night sky, with moonlight faintly filtering through the clouds and the crystal-clear ss, illuminating the room. A sweet female voice echoed in Lin Chuans mind. [Congrattions, your Swindlers Life experience has beenpleted.] A smile spread across Lin Chuans lips. He waited for the systems next announcement. [You have acquired Cheating Techniques.] [Your swindler career experience has been automatically converted into the novel Swindler.] [Would you like to export it now?] Lin Chuanughed, Export it! Export it ruthlessly! How to export?
It turned out that the system had installed an exporting software on Lin Chuansputer. As soon as the Experience Life wasplete, this software could automatically generate the text. However, it required some time. [Exporting] [Due to the lengthy nature of the Swindlers Life experience, the novel is expected to be about 1 million words, requiring 10 hours to export.] [Current progress: 5%.] The following morning, Lin Chuan woke up. Reflecting onst nights experience, his mind was still foggy and in a daze. Compared to the Thiefs Life, the Swindlers Life contained much more information. Even after sleeping, Lin Chuans temples were still throbbing. This was clearly a sign of overusing his brain. Lin Chuan rubbed his temples, then checked the exporting progress.
[Current progress: 80%.] Its not finished yet; Ill go buy a couple of decks of ying cards to try out the Cheating Techniques. Lin Chuan quickly washed up and headed downstairs. His rental apartment was on the sixth floor, a walk-up building without an elevator. Below was a small supermarket owned by Old Zhang, thendlord. Today, the sun was shining bright. Inside the small supermarket, it wasnt Old Zhang behind the counter but a rather pretty girl in a loose hoodie and gray sweatpants, sucking on a lollipop. Lin Chuan recognized her. She was Old Zhangs daughter, Zhang. Lin Chuan strode into the supermarket: Zhang, grab me a couple of decks of ying cards. Zhang jumped up flusteredly, pulling at her sweatpants, What do you need? But the tablet on the table was still on, showing a video ying softly and suggestively: Madam, you surely dont want to Lin Chuans eyes sharpened.
Thats the new series that just came out, right? Lin Chuan remembered very well, the series number was ************ Zhangs face flushed as she hurriedly pressed the power button on the tablet, You just said what do you need? Lin Chuan smiled, Two decks of ying cards for me. Zhang immediately took two decks of cards off the shelf, Thats four yuan. Zhang, you surely dont want to Lin Chuan grinned. Just take it, hurry up. Still blushing, Zhang pushed the ying cards towards Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan blinked, Could you also give me a couple of dice? Zhang pursed her lips, deftly fetching the dice from a drawer. Wheres Old Zhang? Lin Chuan asked casually.
He yed cards all night yesterday, and hes probably still at it, Zhang said with a sneer, You, a novelist, why are you always prying into other peoples privacy? Cough cough, girls should watch less explicit stuff! Lin Chuan burst intoughter and then took off. He was a long-term tenant in this neighborhood and frequented the local store for daily necessities, so he was acquainted with Old Zhang and Zhang. As for thendlord, Old Zhang, his only job was collecting rent, and his hobby was ying cards and mahjongoften till midnight, even all night. Sometimes when he lost too much, hed even raise the utilities fees. Therefore, Lin Chuan had no qualms about tricking Zhang out of the two decks of ying cards and the dice. Lin Chuan was even considering, should he challenge Old Zhang to a couple of games and win back his rent? No! Hed also have to let him owe a few years rent. Hahaha Lin Chuan returned to his rented ce, a one-bedroom, one-living room apartment. The rainst night had washed away the oppressive and heavy air. Now, the morning sun, unobstructed, barged into his room aggressively, almost filling up the entire cramped space. Lin Chuan took a deep breath and took out his props. First to try rolling the dice. He found the dice cup, put three dice in it, and started shaking. The system might have rewarded the skill, but it was just theory; he had to experiment to find out if it was real Cheating Techniques. The dice cup, the crisp sound reverberating inside the cup. ck! The dice cup came to rest. Triple sixes, open! He opened the dice cupthree sixes! A real triple! Lets go again! ck! ck! ck! With continuous practice, Lin Chuans hand shaking the dice cup started blurring in the sunlight. Every time, three sixes, triple! I truly am a Cheating Sect genius! Lin Chuan showed off his eight shiny teeth in the sunlight. Strike while the irons hot. If dice Cheating Techniques were no problem, it was time to test the card Cheating Techniques. Lin Chuan immediately took out the ying cards. The hand speed honed over twenty-four years of singledom was indeed fast. The brand-new ying cards, in Lin Chuans hands, were as he wished; he had any card he wanted. This level of skill was at least that of a Cheating Sects Righteous General with decades of experience! Ive made it, taoist master here! From now on, Im the king of the gambling table! Hahaha! Lin Chuan got slightly carried away, hisughter filling the small apartment. At this moment. The neighborhood suddenly erupted with a cacophony of noise. As a writer used to failure but professional in spirit, Lin Chuan instinctively walked to the window and looked down to capture material from real life. On the ground, several police cars were parked haphazardly. A group of people, escorted by officers in blue uniforms, formed a line and got onto the police cars, while onlookers gathered around curiously. Whats happened? Lin Chuan muttered curiously. Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure in the crowd. Landlord Old Zhang! His daughter, Zhang, was wiping away tears ceaselessly nearby. Yikes! Lin Chuan inhaled sharply, immediately realizing what was happening. Landlord Old Zhang and the others had been caught for hosting a gambling gathering. Lin Chuan looked at the dice and ying cards in his hands; it felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his heart, chilling him to the core. Gamble? Thats something you cant afford to get involved with! Once you descend into the gambling world, life just gets more and more difficult. Lin Chuan pursed his lips. After much contemtion, he put away the ying cards and the dice. Forget it, lets see if anyone likes Swindlers Life? Lin Chuan mumbled to himself. Gambling is never the right path. Writing is the ultimate destination! Chapter 6: 6: No More Pretense, I’m a Cheating Techniques Expert, I’m Laying My Cards on the Table Chapter 6: No More Pretense, Im a Cheating Techniques Expert, Im Laying My Cards on the Table
` As a child, Lin Chuan watched many Hong Kong gambling-themed movies. Be it God of Gamblers or Sparrow Saint, after experiencing the life of a swindler and acquiring the skills of cheating techniques, he felt secretly delighted and couldnt wait to y a few hands. After all, a master of the Cheating Sect is super cool! But when hisndlord, Old Zhang, was caught, the tears of his family brought him back to reality from his self-satisfaction. Using cheating techniques to show off in front of friends is fine, but once you step into a casino, things go beyond control.
Not to mention that theres always someone better, often walking by the river, ones shoes are bound to get wet. The moment you get involved in gambling, youve already lost. Lin Chuan snapped back to reality, sunlight streaming through the window and falling on his correct moralpass and handsome features. Face the light, fear not the darkness. Lin Chuan walked from the narrow living room into an even narrower bedroom, sat in front of an old desktopputer, his slender fingers resting on the keyboard, typing a sentence quickly to remind himself always. [Crime is something I cantmit, in this lifetime I wontmit crime!] Lin Chuan realized. This Life Experience Card is quite a tease, now finally having experienced two rtivelyplete lives. But what identities were they? Thief, swindler. Yep, very criminal, very much a sentence-head! Id better count on novels to make money.
Lin Chuan touched the stubble that he hadnt shaved for two days, lost in thought. He vaguely remembered that the swindler theme was once very popr. In those days, an influent author posted on a forum with this theme of swindlers, and in just over half a year, created a brilliant record of 6 million hits and over 60,000 replies. These numbers, seen today, might notpare to some videos casually posted by female celebrities. But back then, the inte was not yet widespread, and the number ofizens had just barely passed one hundred million. Swindlers, theres potential! Finally. [Ding!] [Export of Swindlers Lifeplete, word count: 1,026,000.] [Work: Swindlers Life.] [Status: Unpublished.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/1000.]
Lin Chuan immediately began to flip through Swindlers Life. It must be said, the life of a swindler Lin Chuan experienced in Virtual Reality, was perfectly replicated into text by the system. This writing style waspletely identical to Lin Chuans. Afterward. Lin Chuan opened the chat box, typed a message, and contacted his editor Youyou, Youyou, I have a new book ready for release. Youyou replied quickly, A new book? Is it still a thief series? Ive seriously read thest thief one, its quite good, but the identity of a thief, readers find it hard to empathize with. Lin Chuan nodded. Little thieves and robbers, indeed, do not easily resonate with readers. His readers were either curious or learning lock-picking skills. Lin Chuan, So Im thinking of changing the theme. Youyou, What theme? Lin Chuan typed two characters decisively, Swindler.
? Editor Youyou immediately typed a question mark. As everyone knows, when the other party sends a question mark, it isnt that they have a problem, but that they think you have a problem. Lin Chuans mouth twitched, Is this theme not okay? He had been writing novels since his college days, and although his results had always been dismal, Youyou still replied impatiently, willing to discuss themes and plots with him. If it were another editor, theyd probably have already started berating him, telling Lin Chuan to find a ss to join or to go work in a factory screwing bolts might be possible! Cough, just speaking of Lin Chuans current financial situation, it might be better to work in a factory screwing bolts. Youyou, This theme is very good, and it also has arge audience. Nowadays, there are still many people fond of gambling. ` The God of Gamblers series of movies still had a significant impact, and as soon as Gao Jin appeared on the scene, many people automatically filled in the God of Gamblers BGM in their minds. The market for the special genre of swindler novels was broad.
But swindlers are special, and Im worried you cant handle it, Youyou said her view tactfully. Her concerns were reasonable. Wanting to write well about the profession of a swindler, there was a threshold, and just that threshold thwarted many people. The current swindler novels on the market that were popr mostly took the form of autobiographies. That is to say, to write well about swindlers, its best if youre a swindler yourself, or rted to the profession. At the very least, you should be familiar with swindling. If youve never even seen a swindler, thats like ying the lute in your pantsutter nonsense! Lin Chuan smiled faintly, now understanding what Youyou meant. So. He replied, I know a bit about swindlers, which is why I wanted to give it a try. Not long after, Youyou sent three messages in a row.
As a full-time writer who graduated from university a year ago, where did you learn about swindlers? Dont go to those underground gambling dens just to write books, its too dangerous. Flopping is temporary; I believe you can definitely write a good book, but dont resort to those crooked paths. In between the lines, Youyous worries and anxieties were apparent. She feared Lin Chuan would do something foolish. People obsessed with creation, when they face a bottleneck, may do many baffling foolish things for a shred of creative inspiration. From club models to police station detentions, a 15-day package, all aremon urrences. For an author like Lin Chuan who had been flopping for years, for the sake of writing about swindlers, its entirely predictable for him to run off to chess and card rooms or underground gambling dens, Editor Youyou could guess as much. Youyou, dont get ahead of yourself, Im writing books seriously, Ive never been to a gambling den, Lin Chuan replied. Youyou: If you havent been to gambling dens, then I dont rmend you write about this theme; its easy to flop. Lin Chuan: Ill tell you the truth, some days ago, my long-lost second uncle returned home. He used to be a gambler, encountered quite a few swindlers, and picked up some tricks, so I thought about artistically processing his experiences into a novel. Youyou: /SmilingFace.jpg Lin Chuan: Youyou, believe me, I really do know some tricks. Youyou: /CuteNod.jpg Lin Chuan: Ill send you the beginningter, Youyou, help me review it. Youyou: /FullOfExpectations.jpg Editor Youyous demeanor obviously showed she did not believe he understood swindling, let alone believed he knew Cheating Techniques. But Lin Chuan wanted to write, so he decided to give it a go. If it wasnt good, he could just reject the draft with a click, and deal with it swiftly. Lin Chuan chuckled. He really wanted to recreate Wang Duoyus famous scene: Stop pretending, I am a master of cheating techniques, Imying my cards on the table! But s, cheating techniques, theyre not for disying. During the virtual reality experience of a swindlers life the night before, Lin Chuan realized that most swindlers kept a low profile. Brazen swindlers either truly had unmatched skills, invincible to all, or they met with a miserable end. In the gambling dens, who there was the kind sort? Simr to the tattooed individuals in nightclubs, which one of them was a good good boy? Ill send the beginning to Youyou first, Lin Chuan muttered to himself. Just when Lin Chuan was about to send it out Bang! Bang! Bang! The banging noise came from the iron gate outside the house. Whos looking for me at this hour? Lin Chuan frowned and murmured under his breath. Stepping out of the room, he opened the iron gate and was visibly taken aback when he saw the person knocking. It was Zhang. Lin Chuans frown deepened in confusion, Zhang, arent you watching movies, ah, I mean, shouldnt you be checking on Old Zhang instead of looking for me? Chapter 7: 7 Is His Second Uncle Really a Swindler? Chapter 7: Is His Second Uncle Really a Swindler?
Zhang Xinxins full name is Zhang Xinxin, one year younger than Lin Chuan, currently a senior in college, working on her graduation design at home. At this moment, she stood outside Lin Chuans rental, wearing a cartoon sweatshirt on top and gray cotton sweatpants below, a seemingly ordinary outfit that couldnt hide her voluptuous figure. Her skin was also very fair, dewy as if water would ooze out when pinched. Lin Chuan sighed, this is youth. The only downside was her love for short videos, which Lin Chuan had caught her watching more than once. It was somewhat embarrassing.
Zhang Xinxins expression was a bit off, Lin Chuan, I was thinking Lin Chuan stepped back, Zhang, I know Old Zhang was arrested, and youre not in a good mood right now, needing to do something enjoyable, but Im not just anyone. Zhang Xinxin frowned and looked at him irritably, What are you fantasizing about! Then what do you want with me? Lin Chuan asked. Your lease agreement expires next month, are you going to renew it? Lin Chuan nodded. Zhang Xinxin took out the lease agreement from her sweatshirt pocket and handed it to Lin Chuan, Have a look for any problems, if there are none, then sign it. Lin Chuan nced at the Little Landy, then turned his attention to the contract. Geez, the rent had gone up by 200 yuan. Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips, In this area, our rent is the lowest, even with an increase of 200 yuan, we are still the lowest. Lin Chuans face darkened. The original rent was 800 yuan per month, now it had increased to 1000 yuan, wiping out a months earnings from writing.
Life, already tight, became even tougher. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then asked, Zhang, interested in having a game? Zhang Xinxin frowned, puzzled, Having a game? dudu provides full protection, pursue love with all your heart. Have a game! Lin Chuan smiled, Cough, I mean, how about ying poker? Zhang Xinxins frown deepened, Are you using ng? Is it a serious game of poker? Serious! Lin Chuan said with an awkward smile. No, Zhang Xinxin tly refused. Er Lin Chuan furrowed his brows, why wasnt the plot developing as expected? If she yed poker, then I would just let her lose all the rent money.
But she t out refused to y poker? Invincible! Could it be she wanted to y some dishonest game of poker? Before Lin Chuan could think further, he heard Zhang Xinxin say, Old Zhang went to jail over card games, I dont want to follow in his footsteps. All right, why the sudden rent increase? Lin Chuan asked with confusion. Last time they met, Lin Chuan heard Old Zhang say he hadnt thought about raising the rent, so he had felt that thendlord was quite conscientious. Now, out of the blue, the rent had increased. Zhang Xinxin bit her lip, Old Zhang lost six hundred thousandst night, so he decided to raise the rent a little. Lin Chuans eyes widened, his face twitched, How much did you say!? Six hundred thousand. Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips.
Good grief! Six hundred thousand! Lin Chuan was taken aback. He had experienced the life of a swindlerst night, had seen a lot of money; six hundred thousand didnt seem much to Mr. Lin. But that was, after all, a fictional life. In reality, Lin Chuan couldnt even be considered small fry, belonging to those dragging down the GDP, having barely made any money andcking strong purchasing power. And what about thendlord Old Zhang? Six hundred thousand, lost just like that. Gambling is harmful! Old Zhangs loss resulted in my rent going up by 200 yuan, Im always the one who gets hurt. So, are you going to renew your lease? Zhang Xinxin blinked and asked. I will.
Lin Chuan nodded his head. In this neighborhood, Old Zhangs rents were over three hundred lower than others, indeed there was none lower than his. Before earning any money, I would have to continue living here. Give me this months utilities for free, Lin Chuan said. In exchange, I can provide you with a legit website, which has what you want to see. Zhang Xinxin looked up at Lin Chuan, Whats the website? Lin Chuan smiled and sent the legitimate website to Zhang Xinxin, then watched as the Little Landy left. Back at hisputer. Lin Chuan started on the serious business and reviewed the beginning of Swindlers Life again. I am a swindler. I am the king who turns the tables at the gambling table. Once, I made a fortune overnight. Once, I lost my wife and children.
I want to use Swindlers Life to tell you the simplest truth. The moment you sit at the gambling table, youve already lost in life. Nine out of ten gambles are deceitful! Ten out of ten gambles are losses! Not gambling is the only way to be the ultimate winner. Lin Chuan reviewed it very carefully. Then, he opened Youyous chat window, sent the file, and attached a message, Youyou, this is the first 20,000 words of my new book. Please review the manuscript for me. Whats left was waiting for Youyous review and reply. Wrong, I still need to eat! Only then did Lin Chuan remember that he hadnt even had breakfast and was now so hungry that his stomach clung to his back. He really couldnt face instant noodles anymore. It was better to go out for a bite. At noon, the sunshine was brilliant. Youyou made a cup of instant coffee and stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of thepany office building. Outside the window, the skyscrapers of Modu were staggered, twinkling with specks of silver in the bright sunlight, like stars fallen to earth. She took a sip of coffee, slightly bitter. It picked her up a bit, and she returned to her workstation. It should have been her lunch break, but she had voluntarily stayed to work overtime. Every industry was highlypetitive. At Sailing Novel Website, the editing department implemented a system where the bottom performers got eliminated. Her performance over the past two years had also always been mediocre. If her performance remained the same this year, by the end of the year, she would be eliminated. Ding-ding-ding! A message notification popped up on herputer. Youyou nced at it. Message from: Lin Chuan. Youyou had a pretty deep impression of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan had always followed her, and although his performance was always disappointing, he persisted and never stopped updating. Swindler? Youyou muttered as she looked at the file sent by Lin Chuan, Did he really write it? Youyou initially thought that Lin Chuan was just impulsive and that once he really started writing, he would know the obstacles everywhere, be at a loss for how to proceed, and then give up. To her surprise, Lin Chuan churned out a hefty 20,000-word beginning. Lets see if youre a real swindler or just a toothpick. Youyou murmured to herself, tauntingly, and opened Lin Chuans Swindlers Life with interest. I am a swindler Not gambling is the way to be the ultimate winner. At the beginning, Youyou couldnt help but put aside her condescension a bit, These opening sections do have a bit of gamblers confessional tone, not bad for someone who has flopped for years. She read on. My surname is Lin, no name, just call me Mr. Lin. My father was a gambler. In the year I turned seven, he was hacked to death on the street, leaving not a singlest word. I hid in the alley and witnessed it all. Youyous eyebrows furrowed more and more firmly. Only after reading the entire 20,000 words did she take a deep breath. Pure swindler vor! Without decades of a swindlers experience, one couldnt write such a beginning. Editor Youyou couldnt help muttering, Could it be that his uncle really is a swindler? Chapter 8: 8: The Realm of Fine Quality? Chapter 8: The Realm of Fine Quality?
Editor Youyou took a sip of coffee, then rejected the idea. Lin Chuans 20,000-word opening revealed a penitent reflection on a gamblers life, narrating a magnificent personal trajectory in a mundane tone. Youyou felt a genuine sense of immersion. She strongly suspected it was the opening of an autobiography by a gambler swindler. Yes, thats right! An autobiography!
The stories heard from Second Uncle ultimately belonged to Second Uncle. It would be hard for Lin Chuan to write such empathetic words. So, this was Lin Chuans autobiography? When Youyou came to this conclusion, she herself was startled, then chuckled in disbelief. This seemed impossible! Afterward, Youyou sent a teasing message to Lin Chuan, Is this your autobiography? /smirk.jpg Near Happiness Community. Lin Chuan walked into a beef noodle restaurant. Wee, sir. Please ce your order here. Thedy at the front desk nced at Lin Chuan and served him with politeness. Lin Chuan looked at the menu, A bowl of beef noodles, please. 15 yuan!
Thedy at the front desk then asked, Would you like to add any side dishes? Extra beef for 8 yuan, extra egg for 3 yuan. Lin Chuan shook his head, No need. Way too expensive! He wouldnt be able to pay next months rent if he did! Lin Chuan found a seat in a corner. Soon after. Youyou sent a message. Is this your autobiography? /smirk.jpg Lin Chuans mouth twitched instantly, and he responded with a rhetorical question, Youyou, do you think thats possible? Youyou: /lol.jpg Youyou: Just kidding, let me briefly share my thoughts. Lin Chuan replied, Please do tell.
After pondering for a moment, Youyous slender and fair fingers tapped swiftly on the keyboard, This opening gives me a very stunning feeling, very real, and with a strong sense of engagement. The part describing the dice-cheating skills is detailed and spot-on, capturing the essence of a swindlers life. If you can maintain this level of writing, I think this book could hit the featured list. Lin Chuan paused, carefully reviewing every word Youyou sent. The word featured was particrly eye-catching. Featured! How much money would that be per month? As everyone knows, the writersmunity also has their hierarchy of ascension. Newbie, perennial loser, minor hit, major hit, ten thousand subscriptions, Heavenly King, Influent Author, tinum, Supreme God. A newbie at the initial stage, full of hope, with the makings of a tinum. The perennial loser lives off the eight hundred yuan for perfect attendance, merely getting by, struggling in the unforgiving sea of inte literature. Lin Chuan was at this stage. But once he breaks into the featured realm, even as a minor hit, he couldfortably aim for a modest life, enjoying four dishes and a soup.
As for a major hit or ten thousand subscriptions, Lin Chuan didnt dare to imagine. Lin Chuans fingers trembled slightly, as if he had Parkinsons, Can it really be featured? Youyou: Yes! With Youyous affirmative answer, Lin Chuan finally saw a chance to touch the threshold of featured. His hopes soared, and he clenched his fist excitedly, straightening his slightly hunched back. His confidence in Swindlers Life surged in an instant! The system, it truly works wonders! Sir, your beef noodles are ready. Thedy brought over the beef noodles and ced them in front of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan nced at therge and wide bowl, which had only a few slices of beef on it, and called thedy over, Hold on a moment! Thedy looked puzzled, Sir, whats the matter? Add an extra serving of beef and an egg for me! Lin Chuan was very generous, as though he was about to buy out the entire noodle shop.
Sir, you mean to add a serving of beef and an egg? Thedy hesitated for a while, feeling that the customer in front of her seemed to glow with a spark in his eyes and an aura of confidence, almost like a different person from when he first walked in. Hmm. Lin Chuan hummed affirmatively, And bring a bottle of soy milk. Sir, please scan here to pay. The youngdy wore a smile on her face, her service was top-notch. This modest beef noodle shop was somehow elevated by Lin Chuan to the sensation of a high-end restaurant. Of course. Lin Chuan had to foot the bill for his retaliatory spending. The beef cost eight yuan, the egg three yuan, and the soy milk three yuan and fifty cents, a total of fourteen yuan and fifty cents. A sizeable sum was deducted from his already meager bnce. It wasnt long.
Before the youngdy brought over a new bowl of beef noodles. The beef brimmed over the bowl, sprinkled with a few green onion kes, and there was a plump egg nestled on top; just one whiff and I could smell the rich fragrance. Lin Chuan hadnt eaten such avish dinner outside in a long time. Then, heughed at himself again. Im really scared of being poor! Retaliatory spending, yet I only dare to add extra beef, egg, and soy milk! Forget it, dont think too much. Time to eat. Lin Chuan thought this meals beef noodles tasted exceptionally good, and he ate his fill. That bottle of ordinary soy milk also seemed to taste better than those milk tea beverages that cost several tens of yuan each, even though he had never tried them. Man Im really scared of being poor. The breeze in spring was very gentle. Lin Chuan walked out of the noodle shop, through the old alleyways, inhaling the faint floral scent permeating the old city district, along with the slightly cool mist. The sunlight fell, and as Lin Chuan walked on the stone pavement, his shallow shadow was cast. Lin Chuan didnt stop to appreciate the unique atmosphere of the old city district. His strides were vigorous, and he quickly returned to Happiness Community. Zhang, watching short videos again? Lin Chuan greeted Zhang Xinxin as he passed the small supermarket, very amiably. You really think I wont raise your rent? Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips. But Lin Chuan had already sprinted away, rushing up to the sixth floor in one breath. It has to be said. The Qualityment by editor Youyou had really lifted Lin Chuans spirits! The Lin Chuan of now, was all about publishing his new book, publishing, publishing! Making big money! Lin Chuan once again sat down in front of theputer and opened his reader group. Guys, the new book is confirmed! The group immediately responded. [Has the Influent Author already decided on the new book theme?] Lin Chuan: Confirmed. [What theme? / eager.jpg] [The Author is starting a new book?] [Whatever the Author writes, I love to read!] [Guys, let me tell you something, relying on the theft techniques, ahem, lock-picking techniques the Author taught me, Ive already registered as a locksmith at the police station!] [Bro, thats awesome!] Lin Chuanughed heartily: The new books theme is about swindlers; I estimate it will pass the review tomorrow, handle the contract, and you guys can see if it suits your taste tomorrow. Lin Chuans bubbling, the previously scanty reader group, immediately livened up. Demons and monsters, many great beings, came forth in session. [Swindler? Author, youre so daring!] [That profession is not easy to control, yo!] [Im already looking forward to it, what should I do?] [May I timidly ask, is this swindler thing also a technical writing style?] Lin Chuan replied: Of course, after all, I am a technical-style author. In Thief, Lin Chuans finely detailed descriptions of the theft process and the miraculous lock-picking had led some authors to call him a technical-style author. Even the police hade knocking, could it not be technical? [Whoa! Author, can you really do it?] [I dont believe it! Unless you teach me a couple of tricks!] [Author, youre really too audacious!] [Its just that Ive been losing at cardstely; I really need to study this well!] [Yourst book on realistic theft and lock-picking, and now this one on the swindler profession, you truly are a treasure trove Author!] Chapter 9: 9 Technical Flow Author Chapter 9: Technical Flow Author
Spring breezes gently fluttered the pages of time. In the blink of an eye, the night faded, and morning arrived. The sky was clean and bright, sunlight streamed through the window into the room, soft and warm, silent and peaceful. Outside the window, birds chirped softly, their calls melodic and lively. Lin Chuans keyboard already produced a pleasant rhythm, the keycaps worn smooth from his touch. Yes, Lin Chuan had already started writing.
Early in the morning, as soon as Youyou logged on, she helped Lin Chuan with the signing process. Lin Chuan began to release chapters frantically. After all, to publish those hundreds of chapters of a million-word novel, it would take a good while to operate. Serial release? Non-existent! The book wasplete upon signing! Until noon, all chapters were published. Ding, the system panel updated. [Work: Life of a Thief] [Status: Now on sale] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/1000] One thousand average subscriptions, and I can start the next job experience.
Lin Chuan muttered to himself. Then, he @ed all members in the readers group: Brothers, the new book is out, wee to subscribe! Those readers were always so active. [Awesome! Heading for the new book now!] [I just got out of detention. Isnt the author writing about the Life of a Thief anymore?] [How did you get into detention?] [Last time I was itching to try out the authors lock-picking skills for real, ended up picking the lock of the corrupt managers door but forgot about his surveince system.] [Thats real crime!] [What new book is the author writing?] [Life of a Swindler!] [Ill be the first reader!] [Ive been craving this!]
[Im already at the card room, just waiting for the authors technical support!] This batch of loyal readers quickly found his new novel through Lin Chuans author page on Sailing Novel. Life of a Swindler At a nce, they were startled and all came back to the group, mentioning Lin Chuan. [Author, you call this a new book? Is there such a thing as a million-word new book?] [Even amunes donkey wouldnt dare to be this intense, right? This is terrifying!] [Goodness, what am I seeing?] [Author, take it easy.] [With the way youre going, have you considered whether your fellow writers can take it?] Happiness Community. In a somewhat luxurious living room, a middle-aged man slumped on the sofa, idly staring at the fish tank in front of him, his eyes lifeless.
He was slightly overweight with strands of gray in his hair. This middle-aged man was Lin Chuansndlord, Old Zhang. He had been taken away for engaging in illegal gambling the day before and had spent the night in the police stations detention cell. Early this morning, he had paid his bail and finally returned home. I told you not to gamble, but look at you, you lost tens of thousandsst night and even ended up in the police station. Zhang Xinxin sat across from Old Zhang, glowering at her father. Old Zhangs skin was somewhat saggy, and he seemed to have aged several years overnight, losing his vigor. Its my only hobby. Facing his daughters reproach, Old Zhang retorted with a pout. Zhang Xinxin continued, You call that a hobby? Its gambling. Should you even touch that? Old Zhang spread his hands and turned his head away, If I dont y cards with friends, what can I do? Collect rent all day, isnt that nauseating? Zhang Xinxins face was stern. She seriously scolded her father.
There are plenty of hobbies you could take up. Go bird-watching, stream some videos, read some novels, all of those are great, arent they? Why do you have to gamble when there are so many other fun things to do? Didnt Lin Chuan still find joy in it despite his books flopping for so long? Old Zhang, faced with his precious daughter and knowing he was in the wrong, quickly waved his hands, Alright, alright, Ill stop gambling. Staying home and watching videos or reading novels should be fine, right? Only then did Zhang Xinxin stop her lecture, Fine, Im off to the shop. Old Zhang watched her go downstairs and grimaced. Being andlord is truly boring. Well, time to read a novel. He took out his phone, opened the app store, and downloaded a novel app. Sailing Novel, quite a few downloads, this one it is. But his heart wasnt in the novels; it was on the gambling table where he lost money the night beforest. Thinking back to that night.
The reason he had lost so miserably was not just because he got carried away, but also because the other party was too lucky. He even suspected that the other party was cheating, but he couldnt find any evidence. Someone insisted that the man was a swindler, and under the guise of going to the toilet, secretly dialed the police number. Then, the whole setup was busted. At that moment, the Sailing Novel apps big data urately rmended a few books to Old Zhang. Endless Gambling Sea Swindler Lost everything and still gambling? Old Zhang nced at them, his eyes locking on the second one. Swindler! His interest was piqued in an instant! If I knew some cheating techniques, wouldnt I sweep the floor at the card table? Old Zhang began to daydream. Of course, he wasnt expecting to learn actual cheating techniques from a novel, but he thought that perhaps the novel could satisfy some of his unrealistic fantasies. He clicked on Swindler and nced at the authors pen name: Mr. Lin, but he didnt linger, going straight to the text. I am a swindler Not gambling is the ultimate victory. One could tell this kid Mr. Lin has never been to a gambling table. There are many winners in casinos, earning millions and millions, faster than collecting rent. Old Zhang criticized. His mind, impervious to advice, automatically ignored this piece of counsel. Gamblers dont take advice. He casually flipped through a few pages and nced quickly, frowning, Seems like its not badly written. Hmm? It even has dice listening techniques? Old Zhang, slouched on the sofa, straightened up a bit. His attention fell on a few paragraphs: I watched intently, listening to the crisp sounds from the dice cup. As the master shook the dice cup, he said: Dice have six sides, each with a different number of indentations. If youve studied physics, you know that for dice made of the same material, the force determines the volume of the sound, and the different indentations result in different collision sounds. Listen carefully! Thud! The dice hit the ground! Old Zhangs brow half furrowed, mumbling to himself, When I was the physics course representative back in the day, the physics guy mentioned the principles of sound propagation, seems like theres some truth to it. Years of rent-collecting made him forget most of what he learned in school. But now, it seemed like some memories hade back. With a thirst for learning, Old Zhang continued reading. In the book, the sound of each dice face hitting the ground was clearly described. Now, Old Zhang couldnt sit still! Could this really be the case? He was quite puzzled. He immediately took out some dice from a drawer, ced them in a dice cup, and decided to conduct an experiment. Old Zhang sat up straight, shaking the dice cup in the air with his right hand, his gaze intense with a gamblers focus. He had good hearing, clearly catching the sound of the dicending inside the cup. Thud! The dice cupnded on the coffee table. Old Zhangs eyes gleamed, Ive got to see for myself if what you say is true! Chapter 10: 10 Can We Learn a Trick or Two from Him? Chapter 10: Can We Learn a Trick or Two from Him?
Old Zhang followed the description in Swindler, constantly shaking the dice, far more focused than he ever was in school. He repeatedly opened the dice cup and verified the results. Smack! Once again, the dice hit the floor. Old Zhang talked to himself, The sound of the dicending this time is very crisp, crisper than any other time, the face thatnded should be 1, so the face thats facing up is 6 points!
Old Zhang lifted the dice cup. Inside, the die indeed showed six points up! Holy shit! Its actually true! What this author wrote is actually the real deal! Old Zhangs eyes widened in disbelief. Hepletely changed his view of the book on swindling. I thought this author was just some green kid, but turns out hes a master of cheating techniques! Old Zhang put aside his contempt. He stared at the dice inside the dice cup, his brow furrowed, and his previously lifeless eyes suddenly sparkled again, the gloominess on his face dissipating in an instant. It seems, I might have a bit of a talent for listening to dice myself. Old Zhangs eyes shone with deep thought. In the quiet living room, the crisp sound of dice rattling inside the cup resonated, unceasing.
Old Zhang! Zhang Xinxin pushed open the living room door with a shove and unexpectedly turned back, I told you to watch videos and read novels, so why are you ying with dice again, are you thinking about gambling? No no! Old Zhang stumbled over his words and quickly put down the dice cup, his gaze slightly evasive. Youre ying with dice and you say its not gambling? Zhang Xinxin looked skeptically at her old man. Old Zhang pointed to his phone screen, Im reading a novel, it says shaking dice can train the wrist. Zhang Xinxin was doubtful, Dice? Is that a serious novel? Old Zhang immediately defended Swindler, Serious, absolutely serious! Hmph! Zhang Xinxin huffed. Why are you here but not in the store? Old Zhang retorted.
Zhang Xinxin walked into the room, I came back to get my tablet. What do you need the tablet for? Old Zhang asked again. To watch videos! Cant you watch them on your phone? The phone screen is too small. Always watching videos, are they really serious videos? Old Zhang quipped. Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips, her eyes darting away, Why wouldnt they be serious? The video website Lin Chuan provided not only discussed theplex ethical rtionships of humans in society, the self-rescue methods of the weak against the strong, but also delicately depicted the struggle and downfall of people when faced with the contradiction between desires and reality, with characters that were deeply developed. Serious indeed. Zhang Xinxin hugged her tablet and quickly left the house. Old Zhang, diligent and eager to learn, continued to read with the mindset of an apprentice. But the more he read, the more mystical it seemed, and the more he felt that the author was definitely a master of cheating techniques!
Old Zhang checked the authors homepage. Author: Mr. Lin. Huh, theres a readers group? Old Zhang saw the next line, a QQ group. So. Old Zhang opened his long-unused QQ and applied to join the group. Ding dong. In the rental, Lin Chuan received a notification for a group join request. [Arrogant Zhang is applying to join the group, do you agree?] Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. Wow, a new reader is joining the group so quickly!
Agree. At that moment. In the readers group, the various experts saw the new member arrive and started to make their presence known. [@Arrogant Zhang, wee new friend to the Ministry of Justice.] [My good brother, are you here to learn techniques too?] [@Mr. Lin, Author Boss, will you take me as a disciple? Teach me a couple of moves!] [Ive read 30,000 words; you didnt lie, author, its really technical. Ive been practicing the listening dice skills for a long time and still havent mastered it.] [Cheating Sect techniques, where can one learn them so easily?] [Author, youre too criminal, its written too realistically!] [Is this your autobiography?] Lin Chuanughed: I just made that up. [Got it!]
[Protect!] [+1] [+1] [+1] Thendlord, Old Zhang, looking at the chat history in the group, stroked his chin, pondering, This author, he really does have something up his sleeve! The Arrogant Zhang in the readers group was him. Old Zhang piped up. [@Mr. Lin, Authors amazing, Ivee to pay homage to your greatness!] [@Mr. Lin, does the author take disciples?] Old Zhangs head was filled with nothing but fantastic Cheating Techniques. Lin Chuan saw Arrogant Zhangsments and, revealing a smile, replied, Im a serious writer, I dont take disciples! The readers in the group quickly offered advice, tagging @Arrogant Zhang. [The author is a skill-based writer, all his craft is in his novel!] [If you want to learn something, just read the book carefully!] [If you learn something, reward him! Reward him generously!] [With an Alliance Leaders Treasure Chest, youll knock the author dizzy!] [With your powerful wallet, stuff the poor author full!] Old Zhang nodded, deeply agreeing! Money makes the world go round! Although this author had Cheating Techniques up his sleeve, he didnt rely on them to make money. Ill reward him as a tuition fee for paying respects to the master. With that thought. Old Zhang immediately opened the Sailing Novel app, looking for the reward function. An Alliance Leaders Treasure Chest, 10,000 Sailing Coins, which is a thousand yuan. Old Zhang didnt hesitate, waving his hand grandly. Two Alliance Leaders Treasure Chests were sent. Arrogant Zhang has sent you an Alliance Leaders Treasure Chest, please keep up the good work. Arrogant Zhang has sent you an Alliance Leaders Treasure Chest, please keep up the good work. The mobile app popped up with the reward notification. Lin Chuan took a close look. Nice going! Two Alliance Leaders Treasure Chests! Two thousand yuan! After the tforms fifty percent cut, Lin Chuan would receive a thousand yuan. Geez, thats a months rent covered. Subscriptions and rewards are the greatest acknowledgments from readers. Suddenly receiving rewards of two Alliance Leaders Treasure Chests from readers. A life of cheats, about to take off! On the other side. A satisfied smile appeared on Old Zhangs face. Then, leaning back, hefortably sprawled on the leather sofa, lifting one leg over the other, humming a tune. He continued reading the novel. You never know, might I also learn a thing or two from it? If I master it, wouldnt I be able to make back the hundred and eighty thousand Ive lost over the past two years in no time? Indeed. Lin Chuan did not disappoint his expectations. Swindler was packed with solid content! Especially the Cheating Techniques inside, they simply sent Old Zhang into raptures. Mr. Lin, youre truly formidable! Others read novels as stories, Old Zhang studied them like tutorials. No, Old Zhang treated Swindler as if it were a sacred manual. Holding it in the palm of his hands, he couldnt bear to put it down. Xinxin, Im heading back to my room. Just after dinner, the prettydy downstairs called for Old Zhang to go for a walk, but he did not pay attention and directly entered his room instead. Zhang Xinxin nced up, seeing Old Zhang happily staring at the phone screen, she found it odd and muttered, I wonder what novel Old Zhang is reading that has him so engrossed. Next time I see Lin Chuan, Ill have to ask him to rmend a couple of proper novels. Very soon. Zhang Xinxin remembered the website address that Lin Chuan had given her, then shook her head, Never mind, hes not exactly a respectable author. Meanwhile, Old Zhang, after entering his room, quietly locked the door. He was up to no good. Chapter 11: 11: Shatter the Darkness with Thunder! Chapter 11: Shatter the Darkness with Thunder!
` In the secluded room. Old Zhang drew the curtains, locked the door from the inside, and after making sure his precious daughter wouldnt discover him, he pulled out several brand new decks of ying cards from the drawer. Greed does not pay, lets start with cutting the deck, muttered Old Zhang. Turns out, after watching Lin Chuans Swindler tutorial, he couldnt resist and decided to secretly practice card cheating techniques.
How could a gambler resist the temptation of cheating techniques? Cut! Cut! Cut! Old Zhang practiced cutting the cards like crazy. For a while. Therge room was covered with ying cards strewn all over the floor. But it wasnt without sess. Old Zhangs hands were nimble, and as he rapidly cut the cards, with a slight flick of his thumb, his sharp eyes caught sight of the corners of several cards. After seven or eight repetitions, he had already memorized the sequence of the first dozen or so cards. However, his technique would appear clumsy to an expert, and his speed was not fast enough; one nce and you could see the trick. But having reached this level of skill, Old Zhang was overjoyed, thinking to himself with a gleeful chuckle, Mr. Lin did not deceive me! Once Ive mastered this, I will dominate the gambling scene! Hahahaha!
Unbeknownst to him, the outside world had already turned to dusk. The setting sun cast a yellowish glow on the old city district, painting it with a golden coat, soft and warm. asionally, a few swallows flew by, tracing a ck arc in the sky. Lin Chuan stretchedzily, got up to move his limbs around, and walked to the window, taking deep breaths of the fresh air outside. A smile hung on his handsome face. At that moment, everything seemed to be more beautiful. This, perhaps, was the charm of two Alliance Leaders Treasure Chests! Of course, the Poprity Value/Average Subscription had also increased quite a bit. [Work: Swindler] [Status: Uploaded.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 50/1000] This increase isnt bad; wait until the tform does a round of rmendations, the average subscription should go up some more! Lin Chuanughed.
The new book had just been released; rmendations wouldnte so quickly. DingdongCdingdongC Lin Chuans phone rang. Old Wang, whats the good word? Lin Chuan answered the call with augh. Old Wang, a colleague of Lin Chuans. The two entered the business at the same time, and now Old Wang had written a hit novel, with hopes of making it big. Lin Chuan would teasingly refer to him as an almost influent Author. As soon as Old Wang opened his mouth, it was with the air of someone on the brink of sess, How did you find out that my book hit six thousand in average subscriptions? Lin Chuans face darkened: Fuck Hes here to show off! Three thousand average subscriptions for a hit.
Six thousand average subscriptions for a big hit. Old Lin, why arent you saying anything, is the signal bad? Old Wangughed. Lin Chuan curled his lips, Through the inte cable, I can still smell your arrogance. Old Wang burst outughing, Im just sharing my joy with a good brother, how about you now? Well, its not looking good. Lin Chuan sighed, I only got two Alliance Leaders Treasure Chests today. I always said Old Wang suddenly paused, his tone surprised, What did you just say, two Alliance Leaders Treasure Chests? Still a bit few. Lin Chuan grinned widely, unable to contain his happiness. It was always Old Wang showing off to him, but this time, Lin Chuan finally had the chance to smugly rub it in Old Wangs face! ` Old Wang was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, Thats great, it seems that your Life of a Thief is looking up!
Life of a Thief has beenpleted, Lin Chuan smiled, Ive started a new book. Old Wang was somewhat surprised, Youve started a new book? Mhm. Lin Chuan responded with a sound. On the other end of the phone, Old Wang had already opened Lin Chuans authors homepage and was even more surprised to see Lin Chuans new book, Old Lin, youre actually writing about swindlers? Is there a problem? Lin Chuanughed. Old Wang teased, Be honest with me, are you from the Rong Sect or the Cheating Sect? In old times, those who made a living in the Martial World were differentiated into different industries, and over time, countless professions emerged. The Rong Sect referred to those who lived by thievery. Pickpockets were called Xi, and those who broke into homes to steal were called Burr. As for the Cheating Sect, they lived by cheating. The Cheating Sect had Eight Generals, and the life Lin Chuan experienced belonged to one of the generals, the Righteous General, who made a living off Cheating Techniques.
Lin Chuan chuckled, If you keep asking, people from the Six Fans Gate are going toe for me again. Again? Old Wang was startled, Have you been taken in for a tea session? Lin Chuan grinned, recounting the process of Shen Qianqians visit to summon him. Old Wangughed, entirely without sympathy, Old Lin, youre really courting disaster! You still dare to write about swindlers, arent you afraid of being locked up in a little dark room again and then subjected to a trial by fire? Lin Chuan was taken aback, Really? You, my friend, are brazenly testing the limits of thew! Old Wangughed. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, I dont think so, theyve even made movies about it, surely I wont get arrested for writing a novel, right? Well I cant say for sure, Old Wang paused, But I have to tell you some bad news. Lin Chuan was startled, Youre going to put on airs again? Old Wang chuckled, What kind of person do you take me for? This bad news is about you. Go on, Lin Chuan frowned. Youre doomed! Your new book is being released at the same time as two authors with subscriptions in the tens of thousands. You should know what kind of impact that will have. Old Wang turned serious for a rare moment, his voice heavy. Lin Chuans brows furrowed, and he took a deep breath. Thats the spirit! Right on! At Sailing Novel, authors with high subscriptions starting new books will get traffic support. However, a websites traffic is limited, and the traffic allocated to new books released in the same period is also rtively fixed. This means that they could very well attract arge number of readers, leaving others in the dust. If some people get the lions share, others will have to bite the dust. Its very possible that Lin Chuan would be thetter. The two tens-of-thousands subscription authors are Handon and Hongmei; they have a history and neither is willing to let the other overshadow them, hence they chose to release new books in the same period, Old Wang exined to Lin Chuan. When influent authors fight, the small fries suffer, Lin Chuan smiled. Right, theres even worse news that I think you wouldnt want to hear, Old Wang added. Here you go trying to show off again? Lin Chuan asked. Look at you, always judging me like that. I was just sharing joy with you, Old Wang chuckled, then suddenly changed the subject, I just took a nce at Handons new book, guess what genre hes writing? Lin Chuans brows knit slightly, What genre is it? His book is titled King of Cheating! Old Wang dropped the bombshell. What? Lin Chuans eyes widened, and he drew in a sharp breath. This is bad, its targeting me! Hes also writing about swindlers! If youre not confident, you can change the genre and start another book in a few days, Old Wang consoled. Lin Chuan looked out the window, where the sun was setting, and dusk was approaching. He smiled and said, With a thunderbolt, shatter the darkness! Old Wang was taken aback, Are you messing around? Lin Chuanughed, The female police officer who summoned me, she said myst book was good, and that I have the potential to be a great author. I think so, too. Chapter 12: 12: Arrested on the Spot? Chapter 12: Arrested on the Spot?
On the other end of the phone, Old Wang chuckled, That must be a policewoman; otherwise, she wouldnt be so perceptive! Indeed, she is a policewoman. Lin Chuanughed. In his mind, the image of Shen Qianqian emerged. Her ck hair tied up in a ponytail revealed her delicate features, fair skin, and the shallow dimples that appeared when she smiled, but when she donned her uniform, she looked valiant and formidable. However, Lin Chuans impression of Shen Qianqian chiefly came from the bone-chilling interrogations in the interrogation room.
She had the suspect handsome guy vibe, very penal. Old Lin, theres something else I want to ask you for a favor, said Old Wang, whose voice, usually so assertive, suddenly softened. Lin Chuans eyebrows rose, and he asked with a smile, What is it? Old Wang spoke with a bit of awkwardness, Tomorrow, could you apany me to a matchmaking meeting, how about it? Matchmaking!? Lin Chuans brows furrowed, confusion evident on his face. Old Wang was about the same age as him. At twenty-four or twenty-five, was he already going for matchmaking? Old Wang curled his lip and said, Old Lin, why are you so surprised? In our line of work, we spend our days at home typing, the opposite sex wee into contact with are just fellow female authors, female readers, female editorsyou can count them all on one hand. This Lin Chuan touched his nose, pondering for a moment. That was indeed the case. Since he began writing, the few women who made asting impression on him were an editor, a policewoman, the Little Landy.
Right, and the married woman he once pursued Ah spit! She wasnt a married woman when he was pursuing her. Beyond that, there was no one else. The editor was far away, the policewoman was a brief encounter, the Little Landy was engrossed in films, and the married woman out of reach. Finished. Doomed to be alone! After listening to Old Wang, Lin Chuan felt like he was looking in a mirror. Old Lin, why arent you saying anything? asked Old Wang. Lin Chuan snapped back to reality, Oh theres nothing wrong with matchmaking, Ill apany you tomorrow. On the phone, Old Wang grinned, Its a deal then, Ill send you the addresster. He hung up the phone.
Lin Chuan poured himself a cup of boiled water and guzzled it down. He hadnt thought too much about it. PK with a best-selling author reaching ten thousand orders? Strike down the darkness with thunder! As for love and matchmaking, why bother with that! Clothes dont necessarily have to be washed by someone else, if theres no washing machine, he could wash them by hand, right? His goal was simple. He could never work a regr job! Earn money! After all, life is about money equating to material things, get money, and you solve ny-nine percent of your worries. If it doesnt solve them, perhaps its because the amount earned isnt enough. It might seem like a warped perspective, but on second thought, it made a twisted kind of sense.
Lin Chuan wasnt a sociologist, he didnt ponder the deep-seated reasons behind it. Who cares anyway! Once you have money, what do you need a bicycle for? Thats right! I still have an ace up my sleeve! Cheat code, activate! The next day, noon. At Anling City, outside the Redwood Cafe. Old Wang had shaved his stubble,bed his hair to look mature, and wore a sharp suit. By contrast with Old Wang,
Lin Chuans attire was more casualcks and a white T-shirt, his features clean-cut and sunny. Old Wang, did you spray cologne? Lin Chuan sniffed the faint scent on Old Wang and asked in surprise. How is it, does brother smell good? Old Wang wiggled his eyebrows. Lin Chuan stepped back, Old Wang, Im straight, you know! What are you thinking about? I just wanted to ask if girls would like it, Old Wang said with a smile. Lin Chuan shook his head, A womans heart is a deep ocean of secrets. The two walked into the cafe. Inside the cafe, a rich coffee aroma blended with the strains of jazz music created afortable and cozy atmosphere. Old Wang scanned the room and straightened his suit before leading Lin Chuan to a window seat. Lin Chuan took a nce. At the window seat, two girls sat looking out the window.
Hello, Im Wang Zikai, introduced by Aunt Wang. Old Wang smiled slightly as he introduced himself. The two girls turned their heads. One of them, with slightly curly long hair draping over her shoulders, revealed a smile, Hello, Im Xue Qiqi, introduced by Aunt Wang. Lin Chuan, however, wore a strange expression as he looked at the other girl. She was dressed in a fresh little white dress, her ck hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her delicate face was lightly made-up. She blinked her eyes, beaming at Lin Chuan, with faint dimples on her cheeks. What a coincidence, Writer Lin. Xue Qiqi and Wang Zikai both looked at theirpanions, You know each other? Shen Qianqian nodded. Lin Chuan also nodded, forcing a smile, Quite a coincidence indeed, Officer Shen. They sat down. Old Wang nudged Lin Chuan and asked quietly, How do you know each other? Lin Chuans face was bitter: Got taken to the little ck room. Old Wang discreetly gave Lin Chuan a thumbs up. Wow! So it was her who caught you. Such a twist of fate! Lin Chuan nced at Shen Qianqian, who nowcked the seriousness she had in the interrogation room, instead disying more sweetness and vivacity. A stark contrast in styles. Lin Chuan wondered how Shen Qianqian managed to switch so effortlessly. But the main characters of this blind date were not the two of them. It was Wang Zikai and Xue Qiqi. Lin Chuan listened from the side. Xue Qiqi seemed to have a pretty good impression of Wang Zikai, and she was also a writer, a colleague in the field. The two hit it off quite well in their conversation. Its a bit dull just chatting, how about we y a game? Xue Qiqi suggested. Old Wang agreed readily, What shall we y? Qianqian doesnt know many games, lets y poker, Xue Qiqi said with augh. Old Lin, how about poker? Old Wang looked at Lin Chuan, asking. In the past, when he yed cards with Lin Chuan, he often won more than lost, naturally aware that Lin Chuan was terrible at cards. Lin Chuan then looked at Shen Qianqian: Is it okay to y cards? Shen Qianqian smiled, Of course, why do you ask, Writer Lin? Im afraid of being caught. Lin Chuan grimaced. Shen Qianqianughed out loud, revealing her cute dimples, her voice sweet, Entertainment isnt illegal, I wont arrest you. Both Old Wang and Xue Qiqi chuckled at Lin Chuan. Ring ring ringC Shen Qianqians phone rang with a notification. Immediately after, she said apologetically, Qiqi, the police station notified me that theres a case to handle, I have to go back immediately, cant y poker. Qiqi showed understanding: Its okay, we can also y Fight the Landlord. Shen Qianqian quickly left the cafe, disappearing from Lin Chuans view. Come on, lets y Fight the Landlord. Old Wang got a deck of ying cards from the cafe. The three of them yed merrily. In Old Wangs blind date setup, Lin Chuan yed a small stratagem, repeatedly iming the role of thendlord, encouraging Old Wang and Xue Qiqi to team up. As they yed, the two of them became much more familiar with each other. About half an hourter. Shen Qianqian returned. Qianqian, you finished that quickly? Xue Qiqi said with a smile. Lin Chuan looked over. Shen Qianqian was now in a police uniform with her hair in a ponytail, her pretty face looking very neat and clear-cut, yet her expression was a bit stern. Yikes! He was reminded of the scene in the interrogation room. Qiqi, Im actually working on a case right now, Shen Qianqian exined. Xue Qiqi was confused, Working on a case now? Shen Qianqian turned around, looking at Lin Chuan, Lin Chuan, you are currently suspected of illegal criminal activities, pleasee with me to the police station. Chapter 13: 13: Are All Ghostwriters This Omnipotent? Chapter 13: Are All Ghostwriters This Omnipotent?
One hour ago. Anling Citys Public Security Brigade struck quickly, directly destroying an underground gambling den. However, due to therge number of people involved, the Public Security Brigade did not have enough personnel, so they requested support from the Criminal Investigation Brigade. Shen Qianqian, who was off-duty apanying her best friend on a blind date, was called back to the police station. Upon rushing back to the police station, Shen Qianqian changed into her police uniform. She quickly got into her role.
Qianqian, theres a swindler inside, help with the interrogation, the head of the Public Security Brigade handed Shen Qianqian the interrogation sheet. Okay. Shen Qianqian turned and walked into the interrogation room, her face turning cold. At first nce, it looked as if Dragon Hollyhock had turned red. Inside the interrogation room. Across from Shen Qianqian was a middle-aged man who was slightly overweight, with somewhat swollen eye bags, grey hair amongst the ck, and showing signs of balding. Whats your name? Shen Qianqians voice was ice cold. When interrogating criminals, Shen Qianqian was always like this. Zhang De. Age? 54. Whats your upation?
Does being andlord count as an upation? The middle-aged man across from her flickered in his gaze. He had just been in the police station two days ago, experiencing the interrogation by the policerades. Unexpectedly, here he was again. Shen Qianqian slightly lifted her eyes. Your specific address. Thendlord sulkily responded, Happiness Community, building 3, No. 3 garden vi, City East District. Happiness Community? Shen Qianqians eyebrows furrowed. She had been to the City East Districts Happiness Community. Lin Chuan also lived there; during thest theft case, she had personally gone to summon Lin Chuan. Thismunity so many talented people? Indeed, thisndlord was none other than Lin Chuansndlord, Old Zhang.
Shen Qianqians pen tip moved as she noted down Old Zhangs information, then she asked, Are you a swindler? Landlord Old Zhang hastily shook his head, denying, No. Shen Qianqian raised her hand and pointed towards the two walls of the interrogation room, where eight conspicuous characters were disyed. Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who resist. Really not. Landlord Old Zhang had a bitter face. Shen Qianqians eyes narrowed and her voice grew heavier, The others have already confessed, theyve revealed that you were cheating in the gambling den, and we were just about to deal with you when our men arrived, saving your hands. Will you continue to conceal the truth? Old Zhang pursed his lips, not daring to hide anything, and honestly admitted, Not a swindler, just learned a bit of cheating techniques. As it turned out. Old Zhang had practiced cheating techniques all through the previous night, unable to sleep. He felt he had a natural talent for it, considering himself a cheating techniques prodigy. In just one night, he had made considerable progress. This morning, unable to resist the itch in his hands, he sneaked out without telling Xinxin and secretly went to an underground gambling den, wanting to test his newfound skills.
Old Zhang was still in the grace period for beginners; indeed, he had shown a bit of his skills in the gambling den. But soon, Old Zhang was noticed by the people running the gambling den. After reviewing the surveince footage in slow motion, they spotted his tricks and decided to take him out. Thats when the Public Security Brigade raided the gambling den. And caught everyone in one swoop. Old Zhang was fortunate to save his hands and ended up back at the police station. Just-learned cheating techniques? Shen Qianqian furrowed her brows slightly, slightly surprised. Mhm. Landlord Old Zhang nodded. Who taught you? Shen Qianqian asked. Old Zhang shook his head. No one. Self-taught.
Shen Qianqian was taken aback, her eyes narrowed slightly, some surprise evident, Self-taught? How did you teach yourself? Just just learned it from tutorials. Old Zhang wore a pained expression. Shen Qianqian was even more surprised. Could a swindler really be self-taught? She had interrogated swindlers before, but each one had been taught by a master, practiced hard for years, before they dared to venture into the martial world. But the 54-year-oldndlord in front of her, who had learned cheating techniques on his own, was the first she had ever seen. It really was a sight to behold. Where did you get the tutorial from? How long have you been practicing? Shen Qianqian fired questions in quick session without giving Old Zhang much time to think, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure. Just practiced for one night, from a tutorial I saw in a novel. Old Zhang answered honestly. Even though Shen Qianqian had seen her fair share of bizarre suspects, this answer still took her by surprise.
Cheating techniques learned in one night? And from a tutorial in a novel? Good heavens! Thest time Shen Qianqian read Lin Chuans novel Thief, readers said they could learn lock-picking skills from it. This time it was something even more exaggerated. Learning cheating techniques! Are authors these days all so omniscient? Shen Qianqian thought to herself, I really want to see, which author is this audacious? Teaching someone cheating techniques, in reality, is a form of instructing criminal methods, which constitutes the crime of disseminating criminal methods, and can result in a fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years, criminal detention, or control. If the circumstances are serious, it can be a fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years. In particrly serious circumstances, a fixed-term imprisonment of ten years or more or life imprisonment can be imposed. Which novel is it? Shen Qianqian was also curious to know which author it was. Sailing Novel, Swindler. Under duress,ndlord Old Zhang had no choice but to reveal everything. Even if he didnt say it, the police would search his phone and find the novel. Shen Qianqian took out her phone. She opened Sailing Novel and searched for swindler. The first one on the list was a work called King of Cheating by an author named Handon. Shen Qianqian clicked into it and put the phone screen in front of Old Zhang: Is it this one? Old Zhang looked and shook his head: No. This website had several books titled Swindler, with a high rate of duplication in names. Do you remember the authors pen name? Shen Qianqian asked. Old Zhangs mouth twitched: I remember. Whats it called? Its called Mr. Lin. Old Zhang revealed Lin Chuans pen name. Shen Qianqians brows furrowed. She was no stranger to the pen name Mr. Lin! A duplicate name? Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, her slender, fair fingers rapidly tapping the screen, entering the keywords Mr. Lin and swindler. At that moment, a book with over one million words popped up. Shen Qianqian asked, Is this the one? Old Zhang nced at it, and nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with a sense of guilt. Author, youve been implicated! Shen Qianqian clicked into the authors homepage, and with a quick nce, she was taken aback. Author: Mr. Lin. Works: Thief, Swindler, Well done, Lin Chuan, passing on criminal methods in a novel, teaching people cheating techniques, Shen Qianqian thought, her chest heaving with emotion. After questioning Old Zhang, Shen Qianqian reported the interrogation details to the head of the Public Security Brigade. The decisive and efficient Captain Li Bing quickly issued an order: Qianqian, help contact Sailing Novel Website and retrieve this Mr. Lins information. Prepare to contact the local police station and summon him. Shen Qianqian shook her head: Captain Li, theres no need. I know him. Li Bing raised his eyebrows in surprise: You know him? I invited him to the police stationst time to investigate a perfect-level home invasion theft, Shen Qianqian said. Immediately summon him to the police station, Qianqian, youll conduct the interrogation, Li Bing said with a smile. Shen Qianqian nodded. She then quickly left the Public Security Brigade of Anling Citys police station and hurried towards the Redwood Cafe. Chapter 14: 14: Which Genius Reader? Chapter 14: Which Genius Reader?
Redwood Cafe. Shen Qianqian was dressed in her police uniform, her delicate features hardened with a serious expression. The atmosphere was a bit awkward. Officer Shen, is there some kind of misunderstanding here? Lin Chuans mouth hung open slightly, his brow furrowed, looking puzzledly at Shen Qianqian. He was confused.
Im aw-abiding citizen, when have I evermitted any crimes? The card game earlier was approved by you; I wouldnt dare y without confirming it was legal! And moreover. We didnt gamble in thendlords game while you were away! It was purely for fun! Wang Zikai also asked with a confused face, Right, Officer Shen, could there be some kind of misunderstanding? Qianqian, whats going on? Xue Qiqi next to her was also taken aback. Though she was a novelist, even she didnt anticipate this turn of events. Shen Qianqian had apanied her on a blind date. And what was the result? Shen Qianqian ended up arresting the good brother of her date; it looked like she was out to notch her performance. This Lin Chuan looked so refined and handsome, not at all like someone who would engage in criminal activities.
Shen Qianqian nced at Xue Qiqi and could only say, Its not convenient for me to exin here, but Lin Chuan is indeed suspected of illegal and criminal activities. Once Ive taken him back to the police station for a thorough investigation, Ill exin everything to you. Afterwards. Shen Qianqian turned to look at Lin Chuan: Lin Chuan, pleasee with me to the police station. Lin Chuan inwardlymented and obediently extended his hands. Shen Qianqian inspected Lin Chuan, tall and thin with a handsome, distressed look as if wronged by the misunderstanding: No need for handcuffs. With someone like Lin Chuan, she could take him down with one hand. Writer = Schr. Soft as a chick, right? Lin Chuans mouth twitched: Can you put a hood on me? Shen Qianqian was taken aback: ??? Lin Chuan gestured for Shen Qianqian to look around. Shen Qianqian swept her gaze around and saw the people in the cafe watching them with odd looks.
Putting on a hood would only make you look even more like a criminal suspect, Shen Qianqian retorted. Uh Lin Chuan thought about it and realized she was right. Old Wang looked on with a troubled face as Shen Qianqian led Lin Chuan into the police car. Taking a brother out for a blind date, and the brother gets arrested by the blind dates best friend. What a mess. Seated in a police car for the second time. The same car, the same seat, the same person. Even Lin Chuans state of mind was the same. He was puzzled. These past few days, I havent even received a door-to-doorundry text message. I havent stepped outside, what could I have done wrong?
Lin Chuan was full of doubt and confusion. He carefully reflected on whether his actions and behavior over the past few days had been appropriate. Hed experienced a swindlers life, and that was kept secret the entire time, with no one aware of it. Releasing the new book Swindlers Life had also been done officially after passing a security check before being contracted and put on shelves. Beyond that, there seemed to be nothing else. Suddenly, Lin Chuan remembered something. He had given the Little Landy a legitimate website link, could that be considered spreading obscene information? Hiss! That doesnt count, right? Can it even count! It definitely shouldnt. Exchanging a seed between friends is alsomon, isnt it? So what else could there be?
Lin Chuan couldnt figure it out to the end. Shen Qianqian drove the police car, speeding in the City East District, cutting through the noisy streets, and amidst many sideways nces, she returned to the Anling Police Station. At this time, inside the police station, there were all sorts of people. There were gamblers being detained in the holding cells, rtivesing to handle the necessary procedures, reporters interviewing about the recent crackdown on an underground gambling den. Lin Chuan deliberately avoided the reporters cameras. Afraid of social death! After all, this was not something to be proud of. Inside the interrogation room. Cold walls, conspicuous slogans, a solemn atmosphere. Lin Chuan felt as if ants were nibbling at his skin, as if sitting on pins and needles. He sat in the middle, in the position for those being interrogated, and watched Shen Qianqian transform from a sweet girl to a domineeringdy, from a blue koi to a red one. But, he couldnt dwell on why Officer Shen could have a double identity and switch freely between them.
Because Shen Qianqian had alreadyunched a thunderous offensive. Name? Lin Chuan. Age? 24. upation? Writer. Shen Qianqian asked routine questions, quickly filling out the information on the interrogation form. Then, she raised her eyes to Lin Chuan, Lin Chuan, I ask you, what crime have youmitted? Lin Chuan had a bitter face, I dont know! If I knew, I would have confessed! Shen Qianqians face was expressionless, with a kind of cold beauty, Have you recently published any novel works? Lin Chuans heart skipped a beat, Yes. On which website? Sailing Novel. What is the name of the work? Swindler. Shen Qianqian immediately presented the relevant evidence, On the Sailing Novel Website, your pen name is Mr. Lin, and you have a work titled Swindler with a length of 1.026 million characters, edited by Youyou, book number BC324802. Is this correct? Lin Chuan nodded, Its correct. Shen Qianqian, Is Swindler written by you personally, with no ghostwriter involved? Yes, Lin Chuan honestly answered. Doubts began to surface in Lin Chuans mind: How could publishing an innocent novel be illegal? Shen Qianqian took a breath, pursing her lips, Lin Chuan, you are hereby informed that you may be suspected of teaching criminal methods. Huh? Lin Chuan was shocked; his whole being becamepletely dumbfounded. Teaching criminal methods? Officer Shen, can you tell me what criminal methods have been taught? Lin Chuan couldnt help but ask. Cheating Techniques. Lin Chuan frowned, I admit, the depiction of cheating techniques in the book is indeed detailed, but does that constitute teaching criminal methods? Shen Qianqian thought for a moment and then said, If it were just like that, it wouldnt necessarily constitute the crime of teaching criminal methods. However, if you deliberately use a novel format to teach cheating techniques, teach people how to gamble, and profit from it, thats a different matter! In reality, indeed there were people who had been jailed for profiting from teaching cheating techniques and instructing others in gambling. Lin Chuan, ???? Which genius reader is this, learning cheating techniques from a novel? After some serious thought, Lin Chuan began to defend himself: Officer Shen, the art of cheating, how many people, even with hands-on teaching from a master and decades of practice, have still failed to master it? My novel was just published; it hasnt even been 48 hours, how could anyone possibly have mastered it from that? Shen Qianqians brow furrowed slightly, as if in thought, You seem very knowledgeable about swindlers, are you one yourself? Lin Chuans vision darkened, ???? Such a novel train of thought! Done for, he had implicated himself as well. Please answer my question, Shen Qianqian spoke again. Lin Chuan hurriedly shook his head, emphatically denying it, No! Ive never participated in gambling, nor have I ever been to a casino. If you are not a swindler, why do you know so much about cheating techniques and describe them so meticulously in your novel? Shen Qianqian pressed on. Lin Chuan earnestly replied, As a professional writer, whenever I write about a new profession, I conduct extensive research and search for relevant materials. Certainly, I cant just outright say, I have a cheat, can I? Chapter 15: 15 King of Cheating? Chapter 15: King of Cheating?
Your case is a bit special, Shen Qianqian nodded, Well need to wait for a professional to arrive before we can make a judgement. Until then, we have to temporarily detain you. Lin Chuan felt a tightness in his chest. What misfortune! Shen Qianqian personally took him into the detention room. Lin Chuan looked at the row upon row of iron cell doors in the detention room, behind which were narrow, dark chambers, their grey walls marked with conspicuous warning signs.
Those frequently detained knew that there were no windows in the detention rooms, making it very stifling and oppressive, with the air quite foul. Because, more often than not, there was more than one person being detained inside. Such was the situation Lin Chuan faced. Inside the detention room. Lin Chuan nced around and saw seven or eight men, all looking downcast. Some had scarred faces and looked fierce and threatening, others were punk kids with spiky hair, and there was also Landlord Old Zhang! Old Zhang also spotted Lin Chuan, Lin Chuan, how did you end up here? Old Zhang, howe youre in here, too? Lin Chuan was surprised. The two met, and there was a sort of hometown folks meeting each other, tears streaming down their faces feeling. No one would have thought that one day, andlord and his tenant would be cellmates! s
Old Zhang pulled Lin Chuan over to a corner to sit down, sighing deeply. Lin Chuanughed, Old Zhang, you didnt go gambling again, did you? He had only been caught a couple of days ago, and here he was again. Dont remind me. Old Zhang squatted against the grey wall, waving his hand, Got the gambling itch, thought Id take a walk in the casino, and just happened to run into therades from the police, ended up directly here. Lin Chuan sighed, Ah gambling is harmful indeed! Isnt that the truth! Old Zhang, still shaken, touched his five fingers on his right hand, recalling how he nearly had his fingers chopped off for swindling, Lin Chuan, how did you get in here? Thats a long story, Lin Chuan felt deted as well. Old Zhang put his arm around Lin Chuans shoulders, showing great camaraderie, Kid, Ive always seen you as a straight shooter. Dont tell me it was for a delivery girl showing up? Lin Chuan shook his head, I wouldnt dare. What if there was a biochemical crisis or something?
What did you do? Old Zhang was curious. Lin Chuan looked up at a 45-degree angle, his expression mncholic, I wrote myself into my book. Ah? Old Zhangs mouth fell open in surprise. It was the first time hed ever heard of someone writing themselves into the police station. That piqued his curiosity even more. Old Zhang asked eagerly, Was what you wrote a serious novel? Im a serious person, of course, I wrote a serious novel, Lin Chuan said with a bitter face. A serious novel then how did you get arrested? Old Zhang asked. Lin Chuan recounted, The officers said I was guilty of instructing in criminal methods. I reckon a reader reported me. If I ever find out who got me captured, Ill tear him apart! Old Zhang patted Lin Chuans shoulder, fully agreeing, Right, tear him apart. I really hate these types of people, no sense of brotherhood at all! Sigh
The two shared a feeling of being fellow sufferers, and they sighed again. Meanwhile. At the Anling City Police Stations Public Security Squad, someone was already reading and analyzing Lin Chuans Swindler, extracting the sections concerning cheating techniques. Just then. A middle-aged man in a suit and with a balding head entered the police station. Captain Li Bing, with a beaming smile, shook his hand, Expert Chen, theres a case that needs your expertise. Expert Chen chuckled, Captain Li, its my duty. This Expert Chen, Chen Ming, was a famous anti-gambling expert from Anling City, a master of Cheating Techniques, and had done much public welfare anti-gambling propaganda for Anling City. This case is a bit special. Ill have Officer Shen exin the details to you, Li Bing said with a smile, Thank you for your trouble, Officer Shen. Shen Qianqian smiled and then detailed Lin Chuans case. After listening, Chen Ming said, Using novels to teach Cheating Techniques? Shen Qianqian nodded, Yes.
Chen Ming shook his head andughed, Thats hardly possible. Each Cheating Technique is extremely difficult to master. Just like when I was an apprentice, despite my masters personal guidance, it still took me ten years to be considered proficient, and only then did I dedicate myself to public welfare against gambling. Based solely on the text of a novel, its very difficult to pass on Cheating Techniques. You might have misunderstood that author. Chen Ming didnt make his statement too definitive. But clearly, this was practically an impossibility. Cheating Techniques arent something anyone can learn. Nor is it something everyone can master. There are plenty of video tutorials, pictorial instructions, and even in-person teachings avable online, yet they all struggle to produce a true master of Cheating Techniques. Modern swindlers rely more on technological gadgets to cheat andmit fraud. Passing on Cheating Techniques through a novel? Impossible! Shen Qianqian and Li Bing exchanged nces, then said, However, someone learned a bit of Cheating Techniques from the novel. Chen Mings brows furrowed into a Chuan shape, May I take a look at the novel?
The group immediately huddled together, pulling up the descriptions of Cheating Techniques from Lin Chuans novel. For dice of the same material, the force determines the volume of the sound, but different pips determine the sounds of the collisions. Take ordinary dice, for example Hehe~ Upon seeing the first part about the auditory Cheating Techniques with dice, Chen Ming merely gave a faint smile, This is just a beginners level auditory dice technique. Shen Qianqian pointed to the next section. Heres his description of card Cheating Techniques. Chen Ming looked intently. Holding the cards in the left hand, when dealing them, use the left thumb to push out the corner of the top card, covering the next one with the top right corner of the deck, then with the middle finger of the right hand, gently pull out the bottom card, acting swiftly while simultaneously Hiss! Chen Mings brows tightened slightly, his condescending attitude waning. I must say, the author has some neat tricks up his sleeve. This part describes the card controlling technique of Poker Cheating Techniques quite urately. Shen Qianqian raised an eyebrow. Could Lin Chuan really know Cheating Techniques? Lock-picking and now Cheating Techniques as well? Youre too much! And you im to be a legitimate writer? Pah! There are many more descriptions of Poker Cheating Techniques here. The relevant staff continuously presented excerpts from the novel. Shen Qianqian, Li Bing, and Chen Ming all stared intently at the screen. Hide the good cards in the palm of your hand beforehand, and when its time to cut the deck, let someone else do it, creating the illusion that the deck was never touched After dealing the cards, conceal the original deck beneath the good cards, and when revealing your hand, dont just toss the cards down but gently ce them in the pile, with skill and technique The more the anti-gambling expert Chen Ming read, the graver his expression became. Any initial condescension hadpletely vanished. He couldnt help but inhale sharply. The descriptions of Cheating Techniques in this book were meticulously detailed. But what shocked Chen Ming even more was that some of the Cheating Techniques mentioned were beyond even his knowledge! Chen Ming made his judgment! Captain Li, the author of this book is undoubtedly a master of Cheating Techniques! The King of Cheating! Chapter 16: 16: Impossible to Wash Clean, Simply Impossible! Chapter 16: Impossible to Wash Clean, Simply Impossible!
The King of Cheating? Shen Qianqians brows furrowed slightly, her clear and bright eyes filled with astonishment. Even though she had arrested numerous suspects and was used to big scenes, her heart couldnt help but be tumultuously moved at this moment. After two interrogations, she could not im to be unfamiliar with Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan, 24 years old, a university graduate for one year, living in the dpidated rental of Happiness Community in City East District, making a living by writing books, with poor sales, and no more than 5000 yuan in his bank ount. How could such a person be the King of Cheating that Chen Ming talked about? Team Leader Li Bing saw Shen Qianqians doubts and said to Chen Ming, Expert Chen, the author of this novel is still a young kid.
Chen Mings gaze sharpened, and he said in surprise, A young kid? Yes. Shen Qianqian nodded. This case is indeed very special, Chen Ming mused, not daring to make a hasty conclusion. Li Bing, as the head of the public security team, was experienced and immediately made a decision, The three of us will unite for the interrogation, to probe the reality of this young kid! Shen Qianqian and Chen Ming both nodded. Start the interrogation immediately! SqueakC The heavy iron prison door emitted a long frictional sound, and the seven or eight people inside the detention room immediately looked towards the door. Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan turned his head to look, Shen Qianqian stood straight and smooth, her fair and delicate face exceptionally eye-catching even outside the dim detention room.
Landlord Old Zhang nudged Lin Chuan, Theyvee to interrogate you. Cooperate well, and strive for lenient treatment. Lin Chuan smiled helplessly. Shen Qianqian led the way in front, with Lin Chuan following behind. Walking through the stern corridor, turning two corners, and crossing the yard, Lin Chuan came to the familiar interrogation room once again. As soon as Lin Chuan entered, he saw two people sitting upright at the front of the interrogation room. It was the head of the public security team, Li Bing, and the anti-gambling expert, Chen Ming. Their scrutinizing gaze settled on Lin Chuan and did not move away. Under their intense gaze, Lin Chuan felt as if he was being seen right through. He was almost experiencing an acute bout of awkwardness. Lin Chuan also stole a nce at Li Bing and Chen Ming. Li Bing had thick eyebrows andrge eyes, with wheat-colored skin, exuding righteousness. Chen Ming, slightly portly, gave Lin Chuan a very familiar feeling.
Like a swindler. But he didnt have time to think it over much, as the interrogation began as soon as he sat down. This interrogation. Team Leader Li Bing took the lead, with Shen Qianqian as the assistant. Chen Ming, as a special case assistant, was allowed to assist in the interrogation. With his square face, Li Bings voice was very solid as he asked right away, Lin Chuan, are you a swindler? Lin Chuan immediately denied it, shaking his head like a rattle drum, No! Do you know any cheating techniques? Li Bing asked again. No Lin Chuan paused, Uh, I should know a little bit. If he said he didnt know any cheating techniques, this police uncle would definitely not believe him. The little room was ice-cold, and the atmosphere very stern.
Li Bing continued, Lin Chuan, in your book Swindler, there are detailed descriptions of cheating techniques; is this true? It is. Shen Qianqian presented the relevant materials in front of Lin Chuan, who nodded in acknowledgment. Li Bings expression remained stern, his authority unwavering, Upon investigation, these descriptions of cheating techniques contain quite a few instructional segments. We suspect that through your novel, you aim to teach criminal methods to others; is this true? There have been instances where people have used novels to leak important secrets. In the end, they turned out to be spies. Good heavens! Modern methods of crime are ever-evolving. Li Bing suspected that Lin Chuans case was very simr. Lin Chuans face turned pale, and he shook his head like a rattle-drum, Officer, thats not true! Just because my writing is detailed doesnt mean you can pin the crime on me. I never thought someone could learn cheating techniques from these words; that was not my intention! Lin Chuan had thought about this argument for a long time in the detention room. Who would have thought?
Someone could learn cheating skills from a novel! Li Bing waved his hand dismissively and said, When ites to illegal and criminal activities, we rely on evidence. Upon investigation, the ount Arrogant Zhang tipped you with two Alliance Leaders Treasure Chests, worth 2,000 yuan, is that so? Lin Chuans heart tightened. Arrogant Zhang? Is he that genius reader who learned cheating techniques in just a day or two? He tipped me 2,000 yuan, and he also learned cheating techniques. So, what is this 2,000 yuan considered? Tuition? Ah, this Its over, I cant exin this away! Is that so? Li Bing repeated. Yes.
Lin Chuan shrank his neck slightly, his voice a few notches weaker, his gaze a few shades dimmer. After he practiced the cheating techniques, he went to the underground casino and gambled with cheating skills Li Bing roughly outlined Old Zhangs illegal activities. Therefore, we have ample reason to suspect that you are teaching criminal methods to others through your novel. After hearing this, Lin Chuan slumped back. His whole demeanor wilted. ording to the officers reasoning, Arrogant Zhang paid 2,000 yuan in tuition, learned cheating techniques from me, and then ran to the casino the next day to gamble and defraud with those skills. Its a closed loop! Lin Chuan forced himself to calm down and mustered all his energy to exin, Officer, I only publish novels to make some money. I dont even know Arrogant Zhang. For me, tipping an Alliance Leaders Treasure Chest is an acknowledgment of my work, not tuition! Li Bing smiled, You dont know him, do you? I dont, no! Lin Chuan gave a definite answer. Shen Qianqian looked steadfastly at Lin Chuan and retorted, Lin Chuan, he is yourndlord, and you were just with him in the detention room; how could you possibly not know each other? Ah? Lin Chuans eyes popped, his pupils shook, he waspletely bbergasted. Landlord Old Zhang? Old Zhang, oh Old Zhang, youve doomed me, now the logic ispletely closed off. Cant wash it clean, absolutely cant wash it clean! Huh? Wait a minute, thats not right! Lin Chuan suddenly had a sh of inspiration and immediately countered, Officer, I didnt know beforehand that Arrogant Zhang was Landlord Old Zhang, and lets assume for a moment that I indeed wanted to teach Old Zhang cheating techniques, why would I do it through writing? We are in the samemunity, face-to-face teaching would be far more convenient, wouldnt it? Why would I choose the most difficult method, through the written word in a novel, to teach? Team leader Li Bing and Shen Qianqian exchanged nces, then fell silent. Clearly, there was some sense in what Lin Chuan said. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Chuanposed himself. He needed to prove his innocence! Lin Chuan looked at the three people across the interrogation table, and his gaze finally rested on Chen Ming. Chen Ming gave Lin Chuan the impression of a swindler. A swindler sitting beside the officers, assisting in the interrogation, must be a person involved in anti-gambling efforts. Thats right! The starting point of the novel The Swindler is to oppose gambling! Lin Chuans face broke into a smile and said, Actually, I wrote this million-word swindler novel with another purpose in mind. Shen Qianqians eyes flickered with a trace of surprise, What purpose? Lin Chuan said with righteous indignation, his face serious, Officer, I hope to use this novel to expose the scams of cheating techniques and promote the purpose of anti-gambling! Chapter 17: 17 You Can’t Leave Yet! Chapter 17: You Cant Leave Yet!
The three people in front of the interrogation table were all startled. Lin Chuans move caught all three by surprise. It waspletely unexpected! He was full of suspicion for teaching methods ofmitting crime, but now he imed to be an anti-gambling advocate? What the Inside the interrogation room, the atmosphere suddenly turned a bit strange.
Li Bing said with suspicion, You have not yet cleared yourself of the suspicion of teaching methods ofmitting crime. As for anti-gambling, it also requires evidence. How can you prove that your novel is promoting anti-gambling? The tone of the public security captain softened a bit. Shen Qianqian slightly furrowed her brows, wanting to hear how Lin Chuan would defend himself. After thinking for a moment, Lin Chuan exined, Officer, please look at the beginning of my novel. It makes it clear from the very start that this is an anti-gambling and anti-fraud novel. The three looked at each other, then immediately focused their attention on the opening of Lin Chuans novel. I am a swindler. I am the king who turns the sky and earth on the gambling table. Once, I made a fortune overnight. Once, my wife left and I lost my children. I want to use a swindlers life to convey to you the simplest principle. The moment you sit down at the gambling table, youve already lost your life. Nine out of ten bets involve cheating!
Ten out of ten bets result in losses! Not gambling, that is the true winner. Shen Qianqian pondered, then looked at Lin Chuan, Indeed, your opening is trying to persuade people not to gamble. Lin Chuan nodded, Please continue reading further. They turned the page and entered into the story. My surname is Lin, nameless; for now, lets call me Mr. Lin. My father was a gambler. At the age of seven, he was hacked to death on the street, leaving nost words. I hid in an alley and witnessed it all. The three of them read Swindler together.
Lin Chuan, assuming the role of amentator, exined and simultaneously cleared his own suspicions: Mr. Lins father was hacked to death on the street because of gambling, subtly indicating the dangers of gambling. Mr. Lins master met a bad end due to grudges in the gambling den. Mr. Lins first love was shot dead in the casino. Later, Mr. Lin did make money through cheating techniques, but he lived every day in fear, with countless enemies. His wife couldnt stand such a life and took their son to a distant ce, never to be found again. In the end, he surrendered himself to the police station and was sentenced to eighteen years in prison. After being released, he devoted himself to anti-gambling charity work. It might seem like just the great ups and downs of Mr. Lins life, but if you ponder carefully, it bes clear that this is a true reflection of every gamblers life. From the confusion over his fathers death to entering the world of swindling, what seemed to be a rise in life was actually opening Pandoras box, until he finally came to a realization. Lin Chuan spoke with sincerity. The three across from him seemed to be reading a chapter from his own life experiences. Sigh Public security captain Li Bing let out a sigh. Having handled cases for many years, he had seen too many gamblers with broken families and ruined lives.
Shen Qianqians beautiful eyes flickered as she stared at Lin Chuan in front of her. His handsome face still appeared somewhat youthful, yet his novel exuded a sense of matured world-weariness. It was quite peculiar. Only Chen Ming, a fellow professional, questioned, Your novel contains a lot of teaching about cheating techniques, how do you exin that? Lin Chuan took a deep breath. Earlier, he had been too nervous. Inside the interrogation room, the closed space, the gloomy and oppressive atmosphere, the piercing gaze of the police officers conducting the interrogation, he felt immense pressure, afraid of being convicted of a crime. But in fact, he wasnt a suspect and had nevermitted any illegal criminal acts! My heart is clear, what is there to fear? After Lin Chuan was no longer afraid, his thinking became as sharp as before, and he looked at Chen Ming to reply, This is not teaching of cheating techniques, but an expos of cheating techniques! The three of them were startled. If it was defined as an expos of cheating techniques, then Lin Chuan was not a criminal suspect but actually a public welfare advocate against gambling! Lin Chuan continued to defend himself, Guns, policerades use them to enforce justice, whereas criminals use them tomit evil. By the same token, as for the expos of cheating techniques, normal people will watch and avoid being cheated, while those with evil intentions will seek to learn andmit fraud.
In the end, what prompts them to break thew is not my novel, but their own greed. The cold interrogation room seemed to have be Lin Chuans own stage. However, Lin Chuan did not want the interrogation room to be his stagehe just wanted to leave this dreadful ce as quickly as possible. It was not a pleasant memory at all. Instead, it was all a nightmare! Shen Qianqians beautiful eyes twinkled, and she couldnt help but take a few more nces at Lin Chuan. She was persuaded! Especially by the discussion about guns, which resonated deeply with her. She was a bit curious. Was this the thinking of a writer whose books had flopped? And the head of public security, Li Bing, didnt jump to conclusions, his tone had be much more mellow, Lin Chuan, your case is special, we need to consult with relevant legal professionals before we can determine its nature. Then, the interrogation paused.
Li Bing, Shen Qianqian, and Chen Ming stepped out of the interrogation room to discuss with the relevant legal team. They also called up the surveince video of thendlord Old Zhang cheating to analyze it frame by frame. After a full hour. Shen Qianqian pushed open the iron door of the interrogation room, her face was not as stern as it had been originally, appearing gentle and sweet, allowing Lin Chuan to breathe a sigh of relief. Her voice was also soft and tender. Lin Chuan, after careful discussion, your novel Swindlers Life can indeed be seen as an exemr of exposing cheating techniques and anti-gambling, therefore, you are not suspected of teaching methods of crime, she said. That day, Shen Qianqian showed Lin Chuan a rare bright smile. PhewC Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan heaved a deep sigh of relief. It was not easy! He was almostbeled a criminal suspect! Shen Qianqianughed again, Lin Chuan, your novel is really quite good. Really? Lin Chuan cracked a big smile. Of course, the staff responsible for reviewing and analyzing all said it was very good! Shen Qianqian nodded. Lin Chuan blinked, Then could I get a full subscription from you? Shen Qianqian was startled, Ah? A full subscription, thank you for your support! Your full subscription is my motivation! Lin Chuan gave a traditional Martial World salute with his hands. Perhaps because Sailing Novel hadnt arranged for a rmendation, or maybe because it shed with Handons new book King of Cheating in terms of the theme, Lin Chuan had just checked his attribute panel: [Current work: Swindler] [Status: Published.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 103/1000.] The growth rate of the average subscription was too small. Half of it was from old readers subscriptions, and at this rate, when would he reach a thousand average subscriptions, in the Year of the Monkey? Ah He was almost down to eating dirt! Shen Qianqians lips twitched slightly, but she still took out her phone and gave Lin Chuan a big full subscription! [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 104/1000.] Thank you, Officer Shen, Ill be leaving now. Lin Chuan offered another traditional salute and turned to leave. Shen Qianqian stretched out her hand and stopped Lin Chuan, You cant leave yet! Chapter 18: 18 King of Cheating! Chapter 18: King of Cheating!
Officer Shen, havent I been cleared of suspicion? Lin Chuan stopped and looked sideways at the closely-following Shen Qianqian. Although youve been cleared, you possess cheating techniques and still need to be recorded at the police station, to prevent you from using them to deceive! Shen Qianqian said earnestly. Lin Chuans mouth twitched, Do I look like someone who would break thew andmit crimes? This Shen Qianqian slightly lifted her head, seriously taking in Lin Chuans appearance.
Standing at 186 cm tall, a half-head taller than her, with handsome facial features that made him look clean and sunnyit didnt seem like he was a criminal suspect. Not really. Shen Qianqian shook her head. Lin Chuan let out a relieved smile. Its all your fault, System! You forced me to experience these professions with heavy sentences like Thief and Swindler, so I could only release rted novels. Shen Qianqian cracked a smile, Your skills are quite special, so there must be a corresponding record at the police station. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, resigning himself to the situation. If I have to be recorded, so be it. Its much better to cooperate with the policerades than to be treated as a criminal suspect! Interrogation rooms, detention cellstheyre really not ces for a person to stay. Especially this female officer next to me, at times cold and morous, at times sweetso torturous! Are you mentallyining about me?
Shen Qianqian suddenly looked at Lin Chuan, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Lin Chuan was startled, Why would you ask that? Shen Qianqian wore a strange expression, Intuition. Right now, you must be cursing me inside your head, especially since it was me who arrested you both times. I dont me you. Lin Chuans words did not match his feelings, but his heart was bitter. Youre aware that youre the one who arrested me, right? Is there anypensation you could give? Like, inviting me to dinner. After being interrogated for most of the day, Im about to faint from hunger. How about this, Ill treat you to dinner tonight. Shen Qianqian smiled beamingly. Lin Chuan was suddenly dumbfounded, looking at Shen Qianqian with a strange expression. Officer Shen, can you read minds? Not happy about it?
Shen Qianqian blinked and asked. Lin Chuan nodded repeatedly, Happy, very happy. Shen Qianqians eyes were clear and bright, and she smiled, Theres one more thing. Our Anling Police Station is about to join forces with a video tform tounch an anti-gambling campaign, and we are currently looking for candidates. An anti-gambling campaign? Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow slightly. Shen Qianqian nodded, If youre interested, try to impress us with your skills during your recordingter, you might just be chosen. Better not, Im worried about a Martial World Hit Order from the casino bosses. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment and shook his head. Behind the anti-gambling public service campaign lies great danger. Some influential anti-gambling advocates even face death threats from unknown sources. Better to prioritize my safety. Shen Qianqian pursed her lips and said with a smile, You underestimate the power of Anling Police. Not only would they provide a 3,000 yuan subsidy for the anti-gambling advocates, but they would also ensure their safety. However, if youre not interested, then Wait!
Lin Chuan raised his hand to interrupt Shen Qianqian, Officer Shen, Ive changed my mind. I must participate in the anti-gambling campaign. Shen Qianqian gave him a suspicious look, Didnt you just mention a fear of a Martial World Hit Order? Officer Shen, since you can ensure my safety, then I am reassured! Lin Chuan dered with unwavering righteousness, his face full of noble intent, Ahem, just to be clear, its not because Im coveting the 3,000 yuan subsidy. I mainly want to see a world without gambling. This anti-gambling campaign, count me in! Shen Qianqians expression grew even more peculiar. Lin Chuan, your change of attitude is way too fast. The Chuan-style face change! Officer Shen, please take me to the recording room, Lin Chuan actively requested to be recorded. Thats 3,000 yuan, after all! Ah, spit, thats the anti-gambling campaign, I should do good deedsits my unshirkable duty! Come with me. Shen Qianqian chuckled dryly. Subsequently.
The two proceeded to the recording room for technical registration. Inside the recording room. The Public Security Captain, Li Bing, and the anti-gambling expert, Chen Ming, had been waiting for some time. Lin Chuan, we need you to demonstrate your true level of cheating techniques, Captain Li Bing got straight to the point without beating around the bush. Alright. Lin Chuan nodded. Please take a seat. Li Bing gestured for Lin Chuan to sit down, Officer Shen, you sit too. All four sat around the table. The anti-gambling expert, Chen Ming, opened a new, sealed deck of ying cards, then expertly shuffled several times before cing it in front of Lin Chuan: Let me introduce myself, Chen Ming, I work in the public welfare anti-gambling field, how would you like to y? Lin Chuan replied, Anything is fine. Then lets y Zha Jinhua, Chen Ming said with a smile.
Lin Chuan picked up the deck of cards, didnt shuffle, and began to deal directly. Starting with himself, he dealt three cards to each yer, four yers in total. Lets just reveal our hands. Lin Chuan said with a smile. Li Bing was the first to flip over his three ying cards, three Qs. Shen Qianqian revealed hers, three Ks. Chen Ming frowned slightly, and after a deep look at Lin Chuan, he flipped over his own cards: three As. All three had three of a kind! At this point, Lin Chuan smiled and turned over his cards. The three cards were a 2, a 3, and a 5. The 235 is the smallest hand in Zha Jinhua, but it can beat a three of a kind! At this time, Li Bing and Shen Qianqian both looked towards the anti-gambling expert sitting opposite Lin Chuan, Chen Ming, as if by some unspoken agreement. Chen Ming was the dealer. Lin Chuan had not shuffled the cards; he had dealt them directly, and there were no suspicious moves noticed during the dealing. How then had he managed to beat three yers with one hand? Both Li Bing and Shen Qianqian wanted to know the secret behind it. Chen Mings face darkened, his brows partially furrowed, Your card switching is very fast, so fast that there are no ws, but what I dont understand is, how did you know the order of the cards I shuffled? This anti-gambling expert was also a master of cheating techniques. With Chen Ming shuffling, taking Lin Chuan as the dealer, Lin Chuan would have had a three of kind Kings, Li Bing a three of Queens, Shen Qianqian a three of Jacks. And he, a three of Aces. But Lin Chuan didnt shuffle, yet he managed to change the order of Chen Mings deal and even dealt a 235 to beat three three of a kind hands. This waspletely beyond Chen Mings expectations. Lin Chuan smiled faintly, You shuffled five times, the first three times intece shuffles, thest two overhand shuffles, but after each shuffle, the order of the cards stuck in my mind. Both Li Bing and Shen Qianqian were startled. To memorize the order of 52 cards in his head, to deal whichever he wanted without revealing any ws. Was this the level of Lin Chuans cheating techniques? Shall we continue? Lin Chuan looked towards the anti-gambling expert Chen Ming and asked. Chen Ming took a deep breath, acknowledging that he had met a tough opponent today, and gritted his teeth, Lets! But his initial assessment of Lin Chuan was not at all mistaken. King of Cheating! Lin Chuan lived up to this title. Whether Lin Chuan or Chen Ming dealt the cards, Lin Chuan was able to consistently crush Chen Ming, without exception. Chen Mings expression was very ugly, close to shutting down! Shen Qianqian was seated below Lin Chuan. She looked sideways at Lin Chuan, and at this moment, Lin Chuan waspletely different from what she knew. His demeanor had changed! Lin Chuan became confident, it was a kind of absolute confidence in controlling the whole situation. After more than a dozen rounds, Lin Chuan won them all. At this moment, Lin Chuan looked towards Li Bing and Shen Qianqian and said with a smile, Comrades of the police, may I take that three thousand Err, may I participate in the anti-gambling campaign? Chapter 19: 19: Inside Information Chapter 19: Inside Information
Inside the filing room. Li Bing nced at Chen Ming who was being suppressed by Lin Chuan andughed heartily, Comrade Lin Chuan, thank you for being willing to contribute to Anlings anti-gambling efforts. Its my duty to do so. Lin Chuan said with full righteousness, By the way, may I make a small request? Please, go ahead. Public Security Captain Li Bing asked.
I hope that in the anti-gambling publicity, in addition to introducing my identity as an anti-gambling campaigner, my identity as a writer could also be introduced, along with a link to my novel Swindler. This should have an even better promotional effect, Lin Chuan exined. Of course! Li Bing nodded with a smile, Your novel can serve as a benchmark for exposing cheating techniques, allowing more people to see it is also a form of anti-gambling! Right, thats what I also think! Lin Chuan nodded seriously, adding his voice. [Current work: Swindler.] [Status: Launched.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 104/1000.] The Poprity Value of Swindler was too low right now; he had to figure out ways to attract readers himself. This joint anti-gambling publicity with Anling Police Stations video tform was the perfect opportunity. If the publicity effect was good, the Average Subscription should see a significant increase. Oh right, there was also a 3000 yuanbor subsidy. Two birds with one stone!
Immediately, Lin Chuan quickly wrote down a series of numbers on the back of a ying card and handed it to Li Bing. What is this? Li Bing asked, puzzled as he looked at the Morse code. Lin Chuan smiled, Thats my payment ount. When the timees, thebor subsidy can be transferred directly into my ount. Li Bing and Shen Qianqian smiled at each other, No problem! The anti-gambling publicity matters were settled quickly, scheduled for the night after next. The filing went smoothly too. When Lin Chuan stepped out of the police station, it was already nearing dusk. In the western sky, the fish-scale-like clouds reflected streaks of golden light, adding a touch of dreamy color. Birds flew back to their nests, their sporadic chirping mixed with the sound of traffic on the roads, bing peaceful in the remaining glow of the sunset. At the entrance of the police station. Lin Chuan took a deep breath.
At that moment, a figure came sprinting over. It was Old Wang. The moment Old Wang saw Lin Chuane out, he rushed over and gave Lin Chuan a big hug, Old Lin, you finally came out, if you hadnte out, I would have You would have what? Lin Chuan asked with a smile. Old Wang chuckled and whispered into Lin Chuans ear, I would have made it with Qiqi. Lin Chuan was taken aback, ??? Your brother is almost turned into a criminal suspect, and youre romancing outside? Old Wang chuckled and said, Thanks to Qiqis friend arresting you and making you squat in the station, I had plenty of time and space alone with Qiqi, you know what I mean. You forget your friends at the sight of beauty. Lin Chuan turned to walk away. Old Wang grinned and said, Old Lin, just kidding, Officer Shen already sent a message briefly exining your situation to Qiqi while you were filing, so we didnt need to worry. She also said she would treat us to a meal.
Youve known her for half a day, and youre already on a first-name basis, Lin Chuan remarked with amazement. Old Wang grinned, You can tell youve never been in love; Qiqi is also in the same profession, we hit it off quite well, it was hate at first sight that we didnt meet sooner. Who hasnt been in love? Lin Chuan retorted, Have I had fewer romances? How many have you had? A soft voice reached Lin Chuans ears. Lin Chuan extended his right hand, spreading out all five fingers, Cant even count on one hand Huh? Officer Shen, how did you get here? Of course, its to treat you to dinner as my way of apologizing, Shen Qianqian replied with a beaming smile, batting her eyes, her curved eyshes like a slender crescent moon, Just curious, how many exactly have you dated? Gossip is second nature, and Officer Shen was no exception. Lin Chuans mouth twitched slightly, his hand awkwardly retracting, Uh, Officer Shen, thats not within the range of information required for the record. Old Wang on the sideughed, Officer Shen, Old Lin has never had a girlfriend, hes always home writing books, hes seen very few girls, where would he get a girlfriend from? I can tell. Shen Qianqianughed along too.
At this moment, Shen Qianqian was back in casual wear, in a fresh little white dress outlining her slender waist, the hem falling to reveal a stretch of her fair calf. It was apletely different aura to when she was in her police uniform. Sweet, gentle. Then, a Mercedes-Benz GLC stopped in front of the three of them. The driver was none other than Old Wangs blind date. Get in. Xue Qiqi held the steering wheel, sporting sunsses, looking lively and cool. Shen Qianqian took the passenger seat. Lin Chuan murmured into Old Wangs ear, Is Xue Qiqi really one of us? Yes! Shes in female-oriented fiction, sold quite a few rights, Old Wang whispered back. Lin Chuan suddenly realized, no wonder Shen Qianqian thought authors make good money. Looks like youre nning to live off a woman. Lin Chuan joked again.
Old Wang coughed, Im also someone holding great masterpieces, how can it be called living off a woman? Impressive. Lin Chuan gave a thumbs up. Shen Qianqian had booked a music restaurant. Inside the restaurant, blue lights flickered, casting a glow on the art paintings hung on the walls. An antique vinyl record yer spun slowly, ying a vintage folk song, cozy and romantic. The four of them sat by the window. Xue Qiqi was curious about Lin Chuan being taken in for questioning, Lin Chuan, how did you end up being arrested by Qianqian as a criminal suspect? Lin Chuans face was full of bitterness, Let Officer Shen exin. Shen Qianqian smiled lightly, her rosy lips parting slightly, It wasnt an arrest, it was a summons. The reason I had to summon Lin Chuan has an irresistible cause, a veryrge cause, which has to do with the books he writes. Writing books? Xue Qiqi, also a writer, became even more curious upon hearing this. Shen Qianqian nodded, sharing the story of how Lin Chuan had been mistaken as a criminal suspect and summoned twice. Lin Chuan, you really are full of surprises, Xue Qiqiplimented, giving Lin Chuan a thumbs up. Some people, on the surface, are failed writers, but in reality, they are locksmiths, they are swindlers! Amazing! Lin Chuan waved his hands, smiling, Its all a misunderstanding. The three writers naturally steered the conversation towards novels. Xue Qiqi spoke earnestly, However, your Swindler coincided with Handon and Hongmei, two authors with tens of thousands of average subscriptions, and you were at a big disadvantage in terms of rmendations. Lin Chuan deeply agreed, Indeed. Actually, theres some insider news, Xue Qiqi said slowly. What insider news? Lin Chuan and Old Wang were both curious. Xue Qiqi paused for a moment before dropping a bombshell. Sailing Novel will select recent releases for a Heroes Compete event, that is, vying for the first ce, with specific rewards unknown. Although its called Heroes Compete, everyone knows its actually The Two Heroes battle, specially prepared for Handon and Hongmei, the two authors with tens of thousands of average subscriptions. Other books might just be cannon fodder. This event should be announced in the next couple of days, Lin Chuan, you should be prepared. Chapter 20: 20 No good, no good! Chapter 20: No good, no good!
The restaurant was bathed in a soft blue light. Lin Chuans face darkened. As the Two Heroes vied for supremacy, I ended up as cannon fodder. Dammit, its the Innate Losers Holy Body after all! Old Wang patted Lin Chuan on the shoulder andughed, Qiqi, Handons new book is called King of Cheating, and Lin Chuans book is called Swindler. Xue Qiqis mouth dropped open slightly, a look of surprise appearing on her face, and she immediately gave Lin Chuan a thumbs up: Hell-level difficulty.
Shen Qianqian sat aside, took a sip of orange juice, and pondered thoughtfully. Although she wasnt a writer, she could roughly understand the challenges Lin Chuan faced. She pursed her lips, smiled, and asked, Is there any way to get some rmendations? Old Wangughed, Yes, rmended chapters. Xue Qiqi nodded and joined in, You can also pay bloggers to promote your book and bring in traffic. Lin Chuan subconsciously reached for his pocket, finding it empty. s! Fortune is fickle, life is full of hardships! Chuan, with a tiny life and an innate loser, has no avenues for rmendation, yet alongside those with ten thousand orders, he harbors the ambition to ascend to greatness and yearns for the lofty breezes. Damn Lin Chuan smiled, the look of defeat fleeting from his face: A thousand orders, and Ill be satisfied. After reaching a thousand orders, he could once again embark on a new professional life experience. If the options are there, one must give it a shot, right?
Shen Qianqian smiled gently and encouraged, I have a feeling that this novel of yours will far exceed a thousand orders. Lin Chuan gratefully smiled, Then I will have to borrow your auspicious words. His gaze fell upon Shen Qianqian, who was sitting across from him. Under the pale blue light of the restaurant, it reflected on Shen Qianqians fair and delicate face, her features beautifully outlined, her sparkling eyes and white teeth, and the corners of her mouth curved in a subtle smile. Ahem. Old Wang coughed lightly, subtly nudging Lin Chuan, Old Lin, the food is here. Lin Chuan turned his head and gave a sheepishugh. About an hourter. After Lin Chuan and Wang Zikai saw the two girls drive off, the two men strolled along the Anling River, enjoying the breeze. The night was as dark as ink, spreading out over the tranquil Anling River, turning the whole river ck. The high-rise buildings on the riverbank shimmered with lights, like stars fallen to earth. A gentle breeze wafted by and the silvery moonlight mingled with the colorful neon, weaving sparkling ripples across the river.
You and Xue Qiqi seem to get along quite well, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Maybe my good looks scored me some points, Wang Zikai said with a grin,ughing heartily. Lin Chuan took a careful look at Old Wang and agreed wholeheartedly, The good looks are indeed there, almost catching up to mine. Get out of here. Old Wangughed mockingly, then spoke seriously, But seriously, I really like girls like Qiqi. Xue Qiqi is a fellow writer, pretty, lively, and crucially, shes rich. Who wouldnt like her? Lin Chuan recounted, counting off on his fingers. I think youre more into the police flower, Old Wang chuckled teasingly. Thats something you cant just blurt out! Lin Chuan immediately shook his head. From all aspects, Officer Shen is quite good, gentle, with a pleasant voice, and just now you were staring at her quite intently, Old Wang said with a smile. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, What you see now is only her sweet temperament. You havent seen her cool and detached demeanor, so youre making a mistaken judgement. What sweet and cool temperament?
Old Wang looked puzzled. Lin Chuan gave a wry smile, Dont let her gentle and bright demeanor fool you, shes as sweet as a first love, but in the interrogation room, its not like that. Whats it like in the interrogation room? Old Wang inquired. Lin Chuan recalled being interrogated, In the interrogation room, Officer Shen has a cool and detached air that can be quite oppressive. I was almost out of breath at the time. Thats just a psychological effect, nothing to do with Officer Shen, Old Wangughed. Lin Chuan shook his head. Old Wang patted Lin Chuan on the shoulder, revealing a meaningful smile, Really, you could consider Officer Shen. Huh? Lin Chuan widened his eyes, Youre suggesting I consider Officer Shen? Yes! Old Wang nodded. Lin Chuan couldnt help but give a wry smile, Whats the use of me considering it one-sidedly? When ites to looks, Shen Qianqian is as beautiful as any actress with makeup on, and when ites to temperament, sometimes shes sweet and gentle, sometimes shes a cool andmanding beauty, able to switch between the two with ease.
And indeed, she is very beautiful. But! It doesnt matter if I consider her when she doesnt even spare me a nce. Lin Chuan was quite self-aware. The budding affections of ones school days can overlook many factors. But once you leave school, reality sets in. For most ordinary people, romance is built on material foundations. But what about him? A struggling writer,pletely unaplished. Besides being handsome, there arent many othermendable qualities to speak of. The survival skills he finally acquired through a stroke of luck: Theft, Cheating Techniques, but these quick-money methods are already written up in the criminal code. If he actually used these skills to make a fortune, hed just be increasing Shen Qianqians performance.
Whats more. Apart from interrogations, he and Shen Qianqian had no other interactions. The two of them live in entirely different worlds. Its not just a case of being out of reach; not even eight hundred poles could hook them together. s Lin Chuan shook his head, thinking instead about how to promote anti-gambling, and to take this opportunity to endorse Swindler. Ring ring ringC At that moment, Lin Chuans phone rang. Hello, whos this? Lin Chuan answered the call from the unidentified number. A sweet, glutinous voice came from the phone: Lin Chuan, its me, Shen Qianqian. Theres drama. Old Wang muttered under his breath, giving Lin Chuan a meaningful look. Ignoring Old Wang, Lin Chuan confessed proactively, Officer Shen, Im just walking by the Anling River with Old Wang right now, not doing anything illegal! Shen Qianqianughed like a silver bell, Lin Chuan, youre overthinking it, Im not out to catch you! As long as youre not catching me, thats good. Lin Chuan heaved a sigh of relief, dreading that Shen Qianqian might suddenly turn around and drag him back to the police station for another round of intense interrogation. That would be torture! My fingerprint lock is unresponsive, can youe over and take a look? Shen Qianqian asked, No locksmiths are epting jobs at this time. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, Add me on V and I can guide you on how to open it through video. Okay. Shen Qianqian hung up the call. Officer Shen is asking you to help her with the lock, why arent you going? Old Wang listened on the side, with an expression like he was frustrated at Lin Chuansck of initiative. Lin Chuan retorted, A video guide is sufficient, why need to go in person? Ah, youre missing a great opportunity!+ Old Wang looked at the hapless Lin Chuan, This is a chance for you to build rapport with Officer Shen. Think about it, thiste at night, Officer Shen cant get into her house, and you dash over to help her with the lock, how could her impression of you not improve? Isnt this how they write it in the novels? I know, Lin Chuan smiled. Then why wont you go? Old Wang asked. Lin Chuan turned his head to look at the colorful Anling River, saying with augh, Im barely managing to keep myself alive, how could I have the terrifying thought of dating? No way, no way! Chapter 21: 21 Who is the true Gambling King? Chapter 21: Who is the true Gambling King?
March 15th, Friday. Dawns light streamed through the window onto the narrow confines of the rented room, the early spring breeze carrying a hint of freshness that wafted into Lin Chuans nostrils. Lin Chuan had gotten up early. His editor Youyou, had sent him a link. The Heroes Compete event has started,e join! The Sailing Novel March Champion could be you! As expected, the event has arrived.
Lin Chuan clicked on the link, which took him to the Sailing Novel app. Event rules: All new books released after March 1st are eligible for the Heroes Compete event. Rankings will ultimately be based on the Poprity Value of the works Event duration: March 15thCMarch 20th. Event rewards: First prize, a cash reward of 50,000 yuan, exclusive website rmendations, IP rights development, video tform promotion to drive traffic Lin Chuan continued to scroll down the page. No.1: King of Cheating (Handon) No.2: Number One Sword Immortal (Hongmei) No.3: Urban Soldier King (Love the Kingdom More Than the Beauty) No.296: Swindler (Mr. Lin) This event was highly unlikely to be rted to Lin Chuan. What a grind!
Lin Chuan scratched his head,ughing dryly. Today was the day he had arranged with Anling Police Station to make an anti-gambling campaign; he prepared to leave for the station. Just before leaving. Lin Chuan pinched his chin and thought ofndlord Old Zhang who was still detained at the station. He mumbled, I should also spread the word to the brothers in the reader group to prevent them from going to gamble after reading Swindler. Ah its tough doing any job these days. Me, a writer, actually has to worry about readersmitting crimes after reading my book, damn it! But his actions were honest. His hands maneuvered his phone, opened the reader group, and sent out the anti-gambling campaign live broadcast notice and relevant links. And he added the message: Brothers, remember toe watch the live broadcast, dont stray off the path! It wasnt 30 seconds before readers replied. [Author, howe you havent surfaced for so many days? Did you go in again?] [Author, are you just getting out now?]
[Let me say one thing, why is this link for anti-gambling propaganda, author?] [I was puzzled too, shouldnt it be about Cheating Techniques teaching?] [Author, if youre handcuffed and its difficult to type, just send a smiley face. ] Lin Chuan couldnt help butugh. This group of readers had more outrageous things to say than the next, and it seemed like they were all fit for a stint in detention. He replied: I did go in and almost didnte out. The reader group exploded again. [I knew it, author, you really did go in?] [I knew it, there must be a case on the authors back!] [Author, you are so criminal!] [Oh my god, the author I stan is actually a Suspect handsome guy! Respect!] [That Arrogant Zhang guy, isnt he in too? I havent seen him in the group for days.]
[Didnt he say the other day that he had mastered Cheating Techniques and was going to strut his stuff?] [Good lord, that strutnded him straight in the mmer.] Lin Chuan said with augh: I saw him in there, he probably wont get out until tomorrow. Dont actually study the Cheating Techniques from the book, folks, just enjoy it for what it is. The reader group blew up even more, badgering Lin Chuan with questions. Lin Chuan had no choice but to reply en masse: Remember to watch the live broadcast, it will have everything you want to know. Oh, and if its not too much trouble, help me promote this anti-gambling campaign live broadcast. Readers expressed one by one: No problem. Lin Chuan went out and got on bus route 13. Straight to the police station. The anti-gambling campaign was the responsibility of the Public Security Team, so Captain Li Bing personally received Lin Chuan. Comrade Lin Chuan, this way. Captain Li Bing very cordially weed Lin Chuan to the reception room. In the reception room, there were already several people seated.
Among them, Lin Chuan recognized two. Chen Ming, Shen Qianqian. Seeing Lin Chuan arrive, Shen Qianqian revealed a slight smile, King of Cheating, we were only missing you. Lin Chuan was a bit startled, Officer Shen, arent you a criminal policeman? Officer Shen has a good image and temperament. I specially borrowed her from the Criminal Police Brigade to act as the host for this anti-gambling campaign, exined Li Bing. Immediately after. Li Bing repeated the live broadcast procedure of the anti-gambling campaign to Lin Chuan. No problems, right? No problems. Shen Qianqian, Chen Ming, Lin Chuan, and the technical staff in the reception room all indicated there were no problems. At Anling Police Station, live broadcast studio. At noon, the anti-gambling campaign went live.
The rapid streaming video live broadcast app pushed a live broadcast pop-up to its users. Who is the real Gambling King? Many people, out of curiosity, clicked on the pop-up, entering the broadcast room. Inside the broadcast room. A policewoman dressed in uniform spoke with poise, Wee to the event jointly held by Anling City Police Station and Quick Tiger tform: Who is the real Gambling King? I am the host for this event, Shen Qianqian. The audience in the broadcast room began to throw out question marks. [Did I hear wrong, is Anling Police Station holding a gambling event?] [What is this operation? Is this Quick Tiger ount real Anling Police Station?] [Quick, @Cyber Police to discern if this is real or fake!] [No need to @, look at the background behind that policewoman, its obviously inside the police station.] [How can you tell at a nce?] [Ive spent a lot of time inside, so Im very familiar with it!] [Hiss! Brother, youre a real convict!] [This Who is the real Gambling King? event seems interesting, held by the police station, who dares to take the title of the Gambling King?] With a smile on her face, Shen Qianqian revealed a shallow dimple as she continued, I will now announce the rules of this event. For this event, we have 36 contestants who willpete in multiple rounds of PK to decide who is the Gambling King! Viewers in the broadcast room can also actively vote to support the contestant they believe is most likely to be the Gambling King! In the broadcast room, thements floated by. [Interesting!] [I think I sort of understand what theyre trying to do.] [Hurry up and let me see who the contestants are!] [Ive roamed the casinos for decades, I can tell in minutes who has the stronger gambling skills.] The scene in the broadcast room shifted. The 36 contestants made their appearance one by one, each with a unique attire. Suited business elites, punk youths with dyed yellow hair, middle-aged men with scarred faces, and stunning women with seductive figures. Lin Chuan and Chen Ming were mixed in among them. Whereas the other 34 extras were gamblers detained during thest raid on an underground casino, and Old Zhang was among them. At that moment, although dressed inly in jeans and a white T-shirt, just by his good looks, Lin Chuan stood out among the 36 people. Many viewers quickly noticed Lin Chuan. [That handsome guy number 9, he looks too naive, immediate elimination!] [I agree, too young, he looks like a college hearthrob.] [Gambling Kings, without exception, have weathered countless battles, their eyes like cheetahs. The eyes of number 9 are clear and bright, I exclude him too!] [Is it possible that hes pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?] Chapter 22: 22 Ace of Spades Chapter 22: Ace of Spades
[How could it be a trick to y dumb to catch the wise?] [I have some gambling skills myself, and seeing a guy like No. 9 in a short-sleeved T-shirt with nothing in his hands, its almost certain hes not the Gambling King.] [Why?] [Gambling King, Gambling King in reality, thats just another name for a swindler. Have you ever seen a swindler not wearing long sleeves, rings, and having items like a cigarette case or a lighter in his pockets?] [The guy upstairs is a professional, huh? Can you borate?] [Think about it, at the poker venue, a swindlers usual tricks include stealing cards, hiding cards, swapping cards, but with nothing to cover himself, where could he hide cards, in his underwear?]
[Hiss! The guy upstairs makes a good point.] [I think that No. 13 in the suit and tie, whos somewhat balding, looks quite like a swindler.] No. 13 was none other than the anti-gambling expert, Chen Ming. Anling Police Station. The live broadcast scene. In arge function hall, multiple camera positions were filming. Thirty-six contestants were using the Flush (All-in) style of y, six per table, divided into six tables, with police officers acting as croupiers, responsible for dealing the poker cards. The winner of each table would advance to the next round of Poker King. If the winner and the one with the highest votes were the same person, then the voting would proceed to the next person. All the contestants are now ready. The audience in the live stream can click on the numbers 1-36 on the right side of the screen to watch each contestants exclusive view.] Now, Who is the real Gambling King officially begins thepetition.] Shen Qianqians voice was sweet and mellow, her delicate face beaming with a bright smile as she announced themencement of the Who is the real Gambling King event.
The camera turned away. Her gaze inadvertently looked towards Table No. 2. Lin Chuan was there. As expected of Anlings flower of the police force, her hosting abilities are indeed strong, Li Bing praised Shen Qianqian as soon as he arrived. Captain Li is ttering me to death again. Shen Qianqian replied with a beaming smile. Li Bingughed and said, This is by no means ttery. Right now, there are 60,000 people online in the live stream, and at least 30% are here for you.] Shen Qianqian averted her gaze and smiled, Whether they are here for me is not important. What matters is that our live broadcast can achieve the effect of anti-gambling propaganda.] This time. Anling Police Station had discarded the previous dull reasoning propaganda and adopted the Who is the real Gambling Kingpetition format to attract the audience. The ultimate goal was to reveal how their Gambling King used cheating techniques to win every bet, achieving the purpose of persuading people not to gamble. It had to be said.
When the government gets creative, its the most lethal. And there it was, the host was Anlings lovely police flower, with a beautiful voice and appearance, the event format catered to popr aesthetics coupled with promotions on the Kuaidou app, the heat in the live stream rose increasingly, making it to the homepage of the Kuaidou live broadcast. Many new viewers poured into the live stream. Some readers who followed Lin Chuan also arrived. [Lets see where the suspect Lin Chuan is!] [I found him. Hes at Table No. 2, just as handsome as in the photos.] [Who is the real Gambling King? Ill vote for Lin Chuan first!] [The cards havent even been dealt yet, and youre already voting?] [No need to gamble, I already know Lin Chuan is definitely the Gambling King.] [What number is this Lin Chuan you all are talking about?] [The contestant No. 9, that handsome guy with the suspect look.] After all this promotion by the readers, quite a few viewers were intrigued and clicked on the No. 9 position to watch Lin Chuans view.
At Table No. 2. Lin Chuan sat calmly, toying with several mock chips in his hand, waiting for the dealer to deal the cards. Once he was at the table, he was the king. The other five at the same table had intense gazes, each trying to scout the others, aiming to gain a psychological edge and take the initiative. The croupier was a police officer. Though his card-shuffling skills were not professional, his special identity ensured the maximum fairness of the event. Please ce your bets. Each contestant had 20 chips, with a blind of 2 chips. Each round had a minimum bet of 2 chips, with no upper limit. Lin Chuan bet two chips, and the others followed suit. The first round dealt two cards. One hole card, one up card. Lin Chuans up card was a Spade K.
Lin Chuan casually nced at his hole card, and the Five of Diamonds appeared on the live stream. His card rank was the highest. All-in. Lin Chuan pushed all his remaining chips out, then leaned back with his hands on the edge of the table, smiling, his eyes serene. The other five yers at the table were stunned. The audience in the live room was a bit stunned too. [Hole card Five of Diamonds, how can he dare to go all-in?] [Is this the Zhou Xingxing style? Going all-in at the start!] [A tribute to Brother Xin, I cast my vote for him!] [Indeed, going all-in truly is a form of wisdom, hahaha!] [This is getting interesting, Scarred Man at seat 7, you have a pair of Qs, quickly go all-in with him!] [The other yers cards arent bad either, theres even one with a pair of 8s.]
Sure enough. The Scarred Man at seat 7 followed. All-in. The few others, with a frown, decided to follow through directly as well: All-in. Table 2, everyone goes all-in! It suddenly got interesting. After going all-in. The police officer dealt the remaining three cards promptly. The current situation. Three yers hands didnt form anything, instantly ousted. yer 10, only had a pair of 8s. Scarred Man at seat 7 had one pair of Qs, one pair of 4s, with a Q as the hole card. And Lin Chuan at seat 9 had a Spade flush with 10, J, Q, K, but his hole card was a 5. The Scarred Man was confident of victory, looking at Lin Chuan, Brother at seat 9, is your hole card the Spade 9 or the Ace of Spades? In an all-in, the chance of getting a flush is negligible. Unless you cheat. But the Scarred Man had been watching Lin Chuan the entire time. Lin Chuan, in a short-sleeved T-shirt, hands resting on the table, had made no suspicious moves. So there was no possibility of cheating. The audience in the live room, aware that Lin Chuans hole card was the Five of Diamonds, had already written him off. Most people watching table 2 had cast their first round of votes for the Scarred Man at seat 7. The Scarred Mans poprity suddenly topped that of table 2. Reveal the cards. The Scarred Man confidently revealed his hole card Q. Three Qs, with a pair on the side. [The Scarred Mans gambling skills are obviously much better than those of the handsome guy at seat 9.] [The handsome guy at seat 9 acted too hastily, going all-in at the start.] [I judged right from the start, seat 9 doesnt have the look of a Gambling King.] [Gamblers who go all-in at the start usually want to gain a psychological edge, to overwhelm the opponent with sheer bravado, but seat 9 has met his match.] Off-camera. Shen Qianqian was continuously monitoring the situation at table 2. She furrowed her brows, muttering, With a hole card of the Five of Diamonds, how can youpete for the title of Gambling King, how can you reveal the trickery of cheating techniques, how can you promote your book? At the gambling table. Lin Chuan looked at the Scarred Mans three-of-a-kind with a pair, and smiled, Indeed, everyone here is talented, the skills are not bad. The Scarred Man chuckled and said, Young brother, were both castaways here, youre also not bad, just slightly less skilled than me. Slightly less skilled? Lin Chuan smiled. Then, unhurriedly, he reached for his hole card and slowly flipped it over. Ace of Spades! Chapter 23: 23 This World is Too Crazy Chapter 23: This World is Too Crazy
The Scarred Man was dumbfounded. His mouth drooped, his eyes staring at the 10, J, Q, K, A on the table, revealing full surprise and confusion. He couldnt utter a single word! He lost. The other four people at the table looked at Lin Chuan in disbelief. This slightly handsome young man actually turned over an Ace of Spades.
Was it luck? Or As an onlooker, Shen Qianqian, along with the audience focused on table 2 in the live stream, were all shocked to their cores! In the live stream, the screen was filled with question marks and 666. [Anti-fans speak up!] [This is the ability of the suspect, Mr. Lin!] [Ive only seen this scene in movies!] [Is this a pre-recorded broadcast?] [The hole card was clearly a Five of Diamonds, how did it turn into the Ace of Spades?] [Incredible! He must have cheated!] [Where did his Ace of Spadese from?] [And where did the Five of Diamonds hole card go?]
[A divine move!] [@Anling Police, I report yer number 9 for cheating, and I have enough evidence!] [The live broadcast effect is top-notch!] [] Shen Qianqian took a deep breath, suppressing her curiosity, and appeared on camera again, her voice sweet: Dear viewers. Our table number 2 has determined a winner, and the winner is yer number 9. Hearing Shen Qianqians sweet voice, a smile appeared on Lin Chuans handsome face. With his skills in cheating techniques, he actually didnt need to look at the hole card. But he deliberately showed the Five of Diamonds to the camera, allowing the live stream audience to see it, before finally turning over an Ace of Spades. The purpose was to shock the audience to the greatest extent and to umte poprity for himself. Now it seemed, Lin Chuan had seeded.
His miraculous card switching quickly climbed the trending lists on the Kuaishou app, bringing even more viewers into the live stream. At the moment. The concurrent online viewer count in the live stream had reached 100k+, trending for the moment. Lin Chuans poprity was also soaring. The Who is the Gambling Kingpetition was still ongoing. Winners had already been determined at other tables. The victorious six sat at one table. Among them. yer number 9 Lin Chuan, number 13 Chen Ming, and number 20 Old Zhang were the most prominently touted. Because, under the lens of the live broadcast, all three had demonstrated their cheating techniques, especially Lin Chuan, who was astonishing. The second round of the finals was also a Flush gamey. Poker cards began to be distributed.
Lin Chuan had an Ace of Diamonds face up, and a Five of Clubs as the hole card. Chen Ming had a Spade K face up, and a King of Diamonds as the hole card. Old Zhang had a Ten of Clubs face up, and a Spade 10 as the hole card. Lin Chuan had the highest face-up card. He nced at the other five yers faces, smiled, and pushed all his chips out. All-in! [Mr. Lin goes all-in again, is this confidence?] [This scene feels familiar, I think Ive seen it in movies too!] [I suspect he is possessed by Zhou Xingxing!] [If you paid attention to his earlier performance, you would know he has the ability to go all-in.] [I still dont understand how he switches his cards!]
[At this table, there are at least three swindlers, its just a matter of seeing who has the superior cheating skills.] Ill call. Chen Mingughed heartily, his goal being to carry out an anti-gambling publicity. All-in, for better showmanship. As for winning or losing, he had already been thrashed by Lin Chuan more than a dozen times, and he didnt dare topete with Lin Chuan. Im in too! Old Zhang smiled. Old Zhang felt no pressure. He had long known that Lin Chuan was the author of Swindler, Mr. Lin, which meant Lin Chuan was like a half-mentor to him. Losing to a mentor was nothing to be ashamed of! The other three extras, after some thought, steeled themselves and went all-in as well. The Who is the Gambling King event, after Lin Chuans two all-ins, suddenly became much simpler.
But the level of tension and excitement had escted more than just a notch. Many viewers were guessing which yer would win this round. As the remaining three cards were dealt, the situation became clear. Old Zhangs hand was a 10, three Aces, with a 10 in the hole. Chen Mings hand was a K, three Queens, with a K in the hole. Lin Chuans hand was the Ace, 2, 3, 4 of Diamonds, with a 5 of Clubs in the hole. Not only were the live stream viewers fixated on the three yers cards, but even the extras who had just been eliminated were watching the three intensely. Everyone could see that these three were skilled in cheating techniques. Who is the Gambling King? Only by revealing the cards would they know! Ill reveal first. Old Zhang was the first to flip his hole card: three Aces and a pair of 10s. Instantly, Chen Mings mouth curled up in a slight smile as he flipped his hole card. It wasnt a K but a Q. Four Queens and a K! The live stream exploded with excitement once more. [I thought yer number 20 had the best chance of winning, but it turns out that number 13 is the real boss!] [yer 13 with his smart suit, truly hides his light under a bushel!] [That card switch is awesome!] [yer 13 has basically secured the title of Gambling King.] [yer 9 has no chance, a Little Straight cant beat four Queens.] [Right, his palms are empty; he had no chance to switch cards, an impossibleeback.] [Nonsense, if you have read Swindler by yer number 9, youd know that situations like this are a piece of cake for him.] [Mr. Lin, pull off another divine move please!] The live stream audience was once again intently watching Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan looked around calmly and, without any sleight of hand, flipped over his hole card. A five. But it was not a Club, it was a Diamond! Wow! The entire live stream went into an uproar! [How is this possible?] [Did he really pull off ast-minute kill!?] [A flush! But where did his Diamond fivee from?] [Ive been watching his hands the whole time. He only nced at the Club five in the hole card once and never touched it again; how could it have changed to a Diamond five?] [Is this really a live stream and not a movie?] [Im doubting my own eyes now!] [This is Mr. Lins power, Mr. Lin is awesome!] [This is the suspected criminal Mr. Lin!] [Gambling King!] By the gambling table, The events host, Shen Qianqian, appeared once more. There was a gleam of delight in her eyes, and she couldnt help but smile broadly as she said, Dear viewers, After a fiercepetition, the Gambling King has emerged, and that is our yer number 9! Many viewers in front of the live stream do not know, but yer number 9 is actually an online novel writer. He possesses cheating techniques and has written a novel on the subject of cheatingSwindler, published on Sailing Novel Website. Interested friends can click the link at the bottom of the screen to save this book. Now, back to the main topic, the goal of this event Sure enough, a link popped up at the bottom of the live stream. The audience immediately filled the screen with question marks! [Holy shit! An online novel writer?] [His incredible cheating techniques, and he chooses to write novels!?] [This guy leaves behind big money in the casino to write novels, his principles are frighteningly upright!] [The world has gone mad!] [Who would believe it, the online novel writer turns out to be the King of Cheating!] Chapter 24: 24 Chuan, something big has happened! Chapter 24: Chuan, something big has happened!
[Did that policerade just say the book was his? Im gonna learn some techniques!] [Bro, Sailing Novel Website, search for Swindler.] [Thats hardcore! Indeed, reality is much more exciting than novels!] [Im still wondering, how did he swap the cards?] [I wanna know too!] [Quick, ask the host!]
[+1] [] Shen Qianqian smiled radiantly, after introducing the purpose of the event, she slightly turned her face and looked towards Lin Chuan: The audience is particrly eager to know how you managed to swap the cards so skillfully in the two gambling rounds just now. But since our video surveince didnt detect any of your actions, could you exin it to us? Of course, I can. Lin Chuan nodded, a smile appearing on his handsome face. Lin Chuan then exined, Hello everyone, in the first round, I had control of the Ace of Spades from the start. After showing the Five of Diamonds as my bottom card, the moment I set it down, I had already swapped it with the Ace of Spades. The second round, I did the same trick. This trick, called Heaven and Earth, has a more detailed disclosure in my novel Swindler. I want to share with everyone that at the gambling table, its all about fraud techniques. Once you sit at the table, theres only losing The anti-gambling campaign went very smoothly, receiving very positive feedback.
Half an hourter, the live broadcast ended. Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan left the hall, walking along the long corridor. Not bad, Lin Chuan! Shen Qianqian raised her eyebrows yfully, praising Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan smiled: Officer Shen is the traffic password, attracting quite a few viewers. Smarty-pants. Shen Qianqianughed, then became concerned about the Average Subscription of Lin Chuans novel, With such promotion, your novel subscription should see a significant increase, right? Lin Chuan pursed his lips, pondering, Im not really sure, but I dont think Ill starve. Some people like watching videos but dont enjoy reading novels. Some people are the opposite. Turning live broadcast viewers into novel readers, Lin Chuan wasnt sure about the conversion rate. GiggleC
Shen Qianqianughed, saying, With your unique skills, would you really starve? Lin Chuan grinned: I dare not use this unique skill to make a living. I reckon the moment I do, youll transform ande to catch me. Transform what transform? Shen Qianqian was stunned, a trace of confusion appearing on her face. Err just like transforming into Ultraman to execute justice and defeat the little monsters, Lin Chuan exined hastily, making it up on the spot. PhewC Transforming into the red Dragon Hollyhock, from sweet to stunning, he almost let slip. Soon, they arrived at the police stations reception room. Captain Li Bing personally poured a cup of tea for Lin Chuan, saying with a cheerful smile, Comrade Lin Chuan, the anti-gambling campaign has been a resounding sess, and you yed a crucial role! Lin Chuan sat down, smiling, Captain Li is too kind. Its what I should do as a citizen. You must visit us at Anling Police Station more often, Captain Li Bing said with a smile. Just as Lin Chuan picked up his teacup and took a sip, he looked over at Shen Qianqian: Captain Li, Im afraid Officer Shen might interrogate me again.
Writer Lin! Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, As long as you abide by thew, how could I possibly arrest you! Li Bingughed heartily from the sidelines: Comrade Lin Chuan, Officer Shen is perceptive. The previous two interrogations were just for investigation. What I mean is, we hope that Comrade Lin Chuan can cooperate more with our police station to better promote anti-gambling. Lin Chuan smiled broadly: If theres more anti-gambling promotion, I will definitely cooperate actively! 3000 yuan! Ah money or not, it doesnt matter; what I really hope for is to create a gambling-free environment! You can call me to promote it every day! Thats what Lin Chuan thought to himself. As he was leaving, Captain Li Bing personally saw Lin Chuan out, patting him on the shoulder earnestly, Comrade Lin Chuan, you must be aw-abiding good citizen! Lin Chuans mouth twitched. Captain Li, whats going on?
I havent done anything, just published two novels. Captain Li, youre worrying too much, Ive always been aw-abiding good citizen, Lin Chuan said with a bitter smile. Li Bing nodded his head twice in quick session: Thats good, thats good! WhewC Lin Chuan let out a deep breath. After leaving Anling Police Station, Lin Chuan boarded the familiar Route 13 bus. Under the bright sunshine, the bus weaved through towering buildings before finally entering an old district in the east of the city, pulling up at the stop for Happiness Community. Lin Chuan hummed a tune as he returned to his rented room. At that moment. Lin Chuan opened the system panel. [Current Work: Swindler.] [Status: Released.]
[Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 513/1000.] Already have 500 average subscriptions, it seems that live-streaming promotions really work! Lin Chuan revealed a grin. Within just a few hours, the subscriptions increased by 400. The pace couldnt be called slow! Should reach a thousand subscriptions soon, maybe even more! Hit product!? If Swindler could reach an average subscription of 3000, achieving the status of a hit product, it would undoubtedly represent Lin Chuan breaking through a tough barrier and entering a whole new realm. Simr to a practitioner breaking through a bottleneck, ascending to a higher world. To rise one level is to see further, see more. Ive been writing for quite a few years now, finally I can see some results! At that moment. Lin Chuan could hardly contain his joy and couldnt help but let out a sigh. Let the bullets fly a bit longer! As the average subscriptions continued to climb, Lin Chuan couldnt resist opening the authors backend to see what the readers were thinking and theirments. However. The first post he saw made Lin Chuans mouth twitch and his face darken. @Han River Cyber Police @Liuhe Cyber Police @Handong Cyber Police @Yichang Cyber Police I report, the author has written their own personal experiences in the novel, this is definitely a criminal record! Thankfully. Lin Chuan had already been questioned once because of this book and had a record at Anling Police Station. Otherwise, Lin Chuan would definitely have panicked. Continuing to read on. Its so realistic! Its hard not to suspect that this is an autobiography! I suggest the police do a background check on the author! Protection! This is absolutely the most realistic swindler novel Ive ever read! Without decades of a swindler career, one absolutely couldnt write such a vored novel! Catch the author alive! Apprehend the criminal suspect, Mr. Lin! After scrolling through several pages ofments, Lin Chuans face darkened even more. Better not to look at thesements! Lin Chuan spat. If he continued to read, Lin Chuan might truly start to doubt whether he had actuallymitted a crime and might end up turning himself in at the police station. The phrase leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist had imprinted itself in Lin Chuans mind from the interrogation room. Ring ring ring Lin Chuans phone rang. Chuan, theres big trouble! As soon as he answered the phone, Old Wangs anxious voice came through. What happened? Lin Chuan was puzzled. Old Wang immediately said, Chuan, hurry up and check the Kuai Shou live streaming app! Chapter 25: 25 It seems…this profession is not bad Chapter 25: It seemsthis profession is not bad
What on earth happened? Lin Chuans eyebrows furrowed. On the phone, Old Wang was very excited, Chuan, get on Quick Shake app right now, its all about your godlike moves in the casino, youve gone viral, do you know that? You startled me, Lin Chuanughed, That wasnt a casino, it was a anti-gambling campaign that Anling Police Station asked me to do. I know, I even saw you and Officer Shen appear together, you two look quite match, Old Wang chuckled, Do you want me to ask Qiqi to set you two up? Lin Chuan immediately refused, Old Wang, dont start with me, Im really scared!
Chuan, dont be a coward, opportunities are for the brave! Old Wang encouraged. No, no, no! Lin Chuan still refused, All I want to do now is make money. When I havent evenpletely sorted out my basic needs, how can I be thinking about dating? Women, theyll just slow down my typing speed. If I started dating, then theres no way I could concentrate on writing! Huh? Seems like the novels are generated by the system But still, no! Just the thought of Shen Qianqian being the romance target Old Wang had in mind made Lin Chuan shiver. What Lin Chuan feared the most was walking down the street with Shen Qianqian, who suddenly would turn into her enforcer mode, whip out shiny handcuffs, and take him straight back to the interrogation room. That would spell trouble!
The mere possibility made Lin Chuan shiver all over. Thats too harsh! No, wait, Officer Shen doesnt even have that idea, why am I, a flop writer, worrying about this? You, destined to be single! Old Wang dropped a prophecy. Lin Chuanughed it off without further banter with Wang Zikai, and opened the Quick Shake app. Indeed, as Wang Zikai had said, Lin Chuans godlike card-switching was still trending on the hot search. In addition, there were numerous self-media and marketing ounts editing videos. Shocking! Shocking! The novelist turns out to be the King of Cheating! You thought he was a flop writer, in fact, he is the king who dominates the gambling scene! Unexpected! The former Gambling King has now fallen to writing novels for a living! Its outrageous, the writingmunity hides such an Influent Author!
Traffic is king. These headlines were more sensational than the next, crazily harvesting traffic. Lin Chuan, and his novel, also saw a surge in poprity. The Average Subscription of Swindler was still steadily rising. At this rate, we should hit 1000 average subscriptions tonight. Lin Chuans lips curled slightly, showing a bright smile. Dusk fell. The sunset that had stained half the sky red was overshadowed by the shadows of the night, stars twinkled in the early night, and the neon lights of Anling City started glittering. Lampposts lit up one after another, a cool breeze blowing, the rustling tree shadows carrying a chill into Lin Chuans rented room. The system panel disyed: [Work: Swindler.] [Current status: Published.]
[Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 1000/1000.] Lin Chuan heaved a sigh of relief. The Poprity Value (Average Subscription) of Swindler had finally reached 1000. In his mind. Lin Chuan heard a familiar voice. [Always full of passion, always with anticipation.] [A new life, a new experience.] [Congrattions, the novel Swindler adapted from your experience as a swindler has reached 1000 average subscriptions, equivalent to 1000 Poprity Points, and can unlock new career experiences.] [Would you like to immediately experience a new career and start a new life?] At this moment. Lin Chuan stood by the window, breathing in the fresh and moist air of spring, his heart filled with joy. A new profession, a new life, finally unlocked!
System, give it a go! Immediately initiating a new Career Life Experience! Lin Chuan thought to himself. It only took two breaths before Lin Chuan found himself at the intersection of the real world and the Virtual World. Outside the window, the evening breeze gently brushed Lin Chuans cheek, coolly. In the Virtual World. Layers of nightfall ovepped, forming a dense fog, and one could vaguely sense a chill. At this time. The sweet electronic voice of the system rang out again. [Each experience is a beautiful memory for you.] [The system will save this memory in the form of a novel for you.] [In this experience, the profession you have randomly received is]
[Assassin!] Lin Chuan: ????? Lin Chuan couldnt help but curse! Assassin! System, stop calling yourself the Career Life Experience System already. Just call it the Crime Life Experience System! Thief, swindler, and now assassin, you tell me, can I make a living with these skills? Youre trying to get me thrown into jail, arent you? [Host, would you like to continue life experience as an Assassin?] The system seemed to detect Lin Chuans resentment and asked an unusual question. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, If I dont experience it, can I randomize another profession? [No!] [If the host refuses the Assassin life experience, you must wait until the previous work receives 10,000 points of Poprity Value to continue randomizing a new profession and experiencing a new life.] Lin Chuans gaze stalled, and his face nearly turned green. 10,000 points of Poprity Value, that is ten thousand Average Subscriptions! It seems the profession of assassin isnt so uneptable after all. Lin Chuan had another thought and asked, System, afterpleting the Assassin career life, how much Poprity Value do I need to collect to unlock the next profession? [3,000 points of Poprity Value.] [Does the host wish to continue the experience?] Lin Chuan exhaled a long sigh. Fine! Lets be an assassin, just consider it another self-defense skill. Continue the experience! Lin Chuan made his decision. [Congrattions to the host, because the Assassin profession is special, you have obtained multiple skills:bat fighting, firearms C precise shooting, and homicide case handling ability.] [Using Virtual Reality technology to create a new world for you.] As the systems voice fell. Lin Chuans eyes brightened. Combat fighting, firearms C precise shooting, homicide case handling ability gaining three skills from the career experience of an assassin! It seems this profession isnt too bad! Soon. Lin Chuans consciousness was situated in a new Virtual World. Before he could fully see his surroundings, Lin Chuan smelled a strong scent of blood that invaded his nostrils, upsetting his delicate stomach and almost making him throw up. Lin Chuan quickly covered his nose. In the ring light, Lin Chuan squinted his eyes and swiftly surveyed everything around him. This was the hall of a mansion, spacious but in utter disarray. On the floor, there were unsightly undergarments scattered about, underfoot, shards of ss littered the ground, and a scarlet liquid slowly spread across the floor. It was unclear whether it was blood or red wine. But what shocked Lin Chuan most was directly in front of him, about three meters away, two bodiesy on the floor, not moving, a man and a woman, both naked. In their chests, each had a dagger plunged in, blood gushing out, staining their entire chests red. Lin Chuan drew in a sharp breath. Straight off the bat, they give me such a bloody scene! Chapter 26: 26 I’m Just Too Damn Professional! Chapter 26: Im Just Too Damn Professional!
Virtual World. Outside the mansion, the door wide open, one could see the nightfall, as dark as ink and as misty as fog, with the stark white moonlight falling down, giving the appearance of a gloomy castle and creating a thrilling sensation. Lin Chuan shivered, his palms sweating with tiny beads of perspiration, his muscles tense, unable to stop his hands and legs from trembling slightly. His heart was pounding, thumping like a drum. Even though he had mentally prepared himself in advance, when he actually faced such a crime scene, he still couldnt help shaking. But!
Lin Chuan knew that he now had to ovee his psychological barriers. If he didnt spend much time experiencing this professional life, he wouldnt be able to take away the corresponding skills of this profession. And, if the experience of the professional life wasntpelling, the oue of the novel was basically predictable: it would flop. He couldnt achieve the Poprity Value needed to unlock the next profession. Lin Chuans lips were tightly shut, his breathing slightly rapid. He quickly scanned his surroundings to assess the situation. I must find a way! Lin Chuans gaze fell on the two people in front of him. A man and a woman. The man had the look of middle age, his skin ck and showing signs of age. The woman seemed very youthful, with a beautiful face, tight and fair skin, a slender waist, and exceptionally enchanting looks. However, Lin Chuan didnt appreciate it much.
Because he was entirely uninterested! This is a luxury vi, and the identities of these two people must be quite extraordinary. If discovered, it could cause a huge sensation, and once a manhunt was ordered, I would be unable to escape. In principle, I shouldnt be doing this. But this is the Virtual Reality world, and I just want to experience this profession a bit more, after all, I need a lot of subscriptions after the generated novel is published. Immediately, Lin Chuan stepped into the role of Assassin, making his first judgment: clean up the scene. In reality. One shouldnt harm others, or else theyd end up shot full of holes, dead through and through, without any chance of luck. However, this is a virtual world built by the system using AR Virtual Reality technology, much like Virtual Reality gunfights and fighting games. Lin Chuan, as a young man who had received a good education from an early age, had to temporarily put aside the education he received, forget about the morals andws of reality, and start cleaning up the scene. Lin Chuan nced at the scene, which was aplete mess. Clothes and shoes scattered all over the floor, broken wine ss shards everywhere, and the two people.
Lin Chuans body was also stained with a bit of red liquid. Fortunately, the surveince here had already been destroyed, reducing the difficulty a bit. There was also no fourth person appearing indoors. First, lets take care of the aftermath for these two! Sorry, this is the virtual world, I would never dare to do this in the real world! Lin Chuan swallowed andyered his armor once again! He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and now had gloves on his hands to avoid leaving fingerprints. These two were the most direct evidence. So. The first step was to take care of them. As an assassin, its not enough to be proficient in firearms and fighting. A professional assassin must learn to take care of the aftermath to prevent any clues from being detected.
This was also the most difficult part. Otherwise, the moment one finished the mission, and before they knew it, they would be searched for, entire server warrant out for their arrest! Lin Chuan stared at the two people, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Dealing with these two on my own is too challenging, disposing, burying, or shredding, arent really feasible options. I must find a way! Quickly! A sh of inspiration struck Lin Chuans mind. He would fabricate the scene! Lets do it this way! Lin Chuan made up his mind and immediately went into action. He first cleared the red liquid from the bodies of a man and a woman, moved them into a room, used the womans fingernails to leave scratch marks on the mans body, made the man sp the womans hair in his hand, tearing a few strands off and keeping them in his hand, creating a false impression. Immediately after.
Lin Chuan used a special method to deal with the wounds. Right after. Lin Chuan rearranged the clothes scattered all over the hall. As for the woman, he took her away! Just like that, a scene where a woman encountered a forceful J by the man, fought back against the man, and fled in panic, was fabricated. PhewC Finally took care of it. Lin Chuan let out a sigh of relief and murmured softly. Afterward. His gaze fell upon the actual crime scene. He began by sweeping up the shattered ss of wine cups from the floor, then dealing with the red liquid. Completing this part was still nowhere near enough.
As is well-known, traces of red liquid are the most difficult to clean. Usually, at the crime scene, a certain reagent is used which can detect reactions of the red liquid; once sprayed, any traces of the red liquid are revealed without a doubt, and together with other evidence, the scene is reconstructed. Cant use water to wash it, water wont clean it off, and using arge amount of water in a short period would also create evidence. Lin Chuans mind raced. His professional crime scene handling ability allowed Lin Chuan to quickly think of a countermeasure. In such cases, a certain chemical is needed. The reason a certain reagent can detect the red liquid is that it catalyzes the iron element in hemoglobin to undergo hydrogen peroxide dposition, which then emits blue or blue-green fluorescence. Using the chemical, one could destroy the DNA in traces of the red liquid and preemptively react with the iron in the red liquid, rendering the reagents catalytic effect useless. No sooner said than done! In the sprawling mansion, Lin Chuan quickly found that chemical in the storeroom, swiftly spraying and cleaning the traces of the red liquid. Immediately after. Lin Chuan used a cloth to wipe the floor once more, then used a blow dryer to dry it, to avoid leaving watermarks and footprints. The final step! He packed the cleaning items and waste into a ck trash bag, pulled a suitcase, and left the mansion. Before leaving, Lin Chuan also casually opened a window. His purpose was to let the smell of the chemicals in the hall dissipate as quickly as possible. From start to finish, he spent only 15 minutes. Lin Chuan hurriedly fled the scene, and the weight in his heart finally settled, as he sighed a long sigh of relief. Im too damn professional! Its like Im really an assassin! Lin Chuanined to himself. However, as he walked through the foggy night, he seriously considered for a moment. It seemed he indeed had the potential to be an assassin! After all, it was his first time handling a scene, and his technique for fabricating the scene was so professional! Inconceivable! But he still felt a lingering fear. This profession was like walking a tightrope. Sooner orter, that wire would cost him his life. No good, no good! In real life, I must abide by thew! Lin Chuan shook his head and spoke with rity. In the Virtual World, the deep blue moonlight and the twinkling stars spread across the night sky, adorning a touch of brightness in the pitch darkness. Lin Chuans professional life experience continued Chapter 27: 27 Lin Chuan, You’re Too Awesome! Chapter 27: Lin Chuan, Youre Too Awesome!
The next day, in the real world. The noonday sun of early spring was warm and bright, spreading across Modus skyline, reflecting off the ss of Sailing Novels office building, casting flickering silver lights, sparkling like crystals. Inside the office building. Editor Youyou propped her cheek with one hand, her head slightly tilted, her eyes showing a hint of fatigue, but she was still reviewing the dense text on the screen. She sipped her coffee with a trace of bitterness at the corners of her mouth. Then.
Ah, Im going crazy! How can I nurture an Influent Author!? Editor Youyou rested her hands on her head, tousling her shoulder-length hair, filled with annoyance and almost at her breaking point! Still toiling away? At this moment, Youyous colleague Li Xue came over with a cheerful smile. Toiling? Youyous face showed a touch of bitterness, as she forced a smile, Its more like struggling. Li Xue, also an editor at Sailing Novel, had a good rtionship with Youyou. Sheughed and said, Youre always so anxious. Its only March, and its not until the end of the year that the performance levels of the editors are assessed. Youyou pursed her lips, The Influent Author I managed to bring up in the past two years has retired from writing, and now the authors under me can hardly even reach ten thousand subscriptions. I guess its going to be tough this year. Li Xue smiled, raised her eyebrows, and suggested, How about I give you some advice? What advice? Youyou blinked, her eyes brightening with anticipation as she looked at Li Xue.
Use your beauty as a strategy! Li Xue held up a mirror in front of Youyou. In the mirror was a face as beautiful as peach blossoms, delicate and exquisite, serene and animated, bright eyes, white teeth, and a mole under the eye like a tear, gently enhancing her charm. Her longshes, with just a slight flutter, carried a pitiful allure, drawing sympathy and affection. With such attributes, she could easily rely on her looks, but instead insisted on hard work. There are plenty of people prettier than me, and besides, writing isnt about seduction, it doesnt require such tactics. Youyouughed softly and covered the mirror on the desk. Youyou, youre so naive! Li Xue poked Youyous cheek yfully and dismissed the idea, These days, youve got to y some tricks, or it just wont do. I saw a short video this morningthe Gambling King hasnded ashore to be a writer! The Gambling King? Youyou was taken aback, a frown creasing her forehead. Li Xue nodded and chuckled, Yes, I still remember the title, Who would have thought, the former Gambling King, now falls to write novels for a living! Although I didnt pay attention to the follow-up, the boss was making rounds, couldnt risk cking off. Youyou let out a chuckle. However, she suddenly remembered that Lin Chuan also wrote a book called Swindler, so she asked, Hows the theme of swindlers?
Li Xue nodded seriously, The theme of swindlers is pretty good. Look at Handon, his King of Cheating has a Poprity Value of 66,000, currently iming the number one spot on Heroes Compete. Youyou nced at the time. 11:56 AM. Your author with the ten thousand subscriptions, Hongmei, isnt bad either. At 12 PM sharp, Heroes List will refresh, and who knows, Hongmei might just catch up. Youyou said with a smile. The One of The Two Heroes, Hongmei, was one of Li Xues authors. Currently, Number One Sword Immortal had a Poprity Value of 62,000, closely following Handons King of Cheating. Li Xues face showed a hint of pride as she smiled, Handon and Hongmei are both very capable. This event will show which of them can take first ce. Youyou pursed her lips, her eyes betraying a hint of envy. This event offered a prize of 50,000 yuan in cash, exclusive website promotion, IP rights development, video tform promotion to attract traffic For The Two Heroes, any one of them could use this to break into the ranks of an Influent Author! In other words, if Hongmei could surpass Handon and dominate the first ce, then Li Xue would have nurtured another Influent Author. How could Youyou not be envious?
If only I could nurture an Influent Author, my performance for the year would be set. Noon, 12:00 PM. With curiosity from Youyou and anticipation from Li Xue, they opened the editors backend to check the Heroes Compete events Heroes List. Li Xue immediately focused on the Poprity Values of Hongmei and Handon. [Number One Sword Immortal (Hongmei), Poprity Value: 83,000.] [King of Cheating (Handon), Poprity Value: 73,000.] Li Xues heart skipped a beat, her lips turned upward uncontrobly, emotions somewhat exhrated, Hongmei surpassed Handon! However, Youyou didnt respond to her. Youyous bright eyes were tightly fixed on the Heroes List. Youyou, why are you Li Xue was about to ask why arent you speaking, but a nce at the list suddenly revealed an additional work. Her gaze shifted to the right, and upon seeing the poprity value of that work, her pupils shrank, and she was greatly shocked:
Holy shit! [Swindler (Mr. Lin), Poprity Value: 316,000.] The Swindler soared to the top of the list! No.1! Youyou found it incredible, swallowing hard, she murmured, How how did he surge to first ce? Worried about a system disy error, she refreshed the page several times. But the list remained unchanged. No.1: Swindler (Mr. Lin) No.2: Number One Sword Immortal (Hongmei) No.3: King of Cheating (Handon) For a moment, Li Xue was still struggling to snap back to reality: Mr. Lin who is he? Youyou didnt answer but instead opened Lin Chuans work information for the Swindler.
[Work: The Swindler.] [Status: Released.] [Word Count: 1.026 million.] [Number of Chapters: 500.] [Paid Chapters: 400.] [Total Favorites: 103,200.] [Total Subscriptions for Paid Chapters: 1,215,260.] [Average Subscription for Paid Chapters: 3,038.15.] 3,018.15 Average Subscription! Premium! Youyou took a deep breath, the fatigue vanished from her face, revealing a radiant smile blooming like peach blossoms, and she immediately sent a message to Lin Chuan. Li Xue, who was beside Youyou, saw that she was sending a message to Lin Chuan, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly: Youyou, is Lin Chuan your guy? Youyou nodded, her smile beaming and bright as the spring sun. At this moment, Lin Chuan was still lying in bed, sound asleep. He was sprawled on a simple wooden bed with a thinyer of ck stubble on his face, showing utter exhaustion. Last night, Living the life of an Assassin had drained too much of his energy. It was like going through the motions thirteen times in one night, legs trembling, leaving leaning on the wall, a feeling of being utterly hollowed out. Not a single drop left! Around 2 p.m., Lin Chuan finally woke up from his slumber, somewhat recovered. Lin Chuan reached for his phone from the bedside, and holy cow, he was bombarded with messages! One was an ie of 3,000 yuan, with the remark Anti-gambling promotionalbor fee, another was a Home Cooking Service message: Brother, are you hungry? Your sister cane over and cook for you~. Lin Chuan spat out, Big data, youre really urate, just when I have a bit of money, youre trying to milk me dry again! Lin Chuan continued to look through the messages. The next one was from editor Youyou, containing fierce words: Lin Chuan, youre too fierce! Lin Chuan: Chapter 28: 28: This time, shouldn’t be going in again, right? Chapter 28: This time, shouldnt be going in again, right?
Lin Chuan looked at the message from Youyou, the editor, and was stunned for a moment before responding with a confused.jpg emoticon. Youyou replied instantly, Lin Chuan, you finally responded to my message! Lin Chuan frowned slightly and replied, Youyou, whats up? Youyou: Swindler, its be a quality piece! Lin Chuan was still lying in bed, sleepy-eyed. But, when he saw this message from editor Youyou, he sprang up from the brink of death,pletely losing the urge to sleep, his pupils focusing sharply on the word quality.
Quality piece! A quality piece, a work with more than 3000 Average Subscriptions, in Sailing Novel is like a grain of sand in the ocean, inconspicuous. But! In just one days time, Lin Chuans million-word volume of Swindler, from an Average Subscription of over 100, surged to 3000 Average Subscriptions, a truly astonishing feat. Put another way, it might be more illustrative. In a single day, Swindler achieved chapter subscription numbers reaching 1,215,260. Converted into manuscript fees, thats 60,000 yuan! Lin Chuan swallowed, taking a deep breath. He had indeed considered that after repeated publicity, Swindler would see a surge in results. But he had never expected it to be a quality piece overnight! Finally, hed made a breakthrough! Indeed, traffic is the code to wealth.
Lin Chuan couldnt help but remark, If it hadnt been for this publicity campaign and the huge influx of traffic, for Swindler to achieve quality status would have been an indefinitely remote possibility. Even the fragrance of wine fears the depth of the alley. Without rmendations, without traffic, few people have the chance to see it. And Lin Chuans divine maneuver in the anti-gambling publicity was equivalent to a self-initiated rmendation. In fact, it could be considered a self-rescue. After all, he waspeting with Handon and Hongmei, who debuted simultaneously, shing themes with Handons King of Cheating. And the system had explicit Poprity Value requirements, leaving him trapped in a dark room with no way out. Fortunately, Lin Chuan broke free. Lin Chuan, arent you going to publish some thoughts on bing a quality piece? Youyou sent another message. Between the lines, you could sense Youyous satisfaction. A smile appeared on Lin Chuans face as his fingers tapped swiftly on his phone: First off, Id like to thank my editor. Writing books under editor Youyou for many years, Ive always been at the bottom. Now, fortunately, I have achieved a quality piece On the other end of the phone.
Youyous mouth curved upwards, looking at Lin Chuans string of thoughts, shining brightly like peach blossoms: Alright, no need to thank me just yet, theres more good news. Lin Chuans pupils dted, his fingers pausing in their rapid typing before he quickly typed out another message to Youyou: Theres more good news? Go check out Heroes Compete, Youyou replied. Heroes Compete? Lin Chuan thoughtfully recalled. He vaguely remembered that this was a special event created for The Two Heroes, Handon and Hongmei, to battle it out. Thats right! Lin Chuan suddenly remembered, My book is also part of this event; I should be able to get a decent reward. He got out of bed, turned on hisputer, and checked the Heroes Compete leaderboard. The next second. Lin Chuans pupils shuddered. [No.1: Swindler (Mr. Lin), Poprity Value: 316,000.]
[No.2: Number One Sword Immortal (Hongmei), Poprity Value: 83,000.] [No.3: King of Cheating (Handon), Poprity Value: 73,000.] Leading the Heroes List! This what does this mean? For a moment, Lin Chuan found it hard to express his feelings, perhaps only the words holy shit could sinctly convey his emotions. How about it, isnt that good news? Youyou sent a message. Its fantastic! Lin Chuan hurriedly replied. Youyou continued, The duel of the two giants, but youvepletely crushed them both, 316,000 Poprity Value far in the lead. Even the chief editor says that in this event, no one can surpass your Swindler. Lin Chuan felt a surge of joy and replied, Does that mean I could possibly be first? Youyou was very certain, Its not a possibility, its a certainty! Both of the The Two Heroes are new books, serialized, with fewer words, while Lin Chuans Swindler, with a million-word length, many chapters, and high poprity, basically has no chance of being overtaken.
A hint of joy surfaced on Lin Chuans face. This is the correct way to exploit a loophole! Immediately afterward. Lin Chuan opened the event details page for Heroes Compete to check the first-ce reward: 50,000 yuan in cash rewards, exclusive site rmendations, IP rights development, video tform promotion to attract readers Really nice! Lin Chuan nodded sincerely, much impressed. Aside from the rights development being a bit of a grandiose nothing, Lin Chuan approved of the other rewards. Especially the promotion to attract readers. If his next new book could get that kind of promotion, it would undoubtedly be winning right from the starting line. So. Lin Chuan tentatively asked, Youyou, Ive been thinking about releasing a new book recently.
A new book? You just dumped a million words at once, and now you have a new book? Youyou was slightly surprised. Lin Chuan found an excuse, These are all manuscripts I wrote before, which I dug up the other day. I might as well polish them a bit and publish them to give it a try. Youyou was half-believing, half-doubting, Oh, that so? About the new book, I do have a suggestion. Lin Chuan sent a Im all ears.jpg emoji. Your Swindler has been a huge sess. I suggest you strike while the irons hot and write another swindler-themed novel: Swindler II. You have a very good chance of reaching ten thousand subscriptions, Youyou rmended. Lin Chuan frowned. In the worlds of TV shows, movies, animations, games, and the like, making a sequel after the first one became a hit was a basic move. They call it: building an XX universe. In reality: its all about milking money. The novel circle is no exception. Apart from a few trilogy series which are conscientious works, the rest are well, lets just sayplicated. Making money is not embarrassing, of course. Unfortunately, the life Lin Chuan experiencedst night wasnt Swindler II, but Assassin! Lin Chuan had no choice but to reply, Youyou, I dont want to write about swindlers anymore. I want to write about a different profession. Youyou asked, What profession? Lin Chuan typed two characters, Assassin. Youyou: ??? A smile spread across Lin Chuans face, Youyou, trust me! Youyou asked doubtfully, Did your familys second uncle also work as an assassin when he was young? Uh The corner of Lin Chuans mouth twitched as he replied, No, that hasnt happened. Being an assassin, you get caught and its a straight shot to execution, cant let that happen to second uncle. Then has anyone in your family ever been an assassin? Youyou continued to inquire. No. Lin Chuans face darkened. That definitely couldnt be the case. Assassin is apletely new theme for you, nowhere near as much a guaranteed sess as Swindler II, Youyou suggested. Lin Chuan checked the information. Indeed, no one could guarantee that every single book would be a hit. Swindler II was the safest bet. Its just that the system didnt allow it! Youyou, I want to give it a try, trust me! Lin Chuan was adamant. Youyou: Youre mad! If you write yourself into a corner, I wont be able to pull you out. The corner of Lin Chuans mouth twitched. Hearing this, he couldnt help but think of the cold and aloof Shen Qianqian, and his face immediately sprouted several ck lines. This time, he shouldnt end up inside again, right? Chapter 29: 29 Assassin’s Aftermath Hits! Chapter 29: Assassins Aftermath Hits!
Forget it, just export the novel. Lin Chuan muttered to himself. Last night. He had experienced the assassins professional life, which took nearly four hours. After the experience ended, before the system could announce the rted information, Lin Chuan, drained by the experience, fell asleep instantly. His mind had exhausted too much energy.
System! In his mind, Lin Chuan summoned the system. The system quickly responded. [Host, congrattions, the assassins professional life experience isplete.] [You have gained the following three abilities:bat fighting, firearms C precise shooting, homicide case handling.] [Your assassins professional life rted experiences have been automatically generated into a novel This Assassin Is Too Professional.] [Would you like to export it now?] The knowledge and techniques rted to the three abilities automatically fused into Lin Chuans mind, turning him into a professional assassin. His gaze was sharp as a de, and his whole being was like a predator in the dark night. Firearms C precise shooting and homicide case handling were basically useless in real life, but the ability of bat fighting was quite good, as it could be used for self-defense. Its dangerous for a boy to be out and about. Export the novel!
Lin Chuanmanded. [The novel This Assassin Is Too Professional is estimated to be 1.5 million words long, exporting will take 15 hours, please wait] [Exporting in progress] [Current progress: 1%.] Night fell. Anling City, Old Friends Skewer Stand. Lin Chuan made arrangements to dine with Old Wang. Old Wang had often treated Lin Chuan to meals on weekdays, and now Lin Chuan had finally produced a high-quality book; he definitely wanted to share the joy with Old Wang. Share joy: Show off a bit: The business at Old Friends Skewer Stand was booming. Rows of wooden tables were filled with people, and the owner who was also the chef bustled around, handling the iron pot, stir-frying various ingredients. The sttering oil shone under the lights, creating a busy and lively atmosphere. Lin Chuan picked a spot on the edge and plonked himself down on a low-backed chair.
Before long. Old Wang showed up. Old Lin! Old Wang spotted Lin Chuan at a nce and took Lin Chuans hand very enthusiastically, chuckling, Chuan, how did you know that today Qiqi and I confirmed our boyfriend-girlfriend rtionship, eh? Lin Chuans mouth twitched: Damn! I invite you for a meal, and you show off to me. Is that reasonable? Its not reasonable! Lin Chuan thought for a moment, took out his phone, and showed the Heroes List to Old Wang. Old Wangs eyes bulged as he looked at the list and then at Lin Chuan, struggling to squeeze out, Holy shit! How did you get so fierce? Today, he hadnt paid much attention to any messages, his mind was filled with sweet nothings exchanged with Xue Qiqi.
He hadnt expected Lin Chuan to directly dominate the Two Heroes. Aggressively topping the list. You just keep on dating; Im going to hit the big fine work! Lin Chuan was overjoyed and teased. Old Wang settled his expression: Its okay, Qiqi just sold some rights. Is living off a woman tasty? Lin Chuan asked. Im working hard too, alright? Im already preparing a new book, definitely aiming for ten thousand subscriptions! Old Wang dered with high spirits. Remember to treat me to a meal. Lin Chuan smiled. Of course. Old Wang winked, then raised his hand, Qiqi, over here. Lin Chuan looked over to see Xue Qiqi standing outside the skewer stand, dressed in a blue long dress, with white high heels, looking quite eye-catching. Lin Chuan knew that Xue Qiqi was joining them for the meal, as Old Wang had mentioned it beforehand. But Why did Shen Qianqiane too?
She had her hair in a high ponytail, showing off her delicate and sweet features. She wore a white T-shirt with a cartoon duck on it,plemented by stone-washed jeans and white shoes. Her simple outfit was brimming with the vibes of youth. Why did Officer Shene? Lin Chuans lips twitched slightly as he asked Old Wang in a low voice. Old Wang chuckled, I invited her for you. What? Lin Chuan was shocked, his face full of question marks. Didnt you say before that you never had the opportunity to meet Officer Shen? So, I took the liberty of inviting Officer Shen, Old Wang said with a smile. Lin Chuan gritted his teeth, But what I meant was, Officer Shen and I are not from the same world, we have no intersection, not that I didnt have the chance to meet her. Its pretty much the same thing. Wang Zikai waved his hand, I thought to myself, now that Qiqi and I are an item, I cant just watch you remain single. How about it, am I not a good friend? Lin Chuan held his forehead. Old Wang, you really have broken your heart over your brothers lifelong happiness.
But my fifty thousand reward and sixty thousand manuscript fee havent hit my ount yet. Writer Lin, what made you think of inviting me to dinner today? Shen Qianqian had alreadye over, looking at Lin Chuan with a beaming smile. To avoid embarrassment, Lin Chuan forced a smile and made up an excuse. Officer Shen, thanks to you, I was able to participate in the anti-gambling campaign, so I wanted to treat you to a meal to express my gratitude, he said. Old Wang, holding Xue Qiqis hand, sat beside him. Shen Qianqian then took a seat next to Lin Chuan, Hows the novel? Lin Chuan smiled, Luckily, its a hit. Thats good. Shen Qianqian blinked her eyes, like twinkling stars in the sky. Lin Chuan picked up his tea and took a sip. Officer Shen, Lin Chuan is particrly eager to know how your work is going, Old Wang turned wingman, speaking for Lin Chuan. Shen Qianqianughed, After returning to the criminal investigation team, Ive been quite busy. Today I was investigating a homicide case. A homicide case? Lin Chuans face suddenly turned pale, and his hand shook, spilling some tea onto himself. Writer Lin, whats wrong? Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan and asked. Its its nothing. Lin Chuan showed a smile and picked up a napkin to wipe the tea from the table and his clothes. As a criminal police officer, Shen Qianqian was always alert for the unusual in life. She watched Lin Chuan wipe the stains and felt there was something strange about it. Lin Chuan took three absorbent paper towels in session, then pressed the towels to the wet spots on his clothes, letting them slowly soak up the tea. ording to Shen Qianqians life experience, normally youd wipe down from where water was spilled on you, trying to keep the clothes from getting wetter. But. This method of cleaning by absorption, that Lin Chuan used, was rarely seen by Shen Qianqian in everyday life. Instead, it was a technique often used by forensic colleagues at crime scenes to collect evidence. Or. In the forensic science center, they would use a simr method to clean up rted stains. Officer Shen, why are you looking at me like that? After Lin Chuan finished wiping down, he looked up only to find Shen Qianqian staring at him unblinkingly. It made his heart race, feeling like something bad was going to happen. Your technique is a bit unusual, Shen Qianqian said with a smile. Lin Chuan was taken aback, his brow furrowed. What technique? Suddenly, Lin Chuan caught a glimpse of the paper towel in his hand from the corner of his eye, and his heart tightened. He understood. What Shen Qianqian was referring to was the way he cleaned the water drops off himself. Crap! Last nights immersion into an assassins professional life was too deep; every time a scene was cleaned up, it was done by absorption of the blood. Now, the aftereffects of being an assassin had kicked in! Chapter 30: 30 Do You Know How to Shoot? Chapter 30: Do You Know How to Shoot?
Officer Shen, is there a problem? Lin Chuan asked nonchntly, but he was already feeling a bit guilty. This was a strange feeling. He had clearly nevermitted a crime, he had only experienced an assassins professional life. However, when he inadvertently showed Shen Qianqian techniques rted to crime scene investigation, his heart skipped a beat. He panicked, fearing that Shen Qianqian would take him back to the station. Is this some kind of psychological disorder?
Indeed. Shen Qianqian smiled lightly, I was just curious why youd choose to absorb the water instead of wiping it away. Lin Chuan also offered a smile, exining, Officer Shen, as writers, the keyboard is our bread and butter. When theres water on theputer desk, I use tissue paper to absorb it to prevent it from getting into the keyboard. Over time, its be a habit. I see, Shen Qianqian realized and nodded slightly. Unexpectedly. Xue Qiqi blinked and asked, But you dont have a keyboard in front of you now, do you? Yikes! Lin Chuans heart tightened. Thinking quickly and with high emotional intelligence, he replied, Uh Officer Shen is here by my side, and I was worried that wiping off the droplets would stter on her. Old Wangs mouth hung open as he secretly gave a thumbs-up. Such a response warranted inclusion in the ssics! Shen Qianqians smile was radiant, Writer Lin, Im not a delicate girl; Ive got plenty of strength and methods.
They allughed. Lin Chuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; crisis averted. He quickly changed the subject, Lets order, lets order. Under the night sky. The noisy food stalls were abuzz as the group chatted about daily life. Unknowingly, they grew acquainted, theirughter and the enticing aromas mingling together, creating a rxed andfortable atmosphere. When they left the food stalls, the night was still young. 21:06, the nightlife was just beginning. Old Wang suggested, This ce is close to Riverside Square. There are a lot of fun little booths over there. How about we take a walk and check it out? Shen Qianqian said with a smile, Im fine with that. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, I have no objections. His novelThis Assassin Is Too Professionalwasnt yet finished exporting, so he might as well take a walk. Most people need to make friends.
Especially writers. The daily life of a writer: sitting in a room alone, facing aputer screen, hands on the keyboard, and working all day long. Over time, its inevitable to feel monotonous and dull. Thats when the importance of friends bes apparent, whether theyre colleagues across the web or friends in real life. They crossed the street and walked along the Anling River Embankment. Xue Qiqi and Shen Qianqian walked up front. Lin Chuan and Old Wang followed behind. Old Wang wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled, Chuan, I think you have a chance with Officer Shen. Lin Chuan smiled, Old Wang, its useless just you thinking that. Seriously! Old Wang whispered, She agreed toe out to the food stalls with you! Isnt that because you guys were there, so she came out? Lin Chuan frowned and countered.
Wang Zikai shook his head, You dont get it, she was observing you very closely tonight. She even paid close attention to how you wiped water, doesnt that mean something? Lin Chuans eyes narrowed as he looked at Old Wang, Are you love-struck or something? This has nothing to do with anything. Shen Qianqians gaze I almost thought she had me pegged as an assassin. And here you are thinking she likes me. Lin Chuan was self-aware and had never deluded himself with the thought she likes me. Because, he had no money. Fortunately, his novel Swindler had achieved acim and was currently topping the Heroes List with decent momentum. Kai, do you know how to shoot balloons? Xue Qiqi turned around, her face beaming with a smile. Old Wang, clearly love-struck, immediately responded with a grin, Qiqi, if you want to shoot balloons, Ill go with you!
Xue Qiqi smiled sweetly, lifting her hand to point. In a stall at Riverside Square ahead, there was a pile of stuffed toys, with a long table in front holding several imitation guns, and different colored balloons pinned behind. Old Wang squeezed his eyebrows at Lin Chuan: Watch closely and learn. Having said that, he took Xue Qiqi to the stall. Handsome guy, thirty yuan for a round, twenty bullets, win a favorite doll for your girlfriend. The stall owner was a middle-aged man, bald, with a beer belly. Qiqi, which doll do you like? Old Wang asked. Xue Qiqi looked around, then pointed to the Doraemon in front, her smile brimming with joy: Kai, I want that one. The stall owner smiled: You only need to hit 16 balloons to have the chance to take it home. No problem. Old Wang made an OK gesture.
Then Wang Zikai picked up the imitation gun from the table and aimed to shoot. Pop! In Lin Chuans eyes, Old Wangs shooting action wasnt professional enough, but it hit the mark. A blue balloon burst upon impact. Kai, not bad. Xue Qiqi looked at Old Wang, her smile full of meaning. Old Wang smiled: Cupids arrows are more precise than my shooting. Why? Xue Qiqi blinked. Because when Cupid shot the golden arrow towards me, I prayed he would shoot the lead arrow at you, Old Wangs voice was somewhat deep. Xue Qiqis face turned red and she pinched Old Wang: Such a smooth talker. She was no longer a little girl. But she still liked sweet nothings. Lin Chuan was watching from the side, hand supporting his chin, thinking, why does it feel a bit greasy + cheesy? But. Why did Shen Qianqian next to him reveal an aunts smile? Do all girls like to hear sweet nothings? No, it should be, they like to hear sweet nothings from the person they like. As for the actual content of the sweet nothings, does it matter? Old Wang fired two more shots. Pop! Pop! It must be said, if Old Wangs shooting ability were half as good as his sweet talking, he should have hit 16 balloons and won the Doraemon. But his shooting ability was indeed a bit off. He hit only 13 balloons. Qiqi, lets try again. Old Wang showed apetitive demeanor. Xue Qiqi smiled and nodded: Okay! Another thirty yuan. Pop pop! With hisst shot, Old Wang finally hit, exactly 16 balloons. Xue Qiqi hugged Old Wang with one hand and the Doraemon with the other, her heart brimming with joy. On the other side. The two single dogs. Writer Lin, do you know how to shoot? Shen Qianqian turned to Lin Chuan with a smile and asked. I guess I do Lin Chuan stammered, Officer Shen, why do you ask? Your eyes they show a longing for that gun, Shen Qianqian said with augh. Lin Chuan was indeed itching to try. Afterpleting assassins professional life, one of the abilities he acquired was firearms C precise shooting. He wanted to test out this ability. But Lin Chuan probably was really sick. He unconsciously looked at Shen Qianqian, wondering, this shouldnt involve any illegal criminal activity, right? Lin Chuan immediately dismissed this strange thought and smiled: Which boy could resist a gun? Chapter 31: 31 Besides writing books, do you have any other side jobs? Chapter 31: Besides writing books, do you have any other side jobs?
Handsome guy, the cartoon pattern on your girlfriends shirt is our doll here, just hit 20 bullets right on and you can take it home, The stall owner was keen on doing business and took out a little yellow duck plush from the box, pitching it to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan took a look. Printed on Shen Qianqians white T-shirt was a cartoon little yellow duck, identical in design to the one the stall owner held in his hand. Boss, were not Lin Chuan hadnt finished speaking.
Old Wang ced the imitation gun in Lin Chuans hand: Qiqi got a Doraemon, see if you can help Officer Shen nab a little yellow duck. Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian. Just as a boy cant refuse a gun, it seemed Shen Qianqian had a particr soft spot for the little yellow duck. At that moment, she had already picked up the imitation gun, smiling as she said, Boss, hit all 20 bullets, right? The stall ownerughed: Right. Shen Qianqian raised the gun, squeezed the trigger. Pop! Pop! Pop! As expected of a criminal police officer, her marksmanship was urate. The high ponytail swayed slightly with each pull of the trigger, her beautiful eyes intensely focused, her stunning features now disying a hint of valiant grace.
The corner of Lin Chuans mouth twitched slightly. This was the Shen Qianqian he remembered, with her cool and aloof temperament! When she was in pursuit of criminals, she must have beennding headshots with every shot, right? However, Shen Qianqian was evidently not used to these kinds of imitation guns, and the grip wasnt quite right, so she missed by a bit on herst shot. 19 out of 20 bullets hit the mark. Old Wang, acting as the behind-the-scenes facilitator of Lin Chuans love life, immediately pushed Lin Chuan to the table front: Officer Shen, let him have a try. Shen Qianqian smiled and looked at Lin Chuan: Do you think he can do it? Chuan, Officer Shen is asking if you can do it? Old Wang said smilingly. A man cant say he cant do it. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment and said, I should be able to.
Normally, when faced with the question of whether they can do something, men would never hesitate. But the person asking the question was a criminal police officer. Lin Chuan always thought that what Shen Qianqian was really asking was: Is it a crime or not? Of course its not a crime! But shooting at balloons isnt the same as shooting at a target, and it isnt illegal, Lin Chuan reminded himself. Old Wang and Xue Qiqi watched the scene with amusement. Shen Qianqians beautiful eyes flickered with interest as she watched Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan then weighed the imitation gun in his hand. As soon as the gun was in his hand, he felt something special, like reuniting with an old friend after a long time apart. Lin Chuan recognized the gun; it was a mock version of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle,monly used in shooting games at street stalls, harmless to people. Out of habit, Lin Chuans first step wasnt to load bullets or pull the trigger hastily, but to check the gun. The imitation firearms at street stalls, after being used by many people, vary in condition.
Lin Chuan thought that Shen Qianqiansst shot had missed possibly because of an issue with the gun. Therefore, Lin Chuan proceeded with a simple check of the gun. But just this simple action attracted Shen Qianqians attention: Seems like you know quite a bit about guns. After checking the gun, Lin Chuan made an excuse: I like to read about firearms sometimes, so I just imitate what I see. I thought writers just sat at home and did nothing, Shen Qianqian joked, and they allughed. Subsequently, Lin Chuan held the gun with his left hand under the aiming scale and his right hand on the neck of the gun, his index finger rested on the trigger. His upper arm was held nearly vertically. Both hands worked together to press the gun against his shoulder. His head leaned slightly forward, disying the standard posture for holding a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. Old Wang and Xue Qiqi exchanged a nce and muttered: Didnt expect Old Lin to look the part. Laymen watch the excitement; experts watch the technique. Shen Qianqian immediately noticed Lin Chuans highly professional stance, her eyes narrowing with interest: Comrade Lin Chuan, youve got some skill. Immediately after,
She saw Lin Chuan gazing straight ahead, his eyes sharp as if he were staring at prey. Pop! The gun was cocked, and he pulled the trigger. A headshot! A pink balloon burst on cue. Lin Chuan kept on shooting. Pop, pop, pop, All 20 shots hit the target! Shen Qianqian slightly furrowed her brow, her face showing surprise. Not surprised by Lin Chuans 20 perfect hits, but because, in Lin Chuan, she seemed to see a well-trained sniper. At least ten years of experience with guns! Officer Shen, thank you for subscribing to my entire novel, Lin Chuan said as he handed over the rubber duck to Shen Qianqian.
Shen Qianqian, her beautiful eyes fixed on Lin Chuan, smiled and said, Comrade Lin Chuan, are you really a writer? No, Lin Chuan shook his head. Then what is your real identity? Shen Qianqian asked, slightly startled. Lin Chuan smiled and said, An influent author is called a writer; Im just a no-name writer. Shen Qianqian covered her mouth with a smile, I mean, besides writing, do you have any other side jobs? Lin Chuan scratched the back of his head, I sometimes pretend to be a certain animal. What animal? Lin Chuan took a rare moment to be humorous, A single dog. Shen Qianqian burst intoughter, taking the rubber duck, her face unable to contain the mirth. In sync, a few dog barks sounded out from inside Riverside Square, as if responding to Lin Chuan. The evening breeze was cool. The greenery by the river gently swayed in the wind, the rustling sound like the whispering murmurs between lovers. Above, was a canvas of fine, dense stars against the dark satin sky, spreading out slowly, the scintiting starry specks intertwining to weave a heady dream. Lin Chuan returned to his rented apartment in Happiness Community in the eastern part of the city, opened the metal gate, stepped into the familiar but simple one-room living space, andy down on his bed. From fantasy, he returned to reality. That night, after getting the rubber duck, Lin Chuan did not continue to follow Old Wangs advice but stopped abruptly instead. He felt that he was still too far away from Shen Qianqian, this ideally perfect policewoman. Love during ones student days could be blind. But as an adult, its known that wealthy people often end up together. Xia Zhu might not care about money, but every moment Wang Duoyu moved her, it involved spending money, and without the inheritance from Elder Wang, Wang Duoyu wouldnt even know who Xia Zhu was. Was this Cupids arrow? Of course not! This was the power of cash! The power of cash, pew pew pew, more urate than Cupids arrows! So, making money was still the primary goal! Average Subscription had begun; using it only for dating would be such a waste, right? Make money! The next day was cloudy. The overcast skies seemed to be covered with a veil, the asional cool breeze blowing through the window. Lin Chuan got up early. Because the novel This Assassin Is Too Professional had already been exported andpleted. [Work: This Assassin Is Too Professional.] [Current Status: Unpublished.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/3000.] Lin Chuan opened the chat box of editor Youyou and sent a message: Youyou, my new book is here. Is it Swindler II? Youyou replied. Lin Chuan smiled and typed two characters: Assassin. Youyou was somewhat surprised: You really wrote about an assassin? Lin Chuan replied, Yes, Im serious! On the other end of the inte. Youyou revealed a helpless smile, moved her fingers, and replied to Lin Chuan, Send me the beginning first, lets see if its exciting enough. Chapter 32: 32 Lin Chuan is too ruthless! Chapter 32: Lin Chuan is too ruthless!
Is it thrilling? In his cramped rental, Lin Chuans fingers paused on the keyboard, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly as he replied, Youyou, now youre teasing me! Youyou: Also? Lin Chuan scratched his head: Thats not important. Whats important is youre making fun of a flop of a writer. Youyou looked at the message Lin Chuan had sent and smiled slightly, her slender and fair fingers dancing like ying the piano: Its not teasing. Plus, youre not a flop anymore. Teasing?
Lin Chuan smiled and replied, The royalty payment hasnt hit my ount yet, so what am I if not a flop? Would a flop warrant a personal manuscript review by the chief editor? Youyou replied. Chief editors personal review? Lin Chuan was startled: Youyou, youve been promoted to chief editor? Congrattions! Im lucky not to have been fired yet, let alone be chief editor, Youyou replied with a wry smile in her message, Its Sailing Novels chief editor Mingyue who, after hearing you want to start a new book, wants to review your manuscript with me. In Sailing Novel, there are three editorial ranks: responsible editor, chief editor, and editor-in-chief. Each level has different authorities. For instance, to feature a Chief Editor Rmended major promotional spot in Sailing Novel, one needs the chief editors review and approval. Additionally, chief editors have the privilege to rmend Influent Authors as well as voting rights in decisions. All these privileges are beyond what responsible editor Youyou has. When Lin Chuan heard it was chief editor Mingyue, his heart skipped a beat, and his fingers withdrew from the worn-out keyboard. Having written on Sailing Novel Website for so long, he had often heard of chief editor Mingyues big reputation.
Chief editor Mingyue had groomed numerous influent authors and was notoriously strict in the circle. His rejection rate for newbies and flops was the highest in Sailing Novel, with very few manuscripts getting through. But almost every author whose work he approved started with a gem. Now, for chief editor Mingyue to personally review Lin Chuans manuscript was an enormous recognition for Lin Chuan. At the same time, it also put a lot of pressure on him. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, ced his hands back on the balding keyboard, and replied to Youyou, Could you ask Mingyue to go easy on his criticism? In the writersmunity, Mingyues scathing quotes were still making the rounds. [With your skills, itd be a waste not to be screwing in bolts!] [Throw some rice on your keyboard, and the chickens pecking at it would write better than you!] [After reading your opener, my dog started barking beside me, saying it fancies a bite!] [] Every time Lin Chuan saw these, he couldnt help but put himself in their shoes, shuddering at the thought. So cruel!
So real! Seeing Lin Chuans message, Youyou couldnt help butugh: You dont have to be so nervous. After reading your Swindler, Mingyue also suggested you write Swindler II. But since he knows youre not into swindler-themed novels anymore, hes really curious about what your new book will be about. No other meaning. Lin Chuan breathed a sigh of relief. When he was studying, he feared teachers showcasing his essays in ss for public critique. Now, as a novelist, every time he sent the opening chapter to the editor, he felt the same anxiety, dreading the editor might say: What on earth did you write? Youyou, let me organize the opening chapter document a bit. Just a moment, Lin Chuan steadied himself. Youyou: Nodding.jpg. Lin Chuan had long finished preparing the opening chapter document, but now, he wanted to review it a few more times himself. Because, the reviewers included not just Youyou but also Mingyue. And he might really get a scolding. Lin Chuan opened the Word document and reviewed the opening of This Assassin Is Too Professional over and over again. After being certain there were no issues, he sent the 20,000-word opener to Youyou. Youyou: Received.jpg.
Lin Chuan leaned back, resting his entire body on the chair, waiting for the manuscript reviewments. The chair was amon wooden one, not one of those gaming chairs that can rita, nor an ergonomic chairit was quite ufortable to sit on and somewhat constricted his back. Sitting in this chair felt very much like the interrogation chairs designated for criminal suspects. If he turned off theputer and ced a small wooden board in front of him, Lin Chuan would have wondered if he was in an interrogation room. He did not like this feeling. Lin Chuan thought that after he received his manuscript fee next month, he definitely needed to get a gaming chair. At the Sailing Novel Website office building, in the break room. Youyou and Mingyue sat across from each other at a table with two cups of coffee on it, emanating a rich and fragrant aroma, tinged with a slight bitterness. Mingyue, the female editor-in-chief of Sailing Novel, was about thirty years old. She was dressed in a ck suit, with her hair tied in a high ponytail at the top of her head, her face free of excess makeup but exuding a confident and capable temperament. Mingyue took a sip of coffee and began to speak.
Youyou, your Mr. Lin seems to have some potential for development. You should follow up more with him, and it should improve your performance. Youyou nodded with a smile, Indeed, his Swindler has gathered too much momentum. Without even getting any promotion from the website, it managed to climb to the top of the Heroes List, which waspletely beyond my expectations. Mingyue also smiled, Its not just you who didnt expect it, the chief editor didnt expect it either. By the way, theres another piece of news rted to this. Do you know? Rted news? Youyou blinked. Handon has switched his book, Mingyue said with augh. Youyou was immediately taken aback. Handon, a ten-thousand subscription author from Sailing Novel, was one of the The Two Heroes in the Heroes Listpetition, with his work King of Cheating starting the same period as Lin Chuan. Now, he had switched books? Because of Swindler? Youyou asked curiously. Mingyue nodded, ording to his editor, after reading Swindler, he lost the courage to continue writing his King of Cheating. Youyous delicate eyshes fluttered slightly, Ive read some of his King of Cheating as well, it was written quite well, but it ran into Lin Chuan. Mr. Lins name is Lin Chuan? Mingyue inquired.
Youyou nodded slightly. Mingyueughed, Then this kid Lin Chuan has been too ruthless! Youyou immediatelyughed, defending her author, Lin Chuan is the underdog. If there hadnt been a crackdown on gambling, Youyou would have imed that Lin Chuan suffered from poor timing. Lin Chuan, a reversal of fates! So quick to protect your author, Mingyue chuckled, By the way, has Lin Chuan sent over the beginning of the story? Ding-dongC Youyous QQ received a message. Lin Chuan: File/This Assassin Is Too Professional.docx. Youyou smiled and lifted her phone, Guess he heard your call. He just sent over the beginning. Ill forward it to you. The editor-in-chief, Mingyue, set down her coffee and picked up her phone. Ding, file received. I want to see, with Swindler so hot right now, he could have written Swindler II. Instead, he chooses an assassin? Whats his confidence? Mingyue and Youyou, with curiosity, anticipation, and a hint of judgment, opened Lin Chuans This Assassin Is Too Professional beginning. I am an assassin. Some call me the King of the Night, others the Reaper of Mankind. Chapter 33: 33 Should I Report It to the Police? Chapter 33: Should I Report It to the Police?
I am an assassin. Some call me the king of the dark night, while others call me the grim reaper of the human world. But, no one has ever seen me. Because anyone who has seen me is dead. To kill is to indulge in quick vengeance. It can stop injustice, and it can administer justice.
But what after the kill? Does one obtain redemption of the soul, or sink into the bitter sea, unable to find peace? I will tell you with my own experiences what one should do after killing, and what can happen. In the end, I will advise you. Give yourself up, the police are everywhere outside. At first nce at this small portion of the beginning, Mingyues brows furrowed, Another first-person narrative? Swindler was also written in the first person. Youyou pursed her lips, Right. In novels, most are written in the third person, first-person is used less. This is even more so in web novels. Because its too difficult to write a good story in the first person.
A limited perspective means readers can only see what the protagonist sees, hears, and feels, unable to know things beyond the protagonists senses, which can easily lead to numerous story loopholes, and so on, too many to list. If an unsessful author submits a work, and Mingyue sees its a first-person narrative, it will trigger a 100% rejection response. Give him a chance. Mingyue couldnt help butugh, after all, this was Heroes Lists champion. The champion of the Langya List is the handsome gentleman of Jiangzuo. The champion of the Heroes List is the failed Mr. Lin. They are both talents of their generation and have bright futures ahead of them. Youyou and Mingyue continued reading. The first time I personally destroyed a life was when I was nine years old. I tied its limbs, took a sharp knife, and shed at its throat. I even used a bowl to catch its fresh blood. It struggled, but I was so strong that I forced it into boiling water,pletely stripping it of its power.
I was merciless, with no intention of letting it go; I chopped it up into pieces. In the end I tasted a delight like never before. Because the chicken soup was delicious. Youyou pursed her lips, her exquisitely carved face brightened with a brilliant smile, Is Lin Chuan writing a lighthearted assassin novel? Mingyue picked up her coffee and took a sip. Then, she pondered for a moment, This twist is indeed aptly executed, portraying the butchering of a chicken in such a gruesome way that one immerses themselves in it, building a tension and horror, and then revealing that it was just chicken-killing, it can indeed bring a smile to ones face. Youyou murmured, Immersion Mingyue smiled and said, I kind of understand why he chose to use a first-person narrative. Why? Youyou asked. First-person narrative, while not wless, does have its strengths, the most significant being the strong sense of immersion, Mingyue exined. Youyou nodded, Right, Lin Chuan uses the first person to create a strong sense of immersion, making the effect of the reveal at the end as impactful as possible.
The editor-in-chief Mingyue looked at the title of Lin Chuans book again. This Assassin Is Too Professional. She rarely praised anything and remarked, If hes writing with the twist + light-hearted tag, its not without merit. You seldom praise the beginning of a piece, Youyouughed. Mingyues lips curved upwards, Thats because I havente across a good one. The two exchanged smiles. But their smiles soon froze on their faces. Their expressions were somewhat simr, brows tightly knit, carrying an indescribable gloom as if dark, heavy clouds were pressing down upon them, their visages heavy. Because Lin Chuans This Assassin Is Too Professional is notbeled as plot reversal + light-hearted. On the contrary, itsbel is: Realistic. After killing a chicken, I had a very strong feeling. I would be an assassin.
Because I am a born assassin. A yearter, I joined an organization, and there, I learned fighting,bat, firearms, and most importantly, how to deal with crime scenes. All these skills were summarized through realbat experiences. My first target was a tycoon, along with his mistress. The task went very smoothly. But that wasnt enough, because the scene was still a mess, and I had to deal with it, otherwise, I would be exposed. I decided to falsify the scene. As she read on, Mingyues lips turned slightly white, her breathing became heavier, wanting to take a sip of coffee, but she put it down just as she was about to bring it to her lips. She couldnt drink it.
I need to get some air. Mingyue took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the window, facing her face directly at the grill, breathing in the not-so-fresh air outside. After a while, Mingyue finally regained her senses, returned to her seat, and startedining, This is too realistic, I felt as if I was right there at the scene! But Youyou across from her did not respond. When Mingyue looked up, Youyous eyes were fixed on the phone screen,pletely engrossed. Youyou? Mingyue called out. Youyou snapped back to reality, patting her chest, It feels like Im reading a horror novel, its thrilling and scary, but I want to keep going. Mingyues mouth twitched slightly, nodding her head, Indeed, but I have a question. What question? Youyou was slightly surprised. What did Lin Chuan do before he started writing novels? Mingyue frowned slightly. He started writing books in college; he didnt do much of anything else, Youyou pondered, Sister Mingyue, why do you ask? Mingyues mouth twitched, Im wondering if I should report this? Ah? Youyous eyes widened, staring intently at Mingyue. Just kidding, Mingyue smiled wryly, Lin Chuans opening is written so realistically, the details are too real, I can see the scene just by closing my eyes! Youyou nodded, very much in agreement. Lin Chuan is too harsh! Mingyue continued, Especially the part about cleaning up the scene, wiping the floor with disinfectant to prevent Luminol reagent detection, and using a hairdryer to dry the floor and shoe soles to avoid leaving footprints. Even when leaving, he opened the window to let the smell of disinfectant dissipate; its just too professional, Im starting to suspect he has some cases on his hands! Both of them took a sip of coffee. Slowly. The slightly bitter taste lingered in their mouths, dispersing the bloody smell in their minds. It was only then that Youyou asked, Will this get approved? It should be fine, his description is very well controlled. If it were any more detailed, hed be locked in the small dark room, Mingyue pondered, Ill still ask the reviewers though. Before long, The reviewer replied: Approved. A radiant smile appeared on Youyous delicate face, like a breeze on an early March morning brushing past the willows by the river, creating ripples. She had a feeling that Lin Chuans new book would do very well. It might even surpass the swindler! Youyou, how about you transfer Lin Chuan under my name? Mingyue blinked her eyes and suddenly asked. Chapter 34: 34: Mr. Lin, you should turn yourself in Chapter 34: Mr. Lin, you should turn yourself in
Youyou immediately became alert, tactically retreated, and her face showed a slight furrow in her brows, even the beauty mark at the corner of her eye seemed on guard, Sister Mingyue, you really are hungry. Nonsense! Mingyue tilted her head lightly, with a faint smile, I am not hungry at all. Youre even trying to poach Lin Chuan from under me, if not hungry, then what? Youyou pouted a bit, feeling wronged, I only have a handful of authors to be proud of, and if you take one away, Ill have to pack up and leave. Just teasing you, look how scared you got, Mingyueughed. Youyous irritation turned to happiness, Sister Mingyue, level with me some of your influent authors.
Mingyue feigned anger, stiffening her face, You little minx, now youre setting your sights on my people too. Sister Mingyue, you y favorites too. With a full smile, Youyou teased Mingyue. You little minx, Mingyueughed, then took a sip of her coffee. After pondering for a while, Youyou asked, By the way, Sister Mingyue, if Lin Chuan really takes first ce in Heroes Compete this time, what about the rewards? Are you interested in my advice? Mingyue asked. Youyou nodded. Mingyue smiled, Since this is his first quality work, IP rights development should be audio adaptations, website exclusive rmendations can help his Swindler hit the major leagues, and as for video tform book promotion to drive traffic, I suggest allocating it to the new book. Thats what I was thinking too, Youyou smiled gently, as beautiful as the spring. Subsequently. She opened Lin Chuans chat window, Lin Chuan, your draft has been reviewed.
In the rental. Lin Chuan saw the message from Youyou pop up on his phone, sat up straight from the back of the chair, and replied, Mingyue didnt scold me, did she? Youyouughed, teasing Lin Chuan, That didnt happen, but, she said she wanted to file a police report. Ah, dont scare me, Youyou! Lin Chuans eyes paused, he was stunned. Filing a police report was worse than scolding me, too frightening. Seriously, I am very curious, how could you write those scenes so thoroughly and, moreover, with such professional handling? Youyou was puzzled. Lin Chuans mouth twitched, his fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, Youyou, dont underestimate a writer whos suffered countless failures, to write a hit book, they could research anything! The searching ability of web novel writers is indeed top-notch. Theres a big shot in the circle who, in the name of researching materials, hacked into the official security system and ended up investigating himself,nding in jail for three years. So hardcore! Lin Chuan, you need to be aw-abiding good citizen! Youyou messaged him.
Lin Chuans mouth twitched again. This line, why does it sound so familiar? Youyou, you know me, I always abide by thew, Lin Chuan replied quickly. Youyou smiled, Its precisely because I know you that I worry you might do something foolish for the sake of writing inspiration. Uh, Im being rational, Lin Chuan replied. Thats good, now lets talk about your new book This Assassin Is Too Professional, I and Mingyue believe Youyou conveyed her and Mingyues editorial opinions along with Mingyues suggestions for the Heroes Compete first-ce reward to Lin Chuan. After reading them, Lin Chuans mouth curved upwards slightly. Getting the approval from both Youyou and Mingyue indicated that This Assassin Is Too Professional indeed had great potential. Moreover. Using the Heroes Compete first-ce reward of video tform book promotion to drive traffic on the new book coincided with his own thinking. Since Swindler itself was promoted using special methods, utilizing video tform book promotion to drive traffic would not have much effect.
Better to allocate this benefit to This Assassin Is Too Professional. This move was permitted by Sailing Novel. Now, March 17th. There was still some time until the Heroes Compete settlement on March 21st. Since Swindler had not been finalized for long, there was no rush to publish the new book. But, it was okay to start preheating it. Lin Chuan ended his chat with Youyou and turned to open the reader group chat. In recent days, the size of Lin Chuans reader group had expanded at an astonishing speed. Now, there were over 1300 members. Lin Chuan thought for a moment and began tapping on the keyboard, @everyone, brothers, my next book ising soon! When the readers in the group saw Lin Chuan @everyone, they immediately replied. [Yo ho! Preview of the new book!]
[Caught a wild author in action!] [Author? Criminal suspect!] [A new book? Is the author that prolific?] [I think the author is born with the divine typing physique, seamlessly integrated with the keyboard!] [Brothers, the author is starting a new book! Its time to learn new skills again!] [Learning skills? More like squatting in a cell!] [How could I end up there if the author hasnt?] [Author, hurry up and tell us what criminal skills youre teaching this time!] [Ah spit, whats the theme of the new book this time?] [] The reader group was very active, and messages quickly flooded in, overwhelming Lin Chuan. The corners of Lin Chuans mouth lifted slightly.
He also didnt keep the new book a secret and revealed directly in the group, Brothers, this time, the new book is about an assassin theme, should be very interesting. [Good, Ill learn it right away!] [Wait, what theme did you say?] [Assassin? Holy shit!] [Is this even a skill I can learn?] [Im doomed!] [The author takes his leave, I concede!] [May I quietly ask, is it the kind of assassin were thinking of?] [] Lin Chuan replied, Yes, this time its a challenge of a brand-new profession, different from theft and swindling, its an assassin, the professional kind. The very active reader group suddenly went quiet for three or four seconds; nobody spoke. The text looked in, buting from Lin Chuan, it felt quite thrilling. A brand-new profession? Assassin? The professional kind? Sheesh! How could a non-professional write at a professional level? Just like Swindler, the reason it attracted so many readers wasnt it because Lin Chuan was a real swindler and even pulled off an impressive feat once? So, this time Mr. Lin says hes going to write about assassins Could it be that Mr. Lin has this hidden identity? Why arent you guys talking? In front of theputer, Lin Chuan frowned slightly as his fingers danced quickly across the keyboard. The sudden silence was the most frightening. A reader responded, Criminal suspect Mr. Lin, what do you think I should say? Lin Chuan showed a bitter expression and quickly replied to rify, How did I be a criminal suspect? Im writing books seriously. [Which serious book writer dares to say they can write about a professional assassin?] [Hey! Police Number, Im reporting my author in real name!] [I dere, I am in this group only to read books, and I have nothing to do with criminal suspect Mr. Lin.] [Criminal suspect Mr. Lin, just surrender yourself!] [Surrender, and you may receive a lighter punishment!] [Mr. Lin, you should turn yourself in!] Chapter 35: 35: Picking an Auspicious Day to Avoid Misfortune Chapter 35: Picking an Auspicious Day to Avoid Misfortune
Lin Chuan looked at messages in the reader group like crime suspect, turn oneself in, confess, be lenient, and other such phrases. Dumbfounded! He leaned back in his chair, his shoulders shaking, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly as frustration turned toughter. After two seconds, Lin Chuan finally typed out a line. My book hasnt even been released yet, is this really appropriate? One of the readers asked a tricky question: Mr. Lin, can you swear on your manuscript fee that youre not a professional assassin?
Lin Chuans fingers stiffened on the keyboard. Manuscript fee, the lifeline of a writer! In the online writing circle, when verbal arguments fail to settle a dispute, someone would suggest a solution: Show off your manuscript fee! No matter how eloquently one argues, without a manuscript fee, everything is treated as pure bluff. Because aside from the top echelon, the only standard by which online writers are judged is the manuscript fee! Lin Chuan dodged the question: I solemnly dere that I am a professional writer, and Ive never engaged in any illegal activities! [Ah, right, right, right, I believe the words of the crime suspect Mr. Lin!] [It makes sense for Mr. Lin, a Gambling King, to have taken out a few people, right?] [Ive found the secret to making a fortune!] [Brother, do tell, lets make money together.] [Mr. Lin must have some cases on him, wait for him to be on the wanted list, then therell be bounty money, right?] [Brother, youre fierce, Bounty Hunter!]
[When your new bookes out, Im going to subscribe to the entire series and ferociously look for your criminal evidence!] [The brother upstairs, how exactly are you going to ferociously look?] [I want to look too!] [+1] [+1] [+1] [] Dark lines appeared on Lin Chuans face. Every single one of them is talented! If we chat a bit more, Im going to start suspecting myself as the crime suspect. Thankfully, the purpose of the warm-up has been achieved. Just waiting for the settlement on the 21st after the Heroes Compete event to release the new book.
Bang, bang bang. At that moment, three knocks sounded on the iron door outside the rental. Lin Chuan stepped out of the room and opened the iron gate, his expression astonished, Old Zhang, why are you here? Compared to when he was in the detention room, Old Zhang looked much more spirited, Chuan, I just saw your posts in the group and came up to chat with you, theres no one else in your ce, right? Lin Chuan smiled, I havent scheduled anyone forundry service, how could there be anyone? Chuan, its not good to hand-wash all the time either, Old Zhangughed. Lin Chuans expression faltered, Old Zhang, could it be that youve already experienced these adverse effects? Old Zhangs face developed a streak of annoyance before he handed over a bag of ripe mulberries to Lin Chuan, Chuan, I heard mulberries are good for your eyes. Brought something over, huh? Well then,e in, Lin Chuan said cheerfully, taking the mulberries. Another streak of annoyance crossed Old Zhangs face. With that said, if one didnt bring something, they wouldnt even be allowed in the house? Is this how you treat your Alliance Hierarch and Landy?
But, Old Zhang knew he was in the wrong. If he hadnt learned Cheating Techniques from Lin Chuans books, Lin Chuan wouldnt have been detained by the police for an interrogation. Chuan, youre still single, arent you? Old Zhang asked with a smile after inspecting Lin Chuan. After washing the mulberries, Lin Chuan popped one in his mouth, Old Zhang, are you thinking of setting me up with Zhang? Zhang is great in all aspects, just has a small quirk. Zhang Xinxin, the Little Landy, often dressed in loose clothing, but her enviable figure was hard to conceal. She was attractive and had tight, vibrant skin. The only w was her love for watching films. Such a pity. Old Zhang put on a straight face, What wishful thinking are you entertaining, picking out faults now, huh? I only have one daughter, and here you are, a swindler and an assassin. I cant feel at ease handing Zhang over to you! A swindler and an assassin? Lin Chuan almost choked on a mulberry, Old Zhang, dont talk nonsense, thats legally actionable! How is this talking nonsense? Its all deduced! Old Zhang said with a grin. Deduced?
Lin Chuan frowned slightly, How did you deduce it? Old Zhang found a stool to sit on in the narrow rental space, then turned into Holmes, Chuan, I know you. Not only are you skilled in cheating techniques, but you can also pick locks. So what? Lin Chuan retorted. Old Zhangughed, You can pick locks, so you wrote Thief, and you know cheating techniques, so you wrote Swindler. Next up, youre going to write about assassins, doesnt that mean Hiss! wless logic! Lin Chuan curled his lip, If you know Im an assassin, why would you daree here alone? Old Zhang chuckled, I was just joking. I came up to chat with you, mainly to remind you of something. Old Zhang, remind me of what? Lin Chuan slightly furrowed his brows. Old Zhang nced out the window, confirming it was empty, and spoke mysteriously, Dont go to the casino these days. Lin Chuan was startled, I havent been to any casinos. A master of cheating techniques iming he doesnt go to casinos, who would believe that? Old Zhang countered.
A bitter smile appeared on Lin Chuans face. Logically speaking, it was a bit difficult to exin. Alright then, why shouldnt I go to the casino? Lin Chuan asked. Old Zhang leaned close to Lin Chuan, whispering, This morning, a murder was discovered at the underground casino in the south of the city. Before dawn, the Criminal Police Brigade had sealed off the scene. How do you know that? Lin Chuans eyes narrowed immediately. Another murder case? The reason for the another was because Shen Qianqian mentioned atst nights dinner at the food stall that she was investigating a murder case. Anling City seems a bit restless. Old Zhang exined, Remember Chen Ming, the anti-gambling expert? He invited me to join the Anti-Gambling Association. The news came from the people there. Lin Chuan nodded. After giving Lin Chuan a once-over, Old Zhang spoke up again, Chuan, with those skinny arms and legs of yours, if you ever encounter a bad guy, wouldnt you be done in with a single strike? Lin Chuan flexed his muscles a bit. What Old Zhang said seemed to make some sense. Indeed, his physique was on the weaker side. After experiencing the assassins professional life, he acquired the skill bat fighting. But that was only about technique and experience; it didnt mean his constitution or strength had improved. It looked like it was time to work out and get in shape. Otherwise, a basic attack wouldnt even break through an enemys defenses, and that would be embarrassing. Unless he aimed for vital points. But that could easilynd him in hot water! Lin Chuan understood Old Zhangs good intentions, andughed, Didnt you say Im an assassin? What do I have to fear? Old Zhang smiled briefly, I dont know you as well as I thought, if youre the assassin, then Im the King of Killers! Since graduating, Lin Chuan had been renting here. He had frequent dealings with Old Zhang, and as andlord, he had a basic ability to read people. Lin Chuan also smiled, Come on, have some mulberries, dont be shy. Thank you, haha, Old Zhang happily popped a mulberry into his mouth. Suddenly! Old Zhang looked at Lin Chuan, frowning, feeling something was amiss, These mulberries C I bought them! Meanwhile, Lin Chuan was eating mulberries, his gaze drifting out the window. The overcast sky was draped in a grey veil, the wind had picked up since morning, howling into the room. Rain wasing. Lin Chuan muttered in his mind, The new book ising out in a few days; it shouldnt be tangled up in a murder case, should it? Better safe than sorry, I should check the almanac and pick an auspicious disaster-avoiding lucky day. Chapter 36: 36 Officer Shen Suspects Everyone as the Culprit! Chapter 36: Officer Shen Suspects Everyone as the Culprit!
March 21st. The gentle sunset pierced through the emerald leaves and spilled onto the bustling streets as an asional spring breeze swept through the old town, casting shifting shadows that resembled a lifelikendscape painting. Anling City, City East District. Lin Chuan and Wang Zikai, both dressed in sportswear, strode out of the Hengli Gym and turned into a nearby restaurant. Old Lin, its only been a few days, but I feel like your strength has improved by more than just a notch! Wang Zikai sat down, squeezed Lin Chuans arm, and looked a bit surprised.
Lin Chuan, sitting opposite him, smiled and said, You spend one-third of your time in the gym taking photos, and another third on the phone with your girlfriend. It would be weird if you saw any results. Since the 17th, Lin Chuan realized that having just fighting andbat skills and experience wasnt enough; he needed strength, speed, and explosive power as well, so he decided to work out with Wang Zikai. Wang Zikai happily agreed. Once, he had tried to princess-carry Xue Qiqi and found he couldnt lift her at all, leading to quite an embarrassing moment. Old Wang grinned, flexed his arm, and showed off his biceps, Imbining rest and work, see? My muscles are starting to show, right? Lin Chuan nced at him and teased, Can you lift Xue Qiqi now? Realizing the jest, Old Wang pursed his lips, If I can lift Qiqi, that leaves no one for you to lift, right? Lin Chuan: Seeing Lin Chuan fall silent, Old Wang asked, Buddy, do you want a piece of exclusive info? Lin Chuan furrowed his brows, What info? Its about Officer Shen. I got it from Qiqi. This could be a great opportunity for you to make an impression, Old Wang said, winking. Lin Chuanughed, I amw-abiding!
In the eyes of the police, beingw-abiding is the best way to make an impression. You just wouldnt listen to advice. Old Wang shook his head in a manner suggesting frustration and suddenly fixated his gaze on Lin Chuan for a while before asking, Old Lin, are you straight? Lin Chuans mouth twitched, Im straighter than a ruler! I feel like youre not really interested in women, Old Wang expressed his suspicion. Lin Chuanughed, Whats the use of being interested? Im a decent person. If you date, youve got to aim for marriage, right? But then youve got the house, car, gifts, wedding, and so oneach a major expense. But you have money now! Old Wang said with a smile. The royalty money wont be in my ount until next month, and youre already thinking about how to spend it, Lin Chuan replied with a wry smile. The Heroes Compete event had just settled, and Lin Chuan topped the chart with a Poprity Value of 608,000. Among the prizes was a cash reward of 50,000 Yuan. Moreover, Swindler now had an average subscription of 5,163, and although the poprity has declined after peaking, reaching 6,000 average subscriptions and the status of a major hit by the end of the month seemed feasible, which should ensure around 120,000 Yuan in royalties. Adding them up and after taxes, the take-home should be about 154,000 Yuan.
But the ie of writers is notoriously unstable. Swindler may be a hit, but there are no guarantees for This Assassin Is Too Professional, and with the assassin theme being quite sensitive, a slight misstep may lead to the book getting banned. Its living feast to famine. Old Wangughed, You are the rising star of Sailing Novel now; your future is boundless. Its time to start thinking about romance. Officer Shen isnt too bad. I heard from Qiqi that shes been swamped investigating two murder cases recently, dead tired; she could probably use some care right about now. Lin Chuan shook his head repeatedly, You dont understand Officer Shen well enough. Old Wang widened his eyes, a puzzled expression crossing his face. Right now, Officer Shen regards everyone as a potential assassin! Lin Chuan chuckled, jokingly adding, I certainly dont want to be locked up in a little ck room again. Knowing he couldnt persuade Lin Chuan right away, Old Wang changed the subject, Are we going to Hengli Gym for workout tomorrow? Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, Not tomorrow. The Heroes Compete event is over, and tonight I need to discuss the release of the new book with Youyou. I probably wont have any spare time. As the night deepened. Taking advantage of the dim light, Lin Chuan walked back to Happiness Community at an unhurried pace, stepping on the moss-covered floor tiles, winding his way around piles of clutter and haphazardly parked motorcycles, to return to his small rental room.
Lin Chuan looked at the narrow yet empty room, his thoughts slightly scattered. Maybe, deep down, he was a bit lonely. But why enter into a rtionship? For a soft, fragrant girlfriend, kisses as tender as jelly, or to open his eyes in the morning and see her exquisitely carved face up close, her clear eyes blinking, gazing at him? Lin Chuans lips revealed an aunts smile. But he quickly cast aside these sci-fi scenarios that even Liu Cixin couldnt write. How could that be possible? Lin Chuan only asked himself one question, Lin Chuan, what makes you think you deserve it? Afterward. Reason overcame emotion, and his consciousness quickly sobered back to reality. It was time to release a new book! Youyou, my new book is ready, Lin Chuan messaged the editor. Youyou was very professional.
She replied immediately, When do you n to release it? I checked the almanac, 9 p.m. tonight to release it, and signing the agreement tomorrow. Lin Chuan had specifically consulted the almanac. 21st day, Hai hour, avoid misfortune. 22nd day, all day, suitable for signing agreements. OK.jpg. Youyou replied with an emoji, and then sent another message, For the video tform book promotion to divert traffic, when do you n to start? Can I do it tomorrow night? Lin Chuan thought. Youyou replied, Thats fine, Ill file the request for you. By the way, the person promoting you is the blogger Su Qianqian with close to a million fans on Kuai Dou. She will live-stream promotions of your book for three days and will make three promotional videos to divert traffic. You can follow her. Lin Chuans lips curved up slightly, Okay, thank you, Youyou. Nine oclock at night, the auspicious hour had arrived. Lin Chuan began uploading his new book.
Choosing an auspicious day and hour to release a new book was amon practice in the writers circle. Some writers from certain sites believed that website rmendations were mystifying and arcane, so they simply picked an auspicious day and hour to publish and sign contracts. Some even went to the extent of getting a divination done. It seemedughable but also a bit sad, and that was how Lin Chuan felt now. Fortunately, the book release went smoothly. The next day, it passed the security review safely and was scheduled to sign a contract. That evening, the book promotion began. As dusk fell, the distant lights twinkled like bright candles flickering in the night. The street lights under the oldmunity cast a soft glow, and the asional bark of a dog made the atmosphere gloomy and silent. As the King of the Night, the assassin Lin, cough, Lin Chuan, he opened the Kuai Dou app, full of anticipation, and searched for Su Qianqian. [User: Su Qianqian.] [Followers: 1.063 million.] [Personal signature: Focused on immersive reading live streams, discovering more eye-catching works.] [Status: Live streaming.] Lin Chuan, with a smile, clicked to join the live stream and watch. Chapter 37: 37: Is There Any Friend Who Specializes in Forensic Medicine? Chapter 37: Is There Any Friend Who Specializes in Forensic Medicine?
In the live stream, a young woman caught the eye. It was none other than the book rmendation blogger Su Qianqian. She wore a ck chiffon top in the style of little fragrance, adorned with specks of silver light, like stars twinkling against the night sky. Her soft, long hair was casually tied at the back of her head, with a few rebellious strands falling in front of her forehead, revealing a beautiful and clear oval face, skin fairer than snow, delicate features like a painting, and every smile and frown showed an untainted purity and vivacity. Behind her was a row of bookshelves, exuding a natural and inherent fragrance of books. But when Lin Chuan took a closer look, he saw some of the titles on the bookshelves.
The Shining Human Bone Puzzle Moment of Burial The Redemption of the Viin Hiss! Lin Chuan couldnt help but inhale sharply. All these novels were works of horror and suspense, with a substantial influence worldwide. Among them, The Shining was probably better known to the general audience. Just mention key phrases like Zhang Wei, axe, chopping through a door, and images rted to The Shining already spring to mind for most people. Wait a second! A woman like Su Qianqian, as gentle as one from a Jiangnan water town, just needing to hold an oil-paper umbre to step right into Dai Wangshus poetry, she She reads these novels?
And she wants to rmend mine? On Su Qianqian, Lin Chuan could see too manybels: artistic, fresh, gentle, jasmine, lc, vivacious, pure, innocent, sweet But she couldnt possibly have anything to do with words like horror and thriller. The contrast was just too great! Lin Chuans eyebrows furrowed slightly as he muttered, Will the audience really get this? Then, Lin Chuan turned his attention to the barrage ofments. [Guys, here to read novels again?] [Strategist,e quickly, I really like this one, tell me how to chase after her!] [Qianqian, Im seriously reading novels here.] [Qianqian, what color bup sack do you like? Ill prepare it right away.] [As long as Qianqian isnt wearing a ring on her hand, Ill keeppany with her to read novels.] []
The live rooms barrage ofments was quite lively. But were they here to read novels? A bunch of LSPs. Im too embarrassed to burst your bubble! After a bit of thought, Lin Chuan sent a barrage: Im really here to read novels, do you believe me? In the live room, a few viewers responded to Lin Chuan. [Brother, who isnt here to read novels?] [You scoundrel, dare to covet my White Moonlight, take this hit from Old Sun!] [You all read novels, and Ill carry Qianqian away!] [] After that. Lin Chuan sent several more messages, quickly blending in with the audience.
In the live room, Su Qianqian nced at thements, smiled gently, her voice soft and silky. Friends, tonight were going to read a new novel. Its name is This Assassin Is Too Professional, by the top-ranked author of the Sailing Novelpetition, Mr. Lin. At this point, a split screen appeared in the live room. To the left was Su Qianqians image, and to the right, the novels cover. [Qianqian, my eyesight is quite good, could you shrink the novels image a bit?] [Whats wrong with my eyes, why do they keep ogling to the left?] [The eye doctor said Im cross-eyed now, what should I do?] [Bro, Ill give you a tip, watch the live upside down, and youll cure your cross-eyed in no time.] [] Lin Chuan secretly cringed. As he suspected, this bunch were all LSPs, not here to read novels at all.
Su Qianqian smiled, her voice as delicate as the scent of jasmine: Tonights novel is a bit different from the previous ones. I suggest you all add it to your bookshelf first. [Qianqian is personally rmending a novel to me!] [Okay, My Moonlight!] [I also like this book, I didnt expect Qianqian to like it too, were so fated!] [] Lin Chuan wanted to mock this group of viewers, but then he opened the authors backend. Refresh. Number of book collections: 2076. Hisss! It was only 581 before, and it skyrocketed by 1495. Sorry, I was a bit loud just now. Su Qianqian continued: Alright, lets not talk much and immerse ourselves in reading this unique novel.
She clicked on the novel, and the content appeared on the right screen of the livestream. I am an assassin. Some call me the king of the night, others call me the grim reaper. I will tell you from my own experiences, what should be done after a killing, and what will happen? In the end, I will advise you. Turn yourself in, the outside is surrounded by police. The first time I destroyed a life with my own hands, I was nine years old. I tied up its limbs, took a sharp knife, and shed at its throat. Su Qianqian was deeply engrossed in reading. At first, her brow furrowed slightly, but when she read the chicken soup is really tasty, she couldnt help but smile. Inside the livestream, the barrage was still very lively. [Mom, describing killing a chicken in such a horrifying way, didnt scare my Qianqian, did it?] [So its a humorous take on the assassin theme.] [Mr. Lin, I admit youve got some skill, you even made my Qianqianugh.] This novel really puts you in the scene, I feel like I was the one who killed that chicken, Su Qianqian smiled sweetly, her voice as delicate as a morning breeze brushing across the cheek, gently vibrating the eardrum. Her beautiful eyes blinked, and her slender fingers clicked to turn the page. My first target was a millionaire and his mistress. That day, the sky was overcast. After tracking the targets movements, I easily disabled the surveince and sneaked into his mansion. As soon as the millionaire and his mistress entered the door, they stripped naked in the hall; they were having an affair. When their passion was at its peak, I made my move. Gradually, as they read on. The audience in the livestream began to get immersed in the novel. [Mom, using those two daggers so skillfully, truly professional!] [There were even closebat techniques used, the rich man working the fields lost his ability to resist in an instant, and the mistress didnt even have time to react!] [The author of this book must have done a lot of research, right?] [] With a slight frown, Su Qianqian inhaled softly and said, The part where Mr. Lin strikes to kill is so detailed, so realistic, isnt it? She couldnt help but continue reading. The mission went very smoothly. But that wasnt enough because the scene was still a mess, and I had to handle it, or I would expose myself. I decided to manipte the scene. The undergarments of the two were scattered all over, along with shards of wine sses and aplete mess; I had also stained myself with a bit of blood. I wasnt concerned about that; my focus was on the millionaire and his mistress. First, I cleaned the blood off the millionaires body, then I Scene by scene, the detailed and professional descriptions appeared on the livestream screen. Su Qianqians breathing became a bit heavy, her brows tightly knit, as she lifted her clear eyes toward the camera: Is there anyone in the livestream with a forensic background? Chapter 38: 38: It’s too realistic, recommend a thorough investigation Chapter 38: Its too realistic, rmend a thorough investigation
A friend who studies forensic science? The audience in the live broadcast room also furrowed their brows. These short passages vividly recreated the first-person perspective of the crime scene, invoking a level of empathy that was terrifying. With eyes closed, one could envision the vast hall where a man and a womany silently on the floor tile, with crimson liquid flowing profusely, a dagger still plunged into each of their chests. The fishy smell of the ndestine affair mixed with the scent of blood, seeping through the words into the audiences nostrils, causing their stomachs to churn. Some viewers even hesitated to move, fearing they might step into the shattered ss of the crime scene in the novel, or stain themselves with the chilling crimson liquid.
But this was not what frightened people the most. The key part was yet toe. The sections about staging and cleaning the crime scene were almost suffocating. I grasped the mistresss cool hand and used her fingernails to leave scratch marks on the man, skin kes getting wedged under her nails. Likewise, I seized the mans hand, tearing off a few strands of the womans hair, clenching them in his grip. All this, to fabricate an illusion, to confuse the senses. Outside the hall, the crimson moonlight spilled over as asional breezes blew in, emitting creepy whimpers, carrying the foul odor left by the man and the woman, filling my nostrils. I felt a chill run down my spine, as if an invisible hand was clutching my cor and throttling my throat, like the resentful spirits of the man and womaning to im their revenge. But I paid it no mind. Back at the real scene, Iid down a highly absorbent towel to soak up the crimson liquid on the floor, then meticulously cleaned up the ss shards. However, a spray of Luminol would immediately reveal a blue-green fluorescence here. Therefore, I needed to destroy the reaction effect of the Luminol reagent.
[The brother studying forensic science,e out quickly, please!] [These techniques, theyre kind of freaking me out!] [Why the hell didnt I think of that method of handling it?] [Brother above, could you kindly share your address? I have a friend at the bureau who wants to make some achievements.] [Why are you looking for me? Look for the author of this book, youll catch them right away!] [] Su Qianqian pursed her lips, her brows slightly furrowed, her eyes filled with a hint of terror and confusion. ustomed to reading thrillers, she rarely disyed such an expression. She clearly understood that thrillers are fictional! But this one She dared not jump to conclusions.
What if it was real? The evening breeze wafted gently outside the window, yet it intermittently carried a creepy rustling sound, making Su Qianqians spine tingle slightly. She felt as though she had returned to the age of 16, the first time she read a thriller. In the live broadcast room, are there any friends who study forensic science? Su Qianqians delicate voice trembled slightly. Inside the broadcast room, there was no shortage of talent. Indeed, a few viewers were forensic science students. [Qianqian, I study forensic science!] [This novel has awakened memories from my university days.] [Im still at university, our teacher just covered this in yesterdays lesson.] Su Qianqian looked at the barrage and asked, Can the use of disinfectant really prevent detection by the Luminol reagent? She quickly received an affirmative response. [Yes!]
[Luminol needs to react with the iron in hemoglobin through a hydrogen peroxide dposition in order to detect bloodstains.] [Disinfectant can destroy the DNA in blood, preventing a secondary reaction.] [I also study forensic science; Mr. Lins techniques are very professional. If done like this in reality, it would be almost impossible to collect valid evidence at the scene.] [Thankfully, he had blurred some of the details in it and left out several key points.] [Why do you think he left them out, rather than just not knowing how to write them?] [???] Lin Chuan sat in front of hisputer, his heart trembling as he read thesements. He quickly sent a barrage of messages: These can be found online. The author probably spent a lot of effort researching; their attitude towards writing is very serious. Im going to subscribe to the full series right now!] But some viewers werent so easily fooled. [Who the hell looks up this stuff if theyre legit?] [Got it, Im calling the cops right now to check.] [The author is too criminal, Im going straight to check the most-wanted list.] []
A bunch of lsp, their sense of justice suddenly through the roof. Lsp are just perverts, but they can still tell right from wrong on big issues. Fortunately, Su Qianqian unintentionally helped Lin Chuan out of the siege: Guys, dont jump to conclusions based on rumors. The book is titled This Assassin Is Too Professional, and since its about a professional, it naturally includes some hardcore content. Otherwise, how could it be considered professional?] Lin Chuan gave her a thumbs up: Qianqian is absolutely right!] Su Qianqian expertly controlled the live streams pace. Her mission was to promote the book and attract traffic, not to get Mr. Lin sent to jail. Professionalism was the selling point of this book. Therefore, having a forensic expert exin it would be more effective. She also believed that Sailing Novels rising star, Mr. Lin, was all about professional knowledge and was definitely not a criminal suspect!] But then! Her thoughts were soon shaken! She saw the protagonist Mr. Lin nning his second move.
[My second target is the head honcho of the gangs.] [This target is tricky, not because hes hard to knife, but because I need to figure out how to clear my name after knifing him.] [If they know I did it, theyll spare no expense to track me down and put me to death.] [Although Im not afraid, dealing with this will get in the way of taking on my next job.] [I care about my performance as well.] [So, Ive devised a perfect scapegoat n.] [The scapegoat will be the second inmand. Getting them to fight among themselves would also count as me doing a good deed.] [] Su Qianqians beautiful oval face tensed slightly, and her brows furrowed: A scapegoat n, could this even be concocted and executed by a carbon-based lifeform?] [Impossible! Absolutely impossible!] [The murder weapon has the second-inmands fingerprints on it, checkmate!] [If I were this second-inmand, Id be bewildered, waking up with bruises from a fight, and the DNA is that of the top dog, the guilt is set in stone!] [If I hadnt read this novel, the second-inmand would be solidly pinned as the murderer, even the Heavenly King couldnt change his fate!]] [I have a friend who knifes people all the time, can I get the authors contact?] [The author is too criminal!] [Qianqian, the world is too dangerous, I suggest you live stream from my house, I can protect you.] [@Han River Cyber Police @Liuhe Cyber Police @Handong Cyber Police @Yichang Cyber Police Officers, Mr. Lins writing is too realistic, suggesting a thorough investigation.] [Right, this is something the police should weigh in on!] [] Lin Chuan saw these messages and his vision went dark. Is this promoting the book? This bunch of lsps are tagging the Cyber Police, as if they cant wait to have me thrown into a cell!] Meanwhile. The Anling Cyber Police received a notification. Chapter 39: 39: Three Murders! Chapter 39: Three Murders!
Anling Police Station, Cyber Security Detachment. Inside the cyber security room, various regtion boards were hung on the wall, and in the center was the workstation of the cyber police. Cyber Police Xia Qingqing tied her hair in a ponytail, wore a blue police uniform, and stared at the densely packed information on theputer screen. Her slender fingers danced across the keyboard, pressing the enter key from time to time, handling various matters. The evening breeze brushed her face, causing her eyes to feel somewhat dry. Xia Qingqing rubbed her eyes and applied a few drops of eye drops, thinking of taking a break with a sip of tea. Attention, Anling Cyber Security Detachment, please take note of book promotion on the Kuaidou tform in room 0613, with words like murder, crime, blood appearing multiple times. Several viewers have @Cyber Police, suspecting the propagation of illegal and criminal activities, please verify.
Attached is the rooms link: /0613. Source: Han River Cyberspace Surveince Brigade. A notification like this popped up on Xia Qingqingsputer. Received. Xia Qingqing quickly took a sip of tea and then clicked on the link to enter room 0613. Room 0613 was precisely Su Qianqians live broadcast room. Promoting a novel, it shouldnt be an illegal activity. Xia Qingqing muttered to herself, but she didnt dare to ignore the notification from the Han River Cyberspace Surveince Brigade. So. She opened the admin panel and expertly entered a string of codes. Su Qianqians live rey, bulletments, and viewer data were allid bare. On another split screen. She also searched for the novel that Su Qianqian was promoting live, as well as rted information.
This Assassin Is Too Professional, published by Sailing Novel, authors pen name: Mr. Lin, real name: Lin Chuan, residence: Anling City. Having been a cyber police for over a year, Xia Qingqing had developed the ability to quickly catch key information. She opened the live rey, using double speed to quickly sift through relevant information. The content of the novel was of utmost importance. The bloggers behavior and the livements were secondary. Xia Qingqings eyes were fixed on the screen, and when she saw Mr. Lin processes the crime scene, her eyebrows instinctively furrowed. This technique is indeed a bit too professional. She had graduated from the police academy, majoring in cyber security, and had specialized training in illegal information, making her highly sensitive to such material. Nevertheless, Xia Qingqing didnt rush to conclusions. She had several ssmates who were novelists, and their works demonstrated a high level of expertise. Moreover, such information could be obtained through research. She kept looking.
So, I devised a perfect scapegoat action n. The scapegoat, I decided, would be the second inmand, letting them fight among themselves, which I consider as my good deed. I calcted the second inmands movements and prepared to strike. Xia Qingqings eyebrows knit tightly together. This scapegoat n seemed to have traces of a perfect crime. Especially since the evidence such as fingerprints on the weapon, DNA under the nails, scratch marks on the second inmands body, motive for the crime, eyewitnesses, and alibis were listed, the second inmand was doomed to bear the name murderer! No room for rebuttal! And the real murderer, Mr. Lin, hadnt left a single trace behind. This crime scene fabrication ability is excessively strong! Xia Qingqing couldnt help but take a deep breath. If such a murder urred in real life, could the truth really be discovered? Xia Qingqing rubbed her eyes and continued reading.
Mr. Lin struck repeatedly. Mission after mission, sessfully aplished. Every crime scene was wlessly fabricated. Xia Qingqing felt her chest was oppressively heavy, and she struggled to breathe. The author of this book is definitely a high-intelligence criminal genius! Xia Qingqing reached an astonishing conclusion. However, even if the author, Lin Chuan, was a high-intelligence criminal genius, Xia Qingqing had no way to determine whether he hadmitted any illegal activities. After all, he had only written a novel, not stabbed anyone! For a moment, Xia Qingqing was a bit undecided. Captain, I have a situation here that I need to report to you. Xia Qingqing took out her phone to report the situation to the Cyber Security Detachment captain. After hearing the report, the captain replied, Its fine for a novel to be written more realistically, as long as it doesnt vite thew and there are no simr cases in reality, so its not yet time to draw conclusions. Just record it for now. Xia Qingqing nodded.
By the way, the canteen at the station has prepared ate-night snack, the captain reminded her. Ill go in a bit. Xia Qingqing touched her stomach, realizing she was indeed a bit hungry. Anling Police Station, canteen. Xia Qingqingdled a bowl of Silver Fungus Soup and sat down. Qingqing, are you working the night shift? Opposite her, a female officer with a visibly tired face also holding a bowl of Silver Fungus Soup, took a seat across from Xia Qingqing. Qianqian? A smile appeared on Xia Qingqings face. The Cyber Police have to patrol the inte 24 hours a day. Its just my turn for the night shift. Thanks to you, Im here for ate-night snack. In the past, the police station didnt offerte-night snacks. But recently, both the patrol and the Criminal Police Brigade have been working overtime, and in particr the Criminal Police Brigade, which has been dealing with two consecutive murder cases, has been busier than ever.
The Criminal Police Brigade was under a lot of pressure, but so far, they havent uncovered any relevant clues, and the cases remained baffling. However, as Cyber Police, Xia Qingqings knowledge of the Criminal Police Brigades affairs was limited. Shen Qianqian scooped a spoonful of the Silver Fungus Soup into her mouth, the sweetness hitting her belly, but bitterness lingered on her face. Weve been working overtime for over a week now. Youve all been under a lot of pressuretely, havent you? Xia Qingqing asked with concern. At that moment, Shen Qianqians weary face elicited a sense of sympathy. She and Shen Qianqian were university ssmates; different majors, but after joining Anling Police Station, they were both hailed as the two beauties of the station, and they had a good rtionship. Shen Qianqian inhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling. Yes, another murder case urred in City East District this morning. Thats the third this month, and the entire Criminal Police Brigade hasnt stopped for a moment. These days, she had been getting only about four hours of sleep a night due to the high workload, and she looked considerably worn out. Still no clues? Xia Qingqing inquired. None, Shen Qianqian shook her head. Due to case confidentiality, she couldnt reveal too much. But, the Criminal Police Brigade still didnt have the key information to crack the case! Take, for instance, the murder case discovered that morning. The crime scene had been turned over three times, inside and out, but not a single piece of evidence could be found. It was very strange! As for nearby surveince, the kind of thing that never works when you need it the mostit was all broken. There was a high level of public attention on these three murder cases. Many media outlets were reporting on the incidents, stirring a flurry of discussions and causing widespread anxiety. The higher-ups also issued an order, demanding they crack the case within seven days to provide a satisfactory exnation to the victims families, the public, and society. Oh, by the way, during my patrol on the inte today, I found a novel about a high-intelligence criminal assassin. It might be of help to you guys. Xia Qingqing smiled. Chapter 40: 40: Outlaws? Chapter 40: Ouws?
High-intelligence crime? Shen Qianqian gave a start, her willowy brows furrowed slightly. Xia Qingqing nodded lightly, Yes, the protagonist in it is an assassin, very professional, especially in terms of fabricating the crime scene after killing the targetits called professional! Fabricating the crime scene Shen Qianqian murmured to herself. The Criminal Police Brigade had spected in the direction of fabricating the crime scene, but due to the session of cases that came one after another, which caught them off guard, they had a difficult time spreading out their investigations.
If it really was a high-intelligence crime involving fabricating the crime scene, it would be worth a look, as it might help a bit with divergent thinking in handling future cases. Whats the name of this novel? Once Im done with these few cases, Ill take the time to read it, Shen Qianqian said with a smile. Sailing Novel, This Assassin Is Too Professional, Xia Qingqing said with a chuckle. Shen Qianqian opened the Sailing Novel app and searched. Suddenly! Her willowy brows furrowed slightly, her pupils shook, a flicker of surprise shed through her eyes, and she immediately pictured that clean, sunny, handsome face in her mind. The author, Mr. LinLin Chuan? Qianqian, whats wrong? Xia Qingqing asked curiously, noting Shen Qianqians unusual expression. This author Shen Qianqian paused, I know him. Xia Qingqing raised an eyebrow, Tonight, the Cyberspace Surveince Brigade informed me to identify if a book rmendation live stream involved any dissemination of criminal behavior, and they were promoting this very book of his. Shen Qianqians brows knitted together, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes again. Why did Lin Chuans novels always revolve around themes that walked the line of legality?
Theft and swindling were still manageable. But this time, its a high-intelligence crime genre involving fabricating crime scenesand its even acimed as professional? Thats too real! Shen Qianqian muttered to herself. I also think its very realistic, but the captain said that its just a novel and there are no corresponding real cases, so it only needs to be recorded, Xia Qingqing said with augh. Shen Qianqians gaze flickered, Do you still remember the plot? Especially the part about fabricating the crime scene. Drinking her Silver Fungus Soup, Xia Qingqing looked up at Shen Qianqian in surprise, Youre not going to crack the case using this, are you? Shen Qianqian gave a gentle smile, Not really, I just want to see if I can put myself in the shoes of a criminal suspect and think about how one would fabricate a crime scene. She believed that Lin Chuan was most likely adopting the perspective of a criminal suspect in fabricating crime scenes. This was Shen Qianqians understanding of Lin Chuans writing style after reading Thief and Swindler. In Shen Qianqians mind, Lin Chuans novels had two major features. First, a first-person narrative that gives a strong sense of immersion.
Second,bining the profession of the protagonist, vividly portraying its characteristics with a high degree of professionalism! In reality. In many cases where there are no leads, criminal investigation personnel need to draw upon their existing experience, think outside the box, and use new approaches to uncover relevant clues. Many bizarre cases are cracked following an inadvertently found clue which then leads to uncovering the full picture sessfully. Lin Chuans novel might just be a point for divergent thinking. Okay, Ill tell you about it. Xia Qingqing nodded, finished the Silver Fungus Soup in her bowl, then took out her phone, opened This Assassin Is Too Professional, and specifically turned to the chapter on fabricating scenes, narrating it to Shen Qianqian. With Xia Qingqing acting as the narrator, Shen Qianqian was able to understand the story as quickly as possible. Especially the part about counterfeiting the crime scene. Shen Qianqian listened earnestly. However, her brows grew tighter, a trace of puzzlement emerging on her face, the more she listened, the more she felt something was amiss. It takes an insider to understand the intricacies.
As a professional detective, Shen Qianqian often investigated various criminal cases, especially the murder cases that had recently increased in frequency. Looking at Lin Chuans This Assassin Is Too Professional now, she couldnt help but feel a chill down her spine. She had expected Lin Chuan to write very professionally. But these methods were indeed too professional! The forensic knowledge it involved, as well as the demonstrated ability in crime scene processing, was likely even more sophisticated than that of veteran detectives. If a few more details were perfected, one could basically conclude that this author was fully capable ofmitting the perfect crime in reality. The ceiling of high-IQ crimes! Awless lunatic! Lin Chuan, youre too much of a criminal! Shen Qianqian couldnt help but mutter. In her mind, she even wondered if the three murders in Anling City were rted to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan had guessed right.
At this moment, everyone she saw seemed like a murderer. However, this thought shed through Shen Qianqians mind and disappeared. Although Lin Chuan definitely had the potential to be a crime suspect, he seemed tock a motive for crime. Why would he go stabbing people when he could be writing novels? To find inspiration? Thank you, Qingqing, Shen Qianqian said with a smile. The idea of fabricating a crime scene is very helpful for solving the case. Xia Qingqing smiled gracefully, Remember to treat me to a meal if you solve the case. I have to go back and patrol the. Shen Qianqian smiled and returned to the Criminal Police Brigade. In the office hall. Colleagues were still discussing a murder case that was discovered this morning. The victim, a female, 30-years-old, an employee at Hengli Company, was found on March 22 at 7:13 am, at the reception area of Hengli Company on the fourth floor of Hengli Building, City East District. Initial investigations showed that the victim had multiple collision injuries, and the fatal wound appeared to be an impact to the forehead, ruling out the possibility of suffocation.
At the scene of the incident, multiple walls and cab panels showed collision marks and blood evidence that matched the victims wounds. However, a small amount of rust was found inside the victims fatal forehead wound, suggesting death by impact from a heavy iron object. Beyond that, there were no further developments. Captain Hu Daqiang of the Criminal Police Brigade nced over the members and asked, This month, three murders urred in session, causing a tremendous negative impact. The higher-ups have ordered us to solve the case within seven days, but we have no leads. What are your thoughts? After some thought, Shen Qianqian answered, Captain Hu, we are currently investigating the victims social rtions, but at the crime scene, I believe there are still some doubtful points. Lets hear them, said Hu concisely. The crime scene is in Hengli Company, yet there are no signs of struggle, meaning that when the victim encountered the assault, there was no resistance whatsoever, which is illogical, Shen Qianqian began with her preliminary spection. Captain Hu nodded. Years of experience and countless crime scenester, he knew that in homicide cases, simr to being struck to death, there would typically be evidence of the victims struggle. Shen Qianqian continued her analysis, This suggests that there might be a situation where the scene has been tampered with, or rather, what we are seeing is not the primary scene. Captain Hu frowned, Your guess, where is the primary scene? Shen Qianqian shook her head, If the body was moved, then the primary scene should not be far from Hengli Company. We could try to extend the search; the storage room on the fifth floor, the beauty salon on the third floor, and Hengli Gym on the second floor could all be possible locations. Captain Hu nodded. That night, the Criminal Police Brigade mobilized once again to search the floors above Hengli Company. As expected! The fourth floor of the Hengli Company was not the primary scene. Weve found something! Shen Qianqian and her team detected blood evidence inside Hengli Gym. Chapter 41: 41 I’m Really Not a Suspect Chapter 41: Im Really Not a Suspect
Hengli Gym. Due to a homicide that urred on the fourth floor of Hengli Company, the gym was also closed for the day on the 22nd. That night, the lights were brightly lit. Captain Hu Daqiang and officers like Shen Qianqian from Anling Citys Criminal Investigation Detachment rushed into the Hengli Gym. Captain, here, weve found traces of a blood reaction. One of the officers pointed to a corner of the gym where there was a dumbbell bench with several painted dumbbells stacked next to it.
But perhaps due to not being reced for a long time, the surface of these painted dumbbells had slight rust. Next to the dumbbell bench, spots of blue-green fluorescence emanated from the ground. A blood trace reaction detected by Luminol reagent! On one of the painted dumbbells, there was also a strong bloodstain reaction. Hu Daqiang frowned, That dumbbell is very likely to be the murder weapon! The forensic personnel immediately used a UV shlight to check for the suspects fingerprints on it. As expected. Though there were sweat stains on the dumbbells, the gripping area made of rubber still allowed for partial fingerprint extraction. The case finally made some progress! Now, topare the blood DNA on the dumbbell with that of the victim, and thenpare the fingerprints. This was an extremely important clue. If possible, it could preliminarily lock down the crime suspect.
Even if it couldnt lock down the crime suspect, there was a direction for the investigation. Captain Hu looked at Shen Qianqian with slight relief, not sparing praise for the young detective, Youve been growing rapidly. Finding the primary crime scene isrgely your credit. Thank you for your praise, Captain Hu. Shen Qianqian smiled slightly, thinking that if credit was due, Lin Chuan should be acknowledged as well. His This Assassin Is Too Professional provided a way of thinking about fabricating a scene, which indeed was of great inspiration. If the case is solved, she should treat him to a meal. But! When the blood DNA test results and fingerprintparison results came back, Shen Qianqian was utterly stunned. The blood on the painted dumbbell was confirmed to be aplete match with the DNA of the victim, Zhao Lian. But the fingerprints on the dumbbell made Shen Qianqian unable to believe her eyes. Because, uponparison within the database, they matched Lin Chuans fingerprints exactly! Shen Qianqians eyebrows were tightly furrowed as she spaced out.
Night fell, the hazy moonlight filtered through the clouds and spilled onto the brightly lit police station. The evening breeze carried the lingering spring chill, skimming over treetops, casting monster-like shadows, and then sweeping into the Criminal Investigation Detachments office, brushing past Shen Qianqians hair and whispering in her ear. Could this be a coincidence? But, was this just too much of a coincidence? Suddenly! An idea from Lin Chuans novel popped into her head: the Scapegoat n! Upon investigation, Lin Chuan had fitness records at the Hengli Gym, so it was normal for his fingerprints to be on the dumbbell. Shen Qianqian thought for a moment and dialed Xia Qingqings number, Qingqing, help me check Lin Chuans IP activity times. The evening breeze also blew into Lin Chuans rented room, swirling around the narrow space, assaulting Lin Chuan back and forth and causing him to shiver. Achoo! Lin Chuan was covered in goosebumps, quickly rubbing his arms to ward off the cold.
Tonight. Besides the audience moring for ying Police Number, Su Qianqians livestream promotion of her book to attract traffic was quite effective. [Work: This Assassin Is Too Professional.] [Status: Alreadyunched.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 1208/3000.] Since the novel had a lengthy volume, it could not be read in a short time; therefore, the growth in average subscriptions did not seem so evident, but it was steadily rising nheless. The following two evenings, Su Qianqian would continue to promote the book through livestreaming. Tomorrow, the website would also arrange an exclusive promotion. Let the bullets fly for a while. I believe that This Assassin Is Too Professional will soon reach an average subscription of 3000. The sun will still rise tomorrow. A beautiful life is about to begin!
But. The next day, March 23rd. The sun hadnt risen yet, and the beautiful life hadnt arrived either. Instead, an uninvited guest showed up. Thud, thud, thud. The iron door outside the rental sounded with knocks, jolting Lin Chuan awake from his deep sleep. Who is it, so early? Lin Chuan suddenly sat up, rubbed his bleary eyes, threw back the thin nket, swung out of bed, walked to the door, and peered through the small hole in the iron door that served as a peephole. At that nce. Lin Chuan got a shock! All sleepiness vanished! The visitors outside were Officer Shen and two other detectives.
Shen Officer Shen, why are you here? Lin Chuan opened the iron door of his rental, his face slightly tense. He always conducted himself with integrity, so he should have no reason to be nervous about a visit from the police, but having frequently experienced the professional lives of the criminal sector, he instinctively held a sense of awe towards the officers. Moreover, the visitor was Shen Qianqian. His only possible association with Shen Qianqian would be that of the catcher and the caught! How could he not be nervous? Shen Qianqians face was pale, with heavy bags under her eyes; she clearly hadnt slept well all night. She nced at Lin Chuan and said earnestly, Comrade Lin Chuan, we suspect you are rted to a major case. Pleasee with us to assist in the investigation. Lin Chuan: ??? The very thing he feared hade to pass! But I am truly aw-abiding good citizen! Officer Shen, could there be some misunderstanding here? Lin Chuan asked with a pained expression. Shen Qianqian took a deep breath and perked up a bit, Comrade Lin Chuan, we have decided to make this move only after a night of discussion and investigation. It is not appropriate to disclose the specifics here. Last night. When she learned the fingerprints on the dumbbell matched Lin Chuans, she couldnt believe it. The entire detective team worked all night long, pulled up Lin Chuans file, and began investigating him. Lin Chuan, an online novelist with two records for lock-picking and cheating techniques, has published novels like Thief, Swindler, and This Assassin Is Too Professional. The word assassin was too ring. Hu Daqiang nced at it and felt something was off. So, the officers started reading This Assassin Is Too Professional as part of the investigation. Upon reviewing it, the detective team quickly developed strong subjective suspicions about Lin Chuan. The killing methods and the techniques for fabricating crime scenes described in the book were too professional! So professional that even the veteran team leader Hu Daqiang felt somewhat ashamed of his own ability. But mere subjective suspicions were far from enough. Conviction required evidence. Xia Qingqing from the Cyber Security Detachment sent over Lin Chuans IP activity times, which coincided exactly with Zhao Lians time of death. At that time, Lin Chuan wasmunicating with his editor. Theoretically, there was no chance for him tomit the crime. Shen Qianqian believed that this could very well resemble the scapegoat n in Lin Chuans novel. The real killer wanted to frame Lin Chuan and mislead the police. Therefore, Shen Qianqian wanted to invite Lin Chuan back to the police station to assist with the investigation, hoping to find new leads. Outside the rentals iron door. Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian and the other two police officers, his face slightly bitter, Officers, I really am not a criminal suspect. Shen Qianqian smiled, Comrade Lin Chuan, we dont currently regard you as a criminal suspect, but the case is somewhat rted to you. We hope you can cooperate with the investigation to find effective clues. Only then did Lin Chuan breathe a sigh of relief. As long as he wasnt a criminal suspect, that was all that mattered! Chapter 42: 42 This Technique Is Too Crude Chapter 42: This Technique Is Too Crude
Anling City police station. Not only Lin Chuan, but everyone who had been to Hengli Gym on the 21st was invited by the police for questioning to assist in the investigation, including Wang Zikai. Lin Chuan was given priority over others, being the first to undergo police questioning. Inside the inquiry room. Lin Chuan looked around curiously at the rooms setup. It was vastly different from an interrogation room.
An interrogation room, also known as the little ck room, has no windows to let in light, in its center sits a tiger bench, and on the walls hang slogans like Leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist, all contributing to an oppressive and enclosed atmosphere. But here. Lin Chuan sat in a leather chair, the wall bore the slogan Police and public cooperation, building a safe home together, the morning breeze wafted through the window bringing with it sunlight, and gave a rtively rxed feeling. WhewC At least its not the little ck room. The main inquirer, Shen Qianqian. Two other police officers stood beside her. Going through the routine information recording, Shen Qianqian did so deftly, she even remembered Lin Chuans ID number, and then got straight to the point. Have you seen this woman before? Shen Qianqian passed the life photo of the deceased, Zhao Lian, to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan looked carefully and nodded, Ive seen her at Hengli Gym, she asked me for V, I didnt give it to her. Shen Qianqian looked up at Lin Chuan with a slight frown, Approximately when would this have been?
The afternoon before yesterday, I dont remember the exact time, Lin Chuan replied. Shen Qianqian then asked, Besides that, did you meet her again on the evening of the 21st? No, I wasmunicating with my editor about the new book that night. The chat records are avable, the IP address can be checked, Lin Chuan shook his head and added, By the way, Zhang downstairs also saw me. In the meantime. He had gone downstairs to buy a bottle of water and happened to run into Zhang immersed in a sea of videos. The websites address seemed to have changed, something Lin Chuan had not seen before. Shen Qianqian nodded, On the afternoon of the 21st at Hengli Gym, did you notice anyone suspicious around her? I didnt pay attention, Lin Chuan shook his head again, shifting in his seat, Ive only met her once, what crime is she suspected ofmitting? Shes dead, Shen Qianqian said. Lin Chuan looked stunned. So she was the victim in Anling Citys third murder case. But Lin Chuan had seen on Local News just yesterday, wasnt the victim found at Hengli Company?
Thats the building two floors above the gym. She was found on the fourth floor, it has nothing to do with the gym on the second floor, Lin Chuan couldnt help asking, How did youe to suspect me? Shen Qianqian pondered for a moment, exchanged nces with the two officers beside her, and then said, We found her blood DNA and your fingerprints on the dumbbell in the gym. Lin Chuans pupils constricted. As a professional assassin, he quickly grasped the critical information. Hengli Company on the fourth floor, the gym on the second floor, blood DNA, dumbbell, my fingerprints With his experience from an assassins professional life, it took him only a moment to understand the twists and turns. The murderer had fabricated the murder scene and had even gone to the trouble of framing him in particr. Only This method is too clumsy, Lin Chuan couldnt help butment. Shen Qianqians eyes, bloodshot, couldnt help but narrow, Lin Chuan, it seems you have a different opinion? Cough.
Lin Chuan coughed lightly, his face bitter, I was just talking off the cuff, I only met her by chance, I had no motive to kill her. Shen Qianqian looked steadily at Lin Chuan, I know you dont have a motive formitting the crime, and you have an alibi. What I want to ask is about the poor technique you mentioned just now. What does that mean? This Lin Chuan didnt know whether he should speak or not. Shen Qianqian pointed at the slogan inside the interrogation room with her pen, Cooperation between police and citizens builds a safe and peaceful home, and said: Ive read part of your new novel This Assassin Is Too Professional. Finding the first crime scene at the gym was also inspired by your book. Dont hold back and use your professionalism to exin the poor technique you just mentioned. On behalf of Anling Police, I would like to express my gratitude. Lin Chuan shifted in his seat and muttered, Is there any tangible appreciation? Unexpectedly, Shen Qianqian heard it loud and clear andughed, Ive already subscribed to your entire new book. Subscribed to the entire book! Lin Chuans eyes brightened, and a radiant smile spread across his face. For a writer, every subscriber is like their sustenance provider. Aplete subscription is undoubtedly the most significant support. Putting aside the rtionship between the police and citizens, Lin Chuan would be more than happy to help a true fan who has subscribed to his whole series with a small favor.
Last time, Lin Chuan even went to help a reader catch a cheater. But lets get back to the case at hand. Lin Chuan became serious, Whether I have aplete subscription or not doesnt matter. It is my duty to maintain social order and cooperate with the work of the police officers! Your awareness is quite high, Shen Qianqian said with a smile, as she tidied up the hair on her forehead, Lets get back to the case. How exactly was the killers technique poor? Lin Chuan pondered for a moment: Based on my experience Hmm? Inside the interrogation room, it was as if a sudden gust of cold wind had blown through. Shen Qianqian and the other two police officers simultaneously looked up at Lin Chuan, their eyes filled with curiosity and astonishment. Based on your experience? What experience? Lin Chuan tugged at the corner of his mouth and hurriedly exined: I mean, based on my experience of plotting novel scenarios, this would be considered a technique to confuse and mislead, but its very clumsy. Shen Qianqian moved her pen and began to record.
The two officers beside her frowned slightly. Can plotting scenarios for novels really be equated with real-life murder cases? Lin Chuan continued, If the gym is the primary crime scene, then he merely moved the body to the fourth floor to stage another scene. However, if he didnt treat the gym specially and left blood DNA behind, thats a significant oversight. Shen Qianqian and the two officers exchanged nces, their brows furrowing slightly. Lin Chuan exhaled, There is a key point of doubt here. What doubt? Curiosity was thick in Shen Qianqians expression. What was the purpose of the killer staging the crime scene? Lin Chuan countered. Shen Qianqian thought for a moment: To erase as much of the original evidence of the crime as possible, misleading the police investigation, and clearing his own suspicion. Thats exactly it. Lin Chuan nodded, Typically, if someone stages a crime scene, they would clean the original scene to prevent investigative officers from discovering it. Right, nodded Shen Qianqian. If he managed to stage the crime scene, it indicates that he might have premeditated it for a long time. But if the gym is the first scene, why didnt he treat it specially? Lin Chuan analyzed. Hiss! Shen Qianqian took a deep breath. Now. The Criminal Investigation Team was focusing their investigation around the Hengli Gym. But Lin Chuans question suddenly plunged the three officers present into doubt. Why didnt he treat the gym specially, leaving behind the victims blood DNA and even the murder weapon? Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan in astonishment. Lin Chuans analysis was logical and structured, not resembling a novelist at all, but rather a seasoned criminal detective, or even a forensic expert with a wealth of experience! Chapter 43: 43 Is He Too Professional? Chapter 43: Is He Too Professional?
Shen Qianqian pondered for a long time, her expression growing solemn, and she felt a chill run down her spine, Do you mean that the traces at the scene were deliberately left by the murderer? Deliberately tampering with the scene and leaving clues to mislead the police and dy the solving of the case. With each passing day in a homicide case, the likelihood of it bing an unsolved mystery increases. Because it is very possible that the murderer would take this opportunity to destroy clues and evidence, escaping justice forever. Lin Chuan shook his head, This is just a deduction based on my novel experience, after all, I have never seen any crime scene or rted clues. If you want to get a definite answer, I need to see the crime scene to know. In This Assassin Is Too Professional, he was endowed with homicide case handling ability.
When ites to falsifying a scene, he was more professional than criminal investigators and forensic doctors. However, he must see the scene to be sure. Lin Chuan, wait a moment, I will ask for Captain Hus instructions, Shen Qianqian pursed her lips and deeply looked at Lin Chuan before making a decision. Criminal Police Brigade, office. Captain Hu, I request to take Lin Chuan to Hengli Gym, Shen Qianqian went straight to the point as soon as she entered the door. Hu Daqiang put down the paperwork in hand, his eyes lighting up, Is he going to identify the scene? Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, We analyzedst night, he has no suspicion ofmitting the crime, now we are inviting him to the crime scene to assist in the investigation. Thats not ording to protocol. Hu Daqiang frowned slightly, appearing troubled. The regtions clearly stipte that only criminal police personnel and other relevant individuals can enter and inspect a crime scene. Others, like Lin Chuan who is a civilian, simply cannot gain ess.
Shen Qianqian thought for a moment, Now we have only six days left to solve the case, but we havent even inspected the clues at the crime scene. Hu Daqiang stared steadily at Shen Qianqian and asked, Lin Chuan is neither a criminal detective nor a forensic doctor, do you think by going to the scene he can actually inspect the clues? But I believe his expertise is no less than that of an experienced detective, Shen Qianqian argued, You saw his novelst night, too; his ability to fake a crime scene is not to be underestimated, perfectly fitting the profile of a high IQ criminal. I think he could be of great help to our investigation. Hu Daqiang furrowed his brow. Then, he picked up the thermos on the desk, took a sip, and shook his head, Its still too risky, it would be difficult if ites to the attention of the higher-ups. Difficult means that theres still a way, right? Shen Qianqian blinked. Hu Daqiang gave a wry smile and said, How certain are you that he can find clues at the scene? Shen Qianqian pursed her lips and nodded, Eighty percent certain. Then go outside and wait for me at the door, Captain Hu instructed, Oh, and close the door when you leave. Shen Qianqian was momentarily startled butplied nheless. Bang.
The door closed. However, the sound instion of the office door wasnt very effective, and Shen Qianqian suddenly heard the wailing of Hu Daqiang from inside. Chief, I cant do this job as captain! Lacking forensic doctors, staff, and equipment, how am I supposed to solve the case? Now, without a single clue, you might as well fire me! Seven days! I cant solve the case at all! Wuu wuu wuu If you cant send someone from above, the only option I have left is to hire an outside genius detective. We are dealing with three human lives, and I have no other choice. You might as well fire me. Not long after. Its settled.
Hu Daqiang casually walked out of the office. Shen Qianqian tugged at the corner of her mouth, Captain Hu, you Hu Daqiangughed heartily, I just called the chiefmissioner, he has always hadplete trust in the way I handle things. Lets go, Ill personally take you, to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Shen Qianqian responded with a forced smile. And so, Hu Daqiang, with Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian in tow, hurried to Hengli Building. The police car wailed through Anling City, speeding across highways busy with traffic through the dawn light, straight to the scene of the crime. At this moment, At the bottom of Hengli Building, there were police officers standing guard, sealing off the gym on the second floor and Hengli Company on the fourth floor. The moment the police car stopped, People nearby immediately surged forward with cameras and microphones in hand. These were the major media outlets of Anling City.
Captain Hu, is there any new clue in the case now? With three homicides urring one after another, what do you think is the root cause? Do you have confidence in solving the case within seven days? Currently, not only Anling City but also Han River Province was paying close attention to the progress of these three homicide cases, as the public opinion was overwhelming. Many journalists from the media were lingering around the crime scenes of all three cases, always ready for first-hand clues and news. Facing the journalists, Hu Daqiang waved his hand, The investigation is in progress and orderly, no further information can be disclosed. Having said that, he led Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian, and the forensic experts upstairs. Lin Chuan, Officer Shen highly rmended you for assisting with the investigation. I hope you wont let us down! Hu Daqiang looked at Lin Chuan and spoke in earnest. But in his heart, he still had doubts. Lin Chuan, a 24-year-old writer of online literature, had penned the intellectually intriguing and perfect crime novel This Assassin Is Too Professional, and despite possessing considerable knowledge, investigating a case, especially a crime scene inspection, was worlds apart from fiction.
On the fourth floor, Hengli Company. Lin Chuan, wearing shoe covers and gloves, stepped over the police tape and entered Hengli Company. On the floor, outlines of the body were drawn for positioning the corpse, whichy on its side. Near the body, there were traces of handprints skidding across the surface. In addition, At the reception desk, there were two bloodstains from the victims collision, with no signs of struggle. This crime scene fabrication is still too amateurish, Lin Chuan reached his first conclusion. Shen Qianqian frowned and asked, Why do you say that? Lin Chuan walked to the front desk, pointed at the two bloodstains and exined, These correspond to the wounds on the victims forehead. If her hands were not restrained, they would instinctively move to block and protect herself when her head was struck. Yet, there are no signs of the victim attempting to block in either collision. Therefore, this is a clumsy postmortem fabrication. On the way, Lin Chuan had signed a confidentiality agreement and also seen photos of the injuries of the victim, Zhao Lian, whose hands bore no marks of strangtion. Shen Qianqian and Hu Daqiang exchanged nces, their eyes revealing a trace of shock. This was basically consistent with the conclusions drawn by the Criminal Police Brigade. However, the Criminal Police Brigade spent several hours surveying the scene and analyzing the situation before arriving at this discussion, while it took Lin Chuan less than ten minutes toe to the same conclusion. Isnt this efficiency a bit too professional? And besides, how could he be so familiar with a persons reflexive response to stress if he hadnt shed a few people himself? It surely couldnt be that he was actually a genius detective, could it? Chapter 44: 44 I’m Just Putting Myself in the Suspect’s Shoes Chapter 44: Im Just Putting Myself in the Suspects Shoes
Why are you all looking at me like that? Lin Chuan noticed the subtle nces exchanged between Shen Qianqian and Hu Daqiang, and with a slight furrow in his brow, he asked. Shen Qianqians willow-like eyebrows crinkled as she intently gazed at Lin Chuan, Lin Chuan, Im a bit curious, how did youe to know all this? Lin Chuans face darkened as he defensively said, I learned about it while doing research for a novel, do you believe me? Believe I guess. Shen Qianqian opened and closed her small mouth, her face showing an uncertain expression.
Believe that answer? As if. Way too abstract! Lin Chuan sighed softly. Im here to help you solve the case, yet youre always doubting the legitimacy of my knowledge. Cough, even though it really isnt legitimate. But thats in the Virtual World; here in the real world, Im still aw-abiding good citizen. Let it be, let it be. Continuing the investigation for the sake of being a true loyal fan, I suppose. Do we need to keep investigating here? Hu Daqiang looked toward Lin Chuan, his tone clearly seeking Lin Chuans opinion now. Lets go to the 2nd floor, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Lin Chuan had already figured out the crime scene on the 4th floor. The killers technique in fabricating the scene seemed rather clumsy in his eyes.
2nd floor, Hengli Gym. The three of them crossed the police line, still wearing shoe covers and gloves. The gym was arranged neatly with various exercise equipment, and it felt a bit stuffy due to theck of open windows. There werent many traces at the scene. Shen Qianqian took out more than a dozen photographs, showing the bloodstain reactions detected by the Luminol Reagent. Lin Chuan took the photographs andpared them against the scene one by one. After a while. Lin Chuan concluded, This here, is indeed not the primary crime scene. Shen Qianqian and Hu Daqiangs pupils suddenly contracted. Especially Hu Daqiang, his brow furrowed deeply, his face filled with a puzzled look, Comrade Lin Chuan, after determining that the 4th floor wasnt the primary scene, we immediately started searching, and we discovered the victims DNA here as well. This isnt the primary scene either? Shen Qianqian was better off; she had heard this hypothesis from Lin Chuans mouth before, but seeing how certain he was, she couldnt help but ask, How do you determine that this isnt the primary scene? Lin Chuan smiled.
Then, he took out a photograph, an overhead shot looking down at the entire scene with the Luminol Reagents blood reaction, covered in blue-green fluorescence. Lin Chuan pointed at the photo and said, Look at this photograph, what shape are the blood reactions in? Shen Qianqian tilted her head, leaning slightly towards Lin Chuan, and looked seriously at the photo, The bloodstain reactions are in an irregr oval distribution. Is there a problem with that? Hu Daqiang also asked, frowning. Lin Chuan smiled, Friends who frequently engage in killing know that blood continues to flow after it pours out of the human body. If itnds on a t surface, it will spread outwards, forming a pool of blood. Hu Daqiang nodded in agreement. With years of criminal police experience, indeed, as Lin Chuan suggested, blood flowing out of a body would form a pool on a t surface. But then, how does this match up with the irregr oval-shaped blood reaction pattern in the gym? Why does Lin Chuan say this isnt the primary scene? Shen Qianqian also looked doubtfully at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, then exined, Look here, this part of the floor has a slight slope. Its imperceptible unless youre feeling for it. That means, if the victim truly died here, the blood that flowed out, when encountering this sloped floor, would have traveled in lines, not forming an irregr oval-shaped pool as it would on a level floor. Shen Qianqian crouched down, and gently, with gloved hands, touched the floor, lightly brushing over it.
Indeed. There was a subtle slope! Shen Qianqian, still a young detective, now looked at Lin Chuan with suspicion and surprise in her eyes. Lin Chuans investigation experience was scarily shrewd. Or could it be that he truly often engaged in killing and had specialized research on how the blood from his victims flowed? If that were the case, how many people would he have to kill? A pathological killer? Shen Qianqian shook her head and quickly dismissed this horrifying thought. Hu Daqiang also swallowed hard. The neers performed very well, Lin Chuans line of reasoning was about to make his face, as an old criminal police officer, burn with embarrassment. Thirteen years of cases, all for nothing! Take a look at Lin Chuan.
He was so meticulous, meticulous enough to detect the slightest incline in a patch of ground and its implications for the flow of blood. Hu Daqiangpletely put away his underestimation and asked earnestly, Comrade Lin, your reasoning is very sound. Since this is not the primary crime scene, where would the primary crime scene be? The primary crime scene was crucial for solving the case. He hadnt considered that the murderer would be so cunning as to fabricate two scenes in a row, to confuse the polices hearing and sight, and to mislead the direction of the investigation. Lin Chuan smiled, I believe youve already deduced that the victim was 165 cm tall and weighed about 60 kg. The killer, when moving the body to stage the scene, wouldnt have gone too far from the original crime scene. Shen Qianqian nodded, Right. But if he had time to fabricate two scenes one after another, it means he had ample time to destroy the primary scene, Lin Chuan said. Officer Shen and Hu Daqiangs faces immediately grew somber. Hu Daqiang furrowed his brows, Does that mean the lead has been lost again? Lin Chuan shook his head and smiled, If we cant find evidence at these two scenes, we can investigate from a different angle, cant we? Which direction? Hu Daqiangs train of thought was already following Lin Chuans.
Put yourself in the killers shoes and imagine you are someone who needs to fabricate two crime scenes and clean up the primary scene. What would you need? Lin Chuan asked, smiling. Hu Daqiang, as a seasoned criminal police officer, instantly understood Lin Chuans idea, his eyes lighting up, Are you talking about tools? To clean up a scene, one must possess tools. Especially to clean up bloodstains, one might use disinfectant, Luminol Reagent, or bleach powder. But thats not all. One would also need towels that could absorb blood, a bucket of water, a mop for wiping the floor, and so on. Exactly. Lin Chuan nodded and said with gravity, embodying a great detective, Based on the clues we have, I infer that his method of fabricating the scene was not professional. Lets put ourselves in the killers shoes. Firstly, after the murderer used a dumbbell to kill the victim, he began to erase her traces, carrying or holding her to the fourth floor of Hengli Company, then fabricated the first scene inside Hengli Company. Secondly, he returned to the scene to collect blood, took the murder weapon, the dumbbell, into Hengli Gym, and fabricated the second scene. Thirdly, he started cleaning up the original crime scene. This is also the most critical step. Its best to first use towels or paper towels to absorb the blood, because if one were to wash it away with water, it would cause arge area of blood to spread and it wouldntpletely remove the bloodstains, thus not avoiding a reaction with the Luminol Reagent. Then, begin using disinfectant or perhaps Thest step is to deal with the cleaning tools. If he was foolish, he might take all the tools with him. But with high-definition cameras monitoring the elevators, underground parking lot, and the street outside, carrying the tools would make it very easy to get caught. Therefore, if he was a bit smarter, he would hide these tools within Hengli Building, in a ce he considers safe. And that ce should be on the fifth floor. Because the fourth and second floors were staged scenes, the goal is to direct the polices attention to below the fourth floor. The real crime scene is very likely to be the warehouse on the fifth floor. Hisss! After listening, Shen Qianqian took a deep breath and stared steadily at Lin Chuan. The steps were too clear! Officer Shen, Im just adopting the perspective of the suspect, dont look at me like that. Novelists talk about immersion when writing books, and its the same with reasoning, Lin Chuan exined immediately. Fearing that Shen Qianqian would pull out a pair of silver handcuffs, clink them shut, and ce them on his own wrists. Taken away! Chapter 45: 45 This is a different price Chapter 45: This is a different price
In the gym. Shen Qianqian rarely showed a smile, Lin Chuan, Im just amazed at your ability to immerse in reasoning. The thought of kidnapping you was fleeting. Lin Chuans mouth twitched as he hastily waved his hands, Officer Shen, you have to trust your authors fans. Since when did I be your fan? Shen Qianqian was taken aback. You subscribed to everything, which, in my book, means youre a fan, Lin Chuanughed. Having subscribed to everything, what else could it be if not being a fan?
Shen Qianqians eyes shed with an unusual color as she gave a bitterugh, If you put it that way, then sure. Your book This Assassin Is Too Professional is indeed professional, and so are you! It was rare for Lin Chuan to receive recognition from Shen Qianqian, and he grinned with a smile. Lin Chuan concluded his analysis here. Hu and Shen knew what they had to do. They immediately contacted the criminal investigation squad to conduct a thorough search of the fifth floor. The fifth floor housed Hengli Companys warehouse. At the end of the corridor was the bathroom. In the small utility room next to the bathroom, investigators found a newly opened but nearly empty bottle of disinfectant at the very bottom. That alone was not enough to serve as evidence. The warehouse manager of Hengli Company hurried over, unlocking the warehouse for the police. This time. The investigation work was personally conducted by Lin Chuan.
Lin Chuan first took a look around the warehouse. Two windows here were open, there was no unusual smell inside, and there wasnt much dust on the floorit looked like it had been wiped clean. The bottoms of the stacked cardboard boxes also appeared slightly damp. Lin Chuan scrutinized these cardboard boxes over and over. In his mind, he imagined a 30-year-old woman facing an attacker and thought about how she might resist and try to escape. An abstract approach to solving the case! Finally, Lin Chuans mouth curved into a smile. He had sessfully immersed himself into the scenario! On one of the stacked cardboard boxes in the corner, he found an indentation from an impact. Hows it going? Shen Qianqian pursed her lips and asked. Lin Chuan didnt speak but instead stepped out the door, studying the lock on the warehouse. The door lock of the warehouse was of super B-grade core, with no signs of having been tampered with.
Afterward. Lin Chuan took a deep breath and looked at Shen Qianqian, This ce is the primary crime scene. Shen Qianqian, Hu Daqiang, the detectives present, and the warehouse manager of Hengli Company, were all shocked. This ce is the primary crime scene? The detectives immediately detained the warehouse manager. Shen Qianqian inquired, How can you be sure this is the primary crime scene? Lin Chuan smiled and pointed to the open windows, Officer Shen, this ce stores cardboard-boxed goods with moisture-proofbels, yet during the damp weather of March, those two windows were wide open. I have reason to suspect it was to allow the disinfectants scent to dissipate more quickly. Under normal circumstances. With the windows open for venttion, the disinfectants smell could evaporate clean in about 1 to 3 hours. But in a closed environment, its pungent odor could linger in the air for a long time. Shen Qianqian nodded and then said solemnly, This deduction is indeed usible. Lin Chuan continued to exin, This is a warehouse, yet the floor is exceptionally clean, and the bottoms of the cardboard boxes are slightly wet. Its very likely someone wiped the ce down. Besides that, I also found this cardboard box.
A cardboard box with a dented side suddenly appeared before everyones eyes. The dent in the cardboard box looked like an impact from a dumbbell. Hisss! Everyone drew in a sharp breath, then expressions of surprise spread across their faces. If the material of the dumbbell could be detected on the cardboard box, matching the dent from its impact, or if the victims DNA were found, this would be the primary crime scene. The first crime scene was found, could solving the case be far behind? It was within arms reach! Because Lin Chuan had already examined the door lock, There are no signs of forced entry on this lock, so the person with the key to the warehouse is very likely the murderer! Everyone simultaneously turned their gaze towards the warehouse manager. This uncle in his fifties almost went weak at the knees and quickly said, Its not just me who has a key, Vice President Li also has one! Hu Daqiang returned to the police station with the relevant evidence,ughing heartily, to carry out the tests. As expected!
The DNA of the victim was detected on the cardboard box. The suspect was immediately identified. The elderly warehouse manager, Vice President Li of Hengli Company. After pinpointing the suspect, the case became much easier to crack, with just a search for rted information and the corresponding evidence needed. Knowing the answer, retracing the process is always somewhat simpler. Eventually. The evidence was incontrovertible, and Vice President Li of Hengli Company confessed to the crime. Case solved! As the evening advanced, a faint purple hue rose on the horizon. Clouds like fish scales spread across the western half of the sky, turned red by the dying sun, emitting streaks of afterglow that fell upon the neatly arranged cityscape of Anling City. Outside the police station, a crowd of journalists surrounded the area, making it imprable.
Captain Hu, could you tell us your secret to solving cases so quickly? Rumor has it that you enlisted the help of a genius detective; is that true? Is this genius detective the same person who was nicknamed the Gambling King in thest anti-gambling campaign? Lin Chuan had been seen by quite a few people. Thest anti-gambling campaign had earned him the moniker of the Gambling King. Many reporters from Anling City still had some recollection of him, so they all pursued the detectives of the Anling City Criminal Investigation Squadron for answers. In the office of the Criminal Investigation Squadron. Hu Daqiangs smile was wider than an AKs barrel, almost turning into a lopsided dragon king. He personally brewed a fine cup of Longjing tea for Lin Chuan, chuckling, Comrade Lin, we owe you big time for this case, or who knows how long it would have dragged on! Lin Chuan took the Longjing tea, took a sip, and honestly said, Captain Hu, maybe you should give me a full subscription? A full subscription? Hu Daqiang, who didnt usually follow novels, didnt understand the term full subscription. It means to subscribe to all of his novels, like that one This Assassin Is Too Professional, exined Shen Qianqian with a smile. After solving the case. Shen Qianqian looked radiant, her tiredness gone, her high ponytail revealing her exquisitely beautiful facean impressive and spirited police flower! A full subscription, no problem! Hu Daqiangughed heartily, slipping in a bit of Cantonese, and then immediately pulled out his phone, fully subscribing to This Assassin Is Too Professional under Shen Qianqians guidance. After subscribing fully, Hu Daqiang squeezed his eyebrows, Comrade Lin, I was wondering if youre free tomorrow? Lin Chuan looked at Hu Daqiang with suspicion, Whats up? Hu Daqiang grinned, seeming very amicable, Comrade Lin, Ill be frank with you, weve only solved one case; there are still two unsolved murders. The superiors are pressing hard, and the citizens of Anling City are waiting for a just oue. Captain Hu, this Lin Chuans lips twitched, seemingly reluctant to continue. Comrade Lin, whats the matter? Hu Daqiang leaned in slightly, asking with concern. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, This would be a separate charge! Im just a writer, how could I be solving cases with the police every day? I need a raise! Chapter 46: 46: Don’t Let Him Commit a Crime! Chapter 46: Dont Let Him Commit a Crime!
Comrade Lin, sure, sure, Hu Daqiangs square face, his thick eyebrows raised, revealed a smile, If you have any ideas, feel free to speak up, and I will do my utmost to satisfy you! Lin Chuans eyes lit up, showing a look of anticipation, Really? Of course! Hu Daqiang patted his chest. Captain Hu, could you help promote my novel? Lin Chuan asked after a moment of thought.
Lin Chuan had a clear goal in mind. What he needed to focus on now was to increase the Average Subscription of This Assassin Is Too Professional and reach 3,000 Poprity Value. It would not only make money but also allow him to experience a new professional life and earn new skills. As the saying goes, the more skills you have, the more paths you can take. Jack of all trades, master of none. At present, the Poprity Value (Average Subscription) of This Assassin Is Too Professional was: 1809/3000. Just 1181 more to go, time to step it up! No problem! Hu Daqiang agreed without a second thought, then took out his phone immediately, Ill start promoting it right away, starting with the Criminal Police Brigade. When the reporterse for the interviewter, Ill help you promote it as well. In the Criminal Police Brigadesmunication group, Hu Daqiangs sent out the novel link was quickly followed by a lengthy advertisement endorsement. Shen Qianqian, standing to one side, nced at the message on her phone and muttered, Captain Hu, Director Zhang is also in the group. Hu Daqiangs face turned pale.
Oh no! He had forgotten that Director Zhang didnt allow advertisements in the group. However, taking a look at Lin Chuan, Hu Daqiang quickly regained hisposure, quite dominantly, Even if Director Zhang sees it, hell have to give Comrade Lin a full subscription. Having cracked the case, confidence was high! Shen Qianqian thought back to the scene of Hu Daqiang pleading to Director Zhang Biao that morning, she pursed her lips, struggling to hold back herughter, and giggled secretly. Lin Chuan, unaware of the true situation, nodded his head. The captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade sure had guts! Walking out of the office. Shen Qianqian, in her police uniform, with a smile on her face, walked on her way off work, her high ponytail bobbing with her movements, like gentle breezes supporting new willows, swaying with grace, Lin Chuan, thanks to you, otherwise I would have had to work overtime tonight. Lin Chuan smiled, If you want to express your gratitude, why not consider giving another full subscription? I only have one ount, Shen Qianqian said, her lips slightly pursed, but I could invite you for a meal; we can also call Qiqi and Wang Zikai along. Lin Chuan touched his belly and wasnt overly courteous, Alright then.
You seem quite troubled? Shen Qianqian tilted her head to look at Lin Chuan, her lively and sparkling eyes blinking, like the vibrant spring breeze and bright warm sun that touched his heart and settled within it. Lin Chuan quickly shook his head, Its not that big a deal. Elsewhere. Not long after Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian had left, Hu Daqiang received a call from Director Zhang Biao. Director Zhang, we cracked the case! The first thing that Hu Daqiang said was to bring good news! I know, youve cracked the case, your Criminal Investigation Brigade has done a great job, with major contributions, Ive noted that, came Zhang Biaos deep voice from the other end of the phone, but dont getcent, there are still two cases unsolved, and the longer it takes, the harder theyll be to crack. Rest assured, Director Zhang, we guarantee to crack the case! Hu Daqiang said with a beaming smile. Additionally, we still need to maintain a cleanmunication environment in the group chat. The novel promotion you just did, dont let it happen again.
Director Zhang Biao casually reminded him. Hu Daqiang immediately responded, Director Zhang, what you said is correct, for any other novel I wouldnt even nce at it, but this one is different! Whats different about it? Zhang Biao asked back. Hu Daqiang smiled, Director Zhang, we were able to crack the case involving Hengli Company in such a short time mainly because of this novel! Nonsense! Zhang Biao, who had a background in criminal investigation, scowled upon hearing this, A mere novel can solve a case? Hu Daqiang, you might fool the new recruits, but not me. Hu Daqiang quickly exined, Youre a seasoned detective, so the novel itself indeed cannot solve the case, but the author of this novel is somewhat extraordinary. Tell me, whats so extraordinary? Zhang Biao smiled, without putting on much airs. But apparently, he didnt believe a novel author could solve crimes. And to even receive an evaluation: fantastical. Pure nonsense!
Director Zhang, I reported to you this morning and requested a genius detective. I was referring to the author of this novel. He sessively inspected the 4th and 2nd floors, urately determined that the scenes were forged, and identified the 5th floor as the primary crime scene Hu Daqiang went into painstaking detail, reporting the ins and outs to Zhang Biao. On the other end of the phone. Zhang Biaos frown deepened, and doubts began to rise in his mind. As a professional and seasoned detective, Zhang Biao, after hearing Hu Daqiangs ount, could sense Lin Chuans astonishing performance during the investigation. But hearing is not like seeing. A novel author, can he really solve crimes? And to do so with such clean efficiency? While Zhang Biaos skepticism had not diminished, he became highly interested in Lin Chuan and asked Hu Daqiang, Do you mean to say his novel also possesses a high level of professionalism? Right! Hu Daqiang chuckled, and immediately turned into Lin Chuans salesman, You see, there arent many young people like Lin Chuan with a ir for criminal investigation and a sense of social responsibility. Director Zhang, why not make a full subscription yourself, as a way to support Lin Chuan? Zhang Biaoughed heartily, I should indeed support him, but, whats a full subscription?
It means subscribing to all the chapters of his novel. You just download the Sailing Novel app on your phone now, then search This Assassin Is Too Professional, and youll find his book. Remember to go for the full subscription, Hu Daqiangughed. Zhang Biao nodded, Got it. Ill see what level of writing our criminal investigation genius has achieved. You go ahead and read first, Director Zhang. There are reporters all over outside the police station; Ill go handle them, said Hu Daqiang. In the Directors office of the Anling City Police Station. Zhang Biao ended the call with Hu Daqiang. After that, he followed the steps reported by Hu Daqiang, downloaded the Sailing Novel app, searched for This Assassin Is Too Professional, and opened the novel. Zhang Biaos gaze fell on the novel, and he smiled with interest, How professional can a novel be that has received such high praise from Hu Daqiang? In his youth, Zhang Biao was obsessed with martial arts novels. The phrase A true hero serves his country and his people led him to embark on the path of a criminal detective, with the resolve to punish the wicked and eradicate evil. After starting work, he hadnt had the time to read a novel seriously for a long time. If it were not for Hu Daqiangs strong rmendation, he almost certainly would not have clicked on Lin Chuans novel. Zhang Biao steadied his spirit and entered Lin Chuans Assassin World. I am an assassin. Some call me the king of the dark night, others a reaper amongst men. But, no one has seen me. Because anyone who has seen me, is dead. To kill is to indulge in sentiments and enmities. It can stop injustice, it can execute justice. But what happens after the killing? Is it to find redemption for ones soul, or to sink into suffering, never finding peace? I will tell you with my own experiences, what should be done after killing, and what will happen? In the end, I will advise you. Turn yourself in, the police are all outside. Twilight gave way to the night sky. Zhang Biao came back to his senses, the sky outside his office had darkened. He looked at the time. 19:06. He had been engrossed in Lin Chuans This Assassin Is Too Professional for over an hour. HuC Zhang Biao took a long breath, recalling the contents of the novel,bined with Hu Daqiangs praise of Lin Chuan, he muttered to himself: Meticulous surveying, professional knowledge, extensive experience, scrupulous thinking, terrifying capacity to forge a crime scene Afterwards. Zhang Biao opened his chat with Hu Daqiang and clicked hold to talk: Hu Daqiang, keep a close eye on this kid Lin Chuan, make absolutely sure he doesntmit any crimes! Chapter 47: 47 Anti-fans Arrive Chapter 47: Anti-fans Arrive
Night had fallen. At the Anling Riverbank, a small shop glowed under the night sky, its few yellow, gentle lights casting halos on the stone-paved entrance path,plementing the twinkling stars above. A gentle breeze fluttered the corner of the shops curtain, also tossing Shen Qianqians smooth hair into disarray. Inside the shop, Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian were sitting by the window. At that moment, Shen Qianqian had changed out of her uniform and into casual clothes, a white chiffon blouse with jeans below, and white canvas shoes on her feet. Her face, tired from days of overtime, was now revitalized, fair and delicate, exquisitely sweet. Indeed, not working overtime could rejuvenate a person.
Shen Qianqian adjusted the little curl on her forehead and said with a light smile, Lin Chuan, Qiqi said that Wang Zikai has a fever, so they cante. Lin Chuan took a sip of jasmine tea and smiled awkwardly, Uh, Wang Zikai told me too. Two minutes ago. Wang Zikai sent a message: Brother, seize the opportunity well! Lin Chuan only replied with an ellipsis. Old Wang really never forgot to consider his brothers lifetime matters, getting a fever at crucial times, leaving Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian alone together. Its the thought that counts! However, the atmosphere between the two was somewhat awkward. Because Lin Chuan had only wanted to freeload a meal and had not anticipated that Wang Zikai and Xue Qiqi would stand them up. He didnt know what topics to talk about with Shen Qianqian. With others around, he could chat away, but alone, it was as if his mouth had been sewn shut, and he couldnt squeeze out a sentence for the life of him. That was, perhaps, the predicament boys face when alone with a girl.
Fortunately, Shen Qianqian took the initiative to speak, Lin Chuan, where did you learn those investigative techniques from? Lin Chuan was taken aback, Officer Shen, why do you ask that? Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, her clear eyes staring earnestly at Lin Chuan as she said sincerely, I think you have a lot of criminal potential. Cough! Lin Chuan choked on the jasmine tea, coughing harshly, Officer Shen, you cant talk recklessly like that! Shen Qianqian burst intoughter, revealing shallow dimples, Isnt that the case? Thats a dangerous thought! Lin Chuan said with a wry smile, And here I was, thinking you were a true fan today, only to find out youre an anti-fan. Number one anti-fan! Day in and day out wanting to drag me away and subject me to severe interrogation! The professional habit of a detective was such, to want to check if anyone had a case on them and then bring them back to the police station to boost their performance. Shen Qianqian chuckled, You still havent answered my question. Lin Chuan looked into Shen Qianqians sincere eyes and thought for a moment, If youve forged a thousand crime scenes, then investigating a scene would be as simple as drinking water to you.
In terms of investigating cases or conducting interrogations, Lin Chuan wasnt an expert. But when it came to examining crime scenes, he was second to none. Because he had indeed forged countless crime scenes! Shen Qianqians eyes widened, Who could have forged so many scenes? Thats why it depends on talent, Lin Chuan replied with a smile. So, youre saying youre a Criminal Investigation Genius? Shen Qianqians eyes twinkled, and she began to smile. Thanks for thepliment, Lin Chuan grinned. Shen Qianqian smiled as well. By the riverside cafe, the evening breeze gently blew, and the atmosphere between the two eased considerably. Lin Chuan took a light sniff of the breeze. The Anling River was well-maintained; there was no stench, and the night breeze carried the fresh scent of riverside herbs, refreshing the spirit. This feeling was somewhat peculiar.
Although Lin Chuan was a professional web novel writer, even he couldnt urately describe it. Perhaps, it was the prospect of a bright tomorrow beckoning him. 9:06 PM, still not toote. After mooching a meal off Shen Qianqian, Lin Chuan returned to his rented house feeling refreshed and then eagerly checked the Poprity Value. [Work: This Assassin Is Too Professional.] [Status: Avable now.] [Poprity Value: 2005/3000.] Lin Chuan frowned slightly and mumbled to himself, Su Qianqian should still be live streaming to promote the book, right? The conversion effect is much worse than yesterday. After yesterdays live stream, the Average Subscription had spiked by the thousands, but now the surge was much less impressive. When something is abnormal, theres bound to be a reason. Lin Chuans brows were knitted together; he opened the Quick Shake live streaming tform and entered Su Qianqians live stream room.
Inside the live stream room. Su Qianqian sat quietly in a small floral dress, her delicate oval face featuring a high-bridged nose and her soft hairzily tied behind her head. Her lips were lightly pressed together, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, giving her a somewhat pitiable look. It seemed her state was rather off. On the right side of the screen was the content of Lin Chuans novel This Assassin Is Too Professional. Lin Chuans eyes sharpened, his gaze falling on the barrage ofments streaming past. Thesements were not as harmonious as they were during yesterdays live stream; on the contrary, they were full of aggression. [Qianqian, this book is written so realistically, it doesnt seem fictitious at all. Do you still want to promote it and drive traffic to him?] [Its clear this is a novel inciting crime; why would you rmend it?] [I have read this novel, its all the authors own criminal facts!] [Qianqian, dont be foolish, stop promoting his book right away!] [Too criminal, wouldnt reading this book get you a ten-plus year sentence?] [Guys, this live stream promotes crime novels, lets report it!]
[] The ring text caught Lin Chuans eye. He immediately understood the situation. No wonder the rise in the Average Subscription wasnt significant, and Su Qianqians live stream seemed off; it was the anti-fans at work. Where did these anti-fanse from? Lin Chuan could more or less guess. Wherever there are people, there is a Martial World. The web novel circle is the same, its not a sanctuary; on the contrary, even if the writers are minding their own business, typing away in front of theirputers, there are still those who choose to wage war through the inte. Jealousy and tangled interests often lead to major spat battles. For Lin Chuan, it was a case of sitting at home, and troublees knocking. The people in the live stream room were most likely not Lin Chuans anti-fans, but rather paid trolls hired by someone. Could it be because of the Heroes Compete eventst time, where I gained too much attention and attracted jealousy, or did it touch somebodys interests? Lin Chuan thought to himself. The biggest suspects were two authors: Handon and Hongmei. Because Lin Chuan had imed the top spot in Heroes Compete, which was like snatching food from the tigers mouth, touching their interests. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then sent a message to Captain Hu Daqiang, the head of the criminal investigation team: Captain Hu, you gave an interview today, did you help me promote my novel? Shortly after. Hu Daqiang replied with a voice message: Comrade Lin, I wouldnt dare forget what I promised you. In front of the reporters, I very urately described your performance in solving cases, and I made a point of saying you are a web novel writer, including your novel. They should have published it by now, right? Thanks, Captain Hu. A smile appeared on Lin Chuans face. As expected! The Anling news had already posted a rted video on the Quick Shake live streaming app. Without hesitation, Lin Chuan forwarded it to Su Qianqians live stream room. Chapter 48: 48: A Writer, Snatching Jobs from Criminal Detectives? Chapter 48: A Writer, Snatching Jobs from Criminal Detectives?
Inside the live broadcast room. Su Qianqians lips were tightly pressed, her gentle face, like a sweet-scented osmanthus, was slightly flushed, and her clear, water-like eyes showed visible anger. Even a man of straw has his breaking point. This gentle woman from Jiangnan Water Town had always been quietly livestreaming, never engaging in trending topics orpeting with others for viewers, much less clout-chasing. But the screen full of aggressivenguage had pushed her emotions to the brink of losing control. [What kind of host is this, with no literary aesthetic sense at all!]
[How much money did the blogger take to even promote such a book?] [Make money together, everyone!] [] Su Qianqian finally couldnt hold back anymore, stopped reading the novel, and said with a hint of anger in her eyes, All you hired posters and haters, get out of my live broadcast room! Even Jiangnan can have its storms. What about the girls from Jiangnan? It was evident that the paid posters in the barrage were targeting her! Or rather, targeting the novel she was promoting right now, This Assassin Is Too Professional. Sailing Novel hadmissioned her to promote this novel and draw in traffic, she couldnt stop promoting it, otherwise, it would be a breach of contract. Furthermore! The plot of the novel was full of twists and intrigue, with dramatic ups and downs, particrly with its inclusion of forensic knowledge thatpared to the professional level, which aligns perfectly with Su Qianqians reading taste. She truly liked this book.
Inside the live broadcast room, Su Qianqians fans immediately echoed her sentiments. [How has Qianqian offended you?] [Qianqian has always been dutiful in her live broadcasts, show some decency!] [Dare to bully my Qianqian, have the guts to leave your address, Ill teach you a lesson offline in minutes!] [] Seeing so many people supporting her, Su Qianqians anger subsided quite a bit. But these online hired posters and haters were really annoying. The room moderators were killing them at random, but it was impossible to ban them all! Suddenly! Su Qianqian noticed that the barrage was full of reminders to click on a link. [Qianqian, click on this link quickly!] [Its time to annihte the haters!]
[Theres a surprise in this link, trust me, Qianqian!] [] These messages were sent by genuine fans, sporting their fan badges, and Su Qianqians eyebrows slightly furrowed. Whats so special about this link? Now, with the live broadcast room filled with the oppressive and toxic atmosphere created by online troops and haters, Su Qianqian was no longer in the mood to continue reading the novel. She might as well see what this link was about. Su Qianqian straightened her slightlyzy hair and clicked on the link, which redirected her to a video on the TikTok-like tform. Criminal Investigation Genius aids police in cracking the case within 48 hours, his identity turns out to be Source: Anling News Su Qianqian took a deep breath, decided to ignore the hatersments in the barrage, clicked on the video, and started ying it. In the video. A second-rank police superintendent with two bars and three stars on his shoulder was being interviewed, with a squarish face and a deep voice he added, Being able to catch the suspect within 48 hours this time owed a lot to the assistance of a criminal investigation genius
Su Qianqian pursed her lips. Solving cases, criminal investigation genius, what does that have to do with novels or livestreaming? In the barrage, the hired posters and haters were still active. [Thats right, you should watch more positive energy case-solving videos!] [Stop promoting those crime novels, they will corrupt our children!] [Good, the blogger is finally seeing reason!] [] But soon. The haters started to lose theirposure! Because, when Hu Daqiang mentioned the criminal investigation genius in the video, he smiled broadly, You may not know, but this criminal investigation genius is actually a web novel writer.] Reporters from Anling News immediately asked, Captain Hu, could you reveal which web novel writer it is? Hu Daqiangughed heartily, Of course, its his book This Assassin Is Too Professional that has now be rmended reading for our Anling Criminal Investigation Brigade.
The video continued to y. Inside the live streaming room, the fans, haters, bystanders, and trolls were all stunned! Su Qianqian was also stunned! Her eyes wide with shock, her delicate, fair fingers clutched the mouse and quickly scrolled the videos progress bar back to that moment. Watch it again! Su Qianqian and everyone in the live streaming room clearly heard the title This Assassin Is Too Professional! Wow! The live streaming room was full of ???, 666, and Holy shit scrolling by. Su Qianqian took a deep breath, her face showing a strong sense of surprise. After a long silence. She finally revealed a smile and spoke gently, Lets continue reading This Assassin Is Too Professional, and if you like it, feel free to subscribe. Triumphant, everything was left unsaid.
As for the anti-fans and trolls. They all went silent and fled in disarray! Anling News, a second-level police superintendent, this meant the books author was already coborating with the police. If one continued to attack and nder without cause, wouldnt that be asking for trouble? Perhaps they might even be brought back to the station for some education. Scary thoughts indeed. Meanwhile, Su Qianqians loyal fans left messages in the barrage ofments. [Haters, speak up now!] [Mr. Lin, I apologize for being too loud before.] [I thought he was a criminal suspect, but turns out hes a genius in criminal investigation!] [My God, is this book full of actual criminal investigation techniques?] [Qianqian, you have a good eye for books, Ive subscribed to the whole thing!] [Who would have thought that a web novelist would be doing criminal investigation work?] [No, no, he isnt just doing it, hes outperforming the investigators!] [] A stream ofments flew across the screen, each one filled with surprise and disbelief. Indeed. A web novel writer, in just half a day, had helped the Anling Police pinpoint a criminal suspect and solve a murder case C who could imagine that? But it was proimed by Hu Daqiang himself and confirmed by the official Anling News release, causing the viewers to exim Awesome. In front of hisputer screen. Satisfying. Lin Chuans lips curved up in a content smile. The moonlight outside the window was exceptionally bright. The gentle breeze of March quietly swept across the eaves, circting through the small rental room before settling on Lin Chuan, taking away all his fatigue and worries. The average subscription rate of This Assassin Is Too Professional was steadily increasing. Lin Chuan exited Su Qianqians live streaming room. Just then. Someone with a SpongeBob cartoon avatar sent Lin Chuan a message: Lin Chuan, are you there? Lin Chuan clicked on SpongeBob, his fingers tapping swiftly on the keyboard as he replied, Little Landy, are you not about to raise the rent again, are you? Zhang Xinxin: We have a conscience in our line of work. RollingEyes.jpg Lin Chuan couldnt help but touch his forehead, If you guys were ruthless, it would be terrifying. Lantern Loss Assessment, more meticulous than inspecting a crime scene, was indeed ruthless. Zhang Xinxin sent another message: Anyway, Im not raising your rent. What is it then? Lin Chuan asked. That, do you still have any websites? Zhang Xinxins message was startling. Lin Chuan leaned slightly forward, staring at theputer screen at the message from Zhang Xinxin, his pupils constricted. Good grief. The website he had given herst time, which contained an enormous variety of content, had she already finished browsing through it in just a few days? Chapter 49: 49 Why Don’t You Try Using Your Charms? Chapter 49: Why Dont You Try Using Your Charms?
Last time that website had an astonishing amount of storage, all kinds of types, and that still wasnt enough for you? Lin Chuan was surprised, his fingers dancing across the keyboard as he replied to Zhang Xinxins message. Soon. Zhang Xinxin sent a message to exin, No, that one got closed down. Lin Chuan frowned and replied, That shouldnt be, Ive used it for many years and it has never been shut down. It really got closed down, Zhang Xinxin affirmed.
Lin Chuan opened the browser and skillfully typed in a string of English characters. ording to regtory authority regtions andint reports, this webpages content vites rtedws and regtions, ess is forbidden It really did get closed down. Lin Chuan muttered to himself and then after a little thought, he replied to Zhang Xinxin, Those others of yours before, did they get shut down as well? Those previous websites all had Trojan viruses; if I used my tablet to look once, I had to factory reset it once/sad.jpg, replied Zhang Xinxin. Alright then, who told you to be Little Landy. Lin Chuan quickly entered another string of website addresses. As a reward, Ill let you off two months of utility bills. Zhang Xinxin was satisfied. Little Landy, so generous! Lin Chuanughed. The monthly utility bills were about one hundred yuan. The Little Landy directly waived two months of utility bills, two hundred yuan! Night deepened.
Lin Chuany on his bed, blissfully entering dreand. Meanwhile, on the Kuai Dou live streaming app, the Anling News video did not stop its spread, climbing to the homepage and heading straight for the popr section. The next morning, Modu. Sailing Novels office building. Fine rain fell like silk, pitter-pattering, the hazy rain mist enveloping the citys skyscrapers, akin to an inkwash painting. Youyou, dressed in a in white maxi dress and wearing high heels, hurried through the Sailing Company, her waterfall-like ck hair gently fluttering with her pace. Youyou. Youyou sat down, and Sailing Novels chief editor, Ming Yue, came over with a smile, greeting Youyou. Sister Ming Yue, morning, Youyou said with a smile. You little miss, looking all radiant, you are in much better spirits than some time ago, Ming Yue observed Youyous slightly rosyplexion andmented with a smile. A shining smile emerged on Youyous face, I adjusted my mindset, no longer as anxious as before.
Before, she had been worried about performance all the time. Ever since Lin Chuans Swindler unexpectedly topped the chartsst time, and after she and Ming Yue jointly reviewed Lin Chuans new book This Assassin Is Too Professional, Youyou had found hope. If Lin Chuan could continue to produce hits, then there was hope of meeting this years targets. Life, too, still had hope. Its good that youve adjusted, said Ming Yue, her face lightly made up, leaning slightly forward, Youyou, I have a matter to discuss with you. Whats the matter, Sister Ming Yue? Youyou raised her head, her eyes sparkling like the starry gxy, looking at Ming Yue. The chief editor Ming Yue said with a smile, How about we switch that Mr. Lin under you to my team? Hm? Youyou frowned slightly and then responded with an awkward smile, Sister Ming Yue, youre teasing me first thing in the morning. Ill trade you an author with an average subscription of ten thousand. Ming Yue threw out a very tempting offer.
Youyous brow furrowed as she looked steadily at Ming Yue, So generous? Of course, Ming Yue didnt hesitate, raising her eyebrow, So, are you going to switch? No switch! Without a second thought, Youyou replied decisively. You value this Lin Chuan so much that you wont trade him even for an author with ten thousand average subscriptions? Ming Yue raised an eyebrow, teasing her with interest. Youyou smiled gently, Sister Ming Yue, youre joking with me again. Seriously, I think Lin Chuan is at the stage where his long-term efforts are about to pay off. These past few days, Ive been immersively reading This Assassin Is Too Professional by Lin Chuan. Its really well written, fully capable of reaching ten thousand subscriptions. So, chief editor, please stop having designs on Lin Chuan. You little girl, you have good judgment, Ming Yue sent a look of approval her way. Youyou, youve taught him well, Youyou said, smiling. Mingyue shook her head, then added, But I need to correct you on one point. Its not that he has the potential for ten thousand subscriptions; rather, he is already making a dash for it. Making a dash for ten thousand subscriptions? Youyous eyes narrowed as she murmured to herself. Yes!
Mingyue nodded earnestly, then turned on theputer and opened the Kuaidou website, pointing to the hot search ranking, Look, hes made it to the hot search again. Youyous lips parted slightly, her breathing became noticeably quicker, and her bright eyes fixed on the hot search rankings of the Kuaidou tform. <1>[Top] Frequent invasions by overseas hackers, cybersecurity needs fortification <2>[Top] AI-generated fake videos with face swaps, be alert to new fraud tactics <3>T1 ruthlessly swept by HLE 3:0, Flytech ims DDoS attacks prevented focused training <4>Another day healed by my daughter <5>Ridiculous! An inte writer is snatching jobs from criminal detectives The inte writer mentioned in the fifth ce on the hot search is your precious Lin Chuan, Mingyue said with a smile in front of the screen. Youyou steadied herself, took over the mouse, and clicked on the fifth hot search. What caught her eye was a video released by Anling News: Criminal Investigation Genius assists the police in solving a case within 48 hours Youyou, filled with intense curiosity, clicked on the video.
In the video, Hu Daqiang spared no effort in promoting Lin Chuan, particrly Lin Chuans novels. The videosment section was filled with remarkablements. Some people may seem like just novel authors, but behind the scenes, theyre criminal investigation geniuses. Now novel authors have one more excuse for taking leave: Police uncle asked me to solve a case. Indeed, novelse from life! Is this how a novel author seeks inspiration? Youyous eyes widened, her index finger on the mouse trembling slightly, scarcely believing the content of the video. Criminal Investigation Genius 48-hour case resolution these keywords, unexpectedly linked with inte writer Mr. Lin. Incredible! Youyou then opened the editors backend to check the average subscription details of Lin Chuans work. [Work: This Assassin Is Too Professional.] [VIP Chapters: 642.] [Total Subscriptions: 2673930.] [Average Subscription: 4165.] Mingyue patted Youyou on the side and chuckled, Youyou, you better hold on tight to this treasure of an author. Coming back to her senses, Youyous lips curved upward involuntarily, and she smiled, Mingyue, no wonder you were thinking of poaching early in the morning. This momentum is indeed a bit fierce! The Kuaidou tform, home to hundreds of millions of users. Just hanging on the hot search for half a day is enough to send a million-word novel straight to the top of quality works. Mingyue, as the chief editor, had a different perspective on the issue than Youyou. Sheughed, The problem you should worry about is not me poaching him, but whether Lin Chuan will continue to write novels. Youyou was taken aback, her eyebrows immediately furrowing. Thats right. Lin Chuan was acimed by Anling Police as a Criminal Investigation Genius with an extremely professional approach to examining crime scenes. This skill alone was enough to make any criminal policeman green with envy. What if the police recruit him away and he stops writing? Youyous insecurity arose on the spot. Helping solve cases was, of course, a service to society. But Youyou couldnt bear the thought of losing this gem of an author; she only wished he could write some novels while solving cases. Thats when your skillse into y, Mingyue said with a smile. Youyou pursed her lips, The police can offer him a formal position. I am at the end of the universe here, what could I possibly do? Mingyue raised an eyebrow teasingly, How about you try using your charm? Chapter 50: 50 Lin Chuan, I’m worried you might run away Chapter 50: Lin Chuan, Im worried you might run away
Sister Mingyue, youre teasing me again! Youyous delicate face blushed slightly, like a peach blossom in early bloom, her long eyshes quivered gently as she smiled and spoke. To her surprise, Mingyue replied with a serious face, Im offering you a very serious suggestion. Ah? Youyou was startled. Mingyue tapped Youyous forehead, Youve been an editor for years, yet youve never grasped the essence.
What essence? Youyou frowned. Think about it, what kind of rtionship do you have with Lin Chuan right now? Mingyue asked. Youyou thought for a moment, The typical editor-author rtionship. Exactly, how do you expect to keep him that way? Mingyue looked at Youyou and continued, With Lin Chuan being such a talented and treasured author who has made it onto the trending searches twice, not only will the police try to snatch him up, but other novel websites will also offer a lot of money to poach him. When that happens, what advantage do you have? Advantage none. Youyou pursed her lips, Then, what should I do? Seduce him, thats your advantage! Mingyue winked and chuckled. As an editor, I shouldnt have to put myself on the line, right? Youyou quirked the corner of her mouth and asked. Mingyue, speaking from experience,ughed and said, This seduction strategy doesnt mean you have to invest yourself into it, but rather, you need to establish a kind of bond with your author. A bond? Youyou pondered thoughtfully. Mingyue, as the chief editor of Sailing Novel with rich experience, began to share her insights with Youyou, Youve mentioned Lin Chuans situation before, single, renting, freshly graduated, at an age full of vigor, alone in a small room writing. How could he not feel lonely?
So, what should I do? Youyou asked. Of course, you need to show concern for him regrly, whether in his life or creative work. y games with him asionally; its the fastest way to build a bond, Mingyue exined. Doing that often could seem a bit flirtatious, couldnt it? Youyou hesitated somewhat. Dont think of it in terms of a romantic rtionship. Think of the author as your friend. You support his career, take care of his life, and in turn, he enhances your performance. Its more like mutually benefiting and advancing together as partners, Mingyue said with a smile. These were Mingyues words of wisdom. She had once used this method to cultivate a tinum-level authorQing Feng. Now, that tinum author was not only her partner but also her other half. Cough! As for being a methodologist, Mingyue really did invest herself! Youyou nodded with a new understanding, I get it now. By the way, theres a little piece of gossip I want to share with you, Mingyue said, raising an eyebrow. What gossip?
In April or May, the Anti-Fraud Center will join with Sunshine Film and Television to collect anti-fraud themed novels and scripts from across the entirework. The rewards are very generous. See if anyone under you can write about fraud; they could give it a try, Mingyue mentioned. Anti-fraud? Youyou slightly furrowed her brows and murmured to herself. Mingyue nodded, hinting with another sentence, After losing the top spot on the Heroes Listst time, Handon has already started preparing a novel with an anti-fraud theme. Handon, a ten-thousand order author at Sailing Novel, was vying for the top with Hongmei but got overtaken by Lin Chuan who emerged out of nowhere to seize the lead. Now he was secretly brewing his anti-fraud themed work. Youyou pursed her lower lip, Handons in on it too, thepetitive pressure is so big. Thats true. After all, this event is in coboration with the Anti-Fraud Center and Sunshine Film and Television, and it stands a great chance of being adapted into film or television, Mingyue said with augh. Alright, Ill keep an eye out, thank you, Sister Mingyue. Youyou smiled warmly. Dont forget to build a bond with your treasured author, Mingyue reminded again before she went back to her office. After Mingyue left.
Youyou pouted and muttered, Its hard enough having such a promising author emerge; now I have to prevent theft and poaching, sigh We are allpetitors, why does it have to be so cutthroat? ` Forget it, forget it. All thisplex social philosophy isnt something I can wrap my head around, better to establish a bond between author and editor with Lin Chuan first. After giving it some thought, Youyou decided to make a phone call to check in on this treasure of an author. Dudu dudu. In Anling City, in the Happiness Community of the eastern city. Early in the morning, under a slightly overcast sky, a chill wind carried a coolness that seeped into the aged neighborhood and slipped into Lin Chuans rental home. Lin Chuan had gotten up early. Because yesterday he had promised Captain Hu Daqiang and Shen Qianqian from the criminal investigation squad that hed help examine the crime scenes of two additional homicide cases.
Now. Having showered, he was dressed in a ck long-sleeved T-shirt and a white casual shirt, with navy-blue sweatpants below, his tall, slender figure and his handsome, clean-cut features exuding a clean and sunny disposition, as he waited for Hu Daqiang and Shen Qianqian toe and pick him up. Dudu dudu. His phone rang. Lin Chuan nced at it, an unfamiliar number from Modu, and pressed the answer button, Hello, who is this? From the phone came a voice soft and gauzy like a whisper, Is this Lin Chuan? Im your editor, Youyou. Editor Youyou? Lin Chuan was startled and somewhat ttered, Youyou? Although Lin Chuan had been writing under Youyous management for many years, their interactions had always been through messaging apps, and a direct phone call like this had never happened beforeit was like a maiden crossing a flower-covered bridge for the first time. Yes, its me. Are you busy? Youyous voice was delicate, like a soft breeze whispering in the ear. Not busy yet, Im about to go check out a case. Youyou, is there something you wanted to talk about? Lin Chuan said.
Check out a case? On the other end of the line, Youyous heart skipped a beat, and she bit her lip slightly, Nothing much, I just wanted to ask if youve encountered any bottlenecks in your writing recently, or if theres anything troubling you in life thats affecting your creativity. Lin Chuan was taken aback again, Youyou, has editing now expanded its services to include caring for writers? Youyou smiled and exined, Not really, but youve been updating two books in a row recently, so I thought you must be under a lot of pressure. Pressure? With a cheat enabled, there wasnt much pressure in writing. The only pressure was the fear that after publishing his books, Lin Chuan always worried that police officers, represented by Shen Qianqian, would take him away. Main reason: The professions he experienced were too criminal. And now. Just as day was about to break, Lin Chuan was woken up by a notification from the Career Life Experience System. His This Assassin Is Too Professional had reached a Poprity Value of 3000, enabling him to begin his next professional life experience. At that moment, Lin Chuan checked the time. 5:27. Lin Chuan thought this timing wasnt right, as it was likely to cause disturbances. Moreover. Given the systems nature, it was probably another career from the pure prison series. Doing those bad deeds during the day C thats a little psychologically stressful! Lin Chuans thoughts returned to the conversation with Youyou, I dont have any pressure for the time being. Thats good to hear. How about your health? Youyou asked with concern. Mr. Lin showed a puzzled look, Im in great shape, Youyou. Youve been acting strange today, are you sure theres nothing you want to talk to me about? Youyou was acting strangely today. Her words were filled with concern for Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan could clearly sense it. Youyou pursed her lips, her voice somewhat low, Lin Chuan, Im worried youll run away. ` Chapter 51: 51: Red Hacker, Strike! Chapter 51: Red Hacker, Strike!
Lin Chuans expression changed, and he became even more puzzled, Youyou, we are just an editor and writer, it sounds strange when you say that. Youyou quickly exined, Lin Chuan, you misunderstood, Im just afraid that another editor might poach you. Lin Chuan chuckled dryly, Youyou, you are overthinking, Im a writer too inconsequential to be noticed, who would want to poach me? Thats good then. Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, terrified that someone might steal her precious writer. Youre that worried? Lin Chuan countered.
Of course Youyou suddenly realized something was amiss and quickly corrected herself, Of course not, the chief editor Mingyue asked me to keep a close eye on you and possibly arrange more rmendations for you. Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze deep, Thats nice, Ill leave the rmendations to you then. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Lin Chuan smiled, I have to go solve a case, lets chat another time. Youyou steadied her nerves, Okay. That day. Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian, and Hu Daqiang together examined the crime scenes of the previous two cases. The examination went smoothly, andbined with the evidence gathered by the police, they quickly narrowed down the range of suspects and swiftly took action. Anling news once again uploaded rted videos. Literature writer helps the police crack murder cases again! Criminal investigation genius! The crime scene is all evidence in his eyes!
Unbelievable! Solves two cases in one day! The trending search stayed on the Kuaidou live streaming app for an entire day, the poprity soaring! Yet Lin Chuan was concerned about his Average Subscription stats. [Work: This Assassin Is Too Professional.] [Current Status: Published.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 5218/3000.] That night. Night fell, and a fine rain drizzled down. Outside the rental, the dim streetlight flickered through the misty rain, dreamlike. The raindrops hit the windowsill, shattering into flowers and making a tick-tock sound, like a crisp melody ying beside Lin Chuans ears. Lin Chuan listened to the music of the rainy night, taking a deep breath of the fresh air brought by the evening breeze. In his mind, the systems electronic voice echoed again, Host, your Poprity Value has exceeded the standard to unlock a new professional life experience. Would you like to experience a new professional life now? Experience!
Lin Chuan steadied himself. Bring it on, you lousy system! I refuse to believe Ill get another Pure Desire upation! The cool breeze brushed against Lin Chuans cheeks. The systems voice resounded once more. [Every experience is a beautiful memory for you.] [This system will save this memory in the form of a novel.] [This time, the profession youve randomly obtained is] [Hacker!] Hacker? Hisss! The cold night rain beat wildly against the window outside.
Lin Chuan instinctively furrowed his brows, his lips quivering slightly as he involuntarily sucked in a breath of cold air. Hacker, that profession sounded quite thrilling! Lin Chuan was about to curse at the system but then thought better of it, suppressing the anger in his heart. Dont be angry, dont be angry, getting sick from anger isnt worth it, Ill first see what kind of organization or group its associated with, whether its the illegal kind of hacker or not. There are different types of hackers. ck Hat, White Hat, Grey Hat, Hacker, Red Hat. Take ck Hat and White Hat as examples. ck Hat specializes in studying viruses and Trojans, operating systems, looking for vulnerabilities to attackworks andputers, stealing information data, andpromisingwork security. White hats specialize in researching or engaging in cybersecurity andputer technology defense, maintainingwork safety, or working for intepanies, known as cybersecurity experts. Lin Chuan thought to himself, This time, Ive got to wear a good hat! Otherwise, as soon as the novel is released, Ill have to worry about being interrogated. Its not like I can really end up at the police station every day, right? When Shen Qianqian and Hu Daqiang came to pick him up for case investigation this morning, Lin Chuan overheard some elderly folks who were doing morning exercises and buying groceries talking about him.
Why is this kid getting arrested every day? In trouble again? Hes been arrested several times this month, hasnt he? Nonsense, I see its always this female police officer whoes, maybe shes his girlfriend. The young man is quite handsome. Staying at home every day without going out and still having such a pretty policewoman as a girlfriend? I dont buy it. If I end up in the station a few more times, rumors will probably fly all over the ce. Back to Hacker Professional Life experience. The systems electronic voice rang out. [Congrattions Host, the upation you have randomly obtained is Hacker, and you have acquired the exclusive Hacker skill: Top Hacker Technology!] [Using Virtual Reality technology to create a new world for you.]
[Please be prepared, Host!] Lin Chuan took a deep breath. Reality and virtuality began to intertwine randomly. Before long. In front of Lin Chuan appeared a hugeputer screen, the screen disyedplex codes and data charts, data scrolling continuously, and his hands were on the keyboard, ready to strike at any moment. Surrounding him was a room filled with a sense of technology. The rooms light was slightly dim, with only faint blue light strips flickering, casting the secret, dense lines of the house and various technological devices. This is a hackers studio, Lin Chuan made his first judgment. At that moment, a young man with a buzz cut approached, Boss, foreign forces are continuously provoking us, using DDoS attacks that have severely reduced the performance of our servers. I suspect they n to steal our secret data. Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan frowned. He understood DDoS attacks. It generally refers to distributed denial-of-service attacks, where the attacker controls arge number ofputers and in a short time, disguises the attack as a multitude of legitimate requests, overwhelming the servers capacity to respond. But the buzz cut young man mentioned another key term. Foreign forces? Hahaha! Lin Chuan burst intoughter, Finally, its not a Pure Desire upation anymore! Hacker? Red Hacker! Red Hackers often stand for justice, morality, progress, and strength, love for the country, and persistence in justice. They typically use their skills to maintain domesticwork security and to counterattack against external aggressions. This is not a career that involves illegal activities! Boss, are you okay? the buzz cut young man asked with a frown. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, calming himself down, and waved his hand, I dont eat Youyou plums, since foreign forces want a cyberwar, then lets give it to them! Boss, weve been waiting for you to say that! the buzz cut young mans face lit up. Immediately. He typed a string of code on theputer and clicked send. The message meant: Brothers, the boss says, lets fight them! Whoosh! Countless IPs quickly responded. [Received!] [Received!] [Received!] [] Lin Chuanughed heartily, Red Hackers, attack! Chapter 52: 52: Panda Burning Incense Chapter 52: Panda Burning Incense
Boss, were not Red Hackers! The crew-cut youth stared at Lin Chuan with a puzzled expression, wondering what was going on with the boss today, who kept mentioning Pure Desire upation and then talking about a Red Hacker strike. Not Red Hackers? Lin Chuan was also taken aback, frowning as he looked at the crew-cut youth. The crew-cut youth nodded: We are Hackers, yeah. Hackers?
Hackers belong to a category of Hacker. But Hackers are very extreme. These people use their technical skills to find and exploit security vulnerabilities, illegally invade systems, steal data, cause damage, or perform other malicious activities to achieve their goals. Lin Chuans eyes narrowed, and he was rmed as he hastened to ask, Whats this about foreign forces you just mentioned? The crew-cut youth exined: Boss, have you forgotten? Last month we made twenty million from apany, so they hired someone to target us now. Hearing this, Lin Chuans facial muscles couldnt help but twitch violently. Its over! He still couldnt escape the fate of the Pure Desire upation! Damn system leading me astray! Boss, is there a problem? The crew-cut youth saw that Lin Chuans face looked off and tentatively asked a question. Twenty million, moneyes so easily, eh! Lin Chuan took a deep breath and sighed. He didnt have a strong concept of twenty million US Dors, only that it was a lot; hence, he couldnt help but think of his own struggling years, painstakingly writing books, barely making a couple of thousand a month including full attendance.
If he could really make twenty million just once, wouldnt he be able to retire on the spot? From then on, luxury cars, beautiful women, living without worries. Hiss! Suddenly, a cold breeze blew in from the window, hitting Lin Chuans face, the chill seeping into his pores, bone-chillingly cold, instantly pulling Lin Chuan back from his fantasies. Lin Chuan shivered, murmuring to himself, Too dangerous! If he really did something like that in reality, it would be way too criminal! Such upations, like those of swindlers and Assassins, always walked a tightrope; a slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin. If you always walk by the river, how can you not get your shoes wet? Thinking it over, Lin Chuan immediately patted the crew-cut youth on the shoulder and asked, Our identities havent beenpromised, have they? The crew-cut youth nodded gravely, stating, Of course not. Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan cracked a smile and immediately made a decision, Alright, from now on, were changing professions! Changing professions?
The crew-cut youth looked puzzled, frowning as he asked. Right! Lin Chuan nodded solemnly. This upation was definitely not sustainable. So what can we do now? Lin Chuan said solemnly, Well be Red Hackers. Red Hackers? Thats not much better than what we do now, the crew-cut youth didnt understand why Lin Chuan wanted to change professions. But Lin Chuan just smiled and said, Dont just look at the small change in front of you. By switching to being Red Hackers, do you understand the value of its good to have the support of a big tree? Red Hackers can also make money. Although not as fast as Hackers, the advantage is sustainable development and legitimate ie, without living in constant fear. Moreover. The system would generate novels based on his experiences from his Hacker Professional Life. Anyway, I dont know much; Ill just follow what the boss says! The crew-cut youth scratched the back of his head, What about that DDoS attack then, how are we handling it?
Leave that to me. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, continuously constructing solutions in his mind. A battle without smoke began under Lin Chuansmand. The opposing Hackers were using DDoS attacks, that is, Distributed Denial of Service attacks, which overloaded Lin Chuans servers and rendered them inoperable. But their real intention was to steal Lin Chuans secrets and carry out retaliatory strikes. Conventional methods of response, such as adding firewalls and installing intrusion detection tools, are all about being on the defensive. But Lin Chuan needed to strike back! He had an idea! A sh of inspiration struck Lin Chuans mind; he now had a strategy for retaliation. At this moment, Lin Chuan, top-tier among hackers, was rapidly typing on the keyboard with ten fingers, like a pianist ying a masterful concerto. A series of codes scrolled across the screen, forming a program. Finally, Lin Chuans index finger pressed the Enter key.
Done! Boss, whats this? The crew-cut youth couldnt quite understand the program Lin Chuan had created. Lin Chuan smiled, Ive named it Panda Burning Incense. Panda Burning Incense? At this point, the crew-cut youth had no idea how formidable this program was. Lin Chuan didnt exin further and immediately began tracking the main IP addresses that hadunched the DDoS attack against him. Then he broke into their systems and painted Panda Burning Incense on theirputer screens. At the other end of thework. Aputer screen suddenly disyed a cartoon image of a ck-and-white panda holding three sticks of incense, looking quite adorable. But before the owner of theputer could react, exe,, pif, src, html, and asp files within hisputer system were rapidly infected and corrupted.
All the executable exe program icons turned into the appearance of a panda holding three sticks of incense. Then, a blue screen, reboot. Aputer was instantly paralyzed, rendered useless. Not only that, but the Panda Burning Incense program spread rapidly and automatically and had infected dozens ofputers in a short amount of time, continually spreading. Lin Chuan seized the opportunity to steal relevant information, as well as real-time screenshots. The crew-cut youths eyes widened in astonishment at how quickly Lin Chuan had created such a powerful and infectious program. Track the IP addresses quickly, and begin the operation. Lin Chuans eyes were deep; after the sessful test, he immediately issued themand. DDoS attacks involve controlling arge number ofputers tounch an attack; they are low-cost and fast-acting. But Lin Chuans program targeted theputersunching the attack, causing arge number of them to be paralyzed in a short period. Without a doubt, Lin Chuan had won aplete victory! Is this the power of a top-level hacker? Lin Chuans lips curled upward, unable to suppress the smile on his face, resolving to fully experience this life and take his skills back to reality! When the timees, his life is set to take off! In the virtual world, his hacker professional life continued. Back in reality. Rain continued to tap against the window ceaselessly, and a cool evening breeze, carrying a fresh scent, blew into the rental room. It was about two oclock in the morning. The professional life experience ended, and the systems voice arrived as expected. [Host, congrattions.] [Hacker Professional Life experiencepleted.] [You have acquired the ability: Top-Level Hacker Technique.] Lin Chuan grinned widely, his face alight with joy. The memories of his Hacker Professional Life experience yed through his mind, scene by scene like a movie plot. Additionally, he had gained a special skill! Top-Level Hacker Technique! Chapter 53: 53 Little Landlady Chapter 53: Little Landy
The systems voice continued to broadcast. [Host, based on your Hacker Professional Life experience, the novel Hacker Kingdom has been automatically generated.] [The estimated length of the novel Hacker Kingdom is 1 million words, and it will take 10 hours to export.] [Would you like to export it now?] Lin Chuanughed and said, Export! The night had grown deep.
Apart from the trickle of dripping water, all was quiet and still. The windows were blurred with rain, faint light shining through, as if they were telling wordless tales. Afterpleting his Hacker Professional Life experience, Lin Chuan was flooded with memories, causing a slight headache. Whew He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow! Lin Chuan slept very soundly through the night. The rain outside had stopped, the sky clearing after the storm, sunlight piercing through the clouds like the break of dawn, shining down on the old neighborhood, glistening on des of grass and verdant leaves with crystal-clear droplets, twinkling with dazzling light. The warm, sunny day after the rain also shone into Lin Chuans rented room, lighting up his handsome face. 10:55. Lin Chuan slowly woke up, first rubbing his sleepy eyes, then stretching, turned over to get out of bed, and opened the writers dashboard on hisputer. Average Subscription for Swindler: 5829.
Average Subscription for This Assassin Is Too Professional: 6013. Seeing the numbers 5829 and 6013, Lin Chuans face broke into a satisfied smile. Swindler is close to an average subscription of 6000. At that time, he would have two top-quality books in hand. Next months manuscript fee settlement, plus the 50,000 yuan prize money from Heroes Compete, would be nearly 400,000 yuan! The after-tax ie should be 350,000. Lin Chuan couldnt help but grin andugh. Only 99.65 million yuan left to achieve a small goal, which was not far off. And there was key good newsst night he had gained Top Hacker Technology. This skill was different from the other skills he had acquired, like Pickpocketing, Lock-picking, Homicide Case Handling, Combat Fighting, Firearms C Precise Shooting. It was something that could truly be applied to life, capable of helping Lin Chuan make money quickly. Lin Chuan looked up, ncing at the sunlight outside his window.
Life with cheat codes had begun to surge! His goals, like most peoples, were not grand or lofty. In fact, one could say they were quite superficial. Which was to make money! He knew money wasnt everything. But money was the material guarantee of life. Lin Chuan didnt dare to date because he was broke and couldnt shoulder the responsibility. Now. If Lin Chuan had a stable source of ie or a sufficient capital reserve, he could begin to look a little forward. As for other societal philosophies about money and those advocated grand goals, Lin Chuan was toozy to think about them for now. Not causing trouble for the country was already the limit of what ordinary people could do. Gurgle gurgle.
Lin Chuan touched his stomach, smiling and saying, The money isnt in hand yet, but lets solve the problem of hunger first. He walked down from the sixth floor. The small supermarket downstairs. The littlendy, Zhang Xinxin, wore a Pikachu-printed oversized long-sleeved T-shirt, but due to some considerable force of hers, the baggy T-shirts Pikachu was stretched out, making it appear lifelike. At that moment, she rested her chin with traces of baby fat on the ss showcase, her fingers gently tapping on the ss surface, utterly bored. Lin Chuan! Zhang Xinxin suddenly saw a familiar figure passing by the supermarket entrance, and her eyes instantly brightened. Lin Chuan turned his head toward the supermarket and raised his eyebrows, Little Landy, whats wrong? I need to talk to you. The Little Landy looked at Lin Chuan with a beaming smile. Whats the matter? Lin Chuan stepped into the supermarket, looking at Zhang Xinxin with a rising smile on his lips.
Zhang Xinxin peeked out from behind the counter, checked outside the supermarket to make sure no one was passing by, and then whispered, I cant watch videos anymore. Lin Chuans expression changed slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched a little, Little Landy, you go through them that quickly? What are you talking about? Zhang Xinxin pouted. Then why cant you watch videos? Lin Chuan narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the Little Landy. Her skin was smooth and delicate, with a bit of baby fat, as tender as petals, puffy, and looking further down, the Pikachu was lifelike, making Lin Chuan sigh inwardly, thinking, typical college student. Zhang Xinxin pouted, took out her tablet used especially for watching videos from the drawer, and said with a bit of grievance, My tablet has caught a virus. Wow, how much did you watch? Lin Chuan took one look at the tablet and saw that its edges were quite worn, and he knew straightaway that this was caused by frequently holding the tablet under the covers to watch videos. I didnt watch! The Little Landy pretended to be angry, with her lips pursed slightly. Lin Chuan took the tablet; it felt somewhat cold to the touch, obviously, it hadnt been used for a while.
He then pressed the power button. No response. When did it get infected? Lin Chuan looked at Zhang Xinxin and asked. The Little Landy thought for a moment and recalled, Around ten oclockst night, I think. How exactly did it get infected? Lin Chuan continued to inquire. I identally clicked on a website, identally touched some page, and then it redirected me to another page, and I couldnt control the screen anymore. I couldnt even go back, Zhang Xinxin sulked. And then? Then, it automatically opened some programs, and immediately started blue-screening, showing a string of codes scrolling like crazy. After I held down the power button to turn it off, it wouldnt turn on again, Zhang Xinxin said helplessly. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, Your tablet is infected with a Trojan horse virus. Why didnt you take it to a repair shop? I I didnt dare, Zhang Xinxin stammered, somewhat coyly, ncing at the tablet in Lin Chuans hand. Learning materials? Lin Chuan guessed the reason immediately. In the past, someone had theirputer repaired and explosive photos were leaked, rocking half of the port circle. Withputers and tablets, if they contain your important study materials, its better not to take them to a repair shop. Its best to ask someone you know to fix it. Otherwise, use a VPN, go out to watch a video, and you might end up being the star of the video. Hmm. Zhang Xinxin nodded, speaking softly, Can you fix tablets? Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then with a hopeful Little Landy gazing at him, he smiled and said, I can fix a Trojan horse infection, but But what? Zhang Xinxins eyes lit up, and she asked eagerly. Lin Chuan grinned, I havent had breakfast yet. What do you want to eat? Ill buy it for you! Zhang Xinxin immediately offered, How about beef noodles? Sure, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Zhang Xinxin beamed, ran out from behind the supermarket counter, with the Pikachu on her chest bouncing like a big white rabbit. After that, she hopped on her little electric scooter and vanished in a cloud of dust. In such a hurry! Not sure if it was to get Lin Chuan his beef noodles or to get her tablet fixed. Lin Chuan smiled, shaking his head, The Little Landy is good in every way, except for her love of watching videos. Whoever bes her boyfriend will probably have to eat goji berries at every meal. Cant handle it, not at all! Chapter 54: 54 Is it the serious kind? Chapter 54: Is it the serious kind?
Before long. Xinxin rode back on her electric bike in a hurry, kicked out the stand, stepped over with her long legs, and ced the packed beef noodles she was carrying right in front of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan, here you go. Lin Chuan looked at Xinxins flustered appearance, smiled, and took the beef noodles. Then, he opened the outer stic wrapping. The top of the bowl was covered with slices of beef, with a few scattered pieces of green onion andtro for garnish, making it look less monotonous.
As for the noodles, they were nowhere to be seen. Only beef, no noodles. Little Landy, how generous! Lin Chuan grinned and gave Xinxin a thumbs up. Xinxin caught her breath, the Pikachu on her T-shirt seeming to jump about, and pursed her lips, Eat up, and then help me fix my tablet. Mou problem! Lin Chuan threw out a Cantonese phrase. The Little Landy rested her cheek in her hand, watching Lin Chuan eat beef noodles with bored interest. Finally, after a long while. Lin Chuan patted his stomach contentedly, Time to get to work. Xinxins eyes lit up, perked up with energy, What tools do you need? Ill fetch them for you. Lin Chuan shook his head and pointed at an old-fashionedputer next to the supermarket counter, saying with a smile, No need, thatputer will do the job.
Without any hesitation, Xinxin immediately made room for Lin Chuan to sit in front of theputer. This was an old desktopputer, an entry-level model with not so strong performance. It was basically good for ying Minesweeper, fightingndlords, and watching videos. However. For a hacker with top-notch skills like Lin Chuan, it waspletely sufficient. Lin Chuan first held down the tablets volume - button and power button; then the screen lit up, disying several options. This was the tablets recovery interface. Its a system recovery mode that allows for modification and restoration of internal data and system, such as shing firmware, system upgrades, backups, restoring to factory settings, and so on. This interface is simr to aputers DOS interface. Youre a writer, and you can fix tablets too? Xinxin watched as Lin Chuan essed the recovery interface, her eyes gleaming, a smile with a touch of surprise appearing on her face. Basic operations.
Lin Chuan replied sinctly. Indeed, these were basic operations. Generally speaking, under the recovery interface, you can choose to wipe user data and restore to factory settings, clear the system cache, and this will clean up general trojan programs, allowing the device to boot normally. But clearly, the Little Landy wanted to keep the learning materials stored on it, and some trojans disguise themselves as system software, so even after restoring to factory settings, they would still be present on the tablet. Therefore, Lin Chuan needed to connect the tablet to theputer to analyze this trojan program. Xinxin watched Lin Chuans professional and skilled actions closely, her gaze intense and surprised. True, she only knew how to watch short videos. When it came to dealing with trojans and viruses, she waspletely clueless. Whats next? The Little Landy asked curiously, her brows furrowed. Lin Chuan turned his head to nce at Xinxin with a smile while sitting in front of theputer, If you dont need to keep the data and information inside, you could just download a powerful firmware shing software, and it would sweep the trojan off along with it. Xinxin lightly pursed her lips and said softly, I want to keep it. If you want to keep it, then we have to get technical, said Lin Chuan with a chuckle.
Get technical with what? Xinxin asked nkly. Just watch and learn, said Lin Chuan with a smile. He immediately opened a text editor on theputer, his fingers rapidly typing on the keyboard. Xinxin watched with her mouth slightly open as line after line of code appeared and scrolled on theputer screen, drawing a sharp breath of amazement. Was he writing code on the spot? She nced at Lin Chuan, his slightly handsome facepletely focused. At this moment. In Zhang Xinxins eyes, Lin Chuans aura seemed to have undergone a tremendous change. The Little Landy had always thought that Lin Chuan was just a writer, harmless to humans and animals, without the strength to truss a chicken, a good person. But, this string of code that appeared slowly shattered her cognitive shackles. Lin Chuan seemed to have some technical skills. The Little Landy had guessed correctly, Lin Chuan was indeed writing code, a security program for analyzing and killing Trojan horses.
The security program waspleted. Afterward, Lin Chuan obtained tablet permissions on theputer, and the security program began to operate. Scanning, destroying, killing, all in one go. The stubborn Trojan horse on the tablet vanished. Lin Chuan closed the program, disconnected the tablet, and handed it to Zhang Xinxin, saying with a smile, Done. Zhang Xinxin immediately took the tablet and turned away. Powering on, checking the study materials folder. As good as new! How did you do it? Zhang Xinxin looked at Lin Chuan, swallowed, and her face was filled with confusion. Lin Chuan shrugged, You were watching just now. Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips, saying awkwardly, I didnt understand. Lin Chuan nced at the Little Landy, smiling, Do you want me to exin it to you?
Zhang Xinxin nodded her head like a pecking chicken. It was evident that she had a great interest in fixing the tablet. Then Ill exin it to you, how much you understand will depend on your talent, Lin Chuan said, smiling at Zhang Xinxins eagerness to learn. The Little Landy had a good heart. She was also very crap, she was very generous. After all, it was harder to find noodles in the beef noodle soup than it was to find her conscience, which was bigger than her Pikachu. Might as well tell her. In the supermarket, in front of an old desktopputer. Lin Chuan simply exined some knowledge points rted to the tablet andputer for removing Trojans and viruses. The Little Landy sat on a stool next to him, listening very attentively. With one hand holding a pen and the other resting on her thigh, she leaned slightly forward, meticulously taking notes, and even the Pikachu on her T-shirt seemed to bow down, staring at the notes to learn. About half an hourter. Alright, thats it, Lin Chuan said, raising his hands and stretching. Thats all? The Little Landy was a bit surprised, pursing her lips, I haventpletely mastered it yet. This isnt as simple as just entering a website to watch a short clip, to learn this, youll need to put in a lot of effort, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Zhang Xinxin pouted, You must have spent a long time learning, right? Lin Chuan took a breath and replied with a smile, I learned it overnight. Bullshit. Zhang Xinxin spat. Im telling the truth, Lin Chuan grinned. Hung, an overnight sess. Zhang Xinxin flipped through the notebook on the antivirus knowledge seriously, thinking to herself that if she learned these antivirus techniques, wouldnt she be able to watch whatever videos she wanted in the future? Hisss! Upon this thought, Zhang Xinxin suddenly had an idea, Lin Chuan, can you teach me these skills? Lin Chuans eyebrows furrowed slightly, Teach you the skills? Zhang Xinxin nodded solemnly, Yes, I want you to be my teacher, I can pay tuition fees. Its not about the money, Lin Chuan waved his hand. Last time, your Old Zhang learned my Cheating Techniques and got me stuck in a detention cell for almost half a day. Little Landy, you want to learn my hacker skills? Zhang Xinxins brows slightly furrowed, and she looked at Lin Chuan earnestly, You dont want to be my teacher? Lin Chuan, startled, Little Landy, when you say teacher, you mean the serious kind, right? Chapter 55: 55: I’m Still Struggling Over Whether or Not to Agree to Your Request Chapter 55: Im Still Struggling Over Whether or Not to Agree to Your Request
Zhang Xinxin was momentarily taken aback, then a smile appeared on her face, Do you want to y the earnest type or the not-so-earnest type? Little Landy, you know me, I am an earnest person, Lin Chuan said seriously, However, when the role demands it, I can adapt. Zhang Xinxinughed instead of getting angry, But Im an earnest girl. What kind of earnest girl watches short videos every day? Lin Chuan retorted. Watching short videos means Im not earnest? You watched them too, and you still im to be an earnest person. Zhang Xinxin straightened her back and lifted her face slightly, countering Lin Chuan.
However, with her height of 168 cm, she was half a head shorter than Lin Chuan andcked a bit of imposing presence. Lin Chuan chuckled, I watch them to learn skills. I also uh, no, I just have nothing better to do. As soon as she said this, Zhang Xinxins pretty face quickly turned red, and her subsequent voice was much lower. She nearly misspoke. Lin Chuan grinned, Skills arent something you can learn just because you want to. Zhang Xinxin hadnt given up and looked at Lin Chuan earnestly, Lin Chuan, what will it take for you to teach me? In the supermarket. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, took out his phone, opened the browser, and typed Is teaching someone hacker skills illegal? into the search bar. Having too many experiences with the Pure Desire upation. Lin Chuan subconsciously considered whether these actions might be illegal. Fortunately, Baidu provided the answer.
Its not illegal. So, Lin Chuan nced at Zhang Xinxin, Little Landy, what do you want to do with these skills? To search and kill Trojans, to prevent viruses. Zhang Xinxin smiled, but there was an unsaid second half of the sentence she didnt voice. To watch short videos conveniently. These websites always have arge number of Trojans and viruses lurking within, and one could easily get invaded if careless, which was incredibly annoying. Alright then. Lin Chuan rubbed his chin, an idea forming in his head. Teaching the Little Landy some techniques to search and kill Trojans and viruses, and charging a tuition fee for it wasnt bad either. It would also be a way to mize his skills. The Little Landy beamed with joy, her face excited, Teacher Lin Chuan, with such great skills, why do you still work as a writer? Lin Chuans face darkened, Is being a writer that bad? Zhang Xinxin said cheerfully, Not at all, Im just purely curious. Working in the cybersecurity department of a bigpany must be pretty lucrative, right?
Lin Chuan frowned slightly, falling into brief contemtion. What the Little Landy said made some sense. Most web novel writers didnt earn much, but Lin Chuan was utterly averse to the idea of working for apany. 996, 007, just hearing about it, Lin Chuan couldnt help shaking his head, dismissing this terrifying thought. Working? I could never do that in this lifetime. Once people get ustomed to working, theres always more work to be done. This was also one of the reasons why Lin Chuan chose to write. He certainly had to continue publishing his books. After all, each new upational experience gained him a new skill. Being a web novel writer also became part of his Hexagon Warrior persona. However. After careful consideration, now possessing Top-Level Hacker Technique, he realized that if he wanted to mize his skills without breaking thew or joining apany, he had to set up a studio.
Operating in a studio model, coborating with some intepanies, solvingwork problems they couldnt handle, and earningmissions. As for how to promote it? The novel Hacker Kingdom would be the best way to advertise. But, he couldnt start a studio on his own. Suddenly, Lin Chuan turned his gaze toward Zhang Xinxin, his eyes gleaming. Teacher Lin Chuan, why are you looking at me like that? Zhang Xinxin immediately hugged her Pikachu plush and took a step back. Lin Chuan smiled, Little Landy, you dont want to fail to learn any skills, right? What are you going to do? Zhang Xinxin looked confused, frowning, Whats with Lin Chuan today? If you want to learn the skills, you have to join my studio, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Upon hearing this, Zhang Xinxin sighed with relief, I was agonizing over it. If you made some indecent propositions, I wondered if I should agree. Lin Chuan: ???
Lin Chuan pulled a grimace, What kind of person do you think I am? An earnest person, Zhang Xinxin blinked, smiling. You should stop calling me Teacher Lin Chuan in the future, it always feels weird, Lin Chuan advised. Dont you like that tone? Zhang Xinxins mouth quirked up. I have to go back and write, Lin Chuan said, finding an excuse to make a quick exit. Just a few moments of casual chat were already more than he could bear. Utterly unbearable! Master, when will you teach me the skills? Zhang Xinxin called out eagerly. Theres no rush. Lin Chuan had already made a clean getaway. Anling Police Station. Cyber Security Detachment.
In the conference room, Captain Yu Shan sat in the front row, looking at his team members, then started speaking with a deep voice, These past two months have been very severe for us, far from being optimistic. Its not just the frequent urrences of online fraud, butputer crimes are rampant as well. As Yu Shan said this, he paused and took a sip from his thermos. Then, hemanded someone to distribute a document. Xia Qingqing was also in the conference room and upon receiving the document, her expression slowly turned serious. Cough! Captain Yu Shan cleared his throat, I believe after reading this, you all are aware of the severe situation were in. Todays meeting is convened with the hope of brainstorming and organizing a strong counter-offensive. The people in the room looked at each other, their brows furrowed. Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, and asionally a breeze blew into the room, but the slightly heavy breathing of the people could still be heard. There was some pressure. Xia Qingqing pursed her lips. She was already aware of these cases, but she had always been unable to fight back, which enraged her. Why isnt anyone speaking? Captain Yu Shan spoke with a heavy voice, scanning the room, and finally turned to Xia Qingqing. Xia Qingqing, though young, had solid technical skills and had experience engaging with hackers, thats why Captain Yu Shan had high hopes for her. Qingqing, do you have any thoughts on this? Dressed in a police uniform and with her hair tied in a ponytail, Xia Qingqing looked neatly efficient. She took a deep breath, Captain, there are many hackers in AW with a few possessing high-level skills. Its hard for us to contend with them with our strength alone. Therefore, I believe we need to partner with more capablework securitypanies to strengthen our defenses. Chapter 56: 56: Acquiring Sailing Novel Chapter 56: Acquiring Sailing Novel
In the meeting room. Captain Yu Shan listened to Xia Qingqings proposal and nodded slightly. This is a good proposal, police and corporate cooperation, indeed, can help enhance ourwork security, currently, which securitypany is more suitable for coboration with us? Everyone immediately began discussing the police and corporate cooperation. Logically speaking. This procedure would require reporting to various departments for approval and would take at least ten days to half a month to get processed.
But in cases of urgency, exceptions could be made. While everyone was discussing, Yu Shan had already called Chief Zhang Biao, reported the situation, and received Zhang Biaos approval. Soon, twowork securitypanies from Anling City were selected. Jintang, Copper Wall. Submit for evaluation, approval. As the sun moved westward from its zenith, the azure sky below was graced with white, irregr clouds that gradually stained with a purple-red hue, Anling City basked in the orange-red glow, waiting for nightfall. In Happiness Community, rental housing. Lin Chuan was preparing materials for registering his personal studio. 7:00 PM sharp. Bao~ Have you eaten? Editor Youyou messaged Lin Chuan as if on cue.
Lin Chuan stared at the word Bao in the message for a while, thinking to himself, has my rtionship with Youyou developed to this stage already? Ive never had a girlfriend who called me such an intimate nickname. Ah, thats not right. I dont have a girlfriend! Whats up, Youyou? Lin Chuan replied. Nothing much, I just heard from other editors that authors often dont eat meals on time, and some even have only two meals a day, which can easily lead to stomach problems. Youyous message showed concern. Lin Chuan felt a warmth in his heart and hurriedly replied, Youyous thoughtful, but Im in excellent health. Is the weather still normal over there? Here in Modu, its sunny one moment and raining the next, several editors have already caught colds, Youyou continued to show care. Lin Chuan furrowed his brows and couldnt help but stroke his chin. Damn! This feeling its too motherly.
Ahem. Little did he know! In the Sailing Novel office building, after sending this message, Youyou turned to her colleague, the strategist Ming Yue, and asked, Is showing this much concern for Lin Chuan a bit too affectionate? This felt too much like a message one would send to a boyfriend. Ah, thats not right. I dont have a boyfriend! Ming Yue crossed her arms and shook her head, offering advice with her experience, No, I used to message Qing Feng like that. Youyous eyebrows furrowed slightly, her lips curling, Qing Feng is now your husband. Ming Yue smiled, Thats not important; what is important is that Qing Feng became a tinum-tier author under my guidance, which proves this method has a significant effect on authors. Indeed, what Ming Yue said was true. Most web novel authors are lonely individuals. An average authors social circle, apart from fellow writers and readers on the inte, is practically non-existent.
Fellow authors and readers are likepanions on the journey, whose asional words of encouragement can excite the author for half a day. The editor, meanwhile, is like a guiding light. If the editor shows consistent care, authors are generally going to stick with them, continuing to write under their guidance. Its a matter of emotional need. Youyou murmured, Achieve tinum-tier that still seems too far away for Lin Chuan. Not at all! Ming Yue chimed in,ughing, Isnt Lin Chuan the most promising author under your guidance right now? Of course, Youyou replied without hesitation. Given that hes your most promising author, then you should cultivate him towards the highest level, Ming Yue said earnestly. Youyou pondered, Can Lin Chuan achieve tinum-tier? Ever heard of the Pygmalion effect? Ming Yue asked. Youyou shook her head. This was somewhat outside her area of expertise.
Mingyue smiled and exined, This is a kind of expectation effect. When applied between editors and authors, your expectations for Lin Chuan have a positive influence on him and encourage him to move forward and strive in the direction you expect. I get it now! Youyou nodded in sudden understanding, then took a deep breath, First, lets set a small goal for Lin Chuan, to reach the tinum level! Mingyue gave a faint smile, her finger tapping on Youyous forehead, and said with satisfaction, Lets see what Lin Chuan has sent. Youyou clicked the mouse. Lin Chuan: Youyou, Im doing well. After thinking for a moment, Youyous slender and fair fingers tapped on the keyboard: During this period, you have had two consecutive books with good results. What are your goals with writing? On the other end of thework. The gentle evening breeze blew into the rented room, carrying with it the coolness of the old district and a slightly musty smell. Lin Chuan sat in front of theputer, looking at Youyous message, and touched his nose: I havent thought about this question. Youyou replied immediately, If you consider writing a career, I think you should have a clear goal. Only with a goal will there be motivation. Ten thousand orders!
Lin Chuan stated his goal. On the other end. Mingyue nced at it and smiled, saying, That goal is too small. You should guide him to think towards achieving tinum status! Youyou nodded. Thus, she coaxed gently, Lin Chuan, I think your strength is far more than that. Your goal should be bigger! In the rented room, Lin Chuan was momentarily stunned, pondering quietly. As Youyou said, writing was his career. Whether it was a hobby or a golden finger, it all rted to writing. The performance of the books determined whether he could unlock the next career and gain skills rted to that profession. In the end, writing and achieving results was his ultimate goal. Therefore, he should set a long-term goal! After some thought, Lin Chuan set a long-term goal: Youyou, I want to acquire Sailing Novel. Once he acquired Sailing Novel, he could enter a loop: Publish books assured sess gain Poprity Value unlock new professions acquire skills + automatic novel generation continue to publish books Hiss! Just thinking about it made Lin Chuan vaguely excited. It was a closed loop! And on the other end of thework. The two female editors stared at the message from Lin Chuan,pletely stunned. Youyou couldnt help looking towards herrade: Mingyue, I guided him ording to your advice. Did something go wrong somewhere? It should be fine. Mingyues face was somewhat embarrassed, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly. Lin Chuans message about acquiring Sailing Novel had caught her off guard! When she guided Qing Feng in the same way, Qing Feng had been eager to achieve tinum status. But Lin Chuan aimed even higher right from the start. To acquire Sailing Novel! Is that even possible? An author writing for Sailing Novel is essentially helping it make money. How could one possibly think about acquiring Sailing Novel? Its unrealistic! Moreover, is he really an author that we could have trained? Mingyue, how should we reply? Youyou pursed her lips and asked again. Reply that you believe in him, Mingyue said. What? Youyous willow-shaped eyebrows furrowed, her face full of confusion. This is a move called using the enemys strategy against them. If he dares to say it, we must dare to believe it! Mingyue exined. Alright. Youyou did as told. It wasnt long before. Lin Chuan replied: I didnt expect you to support me so much, Youyou. Ive decided, in a few days, I will publish another book under your name. Youyous face lit up with joy, and she responded, No problem. Whats the theme for the next book? For some reason. Youyou paused, then sent another message: This time, it should be about a normal profession, right? Chapter 57: 57 The Theme of Grass Growing on a Grave? Chapter 57: The Theme of Grass Growing on a Grave?
Lin Chuan smiled and pondered for a moment. Hacker,work security engineer, Red Hacker it should be considered a normal profession, right? So, Lin Chuan replied, Its a normal profession. When Youyou saw the words normal profession, she breathed a sigh of relief and asked, What profession? Lin Chuan typed two characters. Hacker.
Youyous willow-leaf eyebrows immediately knitted together, and she replied, Lin Chuan, I didnt expect you to have been a hacker. Dont get involved in technical crimes, okay! Youyou, when have I ever been a hacker? Lin Chuan said in surprise. Its good that you havent, but this theme is quite unpopr in the web novel circle. Are you sure you want to write about it? Youyou was a bit worried. The hacker theme was indeed unpopr in the web novel circle. Hacker culture was not particrly prevalent in the country, and while it had an audience, it wasntrge, which is why many authors were reluctant to touch it. Those who wrote about hacker themes generally had deep expertise inputer technology. There was an influential author in the circle who, with hacker-themed content, led many readers to mine cryptocurrency, and when a certain coin surged in value yearster, both the author and the readers made a fortune. But this author was only ying around. Ordinary authors stayed clear of the hacker theme. Three words: Cant write it! Sure. Lin Chuan replied.
No matter how unpopr the theme was, the system had already auto-generated the novel, and had updated the system panel. There was no choice but to bite the bullet and go ahead. [Work: Hacker Kingdom.] [Current Status: Unpublished.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/6000.] An average subscription requirement of 6000 was incredibly high for a hacker-themed novel, equivalent to a hot theme reaching ten thousand subscriptions. After some thought, Youyou sent Lin Chuan a message, Lin Chuan, when are you nning to release your new book? Next month, Ill pick an auspicious day, Lin Chuan replied. Okay, but I have to remind you that the hacker theme is really niche, you have to be mentally prepared, Youyou typed with a wry smile. To be honest, she couldnt help but worry. As Lin Chuans responsible editor, she had explosively seeded with two novels in a short period, achieving great recognition. If Lin Chuans new book were to flop, it would undoubtedly be a big blow to him. Most authors, especially those who had been unsessful for too long, shared amon problem: as their performance soared, they would start fantasizing non-stopboutique hits, blockbusters, ten thousand subscriptions, bing one of the Twelve Heavenly Kings this year, an Influent Author the next, and reaching the pinnacle the year after.
But when the next book flopped, they would fall into a state of self-doubt. Repeatedly denying their own creativity, sinking into a mire. Even big-name authors could find themselves in such a situation. This was something Youyou had seen plenty of. Dont worry, my will is strong; I wont easily sumb to delusion, Lin Chuan said with a grin in his rented room. He was somewhat confident in this novel. After all, it was generated based on his personal experience. A thrilling life as a professional hacker. It should have a chance to seed, but whether it could reach the threshold of six thousand average subscriptions for a blockbuster was still uncertain. At that moment. Inside the Sailing Novel office building.
Ming Yue brought over two cups of coffee and handed one to Youyou, What theme did he say hes going to write about? Hacker. Youyou slowly uttered the two words, then took a small sip, the slight bitterness echoing in her mouth. Mingyues hand holding the coffee stiffened, her brows furrowed, Recently, there have been frequent attacks by foreign hackers, and many domestic hackers have also been using their skills tomit crimes. The authorities have been cracking down hard, and the online literaturemunity is also under close scrutiny. Tell him to be more subtle in his writing and not to cross the line. Youyou found herself in a dilemma, Should I try to persuade him? Mingyue shook her head, I dont think you can persuade him. Youyou looked up, puzzled, and asked, Why? Because his goal is to acquire Sailing Novel. Whats your goal? Mingyue teased. My goal is not to be fired by Sailing Novel. Youyou pouted, then suddenly remembered something, Mingyue, the top hacker in the online literaturemunity is under your name, right? Mingyue took a sip of coffee, narrowing her eyes slightly, Are you talking about Form? Right!
Youyou nodded vigorously, His novel Cyber Hero once set the trend for hacker themes. Has he been writing about hackers recently? Mingyue shook her head, He hasnt written for a while. Hes taken a job at a localwork securitypany as an engineer. I think thepanys name is Jintang, as in impregnable as Jintang. Mingyue, could you ask him for me? See if theres anything to be careful about with hacker themes so I can remind Lin Chuan. Youyou blinked expectantly at Mingyue. If Form was willing to mentor, it should be a great help for Lin Chuans writing on hacker-themed novels. After all. Form was a real hacker with impressive hacking skills. Mingyue smiled. Only because you, this little girl, are asking, would I do this favor. I wouldnt for anyone else. Thank you, Mingyue, Youyou said with a beaming smile. With one hand holding the coffee and the other picking up her phone, Mingyue scrolled through her contacts for a while before she found Forms phone number. Beep beep beep Mingyue, whats up?
On the phone. A maic voice came through, t and devoid of any emotional fluctuation. Mingyue smiled and began, Form, have you been thinking about starting a new book recently? How about another one on the hacker theme? Youre talking about that? Form chuckled softly, You know, Mingyue, the hacker theme haspletely cooled down. Nobody reads it anymore. Thats true. Mingyue nodded and nced at Youyou, continuing, But the boyfriend of a good sister of mine has a soft spot for hacker themes. Do you have any advice? Is he a new writer? Form inquired. No, he already has two influential works, Mingyue answered. Is he there with you? Form asked again. No. Well then, for an experienced author, his head must be in the clouds to write about a theme thats like grass growing over a grave. My advice is to switch to another theme as soon as possible. Form was candid, not beating around the bush. Old Fang,e over for a meeting. Another voice came from Forms side. Mingyue, I have a meeting to attend, and a tough battle ahead. Starting a new book isnt urgent, we can talk about it another time. Beep beep beep The call ended. Mingyue put away her phone, letting out a sigh, and looked at Youyou, You heard it, its up to Lin Chuan now. Youyous lips pressed together, her expression a bit downcast. The number one hacker in the online literaturemunity, Form, thought the hacker theme was over. Lin Chuan, could he really make this theme work? Chapter 58: 58: You Call a Criminal Record a New Book? Chapter 58: You Call a Criminal Record a New Book?
April 2, early morning. A hazy fog spread throughout Happiness Community, asionally pierced by a few early birds fluttering amongst the old citys branches, chirping crisp calls that shattered the morning silence. In the narrow alleyway, puddles fromst nights rain lingered on the cobblestone path, reflecting the feeble morning light and, with the breath of the breeze, revealed flecks of light and shadow. Today was a day for everything to go well. Lin Chuan awoke early. Not because of an rm clock, but because of Youyou.
Darling~ Time to get up! Today is the day to release the new book. These past few days, Youyou had been sending messages to Lin Chuan punctually, even more reliable than an rm clock, leaving Lin Chuan slightly stupefied. The feeling of being woken up by someone was indeed long-missed. As a child, it was his mother. In boarding school, it was the teachers. In college, it was his stomach. After graduation, it was poverty. Who would have thought that now, as a writer, the one to wake him would be his editor? He had no idea what was up with Youyou. Im up, Im up. Lin Chuan moved his fingers and sent such a message back to Youyou.
Then, he rolled out of bed and washed up. Immediately after, he turned on theputer and published the new book. This time. The waiting time for the security review wasnt long, because editor Youyou had given the reviewers a heads up in advance, slightly bending the rules. This was the small privilege of holding two top-quality books under ones name. After all, Lin Chuan was now Youyous most capable warrior, and he certainly deserved some special treatment. Additionally. With Youyous strong promotion, Mingyue also arranged a Chief Editors Rmendation for Lin Chuans new book to ensure it received ample exposure. As for the results, well, that was beyond Youyous control. New book Hacker Kingdom is released! Lin Chuan slumped back, hands cushioning his head, as a virtual panel appeared before his eyes. [Work: Hacker Kingdom.]
[Current status: Published.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/6000.] Six thousand average subscriptions is a bit of a stretch, better send a notification to my diehard fans first, mumbled Lin Chuan. Then, he opened the QQ reader group. A few days earlier, this QQ group had reached full capacity. 2000 members, very active. Because there were people who peppered the group daily with saucy images. Some also shared a little jail knowledge every day and what to pay attention to when serving a sentence. Fastest tutorial to pick a super B-ss lock core! How should you respond to Shu Lis interrogation when you encounter a sweeping crackdown? Warm reminder from Zhang San, using ghost money for payment online doesnt constitute a crime. What should you learn when you first enter prison?
Sentenced to life without parole, what methods can lead to a re-sentencing to a fixed term? Dont use soap to bathe, dont pick it up if it drops! In the group. Everyone was talent in their own right, scaring Lin Chuan into hurriedly renaming the QQ group Abide by the Law, Everyones Responsibility and making a public announcement to correct the tone. However, the effect was minimal. And here we go! As soon as Lin Chuan opened the Abide by the Law, Everyones Responsibility QQ group, he saw a stream of racy images and a flood of messages from readers. Heaven above, I share nomon ground with gambling and drugs! I type with both hands to prove my innocence! Three days into the group, I saw half the people posting these kinds of images, I was furious. What about the other half, are they not sharing? Lin Chuan took only a brief nce and two dark lines appeared on his forehead.
Because he critically stared at several images with widened eyes. Cough! This group is bound to be ruined by this bunch of talents, no, its already been ruined, Lin Chuan said helplessly, his mouth twisting into a wry smile as he muttered to himself. But what could he do about it? Well, let it be. After reviewing the image, Lin Chuan tagged all members and sent a message, Brothers, stop what youre doing, my new book has been released! The readers in the group, being the true fans they are, were more excited to see Lin Chuan bubble up than seeing racy images. @Mr. Lin, the author, how did you know I was up to something with my hands? Mr. Lin, are you out of the jail already? The suspect has appeared, are the bounty hunters in position? Damn! Mr. Lin, youve written a new book while squatting in jail, shocking me for a century! Mr. Lin, I just finished This Assassin Is Too Professional, and Im itching to sh a few groups for a try, what should I do?
Everyone be serious, author, please share your experiences in jail so that the group members can be mentally prepared. Uh. With one hand on his forehead, Lin Chuan used another finger to painstakingly type on the keyboard, Brothers, doesnt anyone care about my new book? New book? Mr. Lin, are you sure what you wrote qualifies as a new book? one of the readers replied to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan waspletely baffled, If its not a new book, what is it then? Immediately, arge number of readers in the group offered exnations. You call a criminal record a new book? Suspected autobiography leak, everyone be alert! Your new book, my achievements! Lin Chuans mouth twitched slightly, I hereby solemnly dere, all content in novels under the authors name is purely fictional, absolutely not the authors real experiences, do not believe nor spread rumors. I understand the rules of the Martial World /evil smile.jpg. /evil smile.jpg. +1 +1 Cut the jokes, author, go on, what kind of criminal record is it? After This Assassin Is Too Professional, I was too chicken to learn the tricks, but this time, I must pick up some skills. Go ahead and learn, once youre in prison, you could also pick up sewing machine skills, umbre manufacturing, and even get an early look at the college entrance examination questions. Study with no worries, its definitely criminal grade! The group was buzzing withments, knowing that he was no match, Lin Chuans attempt to clear his name ended in failure once again. Without further ado, he activated a one-minute mute for all members and posted the book link. My new book Hacker Kingdom has been released! Who says only those standing in the light can be heroes! In Anling City, Qingxiu District. A young man with a buzz cut, wearing a id shirt and jeans, with a backpack slung over his shoulders, sat despondently next to the flowerbed under the building of Jintang Network Security Company. His name was Li Qing. A few days ago, he passed Jintang Network Security Companys written exam, and today, he came for the interview at Jintang. However, Just moments ago, the interviewer didnt even offer him the token we will consider it or wait for the results at home usually extended, bluntly stating that his interview was unsessful. Sigh Li Qings mouth drooped slightly as he let out a sigh. The overall environment was bleak, jobs were hard toe by, and manypanies wereying off employees, making it even harder to enter big firms. But what could an ordinary person do in the face of all this? Nothing more than to watch videos, read novels, look at a couple of pleasing images for temporary joy. Then, continue struggling. Li Qing was doing precisely that now. After distributing his rsum to a few otherpanies, he listlessly scrolled through pages on QQ, WeChat, Kuaishou, and other tforms. Somehow, He clicked on a reader group hed joined a few days ago. The groups name: Obey the Law, Its Everyones Responsibility. Messages: 99+ Li Qing let out a snort ofughter. He had joined this reader group a few days earlier. He remembered that the author of this group had helped the police solve a few major cases not long ago, even trending on Kuaishou for a day. Li Qing smiled, then tapped into the group. Chapter 59: 59 Hiss, this author is really a Hacker huh Chapter 59: Hiss, this author is really a Hacker huh
Li Qing rose from the flower bed under the Jintang Network Security Company building, headed to the bus station, and boarded the number 13 bus. His rental ce was in an old neighborhood of the City East District. Sitting on the hard bus seat, Li Qing scrolled through his phone and tapped into the QQ group titled Everyone has a Responsibility to Follow the Law. My new book Hacker Kingdom has been released! Who says only those in the light are the heroes! Li Qings gazended on the link sent by Lin Chuan, and his brows shot up, emitting a light Huh?
Huh? The author released a new book, and its about hackers? His major in college was Computer Information Security Technology, and his greatest aspiration was to establish his ownwork securitypany and build his own virtual kingdom. As it turned out. For most ordinary people, aspirations are just aspirations. Forget about starting awork securitypany, even joining one was challenging. Hacker Kingdom, sounds pretty interesting by the name, Li Qing murmured to himself and casually clicked on the link. QQ redirected to Sailing Novel. The world of Hacker Kingdom slowly unfolded before Li Qings eyes. I am a hacker. Someone who lurks in the shadows, shunned by the light. I have battled with countless top-notch hackers from abroad, and they, without exception, have all been defeated by me.
Immediately, Li Qings eyebrows lifted slightly as he shifted in his seat, securing his checked shirt with one hand while holding his phone with the other. Mr. Lins personal writing style is too distinct, he said. First-person narrative, strong sense of immersion, it feels like reading the authors autobiography. This hacker theme is right up my alley. Li Qings lips curled up slightly as he mumbled a few words to himself. He continued reading. In the virtual world of the inte, I am the absolute king! Countless people have tried to challenge my position, only to fail. I stand at the pinnacle of the cyberworld, looking down upon my Hacker Kingdom. There, it is filled with bright red gs. Billowing in the wind.
At this point. Li Qings pupils shook, and two words slipped out: Red Hacker! Since he started touching the inte and became aputer enthusiast, the term Red Hacker had been deeply etched in his heart. In several massive international hacking wars, the presence of Red Hackers was noted. The most exhrating one was when even on the webpage of a white pce, one could see the red gs fluttering in the wind. Every time he recalled such events, Li Qing only regretted being born a few years toote to participate. It was quite a pity. However, reading these two words in Lin Chuans Hacker Kingdom, Li Qing felt rejuvenated. His interest intensified. It could be said that he was the most precise target audience for Hacker Kingdom. Swallowing saliva, Li Qing then immersed himself in Lin Chuans novelistic world.
My surname is Lin. A hacker will not reveal their real name. For now, just call me Mr. Lin. I first encountered the inte in a dark alleys illegal inte cafe. At that time, I didnt know that crimes could bemitted on the inte. Until, I logged into the dark web. What you need to know is that the inte has multipleyers, and the surface web is what ordinary people ess and browse through standard search engines. Beneath the surface web lies the deep web. The dark web is a subset of the deep web. There, youll see a different world, one that may overturn all your understandings. So, I advise you to never entertain the idea of venturing into the dark web.
In City East District, Bus 13 arrived at the station. Li Qing got off the bus and sat down on a bench next to the bus stop, his gaze fixed on the mobile phone screen. The text of Hacker Kingdom was still in his sight. Back to the matter at hand. I remember that day very clearly. In that tiny inte caf, filled with the pungent smell of smoke, a rough-looking guy next to me was shirtless, his body odor drilling into my nostrils as he yed World of Warcraft, using a priest character, and pinching his voice to shout, Brother, Ill heal you. I couldnt stand it and switched to a differentputer. It was a corner spot, where no one paid attention to me. In this corner of the inte caf, I installed a software named ** and typed in a 16-character URL. The URL was valid. I continued, installing a VPN, using multiplework jumps, and sessfully logged into the dark web. From that moment on, my lifes trajectory began to deviate.
Because, on there, I saw Li Qing became more and more captivated as he read, deeply immersed in the novel. In the novel. A series of highly professional hacker maneuvers unfolded before Li Qings eyes. Although it wasnt aplete disy of maneuvers, as someone specialized inputer information security, Li Qing could fully appreciate the cutting-edge technology and was thoroughly shocked! So much so that he asionally muttered to himself. This feels too much like a real-life experience. This is incredible, no wonder Mr. Lin dared to write this! The author must be a top-notch hacker! Hmm, howe theres a studio here? In the book review section. Li Qing suddenly spotted an advertisement. 720 Network Security Studio, taking orders online! Solving system vulnerabilities, countering external hacker invasions, defending against virus destruction professionally handling all kinds ofwork security issues. Contact information: *********** Posted by: Mr. Lin (author). Li Qings mind stirred, and he took a deep breath, Sss, is this author really a hacker!? Such a top-notch hacker running a studio? He should be making a fortune, right? Li Qing looked at the contact number again. This sequence, it looks like its from a local? Yes! The author, Mr. Lin, is from Anling City; he has helped the Anling Police with a case before. Li Qings mind suddenly became active, and a bold idea took root and began to germinate in his heart. So. Li Qing exited the novel page, entered the call screen, dialed the number, and called the contact for the 720 studio. Dudududu Hello, 720 Studio is happy to serve you. A crisp female voice came from the phone. The person answering the call was Lin Chuans apprentice, Little Landy. Since registering the studio, Little Landy had learned a lot from Lin Chuan, but unfortunately, her talent wasnt that strong. Lin Chuan arranged for her to be the customer service for 720 Studio, specifically to answer calls and handle orders. Just that they hadnt officially opened for business yet. Hello, may I ask if this is the studio opened by Mr. Lin? Li Qing asked politely. Mr. Lin? Ah, yes, thats right, are you experiencing anywork problems? On the other end of the call, Zhang Xinxin was thrilled to hear someone calling. They were finally going to open for business. Uh, Im not having anywork issues; I was wondering if your studio is hiring? Li Qing asked a bit nervously. Hiring? Zhang Xinxin was surprised, Ill have to ask my master about that! Chapter 60: 60 Studio 720 Chapter 60: Studio 720
City East District, Happiness Community. In the past few days, Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin thoroughly cleaned up the misceneous room next to the small supermarket. The Little Landy had someone repaint the ce, and arranged five second-handputers that had been scavenged, with configurations that were quite decent. On the wall beside the entrance, there was a sign hanging. 720 Studio. Indeed, this was the temporary office location for Lin Chuans studio.
The studio might have been small, but the division ofbor was clear. Lin Chuan was responsible for the crucial technical work. As for the Little Landy, she took care of the studios utilities, rent,puters, andputer peripherals, and also doubled as the studios customer service and handled business negotiations, among other things. Initially. Lin Chuan nned to operate the studio on his own, with his apprentice, Zhang Xinxin, acting as customer service. However, Zhang Xinxin refused to be taken advantage of and strongly demanded to co-own the studio, making a bold statement, Master, you just handle the technical side, Ill take care of everything else. At that moment, Lin Chuan was taken aback. But on reflection, although the Little Landy loved to watch short videos, one fact could not be ignored. She was a wealthy girl! A bona fide wealthy girl! After all, the task of collecting rent was now handled by Zhang Xinxin, and the money ended up in her pocket. Lin Chuan, on the other hand, looked back at himself and realized he was tight on money, severely short on funds, and he didnt even have enough to buy a fewputers.
The royalties from Sailing Novel wouldnt be issued until the 10th. So, he simply let the Little Landy take a stake in the business. Of course, the Little Landy also held a significant resource in her hands. Her uncle had opened arge inte cafe called Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe in Anling in the Qingxiu District. If the 720 Studio could coborate with her uncles inte cafe, then there would be a substantial guarantee for the studios revenue. Zhang Xinxin and her uncle had also agreed on a meeting. Today at 3 p.m., both parties would meet at the Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe to discuss cooperation. In the studio. Lin Chuan sat in thefortable gaming chair, leaning backzily, Little Landy, when is that person you mentioned arriving? The Little Landy folded her arms, supporting her about-to-tumble mountains, and pursed her lips, He should be here soon, he said hes nearby. While they were speaking, a knock on the door was heard. Hello, is this the 720 Studio? A young man in a id shirt and jeans with a backpack and a crew cut appeared outside the door.
The visitor was none other than Li Qing. Are you Li Qing? Lin Chuan got up and walked toward the door, smiling. Ah yes. Li Qing paused, looking up at Lin Chuan, And you must be the author Mr. Lin, right? Lin Chuan nodded and said with a smile, Thats me. Author, Ive always been following your criminal records, and now I finally meet you in person! Li Qing was a bit excited and his words somewhat incoherent. Lin Chuan: ??? The studio was on the ground floor, already a bit cool. Li Qingsment seemed to drop the temperature by another two degrees Celsius. Face-to-face big reveal! PfftC The Little Landy couldnt help butugh out loud, Master, you said you were a decent person, but your readers are saying your books are criminal records. A line of embarrassment appeared on Lin Chuans face: With a clear conscience, what more can be said?
Stop making excuses. The Little Landy blinked, her pretty face full of smiles. Knowing that any further attempts at defense would only make things worse, Lin Chuan turned his head toward Li Qing, switching to business matters, Li Qing, please, take a seat. The two sat down. Lin Chuan, running his own studio for the first time andcking experience in hiring employees, asked directly, Do you want to join our 720 Studio? Li Qing nced around the rudimentary studio and hesitated, This studio, its just starting out, isnt it? Lin Chuan nodded, Yes. Currently, is it just the two of you in this studio? Li Qing looked at Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin and couldnt help but ask again. Lin Chuan nodded again, looking at his reader, What do you think, still want to join my studio? Li Qing furrowed his brows slightly and took a deep breath, Yes, I want to. Li Qing, youre really hungry, Lin Chuan joked with his reader. Can you tell me why? Li Qing smiled, Because I read your new book; its awesome!
Red Hacker, technology, all deeply moved him! Upon hearing this, the corners of Lin Chuans mouth turned up slightly as he chuckled, I can see that you have good taste. Now, why dont you introduce yourself? Li Qing spoke truthfully and didnt hide anything. And he handed his resume over to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan frowned slightly as he looked at the resume of this loyal reader and said, Computer information security technology cant get into Jintang Company You have some basics, but not much; however, you still can learn the technical aspects. As a top Hacker, it was not out of ce for Lin Chuan to say such a thing. Do you think I have a chance? Li Qing asked. Lets give it a try, Lin Chuan said with a smile. But just so you know, our studio has just started, we work on amission basis, and Zhang will tell you the details. No problem. Li Qing nodded earnestly, his palms involuntarily clenched together, his mind filled with his own thoughts. No matter what, this was also considered a job. Author Mr. Lin might look young, but he is proficient in various technologies and has cooperated closely with the police; he must be truly skilled.
Moreover, he just started this new studio; if it makes a name for itself in the future, then he would be one of the original members. The most important thing was that Li Qing wanted to learn technology from Lin Chuan. The kind of top-notch technology! If he cant get into Jintang Network Security Company, then hell be a frencer. A frencer can still make a living! Are you free this afternoon? Lin Chuan asked. Yes. Li Qing immediately answered. Lin Chuan smiled, At 3 PM today, youll apany us to discuss a cooperation deal. Li Qings eyes lit up. Mr. Lin indeed had the capability; a small new studio and already having a potential partner. Afternoon. 2:40 PM. Lin Chuan, Zhang Xinxin, and Li Qing, the three arrived on the third floor of Yida za in Qingxiu District. This was the property owned by Zhang Xinxins second uncle. Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe. At the entrance. Zhang Xinxin stood by Lin Chuans side and pointed with her hand, Master, my second uncle said hes already on his way back; lets go sit in his office for a while. Lin Chuan followed the direction of Little Landys pointing finger. Next to the inte cafes reception desk was a semi-enclosed small office. Zhang, you and Li Qing wait in the office for your second uncle; Ill go to the inte cafe and start up a terminal to see how secure this ce is, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Okay. Zhang Xinxin nodded obediently. In terms of the studio, she was only responsible for funding and other matters. The rest, she followed Lin Chuans lead. Zhang Xinxin led Li Qing toward the small office and on the way, asked the receptionist to open a terminal for Lin Chuan. Inside the inte cafe. The walls were adorned with ck firewall wallpaper, the blue strip lightingplemented by the mechanical keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals lights. This inte cafe was very clean, without any unpleasant smells. However, the sound of gaming teams shing was quite loud. LOL, CSGO, VALORANT they all were present. Suddenly! As Lin Chuan passed the couples area, he heard a familiar voice. Qiqi, how valuable is this MVP of mine? Chapter 61: 61: The Summit of the Forbidden City Chapter 61: The Summit of the Forbidden City
Lin Chuan turned his head and saw in the couples area in front of him, two people were sitting. The guy had slick, shiny hair, a handsome face, sunny and quite good-looking, with a light smile on his mouth that exuded an enchanting self-confidence. The girl had long, slightly curly hair that fell over her shoulders, wearing over-the-ear gaming headphones, looking radiant with energy. They were dressed in matching printed shirts. In the middle was a cup of bubble tea, with two straws, having just finished a game. Old Wang?
Lin Chuan looked at Wang Zikai and Xue Qiqi, furrowing his brows. Showoffs, huh! When Wang Zikai heard Lin Chuans voice, his eyes lit up: Old Lin, what brings you here? Lin Chuan showed a smile, walked over to Wang Zikai, and said with augh, Ive been working on a side job recently, came here to discuss some business. A side job? Youre hardcore, Old Lin! Wang Zikai took off his gaming headphones, chuckled, and patted Lin Chuan on the shoulder. This is a legitimate side job! Lin Chuan replied earnestly. Smiling radiantly, Xue Qiqi said from the side, Old Lin, do you know what Qianqian is worried about? Qianqian? Officer Shen? Lin Chuans mind conjured up the image of Shen Qianqian, and he asked in confusion, Did Officer Shen give any orders? Xue Qiqi smiled and said, Qianqian is worried that you might stray off the right path.
Right, Officer Shen said she is concerned about your ability to scout and fabricate crime scenesits too worrisome. She hopes you wont go astray. Wang Zikai immediately echoed this concern. Uh. The lovey-dovey couple provided their input in tandem. Two ck lines immediately appeared on Lin Chuans face: Cut it out, what straying off the right path? Ive always abided by thews, and my side job is properly registered with themercial bureau. Thats good to hear. Wang Zikai nodded, showing a relieved expression. Xue Qiqi sipped her bubble tea, curious about Lin Chuans side job: Old Lin, what kind of side job do you have that brings you to discuss business at an inte cafe? Lin Chuan smiled and didnt intend to keep it a secret: I provide technical expertise inwork security. Upon hearing this. Wang Zikai looked Lin Chuan over carefully: Old Lin, you never mentioned you had these skills; dont tell me youre into fraud! Get out of here!
Lin Chuan waved his hands dismissively, Dont talk nonsense, Old Wang. Ive got plenty of skills; relying solely on writing, Id end up eating dirt sooner orter. ording to iplete statistics. Writers who earn over ten thousand a month across the dont exceed ten thousand people. However, the Writers Association revealed that there are over ten million registered online literature authors, with nearly a million bing contracted authors. Some writers just end up working in factories as they write. No worries, with brothers like us, we definitely wont let you eat dirt, Wang Zikai said with a chuckle. Lin Chuan looked back at Wang Zikai and frowned, Old Wang, what are you doing at the inte cafe? ying team games. You can y team games at home too, cant you? That just goes to show, you bachelor dont appreciate the ambiance; it feels different ying at the inte cafe, Wang Zikai replied, raising his eyebrows smugly. Looking at Wang Zikai and then at Xue Qiqi, Lin Chuan was puzzled: You two always y games and romance like this, arent you writing anymore? Xue Qiqis smile was brilliant: I have a book thats being adapted into a short series, with royaltiesing in.
Uh. Ill leave you be then. Lin Chuan turned to Wang Zikai: Is your masterpiece getting adapted too? Wang Zikai shook his head, I finished a few days ago, and now my new book is already being stockpiled. That fast? Lin Chuans face showed a faint surprise. Wang Zikai nodded, getting serious for a change, Old Lin, did your editor tell you? In a while, the Anti-Fraud Center will be collecting anti-fraud themed novels and scripts from all over the. He did. Then arent you going to prepare? When the timees, the two of us brothers will join, and itll be a massacre! Wang Zikaiughed. Lin Chuan also chuckled, Alright, you handle the massacre, and Ill take care of the rest. Anti-fraud If next time I randomlynd a job rted to anti-fraud, I might have the chance to participate. y a couple of games together? Wang Zikai suggested. Lin Chuan nced at the time and said, I have a business meeting soon, probably wont be free until tonight.
Then tonight we team up for a five-man game! Wang Zikai said eagerly. Okay, Im going to go get some stuff done first; you guys y. Afterwards. Lin Chuan fired up aputer nearby, his hands on the keyboard, beginning to y a piano sonata. On theputer screen, strings of characters scrolled by. He was checking for firewall vulnerabilities at the Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe. After a while. Lin Chuan was confident. Master, Im back for the second time, the Little Landy sent a message on the phone, and Lin Chuan turned off theputer and walked toward the small office next to the inte cafes front desk. In the small office. A bald middle-aged man who looked seven or eight points simr to Old Zhang, slightly portly, was leisurely making tea.
He was the Little Landys uncle, Zhang Ren. Lin, Li, have some tea. Zhang Ren poured a cup of Puer for both Lin Chuan and Li Qing, a smile on his face. Then, to the Little Landy, he said, Xinxin, you should have a cup too. Zhang Xinxin epted it with ease and took a sip. Then the Little Landy went straight to the point, Uncle, Lin Chuan and I have opened awork security studio together. We are here to talk about a partnership with you. Of course, I know, Zhang Ren replied. He nced at his niece andughed, However, my Forbidden Summit has had Jintang Network Security Company set up ourwork firewall a long time ago. We dont really need any new protection now. Jintang Network Security Company? The Little Landy had not heard of the name but felt a twinge of concern. Right. Zhang Ren took a delicate sip of Puer and nodded, Niece, you might not have heard of them, but Lin and Li must know. Then, Zhang Ren turned his gaze toward Lin Chuan and Li Qing. Lin Chuan smiled, Yes, Jintang is argework securitypany in Anling City. A few days ago, they reached a cooperation deal with Anling Cyber Security, responsible for thework protection of the Anling Police. Zhang Xinxin pouted slightly. However. Lin Chuans tone shifted, a confident smile appearing at the corners of his mouth, Director Zhang could also consider our 720 Studio, because the firewall that Jintang set up for Forbidden Summit is not as solid as its name suggests. Hmm? Zhang Rens eyes narrowed slightly, puzzled. Immediately. Lin Chuans eyes sparkled as heughed, As far as I know, two weeks ago, Forbidden Summit was frequently attacked by hackers from abroad, which caused the inte cafe to be paralyzed for two days. That did happen, Zhang Rens hand holding the teacup stiffened slightly. How long did Jintangs technicians take to maintain Forbidden Summit? Lin Chuan asked. Zhang Ren thought for a moment, Three days. Lin Chuan smiled, What if I say I can bypass Jintangs newly builtwork firewall and take control of this cybercafe in under half an hour, would Director Zhang believe me? Chapter 62: 62: A Good Start Chapter 62: A Good Start
Forbidden Summit Inte Cafe. Inside the small office. Zhang Ren looked at the young man sitting opposite him, with ck short hair and dressed in a white T-shirt and casual trousers, his face not bearing the typical marks of societal hardships. Instead, he seemed somewhat immature. Lin, Zhang Ren said gravely while setting down his teacup, Its not that I dont trust yourputer skills, but Jintang is a majorwork securitypany. Their technology and equipment are the finest in Anling City, and even the police are willing to coborate with them. He wasnt looking down on Lin Chuan or trying to discourage the youth.
Just recently. His older brother, Zhang De, had reached out to him, mentioning that Zhang Xinxin and Lin Chuan had started a cybersecurity workshop and were hoping he could help them oversee it. Thats why Zhang Ren had agreed to meet with Studio 720. As for the abilities of Studio 720. Zhang Ren chuckled to himself; the capabilities of an individual are limited and truly iparable to argework securitypany. It was tough for independent cybersecurity workshops topete against bigpanies. Zhang Ren couldnt put the cybersecurity protection of Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe in the hands of Studio 720 without reservations. However, he would consider them for minor, generalputer maintenance. After all, Xinxin was his own niece. Lin Chuan nodded slightly, his fingers inteced on the table, body leaning forward, Director Zhang, Jintang indeed has strength, but before we met today, I performed a vulnerability check on the inte cafes firewall. Obviously. Lin Chuan was thoroughly prepared for this first major client.
Workshops like Lin Chuans actually survive in the gaps between majorwork securitypanies. But asrgepanies continue to expand, the survival space for small dealers and workshops is squeezed, a predicament Lin Chuan had foreseen from the start. Embarking on a side venture for the first time, Lin Chuan still hoped to make a good start. Zhang Ren gazed at Lin Chuan and smiled, What do you think of this firewall, Lin? The firewall ispletely sufficient against ordinary technical attacks, Lin Chuan smiled, but then he shifted gears, However, recently, manypanies and inte cafes have been facingrge-scalework attacks by hackers from abroad. I think, this firewall is not enough forplete protection. Not enough forplete protection? Zhang Rens expression changed slightly as his brow furrowed. Currently. Anlings inte cafes indeed faced the predicament of cyberattacks by hackers from abroad. The servers of these inte cafes contained a massive amount of personal information. Such as game ounts, bank card numbers, address details, phone numbers,munication records, and so on. These were one of the sources of profit for hackers. Of course, some shady inte cafes willingly sold personal information, which was terribly illicit.
Besides, some technically advanced hackers would infiltrate an inte cafe, using it as a pivot to carry out cyber invasions and attacks on other targets. Yes, Lin Chuan nodded gently, smiling, If Director Zhang is interested, I can simte a foreign hackers cyberattack, and within half an hour, take control of all the devices in this inte cafe. Uncle, let me show you the capability of Studio 720, said Zhang Xinxin, pursing her lips and nodding in agreement. Zhang Ren looked at the two, skeptical but after pondering briefly, he said, Then lets give it a try. Lin Chuan, Zhang Xinxin, and Li Qing exchanged smiles. Li Qing quickly pulled out a pinkptop from his ck backpack, an ultrabook adorned with SpongeBob stickers. Theptop was equipment provided for Studio 720 by Zhang Xinxin. Lin Chuan took theptop and opened it. On theptop. Lin Chuanunched a program called *** and then typed in a series of IP addresses. Zhang Rens brow furrowed slightly.
He wasnt an expert, but he recognized the string of IP addresses; they were those of Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe. Lin was well-prepared, Zhang Ren said with a smile. Lin Chuan replied with a smile, For a tech person working in the cybersecurity field acquiring an Inte cafes IP address is not a difficult task. Then I will watch with interest. Zhang Ren took a sip of Puer tea and smiled with great interest. He was also curious to see the level of expertise of this young man who was coborating with his niece. Lin Chuan smiled and then focused on essing the Forbidden Summit server. Under normal circumstances. Most hackers would use vulnerability systems, phishing emails, cracking backend ount passwords, and other methods to break in. But how could Jintang Network Security Company not have considered these methods? The firewall and system constraints of the Forbidden Summit server could prevent the intrusion of the vast majority of hackers. However, it couldnt stop Lin Chuan.
Lin Chuan began by testing the Jintang firewall. Jintangs firewall was a software program, reinforced on the Inte cafes equipment,bining to form a strong defense. But as long as it was a software program, there would be vulnerabilities. With sufficient technical skills, infiltration could be achieved. Lin Chuan first used a top-level disguise technique to mask hisptops IP address as one from within the Inte cafe, deceiving the firewall and gaining the necessary permissions and information from the server. He then performed another deceitful operation. About ten minutester. Lin Chuan turned to Zhang Ren and smiled, Director Zhang, its done. Zhang Ren was not an insider. All he saw was that the codes had stopped scrolling on Lin Chuans pinkptop, and he was somewhat puzzled. Suddenly.
The cafes front desk attendant hurried in, her face anxious, Boss, the system is out of control. Zhang Rens eyebrows furrowed, and he immediately turned his gaze to Lin Chuan. Director Zhang, dont worry. A smile appeared on Lin Chuans face. Next, he pressed the Enter key on hisptop, and the screen disyed the administrator system interface of the Forbidden Summit. Zhang Rens brow furrowed tightly as he stared intently at the pinkptop screen, his mouth agape with disbelief. Not just Zhang Ren, but Zhang Xinxin and the front desk attendant were also in shock. They didnt have much understanding ofputer technology and couldnt imagine how Lin Chuan had managed to take control of the Forbidden Summits administrative system with a few keystrokes on hisptop. As someone with aputer science background, Li Qing was even more astonished than the others. The expert appreciates the nuances. In just ten minutes, Lin Chuan had bypassed Jintang Network Security Companys firewall, prated the server, and taken control. This level of technical skill was beyond what Li Qing could express. Lin Chuans hacking expertisepletely exceeded his expectations. At this thought, Li Qing became even more excited. Because he had followed the right person! Director Zhang, this is our studios partnership proposal, which includes a detailed protection n. Please take a look, Lin Chuan said, seizing the moment and handing over the proposal he had prepared in advance to Zhang Ren. Zhang Ren took a deep breath and epted the partnership proposal. His fingers gently flipped through the pages, his gaze focused, not willing to overlook any detail of the coboration. After a long pause. Zhang Ren looked steadily at Lin Chuan, and then at Zhang Xinxin, a satisfied smile on his face, I think we can talk about the details of the partnership. Chapter 63: 63 “Hacker Kingdom”, It Shouldn’t be a Crime, Right? Chapter 63: Hacker Kingdom, It Shouldnt be a Crime, Right?
Lin Chuan and his twopanions faces brightened. Zhang Xinxins slightly chubby face instantly beamed with a touch of pride, her phoenix eyes curving into crescents, Uncle, our 720 Studio is stronger than Jintang, right? Zhang Ren gave a thumbs up and smiled, Xinxin, youve found a very strong startup partner. The Little Landy lifted her chin, Of course my master is strong, do I get a little credit too? A little bit. Zhang Ren looked at his slightly proud niece and held up a small piece the size of a fingernail.
The Little Landy pouted. Everyoneughed heartily. In the small office, the air was filled with joy. With the Little Landy present, the partnership details were discussed most amicably. The cooperative matters discussed by both parties included configuring firewall protection programs, routine server security maintenance, regr security checks, emergency fault handling, virus and malware protection, and other details. Finally, the two parties agreed that 720 Studio would provideprehensivework security protection for Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe at a fee of 15,000/month, with a one-month trial. Zhang Ren was pleased with the oue. Because. Forbidden Summit is arge-scale inte cafe with over two hundredputers. Previously, when cooperating with Jintang Network Security Company, the monthly expenditure onwork security maintenance was as high as 20,000. Two weeks ago, over the weekend. Forbidden Summit faced an attack by overseas hackers, and their servers were paralyzed for two days, resulting in losses far exceeding 20,000.
And now 720 Studio was offeringwork security protection for just 15,000/month. Lower costs, higher technical expertise, and stronger protection. It was a win-win for both sides. Pleasure doing business. Lin Chuan and Zhang Ren shook hands, while the Little Landy took amemorative photo. That very afternoon. Lin Chuan stayed at Forbidden Summit Inte Cafe to carry out a series of technical arrangements. Li Qing, the only employee of the studio, followed Lin Chuan closely, diligently learning the technology. The night grew deeper. The neon lights of Qingxiu District in Anling City lit up one by one, the high-rises adorned with lights just beginning to shine, the whole city sparkled like a magnificent gxyid upon the earth. The evening breeze blew, gently swaying the lush greenery, which rustled like a whisper under the night sky.
After dinner, more people started to arrive at Forbidden Summit Inte Cafe. Li Qing was still learning the technology. The Little Landy was nestled in the small office. Surprisingly, she wasnt sneaking peeks at videos; instead, she was repeatedly calcting the costs and revenue of 720 Studio with a calctor. As for Lin Chuan. Wang Zikai had invited him to team up for gaming in the afternoon. After fussing around all afternoon and enjoying a rarely leisurely moment, Lin Chuan hadnt gamed for a long time. So, he booked a private room in advance. Fiveputers, exclusively for gaming, all high-spec. But the most luxurious spec was the teammates he would be gaming with. The teammates? Wang Zikai said he would bring people over.
Lin Chuan could guess with his toes that he would surely invite Shen Qianqian to join the game. However, Lin Chuan had no aversion to Shen Qianqian. Since thest case investigation and the meal together, Lin Chuan had not seen the cool and morous Shen Qianqian, only the sweet version of her. After all. Lin Chuan now had no criminal suspicions against him, and Shen Qianqian no longer had to maintain an attitude reserved for suspects. The two of them could be considered friends at least. Lin Chuan was thinking about this. Old Lin, Im here. Old Wang entered with a beaming smile, pushing the door open. Behind him, three girls appeared in session, causing Lin Chuan some surprise. Xue Qiqi, Shen Qianqian. And a girl Lin Chuan didnt recognize.
Lin Chuan really wanted to ask Old Wang, wouldnt Qiqi get jealous with you bringing so many girls to game together? Writer Lin, you finally have some free time? Officer Shen greeted Lin Chuan with a full smile. Today, she was wearing a floral dress, her delicate oval face, pert nose, and picturesque eyes underlined by her long ck hair draped over her shoulders, as sweet as ever. Officer Shen isnt on a case? Lin Chuan chuckled. After the help you gavest time, solving several murder cases in a row, our criminal investigation team has been able to breathe a sigh of relief, and we dont have to work overtime these days, Shen Qianqian said with a radiant smile on her face. Writer Lin, hello. Another girl took the initiative to extend her hand in greeting to Lin Chuan. Hello. Lin Chuan was slightly taken aback and shook her hand politely. The girl in front of him was dressed in a white short-sleeved casual shirt, which entuated her fair and delicate skin. Her short hair fell naturally, and she had the face of a short-haired girl full of pure desire, Yixing. Shen Qianqian smiled and introduced, This is my colleague, Xia Qingqing, she also doesnt have to work overtime tonight.
Lin Chuan was taken aback. This short-haired girl was also a criminal police officer? Originally Xia Qingqing had long ponytailed hair, but due to excessive confrontations with overseas hackers recently, she had no time to take care of it and simply cut it short. Writer Lin, Ive also read your book, said Xia Qingqing with a beaming smile. Oh? Lin Chuans pupils dted slightly, surprised again. My book, is it only being read by those ouws in the group and the policerades? Xia Qingqing exined with a smile, I came across a live stream promoting your book This Assassin Is Too Professional during one of my online patrols. It was me who rmended it to Qianqian. Otherwise, their criminal investigation team would probably still be worrying over cases. Thats true, you were also a key to solving the case,ughed Shen Qianqian. So Officer Xia is Cyber Police, Lin Chuan remarked somewhat surprised, Havent you folks been really busy recently? Xia Qingqing chuckled with pursed lips, How do you know our Cyber Police have been pretty busytely? Ive been following Anling news. There have been numerous attempts by overseas hackers to infiltrate, Lin Chuan exined. Xia Qingqing nodded gently, Yes, but our police department has already begun preliminary cooperation with Jintang Network Security Company, to protect against those overseas hackers, which is why Qianqian and I thought of going out and ying some games tonight. At that moment. Old Wang joined in the conversation, Officer Xia, Lin Chuan is also quite knowledgeable aboutwork security protection and has even opened his own personal studio. Xia Qingqings eyes lit up with surprise upon hearing this, Writer Lin writes well and is also strong inwork security? As far as she knew. There was awork security head within Jintang Company who also did part-time writing and was known as the top hacker in the web novel world. Xia Qingqing had been rather curious about that. Now. She heard that Lin Chuan was quite learned inwork security and had opened a personal studio, which surprised her. Themunity of web novel writers was indeed a mixed bag Ah, no, a hiding ce for the mighty! Ive dabbled a bit, Lin Chuan replied with a smile. Xia Qingqing chuckled, Would Writer Lin be interested in writing a novel about cyber-technical attack and defense? Ive been running out of books to read recently. Hmm? Lin Chuan felt a sudden twinge of apprehension, mulling over to himself whether his book Hacker Kingdom, which detailed Mr. Lins early days as a hacker and his mid-story transformation into a red hacker, wasnt criminal, was it? Perhaps he could rmend it to Officer Xia, and if she liked it, wouldnt that secure a subscribe? Possibly even a full subscription! As Lin Chuan pondered. Wang Zikai chimed in again. Officer Xia, Old Lin has recently published a new book called Hacker Kingdom, which is all about cyber-technical attack and defense stories. Chapter 64: 64: What Level of Hacker is Lin Chuan Chapter 64: What Level of Hacker is Lin Chuan
` In the private room of the inte cafe. Xia Qingqing pursed her thin lips, her mouth slightly turning up into a lovely smile, revealing a pair of eyes clear as autumn water as she looked at Lin Chuan, A novel with a hacker theme? Yeah, a hacker theme. Lin Chuan nodded lightly, and took the opportunity to exin, The protagonist in the bookes into contact with the dark web during his clueless period and bes a hacker. In his subsequent growth process, he will transform into a Red Hacker. Lin Chuan emphasized the words Red Hacker to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding Xia Qingqing might have after reading the book.
Then Im even more interested, Ill subscribe to the whole series tonight! Xia Qingqing said with a radiant smile. Back when Xia Qingqing was reading up onputer technology, she was very interested in it. Plus, there was a period when hacker culture was popr, and she really liked novels and films with hacker themes. However. After the hacker culture trend subsided, novels and films with hacker themes also disappeared, and scarcely anyone wrote them anymore. Now. She heard that Lin Chuan wrote a novel with a hacker theme, and whats more, it was developing towards a Red Hacker direction, which truly hit the spot for her. She must read it! Thats great, Ill support you in the gameter! Lin Chuan looked at the short-haired female officer in front of him who intended to subscribe to his whole series and couldnt help but grin. He wasnt originally a support yer. But then, which author could reject aplete subscription? True fan +1.
At that, everyoneughed heartily, and the private room was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Shen Qianqian smiled like a blooming flower, her lips pursed. Actually. At noon, the Sailing Novel app had pushed Hacker Kingdom to her. As soon as she saw it, she decisively subscribed to the whole series for Lin Chuan. If Lin Chuan took a nce at the Hacker Kingdom readers leaderboard, he would find that Shen Qianqians reader value was at the top of the list. She wasnt too keen on the novels Thief and Swindler. But the book This Assassin Is Too Professional, she analyzed every single crime scene treatment, word by word, and even simted them in her mind. Not only Shen Qianqian but also the criminal investigation team captain Hu Daqiang did as well. Even the chief Zhang Biao had the potential to be a book fan. However. Chief Zhang Biao still reserved his opinion on Author Mr. Lin: just dont let this kidmit a crime!
Soon, the few of them started a five-man team in the game. Lin Chuan originally thought this team y would just be for fun, but Xue Qiqi, Shen Qianqian, and Xia Qingqings gaming prowess took him by surprise. From LOL to Valorant. They not only did not drag their feet but also strongly carried a few games for Lin Chuan and Old Wang. In the inte cafes private room, there was a tense and excited atmosphere; everyone was smiling and asionally letting out cheers forpleting kills. They all had a great time. The night grew deeper. The dim lights spilling from the windows of tall buildings were like stars that had fallen to earth. The streetmps became lonely, and asionally a few cars shuttled on the roads, their headlights cutting through the nights darkness, leaving trails of light. When Xia Qingqing left the Forbidden City Peak inte cafe, it was nearly 11 P.M. Luckily, her home was in the Qingxiu District.
Not far away. Xia Qingqing washed up, changed into a soft andfortable white ice silk nightgown, her short hair falling, exposing her delicate corbone and captivating swan neck, barefoot, she walked into her room. Then, shezilyy on her bed. She curled up slightly, lying on her side. The bright light from her phone screen shone on her pure and fair face. Hacker Kingdom. Xia Qingqing murmured softly, her slender and fair fingers tapping on the screen keyboard, entering Hacker Kingdom in the search bar of the Sailing Novel app. Work: Hacker Kingdom Author: Mr. Lin Xia Qingqings mouth lifted into a smile as she murmured to herself, Mr. Lin the same Mr. Lin thats a suspect? She had indeed read some content of Lin Chuans novels, knowing that the readers of the novels jokingly called Lin Chuan Suspect Mr. Lin. Because, it reads much like a criminal autobiography.
Teasing aside. Xia Qingqing was indeed very interested in novels with a hacker theme. Her fingers eagerly clicked to open Hacker Kingdom, the contents of the novel filling her vision. ` I am a hacker. A person shrouded in darkness, who cant stand the light. I have faced countless top hackers from abroad, and they have all be my defeated opponents, without exception. In the virtual world of the inte, I am the absolute king! Many have tried to challenge my position, and all have ended in failure. I stand at the pinnacle of the inte, looking down upon my Hacker Kingdom. There, the gs are a brilliant red. Fluttering in the wind.
Xia Qingqing looked at the opening and slightly pursed her lips, Mr. Lin indeed didnt lie to me, there indeed is a part about him transitioning to a Red Hacker. She and Li Qing were doing the same work rted towork security and protection. Thus, a theme like hacking was not a reading barrier for her. Not only that. As a reader with experience in cyber police, her focus would be different from others. My surname is Lin. Hackers, do not reveal their real names. For now, you can call me Mr. Lin. In the corner of this dark inte caf, I installed a software called ***, entering a 16-character web address. The web address is valid. I continued the operation, set up a VPN, made multiple jumps throughworks, and I sessfully logged into the dark web. From that moment on, my lifes trajectory started to deviate. Because, on there, I saw Seeing this, Xia Qingqings brows slightly furrowed, and she couldnt help but murmur, Lin Chuan really went all out to write this book, even visiting the dark web. So hardcore! As a cyber police, Xia Qingqing was more than familiar with the dark web, and she had only four words to describe the depiction of the dark web in the novel: Extremely meticulous. Those who have never entered the dark web might be able to imagine its evils, but they couldnt depict the details of its sinful transactions as Lin Chuan did. However. As long as one did not engage in illegal and criminal activities, cyber police wouldnt go into detail about who has essed the dark web through VPNs. Continuing to read on. Xia Qingqing gradually became immersed in the Hacker World that Lin Chuan experienced. The pace of Hacker Kingdom was not slow. It quickly entered into the cyber technical offense and defense storyline which Xia Qingqing liked. After I became a hacker. I made my first pot of gold from Company X within just two days. Twenty thousand dors, I felt an unprecedented joy. That figure, in my life, was just a drop in the ocean. Later, I made fifty thousand dors, a hundred thousand dors, a million dors, but none gave me the happiness that first twenty thousand did. Because, its significance to me was extraordinary. It was the first money I made using my skills, opening the door to my new world. Going back to Company X. X Company is a technologypany, not veryrge but with a strong sense of protection. I still remember, that damn firewall, which actually blocked me for a full six hours. Their firewall used Outside the window, the moonlight was clear. Under the covers, Xia Qingqings frown grew deeper as she read on, and she couldnt help but mutter, These cyber attacks and defenses are so refined what level of hacker is Lin Chuan? But she didnt have time to think it through. In the WeChat work group, it was ate-night bombardment! @All membersCEmergency situation, several cities within the province are under attack by foreign hackers, Anling is entering emergency protection mode, all members of the Anling cyber police team to gather in the meeting room at 06:00 on April 3rd! Received, reply! For those who do not reply, the squadron leaders will notify each one to ensure the notice is received. 00:26. Xia Qingqings vision went dark, and after replying with received, she could only put down the novel that she was just getting absorbed in and hurriedly went to sleep. Chapter 65: 65: Setting Sail! Chapter 65: Setting Sail!
` The following day, early morning. In the old city district, the first light of dawn spilled through the hazy clouds onto the patchwork city, draping Anling in a golden veil. The wind, at times, gently swept across the streets, kicking up dust, and at others, carried a cacophony of irregr sounds, much like an old cat snoring around the corner, seeping into Lin Chuans narrow rented room. Yesterday. Lin Chuan had set up firewalls for the summit of Zijin, and then yed games with Old Wang and the others, so he had gone to bed early.
This morning, it wasnt the wind or the early sunshine that woke Lin Chuan, but Youyou. Ding dong ding dong. 9:00. Youyou sent a message right on time. Darling~ Time to get up. Mmm Lin Chuan stretchedzily, rubbed his bleary eyes, pressed his temples, and, after waking up, replied to Youyou, Youyou, Im here. Have you had breakfast yet? Youyou asked with concern. Not yet. Lin Chuan was brushing his teeth while replying to the messages. Darling~ about Hacker Kingdom, Youyou sent a barrage of messages.
In the rented room, in front of a sink tiled with old porcin. Lin Chuans hand clutching the toothbrush stiffened, Is the data not looking good? Youyou replied, Yes, I arranged a Chief Editors Rmendation for you yesterday, which has a significant number of exposures. Lin Chuan frowned, feeling a sense of foreboding, Hows the conversion rate? Not great. Youyou replied with three words. Then, she sent over a backend data chart. [04/02 Sailing Novel Chief Editors Rmendation Results] [Title: Hacker Kingdom] [Favorites: 2607.] [Average Subscriptions: 318.] [Reading Conversion Rate from Rmendation: 0.4, Average Standard: 1.2]
[Chapter Retention Rate from Rmendation: 67%, Average Standard: 50%] The reading conversion rate refers to the ratio between the number of rmendations and the number of readers. 0.4! Only four in a thousand? Lin Chuans gaze sharpened, instantly focusing on one piece of data, his brow half furrowed. A big banner, a small horn, Chief Editors Rmendation, Bestseller Selection, are the four main rmendations from Sailing Novel with thergest exposure. If a novel gets featured in one of these rmendations but doesnt show any significant performance improvement, Then, it can pretty much be pronounced dead. The early morning breeze fluttered the curtains in Lin Chuans small rented living room, pping against his body, creeping into his boxers, sending goosebumps all over him. Chilling to the bone! System, can you brush some subscriptions for me? The system quickly replied
Host, brushed subscriptions do not count towards the actual Poprity Value. Currently at 318 Poprity Value, you are 5682 points short, keep up the effort, host. Hissss! Lin Chuan took a deep breath and muttered, 5682 points short in Poprity Value, thats quite a gap. Could it be that I will fall at the hacker hurdle? He had only just tasted the sweetness brought by the capability of Top-Level Hacker Technique yesterday, but todays novel data had jerked him awake. No wonder nobody has been writing novels about hacking these years. Its really cold! Darling~ Dont be discouraged just yet. ` Youyou noticed that Lin Chuan hadnt replied for a long time and guessed his mood, so she quickly sent aforting message. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, Youyou, Im actually okay.
Thats good, about your book Hacker Kingdom, Principal Editor Mingyue and I have some thoughts. Youyous message came back quickly. Youyou, just say it, I can take it, Lin Chuan forced a smile, waiting for Youyous analysis. Soon, Youyou sent a string of messages. Honey, Mingyue and I both think that the reason for your low reading conversion rate might be two-fold. First, Hacker Kingdom has a bit of a high threshold for readers. As editors, Mingyue and I went through the first hundred thousand words and found it quite challenging; the technical aspects are too strong. This professional jargon isnt like that of an assassins, its technical jargon thatymen really struggle to get. Second, there are very few domestic readers for this topic. When hacker-themed novels were flourishing on Sailing Novel, it was the time when the hacker culture wave was hitting our country, but that was ten years ago. To revive the glory of the hacker theme from those days, our country would need to ignite another hacker culture wave. At this moment. Lin Chuan leaned back in his chair, his brows knitted tightly.
The two reasons Youyou mentioned were spot-on. Hacker Kingdom has a high reading threshold and a small domestic audience, which is why it has performed so dismally. However, the solution Youyou proposed, to ignite another hacker culture wave, is extremely difficult. Indeed it is, Lin Chuan felt somewhat helpless. Honey, can I ask you something? Ask away, Youyou. Do you have confidence in the quality of Hacker Kingdom? Youyou inquired. Lin Chuan furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment: Yes. After acquiring top-level hacker technique, he had carefully reviewed Hacker Kingdom, the book generated by the system based on his experiences, and its quality was definitely top-notch. But the sales were abysmal. Honey~ then wait for some good news from me! Youyou sent a message. In Modu, the office building of Sailing Novel. Youyou put down her phone, gazed at the Excel table Overseas Publication Application on herputer screen, clenched her fist, and began typing in information about Hacker Kingdom. Recently, Sailing Novel had started preparing for novel going overseas. That is to say, they were going to publish novels overseas. Each editor had the power to rmend works, but the least qualification required was an average subscription of ten thousand. By all rights, Lin Chuans Hacker Kingdom, with an average subscription of 318, stood no chance of joining the ranks of novel going overseas. But Youyou wanted to fight for Lin Chuans chance. Lin Chuan was the most promising author under her, with two huge hits in a row, both aiming for ten thousand subscriptions. If Hacker Kingdompletely flopped, Youyou was worried it would crush Lin Chuans confidence and he would never recover. Therefore, Youyou made up her mind to push Hacker Kingdom overseas. Her thinking was simple: if the hacker culture wasnt thriving domestically, then push it overseas. Hacker culture was flourishing overseas. Especially in North Bear. But while the idea was simple, implementing it was difficult. So after filling out the Overseas Publication Application, Youyou took a deep breath and headed to the office of the Principal Editor of Sailing Novel. No way! In the office, the Principal Editor just nced at Hacker Kingdoms numbers and rejected it outright. Youyou pursed her lips and argued, Principal Editor, the author of this novel, Mr. Lin, has written two huge masterpieces in a row. Swindler won first ce in Heroes Compete. This Assassin Is Too Professional is on its way to ten thousand subscriptions. If Hacker Kingdom could go overseas, I believe it would definitely make a brilliant showing. The Principal Editor frowned slightly and still shook his head, Youyou, letting a book with only three hundred average subscriptions go abroad is hard to justify to the higher-ups. Youyou gritted her teeth, I can guarantee it! What do you guarantee with? With with my year-end bonus! Youyous delicate eyshes trembled slightly, a firm determination appearing on her delicate face. Chapter 66: 66: Hacker Breaks into 720? Chapter 66: Hacker Breaks into 720?
` In the office. The forty-something editor-in-chief couldnt help but look up at Youyou with a touch of surprise in his eyes, Youyou, I know you want to support the authors and achieve results, but this books performance is really too poor. Youyou spoke with conviction, But the reason for the books poor performance isnt its quality, but rather its subject matter. As long as it can go overseas, I guarantee it will perform well. The office fell into a brief silence. Hacker Kingdom
The editor-in-chief looked down at the Overseas Publication Application Form in his hand and sighed softly, Youyou, youre being too na?ve. Please reconsider, Editor! Youyou implored earnestly. The editor-in-chief raised his hand and said, In a bit Ill call together some operations staff and chief editors for a small meeting, and well seriously evaluate the Hacker Kingdom you rmended. Really? A bright light appeared in Youyous eyes. The editor-in-chief nodded, Mm, you can go back to work now. Thank you, Editor! Youyou pursed her lips, suppressing the smile at the corners of her mouth. As long as Hacker Kingdom enters the evaluation, there is hope. My Lin Chuan cough, I misspoke, Mr. Lin under my charge, youd better perform well for me. My year-end bonus is riding on this, wuwuwu~ About two hourster.
Approaching the end of the workday. Mingyue, dressed in a sharp blue suit, walked towards Youyous office space in her high heels. Youyou swallowed hard and quickly straightened her back, raising her head to ask, Mingyue Sister, how did it go? The editor-in-chief had mentioned a small meeting, which Chief Editor Mingyue had attended. There was a fierce debate at the meeting, Mingyue said with a slight smile. Ah? Youyous expression stiffened, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. Mingyue continued with a smile, At the meeting, the other chief editors did not agree with Hacker Kingdom going overseas, because its performance was just too dismal and did not meet the criteria. Youyous upright posture slumped visibly, as she deted and her mouth puckered, So, that means no chance. Not necessarily. Mingyue pinched Youyous cheek and smiled, The chief editors might disagree, but the operations team agrees. Theyre very optimistic about this novel. Hmm?
Youyous eyes lit up, If operations agrees, thats great. Operations, responsible for marketing the works, are behind Sailing Novels rmendations, promotions, channels, and traffic attraction. At some less transparent sites, itsmon for the operations team to manually select certain works for a mass promotion, creating momentum. This goes to show how powerful operations can be. In Sailing Novels overseas n, operations has done specific market analysis for the international market and holds more sway than editors. Right, several operations staff praised your Lin Chuan highly, listing him among the pioneering works, Mingyue said with augh. Mingyue Sister, what do you mean your Lin Chuan? He is an author under my charge, Youyou said with a beaming smile, What are pioneering works? For novels going overseas, trantion takes a long time, but as you know, other novel websites are also working on going international. So, Sailing ns to allow a small batch of works to go overseas first, to seize the market, Mingyue exined. Youyou had an epiphany, I see. So, go ahead and give your talented author the good news. Mingyue winked. Thank you, Mingyue Sister.
Youyou hummed a little tune joyfully, picked up her phone, and habitually typed two characters into Lin Chuans chat box: Treasure~ Youyou, whats up? Lin Chuan replied quickly to the message. Good news! You got promoted to chief editor? Not that, but if you put in a bit more effort, I might have a chance to be promoted to chief editor. So whats the good news? Hacker Kingdom is going international! In the rental. Lin Chuans pupils dted as he stared at the words going international. That his work with an average subscription of 318 could go international was something Lin Chuan had never imagined. `
As expected, this result hade from Youyous considerable effort. System, do overseas subscriptions count towards Poprity Value? Swiftly, the Career Life Experience System responded Yes. After pondering for a long while, Lin Chuan felt warmth in his heart and solemnly replied to Youyou, Youyou, thank you. Its nothing. Youyou replied nonchntly, Just write a few more novels with over ten thousand subscriptions to repay me, and Ill be satisfied. Of course. The corners of Lin Chuans mouth lifted slightly as his fingers tapped rapidly. Youyou replied again, So, you wont leave me, right? ? Lin Chuans eyes narrowed, his face full of question marks.
Youyou, what do you mean by that We signed a contract, not a life indebtedness agreement! After sending her previous message, Youyou hurriedly exined, Uh, I mean, you wont switch to someone else after you achieve sess, right? /pout.jpg Lin Chuan exhaled a sigh of relief,ughing, Youyou, I thought you had inappropriate thoughts about me for a moment there. At the other end of the inte, Youyou pouted slightly, What, am I that bad? Not bad at all. Not bad Just not bad? Er, Youyou, youre the best editor! Lin Chuan spoke his genuine thoughts. Indeed. As an editor, Youyou was already very good. At least, Lin Chuan had never encountered a better editor than Youyou. Thats more like it. Youyous lips curled up in a satisfied smile, her delicate face beaming. Inside the Sailing Novel office building. Li Xue, also an editor, walked past Youyou. Seeing Youyou smiling at her phone for no apparent reason, she couldnt help but tease, Youyou, are you in love? Xue, what nonsense are you talking about? Youyou retorted with mock annoyance, while simultaneously pressing the power button to turn her phones screen ck. Li Xue blinked with a smile, Youyou, your smile is harder to suppress than an AK, and you say youre not in love? Come on, which rich young master is it? Xue, youre asking for a beating! Youyou raised her clenched little fist before Li Xues face. In the blink of an eye, 10 days had passed. April 13th, evening. In the Happiness Community, the mottled walls were hidden in the night, the lights dim yellow, intertwining with the illumination from the residents windows. A mother cat curled up next to a small supermarket, emitting a cry like that of a baby. Inside the small supermarket. The Little Landy was oblivious to the mother cats spring calling outside the door. She focused on holding a pen, scribbling on a notebook, asionally pressing a calctor to verify the figures. She looked like a small business owner in charge of ounts. During these ten days. Hacker Kingdom had already been officially released overseas, just waiting for the performance feedback. Additionally. Due to the increasing frequency and scale of malicious attacks from foreign hackers, ranging from government institutions and techpanies to inte cafes and bars, all suffered varying degrees of attacks. As a result, Lin Chuans Studio 720 acquired five new clients. These five were allrge inte cafe customers, introduced by the Little Landys second uncle, Zhang Ren. Therefore, the Little Landy had managed to break away from the allure of short videos, busying herself with calctions, turning into a little finance fanatic. As for Lin Chuan. He was in Studio 720 next to the small supermarket, having just finished coding, stood up, and stretched his back. Suddenly! Theputer screen in front of Lin Chuan began to flicker continuously, turning into a blue screen, with six Chinese characters disyed in the middle. Chapter 67: 67 Are you promoting me like this? Chapter 67: Are you promoting me like this?
Hacker intrusion? Lin Chuans brows furrowed, as his eyes fixed on the six white Chinese characters in the middle of the blue screen: Hello, my friend. This was a kind of remote control technology. The principle was simple, but the implementation was difficult. Because, when essing remotely, one had to deceive the firewall set up by Lin Chuan and also intrude into theputer to gain his administrative privileges. The firewall and administrative privileges of the studioputer, due to time constraints, had only been temporarily set up by Lin Chuan.
However, the fact that someone could infiltrate his studioputer unnoticed, undoubtedly indicated a top-level hacker. Lin Chuan was also a top-level hacker. In his professional hacking life in Experience Life, he had faced countless simr situations. Therefore. Lin Chuan didnt panic, but methodically operated the keyboard and mouse to regain control of his studioputer. In just two minutes, Lin Chuan had taken back control. At this time, Lin Chuan didnt choose to shut down the blue screen but used this program tomunicate with the other party. Who are you? Hello there, I am Angelina. The other party was quick too, this program functioned much like a normalmunication tool that could be used to exchange information. Angelina? Lin Chuan slightly frowned, he had already tracked Angelinas IP address to North Bear.
What do you want? Lin Chuan asked directly. Hello Mr. Lin, I mean no harm, your Hacker Kingdom is really good, Angelina replied. Lin Chuans brow grew tighter, and he was momentarily stunned: A reader? Yes, Mr. Lin, I am your reader. On the blue screen, another string of information from Angelina appeared. Mr. Lin took his hands off the keyboard and couldnt help but hold his forehead, sinking into ate-night emo mood. Are all my readers this incredible? I dont need to mention therades at Anling Police Station. To respect and abide by thew is everyones responsibility, and not to mention the ouws from the reader group. This reader from North Bear was even a top-level hacker, who directly intruded into myputer to say hello. Is this something a normal reader would do? After a long pause. Lin Chuan replied, Angelina, dont you think this is a bit impolite?
You are a world-ss hacker, I thought you would like this cool way of greeting, Angelina responded. Alright, its indeed cool, Lin Chuan smiled. Mr. Lin, I spent a whole two days reading your autobiography, your life experience is just so rich and colorful. Clearly, Angelina had be a faithful reader of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuans face darkened, he replied, Hacker Kingdom is not an autobiography, its a fictional story set in the Virtual World. Angelinas level of Chinese was very good, she sent a long string of text in one breath. Ipletely understand, Mr. Lin, I too live in the Virtual World, where stories are unseen by others. Many believe it to be fiction, but in reality, its happening, she said. Hisss! Lin Chuan took a deep breath. The air was still a bit chilly in April evenings. Almost forgot, the environment hackers live in is a lot different from the real world, hence their way of thinking greatly differs from ordinary people. Luckily, Angelina was an overseas reader.
If domestic readers also shared this thought, they would have already dialed Police Number, ready to collect the reward. No one can resist the temptation of a 200 bounty. Even if the person theyre reporting is their favorite author! And so. Lin Chuan just smiled faintly and asked, This is just a work of fiction, no need to take it seriously. NONONO! Angelina sent three NOs in session: What I see is a masterpiece by a world-ss hacker at the peak of his craft! Lin Chuans eyebrows rose, and his fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard: Angelina, thank you for your recognition. SO, I, on behalf of HK, am extending an invitation to you, hoping that you will be our ally and fight alongside us, Angelina invited. ? Lin Chuan was taken aback. Shes inviting me to be an ally of HK? HK, the most influential hacker organization in North Bear. They have defeated countless hacker organizations in cyber battles and are renowned worldwide.
They are both North Bears sturdiest firewall and sharpest spear in the Virtual World. Angelina exined the reason for inviting Lin Chuan: In your autobiography, you oncemitted crimes andter transformed into a Red Hacker to fight for your country, which aligns perfectly with our HKs principles. We really hope you will be our ally. Lin Chuan calmed his emotions and declined politely: Sorry, I am just one person who wants to write novels. Angelina: We respect your wishes. Your novel is very good; I think I must rmend it to my friendstheyll love it. Mr. Lins eyes brightened, and a smile appeared on his face: Thank you. As a hub of hacker culture, North Bear. Should Angelina rmend Hacker Kingdom to her friends, it is bound to be well received. I hope we can be friends, Angelina sent the message sincerely. Lin Chuan smiled, I hope so. Alright, I wille to you next time, Angelina replied. Dont find me like this next time; you can add my QQ or WeChat, Lin Chuan said with augh. Okay.
Angelina left the chat. A few minutester. A notification popped up on Lin Chuans QQ. Ding dong ding dong. Angelina has requested to add you as a friend. Additional information: Mr. Lin, I am your loyal reader. Source: Found by ount search. Lin Chuan smirked to himself, sure enough, even the QQ ount is not a secret before a top-ss hacker. ept. Next time you have something to talk about, you can send it directly to me here, Lin Chuan sent a message to Angelina through the QQ chat window. Okay/OK.jpg. Angelina replied with an OK emoticon first and then said, Your novel is just too good. I have to promote it tonight. Lin Chuan smiled, Then thank you for the promotion. Loyal reader fan +1. But. What Lin Chuan didnt know was that Angelina wasnt just a loyal fan, but a fanatic one. North Bear. In a sci-fi-themed studio. A girl wore an off-shoulder ck top, her white shoulders and neck as graceful as a swan. She blinked herrge brown eyes and murmured in the North Bearnguage: Hacker Kingdom is truly the pinnacle in the Hacker World. I think every hacker should be aware of its existence! Yes! They must be aware of its existence! She was Angelina. Angelina immediately turned on herputer, started editing code, and fiddled with a specific push notification program. All to promote Lin Chuans Hacker Kingdom. That night, an untold number of hackers in North Bear mysteriously received a special push notification on their phones. Chapter 68: 68 Astonishing Increase! Chapter 68: Astonishing Increase!
` The night deepened. Above, a bright moon hung high, and silver moonlight scattered across the sky, immersing the city of North Bear in silence. Only the asional bark of a dog or the shout of a drunken man broke this tranquility. However, in the silent virtualwork, a powerful program quietly swept through the entire hackermunity of North Bear. Lets call it a rogue program. Because it was neither a Trojan nor a virus but a simple push notification.
It appeared in the search engines, social media apps, and infiltration tools of hackers in an almost impudent manner. Inside a bachelors apartment. A young man engaged inwork pration had just finished his days work. Full of vigor, he effortlessly essed a certain short video website. Tired from a whole day, time to rx, he muttered in North Bearian, then started flipping through the pages, looking for a video to his taste. This one looks good, the young hacker said with interest as he clicked on the video. Loading. Load sessful. Suddenly! A pop-up ad appeared right in the middle of the phone screen. [Congrattions, you have been selected as a reader of The God of Hackers autobiography.]
[Open this autobiography.] [You will see the legendary life of The God of Hackers!] [Hacker Kingdom, redirecting in 3 seconds!!!] Huh? The young hackers eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the pop-up ad. After 3 seconds. The short video website actually redirected to another page automatically. The Sailing Novel international site, webpage. Oh, you madman!!! Which lunatic hacked my phone and pushed this on me? I just wanted to watch some short videos! The God of Hackers?
Hmph! Once Im rxed, Ill see what this God of Hackers is all about! The same scene unfolded in various parts of North Bear. On one hand, the hackers were filled with rage, tracking down the origin of this rogue program. On the other hand, they clicked into Lin Chuans novel to see who dared im to be The God of Hackers on North Bear turf. Keep in mind: North Bear is globally known as the most thriving ce for hacker culture and the cradle of top-level hackers. This night, the hackermunity of North Bear was destined to be sleepless. In the studio, Angelina, wearing a ck off-the-shoulder top, blinked her eyes, a satisfied smile appearing on her face. She then sent Lin Chuan a message: The push isplete. That fast? Lin Chuan, who had just finished washing up and was lying in bed, was somewhat surprised.
Its just a matter of coding a program. Tomorrow Ill also rmend it in your area. I really love your autobiography; they will definitely love it too!!! Angelina sent another message. Her words conveyed a sense of no big deal and true fan. Lin Chuan smiled. For a world-ss hacker, rmending a novel to a friend indeed only required a simple program. However, Angelinas second message made Lin Chuan curious: Do you also know my friends from over here? A touch of pride appeared on Angelinas face as she sent two consecutive messages. Of course. /smug.jpg Dont underestimate the channels of top North Bear hackers, we can contact anyone in the world. Impressive! Lin Chuan replied with a thumbs-up.jpg emoji. ` Angelina looked at Lin Chuans thumbs up emoji, and the corners of her mouth uncontrobly curled upwards. She straightened her back andbed her messy hair from her temples behind her head with her slender, fair fingers, quickly typing on the keyboard:
Idol, wait for my good news! Alright, Ill wait for your good news, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Idol, I think you will like my very cool and cool rmendation method, Angelina said with a pursed smile, adding a /blink.jpg. Lin Chuanughed, As long as its a rmendation, I like it. With those words from you, I am even more confident about rmending! Angelinas smile became even brighter. She became more convinced in the enthusiastic technologically advanced way she was rmending. This rmendation method truly technological, very hardcore. End of chat. In the middle of the night, Lin Chuany in bed, hands pillow behind his head. System, panel. [Work: Hacker Kingdom.] [Current status: On sale.]
[Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 527/6000. (Includes overseas Poprity Value: 153)] Overseas Poprity Value of 153? A light shed in Lin Chuans eyes. Hacker Kingdom had only been published recently. Before Angelina had reached out to him, Lin Chuan had made a point to check the overseas Poprity Value (Average Subscription), which was 63 at the time. After Angelina rmended it to her friends, in just two hours, there was an increase of 90 Average Subscriptions! 90 Average Subscriptions might not seem like a lot. But, with Hacker Kingdom having around 400 paid chapters, thats 36,000 chapter subscriptions. And an important point to note: Normal readers of online novels read at a pace of 50,000 to 60,000 characters per hour; with speed reading, it could reach 100,000 characters/hour. The free part of Hacker Kingdom was close to 200,000 characters in length. Meaning, these 36,000 chapter subscriptions were focused on just the small portion of newly charged chapters! Therefore, Angelina had rmended Lin Chuan at least a thousand hacker readers, or even close to ten thousand. Lin Chuans estimate was still too conservative. Because the Poprity Value of Hacker Kingdom was still rising. Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 527/6000 Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 568/6000 Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 613/6000 Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 669/6000 Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 712/6000 In the rental room. Lin Chuan simply couldnt stay lying down anymore. The night breeze blew gently, and asionally, the mating calls of cats came from outside the window. But Lin Chuan turned a deaf ear to it. At that moment, he was sitting on the bed, calling out the system panel from time to time, checking the Poprity Value every so often. This rate of increase in Poprity Value (Average Subscription) was too fast! It was so fast that Lin Chuan was too excited to sleep. At this rate, he could reach six thousand Poprity Value in the next couple of days. By then, he could unlock a new profession, experience a new professional life, acquire new skills, and create new novels. Meanwhile, Lin Chuan was also filled with doubts. This rate of increase was a bit too extreme! Because it wasnt like with Swindler or This Assassin Is Too Professional, where both novels had fast-growing Poprity Values due to the boost from the trending searches on the Quick Shake tform. For Hacker Kingdom, the only known rmendation so far was Angelina saying she would promote it to her friends. If all these were Angelinas friends, then Angelina, a member of the North Bear HK Hacker Organization, must have way too many friends, right? Is this what it feels like to be propelled by an Influent Author? Lin Chuan murmured to himself, unable to resist. This surge felt like hitting rock bottom in grades, then springing back to life with a chapter promotion from a great author, like dry wood meeting spring. Chapter 69: 69: Treasure, Taking Off! Chapter 69: Treasure, Taking Off!
The next day, early in the morning. In Modu, the rising sun pierced through the thin cloudyers like fish scales, casting a brilliant glow onto the ss of the closely packed skyscrapers. Inside the Sailing Novel office building. Youyou, dressed in a beige maxi dress and wearing small white high heels, walked up to the editor-in-chiefs office, took a deep breath, then tucked her hair behind her ears to ease her nervousness a bit. This morning. As soon as Youyou stepped into the Sailing Novel office building, she ran into the editor-in-chief.
Seeing her, he only said one sentence, Youyou,e to my officeter; lets talk about your year-end bonus. Hisss! Year-end bonus! Youyou became nervous all at once. She had bet her year-end bonus on taking Lin Chuans Hacker Kingdom overseas for publication, but in reality, she also did not have much confidence. The only thing that supported her to make such a bold decision was her belief in Lin Chuan. But. Whether the novel would take off upon publishing, who could be sure? Some have prepared diligently, spending ten years to forge a sword, crafting a great work filled with deep meaning and profound reflections on life, but in the end, they might not even get their work passed a trial run on Sailing Novel. A look at the actual following: 1. This reader was still criticizing it. Others write wildly with their eyes closed, with careless plots, no embellishments, spending their days in bluster and directly offensive plots, yet they keep topping bestseller lists and reaping both fame and fortune.
It really boggles the mind. Therefore, Youyou also had no certainty about whether Hacker Kingdom would take off. Forget it, if Lin Chuan cant deliver results, I wont be able to drum up any performance this year, and Ill have to pack my things and leave; there wont be any year-end bonus to speak of. Youyou consoled herself. Then she gently knocked on the editor-in-chiefs office door. Knock, knock, knock. Come in. The voice of the editor-in-chief came out. Youyou steadied her mind and walked into the editor-in-chiefs office, Editor-in-chief. The editor-in-chief, Zhang Yixing, was about forty years old, and he got along well with the editors; he was not too imposing. In his youth, he had written quite a few hot-selling books; now, he was balding. At this moment.
Seeing Youyoue in, Zhang Yixing paused his work, Youyou, take a seat first. Youyou pursed her lips and sat down at the tea table. Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing then smiled and said, Youyou, what kind of tea would you like? Youyous eyshes trembled slightly, and a tinge of confusion appeared on her face, Editor-in-chief, theres no need for this. If youre going to cut my year-end bonus, Ill ept it. In the workce. When a superior is about to cut sries or rewards, some would broach the subject with a cheerful disposition, creating a casual atmosphere as if chatting with an old friend. To Youyou, Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixings behavior seemed to carry an implication of offering wine to release military power. s, my year-end bonus! s, my little monies! Wuuu Who said your year-end bonus was getting cut? Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing raised his eyebrows slightly, asking with a smile.
Arent you talking to me about my year-end bonus? Youyou was startled. Zhang Yixing smiled, Cant a year-end bonus increase? The year-end bonus can increase? Doesnt that mean A flush of joy appeared on Youyous rosy cheeks, and her slightly dispirited eyes lit up, Editor-in-chief, didnt you just ask me what tea I want? Could you ask me one more time? What tea would you like? I dont want tea; I want coffee! Youyous voice rose a little, with the vigor of a liberated serf singing. Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixings mouth twitched slightly. But he still made Youyou a cup of instant coffee. Is it that Hacker Kingdom is doing quite well overseas? Youyou sipped her coffee and asked. How did you know?
Editor-in-chief, this coffee is really good! Youyou said with a smile. Editor-in-chief chuckled, Its results might be better than what you had in mind. How much? Youyou asked eagerly. The specific overseas data for Hacker Kingdom was not visible to Lin Chuan, and Youyou needed to request permission from the editor-in-chief to have ess. Ill send you the data; you can study it yourself, Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing said with a smile. Okay. Youyou nodded excitedly. Zhang Yixing sent the data to Youyou, whose fingers tapped continuously on her phone. A momentter. Youyou looked stunned and couldnt help but swallow her saliva. Hiss!
This data Ding-a-ling Ding-a-ling Youyous rm clock started ringing. 9:00. Zhang Yixing asked casually, You have an rm set at this time? Youyou came back to her senses, chuckled awkwardly, Chief Editor, this is the rm to wake up the God of Wealth, Im going back to carefully analyze this data! With that, Youyou picked up her coffee, humming a tune as she walked out of the office. Darling~ Time to wake up! Just after leaving the office, Youyou immediately sent two messages to Lin Chuan. Youyou, I just woke up, Lin Chuan replied. Last night, he fell into a deep sleep while watching the Poprity Value inch up. Darling~ Were taking off! Do you know? Between the lines, Youyous joy was overflowing. Taking off? Lin Chuans eyes widened, and he immediately understood what Youyou meant. System, panel! [Title: Hacker Kingdom.] [Current Status: Launched.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 2408/6000. (Including Overseas Poprity Value: 2018)] Overseas Poprity Value, 2018! Holy shit! On the bed, Lin Chuan sat up as if resurrected from the brink of death, his eyes wide and face full of astonishment! The increase of 2018 Poprity Value! Before bed. Lin Chuan had expected the increase to be fast, but he never anticipated it would be this rapid; the speed was truly astonishing. Was this the effect of Angelina rmending it to her friends? At this moment. Youyou sent another set of data. [Vanguard n work, overseas data as of April 14, 08:00.] [Title: Hacker Kingdom.] [Number of Collections: 105267.] [Paid Chapters: 397.] [Chapter Subscriptions: 801146.] [Average Subscription: 2018.] [Vanguard n Works Bestseller Ranking: 1.] Lin Chuan had experienced four different professional lives and saw much of the world, but virtual was still virtual, and his mindset was different. Now. With this explosive data in front of him, he couldnt help but take a deep breath to steady his overly excited emotions. The first thing Lin Chuan did was to thank Youyou. Hacker Kingdom could go international, all thanks to your efforts, Youyou. Thank you, Youyou!/Extremely grateful.jpg. Indeed, it was only after going international that Hacker Kingdom had the chance to soar. Lin Chuan felt grateful to Youyou. Inside the Sailing Novel building, Youyou smiled brightly, Its mainly because Hacker Kingdom is such high quality; I just added a finishing touch. Lin Chuan felt warmth in his heart, Youyou, so magnanimous! Write a few more books, and thatll be the best thanks for me! Youyouughed. Okay, Ill write a few more! Lin Chuan replied earnestly. After ending the conversation with Youyou, Lin Chuan took a deep breath and then opened up Angelinas chat window. Could the staggering number of a hundred thousand favorites be the result of Angelinas rmendation? If so, how exactly did she rmend it? Chapter 70: 70 Angelina, Ultimate Jail Fan! Chapter 70: Angelina, Ultimate Jail Fan!
Angelina, good morning. Out of politeness, Lin Chuan greeted Angelina first, since they had only met online the night before, for a total of about ten hours, and were not yet very familiar with each other. It was not like those men and women who meet by chance and gain a deep understanding of each other in just half an hour, inside out, and then boldly im in front of the police they are well-acquainted. As for the eight hundred yuan in cash, it seemed reasonable for acquaintances to consider it a meeting gift when no other presents were brought along. However. Angelina, on the other hand, behaved as if they were old friends. Maybe it was because she was immersed in the world of Hacker Kingdom, had glimpsed into Lin Chuans life, and saw him as an idol.
At that moment, she was in front of herputer, and when she saw a message from the author she admired, her heart leaped with joy, and her fingers danced lightly over the keyboard. Idol, good morning. /rose.jpg Last night, my friends all loved your autobiography. Its great and very interesting; its definitely a masterpiece in the Hacker World. Some friends started cursing after seeing my rmendation at first, but their eyes soon betrayed their emotions because they couldnt stop reading your autobiography. ughing.jpg Angelina was generous with her words of praise. Even through the inte, Lin Chuan could almost see Angelinas eyes sparkling with little stars, although he had never met her. As a writer, he was not aiming to illuminate the world with his book, nor was he trying to pursue some profound literary realm. On the contrary, he was quite materialistic, only interested in making money. But when there genuinely were readers who recognized and praised him, Lin Chuan still felt very heartwarming. Lin Chuan considered seriously, noticing that Angelina, this reader from North Bear, was a little different from some of his previous readers. Angelina was not curious nor was she learning technology, nor trying to find out if he had a criminal record. She purely enjoyed Hacker Kingdom and highly appreciated him.
This subtle feeling lingered in Lin Chuans heart, leaving him content, happy, and slightly proud. Ultimate true fan! Lin Chuanbeled Angelina as such. Angelina, your rmendationst night was very powerful, the stats soared! Lin Chuan said sincerely, with augh. PowerfulI understand that word, but what does soared mean? Angelina asked. It means the novels stats went up really quickly. I see, so does the idol feel grateful to me? Of course. Lin Chuan was indeed grateful for Angelina, his ultimate true fan. When I get to your area, Ille and hang out with you! Angelina half-jokingly suggested. Sure thing! Lin Chuanughed in response. That settles it then, once I finish my current work, Ille and worship the idol! Angelina had a bright smile on her face.
By the way, Angelina, theres something I want to ask you about, Lin Chuan pondered for a moment before replying. Go ahead, idol, she said. Last night, Hacker Kingdom gained 100,000 collections, meaning 100,000 people added it to their bookshelves. Did they alle through your rmendation? Lin Chuan voiced his puzzlement. Only 100,000 added to the bookshelves? Angelina responded. Only? Lin Chuans eyebrows furrowed at her reply. Did Angelina think that 100,000 was too few? I rmended the autobiography of the idol to 200,000 peoplest night, Angelina said, and Lin Chuan was dumbfounded. 200,000? Wait a minute! Lin Chuan was stunned.
As the saying goes, the more friends you have, the more pathways in life you have. Elders always say its good to make more friends. But friends in the tens or hundreds of thousands were definitely astonishing. It was impossible for all these people to be Angelinas friends! With this thought, Lin Chuan quickly typed a question: Angelina, how did you rmend it to all these people? To promote the autobiography of the God of Hackers, of course, I had to use a bit of cool technology, Angelina replied. Cool technology? A little bit? Lin Chuans heart suddenly filled with an ominous premonition. Angelina was a member of the North Bear HK Hacker Organization, and when she talked about her cool techniques could that mean cyber intrusion? GG! Would the Cyber Police of North Bear consider it a war between hackers if they detected such arge-scale cyber intrusion? Suddenly!
Lin Chuan thought of something even more terrifying. Last night, Angelina said she had channels in the country and was going to rmend Hacker Kingdom abroad. Hisss! Lin Chuans mouth twitched, and he took in a sharp breath of cold air, quickly asking, You havent begun rmending on my side, have you? However, the three messages Angelina sent made Lin Chuans spirit chill from head to toe. How dare I neglect something rted to my idol? Have you ever seen Mo City at four in the morning? I got up at four oclock to start tinkering with the app for the first round of promotion. After all, its cross-border, and there are a few troubles with promotion. Lin Chuan, also being a hacker, keenly sensed something was amiss: Angelina, is this a technical push? Technical push? Angelina wasnt sure about the meaning of these Chinese words. I mean, did you use methods like cyber intrusion to push out the promotions? Lin Chuan asked.
Cyber intrusion You could say that, Angelina replied. Lin Chuan suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes, as if someone had grasped his throat, the hand of fate making it hard to breathe. Angelinas kind of rmendation was too penalizing! True Love Fan () Head-First-to-Jail Fan () Angelina indeed was different from the other readers in the group. The group ofwbreakers merely talked about sending Lin Chuan to prison. But Angelina, The Head-First-to-Jail Fan, took actual steps to send Lin Chuan there! For a long while. Lin Chuan finally collected himself: Angelina, stop the promotion for now. Idol, whats wrong? Angelina asked. Lin Chuans breathing grew rapid, his fingers moving faster than ever: How many people have you reached with your promotion in my country so far? Angelina pondered for a moment and then replied, Due to cross-border promotion taking some time, Ive only reached Han River Province where you are, about fifty thousand people. Fifty thousand? Lin Chuans eyes widened, and he drew in a sharp breath of cold air. This number should count as arge-scale invasion by foreign hackers, right? The only constion was that Angelina was just promoting a novel, and it shouldnt have caused any real damage. Lin Chuan considered, I know you like Hacker Kingdom, but this method of promotion can easily cause unnecessary troubles. Angelina looked at Lin Chuans message, her eyebrows furrowed, her mouth slightly pursed: Idol, there might be some trouble. Book banning, squatting in the police station, Lin Chuan thought of two possibilities. Angelina first intruded the hackermunities of North Bear, then crossed over and did another round in Han River Province; such actions created huge disturbances. Lin Chuan was unclear about the situation in North Bear. If it was investigated in Han River Province, digging deep into the matter would likely lead to the novel being banned. Even Lin Chuan himself might be facing imprisonment. In such a situation, having no experience and not quite understanding it, Lin Chuan needed to consult with a professional before drawing any conclusions. As for the professional Immediately, Lin Chuan thought of the short-haired girl who resembled Yixing, Xia Qingqing. Luckily, during theirst gaming session at the Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe, Lin Chuan and Xia Qingqing had exchanged contact details. Dudu dudu Lin Chuan dialed Xia Qingqings number. Chapter 71: 71 God of Hackers Chapter 71: God of Hackers
Hello, Writer Lin. From the other end of the phone, Xia Qingqings crisp voice came through. Officer Xia, I have some questions aboutworkw Id like to consult with you about, are you avable? Lin Chuan asked. Xia Qingqingughed, Right now, Im stealing a bit of leisure amidst the busy hours, just so happens Im free. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, took a gentle breath, and asked, If a hacker from abroad were to invade one of our countrys users to push a novel, would that be grounds for a case? ording to thew, invading someone elseswork or server is illegal, especially stealing secrets, core data, and so on, which are serious cybercrimes, Xia Qingqing paused, But you said invade a user just to push a novel
Right. Lin Chuan nodded and replied, Just to push a novel, without engaging in data theft or the like. Its difficult to file a case for that. Xia Qingqing gave it some thought and offered her opinion. However. Such invasion acts, if they dont cause specific harm, at most qualify as disrupting public inte order. But considering theyre hackers, and foreign hackers at that, generally no case would be filed. In the cramped rental. Lin Chuan felt uneasy, and even after hearing no case would be filed, he didnt feel relieved. He continued to ask, What if, this foreign hacker carries outrge-scale invasion and then proceeds with the push? On the phone, Xia Qingqing frowned, Howrge-scale are we talking? Um about fifty thousand people. Fifty thousand!?
Xia Qingqings eyes widened, Writer Lin, thats serious disruption of public inte order, I advise you not to do it! These days, Xia Qingqing had been reading Lin Chuans novels in her spare time. She particrly enjoyed Hacker Kingdom. However, the performance of this book didnt seem to be that great, far worse than Lin Chuans previous two. So when Xia Qingqing heard about the hacker pushing novels, she couldnt help but think of Lin Chuan. Uh Lin Chuans mouth twitched, and he quickly emphasized, Officer Xia, I obey thew! Then, theres no need to worry, Xia Qingqing said with augh. Thats good. Lin Chuan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Xia Qingqing hung up the phone, smiled, and murmured to herself, Invading fifty thousand peoplesworks just to push a novel, which hacker would be so idle? The cost is much greater than the profit!
Anling City, Qingxiu District. Jintang Network Security Company. In the office of the Chief Technical Supervisor of Network Security, Fang Cheng, also known as the number one hacker Form in the online literary world, rested his hands on the desk with thumbs and middle fingers pressing on the temples on either side of his head, rubbing them hard. Fang Chengs hairline was high, revealing a shiny forehead, a symbol of his technical expertise. But he felt that his skills might not be sufficient to tackle the current challenges. During this span of time. Thework security situation in Han River Province was severe. In the hackermunity, news had spread of domestic and foreign hackers engaging in all-out confrontation. The current state of affairs in Han River Province was close to an all-out war if it hadnt already reached that point. Jintang Network Security Company had previously coborated with the Anling Police to maintainwork security and fend off attacks from foreign hackers. As the Chief Technical Supervisor, Fang Cheng was naturally one of the key responsible parties.
Only, the foreign hackers attacks were organized and strategic, andrge in scale, making Fang Cheng somewhat powerless to resist. Knock knock knock. Director Fang, this is the list ofpanies terminating cooperation and stopping technical supply this month, please review it. A staff member gently knocked on the office door and came in, handing over a document, Fang Cheng slightly lifted his head and took the document. Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe Speedster Inte Cafe Starshine Inte Cafe White Night eSports Inte Cafe Dreams Pact Inte Cafe Got it, Fang Cheng casually tossed the document on the desk and asked offhandedly, Have these inte cafes terminated their partnership with us because they got technical support from Copper Wall Network Security Company? The staff shook their head and said, ording to our investigation, they havent partnered with Copper Wall either.
Hmm? Fang Cheng paused, squinted his eyes slightly, Then who are they partnering with now? Given the current cyber environment in Han River Province, inte cafes are at great risk of being hacked. Without solid technical support, they are essentially targets for foreign hackers. Therefore, Fang Cheng was curious about who these inte cafes were partnering with. The staff member thought for a moment and answered, ording to feedback, these inte cafes are partnering with a personal work studio that provides them withwork security services. A personal work studio, the same one? Fang Cheng was curious. Yes, the same one, Studio 720, it was recently established, the staff member replied. Studio 720 Alright, I got it. You can go back to work, Fang Cheng said. He couldnt help butugh. In the currentwork environment, these inte cafes had actually abandoned Jintang to partner with a newly established small studio, which seemed like a case of misjudging their priorities. Generally speaking, Small studios dont possess core technologies, nor do they have some of the advanced security equipment, resulting in a significantck of emergency response capability.
If they were to face a sudden hacker attack, then these inte cafes would instantly be paralyzed. Oh well, let them be. Theres a saying thats quite right, Let go of the desire to help and respect individual destinies. The termination of partnerships by several inte cafes was just a minor episode for Jintang Network Security Company. Currently, their works main focus was on cooperating with the police. This was also what troubled and worried Fang Cheng the most. The attacks from foreign hackers were too fierce. How should they defend against them? Fang Cheng sat back in front of theputer. Suddenly! He noticed that a new icon with the words God of Hackers had appeared in the center of hisputer screen. Fang Chengs brows furrowed deeply; as the technical director ofwork security for Jintang, hisputer was supposed to be among the most secure in thepany. But now, an icon had appeared out of nowhere. Foreign hackers infiltrated? Fang Cheng murmured to himself. He immediately grasped the mouse with his right hand and ced his left on the keyboard, wanting to trace back to the source and see where this God of Hackers icon hade from. However, the icon seemed to be without roots, and Fang Cheng could not trace any useful information. Moreover, when Fang Cheng attempted to delete the icon, he found it firmly fixed in ce. No matter how many deletemands he executed, he could not remove it. It still was morning, and the day had not yet grown hot. Within the office, the air conditioning kept the room temperature at 26C, but beads of sweat had already started to form on Fang Chengs forehead. Because the God of Hackers icon had started running as a program on its own. The next second! Several lines ofrge text appeared in the middle of theputer screen. [Congrattions, you have been selected as the life reader of the God of Hackers.] [Open this autobiography.] [You will witness the legendary life of the God of Hackers!] [Hacker Kingdom, automatically redirecting in 3 seconds!!!] Chapter 72: 72 Hacker’s Advanced Handbook Chapter 72: Hackers Advanced Handbook
In the office. Jintang Cyber Security Technical Director Fang Cheng had intended to issue an emergency notice about the hacker intrusion immediately, but when he saw the countdown interface on hisputer screen ticking down from 321, he was stunned. 3 2 1 The God of Hackers program executed, automatically opening a webpage and redirecting it to a domestic site.
On the webpage, a scene that was all too familiar to Fang Cheng appeared. Sailing Novel Website! With a nk face, Fang Cheng stared at the Sailing Novel Websites page, squarely centered was an image of a cloaked figure in ck, below which were the books details. Title: Hacker Kingdom Author: Mr. Lin Genre: Urban Life At that moment, the God of Hackers icon disappeared. Fang Cheng regained control of hisputer. For safetys sake, he immediately started aprehensive check to see if hisputer had lost any data or had any viruses or Trojan horses. And he checked the Jintang firewall. However, after several checks, everything was normal.
Fang Cheng wiped the sweat off his forehead with his hand, his brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion as he stared at the novel that had just popped up: This hacker managed to break through Jintangswork firewall and imnt a rogue program on myputer, which shows a high level of skill. But did he do all this just to push a novel to me? Hacker Kingdom, God of Hackers A novel with a hacker theme was, for Fang Cheng, his professional domain. He was known as the No. 1 Hacker in the Web Novel Circle. That is, in the web novelmunity, he was the most awesome hacker, and in the hackermunity, he was the most awesome writer. Undoubtedly. Fang Cheng first looked at the author: Mr. Lin. He didnt recognize him. This wasnt one of the authors he was familiar with on Sailing Novel. He also hadnt heard of Lin Chuan, even though Lin Chuans trending topics had been up on the Quick Shake video live streaming tform for a while.
Because he rarely watched Quick Shake videos, just as Lin Chuan rarely watched WB. Whats so special about this book that its worth pushing through such means? Fang Cheng muttered under his breath with a half-furrowed brow. Driven by curiosity and suspicion, Fang Cheng gently scrolled the mouse wheel, and the main text of Hacker Kingdom slowly came into view on his screen. I am a hacker. A person who lurks in the shadows, unseen. I have fought against countless top hackers from overseas, and they have all be my conquered foes without exception. In the virtual world of the inte, I am the absolute king! Seeing this, Fang Cheng showed a touch of gravity on his face: First person narrative, could this really be the autobiography of the God of Hackers? He wasnt reading this hacker-themed novel with a condescending critical attitude. Because the person who promoted it was able to easily infiltrate hisputer andplete the page transition right under his nose.
Such hacking skills made Fang Cheng somewhat wary. In the web novel circle. The identities of authors are varied, including many big names from different circles. The political circle, the tomb-robbing circle, the spy circle, and also the hacker circle. A small part of these bigwigs would choose to record their lives in the form of novels, so some authors, as they wrote, ended up getting truly involved. Therefore. When the novel mentioned In the virtual world of the inte, I am the absolute king, Fang Cheng didnt sneer, but instead felt a sense of gravity and conviction. This author, even if not the God of Hackers, could very well be a top-tier hacker. He continued to read. X Company is a technologypany, not veryrge in scale, but with a strong sense of protection. I still remember to this day, that damn firewall, it actually blocked me for a full six hours. Their firewall uses an integrated IPS generalized detection engine, a WISE semantic analysis engine, and a SAVE security intelligence engine, all three major intelligent security detection engines, to ensure its protective effectiveness.
Moreover, it is linked with SIP and XDR tforms, making the spread of attacks fully visible across the entire chain, with very precise detection granrity and a high level of protection. This was my first time breaching a firewall. At that time, I was sitting in front of theputer, eyes full of focus, my mind frantically thinking about how to breach it and steal information. If it were theter me, I probably would need only ten minutes to aplish the goal. Because, such firewalls are not thatplex. As Jintang Cyber Security Technical Director Fang Cheng read about Mr. Lins first intrusion into X Company, he couldnt help but gasp in shock. To Fang Cheng, X Companys firewall already seemed quite robust in defending against cyber attacks. But, nevertheless. Mr. Lin had managed to breach it in just six hours. If it were him, under circumstances without any interference, he would need at least a full days time. This is a professional hacker, a technical author, and even though he didnt fully describe the key steps of the intrusion, I can already imagine his line of thought for the breach.
Truly impressive! Fang Cheng swallowed, leaning slightly forward to get a clearer view of the novels contents. The methods of intrusion and cyber defense measures depicted in the novel showed Fang Cheng a higher direction for hackers to grow. At this moment. To Fang Cheng, Hacker Kingdom was not just a novel. It was a Hackers Advanced Manual! Yes, Fang Cheng intended to draw inspiration from Mr. Lins attack methods in Hacker Kingdom to improve the firewalls of Jintang Network Security Company. It sounded far-fetched, but this was his professional habit. Time slipped by, second by second. Fang Cheng set aside many tasks and, after reporting to the general manager, he closed his office door and becamepletely immersed in Hacker Kingdom. One hour. Two hours. Three hours. It was already noon, he hadnt had lunch, and it wasnt until dusk began to fall that he slowly returned to reality from the world of Hacker Kingdom. Because, he was too hungry to bear it any longer. Fang Cheng didnt show any signs of difort from the acid in his stomach. On the contrary, he was overjoyed, his whole being no longer weighed down with the heartache and indecision of early morninginstead, he seemed more spirited. I see, now! I know how to improve the firewall! This time, we can maximize the defense against foreign hacker attacks! Fang Chengughed heartily. He stepped out of his office and ate some biscuits from thepany break room. After reporting back to the general manager, he sent out an emergency notice for overtime work. The technicians of Jintang Network Security Company were working overtime to optimize and upgrade the firewall! Meanwhile. At the behest of the general manager, Fang Cheng also made a call to Yu Shan, the captain of the Anling Cyber Security Detachment. Jintang and the police were jointly resisting foreign cyberattacks. As Jintangs firewall was undergoing optimization and upgrading, the Cyber Security Detachment needed to be notified. Once the upgrade was sessful, it would also set the minds of the Cyber Security Detachment at ease. After staring at Hacker Kingdom for several hours, Fang Cheng felt as though he had been studying under a top-notch hacker for quite some time. Fang Cheng believed the hacker who breached his ownputerwork hadnt been wrong. The true God of Hackers! Therefore, he had high confidence in this optimization and upgrade. Chapter 73: 73 Is the Hacker Bored and Playing Around? Chapter 73: Is the Hacker Bored and ying Around?
` Captain Yu, this is Fang Cheng, the Jintang Cyber Security Technical Director, Fang Cheng said over the phone. Its Director Fang, whats the matter? Yu Shan was still working overtime. Tonight, we will carry out aprehensive optimization and upgrade of the Jintang firewall. If the upgrade is sessful, it should significantly alleviate the pressure were currently experiencing from overseas hacker attacks, said Fang Cheng with candor. Aprehensive optimization and upgrade? Yu Shan was somewhat surprised.
Yes! Fantastic! Yu Shanughed heartily, Director Fang, you are Anlings cyber hero! Captain Yu tters me; this is just part of my job, replied Fang Cheng with a smile. The optimization and upgrade will take a lot of time, but we aim toplete it by tomorrow. Good, Ill be waiting for your good news! He hung up the phone. Fang Cheng immediately threw himself into the work of optimizing and upgrading the firewall. A round moon hung high in the sky, its silver-white gentle moonlight casting a sheeryer of gauze over the brightly lit Anling Police Station. The evening breeze blew past, rustling the hair of Xia Qingqing, a female officer on the Cyber Security Detachment team. Xia Qingqing, dressed in navy blue police uniform, didnt mind her disheveled hair as she knocked on the door of the Cyber Security Detachment team leaders office. Captain, you wanted to see me. Having worked all day, Xia Qingqing appeared tired.
Qingqing, today we detected a foreign hackers intrusion into the Han River Provincework, and Anling is included. Preliminary estimates indicate that this intrusion has affected tens of thousands ofputers and smartphones, which is arge scale, but the specifics of the program and potential harm are still unknown. Heres the information; youll be in charge of following up on this, Captain Yu exined as he handed over a stack of documents. Okay. Xia Qingqing took a deep breath, took the documents, and returned to her desk to review them. The documents contained pertinent information. Tracing foreign hacker infiltrations such as viruses and Trojans is part of the Cyber Security Detachments duties, with the goal of preventing such malware from damaging the localwork. The program mentioned by Captain Yu, although not yet determined to be a virus or a Trojan, had already severely disruptedwork order by affecting tens of thousands of devices. Xia Qingqing immediately began investigating. Since she was not the direct target of the intrusion, she couldnt trace the programs source directly. Hence, Xia Qingqings first step was to identify where the program ultimately ended up. This wasnt difficult for her, given herpetent technical skills. It didnt take long. Xia Qingqing had traced several users.
Weird, the program from the foreign intrusion is clearly installed on theseworks, so why cant I find any data information on it? Xia Qingqing frowned slightly in confusion. The more she continued her investigation, the more baffled she became. Xia Qingqing leaned back in her chair, her lips pursed thoughtfully as she contemted how to track down the program. After a long while. She let out a light sigh, took out her phone, and opened up a chat with Lin Chuan. Writer Lin, do you have a moment? Lin Chuan replied, Officer Xia, whats up? Id like to ask you some questions aboutwork technology, Xia Qingqing said, pursing her lips. Ever since she read Lin Chuans Hacker Kingdom, Xia Qingqing believed that Lin Chuan had strongworking skills. Thus, when she couldnt track down the intrusion programs data information, she decided to consult Lin Chuan for his input. Maybe Lin Chuan had a solution. Ask Im honored. We can discuss whatever issue together, Lin Chuan replied.
` Xia Qingqing didnt beat around the bush, her fingers rapidly tapping the screen of her phone, Writer Lin, suppose theres a program that has been imnted into users smartphones andputers, but it doesnt reveal any data information. How do we continue to locate its data information? Due to confidentiality regtions. Xia Qingqing was purely asking a technical question, which did not pertain to any case. Lin Chuan thought for a moment and asked, Do you have a smartphone orputer that has been breached? No. Your Cyber Police can investigate their backendwork information, cant you? Lin Chuan asked. Yes, thats possible. Then you only need to retrieve its backendwork information and check thework data item by item ording to the time frame. Once you find an anomaly, follow that thread. Its highly likely you will obtain quite a bit more information. In the rented room, Lin Chuan only mused for a short while beforeing up with a suitable solution. This method sounded quite simple, and indeed it wasnt difficult at all. Lin Chuan incidentally exined the method of identifying anomalies inwork data to Xia Qingqingafter all, the police and the public should work hand in hand.
Xia Qingqing, as an excellent member of the Cyber Police. She possessed even more powerful techniques, which naturally enabled her to maintain the cybersecurity environment of Anling. She was a beneficiary herself. Thats what Lin Chuan believed, although the oue might deviate slightly. I understand now, thank you, Writer Lin, Xia Qingqing suddenly realized, the fatigue on her face diminishing considerably, reced by a smile. It was nothing. Lin Chuan smiled. Your nothing has spared me two hours of overtime. Ill take you out for a meal next time to thank you, Xia Qingqing said with a beaming smile. Lin Chuan smiled and replied, Sure, Ill look forward to Officer Xia treating me to a feast. After closing the chat window, Xia Qingqing rubbed her cheeks with both hands. Following that. She reported to Captain Yu Shan, requesting permission to ess user backendwork information, and received approval. Subsequently, she began to inspect the backendwork information of those users she had just checked, just as Lin Chuan had suggested.
With the guidance of an expert, her efficiency greatly increased. An hourter. Xia Qingqing sat dazedly in her chair, her eyebrows tightly furrowed. At that moment, she was utterly baffled! Because the anomalous data she had tracked down originated from the Sailing Novel Website. And all these anomalies had one thing inmonthey automatically redirected users to the Sailing Novel Website, opening the page to read a particr novel. Hacker Kingdom. Knock, knock, knock. Captain, because the program imnters are overseas hackers with superior skills, its difficult to track their IP, so I have only tracked down part of the data from the imnted side, Xia Qingqing reported in the captains office. Captain Yu Shans expression shifted in surprise, Your tracking efficiency has increased so much? Xia Qingqing was slightly startled, and when she thought about Hacker Kingdom and how her increased efficiency was thanks to Lin Chuans advice, she didnt know whether tough or cry. Then, she continued her report, For now, it looks like the program that was imnted is not a virus, nor a Trojan, but rogue software. Rogue software A foreign hacker imnts rogue software into the devices of tens of thousands of users, whats their purpose? Captain Yu furrowed his brows, puzzled. Uh, I suppose its to promote a novel, said Xia Qingqing, her lips twitching slightly. Hmm? In the office, Yu Shans eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief: Invading theworks of tens of thousands of users, seriously disrupting cyber order, just to promote a novel? Is that hacker just idly causing trouble for fun? Chapter 74: 74: New Profession, Embark Again! Chapter 74: New Profession, Embark Again!
The noise of the night outside the window was still boisterous. asional shrill cries of summer insects were drowned by the roaring sounds of traffic, and the evening breeze brought a slight coolness into the room. Inside the office. Xia Qingqing stood still, not speaking. She was just as perplexed by Captain Yu Shans question. That foreign hacker had gone to great lengths to hack into domestic users ounts, just to promote a novel.
The key issue was, the book wasnt even the work of that foreign hacker; it was Lin Chuans work. In other words, he hacked into someone elseswork to promote Lin Chuans book, with no apparent benefit for himself. Whats the name of that novel? Yu Shan murmured to himself, then asked. Hacker Kingdom, Xia Qingqing replied truthfully. Is it a foreign work? Yu Shan asked, a bit suspicious that the author himself might have hacked intoworks to promote his own novel. It was also possible that it was purely to show off skill. As the Cyber Security Detachment leader, he had encountered many bizarre reasons forwork intrusions, and he had even heard of online writers hacking into officialwork security systems in search of inspiration, ending up incarcerated for years. Reality often produced more bizarre events than novels did. Xia Qingqing pursed her lips and shook her head, Ive read that novel. Hacker Kingdom isnt a foreign work; its author is from Anling. An Anling person? Yu Shan looked momentarily startled. Yes. Xia Qingqing gave a wry smile and nodded.
With his eyebrows slightly furrowed, Captain Yu Shan picked up the silver stainless steel thermos from the desk and took a sip of the Invigorating Tea, Qingqing, tell me your thoughts. After a moment of pondering, Xia Qingqing asked, Captain, are you wondering if its possible for this author to disguise himself as a foreign hacker and invade domesticworks? Yu Shan took another sip of tea and nodded. This was a serious case of disturbing the order ofwork security, and Lin Chuan, as the author of the promoted book, indeed had a motive for the crime. The methods of investigating cybercrimes were different. Xia Qingqings willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly furrowed as she thought for a while before presenting her assessment, I dont think he has the necessity to hack into othersworks. State your reasons. Yu Shan prompted. Having some understanding of Lin Chuans situation, Xia Qingqing exined: I know this author. Hacker Kingdom is apleted novel, so we can rule out that he hacked into domesticworks for inspiration. Furthermore, he has officially registered a private studio with our Bureau of Industry and Commerce and is currently providing security services to several inte cafs. Theres no reason for him to show off his skills. Additionally, colleagues from the criminal investigation team have reported that Lin Chuan has used his detective talents to help solve several challenging cases.
Another point, The approach I used tonight for inspecting anomalies inwork data was actually provided by this author. Therefore, I subjectively think that its unlikely hemitted the crime. Xia Qingqing expressed her personal view. However, mere subjective spection wasnt enough. After a long thought, Yu Shan put down his thermos, You do make some sense, but since this involves him, we need to investigate hiswork backend data to see if he has any connections to this case. Xia Qingqing pressed her lips together, I will continue the investigation. Qingqing, wait a moment. The workload for you alone is too great. Ill have Feng Jun join you in the investigation. Hes experienced and highly skilled inputer technology, particrly adept with unique insights in the investigation ofwork data information. All right. For some reason, Xia Qingqing still had Lin Chuans phone call from this morning on her mind. The content of that call was almost identical to the current case. Xia Qingqing took a deep breath and continued to investigate the case. Ring, ring, ring
After Xia Qingqing left, the office phone of the Cyber Security Detachment leader rang. Yu Shan nced at the caller ID and immediately picked up the phone. From the receiver, the grave voice of Director Zhang Biao came through: Comrade Yu Shan, an urgent notice. The provincial cybersecurity and informatization leadership group has issued instructions, requiring all Cyber Security Detachments in the province to initiate emergency protection measures and rigorously prevent cyberattacks by foreign hackers. There must be no mistakes. Yes, Director. Yu Shans heart tightened. If it were normal times, instructions would usuallye in the form of documents. But now, had the situation be so serious that the Director himself was calling to notify? How is your cyber defense going? Director Zhang Biao asked. Reporting to the Director, at the moment, Jintang Network Security Company is optimizing and upgrading the firewall. We expect toplete the upgrade by tomorrow. Our detachments defenses are also being carried out in sync to ensure nothing goes wrong, Yu Shan replied hastily. Thats good.
Zhang Biaos tone finally eased a bit. Yu Shan thought for a moment and mustered the courage to ask, Will there be arge-scale operation by overseas hackers in theing days? Over the phone, Zhang Biao hmmed and said, Our provincial experts have captured some activities of overseas hackers. It has been detected that in the next few days, they will act in a premeditated and organized manner against Han River Network, especially our governmentworks. A shock went through Yu Shans heart. The situation was severe, and he dared not take it lightly, immediately starting to arrange work and stay on guard at all times. The inte has never been a peaceful ce. The Cyber Polices job isnt just to patrol thework. The night deepened. The moon shone coldly, and on the quiet streets, pedestrians and vehicles were few and far between, with the night enveloping the whole of Anling City. A breeze brushed through the old town of Anling, wafting into the Happiness Community. Lin Chuan, looking through the window, could hear the sighs of swaying tree shadows outside his cramped rental, as ifmenting the passage of time and heralding new beginnings. A days time.
The data for Hacker Kingdom had skyrocketed again. System panel: [Work: Hacker Kingdom.] [Current status: Published.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 7878/6000. (Including overseas Poprity Value: 5508)] Domestic: 2370. International: 5508. Although Lin Chuan had urgently halted Angelinas promotion within the country in the morning, pushing it to fifty thousand readers had resulted in good conversion rates, and the domestic Average Subscription had increased to 2307. It was still rising. Without any surprises, in two days, the boutique status should be within reach. As for the main overseas readership, it came from the Hacker circles of North Bear, with astounding growth in Average Subscription. This morning it was still 2108, and now it had reached 5508. A full increase of 3400 in just one day! Reaching ten thousand subscriptions is just around the corner! Standing at the window in his narrow rented room, Lin Chuan took deep breaths of the cool air outside and looked up at the bright moon, a radiant smile spreading across his face. Fortunately, Hacker Kingdom seeded in going international. His professional life didnt fall at the Hacker hurdle. Now. [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 7878/6000.] A new professional experience begins again! Chapter 75: 75: System, You Call This a Salesman? Chapter 75: System, You Call This a Salesman?
Deep into the night, all was still and undisturbed. In Lin Chuans mind, a familiar electronic tone sounded. Pleasing to the ear, melodious. [Forever full of passion, always filled with anticipation.] [A new life, a new experience.] [Congrattions, the Hacker Professional Life you experienced has been adapted into Hacker Kingdom, and it has been loved by readers at home and abroad. With a Poprity Value of 7878, you can unlock a new career experience.]
[Would you like to immediately experience a new career and start a new life?] Yes. Lin Chuan grinned and didnt hesitate. A gentle breeze blew in through the window, refreshing Lin Chuan, while the swaying shadows outside seemed to cheer for him. The career as a Hacker brought Lin Chuan Top-Level Hacker Technique, and with it, he founded a studio, coborating with several inte cafes. There was a clear upward momentum. Besides, on April 10th. Sailing Novel settled Lin Chuans royalties. Both Swindler and This Assassin Is Too Professional were huge hits, plus the 50,000 yuan prize money from Heroes Compete. The total royalties for March amounted to an astonishing 450,730.28 yuan. After taxes received, 400,248.49 yuan. Four hundred thousand! Lin Chuan went from being a down-and-out pauper to a ten-thousandaire overnight. The sudden enrichment was exhrating at first, but due to the studios demands, he was kept too busy to spend the money. Even his living arrangement was still the same old rental, cramped and small.
But I digress. Whether it was the studio orst months royalty earnings of four hundred thousand, Lin Chuan knew that a big part of the credit went to the system. Of course, Lin Chuan himself also yed a significant role. After all, the careers the system had Lin Chuan experience were all the type that couldnd someone in jail. With even a slightly crooked thought, he might have been squatting in a cell right now. Perhaps, by now he would have been in prison learning how to sew, make umbres, or print high school exam papers. Perhaps it was receiving the royalties, tasting the benefits of the top-level hacker techniques. Therefore. Tonight Lin Chuan didnt send intimate greetings to the system, butmunicated with it amicably in his mind. System, can you arrange for me some normal careers? I dont want to live this nerve-wracking life anymore. The system replied just as amiably [Host, all our careers are random, eh. We dont deliberately arrange them. You can pray to get some super careers.]
Lin Chuan pulled a face, Screw you, system. You speak such mechanicalnguage. Forget it. Since the system said the careers are random, after Thief, swindler, Assassin, and Hacker, four consecutive jail-worthy careers, its time to taste something different. And by the way, acquire some worldly skills! The system continued [Each experience is a beautiful memory for you.] [Our system will preserve this memory for you in the form of a novel.] [For this experience, the career you have randomly obtained is] [salesman!] Lin Chuan: ????? Ohoho! System, I believe you now!
Your job choices are indeed random! A salesman it is, then. I believe that with my expertise in Lock-picking, Cheating Techniques, Assassins Three Skills, Hacker, among others, along with the salesman-exclusive abilities granted by the system, I can rise from a modest salesman to a tycoon ofmerce. Building my own business empire! This thought alone sent ripples of excitement through Lin Chuan, and he couldnt help but hum to himself. The novel generated this time would surely be a thrilling urban fiction, risk-free and a reader-favorite. Perfect! [Congrattions Host, you have randomly obtained the profession of salesman. You have acquired the salesmans exclusive ability: business negotiation skills.] [Using Virtual Reality technology, we are generating a new world for you.] [Please prepare yourself, Host!] Lin Chuan smiled to himself with a nod. This business negotiation skill isnt badit will be of great help when establishing my own business empire and negotiating deals in the future. Lin Chuan thought contentedly.
The system began to construct a new world with Virtual Reality technology, unrted to reality, a world solely for Lin Chuan to experience. Before long, Lin Chuans consciousness had entered the virtual reality world. At this moment, Lin Chuan found himself sitting in an MPV van. He sat in the middle of the second row, nked by two muscr men with dark, bare arms and strange tattoos; they didnt look like good people. Lin Chuan was slightly vignt in his heart. Who was this big shot he was supposed to negotiate with that the proceedings were so grand? Lin Chuan then looked out of the window and asionally saw banana trees receding in the distance. The road here was like a countrynevery bumpycausing the vehicle to sway back and forth, asionally bumping into the arms of the two robust men beside it. Between a rock and a hard ce. Fortunately, the journey wasnt very long. Just a few minutester, the van came to a stop. This was an abandoned factory.
The walls of the factory building had natural cracks, rough and deste. Outside the factory, several abandoned racks were covered in rust, weeds grew untidily to about half a persons height, and there were randomly piled wooden boards among them, their colors almostpletely faded, leaving only rough traces. Even under the fierce sunlight, the ce was eerily silent. Lin Chuan frowned. Because, he saw six guards outside the factory building. These six people, all wearing floral shirts and with sun-ckened skin, were holding a weapon in their hands. As an owner of firearms-precise shooting ability, Lin Chuan was very familiar with guns. Even from a distance, he could recognize the type of weapon at a nce. AK47. Damn! Lin Chuans mouth twitched, and he frowned slightly, inwardly cursing. System, what kind of salesman negotiates with an AK47? At that moment, a group of people walked out of the abandoned factory. The one leading was a young woman in a bright red dress, wearing sunsses, and holding a lit cigarette. By her side, two muscr men were escorting a bloodied young man. Smack! They tossed him in front of Lin Chuan. The young man was barely breathing and begged, Dont hit me anymore, let me go home. Ill do whatever you want! The woman in the red dress pushed her sunsses up and stepped on the youths chest with one foot,ughing coldly, Useless trash, still thinking about escaping? Please, just let me go home! the youth pleaded desperately. You cant even achieve five million in performance, and you want to go home? Beat him! The woman in the red dress spoke coldly. The two dark-skinned strong men immediately picked up iron rods and started beating the young man on the ground. At this time, the woman in the red dress lifted her wavy hair and walked up to Lin Chuan, Handsome little guy, wee to our Glory and Wealth KK Factory District. KK Factory District? Lin Chuans brows furrowed tightly, and he had already cursed the system a thousand times over in his heart! You call this a salesmans professional life experience? Chapter 76: 76: The Cheating Sect’s Eight Generals of the Factory Area Chapter 76: The Cheating Sects Eight Generals of the Factory Area
Virtual Reality world, KK factory district. Lin Chuan looked at the enchanting woman in front of him, wearing a red dress. Her face was caked with heavy makeup, a strong scent of cosmetic powder, high cheekbones, a pointed chin, and an unnaturally high nose bridge that was clearly the product of surgerya synthetic face. However, Lin Chuan wasnt really interested in her looks. After all, his business partner, Little Landys beauty was enough to grind this red-dressed woman into the ground hundreds of times over. Moreover, Little Landy was all-natural, without a trace of makeup, and was also very straightforward.
Lin Chuans eyes swept the surroundings. Outside the factory building, there were six men in floral shirts holding AK47s, and by the red-dressed womans side were seven or eight burly men, iron rods in hand. Lin Chuan abandoned the idea of a head-on confrontation. In his estimation, he could perhaps take on the seven or eight men with iron rods, but the six AKs left too little room for error. If he were to take a bullet by mistake. Then the novel that would be generated would be titled Dead on Arrival: Mr. Lin, newly arrived at the KK factory district, resisted, perished. Handsome boy, why arent you talking? The woman in the red dress hooked her sultry gaze onto him, her finger trailing Lin Chuans cheek. Lin Chuan involuntarily stepped back half a step, Okay, Im willing to join the KK factory district. Handsome boy, youre quite shy, arent you? The red-dressed womans lips curled into a cold smirk before she turned and walked into the abandoned factory. The seven or eight men red at Lin Chuan.
Lin Chuan took a deep breath and walked into the factory as well. As he cursed the system in his heart, he also pondered how to develop this segment of Fraud Salesmans Life Experience in a way that would make the story appealing to readers? The novel might not be written by his own hand, but the plot was indeed his real-life experience. Therefore, his performance in the Virtual World would determine whether the novel was exciting or not. As for bing a business tycoon and building amercial empire. Lin Chuan had long since put that thought out of his mind. Having be a Fraud Salesman, whatmercial empire was there to speak of, unless he intended to climb his way to the top? Huh? A lightbulb went off in Lin Chuans mind, his eyes shining brightly. At that moment, the pathway of a salesmans Life Experience in Lin Chuans mind started to form a clear trajectory, like plotting out a novels storyline. To sweep the entire KK factory district in one fell swoop! Not just that, but to capture every fraud gang as well!
Lin Chuan walked into the factory. From the outside, this abandoned factory looked nothing but deste and forsaken. However, stepping inside revealed a much darker scene, resembling a cage. It wasnt that there was no light in the factory, but the bright lights shone down upon iron cages that were locked, inside of which were people moaning in misery, their faces sallow, bodies emaciated, and hunger gnawing at their guts. Men and women alike. Lin Chuan had seen his fair share of brutality, but in this instant, he frowned deeply. Was the system a practitioner of realism? Was it creating a simted world based on the real one? Kid, do you want to go in there? The burly man next to him asked with meaningfulughter, his scarred face looking particrly ferocious. Lin Chuans expression returned to calm, The rules, I understand them. Kid, you catch on quickly, the Scarred Man sneered, If you dont cooperate properly and dont meet the quota this month, then that will be your fate.
Lin Chuan didnt reply. Following the woman in the red dress, he passed between two rows of iron cages and arrived at the staircase, then walked up to the second floor. Handsome boy, whats your name? The woman in the red dress turned, a hooked smile on her face as she asked. My name is Mr. Lin, Lin Chuan replied. Mr. Lin, you can call me Sister Lan. Now that youre willing to join us at KK Factory District, to be part of our big Glory and Wealth family, let me introduce you to the operations of our district, said the woman iming to be Sister Lan with a smile. Lin Chuan nodded. Sister Lan continued, Our KK Factory District handles stock trading, cryptocurrency mining, emerce, online gaming, gambling basically, any business that makes money, were on it. Also, we have eight departments in the district. Do you know what they are? Lin Chuan pondered for a moment before saying, Righteous General, agent, assistant, defector, blower, arsonist, remover, rumor-spreaderthose are the Eight Generals of the Cheating Sect. The Eight Generals of the Cheating Sect were not only applied in the context of setting up games in casinos. The same terms were used in the operation of overseas fraud factories. You seem to know quite a bit.
Sister Lan couldnt help but size up Lin Chuan with curiosity, Tell me, what does each of the Eight Generals do? For Lin Chuan, this question was a simple one. He had previously experienced the professional life of a Cheating Techniques master, so he was naturally familiar with the Eight Generals of the Cheating Sect. And so, Lin Chuan began, Each of the Eight Generals has a different role. The Righteous General is in charge of setting up the scheme, designing and plotting the fraud; the agent, also known as the shill, leads the victims into the trap; the assistant uses reverse psychology or goading to lure people into the game Righteous General, agent, assistant, defector, blower, arsonist, remover, rumor-spreaderLin Chuan went through the roles one by one. Sister Lan looked at Lin Chuan more highly, but then her brows furrowed, It seems youvee prepared? With that said, the hulky men around them grunted and tightened their grip on their iron rods. The atmosphere suddenly turned tense. Lin Chuan had already thought of an excuse, Sister Lan, Ive indeede prepared. I came here to make money! Indeed, not everyone who entered the factory was deceived intoing. Some of them hade willingly.
Their goal was exactly thatto make money. Big money! Sister Lan took off her sunsses, narrowed her eyes at Lin Chuan, and asked with interest, Indeed prepared, so which General would you like to be? I will follow Sister Lans arrangement, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Sister Lan seemed very satisfied with Lin Chuans response and continued the tour. On the second floor, rows ofputers were set up, manned by many piglets responsible for writing program code and creating websites. The third floor was filled with chat rooms. Inside, the pigletsboth men and womenwere good-looking, each one wearing a headset; many of the women were dressed provocatively with garments that could fall off at a mere tug. Lin Chuan knew that these people were the agentsshillsusing erotic allure to draw people into the trap. Seduction was a clich tactic, but few could resist it. Once they fell into the trap, it was hard to get out. Sister Lan then took Lin Chuan to the fourth floor. This was the core area for the gambling operations of the entire factory, with beautiful dealers dealing cards online. Lin Chuan looked on in amazement. After all, it was usually on small websites where hede across this familiar phrase, but now he was seeing it done by real people. It was indeed live dealers dealing the cards! Lin Chuan, being an extremely professional fraud salesman, needed only a little thought to roughly understand the operation model of the gambling here. The second floors personnel created the webpages and crafted the programs and advertisements, then let the shills on the third floor distribute these ads and sites to thousands of users through matrix groups, also simting bots on the pages to liven up the atmosphere, enticing people who received the ads to take the bait. Handsome guy, have you decided what you want to do yet? Sister Lan asked. Lin Chuan smiled, Except for being a Beautiful Dealer which I cant do, I can handle writing code on the second floor or chatting in the rooms on the third. Sister Lan blinked, You have a face that seems harmlessly charming, those rich and greasy matrons love your kind of pretty boy. Go to the third floor. Remember, your target this month is five million in performance. If youplete it, you get a 20%mission. If not, well, well see how healthy your pig diving will be. Chapter 77: 77 Adverse Evidence Chapter 77: Adverse Evidence
With performance earnings of five million, amission of 20%thats one millionits no wonder so many people know its a tigers den yet still converge like moths to a me. However, Lin Chuan remained unmoved in his heart. Make money in the factory; spend it in the factory; not a penny should be taken home. Once you really enter the factory, you might never leave that small plot ofnd for the rest of your life. Third floor of the factory. It was shabby and dpidated inside, with messy wires on the floor, desks set apart, divided by wooden boards, forming chat rooms.
On the walls, slogans were painted in red, blood-stirring words. Sleep on the floor today, be a boss tomorrow. Want sess? Go mad first, charge toward money with no regrets. Fight once, rich for three generations, only hard work keeps you from failure. Lin Chuan sat at workstation number 8027, with two dedicated phones and aputer in front of him. He has truly be a salesman. Dammit, a fraud salesman is still called a salesman? Comin as he might. The experience of salesman career life continued. Lin Chuan took a deep breath and started to ess the business negotiation skills gifted by the system. But within three seconds, Lin Chuan furrowed his brows,pletely stunned. This so-called business negotiation skills was actually professional scams!
System, youre too cruel! Factory fraud salesman = salesman; a fraud salesman needs professional scams to converse with clients. So, business negotiation skills = professional scams? Whose good familys business negotiation skills are professional scams? My business empire! Sob sob sob What are you daydreaming about? The Scarred Man, wielding a metal rod, came around to Lin Chuans side and barked at him. Lin Chuan nced at the Scarred Man and said, Ill start right away. The Scarred Man pointed at the fat man next to him. Sister Lan has ordered you to mentor him! Yes, yes. The fat man responded two times in a row.
Afterward, he immediately began guiding Lin Chuan into work mode. Kid, theres no fixed business here; there are categories like order brushing rebates, online gambling, investment managing, virtual currenciesthe only criteria is performance. Lin Chuan nodded. Having assimted the professional scams knowledge, he now had a deeper understanding of the various types of fraud the fat man spoke about. The fat man continued, Your first step is to find fish. Lin Chuan smiled and did as instructed. Finding fish was the process of searching for targets. Next was baiting, that is, offering the fish high returns, showing them the concrete profits to entice them to continue betting or to make additional investments. Once a fish took the bait, it was time to them. With the help of professional expertise, Lin Chuan quicklypleted his first deal. In the following days, Lin Chuan achieved performance every day.
His continuous signing of deals alerted Sister Lan, who was in charge. Mr. Lin, youre doing well, its only been a few days and youve already made a million in earnings, Sister Lan said, blinking and moving closer to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan smelled Sister Lans strong perfume, felt his nose tickle, sneezed, and then rubbed his nose. Sister Lan, I think this way of making money is too slow. In the virtual world, Maybe because Lin Chuan already had a detailed n, he became confident. Sister Lan was taken aback, looking at Lin Chuan, Too slow? Yes. Lin Chuan nodded slightly. So tell me, whats your n? Sister Lan asked with interest. Somehow, she felt that the young handsome guy before her possessed a special kind of confidence. Dont you think the scams here are too outdated? Lin Chuan countered. Hmm?
Sister Lan hummed in response. Lin Chuan smiled and exined, Most of the operations in the KK factory area still rely on web promotion and manual luring to hook a fish. If the salesman they contact has slightly inferior business negotiation skills, then the deal is likely to fall through. Sister Lan appeared thoughtful and nodded in agreement, Go on. Therefore, the KK factory area could utilize advanced technology topensate for the shorings of manual operations, Lin Chuan threw out his point of view. Advanced technology? Sister Lan frowned slightly. Do you have advanced technology? Lin Chuan smiled, seizing the opportunity, I could try employing AI face swapping, voice simtion, and other technologies. You know how to do those things? Sister Lan was somewhat surprised. I studied programming in college, Lin Chuan exined. After watching Lin Chuan for a good while, Sister Lan finally nodded, Alright, Ill give you two days. If your technology works, Ill make you the leader of this group. In the factory area, there were clearly defined ranks. SalesmanGroup LeaderDeputyFactory Manager. Lin Chuan revealed a smile that wasnt easily noticeable.
He was originally a chat fraud salesman. Although he had aputer, he was constantly monitored. If he wrote code, that would be discovered. So, he decided to apply to Sister Lan, to write code in in sight. As a world-ss hacker, as long as he could write code, he could KEKEKEugh. Along the way, he could also gain Sister Lans trust. Lin Chuans ten fingers rested on the keyboard he was extremely familiar with, like a world-famous pianist touching his beloved piano once again. Tap. Lin Chuan pressed the first key, and then, like ying music, his ten fingers moved exceptionally agilely, lines of code appearing on the screen that dazzled Sister Lan. The reason Sister Lan was watching Lin Chuan was because she was worried he might use this opportunity to contact people outside. But she couldnt understand Lin Chuans code. Even those who were hackers themselves couldnt understand these codes. However, her concern was not unfounded. Lin Chuan indeed was using the code to start making contact with the outside world, and it didnt take long before he got in touch with the domestic Cyber Police. Its just that everything was proceeding in secret, and none could break the confidentiality. From then on, Mr. Lin acquired an additional identity. Undercover. Thereafter, Lin Chuan climbed the ranks step by step. SalesmanGroup LeaderDeputyFactory ManagerCorporate AgentCorporate SupervisorCorporate Deputy Managing DirectorCorporate Directors Proxy. The real world. The night was deep, and a gentle breeze blew, slipping into the narrow rented room and brushing Lin Chuans face, bringing a hint of coolness. The moon hung high, its clear light spilled in, forming a square of soft silver satin in the room. In this segment of his salesman career experience, Lin Chuan did his best. Career experience ends. Lin Chuan didnt wait for the system announcement before he fell into a deep sleep. He slept soundly. Elsewhere. Xia Qingqing had a sleepless night. Shey in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Tonight, Feng Jun, whom she was investigating with, used his powerful connections to learn that the North Bear hackermunity had also been infiltrated by a rogue software. And what was pushed out was the overseas version of Hacker Kingdom. Therge-scale invasions in North Bear and domestically, pushing Hacker Kingdom, constituted a serious case of disrupting the order ofwork security. As for whether Lin Chuan was implicated, the investigation was still ongoing. Xia Qingqing actually had a favorable impression of Lin Chuan. But the evidence uncovered now was somewhat unfavourable for him. Chapter 78: 78 The Internet Cafe We’re Covering Ran into Trouble Chapter 78: The Inte Cafe Were Covering Ran into Trouble
Thete-night silence in North Bear was profound. In a studio, Angelina stretchedzily, her graceful curves unmistakable beneath her ck coat, resembling an expressive Chinese painting of mountains and riverspeaks soaring high and at times overlooking a willow-like river that flowed into the ins. Hackers are creatures of the night. Angelina was no exception. She held a newly poured whisky, sipping it like water to wake herself up. Then she continued to tinker with her undertaking. Suddenly!
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, her snow-white neck leaning forward as she stared at the special feedback on herputer screen. Is someone tracking me? Angelina immediately became alert, slender fingers already on the keyboard, ready tounch a counter-tracking measure and start hiding her traces in the virtualwork. Typical hackers begin by learning how to prate others systems, collecting various exploits, backdoors, trojans, and while improving their skills, must constantly invade otherworks for hands-on experience. This is the offensive means of hackers. And counter-tracking is the self-defense technique for hackers. It involves cleaning up intrusion traces by using data encryption, log cleaning, Sniffer, hopping, fortification hosts, and so on, often employed to escape the cyber polices pursuit. As a top-tier hacker, Angelinas counter-tracking skills were formidable. Not only that, she also wanted to investigate who was tracking her. This was no challenge for Angelina. After a while. Her fingers inteced, rubbing her somewhat sore fingers, a smile appeared on her face, Because I pushed the idols autobiography, the cyber police over there are investigating me.
Muttering to herself, Angelina had alreadypleted the counter-tracking and eliminated her intrusion traces. However, she didnt stop working but instead thought of her chat with her idol. Will this affect the idol? Im really silly, really, just thinking about pushing his autobiography without considering the trouble it might cause him. The cyber police over there must already suspect the idol. No, I must clear my idol of suspicion. Hmm, ording to the cyber police logic, the idol is the beneficiary of this intrusion-push operation, so they believe he is a suspect. Then, just increase the number of beneficiaries. Hehehe Angelina stroked the hair by her ear, her mind already formting a n. She quickly selected several novels. Crazy Keyboard (by Form) I Have a Supeputer (by Form)
The World Under My Fingertips (by Interceptor) The next day. The morning sun, filtering through the dawn clouds, fell upon the trees lining the street outside the police station, the breeze fluttering, sunlight ying within the shade. Xia Qingqing, dressed in dark navy blue police uniform, walked through the shade into the police station and sat down at her desk, turning on theputer, ready to continue the investigation. At that moment. A male cyber police officer around 180 cm tall approached, with a square face and severe bags under his eyes. It was Feng Jun. Old Feng, whats with that look? Xia Qingqing asked, somewhat surprised. Feng Jun rubbed his eyes and yawned, Last night, a group of people received a foreign rogue program intrusion, just like before, its rmending novels. Huh? Xia Qingqing frowned unconsciously, Which novels are rmended this time, still Lin Chuans?
Feng Jun shook his head, This time it pushed Crazy Keyboard, I Have a Supeputer, The World Under My Fingertips, the first two by Form, and thest one is by Interceptor. Form isnt he the Jintang Cyber Security Technical Director whos coborating with our police force? Xia Qingqing pondered briefly before asking. Yes. Feng Jun nodded. Did you find any clues? Xia Qingqing asked. None, Feng Jun let out a light sigh, Thats right, I checked all night, and didnt find any clues, just like when Hacker Kingdom was pushed before, all traces had disappeared. Hows the surveince on Lin Chuan going on your end? Nothing out of the ordinary. Xia Qingqing shook her head. At this moment, the Cyber Security team leader Yu Shan briskly walked in: You cant find any clues in this case, set it aside for now, we have a more urgent task at hand. Yu Shan spoke swiftly, his expression quite grave. Xia Qingqings expression tightened: Captain Yu, whats the task? Yu Shan said seriously: Emergency situation. Linwu City has suffered arge-scale DDOS distributed denial of service attack from foreign hackers. At present, arge number of servers are paralyzed, and a massive amount ofputers have been infected with viruses, making thework inessible.
The faces of Xia Qingqing and Feng Jun immediately turned somber. Linwu City, arge city within Han River Province, is booming with the development of its technology industry. But now, with the massive attack by foreign hackers, it was hard to defend against, and the loss incurred was immeasurable. Captain Yu, hows the situation in our city? Xia Qingqing asked. Yu Shan sighed: The situation in our city is not optimistic. Last night, five inte cafes and threepanies were attacked by foreign hackers. Feng Jun, no longer feeling tired, frowned and asked: Captain Yu, has the Jintang Cyber Security firewall upgrade been effective? Yu Shan shook his head, his brows furrowed with worry: The Jintang firewall has been upgraded, and it has been somewhat effective, but the pressure it faces is tremendous. What if it cant hold up? We are severely short on manpower, in desperate need of high-endputer technology talents! Just as he had finished speaking. Xia Qingqingsputerwork suddenly experienced fluctuations, and a stream of emails popped up. Email attacks! Happiness Community, rental housing.
The gentle morning sun arrived as scheduled, and Lin Chuan woke up to Youyous punctual wake-up service. Upon waking up. The systems voice rang out [Host, you have gained the ability: business negotiation skills.] [Additionally, based on your salesman career life experience, the novel All-In has been automatically generated.] [All-In has a total of 800,000 words.] [It has been exported to yourputer, please check.] [All-In requires reaching 10,000 Poprity Value (Average Subscription) in order to unlock the next career life experience.] [Good luck!] Ten thousand Average Subscriptions, system, you really dare to dream big. Lin Chuan smiled helplessly. Hacker Kingdom was still at the level of a 6,000 Average Subscription masterpiece, and now All-In directly required 10,000 for achievement. The next piece would probably need 20,000 Average Subscriptions. The difficulty was escting. Lin Chuan scratched his head and muttered, The profession I experienced in All-In was that of a Fraud Salesman, can I participate in that anti-fraud essay contest with it? I should ask Youyou, if I can participate, getting good results would mean a lot of exposure. Bang bang bang! Just as Lin Chuan was about to send a message to Youyou, abrupt knocking sounds at the steel door of the rental came. Who is it? Lin Chuan called out. Master, its me! The voice of Little Landy came from outside the door. Lin Chuans eyes widened as he quickly went to open the steel door, Little Landy, ran out of videos to watch again? Zhang Xinxin, however, frowned, Master, the inte cafe we cover has had an incident! Chapter 79: 79: The Strong Rule as King Chapter 79: The Strong Rule as King
Next to the iron gate of the rented room. Lin Chuan, wearing just boxer shorts, stared nkly at the Little Landy, Whats happened to the inte cafe were overseeing? Currently. Lin Chuans 720 Studio had coboration with several inte cafes, providing them withwork security protection services. If anything went wrong, the reputation and capability of 720 Studio would be called into question. For a studio just starting out, this was a significant blow.
Zhang Xinxin, dressed in a loose cartoon T-shirt, puckered her lips and said, My second uncle called just now and said that the servers at Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe are being hacked. Hmm? Lin Chuan frowned, a trace of concern shing across his face, Whos trying to smash my signboard? For a hacker, especially a top-tier hacker, technology is their lifeline. The firewallsid out in ces like Forbidden Summit were a testament to Lin Chuans prowess. Now, someone wanted to breach his firewall and hack into Forbidden Summits serversthis was like dragging Lin Chuans face as a top hacker through the dirt, grinding it in. Li Qing has already gone over to handle it, but Im worried he might not be up to the task, so I came up to ask for your help, said the Little Landy with pursed lips. Okay, wait for me, Lin Chuan nodded and immediately went back to his room, entering the narrow space inside. The Little Landy blinked, Master, do you need my help? Little Landy, Im changing clothes. Do you need to help me with that too? Lin Chuan grinned andughed. The Little Landys cheeks turned red as she muttered, I thought Master you needed help moving something. Lin Chuan chuckled.
Half a minuteter, Lin Chuan changed into simple casual pants and a white T-shirt, looking sunny and neat. How are we going to Forbidden Summit? Lin Chuan asked. I dont have a C1 driving license yet, so we can only ride the electric bike there. Luckily, its not far from here to Qingxiu District, said Zhang Xinxin, her lips slightly pouted as she smiled. The Little Landys electric bike was parked downstairs. The two of them put on their helmets and sped off with a swoosh. Since traffic police often conducted vehicle checks in the area, Lin Chuan,cking a C1 car license or a motorcycle license, could only sit on the back seat of the Little Landys electric bike. The worlds top hacker, yet without even a drivers license. Sigh Master, why dont you have a drivers license? Xinxin asked. I havent had the chance to take the test, Lin Chuan chuckled a bit awkwardly. In fact, it wasnt that Lin Chuan hadnt had the time to test; he didnt want to spend his parents money during university, and post-graduation, he couldnt afford it. After all, getting a C1 license costs over 5,000 yuan, and an E license for a two-wheeler costs over a thousand yuan.
How much was a months full attendance at a menial job worth? But now that he had a bit of money, he would find a time to get his driving license. Master, dont lean back, it makes the front of the bike unsteady, the Little Landy, holding tightly to the handlebars of the electric bike, sped along the road. She wasnt very skilled at driving. After all, she had never carried a guy before. What should I do then? Lin Chuan asked. Lean lean forward towards me, the Little Landy gritted her teeth and reluctantly instructed. Is that okay? Just dont bump into me, or Ill be disrespecting my master! the Little Landy huffed. The wind was whooshing by. Xinxins loose T-shirt clung to her body as the wind blew, revealing her delicate curves. Lin Chuan could smell a faint fragrance from up close. To be honest, this was also Lin Chuans first time sitting on the back seat of a girls electric scooter.
It was a different kind of experience. However, the experience always ended quickly. Because they had arrived at the Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe in Qingxiu District. Time to get down to business! Uncle, Ive brought Master here! As soon as Zhang Xinxin entered the Forbidden Summit, she rushed towards the small office next to the reception desk. Lin Chuan nced at the Inte Cafe. The upancy rate of Forbidden Summit was quite high. If the server was sessfully infiltrated, it would result in a significant loss of money. Xinxin, Lin, you finally made it. In the small office, Zhang Ren had already been waiting for a long time and personally poured a cup of Puer tea for Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan expressed his thanks. After that, he took a sip of the Puer tea and got straight to the point, Director Zhang, let me see who is trying to infiltrate the servers of Forbidden Summit.
Fine. Zhang Ren didnt indulge in small talk, following behind Lin Chuan. Li Qing was also in the office. He was holding aptop, constantly monitoring the status of the Inte cafes servers. Seeing Lin Chuan had arrived, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief: Boss. Lin Chuan nodded in acknowledgement: How is the server now? Currently normal, but theres a continuous stream of forged IP and MAC addresses attempting ARP spoofing attacks to intercept servermunication information. Luckily our 720s security protection is strong enough, Li Qing replied. These days. Since he had joined Lin Chuans 720 studio, his technical skills had greatly improved, and he could now easily handle the usual hacking tactics. However, he had no experience with this kind ofrge-scale, real-world hacker attack, so he felt somewhat panicked. Only when he saw Lin Chuan, did he start to feel assured. Lin Chuan nodded and, after examining the code information disyed on the screen, fixed his gaze, Ill check who is trying to infiltrate our servers. Li Qing immediately vacated his seat.
As soon as Lin Chuan sat in front of theputer, there was a subtle change in his demeanor. Little Landy Zhang Xinxin watched on the side, her eyes widening slightly. She felt that the Lin Chuan now waspletely different from the Lin Chuan who sat in the back seat of the car earlier. Calm and in control of the situation. This was Little Landys impression of Lin Chuan at that moment. Lin, our servers wont be infiltrated, right? Zhang Ren asked with some apprehension. If they messed up, the loss would be significant. Once infiltrated and key information was stolen, it would not just be the immediate economic loss at stake but also the reputation of Forbidden Summit. Many Inte cafes had suffered repeated infiltrations, withwork instability, rampant viruses, and leaked information leading to a sharp decline in customers until they went out of business. Director Zhang, if under my security protection, the servers of Forbidden Summit are infiltrated, then our 720 studio would also have to dere bankruptcy, Lin Chuan said with a confident smile. His meaning was simple: they would flourish or fail together. Uncle, dont worry, my master is very capable, Zhang Xinxin pped Zhang Rens shoulder nonchntly. Zhang Ren revealed a slight smile: I trust your judgment. Lin Chuan concentrated on theputer screen, his fingers instinctively positioned on the keyboard, tapping with light and agile movements as he typed out code and executed operations expertly and swiftly. In any circle, its the survival of the fittest. In the hackermunity, thisw is even more pronounced, and to avoid being harassed by petty criminals, one must disy extreme strength! Passive defense and tolerance will make the enemy think youre a soft persimmon ready to be squeezed. Thus, Lin Chuans thought was simple. Find the adversary, and knock them senseless! Retaliate, draw your sword! Chapter 80: 80 The God of Hackers Makes a Move! Chapter 80: The God of Hackers Makes a Move!
Anling City, Qingxiu District. At the Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe, inside a small office. In front of aputer desk measuring 75 centimeters high and 120 centimeters long, there sat the notebook with the Little Landys pink stickers. Lin Chuan was seated at the desk, his gaze fixed on the notebook screen, hands on the external DAREU mechanical keyboard, typing swiftly. Lines of code scrolled rapidly on the 14-inch notebook screen. Li Qing, the Little Landy, and Zhang Ren each wore a different expression.
Li Qing watched the lines of code with a burning gaze, not wanting to miss a single character, aware that his boss was about to go to war with the intruder. For someone engaged in cybersecurity, this was undoubtedly like a well-trained soldier embarking on a journey, with a surge of enthusiasm gradually stirring and igniting within his heart. Yes. Hacker attacks and defenses resembled a silent war. However, the Little Landy couldntprehend the code Lin Chuan was typing. So, she chose to watch Lin Chuan. At this moment, Lin Chuan appeared very serious and focused. In the Little Landys eyes, her preconceived impression of Lin Chuan began to fade, reced by a new image that was quietly taking shape. Lin Chuans face was handsome to begin with, only obscured by his down-and-out and poor appearance. But when confidence and focus appeared on his face, the charm naturally revealed itself. Confidence and focus were a mans best cosmetic surgery. The Little Landy, pursing her lips, muttered to herself, My mentor, who engages in writing online novels, seems a bit different. But soon, the Little Landy got busy with her work.
Zhang Xinxin pulled Zhang Ren aside to sit down, Uncle, lets talk about the emergency defense fee for this time. Zhang Ren was startled, Niece, isnt Lin still working on the defense? Zhang Xinxins eyshes fluttered, and she smiled brightly, Uncle, you have no reason to doubt the strength of our Studio 720, especially my masters capabilities. I guarantee there will be no issues with your inte cafes server. So, why not save some time and settle the ounts in advance? Zhang Ren: ??? The Little Landy took out her mobile phone from her pocket, opened the calctor, and began to work it out by herself, Uncle, as stipted in our contract, the fee for one emergency security defense On the other side. Lin Chuan had already begun tracing the intruders IP address. Tracing the intruders IP address was certainly not easy. Hackers have techniques to hide their tracks. Theymonly use proxy techniques, reflective attacks, stepping attacks, zombieworks, Tor technology, and others to prevent their whereabouts from being traced. Boss, I tried to trace the opponents IP address, but they used multiple boards to hide the attack source. I have limited skills and dont know how to continue tracking, Li Qing said with some shame. Lin Chuan nodded, smiling, I just detected that they are using a Control-Type Stepping Attack. A so-called stepping attack meant that hackers didntunch attacks directly from their own systems to the target but firstpromised intermediate systems to use them as stepping stones. Then they carried out their attack on the target through these stepping stone systems.
It generallyes in two forms: Ry-Type Stepping Attack and Control-Type Stepping Attack. Li Qing frowned, Boss, tracking a Control-Type Stepping Attack is even more difficult. Theypletely control the intermediate stepping stones, making it hard to determine whether their intermediate hosts are stepping stones or the actual source of the attack. That makes sense. Lin Chuans eyes were glued to the screen, his fingers tapping on the keyboard, heughed, But every martial art has its weaknesses. Even though they are using a Control-Type Multiple Stepping Attack, its not difficult to find their attack source. In the professional life of a hacker. Lin Chuan had transformed into a Red Hacker more than once, shing with foreign hackers without a single defeat. He was hailed as the Great Wall of the virtualwork. He was already familiar with the various tactics of hacker offense and defense. For Lin Chuan, dealing with multiple stepping attacks was just a matter of spending a few more minutes. ` North Bear, Mo City. In a certain studio, the sea blue strip lights were bright and spacious, reflecting a dense tangle of wires and data cables, quite messy. The tap tap tap sound was incessant, the sound of North Bears hackers typing on their keyboards.
Angelina sat in a corner of the studio, wearing a simple ck sweatshirt that made her skin look pale and delicate. On her lower half, she wore tight jeans and half-high boots, perfectly outlining her long legs curves. In her hands was a smartphone, disying the overseas version of Lin Chuans Hacker Kingdom. Hey, Angelina. A member of the North Bear walked over. Andrei, do we have a mission? Angelina turned and asked. Andrei shook his head, smiling, No, just wanted to share some fun thats happening right now. Not interested. Angelina wasckluster, her mind filled with Lin Chuans Hacker Kingdom. Youll definitely be interested. Kaspersky is showing that theres a massive hacker battle underway. Angelina reluctantly perked up a bit, A hacker battle? Yeah, a hacker organization from the NA region is conducting arge-scale cyber intrusion against Han River area, Andrei said with a smile, Since youre not interested, I wont invite you to watch. Wait.
Angelina suddenly stopped Andrei, Did you say Han River? Yes, Andrei nodded. Angelina immediately turned off her phone, booted up herputer, and opened Kaspersky. Kaspersky is a real-time monitoring map site of cyber attacks from North Bear, showing the scope and frequency of hacker attacks around the world. (image inment section) Didnt you say you werent interested? Andrei asked, puzzled. You wouldnt understand. Angelina shed a smile. In Han River, her God of Hackers was there! With a hacker organizationunching an invasion against Han River, would the God of Hackers make a move? Angelina was beginning to feel a bit of anticipation. The defense in Hacker Kingdom was incredibly deft, and she was eager to see her God of Hackers take action, to witness the miracles like those in Hacker Kingdom! The Kaspersky real-time cyber attack monitoring map showed that Han River was suffering from dense invasions and hits, in a defensive stance.
Virtually powerless to retaliate. Angelina furrowed her brow, thinking that if her idol didnt step in, the Han River Network would suffer a heavy blow. Suddenly! A light shot out from the Han River area on the map. Angelina immediately started the corresponding detection tools, analyzing this counterstrike from Han River. After a moment. Angelinas eyes lit up, her chest heaved, and she breathed slightly faster, The God of Hackers has made his move! The God of Hackers? Andrei furrowed his brow. Angelina took a deep breath and, without answering Andreis question, said, Andrei, help me prepare the livestream program. You want to livestream? Andrei asked, perplexed. Little stars sparkled in Angelinas eyes, her face beaming with excitement, Of course, my idols epic counterstrike has begun, and I want all the hackers around the world to see the grace of the God of Hackers! Chapter 81: 81 There, Full of Bright Red Flags Chapter 81: There, Full of Bright Red gs
Globalrge-scale hacker live-streaming tform, Dark Live. A channel named God of Hackers parachuted to the top of the trending list, attracting a flood of hackers watching the stream to flood into the channel. [Is Goddess Lena starting her stream?] [Finally waited for you, Goddess Lena,e tell us about the principle of multi-hop proxies.] [Goddess Lena, can you show your face?] [Perform some skills for us. Im hungry.]
[] Inside the channel. A girl dressed in a ck hoodie, wearing a mask, spoke fluent English: Today, no lessons, and no skill shows. I will live stream a cyberwar worthy of going down in hacker history! On Dark Live. Angelina, with her superb skills, had a remarkable number of fans. Of course. Angelinas direct soar to the top of the hot list was aided by a bit of technical maniption, to attract arge number of hackers as quickly as possible. The hackers in the channel were very active. [My God, a cyberwar worthy of going down in history!?] [Great, Goddess Lena, youve piqued my interest, quickly tell me where to witness a spectacr cyberwar.] [Fantastic, is this cyberwars protagonist the God of Hackers you mentioned, Goddess Lena?] [God of Hackers Who can truly im to be the God of Hackers?]
[I am the only god of the virtual world!] [You are too arrogant,e out and fight in the real world!] [] Angelina smiled and said, Yes, it is indeed the God of Hackers cyberwar. Subsequently. On Angelinas channel screen appeared the Kaspersky real-time monitoring map ofwork attacks. The map was a globe model. It disyed multiple colored lines shooting intensively towards the Han River area. Each beam of light indicated a hacker hadunched an attack from that region, and the targeted area where the light pointed was where the attacked party was located. The Han River was covered with a dense web of lights, with very few beamsing out of Han River. The hackers in Angelinas channel quickly grasped the situation. [The Han River is at aplete disadvantage, if nothing unexpected happens, they wont hold out much longer.]
[Certainly, this is a massive strike!] [Suchrge-scalework intrusion must be the work of arge hacker organization, right?] [Which hacker organization is it?] [Goddess Lena, do you mean the God of Hackers has organized a cyberattack against the Han River area and ispletely crushing them?] [] Angelina shook her head earnestly: Not exactly, Im betting on Han River because the God of Hackers is countering! At her words, the hackers in the channel were stunned. [Goddess Lena, I am willing to believe you, but the situation, well, it doesnt look too good.] [With things as they are now, Han River has fallen into a quagmire. How could they possibly organize an effective counter-attack?] [Goddess, I might be ugly, but Im not stupid. Dont fool me.] While staring at the Kaspersky monitoring map, Angelina exined to the hackers: As far as I know, this is arge-scale cyber intrusion by AW against Han River. You judge only by the number of attacks and havent yet seen the counter from Han River, the counter from the God of Hackers.
Look at this line here, this is the God of Hackers attempting to trace the opponents IP through an attack. As she spoke, Angelina marked a line emanating from Han River with her mouse. [I have heard of AW; they are a major hacker organization that has attempted multiple infiltrations of Han River.] [AWs anti-tracking technology is strong, especially their multi-hop attack technology, which perfectly hides their attack source.] [Is the God of Hackers mentioned by Lena in Han River?] [Can this solitary line of light lead Han River to a dramatic counter-attack?] [If thats really possible, that would be outrageous!] [Ive always trusted Goddess Lenas judgment, but this time my reason tells me its impossible!] [] The cyber battle between AW and Han River triggered unprecedented attention. More hackers streamed into the live stream room, including some mainstream media, following the situations development intently. However, most hackers didnt believe Han River would be able to mount aeback.
Because they faced AW. A world-ss hacker organization. Perhaps, there were mysterious forces backing AW, which gave them such arrogance. Only Angelina remained steadfast in her belief. Inside the live stream room. Angelinas gaze was fixated on the beam of light emitted from Han River. Suddenly! She excitedly said, Look quickly, my idol has found AWs IP address! At those words, the hackers were all taken aback. Angelina exined, This is the God of Hackers signature cross-jump tracking technology. He can identify the attackers virtualwork route by navigating through intermediary servers, zombieworks, and reflectors, pinpointing the attackers IP. The live streams barrage ofments doubled instantly. He really found it!
His cross-jump tracking technology is so powerful, he pinpointed AWs IP address precisely. Even if he found it, so what? AW is a collective organization, can he alone cripple all of AWsputers? NONONO! Angelina immediately refuted somements, You underestimate the God of Hackers too much. I still believe that even with only oneputer, he is a match for a million hackers! Whoosh! In the global hackermunity, Goddess Lenas skills were acknowledged by all. But now, her high regard for a particr hacker was truly surprising! Lena, Im jealous! I dont believe it, is he really that amazing? Does the hackermunitys zerg rush tactic not work anymore? Lena, take back what you just said. Youre still my only goddess, or Ill have to stan a few more goddesses. So, how is he supposed to counterstrike to contend with AW? Trust me, the God of Hackers wont let me down! Look at this beam of light, he attacked AWs intermediary servers! No, there are five beams of light! He attacked more than one intermediary server! Angelinas eyes shone as she watched Lin Chuans counter-attack. The hackers in the live stream room followed Angelinas mouse cursor. Indeed. Five beams of light targeted AWs intermediary servers. After two seconds. AWs intermediary servers, like a nexus, emitted various beams in all directions. Under her mask, Angelinas expression was excited: This is the God of Hackers; he has taken control of AWs intermediary servers and is radiating continuously, crippling AWs zombieworks and reflectors sessively. No, not crippling, theyre controlled by my idol! Nice! My idol hasunched a full-scale attack on AW! On the Kaspersky monitoring map, lines shot towards the NA region. AW hacker organization was in NA. The hackers inside the live stream room witnessed this miraculous scene, at a loss for words. Lin Chuans counter-attack was too fast, too swift. So swift that within just minutes, he had taken control of the intermediary servers, zombieworks, and reflectors, andunched a full-scale attack on AW! The next moment. On the Kaspersky monitoring map, AW was silent, as if plunged into eternal nocturnal darkness. At that moment. An image from theputer screen of an AW hacker appeared in Angelinas live stream room. In the image was a red g. A shock ran through Angelinas heart as she suddenly remembered a passage from Lin Chuans Hacker Kingdom: I stand at the pinnacle of the, overlooking my Hacker Kingdom. There, it is filled with bright red gs. Billowing in the wind. Chapter 82: 82: To be regarded as the standard Chapter 82: To be regarded as the standard
Dark Live tform. In Angelinas live streaming room, watching hackers were in an uproar. [Its unbelievable! I swear to God, this is the most outrageous cyberattack and defense battle Ive ever seen!] [This battle is a terrifying earthquake for the entire hackermunity!] [Facing AW, using those crucial ten minutes to reverse the situation and strike back from the brink!] [AW lost too thoroughly!]
[This is a god!] [Goddess Lena, is he your idol?] [] Screens full of amazement. Several mainstream media in the live streaming room quickly sensed that this battle would rock the entire hacker world and immediately started drafting news releases. Meanwhile, Angelina had already left the live streaming room. She, now mask-free,fortably nestled on the sofa in her studio, a smile curling up on her delicate face. After taking a small sip of whiskey, Angelina picked up her phone and sent a message to Lin Chuan: Idol, you were really too cool! You truly deserve to be my God of Hackers! Half an hour earlier.
Anling City, police station, Cyber Security Detachment. In a studio filled withputers, all the cyber police were extremely focused and tense, their fingers rapidly typing out code on the keyboards, forming protective lines. But the onught from AW was too fierce. Merely with the dozens of the Anling Cyber Security Detachment, it was hard to hold up. Director, Captain Yu, currently 15 inte cafes in our city are paralyzed, core data from 2 techpanies has been stolen, and our governmental information systems are under fierce attack. Were urgently transferring the core data! Xia Qingqing reported the emergency to Zhang Biao and Yu Shan. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. The governmental information systems included the electronic governancework tform, business information systems, data resources libraries, information security, and application support infrastructures, and so on. They contained critical information about Anling City. If they were sessfully breached by the AW hacker, the consequences would be unimaginable. Strengthen the defenses immediately! Director Zhang Biaos brow was furrowed tightly.
In the morning, as soon as he received the news, he rushed to the Cyber Security Detachment to supervise the effort. Now, hearing about the intrusion into the governmental information system, his expression darkened even more. Xia Qingqing said solemnly, Currently, the firewall from Jintang Network Security Company can hold for at most another half hour! Director Zhang Biao immediately asked, Where are the people from Jintang Network Security Company? Theyre setting up new defenses, replied Xia Qingqing. Continue to request reinforcements, Director Zhang instructed, looking at Yu Shan. Understanding the situation, Yu Shan once again dialed the contact number for the Provincial Cyber Security and Informatization Leadership Group. Anling Cyber Security is requesting support! We can only hold on for another half hour at most. After half an hour, Anlingswork will be paralyzed! One hour? Well do our best! Captain Yu of the Cyber Security Detachment hung up the desk phone, his face grave. Director Zhang took a deep breath, Try everything to hold on for one more hour.
At that moment. The cybersecurity defenses of Anling were nearly copsing. But Han River Province couldnt send technical support in such a short time. The cutting-edge technology of our province and the neighboring province was tied up in the Han River Cyber Security Bureau fighting a technical defense against AW, but with little sess. The enemy was visible but we were hidden; this was a major reason for the passivity in cyber defense. Another important reason was that AWs intrusion technology was far more advanced than Han Rivers. Is there any other way we can counterattack? In front of theputer, Fang Cheng from Jintang Network Security Company was sweating profusely. Because the firewall that Jintang had optimized and upgraded overnight had not been able topletely block the barrage of viruses and Trojans from AW. He had thought that after optimizing the firewall, it would be as solid as a golden soup. But upon actualbat testing Fang Cheng wiped the sweat from his forehead, If only I had seen that book earlier, maybe I would have a solution! That book referred to Hacker Kingdom.
Hemented theck of time to fully master Hacker Kingdom. No, theres still a chance! I must try it! Suddenly, a scene from Chapter 156 of Hacker Kingdom shed through Fang Chengs mind: Mr. Lins studio was being attacked by foreign hackers, but with a godlike move, he spoofed the IP, silentlypleted the swap, and hid his own IP, deceiving everyone. Right then! Fang Cheng took out his phone, opened Hacker Kingdom, and flipped to Chapter 156. If others knew, they would surely curse, Fang Cheng, youre freaking ridiculous, but right now, Fang Cheng only knew that this Ultimate Hackers Manual might indeed help him! If he could spoof an IP and rece Anlings government information system, then he could buy more time for Anling. Exactly! Lets do this! Fang Chengs eyes raced across Chapter 156 of Hacker Kingdom: I figure, my server must be getting tens of thousands of attacks per minute right now, which isnt a big number, it just puts me in a bit of a passive position.
Simply shutting down the server wont avoid such attacks; it would actually make it easier for them to take control of my server. I scratched my head, a smile breaking on my face. Decided, let the battle begin! I stepped over the cluttered cables, sat in front of theputer, my hands on the keyboard, thinking that the current situation was too passive. If I wanted to counterattack, then I needed to stop their attacks. Its difficult to extricate oneself from an identified and targeted server IP. But as the art of war says: Deceiving the heavens to cross the sea. Fang Cheng himself was a hacker who started out in coding and a pioneer in the creation of hacker novels. A book called Crazy Keyboard achieved ten thousand orders a decade ago, leading the way. But he never thought that now, he would be holding another authors hacker novel like a treasure and a standard to live by. However. Hacker Kingdom intentionally omitted key steps, forcing Fang Cheng to rely on his own derivation, thinking, and refinement of this step. Time was ticking away, like the gentle flow of spring water along a riverbank, quiet and unassuming. Ive got it! Fang Cheng wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, clenched his fist tightly, his face lit up with excitement, and immediately ran to Yu Shans office. Yes, he had learned that move deceiving the heavens to cross the sea. Inside the office. Yu Shan was there, and so was Zhang Biao. Fang Cheng said eagerly, Director Zhang, Captain Yu, Ive found a solution! What solution!? Both Zhang Biao and Yu Shans eyes lit up as they asked in unison. Before Fang Cheng could even speak. Xia Qingqing also rushed into the office with a face full of excitement: Director Zhang, Captain Yu, good news! The two leaders were first taken aback, then quickly asked, What good news? The cybersecurity issue has been solved! Xia Qingqing spoke very quickly, and only after she finished did she take a long breath. Inside the office, Zhang Biao, Yu Shan, and Fang Cheng, all three were stunned, Solved? Chapter 83: 83: I Think, I Know Who He Is Chapter 83: I Think, I Know Who He Is
Anling Police Station. The breeze rustled through the green trees, creating a whispering sound as it brushed past the gpole and made the g flutter softly. Inside the office, the previously tense, oppressive, and stifling atmosphere turned into astonishment in an instant, before morphing into excitement! Chief Zhang Biao, looking somewhat aged, widened his eyes and asked again, Qingqing, are you saying the cybersecurity issue has been resolved? Yu Shan and Fang Cheng both stared fixedly at Xia Qingqing. Xia Qingqing nodded solemnly, Yes, it has been resolved. The attacks from the overseas hacker organization have beenpletely nullified.
Hisss! Thats fantastic! Zhang Biao immediately brightened up, heaving a long sigh of relief as the huge weight finally lifted from his heart. Yu Shan took a deep breath, Qingqing, quickly report to the chief how you resolved the issue of the massive intrusion by the overseas hackers. This represents a significant credit for your performance and a valuable experience for external cyber defense! Xia Qingqing pursed her lips, herplexion somewhat unnatural, It seems it wasnt us who resolved it. I see. Yu Shans brow furrowed slightly, and he said with augh, Then it must be the higher authorities who have prevailed in the confrontation! Thats right. With the crisis averted, Zhang Biaos mood quickly rxed, You should immediately start drafting a report on this cybersecurity defense. Considering the massive impact of the current situation, there is bound to be an important meeting soon Ring ring ring Zhang Biao hadnt finished his sentence when his phone started to ring. The caller ID read: Director Zhong. Zhang Biao felt a jolt in his heart, recognizing the call from the provincial leader. He quickly straightened up and answered the phoneposedly, Director Zhong, hello, this is Zhang Biao, awaiting your orders.
From the other end of the phone came a heartyugh. Hahaha, Comrade Zhang Biao, the cybersecurity defense in Anling City has been done quite well. Zhang Biao couldnt hide his tion, but he didnt dare take all the credit, Anlingspletion of cybersecurity defense relies on the strong technical support from the provincial inte security department and guidance from Director Zhong. Unexpectedly. Zhong Chengmingughed, Comrade Zhang Biao, you dont have to be modest. This time, Anling City turned the tide in cybersecurity defense, and I have already credited you with a merit. Turned the tide Zhang Biao was stunned, ??? Three minutester. Zhang Biao put down the phone, his eyebrows tightly knit, his face etched with confusion. He looked at the three people in the office, Director Zhong said that Anling City turned the tide, sessfully counterattacking the world-ss hacker organization AW andpletely depriving them of their ability to intrude. The expressions on the faces of the three people in the office changed, even more surprised. Anling City turned the tide?
But Anling City had always been in a defensive position, so how could it have turned the tide? Zhang Biaos gaze fell on Yu Shan, Yu Shan, did you do it? Yu Shan shook his head like a rattle,ughing, Chief Zhang, you know what Im capable of. Qingqing, was it you? Zhang Biao turned to Xia Qingqing. Xia Qingqing immediately shook her head. Director Fang, was this the stroke of genius from Jintang Network Security Company? Zhang Biao asked. Fang Cheng twitched the corner of his mouth and shook his head in denial. My hiding from everyone strategy formted in Hacker Kingdom hadnt even been put into action yet when the overseas hackers retreated like the tide. Zhang Biao was bewildered. Xia Qingqing and the others were also bewildered. Yet, Director Zhong expressly stated that Anling City was the number one hero of this cybersecurity defense C a confirmed piece of news from the provincialwork security department and certainly not a falsehood. Who turned the tide?
Zhang Biao muttered to himself in confusion. Director Zhang, I know who defeated AW! At that moment, Feng Jun stood at the office door, his eyes weary, holding a tablet. Who? Zhang Biaos spirits lifted at the words. Please look at this news bulletin that Global Report just released. Feng Jun ced the tablet in front of everyone. All eyes were drawn to it. On the screen, there was a girl in a ck hoodie with a face mask. Behind her was the Kaspersky cyber attack real-time monitoring map, disying various colors of light circling the globe and eventually targeting different regions. At this moment, the most concentrated point of light was over Han River Province. In China, there was a simr real-time monitoring map for cyber attacks, and they knew AW was attacking Han River. In the video, the Global Report provided a voice-overmentary.
This morning, AWunched a massive cyber invasion targeting the Han River area. On the Dark Live streaming tform, the famous hacker Lena live-streamed the entire process of cyber offense and defense between AW and Han River. As we can see, overwhelmed by AWs massive invasion, Han River seemingly stood no chance. By a conservative estimate, nearly two hundred thousandputers have be paralyzed. Just when everyone thought AW was about to dere victory A miracle urred! The famous hacker Lena dered this a mighty counterattack from the God of Hackers! This mysterious hacker took only ten minutes to achieve a stunning reversal! Reportedly, the AW hacker organization was defenseless. The video ended with a series of images frozen on the screen. These images all had a striking simrity, showing the screens of AW organizationsputers after they had crashed. Everyone looked closely.
In the center of the images was a series of bright red banners, and below the gpoles, there was the inscription AW. These bright red banners, as though the God of Hackers were announcing to AW and to hackers around the world that this was his absolute domain. This was his Hacker Kingdom! Inside the office. Gentle breezes wafted in, soft andfortable, mixed with the faint scent of grass and leaves, soothing everyones excited hearts. Zhang Biao, Yu Shan, and Feng Jun each took a deep breath, and as they gazed upon those bright red banners, their hearts surged with passion. The banners were waving! This was Han Rivers absolute victory against foreign hacker intrusions! Meanwhile, Xia Qingqing and Fang Cheng simply stared at the bright red banners. The same phrase came to mind for both of them: I stand at the pinnacle of the, overlooking my Hacker Kingdom. There, its full of bright red banners. Fluttering in the wind. Zhang Biao looked at Yu Shan and instructed, Yu Shan, this mysterious God of Hackers is our Anling hero. We must find him, and the sooner the better! Moreover, his identity must remain a secret; everyone present must sign a confidentiality agreement, no leaks allowed! Yes, Director! Yu Shan straightened his back, responding solemnly. Qingqing? Zhang Biao noticed Xia Qingqing was still intently watching the video on the tablet, lost in thought. Xia Qingqing snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, a sunny and handsome faceing to her mind: Director, I think I know who he is. Chapter 84: 84: Studio Blueprint Chapter 84: Studio Blueprint
Fang Cheng stepped out of the police station at noon. Anling City was bathed in scorching sunlight, the ss curtain walls of tall buildings reflected dazzling light, the streets were bustling with traffic, and the air in both the main and side streets was hot and teeming with noise. Fang Cheng paid no attention to this hustle and bustle, driving alone back to Jintang Network Security Company. He reported to the general manager about todays events at the first opportunity. Afterward. Fang Cheng returned to his office, closed the door, sat in thefortable ergonomic chair, his whole back pressed against the chairs back, elbows resting on the arms of the chair, palms supporting his jaw.
In his heart, he recalled everything that had happened this morning. At this moment, his emotions were very subtle, veryplex. Especially when he thought of the bright red gs standing on AWsputer screen, another indescribable feeling quietly took root in his heart, like a flutter. Indeed, the situation this morning was beyond imagination. Even more exciting than any hacker novel he had written. Its been a long time since Ist checked the group. Fang Cheng touched his shiny forehead, smiled wryly at himself, and then opened the QQ group that he hadnt opened for a long time. The Crazy Keyboard reader group, a full two thousand people. Huh? As soon as Fang Cheng opened QQ, he saw the message count notification next to the Crazy Keyboard reader group chat window: 99+. The group had been dead for a long time because he hadnt written anything for a while. But now, there were so many messages?
Driven by curiosity, Fang Cheng clicked into the group. [The God of Hackers is too strong!] [Not even the old writer Fang Cheng cane up with plots like this!] [I cant believe its actually happening in reality!] [Hurry up and @Fang Cheng toe out, let him find some inspiration from this, or we wouldnt know where these guys died off to, not writing at all.] [] Fang Cheng grinned sheepishly and secretly scrolled through the earlier chat logs. Turns out. The group was so active today because a few people had watched Lenas live stream on Dark Live, then vividly recounted the battle of the gods in the group. [Who do you guys think could have done this in China?] [I feel like after this battle, the wave of hacker culture in the country is going to rise again!] [Yeah, thest time it was booming was when the Red Hacker Alliance made its move.]
[He has made the novel plots in my minde true!] [I cant imagine, is he really just one person?] [@Fang Cheng, did you do this?] Fang Cheng, sneaking a peek at the chat logs, twitched the corner of his mouth and thought, Where would I get such skills? [Yo ho! Brothers, the old writer has risen from the dead!] [I knew you didnt have the skills, just wanted to rag on you, haha!] [@Fang Cheng, a question for you, do you think theres any chance you couldpare with the God of Hackers?] Fang Cheng chuckled, Comparing myself with him, if I may be so bold, I am but a hair! The atmosphere in the group suddenly became lively. People who hadnt shown up in a long time started popping up again in the group. Fang Cheng felt as if he had recaptured the feeling he had when he first started writing, with excitement surging in his heart and his blood still hot. He chatted in the group for a long time and also thought for a long time.
Finally. He looked at the Ultimate Hackers Manual titled Hacker Kingdom and thought about the thrilling events of the morning. He then opened his contact list and dialed one of the numbers. Sailing Novel, editor in chief Ming Yue. Ming Yue, I want to write a novel about hackers, said Form. Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe. In a small office next to the reception, Lin Chuan took his hands off the keyboard and stretchednguidly, thinking to himself that dealing with AW still required some brainwork. Lin, is the maintenance all done? Zhang Ren carefully brewed a pot of Puer tea and poured some for Lin Chuan. He was not a person from the hackermunity, and he didnt understand much about the lines of code, let alone Lin Chuans miraculous hacker skills. Of those present, perhaps only Li Qing had a bit of understanding. But it was merely superficial.
Lin Chuan walked over and sat down by the coffee table, took a sip of the Puer tea, and smiled, The maintenance is done, we should have some peace for a while now. AW was now in a critical state, severely weakened. Zhang Ren said cheerfully, Lin, with your skills, you should beparable to the technical directors of those bigwork securitypanies, right? Lin Chuan took another sip of Puer tea and smiled, Not quite there yet. Youre being modest, Lin. Zhang Ren poured another cup of tea for Lin Chuan. Alright, second uncle, remember to settle the bill for this emergency maintenance, said the Little Landy, sitting next to Lin Chuan with a grin. A smirk pulled at Zhang Rens mouth, I am your actual second uncle, you know. Family or not, we have to clear the ounts, said the Little Landy, Xinxin, tilting her head slightly and blinking with a smile. Stepping out of the Forbidden Summit Inte Cafe, Zhang Xinxin rubbed her belly, Master, are you hungry? Lin Chuan nced at the time, it was noon, Its time for lunch. The studio had earned money today, and the Little Landyughed happily, Master, lets go out for lunch then.
Lets go together, Li Qing, Lin Chuan said. Boss, I still want to review your offensive and defensive techniques and do some analysis, so Ill pass, Li Qing nced at Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin. The boss and the bosss wife are going out to eat. If I, an employee, tag along, wouldnt I be the third wheel and spoil the mood? No way, Im not going! Right now, I have to hold on to the coattails of Studio 720! The Little Landy drove her little electric scooter, carrying Lin Chuan to a roadside restaurant, and reluctantly started a twosome world. Arent you hungry? Why dont you eat more? Lin Chuan saw that the Little Landy had only ordered a small portion. The Little Landy rubbed her belly, If I eat any more, Ill get a potbelly, and that would be embarrassing at important business meetings in the future. Lin Chuan was in the middle of his meal, stopped for a moment, What important business meetings? Our Studio 720 will be destined to grow big and strong. A personal studio is just our starting point, while the vast universe is our goal, the Little Landy said excitedly. Lin Chuans face showed surprise, Have you made ns already? The Little Landy leaned in close to Lin Chuan, showing a beaming smile, Ive been nning it these days. First step, include all the inte cafes in Anling City within our cooperation scope to make a name for ourselves. Second step, register apany andpete on the same stage with big firms like Jintang and Copper Wall, and it would be best to cooperate with the police to quickly boost our reputation. Third step, go public and build our 720 Kingdom. Lin Chuan curled his lips, Our 720 Kingdom? Were partners, arent we? Isnt it ours? blinked the Little Landy. Lin Chuan smiled, Thats true. The Little Landy was already reveling in a bright future, By then, well be an awesomework securitypany, with as much money as we want and able to do whatever we like! Chapter 85: 85: A Sudden Cooperation? Chapter 85: A Sudden Cooperation?
Watch whatever you want? Lin Chuans mouth curved into a smile, with a chuckling heh heh. Uh Little Landys pretty face blushed slightly as she spat, Youre not being serious, Im still a student! A college student indeed! Lin Chuan coughed lightly twice. Master, if you keep this up, Im not paying the bill! Little Landy puffed up, her chest heaving like surging waves, making her loose cartoon sweatshirt look tight on her.
Lin Chuan chuckled and quickly bowed his head to eat his rice. When dealing with Little Landy, Lin Chuan had to rx a lot. Perhaps because they had known each other for a long time. Watching Lin Chuan gobble his food, Little Landy turned to the fridge, took out a bottle of six thirty soy milk, and ced it in front of Lin Chuan, Dont eat so fast, be careful not to choke. Youre quite caring, arent you. Lin Chuan took a sip of soy milk and said with a smile. Little Landy pursed her lips, Who told you to be the future chairman? Lin Chuan countered, Im the future chairman, what position have you assigned yourself? Whats the position called for someone in charge of money? Little Landy appeared contemtive. The position for managing money Lin Chuan smiled and teased, Chairmans wife, maybe? Then its chairmans wif Little Landy began, but suddenly realized something was off and indignantly said, Youre trying to take advantage of me again, take the bus back by yourselfter!
The seats on the bus are too hard, Lin Chuan shook his head. My little electric scooter cant carry such an influent author! Little Landy crossed her arms in front of her chest, propping up two humps. Lin Chuan sighed, I didnt expect our 720 studio hasnt even taken off yet, and were already facing the prospect of falling apart. Little Landyughed out of anger, Ill take you back after we eat, then Ill ask my second uncle if there are any inte cafes that want to cooperate with us, in hopes of expanding our business territory a bit. Lin Chuan smiled. This Little Landy really had a head for business, a fan of movies, and also a little money-grubber. However, as for negotiating business and the like, she was adept, and Lin Chuan was more than happy to have the leisure time. As for the finances 720 studio had just started, and with detailsrge and small, Xinxin often reported the situation to Lin Chuan, especially regarding finances, in detail. She was a good helpmate. Ah no, a good finance director!
Under the scorching sun, Lin Chuan sat behind Little Landy on her little electric scooter, weaving through the crowded streets towards Happiness Community in the east of the city. Lin Chuan wanted to take a nap. He had just experienced the life of a fraud salesmanst night, and this morning he had fought with AW. His energy expenditure was truly a bitrge, like the feeling of emptiness after washing hands several times. Chairman, do you want to switch to a different house? In front of the rental, Xinxin looked at the narrow little space and slightly furrowed her brow. Switch houses? Lin Chuan returned the question, Is this rental room really that bad? Xinxin took another earnest look at the rental, the floor tiles slightly yellowed and the white putty peeling in some ces. Then, she nodded, This ce does seem a bit subpar. Knowing its not great, you still charge me a thousand for rent, Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, smiling.
Uh Xinxin found herself at a loss for words, A thousand is actually quite a fair price, considering youre my chairman, I could just switch your room for you. Switch to where? My ce is alright, isnt it? Also in Happiness Community. Old Zhang would kill me! What are you daydreaming about? I dont have just one home. Id only be renting it to you temporarily, still for a thousand a month. How about it? Xinxin said with a smile. Youre making money off the chairmans back? Lin Chuan feigned a frown. One thing at a time, here we arendlord and tenant, in the studio we share a partnership as major and minor shareholders, Little Landy said shrewdly. Lin Chuan smiled, Moving is too much trouble. In the rented apartment, the decor was slightly spartan, but it triumphed in cleanliness and tidiness, without a messy spot in sight. And through the rooms window, one could see the old city architecture outside the Happiness Community, as well as the dazzling night sky. There were also warm sun, bright moon, gentle breeze, asional chirps of insects and birdsong, the rustling of light rain. For a writer, it was a not-so-bad creative environment.
The only downside was the public area of themunity, which was somewhatcking. Little Landy, Im going to take a nap, Lin Chuan said, yawning. Im a bit sleepy, too, yawned the Little Landy, catching the contagion and covering her mouth. Together? Lin Chuan invited. Hmm? The Little Landy frowned, then pursed her lips, and her angry little fist was about to m into Lin Chuans chest at high speed. Having experienced the profession of an Assassin, Lin Chuans instinct forbat fighting made him subconsciously sidestep to the right, dodging the punch. But as Lin Chuan moved aside, the Little Landy, off-bnce and propelled by gravity, immediately tipped forward. Thud! Lin Chuan caught the Little Landy by her slim waist, steadying her, and muttered, Isnt this plot a bit clich? This kind of plot had been written in inte novels thousands of times. How could it actually happen in real life? What other plot were you expecting?
The Little Landy pouted, wriggled free from Lin Chuans embrace, and as she walked downstairs, she huffed, If you dare to bully me again, Im going to raise your rent! Lin Chuan watched the Little Landy go downstairs and shouted down the stairwell, It was purely idental; you cant me me for that. Hmph! Back came a cold snort from the Little Landy within the stairwell. Lin Chuan chuckled and turned back to his room. To a deep slumber. Downstairs. The Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, murmured discontentedly but still entered the office of Studio 720, ready to summarize the financial data. After busying herself for a while, the Little Landy had some free time and started scrolling through videos on her phone. Hmm? Why are all the trending topics rted to hackers? A mysterious Hacker? The Little Landy looked at the hot search headlines on her phone, puzzled. Ring, ring, ring At that moment, the Little Landys phone rang. An unfamiliar number. Zhang Xinxin pressed the answer button, speaking in as gentle a voice as possible, Hello, this is Studio 720; how can I help you? From the phone came a soft voice, sounding as refreshing as a spring breeze, Hello, Studio 720, this is Anling City Cyber Security Detachment speaking. The person got straight to the point. Cyber Security Detachment? The Little Landy was caught off guard and quickly replied, Officer, is there something the matter? Dont be nervous, were just verifying some information. Studio 720 is registered under Lin Chuan, with the business ID number *****. And the studio has been working in cooperation with Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe, correct? the Cyber Police officer inquired. Yes, the Little Landy nced at the business license and confirmed. This morning, Studio 720 performed security maintenance on Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe, with Lin Chuan being the person who carried out the maintenance, right? the other party questioned further. Yes, Zhang Xinxin nodded. Would you mind exining the coboration model of Studio 720? asked the officer. Zhang Xinxin furrowed her brows slightly and boldly queried, Officer, youre not thinking of coboration with Studio 720, are you? On the other end of the phone, the voice paused for a moment before replying seriously, Yes. Zhang Xinxin was stunned. Coboration with the Anling Cyber Security Detachment? The second step of Studio 720s development n was about to be achieved so soon? Chapter 86: On the shelf + megaphone + Sanjiang testimonials Chapter 86: On the shelf + megaphone + Sanjiang testimonials
Brothers, weve finally reached this point. Tomorrow, April 24, 2024, the book will be up for V, and at 20:00 sharp tomorrow evening, Ill present five chapters! To tell you the truth, I never expected the book to achieve the sess it has today. Being able to fight our way out from four rounds of rmendations at the starting point, and to take in the urban special, new book promotions, trumpets, San Jiang, editors promotions, and other rmendations, all thanks to the support and encouragement from you brothers and editor Liu Xing all along. So Having wandered half my life without recognition, Ive finally found a lord worthy of loyalty. If you do not forsake me, I am willing to take you as my godfather. Esteemed Godfathers above!
Thank you for the support youve always given to Cabbage and this book, I bow in gratitude! Knock knock, here are two loud kowtows, begging for your initial subscriptions! At the same time, I thank all the operations and review staff at Boxnovel, and also thank Chang Shi and Chen Er Lan for their chapter rmendations! Regarding updates. My typing speed is slow, only 1000 words per hour, but now that its up for V, I need to demonstrate the right attitude and work hard typing away! A stable daily update of 8000C10000 words! Regarding extra chapters and rewards. Godfathers who jump right in as Alliance Hierarchs will get the title of [Super Godfather], and Ill add one more chapter. The extra chapter will be at a standard of over 2000 words. For those who join the Silver Alliance [Ultimate Godfather] and the Golden Alliance [God Ultimate Godfather], I dare not set another g, first because I fear it would disrupt the rhythm of writing, and secondly, because Im afraid it would burn out my CPU. Cough, if there are really Silver and Golden Alliances, godfathers, just give me a shout, and we can discuss how many extra chapters to add. Alright, Ill start stockpiling drafts tonight, and officially go live at 20:00 tomorrow.
I earnestly ask all godfathers to grace me with your initial subscriptions! The content below is purely a personal reflection, godfathers can ignore it. Im an old flop. This, I believe, godfathers can tell. I entered the industry in 2020 and have been writing for 4 years. Due to work, its been an on-and-off journey, making writing very difficult. In 2023, going full-time with writing was a major decision I made. Back then, my inws were adamantly opposed, believing that writing had no future. But the dead-end job I originally had barely paid over three thousand a month, barely enough to afford baby form, it felt like being caught by the throat. Real buffs maxed out. When one is poor, change is necessary, through changees breakthrough. One should always strive at least once in his life, so as not to waste the unchilled heart of his youth. This book is my best performance yet. Using the words of an esports yer, I must consider that this might be my only opportunity in life.
So, for every profession, every plot, Ive done a lot of research, but what can be used might only be one term and one exnation. As I dont specialize, there will be some oversights in the process of writing. I have been reading the criticalments from you godfathers, epting and humbly correcting them. I hope to deliver a fascinating plot and provide good emotional value to you godfathers. I also earnestly ask you godfathers to lend me a helping hand, to help me break into the realm of fine works like Lin Chuan, or even into the realm of ten thousand subscriptions, to be a master of online literature. Lin Chuan has a system. And me, I have godfathers! Godfathers, I ask for your subscriptions! Chapter 87: 86 I’m purely chasing a star! (Seeking first subscription) Chapter 87: Chapter 86 Im purely chasing a star! (Seeking first subscription)
Officer, are you really going to coborate with our 720 Studio? Zhang Xinxin doubted she had heard correctly and asked again. The other side replied solemnly once more, We have the intention to coborate, so wed like to talk in detail with the person in charge of your 720 Studio about the coboration. Little Landys pretty face lit up with joy, Lin Chuan is currently busy with something, but you can start by telling me about the intent of the coboration, as well as the services you require. Ill pass the message to Lin Chuan. Oh, and by the way, I am Zhang Xinxin, the person in charge of business partnerships at 720 Studio. The two parties chatted pleasantly over the phone. Zhang Xinxin felt that the Anling Cyber Security Detachment seemed really eager to make this coboration happen, even leaving the meeting time and location up to Lin Chuan and her, making it very convenient for 720 Studio. After hanging up the phone.
Little Landys face was radiant with a brilliant smile, Has our studio be so strong that even the police are seeking to coborate with us? This is a huge deal. My studios ns can now be realized even faster! Little Landy said this as she ran towards Lin Chuans rental. Sixth floor. Little Landy hurried up, her face flushed and breathless. Thump thump thump! Who is it? Lin Chuan groggily woke up and casually put on a T-shirt. Me! Little Landys voice came from outside the rental. Creak So you really wanted to join me for a siesta? Lin Chuan opened the door, scratching the back of his head.
Little Landy spat and said with a smirk, In your dreams. Then why is your little face all red? asked Lin Chuan. Little Landy touched her cheek and said with a smile, Mr. Chairman, our studio has just received some incredibly good news! What good news? Lin Chuan rubbed his temples, feeling much alert. Can Ie in to talk? Little Landy nced at the staircase, which wasnt the right ce for serious discussions. Youre Little Landy, of course you cane in, Lin Chuan said with augh. Little Landy Zhang Xinxin, beaming, didnt care about being alone with a man, walked right into Lin Chuans rental, and naturally took a seat on the wooden sofa in the small living room: Mr. Chairman, guess who I just got a call from not long ago? Who? A call from the Cyber Security Detachment, said Little Landy with an arched eyebrow and a smile curling her lips, expecting Lin Chuan to show a surprised expression. However, Lin Chuan seemed to have anticipated this, mumbling, They found us this quickly.
Lin Chuan knew all too well. That morning, hacker organization AWunched arge-scale invasion into Han River, and Anling was greatly affected. While he detected the source of the intrusion at Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe, he learned about this situation. He wasnt a ruthless businessman. A ruthless businessman would take advantage of the situation to drive a hard bargain and profit from it. But Lin Chuan chose to fight back directly against AW. After all, when he was experiencing Hacker Professional Life, he had set such a goal for himself: to nt the bright red g in any corner of the virtualwork. With AW making a move in reality, they naturally became the target for Lin Chuan to test his skills. With such amotion in the virtualwork, Lin Chuan had expected that it might be detected. However, this was an opportunity to demonstrate merit, not a suspicion of crime, so Lin Chuan felt quite at ease, even somewhat proud. In the rental. Little Landy stared at Lin Chuan for quite a while, It seems like you already knew, did you do something secretly and then kept it from me? Lin Chuan shed an awkward smile, Little Landy, are you checking up on me?
Checking up? Little Landy pouted,ughing scoldingly, Master, as both your apprentice and your partner, cant I get to know you a little better? Really, you can? Lin Chuans eyes widened. Ah? The Little Landy furrowed her brow and quickly realized she had inadvertently elerated, then spat out, Master, be serious! Lin Chuan didnt tease Zhang Xinxin any longer andughed, Alright, what does the police want with our 720 Studio? They want to coborate with our studio, the Little Landy replied. How do they want to coborate? The specifics havent been discussed yet; they want to meet in person to talk in detail. When and where? Its up to us to decide. Lin Chuan thought for a moment and then said, How about tomorrow?
Then Ill give them a call back in a bit, the Little Landy nodded, then turned and asked, Master, why is the police suddenly looking to coborate with us? Lin Chuan considered for a moment, Maybe, because my skills are a bit strong. The Little Landy sized Lin Chuan up and down, curling her lip, Master, are you flexing? Lin Chuan pped his own forehead, Little Landy, Im serious! The Little Landy muttered, But, the best in our studio is you, thats the only exnation. Lin Chuan grinned, Alright, get ready for the coboration with the police, this deal will be the beginning of our studios rise. Yes, Chairman! The Little Landy beamed a radiant smile, stood up, walked out of the rental, and then, she turned back to look at Lin Chuan, asking, Do you have ns for the May Day holiday? Nope, why? Just asking, heeheehee the Little Landy cheerfully went downstairs, getting ready for the coboration with the police. Lin Chuan closed the door and sat in front of theputer. It was already afternoon, the sun was covered by thick clouds, but the remaining heat was still fierce, albeit the old city area seemed a bit cooler.
Lin Chuan took a cup of boiled water, took a sip, his jaw raised thirty degrees, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he looked outside the window. Right now, he had two main focuses for his work. One was writing books. Last month, Swindler and This Assassin Is Too Professional brought in 400,000 in royalties, and this month, Hacker Kingdom had an average subscription in and out of China that had already crossed ten thousand, so the royalties should be substantial. The new professional life experienceFraud Salesman from the KK factory area, the novel All-In had been generated, a full 800,000 words. However, Lin Chuan was in no rush to publish, as he was waiting for the Anti-Fraud Center and Sunshine Film and Television to jointly hold the anti-fraud essay contest. Youyou had already hinted at him, it would probably start in May, with generous rewards, and confirmed that excellent works would be adapted into films or TV series. Film and television adaptation Lin Chuan murmured, something that was basically every web novelists dream. If it could be a hit show, that would be the greatest recognition for the work from the readers and audience, as well as the greatest recognition for Lin Chuan himself. The second focus was the studio. At present, the studio was proceeding steadily and solidly, coborating with several inte cafes, and the police also showed the intention to coborate. Without a doubt, this was the police stations way of showing goodwill in response to Lin Chuans meritorious contributions. If they could secure the polices coboration, then 720 Studio would be on the proper track, entering a phase of vigorous development. Take-off was imminent! Ring ring ring The phones ringtone sounded, Lin Chuan nced at it. The caller ID showed: Xia Qingqing. Officer Xia, good afternoon, Lin Chuan answered the phone, smiling. On the other end, Xia Qingqingughed very brightly, Writer Lin, would you honor me with your presence for dinner tonight? Half-jokingly, Lin Chuan asked, Officer Xia, you arent arranging a Banquet, are you? Xia Qingqing chuckled, What Banquet? Im purely star-chasing, Ill be waiting for you tonight at Riverside Cottage. Chapter 88: 87: Quite the Criminal, Now Engaging in Fraud? (Seeking First Subscriptions) Chapter 88: Chapter 87: Quite the Criminal, Now Engaging in Fraud? (Seeking First Subscriptions)
Riverside Cottage, is a small shop on the Anling River bank. As dusk faded, severalnterns with a soft, pale yellow glow hung at the front door of the cabin. Upon entering, there was a path paved with pebbles, lined with various small flowers and grasses, creating a very charming atmosphere. Xia Qingqing had arranged to meet Lin Chuan here. Lin Chuan was still dressed casually, in a patterned white T-shirt, ck straight-leg casual pants, and sneakers. It was a simple look, but it drew the sidelong nces of quite a few men inside the shop. Cough, it wasnt because of same-sex attraction or because of his confidence and sunny disposition. Rather, it was because Xia Qingqing walked over the pebble path with him,ughing and talking, her face full of smiles and her eyes twinkling with stars.
Xia Qingqing was indeed very beautiful, with light makeup, picturesque eyebrows and eyes, a perky nose, and shoulder-length short hair. She brushed back the hair on her right side, revealing her earlobe and the perfect contour of her right face. At the moment, she was wearing a ck casual jacket over a pale blue T-shirt. Because she was on the slender side, the corbone under her swan-like neck looked delicate and fair. She appeared very lively and cheerful. As Lin Chuan walked on the cobblestone path and noticed the gazes of the men around them, he smiled and said, Officer Xia, walking with you puts a lot of pressure on me. Xia Qingqing pursed her lips andughed, Are they envious of you? They must be, Lin Chuanughed. Envious of what about you? Xia Qingqing blinked. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment and confidently said, Envious of how handsome I must be. Xia Qingqing turned her pretty face towards him, slightly lifted her chin, and with a suppressed smile said, Writer Lin, you really are very handsome. Officer Xia, you have good taste! Lin Chuan raised his thumb. They walked into the shop. Xia Qingqing had reserved a corner spot in advance. Like Lin Chuan, she also preferred to keep a lower profile, not being a social butterfly.
In the corner of Riverside Cottage. The two sat opposite each other, between them a small square table about 80cm by 80cm, with a floral arrangement on it. The gentle breeze from the Anling River made a turn here, tossing Xia Qingqings short hair and brushing across Lin Chuans face. Xia Qingqing rested her elbow on the table and propped her chin in her hand, leaning slightly forward, Writer Lin, I want to discuss something with you. Lin Chuan held a pot of jasmine tea in his hand and poured some for Xia Qingqing as he asked, What is it, Officer Xia? Could you change the way you address me? Xia Qingqing blinked. Change how I address you? Yes. Then Uncle Cop? Lin Chuan ventured. Xia Qingqing snorted withughter, Writer Lin, the male protagonists in your books arent like you at all. Lin Chuanughed sheepishly, Writing it in words and saying it out loud are two entirely different things. Some authors write frequent sweet nothings from their main characters in their novels, winning the favor of several stunning women, but in real life, when they meet a girl they fancy, they get so nervous they cant say a word. I really like the scent of jasmine. Xia Qingqing took the jasmine tea Lin Chuan offered and smiled, Do you also get nervous when you meet a girl you like?
I guess yes. Lin Chuan was reminded of his time in college. Back then, he had a crush on a girl, and indeed, he was very nervous. What about now, are you nervous? Xia Qingqings clear eyes looked at Lin Chuan. Ah? Lin Chuan was taken aback. I mean, do you still get nervous when you see a girl you like now? Xia Qingqings smile was brimming with mirth. Of course, I do. Lin Chuanughed heartily, sipped his jasmine tea, and then asked, If I dont call you Officer Xia, what should I call you? Call me Qingqing, Xia Qingqing responded with a smile, then added, My friends call me that, calling me Officer Xia is too formal. Okay, Officer Xia, Lin Chuan nodded and said with a smile. The atmosphere at the Riverside Cottage was great, and the food was served quickly. Lin Chuan looked at the big table full of dishes andughed, Ive mooched another dinner.
Xia Qingqing smiled lightly, Mooched? Ive sessfully chased after a star! Chased after a star? Lin Chuan asked in surprise, What chasing a star? Xia Qingqing blinked andughed, As a hacker, dont you surf the inte? Lin Chuan frowned slightly, a bit puzzled. Xia Qingqing took out her phone and opened up the news tform. The hot search list was full of terms rted to hackers. A single man guarding the national gate! Mysterious hacker strikes back at foreign hackers alone. Blood boiling! The bright red g reappears in the virtual world of the inte. Fiery! Just ten minutes, the God of Hackers turns the tide. The true hand of God, famous hacker Lin Na live streams the God of Hackers finishing move against AW. Sailing Novel Chief Editor Interview | Resurgence of hacker literature imminent.
The wave of hackerses again, hacker novels reach a new peak. Who says only those standing in the light can be heroes! Lin Chuan looked at these hot searches and stroked his chin. At noon, after he had finished his finishing move against AW, he had lunch with the Little Landy, then returned to his rented room and slept soundly. He figured this matter would cause a stir, but he didnt expect that it had already spread all over the inte and dominated the hot search list. The speed of the intes spread is indeed fast. Idol, now you see how much influence you have? Xia Qingqing supported her chin and looked at Lin Chuan with sparkling eyes. Lin Chuan smiled, How did you know it was me? Xia Qingqing put away her phone and smiled radiantly, When I saw those bright red gs on the screens at the AW base, I knew it was you! I didnt expect you to remember so clearly. Lin Chuan was somewhat surprised. Indeed, his novel Hacker Kingdom had several instances where a bright red g was ced on the opponentsputer screen.
Of course, Im a true fan, and Ive nearly finished reading all your books. Do you have a new one? Xia Qingqing asked with her face tilted up, a little proud of herself. Lin Chuan showed a smiling face. If Wang Zikai were here, Lin Chuan would definitely have bragged, See, this is a true fan A new book? Sure, I have one, but it hasnt been released yet. If you want to see it, I can give you the opening to review first, help me check the quality, Lin Chuan offered with a smile. I dont know how to review novel openings, I just know how to read, Xia Qingqing smiled gracefully. Lin Chuanughed, Youre a reader; you have the right to speak up. Xia Qingqing ran her hand through her hair by her ear and didnt y coy, Then Ill take an early look. Ill send it to you. Lin Chuan opened his phone and sent the opening 20,000 words of All-In to Xia Qingqing. He thought, All-In, being themed around fraud and with Xia Qingqing being cyber police, fell right into her field of expertise. Xia Qingqing was the precise target audience for All-In. All-In, is this also a hacker-themed novel? Xia Qingqing asked curiously. No, its about fraud, Lin Chuan answered. Xia Qingqing immediately looked up at Lin Chuan, Idol, youre very criminal, you even know about fraud? Lin Chuans mouth twitched as he dered seriously, This novel is purely fictional and should not be taken as reality. Please do not associate it with the author personally. Chapter 89: 88: What Are You Looking At? (Request for first subscription) Chapter 89: Chapter 88: What Are You Looking At? (Request for first subscription)
Idol, dont be nervous. Xia Qingqing poured Lin Chuan a cup of jasmine tea and pushed it toward him with a smile, Youre now the treasure of our Cyber Security Detachment; we wont take you away. Lin Chuan gave a dryugh and sipped the jasmine tea. The tea slid down his throat, leaving the lingering fragrance of jasmine in his mouth. Darkness fell, and a few stars shone in the night sky, while the Riverside Cottage stood quietly by the Anling River. Xia Qingqing was reading in silence as well.
She wouldnt dare to neglect a book by her idol. The opening content of All-In entered her clear eyes. Ten years ago, I entered the KK factory. Ten yearster, I finally escaped to see the sky again. There were no dreams of instant riches; no extravagant life of luxury. On the contrary, it was hell, a cage, a den of sin. There, there were no people, only demons and pigs. A pigs life or death doesnt concern the demons. Once a pig loses its value, it will suffer greatly because it will have to watch its weights being removed, then left to its own fate. Whether you were deceived into going there or went willingly, everyone was treated the same, like life was worthless. My name is Mr. Lin, a person who was tricked into the factory and luckily escaped up to the heavens. I will tell you everything here through the perspective of someone who has lived through it!
Raising her head after reading for a while, Xia Qingqing looked at Lin Chuan with some puzzlement, Idol, you wrote eyewitness here; is this an autobiography? After reading Hacker Kingdom andbining what she knew of Lin Chuans miraculous deeds today, she was already doubting whether it was an autobiography. Now, having seen the preamble of All-In, Xia Qingqing couldnt help but start doubting again. After all, Lin Chuans novels often carried the autobiographicalbel. Lin Chuan smiled: Its just a novel, artistic exaggeration, Brother Xun does the same. Xia Qingqing nodded slightly and continued reading. I am a programmer. To be precise, I am a hacker. Im not short of money, and Im the sunny and handsome type, but the intense workload has my hairline rapidly retreating, and Im anxious. So, I decided to travel abroad. The tour group I joined was Yundians, filled with young men and women. The oue of this trip for these people was the same as mine: sold into the factory by a duplicitous guide. Later I learned that the market price for a pig was three hundred thousand.
That travel agency specialized in the pig trade. The people from the KK factory put me on an MPV van. Perhaps they werent worried about me running away, so they didnt blindfold me. In fact, the KK park had truly achieved zero pig escape, which was the source of their confidence. The journey was bumpy, and I sat next to two brawny men with bare arms, whose strange tattoos sent a chill through me. Weve arrived at the KK factory. Outside the factory, I saw people in floral shirts, holding AK-47s. As a reader, Xia Qingqing, unlike editors who review manuscripts, didnt make anyments or suggestions while reading. She just kept on reading. For a long time.
Xia Qingqing finished reading and took a deep breath. How is it? Lin Chuan asked. Xia Qingqing took a sip of jasmine tea and thought seriously before speaking, I think the perspective of your novel is very different. Tell me more, Lin Chuan said with a smile. After a moment of thought, Xia Qingqing said, As a Cyber Police officer, the cases of fraud I usuallye across are from the victims perspective, and the asional anti-fraud novels Ive seen are also told from the perspective of the victim or police. This is the first time Ive seen a story unfold from the perspective of a fraud salesman. Indeed. Lin Chuan took a sip of tea and nodded. Few novels start a story from the perspective of the perpetrator, the Fraud Salesman, with a major reason being that most web novel writers struggle to understand the experiences and psychological journeys of fraud salesmen. They also find it hard to imagine the evil and terror within the factories. The information seen online is just the tip of the iceberg. The true hell has not yet been revealed.
Xia Qingqing continued, The perspective of a fraud salesman gives me a refreshing feeling. Compared to the perspectives of the police and the victims, it allows the readers to have a moreprehensive view and to clearly see the entire process of the salesmenmitting fraud. Its very realistic and rtable, and I think this could be a novel of great social value. Lin Chuan was slightly moved and surprised, andughed, I didnt expect you to have such deep insights into web novels. Lin Chuan was a web novel writer. Many people fail to understand this profession, or rather, most do not even consider it a profession. There are strong stereotypes about web novel writers: Jobless vagrants, idling away; cooped up at home, glued to theputer, slovenly, unsociable; ies highly unstable, without benefits or social security Summed up in several key words: poor, unattractive, lethargic, unambitious, unstable, only knowing how to please oneself. This was not a summation based on extensive data research by Lin Chuan; it was how his mother often criticized him. Lin Chuan really wanted to retort to his mother: This profession is actually very stable, stably poor, stably headed for a flop. But lets get back to the point. For Lin Chuan to find someone outside of his profession who recognized the value of his work and the creative value of his novels was an extremely difficult feat. As hard as the path through Sichuan, as impossible as ascending to Heaven.
That was why, when Xia Qingqing said, this could be a novel of great social value, Lin Chuans heartstrings were struck. Heaven knows how much that statement impacted a web novel writer! Like Ziqi unto Boya, like the running stream to the towering mountain. Is that so? Xia Qingqing smiled happily. Little did she know, this was the result of her racking her brain, searching through all the vocabry she had, toe up with the rtively professional terms. To be honest, she had used all the skills her Chinese teacher had taught her in these few sentences. Of course, her words came from the heart. Lin Chuan earnestly looked at the girl in front of him. The shoulder-length hair suited her very well,plemented by a delicate oval face, with brows like a painting, a perky nose, wearing a light blue T-shirt and a ck casual thin coat that highlighted her slender, fair neck. Her whole person exuded the aura of youth, lively and pure. No wonder when she entered the shop, she caught the attention of everyone there. Indeed she was beautiful. What are you looking at? Xia Qingqing noticed Lin Chuans gaze, pursed her lips, and her pair of clear eyes blinked. Lin Chuan came to his senses, smiled, and deflected the question, Im looking at the night scenery by the riverside, the gxy in the sky, the beautiful scenes of the world. Chapter 90: 89: Old Wang, don’t worry yet! (First subscription plea!) Chapter 90: Chapter 89: Old Wang, dont worry yet! (First subscription plea!)
Youre just as crafty as the protagonists in your novels, all experts in deception, a blush crept across Xia Qingqings face in the night. Im serious, Lin Chuan said earnestly. People say that web novel writers are poormunicators and not good with words, but youre clearly an exception, Xia Qingqing teased. Lin Chuan chuckled and served Xia Qingqing arge shrimp, Consider it my apology. But Im the one treating you to this meal. Xia Qingqing pursed her lips, her cheeks puffing out slightly to indicate that she was the one paying for the shrimp.
So what should we do? Lin Chuan asked with a smile. Idol, peel one for me, Xia Qingqing sipped jasmine tea and blinked her eyes, shining like twinkling stars. Lin Chuan smiled. For a true fan and a high level of approval, he would put on a disposable glove and peel one for her. Peeling shrimp doesnt require skill, just sincerity, enough to make a girl happy. Well, except for those who are too eager to please. Whates around goes around. After happily eating the shrimp Lin Chuan had peeled, Xia Qingqing peeled the whole te of shrimp on the table and pushed it in front of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan grinned from ear to ear. This girl knew her game too well! Which man could withstand such a test? Unable to resist, not at all!
Its true, shrimp peeled by someone else always tasted better than the ones you peel yourself; the vor may be the same, but the feeling ispletely different. On a serious note, I think your book All-In can y a great role in anti-fraud. When do you n to publish it? Ill rmend it to my dad, Xia Qingqing said with a smile. Probably after the May Day holiday, Lin Chuan replied with some surprise, Does your father work in anti-fraud? Xia Qingqing curled her lip, No, hes been the victim of fraud. Uh Lin Chuan found himself at a loss for words, feeling a bit awkward. Xia Qingqingughed and said, Despite being a cyber police officer and often dealing with anti-fraud cases at work, and sharing this knowledge with my family, my dad is stubborn and still got scammed. Not just him, many older people are easily deceived. Lin Chuan found that to be true. When he had observed fraud salesmen, he had seen quite a few cases of fraud. These people, they love to lure older folks into their traps. Because most of the elderlys means ofmunication are rtively simple, their sources of information are rtively outdated, especially in some underdeveloped areas, making them more susceptible to scams. Huh!
A thought crossed Lin Chuans mind that his own hometown was a rather underdeveloped area, but his mom was shrewd and frugal, so she probably wouldnt be easily deceived. As for his dad, without any control over finances and barely any money in his pocket, there wasnt much chance for him to get scammed. Lets not talk about this. Xia Qingqing changed the topic and asked, Writer Lin, do you have any ns for the May Day holiday? Nothing yet, why? Lin Chuan answered. I have some inte-rted technical issues, and I was hoping to consult you, Xia Qingqing said with a smile. Thats no problem, Lin Chuan replied with a smile. The night deepened. Along the Anling Riverside, lights twinkled, ripples spread across the water reflecting glimmers of light, and willow branches hung down, swaying gently in the night breeze. Lin Chuan and Xia Qingqing walked on the stone-paved river embankment, the cool breeze from the Anling River refreshing their hearts and minds. The embankment along the Anling River was long, and the two of them had been walking for quite a while. A road, seemingly without end.
It wasnt until around 9:30 p.m. that Xia Qingqing waved goodbye to Lin Chuan, with a radiant smile on her face. The evening breeze tonight was delightful. Lin Chuan let out a long sigh of relief. Ring ring ring Old Wang called: Brother, Ive got a big problem now! Lin Chuan, sitting on a bench next to the riverside, asked in surprise, Whats the issue, when you have been relying on others for a living just fine? Well Ill tell you more when we meet. Can I treat you to ate-night snack? Wang Zikai sighed deeply. Ive already had a feast, Im not hungry, Lin Chuan said with augh. Hm? Wang Zikai was very surprised, Youre a bachelor, why are you having a big meal all by yourself? Sorry, it was two people going, actually. Lin Chuan chuckled. Officer Shen? Wang Zikai asked in astonishment, Old Lin, youre doing well, I see. Progress isnt bad.
Uh, not Officer Shen, its Officer Xia. Lin Chuan said with an embarrassed smile. Wang Zikai: ??? Twenty minutester, Wang Zikai arrived at the scene: Old Lin, whats the situation here? Just the usual situation. Officer Xia really likes my novel; she said she wanted to treat me to a meal. Lin Chuan smiled. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Wang Zikai clicked his tongue in amazement and gave a thumbs-up, You, youve got some hidden depths! Lin Chuan was confused, What do you mean? Yesterday, Officer Shen was asking my Qiqi, and through her wanted to ask you if you had any ns to go out on a trip during the May Day holiday. I thought you two were getting quite close, Wang Zikai exined. Ah? Lin Chuans mouth hung open and his eyes widened. Little Landy, Xia Qingqing, Shen Qianqian hiss, why are they all squeezing into the May Day holiday? Im not a time management guru!
Ah its just really annoying. Lin Chuan also sighed, suddenly feeling a bit more bothered. I suspect youre just being coy, Old Wang spit out, But honestly, which one do you like? Ive never been in love; I have no idea, Lin Chuan shook his head. With a full belly, one thinks of lust. The royalties hade in, and the studio was getting started; a man indeed starts thinking about emotional needs. Old Wang gave it some thought, then asked, Do you like the pretty ones? Lin Chuan countered, Who doesnt like the pretty ones? You just need to answer whether you like them or not, Old Wang pressed, What about the ones withrge chests? Like. What about the ones with long legs? Like. What about the perky ones? Like. What about the pure lust ones? Like. What about the sexy ones? Like I guess, Lin Chuan frowned, Wait, arent these all things no man would dislike? On the bench beside the riverbank. Old Wang sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Lin Chuan, chuckling, Thats true. Lets skip this subject. Lin Chuan moved on from this topic, deciding to talk about the May Day matter when the time came and turned to Old Wang, asking, Did you run into some big trouble? Got a stomach ache from living off a woman. Old Wang said. Old Wang, did you seek me outte at night just to y around? Lin Chuan teased with augh. Im serious, Old Wangs face visibly fell. Aha? Lin Chuan, who had never lived off someone else, was a little perplexed. Even though living off someone else is indeed tasty, I find it hard to fit into her circle, Old Wang heaved a sigh and continued, These days, Ive met many of Qiqis friends. They are either Heavenly Kings or Influent Authors, the least of them has ten thousand subscriptions. Are you feeling inferior? Lin Chuan asked. Old Wang, who usually brimmed with confidence, gave a rare nod, Old Lin, you know me. I dont aim too high, and Qiqi doesnt mind my achievements, but having only one fairly sessful book, I cant hold my own in Qiqis circle. Its frustrating! Old Wang, dont worry about it for now, Lin Chuan said with a smile. Whats up? Old Wang was surprised. Ive got ten thousand subscriptions too, Lin Chuan chuckled. Old Wangs eyes widened: ??? Chapter 92: Chapter 91 I Suspect Youre Carrying Several Cases (Please Subscribe) Lin Chuanughed, "Old Wang, what do you mean by that? Your thoughts are quite dangerous." Old Wang also burst into roaringughter, "If I didn''t know you so well, I''d think you were up to some fraud." "Go on, stop spreading rumors, you can''t just say things like that!" Lin Chuan jokingly scolded. After exchanging a few words with Lin Chuan, Wang Zikai felt rejuvenated, and his mood greatly improved. "Old Lin, if we both enter the anti-fraud writing contest, we''d definitely be The Two Heroes. When I adapt it and you publish it, how should we spend all that money?" Wang Zikai fantasized about a bright future. "You think everyone else is a pushover?" Lin Chuan threw a wet nket on Old Wang''s enthusiasm. The online literature circle is far from afort zone. It''s prettypetitive, too. Especially for a nationwide anti-fraud writing contest with generous prizes, including the potential for film adaptations. Just the royalties from a film adaptation could be a significant sum. If turned into a major IP, it could be worth tens of millions or even billions. Of course. Lin Chuan had never experienced any of this firsthand, only through hearsay. But seeing the support for this anti-fraud contest, it seemed like all the big names were enthusiastic. "Speaking of that, it reminds me of the original ''The Two Heroes''," Old Wang stroked his chin and pondered. "What ''The Two Heroes''?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "The ones who started out with you, Handon and Hongmei," Old Wang said with a smile, "Handon just knocked off ''King of Cheating'' and is now fullymitted to the anti-fraud contest. An author with ten thousand subscriptions is indeed formidable!" Fine works, major fine works, ten thousand subscriptions, Heavenly King, Influent Author, tinum. Over the 20-year history of Sailing Novel Website, there have only been a little over 1200 books with ten thousand subscriptions, which is why authors with that many are known as ''little gods''. Recalling the time when "Swindler" first came out alongside Handon, Lin Chuan said with a smile, "To shatter the darkness with a thunder strike!" Old Wang spit out, "It''s not appropriate for you to say that now." "Then what should I say?" Lin Chuan was puzzled, "Thirty years in the east river and thirty years in the west river, don''t bully the poor anymore?" "What if Handon bellows, ''Don''t bully the poor with ten thousand subscriptions''?" Old Wang chuckled. "Then I''ll just go ''heh heh heh heh''." ... The refreshing breeze from the Anling River blew from night into day, from the riverside into the city. As the warm sun began to rise, it painted the eastern sky red. The morning mist gradually dispersed, revealing the full view of Anling. The Little Landy had arranged with the police to meet today at 9:30 AM at the Anling Police Station''s meeting room to discuss a cooperative matter. So, Lin Chuan got up early. "Director, how do I look in this outfit?" Downstairs from the rental property, the Little Landy beamed with a smile. Lin Chuan nced up. For this cooperative matter, the Little Landy had "carefully dressed up in her Sunday best." She wore a white shirt underneath a casually chic zer on top and a light gray long skirt that wrapped around her waist and fell just past her knees, revealing a small section of her fair legs. Paired with ck leather shoes, she exuded the youthful vibe of a college student while still maintaining propriety. "Not bad, you kind of look like a financial director," Lin Chuan said with augh. Pleased by thepliment, Zhang Xinxin''s smile brightened, "Director, why don''t you wear a suit to discuss business?" Lin Chuan, still dressed in casual attire, replied with a smile, "A cultured inner self is naturally adorned, I focus on inner cultivation." "So full of twisted logic." Xinxin spat out. Taking the route of bus 13, the two hailed a cab to the Anling Police Station. They had agreed on the time, so the police station had arranged for someone to greet Lin Chuan and lead him to the meeting room. And that person was Xia Qingqing. Dressed in a dark cyan uniform, Xia Qingqing looked bold and valiant. When she saw Lin Chuan getting out of the cab, she revealed a smile, "Lin Chuan, over here." Lin Chuan smiled back, "Qingqing, howe it''s you receiving us?" "Well, it''s because I know you," Qingqing replied with a smile, then turned to look at the Little Landy beside Lin Chuan, smiling politely, "Comrade Lin, who might this be?" "Hello, police officer. I am Zhang Xinxin, the financial director of Studio 720," Xinxin introduced herself with a twinkle in her eye. "Hello." Xia Qingqing extended her hand, giving Xinxin a friendly handshake. "Comrade Lin Chuan, I didn''t expect your studio to have a financial director, and such a beautiful one at that," Xia Qingqing asked with interest. "Uh, she''s also a founder of the studio." Lin Chuan scratched his head, feeling something off in the air, and quickly said, "Let''s head to the meeting room." "This way, please," Xia Qingqing replied with a courteous smile. As they walked, the Little Landy murmured quietly to Lin Chuan, "Director, you seem to be quite familiar with this officer?" Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched, "We know each other, we know each other." The Little Landy pursed her lips and inwardly questioned, Director, do you just know this police officer? Tsk! A man''s mouth, a liar''s ghost! One could tell at a nce that something was amiss! Along the way, Xia Qingqing blinked and suddenly asked, "By the way, Writer Lin, did you enjoy the shrimpst night?" "Ah?" Lin Chuan forced a smile, "It was good... very good." "Is peeled shrimp tastier?" Xia Qingqing teased. "Tasty, all tasty." Lin Chuan grimaced as two lines of sweat appeared on his forehead. Seeing Lin Chuan like this, Xia Qingqing smiled satisfactorily and continued to lead Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin toward the meeting room. For Lin Chuan, the walk from the entrance to the meeting room seemed exceptionally long. Even longer than the riverside walk he took with Xia Qingqing the night before. The air seemed to carry a subtly different scent, although Lin Chuan couldn''t quite identify it. This scene, why did it feel like a showdown from a novel? Dammit, when I was single, Iined about not knowing any girls. Now that I''ve gotten to know a few, new troubles arise. s... Fortunately, just as they reached the floor of the meeting room, Lin Chuan saw a group of people waiting outside. One of them was particrly prominent. A man dressed in a white police uniform, middle-aged in appearance, with ck hair flecked with grey, radiated vibrancy and energy. Shh... Lin Chuan had been in and out of the police station quite a few times recently, but this was his first time seeing the white shirt. White shirts were generally reserved for the level of a police chief. Lin Chuan started to wonder. The chief himselfing out to meet me... This partnership must be pretty high-level. Just then, Director Zhang Biao in his white shirt, came forward with a beaming smile and extended his hand, "I didn''t expect Comrade Lin to be so young, truly a case of a hero being a youth!" Xia Qingqing timely introduced, "This is our police station''s Director Zhang." Lin Chuan shook hands with Zhang Biao: "Director Zhang, you''re too kind." "Haha..." Zhang Biao''s face was affable with a warm smile, exhibiting no air of superiority: "Comrade Lin is being modest. You are a hero not only in Anling but throughout the whole Han River region. Come, let''s go to the conference room." "It''s just a small contribution, nothing worth mentioning," Lin Chuan said, smiling. "What a modest contribution, please follow me." Zhang Biao lead the way to the conference room with a grin. "Lin, I hear you''re also a novelist," Zhang Biao said, walking briskly and making small talk. Lin Chuan nodded: "Yes, my main job is writing novels." "Not bad, not bad at all. You''re multitalented. Even an old man like me feels behind the timespared to you young folks," Zhang Biaoughed. "Actually, I''ve been following your novels." Hmm? Lin Chuan was momentarily taken aback, his expression subtly shifting. Director Zhang, I hope you''re just a follower and not harboring any other ideas. Otherwise, given your position, if you decided to take me away, it would be much harder for me toin about injustice. At that moment. Dressed in the white shirt, Zhang Biao continued with augh: "Lin, I''ve been reading a few of your novels. Your grasp on crime themes is really spot on, especially ''This Assassin Is Too Professional.'' The assassin''s skills are so professional that I began to suspect you''ve got a few cases under your belt." Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched. Chief, are you making small talk or trying to trip me up? After a thought, Lin Chuan defensively said: "Director Zhang, I actually write crime scenes from a special perspective to dissuade readers from going down the path of crime." Xia Qingqing, at his side,ughed and interjected: "Lin Chuan, actually, Director Zhang is one of your readers, he''s subscribed to several of your books." Subscribed? Lin Chuan was slightly surprised, but then his ''author''s instinct'' kicked in. He raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Thank you for the support, Director Zhang!" A true fan indeed! Zhang Biao chuckled, giving Lin Chuan a thumbs up: "''This Assassin Is Too Professional,'' I''m still studying it. It''s quite impressive!" Lin Chuan smiled and modestly said: "I''m simply doing my small part. The real impresarios are ourrades in the police." "Hahaha." Everyoneughed, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Throughout the walk, no one mentioned anything about hackers. But everyone was well aware. The seemingly very young man before them was the ''God of Hackers''. It was precisely for this reason that Anling Police decided to work with his studio. Once in the conference room, both parties sat down opposite each other. Zhang Xinxin, still a college student, was understandably nervous around someone with such a strong presence as the white-shirted chief, so she obediently sat down next to Lin Chuan. Actually, Lin Chuan was somewhat nervous as well. Who wouldn''t be nervous under normal circumstances? However, Lin Chuan had experienced quite a lot in life, and though he did not exude an air of aged wisdom, he had honed a certain maturity of spirit. Plus, having sessfully dealt with AW, he was able to meet Zhang Biao without feeling inferior or overawed. Strength was the source of confidence. In the conference room, both sides began discussing the partnership, with a strong intent to cooperate, so the talks proceeded smoothly. The main agreement was for the 720 Studio to provide cyber security services to the Anling Police and necessary emergency technical support when needed. Possibly because both parties feared a change of mind, a preliminary partnership agreement was swiftly signed. As for the subsequent details, such as service fees, these would be further negotiated, principally with Zhang Xinxin liaising with the financial personnel of the police station. Lin Chuan knew that the Anling Police had now firmly tied him to their ship. Which was fine with him. 720 Studio would soon make a name for itself, with more inte cafs andpanies seeking to partner with him. "Comrade Lin, your studio isn''t veryrge yet, is it?" Zhang Biao inquired. Lin Chuan nodded: "Right, it''s not very big." "Then there''s much room for growth. Anling is now looking to build a strong cyber security front, and we''re counting on top tech talents like you," Zhang Biao said cheerfully. "Thanks for the praise, Director Zhang," Lin Chuan responded as his eyebrows lifted. Lin Chuan grasped the implicit message in Chief Zhang Biao''s words. That''s right, the studio was gaining recognition, but it was too small-scale with only him, Zhang Xinxin, and Li Qing, insufficient for partnerships with morepanies. It was time to expand. More significant coborations were in the making. Zhang Biao waved his hand dismissively and chuckled, "Comrade Lin, you are now Han River''s premier ''Red Hat,'' a topputer technician who can also conduct criminal investigations, and you are a novelist to boot. Such promise at a young age!" He didn''t hide his admiration for Lin Chuan. My goodness. If Lin Chuan hadn''te through in a dire situation, who knows if he, Zhang Biao, could still be so jovial now, or if he would even be wearing that white shirt. "Comrade Lin Chuan is also skilled in anti-fraud," Xia Qingqing added. Anti-fraud? Everyone was taken aback. "Comrade Lin, you''re versed in anti-fraud too?" Curiosity flickered across Zhang Biao''s face as he turned to Lin Chuan. Along the border area of Han River, Anling had its fair share of fraud cases. Because of this, Zhang Biao had always been looking for ways to reduce, even eliminate, instances of fraud, though with little sess. Today, hearing that Lin Chuan was also knowledgeable in anti-fraud tactics, Zhang Biao''s interest was piqued. Perhaps the young man had some fresh ideas? "I only have a basic understanding," Lin Chuan said modestly. Chapter 92: Chapter 91 I Suspect Youre Carrying Several Cases (Please Subscribe) Lin Chuanughed, "Old Wang, what do you mean by that? Your thoughts are quite dangerous." Old Wang also burst into roaringughter, "If I didn''t know you so well, I''d think you were up to some fraud." "Go on, stop spreading rumors, you can''t just say things like that!" Lin Chuan jokingly scolded. After exchanging a few words with Lin Chuan, Wang Zikai felt rejuvenated, and his mood greatly improved. "Old Lin, if we both enter the anti-fraud writing contest, we''d definitely be The Two Heroes. When I adapt it and you publish it, how should we spend all that money?" Wang Zikai fantasized about a bright future. "You think everyone else is a pushover?" Lin Chuan threw a wet nket on Old Wang''s enthusiasm. The online literature circle is far from afort zone. It''s prettypetitive, too. Especially for a nationwide anti-fraud writing contest with generous prizes, including the potential for film adaptations. Just the royalties from a film adaptation could be a significant sum. If turned into a major IP, it could be worth tens of millions or even billions. Of course. Lin Chuan had never experienced any of this firsthand, only through hearsay. But seeing the support for this anti-fraud contest, it seemed like all the big names were enthusiastic. "Speaking of that, it reminds me of the original ''The Two Heroes''," Old Wang stroked his chin and pondered. "What ''The Two Heroes''?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "The ones who started out with you, Handon and Hongmei," Old Wang said with a smile, "Handon just knocked off ''King of Cheating'' and is now fullymitted to the anti-fraud contest. An author with ten thousand subscriptions is indeed formidable!" Fine works, major fine works, ten thousand subscriptions, Heavenly King, Influent Author, tinum. Over the 20-year history of Sailing Novel Website, there have only been a little over 1200 books with ten thousand subscriptions, which is why authors with that many are known as ''little gods''. Recalling the time when "Swindler" first came out alongside Handon, Lin Chuan said with a smile, "To shatter the darkness with a thunder strike!" Old Wang spit out, "It''s not appropriate for you to say that now." "Then what should I say?" Lin Chuan was puzzled, "Thirty years in the east river and thirty years in the west river, don''t bully the poor anymore?" "What if Handon bellows, ''Don''t bully the poor with ten thousand subscriptions''?" Old Wang chuckled. "Then I''ll just go ''heh heh heh heh''." ... The refreshing breeze from the Anling River blew from night into day, from the riverside into the city. As the warm sun began to rise, it painted the eastern sky red. The morning mist gradually dispersed, revealing the full view of Anling. The Little Landy had arranged with the police to meet today at 9:30 AM at the Anling Police Station''s meeting room to discuss a cooperative matter. So, Lin Chuan got up early. "Director, how do I look in this outfit?" Downstairs from the rental property, the Little Landy beamed with a smile. Lin Chuan nced up. For this cooperative matter, the Little Landy had "carefully dressed up in her Sunday best." She wore a white shirt underneath a casually chic zer on top and a light gray long skirt that wrapped around her waist and fell just past her knees, revealing a small section of her fair legs. Paired with ck leather shoes, she exuded the youthful vibe of a college student while still maintaining propriety. "Not bad, you kind of look like a financial director," Lin Chuan said with augh. Pleased by thepliment, Zhang Xinxin''s smile brightened, "Director, why don''t you wear a suit to discuss business?" Lin Chuan, still dressed in casual attire, replied with a smile, "A cultured inner self is naturally adorned, I focus on inner cultivation." "So full of twisted logic." Xinxin spat out. Taking the route of bus 13, the two hailed a cab to the Anling Police Station. They had agreed on the time, so the police station had arranged for someone to greet Lin Chuan and lead him to the meeting room. And that person was Xia Qingqing. Dressed in a dark cyan uniform, Xia Qingqing looked bold and valiant. When she saw Lin Chuan getting out of the cab, she revealed a smile, "Lin Chuan, over here." Lin Chuan smiled back, "Qingqing, howe it''s you receiving us?" "Well, it''s because I know you," Qingqing replied with a smile, then turned to look at the Little Landy beside Lin Chuan, smiling politely, "Comrade Lin, who might this be?" "Hello, police officer. I am Zhang Xinxin, the financial director of Studio 720," Xinxin introduced herself with a twinkle in her eye. "Hello." Xia Qingqing extended her hand, giving Xinxin a friendly handshake. "Comrade Lin Chuan, I didn''t expect your studio to have a financial director, and such a beautiful one at that," Xia Qingqing asked with interest. "Uh, she''s also a founder of the studio." Lin Chuan scratched his head, feeling something off in the air, and quickly said, "Let''s head to the meeting room." "This way, please," Xia Qingqing replied with a courteous smile. As they walked, the Little Landy murmured quietly to Lin Chuan, "Director, you seem to be quite familiar with this officer?" Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched, "We know each other, we know each other." The Little Landy pursed her lips and inwardly questioned, Director, do you just know this police officer? Tsk! A man''s mouth, a liar''s ghost! One could tell at a nce that something was amiss! Along the way, Xia Qingqing blinked and suddenly asked, "By the way, Writer Lin, did you enjoy the shrimpst night?" "Ah?" Lin Chuan forced a smile, "It was good... very good." "Is peeled shrimp tastier?" Xia Qingqing teased. "Tasty, all tasty." Lin Chuan grimaced as two lines of sweat appeared on his forehead. Seeing Lin Chuan like this, Xia Qingqing smiled satisfactorily and continued to lead Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin toward the meeting room. For Lin Chuan, the walk from the entrance to the meeting room seemed exceptionally long. Even longer than the riverside walk he took with Xia Qingqing the night before. The air seemed to carry a subtly different scent, although Lin Chuan couldn''t quite identify it. This scene, why did it feel like a showdown from a novel? Dammit, when I was single, Iined about not knowing any girls. Now that I''ve gotten to know a few, new troubles arise. s... Fortunately, just as they reached the floor of the meeting room, Lin Chuan saw a group of people waiting outside. One of them was particrly prominent. A man dressed in a white police uniform, middle-aged in appearance, with ck hair flecked with grey, radiated vibrancy and energy. Shh... Lin Chuan had been in and out of the police station quite a few times recently, but this was his first time seeing the white shirt. White shirts were generally reserved for the level of a police chief. Lin Chuan started to wonder. The chief himselfing out to meet me... This partnership must be pretty high-level. Just then, Director Zhang Biao in his white shirt, came forward with a beaming smile and extended his hand, "I didn''t expect Comrade Lin to be so young, truly a case of a hero being a youth!" Xia Qingqing timely introduced, "This is our police station''s Director Zhang." Lin Chuan shook hands with Zhang Biao: "Director Zhang, you''re too kind." "Haha..." Zhang Biao''s face was affable with a warm smile, exhibiting no air of superiority: "Comrade Lin is being modest. You are a hero not only in Anling but throughout the whole Han River region. Come, let''s go to the conference room." "It''s just a small contribution, nothing worth mentioning," Lin Chuan said, smiling. "What a modest contribution, please follow me." Zhang Biao lead the way to the conference room with a grin. "Lin, I hear you''re also a novelist," Zhang Biao said, walking briskly and making small talk. Lin Chuan nodded: "Yes, my main job is writing novels." "Not bad, not bad at all. You''re multitalented. Even an old man like me feels behind the timespared to you young folks," Zhang Biaoughed. "Actually, I''ve been following your novels." Hmm? Lin Chuan was momentarily taken aback, his expression subtly shifting. Director Zhang, I hope you''re just a follower and not harboring any other ideas. Otherwise, given your position, if you decided to take me away, it would be much harder for me toin about injustice. At that moment. Dressed in the white shirt, Zhang Biao continued with augh: "Lin, I''ve been reading a few of your novels. Your grasp on crime themes is really spot on, especially ''This Assassin Is Too Professional.'' The assassin''s skills are so professional that I began to suspect you''ve got a few cases under your belt." Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched. Chief, are you making small talk or trying to trip me up? After a thought, Lin Chuan defensively said: "Director Zhang, I actually write crime scenes from a special perspective to dissuade readers from going down the path of crime." Xia Qingqing, at his side,ughed and interjected: "Lin Chuan, actually, Director Zhang is one of your readers, he''s subscribed to several of your books." Subscribed? Lin Chuan was slightly surprised, but then his ''author''s instinct'' kicked in. He raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Thank you for the support, Director Zhang!" A true fan indeed! Zhang Biao chuckled, giving Lin Chuan a thumbs up: "''This Assassin Is Too Professional,'' I''m still studying it. It''s quite impressive!" Lin Chuan smiled and modestly said: "I''m simply doing my small part. The real impresarios are ourrades in the police." "Hahaha." Everyoneughed, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Throughout the walk, no one mentioned anything about hackers. But everyone was well aware. The seemingly very young man before them was the ''God of Hackers''. It was precisely for this reason that Anling Police decided to work with his studio. Once in the conference room, both parties sat down opposite each other. Zhang Xinxin, still a college student, was understandably nervous around someone with such a strong presence as the white-shirted chief, so she obediently sat down next to Lin Chuan. Actually, Lin Chuan was somewhat nervous as well. Who wouldn''t be nervous under normal circumstances? However, Lin Chuan had experienced quite a lot in life, and though he did not exude an air of aged wisdom, he had honed a certain maturity of spirit. Plus, having sessfully dealt with AW, he was able to meet Zhang Biao without feeling inferior or overawed. Strength was the source of confidence. In the conference room, both sides began discussing the partnership, with a strong intent to cooperate, so the talks proceeded smoothly. The main agreement was for the 720 Studio to provide cyber security services to the Anling Police and necessary emergency technical support when needed. Possibly because both parties feared a change of mind, a preliminary partnership agreement was swiftly signed. As for the subsequent details, such as service fees, these would be further negotiated, principally with Zhang Xinxin liaising with the financial personnel of the police station. Lin Chuan knew that the Anling Police had now firmly tied him to their ship. Which was fine with him. 720 Studio would soon make a name for itself, with more inte cafs andpanies seeking to partner with him. "Comrade Lin, your studio isn''t veryrge yet, is it?" Zhang Biao inquired. Lin Chuan nodded: "Right, it''s not very big." "Then there''s much room for growth. Anling is now looking to build a strong cyber security front, and we''re counting on top tech talents like you," Zhang Biao said cheerfully. "Thanks for the praise, Director Zhang," Lin Chuan responded as his eyebrows lifted. Lin Chuan grasped the implicit message in Chief Zhang Biao''s words. That''s right, the studio was gaining recognition, but it was too small-scale with only him, Zhang Xinxin, and Li Qing, insufficient for partnerships with morepanies. It was time to expand. More significant coborations were in the making. Zhang Biao waved his hand dismissively and chuckled, "Comrade Lin, you are now Han River''s premier ''Red Hat,'' a topputer technician who can also conduct criminal investigations, and you are a novelist to boot. Such promise at a young age!" He didn''t hide his admiration for Lin Chuan. My goodness. If Lin Chuan hadn''te through in a dire situation, who knows if he, Zhang Biao, could still be so jovial now, or if he would even be wearing that white shirt. "Comrade Lin Chuan is also skilled in anti-fraud," Xia Qingqing added. Anti-fraud? Everyone was taken aback. "Comrade Lin, you''re versed in anti-fraud too?" Curiosity flickered across Zhang Biao''s face as he turned to Lin Chuan. Along the border area of Han River, Anling had its fair share of fraud cases. Because of this, Zhang Biao had always been looking for ways to reduce, even eliminate, instances of fraud, though with little sess. Today, hearing that Lin Chuan was also knowledgeable in anti-fraud tactics, Zhang Biao''s interest was piqued. Perhaps the young man had some fresh ideas? "I only have a basic understanding," Lin Chuan said modestly. Chapter 95: Chapter 94: Its Over, Caught Red-Handed!? (Please Subscribe) Outside the rented apartment''s window, the sun hung low, casting the signs of the years on the buildings of the City East District with mottled walls that retained a burning heat. Above, thunderclouds rumbled, and waves of dry heat surged amid startling ps of thunder. Lin Chuan stayed inside his rented room, and even though the fan squeaked as it spun, bringing a breeze of cool air, beads of sweat still formed on his forehead. He stared at the message sent by Youyou, lost in thought. No way, Youyou, you''re joining in on themotion too? Little Landy, Xia Qingqing, Shen Qianqian, Youyou, if one more joined, it would really be a ''May Day''. May Day, I can''t handle this! Lin Chuan thought for a moment and had no choice but to reply, "Youyou, I may not be in Anling for May Day, so I might not be able to entertain you." "Okay~" Youyou pouted and replied. Outside the rental. The sky was filled with massive and dense cloudyers that blocked most of the sunlight, creating a stuffy and yellowish glow. Just then, the heavy thunder began to sound, and raindrops like countless thin needles pattered against the windowsill, gradually blurring the view. With the rain came a breeze, blowing into the room and taking away some of the dry heat and stuffiness. Lin Chuan watched the hazy rain outside the window and took a deep breath, smoothing out his thoughts, as tangled as a ball of wool. However, before Lin Chuan could straighten them out. ''Ring ring ring'' His phone rang. The iing caller: Shen Qianqian. Hmm? A moment of apprehension gripped Lin Chuan; Officer Shen calling at this time! Whatever you feares to pass. Nevertheless, he pressed the answer button. Through the phone, Shen Qianqian''s familiar voice emerged: "Writer Lin, good afternoon." "Officer Shen, good afternoon to you too," Lin Chuan greeted back. "First off, congrattions to Writer Lin for bing awork security partner with the Anling Police, and secondly, congrattions to your studio for bing the main research and development unit for the anti-fraud app," Shen Qianqian said with a chuckle. "Thank you," Lin Chuanughed. "Who would''ve thought, Writer Lin, that you have so many side jobs, with such unique skills that you''ve be an expert. I was worried you wouldn''t make enough money from writing, so I even got several of my friends to subscribe fully," Shen Qianqian''s lightughter came through the phone. Several full subscriptions? Lin Chuan took a deep breath and said solemnly to this true fan who always supported him, "Thank you Officer Shen, for your continual support and encouragement." "How exactly do you n to thank me?" Shen Qianqianughed. Lin Chuan grinned sheepishly: "Ah, well..." "Just kidding," Shen Qianqian said with a lightugh, "Let''s talk serious business." "There''s more serious business?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "Thanks to you, I''ve now been assigned to the Anti-Fraud Center," Shen Qianqian said with augh. "You''re working in anti-fraud now?" Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised slightly, a hint of surprise in his heart. In Anling City, the Anti-Fraud Center was part of the criminal investigation division of the city police station. Officers like Shen Qianqian, indeed, could be transferred to the Anti-Fraud Center. "Comrade Lin Chuan, let me officially introduce myself: I''m Shen Qianqian from the Anling Police Station''s Anti-Fraud Center. The anti-fraud app project has been approved, and it''s my job to conduct preliminarymunications with you on behalf of the Anling Anti-Fraud Center." On the phone, Shen Qianqian introduced herself with a voice brimming withughter. "The anti-fraud app project has already been approved?" Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised. It seemed Anling and Han River were taking this very seriously, probably expediting the process and opening the doors of convenience. As for Officer Shen being transferred from the Criminal Investigation Brigade to the Anti-Fraud Center, it could be to facilitate bettermunication with him. "Officer Shen of the Anti-Fraud Center, hello," Lin Chuan greeted with a smile. Shen Qianqian cleared her throat and continued: "Comrade Lin Chuan, the department has given special approval. Currently, the anti-fraud APP development project will be led by the Anling Anti-Fraud Center, with Studio 720 as the main research unit, supported by Jintang Network Security Company, Copper Wall Network Security Company, and Gxy Technology Company, forming a special research team," said Shen Qianqian formally. "Alright," Lin Chuan nodded. "Moreover, we have tentatively scheduled the project initiation ceremony for tomorrow morning at 9:00 am, in the meeting hall of the Anling Police Station, as well as to discuss the preliminary development n," Shen Qianqian continued. "No problem," Lin Chuan responded. "Writer Lin, about the development ideas and proposals..." Shen Qianqian asked further. The two talked about the various work content rted to the development of the anti-fraud app. Mainly, Lin Chuan was talking. On the other end of the phone, Shen Qianqian listened very attentively and took notes on everything. Unnoticed, the rain outside had stopped. In the sky, the setting sun bled red, its twilight illuminating the city''s outline, its golden light reflecting off the raindrops, creating a scattering of gem-like sparkles. The urban area of Anling, under the afterglow of the sunset, also turned a shade of golden yellow. Shen Qianqian raised her hand to check her watch and then said with a smile, "Comrade Lin Chuan, it''s time for dinner, shall Ie to pick you up?" "Huh?" Lin Chuan was taken aback, immediately furrowing his brow. "Do you have ns tonight?" On the other end, Shen Qianqian''s lips pursed, and she asked somewhat nervously. "No... I don''t," Lin Chuan said, grinning sheepishly. "Then I''ll wait for you downstairs in half an hour," Shen Qianqian said with a radiant smile. "Okay." Lin Chuan scratched his head, looking out at the golden scene, and chastised himself internally, ''What are you so scared of, it''s just dinner.'' The pre-rain humidity had caused Lin Chuan to sweat profusely. Lin Chuan sniffed his T-shirt, then walked into the bathroom to take a shower, and in the meantime, transformed into a toilet singing sensation. ''Forgive me for this life of unrestrained love of freedom, never afraid of falling one day, oh oh~'' Half an hourter. For some reason, when Lin Chuan descended the stairs, he felt like a thief skirting around the little supermarket downstairs, avoiding bumping into the Little Landy. He chose to wait for Shen Qianqian near the entrance of Happiness Community. Shen Qianqian was punctual, appearing in front of Lin Chuan in her Mercedes GLC. Lin Chuan remembered, this car belonged to Xue Qiqi. "Writer Lin, what do you think? Picking you up in this car, it''s appropriate, right?" Shen Qianqian lowered the window, smiling radiantly. "Appropriate." Lin Chuanughed and then got into the passenger seat. "It rained today, and there was also a sunset. The air by the river must be particrly refreshing. Shall we go to ''Riverside Cottage''?" Shen Qianqian suggested. Lin Chuan buckled his seatbelt and nodded, "Their dishes are indeed not bad." The Mercedes GLC drove out of the old city district,ying over the golden light on the road, speeding towards Anling Riverside, and finally, parked in a road-side paid parking spot. The riverside embankment was fully bathed in the setting sun. In front of the fencey a stretch of jade-green water, resembling an emerald ribbon. The river was wide, with several small boats swaying in the water. The evening sky''s afterglow was gradually changing colors, and by this time, the outline of the moon was visible. The breeze at Anling Riverside was very fresh, bringing with it the scent of water vapor and vegetation that enveloped them. Shen Qianqian''s waterfall-like ck hair was in disarray, fluttering in the wind. In the sunset, their shadows were elongated, casting across the ground all the way to the opposite curb. "Let''s go across." Just across the street was the Riverside Cottage. Lin Chuan was familiar with the route here. He had been here once with Shen Qianqian, and once with Xia Qingqing. The staff of Riverside Cottage seemed to have some recollection of Lin Chuan, "Sir, do you have a reservation?" Lin Chuan was about to shake his head. Shen Qianqian, however, nodded and responded, "I made a reservation at noon,st name Shen." "Okay, right this way please." The staff then led the two inside. "Officer Shen, you made the reservation quite early, didn''t you?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile as they walked. Shen Qianqian blinked, "I was thinking ofing alone at noon, but I ended up on the phone with you right during mealtime, so I took the opportunity to treat you." Lin Chuanughed, "I believe that." Shen Qianqian''s lips curled into a barely contained smile, "Writer Lin is still acting coy after taking advantage." "No, no," Lin Chuan grinned. The two sat in a corner spot at Riverside Cottage. The staff, holding the menu, asked, "What would the two of you like to order? Our shrimp dish is a specialty." "No shrimp!" Lin Chuan instinctively reacted with a refusal. Shrimp, to him, was a bit frightening. "Then let''s skip the shrimp." Shen Qianqian gave a slight start and then ordered several other dishes. Night had fallen, and streetlights sparked to life. Shen Qianqian that evening appeared to have dressed up specially, her face lightly made up, her eyes clear, her skin fair and firm. She wore a floral dress that ented her slim waist, and on her feet were a pair of white t shoes. Because she was only about half a head shorter than the 186cm Lin Chuan, at 172cm. "It feels like it''s been a very long time since west had a meal together," Shen Qianqian said with a radiant smile, looking at Lin Chuan. "It has." "You''re quite busy these days," Shen Qianqian teased, "I''ve been wanting to consult you about some criminal investigation issues, but I was afraid you''d be too busy." "Now that you''re working on anti-fraud, you don''t need to consult about criminal investigation for the time being," Lin Chuanughed. "Director Zhang said you''re an expert in the field of anti-fraud, so I need to consult with you even more," Shen Qianqian chuckled. "We can exchange insights," Lin Chuan nodded and agreed. "Are you keeping busy with your writing?" Shen Qianqian asked as she brushed back her hair. Lin Chuan nodded. "I heard from Qiqi that if a writer stays home and writes all the time, their mind bes dull and inspiration quickly dries up," Shen Qianqian brought up Xue Qiqi''s words. "That''s quite true," Lin Chuan agreed wholeheartedly. Previously, perhaps it was because he hadn''t gone out much, had not experienced social interactions and various other aspectseverything was particrly superficial. Thus, he always hit a wall. "So have you considered going out and about?" Shen Qianqian leaned forward slightly, fixating her gaze on Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan looked surprised, "Ah?" Shen Qianqian swiftly continued, "I''ve heard the scenery in Yundian is quite nice, very enchantingsnow-capped mountains, Erhai Lakeit''s a great ce for an author to gather inspiration and helpful for your writing." Lin Chuan hesitated, "So..." "May Day, Yundian, want to set out on an impromptu trip?" Shen Qianqian broached it concisely, getting straight to the point. Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched slightly, "Your map of Yan Country seems a bit extensive." Under the cozy lights. Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, smiling, "As your true fan, I naturally hope you can write better works. Otherwise, I won''t have anything to read in the future." "What kind of reader takes the author out traveling?" Lin Chuan countered. "Uh, actually, I''ve always wanted to visit Yundian, but ever since Qiqi got together with your best friend, I''ve been without a travelpanion," Shen Qianqian pouted, looking a bit aggrieved. Lin Chuan rubbed his forehead. The days of Shen Qianqian''s cold and stunning presence were long gone. Suddenly. ''Ring, ring, ring'' The phone rang! Lin Chuan thought to himself, this call couldn''t havee at a better time. "Officer Shen, let me take this call." Lin Chuan picked up the phone and moved aside, but as he nced at the caller ID: Iing call: Xia Qingqing. "Qingqing, what''s up?" Lin Chuan answered the call and asked. "Lin Chuan, are you having dinner with your CFO tonight?" On the other end, Xia Qingqing pouted and inquired. Lin Chuan grimaced, ncing at Shen Qianqian next to him, and replied, "No." "No?" Xia Qingqing''s face brightened, a smile spreading across her face, "So, I''ll treat you to dinner tonight?" "What?" "Don''t you like it?" Xia Qingqing pressed further. "Err, it''s not like that," Lin Chuan, at a loss for an approach, simply said, "I''m currently having dinner." "Alright then~" Xia Qingqing bit her lower lip, "Guess I''ll eat alone." Lin Chuan sighed with relief and hung up the call. Beep, beep, beep. He returned to the table. The dishes were already served, arranged on the small square table, emanating an intoxicating aroma. Lin Chuan touched his stomach, ready to start eating. Suddenly. A familiar figure appeared at the table, speaking with surprise, "Lin Chuan! Qianqian? You guys are here too?" In the night, under the glow of the lights, a gentle breeze carried the soft chirping of night birdsone or two notesand along with it, strands of the delicate fragrance of jasmine. Lin Chuan felt his heart skip a beat and looked up. Xia Qingqing!? Chapter 94: Chapter 93 Beware of Fraud There (Subscribe Please) Lin Chuan and Little Landy Zhang Xinxin walked out of Anling Police Station, and it was already noon. The warm sun had be scorching, shining upon every corner of Anling City. The sky was deep blue, with a few white clouds drifting by, bringing a touch of coolness to this bustling city. The trees lining the streets were lush, their leaves rustling in the soft breeze. Outside the police station. Zhang Xinxin tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled at Lin Chuan, "Mr. Chairman, let me treat you to lunch." Hmm? Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan''s eyes lit up, and he readily agreed, "Now that we''ve reached an agreement, the chief financial officer of 720 Studio, Zhang Xinxin, is treating me to lunch. Naturally, I must go." Zhang Xinxin blinked and said, "I''ll take you to eat something delicious." The taxi winded through the city''s streets and alleys, taking them both to a restaurant. "Little Landy, I''m going to use the restroom," Lin Chuan said with a smile, "You go ahead and order first." Little Landy nodded with a smile. Then. Little Landy chose a corner seat, picked up the menu, quickly scanned through it, and said to the waiter: "Some braised prawns, a te of in boiled shrimp, and also a steamed garlic shrimp..." After Lin Chuan came out from the restroom, he sat down opposite Little Landy and saw the small square tableden with threerge tes of shrimp. And Little Landy was wearing disposable gloves, peeling the shrimp one by one. "Little Landy, why did you order so many shrimp?" Lin Chuan asked, stunned. Little Landy smiled brilliantly, showing off her two rows of white teeth, "Mr. Chairman, don''t you like shrimp?" Lin Chuan''s face darkened, and he couldn''t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. He didn''t know what to say for a moment. "Mr. Chairman, have a shrimp I peeled for you," Little Landy said, holding a shrimp dipped in sauce and extending it towards Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan felt his brain was a tangled mess of yarn. He was feeling rather overwhelmed. "Mr. Chairman, the chief financial officer is peeling shrimp for you. Don''t you like it?" Little Landy said with a cheerfulugh. Lin Chuan took the shrimp Zhang Xinxin had peeled and forced a smile onto his face, "Did you order anything else?" Unexpectedly. Little Landy shook her head, "The policewoman mentioned that she only knew you liked shrimp, so that''s all I ordered for you. Since you like peeled shrimp, I''ve peeled them all for you. Mr. Chairman, you see how good I am to you?" "Yeah, great, just great!" Lin Chuan''s face was stretched into a forced smile. Seeing Lin Chuan like that, Little Landy''s small face blossomed into a huge grin, "Mr. Chairman, I''m just teasing you. I also ordered beef, boiled beef, lettuce, and rice." "That''s better." Lin Chuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, Little Landy handed him anotherrge shrimp. Lin Chuan took it and ate it, but soon after, he frowned. "What''s wrong, Mr. Chairman?" Little Landy asked with concern. "Why is this shrimp sour?" "Huh?" Little Landy was taken aback, then picked up a shrimp herself and put it in her mouth, her eyebrows furrowing slightly, "It''s not sour at all!" Lin Chuan grinned, "It''s not sour?" The Little Landy looked at Lin Chuan''s smile and suddenly realized what he meant. She pouted slightly and grumbled, "Hmph, I certainly wouldn''t be jealous." "Then will you eat the shrimp?" Lin Chuan picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a shrimp, and asked. "No!" "Financial Director, you really won''t eat it?" Lin Chuan held the shrimp up to Zhang Xinxin. Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips and nced at Lin Chuan, the corner of her mouth involuntarily turned upwards. Like a little tiger, she grabbed Lin Chuan''s arm, opened her small mouth slightly, and fiercely bit into the shrimp. "Considering you''re the chairman, I''ll give you some face," Zhang Xinxin huffed. "Financial Director, you really think big!" Lin Chuan gave a thumbs up. "Of course, I do." Zhang Xinxin held up her little face, slightly puffed out her chest, and her casual jacket immediately strained, revealing her full curves, which captured Lin Chuan''s gaze. Biggest of ns. "LSP!" Zhang Xinxin pouted and spat a small mouthful. Lin Chuan retorted, "I solemnly dere, I am not old." "Stop staring and eat your shrimp," Zhang Xinxin chuckled, "I have something to discuss with you, something serious." "What is it?" Lin Chuan nibbled on the shrimp that the Little Landy had peeled for him, dipping it into the sauce before cing it in his mouth. "Don''t you think our studio is too small?" the Little Landy asked. "A chairman, a financial director, and one employee, it''s indeed a bit small," Lin Chuan nodded in agreement. "I think, now that we have a cooperative intention with the police, we can fully grow and be stronger. What do you think?" the Little Landy asked ambitiously. "You''re the financial director, and also in charge of development nning. How do you think we should grow and strengthen?" Lin Chuan asked. The Little Landy pursed her lips and seriously said, "Upgrade to apany! 720 Network Security Company!" "Alright." Lin Chuan was brief and to the point. The Little Landy''s face lit up with a smile, pleased, "I''ve already nned it out. I have an office floor in Qingxiu District that''s waiting to be rented out; it will be ourpany''s location..." "You''re that wealthy?" Lin Chuan paused his eating, asking in surprise. "Not too much money, my sources of ie are very limited, only relying on rent, so I have to try starting a business to broaden my sources of ie!" the Little Landy said, lips pursed. "?" Lin Chuan''s eyes went dark. Is this even human talk? Little Landy, you call this a very limited source of ie? Suddenly. Lin Chuan felt that his manuscript fee of 400,000 fromst month wasn''t at all appealing anymore. Compared to the Little Landy, it was merely a drop in the bucket. Damn... In some ces, the starting price for a bride''s price is 388,000. With only 400,000, after paying the bride price, it''s ''back to square one,'' penniless and empty-handed. Lin Chuan finally understood that living off a woman, is really damn great! "Little richdy, I ask for your sponsorship!" Lin Chuan joked. The Little Landy grinned, "You look too frail, richdies don''t like that." "I don''t care about other richdies, as long as you, this little richdy, like it," Lin Chuan teased with a chuckle. "Eat your shrimp." The Little Landy had a slight smugness on her face, her smile brimming. Lin Chuan chuckled. Suddenly, the Little Landy seemed to remember something, "Chairman, you know, our studio has been established for some time now, and it seems we haven''t done any team building yet." "Just the three of us, what team building?" Lin Chuan asked in confusion, "Besides, Li Qing definitely won''t go with us two." The Little Landy pouted, "So the two studio partners, the chairman and the financial director, can''t do team building?" "We''re already team building now!" Lin Chuanughed. "I''m talking about formal team building, like going on a trip or something," retorted the Little Landy. "A trip, huh? When, where?" Lin Chuan muttered to himself. "May Day, Yundian, I''ve made the itinerary," the Little Landy said, biting her lower lip slightly, her smile hidden. Hiss! Lin Chuan took a deep breath and scratched his head again. "You don''t want to go to Yundian? We can choose another ce for team building," the Little Landy said with a smile. "If we go there, we''ll get scammed," Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then said. "Aren''t you savvy in anti-fraud?" The Little Landy chuckled, her hands didn''t stop moving, and she peeled another shrimp for Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan stretched his mouth and changed the subject, "May Day hasn''t arrived yet. Let me think about it first." Scammed or not, Lin Chuan didn''t care. It was just that he was a bit unsure at the moment. After returning to the rental house. Lin Chuan sent a message to Old Wang, "So torn, three girls want to ask me out to y, what should I do?" Old Wang replied instantly, "?". "Bro, I need some advice," Lin Chuan sent another message. To his surprise, Old Wang responded, "Old Lin, I also want to ask you, how can I get three girls to ask me out to y at the same time?" "Tch, Old Wang, you have Qiqi." "So, you''re having difficulty choosing?" "Uh..." "Old Lin, if you ask me, just take all of them out to y together!" "Really? Can I do that?" "?" Lin Chuan looked at Wang Zikai''s ''?'', falling silent. Together? That''s definitely not feasible! Just today, because of a single shrimp, he almost got deeply mired in trouble. Well... Better focus on making money first. With savings of 400,000, it''s just enough to cover the starting dowry price of 388,000. Jeez. "Babe~" Perhaps sensing Lin Chuan''s desire to earn money, editor Youyou sent him a message. "Youyou, what''s up?" Lin Chuan replied. "The rules for the anti-fraud essay contest are out, I''ll send them to you." Soon after, Youyou sent a link. ''Nationwide collection! The Anti-Fraud Center and Sunshine Film and Television Jointly host an Anti-Fraud essaypetition'' calling for excellent works such as novels and scripts from all over the web!'' Lin Chuan clicked on it. The page directed to the Anti-Fraud Center''s website, which detailed the ''Anti-Fraud Essay Contest''. > Registration Rules: All anti-fraud type novels, click here to register. > Contest Rules: Preliminary round: Works published after May 1, including novels and scripts, ending on May 31. The total reading index score achieved by the works, 100 novels, and scripts each will advance to the next round. Semi-Final: From June 1 to June 10, 10 anti-fraud experts, 100 anti-fraud policemen, and 1000 scammed spectators will form a joint judging panel... > Rewards: The script and novel will be judged separately, with one first prize, five-second prizes, ten third prizes, and twenty excellence awards... It also detailed the specific benefits for each award. "Works published after May 1st." Lin Chuan looked at it and nodded. "Babe~ there''s a critical point I need to remind you of," Youyou sent another message. "What is it?" Lin Chuan asked. "Since this is a contest for the whole web, not just Sailing Novel, it means we''ll bepeting for traffic and readers across the entirework," Youyou reminded. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment and then asked with a smile, "Youyou, do you have any good strategies to deal with this?" Youyou replied, "Editor-in-chief Mingyue and I have discussed, and we think the best way is to learn to market your work." "Marketing?" "Yes, we predict that once the essay contest officially starts, it will be a battle of marketing," Youyou exined earnestly. Lin Chuan thought for a moment and nodded. Indeed, for a contest of this magnitude, it was a first for him. Good wine also needs a bush. With more works participating, those without poprity will naturally be drowned out. Therefore, to make your work stand out, one must engage in marketing. But how to market? Announce a teaser in that inactive reader group? Ride on a trending news? Or take the stage personally, live streaming a fraud? No, no, that would probably get the live streaming channel shut down on the spot. "Babe~ you don''t need to worry too much, with your current poprity, you should be able to break into the top one hundred without hard-selling marketing," Youyou said, typing out a long line of information. "Can my poprity carry over to the anti-fraud contest?" Lin Chuan was slightly taken aback. "Of course, your ''Hacker Kingdom'' is currently the hottest hacker novel, and it''s about to hit ten thousand subscribers in a couple of days. If your anti-fraud novel incorporates some hacker elements, the poprity will definitely carry over," Youyou replied. Lin Chuan''s eyes lit up. That''s right. After the battle with AW, the hacker culture wave gradually resurged in the country. Hacker + anti-fraud is indeed a hot topic. ''All-In'' is exactly hacker + anti-fraud! "For the first time, I feel like luck is on my side," Lin Chuan grinned, sending a reply to Youyou. "I guess, this year could be your fateful year haha.jpg." "It might be," Lin Chuan said with augh. "Babe~ will you be in Anling for May Day? I''ll be passing through Anling City then," Youyou suddenly asked. Lin Chuan: ????? Chapter 95: Chapter 94: Its Over, Caught Red-Handed!? (Please Subscribe) Outside the rented apartment''s window, the sun hung low, casting the signs of the years on the buildings of the City East District with mottled walls that retained a burning heat. Above, thunderclouds rumbled, and waves of dry heat surged amid startling ps of thunder. Lin Chuan stayed inside his rented room, and even though the fan squeaked as it spun, bringing a breeze of cool air, beads of sweat still formed on his forehead. He stared at the message sent by Youyou, lost in thought. No way, Youyou, you''re joining in on themotion too? Little Landy, Xia Qingqing, Shen Qianqian, Youyou, if one more joined, it would really be a ''May Day''. May Day, I can''t handle this! Lin Chuan thought for a moment and had no choice but to reply, "Youyou, I may not be in Anling for May Day, so I might not be able to entertain you." "Okay~" Youyou pouted and replied. Outside the rental. The sky was filled with massive and dense cloudyers that blocked most of the sunlight, creating a stuffy and yellowish glow. Just then, the heavy thunder began to sound, and raindrops like countless thin needles pattered against the windowsill, gradually blurring the view. With the rain came a breeze, blowing into the room and taking away some of the dry heat and stuffiness. Lin Chuan watched the hazy rain outside the window and took a deep breath, smoothing out his thoughts, as tangled as a ball of wool. However, before Lin Chuan could straighten them out. ''Ring ring ring'' His phone rang. The iing caller: Shen Qianqian. Hmm? A moment of apprehension gripped Lin Chuan; Officer Shen calling at this time! Whatever you feares to pass. Nevertheless, he pressed the answer button. Through the phone, Shen Qianqian''s familiar voice emerged: "Writer Lin, good afternoon." "Officer Shen, good afternoon to you too," Lin Chuan greeted back. "First off, congrattions to Writer Lin for bing awork security partner with the Anling Police, and secondly, congrattions to your studio for bing the main research and development unit for the anti-fraud app," Shen Qianqian said with a chuckle. "Thank you," Lin Chuanughed. "Who would''ve thought, Writer Lin, that you have so many side jobs, with such unique skills that you''ve be an expert. I was worried you wouldn''t make enough money from writing, so I even got several of my friends to subscribe fully," Shen Qianqian''s lightughter came through the phone. Several full subscriptions? Lin Chuan took a deep breath and said solemnly to this true fan who always supported him, "Thank you Officer Shen, for your continual support and encouragement." "How exactly do you n to thank me?" Shen Qianqianughed. Lin Chuan grinned sheepishly: "Ah, well..." "Just kidding," Shen Qianqian said with a lightugh, "Let''s talk serious business." "There''s more serious business?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "Thanks to you, I''ve now been assigned to the Anti-Fraud Center," Shen Qianqian said with augh. "You''re working in anti-fraud now?" Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised slightly, a hint of surprise in his heart. In Anling City, the Anti-Fraud Center was part of the criminal investigation division of the city police station. Officers like Shen Qianqian, indeed, could be transferred to the Anti-Fraud Center. "Comrade Lin Chuan, let me officially introduce myself: I''m Shen Qianqian from the Anling Police Station''s Anti-Fraud Center. The anti-fraud app project has been approved, and it''s my job to conduct preliminarymunications with you on behalf of the Anling Anti-Fraud Center." On the phone, Shen Qianqian introduced herself with a voice brimming withughter. "The anti-fraud app project has already been approved?" Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised. It seemed Anling and Han River were taking this very seriously, probably expediting the process and opening the doors of convenience. As for Officer Shen being transferred from the Criminal Investigation Brigade to the Anti-Fraud Center, it could be to facilitate bettermunication with him. "Officer Shen of the Anti-Fraud Center, hello," Lin Chuan greeted with a smile. Shen Qianqian cleared her throat and continued: "Comrade Lin Chuan, the department has given special approval. Currently, the anti-fraud APP development project will be led by the Anling Anti-Fraud Center, with Studio 720 as the main research unit, supported by Jintang Network Security Company, Copper Wall Network Security Company, and Gxy Technology Company, forming a special research team," said Shen Qianqian formally. "Alright," Lin Chuan nodded. "Moreover, we have tentatively scheduled the project initiation ceremony for tomorrow morning at 9:00 am, in the meeting hall of the Anling Police Station, as well as to discuss the preliminary development n," Shen Qianqian continued. "No problem," Lin Chuan responded. "Writer Lin, about the development ideas and proposals..." Shen Qianqian asked further. The two talked about the various work content rted to the development of the anti-fraud app. Mainly, Lin Chuan was talking. On the other end of the phone, Shen Qianqian listened very attentively and took notes on everything. Unnoticed, the rain outside had stopped. In the sky, the setting sun bled red, its twilight illuminating the city''s outline, its golden light reflecting off the raindrops, creating a scattering of gem-like sparkles. The urban area of Anling, under the afterglow of the sunset, also turned a shade of golden yellow. Shen Qianqian raised her hand to check her watch and then said with a smile, "Comrade Lin Chuan, it''s time for dinner, shall Ie to pick you up?" "Huh?" Lin Chuan was taken aback, immediately furrowing his brow. "Do you have ns tonight?" On the other end, Shen Qianqian''s lips pursed, and she asked somewhat nervously. "No... I don''t," Lin Chuan said, grinning sheepishly. "Then I''ll wait for you downstairs in half an hour," Shen Qianqian said with a radiant smile. "Okay." Lin Chuan scratched his head, looking out at the golden scene, and chastised himself internally, ''What are you so scared of, it''s just dinner.'' The pre-rain humidity had caused Lin Chuan to sweat profusely. Lin Chuan sniffed his T-shirt, then walked into the bathroom to take a shower, and in the meantime, transformed into a toilet singing sensation. ''Forgive me for this life of unrestrained love of freedom, never afraid of falling one day, oh oh~'' Half an hourter. For some reason, when Lin Chuan descended the stairs, he felt like a thief skirting around the little supermarket downstairs, avoiding bumping into the Little Landy. He chose to wait for Shen Qianqian near the entrance of Happiness Community. Shen Qianqian was punctual, appearing in front of Lin Chuan in her Mercedes GLC. Lin Chuan remembered, this car belonged to Xue Qiqi. "Writer Lin, what do you think? Picking you up in this car, it''s appropriate, right?" Shen Qianqian lowered the window, smiling radiantly. "Appropriate." Lin Chuanughed and then got into the passenger seat. "It rained today, and there was also a sunset. The air by the river must be particrly refreshing. Shall we go to ''Riverside Cottage''?" Shen Qianqian suggested. Lin Chuan buckled his seatbelt and nodded, "Their dishes are indeed not bad." The Mercedes GLC drove out of the old city district,ying over the golden light on the road, speeding towards Anling Riverside, and finally, parked in a road-side paid parking spot. The riverside embankment was fully bathed in the setting sun. In front of the fencey a stretch of jade-green water, resembling an emerald ribbon. The river was wide, with several small boats swaying in the water. The evening sky''s afterglow was gradually changing colors, and by this time, the outline of the moon was visible. The breeze at Anling Riverside was very fresh, bringing with it the scent of water vapor and vegetation that enveloped them. Shen Qianqian''s waterfall-like ck hair was in disarray, fluttering in the wind. In the sunset, their shadows were elongated, casting across the ground all the way to the opposite curb. "Let''s go across." Just across the street was the Riverside Cottage. Lin Chuan was familiar with the route here. He had been here once with Shen Qianqian, and once with Xia Qingqing. The staff of Riverside Cottage seemed to have some recollection of Lin Chuan, "Sir, do you have a reservation?" Lin Chuan was about to shake his head. Shen Qianqian, however, nodded and responded, "I made a reservation at noon,st name Shen." "Okay, right this way please." The staff then led the two inside. "Officer Shen, you made the reservation quite early, didn''t you?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile as they walked. Shen Qianqian blinked, "I was thinking ofing alone at noon, but I ended up on the phone with you right during mealtime, so I took the opportunity to treat you." Lin Chuanughed, "I believe that." Shen Qianqian''s lips curled into a barely contained smile, "Writer Lin is still acting coy after taking advantage." "No, no," Lin Chuan grinned. The two sat in a corner spot at Riverside Cottage. The staff, holding the menu, asked, "What would the two of you like to order? Our shrimp dish is a specialty." "No shrimp!" Lin Chuan instinctively reacted with a refusal. Shrimp, to him, was a bit frightening. "Then let''s skip the shrimp." Shen Qianqian gave a slight start and then ordered several other dishes. Night had fallen, and streetlights sparked to life. Shen Qianqian that evening appeared to have dressed up specially, her face lightly made up, her eyes clear, her skin fair and firm. She wore a floral dress that ented her slim waist, and on her feet were a pair of white t shoes. Because she was only about half a head shorter than the 186cm Lin Chuan, at 172cm. "It feels like it''s been a very long time since west had a meal together," Shen Qianqian said with a radiant smile, looking at Lin Chuan. "It has." "You''re quite busy these days," Shen Qianqian teased, "I''ve been wanting to consult you about some criminal investigation issues, but I was afraid you''d be too busy." "Now that you''re working on anti-fraud, you don''t need to consult about criminal investigation for the time being," Lin Chuanughed. "Director Zhang said you''re an expert in the field of anti-fraud, so I need to consult with you even more," Shen Qianqian chuckled. "We can exchange insights," Lin Chuan nodded and agreed. "Are you keeping busy with your writing?" Shen Qianqian asked as she brushed back her hair. Lin Chuan nodded. "I heard from Qiqi that if a writer stays home and writes all the time, their mind bes dull and inspiration quickly dries up," Shen Qianqian brought up Xue Qiqi''s words. "That''s quite true," Lin Chuan agreed wholeheartedly. Previously, perhaps it was because he hadn''t gone out much, had not experienced social interactions and various other aspectseverything was particrly superficial. Thus, he always hit a wall. "So have you considered going out and about?" Shen Qianqian leaned forward slightly, fixating her gaze on Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan looked surprised, "Ah?" Shen Qianqian swiftly continued, "I''ve heard the scenery in Yundian is quite nice, very enchantingsnow-capped mountains, Erhai Lakeit''s a great ce for an author to gather inspiration and helpful for your writing." Lin Chuan hesitated, "So..." "May Day, Yundian, want to set out on an impromptu trip?" Shen Qianqian broached it concisely, getting straight to the point. Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched slightly, "Your map of Yan Country seems a bit extensive." Under the cozy lights. Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, smiling, "As your true fan, I naturally hope you can write better works. Otherwise, I won''t have anything to read in the future." "What kind of reader takes the author out traveling?" Lin Chuan countered. "Uh, actually, I''ve always wanted to visit Yundian, but ever since Qiqi got together with your best friend, I''ve been without a travelpanion," Shen Qianqian pouted, looking a bit aggrieved. Lin Chuan rubbed his forehead. The days of Shen Qianqian''s cold and stunning presence were long gone. Suddenly. ''Ring, ring, ring'' The phone rang! Lin Chuan thought to himself, this call couldn''t havee at a better time. "Officer Shen, let me take this call." Lin Chuan picked up the phone and moved aside, but as he nced at the caller ID: Iing call: Xia Qingqing. "Qingqing, what''s up?" Lin Chuan answered the call and asked. "Lin Chuan, are you having dinner with your CFO tonight?" On the other end, Xia Qingqing pouted and inquired. Lin Chuan grimaced, ncing at Shen Qianqian next to him, and replied, "No." "No?" Xia Qingqing''s face brightened, a smile spreading across her face, "So, I''ll treat you to dinner tonight?" "What?" "Don''t you like it?" Xia Qingqing pressed further. "Err, it''s not like that," Lin Chuan, at a loss for an approach, simply said, "I''m currently having dinner." "Alright then~" Xia Qingqing bit her lower lip, "Guess I''ll eat alone." Lin Chuan sighed with relief and hung up the call. Beep, beep, beep. He returned to the table. The dishes were already served, arranged on the small square table, emanating an intoxicating aroma. Lin Chuan touched his stomach, ready to start eating. Suddenly. A familiar figure appeared at the table, speaking with surprise, "Lin Chuan! Qianqian? You guys are here too?" In the night, under the glow of the lights, a gentle breeze carried the soft chirping of night birdsone or two notesand along with it, strands of the delicate fragrance of jasmine. Lin Chuan felt his heart skip a beat and looked up. Xia Qingqing!? Chapter 96: Chapter 95: Its Really Over! (Please Subscribe) One minute ago. Xia Qingqing, having just finished her overtime work, arrived at Riverside Cottage, thinking about asking Lin Chuan out for a meal to discuss ns for a May Day outing. She wanted to go to Yundian, but always felt that going alone was too monotonous. So, she thought about bringing Lin Chuan along. At the entrance of Riverside Cottage, Xia Qingqing made a phone call to Lin Chuan, who said he was already having dinner. "How about tomorrow?" Xia Qingqing gave up the idea and walked into Riverside Cottage. She preferred a quieter environment, so she habitually walked towards a corner. Suddenly. Xia Qingqing''s brows furrowed slightly, looking suspiciously at a familiar figure in a white T-shirt sitting at a square table not far ahead. Very familiar! And the girl sitting opposite him also looked very familiar! "Lin Chuan! Qianqian?" Xia Qingqing was startled. Hiss! Lin Chuan, with his chopsticks midair, holding a vegetable, had a face even more surprised than Xia Qingqing''s: "Qingqing, what are you doing here?" Shen Qianqian, sitting opposite him, appeared much more natural; upon encountering Xia Qingqing, she immediately showed a smile: "Qingqing, what a coincidence, are you alone?" Xia Qingqing quickly adjusted her mood, a smile forming on her face: "I had just made ns with a friend, but they had somethinge up at thest minute, so I came alone." "If you don''t mind, let''s join us," Shen Qianqian said, patting the seat next to her with a smile. "Sure," Xia Qingqing responded with a bright smile. Lin Chuan ruefully retracted his chopsticks, looking at the two female officers in front of him who could arrest him at any moment, and forced a smile: "What a coincidence, Qingqing." Shen Qianqian''s brows furrowed slightly, thinking that Lin Chuan and Xia Qingqing seemed quite familiar with each other. He calls her Qingqing, but refers to me as Officer Shen? Xia Qingqing said with a smile: "Yeah, I didn''t expect to run into both of you here." "Indeed, such a coincidence." "Such a coincidence." Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan both echoed. Xia Qingqing nced at the dishes on the table and waved at a nearby waiter, saying with augh, "Hello, please bring us a serving of the house specialty, the steamed king prawns." The waiter was a young girl. She was still staring nkly in astonishment. She remembered Lin Chuan, after all, he had been herest night with Xia Qingqing, a good-looking couple, which was quite eye-catching, so she had taken a second nce. Who doesn''t love good-looking people? During that time, she had also seen Xia Qingqing peel some shrimp for Lin Chuan, who enjoyed it immensely. The young waitress couldn''t help but feel envious:What kind of fairytale romance is this? But! Tonight, Lin Chuan came with another girl! This girl''s beauty, features, and figure were not the slightest inferior to Xia Qingqing fromst night, which made her spit in her mind: Jerk. Soon, the reality proved her judgment correct. Because she saw Xia Qingqing appear in the restaurant and head towards Lin Chuan''s table. In her mind, she already envisioned the ssic scene of ''the wife catching the mistress in the act'' and sat on the side ready to watch the drama unfold. Yet to her surprise, she saw Xia Qingqing actually sitting next to that girl, chatting andughing. This is not how the plot is supposed to go! The cashier thought to himself, though this guy is somewhat handsome, his clothes are in. What virtues or abilities does he have to receive the favor of two girls? "Waiter?" Xia Qingqing called out again. "Right here." The cashier snapped back to reality and spared another nce at Lin Chuan''s table. "Another steamed king prawn, please," Xia Qingqing said with a smile. The cashier hurried off to ce the order. The lighting at Riverside Cottage was soothing, casting the two police flowers in the corner in a particrly charming light. Shen Qianqian belonged to the sweet type, her floral dress entuating her temperament. Xia Qingqing was more on the innocent side, with an oval face and short hair. Her slender build revealed a swan-like neck and corbones enchanting as the night, exuding an air of youthfulness. But Lin Chuan either looked sideways, listening to the intermittent sounds of insects and birds around, or he bowed his head to pick up food, acting like an inconspicuous diner focused on eating. "Qingqing, do you like to eat shrimp?" Seeing that Xia Qingqing ordered steamed king prawns, Shen Qianqian casually struck up a conversation. "I do. Many peoplee here specifically for this signature dish. Don''t you like it?" Xia Qingqing nodded and smiled. "I like it too, but Lin Chuan said he didn''t want to eat it, so I didn''t order it." Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing began to chat idly. "You know, steamed king prawns taste even better when someone peels them for you." Xia Qingqing nced at Lin Chuan from the corner of her eye as she spoke brightly. "Really? I''ve never had anyone peel shrimp for me before." Shen Qianqian pursed her lips. "I will peel them for youter!" "Great!" The two women chatted back and forth, effectively sidelining Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan internally groaned. He always felt that their conversations were meant for him to hear. Butdies, can we not talk about shrimp, please? The shrimp is innocent. Let''s not pick on the shrimp anymore. Feeling a bit thirsty from listening, Lin Chuan poured himself a cup of jasmine tea and downed it in one go. At that moment, Shen Qianqian timely took the cup and poured tea for Lin Chuan, "I''ve been transferred to the anti-fraud department. I''ll need Lin Chuan the expert to give me more advice." "Speaking of which, I can enjoy the May Day holiday normally; I also have Lin Chuan to thank for that." Xia Qingqing also poured a cup of tea for Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan looked at the two cups of jasmine tea before him, then at the two women. Both of the police flowers stared fixedly at him, with smiles brimming in their eyes. He inwardly groaned again. Which cup should he drink from first? Fortunately, the tea cups weren''t big, so Lin Chuan, transforming into a master cup bearer, simply took one in each hand and gulped down both at the same time. "No need to thank me, it was just a simple gesture." Lin Chuan set down the cups and smiled. Xia Qingqing and Shen Qianqian shared a knowing smile. "By the way, Qianqian, do you two have some important matters to discuss tonight?" Xia Qingqing peeled a shrimp and ced it in Shen Qianqian''s bowl. Shen Qianqian thanked her and then said with a smile, "Just some small talk, like discussing criminal detection and anti-fraud, as well as where to go for the May Day holiday." Criminal detection and anti-fraud didn''t interest Xia Qingqing. But the May Day holiday... Xia Qingqing looked at Lin Chuan, then at Shen Qianqian, and asked with interest, "Do you have any ns to go somewhere?" "I''m thinking of going to Yundian," Shen Qianqian replied with a smile. Xia Qingqing looked at Lin Chuan with suspicion, "Comrade Lin Chuan, what about you?" Lin Chuan''s lips twitched, "I didn''t create any trouble." "What about you, Qingqing?" Shen Qianqian asked. Xia Qingqing pursed her lips and blinked, "Actually, I also want to go to Yundian." Hiss! Lin Chuan''s eyes lit up, and he took a deep breath, "Great, the two of you can keep each otherpany, you can go together. I''ll stay in Anling." "No way." "No way." Xia Qingqing and Shen Qianqian said in unison. Lin Chuan was stunned, "????" How did you two end up on the same side? "Well, what I mean is, it''s dangerous for two girls to travel together, especially to a ce near the border," Shen Qianqian nodded, as if trying to convince herself. Lin Chuan, "????" Officer Shen, have you forgotten you''re a criminal police officer? At the roadside stallst time, you blew the head off a balloon with one shot, and you say you''re afraid of danger? Criminals would run and hide at the sight of you two, trembling with fear. "Right, it''s very dangerous," Xia Qingqing also nodded. Lin Chuan''s forehead showed two ck lines, and he suggested, "Uh, how about you explore around Anling instead?" "I''ve already made travel ns," Xia Qingqing pouted. "Er, I''ve also made travel ns," Shen Qianqian muttered softly. Lin Chuan shook his head again, "There are a lot of fraud gangs near the border." "You''re an anti-fraud expert!" "You understand anti-fraud!" Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing both said. Lin Chuan frowned secretly, his eyes looking at the two, pointing at himself with his finger, "So should I go or not?" Xia Qingqing and Shen Qianqian exchanged nces, falling silent as they seemed to see through each other''s thoughts. But there was only one Lin Chuan. Who would he go with? Lin Chuan nonchntly grabbed a shrimp, peeled it after making his choice, and tucked it into his mouth, focusing on eating his meal. Men are inherently not good at dealing with such tricky situations, even if they are revered as ''time management masters'' or ultimate challengers; they still end up being torn apart by such predicaments. So, Lin Chuan simply tossed this particrly thorny issue over to the two police beauties. Now, he was at peace. Seeing that the two of them kept silent for a long time, Lin Chuan poured two cups of jasmine tea, holding one in each hand and cing them in front of Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing. The true Master of Water Service. Suddenly, Xia Qingqing smiled radiantly, taking Shen Qianqian''s arm, "Qianqian, let''s go to Yundian together and make Lin Chuan carry our luggage, how about that?" Shen Qianqian''s eyes, clear as autumn waters, sparkled, "That''s a good idea." In that moment, the two seemed to have reached some sort of agreement. Lin Chuan, "????" "How about it, Comrade Lin Chuan?" Xia Qingqing''s eyes sparkled as she smiled. Lin Chuan asked begrudgingly, "Can I not go?" "No!" "No!" Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing said again in unison. Lin Chuan''s vision darkened, "Didn''t you say that I should find inspiration for my writing by going on a journey to write a better book? How did it turn into me being a luggage porter?" The prettier the girl, the more deceitful! "Just kidding." Xia Qingqing said with a bright smile, skillfully peeling a shrimp and cing it into Lin Chuan''s bowl. Shen Qianqian''s shrimp peeling skills were much less adept, clumsily managing one shrimp after much effort, which she then also ced in Lin Chuan''s bowl. Lin Chuan looked at the two of them, frowning. "Come on, Comrade Lin Chuan, eat, why aren''t you eating?" Xia Qingqing, more lively than Shen Qianqian, smiled as she watched Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan didn''t know what medicine these two police flowers were selling in their gourds. But since the shrimp were peeled, it would be a waste not to eat them! So, he stuffed both shrimp into his mouth at once. Meanwhile, the little waiter who asionally nced at this table, wanting to join in on the drama, just stood there, stunned. Wow! Two stunningly beautiful sisters were peeling shrimp for this scumbag at the same time? What''s so great about this scumbag? Scumbag, scumbag, scumbag! The night breeze gently wafted, carrying the scent of riverbank moisture and vegetation around the corner of ''Riverside Cottage''; the post-rain sky was exceptionally clear, and a few stars could be seen twinkling above. This dinner seemed to have resolved the troubling issues in Lin Chuan''s heart. Xia Qingqing and Shen Qianqian chatted andughed, discussing how to go to Yundian and which ces to visit. "Qingqing, I''ll buy the ne tickets." "Er, I''ve already bought mine and Lin Chuan''s tickets, let me buy yours too." "Sure, I''ve already booked the hotel." "Okay, you''ve booked the hotel, then I''ll cancel the ones I booked earlier." "Er..." "Qianqian, prepare those essential tools, like the selfie stick, sun protection clothing, sunburn cream, and prepare a set for Comrade Lin Chuan too." "I''ve already prepared everything." Lin Chuan frowned as he listened on the side. It seems you two have prepared everything, and I''ve be an NPC tool. Sigh As the night grew darker, it wasn''t until nearly eleven o''clock that the three of them left. Xia Qingqing lived in the same Qingxiu District as ''Riverside Cottage'' but she got into a Mercedes-Benz GLC with Shen Qianqian and they drove Lin Chuan to Happiness Community. Both police beauties sat in the driver''s and passenger''s seats. Lin Chuan sat in the back seat. The Mercedes-Benz GLC followed the same route back and quickly arrived at the old city area. This ce, unlike the bustling downtown area, had be quiet at this time of night, and the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz GLC was particrly noticeable. Lin Chuan got out of the car, waving, "Goodbye." "Good night," Xia Qingqing said with a smile from the passenger''s seat. "Good night," Shen Qianqian also said with a smile. Lin Chuan watched as they drove away before he heaved a sigh of relief. He hadn''t felt full from tonight''s dinner, having eaten only shrimp. He ate shrimpst night. He ate shrimp for lunch. And he still ate shrimp tonight. Peeling shrimp is certainly delicious, but since shrimp are cold in nature, one shouldn''t eat too much; it''s easy to get a cold stomach. Lin Chuan turned around, ready to go upstairs. Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "Chairman, you''re finally back?" Lin Chuan shuddered. Damn it all! I forgot about the Little Landy! Chapter 97: Chapter 96 Just Escaped from the Factory? (Subscribe Please) Happiness Community, deep into a night of tranquil silence. Little Landy emerged from the dim light, looking alluring under the hazy moonlight. "Little Landy, you haven''t gone to bed yet?" Lin Chuan said in surprise, his mouth breaking into a smile. "Not yet." Little Landy replied with a smile, her hands sped behind her back. Her response was somewhat different from what Lin Chuan had expected. After the afternoon, she hadn''t taken a nap or watched short videos; instead, she had been bustling about in the office building she owned in Qingxiu District, diligently working and contacting a renovation team to prepare for refurbishments. When it came to the development of her studio, Little Landy always nned meticulously and acted decisively. Moreover, with plenty of money in her little treasury, there was no need to worry about cash flow problems. "I was handling some things at the office building in Qingxiu District today, and I also prepared the materials required for registering the 720 Network Security Company," Little Landy said, lifting her face slightly with a touch of pride. Lin Chuan''s brows raised slightly in surprise, "Little Landy, you spent the afternoon dealing with thepany''s affairs?" "That''s right." Little Landy said with a smile, "The studio is really taking off right now, and the police have entrusted us withwork security services, so we have a lot of tasks to handle." Lin Chuan nodded. Then, he informed this diligent financial director about the anti-fraud app. "An anti-fraud app, if this project is done well, it could be very influential!" Little Landy''s eyes shone even brighter. Lin Chuan agreed, "Yes, the formal projectunch is tomorrow. We will establish a special R&D task force with the Anti-Fraud Center andpanies like Jintang, Copper Wall, and Gxy." "Then we won''t have enough staff in our studio," Little Landy said. "Right, we''ll need to hire more people." "Okay, I''ll draft a recruitment notice overnight tonight," Little Landy said with a smile. "Thanks for the hard work, financial director!" said Lin Chuan with a chuckle. "Is there anything else?" Little Landy blinked her eyes. "As the financial director, and now also managing HR, thepany is partly yours. You handle your own sry. Besides saying ''thanks for the hard work,'' what else can I offer?" Lin Chuan said leisurely, a smile on his face. Little Landy, pinching her skirt, lifted her brows and hummed, "What about things outside of thepany?" Lin Chuan''s eyes darted around, and he vaguely replied, "Then get some sleep earlier, don''t stay up toote." "That''s it?" Little Landy asked, her tone a mix of sweetness and feigned ferocity. Lin Chuan furrowed his brow, looked up at the sky as if deep in thought, and then said tentatively, "Well, how about... we sleep together?" "Sure!" Little Landy''s voice was crisp, like a sprite in the night, leaping into Lin Chuan''s ears. "Then I''ll go grab some gear." Lin Chuan turned to walk towards the little supermarket. "Keep dreaming," Little Landy huffed, a mysterious smile on her face. "Too bad." Lin Chuan shook his head in feigned disappointment. "What do you think about the team building trip to Yundian for May Day?" Little Landy asked. Lin Chuan took a deep breath and said frankly, "Someone has invited me to Yundian already." "Was it the twodies from before?" "Yes, it''s just a in trip for some fun and to get some inspiration, nothing else," Lin Chuan exined. ``` "You sure have a lot of admirers!" Little Landy Zhang Xinxin muttered before adding, "I''ming too!" Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched: "Little Landy, is that appropriate?" "I''m the financial director at 720, what''s wrong with joining the team-building?" Little Landy pouted her lips. "But you''re still a university student, right? Does Old Zhang agree with you going? What about your graduation thesis defense?" Lin Chuan suddenly asked. Little Landy was taken aback. Lin Chuan seized the opportunity to say, "Wait until you''ve graduated, then ourpany can go team-building. It won''t bete." "By that time, I won''t be a female college student anymore." Little Landy said somberly, pursing her lips slightly and appearing somewhat aggrieved. Lin Chuan: "???" Little Landy, you''re really something else! "Let''s talk about it after you graduate." Lin Chuan, full of guilt, dropped a line and went straight upstairs, beating a hasty retreat. This Little Landy, the things she says always lead to wild thoughts, way too intoxicating. Can''t handle it, just can''t handle it! Watching Lin Chuan''s fleeing figure, Little Landy spat out, "Wait till I graduate, I''ll squeeze you dry...ugh, I mean I''ll thoroughly exploit you!" Night turned into day. Dawn reced the dim streetlights on the side of the road, shining on the slightly concave stone pavement, the light enveloping this tranquil old district. Lin Chuan and Little Landy were busy with their own affairs again. Little Landy was responsible for registering the Network Security Company and also recruiting new employees. Lin Chuan, on the other hand, participated in the anti-fraud app project initiation ceremony and became the leader of the anti-fraud app special task force. Busy as bees. However, having experienced the development of fraud applications in the virtual life of a fraud salesman, the development of the anti-fraud app wasn''t too difficult for Lin Chuan. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. ... Time flew by, and it was now the ''May Day'' holiday. May 1st. Lin Chuan''s new book "All-In" was released on schedule, confirmed as a participant in the nationwide writingpetition co-hosted by the Anti-Fraud Center and Sunshine Film and Television. Not only Lin Chuan and Wang Zikai, but also authors like Handon with "10,000 Subscriptions," influential authors Tianya, Guihai, and others participated as well. On just May 1st alone, there were over 3000 anti-fraud themed novels released across the entirework, making for some fiercepetition. Since the preliminary round of the anti-fraud writingpetition ran from May 1st to May 31st, with the top 100 hottest novels and scripts advancing to the next final round of judging, participating authors all tacitly agreed to release their work on the 1st and finish on the 31st. Lin Chuan was no exception. At this time, Lin Chuan was already in a bed and breakfast in Yundian University, half-reclining in afortable rocking chair. On the night of April 30th, he flew from Anling to Yundian University overnight. As is well known, most economy ss seats on airnes aren''t very spacious and aren''t veryfortable, especially since Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing squeezed Lin Chuan into the middle seat of the three-row seating. Lin Chuan felt uneasy. Arriving at Dali airport and then checking into the bed and breakfast, it was already midnight. Now, the two policewomen were in the next room, and hadn''t gotten up yet. Taking advantage of this moment, Lin Chuan started to ''market'' his "All-In." Of course, his ''marketing techniques'' were rtively straightforward. Lin Chuan opened the ''Abide by Law, Everyone''s Responsibility'' QQ group, also known as ''the gathering ce for ouws,'' and sent a message, "Bros, started a new book!" He attached the link to "All-In." ``` Almost a month has passed since the release of "Hacker Kingdom" on April 2. Some "criminals" had already fallen into a book drought, hence, they were particrly longing for Lin Chuan''s new book. As soon as they saw Lin Chuan had released a new book, they immediately sprang into action. "Brothers, Mr. Lin has published a new book!" "Let me check the link: ''All-In'', with the tag ''autobiography'', a story about misfortune in the fraudulent factory area?" "Damn! The suspect, Mr. Lin, is not even pretending anymore!" "Holy shit! The tag really says autobiography!" "Mr. Lin, show us your location; let''s see if you''re actually in China!" "Don''t bother asking, he''s definitely in an overseas factory area!" Lin Chuan was amused by these "criminals." The autobiography tag was set by editor Youyou to spice things up a bit. But suggesting he was in a foreign factory area was going too far. If your conscience is clear, you have nothing to fear! In China, Lin Chuan immediately posted his location in the group and added, "Any brothers from Yundian University here?" He didn''t intend to send his location, but once he did, the group chat was inundated with question marks. "Wait, Mr. Lin, you''re in Yundian?" "Confirmed!" "Brothers in Yundian, don''t make a sound, you''ll be targeted in a second, be careful of the fraud!" "Yundian is close to the factory area, Mr. Lin might be nning to sell us off like pigs, what an old trick." "..." Lin Chuan immediately defended himself seriously: "You bunch of criminals, you haven''t even read the book and you''re using me of fraud. This book is for an anti-fraud writingpetition, an anti-fraud novel!" An anti-fraud novel? The criminals in the group were taken aback. Then they clicked on the link Lin Chuan posted, entering the Sailing Novel app to the "All-In" book page. "Ten years ago, I entered the KK factory area." "Ten yearster, I finally escaped to freedom." "There, there were no dreams of overnight riches, nor was there any extravagance like heaven on earth." "On the contrary, it was hell, a prison, a den of iniquity." "There, there were no people, only demons and pigs." "..." Since it was the first day, Lin Chuan only released the first 15 chapters of "All-In," a total of 30,000 words, as an appetizer. The readers finished them in no time. And they all @Lin Chuan in the group chat. "Author, you call this an anti-fraud novel?" "This is clearly a fraud!" "Author, I escaped from the factory area myself, and it''s exactly like you described in your book, you''re on point!" "Wait, brother above, for real?" "I''m not lying to you, it''s exactly the same! I escaped by hiding inside a body bag." "?????" "You and the author should just turn yourselves in!" Lin Chuan frowned as he read the message from the reader nicknamed ''Feng'', thinking to himself, could it be possible? Once in jail, there''s a chance of escape. But once you''re in the factory area, as Wang Zikai''s novel title says, it''s Inescapable. There, even if you''re lucky enough to escape the factory, once you''re outside and discovered by the nearby residents, you''ll immediately be sold to another factory area. A regr piglet is worth 300,000. Even those with defects still have value. Behind many factory areas lies powerful armed forces, which is the most terrifying aspect, leading to a situation where the piglets have nowhere to turn to for help. Lin Chuan had a profound understanding of this when he experienced the virtual life of a fraud salesman. The piglets that escape are one in a million. After some thought, Lin Chuan @Feng, asking, "In the factory area, were you fishing, bird hunting, or pig ughtering?" Feng replied quickly: "Fishing." The rest of the group was left confused. "What are fish, birds, and pigs?" "Is Mr. Lin exchanging secret codes with Feng?" "I''ve confirmed it, these two are definitely escapees from the factory area." Feng soon messaged to exin: "There are many different fraud schemes in the factory area, among which ''pig ughtering'', ''fish killing'', and ''bird hunting'' are the mostmon." "Pig ughtering refers to romance and friendship frauds, where they often pose as ''Tall Rich Handsome'' or ''White Rich Beauties'', developing romantic rtionships through online dating, then luring them into online gambling and such." "Fish killing involves fake online investment and financial management fraud, and bird hunting is the simplest, consisting of rebate scams through fake orders." Readers in the group listened quietly and couldn''t help but ask. "Feng, you really escaped from the factory area, huh?" "Damn! You''re as urate as the author!" "You know too much about the factory area!" Feng typed a message: "The author''s book is even more detailed, brothers who want to understand the factory area can take a look at his new book." Lin Chuan''s face darkened. This ''Feng'' could very likely be an escapee from the factory area! Jesus, what kind of readers do I have? Lin Chuan @Feng: "You escaped from the factory area and came back to our side, you had to be interrogated, right?" Feng replied: "Yeah, I wasn''t in the factory area for long, and after it was confirmed I hadn''tmitted any fraud or had any illegal ie, I wasn''t detained much." The group was abuzz with chatter. "Feng, I thought you were role-ying, but you''re serious!" "You''ve been interrogated already, holy cow!" "Congrattions on your escape, a new life regained!" Feng replied to each one: "Thanks, brothers." Suddenly, The focus of the group swiveled back to Lin Chuan. "Feng has turned himself in, author, your turn to confess!" "I believe you, you haven''tmitted any serious offenses, you''ll be out soon!" "If you''re being monitored, send a smiling emoji, and I''ll call the police to rescue you immediately, and then you can enjoy your time in our local jail." Chapter 98: Chapter 97: How about we take down a fraud ring? (Please subscribe) In Yundian University, inside a guesthouse B&B. Lin Chuan was nestled in afortable rocking chair, watching the remarks of this group of "uwful elements," and couldn''t help but sit up suddenly. It was as if a gravely ill person had shot up in shock! His fingers swiftly pressed the phone''s keyboard, typing out a long string of information. "This story is purely fictional. Any resemnce to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Also, the author solemnly deres that he is cooperating with the police stationbeware of the green corpse of Handon!" "You''re all smearing my reputation in the group chat; every single one of you must subscribe fully to console my injured soul!" ''Mr. Lin,pared to a full subscription, how about this?'' A reader with the nickname ''Old Bai'' sent a screenshot. The image disyed a reward notification. [You have rewarded ''All-In'' with an Alliance Leader''s Treasure Chest*1, bing the first Alliance Hierarch of ''All-In''!] Lin Chuan''s eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on his face, "This is strong! Super true fan!" Old Bai asked again, "Will the author still be in Dali tonight?" Lin Chuan thought about Xia Qingqing and Shen Qianqian''s travel ns and replied, "Yes." "I''ll arrive in Dali tonight. Let me treat you to dinner," Old Bai sent another message. The uwful elements in the group started to caution one another. ''Old Bai, don''t go, I''m afraid the author will sell you off as a piglet!'' ''Author, you''ve already taken his Alliance Leader''s Treasure Chest, just spare him this time.'' ''Author, you don''t want to be reported and end up in a cell, right?'' Unexpectedly, Old Bai replied, "Don''t worry, brothers. I have a master''s degree from a 985 university. The author can''t trick me with his little skills; I''ll share my journey of online romance turning into reality." Lin Chuan typed out a question mark. Online romance turning into reality? Having spent quite some time in the virtual factory area anding into contact with fraud-rted stuff, he subconsciously linked ''online romance turning into reality'' with ''pig-butchering scam''. Meanwhile, the reader ''Old Bai'' in the chat group had already started sharing with the group members. ''Old Bai, is your online romance reliable?'' ''Of course, it is. We agreed to meet on May 2, but I want to surprise her, so I n to arrive in ''Dali'' the night before to get things ready.'' ''She asked to meet you?'' ''No, I asked her out. We''ve already video chatted; she''s pretty, considerate, and she''s always wanted to go to Dali, saying it''s beautiful with fresh breezes, so I asked her to meet in Dali.'' ''Ss! Romantic!'' ''I read some guides online, and they say Dali is a great ce for lovebirds; wait for my good news, brothers!'' ''Online love has its risks, so be cautious when you meet up in person.'' someone reminded. ''What risks? She''s just a frail girl, what could she possibly do to me?'' Old Bai retorted. ''Did you not pay attention to the ''pig-butchering scam'' conversation between the author and Feng?'' ''I know about that, but so far, she hasn''t spent a penny of my money nor asked for any gifts. I think she''s sincere, not a scammer.'' ''If I do run into a scam, I''ll drag Mr. Lin down with me, haha!'' ''...'' Lin Chuan watched the chat of thesewless elements in the group and shook his head. There indeed were people who escaped from the virtual factory area. There were also those heading to Dali for an online romance be reality. Nevertheless, the public safety of Dali was rather good; there shouldn''t be any kidnapping or fraud. At that moment. ''Old Bai'' added Lin Chuan as a friend and sent a message: "Author, I''m preparing to fly to Dali now, I''lle find you tonight for some fun." Lin Chuan smiled, "Sure." "We''ll talk tonight," Old Bai replied. Lin Chuan nodded and then closed the group chat. 9:00. At the three-room inn, Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing were already up, each grooming and dressing themselves, looking beautiful as they appeared in the living room. Shen Qianqian wore a moon-white dress, her hair draped over her shoulders, exuding an ethereal charm, and she carried a small pink backpack with a little yellow duck hanging from it. Xia Qingqing chose a light pink chiffon blouse with khaki mermaid skirt, her short hair hanging down. She held a pair of sunsses, with no additional decorations, embodying a pure and innocent charm. "Let''s get going, Lin Chuan." Lin Chuan dressed simply, in a loose T-shirt and washed denim jeans, with a pair of sneakers. If he put on sunsses, he would have looked somewhat rakishly handsome. The three walked along the streets around Erhai Lake, attracting quite a few nces. However, once the girls started shopping, they became lively and energetic. Boys, on the other hand, would quickly be tired and worn out. Lin Chuan sat alone by the roadside, enjoying the unique atmosphere of Dali. The sky was a clear and bright blue adorned with a few clouds, refreshing breezes blowing, causing the waves of Erhai Lake to bloom like flowers. Seagulls flew past, emitting one or two crisp calls. "Making money from writing indeed means one should get out more," Lin Chuan mused, resting his hands on the stone chair. Suddenly, a woman in eye-catching red clothes approached him. "Handsome, are you alone? Are you interested in joining someone for a trip?" she asked. "Not interested." Lin Chuan shook his head. "Traveling alone is so dull. It''d be much more interesting together," the woman said with a yfulugh. "I have no money," Lin Chuan said bluntly. "I''m not after your money," sheughed. "I have called the police!" Lin Chuan said. "No romance, no wonder you''ll be single for life!" the woman cursed as she collided head-on with Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing, who were returning to find Lin Chuan. "Sister, who''s going to be single for life?" Xia Qingqing asked with a smile. "Him!" The woman pointed at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan helplessly waved his hands. Xia Qingqing and Shen Qianqian sat down beside Lin Chuan, blinked their eyes, and looked at the woman. The woman, seeing Lin Chuan with a beauty on each side, huffed in frustration and walked away, having been made a fool of herself. At that moment, the two policewomen moved away from Lin Chuan''s side. Shen Qianqian teased, "Writer Lin, you have quite the charm. It didn''t take long for a woman to hit on you." Lin Chuan shook his head helplessly, "That woman was a scam artist." Out of professional habit, the two policewomen immediately looked in the direction the woman had left, ready to take her to the local police station. "How could you tell she was a scam artist?" Xia Qingqing asked curiously. "She hit on me!" "Do you have the ''Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils'' like the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, that you could see it?" Xia Qingqing was slightly taken aback. "Have you ever heard of travel fraud?" Lin Chuan asked. Both of them shook their heads. Lin Chuan exined, "This kind of fraud is hard to guard against. She uses her beauty to strike up conversations with single people, suggesting they travel together as if by chance, but in reality, it''s a scam." "Like bar scams or food scams?" Shen Qianqian asked. Lin Chuan nodded. "If she were enticing them to spend money, that would just be a mary issue, but if she had ulterior motives, then it''s not just about the money." In the ''Professional Scams'' skill, Lin Chuan knew how to trick people into the factory area. Encounters like this during travel could be external operatives for the factory area, specifically targeting and deceiving people into going there. So, Lin Chuan was extra careful. Surely he wouldn''t end up in the factory area and be big and strong there, right? That was too dreadful to contemte! "I''m a criminal police officer, and even I don''t know as much as you do," Shen Qianqian said with a smile and a light scolding. Lin Chuanughed, "I''m a writer, I do a lot of research. It''s only reasonable that I know a little bit about fraud, isn''t it?" "Next time I''ll lock you in a dark room and interrogate you thoroughly to see how many secrets you still have." The two police beautiesughed, their smiles as bright as blooming flowers. ... Modu. A soft light filtered through the linen curtains, spilling onto the white floor tiles of the room where Youyou, wearing a pink chiffon nightgown and barefoot, stepped into the sunlight and brought over a bowl of nourishing porridge to theputer desk. Youyou had no travel ns for the May Day holiday. ''Asking Lin Chuan if he was in Anling and then coincidentally passing by Anling'' was the strategy given to her by the editor-in-chief Ming Yue, flexible for any situation. Hence, she stayed in her room, deliberating over this anti-fraud writingpetition. After all, her top general in writing C Lin Chuan C was participating in thispetition. On the Anti-Fraud Center''s webpage, one could see the reading index rankings of all the anti-fraud writing submissions. The reading index was aposite of user clicks, reading duration, and levels of engagement, among other data. Youyou was interested in the novels category. Currently, at the start of the preliminary round, none of the novels had high poprity values. Those in the lead were powerhouse authors from various novel tforms who brought their own followings. For instance, big-name authors from Sailing Novel like Tianya and Guihai, as well as the ten-thousand-order author Handon, all ranked in the top ten. The ranking for Lin Chuan''s "All-In" wasn''t low either. It was currently at 16th ce. However, Youyou knew that this ranking could change at any time; maintaining a high poprity value was essential toe out on top in the end. Besides solid content, another way to sustain poprity was ''marketing tactics.'' Youyou scooped up a spoonful of the nourishing porridge and put it into her mouth while her other hand clicked the mouse to start reading other people''s novels. She wasn''t much familiar with fraud and anti-fraud efforts, so she could only support Lin Chuan in this way. Of course, she and Lin Chuan were on the same team. They would share in both glory and adversity. That''s when herputer suddenly popped up a push notification for a fast-trending video. [Mistakenly swept into the Mekong in youth, a body wrapped in a sack drifts past nations, Ming tells you a true autobiographical tale of being tricked into a factory area.] Youyou''s hand holding the spoonful of porridge paused as her other hand immediately clicked to enter. The fast-trending video opened in the PC client, showing a video. The video''s uploader was named ''Ming.'' In the center of the video page, a man in blue clothing sat, his face hidden. Above the video were several eye-catching words. ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' ''Novel adapted from a true story.'' ''Author: Ming.'' The video did not yet have a high number of views. Youyou''s left hand put down the spoon, her slender fingers pressing Alt+Tab on the keyboard to switch back to the reading index ranking on the Anti-Fraud Center''s webpage. Her right hand scrolled the mouse wheel, pulling it downward. Indeed. Ranked 21st, "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area" by Ming. Also a novel participating in the anti-fraud writingpetition. Youyou switched back to the fast-trending videos on herputer, wanting to see how Ming told his autobiographical story. In the video. Ming, in blue, sat down without showing his face, and his voice was altered. ''I hope that everyone who sees this video will not have the same experience as me.'' ''Also, I wrote this novel to fight against fraud and to promote awareness of anti-fraud.'' ''Do not be easily swayed by those false promises of high sries and tens of thousands a month for easy work.'' ''And definitely do not cross borders without due caution.'' ''Because you never know what will happen to you.'' ''Now, I will use my own experiences to tell you how I was deceived into going to a factory area and how I narrowly escaped death and returned to my country.'' ''...'' Despite the voice alteration, Youyou could tell that his voice was very serious and empathetic. And within his narration, the details were very clear. Youyou slightly furrowed her brows. Had he genuinely been to the factory area and engaged in online fraud activities? No, it could be a tactic to drive traffic. His book was already part of the anti-fraud writingpetition, right when it needed a publicity drive to draw attention to the novel. This video seemed poised to go viral. Youyou made her first judgment. As it turned out, she was correct; in just one hour, the video garnered two hundred thousand views. Besides, Youyou noticed another video. About the ten-thousand-order author Handon. ''Observer News'' release: A well-known writer from Sailing Novel, Handon, was scammed out of three million and furiously turned his personal experience into a novel, with the sole wish of a world without fraud. Youyou''s brow furrowed once more. Handon''s work: "A World Without Fraud." One video after another rted to anti-fraud novels popped up on fast-trending video, making anti-fraud the hottest topic overnight. As time went by, with the creation of discussion points and video marketing, the novels started to climb rapidly to the top rankings. By noon, Lin Chuan''s rank had dropped from the initial 16th ce to 52nd. Youyou''s expressive eyebrows knitted together, her hands rubbing her head, thinking of how to create even more explosive, more popr content than those videos for Lin Chuan. What if we take down a fraud gang? Chapter 99: Chapter 98 Defamation! Blatant Defamation! Soon enough. Youyou was once again amused by her own nonsensical idea. Crazily enough, just escaping from a fraud gang was enough to shock everyone and gather arge following, not to mention actually taking down such a gang. How could an ordinary person possibly bring down a fraud gang? Besides, the risks involved were very high. Youyou really didn''t want Lin Chuan to take such risks. Better not. The soft light filtered through the curtains, casting a peaceful and beautiful glow on Youyou''s fair, snow-like face. As Youyou watched Lin Chuan''s ranking continue to fall, a thoughtful expression appeared on her small face, "As an excellent editor, I need to think of a way to help my treasure." Yes, Youyou valued this anti-fraud writing campaign very much. And Lin Chuan was not only the ''tinum Certifier'' she was focusing on developing but also a seed contestant in this event vying for the top spots in the submissions. If he couldn''t win a few substantial prizes, the tinum Certifier position would be far out of reach. Authors like Tianya and Guihai, influential authors in their own right, werepeting alongside thousands of other writers, all aiming to nab the prestigious award and add a shy highlight to their writing resumes, weren''t they? After much consideration, Youyou decided to first promote it through the usual route of live video streaming. Last time, When blogger ''Su Qianqian'' live-streamed the promotion of "This Assassin Is Too Professional", it had brought in quite a lot of traffic conversion for Lin Chuan. Having made up her mind, Youyou immediately contacted Su Qianqian. Su Qianqian often coborated with Sailing Novel, so it wasn''t difficult for Youyou to get in touch. "Hello Qianqian, this is Youyou, editor from Sailing Novel." "Hello Youyou." "I have a book here that I hope you can promote through your live stream. How can we coborate?" Youyou asked. Su Qianqian replied, "Which book is it?" "All-In." Youyou sent over the title of Lin Chuan''s work. In a little while, Su Qianqian replied again, "No problem, I just happen to have a live stream tonight, and I can promote this book." "That would be great." A pleasant surprise appeared on Youyou''s face, who then asked, "How much will the charge be?" "No charge." Su Qianqian replied. "/Puzzled.jpg." A look of surprise crossed Youyou''s pretty face. Free promotion? Usually, when reaching out to bloggers for book promotion, they would charge a fee, ranging from a few hundreds to thousands. For a blogger with a million followers like Su Qianqian, who had a rtively high reader conversion rate, the prices usually started in the four figures. This was one way for promotion bloggers to mize their traffic. Everyone was in it for the profits, bustle and hustle for the sake of gains. Earning a living, no fault in that. On the other side of the inte, Su Qianqian exined, "I really liked his previous book ''This Assassin Is Too Professional''; I''ve read it twice." Su Qianqian seldom eptedmercial deals. Most of the time, she would rmend books she herself liked to her followers. Like "The Shining", "Human Bone Puzzle", "Moment of Burial", and so on. Sometimes, when she had no books to rmend, she would watch horror and thriller movies with her followers, often leaving them shivering with fear. Youyou muttered with augh, ''Lin Chuan, you''re quite something, huh? Even a big blogger with a million followers is your fan.'' Afterward. She replied to Su Qianqian, "That''s perfect then, this time he''s writing with an anti-fraud theme, but the perspective is a bit different. It begins with the narrative from the viewpoint of a fraud salesman in the factory area, and there will be some rather bloody scenes. I wonder if you can handle that?" "Totally OK!" Su Qianqian''s eyes lit up as she thought to herself, this is exactly what I''m looking for! ... Six o''clock in the evening. On the fast-shake live broadcast, Su Qianqian started her stream. The background of the live broadcast room was the familiar study, filled with the aroma of books. Su Qianqian wore a simple light green gauze shirt, her soft ck hair casually tied into a ponytail, her oval face and fair skin radiated with vivacity and purity. As she sat there quietly, the charm of a Jiangnan water town seemed to naturally emerge. Su Qianqian had begun her broadcast. The live broadcast room quickly filled with fans. Most viewers were not there for the content of the broadcast, but for Su Qianqian''s beauty. [Qianqian, you''re a bit weird today, weirdly cute.] [Qianqian my wife, I went for an infusionst night, do you know what kind of infusion it was? A night missing you.] [It''s been three years since west met.] Su Qianqian smiled and replied, "Didn''t I just do a broadcast yesterday? How has it been three years?" The audience immediately responded [A day apart feels like three autumns.] Su Qianqian chuckled and said with a pursed smile, "If you used these lines on girls, you would have won their hearts a long time ago." [How could that be? You are the only one willing to listen. Thest time I said this to a girl, she pped me across the face and called me a dirt dog.] [That''s right, not gentle at all. I still prefer someone like Qianqian, intellectual and gentle.] [One nce at Qianqian, and I''m lost for life!] Su Qianqian straightened her hair, her smile brimming with warmth. After some routine interaction with her audience in the live broadcast room, she moved on to the book reading segment of her stream. Live book reading was a rarity in streaming. Because it just seemed dull and vorless, and it could easily lead to viewer fatigue. But with Su Qianqian, there was a unique charm. This lc from the Jiangnan water town, when she read novels or watched videos, could startle the viewers into wanting to smash theirputer screens. Yet she remained unmoved, smiling gently, believing it could be even more terrifying. The contrast effect was maxed out! The live broadcast was scoring full marks! [Qianqian, what book are you rmending today?] [I want to see the top-ranked brother, carrying a train through the night.] [I''m the top rank, I can''t possibly carry a train. Qianqian, don''t be afraid, I''m not afraid.] [Nonsense, weren''t you the one who fainted in the bathroomst time?] [nder, pure nder! I, a brave grown man, am here to protect Qianqian.] Su Qianqian smiled and got to the point, "Today, we''re going to read a book by an old friend." [An old friend Qianqian, don''t scare me!] [Qianqian my wife, now that you mention an old friend, I''m really scared. Can I watch the book in your arms?] [I am your loyal fan, you have to take responsibility if I get scared!] [You guys have shaken all your abacus beads onto my face!] ``` [What old friend?] [] Su Qianqian took out her phone, opened the Sailing Novel app with a smile, and said, "Do you guys still remember ''This Assassin Is Too Professional''?] [Assassin, professional?] [Wow! After I finished that book, I couldn''t eat for a week!] [When I do the killing... ah spit, I mean when I kill chickens, I do it very cleanly!] [Is the suspected criminal Mr. Lin writing a new book?] [So thrilling! I admit I''m excited!] Su Qianqian continued, "This time, he''s brought a scams-themed novel called ''All-In'' for the Anti-Fraud writingpetition." Then, Su Qianqian and the novel page of ''All-In'' appeared on the live broadcast screen, side by side. ''Ten years ago, I entered the KK factory area.'' ''Ten yearster, I finally escaped to see the sky again.'' ''There, there were no dreams of overnight wealth, nor were there any visions of paradise on earth.'' ''On the contrary, it was hell, a cage, a gathering ce for sin.'' '''' The audience followed Su Qianqian''s reading progress and together stepped into the novel world of ''All-In''. The content of chapter 15 was not much. Just 20 minutes passed, and they had already reached thetest chapter. [That''s it? The author''s writing is too short, right?] [I wanted to see how he would scam that fish!] [Qianqian my wife, are you sure this is an anti-fraud novel, why do I feel like it''s the author''s autobiography?] [Agree with the brother above!] [First-person narrative + Fraud Salesman''s perspective + Autobiography, why do I feel like this is Ming''s book?] [Which one is Ming''s book?] [''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area''.] At this moment. The author Ming was also live streaming on the Kuai Dou video tform. The video he posted today for attracting viewers had already reached 2 million views. Therefore, he decided to go live. Typing while answering readers'' questions, he sought to maintain the poprity. In Ming''s live broadcast room, the real online viewer count: 4000+. [Author, is your book ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' really your autobiography?] [That book is so realistic!] [Author, how did you return to the country?] [Author, you''re awesome, I feel like I''m the one scammed in the story.] [Author, please update, I can''t sleep at night.] [Love it! The author goes deep into the fray, a tough cookie!] [Your depiction of fraud is so real, author, should I call the police?] Ming, wearing a ck T-shirt and using face effects,ughed, "Thanks for the support, brothers. I''ve published some of these scam cases before, all based on real events. I hope you can take them as a warning to avoid making my mistakes and avoid being scammed.] [Just for what the author said, I have to give a good review!] [Author, won''t your book get banned for writing like this?] [If this gets reported, wouldn''t it be 404''d?] [I don''t think so, I just saw a simr one next door.] [Simr?] [Yes, it''s called ''All-In'', also written in first-person about being tricked into the factory area to scam, very realistic and immersive to read.] The viewers in Ming''s live broadcast room were taken aback. Another scam salesman who escaped from the factory area? Suddenly. The viewers became curious and flocked into Lin Chuan''s ''All-In'' to skim through it. The more they saw, the more simr it seemed. The beginnings of the two novels were the same, being scammed into the factory area, witnessing the boss beating the escapee, warning the neers] [Isn''t this too simr?] [I strongly suspect that Lin is also someone who ran out of the scams factory area!] [Both escaping from the scam factory area, both starting to write novels, could it be such a coincidence?] [What does the brother above mean?] [Take a look at the novels written by author Lin.] [''Swindler,'' ''This Assassin Is Too Professional,'' ''Hacker Kingdom,'' ''All-In,'' his earlier works had pretty good results, what''s up with them?] [Just look at the timing of their release. Four books from March to now, totaling up to four million words!] [Another doubt is the wide range of professions: swindler + assassin + hacker + fraud salesman, doesn''t he need to do research?] [Geez, what are you trying to imply?] [This is a clear case of giarism!] [Ah! Lin and Ming published on the same day, it would be pretty hard to giarize, right?] [You underestimate the giarism monster, Ming just said he had previously published some rted cases.] [No, no, you can say ''All-In'' is giarized, there''s a basis for giarism there, but what about Lin''s earlier books, which are they giarizing?] [Well, I don''t know about that, only the giarist himself knows.] [Spreading rumors just like that, huh???] In the live broadcast room, rumor-mongers quickly appeared, and some even went to the Anti-Fraud Center website and clicked the report button. Logic? In the virtual world of the inte, one can see the diversity of species, and they, they don''t need logic at all! Just blurt it out! Behind the scenes, there might be a hidden hand at y. "Don''t spread rumors! Everything must be based on evidence!" Youyou the editor was also in the live broadcast room, fingers on the keyboard, rapidly typing rebuttals, but they were quickly drowned in the vast sea ofments. There''s a suspicion of giarism. Even the word ''suspicion'' has a powerful destructive force. Most passersby who eat melons won''t see the follow-up rifications, they''ll just remember, this author is like some kind of giarist. An earnest author, willing to ept criticisms like ''poor writing,'' ''messy plot,'' ''brain-dead character design,'' and the like. But the one thing he cannot ept is the word ''giarism.'' giarism is the biggest defamation you can give an earnest author. Defamation! Bare-faced defamation! ``` Chapter 100: Chapter 99 How Could I Be Deceived? (Please Subscribe) Spreading rumors of ''Lin Chuan''s giarism'' would not only stigmatize Lin Chuan, but also have a significant impact on the novel "All-In" that''s currently participating in the ''anti-fraud essay'' event. All fiction websites have to consider one important aspect. Public opinion. The ''anti-fraud essay'' event is no exception. If a work receives too much negative publicity and reports, it could face the risk of being taken down or blocked. "Youyou, sorry, I didn''t expect things to turn out this way," "I have made rifications for the author in the livestream, but the effect might be minimal," Su Qianqian, who was engaged in her livestream, saw the audience''s reactions and sent Youyou two messages. She felt somewhat apologetic. Her intention was to promote Lin Chuan''s new book, but things had taken an entirely unforeseen turn. "It''s probably someone jealous, deliberately stirring things up, I''ll find a way to deal with it. Don''t feel guilty," Youyou thought for a moment and replied. As an editor, she naturally knew that the online literature circle was also a martial world. Interests were what martial world characters fought over. Leaving aside thepetition for the status of Heavenly King and Influent Author, just for a rmendation spot or a ce on the charts, many authors would exhaust their wits and employ various tactics,peting openly and secretly. Whether by rolling up their sleeves, by refreshing or by reporting theirpetitors. The gossip on Dragon Kong Forum was countless. Half an hourter. Sailing Novel''s chief editor, Zhang Yixing, called Youyou: "Youyou, what''s going on with the book ''All In''? Why has it suddenly received so many reports?" These rumormongers and blind followers had not only reported it on the Anti-Fraud Center''s website but also on the Sailing Novel APP. The review process quickly provided feedback to chief editor Zhang Yixing. Last time, "Hacker Kingdom" had a huge sess abroad, and it also reached ten thousand orders domestically. Therefore, chief editor Zhang Yixing was particrly concerned about Lin Chuan''s new book "All In". Receiving so many reports all at once made him particrly puzzled. Youyou answered the call and fed back the whole process to chief editor Zhang Yixing. "You can rest assured, chief editor. Lin Chuan would absolutely not giarize. I guarantee this with my year-end bonus," Youyou said earnestly and firmly. "Year-end bonus, umm..." Zhang Yixing considered it and then reminded her, "This could be a big or small issue, but we must still pay attention to the public opinion. After all, Lin Chuan is our ten-thousand-order author. Participating in the ''anti-fraud essay'' event means he represents the face of our Sailing Novel." After hanging up. Youyou took a deep breath, thinking about how to vindicate Lin Chuan. It seemed that ''smashing a fraud ring'' had be a verypelling way to do so. ... In Dali, at the Chance Encounter Bar. Lin Chuan sat in front of the bar and ordered a Long Ind Iced Tea. At this moment, he was unaware that his new book had just been released and had already been caught up in a giarism scandal. During the day, Lin Chuan, along with Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing, had toured Erhai Lake, the Ancient City, and some other minor scenic spots, strolling and eating as they went. The two policewomen were having a great time. It was a rare outing for Lin Chuan as well, and he was in very high spirits. Back when his books flopped, not to mention traveling to Yundian, even going downstairs to the Little Landy''s supermarket required him to check his pockets. Now, he could freely experience Yundian''s scenery. It must be said. The scenery in Dali, Yundian, was indeed very nice. Along the coastline around Erhai Lake, one could enjoy the deep blue and clear sky, the azure sea, the refreshing breeze, the babbling Mandarin Duck Creek, and the ancient architecture with unique characteristics. When night fell. The lights were lit, and neon signs flickered. Lin Chuan and his reader ''Old Bai'' had agreed to meet at the Chance Encounter Bar. The two policewomen sat in a nearby booth, listening to the bar''s resident singer perform folk songs, while browsing photos from their day trip. "Old Bai, where are you?" Lin Chuan sent a message to his reader ''Old Bai''. "I''m already at the door," Old Bai replied instantly, and attached a photo of the entrance to the Chance Encounter Bar. Straight away. A young man with slicked-back hair approached Lin Chuan, disying a bright, white smile, and sat down beside him: "Mr. Lin, I''m Old Bai." Lin Chuan turned to look: "Old Bai, you have a pretty good eye for people, huh?" "I''m just homing in on the suspect, I knew it was you as soon as I entered the door," Old Baiughed heartily, then changed the subject, "Just kidding, didn''t expect you to be quite handsome." Old Bai and Lin Chuan often chatted casually in the group, so they were quite familiar with each other. Lin Chuanughed heartily and joked back, "Yourterpliment was a bit dyed; just that first sentence almost unleashed my 40-meter broadsword." "Haha..." Old Baiughed, ordered a Gin Tonic, another ssic cocktail. "Old Bai, have you met your online girlfriend yet?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile. "Not yet," Old Bai shook his head. "I''ve arranged to meet her tomorrow morning in the Ancient City." "Online dating has its risks; meeting up in person should be approached with caution." Lin Chuan took a sip of his Long Ind Iced Tea and offered a word of caution. Old Bai just chuckled, "Mr. Lin, you''re overthinking it. I''m fully prepared; I won''t be fooled." "How so?" Lin Chuan smiled. That''s when Old Bai took out his phone, opened his gallery, and showed Lin Chuan a photo of a beautiful girl: "Mr. Lin, take a look. This is her real-life photo." "She is indeed pretty," Lin Chuan praised after ncing at the photo. "Obviously," Old Bai squeezed his eyebrow,ughing, "We video chat often; she looks even better in the videos than she does in the photos." "You''re the alliance hierarch of my new book, so I still want to remind you; with advanced AI synthesis technology these days, it''s always better to be extra vignt," Lin Chuan chuckled and said. "Old Lin, rest assured, the hotel was booked by me, and I nned the travel route as well; there shouldn''t be any problems," Old Bai said with a smile. "Well, to your sessful meet-up, cheers." Lin Chuan raised his Long Ind iced tea and clinked sses with Old Bai. After taking a sip of Gin Tonic, Old Bai patted Lin Chuan on the shoulder, "Old Lin, looking at you like this, you don''t have a girlfriend yet, do you?" Lin Chuan was taken aback, "No, what''s up?" "Do you want me to give you a couple of tips so that you can also experience an online romance, meet up and, you know, shed your single status?" Old Bai raised his eyebrows, a smile spreading across his face. Lin Chuan shook his head with a smile: "I don''t do online dating." "It''s not easy to encounter one or two beautifuldies in reality, so you''ve got to cast your wide. Old Lin, as a writer with no social engagements, if you don''t go for an online meet-up, you''re destined to stay single," Old Bai earnestly advised. "That shouldn''t be the case... right?" Lin Chuanughed heartily. "Old Lin, heed advice and you''ll benefit from it," Old Bai chuckled. "Lin Chuan!" Suddenly, a soft voice called out, and Shen Qianqian waved to Lin Chuan. Old Bai was taken aback, "Old Lin, is she calling you?" "Yeah, excuse me for a moment," Lin Chuan nodded and said with a smile. Old Bai''s face darkened, thinking to himself, well yed Mr. Lin, with such a beautiful girl beside you, and you''re still single? "How does this group photo look?" "I have a group photo here too, do you like it?" "..." Xia Qingqing and Shen Qianqian, both holding group photos, surrounded Lin Chuan from the middle. Old Bai''s face was green with envy, feeling ufortable all over, thinking to himself, well yed Old Lin, wait until my girlfriend and I meet up, then I''ll have to show off in front of you too. Tomorrow, tomorrow I''ll have my meet-up! Old Lin, just you wait! Thepetition between men doesn''t have to be that sophisticated; a simple "I concede to your prowess" is already enough. ... The night deepened, and the trio returned to their homestay. Huddled in the living room, they started a casual chat. "Comrade Lin Chuan, was that young man in the bar one of your readers?" Shen Qianqian half-leaned on Xia Qingqing''s shoulder, her face covered in a mask. "Not just a reader," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Is he a close male friend?" Xia Qingqing, also wearing a mask, giggled softly. Lin Chuan sat by the window in the living room, the breeze from Erhai Lake blowing in, his face turning pale: "That''s the Alliance Hierarch, a super true fan!" "A level higher than a full subscription?" asked Shen Qianqian with curiosity. "Readers shouldn''t be ssified by rank but unfortunately for most authors like me, who haven''t made much money, when we receive a tip, naturally, we get excited." Lin Chuanughed. That was indeed what he thought in his heart. Readers are just ordinary people; to be willing to spend money on reading his novels and support the legitimate version is already precious. Even if some unsubscribe, it''s understandable because many readers also find it hard to earn money. Lin Chuan was grateful for both full subscriptions and tips. So, when Old Bai happened toe to Dali too, Lin Chuan happily agreed to meet up. "Is that young man from Dali?" Shen Qianqian asionally popped out one or two questions. Lin Chuan replied with a smile, "No, he came to Dali to meet up." "To meet up?" Xia and Shen both sat up from the couch, all curious like gossipmongers. Lin Chuan then repeated Old Bai''s words. "Online dating meet-ups, a hotbed for fraud," Xia Qingqing, as a cyber police officer, often dealt with investigating such cases. Like tracking the money involved in online romance fraud and pinpointing IP addresses. The amounts involved in the frauds were also significant, ranging from tens of thousands to even millions. Lin Chuan said with a smile, "That''s true, but Old Bai will meet up tomorrow. He even said he''d bring her to meet us, and I told Old Bai to be extra careful and to text us or call the police if anything unexpected happens." "That''s good then." Xia Qingqing nodded her head andy back down to apply her facial mask, checking the travel guides she had made on her phone. "Comrade Lin Chuan, tomorrow we''ll continue to stay in Dali, but it''s the peak season for tourism right now, and it''s too crowded. The day after tomorrow, let''s go somewhere with fewer people, Lincang," Shen Qianqian suggested. Shen Qianqian chimed in, "The scenery in Lincang is also great, with rtively fewer people, so it''s more suitable for you to gather material and inspiration." Lin Chuan chuckled, "I have no problem, I''ll follow the two officers'' arrangements." ... The night faded away into the cool evening breeze. The morning sunlight, having circled the Earth once more, appeared again over thends of Dali in Yundian, casting a warm light that highlighted Dali''s unique charm. The next day, Lin Chuan continued to tour Dali with Shen and Xia. Old Bai and his online girlfriend had a sessful meet-up, but since his girlfriend was rather shy, Old Bai opted to cancel another meeting with Lin Chuan. However, he did send Lin Chuan a photo; in the picture were him and his girlfriend together. "Isn''t she pretty?" "Indeed, very pretty. /Big_thumb.jpg," Lin Chuan replied. "Hehe, mission aplished in showing off!" Old Bai was obviously very satisfied. The Yundian Dali trip came to a quiet end. On May 3rd, Lin Chuan and the party headed to Lincang, a rtively less-known tourist destination in Yundian. But shortly after arriving in Lincang, Lin Chuan received a strange message. The message was from Old Bai. Chapter 101: Chapter 100 Ill go myself! May 3rd. A refreshing and warm breeze swept over the jade-like Erhai Lake, passing through the buildings of Dali Ancient Town before heading towards Lincang. Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian, and Xia Qingqing, dragging their simple suitcases, boarded the high-speed train from "DaliLincang," a journey of about 2 hours. Lincang, located in the southwestern part of Yundian, lies between the Lancang River and the Nu River. To its southwest, it borders the Myanmar area and serves as a small border town adjacent to Myanmar. Compared to the widely known Yundian tourist cities like Dali and Li River, Lincang is much more niche. It was right in the middle of the May Day holiday, peak tourism season. As for tourism? The location wasn''t as important, for, aside from the scenery on the road, there are the people beside you and the open heart within. Compared to thetter two, the importance of the former was self-evident. Therefore, Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing had done their travel homework meticulously, picking out this quiet and peaceful small city from the plethora of scenic spots. Taking a stroll in this small border town in Yundian, enjoying the breeze, theughter, and the chatthat was the very definition of a pleasant holiday. "The Wa ethnicity has a rich culture here; I''ve heard their food is pretty good." "Starlight Night Market is worth visiting, lots of delicious food there." "We could also try on Wa ethnic clothes, Qianqian, you''d look stunning in them." "Qingqing, let''s try them on together." "Let''s get Comrade Lin Chuan to try them as well, he''s tall and has a good build." "He''s going to get vain." "..." Once they got off the high-speed train. Lin Chuan, with one hand pulling his suitcase and the other pushing his sunsses up, tilted his head 45 degrees to look at the sky, his clean face looking somewhat handsome under the bright sunlight. Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing walked arm in arm, murmuring excitedly about their sightseeing ns, the atmosphere very harmonious. After checking into their hotel, the three of them casually strolled along the streets of Lincang. In the afternoon, they walked down an unnamed street, paved with pebbles. The smooth stone bs, reflecting the shadows of green leaves and fragments of light, swayed in the breeze. The asional sound of a car horn wasn''t disturbing at all. Lincang was indeed as they had imagined. The scenery was pleasant, the sky was blue, the clouds were light, and even the wind was quiet. ''Dingdong'' Lin Chuan''s phone rang. [Mr. Lin, it''s all because of you!] A message from Old Bai. Hmm? Lin Chuan suddenly stopped in his tracks, staring at the message on his phone, his brow furrowing as he muttered to himself, "Mr. Lin... it''s all because of me?" For some reason, Lin Chuan felt oddly perturbed by this message, a sense of foreboding welling up inside him. After hesitating for a moment, he replied to Old Bai''s message. "Am I handsome?" But there was no reply. "Comrade Lin Chuan, what''s wrong?" Under the shades of green, Xia Qingqing, who was walking in front of him on the street, noticed Lin Chuan had fallen behind a good distance. Shen Qianqian also turned around and saw Lin Chuan standing still with his phone in hand, his brows tightly knitted, she asked, "Comrade Lin Chuan, is something the matter?" Lin Chuan took a deep breath, his expression darkening slightly, "I think we''ll have to postpone today''s schedule." "What happened?" The two policewomen looked puzzled and quickly walked toward Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan showed them his phone, and Old Bai''s message caught their eyes. "Mr. Lin, it''s all because of you... What does this mean?" Shen Qianqian read out loud, her pretty face showing a hint of confusion. Xia Qingqing also slightly furrowed her brow, "What does this mean?" Suddenly! The two officers looked at each other, a look of realization dawning on their faces, "Criminal suspect!" Mr. Lin = Criminal suspect. Then, ''Mr. Lin, it''s all because of you'' could mean ''Mr. Lin, you''re entirely made up of criminal suspects?'' Was he experiencing trouble withwbreakers? This was a high possibility! Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing were police officers with keen insight and quickly surmised the potential message being conveyed. Thus, it was highly likely that this was a call for help. Lin Chuan had quickly replied with a message''Am I handsome?'' This message wasn''t a self-ttering remark; although it seemed like a typical response among friends, it was actually Lin Chuan''s way of testing Old Bai, to confirm his own suspicion. However, Old Bai remained silent, not replying at all. This made the three of them look quite grave. "Old Bai has been catfished and is really in trouble?" As a Cyber Police officer, Xia Qingqing had encountered more online dating frauds and thus ventured a guess. "It''s possible," Shen Qianqian nodded in agreement. However, based solely on that one message, Lin Chuan and the others couldn''t confirm if Old Bai was indeed in danger. At that moment. Lin Chuan''s mind raced, and after a moment of contemtion, he said, "I need aputer." "There''s one!" Shen Qianqian looked around and pointed towards a mobile phone store by the side of the street. Lin Chuan crossed the street directly and entered the store, "Hello, I need to use aputer." The owner of the phone store was a middle-aged man, sitting leisurely in a rocking chair at the entrance, his round belly exposed,fortably fanning himself with a palm fan. He, hearing Lin Chuan''s request for aputer, didn''t ask for any details but responded with an enthusiastic smile, "Young man, you can use the one in the back as you please!" "Thanks." Lin Chuan, without further ado, upon getting permission, immediately booted up theputer. The first thing he needed to do was straightforward. Pinpoint Old Bai''s location. For a top-tier hacker, locating someone wasn''t difficult. Determining someone''s phone location usually relies on GPS, WiFi signals, cell tower information, and can also be achieved through remote phone control, social media location sharing, and specialized tracking software. Lin Chuan sat in front of theputer, his hands poised above the keyboard. The method he used was IP address localizationbined with cell base station information, using both approaches simultaneously. Xia Qingqing, who stood behind Lin Chuan, frowned. She knew that Lin Chuan''s act of locating and tracking someone without their permission and without approval was illegal. However, the head of Anling Police Station, Zhang Biao, had instructed her before that any matters rted to Lin Chuan could be directly reported to him. Xia Qingqing immediately made a call to Zhang Biao. "Comrade Xia Qingqing, are you and Lin on vacation in Yundian, what''s happened?" Zhang Biao asked on the phone. Xia Qingqing nodded, "Yes, there''s a special situation I need to report to you." Zhang Biao was startled and sat up straight from where he was half-lying reading a novel, asking anxiously, "Comrade Lin Chuan isn''t in trouble, is he?" "Lin Chuan is fine," Xia Qingqing answered. Zhang Biao sighed with relief and continued, "What special situation have you encountered?" Xia Qingqing quickly exined and then requested, "Lin Chuan''s friend might have encountered a criminal, we''re now in Lincang, Yundian, and Lin Chuan is trying to hack into thework to get relevant information, we need your approval." "Approved!" Zhang Biao replied immediately, "Tell Lin to go ahead and do it, I will contact the cyber police department in Lincang City, Yundian, right away, and report immediately if needed." In front of theputer. Lin Chuan, having heard the conversation between Xia Qingqing and Zhang Biao, said, "Thanks." "No need to thank me, Old Bai is also a friend of mine," Xia Qingqing smiled, "Even if he didn''t have a connection with us, we couldn''t just stand by." "Comrade Lin Chuan, you go ahead without worry, we''ll take care of the procedures for you," Shen Qianqian also spoke up. Lin Chuan nodded. Indeed, these two policerades were very responsible. They would stand up for anyone in danger. Lin Chuan''s fingers rapidly tapped on the keyboard, theplex code causing Xia Qingqing''s eyes to blur. Before long. Lin Chuan locked down the cell base station information connected to Old Wang''s phone: ********. Each cell base station has a uniform coding rule. Usually it''s: city code +work code + manufacturer code + in-building or privatework code + base station number. Once the base station information was confirmed, the approximate location could be determined. Lin Chuan frowned, "It''s to the southwest of Lincang City, away from the city center, and it''s not a tourist spot." "Away from the city center, and not a tourist spot?" Both Shen and Xia were taken aback. By the sound of that, Old Bai was very likely in danger. "There aren''t many IP connections to this cell base station, and just now, I hacked Old Bai''s phone. After sending me a message, he actively turned off the phone, which could be a dangerous signal," said Lin Chuan, based on the information he detected. If Old Bai were safe, it would have been improbable for him to turn off his phone after sending a regr message to Lin Chuan. Most people are in a state of ''phone always at hand'' and ''low battery anxiety''. Even when using the restroom, they''d bring along their phone; without a phone to watch a couple of videos, staring at a bare wall could make them feel restless. Furthermore. Lin Chuan had rich experience working in factories. He was very familiar with the act of ''confiscating mobile phones and turning them off''. Generally, the first thing to do with new captures or those who willingly walk in, was to confiscate their phones to preventmunication with the outside world. Lin Chuan was unclear whether Old Bai had encountered a fraud gang, but his current situation didn''t bode well. Upon hearing this, Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing exchanged a nce: "Call the police." Lin Chuan nodded. Shen Qianqian was decisive and immediately dialed the emergency number, contacting the local police in Lincang. Lin Chuan, meanwhile, dug deeper for information. He rapidly hacked into the mobile phone of Old Bai''s online girlfriend through the contact, obtaining firsthand information. On theputer screen, scrolling characters formed codes that contained the key information. At this moment, Lin Chuan''s eyebrows were tightly knitted. Xia Qingqing, as apetent cyber police officer, could clearly capture these crucial details; as she watched, a fine sweat broke out on her forehead. Because the information on Old Bai''s online girlfriend''s phone was shocking. [Boss, the twelve pigs have been caged.] [All pigs confirmed to obey!] [Execute the original n!] [18:30 the usual ce to meet.] [...] ''Pigs'' ''original n'' ''usual ce'' ''meet up'', these criminal jargons, even if Xia Qingqing didn''t understand all of it, she could guess most of it. As the king of scammers, Lin Chuan understood the internal workings of the factory areas even better than the current industry workers. He understood the implications of these words immediately. Inte romance, rushing to meet in person, it was indeed a fabricated lie. "Targeting my readers, if others find out, who would dare to read my books?" Lin Chuan''s expression darkened, and for the first time, anger showed in his face. Shen Qianqian''s brows furrowed slightly, seeing Lin Chuan like this for the first time, she couldn''t help but tug at his arm, "Lin Chuan, I''ve called the police already, I believe the Lincang police will be able to bring Old Bai back." Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "I''m afraid it''s toote, they are meeting at 18:30, which means they''re likely to leave soon." "It''s 15:27 now." Shen Qianqian looked at her watch and said. Lin Chuan''s expression grew serious, "I''ll go in person!" "It''s too dangerous!" Shen Qianqian immediately replied. "Qianqian, would you back down because it''s dangerous?" Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian, his eyes steady. Shen Qianqian shook her head, "I mean, I''ll go with you, I have criminal investigation experience, and I''ve trained inbat." "I''m going too!" eximed Xia Qingqing. "That won''t do, Qingqing, you''re a cyber police officer, stay here and monitor their movements for me," Lin Chuan said with an air that brooked no argument. "But how will you get there?" Xia Qingqing asked subconsciously. Shen Qianqian raised her hand and pointed to a ck motorcycle parked next to the shop, "We''llmandeer that bike." Chapter 102: Chapter 101 How could you take such a risk? ``` The vehicle parked next to the phone store was a heavy motorcycle. The muscle lines of its dark body resembled a ferocious tiger charging down from the mountains, conveying a sense of unstoppable might. Lin Chuan''s face looked somewhat unnatural. To his embarrassment, he wasn''t very familiar with heavy motorcycles. "Shopkeeper, I''m a anti-fraud police officer from Anling City in Han River Province, and we''re currently facing an emergency case. I need to temporarily requisition your vehicle." At that moment, Shen Qianqian had already shown her work ID to the shopkeeper and spoke. In some scenic areas, police officers are granted free ess, which is why Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing brought their work IDsnever expecting that they woulde in handy here. Upon realizing they were police officers, the shopkeeper immediately stood up with an enthusiastic smile on his face. "Officer, let me get the keys for you." Before Lin Chuan could even consider who would ride the heavy motorcycle, he saw Shen Qianqian lift her skirt slightly, swing her leg over, and sit on the motorcycle with quick, practiced movements; she started it, twisted the throttle, all in one fluid motion. The deep roar, like the sound of the wind, burst forth from the exhaust, and with the rhythm of the roaring engine, Shen Qianqian brought the ck heavy motorcycle to a halt in front of Lin Chuan. "Get on." Shen Qianqian put on her helmet and tilted her head towards Lin Chuan. Her demeanor was somewhat valiant and heroic. At this critical juncture. Lin Chuan did not hesitate, straddled the motorcycle, put on the helmet he was passed, and sat behind Shen Qianqian. At the same time, he didn''t forget to instruct Xia Qingqing, "Qingqing, follow the method I just used and hack into other people''s phones to check their personnel structure and equipment situation." In the phone store, Xia Qingqing nodded earnestly, "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of the rear." She was an excellent Cyber Police officer. Under the influence of Lin Chuan''s book "Hacker Kingdom," herputer skills became increasingly proficient. Lin Chuan had also solved the most difficult part of the technical problem just before. The rest of it was well within her capabilities. As for the safety of Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan, Xia Qingqing was very concerned, but with the fraud gang having swindled 12 people, someone had to step up. "Hold on tight, sit steady," Shen Qianqian said, slightly tilting her head back. "Okay." Lin Chuan thought no more of it and wrapped his arms around Shen Qianqian''s slender waist. To elerate on a heavy motorcycle, the rider needs to lower their center of gravity. If Lin Chuan didn''t hold onto Shen Qianqian, it could greatly affect her riding. Moreover, they had no other thoughts in mind. All they wanted was to rush to Old Bai''s location and rescue Old Bai along with the twelve people who had been scammed. "Let''s go." Whoosh The ck heavy motorcycle buzzed loudly, racing off swiftly like a cheetah, leaving a long trail on the quiet streets of Lincang, which quickly returned to calm. "Be safe." Xia Qingqing watched as the two disappeared from sight and murmured just that before turning back into the store to continue her battle with theputer. Whoosh Xia Qingqing took a deep breath, and her shoulder-length short hair swayed gently. Immediately after. Her gaze turned focused, and she quickly got into work mode. In the virtualwork, she was an excellent support for Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian. With information fromwork base stations and IP address positions, she swiftly hacked into one of the fraud gang''s phones, just like Lin Chuan did, without anyone noticing. She browsed through photo galleries and checked information. Even turned on cameras and eavesdropped. Theputer in the phone store wasn''t high-end, but the operations executed were top-notch. "Lin Chuan, they''re nning to transport a batch of goods at four o''clock in the afternoon, pretending it''s just cargo. They will take the county road 1768. What''s your current speed?" Xia Qingqing started a call with Lin Chuan, professionally conveying information. "We''re at 103 km/h right now," Lin Chuan replied, sitting in the back seat rushing down Lincang''s highway. Thankfully he had brought earphones; otherwise, the rushing wind alone would have made it difficult for him to hear Xia Qingqing''s words clearly. "At that speed, you''re expected to intersect them on the road between Stone Cliff Bay and Ten Mile Corridor. They have two silver mid-sized trucks; license tes are Yunnan SK1804 and Yunnan SK9123," Xia Qingqing informed Lin Chuan. "Received," Lin Chuan acknowledged. "Also, there are 15 of them, 13 men and 2 women, all well-built, equipped with iron rods and knives. The good news is that there are no firearms." Xia Qingqing rified their details one by one. "Good, it''s much easier to handle without guns." Lin Chuan''s lips curled up slightly. He had thought that the skills acquired from the ''Assassin Professional Life Experience'' in reality would hardly be put to use. Unexpectedly, he had to y a big game this time to rescue his own reader. However, since Old Bai, as his Alliance Hierarch and true fan, was in trouble, and he as the author, could he just stand by and do nothing? If he just let Old Bai fall into the hands of the fraud gang and was also sent into the park, wouldn''t the fan group explode in outrage? No way! He had to give his readers a strong sense of security! Old Bai, don''t worry. I''m on my way! ... Meanwhile. The Lincang Police responded rapidly after receiving the report and dispatched officers immediately. Moreover, they sent two other officers to the phone store to make contact with Xia Qingqing. Director Zhang from Anling Police Station had alreadymunicated with Lincang Police. The two sides coordinated in solving the case. "Comrade, hello." ``` "I am Zhao Dong from the Lincang Criminal Police Brigade." "I am Chen Xi." In a mobile phone shop on the streets of Lincang, two police officers in uniform walked into the store, looked at Xia Qingqing, and greeted her. "Hello,rades. I am Officer Xia Qingqing from the Anling City Cyber Police Unit." Xia Qingqing quickly responded. Immediately, both sides delved into discussing the case. The Lincang Police also needed to understand more detailed information to help the rescue team execute the operation better. "From what I''ve gathered, there are 15 of them, 13 men and 2 women, armed with iron rods and knives, no firearms, two trucks" Xia Qingqing shared everything she knew with the two detectives from Lincang. The two detectives quickly provided feedback. Additionally, Lincang detective Zhao Dong asked, "Officer Xia, the tworades who are en route to the rescue, are they both detectives?" Xia Qingqing looked at the detective from Lincang and shook her head, "One of them is an anti-fraud police officer with criminal investigation experience, but the other is not a police officer; he is... a writer." Zhao Dong had a square face and stood about 180 cm tall. Upon hearing Xia Qingqing''s words, his brow furrowed immediately, and he exchanged a nce with his colleague Chen Xi, then said, "An anti-fraud officer paired with a writer, that''s too dangerous!" "Yes!" The female detective Chen Xi immediately added her voice, "Comrade Xia, please contact them immediately and ask them to return. We do not wish for any of ourrades to fall!" An anti-fraud officer with criminal investigation experience was capable of carrying out the mission. But the other one... A writer? What help could a writer possibly be? Logically speaking, indeed so. Moreover, both Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan were unarmed; how could they withstand two medium-sized trucks and 13 strong men? It was too risky! Lincang, a border town, was all too familiar with the fraud rings from the Myanmar area to the two detectives. Locals were not involved in fraud. However, outsiders could be deceived toe here for illegal border crossing. And these fraud rings could be said to be utterly devoid of humanity, without a trace of emotion. Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan were headed there. Even if Shen Qianqian identified herself as a police officer, the fraud ring was unlikely to believe her. "They''re very determined, and I think they won''t engage in a direct confrontation. They just need to stall them until your Criminal Police Brigade arrives on the scene; that would be mission aplished," Xia Qingqing said, shaking her head. Zhao Dong and Chen Xi exchanged a look, their expressions bing solemn, "To stall them is easier said than done. These criminals only respect money, not life. It''s too reckless for that writer." "I have confidence in him," Xia Qingqing pursed her lips, a sense of determination in her eyes. For some reason, she always felt like Lin Chuan had endless treasures within him that could never be fully explored. Sometimes, she even had an illusion. She would believe that the scenarios and techniques described in Lin Chuan''s novels could also be aplished by him in reality. It was an absurd notion. But somehow, it seemed to happen in real life. For instance, when AW conducted arge-scale hack, Lin Chuan was able to reproduce the ''Flying Red g'' from the "Hacker Kingdom". It was absurd and yet felt so real. This feeling was indescribable. This was also why she believed Lin Chuan could hold off the fraud ring. "Officer Xia, you in Anling City might not have witnessed the methods of the fraud rings from the Myanmar factories; they are extremely brutal. Once caught, at best, one bes a tool for fraud, at worst, they are turned into actual ''pigs'', sold from one factory to another until they are of no use anymore," Zhao Dong sighed deeply, his expression turning grave as he spoke. With a sigh, Xia Qingqing pursed her lips, "Comrade Zhao, don''t worry about that. Writer Lin Chuan is quite knowledgeable about anti-fraud tactics and familiar with the factory areas. He wouldn''t undertake something he wasn''t sure about." Zhao Dong, still worried, noted the situation, "I will report this to the higher-ups for now, and they willmunicate with Anling Police Station. Hopefully, both the anti-fraud officer and the writer will know their limits. We, too, will do everything we can to reach the site as quickly as possible." "Alright." Xia Qingqing nodded and continued to monitor the movements of the fraud ring so she could keep Lin Chuan informed at any moment. About five minutester. ''Ring, ring, ring'' Xia Qingqing''s phone rang. The caller disy showed: Director Zhang. "Hello, Director Zhang. Do you have any instructions?" Xia Qingqing answered the call and immediately asked. On the other end of the phone, Director Zhang Biao tried to calm his emotions, "Qingqing, first tell me, is it true that Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian went to intercept a fraud ring?" "Yes," Xia Qingqing replied. Upon hearing the confirmation, Director Zhang Biao in his office gripped the phone, his hand trembling. Comrade Lin, how could you take such a risk? You are a top-tier cybersecurity talent worth at least tenrge-scalework securitypanies! Someone personally protected by Elder Zhong! If you fell into the hands of those fraudsters, it would be a significant loss for the entire Anling, even the whole Han River Province! Chapter 103: Chapter 102: Assassin Lin, Online! (Please Subscribe) Anling Police Station, office. Although it was the May Day holiday, Zhang Biao did not give himself a break. At this moment, he was grateful he had not taken the time off. He received calls from Xia Qingqing and the Lincang Police. His hand clutching the thermos cup stiffened involuntarily, his heart seemed to clutch at his throat, and his breathing became somewhat unsteady. Because, Lin Chuan was risking his life to rescue 12 people, and the oue was still unknown. The 12 people were important, but so was Lin Chuan. Zhang Biao let out a heavy sigh. With such a serious issue at hand, he had to report to Elder Zhong immediately. ''Beep, beep, beep'' "Elder Zhong, I''m Zhang Biao, Police Chief of Anling City. I have an urgent matter to report," said Zhang Biao, straightening his back and speaking formally. "Mhm, go ahead," came the steady voice of Elder Zhong from the phone. "Elder Zhong, during the May Day holiday, Lin Chuan and two officers from Anling Police Station traveled to Yundian. Today, upon arriving in Lincang, Lin Chuan suddenly learned that one of his readers had been lured into a fraud gang and decided to go for a rescue. At the moment, Lin Chuan is on his way to carry out the rescue, and we don''t know the oue yet. Furthermore, I have already made active contact with the Lincang Police and am in the process of discussing rescue measures." Having said his piece, Zhang Biao awaited Zhong Chengming''s response with bated breath. "Hmm?" Elder Zhong suddenly hummed thoughtfully. Zhang Biao immediately swallowed, feeling his heart skip a beat again. There was silence on the phone for about three seconds before Elder Zhong slowly spoke, "I was not mistaken about him, Lin Chuan is a young man with a sense of justice." "Yes, he has a strong sense of justice," Zhang Biao immediately concurred. "The fraud gang that has appeared in the Lincang area is likely made up of smugglers from the Myanmar area. If Lin Chuan has fallen into the factory area there, that will be troublesome," Elder Zhong said with a lowered voice. Hiss! For a moment, Zhang Biao could only think about Lin Chuan''s safety. When Elder Zhong mentioned this level of concern, he instantly drew in a sharp breath. If Lin Chuan was forced into the factories in the Myanmar area to engage in fraudulent activities... Then it would be like "a tiger entering the forest, a dragon returning to the sea" for him! There were two reasons for this. First, Lin Chuan had an extensive knowledge of fraud techniques and hacker skills. Second, Lin Chuan''s studio was currently cooperating with the police and mainly developing anti-fraud apps; he had a wealth of information at his disposal. If Lin Chuan was utilized by the fraud factories, then both Anling and Han River would fall into the shadow of fraud. Although no one had really witnessed Lin Chuan using fraud techniques, Zhang Biao knew the ins and outs of the development of the anti-fraud app and was deeply aware that Lin Chuan''s fraud skills were highly sophisticated. As they say, when one cleans up, they lose three points, but when they turn to the dark side, they are ten times stronger. What a terrifying thing it would be if the king of fraud plus a top-level hacker turned to crime! "I will contact the Lincang Police immediately; we must protect Lin Chuan," Zhang Biao said, taking a deep breath and speaking earnestly. "I will contact the Yundian Police Department myself." Elder Zhong''s voice sounded like deep thunder, booming in Zhang Biao''s ear, each word carrying an undeniable authority. Zhang Biao showed a look of relief. With Elder Zhong personally intervening, it was settled! Although Lin Chuan was a potential criminal risk, he was also Anling''s high-tech talent, and naturally, Zhang Biao wished for him to be safe and sound. Elder Zhong wished for the same. A phone call was made from Han River to Yundian. About two minutester, an armed squad of the People''s Armed Police in Lincang City set off urgently. ... County Road 1768. From Stone Cliff Bay to Ten Mile Corridor. Two medium-sized trucks made their way along the serpentine road, moving slowly, barely noticeable among the traffic. On the driver''s seat of the truck up front, a burly man said, "Sister Mei, with these 12 piglets this time, that''s going to be a hefty sum!" Next to him, a gaudily dressed woman let out a cold smirk, "Wei, don''t just look at the short term. These piglets will help us create even more value. Among them, there are three top students." Known as ''Sister Mei,'' this woman was Old Bai''s online girlfriend. A sneer appeared on Wei''s face: "Top students? I think they''re just three dumb pigs." "If they''re dumb pigs, then so are you," Sister Mei chuckled in response. Weiughed, "I''m not mindless like them." "Mindless?" Sister Mei''s lips curled up as sheughed coquettishly, "Men, ah, have upper and lower thinking areas. When they think with the lower half, the upper half loses its ability to think, and the lower half takes absolute control." "So, those three top students are dumb pigs who think with the lower half!" Wei burst outughing. Indeed. These three ''top students'' were the ones romantically involved online with Sister Mei, lured step by step into the sweet trap she had set. Suddenly. The burly man Wei frowned, as a ck sports motorcycle appeared in his rearview mirror. There were two people on the sports bike, both wearing helmets. The driver seemed to be a tall girl, wearing a light-colored dress with no knee protectors, her long legs unmistakably exposed. The passenger was a man, casually dressed, clinging tightly to the girl''s waist. At first nce, they resembled a couple of bike enthusiasts. These two were none other than Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian. "Dammit!" Wei cursed under his breath. "What''s wrong?" Sister Mei turned to look at Wei and asked. "Some brat is showing off his biker girlfriend in front of me," Wei scoffed coldly. Sister Mei leaned to look through Wei''s side mirror at Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian, assuming they were just ordinary passersby: "Don''t make trouble, the factory''s got plenty of women." "It''s no fun, they''re all like dead pigs," said Wei with a malicious grin. "If I could get someone half as good as you, Sister Mei, I''d be satisfied." "Oh, Wei, you dare to lust after me?" "Sister Mei, I didn''t mean it like that." "What if I told you that you could?" "Sister Mei, you''re the boss''s woman; I wouldn''t dare entertain the thought." "What if I said you could entertain it?" "Sister Mei... I..." "Shut up and drive properly." Sister Mei let out a charming chuckle, which had already bewitched Wei. Inside her heart, she sneered C this is a man who thinks with what''s below the waist. In thepartment of the vehicle behind her. Old Bai''s face was ashen; he was deceived step by step by Sister Mei, falling into his current predicament. At this moment, Old Bai was bound hand and foot, with his mouth sealed by ck tape, leaving no room for resistance. In the same part of the truck''spartment, two others received the same treatment. They were the ''highly talented students'' Sister Mei had mentioned. After realizing they had been duped, they fiercely resisted, trying to escape, but being in a remote location made it impossible, and thus several strong men were closely guarding them. The remaining nine ''piglets'' were in apartment of the following truck. Unlike Old Bai and hispanions, these nine people came from various ces, boarding Sister Mei''s truck with dreams of making a fortune. Dreaming of going out there, earning big money, making a fortune. Little did they know that what awaited them wasn''t paradise but hell. In the truck''spartment. ''Damn, there really is online dating fraud,'' Old Bai thought to himself, ''Old Lin, if you''ve seen the message I sent, please remember to call the police and save me!'' That time, he went on an outing with Sister Mei. Under Sister Mei''s repeated coquettish persuasion, he followed her suggestion, traveling from Dali to Lincang. Throughout the journey, he increasingly felt that something was off, as several strong men sessively approached them, but Sister Mei didn''t show any sign of fear. Old Bai was shocked in his heart, realizing that he might have been tricked. But at such a critical moment, calling the police would result in being silenced immediately, and sending a direct call for help could provoke the criminals to make a move against him. He had seen the propaganda about fraud. Old Bai immediately thought of Lin Chuan, who was also in Yundian, and sent a message in his usual tone, ''Mr. Lin, this is all because of you.'' After he sent out this message, the strong man beside him immediately snatched his phone, subdued him, and checked the just-sent message, making sure nothing was leaked before turning it off. He had no chance to resist. Because he was lured to a secluded corner, no one witnessed his ordeal. As for why he was lured into such a secluded ce, it was simply because Sister Mei had shyly said, "There are too many people here; let''s go somewhere less crowded, I''ll listen to you." There''s a saying, isn''t there? Hell if I know what I''m doing, but my little brother wants me to choose her! Now. Old Bai could only hope that Lin Chuan, after seeing the message, would ''get'' the hidden meaning and then call the police. This was hisst glimmer of hope. However, having waited a very long time, the rescue hadn''t arrived yet, and all he could hear outside thepartment was the continuous roar of motorcycles. In the cab of the truck marked Yunnan SK1804. Wei looked into the rearview mirror, frowning in confusion, "Sister Mei, why has this motorcycle been following us?" "What''s going on?" Sister Mei instantly became alert. "I outsped him just now, but he caught up again. Damn it, he''s asking for it!" Wei cursed angrily. "Don''t rush, let''s see what''s happening first," Sister Mei said. Sister Mei furrowed her brows as she observed the ck motorcycle in the rearview mirror. "He''s provoking me!" Wei was very unstable-tempered. "Don''t cause trouble; he has already passed us," Sister Mei advised, being far calmer. At such a critical moment, she didn''t want to stir up trouble. Wei snorted coldly, "Kid, don''t let me catch you, or else I''ll thrash you hundreds of times with one hand!" Then at the next intersection, he turned the steering wheel, entering a rugged countryne. This road was the one leading to their ''boss''s meeting point. Suddenly. At a bend in the country road, Wei''s truck came to an abrupt halt. On both sides of the rural road were lush trees and weeds, the afternoon sun nted in, casting shadows on the road, and not far in front of Wei''s truck, a ck motorcycle blocked their path in the middle of the road. Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian had disappeared without a trace. "Sister Mei, what''s going on?" Someone from the following truck stuck their head out of the window and shouted. "Someone''s blocking the road," Wei replied, then turned to Sister Mei, "Sister Mei, what do we do now?" "Are these two people targeting us?" Sister Mei asked with a frown. "Police?" Wei was startled. "Doesn''t seem like it," Sister Mei shook her head again, having previously noticed that Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian, with their ordinary attire, didn''t look like police officers. "Then they''re just looking for trouble? What should we do?" Wei asked. "Send two guys down to move the bike, and if those two people don''t know what''s good for them, throw them into the pig cage as well," Sister Mei said after thinking for a moment. She was very familiar with this area; it was remote with very few passing vehicles. If two ''pigs'' disappeared here, no one would find out it was her doing. Two strong men got out of the vehicle, ready to move the motorcycle. "Hey, what are you doing with my bike?" At that moment, a voice came from behind the two trucks. The speaker was none other than Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan walked out leisurely, in a white T-shirt and casual trousers, with a faint smile on his face and piercing eyes, staring intently at the two trucks in front of him. "Was it you blocking us?" one of the strong men asked with a stern face. "Yes." Lin Chuan''s mouth curved up slightly as he stood in the middle of the country road, facing the fraud gang without any hint of fear. Xia Qingqing had sent word that they had fully confirmed that this group of fraudsters were external personnel from the factory, responsible for recruiting people. They were not equipped with firearms. As long as there were no guns, even if 13 strong men and 2 women were equipped with iron rods and knives, Lin Chuan was confident that he could handle them. Assassin Lin, online! "Kid, I''d advise you not to make trouble for nothing," Wei said. At this time, Wei and Sister Mei came down from the truck, staring fixedly at Lin Chuan. A hint of a cold smile appeared on Lin Chuan''s face, "You duped my true fan, and you think you can just walk away like that?" Chapter 104: Chapter 103: He is the Absolute King! The rural road, about five meters wide, twisted through lush green trees, with weeds growing wild on the sides, mixed with small rocks and dust, naturally nketed with fallen leaves and dead branches. A cool breeze blew, carrying the rustling sound of dancing leaves, and the weeds on the ground swayed in the wind. Every once in a while, one could hear the chirping of birds returning to their nests. Beyond that, there was nothing else. Very few vehicles traveled on this country road, and even fewer people; it was like a half-abandoned path. Lin Chuan was walking in the middle of this road. Next to him was Shen Qianqian, dressed in a light white skirt, with a stern and cold face, her eyes exuding vignce and gravity. In front of them were two medium-sized trucks. Aboard the trucks. More than a dozen burly men poured out, brandishing iron rods or knives, their menacing presence converging as they approached Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian from both sides. Leading them were Sister Mei and Wei, looking at Lin Chuan with unfriendly eyes. Ready to make a move at any moment. "Lin Chuan, the moment they charge over, you run back, just lead a few of them away, and I''ll cover you. The Lincang Police will arrive soon." Shen Qianqian watched the group of more than ten people across from her with burning eyes, while ncing at Lin Chuan out of the corner of her eye. Not long ago, she was a criminal policeman, trained in fighting, and could at least hold her own against this fraud gang for a while. But she was somewhat worried about Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan usually sat in front of aputer typing; although he had been working out frequently, she wasn''t sure how effective it would be. Self-defense... should be possible, right? Lin Chuan gazed straight ahead and nced at the opposing lineup with a smile, replying, "No problem." "Be careful." Shen Qianqian still advised with some concern. At this moment. The approaching Sister Mei asked with a very cold voice, "Who is your real fan?" "You''re Old Bai''s online girlfriend, right?" Lin Chuan looked calm, gave Sister Mei a nce, and asked with a smile. On Lin Chuan''s face, Sister Mei could not see the slightest panic or nervousness; on the contrary, what she saw wasposed confidence, and even a bit of recklessness. This caused Sister Mei''s brows to slightly furrow, a hint of doubt arising in her heart: "Are you here to rescue him?" In the middle of the road. Lin Chuan nodded and chuckled, "You guessed half right." "And the other half?" Lin Chuan smiled again, "That would be you all, of course!" "You little brat, I don''t mind adding a couple more pigs to the sty," said Wei next to Sister Mei, his face changing as he narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly. The more than ten burly men behind him tightened their grip on their weapons. The situation was on a knife-edge! Lin Chuanughed,pletely ignoring Wei, and shouted towards the truck, "Old Bai, I told you not to rush into online dating; now do you believe me?" Inside the truck cabin. Old Bai was still wondering why they had stopped when he suddenly heard Lin Chuan''s shout; his eyes snapped open. Old Lin came to save me! Wuu wuu wuu But his mouth was sealed with tape, and he could only make ''wuu wuu wuu'' noises. The truck cabin was also locked from the outside, preventing him from rushing to meet Lin Chuan; all he could do was bang against the cabin, producing thumping sounds in response to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan heard Old Bai''s response andughed, "Good, looks like he''s still in one piece." "You''re worried about him, but you might want to worry about yourself first!" Sister Mei''s eyes narrowed, "Move in!" The opposite side consisted only of two people, a man and a woman. The man was about 1.8 meters tall, slim, and seemed tockbat ability. The woman was 1.7 meters, with a sweet appearance, seemingly non-threatening. But experience told her that in the current situation, they had to act fast. Dy could mean trouble! "Hold on!" Shen Qianqian shouted angrily, holding a ''gun'' in her right hand and revealing her police badge with her left, "I am a police officer from the Anti-Fraud Center in Anling City, Han River Province. You are now suspected of a criminal offense, drop your weapons, hands on your heads, and squat down!" A cop?! A gun?! The entire fraud gang faltered, their footsteps halting as their faces instinctively showed panic. Sister Mei''s expression changed: "A cop?" At this time. Shen Qianqian''s face was cold, her gaze intense as she fixed it on the fraud gang and shouted again, "Drop your weapons, hands on your heads, and squat down!" Sister Mei and Wei exchanged nces, their brows tightly knitted. At that moment, Wei stared intently at Shen Qianqian and her gun: "Girl, that''s a toy gun you''re holding, impersonating a police officer; who are you trying to scare?" Shen Qianqian''s heart tightened, and a hint of panic shed in her eyes. She was no fake cop. But the gun she was holding was indeed a toy. When they set off, she passed a toy store while riding her motorcycle, and Lin Chuan urgently had her stop, dashed into the store, and quickly emerged with two guns. The guns, in appearance, were simr to real firearms butcked lethal force. "Girl, you''re pretty brave to try this stunt in front of me. Do you know who we are?" Wei said with a cocky grin on his face. They dealt in the trade of fraud, able to bait and hook people with just a few words. And now, Wei believed he had seen through Shen Qianqian''s ruse. Once the fraud gang heard Wei''s words, their expressions changed again; they tightened their hold on their weapons, preparing to charge at Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian''s breathing became rapid, her own heartbeat almost audible to her. What to do? She had no more than a second to think and forced herself to calm down, whispering, "Lin Chuan, you go first; I''ll hold them off!" "No need to run." Lin Chuan patted her back, assuring her there was no need to be nervous. Shen Qianqian''s expression was one of surprise, not understanding what was happening. But. Lin Chuan did not retreat but instead calmly took two steps forward, his smile growing wider, "You say this gun is fake?" Wei''s expression stalled, "Using a toy gun to y the big bad wolf, who are you trying to fool?" In the middle of the road, Lin Chuan didn''t speak; his gaze was fixed on Wei, as sharp as a cheetah eyeing its prey. In his hand, a ck pistol spun slowly around his index finger,pleting a circle. Then. Lin Chuan''s right hand lifted, and the ck toy gun, as if given life, spun rapidly, too fast to follow with the eye. The sunlight filtering through the rows of trees fell on Lin Chuan, instantly revealing the rapid movement of his right hand and the afterimage of the pistol. The sound of the gun spinning around continued to travel in the silent street, making the entire scam gang shiver. Whiz! Lin Chuan''s movement stopped, his expression calm, his gaze resolute. The muzzle of the gun in his hand was pointed directly at Wei. Wei couldn''t help but swallow, his lips trembling slightly, his heart pounding rapidly, a hint of panic flickering in his eyes. Lin Chuan''s gun-spinning was too skillful. So skillful that it made people think the gun was part of himhe must be a guny expert! So, was the gun in his hand real or fake? Wei didn''t know. But when it came to his life, he wasn''t quite willing to gamble. Shen Qianqian, standing beside Lin Chuan, also swallowed, not out of nervousness but because Lin Chuan''s stance was just too convincing. Just with that round of gun spinning alone, it felt almost believable. Moreover, catching a glimpse of Lin Chuan in her peripheral vision, Shen Qianqian saw that there wasn''t a trace of panic on Lin Chuan''s delicate face, only confidence. Yes, confidence! This kind of confidence was absolutely assured. Spinning the gun might just be an external disy, but the extreme confidence Lin Chuan exhibited was the real reason the other party didn''t dare to advance. In this moment, Lin Chuan gave Shen Qianqian a very delicate feeling. But Shen Qianqian couldn''t quite articte it. If you asked Lin Chuan, he would say it was the absolute instinct of a top-tier assassin. No one spoke; there was silence. The breeze blew gently, swirling around the mountains, brushing past the magnificentyers of mountain ranges, the cold, lush trees, and the dense branches and leaves beside the rural road that flickered like a screen, rustling softly. Perhaps, there was a stream nearby, its water murmuring. For the sound of flowing water mingled with the wind could be heard by everyone''s ears. "Get down, hands on your head." Lin Chuan broke the silence in a calm tone. Several burly men from the fraud gang, intimidated, were already cing their hands on the backs of their heads, preparing to kneel. But! Sister Mei''s icy words once again tensed the atmosphere: "Just by spinning a gun, can you turn a toy into a real one?" Upon hearing this, Shen Qianqian''s heart tightened once more. At moments like this, thest thing you want is someone casting doubt. She knew, in that split second, Lin Chuan had stunned the fraudsters, sending their minds into a nk. But once someone raised doubt, they would quickly regain their ability to think. And Sister Mei was their leader. At this moment, Lin Chuan smiled, moving forward once more, step by step nearing Sister Mei, his lips curved into a smirk: "Fake?" "This fourth-generation Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol, with a chamber of 9mm Parabellum bullets, has a barrel length of 114 millimeters, an overall length of 202 millimeters, an unloaded weight of 625 grams, and can fire up to 500 rounds in one minute." "That means, with my gun''s full magazine of 17 bullets, it would take less than 10 seconds for the bullets to prate all of your bodies." "You should have heard, ''within seven steps, a gun is fast and urate!''" As Lin Chuan finished speaking, he was precisely seven steps away from Sister Mei. The cold muzzle of the gun pointed directly at Sister Mei''s forehead, causing her to suddenly stiffen, her teeth chattering, panic shing in her eyes as she looked at the delicate yet somewhat handsome young man in front of her. Her breath was rapid, her chest heaving. Every sentence from Lin Chuan felt like a judgment against her. And with each step he took, it was as if he was further pressing down on her heart. Suffocation, oppression, unable to breathe. The closer he got, the more intense the feeling became. Even in her so-called boss''s presence, she had never experienced such suffocating oppression. "Sister Mei, I''m giving you just one chance. Kneel down, hands on your head." Lin Chuan said coldly, as if pronouncing a judgment from hell itself. The presence of a top assassin, and themanding aura of the king of the industrial district''s fraudsters, were both disyed by Lin Chuan. Presence, indeed, can terrify the heart! Sister Mei, who had never encountered a man with such an aura, had her legs give out from under her, copsing to the ground, breathing heavily. With Sister Mei kneeling down, the remaining fourteen individuals followed suit, kneeling as well. They couldn''t muster even a hint of resistance within their hearts. Wei, who had previously cursed Lin Chuan with every name under the sun, nowcked even the courage to meet Lin Chuan''s eyes. Indeed, he was a man who lived on the knife-edge. All the people here were criminals living on the knife-edge. Butpared to Lin Chuan, who had lived through both an assassin''s and a fraudster''s life in the industrial districts, they were still too green. Excessively so. In his experience with these criminal professions, Lin Chuan feared the police, feared legal punishment, but facing these fraudsters... He was the undisputed king! All fifteen fraudsters huddled with their heads in their hands, daring not to move. Behind Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian was still in shock, staring at Lin Chuan''s silhouette, her eyes filled with confusion. It was both familiar and strange. Familiar was the figure before her; strange was the confidence and the aura that Lin Chuan had demonstrated. Is he really just a web novel writer? Shen Qianqian then shook her head. Suddenly, she remembered that time she''d been with Lin Chuan, popping balloons at a street stall. That''s right. From that time, Lin Chuan had already shown some hints of his true self. She didn''t have time to think it through. Suddenly, she heard Lin Chuan''s voice next to her ear, "Qianqian, it''s time to get to work." Chapter 105: Chapter 104: Effortless! (Please Subscribe) County Road 1768. Two police cars red through the dense forest, the roaring sound of their engines like the growls of wild beasts, the siren echoes in the woods, and from a distance, the shing lights resembled speeding meteors. Inside the police car. Lincang Criminal Police Brigade Captain Guo Ming, around thirty-five years old, with a lean face and a few strands of white hair among the ck, had a solemn expression as he listened to an officer''s report. "Currently, based on intelligence provided by Anling Cyber Police Xia Qingqing, the fraud gangprises 13 men and 2 women, plus 12 victims, in two medium-sized trucks..." "Anling''s cyber police technology is quite impressive, to be able to dig up all this information," Captain Guo nodded, then asked, "Additionally, about the Anling Police''s rush to rescue those tworades, what''s the situation?" The car was somewhat shaky. The officer answered, "One of them is a police officer from Anling Police Station who specializes in fraud prevention, named Shen Qianqian, who was transferred from the Criminal Police Brigade not long ago. The other is not a police officer, but rather a web novel writer named Lin Chuan." Guo Ming''s eyebrows immediately furrowed, and a hint of doubt shed in his eyes, "You just said, the other person... Lin Chuan, is not a police officer?" "That''s right, he is a web novel writer." "A web novel writer..." Guo''s face momentarily froze, his brow furrowing even more, "Isn''t that just asking for trouble?" The officer didn''t speak. He had the same thought in his mind. It wasn''t prejudice against web novel writers, but rather that the fraud gang was well-organized and ruthless, quite different from typical criminal cases. What could a web novel writer do at a rescue scene? It would be dangerous for anyone to go, possibly resulting in harm, not only failing to rescue others but also getting themselves in trouble. "What''s the motivation behind the writer''s actions?" Guo Ming pondered and asked another question. "It''s said that one of his readers was deceived into joining the fraud gang. Worried that we might not arrive in time, he went ahead to dy them, to win time for the rescue," the officer reported truthfully. Lincang Criminal Police Brigade Captain Guo Ming slowly exhaled, "He''s a good writer, I hope he can hold off the fraud gang while ensuring his own safety." ''Ring, ring, ring'' At that moment, Guo Ming''s phone rang. "Chief, this is Guo Ming, currently on a chase after a criminal gang, ready for instructions," Guo Ming said upon answering the call. On the other end of the phone. The stern voice of the chief came through, "Guo Ming, your most important task right now is to ensure Lin Chuan''s personal safety! Lin Chuan is the web novel writer!" Guo Ming was startled. The most important task is to ensure Lin Chuan''s personal safety? "Understood? Act immediately, get to Lin Chuan before he encounters the fraud gang!" the Lincang Police Station chief added. "Understood!" Guo Ming responded immediately, turned to instruct the driver to speed up. The two police cars on the winding County Road 1768 suddenly elerated, with their sirens echoing through the mountains. "Chief, about the writer''s identity..." Guo Ming, puzzled, couldn''t help but ask. "Don''t ask what you shouldn''t," the chief responded, "Just make sure to keep him safe and bring him back to Lincang in one piece!" Guo Ming''s face turned stern, "Received!" Not only the Criminal Police Brigade, but the armed police squad following closely behind also received the order: To rescue Lin Chuan and escort him. Furthermore, they were specifically instructed to shoot to kill if the fraud gang made any move that could endanger Lin Chuan''s life! At this time. Lincang Criminal Police Brigade Captain Guo Ming''s brow was deeply furrowed. The task assigned by the chief was undeniably difficult, due to the low predictability of the situation. If the chief had ordered him to catch the fraud gang at any cost, he would dare to pledge his word, to capture them all without exception. But to ensure Lin Chuan''s safety... with Lin Chuan already ahead to rescue his reader, he might already have encountered the fraud gang. Once encountered, it would all be uncertain. Guo Ming could only ce his hopes on Shen Qianqian. He hoped... Shen Qianqian would be able to keep Lin Chuan safe! Police from the Lincang Criminal Police Brigade sped past Stone Cliff Bay, through the Ten Mile Corridor, and onto a winding rural road that was seldom traveled. The rural road twisted and turned, but the speed of the Criminal Police Brigade did not decrease as they rushed forward at top speed. Lush trees sped by outside the police car windows. The siren echoed through the forest. Apart from the sirens, the asional intive cries of birds made Guo Ming''s heart wrench, revealing a certain urgency on his face. The police car took a sharp turn, and then came to an immediate halt! "Captain Guo, they''re ahead!" The officer driving the car reported immediately. In Guo Ming''s hand was a clenched service pistol, his expression grave and vignt as he prepared to rush out of the car and immediately rescue Lin Chuan. But! The scene through the car window confused him. Ahead, a dozen people crouched at the side of the road with their heads in their hands. Nearbyy a pile of iron rods and knives, while in front of them stood a man and a woman. The man wore a white T-shirt and casual pants, with short hair and a handsome face. The woman was in a light-colored dress, tall and sweet-looking. This man and woman... resembled the photos sent by Anling City Cyber Police Xia Qingqing perfectly. Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian!? Guo Ming was stunned, "What''s going on???" The officers in the car were all bewildered, exchanging nces. What was happening? The officer in charge of the patrol video was also bewildered. Looking at the situation... it seemed like the problem had already been solved? For a moment. Lincang Criminal Police Brigade Captain Guo Ming''s emotions shifted from heart-wrenching and anxious to surprised, puzzled, and perplexed. On the way there, he imagined multiple scenarios. Perhaps Lin Chuan would flee in panic, with Shen Qianqian trying her best to stop him. Or perhaps both would escape, running into the woods. He even envisioned the possibility that Lin Chuan had been captured by the fraud gang, and pondered how to rescue the hostage from them. But he had never imagined the scene before his eyes. A female anti-fraud police officer + a web novel writer, had subdued 15 fraudsters! It was insanity! With a look of astonishment on his face, Guo Ming took a deep breath and quickly stepped out of the car to meet with Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian: "Comrade Lin Chuan, Comrade Shen Qianqian, I am Guo Ming, the captain of the Lincang Police Station''s Criminal Police Brigade, ordered to arrest the 15-member fraud gang and ensure both of your safety." Lin Chuan nodded and smiled, "Hello Captain Guo, we''re safe." Shen Qianqian, on the other hand, pointed at the fraudsters in front of her: "These 15 are the fraud gang you''re trying to arrest, not one less." "Cuff them all!" Guo Ming ordered. The officers from the Lincang Criminal Police Brigade immediately took action and handcuffed all of them. Guo Ming looked at Lin Chuan and then at Shen Qianqian, and asked with great curiosity while pointing at the 15 fraudsters: "Did the two of you subdue these people?" He simply couldn''t understand how two people had managed to subdue 15 hardened fraudsters. Moreover, there was not the slightest sign of struggle at the scene. The 15 fraudsters showed no sign of resistance. Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian were unharmed. Shen Qianqian smiled: "I didn''t do anything, Lin Chuan took care of it all by himself." Guo Ming was taken aback and looked at Lin Chuan, his eyes filled with questions. Lin Chuan raised his right hand, a ck pistol hanging from his index finger, twirling it gently twice: "I relied on this." What? Guo Ming was taken aback again, instantly recognizing the toy gun in Lin Chuan''s hand, hence his face filled with even more confusion: "With this toy gun, you subdued 15 fraudsters?" The 15 recently handcuffed individuals all turned their gazes towards Lin Chuan, furrowing their brows and wearing expressions of confusion that were eerily uniform. Huh? Toy gun? Lin Chuan gave a slight smile, aimed the gun at Sister Mei, who was the leader among the fraudsters, and said with a smile, "Maybe this toy gun seemed a bit too real in their eyes." Then, he gently pulled the trigger, and a gunshot sound came from the gun. Click. That was the sound of a toy gun. Sister Mei''s eyes widened, staring at Lin Chuan in shock before cursing involuntarily, "Damn it, I''ve been yed by him!" A professional fraud gang had been duped by Lin Chuan with a toy gun. They actually cooperated quite obediently by dropping to the ground with their heads in their hands. You could say, Lin Chuan subdued them effortlessly! Wei, standing next to Sister Mei, realized he had been thoroughly duped by Lin Chuan and roared fiercely, "Damn it, how dare he deceive me, believe it or not..." Suddenly, his voice abruptly stopped. Because Guo Ming, dressed in his police uniform, had a real gun pressed against his temple. Wei immediately becamepliant. This was definitely a real gun. "Take them away," Guo Ming immediately ordered, then turned to Lin Chuan and said, "Comrade Lin Chuan, I''m d you''re alright, I''ll report back to the chief of the police station now." "You''re busy, Captain Guo," Lin Chuan replied with a smile. Afterward. Guo Ming walked to the side and dialed the phone number of the chief of the Lincang Police Station. On the phone. The chief''s voice was very anxious, and the first thing he said upon answering the call was, "How is it? Is the writer okay?" Guo Ming nced at Lin Chuan and answered, "Chief, Lin Chuan is fine." "That''s a relief," The chief seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and asked, "He isn''t injured, is he?" "No, Lin Chuan is unscathed," Guo Ming shook his head and added, "He also arrested 15 fraudsters." Phew The chief felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, and a rare smile appeared on his face: "Great job, Guo Ming. You''ve eliminated the entire fraud gang and rescued Lin Chuan. This is amendable achievement for your Criminal Police Brigade, and I''ll be sure to reward you all generously when you return!" Guo Ming''s expression became unnatural, his mouth twitching slightly: "Chief, we didn''t subdue the fraud gang, and Lin Chuan didn''t need our rescue." "What do you mean?" On the other end of the phone, the chief suddenly became perplexed. Guo Ming nced at Lin Chuan and then exined to the chief: "Chief, when we arrived at the scene, we saw the 15 fraudsters squatting on the ground with their hands over their heads, while Comrade Lin Chuan and Comrade Shen Qianqian were standing, looking at the fraud gang." "Hmm?" The chief hummed in surprise, "Are you saying that Comrade Lin Chuan and another anti-fraud police officer subdued all the criminals?" Guo Ming''s lips twitched again: "ording to the anti-fraud police officer Shen Qianqian, Comrade Lin Chuan subdued the fraudsters by himself." On the other side, the chief was stunned: "???" "Chief?" "The Armed Police Force squad will probably arrive soon. You guys go ahead and escort Comrade Lin Chuan back first, then we can learn about the situation in detailter," the chief of the Lincang Police Station said after a moment of thought. The whole process was truly baffling. He was very curious. Not only the chief of the Lincang Police Station was curious, but all the criminal police officers present had the same question in their minds. How did Lin Chuan single-handedly subdue an entire fraud gang? Chapter 110: Chapter 108: A Monarch Welcomes His Moment of Zenith (Please Subscribe) [Yes! Qianqian, honey, you gotta check out the trending search list!] [After seeing that post by the web novel writer on the trending search list, I guarantee all the anti-fans will shut up!] [Any anti-fans live streaming? I just can''t wait to see your stunned faces.] [...] Inside the live broadcast room. Su Qianqian skeptically opened the trending search list on the Kuaidou live streaming video tform. >[Top] Striving relentlessly,posing new chapters in our era! >[Top] Anti-fraud essaypetition ongoingWho will be the king of anti-fraud literature? >During the May Day holiday, is it about the views or the people? (Hot Discussion) >Current situation at various tourist spots during May Day holiday >Awaken, MAN! >N ways to kick off your May Day holiday >Looking at the world with the eyes of the new era? (Hot Discussion) >This May Day holiday, a web novel writer arrested a criminal gang (New) >Can you believe it, a fraudster group was scammed by a web novel writer! (New) ... The trending search list of the Kuaidou tform was disyed before the eyes of the audience in the live broadcast room. Everyone''s gaze sharpened, focusing on thest two hot searches. Su Qianqian frowned, hovered the mouse over the trending topic, and slowly read it out, her voice filled with utter disbelief, "This May Day holiday, a web novel writer arrested a criminal gang?" Hiss! After reading it, she propped her chin with her left hand, a full expression of incredulity on her face. The audience in the live broadcast room felt the same. [This hot search must''ve been bought, right?] [Marketing! Definitely marketing!] [A hot search like this screams fake at first nce!] [Only a web novel writer coulde up with such a hot topic, who the hell would believe that?] [Cutting-edge stuff, eye-opening!] [...] Su Qianqian chuckled after inspecting the list a bit more. As a seasoned host, she wouldn''t jump to conclusions. After all, phrases like "pour Auntie a cup of cappino," "I can beat you with just 17 cards," "I''ll eat thisputer screen right now" were still circting. Whether it was true or false, you wouldn''t know until you clicked to check it out. Su Qianqian''s slender index finger gently clicked the mouse, on the link to the hot search "web novel writer arrests a criminal gang," and it jumped to a new page. At the top of the page was a video. Video titleWeb Novel Writer''s Epic Rescue, Single-handedly Subdues Fraudster Gang! Publisher: Lincang Police. Likes: 50k+ Views: 300k+ Seeing the name of the publisher, ''Lincang Police,'' Su Qianqian couldn''t help but frown and her expression froze, "Did Mr. Lin really arrest a fraudster gang?" The trolls and lurkers in the live room tactically shut their mouths. What if? What was previously a noisy and chaotic live room fell into a rare silence due to one video. Su Qianqian also revealed a bright smile, like a refreshing breeze after the rain in Jiangnan, caressing the drooping willows on the shore, stirring gentle ripples on the river, spreading outwards, circle by circle. Then, like the audience in the live room, she focused her gaze on the video. ''Pay attention, this man''s name is Shuai.'' ''Alone, he stopped a transnational fraud crime, subdued 15 fraudsters, and rescued 12 victims.'' ''...'' In the live broadcast room, barragements riddled with question marks flew up. [????] [What''s with this twist? Are the police''s Kuaidou ounts getting in on the act now?] [That gun-flipping scene, it''s like Hua Zi''s signature move!] [Can I say this seems a bit too wild?] [Disimer: I''m just a bystander, but single-handedly? That sounds way too fake, right?] [Does it feel like they''re shooting a movie?] Su Qianqian watched quietly without speaking. She believed that Lin Chuan hadn''t giarized, but thementary in the video indeed seemed a bit exaggerated to her. How could a web novel writer single-handedly subdue 15 fraudsters? Yet as the video yed. The true nature of the event slowly unfolded before her eyes. One of the photos. 15 fraudsters were squatting in front of Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian, heads in hands, their eyes full of unease and panic, as if they were mice that saw a cat. Plus the interrogation by Guo Ming, captain of Lincang Criminal Police Brigade, along with Shen Qianqian and Old Bai. The ''arrest of criminal gang'' incident was disyed in its entirety in the live room. Hiss! After watching it, Su Qianqian couldn''t help but inhale sharply, sighing, "Reality is far more exciting than fiction!" Inside the live broadcast room. The viewers wore faces filled with life-doubting expressions. [Is this guy really a web novel writer?] [He must be an elite in the police force who moonlights as a novelist.] [Considering his skills and mental fortitude, I suspect he''s truly pulled off fraud before!] [Subduing 15 fraudsters with a toy gun, if he had a real gun, I can''t even imagine!] [Damn, confident men are so handsome!] [How do you know he''s handsome if he didn''t show his face?] [I''m already smitten and he hasn''t even shown his face; what more if he does?] [I''ve seen Mr. Lin, he''s really handsome!] [And who are you? I''m a graduate student with a master''s degree from a 985 university, an eyewitness of the incident!] [So you''re the Bai who got scammed in a cyber love affair and couldn''t control yourself?] [I don''t understand what you''re saying, I''m gone, bye!] [...] In the live broadcast room, the trolls fell silent. This wasn''t just a losing battle anymore. Criticizing Lin Chuan for giarizing, because he hadn''t experienced life in the factory area and hadn''t dealt with fraudster groups. But what about him? He took advantage of the May Day holiday to travel to Yundian Lincang, where he pulled off a high-end maneuver: with a toy gun, he scared fifteen fraudsters into surrendering to thew. It''s estimated that those fifteen fraudsters, even when they wake up in the middle of the night to pee, would smack themselves twice and then curse themselves, ''Idiot, it was a toy gun!'' At this moment. Su Qianqian''s face broke into a radiant smile, her eyshes fluttering gently, her eyes curving into crescents: "Okay, let''s see what the author of ''All-In'' has written in the new chapter about catching the scam gang." She smiled brightly, feeling a sense of joy in her heart. It wasn''t just because the anti-fans had shut up, but also because the author of the work she liked had proved himself through actual action. Even though this action was very thrilling and risky. But this way of proving oneself was quite to Su Qianqian''s taste. Simple and violent. Su Qianqian suddenly remembered that Youyou, who had been in frequent contact with her these past few days, might not yet know about this, so she immediately drafted a message and sent it to Youyou. ... Modu. The night was bustling, neon lights flickering. Youyou stood on the balcony in an oversized T-shirt, the boisterous wind blowing, holding a mobile phone in her hand, which transmitted the voice of the editor-in-chief: "Youyou, you''d better get Mr. Lin to issue a rification statement quickly. We''ve had too many reports these past few days, and the orientation of public opinion is very negative." "Okay, I''ll handle it right away." Youyou sighed. s... These readers, who came out of nowhere, had gone crazy, reporting Lin Chuan incessantly. Not only did they report him on Sailing Novel, but they also filed reports on the Anti-Fraud Center''s website. As a result, the relevant staff members at the Anti-Fraud Center pressured Sailing Novel. Fortunately, Youyou fought hard and reassured the editor-in-chief multiple times, promising to submit an exnation to the Anti-Fraud Center on behalf of Sailing Novel. But due to the rampant giarism, most readers who had read Ming''s ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' were reluctant to click into Lin Chuan''s ''All-In''. Meanwhile, Ming was doing a live broadcast on Fast Shake. Riding on the gimmick of ''real-life experience of being duped into a factory area,'' his book received loads of traffic daily and had already ranked first in the anti-fraud novel section. Lin Chuan''s ''All-In'' was at 98th ce, barely hanging within the top hundred. Only the top hundred could advance to the next round. At this moment, the summer night''s breeze suddenly felt chilling, and Youyou let out a soft sigh, ready to discuss strategies with Lin Chuan on her mobile phone. Suddenly. ''Ding Dong Ding Dong'' Su Qianqian sent her a message: "Youyou, Mr. Lin is on the hot search." Youyou leaned on the balcony railing, her face registering surprise. Lin Chuan is on the hot search? What big thing has he done now? Without much thought, she immediately opened the Fast Shake app and quickly scanned the hot search list for items rted to Lin Chuan. Out of the top 50 hot searches, she filtered out four. >During the May Day holiday, this web novel writer arrested a crime gang (Hot Topic) >Can you believe it, a fraud gang was scammed by a web novel writer! >Mr. Lin, Ming, which one is the web novel writer who escaped the factory area (New) >All-In (New) Hisss! Youyou''s eyes widened. Afterward, she immediately clicked on every trending search rted to Lin Chuan. Video after video,ment afterment shed before her eyes. She couldn''t help but smile, incessantly tapping the like button. Until a notification popped up: "You are operating too frequently, please try againter." It was then that Youyou walked back into her room from the balcony andy on the soft, huge bed, with her bare feet up in the air. She ced her phone in front of her, a smile covering her face, and sent Lin Chuan a message: "Babe~ you did so well!" "/rose.jpg" The phone quickly rang with the ''ding-dong ding-dong'' of a message notification, it was Lin Chuan replying: "Youyou, you know already?" Youyou pursed her lips, beaming with joy, "Of course, I know. You didn''t get hurt, did you?" Elsewhere. Lin Chuan was staying at a guesthouse in Lincang City, sniffing the aroma of blue jacarandaing in through the window. He smiled and replied, "No worries, they surrendered before I even made a move." "Haha, Babe~ you are really too cool!" Youyouughed brightly. Since the beginning of May, she had been caught up in somewhat gloomy weather, constantly thinking of ways to deal with the ''giarism scandal'', but to little avail. Finally, tonight, Lin Chuan had given her some good news! He had really gone and taken down a fraud ring! This undoubtedly was a huge relief pill Lin Chuan gave her! The fraud gang had been taken down by Lin Chuan, and Lin Chuan had also demonstrated extraordinary courage and tacticswho would dare to use him of giarism now? The trending searches were up, so the traffic was there! Awesome! Youyou was so happy her two delicate white feet were wiggling. Lin Chuan, half-reclining in bed and seeing Youyou''s praise, felt a small sense of satisfaction. He replied, "I am a bit of a modest charmer. /haha.jpg" That night. Massive amounts of traffic poured into Lin Chuan''s "All-In", its ranking soared rapidly, emerging like a dark horse out of nowhere. But it wasn''t a dark horse; it was more like a king, having its moment of peak. ... The night grew denser. The dark night sky enveloped the earth, the moon shone cold and clear, and a seemingly abandoned factory on the outskirtsy in silence. Outside the factory, weeds grew in disarray, the night breeze did not seem gentle here; it was more like a ghost rustling through the weeds, swaying the shadows of the trees, making a soft, rustling sound, deste and lonely. Where there is joy, there is also sorrow. Inside the factory. A bald man in a ck shirt sat in an office on the top floor, his face fierce, cursing angrily: "Idiots! Idiots! All fifteen of them caught, what the hell happened!?" He was Sister Mei''s boss, also the head of this factory area, Old Bao. This afternoon, he waited at the usual spot for Sister Mei toe and deliver the goods, but instead of Sister Mei, he almost ran into the armed police. Luckily he ran fast, otherwise, he wouldn''t know where he might be now. They had just returned to the factory area not long ago. At this moment. In front of Old Bao stood his underling, Mi, his gaunt face betraying a trace of panic: "Boss, I just scouted thework for intelligence on that side, everything was nned out well, but suddenly someone appeared and caught them all." The boss of the factory area, Old Bao, wrinkled his brows: "One person?" Mi looked distressed but nodded: "Yes!" "Fifteen people, taken down by one person, such idiots!" Old Bao couldn''t help but curse again, "Find out who did it, immediately." "We''ve already found out." Mi tremblingly ced a tablet in front of Old Bao. Old Bao lit a cigarette, cocked it at the corner of his mouth, and narrowed his eyes, his gazending on the tablet that was ying a video, his voice cold, "A web novel writer dares to meddle in my factory''s affairs!?" Chapter 111: Chapter 109 The Fish Has Taken the Bait (Please Subscribe) In the factory area. The light in the top-floor office was not bright, somewhat dim, casting a slightly gruesome shadow on Old Bao''s face. He stared at the video on the tablet, took a harsh drag of his cigarette, and finally exhaled the smoke onto Mi''s face, "Can you find his information?" "Yes!" Mi nodded immediately, opened a file on the tablet, and said, "I''ve already ordered several technicians to look into his information. Here''s what they found." Old Bao looked at the information on the file. [Pen name: Mr. Lin.] [Works: "Thief," "Swindler," "This Assassin Is Too Professional," "Hacker Kingdom," "All-In."] In a short time, only the information rted to Lin Chuan the writer was found. Mi pointed to "All-In" and said, "This book is his participation in the anti-fraud essay event held over there. It''s said to be giarized from another book ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area.'' You know the author, boss, Ming." Upon hearing the name ''Ming,'' Old Bao immediately furrowed his brows, "Ming, is it the one who escaped?" "Yes, that''s him." Mi nodded, "He''s now doing live streams online, and he wrote this book, which even has characters based on us. It''s quite popr among readers." Old Bao turned around, crushing the cigarette butt viciously in the ashtray, and said in a fierce tone, "He escaped, and then exposed all my secrets?" "Yes, as of now, only his and Mr. Lin''s novels have thoroughly exposed some of our factory area''s secrets." Mi responded. The whole office was silent, and the night seemed even more sinister. The wind blew, only to circle around and escape with panicked whimpers. After a while. Old Bao sat in his leather chair, one hand propping up his forehead, "The anti-fraud propaganda is increasing over there and it''s getting harder to deceive the foolish pigs." "Yes," Mi responded with a single word. "Ming and the other web novel writer..." "Mr. Lin." Old Bao narrowed his eyes, "Yes, those two men, how do you think we should deal with them?" Mi, feeling nervous looking at Old Bao''s demeanor, suggested, "Take them out?" "Hmm." Old Bao''s face darkened as he replied with a hum. Swallowing hard, Mi said, "I''ll immediately find someone to prepare for action." Snap! Old Bao pped Mi''s gaunt cheek, cursing, "Fool! If we take him out now, wouldn''t it be a clear sign to them that we did it?" "Please instruct me, boss," Mi said, wincing in pain but immediately speaking with respect. "Wait until Mr. Lin''s heat has died down, then we can take him out!" Old Bao''s face looked very grim. "Yes, boss." Mi responded. Old Bao continued, "Before that, deal with the books they have written first. Our secrets are nearly fully exposed; it will be difficult to deceive those fools in the future!" The factory area''s business mainly involved carrying out fraud through the inte. The form of anti-fraud essay promotion would cause more people to deepen their understanding of inte fraud. "How should we deal with it?" Mi asked. "You cote some evidence of Ming''s crimes and forge some criminal evidence for Mr. Lin, then report it to the Cyberspace Administration over there. Buy some troll ounts too; they will naturally run into trouble," Old Bao said with a coldugh. Realizing what Old Bao meant, Mi immediately praised, "Boss, that''s brilliant, truly brilliant!" "Also, continue to investigate that Mr. Lin. Before we take him out, let''s collect some interest, see if there''s any suitable fish around him," Old Bao instructed further. Mi immediately left the office to carry out the orders. It wasn''t long before. Mi hurried back hectically, his face beaming with joy, "Boss, one of our guys has hooked a fish, and it''s just rted to that web novel writer. The fish has taken the bait." ... The night quietly faded away. At dawn, the golden sunrays pierced through the clouds, showering thend of Yundian Lincang with a tranquil and natural light. Lincang was indeed a city worth visiting. In the early morning, Lin Chuan walked on the slightly moistened bluestone pavement, gazing at the distant Dali mountains enveloped in mist, where a temple stood among the mountains, its bells echoing through the empty valleys. By his side were the two beautiful sisters, walking under the warm sun, looking particrly bright and vivid. The breeze was gentle, the atmosphere peaceful and lovely. Perhaps, this is the meaning of travel. But beautiful moments always pass unknowingly and quickly; in the blink of an eye, it''s time to return. On the afternoon of May 5. The trio from Lincang arrived at Dali Airport. The passenger ne soared across the clear blue sky, flying from Yundian Dali back to Han River Anling. Their seats were the same as on the way there. Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing sat on either side, with Lin Chuan in the middle. The flight back was quite long. After two days of tourism, Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing seemed a bit tired. Considering they had work the next day, they unintentionally leaned on Lin Chuan''s shoulders and fell asleep. Lin Chuan, unable to move, and without other forms of entertainment, summoned the system panel he hadn''t called up for a long time. [Work: "All-In."] [Current Status: Ongoing.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/10000.] [Notice: No paid chapters have been released yet, therefore Poprity Value (Average Subscription) is 0. "All-In" has a total word count of 800k, with an estimated 600k words for paid chapters, which means around 280 chapters required for a total subscription of 280w to meet the Poprity Value (Average Subscription) requirement, and to start the next professional life experience.] [Current Collection Count: 155278.] "Ten thousand average subscriptions; there is a long way to go," Lin Chuan muttered to himself. Indeed, the system did not calcte average subscriptions based on the already released paid chapters but based on the total number of paid chapters in the entire book. For instance, in the current situation of "All-In," it required a total subscription of 280w to meet the standard. Luckily, After a few days of fermenting, the ''arresting the fraud ring'' incident brought a deluge of traffic to Lin Chuan''s "All-In," skyrocketing the collection by 15w+. When paid VIP chapters are released, "All-In" should quickly achieve the total subscription of 280w necessary. There''s another piece of good news. That is, "All-In" has now risen to second ce in the anti-fraud themed novel section. [1- "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area," Ming.] [2- "All-In," Mr. Lin.] [3- "A World Without Fraud," Handon.] Ming started promoting early and immediately captured arge volume of traffic. Handon, using the gimmick of being ''scammed out of three million,'' also garnered a considerable amount of traffic. However, it was only a matter of time before Lin Chuan rose to first ce. After all, this surge of traffic was enormous. "Advancing to the next round in June should yield good results, and maybe even lead to an adaptation," Lin Chuan had a certain longing for adaption. Every writer wishes for their work to be adapted. It''s not just about the royalties, but also the market''s recognition of their work, and only then can one truly be called a writer. Before that, you can only be called an author. Although there is only a one-word difference between the two, there is a great distinction. Lin Chuan reminisced about how his mother struggled to exin his job to rtives and friends, the reason being he was just a web novel writer. Web novel writers are at the very bottom of the literary scene''s hierarchy of contempt. In terms of social recognition, they are often ssified alongside the idle and unemployed. His mother often arranged blind dates for him, but the moment thedies heard Lin Chuan was a web novel writer, they would block him outright. However, Lin Chuan was lucky to have met a few girls who recognized his profession. This was rare, but also somewhat troubling. "Web novels,pany, life... the road ahead is long. It''s only just beginning," concluded Lin Chuan. As for web novels, he was currently at the stage of climbing towards the milestone of ten thousand subscriptions. Thepany, the newly registered 720 Network Security Company, was slowly getting on track with Little Landy''s nningraising brand awareness and developing anti-fraud apps. But it was still a far cry from Lin Chuan''s goal of acquiring Sailing Novel. After all, Sailing Novel was worth tens of billions. Unnoticed, the ne had already entered Han River Province andnded at Anling Airport. The twilight glow spread over the old district, like an old vinyl record, ying the familiar melodies of memories. Lin Chuan had just entered the gate of his rental ce when a series of loud knocks on the door began and a familiar voice called out, "Chairman, open the door!" Lin Chuan opened the iron gate and smiled, "Little Landy, what brings you here?" "I''m here to report to work." Little Landy stood outside the door, dressed in a light gray skirt that fell just above her knees, wearing white sneakers. It wasn''t a skinny type of leg that she showed off; there was a bit of fleshiness in the firmness. She had applied a light makeup, her eyebrows exquisitely painted, and her cheeks delicate. She carried a bag in her hand, which contained several lunch boxes. Lin Chuan took the lunch boxes, "How did you know I hadn''t eaten?" "It''s takeout I ordered for myself. Since you just happened to be back, it''s your lucky day," Little Landy Zhang Xinxin said with augh, finding a clumsy excuse. "Come in," Lin Chuan touched his stomach, indeed hungry, and ced the lunch boxes on the table. Little Landy sat across from Lin Chuan with a beaming smile, asking, "Chairman, was Yundian fun?" "It was quite nice," Lin Chuan said, taking a bite of vegetables. "Next time you have an operation, can you take me with you? I can do the recording," Little Landy said with a smile. "Record? What recording?" Lin Chuan was taken aback and asked. "Didn''t you catch a fraud ring in Lincang? But I can''t find any footage of you online. I wanted to see you in action, and it''s not possible," Little Landy pouted. Lin Chuan smiled, "You know about fraud rings. What if I can''t pay attention to you? What then?" "Would you really not pay attention to me?" Little Landy pursed her lips. "You''re the financial director of thepany, a pir of strengthyou can''t copse!" Lin Chuanughed, "These dishes taste good. Where did you order them from?" "Hee hee... They''re not takeout; I made them." Little Landy''s face lit up with a radiant smile. "You made them?" Lin Chuan was surprised and skeptically eyed Little Landy, "You can cook?" "I recently read in the news about some restaurants'' unsanitary conditions, so I decided to learn a bit. I cooked these few dishes today and brought them all to you," Little Landy said, her yful smile adorning her face. "Then I''m in for a treat tonight," Lin Chuan said with a smile, then looked at Little Landy and asked, "If you cooked all this for me, what about Old Zhang?" "Old Zhang... he''s gone off to be in love, barely ever at home these days," Little Landy said with a moue. "In love?" Lin Chuan''s hand, in the midst of serving himself more food, stiffened as his expression turned nk. Little Landy grew up in a single-parent family, and Lin Chuan had never heard anything about her mother. In all his time renting here, he had never heard about any woman in Old Zhang''s life. And now, unexpectedly, he was in a rtionship. But Little Landy had grown up, so it was normal for Old Zhang to find love at this point. "Yeah, he said someone from the Anti-Gambling Association introduced her to him. She''s in her thirties, but I haven''t met her yet, so I don''t know what she''s like," Little Landy said softly. "You don''t object, do you?" Lin Chuan asked. "Of course not. It''s about time Old Zhang found someone, but he''s always out, and with you not around, I feel uneasy when I''m alone," Little Landy sighed. "Next time, ask Old Zhang to bring his partner home, so you can check her out," Lin Chuan suggested with augh. "Okay," Little Landy nodded, then said with a smile, "Will you join me at that time? I''m not very good at judging people." "No problem, I''m pretty urate at assessing people," Lin Chuanughed heartily. Little Landy smiled sincerely, "I''ll ask Old Zhang about it in the next few days and have him bring her over for you to check her out." Chapter 108: Chapter 106 A Common Web Novel Writer (Please Subscribe) In the interrogation room. The evening breeze filtered through the window, gently blowing into the room, brushing Lin Chuan''s face with the crisp freshness of Lincang''s night, along with a hint of jacaranda fragrancealmost as if witnessing jacarandas set against the azure sky, gracefully swaying, their blue and purple huesplementing each other. Chief Pan Sheng and Captain Guo Ming looked deep into Lin Chuan''s eyes and took a deep breath to regain theirposure. Guo Ming continued, "Comrade Lin Chuan, after borrowing the motorcycle shop owner''s heavy bike, did you immediately set off to intercept the scam gang?" "Yes," Lin Chuan nodded. "Where did you encounter the scam gang?" Guo Ming asked. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, "I first encountered them on the county road between Stone Cliff Bay and the Ten Mile Corridor. After I confirmed they were the scam gang, I intercepted them at a turning point on a rural road they had to take." At that moment, Chief Pan Sheng raised his hand, "Comrade Lin Chuan, let me interrupt for a moment. How exactly did you know the scam gang''s route?" Lin Chuan looked at Pan Sheng and smiled, "That was thanks to our Anling Police Station Cyber Police, Xia Qingqing." "Could you borate?" Lin Chuan nodded and then gave a detailed ount of the section Xia Qingqing was responsible for. Chief Pan Sheng suddenly realized and praised repeatedly, "Infiltrate the phone, acquire information, remotely assistyou guys'' teamwork was just perfect!" "You tter me," Lin Chuan replied humbly. After listening, Guo Ming felt somewhat inferior and continued to ask about the case. This question was also his most curious and baffling one. "Comrade Lin Chuan, after you intercepted the criminal gang, there were 15 of them, 13 men and 2 women, and there were only 2 of you. How did you subdue these fifteen fraudsters?" Chief Pan Sheng and another detective also lifted their eyes, staring intently at Lin Chuan. Without a doubt, this was the highlight of the entire case. Also, it was the most puzzling link. Lin Chuan''s demeanor was rxed, he simply smiled, "I just used this toy gun to scare them a bit." The toy gun was resting on the table. Chief Pan Sheng was startled, he picked up the toy gun, inspecting it meticulously, finding nothing special. It was a very ordinary toy gun, with no modifications whatsoever. Its lethality was almost negligible. He couldn''t understand how a toy gun could deceive 15 fraudsters? In his many years of experience, he had never encountered such a situation! Lin Chuan looked at their expressions andughed, "The saying goes, ''The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.'' I was merely ying a psychological game. These 15 were con artists themselves; they know that seeing isn''t always believing. Plus, we were a bit distant at that moment, so they couldn''t clearly see whether the gun in my hand was real or not." "Hence, as long as I didn''t shoot, the gun was real to them." Every gamer knows that when the enemy''s Zhong Kui is prowling around you, it causes an intangible pressure because you don''t know when he will strike. But once he attacks, his deterrence plummets. This is the essence of psychological warfare. For the fraudsters, the gun represented a form of deterrence. Lin Chuan spoke casually, but the actual situation was dramatic and heart-pounding. Guo Ming''s expression shifted thoughtfully, "Comrade Lin Chuan, could you perhaps recreate the scene for us?" "Recreate?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "Yes!" Guo Ming handed the toy gun to Lin Chuan, "pretend I''m a fraudster and show me how you did it." Lin Chuan nced at Guo Ming and then took the gun. The moment the gun exchanged hands, Lin Chuan''s temperament changed. From a handsome and clean-cut youth, he transformed into a master of guns. His gaze was firm, his countenance indifferent. Cold, absolutely confident. Guo Ming was momentarily stunned by the transformation, and even the listening Chief Pan Sheng couldn''t help but furrow his brows, his eyes firmly fixed on Lin Chuan. The toy gun began to spin in Lin Chuan''s hand. In an instant. The gun, as though it hade to life, continuously revolved around Lin Chuan''s fingers, following the motions of Lin Chuan''s arm as it extended, bent, raised, and loweredthe gun always spinning in his palm. Whoosh! Lin Chuan''s hand stopped, and the muzzle of the gun pointed squarely at Guo Ming''s forehead. The interrogation room fell silent. Deadly quiet! Chief Pan Sheng''s face went stiff. The detective taking notes froze, his pen stalled on the page. And Guo Ming couldn''t help but swallow nervously. Putting himself in the shoes of a fraudster, he wondered how would he react facing Lin Chuan like this? A true swordsman could use anything as a sword, even flowers and leaves, and even just a twig could be turned from decay to magic in their hands. And Lin Chuan, he was like that true swordsman. In his hands, whether the gun was real or fake, it no longer mattered. "It was roughly like that." Lin Chuan smiled, set down the toy gun, his expression natural and friendly. Guo Ming breathed a sigh of relief and gave Lin Chuan a thumbs up, "You are a true king of guns." "You''re too kind," Lin Chuan said modestly. The record wasplete. In the meeting room of the Lincang Police Station. Chief Pan Sheng and Captain Guo Ming, along with several officers,piled the statements of Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian, Xia Qingqing, the victims, and the fraudsters to reconstruct the entire sequence of events. Pan Sheng did not hide his admiration for Lin Chuan, "This young fellow Lin Chuan has meticulous thinking, solid skills, decisive actions, and an extremely strong psychological quality. He''s naturally cut out to be a police officer!" "Yes, it''s just a pity he became a web novel writer," Guo Ming sighed. "If we could recruit him into our Lincang Police..." Pan Sheng suddenly voiced a bold idea. Guo Ming''s eyes lit up, "Director, are you saying...?" Immediately. Pan Sheng smiled to himself, shook his head, and said, "Our Lincang Police Station, I''m afraid, cannot amodate such a big Buddha." He knew that themand to mobilize the Criminal Police Brigade to rescue Lin Chuan was directly issued from the Yundian Provincial Department. A normal web novel writer having the provincial department stirred up? Clearly impossible! So, Pan Sheng quickly discarded the somewhat childish idea. After restoring the facts of the case, Pan Sheng immediately reported upward and arranged for the publicity department to tout this case as a model of police and public solving a case together. On the other side. In the office of Han River Province, Zhong Chengming received the files from the Yundian Provincial Department and read them very carefully. A few minutester. Zhong Chengming, wearing an administrative jacket, burst outughing heartily, the wrinkles around his eyes clearly visible. "Comrade Lin is indeed a talent!" "With just a toy gun between two people, daring to confront a crime gang of 15 people, they have even more guts than I did in my days!" "Not bad at all." Zhong Chengming looked at the file in his hands, nodding continuously, with a clear admiration for talent. Then, he nced at a group photo on the desk. That was a photo of him and his son. Zhong Chengming sighed, "If only you had half the ability of Lin Chuan, you would be considered to have inherited half of my skills; but unfortunately, instead of being a good cop, you went off to do archaeology." ... The night in Lincang was tranquil and beautiful. A few stars hung in the night sky, moonlight spilled on the ground, creating a world of silvery white. The streetmps, emitting a warm yellow light, illuminated the main thoroughfares bustling with traffic. After finishing their statements, Old Bai got his phone back, reported his safety to his family, and then insisted on treating Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian, and Xia Qingqing to a meal. The three of them readily agreed. Over the meal, Lin Chuan and Old Bai grew much closer. Old Bai kept calling him ''brother,'' admiring Lin Chuan from the bottom of his heart. Yes, admiration! From the moment Lin Chuan showed up on that rural road, Bai Yang had decided that Lin Chuan was his ''brother.'' So much so, that when he returned to his hotel room, the first thing he did was open his phone and send two Alliance Hierarch rewards to Lin Chuan''s new book to boost its poprity. The second thing was to open Lin Chuan''s reader group. "Brothers, I almost got tricked into the factory area!" Old Bai sent a message. As an active member of the group who often gave out red packets, many readers remembered him. [Old Bai, what''s wrong with you?] [Almost tricked into the factory area, were you scammed?] [Weren''t you going to meet your online love? How did you almost get tricked into the factory area?] [Right, you even posted a selfie bragging yesterday!] [...] Old Bai, half-reclining on the hotel window with a white nket over him, typed rapidly on his phone''s screen: "Mr. Lin was right, online dating is risky. That little witch was a fraudster; she lured me to a secluded ce, then some big guys pinned me down, took my phone, gagged me, and dragged me straight into a car." [Old Bai, is that true or are you making up stories for a novel?] [I don''t believe it; if you were really caught, you''d be in the factory area by now!] [Right, the factory area is so terrifying, how could you possibly have escaped?] [The author also said, the factory area is hell, a gathering ce of demons!] [Too fake!] [...] The friends in the reader group raised their doubts one after another. "I knew you wouldn''t believe me, but look what this is?" Old Bai replied at once and sent two photos. One was a photo of him at the Lincang Police Station. The other was a case filing notification from the Lincang Police Station. Those two images immediately caused a sensation in the group. Being a spectator is a natural human instinct. [My goodness, you''re serious?] [Case filing notification is here!] [Lincang, isn''t that a small border city in Yundian Province?] [Old Bai, your ancestors must be producing green smoke; to think you escaped from the hands of a fraud gang!] [...] The group was especially active at night. Group friends discussed back and forth. Old Bai continued, "I thought for sure I was a goner, but then I met my ''actual brother'' C you guys will never guess who! It was my brother who rescued me!" [Don''t tell me it''s the suspect Mr. Lin!] [Hey, wasn''t Mr. Lin at Yundian University a few days ago?] [I remember, he seems to have gone to Lincang today, Old Bai, was it Mr. Lin who saved you?] Old Bai wanted to keep them hanging, but these guys guessed the answer right away: "You''re so smart, I didn''t think you''d figure it out." [Old Bai, that''s a bit far-fetched!] [How could Mr. Lin save you from the fraud gang?] [Are you in cahoots with the suspect Mr. Lin?] [Lin Chuan himself just escaped from the factory area, how could he save you as well?] [...] "I knew you wouldn''t believe it, take a look at this video," said Old Bai, and he immediately forwarded a video just released by the Lincang Police to the group. Chapter 109: Chapter 107: The Web Novel Writer on the Trending List (Please Subscribe) Lin Chuan''s reader group. "Abiding by thew is everyone''s responsibility". As a loyal fan of Lin Chuan, Old Bai felt obliged to clear his "brother''s" name, and thus, a video just released by the Lincang Police appeared in the group chat. [Hey, Old Bai, what''s with the video you posted?] [Don''t tell me you and Mr. Lin are starring in a drama, giving it your all in a performance.] [Hold on, everyone go and check it out!] [Video Publisher: Lincang Police Station.] [...] Group members immediately clicked on it. Video Title985 Master''s graduate ensnared in online romance scam, narrowly escapes death. In the frame, one can see an interview room at a police station, where a person with somewhat messy hair is being interviewed. Their face is partially pixted. In the lower left corner, a caption appears: Victim, Mr. Bai. "You have a good understanding of scamming techniques and were on guard, so why did you still follow your online girlfriend''s suggestion and go to a remote corner?" Asked the interviewer. In the video, Mr. Bai seemed a bit awkward, and after hesitating, he replied: "She and I met in person the day before, and she was as beautiful and gentle as she was online,pletely submissive to me. Throughout the entire day, she didn''t show any signs of abnormality, so I let my guard down a bit." "Second, when we came here, she proposed going to a quiet ce as she had something to tell me. I didn''t really want to go, but the way she enticed me, I found it hard to resist" At this point. The group members collectively sent question marks. [?????] [Old Bai, can you go into detail about how she seduced you?] ["I didn''t want to go"!] [Can''t resist Bai!] [Old Bai, you''re really something!] [Not wanting to go is your lie!] [...] Seeing the group''s reaction, Old Bai''s face darkened: "Wrong video, wrong one, this is it." The Lincang Police acted so swiftly, releasing two videos in a short period, causing Old Bai to mistakenly click the wrong one. Old Bai promptly revisited the Lincang Police''s video page, selected the one about Lin Chuan, and shared it to the reader group. Video TitleWeb novel writer heroically rescues, effortlessly subduing fraud ring! [I recognize every word in this title, but putting them together, I can''t quite understand it!] [I can''t understand it either!] [I''m also stumped, utterly bewildered!] [It''s absurd, the words ''web novel writer'', ''heroic rescue'', ''subduing fraud ring''can they even be associated?] [If the publisher of this video weren''t ''Lincang Police'', I''d already be questioning it.] [...] The readers, half in doubt, clicked on the video after looking at the publisher. In the video. The very first scene is of Lin Chuan in an interview room, not showing his face, twirling a gun, the editing and close-ups akin to a movie, which left the readers momentarily stunned. Then, the voice-over narration began. "Notice this man, Shuai." "He is an ordinary web novel writer, spending each day immersed in his writing." "But don''t underestimate him, this web novel writer is not ordinary." "Using his own abilities, he stopped an international fraud crime, subdued 15 fraudsters, and rescued 12 victims." At that moment, the video showed a still photo from that rural road scene, taken from a distance. A country road, two trucks, a man and a woman standing, side profiles, their faces unclear, and in front of them, fifteen people huddled and squatting down. The narration continued. "It all started when Shuai''s novel reader ''Bai'' met his online love interest in person, only to be a victim of her scam. In desperation, Bai sent a distress message to Shuai." "Shuai decisively embarked on a mission to rescue." "" The video''s progress bar reached the end, and it finished ying, but the readers holding their phones were still in shock. After a while, the readers came back to their senses. [Damn, Mr. Lin, are you for real?] [Is this video really released by Lincang Police?] [Isn''t this a bit too outrageous?] [You''re really daring, Mr. Lin, messing with a fraud ring!] [@Mr. Lin, didn''t you just escape from the factory area? Are you now on a revenge spree?] [Old Bai, what were you up to when Mr. Lin was going on a rampage?] [A meek inquiry, isn''t Mr. Lin''s main upation a web novel writer?] [...] Incredulous messages flooded the reader group, creating a wave of chatter. Suddenly the group messages shot up to ''99+''. A smile appeared on Old Bai''s face as he continued to post: "See, didn''t I tell you so?" [Old Bai, I suddenly feel a bit safer, what''s going on?] [Suspect Mr. Lin, are you doing this to atone for your crimes?] [@Mr. Lin, big shot author,e out and say something!] [Mr. Lin, this side of you feels so unfamiliar.] [Author, you sneakily took down a fraud ring, not in vain for Qianqian promoting your book these past days!] [I''ll go tell Qianqian, lest she gets ndered by those navy trolls.] [I''m also going to confront those anti-fans!] ... Quick Shake live streaming. Su Qianqian''s live streaming room. Tonight, Su Qianqian started her live stream as usual. She wore a pink chiffon blouse, her hair in a bun, with soft makeup entuating her gentle charm. "Tonight I''ll continue to rmend Mr. Lin''s book ''All-In''. I''ve been following it for three days, and now it''s approaching 90,000 words, it''s time for everyone to check it out." In recent days. Although there were people using Lin Chuan''s ''All-In'' of giarism, Su Qianqian, as a professional reading blogger, could tell that Lin Chuan was not giarizing. She noticed upon careful reading that ''All-In'' and Ming''s ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'', both present the first-person perspective of being duped into a factory and bing a fraud salesman, have fundamental differences. ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' emphasizes reality. In its author''s words, it''s 100% authentic to the factory life. Its characters, events, and objects are also adapted from real cases. But beyond that, it wascking in many vors. As for Lin Chuan''s "All-In," in Su Qianqian''s view, it was not just realistic, but also contained much deeper contemtion about fraud. It didn''t simply expose the ins and outs of the scams, it fully showcased the specific operations of a factory area, revealing the entire industry chain of overseas inte fraud. Every detail was deeply carved into the narrative. This was precisely why Su Qianqian preferred "All-In" over the others. In the live-stream room, viewers'' bulletments floated across. [Qianqian, can I touch your bun hairdo?] [I''m also reading this book, didn''t expect my wife to share my taste.] [Quit daydreaming, Qianqian is in my arms reading the book.] [Ha! The host is still promoting a giarized book, I''m unfollowing!] [Qianqian, my dear, stop promoting this book. That author stole someone else''s creative work!] [Qianqian, I used to like you quite a bit, now I''m somewhat disappointed in you.] [...] Su Qianqian was never fond of dealing with those anti-fans and trolls. However, over three consecutive nights, these anti-fans and trolls were causing trouble in her live-stream room, so after ncing at the floatingments, Su Qianqian, with a smile on her face, retorted, "Why do you say Mr. Lin''s book is giarism? Could being two hourste in publishing be evidence of giarism? Where''s the colorparison chart?" A colorparison chart meansparing two articles side by side, using brightly colored markers to highlight identical sentences in a tabr form, to determine whether an article is giarized. The anti-fans immediately replied. [Why would we need a colorparison chart?] [Qianqian, it''s clear to anyone with eyes, Mr. Lin covers multiple industries in his novel, each described so meticulously, I can''t believe he could achieve this!] [Even if his previous books might be exinable, how about "All-In"? Does he dare to im he escaped from a factory area too?] [Obviously, only someone like Ming, who escaped from the factory, could have written this book!] With a smile, Su Qianqian countered, "So a novel about anti-fraud only gains recognition if it''s written by someone who escaped from a factory area? Can''t others write from this perspective?" The anti-fans clung to this point and refused to let go. In the live-stream room. The anti-fans, rarely seeing Su Qianqian respond to them consecutively, felt immensely satisfied, their fingers swiftly dancing on the keyboards. [Host, you''re equivocating. I''m talking about Mr. Lin giarizing, giarizing!] [Ming has authentic experiences, does Mr. Lin have any simr experiences?] [Clearly he doesn''t!] [Don''t even say he hasn''t been tricked into a factory by fraudsters; he doesn''t even have any experience dealing with fraud gangs!] [Right, without any experience, it is absolutely impossible to write such novels!] [...] Su Qianqian raised her clear and pure eyes, pondering momentarily, "How do you know Mr. Lin hasn''t had such experiences?" [If he had such experience, why didn''t hee out to respond?] [He''s feeling guilty, he''s scared!] [He''s afraid of digging himself deeper, so he''d rather be a coward!] [If he didn''t giarize, he would have issued a statement right away!] [Is he going to send a cease-and-desist letter? I''m so scared!] [...] In the live-stream room, the anti-fans'' ims grew more and more exaggerated. Su Qianqian shook her head reluctantly. Indeed, it was impossible to reason with anti-fans. No matter what others say, they just bite down on one point and think they have won. As for logic, as for evidence... In the virtual online world, it''s hard to find an anti-fan who uses logic and evidence. If he used logic and evidence, would he still be an anti-fan? [Qianqian, my dear, don''t argue with them, it''s futile.] [They are paid to do a job, no matter what you say, they''ll insist it''s giarism.] [Five cents per negativement, that''s what hiring trolls is about!] [Qianqian, I''m here!] [Qianqian, my cutie, I came here from Mr. Lin''s fan group, I''ve brought good news!] [Me too, Lin Chuan, the crime suspect, is silently aplishing big things!] [Anti-fans,e out and talk!] [Anti-fans, let''s have a showdown!] [Count me in!] [...] In front of theputer, Su Qianqian looked at the sudden emergence of a bunch of ''Mr. Lin''s fans,'' her expression slightly startled. These days, some of ''Mr. Lin''s fans'' were also in her live-stream room, but when arguing with anti-fans they always seemed to fall short. Rarely did they appear as they did now. Full of confidence and assertiveness. Could it be that they had an ace up their sleeve? "What big silent deed has Mr. Lin been doing recently?" Su Qianqian asked with a smile. Lin Chuan''s readers immediately responded. [Mr. Lin has been traveling in Yundian recently; he''s in Lincang today.] [Let me enlighten everyone!] [Lincang, a small border city, connects to the ''Myanmar area'' on its southwest side, featuring beautiful scenery and a great tourist city.] Lincang? Su Qianqian frowned slightly, so Mr. Lin had gone traveling, no wonder he hadn''t been seen responding to this issue for the past few days. The anti-fans reacted swiftly. [What big things could he possibly do by traveling to Lincang in silence?] [Maybe he knew he was used of giarizing, so he went near the border to find inspiration!] [Hahaha, looking for inspiration, can''t hold back anymore!] [What if the fraud gang targets him, then he''ll really end up in a factory area, hahaha] Before Su Qianqian could reply. Lin Chuan''s loyal readers began to go into berserk mode. [Little anti-fans, go check out who''s topping the trending search list for web novel writers!] [The fraud gang targeting Mr. Lin is behind bars!] [Who dares say Mr. Lin hasn''t had encounters with fraud gangs?] [Mr. Lin deals with them hardcore!] [Little anti-fans, ''open your eyes to the world''] [See what a god-tier web novel writer is like!] Watching the two factions in her live-stream room, Su Qianqian frowned slightly, a confused look appearing on her face, "A web novel writer has made the hot search list?" Chapter 110: Chapter 108: A Monarch Welcomes His Moment of Zenith (Please Subscribe) [Yes! Qianqian, honey, you gotta check out the trending search list!] [After seeing that post by the web novel writer on the trending search list, I guarantee all the anti-fans will shut up!] [Any anti-fans live streaming? I just can''t wait to see your stunned faces.] [...] Inside the live broadcast room. Su Qianqian skeptically opened the trending search list on the Kuaidou live streaming video tform. >[Top] Striving relentlessly,posing new chapters in our era! >[Top] Anti-fraud essaypetition ongoingWho will be the king of anti-fraud literature? >During the May Day holiday, is it about the views or the people? (Hot Discussion) >Current situation at various tourist spots during May Day holiday >Awaken, MAN! >N ways to kick off your May Day holiday >Looking at the world with the eyes of the new era? (Hot Discussion) >This May Day holiday, a web novel writer arrested a criminal gang (New) >Can you believe it, a fraudster group was scammed by a web novel writer! (New) ... The trending search list of the Kuaidou tform was disyed before the eyes of the audience in the live broadcast room. Everyone''s gaze sharpened, focusing on thest two hot searches. Su Qianqian frowned, hovered the mouse over the trending topic, and slowly read it out, her voice filled with utter disbelief, "This May Day holiday, a web novel writer arrested a criminal gang?" Hiss! After reading it, she propped her chin with her left hand, a full expression of incredulity on her face. The audience in the live broadcast room felt the same. [This hot search must''ve been bought, right?] [Marketing! Definitely marketing!] [A hot search like this screams fake at first nce!] [Only a web novel writer coulde up with such a hot topic, who the hell would believe that?] [Cutting-edge stuff, eye-opening!] [...] Su Qianqian chuckled after inspecting the list a bit more. As a seasoned host, she wouldn''t jump to conclusions. After all, phrases like "pour Auntie a cup of cappino," "I can beat you with just 17 cards," "I''ll eat thisputer screen right now" were still circting. Whether it was true or false, you wouldn''t know until you clicked to check it out. Su Qianqian''s slender index finger gently clicked the mouse, on the link to the hot search "web novel writer arrests a criminal gang," and it jumped to a new page. At the top of the page was a video. Video titleWeb Novel Writer''s Epic Rescue, Single-handedly Subdues Fraudster Gang! Publisher: Lincang Police. Likes: 50k+ Views: 300k+ Seeing the name of the publisher, ''Lincang Police,'' Su Qianqian couldn''t help but frown and her expression froze, "Did Mr. Lin really arrest a fraudster gang?" The trolls and lurkers in the live room tactically shut their mouths. What if? What was previously a noisy and chaotic live room fell into a rare silence due to one video. Su Qianqian also revealed a bright smile, like a refreshing breeze after the rain in Jiangnan, caressing the drooping willows on the shore, stirring gentle ripples on the river, spreading outwards, circle by circle. Then, like the audience in the live room, she focused her gaze on the video. ''Pay attention, this man''s name is Shuai.'' ''Alone, he stopped a transnational fraud crime, subdued 15 fraudsters, and rescued 12 victims.'' ''...'' In the live broadcast room, barragements riddled with question marks flew up. [????] [What''s with this twist? Are the police''s Kuaidou ounts getting in on the act now?] [That gun-flipping scene, it''s like Hua Zi''s signature move!] [Can I say this seems a bit too wild?] [Disimer: I''m just a bystander, but single-handedly? That sounds way too fake, right?] [Does it feel like they''re shooting a movie?] Su Qianqian watched quietly without speaking. She believed that Lin Chuan hadn''t giarized, but thementary in the video indeed seemed a bit exaggerated to her. How could a web novel writer single-handedly subdue 15 fraudsters? Yet as the video yed. The true nature of the event slowly unfolded before her eyes. One of the photos. 15 fraudsters were squatting in front of Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian, heads in hands, their eyes full of unease and panic, as if they were mice that saw a cat. Plus the interrogation by Guo Ming, captain of Lincang Criminal Police Brigade, along with Shen Qianqian and Old Bai. The ''arrest of criminal gang'' incident was disyed in its entirety in the live room. Hiss! After watching it, Su Qianqian couldn''t help but inhale sharply, sighing, "Reality is far more exciting than fiction!" Inside the live broadcast room. The viewers wore faces filled with life-doubting expressions. [Is this guy really a web novel writer?] [He must be an elite in the police force who moonlights as a novelist.] [Considering his skills and mental fortitude, I suspect he''s truly pulled off fraud before!] [Subduing 15 fraudsters with a toy gun, if he had a real gun, I can''t even imagine!] [Damn, confident men are so handsome!] [How do you know he''s handsome if he didn''t show his face?] [I''m already smitten and he hasn''t even shown his face; what more if he does?] [I''ve seen Mr. Lin, he''s really handsome!] [And who are you? I''m a graduate student with a master''s degree from a 985 university, an eyewitness of the incident!] [So you''re the Bai who got scammed in a cyber love affair and couldn''t control yourself?] [I don''t understand what you''re saying, I''m gone, bye!] [...] In the live broadcast room, the trolls fell silent. This wasn''t just a losing battle anymore. Criticizing Lin Chuan for giarizing, because he hadn''t experienced life in the factory area and hadn''t dealt with fraudster groups. But what about him? He took advantage of the May Day holiday to travel to Yundian Lincang, where he pulled off a high-end maneuver: with a toy gun, he scared fifteen fraudsters into surrendering to thew. It''s estimated that those fifteen fraudsters, even when they wake up in the middle of the night to pee, would smack themselves twice and then curse themselves, ''Idiot, it was a toy gun!'' At this moment. Su Qianqian''s face broke into a radiant smile, her eyshes fluttering gently, her eyes curving into crescents: "Okay, let''s see what the author of ''All-In'' has written in the new chapter about catching the scam gang." She smiled brightly, feeling a sense of joy in her heart. It wasn''t just because the anti-fans had shut up, but also because the author of the work she liked had proved himself through actual action. Even though this action was very thrilling and risky. But this way of proving oneself was quite to Su Qianqian''s taste. Simple and violent. Su Qianqian suddenly remembered that Youyou, who had been in frequent contact with her these past few days, might not yet know about this, so she immediately drafted a message and sent it to Youyou. ... Modu. The night was bustling, neon lights flickering. Youyou stood on the balcony in an oversized T-shirt, the boisterous wind blowing, holding a mobile phone in her hand, which transmitted the voice of the editor-in-chief: "Youyou, you''d better get Mr. Lin to issue a rification statement quickly. We''ve had too many reports these past few days, and the orientation of public opinion is very negative." "Okay, I''ll handle it right away." Youyou sighed. s... These readers, who came out of nowhere, had gone crazy, reporting Lin Chuan incessantly. Not only did they report him on Sailing Novel, but they also filed reports on the Anti-Fraud Center''s website. As a result, the relevant staff members at the Anti-Fraud Center pressured Sailing Novel. Fortunately, Youyou fought hard and reassured the editor-in-chief multiple times, promising to submit an exnation to the Anti-Fraud Center on behalf of Sailing Novel. But due to the rampant giarism, most readers who had read Ming''s ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' were reluctant to click into Lin Chuan''s ''All-In''. Meanwhile, Ming was doing a live broadcast on Fast Shake. Riding on the gimmick of ''real-life experience of being duped into a factory area,'' his book received loads of traffic daily and had already ranked first in the anti-fraud novel section. Lin Chuan''s ''All-In'' was at 98th ce, barely hanging within the top hundred. Only the top hundred could advance to the next round. At this moment, the summer night''s breeze suddenly felt chilling, and Youyou let out a soft sigh, ready to discuss strategies with Lin Chuan on her mobile phone. Suddenly. ''Ding Dong Ding Dong'' Su Qianqian sent her a message: "Youyou, Mr. Lin is on the hot search." Youyou leaned on the balcony railing, her face registering surprise. Lin Chuan is on the hot search? What big thing has he done now? Without much thought, she immediately opened the Fast Shake app and quickly scanned the hot search list for items rted to Lin Chuan. Out of the top 50 hot searches, she filtered out four. >During the May Day holiday, this web novel writer arrested a crime gang (Hot Topic) >Can you believe it, a fraud gang was scammed by a web novel writer! >Mr. Lin, Ming, which one is the web novel writer who escaped the factory area (New) >All-In (New) Hisss! Youyou''s eyes widened. Afterward, she immediately clicked on every trending search rted to Lin Chuan. Video after video,ment afterment shed before her eyes. She couldn''t help but smile, incessantly tapping the like button. Until a notification popped up: "You are operating too frequently, please try againter." It was then that Youyou walked back into her room from the balcony andy on the soft, huge bed, with her bare feet up in the air. She ced her phone in front of her, a smile covering her face, and sent Lin Chuan a message: "Babe~ you did so well!" "/rose.jpg" The phone quickly rang with the ''ding-dong ding-dong'' of a message notification, it was Lin Chuan replying: "Youyou, you know already?" Youyou pursed her lips, beaming with joy, "Of course, I know. You didn''t get hurt, did you?" Elsewhere. Lin Chuan was staying at a guesthouse in Lincang City, sniffing the aroma of blue jacarandaing in through the window. He smiled and replied, "No worries, they surrendered before I even made a move." "Haha, Babe~ you are really too cool!" Youyouughed brightly. Since the beginning of May, she had been caught up in somewhat gloomy weather, constantly thinking of ways to deal with the ''giarism scandal'', but to little avail. Finally, tonight, Lin Chuan had given her some good news! He had really gone and taken down a fraud ring! This undoubtedly was a huge relief pill Lin Chuan gave her! The fraud gang had been taken down by Lin Chuan, and Lin Chuan had also demonstrated extraordinary courage and tacticswho would dare to use him of giarism now? The trending searches were up, so the traffic was there! Awesome! Youyou was so happy her two delicate white feet were wiggling. Lin Chuan, half-reclining in bed and seeing Youyou''s praise, felt a small sense of satisfaction. He replied, "I am a bit of a modest charmer. /haha.jpg" That night. Massive amounts of traffic poured into Lin Chuan''s "All-In", its ranking soared rapidly, emerging like a dark horse out of nowhere. But it wasn''t a dark horse; it was more like a king, having its moment of peak. ... The night grew denser. The dark night sky enveloped the earth, the moon shone cold and clear, and a seemingly abandoned factory on the outskirtsy in silence. Outside the factory, weeds grew in disarray, the night breeze did not seem gentle here; it was more like a ghost rustling through the weeds, swaying the shadows of the trees, making a soft, rustling sound, deste and lonely. Where there is joy, there is also sorrow. Inside the factory. A bald man in a ck shirt sat in an office on the top floor, his face fierce, cursing angrily: "Idiots! Idiots! All fifteen of them caught, what the hell happened!?" He was Sister Mei''s boss, also the head of this factory area, Old Bao. This afternoon, he waited at the usual spot for Sister Mei toe and deliver the goods, but instead of Sister Mei, he almost ran into the armed police. Luckily he ran fast, otherwise, he wouldn''t know where he might be now. They had just returned to the factory area not long ago. At this moment. In front of Old Bao stood his underling, Mi, his gaunt face betraying a trace of panic: "Boss, I just scouted thework for intelligence on that side, everything was nned out well, but suddenly someone appeared and caught them all." The boss of the factory area, Old Bao, wrinkled his brows: "One person?" Mi looked distressed but nodded: "Yes!" "Fifteen people, taken down by one person, such idiots!" Old Bao couldn''t help but curse again, "Find out who did it, immediately." "We''ve already found out." Mi tremblingly ced a tablet in front of Old Bao. Old Bao lit a cigarette, cocked it at the corner of his mouth, and narrowed his eyes, his gazending on the tablet that was ying a video, his voice cold, "A web novel writer dares to meddle in my factory''s affairs!?" Chapter 111: Chapter 109 The Fish Has Taken the Bait (Please Subscribe) In the factory area. The light in the top-floor office was not bright, somewhat dim, casting a slightly gruesome shadow on Old Bao''s face. He stared at the video on the tablet, took a harsh drag of his cigarette, and finally exhaled the smoke onto Mi''s face, "Can you find his information?" "Yes!" Mi nodded immediately, opened a file on the tablet, and said, "I''ve already ordered several technicians to look into his information. Here''s what they found." Old Bao looked at the information on the file. [Pen name: Mr. Lin.] [Works: "Thief," "Swindler," "This Assassin Is Too Professional," "Hacker Kingdom," "All-In."] In a short time, only the information rted to Lin Chuan the writer was found. Mi pointed to "All-In" and said, "This book is his participation in the anti-fraud essay event held over there. It''s said to be giarized from another book ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area.'' You know the author, boss, Ming." Upon hearing the name ''Ming,'' Old Bao immediately furrowed his brows, "Ming, is it the one who escaped?" "Yes, that''s him." Mi nodded, "He''s now doing live streams online, and he wrote this book, which even has characters based on us. It''s quite popr among readers." Old Bao turned around, crushing the cigarette butt viciously in the ashtray, and said in a fierce tone, "He escaped, and then exposed all my secrets?" "Yes, as of now, only his and Mr. Lin''s novels have thoroughly exposed some of our factory area''s secrets." Mi responded. The whole office was silent, and the night seemed even more sinister. The wind blew, only to circle around and escape with panicked whimpers. After a while. Old Bao sat in his leather chair, one hand propping up his forehead, "The anti-fraud propaganda is increasing over there and it''s getting harder to deceive the foolish pigs." "Yes," Mi responded with a single word. "Ming and the other web novel writer..." "Mr. Lin." Old Bao narrowed his eyes, "Yes, those two men, how do you think we should deal with them?" Mi, feeling nervous looking at Old Bao''s demeanor, suggested, "Take them out?" "Hmm." Old Bao''s face darkened as he replied with a hum. Swallowing hard, Mi said, "I''ll immediately find someone to prepare for action." Snap! Old Bao pped Mi''s gaunt cheek, cursing, "Fool! If we take him out now, wouldn''t it be a clear sign to them that we did it?" "Please instruct me, boss," Mi said, wincing in pain but immediately speaking with respect. "Wait until Mr. Lin''s heat has died down, then we can take him out!" Old Bao''s face looked very grim. "Yes, boss." Mi responded. Old Bao continued, "Before that, deal with the books they have written first. Our secrets are nearly fully exposed; it will be difficult to deceive those fools in the future!" The factory area''s business mainly involved carrying out fraud through the inte. The form of anti-fraud essay promotion would cause more people to deepen their understanding of inte fraud. "How should we deal with it?" Mi asked. "You cote some evidence of Ming''s crimes and forge some criminal evidence for Mr. Lin, then report it to the Cyberspace Administration over there. Buy some troll ounts too; they will naturally run into trouble," Old Bao said with a coldugh. Realizing what Old Bao meant, Mi immediately praised, "Boss, that''s brilliant, truly brilliant!" "Also, continue to investigate that Mr. Lin. Before we take him out, let''s collect some interest, see if there''s any suitable fish around him," Old Bao instructed further. Mi immediately left the office to carry out the orders. It wasn''t long before. Mi hurried back hectically, his face beaming with joy, "Boss, one of our guys has hooked a fish, and it''s just rted to that web novel writer. The fish has taken the bait." ... The night quietly faded away. At dawn, the golden sunrays pierced through the clouds, showering thend of Yundian Lincang with a tranquil and natural light. Lincang was indeed a city worth visiting. In the early morning, Lin Chuan walked on the slightly moistened bluestone pavement, gazing at the distant Dali mountains enveloped in mist, where a temple stood among the mountains, its bells echoing through the empty valleys. By his side were the two beautiful sisters, walking under the warm sun, looking particrly bright and vivid. The breeze was gentle, the atmosphere peaceful and lovely. Perhaps, this is the meaning of travel. But beautiful moments always pass unknowingly and quickly; in the blink of an eye, it''s time to return. On the afternoon of May 5. The trio from Lincang arrived at Dali Airport. The passenger ne soared across the clear blue sky, flying from Yundian Dali back to Han River Anling. Their seats were the same as on the way there. Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing sat on either side, with Lin Chuan in the middle. The flight back was quite long. After two days of tourism, Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing seemed a bit tired. Considering they had work the next day, they unintentionally leaned on Lin Chuan''s shoulders and fell asleep. Lin Chuan, unable to move, and without other forms of entertainment, summoned the system panel he hadn''t called up for a long time. [Work: "All-In."] [Current Status: Ongoing.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/10000.] [Notice: No paid chapters have been released yet, therefore Poprity Value (Average Subscription) is 0. "All-In" has a total word count of 800k, with an estimated 600k words for paid chapters, which means around 280 chapters required for a total subscription of 280w to meet the Poprity Value (Average Subscription) requirement, and to start the next professional life experience.] [Current Collection Count: 155278.] "Ten thousand average subscriptions; there is a long way to go," Lin Chuan muttered to himself. Indeed, the system did not calcte average subscriptions based on the already released paid chapters but based on the total number of paid chapters in the entire book. For instance, in the current situation of "All-In," it required a total subscription of 280w to meet the standard. Luckily, After a few days of fermenting, the ''arresting the fraud ring'' incident brought a deluge of traffic to Lin Chuan''s "All-In," skyrocketing the collection by 15w+. When paid VIP chapters are released, "All-In" should quickly achieve the total subscription of 280w necessary. There''s another piece of good news. That is, "All-In" has now risen to second ce in the anti-fraud themed novel section. [1- "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area," Ming.] [2- "All-In," Mr. Lin.] [3- "A World Without Fraud," Handon.] Ming started promoting early and immediately captured arge volume of traffic. Handon, using the gimmick of being ''scammed out of three million,'' also garnered a considerable amount of traffic. However, it was only a matter of time before Lin Chuan rose to first ce. After all, this surge of traffic was enormous. "Advancing to the next round in June should yield good results, and maybe even lead to an adaptation," Lin Chuan had a certain longing for adaption. Every writer wishes for their work to be adapted. It''s not just about the royalties, but also the market''s recognition of their work, and only then can one truly be called a writer. Before that, you can only be called an author. Although there is only a one-word difference between the two, there is a great distinction. Lin Chuan reminisced about how his mother struggled to exin his job to rtives and friends, the reason being he was just a web novel writer. Web novel writers are at the very bottom of the literary scene''s hierarchy of contempt. In terms of social recognition, they are often ssified alongside the idle and unemployed. His mother often arranged blind dates for him, but the moment thedies heard Lin Chuan was a web novel writer, they would block him outright. However, Lin Chuan was lucky to have met a few girls who recognized his profession. This was rare, but also somewhat troubling. "Web novels,pany, life... the road ahead is long. It''s only just beginning," concluded Lin Chuan. As for web novels, he was currently at the stage of climbing towards the milestone of ten thousand subscriptions. Thepany, the newly registered 720 Network Security Company, was slowly getting on track with Little Landy''s nningraising brand awareness and developing anti-fraud apps. But it was still a far cry from Lin Chuan''s goal of acquiring Sailing Novel. After all, Sailing Novel was worth tens of billions. Unnoticed, the ne had already entered Han River Province andnded at Anling Airport. The twilight glow spread over the old district, like an old vinyl record, ying the familiar melodies of memories. Lin Chuan had just entered the gate of his rental ce when a series of loud knocks on the door began and a familiar voice called out, "Chairman, open the door!" Lin Chuan opened the iron gate and smiled, "Little Landy, what brings you here?" "I''m here to report to work." Little Landy stood outside the door, dressed in a light gray skirt that fell just above her knees, wearing white sneakers. It wasn''t a skinny type of leg that she showed off; there was a bit of fleshiness in the firmness. She had applied a light makeup, her eyebrows exquisitely painted, and her cheeks delicate. She carried a bag in her hand, which contained several lunch boxes. Lin Chuan took the lunch boxes, "How did you know I hadn''t eaten?" "It''s takeout I ordered for myself. Since you just happened to be back, it''s your lucky day," Little Landy Zhang Xinxin said with augh, finding a clumsy excuse. "Come in," Lin Chuan touched his stomach, indeed hungry, and ced the lunch boxes on the table. Little Landy sat across from Lin Chuan with a beaming smile, asking, "Chairman, was Yundian fun?" "It was quite nice," Lin Chuan said, taking a bite of vegetables. "Next time you have an operation, can you take me with you? I can do the recording," Little Landy said with a smile. "Record? What recording?" Lin Chuan was taken aback and asked. "Didn''t you catch a fraud ring in Lincang? But I can''t find any footage of you online. I wanted to see you in action, and it''s not possible," Little Landy pouted. Lin Chuan smiled, "You know about fraud rings. What if I can''t pay attention to you? What then?" "Would you really not pay attention to me?" Little Landy pursed her lips. "You''re the financial director of thepany, a pir of strengthyou can''t copse!" Lin Chuanughed, "These dishes taste good. Where did you order them from?" "Hee hee... They''re not takeout; I made them." Little Landy''s face lit up with a radiant smile. "You made them?" Lin Chuan was surprised and skeptically eyed Little Landy, "You can cook?" "I recently read in the news about some restaurants'' unsanitary conditions, so I decided to learn a bit. I cooked these few dishes today and brought them all to you," Little Landy said, her yful smile adorning her face. "Then I''m in for a treat tonight," Lin Chuan said with a smile, then looked at Little Landy and asked, "If you cooked all this for me, what about Old Zhang?" "Old Zhang... he''s gone off to be in love, barely ever at home these days," Little Landy said with a moue. "In love?" Lin Chuan''s hand, in the midst of serving himself more food, stiffened as his expression turned nk. Little Landy grew up in a single-parent family, and Lin Chuan had never heard anything about her mother. In all his time renting here, he had never heard about any woman in Old Zhang''s life. And now, unexpectedly, he was in a rtionship. But Little Landy had grown up, so it was normal for Old Zhang to find love at this point. "Yeah, he said someone from the Anti-Gambling Association introduced her to him. She''s in her thirties, but I haven''t met her yet, so I don''t know what she''s like," Little Landy said softly. "You don''t object, do you?" Lin Chuan asked. "Of course not. It''s about time Old Zhang found someone, but he''s always out, and with you not around, I feel uneasy when I''m alone," Little Landy sighed. "Next time, ask Old Zhang to bring his partner home, so you can check her out," Lin Chuan suggested with augh. "Okay," Little Landy nodded, then said with a smile, "Will you join me at that time? I''m not very good at judging people." "No problem, I''m pretty urate at assessing people," Lin Chuanughed heartily. Little Landy smiled sincerely, "I''ll ask Old Zhang about it in the next few days and have him bring her over for you to check her out." Chapter 112: Chapter 110: Sudden Incident! (Please Subscribe) May 6th, early morning. The sky gradually turned a light blue, and the morning light fell unobstructed on the urban area of Anling City, casting golden glows on the streets and alleys that were starting to bustle, and on the tender green branches and leaves still dotted with dew. The birds on the branches also began chirping, their voices carried away by the wind. Monday, the time to return to work after the holidays. Lin Chuan was no exception, he was also forced to go to work. Because, during this time, the Little Landy had already allowed the renovation team toplete the makeover of the office floor in the Zhongcheng Building, located in the Qingxiu District. "Chairman, wake up!" Bang, bang, bang! The Little Landy banged heavily on the iron door, waking Lin Chuan from his sleep. "Ughing," Lin Chuan rubbed his bleary eyes, sat up, got out of bed, opened the iron door to let the Little Landy in, and then quickly washed up and changed clothes. The Little Landy then hurriedly dragged Lin Chuan downstairs. When it came to the 720 Network Security Company, the Little Landy was much more devoted than Lin Chuan. And sure enough, the Little Landy rode the electric scooter at a speed of over 60 mph. "Chairman, today is the grand day you officially take on the role of Chairman of the 720 Network Security Company. Why aren''t you a bit more enthusiastic?" the Little Landy asked, smiling with her helmet on. Lin Chuan, now more awake with the wind whistling by, replied, "Have you ever seen a chairman ride in the backseat of an electric scooter to work?" "That''s true, other chairmen have Rolls-Royces, Maybachs, but we definitely can''t afford that right now. Why don''t you pick a less expensive mode of transport, like a BBA 56E?" The Little Landy grinned. Lin Chuan was taken aback: "Little Landy, are you that rich?" "Well, you already call me the Landy," Zhang Xinxinughed heartily. "I''m almost supported by you," Lin Chuan quipped. "You''re not happy with that?" Zhang Xinxin slowed down the scooter''s speed, "If you''re not happy, I can support someone younger." "No, you''re my benefactor!" Lin Chuan grinned. "Then can you hug your benefactor tightly? I''m going to speed up!" The Little Landy twisted the throttle, and the speed soared to over 60 mph. 60 mph was the limit for the electric scooter, not the Little Landy''s limit. "You''ve learned some bad habits." Lin Chuan, pushed back by the inertia, leaned back instinctively and wrapped his arms around the Little Landy''s waist. Despite the Little Landy''s tight, shapely legs, baby-faced cheeks, and curvaceous figure, her waist was free of any spare tires or fat. However, Lin Chuan didn''t take advantage and quickly moved his hands to rest on the Little Landy''s shoulders. Before long, They arrived at Zhongcheng Building, 16th floor. This was the location of the 720 Network Security Company. "Let''s go, Chairman." The Little Landy led Lin Chuan inside to officially take up the position of chairman. As for a grand opening ceremony for thepany, Lin Chuan and the Little Landy had discussed it and decided it was too much hassle; plus, given thepany''s small size at the moment, they decided to forgo it. Stepping into thepany, Lin Chuan was able to appreciate the Little Landy''s substantial financial power. Thepany covered an area of over 800 square meters, decorated in a minimalistic and bright style, with a full set of infrastructure. Just by looking at the surface, it could already rival some of the medium-sizedwork securitypanies. "Little Landy, is this floor really yours?" Lin Chuan asked. "Yes," The Little Landy nodded, "This plot ofnd was originally my family''s. The developer of this buildingter ran into financial trouble and mortgaged this floor to Old Zhang, registering it in my name." Lin Chuan stared at the Little Landy intently. Who would have thought that this girl, who used to stay in the battered Happiness Community supermarket all day watching short videos, turned out to be a super-rich heiress from ''Rome''. If I only relied on my own efforts, when would I be able to buy this floor to start apany, in the year of the monkey or the year of the horse? Shit! Being supported by a woman sure tastes good! Ah spit, being supported is also part of the effort! My achievements today as Lin Chuan are all thanks to my own hard work... Little Landy, raise my allowance! "Stop daydreaming, and look at your office." The Little Landy smiled, took Lin Chuan''s arm, and headed towards the CEO''s office. As soon as they entered, they saw the spacious office with its semi-traditional Chinese decor; to the right was a wooden sofa and tea table, and straight ahead floor-to-ceiling windows offering a view of Anling City''s urban scenery. To the left stood arge desk, adorned with aputer and keyboard. "You can work and write here." "There''s also a little room here, if you get tired of working, where you can rest." The Little Landy pushed open a small door sequestered by an office screen, revealing a bed inside, already made with bedding. Hisss Lin Chuan took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping around the office, then back at the Little Landy in front of him, and only one word popped into his mind: Science fiction! No wonder the whole inte is madly searching for wealthy women''s contact lists; this is the unique charm of a rich woman! For an ordinary person, it''s like skipping lifetimes of detours! "Chairman, what do you think? Are you satisfied?" The Little Landy asked with a beaming smile, her hands sped behind her back. "Satisfied, so very satisfied!" Lin Chuan nodded repeatedly. "Do you feel like something is missing?" The Little Landy looked around and asked again. "Nothing''s missing, not a thing!" "No, as a chairman, don''t you need a secretary by your side?" The Little Landy blinked. "Secretary?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "Wait for me a moment." The Little Landy turned and walked into the small room, and after two minutes, she came back out, having changed her clothes. A white blouse, a ck pencil skirt, high ck heels. Slim waist, long legs, pretty face, and quite busty. And... ck stockings. Lin Chuan took a deep breath and swallowed before he quickly pushed the Little Landy into the small room and locked her inside. "You''re not allowed to wear that! Change back into what you had on before!" "Does it not look good?" From inside the small room, the Little Landy chuckled. "That''s more like it, change back," Lin Chuan said with a helpless smile. Not look good? It was no longer a question of looking good or not; this was the kind of outfit that could lead to crimes! An attractive female college student who knows how to turn on the charm is not something everyone can withstand! Lin Chuan shook his head. His heart waspletely flustered by the Little Landy all morning. Oh... First things first, let''s get to work. Little Landy invested so much in the 720 Network Security Company, there''s no way I can let her lose money, right? Lin Chuan slowly calmed his emotions and sat at his office desk, turned on theputer, and began to work on the anti-fraud app development. As for Little Landy, being the CFO, HR director, and concurrently the Chairman''s secretary, thepany didn''t have many staff or projects to manage at the moment, so she had some free time on her hands. Little Landy, suppressing a smile, looked at Lin Chuan and thought to herself, with this attitude, the Chairman should be quite pleased, right? These days, not only had she been working onpany affairs, but she had also been learning how to win a boy''s heart. After browsing through several strategies, she concluded with: 4090, ck stockings. Theputer was equipped with a 4090; she donned ck stockings. She had also learned how to cook. Hmmph! Lin Chuan, mine! ... In recent days, after Lin Chuan took over as chairman, he had indeed be much busier. During this time, he had interfaced with the Anling Police, Jintang, Iron Wall, and other organizations several times, and the development of the anti-fraud app was nearingpletion. Lin Chuan finally had some free time as well. May 18th. Little Landy returned to school for her graduation thesis defense. "Old Lin, you haven''t eaten yet, have you?" In the evening, Wang Zikai called Lin Chuan. "I haven''t, you''re doing quite well in your grades. Shouldn''t you treat me to a meal?" Lin Chuan said with a smile from his office. "No problem, just send me your location and I''lle pick you up!" Old Wangughed. "Qingxiu District, Zhongcheng Building." Lin Chuan sent his location. Twenty minutester, Old Wang arrived in Xue Qiqi''s Mercedes-Benz GLC downstairs of thepany. Lin Chuan was dressed in casual business attire, his hair neatlybed, and he wore a pair of shiny leather shoes. He walked with a breeze in his step. He then pulled open the car door and sat in the front passenger seat. "Wow!" Wang Zikai was instantly surprised, "Who is this handsome guy?" Lin Chuan buckled up andughed, "Am I handsome, buddy?" Wang Zikai squinted his eyes, full of confusion, "Wait a minute, since when did you start going for this... this CEO style?" "I''ve always been like this!" Lin Chuanughed. "You used to wear white T-shirts and casual pants, looking simple and honest. Howe you suddenly became handsome? I can''t get used to it," Wang Zikai blurted out bluntly, frowning. "Wait a second, what do you mean suddenly?" Lin Chuan countered. "Old Lin, you''re in love!" Wang Zikai suddenly concluded, "When a man suddenly bes handsome, it means he''s in love. If he suddenly gets uglier, either he''s got married or he''s gone through a breakup." "Huh?" Lin Chuan was taken aback, "I''ve been busy with worktely, when do I have time for love?" "Work is work, but you''ve got to date as well. You can''t possibly spend a lifetime with the ''Fifth Lady,'' can you?" Old Wang taunted. "That''s true, but I have difficulty making choices, s..." Lin Chuan sighed. Wang Zikai turned to look at him, "Old Lin, did you actually make a choice?" "Hahaha, just teasing you, man," Lin Chuanughed. Old Wang grumbled as he drove the Mercedes-Benz GLC, arriving at a roadside kebab stall. Old Buddies Kebab Stall. This kebab stall was always busy, packed with customers. The owner in an apron was constantly flipping the wok, with the fire zing as he kept busy. The two sat down in a corner spot. Old Wang poured a cup of monk fruit tea for Lin Chuan, "Drink some monk fruit tea to clear the heat." Lin Chuan took it and sipped, "Old Wang, your book ''Inescapable'' has been skyrocketing, it shot up directly to top 20." Wang Zikaiughed heartily, "All minor matters, not like how you''ve firmly held the top spot, making me so envious." During this time. ''All-In'' gained momentum steadily, with its reading index skyrocketing, surpassing Ming''s ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area,'' currently ranking first. Lin Chuan smiled, "The preliminary round rankings are just a ticket to the next round. The next round of selection is what matters most!" "Now, the online literaturemunity is buzzing about how you and Ming, with his ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area,'' have devoured a major share of the anti-fraud novel traffic, dubbing you both as ''The Two Heroes of Anti-Fraud,''" Old Wang said with a smile, his face showing envy. He suspected that this year might just be Lin Chuan''s fated year. Everything he wrote turned to gold! Listening to Old Wang, Lin Chuan took a sip of water and smiled, "The Two Heroes of Anti-Fraud, can I really be considered a ''Hero'' now?" "Hahaha..." Old Wangughed out loud, "Thest ''Two Heroes'' were Handon and Hongmei. If Handon continues to fall behind, he probably needs to start drawing circles for you!" "That''s just a coincidence, it has nothing to do with me!" Lin Chuan hurriedly rified. Then, he opened the anti-fraud essay contest webpage on his phone and scrolled through the leaderboard. Anti-fraud novel reading index leaderboard. [1- ''All-In'' Mr. Lin] [2- ''A World Without Fraud'' Handon] [3- ''True and False'' Tianya] [4- ''Starting from Being Scammed out of One Million'' Haitang] [...] [19- ''Inescapable'' Old Wang] "Huh?" Lin Chuan frowned. "What''s up?" Old Wang took a sip of tea and asked. "Ming''s book ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' has disappeared," Lin Chuan said with a half-furrowed brow, puzzled. "What?" Old Wang was startled, "I saw it just this afternoon!" "Take a look." Lin Chuan slid the phone screen towards Old Wang. Old Wang looked down and immediately frowned, "How did it suddenly vanish?" "Must be a bug on the webpage; I''ll refresh it." Lin Chuan swiped down on the page, and a little circle appeared at the top, spinning around. After refreshing. [1- ''A World Without Fraud'' Handon] [2- ''True and False'' Tianya] [3- ''Starting from Being Scammed out of One Million'' Haitang] [...] Hmm? Lin Chuan''s eyes widened in shock, "My book is gone too!" Chapter 113: Chapter 111: Taken Away? (Please Subscribe!) The evening breeze was chilly and rustling. In Old Lin''s food stall, the nging of woks and the mor of patrons, mixed with the scent of food, swirled around Lin Chuan and Wang Zikai. Lin Chuan stared intently at his phone, the strange image on the screen leaving his face full of confusion. His book had disappeared. Ming''s book had disappeared as well. Both of their books had been pulled from the ranking list of the anti-fraud writingpetition! Inside the food stall, Old Wang, sitting opposite at a small wooden table, looked stunned. He raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, "Your book is gone too?" "Yeah, it''s not on the leaderboard anymore," Lin Chuan replied. "Let me see." Old Wang, a puzzled look on his face, opened the anti-fraudpetition page to check the novel section rankings. Indeed! Lin Chuan and Ming''s books were nowhere to be found. The first ce had changed to Handon''s "A World Without Fraud." "Quick, check the author''s backstage!" Old Wang suggested. At this moment. Lin Chuan had already opened another app on his phone, the Author''s Assistant app. He logged into the author''s backstage to check the situation. In the ''Message Notifications'' section, a bright red ''1'' appeared. ''New message notification unchecked''. Lin Chuan''s finger moved, and he immediately clicked on the ''1''. A notification appeared in front of Lin Chuan''s eyes. [Dear author, your work "All-In" has been removed and blocked due to containing risky content that vites relevantws and regtions, as per the review process. If you have any questions, please contact your responsible editor, Youyou.] Lin Chuan''s face stiffened, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, his deep eyes flickering with threads of confusion: "Sailing Novel has also taken my book down." "That doesn''t make sense!" Old Wang said, frowning. "I''ll ask Youyou." Lin Chuan immediately clicked on Youyou''s avatar, opened the chat box, and rapidly typed out a message: "Youyou, my book has been taken down. Do you know why?" The message was sent. Lin Chuan took a sip of monk fruit tea. The evening breeze blew over, and his hair, which had been neatlybed, suddenly became a bit disheveled. Youyou, a very diligent editor, replied to Lin Chuan in less than 30 seconds: "I just found out about this too. I''m not clear on the specific reasons yet; I''m rushing back to thepany right now to find out what''s going on." "Thanks for the trouble, Youyou," Lin Chuan replied. "Lin Chuan, don''t worry for the time being. I''ll get back to you after I find out what happened." Even between the lines, one could sense Youyou''s urgency. "Okay/rose.jpg." Lin Chuan put down his phone and took a deep breath. "What did she say?" Old Wang leaned in and asked. "Youyou doesn''t know either," Lin Chuan shook his head and gave a wry smile. "Old Lin, no need to fret over it too much, this will definitely be resolved," Old Wang consoled, and then, changing the subject, he said, "I have some good news for you to cheer you up." Lin Chuan''s eyebrows lifted: "What good news?" Old Wang opened the anti-fraud fictionpetition leaderboard and pushed the page toward Lin Chuan, pointing at one of the works: "Look, my book has risen to the 18th ce, jumping up two spots at once." Lin Chuan was startled, then cursed jokingly: "You''re such a lucky dog!" "You haven''tmitted a crime, nor have you written on sensitive topics, so theoretically you shouldn''t be banned. Rx," Old Wang reassured earnestly. Lin Chuan took another sip of monk fruit tea andughed: "It shouldn''t be banned." ... Modu. Youyou, wearing a long dress and a pair of pink slippers, hurried downstairs and immediately hailed a cab to rush toward the Sailing Novel office building. The brilliant neon lights twinkled in the metropolis, and the streets, teeming with vehicles and noise, were a cacophony of honking and shouting, resonating through the city. About half an hourter. Youyou passed through the first floor of the Sailing Building, dashed into the elevator, got out, and then headed straight to the chief editor''s office. Whew Outside the office. Youyou took a long breath to stabilize her emotions. Then she knocked on the door: "Chief Editor." Inside the office, the editor-in-chief, Mingyue, was also present. "Youyou, you''vee at the right time," said the chief editor, Zhang Yixing, looking up as Youyou arrived and gesturing for her to sit down. "Chief Editor, why was Lin Chuan''s ''All-In'' taken down?" Youyou sat down, her face showing urgency, and got straight to the point. Lin Chuan was her treasure trove author. She had watched "All-In" lead far ahead in readership and hold steady at the top of the list, likely to lock in first ce and advance to the next round. In the second round of selection, the performance of "All-In" should not be too low in theory. After all, it was at the top during the first round, and a sudden drop in the second round would typically indicate foul y. But this was a writingpetition co-organized by the Anti-Fraud Center and Sunshine Film and Television, aimed at promoting anti-fraud awareness to the public. The eyes of the crowd are sharp, and there was no room for foul y. Therefore, as long as Lin Chuan made it to the second round with good results, Youyou was nning on pushing him toward the ''Heavenly King'' status. The anti-fraudpetition award carried much more weight than ordinary writingpetitions! To put it this way. For the book "All-In," she was even more eager to win an award and secure an adaptation opportunity than Lin Chuan was. She needed achievements. Lin Chuan needed results. Theyplemented each other. ``` But unexpectedly, Lin Chuan''s "All-In" was suddenly taken down! Without any warning! This directly dered bankruptcy to the online writer-to-god n that Youyou hadid out for Lin Chuan. Chief editor Zhang Yixing sighed deeply and looked at Youyou, "Youyou, taking down ''All-In'' wasn''t a decision made by Sailing Novel." Editor-in-chief Ming Yue patted Youyou''s hand, her voice somewhat heavy, "The situation with this takedown is very different from the usual removals and blocks of works." Youyou''s face froze, and her heart skipped a beat, she caught the implication in Sister Ming Yue''s words, "Is it someone from above?" "Yes, the directive came directly from the Cyberspace Administration, notifying us to take down ''All-In'' immediately," Zhang Yixing nodded. Youyou''s lips turned somewhat pale, "Did they give any reasons?" ''All-In'' is suspected of vitions, but the specific details have not been disclosed," Zhang Yixing exchanged a look and both shook their heads. Editor-in-chief Ming Yue continued, "Not only Lin Chuan''s ''All-In'', but Ming''s ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' was also taken down." Youyou was taken aback again, "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' has also been taken down, are there any other works that have been removed?" "No, so far only these two have been discovered to be removed by directives from above," Ming Yue said. In the office. There was silence among them. "Is there any way we can help Lin Chuan get unbanned?" Youyou pondered a bit and then asked with a bit of a bite to her lower lip. "A directive from above is for us just to follow, and if we want to get unbanned, all we can do is write an appeal report. But submitting an appeal report doesn''t mean it''s likely to be approved for unbanning," Zhang Yixing voiced the difficulty. Ming Yue nodded, "Moreover, we don''t even know the reasons for the blocking and removal." "Could it be possible it''s because of the author''s identity?" Youyou spected. "Author''s identity?" Zhang Yixing and Ming Yue looked at each other and slightly furrowed their brows. Youyou then exined, "Ming ims to have escaped from a factory area, so ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' spread as an autobiography." "And Lin Chuan''s ''All-In'' shares several elements simr to ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area''." "So, could it be possible that Lin Chuan was banned by mistake?" Inside the office. Zhang Yixing and Ming Yue were both startled; if Youyou''s spection was true, then Lin Chuan indeed had the possibility of being unbanned. For Zhang Yixing, as the chief editor of Sailing Novel, the fact that Comrade Lin Chuan topped the anti-fraud essay contest list was certainly a pity. But Sailing Novel had plenty of participating authors with good strength. Currently. Both Lin Chuan and Ming''s novels had been taken down. But Handon''s "A World Without Fraud" quickly filled the vacancy at the top of the list. Influent author ''Tianya''s "True and False" was close behind. That is to say, Sailing Novel''s author lineup had already dominated first and second ce on the list. But for Youyou, Lin Chuan was the only author under her that could dominate the top of the list. So, Youyou cared a lot more about it. ''Ring ring ring'' Zhang Yixing''s cell phone started to ring. Youyou and Ming Yue fell silent again. "Hello, is there any new information?" Chief editor Zhang Yixing answered the call and asked. Youyou couldn''t hear the voice on the phone, but she saw the astonishment and disbelief on Zhang Yixing''s face. "You''re saying he was taken away in the middle of the night by someone at his door?" "Has the situation be this serious?" "Is it possible to find out some internal information?" "Okay, okay, I understand." Zhang Yixing hung up the phone and then looked at Youyou, "This has developed beyond our expectations." Youyou and Ming Yue both turned their heads to look at Zhang Yixing. Zhang Yixing took a deep breath, his tone somewhat grave, "Ming has even been taken away for investigation." Youyou''s pupils contracted, "Taken away for investigation?" "Yes!" Zhang Yixing nodded heavily. Ming Yue''s eyes turned, and after a brief thought, "Then it''s not just a simple book ban." Upon hearing this, Youyou''s breathing became a little rapid. She drank two sips of tea to calm herself a bit. But concerning Lin Chuan, how could Youyou calm down? She immediately sent Lin Chuan a message: "Darling, there are two preliminary pieces of news now." "One is that both your and Ming''s books have been banned by those above, the specific reasons unknown." "Two is that Ming has already been taken away for an overnight investigation." "In this novel, did you write any illegal or criminal content that led to an improper direction, or any other such issues?" "..." Youyou sent many messages, a whole string of them. At Old Lin''s big stall, Lin Chuan and Wang Zikai were still having dinner. The food was ordered, time to eat. Lin Chuan saw the string of messages from Youyou and felt a touch of warmth in his heart. He replied, "Youyou, don''t worry, I haven''t engaged in any criminal activities. And the novels I wrote don''t cover those topics either..." Lin Chuan was replying to the messages. Suddenly, he noticed a police car parked by the curb, and two police officers in uniform got out of the vehicle. They scanned the customers of Old Lin''s big stall and then fixed their gaze on Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan looked at the neers and chuckled, "They''vee to haul me away so quickly?" ``` Chapter 114: Chapter 112: Just Right to Take Them All Out in One Go (Please Subscribe) As dusk fell, the hustle and bustle of the city gradually receded. Street-side food stalls, like newly litnterns, brighten the nighttime corners. Inside the shops, simple folding wooden tables are ced haphazardly, and the owner busily stirs the wok, the nging of the iron pan against the spat rising and falling continuously. All sorts of people crowded the area, a cacophony of noise. However, with the arrival of a police car and two officers, the bustling food stalls suddenly quieted down, as if in the student days when the noisy ssroom would fall silent at the sight of the teacher stepping in. Old Lin''s Food Stall, in a corner. The two police officers headed straight for Lin Chuan, drawing the attention of everyone at the food stalls to his location. Fortunately, Lin Chuan had plenty of experience dealing with such situations. The people who came were also familiar faces. Indeed, when you have someone looking out for you from above, you just feel more confident. "Officer Shen, have you eaten yet?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile. "Not yet. The station has been working overtime because of your case," responded Shen Qianqian with a frown, pursing her lips. "Comrades, why don''t we eat together first?" Lin Chuan lifted his head, looked at the two officers, and patted the empty stool next to him, issuing an invitation to join him for a meal. "Comrade Lin Chuan, we are still on duty," Shen Qianqian replied with a smile. Lin Chuan let out a dryugh, "You''re fast. I just took down my book, and here you are." Pointing to Wang Zikai beside her, Shen Qianqian said with augh, "He reported it to Qiqi, so I came over directly." After taking a sip of tea, Lin Chuan stood up, chuckled, and said, "Well, I won''t dy your work. I''ll cooperate with your investigation. Do you need to cuff me?" With a smile that lit up her face, Shen Qianqian chided, "Comrade Lin Chuan, you are now a treasure to Anling. Who would dare to cuff you? We''re just inviting you back for a chat." "It''s not an arrest or a subpoena?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. Shen Qianqian nodded, "That''s right, we''re ''inviting'' you." Standing nearby, Wang Zikai gave a thumbs up, "Old Lin, you''ve got some serious clout now, even Officer Shen is here to invite you!" Lin Chuan spat in jest and retorted, "Shall I ''invite'' you then?" "No, no, no!" Wang Zikai shook his head repeatedly, "I dare not. Not everyone can walk in and out like you can." Lin Chuan quirked his lips, "I abide by thew, why shouldn''t I be able toe out?" "Alright, get going ande back soon," Wang Zikai said with a grin. "Comrade Lin Chuan, don''t be nervous, it''s just like going home," Shen Qianqian said with a wink and augh. Two ck lines instantly appeared on Lin Chuan''s face. This ''home'' is definitely not one to return to! What kind of good person goes home only to end up at the police station? "Let''s go, it shouldn''t take too long," Shen Qianqian said with augh. Lin Chuan nodded and then got into the police car with Shen Qianqian. The dazzling headlights of the police car shone on the road to Anling Police Station, and soon after, Lin Chuan stepped out of the car and entered the police station as if he was walking on a familiar path. Truth be told. He was quite familiar with this ce. Walking through the spacious and brightly lit corridors, the walls adorned with various honors and distinguished deeds, and then further on, the various functional rooms. "That is the Criminal Investigation Detachment area," Shen Qianqian said with a smile, walking beside Lin Chuan. The Anti-Fraud Center is part of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, but it has a somewhat more independent office area. "I''m not too familiar with the Anti-Fraud Center." Lin Chuan said with an embarrassed smile. "Come with me," Shen Qianqian led the way in front, and soon brought Lin Chuan into the reception room of the Anti-Fraud Center. Inside the reception room. Director Zhou Tong of the Anti-Fraud Center had already prepared tea. When he saw Lin Chuan arrive, he stood up to greet him with a smile, "Comrade Lin Chuan, the incident happened suddenly, and we had to ask you toe." Zhou Tong, a middle-aged man with a crew cut, slightly dark skin, heavy bags under his eyes, and thinning hair. It was clear that fighting fraud was a draining and strenuous task. "Director Zhou, cooperating with the investigation is my duty," Lin Chuan said with a smile, having had contact with Zhou Tong when developing the anti-fraud app. "Please, have a seat," Zhou Tong extended his hand, motioning Lin Chuan to sit, then poured him a cup of tea before saying, "Comrade Lin Chuan, we received an order from the higher-ups that someone used you of coborating with a factory area to engage in fraud activities." "Engaging in fraud activities?" Lin Chuan''s eyebrows shot up, slightly surprised. Zhou Tong took a sip of tea andughed, "It indeed seems absurd. However, the so-called ''evidence'' was submitted to the Cyberspace Administration, which led to the removal of your novel ''All-In.'' As a result, the Anling Anti-Fraud Center received orders to investigate ording to thew." Lin Chuan suddenly understood. No wonder his novel was taken down. Being reported to the Cyberspace Administration was indeed not something Sailing Novel could shield against. However, the charge of ''engaging in fraud activities'' was a bit far-fetched. Not only had Lin Chuan not engaged in fraud, but he had also been involved in the anti-fraud businessdeveloping an anti-fraud app. And it was in coboration with the Anling Police Station. Righteous and legitimate! If the usation had been of a different crime, perhaps both Anling Police Station and Lin Chuan might have had to expend some effort. But the charge of ''engaging in fraud activities'' was absolutely impossible. When Anling Police Station coborated with Lin Chuan, authorizing him to lead the development of the anti-fraud app, they had conducted a background check on him. In short, reliable! Zhou Tong continued, "When we received the notice today, we once again conducted the necessary investigation. Comrade Shen Qianqian is familiar with your situation. She and I examined the evidence for authenticity and determined it to be forged. So, we invited you here tonight to conduct a routine investigation and, as the director instructed, to check if you have any enemies." Having heard this, Lin Chuan had a rough understanding of the whole affair. This time, it was a case of malicious reporting. The user even went to the trouble of forging rted evidence, which led to the novel being removed and the person being invited to the police station for a chat. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, then asked, "What about Director Zhang?" "Director Zhang had somethinge up and specifically instructed Officer Shen and me to receive you," Zhou Tong said with a sip of tea, smiling. Shen Qianqian was sitting on the side, nodding as well, "Director Zhang has instructed that you can discuss anything with Director Zhou." Lin Chuan nodded slightly, nced at Zhou Tong, and spoke, "I shouldn''t have any personal grudges with anyone, but I might have some friction with certain organizations." "borate, and I will report the details to Director Zhang," Zhou Tong said. Lin Chuan smiled and responded, "Director Zhang knows about it too, AW, and a factory area in the Myanmar area, where Officer Shen and I arrested their 15 external agents in Lincang not long ago." Zhou Tong took notes one by one. Zhang Biao had specifically instructed him to ensure Lin Chuan''s safety, so someone reporting Lin Chuan indicated that someone wanted to target him. This was a dangerous signal. Therefore, Zhang Biao paid particr attention to it. Zhou Tong refilled Lin Chuan''s tea and brought up another matter, "How''s the development process of the anti-fraud app going?" Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Currently, it''s undergoing relevant testing and is expected to bepleted within three days." "That''s excellent." Zhou Tong''s eyes lit up, "I''ll start contacting the app stores right away and begin the preunch promotion for the anti-fraud app." "Sounds good," Lin Chuan nodded. ... The night was hazy. The evening breeze gently brushed by, the branches swayed, casting dancing shadows under the bright red g at the Anling Police Station, where Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian walked side by side. Lin Chuan was ''released without charges''. Shen Qianqian had also finished her shift. "Comrade Lin Chuan, our Anti-Fraud Center has submitted an exnation of the situation and the corresponding evidence to the Cyberspace Administration. Your novel should be unblocked soon," Shen Qianqian spoke. Lin Chuan nodded, "Thanks, Officer Shen." "I''m off duty now, and not on official business; you should call me ''Qianqian'', not Officer Shen," Shen Qianqian tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling lightly. Lin Chuan shed a grin, "Thanks, Qianqian." Shen Qianqian pressed her lips together, a smile curving on her face, "Comrade Lin Chuan, I''m just being truthful. If you were tomit any criminal acts, I would still handcuff you!" "I''m veryw-abiding; you won''t get the chance," Lin Chuanughed. "I hope that''s true." Shen Qianqian smiled radiantly, "By the way, about tonight''s incident, who do you think reported you?" As they walked, Lin Chuan shook his head, "I can''t be sure yet." Shen Qianqian''s eyebrows furrowed, "Are there any suspects?" At this moment, the two arrived at the entrance of the police station. Lin Chuan turned around, pondered for a moment, and then said, "There are suspects, indeed." "Let''s hear them." "First, both Ming and I participated in the anti-fraud essaypetition, ranking in the top two. The novel''s perspective could easily be a point of contention, since it''s about factory fraudsters, so the user might be a peer," Lin Chuan exined. For non-giarized works, peer reporting wasn''t umon. Lin Chuan had seen it all too often in the online literature circle, stemming from eitherpeting interests or sheer jealousy. "Peers..." Shen Qianqian murmured, "What else?" "I''m more inclined to suspect the second one, the people from the factory area in the Myanmar area," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "The Myanmar area factory... you mean, because we took down theirworkst time, they hold a grudge?" Shen Qianqian''s brows knit together slightly. Lin Chuan shook his head, smiling, "That might be a reason, but the most likely one is that they didn''t want ''All-In'' and ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area'' to be read by more people." Shen Qianqian looked surprised, "You mean, their influence?" "Exactly," Lin Chuan nodded, "It''s not vain spection. Both books allow readers to see the real situation inside the factories very vividly and have sparked much discussion, acting as an effective anti-fraud campaign." He had read Ming''s ''The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area''; the portrayal of the factory was very realistic. The parts of the factory Lin Chuan had experienced in the Virtual World closely resembled it. So Lin Chuan was well aware of the strong effect such novels could have in literature-based anti-fraud efforts. Of course, ''All-In'' was no exception. "Lin Chuan, if the factory honed in on you, that could be troublesome," Shen Qianqian said with a half-furrowed brow, somewhat worriedly. She pondered in her heart. If it really was the work of the factory, could Lin Chuan really stand up to those cunning fraudsters? "No trouble at all, if they dare toe knocking, I''ll take them out all at once." Lin Chuan smiled lightly, an air of nonchnce on his face, but a touch of icy determination shed in his eyes. In the cover of night. Shen Qianqian stood beside Lin Chuan, looking at his profile, taken aback. Ripples formed in her heart, spreading and reverberating continuously. The way Lin Chuan looked then was very simr to his demeanor on that country road when facing 15 fraudsters. Confidence! Absolute confidence! Chapter 115: Chapter 113 Mr. Lin, Youre Really Going to Jail Now, Huh? ``` The moonlight was deep, and the city in the night gradually sank into silence. The twinkling lights in the distance flickered like stars in the night sky, peeking at this tranquil moment. A gentle breeze blew, rustling the leaves in the urban area, and the neon lights on both sides of the streets gradually went out, leaving only one or two streetmps standing firm in the darkness. The takedown of "All-In" and "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area" continued to ferment in the thrust of the night. The next day, May 19th. Modu, Sailing Building. Wearing a moon-white dress, Youyou sat at her desk, one hand propping her cheek, the other scrolling the mouse wheel, searching for how to get Lin Chuan''s new book unblocked. Though Lin Chuan had sent her a messagest night, telling her not to worry, Lin Chuan was the hidden gem under her management, and the powerful momentum of "All-In" being sealed meant she couldn''t even sleep peacefully. This was more than just about performance! It was also a crucial work on Lin Chuan''s path to bing an influent author. If "All-In" could achieve great sess in the anti-fraudpetition, then, with such achievements plus the international sess of "Hacker Kingdom," Lin Chuan might even have the chance to contend with some veteran authors for a spot among the Heavenly Kings. The Heavenly King, a title selected once a year by Sailing Novel Website, totaling twelve individuals, aiming to discover and support authors with potential who are not yet influent authors. These twelve are also the unquestionably strongest authors of the year in their respective channels. It can be said that the title of Heavenly King is the reserve force for bing an influent author. In the path to influent author status that Youyou nned for Lin Chuan, the title of ''Heavenly King'' this year was the most critical link. In recent years, the rigorously hierarchal Sailing Novel also added an unwritten rule: No Heavenly King, No Influent Author. That is to say, without the title of ''Heavenly King,'' there''s no qualification to be promoted to influent status. In Youyou''s ideal scenario: Lin Chuan bes one of the Twelve Heavenly Kings this year, promotion to influent author next year, and ascension to tinum status the year after! Therefore, she highly valued the performance of "All-In." "Sigh... maybe Lin Chuan''s sess has been too smoothtely, which is why he hase across this setback," Youyou muttered as she switched the hand propping her cheek. Suddenly! A pop-up appeared in the bottom right corner of herputer screen. Youyou nced at it, thinking it was an advertisement, about to close it, but then she took a closer look, her eyes widened, and her curly eyshes couldn''t help trembling twice. The popup was a piece of news. [Web novel author ''Ming'' of "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area" was previously involved in tel fraud in the Myanmar area and has now been arrested by the police!] [Publisher: Urban News] "Ming has been caught?" Youyou''s delicate arched eyebrows instantly furrowed, and her face showed a look of surprise and confusion. Her fingers did not dy for a second as she immediately clicked on it. The page shifted to a fast-shaking video. A video sprang up before her, its cover featuring two police officers standing next to a young man. The young man was thin, his hands adorned with shimmering silver handcuffs, and his face was pixted. The caption read: ''After fleeing the factory area, the man turned his harrowing experience into a web novel and was identified by the police!'' ''Apparently, after several assessments, the XX police had grasped the real identity of ''Ming,'' the author of "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area," who had dreamt of high ie and engaged in telmunicationswork fraud after sneaking into the Myanmar area and escaped back to the country to turn himself in for illegal exit but concealed his criminal acts of fraud.'' ''...'' Hiss! Youyou inhaled sharply. ``` But she didn''t stop; as the video yed, she also scrolled through thements below. [This isn''t writing a novel, it''s like a work report!] [I read this book when it first came out, and it felt very realistic, but I never imagined it was a firsthand experience.] [The next book will be, "The Years I Was a Boss in Prison!"] [Web novel writers are really a hidden pool of talent!] [Hey, Ming has been locked up, but what about the other author?] [What other author?] [The other author Mr. Lin, who had his work ''All-In'' taken down at the same time, must be under investigation now, right?] [Your word and mine, and Mr. Lin might also be heading to prison!] [Hiss! Are all novels these days based on true stories?] [I heard that he, too, escaped from a factory area!] [Don''t talk nonsense, didn''t he take down a fraud ringst time?] [Exactly because he understands fraud rings so well, that''s how he, a web novel writer, was able to bust them all at once!] [...] Youyou stared at theputer screen, her brows furrowing deeper as she read through the many trendingments, her clear and bright eyes filling with worry. Yeah. Ming is locked up now, but what about Lin Chuan? If Lin Chuan''s writing is even more realistic than Ming''s, could something have been discovered about him too? Meanwhile. The news of the arrest of ''Ming,'' the author of "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area," had topped headlines and climbed the hot search lists on every major tform. > Renowned web novel writer Ming turns factory scam experience into autobiographical novel > The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area, by Ming > True story, The author puts himself into the novel! > Ming + Mr. Lin, the anti-scam dream team? > Ming''s already inside, how far can Mr. Lin be from jail? > The web novel writers'' threshold! An unspecified number of web novel creators hade across these simr headlines and quickly spread the news through various web novelmunity groups. At this moment. In front of aputer screen, a young man''s gaze was tightly fixed on this piece of news, and then his eyes gleamed! After a long while. "Ah" The young man let out a heavy sigh, but then he changed his tone, "Ming, Mr. Lin, there''s no time to say goodbye. I, Handon, have already climbed to the top of the anti-scam novel rankings!" "The blue sky is dead; the yellow sky shall rise!" "I, Handon, vow topete for the title of king of anti-scam novels!" This person was none other than Handon. Just like Handon, many web novel writers gained massive traffic and reaped a full harvest of surprises amidst such explosive news. Before, Lin Chuan''s "All In" and Ming''s "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area," were like two giant mountains looming before the authors participating in the anti-scam novelpetition. Surpassing them was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. And now. It was like the fable of the Foolish Old Man who removed the mountains, with the Heavenly Emperor directly ordering people to move "these two big mountains" away. How could he not be happy? At this moment, even Lin Chuan''s reader group was discussing this matter. [Guys, some authors really write themselves into their novels!] [That''s outrageous, someone actually wrote their autobiography like Mr. Lin did with his novel!] [Are you guys not following Mr. Lin at all? Mr. Lin''s books have also been taken down!] [They really have been removed!] [Ming''s "The Years I Was Tricked into the Factory Area" and Mr. Lin''s "All In" seem simr!] [It''s over, could Mr. Lin have really been arrested?] [Mr. Lin, you''re really going to jail!] [Quick, @Mr. Lin, see if he''s around!] [@Mr. Lin] [@Mr. Lin] [@Mr. Lin] [...] In Anling City, Qingxiu District. The dawn quietly sprinkled over the city, with the horizon gradually turning a pale golden color. asionally, the chirping of insects reached the ears as Lin Chuan sat in the back seat of the Little Landy''s car, facing the morning breeze, and arrived at Zhongcheng Building, Network Security Company. The chairman had arrived at work. Lin Chuan was sitting in his office, but his mobile phone kept ''ding-donging'' incessantly. "What''s going on now?" Lin Chuan frowned and muttered. Then, he took out his phone. Good lord! More than a dozen unread messages, many of them ''@Mr. Lin''. It started with a message from Youyou: "Darling~ are you alright?" Lin Chuan smiled and tapped on the screen of the phone, disying a line of text: "I''m fine. /emoticon." "Did the policerades contact you for an investigation?" Youyou quickly asked again. "They already investigated, and I was ''exonerated on the spot''," Lin Chuan replied half-jokingly. Youyou was puzzled: "Exonerated on the spot?" "Yeah, my background is clear, there''s no way I could be involved in inte fraud," Lin Chuan chuckled and replied. "Then I''m relieved," Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, "What about your book, can it be released?" "The police station here has already submitted an exnation of the situation, if it''s fast, it could be released today." "Waiting for your good news/emoticon," replied Youyou. Having received a definite answer from Lin Chuan, Youyou regained her original vigorous spirit and immersed herself back into her busy work. Lin Chuan then opened the reader group and scrolled through the hundreds of messages from early today, quickly knitting his brow and immediately @everyone in the group: "Guys, I''m still here!" Lin Chuan popping up today was a surprisingly astonishing event. [Author, how can you still be on your phone? Don''t they say you can''t use phones in the nick?] [Mr. Lin, where are you? Are you at the police station?] [Mr. Lin, are you really not afraid of getting arrested?] [I don''t understand, Ming is arrested, so why isn''t Mr. Lin?] [I also don''t get it, could Mr. Lin have some special skills or what?] [@Police Uncle, there''s a fish that slipped through the here, not captured yet!] [...] Lin Chuan''s expression darkened. These criminals always hope I go inside! I consider you brothers, but you treat me like a criminal suspect, is that appropriate? Humph! Afterwards, Lin Chuan opened the Kuaidou app to check out the rted news. Good lord, he got the shock of his life. On the trending searches, besides Ming''s, there was also his! On the Kuaidou trending list, there were two entries rted to him. >Ming + Mr. Lin, the anti-fraud duo? >Ming is already in, how far is Mr. Lin from entering? Lin Chuan clicked in, and a torrent ofments flooded his view. [Strongly suggest Police Uncle Shuli investigates Mr. Lin!] [I''m a passerby, Mr. Lin''s book feels even more real than Ming''s, he must be someone from the factory area!] [Could he possibly be coborating with the factory area?] [@Cyberspace Administration @Han River Cyber Police @Anling Cyber Police @Yundian Cyber Police @Lincang Cyber Police] [He''s definitely one of the factory lot!] [I dare say, even if professional anti-fraud officers came, they wouldn''t be able to withstand Mr. Lin''s scams!] [...] Among them, a small blogger ''Hand of Justice'' had made a video, analyzing the content of his "All-In" with real-life cases, listing three main reasons why Lin Chuan was also one of the factory folks. Each reason was argued convincingly. But the more Lin Chuan read, the more absurd it seemed. He''d been consuming too much data these days, so he was somewhat of an inte celebrity author now. At the same time, he''d also gained quite a few haters. Now, these haters were almost having a field day, using the news of Ming''s arrest to continuously sling mud on Lin Chuan! Getting the haters to shut up was almost impossible. Because they could always find an angle to disparage. "I also have haters now, damn it, where did these haterse from?" Lin Chuan spat out in annoyance. Chapter 116: Chapter 114: The Red Flag Reappears (Please Subscribe) "Chairman, this person is way out of line!" In the office, Little Landy pushed the door open, holding a tablet, pouting her lips, and with a somewhat indignant expression on her face. Lin Chuan looked up and, seeing Little Landy''s appearance,ughed, "What''s the matter, Little Landy?" Little Landy walked over to Lin Chuan, handed him the tablet right before his eyes, and said indignantly, "He''s ndering me, Chairman!" "ndering me?" Lin Chuan took the tablet, "Let me see." The tablet screen showed a blogger wearing a mask, holding a white cell phone, extending an index finger pointing at the phone, and immediately a string of text appeared on the left side of the video. ''I walked into the factory area.'' ''From the outside, the walls of this factory area are cracked and overgrown with weeds, long abandoned.'' ''But after I entered the factory area, I saw apletely different scene.'' ''Inside the first floor, incandescent lights shone brightly, and below were cages locked up, containing people, no, they should be called pigs, miserably wailing.'' ''These pigs were skinny and disheveled.'' ''...'' Suddenly, two pictures appeared to the right of the blogger. The blogger introduced, "This picture was taken by someone risking their life inside the factory area today, theyout inside matches the description in this novel very closely." "If this is a coincidence, then the fraud techniques in ''All-In'', I''ve found the prototype in reality, and the timing matches up, now let''s get in touch with the victims." "..." The blogger spoke with righteous indignation, emitting an aura of justice. Lin Chuan nced at the blogger''s name: Hand of Justice. The views had already reached 570K+, with tens of thousands of likes, and thements were mostly targeting Lin Chuan, thus rapidly increasing his influence on the Kwai Dou tform. Lin Chuan smiled, "So he''s the one ndering me." "Yes, he''s fabricating things out of thin air, it''s too much!" Little Landy said with vexation color in her pretty face, quite angered, "Chairman, does he have a grudge against you?" Lin Chuan shook his head,ughing, "What enemies could a web novel writer have?" Little Landy Zhang Xinxin frowned slightly, clenched her little fists, and huffed, "Then who gave him the courage to nder my Chairman?" "Just about to investigate," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Lin Chuan thought to himself that he hadn''t offended any fanmunities since he started his career. In the web novel circle, thest time hepeted with others during the same period was during ''Old Zhang'', when he had seized the top spot in the quarrel between The Two Heroes, Handon and Hongmei. This time. It just so happened to be another petition on the same stage'' with Handon, but his ''All-In'' had already been taken down and not yet been re-uploaded, and at this moment Handon had reached the top spot and should be happy. Surely he wouldn''t hire a cyber army to nder me after reaching the top? Unlikely! As for Ming''s fans some of them still believe I''m a giarist, so after Ming got arrested, it''s possible they would stir up trouble. But that shouldn''t be enough to trend on social media. Yet now, I not only have trending searches hanging there but also two of them, which is quite abnormal. This cyber army is strong, not like the usual casual fans, but more like professional trolls. Professional trolls work for money, operating like a production line, taking instructions from their paymaster to throw mud. At this moment. Two targets popped into Lin Chuan''s mind: the foreign hacker organization AW and the Myanmar area Factory Area which Sister Mei belonged to. Thetter was more likely. With that thought, Lin Chuan immediately began the investigation. Starting with the blogger ''Hand of Justice''. For a top hacker, finding out who a professional troll is working for is a piece of cake. Just trace their recent contact records, follow the vine to find the melon, step by step investigation. The only possibly tricky part was that the factories usually use external servers, or rent servers to fake IP addresses tomunicate with the world, including carrying out fraudulent activities, all using forged IP addresses. Therefore, Lin Chuan needed a bit more time to find the real IP address. Hmm, an extra ten minutes. Lin Chuan turned on theputer and stretched his fingers. Then, he ced them on the keyboard, starting to y like a pianist. Based on ''Hand of Justice''s video, locate his IP address, and then trace the IPs that had been in contact with him recently... Little Landy put away the tablet and sat down next to Lin Chuan. She rested her chin in her hands and intently watched focused Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan was tall and upright, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his face bathed in the light from the screen shone subtly, exuding a calm confidence. His eyes were fixed on the lines of code, his long eyshes fluttering asionally as he blinked. Little Landy nced at Lin Chuan''s lips, which had be a bit dry. So, she immediately went to pour a cup of water for Lin Chuan, quietly cing it within easy reach, then resumed watching Lin Chuan with her cheek in her palm. Half an hourter. Lin Chuan picked up the cup of water Zhang Xinxin had poured for him and took a sip. Little Landy blinked, asking curiously, "Chairman, how''s it going?" "Got it." Lin Chuan looked at Little Landy and smiled. "You found something out?" Little Landy Zhang Xinxin asked a bit surprised. Lin Chuan leaned back in his chair, nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, the blogger ''Hand of Justice'' is a professional troll who this time epted amission from abroad, that is, from the Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area." "Myanmar area''s Old Street Factory District?" Little Landy was taken aback, "Isn''t that the fraud factory district?" These days, Little Landy had been secretly reading Lin Chuan''s novels and had gained a lot of understanding about fraud. Add to that her constant attention, so as soon as she heard words like ''Myanmar area'' and ''factory district,'' she subconsciously reacted. Lin Chuan nodded again and smiled, "That''s why, I gave the blogger ''Hand of Justice'' and the Myanmar area Old Street Factory District, a little gift." "What gift?" Little Landy asked curiously. Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "I handed over the records of the ''Hand of Justice''s professional trolling and his interactions with the Myanmar area Old Street Factory District, to the local police. As for the Old Street Factory District" "What about it?" Little Landy blinked. "I sent them a g," Lin Chuan said with a grin. "What kind of g?" "Unspeakable." "If the chairman won''t say, then I won''t ask," Little Landy said obediently with a smile in the office, then added, "By the way, Chairman, I''ve arranged to have dinner tonight with Old Zhang." Lin Chuan picked up his water cup, took a sip, andughed, "Is Old Zhang bringing his date along?" A few days earlier. Little Landy had let Lin Chuan know that Old Zhang was in a rtionship. But due to Lin Chuan being busy developing an anti-fraud app these days, and Old Zhang also being busy with who knows what, the dinner had been dyed for quite a while. "Yes." Little Landy nodded and smiled, "So, Chairman, you have to apany me." "Alright, who lets you be the financial director," Lin Chuanughed. ... As expected. The local police at the location of the professional troll ''Hand of Justice'' received an anonymous tip-off letter. The letter contained relevant criminal evidence against ''Hand of Justice''. Since it was rted to the Myanmar area Old Street Factory District, the local police immediately started an investigation and by the afternoon of that day, ''Hand of Justice'' was arrested. Elsewhere. Myanmar, Old Street Factory District. Although it was morning, the sun had already begun mercilessly scorching the factory district, shrouding it in a dazzling golden light. The direct sunlight from the sky ruthlessly prated the windows of the factory buildings, casting the decrepit walls in a pale and blinding light, making the shadows within even more profound, as if ghosts could breed there at any time. At the top office in the Old Street Factory District. Here, the boss, Old Bao, was wearing a ck shirt. Beneath his bald head was a fierce countenance as he stared at his underling, Mi, and asked coldly, "How is the jobing along?" "Ming has already been taken in, and his novel has been removed," his underling Mi immediately reported. "Good." Old Bao, holding a cigar between two fingers, asked again, "And the other one?" Underling Mi thought for a moment, "Mr. Lin... Mr. Lin hasn''t been taken in yet; he''s probably under review. But I''ve already hired some online trolls and got a professional blogger to produce a video to bash him. Soon, there will be public opinion against him online." "You''ve done well." A rare smile appeared on Old Bao''s fierce face. However, his smile was quite eerie, like that of a dead man tumbling out of a coffin, stiff and sinister. Old Bao took another puff from his cigar and slowly blew out a ring of smoke that dissipated in front of Mi, "Mi, about that author, Mr. Lin, what about the big fish rted to him?" Mi smiled, "Boss, everything is going as nned. We expect to seize assets worth tens of millions." "What a fat fish!" Old Bao eximed. Assets worth tens of millions were a considerable sum even within the factory district. Mi added, "Moreover, by following this thread, we can monitor Mr. Lin''s movements and act at any time." "You''re getting better and better at this," Old Bao praised, passing a cigar to the underling in front of him. Delighted, Mi lit the cigar, and the two seemed to be celebrating the good news toe. This rare moment of joy didn''tst long. Just five minutester. A man in a floral shirt hurriedly climbed to the top floor and dashed into the office, "Boss, something terrible has happened!" "What''s the panic?" Old Bao askednguidly, his cigar at the ready. "We..." the man in the floral shirt caught his breath, "Ourputers have been infected with a virus, and all projects have been canceled." "Say that again!" Old Bao''s expression froze as he pressed his cigar into the ashtray. The man in the floral shirt, trembling, repeated, "Ourputers got infected with a virus, and all ongoing projects have been canceled?" Old Bao instantly erupted in rage, pping the face of the man in the floral shirt, "Idiots! What are you even for?" The man in the floral shirt fell to the ground with a cry, pleading, "Boss, I don''t know what happened, ourputer screens just showed a bright red g, and then they were out of control." Old Bao quickly rushed out of the office and headed straight for the second floor, where the infectedputers were. On the second floor. All theputer fraudsters stood timidly aside, their screens disying row upon row ofputers. The screens of theseputers all showed a bright red g. Without exception. Chapter 117: Chapter 115: Impenetrable? (Please Subscribe!) Twilight. The sky above Anling City was like a gradually changing scroll, touched by the afterglow of the sunset, draping the city in a golden veil. Lin Chuan sat in the back seat of the Little Landy Zhang Xinxin''s car, inhaling the faint scent of flowers and earth along the way, passing through the bustling city, on the crowded roads, driving toward a corner of the cityYouran Vi. He was in an excellent mood. On one hand, he had reported ''Hand of Justice'' in the morning and sent a g to the Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area. The only downside was that Lin Chuan had only canceled all the ongoing fraud activities in the Old Street Factory District and had not found the core data of the Old Street Factory District on this server. If he had found the core data of the Old Street Factory District, it wouldn''t be as simple as just sending a bright red g. On the other hand, Lin Chuan''s novel "All-In" was unblocked. Relisted, reborn from the ashes. First, it was taken down and blocked, and now unblocked, "All-In" once again gained the boost of traffic, and its subscription data steadily rose. The system calctes the Average Subscription based on the VIP chapters after the book ispleted. "All-In" has a total of 280 VIP chapters (including unreleased ones), so the total subscriptions need to reach 2.8 million for the Poprity Value (Average Subscription) to be considered achieved at ten thousand. Currently. Lin Chuan''s "All-In" had published nearly 500,000 words, and the VIP chapter subscriptions amount to 2.1 million. The goal of 2.8 million subscriptions was not far off. "Chairman, we''ve arrived," said the Little Landy as she parked the small electric vehicle in front of Youran Vi, took off her helmet, revealing her pretty face. The gentle afterglow of twilight fell on her, highlighting her straight nose and the fair, glowing skin of her cheeks. The Little Landy was wearing a light gray dress tonight, with a shapely waist, the hem not passing her knees, and a pair of fair long legs that she dangled in front of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan was dressed in a casual gray suit with a white T-shirt underneath, a simple style. However, standing 186 centimeters tall, his upright stature was naturally like a clothes rack, and his clean, handsome faceplemented the Little Landy, giving off the impression of a talented man and a beautiful woman. Youran Vi was located in the suburbs. It was the ce where Old Zhang and Zhang had agreed to meet. As the two walked into the vi, a fresh breath of air hit them, carrying the fragrance of mountain flowers and nts, filtering through the gaps in the leaves onto the ground, creating a dappled y of light and shadow, somewhat peaceful. "Zhang, over here," called Old Zhang, standing at the entrance of the private room and waving to them. Lin Chuan looked in the direction of the voice. Old Zhang was dressed in a casual ck suit, his hair lustrous and ck, his face radiant, brimming with energy, showing none of his past dejection andssitude. Indeed, love is the best cosmetic for a man. When a man falls in love, he bes more handsome! Next to Old Zhang stood a woman in a light yellow cheongsam, about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, not particrly voluptuous but with a pleasing curve, an oval face, wearing light makeup, and smiling warmly as she looked at Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin. Lin Chuan had been told by the Little Landy that her name was Liu Qing. The Little Landy showed a small smile and pulled Lin Chuan towards the private room. "Aunt Liu," both Lin Chuan and the Little Landy, out of politeness, greeted her. "Old Zhang, who is this?" Liu Qing asked, ncing at Lin Chuan and addressing Old Zhang. Before Old Zhang could reply, the Little Landy wrapped her arm around Lin Chuan''s, smiling and saying, "He''s my boyfriend, Lin Chuan." "Zhang, your boyfriend is quite handsome," Liu Qingmented with a smile. "Of course," the Little Landy said, slightly tilting her face upwards proudly and smiling. Lin Chuan nodded with a smile, but inwardly he spat,ing out for a meal only to have the Little Landy take advantage of him with the kind of ploy used ad nauseam in novels. Old Zhang seemed to have anticipated it. After all, his darling daughter had been sticking close to Lin Chuan all day long, working on their studio and discussing partnerships with several inte cafes, and now they were expanding their scale, making a big show at the Zhongcheng Building in Qingxiu District with their 720 Network Security Company. He had even heard they were cooperating with the police. Such a bigmotion, how could he not know? He could tell just by thinking with his toes, he knew exactly what his darling daughter was thinking. s a grown daughter was like water flowing away. "Let''s go inside and talk," Old Zhang suggested with a smile after giving Lin Chuan a nce. In the private room, there was a square table. The two parties sat across from each other. The main characters of the evening were not the Little Landy and Lin Chuan but Liu Qing sitting opposite them. Looking at Liu Qing with some curiosity, the Little Landy asked, "Aunt Liu, how did youe to know Old Zhang?" Liu Qing,posed and smiling, replied, "Zhang, the connection between Old Zhang and me is also fate. One month ago, during an anti-gambling event, we met for the first time;ter, we bumped into each other again at a friend''s gathering." Old Zhang nodded, took Liu Qing''s hand, and added: "Your Aunt Liu hasn''t been in Anling for long, and she likes to y a couple of hands of poker, so she often calls me to join. As time went by, we felt quitepatible, so we just..." Although Liu Qing was already in herte thirties, she blushed upon hearing Old Zhang''s words, turned her head to look at him with a smile in her eyes. Old Zhang sported a bright smile, gripping Liu Qing''s hand tighter. "Old Zhang, you y poker too?" Lin Chuan, as someone who once shared a ''detention room'' with Old Zhang,ughed and said. Old Zhang chuckled, "We don''t gamble with money, purely for entertainment." Liu Qing then shot Old Zhang a yful nce, lightly tucking her long hair behind her ear, and said with a lightugh, "Old Zhang is very good at poker. Every time I y with him, he always wins. I wouldn''t dare gamble with money with him." "If it were real money, I wouldn''t win against you either," Old Zhang said with augh. At that moment, the waitress gently knocked on the door before serving the dishes. Liu Qing thoughtfully served Old Zhang some food, "Old Zhang, try this, the steamed fish from this restaurant is outstanding." "Hmm, very fresh and tender." As Old Zhang took a bite, his face immediately lit up with a radiant smile. To be honest, Old Zhang was quite handsome in his youth. Even now, when he dresses up, he doesn''t be a greasy middle-aged uncle. He is, after all, an eligible bachelor. Little Landy watched Old Zhang and Liu Qing''s public disy of affection and exchanged a nce with Lin Chuan before continuing her inquiry, "Aunt Liu, I still don''t know what do you do for a living." Liu Qing blinked her eyes and smiled, "I''m in the antique collection business. I surveyed the Antique Market in Anling a while back. The development prospects here are quite significant, so I decided to develop here. I didn''t expect to meet Old Zhang." "Antique collection?" Little Landy pouted her lips. She really didn''t understand this business. Old Zhang chuckled, "Zhang, there are many collectors of antiques in Anling City. Your Aunt Liu wants to create arge antique market here. Currently, the project is going through the approval process." At that moment, Liu Qing slowly stood up, took off the bracelet she was wearing, walked over to Little Landy, "Zhang, Aunt Liu rushed over and didn''t have time to buy you a gift. This century-old red agate bracelet is for you as a meeting present." "Aunt Liu, isn''t this too valuable?" Little Landy looked at the red agate bracelet in her hand and asked in shock. "Not expensive at all." Liu Qing smiled, "This quality is worth just a little tens of thousands." "It''s too valuable," Little Landy shook her head. "Zhang, just ept it if your Aunt Liu is giving it to you," Old Zhang said with a chuckle. Liu Qing personally put the ''century-old red agate bracelet'' on Zhang Xinxin and smiled, "Zhang, this bracelet can bnce the positive energy in your body, relieve mental stress, improve endocrine cirction, and it also has a beautifying effect." "Thank you, Aunt Liu." Little Landy Zhang Xinxin felt the coolness of the red agate and nodded in thanks. Liu Qing looked at Little Landy and smiled. Afterward, she started a conversation rted to Little Landy. "Zhang, what does Lin do?" Liu Qing asked with a smile. Little Landy turned her head to look at Lin Chuan and said with a smile, "His main job is a web novel author, and then he has a bit of a sideline business." "Literary creator?" Liu Qing''s eyes lit up with curiosity as she looked at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan took over the conversation and said with a smile, "I can''t really im to be a literary creator; I just write nonsense." "Old Zhang, young people have wild imaginations," Liu Qing turned her head to look at Old Zhang, then back at Lin Chuan, "Young people should try different things, daring to try. When I was young, I dared to do anything, but now, even investing to build an antique market, I hesitate a lot." "Where do you n to build this antique market?" Lin Chuan asked curiously. "It''s set to be located in the southeast corner of Qingxiu District, on that vacant lot. Once the approvales through, we can start construction!" Liu Qing said with a smile. "Must be fun dealing with antiques, right?" Little Landy asked first. Liu Qing shook her head with a smile and said with pursed lips, "It''s not fun. Dealing with antiques is a task that strains the eyes and brain." "Yes, I''ve been wanting to learn for a long time, and I still haven''t managed to," Old Zhang chimed in. In the private room. Liu Qingughed again, "Zhang, I''ve heard from Old Zhang that you and Lin have started a Network Security Company. I think that''s very cool." "Really?" Little Landy''s eyes brightened. "Of course," Liu Qing said with a radiant smile and then added, "You dared to invest and start a business before graduating from college. I wasn''t like you when I was younger; I''m a bit in awe of you." In the private room, at the dinner table. Everyone engaged in conversation. Especially Liu Qing, who asionallyplimented Little Landy subtly. The dinner went smoothly with a warm atmosphere. Leaving Youran Vi, Old Zhang took Liu Qing back, and she waved goodbye to Little Landy and Lin Chuan, "Zhang, Lin, see youter." "Aunt Liu, goodbye," Little Landy waved her hand, then she got on her electric bike and patted the back seat, "Chairman, the CFO will take you for a spin." Lin Chuanughed, "Alright!" Little Landy twisted the throttle, and the electric bike ''swooshed'' away, the cool evening breeze blowing against the two, with the trees swaying gently in the wind on both sides of the road. "Chairman, what do you think of Aunt Liu?" Little Landy asked. "It''s a bit hard to say," replied Lin Chuan. "Why is it hard to say?" Little Landy asked, puzzled, "Just tell me straight." "From tonight''s perspective, she seems genuinely affectionate towards your father," Lin Chuan pondered for a moment before answering. "But?" Little Landy smiled. "How did you know there''s a ''but''?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile. Little Landyughed, "Based on what I know about you, hahaha, tell me, ''but what''?" Lin Chuan pondered again and said, "Aunt Liu appears perfect in her appearance, speech, and demeanor, as if she''s had professional training. That''s just a guess, not ruling out that it''s just her natural way." Little Landy''s brows furrowed slightly. Lin Chuan continued, "But she gives me a very familiar feeling, her words are filled with strong implications and suggestiveness." Chapter 118: Chapter 116: System, Are You Starting to Play Like This Now? (Please Subscribe) On the outskirts of the road. The evening breeze blew gently, bringing the fresh scent of the fields mixed with the fragrance of soil and the faint aroma of flowers in the distance, as the electric bike''s wheels rubbed quietly against the ground with a soft rustle. "What did you say?" The Little Landy drove the bike, the whirring of the wind in her ears made it hard to hear Lin Chuan''s voice clearly. Lin Chuan raised his voice a bit and repeated, "I said, Aunt Liu gives me a very familiar feeling, with a strong suggestive and hinting quality in her words." "Suggestive?" The Little Landy braked abruptly, and the little electric bike came to a sudden stop, leaning against the curb at the side of the road. Because of the inertia from braking, Lin Chuan tightened his grip on the Little Landy''s hand: "Little Landy, do your ears only pick up on keywords or what?" The Little Landy took off her helmet, pouted, and said, "The car was going too fast just now, there was too much background noise, and I only caught words like ''familiar,'' ''induce,'' ''hint,'' and ''suggestive.''" Lin Chuan also took off his helmet, smacked his forehead, andughed, "I thought you''d been watching fewer videostely, but it turns out that''s still all you think about." "Ah?" The Little Landy pursed her lips slightly, looking down, a little afraid of being scolded by Lin Chuan, "I really haven''t been watching muchtely, I''ve been busy withpany stuff, and also reading your novel." Lin Chuan looked at the Little Landy''s face, so close and slightly aggrieved, and smiled, "Take it easy, it''s not good for your body." "Okay." The Little Landy grinned, "Chairman, what were you saying about Aunt Liu just now?" Lin Chuan considered for a moment before saying, "Do you remember her wanting to create a big antique market in Anling City?" "I remember." The Little Landy nodded. "Then, she praised us for our wild ideas and bold entrepreneurship, for starting up awork securitypany," Lin Chuan continued. "Is there a problem with that?" The Little Landy asked, her face showing a touch of confusion. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then said, "If I were to maliciously specte, when she said that, she nced at Old Zhangcould it be possible that those words were meant for Old Zhang''s ears?" The Little Landy''s eyes widened in further confusion, "Why would she say it to Old Zhang?" "Investment," Lin Chuan smiled. "As in investing in her antique market?" The Little Landy''s brows knitted slightly as she asked. "If the spection is true, then it''s very possible," Lin Chuan paused, then added, "And, she seems to be leading Old Zhang into the antiques circle." "Really?" The Little Landy asked. "Old Zhang said he''s been wanting to learn about antiques and hasn''t been able to for a long time," Lin Chuan recounted Old Zhang''s words. "Ah?" The Little Landy pieced together what Lin Chuan was saying, "Isn''t it possible that Aunt Liu is just trying to swindle Old Zhang to join her, to draw him into investing?" "It''s possible, but I''m just guessing," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Chairman, what do you think I should do?" The Little Landy pouted and asked. "Just wait and see, and remind Old Zhang not to invest rashly or buy antiques. If he wants to, he must discuss it with you. As for Aunt Liu, don''t make a fuss about it. If she really does have good intentions with Old Zhang, she might be your stepmom," Lin Chuanughed. These words could only be spoken between Lin Chuan and the Little Landy, not to reach the ears of Old Zhang and Liu Qing. Otherwise, if Liu Qing really had genuine feelings for Old Zhang, hearing these words would only cause rifts between them. The kind of rift that''s like when everyone teams up to y online games at an inte cafe and then take five cars back to the dorm. "Alright, I''ll keep an eye on Old Zhang''s treasure chest." The Little Landy nodded, her lips pressed together, "Let''s finish our ride and head home." "Okay." Lin Chuan readily agreed. "Why aren''t you holding me?" The Little Landy pouted and asked. "Are you being this straightforward now?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. This Little Landy is getting more and more audacious. It''s killing me! "I don''t guarantee that my handbrake is very steady," the Little Landy said with a smirk. "But my hand is very steady!" Lin Chuan directly wrapped his arm around the Little Landy''s slender waist. It has to be said. The Little Landy''s waist felt veryfortable to hold. "Let''s go!" The Little Landy shouted cheerfully, her voice echoing in the wind. The gentle evening breeze swept across the fields on the outskirts of Anling City, brushing past the little electric scooter under the dim streetlight, and also causing ripples on the waters of the Anling River beside the road. Tonight. Watching Old Zhang and Liu Qing being so affectionate, and now with his arms wrapped around Xinxin''s, the Little Landy''s, slender waist, Lin Chuan couldn''t help but have his mind wander. Humans. In their twenties, an age of vigorous spirit and exuberant energy. A fragrant and soft little rich woman, also a female university student, wearing a light gray dress, showing off her fair and tight long legs, dangling in front of him, letting him hold her waist, enjoying the evening breeze, giving him a lift home. Damn it! Who wouldn''t be moved by this? ... The gentle breeze of May drifted by, time quietly passed, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows, and the brush of time slowly stroked across Anling City, unnoticed. Lin Chuan and the Little Landy threw themselves wholeheartedly into their work. Of course, the Little Landy was dedicated to throwing herself into Lin Chuan since Lin Chuan was her work. Now, under the Little Landy''s management, the 720 Network Security Company was well-organized and steadily rising. Quite a fewpanies came to negotiate rted cooperation with 720. Li Qing also rapidly grew under Lin Chuan''s guidance and was bing increasingly capable of handling things on his own. So, the Little Landy, having plenty of free time, poured all her attention into Lin Chuan, doing whatever he needed. Lin Chuan, on the other hand, continued to develop the anti-fraud app withpanies like ''Jintang'' and ''Copper Wall,'' finishing up the work on May 21st. Immediately after. On May 23rd, led by Han River Province and with Anling City as the test site for the anti-fraud app, they began promoting the app. However, promoting an app is not easy. Especially this anti-fraud app, not to mention whether it has any anti-fraud effects, just the step of downloading it already stumped many people. Many found it bothersome and thought it took up memory. You tell them that this is an anti-fraud app, capable of blocking scam information from abroad, and identifying scam calls and rted links. They believe that with their intelligence, there''s no way a scammer could trick them. After all, nobody thinks of themselves as a fool. But if someone tells them they can cash out when their Pinduoduo ount reaches 500 yuan, and they see 499.99 yuan plus 99 gold coin fragments, they could still call dozens of friends they haven''t contacted in years, including aunts and grand-aunts, to help them sign up for Pinduoduo. Therefore, the promotion of the anti-fraud app didn''t go smoothly. But this was the responsibility of Anling City''s Anti-Fraud Center, not Lin Chuan''s. Havingpleted the development of the anti-fraud app, Lin Chuan also breathed a sigh of relief. May 26th. Another piece of good news came. [Work: "All-In".] [Current Status: Serializing.] [Current Chapter Subscription Count: 2.8 million+.] [Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 10,006/10,000.] The Poprity Value (Average Subscription) of "All-In" had reached the standard! Late at night. In Happiness Community, the streetlights emitted a dim light, illuminating the narrow and twisting alleys, casting shadows on the walls covered in moss, highlighting the marks left by time. The asional bark of a dog, the rustling of the wind, slipped through the windows and into the cramped rental room, reaching Lin Chuan''s ears. At this moment. The system''s voice echoed in Lin Chuan''s mind. [Always be passionate, always be hopeful, a new life, new experiences.] [Host, congrattions, the novel "All-In" adapted from your experiences as a salesman has reached 10,000 average subscriptions, that is, 10,000 points of poprity, unlocking a new career experience.] [Would you like to immediately experience a new career and start a new life?] This voice was very familiar, very intimate. As though it resonated within Lin Chuan''s heart. Yes. A new life, here it came again. "''Thief,'' ''swindler,'' I''ve tried those, ''assassin'' I''ve also yed, ''hacker'' life I''ve experienced, even ''fraud salesman,'' I carried out with gusto." "This time, there''s no way you could randomly assign me a criminal profession again!" "Hahaha!" Lin Chuanughed somewhat unrestrainedly. Yes, with each criminal career he experienced, Lin Chuan was confident that the system''s bag of tricks was running low. With one less criminal career, the chance of Lin Chuan experiencing a normal career increased a bit more. There had to be a normal career at some point! Lin Chuan thought to himself that the best would be a business career and then acquiring some business skills, leading the era, and quickly bing the richest man. After all, his current situation. A bit of money he had, but not much. 720 Network Security Company was also funded by Little Landy, still developing, not earning much. People. When they have no money, think that earning three thousand a month is enough; when they make three thousand, believe that earning over ten thousand a month makes them a winner in life. However, when the ie exceeds ten thousand, find that the mental state is not as good as when they had no money. Because, when you have no money, the only worry is not having money. Once you have money, the worries increase. For example, how the performance today is, how thepany is doing, which girl to choose as a girlfriend, how much the dowry should be. One partner costs 388k+, two would cost 776k+, three would be 1.164 million+. But having just 1.164 million+ is definitely not enough, you also need to have a house. Little Landy is a big little richdy. But Lin Chuan felt that he could still strive harder and hadn''t reached the point of living off a woman yet. It''s a simple principle: the economic base determines the superstructure, have money in your pocket, and you speak a bit louder. So... "System, give me a business career, along with a god-level business ability!" Lin Chuan hummed. Soon. The system''s voice rang out [Host, please pay attention.] [Each experience is a beautiful memory for you.] [This system will save this memory for you in the form of a novel.] [Randomly assigning your next career experience.] [Host, congrattions, the profession you will experience this time is] [Antique Maker!] "Antique Maker, that name does sound quite novel and stylish," mumbled Lin Chuan, frowning slightly, Antique Maker Though not a business, making high-priced products like antiques ispletely lucrative. Just as Lin Chuan was musing, he suddenly froze. Wait a minute, I hang on! ''Antique'' and ''Maker,'' these two words, don''t seem to fit together! The antiques made, are they still antiques? The evening breeze continued to blow gently outside the window, shadows of trees swaying under the moonlight like ''aquatic grass crossing the water,'' asionally the sound of car horns breaking the silence of the night. Suddenly, Lin Chuan understood! Antique Maker, isn''t that just another word for counterfeiting!? Counterfeiting! System, is this how you''ve started ying the game now? Always worried that as an online writer I''d have no pension, so you keep handing me these ''very secure'' professions, right? At this point, the system provided an exnation [Host, please pay attention!] [Currently, in your country, there is no explicit legal prohibition against replicating cultural relics or making antiques. Therefore, the mere act of replication, that is, Antique Forgery, does not constitute an illegal or criminal act.] Lin Chuan wasn''t as easily fooled as a three-year-old child anymore. Now. Which Antique Maker involved in counterfeiting wasn''t selling replicas as genuine articles? Without passing them off as real, why bother with counterfeiting? Selling replicas as genuine items is an act of fraud, a bonafide criminal offense, an easy ticket to jail. If you make it clear they are replicas, those whoe to buy are middlemen, and without big operations, you can''t make much money. Moreover, the novel produced by this would inevitably receive critical voices: This damn thing''s a novel, why the hell is the protagonist so timid, what''s wrong with passing off fakes as real, go for it! Lin Chuan took a deep breath. System, you''ve started ying your strategies openly. Damn this is frustrating! Chapter 119: Chapter 117 Last Weeks Antique In the narrow and cramped rental space, Lin Chuan cursed under his breath, mentally sending his regards to the developers of the system. The voice of the system resounded once again [Congrattions to the host, you have randomly obtained the profession: Antique Maker, you receive the exclusive ability of an Antique Maker: Antique Crafting Technique.] [Using ''Virtual Reality'' technology, generating a new world for you.] [Host, please get ready!] "Antique Crafting Technique... Bring it on!" Lin Chuan muttered darkly to himself, thinking that experiencing a career life is like living, and life is also like that thingrather than resisting, better to enjoy it! If that was the case, then he might as well be unrestrained! After all, who would be timid in the Virtual World? As long as in reality he didn''t forge antiques or buy fake goods, he wouldn''t be investigated and taken away by the police. Forging antiques isn''t against thew, so writing about antique forgery techniques in a novel shouldn''t be a problem, right? At that moment, Virtual and reality began to intertwine. The moonlight outside the window gradually blurred in Lin Chuan''s eyes, and the scene of the rental space faded before him, reced by an ancient yard. Lin Chuan''s consciousness descended into the Virtual World. Standing at the entrance of the old yard, the mottled wooden door with its smooth brass ring was worn by the years. Pushing the door open, it creaked. Simultaneously, a strong scent of earth and charcoal rushed toward him, and looking up, he saw the shiny bluestone ground washed by the rain. The green bricks on the wall had turned yellow, and several strings of wind chimes hung under the eaves, producing a clear and melodious sound as the breeze blew. Various ceramic prototypes also hung there, some as smooth as jade, others simple and ssic. "Brother Lin, you''re back!" At that moment, a maiden of about eighteen years old ran over. She was wearing a simple sky-blue cloth dress that was elegant and graceful despite its simplicity. She carried a fragrance of soil, fresh and pleasant, though her face was dirty with mud. However, herplexion bore a trace of sorrow. "What''s wrong?" Lin Chuan, still unaware of the full situation, asked curiously. "The ceramic merchants in our county have banded together and are refusing to buy our ceramics, driving us to a dead end. Now we can only sell independently, but the money we make is no longer enough to keep the Lin Family Workshop running," the NPC girl said. "Why are they refusing to buy our ceramics?" Lin Chuan furrowed his brows. The girl lowered her head, speaking softly, "The son of the Ceramics Association president is a proponent of the overseas movement, which is theplete opposite of your ceramic philosophy. Yet every time, your ceramic work outshines his. Last time, in a drunken slip of the tongue, you said that not a single person in the entire county appreciated your work. He took your words, exaggerated and spread them far and wide, which led to the current situation." Hiss! Lin Chuan couldn''t help but take a sharp breath. This beginning really has the vor of an online novel. "So, Lin Family Porcin can no longer continue, am I right?" Lin Chuan asked the NPC girl. "We probably can''t hold out until the next month," said the girl, her voice quivering slightly with tears. Lin Chuan contemted for a moment, then said, "Then let''s not hold out. Announce bankruptcy right now, give the workers a severance package, and make sure it''s N+1. After all, we are a conscientiouspany." "Ah?" The girl was immediately stunned, "If we don''t make ceramics, what can we do?" "Let''s switch to trading in antique ceramics," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Being a ceramic family, the Lin Family, having some old pieces of porcin passed down, that would be quite reasonable, wouldn''t it?" The girl was even more perplexed, unable to understand the nonsensical words Lin Chuan was saying. Lin Chuan, however, quickly assumed his role in the virtual world: the owner of Lin Family Porcin, and he familiarized himself with the basics. But first, he immediately changed the name ''Lin Family Porcin'' to ''Lin Family Antiques''. Since his profession was that of an antique maker, he definitely had to deal with antiques! As for the son of the president of the Ceramic Chamber of Commerce, Lin Chuan didn''t give him the time of day. Switching from the ceramic circle to the antiques and curio circle, he aimed for a dimensional strike. It is well known that, gold thrives in chaos, and collectibles flourish in prosperity. All circles have their own hierarchy of disdain. And at the top of the ceramic circle''s hierarchy of disdain is none other than the curio circle. No sooner said than done, In the virtual world, Lin Chuan always belonged to the action takers, and he had already calcted that he needed to make fakes... ah no, he had already nned which piece of antique porcin he was going to craft. The Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl. This piece of porcin wasn''t particrly old, but its market price ranged from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan, so, Lin Chuan nned to use it as practice. Thus, Lin Chuan began to roam the county''s antique market. For antique replication, the first step is replication. Common methods include using old pieces for new painting, new y for old ze, remaking old pieces, and refiring. After touring the antique market, Lin Chuan found a batch of Douli bowls from the Qing Dynasty with white y bodies approximately 21cm in diameter and 7.5cm in height, which roughly matched the size of the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl''. Of course, this is the virtual world. It was a gift from the system. So, Lin Chuan decided to use the ''old piece for new painting'' method for replication. The so-called old piece for new paintingmonly involves using white bodies from the middle andter Qing Dynasty or the Republic of China, painting over them with overze famille rose, which from the perspective of the body''s quality, makes it difficult to discern authenticity. Having only Qing Dynasty white bodies was not enough. As the saying goes, ''one spoon of Qing, two spoons of Song, three spoons back to the cavern''s peak''. To turn modern crafts into ancient curios, one cannot do without technology and arduous work. Lin Chuan went to several more ces, and bought back chemical items like hydrofluoric acid and potassium permanganate, and he even gathered a few traditional Chinese medicinal prescriptions. This left NPC girl Qing stunned: "Brother Lin, are you sick?" "Not sick, this is key to making money." Lin Chuan smiled. Replication was the first step, the second was aging them. Done ingeniously, even bowls pecked by chickens at home can have experts holding them under a magnifying ss for a good long while, showing a thoughtful expression. With everything ready, it was time to start working! Back at ''Lin Family Antiques,'' Lin Chuan took out the newly acquired Douli bowl white bodies and began the replication. First step, painting. The ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' belonged to overze painting. Therefore, Lin Chuan took out the prepared Douli bowl nk and the colorful pigments and started to draw patterns on both the inside and outside walls of the bowl. The ''Antique Crafting Technique'' had endowed Lin Chuan with the necessary skills, so painting patterns was not difficult for him. Soon, he had finished painting. The next step was the second firing. Lin Chuan skillfully ced the zed Douli bowl into the kiln for the second firing. This process is called ze firing. The temperature and duration of the ze firing must be strictly controlled to ensure the ze fully melts and fuses tightly with the Douli bowl nk. At the same time, ze firing can also enhance the vibrancy and durability of the painted colors. After the firing, when it had cooled down, Lin Chuan and the NPC girl Qing were able to see a Douli bowl with skillful and refined painting, brightly colored with a fish and algae pattern. The exterior wall of the Douli bowl featured four fish in blue, green, ck, and red. On the interior wall were patterns of colorful flowers, birds, and butterflies; with lush branches, clusters of blossoms, fluttering butterflies, and birds leaping onto branches, it constituted a vivid tableau of a floral and avian scene. After polishing, the third step followed. Aging the piece. There are many methods for aging. Such as pressing, polishing, capping, hand sanding, water grinding, oil grinding, acid soaking, mixed soaking, oxidizing, smudging with oil stains, burying in earth. There are also methods like boiling in tea, smoking with incense, and applying fine charcoal ash. Of course. Nowadays, many low-grade imitations, in order to cut costs, generally use potassium permanganate applied on the ze to create an aged effect. Rtively higher-quality imitations will use a traditional medicine soak to create the effect of old porcin. However, not many people can master these aging techniques proficiently. Lin Chuan was using this method to replicate the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl''. Before that, he gently chipped the rim of the bowl, creating a ''chicken w pattern''. After that, Lin Chuan ced the Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl into a well-mixed medicinal solution, added a small amount of alcohol, and dropped in a tiny bit of potassium permanganate. He waited quietly for the process toplete. "Brother Lin, this porcin already has significant artistic value. Why are you soaking it?" Qing, who still didn''t understand what Lin Chuan was doing, asked curiously. Lin Chuan smiled, "Having artistic value alone isn''t enough; it also needs to have historical value." "Ah, what do you mean?" "After it''s soaked, it will be a Qing Dynasty porcin, a piece worth a few hundred thousand." Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. Qing''s eyes bulged, her mouth agape: "That much? That''s way more profitable than making ceramics!" "Of course," Lin Chuanughed. After the soaking wasplete, Lin Chuan carried out a series of finishing processes and then, with Qing, brought the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' to the most famous treasure appraiser in the county for an evaluation. As expected, the treasure appraiser studied this newly fired ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' carefully, quite astonished, and immediately offered to purchase the bowl for a high price of 400,000. But Lin Chuan did not sell the bowl to this appraiser. This bowl, I''ll have to find a way to sell it to the son of the Ceramic Chamber of Commerce''s president, otherwise I wouldn''t be doing justice to the ''good intentions'' behind his attempts to trip me up. ... Afterward, Lin Chuan went on to forge various kinds of antiques. Calligraphy and paintings, bronze wares, jade, wood antiques... Gliding through with cheats, without ever trying his hand, he made a resounding name for himself in the antiques circle and was hailed as a grandmaster-level master. Cough, a master forger, that is. But the philosophical question of ''real versus fake'' is hard to delve into. The ultimate realm of antique forgery: As long as no one says it''s fake, then it''s real! The Virtual World''s Experience Life came to an end. Lin Chuan''s consciousness returned to reality. The multiple simtions in the virtual world allowed him to get somewhat used to this kind of mental burden. The System''s voice rang out [Host, you have gained the ability: Antique Crafting Technique.] [Also, based on your "Antique Maker Career Life" experience, a novel titled "Last Week''s Antique" has been automatically generated with approximately 1.06 million words and is currently being exported for you. It will bepleted in about 10 hours. Please check for it.] [Please pay attention, Host!] ["Last Week''s Antique" requires reaching 20,000 Poprity Value (Average Subscription) to unlock the next Experience Life career.] [Keep it up!] "Twenty thousand average subscriptions... damn it!" Lin Chuan spat dismissively and went straight back to sleep. To find even a few books with twenty thousand average subscriptions in Sailing Novel is like looking for a needle in a haystack, is it that easy to achieve? Sleeping, sleeping, there''s everything in dreams! The night gradually faded. The rising sun of the early morning cast its golden rays, enveloping the old alleyways in a hazy golden light, while green-gray bricks were covered with a spottyyer of moss, which glinted with dew under the sunlight. Outside the rented room''s window, a gentle breeze blew past, bringing a hint of coolness along with the distant fragrance of flowers and nts, asionally mixed with few cheerful and clear bird chirps. ''Bang bang bang'' The iron door of the rental was knocked heavily, breaking the silence of the morning. Lin Chuan woke up from his sleep to the Little Landy''s shouting outside the door, "Mr. Director, get up, I have something urgent to discuss with you!" "What is it?" Dressed only in his boxers, Lin Chuan opened the iron door to let the Little Landy into the room. Having no work today, the Little Landy wore a loose white T-shirt that hid her denim shorts, creating a ''missing lower garments'' look that revealed her pale, long legs as she dangled them in front of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan''s sleepiness was shaken off quite a bit. The Little Landy shed a bright smile, pulled Lin Chuan to sit down, and ced two breakfasts on the table. She blinked at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan paused, "Didn''t you say you had an urgent matter?" "Yeah, the urgent matter is to get you up for breakfast," the Little Landyughed. "Thanks." Lin Chuan looked at the breakfast on the table, then back at the Little Landy, and asked with a smile, "Is that really all?" The Little Landy giggled, her face revealing a hint of yfulness, then took out a bracelet and said, "There is something else. This morning, a customer sent a message asking if this Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet is for sale. I wasn''t sure what to do, so I came to ask for your opinion." Lin Chuan nced at the Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet and frowned, "Isn''t that the one Aunt Liu gave you?" Chapter 120: Chapter 118: Cant Say Im Cheating, Right? (Please Subscribe!) In the rental. The warm morning sun shone through the window, iming a few floor tiles for its own, and the fine particles of dust were undeniably visible in the light. Little Landy Zhang Xinxin looked at Lin Chuan and nodded seriously, "Yes, it''s the one Aunt Liu gave me. She seemed to say it was worth tens of thousands of yuan." "Wait for me a moment." Lin Chuan immediately turned around to wash up quickly in the bathroom, perked himself up, and then took the century-old red agate bracelet from Little Landy''s hand. This bracelet consisted of 16 red agate beads. Each bead was deeply hued and warm like blood, their surfaces had be smooth and round, the touch was delicate with no grainy texture, as if they had been bathed and sedimented by the years. Lin Chuan took it to the window, cing it in the sunlight. The red agate beads emitted a charming luster, their patterns like flowing mes dancing within the golden sunlight, asionally clinking against each other, producing a crisp and pleasant sound akin to a quietly trickling stream. "Chairman, can you appraise agates?" Little Landy leaned in to look but couldn''t understand, a puzzled look appearing on her lovely face. Lin Chuan, seeing the expectation on Little Landy''s small face, smiled, "A little." "That''s great!" Little Landy''s eyebrows instantly bent into crescents, revealing a delighted smile. Lin Chuan tapped Little Landy''s forehead with his finger and thought to himself, luckily I worked overtimest night to learn a new technique, otherwise you really would have stumped me. But this string of century-old red agate "Fake." Lin Chuan took another look before concluding. "Fake?" Little Landy furrowed her brows, a look of surprise on her face. Lin Chuan nodded and gave a light ''hm''. Actually, Lin Chuan spotted the giveaway immediately, but because the giver was Old Zhang''s partnerAunt Liuhe took several more nces, very careful to ensure he was not mistaken. Otherwise, with Lin Chuan''s status as a ''grandmaster level master'' in the virtual world''s antiques circle, he only needed to hold it in his hand, touch it lightly, and take one look, and no falsity or deceit could hide from his ''fiery eyes and golden pupils.'' When it came to antique forgery, no one could im kingship before him. "Chairman, how did you tell it was a fake?" Little Landy Zhang Xinxin asked in a daze. Lin Chuan smiled, ced the ''century-old red agate bracelet'' in Little Landy''s hand, and then pointed at the patterns, "Look here." Little Landy pursed her lips and said in a soft voice, "I can''t tell. Can you teach me, Chairman?" Lin Chuan, a good head taller than Little Landy, used his right hand to gently tousle her hair and teased, "Who taught you to speak so coyly?" "The strategies taught me." Little Landy beamed, her eyes filled with a dazzling starry sky. "You don''t actually need any strategies." Lin Chuan chuckled, then continued to look at the century-old red agate bracelet, "The craftsmanship of this bracelet is very good. It''s a replica of Southern Red Agate, altered in color through heat treatment, and this aspect is done quite well; you can clearly see the cinnabar spots umting, resembling the cinnabar red in century-old Southern Red Agate." Southern Red Agate, also known as ''cinnabar jade'', has a fine and oily texture and originates from the Yundian region, highly valued as collectible art. Little Landy listened intently, her clear eyes fixed on Lin Chuan. "Why are you looking at me? Look at it," Lin Chuan stopped. "Okay." Little Landy grinned and said, "Keep talking, I''m listening." Lin Chuan tapped Little Landy''s head and continued, "Whether it''s the color or texture, this bracelet is one of the better fakes amongst replicas, but the patterns still give away subtle clues. Look here," he said, pointing. Little Landy followed Lin Chuan''s finger to examine the beads. On the agate beads, there were very fine granr patterns. Lin Chuan remarked, "Cinnabar Southern Red Agate should have patterns almost like mes, very enchanting, but this imitation, the patterns are not fine enough, and its antiquing technique stillcks some level." Little Landy earnestly used Lin Chuan''s method to carefully scrutinize each bead. Ultimately, with a pout, she ced the beads on the table. Each one was a replica. "Little Landy, what''s this about someone wanting to buy your bracelet?" Lin Chuan sat at the table, eating the beef noodles Little Landy had packed, while asking. Little Landy pouted. As it turned out, yesterday a customer wanted to have a look around thepany and Little Landy agreed. During the visit, the customer noticed the century-old red agate bracelet on Little Landy''s wrist and greatly admired it. At the time, Little Landy had thought it was just mutual business ttery. Unexpectedly, this morning, the customer messaged Little Landy wanting to purchase her century-old red agate bracelet at a high price. Little Landy found it strange and couldn''t decide on her own, so she immediately ran to get Lin Chuan''s opinion. Unconsciously, she had be somewhat dependent on Lin Chuan. "How much is he willing to pay for it?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile, his mouth corner raised. Little Landy stretched out her slender index finger, "One hundred thousand." Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised, and he paused in his eating, "In that case, he''s quite interested in this bracelet, huh? One hundred thousand yuan, offering a high price for a replica of the century-old red agate bracelet, that''s interesting." Little Landy clearly didn''t understand Lin Chuan''s words, her eyebrows knitted together, "Chairman, what does that mean?" Lin Chuan smiled and said cheerfully, "Have you heard of the Antique Scam?" Little Landy shook her head. Previously engrossed in short videos and after starting apany with Lin Chuan recently, she was busy nning thepany''s development and researching ''what 24-year-old men like''how could she know anything about the Antique Scam? "I think you might have encountered an Antique Scam," Lin Chuan said with a smile, and then exined the Antique Scam to Little Landy. The Antique Scam is actually one of the deceptive practices from the Cheating Sect''s ''Eight Generals''. The antiques market is treacherous, with extremely high profit margins, and some people have derived illicit methods, using antiques as bait to lure victims. The ultimate goal was essentially to sell replicas as authentic pieces at high prices. At its core, it was about exploiting people''s psychology tomit fraud. Many people got deeply trapped in the Antique Scam and couldn''t extricate themselves, eventually leading to financial ruin, and in worse cases, broken families. "So, Little Landy, you understand what I''m saying now, right?" Lin Chuan said with a smile. "I kind of get it now." Little Landy took a deep breath. "Which means, Aunt Liu might have set me up." "It''s indeed possible, but her target isn''t likely you; it''s Old Zhang," Lin Chuan nodded in affirmation. Lin Chuan spected that in this Antique Scam, Liu Qing first used her rtionship with Old Zhang to give the Little Landy the Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet. Then, she arranged for a stooge to ''coincidentally'' see the Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet and offer to buy it at a high price. Her purpose was actually to use the Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet to make the Little Landy trust her. Thus influencing Old Zhang. Because the Little Landy was the person Old Zhang was closest to. Liu Qing was very clever. She had investigated both Lin Chuan and the Little Landy and knew that they had no experience with antique trinkets and werepletely ignorant in that area. Therefore, she boldly designed such a scam under the guise of ''meeting'' them. The goal was to hook Old Zhang. Originally, when Lin Chuan first encountered Liu Qing, he was only suspicious and did not dare bepletely certain. But now suddenly someone wanted to buy the Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet she had given to the Little Landy at a high price, so Lin Chuan was sure that she wasn''t sincerely dating Old Zhang but rather nning to swindle him. This kind of scam was rtivelymon in the antiques circle. For someone new to antiques like Old Zhang, it was like a lower-dimensional strike. "So what should we do? Should we tell Old Zhang directly?" The Little Landy furrowed her brows and asked. After some thought, Lin Chuan shook his head: "Old Zhang might already be caught in it. If we confront him directly, he might not believe us, and it could alert Liu Qing instead. Let''s collect evidence first." As the saying goes, the yer is blind but the onlooker sees clear. After years of being single, he was desperate for a rtionship, so he fell for it. From Old Zhang''s perspective: His girlfriend gave his daughter a precious Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet, and someone wanted to buy it for a high price. This indicated that the bracelet was genuine. It further proved that his girlfriend truly cared for his daughter. As for the word ''deceit'', it probably only flickered through his mind without leaving a trace. "This Liu Qing actually wants to trick Old Zhang!" The Little Landy''s brows knitted together, and a hint of anger appeared on her pretty face as she said indignantly. Lin Chuan rubbed the Little Landy''s head tofort her, "Stay calm." Little Landy took a deep breath to calm her agitation and then asked, "Chairman, what should we do with this bracelet now?" "Of course, we should sell it," Lin Chuan said with augh. "Ah?" Little Landy was taken aback. "Isn''t it a fake? Will the client really buy it?" "If it really is part of an Antique Scam, of course, they will buy it," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Even if we say we don''t know if it''s real or fake, he will insist it''s genuine. Besides, how can we gather evidence and talk to Old Zhang if we don''t sell it?" In the rental, the Little Landy pursed her lips: "What will we do after selling it?" Lin Chuan pondered for a moment. In his mind, he retrieved memories rted to the antiques con in the Virtual World. Then, Lin Chuan smiled, the corners of his mouth forming a subtle curve, "If everything goes as expected, after we sell it, Liu Qing will soon invite Old Zhang and you to view a collection of antiques." "Hmph, the wicked woman!" The Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, clenched her fists and pouted, speaking angrily. "Don''t worry, I''ll help you get your revenge," Lin Chuan said with augh as he rubbed the Little Landy''s head again. Little Landy looked up, her clear eyes meeting Lin Chuan''s, and with a purse of her lips, she nodded firmly, feeling inexplicably reassured by the sight of Lin Chuan''s faintly smiling face. "Howe you know everything?" the Little Landy asked curiously. "Well... maybe that''s just the mark of a genius," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Only a genius could exin all this. Otherwise... it''s not like I could say I''m using a cheat, right? "Chairman, you''re so full of yourself!" the Little Landy teased, but deep down she had no doubt about Lin Chuan''s words. Lin Chuan smiled faintly, then picked up the ''Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet'' from the table, his eyes shing with a cold and sharp light. He didn''t want the Little Landy to worry. If it had been yesterday, he would have been aplete novice in the world of antique trinkets. But afterst night''s experience in virtual life, he was now at the Grandmaster Level in the antiques circle! The pinnacle of forgery was creating a replica that was even more convincing than the genuine article, and Lin Chuan was at that level. As for appraising, it was merely a matter of handling the item and looking it over. Chapter 121: Chapter 119: Who is the Fish that Got Hooked? (Please Subscribe) Soon enough. Under Lin Chuan''s instruction, the Little Landy arranged a meeting with the client at a tea house. The eight or nine o''clock sun, with its round outline bing increasingly clear against the dawn sky, cast a pale golden light on the road. The cool of the early morning intertwined with the warmth of the sunshine, as the familiar little electric scooter made its way down this street. After a short while, both the Little Landy and Lin Chuan arrived at their destination. Yueming Tea House. This tea house wasn''t conspicuous, nestled at the end of a tranquil alley. The storefront was modest, but simple and elegant, with several pots of lush green potted nts ced in front, releasing a faint fragrance. The Little Landy parked the electric scooter outside the alley, took off her helmet, and, holding Lin Chuan''s hand, stepped into the tea house. The service at the tea house was excellent. Upon entering, a woman in a cheongsam with a graceful figure led them inside. The Little Landy nced at the cheongsam and whispered into Lin Chuan''s ear, "Director, do you like cheongsams?" Lin Chuan was taken aback, "Let''s focus on the matter at hand first!" The Little Landy was always flirting. "Alright." Zhang Xinxin grinned andughed. Knock, knock, knock The waitress led Lin Chuan and Zhang to a private room and tapped lightly on the wooden door. "Come in." A voice called out from the room. "President Li." Lin Chuan and the Little Landy pushed the door open and saw a middle-aged man sitting in front of the tea table. His thick eyebrows arched slightly, his face round and full, appearing somewhat portly. Upon seeing the two enter, President Li immediately stood up to greet them warmly, guided them to their seats, and his smile was reassuring. This was Lin Chuan''s first encounter with President Li, so he took a moment to observe President Li''s attire. President Li was dressed casually, with a ''Landscape Jade Pendant'' around his neck, a ''Small-Leaf Rosewood Bracelet'' on his wrist, and a lion''s head in his hand. It was clear that he was acquainted with the antiques circle. As for their quality, they didn''t catch Lin Chuan''s eye. After all, the antiques he forged were much more valuable than what President Li was wearing. Several paintings and calligraphy hung in the private room of the tea house; Lin Chuan also took a nce at them. For instance, "Friend of Women"... Oops, "Feel at Home." Having experienced life, Lin Chuan had a natural sensitivity to these things. And President Li in front offered a smile, "What kind of tea would you two like?" Lin Chuan chose casually, "Pu''er tea." President Li began to brew the Pu''er tea with deliberate care, chatting with Lin Chuan and the Little Landy about coboration and antiques while he did so. It wasn''t until the tea was ready that President Li poured a cup for both Lin Chuan and the Little Landy. At that moment. His gaze fell upon the so-called Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet on the Little Landy''s wrist, "Little Director Zhang, the more I look at this Southern Red Agate bracelet of yours, the more precious it seems to me. May I take a closer look at it?" The Little Landy exchanged a nce with Lin Chuan, then took off the Red Agate bracelet and handed it to President Li. President Li immediately disyed an expression as if he had found a treasure, cradling it in his palm. He examined each Red Agate bead with great care. Every expression, every subtle movement of his was just right, as if he was appreciating a marvelous piece of art. But looking at his expression, calling it art wasn''t enough; it was at least a hereditary treasure. This scene unfolded before Lin Chuan''s eyes. Lin Chuan struggled to suppress the smile on his lips, maintaining a calm demeanor, yet his heart was blooming with joy. We have undergone professional training, no matter how funny something is, we won''tugh. Unless we can''t help it! This President Li really was a master at ying roles in the antiques circle, a veritable Oscar-winning actor. Although this was a high-quality imitation of a Red Agate bracelet, imitated so well it could deceive most collectors, it wasn''t valuable enough to be considered a treasured heirloom. However. In President Li''s eyes, Lin Chuan and the Little Landy were nothing but outsiders to the antiques circle. No! They weren''t even worthy of being called outsiders! Therefore, he wasn''t worried about being exposed. After carefully examining and admiring for a while, President Li turned to the Little Landy with a serious look: "Little Director Zhang, this Southern Red Agate bracelet, at least one hundred years old, the more I look at it, the more I like it. Amazing, indescribably so. I wonder if Little Director Zhang would be willing to part with it?" The Little Landy nced at President Li and said hesitantly, "President Li, this was a gift from a friend of mine. Is it really as valuable as you say?" President Li took a sip of tea, then pointing to the agate bracelet, he said, "Little Director Zhang, perhaps you''re not too familiar with agate. Let me teach you how to appreciate Southern Red Agate. Look here, this color, this texture, it must have been nurtured by the ravages and baptism of a century to attain this sheen and warmth." "President Li, how much is this bracelet worth?" Lin Chuan, standing to the side, smiled and joined the conversation. This time, Lin Chuan wasn''t here to show off, but to act. So, he wouldn''t expose President Li''s trickery but nned to go with the flow and under some pretense of reluctance, sell him the ''Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet.'' President Li nced at Lin Chuan and after scrutinizing the bracelet again, marveled, "I won''t hide it from you, Director Lin, if Little Director Zhang is willing to part with it, I''m willing to purchase it at the market price of one hundred thousand!" The Little Landy, demonstrating perfect acting skills, expressed mild surprise, "President Li, I can''t guarantee this bracelet is the ''Century-Old Southern Red Agate Bracelet'' you mentioned. Perhaps I should have it appraised first." Upon hearing the word "appraisal," President Li waved his hands repeatedly, "Little Director Zhang, I''ve been in the Anling antiques circle for decades, you could say my eyes are the authority, no appraisal needed." "This..." The Little Landy appeared hesitant. If Lin Chuan hadn''t pre-emptively enlightened her, with President Li''s Oscar-worthy performance, she might have indeed been utterly convinced. President Li, who was incredibly professional at acting as a ''nt,'' immediately began to weave a story: "Little Director Zhang, to tell you the truth, I intended to buy this to give to my wife. My wife and I have weathered decades together, but I''ve never bought her any significant gift, and in a few days, it will be her birthday..." A touching and poignant love story emerged from President Li''s mouth. The Little Landy took a deep breath, seemingly moved by the story. She couldn''t help but nce at Lin Chuan. It wasn''t because she associated it with herself and Lin Chuan, but because Lin Chuan had correctly predicted President Li''s actions and reactions, including the tragically beautiful love story, before he arrived. After all, these stories of high-price repurchases are few. Such as ''I''ve been searching for years, my wife left me, my children scattered, and now I''ve finally found it...'' or ''My family elder''s birthday is soon, I grew up following him, he to me...'' In a word, touching! Then, under a bit of push and pull, Lin Chuan casually joined in the bargaining, slightly raising the price, and sold the bracelet for twelve thousand to President Li. The deal was struck! Both parties were very satisfied! Walking out of the Yueming Tea House, Little Landy had a smile on her face: "Director, does dealing in antiques really make money like this?" Lin Chuanughed and said, "In antiques, there are plenty who lose money. Many who make big money are experts in fakery; after all, among the antiques circting on the market, maybe one in a hundred thousand may be genuine." "Are wemitting fraud doing this?" Little Landy asked again. "Not at all," Lin Chuan replied. "But we are selling reproductions as the real thing," Little Landy frowned slightly. Lin Chuanughed heartily: "Didn''t we emphasize from the start that we didn''t know if this bracelet was real or fake? If he wants to buy it, he has to take the risk." Hmm, stacking up buffs right from the start with a disimer. Even if the police pursued itter, they couldn''t pin anything on Lin Chuan and Little Landy; as long as they insisted they didn''t know if it was real or fake, it wouldn''t be considered fraud. This is also the reason why it''s hard to hold anyone ountable in the antiques circle. Even if you buy a fake, you can only ept it. "So what do we do next?" Little Landy, growing bolder, wrapped her arm around Lin Chuan''s. Lin Chuan tried to pull his arm out, but Little Landy held on tightly, so he let her be: "Now, just wait for Liu Qing to invite you and Old Zhang to y at the Antique Market." "You''reing with me." Little Landy shook Lin Chuan''s arm, speaking in a coquettish tone. A coquettish woman leads the most fortunate life! Lin Chuan, seeing Little Landy''s coquettish behavior, felt a softness in his heart: "If I don''t go, am I supposed to watch my financial director and my oldndlord fall into the Antique Scam?" "Director Lin, you''re so nice!" Little Landy chuckled. "This is getting a bit affectionate," Lin Chuan cautioned, "An office romance, if the subordinates find out, could be a bit problematic." "Isn''t the office a very exciting ce?" Little Landy lifted her face and mischievously said, "The office, the director, the secretary, hehehe..." Lin Chuan was taken aback and tapped Little Landy''s forehead with his finger: "You''ve been watching too many movies!" "You''ve watched them, too, otherwise how would you know?" Zhang Xinxin blinked andughed. Lin Chuan was at a loss for words: "Next time let''s watch together!" "Sure!" Zhang Xinxin readily agreed, "I''ll find a website, hehehe." ... Two o''clock in the afternoon. In Qingxiu District, inside a Cheongsam Shop, Little Landy was trying on a simple blue and white porcin cheongsam. Standing in front of the mirror, she asked Lin Chuan behind her: "Director Lin, do I look good in this?" Lin Chuan looked up. The simple blue and white porcin cheongsam gently draped over Little Landy''s body, outlining her perfect waistline, her graceful figure. The only thing that seemed a bit off was the tightness above her waistline. Clearly! A cheongsam too small in the bust wasn''t suitable for Little Landy. Lin Chuan nced at the tight area, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he diplomatically replied: "You should go for a custom cheongsam." "Then next time I''ll get one made and wear it for you to see," Little Landy said with a smile. ''Ring, ring, ring'' At this moment, Little Landy''s phone rang. The caller ID: Old Zhang. She answered the call. "Zhang, do you and Lin Chuan have time?" Old Zhang started speaking from the other end of the phone. Little Landy responded: "Old Zhang, I''m shopping with Lin Chuan now!" "Where are you shopping?" Old Zhang asked. "Qingxiu District, why?" Little Landy replied. "Come to East Street in a while, Aunt Liu wants to pick a gift for you," Old Zhang said with augh. Little Landy was surprised: "A gift?" On the other end of the phone, Liu Qing was beside Old Zhang, smiling: "Zhang, the century-old red agate bracelet I gave youst time seemed too casual for a first meeting gift, so I want to pick out another gift for you. A few antique dealers I know just got in some new stock, and I thought I''d take you to choose one." Little Landy immediately looked at Lin Chuan beside her, her eyes full of questions. She was very close to Lin Chuan, so he heard everything clearly and nodded. "Aunt Liu, the bracelet you gave mest time is already quite valuable; there''s no need to pick out another first meeting gift," Little Landy half-heartedly replied. "Old Zhang has only you as a precious daughter, and Aunt Liu has taken a liking to you. I''m happy to invite you to stroll through Antique Streetyou don''t have to buy anything, just looking is good. Bring Lin along too, you two can take a closer look together," Liu Qing continued. "Okay, Aunt Liu, Lin Chuan and I will be right over," Little Landy squeezed out a smile and replied. "Aunt Liu is waiting for you two," Liu Qingughed. Dudu dudu. The call ended. Little Landy turned to Lin Chuan: "Director Lin, she''s really set up a scheme." Lin Chuan smiled, a hint of confidence on his face: "Don''t worry, I''ve also prepared a scheme for her, so let''s see who ends up being the fish on the hook." Chapter 122: Chapter 120: Mr. Lin Takes Action, This is the Real Scam! (Please Subscribe) Anling City, East Street. This was an Antique Street, where architecture oozed with ancient charm. With its orderly scattered green bricks and ck tiles, carved beams and painted rafters, this ce differed from the modern hustle and bustle, leaning closer to the style of the Republican period. In the alleyways, there were quaint and elegant antique shops. On both sides of the street, stands of various sizes were set up, arrayed with a dazzling range of items: porcin, jade, paintings, and coins were all avable. The vendors, dressed in traditional attire, either held pipes or gently waved folding fans, haggling with customers tinkering with antiques. The littlendy had changed back into a loose white T-shirt and denim shorts, holding Lin Chuan''s hand, they arrived at East Street. "Old Zhang, Aunt Liu." From a distance, they saw Old Zhang and Liu Qing. The littlendy waved to greet them. On the way here, Lin Chuan had already psychologically prepped the littlendy, and the moment to test their acting skills was upon them. Fortunately, with the advantage of surprise on their side, their chances of sess were ny-eight percent. Liu Qing wore an elegant cheongsam and warmly walked over to the littlendy. Holding her hand, she walked inside while smiling, "Zhang, you''ve be even prettier in just a few days." The littlendy, with her acting on point, returned a smile, "Aunt Liu, you look so dignified in that cheongsam." "Such sweet talk." Liu Qing said with a blossoming smile. She did indeed have a good figure. At the age of thirty-seven or thirty-eight, there was no noticeable fat on her stomach, her skin was white and firm, and the whole person exuded an air of quiet elegance in the cheongsam. Clearly, Old Zhang was absolutely helpless against Liu Qing. The group entered East Street. Lin Chuan had visited many an antique street in the virtual world. Anling''s Antique Street was rtively scattered, and East Street was the biggest one. Lin Chuan also took an interested nce at the street-side stands. "Little Lin, those stands outside mostly belong to second-hand dealers, most of them are ''new imitations,'' and the rest are just regr goods," Liu Qing turned and exined to Old Zhang and Lin Chuan. New imitations referred to pieces that had been recently manufactured to look old. Regr goods were works produced in bulk by artists or crafters to meet market demand. Lin Chuan grinned and said like an innocent ''Bai,'' "I''ve read some antique novels where the protagonist picks up a missed treasure at a small stand and then bes incredibly sessful overnight." "A novel is not reality; to really find good pieces, you need special channels," Liu Qingughed. In her heart, she reconfirmed ''Lin Chuan = antique novice.'' Afterward, Liu Qing led Lin Chuan and the others through the various antique stands and into an alley, into an antique shop named ''Ancient.'' "Boss Liu, Boss Zhang, your visit brings light to my humble establishment," The slightly plump owner of Ancient greeted them warmly as he saw Liu Qing and Zhang De, wearing a traditional Chinese long gown and cloth shoes, he came up to them with a smile and a bow. Old Zhang also returned the gesture with a bow, smiling, "Boss Gu, your business is thriving." "All thanks to Boss Zhang and Boss Liu''s support," Boss Guughed heartily. After some pleasantries, Boss Gu led everyone to the second floor, exining the stories behind various antiques one by one. Lin Chuan didn''t join in the conversation; he just nced around the shop and thought to himself, "This ce is such a rip-off." On the first floor of the shop, from porcin and jade to bronze items, most were inferior products; even the slightly better ones were high-quality fakes. On the second floor was a spacious hall, resembling a museum, where valuable antiques were disyed in ss cabs. But hardly any of them were truly eye-catching. However, Lin Chuan wasn''t there to expose fakes. Antiques and gambling on stones were alike in some respects, with one rule: let those who are willing to gamble do so without offering unsolicited advice. Unless it was someone close to him. Otherwise, when the piece they have their eye on is sold at a high price through the efforts of ''shills,'' they would end up resenting the person who advised them against it. "Zhang, do you prefer porcin, paintings, or jade?" Liu Qing asked. The littlendy shook her head, "I don''t know much about antiques; you don''t need to buy me anything, Aunt Liu, it''s too much." "Don''t be so formal with me," Liu Qing patted Zhang''s hand and then led the littlendy towards the areas with porcin and jade, "How about this ice-type green jade Guanyin pendant?" Boss Gu immediately began to exin, "Boss Liu has a discerning eye. This ice-type green jade Guanyin pendant is a natural A-grade piece from old pits in the Myanmar area, carved by the hand of Master Zhou Quan, a renowned jade-carving master in China. It''s a treasure in the jade world, having participated in the Modu Jade Expo. Here are its authenticity certificate and exhibition certificate." Liu Qing smiled slightly, "Let''s try it on." "Okay." Boss Gu''s eyes lit up as he immediately took out the pendant. Taking the ice-type green jade Guanyin pendant, Liu Qing shone a shlight on it, revealing its through-and-through brightness, the piece was warm to the touch and wlessly carved. She nodded in satisfaction, "Jade nourishes the wearer. Let me put it on you, Zhang." The littlendy hesitantly nodded in agreement. "It''s truly beautiful!" After being adorned, Liu Qing eximed, "I''ll get a master to bless it; it''ll ensure your safety and well-being." The ice-type green jade Guanyin pendant against the littlendy''s white T-shirt looked quite charming under the shop''s lighting. The littlendy hesitated for a moment, "This is expensive, isn''t it?" Liu Qing then looked towards Boss Gu. Boss Gu stretched out three fingers, "Not too expensive, twenty thousand." "That''s too much..." "Put it on my tab, Boss Gu!" Before the littlendy could finish her sentence, Liu Qing had already taken the pendant. "Aunt Liu, you''re being too generous," The littlendy pursed her lips and said. "Let''s not talk like we''re outsiders. We''re one family," Liu Qing waved her hand, beaming, "With this Guanyin pendantplemented by the Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet, you look too beautiful, Zhang. Eh, why aren''t you wearing the bracelet?" Chapter 123: Chapter 120: Mr. Lin Takes Action, This is the Real Scam! (Please Subscribe)_2 Lin Chuan turned his head to the side. Here ites. Liu Qing hadid the groundwork for so long, just for this moment. The Little Landy pursed her lips, a hint of guilt in her voice as she said, "Aunt Liu, that bracelet was bought by a friend of mine." Old Zhang''s face changed, and he couldn''t help but say, "Zhang, how could you sell the bracelet your Aunt Liu gave you..." "Old Zhang, it''s just a bracelet. I''ll give Zhang another er," Liu Qing said with a smile, stopping Old Zhang, "How much did you sell that bracelet for? We can''t let people swindle us in the antiques circle." "One... one hundred and twenty thousand." The Little Landy said. "I got it a few years ago for seventy thousand, and you just made fifty thousand with one sale," Liu Qing said, her eyes lighting up as sheplimented the Little Landy to Old Zhang, "Look at Zhang, she''s naturally suited for the antiques business. There won''t be any problems with putting her in charge of the antique shop." "This Zhang..." Old Zhang muttered something and then said with a smile, "I will discuss the antique shop business with Zhang." "Take your time to think it over, no rush," Liu Qing said with a smile, "Zhang, let''s go choose another bracelet!" Liu Qing took Zhang by the hand, and off they went to look at bracelets again. Old Zhang watched them in harmony, chuckling happily, but then his good mood faltered as he caught a glimpse of Lin Chuan from the corner of his eye. Ah... his precious daughter was bewitched by thisd! Such a goddamn mess! However, Old Zhang knew that his daughter had her heart set on Lin Chuan. After a moment of thought, he reminded, "Lin Chuan,ter on you should learn something from your Aunt Liu, you''ll have to deal with these things in the future." "Old Zhang, are you sure you want to enter into the antiques circle?" Lin Chuan was slightly taken aback. Old Zhang nodded, "Always collecting rent isn''t interesting. While your Aunt Liu is building up the antique market, I n to invest in opening an antique shop. It''s just a matter of a million or two. Stop writing novels, you won''t earn much from that. In the future, you''ll help me and Zhang manage it." Lin Chuan''s brow furrowed slightly, "Investing in an antique shop, where will you get the goods?" Old Zhang held his head high, looking towards Liu Qing, "Your Aunt Liu will soon be family, and as an expert in antiques, getting goods from her will be no problem. You just need to learn well." "Mhm, learn well." Lin Chuan responded nonchntly, fairly certain of Liu Qing''s strategy. This was amon yet highly effective Antique Scam. Lin Chuan could anticipate Liu Qing''s next move would be to supply goods to Old Zhang, then send in ''shills'' to the shop to buy a few items at high prices, letting Old Zhang get an initial taste of sess. Gradually, they would lure Old Zhang deeper in, the prices of the goods escting, until ultimately all of Old Zhang''s assets would be tightly locked in, with no escape. It operated on simr principles to a pig-butchering scam, exploiting human curiosity, greed, discontent, and the desire to gamble, until one''s wealth was annihted. By the time the victim realized it was a scam, it was already toote. Having experienced ''swindler'' ''fraud'' ''Antique Forgery'', Lin Chuan was intimately familiar with the techniques of the Cheating Sect and their Eight Generals. If he wanted, with just a step into the gray area, money would flow like it was being printed. But his conscience was nagging at him. It''s the same old saying, those with a conscience can''t make a lot of money, and those who earn a lot of money... can''t all be tarred with the same brush, perhaps 99.9 percent of them. Lin Chuan watched Liu Qing guiding the Little Landy through bracelet selections, and it was time for him to start his own performance. "Xinxin, Aunt Liu, I''m going to look around downstairs to see if I can find a small gift for you," Lin Chuan called the Little Landy ''Xinxin'' for the first time, which felt quite awkward. "Chuan, go ahead." The Little Landy, a perfect actress, managed not to burst intoughter. "Lin, be careful with those small vendors," Liu Qing warned. Lin Chuan scratched his head with a naive look and said with some embarrassment, "Aunt Liu, the stuff here is too expensive, and I''m a bit short on money..." "Aunt Liu will help you." "I want to buy a gift for Xinxin with my own money," Lin Chuan said with sincere determination. "It''s rare for you to be so thoughtful," Liu Qing said with a smile. Afterward. Lin Chuan went downstairs and started browsing the small vendors'' stalls. "Boss, how much is this coin?" "Young man, you''ve got an eye for quality! This is a ''Fengtian One Tael,'' one of a kind, no other branch stores, a t price of three million!" "Thirty, I''ll take it." "Thirty thousand, deal!" "Uncle, what dream are you having in broad daylight? This is a high-quality replica; the quality just barely passes. But the patina, wear and tear, and the casting process are far from urate. Twenty-five yuan should do," Lin Chuan said.'' "Young man, you just said thirty yuan, deal!" Lin Chuan bought a coin and moved on to the next stall. "Boss, this furnace..." "You must be new to collecting antiques, let me tell you about this Xuande Furnace..." "Mass-produced, soaked in diluted Hydrofluoric Acid for 48 hours, then brushed with Potassium Permanganate, fresh from the factory for ten yuan. I''ll give thirteen yuan, you earn three!" Lin Chuan offered. "Buddy, three yuan is just enough for my bus fare. I won''t make a penny after going back and forth!" the vendor replied. "Fifteen, and I can''t go any higher!" "Alright, I''ll wrap it up for you!" Soon enough, Lin Chuan had visited over a dozen stalls, acquiring several ''antiques.'' Clearly, all of them were fakes. "Chairman, you bought so much!?" When Lin Chuan met up with the Little Landy, Liu Qing, and Old Zhang, the Little Landy approached with a look of surprise. "Xinxin, do you think this hairpin is pretty? It''s said to have been worn by a talented woman during the Republic of China," Lin Chuan took out a silver hairpin engraved with butterflies and handed it to the Little Landy. "It''s pretty," the Little Landy said with a smile brimming on her face. As long as it was from Lin Chuan, she found it beautiful, regardless of its authenticity. Chapter 124: Chapter 120: Mr. Lin Takes Action, This is the Real Scam! (Please Subscribe)_3 "Lin, how much did this cost?" Liu Qing smiled. "One thousand two hundred." "Lin, I''ll be honest with you, the wholesale price for this should be twelve yuan. If you want to find good stuff, you really need to learn more from Aunt Liu," Liu Qing said with a smile. She thought that Lin Chuan might be a top talent in other areas. But in the antiques circle, Lin Chuan was an absolute novice. The kind that anyone could see right through from a mile away! "What about these?" Lin Chuan took out the "Xuande Furnace," "Ming Dynasty Blue and White Multicolored Porcin," "Fengtian One Tael," among other antique items, but Liu Qing just nced at them casually, didn''t even take a proper look, waved her hand, and dered her judgement. They''re all fake! In Liu Qing''s eyes, the sudden despondent look on Lin Chuan''s face also showed a bit of resentment for being cheated. Liu Qing then consoled Lin Chuan with a few words before they parted ways. After parting, All four people had satisfied and content smiles on their faces. Old Zhang thought the deal was done. Liu Qing thought the deal was done. Lin Chuan and Little Landy also thought the deal was done. In short, it was happiness all around. Little Landy, riding her little electric scooter, enjoyed the embrace of Lin Chuan as they casually traveled back to Happiness Community, humming a tune along the streets and alleys. In Happiness Community, the evening scenery gradually unfolded, the setting sun''s afterglow scattered on the patchy stone paths, casting warm and mysterious shadows, the ss windows of the old houses in the neighborhood refracted soft light, and a cool breeze slipped through as well. In Lin Chuan''s rented apartment. "Chairman, today you called me ''Xinxin''; it sounded so nice," the Little Landy said, propping her hands on the table, cradling her face, focused on her chairman. "Eh, I still prefer calling you Little Landy," Lin Chuan said, while cing the fake antiques he had acquired that day on the table. Little Landy pouted and asked, "Can we take away the ''Little Landy'' part and rece it with another word?" "Rece it with what?" Lin Chuan responded, as his gaze fell on one of the coins. "Rece it with ''old''." Little Landy''s face bloomed with a smile, and she blinked her eyes. "Old... Landy?" Lin Chuan was startled, looked at Little Landy and said, "I haven''t had dinner yet, are you offering yourself as dinner?" "It''s not out of the question," she said with a beaming smile. Lin Chuan lightly flicked Little Landy''s forehead, then set the coin in front of her, "This coin, as a betrothal giftwhat do you think?" "I don''t need a betrothal gift," Little Landy said with a hint of shyness on her face. "Don''t underestimate this coin; it''s worth forty million!" Lin Chuan dered with augh, his eyes deep and spirited. "Isn''t it a fake? How can it be worth forty million?" Little Landy was taken aback, her eyes settling on the coin. In the center of the coin, there were the characters for "Guangxu Yuanbao." Around the edge, there were the slightly smaller characters "Made in Fengtian Province," "Gui Mao," "Kuping Silver One Tael." On the flip side, a noble and mighty dragon coiled powerfully and majestically. "It''s fake now, but it will turn real tomorrow," Lin Chuan said with a mysterious smile. The genuine coin, also known as "Fengtian One Tael." Its sample coins, ever since their first public exposure in the 30th Year of Guangxu''s Reign (1904), were recognized by the public and considered "Primary Treasure of Mechanism Coins." And during an auction, it started at fifteen million and was eventually sold for the sky-high price of forty-six million, setting a new record for domestic coin auction sales, and ranking it sixth in the world for public coin auction prices. Lin Chuan nned to counterfeit the "Fengtian One Tael" to trap Liu Qing in his scheme. In the virtual world of "Experience Life," Lin Chuan just happened to have counterfeited "Fengtian One Tael." As for the other items he acquired today, they were merely to mislead others. After all, if he had only acquired a single coin and it happened to be the "Fengtian One Tael," that would be far too suspicious. Confident in his skills of counterfeiting, Lin Chuan quickly took out the prepared items and began the forgery of the "Fengtian One Tael." Little Landy assisted him, eximing in amazement again and again! At night, the bright moon hung high. The counterfeiting was nearingpletion. "Old... Little Landy, could you arrange a meeting with President Li for tomorrow? Tell him I''ve acquired some antiques today and request his help to authenticate them," Lin Chuan said, stretching his muscles and smiling. Little Landy immediately nodded, took out her phone and sent a message to President Li. President Li was originally a "stooge" used by Liu Qing. Now, Lin Chuan was about to use Liu Qing''s "stooge" to set a real scam for her, a real Antique Scam! Chapter 125: Chapter 121: The King of Fraud, Never Fails! (Please Subscribe) The next day. May 28th. As the sun began to rise, a warm orange-red hue gradually spread across the sky. On the roadside, leaves and des of grass were covered in glittering dewdrops, twinkling in the morning light. A gentle, cool breeze brushed across Lin Chuan''s face, slowly eroding his drowsiness. Lin Chuan and the Little Landy had arranged to meet President Li at Yueming Tea House. To demonstrate the importance they ced on this batch of antiques, they did not ride in a small electric vehicle, but instead called for a luxury car specifically for the trip. The car: Mercedes-Benz GLC. The driver: Wang Zikai. "Old Lin, you... wow!" Wang Zikai, sitting in the driver''s seat, turned his head and saw Lin Chuan getting into the car with the Little Landy. He couldn''t help but raise his thumb. This guy! He had been worried about him not being able to find a girlfriend before, but it turned out, one girl after another kept showing up around him. The girl today was wearing a floral dress and was as pretty as a movie star. ording to Old Lin, she was hisndy, as well as his Chief Financial Officer, Head of Human Resources, and the main investor in hispany! Since the Little Landy was present, Wang Zikai could only give a hearty greeting to Lin Chuan, to save face for his brother. But in his heart, he was quietly cursing Lin Chuan. Old Lin must be the incarnation of the God of Marriage, binding himself with so many red stringstwo policewomen and a littlendy who''s a rich investor? I''m not like him; I only have one novelist rich investor. "Driver, to Yueming Tea House," Lin Chuan instructed from the back seat, with the Little Landy beside him, giving orders to Old Wang. Old Wang curled his lip, but since his brother was with a girl, he could onlyply, saying, "Passengers in the back, please fasten your seatbelts. We are now headed to Yueming Tea House." Lin Chuanughed, "Old Wang, you got up early in the morning to pick us up. Didn''t interrupt your sweet dream, did we?" "Dear highly-subscribed author passenger, I am at your service anytime!" Old Wang replied again. "Cut it out, be serious." Lin Chuan said,ughing. "My anti-fraud novel ''Inescapable'' has already concluded, so recently Qiqi suggested I go to bed earlier. Otherwise, it''s easy for my liver to overheat, affecting kidney function," Old Wang exined. "You better take care of yourself," Lin Chuan teased. "What are you doing heading to Yueming Tea House so early in the morning?" Old Wang asked curiously. Patting the box in his hand, Lin Chuan smiled, "I''ve recently got my hands on a few antiques. I''m taking them for someone to appraise." "Antiques?" Old Wang was surprised. "You''ve started getting involved in the antiques circle. You have a wide array of interests. How about the anti-fraud writingpetition?" "Thepetition for advancing to the next round will be settled on May 31st. There are three more days," said Lin Chuan with a smile. "That''s true. Old Lin, do you think I can win a prize?" "Second prize, maybe." "And what about you?" "First prize." "There''s only one first prizeit''s highlypetitive, with film adaptation and rights development at stake!" Old Wang spat dismissively. The second round would be judged by professional jurorsanti-fraud experts, anti-fraud police, and fraud victimswhose standards would be distinct from the popr traction gained through mass marketing campaigns. This judging panel would ce more emphasis on exposing the evils of fraud to achieve the effect of anti-fraud awareness. "Just wait for my adaptation, and I will take you to see the movie," Lin Chuan said with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "I think my fraud plots were written very well. I have a better chance of adaptation!" Old Wang protested. Lin Chuan chuckled, "Have you forgotten who taught you those fraud schemes?" "Uh..." Old Wang found himself at a loss for words. The Mercedes-Benz GLC sped through the pale golden morning sun, its engine roaring down the street. Shortly after, they arrived at the Yueming Vi. Old Wang waited in the car for Lin Chuan. Holding the box, Lin Chuan walked into Yueming Tea House with the Little Landy. It was the same waitress as before, dressed in a qipao with a weing smile. They entered the same private room asst time, pushing open the door to find President Li already waiting for them. "President Li, sorry to have kept you waiting." Lin Chuan put the box aside and shook hands with President Li amiably. With a warm smile, President Li said, "Director Lin, Little Director Zhang, I''ve only just arrived myself. Shall we have Pu''er tea again?" "Sure," Lin Chuan and the Little Landy nodded in agreement. As President Li held the teacups with tongs, he said, "My wife really liked the hundred-year-old Southern Red Agate bracelet that Little Director Zhang brought yesterday. She specifically asked me to thank you." "It''s us who should be thanking President Li. You''re like a guide for us in the antiques circle," Lin Chuanplimented President Li. "Haha, Lin Chuan, we are just exchanging and exploring ideas together," President Li chuckled. Each exchanged pleasantries, but both harbored their own cunning plots. "Did you two pick up quite a few nice things at East Street yesterday?" President Li asked with a smile, pouring a cup of tea for Lin Chuan and the Little Landy. "I''m just trying my hand at it. Whether they''re authentic or not, good or bad, I''ll have to rely on President Li to appraise them for us," Lin Chuan replied with a smile. Then, he opened the box, took out the antiques he had picked up the day before, andid them out one by one for President Li to examine. President Li took a sip of tea, picked up the ''Xuande Furnace'' closest to him, and examined it carefully. "President Li, feel free to speak your mind," Lin Chuan prompted. "Director Lin, how much did you pay for this furnace?" President Li gently brushed his hand over the ''Xuande Furnace'', frowning slightly as he asked. "Three thousand five hundred." Lin Chuan quoted the overpriced offer made casually by the seller. President Li clicked his tongue and then sipped his tea, "Director Lin, I''m not going to lie to you, this furnace is most likely mass-produced." "President Li, could you talk about the specific methods of identification?" Lin Chuan asked earnestly, eager to learn. "Director Lin, since you''ve just entered the field, let me teach you some basic methods. Look at the patina on this furnace. For copperware that''s truly ancient, the patina is very distinctive, like right here..." President Li spoke with great patience. In his eyes, he thought Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin, these two young people, decided to venture into the antiques circle, impetuously buying a bunch of items after selling a string of beads for 120,000 yuan the day before. "President Li, take a look at this hairpin," said Lin Chuan. "This hairpin has quite nice craftsmanship." "And this folding fan here, the owner said it''s a piece by Zheng Banqiao." "Hmm... it shoulde in handy when the weather is hot." "President Li, take another look at this coin," Lin Chuan said as he ced a coin in front of President Li to inspect. President Li had been talking for quite a while and his mouth was dry, so he took a sip of tea. He was already contemting how to reply with high EQ, thinking something along the lines of "this ancient coin with a face value of one yuan should be worth one yuan." Putting down the teacup. President Li, wearing a smile, picked up the coin before him, nced at it, and was about to make his judgment when suddenly--- He furrowed his brows slightly, his eyes condensed, and a sh of surprise and doubt crossed his face, quickly disappearing. President Li stared intently at the obverse of the coin, which read "Guimao Year Fengtian Province Made Guangxu Yuanbao Treasury t Silver One Tael," with a coiled dragon pattern in the center on the reverse, and the minting ce''s name in English along with the coin''s value around the edges. Hiss! President Li drew in a sharp breath, straightened his posture significantly, and focused deeply on the coin he was holding. The coin had an ancient and solemn appearance, the silver slightly oxidized, presenting a unique silver-gray hue, darker around the edges and progressively brighter towards the center, with a natural, smooth transition that gleamed softly under the light. The front featured vigorously powerful lettering surrounded by exquisite patterns, smooth lines, and on the reverse, the dragon''s scales were clearly visible, its eyes vivid and lifelike. The patina on both sides of the coin was unequivocally formed naturally. President Li''s brows furrowed deeper and deeper, his mouth slightly open, as if he wanted to say something but didn''t know how to express it. Eventually. He swallowed, calmed the rapid beating of his heart, and slowly set down the coin: "Director Lin, I need to use the restroom. Please excuse me for a moment." Without waiting to see what expressions Lin Chuan and the Little Landy had, he had already walked out of the private room and went towards a secluded corner of the Yueming Tea House, making sure there was no surveince and nobody around, before he took out his cellphone and made a call. "Hello, Sister Liu!" President Li began, breathing somewhat rapidly. "Did you handle those two kids? Once you''ve taken care of them, take them to the antique market for some fun, and let them have a taste of sess." A woman''s voice came from the phone. If Lin Chuan and the Little Landy had been present, they would surely have recognized the voice. It was none other than Old Zhang''s partner, Liu Qing. "Liu Qing, there''s been a change!" President Li took a deep breath and said. "What happened?" Liu Qing asked. "That kid might have stumbled upon something good!" President Li gulped and said. "He''s an antiques rookie. I looked at a few things he scavengedst night; not an ounce of talent for antiques. What good could he possibly have?" Liu Qing snorted. "He showed me several items, truly the kind that only a rookie would pick up, but just now he showed me a coin," President Li said seriously. "What coin?" "Fengtian One Tael!" On the other end of the phone, Liu Qing was clearly taken aback, and then said, "You''ve been fooled too, there''s only one Fengtian One Tael coin, how could it be in his hands?" "I couldn''t believe it myself, but that coin, it looks so much alike!" President Li said with some excitement. "Calm down and describe that coin to me in detail," Liu Qing instructed. "Alright." President Li described in detail everything he saw, including the coin''s appearance, color, patina, smoothness, and its general size and weight, without missing a single detail. "If it''s really as you described, it does seem quite simr," Liu Qing said after listening, now a bit hesitant herself. The Fengtian One Tael was the "King of Coins" among modern silver coins. Liu Qing and President Li, as people mingling in the antiques circle, knew all too well the Fengtian One Tael that had once sold for an astronomical price of 46 million yuan. President Li looked around carefully, then said, "If that coin really is the Fengtian One Tael, our performance..." "See if you can trick him into giving you that coin, or at the very least take a video of it for me to authenticate!" Liu Qing''s heart was also stirring with eagerness. She had meticulously crafted a scheme to entice Old Zhang into the trap, and the expected profit was merely in the tens of millions. But then, a Fengtian One Tael suddenly surfaced in her ears! Forty-six million yuan! That number was irresistibly enticing to her. In the private room. After President Li left, the Little Landy leaned in front of Lin Chuan and whispered, "Do you think they''ll fall for our setup?" "Don''t worry, I''ve never failed," Lin Chuan sipped his tea and smiled. "Hm?" The Little Landy frowned and looked up at Lin Chuan, "Never failed, have you done this kind of thing before?" Lin Chuan''s face darkened as he joked, "I''m a decent person, very honest." "You''re not honest about anything!" the Little Landy pouted. "I was just joking." Lin Chuanughed. In fact, he wasn''t joking at all. As the king of con artists, he had staged hundreds of such setups and indeed, had never failed! Chapter 126: Chapter 122 Really! Forty-six million! (Please subscribe!) Yueming Tea House. After President Li had spoken with Liu Qing on the phone, he already had a n in mind. He then returned to the private room with long strides and an energetic spirit: "Director Lin, Little Director Zhang, sorry to have kept you waiting." "It''s no problem at all," Lin Chuan waved his hand, smiling, "Today it''s us who have troubled President Li. It''s only right that we should wait." "You''re too kind, Director Lin." President Li seated himself,ughing heartily. Lin Chuan took a sip of tea and immediately passed the ''Fengtian One Tael'' coin back to President Li: "President Li, we''ve already looked at the stove, hairpin, and fan earlier, and now only this coin remains." President Li took the coin, nced at Lin Chuan and the Little Landy, then fixed his gaze back on the coin that had his nerves trembling. He slightly furrowed his brows and summarized the origin of the coin. Next, he began analyzing its appearance: "Director Lin, look at its patina, silver-gray with a bias toward ck around the edges, a result of silver oxidation, while the center is brighter and smoother, making it a rare gem among coins!" "So it''s genuine?" Lin Chuan''s eyes lit up at this. "Ah..." President Li heaved a sigh and shook his head, "Director Lin, you may not know, this ''Fengtian One Tael'' coin is a sample minted in 1903, and there''s only one in the world, which is currently on public disy at the Hongxi Art Museum. Thus, any circting in the market are fakes." Lin Chuan''s acting skills surged as his expression quickly fell into dejection, yet he seemed somewhat reluctant to ept this, "President Li, please take another close look. If it is a sample minting, could there be a second one produced?" "There''s currently no evidence to prove the existence of a second ''Fengtian One Tael,''" President Li shook his head, "The one you have here is a top-grade imitation." "Thank you, President Li, for your time today." Lin Chuan let out a sigh, taking the coin back and sipping his tea in resignation, a mixture of dissatisfaction and indignation ying across his face. He patted the Little Landy''s hand, ready to stand up and leave. "Director Lin." President Li called out, stopping Lin Chuan. "Yes, President Li, what advice do you have?" asked Lin Chuan with a smile. "If I may ask so boldly, how much did you pay for that ''Fengtian One Tael'' just now?" inquired President Li. Holding the coin, Lin Chuan replied somewhat sheepishly, "One hundred and twenty thousand." Hiss! President Li took a sharp breath, then said, "Director Lin, I have a friend who is keen on collecting these coins. If Lin Chuan wants to minimize his loss, would you be willing to sell it for twenty thousand?" "Twenty thousand?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "That''s right, just to make a friend," President Li smiled. Lin Chuan held the coin, looked at it again, and shook his head, "President Li, this was the first high-value item I bought back. It was a misjudgment, and so I''d like to keep it for myself as a lesson learned." "Do you have an ideal price in mind, Director Lin?" President Li probed. Anyone who has bargained knows that when the other side provides a reason for refusal, it usually means the price isn''t right. Time to raise the offer! The corners of Lin Chuan''s mouth tilted up slightly in a self-deprecating smile, "Don''tugh at me, President Li. When I first acquired this coin, Ipared it against photos of ''Fengtian One Tael'' for a long time before I was sure. I originally thought it could be worth at least ten million, but now I''ve truly embarrassed myself." President Li''s smile twitched as he thought to himself, You sure have big dreams! Using just a photograph forparison and expecting to make millions, but damned if you didn''t almost fool them! President Li thought for a moment and smiled, "In the realm of antiques, it alles down to the character ''y.'' There are not many people who y with the boldness that Director Lin does." "I''m just a novice in the presence of an expert," Lin Chuan responded with a smile. After pondering for a short while, President Li added, "Director Lin, I''m by no means a master in the antiques circle and can only say I''ve just scratched the surface when ites to appraisal. The identification of this coin may not be entirely urate. I will take a few pictures of this coin and then consult a few master friends for a thorough examination. How does that sound?" "This..." Lin Chuan was somewhat hesitant. At this moment, Little Landy joined the conversation, "Chairman, if those masters identify it as a genuine piece, we could make a fortune!" "Exactly, that''s the idea!" President Liughed heartily, hurriedly chiming in. "Fine!" Lin Chuan nced at President Li, looking at this proxy for Liu Qing, and revealed a slight smile. President Li took the photographs meticulously, not overlooking any detail. He even brought out a precise ruler and a weighing device to record the diameter and weight of the coin. Despite all this, President Li still felt a bit regretful, because he couldn''t take the coin directly for appraisal. "Take care, President Li." Lin Chuan smiled, intending to keep this coin in his hand at all times; it was the most important lure in this scheme. By the time he stepped out of Yueming Tea House, it was already noon. In the alleys, the midday sun resembled golden fine sand, sprinkling upon the stone bs and tiles, seeping through the gaps in the leaves, and dotting the ground with a mottled y of light and shadow. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, bringing a hint of coolness, and in a corner, several catszily lounged in the sun, napping. "Chairman, do you really think they''ll believe that this coin is the ''Fengtian One Tael''?" Little Landy asked, her eyebrows knitted in curiosity. "Of course," Lin Chuan said with a smile, his confidence evident on his handsome face, which seemed particrly dazzling in the sunlight. "Forty million-plus, will they really take the bait that easily?" Little Landy asked naturally as she looped her arm through Lin Chuan''s. "In the antiques circle, in the jadeite circle, making a fortune can happen overnight, just as bankruptcy can," Lin Chuan said, ruffling Little Landy''s hair first. The fraud was now set in motion. Liu Qing and President Li had already been ensnared. As long as they went to get the ''Fengtian One Tael'' coin appraised with its photographs, they would soon be unable to extricate themselves. Even if they suspected a trap, they couldn''t resist such temptation. In the Virtual World of ''Fraud Salesman'' and ''Antique Forgery,'' Lin Chuan had seen too many such people. It''s not that theycked intelligence. On the contrary, they were calcting and shrewd. But when faced with a vast profit, they would throw caution to the wind. For a 100% profit, they would dare to trample all humanws; with a 300% profit, they would daremit any crime, even risking the noose. And the ''Fengtian One Tael'' counterfeit that Lin Chuan had crafted was convincing enough to deceive even masters. "Chairman, I remember you mentionedst time that Liu Qing might be connected to the factory area. How does the antiques circle rte to the factory area?" Little Landy asked, pursing her lips, unable to fathom the intricacies. Lin Chuan countered, "Why can''t they be connected?" "I don''t understand," Little Landy shook her head. Lin Chuan looked around, checking to make sure they were alone, before he began to exin, "The factory areas in the Myanmar area, like the fifteen fraudsters I caughtst time, most of them engage in telmunications fraud. The money they acquire from fraud isn''t clean and cannot be circted openly on the market, so they need tounder it." "Launder money?" Little Landy furrowed her brows. Lin Chuan nodded, continuing, "There are many ways tounder money, such as jewelry trade, stock appreciation, antique auctions, and so on. Arge factoryplex isn''t justprised of the Cheating Sect and the Eight Generals that we know about within the factory''s premises, but also various gangs active outside. It''s aplete industry chain." Little Landy nodded with a look of half-understanding. "So what we''re facing now is probably not just Liu Qing, but a wholerge fraud syndicate," Lin Chuan paused, turning to look at Little Landy as he spoke. "Should we call the police?" Little Landy asked. "We don''t have any evidence yet. It''s hard to trace." Lin Chuan shook his head. "So isn''t it very dangerous?" Little Landy pouted. "Mhm." Lin Chuan warned, "It''s very dangerous; you need to be careful and not go out alone." "Director..." "What is it?" "But I sleep alone," Little Landy pursed her lips, raising her eyes to look at Lin Chuan with a hint of a smile, her clear autumn-water-like eyes sparkling with light. Lin Chuan immediately covered himself with both hands, "Help, a college girl is robbing me of my virtue!" "Hmph!" Little Landy pouted. Lin Chuan tapped Little Landy''s forehead, smiling, "Let''s go, let''s have lunch first." "What about the coin?" "We''ll find a master appraiserter. President Li and the others will approach us on their own this afternoon or evening," Lin Chuan smiled. ... Elsewhere. After leaving Yueming Tea House, President Li quickly got into his BMW X5 and rushed to meet with Liu Qing at the highest speed. A Tea House in an alleyway. The storefront was small and decorated with antique charm; there were a few pots of green nts around, with sandalwood incense burning, giving it a secluded and elegant atmosphere. President Li looked around before quickly entering the Tea House, pushing open a wooden door to a private room. "Sister Liu." Seated in the room was none other than Liu Qing. "Did you bring the Fengtian One Tael?" Liu Qing, dressed in a cheongsam and sitting gracefully, looked up as President Li entered, asking about the "Fengtian One Tael" as her first question. "No, I bluffed him by saying it was a high-quality replica. The kid believed it and doesn''t want to sell anymore; he wants to keep it for his collection," President Li sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and immediately downed it without caring what kind it was. It was evident that he was a bit anxious. "Keep it for his collection? Can he really keep it?" Liu Qingughed lightly, "You took the photos, didn''t you?" "Took them!" President Li immediately took out a tablet, cing photos of the "Fengtian One Tael" in front of Liu Qing and listed the data for its weight and diameter. Liu Qing didn''t speak. She fixated on the weight and diameter, nodding her head as the measurements matched virtually those of the one in Hongxi Art Museum. Then. Liu Qing shifted her gaze to the tablet. Picture after picture of Lin Chuan''s "Fengtian One Tael" coin details flooded her vision. Although she was mainly involved in antique forgery scams, her knowledge in the field of antiques was quite profound, with an exceptional eye for details. After only one look, her heart began to pound with excitement, her pupils dted, her mouth agape, her face a mix of surprise and thrill as her breath quickened. Yes! The coin was too authentic! From the wear and tear, the patina, to the tarnished color of the silver C there was no trace of forgery. Just like the one worth forty-six million lying silently in the Hongxi Art Museum, it was identical! Sss! Liu Qing couldn''t help but take a deep breath to calm her excitement. Yes, a full forty-six million right in front of her eyes C how could she not be excited? "I dare not make a premature judgment," Liu Qing put down the tablet, taking a while before she finally made her statement. "I''m not presuming either, but it looks so much alike," President Li said, his face radiating excitement. "We''ll wait for a master who once had the honor of handling the real ''Fengtian One Tael'' toe," Liu Qing took a deep breath, calming herself before saying. "Alright!" President Li responded. Soon after, an elderly master with white hair but in good spirits entered the room. He was the master Liu Qing had mentioned. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Liu Qing got straight to the point, "Master, please take a look at this coin and determine its authenticity for us." Then. Liu Qing ced the tablet in front of the old man, sliding photos for him herself. The master scrutinized each one thoroughly, even more meticulously than Liu Qing had done. He left no detail of any photo unchecked. After a long moment, the master said in awe, "The second ''Fengtian One Tael'' has appeared!" Liu Qing and President Li''s eyes widened simultaneously! The second Fengtian One Tael! Sss! Meaning that the coin in Lin Chuan''s hands was real! Absolutely real! Worth a full forty-six million! Chapter 127: Chapter 123 Lets Surrender! (Subscribe) In the private room of the tea house. After seeing off the master, Liu Qing immediately made up her mind. "Acquire that coin!" President Li took a deep breath and asked, "At what price and under what guise should we acquire it?" Liu Qing pondered for a moment, and with an idea in mind, she said: "You insist that a Fengtian One Tael is unparalleled in the world. Therefore, the one he has can''t possibly be a real Fengtian One Tael. However, after expert appraisal, it''s been determined that the one he has is a wed piece from before the creation of the Fengtian One Tael sample coins. Offer one million for it, and let him have a taste of sweetness!" "Good! I''ll contact Lin Chuan right away!" General Manager Zhao immediately said. Liu Qing narrowed her eyes and murmured, "This kid, he hit a big one right off the bat!" In the antiques circle, it''s not umon for novices to unwittingly stumble upon valuable items. Many people jokingly call it a ''novice''s protection period''. Before long. President Li reported back to Liu Qing, "Lin Chuan has agreed to meet at Yueming Tea House tonight. I haven''t mentioned the price yet, it''s better to negotiate it face to face." "No problem. You can make some concessions as appropriate. Although this guy is a novice in the world of antiques, he has good luck and some brains in business," Liu Qing said with a smile. In her heart, she already regarded the Fengtian One Tael coin in Lin Chuan''s hands as her own. Forty-six million! ... As night fell, the lights of Anling City began to shine, stars dotted the night sky, and the windows of high-rise buildings twinkled with the glow of prosperity, while the streets and alleys became more tranquil and peaceful. This time, Lin Chuan and the Little Landy had reserved a private room at Yueming Tea House in advance, waiting for President Li''s arrival. President Li was punctual. At eight o''clock sharp, he pushed open the wooden door of the private room, with a smile brimming on his face, and boasted as he entered, "I didn''t expect Director Lin to be a hidden expert in antiques." Lin Chuan smiled humbly and said, "You tter me, President Li. I am just starting out, like a blind cat running into a dead mouse." President Liughed heartily and took a sip of the tea Lin Chuan had poured for him. The two exchanged pleasantries for a while. The Little Landy sat quietly beside Lin Chuan, with a smile on her face. Afterward, President Li got straight to the point: "Director Lin, this afternoon, I made a special visit to Master Zhang, the grandmaster of Anling Antiques. After his appraisal, he determined that the coin you have is a wed piece from the time the Fengtian One Tael sample coins were being made." Lin Chuan nodded with a smile, "I was idle this afternoon and also pulled some strings to visit Master Zhou." "The Master Zhou from Anling Antique Appraisal Center?" President Li was startled, and his brow furrowed slightly. "Yes." Lin Chuan simply nodded. "What did Master Zhou say?" President Li asked. "Master Zhou''s opinion is consistent with Master Zhang''s, believing it to be a defective product from when the Fengtian One Tael sample coins were being made. Because this coin has significant implications, he said issuing an appraisal certificate would require multiple evaluations, so he only wrote a brief appraisal note for me. Please take a look," Lin Chuan said with a smile and then pushed the appraisal note in front of President Li. President Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said with a smile, "Director Lin, now regarding this coin, are you nning to keep it for your collection, or" Lin Chuan sipped his Pu''er tea, shook his head with a smile, and said, "Initially, I wanted to keep it for my collection, but Master Zhou''s offer was quite high, and I''m a bit tempted." President Li felt a pang of anxiety. He had just entered the room and hadn''t made an offer yet, but the initiative was already out of his hands. Because Lin Chuan had already sought Master Zhou for an appraisal, obtained the appraisal note, and Master Zhou had also made an offer. Damn it! President Li cursed Master Zhou in his heart. Without a doubt, both were harboring the same ideahoping to acquire the ''genuine'' Fengtian One Tael at the price of a defective product. "What price did Master Zhou offer? Would it be possible to disclose it?" President Li leaned forward a little, looking somewhat curious. Lin Chuan yed with the tea set without speaking. At that moment, the Little Landy held up a hand. President Li was taken aback, "Five hundred thousand? Master Zhou is indeed generous!" The Little Landy shook her head, "President Li, it might be a bit of a surprise for you, but the price Master Zhou offered isn''t five hundred thousand, it''s five million!" "Five million!?" President Li was stunned, his brow furrowing sharply as he had not expected Master Zhou''s bid to be so high. "President Li, please have some tea," Lin Chuan said with a smile as he slowly poured another cup for President Li. President Li chuckled sheepishly, realizing he had been somewhat indiscreet. He leaned back, picked up the blue and white porcin cup, took a sip, and quickly adjusted hisposure: "Master Zhou''s price is five million. Are you thinking of selling, Director Lin?" Unexpectedly, Lin Chuan shook his head, "The Fengtian One Tael is one of a kind. As a defective product of the Fengtian One Tael, it could probably fetch tens of millions at auction, right?" "Tens of millions..." President Li swallowed hard, as the figure had gone far beyond his and Liu Qing''s expectations. "Not worth that much?" Lin Chuan looked at President Li and asked with a smile. "ording to the current market, a defective coin of the Fengtian One Tael is worth at most five million. It''s very difficult, very difficult to get tens of millions," President Li inhaled deeply and said. "So, Master Zhou is quite conscientious," Lin Chuan awarded Master Zhou with a ''conscience card''. At this juncture, the Little Landy timely asked, "President Li, you mentioned this afternoon that your friend also wants to collect this coin. Does he have a price in mind?" "It''s inconvenient for my friend toe forward, but he is really interested in this coin. He has already given a price range, and he can ept any price within that range," President Li said with a smile. Lin Chuan lookedposed, raising an eyebrow slightly, "What is the price range of President Li''s friend?" President Li''s voice deepened, "Up to six million!" "Is it a cash transaction?" Lin Chuan asked directly, "Master Zhou over there is willing to deal in cash." President Li had cursed Master Zhou countless times in his heart already. ording to thew, transactions of antiques between individuals constitute a transfer of property. The money obtained is considered ie from the transfer of property and is subject to personal ie tax. If we conducted a transaction of five million through the bank, a simple check from the tax authorities would mean we would have to pay taxes. At least 20% of that amount would be taken for taxes. Therefore, President Li''s six million,pared to Master Zhou''s five million in cash, wouldn''t be as good. Of course, Lin Chuan also knew that for those who specialize in setting up fraudulent schemes, even if the transaction went through the bank and the six million was deposited, it would only be a fleeting pleasure. Because the six million would appear in his ount through special means, and after some time, it would disappear without a trace. This was a type of fake transaction method. It was usually used to deceive those who had entered the gambling and "pig butchering" boards. "Half cash, half electronic, how about that?" President Li tempted. The Little Landy held her phone on the side, opened the calctor, and whispered after calcting, "Director, the final profit would be around five million four hundred thousand." "Alright, half cash, half electronic it is," Lin Chuan quickly agreed, "When can we make the transaction?" Seeing Lin Chuan agree, President Li breathed a sigh of relief, took a sip of tea, and then lifted his wristwatch to check the time, "Director Lin, it''s not very convenient to gather three million in cash right now, how about tomorrow afternoon at three o''clock?" "No problem." Lin Chuan said cheerfully. "Pleasant cooperation!" President Li extended his hand, his heart full of joy. "Pleasant cooperation." Lin Chuan shook hands with President Li, smiling brightly. After leaving Yueming Tea House. The Little Landy and Lin Chuan strolled around the mall for a while, then returned to Happiness Community. Lin Chuan made a point of escorting the Little Landy to her doorstep. "Director,e in for a cup of tea, my bed is also very soft andfy." The Little Landy now stood at her doorstep, her slender finger brushing her temple''s hair aside, revealing a delicate profile. Lin Chuanughed, "I still have work to do tonight." "I have aputer in my room too, it doesn''t freeze, no viruses, very smooth," the Little Landy winked, her clear eyes almost ensnaring Lin Chuan''s soul. "Cough!" An untimely cough interrupted the moment. Old Zhang had arrived. The Little Landy pouted, ncing at Old Zhang, while Lin Chuan took the opportunity to slip away. "Little Landy, some other time." Nightfall deepened. The starry sky outside the rental window was extra profound, speckled with brightness, shining like twinkling gems. A gust of wind carried whispers of rustling leaves that reached Lin Chuan''s ears, swelling into a melody. Lin Chuan sat in front of theputer, his hands on the worn-smooth keyboard, typing continuously. The sound of the gold powder shaft wasn''t as crisp as a mechanical keyboard but was slightly louder than electrostatic, perfectly suited for someone who typed for a living. At this moment, theputer screen was filled with lines of code and individual dots of light. "I''ve traced the call records between President Li and Liu Qing. Next, we''ll see their uing moves," Lin Chuan murmured to himself. Lin Chuan''s forgery of the ''Fengtian One Tael'' coin wasn''t just to extricate Old Zhang from an antique scam, but also to investigate whether Liu Qing was involved with the factory area. He always had a premonition. This was targeting him! So, he took the initiative to forge a coin worth forty-six million to draw out the person behind Liu Qing! Luring the Snake out of its Hole! ... The next day, dawn broke, casting a warm glow across the eastern sky. The Little Landy got up early, went to Lin Chuan''s rented ce, and banged loudly on the metal door. "Director, I''m here," the Little Landy called out cheerfully. "Little Landy, you''re so early." Lin Chuan opened the door. "I told you to change the first three words to ''Old''," the Little Landy pouted as she entered, carrying a red packet in her hand. "What are you holding?" Lin Chuan asked. "Eels,ing over to cook some eel porridge, to nourish you," the Little Landy said with a virtuous smile. "Did you go to the market alone?" Lin Chuan frowned. "No, there are elderly men and women selling right outside themunity, you wouldn''t know since you don''t shop for groceries," the Little Landy grinned. "That''s alright then," Lin Chuan muttered. "Are you showing concern for me?" the Little Landy blinked. Lin Chuan gently tapped the Little Landy''s forehead and chuckled, "I should show you some concern since you''reing over to cook porridge for me." A blush crept onto the Little Landy''s pretty face, and she pressed her lips together, "Thenter, you''d better eat more of the eel porridge. It''s good for nourishing qi, enriching blood, fortifying the spleen and stomach, and also for revitalizing the yin and boosting yang." "Revitalizing the yin and boosting yang?" Lin Chuan was momentarily taken aback. "Yeah, yeah, you stay upte to write every day, your kidneys might get a bit weak, so I specially looked up some dietary supplements for you," the Little Landy said, lowering her head with a smile. Lin Chuan''s expression darkened: "My kidneys are weak... you underestimate your director far too much!" "Then... shall we test it?" The Little Landy lifted her soft, fair face, blinking and not moving her gaze away from Lin Chuan. "Demon, take this Mighty Heavenly Dragon, Great Luo Mantra from me!" Lin Chuanughed heartily. Afterward, they cooked the eel porridge together and ate breakfast. While eating, they discussed the ns for the day. "Director, let''s go to the office in the morning to deal withpany affairs, then trade the coin with President Li in the afternoon, and tonight..." the Little Landy said excitedly. "For tonight, I already have ns," Lin Chuanughed. "What ns?" the Little Landy asked curiously, "Six hundred thousand, is there a candlelight dinner?" "What candlelight dinner are you thinking about?" Lin Chuan rubbed the Little Landy''s hair and chuckled, "Tonight, we''re going to the police station to turn ourselves in!" "Ah?" The Little Landy was stunned. Lin Chuan smiled, "Myanmar area Factory Area gives you six hundred thousand, do you dare to spend it?" Chapter 128: Chapter 124: Really Torturous! (Please Subscribe) In the apartment. A one-bedroom, one-living room that spanned from the north to the south, warm sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains, casting golden patches on the small living room floor, covering tworge floor tiles. At the table next to it, Little Landy and Lin Chuan were sitting opposite each other. "Is it really the six million from the Myanmar area Factory Area?" Little Landy stared nkly at Lin Chuan, her hand holding the spoon stiffening slightly. "Nine times out of ten, but we stillck critical evidence. Once they get their hands on that Coin, the big fish behind the scenes will surface!" Lin Chuan said with a smile. "So, you''re saying, this transaction we''re making is most likely with the Myanmar area Factory Area?" Little Landy looked intently at Lin Chuan and asked. Lin Chuan nodded, "There''s that possibility." Little Landy put down her spoon and asked with furrowed brows, "Doesn''t that mean our transaction this afternoon is very dangerous?" "It is a bit," Lin Chuanughed, then added, "Don''t worry, everything is under control, I guarantee the safety of our financial director." "I''m worried about you!" Little Landy pursed her lips and propped her chin with her left hand, looking at Lin Chuan, "Should we call the police?" Lin Chuan looked unfazed andughed, "This afternoon we''re just trading that Coin; six million is within their tolerance. Liu Qing and the others won''t take risks for it." "Isn''t it six million?" Little Landy''s face showed surprise. "We can get our hands on three million in cash, but the other three million in electronic payment, we probably won''t get. It''s a trick," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Lin Chuan had worked in a fraud factory area before. He knew very well that the funds from electronic payments used by fraud rings were frozen and would be returned intact through the original path after 24 hours. The three million in electronic payments promised by President Li would be the same. Little Landy pouted, "Three million less." "Not being scammed and still being able to skim three million is not bad," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Have you reported this to that police sister? I''m afraid they''ll actually arrest you," Little Landy asked with some concern. "Which police sister are you talking about?" Lin Chuan asked. "How many do you have?" Little Landy''s lips puckered slightly. "Uh... you know, we have cooperation with the police station, so it''s logical to know a few policerades, right?" Lin Chuan said in defense, "But I haven''t told them yet." "Porridge for breakfast tomorrow." "Why?" "Eel is too nourishing, you have too much energy," Little Landy hummed. "Then I''ll have two extra bowls today," Lin Chuan chuckled. Little Landy watched Lin Chuan devour his porridge and couldn''t help but reveal a drunken smile at the corner of her mouth. Her heart softened, and shedled another big bowl for Lin Chuan: "Chairman, if you like role y, I''ll be a bunny cop and make you breakfast tomorrow." "Bunny cop?" "Don''t you like it?" "Are you sure you''re going to make breakfast, not be breakfast?" Little Landy''s face turned a slight red, and she murmured softly, "Being breakfast... is not out of the question." Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched. This is the downside of girls watching films. She''s even more lewd than I am! I can''t handle it at all! ... The sun gradually rose higher, the chill of the early morning was reced by warmth, growing hotter, as the sunlight became more brilliant and intense. The leaves rustled with delight in the rare gentle breeze. From morning to afternoon, it happened in the blink of an eye. Lin Chuan and Little Landy had dealt with the affairs of the Network Security Company early in the morning. In the afternoon, at three o''clock on the dot. Lin Chuan arrived at a Tea House near the Network Security Company, as agreed. This was the meeting ce chosen by Lin Chuan. "Director Lin." General Manager Zhao entered the Tea House''s private room with a hearty smile. Behind him was an elderly man with white flecked hair, full of vigor, apanied by two bodyguards in ck, carrying briefcases. "General Manager Zhao, this must be Master Zhang from Anling City, a respected figure in antiques. I''ve long admired you," Lin Chuan greeted them. After shaking hands with General Manager Zhao, Lin Chuan turned to the elderly man. The old man smiled broadly and nodded, "Director Lin, with Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils, managed to find such a treasure, I am embarrassed by theparison." "Not at all," Lin Chuan said modestly with a smile. "Director Lin, why didn''t Little Director Zhange along?" President Li, noticing that Lin Chuan was alone in the private room, was a little surprised. Lin Chuan stood by the window and pointed out, "She said she wanted a cup of bubble milk tea. It''s buy one, get one free for the new opening, she''s down there." President Li followed the direction and looked down from the window of the Tea House''s private room. Since the Tea House was on the third floor, President Li could clearly see the scene below. Little Landy was sitting in a newly opened bubble tea shop, wearing a mildly sophisticated off-white dress, with two cups of bubble milk tea on her table. However. President Li''s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the dark blue decor not far from the milk tea shop and he couldn''t help but frown. That was one of the police patrol posts in Qingxiu District of Anling City. A thought involuntarily came to President Li''s mind, leaving a bitter taste. This kid Lin Chuan, in antiques, might be a Bai, but in other areas, he''s not to be underestimated! His methods are formidable. The location Lin Chuan picked was a very clear and straightforward way of telling him not to y any tricks; Little Landy could call the police at any moment and summon back-up for Lin Chuan. Of course. Lin Chuan wasn''t afraid they''d try any new tricks either; it would only make gathering evidence simpler. "Little Director Zhang really knows how to enjoy life. I''ve never even tasted bubble milk tea," President Li said, regaining hisposure with a smile. "Once we''re done here, I''ll treat you to a cup of bubble milk tea," Lin Chuan offered. "I have other matters to attend to, maybe next time," President Li said. Chapter 129: Chapter 124: Really Torturous! (Please Subscribe)_2 President Liughed heartily and then added, "Director Lin, my friend can''t show his face, so he asked me to handle the handover on his behalf." "No problem, please." Lin Chuan extended his hand, gesturing for them to take a seat. At a cue from President Li, two bodyguards immediately ced two briefcases on the table and opened them in front of Lin Chuan. Inside the cases, stacks of yuan filled them to the brim, a full three million in cash, catching Lin Chuan''s eye. Lin Chuan, not minding the trouble, took out several stacks of yuan to examine. In the "Antique Forgery" Virtual World, as a grandmaster-level figure in antique counterfeiting, Lin Chuan naturally dealt with quite a bit of money. Therefore, he had some research into the authenticity of currency. After confirming there was nothing wrong with this batch of cash, Lin Chuan closed the briefcases andughed, "Seeing so much cash for the first time, I''m scared of being poor; President Li must find this amusing." President Li smiled, "Director Lin jests. With your strength, such amounts are but a trifle." "You tter me, the remaining 300,000..." Lin Chuan smiled and said: "The remaining 300,000... will be transferred immediately into Director Lin''s ount after we have verified the goods and confirmed they are correct," President Li said with augh. "No problem." Lin Chuan nodded his head in agreement, swiftly taking out a coin identified as a substandard ''Fengtian One Tael'' from his pocket, cing it on the table, and gently sliding it towards President Li. President Li and the old Master Zhang exchanged nces. Then, Master Zhang picked up the coin and held it before his eyes. His expression was one of excitement, his eyes shining strangely, as if he were looking at a rare treasure. Perhaps because his eyesight was failing him, he even brought a magnifying ss and kept scrutinizing the details of the coin through it. It''s no exaggeration to say, this was as meticulous as a criminal detective surveying a crime scene, sparing not a single minute detail. President Li, standing by, was also watching. In his heart, there was more excitement and exhration. He had not slept all of the previous night. Because he knew he was about to acquire a gold coin worth 46 million yuan. Whether as a member of the antiques circle or in his other identity, this was a tremendous honor and achievement. After a while, Master Zhang, proimed as a grandmaster of the Anling Antique Circle, nodded solemnly to President Li, slightly excited, "Yes, this is the one." President Li let out a sigh of relief. Then, he immediately took out his phone and sent a message. Soon after, Lin Chuan''s phone received a message. Three million yuan received! The corners of Lin Chuan''s mouth curved slightly, a smile appearing on his face: "President Li, Master Zhang, it''s been a pleasure working with you." "A pleasure." President Li and Master Zhang both nodded in acknowledgment. After the usual pleasantries, Lin Chuan, easy and confident, carried the two briefcases out of the private room and walked out of the Tea House to meet the Little Landy. A one hundred yuan note weighs about 1.15 grams; three million in cash is about 34.5kg, split between two briefcases, which Lin Chuan found easy to carry. His steps were firm, nearly sweeping the ground. "Chairman, here''s your pearl milk tea," the Little Landy said, visibly relieved to see Lin Chuan emerge unharmed. Truth be told, the Little Landy was quite worried about Lin Chuan going alone to the transaction. But if she had gone too, should there have been a conflict, she knew she might be a burden to Lin Chuan, so she dutifully waited in the milk tea shop, ready to call the police at any moment. "Didn''t take long, the pearls in the milk tea aren''t too soft, still chewy," Lin Chuanmented after taking a sip. "You''re in the mood to care about whether the pearls are soft or not, I was worried sick. Thankfully, no need to call the cops," the Little Landy pouted, still feeling the residual fear. "They knew to y nice, so no need to call the cops," Lin Chuan said with augh. If they truly had to call the police, the effect wouldn''t be so much to protect Lin Chuan, but to protect President Li and Master Zhang. After all, in a 1v4 situation, fearing their counterattack and hitting a bit too hard would be quite reasonable, right? And one of them was an old man? Cough, the four of them were crazed, attacking me fiercely. Although I dodged each blow, I had no time to discern who was old or young; I just wanted to survive! The rough course of events is just like that. "Let''s get going then," Little Landy said as she grabbed two cups of milk tea and pulled Lin Chuan away. Lin Chuan had been an assassin with strong anti-tracking abilities, and after circling around a few times, vanished in the vicinity and got into a Mercedes GLC. "Old Lin, what''s in these two briefcases you''re carrying?" asked Wang Zikai curiously in the Mercedes GLC. "Curiosity killed the cat, Old Wang, just focus on driving." "Where to?" "Anling Police Station." "What are you doing at the police station for no reason?" "I''m going to turn myself in!" "Ah!?" Wang Zikai was stunned, and then with a touch of destion in his voice, "Chuan, when you''re in prison, I''lle to visit you!" "Stop talking nonsense, I''ll never end up in a cell in this lifetime. Even Jesus can''t catch me, I''m telling you!" ... Wang Zikai was a skilled driver. As Lin Chuan''s good buddy, as soon as he heard Lin Chuan was going to surrender, he couldn''t help but speed up, with the whooshing sound of the wind outside the car window, eagerly enforcing justice for Lin Chuan. Soon, ''true brother'' Wang Zikai brought Lin Chuan to the Anling Police Station. It was now a little after four in the afternoon. Lin Chuan, a familiar face at the Anling Police Station, was well known by the security personnel at the gate, so after a simple registration, he entered the interior of the station. Lin Chuan passed through the reception hall and reached the floor where the Anti-Fraud Center was located. "Lin Chuan, what brings you here?" At that moment, Shen Qianqian, dressed in her police uniform and holding documents, just happened to bump into Lin Chuan entering the Anti-Fraud Center. Her face showed a hint of surprise, and a gleam of joy shed through her bright eyes. That''s right, it seemed like it had been a long time since she''d seen Lin Chuan. Counting on her fingers, it had been ten days. "I''vee to deliver you a performance boost!" Lin Chuan grinned. Shen Qianqian''s brows lifted yfully as sheughed, "Last time in Yundian Lincang, we caught 15 fraudsters, and Qingqing and I both receivedmendations. Now you''re here to boost my performance again, who''s in trouble?" Lin Chuan smiled, "I''m in trouble." "Ah?" Shen Qianqian was taken aback and immediately pulled Lin Chuan into the reception room. With furrowed brows and an anxious expression, she asked, "Lin Chuan, what trouble have you caused?" "I orchestrated an antique forgery scam, this is the money from the fraud, three million in cash, and there''s another three million in my bank ount, six million in total." Lin Chuan smiled and spoke truthfully. Then, he opened the two briefcases to reveal stacks upon stacks of bright yuan notes in front of Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian frowned tightly, "Lin Chuan, you reallymitted fraud?" Six million wasn''t a small amount! Lin Chuan nodded and hummed affirmatively. Shen Qianqian pondered for a moment, then turned to walk out of the reception room, "This is really something! Comrade Lin Chuan, please wait here for a minute." "Officer Shen, where are you going?" Lin Chuan asked. "I''m going to get handcuffs!" Shen Qianqian turned andughed. At this moment, Little Landy, who had been by Lin Chuan''s side all along, quickly spoke up, "Officer Shen, Lin Chuan has some other inside information he hasn''t told you yet." Shen Qianqian then pursed her lips in amusement, "This must be Comrade Zhang, right? Writer Lin just loves to tease people, I have to give him a little scare." Lin Chuan stretched his mouth in amusement, "Still, you don''t have to actually handcuff me, right?" Shen Qianqian rubbed her hands together and smiled, "My hands are itching to handcuff someone!" "I confess!" Lin Chuan''s face darkened as he thought to himself, Shen Qianqian definitely had a bad habit! "Just a moment; I''ll call over Director Zhou. Given your current status in the Anling Police Station, it''s best if Director Zhou interrogates you," Shen Qianqian said with a smile. Lin Chuan sat down, waiting for Shen Qianqian to call over Zhou Tong, the head of the Anti-Fraud Center. Two minutester. Director Zhou Tong appeared in the reception room, in a hurry, and upon entering spotted Lin Chuan, Zhang Xinxin, Shen Qianqian, and the three million in cash on the table. He first shook hands with Lin Chuan amicably, then turned to Shen Qianqian and asked, "Officer Shen, what''s the situation now?" Shen Qianqian''s mouth twitched, "Comrade Lin Chuan... he came to surrender." Chapter 130: Chapter 125 He Really is a Criminal Genius! (Please Subscribe) Anling Police Station. Anti-Fraud Center, in the reception room. Upon hearing Shen Qianqian''s words, Director Zhou Tong''s heart skipped a beat. He immediately looked at Lin Chuan and furrowed his brows, asking, "Self-surrender... What did Comrade Lin Chuan do?" Chief Zhang Biao had specifically instructed him to take good care of Lin Chuan and even said that Shen Qianqian could check in on Lin Chuan''s whereabouts from time to time. Since he had been busy with the affairs of the Anti-Fraud Centertely and had no other cases involving Lin Chuan except for the Cyberspace Administration''s investigation into Lin Chuan''s disqualification of the anti-fraudposition "All-In," he nned to check on Lin Chuan''s activities after some time. Unexpectedly. It was just a week, and Lin Chuan had already caused trouble on his own! Lin Chuan didn''t keep them in suspense and exined with a smile, "Director Zhou, I made an Antique Scam with a coin, profiting six million yuan." Hiss Shen Qianqian and Zhou Tong both tightened their brows and took a deep breath. Six million yuan... That''s no small sum! Making a profit from an Antique Scam means defrauding six million yuan, which is considered a particrly huge amount in fraud, punishable by more than ten years of fixed-term imprisonment. Even, life imprisonment! Shen Qianqian looked deeply at Lin Chuan. At this moment, Lin Chuan was smiling, his demeanor calm and confident, not like a criminal suspect showing fear, but rather seemed at ease, as if he truly considered this ce his home. Her heart filled with doubts, she asked, "Comrade Lin Chuan, you know how to pull off an Antique Scam?" "I know a little bit," Lin humbly said. "May I ask, how exactly did you set up the scam, and from whom did you profit six million yuan?" Shen Qianqian pressed on. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment and organized his thoughts, "Officer Shen, Director Zhou, the whole story begins with my oldndlord''s love affair. His partner gave a Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet to Zhang..." The entire sequence of events, narrated by Lin Chuan, unfolded one by one. "This is the three million cash I obtained from ''fraud,'' and another three million is in my bank ount. You can check if the funds are frozen," Lin Chuan concluded, pointing at the two suitcases on the table. Shen Qianqian''s brows were tightly furrowed, her mouth slightly open, her bright eyes incredulously fixed on Lin Chuan, her face expressing deep surprise. From Lin Chuan''s ount, there were far too many questionable points in the entire incident. But the truthfulness of the event was beyond doubt. Because the three million cash was alreadyid out on the table, which was the best evidence. "Comrade Lin Chuan, so you mean that after you realized Liu Qing was setting up Zhang with the Century-Old Red Agate Bracelet, you thought of counter-scheming against Liu Qing, right?" Shen Qianqian took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and began to inquire. Lin Chuan nodded, "Yes." "And you suspected that Liu Qing''s Antique Scam gang was rted to the factory area in the Myanmar area, implicated in moneyundering for the factory area?" Shen Qianqian continued to ask. "At first, it was just a suspicion, but my investigation revealed that she had close financial interactions with a certain overseaspany, often participated in auctions, and always concluded deals at prices far above market value. I also overheard a conversation between Liu Qing and President Li inadvertently, so I confirmed their suspicion of moneyundering for the factory area. Here is the rted evidence," Lin Chuan said. Lin Chuan then took out a silver USB sh drive and ced it in front of Shen Qianqian. "Even the evidence is ready..." Shen Qianqian''s mouth twitched slightly, thinking to herself that Comrade Lin Chuan was really well-prepared! "This is just the preliminary evidence; new evidence is still being collected," Lin Chuan said with a smile. The transaction had already beenpleted, and that coin should soon y its role, luring out the forces behind Liu Qing. Director Zhou Tong of the Anti-Fraud Center, who had been listening on the side, thought for a moment and asked, "Comrade Lin, in your description, I detected something different." "Please, Director Zhou, speak your mind." "How could you be so sure that they would definitely believe that the coin was a Fengtian One Tael?" Zhou Tong posed the biggest doubt in his mind and the key point of the entire case. He believed that Lin Chuan''s set-up of this Antique Forgery Scam, which turned the tables on them, was indeed perfect, interlinked at every turn. But then. Why couldn''t Master Zhang, known as the Grandmaster level figure of Anling Antiques, identify that the coin was a fake ''Fengtian One Tael''? If he had identified it, the entire Antique Forgery Scam would bepletely exposed, bing unsustainable. "Ah, there''s an element of luck involved," Lin Chuan paused, "firstly, the coin itself was a high imitation of ''Fengtian One Tael.'' I had learned a bit about cultural relic restoration, plus Master Zhang''s failing eyesight allowed it to pass unnoticed." "Comrade Lin, you''ve studied cultural relic restoration?" Zhou Tong''s brows knitted halfway, quite astonished, "But to deceive a master of antiques is not easy, right?" "Just a little bit." Lin Chuan smiled and exined, "I have a friend, Bai Yang, the reader who was scammed in Lincangst time. He is a genius in cultural relic restoration, studying for his master''s degree. I''ve been learning from him about cultural relic restoration knowledge, and Officer Shen knows him too." In all honesty, dering himself an absolute authority on Antique Forgery might be hard for Shen Qianqian and Zhou Tong to ept for the time being, so it''s better to use Old Bai as a shield. However, what he said was not made up. During that period, Old Bai had indeed been in closemunication with him, frequently sending some of his restoration works. Even before experiencing the ''Antique Forgery'' profession, Lin Chuan often watched Old Bai''s videos. Chapter 131: Chapter 125 He Really is a Criminal Genius! (Seeking Subscriptions)_2 Of course, at that time, there wasn''t much I could learn. But seeing one broken relic after another being restored to its original state gave me a sense of relief, a soothing feeling. It shared a certain ingenious connection with cleaning carpets and paring horse hooves. Looking at it now, Old Bai''s skills still fall short and need improvement. After hearing this, Zhou Tong turned to look at Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian nodded slightly in agreement and testified, "Although Old Bai was scammed by an online romance, he really does have talent in antique restoration." "I didn''t expect Comrade Lin Chuan''s readers to be so excellent," Zhou Tong muttered to himself. "I was just basking in reflected glory," Lin Chuan said modestly. The ins and outs of the incident, the causes and effects, were nowpletely clear through the Q&A between the two parties. Shen Qianqian, as an old acquaintance of Lin Chuan, couldn''t help but take a few more nces at him. This guy! Others, when caught in antique fraud, would consider themselves lucky to escape unscathed. But not him; instead, he managed to fleece the swindlers out of millions. She thought to herself that this person, who seemingly focused on being a web novel writer, actually had many side hustles. Lock-picking, swindling, hacking, and now even antique forgery! So criminal! He truly is a criminal genius! To Shen Qianqian, Lin Chuan felt like a bag of treasures, always able to pull out something different, surprising her every time. Shen Qianqian really wanted to drag Lin Chuan away, then ''bang'' lock him up in a dark room, strap him to a tiger bench so that he couldn''t move, and then interrogate him harshly until she stripped all his secrets bare! She wondered whether he had any other hidden skills that had yet to be revealed? Sigh Zhou Tong also took a deep breath. He momentarily calmed his emotions, took a deep breath, and said with a smile, "Comrade Lin Chuan, the chief always reminded me not to let youmit any crimes, but when you mitted'' one, you caused such a big stir!" At this moment, a smile appeared on Shen Qianqian''s face as she defended Lin Chuan, "Director Zhou, Comrade Lin Chuan''s actions are not fraud, they should be considered ''recovery of stolen money'', and that is a major meritorious performance!" "Yes, yes, Comrade Lin Chuan has made a major contribution indeed!" Zhou Tong began tough. Meanwhile, the Little Landy sat quietly beside Lin Chuan, suppressing her smile, silently admiring his handsome and elegant face, and feeling honored as she listened to Zhou Tong and Shen Qianqian praising Lin Chuan. Mypany''s chairman is really so criminal! At this moment. ''Ding-dong ding-dong'' In his pocket, Lin Chuan''s phone vibrated, indicating a special message notification. Upon seeing it, Lin Chuan''s expression slightly changed, his eyebrows furrowed, and he then looked seriously at Zhou Tong and Shen Qianqian, saying, "It''s a segment of a phone conversation from Liu Qing''s mobile phone." Earlier, he hacked into the mobile phones of President Li and Liu Qing, nted a covert trojan, and essed arge amount of rted information. The rted evidence was also extracted from there. "Let''s listen," Zhou Tong said with a tightened expression. Lin Chuan nodded his head. Suddenly, the sound of Liu Qing''s phone conversation came from the mobile phone. Beep "Have you got the item?" a raspy, processed voice asked. "I''ve got it, that kid really has some skills," Liu Qing''s voice replied. "As long as the item is genuine, that''s what matters." "After several rigorous authentications, it''s confirmed to be the real deal." "I''ve arranged for someone, tonight at seven, the usual ce." "Received." The call ended, very brief. Zhou Tong''s face turned tense, and he looked at Lin, "Comrade Lin, can you trace the source of this call?" The source of the call would be the key. After a moment''s thought, Lin said, "This is a virtual call, with an IP address that has been forged and passed through multiple transfers. To track it... thus, I need aputer." "Use mine." Shen Qianqian, aware of Lin Chuan''s hacking skills, immediately offered her assistance. Now it was 5:21 p.m. There was still 1 hour and 39 minutes until 7 p.m. Time was pressing. Lin Chuan didn''t hesitate, promptly taking a seat at Shen Qianqian''sputer, opening theptop, remotely connecting, and controlling his rented roomputer, linking up the data. Theputer in his rented room had programs that Lin Chuan had written. These could save a lot of time typically spent on writing and inputting codes. Lin Chuan''s hands moved swiftly, constantly striking the keyboard, elegant code flowing across the screen line by line, page by page. In the meantime, Zhou Tong and Shen Qianqian weren''t idle either. Zhou Tong immediately tasked people with analyzing the evidence previously provided by Lin Chuan and then reported to Chief Zhang Biao. With past experience in cooperating with Lin Chuan in Lincang, Shen Qianqian promptly sent a message to Xia Qingqing of the Cyber Security Detachment, starting the process of formally documenting the procedures for Lin Chuan''s previous intrusion into Liu Qing and President Li''s mobile phones. With official procedures, it''s called investigation. Without them, it''s called illegal intrusion. While executing justice, the processes mattered too, to avoid giving others a handle to criticize. The entire Anling Anti-Fraud Center suddenly sprang into high gear during the typically sleepy afternoon. This case was far-reaching. It was rted to an antique fraud gang in Anling City, the fraud factories in the Myanmar area, and a whole ck industry chain involving fraud and moneyundering. It was a significant case! After Zhou Tong arranged the necessary tasks, he quietly stood behind Lin Chuan, waiting for the results of the trace, ready to act immediately upon obtaining the oue! At this time. Lin Chuan''s gaze was intently fixed on theputer screen, focused on tracing and identifying one IP address after another. Virtual calls, also known as temporary numbers, are provided by some service providers offering temporary phone numbers to protect users'' real phone numbers from disclosure,mon in online transactions, short-term rentals, or fraudulent activities. Chapter 132: Chapter 125: He Really is a Criminal Genius! (Please Subscribe)_3 In the factory district of the Myanmar area, there were dedicated server providers. Relying on the domestic police authority to trace overseas virtual phones was not as simple as one might imagine. Fortunately, Lin Chuan had worked in the fraud factory district and was thoroughly familiar with virtual phones. With Liu Qing''smunication records with the virtual numbers, coupled with top-notch hacker technology, the actual tracking was also not as difficult as it seemed. Virtual number providers, backtracking tools, traces of call records... Shortly. At 5:42 PM, Lin Chuan determined the virtual number''s real number and source! IP address: Myanmar area. Specific location: Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area. "It''s indeed interfacing with the fraud factory district in the Myanmar area!" Shen Qianqian''s face showed shock, her eyebrows slightly knitted. Zhou Tong, as the Director of the Anti-Fraud Center, realized the significance of the situation and immediately became serious, "Comrade Chuan, the ''usual ce'' mentioned in Liu Qing''s call recording, can we find out where it is?" Lin Chuan nodded, "It''s in the Green Leaf Ceramic Factory, just outside the city. I checked it while tracking the virtual phone." ''Seven PM'' ''Green Leaf Ceramic Factory'' ''Old Street Factory District in Myanmar area''. Three key clues had already beenid out. Zhou Tong took a deep breath, immediately applied for authorization from the higher-ups, submitted an action n, which was swiftly approved, coordinating with the criminal police team for joint action. "Comrade Lin Chuan, I''ve realized you''re not here to turn yourself in," Shen Qianqian said in the Anti-Fraud Center, dressed neatly and exhibiting a spirited and valiant demeanor. Lin Chuan smiled, "If not turning myself in, then what?" "You''re here to direct our work," Shen Qianqian replied after taking a sip of water from the cup on the desk and looking at Lin Chuan. "Hm?" Lin Chuan was slightly startled. "See, you came to report the crime after four o''clock, then you described the case, provided relevant evidence, and immediately afterward you tracked the virtual phone, deciphering key information like ''Green Leaf Ceramic Factory'' and ''Old Street Factory District in Myanmar area''. We at the Anti-Fraud Center are already preparing to dispatch police andunch the arrest operation," Shen Qianqian exined, teasingly smiling. Apart from not participating in the police dispatch, Lin Chuan had almost single-handedly managed the case. Lin Chuan touched his nose and muttered, "Seems like I did a bit too much, but I''ve brought you some achievements." "Alright, then I''ll thank you in advance." Shen Qianqian said with augh, then put on her cap, her eyes bing sharp and resolute, her spirit high. "How about this? I''ll talk to Director Zhou and ask if I can take part in the arrest operation," Lin Chuan suggested, admiring Shen Qianqian''s spirited figure. Shen Qianqian beamed a smile, her eyes sparkling, "Comrade Lin Chuan, rest assured. Last time in Lincang when we were arresting the fraudsters, I wasn''t much help. This time I''ll let you see that I''m not just sitting around doing nothing." "Then be careful." Lin Chuan reminded her. "Don''t worry, I''m not some delicate little girl, I have plenty of strength and methods," Shen Qianqian said with a cheerful smile before turning around to walk out of the Anti-Fraud Center, "Wait for me to treat you all to dinner when I get back!" The Little Landy, watching Shen Qianqian''s cool figure, sincerelyplimented, "Officer Shen is so cool!" "Cool, right? She''s the one who often catches me," Lin Chuan said with a dryugh. "Then tonight at dinner, I''ll ask her what sort of record you have!" the Little Landy said with a smirk. "Record?" Lin Chuan''s eyes darkened, "Little Landy, don''t you know what kind of person I am?" "That''s precisely why I''m all the more curious to ask Officer Shen!" The Little Landy winked, her eyes twinkling like stars above the police station, shining brightly. Lin Chuan grumbled, "Little Landy, you hear me out, at most I''ve only been a backup n, never did anything to harm heaven and reason." "Just a backup n? Your readers call you a criminal suspect." "nder, this is definitely nder!" Chapter 133: Chapter 126: Is He Pretending to be a Novice? (Please Subscribe) In the outskirts, Green Leaf Ceramic Factory. As night was beginning to fall and dusk had not yetpletely faded, the remnants of daylight cast a mottled pattern on the roof and walls of the factory buildings, while the shadows of trees swayed in the wind, like the fangs and ws of the night, lurking on the ground. In the distance, the hills undted, patchworks of light and dark, resembling a slumbering beast, appearing especially sinister in the night. Around seven o''clock in the evening, the workers at the ceramic factory had all left for the day. In the office, several key yers were gathered. Liu Qing was still dressed in a cheongsam, but this time it was purple, her demeanor not as simple and elegant as when she was beside Old Zhang. Now, her true nature was revealed, somewhat enchanting and seductive. Purple really was full of charm. In her hands, she was holding an ancient coin, slowly turning it in the bright light, admiring the details: "The calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, the coiled dragon is lifeliketruly beautiful." Under the light, the coin showed its contours, through the marks of time on it, it seemed as if one could see the storms it had weathered over a hundred years, and also its past glory. Indeed. This was the very coin, a ''Fengtian One Tael'', created by Lin Chuan. At Liu Qing''s side, President Li was in a casual suit, his face bearing a strange smile, "If that kid knew this coin was worth forty-six million, he''d be green with regret, wouldn''t he?" "Hehe" Liu Qinughed, "By the time he knows, it''ll be toote." "It''s just a pity we also put in three million in cash." President Li sighed, conceding that it was okay. Liu Qin nced at President Li from the corner of her eye, a smirk forming, "You''re really heartless, not even willing to give him three million." "Forget three million, I don''t want to give him a single cent." President Li snorted. Now that the ''Fengtian One Tael'' was in hand, President Li was no longer as cultured as when dealing with Lin Chuan; his eyes were cold and scornful. After Liu Qing finished admiring the ''Fengtian One Tael'', she gently ced the coin into a brocade box and sneered, "Don''t worry, the three million in his hands will be ours too." That was right. In her hand, she had another card, Old Zhang. Once Old Zhang took the bait and opened an antique shop, he would source his goods from her; thus, his assets would firmly be under her control, at her mercy. And what of Lin Chuan? As a neer in the antiques circle, Liu Qing thought she needed only to employ a minor stratagem to bring Lin Chuan into her clutches, leaving him destitutemerely a thought away. Liu Qing was very confident. Her confidence came from never having failed. As the setting sun faded and moonlight spread, the outline of the Green Leaf Ceramic Factory became vague, the air filled with the mixed scent of earth and ceramics. Outside the ceramic factory, a bright light akin to daylight from car headlights shone in, and a ck Audi A8 parked outside the office. Several burly men got out of the car, led by a pot-bellied middle-aged man whose eyes twinkled coldly, slowly making his way into the office. "Old Wolf is here." Liu Qing nced indifferently at the middle-aged man and smiled. As soon as the man known as Old Wolf entered, he immediately said in a cold voice, "Where''s the stuff?" "Here." Liu Qing pointed to a brocade box on the table. Familiar with the Green Leaf Ceramic Factory''s office, Old Wolf walked up to Liu Qing, took the brocade box, opened it immediately, and took out the coin to scrutinize it under the light, "Indeed, it''s a fine piece!" "I''ve never screwed up in the antiques business," Liu Qing said with a hint of pride, her lips curling upwards. "Well done, the funds will be transferred to your ount shortly, just as you expected," Old Wolf said with a smile, slipping the small brocade box into his suit pocket. Liu Qing and President Li exchanged smiles. Then, Old Wolf''s gaze turned cold as he looked at Liu Qing, "The boss has other orders, once you have control of your fish, get ready to make your move!" Liu Qing''s eyes flickered as she asked, "Make a move? Is it against that kid?" Old Wolf added, "Not just against that kid, but also clean up his girlfriend and bring them both to the factory area." "No problem." Liu Qing''s eyes took on a frostyyer. "I''m off." Old Wolf dropped the words and turned to leave. "Be careful not to get caught." "Stuff your bloody nonsense!" Old Wolf cursed. Little did he know, as he stepped out the door, he saw shadows ovepping in the darkness ahead. Just as he was feeling puzzled, suddenly there was a sh of light. Four or five red shlights blinked intermittently, apanied by the distinctive sound of sirens, and beams of light shone forth, dazzling Old Wolf''s eyes amid the vast darkness. The police were here! "Freeze, police!" Just as Old Wolf thought about running, the cold muzzle of a gun was already pressed against his forehead, ready to fire a bullet that could prate his skull at any moment, preventing him from making any rash movements. Suddenly, the shiny handcuffs clicked around his wrists. While squatting on the ground, he could finally see the magnitude of the situation in the night''s shadows. In front of the Green Leaf Ceramic Factory''s office building, there was a group of fully armed police officers standing in formation, dressed sharply, their faces resolute, their hands gripping dazzling and intimidating weapons, energetic and alert. The night air at the ceramic factory was filled with tension. Shit! Old Wolf had never anticipated a police ambush that evening; at this moment, he was mentally cursing Liu Qing and President Li dozens of times over. At this very moment, Liu Qing and President Li were trembling with fear. On hearing the sirens and seeing the silhouettes of the police in the shing lights outside the window, their faces were struck with an intense look of horror. Chapter 134: Chapter 126: Is He Pretending to be a Pig to Eat a Tiger? (Seeking Subscriptions)_2 ``` "Was it you who called the police?" Liu Qing immediately cast her gaze on President Li, her eyes filled with rage, even shing a hint of chilling coldness. President Li''splexion was incredibly unsightly, and he quickly shook his head, speaking with a sobbing tone, "Sister Liu, it definitely wasn''t me who called the police!" "Only you, I, and Old Wolf knew about this. Who else could it be?" Liu Qing furrowed her brows tightly, her expression darkening. "Could it be Lin Chuan, that kid?" Liu Qing''s pupils suddenly constricted. "Impossible! He''s at home counting money right now!" President Li hastily said. "We need to think of a way to escape!" In the midst of panic, Liu Qing made a split-second decision. However, the whole Green Leaf Ceramic Factory was already surrounded by the Anling Criminal Police Brigade and anti-fraud police, leaving no way out. Let alone two big yers escaping. Even if a fly showed up, it would have to obediently put its hands on its head and squat down, waiting for interrogation. Outside the ceramic factory office, the shlights were still flickering, and the sound of rms was particrly clear in the quiet night sky, incessantly pouring into the ears of Liu Qing and President Li. Their hearts grew increasingly uneasy. "You are surrounded. Don''t struggle in vain. Hands on your head, squat down!" Bang! The door to the office was broken open, and a piercing voice came in. Shen Qianqian held the gun with both hands, pressing it against Liu Qing''s head, while another officer quickly cuffed her hands. President Li was treated simrly. During that night''s operation, the Anling police had arrested the three leaders and some so-called associates, sessfully closing the case. ... "Name." "Liu Qing." "Gender." "Female." "upation." "Antique dealer." In the interrogation room, Shen Qianqian, dressed in a clean and tidy police uniform, tied up in a high ponytail, her countenance coldly fixated on the woman in front of her wearing a purple cheongsam: "Just antique dealing?" "Yes, I''ve always been engaged in the trade of antique items. I surveyed the Anling Antique Market a while ago and found it very promising, so I thought about developing in Anling." Sitting on the cold interrogation bench in the room, Liu Qing attempted to conceal the truth. On the way back to the police station after being arrested, she had been silent, pondering which link had gone wrong, leading to the Anling Police''s significant arrest operation. She had yet toe up with an answer. Besides, she was also considering whether the police had any evidence in their hands against her. But, thinking it over and over, she still had no answer. In her eyes, this arrest operation was too peculiar, like it had descended out of nowhere. Was it a coincidence? Or was it Old Wolf who had led the police here, so she was incidentally brought back for investigation? It was very possible! "Other than antiques, have you not engaged in any other industries?" Shen Qianqian questioned at a leisurely pace. "No." Liu Qing shook her head. "Have you had any business dealings with the Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area?" Shen Qianqian''s gaze sharpened as she watched Liu Qing and asked. Liu Qing was startled inside, but she maintained a calm fa?ade and shook her head again in denial, "I haven''t heard about the Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area." "Is that so?" Shen Qianqian suddenly curled her lips, smiling faintly, and ced an A4 paper in front of Liu Qing. Liu Qing looked down and her face instantly stiffened. On the paper were recorded her numerous contacts with the factory district in Myanmar. "Are you sure you''ve never heard of the Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area?" Shen Qianqian asked again. Liu Qing looked up into Shen Qianqian''s eyes, feeling an overwhelming pressure, and the ice-cold walls around her seemed to nibble at her skin like little insects. That contact record felt like a bomb ced before her, ready to ignite at any moment. She gritted her teeth, "I''ve never heard of it, some overseas customers need to order some ceramic antiques, and I can''t distinguish what factory district they are from." Shen Qianqian didn''t seem troubled by Liu Qing''s refusal to acknowledge, went back to the table to get another piece of A4 paper,id it in front of Liu Qing and with a blink, inquired, "How about now, have you heard of it now?" Liu Qing looked at the content on this A4 paper. ``` Suddenly! Her pupils shrank abruptly! The paper shockingly recorded the facts of her numerous moneyundering activities for the Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area, as well as the text version of her phone calls with the Old Street Factory District. It detailed the antiques she auctioned and the revenue she received. She suddenly realized that this capture operation by the Anling Police was not instigated by Old Wolf, but was targeting her! "You can keep silent, but take a look at these as well," Shen Qianqian brought another A4 paper and ced it in front of her. This piece of paper recorded the antique frauds she had perpetrated in the past two years. The paper listed the relevant information of the victims and the amounts defrauded. Liu Qing swallowed hard, her eyes, somewhat murky, filled with disbelief. The three A4 papers Shen Qianqian ced in front of her made her feel stripped bare. Yes, that was the feeling. She suddenly felt as though there was not a single secret left on her, all her criminal records were exposed! But Liu Qing''s brow was tightly furrowed. What she didn''t understand was how the Anling Police could have found so much detailed information about her? "Are you ready to confess now?" Shen Qianqian looked at Liu Qing with a smile and asked. For the first time, she felt that interrogation was such an easy task, with all the information clear and the naked evidenceid out in front, making it impossible for the suspect to refute. "Can I ask a question?" Liu Qing took a deep breath and suddenly asked. "Go ahead," Shen Qianqian nodded. "Who gave you these materials?" Liu Qing asked, raising her eyes to look at Shen Qianqian. "Noment." Shen Qianqian immediately refused, protecting the source of their material. Liu Qing fell silent, her mind spinning rapidly, sifting through people she might have offended recently and those who might have investigated her. She had made a clean sweep of previous scams. Lately, she had been focusing all her efforts on the antique fraud targeting Zhang De from Happiness Community, even bing his girlfriend. Could it be... Did Zhang De discover the Antique Scam, so he investigated me? That''s what Liu Qing thought. But the next second, she shook her head, discarding the thought; considering Old Zhang''s intelligence, he couldn''t even see through the Antique Scam, much less investigate her criminal record. Zhang De''s daughter, Zhang? Another candidate shed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed this thought as well. She had dealt with Zhang a few times; Zhang was assertive but not overly so and relied more on her boyfriend. Lin Chuan? Lin Chuan! When that name appeared in her mind, she startled, suddenly piecing the whole thing together! Lin Chuan was not an antique newbie! How could a newbie score something like ''Fengtian One Tael'' right off the bat? Moreover, tonight at seven o''clock, she had nned to hand over ''Fengtian One Tael'' to Old Wolf, and it was precisely then that the police made their move to capture him. Now it seemed that the ''Fengtian One Tael'' was more like a trap. A trap especially designed for her in this Antique Scam! And the architect and nner of this trap was Lin Chuan. Yes, he wasn''t a newbie in antiques, he pretended to be a neer! He had fooled everyone! Plus, he had started his own Network Security Company, so hisputer skills must be outstanding; these materials were likely provided by him! Thinking this, Liu Qing''s brows were almost twisted together. "I know who it is," Liu Qing suddenly looked at Shen Qianqian and started speaking. Shen Qianqian''s face paused, turning back to Liu Qing, wanting to see what trick Liu Qing was nning. At that moment, Liu Qing met Shen Qianqian''s gaze and said word by word, "These materials were provided by Lin Chuan, right?" "Does it matter who brought them?" Shen Qianqian hesitated for a moment, her brows slightly furrowed. Liu Qing slumped on the cold tiger bench, a trace of destion emerged in her eyes, and she murmurred: "I''ve set up scams for years, only to fall into a trap set by a kid without even noticing." "I''m so stupid, really. I only knew that he had no knowledge in antiques..." Chapter 135: Chapter 127 Hasnt He Been Caught Enough? (Please Subscribe) The night descended, and Anling Police Station stood quietly like a monument at one corner of the city. The surrounding streets were empty and peaceful, the sound of speeding vehicles echoing in the night. In the police station building, each small window emitted a soft light, illuminating the darkness. Anti-Fraud Center. Lin Chuan was the key member in this case, and one could even say that he single-handedly orchestrated the arrest ceremony for the fraud team led by Liu Qing. Another w in the Old Street Factory District of the Myanmar area was ended by him in one fell swoop. After Shen Qianqian finished interrogating Liu Qing and sorted out the details of the case, she came to the reception room feeling much rxed. In the reception room. Under the gentle and warm yellow light, Lin Chuan leaned back on thefortable leather sofa, holding his phone horizontally, his fingers tapping the screen. The Little Landy sat next to Lin Chuan, also holding her phone horizontally, her face showing a frustrated expression. "Chairman, I died again." "It''s okay, I''ll revive you. There are blood packs in the two rooms ahead." "I forgot to activate the shield just now." "No problem, I''ll give you this weapon, the Rainbow Gatling. Just activate the shield and fire at random when we fight the boss!" "Nice! Level cleared!" "..." Shen Qianqian walked into the reception room and, upon closer inspection, saw Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin ying ''Soul Knight.'' They had just reached the level-clearing screen and sheughed, "Comrade Lin Chuan, Comrade Zhang, sorry to keep you waiting." "You finished the interrogation so quickly?" Lin Chuan looked at his old friend, smiling and asked. "You took care of everything, so how could it not be quick?" Shen Qianqian''s oval face broke into a radiant smile, "This is the first time I''ve dealt with such an easy case." Several documents with criminal records wereid out in front of Liu Qing; whether she talked or not didn''t make much of a difference. The interrogation was more like a formality. "Officer Shen, does that mean we can have dinner now?" The Little Landy''s eyes lit up, blinking as she asked. "Comrade Zhang, are you hungry?" Shen Qianqian looked at the Little Landy, whose young face was rosy and tender with a hint of yfulness, making her very endearing. Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips slightly, a bit embarrassed as she touched her stomach, "Well, a little." "Then let''s head out now!" "Okay!" "Xinxin, do you like barbecue? I know a barbecue restaurant that''s very delicious." "I love it!" "I''ll take you there!" "What about the Chairman?" "He has a wide range of interests, not picky about meat or vegetables." "Wide range of interests, seems like it." "..." In fact, it didn''t take three women for a performance; two girls were more than enough to keep the conversation lively. The Little Landy and Shen Qianqian opened the floodgates of chatter, starting from the first time Lin Chuan was summoned and all the way through to the rescue operation in Lincang, Yundian. Lin Chuan, the protagonist of the stories, listened to their ''chirping and chattering'' and quietly ate his meal. He was really hungry after only having a cup of bubble milk tea that afternoon. And the barbecue was indeed delicious. The night deepened. The evening breeze whisked away the hustle and bustle of Anling, the neon lights on the streets dimmed, and the air was filled with the faint scent of soil. The asional passing car added a touch of silence to the peaceful atmosphere. Shen Qianqian dropped Lin Chuan and the Little Landy back to Happiness Community, then left. "Chairman, I always thought your readers were just ying a joke, I didn''t expect it to be true!" The Little Landy said,ughing. Lin Chuan''s face darkened, "Little Landy, it''s time for you to go to sleep!" "I''m a bit scared to sleep alone." The Little Landy naturally linked her arm through Lin Chuan''s, lifted her little face to look at him, blinked, her eyshes fluttered, and a flicker of charm and shyness passed through her eyes. "Little Landy, look who''s that?" Lin Chuan chuckled, pointing his finger. The Little Landy was startled and then looked in the direction Lin Chuan was pointing. Ahead of them was the small supermarket of Happiness Community, where a middle-aged man sat alone at the door on a chair. "Old Zhang." The Little Landy''s brow furrowed. That night Old Zhang, dressed in a suit and with his hair neatlybed, did not present a confident demeanor. Instead, he sat there, looking dejected, like a wounded old cat under the night sky, emitting heavy sobs. Lin Chuan pulled the Little Landy over to where Old Zhang was sitting. "Old Zhang, what''s wrong?" The Little Landy asked, furrowing her brows. Old Zhang slowly turned his head, nced at his precious daughter, and then at Lin Chuan, who he considered to be his son-inw, and said listlessly, "Nothing, just felt like sitting here." After thinking for a moment, the Little Landy asked, "Old Zhang, haven''t you seen Liu Qing?" "Hmm." Old Zhang replied with a very low voice. The day before yesterday, Liu Qing had taken them on a tour of East Street. After Lin Chuan and the Little Landy left, she once again invited Old Zhang to open an antique shop. Seeing how good Liu Qing was to his daughter, he agreed to talk to Zhang Xinxin about it and give her an answer. He and the Little Landy discussed it and she suggested to "wait a bit longer." The next day, which was yesterday, he told Liu Qing to "wait a bit longer." Then Liu Qing seemed a bit upset, using Old Zhang of not supporting her business endeavors. Old Zhang had no choice but to promise that he would convince his daughter as soon as possible and then make the investment. Tonight Old Zhang wanted to invite Liu Qing to a boat ride on the Anling River to smooth over their rtionship, but she never responded. He sent her messages, but she didn''t reply. He called her, but her phone was off. He even went to Liu Qing''s ce, but found no one. Liu Qing seemed to be deliberately avoiding him, and now it was past 10 p.m., and still no sign of Liu Qing. Chapter 136: Chapter 127 Hasnt He Been Caught Enough? (Please Subscribe)_2 A sense of inexplicable emptiness surged into Old Zhang''s heart. He thought of many possibilities, even the possibility that Liu Qing might have found a new love, fallen for another superior man. s... Feelings are always soplicated, leading to all sorts of wild thoughts. At this moment, the Little Landy sat next to Old Zhang, patting his shoulder, and consoled him, "Old Zhang, no need to wait for Liu Qing anymore, she''s been arrested." "Zhang, you don''t understand adult matters..." Old Zhang replied dejectedly, but before he could finish, he suddenly furrowed his brows tightly, looking at the Little Landy, "What did you just say!?" The Little Landy solemnly said, "Old Zhang, you heard me right, Liu Qing has been arrested!" "Arrested, why has she been arrested?" Old Zhang immediately sat up straight, his face full of astonishment and concern. "Old Zhang, don''t get agitated yet," the Little Landy said, pulling on thepel of his suit, urging him to sit down. Old Zhang immediately countered, "If Lin Chuan were arrested, could you stay calm?" Lin Chuan, who was right next to him, was taken aback. Old Zhang, make your metaphors, but leave me out of it. I''m all good, why would I get arrested? The Little Landy nced at Lin Chuan and said reassuringly, "Don''t worry, Old Zhang, Lin Chuan won''t get arrested." Old Zhang also nced at Lin Chuan and muttered under his breath, "As if he''s never been arrested before." Cough! Seeing the father and daughter veering off topic, Lin Chuan coughed lightly, "Old Zhang, Xinxin, let''s stop for now, we''re supposed to be talking about Liu Qing''s arrest!" At the mention of ''Liu Qing,'' Old Zhang immediately turned back to the subject, "Why was she arrested?" "She''s suspected of moneyundering for a factory district in the Myanmar area," the Little Landy stated straightforwardly. "Moneyundering, but she''s a proper businesswoman, how could she beundering money for a factory district?" Old Zhang furrowed his brows in contradiction. "She also set up an Antique Scam tomit fraud!" the Little Landy continued. "Fraud? Who did she defraud?" "You!" The Little Landy stretched out her hand, pointing, and looked intently at Old Zhang. Old Zhang: "???" At the entrance of the small supermarket, illuminated by the light above, Old Zhang''s face appeared astonished and stupefied. Dumbfounded, Old Zhang asked, "Why would Liu Qing deceive me?" The Little Landy patted Old Zhang''s shoulder again, consoling him, "Oh Old Zhang, just stick to collecting rent with that IQ of yours, leave the entrepreneurship to me." "Then tell me, where did Liu Qing deceive me?" Old Zhang mumbled. With a smile curling the corners of her mouth, the Little Landy said, "Liu Qing, known as Sister Liu, a key figure in the moneyundering link for the Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area, deals in antiques but is also involved in fraud. The main tactic is using the lure of romance to deceive the emotional trust of some middle-aged and elderly gentlemen. Once these old guys make an investment, it''s like falling into an abyss. And you, Old Zhang, are her current mark." "That''s impossible!" Old Zhang was shocked, "How could I possibly be an old middle-aged guy?" "How are you not? It''s only because Lin Chuan and I discovered this in time that we prevented a tragedy from happening. Otherwise, you''d probably be at the police station giving a victim''s statement right now!" the Little Landy said with a raised eyebrow and augh. "You and Lin Chuan discovered it in time?" Old Zhang looked at the Little Landy with suspicion, then nced at Lin Chuan. "Yep." A hint of pride appeared on the Little Landy''s face. "You mean to say, you reported Liu Qing?" Old Zhang asked. The Little Landy nodded, "Yes, we called the police around four in the afternoon, and she was caught by seven in the evening and confessed to everything." A sh of mncholy crossed Old Zhang''s eyes as he sighed deeply to himself. The Little Landy went into the supermarket and then came out with a bottle of Erguotou liquor and a bag of peanuts, handing them to Old Zhang, "Old Zhang, have a drink to soothe the heartbreak." Old Zhang listlessly took the Erguotou and turned to Lin Chuan, "Lin Chuan, join me for a drink." The Little Landy swiftly grabbed Lin Chuan''s arm and then seriously told Old Zhang, "I''m just saying, Old Zhang, you guys can drink, but if you get drunk and decide to be sworn brothers, I don''t want to end up with an extra uncle!" "Sworn brothers, that''s a good idea!" Old Zhang smiled and deliberately teased the Little Landy. "Old Zhang, why don''t you just stay here by yourself," the Little Landy said, making a motion to take back the Erguotou. "No, no, no..." Old Zhang quickly guarded the liquor. Humming and hawing, the Little Landy walked into the little supermarket, dragging out a small foldable table and then fetched a stool for Lin Chuan. She sat next to Lin Chuan, peeling the peanuts for him. Old Zhang downed a shot of Erguotou, tears were brought to his eyes from the spice, and afterward, he sighed and said, "How did you discover Liu Qing wasmitting fraud?" "Ever since that first meeting, Lin Chuan noticed something fishy," the Little Landyughed. Old Zhang squinted his eyes and looked towards Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan exined every detail, "That time, Liu Qing gave Xinxin a century-old red agate bracelet, butter, I found out it was a fake. Yet President Li, as an old yer in the antiques circle, bought the bracelet for a high price, which made me suspect there was something wrong..." After hearing this, Old Zhang downed another shot of Erguotou: "I was really foolish!" The Little Landy fed Lin Chuan a peanut and thenined, "Liu Qing is a bad woman, you couldn''t handle her, the waters of the antique world are too deep for you, just give up and focus on collecting rent, that''s your real job." Regarding Liu Qing, Old Zhang avoided the topic: "I can''t just collect rent forever, can I?" "What else do you want to do besides collecting rent?" the Little Landy countered. "Your uncle started an eSports inte caf, it''s doing really well, and you''ve started your own Network Security Company, even coborating with the police force. I want to make something of myself too!" Old Zhang said with conviction. The Little Landy and Lin Chuan nced at each other. Starting some kind of business wasn''t a bad idea. Keeping Old Zhang busy would help him forget about Liu Qing, that awful woman, and the embarrassing experience of being duped by a romantic scam. "What about the Anti-Gambling Association you had before?" Lin Chuan chimed in. Old Zhang shook his head: "Gamblers don''t listen to advice, and those who do listen have lost everything, they don''t need advice." Lin Chuan could not help butugh silently, it made sense. "So, what do you want to do?" The Little Landy asked, frowning. Old Zhang sat up straight, looking at them earnestly: "Actually, I''ve found that I quite like those antiques." "But you don''t know how to appraise them," the Little Landy said with a pout. "But studying those antiques feels very meaningful to me," Old Zhangughed, "For instance, you can discover the story behind them, the historical charm hidden within the antiques. How wonderful is that." "Old Zhang, you suddenly bing so refined, I''m not used to it." The Little Landy said in shock. Old Zhang seemed to have forgotten his heartache, proudly dering, "Zhang, back when I was studying, I had a strong interest in history, and I was even the representative for the history course." "Weren''t you the Physics Course Representative? Howe you''re suddenly interested in history and were the History Course Representative?" the Little Landy teased mercilessly. "I wasn''t studying for just one year!" Old Zhang grunted. "Interest alone isn''t enough, it can lead to immense resentment," the Little Landy said. Old Zhang countered, "When you started your Network Security Company, did you have the technical skills?" The Little Landy was taken aback, then hugged Lin Chuan''s arm tightly, leaning her head towards him with pride, "I may not have the technical skills, but I have my Chairman!" Old Zhang suddenlyughed: "Xinxin, lend me Lin Chuan for a bit!" "I haven''t used him yet!" The Little Landy immediately retorted. Lin Chuan: "???" What kind of outrageous statement was that? "What haven''t you used?" Old Zhang couldn''t keep up and asked in confusion. The Little Landy suddenly realized that she misspoke, her face turned red, and with a sheepish smile, she said, "Old Zhang, what I meant was, at 720 Network Security Company, Lin Chuan is in charge of technical matters, I''m not really useful." "That makes sense." Old Zhang nodded, then added, "I really do want to open an Antique Shop, a small investment. You''ll support me, right?" At this point, the Little Landy looked to Lin Chuan, pursing her lips, her eyes full of questioning. The Little Landy had seen Lin Chuan fake a ''Fengtian One Tael'' and fool two masters from the Anling antiques circle, she knew Lin Chuan''s level of expertise in antiquities appraisal was very high, as high as several floors, at least. So. Whether Old Zhang, an utter novice when it came to antiques, could sessfully open a shop hinged on whether Lin Chuan would provide technical support. Lin Chuan looked at the Little Landy, then rubbed her hair and smiled, "Remember to cook breakfast for me tomorrow." "Okay!" The Little Landy grinned, her eyes brimming with radiant joy, like the bright stars in the night sky. Old Zhang, having drunk a few sses, was slightly tipsy and dazed: "What do you mean?" "Open your shop, and don''t ask about anything else." The Little Landy chuckled. Chapter 137: Chapter 128: I Want to Survive! (Please Subscribe) In the early morning, several little birds frolicked on the branches, emitting clear and crisp chirping sounds. Strands of sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, falling on the slightly worn houses, and prating into a rented room in Happiness Community, spreading on the floor, bright and warm. The breeze blew gently, carrying the freshness of the old city''s dense trees and a hint of life, and it entered the small room, as well as Lin Chuan''s dreams. Hu Lin Chuan exhaled arge breath of stale air, stretchedzily, then rolled out of bed and opened the metal door. "Morning, Little Landy." Lin Chuan looked at Zhang Xinxin, who had just reached the staircase, and revealed a sincere smile. The Little Landy today was wearing stone-washed blue skinny jeans, paired with a white cartoon T-shirt. The killer was the casual and loose T-shirt, which the Little Landy wore tightly, outlining unspeakable, exquisite curves from top to bottom. When she saw Lin Chuan waiting for her at the door, her face immediately showed a hint of surprise, and her eyes sparkled: "Chairman, I didn''t even knock yet, and you knew I was here. Is this what they call telepathy?" Leaning on the iron door, Lin Chuan smiled: "Not really, I''m just hungry." "Humph." The Little Landy pouted, her pretty face revealing a bright smile, "Then I''ll cook breakfast for you." "Sure," Lin Chuan replied with a smile. Zhang Xinxin then squeezed into the rented room, tied on a blue and white checkered apron, and got busy in the tiny kitchen. Before long, she brought out a big bowl of millet porridge, a te of steamed dumplings, two eggs, and some prepared soy milk, a hearty breakfast that appeared on the table. "You drankst night, eat something light." The Little Landy ced the peeled eggs in front of Lin Chuan, smiling. "Little Landy, you''re almost bing a nutritionist," Lin Chuan said as he took the eggs, nodding in appreciation. "Chairman, about Old Zhang''s n to open an antique shopst night, where should we choose for our shop location?" the Little Landy asked, resting her delicate, fair face on her hand while looking at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment: "Let''s go for East Street." "Then let''s go check out which shop is goodter, and take it over," the Little Landy said excitedly with augh. "You seem really interested?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and asked. "I was thinking about itst night. If we enter the antiques circle, wouldn''t we make money faster than the Network Security Company?" The Little Landy blinked her eyes. A piece of ice-type green jadeite Guanyin pendant is worth two hundred thousand. A ''Fengtian One Tael'' coin is worth forty-six million. In the antiques circle, money seems to be just a string of numbers. Lin Chuan took a sip of the millet porridge, smiled, and said, "If you have the right connections, it is indeed a lucrative line of business. However, because of the mixture of good and bad, and the prevalence of fakes, there are also many people who have gone bankrupt." "With our capabilities, we won''t lose money, right?" The Little Landy blinked her eyes again. Though she was a little richdy, she loved the sensation of money rushing innot for the money itself, but for the feeling of achievement it brought, a reflection of self-worth. In her eyes, collecting rent was really boring. Lin Chuan lifted his eyes to look at the Little Landy and shook his head: "We''re not ruthless enough; we won''t make much money. It can only be a side hustle for us." "Ruthless, like the kind Liu Qing does with mixing fakes among the real?" the Little Landy asked with a twist of her mouth. "Something like that," Lin Chuan nodded. "So where will we get our stock from?" the Little Landy asked. "That''s easy. Once we take over the shop, suppliers will naturallye to us, and we just have to choose the best. There''ll also be some mysterious people who will bring items to sell to us," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Mysterious people?" The Little Landy seemed curious. "You know, ''Touch Gold Captains'', especially some independent ones. They don''t have a fixed buyer, so they''ll roam between shops to secretly sell their finds," Lin Chuan exined with an air of experience. "Touch Gold Captains?" "Tomb Robbers." "So they''re from Tomb Robbers." The Little Landy had an epiphany, "Then let''s go check out the shops this afternoon, how about that?" "No problem," Lin Chuan replied with a smile. Myanmar area Old Street Factory District. The morning sun shone on the deste and lonely factory buildings, casting mottled shadows that danced on the stark white walls like specters with bared fangs and ws. Here, there was no eight-hour workday; the hustle and bustle continued around the clock. Inside the office. Old Bao wore a floral shirt, his bald head shining like a boiled egg, but it did not make him look friendly. Instead, his face was exceptionally gloomy and ferocious. Because he had just lost another active fraud gang. Thest time, Sister Mei''s fifteen-member gang was busted all at once, and it hadn''t been a month since then when Liu Qing, active in Anling City, was also taken down. Old Wolf, who went to make the transaction, was caught as well. The money obtained through fraud wasn''t clean, so it needed to beundered. And Liu Qing''s main responsibility was the moneyundering operation in the factory district. The loss of this keyponent was a fatal blow to the Old Street Factory District''s fraud operations. "Have you figured out the ins and outs?" As the leader of the Old Street Factory District, Old Bao was very angry. In front of him stood Mi, one of his underlings. d in a printed shirt that entuated his lean frame, Mi carefully bent forward, presenting a stack of information: "Boss, this is the relevant information we''ve gathered so far." Old Bao''s expression darkened as his predatory eyes fell on the stack of papers. Detailed notes on Liu Qing''s activities before her arrest were recorded there. ''On May 19th, Liu Qing had dinner with Zhang De, Zhang Xinxin, and Lin Chuan at Youran Vi. During the meal, Liu Qing gifted a century-old red agate bracelet to Zhang Xinxin.'' ''On May 26th, Liu Qing instructed Li Xin to visit the Network Security Company. Li Xin expressed admiration for the century-old red agate bracelet worn by Zhang Xinxin and wanted to buy it at a high price.'' ''On May 27th, at the Yueming Tea House, Li Xin sessfully bought the century-old red agate bracelet for the high price of 120,000.'' ''That same afternoon, Liu Qing took Zhang De, Zhang Xinxin, and Lin Chuan to the Antique Market on East Street in Anling City, where they purchased an ice-green Guanyin pendant for Zhang Xinxin valued at 200,000.'' ''On May 28th, Zhang Xinxin and Lin Chuan made an appointment with Li Xin at the Yueming Tea House. Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin asked Li Xin for help in appraising treasures. Li Xin discovered a coin suspected of being a "Fengtian One Tael" and immediately reported it to Liu Qing. Liu Qing had Li Xin take photos of it and requested Master Zhang from Anling''s antiques circle to appraise it, confirming it as a "Fengtian One Tael" coin.'' ''That same evening at eight o''clock, Li Xin and Lin Chuan met at the Yueming Tea House, where they agreed to trade Lin Chuan''s "Fengtian One Tael" for three million in cash plus three million via bank transfer.'' ''On May 29th, at three in the afternoon, the two partiespleted the transaction.'' ''That same evening at seven o''clock, Liu Qing and Li Xin met with Old Wolf at the Green Leaf Ceramic Factory in Anling City to hand over the "Fengtian One Tael". Police arrived, and Liu Qing, Li Xin, and Old Wolf were arrested.'' The more Old Bao read, the angrier he became! "Idiots! Real damn idiots!" "Liu Qing, you fool, what Fengtian One Tael, and to think you once boasted you''d never slipped up!" His gaze turned menacing as he angrily mmed the papers to the ground, cursing nonstop. Mi stood beside him, silent as a cicada in winter, afraid to speak lest Old Bao''s wrath be brought down upon him. Because experience taught him that once you caught Old Bao''s eye in the factory district, the oue was worse than death! After a long moment. Old Bao''s anger had somewhat subsided, and he looked again at Mi: "Mi, any other leads?" "This morning, the Anling Police issued a case announcement saying that two conscientious citizens reported the case, which led to the discovery of Liu Qing''s case. Swift action was taken, resulting in their immediate arrest," Mi said, his voice quivering. "What a conscientious citizen, truly conscientious!" With mockughter erupting from him, Old Bao''s face was twisted with a sinister smile that made Mi shiver. "Boss, what should we do now?" Mi took a deep breath and asked. "Idiots, what can we do? We deal with him!" Old Bao growled savagely. Although he was hot-tempered, he wasn''t stupid. After reading Liu Qing''s records, he knew that this was the doing of the unseen web novel writerLin Chuan. By now, they had two scores to settle. Sister Mei was caught by Lin Chuan. Liu Qing was taken down by Lin Chuan. Anger coursed through Old Bao, a man ustomed to living on the edge and regarding human life as worthless, his face now full of murderous intent. "I''ll arrange for someone to take care of it right away!" Mi said immediately. "Wait!" Old Bao stopped Mi, his eyes shadowy, "I want them alive! Both of them!" Chapter 138: Chapter 129: The Trade (Please Subscribe) Seven dayster, on June 7th. The early morning breeze swept across the winding banks of the Anling River, carrying the faint scent of grass and water vapor, until it reached the old city in the eastern part of town. It brushed through the dense foliage within the old city, yfully tousled the fur of a small cat under the eaves, and finally surged through the window, filling the modestly sized room. At eight o''clock, Lin Chuan habitually rolled out of bed and then opened the metal door. The Little Landy was right outside. This was the biological clock that the Little Landy had cultivated for Lin Chuan over the past week. Today, her cheeks were fair and tender, she wore a white T-shirt with a Pikachu cartoon print, and her lower body was d in a pair of short, light gray pants that verged on white, revealing her straight and fair legs, which dangled in front of Lin Chuan''s eyes. It shook away all of Lin Chuan''s drowsiness. In her hands, she carried a bag of apples and today''s breakfast for twomutton soup with rice noodles. The Little Landy tiptoed closer to Lin Chuan and took a deep sniff, then said with a smile, "Chairman, you smell so nice." "I think you''re really hungry." Lin Chuan replied with a smile, gently tapping on the Little Landy''s nose, then took the breakfast and apples from her hands. "You''ve forgotten one thing," the Little Landy said with a slight curl of her lips. Lin Chuan was taken aback, "I''ve taken everything." Suddenly, the Little Landy shed a radiant smile, then leapt up, her legs wrapping around him, her arms brazenly thrown around Lin Chuan''s neck, hanging onto his body and hugging him tightly, taking a deep breath: "And me!" "Little Landy, that''s quite a sneak attack, too bold," Lin Chuan said, worried she might slip and fall, so he had to support her with his arms. "Chairman, I weigh 106 pounds, is that heavy?" the Little Landy giggled. "Not heavy, but I''m somewhat unable to hold up," Lin Chuan replied. "But you are holding up!" The Little Landy blinked. Ah? Lin Chuan''s face turned red, and he quickly turned around, cing the Little Landy down in the living room. She was too much for him to handle; it was indeed a bit overwhelming. Watching Lin Chuan''s awkward expression, Zhang Xinxin''s eyes shimmered with sly amusement. Indeed, with a full-frontal assault, his psychological defenses simply couldn''t hold. The Chairman is mine! A woman chasing a man is like separation by ayer of yarn. Especially for someone like Lin Chuan, a web novelist, facing an attack that was as fierce as thunder and as gentle and graceful as the Little Landy''s, it was indeed difficult to resist. Phew "Chairman, what''s the matter?" the Little Landy asked, batting her eyes and smiling. "Don''t y dumb." Lin Chuan spat out yfully, "I have serious matters to attend to today." "Then I''ll let you off for now, let''s have breakfast first." The Little Landy said with a smile, then sat down at the table and had breakfast with Lin Chuan. ''Ding dong ding dong'' At that moment, the phone rang. Lin Chuan nced at it, a message from Editor Youyou. "Darling~ time to wake up!" In recent days, Lin Chuan''s anti-fraud novel "All-In" had charged into the next round at the top. So, he had been in closer contact with Youyou during this period. "I''m having breakfast." Lin Chuan replied, then nced at the Little Landy across from him, who smiled warmly and piled two more slices ofmb onto his te. She didn''t ask who Lin Chuan was chatting with. "You''ve been keeping quite regr hourstely, nice, nice." Youyou seemed very satisfied. Lin Chuan smiled and replied, "All-In has entered the next round. Now, just waiting for the final results toe out." "Whether looking at the poprity or the content, ''All-In'' is a strong contender for first prize. Aim to keep the second-ce spot at least, and fight for the first!" Youyou messaged. It was clear that she was quite optimistic about Lin Chuan winning the top prize in the anti-fraud essay contest. "Then I''ll leave this year''s Heavenly King honor up to Youyou." Lin Chuan joked. Youyou had previously hinted that if "All-In" could achieve excellent results in the anti-fraud essay contest, Lin Chuan''s historical achievements would be enough topete with some veteran authors for a spot among the Twelve Heavenly Kings. If he could secure the top prize and get a film and television adaptation, then there would definitely be a ce for Lin Chuan among today''s ''Twelve Heavenly Kings''. Because, with the Anti-Fraud Center and Sunshine Film and Television adapting "All-In" for the screen, the poprity was bound to be high. As the heat goes up, the novel "All-In" would rise ordingly. "You just rx. Right now, ''All-In'' is breaking out of its circle. With ''Hacker Kingdom'' on top of that, you have a good chance of being named one of the Twelve Heavenly Kings this year." Youyou replied immediately. Inside the Sailing Novel building, Youyou looked at the chat box with Lin Chuan and felt somewhat fortunate that she had bet on the right treasure. ''Swindler'' and ''This Assassin Is Too Professional'' have both reached the level of great masterpieces. "Hacker Kingdom" is a hit overseas and has garnered tens of thousands of subscriptions back home. "All-In" is currently breaking out domestically and has entered the semifinal round of the ''Anti-Fraud Essay Contest''. By June 10th, the final results will be announced, and many readers are hoping it will be adapted into a film or TV series, with high expectations for such a move. Youyou''s heart was blooming with joy. As long as she could firmly grasp Lin Chuan, this treasure of an author, and help him ascend to the throne of Heavenly King and then further to the status of Influent Author, her promotion and sry increase were as good as in her pocket, weren''t they? Brilliant! However, thepetition pressure in the second half of the year was enormous! Youyou immediately sent another message to Lin Chuan: "Darling~ when do you n to start your next book?" After a brief moment of contemtion, Lin Chuan replied, "Probably within a week after the Anti-Fraud Essay Contest ends. Why?" "In the second half of the year, Sailing Novel will enter a state of fiercepetition," Youyou responded. Lin Chuan''s eyebrows furrowed. He immediately put down his chopsticks and rapidly typed a line on his phone: "Fiercepetition? What do you mean by that?" Soon, Youyou exined, "Let''s start with the batch from the Anti-Fraud Essay Contest. For example, Tianya, Guihai, and Handon, they are very likely going to start new books this or next month. In addition, several Heavenly Kings and Influent Authors will graduallyunch new books in the second half of the year, especially in the uing period. And there are a few tinum-level authors who have revealed their ns to start new books." Chapter 139: Chapter 129: The Trade (Please Subscribe)_2 Hiss. Lin Chuan''s brows were knitted together, showing a hint of worry. Ten thousand subscriptions, Heavenly Kings, Influent Authorsunching books! And a few tinum authors joining in on the excitement? "Why is everyone choosing tounch their books at this time, has a battle for the ages begun in the online writers''munity?" Lin Chuan couldn''t help but ask. "Every year from around May to June, it''s a golden time for strong authors tounch their books because the site''s traffic is higher in the second half of the year. These authors, they all want to grab this wave of traffic, build up enough poprity to challenge the Heavenly Kings, Influent Authors, even to be tinum. Some authors, it''s purely by coincidence," Youyou exined. Lin Chuan looked at this message from Youyou and couldn''t help but smirk. He also thought about the new book he was about to release, "Last Week''s Antique." The system requirement: 20,000 average subscriptions! Only by reaching twenty thousand average subscriptions would the next job be unlocked! How could Sailing Novel be sopetitive? There''s only so much traffic on the site, and the readership is rtively fixed. Meanwhile, new releases from Heavenly Kings, Influent Authors, and tinum authors are bound to take a significant chunk of that traffic. To put it simply, the cake is only so big; if some people have arge bite, others will get none. "This is really tough!" Lin Chuan eximed. "Don''t worry, I''ve fought hard for you in terms of rmendations. You''re strong on your own, so justunch the book with confidence, break through them, and prove yourself!!!" Youyou encouraged. "Alright! Break through fiercely!" Lin Chuan grinned. End of chat. Lin Chuan put down his phone, then had breakfast with the Little Landy before going to work. Morning at the Network Security Company. Afternoon at East Street Antique Shop. Yes, as the chairman of the Network Security Company, Lin Chuan had a lot ofpany affairs to deal with, while the Little Landy, as the Chief Financial Officer cum Human Resources Director, did too. The promotion of the anti-fraud app was also proceeding in an orderly manner. On the other hand, the newly opened antique shop had been selected and renovated, and now they were in contact with various suppliers. So. From morning till afternoon, a small electric scooter made its way from Happiness Community to the Zhongcheng Building in Qingxiu District and then from Zhongcheng Building to East Street. It was now two o''clock in the afternoon. The scorching sun was hidden by the clouds, and East Street, with its many clouds, didn''t feel too hot. Numerous antique vendors shouted and hawked their wares of various sizes in the street alleys, creating a lively atmosphere. In East Street, at the corner of an alley, a golden storefront decorated with an antique ir hung a signboard named ''Goldstone Edge.'' Inside the Goldstone Edge shop, clear ss cabs had been set up, already holding many antiques that Lin Chuan had acquired from various ces in recent days. Outside the ss cabs, there were many artworks. These artworks were crafted by Lin Chuan himself as imitations of some antique objects. Although his craftsmanship was exquisite, he had made appropriate markers to prevent them from being mistaken for authentic pieces. Ah, the damn conscience! On the second floor was an exhibit Lin Chuan had retrieved from the police station, that ''Fengtian One Tael'' coin. Old Zhang and the Little Landy agreed that this ''Fengtian One Tael'' should be the centerpiece of Goldstone Edge, the treasure that would establish the store''s reputation. Lin Chuan had no objection, just adding a marker, "Imitation Artwork," "Not for Sale." This imitation indeed had the qualifications to be the centerpiece. A centerpiece object is the most valuable, the one that best demonstrates the store''s strength and stands as its crown jewel. The Fengtian One Tael imitation wasn''t genuine, but its presence in the store was enough to inform visitors about the shop''s level of expertise with antiques, and it discouraged those who wanted to peddle fakes from lingering. The craftsmanship of this counterfeit coin was arguably at the pinnacle; bringing in another fake would be like trying to show off to an expert. At that moment. A man in simple attire and a blue T-shirt with a cap walked into the shop: "Boss, do you appraise treasures here?" "Certainly, pleasee this way for the appraisal." Lin Chuan, in a casual white shirt, led the blue T-shirt man to the appraisal area on the first floor. Appraising antiques required an Antique Appraiser certificate, so Lin Chuan had taken the time to earn one. The man, about 175cm tall with rtively yellowish skin, slung arge bag over his shoulder and sat across from Lin Chuan: "How much do you charge for appraisals?" "200 per item," Lin Chuan smiled. "Young man, will you be the one appraising them for me?" the man asked. Lin Chuan nodded. The man chuckled: "You look quite young." Lin Chuan smiled back: "As long as the antiques aren''t young, that''s what matters." "Okay, let''s start with these two," the man said. The man then took out two objects wrapped in ck cloth from his bag and ced them on the long table covered with a red cloth. Lin Chuan nced at the man, then picked up one of the items and slowly unwrapped the ck cloth, revealing a beautifully decorated, bowl-shaped porcin piece. In natural light. The shape of the bowl was regr, the lines smooth, the rim plump, and the walls of appropriate thickness. Both the interior and exterior of the bowl were painted with intricate floral and scroll-grass patterns that intertwined, bursting with vivid colors. The ze of the bowl was as smooth as jade, fine and even, exuding a warm luster,bining the elegance of underze blue with the vibrancy of overze enamels. "Young man, what do you think?" the man asked eagerly. "A fighting color floral scroll-grass pattern bowl," Lin Chuan looked up at the man and smiled. "Can you tell the period? Can you work it out?" the blue T-shirt man continued. Lin Chuan picked up the bowl again for a nce and smiled: "Take a look...from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty." "How about the price?" "The craftsmanship of the bowl is exquisite, but the bottom is worn, and there''s a crack at the rim, it''s worth tens of thousands I''d say," Lin Chuan smiled. Chapter 140: Chapter 129: The Trade (Please Subscribe)_3 "Alright, alright, alright!" the man in the blue T-shirt said with a grin, then pointed at another item. The other item was a stove. "A bronze incense burner," Lin Chuan uttered with a chuckle upon a brief nce. The bronze incense burner stood on three legs, its body round and lines soft, carved with exquisitely detailed auspicious cloud patterns, with just the right density between the clouds, and the lid was openwork in the shape of clouds,plementing the mouth of the burner. Overall, the patina of the bronze incense burner had a deep color, as if covered in ayer of light gold or reddish-brown gloss, which made it look even more antique. "A Qing Dynasty bronze incense burner, I''ll give you an estimate of just under twenty thousand," Lin Chuan concluded. "Young man, you''ve got a good eye," the man in the blue T-shirt said, giving Lin Chuan a thumbs-up, then started to pack the bronze incense burner and the fighting color floral scroll-grass pattern bowl into his bag. "Scan here to pay," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Four hundred yuan, received. As the man was about to leave, he turned to Lin Chuan and asked, "Young man, can we exchange WeChat contacts? I have a lot more treasures I''d like to have appraised. If you give a good price, I can sell them to you." "Of course we can." Lin Chuan smiled and then added the man as a friend. After the man left, the Little Landy, who had been following Lin Chuan, asked curiously, "Chairman, why didn''t we ask him if the bowl and the bronze incense burner were for sale just now?" Lin Chuan tapped the Little Landy''s forehead gently, "You, collecting this and that." The Little Landy pouted slightly, "Isn''t it because we don''t have much stock in our shop? Couldn''t we have collected those two antiques?" Lin Chuan chuckled, "It''s not that we couldn''t collect them, it''s just that those two items weren''t his." "How could you tell?" the Little Landy asked curiously. "You''ll know when you''ve seen enough." "But you''ve only just started seeing them for a few days, right?" "Ah, I mean, you''ll understand after you''ve seen enough people." "There are also people whoe to have antiques appraised on behalf of others." "Of course, there are. Many sellers can''t show up in person, so they ask others to help them with the appraisal. It''s quitemon. Plus, our Goldstone Edge has just opened, and some nearby shops alsoe around to test us, trying to tarnish our reputation," Lin Chuan said with augh. The Little Landy nodded and quietly took note. The antique shop was new, and since there wasn''t much inventory, there weren''t many customers in the afternoon. Instead, there were quite a few who came for treasure appraisal, some with fakes, insisting they were genuine, aiming to give Lin Chuan a hard time. But Lin Chuan resolved each case without giving them any ammunition. Unnoticed, the sun had set, and night had fallen. The flow of people on East Street was two to three times that of the daytime, and business at Goldstone Edge picked up. However, due to the nature of antiques, there were a lot of customers who lingered outside the door for a long time beforeing in, took a look around, bought nothing, and left, leaving nothing behind. Did that count as a visit? Did that even happen? Until ten at night, the flow of people started to dwindle. ''Ding Dong Ding Dong'' The phone disyed a message from the man in the blue T-shirt that afternoon: "Young man, I have an item here, do you buy it?" Lin Chuan replied, "What kind of treasure?" Soon after, the man sent over two spontaneous photos, apanied by text: "This piece of porcin, what do you think?" Lin Chuan looked at the photo: "Just by looking at the picture, it seems quite nice. It would be best to bring it to the shop for a look." "Then it''s a deal, I''lle over now," the man replied immediately. The photo of the porcin that the man sent was indeed nice, preliminarily estimated to be worth three hundred thousand. If they could acquire it, they could make a tidy profit by reselling it. Lin Chuan thought about it and agreed, "Alright." Chapter 141: Chapter 130: Lets Start Digging Sand! (Please Subscribe) East Street, Goldstone Edge Antique Shop. As the night grew deeper, streetmps cast a soft yellow glow, illuminating the mottled moss on the cobblestones. A gentle breeze carried a hint of chilliness, softly rustling the branches and leaves of the ancient trees lining the streets, whispering in hushed tones. There were fewer pedestrians on the street; the asional passerby''s figure stretched long and dim in the light of the shop windows. "Chairman, do you think that person will stand us up?" The Little Landy sat inside the counter at the entrance of the shop, pouting slightly. "Let''s wait a bit longer, they said they''ll be here soon," Lin Chuan rubbed the Little Landy''s hair, smiling. At this moment. It was nearly eleven o''clock at night. Old Zhang was feeling under the weather, so Lin Chuan and the Little Landy had let him go back first. Lin Chuan nned to close up shop afterpleting thisst deal and then go back with the Little Landy. Wash up and sleep. "Then I''ll wait with you." The Little Landy nuzzled against Lin Chuan like a kitten, scrunching up her nose. Most of the nearby antique shops had already closed for the night. Only a few shop windows revealed a faint light, making the whole street eerily quiet. Fortunately, the man in the blue T-shirt from the afternoon didn''t stand Lin Chuan up. "Sorry to keep you waiting, young brother." The man in the blue T-shirt was still dressed the same, arriving in front of the shop and greeting Lin Chuan with sped hands, full of apologies. Behind him were two men in ck T-shirts. The two men were carrying a cardboard box. Inside, no doubt, was the piece of porcin. "No worries," Lin Chuanughed, returning the gesture of sped hands, then turned his attention to the two men in ck T-shirts, asking, "And these two are?" "These two are my cousins, here to help me carry the porcin," the man in the blue T-shirt replied with a smile, then instructed his two cousins, "Bring it in, watch the step at the door." "I see, cousins." Lin Chuan gave the two men in ck T-shirts another nce, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes. Although these two men were smiling, Lin Chuan could tell from their brows that there was a hint of viciousness about them; their hands, carrying the cardboard box, were rough with thick calluses. It gave Lin Chuan a familiar feeling. "Would you like to check the goods now, young brother?" The man in the blue T-shirt stepped into the Goldstone Edge Antique Shop, smiling at Lin Chuan. "No rush, have a sip of tea first," Lin Chuan mused and then patted the Little Landy''s hand, "Xinxin, go make a pot of tea in the tea room." "Alright." The Little Landy nodded and walked into the tea room to make tea. The man in the blue T-shirt nced at the Little Landy entering the tea room but didn''t pay it much mind, his attention remaining on Lin Chuan, "Young brother, you are quite aplished for your age, with a sessful career and such a beautiful girlfriend." Lin Chuan looked at the three men in front of him and replied with a smile, "I am not as free-spirited as you three, to go wherever I wish." "Do you know what we do for a living?" The man in the blue T-shirt''s eyes shed with surprise as he asked. Lin Chuan shook his head, "I guess the three of you are from the Martial World." "Ha, you could say we''re from the Martial World," the man in the blue T-shirtughed heartily, though his eyes held a bit of coldness. His twopanions asionally looked out the window at the empty street outside. At this time. The night was pitch-ck, and there were hardly any pedestrians to be seen on the street. The surrounding shops had already closed their doors; all was silent. asionally, a breeze would pass through the streets and alleys, hitting the windows, sounding like ghosts weeping in the night. "Xinxin, is the tea ready?" Lin Chuan called out. "Not yet, the water''s gone cold; I have to wait for it to boil to make good tea," the Little Landy replied from inside the tea room. Lin Chuan then looked at the three men before him and spoke with a smile, "I''m sorry, gentlemen, the tea might take a while, let''s look at the goods in the meantime." "No problem," The man in the blue T-shirt nodded. The other two men immediately opened the cardboard box to reveal the porcin inside. Lin Chuan turned his gaze to it. It was a blue and white porcin vase. The vase was tall and slender, with smooth lines. The neck slightly converged, and the mouth was rounded. The body was covered with exquisite blue and white patterns, fresh in color, depicting mountains and weing stones, with whirling clouds and mist, as if a water ink painting had been cleverly embedded on the piece of porcin. "It is said to be a Ming Dynasty imperial porcin, known as the Blue and White Landscape Patterned Vase," the man in the blue T-shirt said with a smile. Lin Chuan nodded, "Just by looking at the body, it indeed resembles a Ming Dynasty Blue and White Landscape Patterned Vase." "Resembles?" The man in the blue T-shirt narrowed his eyes. "It''s a fake," Lin Chuan nodded. "A fake?" The man in the blue T-shirt was taken aback. Lin Chuan looked into the man in the blue T-shirt''s eyes and smiled, "Yes, it''s not the same vase you sent me a photo of." The man in the blue T-shirtughed, then said, "You must be mistaken, young brother. This is the very one I sent you a photo of; perhaps you should take a closer look?" "Take a closer look?" Lin Chuan''s lips curved slightly upward, but a cold gleam shed through his eyes. "Young brother, do you im a piece to be fake without even touching it to appraise?" the man in the blue T-shirt''s eyes narrowed. Lin Chuan replied with a smile, "You block the door to appraise treasures; are you afraid I''ll run off with your counterfeit piece?" At that moment. The two men behind the man in the blue T-shirt had already moved quietly to the door, as if to block the entrance, preventing Lin Chuan from escaping. "Quite vignt, young brother," the man in the blue T-shirt crooked his mouth with a mocking smile. "Your acting isn''t bad either; you fooled me this afternoon," Lin Chuan said calmly, shifting his stance and positioning himself to block the way to the tea room. And in the next second. Outside the entrance of Goldstone Edge Antique Shop, six or seven men in ck T-shirts appeared. Lin Chuan''s nce swept over them. Their skin was a dark, sallow yellow, and their brows were steeped in a heavy murderous aura. In the dark and windy night, they seemed particrly sinister. "Quite a few peers have shown up," Lin Chuan chuckled. "Peers?" The man in the blue T-shirt looked surprised, "You think we deal in antiques?" Lin Chuan shook his head, "You think I only deal in antiques?" The man in the blue T-shirt didn''t grasp the implication in Lin Chuan''s words. He frowned, nced at the deserted street, and his expression suddenly turned icy, "The boss said to keep him aliveleave him breathing!" Inside the antique shop. Lin Chuan looked at the ten men before him without panic. A rush of blood surged and pulsed in his heart, as if instinctively excited, "Then let the killing begin!" ... Night enveloped every corner of Anling City like ink, the evening breeze whined, and the shadows of the trees danced, all contributing to an inexplicable sense of fear. Shen Qianqian was dressed in sportswear tonight, her hair tied in a high ponytail, and she was ying a shooting game with Xue Qiqi at a street-side stall. The toy gun spun rapidly in her hand before she took aim! Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of shots, twenty in total, each hitting a balloon straight on. Xue Qiqi, already clutching tworge plush toys, looked surprised, "Qianqian, howe your gun spinning looked so cool just now?" Shen Qianqian smiled lightly and asked the stall owner for another twenty bullets, "Learned it from someone." "From Lin Chuan, right?" Xue Qiqiughed heartily, making fun of her. Shen Qianqian recalled the day on the rural road in Lincang, how she was stunned by Lin Chuan''s skillful gun spinning, and hisposure when faced with fifteen fraudsters. Clearly, this was not something an ordinary web novel writer could research and learn about. It seemed more like an instinct honed through countless real battles. As she aimed and fired, Shen Qianqian turned to Xue Qiqi and asked, "Qiqi, do you web novel writers usually do a lot of research?" "Yes, we research a lot," Xue Qiqi replied with a smile. "And after researching, do you apply it in real life?" Shen Qianqian popped a balloon and asked. "That''s quite rare," Xue Qiqi shook her head. "That''s strange indeed," Shen Qianqian said with a bewildered smile. "Are you thinking of another web novel writer?" Xue Qiqi teased with a sly smile. "Of course not!" "I heard it from Old Wang. That web novel writer now has a little richdy. Isn''t she your love rival?" "Nonsense, they are sweet together, what does that make her to mea love rival?" "We''ve known each other for so long, do you think I don''t know you?" Xue Qiqi said with augh. Bang! Bang! Bang! Shen Qianqian hit all the targets once again. ''Ding dong ding dong'' Right after she finished, her phone rang. "Is it a message from Lin Chuan?" Xue Qiqi asked with gossipy interest. Shen Qianqian nced at the blinking avatar and spat mockingly, "It''s from the love rival!" "What?" Xue Qiqi was taken aback. Shen Qianqian opened the Little Landy''s message, and the smile froze on her face. "Sister Qianqian, please help us call the police!" Zhang Xinxin had sent her a message. "Where are you?" "Goldstone Edge." "Wait for me, I''ll be right there!" Shen Qianqian''splexion instantly turned stern. She turned to Xue Qiqi and said, "Qiqi, lend me your car." Seeing Shen Qianqian''s demeanor, Xue Qiqi didn''t hesitate for a second and handed over her keys. But before she could ask ''what''s wrong'', Shen Qianqian had already swiftly settled into the driver''s seat. Xue Qiqi''s Mercedes-Benz GLC roared to life almost instantly, the engine thundering. Zero to a hundred kilometers per hour eleration was so important to Shen Qianqian at that moment! Roar The Mercedes-Benz GLC tore down the street at top speed. Her mobile phone disyed messages from the Little Landy. "Three men have arrived." "Another seven turned up." "They have knives." Without hesitation, Shen Qianqian also dialed the chief''s phone number. Usually, she could not report directly to a higher level, but this was about Lin Chuan. She could speak directly with the chief; this was the trust Zhang Biao had in her. The call connected. Shen Qianqian skipped any pleasantries and said bluntly, "Chief, Lin Chuan is in danger at Goldstone Edge on East Street!" "What!?" "I''ll be there in eight minutes at the earliest!" On the other end, Zhang Biao''s anger surged, "Who dares mess with our little grandmaster? Call the police!" Simultaneously, Anling Police Station rapidly dispatched officers. Zhang Biao, d in a white shirt, personally took charge, leading the Criminal Police Brigade straight to Goldstone Edge on East Street! Police cars sped down the streets, their shing lights piercing the dark night. After hanging up the phone, Shen Qianqian floored the elerator. Traffic police nearby, who had already been contacted, quickly joined her to clear the way, racing towards the antique shop on East Street! There was only one thought in her mind. Lin Chuan, wait for me! Chapter 142: Chapter 131: Assassin! (Please Subscribe) East Street, Goldstone Edge Antique Shop. The shop wasrge, but most of the space was upied by cabs storing various antiques, making the passageway rather cramped for the eight or nine men in ck T-shirts crowded at the entrance. As everyone knows, in an open area, ten people ganging up on one can swarm and attack from all sides. In a rtively narrow space like this, however, it''s not so easy to throw punches and kicks. Lin Chuan''s gaze swept over the ten knife-wielding men in front of him; he used one hand to undo the buttons of his white shirt, his face wearing an inexplicably excited smile. At this moment, Inside and outside the shop, a tense atmosphere was thick in the air. In the tea room, Little Landy''s heart was pounding rapidly, she poked her head out, her eyes already reddened, looking at Lin Chuan with full concern. "Little Landy, just sit there and be good, and remember to testify for me when the police arrive, that I was acting in self-defense," Lin Chuan turned his head to look at the Little Landy, giving her a reassuring nce. "Chairman, Sister Qianqian will be here soon," Little Landy''s voice was tinged with a sob. "Don''t worry, Little Landy. These guys are just like Little Karami. Give me five minutes, and I''ll knock them all down!" Lin Chuan said with a confident smile on his face. "Little Karami?" A sh of anger crossed the face of the man in a blue T-shirt. In all his years in the business, it was the first time he had ever been mocked as Little Karami! Moreover, he had learned from Old Bao that Lin Chuan was but a web novel writer, an adage saying ''A schr without use is of no value,'' with web novel writers being even less useful! The man in the blue T-shirt tightened his grip on the roughly forty-centimeter-long knife in his hand, his eyes emitting a cold light as he quickly advanced. The nine men in ck T-shirts behind him surged forward simultaneously. Inside the Antique Shop, Lin Chuan did not run away; instead, he charged forward quickly. The man in the blue T-shirt was also fast, his knife gleaming as it cut through the air, shing towards Lin Chuan''s waist. Lin Chuan nted his feet firmly, swung his hand in a backfist strike, his right fist clenched, and with a swift downward elbow strike, blocked the blue T-shirt man''s elbow that held the knife. At the same time, Lin Chuan''s left fist was already powered up at his waist, his feet moving quickly in a bow step forward, and his left fist struck out viciously. It was a powerful Bow Step Punch. Lin Chuan was stable in his stance, power emanating from his waist, shoulder, arm, elbow, and fist acting in unison. The wind from his fist was intense, striking like lightning, swiftly hammering upwards from the lower left towards the blue T-shirt man''s left head. Martial arts were about lethal techniques! The man in the blue T-shirt was no pushover either. As Lin Chuan''s left fist neared, he quickly swung out his left elbow to block, his right hand flipping the knife for a horizontal sweep at Lin Chuan''s abdomen. Whoosh! Lin Chuan''s right elbow struck back in a reverse back fist, and before the knife could reach him, he viciously struck the blue T-shirt man''s wrist holding the knife. This was a technique from Jeet Kune Do, the bent elbow backfist. The blue T-shirt man clearly did not expect Lin Chuan to be an expertbatant, and he reacted too slowly. His right wrist ached, nearly causing the knife to fly out of his hand. This exchangested less than two seconds. Lin Chuan was about to follow up on his advantage when a man to his right swung his knife down at him. As Lin Chuan turned to dodge, he swung his right arm in a hammer strike, like a pendulum, crashing into the man''s groin. The speed of the blow was so fast that it gave the man no time to react. Thump. It was as if the sound of eggs cracking could be heard upon impact, the man instantly bulged his eyes, veins popping on his forehead, his legs mped tight together, his mouth wide open, but no sound came out. Pain! Pain to the point of losing one''s voice! Lin Chuan knew it was not a time for mercy. He immediately raised his right foot for a low side kick, causing the man''s knee to pain sharply, forcing him to kneel down suddenly, and then Lin Chuan deftly snatched the knife away. A knife wind attacked from the left side. Lin Chuan held the knife in reverse grip, raised his hand to parry, and then suddenly exerted force to shake off the man to his left, before turning around to deliver a high whip kick, his leg sweeping swiftly like a long whip, hitting the jaw of the man to his left. Crack, his jaw was dislocated. By now, Lin Chuan had quickly stepped back, holding the knife horizontally in front of him, catching his breath. In just over ten seconds, Lin Chuan had engaged with three men. One was curled up on the ground, clutching his groin, howling in agony. Another had his jaw dislocated, mouth askew. One''s fighting power had dropped from ten thousand to six thousand. Lin Chuan was clever; throughout those ten seconds, he always made sure that only three people could reach him from the front, left, and right. In the tea room, The worry in Little Landy''s eyes was reced by surprise, her mouth agape, her face frozen, looking at Lin Chuan''s movements in disbelief. Lin Chuan''s figure moved swiftly under the bright lights of the shop, his eyes gleaming with calm confidence. Little Landy swallowed hard, and the shock and concern in her heart dissipated significantly. She stared intently at Lin Chuan, thinking to herself, ''Is this really my Chairman?'' Chairman... so fierce! It was miraculous; the phrase ''advantage is mine'' surged in her heart in an instant. Ten people attacking one, and yet getting counter-killed? Is this how you y? But Little Landy didn''t shout it out; she was afraid that doing so would anger the others, greatly increasing their fighting power, causing more trouble for Lin Chuan. At this moment, The blue T-shirt man stared at Lin Chuan with icy eyes, his face fierce and also filled with surprise. ording to the information given by Old Bao, Lin Chuan was a web novel writer, good with tricks, probably an expert in toy gun stunts, and that was it. But he never expected that Lin Chuan would knock down two of his brothers in a matter of seconds, one of whom hadpletely lost the ability to fight. Chapter 143: Chapter 131 Assassin! (Please Subscribe)_2 Is he still a web novel writer? Ah spit! What web novel writer could be this fierce? But reality didn''t allow him to think too much because he knew that the little girl in the tea room had already called the police. He had to deal with Lin Chuan before the police arrived. If he couldn''t catch him alive, then he''d settle it on the spot! With this thought in mind. "Don''t give him a chance to breathe!" the man in the blue T-shirt shouted in a deep voice, charging forward once again. This time. Everyone had put away their scornful hearts, their faces full of seriousness. The man in the blue T-shirt and the other two men in ck attacked Lin Chuan from the front and both nks simultaneously, their offensive fierce and dense, immediately doubling the pressure on Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan quickly retreated two steps, causing the three men''s attacks to miss, then immediately pressed forward to the left, swinging his knife horizontally. The man on the left blocked with his knife, but Lin Chuan''s attack was even quicker than before. He instantly turned andnded a heavy backhand blow to the man''s chest. The man on the left let out a muffled grunt. The two on the right and in front attacked in a sh, with Lin Chuan grabbing the man on the left and then kicking out towards the front, blocking the attack from the man in the blue T-shirt. He followed up with a high kick, directly hitting the wrist of the man on the right. His knife flew out of his hand. Seeing that the man now had no defense, Lin Chuan quickly stepped forward with his left leg and sent a powerful side kick into the chest of the man on the right. Crack crack crack! One, two, three, four... the ribs of the man on the right broke in session, the sound of snapping ribs distinct and sharp in the quiet night. After that, he was heavily kicked against the wall. Crafts that filled the wall swiftly fell,nding on the man, the sound of metal and jade hitting his head, causing considerable damage. Lin Chuan felt no remorse. The antiques and treasures in the shop, including the crafts, were all insured. "Cough cough cough..." The man suddenly coughed violently, with blood quickly spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his head became woozy from the blows, hisbat effectiveness dropping to a mere twenty percent. Meanwhile, the man in the blue T-shirt couldn''t care less, and signaled with his eyes to the person next to him, "You go into the tea room and pull that little girl out!" "Alright!" That person gave Lin Chuan a deep look, heading towards the tea room behind him. The man in the blue T-shirt tightened his grip on the knife once more, and with a direct approach, leaned forward aggressively, his knife disying a modern fighting style, thrusting whenever he saw an opening. He stepped forward and stabbed, hacked diagonally, and engaged in a sh of knives with Lin Chuan. Then, with a backhand slice from above and turning to parry, he deflected Lin Chuan''s knife and followed up with a spinning backhand sh. Lin Chuan watched as the man in the blue T-shirt suddenly became fierce and immediately spun around to put some distance between them. At this moment. The man attempted to bypass Lin Chuan, edging closer to the tea room. "You want to mess with Xinxin?" Lin Chuan''s eyes turned cold, and his knife came shing down. The man raised his hand to block, but Lin Chuan''s speed and skill were clearly far superior! With just a swift right side kick to the knee joint, the man cried out in pain and half-knelt on the ground. Lin Chuan then delivered a fierce kick, sending the man sprawling forward in a heap. Lin Chuan had no intention of letting him off, suddenly leaping and stamping both feet onto the man''s back. Pfft The man immediately spat outrge mouthfuls of blood, and it was uncertain whether his ribs in front or the spine behind were still intact. Lin Chuan didn''t care. All he cared about was the Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, in the tea room behind him. These ten men wanting to kill or catch him, it didn''t unsettle Lin Chuan''s heart. But when someone tried to harm Zhang Xinxin, Lin Chuan''s eyes turned frosty cold. Yes. A surge of rage erupted in his heart! Lin Chuan was gasping for breath, lifting his chilling eyes, like a tiger descending the mountain, staring intently at the leader in the blue T-shirt. The broken cab, the flickering lights, and the assassin moaning on the ground. In the entire Antique Shop, the air seemed to have solidified. Not sure if it was because it waste at night or because of Lin Chuan, the man in the blue T-shirt felt his hair stand on end, his skin crawling with goosebumps, his heart beating rapidly, unable to calm. He didn''t dare to look directly into Lin Chuan''s eyes! These eyes... deep as an abyss, cold as a cer, gave off the feeling of a demon descending upon the human world, very terrifying! As a professional assassin, he hadpleted numerous tasks, both big and small. This was the first time he encountered such a chilling situation! He had never seen anyone with eyes like the man in front of him. Even Old Bao from the Old Street Factory District in the Myanmar area, who made people quake in fear, had never given him this feeling. The man in the blue T-shirt took heavy breaths, raising his eyes to look at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan walked towards him step by step, with a smile on his lips, "Fellow colleague, you should know the consequences of failing a mission and being left behind." "Fellow colleague?" The man in the blue T-shirt''s pupils shrank, his face suddenly startled, "What do you mean by ''fellow colleague''?" "What do you think?" Lin Chuan''s face showed a hint of a smile. The man in the blue T-shirt swallowed, his heart filled with rm, "You''re an assassin too?" "You guessed right, but tonight, you, have to stay!" Lin Chuan did not hesitate at all, chopping down decisively, the man in the blue T-shirt hurriedly dodged to the side, but Lin Chuan with a speed that was extremely fast, switched his grip and shed horizontally at his back. The man in the blue shirt took a de to the back, grimacing in pain, suddenly stumbling forward. Lin Chuan kicked him in the buttocks, sending him crashing into the cab, shattering the ss, his head bleeding profusely. Another four or five men in ck approached from both sides. Lin Chuan parried with his knife, then using his arm, he forcefullyunched a high side kick, mming one of them heavily against a cab in the Antique Shop. The man in the blue T-shirt tried to get up and head toward the door. "You think you can just leave?" Lin Chuan, seeing this, kicked another man hard, who smashed down on top of the man in the blue T-shirt. The remaining three were already weak in the knees, entirely unable to resist Lin Chuan. A step-in side kick, a lunge kick followed, a spinning sweep! All of them were down! Even those with some fight left in them, Lin Chuan showed no mercy! Toward these people, Lin Chuan would not be merciful! At that moment. Outside on East Street, a dense sound of sirens was heard. The shing lights illuminated the sky above East Street, and armed police and SWAT officers, with solemn faces, rushed into East Street with the fastest speed, heading toward the located Antique Shop. Goldstone Edge. Meanwhile, a Mercedes-Benz GLC, ignoring the bumpy cobblestone road, had already arrived at the entrance of Goldstone Edge Antique Shop. Shen Qianqian quickly got out from the driver''s seat, rushing straight into the Antique Shop, muttering under her breath, "Lin Chuan, you must be okay!" Chapter 144: Chapter 132: This Comrade Lin is too fierce! (Please subscribe) Goldstone Edge Antique Shop. At this momt, the shop was in chaos. Shelves that once disyed a variety of valuable antiques were now in disarray, with bronze wares, jade, and paintings scattered all a. The blue and ndscape-patterned vase from the Ming Dynasty brought by the man in the blue T-shirt was already shattered beyond repair. Pools of blood spread across the floor, blooming like a cluster of red plum blossoms. The eving breeze swept into the silt antique shop, carrying with it a sharp, acrid smell of blood that quickly filled the air. Sh Qianqian felt a sudd tug at her heart as she dashed into the shop with two quick strides. At that momt. The wails from inside the shop reached Sh Qianqian''s ears. Looking down, she saw several burly m lying haphazardly on the g,pletely devoid of any fighting capability, but right now, her mind was wholly focused on Lin Chuan, as she searched for him everywhere. Finally, she spotted a familiar figure in her field of vision. There he was, wearing a shirt stained with specks of blood that looked like red prints, heading towards the shop''s tea room. "Lin Chuan!" Upon seeing Lin Chuan, Sh Qianqian immediately shouted out loud. Lin Chuan turned a and a smile immediately spread across his face, "Qianqian, you came at just the right..." But Lin Chuan didn''t finish his stce. A fragrance rushed into his embrace in an instant, as a pair of hands quickly wrapped a his waist, holding him so tightly as if afraid he would run away. Sh Qianqian hugged Lin Chuan tightly. Seeing that Lin Chuan was unharmed, the stone in her heart finally settled. She had rushed all the way here, her nerves stretched to the breaking point, and nowyers of tears threaded together, streaming from her eyes, as she wept siltly in Lin Chuan''s embrace. Lin Chuan felt the emotions of Sh Qianqian, who had run into his arms, and his heartstrings trembled. After taking a deep breath, he gtly patted her back, "I''m okay, I''m okay." Lin Chuan''s strong heartbeat thumped in Sh Qianqian''s ears, bringing her peace. Pressing close to Lin Chuan, she murmured, "As long as you''re okay." "How has it be meforting you now?" Lin Chuan patted her back again, teasing her. Sh Qianqian turned her tears intoughter and gtly punched Lin Chuan''s shoulder, "I thought you had be..." "Be what?" Lin Chuan''s face broke into an easy smile. "Thought you were tortured." Sh Qianqian pursed her lips, wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, and quickly returned to her usual demeanor. Lin Chuan chuckled, "It was close. I almost got tortured." Only now did Sh Qianqian''s gaze fall on the t m lying haphazardly on the g, crying and howling in pain. The antique shop was a mess, with each of the t assassins in their own dire straits. Some were clutching their chests with blood spurting from their mouths; others were stacked together like Arhats; and there were those who curled up on the floor, clutching their groins. Grim! And there was one who had be stabbed in the back and was pressed under two big m, almost unable to breathe. "This this did you single-handedly overpower all t of them?" Sh Qianqian gulped, staring at Lin Chuan in shock. Lin Chuan shook his head, "I was acting in self-defse. Xinxin can testify for me." At this momt. The Little Landy had alreadye out of the tea room, standing by Lin Chuan''s side, and nodding vigorously, "Sister Qianqian, I can testify, Lin Chuan was acting in self-defse!" Sh Qianqian nced again at the several moaning individuals on the g and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, "You''ve tak down all t of them. That self-defse was a bit too strong!" "I was very scared at the time, so I might have gone a bit overboard," Lin Chuan immediately said. "We''re not at the stage of taking statemts yet!" Sh Qianqian scolded yfully, the corners of her mouth brimming with a smile. Lin Chuan let out an embarrassed chuckle, "I thought you were starting to ask me for the details of the case." Sh Qianqian smiled, "I''ve be transferred from the Criminal Police Brigade to the Anti-Fraud Cter. It''s not up to me to take statemts. The person to do that will arrive soon." In the dark of night, the sound of police sirs sured the silt antique market. A row of police cars parked outside, their shing lights and caution tape setting up a perimeter. Fully armed detectives and special police rushed down East Street at top speed. Their footsteps on the cobblestones, urgt and rhythmic, grew ever nearer. A deep voice also came through the loudspeaker: "Atttion, those inside, you are sured. Cease all harmful behavior immediately! Cease all harmful behavior immediately!" Soon, the rapid footsteps were just outside the shop. Several fully armed detectives, with guns in hand, rushed into the Goldstone Edge Antique Shop. The leading detective shouted, "Police, nobody move!" But the next second, he froze. His colleagues beside him also froze in ce. "Why are you standing at the trance dumbfounded? Quick, check if Lin Chuan is still here!" A deep, urgt voice rang out. This man was other than Hu Daqiang, the captain of the Criminal Police Brigade. This group of detectives was from the very Criminal Police Brigade where Sh Qianqian used to work. Hu Daqiang, with a look of urgcy, dashed into the antique shop. His eyes quickly swept the room, and he stared, his face filled with astonishmt. About nine minutes earlier. The head of Anling Police Station, Zhang Biao, personally ordered him to rush to rescue Lin Chuan, who was under attack by thugs at the antique shop on East Street. The situation was dered urgt. He followed orders immediately, hurrying to the Goldstone Edge Antique Shop on East Street at top speed. But it was well known that in those eight or nine minutes, the thugs could have done a myriad of things. ording to intelligce, there were t assants. And who didn''t know Lin Chuan? Not just Hu Daqiang, several members of the Criminal Police Brigade had met Lin Chuan, and most of them had se his "This Assassin Is Too Professional," with some detectives still studying some of his crime sce processing methods. Chapter 145: Chapter 132: This Comrade Lin is too much! (Please subscribe)_2 Lin Chuan, a web novel writer, 4 years old, 86 cm in height, with a handsome face and a slder build. This is someone who earns his living by intellect. As for physical strgth, both Hu Daqiang and the detectives in the team thought that this term hardly linked to Lin Chuan. But now! The sce inside the Goldstone Edge Antique Shop on East Street had shak them. Hu Daqiang swallowed his saliva, furrowed his brows, and looked at the situation inside the shop, which was a mess, obviously the aftermath of a fierce fight. At this momt, several m in ck T-shirts were curled up on the g, some with blood spilling from their mouths, some clutching their groins, and others dragging injured legs and trying to crawl out of the antique shop. Not far away, there were several gleaming knives piled up. And there was Lin Chuan himself in the shop, smiling at him, "Captain Hu, it''s be a while." Next to Lin Chuan were two girls. One of them was indeed Sh Qianqian. Could it be that Sh Qianqian had arrived by herself and tak care of these t thugs? Had Sh Qianqian be so formidable after transferring to the Anti-Fraud Cter? Whew Captain Hu Daqiang felt both astonished and puzzled in his heart, but seeing Lin Chuan safe and sound, the stone hanging in his heart dropped, and he let out a long sigh of relief, "Comrade Lin, I''m so d you''re okay!" Lin Chuan smiled, "Thanks to Captain Hu, I''m fine." Hu Daqiang nced at Sh Qianqian and th back at Lin Chuan, asking in confusion, "What happed here?" Several detectives also turned their gaze towards the two of them. Sh Qianqian smiled radiantly, "I only just got here; you should ask the person involved." With a twist of his brows and a hint of astonishmt in his eyes, Hu Daqiang asked, "Comrade Lin, did you take down all these people by yourself?" Lin Chuan shook his head repeatedly, "Captain Hu, it was self-defse!" Hu Daqiang nced at the thugs on the floor, the corners of his mouth involuntarily twitching. Those in the know understood that you were the victim. Uninformed bystanders, upon seeing this sce, might think you were the violt perpetrator, who had captured t young m to brutally tormt them. As an expericed detective, Hu Daqiang immediately started to examine the injuries of these thugs. The closest thug. Hey beside a cab, blood spilling from his mouth, and the cab behind him had be so violtly hit that it had moved out of ce, causing the antiques inside to fall out. There was a thick footprint on his ck T-shirt, right across the chest. Hu Daqiang reached out to feel the thug''s chest. Ribs brok. The thug''s right wrist was purple and swoll, having clearly suffered a heavy blow, likely from wh he was holding a knife and Lin Chuan had either snatched it from him or struck his wrist to knock the knife out of his hand. Hu Daqiang''s expression changed slightly as he turned to another thug. This thug had bruises on his abdom, and his gital area was rupturedthe pain he must have be in was unimaginable. Not far from him, another thug had bruises all over his body and a dislocated knee joint that might have be fractured. After examining the condition of several more thugs, Hiss! Hu Daqiang drew in a sharp breath and th looked at Lin Chuan, smiling, "Comrade Lin, one against t and you came out victorious. It seems you are not just proficit in crime sce investigation, but also quite strong atbat fighting!" While he wasn''t an expert in fighting, his many years as a detective allowed him to roughly imagine the heavy blows these thugs had received. Ah no, self-defse! Ev if the Heavly King arrived, it would still be self-defse! This reminded Hu Daqiang of the book "This Assassin Is Too Professional." He was a faithful reader of that book. In the book, a character named Mr. Lin was proficit inbat fighting. In reality, Lin Chuan had already demonstrated his capabilities in crime sce investigation, and now, his exceptional fighting skills were on disy. Hu Daqiang couldn''t help but suspect, "This Assassin Is Too Professional" was Lin Chuan''s autobiography! And it was his criminal record! This Comrade Lin was too criminal! "Cough!" Lin Chuan cleared his throat, "Captain Hu, I do work out regrly, and since this is my home turf, I''m familiar with the shop. That''s how I was lucky ough to fd off these thugs." Hu Daqiangughed heartily, "Next time, I might have to join you for the workout." "Sure, it''s safe and reliable with Captain Hu a," Lin Chuan chuckled. The twoughed together. Subsequtly, the ambnce arrived. Hu Daqiang immediately ordered the thugs to be handcuffed and loaded onto the ambnce. If they really died, Comrade Lin would have to go through more paperwork. What a hassle! Better to keep them alive first and th properly interrogate them! "Comrade Lin, Comrade Zhang, as people involved in the case, you need toe back with us tonight to give a statemt so that we can quickly idtify the instigator behind this, which is also for your protection," said Captain Hu to Lin Chuan and the Landy. Lin Chuan nodded in agreemt. On the deserted Antique Street, arge team of detectives escorted Lin Chuan and Zhang out of Antique Street. At the trance of East Street closest to them, there was a police tape barrier, shing warning lights, and numerousw forcemt officers standing guard outside, prevting the geral public from getting close to avoid any idts. As soon as they left Antique Street, Lin Chuan saw Xia Qingqing. Xia Qingqing stood under the streetmp at the street corner, her eyes red, her lips pale, and in the night, she looked listless, her face covered with ayer of gray gloom. Upon seeing Lin Chuan and the others walk out unharmed, her face instantly showed a deep joy, and a few tears dropped into the night, vanishing from sight. From extreme tsion to a long sigh of relief. Thankfully, Lin Chuan was okay. As she approached Lin Chuan, all she said with a beaming smile was, "I''m d you''re okay." "Don''t worry, I''m fine," Lin Chuan also replied with a smile. Chapter 146: Chapter 132: This Comrade Lin is too much! (Please subscribe)_3 Waiting outside for Lin Chuan wasn''t just Xia Qingqing, there was also another heavyweight figure. Director Zhang Biao. Dressed in a shirt, Director Zhang approached Lin Chuan wh he came out and patted him on the shoulder with a chuckle, "Lin Chuan, I knew you''d be fine." Lin Chuan was startled to see Director Zhang, "I didn''t expect to rm you, Director Zhang." "You''re a talt and a hero of Anling. The fact that you''ve be shak up this time means I must find the person behind this and give you an exnation." As Director Zhang led Lin Chuan to the police car, he gave Lin Chuan a dose of reassurance. Lin Chuan''s heart stirred, and he nodded in thanks, "Thank you for your concern, Director Zhang." One by one, the police cars began to leave East Street. A few officers stayed behind to handle the subsequt matters. Apanied personally by Director Zhang and Hu Daqiang, Lin Chuan returned to the Anling Police Station to give a full statemt on the incidt''s evts. Afterpleting his statemt, Director Zhang offered to arrange 4-hour protection for Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan declined. The reason for refusal was simple. If the instigator behind the sces couldn''t get to Lin Chuan, they would target those close to him instead. Lin Chuan would actually prefer theye after him! If it wasn''t a top-notch assassin, Lin Chuan wouldn''t care. For example, the t thugs tonight didn''t put particr pressure on Lin Chuan. At that momt, his only concern was the Little Landy by his side. He was worried that with their overwhelming numbers, someone might slip past him and harm the Little Landy, something he absolutely wouldn''t allow to happ! Night had fall, and like ink, the darkness quietly spread over the tire city. All was quiet, the clouds above had dispersed, and moonlight spilled onto the g, draping Anling in a faint veil of silver. On the road, Sh Qianqian was driving the Mercedes GLC with Xia Qingqing, taking Lin Chuan and the Little Landy back to Happiness Community. A police car followed them. Sitting in the car with the window down, Lin Chuan let the cool eving breeze, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, wash over his face as he took a deep breath. "You two also be careful on your way back," he said as he got out of the car at the trance of Happiness Community and gave Sh Qianqian and Xia Qingqing a word of warning. The two police officer frids both nodded with a smile, "Don''t worry." Lin Chuan watched as Sh and Xia left. Inside Happiness Community, the streetlights shone lonely, casting a warm yellow light and outlining Lin Chuan''s figure, with the Little Landy beside him, tightly clutching his arm. "It''s okay now," Lin Chuan said softly, patting the back of the Little Landy''s hand in reassurance. He knew that ev though he wasn''t worried about the t thugs, the Little Landy beside him was surely worried. "I''m not afraid," said the Little Landy with a guine smile, hugging Lin Chuan''s arm, feeling inexplicably secure. Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, "You''re that brave, huh? You wer''t scared of all those people?" "With you here, I''m not afraid," the Little Landy said, lifting her face and affectionately nuzzling Lin Chuan''s arm like a kitt. Laughter bubbled on Lin Chuan''s face, "Time to go to sleep." "I sleep alone..." The Little Landy showed a hint of trepidation on her face. "Don''t worry, I''m here," Lin Chuan reassured her. "Ah?" The Little Landy was startled. "Let''s go," said Lin Chuan with a smile, pulling the Little Landy up to the rted apartmt on the sixth floor. The Little Landy''s mouth pursed ever so slightly, a blush of embarrassmt across her pretty face, but her rich theoretical knowledge gave her a great deal of courage, "Chairman, I brought a few special outfits." Lin Chuan was tak aback for a momt but thughed, "I only meant for you to sleep in my room. You won''t be in danger, I didn''t mean for you to sleep with me. What are you thinking?" The Little Landy pouted slightly, looking a bit disappointed, "I thought we''d sleep together." "Well, that''s not urgt," Lin Chuan replied with the corner of his mouth twitching. Blinking yfully, the Little Landy teased, "Is there anything more urgt than that?" Chapter 147: Chapter 133: The Old Street Factory District Should Disappear! (Please Subscribe) In the rtal room. It was already one o''clock in the morning, the bright moonlight filtered through the square windows, casting a gtle glow on the small room, with a gtle breeze brushing against the window ledge. The night was very deep, so deep that no sound from the outside world could be heard, and only a tablemp was on in the room, emitting a pale yellow light. The Little Landy, wearing the shirt Lin Chuan had only worn once and a pair of short sleep shorts, sat on the edge of Lin Chuan''s bed, her long legs folded, tightly grasping Lin Chuan''s hand. Lin Chuan, half-kneeling, stroked the Little Landy''s face and whispered softly, "You should sleep now." The night was silt and deserted. Zhang Xinxin, wrapping her arms a Lin Chuan''s waist and pressing against his chest, spoke with a vibrating voice, "I''m actually very scared." A tder string in Lin Chuan''s heart was lightly touched, unsettling him for a long time. He caressed the Little Landy''s hair and th ced his palm against her face, gtly rubbing it as he said, "You don''t need to be afraid anymore." The Little Landy looked up at him with big eyes, saying nothing. Lin Chuan bt down, lifted the Little Landy horizontally, ced her in the middle of the bed, and tucked her in. Th his lips lightly kissed her forehead, "Goodnight." At this momt, the Little Landy, like an obedit little cat, pursed her lips, nodded gtly, and closed her eyes to sleep. Lin Chuan brewed a cup of Maojian tea, took a sip to wake himself, and th set it down in front of theputer desk, his fingertips brushing over the old, worn keyboard. Yes, he indeed had important things to do tonight. If he was alone, th he would have be invincible, but now he had something to worry about. Hce, he hoped what happed tonight would not ur a second time. Or rather, he would not let it happ a second time. This was the thing that concerned him ev more than the Little Landy tonight. The dim, pale-yellow tablemp and theputer scre with its glow cast their lights on Lin Chuan''s face, as a hint of cold light shed in his eyes. A chilling killing intt bloomed like flowers at dawn, flourishing amidst the ughter. Lin Chuan began to type on the keyboard. Tonight, the man in the blue T-shirt had confessed, having received orders from the Old Street Factory District to strike against Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin, to capture them alive and bring them back to the factory district. Lin Chuan could fully understand what that meant. Once captured by the factory district, it would mean hell, torture, terror, bing toys for demons. If it had be just Lin Chuan, he could have waited for them until tomorrow, but their target for action included one more person. The Little Landy. This little rich woman was Lin Chuan''sndlord, financial supervisor, and angel investor. Therefore, Lin Chuan would not wait until the sun rose before taking action! His task was also very simple: to root out the masterminds behind the Old Street Factory District, and th...! First step, hack into that blue T-shirt man''s phone. For Lin Chuan, this was a piece of cake. With the continuous typing, strings of letters became lines of code that appeared on theputer scre, scrolling down to reveal information from the blue T-shirt man''s phone. Soon. Key information which had be deleted from the blue T-shirt man''s phone was restored by Lin Chuan. "New mission, three million." "Who?" "Here is their detailed information , they have oped an antique shop. You go there this afternoon with a few antiques for appraisal, and strike with another antique in the eving." "Okay." "Find a few more brothers who are skilled and act together to sure nothing goes wrong." "A web novel writer; just a few brothers should take care of it." "You should know the consequces of failure." "I understand." "After you seed tonight, I have arranged for someone to meet you at the usual spot." "Okay." "Don''t miss out on that little girl." "No problem." Lin Chuan''s expression darked, and a trace of coldness shed in his eyes. He turned his head to look at the Little Landy who had already fall asleep on the bed. In the dim and cramped room. The light from the tablemp and theputer scre cast a faint glow, allowing Lin Chuan to barely discern the Little Landy''s form. Shey on her side, her back slightly arched, curled up on the bed, hugging the thin nket like a frighted little cat, vulnerable and helpless, pitifully sweet. Suddly! The Little Landy''s body jerked violtly, as if having a nightmare, curling up ev tighter. Lin Chuan immediately ran over, gtly patting her back. In her sleep, the Little Landy grasped Lin Chuan''s hand and pressed it against her face; after a while, her curled body began to rx. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, covered her with the nket, and sat back down in front of theputer. At this momt. As Lin Chuan again looked at the information disyed on theputer scre, his pupils constricted, a deep furrow formed betwe his eyebrows, his facial muscles taut, his lips pressed tightly, and in his heart, a surge of anger was instantly ignited. Raging fiercely! At this momt, Lin Chuan was more like a tiger targeting its prey, ready to strike a fatal blow at any momt. "Old Street Factory District, it''s time for you to disappear!" Lin Chuan clched his teeth and exhaled a barely audible whisper. Tonight, Zhang Biao had made his stance very clear, promising to give him an exnation. But Lin Chuan knew there was too much tanglemt involved. Behind the fraud factory districty aplex web of interests, what they showed was only the tip of the iceberg, far from being resolved by convtional means. Th, unconvtional methods must be used, to ''speed up the melting of the iceberg''! Lin Chuan''s typing grew faster, skillfully hitting the old keyboard, the mouse rapidly moving across the desk, and multiple windows were disyed on theputer scre. Chapter 148: Chapter 133: The Old Street Factory District Should Disappear! (Please Subscribe)_2 Each window corresponded to different codes, web pages and databases. Lin Chuan''s eyes revealed sharpness and focus, as he intently scanned the codes, logs, data, and chat records without missing any detail, like a criminal investigator meticulously searching for relevant evidence in a world full of numbers and codes. "Found it!" Lin Chuan''s gaze sharpened as he quickly locked onto an IP address. It was the final IP address used tomand the man in the blue T-shirt. From the Old Street Factory District! Unlikest time during the ''ck powder incident'' when he infiltrated the factory''s external servers. This time, Lin Chuan intended to take down the entire Old Street Factory District! Therefore, he also had to hack into the Old Street Factory District''s internal core servers, where the district''s core confidential files were housed. ordingly, the difficulty of the operation was more than tenfold. The district''s internal core servers were heavily encrypted, eachyer presenting immense difficulty in decryption, with a slightest mistake risking triggering the protection mechanism and an instant counter-investigation from the other side. No fraud factory district was a rag-tag organization. On the contrary, each fraud factory district possessed an extremelyplete industry chain, along with proper facilities and organization, not to mention the numerous assassins and hackers. Even behind them was a corresponding armed force, not to be taken lightly. These districts, rooted in ''foreignnds''. But their tentacles had already reached out to the surroundings, forming gangs big and small, like Sister Mei, Liu Qing. The night was deep. Lin Chuan sipped some Maojian tea to refresh himself. "Continue!" This time, facing the district''s internal core servers, he slowed down his keystrokes, his eyes cautious, ensuring that every character was precise without any slip-ups. There were many methods to hack into a server. For instance, exploiting vulnerabilities for invasion, using malicious software to prate servers, cyber-attacks, disguising IP visits, and so on. But there was a key point: the factory district''s internal core servers used an internal LAN, which increased the difficulty of infiltration to another level. Fortunately, Lin Chuan had an in-depth understanding of the factory district. In the ''fraud factory district''s'' Virtual World, it was through his hacking skills that he had risen, earned the district''s trust, and step by step walked the path toward annihting the fraud factory district. Lin Chuan first silently hacked into one of theputers connected to the LAN, using it as a springboard to discreetly infiltrate the core servers. Then, a string ofmands was issued from hisputer. In the still of the night. Lin Chuan was like a calm andposed militarymander, manipting this silent yet intense virtualwork battle. During this, he essed a website. That website was the one Mr. Lin of the "Hacker Kingdom" had logged into, the dark web. ... Outside the window, from night to early morning. The scattered lights faded, and at the edge of dawn, a faint blush appeared on the horizon, the mountains outside Anling City appeared hazy and profound amidst the intertwining ck of night and dawn''s light. The sky''s color transitioned from pitch ck to deep blue; on the horizon, a ray of sunlight pierced the night, broke through the clouds, and the sparse stars dimmed, subtly vanishing, while the morning breeze rustled the trees, birds left their nests, and the sounds reached Lin Chuan''s room. A full six hours! Lin Chuan had finally seeded! Hisputer now disyed a vast andplexwork world that he had built, a Virtual World teeming with illegal transaction records, a wealth of sensitive information, and the many criminal gangs active within the fraud factory district. Source: the Old Street Factory District''s internal core servers. After a night''s effort, Lin Chuan not only obtained the core data and information but also erased all traces rted to him in the factory district, as if it had never had any entanglement with him. At the same time, Lin Chuan sent a forgedmand to the old top dog of the Old Street Factory District, Old Bao. "Whew" Lin Chuan took a long, deep breath. Gathering the evidence was done, and what followed was crucial. Subsequently, Lin Chuan packaged all the evidence from the Old Street Factory District and the crime information of its various gangs and sent it from a virtual ount to Shen Qianqian''s email. Then, one record after another outlining the Old Street Factory District''s misdeeds appeared on major forums both domestic and abroad. In the end. Lin Chuan exited the core server of the Old Street Factory District, logged out of the virtual mailbox, left the forum, and at the same time, closed the virtual user interface, shut down the chat window, turned off the dark web, and closed each window in turn. He also deleted all of tonight''s records. The subsequent matters no longer required his concern. "Done," Lin Chuan stretched his arms and yawned. Early morning, cool and breezy. The Little Landy was still asleep, Lin Chuan walked over to the bed, covered her with the nket, and finally, a smile appeared on his face as he watched her sleep peacefully. Not wanting to wake her, Lin Chuan left the room, washed his face, and fell into a deep sleep on the living room sofa. ... Anling Police Station. Sunlight slipped through the gaps in the clouds, shining down on the city of Anling. The morning dew on the branches had not yet dispersed, gleaming alongside the ss of high-rise buildings in the early light. Early in the morning, Shen Qianqian stepped into the dawn and arrived at her station to start investigating the "Old Street Factory District." Last night, the ten viins who harbored ill intentions towards Lin Chuan and the Little Landy had all been captured. The leader, a man in a blue T-shirt, confessed from his hospital bed that it was the Old Street Factory District that ordered them to target Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin. Consequently, Zhang Biao immediatelymanded all departments tomence the investigation into the "Old Street Factory District" and scour for rted information. Especially their gangs within the country. With Lin Chuan in her heart, Shen Qianqian was even more eager to uncover clues rted to the Old Street Factory District and take action to sanction it. At best, to cut it offpletely! That was Shen Qianqian''s hope! "Qianqian, up so early?" At this moment, Director Zhou Tong from the Anti-Fraud Center also arrived at the office and greeted Shen Qianqian with a smile, seeing that she was the first one there. "Director Zhou is also early," Shen Qianqian smiled back. Zhou Tong had his thermos in hand, took a sip of water, and then said, "Last night''smotion, luckily Comrade Lin Chuan was unharmed, otherwise it would have been a great loss for Anling." "Yes." Shen Qianqian was still unsettled, worry lingering in her heart. Zhou Tong continued, "Director Zhang has issued an order, we must fully investigate the ''Old Street Factory District'' this time, striving to thoroughly inspect and uproot all their tentacles extending to our side. I''ve sent the specific documents to your emailst night, make sure you pay extra attention to it, it''s currently the utmost priority in our work, a great responsibility and a long journey ahead!" "I understand." Shen Qianqian nodded solemnly. Although there were countless cases rted to the district, investigating its industry chain and the tentacles it extended "to our side" was incredibly challenging. This was a highly secretive gang, making the investigation immensely difficult! Take Liu Qing, for example, not long ago. Who would have thought that such a knowledgeable and elegantly mannered antique dealer could be a key figure of the Old Street Factory District external to it? "Come on," Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, encouraging herself! She then opened her web email. Inside were two unread messages. The first email was from Zhou Tong, containing the key points and specific methods for the investigation of the Old Street Factory District. And the second email... From: Unknown. No subject content, just an attachedpressed file. Old Street Factory District.zip. Shen Qianqian''s eyebrows slightly furrowed, a sh of surprise crossing her face: "Apressed file about the Old Street Factory District?" She thought for a moment, moved the mouse, and clicked ''download'' next to thepressed file. After waiting for a while, the download of thepressed file wasplete. Shen Qianqian then chose to unzip this "Old Street Factory District.zip." The dpression took a long time. It took almost half an hour to finish unzipping. But after it was done, Shen Qianqian looked at the various subfiles with deeply furrowed brows and a face full of horror. Taking a deep breath, Shen Qianqian immediately shouted to Zhou Tong, who was not far away, "Director Zhou, important clues!" Chapter 149: Chapter 134 Kill! (Please Subscribe) Anti-Fraud Center. In the office, Zhou Tong''s eyebrows lifted at the mention of "important clue", a hint of surprise shed in his eyes. He immediately stopped his work and stood up quickly, walking swiftly to Shen Qianqian, urgency in his voice, "What clue is it?" "Director Zhou, look here." Shen Qianqian immediately pointed with her hand, her tone somewhat urgent, signaling Zhou Tong to look at theputer screen. On the screen was a file task window, neatly arranged with rows of files. Zhou Tong looked in the direction Shen Qianqian was pointing, his gaze froze, his brows furrowed tightly, his throat involuntarily swallowed, and even his breathing became hurried. Because, in front of each file in the task window, there were four big characters. Old Street Factory District. >Old Street Factory District: Detailed division ofbor by department >Old Street Factory District: Business operations >Old Street Factory District: Internal architecture, terrain, facilities >Old Street Factory District: (Cheating Sect Eight Generals) Personnel list >Old Street Factory District: Fraud-rted records (divided by region) >Old Street Factory District: Industry chain - Moneyundering (divided by gang) >Old Street Factory District: Industry chain - Recruitment (divided by region) >Old Street Factory District: Network servers ... With the gentle scrolling of the mouse wheel in Shen Qianqian''s hand, files concerning the ''Old Street Factory District'' one by one appeared in front of Zhou Tong and Shen Qianqian. A total of 67 files! Hisss! Zhou Tong couldn''t help but take a deep breath, his brows locked together, his expression tense, disbelief evident in his eyes, and then, he reached out and pointed at one of the files, "Open the personnel list and take a look." Shen Qianqian operated quickly, the mouse flicked across the screen, double-clicking the file ''Old Street Factory District: (Cheating Sect Eight Generals) Personnel list''. Immediately! Theputer screen showed a list of subfiles: >Old Bao.doc >Mi.doc >Liu Qing.doc >Wei.doc >Sister Mei.doc ... "Old Bao." Zhou Tong swallowed and immediately pointed to the ''Old Bao'' file for Shen Qianqian to click, which she did. At that moment, the relevant information about Old Bao appeared on theputer. ''Old Bao, Bao Zhiqiang, male, 47 years old, ID number *****, position as the head of Old Street Factory District,...'' Attached in the file was also a photo of Old Bao. In the photo, Old Bao was wearing a ck shirt, sitting in an office, the bald top of his head reflecting the overhead light, his skin yellowish, his face gaunt, his expression fierce. The two then opened ''Mi.doc'' to view Mi''s rted information. "Mi, Mi Shaojian, male, 27 years old, ID number *****, assistant to the factory district head, Old Bao''s aide,..." From the photo, Mi had a thin face, darker skin, wore a patterned shirt, and was quite slender. "Are these two the head and assistant of the Old Street Factory District?" Zhou Tong''s brows were still furrowed, a glint of doubt in his eyes. "I don''t know either." Shen Qianqian shook her head. Afterward! Zhou Tong and Shen Qianqian, carrying their doubts, sessively viewed the files ''Detailed division ofbor'', ''Business operations'', ''Industry chain - Recruitment'', among others, with surprise and confusion filling their hearts. Due to the vast amount of information contained in the files, the two could not finish going through them all and verifying their authenticity in time. "These files are extremely important, I''ll report to Director Zhang immediately!" Zhou Tong knew that he could not unravel the doubts in his mind for the time being, and considering the extreme importance of the files, they seemed like the ''Old Street Factory District''s core internal files. Therefore, he immediately reported to Zhang Biao. Meanwhile, Shen Qianqian swiftly copied and backed up this mysterious yet critically important batch of files. Inside the Anling Anti-Fraud Center, sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting crisscrossing bands of light and shadows on the floor. A breeze blew, brushing against Shen Qianqian''s face. Shen Qianqian smoothed a strand of hair on her forehead, and looking at the dense array of files on theputer screen, she found it inconceivable! Where did theye from? Are they real or fake? Why were they sent to her? Myriad doubts intertwined in her mind like tangled yarn, entangling, without clear resolution or order. For some reason, a familiar figure surfaced in Shen Qianqian''s mind. Could it be him? Shen Qianqian, looking at the files about the ''Old Street Factory District'', murmured, "I wonder how that guy is doing. Anyway, let''s start with investigating the Old Street Factory District first." Not long after. Zhang Biao, in a white shirt, strode decisively towards the Anti-Fraud Center, his expression urgent, "Where are the files?" "Shen, quickly show Director Zhang the files." Zhou Tong immediately greeted him. "Okay!" Shen Qianqian immediately got to work, her hand on the mouse, presenting Zhang Biao with file after file regarding the ''Old Street Factory District''. One by one, the secret information on the ''Old Street Factory District'' appeared on theputer, catching Zhang Biao''s eyes, causing his brows to furrow ever tighter. He stood with his hands behind his back, leaned forward slightly, his gaze intently fixed on theputer screen. On his weathered square face was written a mix of confusion and astonishment, "Have these files been verified for authenticity?" Zhou Tong immediately reported, "Director Zhang, I''ve already sent people to verify them urgently. The initial verification of several fraudsters from the factory district has matched all their details." Zhang Biao nodded gravely. These files epassed everything regarding the ''Old Street Factory District'', with so much data and varied information, they did not seem to be fabricated. They were all records of crimes from the ''Old Street Factory District''! But, another question arose. "Who provided these files?" Zhang Biao looked at Zhou Tong and asked. Chapter 150: Chapter 134 Kill! (Please Subscribe)_2 Zhou Tong didn''t take credit but looked towards Shen Qianqian and exined, "Director Zhang, first thing in the morning, Officer Shen told me that she had discovered important clues." "Shen?" Zhang Biao turned his head and looked at Shen Qianqian, with an inquiring expression. Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, "Director Zhang, I have no idea who provided it. This morning when I opened my email, I found this message from an unknown source." "You don''t know either?" A sh of surprise crossed Zhang Biao''s face. Shen Qianqian shook her head. "Who do you think it might be?" Zhang Biao thought for a moment and then asked. "It might be, I think it could possibly be ..." Shen Qianqian hesitated for a moment. In her heart, she believed there was a very high possibility it was Lin Chuan. She and Lin Chuan had both dealt with the Old Street Factory District. Therefore, she knew very clearly the reason why st night the Old Street Factory District sent out ten assassins to attack Lin Chuan'': Lin Chuan had taken down two gangs in session, causing enormous losses for the Old Street Factory District. In Yundian Lincang, fifteen people were arrested. At Green Leaf Ceramic Factory by the Han River in Anling, key figures from the ''Old Street Factory District'' like Sister Mei, Li Xin, and Old Wolf were arrested. From all the signs she knew of so far, it showed that Lin Chuan was the most likely person to have obtained the document; thus, it was hard for her not to think in his direction. "Is it him?" Zhang Biao looked at Shen Qianqian and asked. Shen Qianqian thought for a moment and nodded, "That''s just my spection." "Alright, I understand now," Zhang Biao took a deep breath. In Zhang Biao''s heart, the image of Lin Chuan also emerged. With Lin Chuan''s ability to single-handedly turn the tide and crush the AW hacker force, he indeed might be able to ''obtain'' this document. But since the sender was anonymous and untraceable, Zhang Biao didn''t probe further. "Immediately organize personnel to conduct a strict review of this document. I will allocatework technicians to work with you and verify its authenticity." In a short time, Zhang Biao had a clear direction in mind. The entire Anti-Fraud Center, along with thework technicians that were brought in, immediately started a rigorous review of the document. To determine its authenticity. It wasn''t until lunchtime that the verification of the document waspleted. In Director Zhang''s office. Shen Qianqian, holding a thick file and several USB drives, came to the office, ced them on Zhang Biao''s desk, and reported: "Director Zhang, here are the supporting materials, and the USB drives contain backup files." Zhang Biao, dressed in a white shirt, sitting in front of his desk, nodded with satisfaction and asked, "Is the verification finished?" Shen Qianqian nodded, "It has all been verified. We matched the personnel information of the factory district; it all adds up. As for the veracity of the fraud records, we liaised with the Anti-Fraud Centers in various locations. Apart from the three cases where no police reports were filed, the rest match the rted cases exactly, moneyundering..." The contents of the report were lengthy, covering the ''Old Street Factory District''s personnel list, fraud records, moneyundering transaction records, and main business activities, among others. The document was verified to be true! Sigh Shen Qianqian finished speaking and took a long sigh of relief. Zhang Biao personally poured a ss of water for Shen Qianqian and handed it to her with a smile, "This document is too important. You did a great job. I''ll make sure to acknowledge your efforts, as well as those of the Anti-Fraud Center." "It''s our duty," Shen Qianqian said with a smile on her face. Zhang Biao picked up his thermos, took a sip of tea, then smiled and asked Shen Qianqian, "By the way, how is Comrade Lin doing now?" Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, "I haven''t been in touch since I dropped him offst night, but he should be alright." Zhang Biao nodded with a smile, "Last night I heard from Hu Daqiang of the Criminal Police Brigade that Comrade Lin''sbat skills are extraordinary. He took down ten criminals by himself. Quite impressive indeed." "I didn''t expect him to be so... remarkable," Shen Qianqian forced augh. She used to think Lin Chuan looked rather slim and, coupled with the ''Inte Writer'' persona, which came with an aura of being ''too weak to truss a chicken,'' she had thought she could easily overpower him. But based onst night''s scene, Lin Chuan could easily have knocked her down without breaking a sweat. No chance to even retaliate. "You could learn a thing or two from him," Zhang Biao said with a smile. "I''m already learning from him," Shen Qianqian said, her eyes bright with a beaming smile. "Also, tell him that I''ll be closely monitoring the movements in the ''Old Street Factory District'' during this time, so he needn''t worry about another attack," Zhang Biao said to Shen Qianqian with a tone that was markedly earnest. "Director Zhang, I will pass on the message," Shen Qianqian nodded. After Shen Qianqian left the office. Zhang Biao''s gaze fell upon the thick stack of supporting materials and a USB sh drive. The appearance of a document about the confidential information of the "Old Street Factory District" undoubtedly served as a powerful stimnt for the Anling Anti-Fraud Center. The effect was extraordinarily shocking! However, Zhang Biao, being in a high position, was well aware that this was no longer just aboutbating fraud in a single district! The Anling Police Station could not digest this document either! Therefore, he picked up the telephone and put it to his ear, his fingers quickly dialing a string of numbers. ''Dudu'' The call connected. Zhang Biao immediately said, "Elder Zhong, there has been a new development regarding the incident I reported to youst night about ''Lin Chuan''s encounter with thugs at the Old Street Factory District''." On the other end of the phone, Zhong Chengming raised his eyebrows, "Have you found any relevant clues about the ''Old Street Factory District''?" He had high hopes for Lin Chuan. Whether it was using his advancedputer skills to defeat the hacker organization AW, developing the anti-fraud app, or arresting fifteen fraudsters in Yundian Lincang, all had made Zhong Chengming take notice of him. There was even a bit of favoritism. And this attack on Lin Chuan made Zhong Chengming even more determined to intensify the anti-fraud efforts. Even the consideration of using armed force was on the table. The Old Street Factory District had be too brazen, and Elder Zhong wanted to round up the gangs within the district in one fell swoop, to set an example! That was also why he had instructed Zhang Biao to conduct an investigation rted to the ''Old Street Factory District''. "Elder Zhong, we havepletely mastered the information about the ''Old Street Factory District''," Zhang Biao reported truthfully. "Completely mastered?" Elder Zhong''s eyebrows furrowed, his expression slightly stunned. It had been only about ten hours sincest night''s assignment, could the Anling Police Station really have unraveled all the secrets of the ''Old Street Factory District'' in this short time? "Yes, we indeed havepletely mastered the information about the ''Old Street Factory District''," Zhang Biao confirmed again and stated truthfully, "But it wasn''t from our investigation; it came from a mysterious document." "A mysterious document?" A hint of puzzlement surfaced between Elder Zhong''s brows. Zhang Biao continued to report: "Yes, this morning, our Anling City Anti-Fraud Center officer Shen Qianqian received an email from an unknown source. It detailed the ''Old Street Factory District'' information, including its business operations, personnel list, fraud records, etc." "It also contains information about the gangs of the ''Old Street Factory District'' within our borders. We spent the morning verifying these details, confirming the authenticity of the information." A flicker of surprise passed through Elder Zhong''s eyes, "The timing of this document''s appearance is too coincidental." "Elder Zhong, what do you mean?" Zhang Biao swallowed and asked. "Is it possible to trace the sender?" Zhong pondered for a moment, then asked. "It''s difficult, our cyber technicians tried to track it, but all attempts ended in vain," Zhang Biao replied. Hearing this, Elder Zhong chuckled, "There aren''t many people who could elude your cyber technicians." "Indeed, there aren''t many." Zhang Biaoughed heartily. Both were ying a guessing game, understanding without saying a word. No one would utter this name because, once the document appeared in public view, everyone would focus on the source of the document, including the factory district! "Hold on, I have a situation here," Elder Zhong suddenly ended the call. At this moment. A police officer came forward to report, "Elder Zhong, there is a significant special situation regarding the ''Old Street Factory District'' that you instructed us to monitor." "Speak quickly!" Elder Zhong''s eyebrows twisted, his tone slightly urgent. Today, it''s one thing after another concerning the Old Street Factory District. The police officer said, "Old Bao from the Old Street Factory District was mysteriously killed at 10:36 this morning." Chapter 151: Chapter 135 He is God! (Please subscribe) In the office. Zhong Chengming''s pupils shrank slightly, his face shing a trace of astonishment, "Killed by a mysterious person? What''s going on here?" The police officer pondered briefly, then quickly organized the information he had gathered and reported to Elder Zhong. As it was understood. At 8 a.m. today, Old Bao had driven out of the Old Street Factory District. Around 9:30 a.m., Old Bao and his car were found in Flood Bay, 60 kilometers away from the Old Street Factory District, shot several times and all bullets hit vital points, resulting in his immediate death. There were no signs of struggle at the scene, and no witnesses nearby. "I see." After understanding the ins and outs of Old Bao''s shooting death, Zhong Chengming nodded slightly, a faint smile on his face. Then, he dialed Zhang Biao''s number back. "I have sometest news that I think you''ll be very interested in," Zhong Chengming sat in his seat, said this and then leisurely took a sip of water from his thermos. "Elder Zhong, please tell me," Zhang Biao immediately said. "The leader of the Old Street Factory District, Old Bao, was shot dead this morning," Zhong Chengming said with a smile. On the other end of the phone, Zhang Biao''s face instantly stiffened, his thick eyebrows furrowing, full of confusion. All morning. The secret files of the Old Street Factory District were leaked. Old Bao was also assassinated. The coincidences of today were a bit too many, and once there were too many coincidences, they amounted to a plot. Clearly, there was an unseen hand behind the scenes determined to eradicate the deeply criminal Old Street Factory District. On the phone. Zhong Chengming chuckled merrily, "They say there were no signs of struggle at the scene, no witnesses nearby; this case is getting interesting." "Such professionalism!" Zhang Biao furrowed his brow slightly, expressing his sentiment. But no sooner had he spoken than his expression turned grave. The words "overly professional" felt eerily familiar! "Ahem." Zhong Chengming coughed lightly and said with a smile, "Old Bao was not one of our people. He was the head of the fraud district. With the disputes over interests and entangled grievances, his being shot is not surprising. Don''t overthink it. We will proceed as nned, first wiping out all gangs from the Old Street Factory District on our side, leaving the rest to the Anti-Fraud Center above us." "Elder Zhong, I understand," Zhang Biao responded. Zhong Chengming''s words instantly enlightened Zhang Biao. It didn''t matter who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. What mattered was that they could eradicate the district''s external gangs and wipe out the entire Old Street Factory District! No need to delve into who the puppet master was. Zhong Chengming nodded and said with a smile, "With these documents from the Old Street Factory District, we will immediately set up a special team; you can go ahead with confidence!" "Good!" Zhang Biao responded gravely. Subsequently, the relevant departments of Han River Province immediately coordinated with Zhang Biao. An operation to purge the external gangs of the ''Old Street Factory District'' struck swiftly and with the force of thunder, sweeping across the country. ... Burma, Old Street Factory District. In the afternoon, the sky hung low, the clouds were heavy, and asionally weak rays of light tried to prate the clouds, leaving only mottled shadows in mid-air, which then disappeared into the gloomy gray. The Old Street Factory District was shrouded in ayer of gray haze, its destion underscored by a few bird calls. And in the top-floor office. The assistant to the head of the district, Mioh no, with Old Bao assassinated that morning and having managed the corresponding affairs with a secret directive givenMi was asked to take over Old Bao''s position and be the interim head of the Old Street Factory District. "Now it''s my turn to be the boss." At that moment, wearing a ck shirt, his face gaunt, Mi leaned back in Old Bao''s chair, a cold smile curving at the corner of his mouth, savoring everything Old Bao once enjoyed. Money, status, power. All of that filled his heart with joy. He couldn''t help but indulge in his imaginings. Mi believed he was like a protagonist in a novel; with the head Old Bao dead, he had risen from the assistant to the head of the district, as if leveling up in a game, bing the CEO, securing a White Rich Beauty, and thus reaching the pinnacle of life. Of course, he had already entered the role of ''head of the Old Street Factory District'' and was ready to deal with the district''s affairs. The first was rted to Lin Chuan. Last night, he had arranged for a group to attack Lin Chuan, but the attempt had failed. Now was the time to clean up, or if the Anling Police investigated and found too much information, it would be very disadvantageous for them. Even his position could be affected. As for Lin Chuan. Mi thought earnestly for a moment, made a judgment in his heart, and said with a cold smile, "Lin Chuan,st night was your lucky night; the police arrived in time to save your life. Otherwise, you would have been long dead." In his eyes. Lin Chuan was just an ordinary web novel writer. That''s right! An ordinary web novel writer, what kind of waves could he stir up? Just need to wait patiently for a while, and once this storm passed, crushing him would be as easy as crushing an ant! No need to worry! In the office on the top floor of the Old Street Factory District. Mi took a deep breath, picked up the phone, dialed using a virtual number, and called a number in Han River Province. ''Beep beep beep'' One second, three seconds, five seconds, ten seconds... After a while, no one answered his call. "Could it be that someone isn''t pleased with my new position?" Mi frowned and his expression turned cold. He had intended to call and notify another gang near Anling City in Han River Province to lie low for a while and not to make any moves. Because, with Liu Qing and a group of assassins having been active in Anling City in a short period of time and captured by the police, the authorities were likely to take action and crack down hard on such behavior. Chapter 152: Chapter 135 He is God! (Please Subscribe)_2 They needed to avoid its cutting edge. But the phone wouldn''t go through... "Awei!" Mi shouted outside the office, and a dark-skinned man quickly walked in, "Ah... Boss, what do you need?" "Go to the second floor, send someone to check on the group currently undercover in Han River, Linguan City, see what their situation is. If they don''t obey, then there is no need for them to exist." Mi was now in control of life and death, their slender figure emitting an intangible deterrence. The man named ''Awei'' immediately nodded andplied with the order. The second floor was where the Old Street Factory District''swork office area was located. There were a group ofputer wizards skilled in fraud, who were also responsible for keeping in touch with the active undercover groups. At this moment. Awei swiftly gathered manpower and started investigating the group infiltrating Han River, Linguan City. Within twenty minutes. Awei hurriedly ran up to the top-floor office, reporting to Mi while gasping for air, "Boss, that group..." "What about that group?" Mi was leisurely sipping tea. "That group, they''ve all been caught!" Awei swallowed, his mouth dry. Hisss! The atmosphere in the office instantly quieted down. Mi furrowed their brows tightly, put down the teacup, their face''s lightness reced by ayer of gloom, "All of them got caught?" "Yes." Awei replied immediately, "Just over half an hour ago, Linguan City''s police stormed into the group''s location and arrested all of them." "That group''s always been covert, how were they discovered?" A heavy suspicion emerged between Mi''s brows. Usually, Old Bao would have them contact the external gangs and groups, so they were very familiar with these groups. Awei shook his head, "We haven''t found out." Mi''s brows tightened, a sense of rm surfacing in their heart, and they immediately dialed another gang''s phone. ''Beep beep beep'' ''The phone you have dialed is powered off...'' Mi then dialed five different numbers, corresponding to different gangs. All of them, unanswered! Suddenly! The factory area was enveloped in gusting winds, the trees around swayed in the wind, their branches and leaves like menacing shadows from theherworld. On Mi''s face appeared an indescribable heaviness, creating an oppressive atmosphere in the silent office. "What are you waiting for, go check!" Mi immediately roared with a heavy voice. Snapping out of it, Awei took a deep breath and hurriedly ran down to the second floor to start the investigation. Mi followed closely behind to the second floor. Half an hourter. The investigation results for the five groups were all out. As expected. All of them had been arrested, without exception! Mi''s vision went dark as they felt dizzy and short of breath, struggling to breathe. They had just be the head of the Old Street Factory District. But! In just one short hour, a total of six groups operating outside were wiped out! What''s happening? Could it be targeted at them? No! At that moment, Mi dismissed the thought. That very morning, Old Bao was attacked and shot dead, and by the afternoon, as many as six groups had been raided in session! It was aimed at the Old Street Factory District! "Have we provoked someone we shouldn''t have?" Mi murmured softly, their brows furrowed tightly, eyes filled with gloom. Upon closer inspection, a hint of fear could be seen deep in their eyes. "Boss, there''s a new discovery!" On the second floor, Awei came to report again. "Speak." Mi took a heavy breath and looked at Awei. "We''ve found a massive amount of pictures and information about our factory area posted on many websites." Awei''s voice trembled slightly, as he too understood what this implied. Mi''s heart pounded rapidly, and after taking a deep breath, they immediately sat in front of theputer. Logging onto the world''s major websites with a VPN and a virtual IP address! ``` ??- Swipe! A simple interface of a forum appeared before his eyes. In the forum, arge number of posts rted to the "Old Street Factory District" were sticky threads. >[Sticky] The real fraud process in the Old Street Factory District! >[Sticky] You''d never imagine the paradise you think of is actually a hell crawling with devils! >[Sticky] This is what happens when you try to escape from the Old Street Factory District! >[Sticky] What happens when you''re deemed worthless in the Old Street Factory District? >[Sticky] For the faint of heart, see the real Old Street Factory District! ... Mi swallowed hard and clicked on one of the posts with a somber face. The post redirected and soon a video appeared. As the video began to y, a series of gratingughter prated the eardrums of Mi, Awei, and the others. In the center of the video frame, a man dragging a mangled leg, covered in blood, suffered a heavy blow to the forehead. Fresh blood gushed out, his face full of terror. Surrounding him were men in floral shirts, each holding an iron rod, emitting ear-piercingughter. Suddenly, one of the floral shirts, without hesitation, brought down a rod heavily on the man''s arm. "Ahhhh" In an instant, veins bulged on the man''s face, filled with agony, a piercing scream emanating from the depths of his throat! Another blow fell! This one struck the man''s head and in a breath''s time, silence followed. The others holding iron rods hushed. Two of them dragged the man away, to an unknown destination. On the video,ments floated by. [This is too much!] [These people are really fucking bastards!] [Who still says that''s a ce to make big money, go on, you go!] [So cold-blooded! They actually entertain themselves like this!] [I can''t imagine things like this are still happening!] [You see that, go arrest them, punish them all!!!] [...] At the end of the video, Mi''s face was difficult to look at, ashen and very somber. This was a video he targeted at a piglet trying to escape. In this forum. There were also many rted posts, densely packed, sending chills down one''s spine. The posts were all exposing the "Old Street Factory District"! For example, uncooperative piglets were put into tiny, narrow cages, left to bake in the sun or soaked in icy water! Piglets who didn''t meet their performance targets, for every meal, could only eat stinking slop. The list of examples was endless. Each horrific scene spread through the forum, the number of viewers andments kept growing, quickly forming a powerful force. Not only in forums, but news media, video tforms, and social media apps were also abuzz with content spreading everywhere. Trending searches! Headlines! Front pages! Suddenly, the Old Street Factory District became the center of public attention! "Delete the posts!" "Control thements!" "What the hell are you doing!" Mi roared at the technical staff on the second floor in anger. But no one responded. Because the posts weren''t made sticky by the forum operators, but by the posters through "technical" means. The same was true for the videos and news. They simply had no way to crack the person''s technique and take down the posts. So they could only watch as the public opinion fermented, and eventually it turned into a huge wave thatpletely drowned them. Mi copsed onto a chair, breathing heavily. Piecing together everything that had happened today, he finally confirmed this was an operation targeting the entire Old Street Factory District! But, he had not a single solution to this operation against the Old Street Factory District. The mastermind behind the scenes was like a director viewing from God''s perspective, blocking every possible escape for the Old Street Factory District! No, he was God! But who was he? Mi racked his brains but couldn''te up with an answer to this question. Because he could never have imagined that the so-called "Little Karami" in his eyes would personally destroy everything he had just obtained. ``` Chapter 153: Chapter 136: The Task is Done, Now Its My Turn (Please Subscribe) About the "Old Street Factory District" rted posts spread rapidly in just one day. The content was too shocking. As a result, many bloggers spontaneously joined in the campaign, selecting relevant images and video materials, adding text andmentary, and made videos to help expose the "Old Street Factory District". Lin Chuan''s reader, Old Bai, was one of the first batch. In the afternoon. He was in his studio, dressed in simple work clothes, having just stopped his research on "how to repair terracotta warriors, porcin, and other cultural relics", when he casually picked up his phone and saw a series of content about the "Old Street Factory District". "Damn it!" Old Bai''s anger surged immediately! The scene from the "Labor Day holiday" in the previous month, where he was nearly kidnapped to "another ce" by his online girlfriend, Sister Mei, in Yundian Lincang, was still vivid in his mind. If it wasn''t for Lin Chuan, he would be the protagonist "suffering" in these posts right now. Thus. He immediately put aside his work, rushed to theputer, and started making the video to help expose the "Old Street Factory District"! Old Bai was quite skilled in video production, live streaming, and aspects such as material selection and editing. However, writing copy for the videos was his weakness. For this, he entered Lin Chuan''s reader group to seek inspiration. "Obeying thew is everyone''s responsibility." In the reader group. As most of the readers had read Lin Chuan''s "All-In", they were outraged after seeing the posts, news, and videos about the "Old Street Factory District" and flooded the group to discuss. [This has totally shattered my world view!] [This is despicable!] [I find it hard to believe that such a scene exists in the world!] [If you add the words ''purgatory'', it would be absolutely fitting.] [I joked that Mr. Lin''s "All-In" was his autobiography, but now I find that a lot of the content in it matches the information from the Old Street Factory District!] [I thought I was reading a novel, but now I realize Lin Chuan was writing reality!] [...] Old Bai took a deep breath and asked in the group, "Brothers, I''m making a video to increase the exposure of the Old Street Factory District. I need some copy, does anyone have any inspiration?" Immediately, several people replied to Old Bai. [Old Bai, you must be furious, "All-In" has all the copy you need!] [That''s right, "All-In", you just need to randomly extract a few sections to match your video''s copy!] [Absolutely perfect match!] [Ipletely agree because when I saw those videos, Lin Chuan''s descriptions of the fraud districts instantly came to mind, and it was very fitting!] [To be honest, I really suspect Lin Chuan has done field research on the fraud districts!] [I think so too!] [...] Old Bai nced at the responses in the group, pped his forehead, "I''m such a fool! Old Lin''s novel is the perfect copy for the task!" Quickly, Old Bai opened the Sailing Novel Website, pulling up "All-In". The content of the novel appeared before him. ''Ten years ago, I entered the kk factory district.'' ''Ten yearster, I finally escaped to see sky once more.'' ''There, there were no dreams of getting rich overnight, nor were there any glimpses of paradise.'' ''On the contrary, that ce was hell, a cage, a den of iniquity.'' ''There, there were no people, only demons and ''pigs''.'' ''A pig''s life and death are of no concern to the demons; once a pig loses its value, it will wish for death, because it will have to watch as its ''downstream'' is harvested, and then left to live and die by itself.'' ''Whether you were tricked into going there or went willingly, the treatment is the same, life is worthless.'' ''...'' At this moment. Reading the opening of "All-In", Old Bai couldn''t help but get goosebumps all over. Initially, he thought Lin Chuan wrote "All-In" out of conjecture, a fantasy. But now, Old Bai couldn''t help but believe: "All-In" was a true ount of actual events meticulously researched by Lin Chuan. "Lin Chuan is admirable!" Old Bai exhaled slowly and immediately took the content from "All-In" down to create the copy for the video. The copy paired with the "Old Street Factory District" material was incredibly fitting! Publish! The videos that appeared on the forums were mostly in their raw form, unprocessed, but Old Bai''s video, paired with copy, made the content and corresponding ''evil'' much easier to understand. Just one hour after publishing. Old Bai''s video already had a viewership of 80,000, with more than 20,000 likes and shares, and the numbers were still climbing, trending towards bing a hot topic. [After watching this video, my view of the world is renewed!] [My good friend was deceived into going to the factory district, and since then, I''ve never heard from him again!] [Hell, a cage, a den of iniquity... The copy is so apt!] [Who wrote this copy? It''s giving me the chills!]---- [I remember it seems like the opening to a novel!] [All-In! I read it!] [Yes, that''s the one, the book that was really hot a while ago!] [I just saw another video, which also used the content from "All-In". It''s just so realistic!] [I doubt I''m reading a novel, but rather watching a documentary presented in the form of a novel!] [...] Indeed, not only did Old Bai use snippets from "All-In" as copy, but many bloggers also used content from Lin Chuan''s novel, pairing it with their videos to expose the truth. Chapter 154: Chapter 136: The Task is Done, Now Its My Turn (Please Subscribe)_2 Especially the introduction and operation of the factory district in the novel, and the information disclosed about the ''Old Street Factory District,'' are highly matched. It''s surprising! At the same time, the overwhelming appearance of rted videos and pictures of the ''Old Street Factory District'' made many people wonder where all these materials came from. But nobody knew. Even the tech staff on the forums, when they tracked the original posts, could only trace back to a virtual IP and couldn''t continue any further. Lin Chuan''s readermunity''Obey the Law, Everyone''s Duty,'' was also full of spection. [Who posted these original threads?] [I don''t know!] [Could it be apetitor of the Old Street Factory District, trying to take it down?] [Impossible, the exposure is too wide-ranging. Not just the Old Street Factory District, all factories would be punished!] [Yes, it has already be a sensation across the entirework, ''certain departments'' will soon take action.] [I must say, the person who exposed the Old Street Factory District really did a tremendous good deed!] [Guys, I have someone in mind.] [Now that you mention it, I also have a suspect!] [I know who you''re talking about.] [@Mr. Lin, criminal suspect, did you do it?] [I think the ''whistleblower'' is very likely @Mr. Lin!] [Be confident, and remove the ''very likely.''] [@Mr. Lin is a criminal suspect, how could he be involved in such virtuous acts?] [It must be because he''smitted so many crimes that he''s now doing good deeds to make up for them, otherwise what will he do if his next work doesn''t take off?] [You might actually be onto something. Rememberst May Day when Lin Chuan saved Old Bai from the factory staff?] [Indeed! Lin Chuan has crossed paths with the factory before. Maybe this time he took a dislike to the factory district and exposed them!] [Hey, howe we''ve been discussing this for so long, and Mr. Lin hasn''t popped up to say anything?] [This seals it, he did it!] [...] Meanwhile, Lin Chuan was still sound asleep. In the rental at Happiness Community. In the afternoon, sunlight nted across the distant mountains outside the city, casting a soft golden hue which beautifully reflected against the clouds in the sky. Outside the window, the golden light filtered through the half-drawn curtains, spattering the floor with a natural pattern of light and shadow, while a gentle breeze whispered through the windows, making a subtle hissing sound that wafted into the room, creating a delightful tune. The hustle and bustle of the outside world seemed hardly relevant here. At this moment. The Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, wore Lin Chuan''s white T-shirt and a pair of short white shorts, showcasing her long legs. Shey on the bed, her head resting on Lin Chuan''s arm, gently pressing her face against his chest. Thump, thump, thump. The sound of Lin Chuan''s heartbeat vibrated in her ears. Zhang Xinxin''s face bore a satisfied and content smile, enjoying such moments immensely. Initially, Lin Chuan had been sleeping on the sofa outside. But he had barely nodded off when the Little Landy woke up, pulled Lin Chuan into the room, and he soon fell deeply asleep on the bed. She stayed by Lin Chuan''s side, clinging to him. "Wuu" Having stayed up all night and battled through it, even Lin Chuan, a robust and energetic 24-year-old handsome young man, needed a good long sleep to recover. Staying upte is indeed not good for the health. Lin Chuan, slowly waking up, attempted to move but noticed that the Little Landy was using his arm as a pillow and was tightly snuggled against his chest. "Mr. Chairman, you''re awake?" The Little Landy noticed Lin Chuan''s movements and drew her face close, looking at him with a smile. A warm breath, carrying the fresh scent of jasmine, entered Lin Chuan''s nostrils, giving him an unusual feeling. Waking up to see the sunlight, and seeing the Little Landy toothis feeling, it was truly nice. "Awake?" Lin Chuan rubbed the Little Landy''s tender cheeks and then sat up on the bed, "Did you reverse the heavens while I was out and take advantage of me?" The Little Landy''s smile brimmed withughter, her bright eyes twinkling, "I originally wanted to take just a bit of advantage, but seeing you so tired, I couldn''t bear to disturb your rest." "You do have quite a conscience." Lin Chuanughed and lightly scraped the Little Landy''s upturned nose. The Little Landy wrinkled her nose, puckering her lips slightly and said with some distress, "You''re not allowed to stay up sote next time, it''s bad for your health." In fact, she hadn''t slept muchst night either, and her sleep was far from deep. From time to time, she checked on Lin Chuan, who was in work mode, feeling both touched and pained for him. Although she didn''t understand what Lin Chuan was doing, she knew that what he had worked on throughout the night was for her. "Alright, there won''t be a next time." Lin Chuan smiled, looking at the Little Landy in front of him who was lively and yful, and a sense of relief appeared in his eyes. He thought to himself that the factory district would no longer appear. The Little Landy''s eyes lit up, "Really?" "Really!" Lin Chuan nodded and smiled. "I''ll go pour you a ss of water." The Little Landy flipped out of bed, stepped into the living room, and poured Lin Chuan a ss of warm water. She was very familiar with renting this ce. MVLeMpYr-reader Lin Chuan took the water that the Little Landy poured for him, drinking a big gulp, its warmth spreading throughout his body. The breeze gently swept across the eaves and into the room, causing the Little Landy''s hair to flutter slightly, her face revealing a touch of yfulness and brightness. The Little Landy put down the water ss and then quickly snuggled into Lin Chuan''s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck, tilting her pale, snow-white face, "Chairman, are you still sleepy?" "Not sleepy anymore," Lin Chuan blinked. "Have you finished all the business you had to attend to?" The Little Landy pressed against Lin Chuan, smoothing her hair beside her ear. "It''s all finished." Lin Chuan felt the warmth from the Little Landy''s body and the softness like flower petals, an inexplicable stirring within him. "Everything is finished, so, what else do you have left undone?" The Little Landy gently bit her lower lip, batting her eyes full of spring-like radiance, expectantly gazing at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan was moved, like the peaceful Anling Riverside, where a breeze swayed willow branches along the banks, gentle ripples breaking on the river''s surface, not easily settling down for a long time. He was somewhat overwhelmed. Lin Chuan swallowed, their eyes locked. The Little Landy pursed her lips, a trace of shyness shing in her eyes. "About thepany..." Lin Chuan hesitated. "Thepany is closed for two days." "Two days?" "Then three days!" "I didn''t mean that." "So, what do you mean?" The Little Landy blinked and moved closer to Lin Chuan. "Xinxin, I... mean this." Lin Chuan took a deep breath, casting all his thoughts aside, and then, his arms swept around the Little Landy''s waist, drawing her tightly against him... Outside the window. The sunlight was exceptionally intense, piercing through clouds to illuminate every unexplored secret corner. The breeze was very yful, carrying the fragrance of flowers through the warm sun, brushing past distant mountains and grasnds, whispering a youthful hum,posing a pleasing folk tune in the narrow small room. Lin Chuan, in the end, was ''trapped''. Chapter 160: Chapter 140: Punishment, Ill Give It a Try! (Please Subscribe) Wenbai Studio. In the lounge, Old Bai sprawledfortably on the sofa, holding his phone and opening Lin Chuan''s new book "Last Week''s Antique." In Old Bai''s view, Lin Chuan''s novels about swindlers, assassins, hackers, and fraud were indeed professional enough to be taken as truth. But when ites to antiques... Sorry, that''s my field of expertise, and I have the right to speak! Besides, I''ve been sent the Silver Alliance Master''s Treasure Chest, and a basketful of Monthly Tickets, so it''s okay for my voice to be a bit louder, right? Old Bai''s right thumb flicked lightly, and he entered the novel page of "Last Week''s Antique" to start reading. "My name is Mr. Lin." "I''m known as the grandmaster of the antiques circle, respected by all, and pursued by thousands." "But nobody knows that I''m also the world''s most professional master of antique forgery." "In my life, I''ve forged countless antiques, some of which have been collected by famous artists or are highly sought after in the antiques circle; even the British Museum has some of my forgeries, disyed in ss cabs for people to exhibit and appreciate the historical charm." "...'' After just reading the first four paragraphs, Old Bai frowned slightly. The tone was just right! However, some of the wording and phrasing, like "grandmaster of the antiques circle," "world''s most professional master of antique forgery," and "forged countless antiques," felt a bit exaggerated. When industry insiders read novels on their subject, they always find issues from various angles. They can''t help but pick out a few small faults. Nevertheless, Old Bai was still very interested in this novel; in some ways, antique forgery and cultural relic restoration have an essential simrity. While picking things apart, Old Bai also had high hopes for Lin Chuan. After all, Lin Chuan had long been renowned for being a ''technical author'' with ''strong professionalism'' and writing ''criminal autobiographies.'' What if his antique forgery is brilliantly written too? With a touch of skepticism and a great deal of anticipation, Old Bai continued to read on. "...'' "The old wooden gate in the courtyard, smoothed by the years, I stepped out with Qing to buy the materials needed for the forgery of antiques." "My first fake antique would be a piece of porcin." "A Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl." "In fact, I didn''t take the son of the Ceramics Association president seriously; porcin is at the apex of the hierarchy in the ceramics circle. As long as I sessfully forged the Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl, then all issues with Lin Family Porcin, oh no, Lin Family Antiques, would be readily resolved." "In the bustling antique market, there were many people and the materials were plentiful." "After strolling around with Qing, I found a batch of Douli bowls from the Qing Dynasty with a in white body, which fortunately was part of my n to ''new paint on an old body'' when forging the Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl." "''New paint on an old body'' was just the first big step." "The next big step to make it look like the Douli Bowl was convincingly old was ''aging'' it." "There are many ways to age it, and after leaving the antique market, I took Qing for several rounds in the county town to buy hydrofluoric acid, permanganate, and casually picked up a few prescriptions of Chinese herbal medicines." "These were critical for aging the Douli Bowl, especially those few prescriptions of Chinese medicine." "Qing was confused, not understanding why I was buying these things; I simply told her it was for making money." "...'' Back in the lounge of Wenbai Studio. Old Bai suddenly sat up straight from the sofa, no longer sprawling, much like how one sits up straight when ying a game and facing a tough opponent, concentrating on the game without cking off. "Goodness, Old Lin has some skills." Old Bai''s mouth opened slightly, murmuring in surprise. He had thought Lin Chuan''s depiction of antique forgery would gloss over the details, but seeing the use of hydrofluoric acid and permanganate for aging, he felt a tinge of astonishment. The appearance of the Chinese herbal medicines and their part of the form startled him even more. He really knew his stuff! Aging cultural relics with Chinese medicine was a skill not many could master, and the forms for Chinese medicines were a closely guarded secret. The key ingredients Lin Chuan revealed had already shocked Old Bai! Old Bai didn''tment further but continued to read. "Back in the courtyard, I began the process of forging." "The Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl belongs to ''overze'' decoration, so when painting, I paid extra attentionthe painting and zing both had certain techniques." "To depict the five-colored fish, the brushwork required high precision; every stroke had to be carefully ced with attention toyout and lines. If one observed this Douli Bowl carefully, they would find that the four fish each had their distinct shape and charm." "This required a high level of painting skill." "Fortunately, I am a porcin maker myself, steady-handed, with smooth lines, and my work''s style was naturally reminiscent of the porcin from the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty." "Then came the second firing C the ze firing." "The temperature and timing control of the ze firing had to be strict, and every kiln firing would have slight differences, demanding particr attention to the integration of ze, color, and the white body." "Next, it was time to age it." "I had already instructed Qing to prepare the Chinese medicine, filling the entire courtyard with refreshing herbal fragrance; then, by adding a little alcohol and a drop of potassium permanganate to the concoction, I immersed the Douli Bowl to soak and wait forpletion." "...'' "Wow!" After reading about Mr. Lin''s entire process of forging and aging the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl,'' Old Bai could already imagine the four colorful fish swimming on the exterior of the Douli Bowl and the vibrant floral and bird patterns leaping within its walls, seemingly alive. As the saying goes,ymen enjoy the show while experts watch the technique. As a professional cultural relic restorer with less practical experience but solid theory, Old Baipletely understood the professionalism of forging porcin depicted in Lin Chuan''s book. "Damn, you''re really professional, Old Lin!" Old Bai genuinelyplimented. Without any exaggeration, as a master''s student specializing in cultural relics restoration, he was utterly impressed by the professional knowledge and highly feasible steps revealed in "Last Week''s Antique". Old Bai even had an idea. He could follow the steps described andbine them with his theoretical knowledge in his field to replicate a Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl. That feeling was like watching some enlightening videos, feeling an itch in his heart, and desperately wanting to put it into practice. For example, video tutorials on gaming techniques. But the plot of "Last Week''s Antique" was so interlinked andpelling that Old Bai couldn''t bear to put his phone down, immersing himself in the world of antique forgery instead. In the novel, Mr. Linter took the Douli Bowl to the most famous treasure appraiser in the city, who authenticated it as real. Afterward, Mr. Lin also forged a variety of antiques and curios, including calligraphy and paintings, jade objects, pottery jars, bronze ware, and so on. Until dusk. The afterglow of the setting sun filled Wenbai Studio, elongating shadows of bottles and jars, the air suffused with the intertwined scents of restoration liquid, paper, copper, and earth. Whoosh Only then did Old Bai put down his phone, took a deep breath, and stretchednguidly to loosen his muscles. He looked at all the bottles and jars in the studio, his hands itching to do something. Finally. His gaze settled on a bronze vessel close to him, standing about 42 centimeters tall with a base diameter of approximately 15 centimeters. This bronze vessel was known as a ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel,'' an oval-shaped container for wine, adorned with taotie-like patterns, inscribed with markings, and had handles for carrying, sealed with a small lid on top. It was a bronze counterfeit Old Bai had found in the Modu antiques circle; its shape, taotie pattern decoration, and inscriptions were all of decent craft, so Old Bai spent several hundred yuan to purchase it for his studio, asionally fondling it and appreciating its features with great interest. As it happened. The steps for replicating bronze ware were explicitly detailed in Lin Chuan''s "Last Week''s Antique". Though itcked a crucial technique, for Old Bai, he couldpensate with his theoretical knowledge of cultural relics restoration. "Replicating a cultural relic isn''t illegal, let''s give it a try!" Old Bai was a man of action; he immediately set to work, aiming to make the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' even closer to its appearance during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties period. Replicating cultural relics was actually a way to enhance his skills in cultural relics restoration. So, Old Bai was very excited. "Last Week''s Antique" described numerous methods for forging bronze ware. For example, the false rust disguise, splicing, and burial methods. Now, the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' in Old Bai''s hands was already cast using the sand-casting method, which is a high-level technique. Only the rust marks and patina were inconsistent with the expected age. "Following Old Lin''s method, I should first age it, then fake the bronze rust, imitate the patina with a special liquid, and finally cover it with earth, treating it with special techniques to create soil pration for the perfect deception," Old Bai thought. Let the work begin! Old Bai followed the steps for forging bronze ware in "Last Week''s Antique," locating sulfur water in his studio, heating it up to produce hot sulfuric acid, which he then poured over the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel''. Applying the sulfur water was amon aging technique. The sulfuric acid solution could corrode the bronze, slowly turning its color to antique bronze, or even ck, making it appear much older than it was. This step was simple. The most difficult parts were creating the copper rust and the oxidized patina. Ancient bronze ware buried underground for a long time interacts with moist soil, groundwater, and other organic and inorganic substances, resulting in chemical reactions that cause rust. But because this rust formed gradually, theyers wereplex and the colors varied. Furthermore, natural fractures around the edges of the bronze ware, if picked at with a knife or struck with a hammer, would ke off in chunks, somewhat reminiscent of a ''crumbly'' texture. To deceive convincingly, one must focus on producing authentic-looking rust and patina. Old Bai meticulously followed the ''Antique Forgery Textbook,'' step by step, using a mix of glues such as adhesive, rosin, Bleti Striata Paste, andcquer, mixing it with real rust from the bronze, integrating a variety of mineral powders and pigments, then irregrly applying it to the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel''. Soon, this step waspleted. The ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' instantly took on an entirely different look, withyer uponyer of rust marks emerging on the bronze surface, and the body''s oxidized patina showing different colors and irregr patterns, as if it had weathered three thousand years, exuding a sense of vast antiquity. Next was the burial. Old Bai was quite adept at the burial technique. He found a te of moist earth in his studio and buried the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' in it, alternately using a heater to dry the soil and then moistening it with water, asionally shaking it to elerate the reaction between the bronze and the earth. This step took a full day and night. It was only on the following evening that the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' of the early Western Zhou period was finally ''excavated''. "Sess! Hahaha!" Old Bai, holding the freshly unearthed Western Zhou bronze ware ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel,'' his eyes gleaming, his face full of excitement and agitation. Old Lin, I admit I spoke too loudly yesterday. This replicated bronze ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' was incredibly authentic-looking in every aspect, be it the exterior, decorations, inscriptions, rust marks, patina, or soil pration. It was impable! Old Bai examined the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' from top to bottom, left to right, but could not find a single w, treasuring it as if it were a precious gem. That''s when an idea suddenly struck him. Find a treasure appraisal master to authenticate its genuineness and see if it could indeed pass as the real thing. "There are many treasure appraisal masters doing live appraisals online. I''ll have them evaluate this ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' to judge its authenticity," Old Bai said with a smirk, his face filled with anticipation! Chapter 156: Chapter 138 No One Can Beat Him in This Field (Please Subscribe) "Are there a lot of opportunities for adaptations of antique novels?" In his rented room, Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise shing in his eyes. "Yes, antique novels may not be hot in the online literaturemunity, but they have arge market in the film and television industry," Youyou replied with augh from the other end of thework. Indeed, the antique theme had its moments of small glory, just like the hacker theme. However, as the online literature market has shifted towards a ''fast-paced'' rhythm, the antique theme has also tended to be saturated and ''generically formic''. Moreover, with more and more readers turning to live streaming for appraisal and collecting for themselves, it has be difficult for the online literaturemunity to foster any big IPs in antique novels again. In the film and television industry, adaptations of antique novels are still rtively popr themes with a wide audience. Simply put, the audience for antique novels and antique films and TV shows are different groups, so the markets are different too. "Adapting an antique theme to film or television must be quite difficult," Lin Chuan said with a smile in response. Youyou replied, "Yes, on the one hand, the antique theme requires a strong sense of professionalism, and on the other hand, it''s somewhat difficult to boost its performance. It usually takes at least ten thousand subscriptions before it enters the scope for adaptation consideration." "As expected," Lin Chuanughed dryly. "Your theme is Antique Forgery, which might yield some interesting effects, so can I have the honor of reading the opening first?" Youyou joked in reply. Lin Chuan grinned, his thumbs quickly tapping on his phone''s keyboard: "Read in reverence? Youyou, you''re starting to tter me to death." "You''re now an author with an average subscription of twenty thousand, the first ce winner in the anti-fraud writing contest, and you have a film and television adaptation. In the eyes of the web writing market, you are a standout, while I''m still a junior editor. What else should I call it other than ''read in reverence''? Haha.jpg," Youyou teased. "Then I shall read it with modest reverence?" Lin Chuan quipped, his face brimming with a smile. He and Youyou were not merely an ordinary editor and writer, but more like friends supporting each other. At the time, Lin Chuan was a consistently failing writer, and Youyou was willing to sign him, supporting him several times. Even when "Hacker Kingdom" had just over three hundred subscriptions, Youyou stubbornly went to the chief editor to make a bet to get it into ''web novels going global''. Now, Youyou is a junior editor, and Lin Chuan is willing to sign her. She has supported me several times already. How could I just walk away and pretend I don''t recognize her? Ah spit, what a scummy author! Soon, Lin Chuan walked into his room, turned on theputer, organized the beginning of the manuscript, and sent it to Youyou. Meanwhile, In Modu. The sunlight from the sky, like strands of fine golden silk, gently spilled over the ss curtain wall of the Sailing Novel''s office building, sparkling brilliantly, mirrored in the glittering river water,plementing the white clouds in the sky. Youyou, dressed in a light pink dress with a short knitted cardigan of the same color, sat at her desk, leaning back in her chair, her delicate, peach-like face radiating a bright and radiant smile. Because Lin Chuan had sent the opening of his new book. "Last Week''s Antique." Youyou, with a smile ying on her lips, quickly opened the ''Last Week''s Antique.doc'' file, voraciously ''reading with reverence''. The opening had a total of 50,000 words, and Youyou read it repeatedly for over an hour. Then, she meticulously formatted the 50,000 words and, walking down the corridor, headed toward the office of the chief editor, Zhang Yixing. Perhaps she was riding on Lin Chuan''s coattails. Stepping lightly in her white t shoes, Youyou straightened her back a bit, walking steadily down the hallway; her carefully arranged high ponytail swayed gently with each step, a few soft strands of hair gently falling beside her ears, like a spring breeze drifting over theke, causing ripples to spread. Knock, knock-knock. Youyou tapped lightly on the door of Chief Editor Zhang Yixing''s office. Looking up and seeing her, Zhang Yixing smiled and said, "Youyou, you seem in high spirits. Is something good happening?" this-chapter-is-MVLeMpYr Walking into the chief editor''s office with a beaming smile, Youyou said, "Of course, I''vee to ask you for a rmendation for a film and television adaptation!" Zhang Yixing''s smile quickly froze on his face, and the corners of his mouth twitched, "Youyou, didn''t Lin Chuan, your writer, just win first ce in the anti-fraud writing contest and get a film and television adaptation? And now you''re asking me for another rmendation?" Within Sailing Novel, the routine derivation and development of novel IPs all need to go through multipleyers of selection and audit, confirming their market value, before proceeding with the corresponding copyright development filing process. The chief editor holds a precious rmendation slip. This rmendation slip is important; it can ''fast-track'' a work into the selection scope of copyright merchants for adaptation, possibly securing an adaptation opportunity. Of course, this rmendation authority isn''t used lightly. Subscription average is the most basic requirement, and the chief editor also needs to conduct a multi-dimensional review before deciding whether to give the rmendation. "Chief editor, I admit I was a little rash, but of course, I should strongly rmend a great work," Youyou said with an upturned smile. "Whose great work is it?" Chief Editor Zhang Yixing asked with a smile. "A work by Lin Chuan," Youyou answered. Zhang Yixing''s expression shifted slightly, "Didn''t his ''All-In'' just get a film adaptation?" "He''s about tounch a new book." Youyou then sent the meticulously formatted 50,000 words to Zhang Yixing. Before even receiving the file, Zhang Yixing looked up at Youyou, "How can you rmend it if it hasn''t been published yet?" With a cheerful grin, Youyou replied, "I''m justying the groundwork for him now, so that when he publishes it and the performance is there, I can immediately get him rmended for adaptation, cutting out the middleman." Chief Editor Zhang Yixing shook his head with a hidden smile, thinking that Youyou was still somewhat naive. Many authors with real talent sometimes have higher expectations for their next book following one big sess. Chapter 157: Chapter 138 No One Can Beat Him in This Field (Please Subscribe)_2 Once the early results were dissatisfying, he couldn''t ept it. He was very likely to just cut it off and start a new book. Unsatisfied again, continue cutting, thus falling into a vicious cycle, back to where he started. Zhang Yixing, as the chief editor, had a deep understanding of this. "You''re already thinking about securing him a spot for film and TV adaptation rmendations before there''s even a hint of sess. What if it flops?" Youyou blinked: "Just read it and you''ll see, no one can beat him in this field." "What field?" Zhang Yixing''s face changed, looking down at the document Youyou had sent, "Last Week''s Antique... he has deep expertise in the field of antiques?" Youyou shook her head, smiling: "I''m not sure about the antiques, but in the realm of crime-themed stories, no one can beat him." Just like nobody could beat Gao Jin, the God of Gamblers, with the ''dum dum dum'' background music going, or defeat a man''s past sweetheart in his life, even if the sweetheart herself were present, it couldn''t be done. In the realm of crime themes, Handon, who hade in second ce twice, could attest to that. There, he had decided to release his new book in June, but then thought it over and decided to wait until after Lin Chuan released his, tounch his new book avoiding Lin Chuan. If I can''t confront it, can''t I just avoid it? Zhang Yixing didn''t pay as much attention to Lin Chuan as Youyou did, but now, having talked with Youyou about it, his forehead slightly furrowed, recalling several novels Lin Chuan had written: "You seem to have a point." "So, can we give the film and TV adaptation rmendation slot to Lin Chuan for ''Last Week''s Antique''?" Youyou seized the opportunity to say. "I haven''t read it yet," Chief Editor Zhang Yixing said with an embarrassed smile. Afterward. He opened the ''Last Week''s Antique.doc'' file, and Lin Chuan''s novel appeared before his eyes. ''My name is Mr. Lin.'' ''I''m honored and respected as a master in the antiques circle, sought after by thousands.'' ''But nobody knows I am also the world''s most professional master of antique forgery.'' ''In my life, I have forged countless antiques, some collected by masters, others highly sought after in the antiques circle. Even the British Museum has my forgeries, disyed in ss cases for people to exhibit and appreciate, feeling their historic charm.'' ''Yes, as long as I do not disclose these secrets, these forgeries will be revered as genuine and passed on.'' ''True and false, known to no one.'' ''Until I saw more and more ordinary people entering the antiques circle, being trapped and cheated, even ruined financially. The entire antiques circle is filled with the vile atmosphere of profit-making through forgery.'' ''This is not the scene I wanted to see!'' ''I know that if it goes on like this, the antiques circle willpletely degrade into a tool for capital profit, utterly losing its original significance.'' ''So, I hope to use my life to expose antique forgery, to alert those looking to get into antiques, or who have already done so.'' ''...'' Reading this far, Chief Editor Zhang Yixing''s brows furrowed deeply, and his expression wasplex. "Chief Editor, is there a problem with how this is starting out?" Youyou sensed something off about Zhang Yixing''s demeanor and asked. "The schemes in the antiques circle, such a pitfall!" Zhang Yixing eximed. Youyou''s mouth fell open slightly, her face registering surprise as she tentatively asked, "Have you been scammed by a scheme?" Zhang Yixing waved his hands repeatedly in denial: "Not me, I didn''t, how could I be scammed?" "I thought you had been scammed," Youyou said with augh. "Ahem..." Zhang Yixing''s mouth twitched, and he spoke indignantly, "Not me, not me. I have a friend who liked to buy jade and collectibles. Someone introduced him to a Qing Dynasty bowl-shaped porcin piece, something called the Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish something Bowl, bought it for two hundred and eighty-eight thousand yuan, but a few dayster, my friend discovered it was fake! Damn it!" "Is it the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl''?" Youyou raised an eyebrow slightly, asking. "Ah, right, right! That''s the bowl." Zhang Yixing replied quickly, but then he looked at Youyou and asked, "Youyou, how do you know the name of this bowl?" "There''s nobody else here, you answer my question first," Youyou said with a smile. "What''s the question?" "The friend who got scammed, was it you?" Youyou asked, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Not me, not me, how could I possibly get scammed?" Zhang Yixing replied sulkily, quickly changing the subject, "Do you also mix in the antiques circle? You even know about the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl''." "I''m not involved in the antiques circle, but in Lin Chuan''s novel here, it details the perfect method for forging the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl,'' right in these fifty thousand words at the beginning." Youyou shook her head and pointed the finger at Chief Editor Zhang Yixing''s phone. Hmm? Zhang Yixing frowned and looked at his phone intently and got deeply engrossed in the opening chapter of Lin Chuan''s "Last Week''s Antique." ''Lin Family Porcin was originally arge porcin workshop in town, well-loved.'' ''But then, the son of the Ceramics Association chairman, who had studied abroad, returned with porcin design ideas very different from mine, but he was more popr in every ceramics art exhibit andpetition.'' ''Until a certain reception where I spoke out of turn, saying that not a single person in the entire county appreciated his works and was ridiculed by the Ceramics Association chairman''s son, resulting in my offending all the major porcin merchants. The Lin Family Porcin workshop found itself in a crisis without any buyers, nearly bankrupt.'' ''I sat there dumbly in the courtyard of the Lin Family Porcin workshop, listening to the crisp sound of the few strands of wind chimes hanging from the eaves and looked over at Qing, who had always stuck by me, asking in concern what we would do.'' Chapter 158: Chapter 138 No One Can Beat Him in This Field (Please Subscribe)_3 ''I know, in this city, in the field of ceramics, I can''tpete with the son of the Ceramics Association president.'' ''There were two paths before me, one was to leave this ce and develop ceramics elsewhere, the other was to change professions.'' ''I chose to change professions!'' ''Immediately, I decided to file for bankruptcy,y off the workers, only keeping Qing, whom I trusted, as my assistant.'' your-chapter-source ''I was going to forge antiques.'' ''Actually, the ancestors of Lin Family Porcin started with antique forgery, but after the forgery was discovered, making too many enemies, they fled to this small city and began doing ceramics business.'' ''The techniques of antique forgery were secretly passed down, and in my generation, they finally came in handy.'' ''The old wooden door in the courtyard, worn smooth by the years, I stepped out with Qing, to purchase materials needed for forging antiques.'' ''The first antique I wanted to forge was a piece of porcin.'' ''A Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl.'' ''...'' Zhang Yixing leafed through the pages, and among Mr. Lin''s return to his ancestors'' tradeantique forgeryhe also wrote about the methods of forging a Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl. Purchasing a Qing Dynasty white porcin Douli Bowl, painting on an old base with new drawings, ze top color painting, firing twice, using traditional medicine + alcohol + a drop of potassium permanganate to age it, and finishing it up. A Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl, thus sprang to life on the page. Zhang Yixing was dumbfounded, muttering non-stop, "That''s real craft, there''s even a method of appraisal, if I had seen this novel earlier, I wouldn''t have been scammed out of my two hundred and eighty-eight hundred yuan." Turning the page further, the novel came to an abrupt halt. Unknowingly, the fifty thousand words of ''Last Week''s Antique'' had been read topletion. ''That''s it?'' Zhang Yixing was left wanting more, curious to see what happens next: Mr. Lin taking the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' to an antique master for appraisal, what kind of evaluation the antique master would give, whether it could pass as the real deal. ''Editor-in-chief, do you think there''s a chance for a film adaptation?'' Youyou didn''t forget her purpose, taking the opportunity to ask. ''For an average work, the minimum is twenty thousand Average Subscription, now it''s picking up, you need thirty thousand Average Subscription for a chance at a film adaptation.'' Zhang Yixing mused, then his tone shifted, ''However, this one "Last Week''s Antique" has a niche subject matter, so we could lower the threshold a bit.'' ''How much?'' Youyou asked eagerly. ''At the very least fifteen thousand.'' Zhang Yixing smiled. For ''Last Week''s Antique'', he wasn''t looking at it with an editor''s eye, but rather as a reader, immersed in it. He found that the fifty thousand words of Lin Chuan''s new book, whether in terms of the professionalism of antique forgery or the tension of the plot, were top-notch. If it could maintain this standard and reach fifteen thousand Average Subscription, there really was a chance for a film adaptation. ''Thank you, editor-in-chief.'' Youyou pursed her lips, her face filled with smiles. ''The film adaptation hasn''t even been rmended yet, don''t rush the thanks.'' Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing smiled, then added, ''If Lin Chuan can have two works adapted into films, and they''re well received, it could greatly boost your performance.'' Youyou''s eyes lit up instantly, ''How much of a boost?'' An editor''s performance is actually about how much revenue they can generate for the web novel site, and film adaptations, especially those that be popr, can significantly enhance an editor''s performance much more than several ten-thousand Average Subscription works could everpare. After all, the phrase ''IP is king'' is circted in the web novel circles. A 19-year-old genius writer who reached the tinum tier, his novel released across the entirework is conservatively estimated to have IP rights fees amounting to hundreds of millions, which is iparable to mere royalties. That''s why they say ''novel IP derivative'' is another growth path for web novel writers. After some thought, editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing smiled and said, ''Helping you aim for the chief editor position should be no problem.'' ''Chief editor!?'' Youyou was taken aback, her pupils shrinking, her delicate face full of surprise. If Lin Chuan''s two adaptations do well, she could aim for the chief editor position... hiss! What do you call this? Relying on someone else''s power? Sess by association? Or when one man gains the Tao, his poultry and dogs ascend to heaven? Pffft! For a moment, Youyou couldn''t think of an appropriate idiom to describe her rtionship with Lin Chuan. In the end. Youyou left the office with a heart full of joy, stepping light-footedly, humming a tune, and sent Lin Chuan a message: ''Lin Chuan, you really are my treasure!'' Chapter 159: Chapter 139 True Crime Records (Please Subscribe) In the rental house. Lin Chuan looked at the message Youyou sent and smiled, "Youyou, what''s gotten into you?" "Just focus on publishing your book, I''ve already lined up the rmendations for you, full service! /haha.jpg" Youyou replied. Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, "Thanks, Youyou. /rose.jpg" "It''s me who should thank you. My performance now is all thanks to you. Come to Modu in a few days, and I''ll treat you well." Youyou was very cheerful. "I don''t have ns to go to Modu yet." Lin Chuan smiled and replied. "Did you forget? The film adaptation of ''All-In'' is mainly handled by Sunshine Film and Television, which is in Modu. Their team will invite you to discuss the adaptation soon, probably in the next couple of days." Youyou exined. Lin Chuan suddenly realized, nodded, and replied, "I see. When I get to Modu, I''ll definitely look for you." "Great. /looking_forward.jpg" "Strike while the iron is hot, I''ll publish the new book first." "Totally ok. For the review process, I just need to give them a heads-up. The editor-in-chief is very optimistic about this new book. If it reaches an average subscription of 15,000, it might get a chance for a film adaptation rmendation slot." Youyou replied. Lin Chuan''s face showed a slight surprise, and so he responded, "Youyou, did you bet your Year-End Bonus again?" "Actually, if the editor-in-chief didn''t agree, I was ready to put my Year-End Bonus on the line, but he read your opening chapters and really likes your new book," Youyou replied cheerfully. "Is he also from the antiques circle?" Lin Chuan asked with a bit of surprise. "I guess so. Between you and me, he was duped with a fake ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' and lost some money. This is just between us, don''t spread it around." Youyou sneakily nced in the direction of the editor-in-chief''s office and whispered with a grin. "I can give him one of those bowls," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "They''re quite valuable, you know," Youyou reminded him. "I''ll just give him a piece of craftsmanship, which costs only a few bucks to make." "Are you really good at antique forgery?" "My second great-uncle''s skills in making antique replicas are not bad, and I learned from him." "Isn''t your second great-uncle a swindler?" "Yes, my family, Old Lin''s, used to be in pottery, and before my second great-uncle ran away from home, he was a skilled hand at making antique replicas. So after he came back, I learned a bit from him," Lin Chuan exined. "Fine, I believe you. /obedient_nod.jpg" "Really, my second great-uncle is good at making antique replicas." "Darling, I really do believe you." "What kind of craftsmanship pieces do you like? I''ll make one for you while I''m at it," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Thinking of how much Youyou had helped him, treating him like a dear friend and supporting him, giving her an antique craft seemed a nice way to show his appreciation. "As for a craft piece, I want a vase for flower arrangements, to decorate my desk," Youyou didn''t y coy but straightforwardly expressed her little wish. "A vase for flower arrangements, huh? Leave it to me." Lin Chuan replied with a hint of confidence. There were many types of antique vases suitable for flower arrangements. In the Virtual World, Lin Chuan had once replicated a ''Ming Hongwu Blue and White Peony Pattern Jade Spring Vase'', which was elegant in appearance and a porcin used by the Ming dynasty royal court, and should suit Youyou''s taste very well. That''s the one then. "The rmendations, leave them to me as well," Youyou said with augh. Afterward. Lin Chuan got down to uploading his new book "Last Week''s Antique", through approval, signing a contract, and listing it. He nced at the system panel. [Work: "Last Week''s Antique".] [Status: Listed.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/20000.] "Damn, an average subscription of 20,000, such high requirements. Won''t the average subscription requirement for my next job be reaching toward 30 or 50 thousand?" Lin Chuan cursed internally. The requirement for an average subscription of 20,000 was indeed high. -chapter Therefore, Lin Chuan was ready for a long-term battle. If he couldn''t reach it in a short time, he''d endure until he hit 20,000 average subscriptions! For now, he''d first take care of Youyou''s and Sailing Novel editor-in-chief''s ''Douli Bowl'' and ''Jade Spring Vase''. Of course. Lin Chuan wouldn''t forget about the Little Landy next to him. "Little Landy, shall we go to the Antique Shopter?" Lin Chuan hugged the hanging Little Landy and said with a smile. "Sure, can you go shopping with me tonight?" The Little Landy blinked and smiled sweetly. "After we browse the Antique Market, I''ll apany you shopping at the mall," Lin Chuan said affectionately as he stroked the Little Landy''s hair. "Then I''ll buy a few more pairs of stockings; what style do you like?" "You can''t wear them out!" "Chairman, I''ll only wear them for you to see." "Then... buy them all?" "Are youing tonight... or not?" "You little sp!" "..." Meanwhile. Youyou had opened a convenient gateway for Lin Chuan''s new book "Last Week''s Antique," and shortly after the contract was signed, she arranged a ssh screen promotion for it. This was a privilege Youyou had applied for from the chief editor. A ssh screen promotion was on the same level as a major homepage rmendation, promoting quickly and effectively. Very quickly. Many ''ten-year-old fans'' discovered Lin Chuan''s new book. [Crime suspect Mr. Lin has a new book! I''ll add it to my favorites first, then click to report it!] [I really want to ask, does Mr. Lin not have any creative bottleneck at all?] [Mr. Lin specializes in crime themes, what he writes are real criminal records, how could there be any bottlenecks?] [He''s working so hard, is he not afraid of death?] [This is the most diligent author I''ve seen, just won first ce in an anti-fraud essaypetition and immediately starts a new book, not even taking a break.] [Let me check out the new book, antique forgery, is it just about making crafts, or the kind of crime that involves forging and selling them?] [Just look at the ID, it''s definitely thetter!] [He dares tomit such huge amount fraud in real crime! Antique forgery, what guts!] [Eh, speaking of antique forgery, I remember Old Bai is into cultural relic restoration.] [Forward this to Old Bai to have a look!] [...] In Modu, Wenbai Studio. The studio was bathed in soft lighting, with photos of cultural relics covering the walls. In the center, rows of neatly arranged workbenches were filled with various restoration tools and materials, ranging from tiny engraving knives and brushes to sophisticated measuring instruments and professional restoration liquids, all orderly organized. Lin Chuan''s loyal reader, Old Bai, was wearing a dark blue cotton work suit and semi-transparent protective sses, focusing on inspecting a piece of porcin he had just finished restoring. "Huh" After examining the porcin and confirming it was perfectly restored without obvious ws, Old Bai packed it away. Restoring cultural relics was an extremely energy-consuming job. It required restorers to be fully engaged, meticulous, and error-free, which led to Old Bai often being absorbed in his work for hours on end. However, his skills were still rudimentary, and he could only take on lesser-valued relics for restoration. He wasn''t qualified for the more valuable ones yet. After the restoration, he walked to a designated area to dust off the faint traces of paint and dust on his work clothes, then sat in the break room, ying with his phone for a while. Each restoration was a high-intensity mental load. Therefore, he often chose to rx by browsing videos or reading novels to unwind. "Old Bai, the suspect has released a new book!" Old Bai had just turned on his phone when a close book friend on QQ sent him a message. "Old Lin has a new book?" Old Bai raised his eyebrow, muttered to himself, and a radiant smile spread across his face. He was a faithful fan of Lin Chuan! After all, Lin Chuan''s writing was right up his alley, and the man had once saved his life. No matter what he wrote, Old Bai would show his support. "Time to gift Old Lin a Silver Alliance, to give his new book some heat!" Old Bai immediately opened the Sailing Novel app, and the ad for Lin Chuan''s new book popped up. In the center of the ssh screen was a man in a ck cloak, his face obscured. Two lines of vertical text apanied it on the right. The crime genre powerhouse Mr. Lin''s shocking new arrival. "Last Week''s Antique". "Old Lin is so fierce, he got a ssh promo for his new book right off the bat, that''s the kind of treatment only influential authors get," Old Bai muttered again and then his brows knitted together. Huh? Last Week''s Antique? Old Lin''s new book is about antiques! A strong excitement burst across Old Bai''s face as he thought, antique novels, I love reading those! Without another word! Old Bai immediately clicked into the book page and, not stingy at all, sent a gift. Silver Alliance Leader''s Treasure Chest! A site-wide announcement. Old Bai has sent Mr. Lin''s "Last Week''s Antique" a Silver Alliance Leader''s Treasure Chest, hurry over and enjoy the benefits! Afterward, Old Bai smiled and said, "Old Lin, I''ll see if your knowledge of antiques is solid enough. If it''s not up to par, I''ll have to give you a good interrogation!" Chapter 160: Chapter 140: Punishment, Ill Give It a Try! (Please Subscribe) Wenbai Studio. In the lounge, Old Bai sprawledfortably on the sofa, holding his phone and opening Lin Chuan''s new book "Last Week''s Antique." In Old Bai''s view, Lin Chuan''s novels about swindlers, assassins, hackers, and fraud were indeed professional enough to be taken as truth. But when ites to antiques... Sorry, that''s my field of expertise, and I have the right to speak! Besides, I''ve been sent the Silver Alliance Master''s Treasure Chest, and a basketful of Monthly Tickets, so it''s okay for my voice to be a bit louder, right? Old Bai''s right thumb flicked lightly, and he entered the novel page of "Last Week''s Antique" to start reading. "My name is Mr. Lin." "I''m known as the grandmaster of the antiques circle, respected by all, and pursued by thousands." "But nobody knows that I''m also the world''s most professional master of antique forgery." "In my life, I''ve forged countless antiques, some of which have been collected by famous artists or are highly sought after in the antiques circle; even the British Museum has some of my forgeries, disyed in ss cabs for people to exhibit and appreciate the historical charm." "...'' After just reading the first four paragraphs, Old Bai frowned slightly. The tone was just right! However, some of the wording and phrasing, like "grandmaster of the antiques circle," "world''s most professional master of antique forgery," and "forged countless antiques," felt a bit exaggerated. When industry insiders read novels on their subject, they always find issues from various angles. They can''t help but pick out a few small faults. Nevertheless, Old Bai was still very interested in this novel; in some ways, antique forgery and cultural relic restoration have an essential simrity. While picking things apart, Old Bai also had high hopes for Lin Chuan. After all, Lin Chuan had long been renowned for being a ''technical author'' with ''strong professionalism'' and writing ''criminal autobiographies.'' What if his antique forgery is brilliantly written too? With a touch of skepticism and a great deal of anticipation, Old Bai continued to read on. "...'' "The old wooden gate in the courtyard, smoothed by the years, I stepped out with Qing to buy the materials needed for the forgery of antiques." "My first fake antique would be a piece of porcin." "A Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl." "In fact, I didn''t take the son of the Ceramics Association president seriously; porcin is at the apex of the hierarchy in the ceramics circle. As long as I sessfully forged the Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl, then all issues with Lin Family Porcin, oh no, Lin Family Antiques, would be readily resolved." "In the bustling antique market, there were many people and the materials were plentiful." "After strolling around with Qing, I found a batch of Douli bowls from the Qing Dynasty with a in white body, which fortunately was part of my n to ''new paint on an old body'' when forging the Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl." "''New paint on an old body'' was just the first big step." "The next big step to make it look like the Douli Bowl was convincingly old was ''aging'' it." "There are many ways to age it, and after leaving the antique market, I took Qing for several rounds in the county town to buy hydrofluoric acid, permanganate, and casually picked up a few prescriptions of Chinese herbal medicines." "These were critical for aging the Douli Bowl, especially those few prescriptions of Chinese medicine." "Qing was confused, not understanding why I was buying these things; I simply told her it was for making money." "...'' Back in the lounge of Wenbai Studio. Old Bai suddenly sat up straight from the sofa, no longer sprawling, much like how one sits up straight when ying a game and facing a tough opponent, concentrating on the game without cking off. "Goodness, Old Lin has some skills." Old Bai''s mouth opened slightly, murmuring in surprise. He had thought Lin Chuan''s depiction of antique forgery would gloss over the details, but seeing the use of hydrofluoric acid and permanganate for aging, he felt a tinge of astonishment. The appearance of the Chinese herbal medicines and their part of the form startled him even more. He really knew his stuff! Aging cultural relics with Chinese medicine was a skill not many could master, and the forms for Chinese medicines were a closely guarded secret. The key ingredients Lin Chuan revealed had already shocked Old Bai! Old Bai didn''tment further but continued to read. "Back in the courtyard, I began the process of forging." "The Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl belongs to ''overze'' decoration, so when painting, I paid extra attentionthe painting and zing both had certain techniques." "To depict the five-colored fish, the brushwork required high precision; every stroke had to be carefully ced with attention toyout and lines. If one observed this Douli Bowl carefully, they would find that the four fish each had their distinct shape and charm." "This required a high level of painting skill." "Fortunately, I am a porcin maker myself, steady-handed, with smooth lines, and my work''s style was naturally reminiscent of the porcin from the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty." "Then came the second firing C the ze firing." "The temperature and timing control of the ze firing had to be strict, and every kiln firing would have slight differences, demanding particr attention to the integration of ze, color, and the white body." "Next, it was time to age it." "I had already instructed Qing to prepare the Chinese medicine, filling the entire courtyard with refreshing herbal fragrance; then, by adding a little alcohol and a drop of potassium permanganate to the concoction, I immersed the Douli Bowl to soak and wait forpletion." "...'' "Wow!" After reading about Mr. Lin''s entire process of forging and aging the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl,'' Old Bai could already imagine the four colorful fish swimming on the exterior of the Douli Bowl and the vibrant floral and bird patterns leaping within its walls, seemingly alive. As the saying goes,ymen enjoy the show while experts watch the technique. As a professional cultural relic restorer with less practical experience but solid theory, Old Baipletely understood the professionalism of forging porcin depicted in Lin Chuan''s book. "Damn, you''re really professional, Old Lin!" Old Bai genuinelyplimented. Without any exaggeration, as a master''s student specializing in cultural relics restoration, he was utterly impressed by the professional knowledge and highly feasible steps revealed in "Last Week''s Antique". Old Bai even had an idea. He could follow the steps described andbine them with his theoretical knowledge in his field to replicate a Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl. That feeling was like watching some enlightening videos, feeling an itch in his heart, and desperately wanting to put it into practice. For example, video tutorials on gaming techniques. But the plot of "Last Week''s Antique" was so interlinked andpelling that Old Bai couldn''t bear to put his phone down, immersing himself in the world of antique forgery instead. In the novel, Mr. Linter took the Douli Bowl to the most famous treasure appraiser in the city, who authenticated it as real. Afterward, Mr. Lin also forged a variety of antiques and curios, including calligraphy and paintings, jade objects, pottery jars, bronze ware, and so on. Until dusk. The afterglow of the setting sun filled Wenbai Studio, elongating shadows of bottles and jars, the air suffused with the intertwined scents of restoration liquid, paper, copper, and earth. Whoosh Only then did Old Bai put down his phone, took a deep breath, and stretchednguidly to loosen his muscles. He looked at all the bottles and jars in the studio, his hands itching to do something. Finally. His gaze settled on a bronze vessel close to him, standing about 42 centimeters tall with a base diameter of approximately 15 centimeters. This bronze vessel was known as a ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel,'' an oval-shaped container for wine, adorned with taotie-like patterns, inscribed with markings, and had handles for carrying, sealed with a small lid on top. It was a bronze counterfeit Old Bai had found in the Modu antiques circle; its shape, taotie pattern decoration, and inscriptions were all of decent craft, so Old Bai spent several hundred yuan to purchase it for his studio, asionally fondling it and appreciating its features with great interest. As it happened. The steps for replicating bronze ware were explicitly detailed in Lin Chuan''s "Last Week''s Antique". Though itcked a crucial technique, for Old Bai, he couldpensate with his theoretical knowledge of cultural relics restoration. "Replicating a cultural relic isn''t illegal, let''s give it a try!" Old Bai was a man of action; he immediately set to work, aiming to make the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' even closer to its appearance during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties period. Replicating cultural relics was actually a way to enhance his skills in cultural relics restoration. So, Old Bai was very excited. "Last Week''s Antique" described numerous methods for forging bronze ware. For example, the false rust disguise, splicing, and burial methods. Now, the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' in Old Bai''s hands was already cast using the sand-casting method, which is a high-level technique. Only the rust marks and patina were inconsistent with the expected age. "Following Old Lin''s method, I should first age it, then fake the bronze rust, imitate the patina with a special liquid, and finally cover it with earth, treating it with special techniques to create soil pration for the perfect deception," Old Bai thought. Let the work begin! Old Bai followed the steps for forging bronze ware in "Last Week''s Antique," locating sulfur water in his studio, heating it up to produce hot sulfuric acid, which he then poured over the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel''. Applying the sulfur water was amon aging technique. The sulfuric acid solution could corrode the bronze, slowly turning its color to antique bronze, or even ck, making it appear much older than it was. This step was simple. The most difficult parts were creating the copper rust and the oxidized patina. Ancient bronze ware buried underground for a long time interacts with moist soil, groundwater, and other organic and inorganic substances, resulting in chemical reactions that cause rust. But because this rust formed gradually, theyers wereplex and the colors varied. Furthermore, natural fractures around the edges of the bronze ware, if picked at with a knife or struck with a hammer, would ke off in chunks, somewhat reminiscent of a ''crumbly'' texture. To deceive convincingly, one must focus on producing authentic-looking rust and patina. Old Bai meticulously followed the ''Antique Forgery Textbook,'' step by step, using a mix of glues such as adhesive, rosin, Bleti Striata Paste, andcquer, mixing it with real rust from the bronze, integrating a variety of mineral powders and pigments, then irregrly applying it to the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel''. Soon, this step waspleted. The ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' instantly took on an entirely different look, withyer uponyer of rust marks emerging on the bronze surface, and the body''s oxidized patina showing different colors and irregr patterns, as if it had weathered three thousand years, exuding a sense of vast antiquity. Next was the burial. Old Bai was quite adept at the burial technique. He found a te of moist earth in his studio and buried the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' in it, alternately using a heater to dry the soil and then moistening it with water, asionally shaking it to elerate the reaction between the bronze and the earth. This step took a full day and night. It was only on the following evening that the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' of the early Western Zhou period was finally ''excavated''. "Sess! Hahaha!" Old Bai, holding the freshly unearthed Western Zhou bronze ware ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel,'' his eyes gleaming, his face full of excitement and agitation. Old Lin, I admit I spoke too loudly yesterday. This replicated bronze ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' was incredibly authentic-looking in every aspect, be it the exterior, decorations, inscriptions, rust marks, patina, or soil pration. It was impable! Old Bai examined the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' from top to bottom, left to right, but could not find a single w, treasuring it as if it were a precious gem. That''s when an idea suddenly struck him. Find a treasure appraisal master to authenticate its genuineness and see if it could indeed pass as the real thing. "There are many treasure appraisal masters doing live appraisals online. I''ll have them evaluate this ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' to judge its authenticity," Old Bai said with a smirk, his face filled with anticipation! Chapter 161: Chapter 141: The Sentence Begins, Spring and Autumn Take Off! (Please Subscribe) Night had fallen. Above Modu, it was as if ayer of deep blue velvet slowly covered the sky. On the horizon, the afterglow of the sunset had not fully faded, leaving a faint orange-red at the edges of the night. Streets were bustling with traffic, neon lights lit up, and a gentle breeze swept through, bringing opulence everywhere. Inside Wenbai Studio, Old Bai was holding the freshly unearthed "Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel" and opened the Kuaishou app. In recent years, the live streaming industry had exploded. Many treasure appraisers had moved from offline to online to start live treasure appraisal streaming. Old Bai usually paid close attention to live treasure appraisals, like those by Hai Dong and Ting Quan, watching quite a few of them. However, Old Bai wasn''t in a hurry to find a host for appraisal. After thinking it over, he sent Lin Chuan a message first, "Old Lin, have you seen my Silver Alliance Master''s Treasure Chest yet? /hehe.jpg" It wasn''t long before. Lin Chuan replied, "Got it, Alliance Leader Bai! By the way, are you in Modu these days?" "Yeah, are youing to Modu?" Old Bai raised his eyebrows and replied. "My book ''All-In'' is being prepared for a film adaptation, and Sunshine Film and Television has invited me to Modu to discuss the particrs. They''ve already bought my ne ticket, an invitation too kind to refuse," Lin Chuan replied with a string of messages. As it turned out. The Anti-Fraud Center had quickly closed a deal with Sunshine Film and Television regarding the film adaptation team of "All-In," tentatively turning it into a movie, directed by Shen Cheng. That afternoon, the 11th of June, Director Shen Cheng contacted Lin Chuan, inviting him to Modu to discuss the details of the adaptation. "When are youing? I''lle to pick you up." Old Bai replied warmly. Lin Chuan smiled and answered, "Tomorrow''s flight. The editor said he''d pick me up. Let''s meet up when I get to Modu." "Alright, I''ll wait for you in Modu. /sneaky.jpg" A smile appeared on Old Bai''s face. He thought to himself, since Old Lin would be in Modu tomorrow, he would show him the "Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel" then and let Old Lin appraise its standard. From "Last Week''s Antique," Old Bai could tell that Lin Chuan had unique insights into antiques. Appraisal would be a piece of cake. Tonight, he''d first let Hai Dong or Ting Quan give it an appraisal to see if it could pass muster. With that thought. Old Bai ended his chat with Lin Chuan and immediately opened up Hai Dong''s treasure appraisal live stream. As soon as he entered the live stream, he saw Hai Dong''s head, shiny and round like a "marinated egg," chatting with a female collector, calling her "sister." Old Bai curled his lip. He knew that with "marinated egg''s" behavior, this sister session wouldn''t end any time soon, and even if he tried to intercept, it wouldn''t be fast enough. "Let''s check out Ting Quan." Old Bai muttered and opened Ting Quan''s treasure appraisal live stream. "Folks, just started the broadcast, let me tell you the rules for connecting. One fast track, one normal, otherwise it''s hard to queue up for the regr brothers. Let''s get ready for connecting," said a young-looking host in the live stream. That was "Ting Quan," often referred to as "Ting Quan Cat" because of the cat-like way he squinted, with over seven million followers. He often connected with girls wearing ck, white, or flesh-colored stockings, showcasing long, beautiful legs, offering plenty of fun and a top-notch live show. Fortunately, he had just started his stream that evening and hadn''t yet connected with any long-legged beauties. "Good opportunity." Old Bai directly used some "money power" to intercept the connection. Connection sessful! In the live stream, Ting Quan was on the left side, while Old Bai appeared on the right. Old Bai didn''t show his face, pointing his phone''s camera towards the ceiling, and greeted Ting Quan, "Teacher Quan, I have an item here, please take a look for me." "Bring it on, show me the goods!" Ting Quanughed, then nced at the barrage ofments. Old Baiughed and aimed the camera at the "Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel" quietly standing on the desk. This piece of "newly unearthed" bronze ware appeared in Ting Quan''s live stream. "Let''s see what you''ve got." Ting Quan put on his sses and took a cursory look. Suddenly! His eyes narrowed, and his face showed surprise, "Brother, turn it around, I want to have a closer look." "Sure." Old Bai obliged and turned the "Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel" around. Ting Quan leaned forward, with his sses-wearing eyes drawing near the screen, looking at the bronze ware with astonishment. The bronze ware was oval-shaped, slightly bulging on both sides, with a narrowing middle and a small wine ss mouth. It had a heavy lid covering the top. content-source-MVLeMpYr Its surface was covered withyers of thick corrosion, showing a weave of deep green and brown, still marred by the mottling of earth, disying varying lusters as if having undergone thousands of years of vicissitudes. Among the copper rust and dirt stains, one could make out the not so obvious Taotie patterns, appearing as wide-open eyes with exposed fangs and etched inscriptions. Ting Quan looked for a long while, took a deep breath, then raised his voice by two notches, "Brother, you''ve got guts! You''ve got real fat guts!" Old Bai immediately insisted, "Teacher, it''s a family heirloom!" In the barrage ofments. [A family heirloom? Standard answer, totally typical!] [Wow, you really opened the Pandora''s box, brother!] [A heirloom with dirt!] [Just dug it out of the ancestral grave, what''s wrong with a bit of dirt?] [...] Hearing this, Ting Quan furrowed his eyebrows, "You''re a pro gamer, brother!" Old Bai raised an eyebrow, not expecting that, following Lin Chuan''s method of imitation, he had actually fooled Ting Quan? That shouldn''t be right! With Ting Quan''s rich experience in appraisals, could he be ying up for the show? "Teacher Quan, don''t y up for the show!" Old Bai pondered briefly and then said. "Brother, I have no need to y up for the show. You know better than anyone where this item came from!" Ting Quan''s eyebrows knitted together as he retorted. Chapter 168: Chapter 145 Hes Totally Trustworthy! (Please Subscribe) The curtains were gently drawn aside, allowing the afternoon sunlight to nt in and cast an ancient and simple aura of years on the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel''. Lin Chuan sat on the sofa to one side, quietly waiting for the results of the examination report. The experts were doing the same. The atmosphere on site, however, was subtly charged. The chief expert from the museum seemed to be resting with eyes closed, but the corner of his mouth drooped and hisplexion revealed slight irritation; clearly, he harbored some resentment. A chief expert has the pride of a chief expert. Old Bai''s mentor, Cheng Qing, would asionally exchange a few words with Lin Chuan, showing some belief in Lin Chuan''s words. Half an hour passed. Chen Hui returned with the examination report. "Officer Chen, how is it?" one of the experts in the room stood up and asked eagerly. The rest of the people present also stood up, casting their gazes in unison. The authenticity of this piece of ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' bronze ware not only involved whether Old Bai was suspected of illegal trade in cultural relics but also rted to the reputations of the few people present. Chen Hui took a deep breath. First, he nced at Lin Chuan, then turned to look at Gao Qinglin with a somewhat odd expression before he began to speak: "ording to the appraisal by our police station''s Material Identification Division, the submitted materials contain basic copper carbonate, epoxy resin, acrte, triterpene saponins, glycosides, vonoidpounds, and copper ore fine powder as mainponents, and the tests also detected..." The policerade to one side, hearing all these chemical terms, felt somewhat baffled. But for the several treasure appraisal experts present, these terms were all too familiar. Chemistry is a fundamental part of a treasure appraiser''s work, and even some of the older experts were well-versed in the chemical knowledge necessary for appraisal. For instance, basic copper carbonate is a mainponent of patina, epoxy resin and acrte are majorponents of adhesives, and thetter three are mainponents of Bleti Striata Paste. As Chen Hui announced the detection report, the faces of several appraisers led by the museum''s chief expert Gao Qinglin changed. Especially Gao Qinglin. A look of surprise appeared on his face, and after giving Lin Chuan an indifferent nce, he snorted through his nose and walked straight out. Lin Chuan just smiled, not paying much attention. Old Bai''s forgery of bronze ware, and expert Gao Qinglin being deceived, was no one''s fault but the result of their own inadequacy or the opponent''s strong capabilities. Those who frequently walk by the river, how can they not get their shoes wet? Even Lin Chuan, a grandmaster-level figure in the realm of antique forgery in the virtual world, had his missteps. "Officer Chen, can you let my reader go now?" Lin Chuan looked towards Chen Hui, a smile on his face. "He''s already outside waiting for you," Chen Hui said with a smile. "Thank you, Officer Chen." Lin Chuan''s eyebrows rose, thinking that was quite efficient. Afterward, Lin Chuan walked out. Youyou had also been waiting outside for quite some time. The people present left one after another. Chen Hui watched Lin Chuan''s departing figure, and his colleague was also looking at Lin Chuan, murmuring, "This Comrade Lin Chuan, so young, a web novel writer, and yet he turns out to be a master at appraising in the antiques circle." "Indeed, a master. He just flew in from Anling and immediately identified the bronze ware as fake, urately naming the materials used for the forgery, even leaving Gao Qinglin discredited," Chen Hui eximed. "Do you think it''s possible that he''s connected to the antique forgery crime syndicate we''re tracking?" his colleague spected boldly, half-joking. Chen Huiughed, replying, "Lately, your mind''s been full of that forgery syndicate, but the guy just flew in from Anling and we stopped him right at the airport, when would he have had the time to forge anything?" "I must be paranoid," the colleague chuckled. Pausing for a moment, Chen Huiughed, "But his keen eye is truly remarkable. If wee across any leads on forged antiques, we might ask for his help in assessing them." Of course, Chen Hui intended to find out more about Lin Chuan. The colleague nodded in agreement, then added, "The repatriation of overseas cultural relics is tomorrow, connecting with the museum; it''s a grand event in the antiques circle, with many experts attending. That forgery syndicate wouldn''t miss the chance to get a close look at important relics and will likely be there, we should take the opportunity to inspect the situation." "Okay," Chen Hui nodded. He then stepped aside, took out his mobile phone, and brought up a number he had marked with a star a long time ago. In fact, getting to know Lin Chuan was just an excuse for Chen Hui, who mainly wanted to make a call to a ssmate far away in Anling. Shen Qianqian. Ring, ring, ring. "Hello, who is this?" Shen Qianqian''s polite voice came through the phone. "It''s me, Chen Hui." Chen Hui''s mouth twitched, his face suddenly turning awkward. Shen Qianqian''s voice was still sweet, but her words "Hello, who is this?" sent a chill down Chen Hui''s spineshe hadn''t even saved his number, which was too impersonal. "Chen Hui?" Shen Qianqian sounded surprised, but that was all. Chen Hui asked, "Qianqian, are you busy right now?" "Still dealing with documents. Do you need something?" Shen Qianqian replied. "Actually, it''s not much. I just wanted to ask about someone. He''s from Anling City," Chen Hui said, taking a breath. "Who is it?" "A web novel writer, knows how to appraise antiques, his name is..." "Lin Chuan?" On the other end of the line, Shen Qianqian directly mentioned ''Lin Chuan,'' her voice tinged with a bit of surprise. Chapter 163: Chapter 142 Who Would Believe Your Nonsense? (Subscribe please) Nightfall enveloped Modu, where the neon lights still glimmered like a starry river, bustling and never losing a hint of its splendor. A gentle breeze caressed the city, from evening till the break of dawn. The rising sun dyed half the sky red. Old Bai arrived at his Wenbai Studio as usual, intending to continue studying Lin Chuan''s "Last Week''s Antique," to learn a little bit more about the craft of antique forgery, thereby enhancing his cultural relic restoration skills. Last night''s joint live stream with Ting Quan brought him an extraordinary sense of satisfaction. The first attempt at forging a "Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel" had managed to deceive Ting Quan and arge audience in the live streaming room. It was undoubtedly a demonstration of technique! Of course, having a background in cultural relic restoration meant that his forgeries of bronze ware were executed with ease. "Last Week''s Antique" was challenging! At that moment, Old Bai leisurely sat on the sofa of the Wenbai Studio, with his legs crossed, lightly bouncing, holding a mobile phone, opening the Qihang Novel APP, and flipping to "Last Week''s Antique." "A new day begins with learning," Old Bai murmured spiritedly, chuckling to himself. The content of the novel "Last Week''s Antique" appeared before his eyes. ''Several sessive sesses in forging antiques had garnered me significant fame in this small town, making me a famous antique collector.'' ''Many people came to me seeking my fame, either asking for my appraisal or looking to sell to me.'' ''One day, a man named Ye Lin visited with a piece of calligraphy and painting.'' ''He had slick, neatlybed hair, wore sses, spoke with a non-local ent, and imed he had just arrived looking to develop his career, short on funds, and wanted to sell this piece of artwork.'' ''I looked at him and chuckled at his little ploy.'' ''By chance, I caught him having a cheerful private conversation with the son of the Ceramics Association''s president, Zhang Cheng; unintentionally discovering that he and Zhang Cheng were first cousins.'' ''With a painting in hand,ing to my door, certainly, there was no good intention.'' ''He slowlyid the painting on my desk, revealing a "Bamboo and Rock Painting."'' ''In the painting, four bamboo stalks stood tall and upright, the leaves scattered artfully, each stalk varying in thickness, with arge, center-focused rock behind, the brushwork slender and vigorous with minimal texturing, clear-cut edges, and a rugged shape, standing steadfast in theke.'' ''Ye Qing introduced it, saying it was an original "Bamboo and Rock Painting" by Zheng Banqiao, valued at 300,000 yuan and now willing to sell it to me for just 200,000 yuan due to urgent needs.'' ''It was a forged "Bamboo and Rock Painting," its techniques quite sophisticated; it had the colophon trimmed and the paper aged artificially, which ordinary collectors could not detect, and even experts would need to study for quite a while before daring to draw conclusions.'' NovelBin-unofficial-text ''But I spotted it at first nce.'' ''Thinking a little, I realized this was a scheme against me by Zhang Cheng, the son of the Ceramics Association president, and in the end, I bought this forged "Bamboo and Rock Painting" for 170,000 yuan.'' ''Because I''m going to make them buy this "Bamboo and Rock Painting" back for 500,000 yuan!'' ''...'' Old Bai was engrossed in the world of the novel "Last Week''s Antique,"pletely captivated. Knock, knock, knock. Suddenly, several knocks sounded from outside the Wenbai Studio. "A job''se," Old Bai raised an eyebrow as a delighted expression appeared on his face; he immediately put down his phone and walked towards the door. But! Upon reaching the door, the smile froze on Old Bai''s face, and his eyes widened in shock. Standing by the door were two blue-uniformed police officers, looking at him with piercing eyes. "Officers, is there something the matter?" Old Bai asked in surprise. "Hello, are you Mr. Bai Yang?" One of the officers asked politely. "I am, what''s the matter?" Old Bai nodded in a daze, responding. After sizing up Old Bai, the officer exined, "Mr. Bai Yang, we are officers from the Modu police station. You are suspected of illegal tomb robbing, and we are summoning you ording to thew. Pleasee with us." Old Bai felt a sudden jolt of panic, his eyes bulging, "Officers, there must be some misunderstanding. I am a master''s student specialized in cultural relic restoration, how could I possibly be involved in illegal tomb robbing?" The officer inquired, "You did an appraisal on a bronze vessel with Taotie patterns duringst night''s live stream with Ting Quan, right?" Old Bai nodded and then quickly shook his head, "I did the appraisalst night, but it was for Ting Quan''s show effect; that was a forgery." "A forgery?" The officer frowned slightly and asked further, "Where is that piece of bronze ware now?" "I''ll get it." Old Bai turned and hurried to fetch the Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel, then handed it to the officer. Both officers took out their phones and carefullypared the details on the Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel. "Do you officers also understand appraisals?" Old Bai watched their serious expression and couldn''t help asking. One of the officers shook his head, "We''re just checking to see if it''s the same piece fromst night." "Well, it absolutely is the piece fromst night." Old Bai''s mouth twitched slightly. The two officers looked at each other, nodded, and one said, "Then it''s settled; this is what we''re looking for." "It''s a forgery; what do you want with it?" Old Bai couldn''t help but ask. The officer nced at Old Bai and smiled, "Mr. Bai Yang, whether this bronze vessel is a forged item or not will need to be determined by more professional individuals. For now, please apany us to assist with our investigation." Chapter 164: Chapter 142 Who Would Believe Your Nonsense? (Subscribe please)_2 Another police officer echoed, "If this bronze ware is confirmed to be a counterfeit, we will apologize to you." Cooperating with the investigation is the duty of every citizen. Old Bai curled his lips, "Alright, I''ll go with you." "Thank you for your cooperation." Both police officers were very polite. "By the way, where did you find the appraisal expert?" Old Bai asked before leaving. "The appraisal expert is from the Modu Museum, very authoritative, you can rest assured," the police officer exined. If the bronze ware is confirmed to be authentic, then it should be disyed in an exhibition at Modu''s museum. Old Bai breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to himself. To himself, he thought, the treasure experts from Modu Museum must be skilled, and it wouldn''t be hard for them to see the bronze ware is fake. If pushes to shove, I still have my mentor. Call upon the mentor! No big deal, today I''ll just clock in at the police station. If possible, I''ll take a photo and post it to Lin Chuan''s reader group, so they know what it feels like to clock in at the police station. Old Bai got into the police car without any fuss and arrived at the local police station. Afterward. He sat in the waiting room, awaiting the experts'' appraisal results. The room was brightly lit, with sunlight streaming through the window and spilling onto the floor tiles beneath Old Bai''s feet, forming arge diamond shape that slowly moved, bing squarer and moving away from Old Bai. Old Bai watched the door listlessly. Finally, after sitting dully for over an hour, a police officer entered and walked straight towards Old Bai. "Officer, may I leave now?" Old Bai''s eyes lit up, revealing a smile. This police station check-in really isn''t pleasant. Just sitting and waiting here is not asfortable and rxing as ying with my phone on my own couch at home. Fortunately, it was all over, and I could go home soon. The police officer looked at Old Bai and said, "Bai Yang, pleasee with me now. We are going to interrogate you." "Interrogation, what do you mean?" Old Bai''s face turned pale, and he didn''t react immediately. "Your bronze ware, after being appraised by the chief expert Gao Qinglin from Modu Museum and several other experts, has been confirmed as authentic. Now, we suspect you of illegal tomb robbing or illegal dealing of national treasures. Please cooperate with our investigation," the officer said with a sharp gaze and an upromising tone. "No, Officer, Master Gao is mistaken; it can''t possibly be genuine! Bring my mentor over, he will surely see that it''s a fake," Old Bai protested, struck as if by lightning, suddenly flustered. He cursed inwardly, wondering if these experts were serious or if it was actually because Lin Chuan''s ''Antique Forgery Manual'' was too urate, coupled with his solid foundation in cultural relic restoration, that led to this awkward situation? "We also contacted your mentor just now. Without revealing your identity, he also believed that the bronze ware is authentic," the officer replied with a smile. "What?" Old Bai was stunned on the spot. Mentor, this is like cutting ties of loyalty. "Please, go into the interrogation room and give a detailed ount of the situation. We will ensure justice for you," the officer extended a hand, signaling Old Bai to head to the interrogation room. Old Bai''s face was a picture of misery. It seemed like things had gone too far. When forging the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel,'' not creating a forgery mark, who could have anticipated that both his mentor and the museum''s chief expert would authenticate it as genuine! ng. Old Bai entered the cold interrogation room, a ce both familiar and strange to him. Familiar, because he often saw rted memes about interrogation rooms in Lin Chuan''s reader group, which were used to tease the suspected criminal, Mr. Lin. Strange, because it was his first time entering the legendary interrogation room! In this June weather, wearing only light clothes, Old Bai could clearly feel the cold from the tiger bench underneath him. The interrogation room had no windows, and the walls were colored in a cold gray, adorned with slogans like "leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist." Old Bai looked like someone who had done something wrong, his eyes unconsciously moving downward. There was also a slogan written on the floor. "Your family is waiting for you toe home." At this moment, the two police officers sitting opposite Old Bai had organized their materials and were ready to begin the interrogation. The one leading the examination was the officer who had summoned Old Bai, named Chen Hui, who was about the same age as Old Bai, Lin Chuan, with a handsome face and a hint of sharpness between his brows. Chen Hui looked at Old Bai and after the routine inquiries about Old Bai''s age, profession, and other information, he started to ask, "How did youe by this ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' bronze ware?" "I forged it." Old Bai took a deep breath, curled his lips, and answered truthfully. He had already learned a lot of ways to avoid pitfalls during interrogation in the reader''s group. If he hadn''tmitted a crime, he should answer truthfully, without any concealment; otherwise, the more he tried to exin, the deeper he would dig his hole. Of course, he also had to stick to the facts and choose his words carefully. Chen Hui was slightly taken aback, "Several experts have identified that ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' as authentic. Are you sure it''s a forgery?" Old Bai frowned, thinking, "Officer Chen, even experts can make mistakes sometimes." "Comrade Bai Yang, perhaps the persuasive power of one expert is somewhatcking, but for this ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'', the leading appraisers were the chief experts of the Modu Museum, as well as several other renowned and authoritative experts, including your mentor. Isn''t that convincing enough?" discover-NovelBin-novels The questioning Officer Chen, with a slight frown, retorted. "Uh, officer, I''m not questioning the level of these experts, but this bronze ware is a bit special. It was forged using a secret technique that can deceive by appearing very authentic, so the experts might have been mistaken when they encountered it for the first time," Old Bai said sullenly. Chen Hui''s frown deepened, puzzled, "Comrade Bai Yang, do you have some secret technique that even your mentor has never seen?" Huff Old Bai puffed up his cheeks and let out a heavy breath, saying earnestly, "Officer Chen, this secret technique actually starts with a novel." "A novel?" Chen Hui and the police officer doing the transcription looked at each other. He had heard some bizarre answers before. But this answer, wasn''t it a bit too bizarre? A secret technique for forging antiques linked to a novel? "Right." Old Bai nodded earnestly. "So you mean to say, you learned this secret technique from a novel, then forged a bronze ware, i.e., the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'', participated in a live appraisal stream, and deceived not only the Ting Quan live stream appraiser but also several well-known experts?" At that moment, Chen Hui leaned back slightly and smiled. It was evident. He might as well have said would anyone believe such a tall tale? Real cunning! Now they''re even using novels as shields! "Yes, that''s exactly how it happened," Old Bai admitted with a nod. Chen Hui let out augh. The police officer making the transcription also tightly pursed his lips, barely holding back hisughter as he recalled all the recent sad events in his mind. We are professionally trained. No matter how funny the situation, we won''tugh. Unless... we can''t help it. "Officers, please don''tugh, that''s really how it happened!" Old Bai saw theughter on the faces of the two officers and immediately defended himself with a twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Cough!" Chen Hui cleared his throat lightly, "Sorry, I was just reminded of something amusing. Let''s continue." "Sure." Old Bai curled his lip. "Just now, you said you learned the... secret technique to create fake antiques from a novel. What''s the name of this novel?" Chen Hui continued, his smile tempered. "''Last Week''s Antique'', Sailing Novel, by Mr. Lin." Old Bai revealed Lin Chuan and his novel. Now that the wine vessels had been identified as genuine by several experts, and the items were in his possession, he had no choice but to confess the truth. Otherwise, he''d really end up in a police station. Chapter 165: Chapter 143: Suspected Criminal of Innate Holy Body! (Please Subscribe) Anling City, airport. The sky was a clear, washed blue, asionally dotted with white clouds that floated leisurely, the sun hung high, casting golden light, giving the airport on the outskirts of Anling City a golden hue. content-hosted-on-NovelBin Lin Chuan, wearing a white T-shirt and casual pants, walked into the airport, dragging his suitcase. By his side, the Little Landy wore a beige dress, holding a package in her arms, her face full of reluctance, "Chairman, you must take good care of yourself in Modu." The Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, very much wanted to go to Modu with Lin Chuan. But since Lin Chuan would not be in Anling, thepany and the antique shop both needed her to take charge, so she had to stay in Anling. Lin Chuan hugged the Little Landy, a smile appearing on his face, "I''m just going to Modu to discuss film adaptations, it''s only a matter of a few days, and I''ll be back soon." "Okay." The Little Landy, with a pouting face, warned, "Once you''re there, don''t go flirting with others, or else when youe back, I won''t let you off the..." Before she could say the word ''bed'', Lin Chuan covered the Little Landy''s mouth, "Cough, we''re in public." Luckily, the airport was spacious, and it wasn''t the peak season, so there were few people around. "I don''t care." The Little Landy affectionately leaned her head on Lin Chuan''s shoulder, her face bright with a sweet smile. "While I''m gone, you be careful with your safety." "Chairman, don''t worry, Sister Qianqian will protect me." "Wait for my return." "Okay." The Little Landy ced the package aside and hugged Lin Chuan tightly, reluctant to let go. These days, the two of them had tasted the sweetness of being together, sticking to each other daily, on the sofa, windowsill, kitchen, bathroom, without any shame or embarrassment. This separation made it particrly hard to part. Lin Chuan took the Little Landy''s pale cheeks in his hands, gently rubbed them, and then gave her forehead a gentle kiss. The Little Landy smiled, "Okay, you better go now, or you''ll miss your flight." Lin Chuan, pulling his suitcase and taking the package, went through check-in procedures, security screening, waiting, and then boarded the international flight CA8562 from Anling to Modu. The Airbus A320 elerated down the straight runway, and with a great roar, took to the skies. This flight, taking off at 11 am andnding at 2 pm,sted about 3 hours. Before departure, Lin Chuan had already informed Youyou, who would pick him up in the afternoon. Not only that. Youyou had also arranged Lin Chuan''s amodation, meals, and itinerary in Modu. Everything was thoughtfully nned. "Old Bai isn''t very active today, hasn''t replied to messages." On the ne, Lin Chuan looked out at the clouds and muttered to himself. He had sent a message to Old Bai before he left, but Old Bai hadn''t replied for a long time, which puzzled Lin Chuan. Old Bai was usually quite active. However, Lin Chuan didn''t dwell on it, guessing that Old Bai must be busy restoring relics. During the three-hour flight, Lin Chuan picked up the newspaper avable on the nethe "Modu International Daily"and flipped through it. Authors of novels often pay attention to news and current events, keeping up with the times. Lin Chuan was no exception. His eyes fell on the newspaper. The front-page headline was about the city''s important leaders delivering important speeches. On the pages below, there were several news items. >Wee home! Modu Museum to receive a batch of important cultural relics returning from overseas >Our country increases support for clinical trials, speeding up drug development >Breaking! Our country dispatches a peacekeeping force >Leader of Old Street Factory District arrested, all fraud suspects brought to justice, suspected armed forces backing >Anti-fraud app downloads hit a new record >After fifteen days of pursuit, Modu police sessfully shut down arge-scale antique forgery underground workshop ... As he read, Lin Chuan dozed off. Last night he had stayed up toote with the Little Landy, so he took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep. The Airbus A320 cruised above the clouds, apanied by a deep and powerful roar, with two white trails of airflow on either side of the fusge streaking across the sky. Through the window, one could look down on the dense houses below. In the cabin, the broadcast came alive with the gentle voice of a flight attendant. Lin Chuan woke up slowly, stretching his muscles. They were preparing tond. After the ne taxied to its designated spot, Lin Chuan, following the guidance, stepped onto thend of Modu. Inside the expansive airport of Modu. Lin Chuan first sent a safe arrival message to the Little Landy, then, with his suitcase in one hand and the package in the other, he walked out of the airport. "Lin Chuan, over here!" At the pick-up point, Lin Chuan heard a voice as gentle as water calling his name. Lin Chuan turned around and saw a girl in the crowd waving her arms at him. The girl had slightly curly long hair and was about the same height as the Little Landy. She wore a light green, almost white, off-the-shoulder floral mini dress, revealing a pair of delicate, pale, and slender legs, with white high-top canvas shoes on her feet. As for her looks. Lin Chuan''s first impression: very pretty, a beauty that aroused sympathy. Her delicate and fair face was flushed with a rosy tint, like blooming peach blossoms. Her eyes were picturesque, adorned by a tear mole beneath the outer corner, and her curved eyshes carried a bright, spring-like smile that added a touch of vulnerability. "Youyou?" Lin Chuan was slightly surprised. "It''s me!" Youyou quickly walked over to Lin Chuan, a smile on her lips as she easily took the package from his hands to help relieve him of some of the burden. Lin Chuan said with a smile, "Sorry to keep you waiting, mighty Youyou." "I''ve only just arrived myself," Youyou looked up at Lin Chuan seriously. With his white T-shirt and casual pants, handsome features, a clean face that managed to be both delicate and masculine, and short hair that gave off a sunny vibe, he did not look like a suspect of any crime, rather... he looked like a handsome guy. Because of this. Youyou was somewhat surprised andplimented him, "With your looks, Lin Chuan, how did you ever think of writing novels?" She had indeed seen Lin Chuan in the ''anti-gambling campaign'' appearances, but the camera seldom focused on his face, primarily capturing movements of the hands. It was her first time seeing him in full view like this. Cough, with those looks, snagging a wealthy girlfriend shouldn''t be a problem. Faced with Youyou''s teasing, Lin Chuan grinned, "Youyou, with your looks, you could debut on the spot. Why did you choose to be an assistant editor?" The two exchanged smiles, immediately dissolving any awkwardness usually associated with online friends meeting in person. Besides, they often chatted with each other. If nothing unexpected urred, they would exchange daily greetings, brainstorm topics, discuss new book releases, performance results, market trends... They talked a lot, and why not? Lin Chuan was Youyou''s top author - oh no, her only top author! "Oh, by the way, Youyou, this package contains a gift for you," Lin Chuan, pulling his suitcase along, gave her a heads-up. "You really brought it?" Youyou''s eyes lit up, "Is it that vase?" Lin Chuan nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, it''s a replica of the ''Ming Hongwu Blue and White Peony Pattern Jade Spring Vase.'' It suits your personality well. Inside there''s also a replica of the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' for the chief editor. I''d appreciate it if you could pass it along for me." Youyou''s brows furrowed slightly, her lips curved into a smile, "Such long names, I can''t remember them all at once." Lin Chuanughed heartily, "No need to remember, it''s just a replica craft item." "Did you make it yourself?" Youyou blinked, curious. "Yes," Lin Chuan nodded, still smiling. Youyou raised an eyebrow, her eyes twinkling, "So you really can forge antiques just like you write in your novels?" "A little bit." Lin Chuan humbly smiled. "Then, in your previous novels, are you just like Mr. Lin in the story, having some really strange skills?" Youyou stopped walking, turning her head and gazing at Lin Chuan with great curiosity. "You know me, Youyou. I always strive for professionalism in my writing, constantly seeking perfection. Even though I had Big Second Uncle''s guidance, I still did a lot of research. That''s why you might have the illusion that I possess those strange skills." Lin Chuan firmly shook his head, immediately defending himself. He had already been involved with plenty of cases at the Anling Police Station and didn''t want to rush to another one as soon as he arrived in Modu. "An illusion?" asked Youyou. "Yes, an illusion," Lin Chuan replied with a sheepish smile. "Got it," Youyou''s eyes shed with a mischievous smile, "Shall we head to the hotel now, put away our luggage, and then I can show you around Modu, how about that?" "I''m meeting with Shen Cheng, the director in charge of the film adaptation, tomorrow, so I''ll follow your lead," Lin Chuan happily agreed. "Then let''s go." Youyou, holding the package, was all smiles. Somehow, seeing Lin Chuan arrive in Modu felt like meeting an old friend she had known for a long time. There was both joy and surprise. However, her thoughts were quickly reced by astonishment. Because two police officers in blue uniforms were approaching them. To be precise, they were approaching Lin Chuan. "Hello, may I ask if you are Comrade Lin Chuan?" Afterparing the photos, one of the police officers addressed Lin Chuan. This officer was none other than Chen Hui, Officer Old Bai''s lead investigator. Lin Chuan''s brows furrowed and his face grew serious, "Hello, officer. Yes, I am Lin Chuan. Is there something wrong?" "Comrade Lin Chuan, you are implicated in a case involving the illegal trade of cultural relics. We kindly ask you toe with us for an inquiry," Chen Hui nodded and stated. "Officer, could there possibly be some misunderstanding?" Lin Chuan''s mood took a hit. He was dumbfounded. I just got off the ne, haven''t done anything, and now I''m wrapped up in a Modu case? Chen Hui''s expression was serious as he spoke, "Comrade Lin Chuan, we''ve considered this carefully before deciding to ask you toe with us. For now, it''s just an inquiry, you need not be overly anxious." Lin Chuan swallowed hard, muttering to himself that he would have a chance to squirm his way out of it if he were in Anling, but being unfamiliar with the ce here in Modu, how could he not be nervous? At Lin Chuan''s side. Youyou was also stunned, her face a picture of bewilderment. She turned to look at Lin Chuan, her eyes filled with confusion. That''s nuts! Is Lin Chuan really a suspect? To the point that the police would wait for him at the airport in Modu? At that moment, she remembered thements section of Lin Chuan''s novels. There, the terms ''suspect,'' ''criminal record,'' ''criminal autobiography'' were always lurking around. Could Mr. Lin inherently be a prime suspect personified? Chapter 166: Chapter 144 This web novel writer gets too much, right? (Please subscribe) A police car sped out of Modu Airport, racing down the wide and straight roadway. Lin Chuan was sitting in the police car, looking out the window at the skyscrapers of Modu graduallying into view, showcasing the city''s splendor, but they quickly receded from sight and disappeared. The police car''s windows were closed, keeping the outside wind froming in. Feeling a touch suffocated, Lin Chuan also couldn''t help sighing inwardly, "Modu''s really weing, to send a police car just for me straight from the airne. How nice!" The police car weaved through the bustling streets and soon arrived at the Modu Police Station. Theyout of the Modu Police Station wasn''t much different from that of the Anling Police Station: the reception hall, various function rooms... But as Lin Chuan looked around, he couldn''t help but think of Shen Qianqian, Xia Qingqing, Zhang Biao, Hu Daqiang, and others. It felt more like home at the Anling Police Station. Here, there was not a single familiar face. The only thing thatforted and warmed Lin Chuan was the continued presence of Youyou, his very responsible editor, who had apanied him from the airport to the police station. Originally, Lin Chuan had asked her to help with the luggage and head to the hotel first, but Youyou had been worried and followed along. Lin Chuan even reassured Youyou, "Don''t worry, Youyou. I''m just writing books. As for that illegal trading of cultural relics, it has nothing to do with me." "I know you write books, but whether it''s proper or not, I''m not so sure about that?" Youyou pouted her mouth and gave Lin Chuan a few more nces, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes. It was precisely because she knew what kind of books Lin Chuan wrote that she was concerned. Are any of those books respectable? Oh dear, please don''t have a criminal record! Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched, and he chuckled sheepishly to himself, thinking, it''s not my fault, if it''s about being improper, that''s the system''s doing, not mine. I''m absolutely proper! "Comrade Lin Chuan, pleasee with us to the interrogation room," Officer Chen approached. Lin Chuan nodded, then followed Officer Chen into the interrogation room. By now, it was afternoon. The sunlight nted through the gaps in the curtains, scattering golden specks that danced on the floor, and the nt on the windowsill shone a particrly vibrant green, its leaves twinkling with dew in the gentle breeze. Afterpleting the routine information registration. Officer Chen sat across from Lin Chuan and inquired, "Lin Chuan, do you know a person named Bai Yang?" "Bai Yang?" Lin Chuan''s face slightly froze, and his brows furrowed, "Yes, I know him. He''s one of my readers. What''s happened to him?" Officer Chen smiled and exined, "The situation is this: he is currently suspected of being involved in illegal trading of cultural relics. He imed that he learned how to create counterfeit bronze ware from your novel and sessfully forged a ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel.''" "..." So it turned out. During their investigation into Old Bai, the Modu police also conducted an inquiry about him. His mentor confirmed that Old Bai hadn''t had the time to be involved in tomb robbing, so they initially concluded that Old Bai was suspected of illegal trading of cultural relics. But Old Bai insisted that the relic was a counterfeit that he made! The police and several experts confirmed repeatedly, and experts clearly stated that this was indeed a genuine ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel.'' Out of options, Old Bai thought of Lin Chuan. Since he knew that Lin Chuan was flying from Anling to Modu that day, he pleaded with the police to bring Lin Chuan over, iming that he could prove his innocence with Lin Chuan''s help. Officer Chen looked at the experts and then at Old Bai, both sides seeming to have great conviction. As a result, Officer Chen immediately applied to summon Lin Chuan to assist with the investigation. After listening to this ''absurd'' case, Lin Chuan heaved a sigh of relief and chuckled helplessly, thinking to himself, Old Bai, it seems like you were born to stir up trouble, but considering you sent me a Silver Alliance membership right off the bat, I''ll help you out this time. Next time, it better be the Golden Alliance! "Officer Chen, Bai Yang was originally a master''s student specializing in cultural relic restoration. For him, creating a bronze ware replica shouldn''t be too hard," Lin Chuan considered for a moment before looking at Officer Chen and smiling. "We understand he has a background in cultural relic restoration, but to be able to fool several experts, including Gao Qinglin, the chief expert from the museum, and his own mentor, Cheng Qing, it''s hard to exin," Officer Chen pondered and replied. To fake a piece of bronze ware, deceiving both the host and the audience, not to mention the mentor and a host of experts! This was quite an outrageous affair no matter where you put it! Lin Chuan rubbed his temples, then said, "Officer Chen, may I take a look at that ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' bronze piece? If it is a counterfeit created ording to some methods in the book, perhaps I can prove that he made a forgery." Officer Chen looked up sharply, took a deep look at Lin Chuan, and questioned with a tinge of surprise, "You can also appraise antiques?" the-ce-NovelBin "A little bit," Lin Chuan nodded, humbly. Officer Chen''s expression faltered, then he looked down at the notes for relevant information. Name: Lin Chuan Age: 24 ce of origin: Anling, Han River upation: Web novel writer "So your main job is writing web novels, and your side job is appraising treasures?" Officer Chen asked curiously. "Appraising treasures is just an interest, but I do have a certification for it," Lin Chuan replied with a slight smile, "May I take a look at that bronze piece?" Officer Chen exchanged a nce with the police officer beside him, then nodded, "Follow me." He led Lin Chuan out of the interrogation room, through a long corridor adorned with the police station''s various merits, and then turned into aparatively spacious functional room. Inside the room, three spirited experts were closely examining a bronze piece, discussing and deliberating on the cultural relic''s submission to the Cultural Relics Bureau, its custody and exhibition at the Modu Museum, and specific conservation measures. Chapter 167: Chapter 144 This Web Novel Writer Is Getting Too Much, Right? (Please Subscribe)_2 Antiquities seized by the police station are usually transferred to the Cultural Relics Bureau after the case is closed. And the museum is a part of the Cultural Relics Bureau''s jurisdiction. To one side, an old man seemed unenthusiastic, his face clouded with some worries. Lin Chuan guessed that this person must be Old Bai''s mentor, Cheng Qing. "Excuse me, experts," Officer Chen entered the room with Lin Chuan, smiling and greeting. "Officer Chen," The experts also returned the greeting with a smile, acknowledging Officer Chen''s presence. "The situation is like this, the authenticity of this ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' bronze ware is still in dispute, and at the request of the involved party, we have invited this...treasure appraiser to assess this bronze ware." When introducing Lin Chuan, Officer Chen initially wanted to say "web novel writer," but feeling it inappropriate, immediately reced it with "treasure appraiser." It felt peculiar to have a web novel writer appraise the authenticity of a bronze artifact. Inside the function room, several experts turned their gazes toward Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan appeared youthful with a refined face, untouched by the elements, looking like a young man of about twenty-four or twenty-five, which caused some to furrow their brows. Among them, a man dressed in a Tang suit, of an age simr to Old Zhang, bore a ruddy and radiant visage, his eyes sharp like an eagle''s. He looked at Lin Chuan, cupped his hands with a smile, and asked, "Young brother, may I ask who your teacher is?" Lin Chuan also cupped his hands in response, replying, "Self-taught." The crowd was taken aback once more, their expressionsplex. A couple of them looked at Lin Chuan with somewhat indifferent eyes. In the antiques circle, especially among the older generation, there is a strong emphasis on lineage and tradition. Self-taught individuals like Lin Chuan are often seen as amateur appraisers by the general public and are not considered for high society. If one has an impressive teacher, they could be referred to as a proteg of a master, and their starting point would be where others end. Cheng Qing, the mentor of Old Bai, looked at Lin Chuan with curiosity, "Young brother, can you really appraise treasures?" Cheng Qing couldn''t understand why his student would want to invite this young man to testify on his behalf. Even if he dered the bronze ware fake, it wouldn''t make a difference. Because the opinions of this young man, whenpared to experts like Gao Qinglin,cked authority and thus were not persuasive. "Let me take a look at Bai Yang''s work first." Lin Chuan nodded, his face wearing a slight smile that showed confidence, unaffected by the experts'' disdain. In front of them, The ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' bronze ware stood quietly on the table, its surface covered with ayer of irregr dirt stains, underneath which the verdigris could be seen, with the Taotie pattern decorations faintly visible and several inscriptions engraved on the round and full body of the vessel. Lin Chuan stared intently for two minutes, slightly raising his eyebrow, his face showing a hint of surprise. No wonder Old Bai was arrested. This ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' bronze ware, the craftsmanship of the forgery was very high, almost wless; an expert would typically not be able to detect the signs of forgery. Only an expert familiar with this ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' could discern that it was a counterfeit. Old Bai truly was a genius in artifact restoration; following my method, he could easily create deceptive replicas. It was almost impossible for ordinary people to do so. "Young brother, have you identified it?" asked the man in the Tang suit with a smile on his face. He was none other than the chief expert of Modu Museum, Gao Qinglin. Lin Chuan smiled and nodded, "This bronze ware is indeed a counterfeit." "You certainly don''t shy away from speaking your mind, young brother," Gao Qinglin, the chief expert of the museum, chuckled, "May I know where does this conclusion of forgerye from?" The three other experts, including Cheng Qing, the mentor of Old Bai, had no doubts about the authenticity of the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' and had always believed it to be genuine. And now a young appraiser was iming it was fake? Chen Hui and another police officer stood quietly to the side, watching to see why Lin Chuan deemed the item to be a fake. In the room, everyone''s eyes were focused on Lin Chuan. Having seen his share of big scenes, Lin Chuan''s face remained calm as he smiled and said, "Experts, please don''t rush. Bai Yang''s counterfeiting method is somewhat different from the traditional ways of faking bronze ware. From my observations, this should originally have been a fine copy of exquisite craftsmanship. Bai Yang first used heated sulfuric acid to drench it, letting the sulfuric acid paper solution corrode the bronze, and thenes the key part, rusting and applying the paste." "This step requires a high level of skill and particrly urate control of the colors. Bai Yang has a background in cultural relics restoration, and he performed this step wlessly. The next step would be burying it in the soil..." Lin Chuan narrated the steps of Old Bai''s counterfeiting process, one by one. The two police officers didn''t understand but felt it made a lot of sense. The other experts understood. Gao Qinglin, the chief expert from Modu Museum, narrowed his eyes and huffed coldly, "The rusting and applying of the paste you just mentioned, we understand all too well, but I dare say, no one has been able to forge something so convincingly realistic." In Gao Qinglin''s view, Lin Chuan was just a fake treasure appraiser brought in by Old Bai to testify falsely, absolutely here to cause trouble. Most importantly, Gao Qinglin found himself more and more fond of the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel,'' already calcting how to add it to the museum''s collection more quickly. "Elder, nothing is absolute, especially in today''s world where science and technology are increasingly advanced. The difficulty in perfectly forging an artifact is also decreasing," Lin Chuan shook his head and responded. At least, I could do it. Gao Qinglin''s eyes sharpened as he looked at Lin Chuan, "Then tell me, what materials would you use for rusting and applying paste if you were to forge this bronze ware?" Lin Chuan looked towards Gao Qinglin with an unperturbed gaze, not intimidated by his aura. After all, Lin Chuan himself was a master forger, a giant in the antiques circle. Addressing Gao Qinglin''s question, Lin Chuan answered fluidly, "Verdigris, glue, rosin, Bleti Striata Paste,cquer, mineral powder, pigments..." Listing the materials one by one, Lin Chuan spoke them out loud. The few people present furrowed their brows upon hearing the series of materials Lin Chuan mentioned. They were all antiques experts; deeply knowledgeable in forgery and appraisal, they not only understood what Lin Chuan was saying but also learned from it. "If you already have glue,cquer, and rosin among other gel-like substances, why is Bleti Striata Paste necessary?" Old Bai''s mentor, Cheng Qing, couldn''t help but ask. Lin Chuan replied with a slight smile, "Bleti Striata is a hemostatic Chinese herb, containing arge amount of mucge, a natural thickener. It can coagte the paste in a short time, acting as a substitute for chemical thickeners, enabling better adhesion to the bronze, making the forged oxide paste appear more natural and odor-free." Old Bai''s mentor Cheng Qing''s brows tightened as he pondered the feasibility of what Lin Chuan said. The other two experts were simrly reflective. Only Gao Qinglin, the chief expert from Modu Museum, seemed to want to argue further. But Lin Chuan didn''t give him an opportunity to retort, "Officer Chen, please scrape a little of the paste off this bronze ware and send it for material analysis. They can test it for the materials I just mentioned." Chen Hui looked dazed by what was happening in the room, as if... as if Lin Chuan had takenplete control. If word of this gets out, that four renowned figures from the Modu antiques circle were schooled by a young web novel writer. Hiss! It was unimaginable what kind of stir this would cause in the Modu antiques circle! "Officer Chen?" Lin Chuan called out. "Ah, what is it?" Chen Hui returned to his senses and looked at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan repeated what he had said before. Chen Hui looked perplexed as he scraped off some of the paste from the bronze ware while frowning. Is he instructing me? From his tone and the way he gave orders, he seemed to be more than just a web novel writer; he also seemed very familiar with the police station, even having some case handling experience. Isn''t this web novel writer knowing a bit too much? These thoughts shed through Chen Hui''s mind. Chen Hui couldn''t help taking another look at Lin Chuan, thinking to himself that since Lin Chuan was from Anling, and he happened to have a college ssmate at the Anling Police Station. Once the case was over, he would have to ask her about this web novel writer! Chapter 168: Chapter 145 Hes Totally Trustworthy! (Please Subscribe) The curtains were gently drawn aside, allowing the afternoon sunlight to nt in and cast an ancient and simple aura of years on the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel''. Lin Chuan sat on the sofa to one side, quietly waiting for the results of the examination report. The experts were doing the same. The atmosphere on site, however, was subtly charged. The chief expert from the museum seemed to be resting with eyes closed, but the corner of his mouth drooped and hisplexion revealed slight irritation; clearly, he harbored some resentment. A chief expert has the pride of a chief expert. Old Bai''s mentor, Cheng Qing, would asionally exchange a few words with Lin Chuan, showing some belief in Lin Chuan''s words. Half an hour passed. Chen Hui returned with the examination report. "Officer Chen, how is it?" one of the experts in the room stood up and asked eagerly. The rest of the people present also stood up, casting their gazes in unison. The authenticity of this piece of ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' bronze ware not only involved whether Old Bai was suspected of illegal trade in cultural relics but also rted to the reputations of the few people present. Chen Hui took a deep breath. First, he nced at Lin Chuan, then turned to look at Gao Qinglin with a somewhat odd expression before he began to speak: "ording to the appraisal by our police station''s Material Identification Division, the submitted materials contain basic copper carbonate, epoxy resin, acrte, triterpene saponins, glycosides, vonoidpounds, and copper ore fine powder as mainponents, and the tests also detected..." The policerade to one side, hearing all these chemical terms, felt somewhat baffled. But for the several treasure appraisal experts present, these terms were all too familiar. Chemistry is a fundamental part of a treasure appraiser''s work, and even some of the older experts were well-versed in the chemical knowledge necessary for appraisal. For instance, basic copper carbonate is a mainponent of patina, epoxy resin and acrte are majorponents of adhesives, and thetter three are mainponents of Bleti Striata Paste. As Chen Hui announced the detection report, the faces of several appraisers led by the museum''s chief expert Gao Qinglin changed. Especially Gao Qinglin. A look of surprise appeared on his face, and after giving Lin Chuan an indifferent nce, he snorted through his nose and walked straight out. Lin Chuan just smiled, not paying much attention. Old Bai''s forgery of bronze ware, and expert Gao Qinglin being deceived, was no one''s fault but the result of their own inadequacy or the opponent''s strong capabilities. Those who frequently walk by the river, how can they not get their shoes wet? Even Lin Chuan, a grandmaster-level figure in the realm of antique forgery in the virtual world, had his missteps. "Officer Chen, can you let my reader go now?" Lin Chuan looked towards Chen Hui, a smile on his face. "He''s already outside waiting for you," Chen Hui said with a smile. "Thank you, Officer Chen." Lin Chuan''s eyebrows rose, thinking that was quite efficient. Afterward, Lin Chuan walked out. Youyou had also been waiting outside for quite some time. The people present left one after another. Chen Hui watched Lin Chuan''s departing figure, and his colleague was also looking at Lin Chuan, murmuring, "This Comrade Lin Chuan, so young, a web novel writer, and yet he turns out to be a master at appraising in the antiques circle." "Indeed, a master. He just flew in from Anling and immediately identified the bronze ware as fake, urately naming the materials used for the forgery, even leaving Gao Qinglin discredited," Chen Hui eximed. "Do you think it''s possible that he''s connected to the antique forgery crime syndicate we''re tracking?" his colleague spected boldly, half-joking. Chen Huiughed, replying, "Lately, your mind''s been full of that forgery syndicate, but the guy just flew in from Anling and we stopped him right at the airport, when would he have had the time to forge anything?" "I must be paranoid," the colleague chuckled. Pausing for a moment, Chen Huiughed, "But his keen eye is truly remarkable. If wee across any leads on forged antiques, we might ask for his help in assessing them." Of course, Chen Hui intended to find out more about Lin Chuan. The colleague nodded in agreement, then added, "The repatriation of overseas cultural relics is tomorrow, connecting with the museum; it''s a grand event in the antiques circle, with many experts attending. That forgery syndicate wouldn''t miss the chance to get a close look at important relics and will likely be there, we should take the opportunity to inspect the situation." "Okay," Chen Hui nodded. He then stepped aside, took out his mobile phone, and brought up a number he had marked with a star a long time ago. In fact, getting to know Lin Chuan was just an excuse for Chen Hui, who mainly wanted to make a call to a ssmate far away in Anling. Shen Qianqian. Ring, ring, ring. "Hello, who is this?" Shen Qianqian''s polite voice came through the phone. "It''s me, Chen Hui." Chen Hui''s mouth twitched, his face suddenly turning awkward. Shen Qianqian''s voice was still sweet, but her words "Hello, who is this?" sent a chill down Chen Hui''s spineshe hadn''t even saved his number, which was too impersonal. "Chen Hui?" Shen Qianqian sounded surprised, but that was all. Chen Hui asked, "Qianqian, are you busy right now?" "Still dealing with documents. Do you need something?" Shen Qianqian replied. "Actually, it''s not much. I just wanted to ask about someone. He''s from Anling City," Chen Hui said, taking a breath. "Who is it?" "A web novel writer, knows how to appraise antiques, his name is..." "Lin Chuan?" On the other end of the line, Shen Qianqian directly mentioned ''Lin Chuan,'' her voice tinged with a bit of surprise. Chapter 169: Chapter 145 Hes Totally Trustworthy! (Please Subscribe)_2 Chen Hui''s mouth twitched, "How did you know I was going to ask about him?" At that moment, Shen Qianqian''s tone became noticeably more familiar, "He''s my friend who just happened to arrive in Modu today. As a web novel writer who can also appraise treasures, I thought of him." "Friend, as in boyfriend?" Chen Hui half-jokingly asked. "Almost." Shen Qianqian replied. Chen Hui: "???" He suddenly regretted making this call. Is or isn''t, what does ''almost'' mean? "Did Lin Chuan get into trouble?" Shen Qianqian asked with considerable concern. She knew that Chen Hui held a position at the Modu police station. A policerade specifically called to inquire about him, could it be that he got caught again? "No, he just helped us identify a piece of bronze ware suspected to be an antiquity, so I wanted to understand his background." Chen Hui said with a smile. "I can''t divulge his detailed information, but what I can tell you is that he''spletely trustworthy," Shen Qianqian spoke firmly. Completely trustworthy? "Is he that impressive?" Chen Hui was taken aback for a moment, a look of surprise crossing his face. "That''s all I can say. Oh, and if he gets involved in any cases in Modu, suspected of a crime, please let me know right away," Shen Qianqian added. Having known Lin Chuan for so long, she had the deepest understanding of him; he was practically a born suspect for crime. However, the Anling Police had ssified Lin Chuan''s file as confidential and it was not to be disclosed. Shen Qianqian couldn''t reveal too much either. But with Lin Chuan away, Shen Qianqian was somewhat worried. Thest time, ten assassins had surrounded the Goldstone Edge Antique Shop, and although the aftermath was unharmed, it had truly panicked her. Ah... Her mind was in a mess. Chen Hui and Shen Qianqian chatted idly for a bit more, then Shen Qianqian went back to handling her documents. She was indeed busy but had spoken a bit more with Chen Hui only because it was about Lin Chuan. The call ended. Chen Hui was filled with mixed emotions. All he''d done was make a phone call to inquire about a web novel writer who was none of his business, and now he had fallen into a stage of questioning his life. In the beginning. Although he found it somewhat ridiculous for a web novel writer to be appraising bronze, out of professional integrity, he maintained respect and courtesy towards Lin Chuan. Not until Lin Chuan elucidated the forgery of the ''Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel'' and provided corroborative evidence for the material identification did he revise his opinion of Lin Chuan. This web novel writer truly knew how to appraise treasures! But after making this call, he was questioning life. During his university years, he''d always had a soft spot for Shen Qianqian, but she was indifferent towards him. So much so that after graduation, he only asionally sent messages to keep in touch, and phoning her was a first for today. He''d only wanted to use "understanding Lin Chuan" as an excuse to talk to Shen Qianqian, but he hadn''t expected Lin Chuan to be the person who made Shen Qianqian "catch a cold." It was a coincidence that was too preposterous! Over the phone, he listened to Shen Qianqian''s unhidden admiration and high appraisal of Lin Chuan, and could personally feel how well and concerned she was about Lin Chuan. This was theplete opposite of her attitude towards him. Sigh Chen Hui looked at the starred phone number, took a deep breath, and this time, he was genuinely curious about Lin Chuan. ... Modu Police Station. From a distance, Old Bai saw Lin Chuan and immediately rushed towards him like the wind, eager to jump into Lin Chuan''s arms: "Old Lin, you really are my bro!" "Hey, hey, hey, we''re in public, act decently!" Lin Chuan put his hands forward to block the warm embrace of the passionately fired-up Old Bai. "Old Lin, without you, I might have really been done for with that piece of bronze," Old Bai said with a long sigh of relief. Lin Chuan smiled, patted Old Bai''s shoulder, andforted him, "It''s just your first time in the station, you were too nervous." "I was just too nervous. I was sitting in that interrogation room, and when Officer Chen said that several experts had verified my bronze ware as genuine, my mind went nk with tension. All I could think about was getting you over here as soon as possible to prove my innocence," Old Bai nodded vigorously, looking like someone who had narrowly escaped a disaster. Lin Chuanughed, "That''s a dependency issue. Go through this a few more times and you''ll be able to handle it with ease, and you''ll be able to think of ways to prove your innocence." Old Bai hurriedly shook his head like a rattle drum, "I''m not going in a second time." Lin Chuanughed out loud. Beside him, Youyou pursed her lips and leaned in close to Lin Chuan with a smile, "You seem to have a lot of experience in this." "Uh, I''m a decent person, just involved with more cases," Lin Chuan exined hurriedly. It was only then that Old Bai noticed there was a girl next to Lin Chuan. A very pretty girl! She wore an off-shoulder floral dress, her skin was very fair, her facial features delicate, and a beauty mark below her eye made her lovely face even more pitiable. "Sister-inw, hello!" Old Bai was very perceptive, and without hesitation, greeted her directly. Lin Chuan''s face darkened, "Old Bai, don''t get it wrong. This is Youyou, my editor, and she''s also my guide on the path of web novel writing!" Youyou nodded at Old Bai with a smile, "Hello, Old Bai." "Hello, hello." Old Bai chuckled, took Lin Chuan''s suitcase, and subtly pulled Lin Chuan a few steps forward, whispering, "Old Lin, you move too fast, changing girls already? What about the two policewomen fromst time?" "What do you mean ''the two policewomen fromst time'' ''changing girls,''? You can''t nder someone''s reputation like that!" Lin Chuan replied softly. Old Bai winked and chuckled, "Then which one is your sister-inw?" "She''s at home," Lin Chuan replied. "A real pro, definitely a pro!" Old Bai immediately raised his thumb in approval. "I shouldn''t have bailed you out so quickly, should''ve let you stew in the station for a few more days," Lin Chuan spat in disgust. "Old Lin, you''re like my own brother. To thank you, I''m nning to take you to an antiques circle event in Modu tomorrow, do you want to go?" Old Bai chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "An antiques circle event?" Lin Chuan was startled, asking with curiosity. "Recently, a batch of important cultural relics was repatriated from abroad. Modu Cultural Relics Bureau and museums are handling it. I heard that every one of these relics is of national treasure caliber! To get in, one needs a bit of skill!" Old Bai appeared somewhat excited. Indeed, every time significant cultural relics were repatriated from abroad, it was an exhrating event for those who loved antiques. "What time tomorrow?" Lin Chuan inquired with a smile. He had seen a piece about the repatriation of cultural relics on the newspaper on the ne, and one of the relics piqued his interest greatly. That particr artifact was one he had failed to replicate in his ''Antique Forgery'' virtual world. experience mvle,mp|y|r Seeing that it was part of the repatriated relics this time, he was indeed quite eager to examine its actual details in the real world. "Tomorrow afternoon at five. I can take you to the event in person, and you can bring your sister-inw too," Old Bai said with a smug look on his face. Lin Chuan had an appointment at ten in the morning with Director Shen Cheng to discuss film adaptation. There was enough time. However... Lin Chuan nced at Youyou by his side. Youyou had mentioned earlier that she had already arranged a schedule for him. Youyou smiled, speaking considerately, "I''ll go with you, and after we''ve seen the transfer of the relics, we can enjoy Modu''s night view." Lin Chuan nodded, "No problem." "I''ll take you to the hotel to check in now. The chief editor said he wants to take us to dinner tonight to thank you for the gift you sent him." Youyou winked. "I haven''t even sent the gift yet, and the chief editor wants to take me to dinner. I''m a bit overwhelmed," Lin Chuan said with augh. "You are, after all, a web novel writer with an average of 20,000 readers per chapter, the winner of the anti-fraud essay contest, a hot topic, and the Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl you forged must be of no lesser level," Youyou said with a small proud smile on her face. Old Bai, just by following the steps described in your book to forge a bronze piece, could fool the experts, causing the police toe directly to collect it, putting several experts in a fix. If you personally took action, you might even outshine the real thing! Lin Chuanughed heartily, "Not at all, it holds some collectible value." Ahem, if it were disyed in a museum, probably no one would be able to tell it''s a fake. Chapter 170: Chapter 146: Is He That Strong? (Please Subscribe) Modu, as dusk fell. Thest traces of the sunset''s afterglow quietly faded away with the rising city lights and the flickering neon signs. A gentle breeze blew through the streets, swaying the ne trees on both sides, rustling their leaves, bringing with it the moist air from the riverbank, mixed with the faint scent of gardenia, brushing against Lin Chuan''s face. Lin Chuan, new to Modu, received an enthusiastic wee from Youyou, the "host," to this "fierce general." From the airport to the police station, then to the hotel. Throughout the journey, not to mention herpany, Youyou now took Lin Chuan to a traditional restaurant called ''Moon Full Over West Tower.'' "Youyou, you''ve worked hard." Lin Chuan was moved. Even a scene from a struggling author''s fantasy would be like this. Youyou sat in the restaurant, which was adorned with simple and elegant decorations, in a t-shoulder, flower-patterned short dress, looking like a graceful female lead stepping out of an ink painting with the soft sound of a guzheng ying in the background. She smiled and said, "How could I not be diligent when you''reing from so far?" Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows and said jokingly, "It''s not rare. If you greet me like this every time, I''d have toe more often." "Not only should youe more, but it would be best if you could settle here." Youyou blinked and took the opportunity to say. "You really dare to think big," Lin Chuan chuckled. "If you were to settle down in Modu, I could supervise your writing every day." The dim lighting in the restaurant shone on Youyou, who was smiling beautifully, bright and radiant. "So that''s your scheme!" Lin Chuanughed heartily. The guzheng in the restaurant yed softly, like a mountain spring rippling, its sound echoing in their ears. Shortly after, a Mediterranean man in his forties, wearing a ck suit and a smile, walked into the private room. As soon as he saw Lin Chuan, he greeted him warmly. "Is this the famous Mr. Lin?" Lin Chuan stood up to greet him, saying, "Chief Editor Zhang, I''ve long admired your name." "It is I who should say I''ve long admired your name, as I often see you topping the trending search charts," Zhang Yixing said with a heartyugh. Youyou smiled at the side, "It seems you two know each other, no need for me to introduce." Laughter immediately filled the small private room. The chief editor, section editor, and the author exchanged pleasantries and quickly became well-acquainted. At that moment, before the waiter served the dishes, Youyou took out a brocade box and ced it in front of Zhang Yixing, "Chief Editor, this is an art piece Lin Chuan brought for you." The chief editor''s eyebrows raised as he looked at Youyou and Lin Chuan with curiosity and asked, "Is this the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' that Author Lin made himself?" Lin Chuan nodded, "It''s just a replica." "Chief Editor, you can open it now and have a look. The craftsmanship is exquisite; it can easily be mistaken for the real thing," Youyou highly rmended. "Then I must open it and appreciate the charm of this bowl," Zhang Yixing said with a smile. He positioned the brocade box carefully, gently opened it, and insidey a Douli Bowl quietly. In the soft light, colors on the Douli Bowl flowed like liquid, and the fish depicted on the bowl freely swam through the clear algae, lifelike and vivid. "Hiss." Zhang Yixing looked at the Douli Bowl in the brocade box, and his eyes instantly lit up. He carefully picked up the Douli Bowl and examined it meticulously. The bowl''s unique Douli shape was sleek and elegant without losing gravitas; the rim red slightly outward like a blooming flower, the walls were thin and even, and it felt delicate in hand. "Ting ting" Zhang Yixing gently tapped the wall of the bowl with his finger, producing a clear and pleasant sound. "Is this really a replica of the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl''?" Surprised and full of admiration, Zhang Yixing couldn''t help but ask Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan nodded, "Indeed, it is a replica." "This couldn''t be real, could it?" Zhang Yixing inspected it again and still found it incredible, "Can a replica reach this level of quality?" He had a limited understanding of antiques. But he was quite knowledgeable about the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl.'' Because he had made a big blunder over this particr bowl. Ah pah, the blunder was made by a friend of his. He thought to himself, the Douli Bowl he had receivedst time was already an excellent piece among replicas, butpared to this one, it was not that pretty. . "The craftsmanship of replicas is very high these days; this one stillcks a bit of refinement," Lin Chuan said modestly. The replica of the ''Ming Hongwu Blue and White Peony Pattern Jade Spring Vase'' he gave to Youyou had even more exquisite craftsmanship and realism. Even as a replica, its value in the market was considerable. "Hiss, if there weren''t a small mark at the bottom of the bowl, I really couldn''t tell it was forged," Zhang Yixing said, still surprised and impressed as he gave a thumbs up. Lin Chuan smiled, "Chief Editor, you tter me." "It looks like this meal was well worth it!" Zhang Yixing was enamored with the Douli Bowl, full of joy, and then asked with augh, "Did you give one to Youyou too? Youyou has been quite daring on your behalftely." Lin Chuan smiled and nodded, "Youyou said she wanted something to put flowers in on her desk, so I made a ''Jade Spring Vase'' replica for her." "Jade Spring Vase, not bad at all," the chief editor nodded approvingly. Upon hearing this, Youyou tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Daring? All I did was get a few small rmendations for Lin Chuan." "Betting a Year-End Bonus for a rmendation isn''t small at all," Zhang Yixing said with augh. Chapter 171: Chapter 146: Is He That Strong? (Seeking Subscriptions)_2 Turning around, Zhang Yixing started telling Lin Chuan about how Youyou boldly charged into the chief editor''s office and then mored for the release of "Hacker Kingdom," which had over three hundred subscribers, overseas. "Cough, chief editor, no more talking, the dishes areing." Youyou let out a light cough, her face turning somewhat rosy. Now that she thought about it, it indeed seemed quite audacious. Where had that couragee from back then? Not so clear anymore! . At that moment, a waiter dressed in ancient attire, with a light step, pushed the dishes over and meticulously arranged them on the table. ''Ring ring ring'' Chief Editor Zhang Yixing''s phone rang. Zhang Yixing nced at the caller ID, a look of joy crossing his face, then he stepped aside to take the call. Not long after, he returned, his face carrying an apologetic expression: "Brother Lin, I have a friend who is a collector and owns a private gallery. He insists that Ie over now to check his new batch of acquisitions. I can''t decline such a warm invitation, and to be honest, I''m pretty curious myself," Lin Chuan smiled and said, "Chief editor, I canpletely understand how you feel." Zhang Yixing walked over and took Lin Chuan''s hand, saying with a frank smile, "Brother Lin, to use the young people''s words, I am both enthusiastic and yful, but I can''t help it, when I like something, I don''t care about much else. However, tonight I''m going to take your Douli Bowl and give my friend a big surprise." "You go ahead, chief editor. I''ll take good care of Lin Chuan here," Youyou said with a smile. "Then I''ll leave Brother Lin in your care, Youyou." Zhang Yixing''s face was brimming with a smile, and before leaving, he added, "Youyou, I know the manager here, and I''ve already told him to charge it to my ount. Take good care of Brother Lin, I won''t disturb the two of you anymore." In the private room, only Youyou and Lin Chuan remained. Youyou''sugh was as charming as blooming flowers: "Thanks to you, tonight I can really stick it to the chief editor, which is not an opportunity I usually get." Lin Chuan poured a ss of orange juice for Youyou and said with a smile, "Thanks for your ''Year-End Bonus.''" Youyou chuckled and took the orange juice: "And I thank you for your ''Ming Hongwu Blue and White Peony Pattern Jade Spring Vase.'' "You remembered such a long name?" Lin Chuan was somewhat surprised. "How could I not when you gave me such a precious gift?" Youyou said with augh. "It''s just for holding flowers, nothing too valuable." "The value of a gift isn''t measured by how much it''s worth on the market, but by who gives it," Youyou said, nodding lightly, her face adorned with a bright smile. "Then tonight''s dinner has been invaluable," Lin Chuan continued her logic, teasingly. Youyou blinked, her eyes clear as autumn water: "Really?" "Of course," Lin Chuan affirmed. "Can I take a photo with you then?" Youyou asked with a smile in her voice, sounding gentle. "Sure." Lin Chuan didn''t think too much and readily agreed. For authors and editors, meeting face-to-face usually involves taking a photo together, much like checking in. Lin Chuan and Youyou''s rtionship wasn''t just that of an author and editor; it was like old friends reuniting. Indeed, Lin Chuan had been writing under Youyou for quite a few years. They were truly old friends. "Miss, could you help us take a photo together?" Youyou stepped out of the private room and called out to a waitress. The waitress, dressed in Hanfu, happily agreed. After handing her cellphone to the waitress, Youyou trotted over and stood next to Lin Chuan, ready and smiling. This waitress often helped customers take photos. She assessed the distance between the two and started giving directions for the photo. "Get a little closer to each other, the picture won''t look good if you''re too far apart." "A bit closer, beauty, hook your hand around the handsome guy''s arm." "That''s right, tilt your head towards the handsome guy a bit." "Handsome guy, show us a smile." "Three, two, one, perfect!" "Do you want to take a few more?" "Handsome guy, tilt your head towards the beauty a bit." "..." Click, click, click! A few couple shots then appeared on Youyou''s phone. She took back her phone, flipped through the photos, and revealed a satisfied smile: "They were indeed taken very well, they have the feel of a professional photo shoot." Meanwhile, Lin Chuan had already started digging into the copious amounts of food on the table. After dinner, Youyou took Lin Chuan for a stroll through Modu''s bustling night market. The neon lights of the night were especially magnificent, reflecting off Youyou''s face and making her seem like the bright moon in a glorious gxy. The early summer breeze, carrying the fresh scent of grass and flowers, gently blew through her slightly curled hair, swaying with grace in the night. As the night deepened, Lin Chuan returned to the hotel. Youyou also went back to her own home. As host and Lin Chuan''s editor, she had entertained Lin Chuan for most of the day and didn''t seem tired; on the contrary, she still had plenty of energy. She took out the ''Ming Hongwu Blue and White Peony Pattern Jade Spring Vase'' that Lin Chuan had given her, examining it again and again. On the jade-green vase adorned with blue patterns, the ''crawling peony'' was vividly and enchantingly depicted. "This Jade Spring Vase is really beautiful." Youyou liked the porcin very much, just as she was satisfied looking at the photo she took with Lin Chuan. She looked around her house, finally deciding to ce it on the bay window in her bedroom. After arranging the Jade Spring Vase, she added a few flower stems, creating an extra bit of charm. ''Ding dong ding dong'' Editor-in-Chief Ming Yue sent her a message: "Youyou, you met up with your Lin Chuan today, how was it? Is he handsomer in videos or in person?" Youyou''s lips curled into a smile: "He''s handsomer in person. /haha.jpg" "How handsome? Did you follow my advice and take a photo together? /expectant.jpg" Ming Yue, as her mentor, knew Lin Chuan wasing to Modu and hadn''t spared any advice for Youyou. Chapter 172: Chapter 146: Is He That Strong? (Seeking Subscriptions)_3 Youyou picked her most satisfying selfie with him and sent it to Mingyue, and after a thought, she also snapped a photo of the Jade Spring Vase and sent it over: "This is the gift he gave me." "Wow, such a handsome couple, quite a match! And he even brought such a delicate gift, seems like your treasure really puts in the effort," Mingyue teased. "Sister Mingyue is making fun of me again," Youyou replied with a smile in her eyes. "He doesn''te to Modu often, you''d better entertain him well, grasp your treasure tightly!" Mingyue replied. "Don''t worry, who knows, maybe his next book will be adapted into a film and then he''lle to Modu again," Youyou responded with a smile. "The next time hees, will you still have him stay at a hotel?" Mingyue asked. Youyou asked in confusion, "If not a hotel, where should he stay?" "Why, at your ce, of course." Mingyue''s shocking words made Youyou''s pretty face flush, and she quickly responded: "Mingyue, what nonsense are you spouting?" "I''m not talking nonsense, look at your selfie, you''re slightly looking up at him with such tenderness in your eyes, about to spawn threads, I think you two have a shot," Mingyue remarked with the tone of someone watching the drama unfold. "That was all the photographer''s direction, today''s our first official meeting," Youyou hurriedly made an excuse. "A whole day since meeting, others have love at first sight," Mingyue teased again. "I should take a shower." Youyou ''escaped'' swiftly, ending the conversation. ... Under the night sky. Inside ''Ancient Moon'' private museum, the light was soft and warm, casting a glow upon each exhibit, from calligraphy and paintings to porcin, and also the rare ancient books. Every piece was carefully selected and arranged. Zhang Yixing stood in front of a newly hung painting, appreciating it from up close, asionally letting out sighs of admiration. "How about it, what do you think of mytest acquisition?" Next to Zhang Yixing, a man around forty, dressed in a Chinese-style robe and wearing sses, looked schrly and amiable as he pointed at the painting andughed. He was the owner of this private museum and a well-known antique collector in Modu, Hu Shu. "I''m not that expert, but I can still feel the zen-like aura exuding from this ink-washedndscape, nurtures the soul," Zhang Yixingughed heartily and gave it high praise. "Chief Editor Zhang has an eye for quality," Hu Shu replied with a pleased smile. "Mr. Hu tters me," Zhang Yixingughed awkwardly, knowing his own level. Then he added, "Mr. Hu, I have here a Douli Bowl, would you be interested in taking a look?" With a slightly raised eyebrow, Hu Shu responded eagerly: "Of course, I''m interested." Appraising antiques is one of the joys of collectors, a process that serves as a dialogue with history and a reading of the stories behind the antiques. Zhang Yixing took a brocaded box from the side, walked to the table, and said with a smile: "Please." Hu Shu nced at Zhang Yixing and then slowly opened the brocaded box. Inside rested a ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'', its ze shimmering with light, the colorful fish seeming to swim amongst the algae, the rim and body of the bowl exquisitely crafted, showing signs of age. This took Hu Shu by surprise: "You''ve got yourself a genuine ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'', and it''s extremely well-preserved too." Zhang Yixing didn''t y coy,ughing: "Mr. Hu, actually this Douli Bowl was replicated by a friend of mine." "Replicated?" Hu Shu furrowed his brow while looking at the Douli Bowl, his face brimming with surprise, "Did I make a mistake today?" Zhang Yixing gently picked up the Douli Bowl and pointed at the marking on the bottom,ughing: "Mr. Hu, take a look." Hu Shu pushed up his sses, took the Douli Bowl, and saw the replication marking. He didn''t put down the bowl immediately but continued to scrutinize it carefully in the light. After a while, Hu Shu finally eximed: "This is as valuable as gold." Zhang Yixing was taken aback upon hearing this: "Mr. Hu, this Douli Bowl is replicated, and no matter how well done, its value is limited." However, Hu Shu disagreed, his eyes still fixed on the Douli Bowl, and he shook his head with a smile: "This particr Douli Bowl might be limited in value, but knowing the person who replicated it is in itself worth a fortune!" Zhang Yixing frowned and asked: "What do you mean by that, Mr. Hu?" Hu Shu''s gaze remained on the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'', his face full of admiration as he sighed: "The way he replicated this Douli Bowl, put in front of any master proficient in porcin, visually, they can''t tell it''s forged. This alone proves his profound expertise in porcin. Such a person could rightfully be called a master in the antiques world. It''s a work that only a true master could replicate!" "Ah?" Zhang Yixing''s mouth hung open, utterly astonished. When he had acquired the Douli Bowl, he knew Lin Chuan''s replication skills were exceptional, but he hadn''t expected it to receive such high praise from Hu Shu. Lin Chuan was a true master in the antiques world? That strong? Reluctantly cing the Douli Bowl back into the brocaded box, Hu Shu turned to Zhang Yixing with a smile: "Chief Editor Zhang, I''d appreciate if you could introduce this master to me." Zhang Yixing smiled: "To be frank, Mr. Hu, the master you are talking about is just a young man in his mid-twenties." "Oh? A young man in his mid-twenties?" Hu Shu''s eyes lit up, he said eagerly, "In that case, Chief Editor Zhang, you must introduce me." "To introduce..." Zhang Yixing pondered briefly, recalling the schedule Youyou mentioned for tomorrow, and then said, "He will be attending the collectors'' event in Modu tomorrow afternoon at five to witness the repatriation of artifacts from abroad. We can meet there." "Great, great, great!" Hu Shu immediately showed a smiling face, "Then tomorrow, I will meet this young master at the event, haha..." content source mvlempy r Chapter 173: Chapter 147 Is this foundation too strong? (Please subscribe) June 13. The mist of early morning dissipated, and a gentle breeze blew from the riverside, carrying moist vapors and the faint scent of flowers. It wove through the roads during the morning rush hour, circled around, and blew into the window, fluttering the curtains. ''Dong dong dong.'' At nine o''clock sharp, there was a knock on the door of Lin Chuan''s hotel room. "Coming," Lin Chuan, who had woken up early, quickly walked to the door, pulled down the handle, opened the door, and saw Youyou standing outside, steady as ever. Dressed in a simple white shirt paired with a dark blue A-line skirt, she entuated her willowy waist and straight, fair legs, with a pair of white canvas shoes adding youthful vibrance. "Lin Chuan, good morning," Youyou lifted her pretty face to look at Lin Chuan. She had deliberately applied light makeup, which made her already adorable face look even more delicate and beautiful. Lin Chuan smiled and teased, "It''s nine o''clock sharp, not sending a text message instead?" Smoothing her long hair by her left ear, Youyou blinked her bright eyes and revealed a radiant smile, "You''re already here, so to show my sincerity, I came to say good morning in person. Isn''t that okay?" "Good, of course, good!" Lin Chuan lifted his eyebrows andughed, "This treatment is truly exceptional." Youyou lightly tilted her head with a touch of pretentious pride and said, "That''s right, only you get to enjoy this kind of treatment." "I''m immensely honored!" Lin Chuan extended his hand to invite Youyou in. Confidently raising her fair legs, Youyou walked into the room and looked around, "Are you getting used to the ce?" "How could I not get used to a hotel you picked for me?" Lin Chuan said half-jokingly. "The environment of this hotel is indeed nice, but there''s another reason; it''s close to my home," Youyou said with a smile on her lips. "Youyou, you''ve gone through so much trouble for my visit to Modu," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Please don''t say that; I am still counting on you to help me be the chief editor," Youyou pouted slightly, a yful look on her face. Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised, "You were just worrying about your performancest time, and now you''re aiming for the chief editor''s position?" "I have to thank you for that. You alone ount for half of my performance. If you could do another film adaptation, I''d have a chance to be promoted to chief editor," Youyou said with augh. "For the sake of your position as chief editor, I''ll have to try even harder," Lin Chuan cheerfullyughed. "Definitely." Youyou pursed her lips and said with a glowing smile. Lin Chuanughed again, teasing, "I kind of feel like I''m working hard for a boss''s dream, you know?" Pouting her lips again and still wearing a smile that was both coy and yful, Youyou said, "If I were your boss, you would be locked up here right now, typing away furiously!" "Heartless boss!" "Hahaha..." Lin Chuan and Youyou looked at each other and smiled, both faces bright with happiness. Being old friends who had known each other for many years, though now alone in a room, there were no undue inhibitions or barriers between them. In fact, they found each other''spany quite rxed and joyful. "All right, let''s get down to serious business." Youyou nced at the time and suggested. "Okay." Lin Chuan nodded. Sitting on the sofa in the room, Youyou began to arrange Lin Chuan''s schedule for the day. At ten in the morning sharp, they would discuss the film adaptation of "All-In" with Director Shen Cheng at the nearby South Bank Tea House. After the meeting, Youyou nned to take Lin Chuan to the amusement park for fun, and by five in the afternoon, they would be at the Modu Museum, witnessing the "Ceremony of the Cultural Relics Returned from Abroad." As for the evening. Youyou wanted to walk along the riverbank with Lin Chuan, trying some special local foods, without the need to rush. "How about my arrangement?" Youyou asked with a blink and a smile. "I''m all ears." _emp _yr novels. Lin Chuan nodded in agreement after hearing the ns. "By the way,st night the chief editor sent me a message, saying he would like to introduce you to a renowned private collector at the ceremony at five in the afternoon," Youyou continued. "Of course, that''s no problem." Lin Chuan didn''t hesitate to ept. "Then let''s get going, set off." Youyou smiled, stood up, and naturally slipped her arm through Lin Chuan''s as they left the hotel. At ten o''clock. In the South Bank Tea House, Lin Chuan met the famous director Shen Cheng and a screenwriter and began discussing the film adaptation of "All-In." The Anti-Fraud Center and Sunshine Film and Television''s intention was to adapt "All-In" into a movie and quickly start production. Hoping to capitalize on the high public interest in anti-fraud efforts, they nned toplete filming, editing, and release the movie within three months. Lin Chuan had no objections. About the specific details of the adaptation, Lin Chuan, not being a screenwriter and not well-versed in adaptation, mainly gave his approval, asionally offering constructive suggestions based on his actual experience. The discussion was pleasant for both sides. After two hours, the conversation ended. The rest of the time was Youyou''s domain. Youyou excitedly led Lin Chuan toward the amusement park. "Darling, let''s go ride the roller coaster!" "y bumper cars with me, my driving skills are top-notch!" "Lin Chuan,e on the merry-go-round with me, okay?" "And the Ferris wheel!" "..." Youyou was full of energy, and Lin Chuan could tell that she really wanted toe to the amusement park. After all, she was his editor, right? Lin Chuan had visited amusement parks a few times as a child, but he had never been back since growing up. Labels like ''on the brink of bankruptcy'', ''broke'', and ''typing all day'' weighed on himhe''d be lucky to visit an amusement park. However, the experience of exploring the park with Youyou was also quite nice. Soon, it was five in the afternoon. The "Ceremony of the Cultural Relics Returned from Abroad" took ce in one of the museum halls. Chapter 174: Chapter 147 Is this foundation too strong? (Please subscribe)_2 ``` The venue was arranged with seats in a fan shape, capable of amodating a thousand people. The air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood. Traditional patterned silk andnterns were hung all around, casting a soft yellow glow that gave the ce an antique charm. Lin Chuan and Youyou had already met up with Old Bai. At this moment, Zhang Yixing approached Lin Chuan and his group. With a smile, he said, "Writer Lin, Youyou, I''ve finally found you." "Chief Editor," Lin Chuan and Youyou both greeted in return. Zhang Yixing discreetly sized up Lin Chuan, then gesturing towards the man beside him, he introduced, "Writer Lin, let me introduce you to a renowned collector from the Modu antiques circle, the owner of the ''Ancient Moon'' private museum, Mr. Hu." "Mr. Hu, I have long admired your reputation." Lin Chuan turned to look at Mr. Hu, who was wearing a light-colored robe, tall and slim with sses, radiating a certain refined elegance. "You tter me, you tter me," Mr. Hu said repeatedly, waving his hands, smiling, "It should be I who admires Writer Lin''s great name. Justst night, I stayed upte to finish reading Writer Lin''s masterpiece ''Last Week''s Antique''. It was prating and a work for the ages." Collectors in the antiques circle, such as literary persons like Mr. Hu, were adept atvish praise. Simrly, Mr. Hu was also taking the opportunity to size up Lin Chuan. As if appraising an antique. Overall, Lin Chuan, standing at 186cm tall with a lean figure, dressed in a simple white shirt paired with dark casual pantsa younger and trendier outfit. Upon closer inspection, Lin Chuan''s hands rested naturally, his face bore a gentle smile, and his eyes were clear. Although his face was youthful and unweathered, he wasn''t nervous by the presence of many masters of antiques, as well as prominent figures from Modu''s business and political circles, maintaining a calm and collected demeanor. Quite obviously, this first impression scored Lin Chuan very high in Mr. Hu''s estimation. No, it was a full score! Mr. Hu''s gaze towards Lin Chuan became even more appreciative. After hearing Mr. Hu''s praise, Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and humbly said, "Mr. Hu is too kind." Mr. Hu''s face revealed a genial smile as he handed over a business card, saying, "If Writer Lin is interested, you muste and visit my humble museum. There are several antiques I would like to have Writer Lin''s approval of." "I will visit when I have the time," Lin Chuan took the business card, politely acknowledging the invitation. "I look forward to the honor of Writer Lin''s visit," Mr. Hu said with a smile, nodding. Then, he looked around and added, "The handover ceremony will start soon, so I won''t disturb you any further." This influential figure in the Modu antiques circle, Mr. Hu, left Lin Chuan with the impression of a refined schr. In their first meeting, they had not conversed too much or engaged in awkward small talk. Instead, Mr. Hu had briefly made an acquaintance, handed over a business card, and invited Lin Chuan to his private museum, leaving the decision to visit entirely up to Lin Chuan. "Ancient Moon," Lin Chuan watched Mr. Hu and Zhang Yixing depart, muttering the name before tucking the business card into his pocket. He knew that Director Zhang must have given the Douli Bowl to Mr. Hu for appraisalst night. Recognizing its worth, Mr. Hu had intended to make a connection. However, Lin Chuan didn''t pay it much attention. But Old Bai, standing beside him, looked at Lin Chuan in surprise, "Bro, that''s impressive!" "What''s impressive?" Lin Chuan turned and asked with a smile. "Even this prominent figure of the Modu antiques circle ising towork with you. What''s your status in the antiques circle now?" Old Bai suddenly felt that his lifesaving benefactor, Lin Chuan, seemed like a stranger. He even thought about shaking Lin Chuan and yelling ''who are you, get off my brother''! Cough, unless it''s the sister-inw, in which case, pretend I didn''t say anything. Lin Chuanughed and said half-jokingly, "If I don''t take a seat, they wouldn''t dare to touch their chopsticks." "Lin Chuan, I know you''re impressive, but that''s quite a boast," Youyou chimed in, a yful expression on her face. Lin Chuan smiled, "I''m not boasting." In the ''Antique Forgery'' Virtual World, Lin Chuan really was of such high status. The virtual worlds Lin Chuan experienced were all fictional constructs based on the real world, so he was simrly ranked in reality. Within the venue, Lin Chuan also spotted some familiar faces from a distance. ``` For instance, there was Police Officer Chen Hui, and the museum''s chief expert, Gao Qinglin. Chen Hui nodded to him in greeting. Gao Qinglin, however, nced over coldly, his expression indifferent. Before long, the host announced the start of the "Ceremony for the Repatriation of Overseas Artifacts," and after speeches from both sides, the 27 returned artifacts were revealed one by one, cradled by the ceremonial hostesses. Since Lin Chuan, Youyou, and others were not seated in the front row, they watched the event through the images disyed on therge screen. "What is that piece?" Having never been involved with antiques or artifacts before, Youyou started to learn about these subjects after Lin Chuan had given her a "Ming Hongwu Blue and White Peony Pattern Jade Spring Vase." Lin Chuan nced at it and answered, "That''s a ''Jadeite Cyan Dragon Teaching Son Pattern Lid Vase,'' ate Qing period artifact." "And the piece next to it?" Youyou looked on with the curiosity of a child, blinking her eyes, and pressed on with her question. Lin Chuan turned his head toward Youyou and smiled, "That''s a ''White Jade Bird-shaped Pair Box,'' also from thete Qing period, belonging to the Gong Prince Mansion along with the jadeite vase we just discussed." "What''s the Gong Prince Mansion?" "The Gong Prince Mansion, well, it''s thergest princely mansionplex of the Qing Dynasty, built by Prince Gong Yixu in the 45th year of Qianlong reign, which is 1780, and starting in 1912, arge number of artifacts and treasures began to flow out of the mansion overseas..." "That vase is beautiful!" "It''s a Qing Kangxi Lang Kiln Red Water Chestnut Vase. Lang kiln red ze, this particr vase is a fine example of Lang kiln red porcin." "Lin Chuan, there''s a piece of bronze ware over there." "That''s a ''Fengxing Uncle Gui,'' a piece ofte Western Zhou bronze ware, found in a hoard of bronzes in Famen Town, Baoji City, around 1984. This piece was stolen and lost overseas." Lin Chuan patiently exined to Youyou, who was full of curiosity, as if he were reciting treasures from his own collection. At this moment, the others attending the event had initially not paid much attention, but as Lin Chuan exined each artifact, expressions of surprise gradually appeared on their faces and they couldn''t help but give Lin Chuan a few more nces. Even Old Bai, a specialist in artifact restoration, couldn''t help but be taken aback after listening to Lin Chuan''s exnations. Wasn''t this knowledge a bit too extensive? Youyou also stared at Lin Chuan in astonishment. She had only asked casually, hoping to close the distance between herself and Lin Chuan, but she had not expected Lin Chuan to reel off answers smoothly, without hesitation or pause. "You really know it all?" Youyou looked at Lin Chuan, her eyes bright and nearly sparkling with admiration. She suddenly began to believe Lin Chuan''s boastful im, "If I don''t join the table, they won''t dare to pick up their chopsticks." It could really be possible! Truly my treasure of a man, oh no, my treasured author! "These are all basic knowledge; I think many people would know them," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Old Bai, what about that jade vase?" Youyou turned to Old Bai, who was sitting next to Lin Chuan, pointing at a jade pot disyed on the screen and asked with a smile. "Er..." Old Bai was at a loss for words, struggling to answer, and finally confessed, "Sister-inw, I only recognize the first ''Jadeite Cyan Dragon Teaching Son Pattern Lid Vase''; I''m not familiar with the others." Shortly after, Youyou turned her gaze back to Lin Chuan, blinking her eyes. Lin Chuan rubbed his temples and then lifted his gaze to the screen, which was showing a jade vase. This particr piece was the artifact that he had mistakenly replicated in the virtual world. A Qing Dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase. m|vl|e|mp|y|r article Lin Chuan''s face broke into a smile: "It''s a Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase, hmm?" Suddenly, a change passed over Lin Chuan''s expression. Could this ''Qing Dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' be fake? Chapter 175: Chapter 148: Three-Year Sentence, Astronomical Compensation! (Subscribe Please) "What''s the matter?" Inside the venue, Youyou sat next to Lin Chuan, noticing something off on Lin Chuan''s face and asked with concern. "Let me have another look." Lin Chuan''s gaze fell upon therge screen inside the venue, which disyed the full view of the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase''. The Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase, petite and exquisite, dignified in shape, smooth in lines, the vase body delicate and translucent, carved with a beautifully intricate tangled branch lotus pattern, clever inposition, perfectlybining the elegance of the lotus with the lively essence of the tangled branches, resulting in a rich and vibrant flower pattern. Just from the appearance and decoration, the jade vase did not look like a replica. But Lin Chuan had handed over this one previously, and his understanding of it was much deeper, simr to the way Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing understood the Douli Bowl. The pits one falls into always leave asting impression. An unrequited love, the moonlight of one''s youth, engraves itself into the memory, unable to be erased. The difficulty of this jade vasey in its craftsmanship. Its walls were extremely thin, the thinnest part being about one millimeter, like the wing of a cicada, making it challenging to produce and difficult to preserve. Because of its cicada-wing-thinness, the light transmittance of its body was excellent, causing the entire thin-walled jade vase to disy a unique intery of light and shadow under illumination. To replicate it and present the appearance of having weathered hundreds of years, one would need to soak apletely carved modern tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase in Chinese medicine for the aging process. But once this was done, it would alter the unique light and shadow formed by its natural patina. That was the most challenging part. The intery of light and shadow. Lin Chuan could not replicate this effect because its controbility was almost nonexistent. No matter how closely one imitated it, there would always be a difference in the transmission of light and shadow, with virtually no way to reproduce it perfectly. The ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' shown on the screen had exactly this issue. Of course! Aside from Lin Chuan, there were hardly any others who could spot this problem. "Maybe it''s an issue with the projection. I''ll take a closer look in personter." Lin Chuan muttered under his breath. "Lin Chuan, what did you say was wrong with this pot?" Youyou blinked and asked with a smile. Lin Chuan took a deep breath and exined, "This is a jade vase. During this handover ceremony, it''s referred to as the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' the Suzhou jade carving thin-walled craftsmanship. Right, it''s the same process as the thin-walled jade pot that ''escaped from the British Museum''." Youyou suddenly understood, "No wonder the name sounded so familiar." The handover ceremony was quicklypleted. A full 27 cultural relics that had returned from overseas were disyed in various parts of the venue for the attendees to view and admire. Inside the venue, the majority of the people were masters and experts from the antiques circle, well-known collectors. Once the 27 cultural relics were open for viewing, they all rushed to ''see these relics''. Old Bai didn''t want to hinder Lin Chuan and Youyou, so he went to appraise them on his own. As the crowd surged, Youyou followed Lin Chuan towards the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase''. The exhibition area for the thin-walled jade vase was crowded. Because, among the 27 repatriated relics, its value was high enough to rank within the top three. Youyou held tightly to Lin Chuan''s hand like an obedient little cat, eagerly following by Lin Chuan''s side. The ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' was ced in a columnar ss cab, with two security guards stationed beside it. Visitors could observe from a distance of 50 centimeters. "Don''t crowd, please don''t crowd!" "Visitors in the back, please don''t rush!" "The relic is very precious, no photography allowed! Do not touch!" There were also six security personnel maintaining order among the viewers. In reality. These so-called masters and experts of antiques, along with individual collectors, did not exhibit high standards of behavior, not showing much sense of orderly conduct. Instead, most of them had a fervent look in their eyes, and many were not shy about cutting in line to get to the front. Lin Chuan and Youyou queued up honestly. Finally willing to leave, the people in the front moved away and those at the back surged forward. After waiting for several turns, it was finally Lin Chuan''s turn to get to the front, and the exquisite features of the ''thin-walled jade vase'' came into Lin Chuan''s view. "It''s so beautiful," Youyou eximed, looking at the thin-walled jade vase in the disy case. "If you had Qinghai jade, I could make one for you," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "You really know how?" Youyou blinked and smiled. Lin Chuan touched his nose and muttered, "I should be able to seed this time." "Writer Lin, we meet again." At that moment. A familiar voice came from beside Lin Chuan. The speaker was none other than Hu Shu. "Mr. Hu, what a coincidence." Lin Chuan turned his head to look, slightly surprised, and smiled politely. Youyou, on the other hand, was seriously admiring the thin-walled jade vase. "Do you have a particr passion for this artifact, too?" . Hu Shu pushed up his sses, pointed at the thin-wall jade vase, and asked with a smile. Lin Chuan nodded and replied with a smile, "Indeed, I''m quite interested, wanting to see this cicada-wing-thin body and its wonderful craftsmanship." "Mr. Lin has a good eye for quality," Hu Shu smiled and began addressing Lin Chuan as ''Mr. Lin.'' "Why not appraise it for yourself?" Lin Chuan raised his right hand and gestured lightly, "I''m merely here to admire, I wouldn''t dare toment recklessly." "I''ve appraised this jade vase again and again but can''t determine whether it belongs to the mid orte Qing dynasty. Could Mr. Lin help me out of this confusion?" Hu Shu looked toward Lin Chuan and smiled softly. Lin Chuan looked up at Hu Shu and replied with a smile, "My level is not high, my judgment is prone torge errors." "But by all means, speak your mind." "Firstly, we can rule out the early Qing dynasty," Lin Chuan said half-jokingly. Chapter 176: Chapter 148: Three Years in Prison, Astronomical Compensation! (Subscribe Please)_2 Hu Shuughed heartily, following Lin Chuan''s lead, "Indeed, from the decoration and style, we can rule out the early period." Lin Chuan took another look at the jade vase. The light from the ss cab shone upon the Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase, revealing a gentle and pure luster without any ws. However, it differed in subtle ways from the patina and y of light and shadow Lin Chuan expected to see on an object several hundred years old. It really was a fake! Lin Chuan cursed inwardly. Whether it was fake before it was repatriated or became a fake afterward was unknown. If it was thetter, the gall of those who dared to rece such a national treasure! "Mr. Lin?" Seeing Lin Chuan absorbed in thought, Hu Shu called out to him. Lin Chuan snapped back to reality and smiled, "Judging from the patina of the thin-walled jade vase, it should be a work from the mid-Qing period." Hu Shu''s eyes lit up immediately, and he took another look at the ''thin-walled jade vase'' in the ss cab, showing a very satisfied smile, "Thank you, Mr. Lin, for clearing up my confusion. I have urgent matters to attend to now, so I''ll take my leave. Should you encounter any difficulty, or should you need anything, feel free to visit me at the ''Ancient Moon'' gallery anytime. I''ll be waiting for your esteemed visit." "Thank you." Lin Chuan nodded and responded with a polite smile. He was not familiar with Hu Shu, and therefore, did not reveal that the thin-walled jade vase was a fake. Blurting out such a thing would immediately make it to the top of the trending searches. The implications would be far-reaching. Suddenly! The lights in the venue went out abruptly, causing an instant stir among the visitors. "Ah" But before the crowd had a chance to react, several screams caught the attention of the nearby security staff. At that moment, beside Lin Chuan, Youyou, for some unknown reason, suddenly lost her bnce. Her upper body lurched forward precariously as she fell. "Lin Chuan!" In her moment of panic, she instinctively cried out for Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan''s heart tightened. He spun around and quickly took two steps to brace Youyou. He was fast! But just as he was about to catch Youyou, preparing to stabilize himself with his waist, he slipped. With their bodies leaning too far forward, already in a state of weightlessness Bang! The two of them fell heavily to the ground. At the same time, a pir-style ss cab toppled over. Inside was that piece of cultural artifactthe Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase. The next second, the lights in the venue flickered back on. From the time the lights went out to when they came back on, it only took three or four seconds, not enough for many to understand what had happened. . At this time, the nearby security staff split into two groups. One protected the cultural artifacts, while the other encircled Lin Chuan and Youyou. Not just around Lin Chuan, but idents also urred in the areas of several other artifacts, with many people simrly surrounded. At this moment. Youyou, looking at the pir-style ss cab and cultural artifact that had fallen to the floor, turned deathly pale, her lips trembling slightly and her voice shaking, "Lin Chuan, I''ve caused a great disaster." Lin Chuan gently patted Youyou''s back tofort her, "Don''t worry, I can handle it." At the same time, he looked around at the security staff and nced at the fake thin-walled jade vase, a hint of doubt shing in his eyes. The delicate vase, thin as cicada wings, had its body cracked open by the impact, and the lid scattered apart. "How did you fall just now?" Lin Chuan asked, having quickly regained hisposure. With her lips pursed and eyes slightly red, Youyou responded, "I think I tripped over something and that''s why I fell. Did you get hurt?" When they fell, Lin Chuan had rolled over to cushion the ground, and Youyou hadnded entirely on top of him, so she was also worried that Lin Chuan might have been injured because of her. "I''m fine." Lin Chuan straightened his shirt and gave Youyou a reassuring look. The police, the Cultural Relics Bureau, the museum, and other relevant officials all rushed over immediately. The cultural relic that had just been handed over suddenly encountered such an incident, and especially this Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase, a national treasure-level relic, cracked open arge fissure, and could almost certainly be considered a total loss. This was already beyond an issue within the antiques circle. Everyone from the Cultural Relics Bureau to the museum, as well as Lin Chuan, Youyou, and others, would be involved. The magnitude of the loss, the impact, was unimaginable. The responsibility was too great for anyone to bear. Chen Hui was nearby, and he arrived the fastest, looking at Lin Chuan with aplex expression, "What happened here?" Before Lin Chuan could answer, Gao Qinglin, the museum''s chief expert, dressed in a long robe, quickly walked up, looking at the cracked thin-walled jade vase with a face full of regret, and then angrily and in a deep voice said, "Who damaged this national treasure-level cultural relic?" The security personnel all fell silent, no one answered. And everyone''s eyes silently turned towards Lin Chuan and Youyou. Gao Qinglin narrowed his eyes at Lin Chuan, his gaze sharp, and said solemnly, "You must give an exnation for this relic!" Lin Chuan paused, remaining very calm, "Before the incident is thoroughly investigated, I''m not yet the primary person responsible." Moreover, a fake relic just needs to be recreated. "If you are not the primary person responsible for this ident, who is?" Gao Qinglin was already displeased with Lin Chuan for disagreeing with him over the Taotie pattern bronze ware, and now seeing Lin Chuan ''damage'' this national treasure-level cultural relic, he felt his anger surge! "Determining who is responsible is not for you to decide," Lin Chuan responded indifferently. "Hmph!" Gao Qinglin, the museum''s chief expert, snorted coldly, "It may not be for me to decide, but you damaged a national treasure-level cultural relic, do you know what the consequences are? This Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase is worth a fortune, and it would not be surprising even if it fetched a billion at auction!" His words were true. Just the prime jade material used to carve a thin-walled jade vase was worth at least several million at the lowest, andbined with the extremely demanding carving techniques and very low sess rate, the value would multiply several times over. Furthermore, if it really originated from the Qing dynasty and had endured hundreds of years of weathering and umtion, its value was immeasurable. Gao Qinglin looked at Lin Chuan with a cold eye, then said in a cold voice, "Even if you didn''t intentionally damage it, idental damage is still punishable byw, with up to three years in prison!" There is a charge in the criminalw, called "negligent damage to cultural relics." Negligent damage to precious cultural relics protected by the state, or those identified as key cultural relics protected at the national or provincial level, causing serious consequences, shall result in a prison sentence of up to three years or criminal detention. Upon hearing this, the people around immediately erupted inmotion! Three years in prison, astronomicalpensation! This would be a fatal blow to anyone it fell upon! Even Chen Hui, the legal-minded police officer, couldn''t help but give Lin Chuan a few more nces, a hint of pity and sympathy shing in his mind. Next to him, Youyou swallowed, her lips trembling, her pupils dted, and her eyes reddening. Clearly, she had considered the consequences to be severe, but the words ''three-year sentence, astronomicalpensation'' almost broke through her psychological defenses. However, Lin Chuan''s face showed not a trace of panic, his expression serene andposed; he even turned to pat the back of Youyou''s hand that was clutching his, reassuringly saying, "Don''t listen to his nonsense, in this matter, I have more experience than him." Youyou nced at Lin Chuan''s somewhat confident expression, and her heart settled a little, but the panic remained. At the same time. Her heart was full of self-reproach. If she hadn''t called for Lin Chuan, he wouldn''t have gotten involved. Seeing Youyou still feeling some guilt and self-me, Lin Chuan turned his head, and whispered in her ear, "Don''t worry, this is a fake, we are going to aplish something big." Youyou''s reddening eyes suddenly paused, her face showing thick surprise. A fake? Aplish something big? For a moment, she couldn''t make sense of the logic, but seeing Lin Chuan''s everposed expression, she believed him a little more, and the chaos in her heart decreased significantly. "Officer Chen, take us away, we are willing to cooperate with the investigation," Lin Chuan said as he looked at Chen Hui in his dark blue police uniform, voluntarily offering to cooperate. Chen Hui looked at Lin Chuan in surprise. He couldn''t quite understand why there wasn''t a trace of panic on Lin Chuan''s face but rather an increasing sense of calm, even a hint of eagerness? Yes, eagerness! Did Lin Chuan actually want to go back to the police station with me? Chapter 177: Chapter 149: Its Over, Come At Me! (Please Subscribe) Dusk, approaching night. The afterglow of the sunset spilled across the sky, turning it into a gradient oil painting, shifting from deep blue in the east to warm oranges and reds in the west. The ss curtain walls atop skyscrapers reflected the afterglow, twinkling with specks of golden light. On the streets, neon lights came to life, vehicles flowed endlessly, and the asional honk of a horn pierced through the impending nightfall, reaching Lin Chuan''s ears through the car window. Yes, Lin Chuan and Youyou were once again in a police car. However,st time they were assisting officers. This time, they were suspects in the idental destruction of cultural relics. Youyou sat beside Lin Chuan, still harboring guilt and self-me. Lin Chuan patted the back of her hand, signaling her to rx a bit and to just tell the truth. With Lin Chuan present, Youyou felt somewhat reassured and slowly exhaled in relief. The police car navigated through several streets and rounds of bends, eventually turning into the police station. Not long after, Lin Chuan entered the interrogation room of Modu Police Station as a ''suspect.'' The interrogation room. The interrogation room of Modu Police Station was no different from that of Anling Police Station, like a stern fortress of steel. Four walls painted in monotonous gray, devoid of life, the lighting was dim, and the ticking of the clock on the wall reverberated in the spacious room, filled with a suffocating silence. Lin Chuan sat in the interrogation chair without the nervousness he had the first time he was brought into an interrogation room. After all, he was an old hand at this. At this moment, Lin Chuan was alone in the interrogation room; the officers had not yet entered tomence the formal questioning. Lin Chuan looked around, then began to rey the events in his mind. From the perspective of others, this was an idental incident. But as a direct participant, he felt there was something fishy about it. Firstly, it was odd for such an important venue to experience a power outage! Generally speaking, museums have dedicated power systems, and in Modu Museum''s venue, infrastructure was impable, including the power supply. It was almost impossible for a sudden outage to ur. Furthermore, Youyou mentioned she felt someone trip her. Those present were mostly Modu elites, though not necessarily of good character, they were ustomed to big events; yet, with just a power outage, there were screams, and someone tripped Youyou. Clearly, this was not right. Lin Chuan began to suspect that the incident could very well have been staged. But who nned it? And what was their motive? Was it rted to the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' being a fake? At that moment, Chen Hui and another officer walked in and sat down at the interrogation table. Chen Hui nced at Lin Chuan, noting that he sat quietly in the chair, undisturbed by the wait or the surroundings. At a nce, he was a frequent visitor to the station. Then, they started to make the record. After entering basic details like name, age, and upation, Chen Hui began to speak, "Lin Chuan, today at 5 p.m., you entered the museum with Bai Yang and Song Youyou to participate in the ''Overseas Cultural Relics Repatriation Ceremony,'' sitting in row 8, seat 56. After the ceremony concluded, you and Song Youyou proceeded to the exhibit area of the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' to view the relic, is this correct?" Lin Chuan nodded and answered, "Correct." "After the venue suddenly lost power, how did you knock it over?" Chen Hui looked at Lin Chuan with piercing eyes. Lin Chuan met Chen Hui''s gaze and spoke earnestly, "After the lights went out, I first heard screams from another exhibit area. Subsequently, my friend was tripped by someone and called out to me. Instinctively, I reached out to grab her, and then, we both fell to the ground together." His answer was cautious, without any remarks that could be detrimental to himself. Despite the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' being a counterfeit, even a copy would be quite valuable. Aside from the responsibility assumed by the museum''s security, if it ultimately fell on Youyou and himself to bear a part of the responsibility, that would be a significant expense. Save a bit. There''s still the significant costs of buying a car, a house, and getting married. Otherwise, he''d have to fake more antiques. Cough, selling them as art pieces was no problem. Chen Hui looked at Lin Chuan, then asked, "Are you aware of the value and significance of the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase''?" Lin Chuan nodded and took the role of a ss representative, "This artifact holds immense artistic and historical value. It showcases the exquisite thin-walled craftsmanship of jade carving during the Qing dynasty, an important physical evidence for studying the production techniques, aesthetic styles, and the socio-cultural background of that time. Additionally, it demonstrates the unique charm and profound heritage of Chinese culture to the internationalmunity, also enjoying a high reputation abroad." Lin Chuan rattled off quickly, and the officer taking notes scribbled furiously, barely keeping up with Lin Chuan''s pace. Chen Hui watched Lin Chuan discuss the jade vase like an expert and continued, "We conducted a thorough investigation of the scene and preliminary determined it to be an ident. However, the damage to a national treasure may result in a hefty im from the Cultural Relics Bureau, and you might... might face prosecution for the ''idental destruction of cultural relics,'' which could lead to up to three years of fixed-term imprisonment or criminal detention." Lin Chuan frowned slightly, "I would like to know the cause of the power outage." In the interrogation room, Chen Hui thought for a moment, "Our investigation indicates that it was due to a temporary electrician''s error that led to the power outage, triggering a series of subsequent idents. He is the main responsible party for this ident, and the museum''s security negligence will also bear some of the responsibility." Lin Chuan was taken aback upon hearing this. A temporary electrician? This triggered a critical keyword for major idents! When a case features a ''temporary worker'' taking the me, it signifies that the case is definitelyplicated. The waters run deep, very deep. Huh Lin Chuan took a deep breath and asked, "Did the surveince in the venue also break down?" "The surveince..." Chen Hui''s face grewplicated, "The surveince didn''t break, but the power was cut off due to a mistake made by the temporary electrician." "The surveince system is supposed to have an independent power supply, isn''t it?" Lin Chuan''s expression darkened further as he asked. "Yes, so, that temporary electrician is also the primary person responsible for the ident," said Chen Hui, sighing inwardly. He also thought the situation was too strange. When the power in the venue went out, the independently powered surveince system also lost power; he even felt that someone had intentionally sabotaged the handover ceremony, deliberately damaging the cultural relics returned from overseas. But these were all subjective conjectures without evidence to back them up. And for Lin Chuan and Youyou, the inadvertent damage to the national treasure ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' was indisputable. The interrogation room was silent, with the ticking of the clock''s second hand ticking slowly, echoing in the cold room. Lin Chuan cursed under his breath. This ''idental incident'' might well have been aimed at him or Youyou; it might also have been aimed at the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase''. But now, without surveince footage or witnesses to prove Youyou was tripped, and a temporary worker also mainly at fault, various signs indicated that this time, they might take the fall! Even possibly without any chance to contest. Behind this case could well be a powerful figure. He and Youyou might be the targets, or just like the temporary worker, they could be scapegoats. That''s it! The thin-walled jade vase was a fake; were some people using this opportunity to destroy the fake vase and legitimatize the disappearance of the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' covering up the fact that the real vase had been swapped with a fake? Fortunately, Lin Chuan knew how to indicate that it was a forged Qing dynasty thin-walled jade vase. With this thought in mind, see more NovelBin mp|y|r Lin Chuan took a deep breath and slowly said, "Officer Chen, regarding this case, I have important leads to provide." "Hmm?" Chen Hui looked up at Lin Chuan and frowned, asking, "What important leads?" The police officer taking notes beside them also looked at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "In this case, the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' that was damaged, is a fake." Suddenly! Chen Hui and the other officer furrowed their brows and showed intense surprise on their faces. "A fake?" Chen Hui asked in a daze. "Yes, it''s fake," Lin Chuan smiled. "It is a national treasure returned from overseas, how can it be a fake!" Clearly, Chen Hui did not believe this im. Each cultural relic returning from overseas had been personally verified by many domestic antique masters, carefully discerned, and confirmed real before being part of the handover ceremony. If even one were a counterfeit or fake, it would not be allowed to appear in the ''overseas cultural relics repatriation handover ceremony''. Neither party to the handover would permit it! If exposed, not only would the handover ceremony fail to have a positive effect, but it would also infuriate everyone. For both parties involved, if such a situation urred, there would only be disadvantages, not the slightest benefit. Lin Chuan shook his head and continued, "Officer Chen, I am very familiar with this artifact, and moreover, even the top antique appraisers in the country can sometimes be mistaken. If the counterfeiting technique is so high that it can pass off as real, it''s enough to deceive the eye." Chen Hui fell into a brief contemtion. The statement put forward by Lin Chuan tangled his thoughts, as if a thousand strands of yarn were interwoven, impossible to unravel. But he suddenly remembered something Shen Qianqian had said. He is absolutely worthy of your trust! Only yesterday, Chen Hui had witnessed the Modu Museum''s chief expert Gao Qinglin and other experts'' misjudgment, while Lin Chuan urately identified the fake bronze Taotie pattern wine vessel. Could Lin Chuan''s assertion that the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' is a fake be possible? Chen Hui didn''t dare to conclude. He couldn''t make a conclusion. Therefore, after a brief consideration, Chen Hui swallowed and looked at Lin Chuan, "Your im is of great importance, with far-reaching implications, I will report it to my superiors truthfully." "Thank you," Lin Chuan nodded. Following that, Chen Hui detailed the interrogation content and timing, and after Lin Chuan confirmed there were no errors, he signed it and left the interrogation room. At this moment, a fellow officer ran up to Chen Hui and whispered a few words. After hearing this, Chen Hui looked at Lin Chuan, "Comrade Lin Chuan, there is someone from Han River Province bailing you out, you are now free to leave the police station but may not leave Modu, and must be avable for our summons at all times." Normally, for suspects used of negligently damaging national treasures, the police have the authority to detain them to prevent their escape. Now, with a high-ranking official providing bail for Lin Chuan, detention can be avoided, but he must be on call for summons. "And Youyou?" Lin Chuan asked. "She''s in the front hall, just like you, she''s been bailed out too," Chen Hui responded, "Tonight, I will submit your interrogation record to my superiors, and I will notify you tomorrow of the specific progress of the case." Chapter 178: Chapter 150: Absurd Talk? (Please Subscribe) The moon was suspended high, its soft silver light spreading across the ground, veiling Modu in a hazy, light gauze. The neon lights on the street were exceptionally bright, weaving a colorful tapestry of light and shadow. The green nts inside the police station swayed gently in the breeze, rustling softly, carrying the unique freshness of the night mingled with a hint of coolness that brushed Lin Chuan''s face. Lin Chuan wore a simple, thin white shirt; however, being in the prime of his youth, he didn''t feel the chill at all. On the contrary, he found the night breeze refreshing, with the faint scent of gardenia flowers infiltrating his nostrils. The outside air was indeed much better than that inside the interrogation room. That was Lin Chuan''s thought. "Bro, you''re finally out." Upon seeing Lin Chuane out, Old Bai breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Chuan was able to be released, and he had yed a part in it. It turned out that after the "Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase" had been broken, when Old Bai rushed over from another exhibition area, Lin Chuan and Youyou were already preparing to leave the venue with the police. Old Bai had to inquire around before he understood the whole situation. Without time to think further, he thought to find someone rtively professional to understand the specific criminal penalties. Then, he quickly thought of Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian, who had saved his life on a country road in Lincang City, Yundian Province, along with Lin Chuan. Knowing that Shen Qianqian was also in Lin Chuan''s reader group, Old Bai immediately reached out to her through a private chat to exin Lin Chuan''s current predicament. Shen Qianqian didn''t hesitate and reported directly to Zhang Biao. Zhang Biao couldn''t handle it himself, so he had to report it further up the chain. In the end, it was Elder Zhong who came forward personally to secure Lin Chuan''s release and to avoid detention while he followed up on the investigation of the case. After all, Lin Chuan was a talent from Han River Province. If he really fell because of this, it would be a loss for Han River Province. "Someone posted bail, so no spending the night inside," Lin Chuan smiled. "I just heard from your sister-inw, did you say that artifact was a fake?" Old Bai couldn''t help asking. "Yes." Lin Chuan nodded his head. "Old Lin, if that artifact is really a fake, I''ll go back tonight and gather some funds to settle this matter," Old Bai pondered for a moment before speaking. Old Bai thought he could pool some money, borrow some more, and settle Lin Chuan''s case first. As long as it wasn''t a genuine article, but a replica,pensating should not be too costly. To him, Lin Chuan was a lifesaver, and besides, he knew that the value Lin Chuan could create far exceeded that of the "Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase." "Old Bai, don''t rush. The policerades have only preliminarily determined it, and our responsibility hasn''t been established yet. I have a feeling this matter isn''t so straightforward. There might be a twist, right?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, smiled, and suggested. "Bro, I trust you." Old Bai looked at Lin Chuan and nodded. "What about Youyou?" Lin Chuan asked. Old Bai lifted his hand and pointed toward the front door of the police station. At that moment, Youyou wore a thin white shirt and a dark blue A-line skirt, her petite figure huddled, arms wrapped around herself, rubbing her arms and then her calves in an attempt to warm them, but the chill lingered, only growing stronger. "Youyou," Lin Chuan walked toward her quickly and called out gently. "Lin Chuan!" Youyou saw Lin Chuan approaching and the originally somewhat despondent look on her face immediately broke into a smile, her eyes shining like the first streak of dawn piercing the clouds and falling to the ground. But her smile and the brightness in her eyes didn''tst long and slowly faded away. They were reced by feelings of self-reproach and destion. "Don''t worry, it''s all right," Lin Chuan said,forting her as he saw what was going through Youyou''s mind. "Listening to what that police officer said, I just felt so nervous. It seems we can''t escape being connected with this matter," Youyou gently lifted her face, pursed her lips, blinked, and her eyes quickly reddened with tears threatening to spill out. She was just a humble editor. She had never even entered the doors of a police station before, not to mention being taken into an interrogation room as a suspect. Moreover, after identally toppling over that artifact and facing a high amount ofpensation, she might even end up in prison, her psychological defenses on the brink of copse. It could only take an instant before they gave way. In front of her, Lin Chuan seemed like the only lifeline she could cling to while adrift at sea. Seeing Youyou in such a pitiful state, Lin Chuan couldn''t help but feel a twinge ofpassion. Not only had Youyou given him the utmost support in online literature, but she also went out of her way to be hospitable when he first came to Modu, and she was willing to apany him to attend the "International Artifacts Repatriation Ceremony." Lin Chuan knew she might not be interested in the event. But for his sake, Youyou still willingly apanied him and was very supportive of Lin Chuan. And now, an event that could possibly have been a deliberate plot had embroiled her, and Lin Chuan felt somewhat guilty. Then, Lin Chuan raised his hands, gently brushed Youyou''s eyes, and wiped away the tears, revealing a smile, "Don''t cry, okay? Your makeup is almost running, and you''ll turn into a little tear-stained cat." Youyou''s slightly weary face showed a hint of grievance as she pouted, "Who''s crying?" "No crying, no crying," Lin Chuan continued wiping Youyou''s eyes with his shirt sleeve, smiling, "This isn''t your fault, and that fake artifact is tooplicated. We might just be two scapegoats." Chapter 179: Chapter 150: Absurd Talk? (Please Subscribe)_2 "Is it really fake?" Youyou''s face was somewhat pale as she pursed her lips and asked. "Absolutely certain!" Lin Chuan replied very seriously, giving Youyou a firm look and smiled, "Don''t worry, you took me flying in the novel, this time I will take you flying." Youyou took a deep breath, looked at Lin Chuan, and nodded: "Okay." "Let''s go back and rest first, and check the police investigation results tomorrow," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Okay." Youyou echoed again and then wrapped her arm around Lin Chuan''s, feeling somewhat reassured. Lin Chuan and Youyou got into a taxi. The night carried a tinge of coolness, so Lin Chuan asked the cab driver to close the windows and turn off the air conditioning. Youyou still clung to Lin Chuan''s arm, which made it feel somewhat warmer. Lin Chuan saw the look on Youyou''s face and aplex expression surfaced. But Youyou held on even tighter, hugging his arm close in her embrace, even pressing her entire face against it. Lin Chuan felt the delicate softness and warmth from his arm, and could sense Youyou''s heartbeat pounding. Waves rippled in his heart, long unsettled. The whole ride, neither spoke. They sat in the taxi, passing through the city''s neon lights, around many twists and turns, back to the hotel. "It seems we haven''t had dinner yet," Lin Chuan suddenly felt his stomach grumbling. Youyou looked around, her brows slightly furrowed: "There doesn''t seem to be any restaurants or noodle shops nearby." "How about takeout?" Lin Chuan suggested. "I''ll take you to have dinner," Youyou said, her gaze returning to Lin Chuan, and then she took his hand. Her hand was very delicate and soft, her fingers slender and naturally fair, and they were only half the size of Lin Chuan''s when ced in his palm. Lin Chuan was somewhat worried she couldn''t take the stress of today''s "unexpected incident," so he let her lead the way. After all, if things weren''t handled well, it could mean an astronomicalpensation and imprisonment for her. More than ten minutester. Youyou pulled Lin Chuan back to her home. "What would you like to eat? I''ll cook for you," Youyou said as she closed the door, batting her eyes at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan was slightly stunned. Ever since entering theplex, he''d been puzzled, he never expected Youyou to actually bring him back to her home. But since he was here already... Sigh... "What do you have that we can eat?" Lin Chuan had to ask. "We have, dumplings, noodles, I... I''ll think about it." Perhaps having recovered a little, Youyou''s pale face regained its original delicate fairness. "Let''s have noodles," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Okay." Youyou tied on an apron and went into the kitchen to cook the noodles. It wasn''t long before they were ready. Lin Chuan was really hungry, he finished a bowl of noodles in no time, and Youyou even gave him half of what was in her bowl. "I''m full. I should go back and rest; I still have to go to the police station to assist with the investigation tomorrow," Lin Chuan said as he waved goodbye to Youyou. Youyou''s gaze drifted to the window; the night had turned very dark: "It''s sote, why don''t you stay here tonight and we can head out together tomorrow." Lin Chuan looked around; this was a single''s apartmentyout, a one-bedroom, one-living room, with a cream-colored fabric sofa in the living room. Youyou, seeing Lin Chuan''s reluctance, pulled him into the room and pointed to a pink, 1.5-meter-wide girly bed: "You can sleep here tonight; I''ll sleep on the sofa." "Youyou, it wouldn''t be right for you to sleep on the sofa," Lin Chuan said, somewhat uneasy. "Then I''ll sleep on this bed too!" Youyou pouted, a hint of yfulness appeared on her face. "Youyou, that''s not what I meant," Lin Chuan chuckled dryly, "I didn''t bring any clothes with me, I should go back to the hotel." "I have some!" Youyou suddenly said. "Huh?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. Youyou opened a closet in the room, found a set of cream-colored pajamas, and handed them to Lin Chuan: "This set of pajamas is unisex, loose-fitting, it should fit you." "Alright, I''m going to take a shower then." Lin Chuan let out a silent sigh, the hardest to repay was a beauty''s favor! Youyou beamed with a smile. "Have you worn these clothes before?" Lin Chuan suddenly asked. "Do you mind?" Youyou looked up at Lin Chuan. "Can I say that I do mind?" ``` "You dare?" "How could I not dare?" "Reaping the benefits and still ying innocent, huh!" Youyou muttered as she returned to the room, making the bed for Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan showered quickly. Soon after, Youyou entered the bathroom to take her shower. By the time Youyou came out, Lin Chuan was already lying on the sofa asleep, his breathing steady and even. "This guy." Youyou cursed with augh, then went back to her room, took out a quilt, and gently covered Lin Chuan with it. Then, she put Lin Chuan''s clothes into the washing machine, set it to quick wash+dry, and only then went back to her room to get ready for bed. She thought about it, couldn''t sleep, took up the bedding, spread it on the floor beside the sofa, close to Lin Chuan, listened to Lin Chuan''s deep breathing, felt at peace, and finally fell into a restful sleep. The following morning. The morning sun pierced through the thinyer of clouds and spilled onto the balcony, where the leaves of several potted green nts glowed brighter and a more vibrant green under the sunlight. "Mmm" Youyou woke up from the bed. Last night, when Lin Chuan found Youyou sleeping on the floor, he had carried the half-awake her to the bed and then returned to sleep on the sofa himself. Youyou walked out of the room, looked at Lin Chuan still sleeping on the sofa, and a smile appeared on her face. She felt that there was an inexplicable sense of security being with Lin Chuan. Life with Lin Chuan was pretty good. She didn''t disturb Lin Chuan''s sleep but instead started to cook a nutritious congee and took his clothes out of the washing machine, ironed the shirt until it was smooth, and then folded them neatly. Only when the police officer called her did she reluctantly wake up Lin Chuan, her thoughts returning to the fake cultural relic that had been broken, had breakfast, changed clothes, and headed to the police station. To cooperate with the investigation. Upon entering the police station, Lin Chuan and Youyou were taken to a meeting room. In the meeting room were the chief of the Modu police station, the head of the Cultural Relics Bureau, and officers like Chen Hui. This meeting room was mainly for discussing the contents of Lin Chuan''s interrogation the previous night. The most crucial point was the lead Lin Chuan provided. The "Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase" presented at the simple ceremony was a fake! Generally speaking, after being authenticated by numerous experts, the "Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase" otherwise confirmed as real would be determined genuine. But Lin Chuan, by himself iming it to be fake, wouldn''t be taken as a reference opinion normally. However, this matter was tied to whether Lin Chuan would face hugepensation and imprisonment, and behind Lin Chuan was a high-profile individual from Han River offering strong support. Therefore, they had no choice but to hold this meeting. It was mainly a formality, to give an exnation to that high-profile individual from Han River. As for "the relic being a fake," everyone else thought it was absurd. Among them was Li Zeguang, head of the Cultural Relics Bureau, who himself was an expert in cultural relic authentication with some exceptional insights into antiques and curios. This "Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase" had been personally authenticated by him and several other masters as genuine. Now, a green young man, also a web novel writer, insisted the artifact was a fake, inevitably irking him. Therefore. When Lin Chuan walked into the meeting room, Cultural Relics Bureau chief Li Zeguang''s gaze immediately fell upon him. Lin Chuan was seen in a white shirt and dark casual pants, with short hair, a youthful and refined face, smiling with a hint of subtle confidence in his eyes, and a pair of clear eyes that weren''t quite as sharp or vicious. But Li Zeguang, being of a rtively calm nature, didn''t rush to conclusions. "Comrade Lin Chuan, we''ve summoned you this time..." Chen Hui still harbored a glimmer of hope for Lin Chuan, so he introduced the people present to Lin Chuan, who greeted everyone with neither arrogance nor obsequiousness. Afterward. Cultural Relics Bureau chief Li Zeguang pointed at the thin-walled jade vase that now had a crack in the middle of the meeting table and went straight to the point, "Lin Chuan, is what you stated in the interrogation room true?" "It is true." Lin Chuan nodded seriously. Li Zeguang''s gaze became sharp, staring intently at Lin Chuan, "What proof do you have that it is fake?" Everyone else looked towards Lin Chuan, their expressionsplex and varied. Clearly, Lin Chuan''s proof could very likely determine the course of his life from here on. ``` Chapter 180: Chapter 151: Antique Forgery Gang! (Seeking Subscriptions) Modu Police Station, meeting room. Sunlight filtered through the translucent curtains like golden ribbons, gently spilling into the room, dancing on the wooden conference table and casting dappled shadows. The green nts in the corner gleamed with an especially verdant hue, wafting a hint of floral fragrance. Under the watchful eyes of the others, Lin Chuan took steps forward, approaching the conference table. His gaze didn''t linger on the expressions of those present, but fell directly upon the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' that had already cracked open. The sunshine was ample, the translucent quality of the jade vase finely textured, crystal clear. Bright light pierced through the vase''s thin-as-wings body, softly casting subtle, warm shadows that emerged from within. At the same time, its internal patterns were also distinctly visible. After taking a few nces, the details of the thin-walled jade vase once again confirmed his thoughts. Lin Chuan turned his head to look at one of the key figures of the meeting. National Cultural Relics Bureau Director, Li Zeguang. "Director Li, before we continue, I''d like to ask a question," Lin Chuan said. In the eyes of everyone present, Lin Chuan wasn''t nervous but appeared rather rxed, with a faint smile on his face. "Ask," Li Zeguang said, eyebrows raised slightly in surprise as he regarded Lin Chuan''s demeanor. Putting aside relics, just Lin Chuan''s confidence and bearing in such a scene were indeed eye-catching and deserved a closer look. Bearing is very hard to fake. Just like antiques themselves, genuine cultural artifacts possess their own unique artistic charm as well as a kind of weathered beauty shaped by time, an allure that cannot be replicated. A true treasure appraiser also knows how to ''appraise'' people. Ever since Lin Chuan appeared at the entrance of the meeting room, Li Zeguang had been observing him, noting his attire, speech, and even the subtle expressions on his face, without missing a single detail. To Li Zeguang, Lin Chuan exudedposure. Yes! Calm and confident. "ording to procedure, the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' needs to be authenticated by arge group of experts before it can be repatriated. There should be records of this," Lin Chuan said while looking at Li Zeguang with a slight smile. The records included detailed data, images, and even 3D models, quiteprehensive. "We do have the relevant records," Li Zeguang nodded. Lin Chuan smiled again, "I need all the information on record." Last night, Lin Chuan had thought for a long time. This artifact had a ny percent chance of being switched after repatriation but before the handover ceremony. Besides, the craftsmanship required for the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' was extremely exquisite, and there were very few inheritors of the Suzhou Jade Carving craft within the country. Foreigners wanting to create a replica would also need to seek out a master jade carver from within China. Most importantly, the repatriation of overseas artifacts is essentially a diplomatic gesture. It facilitates cultural exchange between countries, fostering closer rtions. There''s no need for the returning party to provoke a reawakened Eastern Dragon by recing an item with a fake. So, Lin Chuan spected that someone had tampered with the process after its repatriation. If that was the case, then the detailed information obtained during the experts'' appraisal should be original and authentic. The Modu Cultural Relics Bureau kept the information, while the National Cultural Relics Bureau retained a copy. If even this firsthand material was not genuine, then Lin Chuan would have nothing more to say, resigning himself to his bad luck and willing to quietly serve three years in prison. Li Zeguang''s face shifted subtly. He watched Lin Chuan for a while, then finally nodded, "I can give you the detailed information forparison." "Thank you," Lin Chuan said with a smile. He made another request, "Could you help me get some precision weighing and measuring equipment here?" Beside Lin Chuan, the police chief directed, "Chen Hui, go fetch it." Chen Hui nodded and hurried out of the meeting room. Soon, the Cultural Relics Bureau provided the information about the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' which was disyed on therge screen in the meeting room. On the screen, the 3D image of the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' rotated slowly, providing a 360-degree view without a blind spot. Below it were details about its specifications. For instance, the height of the vase body, the diameter at the base, the circumference at the widest part of the body, the diameter at the opening, the thickness of the walls, and its weightbasic data. More detailed information included "Carved from Qinghai jade employing Suzhou Jade Carving techniques" and simr details. At that moment. Chen Hui returned with the precise weighing and measuring equipment, setting it before Lin Chuan. Chen Hui harboredplex feelings toward this individual not exactly rival. It wasn''t animosity. Mostly, Chen Hui felt somewhat difficult to reconcile how Shen Qianqian could esteem Lin Chuan so highly, so he subconsciously paid attention to Lin Chuan''s actions. Could he, likest time with the appraisal of the Taotie pattern wine vessel, seed in identifying a forgery again? Lin Chuan gratefully nodded. Then, he put on gloves and meticulouslymenced measuring the height of the vase. Everyone in the room watched in silence as Lin Chuan worked. Youyou stood beside Lin Chuan, her clear eyes showing a hint of worry. She watched Lin Chuan with nervous anticipation, her palms sweating slightly, causing her to unconsciously twist the corner of her clothes. Li Zeguang observed with deep eyes, a flicker of doubt crossing his gaze. Was Lin Chuan going to use these basic measurements of weight and size to discern the authenticity? But before the handover ceremony, each artifact is re-measured for these basic values. Chapter 181: Chapter 151: The Antique Forgery Gang! (Subscribe Please)_2 Make sure it''s foolproof! It didn''t take long for Lin Chuan to measure the first piece of data. The height of the vase body was 31.1cm. Youyou, who was closest to Lin Chuan, was the first to see this number, and her eyebrows tightened. This matched the data recorded by the Cultural Relics Bureau exactly. But before anyone could react, Lin Chuan sessively measured the diameter of the base, the diameter of the mouth of the vase, and weighed it. Without exception. All these values matched the data recorded by the Cultural Relics Bureau, one by one. Inside the meeting room. Youyou, sitting next to Lin Chuan, felt her heart pounding, the more data that matched, the more it proved to be genuine. Chen Hui''s brow furrowed in confusion. Everyone in the room exchanged nces and whispered amongst themselves. "The data matches perfectly, this must be the real deal." "The more it''s appraised, the more authentic it seems, it''s really a pity that such a national treasure-level cultural relic..." "Even if it''s a forgery, could it really be replicated so exactly?" "..." At that moment. Director Zhao Gang of the police station furrowed his brow and asked slowly, "Comrade Lin Chuan, do we need to continue the appraisal?" Everyone''s eyes turned to Lin Chuan all at once. The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became more solemn. The sunlight prated the high windows into the room, feeling a bit hot and stifling, while inside, it was so quiet you could hear the ticking of the second hand on the clock. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. It was oppressive, almost making it hard to breathe. Only after Lin Chuan had recorded these measured data did he raise his eyes to look around at everyone, his gaze stopping on the director of the police station, "Director, please be patient. I''m not using these basic measurements of the thin-walled jade vase to prove it''s fake but to verify whether an artifact with all matching data is indeed genuine." This included its patina and texture, among other things. Director Zhao Gang''s brows knitted together, "If all the data is the same, isn''t this the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase''?" "In fact, it''s not the case," replied Lin Chuan with a smile. "Please pause the video that the Cultural Relics Bureau was ying at the 4 minute and 26 second mark." The person in charge of controlling the meeting room''s electronic screen was Chen Hui. Chen Hui didn''t understand why, but as both directors nodded, he immediately did so, pausing the video at the 4 minute and 26 second mark. The video at 4 minutes and 26 seconds. On the screen appeared a thin-walled jade vase surrounded by darkness, illuminated from above by the beam of a shlight. The walls of the thin-walled jade vase were as thin as cicada wings, clear and translucent, with excellent light transmission. A light green fluorescence shone through from the inside, rendering a warm and moist effect. In the concave and convex areas of the vase, the light and shadow were slightly mottled, and the whole showed a natural gradientyer of luminous green from bright to dark. This was its unique light transmission performance and shadow effect. Lin Chuan reminded everyone, "Everyone, try to remember the light and shadow effect at this moment." Although puzzled, everyone looked towards the screen, taking Lin Chuan''s serious demeanor into ount. Afterward. Lin Chuan took out a shlight from his pocket. This shlight was the typemonly used by treasure appraisers, identical to the one used by Director Li Zeguang of the Cultural Relics Bureau. He then looked around the room, walked to the window, drew bothyers of curtains, closed the door, turned off the lights, and cut off the external natural light, with the screen going temporarily nk as well. The entire meeting room was plunged into darkness. Only the beam from Lin Chuan''s shlight shone brightly. This beam of light, simr to the one on the screen just before, shone down from above onto the thin-walled jade vase. "Director Li, would you please look at the light transmission performance of this thin-walled jade vase and the shadow effect it presents?" Lin Chuan turned to Li Zeguang. Of those present, he was the only one who might understand. Li Zeguang''s brow furrowed as he nced at Lin Chuan and then focused on the thin-walled jade vase. After several rounds of observation, he finally gave his assessment: "Its walls are thin, the jade is of high quality, with excellent light transmission performance, and the shadow effect shows a gradient of color." Lin Chuan smiled and asked, "How does this shadow effectpare to the one at the 4 minute and 26 second mark we just saw?" Li Zeguang was taken aback. Suddenly. He looked up sharply at Lin Chuan, his brow furrowed tightly, "You mean to say, they present different shadows?" "Exactly." Lin Chuan nodded and then asked Youyou to hold the shlight while he pointed out a specific shadow, "Director Li, this angle matches exactly with the one in the video recording, but look here, it doesn''t disy the natural gradient from bright to dim light green color as in the video. Instead, there are two subtle spots here, causing the shadows to be slightly mottled." As Lin Chuan exined, Li Zeguang''s frown deepened with astonishment. He could no longer sit still! He abruptly stood up, quickly walked over to Lin Chuan, bent down, and looked closely at the subtle mottled shadows Lin Chuan had just pointed out. Then, he turned to look at the exterior wall of the vase and then to the interior. There was no dirt or dust on the inside or outside walls. The subtle mottling was caused by the patina of the jade vase! Meaning, the thin-walled jade vase before him was not the same ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' Lin Chuan had appraised before. They were not the same artifact! The Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase was still intact, undamaged! There was still a chance to recover it! In the pitch-dark meeting room. Li Zeguang first swallowed hard and then looked up at Lin Chuan, his eyes shone with increased brightness, the initial contempt nowpletely gone, filled with admiration, "That''s fantastic, the damaged thin-walled jade vase isn''t the actual Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase. The real one is undamaged!" Chapter 182: Chapter 151: Antique Forgery Gang! (Subscribe Please)_3 Upon hearing this, the conference room erupted into uproar! Li Zeguang was an absolute authority in Modu antique appraisal, and now, he had validated Lin Chuan''s im. This thin-walled jade vase was fake! Chen Hui froze on the spot, his mouth slightly agape. In the dim light, like everyone else, he looked up at Lin Chuan, his face thick with disbelief. After the "Overseas Cultural Relics Repatriation Ceremony," during the exhibition phase, damaging a national treasure-level relic meant facing a cmitous situationexorbitantpensation plus prison time. But who could have imagined that he could discern this ''national treasure-level relic'' as a counterfeit and sessfully prove it? What needs to be known is that, during the exhibition, hundreds of people had appraised this replica, admired its beauty, but none questioned its authenticity. After this counterfeit was damaged, Lin Chuan never showed any signs of panic from beginning to end. It turned out he had realized it long ago. And he waspletely confident in his heart! He had an ace up his sleeve! Chen Hui thought again, what if he had been in that position? Without doubt, he would have been behind bars. Suddenly, Chen Hui felt some respect for Lin Chuan, silently thinking to himself, Shen Qianqian ah, no wonder you are so fond of him, paying extra attention whenever his name is mentioned. He indeed had something special! To the side, Youyou let out a long sigh of relief. The stone on her heart had finally fallen! Meanwhile, she watched as the residual light from the shlight lit up Lin Chuan''s profile, handsome and refined, and emitting a sense of security. ''Indeed, he''s my treasure of a boy.'' Youyou pursed her lips, her heart thumping wildly, like a little deer lost in the forest, running into trees. Whoosh! The curtains were drawn, and the splendidly bright sunlight re-entered the conference room, illuminating everything and dispelling the lingering gloom and oppression, reced by a rtively rxed atmosphere. Using the differences in light and shadow to identify the thin-walled jade vase as a replica was a unique appraisal technique that Li Zeguang was experiencing for the first time. Seemingly simple operations, but the necessary depth of knowledge about antique jade was beyond imagination. It was as if returning to the basics. Li Zeguang, the Director of the Modu Cultural Relics Bureau, a highly esteemed individual, was now performing a Chuan-style face change. He looked at Lin Chuan with a smile full of praise, treating Lin Chuan as an honored guest, "Comrade Lin Chuan, please take a seat, take a seat. And you, miss, please sit as well." As for damaging a mere replica, it was just a trivial matter to him. Where was Lin Chuan, the master of relic appraisal, important? Lin Chuan and Youyou sat down together. Li Zeguang took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts, "Comrade Lin Chuan, we are lucky to have you pointing out that this thin-walled jade vase was a replica, otherwise, we would have been kept in the dark, letting those criminals go unpunished." Lin Chuan, seated next to Li Zeguang, chuckled dryly, "I had no choice in the matter." Forced to prove it to avoid being locked up. Tsk... "Old Zhao, about Comrade Lin Chuan''s case..." Li Zeguang looked toward Zhao Gang, the Chief of the police station, and began to speak. Zhao Gang pondered for a moment, looked at Li Zeguang and Lin Chuan, and continued, "Currently, based on the avable clues and materials, the bureau tentatively ssifies this cultural relic damage as an idental event." "An idental event..." The Director of the Cultural Relics Bureau, Li Zeguang, murmured thoughtfully. Zhao Gang then smiled, "Comrade Lin Chuan, since you are the involved party, I would like to hear your opinion." Lin Chuan thought briefly and then pointed to the vase on the table, saying, "If this vase was a real ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' the probability of an idental event would be very slim, but since it''s a counterfeit, if it met with an ''ident'' and ceased to exist, wouldn''t that mean the fact that it was a switched vase would never be known?" The two directors exchanged nces, their brows furrowing in unison. If they continued to believe that the thin-walled jade vase before them was genuine, no one would think of this aspect. But precisely because it was confirmed to be a replica, Lin Chuan''s conjecture took root and sprouted quickly in the minds of the two directors! Lin Chuan added anotherment: "Moreover, this replica of a thin-walled jade vase was crafted so exquisitely it''s hard to imagine the extent of the involvement behind it." The two directors'' eyes widened as the same thought crossed their mindsan Antique Forgery Gang they had been investigating recently. Antique Forgery Gang!!! Chapter 192: Chapter 158: This Web Novel Writer Is Very Skilled! (Please Subscribe) Wenbai Studio. Outside the window, the rain grew fierce,rge raindrops hitting the tightly closed window like bullets, creating a ''bang bang bang'' sound. Ayer of mist quickly collected on the windowpane, blurring the view outside. Hoo, hoo, hoo. Bursts of strong wind swept by, water on the window forming intecing streams. From the inside looking out, it resembled the scenery of a Water Curtain Cave. Lin Chuan sat at his desk, listening to the sounds of wind, rain, water streams, and the asional thunder outside, as if he was listening to a magnificent war concerto. "Here''s your pearl milk tea." Youyou walked over to Lin Chuan and handed him a cup of milk tea. Lin Chuan took it, smiling, "Thanks for the milk tea, Editor-in-Chief." "tterer." A bright smile emerged on Youyou''s face. She then opened her phone, scrolled through Quick Shake videos, and with another smile said, "It''s only been ten minutes, and our video already has 50,000 views, so fast!" Lin Chuan sipped his milk tea and smiled, "Of course it''s fast, we went straight to the homepage''s trending section." Youyou smiled easily too, batting her eyes at Lin Chuan, "With skills like these, I suddenly feel it''s such a waste for you to be writing novels." Yeah, what web novel writer is this versatile? "This is my old profession; I can''t forget where I started!" Lin Chuan smiled and said, "Besides, if I don''t write novels, where would your achievementse from? Don''t you want to be the editor-in-chief?" "Editor-in-chief... Of course I do." Youyou said with pursed lips and a smile. "When I acquire Sailing Novel, I''ll let you be the chief editor," Lin Chuan said half-jokingly. "Then my career''s soaring depends on you," Youyou said with augh. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then denied his previous idea, "No, you can''t be the chief editor." "Ah?" Youyou pursed her lips, looking somewhat aggrieved as she said, "Why can''t I be the chief editor?" "You should be the CEO!" "CEO, I''m afraid I might run Sailing Novel into the ground," Youyou joked with a smile. "No problem, if it copses, it copses, I was just talking big anyway." Lin Chuanughed heartily. Compared to the tension and solemnity of the Ancient Moon Museum, the atmosphere inside Wenbai Studio was much lighter. After all, Lin Chuan was now lying in wait, holding the upper hand, ying the role of the hunter. "There''s movement." A popup appeared on theptop on the work desk. CC A foreign IP is attempting to intrude. Lin Chuan put down his milk tea, his thoughts returning to the battlefield. Youyou silently moved Lin Chuan''s milk tea further away, then quietly watched from the side. As Lin Chuan''s editor, she had seriously read his "Hacker Kingdom" and had a basic understanding of cyber defense, so she was also curious if Lin Chuan''s hacking skills were really as miraculous as described in his book. "Bro, I''m fired up!" Old Bai rushed over from hisputer desk, his eyes shining as he said. "Fired up about what?" Lin Chuan was slightly taken aback, but his hands continued their work, fingers flying over the keyboard at a blistering pace. Theputer screen disyed lines of code that seemed indecipherable to the uninitiated. At the same time, several software windows opened, and Lin Chuan''s operations left Youyou beside him confused. "The cyber warfare described in the Hacker Network!" Old Bai said excitedly, "I never thought I''d witness it in real life. I''m already feeling pumped!" Lin Chuan''s fingers moved quickly, initiating multiple programmands at once. A momentter, a rxed smile appeared on his face, "Old Bai, stop getting excited, it''s already over." "Ah?" Old Bai was instantly surprised, a puzzled look on his face, "It ended just as we started talking?" "The other side was trying to breach my firewall. Defending against it was naturally simple," Lin Chuan said with a lifted eyebrow and a smile. "I thought it was going to be a back-and-forth battle. I didn''t expect them to be so weak," Old Bai said with a pout. "They aren''t weak; the intrusion method was very sophisticated. Let me just locate theirwork IP address," Lin Chuan began to track the adversary''swork IP address. This could very likely be rted to the Antique Forgery Gang. "Who''s on the other side?" Old Bai asked curiously. It wasn''t long before Lin Chuan locked onto the adversary''swork IP address, his brow furrowing slightly, "Them?" "Who is it?" Youyou''s eyebrows knitted together. "An old rival, another hacker organization, AW," Lin Chuan nced at the string ofwork IP addresses with a slight frown. "Are they the ones behind the scenes?" Youyou couldn''t help but ask. Lin Chuan shook his head and exined, "Probably not, more likely they are the guys hired by the Antique Forgery Gang." "Can we use this to track down the Antique Forgery Gang?" Youyou quickly asked. "It''s difficult." Lin Chuan smiled, "Not knowing their exact connection to the Antique Forgery Gang, it''s hard to trace the gang''s whereabouts, but..." "But what?" Youyou and Old Bai both had intense expressions. Lin Chuan''s gaze fell on the thin-walled jade vase nearby, then he smiled, "But, the fact that the Antique Forgery Gang has started asking AW''s hackers to attack us means they are panicking. AW''s hackers can''t breach my defenses, so soon they will contact us themselves. At that time, it will be our opportunity." Youyou and Old Bai had a moment of realization. Just as Lin Chuan expected. Within a short two minutes, a private message popped up on the Quick Shake video ount on theptop: "Think about what you want." The nickname of the sender was abination of initial letters and numbers. Chapter 193: Chapter 158: This Web Novel Writer is Very Skilled! (Please Subscribe)_2 """ "The fish has bitten the hook." Youyou''s face lit up with joy. She looked at Lin Chuan''s focused face, a strange glint passing through her eyes as she thought to herself, confident and serious guys are really handsome. Lin Chuan, while looking at the private message box, replied, "What do you think?" "Delete the video. You name your price." The other party responded. "Are you talking about buying the exclusive rights to the entire video?" Lin Chuan typed back lightly, simultaneously chatting with the other party and using his skills to search for the other party''swork IP address. "Yes, exclusive rights," the other party replied, "Whatever you think it''s worth, just name a price and we''ll have no issues in the future." "Any price?" Lin Chuan deliberately led the other party on. The ount on the other end was also using virtual IP technology, but they were dealing with Lin Chuan, a world-ss hacker. The virtual IP technology did not provide the imagined effect. In less than five minutes, Lin Chuan had traced the IP address used by the other ount, and immediately began to prepare to breach the IP, extract its data, and follow the trail to gather relevant personal information. In the end, most of the information associated with this ount began pointing to one person: Gao Qinglin. "So it was him?" Lin Chuan furrowed his brows. "Gao Qinglin, the lead expert of Modu Museum, is the one behind the scenes!" A look of astonishment shed across Youyou''s face. "He even wanted to have lunch with Old Lin today," Old Baimented with a frown. Old Bai''s words added to the puzzled look between Lin Chuan''s eyebrows. The lunch was facilitated by Hu Shu, but Gao Qinglin had shown great respect for Hu Shu at the table, even going so far as to act somewhat deferentially towards him. A thought shed through Lin Chuan''s mind: if Gao Qinglin showed such reverence for Hu Shu, then... Hu Shu was perhaps the mastermind behind it all. All of a sudden! Lin Chuan seemed to understand everything. "So from the beginning, it was aimed at me!" Lin Chuan murmured. Youyou was taken aback, "What''s wrong?" Lin Chuan then said, "Do you remember Chief Editor Zhang taking the Douli Bowl I gave him to Hu Shu for appraisal?" "I remember." Youyou nodded, "Is there a connection between the two?" "If I were to say that Mr. Hu is actually the shadowy figure behind the Antique Forgery Gang, would you still think the idents we encountered were just idents?" Lin Chuan spected. Youyou''s eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, her expression full of surprise. If Mr. Hu were the shadowy figure behind the forgery gang... Then, his repeated offers of an olive branch and assistance to Lin Chuan could be seen as part of a scheme. A scheme that targeted both Lin Chuan and the thin-walled jade vase. The unexpected power outage, the broken surveince, Lin Chuan''s and her own sudden fall. Subsequently, Hu Shu offered Lin Chuan an olive branch, strongly rmending Lin Chuan for artifact restoration, and even donating in Lin Chuan''s name to the Cultural Relics Bureau, ultimately leading Lin Chuan to the Ancient Moon private museum. All with the aim of recruiting Lin Chuan into the Antique Forgery Gang. Because Lin Chuan had top-notch forging skills. This scheme filled Youyou with dread. If someone else, unaware that the Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase was a fake, then Hu Shu''s n would have been wless. Without any way of breaking it apart. "It''s terrifying." Youyou''s heart pounded, her demeanor somewhat unsettled. Lin Chuan was equally shocked; this n had nearly ensnared him. Indeed, none in the antiques circle who can move through it with such ease are simple characters. Liu Qing was one such person. Hu Shu, even more so. Both had a strong capability to scheme: Liu Qing used beauty traps to lure in naive newbies like Bai, while Hu Shu employed near wless schemes to attract skilled talents. Whew Lin Chuan took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in his heart. By this time, the location of Gao Qinglin''swork IP address was already pinpointed. Sure enough. Ancient Moon Museum. Lin Chuan did not hesitate, immediately pulling out his phone to make a call. ''Beep beep beep'' The urgent ringing of the phone passed through the device. Beep, the call connected. "Lin, is there a new discovery?" asked the deep voice of Director Zhao from the police station on the phone. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, asking solemnly, "Director Zhao, can you speak freely on your end?" """ On the other end of the phone, Zhao Gang immediately realized something, closed his office door, and then replied, "It''s convenient now." "Director Zhao, I''ve found two core members of the Antique Forgery Gang." At this critical moment, Lin Chuan didn''t beat around the bush and spoke directly. "Hmm?" In the police station office, Zhao Gang''s eyes widened, "You said you''ve found two core members of the Antique Forgery Gang?" "Yes," Lin Chuan replied. "Who are they?" Zhao Gang asked sternly, with a solemn look on his face. Lin Chuan nced at theputer screen''s positioning and replied, "Gao Qinglin, chief expert of Modu Museum, and Hu Shu, the owner of Ancient Moon Museum." Hiss! As these two names reached Zhao Gang''s ears, he couldn''t help taking a sharp breath. Gao Qinglin and Hu Shu, influential figures in the Modu antiques circle, were the two core members of the Antique Forgery Gang? Zhao Gang had to take this seriously, "Lin, do you have evidence?" "The evidence is conclusive." Lin Chuan nodded firmly and went through the actions he took today, especially the evidence rted to Gao Qinglin, exining everything in detail. Zhao Gang took another deep breath. Even with his wide range of experience, he was secretly shocked. Firstly, because of Gao Qinglin and Hu Shu. Secondly, because of Lin Chuan. Particrly since Lin Chuan had encountered a hacker from the overseas hacker organization AW, gained the upper hand, and even pushed Gao Qinglin and Hu Shu to contact him, enabling him to follow the trail and track down Gao Qinglin. This skill made him feel somewhat ashamed. Over at the police station, they were still in the information-gathering stage concerning the "Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase recement" case, while Lin Chuan had already deciphered the opponents'' tactics and directly pinpointed the two core figures. His abilities could not be considered anything but strong. Lin Chuan, a native of Anling City, Han River Province, 24 years old, profession, web novel writer. This web novel writer was very skilled! "I''ll apply for an arrest warrant immediately!" Zhao Gang swiftly came back to his senses and said seriously. "They are still at the Ancient Moon Museum now, we must move quickly," Lin Chuan urged. "Lin, I hope you will assist us in this operation," Director Zhao invited Lin Chuan over the phone. Lin Chuan nodded, "Alright." "I will send someone to pick you up right away," Zhao Gang said quickly, and with a sense of urgency, he hung up and started the process for the arrest warrant. This time, Zhao Gang personally led the criminal police team on a secret operation. Several police cars drove into the heavy and fierce rain. The rain beat against the car bodies, making a "pitter-patter" noise, and the windshield wipers moved rapidly across the front ss, sweeping away the rain that obstructed the view. It was then that Lin Chuan and Zhao Gangpleted their rendezvous. On the police car, there was also the Cultural Relics Bureau Director, Li Zeguang. In the violent rainstorm, Lin Chuan, Zhao Gang, Li Zeguang, and a group of criminal police officers arrived outside the estate of the Ancient Moon Museum. Only fifteen minutes had passed from the moment Lin Chuan called Zhao Gang to now. Their action was decisive, with the speed of thunder. Online, Lin Chuan was still negotiating with Gao Qinglin under the user name "Taro Who Doesn''t Like To Eat." During which, Lin Chuan took down the video to keep them steady. Inside the guest room on the third floor of the Ancient Moon Museum, "Mr. Hu, the video has been temporarily taken down, and they are asking for thirty million," Gao Qinglin breathed a sigh of relief and reported to Hu Shu. "Arrange a meeting with him, decide on the time and ce for the transaction," said Hu Shu coldly, holding a cup of tea by the tea table. "Okay." Gao Qinglin immediatelyplied and in the private chat with "Taro Who Doesn''t Like To Eat," he messaged, "No problem, I will set the time and ce." At that moment, "Taro Who Doesn''t Like To Eat" replied: "No need to go through all that trouble, I''ming to you." Gao Qinglin''s brow furrowed tightly, and he felt a sudden dread in his heart. Then "Taro Who Doesn''t Like To Eat" sent another message: "Ancient Moon Museum, is that the ce?" Gao Qinglin swallowed, tremulously looking towards Hu Shu, "We''ve been yed." Hu Shu snatched the tablet quickly, swiftly scanning through the chat history, his face changed color, and then he quickly stepped over to the window of the guest room, looking down. The rain was lessening, and the mist was slowly dissipating. Down below, Hu Shu clearly saw hordes of criminal police officers flooding in, quickly surrounding the Ancient Moon Museum. Among them, one person was wearing a simple white shirt with a handsome face, and in the light rain, he looked up at the window of the third-floor guest room, locking eyes with him. That person was Lin Chuan. For a moment, as Hu Shu looked down at the young man of only twenty-four below, his face was filled with shock and disbelief. Chapter 194: Chapter 159: We Cant Let Comrade Lin Be Snatched Away! (Please Subscribe) The rain was gradually diminishing. Within the estate where the Ancient Moon Museum was located, countless deep blue uniformed detectives stood on guard, prepared for action, creating an immense sense of oppression for Hu Shu in the third-floor reception room. Gao Qinglin also walked to the window. Hecked the calm demeanor of Hu Shu. Looking down and seeing police chief Zhao Gang personally leading the criminal investigation team to surround the Ancient Moon Museum, his heart was in turmoil. "Mr. Hu, what do we do now?" Gao Qinglin''s voice trembled, his legs felt weak, and his face was etched with panic. Hu Shu did not speak. He simply stared at the young man in white amongst the detectives below, lost in thought. There was no escape. In less than a minute, a portion of the detective squad had rushed into the third-floor reception room. Zhao Gang, Li Zeguang, and Lin Chuan, the three of them, followed closely behind. Outside the window, raindrops ''ticked and tocked'' on the windowsill, slowly, slowly, in the silent atmosphere, like the countdown of a second hand. As cmity approached, Hu Shu''s expression, on the contrary, regained itsposure. He sat quietly in front of the tea table in the middle of the reception room, methodically preparing tea. "Visitors should be greeted with tea," Hu Shu poured three cups of tea, looked towards Lin Chuan, Li Zeguang, and Lin Chuan, and revealed a faint smile on his face. These people were all old acquaintances. Zhao Gang and Li Zeguang exchanged a nce, then took their seats at the tea table, curious to see what Hu Shu intended to do. Lin Chuan was not afraid; he walked over with ease. The situation was now under control. Meanwhile, Gao Qinglin, with weak knees, was propped up by Chen Hui and another detectiverade, handcuffed with shiny silver handcuffs, his face ashen. Hu Shu paid no mind to this. His gaze swept across Zhao Gang, Li Zeguang, and Lin Chuan, then he smiled and said, "I hadn''t expected you to discover the ruse so quickly." Zhao Gang and Li Zeguang then turned their attention to Lin Chuan. Hu Shu raised an eyebrow, his guess seemingly confirmed, and turned to Lin Chuan, asking, "Lin, when did you realize that the thin-walled jade vase was a counterfeit?" Lin Chuan looked at Hu Shu, a smile appearing on his face: "I realized it during the ceremony for the repatriation of overseas relics." Surprise showed on Hu Shu''s calm face as he frowned, "So you knew from the beginning, which means that even without that ident, you would still have reported it to the Cultural Relics Bureau, right?" Lin Chuan nodded and hummed. "I''m puzzled, with your age, you shouldn''t be able to discern the authenticity of the thin-walled jade vase," Hu Shu nced at Lin Chuan and asked with evident confusion. Lin Chuan smiled, not directly answering Hu Shu''s question, but rather saying, "Mr. Hu, you said before that you''ve been reading my novels. Which part are you up to now?" Hu Shu did not know why Lin asked this but still replied, "I just reached the part where Mr. Lin forges the ''North Song Dynasty Fanchang Kiln Shadow Blue-zed Plum Vase,'' at chapter two hundred." "If I remember correctly, you can skip directly to chapter three hundred and sixty-five," Lin Chuan suggested to Hu Shu with a smile. Perplexed, Hu Shu nced at Lin, yet he picked up the mobile phone from the table and opened Sailing Novel under the surveince of the detectives, entered the "Last Week''s Antique" novel page, and flipped to chapter three hundred and sixty-five. Chapter title: I Made a Mistake. Hu Shu frowned and scrolled down, absorbing the content of the novel into his eyes. ''As it turns out, my counterfeit enterprise was not without troubles.'' ''Tonight, I made a mistake.'' ''My esteemed jade vase forgery skills experienced a setback.'' ''The night was clear, and the moonlight was pale.'' ''In the courtyard, the sounds of summer cicadas chirped, and the evening breeze rustled the branches in the garden.'' ''Brother Lin,e quick!'' ''Qing called out to me urgently in the front hall, her tone both hasty and anxious.'' ''On the central square table in the front hall stood a jade vase, known as the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' of course, a counterfeit I had created a few days back, freshlypleted with herbal staining tonight.'' ''I was very satisfied with it, believing it was a perfect replica.'' ''What''s wrong? I asked Qing.'' ''Qing held several photos in her hand and, pointing at the thin-walled jade vase, anxiously said, this jade vase is slightly different from the one in the photos!'' ''I was puzzled and asked back, where does it differ?'' ''They look the same without strong light, but with strong light shining on them...!'' ''That''s what Qing said.'' ''I was shocked, checked immediately, and indeed, under intense light, their reflections showed extremely subtle differences.'' ''...'' The further Hu Shu read, the moreplex his expression became. Surprise, confusion, empathy... it all was there. At that moment, as he read this chapter, it was as if he saw his own current situation reflected, quite like his, yet he did not have a Qing in the story to point out the issue with the light and shadow for him. By the time he became aware of the problem, it was already toote. "So, you had already encountered the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' before," After reading this chapter, Hu Shu heaved a sigh. Only someone who thoroughly understood antiques could write such a novel. Without a doubt. Lin Chuan was such a person. "You could say I''ve encountered it," Lin Chuan mused with a slight smile. Hu Shu straightened his clothes, lifted his head, blinked, and let out a self-deprecatingugh: "I had thought that in this world, no one else could notice the fakes I produced, but to my surprise, I fell into your hands." Lin Chuan shook his head. Looking at this top figure in Modu''s antiques circle, who was also the head of arge antique forgery gang, he smiled and praised, "You set a pretty good trap yourself." Chapter 186: Chapter 153: Mr. Lin, Entering the Game with His Own Body! (Please Subscribe) Ancient Moon, private museum. Inside the third-floor reception room, a beautiful girl in a cheongsam smiled as she refilled the tea for Mr. Hu, Lin Chuan, and others, then slowly retreated to one side. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, picked up the warm teacup, sipped the tea lightly, and then locked eyes with Mr. Hu, smiling, "If I were to decline Mr. Hu''s generous praise, I''d be merely feigning modesty." Right then! Mr. Hu''s eyes brightened, and a smile appeared on his face, "With Mr. Lin''s skills, restoring that ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' should pose no problem." Lin Chuan nodded and smiled, "I''ll do my best." "Mr. Lin is being modest. That ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' was absolutely masterful, top-notch in the world!" Mr. Hu did not hide his admiration for Lin Chuan as he continued, "I''ll rmend you to the Cultural Relics Bureau for the restoration right away." "Thank you, Mr. Hu." Lin Chuan said with a smile. Afterward, Mr. Hu led Lin Chuan and Youyou on a satisfying tour of the museum. By the time the visit was over, it was already the afternoon. Lin Chuan and Youyou left the ''Ancient Moon'' museum, walked out of the estate, and strolled along the riverbank on the embankment. As the day approached dusk, the clouds were tinged with gold and a hint of powder purple by the setting sun''s afterglow, like a magnificent light gauze. In the sky, asional birds winged their way home, their long shadows dancing on the glistening surface of the river. At this time, the breeze by the river, carrying a bit of coolness, brushed against the two of them, ying havoc with Youyou''s hair. Youyou smoothed her hair and tucked it behind her ear, then turned to question, "Why did you agree to Mr. Hu''s request?" "Does it seem odd to you?" Lin Chuan smiled. Youyou nodded. Lin Chuan stopped, his hands resting on the railings of the river embankment, facing the river: "If I didn''t ept, wouldn''t that be even stranger?" "From the perspective of someone unaware, indeed, it would be very odd," Youyou pondered, "but from the perspective of someone in the know, it''s also quite odd for you to agree to restore the artefact." Of course, Lin Chuan nned to use the ''urgent need for a Jade Artefact Restoration Expert'' as a way to ''Lure the Snake out of its Hole''. If he became the restorer himself, who would be lured out? Himself? Lin Chuan shook his head, chuckling, "Mr. Hu has the right to make rmendations. As to who carries out the restoration, that''s for the Cultural Relics Bureau to decide, and moreover, don''t you find something strange??" As he spoke, Lin Chuan paused. "Strange? What kind of feeling?" Youyou''s eyebrows furrowed in question. "Don''t you think Mr. Hu is very enthusiastic about us?" Lin Chuan frowned. "What''s so odd about that? You''re a master of antiques, and as a famous collector, wanting to befriend you is only natural," Youyou thought logically. "That''s the apparent logic, but just look at his museum; the sheer number and value of the collections demonstrate his substantial wealth. With such capability, countless top antique masters serve him, so why is he making such great efforts totch onto me?" Lin Chuan posed the question pointedly. "This" Youyou found herself at a loss for words, "Could it be love at first sight?" Lin Chuan''s face darkened as he spat out, "Youyou, we''re in Modu, remember it''s ''Mo'', not ''Cheng''!" "Ahem, a kindred spirit on first meeting!" Youyou''s mouth curled into a radiant smile. "That exnation is quite mystical. So, I''m also curious whether he is genuinely extending a helping hand or has some ulterior motive. To find out, I agreed to let him rmend me for the jade vase restoration," Lin Chuan returned to the matter at hand. Though he risked being used of judging others by his own corrupt standards, when abroad and dealing with an experienced and influential individual, it was always best to be cautious. Pursing her lips, Youyou propped her elbow on the railing, tilted her head, and rubbed her temple with her thumb, "There are so manyplexities here; I''m better suited to reviewing manuscripts, straightforward and direct." "Yes, I, too, prefer writing novels," Lin Chuan agreed, nodding. "Then we make a great pair!" Youyou tilted her head back, batting her eyshes. "When ites to novels tsk," Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched, his thoughts on that afternoon''s hot search he had seen. Last Week''s Antique by Mr. Lin. Now, it faced a boycott. [Work: "Last Week''s Antique".] [Status: Already Listed.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 5318/20000.] At noon today, eating crab roe noodles, the Average Subscription was 5287. An afternoon has passed, and now it''s 5318. "5318 minus 5287, with a total of 410 premium chapters..." Lin Chuan''s gaze drifted to the upper left as he murmured a set of numbers, ultimately arriving at two values. New chapter subscription count: 12710. Average Subscription increase: 31. An afternoon had passed, and there was only an increase of 31 Average Subscriptions, with the growth rate of Average Subscriptions sharply declining. Which means, the incident of him identally knocking over a national treasure grade cultural relic haspletely nullified the traffic gained from the previous anti-fraud writing contest, a total loss! Even now, with "Last Week''s Antique" still listed in the powerful rmendations, it''s futile. Lin Chuan took a deep breath and then took out his phone, opening the reader group he hadn''t checked in thest couple of days. ''Abiding by thew is everyone''s responsibility''. The reader group was still lively. Compared to before, the reader group was much more active. Messages: 999+ Moreover, the number of messages in the group was still increasing. "Lin Chuan, maybe you shouldn''t look at the reader group, huh?" Youyou, who happened to nce at Lin Chuan''s phone screen, said resignedly. As Lin Chuan''s editor, she always monitored Lin Chuan''s activities closely. Thus, she had specifically created an alt ount to join Lin Chuan''s reader group. This afternoon, while Hu Shu was taking them on a tour of the museum, she snuck a peek at Lin Chuan''s reader group. Thements inside... even Youyou couldn''t help but gasp. "I still have to see it no matter what!" Lin Chuan''s heart sank, he said firmly. These readers were allmitted subscribers, the true fans; the group still had 2000 members with not a single person leaving. That alone confirmed that there was a strong emotional bond between him and his readers. [@Mr. Lin, you''re in deep trouble, I heard that the cultural relic is worth a billion yuan!] [Now you''re really done for, the entire inte is boycotting your new book, you''repletely doomed!] [Guys, remember to @ me if there''s a twist in the story.] [Suspect Mr. Lin, it''s alright, I''ll still read your book after three years.] [Guys, is there a way to apply to be a prison guard? I want to give Mr. Lin a whipping and urge him to seriously write novels in prison.] [You better be serious about that whipping!] [@Mr. Lin, I''m one of your female fans, I really like your novels, but my girlfriend''s family deals in antiques and she won''t let me read your book anymore, I''ve even broken up with her now!] [I heard you''re out on bail now, hurry up ande out! @Mr. Lin] [...] Lin Chuan''s fingertips flew swiftly, each message shing across his vision. Whew Lin Chuan exhaled deeply, smiled, and murmured softly, "At least the brothers left me some face." Fortunately, this group of unserious ''criminals'' didn''t curse too outrageously. However, Lin Chuan could now only continue to y dead, not bubbling up to the surface, not speaking, as the police had already blocked off the news, and Old Bai hadn''t leaked the information that the ''relic was a fake''. But the boycott of "Last Week''s Antique" across the inte really affected him. Although the novel was generated by the system and not written by him, it was created based on his real-life experiences, with each plot point born from his own involvement. Every imitation of an antique was also handmade by him, none of it fictitious. Therefore, each novel generated by the system was as precious as treasure to Lin Chuan. Only those who experienced it know its profound meaning. He hoped the novel would be a hit, wished for more friends to venture into that virtual world with him, to savor Mr. Lin''s life story. That was also his inner world. Lin Chuan watched the breeze brush over the river''s surface, feeling a sudden thrill, then resolutely said, "I should also do something for Mr. Lin!" Chapter 187: Chapter 154 Oh no, the real target is Lin Chuan! (Please subscribe) Modu, Riverside Embankment. The setting sun''s afterglow stretched the shadows of Lin Chuan and Youyou very long, casting them onto the curb. A gentle breeze wafted by, carrying the fragrance of grass and mist, which felt fresh and cool in the lingering warmth. "Lin Chuan, are you okay?" Youyou looked at Lin Chuan with concern and asked. "Of course, I''m okay." Lin Chuan smiled and then lifted his arm, stretchingzily. "I just heard you mumbling to yourself, and I thought you might be overwhelmed by what the readers said in the group." Youyou said with a beaming smile. Lin Chuan smiled, "My psychological quality is quite passable, I suppose." "I can see that." Youyou raised her brows yfully, her tone teasing. "Where can you see that?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "Others tremble in the interrogation room, and theye out feeling scared, but you, you seem to be quite thrilled." Youyou''s lips curled up into a smile. Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched, and he immediately retorted, "Youyou, don''t talk nonsense, I definitely did not enjoy it!" "So you did enjoy it?" Youyou blinked, her face wearing a mischievous smile. A ck line appeared on Lin Chuan''s forehead. Looking at Youyou, he couldn''t help but chuckle, "Youyou, do you think I enjoyed it?" "I am scared regardless," Youyou pursed her lips. "You won''t be afraid after a few more times," Lin Chuan said with augh. "Unlike you, Mr. Lin, the suspect." Youyouughed, half-jokingly teasing, "Darling~ where shall we go next?" Lin Chuan smiled, "To the police station, to face our fears head-on." "Ah?" Youyou was startled, "Are you really going to take me into the interrogation room?" "Ha ha ha, just kidding. I have an idea for solving the case that I want to share with them." Lin Chuan grinned and then took out his phone to call Zhao Gang, the Chief of Modu Police Station. Beep beep beep The phone had barely rung three times when the call was answered. "Comrade Lin, it''s a coincidence; I was just about to look for you." Over the phone came the voice of Chief Zhao Gang. Lin Chuan was slightly taken aback and asked, "Director Zhao, do you have new leads?" "Not exactly. It''s about selecting someone for artifact restoration," Zhao Gang said. Lin Chuan furrowed his brows, "Coincidentally, I also wanted to discuss the artifact restoration selection with Director Zhao." "Oh?" Zhao Gang''s voice carried some confusion, asking, "Comrade Lin, who do you rmend?" Lin Chuanughed and replied, "Myself." This Antique Forgery Gang from Modu had switched out the Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase and orchestrated an ''ident,'' making Lin Chuan the scapegoat of this ''ident.'' This had led to Lin Chuan being defamed and maligned. Of course, those problems weren''t significant. The most critical issue was that "Last Week''s Antique" had been boycotted and reported, which could really cost Lin Chuan dearly. For an author, this was the most painful blow. Lin Chuan had thought for a long time. He decided to personally expose the Antique Forgery Gang and send them in to prove his innocence and to take the opportunity to promote his novel positively, aiming straight for twenty thousand subscriptions. Therefore, for the sake of "Last Week''s Antique," Lin Chuan had to ''sacrifice'' the Antique Forgery Gang! Ruthlessly sacrifice! And personally restoring the replica of the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' was a crucial part of Lin Chuan''s strategy to infiltrate and keep control in his own hands. "Yourself?" On the other end of the phone, Chief Zhao Gang was slightly taken aback. "Yes," Lin Chuan replied earnestly. "Old Li and I also wanted to consult with you on who to choose for the restoration," Zhao Gang said with a light chuckle, "Why do you want to do the restoration yourself? What are the factors in your decision?" Lin Chuan nced at the Riverside Embankment, now bustling with more people, and then said, "Director Zhao, I''m not far from the police station. How about we discuss this in person?" "I couldn''t ask for more; Old Li is here as well." Zhao Gang''s voice was filled with joy, somewhat excited. "Director Zhao, see you in a bit." Lin Chuan nodded and then went to the police station with Youyou. The remaining glow of the sunset, orange-red, slowly faded in the western sky, merging light and darkness, and beneath the grey-blue sky, neon lights began to flicker, reflecting on the busy streets. Before long, Lin Chuan and Youyou got out of a cab and walked into the police station. In the conference room. Chiefs Zhao Gang and Li Zeguang had been waiting for some time. "Lin, Youyou, you''re here." Zhao Gang appeared very hospitable, gesturing for the two to sit down and pouring them both a cup of tea. Youyou sat demurely next to Lin Chuan, thanked the Chief for the tea, and then fell silent. She knew that she could enjoy the tea poured by Zhao Gang because of Lin Chuan. During these days of being with Lin Chuan, she had subconsciouslye to see him as her pir of strength. So when Lin Chuan brought her along, she simply followed. Now, the two were in the same boat. No, Lin Chuan was the rope, while she clung to the rope like a grasshopper, after all, she was "clinging onto a powerful thigh." After expressing his thanks, Lin Chuan took a light sip of his tea. Zhao Gang looked at Lin Chuan with a cheerful smile, "Lin, Old Li and I have been discussing for quite some time. The ''artifact restoration'' method you proposed before is indeed very useful." "Was there a new discovery?" Lin Chuan set down his teacup and asked with a smile. "It''s not so much a new discovery, but quite a few experts who were involved in the appraisal before the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' was returned have also rmended some master restorers. Some people rmended you as well," Zhao Gang said with a smile. For example, the chief expert from the Modu Museum, Gao Qinglin, and Old Bai''s mentor, Cheng Qing, rmended quite a few people. "Are these people on the watchlist?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile. Zhao Gang''s eyebrows raised with a smile, "Of course, I was just discussing with Old Li who would be more suitable for the restoration. I didn''t expect you to call and volunteer yourself. Lin, do you have any ns?" Inside the conference room. Lin Chuan nodded and said, "Indeed, I do have some ideas." "Please, Lin, do tell," Zhao Gang said, looking directly at Lin Chuan with a smile. Li Zeguang turned to look at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan''s gaze fell on the two directors. With a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth and a slightly slower pace, he said, "Directors, I volunteered to restore the artifact for two reasons. One is that I can serve as excellent ''bait,'' and the other is that we can maintain more control." Hearing this, the two directors exchanged nces. Lin Chuan was an outsider. Although he did not yet have a reputation in the Modu antiques circle, a part of it knew of his exceptional skills. If he were to restore the artifact, the Antique Forgery Gang that nned this event would soon take notice of him and either threaten or entice him. As for the issue of control. Lin Chuan thought that by personally interacting with those suspected of being part of the forgery gang, he could more quickly identify suspects and not miss any details. Even if the forgery gang did not act, he could also change strategies and proactively release some ''suspected antique forgery'' news to lure the snake out of its hole. This was his confidence. It was also his determination to ''sacrifice'' this Antique Forgery Gang to clear his own name. "I think it''s feasible," Li Zeguang mused for a moment before speaking. Zhao Gang nodded as well, "This way, anyone whoes looking for Lin can be directly targeted." A smile appeared on Lin Chuan''s face. ... The night deepened. The moon was high in the sky, casting its bright light upon a manor in the outskirts of Modu where the green was lush and the trees verdant, the tranquility bespeaking a touch of elegance. A man dressed in Tang attire, about the same age as Old Zhang, hurried along the cobblestone path and entered the ''Ancient Moon'' private museum, making his way familiarly to the third-floor reception room. This person was the chief expert of the Modu Museum, Gao Qinglin. "Mr. Hu." Gao Qinglin entered the reception room and took a seat at the tea table. Opposite him was the owner of the private museum, Hu Shu. "Have some tea first." Hu Shu poured a cup of Da Hong Pao tea and ced it in front of Gao Qinglin. "Mr. Hu, I''ll skip the tea for now. How could you help that kid?" Gao Qinglin asked with a trace of resentment on his face. Hu Shu looked up, his normally refined eyes sharp with an edge, "Do you have a problem with it?" Gao Qinglin met Hu Shu''s gaze, and his demeanor instantly softened, "Mr. Hu, you know I have a dispute with that kid. Now that he''s fallen, you still rmended him for artifact restoration and even n topensate him. I don''t quite understand it." "You''re still hung up over that trifle?" Hu Shu asked with a slight smile on his face. "But he publicly affronted me..." Gao Qinglin''s face darkened as he spoke more gravely. As the museum''s chief expert with absolute authority in the antiques circle, Lin Chuan had, in front of everyone, exposed a Taotie pattern wine vessel he had identified as genuine as a counterfeit. This was undoubtedly a ''desecration'' of his authority. "I didn''t elevate you to the position of chief expert for you toe and question me," Hu Shu said lightly, sipping his tea. Gao Qinglin''s expression stiffened, and he immediately fell silent. "Drink your tea," Hu Shu gestured toward the tea table. Gao Qinglin took a deep breath, picked up the tea cup, and drank it in one gulp. Hu Shu refilled the cup for Gao Qinglin and said calmly, "I have my own ns." "Mr. Hu, not to mention the little friction between him and me, just consider the matter of him restoring the artifact. His own talent for antique forgery is top-notch. If he sees through..." Gao Qinglin paused, not continuing. "Sees through what?" Hu Shu asked with no hint of taboo, smiling. "He has a reader who forged a bronze ware using methods described in his book, which even I, among others, missed. He has a terrifying insight when ites to antique forgery," despite his reluctance, Gao Qinglin couldn''t help but praise Lin Chuan. "I know, I''ve been slowly savoring his book as well." Hu Shu''s expression revealed a faint smile, then he suddenly sighed, "That Mr. Lin in his book reminds me of days long past." Gao Qinglin looked surprised. Seeing Hu Shu''s unabashed admiration, he couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Hu, are you considering recruiting Lin Chuan?" A glint flickered in Hu Shu''s eyes as he smiled and said, "Otherwise, why do you think ''the person who identally damaged the jade vase'' would be him?" Chapter 188: Chapter 155 How Can There Be Such a Monster as Lin Chuan? (Please Subscribe) ''Ancient Moon'' Museum. In the third-floor reception room, Hu Shu, wearing a dark blue long gown and sses, leisurely opened the cab beside him and took out a light green jade vase. The body of the vase was as thin as cicada''s wings, crystal clear, and decorated with an exquisite tangled branch pattern, clustering tightly like a painting. With an appreciative gaze, Hu Shu scrutinized the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' nodded contentedly, and said with a smile, "Indeed, it''s without parallel in the world." At that moment, Gao Qinglin on the opposite side started to tter, "Mr. Hu, if that imitation hadn''t been damaged, then you would have had a pair unparallelled in the world." But Hu Shu waved his hand dismissively and replied with a smile, "That imitation is the piece from my jade carving work that I am most satisfied with. Although it achieved a hundred percent reproduction of the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' it ultimatelycks one thing." "What thing?" Gao Qinglin''s face showed a hint of astonishment. Hu Shu gently put down the genuine artifact, smiled, and slowly said two words, "The years." "The years?" Gao Qinglin appeared startled, his brows slightly furrowing. As a master expert in the antiques circle, he was not unfamiliar with the term ''the years.'' However, judging the age of an artifactes down to assessing several key attributes, such as material, patina, encrustation, and craftsmanship. In his view, Hu Shu''s imitation of the Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase was aplete sess, with details such as the material and patination evaluated using high-precision instruments, indistinguishable from the original. It was an absolute sess of replication craftsmanship, a marvel in the field of antique forgery. Yet Hu Shu was now saying itcked ''the years.'' "An antique that has weathered time has its unique charm, one that cannot be replicated or forged." Hu Shu paused suddenly, corrected himself, "Not that it cannot be, but rather, it is extremely difficult to replicate or forge." Gao Qinglin did not share Hu Shu''s profound understanding of ''the years,'' this particr charm. But he keenly caught the change in Hu Shu''s tone. From ''cannot'' to ''extremely difficult.'' That is to say, there might be someone who could replicate that essence of ''the years.'' If possible, did that mean he could attain true perfection without w? The chief expert of Modu Museum furrowed his brows, looked towards his revered Mr. Hu, and asked, "Mr. Hu, can you do it?" Hu Shu shook his head and let out a self-deprecatingugh. Gao Qinglinughed as well and said, "If Mr. Hu can''t do it, then surely no one in this world can." However, Hu Shu shook his head again, sipped his tea, and remained silent, Gao Qinglin''s heart chilled, and his brows knitted tightly in surprise as he asked again, "If even Mr. Hu can''t do it, who can?" Hu Shu put down his teacup, opened the drawer under the tea table, took out a brocade box, ced it on the table, and then slowly opened the brocade box. Gao Qinglin leaned forward and saw a Douli Bowl wrapped in white silk inside the brocade box. "This Douli Bowl?" Gao Qinglin was puzzled. "You take a look first," said Hu Shu as he pushed the brocade box towards Gao Qinglin with a smile. With a look of confusion, Gao Qinglin picked up the Douli Bowl from the brocade box and began to examine it carefully. Inside the Douli Bowl, a five-color flower and butterfly pattern was painted, with lush branches and clustered flowers, and butterflies flitting about; the outer wall was painted with alum-red depicting four fishbelieved to be greenfish, whitefish, carp, and mandarin fisheach with clearly defined scales and a lively sense of movement, the pattern both vivid and exquisitely detailed. After only a couple of nces, Gao Qinglin concluded, "The body is firm and delicate, the ze is smooth and lustrous, and the painting is skillfully and elegantly executed. It''s a remarkably well-preserved Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl from the Kangxi Period of the Qing Dynasty." "At first, I thought the same," Hu Shu said with a smile. "Hm?" Gao Qinglin, with firm conviction, said, "Mr. Hu, I''ve dealt with many ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowls,'' and this one is indeed superior merchandise; I''m not mistaken." Hu Shu pointed with his hand and said with augh, "Take a look at the bottom of the bowl." Gao Qinglin did as told and turned the Douli Bowl over, and his gaze fell upon the bottom. With one look, he was taken aback. For there was clearly a forgery mark on the bottom. "This..." Gao Qinglin was somewhat stunned. "This Douli Bowl''s market price is only tens of thousands, but in my eyes, it''s priceless. Do you know why?" Hu Shu asked, looking at Gao Qinglin. Gao Qinglin seemed perplexed: "How can a counterfeit Douli Bowl be considered priceless?" Hu Shu shook his head and said with a smile, "If you can feel the ''years'' within it, you''ll understand it''s a technique that money can''t buy." Gao Qinglin has always regarded Hu Shu as the foremost authority on antiques. Listening to Hu Shu''s unreserved praise for a Douli Bowl worth just tens of thousands, he felt it was incredible. He couldn''t help but ask, "Who made the imitation of this Douli Bowl?" "What do you think?" Hu Shu took another sip of tea and countered. At first Gao Qinglin was puzzled, but then his pupils suddenly contracted as he uttered two words, "Lin Chuan!" In the reception room, Hu Shu nodded slightly. Indeed. After that night when Zhang Yixing brought him the ''Qing Kangxi Five-colored Fish and Algae Pattern Douli Bowl'' to appraise, he distinctly felt a sense of ''the years'' emanating from that bowl. At that moment, his heart was swept up by a tremendous wave. Could a person''s techniques in antique forgery truly reach such a level!? Chapter 189: Chapter 155: How Could There Be a Monster Like Lin Chuan? (Please Subscribe)_2 Hu Shu''s face turned somber as he asked Zhang Yixing to lend him the Douli Bowl for a few days to appreciate, temporarily keeping it in the ''Ancient Moon'' museum. Zhang Yixing did not refuse. Hu Shu was so enamored with the Douli Bowl that he could not sleep that night and immediately sent people to investigate Lin Chuan''s background. Finding out that Lin Chuan was just a web novel writer who owned an antique shop in Anling City called ''Goldstone Edge'', Hu Shu began to harbor a deep appreciation for talent. Of course, his intense desire for control also led him to a bolder idea. Originally, for the next day''s ''Ceremony for the Return of Overseas Cultural Relics'', he had nned an ''ident'', but the appearance of the Douli Bowl made him alter a few details slightly. He wanted to make Lin Chuan destroy the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'', which would put Lin Chuan in a difficult position, burdened with a hugepensation. Then, he would step in topensate on behalf of Lin Chuan, making him owe Hu Shu a great favor. By doing so, he would be able to destroy the counterfeit jade vase and willingly make Lin Chuan work for him, killing two birds with one stone. In Hu Shu''s eyes, Lin Chuan''s value far exceeded that of an authentic ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase''! Because, once Lin Chuan was under his influence, he could create even greater value! When it came to antique forgery, Lin Chuan was an absolute professional! And the current situation, in Hu Shu''s view, was proceeding exactly as he had anticipated. As for the outside world''s belief that the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' was a replica, he was confident that no one would be able to tell. It was, to date, his most satisfactory counterfeit. In the drawing room. The fragrance of Dahongpao tea curled up, filling every corner of the room. Whoosh Gao Qinglin took a deep breath, downing the tea in his cup to calm his slightlyplex emotions. "In the future, you should build a good rtionship with Lin Chuan. As for the trivial matters, you should not mind them," Hu Shu said casually. When Hu Shu spoke, how could Gao Qinglin not listen? "Yes, Mr. Hu," Gao Qinglin nodded and agreed. "By the way, your current way of antique appraisal is still superficial, I rmend you read a book which will be very helpful to you," Hu Shu said with a smile. "Which book?" Gao Qinglin asked. "It''s a web novel called ''Last Week''s Antique'', written by Lin Chuan. I''m reading it too, but I''m not going very fast; I''m still in the first half," Hu Shuughed. "Since Mr. Hu rmends it, I will certainly read it with great attention." Gao Qinglin had his reservations about Lin Chuan, but he could onlyply with Hu Shu''s opinions and guidance. The night deepened, with scattered stars above, and only the brilliant moon hung high, emitting pale moonlight. A gentle breeze rustled, and the sporadic chirping of insects added to the quietness of the night. Dawn broke, and the brighter rays of the morning sun reced the moonlight, illuminating every corner of the city. As expected. Modu Cultural Relics Bureau announced that Lin Chuan would restore the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'', and the public reacted with shock. In the backyard of Modu Museum, Lin Chuan had a small workshop for ''atoning for one''s crimes''. Workshop members: Lin Chuan, Old Bai, Youyou. Lin Chuan was responsible for the restoration, and Old Bai assisted him. Youyou was in charge of ordering takeout. The sun filtered through the half-open curtains, softly touching every corner of the room. On the spacious workbench in the center, various restoration tools and materials wereid out, and a deskmp beside it cast a warm yellow glow on the jade, highlighting its lustrous quality. Lin Chuan, dressed in work attire and wearing white gloves, was meticulously cleaning the fragments at the crack of the jade vase. Old Bai, assisting him, grumbled, "Bro, a lot of so-called antique enthusiasts outside are already bad-mouthing you. Maybe we should just announce that this piece is a fake!" Lin Chuan chuckled and then hummed, "If we just announce it, that would make it too easy for the folks we''re scapegoated for!" "Can this really flush them out?" Old Bai asked. "This is n A; if it doesn''t work, we have n B." Lin Chuan smiled, paused his work, his gaze resolute, "The Antique Forgery Gang, I''ve got their number, not even Jesus could save them!" Old Bai also fervently said, "Bro, I support you!" "Let''s focus on the restoration first; quite a few journalists out there are keeping a close watch on us," Lin Chuan replied, his eyes going back to the jade vase. "Okay." Old Bai nodded in agreement. There are many skills involved in jade restoration. Such as gold and jade iy, crack bonding, filling in missing parts, gilding craft, and so on. But, the restoration of the thin-walled jade vase was extremely difficult. Because the thinnest part of the vase''s body was only one millimeter, thin as cicada wings, repairing it required a great deal of effort. Luckily, there are a lot ofmonalities between cultural relic restoration and antique forgery in essence. Lin Chuan was adept at the task. The most crucial aspect was that the thin-walled jade vase itself was a replica, which allowed Lin Chuan to be more unrestrained in the restoration process. Indeed, it proved that only those who dare to stand up on a bicycle understand a more sophisticated method of riding, which makes the bike more responsive. The same applied to repairing the thin-walled jade vase. Let go, and repair boldly! However, Lin Chuan intentionally slowed down the restoration pace, aiming to wait for the suspected members of the Antique Forgery Gang. What surprised Lin Chuan was that, for several days, not a single suspicious individual appeared. ... On June 18th, as night fell, Bright moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting arge diamond-shaped patch of light inside the ''atone for one''s crimes'' cultural relic restoration studio, where the trio awaited inside. The atmosphere was somewhat gloomy. Old Bai looked at the workbench, where a restored thin-walled jade vase sat, and frowned slightly, "Bro, we haven''t seen any suspects these past few days, if we don''t soon, we''ll be the suspects." Youyou beside him nodded, "We already are suspects." Lin Chuan was also puzzled. Theoretically, the Antique Forgery Gang shouldn''t be able to sit still without any movement, letting a skilled connoisseur repair a damaged replica. "There are two possibilities now, one is they know about our n, and the other is they have great confidence, firmly believing we cannot discern the vase is a forgery," Lin Chuan analyzed. "I think it''s thetter," Youyou stated her opinion. "Why?" Lin Chuan raised his eyebrow, curiously asking. Youyou thought for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed, and said, "Is it possible that you think too highly of them?" "This... are they not smart enough?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. Old Bai was also somewhat puzzled and echoed, "Sis-inw, they''ve kept theirposure these days, isn''t that exactly what makes them tough to deal with?" Youyou gently shook her head and pointed a finger towards the thin-walled jade vase: "What I mean is, in the field of antique forgery, they''re not on par with Lin Chuan, they simply do not know Lin Chuan can tell it is a replica, but Lin Chuan is overestimating their intelligence by treating them as equals, thinking they would understand his level." These past few days, though she was only responsible for ordering takeout, she had been diligently studying antiques and cultural relics in her spare time, consulting Lin Chuan asionally. But the more she understood, the deeper she realized the depths of Lin Chuan''s expertise, profound as the sea. In the antique circle, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to describe him with the phrase, "Of all the talents under heaven, Lin Chuan possesses eight measures." Old Bai was somewhat understanding Youyou''s unique logic but was not quite convinced: "So you mean, stupidity plus blind arrogance have made them believe they are beyond concern, hence no movement?" "Stupidity isn''t quite the right word, but rtive to Lin Chuan, the meaning is roughly the same." Youyou nodded her head. It''s like a MOBA game where you predict the opponent''s movement for your skill shot, but they don''t move at all! Not because they predicted the caster''s prediction but because they don''t even know that others would predict! After hearing this theory, Lin Chuan was also briefly stunned. He looked at Youyou beside him and suddenly felt that what she said made some sense: "It seems I indeed have overestimated them." During these few days of restoring the thin-walled jade vase, Lin Chuan discovered the vase''s replication craftsmanship to be exceptionally exquisite, rare in the world. If he had not made a mistake with it before and learned to determine authenticity through the y of light and shadow, it would have been very difficult to identify it as a replica. But the Antique Forgery Gang had missed one point. How could there be a freak like Lin Chuan? "So, what should we do next?" Old Bai pondered and asked. Lin Chuan''s gaze fell on the thin-walled jade vase, and after a moment''s thought, he said, "Since they ''are not smart enough,'' we can only lower a dimension and release the message that we can tell ''it is a replica''!" Chapter 190: Chapter 156: The Familiar Battlefield (Please Subscribe) June 19th, morning. Above Modu, thick clouds piled up likeyers of gray cotton above the skyscrapers,pletely blocking out the sunlight. The howling wind made the trees in the city sway greatly. asionally, a few drops of rain quietly fell, hitting the ground and making a faint sound. Inside Modu Museum, several influential figures were present. The director of the Cultural Relics Bureau, Li Zeguang, the chief expert of the museum, Gao Qinglin, the celebrity of the antiques circle Hu Shu, as well as multiple experts and staff members. Lin Chuan was also among them. Today, in Lin Chuan''s name, Hu Shu donated three rare antiques to the Cultural Relics Bureau aspensation for Lin Chuan''s "idental damage" to the Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase. The donation ceremony was a sess. Hu Shu patted Lin Chuan''s shoulder contentedly and signaled, "Lin,e out with me for a moment." "Okay." Lin Chuan nodded and followed Hu Shu to a corner of the museum. Dressed in a light gray long gown and pushing up his sses on his nose, Hu Shu looked at Lin Chuan with concern and asked, "Lin, how is the restoration of that artifact going?" Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Mr. Hu, it''s almost finished. I expect it will bepleted within the next two days." "Good, very good." Hu Shu did not skimp on his praise, thenughed again, "Lin, you have be famous these past few days. Someone entrusted me to get to know you." Lin Chuan appeared surprised and questioned, "I''m just a nobody. Why would someone want to meet me?" "To shut theizens up, the Cultural Relics Bureau released some scene photos of you restoring the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase.'' Now, everyone in Modu''s antiques circle knows about your ability to restore artifacts. It''s normal that someone would want to get to know you,"ughed Hu Shu. Lin Chuan alsoughed, then asked, "Who is this friend, a master?" Resting his arm on Lin Chuan''s shoulder, Hu Shu turned and pointed, "Him." Following the indicated direction, Lin Chuan furrowed his brows slightly, "Master Gao?" "Yes." Hu Shu nodded. Lin Chuan chuckled awkwardly and said, "Mr. Hu might not be aware, but when I first came to Modu, I had some differing opinions with him regarding the appraisal of artifacts." "Differing opinions?" A look of confusion appeared on Hu Shu''s face. Lin Chuan then recounted the incident of his initial arrival in Modu when he had appraised the Taotie pattern wine vessel. "I see." Hu Shu smiled, "In the field of artifact appraisal, everyone has different perspectives; some disagreements are inevitable." "That''s true," Lin Chuan smiled. Hu Shu patted Lin Chuan''s shoulder again, "Lin, one must look ahead. Gao Qinglin is a famous master in Modu''s antiques circle. You are bound to deal with him as you make your way in Modu. Moreover, since he''s taking the initiative to make amends, why don''t we be magnanimous? I''ll host lunch for you two today. How about that?" "Since Mr. Hu has asked, then let''s meet," Lin Chuan smiled and agreed. Hu Shuughed heartily, appearing very pleased. A flicker ofplexity passed through Lin Chuan''s eyes. It seemed Mr. Hu was quite keen on him getting acquainted with Gao Qinglin. But Lin Chuan didn''t think too much of it. After all, the antiques circle of Modu was only sorge; it was understandable that Hu Shu and Gao Qinglin had connections. It was no problem for him to help bridge rtions between himself and Gao Qinglin. At noon, Lin Chuan epted the invitation. During the meal, Gao Qinglin changed his usual attitude toward Lin Chuan, greeting him with a smile. Consequently, the three of them had an amiable and engaging conversation at the table. The lunch didn''t take much time. Because Lin Chuan had more important matters to attend to. Last night. After Lin Chuan decided to divulge information about the counterfeit Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase, the three discussed how to spread the information. Ultimately, they decided to disseminate the information by releasing an anonymous video online. The inte was a familiar battlefield for Lin Chuan. After ending the luncheon, Lin Chuan headed straight to Old Bai''s ''Wenbai Studio.'' Wenbai Studio. With overcast weather outside, bright lights were turned on inside, shining on the workbench. The tabletop, usually filled with restoration tools like knives, files, and sandpaper, was covered with a piece of dark velvet, with a newly restored Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase ced in the center. Youyou, wearing a beige long dress, was holding a DSLR camera, capturing details of the thin-walled jade vase. "You''re back." As soon as Youyou looked up, she saw Lin Chuan approaching quickly, wearing a simple white shirt and smiling. Lin Chuan, seeing the earnest Youyou, smiled, "You''re all working, how could I dy?" "Let me show you the photos I''ve taken." Youyou passed the photos she took for Lin Chuan''s review. Lin Chuan nodded in satisfaction, "They perfectly meet the requirements." "I also edited the video script," said Youyou with a small proud smile. "Well done." Lin Chuan felt a stirring in his heart. When it came to inte technology, Lin Chuan was an expert. As for video production, Youyou and Old Bai had more experience than Lin Chuan, so they were in charge of the main task of creating the video, Youyou volunteered to handle the video script, image collection, and other rted tasks. Old Bai was responsible for editing andpositing. The video they needed to create was rtively professional; thus, it required more effort. Youyou only snoozed for a couple of hoursst night. Today, before the break of dawn, she got up and started editing text. "No big deal." Suppressing a smile, Youyou then rubbed her slightly tired eyes and chuckled heartily. "Bro, don''t forget me." In the corner of Wenbai Studio, Old Bai sat in front of theputer, turned his head, and spoke as if seeking credit. "Don''t worry, when it''s time for the celebration feast, if you''re not there, I won''t lift my chopsticks," Lin Chuan jested, "How''s the videoing along?" "I''ve almost finished editing on my end. Just need to upload the cultural relic details your wife shot, add some data, and it will be good to go," Old Baiughed heartily. Lin nodded, "Do you need my help?" Old Bai shook his head and raised an eyebrow, "Bro, you could go out with your wife for a date, grab a milk tea, and by the time you''re back, I''ll have it done." "You want me to bring you back some?" Lin asked with a smile. "That would be even better," Old Bai raised his eyebrow again, a smile spreading across his face. "I see you''re in the mood for milk tea, but that will have to wait. I''d better set up an anonymous ount first to prevent the Antique Forgery Gang from tracing us through ourwork IP," Lin returned to the matter at hand. "Youyou, lend me yourptop, please." On the corner of the workbench sat Youyou''sptop. "Sure," Youyou said with a beaming smile. Lin opened theptop and began setting up a VPN. Then he connected to a virtualwork and registered an ount on Fast Dou Video with a virtual foreign IP. To prevent IP tracking, Lin even created a special firewall. For Lin, this was all done in one go. On the other side. Old Bai''s video was ready and uploaded. Thus, a video titled ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase suspected to be a counterfeit'' appeared in the popr section on the Fast Dou Video homepage. ... At two o''clock in the afternoon, it started to rain. The sky gently sprinkled fine rain, like silk, like threads, weaving together in the air to form a hazy mist, as if draping the city in a soft veil. In the estate of the ''Ancient Moon'' private museum, a gentle breeze blew, carrying the moist air and causing the raindrops to fall diagonally, hitting the dense leaves and making a rustling sound. Gao Qinglin still wore his ck Tang suit. With a radiant smile on his face, he held arge umbre, under which walked Hu Shu, strolling leisurely over the cobblestone path into the museum and up to the third floor. The two patted off the fine rain droplets from their clothes and settled down next to the tea table. "Mr. Hu, your judgment is indeed sharp. Lin really is a genius in the antiques circle," Gao couldn''t help but praise as soon as he sat down. At today''s lunch table, they conversed animatedly with Lin. Lin asionally made some unique remarks that were enlightening for Gao. This time, he had to admit his admiration. Smiling contentedly, Hu said, "It''s a good start that you''ve set aside your biases. Soon, once Lin finishes restoring the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' he''lle to work for our museum. Within a month, he''ll be an invaluable asset to our team, and that is when his true worth will be realized." The ''value'' Mr. Hu spoke of was naturally the value of ''Antique Forgery.'' He always followed Lin''s ''Last Week''s Antique.'' Every time he watched a segment about antique forgery, he could rte and feel the charm of Lin''s ability to deceive with fakes. Perhaps, that''s what makes a genius. A genius in antique forgery! While brewing tea, Gao said, "By then, Mr. Hu won''t have to get involved personally." "Of course, with Lin joining us, that spares me a lot of trouble, and you''ll need to give him plenty of support," Mr. Hu said with a smile. Gao''s tea pouring paused slightly, and he raised an eyebrow, "Is Mr. Hu nning to bring him into our core team?" "If he passes the tests and bes my spokesperson, it''s not impossible," Hu said, smiling. Hiss! Gao''s expression stiffened, he took a deep breath inwardly, then settled his heart and picked up the conversation with a smile, "Mr. Hu, that''s quite the tactic." "Naturally. Otherwise, why would I set such a trap for him with my extensivework?" A profound smile emerged on the cultured face of Hu. Nominally: a spokesperson. In reality, it''s equivalent to being the legal representative, a scapegoat. In Hu''s n, by bringing Lin into the fold and having him create fakes, Hu could rest easy and reap the benefits. Should any mishap ur, he could walk away unscathed. Gao finished brewing the Pu''er tea and poured a cup for Mr. Hu. ''Ring, ring, ring'' At that moment, his phone rang. Gao nced at Mr. Hu, showing an apologetic expression, "Mr. Hu, my subordinate is calling." "Go ahead, take it," Mr. Hu said, sipping his tea nonchntly. Gao didn''t avoid Mr. Hu; instead, he directly pressed the answer button and soon asked, "What''s the matter?" The subordinate''s words on the phone instantly turned his expression to shock, a look of rm crossing his face. "What seems to be the problem?" Mr. Hu raised his head to nce at Gao, asking unhurriedly. Gao put down his phone, swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he spoke, "Mr. Hu, someone exposed online that the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase is suspected to be a counterfeit." "Hmm?" Mr. Hu''s brow furrowed immediately, a look of disbelief crossing his usually impassive face. Chapter 191: Chapter 157 Decisive in Killing! (Subscribe Please) Ancient Moon Museum, third-floor reception room. Outside the window, the rain grew heavier, cascading from the sky like countless silver threads interweaving into an imprable curtain of rain. The leaves in the manor swayed in the rain, water droplets falling along them, creating streams like watery curtains. The noise of the rain filtered in through the window. Mr. Hu''s expression became somewhatplex, "What exactly is going on?" Gao Qinglin took a deep breath and said dazedly, "Mr. Hu, our people have discovered a video on the homepage of QuickShake titled ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase suspected to be a replica,'' and it''s still trending." Mr. Hu''s heart skipped a beat, and his brows furrowed deeply, forming the character ''Chuan''. Gao Qinglin calmed down. He promptly retrieved a tablet from within the museum, opened QuickShake, and indeed saw that video on the homepage. "Found it." Gao Qinglin ced the video in front of Mr. Hu. On the tablet, the video began to y, and the first thing that came into the view of Mr. Hu and Gao was a slightly rudimentary cover image. In the center of the cover was the thin-walled jade vase. In the upper right corner were the conspicuous words ''Bombshell'' ''Suspected Replica'' ''Rigorous Analysis''. Subsequently, the screen shrank, revealing a cartoon image of a little boy who, with a synthesized electronic voice, began to say: "Recently, a national treasure was identally damaged, sparking widespread discussion. Manyizens are focused on aspects such as pensation'' and ''imprisonment,'' but today, I''m going to show you a different perspective." Next, a photo of the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' appeared in the video. The cartoon boy raised his hand and continued,"Have you ever considered that this ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' might not be an authentic artifact?" "Many people will ask, this is a national treasure from an overseas relic return ceremony, verified by arge number of experts, how could it be fake?" "Listen while I analyze it one by one!" "The hardest core artifact verification analysis is about to begin, fasten your seatbelts, we''re taking off!" "This is the basic information about the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' standing 31.1cm tall, with a base diameter of 8.2cm, crafted with the Suzhou Jade Carving Craft, its thinnest wall is 1mm, exhibiting excellent translucency." "If you only look at the basic information and craftsmanship, it''s not possible to discern its authenticity." "Next, I will show you how to use light and shadow to identify this kind of jade vase thin as cicada''s wings!" "Look here." "This is its photo before the overseas reflow exhibit." "This is its current photo exhibited at Modu Museum." "..." As the video yed on, the method of using light and shadow to identify the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' also reached the ears of Mr. Hu and Gao Qinglin. Gao Qinglin''s gaze wasplex, and his voice trembled a bit, "Mr. Hu, is this method reliable?" "Light and shadow..." Mr. Hu leaned on the armrest of his chair, his eyebrows tightly knit, murmuring to himself. Before Gao Qinglin could speak, he took out the authentic piece from the cab, ced it on the tea table, and then took a shlight, shining it from above. The ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' immediately revealed a warm and moist shadow, with a light green color, varying from bright to dark, forming a gradientyer. Within it, the shadow''s gradient transition was natural, extraordinarily soft. On the body of the vase, the tangled branch pattern seemed like sprawling branches, lifelike, exuding a sense of freshness. "This is real." Afterward, Mr. Hu also took out pictures of the previously photographed replica of the thin-walled jade vase and began topare the two. The rain outside was falling even harder, tapping and drumming on the eaves, intermingling with the sound of the wind and the rustling leaves, disturbing the tranquility of their minds. The rainy day brought a slight chill to the air. Yet on Gao Qinglin''s forehead, fine beads of sweat emerged. His face turned somber as he watched Mr. Hu''sparison. The two men in the third-floor reception room, one a chief expert of Modu Museum and the other the owner of a private museum who also happened to be an absolute authority in antique forgery, were no novices. And it was precisely because of this that they understood just how astonishing the ''light and shadow'' mentioned in the video really were. After a meticulousparison, Mr. Hu''s face also disyed a hint of shock, "Light and shadow... there really is a subtle difference." Mr. Hu then turned his attention back to the video. By now, the video had finished ying, and as he quickly scrolled down, he could see the yet not too numerous audiencements. [Can light and shadow really authenticate this treasure?] [I''ve never heard of this method before, I''ll save it forter, this ount is a treasure.] [The logic is too hardcore, I''m convinced!] [Ah, if it''s true, doesn''t that mean the one that was damaged is a replica?] [Did I falsely use the web novel writer before?] [Guys, if the damaged one is a replica, then where is the real ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase''?] [Yeah, where is the real artifact?] [Agreed~ Where did the real national treasure go?] [...] Mr. Hu''s expression tightened, and he looked up at Gao Qinglin, issuing amand, "Contact QuickShake right away and take down that video!" Gao Qinglin nodded solemnly and immediately took out his phone, making a call. They had wide connections; removing videos, pulling search terms, and suppressing trending topics were all routine measures. "Director Zhang, this is Gao Qinglin. There''s a video that is sensationalizing and seeking attention by ndering our national treasure as a replica. Could you help me take down this video and send me the uploader''s information as well?" On the phone, Gao Qinglin was brief and to the point, trying to cover as much information as possible in as few words as necessary. "Teacher Gao, no problem, it''s a small matter. What''s the title of the video, and the nickname of the poster?" Director Zhang from QuickShake responded promptly. Gao Qinglin nced at the tablet again, reading aloud as he looked. Title of the video: Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase suspected to be a replica. Uploader''s nickname: Fussy Taro Eater. "Alright, no problem, I''ll immediately take down the video," assured Director Zhang. "Good, I''ll await your news." Only then did Gao Qinglin reveal a smile. The call wasn''t over yet; Director Zhang on the other end was executing the take-down order swiftly. However, two minutester. Director Zhang reported back, "Teacher Gao, I''m unable to take down the video." Upon hearing this. Gao Qinglin and Hu Shu''s expressions stiffened, and their brows furrowed once more. "What''s the reason?" Gao Qinglin immediately asked. "This video has ''technical'' protection, it invaded directly through back-endworking, making its way to the homepage''s trending section. You can think of it as a virus or a rogue program. Our people need some time to crack it," Director Zhang exined. "How long will it take?" Gao Qinglin asked. "At least one hour," Director Zhang replied. "One hour... Okay, thank you for your efforts, Director Zhang." Gao Qinglin murmured softly, hanging up the phone with a very grave expression. One hour, and the dish would be cold. With the massive traffic of the Quick Shake Video tform, a video featured on the homepage''s trending sectioncoupled with the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' being a recent hot searchcould easily amass several hundred thousand views in an hour. By then, the situation would ferment. And it would be toote to take it down. The raindrops beat against the window ss with a loud pitter-patter, the wind howled, and the amplitude of the swaying leaves increased. Creak In the manor, a lush branch broke off in response to the wind and rain, crashing to the ground. Hu Shu''s brows were tightly knotted. Confident in his antique forgery skills, he hadn''t expected someone to use a microscope-likeparison with light and shadow to discern that the artifact was counterfeit. If the situation escted, it would inevitably draw the attention of departments like the Cultural Relics Bureau. At that time, they would be in trouble. "Who did this?" Gao Qinglin''s expression was stern, tinged with anger. Hu Shu shook his head, "In the world of antique forgery, there are many skilled individuals. Who did it is not important, what we need to know is what they want to do?" "Are they targeting us?" Gao Qinglin hesitated for a moment before asking. Hu Shu shook his head again: "It doesn''t seem like it. If they wanted to target us, they would have directly reported us to the Cultural Relics Bureau." "So... they want money?" Gao Qinglin voiced his own opinion. "That''s a possibility." Hu Shu''s expression grew slightly more severe, "But if they think they can extort money from me that easily, they''re mistaken. Contact AW immediately; if they used hacking methods to release the video, we''ll get hackers to deal with them." Gao Qinglin''s eyes lit up as he immediately said, "With AW involved, this matter is as good as settled." AW, an overseas hacker group. Hu Shu''s antique business was extensive, with connections to major overseaspanies and syndicates. Over a long period of overseas operations, he had established a connection with AW. AW was hostile to Hua, but they weren''t hostile to money. All pursuits in this world are for profit, everyone rushes around for it. AW was no exception. Rather than being ckmailed, Hu Shu would rather pay hackers to counteract. He pulled out a specially made phone from the drawer under the tea table on the right and found a number in the contact list, pressing the dial button. "I need you to take action." Hu Shu spoke in English, his words concise and to the point. "What''s the matter?" the voice on the other end was very cold. "On the domestic Quick Shake Video, bring down a video within two minutes," Hu Shu said speedily. "One million dors." "OK, payment uponpletion of the job." The two parties reached a deal swiftly. Hu Shu immediately sent over the title of the video, waiting for AW''s top hackers to act and take the video down. It was only then that Gao Qinglin breathed a sigh of relief, "After the video is taken down, there are some follow-up tasks that need to be handled. I''ll order someone to take care of it immediately." Hu Shu nodded, remaining silent. His gaze drifted to the window where therge raindrops coldly pelted the ss, causingyers of mist to form, blurring his vision. The Ancient Moon Museum at this moment seemed like a prison trapped in the storm, surrounded by haze, unable to explore beyond. "Ah..." Hu Shu let out a soft sigh. As long as the video was taken down, he couldpletely calm the subsequent matters. The premise was, the video could be taken down. Time to wait for AW''s good news. Two minutes, in the eyes of Hu Shu and Gao Qinglin, felt exceptionally long. Finally. The phone rang with an iing call. Hu Shu was quick, picking up the phone and pressing the answer button: "How did it go?" Gao Qinglin, by his side, leaned forward, ears perked up, afraid to miss a single word. Suddenly. A p of thunder resounded through the sky, startling Gao Qinglin into a tremble. Hu Shu''s heart skipped a beat as well, his heart hanging by a thread. From the other end of the phone, a chilly voice delivered the news: "Can''t take it down." Hu Shu and Gao Qinglin''s pupils shrank immediately! "I''ll give you another five minutes!" Hu Shu said instantly. To his surprise, the person on the other end replied: "It''s not a matter of time." With that, they hung up the phone. The unsaid part was, this was a technical problem! "Mr. Hu, what do we do now?" Gao Qinglin''s heart was in turmoil as he looked towards Hu Shu. "Since that person wants money, find out how much they want, lure them out, and then..." As Hu Shu spoke, his eyes gradually turned icy. His ordinarily refined and amiable countenance now bore a hint of savagery, his eyes fierce. Indeed, therge forgery ring he had built, operating for many years, depended not on gentility but on decisive action. Gao Qinglin''s expression darkened. He immediately grasped Hu Shu''s intention and nodded seriously, "I''ll get right on it!" Chapter 192: Chapter 158: This Web Novel Writer Is Very Skilled! (Please Subscribe) Wenbai Studio. Outside the window, the rain grew fierce,rge raindrops hitting the tightly closed window like bullets, creating a ''bang bang bang'' sound. Ayer of mist quickly collected on the windowpane, blurring the view outside. Hoo, hoo, hoo. Bursts of strong wind swept by, water on the window forming intecing streams. From the inside looking out, it resembled the scenery of a Water Curtain Cave. Lin Chuan sat at his desk, listening to the sounds of wind, rain, water streams, and the asional thunder outside, as if he was listening to a magnificent war concerto. "Here''s your pearl milk tea." Youyou walked over to Lin Chuan and handed him a cup of milk tea. Lin Chuan took it, smiling, "Thanks for the milk tea, Editor-in-Chief." "tterer." A bright smile emerged on Youyou''s face. She then opened her phone, scrolled through Quick Shake videos, and with another smile said, "It''s only been ten minutes, and our video already has 50,000 views, so fast!" Lin Chuan sipped his milk tea and smiled, "Of course it''s fast, we went straight to the homepage''s trending section." Youyou smiled easily too, batting her eyes at Lin Chuan, "With skills like these, I suddenly feel it''s such a waste for you to be writing novels." Yeah, what web novel writer is this versatile? "This is my old profession; I can''t forget where I started!" Lin Chuan smiled and said, "Besides, if I don''t write novels, where would your achievementse from? Don''t you want to be the editor-in-chief?" "Editor-in-chief... Of course I do." Youyou said with pursed lips and a smile. "When I acquire Sailing Novel, I''ll let you be the chief editor," Lin Chuan said half-jokingly. "Then my career''s soaring depends on you," Youyou said with augh. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then denied his previous idea, "No, you can''t be the chief editor." "Ah?" Youyou pursed her lips, looking somewhat aggrieved as she said, "Why can''t I be the chief editor?" "You should be the CEO!" "CEO, I''m afraid I might run Sailing Novel into the ground," Youyou joked with a smile. "No problem, if it copses, it copses, I was just talking big anyway." Lin Chuanughed heartily. Compared to the tension and solemnity of the Ancient Moon Museum, the atmosphere inside Wenbai Studio was much lighter. After all, Lin Chuan was now lying in wait, holding the upper hand, ying the role of the hunter. "There''s movement." A popup appeared on theptop on the work desk. CC A foreign IP is attempting to intrude. Lin Chuan put down his milk tea, his thoughts returning to the battlefield. Youyou silently moved Lin Chuan''s milk tea further away, then quietly watched from the side. As Lin Chuan''s editor, she had seriously read his "Hacker Kingdom" and had a basic understanding of cyber defense, so she was also curious if Lin Chuan''s hacking skills were really as miraculous as described in his book. "Bro, I''m fired up!" Old Bai rushed over from hisputer desk, his eyes shining as he said. "Fired up about what?" Lin Chuan was slightly taken aback, but his hands continued their work, fingers flying over the keyboard at a blistering pace. Theputer screen disyed lines of code that seemed indecipherable to the uninitiated. At the same time, several software windows opened, and Lin Chuan''s operations left Youyou beside him confused. "The cyber warfare described in the Hacker Network!" Old Bai said excitedly, "I never thought I''d witness it in real life. I''m already feeling pumped!" Lin Chuan''s fingers moved quickly, initiating multiple programmands at once. A momentter, a rxed smile appeared on his face, "Old Bai, stop getting excited, it''s already over." "Ah?" Old Bai was instantly surprised, a puzzled look on his face, "It ended just as we started talking?" "The other side was trying to breach my firewall. Defending against it was naturally simple," Lin Chuan said with a lifted eyebrow and a smile. "I thought it was going to be a back-and-forth battle. I didn''t expect them to be so weak," Old Bai said with a pout. "They aren''t weak; the intrusion method was very sophisticated. Let me just locate theirwork IP address," Lin Chuan began to track the adversary''swork IP address. This could very likely be rted to the Antique Forgery Gang. "Who''s on the other side?" Old Bai asked curiously. It wasn''t long before Lin Chuan locked onto the adversary''swork IP address, his brow furrowing slightly, "Them?" "Who is it?" Youyou''s eyebrows knitted together. "An old rival, another hacker organization, AW," Lin Chuan nced at the string ofwork IP addresses with a slight frown. "Are they the ones behind the scenes?" Youyou couldn''t help but ask. Lin Chuan shook his head and exined, "Probably not, more likely they are the guys hired by the Antique Forgery Gang." "Can we use this to track down the Antique Forgery Gang?" Youyou quickly asked. "It''s difficult." Lin Chuan smiled, "Not knowing their exact connection to the Antique Forgery Gang, it''s hard to trace the gang''s whereabouts, but..." "But what?" Youyou and Old Bai both had intense expressions. Lin Chuan''s gaze fell on the thin-walled jade vase nearby, then he smiled, "But, the fact that the Antique Forgery Gang has started asking AW''s hackers to attack us means they are panicking. AW''s hackers can''t breach my defenses, so soon they will contact us themselves. At that time, it will be our opportunity." Youyou and Old Bai had a moment of realization. Just as Lin Chuan expected. Within a short two minutes, a private message popped up on the Quick Shake video ount on theptop: "Think about what you want." The nickname of the sender was abination of initial letters and numbers. Chapter 193: Chapter 158: This Web Novel Writer is Very Skilled! (Please Subscribe)_2 """ "The fish has bitten the hook." Youyou''s face lit up with joy. She looked at Lin Chuan''s focused face, a strange glint passing through her eyes as she thought to herself, confident and serious guys are really handsome. Lin Chuan, while looking at the private message box, replied, "What do you think?" "Delete the video. You name your price." The other party responded. "Are you talking about buying the exclusive rights to the entire video?" Lin Chuan typed back lightly, simultaneously chatting with the other party and using his skills to search for the other party''swork IP address. "Yes, exclusive rights," the other party replied, "Whatever you think it''s worth, just name a price and we''ll have no issues in the future." "Any price?" Lin Chuan deliberately led the other party on. The ount on the other end was also using virtual IP technology, but they were dealing with Lin Chuan, a world-ss hacker. The virtual IP technology did not provide the imagined effect. In less than five minutes, Lin Chuan had traced the IP address used by the other ount, and immediately began to prepare to breach the IP, extract its data, and follow the trail to gather relevant personal information. In the end, most of the information associated with this ount began pointing to one person: Gao Qinglin. "So it was him?" Lin Chuan furrowed his brows. "Gao Qinglin, the lead expert of Modu Museum, is the one behind the scenes!" A look of astonishment shed across Youyou''s face. "He even wanted to have lunch with Old Lin today," Old Baimented with a frown. Old Bai''s words added to the puzzled look between Lin Chuan''s eyebrows. The lunch was facilitated by Hu Shu, but Gao Qinglin had shown great respect for Hu Shu at the table, even going so far as to act somewhat deferentially towards him. A thought shed through Lin Chuan''s mind: if Gao Qinglin showed such reverence for Hu Shu, then... Hu Shu was perhaps the mastermind behind it all. All of a sudden! Lin Chuan seemed to understand everything. "So from the beginning, it was aimed at me!" Lin Chuan murmured. Youyou was taken aback, "What''s wrong?" Lin Chuan then said, "Do you remember Chief Editor Zhang taking the Douli Bowl I gave him to Hu Shu for appraisal?" "I remember." Youyou nodded, "Is there a connection between the two?" "If I were to say that Mr. Hu is actually the shadowy figure behind the Antique Forgery Gang, would you still think the idents we encountered were just idents?" Lin Chuan spected. Youyou''s eyes widened, her mouth slightly open, her expression full of surprise. If Mr. Hu were the shadowy figure behind the forgery gang... Then, his repeated offers of an olive branch and assistance to Lin Chuan could be seen as part of a scheme. A scheme that targeted both Lin Chuan and the thin-walled jade vase. The unexpected power outage, the broken surveince, Lin Chuan''s and her own sudden fall. Subsequently, Hu Shu offered Lin Chuan an olive branch, strongly rmending Lin Chuan for artifact restoration, and even donating in Lin Chuan''s name to the Cultural Relics Bureau, ultimately leading Lin Chuan to the Ancient Moon private museum. All with the aim of recruiting Lin Chuan into the Antique Forgery Gang. Because Lin Chuan had top-notch forging skills. This scheme filled Youyou with dread. If someone else, unaware that the Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase was a fake, then Hu Shu''s n would have been wless. Without any way of breaking it apart. "It''s terrifying." Youyou''s heart pounded, her demeanor somewhat unsettled. Lin Chuan was equally shocked; this n had nearly ensnared him. Indeed, none in the antiques circle who can move through it with such ease are simple characters. Liu Qing was one such person. Hu Shu, even more so. Both had a strong capability to scheme: Liu Qing used beauty traps to lure in naive newbies like Bai, while Hu Shu employed near wless schemes to attract skilled talents. Whew Lin Chuan took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in his heart. By this time, the location of Gao Qinglin''swork IP address was already pinpointed. Sure enough. Ancient Moon Museum. Lin Chuan did not hesitate, immediately pulling out his phone to make a call. ''Beep beep beep'' The urgent ringing of the phone passed through the device. Beep, the call connected. "Lin, is there a new discovery?" asked the deep voice of Director Zhao from the police station on the phone. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, asking solemnly, "Director Zhao, can you speak freely on your end?" """ On the other end of the phone, Zhao Gang immediately realized something, closed his office door, and then replied, "It''s convenient now." "Director Zhao, I''ve found two core members of the Antique Forgery Gang." At this critical moment, Lin Chuan didn''t beat around the bush and spoke directly. "Hmm?" In the police station office, Zhao Gang''s eyes widened, "You said you''ve found two core members of the Antique Forgery Gang?" "Yes," Lin Chuan replied. "Who are they?" Zhao Gang asked sternly, with a solemn look on his face. Lin Chuan nced at theputer screen''s positioning and replied, "Gao Qinglin, chief expert of Modu Museum, and Hu Shu, the owner of Ancient Moon Museum." Hiss! As these two names reached Zhao Gang''s ears, he couldn''t help taking a sharp breath. Gao Qinglin and Hu Shu, influential figures in the Modu antiques circle, were the two core members of the Antique Forgery Gang? Zhao Gang had to take this seriously, "Lin, do you have evidence?" "The evidence is conclusive." Lin Chuan nodded firmly and went through the actions he took today, especially the evidence rted to Gao Qinglin, exining everything in detail. Zhao Gang took another deep breath. Even with his wide range of experience, he was secretly shocked. Firstly, because of Gao Qinglin and Hu Shu. Secondly, because of Lin Chuan. Particrly since Lin Chuan had encountered a hacker from the overseas hacker organization AW, gained the upper hand, and even pushed Gao Qinglin and Hu Shu to contact him, enabling him to follow the trail and track down Gao Qinglin. This skill made him feel somewhat ashamed. Over at the police station, they were still in the information-gathering stage concerning the "Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase recement" case, while Lin Chuan had already deciphered the opponents'' tactics and directly pinpointed the two core figures. His abilities could not be considered anything but strong. Lin Chuan, a native of Anling City, Han River Province, 24 years old, profession, web novel writer. This web novel writer was very skilled! "I''ll apply for an arrest warrant immediately!" Zhao Gang swiftly came back to his senses and said seriously. "They are still at the Ancient Moon Museum now, we must move quickly," Lin Chuan urged. "Lin, I hope you will assist us in this operation," Director Zhao invited Lin Chuan over the phone. Lin Chuan nodded, "Alright." "I will send someone to pick you up right away," Zhao Gang said quickly, and with a sense of urgency, he hung up and started the process for the arrest warrant. This time, Zhao Gang personally led the criminal police team on a secret operation. Several police cars drove into the heavy and fierce rain. The rain beat against the car bodies, making a "pitter-patter" noise, and the windshield wipers moved rapidly across the front ss, sweeping away the rain that obstructed the view. It was then that Lin Chuan and Zhao Gangpleted their rendezvous. On the police car, there was also the Cultural Relics Bureau Director, Li Zeguang. In the violent rainstorm, Lin Chuan, Zhao Gang, Li Zeguang, and a group of criminal police officers arrived outside the estate of the Ancient Moon Museum. Only fifteen minutes had passed from the moment Lin Chuan called Zhao Gang to now. Their action was decisive, with the speed of thunder. Online, Lin Chuan was still negotiating with Gao Qinglin under the user name "Taro Who Doesn''t Like To Eat." During which, Lin Chuan took down the video to keep them steady. Inside the guest room on the third floor of the Ancient Moon Museum, "Mr. Hu, the video has been temporarily taken down, and they are asking for thirty million," Gao Qinglin breathed a sigh of relief and reported to Hu Shu. "Arrange a meeting with him, decide on the time and ce for the transaction," said Hu Shu coldly, holding a cup of tea by the tea table. "Okay." Gao Qinglin immediatelyplied and in the private chat with "Taro Who Doesn''t Like To Eat," he messaged, "No problem, I will set the time and ce." At that moment, "Taro Who Doesn''t Like To Eat" replied: "No need to go through all that trouble, I''ming to you." Gao Qinglin''s brow furrowed tightly, and he felt a sudden dread in his heart. Then "Taro Who Doesn''t Like To Eat" sent another message: "Ancient Moon Museum, is that the ce?" Gao Qinglin swallowed, tremulously looking towards Hu Shu, "We''ve been yed." Hu Shu snatched the tablet quickly, swiftly scanning through the chat history, his face changed color, and then he quickly stepped over to the window of the guest room, looking down. The rain was lessening, and the mist was slowly dissipating. Down below, Hu Shu clearly saw hordes of criminal police officers flooding in, quickly surrounding the Ancient Moon Museum. Among them, one person was wearing a simple white shirt with a handsome face, and in the light rain, he looked up at the window of the third-floor guest room, locking eyes with him. That person was Lin Chuan. For a moment, as Hu Shu looked down at the young man of only twenty-four below, his face was filled with shock and disbelief. Chapter 194: Chapter 159: We Cant Let Comrade Lin Be Snatched Away! (Please Subscribe) The rain was gradually diminishing. Within the estate where the Ancient Moon Museum was located, countless deep blue uniformed detectives stood on guard, prepared for action, creating an immense sense of oppression for Hu Shu in the third-floor reception room. Gao Qinglin also walked to the window. Hecked the calm demeanor of Hu Shu. Looking down and seeing police chief Zhao Gang personally leading the criminal investigation team to surround the Ancient Moon Museum, his heart was in turmoil. "Mr. Hu, what do we do now?" Gao Qinglin''s voice trembled, his legs felt weak, and his face was etched with panic. Hu Shu did not speak. He simply stared at the young man in white amongst the detectives below, lost in thought. There was no escape. In less than a minute, a portion of the detective squad had rushed into the third-floor reception room. Zhao Gang, Li Zeguang, and Lin Chuan, the three of them, followed closely behind. Outside the window, raindrops ''ticked and tocked'' on the windowsill, slowly, slowly, in the silent atmosphere, like the countdown of a second hand. As cmity approached, Hu Shu''s expression, on the contrary, regained itsposure. He sat quietly in front of the tea table in the middle of the reception room, methodically preparing tea. "Visitors should be greeted with tea," Hu Shu poured three cups of tea, looked towards Lin Chuan, Li Zeguang, and Lin Chuan, and revealed a faint smile on his face. These people were all old acquaintances. Zhao Gang and Li Zeguang exchanged a nce, then took their seats at the tea table, curious to see what Hu Shu intended to do. Lin Chuan was not afraid; he walked over with ease. The situation was now under control. Meanwhile, Gao Qinglin, with weak knees, was propped up by Chen Hui and another detectiverade, handcuffed with shiny silver handcuffs, his face ashen. Hu Shu paid no mind to this. His gaze swept across Zhao Gang, Li Zeguang, and Lin Chuan, then he smiled and said, "I hadn''t expected you to discover the ruse so quickly." Zhao Gang and Li Zeguang then turned their attention to Lin Chuan. Hu Shu raised an eyebrow, his guess seemingly confirmed, and turned to Lin Chuan, asking, "Lin, when did you realize that the thin-walled jade vase was a counterfeit?" Lin Chuan looked at Hu Shu, a smile appearing on his face: "I realized it during the ceremony for the repatriation of overseas relics." Surprise showed on Hu Shu''s calm face as he frowned, "So you knew from the beginning, which means that even without that ident, you would still have reported it to the Cultural Relics Bureau, right?" Lin Chuan nodded and hummed. "I''m puzzled, with your age, you shouldn''t be able to discern the authenticity of the thin-walled jade vase," Hu Shu nced at Lin Chuan and asked with evident confusion. Lin Chuan smiled, not directly answering Hu Shu''s question, but rather saying, "Mr. Hu, you said before that you''ve been reading my novels. Which part are you up to now?" Hu Shu did not know why Lin asked this but still replied, "I just reached the part where Mr. Lin forges the ''North Song Dynasty Fanchang Kiln Shadow Blue-zed Plum Vase,'' at chapter two hundred." "If I remember correctly, you can skip directly to chapter three hundred and sixty-five," Lin Chuan suggested to Hu Shu with a smile. Perplexed, Hu Shu nced at Lin, yet he picked up the mobile phone from the table and opened Sailing Novel under the surveince of the detectives, entered the "Last Week''s Antique" novel page, and flipped to chapter three hundred and sixty-five. Chapter title: I Made a Mistake. Hu Shu frowned and scrolled down, absorbing the content of the novel into his eyes. ''As it turns out, my counterfeit enterprise was not without troubles.'' ''Tonight, I made a mistake.'' ''My esteemed jade vase forgery skills experienced a setback.'' ''The night was clear, and the moonlight was pale.'' ''In the courtyard, the sounds of summer cicadas chirped, and the evening breeze rustled the branches in the garden.'' ''Brother Lin,e quick!'' ''Qing called out to me urgently in the front hall, her tone both hasty and anxious.'' ''On the central square table in the front hall stood a jade vase, known as the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,'' of course, a counterfeit I had created a few days back, freshlypleted with herbal staining tonight.'' ''I was very satisfied with it, believing it was a perfect replica.'' ''What''s wrong? I asked Qing.'' ''Qing held several photos in her hand and, pointing at the thin-walled jade vase, anxiously said, this jade vase is slightly different from the one in the photos!'' ''I was puzzled and asked back, where does it differ?'' ''They look the same without strong light, but with strong light shining on them...!'' ''That''s what Qing said.'' ''I was shocked, checked immediately, and indeed, under intense light, their reflections showed extremely subtle differences.'' ''...'' The further Hu Shu read, the moreplex his expression became. Surprise, confusion, empathy... it all was there. At that moment, as he read this chapter, it was as if he saw his own current situation reflected, quite like his, yet he did not have a Qing in the story to point out the issue with the light and shadow for him. By the time he became aware of the problem, it was already toote. "So, you had already encountered the ''Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase'' before," After reading this chapter, Hu Shu heaved a sigh. Only someone who thoroughly understood antiques could write such a novel. Without a doubt. Lin Chuan was such a person. "You could say I''ve encountered it," Lin Chuan mused with a slight smile. Hu Shu straightened his clothes, lifted his head, blinked, and let out a self-deprecatingugh: "I had thought that in this world, no one else could notice the fakes I produced, but to my surprise, I fell into your hands." Lin Chuan shook his head. Looking at this top figure in Modu''s antiques circle, who was also the head of arge antique forgery gang, he smiled and praised, "You set a pretty good trap yourself." Chapter 195: Chapter 159: Cant Let Comrade Lin Be Snatched Away! (Please Subscribe)_2 Hu Shu''s expression shifted slightly, and he sighed again, "After all, it was a chess game lost by a single move. From now on, the world of antique forgery will be yours." No sooner had he spoken, than Directors Zhao Gang and Li Zeguang immediately turned to look at Lin Chuan with a slightly stunned expression. Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched as he thought, Why are you two looking at me? I am on the side of justice right now, helping you catch the heads of a criminal gang. I abide by thews! As for antique forgery, I would never imitate and sell fake antiques! Ahem, the ones I make are all genuine; it''s those people from the past who imitated my creations. The rain outside the window had stopped. Strands of sunlight pierced through the thinning clouds after the rain, a pale golden light falling upon the leaves still dotted with droplets, reflecting sparkling specks. The breeze blew gently, dispersing the clouds, revealing the clear and profound azure sky, while the air was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers and fresh scent of moisture, refreshing and invigorating. After Hu Shu and Gao Qinglin were taken back to the police station, they confessed to their crimes without reservation. The genuine Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase reappeared in view of the Cultural Relics Bureau. A major antique forgery gang was uprooted in its entirety, involving a vast amount of money that was hard to estimate. For a time, both the police station and the Cultural Relics Bureau were abuzz. ... In Han River Province, at the office of the police department, Zhong Chengming, dressed in a dark blue administrative jacket draped over his shoulders, slowly put down the phone with a satisfied smile on his face and genuinely admired, "That boy, well done! Really well done indeed!" "Dad, what''s making you so happy?" At that moment, a young man about twenty-five or twenty-six years old walked in, about one meter eighty tall, with a square face, short hair, and a slightly yellowplexion. At the sound of this voice, Zhong Chengming''s prior smile immediately sank. Zhong Xunfeng, his son. Zhong Chengming looked up at Zhong Xunfeng, sizing him up. Zhong Xunfeng wore a dark blue cotton shirt, slightly worn at the cor and cuffs, but clean and neatly washed, topped with a bulky khaki work vest. He wore durable jeans and had deep brown outdoor boots on his feet, the tops still stained with some uncleaned mud. "You, even whening to the office, don''t know to change into something more suitable." Zhong Chengming looked at his son''s appearance, the corner of his mouth twitched; truly, other people''s children always seemed better. "I just stopped by to get a drink," Zhong Xunfeng said with a smile, helping himself to a cup and pouring tea from Zhong Chengming''s teapot into his own. Gurgle, gurgle, filled up. "By the way, where are you off to this time?" Zhong Chengming asked, ncing up. "This time, I''m going to Anling. Our Archaeological Team received intelligence about a suspectedrge-scale tomb," Zhong Xunfeng replied with a smile, and immediately gulped down two mouthfuls of tea. "Anling..." Zhong Chengming murmured, "You''re always out and about, yet I never see you dig up anything significant. Young people of your age, on their own, are capable of taking down a major criminal gang." "Who''s that impressive?" Zhong Xunfeng asked casually. "The young man who identally damaged the national treasure-level artifact some time ago, Comrade Lin Chuan." As Zhong Chengming mentioned Lin Chuan, a somewhat pleased expression appeared on his face. "Wasn''t he supposed to pay restitution and serve time for shattering that jade vase? How does that connect to taking down a criminal gang?" Zhong Xunfeng asked curiously. He had felt sorry when he learned that the thin-walled jade vase had been broken. "Xunfeng, don''t just judge by appearances. In reality, the jade vase that Comrade Lin Chuan broke was a fake. He followed the clues and single-handedly uncovered a major antique forgery gang lurking in Modu. This is a remarkable achievement in the entire detective case-solving arena, enough to serve as a ssic case and be a model for criminal investigation," Zhong Chengming praised sincerely. Zhong Xunfeng frowned in confusion, "But isn''t he a web novel writer? How does he solve cases?" "Don''t underestimate a web novel writer," Zhong Chengming corrected. "Then when I said I''d write about my archaeological experiences and publish them online after I''m done with archaeology, why didn''t you support it?" Zhong Xunfeng countered. Zhong Chengming''s face darkened: "Ah, it''s not that I don''t support you writing novels; it''s that I don''t support you continuing in archaeology. With your dad''s skills, if you learned just fifty to seventy percent, solving criminal cases wouldn''t be a problem! And then to write your detective experiences into a novel, would I not support that?" "I won''t argue with you about this. I will do archaeology, and I will also write novels," Zhong Xunfeng quickly steered away from the topic to avoid an endless bombardment. Indeed, Zhong Chengming was an expert detective in his youth, solving countless cases and establishing outstanding achievements. That''s how he reached his position today. And yet, he had a particr passion for archaeology, leading to a serious disagreement between father and son about career nning. No one could persuade the other. Professional interests are not inherited, but stubbornness is. Zhong Chengming seemed to have epted the situation. He took a sip of tea from his thermos to ease his mood, then asked, "How long will you be in Anling for this inspection?" "At least a couple of months, possibly a year or two," Zhong Xunfeng replied. "Be careful out there," Zhong Chengming cautioned. Zhong Xunfeng smiled and waved his hand, "Don''t worry, we''re a professional archaeological team. Generally speaking, there''s no danger." "Better safe than sorry," Zhong Chengming advised. "Alright, got it." Zhong Xunfeng replied, then after chatting briefly about family matters, he left the office and set off for Anling City with his archaeological team. Before long, a middle-aged man in a white shirt knocked on the office door: "Elder Zhong." "Zhang Biao, you''vee at the right time." Zhong Chengming''s face lit up with a heartwarming smile upon seeing Zhang Biao. Zhang Biao handed over the documents he was carrying to Zhong Chengming and reported, "Elder Zhong, on behalf of Anling Police Station, I have reported to the provincial office on the progress of drug prohibition work in Anling City." "Alright, go ahead." "Currently, Anling City is vigorously carrying out drug prohibition propaganda..." Zhang Biao reported with a solemn expression. Zhong Chengming nodded frequently,mending, "The work is very well done." Zhang Biao immediatelyughed, "It''s all under Elder Zhong''s guidance... " "No need for ttery." Zhong Chengming waved his hand and then inquired, "Have you got the list for the drug prohibition model spots I assigned earlier in the city?" Zhang Biao turned to thest page of the materials, "These are the drug prohibition model viges we have assessed." Zhong Chengming nodded, "The progress is good. Your anti-fraud and anti-gambling work are also well done. Going forward, the focus is to elerate the transformation of Anling City into a drug-free city, making it a green, safe, and civilized model city for Han River Province." "It''s a daunting task, but... we guarantee toplete it!" Zhang Biao nodded solemnly. "It''s a challenging task for any city, but you have already taken down the tough bone of anti-fraud, and I''m very confident in you," Zhong Chengming said, smiling. Zhang Biao''s eyebrows rose, and he chuckled awkwardly, "Elder Zhong, as you know, there''s a key person involved." "Lin is a treasure of Anling. You must take good care of him." Zhong Chengming praised once more. "Of course, but currently, he''s still in Modu, involved in a case of antique damage," Zhang Biao sighed softly. Zhong Chengming gestured for Zhang Biao to sit down, smiling, "I was just about to talk to you about this." "What are your instructions, Elder Zhong?" "I''ve just received news that the case Lin is involved in has been cracked," Zhong Chengming said with a smile so wide that even the corners of his eyes began to crinkle. "Solved?" Zhang Biao was startled. "Yes," Elder Zhong nodded slowly. "How was it solved? Comrade Lin has been cleared of the suspicions, hasn''t he?" Zhang Biao asked quickly. "Ha ha, Comrade Lin solved the case himself, and he led the Modu police to unearth arge Antique Forgery Gang. Do you think he has cleared the suspicions?" Zhong Chengming said slowly. Hiss! Zhang Biao inhaled sharply and couldn''t help saying, "That''s Comrade Lin''s strength!" Zhong Chengming smiled and then gave instructions, "Comrade Lin has shown an amazing ability in appraising treasures and criminal investigation with his recent visit to Modu. Now, both the Modu police station and the Cultural Relics Bureau value him highly and are intent on getting Comrade Lin to settle in Modu. You should know what to do." "Elder Zhong, I understand!" Zhang Bian nodded immediately. Comrade Lin Chuan, Anling City''s talent. We cannot let him be snatched away by these institutions in Modu! Chapter 196: Chapter 160 Who can withstand this? (Please subscribe) Modu Police Station. After interrogating Hu Shu and Gao Qinglin, dusk had already fallen. The post-rain twilight painted the city in a full spread of golden yellow, as if even the air had been tinged with color. Inside the reception room, Lin Chuan leisurely admired the thin-walled jade vase in front of him. This one, seized from the Ancient Moon Museum, was the genuine "Qing Dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase". "Indeed, the real thing is different." Lin Chuan took a shlight and shone its light from top to bottom on the thin-walled jade vase. In the intery of light and shadow, he could distinctly perceive a mysterious charm emanating from the vase, possibly from years of refinement, or perhaps a psychological effect. "Comrade Lin." At that moment, Director Zhao Gang entered the reception room with a brisk stride, his face beaming with a smile. In his eyes, there was an ''ardent'' admiration for Lin Chuan. Seeing that look, Lin Chuan couldn''t help but twitch the corners of his mouth, squeezing out a smile, "Director Zhao, is the case all settled?" "Hu Shu and Gao Qinglin were very cooperative and confessed without reservation to their crimes. Our police station staff is currently organizing materials and collecting rted evidence," Zhao Gangughed heartily. Lin Chuan nodded and smiled, "So now my friend and I are cleared of the false charges?" "Comrade Lin is joking. You are now a great hero of our police station!" Director Zhao Gang was dressed in a white shirt, hisplexion rosy and glowing with vitality. He looked at Lin Chuan increasingly fondly, liking him more and more. Crushing therge Antique Forgery Gang led by Hu Shu and Gao Qinglin was a sensational case for both Modu and the nation as a whole. The amount of money involved and the breadth of their organized trade were both staggering. For Zhao Gang, solving this case was a brilliant feat that would mark his career with a bold stroke. And Lin Chuan was the one who wrote that stroke. Simply put, this was a significant achievement Lin Chuan had handed to him. Therefore, in the heart of Modu Police Station''s Director Zhao Gang, there lingered a sliver of fantasy regarding Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan said modestly, "I just didn''t want to be stuck in a police station." "Comrade Lin is being too modest." Zhao Gang chuckled, then asked, "Comrade Lin,ing all the way from Anling to Modu, how do you find this city?" After a moment of thought, Lin Chuan spoke truthfully, "Modu gives me a sense of splendor that is both heavenly and dreamlike, an almost illusory prosperity. It''s been an eye-opener for a country bumpkin like me." "Ha, Comrade Lin must not sell himself short. With your skills, making your mark in Modu is as easy as turning your hand over. No, you''ve already made your mark," Zhao Gang implied meaningfully. "By sheer luck." Lin Chuan responded modestly. "Comrade Lin, we currently have a talent recruitment program in Modu. Are you interested in finding out more?" Zhao Gang asked opportunely. "Hmm?" Lin Chuan looked slightly taken aback. Zhao Gang smiled and continued, "With your ability, our police station can definitely hire you out of the regr process." "Does thatply with regtions?" Lin Chuan asked with raised eyebrows and a smile. This was an appointment! Lin Chuan couldn''t help butugh inwardly. His mother had tried everything to get him into a stable job, a golden rice bowl with insurance and benefits, all worries behind. The earnest hope of an elder for the younger generation, isn''t the ideal job just that? For ordinary families, as long as their children secured a position, the parents would stand tall among their neighbors and fellow vigers. This was virtually the edge of the universe, the origin of civilization! "Of course itplies. We can''t do anything uwful or disorderly. For special talents, our police system can indeed make exceptions," Zhao Gang said earnestly. "This is a significant matter, and I cannot give Director Zhao an immediate answer. Please forgive me," Lin Chuan used the tactic of ''dy'' in response to the olive branch thrown by Zhao Gang. Moving to Modu to be a criminal detective seemed a bit far-fetched. His home base was still in Anling. If he really wanted to be a detective, Anling Police Station would be a good choice. After all, he knew the ce wellShen Qianqian, Xia Qingqing, Yu Shan, Hu Daqiang, Zhang Biaogoing to work was like going home. How pleasant that would be. "Comrade Lin, you can consider it carefully. With your ability, starting your career at Modu Police Station, you''re guaranteed at least this white shirt I''m wearing. An administrative jacket isn''t out of reach either. There''s a broad scope for growth," Zhao Gang''s mouth curled upward, ncing at Lin Chuan and tugging at his white shirt. Lin Chuan was somewhat surprised. The white shirt was the basic attire for a third-ss Police Monitor. Both Zhao Gang and Zhang Biao were of the white shirt rank. As for the administrative jacket That was already on the level of Zhong Chengming from Han River Province. "Comrade Lin, don''t rush your reply to Old Zhao. If you don''t want to be a detective, you cane to our Cultural Relics Bureau. Your expertise is the perfect fit," just then, Li Zeguang strode in. Zhao Gang''s mouth twitched, "Old Li, this is the police station. Is it appropriate for you to poach my person in front of me?" "Eh! Lin hasn''t agreed to you yet, how did he be your man?" Li Zeguangughed. "Comrade Lin is a natural-born detective genius. Just think, with him here, is there any case Modu Police Station can''t solve? For Comrade Lin, rising to the top is absolutely no problem," Zhao Gang stated directly. Many things are hard to articte. Perhaps, like in "The Name of the People", ah spit, "Game of Thrones", where factions intertwine, the Great Gangs are numerous, and even if ordinary people want to rise up, there''s a limit. It''s not like for Hou Liangping, where striking the bell heralds a bright and wonderful future. But. Zhao Gang believed that Lin Chuan could ignore all of this; he was the talent that the police system had been dreaming of. In the case of the Antique Forgery. Zhao Gang found out that Lin Chuan uploaded a video to lure Hu and Gao into his trap. During this process, Hu Shu contacted personnel from the overseas hacker organization AW in an attempt to hack into Lin Chuan''sputer backend and take down the video directly, but Lin Chuan counteracted and forced them topromise. It was this small detail that allowed Zhao Gang to "get" a few key words. Lin Chuan, Anling, Hacker, AW. When these words were put together, it was difficult for him not to think about the recent major event where "the Overseas Hacker Organization AW invaded the Han River Network and was crushed by a mysterious person''s counterattack." Although the details of the mysterious person had been sealed by Han River, Zhao Gang''s years of experience in criminal investigations were not for naught. He had a very strong premonition that Lin Chuan was that mysterious person. This was also the key reason driving him to offer Lin Chuan an olive branch today! If he had Lin Chuan, it meant possessing the ability to confront arge overseas hacker organization! Hence, he must attempt to win Lin Chuan over! Otherwise, he would regret it in the middle of the night, just like when he hadn''t confessed to his crush back in his graduation dayswhat if... what if she had said yes? "Old Zhao, you''re underestimating my Cultural Relics Bureau. We directly connect with the Ministry of Culture," Li Zeguang did not show weakness as he said with a smile. "We''re on the same level; don''t tell me my police station doesn''t have departments to connect with?" Zhao Gang raised an eyebrow. Lin Chuan, listening to all this, was getting a headache. Between the police station and the Cultural Relics Bureau, who could handle this? ''Ring ring ring'' Just as Li Zeguang and Zhao Gangunched into apetition for him, Lin Chuan''s phone rang. The iing call disyed: Little Landy. ''Excuse me, Directors, I need to take a call.'' Lin Chuan found an excuse to slip away quickly. Li Zeguang and Zhao Gang exchanged nces and both let out a forcedugh. Lin Chuan stepped aside and pressed the answer button: "Xinxin..." "I miss you." From the other end of the phone, came the slightly aggrieved and a bit resentful voice of the Little Landy. Lin Chuan''s heart instantly softened: "I''ve already dealt with things in Modu, so what if I fly back overnight?" "You''re flying back overnight?" On the other end, the Little Landy''s eyes lit up, glimmering with a bright radiance, but then she quicklyposed herself, "You must be exhausted today, you should rest well tonight, fly back tomorrow, and I have prepared a surprise for you." "A surprise?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, "That makes me even more keen toe back tonight." "Be good, don''t rush for the flight now, I''m worried it will tire you out. Have a good night''s sleep, and I''ll pick you up from the airport with full energy tomorrow," the Little Landy said with a phone in hand, a bright smile curling up at the corner of her mouth. "Alright, I''ll go to bed early tonight." Lin Chuan shared a tacit understanding with the Little Landy in one aspect. During this period, the Little Landy Zhang Xinxin often spent time with Shen Qianqian, paying close attention to Lin Chuan''s case. The Little Landy didn''t care whether Lin Chuan had damaged any cultural relics. All she wanted was for Lin Chuan toe home quickly. If it weren''t for Lin Chuan telling her ''the cultural relic is a fake'', there''s no need to worry, this little rich woman was ready to liquidate assets and raise funds. And now. Shen Qianqian told her that Lin Chuan had directly helped the Modu police arrest two core members of the Antique Forgery Gang, and she quickly phoned Lin Chuan. "Now to talk business." The Little Landy spoke with a smile brimming withughter. "Didn''t we talk business just now?" Lin Chuan retorted with augh. On the other side of the phone, the Little Landy blushed, biting her lower lip lightly: "When youe back, we''ll immediately get down to business." "Ahem." Lin Chuan coughed lightly, and thenughingly said, "What was it you were going to say just now?" "Oh, that. Sister Qianqian said that her Director was also asking when you''lle back, saying there''s important business to discuss that will be beneficial for our 720 Networkpany as well," the Little Landy said. "Qianqian, Zhang Biao?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, nced at Zhao Gang and Li Zeguang in the room, and thenughed, "Xinxin, tell Qianqian not to worry about me noting back." "Why would she worry about you noting back?" The Little Landy, not knowing the ins and outs, asked innocently. "Haha, maybe she''s worried I''d be tempted to stay in Modu," Lin Chuan chuckled. "Tempted by Modu? Chairman, if you want, we could also buy a house in Modu. It might be stressful in the city center, but the suburbs should be okay," the little rich woman Zhang Xinxin suggested with a pair of clear eyes, speaking inly. Lin Chuan was taken aback, such pure and sincere words. That was the Little Landy for you. Compared to the olive branches thrown by the police and Cultural Relics Bureau of Modu, the Little Landy made them seem a lot less appealing. Who could resist this!? Chapter 197: Chapter 161 New Life, New Experience! (Please subscribe!) Dusk descended. The afterglow of the setting sun waspletely engulfed by the slowly spreading night, leaving only a hint of crimson. Neon lights flickered between buildings like stars in the night sky, adding a touch of the mundane. A gentle breeze blew through, carrying the fresh, moist air after the rain and the faint scent of gardenias, making several rounds in the courtyard of the "Moon Ascending Pavilion," a Chinese-style ancient-themed restaurant. "Youyou, I''m going back to Anling tomorrow," Lin Chuan said softly to Youyou, whose face was peachy pink. "Won''t you stay a few more days?" Youyou was slightly taken aback, lifting her bright eyes to look at Lin Chuan. "There are a lot of things to deal with in Anling." Lin Chuan shook his head. The 720 Inte Company, Goldstone Edge Antique Shopit''s been quite a handful for Little Landy. A trace of mncholy shed through Youyou''s eyes, but it quickly disappeared as she pursed her lips and smiled, "I had so many ces I wanted to take you to, but I didn''t expect this incident to happen and mess up all the ns." The night before Lin Chuan confirmed he woulde to Modu, she had stayed upte to n the trip and even got time off from the HR department. It was all to give her dear a good time. Who would''ve thought... A case of antique forgery, a cultural relics recement, disrupted all her ns. "There will be other chances," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Youyou blinked her clear, autumn-water-like eyes and gently swept up the hair on her right cheek, tucking it behind her ear, "Okay, next time I''ll make sure you have a great time!" "Okay," Lin Chuan said, smiling. At that moment, Both Lin Chuan''s and Youyou''s phones buzzed at the same time. The Modu police force had sent them a picture. A case notice regarding the current investigation. Youyou nced at it, a smile spreading across her face as she said to Lin Chuan, "Lin Chuan, you need to rify some things in the reader group about the antique forgery and the cultural relics recement case, don''t you?" "With this notice, it''ll be much easier to rify," Lin Chuan said with a chuckle, nodding his head. Afterwards, he took out his phone, scrolled to the reader group"Abide by the Law, Everyone''s Responsibility," and quickly typed with his thumbs on the phone keyboard: "@All Members, brothers, here I am./haha.smile.jpg" Lin Chuan was very popr in the reader group. His message immediately blew up the group, like dropping a bomb in a pond, causing not only the little fish but also the old turtles lurking under to emerge. [Mr. Lin, you''ve finally showed up] [Mr. Lin, I think I might have misjudged you. I saw a videost time saying that one of the cultural relics is suspected to be a replica, but it was taken down before I could share it!] [Right, I saw that video too. When I shared it, the video link was invalid.] [That video really did some hard-core analysis, and it made a lot of sense.] [So, is that national treasure fake or not?] [Does it matter if it''s real or fake? I just want to know, is Mr. Lin going to end up in the police station?] [Mr. Lin, are you still in the station?] [Bro, write another story, I want to learn some skills to make money.] [Without your novels, I don''t even have side dishes to go with my meals.] [You can write novels in the station too, Mr. Lin. Don''t think about cking off!] [It''s okay even if you''re inside, I can wait.] [...] "These are all your true fans!" Youyou was also in the group, watching these group members'' messages with a joyful expression on her face. "Of course," Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a smile. There were about two thousand people in the group, nearly all true fans with full subscriptions. Lin Chuan was originally ready to say something emotional, but looking at these readers'' messages, he thought it overthese guys just wanted chaos, only wanting him to ''go inside.'' ''Go inside,'' something he would never do in this lifetime! After thinking for a bit, Lin Chuan immediately sent the picture just received from the Modu police station to the group, along with a message: "@All Members, brothers, I might have to disappoint you." In the photo, blue background with white text. As soon as the picture appeared, the group went temporarily quiet for a while. Because the readers were clicking into the photo to check it out. The content of the notice caught their eyes. ''At present, our bureau is investigating the "idental Damage to National Treasure Case" and the "Antique Forgery Case." To ensure that the case is handled ording to thew, protect the legal rights of the parties involved, and restore the truth of the incident, the following announcements are made:'' ''In the case of the idental damage to the national treasure, ording to Mr. Lin (one of the idental damagers), the Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase showcased at the overseas repatriation ceremony is a replica. Further verification by the Modu Cultural Relics Bureau confirmed the artifact to be a counterfeit, and the original genuine piece is suspected to have been reced.'' ''The case involves arge antique forgery gang, and our bureau, in cooperation with the Cultural Relics Bureau, has initiated an investigation.'' ''On the afternoon of June 19th, Mr. Lin published a video with the title "Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase suspected to be a replica," which quickly gained attention online and through which the identity of the two main suspects in the "Antique Forgery Recement Case" were confirmed: Hu Shu, the owner of the Ancient Moon private museum; Gao Qinglin, the chief expert at Modu Museum.'' ''On the afternoon of June 19th, our bureau moved quickly, apprehended the suspects Hu Shu and Gao Qinglin, who confessed to the crimes: secretly recing national treasures, scheming to cause a power outage at the museum to simte an ident intending to damage a counterfeit national treasure, among other extensive forgery activities.'' ''...'' The group''s true fans read with great concentration, carefully going over each word, fearful of missing any key information. The wording inside seemed simple, but it was not difficult to understand at all. The readers got it. At the same time, they also couldn''t sit still anymore! Chapter 198: Chapter 161 New Life, New Experience! (Subscribe, please!)_2 [So, after Mr. Lin identally damaged a cultural relic, it was identified as fake, which then implicated arge Antique Forgery Gang. Following that, he released that video to lure the snake out of its hole, exposing the mastermind behind the scenes, who happens to be members of the two antique forgery gangs?] [Damn, is this something a human would do?] [Fake, it''s absolutely fake, this can''t possibly be Mr. Lin''s doing!] [Right, he''s the suspect Mr. Lin, how could he achieve such a great feat?] [Mr. Lin, I didn''te to witness your aplishments, I came to see youmit a crime and get caught!] [How fierce is that!] [Entering the fray with half a chance of winning, Mr. Lin, you''re ying a big game here.] [Stand out as a stranger!] [That''s too much, you''re ying with our emotions!] [Criminal suspect, Mr. Lin, I think you are the head of the Antique Forgery Gang!] [I don''t believe it, Mr. Lin is the real criminal suspect.] [Showing off in front of Guan Yu, causing trouble in front of Mr. Lin, isn''t that setting a trap for yourself?] [Mr. Lin: Took them down, now I''m the strongest in the Antique Forgery Gang, hahaha!] [...] The chat group exploded, messages kept flooding in. "Don''t just sit there munching popcorn, guys, remember to subscribe! @All members" Lin Chuan couldn''t help but remind everyone. System panel: [Work: "Last Week''s Antique".] [Status: Listed.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 5676/20000.] To unlock the next experience profession, there''s still a long way to go for the needed Poprity Value. A good fourteen thousand Average Subscriptions short! "I have a feeling a groundbreaking wave of traffic is about toe in, you''re going to be famous," Youyou said, pouring Lin Chuan a ss of coconut juice, teasingly. "Now to be famous from writing, you still have to rely on your own marketing, sigh," Lin Chuan chuckled dryly. "Traffic is king," Youyou said with augh. Just like Youyou had said, a groundbreaking wave of traffic was indeed on its way. The announcement by Modu police in cooperation with the Cultural Relics Bureau, once released, quickly sparked widespread discussion and dominated the trending search lists within a short half-hour. >I was too loud earlier, Mr. Lin (Hot) >Web novel writer aids Modu police, breaks through a startling case (Hot) >Modu Police Station, Announcement (Hot) >Last Week''s Antique (New) >Shock, national treasure level cultural relic reced, implicatesrge Antique Forgery Gang (New) Thements section was buzzing. [Is this off-the-wall plot for real?] [Even novels wouldn''t dare to write like this, he dares to do it?] [Sorry Mr. Lin, I was too loud earlier.] [Such an awesome web novel writer?] [With these skills, why not be a famous detective instead of nesting here as a small-time writer?] [Talk about being righteous!] [Go for it, guys, his "Last Week''s Antique" is said to be autobiographical, totally awesome!] [Does anyone have Mr. Lin''s address? I offer free air-drops! Free door-to-doorundry!] [About to get married and just discovered my partner is not good in bed, what do I do, sisters?] [I know an old doctor, my husband is really strong now, three courses of treatment, not expensive at all, I can refer him to you.] [Isn''t this ce also for advertising plugs?] [...] From night until dawn. A faint red glow quietly emerged, gradually spreading and dyeing the eastern sky a warm shade of orange-red. The morning light forcefully pierced through the thin clouds and adorned the bustling city below with a golden sandy brilliance. Last night, Lin Chuan had gone to sleep early to rest and rejuvenate. The passenger ne from Modu to Anling gave a mighty roar on the runway, speeding up before lifting its head into the sky, Lin Chuan on his return journey. Outside the airport. Youyou raised her head, watching from afar as the ''Boeing 73M mid-size passenger ne'' traced a beautiful arc in the sky, growing more distant until it turned into a speck and vanished from sight. "Ah..." Youyou sighed quietly, feeling a heaviness in her chest and a hint of mncholy and reluctance on her face, an indescribable taste lingering in her heart. "Why not keep him?" Chief Editor Mingyue patted Youyou on the side. Youyou tightened her lips, a hint of resignation in her eyes, "I can''t keep him." "It might be a bit difficult," Mingyue also looked up at the sky before adding, "but, you have all the time in the world with him, don''t rush this moment." Youyou nodded silently, "Yeah, there''s always the future." Actually, Youyou''s greatest worry wasn''t about not being able to keep Lin Chuan, but being afraid that she wouldn''t be able to keep up with his pace. Lin Chuan was moving so fast, it worried her. The next time they met, Lin Chuan might have changedpletely. Youyou took the passenger seat in Mingyue''s car, her gaze aimlessly drifting outside the window, her mind resolutely determined to change her status quo and step out of herfort zone. Bing the chief editor was no longer her goal. Neither was being the editor-in-chief. As for the goal, what exactly was it? The only thing she was sure of was that this goal was rted to Lin Chuan. ... After a full three hours in the air, the ''Boeing 73M mid-size passenger ne'' traveled from Modu to Anling and slowlynded at Anling airport. Lin Chuan, pushing his luggage, walked out of the airport amid the crowd. "Chairman!" Just reaching the arrivals gate, Lin Chuan heard a familiar and intimate voice. Turning his head, he saw a graceful figure throw herself onto him, arms wrapped around his neck, legs around his waist. The Little Landy hung on Lin Chuan, holding him tight. "There are so many people here." Lin Chuan steadied the Little Landy with one hand and stroked her hair with the other. As for the luggage. What need for luggage at a time like this? Chapter 199: Chapter 161: A New Life, a New Experience! (Please Subscribe!)_3 "I don''t care." The Little Landy pouted and hugged him even tighter, she didn''t care how many people there were, her eyes only held Lin Chuan. "Sorry to keep you waiting." Lin Chuan held the Little Landy, warm, soft, intimately close, and the faint scent of her body reached his nose, bringing him a sense of extraordinary peace, as well as a strange urge. The Little Landy hugged him tightly for a long while before finally getting off Lin Chuan, looking up at him steadily. "Xinxin, what are you looking at?" Lin Chuan smiled. The Little Landy''s smile was radiant, filled with youthful vitality, "It''s good to have you back, Chairman. Do you want to know what I''m wearing today?" "What are you wearing?" Lin Chuan looked the Little Landy up and down. She was wearing a white chiffon knit shirt that day, with a pair of tight blue jeans below, white sneakers on her feet, and a light makeup on her face, which made her already exquisite features now even more remarkable. The Little Landy quickly walked out of the airport, pulling Lin Chuan along. Then, in front of Lin Chuan, she gently rolled up the hem of her jeans to reveal a small section of her calf, and... ck stockings. This... Lin Chuan swallowed, looking at the Little Landy, andughed, "You''ve turned into a little enchantress." "Then... let''s go home!" The Little Landy blinked and whispered in Lin Chuan''s ear, "I have another surprise for you." "Okay." Lin Chuan, with his arm around the Little Landy''s waist, got into the car. The taxi driver drove skillfully. In no time, he had transported Lin Chuan and the Little Landy from the airport to Qingxiu District in Anling. "Aren''t we going home?" Lin Chuan was somewhat surprised and asked. "You''ll know in a bit," the Little Landy said, holding Lin Chuan''s hand and leading him into a residentialplex. Linjiang Mansion. Before Lin Chuan had a chance to take a good look at theyout inside theplex, the Little Landy pulled him into the elevator and pressed the button for the 30th floor. Ding. The 30th floor arrived. The Little Landy walked ahead, unlocked the door with her fingerprint, turned the doorknob, and looked at Lin Chuan with a smile, "Wee home, Chairman." "This..." Lin Chuan was still surprised as he walked into the house. At first nce, it was a spacious t of over 200 square meters with four bedrooms and two living rooms, luxuriously decorated yet with a warm feel. Uh-huh. The Little Landy went on tiptoes, hooked Lin Chuan''s neck, and said, "Chairman, from now on, this is our home." "When did you start preparing this?" Lin Chuan wrapped his arms around the Little Landy and asked. "I have always been preparing. While you were away on a business trip, I sped up the decoration process. It''s already been tested, no formaldehyde, safe to stay," the Little Landy continued, "Your clothes, I''ve folded them and put them in our walk-in closet for you. That room over there is specially set up for your gaming, and you can also write there. Um, I haven''t finished yet." "Just tell me, where''s our room?" Lin Chuan pushed the luggage aside and picked the Little Landy up in his arms. A flush appeared on the Little Landy''s face as she pointed around the house, "Every room is... slow down." Before the Little Landy finished speaking, Lin Chuan carried her into the bedroom. The new bed was very soft, And the Little Landy was even softer. Still carrying that faint scent. Lin Chuan gently caressed the Little Landy''s face, then leaned down to kiss her. Golden wind, jade dew. Poor was this newly employed bed, as it faced its first ordeal, but luckily it was sturdy enough to withstand the surges caused by repeated fierce impacts. The Little Landy''s chiffon shirt and jeans had a sad fate. They were carelessly tossed on the floor, leaving a mess all around. Of course, the ck stockings had the most tragic end. Lin Chuan was like a fierce general on the battlefield, barehanded, easily ripping them apart, and then advancing his troops to the city gates, battering them open with a battering ram, embarking on a relentless assault, tirelessly. At noon, sunlight filtered through the curtains into the room. Then, it gradually sank to the west, below the horizon, to be reced by a new crescent moon slowly rising, while the moonlight fell, casting a different kind of serene beauty. Lin Chuan halfy in the spacious and soft bed, holding the fragrant and fluffy Little Landy in his arms, enjoying a moment of tranquility that had been long missed. His and the Little Landy''s mutual attacks continued for countless rounds. And now they paused for a while. At this moment. A familiar electronic tone sounded in Lin Chuan''s mind. [Always full of enthusiasm, always hopeful.] [A new life, new experiences.] [Host, congrattions, the novel generated from your life experience as an ''Antique Maker'' "Last Week''s Antique," has reached twenty thousand Poprity Value (Average Subscription), unlocking the next career life experience.] [Would you like to experience a new career and start a new life immediately?] Chapter 200: Chapter 162: Touch Gold Captain! (Please Subscribe) Lin Chuan listened to the voice in his mind, his eyebrows raising. System Panel: [Work: "Last Week''s Antique".] [Status: Listed.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 20048/20000.] Fromst night''s 5676 average subscriptions to the current 20048, it''s been about 24 hours, an increase of 14372 average subscriptions. In a day and a night, ten thousand subscriptions! This speed was faster than any previous increase in average subscriptions, so fast that Lin Chuan was surprised. He knew that this time breaking twenty thousand average subscriptions should be no problem, but he didn''t expect it to be so quick. An average subscription of fifteen thousand could secure a rmendation slot for film and television adaptation. The key point is that the average subscription for "Last Week''s Antique" would continue to rise afterwards. Generally speaking, the higher the average subscription, the greater the potential for copyright development. Besides, the antique theme is a rtively popr subject for film and television adaptations, so the chances for adaptation were quite high. Once it seeded, having "All-In" on one hand and "Last Week''s Antique" on the other, with the adaptations broadcasted, Lin Chuan''s personal IP would have its initial shape. Not bad at all. A smile appeared on Lin Chuan''s face, but now the Little Landy was at his side, even hanging on him. If she whimsically decided to meddle with him while his consciousness was in the Virtual World, this division of focus would affect his performance. Ahem, it would affect both sides. "Hmm, what time is it, Chairman?" The Little Landy clung to Lin Chuan softly, moving slightly on his chest. Lin Chuan looked at the phone on the bedside table: "Eight in the evening, are you hungry?" "Mm, I''m hungry." The Little Landy lifted her small face and blinked her eyes. "I''ll go make some noodles for you," Lin Chuan said, about to get up. "Okay." The Little Landy hugged Lin Chuan tightly as they entered the kitchen. Boiling noodles, eating dinner. The bright moon was high in the sky, its pale light blocked by the curtains, reflecting off the river surface, revealing sparkling ripples. Sparse lights along the river flickered like distant stars in the night sky. The night grew deeper. The Little Landy was too tired. With Lin Chuan''s coaxing, she fell deeply asleep. Lin Chuan still had some energy and was ready to take care of another important matter! "System,e out!" In his mind, Lin Chuan called for the system. [Host, are you ready now to start experiencing a new profession and to begin a new life?]The system replied programmatically. "I''m ready, let''s start," Lin Chuan said earnestly, taking a deep breath. Every new profession signified a new chapter in life, and it also meant that Lin Chuan would have an opportunity to acquire a new skill. Experience had proven that having many skills was an advantage. So far, Lin Chuan had mastered skills like ''theft'', ''cheating techniques'', ''firearms'', bat fighting'', ''hacker'', ''fraud'', ''antique forgery'', and more. Lin Chuan knew that it was because he mastered these skills that he was able to hook up with the little richdy, Zhang Xinxin. Ahem, sorry, System. You gave me these skills, and I used them to cling to a little richdy. The current situation also proved: Little richdies are truly delightful. The 720pany, the Antique Shop, therge t house with the river view, her, which one wasn''t wonderfully enticing? Although Lin Chuan wasn''t too fond of living off a woman, she was just too appetizing! Of course, Lin Chuan was also striving. Right now, he was about to experience a new life, to begin his struggle in the Virtual World! [Your new professional life is about to begin, please prepare yourself, Host.]The system''s electronic voice reminded him warmly. At this moment. The ''cozy bedroom'', the ''river view outside the window'', the ''hazy night'' in Lin Chuan''s vision gradually blurred, and the delicate, rhythmic breathing of the Little Landy also grew distant. His consciousness entered a new space. For the time being, there was no one else here. Only the system''s voice echoed [Please pay attention, Host.] [Each experience is a beautiful memory for you.] [This system will preserve this memory in the form of a novel.] [Your uing profession for the experience is being randomly allocated.] [Please wait] "A profession..." Lin Chuan murmured softly, "Anything will do, after all these crime-rted professions, I''ve managed to get through. Even if the system ys a prank on me and assigns a few more crime-type professions, I''ll withstand it. Bring it on, system!" As the saying goes in games, there are no useless heroes, only ipetent summoners. Profession skills are the same, it all depends on how they''re used! [Host, your understanding is getting higher.] [Congrattions, the profession you will experience this time is...] [Touch Gold Captain!] [Congrattions, you have acquired the ''Touching Gold Secret Skill''.] [We hope you are satisfied!] Lin Chuan immediately shut his mouth and silently cursed the system. Did it really give me a crime-rted profession? Touch Gold Captain originated during thete Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms Period, when Cao Cao, in order topensate for insufficient military funds, established military ranks such as ''Touch Gold Captain'' and ''Central General of Prosperity'' to rob tombs for wealth to subsidize the military expenses. Later on, Touch Gold Captain became synonymous with tomb robbers. Within the Martial World, there is aplete set of traditional rules for a total of seventy-two professions. Tomb Robbing is one of the Eight Outer Industries. The Eight Outer Industries are not legitimate professions and include fortune tellers, beggars, bandits, thieves, Tomb Raiders, fugitives, fire leaders, and water fetchers. A fortune teller is a diviner, a bandit is a highway robber, and Tomb Raider refers to the Touch Gold Captain. The Touch Gold Captain profession, which involves profiting from the dead and scattering their wealth, requires techniques, knowledge, and courage that are unmatched by other trades. Hence, there''s a saying in the Martial World. Out of the seventy-two trades, Touching Gold reigns supreme. As a web novel writer, Lin Chuan was somewhat familiar with tomb-robbing novels. In novels, tomb robbers are often divided into four schools: Touching Gold, Move Mountain, Hill-Unloading, and Discover Tomb, with sayings like ''Discover Tomb with seals, Touching Gold with talismans, Move Mountain with techniques, Hill-Unloading with armor''. However, these are probably the creations of novelists. In fact, due to differences in climate and terrain between the north and south, burials also differ, so tomb robbing is broadly divided into southern and northern schools. However, Lin Chuan froze. System, why are you giving me the "Touching Gold Secret Skill" now? What can I actually do with it? Nowadays, tomb robbing wouldnd me in jail! If you go down into a tomb and take a couple of items, there are generally two oues. You go in and nevere out. You go in,e out, get caught, and end up shot. The "Taotie Pattern Wine Vessel" from the Western Zhou Dynasty that Old Bai forgedst time would start its prison term in the Spring and Autumn period if it was freshly plundered from a tomb. The quickest punishment would be to literally swallow a nuclear weapon. Who could possibly bear that? In the real world, beneath the high-hanging bright moon, one could see the open river below through the window, as well as the continuous mountains in the distance, faintly visible under the cover of nightfall. The cool evening breeze slipped through the gaps in the window, stirring the curtains, and gently patted Lin Chuan''s face, calming his mind gradually. "Forget it, let''s just touch gold in the virtual world," he decided. Lin Chuan was quite interested in the culture of tomb robbing, and touching gold could at least satisfy his craving. It should be pretty exciting too. At this moment. The system''s voice rang out again [Host, due to the special nature of the Touch Gold Captain upation, please draw your first experience instance at random.] Lin Chuan''s eyebrows wrinkled slightly, "There''s a second experience instance?" [Yes, but to unlock the second experience instance, the novel generated from the previous instance needs to achieve a certain goal.] The system replied. "It''s getting harder," Lin Chuan understood. In other words, the Touch Gold Captain upation isn''t a one-time experience but is divided into several instances. To unlock the second one, I need to fulfill certain conditions with the novel formed by the first instance, and so on. "Okay, draw the experience instance," Lin Chuan agreed with a nod. [Drawing your first experience instance now.] [Drawing sessful.] [Your first upation life experience instance as ''Touch Gold Captain'' is: Seven Stars Lu King Pce.] [Generating a new world for you with ''Virtual Reality'' technology.] [Please be prepared.] The system instructed. "Seven Stars Lu King Pce." Lin Chuan nodded, as his consciousness sank into the newly generated virtual world along with the system. In the new world. Lin Chuan''s vision slowly became clear, and looking around, he found himself in an antique shop, arranged simrly to Goldstone Edge Antique Shop, a small store with various kinds of antiques and curios, but it wasn''t particrly popr. There were no customers in the shop, only an assistant. The assistant was thin, with a somewhat deep voice, dressed in ck clothes, and quite good-looking. Though not as handsome as Lin Chuan, he had a distinctly different aura. At this time, Lin Chuan took the opportunity to understand his current identity. He was born into a family of tomb raiders. Tomb Raider, a jargon term in the industry, also meant tomb robbing. Ancient tombs are mostly pyramid-shaped, like a huge "dou," and ''Tomb Raider'' means flipping this tomb open, essentially, engaging in tomb robbing. His grandfather was a skilled tomb robber who, 50 years ago, stole a Silk Manuscript from the Warring States period, noted it down, and left it to him. Currently, Lin Chuan was the young owner of an antique shop. "This is quite simr to reality," Lin Chuan mumbled to himself. "Young man, do you have any rubbings of Warring States Silk Manuscripts here?" An old man with gold teeth walked into the shop and asked Lin Chuan directly. "No." Lin Chuan replied bluntly. "A friend rmended me; I was looking to see your grandfather," the old man with the big gold teeth said with a corner of his mouth spread in a smile. "What do you want with my grandfather?" Lin Chuan''s eyebrows furrowed. At the moment, Lin Chuan was still learning about the Touching Gold Secret Skill. The Touching Gold Secret Skill, that is, Tomb Robbing Skill, includes skills such as Observation, Listening, Inquiry, Pulse Taking, Feng Shui Divination Skill, Seeking Dragon and Dividing Gold to Determine the Burial Site, Tomb Mechanism Technique, and so on. Take, for example, the Skill of Seeking Dragon and Dividing Gold to Determine the Burial Site. ''When seeking dragons, you must observe the winding mountains, where each winding represents a barrier, and where barriers guard as if a thousand locks, there must dwell nobleman and lords.'' The old man with the big gold teeth grinned, "Your grandfather stole a Warring States Silk Manuscript back then, he must have kept a few rubbings. I want one topare with the rubbing I have to see if they are the same." "Not a chance." Through multiple virtual upation life experiences, Lin Chuan knew that the rubbing of a Warring States Silk Manuscript was significant. How significant, Lin Chuan hadn''t figured out yet. "Hold on, young man, help me take a look at this. Is it the same as the Warring States Silk Manuscript your grandfather had?" The old man with the big gold teeth pulled out a piece of white paper. "Looking at things is fine." In terms of appraisal, Lin Chuan was a grandmaster-level figure. The old man with the big gold teeth handed over the piece of white paper. On the paper was a picture of the Warring States Silk Manuscript. Lin Chuan only nced at it for a moment before realizing that the Silk Manuscript in the picture was a fake. He reported his findings truthfully. Upon hearing this, the old man with the big gold teeth left immediately, in a hurry. That evening. Third Uncle sent Lin Chuan a message about "Dragon''s Ridge." "Dragon''s Ridge," code for something valuable. But Lin Chuan was a step toote; the Ancient ck Gold Saber, referred to as "Dragon''s Ridge," was taken by a young man. In the virtual world. Although this was a tomb-robbing family, Lin Chuan''s father and Lin Chuan himself had never entered a tomb or been involved in tomb-robbing activities. However, Third Uncle was quite a figure in the tomb-robbing industry. Therefore, if Lin Chuan wanted toplete the "Seven Stars Lu King Pce" instance, he might need Third Uncle''s help. He didn''t even know where the Seven Stars Lu King Pce was. Could it be rted to that "Warring States Silk Manuscript"? The system wouldn''t provide something useless; there must be a mystery to this manuscript. After thinking it over, Lin Chuan printed a photo of the Warring States Silk Manuscript and gave it to Third Uncle to check. Third Uncle immediately broke the mystery, "This is a map." "A map?" Lin Chuan''s eyebrows furrowed and he paused momentarily, "What kind of map?" "It''s the map of a tomb." Third Uncle continued, staring at the manuscript, "This tomb must be from the Warring States period belonging to a noble of the State of Lu. Are you considering taking a look inside the tomb?" "Yes," Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. Hearing about the State of Lu from the Warring States period, he couldn''t help but think of the "Seven Stars Lu King Pce." First, he had to explore the "Seven Stars Lu King Pce"! Chapter 201: Chapter 163 Tomb Robbing, This is Real Punishment! (Subscribe Please) Virtual World. ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' instance. In the early morning, the ancient charm of Lin Chuan''s antique shop was discernible. The shop door was slightly open, and the sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a faint glow on the shelves disying various antiques. A few crisp bird chirps came from afar, adding an extrayer of tranquility and realism. At this moment. Lin Chuan had almost confirmed that the map of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce was documented on the Warring States silk manuscript. Next, it was time for the preparation stage before clearing the instance. To do a good job, one must first sharpen one''s tools. Every professional Touch Gold Captain would make thorough preparations before setting out. Impatient and rash individuals could not engage in the tomb robbing business. If one entered a tomb without preparation, it was akin to seeking a joint burial with the tomb''s master. Lin Chuan wasn''t someone who rushed. His encounters through multiple virtual lifetimes had honed his ability to be calm and decisive in all situations. This time, whether he could clear the ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' would actually affect the excitement level of the generated novel and whether he could unlock the next tomb robbing instance. So, making more preparations had only benefits and no drawbacks. "Marksmanship, fighting, these two skills shoulde in handy inside the tomb. However, God knows what lies within the tomb; I still need to integrate some Touching Gold secret skills thoroughly," Lin Chuan murmured softly to himself. Although Lin Chuan had already mastered the Touching Gold Secret Skill, he hadn''t yet applied it in practice, so he intended to practice it. Let''s start with the ''Double Finger Probe''. Cough, don''t misunderstand. The Double Finger Probe is a bona fide Touching Gold Secret Skill, considered an ultimate technique of the Central General of Prosperity. In the tomb, there are often some small mechanisms, with some coffins even equipped with mechanisms that leave only a tiny hole. To crack these mechanisms, one needs to extend a finger into them, probe the situation inside, and exert force in an instantthat is the Double Finger Probe. Lin Chuan raised his right hand. The sunlight cast upon this right hand, surrounded by a faint radiance, and Lin Chuan''s gaze primarily fell on the index and middle fingers of this hand. It is the index and middle fingers that are used for the Double Finger Probe. However, the requirements for the index and middle fingers are extremely high: long, sensitive, hard, and strong. "''Length'' is up to par. I need to practice the sensitivity, hardness, and strength," Lin Chuan whispered. There are many ways to practice the ''Double Finger Probe.'' In the backyard of the antique shop, Lin Chuan found arge basin and filled it with hot coal g. A few eggs were buried inside the coal g. Being able to swiftly and steadily pick up an egg with the index and middle fingers amidst the scorching coal g is considered the entry level for this technique. "Let''s give it a try." Looking at the basin of coal g, Lin Chuan felt somewhat daunted, but he still decided to practice. If one wants a smooth sailing in the real world, one has to be tough on oneself in the virtual world! The virtual world offers chances to make mistakes; the real world does not. Many Touch Gold Captains have perished due to minor mistakes. No more hesitation. Lin Chuan''s gaze focused on the coal g, his expression concentrated and resolute. He slowly raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers tensed, and the angle between the fingers was like a pair of iron tongs. Swish! Lin Chuan exerted force suddenly, his index and middle fingers as quick as lightning, and plunged into the coal g in a sh. A burning sensation instantly radiated from the skin of his index and middle fingers. Gritting his teeth, Lin Chuan made contact with an egg. Immediately, his fingers pinched together, the strength on them firmly mping the egg, and he swiftly withdrew. Phew Lin Chuan looked at the egg between his index and middle fingers and let out a long sigh of relief. After several consecutive attempts, he steadily extracted the eggs each time. A beaming smile spread across Lin Chuan''s face, and he proudly said to himself, "With this talent, it seems I''m really cut out to be a Touch Gold Captain!" Indeed, to master the art of the Double Finger Probe, one must start training from a young age. A finger''s mastery represents a decade of cultivation. If Lin Chuan showed such natural talent on his first attempt, it could be said that he was a genius among Touch Gold Captains. It would be a waste not to rob tombs. Lin Chuan also guessed that the system probably enhanced his abilities in this regard behind the scenes, for in the virtual world, character attribute values were dictated by it. Of course. Being able to steadily pick an egg from coal g using the index and middle fingers was still far from the true Double Finger Probe technique. The essence of the Double Finger Probe lies in the perfectbination of mechanical techniques and the burst of strength. It is not as shown in movies and TV shows, where one simply raises a right hand and pierces the mechanism with force. In practice, one needs to insert a finger inside first, to touch and sense the construction of the mechanism and how to unlock it. This is a dangerous step. Because no one knows what lies inside the small hole of the mechanism. Many Touch Gold Captains who can perform the Double Finger Probe have their index and middle fingers broken off. Even worse, some have their entire right arm ruined. This is the price to pay. It is also one of the reasons behind the saying, ''Among the seventy-two trades, Touching Gold is king.'' In the virtual world, Lin Chuan''s family is a lineage of tomb robbers. Thus, they naturally have plenty of mechanical molds. Soon, Lin Chuan found a set of stone gate mechanism molds in the storage. It was a set of stone gate mechanism molds. In tombs, stone gate mechanisms are verymon. Legend has it. The renowned Touch Gold Captain, Cao Cao, also installed mechanisms in his tomb. One such mechanism was hidden behind arge rock, with eight characters carved on itTouch Gold Captain, Wealth Rolls In. The switch for this mechanism was hidden behind the rock, and one would need the Double Finger Probe to locate and decipher the mechanism to enter the tomb. A slight misstep would trigger the mechanism, shooting hidden arrows and causing instant death. The stone gate mold Lin Chuan found had two doors about two meters high, mimicking a rock-made gate with two parallel small holes on the door. The holes, about one to two centimeters in diameter, only allowed a single finger to enter. Quickly, Lin Chuan summoned the knowledge rted to mechanical techniques from the Touching Gold Secret Skill in his mind, ready to apply it to a stone gate. Lin Chuan first extended his index finger and middle finger into the small hole. Since he couldn''t see the specific conditions inside the small hole, he had to rely on the touch of his fingers to detect the mechanism. It was somewhat simr to a lock cylinder. Inside, it was uneven, many areas resembling the grooves within the cylinder of a lock. Lin Chuan''s heart grew stern. He treated the mold as if it were the actual mechanism, and the ''grooves'' were in fact testing the strength of his mechanical techniques. However, Lin Chuan, blessed with the ''Lock-picking'' skill as well as the ''Touching Gold Secret Skill - Mechanical Techniques,'' found this small hole mechanism not too difficult to handle. Soon, Lin Chuan touched two firm indentations, confirming they were the key to breaking the mechanism. Immediately, Lin Chuan''s two fingers, simr to a short punch, exerted force instantaneously, pushing the two firm indentations deep into ce with the power transmitted from his fingertips. Squeak The stone gate, about two meters high, slowly opened. "It''s done." Although it was just practice with a mold, sessfully opening the gate still filled Lin Chuan with joy and added some confidence to his eventual tackling of the ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce.'' Before setting off to the ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce,'' Lin Chuan repeatedly practiced some Touching Gold Secret Skills. Such as, the Double Finger Probe, The Skill of Seeking Dragon and Determining the Burial Site. Of course, equipment was essential too. For example, Threaded Steel Pipe, Archaeological Shovel Head, Split-type Waterproof Miner''s Lamp, Folding Shovel, Short Hammer, Multi-purpose Military Knife, bandages, Nylon Rope, as well as some emergency medicines. Most importantly, firearms were necessary. With a gun, one would feel confident when faced with zombies and some other strange creatures. Yet, this was a troublesome issue. Fortunately, after hanging around the ck market for a few days, Lin Chuan discreetly acquired several Double-barreled Shotguns. Once the preparations wereplete, they set off! Tomb robbing was a team effort, not something to be attempted solo; hence, aside from Lin Chuan, three others were included. Da Kui, Veteran Pan, and a young man. This young man was the one who had previously taken the ''Dragon''s Ridge'' Ancient ck Gold Saber. However, he wasn''t talkative. Lin Chuan felt he was dull, but since Third Uncle wanted to bring him along, Lin Chuan didn''t ask any further questions. After all, he was new to tomb raiding, just a greenhorn himself. ording to the ''map'' a record on a Silk Manuscript from the Warring States period ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' was located near Linyi in the Qilu area. Linyi was where the State of Lu was located during the Warring States period. Lin Chuan''s group took a long-distance bus, jolting for over a dozen hours, finally arriving at Linyi, then ventured deep into the Taiyi Mountain Range. After several setbacks, the group reached a vige deep in the mountains. "Discover Tomb Touching Gold, Move Mountain Hill-Unloading, Marking Spells on Armor, Chiseling into the Deste Tombs." Whether it was Discover Tomb, Touching Gold, Move Mountain, Hill-Unloading from the four major schools, or split into the southern and northern factions, their method of tomb raiding could all be boiled down to "observe, smell, ask, cut". Upon entering the vige, they had to ask around and gather information. This was the ''ask'' in the Four Gates and Eight Methods. This was a key area on the Silk Manuscript map from the Warring States period Seek the Dragon and Determine the Burial Site, start digging! In this era, there was a basic move away from the use of Luoyang Shovels. Lin Chuan used an Archaeological Probe Shovel, with its handle made of Threaded Steel Pipe, which could be screwed together section by section to make it longer or shorter, conducive to the performance of the Touch Gold Captain. Third Uncle, Da Kui, and Veteran Pan were all skilled at tomb robbing; the dull youth and Lin Chuan, young and strong, dug out seven to eight meters in no time. What puzzled them was a brick wall that appeared beneath the soil. Da Kui wanted to strike at the brick wall but was loudly stopped by the dull youth, for inside the brick wally an anti-theftpartment. Hence, bricks from the wall could only be pulled out, not pushed inward. The dull youth had unusually long middle and index fingers, which he ced on a brick and suddenly applied force. Whoosh! He actually pulled a brick out from the wall. "He''s also quite good at the Double Finger Probe." Lin Chuan couldn''t help but look up to the dull youth, thinking to himself that the system had arranged several strong teammates for this instance. Immediately, Lin Chuan began to work as well, removing the bricks. Before long, Lin Chuan discovered that the exterior of the ancient tomb, this brick wall, was covered with ayer of a strong acid-filled wax wall, which would pour over a person if rashly disturbed. The acid had extreme corrosive properties, capable of causing severe corrosion if poured over the body. Clearly, the dull youth had far more experience than Lin Chuan. He promptly asked Da Kui to dig a straight well downwards, then connected an injection needle and a stic tube, heated the needle red-hot, inserted it into the wax wall, and the red strong acid flowed through the stic tube into the well. "I see." Lin Chuan, with a learning mindset, understood the dull youth''s methods. He had been an assassin and an antique maker. So his knowledge of chemistry was spot-on. This stic tube was made of polytetrafluoroethylene, resistant to strong acids, perfect for draining the strong acid from the wax wall. Tomb robbing tip +1. Before long, Lin Chuan, Third Uncle, and the dull youth finished dismantling the wall, breaking through to the burial chamber. The ground of the burial chamber was a stone b, arranged in a pattern simr to bagua, inscribed with ancient characters. Around were eight Evesting Lamps, all extinguished. In the center of the burial chamber stood a Four-legged Square Cauldron, with patterns of the sun, moon, and stars engraved on its top. Lin Chuan, a master at appraising antiques, took only one nce to confirm: This Four-legged Square Cauldron was authentic, dating back to at least the Warring States period. Warring States denoted not just the era but also the minimum sentence if caught. Of course, Lin Chuan estimated that this Four-legged Square Cauldron could serve as the centerpiece of a museum, worth billions. No wonder so many were drawn to tomb robbing. Tomb robbing, it''s a real crime! However, this was a virtual world, and Lin Chuan could be a bit more daring. He then turned his attention to the south side, where there was a Stone Coffin and beyond it, a path leading downward, seemingly to a deeper Underground Pce. "So this is the Seven Stars Lu King Pce!" Lin Chuan marveled to himself. Chapter 202: Chapter 164 Archaeology, Im So Familiar With It (Please Subscribe) Real world. Anling City, Qingxiu District, Linjiang Mansion. The night had not yet faded, and the bright moonlight shone on the surface of the Anling River, like a silvery gray ribbon, slowly flowing and winding eastward. At this moment. The system''s voice rang out [Congrattions to the host for aplete experience of the ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' instance.] [You''ve acquired the ability: Touching Gold Secret Skill.] [Based on your career experience in the ''Touch Gold Captain (Instance: Seven Stars Lu King Pce)'', a novel titled "Touch Gold Notes" (Volume One) has been auto-generated, approximately 300,000 words in length, and is now being auto-exported for you. It will bepleted in about 3 hours, please check for it then.] [Additionally, "Touch Gold Notes" (Volume One) must be published, signed, and reach one hundred thousand collections before activating the second instance.] [Special note: Any data maniption is strictly prohibited.] "One hundred thousand collections, the requirement for the first instance isn''t too high, though judging by the system''s typical behavior, the difficulty to unlock the tomb robbing instances in the future will probably increase progressively," Lin Chuan muttered to himself. He then took a deep breath, calming the thoughts in his mind. He had just cleared the ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce''. In his mind, the scenes from the ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' were still vividly etched. The Green-eyed Fox Corpse, Cmus draco, Nine-Headed Serpent Cypress, Blood Corpse, Red Corpse Beetle, Jade Figurine, Purple Gold Box, Snake Eyebrow Copper Fish, King Lushang, King Zhou of Mu, Seven-Star Suspicious Coffin, and so on, all gave Lin Chuan a sense of magical realism. Many of these things were beyond imagination and seemed difficult to exin with science. Not quite real. But for Lin Chuan, this was definitely a good thing! Unreal is good! It saves readers from teasing him every day that the books he writes are autobiographies, crime records. "This time, I''m absolutely innocent," Lin Chuan hummed to himself. It was still the early hours of the morning, 2:35 a.m. The flow of time in the virtual world differed from reality, and the Seven Stars Lu King Pce instance had not taken up much of Lin Chuan''s time. The night wind was slightly cool. Lin Chuan and Little Landy Zhang Xinxin''s new ce had good venttion, with the evening breeze blowing through the window, bringing a chill into the bedroom. At this moment. The Little Landy was still deep in sleep, her body slightly curled up like an obedient little cat. Lin Chuan looked at the Little Landy with a touch of warmth in his heart, gently covered her with a nket, theny down beside her. It wasn''t long before Lin Chuan''s breathing became even and steady, and he drifted off into sleep. The night receded, and dawn''s light spread. In the blink of an eye, it was 9:30 in the morning. Lin Chuan slowly woke up, opening his drowsy eyes. The rising sun was already hanging outside the window, its light falling on the curtains, casting a faint glow, while a few chirping bird calls reached Lin Chuan''s ears. The Little Landy was no longer by his side, but from the kitchen, there came a faint noise. Shortly after. A small head peered out from the bedroom door, blinking eyes as bright as spring: "Chairman, breakfast is ready." "Sure." A knowing smile spread across Lin Chuan''s face. This might just be the meaning of life. At least for him, it is. "This morning, Old Zhang sent a message," the Little Landy said, handing Lin Chuan an egg. "What did Old Zhang say?" "The Antique Shop is popr now." Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows in surprise, "The Antique Shop is popr too?" The Little Landy nodded lightly, her lips curving into a smile: "Themotion you caused over in Modu was too big. I''m guessingizens used Tianyancha to find out that Goldstone Edge Antique Shop in Anling belongs to you and then they starteding in to check in." "So our shop has be an inte celebrity spot?" Lin Chuan inquired. "Seems like it," the Little Landy nodded, then added, "It''s not just that, our Antique Shop might even be an official partner. This morning, Qianqian told me that there''s an institute in our city that wants to coborate with Goldstone Edge Antique Shop." "What institute, what kind of coboration?" Lin Chuan asked, his brow furrowing slightly in wonder and contemtion. "Let me check the information," the Little Landy took out her phone and browsed through it before saying, "Found it. Sister Qianqian said that the institute is called Anling City Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute." "Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute Did she mention how exactly they n to coborate?" Lin Chuan asked with curiosity. The Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute is an institution in Anling City that holds qualifications for archaeological excavation and the restoration of movable cultural relics. Its primary responsibilities include the preservation of cultural relics within the city and proactive excavations of sites and tombs. It is an organization formed from the merger of the Cultural Relics Bureau and the Archaeological Research Institute. "The name of the coboration project sounds quite professional; it''s post-archaeological excavation cultural relic identification, restoration, and protection," the Little Landy said with a blink, smiling. "Perfectly relevant to my field," Lin Chuan chuckled. "Chairman, do we go ahead with the coboration?" the Little Landy asked Lin Chuan for his opinion, "If you''re interested, I can reply to Sister Qianqian." "Sure, I should make some extra ie too, instead of just living off someone else," Lin Chuan said half-jokingly. "Doesn''t it taste good?" With eyes clear as autumn water, the Little Landy''s face glowed with a bright smile. Lin Chuan was taken aback, thenughed, "Living off someone else tastes good, but the meals are even better." "Am I your meal?" "Hmm how could you not be?" ``` "What dish is that?" asked the Little Landy, blinking her eyes. Lin Chuan looked at the Little Landy''s pretty face, pondered for a moment, and slowly uttered two words, "Pickled mustard." "Pickled mustard..." The Little Landy was taken aback and her face instantly flushed red. "Chairman, you''re being indecent so early in the morning." Lin Chuanughed heartily. "Am I?" "Humph." The Little Landy pouted slightly. "Let''s get to serious matters. Sister Qianqian replied to the message. She said she and the staff from the Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute areing to pick you up." "Alright," Lin Chuan nodded. The wind on a summer morning was always so refreshing. The sun had not yet climbed high into the sky, only a pale golden glow seeped through at the horizon, tinting the edge of the clouds with a gentle golden hue. Situated by the riverbank, Linjiang Mansion was serene and elegant; the chirping of birds, the sound of flowing water, and the faint noise of traffic from afar all mingled together. The surface of the river shimmered, like a silver ribbon gently swaying at the edge of the city. "Lin Chuan." A white SUV stopped outside Linjiang Mansion, and from the driver''s seat, Shen Qianqian got out. "Weren''t you dealing with anti-fraud? How did you end up managing a project for the Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute?" Lin Chuan teased from the roadside as he looked at Shen Qianqian. Standing under the sun, Shen Qianqian''s shadow stretched to Lin Chuan''s feet. d in a blue uniform, she looked spirited and charming, with her sweet oval face wearing a familiar smile. "It''s all because of you. I was given a new projectst minute," Shen Qianqian said with a smile. "Can you reveal what the project is?" Lin Chuan smiled back, asking. "The project is... you." "Me?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "You''re now considered a talent in Anling City. The bureau values you highly. Just recently, the Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute excavated a batch of relics, some of which need restoration. Director Zhang highly rmended you to restore these relics. He wasn''t content with just that, he also arranged for me to follow up," Shen Qianqian exined with a smile. Thanks to the promotion of the anti-fraud app and the exposure of arge number of real scenes in the Old Street Factory District, the anti-fraud situation in Anling City was very good. Shen Qianqian''s work at the Anti-Fraud Center had be more rxed. Director Zhang Biao even nned to transfer some of the anti-fraud police back to their original posts after a while. "You''ve worked hard," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Hardly as much as you. Going to Modu on a business trip, you even cracked a big case on the side. I was thinking if I really get transferred back to being a detective, should I hold on to your coattails?" Shen Qianqian winked andughed. "Don''t let me miss out on the bonus for solving the case." Lin Chuan chuckled cheerfully. Under the bright sunlight, Shen Qianqian''s face also revealed a hint of a smile. At that moment, a sedan drove up slowly and stopped in front of Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian. A girl in her mid-twenties got out of the car, about 170 cm tall, dressed in a simple T-shirt with a modest color, and jeans that outlined her slender legs. The cuffs were slightly rolled up, adding a casual touch to her look. She wore a high ponytail, her fair skin glowing with healthy color. With a calm demeanor, a high nose bridge, rosy lips, and a smile at the corners of her mouth, she seemed warm and approachable. "Let me introduce you. This is my high school ssmate, Qin Sisi, also an excellent staffer at the Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute," Shen Qianqian introduced, looking at Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi. "Writer Lin, I''ve heard so much about you." Qin Sisi extended her hand, her face adorned with a calm and gentle smile. Lin Chuan lightly shook Qin Sisi''s hand, feeling the soft coolness on the back of her fingers, while her fingertips had a faint sandpapery sensation, like a thinyer of callus, and he said with a smile, ``` "I wouldn''t dare, how could I, in front of a frontline archaeological excavator, falsely im to be an expert." Qin Sisi raised an eyebrow, a touch of surprise appeared on her gentle and serene face as she smiled and asked, "There are cultural relic restorers, archaeological researchers, and archaeological excavators at the institute, how does Writer Lin know I work in archaeological excavation?" As she spoke, she nced at Shen Qianqian beside her. Shen Qianqian exined with a smile, "Sisi, I didn''t tell him that." Lin Chuan also smiled, "I write online novels, and I often have to do research on various characters for my stories, so over time, I''ve remembered these things." If it''s a cultural relic restorer or an archaeological excavator, the calluses on their palms are distributed differently. The former generally have calluses on the pads of their thumbs, index fingers, and middle fingers, while thetter have them on their ring fingers and little fingers as well. Qin Sisi had new calluses. The moment Lin Chuan touched her hand, he knew she was a frontline archaeological excavator who handled excavation shovels. Archaeology, I know that all too well. "Writer Lin really has a wide range of interests," Qin Sisi said with a glint in her eyes and a smile. Shen Qianqian muttered with a slight look of confusion, "Lin Chuan, you haven''t written any novels about archaeology, have you?" She was Lin Chuan''s most devoted book fan. As soon as a new novel was released, she would subscribe to the whole series, then curl up on the sofa or lie in bed after work, immersing herself in the worlds created by Lin Chuan. It was her way of peering into Lin Chuan''s inner world, one of the few ways she had. Lin Chuan smiled, "The time ising soon." "Touch Gold Notes," the first volume, I n to publish it in a few days. "Does Writer Lin also write archaeological novels?" Qin Sisi asked curiously. Archaeology was her profession as well as her interest. Many individuals in archaeology take their experiences and write them down as diaries, notes, or even novels, documenting these bizarre and magical adventures. She was no exception and very interested in archaeological novels. "Archaeology..." Lin Chuan paused, then smiled and said, "Well, sort of." "You really do know a lot." As an old acquaintance of Lin Chuan''s and having interacted with him for quite some time, Shen Qianqian knew the characteristics of Lin Chuan''s novels and couldn''t help murmuring softly. She guessed that if Lin Chuan didn''t know it, he wouldn''t write it. If he wrote about it, then he knew it. "Then I must look forward to reading Writer Lin''s masterpiece." Qin Sisi smiled, like a breeze caressing the face, willows swaying gently. "You better not read it, I''m afraid you''ll get addicted, he writes so realistically, people say his novels are criminal... ahem, autobiographical," Shen Qianqian cautioned Qin Sisi with augh. "Qianqian, I''m even more interested in an archaeological novel with a sense of realism, what should I do?" Qin Sisi''s lips curved into a smile as she spoke. Off to the side. Lin Chuan quipped, "This novel has a touch of magical color to it, so it shouldn''t be too realistic." Chapter 203: Chapter 165: You Really Understand? (Please Subscribe) Others write books, striving for truth and rtability. Yet Lin Chuan chooses the opposite path, better to be less realistic and avoid suspicion of documenting crimes. Lin Chuan hade to a clear understanding. The system was definitely messing with him, offering only criminal professions with no other options. The system''s full name should be: Criminal Life Experience System, otherwise how could it be that he pulled criminal professions every single time? Even with Lin Chuan''s lousy luck, it couldn''t be that he''d always be caught out. A definite nail in the coffin, absolutely nailed it! This time, "Touch Gold Notes" first edition, with its seemingly magical hues, was actually right up Lin Chuan''s alley. Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan and asked with a smile, "Changing tracks this time?" Ahem. Lin Chuan cleared his throat and smiled, "A different experience, you''ll know in a few days when the new bookes out." "Okay, I''ll wait for your new book," Shen Qianqian said with a smile. "I''ll be looking forward to it too." Qin Sisi added her voice. "You guys are putting a lot of pressure on me," Lin Chuan said half-jokingly. The three exchanged nces and burst intoughter. Afterward. Lin Chuan took the passenger seat in Shen Qianqian''s car and headed to the Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute. This unit was located in Qingxiu District, not far from Linjiang Mansion, just over a ten-minute drive. The police station was also nearby. Upon entering the Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute, the director personally greeted Lin Chuan to discuss cooperation matters. Mainly concerning the identification, restoration, and protection of cultural relics after excavation. Lin Chuan didn''t make excessive demands, and the Archaeological Research Institute was willing to offer a good price. The two parties hit it off right away. "Comrade Lin, our institute has just unearthed a batch of relics from a construction site, which are still being cleaned and have yet to be identified. Shall we take a look together?" After discussing preliminary cooperation, the director suggested with a smile. The director, named Su Yu, was in his forties, with short hair and a long face, a ruddyplexion, and it was clear that he had been a handsome young man in his day. "Sure," Lin Chuan readily agreed. The newly unearthed relics were all ced in the cultural relic conservation studio. Lin Chuan, the director, along with Qin Sisi and Shen Qianqian, passed through the institute''s front hall, a small courtyard, and then entered the conservation studio. The space inside the studio was spacious, well-lit, soft, and warm. The walls were adorned with replica cultural relics from various dynasties, while all around were various tools for relic restoration, ranging from ancient wooden carvings to modern high-tech instruments. In the center was a long table covered with a soft white cloth, on which a batch of newly unearthed relics was ced. Some archaeological staff, dressed in white uniforms, were brushing these relics with their brushes. Lin Chuan stepped into the studio, his gazending on these newly unearthed relics. "Lin, take a look at this relic." Director Su Yu pulled Lin Chuan towards the long table in the middle, pointing to one of the relics. Lin Chuan looked over to see a bucket. At the top of the bucket''s lid was a ring knob, with a deep body and a pair of reced ring ears at the top, used for moving the beam. The surface wascquered, with red and ckcquer used for painting. The body was painted withcquer, the lid with interconnected cloud patterns, the foot with diamond patterns, and the bucket body with four sections of paintings, each with different content. The lines were smooth, the depiction vivid, with elements of people, animals, and mythical beasts present. "This is a bronze ware from the Western Han Dynasty." Lin Chuan recognized it at a nce. Director Su Yu and Qin Sisi exchanged surprised nces. "I had only heard of Lin''s discerning eye, but I didn''t expect it to be so profound!" Director Su Yu praised, "Lin, how do you manage to determine the age at a nce?" "Actually, it''s not that difficult." Lin Chuan walked over to the bronze bucket, pointing to the patina and patterns, exining, "The rust and patina here all indicate an item from the Han Dynasty. Thecquer paintings unfold in differentyers up and down, simr to the performance style of T-shaped silk paintings from the Mawangdui No. 1 Han Tomb in Changsha." "It seems our institute has found a strong partner," Director Su Yu said with a heartyugh. Lin Chuan smiled modestly. Then, Director Su Yu pointed to the next relic. It was a bronzemp. Differing from ordinary bronzemps, this one had three tiers with nine branches, each supporting a mulberry leaf-shapedmp bowl, resembling a Fusu tree. "A Fusu tree bronzemp from the Western Han period, made by an official foundry." Lin Chuan murmured, "The mere presence of these two items is enough to testify that this tomb is extraordinary." The bronze bucket from just now and the current bronzemp were the most precious relics unearthed this time. Whoever could afford to use these two items for burial in the Han Dynasty was nomoner. But who knew. Director Su Yu sighed, "Comrade Lin, you''ve seen our little spectacle; these relics were dug up from the construction site, and we are still locating the tomb." "If I may be so bold as to ask, where is this construction site?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile. "It''s on the outskirts of Anling City, about a kilometer past Anling Bridge," Su Yu replied with a smile, before looking at Lin Chuan and asking, "Lin, do you also dabble in archaeology?" Lin Chuan shook his head and replied with a smile, "Just a bit interested, that''s all." At that moment, Qin Sisi chimed in with augh, "Director, you don''t know, Lin Chuan has another identity. He''s a web novel writer, and he recently wanted to write a novel about archaeology." Director Su Yu looked up at Lin Chuan with a sh of surprise on his face beforeughing heartily, "I had no idea Comrade Lin was also a web novel writer. If Lin is interested, we could also take a look at the construction site. Going to the actual site for your novel could perhaps spark some inspiration." "Then I thank you very much." Lin Chuan''s face lit up with a smile. Normally, he might have taken an interest in archaeology as a spectator, but now, he felt that he might as well try his hand at it. After all, the system now required him to experience the tomb-robbing copy. Theory alone was not enough; he needed to take practical action. Time is the sole criterion for testing truth. "It just so happens I also need to go to the construction site, so let''s go together," Director Su Yu said cheerfully. "Director, I want to go too," Qin Sisi requested. "You''re about to transfer to the National Archaeological Team, and you''re still interested in this small event?" The director joked with augh. Qin Sisi blinked her eyes and chuckled, "Exactly because I''m about to be transferred, I want to see the progress of our Anling City''s archaeological work and broaden my knowledge." "Alright, let''s go together then." Director Su Yu nodded in agreement. The group left the Cultural Relics Protection Workshop. As they walked, Shen Qianqian asked, "Qianqian, you''re being transferred to the National Archaeological Team?" Qin Sisi nodded and smiled, "Yes, recently the National Archaeological Team has been looking to bring in some new blood, and the Research Institute submitted my name. I didn''t expect to pass the preliminary round, and just a few days ago, I also passed the interview." "Congrattions." Shen Qianqianughed, "Joining the National Archaeological Team means you''ll be wandering far and wide now." "Yes, I heard that the archaeological squad I''m being assigned to will be heading to the Qilu Region for an excavation right after I report in," Qin Sisi replied. "The Qilu Region?" Shen Qianqian was taken aback. "Mhm, it''s rumored that there might be a Great Tomb there. I''ll find out once I get there," Qin Sisi said with a smile, excitement evident on her pretty face. She truly loved archaeology. Since preparing for her transfer to the National Archaeological Team and receiving this assignment, she had been making preparations, conducting a series of rted investigations into the burial sites in the ''Qilu Region.'' This time, a collection of copper artifacts had been found at a local construction site in Anling. Like Lin Chuan, she was also very interested. It was noon now. The morning''s warm sun had be scorching. With barely any breeze, the temperature had soared to over thirty degrees. The tires of cars rolled forward on the road, hissing with friction. Soon, Lin Chuan and his group arrived at the construction site on the outskirts of Anling City. The site, nned to cover six to seven hundred acres, was originally intended to tten the mountains and build a high-end mall, thereby creating a new economic circle for Anling and relieving the pressure on Qingxiu District. The discovery of a batch of copper artifacts had now left the construction site in a state of suspension. Police barriers cordoned off the site, with public security officers maintaining order. The staff of the Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute were bustling about. Director Su Yu led Lin Chuan, Qin Sisi, Shen Qianqian, and a few others past the cordon and into the construction site. Lin Chuan looked up to see severalrge excavators sitting on t ground, pressing down the overgrown weeds. A bit further away. Layer uponyer of mountains stretched continuously, resembling serpentine dragons coiling, meandering, and soaring, each with its own form. "Lin, over there is where the Western Han copper artifacts were unearthed." Director Su Yu pointed to arge pit not far ahead and exined. Lin Chuan walked up to the edge of the pit with the others and looked inside. It was more than ten meters wide, with many archaeologists meticulously digging. Others were using precise instruments to measure back and forth within the pit. The modern Archaeological Team, unlike the Touch Gold Captain''s tomb raiding, had far more advanced equipment, such as sonic detectors. This was something the Touch Gold Captain didn''t have. But the two were not of the same path. The Archaeological Team relied more on instruments, whereas the Touch Gold Captain depended on heritage and personal practice, a fundamental difference. Of course. Some highly skilled Touch Gold Captains would also join Archaeological Teams, but that''s a different matter. "Director, I''m going over there to have a look," Lin Chuan pointed to a low hill a few hundred meters ahead and said. "Comrade Lin, is there something special there?" Director Su Yu asked. Qin Sisi also looked over curiously. Lin Chuan chuckled dryly, "Nothing special, but I''ve heard that ancient burials were all about feng shui. Standing at a higher ce might reveal something." "Comrade Lin''s thinking is quite unconventional," Su Yuughed heartily, but didn''t question further. "Lin Chuan, I''ll go with you," Shen Qianqian said with a smile after ncing at Lin Chuan. "Alright." Lin Chuan nodded in agreement. Before long, Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian were on the low hill. From the top of the hill, one could see the scorching sun beat down on the earth as if enveloped by waves of heat, while the surrounding mountains extended endlessly, encircling Anling. Lin Chuan frowned. Then, he shifted his gaze downward, overlooking the construction site, and shook his head, "That''s not it." "Not what?" Shen Qianqian asked curiously. "Not where the tomb is located," Lin Chuan formed a preliminary judgment and smiled. "What?" Shen Qianqian was startled, then turned to look at Lin Chuan, "Do you really know?" Lin Chuan grinned and said, "What if I said I know from researching, would you believe me?" "Could I not believe you?" Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, thinking to herself, this guy alwayses up with some inexplicable skills out of the blue and then ims it''s from researching. Who checks out crime-rted information with such strong learning abilities? Lin Chuan chuckled and continued to scan the surroundings. This was the ''Observation'' part of the tomb raider''s ''Observation, Listening, Inquiry, Pulse Taking.'' Observation involved using one''s eyes to look at the feng shui to locate the specific position of ancient tombs. There are twomon methods used. First, observe the heavenly bodies above and survey the earthly veins below. This means the tomb raider needs to judge the specific position of the ancient tomb based on the terrain of the rivers and mountains as well as the positions of the sun, moon, and stars. Second, observe the soil marks and discern the color of the grass. The marks and spacing on the ground''s soil and the color of thepressed grass differ above buried tombs. This is a difficult step. It requires the tomb raider to have rich knowledge in geography, astronomy, and feng shui. Lin Chuan gazed intently, his eyes sweeping over the area below in the fierce sun, until they stopped at a certain point. Corners of his mouth turned slightly upward, revealing a hint of a smile, "That must be it!" Chapter 204: Chapter 166 This Kids Got the Real Deal! (Subscribe please) "That''s it, what does this mean?" Atop the hill, the sun was zing, and a few beads of sweat formed on Shen Qianqian''s forehead. Lin Chuan took cover behind a small tree, and then raised his hand to point to a location about a kilometer away from the construction site pit. It was also a rtively t depression, but much more secluded. "That should be where the tomb is located." "How did you figure that out?" Shen Qianqian, once again, felt a trace of amazement towards the young man she had known for quite some time. He always brought her something different. "Seeking the dragon to divide the gold, observing how the mountains entwine, each twist is a barrier, eight dangerous gates as if in a bagua formationdoors must follow the eight trigrams," Lin Chuan recited cryptically. "Pretty good at bluffing." Shen Qianqian raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying. "Actually, I''m not entirely certain now, we''ll have to go down and see." Lin Chuan also smiled, "Let''s go, it''s too hot up here, I''m about to sweat to death." "Okay." Shen Qianqian wiped the sweat from her forehead and followed Lin Chuan down the hill, back to the construction site pit they hade from. "You''re back, did you find anything?" Qin Sisi asked with a smile. Shen Qianqian leaned closer to Qin Sisi andughed, "We did find something indeed." A look of surprise appeared on Qin Sisi''s face, "What did you find?" Shen Qianqian looked towards Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan raised his hand and pointed, "Over there might be the location of the tomb you''re looking for." Hmm? Qin Sisi frowned even more, her face filled with astonishment. She nced at Lin Chuan, then at Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian waved her hand, "Sisi, don''t look at me, I really didn''t know Lin Chuan was into this stuff." "Just take it as a reference." Lin Chuan touched his nose and chuckled awkwardly. Qin Sisi stared at Lin Chuan thoughtfully for a while, her mind full of doubts. Wasn''t Lin Chuan just an antique appraiser and a web novel writer? He went up the hill and then came back iming he''d found the location of the tomb? Utterly baffling! Was he just talking off the cuff, perhaps boasting like he would inte his word count when writing a web novel, or was he truly confident? It was unknown. But. Since Lin Chuan had spoken, she felt it was best to report to the director and let him make the decision. At that moment, Director Su Yu was in the pit, conversing with an archaeological expert. "Director, Lin Chuan says he''s found the location of the tomb," Qin Sisi ran into the pit, her boots covered in mud. "He found the tomb''s location?" Director Su Yu also frowned, raised his head, and looked towards Lin Chuan standing outside the pit. "Yes, Lin Chuan said it could be a reference for us," Qin Sisi ryed like a megaphone. Director Su Yu rested his hand on his chin and muttered, "Old Zhang didn''t mention that Comrade Lin had the expertise to identify tombs when he introduced him to me." The Old Zhang he referred to was the police chief, Zhang Biao. The archaeological expert, Old Lu, interjected, "Director, the Lin Chuan who found the tomb''s location, which one is he?" "He''s a young man, quite promising, has solved many cases," Director Su Yu answered, then added, "all of them major cases." The expression on the archaeological expert Old Lu''s face grew sterner, "Archaeology is different from solving cases, they''re entirely different things." "That''s my thought as well." Director Su Yu nced at the archaeological expert Old Lu and asked, "Have you found the location of the tomb?" Old Lu''s eyes shifted evasively, hisplexion became awkward, and he answered hesitantly, "Not... not yet, but soon." "How soon is soon?" Director Su Yu asked. "Should be about three days," the archaeological expert Old Lu twitched his mouth, giving a timeframe. "Three days is too long; I can''t withstand the pressure," Director Su Yu sighed. This was the nned site for the Anling New District, tied to the economic development of Anling City, but the emergence of Western Han Dynasty bronze artifacts had halted the construction of the intended shopping center. There had to be both cultural preservation and economic development. Both were indispensable. The pressure to elerate the excavation of the tomb naturally fell on Director Su Yu''s shoulders. But now, even the location of the tomb had not been determined. Indeed, the progress was much slower than expected. "With our current equipment, three days is the fastest possible," the archaeological expert Old Lu said with a troubled expression. "How about this, we first check out the ce that Comrade Lin Chuan mentioned; it won''t interfere with the progress here anyway," Qin Sisi interjected to steer the direction of the conversation back. ''Economic development,'' ''new district,'' that was beyond her considerations. All she wanted to know was where the tomb was. And then dig, dig, dig. Cough, conduct a protective excavation! "All right, we might as well treat it as a hail Mary; let''s go check if Comrade Lin''s judgement is urate," Director Su Yu agreed with a nod. Qin Sisi quickly packed two sets of archaeological excavation tools, skillfully assembling them. Then, she headed out of the pit to meet with Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian. "Comrade Lin, I heard from Sisi that you''ve located the tomb," Director Su Yu, holding Lin Chuan''s hand with a smile on his face, inquired. Lin Chuan smiled and replied, "I observed the mountain ranges and the position surrounded by hills, it''s most likely there." "Are you confident?" Director Su Yu asked another question. However, even if Lin Chuan said he wasn''t certain, he would still check it out. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment before smiling, "Probably about ny percent." "Ny percent." Director Su Yu raised an eyebrow and muttered, "It seems Comrade Lin is quite confident." The archaeology expert, Old Lu, looked at Lin Chuan''s youthful facearound twenty-four or twenty-fiveand twitched the corner of his mouth. Young people are indeed brash, iming ny percent confidence just like that. He had been here for several days and had not located the position of the tomb. Now this young man had arrived and instantly imed a ny percent certainty of finding the tomb, which made him seem arrogant and, byparison, made him feel somewhat ipetent. But the archaeology expert couldn''t find a reason to refute him. Because, indeed, he hadn''t found the tomb. Amidst the archaeology expert''s internal struggle and rather resentful gaze, the group walked about a kilometer to reach the spot pointed out by Lin Chuan. At noon. The sky above was a brilliant azure, clear of any clouds, with the sun directly above, casting the mountains and ridges in the eyes of the beholders into a deep ink-green tint, as if edged with gold. Under arge tree, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground. The group stood there, looking up and surveying their surroundings. In the distance across the rivery the silently standing Anling City. Looking further, they could see mountains encircling them, rising and falling in sessive ranges, where between the mountains the lush greenery was a sight that gave one a feeling of sitting in a ce of honor. "Is it here?" The archaeology expert Old Lu couldn''t help but ask. The weather was too hot, beads of sweat shone on everyone''s faces, and his shirt had arge wet patch on the back. But he didn''t dare to voice these diforts directly, because Su Yu hadn''t given him the cue. After a while, a cool breeze blew by, bringing with it a hint of coolness. Whoo Lin Chuan exhaled a breath of hot air, then carried an archaeology probe shovel forward a few steps, skillfully flipping it so that the shovel''s tip touched the ground, and with a push of his arms, the shovel embedded into the soil, lifting out a shovel-full of earth. The surfaceyer of the soil was somewhat dry, with the dryyer about half a finger thick. Lin Chuan squatted down, scooped up a handful of moist soil, and sniffed it at his nose. The fragrance of the soil invaded his nostrils, along with a very faint, very subtle different smell, like the umted scent in an old house. This scent was subtle. Most people wouldn''t notice it. The others on site watched Lin Chuan''s earnest actions and furrowed their brows. "Comrade Lin Chuan, are you practicing the Technique of Sensing the Earth?" Qin Sisi, who had a keen interest in archaeology and had also heard a lot about tomb robbing techniques, couldn''t help but be the first to ask, seeing Lin Chuan squatting on the ground and sniffing the earth. "You know about this too?" Lin Chuan looked up and grinned. "I''ve only heard of it, I don''t understand it," Qin Sisi shook her head and picked up an archaeology probe shovel, walking over as well. Lin Chuan smiled and said, "The Technique of Sensing the Earth, you can call it a dog''s nose. This method allows one to discern whether there are ancient tombs below ground by smelling the odor of the soil, and some capable individuals can also determine if the tomb has been robbed and the era of the burial site." "I always thought it was fictional." Qin Sisi swallowed and a look of surprise flitted across her gentle and graceful face. It seemed this web novel writer had something up his sleeve. "Is there a tomb below?" The archaeology expert Old Lu asked again. Lin Chuan smiled and said, "Expert, why don''t youe and have a sniff?" Old Lu shook his head, feeling a bit annoyed and said, "I only believe in precise scientific instruments. If only I had known, I would''ve brought a sonic detector." "My primitive method should work too," Lin Chuan chuckled. Then. Lin Chuan walked a distance further and continued to dig out another shovel of earth. However, this shovel-full of earth was slightly different from thest one. The surfaceyer was just as dry, but the thickness of the dryyer was about a finger''s length. Qin Sisi watched Lin Chuan measure the soil with his middle finger and, not understanding, asked, "Comrade Lin, what are you doing?" Lin Chuan put down the probe shovel and scooped up more soil to sniff. The soil felt slightly cool and gave off a fragrance. Lin Chuan put down the soil and then answered, "The two spots here have the same conditions of sunlight, topography, and soil structure, but their dryyers are of different thicknesses." "What does this mean?" Qin Sisi''s expression became puzzled, her brow furrowed as a flicker of realization seemed to cross her mind, but she was unable to grasp it. "It means that the water storage beneath these two spots is different," Lin Chuan exined. Qin Sisi''s eyes lit up, and she quickly understood, "I see. You mean that the drieryer of soil has less capacity to store water. Our southern climate is humid, and most tombs are brick-constructed chambers, so often there''s a waterproofyer built outside the tomb chamber. This stops the soil above from absorbing water downwards, making it appear more moist." "Your knowledge of archaeology is not bad." Lin Chuan smiled, giving her a thumbs up. A flush of pleasure appeared on Qin Sisi''s face, like a student receiving praise and recognition from a teacher back in her school days. Hey, why did I start thinking of him as a teacher? Elsewhere. Director Su Yu''s brows knitted together. The two techniques Lin Chuan had shown were quite professional, inadvertently convincing them a bit. This kid really has some stuff! Meanwhile, the archaeology expert Old Lu next to Su Yu twitched at his lips, thinking, this kid is really ying dumb to catch the smart. Good thing I didn''t jump out and get my face pped! Chapter 205: Chapter 167: Your Ancestor Down Below Has a Lot of Influence (5000 word Mega Chapter) Anling City, suburban outskirts. A faint cloud drifted across the sky, sunlight piercing through it like golden threads, casting dappled light upon the mountaintop. A fresh scent of newly turned soil filled the air, mingling with the breeze, bringing with it a trace of coolness. The few people present stared at Lin Chuan in astonishment. Qin Sisi, with an archaeologist''s probe in hand, was indifferent to the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her bright eyes fixed on Lin Chuan with a mix of surprise and delight, "Lin Chuan, are you saying that right beneath our feet lies an ancient tomb?" Lin Chuan nced at the mountain range, then back at the traces in the soil and nodded. At that moment. Director Su Yu approached, looked at Lin Chuan, and inquired, "Comrade Lin, then... shall we dig a couple of shovelfuls?" "We could give it a try." Lin Chuan nodded in agreement. Director Su Yu immediately took out his phone, made a call, and summoned some archaeology workers over. Before long. A group of archaeology workers dressed in gray uniforms rushed over with their equipment and instruments. "Director, where do Expert Lu and we start digging?" the workers asked. Expert Lu''s face showed a hint of embarrassment, but he said nothing. Su Yu, on the other hand, looked towards Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan marked several spots with the probe and then directed, "Dig down about seven or eight meters from here, and we should reach the brickyer of the tomb chamber." "Follow Comrade Lin''s instructions," added Director Su Yu. The workers immediately set to work, their probes dancing up and down as they heaped soil afar and dug deeper. Qin Sisi was at the forefront of the action. Her job was to excavate tombs and conduct archaeology, so she took it very seriously and was also digging with a probe in hand. Everyone present fixed their gaze on the workers'' excavation, eager to verify whether Lin Chuan''s judgment was urate. Everything mentioned just now, whether it was surveying the mountains and soil, smelling the air, or checking the moisture level, was part of the assessment. But the final result had yet to emerge. No one dared im the judgment was absolutely correct. Only by uncovering the ancient tomb could everyone quietly breathe a sigh of relief. "Lin Chuan, is there really an ancient tomb beneath us?" Under the big tree, Shen Qianqian handed Lin Chuan two tissues, asking in wonder. "Eight or nine out of ten chances," Lin Chuan replied, taking the tissues and wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I heard that those tomb robbers, before excavating ancient tombs, also do things like seeking the dragon and looking to the mountains, but before they begin their excavation, they perform some iprehensible rituals. What are those for?" Shen Qianqian asked with genuine curiosity. Lin Chuan''s eyes fell on the distant hills, and he smiled, "Different sects have different practices. Tomb robbers have many taboos; some even light a few sticks of incense." "Then why don''t you do that?" Shen Qianqian blinked and asked with a smile. "Our school..." Lin Chuan was about to speak when he suddenly turned to Shen Qianqian, "Officer Shen, you''re trying to trap me into saying something." Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, a smile ying at the corners of her mouth, "Comrade Lin Chuan, I''m not trying to trap you." "Almost fell right into it." Lin Chuan gave a dryugh, then spat out, "Ah... My heart illuminated by the bright moon, s, the moon shines on the ditch." "Comrade Lin Chuan, I just asked because I saw how adept you are, so I got a little curious," Shen Qianqian said as she pinched a tiny gap of half a centimeter between her thumb and forefinger. "Qianqian, don''t you know me? I''m a decent person; stop treating me like a criminal suspect," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "It''s precisely because I understand you too well that I''m concerned; you might have some unspeakable past, so I want to get to know about it in advance," Shen Qianqian said jokingly. "A clean life, my achievements are open for inspection." Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised as heughed heartily. "So, you''re not a Tomb Robber, are you?" Shen Qianqian asked earnestly, her eyes bright as autumn waters. "Cough, of course not." Lin Chuan coughed lightly, defending himself. He looked at Shen Qianqian, who was brimming withughter yet had a mischievous air. From being a thief to robbing tombs, she had known him from the start. She knew him too well. However, reasoning it out, robbing tombs in the virtual world surely couldn''t make me a Tomb Robber, could it? As long as I don''t rob tombs in reality, even the Heavenly King himself couldn''t catch me. Right? "Lin Chuan, may I ask you one more thing?" Shen Qianqian said with a smile. "Ask away," Lin Chuan nodded and replied. "Nowadays, are web novel writers really thispetitive? Writing an archaeology novel, do you need to have skills like The Skill of Seeking Dragon and Determining the Burial Site or other tomb robbing techniques?" Shen Qianqian asked curiously. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, gave a wryugh, and said, "Crazypetitive." The days of writing about canceled engagements, vige doctors, overbearing CEOs falling for me, and Dragon Proud Sky in the web novel era are long gone. Without some professional techniques, you can''t survive in the literary world. Ah... A refreshing breeze blew, carrying a hint of chill, lifting a few strands of Shen Qianqian''s hair and rustling the leaves with a whispering sound. The archaeological workers were also professionals in excavation. Probes moved up and down, shovelfuls of soil were piled at a distance, beads of sweat falling to the ground. It wasn''t long before they had dug out a pit seven or eight meters deep. The deeper they went, the more cautiously the workers proceeded. Because it was very likely they were already nearing the tomb chamber of the ancient tomb. Hiss In the pit seven or eight meters deep, a young and strong member of the archaeological team stepped on the probe, plunging it into the soil once more. Suddenly, he felt the tip of the probe hit something hard, like stone. He promptly withdrew the probe, switching to a hand trowel instead. Little by little, he cleared away the topsoil. Finally, as the dirt was removed, a t stone appeared beneath. The surface of the stone was smooth, as if it had been deliberately ned t. Chapter 206: Chapter 167 Your Ancestor Below Has a Lot of Say (5000-word Mega Chapter)_2 The archaeologist''s eyes bulged as he excitedly shouted, "Come quick, there''s a discovery here!" The voice emanated from the pit, immediately rming those on the ground. "What have you found?" Director Su Yu was the first to lean over and ask loudly. "I... I''ve hit ayer of stone bricks!" the archaeologist immediately replied, his voice slightly out of breath. Director Su Yu''s eyes lit up, and a smile quickly spread across his face: "We''ve found it, we really have found it!" Qin Sisi was very invested in the project, and she too leaned over, efficiently using a shovel to clear the soil beside the stone bricks, revealing several more of them. "It''s really here!" She stopped her motion, swallowed saliva, and murmured softly to herself. The appearance of the stone bricks undoubtedly confirmed Lin Chuan''s judgment was entirely correct. "Director, how should we continue digging?" Qin Sisi collected herself and looked to Su Yu to ask. At this moment, the archaeological expert Old Lu volunteered eagerly, wanting to show off his skills, and said, "Director, let me take charge of the digging from here, I''m familiar with this." "Old Lu, I know you''re anxious, but don''t be hasty," the director said, raising his hand to signal patience. After that, he quickly walked to Lin Chuan, his face full of joy, giving a thumbs-up: "Comrade Lin, you certainly have a discerning eye!" "Just luck," Lin Chuan replied modestly. This was his first time in reality, using the "Dragon-Seeking and Positioning + Observation, Listening, Inquiry, Pulse Taking" method to determine the location of the Ancient Tomb, and so far, the results seemed not bad C he had actually located an Ancient Tomb. It seems there''s something true about the Touching Gold Secret Skill. "Next, where should we dig?" Director Su Yu was not without opinions, but now he felt it was necessary to consult Lin Chuan. After hearing the question, Lin Chuan looked up at the mountain''s terrain, made an approximate judgment in his mind, then smiled and said, "Based on the two artifacts seen in the heritage preservation workshop, and the fact that someone is buried in this geomantic treasure spot, the master of this tomb must have held a high status, at the very least a governor of a prefecture." "Comrade Lin''s reasoning is good," Director Su Yu nodded in agreement. "In the study of geomancy, if one considers the direction of the mountain range, that ce is the Dragon Head," Lin Chuan pointed to a mountain peak: "On that side is the Dragon Tail, and this spot is on the Dragon''s Ridge. The design of this Ancient Tomb should be head facing north, feet facing south, which also aligns with the characteristics of Han Dynasty tomb chambers. Therefore, if we want to conduct a protective excavation, we should dig southwards, entering from the tail or side of the tomb." "That''s what I was thinking as well," said archaeological expert Old Lu, pursing his lips and muttering to himself. However, he was obviously feeling outshined. Now, Director Su Yu had eyes only for Lin Chuan. Following Lin Chuan''s ''head north, feet south'' direction, they started digging towards the south side to find the tomb entrance. The biggest difference between archaeology and tomb robbing is that archaeology is protective excavation, while tomb robbing is destructive excavation. Thetter is a one-time affair, with robbers fleeing with their treasures. If it were Lin Chuan, In the Virtual World, he wouldn''t care for such distinctions; he would simply drill a hole, break through the stone-brick tomb, take the items, and call it a day. But, this was the real world. Archaeological excavation, being protective, required more considerations. With an increasing number of archaeologists, the speed of excavation quickened, and after a little more than two hours, the facade of an Ancient Tomb was presented before everyone. This was a typical underground brick chamber tomb from the Western Han Dynasty, which by its appearance belonged to a noble from the ancient Lingnan region. As Lin Chuan said, The entrance to the tomb was indeed on the southern side. At the entrance, a huge greyish-green rock stained with dirt blocked everyone''s way. Besides this entrance, there were no others. After the archaeologists had cleaned up the boulder, Lin Chuan looked up and noticed animal patterns carved on the rock, resembling a white tiger, meant to guard the tomb chamber. At the tiger''s mouth area, there were two small holes, which had already been cleared of dirt. "Bring the cutter over!" Seeing this, the excited archaeological expert Old Lu immediately shouted out. It was finally time for him to enter his element and show his prowess! Time to enter the tomb! For the modern Archaeological Team, tools like cutters and drills aremon. Arriving at a tomb door that can''t be opened, they bring out tools and start to cut through. It saves time and effort. Once inside the tomb chamber, the subsequent work bes much simpler. The archaeologists immediately handed Old Lu a handheld stone cutter. At this point, Old Lu looked at Lin Chuan with a smile and said, "Comrade Lin, although the location of the tomb is superb, when ites to entering the tomb, you still need to rely on the skills of us old-timers. Wait and watch how I use this stone cutter; it''s a technical job, and you might find this useful in the future too." Lin Chuan nced at the handheld stone cutter, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly: "Expert Lu, is that really necessary?" "If not this, then what?" Old Lu was originally set to show off to Lin Chuan, but upon hearing Lin Chuan''s response, he immediately furrowed his brow. "What if we''re in the field without this cutter? Wouldn''t we then be unable to enter the tomb?" Lin Chuan retorted. This felt akin to certain big ''clinics.'' Standard procedure before seeing a doctor is to have blood tests, get a CT scan, and an ultrasound, otherwise there''s no treatment avable. Experts like Old Lu are simr. Without modern equipment like cutters, they''re just left staring nkly. Clearly, Anling City''s Archaeological Team did not possess the professionalism of a national team andcked many of the more specialized traditional techniques in the field of archaeology. Chapter 207: Chapter 167: Your Ancestor Down Below Has a Lot of Say (5000-word Mega Chapter)_3 ``` Even Director Su Yu was taken aback as he said, "Generally speaking, if a stone gate is sealed, the fastest way to get through is to use a cutter or drill to make a hole." Lin Chuan looked towards Qin Sisi, his expression puzzled. Qin Sisi also nodded her head. She had studied in the archaeology department of history, and her courses in college had mostly covered characteristics of tombs, cultural relics, geographical knowledge, historical backgrounds, as well as methods of conservation for tombs and cultural relics. As for professional skills training and hands-on practice, they involved visiting museums, touring some of the famous excavated tombs in the area, and observing the conservation and restoration of artifacts. After graduation, Even in Anling City''s Archaeological Team, it wasn''t guaranteed that anyone would possess these skills. Everyone used methods like cutting stone gates, drilling holes; she had even naturallye to believe that this was the correct way to conduct archaeology. Techniques like "Dragon-Seeking and Positioning" and "Observation, Listening, Inquiry, Pulse Taking" showcased by Lin Chuan today were things she had only seen online. Therefore, she found them miraculous. Yes, miraculous. She never thought that these ancient tomb-raiding techniques could actually exist. It was somewhat akin to someone who, having always received a scientific education and believed in science, suddenly witnesses a Taoist priest flying on a sword one day. In Qin Sisi''s eyes, Lin Chuan was that ''Taoist priest flying on a sword.'' This had suddenly opened the doors to a whole new world for her! Lin Chuan was also taken aback for a moment, musing to himself, right, how could someone skilled in these tomb-raiding techniques be part of Anling archaeological team? These people were either part of tomb-robbing gangs or sitting in prison. Those not in prison, every single one of them, were sought-after by archaeological teams all over the ce. Well, then. Sigh Lin Chuan took a deep breath, shook his head, and said with a smile, "Actually, using a cutter isn''t a bad method." Expert Lu, the archaeology specialist, upon hearing Lin Chuan''s endorsement, nodded his head in satisfaction. He took a look at Lin Chuan and suddenly found him much more agreeable, then said with an elder''s authority, "Young man, watch carefully and learn well!" Saying that, he carried the stone-cutting machine towards the Stone Gate. "Expert Lu, wait a moment." Lin Chuan still called out to stop the ''experienced'' archaeology specialist, "Aren''t you afraid that there might be a mechanism if you cut it so rashly?" "Mechanism?" Old Lu''s face showed surprise, then he smirked, "What mechanism? From the Western Han period to now, two thousand years have passed, the mechanisms would have long decayed, no need to worry." "Is that really what you think?" Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched. "I''ve opened several tomb''s stone doors before and never saw any mechanisms, rest assured." Old Lu said, with his tone growing friendlier after he took a liking to Lin Chuan. "Exactly how many tombs have you opened?" Lin Chuan asked. "One, two, three..." Old Lu counted on his fingers, "Four, five, a total of five." Lin Chuan grinned, "Expert Lu, your ancestors down there must have a lot of clout." "What do you mean?" Expert Lu furrowed his brows. "After you go back this time, burn a few extra incense sticks for your ancestors." Lin Chuan smiled, then pointed, "Expert Lu, do you see the row of small holes beside the Stone Gate, right on the side?" Old Lu looked and nodded, confusedly replied, "I see them, so what?" Su Yu, Qin Sisi, and Shen Qianqian also looked in the direction indicated; there was a row of small holes on both sides. Lin Chuan said with a smile, "If you use this cutter to cut the Stone Gate, and if you''re slightly careless, those two rows of small holes will shoot arrows out, turning you into skewers." Old Lu''s expression changed, a hint of fear appearing on his face: "No way?" "Why not?" Lin Chuan countered. "But with so much time passed, wouldn''t the mechanism have rotted away?" Old Lu asked, still in disbelief. "If we can think of that issue, don''t you think our ancestors would have, too?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and asked. Hiss! Old Lu and the others behind him sharply inhaled,plex expressions surfacing on their faces. "Doesn''t that mean there''s no way to enter the tomb chamber?" Old Lu was puzzled. Lin Chuan looked at Old Lu and chuckled, "It''s a tomb, not a death trap." Old Lu curled his lip and muttered quietly, "But how do we open the Stone Gate, to enter the tomb?" "Let me give it a try." Having said that, Lin Chuan surveyed the area around the Stone Gate and the ground, then found a palm-sized rock nearby and threw it out. This move was called ''throwing a stone to ask the way.'' Being cautious and meticulous is always the top priority for a Touch Gold Captain. The tomb can be left unrobbed, but one must preserve their life. Luckily, as everyone watched, the rock continued to roll up to the Stone Gate without triggering any idents. Only then did Lin Chuan feel reassured to approach it. He stood in front of the Stone Gate and gently curled his index finger to knock on it, producing a ''thud thud thud'' sound that was somewhat muffled. However, one could make out a faint echo within the ''thud thud thud'' ringing inside the Stone Gate. This two-meter-tall Stone Gate was not entirely solid after all. Lin Chuan looked closely at the Stone Gate, which suddenly seemed familiar to him. This Stone Gate resembled the Stone Gate Mechanism temte from the Virtual World! The more he looked, the more simr it appeared! "Could it be that the system gotzy and used a real-world Stone Gate as a model for the Virtual World?" Lin Chuan muttered to himself. Regardless, Lin Chuan didn''t dwell on it too much. His gaze settled on the animal pattern that resembled a white tiger. At the mouth of the tiger, there were two small holes. Lin Chuan shone his shlight into the holes, spotting many protruding blocks which seemed like the convex parts of a mechanism; he then reached in to feel around. Huh? This tactile sensation of concave and convex was identical to the Stone Gate Mechanism temte from the Virtual World. Lin Chuan wouldn''t forget this feeling. This was his first time dealing with a Stone Gate Mechanism! Confident about the Stone Gate Mechanism, Lin Chuan inserted his two fingers into the small holes in the Stone Gate, touching one of the protruding points, and then exerted a sudden force! Double Finger Probe! ``` Chapter 224: Chapter 173: Writer Lin is Too Awesome! (Five Thousand Word Chapter)_2 Every time they went into the mountains for an archaeological mission, the archaeologists needed to analyze the terrain of the mountain ranges, with the main person in charge nning the detection route. Even escape and evacuation routes needed to be nned. In case of any unexpected situations. "So, where do we go next?" Professor Qi asked. After thinking for a moment, Qin Sisi pointed to a high ground not far from theke and said, "Professor Qi, you are an expert in Feng Shui and geography. If we climb up there, we may be able to locate the true Dragon Head." Obviously. Giving Professor Qi a little ttery seemed to work very well. Professor Qi chuckled and said, "Qin girl makes a good point. Captain Yao, let''s take a look from higher up; we might find something unexpected." "Sure." Old Yao didn''t object either. All the members had been trekking for most of the day. Fortunately, they were all skilled mountaineers, and still had good energy. The high ground above theke was not a difficult task for them. Huff The archaeologists took a deep breath and stood on the high ground surveying the surroundings. In the deep forest, the vegetation was lush, the terrain undted, and the mountain ranges meandered. "The Dragon Head is there!" Professor Qi suddenly shouted, his face full of joy! Everyone immediately looked towards the source of the sound. Several mountain ranges wound their way there, the ridges surging and rolling, converging at one point, with streams meandering snake-like around the hills. "Streams surround it, five dragons converge," Qin Sisi murmured faintly, her pupils slightly dted. The voice was so soft that no one heard it. She was almost certain that this was the location of the tomb described in Lin Chuan''s novel. Old Yao''s face was filled with joy, and he immediately said, "Let''s go and detect it right away!" One after another, the archaeologists, full of vigor, picked up their tools and followed Old Yao to detect the area at the Dragon Head. At this moment. Qin Sisi stepped onto the ''Dragon Head,'' took a deep breath, and holding the sound wave detector, began her detection. She carefully ced the sensor part of the sound wave detector close to the ground, lightly pressed the switch, and the device immediately emitted a faint buzzing sound as it started working. The disy screen of the detector immediately showed waveforms. As the sound wave signals were captured, these waveforms became more and moreplex, showing different frequencies and amplitudes. asionally a breeze would blow, lifting a few strands of hair hanging at Qin Sisi''s temples, messily sticking to her serene and graceful face, moistened with sweat. But she didn''t mind. She stared at the screen, continually adjusting the detector''s angle and position, trying to capture the most urate sound wave signals. At the same time, she was analyzing the data on the screen. This was the professional discipline of an archaeologist. Suddenly! A waveform appeared on the screen showing a high frequency resemnce, simr to the pattern of sound waves propagating through the air. Her heart skipped a beat, filled with surprise and joy. There was really a burial chamber below! But Qin Sisi didn''t have time to think it over, she was on an archaeological mission and had to report to the team leader. "Captain Yao, here!" Old Yao''s gaze immediately shot over, his feet moving quickly as he ran up to Qin Sisi and asked, "You found something?" Qin Sisi nodded and said, "Captain Yao, look at this waveform." Old Yao immediately took over the sound wave detector, his eyes falling on the screen, his face instantly brightened: "Indeed, this is the real Dragon Head!" Just as Old Yao was filled with joy. Elsewhere, an archaeologist in a secluded corner suddenly shouted, "Captain Yao, there''s a hole here!" A hole? This shout instantly raised the hearts of the whole archaeological team. During an excavation, thest thing archaeologists wanted to see was a hole. But now, their greatest concern had still urred. Old Yao immediately hurried over. Qin Sisi followed closely behind. A hole came into view. This hole was hidden by dead branches and leaves, with weeds growing on the outside. After removing the branches and leaves, one could see the hole was about one meter in diameter, with an estimated depth of more than four or five meters. Seeing this hole, Qin Sisi felt her heart which was already hanging, now hung even higher. Tomb robbing! Moreover, looking at the condition of the hole, it had been there for a very long time. This also meant that tomb robbers had visited this ce long ago. Old Yao, Professor Qi, and others immediately gathered around the hole to detect what was inside. Qin Sisi''s thoughts were filled with Lin Chuan. Could this hole have been dug by Lin Chuan? She hoped not. But the details recorded in the novel were almost identical to this ce. If Lin Chuan hadn''t dug it, how could he know so much? Someone else told him? Hopefully. "Start a full survey of the site immediately," Old Yaomanded, interrupting Qin Sisi''s thoughts. Qin Sisi forced herself back into work mode, performing the task at hand. The site survey was very thorough. But it produced no findings. On the other hand, Old Yao quickly used satellitemunication to call the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau and inquired about the situation. However, the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau knew nothing about it. "Captain Yao, this ce is remote. Even nearby vigers rarelye here. Tomb robbing is very secretive, and it''s really hard to discover it in time," Professor Qi spoke up for the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau. Old Yao''s face looked a bit stern as he nodded, "We just discovered this tomb ourselves, it''s indeed hard to prevent this." "Captain Yao, what do we do now?" An archaeologist asked. Old Yao looked at the sky, pondered for a moment, and then said, "It''s gettingte now, it''s not practical to enter the tomb right now. Let''s seal off this area. I''ll contact the police and the Cultural Relics Bureau in Linyi to open the tomb tomorrow." Chapter 225: Chapter 173: Writer Lin is too Harsh! (5000 Word Chapter)_3 ``` "Received." The archaeological staff immediately executed the lockdown order, sealed off the site, and left behind temporary monitoring equipment. The sunset gradually sank. Qin Sisi, stepping in the fading glimmers of the sunset, returned the way she came, climbed into the off-road vehicle she''d arrived in, and looked at the leaping ridges outside the window. The rushing wind blew in through the window, messing up her hair, and aplex expression surfaced on her quiet and gentle face. A day''s long trek, scaling mountains and crossing ridges, intense work had left her legs slightly sore and her face somewhat weary. But in her heart,yer uponyer of tides surged incessantly and could not calm down for a long time. In the car. She nced at Old Yao, wanted to speak several times, but for some reason swallowed back her words again and again. The faces of several archaeological staff in the car showed annoyed expressions. To do archaeology, often at times, is to race against tomb robbers for time. You have to beat the tomb robbers and protect the ancient tomb; that''s what counts as archaeology. Quite obviously. This time, they were behind the tomb robbers. "This tomb is located at the convergence of the Five Dragons, and on the ancient map it belongs to the Lu Territory, it''s very likely a royal tomb from the Lu state during the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period," said Professor Qi in the car, sighing and sharing his conjecture. Old Yao''s face turned somewhat grim, nodded and said, "ording to Professor Qi, this tomb has a very high burial standard, it indeed has this possibility, now we can only hope that the tomb robbers didn''t seed, or that the precious relics are still in the tomb." As he said this. Old Yao also sighed. For archaeologists, this is the most distressing. This feeling is like the person you''ve been chasing after, and you find out someone has already been there, and it''s highly possible that they caused wanton destruction. For archaeologists, it is exactly so, very vexing. Qin Sisi looked out the window. She said nothing. Finally, the two off-road vehicles left the mountain and stopped at a hotel in Linyi. After dinner, Qin Sisi took off her day''s field attire, took a shower in the bathroom, then changed into casual clothes, and half-lied on the bed. At this time. She couldn''t wait to take out her phone, unlock QQ, find Lin Chuan''s avatar, and clicked on the chat box. Her phone tapped rapidly, entering a long string of text. But she hesitated to hit the ''send'' button. She hadn''t entered the tomb yet, she couldn''t be sure. Qin Sisi pursed her lips, took a deep breath, deleted the long string of text, and then opened Shen Qianqian''s chat box: "Qianqian, have you eaten yet?" Shen Qianqian had finished work and replied quickly: "Just ate, aren''t you on an archaeological dig? Howe you have time to chat with me?" Qin Sisi gave a dryugh, her fingers moving, and replied, "Went into the mountains today, the progress is not bad." "That''s great, a sessful first battle!/Awesome.jpg," Shen Qianqian replied. "Oh, have you seen Lin Chuan''s novel?" Qin Sisi deliberately steered the conversation towards Lin Chuan''s novel. "You mean his new book ''Touch Gold Notes''?" Shen Qianqian asked. "Yes." "Of course I''ve seen it, I read every one of his novels, subscribed to all of them./Proud.jpg" Shen Qianqian replied with a smile. "You''ve known Lin Chuan for a long time, you must be very familiar with him and his novels, right?" Qin Sisi asked. "Of course." Shen Qianqian was not reticent about her old ssmate. ``` "Qianqian, I have a question for you." "Ask away." "Where does Lin Chuan usually find inspiration for his novels?" Qin Sisi tentatively asked. "Inspiration... his head is full of how tomit crimes; he doesn''t need to look for inspiration!" On the other side of the inte, Shen Qianqian half-jokedly said. "No one has an entire mind full of crime unless they''ve actuallymitted one," Qin Sisi retorted. "So far, Lin Chuan really hasn''tmitted any crimes," Shen Qianqian spoke up for Lin Chuan. And indeed, that was the case. Lin Chuan had not only cooperated with their police stationin anti-gambling campaigns, anti-fraud operations, and anti-scam appshe had also helped take down the hacker organization AW, securing the Han River Network''s safety. However. Many details rted to Lin Chuan had been ssified and stored away as confidential files at Anling Police Station, not to be disclosed to the public. Even police stations at the same level were not permitted to view them. This was a form of protection for Lin Chuan. So, just by looking at Lin Chuan''s works, this author is definitely a prime suspect! Absolutely, no doubt about it! But in reality, Lin Chuan was frighteningly reputable, with onemendable act after another. If he were a detective, he would at least be at the position of a division chief by now. It would be time for a promotion. There was even a possibility for an exceptional promotion. "I know he hasn''tmitted any crimes, but I''m wondering if it''s possible that he mightmit one?" Qin Sisi pursed her lips and asked with aplicated mind. "Why would you ask that?" Shen Qianqian questioned back. Qin Sisi stared at Shen Qianqian''s chat box, hesitated for a long time, and then responded, "Qianqian, I''ve noticed something very strange." "What is it?" "There are certain details in Lin Chuan''s ''Touch Gold Notes'' that closely match with reality," Qin Sisi sent this message. "Which details, specifically?" Shen Qianqian further inquired. After a brief contemtion, Qin Sisi recounted today''s events truthfully to Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian was her old ssmate, and they were on good terms. Additionally, Shen Qianqian was a police officer at Anling Police Station and abided by thew. She trusted Shen Qianqian. However, on the other end of thework, Shen Qianqian, reading the string of messages from Qin Sisi, also fell into doubt. Gourd Mouth, Little Stone Pond, Lightning-Struck Wood, streams,kes, and even an excavated tunnel. The surface details matched up one by one. "Isn''t this too coincidental?" Shen Qianqian replied in astonishment. "I also think it''s too much of a coincidence, which is why I''m so conflicted and unsure how to decide," Qin Sisi said, clearly troubled. Her initial instinct was to trust Lin Chuan, but the excessive number of details, the too-perfect matches, caused her to fall into suspicion. Anyone would have doubted! If it weren''t for Shen Qianqian acting as an intermediary, and if Qin Sisi didn''t know Lin Chuan personally... By now. Qin Sisi probably would have reported it to the Archaeological Team, which would then contact the police, detain Lin Chuan immediately, and interrogate him. This wasn''t about achievements. It was because Writer Lin was too criminal! As an old acquaintance of Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian also pondered for a long time before replying, "Sisi, don''t panic for now. The tomb hasn''t been opened yet, so as long as what''s inside the burial chamber is different, this has nothing to do with Lin Chuan!" Qin Sisi nodded repeatedly: "Okay, I''ll go into the tomb tomorrow to see what''s going on!" Chapter 226: Chapter 174: Increase the Severity of the Crime? (5000-Word Chapter) Qin Sisi turned off the chat window with Shen Qianqian, pondered for a moment, then reopened Lin Chuan''s novel. "Touch Gold Notes" Volume One. She wanted to see, how the description of the tomb chamber was depicted in Lin Chuan''s novel. ''The unusual brick wall immediately attracted our attention.'' ''Inside the brick wall was a theft-proof inteyer, all the bricks needed to be removed outward.'' ''Moreover, the wall was filled with strong acid; if broken, the acid would pour out instantly, turning a person into a blood corpse.'' ''...'' Until deep into the night. Qin Sisi fell into a deep sleep, but even in her dreams, she was surrounded by scenes of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce tomb chamber. Huh The next day, early morning. A gentle breeze brushed across the mountains, and the mist among the mountains, like a light veil, drifted and gradually dissipated under the morning light. The distant mountain ranges were faintly visible, their contours soft and mysterious in the morning fog, like a shy girl half-concealing, half-revealing her face. The sound of birds and beast roars sounded by the ears of the people. This time into the mountains, there were a total of six off-road vehicles. The ninth Archaeological Team, the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau, and the Linyi Police Station, each with two vehicles. Following the path of the previous day, the group hurried to the Ancient Tomb site before the morning mist had cleared. The site was sealed off from the previous day, and no one had trespassed. The arrival of the Cultural Relics Bureau and the police hadn''t served any substantial purpose, they were more witnesses and collectors of evidence. There were also cameramen filming. This was a mark of work. The main force was still the ninth Archaeological Team and Professor Qi. "Dig from here!" After a round of geological and tomb exploration, Old Yao, experienced as he was, decided to carry out protective excavation on the Ancient Tomb underground. This ce had been visited by Tomb Robbers. Protective excavation needed to be done quickly. The archaeologists immediately sprang into action, and both police and cultural heritage workers joined the excavation. Archaeological spades danced up and down. Loads of earth were moved to a distance, and stones were also piled up nearby. Not long after. A wide hole was uncovered not far from the thief''s hole, about eight or nine meters deep, and the brick wallyer was exposed to everyone. Qin Sisi was a powerhouse in the excavation team, and she looked at the brick wall as soon as it was revealed, furrowing her brows immediately. "Qin, spotted anything?" Old Yao hadn''t approached yet, but seeing Qin Sisi''s expression, he asked. Qin Sisi didn''t answer right away, instead she knocked on the brick wall, which made a thudding sound. Her thoughts raced with each thud. ''Inside the brick wall is a theft-proof inteyer; therefore, the bricks on the brick wall can only be removed outward, not pushed inward.'' ''The brick wall was covered with ayer of wax, filled with strong acid, which would pour out instantly if opened rashly.'' ''The strong acid is highly corrosive; once poured on a person, the whole body would corrode.'' ''...'' The passages from "Touch Gold Notes" immediately shed in her mind. It was too simr! She leaned in and sniffed, but couldn''t smell any strong acid, possibly because the waxyer sealed off the scent. At this moment, she was eager to break open the brick wall to see if it was as Lin Chuan had described. The theft-proof inteyer, the strong acid. Therefore, she looked at Old Yao and immediately said, "Captain Yao, my preliminary estimate is that this is the theft-proof inteyer. The bricks can only be removed outward, not pushed in, and there is a high likelihood of strong acid, so we need to be especially careful." Old Yao came over to her side and nodded solemnly, "Let me do it." As an experienced captain, he naturally knew how to handle this. His index and middle fingers were long, but he did not possess the art of the Double Finger Probe. Instead, he took out a military knife and started to pry gently along the seams of the brick wall. Crack crack. One by one, the bricks were passed out by his hands. Indeed, this was a theft-proof inteyer, and as expected, a waxyer appeared before them. However, there was no red liquid strong acid under the waxyer. Qin Sisi breathed a sigh of relief, this was likely unrted to Lin Chuan. But in the next instant, Lin Chuan''s suspicion grew. Because, in Lin Chuan''s novel it was described, after breaking through the brick wall, they used needles and stic tubes to divert the liquid strong acid into a straight well. With time, the soil around here would have been acidified by the strong acid and would be much more acidic than the soil in the same area that had not encountered strong acid. Qin Sisi immediately took out pH test paper. She beganparing the acidity of several samples of soil. Sure enough. The soil near the thief''s hole was far more acidic than that of other ces. This... Before even entering the tomb, Lin Chuan''s suspicion had increased again. Meanwhile. Old Yao and the others had broken through the brick wall and the waxyer to discover a pitch-dark Underground Pce. After professional equipment tested for toxicity and air quality, confirming it was safe, the people, equipped with the necessary gear, immediately entered the Underground Pce. Qin Sisi took a deep breath, already praying silently that theyout inside the tomb chamber wouldn''t be the same as what Lin Chuan had recorded. But! As she entered the Underground Pce, illuminated by the lighting equipment, sweeping her gaze around, her heart felt cold. It was utterly chilled! At this moment, she essentially pronounced Lin Chuan''s sentence. The sentence for Tomb Robbing varies ording to the damage done to the tomb chamber, the losses incurred, the cultural relics stolen, and the impact caused. It could be as short as a few years or as long as life imprisonment. Even a round of peanuts could be in order. biubiubiu! Anything could happen! "Writer Lin, I hope your sentence will be a little shorter," Qin Sisi sighed, her gaze resting on the Underground Pce. Chapter 211: Chapter 169: The Technical Author, A Professional Criminal! (5000-Word Chapter) Anling Riverside. The setting sun sank slowly between the distant mountains, its fragmented afterglow fluttering in the wind, sprinkling on the river''s surface, making the waves glisten, like a meandering jade belt covered in golden dust. A white midsize SUV was parked on the roadside. Inside, Lin Chuan, sitting in the passenger seat, had one hand on the buckle of his seatbelt, his face filled with the fright of someone ready to bolt from the car at any moment, "Officer Shen, have you be a detective now?" "Other people write about ''touching gold'' and tomb robbing without much scrutiny, but when you write it, I can see one word written all over your face." Shen Qianqian chuckled and teased with her lips pursed. "What word?" Lin Chuan asked, puzzled. Shen Qianqian smiled and looked at Lin Chuan, "Punishment." Lin Chuan immediately shook his head and waved his hands in denial, "Officer Shen, you have no evidence, you can''t arrest me." "Looks like you''ve earned yourself a new nickname," Shen Qianqian paused, "Ouw." "nder, I''ll sue you for nder!" Lin Chuan used a catchphrase andughed out loud. Shen Qianqian alsoughed, her face blooming like a flower, "Are youing tonight? I''ve already signed you up for Xinxin''s ce." "Then let''s go," Lin Chuan agreed. Soon after. Shen Qianqian steered with one hand, turning the wheel half a circle to the right, gently stepped on the gas, and the white SUV sped along Jiangbin Road, piercing through the afterglow of the sunset, slowly entering the neon-lit Qingxiu District under the shroud of night. ''Spring River Moon,'' a restaurant in Qingxiu District of Anling City with an ancient charm. The sound of bubbling spring water rang in the ears, apanied by music performances of the erhu, the bamboo flute, carrying a touch of ancient melody. Qin Sisi had arranged to meet both Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan here. The trio sat by the window on the second floor. From there, they could see pedestrians bustling below on the street, and catch a glimpse of the corner of Anling''s luxury, neon lights, fancy cars,vish attire, and exquisite food. "Writer Lin, what would you like to eat?" Qin Sisi was still in a white T-shirt and jeans, and like the sweet-faced Shen Qianqian, her calm and gentle face was brimming with youthfulness. Both were around twenty-five years old, with faces full of cogen, fair as snow, fragile as if they could break with a blow, graceful as blooming flowers. As a result, they attracted quite a few nces from around the restaurant. Lin Chuan had grown ustomed to such attention, took the menu from Qin Sisi with a smile, and said, "Then I won''t be polite." "Don''t be, tonight''s meal is on the Cultural Relics Protection and Archaeological Research Institute," Qin Sisi was straightforward about the purpose of the dinner. "Then I''ll order a bit more," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Today, having helped the Archaeological Research Institute with opening a Great Tomb made it quite reasonable for them to treat him to a good meal. All was in order. "Lin Chuan, I''m basking in your glory," Officer Shen said with a low chuckle from across Lin Chuan. "You''re wee, Officer Shen." Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow andughed aloud. Shen Qianqian and Qin Sisiughed along, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. Qin Sisi poured a cup of tea for Lin Chuan and casually asked, "Writer Lin, I have a question for you, if you don''t mind answering." "Ask away," Lin Chuan took the tea and smiled. "Today, when you determined the location of the Ancient Tomb, I found it amazing, so, I want to know, how did you learn all these skills?" Qin Sisi''s voice was gentle, and her face full of curiosity. On the way here, she had searched through various channels but only found bits and pieces describing these techniques. The only significant finding was that these tomb robbing skills were ''sect heritage.'' That is to say. To learn these tomb-robbing techniques, one must be taught by someone. "Well, about that..." Lin Chuan lifted an eyebrow, hesitating for a moment. "Sisi, I know how he learned it," Shen Qianqian interrupted with a grin, looking intrigued. "How did he learn?" Qin Sisi was very curious. "For his novels, he did research, self-taught," Shen Qianqian knew Lin Chuan very well, almost predicting Lin Chuan''s response. Qin Sisi turned to Lin Chuan, blinked, and inquired, "Writer Lin, is that so?" "Ah, actually Qianqian is only half right," Lin Chuan began to exercise his professional skills, making up stories in his head, "I only know a smidgen, as for why I know these things, it''s because when I was very young, in my hometown, there were always groups of strangers going into the mountains, and since my family was very poor, I had to go up the mountains to chop wood for cooking fires." He paused for a moment, tactically taking a sip of water. Qin Sisi was listening intently, and when Lin Chuan finished his tea, she promptly refilled his cup. With a ''thank you,'' Lin Chuan continued, "One time, I went up the mountain alone to chop wood, I was about in sixth grade, around ten years old, and the weather turned foul with heavy rain. Confused and lost in the mountains, I happened upon a group of strangers, including an old man who I remember wellhe was called Old Pang. He sheltered me from the rain, iming we were fated to meet." "I asked Old Pang what he was doing in the mountain. He said there were treasures in the mountain and asked if I was interested in learning. Afraid of being poor, I of course wanted to learn, andter I found out he was a tomb robber." "After that day, he stayed in our vige for over a month, and I learned some things from him behind my parents'' backs. He even took me into the mountains from time to time to look at mountain ridges, andter..." Lin Chuan narrated with vivid expression. Qin Sisi, seemingly naive, was entranced and asked, "What happened next?" Chapter 228: Chapter 174: Increase the Severity of the Crime? (5000-Word Chapter)_3 The crowd raised their eyebrows. Old Yao then exined, "Given the existence of the robbers'' tunnel, this ce must have been visited by tomb raiders, but why are these seven stone coffins still intact?" "Does Captain Yao have any suspicions?" Professor Qi''s face also showed a hint of surprise as he asked. Old Yao shook his head, "I just find it strange, I cannot confirm anything." "Captain Yao, we''ve found something!" Suddenly, from a chamber next to the main tomb, an archaeological worker ran out, reporting with a nervous look on his face. "What''s the situation?" Old Yao''s expression turned stern. "In the corner of the side chamber, we''ve found two bodies," the archaeological worker reported. "Bodies?" Old Yao''s eyebrows tightened. Sisi''s heart also skipped a beat. At this point, the police officers, along with Old Yao and Sisi, rushed over immediately. The side chamber wasrge, housing a stone coffin. The stone coffin had been opened, revealing nothing inside. Nearbyy two shriveled bodies, each in a distinct pose. One body was face down, lying outstretched, while the other was curled up, and a faint stench of decay permeated the chamber. Sisi, fighting back the urge to retch, watched from the chamber entrance as a few police officers investigated and took samples from the two bodies. Her heart began to feel unsettled once again. This was something beyond her expectations, as the "Touch Gold Notes" volume one by Lin Chuan did not record such an event, and moreover, these were two bodies that hadn''t yet dposed to skeletons. These must be the tomb robbers who had dug the tunnel. But how did they die here? That remained a mystery. The police officers were very professional, and after half an hour of thorough forensic examination and scene investigation, one of the officers came over and said, "Captain Yao, based on our analysis, these two individuals appear to have been murdered, and we estimate they died no more than six months ago. They are likely tomb robbers, but we still need to confirm their identities." "Murdered?" Old Yao knew little about homicide cases, but still felt there was something strange about it all. The officer nodded and continued, "Yes, despite the bodies being desated, we can see that one of them was stabbed in the back, and the other had knife wounds in the abdomen and chest, leading us to conclude they were murdered." Everyone was shocked. This was clearly a case of tomb raiders fighting over their spoils and giving in to greed. "The weapon?" Old Yao couldn''t help but ask. "We haven''t found any weapons on the victims or at the scene, leading us to determine that the victims were killed by a third party," the officer stated his analysis. "So you mean, there''s another tomb raider, who killed his aplices and then escaped alone with the artifacts?" Old Yao swallowed hard and asked in a daze. "That''s a strong possibility," the officer nodded in response. Meanwhile, Sisi stood motionless on the spot. Outside the side chamber, she looked at the two suspected tomb raider victims inside, her mind awash with ripples. No, not ripples. A towering wave! She had already imagined an entire epic novel in her mind. Three tomb raiders, entering the tomb of King Lushang, and then one of them, wishing to hoard the treasures, conceived a deadly n and killed the other two. After leaving the tomb, he even recorded his crimes in the form of a novel. This person could very well be... Lin Chuan! As an archaeological worker, Qin wasn''t a criminal investigator and did not know how to examine a crime scene, but by all logic, it was pretty much Lin Chuan! A normal person woulde to the conclusion it was Lin Chuan! So, in Sisi''s judgment, Lin Chuan wasn''t just guilty of tomb robbing; he''d also been implicated in a murder! Hiss! Tomb robbing, murder. A crime on top of another! How much trouble could this bring about? At least enough to start a ho''s nest! She had thought this was just an archaeological mission, but things had taken an unexpected turnas the tomb''s underground pce had turned into a crime scene. And all clues were pointing to Lin Chuan. At least for now, Lin Chuan was a prime suspect! Sisi stood there, dumbstruck, her mind racing with wild thoughts. "Qin, what''s wrong? Are you feeling ufortable?" Old Yao looked at Sisi and, noting her paleplexion and bloodless lips, asked with concern. "Ah, I''m fine," Sisi snapped back to reality and replied. At this time, her heart was torn! Should shee clean to Old Yao right away about this? To directly exin that she saw almost the exact details in Lin Chuan''s novel. As for the case of the two tomb robbers, she''d leave it to the police to investigate. "The smell earlier got to you; you should step back and breathe some oxygen, and you''ll be fine. Let''s let the police handle this; we need to take a look at those stone coffins," Old Yao suggested. "Stone coffins..." Sisi murmured. "Yes, we will have a hard time moving these stone coffins, so I intend to open them here and see what''s inside," Old Yao dered. "Open them here?" Sisi''s brow furrowed, "We cannot open them!" "Why not?" Old Yao''s brow also furrowed. "Those seven stone coffins might be very dangerous!" Sisi immediately said. "Is there some mystery about these seven stone coffins?" Old Yao asked in a tight frown, looking puzzled. Chapter 229: Chapter 175: We Will Deal with It According to the Law! (5000-Word Chapter) Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Inside the tomb chamber, originally a dark and profound space, was now brightly illuminated. One could see the lofty stone pirs supporting the dome, carved with simple patterns and text. In the middle, seven stone coffinsy quietly, arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper. A group of archaeologists and Cultural Relics Bureau staff circled the stone coffins, their eyes gleaming. The police were handling a crime scene. Without a doubt, the seven stone coffins in the tomb chamber were its most valuable assets. Some archaeologists were eager to open the stone coffins to see what cultural relics were inside. But their cautious habits held them back from acting on this impulse. At that moment, Qin Sisi could only temporarily push Lin Chuan out of her mind and focus on the stone coffins before her. Looking at Captain Yao, the leader of the Archaeological Team, she spoke, "Captain Yao, the tomb owner''s identity is no simple matter. Judging from the decoy tomb he set up at the False Dragon Head, it''s clear he was a person of schemes, someone deeply calcting. Now with these seven stone coffins, could there possibly be traps within them?" Qin Sisi did not borate. She vividly remembered the "Touch Gold Notes," which like now, showed seven coffins arranged in the positions of the Big Dipper, contaning some strange items. Rice dumplings? Or mechanisms? As for their existence in reality, she could not be sure. When she read that part of the notes, her heart felt unsettled, and thus the memory was deeply etched in her mind. Out of the seven stone coffins, six were false. Only one was real. "Mechanisms?" Old Yao''s brows tightened slightly before he nodded, "Indeed, we do need to be careful when opening the coffins. These seven are somewhat peculiar and necessitate the utmost caution." Qin Sisi nodded. Her gaze fell upon the stone coffins, each intricately carved with dense text and patterns. Eventually, her eyes settled on one of them. In the "Touch Gold Notes," if one were to check their bearings, it would be the real coffin. The rest were fakes. "Captain Yao, only this coffin can be opened, the others must not be touched!" Qin Sisi reported earnestly. Listening to Qin Sisi''s certain tone, Old Yao looked at her intently. Soon after. Old Yao called over several skilled workers, "Open only this coffin, leave the rest untouched!" "Captain Yao, why is that?" Professor Qi, standing not far away, heard Old Yao''s orders and asked in bewilderment. After a moment of thought, Old Yao just shook his head, "The other coffins, they contain mechanisms." After saying this, he nced again at Qin Sisi. Qin Sisi''s eyes flickered evasively, unsure of how to respond. Her heart was in conflict, leaving herpletely at a loss for what to do. At this time. A few archaeologists gathered together, first using professional detection equipment to scan the designated coffin, ensuring there were no issues, then they began the process of opening it. The work of opening the stone coffin was done with great care. Old Yao personally took up the task, wielding a pry bar, he gently hammered at the junction between the coffin''s lid and body, producing a ''ding, ding, ding'' sound. The hammering was evenly done, trying to avoid damaging the structural integrity of the stone coffin as much as possible. This showcased Old Yao''s experience and expertise as the team leader. After more than ten minutes. A gap formed between the lid and the body of the stone coffin, and they became separated. Old Yao and Professor Qi looked at each other and smiled. Qin Sisi pursed her lips, her gaze fixed on the stone coffin. ck, ck, ck. As four archaeologists lifted the coffin lid, the contents within were revealed. Qin Sisi breathed a sigh of relief. Phew Thankfully, there were neither mechanisms nor rice dumplings. Inside the stone coffin were numerous burial items made of bronze, such as pitchers, bowls, stoves, and small tripods. The Archaeological Team and staff from the Cultural Relics Bureau immediately began to inventory the relics. Standing to the side, Professor Qi''s brow was deeply furrowed. His face did not show the expected delight, but was filled with puzzlement. "Captain Yao, don''t you find this odd?" Professor Qi thought for a moment before turning to Old Yao beside him. Old Yao''s gaze remained on the interior of the coffin, his expression equally puzzled. He nodded in agreement, "It is indeed very strange." This was the main chamber. Yet, out of the Seven Stars Coffin, this one contained only items like pitchers, bowls, stoves, and small bronze tripods for burial. What about the tomb owner? "Could they be in the other six stone coffins?" Professor Qi spected. Old Yao shook his head, then approached Qin Sisi, "Qin, a word, please." Qin Sisi''s expression changed slightly as she followed Old Yao to the side. Going straight to the point, Old Yao asked in a low voice, "Qin, you seem to be quite familiar with this area." From the start at the False Dragon Head Gourd Mouth, the team''s movements, whether circumventing Gourd Mouth or climbing up to observe the Dragon Head, had all followed Qin Sisi''s guidance. If Old Yao had not realized that Qin Sisi''s guidance was far from coincidental, he wouldn''t have deserved to be the team leader. Qin Sisi furrowed her brow, her face showing distress as she replied in a low voice, "Captain Yao, if I told you I''vee across a record of this tomb elsewhere, would you believe me?" "Hmm?" At this moment, Old Yao''s brow creased into a ''Chuan'', his face betraying an expression of disbelief, "You''ve seen records simr to this tomb, where?" "In a novel." Qin Sisi bit her pale lips before finally divulging those words. The details herepared with Lin Chuan''s novel, it''s not just simr, they''re exactly the same! Apart from theck of peculiar oddities, everything else was spot on. Chapter 214: Chapter 170 No Wonder Hes So Familiar with the Qilu Region (Five Thousand Word Chapter) National Archaeological Team, Team Nine Office. Qin Sisi, wearing a light white floral dress, with a backpack on her shoulders and a radiant smile on her face, knocked on the office door under the guidance of a staff member. "Old Yao, our new member of Team Nine hase to report," said the staff member. Inside the office, a man in his forties with a square face and short hair looked up at Qin Sisi, a mild smile on his face, "A new member, eh? Come in." "Captain Yao, I am Qin Sisi, transferred here from the Anling Archaeological Team," said Qin Sisi as she walked in confidently, smiling. She was also observing the office and Captain Yao. Old Yao was dressed in a simple grey T-shirt, his face marked with the signs of years spent in the field. On the desk in front of himy neatly arranged archaeological tools: brushes, shovels, magnifying sses, as well as delicate measuring instruments and logbooks. Behind him stood a row of tall bookshelves, brimming with various archaeological books and materials. On the walls hung severalrge photographs of archaeological sites, capturing the team''s arduous travels and the joy of unearthing relics. "Good, have a seat." Old Yao stood up. He gestured to Qin Sisi to sit on the wooden sofa in the office and went to pour some tea water, filling a cup for Qin Sisi. "Thank you, Captain Yao," said Qin Sisi with a smile on her face, expressing her gratitude. Old Yao sat across from her, looked at Qin Sisi, and asked with a smile, "Sisi, what were your responsibilities when you worked with the Anling Archaeological Team?" "The staff at the Anling Archaeological Team is rtively small, so I was in charge of the on-site surveys and the site excavation organization, recording the detailed conditions of the unearthed artifacts," replied Qin Sisi fluently, demonstrating her professional expertise. "Not bad at all," Old Yao said with satisfaction, nodding, "By the way, a few days ago, you discovered a Han Dynasty Grand Tomb in Anling City, excavated almost perfectly intact. Were you involved in that?" A shade of pride immediately appeared on Qin Sisi''s face: "I happened to be involved." "I didn''t expect someone of your young age to already have such rich archaeological experience. Your Anling Archaeological Team is quite capable," Old Yao said with a chuckle, "Could you tell me more about the specifics?" Qin Sisi hesitated for a moment before responding, "To tell the truth, the main credit for discovering that Han Dynasty Grand Tomb doesn''t really belong to our Anling Archaeological Team." "Oh?" Old Yao''s expression showed a slight surprise, "Now I''m even more interested." In recent days, he had learned that a new member was joining the team and had looked into the Anling Archaeological Team to gauge the new member''s level of expertise in archeology. It just so happened that he''d seen the Han Dynasty Grand Tomb excavation in Anling on an ''Archaeology Network.'' ording to the ''Archaeology Network'' report, this Han Dynasty Grand Tomb was located and excavation began within just two days. Particrly, from the start of the excavation to entering the tomb chamber, it only took an afternoon, a pace that shocked him. Generally, local archaeological teams aren''t that advanced. In terms of equipment, like sound wave detectors, electromaic detectors, and ground-prating radar, local archaeological teams don''t usually have such advanced tools. Yet the Anling Archaeological Team managed to pinpoint the location of the tomb and enter the chamber in such a short time, which surprised him. In his heart, he held this new member who was about to report for duty in higher esteem. Qin Sisi held the teacup with both hands, smiled, and said, "Captain Yao, it was a coincidence that day. We were actually cooperating with a master in cultural relic restoration named Lin Chuan, who is also my friend. The director holds him in high regard. As it so happened he wanted to write a novel about archaeology, so the director took him to the site to have a look." "Sisi, let me interrupt for a second, did you just say that this cultural relic restoration master, Lin Chuan, also writes archaeological novels?" Old Yao asked with keen interest. Qin Sisi nodded: "Yes." Old Yao chuckled heartily, then said, "A fellow writer, eh." Qin Sisi was taken aback for a moment, looking at the captain in front of her, she asked in surprise, "Captain Yao, do you also write novels?" "Just some casual scribbles when I have nothing to do, to record my archaeological experiences, that''s all. Please, continue," Old Yao said with a humble smile, then lifted his thermos cup and took a sip of tea. It was just that, he had inadvertently be an Influent Author. Qin Sisi pursed her lips in amusement, feeling that the captain before her had suddenly be more rtable. Perhaps because he, like Lin Chuan, also wrote novels. Novelists often give off a harmless impression, and Lin Chuan had given her a sense of affinity. Because Lin Chuan had taught her the "Art of Soil Sniffing." That notebook, she still had it in her backpack. Thinking about it, Qin Sisi continued, "Captain Yao, after Lin Chuan arrived at the site, he looked around and then ran up to a hilltop. In his words, it was ''Dragon-Seeking and Positioning.'' Shortly after, he told us that he seemed to have located the tomb." "Dragon-Seeking and Positioning?" As soon as Old Yao heard this phrase, his brow furrowed. As the captain of Team Nine of the National Archaeological Team, he had entered many ancient tombs. Of course, he had also dealt with many Touch Gold Captains. He was familiar with the term "Dragon-Seeking and Positioning," but in his understanding, there were very few who mastered it. Every one of them was coveted by the major archaeological teams. There had even been a Touch Gold Captain who dered he could lead an archaeological team into the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, causing a sensation in the archaeologicalmunity at the time. Chapter 231: Chapter 175: We Will Deal with It According to the Law! (5000-Word Chapter)_3 Vines were everywhere, spreading over the stone walls densely, like tentacles. In front, there emerged a stone tform, covered with dust, debris, and some insects crawling around. Behind the stone tform stood a gigantic old tree, its branches climbing the stone walls, assuming strange shapes under the bright illumination. "So it really does exist." Qin Sisi murmured softly, but the vines and old tree here did not, as described in Lin Chuan''s novel, possess any aggressiveness or extreme danger. "There is an altar here!" Professor Qi''s eyes brightened, and he quickly strode over. The others also gathered around. "Qin, there''s only a sacrificial altar here, nothing else. The main tomb we''re looking for hasn''t appeared yet," Old Yao said with a trace of doubt on his face, looking at Qin Sisi and asking. Qin Sisi looked around, already having an idea in her mind. She stepped forward towards the sacrificial altar, then extended her hand to touch the stone tform. "Miss Qin, you can''t just touch things recklessly," Professor Qi quickly warned. Qin Sisi turned to look at Old Yao, who understood and said, "Professor Qi, Qin is confident." Professor Qi looked at Qin Sisi skeptically but then stepped aside. Qin Sisi''s gaze swept the surroundings once more, over the sacrificial stone tform, over the strange tree behind it, and then, her hands rested on the stone tform, pressing down with force. Just as everyone was puzzled about what Qin Sisi was attempting, The sacrificial stone tform wasn''t as hard as imagined; it couldn''t withstand Qin Sisi''s strength and sank down, bing half its height. Immediately afterward, Click, ck, ck Sounds like those of mechanisms being activated began to echo, spreading from the sacrificial stone tform to the strange tree behind. To be precise, to the stone wall behind it. And then, Whirr, whirr, whirr The sounds of chains dragging and grating against stone filled the air endlessly. Crack! The strange tree suddenly split open with arge fissure. Everyone immediately looked over. They saw within the fissure a massive ancient bronze coffin. Around it, several chains wrapped around the ancient bronze coffin several times and were fastened to the stone wall, integrated with the strange tree. "So it''s here!" Old Yao swallowed hard, his eyes glittering with excitement, his face full of joy. Professor Qi and the other archaeological workers were also shocked, staring at the ancient bronze coffin. The coffin was covered with densely packed patterns, forming bizarre designs, And some text that wasn''t immediately clear. The true ancient bronze coffin had now been revealed. Team Nine archaeologists immediately sprang into action, joining forces with the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau and the police, brainstorming ways to move the ancient bronze coffin out of the tomb chamber and out of the mountains. The stone coffin could be opened on the spot, but the ancient bronze coffin had to be transported back. More importantly, it seemed that the bronze coffin was a sealed unit, and for the moment, no one could find a way to open it. Qin Sisi got busy along with the others. For three consecutive days, Qin Sisi, Old Yao, and the archaeological team were immersed in the excavation and research of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Many relics were unearthed, and that day, the ancient bronze coffin was sessfully transported back to the Linyi City Cultural Relics Bureau, where it was temporarily stored. The grand scale of the operation startled the local media in Linyi. However, due to the particr nature of the Seven Stars Lu King Pcea suspected tomb robber murder casethe media was not allowed to disclose any information. July 8th. The focus of Team Nine''s work shifted from the depths of the Taiyi Mountain Range, at the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, to the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau and also the police station. Because, the tomb robber murder case and the Seven Stars Lu King Pce were closely connected. Both lines of work were advancing simultaneously. "Captain Yao, after multiple examinations, we found that the ancient bronze coffin brought back from the Seven Stars Lu King Pce contains numerous and extremelyplex mechanisms. With our current capabilities, we have no way to open it, and forcing it open could potentially damage the entire coffin," Qin Sisi, in her archaeological team uniform, reported to Old Yao in their temporary workspace. Old Yao nodded, ncing at Qin Sisi: "What would it take to open this ancient bronze coffin?" "At the moment, we haven''t figured out how to open the ancient bronze coffin," Qin Sisi answered truthfully. Old Yao put the materials in his hands down on the table and sighed: "Now that we''ve almost finished excavating the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, have we summarized the relics stolen by the tomb robbers and the damage caused?" After thinking for a moment, Qin Sisi replied, "From the main framework of the tomb chamber, it appears to be intact. Only the burial pit in the chamber seems to have lost a batch of bronze ware, and there''s a precious artifact, recorded in the tomb''s documentsa Purple Gold Boxthat we have not yet found." Old Yao frowned: "So it''s possible that the tomb robbers might have fought amongst themselves over the batch of bronze ware and the Purple Gold Box, resulting in a homicide." "There... There''s that possibility." Qin Sisi pursed her lips, stammering. "Are you thinking about Lin Chuan?" Old Yao, though he had never seen Lin Chuan, had heard about him countless times from Qin Sisi. "Yes." Qin Sisi nodded. Old Yao smiled and said, "It''s perfect timing. The police are likely to ask for my assistance with that murder case in the next few days. I''ll also inquire about the situation." "Great!" Qin Sisi forced a smile. "Speaking of which, I haven''t read his novel yet. I''ll see if he is really a tomb robber," Old Yao said with augh. Qin Sisi''s mouth twitched: "I feel like he''s not, but then again, he seems very much like one." "If he is, we will handle it ording to thew, if not, we will also vindicate him. Don''t worry, Qin!" Old Yao said earnestly. Chapter 232: Chapter 176: Comrade Lin Chuan, Please Come with Us (Five Thousand Word Chapter) Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau, the temporary office of Archaeological Team Nine. The morning sunlight, fine as silk, spilled into every corner of the office through the half-open window. That golden light quietly climbed, coating the office desk, bookshelf, and every pot of green nts with a faint golden glow. Old Yao watched Qin Sisi walk out of the office, and chuckled, "That Qin, anxious with concern." He had heard a lot about Lin Chuan and his novels from Qin Sisi. After all, it was by following the methods described in Lin Chuan''s novels that she had guided them to sessfully excavate the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. And they aplished it in a very short time. This was much less than the one to three months of survey time they had estimated. From July 3rd to the 8th, it was only six days, including the time spent on the road. So, Old Yao had been itching to read this novel for a while, and since he himself wrote archaeological novels, he was even more interested in a fellow writer''s tomb-robbing novel. But more importantly, he wanted to see if Lin Chuan was the tomb robber who escaped from the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. At this moment. Outside the window, a gentle breeze wafted in, bringing a hint of chill and the faint scent of flowers. The treetops gently swayed as if ying with the sunlight, asionally producing a rustling sound. Old Yao took out his phone, opened the familiar Qihang app, and typed "Touch Gold Notes." Lin Chuan''s novel immediately popped up. "Touch Gold Notes." Author: Mr. Lin. "Mr. Lin, this name sounds... like a suspect?" Old Yao joked half-heartedly. However, he didn''t rush into the text of "Touch Gold Notes" immediately. He habitually read thements section first. [Criminal! Suspect Mr. Lin gave up being an assassin or hacker and switched to tomb robbing!] [Please, Mr. Lin, give it up, the outside is swarming with police!] [This is a notebook, not fiction!] [One word from you, one word from me, Mr. Lin will end up in jail eventually!] [Whoa, Mr. Lin is about to step on the sewing machine!] [Amazing, Mr. Lin can be more focused on writing novels in jail!] [...] One after another, peculiarments entered Old Yao''s view. Old Yao furrowed his brows, unsure what to say, finally muttering to himself, "Why do they all call Mr. Lin a suspect?" He hadn''t even started reading the novel, and thebel of ''suspect'' was already attached to Lin Chuan? Huh Old Yao took a deep breath, decided not to let thesements affect him, left thements section, and clicked into the main text of the novel. ''My family has a legacy of tomb robbing.'' ''But my father did not inherit my grandfather''s tomb-robbing skills, instead, it was my Third Uncle who became the widely known Touch Gold Captain.'' ''I have no skills in tomb robbing either, having inherited an antique shop, and thought I would have nothing to do with ''tomb robbing'' at all in the future.'' ''However, the appearance of a silk manuscript changed my life.'' ''From then on, I became a Touch Gold Captain and began my life as a tomb raider.'' ''...'' Old Yao, also a novel writer, started reading and his brows furrowed again: "Tomb robbing from a first-person perspective, this immersiveness is strong." Immediately afterward. He added anotherment: "Indeed, if it''s from the perspective of someone with firsthand experience, writing in the first person would be more realistic than the third person omniscient point of view, eh? Why would I think that?" Old Yao suddenly paused, clearly influenced by thements he had just read. He shook his head and continued reading. Old Yao read quickly, and in no time, he went from ''Mr. Lin practices Double Finger Probe'' and ''preparation of equipment'' to ''depart to Qilu'' and ''venture into the Taiyi Mountain Range.'' Until ''Third Uncle''s dragon-seeking and positioning,'' they arrived at Gourd Mouth. ''After a long walk, we finally came to an area shaped like a gourd.'' ''I looked around.'' ''In the distance, there were five mountain ranges, rising steeply, one after another, with thest range''s peak bulging at the center.'' ''At Gourd Mouth, there was a waterfall about ten meters high. Below the waterfall was a small stone pond; the stony shore snaked around, covered in moss, and beside it stood a withered old tree struck by lightning.'' ''I told Third Uncle that this was the Dragon Head and that the tomb was underneath.'' ''But Third Uncle shook his head, beginning to exin.'' ''This ce is still far from the main tomb. ording to the method of dragon-seeking and positioning, this is indeed the Dragon Head, but it''s a False Dragon Head.'' ''The designer of this tomb chamber was also a master of dragon-seeking, creating this trap specifically to lure tomb raiders.'' ''I guess, below is a fake tomb chamber, full of traps. Anyone who enters it will probably nevere out.'' ''...'' Old Yao''s eyes sharpened, his pupils narrowing slightly. He had thought the details Qin Sisi knew from the novel were just the basic steps. But he never imagined they would be so detailed. Gourd Mouth, Little Stone Pond, Lightning-Struck Wood, False Dragon Head... Which means. If it weren''t for their Archaeological Team Nine setting off first, other archaeological workers could also follow this novel to rob the tomb? No, that''s not right! It seems just about anyone, if they followed the steps described, could find the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Old Yao swallowed hard. At this point, he had to put down his phone and pick up his thermos for a sip of water to calm his nerves. After a brief moment to collect himself. He picked up his phone to read again. The novel described in detail. After bypassing Gourd Mouth, walk northwest for about a kilometer, and you will see a small stream below the mountain; another three kilometers, and there is ake, then ascend to a high point, and you will see ''streams winding around, five dragons converging''; that is the real Dragon Head, the location of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Chapter 217: Chapter 171 I Saw it in a Novel (5000 Words Chapter) Archaeological Team Dormitory, Single Apartment. In a roughly thirty square meter one-bedroom apartment, Qin Sisi sat on the couch, her light white floral dress falling casually. Her gaze was still fixed on her cell phone screen. The content of "Touch Gold Notes," volume one, entered her field of vision. ''I''ve decided to go check out the tomb mentioned in the Warring States silk manuscript.'' ''To do a good job, one must first sharpen one''s tools.'' ''I''ve prepared threaded steel pipes, archaeology probes, dividingpasses, folding shovels, short hammers, multi-purpose military knives, and a few double-barreled shotguns from the ck market to deal with the "zongzi."'' ''Who knows if those things actually exist.'' ''...'' Upon reading this, the slight frown on Qin Sisi''s brow quickly rxed. Zongzi? As a professional member of the archaeological team who had been to several ancient tombs with the team, she knew well that there were no such things as ''zongzi'' in tombs. No wonder Lin Chuan said it had magical elements. It turns out that this tomb-robbing novel added a lot of unscientific and unnatural elements. However, that made the novel more captivating. Qin Sisi continued to read on. ''ording to the "map"the Warring States silk manuscript, the great tomb is located near Linyi in the Qilu region.'' ''Linyi was the location of the State of Lu during the Warring States period.'' ''The use of a silk manuscript to record it indicates that the tomb owner must have been a person of extraordinary status. Sometimes, I can''t help but wonder, what kind of burial objects might he have?'' ''I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.'' ''Finally.'' ''We were all ready, setting off.'' ''We brought a lot of contraband, so from here to Qilu''s Linyi, we had to take a long-distance bus, which was the travel method used by most tomb raiders in the past.'' ''Those who made big money would buy their own off-road vehicles to go deep into the mountains and dig up ancient tombs, usually organized tomb raiders with high skills and strong weapons.'' ''The long-distance bus was notfortable to ride, and after more than ten hours of bumpy journey, I finally saw the scenery of the Qilu region.'' ''However, we didn''t stop to rest.'' ''Because the Warring States silk manuscript that my grandfather had was taken away by foreign soldiers many years ago, and now, they might also be acting on that great tomb.'' ''Tomb robbing is firste-first-serve.'' ''We were quick, and as soon as we stepped onto thend of Linyi, we hurried to our destination.'' ''The Taiyi Mountain Range.'' ''...'' Reading up to this point, Qin Sisi instinctively paused her reading, her gaze fixating on the words ''Taiyi Mountain Range.'' She put down her cell phone and took out a piece of A4 paper from her backpack. On the paper was a rough sketch of the Ninth Archaeological Team''s excavation n. In the address column, it read: Qilu Region, Linyi, Taiyi Mountain Range. "That''s quite a coincidence." Qin Sisi pursed her lips and muttered to herself. She didn''t expect the tomb-robbing novel by Lin Chuan to coincide with her uing archaeological mission in the Taiyi Mountain Range. But she didn''t think much of it. It was just a coincidence. Perhaps because the location coincidentally matched, Qin Sisi grew even more interested in Lin Chuan''s "Touch Gold Notes." ''Third Uncle really is a master tomb raider, leading with dragon-seeking and positioning, and determining the burial point.'' ''We found the location of the great tomb.'' ''I tried to pick up the soil of the ground and smelled it, a barely detectable scent simr to the smell of blood invading my nostrils.'' "Dig!" ''A group of us, all young and strong, quickly dug a tunnel seven or eight meters deep for tomb robbing.'' ''This unusual brick wall immediately attracted our attention.'' ''Inside the brick wall were anti-theftyers, all the bricks had to be taken out.'' ''And inside the wall was full of strong acid; once broken, the strong acid would instantly pour over a person, turning them into a blood corpse.'' ''...'' Qin Sisi watched intently. ''Burial chambers,'' ''four-legged square cauldrons,'' ''stone coffins,'' ''tunnels,'' ''statues,'' ''murals of the Dahong Roof,'' ''inscriptions recording King Lushang,'' and so on, all followed the plot of the novel entering her mind. So much so that she was somewhat distracted at work that afternoon. Evening finally came. After taking a shower, she picked up her cell phone again and continued to read the updates. However, The first volume of "Touch Gold Notes" was only three hundred thousand words long, and it didn''t take her long to finish. Phew Qin Sisi let out a long breath, still craving more, and decided to send Lin Chuan a knife de or something. On regr days, she used WeChat for work, but unfortunately, like many web novel writers, including Lin Chuan, they all used QQ. She had logged into QQst time to add Lin Chuan as a friend when they met for a meal. "Writer Lin, good evening." Qin Sisi sent Lin Chuan a polite message. "Archaeological expert, good evening." It didn''t take long for Lin Chuan to reply to her message. "Such a short read at three hundred thousand words, not enough! When''s the second volumeing out?/eager.jpg" Qin Sisi texted with a smile on her face. Indeed, the bizarre imagination in Lin Chuan''s "Touch Gold Notes," and the vivid description of burial chambers and underground pces, had this archaeologist itching with anticipation. If there were such burial chambers and underground pces in reality, what a shock that would be! "Volume two ising out soon, Expert Qin have you added it to your favorites?" Lin Chuan asked. "I added it early on, and went for the full subscription too./self-satisfied.jpg" Qin Sisi replied. Lin Chuan responded with a thank-you emoticon. Qin Sisi recalled her actual work and quickly typed on her phone screen, sending Lin Chuan a message: "By the way, I reported to Archaeological Team Nine today, and our team leader asked about the Han Dynasty grand tomb in Anling." Chapter 218: Chapter 171 I Saw It in a Novel (5,000-Word Chapter)_2 "The news sure has spread wide," Lin Chuan chuckled at the other end of the inte connection. "Of course, I told the captain everything truthfully, and he can''t stop singing your praises! /thumbs_up.jpg" Qin Sisi replied. "Your captain has great taste! /thumbs_up.jpg" Lin Chuan jokingly responded. Qin Sisi snickered and immediately replied, "He does have great taste, he even wants to recruit you as the captain of the Archaeological Team." "That doesn''t seem appropriate, bing a captain as soon as I join would be too shy." "He said he would be your deputy." "That won''t do, that won''t do." "Are you interested?" Qin Sisi asked again. In fact, she really hoped Lin Chuan would join the Archaeological Team; his capabilities alone were already surpassing many. At the other end of the inte. Lin Chuan and Little Landy were lying on the big balcony at home, rxing on a rocking chair and enjoying the evening breeze while overlooking the Anling River outside Linjiang Mansion, which glittered with specks of silver light, like a brilliant starry gxy. The cool evening breeze passed by, bringingfort. Lin Chuan nced at the message sent by Qin Sisi, then turned to look at Little Landy beside him. Little Landy was wearing a purple gauzy nightgown, and her delicate and fair little face was close to his, "Chairman, have a grape." Lin Chuan opened his mouth, and a grape entered. Blissful. Thus, Lin Chuan replied without hesitation, "The Archaeological Team is constantly on the move, traversing hills and rivers, exposed to wind and sun; it''s not quite suitable for me. I prefer staying at home and writing." "What a pity," Qin Sisi''s eyes shed with a touch of disappointment. "If you encounter any difficulties, I might try solving them remotely," Lin Chuan added. "Great, I am going on an archaeological mission the day after tomorrow, and I''ll consult you if I face any problems," Qin Sisi''s serene and gentle face lit up with a smile. "No problem, I can''t just stand by when a loyal fan is in trouble," Lin Chuan replied with a smile. "No wonder Qianqian always tells me to subscribe fully to you, loyal fans with full subscriptions get this kind of treatment," Qin Sisi joked. "Naturally, sincerity for sincerity," Lin Chuan replied. "Then I''ll set up an automatic subscription, and the second your next volumees out, I''ll be the first to subscribe! /smug.jpg" Qin Sisi''s eyes shimmered brightly as sheughed and replied. "Automatic subscription. /awesome.jpg" "I won''t chat anymore, I''m going for a second reading of ''Touch Gold Notes.'' /bye.jpg" Qin Sisi ended the chat and went for a second reading of the first volume of "Touch Gold Notes." In the past, she did not understand why her dorm mates would re-read some romance novels two or three times. Could there be something new each time? Now she understood that when encountering a novel that pierced the heart, one truly wants to etch its details into the heart so they wouldn''t be eroded by time. So good! An evening breeze wafted through Linjiang Mansion in Anling City, and on the thirtieth floor of arge apartment, Lin Chuan, wearing loose pajamas, reveled in the coolness of the night. "Chairman, that sister invited you to join the Archaeological Team, why didn''t you go?" Little Landy asked with a twinkle in her eye and a smile. "What would you do if I went and wasn''t home every day?" Lin Chuan ruffled Little Landy''s hair as he countered. "Hehe," Little Landy grinned and said, "But, Chairman, how do you know so much?" Lin Chuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Little Landy, I also want to ask, how do you know so much?" "Huh?" Little Landy''s face froze in surprise, and then a blush crept over her face, "Chairman, I... I learned it all from study materials." "So did I!" Lin Chuan said, looking at her sincerely. Little Landy pouted, "Then carry me inside." "What for?" Lin Chuan blinked in puzzlement. Little Landy wrapped her arms around Lin Chuan''s neck, and her legs too mischievously wrapped around his waist as she clung to him and then whispered in his ear with a warm breath, "The rent is due." "Is this rent even legit?" Lin Chuan asked in a daze. "There''s also utility fees," Little Landy murmured, smiling with pursed lips. Lin Chuan scooped up Little Landy in his arms and then walked into the living room, closed the balcony doors, and drew the curtains. A prolonged battle ensued. ... The next morning. Lin Chuan got up from bed, thoroughly satisfied. Little Landy was exhausted to the point of copse and hadn''t woken up yet. Lin Chuan leaned against the balcony, feeling invigorated as he enjoyed the fresh breeze from the river, carrying the fresh scent of water and faint aroma of grass and trees and brushing against his face. At that moment. The sun had just risen, painting the sky with a faint brush of orange and red, while the river surface rippled gently, shimmering and sparkling as if countless shattered diamonds were dancing upon the water. asionally, a few early-birds chirped merrily on the branches, their songs crisp and melodious. Lin Chuan closed his eyes, quietly relishing everything. After all, he had been through hundreds of rounds of an intense battle with Little Landyst night, and today he switched straight into sage mode, beginning to ponder over life''s mysteries and the unsolved enigmas of the universe. Of course. Lin Chuan hadn''t really delved into any cosmic mysteries, so he was mainly reflecting on life. He started to summarize his gains from the recent period. The first volume of his newly released novel, "Touch Gold Notes," had been well received by readers. It''s just that there were quite a number of readers who wanted to send him des. Because Lin Chuan usually published his novels in full and never even missed a day of updates. The reason behind this, of course, was his eagerness to meet the system''s requirements. Readers had grown ustomed to reading Lin Chuan''spleted novels, and suddenly, with Lin Chuan publishing volume by volume, they became frantic. Ahem, the initial impact was good, unaffected by Old Yao''s "Antique Wind Quest." Chapter 219: Chapter 171: I Saw It in a Novel (5000-Word Chapter)_3 System Panel: [Work: "Touch Gold Notes" Volume One.] [Current Status: Uploaded.] [Current Collection Count: 31036/100000.] First day since the release of the new book. Youyou urgently arranged for Lin Chuan a big ssh promotion, screen sh promotion, old reader app pop-up notifications, and other rmendations, which worked well with thirty thousand collections in one day. It should soon reach one hundred thousand collections and unlock the second tomb-robbing copy. Following that. Next is the film adaptation process of "All-In". "All-In" had been through more than twenty days of adaptation and casting and had already started filming. Due to the zealous urging of the Anti-Fraud Center, the filming is expected to bepleted in two months. It might be released in cinemas in September or October. Moreover, there''s the Network Security Company and the Antique Shop. Thepany maintains close cooperation with the police at all times, and under the nning of the Little Landy, it has be argework securitypany in Anling, rivaling other majorwork securitypanies like "Jintang". Its growth momentum is very strong. As for the Antique Shop, it goes without saying. Old Zhang has been working himself to death, and because of this, he''s even nning to recruit a few more helpers, and the recruitment ad has already been sent out; soon, there should be applicants knocking on the door. Another piece of good news. The film and television rights for "Last Week''s Antique" have caught someone''s eye, and currently, the copyright operation department at Start-up is negotiating with the other party. The other party was not very satisfied with the name, so Lin Chuan thought about it and sent one over. "Antique Scam". The other party was very satisfied with it. Lin Chuan was also satisfied. Now with the novel career thriving, two film adaptations in the pipeline, the Network Security Company thriving, and the door of Goldstone Edge Antique Shop teeming with visitors. How wonderful! Lin Chuanzily stretched, his current goal: strive to turn "Touch Gold Notes" into a major IP, to make a dash for the Heavenly King spot by year''s end, or even, Influent Author! There''s also a smaller goal. To stay at home and avoid getting into trouble. Cough, not to be a criminal suspect! ... Elsewhere. Qin Sisi had been engrossed in Lin Chuan''s world of tomb robbing, unable to extricate herself, rereading the thirty thousand words three times. Finally, on July 3rd, she had a mission to undertake. Reluctantly, she closed "Touch Gold Notes", meticulously packed her equipment, and set off on her journey to the Qilu Region. Transportation is very convenient now. The National Archaeological Team Nine, taking a high-speed train, arrived in Linyi that very afternoon. Tomb robbing pays attention to "Observation, Listening, Inquiry, Pulse Taking", and in fact, so does archaeology. The "Inquiry" part is indispensable. Captain Yao had already contacted a history and archaeology professor from Linyi University, to apany them deep into the Taiyi Mountain Range for archaeological exploration. July 4th. The Archaeological Team Nine started their march into the mountains. A group of people in two off-road vehicles. In the car, Old Yao looked at Professor Qi and said with a smile, "Professor Qi has a profound understanding of Qilu''s historical culture, especially in terms of tombs; for us, it''s like a tiger gaining wings." Professor Qi responded directly, "Captain Yao, you''ve found the right person by asking me. This stretch of the mountain range, I have visited in earlier years for surveys and spoke with many Feng Shui Masters." "Professor Qi understands Feng Shui as well?" Old Yao raised an eyebrow in interest and asked. "Of course." Professor Qi appeared to be around fifty, with a ruddyplexion, and was rtively fit due to regr exercise. Qin Sisi was also in the car, listening to the conversation between Old Yao and Professor Qi while looking out the window. At this moment, the off-road vehicle, following a logging track into the mountains, had gone deep into the mountain range, climbing heights from where the continuous mountain range looked like a giant dragon lying in repose. In the car. Professor Qi observed the members of the archaeological team and said with augh, "If I may say so, modern archaeology and tomb raiding are somewhat different. For example, tomb raiders can rely on the Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secret Technique to observe the Dragon Vein, determine the burial spot, and see everything with just a pair of eyes." Old Yao also let out a sigh and said with a wry smile, "Yes, it''s just that our archaeological team doesn''t have anyone skilled in tomb raiding or Feng Shui." "Haha, not exactly." Professor Qi raised an eyebrow. Old Yao was taken aback, "Could it be that Professor Qi is a master of these arts?" "In my early years, for the sake of archaeology research, I had many exchanges with Feng Shui Masters and tomb raiders. Let me test you all, do you know what the Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Secret Technique in the tomb-raiding tradition is?" Professor Qi treated the archaeologists as his students. Old Yao shook his head. The members of the archaeological team looked at each other, clueless. At that moment. Qin Sisi heard the familiar term "Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secret Technique" and murmured, "Heaven, Earth, Man, Ghost, God, Buddha, Demon, Beast, Scare, Subdue, Escape, Object, Transform, Yin, Yang, Void." Professor Qi''s expression changed with surprise. He hadn''t expected someone to answer so urately, pre-empting the content he was about to expound upon without missing a word. You''ve stolen my lines! However, Old Yao''s eyes lit up, "Qin, continue, please?" Sitting in her seat, Qin Sisi smiled and began, "These are the Sixteen Phrases of Touch Gold Captain, ording to Feng Shui techniques, they can determine all sorts of conditions of an ancient tomb, it can be said to be a gem in the tomb-raiding circle. However, due to the loss of transmission over generations, now the part rted to the Yin-Yang Technique in the Touch Gold Captain''s Sixteen Maxims is missing, leaving only the Sixteen Feng Shui Phrases." The few people in the car were all taken aback, involuntarily turning to look at this young girl who had just joined the National Archaeological Team. Old Yao was curious as well, asking, "Qin, have you also studied Feng Shui techniques?" Qin Sisi quickly shook her head, "Captain Yao, I read it in a novel, where it was exined in detail." Chapter 220: Chapter 172: Why is it exactly the same as described in the novel? (5000-word chapter) "A novel?" Old Yao was taken aback again. Even Professor Qi, who had dabbled in Feng Shui, couldn''t help but frown. If Qin Sisi had imed she learned everything from a novel before she answered, he would have scoffed at it. Who takes novels as truth? Naturally, a novel is fictional. But Qin Sisi''s answer was verbatim, precise, and correct; she even knew about the disruption in the transmission of the Touch Gold Captain''s Sixteen Maxims and the missing Yin-Yang Technique parts. That was something only a few in the tomb-robbing lineage knew. Qin Sisi nodded: "Yes." Old Yao turned to ask Professor Qi, beginning with, "Qin just mentioned those sixteen words; are they real?" "Ahem." Professor Qi cleared his throat, his expression returned to calm, and then he spoke, "Those sixteen words are real, but Qin probably only understands part one, not part two." "Please enlighten me," Qin Sisi respectfully said to the professor. Old Yao too leaned in, ready to listen to the professor''s lecture. Professor Qi''s face glowed with anticipation, thrilled by the archaeology team members'' eagerness to learn, and he couldn''t resist starting to share: "As Miss Qin just said, the Yin-Yang part is lost, leaving only the Feng Shuiponent. You often hear a few rhymes." "Seek the dragon, divide the gold, observing the entwining mountains, eachyer of entwining signifies a barrier; if a gate appears with eight dangerous intricacies, it won''t be without the form of Yin, Yang, and the Eight Trigrams." "Do you understand the meaning of that?" Having said that, Professor Qi looked at everyone. Old Yao and the others shook their heads, indicating they didn''t understand. Qin Sisi nced at Professor Qi, pursed her lips, and said nothing. Seeing everyone''s puzzled faces, Professor Qiughed, "Captain Yao, you need to strengthen training in this area." Old Yao chuckled: "That seems appropriate." Professor Qi continued, "This rhyme is not a fabrication by tomb raiders out of thin air; ites from Yang Junsong, a Feng Shui master of the Tang Dynasty, from the work ''Shaking Dragon Scripture.'' In fact, the real meaning of these phrases is to describe the internal structure of an ancient tomb." "Oh?" Old Yao''s eyebrows raised in curiosity. Professor Qi raised his hand, gesturing as heughed, "Captain Yao, you''ve been to quite a few great tombs, you should know that in the great tombs there areyers uponyers of walls; these walls are like barriers. Once you break through these barriers, you can see the VIPs inside the tomb C that''s exactly what is meant." Old Yao suddenly understood, repeatedly saying, "I see, I''ve learned something new." "Some novels in the outside world portray this sentence as something incredible, which is somewhat biased," Professor Qi said with a chuckle. At this moment. He nced at Qin, who had eagerly answered before, and casually asked, "Miss Qin, do you have a different opinion?" Qin Sisi looked a bit troubled, nced at Professor Qi, and then at Old Yao. Old Yao nodded at her. Then Professor Qi said, "Miss Qin, treat this as an academic exchange; if you''re wrong, no one will me you." Qin Sisi took a deep breath and said, "I''m not expressing my own views; these are someone else''s. ording to him, the first part has the same meaning that Professor Qi exined." "And the second part?" Professor Qi couldn''t help but ask further. "The second part..." Qin Sisi paused, looking at Professor Qi: "Professor Qi, he said, ''Seek the dragon, divide the gold, observing the entwining mountains, eachyer of entwining signifies a barrier'' is not only about the structuralyout of the tomb, it also rtes to Feng Shui. You could consider the heavens and earth as a great tomb chamber, withyers uponyers of mountains and ranges being the barriers wrapping around the main tomb. If one canprehend this point, it would be the beginning of understanding geomancy." Professor Qi''s expression changed, his thoughts racing rapidly. Comprehending this point is the beginning of understanding geomancy? Does this mean I still haven''t begun to understand? What kind of nonsense is this? Well, what he said does make some sense. The heavens and the earth as a great tomb, with mountains and earth''s veins winding closely around. Sss Professor Qi looked out of the window, his mind suddenly filled with shes of insight. Old Yao, however, looked at Qin Sisi and quietly asked, "Did you also read this in a novel?" Qin Sisi nodded. "Who''s the author of the novel?" Old Yao pursued. "Lin Chuan, he released a new book a couple of days ago," Qin Sisi replied. "Lin Chuan..." Old Yao murmured and then sighed, "It''s just a shame we''re on an archaeological mission right now. In these deep mountains and old forests, there''s no signal, otherwise, I could have taken a look at what novel he wrote." "There''s no rush to look at it once the archaeological mission ispleted," Qin Sisi smiled. "Right, right, right," Old Yao said three ''rights'' in a row, clearly expectant in his heart. And the expectation was strong. Whether it was the earlier ''Dragon-Seeking and Positioning,'' ''Art of Soil Sniffing,'' ''Double Finger Probe,'' or the exnation of ''The Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Fengshui Secret Tome,'' ''The Great Tomb of the Earth'' that Qin Sisi had just ryed, all of it made him bright-eyed as if he had opened the door to a new world. This would undoubtedly be a huge boost to archaeology! Old Yao silently made a n in his mind. Afterpleting the mission, not only did he n to read Lin Chuan''s novel but also to pay a visit in person to this master-level individual to learn from his wisdom. The archaeology team''s off-road vehicles traveled through the Taiyi Mountain Range. The ring sunlight fell into the dense forest and through the gaps, it sprinkled on the ground, creating a mottled pattern of light and shadow. Amid the intery of light and dark, from deep within the Taiyi Mountain Range, different cries of birds and beasts could be heard. asionally, a few wild martens would dash out, and even one or two wild pythons could be seen coiled up, basking in the warm sun. At this point. The off-road vehicles could no longer proceed. The team had to pick a good spot to park the vehicles, then unload their luggage and equipment, and continue on foot. Chapter 221: Chapter 172 How is it exactly the same as described in the novel? (5000-word chapter)_2 "Check the tools, drugs, and instruments!" "Be careful of the wildlife in the deep mountains, and don''t recklessly provoke any ferocious animals." "Keep up with the team, and don''t fall behind!" "Follow me!" Old Yao put on a wide-brimmed straw hat that hung low, shielding most of the sunlight, wore cargo pants, and carried a backpack filled with tools, instruments, and drugs necessary for archaeology. In his hand, he held a map. It was a reproduction of an iplete ancient map discovered by historians while sorting through ancient texts, recording the tomb of a lord from the State of Lu during the Warring States period. However, the years had taken their toll. The Archaeological Team Nine had carefullypared it with modern maps and marked out arge area. Now, they were heading to that area. "Qin, it''s your first mission since you joined our Team Nine. Follow closely behind me and don''t get lost," Old Yao advised. He was somewhat protective of this archaeologist from Anling in his heart. The future was promising. As for now, well. Although she had listened to a whole lot of Lin Chuan''s theories and read Lin Chuan''s novels, theory and reality were far apart. It was like the teacher teaching quadratic equations in ss, and the exam turning out to be on advanced functions. So. Qin needed more practice! "Okay." Qin Sisi nodded seriously. She was d in a long-sleeved grey shirt with cargo pants and a pair of mountaineering boots, sporting a verypetent look with her backpack. The archaeological team trudged through water and climbed over mountains. Moving towards their destination. It wasn''t until around three in the afternoon that they finally arrived. At that moment. The group stood on the high ground to rest and to observe the terrain. Professor Qi was, of course, the key person for observing the terrain. Professor Qi held his palm above his eyes to shield the nting sun and looked around. The central area appeared t, its surrounding mountains rising and falling like the backbone of a ferocious beast. In the distance, five mountain ranges ovepped, hidden in the mist of clouds, like a giant dragon lying down, majestic and vast. "I think this ce looks like the Dragon Head!" Professor Qi stated after watching intently for a while and turned to Captain Yao. Captain Yao''s eyebrows lifted slightly, revealing a hint of joy, "Dragon Head?" Professor Qi nodded and said, "Yes, I know a bit about Feng Shui. If there is a tomb in this area, then this is undoubtedly the best location." Old Yao''s heart stirred, and he immediately called over the personnel responsible for detection to start using modern instruments. At that time. Qin Sisi was lost in thought. She looked at the distant fivefold mountain ranges, then at the gourd-shaped terrain here, and at the ten-meter waterfall plummeting at Gourd Mouth. Hiss This terrain seemed familiar! She suddenly remembered Lin Chuan''s description in "Touch Gold Notes." Having read it three times, it was deeply ingrained in her memory. Although she couldn''t recall the exact details, it went something like this: ''After walking for a long time, we finally arrived at a region with gourd-shaped terrain.'' ''I looked around.'' ''In the distance, there were five mountain ranges, one after the other, rising higher and higher, with thest range peaking in the middle.'' ''At the mouth of the gourd there was a waterfall about ten meters high, with a small stone pond beneath it, surrounded by zigzagging stone banks covered in green moss, and next to it, a withered old tree struck by lightning.'' ''I told Third Uncle that here was the Dragon Head, and beneath was the tomb.'' ''But Third Uncle shook his head and began to exin.'' ''This ce is still far from the main tomb. ording to the Dragon-Seeking and Positioning method, this is indeed the Dragon Head, but it is a False Dragon Head.'' ''The person who designed this tomb was also a master at seeking dragon positions, so they deliberately set this trap for the tomb raiders to fall for.'' ''I guess there is a fake tomb chamber below, full of traps. Once you enter, it''s likely you won''t be able to get out.'' ''...'' Qin Sisi tensed up, looking at the location that matched Lin Chuan''s description almost exactly, and couldn''t help but frown. "Qin, go and check out the area around Gourd Mouth," Old Yao called out. Qin Sisi quickly came back to her senses, picked up the detection instrument, and walked towards Gourd Mouth. The sound of the waterfall filled her ears. There, she indeed found the Little Stone Pond. Saw the zigzagging stone banks covered in green moss. Even the withered old tree struck by lightning was there. Hiss Qin Sisi took a deep breath, staring at the tree struck by lightning, and murmured in a daze, "How can this be exactly the same as described in Lin Chuan''s novel?" If you said that the terrain of Gourd Mouth and the fivefold mountain ranges with the topmost range bulging in the middle aremon everywhere. Little Stone Pond is alsomon. But this lightning-struck tree made her doubt. This ce was almost a carbon copy of the description in Lin Chuan''s novel. Reality, fiction? For a moment, Qin Sisi was lost in ''the way of sitting and forgetting.'' In her daze, she felt as if she was in Lin Chuan''s Touch Gold world. But that was just a novel! How could Lin Chuan''s novel be so simr to this ce? She frowned tightly and looked around again, unable to figure out what was going on. At this time. The voice of an archaeologist reached her ears, "I''ve found something!" Qin Sisi hurried over. Old Yao and Professor Qi also gathered around. The archaeologist looked at everyone, pointed to the detection instrument in his hand, and said, "It''s reacting differently! I''ve detected arge area of void." Chapter 222: Chapter 172 How is it exactly the same as described in the novel? (5000-word chapter)_3 He used a sound wave detector, which utilized sound waves to prate the ground. Different sound wave patterns represented different materials. The pattern of sound waves traveling through air was entirely different from that of sound waves moving through soil. This was the convenience of using modern archaeological instruments. Old Yao and Professor Qi looked at each other. A hint of pride and arrogance appeared on Professor Qi''s face, apanied by a smile. Old Yao, on the other hand, was delighted: "Keep probing, keep probing, cover arger area." Immediately, several other members of the archaeological team took up their detection equipment and expanded the probing range. It didn''t take long. The archaeological team hadpleted the detection. "Captain Yao, preliminary detection indicates that about fifteen meters below, there is a rtively spacious burial chamber, sealed, without any wateryer." A smile immediately appeared on Captain Yao''s face, joyfully he said, "Well done!" Dragon Head, burial chamber. All the elements were present. It seemed that this archaeological mission was going to be much easier. "Captain Yao, shall we open the tomb now?" Professor Qi also seemed pleased. Beforeing, they had already notified the local Cultural Relics Bureau and couldmence the tomb opening at any time. Using satellite phones, they could summon local police and Cultural Relics Bureau staff for assistance. "Open..." Old Yao was about to speak. But unexpectedly, a voice interrupted him: "Captain Yao, we can''t open it." The speaker was Qin Sisi. Old Yao, Professor Qi, and the others all turned their heads to look at Qin Sisi. "What''s the matter, Qin?" Old Yao''s brow furrowed slightly, his face showing a puzzled expression. "This may not be the Great Tomb we''re looking for," Qin Sisi swallowed and said solemnly. "Not the main tomb we are looking for?" Old Yao''s brows locked together even tighter, his face was more puzzled. At this moment. Professor Qi couldn''t help but question, "Miss Qin, this ce is precisely what is referred to as the Dragon Head in Feng Shui studies; a tomb located at the Dragon Head must surely belong to a dignitary from ancient times. Moreover, the staff have used the sound wave detector to locate the presence of a burial chamber, how could it not be the Great Tomb we are looking for?" The crowd agreed with him. Qin Sisi pursed her lips. In fact, she was conflicted inside. On one hand, Lin Chuan''s novel was clearly stated to be pure fiction, and Lin Chuan himself said it was a fantasy novel. On the other hand, a burial chamber had indeed been detected right now. Which side should she believe? And yet, for some reason, a voice deep inside Qin Sisi told her to temporarily believe Lin Chuan. Yes, temporarily. Besides, if the underground chamber was indeed a false tombden with traps, as Lin Chuan described, rashly opening it could cause harm to the archaeological team. That was something they needed to avoid at all costs. "Professor Qi, Captain Yao, I suspect that this ce could very well be a false tomb designed by the tomb''s owner specifically for tomb raiders, filled with traps," Qin Sisi stated, following Lin Chuan''s narrative. "A false tomb?" Everyone was momentarily startled. "Yes, based on our hypothesis, the status of this tomb''s owner was noble, so when designing this tomb, they would have certainly considered the possibility of tomb robbers visiting in the future. Therefore, the designer used the Dragon-Seeking and Positioning method to create this fake tomb, with the intention to ensnare tomb raiders," Qin Sisi said earnestly. Old Yao''s brow furrowed as he fell into brief contemtion. Professor Qi then asked, "Miss Qin, your point does make some sense, but this is a naturally auspicious Feng Shui site. If this is a false tomb, then where is the real tomb?" As for the statement from this youngdy who had just joined the archaeological team, Old Yao thought for a while before asking, "Qin, where did you get this information from?" Qin Sisi showed a hesitant expression: "Lin Chuan has mentioned simr cases." She had intended to say that this content was described in Lin Chuan''s novels, but she swallowed those words back. She had two lines of thought. First, no one would believe descriptions from a novel to reflect reality. If it were said to be from a novel, no one would believe it. Secondly, deep down, Qin Sisi harbored a terrifying suspicion. Lin Chuan had been here before. But without confirmation, she was reluctant to make a judgment. Hence, she said it was simr to cases Lin Chuan had talked about. Of course. Also, for safety''s sake, it wouldn''t be toote to open this tomb after finding the main tomb and taking proper safety measures. Having Lin Chuan as a reference, even the team leader Old Yao had to take her seriously. "Lin Chuan has said..." After some thought, Old Yao asked, "Then where do you think the real burial chamber is?" Qin Sisi pursed her lips, nced at Old Yao, Professor Qi and the others, and pointed: "There." The group looked in the direction Qin Sisi was pointing. It was the Gourd Mouth. A waterfall more than ten meters high cascaded down, forming a Little Stone Pond below, but that was the end of the path. "Miss Qin, there''s no way through there," Professor Qi couldn''t help but remark. Qin Sisi shook her head: "That''s the False Dragon Head. When I was detecting near the Gourd Mouth earlier, I found that there is more than meets the eye; there should be another path going forward." Old Yao''s expression flickered, and he immediately took two people with him, equipped them, and headed towards the Gourd Mouth. They moved quickly. Soon, they arrived at the Little Stone Pond. After some exploration. Old Yao called out, "Come over here, go around this Little Stone Pond, through the Gourd Mouth, and there''s another world!" Everyone was astounded. Professor Qi''s face was filled with surprise, and then he looked deeply at Qin Sisi, saying absently, "Youngdy, you are quite something." Qin Sisi pursed her lips, ripples of emotion stirring in her heart. There really was another world! Phew Howe this ce is exactly like the one described in Lin Chuan''s novel? Chapter 223: Chapter 173: Writer Lin is Amazing! (5000 Words Chapter) The afternoon sun at around three or four o''clock, obliquely hung in the western sky, its golden rays spilled forth, coating the edge of the mountains with a faint golden glow. The contour of the mountain peaks appeared indistinct amidst the intery of light and shadow, and the small streams in the mountains, under the sunlight, glittered with sparkling ripples, like a silver ribbon winding through the mountains. Two members of the National Archaeological Team Nine stayed at the original location to wait. The rest, led by Old Yao, followed the direction pointed out by Qin Sisi, toward Little Stone Pond, bypassing Gourd Mouth. Indeed, as Qin Sisi had envisioned, to be precise, it was as described in the first volume of "Touch Gold Notes." A unique realm unfolded. Professor Qi had some understanding of geomancy, and after going around Gourd Mouth and through a dense jungle, when he looked up again at his surroundings, his brow quickly furrowed. "Professor Qi, what''s wrong?" Old Yao looked toward Professor Qi beside him and asked. Professor Qi stared fixedly at the undting mountain range around them and said in a daze, "I don''t understand this ce." "Is there no Dragon Vein here?" Old Yao felt a slight shock in his heart and asked. "It might be there, or it might not be." Professor Qi gave an ambiguous answer. "So, is it there or not?" Old Yao was somewhat confused by the response. Professor Qi raised a hand and pointed toward the mountain range in front of them, saying, "Seeking dragons is actually about finding Dragon Veins, observing the trend. And the Dragon Vein, primarily, is about finding the Dragon''s Backbone, which is the main ridge of the mountain range. But here, the mountain shapes do not converge, and the peaks spread out, I am somewhat unable to discern where the main ridge of the mountain range is." At this time. Old Yao couldn''t help but look toward Qin Sisi, his eyes conveying a question. Qin Sisi had suggested that the location of the previous tomb was a False Dragon Head, fraught with deceptive mechanisms, and that bypassing Gourd Mouth would reveal a new realm, which was why everyone hade here. Thus, he wanted to hear Qin Sisi''s opinion. At that moment, Qin Sisi was also observing the trend of the mountain range around her. She didn''t understand the art of "Dragon-Seeking and Positioning"; she was recalling the descriptions in Lin Chuan''s novel. The novel described: After Mr. Lin passed Gourd Mouth, he continued to head northwest. About one kilometer ahead, he could see a stream winding around the mountain at the base, like a jade belt. Roughly two kilometers further on, there would be a naturalke in sight. Bypassing theke to reach the high ground for an overview, only then could one clearly see theyout where ''streams surround and five dragons converge''; that was the true Dragon Head. After pondering for a while. Qin Sisi turned to face Old Yao and Professor Qi, raised her hand toward the northwest, and said gravely, "We might try looking in that direction to see what we find." She didn''t speak with absolute certainty. Whether Lin Chuan''s writings were a novel or notes, whether he had truly been to this ce or not, was unknown. Everything was mere conjecture, with no definitive conclusion. Moreover. Her heart was conflicted. On one hand, she felt that the degree of ovep between Lin Chuan''s novel and reality was very high. On the other hand, her subconscious hoped that Lin Chuan had never been here. If Lin Chuan had been here, the implications were self-evident. That was something she truly did not want to see! So, she was now verifying whether Lin Chuan''s novel aligned with reality. Provided that the circumstances inside the tomb were different from Lin Chuan''s novel, that would be exnation enough. After all, the Archaeological Team was still only on the surface, where much information could be obtained from satellite overview maps. Some deep mountain travelers takingndscape photos could also serve as inspiration for the fictional world. Qin Sisi was willing to believe in Lin Chuan. She was already starting to rationalize reasons for Lin Chuan. "In the northwest direction?" Old Yao looked toward Qin Sisi beside him, his brow slightly furrowed, then nced at Professor Qi, who was somewhat knowledgeable about geomancy, showing a questioning look. Since Professor Qi could not be sure, he said, "I think we can start by trying what Miss Qin suggested." Old Yao looked at the time of day; the sun cast oblique shadows, and there was still time before sunset, enough time for exploration. So, he said, "Explore in the northwest direction." At this moment. Qin Sisi was feeling somewhat uneasy. Her gaze was fixed on her surroundings; she both hoped to see the winding stream after one kilometer, and the naturalke after three kilometers, and yet at the same time, did not want these to actually be there. It was very contradictory. But, facts ultimately had to be faced. The sound of the Schr?dinger''s stream clearly reached her ears, and she was momentarily taken aback. "Qin, what''s the matter?" Old Yao nced back and asked. "No... It''s nothing." Qin Sisi replied somewhat evasively, then proceeded forward. A naturalke, like a piece of emerald, nestled deep in the Taiyi Mountain Range. Under the nting rays of the setting sun, it gleamed brightly, reflecting in Qin Sisi''s eyes. Qin Sisi swallowed hard. Stream,ke, they matched again! She even wanted to take out a satellite phone at that moment and dial Lin Chuan, to ask what exactly was going on. But then, she calmed down, reminded herself that as long as the details inside the tomb were different, everything would be fine. It was too early to jump to conclusions. "Miss Qin, it seems you have some understanding of this ce. Have you been here before?" At this time, Professor Qi looked at Qin Sisi somewhat suspiciously. Qin Sisi''s lips twitched slightly, forcing a smile: "This is also my first time here, but beforeing, I studied many satellite overview maps of the Taiyi Mountain Range and gathered a lot of relevant information, so I am quite familiar with the terrain here." This, at least, was no fabrication. Chapter 224: Chapter 173: Writer Lin is Too Awesome! (Five Thousand Word Chapter)_2 Every time they went into the mountains for an archaeological mission, the archaeologists needed to analyze the terrain of the mountain ranges, with the main person in charge nning the detection route. Even escape and evacuation routes needed to be nned. In case of any unexpected situations. "So, where do we go next?" Professor Qi asked. After thinking for a moment, Qin Sisi pointed to a high ground not far from theke and said, "Professor Qi, you are an expert in Feng Shui and geography. If we climb up there, we may be able to locate the true Dragon Head." Obviously. Giving Professor Qi a little ttery seemed to work very well. Professor Qi chuckled and said, "Qin girl makes a good point. Captain Yao, let''s take a look from higher up; we might find something unexpected." "Sure." Old Yao didn''t object either. All the members had been trekking for most of the day. Fortunately, they were all skilled mountaineers, and still had good energy. The high ground above theke was not a difficult task for them. Huff The archaeologists took a deep breath and stood on the high ground surveying the surroundings. In the deep forest, the vegetation was lush, the terrain undted, and the mountain ranges meandered. "The Dragon Head is there!" Professor Qi suddenly shouted, his face full of joy! Everyone immediately looked towards the source of the sound. Several mountain ranges wound their way there, the ridges surging and rolling, converging at one point, with streams meandering snake-like around the hills. "Streams surround it, five dragons converge," Qin Sisi murmured faintly, her pupils slightly dted. The voice was so soft that no one heard it. She was almost certain that this was the location of the tomb described in Lin Chuan''s novel. Old Yao''s face was filled with joy, and he immediately said, "Let''s go and detect it right away!" One after another, the archaeologists, full of vigor, picked up their tools and followed Old Yao to detect the area at the Dragon Head. At this moment. Qin Sisi stepped onto the ''Dragon Head,'' took a deep breath, and holding the sound wave detector, began her detection. She carefully ced the sensor part of the sound wave detector close to the ground, lightly pressed the switch, and the device immediately emitted a faint buzzing sound as it started working. The disy screen of the detector immediately showed waveforms. As the sound wave signals were captured, these waveforms became more and moreplex, showing different frequencies and amplitudes. asionally a breeze would blow, lifting a few strands of hair hanging at Qin Sisi''s temples, messily sticking to her serene and graceful face, moistened with sweat. But she didn''t mind. She stared at the screen, continually adjusting the detector''s angle and position, trying to capture the most urate sound wave signals. At the same time, she was analyzing the data on the screen. This was the professional discipline of an archaeologist. Suddenly! A waveform appeared on the screen showing a high frequency resemnce, simr to the pattern of sound waves propagating through the air. Her heart skipped a beat, filled with surprise and joy. There was really a burial chamber below! But Qin Sisi didn''t have time to think it over, she was on an archaeological mission and had to report to the team leader. "Captain Yao, here!" Old Yao''s gaze immediately shot over, his feet moving quickly as he ran up to Qin Sisi and asked, "You found something?" Qin Sisi nodded and said, "Captain Yao, look at this waveform." Old Yao immediately took over the sound wave detector, his eyes falling on the screen, his face instantly brightened: "Indeed, this is the real Dragon Head!" Just as Old Yao was filled with joy. Elsewhere, an archaeologist in a secluded corner suddenly shouted, "Captain Yao, there''s a hole here!" A hole? This shout instantly raised the hearts of the whole archaeological team. During an excavation, thest thing archaeologists wanted to see was a hole. But now, their greatest concern had still urred. Old Yao immediately hurried over. Qin Sisi followed closely behind. A hole came into view. This hole was hidden by dead branches and leaves, with weeds growing on the outside. After removing the branches and leaves, one could see the hole was about one meter in diameter, with an estimated depth of more than four or five meters. Seeing this hole, Qin Sisi felt her heart which was already hanging, now hung even higher. Tomb robbing! Moreover, looking at the condition of the hole, it had been there for a very long time. This also meant that tomb robbers had visited this ce long ago. Old Yao, Professor Qi, and others immediately gathered around the hole to detect what was inside. Qin Sisi''s thoughts were filled with Lin Chuan. Could this hole have been dug by Lin Chuan? She hoped not. But the details recorded in the novel were almost identical to this ce. If Lin Chuan hadn''t dug it, how could he know so much? Someone else told him? Hopefully. "Start a full survey of the site immediately," Old Yaomanded, interrupting Qin Sisi''s thoughts. Qin Sisi forced herself back into work mode, performing the task at hand. The site survey was very thorough. But it produced no findings. On the other hand, Old Yao quickly used satellitemunication to call the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau and inquired about the situation. However, the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau knew nothing about it. "Captain Yao, this ce is remote. Even nearby vigers rarelye here. Tomb robbing is very secretive, and it''s really hard to discover it in time," Professor Qi spoke up for the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau. Old Yao''s face looked a bit stern as he nodded, "We just discovered this tomb ourselves, it''s indeed hard to prevent this." "Captain Yao, what do we do now?" An archaeologist asked. Old Yao looked at the sky, pondered for a moment, and then said, "It''s gettingte now, it''s not practical to enter the tomb right now. Let''s seal off this area. I''ll contact the police and the Cultural Relics Bureau in Linyi to open the tomb tomorrow." Chapter 225: Chapter 173: Writer Lin is too Harsh! (5000 Word Chapter)_3 ``` "Received." The archaeological staff immediately executed the lockdown order, sealed off the site, and left behind temporary monitoring equipment. The sunset gradually sank. Qin Sisi, stepping in the fading glimmers of the sunset, returned the way she came, climbed into the off-road vehicle she''d arrived in, and looked at the leaping ridges outside the window. The rushing wind blew in through the window, messing up her hair, and aplex expression surfaced on her quiet and gentle face. A day''s long trek, scaling mountains and crossing ridges, intense work had left her legs slightly sore and her face somewhat weary. But in her heart,yer uponyer of tides surged incessantly and could not calm down for a long time. In the car. She nced at Old Yao, wanted to speak several times, but for some reason swallowed back her words again and again. The faces of several archaeological staff in the car showed annoyed expressions. To do archaeology, often at times, is to race against tomb robbers for time. You have to beat the tomb robbers and protect the ancient tomb; that''s what counts as archaeology. Quite obviously. This time, they were behind the tomb robbers. "This tomb is located at the convergence of the Five Dragons, and on the ancient map it belongs to the Lu Territory, it''s very likely a royal tomb from the Lu state during the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period," said Professor Qi in the car, sighing and sharing his conjecture. Old Yao''s face turned somewhat grim, nodded and said, "ording to Professor Qi, this tomb has a very high burial standard, it indeed has this possibility, now we can only hope that the tomb robbers didn''t seed, or that the precious relics are still in the tomb." As he said this. Old Yao also sighed. For archaeologists, this is the most distressing. This feeling is like the person you''ve been chasing after, and you find out someone has already been there, and it''s highly possible that they caused wanton destruction. For archaeologists, it is exactly so, very vexing. Qin Sisi looked out the window. She said nothing. Finally, the two off-road vehicles left the mountain and stopped at a hotel in Linyi. After dinner, Qin Sisi took off her day''s field attire, took a shower in the bathroom, then changed into casual clothes, and half-lied on the bed. At this time. She couldn''t wait to take out her phone, unlock QQ, find Lin Chuan''s avatar, and clicked on the chat box. Her phone tapped rapidly, entering a long string of text. But she hesitated to hit the ''send'' button. She hadn''t entered the tomb yet, she couldn''t be sure. Qin Sisi pursed her lips, took a deep breath, deleted the long string of text, and then opened Shen Qianqian''s chat box: "Qianqian, have you eaten yet?" Shen Qianqian had finished work and replied quickly: "Just ate, aren''t you on an archaeological dig? Howe you have time to chat with me?" Qin Sisi gave a dryugh, her fingers moving, and replied, "Went into the mountains today, the progress is not bad." "That''s great, a sessful first battle!/Awesome.jpg," Shen Qianqian replied. "Oh, have you seen Lin Chuan''s novel?" Qin Sisi deliberately steered the conversation towards Lin Chuan''s novel. "You mean his new book ''Touch Gold Notes''?" Shen Qianqian asked. "Yes." "Of course I''ve seen it, I read every one of his novels, subscribed to all of them./Proud.jpg" Shen Qianqian replied with a smile. "You''ve known Lin Chuan for a long time, you must be very familiar with him and his novels, right?" Qin Sisi asked. "Of course." Shen Qianqian was not reticent about her old ssmate. ``` "Qianqian, I have a question for you." "Ask away." "Where does Lin Chuan usually find inspiration for his novels?" Qin Sisi tentatively asked. "Inspiration... his head is full of how tomit crimes; he doesn''t need to look for inspiration!" On the other side of the inte, Shen Qianqian half-jokedly said. "No one has an entire mind full of crime unless they''ve actuallymitted one," Qin Sisi retorted. "So far, Lin Chuan really hasn''tmitted any crimes," Shen Qianqian spoke up for Lin Chuan. And indeed, that was the case. Lin Chuan had not only cooperated with their police stationin anti-gambling campaigns, anti-fraud operations, and anti-scam appshe had also helped take down the hacker organization AW, securing the Han River Network''s safety. However. Many details rted to Lin Chuan had been ssified and stored away as confidential files at Anling Police Station, not to be disclosed to the public. Even police stations at the same level were not permitted to view them. This was a form of protection for Lin Chuan. So, just by looking at Lin Chuan''s works, this author is definitely a prime suspect! Absolutely, no doubt about it! But in reality, Lin Chuan was frighteningly reputable, with onemendable act after another. If he were a detective, he would at least be at the position of a division chief by now. It would be time for a promotion. There was even a possibility for an exceptional promotion. "I know he hasn''tmitted any crimes, but I''m wondering if it''s possible that he mightmit one?" Qin Sisi pursed her lips and asked with aplicated mind. "Why would you ask that?" Shen Qianqian questioned back. Qin Sisi stared at Shen Qianqian''s chat box, hesitated for a long time, and then responded, "Qianqian, I''ve noticed something very strange." "What is it?" "There are certain details in Lin Chuan''s ''Touch Gold Notes'' that closely match with reality," Qin Sisi sent this message. "Which details, specifically?" Shen Qianqian further inquired. After a brief contemtion, Qin Sisi recounted today''s events truthfully to Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian was her old ssmate, and they were on good terms. Additionally, Shen Qianqian was a police officer at Anling Police Station and abided by thew. She trusted Shen Qianqian. However, on the other end of thework, Shen Qianqian, reading the string of messages from Qin Sisi, also fell into doubt. Gourd Mouth, Little Stone Pond, Lightning-Struck Wood, streams,kes, and even an excavated tunnel. The surface details matched up one by one. "Isn''t this too coincidental?" Shen Qianqian replied in astonishment. "I also think it''s too much of a coincidence, which is why I''m so conflicted and unsure how to decide," Qin Sisi said, clearly troubled. Her initial instinct was to trust Lin Chuan, but the excessive number of details, the too-perfect matches, caused her to fall into suspicion. Anyone would have doubted! If it weren''t for Shen Qianqian acting as an intermediary, and if Qin Sisi didn''t know Lin Chuan personally... By now. Qin Sisi probably would have reported it to the Archaeological Team, which would then contact the police, detain Lin Chuan immediately, and interrogate him. This wasn''t about achievements. It was because Writer Lin was too criminal! As an old acquaintance of Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian also pondered for a long time before replying, "Sisi, don''t panic for now. The tomb hasn''t been opened yet, so as long as what''s inside the burial chamber is different, this has nothing to do with Lin Chuan!" Qin Sisi nodded repeatedly: "Okay, I''ll go into the tomb tomorrow to see what''s going on!" Chapter 226: Chapter 174: Increase the Severity of the Crime? (5000-Word Chapter) Qin Sisi turned off the chat window with Shen Qianqian, pondered for a moment, then reopened Lin Chuan''s novel. "Touch Gold Notes" Volume One. She wanted to see, how the description of the tomb chamber was depicted in Lin Chuan''s novel. ''The unusual brick wall immediately attracted our attention.'' ''Inside the brick wall was a theft-proof inteyer, all the bricks needed to be removed outward.'' ''Moreover, the wall was filled with strong acid; if broken, the acid would pour out instantly, turning a person into a blood corpse.'' ''...'' Until deep into the night. Qin Sisi fell into a deep sleep, but even in her dreams, she was surrounded by scenes of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce tomb chamber. Huh The next day, early morning. A gentle breeze brushed across the mountains, and the mist among the mountains, like a light veil, drifted and gradually dissipated under the morning light. The distant mountain ranges were faintly visible, their contours soft and mysterious in the morning fog, like a shy girl half-concealing, half-revealing her face. The sound of birds and beast roars sounded by the ears of the people. This time into the mountains, there were a total of six off-road vehicles. The ninth Archaeological Team, the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau, and the Linyi Police Station, each with two vehicles. Following the path of the previous day, the group hurried to the Ancient Tomb site before the morning mist had cleared. The site was sealed off from the previous day, and no one had trespassed. The arrival of the Cultural Relics Bureau and the police hadn''t served any substantial purpose, they were more witnesses and collectors of evidence. There were also cameramen filming. This was a mark of work. The main force was still the ninth Archaeological Team and Professor Qi. "Dig from here!" After a round of geological and tomb exploration, Old Yao, experienced as he was, decided to carry out protective excavation on the Ancient Tomb underground. This ce had been visited by Tomb Robbers. Protective excavation needed to be done quickly. The archaeologists immediately sprang into action, and both police and cultural heritage workers joined the excavation. Archaeological spades danced up and down. Loads of earth were moved to a distance, and stones were also piled up nearby. Not long after. A wide hole was uncovered not far from the thief''s hole, about eight or nine meters deep, and the brick wallyer was exposed to everyone. Qin Sisi was a powerhouse in the excavation team, and she looked at the brick wall as soon as it was revealed, furrowing her brows immediately. "Qin, spotted anything?" Old Yao hadn''t approached yet, but seeing Qin Sisi''s expression, he asked. Qin Sisi didn''t answer right away, instead she knocked on the brick wall, which made a thudding sound. Her thoughts raced with each thud. ''Inside the brick wall is a theft-proof inteyer; therefore, the bricks on the brick wall can only be removed outward, not pushed inward.'' ''The brick wall was covered with ayer of wax, filled with strong acid, which would pour out instantly if opened rashly.'' ''The strong acid is highly corrosive; once poured on a person, the whole body would corrode.'' ''...'' The passages from "Touch Gold Notes" immediately shed in her mind. It was too simr! She leaned in and sniffed, but couldn''t smell any strong acid, possibly because the waxyer sealed off the scent. At this moment, she was eager to break open the brick wall to see if it was as Lin Chuan had described. The theft-proof inteyer, the strong acid. Therefore, she looked at Old Yao and immediately said, "Captain Yao, my preliminary estimate is that this is the theft-proof inteyer. The bricks can only be removed outward, not pushed in, and there is a high likelihood of strong acid, so we need to be especially careful." Old Yao came over to her side and nodded solemnly, "Let me do it." As an experienced captain, he naturally knew how to handle this. His index and middle fingers were long, but he did not possess the art of the Double Finger Probe. Instead, he took out a military knife and started to pry gently along the seams of the brick wall. Crack crack. One by one, the bricks were passed out by his hands. Indeed, this was a theft-proof inteyer, and as expected, a waxyer appeared before them. However, there was no red liquid strong acid under the waxyer. Qin Sisi breathed a sigh of relief, this was likely unrted to Lin Chuan. But in the next instant, Lin Chuan''s suspicion grew. Because, in Lin Chuan''s novel it was described, after breaking through the brick wall, they used needles and stic tubes to divert the liquid strong acid into a straight well. With time, the soil around here would have been acidified by the strong acid and would be much more acidic than the soil in the same area that had not encountered strong acid. Qin Sisi immediately took out pH test paper. She beganparing the acidity of several samples of soil. Sure enough. The soil near the thief''s hole was far more acidic than that of other ces. This... Before even entering the tomb, Lin Chuan''s suspicion had increased again. Meanwhile. Old Yao and the others had broken through the brick wall and the waxyer to discover a pitch-dark Underground Pce. After professional equipment tested for toxicity and air quality, confirming it was safe, the people, equipped with the necessary gear, immediately entered the Underground Pce. Qin Sisi took a deep breath, already praying silently that theyout inside the tomb chamber wouldn''t be the same as what Lin Chuan had recorded. But! As she entered the Underground Pce, illuminated by the lighting equipment, sweeping her gaze around, her heart felt cold. It was utterly chilled! At this moment, she essentially pronounced Lin Chuan''s sentence. The sentence for Tomb Robbing varies ording to the damage done to the tomb chamber, the losses incurred, the cultural relics stolen, and the impact caused. It could be as short as a few years or as long as life imprisonment. Even a round of peanuts could be in order. biubiubiu! Anything could happen! "Writer Lin, I hope your sentence will be a little shorter," Qin Sisi sighed, her gaze resting on the Underground Pce. Chapter 227: Chapter 174: Increase the Severity of the Crime? (5000-Word Chapter)_2 A heart that was hanging by a thread, finally died! ''The floor of the tomb is paved with whole bs of stone, arranged in a pattern resembling the bagua, and the stones are covered with ancient characters.'' ''Around them, there are eight evestingmps, which have already gone out.'' ''In the middle of the tomb, there''s a four-legged square cauldron, with the patterns of the sun, moon, and stars engraved on its top.'' ''To the south, there lies a stone coffin.'' ''Behind the stone coffin, there''s another path leading downward, as if to a deeper underground pce.'' ''...'' Theyout here is exactly as Lin Chuan described. Qin Sisi finally figured it out. It''s no wonder Lin Chuan could locate the dragon with such precision, master the art of Soil Sniffing, and have the unparalleled skill of the Central General of Prosperity: The Double Finger Probe. Would it be possible that another tomb robber told Lin Chuan? Actually, it''s not impossible. But as Qin Sisi thought about it, what kind of tomb robber would tell a novelist about their criminal records, and let him publish it too? To show off, or to confess? Therefore, the likelihood of Lin Chuan being the perpetrator was very high! "This cauldron!" At this moment, a beam of light shone on the cauldron. An employee of the Cultural Relics Bureau, with shining eyes, hurried over: "Thank goodness, this cauldron hasn''t been stolen!" Several Cultural Relics Bureau employees gathered around the cauldron to begin their study. They reached a conclusion. This four-legged square cauldron, originating from the Warring States period, is even more likely to be a product of the Spring and Autumn period. Worth over a hundred million, it could be the treasure of a museum. Qin Sisi stood by, listening to the discussion of the Cultural Relics Bureau employees, her brow furrowed once again. A new question arose in her mind. "Lin Chuan is a master in artifact appraisal and restoration, he must know the value of this cauldron, if he were tomb robbing, why didn''t he take this cauldron?" "Could it be, does Lin Chuan still have a chance to argue his case?" Qin Sisi''s near-death heart sparked a trace of hope again. As long as the tomb had not been destroyed, and nothing inside was missing. Then... Lin Chuan would be innocent! "I hope so," Qin Sisi muttered to herself. Afterward. Qin Sisi walked past the stone coffin, down the tomb passage, and entered the depths. The sloping passage walls were carved with inscriptions and stone carvings, prompting everyone to stop and decipher. However, Qin Sisi wasn''t interested, as she had already seen these details in Lin Chuan''s novels. Currently, she was on high alert. From the ground surface to now, every detail Lin Chuan wrote matched up. Who knows if there are really ''Green-eyed Fox Corpse, Nine-Headed Serpent Cypress, Blood Corpse, Red Corpse Beetles'' lurking here. If there are, it would be very dangerous. Because of this, Qin Sisi reported to Old Yao, saying, "Captain Yao, the owner of this underground pce has quite an extraordinary identity. There should be many traps around here, and possibly some unknown creatures, we need to be careful." After entering the tomb chamber, Old Yao looked around and saw that it hadn''t been extensively damaged, so his mood was fairly good. He smiled and nodded: "Qin, your suggestion is good." He immediately started issuing orders for everyone to be cautious. These archaeologists were seasoned veterans who had worked for the National Archaeological Team for a long time. Their survival depended on their vignce and sharpness. Of course, one''s life must be resilient! The life of a tomb raider must be resilient; otherwise, they can''t continue their work. The life of archaeological workers must be even more resilient because most tomb raiders know a few Mechanical Techniques, while archaeologists might not be familiar with them at all. So, one''s life must be resilient! Fortunately, in this underground pce, none of the creatures described in Lin Chuan''s novel, like ''Green-eyed Fox Corpse, Nine-Headed Serpent Cypress, Blood Corpse, Red Corpse Beetles,'' appeared. It wasn''t until the group passed through the corridor and saw a giant Jade Gate, which was already open. The archaeological workers entered the Jade Gate to the main tomb area. Above the main tomb area was the Dahong Roof, with murals painted on it, and densely packed with lots of writing. Below it, several stone coffins were ced. Qin Sisi counted. One, two, three, four... a total of seven stone coffins, which were clearly of a different caliber than the one initially seen in the tomb chamber. The seven stone coffins in the main tomb chamber were much more exquisite. Each was filled with ancient text, and also painted with many fine patterns, whether animal patterns, clothing, or the sun, moon, and stars. Not to mention some odd and rare items. Old Yao stepped forward to look at the texts on the coffins and said, "These are Large Seal scripts, fitting the font used by the State of Lu during the Pre-Qin period." Most people present were archaeological workers, who had studied Large Seal scripts and could generally understand the content written there. Qin Sisi also looked over. As expected, it documented the deeds of the tomb''s owner. The owner of this tomb was a prince of the State of Lu; born with a Ghost Seal, he could borrow Ghost Soldiers from theherworld, undefeated in battle, and was granted the title of King Lushang by the Duke of the State of Lu. That was roughly the content. At this point, Professor Qi and a group of Cultural Relics Bureau employees were looking eagerly at the seven stone coffins. Professor Qi looked at the arrangement of the seven stone coffins and started exining, "Captain Yao, these seven stone coffins are arranged ording to the positions of the Big Dipper, known as the Seven Stars Coffin." "Given that the tomb''s owner is the prince of Lu known as King Lushang, there''s bound to be plenty of burial goods," one Cultural Relics Bureau employee remarked. Everyone thought. Of the seven stone coffins, one would be the main coffin and the other six for burial goods. As for who would apany the burial, they might be in another burial pit. That would match the burial standards of a prince of the State of Lu. Old Yao looked at the seven coffins, his face showing aplex expression: "Don''t you find something strange?" Chapter 228: Chapter 174: Increase the Severity of the Crime? (5000-Word Chapter)_3 The crowd raised their eyebrows. Old Yao then exined, "Given the existence of the robbers'' tunnel, this ce must have been visited by tomb raiders, but why are these seven stone coffins still intact?" "Does Captain Yao have any suspicions?" Professor Qi''s face also showed a hint of surprise as he asked. Old Yao shook his head, "I just find it strange, I cannot confirm anything." "Captain Yao, we''ve found something!" Suddenly, from a chamber next to the main tomb, an archaeological worker ran out, reporting with a nervous look on his face. "What''s the situation?" Old Yao''s expression turned stern. "In the corner of the side chamber, we''ve found two bodies," the archaeological worker reported. "Bodies?" Old Yao''s eyebrows tightened. Sisi''s heart also skipped a beat. At this point, the police officers, along with Old Yao and Sisi, rushed over immediately. The side chamber wasrge, housing a stone coffin. The stone coffin had been opened, revealing nothing inside. Nearbyy two shriveled bodies, each in a distinct pose. One body was face down, lying outstretched, while the other was curled up, and a faint stench of decay permeated the chamber. Sisi, fighting back the urge to retch, watched from the chamber entrance as a few police officers investigated and took samples from the two bodies. Her heart began to feel unsettled once again. This was something beyond her expectations, as the "Touch Gold Notes" volume one by Lin Chuan did not record such an event, and moreover, these were two bodies that hadn''t yet dposed to skeletons. These must be the tomb robbers who had dug the tunnel. But how did they die here? That remained a mystery. The police officers were very professional, and after half an hour of thorough forensic examination and scene investigation, one of the officers came over and said, "Captain Yao, based on our analysis, these two individuals appear to have been murdered, and we estimate they died no more than six months ago. They are likely tomb robbers, but we still need to confirm their identities." "Murdered?" Old Yao knew little about homicide cases, but still felt there was something strange about it all. The officer nodded and continued, "Yes, despite the bodies being desated, we can see that one of them was stabbed in the back, and the other had knife wounds in the abdomen and chest, leading us to conclude they were murdered." Everyone was shocked. This was clearly a case of tomb raiders fighting over their spoils and giving in to greed. "The weapon?" Old Yao couldn''t help but ask. "We haven''t found any weapons on the victims or at the scene, leading us to determine that the victims were killed by a third party," the officer stated his analysis. "So you mean, there''s another tomb raider, who killed his aplices and then escaped alone with the artifacts?" Old Yao swallowed hard and asked in a daze. "That''s a strong possibility," the officer nodded in response. Meanwhile, Sisi stood motionless on the spot. Outside the side chamber, she looked at the two suspected tomb raider victims inside, her mind awash with ripples. No, not ripples. A towering wave! She had already imagined an entire epic novel in her mind. Three tomb raiders, entering the tomb of King Lushang, and then one of them, wishing to hoard the treasures, conceived a deadly n and killed the other two. After leaving the tomb, he even recorded his crimes in the form of a novel. This person could very well be... Lin Chuan! As an archaeological worker, Qin wasn''t a criminal investigator and did not know how to examine a crime scene, but by all logic, it was pretty much Lin Chuan! A normal person woulde to the conclusion it was Lin Chuan! So, in Sisi''s judgment, Lin Chuan wasn''t just guilty of tomb robbing; he''d also been implicated in a murder! Hiss! Tomb robbing, murder. A crime on top of another! How much trouble could this bring about? At least enough to start a ho''s nest! She had thought this was just an archaeological mission, but things had taken an unexpected turnas the tomb''s underground pce had turned into a crime scene. And all clues were pointing to Lin Chuan. At least for now, Lin Chuan was a prime suspect! Sisi stood there, dumbstruck, her mind racing with wild thoughts. "Qin, what''s wrong? Are you feeling ufortable?" Old Yao looked at Sisi and, noting her paleplexion and bloodless lips, asked with concern. "Ah, I''m fine," Sisi snapped back to reality and replied. At this time, her heart was torn! Should shee clean to Old Yao right away about this? To directly exin that she saw almost the exact details in Lin Chuan''s novel. As for the case of the two tomb robbers, she''d leave it to the police to investigate. "The smell earlier got to you; you should step back and breathe some oxygen, and you''ll be fine. Let''s let the police handle this; we need to take a look at those stone coffins," Old Yao suggested. "Stone coffins..." Sisi murmured. "Yes, we will have a hard time moving these stone coffins, so I intend to open them here and see what''s inside," Old Yao dered. "Open them here?" Sisi''s brow furrowed, "We cannot open them!" "Why not?" Old Yao''s brow also furrowed. "Those seven stone coffins might be very dangerous!" Sisi immediately said. "Is there some mystery about these seven stone coffins?" Old Yao asked in a tight frown, looking puzzled. Chapter 229: Chapter 175: We Will Deal with It According to the Law! (5000-Word Chapter) Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Inside the tomb chamber, originally a dark and profound space, was now brightly illuminated. One could see the lofty stone pirs supporting the dome, carved with simple patterns and text. In the middle, seven stone coffinsy quietly, arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper. A group of archaeologists and Cultural Relics Bureau staff circled the stone coffins, their eyes gleaming. The police were handling a crime scene. Without a doubt, the seven stone coffins in the tomb chamber were its most valuable assets. Some archaeologists were eager to open the stone coffins to see what cultural relics were inside. But their cautious habits held them back from acting on this impulse. At that moment, Qin Sisi could only temporarily push Lin Chuan out of her mind and focus on the stone coffins before her. Looking at Captain Yao, the leader of the Archaeological Team, she spoke, "Captain Yao, the tomb owner''s identity is no simple matter. Judging from the decoy tomb he set up at the False Dragon Head, it''s clear he was a person of schemes, someone deeply calcting. Now with these seven stone coffins, could there possibly be traps within them?" Qin Sisi did not borate. She vividly remembered the "Touch Gold Notes," which like now, showed seven coffins arranged in the positions of the Big Dipper, contaning some strange items. Rice dumplings? Or mechanisms? As for their existence in reality, she could not be sure. When she read that part of the notes, her heart felt unsettled, and thus the memory was deeply etched in her mind. Out of the seven stone coffins, six were false. Only one was real. "Mechanisms?" Old Yao''s brows tightened slightly before he nodded, "Indeed, we do need to be careful when opening the coffins. These seven are somewhat peculiar and necessitate the utmost caution." Qin Sisi nodded. Her gaze fell upon the stone coffins, each intricately carved with dense text and patterns. Eventually, her eyes settled on one of them. In the "Touch Gold Notes," if one were to check their bearings, it would be the real coffin. The rest were fakes. "Captain Yao, only this coffin can be opened, the others must not be touched!" Qin Sisi reported earnestly. Listening to Qin Sisi''s certain tone, Old Yao looked at her intently. Soon after. Old Yao called over several skilled workers, "Open only this coffin, leave the rest untouched!" "Captain Yao, why is that?" Professor Qi, standing not far away, heard Old Yao''s orders and asked in bewilderment. After a moment of thought, Old Yao just shook his head, "The other coffins, they contain mechanisms." After saying this, he nced again at Qin Sisi. Qin Sisi''s eyes flickered evasively, unsure of how to respond. Her heart was in conflict, leaving herpletely at a loss for what to do. At this time. A few archaeologists gathered together, first using professional detection equipment to scan the designated coffin, ensuring there were no issues, then they began the process of opening it. The work of opening the stone coffin was done with great care. Old Yao personally took up the task, wielding a pry bar, he gently hammered at the junction between the coffin''s lid and body, producing a ''ding, ding, ding'' sound. The hammering was evenly done, trying to avoid damaging the structural integrity of the stone coffin as much as possible. This showcased Old Yao''s experience and expertise as the team leader. After more than ten minutes. A gap formed between the lid and the body of the stone coffin, and they became separated. Old Yao and Professor Qi looked at each other and smiled. Qin Sisi pursed her lips, her gaze fixed on the stone coffin. ck, ck, ck. As four archaeologists lifted the coffin lid, the contents within were revealed. Qin Sisi breathed a sigh of relief. Phew Thankfully, there were neither mechanisms nor rice dumplings. Inside the stone coffin were numerous burial items made of bronze, such as pitchers, bowls, stoves, and small tripods. The Archaeological Team and staff from the Cultural Relics Bureau immediately began to inventory the relics. Standing to the side, Professor Qi''s brow was deeply furrowed. His face did not show the expected delight, but was filled with puzzlement. "Captain Yao, don''t you find this odd?" Professor Qi thought for a moment before turning to Old Yao beside him. Old Yao''s gaze remained on the interior of the coffin, his expression equally puzzled. He nodded in agreement, "It is indeed very strange." This was the main chamber. Yet, out of the Seven Stars Coffin, this one contained only items like pitchers, bowls, stoves, and small bronze tripods for burial. What about the tomb owner? "Could they be in the other six stone coffins?" Professor Qi spected. Old Yao shook his head, then approached Qin Sisi, "Qin, a word, please." Qin Sisi''s expression changed slightly as she followed Old Yao to the side. Going straight to the point, Old Yao asked in a low voice, "Qin, you seem to be quite familiar with this area." From the start at the False Dragon Head Gourd Mouth, the team''s movements, whether circumventing Gourd Mouth or climbing up to observe the Dragon Head, had all followed Qin Sisi''s guidance. If Old Yao had not realized that Qin Sisi''s guidance was far from coincidental, he wouldn''t have deserved to be the team leader. Qin Sisi furrowed her brow, her face showing distress as she replied in a low voice, "Captain Yao, if I told you I''vee across a record of this tomb elsewhere, would you believe me?" "Hmm?" At this moment, Old Yao''s brow creased into a ''Chuan'', his face betraying an expression of disbelief, "You''ve seen records simr to this tomb, where?" "In a novel." Qin Sisi bit her pale lips before finally divulging those words. The details herepared with Lin Chuan''s novel, it''s not just simr, they''re exactly the same! Apart from theck of peculiar oddities, everything else was spot on. Chapter 230: Chapter 175: We will deal with it according to the law! (Five-thousand-word chapter)_2 ``` "A novel?" Old Yao muttered these two words, his eyes widening. He was originally a member of the Archaeological Team''s creative staff, often using the form of novels to record the ancient tombs they investigated daily, recreating them based on real tombs. Thus, he knew that theyouts in novels could resemble those of actual tombs. What shocked him, however, was that this ce had never been visited by any member of the Archaeological Team, only tomb raiders had frequented it. Moreover, two of the tomb raiders had already died on the spot. There was also a suspect that a tomb robber had fled the scene. Therefore, the only ones who could have documented this ce in the form of a novel were... the raiders who had fled the scene. This possibility was strong. Crime, ah! "Qin, do you mean to say that the author of that novel is very likely that tomb raider and also the suspect in the suspected homicide?" Old Yao inquired about Qin Sisi''s opinion. Qin Sisi shook her head repeatedly, hurrying to exin, "Captain Yao, that''s not what I mean." "Exin." "Captain Yao, although I have my suspicions, this doesn''t mean he is a criminal suspect, and it''s also possible it came about through word of mouth in the tomb raiders'' circles," said Qin Sisi. Qin Sisi harbored doubts about Lin Chuan, but before the verdict was final, she didn''t want to recklessly besmirch his name. Tomb robbing + homicide. Two crimespounded, bullets raining down. Even if Lin Chuan had great abilities, he could only end up bitterly resenting on the spot. Who could withstand that? Captain Yao gave Qin Sisi a few more nces, noticed her clear eyes and the anxiety on her tranquil and gentle face, and then asked, "That author is Lin Chuan, right?" "Captain Yao, how did you know?" Qin Sisi instantly grew startled, her pupils widening. Old Yaoughed, saying, "Qin, from your expression, I guessed that this author was someone you knew, and I thought of Lin Chuan." Qin Sisi pursed her lips, at a loss for words. Her heart was in turmoil, uncertain what to say. True to his experience, Old Yao, adept in handling affairs smoothly, looked at Qin Sisi, and said, "Qin, you must be quite new in this field, right?" "After graduating, I''ve been in the Anling Archaeological Team, not working for long," Qin Sisi said, dazed. Old Yao nodded, smiling, "Qin, you should know that in our field of archaeology, we actually have to rely even more on evidence than criminal detectives do." Qin Sisi''s brows lifted, and she looked at Old Yao, confused. Old Yao grinned, "Archaeology, in fact, is the investigation of ancient tombs, just like how police officers investigate crime scenes. Without concrete evidence, even if you find the murderer, you can''t convict them. Do you understand?" A hint of puzzlement crossed Qin Sisi''s face, followed shortly by a look of suddenprehension, "Captain Yao, are you saying that just because the details in the novel match reality, we can''t conclude that Lin Chuan is the suspect?" "Right." Old Yao nodded. Having heard this, Qin Sisi breathed a slight sigh of relief. Indeed, as long as Lin Chuan insisted it was hearsay, and the police could not find any evidence, Lin Chuan would be innocent. As to whether he had actually been to this ce, only he himself knew. Qin Sisi considered Lin Chuan a friend in her heart. She truly hoped that Lin Chuan had never been here. Phew "Qin, you must be quite familiar with Lin Chuan''s novels, right?" Old Yao asked again. Qin Sisi nodded. "Did Lin Chuan''s novel mention any other areas of this tomb?" Old Yao extended his right index finger, pointing around the chamber. After thinking for a moment, Qin Sisi truthfully replied, "Captain Yao, there is actually another chamber here. In Lin Chuan''s novel, it is recorded as the real resting ce of King Lushang." Old Yao''s eyes lit up instantly, and he said, "Qin, if we can find the real chamber, you could be credited with a great discovery." Qin Sisi, quite clear-headed, managed a smile, "Captain Yao, if there''s a merit to be assigned, it should go to Lin Chuan." Old Yaoughed heartily and said, "That''s true, although Lin Chuan hasn''t joined our Archaeological Team, he has been contributing to this exploration all along." "I''ll take you there to see if there''s really another chamber," said Qin Sisi, pursing her lips. "Good." Old Yao was very pleased; what he urgently needed to do was to protectively excavate this burial site. As for whether Lin Chuan hadmitted a crime, he couldn''t judge. Qin Sisi couldn''t judge either. In the end, the matter had to be left to the police to investigate. "Captain Yao, where are we going now?" Professor Qi, seeing Old Yao taking action, followed alongside and asked curiously. Old Yao raised his hand and pointed, saying cheerfully, "Just follow Qin." "Follow Qin?" Professor Qi was taken aback. "Yes, Professor Qi, don''t ask too much, we are not at liberty to answer." Old Yao did not exin too much and certainly didn''t reveal any news rted to Lin Chuan. Without a definite conclusion, he didn''t want Lin Chuan to be stigmatized. Professor Qi looked slightly embarrassed but quickly caught up with everyone. Qin Sisi and Old Yao took the lead, continuing along a concealed passageway. This stretch of the passage was dark and eerie. Fortunately, the archaeologists were well-equipped and illuminated the passageway thoroughly, allowing a clear view of the sides. Many wall carvings adorned the walls of the passageway. Only they seemed different from the previous section, a bit of a surprise. They didn''t appear to be from the same era. The Archaeological Team was extra vignt but did not linger too long. After walking three to five minutes, they reached the end of the passageway, and the chamber suddenly opened up. ``` Chapter 231: Chapter 175: We Will Deal with It According to the Law! (5000-Word Chapter)_3 Vines were everywhere, spreading over the stone walls densely, like tentacles. In front, there emerged a stone tform, covered with dust, debris, and some insects crawling around. Behind the stone tform stood a gigantic old tree, its branches climbing the stone walls, assuming strange shapes under the bright illumination. "So it really does exist." Qin Sisi murmured softly, but the vines and old tree here did not, as described in Lin Chuan''s novel, possess any aggressiveness or extreme danger. "There is an altar here!" Professor Qi''s eyes brightened, and he quickly strode over. The others also gathered around. "Qin, there''s only a sacrificial altar here, nothing else. The main tomb we''re looking for hasn''t appeared yet," Old Yao said with a trace of doubt on his face, looking at Qin Sisi and asking. Qin Sisi looked around, already having an idea in her mind. She stepped forward towards the sacrificial altar, then extended her hand to touch the stone tform. "Miss Qin, you can''t just touch things recklessly," Professor Qi quickly warned. Qin Sisi turned to look at Old Yao, who understood and said, "Professor Qi, Qin is confident." Professor Qi looked at Qin Sisi skeptically but then stepped aside. Qin Sisi''s gaze swept the surroundings once more, over the sacrificial stone tform, over the strange tree behind it, and then, her hands rested on the stone tform, pressing down with force. Just as everyone was puzzled about what Qin Sisi was attempting, The sacrificial stone tform wasn''t as hard as imagined; it couldn''t withstand Qin Sisi''s strength and sank down, bing half its height. Immediately afterward, Click, ck, ck Sounds like those of mechanisms being activated began to echo, spreading from the sacrificial stone tform to the strange tree behind. To be precise, to the stone wall behind it. And then, Whirr, whirr, whirr The sounds of chains dragging and grating against stone filled the air endlessly. Crack! The strange tree suddenly split open with arge fissure. Everyone immediately looked over. They saw within the fissure a massive ancient bronze coffin. Around it, several chains wrapped around the ancient bronze coffin several times and were fastened to the stone wall, integrated with the strange tree. "So it''s here!" Old Yao swallowed hard, his eyes glittering with excitement, his face full of joy. Professor Qi and the other archaeological workers were also shocked, staring at the ancient bronze coffin. The coffin was covered with densely packed patterns, forming bizarre designs, And some text that wasn''t immediately clear. The true ancient bronze coffin had now been revealed. Team Nine archaeologists immediately sprang into action, joining forces with the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau and the police, brainstorming ways to move the ancient bronze coffin out of the tomb chamber and out of the mountains. The stone coffin could be opened on the spot, but the ancient bronze coffin had to be transported back. More importantly, it seemed that the bronze coffin was a sealed unit, and for the moment, no one could find a way to open it. Qin Sisi got busy along with the others. For three consecutive days, Qin Sisi, Old Yao, and the archaeological team were immersed in the excavation and research of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Many relics were unearthed, and that day, the ancient bronze coffin was sessfully transported back to the Linyi City Cultural Relics Bureau, where it was temporarily stored. The grand scale of the operation startled the local media in Linyi. However, due to the particr nature of the Seven Stars Lu King Pcea suspected tomb robber murder casethe media was not allowed to disclose any information. July 8th. The focus of Team Nine''s work shifted from the depths of the Taiyi Mountain Range, at the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, to the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau and also the police station. Because, the tomb robber murder case and the Seven Stars Lu King Pce were closely connected. Both lines of work were advancing simultaneously. "Captain Yao, after multiple examinations, we found that the ancient bronze coffin brought back from the Seven Stars Lu King Pce contains numerous and extremelyplex mechanisms. With our current capabilities, we have no way to open it, and forcing it open could potentially damage the entire coffin," Qin Sisi, in her archaeological team uniform, reported to Old Yao in their temporary workspace. Old Yao nodded, ncing at Qin Sisi: "What would it take to open this ancient bronze coffin?" "At the moment, we haven''t figured out how to open the ancient bronze coffin," Qin Sisi answered truthfully. Old Yao put the materials in his hands down on the table and sighed: "Now that we''ve almost finished excavating the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, have we summarized the relics stolen by the tomb robbers and the damage caused?" After thinking for a moment, Qin Sisi replied, "From the main framework of the tomb chamber, it appears to be intact. Only the burial pit in the chamber seems to have lost a batch of bronze ware, and there''s a precious artifact, recorded in the tomb''s documentsa Purple Gold Boxthat we have not yet found." Old Yao frowned: "So it''s possible that the tomb robbers might have fought amongst themselves over the batch of bronze ware and the Purple Gold Box, resulting in a homicide." "There... There''s that possibility." Qin Sisi pursed her lips, stammering. "Are you thinking about Lin Chuan?" Old Yao, though he had never seen Lin Chuan, had heard about him countless times from Qin Sisi. "Yes." Qin Sisi nodded. Old Yao smiled and said, "It''s perfect timing. The police are likely to ask for my assistance with that murder case in the next few days. I''ll also inquire about the situation." "Great!" Qin Sisi forced a smile. "Speaking of which, I haven''t read his novel yet. I''ll see if he is really a tomb robber," Old Yao said with augh. Qin Sisi''s mouth twitched: "I feel like he''s not, but then again, he seems very much like one." "If he is, we will handle it ording to thew, if not, we will also vindicate him. Don''t worry, Qin!" Old Yao said earnestly. Chapter 232: Chapter 176: Comrade Lin Chuan, Please Come with Us (Five Thousand Word Chapter) Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau, the temporary office of Archaeological Team Nine. The morning sunlight, fine as silk, spilled into every corner of the office through the half-open window. That golden light quietly climbed, coating the office desk, bookshelf, and every pot of green nts with a faint golden glow. Old Yao watched Qin Sisi walk out of the office, and chuckled, "That Qin, anxious with concern." He had heard a lot about Lin Chuan and his novels from Qin Sisi. After all, it was by following the methods described in Lin Chuan''s novels that she had guided them to sessfully excavate the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. And they aplished it in a very short time. This was much less than the one to three months of survey time they had estimated. From July 3rd to the 8th, it was only six days, including the time spent on the road. So, Old Yao had been itching to read this novel for a while, and since he himself wrote archaeological novels, he was even more interested in a fellow writer''s tomb-robbing novel. But more importantly, he wanted to see if Lin Chuan was the tomb robber who escaped from the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. At this moment. Outside the window, a gentle breeze wafted in, bringing a hint of chill and the faint scent of flowers. The treetops gently swayed as if ying with the sunlight, asionally producing a rustling sound. Old Yao took out his phone, opened the familiar Qihang app, and typed "Touch Gold Notes." Lin Chuan''s novel immediately popped up. "Touch Gold Notes." Author: Mr. Lin. "Mr. Lin, this name sounds... like a suspect?" Old Yao joked half-heartedly. However, he didn''t rush into the text of "Touch Gold Notes" immediately. He habitually read thements section first. [Criminal! Suspect Mr. Lin gave up being an assassin or hacker and switched to tomb robbing!] [Please, Mr. Lin, give it up, the outside is swarming with police!] [This is a notebook, not fiction!] [One word from you, one word from me, Mr. Lin will end up in jail eventually!] [Whoa, Mr. Lin is about to step on the sewing machine!] [Amazing, Mr. Lin can be more focused on writing novels in jail!] [...] One after another, peculiarments entered Old Yao''s view. Old Yao furrowed his brows, unsure what to say, finally muttering to himself, "Why do they all call Mr. Lin a suspect?" He hadn''t even started reading the novel, and thebel of ''suspect'' was already attached to Lin Chuan? Huh Old Yao took a deep breath, decided not to let thesements affect him, left thements section, and clicked into the main text of the novel. ''My family has a legacy of tomb robbing.'' ''But my father did not inherit my grandfather''s tomb-robbing skills, instead, it was my Third Uncle who became the widely known Touch Gold Captain.'' ''I have no skills in tomb robbing either, having inherited an antique shop, and thought I would have nothing to do with ''tomb robbing'' at all in the future.'' ''However, the appearance of a silk manuscript changed my life.'' ''From then on, I became a Touch Gold Captain and began my life as a tomb raider.'' ''...'' Old Yao, also a novel writer, started reading and his brows furrowed again: "Tomb robbing from a first-person perspective, this immersiveness is strong." Immediately afterward. He added anotherment: "Indeed, if it''s from the perspective of someone with firsthand experience, writing in the first person would be more realistic than the third person omniscient point of view, eh? Why would I think that?" Old Yao suddenly paused, clearly influenced by thements he had just read. He shook his head and continued reading. Old Yao read quickly, and in no time, he went from ''Mr. Lin practices Double Finger Probe'' and ''preparation of equipment'' to ''depart to Qilu'' and ''venture into the Taiyi Mountain Range.'' Until ''Third Uncle''s dragon-seeking and positioning,'' they arrived at Gourd Mouth. ''After a long walk, we finally came to an area shaped like a gourd.'' ''I looked around.'' ''In the distance, there were five mountain ranges, rising steeply, one after another, with thest range''s peak bulging at the center.'' ''At Gourd Mouth, there was a waterfall about ten meters high. Below the waterfall was a small stone pond; the stony shore snaked around, covered in moss, and beside it stood a withered old tree struck by lightning.'' ''I told Third Uncle that this was the Dragon Head and that the tomb was underneath.'' ''But Third Uncle shook his head, beginning to exin.'' ''This ce is still far from the main tomb. ording to the method of dragon-seeking and positioning, this is indeed the Dragon Head, but it''s a False Dragon Head.'' ''The designer of this tomb chamber was also a master of dragon-seeking, creating this trap specifically to lure tomb raiders.'' ''I guess, below is a fake tomb chamber, full of traps. Anyone who enters it will probably nevere out.'' ''...'' Old Yao''s eyes sharpened, his pupils narrowing slightly. He had thought the details Qin Sisi knew from the novel were just the basic steps. But he never imagined they would be so detailed. Gourd Mouth, Little Stone Pond, Lightning-Struck Wood, False Dragon Head... Which means. If it weren''t for their Archaeological Team Nine setting off first, other archaeological workers could also follow this novel to rob the tomb? No, that''s not right! It seems just about anyone, if they followed the steps described, could find the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Old Yao swallowed hard. At this point, he had to put down his phone and pick up his thermos for a sip of water to calm his nerves. After a brief moment to collect himself. He picked up his phone to read again. The novel described in detail. After bypassing Gourd Mouth, walk northwest for about a kilometer, and you will see a small stream below the mountain; another three kilometers, and there is ake, then ascend to a high point, and you will see ''streams winding around, five dragons converging''; that is the real Dragon Head, the location of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Chapter 233: Chapter 176: Comrade Lin Chuan, Please Come with Us (Five Thousand Word Chapter)_2 There was also the encounter after entering the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Among the encounters, although some were bizarre and fantastical, once the magical elements had been stripped away. There was also the description of the tomb chamber in the novel, which was basically identical to the real Seven Stars Lu King Pce, the Four-legged Square Cauldron, the tomb passage, Jade Gate, the Seven-Star Suspicious Coffin, the Ancient Bronze Coffin, the Nine-Eyed Strange Cypress... And then there was the lost cultural relic. The Purple Gold Box. Hiss! Old Yao inhaled sharply. Hepletely dismissed the thought that ''Lin Chuan wasn''t a tomb raider'' from his mind. How could this vivid, meticulously detailed description that covered everything possibly be a novel formed from other people''s narratives? It was him, it was him, it was definitely him! Lin Chuan was the tomb raider who entered the Seven Stars Lu King Pce! Suspect, Mr. Lin! Old Yao exited the novel''s page and immediately dialed Qin Sisi''s mobile phone. Dududu The call connected. Qin Sisi''s voice came from the phone, "Captain Yao." "Qin,e to my office!" Old Yao''s voice was somewhat urgent. On the other end of the phone. Qin Sisi''s heart skipped a beat, her voice anxious, "Okay, I''ll be right there." Two minutester. Qin Sisi hurriedly arrived at the office door, not bothering to knock, and walked straight in, "Captain Yao, is it about Lin Chuan?" "Yes, I feel... the problem is very serious," Old Yao said gravely. Lin Chuan was both a talent he valued and a friend of Qin Sisi. Honestly, he also didn''t want Lin Chuan to be a tomb raider. But, just this novel alone could almost be his criminal record! Was it not a criminal record indeed? He hadid out the case inplete detail in the form of a novel. Any archaeologist from the Seven Stars Lu King Pce team, after seeing this novel, would almost certainly conclude that Lin Chuan was the tomb raider. "How serious is it?" Qin Sisi took a deep breath, her face turning pale, and asked with pursed lips. "Let''s assume Lin Chuan is the tomb raider, remember, just assume, he stole a batch of Bronze Ware and the Purple Gold Box. If that was all, if he returned all the relics, he could negotiate a lenient deal, but... there are also two murder cases inside," Old Yao said and sighed. If it were just tomb robbing, without causing damage to the tomb chamber and only taking away the relics, then voluntarily returning the relics, along with some meritorious actions, couldpletely avoid punishment. At most, there would be discipline. But involving murder changed the nature of the case. This was no longer just a tomb robbing issue. Qin Sisi stood there silently, her pale face filled with mncholy, falling into silence. On one side was a friend. On the other, thew. She would have even preferred to stay in the Anling Archaeological Team rather than look at Lin Chuan''s "Touch Gold Notes." But now, she was caught in the middle. Annoyance, worry, helplessness, no solution... all these thoughts swirled in her mind. "I''ll contact the police first. This is a clue to a case of tomb robbing and murder. Let the police investigate; they will give Lin Chuan justice," Old Yao said, looking at Qin Sisi and trying to sound as gentle as possible to ease the mind of this new team member. Qin Sisi did not speak. Subsequently. Old Yao picked up his phone and dialed the Linyi Police Station Chief''s number. After three rings. The other side picked up, "Old Yao, I was just about to ask you over to help us look into that murder case." Old Yao nced at Qin Sisi, then said, "I have a suspected lead on a tomb robber." "You have a lead?" the voice on the other end sounded somewhat astonished. "A suspected lead, suspected," Old Yao emphasized again. "Fine, I''lle pick you up right away." ... Anling City, Linjiang Mansion. Towards evening, the sunlight grew softer, spreading across the expansive river like gentlyid golden silk, each ripple sparkling with tiny golden lights as if countless stars had fallen to the mortal realm. In the distance, the mountains basked in the sunset, their outlines blurring, brushed with ayer of faint gold. Lin Chuan and the Little Landy, after having dinner, sat on the balcony, enjoying the view of the sunset outside the window. And the birds skimming across the river. "President, did you update another volume?" the Little Landy asked, sitting beside Lin Chuan, her pretty face lifted. "Yes," Lin Chuan''s gaze lingered on the distant mountains, and he nodded. Just yesterday, the first volume of "Touch Gold Notes" had reached a hundred thousand favorites. So,st night, taking advantage of the Little Landy''s deep slumber, Lin Chuan started the experience of the second copy. This time. His tomb robbing copy was the ''Qinling Divine Tree.'' Lin Chuan had been practicing the Touching Gold Secret Skill continuously these days, so,st night''s ''Qinling Divine Tree'' copy, he cleared it straight away. This afternoon, after Lin Chuan finished organizing, he published it straightaway. Since it was a magical tomb robbing narrative unrted to reality, Lin Chuan was naturally pleased with its sess. Now, he was estimating when he could start the third tomb robbing copy. System panel. [Work: "Touch Gold Notes" Volumes One and Two.] [Current status: Published.] [Current favorites: 121k/100k.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 267/30000.] The system required Volumes One and Two to reach 30,000 average subscriptions to experience the third tomb robbing copy. Lin Chuan estimated it would be a long-term battle. Conservatively speaking, reaching 30,000 average subscriptions could take three months at the slowest, or one month at the fastest. However, Lin Chuan was currently at ease, not in a rush. "Don''t overdo it. Now you have to write novels, take care of thepany, the Antique Shop, and take care of me. I''m afraid it will wear you out," the Little Landy said. Chapter 234: Chapter 176: Comrade Lin Chuan, Please Come with Us (Five Thousand Word Chapter)_3 The littlendy stood behind Lin Chuan, gently kneading his shoulders. "Writing novels is my main business, thepany and the antique shop are side businesses," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Writing novels definitely had to be ''written''. These days, the Network Security Company and the Antique Shop hadn''t been all smooth sailing. AW seemed to have tracked down Lin Chuan''spany. Although they hadn''tunched an attack on the Network Security Company, suddenly a bunch of joint ventures popped up, snatching orders with lower prices than thepany offered. As for the Antique Shop, the more popr someone gets, the more trouble they attract. Many inte celebrities blocked the entrance to take pictures, while those who genuinely wanted to shop couldn''t get their wish. Luckily, after some time, when the hype died down, these inte celebrities would leave on their own. Just as the littlendy was massaging Lin Chuan''s shoulders, Ding-dong ding-dong The doorbell of therge t rang. "Is it Old Zhang?" Lin Chuan looked up, turning to the littlendy behind him. The littlendy shook her head, pouting slightly, "Old Zhang knows better than toe and disturb us, and besides, he''s holed up in the Antique Shop admiring the antiques every day." "Who else could it be?" Lin Chuan was slightly puzzled. "I''ll go take a look." The littlendy turned and walked toward the door. At the home''s entrance, there was a video feed of the doorway. The littlendy nced down at the feed and immediately smiled, "Chairman, Sister Qianqian hase." "Qianqian?" Lin Chuan was taken aback, slightly surprised, "Then I''ll brew her a pot of tea." With that, Lin Chuan got up and walked into the living room, picked up the teapot to start filling it with water. At that moment, Lin Chuan caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of Shen Qianqian, dressed in a dark blue police uniform, with a faint smile on her face. Behind Shen Qianqian, another policerade stood, looking a bit more solemn. "Officer Shen, still on duty at this hour?" Lin Chuan nced at Shen Qianqian''s attire, surprised. Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan and yfully scolded, "Isn''t it thanks to you?" "Ah?" Lin Chuan was startled, his brows slightly furrowed. "Weren''t you going to make tea? Let''s talk after you''ve made it," Shen Qianqian entered the living room with a cryptic smile. The other policerade was a bit more restrained, but he followed Shen Qianqian inside. "So casual even when on duty," Lin Chuan chuckled dryly, though he did not stop his movements. Soon, Lin Chuan had finished making the tea. He poured two cups for the tworades, "Please enjoy the tea, officers." Shen Qianqian, very familiar with both Lin Chuan and the littlendy, took a delicate sip. "Sister Qianqian, what kind of mission are you on? Is it about anti-fraud?" Zhang Xinxin looked at Shen Qianqian curiously. Shen Qianqian shook her head and smiled, "Xinxin, I was still at the Anti-Fraud Center this morning, but in the afternoon, I suddenly got reassigned back to the Criminal Police Brigade." "Back to the brigade again, looks like you''re a star at the police station," Lin Chuan teased with a smile. "A star?" Shen Qianqian arched her eyebrows, smiling, "Comrade Lin Chuan, I think I was reassigned to the Criminal Police Brigade thanks to you." "Ah?" Lin Chuan was taken aback,ughing at himself, "I don''t have that much influence to affect your transfer." "Oh yes, you do." Shen Qianqian smiled and then finished her cup of tea in one gulp, "Director Zhang specifically instructed me to follow your case throughout." Hmm? "My case?" Lin Chuan''s brow knitted together as he exchanged a nce with the littlendy, both looking clueless. "What case could Lin Chuan have? He''s been with me all these days," the littlendy asked, dazed and slightly worried. At that moment, The other policerade nced at Lin Chuan and the littlendy and exined: "The casees from Linyi Police Station in the Qilu Region, also involving the National Archaeological Team. It''s a significant case, so our Anling Police Station has to assist them in the investigation." "Ah?" Zhang Xinxin was surprised yet anxious, "How did it get connected to Linyi Police Station in the Qilu Region?" Qilu Region, Linyi, the National Archaeological Team, tomb robbing... these words streamed into Lin Chuan''s ears. Lin Chuan''s expression shifted subtly, thinking, could it be because of the novel I wrote? The first tomb robbing instanceSeven Stars Lu King Pcewas positioned deep in the Taiyi Mountain Range within Linyi of the Qilu Region in the Virtual World. But that was in the Virtual World! What did it have to do with reality? "Xinxin, I cannot disclose the details for now. We''re just investigating the basic information, but I''m sure that with Comrade Lin Chuan''s excellent record of abiding by thew, there shouldn''t be any serious trouble," Shen Qianqian replied with a slight pucker of her lips, shook her head, and then looked at Lin Chuan, "Comrade Lin Chuan, pleasee with us." "Alright," Lin Chuan pulled at the corner of his mouth, nodding his head. Cooperating with the police was his duty. As for going to the Anling Police Station, time to head home! Chapter 235: Chapter 177: You wouldnt suspect that I did it, would you? (Please subscribe) At dusk. The setting sun gradually descended, painting the sky with strokes of orange-red twilight; distant mountains softened and blurred in the afterglow. The streetlights along the roadsides began to light up one by one. Beneath the dim yellowmps, the shadows of trees danced, and a gentle breeze rustled their leaves, producing a whispering sound. A police car drove out of Linjiang Mansion, threading its way through the shadowy streets, heading toward the police station. Lin Chuan was in that police car. The residential area of Linjiang Mansion was much closer to Anling Police Stationpared to Happiness Community. However, due to the evening rush hour, a journey that would normally take about ten minutes required considerably more time. In the car. "Officer Shen, what''s the deal with my case?" Seated in the back of the police car, Lin Chuan took advantage of the traffic jam to ask. "Comrade Lin Chuan, you are currently a criminal suspectshould you be asking that?" Shen Qianqian turned her head, blinking with a smile. ording to protocol, it indeed wasn''t permissible to disclose details of the case at this time. A corner of Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched: "Officer Shen, you''re not going to abandon me now, are you?" Shen Qianqian smiled gracefully and said, "Lin Chuan, your case is indeed mysterious. I heard it caused quite a stir over in Linyi. So much so, they sent two officers over to coborate with us on your interrogation." "That much attention?" Lin Chuan''s eyebrows rose slightly, his expression somewhat surprised. Normally. For minor cases, it is standard to notify neighboring police stations, allowing them to assist in the investigation. This approach saves a great deal of manpower and resources. It''s only for major cases that personnel are personally dispatched to carry out joint inquiries. "Isn''t that right?" Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, giving Lin Chuan a slight re with a trace of reproach: "Who told you not to stay out of trouble?" She did believe in Lin Chuan. But Qin Sisi had told her the basics and, considering the overwhelming evidence, she was a bit worried for Lin Chuan. If anything happened to Lin Chuan, well... This guy, truly a source of constant worry. "Officer Shen, I''ve been wronged!" Lin Chuan immediately protested his innocence. "I''d be d if you really were." Shen Qianqian chuckled with her lips pursed, then suddenly asked out of the blue, "Lin Chuan, have you ever robbed a tomb?" Hmm? Lin Chuan''s lips twitched slightly: "Objectively no, subjectively yes." "Huh?" This time it was Shen Qianqian who was thoroughly perplexed: "Either you have or you haven''twhat do you mean ''Objectively no, subjectively yes''?" Lin Chuan chuckled and exined, "It means I''ve never robbed a tomb, but I''ve had simr thoughts." To be exact. It was more like: not in reality, but in the virtual world. "You say you''ve never robbed a tomb, I don''t believe that, but saying you have, I also don''t believe that." Shen Qianqian started to speak in riddles. "Qianqian, what do you mean by that?" Lin Chuan couldn''t help but ask. "If you''ve never robbed a tomb, how could you write such a realistic ''Touch Gold Notes'' about the Seven Stars Lu King Pce?" Shen Qianqian countered. "I imagined it," Lin Chuan said sincerely from the back seat of the car. "Imagination..." Shen Qianqian murmured softly. "Your imagination is too extravagant." She didn''t state the obvious, knowing that Lin Chuan would understand why during the interrogation. "Since you don''t believe I haven''t robbed tombs, why don''t you believe I have?" Lin Chuan asked curiously. Shen Qianqianughed and said, "With your skills, if you had robbed tombs, you probably wouldn''t need to write novels anymore, right?" "Uh..." Lin Chuan''s face darkened, and he retorted, "Is writing novels that bad?" "Not at all, not at all. It''s just that with your extraordinary tomb-robbing skills, if you had robbed a few Great Tombs, you''d already be financially free," Shen Qianqianughed. "I wish..." Lin Chuan mumbled to himself. "Huh?" Shen Qianqian red at Lin Chuan with a fixated look. Lin Chuanughed sheepishly: "But thew doesn''t allow it; I''mw-abiding." "That''s good then." Shen Qianqian smiled faintly. The police car wove through the streetlights and, after waiting through several traffic lights, they finally arrived at Anling Police Station. Lin Chuan, dressed in casual attirea light grey T-shirt and loose-fitting jeanswore a trace of a smile on his face. He stepped out of the police car, showing none of the panic or confusion expected of a criminal suspect, appearing calm and even exuding a sense of familiarity. Yes, a sense of familiarity. As if this ce were his old home, or even like his own living room. "Comrade Lin Chuan, I appreciate you making the trip," said Captain Liu Daqiang as he waited in the police station for quite a while, Upon seeing Lin Chuan get out of the car, he approached and shook hands with him amiably, his face beaming with a bright smile. Lin Chuan smiled in return: "Captain Liu, cooperating with the investigation is my duty." "Comrade Lin Chuan, let me introduce you, this is Captain He Zhi, the deputy captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade from Linyi Police Station," introduced Liu Daqiang, pointing to a fellow officer next to him. Lin Chuan had noticed a few unfamiliar faces getting off the car, and it turned out they were officers sent by Linyi Police Station. He looked up at He Zhi. He Zhi stood about 1.78 meters tall, dressed in a police uniform, with a square face, neat short hair, sharp eyes, and eyebrows that added to his resolute demeanor. He Zhi stood in front of Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian, and Liu Daqiang looking somewhat bemused. Confused, he thought to himself that he hade all the way to Anling, requesting their cooperation in interrogating a criminal suspect involved in a serious case of tomb robbing and murder. But! Why were the Anling Police Station officers shaking hands with the suspect, treating him as if they were old acquaintances? Pondering this, He Zhi pulled Liu Daqiang aside and asked, "Captain Liu, is this the usual attitude of Anling Police Station towards criminal suspects?" Chapter 236: Chapter 177: You wouldnt suspect that I did it, would you? (Please subscribe)_2 "For suspects, we are absolutely upright and just," Liu Daqiang said solemnly. "So that suspect just now..." He Zhi hesitated. Liu Daqiangughed and said, "Captain He, Comrade Lin Chuan hasn''t been designated as a suspect. He has contributed quite a bit to our police station." It''s a shame these things are ssified as confidential. Cannot be disclosed. He Zhi looked at Lin Chuan suspiciously, noticing Lin Chuan''s casual attire. The man sat within the police station rxed, showing not a hint of nervousness. A full sense of ease. "If there''s nothing else, then I can start the interrogation," He Zhi said, his expressionplex. He didn''t want to dy, hoping to find the key leads for the tomb robbery and the murder in the shortest time possible. Now, the finger was pointed at Lin Chuan. "Shen, you will be responsible for joining Captain He in the interrogation," Liu Daqiang instructed. "Okay." Shen Qianqian nodded in response. Lin Chuan faced these old acquaintances without making it difficult for them. He walked into the interrogation room and sat down on the familiar tiger bench. The condition inside the interrogation room remained the same. The cold walls. The stark and pale lighting. An oppressive atmosphere. Luckily, Lin Chuan was already familiar with this ce. "Comrade Lin Chuan, have a drink of water first," Shen Qianqian said, cing a cup of warm water on Lin Chuan''s interrogation chair as she entered the room. "Thank you." Lin Chuan grinned, thinking that he hadn''t been into Anling Police Station''s interrogation room in a while, and now they even offered this kind of service. What an upgrade! He Zhi, holding his own thermos cup, saw Shen Qianqian bringing water for Lin Chuan, and couldn''t help but twitch his mouth. The interrogation methods of Anling Police Station and their treatment of suspects emphasized one word: Strange! However, as long as Lin Chuan had no overly tight connections with Anling Police Station and they didn''t cover up for him, it was fine. He Zhi just wanted to quickly find clues to the culprit! This interrogation. He Zhi was the main interrogator, Shen Qianqian the assistant, and another policerade took notes. Basic information such as name, gender, and ID number were quickly recorded. "Comrade Lin Chuan, what is your upation?" He Zhi asked. "An online novelist," Lin Chuan answered truthfully. He Zhi, holding a stack of documents, looked at Lin Chuan and continued, "Comrade Lin Chuan, it is said that you led the positioning and excavation of the Han Dynasty Grand Tomb on the outskirts of Anling City. Is this true?" "True." Lin Chuan nodded in confirmation. "During the excavation of the Han Dynasty Grand Tomb on the outskirts of Anling City, did you use tomb-raiding secret skills like ''Dragon-Seeking and Positioning,'' ''Art of Soil Sniffing,'' and ''Double Finger Probe?'' Is that true?" Lin Chuan nodded again: "True." "Where did you learn these tomb-raiding secret skills? Do you have a master or school?" "Officer He, I''m self-taught. There is no lineage of masters passing it on," Lin Chuan said earnestly. In his heart, though, he thought that Officer He clearly came prepared, probing Lin Chuan''s connection with tomb-robbing indirectly. But indeed, there was no school. If he had to im one, it would be the Virtual World. "Self-taught?" He Zhi frowned and hisplexion changed slightly. During these days, in order to investigate the case, he had done ample research. Tomb-raiding skills are normally passed on through schools of tradition. The mostmon form is within tomb-robbing families, passed from father to son, and son to grandson. Self-taught was something he had never heard about before. "Yes, self-taught," Lin Chuan replied calmly. At that moment, Shen Qianqian, the assistant interrogator, interjected, "Officer He, we have a clear grasp on Lin Chuan''s family background. His parents arew-abiding citizens who have never been involved in tomb-robbing." He Zhi looked surprised and nodded. Since that line of questioning wasn''t effective, he immediately switched his approach. At that moment, He Zhi turned to the next page in the documents and asked, "Comrade Lin Chuan, on July 1st, you published a novel called ''Touch Gold Notes'' on Sailing Novel under the author name ''Mr. Lin.'' Is that correct?" "Yes, that''s correct," Lin Chuan confirmed. "In the first volume of this novel, is ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' based on a real tomb as a model for your writing?" He Zhi stared into Lin Chuan''s eyes, trying to apply some pressure on him. He noticed that Lin Chuan was tooposed. Since entering the interrogation room, Lin Chuan had remainedpletely calm and had shown no signs of panic. If this were at Linyi Police Station and the suspects he dealt with, at this point, they would typically be shaking with fear and confessing everything. Lin Chuan shook his head: "The ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' in my writing is purely fictional." "Are you sure it''s fictional?" He Zhi''s gaze was piercing as he asked again. "I am sure it''s fictional!" Lin Chuan nodded and confirmed once more. At that time, He Zhi seemed to have caught a w in Lin Chuan''s statements, a smile appeared on his face, he walked over to Lin Chuan,id several photos in front of him, and asked, "Do you recognize any of these photos?" Lin Chuan took the photos. The first one was andscape shot featuring a gourd-mouth formation with a waterfall crashing into Little Stone Pond, creating sshes. There was also a tree struck by lightning above the pond. "Hmm?" Lin Chuan furrowed his brows. He Zhi, with an intense gaze, caught that slight frown and immediately pursued the advantage, "Comrade Lin Chuan, keep looking." Lin Chuan flipped to the next photo. It was an aerial view of a mountaintop. In the photo, several mountain ranges snaked across the earth, their ridges rising and converging at one point, while the surrounding streams twisted like snakes, encircling the mountains. Chapter 237: Chapter 177: You wouldnt suspect that I did it, would you? (Please subscribe)_3 Lin Chuan recognized it at a nce. This was the formation of ''mountain streams surrounding, five dragons converging''. The next photo was of an underground pce. Inside the pce, the lighting was bright. The ground was covered with whole bs of stone, arranged in a bagua pattern, and there were inscriptions inrge seal script. In the middle was a four-legged square cauldron, surrounded by several evestingmps. Lin Chuan flipped through a few more photos, all the contents strangely familiar to him. It bore some resemnce to the ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' he had seen in the virtual world. Hisss! A slight shock went through Lin Chuan''s mind. "Familiar, isn''t it?" He Zhi stared into Lin Chuan''s eyes and asked with a smile. Lin Chuan did not directly answer but instead asked, "What do these photos prove exactly?" He Zhiughed, "They prove that the Seven Stars Lu King Pce in your novel was depicted based on a real tomb!" Lin Chuan did not reply with a ''yes'' or ''no''. When being interrogated by arade police officer, especially about such critical questions, one must be exceedingly cautious with their replies. After some thought, Lin Chuan said, "Is this rted to the case?" "Of course, it is." He Zhi''s voice was deep and resonant, echoing in the interrogation room, exerting an intangible pressure on Lin Chuan. But Lin Chuan was not a newbie to the interrogation room. He quickly regained hisposure and asked, "What''s the rtion?" "The National Archaeological Team excavated the Seven Stars Lu King Pce based on your novel, and the details matched one by one," said He Zhi with a smile. "Then I''ve made a meritorious deed, haven''t I?" Lin Chuan''s eyes brightened as he retorted. This question almost disrupted He Zhi''s interrogation rhythm. Shen Qianqian, who was sitting on the interrogation chair, pursed her lips to prevent augh. Meritorious deed? She had been brought to the interrogation room and was still thinking about merit? Writer Lin, you really have some nerve. He Zhi was momentarily stunned, then quickly continued with the original rhythm, "If this tomb had not been robbed, you would indeed be a meritorious individual, but since this tomb chamber was robbed and precious artifacts were lost, currently, you are the prime suspect!" "Robbed?" Lin Chuan was also taken aback. "Comrade Lin Chuan, if the prototype for your novel is your autobiography, then if it''s your autobiography, you will face charges of illegal excavation of ancient cultural sites, tomb robbing crimes, which in serious cases can lead to imprisonment for a period of 10 years or more, or even life imprisonment," He Zhi''s voice was heavy, reverberating beside Lin Chuan''s ears. This was not an exaggeration. Tomb robbing is a crime as stipted in the "Criminal Law," where excavating ancient cultural sites and tombs of historical, artistic, or scientific value can result in a sentence of three to ten years in prison along with a fine. In particrly serious cases, life imprisonment or the death penalty could be imposed. For instance. Repeated tomb robbing, excavating key protected tombs, principal members of a tomb robbing gang, excavating ancient tombs and stealing precious artifacts, causing severe damage to ancient tombs and precious artifacts. "Officer He, novels are purely fictional and cannot be viewed as autobiographical," Lin Chuan argued. "Some people''s novels are not works of fiction. Your book can now be seen as a criminal record," He Zhi said with a smile. He had handled many cases and dealt with quite a few novelists. He had also heard about many seemingly unbelievable cases. There really were people who turned real experiences into novels. For example, a certain spy, a member of the Northern Sect of tomb raiders. Lin Chuan''s situation was entirely possible! However. Lin Chuan did not fall into He Zhi''s rhythm but instead said with a smile, "Officer He, I have never been to the Qilu region. How could I possibly enter the Seven Stars Lu King Pce to rob a tomb?" "Then how do you exin the details in the novel matching the actual Seven Stars Lu King Pce exactly?" He Zhi asked gravely. "Officer He, that''s not inexplicable. Information technology is very advanced nowadays. I can fully ess theyout of the Taiyi Mountain Range in the Qilu region online, and from that infer a possible location of an ancient tomb, describe it to enhance the realism, that''s permissible, right?" Lin Chuan exined withposure and ease. He Zhi frowned, "What about the situation inside the tomb?" "Didn''t you say that tomb raiders had gone in?" Lin Chuan countered. "What of it?" "Since someone has gone in, it couldn''t possibly remain entirely secret. How can you be sure how many groups of tomb raiders have entered, sold the information in various ways aftering out, and by chance, I, with some knowledge of ancient tombs, found its structure precisely corresponds to the Seven Stars Lu King Pce in the Qilu region. That''s reasonable, isn''t it?" Lin Chuan spoke at length and, after finishing, picked up the ss of water on the chair and took a big gulp. Novels are purely fictional, and any coincidences are unintentional. This is a universally applicable disimer. Hisss! He Zhi took a deep breath inwardly, took a deep look at Lin Chuan, and thought, This kid came prepared! The entire conversation was seamless! Absolutely wless! No wonder he was so calm and confident from the start. However. At this moment, He Zhi was also caught in a dilemma. If no other clues were found, relying solely on a novel that coincided with the case would not be sufficient to convict Lin Chuan. The novel was only one thread. Whether they could follow this vine to find the melon behind it was the key to solving the case. He Zhi thought a little and then turned to another stack of documents, giving them a serious look. Then. He turned to Lin Chuan again and asked, "Comrade Lin Chuan, inside the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, we found something that did not match the description in your novel." "That''s normal," Lin Chuan replied with a smile. "Aren''t you curious?" He Zhi raised an eyebrow and inquired. "If the novel and reality coincide, it''s a coincidence. If they are different, isn''t that normal?" Lin Chuan looked up at He Zhi. He Zhiughed and continued, "Indeed, it''s normal. But what''s not normal is, we''ve discovered a case of homicide involving a tomb raider!" "You don''t suspect it was me, do you?" Lin Chuan''s mouth curled slightly. Chapter 238: Chapter 178: If it were me, you wouldnt see the victim. ``` Interrogation room. Officer He Zhi, who hade from the Qilu Region''s Linyi Police Station, was still engaging in a fierce confrontation with Lin Chuan. "Currently, you remain the prime suspect." He Zhi''s sharp gaze was fixed on Lin Chuan, trying to detect any hint of fluctuation on his face. However, his objective was thwarted yet again. Lin Chuan wasn''t the least bit perturbed, and, upon hearing about the murder, his eyes even lit up. If it were merely a tomb-robbing case, the existence of "Touch Gold Notes" would indeed havended him in some trouble. After all, as long as the suspicion wasn''t cleared, the police would conduct a series of investigations focused on him. That was a necessary part of the police''s process in handling a case. Inevitable. But then. With the addition of a murder case within Seven Stars Lu King Pce, as long as the assassin was found, Lin Chuan''s suspicion could be directly ruled out. That would be much more convenient and faster. Just perfect! "You don''t seem surprised, but rather excited?" He Zhi observed Lin Chuan''s demeanor, his expression revealing some confusion. Hmm? Such an excited expression, was it like the frenzy of a bloodthirsty killer? Why is this guy so strange? "Uh, Officer He, within the tomb-raiding circle, it''s pretty normal for someone to kill over the temptation to hoard treasures, leading to a bloodbath, isn''t it?" Lin Chuan collected himself and said with a smile. In the tomb-raiding circle, raiding groups always need to be wary of each other. Because, the relics they are facing could be worth millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions. Murdering for money has never been unheard of throughout history. In the tomb-raiding circle, it happens all the time. Kill a fellow raider, and you get to hoard the treasure.?? Many can''t resist such evil thoughts. Even between father and son, it might happen. Hence, there is an unwritten rule in the tomb-raiding world: if a father and son explore a tomb, the father must exit the ancient tomb first, with the son backing him up. Its existence is not without reason. "You seem to know a lot about tomb-robbing." Officer He Zhi remarked cryptically. Lin Chuan smiled: "It''s professional diligence of an author, research for every line written." The reference materials alone can fill up hundreds of gigabytes on a hard drive. Most serious authors do the same. At that moment. Shen Qianqian, who had been silent during the interrogation, spoke up: "Officer He, with the murder case in the ancient tomb, maybe you could show Comrade Lin Chuan the photos for identification." He Zhi nodded. He then took out a photograph from the documents and handed it to Lin Chuan: "Comrade Lin Chuan, do you recognize these two people?" This photo depicted the two mummified corpses inside Seven Stars Lu King Pce. Their bodies shriveled, looking much like mummies. One of the mummies was face down, lying straight, its palm tightly gripping the ground. There was a hole in the light green clothing on its back, and one could faintly discern a different color on the fabric around the hole in the back. It appeared to be bloodstains. The other mummy was curled up entirely, hunched over in a ball, with both hands clutching its abdomen, likely struck there, with faint, different traces on the ground. "Don''t recognize them." Lin Chuan looked at the photos and simply said: "However." "However, what?" He Zhi''s eyebrows shot up as he asked. "This wasn''t my doing." Lin Chuanughed lightly and stated inly. "Huh?" He Zhi''s eyebrows knitted together, his expression puzzled. In the interrogation room, the lighting wasn''t particrly bright, casting Lin Chuan''s face in stark relief, which seemed somewhat mysterious. Lin Chuan looked up at Officer He Zhi, who hade all the way from Linyi, smiled, and said: "Officer He, you might not know me well. If I had done it, you wouldn''t be seeing these two people." "Huh?" He Zhi''s expression tensed, and his eyebrows instantly furrowed into a deep ''Chuan'' shape, "What did you just say?" Lin Chuan''s demeanor remained calm as he repeated, "If it had been my doing, you wouldn''t be seeing these two people." Hisss! He Zhi appeared stern, staring intently at Lin Chuan, then turned to look at Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian actually nodded and added, "Officer He, you can trust Comrade Lin Chuan on this point. If these two had indeed been killed by Lin Chuan, then they would never have appeared before your eyes." What? He Zhi''s mouth hung open slightly as he was taken aback. Looking at Shen Qianqian, who was assisting with the interrogation, he said bewilderedly, "Officer Shen, I don''t understand what you''re saying." Shen Qianqian smiled and exined, "Comrade Lin Chuan has written a book called ''This Assassin Is Too Professional,'' which is rmended reading for our Anling Criminal Police Team. You might want to give it a read." "Officer Shen, now is not the time to rmend novels. Lin Chuan''s attitude is overly arrogant!" He Zhi lowered his voice and whispered to Shen Qianqian beside him. "Let''s step outside to talk." Shen Qianqian directly led He Zhi out of the interrogation room. Outside the interrogation room. Shen Qianqian nced at Lin Chuan, who sat obediently inside the interrogation room and let out a quiet sigh of relief. If the details of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce in "Touch Gold Notes" matched those in reality, it could indicate Lin Chuan''s involvement in tomb-robbing. But! The emergence of a murder case virtually ruled out the suspicion against Lin Chuan. "When Lin Chuan said that if it were his doing, we wouldn''t be seeing those two people, that..." He Zhi struggled to describe his own feelings at the moment. He felt that Lin Chuan''s words were boastful and arrogant. "Officer He, you are not familiar with Comrade Lin Chuan since it''s your first time dealing with him. The investigation hase this far, and we can essentially rule out his involvement in the case." Shen Qianqian''s lips curved into a small smile, her tone light. ``` Chapter 239: Chapter 178: If it was me, you wouldnt see the victim_2 "Officer Shen, why do you say that?" He Zhi''s face changed, clearly puzzled. After a moment of thought, Shen Qianqian organized her words and said, "Because Lin Chuan possesses professional-level skills in crime scene processing and surveying. If you see his ''This Assassin Is Too Professional,'' you wouldpletely discard that notion." Indeed that was the case. Shen Qianqian, as someone who understood Lin Chuan very well. She knew full well Lin Chuan''s capabilities in handling murder cases. And judging from the two photos Officer He provided, featuring two mummified corpses and bloodstained ground and clothing, The victims'' reaction to the knife wounds seemed very natural, not faked. It was clear. This was the primary crime scene of the first case. If it had been Lin Chuanmitting the act, even after several months, let alone the two mummies, even the crime scene itself could be restored to its pre-crime state. That''s what you call professional. Dealing directly with the two victims and then making a clean getaway would have been a better way to shake off suspicion, wouldn''t it? Hiss! He Zhi took a deep breath, his brows knit together, "Officer Shen, do you mean to say that Comrade Lin Chuan not only has extensive tomb-robbing experience but also experience in killing people?" "Officer He, not experience, it''s the technique!" Shen Qianqian immediately rebutted on behalf of Lin Chuan. Saying ''experience'' would be tantamount to a conviction. The Linyi police might want to convict Lin Chuan, but the Anling Police wouldn''t agree. Elder Zhong from Han River would have to go through the case inside and out, and any slight inconsistency or point of suspicion would have to be sent back for a retrial. Whew He Zhi took another deep look at Shen Qianqian, then recalled the scene of Lin Chuan shaking hands with Liu Daqiang. He seemed to understand the stance of the Anling Police. No wonder Lin Chuan was so cooperative and calm. "I want to look into Lin Chuan''s records," He Zhi pondered before speaking out. Shen Qianqian shook her head, "Officer He, I don''t have the authority to ess Lin Chuan''s records." Uh-huh? He Zhi was taken aback, questioning with confusion, "Officer Shen, ording to what you''ve said, he indeed is a talent, but his files haven''t reached the level of being ssified, have they?" As a colleague, he knew full well what Shen Qianqian''s words implied. Therefore. Waves of doubt and confusion surged in his heart. "I''m sorry, but I''m not at liberty to answer that. However, I can answer on Lin Chuan''s behalf the points of doubt you raised during the interrogation. Lin Chuan has not been to the Qilu region in the past two years, especially not this year," Shen Qianqian said. "What about the novel?" He Zhi furrowed his brow. Shen Qianqian pondered for a moment, then said, "As for the novel coinciding with reality, I can''t exin that precisely. Maybe Lin Chuan saw a prototype of a tomb-robbing case online and then based his story on it." This wasn''t just Shen Qianqian''s own opinion but also Liu Daqiang from the Criminal Investigation Team''s suggestion. At the helm was Zhang Biao. They were not covering up for Lin Chuan, but during the time of the interrogation, they had genuinely checked Lin Chuan''s travel records for the past two years. His family background had no connection whatsoever with tomb robbing. "Then my trip was in vain," He Zhi sighed. Shen Qianqian smiled, "Perhaps, you''ve gained something else." "Gained something else?" He Zhi raised his eyes to look at Shen Qianqian, his face full of surprise as he asked. "Officer He, actually you''ve gained a key figure in solving the case," Shen Qianqian gave He Zhi a tip. "What do you mean?" He Zhi was somewhat puzzled. "What do you think?" Shen Qianqian gave him a look, signaling him to observe the interrogation room. He Zhi''s face showed astonishment, "You mean Lin Chuan could help us solve this case, Officer Shen?" Shen Qianqian nodded. Outside the interrogation room, the lighting was bright. A breeze came through the window. He Zhi stroked his chin, lost in thought for a brief moment. Shen Qianqian gazed at the bright moon outside the window, her face showing a radiant smile, "Officer He, regarding the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, which involves both tomb-robbing and murder, and considering the victims are tomb robbers and the murderer might be one too, I think there''s no one more suitable than Lin Chuan to break the case." He Zhi had little knowledge of Lin Chuan and was still hesitant, "Officer Shen, be more transparent, I, on behalf of the Linyi police station, thank you." "There''s no need for thanks," Shen Qianqian smiled and revealed just a bit of information, "Before, Lin Chuan helped us solve several doubtful cases. He has a wealth of experience in criminal investigation and solving cases." This time. Shen Qianqian emphasized the experience. "No wonder you hold him in such high regard." He Zhi began to understand. Still, on second thought, it seemed there was some truth to what Shen Qianqian had said. Tomb robbing + murder. Both were Lin Chuan''s areas of expertise. He Zhi became somewhat interested, now considering asking Lin Chuan for help with the case, following Shen Qianqian''s rmendation. "Thank you, Officer Shen," He Zhi said with a smile. "Don''t mention it," Shen Qianqian smiled. The night at the police station was like an isted ind, serene and solemn amidst the city''s hustle and bustle. Moonlight filtered through the windows over the high wall, casting mottled patterns on the floor, and the breeze gently ruffled Shen Qianqian''s hair at her temples. Shen Qianqian pinned back a few strands of hair by her ears and then walked into the interrogation room. He Zhi led the way. "Comrade Lin Chuan, I misunderstood you," He Zhi approached Lin Chuan, grasping his hand with a look of apology on his face. "Officer He, what do you mean?" Even Lin Chuan was momentarily taken aback, involuntarily looking at He Zhi. At that moment. The solemnity had left He Zhi''s face, reced by an apologetic smile. Chapter 240: Chapter 178: If it was me, you wouldnt see the victim_3 Lin Chuan nced back at Shen Qianqian, casting an inquisitive look. Shen Qianqian blinked, her face breaking into a radiant smile. Lin Chuan understood. This was Shen Qianqian doing ideological work for He Zhi, clearing his own name of suspicion. At least, it cleared away a good portion of the suspicion. Moreover, He Zhi would now need something from him; otherwise, his attitude wouldn''t have changed so drastically. It turned out to be true. Lin Chuan''s guess was entirely correct. "Officer He, I am just cooperating with the investigation," Lin Chuan said as he saw He Zhi extend an olive branch, not pushing him away. He Zhi chuckled, "Comrade Lin Chuan, I won''t lie to you, the tomb robbing and the murder case at the Seven Stars Lu King Pce have weighed on me for quite some time, attracting attention from all sectors of society. So, I might have been a bit impatient." "I can understand. Officer Shen also often encounters such situations," Lin Chuan said with a smile, ncing sideways at Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian turned away, pursing her lips slightly. This guy, still holding a grudge. He Zhiughed heartily and immediately led Lin Chuan out of the interrogation room and into the reception room. He Zhi walked ahead. Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian followed behind. "Officer Shen, thank you," Lin Chuan said quietly with gratitude. "Thank what? I just told the truth, and it''s all backed by evidence," Shen Qianqian replied with a slight pout and a blink of her charming eyes. Soon, the three of them arrived at the reception room. The environment of the reception room was much nicer than that of the interrogation room. "Comrade Lin Chuan, Officer Shen, please have some tea first," He Zhi, not very familiar with the ce, fumbled around before finally preparing the tea. "Officer He, if there''s anything you want to say, please feel free," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Policeman He Zhi took a deep breath. A moment ago, he saw Lin Chuan as a suspect, and now he was asking for his help in solving a case. For He Zhi, such a reversal was a bit unsettling at first. But the case of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce was, thus far, utterly baffling. However! Due to the enormous impact of the incident, the Seven Stars Lu King Pce had not yet disclosed details of the archaeological findings to the public, and once those details were released, their pressure would only increase. The tomb robbing and the murder case, two closely rted incidents, were making no progress. Not to mention performance, just the public opinion alone could cause the police station a lot of troubles. This was one of the reasons why He Zhi flew directly from Linyi to Anling. "The thing is, Comrade Lin Chuan, do you have any unique perspectives on this case?" He Zhi asked tentatively. Lin Chuan shook his head, "No." He Zhi was taken aback: "No?" Lin Chuan nodded earnestly, "Don''t misunderstand, Officer He. It''s not that I''m holding a grudge about the earlier interrogation. I truly have no different view. This is a simple murder case." "I was too hasty," He Zhi said with an embarrassed chuckle, feeling a bit urgent. "But looking at the desated state of the two mummies,bined with the subterranean environment of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, they must have been dead for about five or six months, right?" Lin Chuan inquired. "Our estimation from Linyi police is six months," He Zhi raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this kid really had some skills to deduce the time of death from just a photo! Lin Chuan then asked, "Aside from that one photo, are there any other photos?" In the reception room, He Zhi nced at Shen Qianqian beside him and then took out the files, handing over more scene photos to Lin Chuan. "These are photos of the side chamber at the crime scene," He Zhi exined. Lin Chuan''s gaze fell upon the photos. In the side chamber, one sarcophagus was opened, empty inside. Lin Chuan flipped through other photos. After a while, he said, "We can preliminarily deduce that both the victims and the murderer are likely people from the Northern Sect of tomb raiders." He Zhi was shocked. Not well-versed in tomb robbing, he quickly asked, "I''ve heard that tomb raiding is divided into Northern and Southern Sects, but how can you tell that they are from the Northern Sect?" Lin Chuan smiled and started to exin to He Zhi and Shen Qianqian the differences between the Northern and Southern Sect tomb raiders. Northern Sect tomb raiders have many taboos and thus cause less damage to ancient tombs, usually just taking what they want and leaving. The Southern Sect is different. They usually have no scruples, and upon entering an ancient tomb, they often wreak major destruction, plundering its treasures. "Officer He, look at these seven stone coffins, if it had been the Southern Sect, they would definitely smash them open to take a look inside," Lin Chuan said with a chuckle. The majority of the chambers inside the Seven Stars Lu King Pce remained well-preserved and had not been destroyed extensively. The dug hole was also squarish in shape. That''s a distinctive mark of the Northern Sect tomb raiders. He Zhi nodded and probed, "Comrade Lin Chuan, if it''s convenient for you, would you be willing toe with me to the site for an inspection?" Lin Chuan sipped his tea and pondered for a moment, "The case doesn''t seem veryplicated; should it really be necessary to visit the site?" He Zhi was immediately taken aback, looking at Lin Chuan in bewilderment. ''Not veryplicated,'' ''no need to visit the site''; these words... made him feel somewhat at a loss for words. Shen Qianqian was also astonished, "Lin Chuan, you can''t possibly tell who the murderer is just by looking at the photos, can you?" Chapter 241: Chapter 179 What Did He Do? Anling Police Station. A bright, round moon hung above the deep blue sky, its light like a ribbon of silver, shining through the ss windows and mingling with the brightness of the reception room inside. Outside the window, branches swayed gently in the breeze, making a delicate rustling sound. "Just by looking at photographs to find the murderer, isn''t that a bit too miraculous?" He Zhi, looking at Lin Chuan wearing a clean T-shirt, had a skeptical expression on his face. Even national influent detectives had to personally investigate the scene and carefully study the case information before they could deduce some clues. Lin Chuan did have secret tomb-robbing skills, and his criminal investigation experience was credible. But he was only twenty-four or twenty-five years old! How could he possibly achieve this? Such were the doubts of He Zhi, who, as the deputy captain of the Linyi Police Station''s Criminal Police Brigade, hadn''t climbed to his current position by merely fawning and ttering. He had relied on genuine talent and knowledge! That is, criminal investigative ability. This position was already the end goal for many ordinary officers, but he was only thirty-seven and still had room to advance. Of course, everything was built on ability and ''other factors''. Right now, the most important thing was to solve this special ''tomb robbing + murder case''. It was the foundation for his next step forward and the responsibility on his shoulders. Lin Chuan had just picked up his teacup to take a sip, but upon hearing Shen Qianqian''s words and then looking at He Zhi, he almost spat it out: "Officer He, don''t listen to her nonsense. Just by looking at photos to solve a case, wouldn''t that make me a miracle detective?" "Miracle detective, aren''t you a miracle detective?" Shen Qianqian held the photographs and looked at Lin Chuan with a beaming smile. "I suspect you''re mocking me," Lin Chuan said with a darkened face and a snort. "No, no, Detective Lin the Influent Author," Shen Qianqianughed heartily. "Comrade Lin Chuan, if you could help us find some clues, we would be truly grateful," He Zhi said, his face returning to normal. That was indeed his intention. He didn''t expect Lin Chuan to really help him solve the case; he just hoped Lin Chuan could provide more clues. That would be enough! "I''ll do my best," Lin Chuan replied, then shifted his gaze to the photographs rted to the murder case and the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. While Lin Chuan was looking at the photographs, He Zhi also exined, "The difficulty with this murder case lies in the length of time and the wide range, and currently the identities of the two victims have not been confirmed." "Indeed," Lin Chuan looked at the photographs and nodded, "The long timeframe and the location in the wild make it difficult to find the murder weapon or any clothing that the murderer might have stained with the victims'' blood." He Zhi nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, we haven''t found any relevant clues." The Linyi police had nearlybed through the area around the Seven Stars Lu King Pce during this time, but to no avail. The murder weapon could not be found. The murderer''s clues were also difficult to find. "On the victims'' bodies, did you find any clues rted to the murderer?" Lin Chuan inquired. He Zhi shook his head, "Based on the wounds on the victims and simtions conducted at the scene, if the murderer was one person, then his height should be over 185, and he must have a certain level ofbat power." As he spoke, he nced at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. No wonder the Linyi police hurried to fly to Anling; it turned out he really fit these characteristics. Lin Chuan, 186 in height, with abundantbat experience. Barehanded, he could fight ten and remain unscathed, all of them sprawled on the ground. Hisbat record could be checked. "So, that means the investigation has hit a dead end," Shen Qianqian frowned slightly, catching the implication. "Yes," He Zhi nodded, "The only clue we have is Comrade Lin Chuan''s novel." Lin Chuan chuckled and said, "Actually, there''s another angle." "Please enlighten us." He Zhi''s eyebrows rose, and he leaned slightly towards Lin Chuan. "Didn''t the tomb lose a batch of artifacts?" Lin Chuan said with a smile. Upon hearing this, He Zhi shook his head and sighed lightly, "We''ve tried following up on that, but first, we don''t know exactly what that lost batch of artifacts is; we only know there is a Purple Gold Box. Secondly, we''ve also investigated in secret. There''s no trace of the Purple Gold Box in the market trading records." "And we''re back to a standstill," Shen Qianqian also sighed. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, his lips curling up in a smile, "Not necessarily." "Does Comrade Lin Chuan have a solution?" He Zhi''s heart leapt, looking earnestly at Lin Chuan. "Truly Detective Lin," Shen Qianqian''s face revealed a smile. Lin Chuan smiled, "I can provide you with an artifact for reference." Hmm? Both He Zhi and Shen Qianqian were taken aback, staring nkly at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan, feeling their puzzled gazes, paused, then quickly produced a photograph. The photograph showed a frontal view of the Seven-Star Stone Coffin. The surface of each stone coffin was inscribed with the life story of King Lushang. "Is there something special about this photograph?" Shen Qianqian asked, with a learning attitude, looking at Lin Chuan, her eyes filled with confusion and puzzlement. He Zhi was equally perplexed. Lin Chuan pointed at the photo and said with a smile, "Doesn''t the seal script on this say that King Lushang had a Ghost Seal that couldmand Ghost Soldiers, making him unbeatable in battle, thus he was titled King Lushang by the Duke of the State of Lu?" "The artifact you''re talking about, is it this Ghost Seal?" He Zhi asked thoughtfully, "But does a Ghost Seal that canmand Ghost Soldiers really exist?" Lin Chuan waved his hand, "Whether it canmand Ghost Soldiers let''s set aside for now, but there has to be a Ghost Seal, right?" Chapter 242: Chapter 179 What Did He Do? _2 He Zhi pondered for a moment, frowning slightly. Lin Chuan continued, "Officer He, let me ask you another question." "Please do," He Zhi responded. "Did the Archaeological Team find an ancient bronze coffin in another tomb passage?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile. After a brief recollection, He Zhi answered, "Indeed, they found an ancient bronze coffin. It was opened by a member of the Archaeological Team using the method from your novel." Lin Chuan took a sip of his tea, smiled, and said, "Officer He, imagine for a moment, if you were a tomb raider, and you entered the burial chamber, would you look for the most valuable treasure?" "I would," He Zhi said without hesitation. "Right, that ancient bronze coffin can be opened by pressing on the altar, and the tomb passage that leads to it is not all that hidden. Have you considered why they didn''t go looking for it?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile. A hint of confusion flickered in He Zhi''s eyes, but he quickly understood and a smile appeared, "I see, I''ve got it!" "Officer He, what do you understand?" Shen Qianqian, who had been listening, was a step slower in reacting. With a sheepish smile, He Zhi said, "They probably didn''t go to the ancient bronze coffin because they had already found what they believed to be the most valuable treasure, without a doubt, King Lushang''s Ghost Seal." Shen Qianqian''s mouth hung open slightly as she looked at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan nodded, "The missing Purple Gold Box likely contained the Ghost Seal." "That''s great!" He Zhi''s eyes, bright as copper bells, shone even more, and he muttered to himself, "As long as we trace the Ghost Seal, we can follow the vine to find the suspects!" "Exactly," Lin Chuan nodded in agreement. He Zhi was somewhat excited, "Comrade Lin Chuan, Officer Shen, I can''t thank you enough." "Don''t thank me," Shen Qianqian waved her hand and said with a beaming smile, "I didn''t help much. It was all Comrade Lin Chuan''s effort. If you really want to thank Comrade Lin Chuan, why not subscribe to the entire ''Touch Gold Notes''?" "Subscribe to the entire series?" With a hint of pride, He Zhi raised his eyebrows and said, "Comrade Lin Chuan, everyone in the Linyi Criminal Police Brigade handling this case has subscribed!" "You''ve gone to great expense, Officer He," Lin Chuan remarked, his appreciation for the Linyi Police Station soaring as heughed heartily. "But when we subscribed at the time, we all intended to seek evidence from it to arrest you," Officer He said with a chuckle, his face slightly embarrassed. "Cough, it''s the thought, not the intention, that counts. As long as there''s a full subscription, that''s true love," Lin Chuan responded with high emotional intelligence. All three people in the reception roomughed. Afterward, He Zhi immediately set to work contacting the captain of the Linyi Criminal Police Brigade. Beep beep beep "Captain, I have some progress here," He Zhi said, taking a sip of water in the reception room before picking up the phone to continue working. On the other end of the line, The captain was very pleased and shouted, "Has Lin Chuan confessed?" The call wasn''t on speaker, but his voice carried. Upon hearing this, Shen Qianqian covered her mouth and giggled. Lin Chuan curled his lip and thought, why are they always looking to catch me? "Ahem!" ncing at Lin Chuan, He Zhi quickly showed a remorseful smile before saying, "Captain, we have ruled out Comrade Lin Chuan as a suspect and confirmed that he is not the perpetrator in this case." "Lin Chuan isn''t?" The captain was immediately taken aback. "That''s right, he isn''t!" He Zhi repeated, emphasizing Lin Chuan''s innocence. "There goes the lead!" Grumbling, the captain asked over the phone, "Old He, have youe across any other clues?" "Just now, I invited Comrade Lin Chuan to help us with the case, and he provided us with an important clue," He Zhi replied. "Lin Chuan... What clue?" The captain was slightly puzzled. "Based on Comrade Lin Chuan''s spections, the Purple Gold Box may contain the Ghost Seal," He Zhi recounted Lin Chuan''s reasoning and analysis to the captain. "The Ghost Seal?" the captain murmured. "Yes, there are not many jade seals from the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period. If we can find its traces, we can follow the trail," He Zhi said, looking pleased. "This is a good lead," the captain affirmed and said, "I''ll immediately arrange for someone to start looking for any transaction records of it." Tomb robbers murder and steal treasures for wealth. Therefore, the Ghost Seal in the Purple Gold Box could not possibly remain in the hands of a tomb robber. They would certainly have to sell it. This would make it very easy to trace their tracks. Moreover, "A Jade Seal from the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period" has a very distinctive implication; as long as it shows up in the market, it can be immediately traced. The criminal police and cyber police at Linyi Police Station immediately began investigating the information on the Ghost Seal. But then, an unexpected thing happened. In the market, there was no trace of the Ghost Seal at all. "The lead has disappeared again." In the reception room, as the evening breeze came in, it was slightly cool, and Old He''s arms broke out into goosebumps. Lin Chuan sipped his tea. He was not surprised by theck of traces of the Ghost Seal in the market and still had a faint smile on his face, "This means, the tomb raider hasn''t made a move yet." "If they haven''t made a move, we can''t find them!" sighed He Zhi. In this case, the case had be a doubtful one. "Theirck of action has actually saved us even more effort," Lin Chuan said smilingly. He Zhi furrowed his eyebrows, looking puzzled at this young man around twenty-four or twenty-five, not understanding why Lin Chuan would say that. Lin Chuan nced at He Zhi, who hade over from Linyi, and smiled, "Officer He, if you were a tomb raider, would you keep holding on to a relic worth hundreds of millions and not sell it?" He Zhi looked skeptical, thought for a moment, then shook his head. "So, my guess is, he''s waiting for a good price," Lin Chuan voiced his opinion. Having been a tomb raider himself, he could understand the practices of tomb raiders. Usually. Tomb raiders have a few specific contacts they deal with to sell the precious relics unearthed from ancient tombs. This was an unspoken rule within the industry. However, not just any relic could be epted by these contacts. Many small dealers cannot offer a high price, so tomb raiders would hold the item in their hands for a while, trying to get in touch with bigger dealers. "Waiting for a good price?" He Zhi muttered, "Comrade Lin Chuan, do you mean to lead him into selling it?" "We just need him to show his face or someone around him to do so; that''s enough," Lin Chuan said with a look of confidence. "I''m not very familiar with the trade of relics from tomb robbing, could I ask, how should we proceed?" He Zhi humbly sought advice from Lin Chuan. In this case. He had to admit that Lin Chuan''s experience and insight far surpassed that of an old criminal police officer like himself. Clear thinking, well-founded, with a definite direction. Lin Chuan took a sip of tea, smiled, and said, "Officer He, you don''t need to do anything just yet, just wait here for me for a bit." "Ah?" He Zhi opened his eyes wide, full of confusion. Lin Chuan turned his head to look at Shen Qianqian and smiled, "Officer Shen, could you lend me yourputer for a moment?" Shen Qianqian was at first startled, then quickly understood, and immediately stood up, "Of course, no problem." He Zhi watched the backs of Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian as they left the reception room, with his mouth agape, not understanding the silent game the two were ying. Outside the window, the moonlight was hazy, the evening breeze stirred, and the shadows of the trees swayed and rustled. Sigh... He Zhi sighed softly. This case is indeed tough to crack! But for now, he had no other thoughts on solving the case and could only wait in the reception room for Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian. Finally! About an hourter, Shen Qianqian came back, all smiles, "Officer He, sorry to keep you waiting." "Not at all." He Zhiughed. At that moment, Shen Qianqian handed him a piece of paper, saying with a smile, "This should be the clue you need; we should be able to make an arrest." He Zhi looked down, swallowed hard, and was shocked, "These pieces of evidence... Comrade Lin Chuan, what did he do?" Chapter 243: Chapter 180: They Wouldnt Really Come Over in a Tank, Would They? (Please Subscribe) Shen Qianqianughed, "Deputy Chief He, as long as you have these pieces of evidence, that''s enough. As for where they came from, that''s a secret of the Anling Police." He Zhi had asked about ''what Lin Chuan did.'' But what Shen Qianqian replied was ''the secret of the Anling Police.'' With only these few sentences, how could He Zhi not grasp the implied meaning? He Zhi tactfully didn''t ask any further. His gaze stayed on the papers in his hands, his expressionplex; his heart filled with both joy and surprise. He simply couldn''t understand. How exactly did Lin Chuan manage to find the trail of Ghost Seal within a mere hour and unearth the person behind it? If one could find the murderer simply based on a photograph, that would be enough to be called a great detective. So, what did Lin Chuan count as? In situations where the clues were almostpletely lost, he forcefully extended the chain and found the whereabouts of Ghost Seal. He Zhi didn''t know how to describe it. Since Lin Chuan became involved in the case, He Zhi found it unbelievable that within just a few hours, Lin Chuan was about to crack the case. "Officer He, there is also a USB drive here containing the rted evidence we found. It should be helpful," Shen Qianqian then handed over another USB drive. Whew He Zhi took a long breath to calm his emotions, "Officer Shen, where is Brother Lin?" "Brother Lin... he has other matters to deal with," Shen Qianqian said with her eyes shining. "I wanted to thank him in person." He Zhi felt a slight disappointment and thought to himself: Brother Lin ''does his job and walks away, his contributions hidden deep and unrecognized.'' He really has the demeanor of a great detective. At this moment, Shen Qianqian was essentially speaking for Lin Chuan, "Officer He, there''s no need for formality. Just remember to award Lin Chuan the bonus for solving the case." "That''s certainly indispensable," He Zhi said with a sheepish smile. Afterwards. He Zhi immediately contacted the Linyi Police Station and began working on solving the case. As for Lin Chuan. He was still sitting in front of Shen Qianqian''sputer. The materials that He Zhi received were hooked by Lin Chuan on the dark web. The dark web, a ce with which Lin Chuan was particrly familiar, was actually a service tform, rife with a variety of trading channels and methods. Trading information was just one of those forms. Of course. Lurking on the dark web were police officers and intelligence organizations from various countries, and many of the transcations on the surface were just fishing expeditions. Surviving on the dark web requires strong discernment. "Comrade Lin Chuan, are you finished?" Shen Qianqian, standing outside the office, knocked on the door politely. "This is your workstation, why the courtesy of knocking?" Lin Chuan looked up at Shen Qianqian at the door and retorted with a question. Shen Qianqian pursed her lips and smiled, "I was just worried about seeing something I shouldn''t." "The dark web, you know all about it," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Shen Qianqian smiled thinly and stepped in. Then, she retrieved a cup from the storage cab nearby, poured a ss of warm water for Lin Chuan, ced it in front of him, andughed, "Aren''t you afraid of getting caught, jumping around so brazenly on the dark web?" Lin Chuan took the water, had a sip, "It''s yourputer, if anyone gets caught, it''ll be you first." Shen Qianqian pointed to the badge on her chest, "I have this badge, but it''s different for you. If you leak even a bit of information, there will be many forcesing after you." Lin Chuan nced at the badge on Shen Qianqian''s chest, set the water cup aside, and his fingers danced over the keyboard a few times. All the windows on theputer closed. At that moment. Lin Chuan asked, "Who is after me?" Shen Qianqian looked around before whispering, "You have too many enemies, do I need to tell you that?" "I''ve always beenw-abiding; how could I have enemies?" Lin Chuan replied earnestly. Surprisingly, Shen Qianqian did not contradict Lin Chuan this time. She blinked, smiling, "I know you''rew-abiding, and even if you''ve attracted enemies, it''s only righteously done. But there are some things you already have a hunch about." The night deepened. Their conversation suddenly grew more serious. Lin Chuan nodded, then sighed softly, "AW has already begun to probe me." During this time. Foreign capital had flowed into Anling City, and severalwork securitypanies, after epting investments,peted withrgework securitypanies like 720 and Jintang at even lower prices. Several inte cafes had switched sides directly. After all, without experiencing awork intrusion or attack, nobody wants to spend arge sum of money onwork protection. Last time, after Lin Chuan defeated AW, It had been a long time since Anling City''swork had suffered arge-scale intrusion. In recent times. Lin Chuan had sensed that behind these financedwork securitypaniesy the shadow of AW. They were targeting the 720 Network Security Company. "AW''s probing should still be within controble limits. Another power, if they find your information, could endanger your personal safety," Shen Qianqian sat opposite Lin Chuan and said seriously. Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, "You''re talking about the factory district?" The evening breeze entered through the window, circled the office twice, bringing a touch of coolness that quickly dissipated. Shen Qianqian lightly tidied her disheveled hair and said solemnly, "The Old Street Factory District has already been destroyed. We traced it back, and behind it is a group called ''Baisheng.''" "Baisheng Group..." Lin Chuan nodded, "Just right, I''ve seen some information rted to it." "Just right?" Shen Qianqian blinked. "Of course, are you suggesting I''m irvoyant?" Lin Chuan smiled, easing the tension from the serious topic. Chapter 244: Chapter 180: They Wouldnt Really Come Over in a Tank, Would They? (Please Subscribe)_2 Actually, as early as when Lin Chuan was investigating the Old Street Factory District, he had already be aware of the existence of Baisheng Group. Baisheng Group, a Myanmar area enterprise. It ostensibly operated in entertainment tourism, hotel malls, real estate development, gold and jewelry, and other projects, but behind the scenes, it operated casinos, managed online gaming, controlled several factory districts, and engaged in telmunications fraud. Its grey and ck industries didn''t end there. As the saying goes, pornography, gambling, and drugs are inseparable. Baisheng Group was no exception. It was a colossal entity in Southeast Asia, backed by armed forces and closely linked to local warlords, with deep and entrenched roots. However, Lin Chuan was determined to take down the Old Street Factory District. Why would he fear its strength? Just do it! "You should still be careful with this group," Shen Qianqian cautioned, "If you think you need 24-hour protection, you can contact me at any time. I can arrange it for you; this is authorized by the chief." "I can''t always be asking for protection, can I?" Lin Chuan took a sip of water and chuckled. "But once they move, it''ll be hard for us to rescue you in time," Shen Qianqian thought of thest time the Old Street Factory District had made a move on Lin Chuan and felt a pang of worry in her heart. As the person involved, Lin Chuan reassured Shen Qianqian and joked, "They''re not going toe at me in a tank, are they?" Pfft Shen Qianqian was amused by Lin Chuan''s exaggeration: "That''s unlikely, but if it really got to that level, you would actually be safe." "Then I have even less to worry about," Lin Chuan said, his face slightly rxed. "I mean, just in case!" Shen Qianqian pouted slightly, earnestly trying to keep Lin Chuan alert. "Just in case?" Lin Chuan looked astonished, then after pondering for a moment, he said, "Then it''s self-defense!!!" Shen Qianqian''s face turned a shade of green and she muttered, "The term ''self-defense'' sounds so strangeing from you." "Isn''t it self-defense?" Lin Chuan retorted. "Eh, it is," Shen Qianqian pouted. "That''s right then." Lin Chuanughed, then took another drink of water and turned to Shen Qianqian, saying with a smile, "I should head back now, thank you, Officer Shen." "What are you thanking me for?" Shen Qianqian smiled. "For the Seven Stars Lu King Pce murder case. If you hadn''t rified things for me, I''d have had to spend quite some effort exining it to Officer He," Lin Chuan said sincerely. "No big deal, you directly found the whereabouts of the Ghost Seal and the suspect information," Shen Qianqian smiled. "Could I not investigate?" Lin Chuan looked helpless, "If the case became a mystery, and then the media disclosed it, all the fingers would be pointing at me, and just the public opinion would drown me." Unscrupulous media often don''t care about the truth of the incident. They only aim for traffic, to create hot topics. And public opinion can often be terrifying. By then, headlines like ''Famous crime-themed novelist Mr. Lin suspected of tomb robbing, killing two aplices, and hoarding treasure'' would be everywhere, sweeping the inte. Then, the rumor of Lin Chuan''s grave digging and intentional homicide would be ''confirmed'' in the court of public opinion. Lin Chuan, ever cautious and thoughtful, had considered this. So, when he saw that He Zhi and the Linyi police had not found the whereabouts of the Ghost Seal, he directly stepped in to help and cracked the case at lightning speed. Better to get the reward for solving the case than be cursed at. "Speaking of which, Sisi read your novel and was worried for several days, but she didn''t dare ask you," Shen Qianqian recalled Qin Sisi. "That''s just mental wear and tear; you should talk to her about it," Lin Chuan chuckled. "You should be the one to tell her, she''s returning to Anling in a couple of days," Shen Qianqian said with a light-hearted air. Now that the ''misunderstanding'' between Qin Sisi and Lin Chuan had been cleared up, she, the middleman, felt a weight off her shoulders. Lin Chuan frowned slightly and puzzled, "Wasn''t Qin Sisi only recently recruited by the National Archaeological Team? She''sing back to Anling so soon?" "Why can''t shee back to Anling for archaeology?" Shen Qianqian teased with a smile, "Apparently, Sisi said that an archaeological team has found a thousand-year-old Great Tomb urgently needing professionals. Sisi''s team just finished their own excavation and decided to lend a hand." "I see. Well, then, when she invites me to dinner, I''ll talk to her about it, cut down on the mental strain," Lin Chuanughed. "How do you know she''s going to invite you to dinner?" ``` "She followed my novel and found the ancient tomb, shouldn''t she treat me to a meal?" "Then I also helped you clear things up." Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, then came up with apromise, "When Qin Sisi is treating, I''ll call you up." "You really know how to give away flowers that aren''t yours," Shen Qianqian chided. Lin Chuanughed a few times. Then, he left the office and returned to Linjiang Mansion. But this night was not peaceful. With remote feedback from He Zhi, the Linyi police made an overnight move, arresting the crime suspect and seizing the Ghost Seal from the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. The evidence was conclusive, leaving no room for denial. The crime suspect confessed to the crimes without reservation. The Linyi police, in breaking the case promptly, also issued a case report. Such a swift resolution astonished the members of the Archaeological Team Nine. Especially Old Yao and Qin Sisi. They had almost unanimously believed Lin Chuan to be the crime suspect. But unexpectedly, after Deputy Chief of the Criminal Police Brigade He Zhi visited Anling, not only did he clear Lin Chuan''s name but also solved the case at lightning speed with Lin Chuan''s help. It was almost miraculous. With the murder case solved, most of the excavation and surveying work at the Seven Stars Lu King Pce was taken care of by the relevant archaeological staff. Old Yao and Qin Sisi felt a weight off their shoulders. ... The next day, in Linyi. Early morning, dawn sprinkled over the Yi River, resembling a silver ribbon, meandering through the city. The riverside was lush with green trees, the fragrance of flowers wafting in the air, and the chirping of the birds was exceptionally clear. A gentle breeze rustled the branches on the shore and rippled the surface of the Yi River. Ring, ring, ring In the Linyi Cultural Relics Bureau, Old Yao had just walked into his temporary office when his phone began to ring. The caller ID showed: Team Eight, Zhong Xunfeng. "Xunfeng, so early?" Old Yao pressed the answer button, speaking cheerfully. "Old Yao, when are youing over? I''m seriously short-staffed here. This millennium-old Great Tomb should be no less impressive than your Seven Stars Lu King Pce." Over the phone, Zhong Xunfeng''s voice was tinged with urgency. Zhong Xunfeng, the son of Zhong Chengming, was passionate about archaeology. Despite his young age, he was an elite member of Archaeological Team Eight, currently serving as the deputy team leader. He had his own unique understanding and methods of archaeological investigation. Old Yao thought highly of him. As such, the two got along well privately. "I know you''re in a hurry, but don''t rush me. I''ve just unearthed this Seven Stars Lu King Pce, it''s like a newlywed bride, and I haven''t even held hands yet, and now you''re dragging me off on a business trip to a foreign ce, is that appropriate?" Old Yao joked. "What''s inappropriate? Old Yao, wait till you see this Great Tomb, I guarantee your jaw is gonna drop!" Zhong Xunfengughed heartily. "It sounds like you guys have found something extraordinary." "Indeed, it''s extraordinary." "You guys must have encountered some thorny problems, otherwise, with Team Eight''s characteristics, it doesn''t seem like you''d share this opportunity with us." Old Yao took the chance to tease a little. Zhong Xunfeng spoke at a steady pace, "Old Yao, you guessed it, we did encounter a bit of a problem, but you know, the more challenging the problem, the bigger the tomb! If Team Nine isn''t interested, I''ll have to look for another team." "Xunfeng, you really know how to y to people''s hearts," Old Yao bantered. "When do you n toe over?" Zhong Xunfeng asked. "In a couple of days." Old Yao replied with augh. "Great, I''ll wait for you guys in Anling." Zhong Xunfeng was very pleased. "Anling..." Hearing the name, Old Yao muttered, "Anling is a good ce, full of outstanding people and spirit." "You''ve been to Anling?" Zhong Xunfeng inquired. "No, I haven''t, but I am quite keen on meeting a colleague from Anling." Old Yao thought of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi both came from Anling. "A colleague?" Zhong Xunfeng asked. "Yes, not just an archaeology expert but also a web novel writer," Old Yao said with a smile. ``` Chapter 245: Chapter 181: Call Mr. Lin over! (Please subscribe) "An archaeologist and a web novel writer?" On the other end of the phone, Zhong Xunfeng''s tone was slightly surprised. "Right, it turns out he''s about your age," Old Yao said with a smile. "In Anling, I''ve heard of a web novel writer my age, but a web novel writer and an archaeologist, that I didn''t know," Zhong Xunfeng said with a chuckle. Old Yao raised his eyebrow slightly: "The one I''m talking about writes some pretty impressive tomb-robbing novels." "Tomb robbing, crime themes..." On the other side of the call, Zhong Xunfeng frowned. "What''s wrong?" Old Yao asked. Zhong Xunfeng pondered for a moment, "Isn''t his name Lin Chuan?" "Ah hah?" Old Yao was momentarily surprised, "You know him?" Zhong Xunfeng gave an awkwardugh, "Not personally, but my old man keeps nagging about him to me; I''ve heard it a few times." "Elder Zhong knows him?" Old Yao''s brow furrowed tighter. Old Yao and Zhong Xunfeng were close friends, even naming his novel ''Antique Wind Quest'' after him; naturally, he knew a thing or two about Zhong Xunfeng''s family. At first, he even wished Zhong Xunfeng had joined the police force. Now, hearing Elder Zhong also knew Lin Chuan, Old Yao couldn''t help but be puzzled; was this web novel writer so well-connected? "Right,st time he evenpared Lin Chuan to me, told me to learn from him," Zhong Xunfeng said, self-deprecating. Old Yao caught the underlying meaning in Zhong Xunfeng''s words andughed it off, "You two are the young elites, it''s inevitable to bepared. In a ss of a few people, they still distinguish who is the ss flower and who is the ss hunk." "That''s true, I''m quite curious about what kind of person Lin Chuan is," Zhong Xunfengughed. "Haha, I haven''t met him either." Old Yao was quite curious too. He nned to arrive in Anling and have Qin Sisi introduce him. Even if Lin Chuan did not join the Archaeological Team, getting to know him and asking for advice on archaeology and tomb-robbing secrets would be beneficial. And hey, they could also talk about novel writing. "Old Yao, you''ll be heading to Anling in a couple of days, right?" Zhong Xunfeng asked. "Yes." "Then we''ll scout ahead, and when you arrive, we can start work immediately!" "That works for me, I''ll just ride on your coattails then," Old Yaoughed. Old Yao let out a sigh of relief after hanging up the phone, and immediately began preparing the relevant materials; he was soon to represent the Archaeological Team in an interview with the journalists. Knock knock knock. Knocking sounds came from the door of the office. "Captain Yao, did you want to see me?" At the doorway, Qin Sisi stood in her simple casual clothes, her hair tied in a ponytail. Old Yao looked up, "Qin, I just got a call from the deputy head of Archaeology Team Eight. I''ve agreed we''ll set off for Anling the day after tomorrow to support them." "What about here?" A light shone in Qin Sisi''s eyes; she could take a trip back to Anling, then invite Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian out for a meal. Old Yao paused thoughtfully, "For here, we''ll leave a few people behind to wrap up. Are you okay with that?" "I''m ready to go at any time," Qin Sisi said with a beaming smile. Her heart had already flown back to Anling when she heard the news yesterday. Old Yao nodded, "Good, after we give our interview to the journalists, we''ll start looking into Anling''s archaeology." ... "Old Three, have you watched the ''Touch Gold Notes'' I rmended to youst time?" At the base of Dabao Mountain in Anling City. By the riverbank, a fisherman holding a carbon fiber fishing rod sat on a small stool, casually asking. "Old Three," the man sprinkled bait and spat out, "Second Brother, no offense, but those web novel stories about tomb robbing can''tpare to our real-life thrills, can they?" Second Brother immediately turned, red at Old Three, "You blockhead, didn''t I tell you, that''s not a novel, it''s a journal!" "Notebook, what''s that supposed to be?" Old Three said disdainfully. "Could the novel I told you to read be ordinary?" Second Brother grumbled. "Extraordinary novel or not, isn''t it still just a novel?" Old Three didn''t care. Second Brother was so pissed he nearly wanted to lift his carbon pole and sling it at Old Three''s face, "It''s technique, pure substance, get that?" Old Three raised his eyebrow, "What kind of substance?" "Go search ''Seven Stars Lu King Pce'' on your phone now. That Great Tomb in Qilu Linyi was found based on the author''s novel, down to theyout and the unlocking of the mechanisms!" "Ah?" This time, Old Three seemed genuinely interested, "I''ll look it up." He immediately took out his phone and searched for Seven Stars Lu King Pce. The first search result was a video titled ''Amazing Pre-Qin Ancient Tomb Discovered in Qilu Linyi, Strikingly Simr to the Novel''s Seven Stars Lu King Pce''. Old Three clicked on it and saw Old Yao and Qin Sisi being interviewed, narrating the bizarre story of finding and excavating the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, apanied by ''Touch Gold Notes'' novel descriptions and rted visuals of the tomb. "Damn, did that author write his own tomb robbing experience into it?" After watching the video, Old Three was momentarily stunned. Second Brother nodded, "I think so. I''ve read both his first and second volumes, and his Touching Gold Secret Skill is top-notch, definitely the cream of the crop." "Should we give it a try?" Old Three was tempted. "What, you want to go to jail?" Second Brother red at Old Three again. Old Three shrank his neck back, "Forget it then." "From his notes, I''ve learned quite a bit about Mechanical Techniques, which will help us with our next adventure," Second Brother said gleefully. "This next move..." Old Three pursed his lips, expressing his disappointment, "Too bad we''re just leading the way for foreigners. Whatever we find, it has to go to them." Chapter 246: Chapter 181: Call Mr. Lin over! (Please subscribe)_2 "What do you know?" Wu Er snorted, "If this operation is sessful, we''ll be connected to the ''Morgan Group.'' You know the situation in our line of business; without specialized channels, even if we dig up something, we might not be able to sell it." "Do they really have that much power?" Wu San asked. "Of course. I went through a lot of connections, and it took me a great effort to get this deal on the dark web," said Wu Er, ncing around. The dark web, the underworld of the inte. It could also be considered the ck market in the eyes of tomb raiders. Now, Touch Gold Captains, after excavating precious artifacts, mostly transact through this ''ck market'' of the dark web. "It''s good to be connected with the Morgan Group; then we won''t have to worry about selling our goods," said Wu San with a sly smile. "Naturally," Wu Er raised his eyebrows and smiled. "By the way, there is an archaeological team now stationed at Dabao Mountain; they seem to be looking for this tomb too. It shouldn''t affect us, right?" Wu San looked towards the downstream direction. In the embrace of the mountains, the Dabao River meandered like a silver ribbon, shuttling through the lush green forest. The downstream area. That was precisely where the National Archaeological Team Eight was stationed. This ce is located in the southeastern mountains of Anling City, in a remote location, two hours'' drive away from the city area, with eighteen bends in the mountain road. The viges in the mountains are deste and despondent, hardly a few households left. Even the Hope Primary School built in earlier years was deserted here, overgrown with weeds. So. The two Touch Gold Captains, disguised as fishermen, were waiting here for the arrival of personnel from the ''Morgan Group.'' ording to the agreement, people from the Morgan Group would arrive this afternoon. "No impact. They won''t find the entrance any time soon, and even if they stumble upon it, as long as we are inside the tomb, that''s our territory. And besides, the Morgan Group''s people will deal with these hassles. We just need to lead the way. After it''s done, there''s one million US Dors," said Wu Er nonchntly. In his mind, the Morgan Group was a colossus of the underworld, involved in many grey and ck industries, including arms. So, troubles outside of tomb robbing were naturally to be resolved by the people from the Morgan Group. "One million US Dors, how shall we spend it?" Wu San lifted his head, gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. The azure sky, the birds, and the white clouds all seemed to take on the shape of US dor bills. At this moment, he had already begun to fantasize about the US dors after the sess. Wu Er, on the other hand, nced at the sun. It was already four in the afternoon, and the burning heat of the sun had diminished quite a bit. Golden specks of light flickered on the surface of the Dabao River, the nting rays of sunlight fell upon the mountains, and asionally birds would fly through the woond, leaving behind a series of clear chirps. "The people from the Morgan Group will be here soon; don''t screw this up," Wu Er cautioned. "Got it," Wu San grinned. Sure enough. On the winding road by the riverside, two ck pickup trucks appeared. Local license tes, not speeding, they looked like a leisurely countryside drive, not raising any suspicions. From the first pickup truck, a young woman who looked to be around twenty-five alighted, a mixed-race beauty about 170 cm tall with good proportions. Underneath her sunsses, her face blended Chinese softness with the assertiveness of a foreigner, her skin pale and smooth as jade, her nose high, and her thin lips slightly pursed, exuding a cool elegance. "Lead the way." The mixed-race young woman spoke fluent Mandarin. Next to her, a fair-skinned burly man immediately took the lead and headed towards the riverside. Their destination was where Wu Er and Wu San were located. Wu Er and Wu San, hearing the approaching footsteps, left their fishing rods aside and quickly turned to look. "My goodness, isn''t she too beautiful?" Just one nce at the mixed-race young woman, and Wu San couldn''t help but exim in a low voice. "Don''t let your eyes wander!" Wu Er immediately shot him a look. Two burly men walked in front, with the mixed-race young woman following. One of them asked in a somewhat awkward Mandarin, "Wu family brothers?" Er-ge nodded repeatedly, "Right, I''m Wu Er, and he''s Wu San." The mixed-race girl nced at the Wu brothers, her expression indifferent, "When can we enter the tomb?" Wu Er had already made ns, pointing to thergeke not far ahead, "It''s the flood season now, and the river has risen a lot more than before. My n is to dig a tunnel from over that mountain hollow, and it should take one night." They used dragon-seeking and positioning, determining the burial point, to find that great tomb, which lies beneath theke of Dabao River. "So, we can enter the tomb by tomorrow?" the mixed-race girl asked. "Right!" Wu Er nodded. "The intelligence shows that this ancient tomb is full of mechanical traps. How confident are you?" The mixed-race girl, wearing sunsses, gazed steadily at Wu Er and Wu San. Not long ago, she had identally obtained some intelligence about this ancient tomb. The artifacts within were of immense value, so she spared no expense in hiring Wu Er and Wu San as guides to the tomb. "My brother is one of the top experts in mechanical techniques in the tomb-robbing circle. If he can''t crack it, it''s likely no one can," Wu San said with a chuckle. "How does hepare to Mr. Lin?" the mixed-race girl asked further. "Who is Mr. Lin?" Wu San asked nkly. Wu Er''s mouth twitched, his eyebrows raised slightly, "You know about Mr. Lin?" "I just finished reading his notes. The Seven Stars Lu King Pce was his showpiece operation." The mixed-race girl had a powerful intelligence system; she got hold of the hot topics within the tomb-robbing circle as soon as they emerged. Clearly, anyone in the tomb-robbing circle who had read "Touch Gold Notes" believed that it was Mr. Lin who had robbed the Seven Stars Lu King Pce. At least, he had been involved in it. As for why he hadn''t been caught? Insiders spected that it might be because Mr. Lin didn''t cause much damage to the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, had returned the stolen artifacts truthfully, paid arge sum of money inpensation, and had no ties to the homicide case, thus avoiding prison. There were various spections, with no definitive conclusion. Mr. Lin''s true fans, especially those in reader groups, were amazed that Lin Chuan had the guts to publish his notes as if they were a novel. At the same time, they were also surprised that Lin Chuan hadn''t been jailed under such circumstances. Very unscientific! "Compared to Mr. Lin, I shouldn''t be outdone in mechanical techniques," Wu Er thought for a moment and then bragged. The person standing before him now was his wealthy employer, a major client. He had to showcase his value as a partner! Otherwise, the one million US dors might just go to Mr. Lin''s pocket. "Supposed to?" The mixed-race girl furrowed her brow slightly. "The mechanical traps in the tomb at the bottom of theke won''t stop me!" Wu Er said with confidence, his tone firm. Only then did the mixed-race girl nod, "Let''s see your capabilities first. If you can''t break through the traps, I''ll call Mr. Lin." "You know Mr. Lin?" Wu Er was slightly taken aback. The mixed-race girl''s lips curved up slightly, "Do I need to know someone to find them?" Wu Er feigned a smile, feeling somewhat disheartened, thinking to himself that indeed, this was a person from the Morgan Groupwealthy and full of methods. "In the middle and lower reaches of Dabao River, there is an archaeological team," Wu San mentioned. The mixed-race girl nced over, "Act as fast as possible, get the items before they do. Once the deed is done, the remaining eight hundred thousand US dors will be deposited in your overseas ounts, clean." "Okay." The Wu brothers nodded seriously, smiles appearing on their faces. That night, The weather in summer was always unpredictable; thick clouds obscured the moonlight, darkening the area around Dabao Mountainperfect for a dark and stormy night. The winding mountain road rarely showed signs of vehicle tracks. For safety, two ck pickup trucks drove into the woods and concealed themselves. Wu Er and Wu San, along with several burly Caucasian men, carried tools and rapidly dug a tunnel at a concealed hollow next to theke. By the time dawn had not yet broken, the tunnel was ready. The Wu brothers, along with the mixed-race girl and several strong men, entered the ancient tomb. Chapter 247: Chapter 182: Master Tomb Robber in Action! (5000-Word Chapter) Time flew by, and another day had passed. That day, at noon, the white ash clouds obscured the sunlight from the sun 150 million kilometers away. Below the clouds, Anling City looked somewhat gloomy with a threat of rain at any moment. Lin Chuan, dressed in casual clothes, stepped onto the second floor of ''Spring River Moon'' restaurant. "Lin Chuan, over here." By the window, Shen Qianqian raised her fair, lotus-like arm, waving to Lin Chuan. Shen Qianqian was wearing a light white dress, revealing a small section of her fair lower legs, and her sweet, delicate face was adorned with a soft smile. Her clear eyes couldn''t help but brighten when she saw Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan, smiling, walked over at a leisurely pace and sat opposite Shen Qianqian. Seeing only her by herself, he asked, "Where''s the person treating us?" Today, Qin Sisi had flown back to Anling from Linyi and had arranged to treat Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian to lunch. Shen Qianqian poured a cup of chrysanthemum tea for Lin Chuan, smiling, "She and her archaeological team just got off the ne not long ago, they''re still on the way. Let''s order first; she will be here soon." "Okay." Lin Chuan sipped his tea and nodded. "You seem to have something you want to discuss with Sisi?" Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan, attempting to read something on his face. Lin Chuan was taken aback, a bit surprised, "You can tell?" Shen Qianqian''s lips curled up slightly, she smiled lightly while scanning the menu on her phone and said, "Others might not notice, but I''ve read all of your autobiographies; how could I not tell?" Lin Chuan grinned, "Well, you can''t just talk nonsense about that." "Take a look and see what else you want to order." Shen Qianqian ced her phone in front of Lin Chuan, prompting him to choose dishes, "Your ''Touch Gold Notes'' Volume Three, Yin Mountain Ancient Tower, was just released this morning; I''ve already read part of it." Lin Chuan took the phone to order, joking, "Always following my novels, I think you''re after performance now." Shen Qianqian felt a mix of annoyance and amusement, "I have too many achievements now, I even suspect I could get promoted to Police Inspector this year." "That soon?" Lin Chuan asked in surprise, "Aren''t you currently a first-grade officer?" Shen Qianqian nodded, "Right." "Isn''t there a required service period for an officer to be promoted to an inspector?" Lin Chuan asked. Shen Qianqian blinked,ughing, "There''s a supplementary use in the police rank regtions that allows for early promotion in case of outstanding performance in work." "After you''re promoted to inspector, there will be a gap between us," Lin Chuan teased. "What kind of gap?" Shen Qianqian chided Lin Chuan with a sentence. Lin Chuanughed heartily, "I''m just a humble web novel writer, a flop of a writer." Shen Qianqian chuckled, not without irritation, "Most of these achievements are yours, redited to me. If you became a criminal police officer, you would upy a squadron chief''s position in less than five years, guaranteed to be at least a first-grade inspector, possibly a deputy director level." During this time, She had been keeping count, especially during the May Day holiday when Lin Chuan, apanied by her and Xia Qingqing, directly arrested a fifteen-member fraud gang. Although she and Xia Qingqing were just following Lin Chuan''s arrangements andmands, being part of the operation meant sharing in the credit. Lin Chuan alone wouldn''t have been able to capture the criminal gang. Therefore, she and Xia Qingqing were recorded in the book of merits. Well, a third-ss merit. What others didn''t know was that Lin Chuan''s name was also recorded in the book of merits. Shen Qianqian spected that Zhang Biao had made early preparations for Lin Chuan. As long as Lin Chuan wanted to join the criminal police, these achievements woulde into effect. Besides catching the fraud gang, the joint development of the anti-fraud app, the arrest of Liu Qing''s antique fraud gang, and the core information of the Old Street Factory District that Lin Chuan had given her, These were achievements above and beyond expectations. Each one was a solid aplishment. "Being a criminal officer is too dangerous, going out early, returningte, and constantly on call for assignments. Writing novels is morefortable. Once you rise high up in the ranks, remember to cover for me." Lin Chuan waved his hand andughed. "Next time you have an action, remember to call me," Shen Qianqian teased, her captivating eyes twinkling as she smiled brightly. "What action? Now I just want to find an ancient tomb to dig into," Lin Chuanughed. "Ancient tombs, just a scoop?" Shen Qianqian''s eyes lit up instinctively, reaching for her waist; only today she was wearing a light white dress and hadn''t brought handcuffs. Otherwise, she would have cuffed Lin Chuan and brought him back to the police station to nip trouble in the bud. Lin Chuan grinned, "And you say you''re not thinking about achievements!" "upational habit," Shen Qianqian chuckled awkwardly. "I could also help the archaeological team dig an ancient tomb; don''t always think of me as a Touch Gold Captain just because you read my novels," Lin Chuan sipped his tea andughed. As it happened, In the past few days, with the archaeological team revealing several details about the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, Lin Chuan''s novel had, unsurprisingly, be a hit. Last night, Lin Chuan once again entered the Virtual World to experience the career of Touch Gold Captain, and he drew the ''Yin Mountain Ancient Tower'' tomb robbing instance. After a considerable effort, he sessfully cleared it. The system promptedTouch Gold Captain career experience over. Meanwhile, the system panel also updated. [Works: "Touch Gold Notes" in three volumes.] [Current status: Published.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 21781/40000.] [Assessment Task: Excavate 2 ancient tombs.] [Current Progress: 1/2.] [Special Note: Once the Poprity Value and assessment tasks are both met, the next career will be unlocked.] This nearly made Lin Chuan curse out loudsystem, are you deliberately pushing me onto the path of crime? It''s too obvious! A proper system, who would let their host experience the career of a Touch Gold Captain and then set an assessment task to dig two ancient tombs? Chapter 248: Chapter 182: Master Tomb Robber in Action! (5000-Word Chapter)_2 Regarding this, the system provided an exnation. Every profession has its corresponding requirements, Poprity Value (Average Subscription) being the basic one; special professions will have additional assessment tasks. Lin Chuan grumbled. However, the system''s assessment task wasn''t too excessive, requiring only the excavation of two Ancient Tombs. Since one had already been excavated, unearthing another wouldplete the task. Moreover, Lin Chuan had cleared three Tomb Robbing instances in the Virtual World and had also excavated an Ancient Tomb on the outskirts of Anling City in reality. To Lin Chuan, Tomb Robbing was not a challenge. Therefore, when Lin Chuan learned that Qin Sisi was returning to Anling for archaeology, he thought of joining in and digging an Ancient Tomb with the Archaeological Team. If he were to excavate on his own, that would be utterly punishing! Tomb Robbing, in reality, is divided into five major factions. Touching Gold, Discover Tomb, Move Mountain, Hill-Unloading, Archaeology. The first four factions could get caught, but the Archaeology faction won''t because they have a license. "You want to try archaeology, huh? Archaeology is not bad. When Sisi arrivester, let her take you to do some archaeology," Shen Qianqian said with a smile. Lin Chuan nodded, "Hasn''t she arrived yet?" "Let me check." Shen Qianqian opened the chat window with Qin Sisi and sent an inquiry message. It didn''t take long for Qin Sisi to reply. Shen Qianqian''s brows lightly furrowed, and she looked up at Lin Chuan. "What''s wrong?" Lin Chuan asked. "She can''t make it," Shen Qianqian showed Lin Chuan the message Qin Sisi replied with. Qianqian, I''ve got an emergency task all of a sudden. We, the Archaeological Team, have to go straight there, sorry about that, consider the meal on me. "There are emergency urgent tasks in archaeology?" Lin Chuan murmured. Shen Qianqian turned her head to look outside the window, where the sky was gloomy, and it seemed a bit stuffy, so she guessed, "Maybe it''s about to rain; archaeology also needs to race against time." Lin Chuan also looked at the weather outside and nodded. Rainy weather indeed poses unfavorable conditions for an Archaeological Team excavating an Ancient Tomb. On the other side. Qin Sisi sat in the vehicle for transporting the Archaeology Team, still dressed in casual clothes, jeans + T-shirt + sports shoes, exuding a rxed youthful vibe. But. Before she could even have a meal with Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian, she received an emergency task and had to gnaw on a sandwich in the car, rushing with Archaeology Team Nine to Dabao Mountain in Anling City, to meet with Archaeology Team Eight. The vehicle wound its way through the serpentine mountain road. The sky grew darker, and the gray hue shrouded Dabao Mountain, the outlines of the mountain range dimly visible through the haze, the winding river beside the road murmured with its flowing waters. By the time Qin Sisi and her group reached the middle and lower reaches of Dabao River, raindrops started falling, growing heavier by the minute. The nts and trees of Dabao Mountain were quickly enshrouded in rain and mist, bing a blurredndscape. Old Yao didn''t care for much else and headed straight for Archaeology Team Nine as soon as he got out of the car. He shouted, "Where''s Xunfeng?" The captain of Team Eight, Zhao Shan, met Old Yao with a worrisome expression, "Xunfeng went down to the tomb, and we''ve lost contact with him now!" "He went into the tomb already?" Old Yao looked surprised and asked with a frown. "Yes." Team Eight''s captain Zhao Shan nodded and without extending pleasantries, said, "Yesterday, our team reached the midstream area and surveyed what seemed like an Underground Pce from the Ancient Nanyue Kingdom. Early today, Xunfeng decided to dig downward, taking people into the tomb. Two hours ago, we lost all messages from them." Old Yao nced at Zhao Shan. Even though they were on the same level, he couldn''t help but chide him, "Old Zhao, why didn''t you stop him?" Previously, Zhong Xunfeng had shared some information with him. This area was very likely to be the tomb of the Zhao Royal Family from the Ancient Nanyue Kingdom, which flourished in Lingnan during the Qin and Han Dynasties. Historical records indicate that the founder of Nanyue State, Zhao Tuo, who was originally a general of Qin State, was extremely suspicious, to the extent that the Nanyue Royal Family Tomb he ordered to be constructed remained unknown, and the craftsmen who built the imperial mausoleum were all killed. Until modern times. A continuous stream of findings about the Ancient Nanyue Kingdom came to light, and the location of the Nanyue Royal Family Tomb was pinpointed to the Dabao Mountain area in Anling City. The Ancient Nanyue Kingdom dominated the vast region of Lingnan, and the Nanyue Royal Family was said to have collected various treasures, which, ording to legend, were buried within their Imperial Mausoleum. Therefore, the n to excavate the tomb of the Nanyue Royal Family was put on the agenda. This was an extremely dangerous task because the Nanyue Royal Family Tomb was full of traps, hidden fire, and poisonous gases. Such tombs were usually termed "fire pits" by the local experts, and one misstep could lead to being buried alive. Now, Zhong Xunfeng had led people into the tomb. While it was just a preliminary exploration, the sudden loss of contact was truly rming. Not to mention the importance of Zhong Xunfeng''s identity, even if it had been an ordinary archaeologist, it was something everyone hoped to avoid. Team Eight''s captain Zhao Shan sighed, "You know Xunfeng''s temperament; he disagrees with his old man and is eager to prove his own merits. Now, with the Nanyue Royal Family Tomb right beneath his feet, do you think he could hold back?" Old Yao also sighed, "Have you guys sent someone to look for him?" "We have, but no one was found. It''s like a gigantic maze inside, and we dare not rashly enter. Xunfeng might have gotten lost in there." Zhao Shan exined. Old Yao''s heart skipped a beat, "A maze... If he can''t find his way out, he could end up trapped and die in there." "That''s why I contacted you immediately; let''s go down and take a look," Team Eight''s captain Zhao Shan suggested. In the meantime. Zhao Shan had also contacted emergency services, fire department, medical aid, and police; everything was on report, and some personnel were already on their way. Chapter 249: Chapter 182: Master Tomb Robber in Action! (5000-Word Chapter)_3 Old Yao pondered for a moment and nodded, "Alright, let''s go down and have a look." The two archaeological team leaders reached a consensus and decided to join forces to enter the ancient tomb, attempting to find Zhong Xunfeng''s whereabouts. The rain was pouring down heavily. Fortunately, the archaeological team had already taken measures for rain and water drainage near the tomb entrance. After arranging the relevant work, Old Yao and Zhao Shan, equipped with their tools, crawled into the tomb entrance and entered the ancient tomb. The burial chamber of the Nanyue Royal Family Tomb was very deep, descending nearly twenty meters before reaching the bottom of the tomb. At such depths, manymunication devices were no longer functional. On the ground. The rain continued to fall heavily, so much that it could remind one of scenes like "please, stop fighting anymore." More than an hourter, a head emerged from the tomb entrance. It was Old Yao. Qin Sisi and other archaeological staff immediately went over to help him out, but they did not see Zhao Shan following behind him. "Captain Yao, where is Captain Zhao?" an archaeologist from team eight asked with a frown. Old Yao''s face was pale, and he was gasping for air. After a long time, he finally caught his breath and said, "He went into the maze and didn''te out." A tight feeling gripped everyone''s hearts. The situation that Zhong Xunfeng and Zhao Shan encountered was exactly what all archaeological teams feared might happen. They had assumed it would be a straightforward exploration, but the tomb chambers were full of ever-changing dangers, with the potential for idents at any moment. This was an inevitable scenario. Mazes often came with traps and were notoriously dangerous. Once lost inside, a reckless move could trigger a fatal trap, making it hard to predict life or death. If one could not find a way out, they might end up trapped inside, eventually bing nothing but bones. Zhong Xunfeng and Zhao Shan were in danger. "Captain Yao, what do we do now?" another archaeological staff member asked. "What to do..." Old Yao murmured quietly to himself, his face still pale, his eyes somewhat dim, his mind a nk. However, with Zhao Shan trapped, members from both archaeological teams were now looking to him for leadership. Old Yao forced himself to steady his panicked mind, "How long before the rescue team arrives?" "The firefighters, police, and doctors have already set out and should be here any moment now, but we haven''t rescued the people yet," an archaeologist replied. Old Yao nodded and calmed himself, "Our primary issue right now is that we have no way to get through this maze and the traps inside. Does team eight have any experts skilled in dealing with these kinds of traps?" The members of the eighth archaeological team fell silent. Clearly, they did not. "We might need a tomb-robbing expert to lead the way," one archaeologist said after swallowing nervously. "At this time, where do we find a tomb-robbing expert?" another one asked with a furrowed brow. "A tomb-robbing expert?" Old Yao''s eyes lit up, and he pped his thigh violently before immediately turning to look at Qin Sisi standing aside. Qin Sisi looked taken aback, "Captain Yao, are you talking about Lin Chuan?" "Yes, the tomb-robbing expert we can contact the quickest is Lin Chuan!" Old Yao felt a glimmer of hope revive in his heart. There were indeed many tomb-robbing experts in prisons everywhere. But just going through the approval procedures would take a while, not to mention the travel time. By the time they arrived, Zhong Xunfeng and Zhao Shan might already be in grave danger. Currently, in their circle of contacts, only Lin Chuan was the closest. As for whether Lin Chuan could lead them into the tomb chamber and rescue Zhong Xunfeng and Zhao Shan, no one could provide a definite answer. But Old Yao knew that this was the only nk he could grasp in the vast ocean, and a hint of green appearing in the scorching desert. "I''ll call Lin Chuan right away," Qin Sisi''s brows were knitted together, her face showing an urgent expression. The rumble of thunder continued to sound, but at this point, there was no longer any possibility to worry about the rainy conditionssaving people was urgent. Dudu dudu The call connected. Before Lin Chuan could speak, Qin Sisi immediately said, "Writer Lin, our archaeological team is in a crisis!" "What happened?" On the other end of the phone, Lin Chuan had just walked out of the "Spring River Moon" restaurant and sat in the passenger seat of Shen Qianqian''s car. Hearing Qin Sisi''s urgent tone, he frowned. Qin Sisi continued, "We''ve discovered an ancient tomb here at Dabao Mountain in Anling, and our colleague is trapped inside a maze, which might also contain mechanisms. The situation is dire, that''s why our archaeological team is asking for your help." Lin Chuan''s brows tightened a bit more, "Send me the exact location." "Okay." Qin Sisi felt relieved and immediately sent Lin Chuan the location information. On the other side, Shen Qianqian''s phone also rang. The caller ID showed: Director Zhang. Shen Qianqian immediately pressed the answer button, nodding continuously. "Qianqian''s archaeological team seems to have run into danger," Shen Qianqian looked towards Lin Chuan beside her. Lin Chuan nodded, "Yes, Sisi just called me asking to go there, to see if I can lead them out." "Shall I drive you there?" Shen Qianqian asked. "Yes," Lin Chuan nodded. Shen Qianqian immediately drove the white SUV through the misty rain, leaving Qingxiu District, heading towards the outskirts, driving through the spacious urban roads, and entering the winding mountain roads. The destination, Dabao Mountain. Ling ling ling The phone rang again. It was an unknown number. Lin Chuan thought for a moment and chose to answer, "Hello, who is this?" From the phone, a friendly yet urgent voice came through, "Lin, hello, I am Zhong Chengming from Han River Province." "Elder Zhong, hello." Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised slightly, showing some surprise. Previously, during a casual conversation with Zhang Biao, Zhang had mentioned Elder Zhong, so Lin Chuan was aware. However, Lin Chuan did not know the rtionship between Zhong Xunfeng and Zhong Chengming. "The archaeologists trapped in the maze of the Nanyue Royal Family Tomb are connected with me, and I personally want to thank you for your willingness to go to Dabao Mountain for the rescue," Zhong Chengming''s tone over the phone was serious and sincere. "Elder Zhong, I will do my best," Lin Chuan said with some realization. "Lin, I also hope you will proceed with your capabilities in mind. You are Han River''s talent, and I wouldn''t want you to get yourself into a dire situation. That''s not what I want to see," Zhong Chengming added. Zhong Chengming gave Lin Chuan the impression of an elder caring for a junior, friendly and kind. His tone sounded as if he had known Lin Chuan for a long time. "Rest assured, Elder Zhong." Lin Chuan sensed Elder Zhong''s concern, and his heart stirred slightly. "Be careful driving in the rain," Zhong Chengming advised, "And once you''re in the Nanyue Royal Family Tomb, be even more cautious. Safetyes first." Chapter 250: Chapter 183: Entering the Tomb (Seeking Subscriptions) The rain in June and July was heavy and persistent. Raindrops pattered against the car windows and the vegetation of Dabao Mountain, filling the air with a thick mist that blurred the view before Lin Chuan''s eyes. The journey was long and the mountain high, it took Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian a full two and a half hours to reach their destination. At that time, The eighth and ninth Archaeological Teams and the already arrived rescue teams had set up temporary rain shelters. A number of ambnces were on standby, ready to act at any moment. However, Zhong Xunfeng, Zhao Shan, and the others were still missing. A sense of oppression and heaviness permeated the crowd. "Lin Chuan has arrived." Qin Sisi was standing in front of the rain shelter; upon seeing the figures of Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian appear, she immediately shouted. Old Yao, who was analyzing the mechanisms of the Nanyue Royal Family''s Ancient Tomb, heard "Lin Chuan has arrived," and abruptly stood, walking toward the outside of the shelter. The rest of the Archaeological Team members, due to the reputation of the Seven Stars Lu King Pce, had more or less heard of Lin Chuan. Therefore, they too turned their heads to look outside. By that time, Qin Sisi had already approached Lin Chuan, umbre in hand. Captain Yao followed close behind. "Lin Chuan, you''re finally here," Qin Sisi said upon meeting him, feeling as if the pressure inside her had eased significantly. "If you''re buying lunch, how could I note?" Lin Chuan eased the atmosphere a bit with a nce at Qin Sisi, who seemed somewhat tense. Qin Sisi showed a faint smile, "Let me introduce you, this is our Archaeological Team''s captain, Old Yao." With an umbre in one hand, Old Yao extended his other hand to shake Lin Chuan''s: "Writer Lin, I''ve long admired your reputation. I''m Old Yao, captain of the ninth Archaeological Team." "Captain Yao, it''s a pleasure," Lin Chuan responded politely. "Given the urgency of the situation, I won''t engage in small talk. Inside the shelter, I will exin the current circumstances to you," Old Yao said gravely, with a hint of anxiety in his expression. Lin Chuan nodded and entered the rain shelter. Old Yao handed Lin Chuan a stack of documents and then briefed him on the Nanyue Royal Family''s Ancient Tomb. After reviewing the documents, Lin Chuan frowned slightly, "The rain and fog are too thick right now, obstructing the view of the mountainndscape, but I have a feeling that this doesn''t seem to be the entrance of the tomb." "Not?" Old Yao looked slightly astonished and promptly instructed the eighth team''s archaeologists to find a recent overview map of the mountain terrain. On the tablet, footage of Dabao Mountain taken by drones from the eighth team instantly appeared. Lin Chuan didn''t rush into the tomb immediately; instead, he carefully observed the footage for a while, murmuring, "This is an enormous ancient tombplex!" Old Yao, puzzled, came closer. Pointing to an area slightly higher up in the middle course where there was ake, Lin Chuan exined, "ording to the topography, this would be the optimal entrance location. It''s in a pivotal central position that would allow entry into any of the tombs." "Should we change our entry point then?" Old Yao inquired for Lin Chuan''s opinion. He had already assessed Lin Chuan. Though Lin Chuan appeared youthful and somewhat delicate, his features were marked by an umon quality. His eyes were deep and piercing. Especially noticeable was his aura while surveying the mountain terrain,manding respect from Old Yao without question. "We don''t have enough time for that. I''m mostly judging theyout and orientation of the underground tomb based on the mountain''s shape," Lin Chuan said as he put away the tablet, "We should prepare." Hasty preparation does not hinder the progress of work, especially in dangerous tombs; it''s important not to recklessly enter in an attempt to rescue others. Or else, it would be easy to trap oneself as well. "I''ll go down with you," Shen Qianqian approached Lin Chuan and said with pursed lips. Lin Chuan looked up at Shen Qianqian and chuckled, "You''re not an archaeologist, why are you looking for trouble?" Qin Sisi pulled Shen Qianqian to sit down, "Qianqian, it''s enough if Lin Chuan and I go down. You just wait here patiently." Shen Qianqian pouted, nced at Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi, and then nodded her head. She had thought that if they encountered any bizarre creatures, she could use her skills to relieve some of Lin Chuan''s worries. But then she thought again, in the Nanyue Royal Family''s Ancient Tomb, aside from traps, there shouldn''t be those strange creatures. "Brother Lin, put this on." Old Yao came over with a bulletproof vest; this was specially delivered by the police involved in the rescue, to protect against the tomb''s traps. For example, flying arrows. Lin Chuan did not dawdle and immediately put it on, along with various essential equipment and tools. A high-powered shlight, an archaeological spade, a gas mask, an oxygen bag, dry food, water, and so on. "Be careful," Shen Qianqian said, somewhat worried, and added, "Xinxin and I are both waiting for you toe back." "No problem," Lin Chuan smiled, giving her a reassuring look. Then, he entered the nearly twenty-meter-deep tomb hole, with Old Yao and Qin Sisi following closely behind. As soon as theynded, the floor of the tomb was damp. Lin Chuan''s head was affixed with a heamp, and in front of him was a tomb passage about a meter wide and less than two meters tall. On the ground, there were some footprints. Old Yao quickly caught up to Lin Chuan, guiding him: "Brother Lin, ording to the eighth team''s captain, Xunfeng and his group headed northeast from here, then identally stumbled into abyrinth." A mental image of the overhead map appeared in Lin Chuan''s mind. He furrowed his brow, "This is the ''Dead Gate''; you entered through the ''Dead Gate''." Old Yao''s heart tightened, "Dead Gate?" Lin Chuan nodded and exined, "Based on the terrain I observed, the mountain range here isplex and varied. The Nanyue Royal Family''s Ancient Tomb is built underground following the baguayout. This location is southwest, corresponding to the ''Kun'' trigram in the bagua, which is indeed the ''Dead Gate''." Chapter 251: Chapter 183: Entering the Tomb (Seeking Subscriptions)_2 Qin Sisi''s face also changed, "So, does that mean this is the most difficult ce to enter and also the most dangerous?" "Those words are not entirely correct. The danger coefficient of this ancient tomb is very high. Entering the tomb from the Xun Position, which is the southeast direction, is rtively safer. However, there should also be no shortage of traps," Lin Chuan exined as he walked forward. Old Yao and Qin Sisi exchanged nces, greatly shaken. The tomb passage was quite chilly. Both of them had goosebumps. Leading the way, Lin Chuan passed through the narrow stone gate and saw carved on the walls to either side Nanyue''s distinctive totems and various symbols. Evesting Lamps hung above the tomb passage, but they had long since gone out. The entire underground was pitch-ck. "Old Yao, was it there that youst lost touch with Zhao Shan?" Lin Chuan turned his head and asked. Old Yao pointed and said, "Just ahead at the crossroads. I went left, he went right. Halfway through, I sensed something was wrong and immediately turned back. I followed his markers but Zhao Shan was nowhere to be seen." Lin Chuan cautiously moved forward. Sure enough, a crossroady ahead. To the left, to the right. "Which way should we go?" Qin Sisi asked, frowning as she sought Lin Chuan''s decision. "Follow me and don''t touch the walls lightly," said Lin Chuan, his eyes narrowing as he entered the right passage. Ancientrge-scale tombs often had mazes. The intricate and interwoven passageways formed a, with dead ends urring frequently, easily causing tomb raiders to lose their sense of direction and get stuck in a deadly cycle. Only with sharp judgement and urate spatial awareness could one navigate out of the maze. At this moment, Lin Chuan spotted an arrow symbol left by Zhao Shan on the tomb passage wall, not far ahead. Following the arrow, he turned six corners and entered four dead ends. The arrows disappeared. In the dead end, there was no way forward anymore. If Old Yao swallowed hard and said, "This is as far as I wentst time, I didn''t dare proceed any further." Lin Chuan didn''t say anything. The strong light illuminated the two sides of the tomb passage and the stone wall in front. Strange patterns left by bacteria on the stone wall drew Lin Chuan''s careful scrutiny as he explored further ahead. The experience of being an assassin helped him develop a meticulous ability to survey a scene. Thump, thump, thump. Lin Chuan knocked on the wall, eyeing the intermittent patterns on the stone wall which seemed a bit incoherent, "This stone wall, it can be moved." Two other strong shlight beams joined his. In the dead end, it was now brightly lit. "Is there a mechanism inside here?" Qin Sisi asked, staring at the stone wall in front of her, puzzled. Lin Chuan shook his head, "It''s not hollow inside, it should just be a movable stone gate. Look at the sides of the tomb passage or under your feet, to see if there are any different panels." Qin Sisi and Old Yao immediately began to search. They both understood. ording to Lin Chuan''s deduction, since Zhao Shan''s markers ended here, it was very likely that he had triggered a mechanism and passed through the stone wall. "Lin Chuan, over here." Qin Sisi''s shlight shone on a slightly loose stone b on the right side of the floor. Lin Chuan leaned over, squatting down for a detailed inspection. He tapped his hand over different spots on the b, then he lifted his right foot and gently stepped on the left side of the stone b. ck. A faint sound, like beads falling into ce, and the stone wall in front of them easily slid aside, revealing a passageway. The strong light shot through. Indeed, right side of the tomb passage, another arrow marker left by Zhao Shan was visible. Old Yao and Qin Sisi''s hearts leapt with joy. Though their anxiety was not fully relieved, they could finally take a deep breath. Whew Lin Chuan''s eyes zed as he continued to follow the arrow markers forward. This trip was both an exploration of the tomb and a rescue. The sound of footsteps echoed in the tomb corridor. Suddenly! "Old Yao, is that you?" A somewhat listless voice came from around the corner in the corridor ahead. Old Yao''s heart pounded, his face slightly excited, "It''s me, it''s me." He quickened his pace. Around the corner was a dead end. Zhao Shan was feeling the wall with pale face; beside him was his equipment bag with dry rations and water, which would probably keep him going for two days. But the oxygen bag probably wouldn''tst that long. Upon hearing Old Yao''s voice, Zhao Shan''s face lit up with joy. A new strength surged in his weary body, and he immediately got up to meet Old Yao. "I thought I was going to die here," Zhao Shan managed a wry smile. Old Yao patted his shoulder,ughing, "Lucky for you, you have a strong fate." "How did you get in?" In the dim environment, Zhao Shan looked at Old Yao, Qin Sisi, and Lin Chuan. "It was Brother Lin who led us in, otherwise you might have really been done for here," Old Yao said with a smile. Zhao Shan turned to Lin Chuan, thanking him repeatedly. Lin Chuan waved his hand and asked about the maze, "Captain Zhao, have you been trapped here this whole time?" Zhao Shan nodded, still shaken, "When I came in everything was fine, but when I tried to return, I found the passage was blocked and couldn''t be opened. I had no choice but to keep going, thinking there might be some mechanism that could open it." After hearing this, Lin Chuan walked back to the corner and carefully examined it, remarking, "This is a dead end." "Then at the intersection, should we go left?" Old Yao asked, lost in thought. Lin Chuan didn''tmit to an answer but instead took out pen and paper from his bag and started to draw a partial map of the maze. Afterward. He led the group back to the intersection. Zhao Shan had been trapped in the Ancient Tomb for four or five hours, exhausted to his limits, and wasn''t in any condition to press forward, so the group had him go back first. Lin Chuan, Old Yao, and Qin Sisi then explored the left path of the intersection, surprisingly finding another dead end at the end of that corridor as well. And they didn''t find Zhong Xunfeng or the others either. This situation made Old Yao and Qin Sisi tense again. Lin Chuan nced at the two and reassured them, "Not finding them means they might have gotten out of the maze and into the main part of the Ancient Tomb." "That''s even more dangerous," Old Yao sighed. Lin Chuan didn''t rush but sat squatting beside the corridor, continuing to draw the maze on paper, marking both the left and right paths from the intersection. Qin Sisi tactfully remained silent, not disturbing Lin Chuan''s thought process. Lin Chuan, studying the maze on the paper with its twists and turns, furrowed his brow and simply dropped the line ''follow me'' as he walked on, stopping at the end of the triangr intersection and facing the wall. "Brother Lin, what is this?" Old Yao was puzzled to see Lin Chuan facing the wall. Lin Chuan exined, "ording to theyout of the Death Gate Kun Position in the bagua, this is the most likely location leading to the central hub." "But it''s sealed off," Qin Sisi interjected. "Shine your light on it for me," Lin Chuan asked as he ced his palms on the stone wall, meticulously feeling every part. Suddenly, his fingers found two indentations. They were the eyes of a totem. "Holes?" Lin Chuan instinctively probed the holes with his fingers, his face immediately lighting up with joy; indeed, they were trigger holes! Inside the holes, a series of protruding points were like the pins of a lock core, transmitting the sensation from his fingertips to his mind, forming an image of the mechanism''s construction through his understanding of the device. After a moment. Lin Chuan''s index and middle fingers suddenly pressed down hard. Creak A heavy sound, like the sigh of ages, began to resonate beside the three of them. The stone in the middle of the wall ahead slowly opened backward. The strong lights in their hands immediately prated the darkness, illuminating whaty behind the Stone Gate; behind it, under the strong light, was arge, bright, circr area. Not known animal patterns were engraved on the stone walls. There were also texts carved in small seal script, recording the rted events of the Ancient Nanyue Kingdom. Lin Chuan led the two to the central area and suddenly noticed an unusual aura in the southeast direction. There were also sets of footprints of varying sizes. Lin Chuan''s brow tensed, "Tomb Robbers have been in here!" Chapter 252: Chapter 184 Is this the combat power a web novel writer can have? (Please subscribe) ``` "Tomb Robber!" Old Yao and Qin Sisi''s eyebrows tightened. Immediately, they also noticed that in this vast circr area, a stream of air was seeping in from a certain direction, bringing with it the freshness of the outside world as well as the humidity of rainy weather. The muddy shoe prints on the ground varied in size and were disorderly, heading in a southern direction. Lin Chuan crouched down, pinched the mud stains between his thumb and forefinger, gently crushed them, and the moist earth smeared on his fingertips: "They are also inside the tomb." "They are also here?" Qin Sisi immediately became tense, and her voice dropped a few notches. "Yes." Lin Chuan nodded, "This ancient tomb is rtively dry, but only a thinyer on the surface of the mud stains is dry, the inside is all wet, and it is earth from the rammed soilyer, it should have been brought down from a tomb-robbing tunnel." Old Yao swallowed and paused, "Doesn''t that mean, they might have run into Xunfeng?" Tomb-robbing and archaeology are inherently at odds with each other. Even if two tomb-robbing teams encounter each other, a bloody conflict can erupt if they can''te to an agreement, and tomb robbers within the same team are also full of deceit toward each other. Not to mention a collision between tomb raiders and archaeologists. "That''s a possibility." Lin Chuan said solemnly, "Our primary task now is to rescue people, avoid conflict with tomb robbers as much as possible, and find Zhong Xunfeng and the others first." "Okay!" Qin Sisi and Old Yao, now both following Lin Chuan''s instructions, nodded. But, things did not go as they wished. Lin Chuan checked the direction and followed the footprints southward into the tomb passage. After turning a few corners, he keenly smelled a whiff of blood in the cold and stagnant air. A collision had indeed happened! Qin Sisi and Old Yao held their breath, their hearts rising in apprehension. Lin Chuan didn''t speak and continued forward, where he saw someone in a gray uniform unconscious on the ground at no great distance ahead. "It''s one of our people." Old Yao said in a low voice, hurriedly walking over to check his injuries. "You''re not suited to move forward anymore." At this time, Lin Chuan frowned and said. There were three people in Zhong Xunfeng''s group. Now, only one person was seen unconscious here, Zhong Xunfeng and the other person were nowhere to be seen, which suggested that they were already in fierce confrontation with the tomb robbers, unable to take care of theirpanion. "We haven''t found Xunfeng yet." Old Yao looked up at Lin Chuan. "I''ll go look for them. On the other side, there should be a professional tomb-robbing gang; you won''t be able to handle them." Lin Chuan''s brows furrowed slightly. He thought to himself, acting alone would be more advantageous for the fight. The unconscious member of the archaeological team also needed someone to take care of him, and they had to be wary in case the tomb robbers came back and found him, possibly to finish him off. "It''s too dangerous for you alone!" Qin Sisi frowned and immediately retorted, "They are a professional tomb-robbing gang; you can''t deal with them alone. I don''t want you to get hurt." "It''s fine, I''ve practiced." Lin Chuan showed a slight smile. If it was just tomb robbers, it shouldn''t be a problem. "There may be many people on the other side, you alone, two fists can''t beat four hands, I''ll go with you!" Qin Sisi said earnestly. "You?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "Qianqian always practiced with me." Qin Sisi said. Lin Chuan looked at Qin Sisi. In the dim light, Qin Sisi''s eyes were full of determination. Shen Qianqian said she wasn''t a delicate girl. If Qin Sisi practiced with her, she should also be quite skilled. He then looked at Old Yao and said, "Alright, Old Yao, take him back and then follow the original path to bring the team down, remember not to touch or step on any strange things in the tomb passages." Old Yao looked at Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi, suddenly realizing that, at this moment, he, the archaeological team leader, had be a burden. But now was not the time to show off. "Okay, take care of yourselves. I''ll bring people down quickly!" Old Yaoplied with Lin Chuan''s decision, immediately carried the unconscious archaeologist on his back, and took him back for treatment. The tomb passage was quiet. Only Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi were left. "Remember, follow mymands and stay close to me." Lin Chuan looked at Qin Sisi and cautioned her. Qin Sisi looked at the handsome young man in front of her, nodded, and added, "If we encounter tomb robbers and a conflict arises, you run first, I''ll cover you." Lin Chuan''s lips curled up, teasingly saying, "Alright." The Nanyue Royal Family''s Ancient Tombplex was vast. Just the maze of tomb passages took Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi a long time to traverse, not to mention finding people inside. A cold aura pervaded the ancient tomb. Fortunately, Lin Chuan was adept in mechanical techniques, and he managed to avoid several deadly traps. Otherwise, they might not even find others before falling victim to one themselves. At the end of the tomb passage was a huge stone gate, which puzzled Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi because the stone gate was opened. They had gone inside. As for whether it was Zhong Xunfeng or the tomb-robbing gang, Lin Chuan did not know. "There might be an encounter ahead; you need to be careful." Lin Chuan turned to Qin Sisi beside him and warned. Qin Sisi pursed her lips, nodded, and said, "You need to be more careful; I might not be able to look out for you if ites to a fight." "Alright then." Lin Chuan didn''t exin much, but followed the stone gate and moved inside. The burial chamber was spacious; in the dim light, Lin Chuan saw huge bluestone bsid on the floor, the stone''s surface mottled. Not far ahead, in the center of the burial chamber, was an altar, with a three-legged bronze cauldron standing still above it, and beside it, three stone coffins with delicately carved cloud patterns and beast-face patterns, exuding an aura of ancient times. ``` Chapter 253: Chapter 184 Is this the combat power a web novel writer can have? (Please subscribe)_2 Further ahead, there appeared three more passages, extending downward. "Which passage should we take?" Qin Sisi turned her face toward Lin Chuan, asking for his opinion. After carefully inspecting, Lin Chuan noticed that none of the passages bore any marks, so he pointed to the passage on the far right, "Let''s try our luck. It''s possible we might run into Zhong Xunfeng first or encounter tomb robbers first." "Okay, I''ll follow your lead." Qin Sisi followed Lin Chuan into the passage. The silence in the right passage was broken only by the sound of Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi''s breathing and footsteps as they descended the staircase. The passage soon came to an end, opening into a vast tomb chamber. Suddenly! In the passage, a dark figure rushed out, wielding a cylindrical object, and swung it down at Lin Chuan who was in front. Lin Chuan was startled and immediately dodged to the side. Just as he was about to counterattack, Qin Sisi, behind him, cried out urgently, "Zhong Xunfeng, he''s one of us!" The light in Qin Sisi''s hand illuminated the person in front of them, a man about 1.8 meters tall with a square face and short hair, dressed in a gray archaeologist''s uniform. The uniform still bore several footprints, likely the result of a sh with the tomb robbing gang. On the ground, having seen photos of Zhong Xunfeng and two others, Qin Sisi recognized Zhong Xunfeng. "Are you from the Archaeological Team Nine?" Upon hearing his name called, Zhong Xunfeng instantly retracted his force, looking at two unfamiliar faces and asked. It was evident that Zhong Xunfeng was already somewhat weak. At that moment, another member of the archaeological team emerged from the side of the tomb chamber, loosening his grip on the threaded steel pipe he held tightly. Seeing that the two were unharmed, Qin Sisi let out a long sigh of relief, "I''m a new member of Archaeological Team Nine, Qin Sisi. He''s not from the team, his name is Lin Chuan, and he has alsoe to rescue you." "Lin Chuan?" Upon hearing this name, Zhong Xunfeng''s gaze immediately fell on Lin Chuan, giving him a quick once-over. "Do you know me?" Lin Chuan asked, puzzled by Zhong Xunfeng''s look. "Elder Zhong often mentioned you to me. How could I not recognize you?" Zhong Xunfeng cracked a self-mocking smile. Lin Chuan also smiled, relieved to see that Zhong Xunfeng was alright. Rescuing Zhong Xunfeng would fulfill the task entrusted to him by Elder Zhong, and then they could proceed to excavate the ancient tomb, which would alsoplete the system''s assessment task. Perfect! However, there was still a potential crisis at hand. The Tomb Robbing gang. Lin Chuan then looked at Zhong Xunfeng, "Did you encounter the tomb robbing gang?" Zhong Xunfeng''s face changed slightly, nodding, "Yes, there should be seven or eight of them, split into two groups, with clear discipline. One group went tomb robbing, while the other ambushed us. They were ruthless, and we nearly fell into their hands." "Who are these people, daring to strike fatally against members of the National Archaeological Team?" Lin Chuan furrowed his brows. Zhong Xunfeng swallowed, still shaken, "I fought with them; they''re foreigners, brazen and fearless." "Foreigners?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "Yes." Zhong Xunfeng nodded, "I just mistook you for one of them, so I took the initiative to strike first." Lin Chuan had a measure of the situation in his mind and was about to speak when he heard soft, rapid footstepsing from the passage. The faces of Qin Sisi, Zhong Xunfeng, and others also tightened. "The two of you are not in any condition to fight. If a conflict arises, follow mymands," Lin Chuan said in a low voice, looking at Zhong Xunfeng and another archaeologist. Zhong Xunfeng took a deep breath. Looking at Lin Chuan, the man his father had frequently spoken of, he felt an odd emotion inside, but in that moment, he couldn''t help but feel a bit of trust in theposed and collected Lin Chuan. Everyone held their breath. Lin Chuan listened attentively to the footsteps, carefully analyzing their frequency and rhythm, whispering softly, "One, two, three... three people." "Strike first?" Qin Sisi leaned closer to Lin Chuan, asking in an extremely low voice. Lin Chuan nodded and quietly ''hmmed'' in agreement. Qin Sisi took a deep breath, mustering all her strength, ready to act at any moment. The footsteps grew closer and closer. Until the three of them stepped into the tomb chamber. Whoosh! Two strong beams of light shone on them, forcing the three burly white men to squint immediately. At that moment, Lin Chuan and Qin Sisi turned into shadows, striking at the same time. Lin Chuan was incredibly fast, like a bolt of lightning, with a threaded steel pipe in hand, targeting the head of the man to the right. The lurking assassin struck with deadly uracy. In his urgency, the burly man turned his head, but Lin Chuan''s speed was so great that, by the time the man realized, the steel pipe had already hit his head. Bang! Instantly, stars exploded in the Caucasian man''s vision, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. Lin Chuan didn''t stop after his sessful strike but instead turned smoothly, delivering a high side kick right to his left cheek. Thud The man fell heavily to the ground, unconscious. Qin Sisi''s situation, however, was less than ideal. Being a woman and despite regrly practicing with Shen Qianqian, she was much weaker in strength and speedpared to the muscr Caucasian men. The burly man reacted in time, blocking her first strike with his hand. Qin Sisi was about to strike again, but the big man pressed forward, using his size and strength to force her to keep retreating. The other burly man took the opportunity to attack Qin Sisi, nning to take her down first, then outnumber the others. Lin Chuan quickly stepped in front of Qin Sisi, a side kick striking the man''s abdomen: "Sisi, you look after Zhong Xunfeng and the others, I''ll handle these two." Without waiting for Qin Sisi to respond, Lin Chuan charged at the two men. Lin Chuan didn''t have much time to think; he grasped the steel pipe a quarter of the way down, wielding it like a club. He powered the swing from his waist to his arms, and the steel pipe swung fiercely. Bang! The man on the left raised his arm to resist the blow of the steel pipe and turned, his heavy elbow dropping fiercely. The other man on the right threw a sudden punch. The attacks from both sides left Lin Chuan with very little room to dodge. These two men were far stronger than the ten Little Karamis from the fraud gang. Lin Chuan''s mind was alert; he ducked his head and swiftly turned sideways, forming a fist with his hand, and hammered down on the back of the left man. The man had just tried to drop his elbow and missed. Struck from behind by Lin Chuan''s elbow, he lost his bnce and tumbled face-first to the ground. Lin Chuan struck again, his steel pipe descending toward the fallen man. Meanwhile, the other man tried to rush at Lin Chuan to prevent the fatal blow, but he underestimated both Lin Chuan''s resolve and his ruthlessness. Lin Chuan took the punch without flinching. But the steel pipe in Lin Chuan''s handnded on the back of the big man''s head. Bang! Martial arts is a killing skill! Lin Chuan controlled his power perfectly, knocking the man unconscious and stripping him of his ability to fight. With two against one, and still at a disadvantage. How could the remaining man be a match for Lin Chuan? Lin Chuan''s eyes zed like fire as he stared at thest standing Caucasian man. With a smile at the corner of his mouth, he struck again. Off to the side. Qin Sisi and Zhong Xunfeng were stunned. Both were trained fighters. Especially Zhong Xunfeng, whose father was Zhong Chengming he had rigorous expectations for his son''sbat fighting from a young age. Yet when faced with several burly men, he struggled significantly, forced into retreat at every turn. But Lin Chuan in front of them was ferocious in his assault, resembling an unstoppable war god, and the three powerful white men, whether in strength, speed, or skill, were simply no match for him. Zhong Xunfeng asked in a daze, "What... what exactly does Lin Chuan do for a living?" Qin Sisi''s pupils shook, and she swallowed nervously: "He said his main job is as a web novel writer." "A web novel writer?" Zhong Xunfeng''s mouth twisted, "Is this the kind of fighting power a web novel writer should have?" Chapter 254: Chapter 185: Is the rock sugar ready? (Please subscribe) Nanyue Royal Family Ancient Tomb. The sole remaining Caucasian, facing Lin Chuan, was quickly subdued by him in just a few moves. As per usual protocol, he knocked him out. In the dimly lit tomb chamber, Qin Sisi and Zhong Xunfeng stared nkly at Lin Chuan, but the situation was urgent; there was no time to ask why Lin Chuan had such formidablebat skills. Approaching the two of them, Lin Chuan said with a somewhat solemn expression, "We need to leave this ce quickly, these three are well-trained, and it''s very likely they''re from a famous international organization. There''s a chance they''ve got guns among their team." Qin Sisi frowned deeply, for she had mostly lived in a safe and worry-free environment, almost never having heard of the scenarios Lin Chuan described. Zhong Xunfeng was different. Due to his family background, he was much more informed than others. Whether in the cyber world or the real world, there''s always a shadowy area, also called ''dar,'' ''deep web,'' ''ck market,'' ''underworld,'' there are many names. This area, many ordinary people will nevere into contact with in their lifetimes. It has its rules. However, once you be entangled with this area, you''ll be caught in it, obliged to y by its rules. This is seldom out in the open. If news about it spreads recklessly, it means that the situation has spiraled beyond its control. For example, when Lin Chuan hacked into the core server of the Old Street Factory District and made the information public, triggering widespread discussions and heated debates across the inte. Voices against fraud rose sharply. Of course, this also caused the ''Baisheng Group'' behind the scenes in the Old Street Factory District to secretly search for clues about Lin Chuan. Baisheng Group believed that Lin Chuan broke the rules and challenged their authority. Luckily, Lin Chuan was a top-notch hacker and had erased all traces of himself, even on the dark web, his whereabouts could not be found. Now, the appearance of these three well-trained Caucasians inside the Nanyue Royal Family Ancient Tomb and their audacity inying hands on the National Archaeological Team was telling of a certain problem. This group, they came prepared. After some thought, Lin Chuan realized that should a fight break out, he might not be able to take care of the rather frail Qin Sisi with two others. The most important task right now was not to apprehend this organization, but to rescue Zhong Xunfeng and the others. "Let''s get out of here first!" Zhong Xunfeng also nodded gravely. Lin Chuan, now regarded as the backbone of the team, immediately led everyone away. However. The ancient tomb was vast, yet it was a narrow world for enemies. Just as the group had stepped out of the tomb passageway and returned to the central chamber of the sacrificial altar, they bumped into two dark figures. The two dark shadows happened to dart out from the middle passageway. They did not have towering figures but rather appeared sneaky, looking around furtively. Without a word, Lin Chuan strode forward, his grip tightening on the threaded steel pipe as he viciously swung it at one of their heads. The two were startled, their eyes bulging as they immediately covered their heads and scampered off to the side. Ah A scream immediately rang out in the chamber. The person Lin Chuan hit on the shoulder curled up on the ground, rolling in pain, and from the sound of the scream, it seemed like a bone had been fractured. The other person hadn''t even had the chance to feel relieved when Lin Chuan quickly rolled over, his right arm bent, and delivered an elbow strike to the left side of his head. There''s a saying in boxing, "Better to take ten punches than one elbow." Lin Chuan''s elbow strike held back very little andnded hard on the man''s head, causing him to fall straight to the ground, seeing stars and the world spinning. Holding a strong shlight, Qin Sisi got a clear look at the faces of the two men, they were not foreigners but appeared to be Tomb Robbers. However, Lin Chuan and his group did not stop. "Move quickly!" Lin Chuan uttered a sternmand. Several more shadows quickly emerged from the middle passageway, and in the narrow tomb corridor, Lin Chuan was not entirely confident he could take them all down. More likely, they would bypass him and directly target Qin Sisi, Zhong Xunfeng, and the others. epting that he was a hindrance, Zhong Xunfeng responded and, together with another member of the Archaeological Team, hurriedly squeezed into the passageway. Qin Sisi and Lin Chuan followed closely behind. Bang! Just as Lin Chuan and the others entered the passageway, a bullet apanied by the sound of firing whizzed through the chilly tomb corridor and struck the stone b on the wall. "Good thing we ran quickly, having a gun is really troublesome," Lin Chuanined while leading the evacuation. Within seven steps, a gun is fast. Within seven steps, a gun is both fast and urate. In the current situation, Lin Chuan would not want to act like in the movies, to try and snatch the gun barehanded; that would be too risky. Cough, the Little Landy was still waiting for him in bed tonight. First, escape; leave the rest to the policerades to handle. Lin Chuan led the team, retreating swiftly. Returning by the original path, only when they entered thebyrinth-like tomb passageway they hade through did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. Old Yao, who had led a group back through the maze earlier, met Lin Chuan and the others halfway and escorted them out of the maze, ascending from the hole by the ropes. That group did not catch up. At this moment. The torrential downpour had stopped, and the mid-mountain side of Dabao Mountain was surrounded by misty clouds, the gloomy skies clearing, and even without the sunlight, it had brightened a lot. The air after a summer rain was particrly fresh. Huuu Zhong Xunfeng and Qin Sisi, among others, climbed out of the cave''s mouth, greedily breathing in the fresh and crisp air. Seeing that Lin Chuan had brought Zhong Xunfeng and the others out safely, everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief and gathered around to warm them up. Including the police station chief, Zhang Biao, had also arrived. Chapter 255: Chapter 185: Is the rock sugar ready? (Please subscribe)_2 Lin Chuan reported the situation inside the ancient tomb to Zhang Biao, who immediately ordered a team to enter the tomb and sent a message to Anling Police Station to block off the roads around Dabao Mountain. Unfortunately, those people seemed to have vanished into thin air. Even the Wu brothers, who Lin Chuan had injured, as well as several other burly men, were nowhere to be found. However. Zhong Xunfeng and the others were sessfully rescued by Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan''s mission was alsopleted, and moreover, the excavation of the ancient tomb would likely notmence within the next day or two. Therefore, Lin Chuan returned with Shen Qianqian. "I should have insisted on apanying you down there, it was too dangerous with guns on the other side," Shen Qianqian murmured, pouting slightly as she drove. Lin Chuan turned his head, nced at Shen Qianqian, and chuckled, "Isn''t that why I wore a bulletproof vest? If it really came down to it, I might not necessarily lose to them." If he was alone, Lin Chuan was confident that he could use the terrain and mechanisms of the tomb passages to take them down. At least leaving one or two of them behind would not be a problem. Shen Qianqian sighed, then said indignantly, "This band of tomb robbers, belonging to an overseas organization, have overextended their reach." "Indeed." Qin Sisi chimed in, "If Lin Chuan hadn''t been so fierce, we probably would have all perished in there." Shen Qianqian turned her head to look at Lin Chuan, recalling the previous worrying experience for his sake, and nodded in agreement, her lips pursed, "He is indeed quite fierce." Lin Chuan grinned to himself, thinking that the Little Landy had said the same thing. Although they were not about the same incident, the sentiment was simr. The sky cleared after the rain. On the way back, the mood among the group was much lighter. Qin Sisi said she owed Lin Chuan a meal, but Lin Chuan politely declined, because the Little Landy had asked him toe home for dinner. ... Anling City, Qingxiu District. Nightfall, Anling after the rain, still retained a thinyer of mist, which under the illumination of the lights, appeared like a gossamer veil, the contours of the city indistinct amidst the neon lights and rain mist. Inside the office of apany. A mixed-race girl around twenty-five years old, standing about 170 cm tall, wearing a Chanel printed off-white dress, her skin was very white, glowing with a healthy sheen. She was sitting at her desk with a tablet on it, showing a figure in ck whose face couldn''t be clearly seen. The two were having a video call. "Coco, your mission has failed, and three of your subordinates are seriously injured," the person in ck was speaking English with a voice that was distorted and sounded somewhat hoarse. The mixed-race girl, referred to as ''Coco'', had the corners of her mouth lightly lifted, "It wasn''t aplete failure, we managed to secure some of the artifacts." "Not aplete failure? Coco, your ns were so easily thwarted, I''m very disappointed in you all. If it weren''t for your identity, I would be speaking to you harshly right now," the ck-d figure said with a heavy tone and continued, "Right now, the artifacts are the least of our worries. Anling is taking this very seriously now. You haven''t been exposed, have you?" Coco smiled, unaffected by the disruption of the mission, "The two who led us into the tomb have already been dealt with." "That''s good. For the time being, halt your operations and just ensure that our current projects continue running smoothly," the person in ck softened their tone. "You know, that''s not my style," Coco raised her eyebrows with a smile. "What are you nning to do?" asked the person in ck, taken aback. "I''ve discovered an even greater treasure!" Coco''s smile brightened, her face brimming with radiant joy, "It could bring us endless profits, far exceeding the value of the Nanyue Royal Family''s ancient tomb!" "What nonsense are you talking about?" the ck-d figure questioned. "Nonsense?" Coco''s eyes sparkled as she smiled and asked in return. "The treasure, who is he?" the man in ck asked. Coco smiled, a reminiscent look crossing her face before she slowly said, "His name is Lin Chuan, a web novel writer, and I want to absorb him into my team." At this moment, she recalled Lin Chuan''s astonishing performance in the tomb passage. She recognized Lin Chuan. During the ''idental antiques damage'' incident, she had seen his face in a video and after reading his "Touch Gold Notes," her impression of him deepened. Therefore, in the tomb passage, even in the dim light, she could tell it was Lin Chuan. On the other hand, ording to the recollections of the three strong men under her, Lin Chuan alone had knocked them all down in a short time. His moves were brutal, his killings decisive. Without the slightest hesitation. When Coco came out in the middle of the tomb passage, she had also personally seen Lin Chuan wielding a stick fiercely, turning around swiftly, and striking with the elbow with the speed of lightning, targeting the vital points. This was definitely the performance of a top fighter. No, he was not just a top fighter, but also a top assassin! There it was, as soon as Coco returned to thepany, an idea popped into her mind. To bring Lin Chuan into her team. This thought, once born, grew more fervently, from a tiny seed into a towering tree that filled her heart. Of course. Coco was also very aware that if such a person couldn''t be controlled by her, then the only option would be to destroy him. A topbatant killer,bined with impressive tomb-robbing skills, just these two qualities were enough for Coco to prioritize executing n Arecruitment. As for destruction, that would onlye as ast resort. "Coco, are you crazy? You''re really talking nonsense!" The man in ck, upon hearing that Coco wanted to recruit a web novel writer, immediately expressed his skepticism. Coco smiled indifferently, "You don''t understand his abilities at all." "He''s writing web novels, what kind of abilities could he have?" The man in ck sneered to the point of ridicule and questioned Coco further. If Lin Chuan were listening to this, he wouldn''t have known how to respond for a moment. Because it made sense indeed. As everyone knows, among the professions not considered serious, ''ying games'' is equated with being a deadbeat + unemployed +zy, while ''writing web novels'' is equated with being a deadbeat + unable to pay utilities + out of touch with reality + earning little money, both considered worse than working in a factory. However, in recent years, the e-sports industry has be popr. Games like King of Glory and League have even entered regr events in the Asian Games, winning gold and bronze medals amidst much joy. Cough, a bronze medal is still a medal! But what about web novels? Not to mention thriving, the industry is bing less and less prosperous, and many web novel writers, out of desperation, really have gone to work in factories. ''Earning three thousand a month from web novels, living the dream'' is such a modest goal, yet so distant. Coco leaned back andughed, "Put away your prejudice, my judgment of people has always been urate." "Whom you want to recruit is your business, don''t interfere with the operation of our project." The man in ck spoke in a slightly colder tone, "Hurry up with those ''medicines'', the buyer is also pressing hard." Coco just said ''OK'' and then directly turned off the video call. Afterward, she began to look up information on Lin Chuan, ready to execute ''n ARecruitment.'' Chapter 257: Chapter 187 Double Sanction? (Please Subscribe) Your story source m_v lemp-yr The wee hours of three or four o''clock in Anling were very quiet. The night was dark, the wind gentle, and the Little Landy slept soundly and softly, but Lin Chuan''s heart was heavy. "Dammit!" Lin Chuan was normally even-tempered and not prone to swearing, but the task of unlocking the next career level was freakin'' insane. Manufacturing drugs with a 99% purity, was that something a normal person could do? Just the raw materials like alpha-bromophencetone, methmine, and hydrochloric acid were considered ''chemicals of concern'', meaning they were precursors to drugs. Not to mention ephedrine and ephedra alkaloids which were directly controlled substances. If these items showed up at home, you could be immediately considered a key surveince target, with the asional police officer strolling nearby with a sniffer dog, checking for any unusual scents. More importantly. There were countless cases of homemade addictive drugs on the inte, a direct ticket to jail, with no room for negotiation. The enforcement was always strong. This was a line, Lin Chuan asked himself, in the real world, he dared not and would not cross. Lin Chuan sighed and thought to himself that he would have to put this assessment task aside for now. As the saying goes, where there''s a will, there''s a way. Right, there will be a solution. Lin Chuanforted himself and theny down, cuddled the fragrant and soft Little Landy, and fell into a deep sleep. The next day. The sun rose as usual, its bright light filtering through the window, casting a faint glow on the curtains. The Little Landy opened her bleary eyes and lifted her pretty face to look at the still-slumbering Lin Chuan; her cheeks were delicate, her features defined, and a sweet smile spread across her face. Then, she quietly got out of bed, got dressed, and without disturbing Lin Chuan, she left the room to prepare breakfast in the kitchen. Clearly, her culinary skills had improved significantly; breakfast was quite sumptuous. "Director must have been exhaustedst night; he''s still asleep at this hour," the Little Landy leaned on the doorframe and whispered with a smile. At that moment. Her phone vibrated. Her business partner had sent her a message. Little Director Zhang, shall we talk about the specifics of our coboration this afternoon? The Little Landy had saved this business partner as ''Yu Keke'' in her contacts. Over a week ago, Yu Keke''s ''Anzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'' began discussions with the Network Security Company. As the general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical, Yu Keke was very invested in this cooperation. As such, she personally liaised with the Little Landy. Perhaps because they were of simr age and hadmon topics to discuss, they became acquainted after a few exchanges. Mmost importantly, Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s general manager Yu Keke was also one of Lin Chuan''s readers. She had subscribed to every one of his books. This sent the Little Landy''s good feelings skyrocketing, and she thought highly of the general manager for her taste, admiring her husband''s books. So, the Little Landy was very much looking forward to this cooperation. Seeing Yu Keke''s message now, the Little Landy held her phone with both hands, her thumbs tapping nimbly on the keyboard, replying, "Of course, I''ll arrange it right away." "I''m very much looking forward to this coboration./rose.jpg" Yu Keke replied. "So am I." Zhang Xinxin''s cheeks formed a smile; this was a big deal and, if negotiated well, could be a long-term partnership. They chatted a few more lines. Finally, they agreed to have the business discussion in the Network Security Company conference room at four o''clock in the afternoon. "Discussing coborations this early?" Then, Lin Chuan came up behind the Little Landy, resting his nose on top of her head and gently sniffing the subtle fragrance that filled his nostrils, his brain clearing a bit from the drowsiness. "Director, you''re awake." Dressed in a light blue gauze nightgown that made her skin look exceptionally fair and soft, the Little Landy leaned back into Lin Chuan''s shoulder and twisted around so she was nestled in his arms. "With my little secretary already hard at work, how could I have the nerve to keep sleeping in?" Lin Chuan joked as he embraced her. "If you''re sleepy, sleep. I can handle things at thepany," the Little Landy lifted her face, her eyes shining brightly. "I should help out with the coborations too," Lin Chuan rubbed the Little Landy''s cheek, his heart going out to the young wealthy woman. A radiant smile immediately broke across her face, clearly delighted: "This afternoon, I have a coboration to discuss with Anzhou Pharmaceutical, but it''s just to work out the specifics. They are very optimistic about ourpany and eager to coborate, so there''s a chance we could turn them into a long-term client." Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Anzhou Pharmaceutical is a well-known pharmacy manufacturer in Anling. Xinxin, you''re getting more and more impressive." "Impressive?" The Little Landy blinked, with a hint of shyness on her face, and asked in a low voice, "Director, which aspect are you referring to?" "Every aspect." Lin Chuan looked down at the glowingly beautiful young wealthy woman and felt his heart race, promptly lifting her into his arms. "Director, you haven''t had breakfast yet!" Her lips bitten, the Little Landy''s cheeks turned a tender shade of pink. "Skipping breakfast is fine," Lin Chuan said, and proceeded to conquer new territories. Over an hourter. The Little Landy waved a white g. "Here''s your dates and goji berries tea; have some to replenish your strength," the Little Landy poured Lin Chuan a cup of nourishing tonic water and handed it to him. Lin Chuan smiled, "You should drink some too." Chapter 257: Chapter 187 Double Sanction? (Please Subscribe) The wee hours of three or four o''clock in Anling were very quiet. The night was dark, the wind gentle, and the Little Landy slept soundly and softly, but Lin Chuan''s heart was heavy. "Dammit!" Lin Chuan was normally even-tempered and not prone to swearing, but the task of unlocking the next career level was freakin'' insane. Manufacturing drugs with a 99% purity, was that something a normal person could do? Just the raw materials like alpha-bromophencetone, methmine, and hydrochloric acid were considered ''chemicals of concern'', meaning they were precursors to drugs. Not to mention ephedrine and ephedra alkaloids which were directly controlled substances. If these items showed up at home, you could be immediately considered a key surveince target, with the asional police officer strolling nearby with a sniffer dog, checking for any unusual scents. More importantly. There were countless cases of homemade addictive drugs on the inte, a direct ticket to jail, with no room for negotiation. The enforcement was always strong. This was a line, Lin Chuan asked himself, in the real world, he dared not and would not cross. Lin Chuan sighed and thought to himself that he would have to put this assessment task aside for now. As the saying goes, where there''s a will, there''s a way. Right, there will be a solution. Lin Chuanforted himself and theny down, cuddled the fragrant and soft Little Landy, and fell into a deep sleep. The next day. The sun rose as usual, its bright light filtering through the window, casting a faint glow on the curtains. The Little Landy opened her bleary eyes and lifted her pretty face to look at the still-slumbering Lin Chuan; her cheeks were delicate, her features defined, and a sweet smile spread across her face. Then, she quietly got out of bed, got dressed, and without disturbing Lin Chuan, she left the room to prepare breakfast in the kitchen. Clearly, her culinary skills had improved significantly; breakfast was quite sumptuous. "Director must have been exhaustedst night; he''s still asleep at this hour," the Little Landy leaned on the doorframe and whispered with a smile. At that moment. Her phone vibrated. Her business partner had sent her a message. Little Director Zhang, shall we talk about the specifics of our coboration this afternoon? The Little Landy had saved this business partner as ''Yu Keke'' in her contacts. Over a week ago, Yu Keke''s ''Anzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'' began discussions with the Network Security Company. As the general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical, Yu Keke was very invested in this cooperation. As such, she personally liaised with the Little Landy. Perhaps because they were of simr age and hadmon topics to discuss, they became acquainted after a few exchanges. Mmost importantly, Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s general manager Yu Keke was also one of Lin Chuan''s readers. She had subscribed to every one of his books. This sent the Little Landy''s good feelings skyrocketing, and she thought highly of the general manager for her taste, admiring her husband''s books. So, the Little Landy was very much looking forward to this cooperation. Seeing Yu Keke''s message now, the Little Landy held her phone with both hands, her thumbs tapping nimbly on the keyboard, replying, "Of course, I''ll arrange it right away." "I''m very much looking forward to this coboration./rose.jpg" Yu Keke replied. "So am I." Zhang Xinxin''s cheeks formed a smile; this was a big deal and, if negotiated well, could be a long-term partnership. They chatted a few more lines. Finally, they agreed to have the business discussion in the Network Security Company conference room at four o''clock in the afternoon. "Discussing coborations this early?" Then, Lin Chuan came up behind the Little Landy, resting his nose on top of her head and gently sniffing the subtle fragrance that filled his nostrils, his brain clearing a bit from the drowsiness. "Director, you''re awake." Dressed in a light blue gauze nightgown that made her skin look exceptionally fair and soft, the Little Landy leaned back into Lin Chuan''s shoulder and twisted around so she was nestled in his arms. "With my little secretary already hard at work, how could I have the nerve to keep sleeping in?" Lin Chuan joked as he embraced her. "If you''re sleepy, sleep. I can handle things at thepany," the Little Landy lifted her face, her eyes shining brightly. "I should help out with the coborations too," Lin Chuan rubbed the Little Landy''s cheek, his heart going out to the young wealthy woman. A radiant smile immediately broke across her face, clearly delighted: "This afternoon, I have a coboration to discuss with Anzhou Pharmaceutical, but it''s just to work out the specifics. They are very optimistic about ourpany and eager to coborate, so there''s a chance we could turn them into a long-term client." Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Anzhou Pharmaceutical is a well-known pharmacy manufacturer in Anling. Xinxin, you''re getting more and more impressive." "Impressive?" The Little Landy blinked, with a hint of shyness on her face, and asked in a low voice, "Director, which aspect are you referring to?" "Every aspect." Lin Chuan looked down at the glowingly beautiful young wealthy woman and felt his heart race, promptly lifting her into his arms. "Director, you haven''t had breakfast yet!" Her lips bitten, the Little Landy''s cheeks turned a tender shade of pink. "Skipping breakfast is fine," Lin Chuan said, and proceeded to conquer new territories. Over an hourter. The Little Landy waved a white g. "Here''s your dates and goji berries tea; have some to replenish your strength," the Little Landy poured Lin Chuan a cup of nourishing tonic water and handed it to him. Lin Chuan smiled, "You should drink some too." Chapter 258: Chapter 187 Double Sanction? (Seeking Subscriptions)_2 Little Landy blushed, "Let''s talk business, the general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical, Yu Keke, is also your reader. With you stepping in, this deal should be easier to make." "My reader?" Lin Chuan was taken aback and became serious. "That''s right, she has an average subscription to every book of yours," Little Landy said as she peeled another egg and handed it to Lin Chuan. "An average subscription to every book, is she a normal person?" Lin Chuan took the egg and asked teasingly. Goodness! Those who have an average subscription to every book include Little Landy, Shen Qianqian, Xia Qingqing, Old Wang, Old Bai, and a few other utmost true love fans. Not many left indeed. After all, they all deal with crime themes. Continually following Lin Chuan''s crime-themed novels was a bit morbid in itself, and it could indicate being a bit abnormal or having a special status. Never would he have expected a general manager of a pharmacy manufacturer to also read his novels. "Of course, she''s normal. I''ve met her several times. She''s around our age, a mix, and incredibly beautiful. Plus, she speaks Chinese very well," Little Landy said with a beaming smile. "Well, this afternoon I might get to see my reader and coborator then." Lin Chuan grinned. "Right, Chairman, speaking of novels, I''ve seen your reader group moring for updates recently. What''s your next book about?" Little Landy turned into a reader and pressed him for a new book on the spot. Lin Chuan peeled an egg for Little Landy and chuckled, "Have you stopped watching short videos and switched to reading novels?" "Of course, I have to read your novels." Little Landy was somewhat proud. In her eyes, if Lin Chuan''s novels did well, it was as if she seeded too. After all, she was in cahoots with Lin Chuan, sharing glory and disgrace. "What about short videos?" Lin Chuan winked, smiling meaningfully. Little Landy gave Lin Chuan a gentle twist at his waist without using much force, bit her lower lip, and whispered in his ear, "Of course, I still watch them. How else would I collect the rent?" Lin Chuan grinned and unwaveringly took a sip of the jujube goji berry tea. Little Landy smirked and persisted, "You haven''t told me, what''s the next novel about?" "Uh, also crime-themed, but it might be a bit sensitive." Lin Chuan frowned. Zhang Xinxin red, "You''re not going to get thrown into the little ck room, are you?" "Thrown into the little ck room?" Lin Chuan''s face froze, and his brows tightened, "A drug lord theme should be publishable, right?" Little Landy was silent for a while, scrolling through her phone for quite a time before bringing up a news article fromst year and showing it to Lin Chuan. Literature creation should have a bottom line, don''t let the hero''s blood be shed in vain. It mentioned that a popr female-centric novel, which glorified a drug lord''s romance, was suspected of distorting values and whitewashing, morizing criminals, and had been taken down. Lin Chuan''s frown deepened and he murmured to himself, "I forgot about that!" Now, the scrutiny over online novels is greater. For the kind of crime-themed stories written by Lin Chuan, the monitoring was even stricter. This virtual life experience-based novel"ck Ice"might not even get a chance to be published! Lin Chuan''s vision darkened. Previously everything had been too smooth, but now he faced double sanctions. Assessment task: Manufacture a drug with a 99% purity. Novel content: Might be used of severely distorting values, whitewashing the group of criminals. Waterloo, G! "Chairman, I''m just guessing. Why don''t you ask your editor?" Little Landy suggested promptly upon seeing Lin Chuan''s troubled expression. "Yeah, I''ll ask the editor." Lin Chuan immediately took out his phone and sent a message to Youyou, "Youyou, I''ve got a theme, but I''m not sure if it''s feasible." "Are you starting a new book, what''s the theme?" On the other end of the inte, Youyou replied in a second. "The protagonist is an entrepreneur making ''drugs,'' constantly growing and bing stronger, defeatingpetitors, and exporting ''drugs'' overseas. During this process, he reflects and contemtes the value of human nature; that''s roughly the story." Lin Chuan sent a series of messages, outlining the gist of "ck Ice." "Is your ''drug making'' legal?" Youyou looked and hesitated for quite a while before asking. "Eh, what do you think?" Lin Chuan countered. In the Sailing Tower office in Modu, Youyou''s expression froze. How could the ''drug making'' that Lin Chuan was talking about be legitimate and legal? With just a thought of her clean, fair toes, she should have guessed that it was the kind of ''drug making'' that would definitely get shot at. "Darling, this theme is under very strict control right now, there''s no way it can pass the safety check. Publishing this kind of content is not just a bad idea for you, but a harmful one," Youyou replied after taking a deep breath, her tone somewhat solemn. Lin Chuan''s anxious heart finally died. What Youyou said was right, publishing it was not a good idea, but a harmful one. Just the reports alone were enough to cause Lin Chuan a lot of trouble. It''s even possible that he would be called in for several rounds of talks, and getting a package deal wasn''t out of the question either. "Youyou, I got it," Lin Chuan replied nkly. In his heart, he was thinking of a solution. "How about we change direction and make the protagonist a police officer who goes after these ''drug makers''?" Youyou suggested. Lin Chuan chuckled and replied, "I''ve got a bit too much stockpile, can''t change it now." The experiences of life had already automatically generated the novel, and it was almost ready to export. The target was fifty thousand average subscriptions! At most, he could edit to block out some details, but major changes, especially changes to the protagonist''s identity, were clearly impossible. If he rewrote it, it wouldn''t match with the system-generated novel, and even if he met the Poprity Value requirements and passed the assessment, he wouldn''t be able to unlock the next career. On the other end of the inte. Unconsciously, Youyou began to worry. The regtions for web novel reviews were clear, and the type of novel that Lin Chuan wanted to publish was not allowed. But if it couldn''t be published... From what Youyou knew of Lin Chuan, when he said he had a stockpile, it was very likely he had a stockpile of millions of words, ready to finish upon publishing. If he couldn''t publish, it would surely waste a great deal of Lin Chuan''s effort. What to do? Youyou''s heart tightened. Suddenly, An idea shed through her mind, and she immediately sent Lin Chuan a message, "Darling, how about we just publish this book overseas?" "Publish overseas?" When Lin Chuan saw the message, his previously furrowed brows slowly rxed, and his eyes brightened. That''s it, directly publish overseas, not targeting domestic readers but instead focusing on an overseas readership, which was a good choice. "Yes, but the reader base you''ve built up domestically won''t give you a boost for the novel published overseas. It''s like starting over," Youyou exined the pros and cons to Lin Chuan. Whew Lin Chuan took a deep breath, nodded, and replied, "No problem, as long as it can be published." If he couldn''t publish the novel, the reader base wouldn''t have any use anyway, so Lin Chuan had to make a choice. To publish "ck Ice" overseas. "I''ll contact the chief editor and the overseas operations department right away," Editor Youyou immediately started preparing the relevant matters for Lin Chuan. "Thanks, Youyou." Lin Chuan replied, then muttered to himself, directly publishing the novel overseas should have a chance to reach fifty thousand average subscriptions, right? Chapter 259: Chapter 188: This Description Is a Bit Too Detailed, Isnt It? (Please Subscribe) ``` On Modu, Sailing Building. Youyou, dressed in a deep blue waist-cinching long dress, light and graceful, stood outside the editor-in-chief''s office and knocked on the door. Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing looked up and a smile appeared on his face, "Youyou, you''vee at just the right time." Youyou, with a faint smile on her face, walked in. In the office, there was another colleague from Sailing, Youyou recognized her, the manager of the Overseas Operations Department, Chu Wanning. She and Youyou were of simr age, with stunning looks, dressed in a simple and elegant white casual suit, heels on her feet, her skin fair and delicate, straight nose, eyebrows and eyes like a painting, exuding an elegant and mature charm, with a faint smile on her face. "Youyou,e over." Chu Wanning, seeing that the visitor was Youyou, immediately showed a delighted smile and gently patted the sofa beside her. "Manager Chu is also here." Youyou smiled and sat down beside Chu Wanning with ease. "I''ve been waiting for you." Chu Wanning blinked, her face beaming with a smile. Youyou was startled and looked at Chu Wanning and Zhang Yixing, puzzled, "Waiting for me?" In the office, the three gathered around the tea table. Zhang Yixing cheerfully poured a cup of tea for Youyou, "Manager Chu and I were just discussing how to expand the overseas web novel market." "Exactly." Chu Wanning nodded and said seriously, "The overseas web novel market is like an uncultivated wastnd right now. All major tforms are scrambling for readers;petition is fierce. We urgently need to enrich our overseas library and also need some breakthrough works to increase our recognition of Sailing overseas." "The hot-selling types overseas right now are the fantasy and immortal cultivation novels, aren''t they?" Youyou asked. Chu Wanning nodded and said, "Indeed, these types of novels have won over a slice of the overseas readership as a form of cultural export, but they are still not enough to break through. Do you know which work currently has the highest breakthrough index?" Youyou was taken aback, with a guess in her mind, "Are you talking about?" Chu Wanning took a sip of tea and smiled shallowly, "You guessed it right, it''s ''Hacker Kingdom''." Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing took over the conversation with augh, "Although fantasy and cultivation novels are very popr with overseas readers, in terms of single book performance, ''Hacker Kingdom'' is undoubtedly the top one. That''s why we just wanted to call you over and discuss getting Lin Chuan to write another work that''s suitable for going overseas." "Perfect!" Youyou''s eyes lit up, and her face grew visibly excited, "Lin Chuan happens to have a novel that''s not suitable for release in China." Inside the office. Zhang Yixing and Chu Wanning exchanged a look, their faces immediately showing tion. The sess of "Hacker Kingdom" was far ahead of other Sailing''s overseas works. There were also many novels imitating "Hacker Kingdom" that had made a fair amount of money. "What is his new novel about?" Chu Wanning''s face was radiant with a smile, curious. At that time, the person who saw the potential in "Hacker Kingdom" and pushed through all opposition to take it overseas was her. It turned out. Her judgment in books was quite urate. Youyou smiled and replied, "It''s a drug lord type of novel that started with ''making drugs''. It tells the story of producing drugs, selling drugs, defeatingpetitors, reflecting the protagonist''s descent and reflection on the path of crime." Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing furrowed his brows slightly and spoke, "This subject matter is indeed not suitable for domestic release; just the censorship alone would not let it pass." "The scrutiny for overseas works is not as strict; as long as it doesn''t vitews and regtions, it''s allowed to be released." As the manager of Overseas Operations, Chu Wanning understood the extent of censorship very well. The severity of censorship differed between inside and outside the country. The edits of foreign films when they enter domestic cinemas provide a glimpse into this discrepancy. Upon hearing Zhang and Chu''s intentions, Youyou''s face immediately brightened, "That''s great, I''ll contact Lin Chuan right away to send over the work. Would you two be interested in taking a look?" "Of course!" Chu and Zhang responded. The three in the office were in perfect agreement. Youyou immediately messaged Lin Chuan. Since "ck Ice" wasn''t fully exported yet, Lin Chuan chose to send the first hundred thousand words of the opening to Youyou. Youyou was very efficient. She immediately forwarded the opening hundred thousand words of "ck Ice" to Zhang Yixing and Chu Wanning. They took a sip of tea, then eagerly opened the beginning of "ck Ice," with the content appearing on their phone screens. ''My name is Mr. Lin.'' ''You can also call me by another name, the king of the Underworld.'' ''On the surface, I am a well-known businessman in Anzhou.'' ''Behind the scenes, I control the entirety of Anzhou''s underworld, holding sway over the drug market in Anzhou and the routes to the overseas market.'' ''In my life, I have made countless drugs, flooding them overseas.'' ''I have also witnessed countless addicts, so I advise you all to cherish life and stay away from drugs.'' ''As to why I ended up on this path.'' ''The story starts with Lin Pharmaceutical.'' ''...'' Editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing took a sip of tea andughed, "This beginning has Lin Chuan''s personal style all over it." "Exactly, you can tell it''s his work just by the way it startsvery distinctive." Youyou nodded in agreement. Chu Wanning showed her recognition; she had read "Hacker Kingdom" and had specifically studied it for some time, so she could clearly sense Lin Chuan''s writing style. The trio continued reading. ''Lin Pharmaceutical, was apany I started with a loan.'' ''Initially, it was a genuine drug-makingpany.'' Chapter 260: Chapter 188: This Description is a Bit Too Detailed, Right?! (Please Subscribe)_2 ''Until one day, I was selling drugs online, several mysterious phone calls changed my fate.'' ''What is the purity of your drugs?'' ''They used virtual numbers, and that was the very first thing they said.'' ''I considered the quality of the drugs I made to be very high, having been professionally tested by institutions, with a guaranteed purity of at least 99%''. ''So, I answered them truthfully99%''. ''But who knew, the other side wanted to cooperate with me; as long as the goods passed inspection, I would receive a deposit, and if the cooperationsted, there would be a continuous flow of money into my ount.'' ''I was tempted and agreed.'' ''However, when someone came for the inspection, and I personally delivered the highest quality drugs, they cursed at me!'' ''It was then that I realized they wanted a different kind of drug.'' ''I didn''t want to do it, but they offered too much.'' ''Lin Pharmaceutical was already struggling, and without a financial injection, all my efforts would be wasted.'' ''I gritted my teeth and started!'' ''Making that kind of drug actually wasn''t difficult, I checked a lot of tutorials on the dark web and bought small quantities of different raw materials from various locations.'' ''It seems I also have a talent for this.'' ''I first put -bromoketone into a test tube, then poured in hydrochloric acid, methmine...'' ''The first time, I seeded.'' ''...'' Upon reaching this part, editor-in-chief Zhang Yixing furrowed his brows. He pulled at the corner of his mouth and muttered, "Isn''t this a bit too much?" Youyou stopped reading, not sure how to respond for a moment. The description of ''making drugs'' was too detailed, and although certain key items had been obscured, wouldn''t it still provide experience to those determined enough? "This is indeed a bit too much." Chu Wanning nodded, "Just simplify the ''description of making drugs,'' obscure more key items, and there shouldn''t be any problems." Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s a relief." But Chu Wanning looked at Youyou with slightly furrowed brows and aplex expression, asking, "This part ''making drugs'' seems very professional, how does he know how to make this stuff?" "Ah?" Youyou stammered, struggling to give an immediate answer, and could only attempt to exin for Lin Chuan, "Maybe it''s because Lin Chuan did a lot of research." "Really?" Chu Wanning was skeptical. Even with research, one would need rtively specialized technical means to uncover that information, otherwise, even if one wanted to make it, it would be futile. "Is... is that so." Youyou responded,cking confidence. She too was reading this novel for the first time and hadn''t anticipated that Lin Chuan would describe it so meticulously. Someone with just a middle school level of chemistry might be able to produce the drugs following the method described. The description was a bit too detailed! It was fortunate that Lin Chuan had obscured the key items, otherwise, it might have called for severe consequences. "Let''s continue reading for now." Chu Wanning, as the manager of the overseas operations department, had more authority over overseas works. She turned her attention back to the text and kept reading. ''The purity of the drugs I first made reached as high as 85%, which was considered A-grade.'' ''Such quality was enough to satisfy their needs.'' ''But I wasn''t satisfied with this level, I wanted to increase the purity; the higher the purity, the more expensive the drugs.'' ''I plunged headfirst into the whirlpool of drug making.'' ''...'' After finishing the one hundred thousand words, The three of them put down their phones in unison and gathered around the tea table, each taking a sip of tea. Chu Wanning took a deep breath and murmured, "Youyou, what did Lin Chuan do before he started writing web novels?" "Uh, he was a college student." Youyou chuckled awkwardly. "A college student, huh? Did he often break the rules at school?" Chu Wanning asked again. "I don''t know about that." Youyou answered, then quickly countered, "Why do you suddenly ask about what he did before writing novels?" "I just feel that he''s too familiar with the processes of ''making drugs,'' ''selling drugs,'' so I was curious if he might havee into contact with some strange people." Chu Wanning spoke somewhat euphemistically. But Youyou discerned her meaning. Lin Chuan, it''s a punishment. Youyou''s mouth twitched, she retorted, "His novels have always been known for their professionalism, and he''s called a ''technical genre'' author, so it makes sense for him to be more familiar with certain processes. By the way, can this book be released overseas?" Chu Wanning contemted for a long time, finally, she nodded earnestly, "By adding more blocks and recing some key items, it''s possible to release it." After all, "ck Ice" was described too meticulously in some parts, which could easily mislead people. As long as it doesn''t constitute a crime and doesn''t cross the line, there''s no issue with its release. "So long as it can be released, that''s fine." Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, "I''ll get in touch with Lin Chuan and have him prepare the follow-up content." Chu Wanning nodded, "In terms of trantion, we''re now using human + AI, which is faster than before." "How''s the quality of the trantion?" Youyou pursed her lips, asking another question. Chu Wanning smiled gracefully, her clear eyes twinkled as she said, "Youyou, don''t worry about the quality, I will personally oversee it." Actually, she was quite optimistic about this book. It had sufficient boldness, explosive content, and themes that tread on the edge of gray and ck areas, making it easy to quickly attract overseas readers. Included were many deep reflections, it was indeed a good book. The only thing that concerned her was that the readers of this book... might be somewhat special. But whether it would turn out as she imagined, only practice would tell. "If you personally oversee it, then I''m reassured," Youyou was somewhat surprised, but even more so, delighted. With the operations manager personally overseeing it, the quality was guaranteed, and there was no need to mention promotion. The release issues of Lin Chuan''s "ck Ice" were already resolved. Chu Wanning and Zhang Yixing discussed solutions to ''overseas copyright piracy'' of their works. Youyou then left the chief editor''s office, eager to share the good news with Lin Chuan right away. "Honey, your new book can be released overseas!" Inside Linjiang Mansion. Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows and replied with a smile, "Thanks, Youyou!" "It''s because your book is up to standard, and with ''Hacker Kingdom'' as a precursor, otherwise it might not have been possible to publish it," Youyou replied. "''Hacker Kingdom'' was also something you rmended for release overseas," Lin Chuan smiled and responded. "Well, who wouldn''t rmend such a treasure of an author like you? /helpless.jpg" Youyou teased. Lin Chuan chuckled, responding, "Then I''ll organize the manuscript tonight and get ready for publication." "Great, I''ll be waiting for your good news. /rose.jpg" Youyou replied with a smile. Whew With "ck Ice" set for overseas release, Lin Chuan heaved a long sigh of relief. That was a close call! "Chairman, can it be released overseas?" Little Landy, nestled on the sofa, saw Lin Chuan''s sigh of relief and immediately scooted over, full of anticipation. "Yes, it can," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "My chairman is going international, your readers will soon span the entire world," Little Landy''s eyes sparkled like a brilliant constetion. "Expanding into international markets... that''s a pretty good title, otherwise I wouldn''t even know how to exin it to my readers," Lin Chuanughed. "Your readers will have to use a VPN to read," Little Landy pouted. Lin Chuanughed and said, "Don''t worry, they''ll manage to do that. It''s just that I don''t know if they will understand the English edition, haha." Little Landy also smiled, suppressing herughter, "Then let''s get ready to head to thepany and discuss cooperation with your readers." Lin Chuan checked the time, it was almost two in the afternoon. At four o''clock, Yu Keke, the general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical, would arrive at Company 720 to discuss the details of their cooperation. If all went well, they could sign a contract on the spot. "Let''s go, let''s seal the deal with Anzhou Pharmaceutical!" Lin Chuan shed a grin, took Little Landy with him, and headed to thepany to prepare for the coboration with Anzhou Pharmaceutical. Chapter 261: Chapter 189: Could the Little Landlady Really Be a Genius? (Make-up) Four o''clock in the afternoon. Zhongcheng Building, Network Security Company. Outside the window, the sun hung halfway over the western hills, not far from the Company was Riverside Road in Anling, the bright sunshine fell on the river''s surface, and the cool breeze by the riverside twisted around nearby, sweeping away much of the scorching heat. At this moment, the Company had aplete scale, truly looking the part of argework security firm. Lin Chuan, the bona fide chairman. The Little Landy, still the CFO of thepany, also serving as the chairman''s personal secretary. The two were in the spacious conference room, faces bearing faint smiles, and beside them was an original member of the 720 work team, Li Qing. Opposite them sat representatives from Anzhou Pharmaceutical, with Yu Keke in the center. Yu Keke wore a neatly tailored blue suit that made her skin look as white as jade, with a lofty nose bridge and features with a naturally sculpted sense of finesse. Due to her mixed heritage, her gentle face bore a touch of valiance, and when her eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of chilliness would emerge. Lin Chuan''s initial impressionOh, the youth of so many people. "Mr. Lin, I''m very pleased to meet you," Yu Keke came forward, starting with a voice as refreshing as a spring breeze, her Mandarin very standard, very fluent. She didn''t call Lin Chuan ''Director Lin,'' but by his pen name instead. Lin Chuan showed a slight start in his demeanor, smiled, and said, "Hello, reader." Everyone heard this and started tough. A business negotiation seemed to have turned into a fan meet-and-greet, and the distance between the two groups suddenly narrowed considerably. "I''ve always been following your books; I never imagined you also started such a bigwork securitypany," Yu Keke said with a gentle smile, her eyes curious as she looked towards Lin Chuan. "Nor did I expect my reader to be the general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical." Lin Chuan too beganughing. "President Yu, please have a seat here," the Little Landy ushered President Yu and others to take seats around the conference table. Yu Keke nodded lightly, sitting opposite Lin Chuan and the Little Landy,ughing lightly, "Working with the author of a book I like is a novel experience." With a mild smile on his face, Lin Chuan looked at Yu Keke, "I''m looking forward to working with you." "So am I." Yu Keke smiled, her eyes gleaming. After exchanging pleasantries, they got down to the crux of the matter, "Director Lin, our Anzhou Pharmaceutical has been frequently harassed by illegal hackers attempting to steal our research results. I wonder, what measures does yourpany have in ce for this kind of issue?" Lin Chuan turned his head to look at the technical director, Li Qing. Li Qing was well-prepared and gave Yu Keke a detailed introduction to the key technical solutions in front of therge screen. Representatives from Anzhou Pharmaceutical nodded frequently. Yu Keke was quite satisfied. Next, both parties moved on to discuss the specific details of their agreement. As bothpanies had a strong willingness to cooperate and each made concessions, the negotiations went smoothly. Two hourster, they drafted a preliminary agreement. "Director Lin, it''s a pleasure working with you," Yu Keke extended her slender, fair right hand, looking at Lin Chuan with a smile. Lin Chuan also extended his hand, giving it a gentle shake, "The pleasure is all mine." Presently. Yu Keke instructed her colleagues to leave first and turned to Lin Chuan and the Little Landy, smiling awkwardly, "Director Lin, Little Director Zhang, I have something I''d like to ask you." Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised in anticipation, "Ask away, President Yu, though I''m not sure I dare offer guidance." Yu Keke waved her hands, pursing her lips, "This is a personal matter aside from our cooperation. If it''s inconvenient, I can''t trouble you." The Little Landy nced at Yu Keke and said, "President Yu, you might as well talk about it." "Little Director Zhang, you can call me Keke, or by my English name, Coco," Yu Keke said with a beaming smile. Then she turned to Lin Chuan, "Actually, after reading your novels, I''ve always wanted to write one myself, so I wanted to ask for some tips from you, Writer Lin, on how to write a novel." The Little Landy pursed her lips, letting out a lightugh, "Then I shall call you Sister Keke. As for writing novels, just ask our chairman, with your genuine fan love, he definitely won''t refuse." At this moment, there were only the three of them in the conference room. "Really?" Yu Keke blinked, looking towards Lin Chuan. "My CFO has spoken!" Lin Chuan looked at the Little Landy and thenughed, "Of course, it''s possible. But I must issue a disimer first; I might not teach you something correctif it flops, you can''t me me." Yu Keke''sughter shook like peals of flowers: "With the guidance of the famous Mr. Lin, even if it flops, I''ll just rewrite it and surely it will take off." "Chairman, Sister Keke, you two talk first. I''ll go get you a cup of water," the Little Landy said. Yu Keke quickly grabbed the Little Landy, whispering in her ear, "Xinxin, it wouldn''t be appropriate for me to stay alone with your chairman. If someone with intentions saw us, it would lead to gossip and could affect your rtionship. Just consider it keeping mepany for a lesson." The Little Landy turned to look at Yu Keke''s sincere face, thinking to herself that it was no wonder she could be a general manager at such a young age, considering the issues quiteprehensively and taking the bigger picture into ount. With that thought. The Little Landy''s affection for Yu Keke grew a bit more. Yu Keke pulled the Little Landy to sit down, looked towards Lin Chuan, and said, "Writer Lin, I''m somewhat envious of youyou write great novels, you''re the chairman of apany, and you have such a good girl like Xinxin as your wise helper." "Just lucky, just lucky, all these are Xinxin''s credit," Lin Chuan replied with a smile. Compliments made the Little Landy a bit embarrassed, "Weren''t you going to talk about how to write novels? How did the conversation turn to me?" Chapter 262: Chapter 189: Could the Little Landlady Really Be a Genius? (Make-up) _2 Lin Chuanughed, looking at Yu Keke, "President Yu''s proficiency in Chinese is very high, already enough to write a novel." "I grew up in the country from a young age," Yu Keke said with a candid smile. Lin Chuan suddenly realized, "No wonder, my understanding of novels is not very deep, but after hitting the streets for quite a while and reading quite a few books, I should be able to talk theory pretty well." "Director Lin is being modest." Yu Keke said with a smile, "Actually, I''ve already written the opening 20,000 words for a male-oriented urban genre. I''m taking the opportunity today to ask you to have a look." Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, "You''ve already written it?" Yu Keke nodded, "Yes, shall I send it to you now?" "Sure," Lin Chuan nodded. The two added each other as friends, and Yu Keke sent the 20,000-word opening to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan rarely let readers see his drafts; he always felt his own level wasn''t enough. Only his good brother Old Wang had ever seen them. Now, a partner and reader, Yu Keke, had asked Lin Chuan for some advice. Both emotionally and rationally, in terms of public and private interests, Lin Chuan had no reason to refuse. So he decided to take a look. The 20,000 words were fluidly written, penned with skill, and they roughly described an aspiring young man developing new drugs. "How is it?" Yu Keke leaned forward with an expectant look, waiting for the mentor''s critique, without the airs of a general manager. "It''s very professional, but the story is a bit weak," Lin Chuan mused for a moment before giving his honest opinion. Lin Chuan had originally thought that Yu Keke might just be writing casually to satisfy a reader''s dream of writing. The authors'' writing is too crappy, let me show off a little! But unexpectedly, the general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical had written with such earnestness and careful craftsmanship visible between the lines; it was clear she took it seriously. The only minor w was the storytelling. "Storytelling?" Yu Keke revealed a hint of confusion on her face. Indeed, this was a blind spot in her knowledge. In recent days, she had postponed a lot of her work. Each night, she would devote herself entirely to the novel, and it took quite an effort to write those 20,000 wordskilling plenty of brain cells in the process. "Yes." Lin Chuan nodded and exined, "The professional aspect is strong, which will let your readers learn more about your profession. Storytelling, on the other hand, adds to the enjoyment of reading. Just having professionalism without storytelling makes it a bit like a paper or report." Yu Keke nodded, half understanding, "So you''re saying, I should add some character conflicts and shes?" "You catch on quick," said Lin Chuan, raising an eyebrow. This reader seemed to have some real talent. Yu Keke beamed with joy at the praise, looking at Lin Chuan with some admiration, "Teacher Lin is a great teacher. Should I add some obstacles he encounters while developing new drugs?" "Right," Lin Chuan nodded. The Little Landy listening to the side also felt as if she was catching on. However, from constant exposure and deep conversation, she too hade to read quite a bit of web fiction. In her mind, she attempted to construct a story of her own. The Little Landy wrote down the word ''Drugs'' in her notebook. Then, ncing at Lin Chuan, she added the word ''Fake'' in front of ''Drugs''. She enjoyed reading crime stories by Lin Chuan. Selling fake drugs fit right into her reading genre. The prison-themed genre. On the other side, Lin Chuan mentioned to Yu Keke, "Considering the direction of your story, it''s obviously story-oriented, not a ''short, fast, straight-to-the-point'' type of brainstorming routine story. Thus, you''ll also need a ''theme''." "Theme, could Director Lin borate?" Yu Keke earnestly sought advice. Lin Chuan then exined to Yu Keke what a ''theme'' entailed. The Little Landy listened attentively, murmuring to herself that her novel would need a theme too. She looked at Lin Chuan. The current Lin Chuan, spirited and vibrant, was a far cry from his dispirited self when hitting rock bottom. The Little Landy seriously pondered for a while. One of the reasons, apart from her own nourishment, was a crucial factor. Money. The Little Landy thoroughly agreed with this rationale and turned her gaze to the words ''Fake Drugs'' in her notebook. Selling fake drugs was utterly unconscionable, the deed of scum; clearly, this theme wouldn''t work. She needed to write a theme that involved selling fake drugs but didn''t portray the seller as scum. The Little Landy scribbled circles in her notebook, scratching her head, and finally wrote down a sentence: In this world, there is only one sickness: poverty. She suddenly had an epiphany. A story outline about selling fake medicine was rapidly forming in her mind. "I need to write it with more expertise, so the protagonist''s upation for now will be... openly selling miracle oil, secretly selling fake medicine. For the fake medicine, I can consult Sister Keke, and for the punishment for selling fake drugs, I can ask Sister Qianqian, hee hee hee..." Little Landy Zhang Xinxin thought delightedly to herself. She wanted to quietly write a novel that would astonish Lin Chuan. "What should the title be?" Little Landy slightly lifted her head, pursing her lips. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and she wrote down five big characters in her notebook: "I Am Not the Medicine God." Afterward, she closed the notebook contentedly, picked an auspicious day, and began writing. If Lin Chuan saw the contents of her notes, he would certainly be astounded. If this story were really written, it would surely be a criminal-themed masterpiece of human nature! The student surpasses the master! Could Little Landy actually be a genius!? On the other side. Yu Keke, listening to Lin Chuan''s exnation, was also nodding in satisfaction. Clearly, the two people in the audience, Yu Keke and Zhang Xinxin, both benefited greatly. "Thanks for the advice, Writer Lin. I feel my book is going to be very strong." Yu Keke''s eyes almost sparkled with stars, satisfying the vanity within Lin Chuan''s heart. Lin Chuan smiled, "You are, after all, a professional in this field." "When I have time, I must treat you and Xinxin to a meal." Yu Keke giggled, "Xinxin, do you agree?" "Of course, I agree." Regaining her senses, Little Landy showed a smile. Yu Keke was always considerate of her feelings, making her feel rxed andfortable. "Thank you for today, Xinxin and Director Lin." Yu Keke tactfully chose to end the conversation of their first meeting. Lin Chuan and Little Landy escorted her to the door and watched her drive away. "Xinxin, what were you writing in that notebook just now?" Back in the Chairman''s office, Lin Chuan asked curiously. Hugging the notebook tightly, Little Landy tilted her head andughed, "It''s a secret, I can''t tell you yet." "My Xinxin also has little secrets now." Lin Chuan tapped Little Landy''s nose, teasing her in a yful and mature tone. Only. Lin Chuan wasn''t much older than the recently graduated college student Zhang Xinxin. "Of course," Zhang Xinxin wrinkled her nose with a yfulugh, "By the way, Chairman, Keke seemed really considerate of my feelings. Can I ask her more about drugs?" "Asking about drugs isn''t illegal, of course you can," Lin Chuanughed. "That''s great." Little Landy smiled knowingly. "But don''t let her lure you away," Lin Chuan cautioned. "Ah, lure away?" In the Chairman''s office, Little Landy sat on Lin Chuan''sp, her hands on his neck, pouting, "I''m not a lesbian." Lin Chuan chuckled, "Whether or not you''re a lesbian, I would know. What I mean is, she''s quite attentive to you, every move seems like she''s trying to gain your favor." "Are you saying that Keke wants to lure me away?" After speaking, Little Landy Zhang Xinxin felt the word ''lure away'' was not quite right and somewhat disrespectful towards Yu Keke. Lin Chuan smiled and exined, "That''s not what I mean. It''s probably just her way of dealing with things. It''s also part of the personal charm that allows her to be the general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical. She might inadvertently attract you." "So, you''re worried that Keke will lure me away?" Little Landy moved closer to Lin Chuan, blinking her eyes. "Could she lure you away?" Lin Chuan wrapped his arms tighter around Little Landy. With a pursed smile, Little Landy straddled Lin Chuan''s legs, "I''m still waiting for your rent." "You were begging for mercy this morning." Lin Chuan flicked Little Landy''s nose,ughing. With a resigned expression and a blush on her face, Little Landy teased, "When I''m recovered, I''ll make you beg for mercy!" Lin Chuanughed, "I''ll be waiting." That night, Little Landy and Lin Chuan signed a ceasefire agreement, with both of them striving for sess in their careers. Little Landy quietly conceived her "I Am Not the Medicine God." And, she was also looking into ''the channels for trafficking fake drugs.'' Lin Chuan, on the other hand, sent "ck Ice" to editor Youyou, preparing to move on to overseas operations for trantion and to get ready for release abroad. Chapter 263: Chapter 190: This is Illegal! (Asking for Subscriptions) A weekter, at the beginning of August. "ck Ice" was released overseas as scheduled, signed contracts, and was listed, while the system panel in Lin Chuan''s mind refreshed. [Work: "ck Ice".] [Current Status: Listed.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/50000.] [Assessment Task: Manufacture drugs with 99% purity (pendingpletion).] Because the overseas operations department of Sailing Novel was very optimistic about Lin Chuan''s "ck Ice," they arranged for an overseas feature promotion and pop-up notifications immediately. ... In a studio full of sci-fi atmosphere in North Bear, HK. A girl with delicate and stereoscopic features and fair skin was wearing washed tight jeans and a ck off-shoulder chiffon blouse, concentrating on theputer screen filled with a dazzling array of windows. Her slender and long fingers were quickly operating on a pink and blue keyboard. It was Angelina. Suddenly. Her phone vibrated next to theputer, and a pop-up notification from ''Sailing Novel'' appeared in the notification bar. She had intentionally not blocked its notifications. [Ding! The author you follow has released a new novel!] ["ck Ice," a story about a drug lord''s journey from degeneration to sudden repentance!] "Eh? Idol has released a new book!" A touch of joy immediately surfaced on Angelina''s pretty face. Since thest "Hacker Kingdom," she hade to regard Lin Chuan as the ''God of Hackers.'' Indeed. Lin Chuan nted a bright red g in AW''s ''domain,'' shaking the entire hacker circle. Many hackers wanted to get to know this ''God of Hackers.'' However, upon subsequent investigation, they found Lin Chuan''s information was nearly impossible to trace. They had no way of tracking down Lin Chuan. Angelina of course knew that this was Lin Chuan''s self-protection measure, so she also kept her lips sealed and did not publicize this. After all, that was her idol. But over the past three or four months, she had read "Hacker Kingdom" over and over so many times, learning a lot of its technology. During this time, Angelina had repeatedly urged Lin Chuan to write a second part of "Hacker Kingdom." Only Lin Chuan said he had no such n for now. Angelina thought it was a pity. Now, she saw Lin Chuan release a new book, an overseas edition no less. Without a second thought, she immediately put aside her work and clicked through the pop-up. "ck Ice?" Upon seeing the title, Angelina thought it wasn''t a second part of "Hacker Kingdom," yet she was also very curious. Had Lin Chuan also ventured into the realm of drug lords? Being one of the top hackers in the world and situated in North Bear, she inevitably dealt with some transactions on the dark web. Especially those rted to arms, spies, and mercenaries. Like now, she was dealing with arge arms supplier"Lockheed." Of course. She also knew quite a few drug lords. "Angelina, have you acquired thetest firearms research data from Lockheed?" A voice in North Bearnguage reached her ears from the side. Angelina nced sideways and replied indifferently, "Lockheed is very vignt toward us; it''s not easy to breach their defenses right now. Let''s shelve it." "Shelve it... okay then, the boss has assigned us a new task." A North Bear young man walked over to her. Angelina''s brows furrowed slightly, "What task?" "A new-type drug has recently emerged. Its type of smell is different from the usual. There are worries it might enter our territory and corrupt the masses, so we need to get our hands on its information asap to take preventative measures." "New-type drugs?" Angelina''s frown deepened and she responded, "In my surveince range, currently only a few drug manufacturers are developing new products. Is there an issue with your surveince scope?" The young man''s face flushed with embarrassment: "This matter is urgent; the higher-ups hope we can find the information quickly." "Alright then." Angelina pursed her lips in resignation and said, "Same old rules. You identify the correspondingpanies, I''ll take care of the attack, let me know when you have the targetpany, okay? Now, I''m going to read novels." The young man nced at Angelina''s phone screen, which was ck as she was using a privacy filter, "What''s so interesting about novels?" Angelina looked up and shot a nce at the young man: "You don''t understand the value of my idol. Get on with your work." Both heldparable ranks within the "HK" hacker organization of North Bear, but Angelina clearly had more authority. With Angelina''s word, the young man didn''t dare to disturb her further. Afterward. Angelina pushed aside the ''new firearms data task from Lockheed Company'' and the ''new-type drugs task,'' and muttered in North Bearnguage: "Drugs? What could be more addictive than my idol''s novels?" Clutching her phone, she opened Lin Chuan''stest novel "ck Ice." The content of the novel caught her eyes. ''My name is Mr. Lin.'' ''You may also call me by another name, the King of the Underworld.'' ''On the surface, I''m a well-known entrepreneur in Anzhou.'' ''Behind the scenes, I control the entire underworld of Anzhou, dominating the drug market of Anzhou and the overseas routes.'' ''In my life, I''ve manufactured countless drugs, flooding foreign markets.'' ''...'' Extremely satisfied, Angelina''s face lit up with a smile, and she murmured: "It''s the familiar taste, my idol''s autobiography, awesome!" Continuing to read. She read about how ''Mr. Lin'' step by step expanded ''Lin Pharmaceutical'' and flooded foreign markets with drugs. Chapter 264: Chapter 190: This is Illegal! (Asking for Subscriptions)_2 Angelina''s reading speed was incredibly fast; she powered through the million words of "ck Ice" from morning till night without stopping. She didn''t even eat lunch or dinner. Even after reaching the end, Angelina''s face carried a lingering fondness, as if she was savoring Mr. Lin''s narcotics trafficker life. "This is the autobiography of my idol, amazing!" A look of utter satisfaction appeared on Angelina''s face, her lips slightly upturned, her fingers involuntarily opened QQ. Immediately after, she involuntarily opened Lin Chuan''s chat window. It waste at night at the North Bear hacker organization HK''s studio, the night sky hung low, neon lights mottled like scattered stars, in the deep quiet night, only the sprites whispered. However, at this time, Angelina was full of energy. She sent Lin Chuan a message, "Idol, I finally got to see your new book!" The time difference between Angelina''s location and Anling by the Han River was not significant. By chance, Lin Chuan wasn''t asleep either. Lin Chuany back on the sofa in the living room, and when he saw Angelina''s message pop up on QQ, he replied with a slight smile, "Angelina, you found my new book so quickly!" This hacker from North Bear gave Lin Chuan the feeling of a little international fan. In Lin Chuan''s heart, a sense of pride inevitably rose. I even have devoted readers in North Bear! Indeed, it was something to be proud of. Right after that, Angelina''s next sentence made Lin Chuan even prouder. She replied immediately, "Idol, what you don''t know is, I have already seen ''ck Ice''!/proud.jpg" Lin Chuan was momentarily stunned, then grinned and replied, "That''s the information capturing ability of a world-ss hacker!/thumbs_up.jpg" Angelina first replied with a ''/haha.jpg'' emoji. Then, she said in Chinese, "I have learned quite a few techniques from Hacker Kingdom, and to thank you, I think I can help you promote ''ck Ice''. My friends will definitely like it!" "No, no!" Lin Chuan hurriedly refused. Angelina''s way of promoting was too hardcore. This could mean hacking into someone''swork and forcibly imnting advertisements. If she wanted, she could even make the targeted users automatically pay to read Lin Chuan''s novel. Of course, Lin Chuan had such technology too. But. Firstly, the system doesn''t allow such data maniption; it demands genuine data. Secondly, that stuff... it''s illegal! Lin Chuan had his goals set; he was determined not to be a criminal suspect! The interrogation rooms with their little ck cells are best visited less often. After all, not all interrogation room ck cells feel like home, as those at the Anling Police Station do. On the other side, A smile appeared on Angelina''s pretty face, and she sent another message to Lin Chuan, "Idol, are you nning to expand the market overseas?" "That was a helpless move." Lin Chuan replied, forcing a dryugh. The domestic web novel environment does not allow stories where a ''narcotics trafficker'' is the protagonist, even if this trafficker ultimatelyes to his senses, it won''t pass the review. So, I had no choice but to go overseas. "So, do you have any ns to enter the North Bear market with your drug business?" Angelina asked. Lin Chuan''s eyebrows scrunched together, and hisplexion froze, "Angelina, I was talking about the development of my novel business, what are you talking about?" Inside the HK studio. Angelina was also taken aback for a moment, her beautiful face twitched, and she asked, "I was just asking if you are preparing to expand your drug business overseas." Lin Chuan: "???" His face darkened, feeling like even a plunge into the Yellow River couldn''t cleanse him. Angelina, the hacker fan, thought he really was a major narcotics trafficker. "Idol, why are you sending these question marks, what do you want to ask?" Angelina didn''t understand the meaning behind sending three question marks in a row, so she asked naively. Lin Chuanughed awkwardly, then seriously exined, "Angelina, ''ck Ice'' is just a novel; everything in it is fictional and should not be taken as reality." Angelina, confused, "Isn''t this based on your experience?" She experienced Lin Chuan''s hacker skills in "Hacker Kingdom", and Lin Chuan also disyed a wave in reality. This made her naively think that these were Lin Chuan''s real experiences. Only real experiences could be so vivid, so true to life, making the reader feel as though they were living it, as if tasting his life itself. "Angelina, ''ck Ice'' is a work of fiction, I''m really not a big drug lord." Lin Chuan replied. I abide by thew, I haven''tmitted any crimes! Completely innocent! Angelina was half-convinced and replied, "Okay, I misunderstood you. I thought you also manufactured and sold drugs, I even wanted to ask you a few questions about it." In ''ck Ice'', she had seen several drugs that hadn''t appeared in the market. Therefore, she wanted to ask Lin Chuan whether these were real or fake. "Regarding the drugs, I can''t reply to that, let''s stop here." Lin Chuan quickly ended the topic. The novel is purely fictional, do not confuse it with reality. "Okay, idol, my Chinese isn''t good enough, and I still have some difficulty reading Chinese novels. Will you be publishing your stories overseas in the future?" Angelina asked. "I suppose I will." Lin Chuan couldn''t give a precise answer. Actually, it all depends on the system, or on one''s own luck. If I am blessed by fortune and draw a prestigious normal profession, I probably won''tunch it overseas first. If it''s something that could easily get me thrown into jail, like ''drug lord'', and isn''t allowed in the domestic environment, then I willunch overseas. "I''d like to make a small suggestion." Angelina replied. "Please, do tell." "Your novels are really good, whether it''s ''Hacker Kingdom'' or ''ck Ice'', they are very engaging, but we overseas readers don''t have many ces to discuss your work. If you want to break into the overseas market, you might want to set up some forums." Angelina gave Lin Chuan a suggestion. So far, readers of "Hacker Kingdom" mostly discuss it on the international edition of the Sailing Novel app. However, the Sailing Novel international app isn''t widely known, which isn''t conducive to the external promotion of the work. That is, it doesn''t break out of its niche. Phenomenal literary works always have dedicated forums or have their own sections in popr applications. This is immensely helpful for maintaining reader loyalty and poprity of the work. Lin Chuan nodded his head, really appreciating Angelina''s suggestion: "Your proposal is excellent." Angelina smiled with pursed lips, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor. Holding her phone, she eagerly volunteered and quickly replied, "Idol, what do you think of me doing this job?" "You already have an idea?" Lin Chuan arched an eyebrow; this little hacker fan sure thinks on her feet. "I n to create a section on thergest International Forum as the discussion base for your readers and as the window for external publicity. I think the effect would be quite good," Angelina replied. Lin Chuan''s eyes lit up. This was indeed a very good promotional tactic. After all, the Poprity Value (Average Subscription) for ''ck Ice'' needs to reach 50,000. But the user base of the Sailing Novel international app isn''t very big. Just relying on its rmendations to support ''ck Ice'' reaching 50,000 subscriptions could be hopeless in a short span of time. But by creating a section on thergest forum for "Hacker Kingdom" and "ck Ice", it would be like using existing readers to attract new ones. At the same time, it would also promote "Hacker Kingdom" and "ck Ice". With that thought. Lin Chuan immediately replied, "Your idea is awesome!/ThumbsUp.jpg" "Then I''ll start creating it now!" Angelina, deeply invested in her idol ''God of Hackers'', was very enthusiastic, having learned a lot of techniques from Lin Chuan''s novels. Moreover, setting up a forum section and operating it was just a piece of cake for her. In just ten minutes. A section called ''Underworld'' appeared on thergest International Forum. Of course. Angelina used a little bit of her skills to stick the ''Underworld'' section at the top of the forum. Instantly. A motley crew of characters clicked into the ''Underworld''. Chapter 265: Chapter 191 Brother, do you have the goods? (Please subscribe) Users of the International Forum span the globe. It boasts a vast user basenotably, this is thanks to its open and liberal discussion environment, which means its userse from every domain. Here, there are not only police officers and cyber police from various countries, but also business elites, students, teachers, researchers, artists, writers, and other diverse characters. Users from different fields and backgrounds form this diverse forum. The "Underworld" section appeared in the vision of the International Forum''s wide user base on this day. Currently, it was empty. There were only two novel links and their respective synopses. "Hacker Kingdom". "ck Ice". The first ones to enter, naturally, were the cyber police from various countries. They casually clicked to follow and, finding it barren without achievements, left with waning interest. At this time. Angelina rallied her friends and, in the "Hacker Kingdom" area, she listed some of the technical aspects of "Hacker Kingdom" on the front page as a technical post to engage in extensive discussions with hackers around the world. "Hacker Kingdom" was deeply influenced by North Bear. Being a goddess-like figure in the hackermunity, Angelina''s call to action was tremendously powerful; a series of astonishing hacking techniques didn''t take much time to appear on the forum. Hackers swarmed in. The poprity of the "Underworld" quickly surged. As for the "ck Ice" area, Angelina took charge of it herself. She must have been one of the first readers of "ck Ice"; thus, the ''drug-making'' techniques within were something only she could swiftly locate and extract from the novel. Angelina truly lived up to her reputation as a world-ss hacker. The first ''drug-making'' technique from "ck Ice" appeared on the "Underworld" forum section half an hourter. [Featured Post: The first installment of jail-bound techniques extracted from "ck Ice"!] [Author: Mr. Lin.] [Name: Common Drugs.] [Raw Materials: -bromophencetone, methmine, hydrochloric acid, ***, ***, ***.] [Required Equipment: sk, stirrer, thermometer, gas mask, pH paper, pH meter.] [Procedure: The reaction of ''-bromophencetone'' with methmine and hydrochloric acid to produce -methminophencetone hydrochloride, ] [Effects: (Purely negative) Long-term abuse can lead to chronic poisoning, characterized by acute poisoning reactions such as mental excitement and hyperactive behavior. Intense activity after abuse leads to physiological burnout, while cessation leads to symptoms such as drowsiness, lethargy, and depressioncentral nervous system depressant symptoms, etc.] [Sentencing Standards: Refer to the criminal punishment standards of various countries, click ''here'' to jump to the relevantws of different countries and view the sentencing standards.] [Urgent Advice: Cherish your life, stay away from ''drugs'', and if already involved, quit immediately!] [...] Because the "ck Ice" novel did not fully rify the raw materials and the specific steps, the key parts used ''***'' in ce. There''s no need to worry that users will start ''making drugs'' based on the method above. After this post was published. The "ck Ice" area of the "Underworld" immediately became active. Users who clicked in left messages to discuss. [The technical post released by the original poster, makingmon ''drugs,'' is very professional!] [Jail-bound technique looks quite thrilling!] [ck Ice, is this a novel?] [It''s unbelievable that a novel would record such techniques!] [I suspect the original poster and the author are engaging in some sort of novel form of business.] [Original poster, I want to ask, do you supply? How do you do it?] [Same question! Original poster, private message me!] [...] Of course, most of those who asked publicly were just joking or phishing; those who truly had a need were already privately messaging Angelina. Some people actually clicked into the novel, then tried to contact the author Lin Chuan. Others wanted to locate Lin Chuan''s position. ... The next day, early morning. In Anling City, the sky gradually lightened, and a hazy mist like a thin veil shrouded the river''s surface. The water was still, asionally disturbed by a few early-moving boats, the sound of water gentlypping against the hull forming a distant melody. Lin Chuan was not one to oversleep and had woken up early. The Little Landy was still deep in sleep. Lately, she was always sneakily hugging herptop, and Lin Chuan thought she had started watching short videos again. Lin Chuan kissed the Little Landy''s forehead softly, got out of bed, brushed his teeth and washed his face, then walked to theputer room and turned on theputer. Last night, Angelina had talked a lot with him. Today, he wanted to see how the "Underworld" section was shaping up. Before going to sleep the night before, Lin Chuan had already registered an ount on the International Forum, going by the name ''Mr. Lin''. Lin Chuan''s fingers lightly tapped the keyboard, moving the mouse. The International Forum opened with ease. When logging into the International Forum, Lin Chuan used a virtual IP and a virtual ISP, a good habit for a hacker. The homepage of the International Forum was simple, devoid of pop-up ads. Clear to Lin Chuan''s view was the homepage''s header, the message bar, where a little red dot was disyed. Inside the red dot was an Arabic numeral. 528. Lin Chuan''s brow furrowed and his movements hesitated for a moment, his face showing surprise, "So many notifications?" With curiosity and bewilderment, he clicked on the messages. Among the 528 messages, 3 were system notificationslike Angelina marking ''Mr. Lin'' as an ''author''. The other 525 messages were all private messages. "So many private messages, are they all from readers?" Lin Chuan felt something unusual about these messages. ``` It turned out his intuition was very urate. After opening the private message, he was puzzled. [Bro, do you have "Drug No. 2" in stock?] [Buddy, I''ve seen theption of ''drug'' recipes by the moderator, it''s apparent that you''re skilled. Which organization are you with now, and would you be interested in jumping ship to us? High sry awaits, name your price!] [What are the three key raw materials for ''Drug No. 3'' that are blocked? I''ve tried several and none of them are correct. Could you please inform me? A substantial reward is offered! Don''t be ungrateful!] [Author, you are truly incredible! I have a lot of questions and would like to seek offline guidance from you!] [Is it convenient to deliver the goods? It''s arge quantity, what''s the price?] [Brothers, with such talents, why squat in thework as a bum of a writer? Are you interested in mixing with me? The Golden Triangle will make you soar!] [...] Huh Lin Chuan quickly browsed through these private messages, his head buzzing: "Aren''t these people a little too urate?" All of these users, without exception, were using unknown IPs. They were using virtual IPs as well. Lin Chuan could already imagine how many police, cyber police, and intelligence organization personnel were active in this section! Thank goodness for the virtual IP, or he might have had to deal with Interpol by now. After some thought, Lin Chuan installed a plug-in and uniformly replied to these private messages: "I apologize, but I am just a web novel writer. All the ''drugs'' depicted are fictional and cannot actually be produced." As for whether they believed him or not, Lin Chuan had no idea. Lin Chuan looked at the system panel in his mind. [Work: "ck Ice".] [Status: Released and published overseas.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 1927/50000.] [Assessment Task: Produce a ''drug'' with 99% purity (pendingpletion).] ... Anling Police Station, Cyber Security Detachment. At dawn, streaks of golden sunlight filtered through sparse clouds, outlining the silhouette of the police station and spilling into the hall of the Cyber Security Detachment. A gentle breeze fluttered by, branches swayed, and the birds chirped on the branches, just as busy as the Anling cyber police. Xia Qingqing, dressed in a dark blue uniform, had her police cap ced on the table. Her skin was fair and delicate, her features beautiful and pure, still rocking a neat, clean-cut short hairdo that revealed her elegant swan neck. Then, somewhat absently, she walked towards the meeting room to join the Cyber Security Detachment''s morning meeting. It was the routine of Cyber Security Detachment. Inside the meeting room, the detachment head, Captain Yu Shan, looked around the room. Once everyone had arrived, he began, "Comrades, I received a message from the drug enforcement team yesterday. They reported that recently, a new type of suspected ''drug'' has emerged in our Anling." Everyone became alert. Xia Qingqing also gathered her thoughts and looked towards Yu Shan, waiting for his next words. Handling cases, especially big ones, in the police station was never the sole responsibility of a single detachment. It often involved the coordination of multiple detachments. For example, the suspected new-type ''drug'' that appeared in Anling needed its source and distribution channels to be traced. This would not be possible without theprehensive surveince of the Cyber Security Detachment on the inte. As expected. Yu Shan continued with a heavy voice: "Just as you may have guessed, Anling has always been a civilized city. The sudden appearance of this kind of ''addictive drug,'' and it being suspected as a ''new-type drug,'' requires our Cyber Security Detachment to focus our work on surveince rted to ''drugs''." "Additionally, both the drug enforcement team and the drugboratory have yet to acquire detailed information on this ''new-type drug,'' making it difficult to establish preventative measures. We also need to investigate to obtain detailed information about it." "..." Captain Yu Shan of the Cyber Security Detachment outlined the focus of the uing tasks, one by one. Xia Qingqing took her notes seriously. Soon, the morning meeting concluded. "Officer Xia, wait a moment," Yu Shan called out to Xia Qingqing. Just as Xia Qingqing got up from her seat, she was slightly taken aback, "Captain Yu, do you have any further instructions?" Yu Shan smiled and said, "Officer Xia, you are a valuable member of our Cyber Security Detachment. Now, I''m entrusting you with an important and challenging task." "Captain Yu, what task?" Xia Qingqing looked puzzled. Yu Shan pulled out a document from those on the table and handed it to Xia Qingqing, his tone serious, "This is the limited information provided by the drugboratory. It records the symptoms of the suspected ''new-type drug'' and some items that might be raw materials for the ''new-type drug.'' Your job is to gather detailed information on this ''new-type drug''." Xia Qingqing took the document. It read: Information rting to the suspected new-type drug. [Name: (provisional) New-type drug.] [Origin: None.] [Sample: None.] [Method of use: Oral.] The symptoms were recorded in detail. However, the sections for the origin and sample were nk. After scanning the document briefly, Xia Qingqing chuckled dryly, "Captain Yu, this task is indeed challenging." Yu Shanughed, "I believe it won''t stump you!" "Is there a time limit?" Xia Qingqing asked. Yu Shan shook his head, "There''s no time limit, but the sooner the better." Xia Qingqing pursed her lips and took a deep breath, "This kind of information search is mostly rted to the confidential production records of ''drug''panies, it''s very difficult to find, but I''ll do my best." "I understand, do what you can, finding even the slightest clue would be a major breakthrough!" Yu Shan was aware of the task''s difficulty. Xia Qingqing nodded. Then, she left the meeting room and sat down in front of theputer. While reviewing the contents of the file, she began investigating clues rted to the ''new-type drug''. ``` Chapter 266: Chapter 193: Stop Always Thinking About Torturing Me! (Please Subscribe) ``` But the inte is so vast! Trying to fish out the detailed data of an undisclosed secret "new-type drugs" from the vast inte is almost like a wild goose chase! A whole day passed. From dawn till dusk, Xia Qingqing''s originally clear eyes now carried a hint of murkiness. Herputer screen was crowded with different link windows. Without exception, not a single clue was found. Investigating the "detailed data of new-type drugs" was like searching for a needle in a haystack! Difficult! "Sigh..." Xia Qingqing let out a light sigh. At that moment, a delicate face appeared in her mind, and she thought to herself, maybe he could do it. Ever since Lin Chuan and the Little Landy got together, Xia Qingqing had been very self-aware and seldom contacted Lin Chuan. However, not contacting him gave rise to some ethereal thoughts, making her somewhat irritable, like she was experiencing PMS, inexplicably vexed and perturbed. All she could do was throw herself into her work. By this time, her daytime colleagues had already left, and those on the night shift had arrived. Xia Qingqing had yet to leave her seat. Outside the window, the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled its golden light, painting the city in a warm shade of light yellow, and the evening clouds floating on the horizon looked like a thinyer of golden gauze. The soft yellow afterlight shone on Xia Qingqing''s face, her gaze still focused on theputer screen. ''Ring ring ring'' At that moment, her phone began to ring. Shen Qianqian called. "Qianqian, what''s up?" Xia Qingqing picked up the phone with one hand, pressed the answer button, and rubbed her dry eyes with the other. "Qingqing, do you have ns for tonight?" From the phone came Shen Qianqian''s soft voice. "Not really." Xia Qingqing pursed her lips and responded. Most of her evenings these days were spent reading novels, scrolling through videos, and asionally ying games for entertainment. "Are youing for the five-person team gaming tonight?" Shen Qianqian asked. "Five-person team gaming?" Xia Qingqing had intended to decline, but then she asked, "Who''s going to be there?" On the phone. Shen Qianqianughed, "Qiqi, Old Wang, me, Lin Chuan." Xia Qingqing pursed her lips again, thought for a moment, and then said, "Okay, let''s game together tonight!" "Great, I''lle to pick you up at your ce," Shen Qianqianughed. "Qianqian, I''m still here at the brigade,e pick me up here," Xia Qingqing looked around and said. "It''s after six already, your department has to work overtime?" Shen Qianqian asked. Xia Qingqing shook her head, "Just checking some data, didn''t find anything, will continue tomorrow." "If you can''t find it, have Lin Chuan help you look, he''s skilled." Shen Qianqian said frankly. Xia Qingqing was somewhat coy, "I..." "Qingqing, don''t be shy, this is serious business," Shen Qianqianforted. Xia Qingqing smiled faintly and said, "Alright, if I really can''t find it, I''ll ask Lin Chuan for help." "Okay, I''ming to pick you up now," Shen Qianqian said cheerily. "Hmm." Xia Qingqing uttered a hum, then her face revealed a rare smile, a sense of rxation and even faint anticipation. It seemed she hadn''t seen Lin Chuan, Old Wang, Qiqi, and her other gaming friends for a long time. They were not monstrous floods or fierce beasts, especially Lin Chuan, who was just a bit of a noob at gaming. It would be good to see them and rx with some gaming. Before long, Xia Qingqing had changed into casual clothes, freshened up, and sat in the passenger seat of Shen Qianqian''s car. ... Night fell. Qingxiu District, Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe. This was the usual spot, an esports inte cafe owned by Zhang Xinxin''s uncle Zhang De and a loyal partner of the 720 Company. Outside on the streets, the neon lights flickered, disying the city''s splendor. Inside the inte cafe, the light strips emitted a pale blue glow, the cking of mechanical keyboards was incessant, and Jay Chou''s "Orange Jasmin" yed softly. ''The sparrows outside the window chatter on the electric wires'' ''You said this sentence feels very summery'' ''...'' The night in August was still warm. Lin Chuan wore a familiar white T-shirt and casual pants, looking leisurely and at ease; most guys often wore a few sets of clothing on rotation. Since it was a gaming session with friends tonight, Lin Chuan dressed in whatever was mostfortable. "Old Lin!" Just as Lin Chuan reached the private booth''s entrance of the inte cafe, a familiar voice called out from behind him. Wang Zikai. That evening, he and Xue Qiqi were the hosts, inviting a few people out for a gaming session. Lin Chuan turned around and saw Wang Zikai and Xue Qiqi not far behind him, both wearing white printed couple''s T-shirts, with Wang Zikai holding two bags of milk tea. Lin Chuan''s smile lifted as he walked straight over and unabashedly took the milk tea, "Which one''s mine?" Wang Zikai retorted, "Old Lin, you''re the chairman of a bigpany, and you''re still eyeing my milk tea?" In the bag, there were five identical cups of pearl milk tea. Lin Chuan had already grabbed one and started drinking, teasing, "You''re a ten thousand subscription web novel writer, why so miserly?" During thest anti-fraud writing contest. Wang Zikai''s "Inescapable" had soared in subscriptions thanks to Lin Chuan''s advice, and recently it had even reached ten thousand subscribers. Old Wang had stepped into the ranks of authors with ten thousand subscribers. Old Wang''s brows rose slightly, his face showing a touch of smugness, and he immediately started to brag to his brothers, "Ten thousand subscribers, that''s just a modest achievement, not worth mentioning." Lin Chuan nced at his sister-inw Xue Qiqi, then offered hispliments in return. He gave Old Wang plenty of face. Old Wang immediatelyughed and said, "Old Lin, is a bubble milk tea enough? If not, you can have mine too. Qiqi and I can share one." Lin Chuan smiled helplessly. This guy Old Wang, while showing off, didn''t forget to sprinkle some dog foodnaughtily brazen! Tonight, I should also bring a milk tea back for Little Landy. At this moment. Xue Qiqiughed and said, "Old Wang, your ten thousand subscribers are nothingpared to Lin Chuan. He''s got several books with that many!" After hearing this, Old Wang curled his lips andughed, "His typing speed and growth rate are so astonishingly fast. Oh right, Old Lin, when is your new booking out?" Now, it had been some time since "Touch Gold Notes" ended. As a good brother, Wang Zikai naturally checked Lin Chuan''s author ount updates from time to time, to see if he had released a new book and to prepare to giarize some inspiration. But for a long while, he hadn''t seen any new book appear under ''Mr. Lin.'' Lin Chuan took a sip of milk tea and chuckled, "I published it overseas a couple of days ago." At that. Both Wang Zikai and Xue Qiqi were taken aback, "Published overseas?" Lin Chuan nodded and smiled, "Yes, the theme is somewhat sensitive, and it probably wouldn''t pass censorship here, so I published it overseas instead." "What''s the theme?" Old Wang asked curiously. "Err, drug lords." Lin Chuan thought for a moment and decided to give a truthful answer. Hisss! Old Wang took in a sharp breath, looked up at Lin Chuan, and gave a thumbs-up, "Criminal! Your business is getting bigger and bigger!" "That''s no joking matter!" Lin Chuan immediately retorted. "Haha, you dare to write about such a topic, pretty bold." Old Wangughed. Lin Chuan smiled helplessly. In his heart, he thought, no choice, with my bad luck, the system just gave me this profession. I had to publish it, even if reluctantly. "What are you all chatting about?" A sweet and familiar voice reached Lin Chuan''s ears. This voice, naturally, belonged to Shen Qianqian. Lin Chuan lifted his gaze and looked forward, only to see Shen Qianqian dressed in an off-shoulder casual white knit top, paired with tight stone-washed jeans, her height of 172 centimeters showing off a tall and slender figure. Together with a delicate face as white as a goose egg, she instantly attracted the gaze of everyone in the Inte cafe. Standing next to her was a girl who was just as attractive. It was Xia Qingqing. Xia Qingqing had short hair, clear eyes, brows like fine willows, a high nose bridge, and her featuresbined to give off an exceptional sense of pure desire. Dressed in a simple floral dress, her long, straight legs were showcased, exuding youthful vitality. "Indeed, all the good-looking ones have been handed over to the state." Xue Qiqi looked at the two of them and teased with a smile. "Qiqi is making fun of us again." Shen and Xia both smiled charmingly, while Xia Qingqing''s eyes nced at Lin Chuan from the corner of her eye. A smile appeared on Lin Chuan''s face, "Qingqing seems to have been quite busytely." Xia Qingqing smiled and said, "That''s right, we Cyber Police don''t have the leisure that a big web novel writer like you has, to go wherever we want." Lin Chuan touched his nose and argued, "I''m busy, too!" Everyoneughed and then entered the private room. The few old friends had their first gaming session in this private room, and they were sitting in the same spots as before. Xia Qingqing sat down next to Lin Chuan and asked with a smile, "Writer Lin, howe you haven''t released any novels recently? I''m suffering from book drought here!" One was a Cyber Police+reader, and the other was a Hacker+web novel writer. Their conversations inevitably focused onputer technology and novel discussions. These days. Xia Qingqing spent her free time reading novels. And Lin Chuan''s novels had long been finished by Xia Qingqing, who had been waiting for a long time without seeing any new releases from Lin Chuan. This was a good chance to ask. "Published, I released an overseas edition," Lin Chuan responded while powering up hisputer. "Overseas edition?" Both policerades turned their gaze toward Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan''s mouth unconsciously twitched, "Two policerades, what''s up, any problem?" "No problem, just wondering why you didn''t publish it domestically?" Xia Qingqing muttered. "Uh, that''s because..." Lin Chuan gave an awkward smile, looking a bit embarrassed. "His theme is a bit sensitive; it''s not permitted to be published domestically," Old Wang interjected on Lin Chuan''s behalf. "What''s the theme?" Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan with a sly glint in her eyes. "Officer Shen, we are about to start gaming tonight; don''t always think about interrogating me!" Lin Chuan immediately said. "Why are you getting worked up?" Shen Qianqianughed and gave a wink. Lin Chuan was startled, "Am I getting worked up?" "You see, you''re getting worked up again," Shen Qianqian said with a light smile, "Alright, I won''t tease you anymore. What''s the theme of the novel you published overseas? When I have time, I''ll look it up." Xia Qingqing also looked at Lin Chuan, her face showing a mix of curiosity and anticipation. She too was eager to see what Lin Chuan had written. "Well, just to be clear, the two policerades, although I wrote about a drug lord theme, please don''t associate it with my real life," Lin Chuan stated earnestly. "Drug lord?" Xia Qingqing''s eyes froze for a moment as she turned to Lin Chuan, "Now I''m even more curious to see it." Chapter 267: Chapter 193: You Really Are in Trouble! (Please Subscribe) "You''re a girl, howe you like this kind of subject matter?" Lin Chuan frowned slightly, asking in bewilderment. In the private room of the esports inte cafe, Xia Qingqing twirled her hair on the right side, revealing her delicate right face, and smiled lightly, "I''m just curious about what those drug lords are all about." "Hmm, I''m curious too," Shen Qianqian nodded lightly and echoed softly. Lin Chuan inwardly clicked his tongue. True to form for a police officer, her reading preferences were indeed a little different. "When I have the time, I''ll binge-read your new book. Oh, what''s the overseas version called?" Xia Qingqing blinked, her face wearing a light smile. It was evident. Her mood was very cheerful when talking with Lin Chuan, without the previous heaviness and preupations, radiating once again a youthful and lively aura. Lin Chuan could only share the names "ck Ice" and ''Mr. Lin'' with the two policewomen. The two of them made a mental note of it. "The overseas one is in English, you all..." Lin Chuan hesitated. "That''s not a problem for me," Shen Qianqian said with a smile. "Nor for me," Xia Qingqing also said with a smile. "Okay, Qianqian, it''s your turn to ban a hero!" Lin Chuan nced at theputer screen and reminded the two. "Oh, right, I''m on it!" Shen Qianqian immediately got into game mode, her gaze sharpening in concentration. Beside her, Xia Qingqing covertly nced at Lin Chuan next to her and smiled knowingly. Lin Chuan was midne, she was jungling, a dreambination of mid and jungle. Shen Qianqian was ying topne. Wang and Xue, the little couple, took the bottomne and support positions. The private room was filled withughter and cheer. Without realizing it. Outside the Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe, the neon lights had already dimmed, summer cicadas chirped incessantly, and the asional evening breeze brought a hint of coolness. Indeed, the night had deepened. In the private room, the five yed together, with wins and losses. Fortunately, they were all seasoned gaming buddies by now and knew each other''s temperaments andpetitive levels, so the session did not turn into ''the silent five in an inte cafe, growing quieter with each game''. After a five-person ranked game, they were able to speak calmly, which was already a victory. Shen and Xia, still smiling coyly, exited the private room with Lin Chuan. By this time, the Forbidden Summit Esports Inte Cafe was not very crowded anymore. At the small office in front of the inte cafe, a man emerged hurriedly and just as he looked up, he spotted Lin Chuan: "Lin, you''re here to use the inte!" "Uncle, I didn''t expect to see you here," Lin Chuan said with a smile. The man who greeted Lin Chuan was none other than the uncle of the littlendy, Zhang Xinxin, Zhang Ren. After getting together with the littlendy, Lin Chuan, following her lead, also called Zhang Ren "uncle." "Coming to use the inte and not even saying hello to your uncle, we''re all family here, no need for formalities." Uncle Zhang Ren''s tone clearly treated Lin Chuan as one of his own. Lin Chuan smiled, "Then I won''t stand on ceremony, haha." Uncle Zhang Renughed heartily and then patted Lin Chuan''s shoulder, saying, "Lin, I''ve got things to do, can''t amodate you right now. Another day,e over to my ce and I''ll treat you to my newly acquired Da Hong Pao tea." With that, Uncle headed toward the door. Carrying his briefcase, he walked swiftly. He dove into his car and with a press of the elerator, vanished into the night. Lin Chuan, however, was frowning, his nose sniffing the air once again. When Uncle Zhang Ren approached Lin Chuan, a distinctive, subtle scent suddenly filled Lin Chuan''s nostrils. That scent, Lin Chuan had only encountered in the virtual world. Unexpectedly, he smelled it on Uncle Zhang Ren now. "What''s wrong?" Seeing Lin Chuan standing still, Shen Qianqian asked. Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian and smiled, saying, "Nothing, let''s head back first." "Okay, I''ll drive you and Qingqing back." Both Lin Chuan and Xia Qingqing readily agreed. As for Wang Zikai and Xue Qiqi, they had gone out for ate-night stroll. The car meandered down the silent streets, under the dim neon and amidst the chorus of insects, all contributing to the tranquility of the night. Lin Chuan returned to Linjiang Mansion, pressed his fingerprint to enter, and went up to his 30th-floor nest. "Chairman, you''re back!" The littlendy was wearing a light blue pajama set, her skin as white as snow, her graceful figure subtly revealed, shining like polished jade. Lin Chuan sniffed his T-shirt and said, "I''m going to take a shower." "Okay," The littlendy nodded, poured a ss of water for Lin Chuan, and ced it on the coffee table, waiting for him toe out of the shower to drink. Lin Chuan''s mind was still on Uncle''s matter, so he showered quickly. "Xinxin, there''s something I want to ask you." Lin Chuan sat down next to the littlendy and took a sip of water from the ss on the coffee table. "Chairman, what is it?" The littlendy blinked and asked with a smile, her lips pursed in a coy manner. Lin Chuan''s expression became more solemn and serious: "Xinxin, your uncle doesn''t have any bad habits, does he?" The littlendy furrowed her brows in confusion, "No, he does business legitimately, just loves to drink tea. He''s much more respectable than Old Zhang." Lin Chuan took another sip from his ss, his face lost in thought. In his heart, he was recalling the scent he smelled upon meeting Uncle tonight. Others might not recognize that scent and could mistake it. But Lin Chuan wouldn''t misidentify it or mistake it. Because that was the scent of ''addictive drugs''. As everyone knows, that kind of "addictive drugs" are chemical synthetics with corrosive properties, and therefore they inherently have a very strong, irritating odor, simr to that of metals, which is released when the "drugs" are heated. Because the chemical residues of the drug are very difficult to dissipate, people who "take drugs" will have a strong metallic taste in their mouth, and this smell will cling to their clothes as well. This is themon odor of "drugs." Generally speaking, narcotics detection dogs sniff out drugs by these distinctive odors. However, the smell on Uncle Zhang Ren was not this strong metallic scent, but rather a faint chemical smell. Lin Chuan matched this smell with the "New Type No. 3 Drug" he fabricated in the novel. This New Type No. 3 Drug could indeed eliminate the metallic smell. But it still couldn''t escape Lin Chuan''s "professional" nose. What Lin Chuan hadn''t expected was the existence of such "drugs" in reality. "Chairman, what''s with my uncle?" Zhang Xinxin leaned close to Lin Chuan and asked softly, her brows slightly furrowed, showing her confusion. "Nothing, I just saw him rush out in the middle of the night with a briefcase, seemed a bit urgent, so I got a little nosy," Lin Chuan replied as he stroked the Little Landy''s hair, deciding to keep it from her for the time being. And Uncle Zhang Ren had a rosyplexion and lively eyes, unlike someone who takes ''drugs'' with an emaciated body and a listless demeanor. ''Hopefully, he was in some ces by ident and got contaminated,'' thought Lin Chuan to himself. However, he also kept a closer watch on Zhang Ren, just in case. But the Little Landy didn''t let her suspicions fade, instead frowning even more, pouting, "My uncle doesn''t do much business, and his way of doing things is always methodical and slow. It''s strange that he would take a briefcase and be in a rush in the middle of the night." Lin Chuan nodded, "By the way you describe it, it does seem a bit strange." "Chairman, have you noticed that Old Zhang is also acting weird?" the Little Landy suddenly said. "Oh, Old Zhang?" Lin Chuan was taken aback and asked, "I haven''t been to the Antique Shop for a while. What''s wrong with him?" The Little Landy pouted and spat, "I''ve noticed that he''s been avoiding me these past few days. He keeps telling me not to go to the Antique Shop and to stay here, and to not go back to Happiness Community if it''s not necessary." "Maybe Old Zhang has a new romantic interest," Lin Chuan teased with a chuckle. The Little Landy shook her head, "No, if he wanted to marry a second one, he would tell me." "Then have you asked Old Zhang what''s the matter?" Lin Chuan inquired. "He won''t say anything!" The Little Landy huffed, somewhat annoyed. Lin Chuan pulled the Little Landy into his arms and gently patted her back,forting her, "Then it must be nothing. If there was something serious, he would definitely tell you." The Little Landy took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling, "I''ll check his recent situation to see if he''s hiding something from me!" "I''ve dealt with Old Zhang a lot, he''s an honest person," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Since the chairman says so, I''ll trust Old Zhang for now," the Little Landy murmured, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. "It''ste; it''s time to sleep," Lin Chuan picked up the Little Landy and walked into the room. Lights out, sleep. The Little Landy seemed to have something on her mind, no longer whispering secrets with Lin Chuan before sleep, just tightly holding his arm, curling up into a ball like a wounded kitten. Lin Chuan noticed her unusual behavior as well. But he didn''t know the reason. Could it be because of Uncle Zhang Ren''s incident tonight, and Old Zhang''s behavior these past few days? Were they connected? Lin Chuan couldn''t figure it out and fell into a deep sleep as he pondered. The next day. In the morning, Lin Chuan slowly woke up. He walked out of the room, stepping onto the balcony, looking outside the window. The sky was like a piece of silk dyed in shades of gray, withyers uponyers of dark gray clouds, somber and oppressive. The Anling River appeared as a dim jade belt, winding eastward. When the wind blew, ripples danced across the river, and the bamboo groves and green trees on both banks swayed nonstop in the wind. "This weather, changing so suddenly, looks like it''s going to rain," murmured Lin Chuan, then stopped caring about the weather and turned to check the system panel. [Work: "ck Ice".] [Status: Released and on sale overseas.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 5108/50000.] [Assessment Task: Create 99% pure ''Drugs'' (Pending).] "Yesterday morning it was just over neen hundred average subscriptions, now it''s over five thousand, not a bad increase at all. It really helps to have a dedicated discussion forum to promote the work. Not bad, not bad," Lin Chuan noted the average subscriptions and smiled. However, when he nced at the task below, he couldn''t help but spit. This assessment task, it''s really no job for a human! Sigh... Lin Chuan sighed lightly. Just then, his phone vibrated with a message alert. Sender: Old Zhang. Lin Chuan instinctively furrowed his brows; Old Zhang seldom sent messages to him, and here was one early in the morning. It was like hearing from a ssmate you haven''t contacted since graduation sending a sudden messageit''s either a wedding invitation expecting a gift, or someone looking to borrow money, always unsettling. Lin Chuan was feeling this kind of unease now. He took a deep breath and finally opened the message from Old Zhang. Lin,e to the Antique Shop when you have time today; I have something to discuss with you. Don''t let Zhang know. Lin Chuan''s frown deepened! Old Zhang, you really do have something going on! Chapter 268: Chapter 194: Embark on a Great Endeavor! (Please Subscribe) Outside the window, it seemed as if a light drizzle was falling. It didn''t take long for a thinyer of rain mist to rise, blurring Lin Chuan''s vision. Lin Chuan took a deep breath. He knew that Old Zhang would only send him this message if he had encountered a major problem, and moreover, the issue was rted to the Little Landy. After a moment of thought, he replied, "Old Zhang, I''lle over in a little while." "Good." Old Zhang responded. Taking advantage of the Little Landy not having gotten up yet, Lin Chuan entered the kitchen, a rare urrence, and cooked some millet porridge. It wasn''t long before the Little Landy woke up. She came up behind Lin Chuan and gently wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her entire body against Lin Chuan''s back, "Chairman, I could have cooked." "You''ve also been staying upte recently, you should rest a bit more," Lin Chuan said, smiling. "Chairman is the best," Zhang Xinxin''s grip around Lin Chuan tightened. The porridge was not yet ready. Lin Chuanughed, turned around to scoop up the Little Landy, and carried her to sit on the sofa, "Do you have ns for today?" A yful smile appeared on the Little Landy''s face, "I have an appointment with Keke today to discuss the medication for certain diseases." "Xinxin, you know about drugs too?" Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows and asked. "I don''t, but I can learn," the Little Landy said with a smile brimming in her eyes. "You''ve been quite close with Yu Keketely," Lin Chuan offhandedly remarked. The Little Landy nodded, "Keke has taught me a lot about drugs, saving me the trouble of doing research." "Why the sudden interest in drugs?" Lin Chuan curiously asked, looking at the Little Landy in his arms. "I won''t tell you for now, I want to surprise you!" the Little Landy said yfully, her lips pursed and the corners of her mouth smiling. "I look forward to your surprise," Lin Chuanughed heartily and ruffled Zhang Xinxin''s hair, "Let''s have breakfast first!" After breakfast. The Little Landy left. Lin Chuan saw her off downstairs, then hailed a taxi to head to East Street. The taxi weaved through the vast city, with somewhat noisy tire sounds resonating inside the vehicle. If he stretched his hand out of the window, he could feel the whoosh of the wind presenting a full sensation over his hand. They arrived at East Street. At this time, it was still morning, and East Street didn''t have many pedestrians, rather like the silent alleys of an ancient town, only the shopkeepers and staff were out to do business. Lin Chuan made a few turns and walked into the ''Goldstone Edge'' Antique Shop. "Lin, you''ve arrived." As soon as Lin Chuan entered the shop, Old Zhang came up to greet him and pulled him toward the reception room on the second floor. "Old Zhang, what''s wrong with you?" Lin Chuan noticed that Old Zhang looked uneasy, his face weary, bearing the troubles of his heart. "Xinxin doesn''t know, does she?" Old Zhang nced at Lin Chuan, his brow slightly furrowed, and asked. Lin Chuan shook his head, "She doesn''t know. Are you encountering any difficulties?" "Let''s talk upstairs." Inside the Antique Shop, the staircase from the first to the second floor was built with an ancient style out of wood. Old Zhang climbed the stairs in haste, making a ''thud, thud, thud'' sound. Going up to the second floor. Lin Chuan noticed that his uncle, Zhang Ren, was sitting in the reception room, also looking uneasy. Seeing Lin Chuan, his uncle managed a smile, "Lin, you''re here." "Uncle, what''s going on?" Lin Chuan''s face grew stern as he looked at Zhang De and Zhang Ren, frowning inquisitively, sensing that the difficulty they faced might beplicated. Suddenly, Lin Chuan remembered the scent he had smelled on Uncle Zhang Ren the night before. Hisss! Could it be rted to that thing? Old Zhang sat down, his cloudy eyes looking towards Lin Chuan with an expression of difficulty. "Old Zhang, just say it if there''s something you need to talk about," Lin Chuan said, his brow slightly furrowed. Old Zhang sighed again, his voice low, "Xinxin''s mom has returned to Anling." Lin Chuan''s expression stiffened as he immediately noticed something amiss. The Little Landy''s mother hade back to Anling? In theory, this should be good news for the Little Landy, but Old Zhang seemed quite reluctant to let Xinxin meet her mother. Therefore, Lin Chuan asked, "Old Zhang, is there some unspeakable secret?" "Ah..." Old Zhang sighed deeply and began to recount an old story. The Little Landy''s mother, named Liu Meng, had been ''addicted to drugs'' more than a decade ago and had been willing to abandon her husband and daughter to follow an organization abroad. Since then, she had not returned. Fortunately, Old Zhang''s family was well-off enough to support Zhang Xinxin''s upbringing. Having listened, Lin Chuan''s brows tightened further, and he asked, "Old Zhang, does Auntie want to see Xinxin now that she''s back?" Old Zhang neither confirmed nor denied but instead said, "She returned a couple of days ago and has been looking for your uncle and me. Your uncle and I had a serious talk with herst night. She said she could avoid seeing Xinxin, but she wants to meet you." "Meet me?" Lin Chuan was suddenly shocked, an expression of surprise crossing his face. She was willing to forego seeing her own daughter yet insisted on meeting her daughter''s boyfriendwhat sort of reasoning and logic was that? At that moment. Uncle Zhang Ren spoke, "Liu Meng gave her reason. She said she wanted to see her son-inw and judge for herself if he could take good care of her daughter." Old Zhang nodded, "That''s why I called you toe over, to discuss this." "Aside from seeing me, does Auntie have any other requests?" Lin Chuan inquired. "The other things she wanted, I have already given her." Old Zhang said gravely. The expressions on the faces of the two Zhang brothers both grew heavy. "I can meet with her." After pondering for a moment, Lin Chuan made up his mind. Lost to ''addictive drugs'', following an organization, having disappeared for over a decade, and now reappearing again, Lin Chuan was unclear about her current affiliation. Therefore. He did not feel at ease with Liu Meng meeting the Little Landy, so he decided to meet her first to see what her intentions were. "Lin, thank you." Old Zhang expressed his ''thanks'' to Lin Chuan with considerable gravity. "I''m doing it for Xinxin as well," Lin Chuan''s heart ached for his own Little Landy. His heart felt as if it was being gripped tight. Perhaps, the astute Little Landy had already guessed some of the reasons from Old Zhang''s behavior, which is why she was holding her troubles inside. s... but these were matters she couldn''t resolve on her own. With this thought, Lin Chuan sighed deeply. At that moment, Old Zhang had already taken out his cell phone to contact his ex-wife Liu Meng. "Lin, she said she wants to meet you alone now." Lin Chuan''s face showed a flicker of movement, but he still nodded and said, "Alright, where?" "At Yueming Tea House. Your second uncle and I will take you there," Old Zhang said and also cautioned, "But you must be careful. She might still be dabbling with those things, and if you encounter any special situation, your second uncle and I will immediately rush in." "Don''t worry, I can handle it." A faint smile appeared on Lin Chuan''s face, signaling Old Zhang to be at ease. ... Yueming Tea House. It was located in a small alley in Qingxiu District, with a modest storefront. In the grey-brick alley, only a door with a green pot beside it could be seen. Lin Chuan had been here before. Previously, when Lin Chuan ''shed'' with Old Zhang''s then-girlfriend Liu Qing, it was in this ce. They tricked General Manager Zhao into appraising the forged ''Fengtian One Tael'', luring Liu Qing and the others into the trap. In the end, they busted the antique fraud and moneyundering gang in one fell swoop. And now, he was about to meet Old Zhang''s ex-wife here once again. It''s like a twisted fate! Dressed in casual attire, Lin Chuan walked into Yueming Tea House. A familiar female waitress, dressed in a purple cheongsam, greeted him immediately, "Good day, sir. Do you have a reservation?" Lin Chuan mentioned a room number. "This way, sir," the waitress promptly walked ahead of Lin Chuan to lead the way. The tight-fitting purple cheongsam with a slit on the side outlined her attractive figure, full of grace and charm. In this somewhat elegant tea house, it added a unique allure. But Lin Chuan didn''t look at it even once. His gaze surveyed the surroundings, other than asionally encountering some ''special personnel'' who seemed very familiar, casting nces at Lin Chuan from time to time, there was nothing unusual. "Sir, this is your room." The waitress stopped at the door of the room and gently knocked. An approval sound, cold in nature, came from inside. She then opened the door for Lin Chuan to enter. Lin Chuan walked into the room, where there was only one person, a woman in her forties. She sat in front of the tea table, exhaled a puff of smoke, and stubbed the cigarette in her hand into the ashtray. Afterward. She looked steadily at Lin Chuan, her eyes full of sizing up, "Lin Chuan, right?" Lin Chuan studied the middle-aged woman in front of him, who bore some resemnce to the Little Landy, dressed in an opulent cheongsam, with hoop earrings and a jade bracelet on her wrist, exuding a sharp and cold aura. Lin Chuan narrowed his eyes slightly, then revealed a polite smile, "Yes, I''m Lin Chuan. Are you Auntie Liu Meng?" Liu Meng didn''t respond to Lin Chuan''s question. She picked up the teapot nonchntly, poured a cup for Lin Chuan, and pushed it in front of him, "I heard Xinxin is with you now?" "Yes," Lin Chuan nodded. "Quite handsome, young Lin." Liu Meng''s mouth lifted into a smile, then her expression turned cold, "Do you have the ability to provide Xinxin with a worry-free life for the rest of her days?" Lin Chuan sat opposite her, his face showed a light smile, not intimidated by Liu Meng''s imposing presence, "Of course, it''s no problem." "No problem?" Liu Meng''s brows tightened, her eyes slightly squinting, "I heard you''re just a web novel writer, that''s quite a statement, isn''t it?" "I have other side businesses," Lin Chuan smiled. Lin Chuan maintained his usual calm demeanor in front of the woman who might be his ''future mother-inw'', and was not intimidated by her aggressive stance. "I''ve looked into your side businesses. Nothing much, just apany and an antique shop. Doesn''t make much money," Liu Meng''s mouth edged with a slight sneer. Lin Chuanughed and said, "It''s enough." "Enough?" Liu Mengughed disdainfully, "How could that amount of money guarantee Xinxin a worry-free rest of her life?" "So, Auntie, are you saying that you won''t allow Xinxin and me to be together?" Lin Chuan countered. "What do you think?" Liu Meng sipped her Pu''er Tea and asked. Lin Chuan looked closely at Liu Meng. In her forties, herplexion was somewhat pale, and her eyes were slightly cloudy. He leaned back into his chair with an easy smile, "You didn''t want to see me just to break me and Xinxin up, did you?" Liu Meng raised her eyebrows slightly, "You have some insight." "Auntie, if you want me to do something, feel free to speak up." Lin Chuan threw out the question directly, not beating around the bush, ying it straight! This direct approach by Lin Chuan was clearly unexpected by Liu Meng. A hint of surprise shed through her eyes, her expression quickly adjusted, and she began to smile, "Lin Chuan, you are indeed a smart man. I''m not trying to break you and Xinxin up; it''s just that with your current status, you''re not good enough for her." "So what then?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile. "So... Lin Chuan, why don''t you work with me?" Liu Meng''s mouth curved into a smile, "I''ll lead you to a great business venture!" Chapter 269: Chapter 195: Conspiracy! (Asking for Subscriptions) ``` "Start a grand enterprise?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow with interest as he looked at the Liu Meng before him. At this moment, he was certain this was not a scene of a mother-inw meeting her future son-inw. What kind of mother-inw would want to embark on a grand enterprise with her future son-inw upon first meeting? And, is this enterprise legitimate? Liu Meng wore light makeup, obscuring the state of her skin, the area around her eyes was slightly sunken, and her figure was lean. Lin Chuan didn''t catch any scent of ''addictive drugs'' on her, only the faint aroma of tea that filled the tea house. Old Zhang said she had been addicted to those ''addictive drugs'' for over a decade. Now, it seemed she had either quit or was using some special medication. However, it was time to regard her with fresh eyes. She had been away for over a decadeanything was possible. Lin Chuan refrained from jumping to conclusions. He was, instead, curious about the grand enterprise Liu Meng spoke of. Liu Meng''s eyes narrowed slightly, her lips curved into a smile, "Xiaolin, you''re very young, writing novels is not a long-term n." "Then... Auntie, what grand enterprise do you want to lead me into?" Lin Chuan asked. Liu Meng across the table smiled and took out a business card from her bag. She held it between her index and middle finger and slid it across the tea table towards Lin Chuan. Then, she leaned back in her chair and casually crossed her right leg over the left. A flicker of confusion crossed Lin Chuan''s eyes as he picked up the business card. On the card were her name,pany, and position. "Huarun Foreign Trade Export?" Holding the business card, Lin Chuan looked up at Liu Meng with a hint of confusion. Liu Meng beamed, nodding gently, "Yes, I''m in charge of Huarun''s foreign trade exports in the Han River area. If you''re willing, you can be my assistant right away. You should know the value of this position." Lin Chuan pursed his lips slightly. The Huarun Foreign Trade Export Companyhe wasn''t familiar with thesepanies in reality and didn''t know much about them. But, setting Liu Meng''s identity aside, being an assistant to a division general manager was a position hard to assess for the time being. Liu Meng squinted her eyes, capturing Lin Chuan''s expression, thinking that he was still pondering, she then smiled again, "Xiaolin, the royalties from your writing only earn you a few thousand or tens of thousands a month, plus the profits from 720, altogether, they amount to just a modest profit of a few hundred thousand, right?" After a brief thought, Lin Chuan nodded, "That''s about right." The financial affairs of the 720pany were always managed by the Little Landy. He had seen the financial reports, and they were more or less urate. Royalties were a bit more substantial. For example, his previous book "Touch Gold Notes" had 800,000 words under charge, the average subscription was now over 50,000, and the estimated pre-tax earnings from royalties, excluding channels and rights, were about 1.5 million. However, his case was special. After all, he was a cheat, quickly publishing a book in a short time and thereby rapidly earningrge sums of royalties. A normal web novel writer making tens of thousands a month would at least be at the standard of ten thousand subscribers. Liu Meng smiled again and threw out what she considered a bombshell, "Xiaolin, if you start as my assistant, you''ll eventually be the general manager of the Han River District. By then, you''ll have at least a multimillion annual sry, plus additional bonuses." You could tell Liu Meng spoke ambitiously. The Huarun Foreign Trade Export Company she mentioned must be a bigpany. But multimillion annual sry... Lin Chuan wasn''t unfamiliar with money. On the contrary, he had seen a lot of it. Although it was in the virtual world. However, if he were after money purely, he''d only need to use his hacker skills or antique forgery techniques to have arge amount of fundsing in. Cough, that sounded a bit criminal. Therefore, the allure of money was minimal for him. "720pany can still operate as usual, and with Huarun Company''s support, you can expand and strengthen your 720 business. The power of Huarun Company far exceeds your imagination," Liu Meng tossed another bait. Lin Chuan didn''t respond rashly but said, "Auntie, I have a question." "Ask." Liu Meng had a confident smile on her face. "What if I''m not capable of taking over as the general manager of the Han River District?" Lin Chuan''s eyes focused as he asked. In fact, Lin Chuan''s question was probing Liu Mengwhat did she see in him, what ability of his had caught her eye? Of course, Liu Meng understood what Lin Chuan meant and replied with a smile, "You''re a smart person; skills can be developed. I simply want to help Xinxin. I owe her too much." ``` Lin Chuan responded with a smile. He was not satisfied with this answer. Lin Chuan thought that after so many years, Liu Meng had nevere back to visit the Little Landy. This time, upon her return, he didn''t know the reason, she did not directly seek out the Little Landy but instead came to him. Did she reallye back because she felt she owed Xinxin? It''s possible, but unlikely. So, out of politeness, Lin Chuan smiled and said, "Auntie, this is a significant matter, I need to think about it." Upon hearing this answer, Liu Meng''s eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of surprise shing across her face. She had not expected that after all these chips wereid out, Lin Chuan would actually refuse her. Anyone who frequently deals with people would know that the phrase ''I need to think about it'' is essentially a polite refusal. Yes, Human Resources inpanies also often use this phrase when graduates apply for jobs. Indeed, you''re very talented, but due to the specifics of this position, we need to consider it. Basically, it''s a standardized temte for refusal. "Alright, then you and Xinxin take your time to think about it," Liu Meng said with a forced smile. Lin Chuan nodded. Then, with an excuse in tow, he left early. Lin Chuan exited the tea house, descended the stairs, left the alley, and plunged into a ck sedan not far outside the alley. Zhang De and Zhang Ren were waiting for him in the car. "Lin, are you alright?" As soon as Lin Chuan got into the car, Zhang De asked with concern. "I''m fine, Auntie wants me to be her assistant," Lin Chuan handed the business card to Zhang De and said. Old Zhang frowned slightly: "Huarun, Foreign Trade Export?" "I don''t know much about thispany," Lin Chuan said. At this moment, Uncle Zhang Ren, sitting in the driver''s seat, joined the conversation: "I know thispany, it''s a rather famous foreign trade exportpany, especially in our southern region, it has several specialized export channels." "What kind of promises did she offer you for this vice president position?" Old Zhang asked with a half-furrowed brow. Lin Chuan smiled: "She promised to promote me to general manager, offering tens of millions in annual sry plus bonus shares." "You didn''t agree to her, did you?" Old Zhang''s expression darkened, "Lin, our Zhang family isn''t short on money, she was of questionable character over a decade ago. Now suddenly returning to Anling, I suspect she''s up to no good." "Old Zhang, you know me, I''m not interested in being an ''assistant'' or a ''general manager,''" Lin Chuan indicated for Old Zhang to be at ease. Old Zhang nodded, but in his heart, he remained indignant towards Liu Meng. ... Elsewhere. At Yueming Tea House, in the tea room Lin Chuan had left. Liu Meng picked up the room''s phone, dialed a number, then transferred the call. "What was his reaction?" On the phone, a voice altered by electronic processing, tinged with a mechanical tone, inquired. Liu Meng''s expression was cold, and she scoffed: "He''s not interested in the position of vice general manager, nor the general manager role. He has already refused." "Refused?" The voice on the other end of the line sounded surprised. "Yes, I could tell, he''s not interested in money," Liu Meng spoke indifferently, lighting a cigarette, "Should we continue with the n?" "Of course," the person said coldly, "but we need to change the n!" "What n?" Liu Meng exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, neither cold nor warm. "You''ve been away from Anling for too long. To him, you, the missing mother-inw, don''t carry much weight. So, we need someone else to break through!" The person quickly gave new instructions. Liu Meng frowned: "Who are we switching to?" "Who else could it be but your daughter!" On the phone, the person revealed the new target. "Her?" Liu Meng''s cigarette-holding fingers paused slightly. "Don''t worry, my target is only Lin Chuan; I won''t harm your daughter," the person said with augh, "That''s the n. Come to the Redwood Cafe and see your daughter." The tone of the person left no room for argument. Chapter 270: Chapter 196: This Sector is Also Quite Harsh! At dusk, the sky was gloomy. asionally, a few birds swept across the riverbank, quickly disappearing into the encroaching night, their faint chirping sounding somewhat mournful. "Chairman, I want to ask you something." At Linjiang Mansion, the Little Landy had just returned home when she sat down opposite Lin Chuan. "Xinxin, what''s wrong?" Lin Chuan noticed at a nce that the Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, had an unusual look on her face. Usually, her face always bore a lively and yful smile, free from worries. But now, her delicate face seemed different from before, her mouth pursed, and a hint of sorrow appeared between her brows, her mind heavily burdened. "I..." The Little Landy seemed troubled, starting to speak then hesitating. Lin Chuan''s brow furrowed slightly as he gently patted Xinxin''s hand,forting her, "Xinxin, go ahead, I''m listening." Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips and then said, "Chairman, you should know, I have a mother..." Lin Chuan nodded. "Today, Keke and I were at the coffee shop, and she suddenly appeared," said Xinxin, taking a deep breath. Xinxin''s feelings toward Liu Meng wereplicated. A mother who had disappeared for over a decade had suddenly reappeared in her life. A pleasant surprise? Not necessarily! Instead, being separated for so many years made her feel that Liu Meng, despite their close blood rtionship, was very much a stranger. This left her mind in turmoil. "Your aunt...," Lin Chuan felt a sinking feeling in his heart, sensing that something was amiss. He had just met her that morning at Yueming Tea House, and now she had gone to find Xinxin? "She said that she came back this time and won''t leave again, but I don''t know how to face her," Xinxin said, looking troubled. She knew about Liu Meng''s rtionship with Old Zhang and also had a rough idea of Liu Meng''s past. Now, the Little Landy could only discuss the matter with Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan sighed silently. This was a very, very tricky issue. As the saying goes, even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. In male-oriented web novels, why do most of the protagonists start their journey with ''sacrificing their parents to the heavens''? Why? Because that damn thing is too hard to write about! Lin Chuan was no exception; when it came to rtionships involving ''parents'' and ''inws'', he could only shake his head and sigh in frustration. No way around it. Yet, seeing the Little Landy looking so worried now, Lin Chuan couldn''t help but find her pitifully endearing, stirring sympathy in his heart. "Did your aunt say anything else?" Lin Chuan quickly cleared his mind and asked. The Little Landy recalled, "She said a lot, iming that over the years she kicked her habit, and now that her career is looking up, she feels she has the face toe back to Anling to find me." Lin Chuan''s brow furrowed slightly. If he had heard these words from Xinxin first before meeting Liu Meng, he might have viewed Liu Meng more favorably. But, Liu Meng met him first and then sought out Xinxin. The order of these events felt inverted. "Oh, she also mentioned she could support our business," the Little Landy looked at Lin Chuan and said. Lin Chuan''s expression changed, "What kind of support?" "She said she could use her connections to help our 720pany develop rapidly and expand more business operations," the Little Landy recounted. Hearing this, Lin Chuan''s mind shed with sudden insight. Was Liu Meng''s intention genuinely to support Xinxin, or did she have an ulterior motive? After giving it some thought, Lin Chuan said, "Xinxin, actually, your aunt sought me out this morning." The Little Landy''s expression froze, "She looked for you already?" "Yes." Lin Chuan nodded, "She wants me to be her right-hand man, to take over her duties and be the general manager of the Han River District after getting familiar with Huarun''s foreign trade operations." "She sought you out first beforeing to me?" The Little Landy also felt bemused, her mind going nk. Lin Chuan nodded gently. "Did you agree?" the Little Landy inquired. Lin Chuan waved his hand, "How could I make such a swift decision? I haven''t even looked into Huarun Company yet, and besides, with such a big matter, I was just wondering how to discuss it with you." "Don''t agree to her!" The Little Landy pursed her lips, took a deep breath, "My biggest fear is that she hasn''t changed at all, and if she drags you down with her, that would be terrible." Lin Chuan grinned, his palm against the Little Landy''s cheek, "Don''t worry, gambling and drugs are anathema to me." "What about women?" The Little Landy''s expression eased considerably. Lin Chuan straightened up and smiled, "Heaven as my witness!" "Chairman, you''re resorting to cheesy lines," the Little Landy scoffed with augh. Watching the Little Landyugh, Lin Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Xinxin, my personal view is that your main concern is whether your aunt is a decent person now that she has suddenly returned to Anling to find you, right?" The Little Landy pondered for a moment, "Right." If it were genuinely as Liu Meng imed, it wouldn''t cause Xinxin so much distress and confusion. "Then, I''ll find time to ask a friend at the police station whether Huarun Company is legitimate," Lin Chuan smiled. "Great, you always know what''s on my mind," Xinxin said with a relieved smile. The Little Landy, feeling much more at ease with Lin Chuan around, grinned widely, "I''ll cook you something delicious." Chapter 271 : 196: This Sector is Also Quite Harsh!_2 "Do you think that''s tasty?" Lin Chuan teased. The Little Landy pouted and retorted, "Chairman, you''re tastier." "What?" Lin Chuan''s face froze in surprise. "Let''s have dinner first, otherwise my chairman might starve and won''t have any strengthter," the Little Landy said with augh. Lin Chuan grinned, unable to resist, truly a bit overwhelmed. When it came to this, the Little Landy was a notch above him, who could stand it? Better to deal with business first. Lin Chuan opened the chat window with Xia Qingqing and sent a message, "Officer Xia, I need a favor." It wasn''t long before. Xia Qingqing replied, "Writer Lin, your few words make me feel a bit distant." "What feels distant about them?" Lin Chuan asked. "You seem to rarely ask others for help," on the other end of thework, Xia Qingqing revealed a knowing smile. "I intended to do it myself, but when I thought about thews and regtions, it seemed more reliable to ask for your help," Lin Chuan replied with a smile. Lin Chuan was fully capable of hacking into Liu Meng and Huarun Company on his own to retrieve information. But that would be illegal intrusion. Well, Lin Chuan had done quite a few, but they were acts of justice, such as in the Old Street Factory District. For Liu Meng, the Little Landy''s mother, and Huarun Company, it was better to let Xia Qingqing help more reliable and would save a lot of unnecessary trouble. "Rare for Writer Lin to make a request, I''m happy to serve." Xia Qingqing replied. At this moment, Xia Qingqing was in her room, with a smile on her face. She didn''t find Lin Chuan''s request troublesome; on the contrary, she hoped that Lin Chuan would ask for help more often, perhaps to "increase her presence" in his mind. "I need you to check on the Han River District General Manager of Huarun Foreign Trade Export Company, Liu Meng," Lin Chuan responded. "I need to apply for permission from the detachment head to look up personal information; will tomorrow be okay?" Xia Qingqing replied. "No problem, this isn''t urgent," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Alright, I''ll inform you of the results first thing tomorrow," Xia Qingqing responded. "Thanks, Officer Xia./Thanks.jpg" "Haha, Writer Lin, you''re wee!" Xia Qingqing smiled warmly, then replied, "I was just about to read your novel." "Are you referring to ''ck Ice''?" Lin Chuan twitched the corner of his mouth. He sighed inwardly, my readers, if not criminals, then they are policerades. In the ''Underworld'' section of that International Forum, as soon as Lin Chuan logged into his ount, his inbox was full of private messages. All were asking ''Bro, you got the stuff?'' There were also some Interpol, Cyber Police, intelligence agencies fishing around, making the forum so active it made Lin Chuan''s scalp tingle. If he could arrest all these users, he could at least be promoted to a bureau-level position, right? If he really joined the criminal police, that would be a good approach. Using a novel to fish, this method of boosting performance quickly was quite novel. "Yes, I just set up a VPN and was about to download the overseas version of Sailing Novel," Xia Qingqing replied while operating herputer. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, "Officer Xia, you understand me; my novel is purely fictional, and when you read it, don''t project those storylines onto me, just like in school when ''Brother Xun'' wasn''t Lu Xun," he said. Disimer! "I''ve heard this two or three times already./Haha.jpg," Xia Qingqing replied. "Just a reminder to avoid trouble," Lin Chuan chuckled dryly. "Don''t worry, I won''t arrest you." On the other side of thework, in front of herputer, Xia Qingqingughed heartily. "That''s good." After raising the disimer, Lin Chuan finally felt at ease. Xia Qingqing held herptop, leaning back on the bed, her delicate fingers swiftly operating the keyboard. Searching for ''ck Ice'' in the overseas edition of Sailing Novel was a breeze for her. Very quickly. ''ck Ice'' appeared before her. Work: ck Ice. Author: Mr. Lin. "Let''s see what you''ve written, Mr. Lin, that you had to publish it overseas, and repeatedly issue disimers," Xia Qingqing smoothed her forehead hair and murmured with a smile. Then, she controlled the mouse, clicked on ''ck Ice,'' and began to read. ''My name is Mr. Lin.'' ''You can also call me by another name, the King of the Underworld.'' ''On the surface, I''m a shining entrepreneur in Anzhou.'' ''In the shadows, I controlled the entire Underworld in Anzhou, dominating the drug market in Anzhou and its channels to the overseas.'' ''In my lifetime, I have produced countless batches of the Ice Drug, dumping it overseas.'' ''...'' Since it was an overseas edition, it was not in Chinese. Therefore, Xia Qingqing read much more slowly, but she still thoroughly enjoyed it. Ever since she read Lin Chuan''s "Hacker Kingdom," Xia Qingqing increasingly fell in love with Lin Chuan''s novels. Whether it was the writing style, the themes, or the pacing of the plot, they all touched her heart deeply. "Mr. Lin, you''re consistently brilliant as always!" Having read the first few chapters, Xia Qingqing''s mouth curved upward in mock seriousness as she said, "Daring to write about such topics, ''making drugs,'' and with such detail, huh..." Suddenly, Xia Qingqing saw that there was ament section in this part of the novel. [The ''ordinary drugs'' production methods mentioned in this book have been summarized in the ''Underworld'' section of the International Forum, interested friends can go check it out for themselvesit''s also the base for discussions about this book (link attached).] [Posted by: Angelina.] Next to the user ''Angelina''s'' name, there was also the title ''Novel Operations Officer.'' Xia Qingqing''s brows furrowed: "Production methods for ''ordinary drugs'' summarized?'' At that moment, a voice in her heart urged her. Go take a look! Yes, she had spent the entire day investigating detailed information about the ''new-type drug,'' but still came up empty. Now, suddenly seeing someone had summarized ''ordinary drugs'' production methods, she muttered to herself that checking out this forum might just lead to a clue. And so. Xia Qingqing, as if possessed by some spirit, copied the link from thement and entered the ''International Forum - Underworld.'' This section of the forum had a minimalist design. To the left and right were two conspicuous frames. [Hacker Kingdom] [ck Ice] Xia Qingqing smiled: "So it turns out, ''Hacker Kingdom'' has also been released overseas. It seems that Writer Lin''s influence is starting to spread abroad!" She clicked on [ck Ice] and entered. Inside, a series of posts appeared before her eyes. [ A summary of prison grade techniques extracted from ''ck Ice''! Must-read post!] [ Author''s statement: ''ck Ice'' is merely a novel, and the author does not engage in any rted trades!] [ Brother, are you sure there''s no product avable?] [ A firsthand ount! Discussing the harm of addictive drugs to the human body!] [ It''s over, I''m hooked on the novel! Mr. Lin, please write another one!] [...] Xia Qingqing''s expression grewplex as she nced over these posts, thinking to herself, not only is this novel intense, but this section of the forum is too! At a nce, all performance metrics! If these users were on a domestic site, Xia Qingqing didn''t even want to imagine how many honors she could achieve by apprehending them! It''s madness! But, she had no jurisdiction over the international inte. Huuuh Xia Qingqing took a deep breath and then clicked into the ''Techniques Summary Post.'' Various ''drugs'' appeared before her. [Name: Ordinary Drug] [Raw materials: -bromophencetone, methmine, hydrochloric acid, ***, ***, ***.] [Equipment required for production: sk, stirrer, thermometer, gas mask, pH strips, pH meter.] [...] There were also ''Drug No.1'', ''Drug No.2'', and ''Drug No.3''. These drugs were named in the order they appeared in the novel, and their required raw materials, production steps, and corresponding symptoms were all different. Suddenly! Xia Qingqing''s gazended on the post for ''Drug No.3''. To be precise. Her eyes were fixated on the ''symptoms'' section of the post for ''Drug No.3''. It was in English. She immediately tranted it and then pulled up the documents given to her by the head of the Cyber Security Detachment, Yu Shan. In it, there was a brief ount of the ''new-type drug.'' At that moment, Xia Qingqing''s expression darkened as she meticulouslypared the symptoms listed for ''Drug No.3'' with those of the ''new-type drug''! Chapter 272 : 197: Information Obtained from the Novel? The night deepened, and in the well-lit room, there was silence, except for the breeze outside the window and the rustling of tree leaves. Xia Qingqing furrowed her brow. She began to work with split screens on herptop. On the left was the "International Forum-Underworld" post about "Drug No. 3," and on the right was a small portion of the information about "new-type drugs." The contents of both screens entered her field of view, focusing mainly on their symptomatic presentations. Suddenly! Xia Qingqing''s breathing became rapid, her pupils shrank, and a look of astonishment quickly spread across her face. At that moment, Xia Qingqing moved from a reclining to a sitting position, involuntarily. She stared intently at the screens and re-examined the symptoms of "Drug No. 3" against the "new-type drugs" in her possession. Whew Xia Qingqing''s breathing grew even more hurried, her chest heaving. The symptoms of these two types of "addictive drugs" had an astonishing ovep of ny percent. "Could ''ck Ice''s'' Drug No. 3 possibly be the new-type drug we are looking for?" Xia Qingqing swallowed hard and murmured to herself. The ny percent ovep wasn''t about having ten percent of irreconcble differences, but rather that the symptomatic presentation of the "new-type drugs" she held was ny percent identical to that of "Drug No. 3." The remaining ten percent was not covered in her materials. Being a professional cyber police officer, she naturally understood what a ny percent coincidence rate implied. That is to say, there was a high probability that Drug No. 3 was indeed the new-type drug! Two whole days of investigation had yielded no leads, yet during the process of reading a novel, she had unintentionally stumbled upon what seemed to be the closest to the truth! It''s as if after a fruitless search far and wide, sesses when you least expect it. Whew Xia Qingqing took a deep breath, attempting to steady her emotions. Then she took out her phone and dialed a number. Not Lin Chuan''s, but she called Yu Shan, the captain of the Anling Cyber Security Detachment. The details of "Drug No. 3" from Lin Chuan''s novel "ck Ice" had a high degree of symptom ovep with the "new-type drugs" she was investigating, but whether the two were in fact the same substance was not for her to decide. Professional personnel were needed to conduct professional experiments and assessment. Therefore, she needed to consult with Captain Yu Shan. Dut-dut-dut After three rings, Yu Shan picked up the phone: "Officer Xia, what''s the matter?" Xia Qingqing took in a deep breath and then said, "Captain, I''ve found some data that might be rted to the new-type drugs." On the other end of the phone. Yu Shan suddenly felt ted, his voice eager, "You found it so quickly?" Xia Qingqing nced at the "International Forum-Underworld" on the screen and smiled, replying, "I found it by ident, but I can''t guarantee its authenticity." "Just having a lead on such a difficult case is already very good. As for its authenticity, let''s leave that to theboratory to verify," Yu Shan said cheerily over the phone. "Okay, I''ll pass the materials to theboratory tomorrow for verification." Xia Qingqing nodded. "Where did you find this information?" Yu Shan asked curiously. Xia Qingqing''s mouth twitched into an awkward smile, "You might find it hard to believe, but I found it within a novel." "Ah?" On the other side of the phone, Yu Shan was momentarily stunned, "You found it in a novel?" As soon as Yu Shan heard "found it in a novel," he couldn''t help but be incredulous. Novels were full of fabrication and imagination. Could information from a novel really be reliable? Certainly not! Who would take fiction seriously? If people found out, wouldn''t it beughable? "Er, Captain, I also find it a bit far-fetched, but after carefullyparing the detailed symptoms of Drug No. 3 from the novel with our data, I found a high level of concordance. That''s why I immediately reported it to you," Xia Qingqing exined. "Hmm!" Yu Shan took a sharp breath before saying, "You mean, the symptoms, the relevant symptoms we have of the ''new-type drugs,'' match up?" "Yes," Xia Qingqing confirmed. "A novel, can it be fabricated, huh?" Yu Shan guessed. "I''m not sure whether it''s fabricated or not, but the novel also records detailed production steps, as well as the rted raw materials and equipment used. The key part is missing, but for theboratory side, that should not pose a great difficulty," exined Xia Qingqing. "This novel, it''s written in so much detail?" Yu Shan couldn''t help but ask. Xia Qingqing smiled, "Captain, you must have read Comrade Lin Chuan''s novels before. His writing is always very detailed." "Written by Comrade Lin Chuan?" Yu Shan''s expression was once again one of surprise. The name ''Lin Chuan'' was all too familiar to him. One could say that every team leader in the various detachments of the Anling police station had dealt with Lin Chuan in some capacity. And importantly, Chief Zhang Biao was a fan of Lin Chuan''s books, often rmending them to others. How could Yu Shan not have read them? Initially, Yu Shan had his doubts hearing that Xia Qingqing had found the information in a novel, thinking how if he took this information to theboratory and told them: Thises from raw materials, equipment, and production steps extracted from a novel. They would surely see him as a na?f and even think he was ying a hoax on them! Hard to exin. But with ''Lin Chuan'' as a reference, it became much easier to exin. If worst came to worst, he could bring up Chief Zhang Biao. "Yes, it''s a novel Comrade Lin Chuan posted on the foreign inte, which I just happened to read tonight," Xia Qingqing said. "Alright, organize the material and I''ll apany you to theboratory tomorrow to see if this information holds up," Yu Shan said. Chapter 273: Chapter 197 Information Obtained from the Novel?_2 Yu Shan made his decision quickly. Heaven knows how much weight the name "Lin Chuan" carried within the Anling Police Station. As for this piece of data, even though it was fictionalized in the novel, the attitude was "better to test and be wrong than to miss a chance." He had to try it out. He had to try if there was any chance at all! "Okay, Captain, I won''t disturb you any longer." Xia Qingqing said politely, then hung up the phone. At that moment. She couldn''t help but remember the disimers Lin Chuan had emphasized over and over again. The novel is purely fictitious, do not corrte it with reality. "No wonder you stressed not taking it as real, if this were reality, emptying a magazine might not even be enough to judge your crimes," Xia Qingqing muttered to herself with a smirk. Of course, this remark was simply a joke, She knew that Lin Chuan''s novel was made up, but the data in it seemed quite reliable. Perhaps Lin Chuan had sneakily infiltrated some gray-ck industry chains, extracted some information to enhance the realism of the novel. For a world-ss hacker, aplishing this step was a real possibility. And those gray-ck industries wouldn''t sue Lin Chuan. So, there were no legal issues involved. After reporting, Xia Qingqing also cleared her thoughts. Then she closed the split screen on herptop and once again opened Lin Chuan''s novel "ck Ice", reading it carefully. Outside the window, the sky was like a canvas stained with ink, showing a sliver of moonlight through the gradually thinning clouds, the crescent moon faintly glowing. Under the cover of night, a gentle breeze blew, carrying the coolness of the night and a faint scent of grass, entered through the window, sweeping across Xia Qingqing''s fair and delicate face, stirring her smooth hair, adding a touch of disheveled beauty. The nights of summer always passed quickly. Soon enough, the morning light piercing through the clouds arrived, shining upon thend. Xia Qingqing arrived at the Anling Police Station early, organized all the relevant information on the ''Type 3 Drug'' from "ck Ice", and then presented it to Yu Shan. In the office. Yu Shan held his thermos, took a sip of warm, boiled water, and scrutinized the data: "Officer Xia, you''ve done very well." Early in the morning. Xia Qingqing was in her police uniform, sharp and energetic, also brimming with vigor. She smiled and said, "I just extracted some parts from Lin Chuan''s novel, it wasn''t a lot of work." Yu Shan waved his hand and said cheerfully, "Officer Xia, finding the relevant novel is also a formidable task." Xia Qingqing smiled warmly: "I just got lucky." "Haha, let''s go to theb and see if this is the ''Type 3 Drug''!" Yu Shanughed heartily. About this piece of data. Yu Shan did not view it with contempt, instead he held high expectations, he even somewhat believed this was the new-type drug they were looking for. Because, this data came from Lin Chuan''s novel. Lin Chuan, a gold-lettered signboard! Theb was not secluded, but there was some distance from the Anling Police Station, and the police station''s cars shuttled through the early morning traffic, bathed in the dawn''s light. Half an hourter, Xia Qingqing and Yu Shan arrived at theb. From afar, theb, with its silver-gray tone, looked quite stark. The lobby of theb was spacious and bright, with relevant photos, awards, and regtions hanging on the walls, and notice boards and promotional columns on either side. At the entrance, stood two people. One was in a police uniform, middle-aged, the captain of the narcotics team, He Song. The other, wore a whiteb coat, had on presbyopic spectacles, his face marked with many wrinkles, and white hair atop his head. He was the chief person in charge of theb, Yang Chao. From the position in which these two individuals were standing, it was evident that Yang Chao was the main figure, with He Song as his subordinate. Yang Chao had engaged in biochemical research and was known as a police technology expert, the director of the Anling City drug testingboratory, a distinguished professor at Anling University, a doctoral supervisor, among other titles. Yu Shan had first contacted Captain He Song of the narcotics division, but as soon as he saw Yang Chao standing at the door, his face immediately grew stern, "Officer Xia, Elder Yang is waiting for us!" Xia Qingqing nced outside, the corner of her mouth twitching, and her movements hastened as she quickly gathered the documents and got out of the car. Yu Shan took two strides at a time, a broad smile on his face, "Elder Yang, Captain He, sorry to have kept you waiting." Xia Qingqing followed behind and also greeted them. Yang Chao smiled gently, and the wrinkles on his face immediately became more pronounced: "I heard you''ve got a piece of valuable information, so I rushed out here to take a look at this information first." On the side, Captain He Song of the narcotics division chuckled, "Elder Yang, Captain Yu''s efficiency is truly high. It''s only been two days, and he has already found the information. Last night, he patted his chest and assured me the information is authentic!" Yu Shan did not expect He Song to have contacted someone of Yang Chao''s stature, his smile turned awkward, "Whether the information is authentic or not, my word doesn''t count; it''s what Elder Yang says that''s urate!" "My word doesn''t count either," Elder Yang said cheerfully, "It has to be verified to be known, let''s walk and talk." Everyone promptly stepped inside and walked further in. Inside theboratory, passing through the spacious and bright hall, the walls around were covered with various scientific charts and experimental reports, disying the research achievements and academic contributions of theboratory, and the air was filled with a cold and meticulous atmosphere. Xia Qingqing looked at Elder Yang Chao, walking briskly ahead. Carrying the documents, she inevitably became nervous. Yang Chao was known for his meticulousness and stringency when it came to data and experiments, so Xia Qingqing started to worry. What if she said that the information came from an extract of a novel? How would he react? At that moment, Elder Yang Chao began to speak, "Captain Yu, your Cyber Security Detachment''s efficiency is indeed high, managing to find the information in just two days, impressively efficient!" "Haha, all thanks to Officer Xia''s responsibility in this matter." Yu Shan pointed a hand towards Xia Qingqing, presenting her as the primary contributor. Elder Yang nced at Xia Qingqing, saying with a smile, "Such a promising youngdy. After hearing about the new-type drugs mentioned by Captain He, I became very interested, so I decided toe and conduct the experiment myself." "Elder Yang personally involving in everything is truly admirable," Yu Shanmented sincerely, then gestured for Xia Qingqing to hand the documents to Elder Yang. Xia Qingqing immediately understood and handed over the documents, "Elder Yang, this is the rted information I''ve managed to find, please take a look." Elder Yang took the documents and began to read while walking. The details of ''Drug No. 3'' caught his eye. [Name: New-type Drug (Drug No. 3).] [Raw materials: -bromo-phencetone, Methmine, ***, ***, ***.] [Required equipment: sk, Stirrer, Thermometer, Gas Mask, pH paper.] [Operation steps: React ''-bromo-phencetone'' with Methmine, Hydrochloric Acid to produce -methmino-phencetone hydrochloride,...] [Effects: Following consumption, users exhibit acute poisoning symptoms with extreme mental excitement, physiological overexertion, frenzy... followed by drowsiness, mental exhaustion, depression and other central nervous system depressant symptoms, and so on.] [...] Elder Yang''s eyes brightened, "Officer Xia, this information is very professional; from which institution did you obtain it?" What she feared most had happened. Xia Qingqing''s mouth twitched, and she swallowed hard, "Elder Yang, this information was not obtained from a professional organization, but, rather..." "Rather what?" He Song pressed. Xia Qingqing looked at He Song and then back to Elder Yang''s eager expression, reluctantly admitting, "It was obtained from a novel." With that statement, the atmosphere suddenly changed. Elder Yang stopped in his tracks and turned to Xia Qingqing, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Information obtained from a novel?" Chapter 274: Chapter 198 Pharmacy Manufacturing? Im familiar with that! (Please Subscribe) Inside theboratory, Xia Qingqing, Yang Chao, and a few others were walking down a corridor. Bright light shone down, engulfing the ce in a cold atmosphere, and theplexions of everyone were somewhatplex. As an authoritative figure, Yang Chao specifically inquired about the "evidence obtained from the novel." Xia Qingqing''s expression became slightly stern. Under the watchful eyes of Elder Yang and He Song, she nodded gently. He Song''s expression stiffened, and he couldn''t help but look at the captain of the Cyber Security Detachment, Yu Shan, with eyes full of questions. Last night, they didn''t mention that the information was obtained from a novel when they spoke on the phone. He Song suddenly regretted it! He shouldn''t have let Elder Yang take action himself! But now, Elder Yang''s expression seemed somewhat unpleasant, and he looked toward the main person in charge, the captain of the Cyber Security Detachment, Yu Shan. It must have been with Yu Shan''s approval that Xia Qingqing dared to submit this piece of evidence. Yu Shan immediately squeezed out a smile and exined, "If it were any other novel, I would decidedly not allow this evidence in front of Elder Yang, but this novel, it has a mystery of its own." Elder Yang smiled indifferently and said, "It''s just a novel, what mystery could it have?" "Elder Yang might not be into online novels, but the author of this novel is from our Anling, Lin Chuan. He focuses on the research of crime-themed subjects, and his expertise in the field of crime is no less than that of professional institutions. Captain He must have heard of this name," Yu Shan said with a smile. The reputation of Lin Chuan was where his confidencey. Xia Qingqing was still rtively young and felt somewhat overpowered by Elder Yang''s presence. "Lin Chuan?" He Song frowned. As the captain of the narcotics squad, within Anling City and affiliated with the criminal investigation detachment, he had seriously read "This Assassin Is Too Professional," which was rmended by the entire criminal investigation detachment. Therefore, he was naturally familiar with the name Lin Chuan. "Right," Yu Shan nodded. Elder Yang then looked at Yu Shan and He Song with a slightly furrowed brow, his eyes inquiring. After thinking for a moment, He Song exined, "Elder Yang, Lin Chuan is not just any ordinary novelist. His novel ''This Assassin Is Too Professional'' was designated as rmended reading by the criminal investigation detachment by Director Zhang, and it has even assisted our police station in solving quite a few cases." "That''s right, Lin Chuan also caught some external fraudsters in the Yundian region''s Old Street Factory District," Xia Qingqing added. A series of cases wereid out. And along with them, the name of Director Zhang Biao. After listening, Elder Yang didn''t rush to speak but looked down at the evidence in his hands, ''Drug No. 3.'' After a while, he finally raised his head and addressed the three beside him, "ording to what you''ve said, he indeed seems quite capable, but let''s keep things separatethe research on ''addictive drugs'' requires ample testing to verify." Elder Yang, being the director of theboratory, maintained his rigor through his long-term experimentation. Experimentation is unlike other matters. Before the results of an experiment are in, one must always remain cautious, meticulous, and not make blind deductions. Read thetest stories on M-VL-em|p,yr Xia Qingqing and Yu Shan exchanged nces, thinking thankfully that it was a novel by Lin Chuan. If it were any other novel, they probably wouldn''t have even been able to get through the doors of theboratory. And even if they had, it would not have been Elder Yang himself operating. However, now that Elder Yang was personally taking action, it made her more nervous. If ''Drug No. 3'' turned out different from the ''new-type drug'' they were looking for, or if ''Drug No. 3'' didn''t exist at all, they would end up being aughingstock. The four of them crossed through the corridor and turned right, arriving at Elder Yang''sboratory. Xia Qingqing looked into theboratory through the transparent ss window. Inside theb, there was a long experimental table at the center, with various precision instruments and equipment ced on it, emitting a sharp blue light. Along the walls were a few shelves, with various chemical reagents standing silently. Several individuals dressed in whiteb coats and wearing masks were busy at work. They were Elder Yang''s assistants. "Officer Xia, in the ''Drug No. 3'' you provided, the materials and procedures sections are missing some parts. Is this information censored in the novel itself?" Elder Yang asked meticulously at the door of theboratory. "Elder Yang, yes," Xia Qingqing nodded and replied, "This is probably to prevent some ill-intentioned readers from using these pharmaceutical techniques for harmful purposes." Elder Yang rarely smiled, but he nodded and said, "That consideration is very good." "The missing materials and procedures, that shouldn''t be a problem, right?" Yu Shan asked an additional question. Elder Yang waved his hand gently and said with a smile, "Those ''addictive drugs,'' I have made quite a few myself. The materials used are mainly those few, and the procedures can also be deduced, just that it will take a bit more time." Yu Shan''s face brightened, "We appreciate Elder Yang''s efforts." As the narcotics squad captain, He Song also chimed in, "We are grateful for Elder Yang''s personal involvement." "This is also my job," Elder Yangughed, and then he went to the small room next to theboratory to clean off any potential germs, put on a mask, and entered theb. Xia Qingqing, Yu Shan, and He Song waited quietly outside theboratory door. "Old Yu, do you think the information extracted from Lin Chuan''s novel is reliable?" With Elder Yang away, He Song couldn''t help but ask. Yu Shan smirked, "I think it''s reliable, but with Elder Yang operating, I''m a bit worried about mistakes." After all, Elder Yang was a respected senior colleague of his. He didn''t want to make a fool of himself in front of Elder Yang. "Last night you were thumping your chest," said He Song, the captain of the narcotics squad, under his breath. "I got excitedst night," Yu Shan said with a sheepish smile, as tracking down the information for the ''new-type drug'' was certainly exciting. Chapter 275: Chapter 198 Pharmacy Manufacturing? Im familiar with that! (Subscribe please)_2 "It all depends on whether ''Drug No. 3'' is the ''New Type of Addictive Drug'' we''re looking for," He Song let out a sigh. In theboratory, Elder Yang had already instructed the staff to prepare the raw materials and corresponding equipment. For the raw materials, there were three ingredients missing. Utilizing his extensive experience, Yang Chao attempted toplete the form and started the experiment. Elder Yang ced the documents in a designated area and then walked over to the experiment table, his eyes deep and sharp, his face full of concentration. First, he dissolved the methanamine solution in toluene. After that, he added ''alpha-bromopropiophenone.'' At this point, the two started to react chemically, but the reaction was not fast, so Elder Yang added the catalyst sodium hydroxide to speed up the process. Elder Yang carried out each step with precision and meticulous attention to detail. Meanwhile, his assistants were also conducting experiments. One, two, three... Conducting multiple experiments simultaneously could speed up verification and improve efficiency. Finally. Two hourster, Elder Yang emerged from theboratory. "How did it go, Elder Yang?" Yu Shan was the first to approach, asking eagerly. Xia Qingqing also quickly stood up, her lips pursed, looking expectantly at the white-haired Elder Yang. From the tip of her nose, she detected a faint metallic smell. Elder Yang let out a light sigh, "Multiple experiments have all ended in failure, in my trials, ''Drug No. 3'' cannot be equated to the New Type of Addictive Drug you''re looking for." With these words, the air around seemed to solidify. Yu Shan''s mouth twitched, "Does that mean this information is fake?" Xia Qingqing''s face also looked somewhat embarrassed. With Elder Yang being an expert authority in this area and multiple experiments failing, it was very likely that the information was false. s... Xia Qingqing sighed lightly in her heart. Indeed, she had harbored too much hope. "I can''t conclude that it is fake, maybe my skills are not refined enough," Elder Yang said with a faint smile. All three present could tell. This was Elder Yang''s tactful, self-deprecating remark, possibly due to his rigorous nature. But as far as the information at hand was concerned, it was now dismissed by Elder Yang. Xia Qingqing and Yu Shan walked out of theb with a sense of ''regret,'' heading back to the police station in their car. "Ah, Officer Xia, the lead we just got has broken again, it''s going to be tough, but you''ll have to look into it again," said Yu Shan, the captain of the Cyber Security Detachment, with a tone of regret. Clearly. He had not anticipated that Lin Chuan''s expertise, as detailed in his novel, could also fail. "This information, it''s not entirely without merit, the symptoms exhibited by ''Drug No. 3'' in Lin Chuan''s novel match closely with the New Type of Addictive Drug we''re searching for, which indicates it''s not entirely a figment of imagination, but likely based on some kind of document. I''ll ask him, maybe there can be a new clue," Xia Qingqing analyzed calmly after taking a deep breath. Captain Yu Shan''s eyes brightened immediately, "That''s very possible, Officer Xia, ask Comrade Lin Chuan right away, there might still be a chance!" "Alright!" Xia Qingqing looked at Captain Yu Shan''s eager eyes and nodded. Then, she took out her phone and dialed Lin Chuan''s number. Inside the phone, the ''du du du'' tone rang out, sounding especially prolonged inside the speeding police car. Finally, the call connected. "Hello, Officer Xia," a familiar voice came from the phone, "Did you find out about the favor I asked for yesterday so soon?" Xia Qingqing immediately replied, "I had a colleague look into Huarun Company this morning, once I get back to the police station, I should be able to tell you the oue." "You''re still outside, huh? Then there''s no rush," Lin Chuanughed heartily and asked another question, "Do you have some kind of issue over there?" Xia Qingqing smiled and said with upturned lips, "Comrade Lin Chuan, it seems I can''t hide anything from you." "It''s only polite to reciprocate; you looked into something for me, so tell me what you need," Lin Chuan said with a smile, full of affection for his devoted fan Xia Qingqing. "Do you still remember the data you wrote about ''Addictive Drugs'' in your novel?" Xia Qingqing didn''t beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "Uh, there is quite a lot, what''s up?" On the other end of the phone, Lin Chuan was at 720 Company. Hearing Xia Qingqing mention "ck Ice" and "addictive drugs," his brows furrowed slightly. I published the novel overseas and blocked many key materials and steps; it shouldn''t constitute illegal activities, right? "Those materials, did you make them up yourself, or did you obtain them through some channels?" Xia Qingqing''s tone was a bit serious as she asked. "Officer Xia, why are you asking about this?" Lin Chuan asked warily in response. At this moment, Xia Qingqing looked towards Yu Shan in the police car, revealing an inquiring expression. Yu Shan nodded. Only then did Xia Qingqing answer, "Comrade Lin Chuan, here''s the thing, we are currently investigating a new type of ''addictive drugs.'' Last night, as I read your novel ''ck Ice,'' I found that the symptoms disyed by the ''No. 3 drug'' in the book highly coincide with the symptoms of the ''new-type drugs'' we''re looking for. So, we''d like to know the specific source of this material to facilitate our investigation." Understanding dawned on Lin Chuan, "I see." "So, do you really have this material?" Xia Qingqing pressed. "Uh..." "Comrade Lin Chuan, this is an opportunity for credit; you won''t be held legally responsible!" Xia Qingqing immediately added seriously. Lin Chuan smiled, "I do indeed have the detailed information on the No. 3 drug." Xia Qingqing''s eyes lit up, and she asked another question, "Is it genuine?" Yu Shan also showed a pleased expression, listening intently to the voiceing from the phone. "Genuine." Lin Chuan confirmed through the phone. "Writer Lin, could you send us the material now?" Xia Qingqing asked, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Wait a second, I''ll send it to you." In the 720 Company chairman''s office, Lin Chuan put down his phone, turned on hisputer, downloaded the ''No. 3 drug'' information from ''International Forum-Underworld'', then organized it a bit, filled in the missing material and the specific steps, and immediately sent it to Xia Qingqing. "I sent it to you," he said, picking up the phone and smiling. "Okay, I''ll take a look now." Xia Qingqing''s phone alerted her of the file Lin Chuan had sent. She immediately clicked to download the file, then opened it. To one side, Yu Shan also turned his face to look at thistest file sent by Lin Chuan himself. However, as Xia Qingqing browsed the file, both she and Yu Shan paused for a moment. The file sent by Lin Chuan only contained a few more materials and specific steps than the one she hadpiled and submitted to Elder Yang for testing. And yet, her file had been rejected by Elder Yang. "Writer Lin, are you certain this file is the detailed information for producing the ''No. 3 addictive drug''?" Xia Qingqing couldn''t help but ask. After all, this matter was of great consequence and would directly affect the work progress of the drug enforcement team. On arger scale, it would impact the entire Anling City. "Absolutely certain." Lin Chuan gave apletely positive response. The ''No. 3 addictive drug,'' he had produced it countless times in the Virtual World; he couldn''t be mistaken. Xia Qingqing thought for a moment and then told Lin Chuan about theboratory. At this moment, Lin Chuan''s voice suddenly rose, "Officer Xia, does that mean you''re going to produce the ''No. 3 addictive drug'' to confirm if it''s the ''new type of addictive drugs'' you''re looking for, right?" "Yes, Writer Lin, why do you sound so excited?" Xia Qingqing asked, slightly taken aback. "Officer Xia, I can help you!" Lin Chuan immediately volunteered eagerly. "Ah?" Xia Qingqing was startled, "You can help us find clues, or...?" "I can help you produce the ''No. 3 addictive drug.'' Not just the No. 3; I can do No. 1, No. 2, No. 4 tooI''m familiar with this!" Lin Chuan dered, his face lighting up with excitement as he spoke. The system''s task challengeto produce an addictive drug with a purity of 95%seemed to be within reach now! Ha ha ha! "You just said, you''re familiar with this?" Xia Qingqing and Yu Shan exchanged nces, faces full of astonishment! Writer Lin, you''re really something! Chapter 276: Chapter 199: This is called professionalism! (Please subscribe) Company 720, Chairman''s Office. Holding his phone in hand, Lin Chuan curled his lips and coughed lightly, "Cough, I do have some understanding of this matter, but not much." "Have you made ''addictive drugs''?" On the phone, Xia Qingqing''s voice came through, sounding astonished. "Officer Xia, no such thing. Don''t talk nonsense, it''s impossible!" Lin Chuan tly denied in a flurry of rebuttals. "Then..." Xia Qingqing hesitated somewhat. Lin Chuan grinned and immediately said with augh, "Officer Xia, you know me. I would never get involved in illegal activities. As for why I would, have you ever heard of a chemistry prodigy?" Xia Qingqing was taken aback, "A chemistry prodigy?" "Yes!" Lin Chuan confidently said, "I''m a chemistry prodigy. Since middle school, I started getting into chemistry and self-studied a lot of additional knowledge. I have an impable handle on chemical reactions. So, when I came across the information for ''Type 3 addictive drugs,'' I had already run through it numerous times in my mind. That''s why I said ''I''m familiar with this stuff!''" A series of natural and coherent self-narrations left Xia Qingqing and Yu Shan on the other end of the phone stunned. Simting chemical reactions in his mind? Could he really be a genius? However, Xia Qingqing did raise a question, "Writer Lin, I remember that you majored in literature in college." "Ah, that. You know me, I have a wide range of interests and fancy myself a sessor of Han culture. I wanted to promote Han culture, and that''s why I immersed myself in web novel creation. Recently, to write about ''addictive drugs,'' I did a lot of research to ensure authenticity, so that''s why I simted the reactions in my mind." Inside the police car. Xia Qingqing listened to Lin Chuan''s ramblingsing from the phone and looked over at Yu Shan. Her gaze seemed to question, Captain Yu, do you believe it? Yu Shan gently shook his head. Clearly, I don''t believe it either! If I did, now that would be something! "Writer Lin, you really don''t need to exin so much to us. I''m Cyber Police, not a narcotics officer," Xia Qingqing said with a grin, a yful look appearing on her innocent and beautiful face. "Haha." Lin Chuanughed awkwardly, lightly tapping his forehead, "If you need my help in producing that ''Type 3 addictive drug'' described in the novel, I naturally need to make sure you understand the source. Trust is the foundation of cooperation." "Writer Lin, rest assured, Ipletely trust you," Xia Qingqing replied, very seriously. "Comrade Lin Chuan, I trust you too!" Yu Shan chimed in from the side. He had no choice but to trust Lin Chuan! After all, Chief Zhang Biao had given directives: do not let Lin Chuanmit any crime. They all knew that if Lin Chuan didmit a crime, it was very likely to be a perfect crime, with potential consequences they might not be able to bear! Of course. In this time frame, the incidents that urred were all observed by Anling Police Station, concluding: Lin Chuan is trustworthy. "Thank you both for your trust. So, about producing the ''Type 3 addictive drug''?" Lin Chuan said with a broad smile on his face. This was a rare opportunity! Assessment task: to produce an addictive drug with a 95% purity rate, impossible anywhere else. Only in an officialboratory was there a chance to aplish it! The police car sped along the road, and in the back seat, Xia Qingqing turned her head to inquire with a look at Yu Shan. Yu Shan nodded. Xia Qingqing then said with a smile, "Writer Lin, also known as a chemistry genius, are you free at the moment?" "I happen to be free right now," Lin Chuan said, smiling. "Captain Yu and I wille to pick you up now," Xia Qingqing immediately stated. "No problem, I''m at the Company 720 in Zhongcheng Building," Lin Chuan promptly reported his location. Afterward. The police car with Xia Qingqing and Yu Shan inside immediately turned around and headed straight for Company 720. Lin Chuan put down his phone and couldn''t help humming a tune to himself. "Chairman, what''s got you so happy?" At that moment, the Little Landy walked into the office, and seeing Lin Chuan in such high spirits, she too broke into a smile. Lin Chuan stood up and motioned for the Little Landy to sit down on the chair. As he massaged her shoulders, he exined, "Finance Director, the police have asked for my help in producing a certain drug." "You know how to make drugs too?" The Little Landy asked in surprise. "Uh, this drug is a bit different from ordinary ones," Lin Chuan said, smiling as he exined. The Little Landy suddenly understood. Then, she pressed Lin Chuan''s hand to her cheek and asked, "Chairman, any news from Huarun Company?" "Not yet, I''ll help them with the drug productionter and inquire by the way." Lin Chuan said in a rxed tone, signaling the Little Landy not to worry too much. "Okay." The Little Landy disyed a smile, "This afternoon, I''m going to visit Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s drug manufacturing nt." "Anzhou Pharmaceutical?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. "Right, Keke invited me to have a look, and I actually want to see it too," said the Little Landy smilingly. "How about I join you after I get back?" Lin Chuan''s brow tightened as he asked. "No need," the Little Landy refused. Her visit to the drug factory was for inspiration to write "I Am Not the Medicine God" and to surprise Lin Chuan. "Okay then," Lin Chuan said as he stroked her hair, smiling. It wasn''t long. Before Xia Qingqing and Yu Shan arrived at the bottom of Company 720''s building. Lin Chuan got into the back of the police car and headed to theboratory. "Writer Lin, I never would have guessed you''re so versatile!" Xia Qingqing, an acquaintance of Lin Chuan''s, teased him. "Versatile, somewhat," Lin Chuan touched his nose and responded with a wry smile. In the realm of criminal professions, he did have a quite a number of skills; calling himself versatile didn''t seem like an overstatement. Chapter 277 : 199: This is called professionalism! (Please subscribe)_2 "Comrade Lin Chuan is our police station''s best cooperative partner," the leader of the Cyber Security Detachment added from within the car. "You tter me!" Lin Chuan responded modestly, "By the way, officers, I have a question I''d like to presumptuously ask." Yu Shan raised his eyebrows slightly, "Comrade Lin Chuan, please feel free to ask." "Then I''ll speak frankly, have you obtained any clues about the ''New Type of Addictive Drugs'' you are investigating?" Yu Shan shook his head and answered truthfully, "Comrade Lin Chuan, I cannot answer your question because we are only responsible for investigating and verifying information on ''New Type of Addictive Drugs''. Specific clues and case investigations need to be referred to the narcotics team. However..." "However what?" Lin Chuan furrowed his brows slightly and asked. Yu Shan considered for a moment and then added, "The clues for this type of case are far-reaching and almost always confidential." "I see," Lin Chuan nodded. The police car shuttled through the urban area of Anling City, heading towards theboratory. Along the way, Yu Shan reestablished contact with the narcotics team leader, He Song. After receiving the message, He Song made his return. At the same time, Yu Shan also briefed Lin Chuan about some details of theboratory to facilitate Lin Chuan''s preparation of the ''Addictive Drug no. 3''ter. Soon, Lin Chuan and the team arrived at theboratory. The narcotics team leader, He Song, was already waiting at the entrance. "Comrade Lin Chuan, I''ve long admired your reputation," He Song shifted his focus to Lin Chuan as soon as he saw Yu Shan and his group. Lin Chuan was dressed simply, appearing clean and bright. Only, that somewhat handsome face did not disy the kind of experienced weathering, which made He Song somewhat surprised. It is well known, that the field of chemical research, simr to doctors and programmers, often manifests in thinning hairthe less hair one has, the more trustworthy they appear. However, Lin Chuan''splexion was rosy and radiant, with thick hair, looking every part the robust young man, not at all like someone who had been immersed in chemical research. "Captain He," Lin Chuan greeted him as well. "Have you been waiting long?" At the side, Yu Shan smiled and asked. "I just arrived a little while ago, waiting to go in with you all," He Song cracked a smile. "So we..." Yu Shan hadn''t finished speaking when He Song pulled him aside. He Song hesitated for a moment, then asked with a slight reluctance, "Old Yu, is it reliable to have Comrade Lin Chuan make the New Type of Addictive Drugs?" "Hmm... it should be fine," Yu Shan nodded. "As you know, Elder Yang only recently conducted this experiment. If we were to do it again, we''ll definitely need to consult with Elder Yang again, so..." He Song furrowed his brows slightly, ncing subtly at Lin Chuan. He had heard of Lin Chuan''s considerable reputation and knew of Lin Chuan''s expertise inworkputing and crime scene investigation. Yet, he was unclear that Lin Chuan also had the capability to make ''Addictive Drugs''. "I''m a bit worried too, but I choose to believe first!" Yu Shan pondered for a moment. He Song looked at Yu Shan and chuckled, "Since you said so, let''s give it a try. I''m sure Elder Yang would understand our predicament and won''t hold it against us." All for the sake of the investigation. "Don''t worry, if it really doesn''t turn out right, I''ll take the scolding with you. If it does work out, won''t your case progress?" Yu Shan smiled, "It''s a win-win." "That''s true!" He Song smiled. "Shouldn''t you, as a narcotics team leader, be decisive and quick to action?" Yu Shan teased. "Heh, that''s for criminals!" He Song grinned, "No need for such an approach with our own people. I''ll consult with Elder Yang right away." Soon, Elder Yang gave his approval. Following that, Lin Chuan, Yu Shan, Xia Qingqing, and He Song, the four of them, went to Elder Yang''s office. Lin Chuan carefully observed theboratory. Theyout and the pervasive smell were like a throwback to the ''Addictive Drug'' workshop in a Virtual World. A sense of familiarity arose in Lin Chuan''s heart. Confidence also surfaced on Lin Chuan''s face. The group passed through the lobby, down the corridor, turned two corners, and then saw Elder Yang''s office. Knock, knock, knock He Song personally knocked on the door. Elder Yang looked up and, seeing He Song and others, smiled and said, "This must be Comrade Lin Chuan, right?" "Elder Yang, it is me." Lin Chuan nodded his head. "Allow this old fellow to call you Lin," said Elder Yang, without any hint of disdain for Lin Chuan''s youth, continuing, "I received some of your information before, very professional, but I''ve tried several times, all without sess." Lin Chuan looked at the diligent and eager old man and smiled, "Elder Yang, that information was iplete, it needs additional materials and steps to bepleted." "So, you n to conduct the experiment yourself?" Elder Yang asked, his spirits lifted, smiling. Lin Chuan nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, Elder Yang, I hope to use theboratory, equipment, and materials here toplete the synthesis of ''Addictive Drug No. 3''." "As long as you can create it, that''s a minor issue," Elder Yang said with a smile. The corner of Lin Chuan''s mouth tilted upward, "There should be no problem." "Lin, you might not be very familiar with this ce; how about I be your assistant?" Elder Yang looked up into Lin Chuan''s eyes with a burning gaze. Lin Chuan was momentarily stunned. He quickly understood that Elder Yang might be worried he would not know how to synthesize ''Addictive Drug No. 3'' or that he might be unskilled in its operation. There was another possibility: Elder Yang wanted to know the missing materials and the specific steps. To one side, Yu Shan, He Song, and Xia Qingqing watched the old and young, also feeling a shock in their hearts. Goodness, Elder Yang bing Lin Chuan''s assistant? Elder Yang was overseeing the battle! If Lin Chuan could not produce it, that would indeed be a disaster! At least, Yu Shan and He Song believed that they could not raise their heads in front of Elder Yang. Pressure maxed out! However, Lin Chuan seemed not to worry, calmly stating, "With Elder Yang supporting, I am even more confident!" Seeing Lin Chuan''s demeanor, Elder Yang raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised, "Lin, are you already sure of sess?" "I wouldn''t dare to im full certainty," Lin Chuan said modestly. Sure of sess () Ny percent sure () Elder Yang smiled and his eyes twinkled, "I''m somewhat looking forward to your performance." Afterward, Lin Chuan went into a small room, disinfected, put on a mask, donned a whiteb coat, and walked into theboratory together with Elder Yang. Lin Chuan looked at the familiar equipment and materials, inhaling a variety of sharp and familiar scents, and couldn''t help feeling a little excited. The dog system''s inhuman task was finally about to bepleted! "Lin,e on," Elder Yang said, revealing a warm smile, slightly benevolent, his eyes full of expectation. Lin Chuan calmed his emotions and nodded. Then, he approached the experimental bench to begin his operation. At that moment, Lin Chuan''s entire temperament changed. Elder Yang stood beside Lin Chuan, and his feelings were the most apparent. Watching Lin Chuan, his gaze became sharp and focused, as if he were a seasoned expert who had been immersed in drug research for decades. Lin Chuan first dissolved methanamine in toluene with precise measurements, waited two seconds, and then added ''-bromophencetone''. Elder Yang nodded inwardly. Those two seconds were exactly the time needed for the methanamine solution to dissolve in the toluene. This kid indeed had some skills! Lin Chuan continued the operation, adding the catalyst sodium hydroxide to elerate the reaction between ''-bromophencetone'' and methanamine. Following that, he added hydrochloric acid... Each of Lin Chuan''s steps was performed with meticulous uracy, to the point that Elder Yang, serving as both a supporter and supervisor, barely had a chance to intervene! No, to be precise, Lin Chuan''s operations, like that of a veteran expert of many years, left him beyond reproach! Even more, Elder Yang had a slight illusion... The barely twenty-something Lin Chuan might have expertise levels skyscraping high, far above his own! It was just, that couldn''t be possible! Chapter 278 : 200 Who Dares to Mess with You? Outside theb. Yu Shan, He Song, and Xia Qingqing could not help much with the production of "Addictive Drugs", they could only wait quietly. "Elder Yang himself supervising feels like the chief is standing beside me, overseeing my case," He Song, the captain of the Narcotics Detection Team, took a deep breath. His heart was thumping at an elerated pace, even more nervous than Lin Chuan inside theb, who was conducting the tests. "Don''t worry, Captain He, Lin Chuan has always been confident, and it seems like he''s never let us down," Xia Qingqing said with a smile, trying to reassure him. "My understanding of him is based only on hearsay," He Song said with an embarrassed smile, then added, "To be honest, how is he able to make these ''Addictive Drugs'' anyway?" After speaking, he nced at Xia Qingqing and then turned his gaze to Yu Shan. Xia and Yu looked at each other and shook their heads. "You guys don''t know where his skillse from, are they legal?" As the captain of the Narcotics Detection Team, He Song asked out of professional habit. Xia Qingqing was silent for a moment before countering, "Captain He, if Lin Chuan''s skills were illegal, why would he dare toe in front of us, making ''Addictive Drugs'' right before our eyes? Isn''t that like walking into a trap?" "Officer Xia makes sense," Yu Shan seconded. He Song pondered for a moment: "Well, that seems to make sense." "Old He, you should just pray that Comrade Lin Chuan can make these ''Addictive Drugs.'' It would not only help you solve your case but also keep Elder Yang from ming you," Yu Shan teased. "Of course I''m hoping for that!" He Song chuckled dryly. Yet, he always felt it was a bit absurd to let Lin Chuan, a web novel writer, produce ''Addictive Drugs.'' No, it''s not about being a web novel writer anymore. Any ordinary person should avoid ''Addictive Drugs'' like the gue. But Lin Chuan did the opposite and went on to ''manufacture'' them! This was truly baffling! Two hourster. Theb door opened. Lin Chuan and Medicine Elder walked out shoulder to shoulder, with Xia Qingqing, Yu Shan, and He Song immediately getting up and crowding around. "Lin Chuan, how did it go?" Xia Qingqing looked at Lin Chuan with keen eyes, full of curiosity. From the bottom of her heart, she hoped Lin Chuan could produce ''Type 3 Addictive Drugs'', even if they were just defective products! He Song and Yu Shan also turned their attention to Lin Chuan immediately. Indeed, Lin Chuan had be the center of attention. Lin Chuan looked at their expressions, his lips curling into a smile, and he said, "The performance wasn''t very good, but..." "Ah, not very good?" Before Lin Chuan could finish, He Song''s face showed a hint of shock. "Don''t panic, Captain He, but it was still made," Lin Chuan raised his hand to signal He Song to rx, and said with a smile. He Song''s face changed drastically, immediately turning from apprehensive to cheerful, a look of joy spreading across it: "It''s made? That''s great! Great!" "Truly impressive." Xia Qingqing''s eyes lit up, giving Lin Chuan an admiring nce. Lin Chuan smiled: "I owe it to Elder Yang''s guidance by my side; otherwise, I might have very likely failed." Everyone turned their gaze to Elder Yang beside him. Energetic, Elder Yang took off his mask, waving his hands and smiled, "The neers performed very well. During the whole process, Brother Lin did everything by himself; I didn''t even get a chance to intervene." Xia, Yu, and He were all taken aback. The entire process was operated by Lin Chuan alone? And, from Elder Yang''s tone, it seemed that he held Lin Chuan in particrly high esteem? Sheesh! Xia Qingqing couldn''t help but look at Lin Chuan and thought, could it be that Lin Chuan won over Anling''s respected ''Addictive Drugs'' research expert with just an experiment in producing addictive drugs? Elder Yang''s address of ''Brother Lin'' clearly indicated this meaning. Lin Chuan modestly said: "Although Elder Yang didn''t take action, having him next to me allowed me to try more boldly, which led to this fortunate sess!" "Haha, Brother Lin, you are too modest! You are the expert here!" Elder Yang was full of praise for this young man. His future is truly boundless! "Thank you, Elder Yang and Comrade Lin, for your efforts!" He Song returned to his senses from his astonishment and immediately expressed his gratitude to them both. Elder Yang waved his hand, "Captain He, Brother Lin and I have already identified in theb that the Addictive Drug we produced is 95% pure, which roughly matches the new type of Addictive Drugs you described." "That''s fantastic!" The light in He Song''s eyes brightened, and joy instantly appeared on his face. With the ''New Type of Addictive Drugs'' on hand, he could obtain more information and train narcotics detection dogs, expanding the scope of investigation. Moreover, by investigating and regting the raw materials for such addictive drugs, one could effectivelybat the criminals who produce, sell, and consume ''Addictive Drugs''! This time, Comrade Lin Chuan has made an outstanding contribution! The sessful production of the ''New Type of Addictive Drugs'' resulted in a win-win situation, and the atmosphere was particrly harmonious. Elder Yang also expressed that if Lin Chuan needed anything in this field, he coulde to him. Connections +1. It was just a pity that Elder Yang''s English was not good; otherwise, he would have wanted to check out Lin Chuan''s novel "ck Ice" on the international version of Sailing Novel to see for himself the charm. In Lin Chuan''s mind, the system panel refreshed too. [Work: "ck Ice".] [Current status: Published.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 13308/50000.] [Assessment Task: Produce ''Drugs'' with a purity of 95% (Completed).] Phew Thepletion of the assessment task let Lin Chuan heave a deep sigh of relief. Chapter 279: Chapter 200 Who Dares to Mess with You, This Mighty Being?_2 This system is getting more and more OP. Luckily, everything has a double edge. Skills that are very tough can also be used in legitimate careers. For example, this time, assisting the narcotics team in manufacturing "addictive drugs". The damn system wants tond me in jail, no chance! "Comrade Lin Chuan, my colleague has sent me information about Huarun Company. It shows that Liu Meng, the general manager of Huarun Company''s Han River District, has changed her nationality to foreign, and moreover, she returned to the country not long ago. However, she hasn''t spent much time domestically and so far, no issues have been discovered." At this moment, Xia Qingqing pulled Lin Chuan aside and spoke to him. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment and nodded, "What about Huarun Company then?" "Huarun Company mainly engages in foreign export trade. Their trade scope is very broad and includes drugs, medicinal materials, all kinds of equipment, instruments, and even daily necessities. They primarily export to Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America. In the information we''ve collected, no special issues have been found," Xia Qingqing exined. "It must have been tough. Thanks," Lin Chuan said with a smile after hearing her. "It''s me who should be thanking you. Without you, an Influent Author, it would have taken forever to look up information on ''new type of addictive drugs''." Xia Qingqing smiled sweetly, her eyes curving into crescents, full of youthful vibrancy. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, a sh of inspiration striking him, and then he suggested, "Qingqing, besides the ''new type of addictive drugs'', are you investigating any other simr drugs?" "Not at the moment, why?" Xia Qingqing replied, lifting her bright eyes curiously to look at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan smiled and said, "I was thinking, I actually came across a fair variety of ''addictive drugs''. I wonder if I can add to your achievements." In truth, Lin Chuan wanted to use Xia Qingqing to submit these materials to professional research institutions and provide more information and clues for the narcotics team. After all, the alternative ''Pharmacy Manufacturing Technique'' provided by the system wasn''t of much use to him. Might as well do some good deeds! Xia Qingqing was taken aback, her brows slightly furrowed, "Lin Chuan, don''t scare me!" "How am I scaring you?" Lin Chuanughed. "You have information on quite a few types of ''addictive drugs''. Don''t tell me you searched for so much just to write a novel!" Xia Qingqing pressed her lips together, her expression one of disbelief. Who would believe that? "Ahem!" Lin Chuan cleared his throat and exined, "Qingqing, you know me. I wouldn''t engage in illegal activities. I just want to write novels to provide for my family." Xia Qingqing scrutinized Lin Chuan from head to toe. She really wanted to strip away all of Lin Chuan''s exterior to see if he had any secrets left to reveal! Every time they met, Lin Chuan always showed her capabilities that werepletely unexpected! And they were always so tough! If she hadn''t known Lin Chuan through and through by this point, she would have already pped handcuffs on him! "Tough, I believe you now," Xia Qingqing said with a smile. "See, could you not believe me?" Lin Chuan responded with a question. "I want to disbelieve, but I have no evidence!" Xia Qingqing joked, her smile lingering. "I''ll sort it out tonight and send those materials to you. Remember to look out for me when you get promoted," Lin Chuanughed heartily. Evidence? Even in the Virtual World, no one could find any evidence on me! Besides, I abide by thew in the real world! "Who dares to mess with you?" Xia Qingqing yfully scolded Lin Chuan, thinking to herself, AW was brought down by you, and the Old Street Factory District is gone because of you. If anyone really dares to provoke you, tsk tsk! "I''m just a struggling author." Lin Chuanughed heartily and then exited theboratory. It was nowte afternoon, approaching evening. Outside theboratory, the sunset was golden, and the afterglow scattered a patchwork of colors into the air. Especially since it was still the height of summer, with the warmth lingering, the sunlight appeared like golden dust particles, blurring the distant city''s silhouette and adding a special charm. "Are we gaming tonight?" Xia Qingqing pursed her lips and asked. Lin Chuan looked apologetic and shook his head, "Sorry, I have an appointment tonight." "Alright then." Xia Qingqing sighed softly, feeling a little disappointment in her heart. "Next time, we''re teaming up for gaming again!" Lin Chuan smiled at Xia Qingqing, then got into the car and disappeared from her sight. "This guy!" Xia Qingqing spat in annoyance and then went home to continue studying Lin Chuan''s "ck Ice". Lin Chuan hadn''t lied to her. He really had a sudden engagement. On his phone, the Little Landy had sent him a message, "Chairman, Keke wants to take us out for a meal, to see if there''s any possibility for further cooperation." Lin Chuan replied, "Okay." "Then I''ll pick you up," the Little Landy replied. "No need, I''lle over." "Alright, I''ll wait for you at Youran Vi." "Okay, wait for me." Lin Chuan sat in the car, the sunset outside sinking, dusk approaching, like a gradient painting, ayer of golden gauze enveloping the whole Anling City. The ''Addictive Drugs Laboratory'' wasn''t far from Youran Vi. Just twenty minutester, Lin Chuan arrived at his destination. At the entrance of Youran Vi, the Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, stood waiting for Lin Chuan under the twilight sky. She wore a light white long dress, with a waist as slender as a willow, a gentle breeze caressing her delicate cheeks and lifting a lock of hair by her temples, making her look like ady stepping out of andscape painting in the pale yellow light. "Xinxin." Lin Chuan got out of the car, took two quick steps toward the Little Landy. When he was with the Little Landy, there was always a sense offort and rxation, probably because she consistently trusted him. Upon hearing Lin Chuan''s voice, the Little Landy reflexively turned her head and smiled brightly, her steps light, as she ran over lifting her skirt. A scent of jasmine blew in with the wind. "You''ve be this clingy after just half a day?" Lin Chuan took the Little Landy''s hand, a smile on his lips as he teased her. Puckering her lips with a smile, the Little Landy responded, "Not at all." She denied it verbally, but her hands were honest. Her left hand held onto Lin Chuan, and her right went around his arm, her body leaning slightly towards him. Lin Chuan habitually ruffled her hair: "How did you find your visit to Anzhou Pharmaceutical today?" With a thoughtful expression, the Little Landy mused, "Very professional!" "What else?" "They have arge operation and are developing various drugs, none of which have been released yet. However, Keke also revealed to me that they are preparing to go public," Zhang Xinxin said with a smile. "Going public?" Lin Chuan was momentarily surprised, "Anzhou Pharmaceutical is developing quite rapidly then." "Yeah," the Little Landy nodded. "What kind of cooperation does President Yu want to discuss with us?" Lin Chuan frowned slightly, a bit puzzled. "Anzhou Pharmaceutical wants to go public, but they have yet to reach the required scale, so they want to expand and build another pharmacy manufacturing nt," the Little Landy exined. "Building another pharmacy manufacturing nt... Ourpany 720 doesn''t seem to be able to cooperate with them in the pharmacy nt sector, does it?" Lin Chuan half-frowned, asking somewhat perplexedly. "This time, Anzhou Pharmaceutical is not looking to cooperate with 720 Company," the Little Landy rified. "Then who is it?" Pressing her lips together, the Little Landy said, "To be precise, she wants to cooperate with us." "Cooperating with us, how so?" Lin Chuan''s mind raced as he inquired. "I have a piece ofnd..." the Little Landy hinted, a smile spreading across her lips. "Huh?" Lin Chuan was startled, "Little rich girl, how much property do you still have in your name?" "Not, not much left," the Little Landy said as she tightened her hold on Lin Chuan''s arm and rested her head on his shoulder, speaking softly. "You really are a Little Landy!" Lin Chuan eximed. Chapter 280: Chapter 201: Really Coming for Me! (Please Subscribe) The sun was slowly setting. Lin Chuan chatted with Zhang Xinxin as they walked into Youran Vi. Youran Vi was located in the suburbs of Anling City, its name inspired by "a leisurely view of the southern mountains," a ce of quiet andfort where people from all walks of life in Anling City met. Yu Keke had specially chosen this ce to host a banquet for Lin Chuan and Zhang Xinxin, showing her full sincerity. Dusk mingled with the night, light interweaving with darkness. Inside the vi, the scent of grass and flowers carried a faint freshness that lingered at the tip of the nose, with asional birds returning to their nests, settling on the branches of a tree. "Director Lin, Xinxin." A voice reached Lin Chuan''s ears. Lin Chuan looked up and saw at the end of a winding stone path, in front of a wooden house beside a lotus pond, Yu Keke standing and greeting him and the Little Landy. She wore an off-shoulder ck mini dress, revealing her delicate corbone and long, straight thighs. Under the outdoor lighting of the wooden house, her skin looked white and smooth. On her mixed-race face, a shallow smile appeared, like a spirit born amidst the intece of light and shadow. "President Yu." Lin Chuan smiled and replied. "Director Lin is indeed a busy man, as elusive as a dragon, and finally, we meet again," Yu Keke teased with a smile. "Elusive as a dragon?" Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows. "Yes," Yu Keke said, brimming withughter. "I hear from Xinxin that you''re always busy." Lin Chuan nced at the Little Landy beside him and understood right away; Yu Keke must have casually asked a question or two, and the Little Landy had just said ''the chairman is busy with business.'' And indeed, that was the case. Lin Chuan was often dealing with the police, and the Little Landy knew it. But when others asked, she would only say Lin Chuan was busy. Xinxin lifted her small face, her bright eyes blinked at Lin Chuan, and he got the hint, saying with augh, "Please forgive me, President Yu. As you know, working in online literature creation requires a lot of time for thinking. Sometimes, when I hit a writer''s block, I can sit in front of theputer for half a day and not write a word. It''s not easy in this field." Yu Keke pursed her lips, agreeing deeply, "The novel I''m writing is always like that too." "Haha, no pain, no gain," Lin Chuan said,ughing. The two exchanged pleasantries as they walked into the wooden house by the lotus pond. From the outside, it looked like a wooden house, but inside, it was far from simple and instead, had an ancient charm. Inside the wooden house, a bronze tripod diffused a faint fragrance in the hazy air. Lin Chuan and the Little Landy took their seats at the mahogany dining table, with its intertwined branch pattern around the edge and blue-and-white porcin dishes on top, fresh and elegant. Yu Keke sat opposite them. Although she was mixed-race, her Mandarin was standard, and she also had a deep understanding of culture, evident as she slowly prepared the tea. Then, as if professionally trained, she deftly poured tea for both Lin Chuan and the Little Landy, "Director Lin, Xinxin, please have some tea." "This tea is quite good, President Yu," Lin Chuanmented, smelling the fragrance of the tea that lingered at his nose. Yu Keke smiled Yanran Yixiao, "It''s old red tea from Cixin Garden in Wuyi Mountain, the same kind Secretary Sha enjoys." Upon hearing this, Lin Chuanughed heartily, "Then I must taste it properly." The Little Landy also took a delicate sip of the tea. After a round of conversation, the atmosphere was still quite harmonious. Yu Keke nced at Lin Chuan and the Little Landy and said with a smile, "Seeing you two together like deities in love, I can''t help but feel envious." "You''re joking, President Yu," Lin Chuan replied politely. "I''m not joking," Yu Kekeughed and turned to the Little Landy, "Honestly, I''m more envious of you. You have such a wonderful girl like Xinxin." "My financial director is indeed great!" Lin Chuan turned to look at Zhang Xinxin, saying with a smile. Yu Keke continued with a full smile, "Director Lin, although Xinxin is the financial director, it seems you''re the one who really controls the purse strings! She always says she needs to ask for your opinion and make a request to you when I discuss cooperation with her." Lin Chuan picked up his teacup, took a sip of the old red tea, andughingly said, "Xinxin is a recent graduate, stillcking in social experience. In a few years, she''ll be able to make her own decisions." The Little Landy pursed her lips, herughter barely contained. In her heart, she thought, I must listen to my director, the projects approved by my director are reliable! Those not approved, questionable! "Director Lin, Anzhou Pharmaceutical is looking to expand recently, but we''ve been constrained bynd rights, unable to find a suitable location. Our research department has taken interest in a piece ofnd, and it turns out that Xinxin is the nd owner,''" Yu Keke felt the time was right and introduced the purpose of the meeting. "What a coincidence." Lin Chuan did not rush to express his stance. "Yes, so I would like to discuss with both of you on behalf of Anzhou Pharmaceutical, hoping we can reach a cooperation!" Yu Keke said with a charming smile. Lin Chuan nced at the Little Landy beside him, who was gently pursing her lips. He understood Xinxin''s meaning. He could make the decision! "President Yu, it''s fortuitous that you''re interested in thend under Xinxin''s name. However, we''re still evaluating that plot ofnd, so, for now, I cannot give you a definite answer," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "It''s an important matter; I might have been a bit presumptuous," Yu Keke showed a trace of regret on her face, then continued, "However, would you be interested in hearing our ns?" "Please do," Lin Chuan nodded slightly, inviting her to proceed with a smile. Yu Keke took out a document from a file bag beside her and handed it to Lin Chuan. Then she exined, "This is our n for the suburbs, for thend under Xinxin''s name." Chapter 281: Chapter 201: Really Coming for Me! (Please Subscribe)_2 ``` "Yourpany''s efficiency is truly remarkable," Lin Chuan nodded. "That piece ofnd is too tempting, and it''s too important for Anzhou Pharmaceutical, so we are very eager to secure it. Whatever conditions Director Lin and Xinxin have, we can discuss them thoroughly," Yu Keke said sincerely. Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "President Yu must have a corresponding n for the price, I suppose?" Yu Keke nodded. Then, she took out two documents. "This one is the offer from Anzhou Pharmaceutical," Yu Keke pointed to the first document and exined. Lin Chuan''s gaze fell on the first document. The offer from Anzhou Pharmaceutical was decent and at market price. "And this one is a transfer document for 6% of Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s shares as an added value to thend," Yu Keke said, with a trace of apology on her face, "I hope Director Lin won''t find itughable, but Anzhou Pharmaceutical is preparing for listing and cannot offer a higher price, so we are using this 6% share equity as an increase." Lin Chuan took the second document and looked deeply at Yu Keke. Market price + 6% of Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s shares! "The payoff doesn''t seem proportional to the revenue," Lin Chuan said with a slight frown, a bit curious. Yu Keke chuckled, "Director Lin, thend alone for Anzhou Pharmaceutical means we are operating at a loss with such an offer. However, once developed, with Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s scale, we can significantly increase our market share in the Han River District''s drug market. After listing, the share price will also surge, and the eventual returns will far exceed the current ones." "President Yu is looking at the bigger picture." Lin Chuanughed andplimented. "So, I hope it''s a win-win situation," Yu Keke blinked and said with a smile, "Xinxin, what do you think?" "I think Keke''s proposal is very genuine, but it''s Lin Chuan who makes the decisions at home, not me," Xinxin pursed her lips. She was rich but not foolish. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be content staying in the small supermarket in Happiness Community. "As expected, the financial power is still in Director Lin''s hands," Yu Keke joked with a smile, easing the mood. After she finished speaking, her eyes fell on Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan took both documents and said, "President Yu is full of sincerity, but this matter is significant. It''s not as simple as buying a banana on the roadside, I still need to go back and discuss it with Xinxin''s father and give it more thought." A fleeting look of surprise shed in Yu Keke''s eyes. Quickly, she mustered a smile, "Director Lin, Xinxin, this matter indeed requires careful consideration. I await your favorable news." Lin Chuan nodded, "President Yu is considerate." At that moment. A waiter from Youran Vi quietly knocked on the wooden door, waited a moment, then came in pushing a cart to serve the dishes. Although the cooperation was not finalized. Yu Keke was still affable and cheerful toward Lin Chuan and Little Landy. The atmosphere was harmonious withughter and chatter. The evening deepened. In the blink of an eye, it was ten o''clock at night. Lin Chuan and Little Landy left Youran Vi, bidding farewell to Yu Keke, and scanned a shared electric scooter. Little Landy in the front, Lin Chuan in the back. The electric scooter''s wheels made a cheerful rustling sound on the road. The night was sparse with stars, streetlights snaked along the road like slender serpents, casting beams of golden light down, turning the distant mountain shadows hazy, faintly discernible, and imparting a peaceful and mysterious aura. "Chairman." Little Landy, steering the shared electric scooter, called out softly. "What is it, little wealthy woman?" Lin Chuan''s gaze fell on the roadside, where the dense trees swayed in the night. "Why aren''t you holding me?" Little Landy asked. Lin Chuan grinned, wrapped his arms directly around her, pressing his chest to her back. The cool breeze of the summer night brushed through their hair, caressing both their cheeks. Little Landy immediately burst intoughter. She enjoyed the sensation. Suddenly, she remembered the evening''s important business and asked, "Chairman, should we consult Old Zhang about thend?" On the back seat of the scooter, Lin Chuanughed, "Do you really want to ask Old Zhang?" "Wasn''t it you who said we should ask Old Zhang?" Little Landy looked puzzled and asked in return. ``` Lin Chuan smiled, "I''ve already refused President Yu, you know!" "Ah, you refused?" Little Landy Zhang Xinxin was startled again and asked in puzzlement, "When did you refuse?" "Little richdy, during the negotiation process, asking for a third party''s opinion or saying ''let me think about it'' can be considered a refusal, and Yu Keke is clear about my meaning," Lin Chuan exined with a smile. Little Landy pouted, "I see." "What else?" Lin Chuan said with a smile. "I think the price that Keke offered was very high, the market quote, plus the 6% stake in Anzhou Pharmaceutical, showed a lot of sincerity. It was nearly double the value of thatnd," said the Little Landy with a puzzled expression. "That''s exactly why I refused," Lin Chuan exined. "Why?" The Little Landy was even more perplexed. "If she really offered double the price for thatnd, I would have signed thend transfer agreement directly, but she insisted on offering stock equity as a swap," Lin Chuan said with a serious tone. "Equity? I''ve looked at their Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s financial reports for the past few years; they have been profitable. After going public, the value of the equity would definitely surge!" eximed the Little Landy, who as the chief financial officer, was working on the development ns for the 720pany and had gained deeper insight into business development. The shared electric bike wasn''t moving fast, the wind next to their ears wasn''t loud, and it didn''t hinder their conversation. Lin Chuan nodded, "That''s exactly why, if we ept her stake, it''s as if we''re buying into Anzhou Pharmaceutical. Should anything happen to Anzhou Pharmaceutical, we won''t be able to disassociate ourselves from it." The Little Landy opened her mouth to speak, but then swallowed her words. She thought Lin Chuan made a lot of sense. The waters of the business world are too deep. With her current ability, it seemed she could not grasp control and could only rely on Lin Chuan. But, Lin Chuan''s mind wasn''tpletely focused on business. He was more inclined towards his novel career. After all, the novel career could not only bring in a considerable amount of money but also grant a unique set of professional skills! As long as the professions he experienced were numerous, one of them would be useful eventually. "We don''tck money, let''s hold onto thatnd for now," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Alright, as the Director says," the Little Landy said with a beaming smile. Lin Chuan''s gaze fell on the roadside, where in the pitch-ck night, the distant mountains resembled lurking beasts, ready to stretch out their ws or open their gaping mouths at any moment! Actually, there were some things Lin Chuan hadn''t fully exined to the Little Landy. He suspected that the 6% stake was targeting him! To be precise, Yu Keke might be trying to get him involved in Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s business activities. After all, having a stake would make it impossible to bepletely unrted. And Yu Keke had expressed that she was a true fan of Lin Chuan, having read all of his novels. Some secret events involving Lin Chuan were kept under wraps. However, there were many events that weren''t ssified as secret and were well known by the readers. Yu Keke couldn''t possibly be unaware of Lin Chuan''s capabilities! Therefore, Lin Chuan had reason to suspect that Yu Keke''s motive for wanting Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s 6% equity was to use his reputation. Even possibly, Yu Keke was trying to draw him into a scheme. Whether it was a good or a bad situation, Lin Chuan didn''t want to get involved. Moreover, Liu Mengmother of the Little Landy and the General Manager of the Han River District of Huarun Foreign Trade Export Companyalso wanted him to be her assistant. It was as if invisible hands were trying to pull him in. Being cautious, Lin Chuan simply refused them all! ... Meanwhile, on the other side, Yu Keke returned to Anzhou Pharmaceutical. A mysterious phone call reached her. The first sentence on the phone was: "Coco, how did you let the form for our new type of addictive drugs leak out!" Chapter 282: Chapter 202: Cant I Take Down an Internet Writer? (Subscribe Please) ``` Anzhou Pharmaceutical, General Manager''s office. The night had deepened, and Yu Keke had just left Youran Vi, but she didn''t return home to rest, instead, she went back to thepany. By this time, Anzhou Pharmaceutical waspletely silent. Yu Keke sat in the office, brewed a cup of coffee, leaned back in her chair, her expression a mix of despondence and mncholy. "This man, his vignce is too strong!" Yu Keke murmured to herself. Yes, in these past days, she had interacted with Zhang Xinxin multiple times, putting in great efforts with the Little Landy, all to get through the Little Landy to win Lin Chuan''s favor. Readtest stories on m_v-l''e-NovelBin The two often discussed drug development, novel writing, corporate nning, and even some private topics; she and the Little Landy had also shared some secrets. Their rtionship was warming up, progressing rapidly. Now, she considered herself to have be half a confidante of the Little Landy. She also unconsciously guided the Little Landy to sing Lin Chuan''s praises to him, to brush up Lin Chuan''s goodwill towards her and Anzhou Pharmaceutical all to get Lin Chuan into Anzhou Pharmaceutical. As long as Lin Chuan was in Anzhou Pharmaceutical, or any otherpany she controlled, then she would have countless opportunities to drag Lin Chuan deep into the mud, from which he could not cleanse himself. Eventually, he would be her man! What she didn''t expect was that this n did not work on Lin Chuan. Tonight, Yu Keke knew that Lin Chuan was not at all touched by her proposal, and his questions were merely pleasantries. As for the reason for the pleasantries. It might be because she was a good friend of Zhang Xinxin''s. Or perhaps because Anzhou Pharmaceutical was a partner of the 720pany. As for getting Lin Chuan into Anzhou Pharmaceutical or any otherpany, it seemed an impossible task! Sigh Yu Keke drank a sip of coffee, her right hand propped on the armrest, cradling her delicate cheek, and sighed softly. The unattainable is always provocative! Now, her mind was full of thoughts about how to make Lin Chuan willingly serve her. "Should I consider using force?" Yu Keke mumbled to herself. The night grew darker, the moonlight outside the window was faint, dim and weak, and faint sounds of trees swaying in the evening breeze could be heard below. Ring ring ring A ringing sound interrupted her train of thought. Her phone was ringing. Yu Keke nced at the caller ID, curled her lip in disinterest, and pressed the answer button to speak in English, "What is it?" The voice on the phone was cold and carried a hint of reprimand. "Coco, why did you leak the form for our new type of addictive drugs!" Yu Keke frowned: "Lucas, what do you mean?" The new type of addictive drugsit was a secret of the Morgan Group''s Asia-Pacific division, developed over several years andunched this year. Upon release, it had be highly sought after. Now, the head of the Morgan Group''s Asia-Pacific region, Lucas, was using Yu Keke of leaking the form for the new type of addictive drugs. Within the Morgan Group, this was a grave crime! "Wasn''t I clear enough?" Lucas''s cold voice came from the other end of the phone. "I am currently setting up in the Han River region, preparing to establish severalrge-scale pharmacy manufacturing nts, and by then, we will be able to take over one-third of the addictive drug market in the Asia-Pacific region. Why would I possibly leak the material form?" Yu Keke sat up, her expression serious, her voice tinged with coldness. "Look at the International Forum." Lucas let out a cold snort on the phone. Yu Keke''s brow was half-knitted; she set her phone aside, turned on herputer, and ced her slender, fair fingers on the keyboard, typing rapidly. Soon, the screen switched to "International Forum." "There''s a section on the International Forum called ''Underworld,'' and all the materials, production steps, and associated symptoms for the new addictive drugs are posted there!" Lucas said gravely. Yu Keke tapped the keyboard. The words ''Underworld'' appeared in the search box, and she pressed the enter key. The ''International Forum-Underworld'' section appeared with two boxes. [Hacker Kingdom] [ck Ice] Yu Keke''s fingers, resting on the keyboard, froze, her gaze fixating on the two frames. ''ck Ice''she was not clear on that. But ''Hacker Kingdom,'' how could she not know? This was Lin Chuan''s novel! "ck Ice, is this Lin Chuan''s new novel?" Filled with confusion and taking a deep breath, she followed Lucas''s guidance and clicked into ''ck Ice.'' Immediately, a plethora of forum posts appeared before her. [ Summary of ingress tech derived from "ck Ice"! Essential reading!] [ Author''s Statement: "ck Ice" is just a novel, the author has no involvement in rted industries!] [Drug dealer advertising under drug prevention videos gets arrested!] [Outrageous! Ever since I read Mr. Lin''s novel, I''ve quit addictive drugs!] [A Discussion of the ''Drug Rehab Methods'' and ''Rehab Drugs'' Mentioned in "ck Ice".] [...] Inside the General Manager''s office, thete-night breeze slipped through the window, making a whining sound. Yu Keke''s eyes locked on the first post, her brow tensing; she handled the mouse delicately and clicked. ''Ordinary Drugs'', ''Drug No. 1'', ''Drug No. 2'', ''Drug No. 3'', mentioned in "ck Ice", all came into her view. "Look at Drug No. 3, is it not our ''new type of addictive drug''?" the phone still in call, Lucas''s voice came through. ``` Chapter 283: Chapter 202: Cant I Take Down an Internet Writer? (Subscribe Please)_2 Yu Keke followed the instructions. In an instant, the webpagepleted the jump. A post about "No. 3 Addictive Drugs" in the "International Forum-Underworld" section abruptly entered Keke''s field of vision. [Name: New-type Drugs (No. 3 Drug).] [Raw Materials: -bromopropiophenone, Methmine, ***, ***, ***.] [Required Equipment: sk, Stirrer, Thermometer, Gas Mask, PH Paper.] [...] ''Materials'' ''Equipment'' ''Procedure'' ''Symptoms of use'' ''Harm to the body'', etc., were all clearly presented in the post. Keke leaned forward, her right index finger constantly scrolling the mouse wheel, her pupils constricted, her gaze fixated on these English letters! Right then, her face showed surprise, and waves of shock surged in her heart, failing to calm for a long time! She finally understood why Lucas was adamant that it was she who leaked the form for the "New Type of Addictive Drugs." Because, as the posts made clear. The so-called "No. 3 Addictive Drug" originated from an inte novel. "ck Ice". This novel was published online internationally, on the overseas version of Sailing Novel, and the author was listed as ''Mr. Lin'', further investigation confirmed it as Mr. Lin. That is, Lin Chuan. During this period, Keke had been trying every means to recruit Lin Chuan. Lucas, the head of the Asia-Pacific region for the Morgan Group, had every reason to suspect that she had leaked confidential information in the course of her dealings with Lin Chuan. This likelihood was very great. "Lucas, I must exin to you, this was definitely not leaked from me!" Keke took a deep breath and said, calming herself down. "Not you?" Lucas questioned back. "Absolutely not me, look in the ''ck Ice'' section, there are all kinds of ''Addictive Drugs'', apart from No. 3 matching our ''New Type of Addictive Drugs'', No. 1, No. 2, etc., have never appeared in the industry." Keke calmly put forward her question in a short time. On the other end of the phone, Lucas was silent for a moment. About five or six secondster. He then said, "But it cannot be denied, the emergence of this section, once seen by otherpetitors, will inevitably lead to research, and once our ''New Type of Addictive Drugs'' is developed by apetitor, then our advantage will be nonexistent." Keke fell silent too. She thought, although the post masked several key ingredients, she could not stop the hysterical experiments of herpetitors. With enough experimentation and time, it was quite possible for the otherpanies to develop ''New Type of Addictive Drugs'' too! "First, close this section, then delete these posts." Keke thought for a moment and made a suggestion. At this time, her heart was a bit chaotic. She never expected that Lin Chuan would silently publish a novel overseas and that this novel''s depiction of No. 3 addictive substance perfectly matched the new type of addictive drug she controlled! "I''ve already ordered a specialized Hacker to do it," Lucas replied, his voice deep, "What you should be thinking about now is that Lin Chuan, who you want to recruit, has already been targeted by severalpetitors, a very dangerous sign!" Keke''s expression stiffened. Lin Chuan had detailed information on various ''Addictive Drugs'' at hand, and if he couldn''t be recruited by them but instead joined another organization, or even the police department, it would be a fatal blow to them. Lucas didn''t wait for Keke''s response and continued, "No matter what your attitude towards Lin Chuan is, he is now faced with only two paths." His voice was gloomy, and his tone was ruthless. Lucas didn''t borate on the two paths. But as a listener, Keke knew all too well. One, join them. Two, disappear. This was a ''destroy if you can''t have'' approach, preferring to be shattered than wed, belonging to the norm in the dark grey world of the Underworld. All for perverse gains. "I''ll try onest time, and if it''s a no-go, I''ll make him vanish," Keke''s eyes hardened, her delicate and nimble face suddenly turned cold and severe. "How long do you need?" Lucas asked. "Two days," Keke''s voice sank, and then, "You delete the post first, I don''t want to see it still there tomorrow." "Small problem," Lucas said nonchntly. He had a professional hacker team to deal with onlinements and information that was disadvantageous to them. In this regard, he was very experienced. "Don''t underestimate Lin Chuan; his hacker skills are also very strong!" Keke reminded him. "I can''t take down an Inte Writer?" Lucas replied. Lucas chuckled, "Besides, no matter how strong his online skills are, he''s just one person!" The Morgan Group employs a whole bunch of top hackers, paying them a vast sum of money each year. The sry of every top hacker starts at ''millions'' and even goes up to ''tens of millions''. This so-called ''Underworld'' was only created by an inte writer. Could this plethora of top hackers not take it down? That would be a joke, wouldn''t it? In the gaming circle, it''s possible for a team that has gone through epic strengthening, with all the top sries, to be defeated twice by a yer with a monthly sry of twenty thousand. But that''s absolutely impossible in the hacker circle. Hackers don''t care about poprity, they look at skills! That''s where Lucas''s confidence in the cyber world lies! Elsewhere. Yu Keke hung up the phone. Then, she stared nkly ahead. The moonlight outside the window was hazy, and the rustling wind made its way into the room, leaving her thoughts a bit chaotic. "You''ll get too much, and you''ll either be a partner or an enemy." Yu Keke let out a long sigh. ... In Qingxiu District, Linjiang Mansion. The Little Landy parked the shared electric bike in a space outside themunity, then walked into theplex and returned to her nest. "Xinxin, I need to sort out some documents." Lin Chuan stretchedzily and greeted the Little Landy. "Ok." Zhang Xinxin smiled with pursed lips. Soon after, she also picked up herptop and discreetly started writing. Discover more stories at m,v -NovelBin Lin Chuan stepped into his dedicated ''office-writing room'', turned on theputer, and prepared to organize the various ''addictive drugs'' that appeared in "ck Ice", then sent them to Xia Qingqing to assist the police with information. Suddenly. Hisputer''s speaker emitted a ''ding dong ding dong'' sound, and the QQ icon in the taskbar kept shing. Lin Chuan clicked on QQ, and a chat window with Angelina popped up. "Idol, urgent!" Angelina sent a message,plete with an ''anxious.jpg'' emoji. Lin Chuan''s fingers moved slightly, tapping on the keyboard: "Angelina, what''s so urgent?" "Our ''Underworld'' is under attack!" Angelina replied immediately. In an instant, Lin Chuan frowned: "Who is attacking our ''Underworld''?" At this moment. [Angelina is requesting a voice call.] A QQ notification popped up. Lin Chuan put on his headset and clicked to answer. "Idol!" Angelina''s voice reached Lin Chuan''s ears, soft and like a breath of spring. "Angelina." Lin Chuan chuckled, "What''s the situation now?" Angelina''s tone was a bit excited: "Idol, their attack is bing more and more fierce. I can''t trace their location now." "Hmm, can you hold on?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and asked. "I''m struggling to hold them off by myself." Angelina didn''t pretend to be strong and told the truth. She wasn''t afraid of one-on-onebat. But the opposition seemed to be an organization with increasingly strong offenses, so Angelina turned directly to her idol Lin Chuan for help. "Don''t worry." Lin Chuan reassured her, his tone confident andposed. "With the God of Hackers stepping in, of course, I''m not worried." Through the headset, came Angelina''s softughter, "But their scale of attack keeps growing. It doesn''t seem like just scattered top hackers, but an organized and premeditated cyber intrusion!" "Lend me the authority. I''ll counterattack, and you do the location tracking!" Lin Chuan, with his wealth of experience in cyber warfare, made his judgment swiftly. He wanted to know who was trying to prate the ''Underworld''? And what was their purpose? Chapter 284: Chapter 203: Do Him In! (Please Subscribe) The night grew deeper. The evening breeze blew past the banks of the Anling River, rustling the grass on both sides, carrying a fresh scent through the town area, spreading into the night. At Linjiang Mansion, on the thirtieth floor, the lights were bright. "Xinxin, make me a cup of Maojian tea," Lin Chuan called out to the room outside. Tonight might be a prolonged and fierce battle, so he wanted to brew a cup of tea in advance to refresh his mind. "Chairman, it''sing right up." The Little Landy, wearing pajamas, came out of the room and carefully prepared the Maojian tea for Lin Chuan, then brought it into the room and ced it on the table. In the morning, Lin Chuan had been dealing with the affairs of the 720 Company. In the afternoon, he went to the Anling Laboratory to produce a "New Type of Addictive Drugs." He had also entertained Yu Keke in the evening. So when Zhang Xinxin entered the room and saw hisputer screen filled with code, she felt a pang of distress: "Chairman, let me give you a massage." Lin Chuan took a sip from the thermos, smelling the fragrance of Maojian tea, and with his other hand, he grabbed the Little Landy''s hand and smiled, "I''m fine, but I have some unexpected business tonight, so you should get some rest." "Alright, as you say." The Little Landy pouted. After the Little Landy left the room. Lin Chuan continued to focus on hisputer screen. Meanwhile, far away in the North Bear, Angelina had already transferred the ''International Forum-Underworld'' admin rights to him. The International Forum is a global open-site withoutwork security protection; no one specifically targets it for attacks. However, the ''Underworld'' developed by Angelina on the International Forum is essentially a sub-site and requires separatework protection settings. Each sub-website can exist independently. So, for instance, when the ''Underworld''es under attack, other sub-sites (copyrights) will not be affected. Its operational mode is primarily neutral. After gaining admin rights to the website, Lin Chuan immediately began his actions. His gaze rested on theputer screen, which disyed the ''Underworld'' site''s backend data. "XSS attack." Lin Chuan frowned, recognizing the opponent''s means of attack. An XSS attack, also known as Cross-Site Scripting attack. It involves injecting malicious scripts into a website to capture sensitive information or perform other malicious operations. The XSS attack Lin Chuan faced was far moreplex than ordinary malicious code injection. Once the quantity reaches a certain level, it can create a significant impact. It''s like a DDOS attack, which uses multipleputers orwork nodes to send massive amounts of invalid or overloaded requests to a target server, thereby disrupting or even blocking normalworkmunication, causing the server to copse. Highly skilled hackers can take advantage of the server''s downtime to recover, invading the site and wreaking havoc. However, as the founder of 720 Network Security Company and having experienced the virtual life of a ''world-ss hacker,'' Lin Chuan was calm andposed in such situations. He didn''t even need to type any code. He essed the super firewall developed by the 720 Company. However, Lin Chuan only activated the firewall''s basic defense mode. The purpose was to make the attackers believe they could breach the firewall and lure them into continuing their assault. This was to buy Angelina time to trace the attacking IPs'' origins. "Idol, the site is under attack and might shut down from overload," Angelina sent a message. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e-NovelBin Lin Chuanughed and replied, "I closed it protectively to safeguard users'' information and site data." "That''s good." "They are still performing XSS attacks and coupling it with ''file upload vulnerabilities'' to attack our website server," said Lin Chuan, his expression grave as he held a cup of Maojian tea and took a sip. ''File upload vulnerabilities'' refers to attackers maliciously uploading files to the target server, using these files as a stepping stone to inject code, execute newmands, or perform other malicious operations. Professional hackers can still attack the server even if the website is closed, altering server data to fulfill their objectives. "I''m starting the tracking now." In North Bear, inside the HK studio, Angelina immediately opened the ''Kaspersky''work attack real-time tracking map. Here, one can monitor the range and frequency of hacker attacks worldwide and differentiate between various types of attacks. As a member of the North Bear HK Hacker Organization, Angelina is well-versed in operating ''Kaspersky'' and in trackingwork attacks. She began her pursuit at once! Half an hourter. After meticulously unraveling the tangled web, she traced the true attacker from a multitude of decoy IPs. Originating from Southeast Asia. "God of Hackers, it''s the Morgan Group!" Angelina immediately analyzed the IP and drew a conclusion. "Morgan Group?" Lin Chuan heard the name and furrowed his brows slightly. He had heard the name several times in the dark web, but he wasn''t particrly clear about what the Morgan Group was involved in. Angelina exined, "Morgan Group is a massive enterprise in gray and ck industries. Its operations include addictive drugs, arms, moneyundering, and so forth,manding numerous hackers and assassins, and a host of Cleaners." Lin Chuan''s pupils constricted slightly. This was a professional and vast gray and ck force! Chapter 285: Chapter 203 Get Him! (Please Subscribe)_2 It''s a bit tricky! "Do we have a conflict with the Morgan Group in our ''Underworld'' section?" Lin Chuan pondered before asking. The Underworld section, containing the "Hacker Kingdom" and "ck Ice" areas, records key technologies rted to two novels and numerous discussions among readers. Logically, there should not be a conflict with the Morgan Group. "In theory, there''s no conflict," Angelina thought for a moment and nodded, "It''s possible that the Morgan Group has taken an interest in the ''Underworld'' section and wants to control it, eliminating any phishing agents. Arge number of users inside could potentially be their customers." "That''s possible," Lin Chuan frowned. "Should we continue to investigate or strike back?" Angelina asked. "Wait a little longer," Lin Chuan replied. "Fine." Angelina also furrowed her brow, a look of confusion evident on her delicate, fair face, uncertain about her own spection. Because the roots of the Morgan Group run deep in the gray-ck zone, like an old banyan tree, its expansive root system covers an unimaginable area. It''s an unimaginable range. Even if they coveted the clientele of the ''International Forum-Underworld,'' they shouldn''t go to such great lengths. While Angelina was pondering, her colleague knocked on the door of her studio. The thump, thump, thump echoed in her ears. "Come in," Angelina switched herputer screen. The door opened, and in came a North Bear boy. The boy said, "Angelina, I''ve found thepany for the new type of addictive drugs." Angelina raised an eyebrow, "Whichpany is it?" "The Morgan Group, to be exact, their Southeast Asian branch," the North Bear boy answered, "I''m sending you the information now. As soon as you can, hack into the Morgan Group''s Southeast Asian branch and obtain their new type of addictive drugs data." "The Morgan Group?" Angelina looked startled. "Angelina, is there a problem?" the North Bear boy asked curiously. "No problem, leave it to me," Angelina responded before starting to examine the part of the data about new types of addictive drugs that her colleague had sent her. She suddenly had a strong premonition! ''International Forum-Underworld'' being attacked by the Morgan Group might be rted to those addictive drugs. Angelina immediately opened the data. The partial information about ''Morgan Group-New Type of Addictive Drugs'' collected by her colleague appeared before her eyes. [Name: New Type of Addictive Drugs.] [Source: The Morgan Group''s Southeast Asia division.] [Main Sales Region: Southeast Asia.] [Possible Symptoms: Acute intoxication symptoms after use, manifesting as strong mental excitement, physiological overextension, frenzy... Followed by symptoms such as drowsiness, mentalnguor, depression, central nervous system inhibition symptoms, etc.] [...] With just one look, Angelina was stunned! This data was too familiar to her! It was almost identical to the No. 3 addictive drug recorded in Lin Chuan''s novel "ck Ice"! As a die-hard fan of "ck Ice," she couldn''t be more familiar with it. In an instant! She understood why the Morgan Group attacked the ''International Forum-Underworld''! ''International Forum-Underworld'' had leaked substantial information about their new addictive drugs! Angelina didn''t hesitate. She immediately opened the chat window with Lin Chuan, her slender fingers quickly tapping on the keyboard, typing her spection and rted evidence into text. Then, hitting the enter key, she sent it to Lin Chuan. Across thework, far away Lin Chuan, upon seeing the message from Angelina, also froze for a while. He furrowed his brows, quietly sorting through his thoughts: "The ''No. 3 Addictive Drug'' I developed in the virtual world is nearly identical to the ''New Addictive Drug'' developed by the Morgan Group in reality, so, they think I''ve stolen and leaked their secrets, hence, they attacked the ''International Forum-Underworld''?" The night had grown very deep. Outside, all was silent, and the cool night breeze blowing through the window brushed Lin Chuan''s face. Lin Chuan calmed himself. If this spection held water, then the novel "ck Ice"... At that moment, the system panel in his mind suddenly updated. [Work: "ck Ice".] [Current Status: Removed from shelves.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 18808/50000] [Assessment Task: Production of 95% pure addictive drugs (Completed).] Hiss! Lin Chuan took a deep breath of cool air. "ck Ice" had been removed! He immediately opened the overseas version of Sailing Novel. As expected, the overseas version of Sailing Novel had copsed and could not be opened. The Morgan Group had not only attacked his "International Forum-Underworld" section but also the Sailing Novel overseas edition where "ck Ice" was published; both had fallen prey to their ''poisonous hands''. First the forum, then the novel. If the Morgan Group was nning another move, who would be their next target? Without a doubt, the answer to this question was emerging. It was very likely that the Morgan Group woulde after him! As someone who had experienced numerous professional lives, he surely couldn''t fail to deduce the answer to this problem. At this moment, Lin Chuan''s brows were tightly furrowed. Lin Chuan took a sip of Maojian tea, and as the liquid gurgled down his throat, his thinking became exceptionally clear and agile. ''No. 3 Addictive Drug'' was none other than the new type of addictive drugs developed by the Morgan Group, and ording to some information disclosed by Xia Qingqing, Coincidentally, this new type of addictive drug had already appeared in Anling City. Meaning that the Morgan Group''s ws had already reached Anling City. The Morgan Group could strike at him at any time! Or rather, had the Morgan Group already made a move against him? At this point, Lin Chuan had to connect all of his experiences during this period and analyze them together. Including the publishing of the "ck Ice" novel, Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s coboration with the 720 Company, Xia Qingqing''s investigation into the clues of the ''new type of addictive drugs'', Xinxin''s mother''s sudden return and her invitation for him to serve as her deputy, his creation of ''new type of addictive drugs'' in theb, Little Landy''s visit to Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s pharmacy manufacturing nt, Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s Yu Keke wanting to buy thend owned by Little Landy and offering a 6% share ownership as a gift. Also, on the evening before Liu Meng, Little Landy''s mother, sought him out, he had detected the scent associated with ''new type of addictive drugs'' on his second uncle, Zhang Ren. Hiss! Lin Chuan couldn''t help but take another deep breath, causing goosebumps to spread all over his body! Suddenly, he felt as if a vast was slowly descending upon him; unbeknownst to him, he had be a tiny bird trapped beneath this gigantic web. If it were not for tonight''s "International Forum-Underworld" suddenly being attacked, and Angelina rying crucial clues, he might well have been ensnared by this vast in the near future! At that moment, Lin Chuan''s mind immediately thought of twopanies that were very likely deeply involved with the Morgan Group. Anzhou Pharmaceutical, Huarun Foreign Trade Export Company. These twopanies corrted with two people! Yu Keke, Liu Meng. Currently, both were unofficial organization members who had extended an olive branch to him. Undeniably, the Morgan Group must know that he was an expert in the field of developing addictive drugs. Their actions towards him could only be two kinds: recruitment or elimination. The gray area tactics were typically so. If you can''t work for me, then... better to be a shattered jade than an intact tile. After all, they were people who licked blood off knife edges, no one wanted to leave a threat unchecked. "Idol, what do you n to do?" After a while, seeing that Lin Chuan had remained silent, Angelina asked with concern. She might not have thought as much as Lin Chuan had. But Angelina knew that Lin Chuan seemed to be entangled in the web of interests woven by the Morgan Group. Very dangerous! ''Damn it!'' Lin Chuan cursed under his breath, his face showing a fierce determination! The usually good-tempered man hadn''t shown such anger since dealing with the Old Street Factory District. Then, he typed two characters on the keyboard and sent them to Angelina. Fight them! Chapter 286: Chapter 204: Does a Web Novel Writer Dare to Confront This Colossal Beast? North Bear, HK Studio. Angelina''s face immediately broke into a delightful smile. When she received Lin Chuan''s two words "Take him down," her inner bat gene" was instantly ignited. Her adoration of Lin Chuan as an idol was not solely because of Lin Chuan''s top-notch skills. Pure technical worship would fade over time and notst long. She had a deeper appreciation for Lin Chuan''s extreme personal heroism. She knew full well that Lin Chuan dared to face off against the entire North American hacker organization AW alone. As a professional and top hacker, Angelina, like a war-loving and brave soldier longing to defeat the enemy and nt her g in their barracks, aspired to excel. Now, Lin Chuan was going to take on the Morgan Group head-on, and this extreme individual heroism made a warm me in her heart grow stronger, burning brightly. This was the ultimate glory for hackers! Thus, Angelina asked formally yet somewhat adolescently, "Can I join you in battle?" The next second, she received Lin Chuan''s affirmative reply. Of course, you can. Angelina clenched her little fists with joy and continued to send Lin Chuan messages, "Idol, do you need me to do anything?" "Just deduct 6 points." Lin Chuan chuckled. "Huh?" Angelina was momentarily taken aback. "Haha, just kidding. Here''s the n, you''ll be in charge of helping me recover the server data of the overseas edition of Sailing Novel and block their attacks, while I go straight for theirir!" Lin Chuanughed loudly as he delegated the task. The overseas edition of Sailing Novel was connected to "ck Ice" performance and also concerned professional unlocking. This one couldn''t be taken lightly. Skills such as ''fighting'', ''hacker'', ''firearms mastery'', ''fraud'', ''antique forgery'', and ''crime scene processing'' mighte in handy any day! Like now, faced with the colossal figure of the underworldthe Morgan Groupwithout some skills, one would be merely trampled upon. Lin Chuan was no pushover! When he had no cheats, he endured the harsh reality, now that he had cheats, he wouldn''t let anyone step on him; otherwise, what''s the point of having cheats? Fight! Immediately, Lin Chuan initiated his counterattack! His hands rested on the keyboard, fingers tapping swiftly, theputer screen flipping through windows rapidly, disying a sequence ofplex codes. This was the super firewall of the 720 Company. He retrieved the attack codes of the Morgan Group from it, using them to trace back to the attackers'' real IP. This was an essential step. Many ordinary hackers mightunch multiple attacks on an IP just to realize they were hitting the adversary''s ry servers, which not only didn''t have any effect and wasted time, but also alerted the enemy unnecessarily. A ry server is a controlled server in a multi-server domain, subordinate to the main server. In other words, it''s not the actual core server terminal. The real control over the server lies in the main server. Lin Chuan needed to verify once more whether the IP address obtained not long ago belonged to a ry server or the main server. As a hacker, he had a habit when initiating attacks. Strike urately! That might be the lingering effect of being an assassin. It also meant he would meticulously prepare for the strike, and it was the same now. Once he struck, he would not give the opponent a chance to breathe! The Morgan Group hackers used multiple hops to attack ''International Forum-Underworld'', which wasn''t a difficult feat for Lin Chuan to trace back. Very soon, in just seven or eight minutes, Lin Chuan tracked down their actual main server IP address. "Let''s see if your main server has any firewall vulnerabilities," Lin Chuan''s lips curled up, revealing a faint smile. However, his smile had a touch of chilliness to it. There are many ways to breach a server. Such as ''brute force password cracking'', ''phishing'', ''man-in-the-middle attacks'', ''Trojan viruses'', ''social engineering'', etc. Lin Chuan used ''man-in-the-middle attacks'' and ''system vulnerability exploitation''. To put it simply, it involved intercepting the attacker''s transmitted data, forgingwork certificates to sniff the target server''swork connection, and stealing information from the target server to identify systemic weaknesses. Subsequently, he could then use these system vulnerabilities to write corresponding attack codes, execute remotemands, escte privileges, and alter data. Before long. Lin Chuan, using a ''man-in-the-middle attack'', obtained the target server''s information and analyzed the system vulnerability. At that moment, Lin Chuan''s fingers danced swiftly on the keyboard, like a beautiful piano piece ying at his fingertips, resonating through the virtual online world. On his screen, strings of codes targeting the server''s vulnerabilities emerged rapidly, forming a series of attack programs! After ten minutes, the code was ready! Retaliation! ... INTERPOL, Asian Affairs Bureau. It waste at night, but a detective in his mid-twenties, with a neatly cut face, was still at his post, investigating the case on his desk. This detective was named Qin Yun, with a cropped haircut and a clean-cut visage. He was originally part of INTERPOL''s domestic southern liaison agency, responsible for liaison work within the INTERPOL framework, coordinating foreign criminal cases in the southern region, collecting criminal intelligence, and organizing international police exchange cooperation tasks. Recently. He and several colleagues had been transferred to the Asian Affairs Bureau to investigate an international drug trafficking case involving ''addictive drugs'' in Southeast Asia. Chapter 287: Chapter 204: A Web Novel Writer Dares to Take on This Colossal Being?_2 At present, the main clue he had gathered pointed towards "Myanmar area-Baisheng Group" "Morgan Group-Southeast Asia division". "Addictive drugs" as the world''srgest illegal trade. Forces involved in the trafficking of "addictive drugs" often also managed the trade in "weapons and humans", supported by formidable armed forces in the background. Therefore, such criminal cases wereplex and investigation work was difficult to carry out. "Ah... no progress at all!" Qin Yun leaned back in his chair, slumped into his seat, squinted his eyes, and then rubbed them with his hand to ease the fatigue. After a while. He grabbed the mouse again and opened a bookmarked webpage on hisputer. "International Forum-Underworld". That''s right. He had been monitoring this forum section for a long time, especially the "ck Ice" area which contained various posts about "addictive drugs", providing him with some material for his case studies. At the same time, a variety of users were active there. He believed that the clue he was looking for might well appear there. Hoping for a bit of luck, he logged into the "International Forum-Underworld" every now and then to have a look. However, the website that evening surprised him. "International Forum-Underworld" was shut down! "What happened?" Qin Yun frowned slightly, the white light of the screen reflecting on his face, showing a look of surprise. He had investigated "Hacker Kingdom" before and knew that the person behind this section was a master hacker. Logically speaking. The "Underworld" section should not shut down without any special circumstances. "Go check ''Dark Live''." Qin Yun muttered to himself. ''Dark Live'' was a globalrge-scale hacker live streaming tform which often featured hosts exining the technical applications within "Hacker Kingdom", and one could easily find out why the "Underworld" section was shut down. Qin Yun typed a series of web addresses into the search bar and quickly navigated to the ''Dark Live'' streaming tform. Before he could click into a followed stream, he saw several popr live rooms on the homepage of the live streaming tform. They all had "Underworld" written on them. [Live "Underworld" experiences web intrusion in full!] [The "Underworld" is under attack by a major hacker organization!] [Confirmed! "Underworld" has been subjected torge-scale intrusion by hackers from Southeast Asia, and the site is currently shut down!] [...] "Hacked?" Qin Yun''s eyebrows furrowed, and then he quickly entered one of the live streams. The live broadcast showed a real-time three-dimensional map of awork attack. Multiple light trails lit up on the map, moving across the sky like colorful shooting stars streaking through a pitch-ck night. In the bottom right corner of the live broadcast. There stood a hacker host, named Tom, wearing a ck mask covering his face entirely, not even the eyes showing, and he was exining in English: "About half an hour ago, ''International Forum-Underworld'' was hit by a barrage of XSS attacks. We can currently confirm that the attackersunching the cyberattacks are located in the Southeast Asia region, we can see this light trail..." The live room had a substantial number of online viewers and plenty ofments flying by. [I''m a loyal fan of "Hacker Kingdom" and "ck Ice", with no "Underworld", I''m ''homeless'' now!] [Southeast Asia region? Who is attacking an ordinary forum section?] [Is there an Influent Author in the live room who can help track who''s attacking "Underworld"?] [I was still learning techniques until it suddenly closed!] [I really want to know who''s behind this mischief!] Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin [Does anyone have information? Speak up!] [...] Qin Yun nced at thements. He, too, was getting curiouswho would attack a forum section for no reason? At that moment, host Tom suddenly stopped, then left the camera view. After about five or six seconds, he reappeared. "My friends, I have some rather unfortunate news to share!" The hacker host Tom''s voice was processed, but it was still evident that his tone was somewhat grim. [Is it that the "International Forum-Underworld" section has reopened?] [Who is the instigator?] [My friend, do you know who is causing trouble?] [...] Most of those in the live room were hackers or aspiring hackers. Among them, many are fans of "Hacker Kingdom"! They were all very focused on this incident. Then, the host Tom said, "Just now, through a secret channel, I received the attacker information for the ''Underworld'' shutdown event." At this point, Qin Yun became interested. His eyes were glued to the live broadcast, ears perked up, carefully listening to every word host Tom uttered. Host Tom didn''t leave them hanging and directly revealed the news he got, "The attacker is the Southeast Asia branch of the Morgan Group." Wow! A single stone stirred up a thousand waves! The chat in the live broadcast room suddenly came like a torrential downpour. [The Morgan Group is done for, the ''Underworld'' section is finished!] [This is a giant of the grey-ck industry in Southeast Asia!] [Yes, many international police can''t do anything about them!] [The founder of ''Underworld,'' Mr. Lin, isn''t he a web novel writer? How did he get involved with the Morgan Group?] [How could such a huge Morgan Group make a move against a web novel writer?] [I''m so angry, the Morgan Group actually made a move against my idol!] [...] Confusion, doubt, and surprise, these emotions surfaced in thements of the live chat. Simrly, Qin Yun felt the same way. How could the Morgan Group attack a minor forum section? Could it be that this forum section had touched their interests? Several questions swirled in his mind. Subsequently, he sighed softly, muttering, "This forum section created by the web novel writer, I guess there''s no way to reopen it now." The audience in the live broadcast room thought the same thing. This wasn''t a pessimistic view. On the contrary, it was based on their understanding of the Morgan Group that they made such a judgment. The reputation of the Morgan Group in the grey-ck domain was simply too loud. It had a wide range of operations, and a multitude of internal organizations. Therefore, globally, people with no backing who offended them almost always chose to give in,promise, and hide. What more for an ordinary web novel writer? As Qin Yun pondered, he couldn''t help but curse, "Damn it, so arrogant. Don''t let me find any evidence!" At this moment, the host Tom in the live broadcast room, looking at the real-timework attack monitoring map, continued to exin, "Friends, the Morgan Group is still attacking the servers of the ''International Forum-Underworld'' section, woah! That Mr. Lin hasn''tpromised! He''s still holding on!" Host Tom saw that the server of the ''Underworld'' section on the map was still lit up, as if it was actively defending! [This is dangerous, but Mr. Lin is so brave!] [Mr. Lin hasn''t given up, he actually dares to stand up to the Morgan Group!] [Damn Morgan Group, to actually trouble an ordinary web novel writer!] [Does Mr. Lin not know the opponent is the Morgan Group?] [Sob! I''m a bit teary-eyed!] [A web novel writer dares to stand up against such a giant?] [...] The audience watched in a daze as that light point remained illuminated. Qin Yun felt somewhat stirred. But he fell silent, staring intently at that light point. In his estimation, that light point would soon dim, eventually extinguishing, invaded, controlled, and destroyed by the Morgan Group! s He sighed silently to himself. Suddenly! An excited voice rang out in Qin Yun''s ears,ing from the live broadcast''s host, Tom. "Look! Mr. Lin is counterattacking! He''s counterattacking!" Qin Yun''s head snapped up, leaning forward to see, his eyes fixed on that light point on the ''real-timework attack monitoring map''! At that moment! A blue light shot out fiercely from that light point! Qin Yun''s mouth opened slightly as his gaze followed the light, that blue light, shining against the pitch-ck backdrop, crossing over the globe model above, aiming precisely at the Southeast Asia region! Its target, the Morgan Group! Chapter 288: Chapter 205: The Thing I Dreaded the Most Still Happened! (Please Subscribe) Dark Live streaming tform. Not only Tom''s live room but also several others were focusing on this event. Especially after finding out that the attacker was the Morgan Group, the level of attention for this event surged, with tens of thousands of people online just in Tom''s live room! That blue streak, on the globalwork attack real-time monitoring map, seemed so isted, yet in everyone''s eyes, it was so resolute! The speed of the blue streak was extremely fast, reaching its target area in just two seconds. Just when everyone thought there would be no follow-up. Whoosh The light representing the ''International Forum-Underworld'' server suddenly projected numerous light streaks of different colors. Faster, more frequent! At the same time, several mysterious lights lit up on the map and opened ''fire'' on the Morgan Group''s Southeast Asia region! Yes! On the ''globalwork attack real-time monitoring map'', countless light streaks were shooting towards the Morgan Group, to the visual senses it seemed like dense artillery fire. A hail of bullets! The host Tom''s mouth gaped open as he stared dumbfounded at the scene, an involuntary ''fuck'' slipping out! No one in thements expected such a turn of events! [He''s so fierce! He really dares to take on the Morgan Group head-on!] [Fuck! That''s fierce!] [Mr. Lin didn''tpromise! He''s openly dering war on the Morgan Group!] [I''m totally a fan of Mr. Lin now!] [Look, the Morgan Group isn''t attacking the ''Underworld'' server anymore!] [Did Mr. Lin sessfully retaliate?] [A lone hero! Unbelievable!] [Did the Morgan Group''s servers get breached?] [...] The barrage ofments nearly filled the entire screen of the live broadcast. Watching the live stream was the Interpol agent, Qin Yun, who took a sharp breath in surprise as he saw the Morgan Group''s Southeast Asia region plunged into darkness and muttered, "Damn, did Mr. Lin actually topple the Morgan Group?" Afterwards. He added, "If only we could get some data from that Morgan server." ... Southeast Asia, Morgan Group. In the pitch-ck night, a tall figure d in a gray casual suit, his hair gleaming, was currently in a rage! "Fuck! What are you all good for?" "I''m spending good money on you guys and you im to be ''HK'' ''AW'', but what now? You can''t even handle a web novel writer! Wastes of space!" Lucas from the Morgan Group''s hacker department was thunderous with fury. In front of him, the leading hacker with a stern face said, "Lucas, we did not anticipate that the other party had such strong capabilities. You only told us that the target was just a web novel writer!" Lucas grabbed a cup from the table and threw it to the ground in anger! Smash! The cup was made of stainless steel and didn''t break. But it hit the lead hacker''s toe, causing him to grimace in pain: "Lucas, if this is your punishment, I''m willing to ept it!" "Fuck!" Lucas cursed again, frustration smoldering inside him, "OK, now tell me, how much have we lost because of this?" The lead hacker pondered for a moment, his voice dropping a few notches: "The serverwork we used to attack Mr. Lin can no longer be used. The main server was breached by malicious code, but we activated the self-destruct program in time, preventing Mr. Lin from gaining control." "The data, what about the data!" Lucas asked, gnashing his teeth. "Data?" The hacker''s expression shifted, then he quickly justified, "The data was destroyed along with the self-destruct program, but we have backups." "Was there any leak?" Lucas pressed on. The lead hacker immediately shook his head, denying, "Absolutely no leaks. Our self-destruct program initiated the moment the server was breached, making it impossible for him to steal our data in such a short time." Having heard this, Lucas breathed deeply, his expression easing slightly: "Find a way to contact him, tell him, if he continues to be our enemy, there''s only one ouedeath!" Hisst word was squeezed out between clenched teeth! Without a doubt. Lucas, as the head of the Morgan Group in the Asia-Pacific region, was acutely aware that he had lost this online battle. He had lostpletely. This was going to seriously affect the Morgan Group''s reputation! Gods are not supposed to bleed. But the moment they show a health bar, they fall from their pedestal! The arrow that Duke Zhuang of Zheng shot at the Zhou Emperor marked the decline of the Zhou Royal Family. The Morgan Group was neither godlike norparable to the Zhou Royal Family. However, the defeat Lin Chuan dealt it was undoubtedly a deration that the Morgan Group was an empty name! A formidable force in the gray area? Kind ofughable! The lead hacker nodded, such orders he had carried out countless times, so he promptly sat down at theputer and tried to contact Lin Chuan. However, just after five minutes of operation, he urgently cut off themunication channel! "What happened?" Lucas frowned. The lead hacker''s mouth twitched: "Mr. Lin attempted to use themunication channel to invade our localwork again!" "He must be wanting to meet God!" Lucas''s face turned dark, his features grim, his hooked nose casting an especially sinister shadow in the lighting. The lead hacker shrank his neck, saying nothing. The hackers who had just ''lost the battle'' also kept silent; believing nobody wanted to provoke Lucas''s ire at this moment. Lucas''s gaze swept over the hackers, clearly disgusted by theirck of fighting spirit, and left the room with a swirl of his coat. Chapter 289: Chapter 205: The Thing I Dreaded the Most Still Happened! (Please Subscribe)_2 He returned to his own office. After that, he dialed Coco Yu Keke''s video call in Anling City by the Han River. "Coco, take out Lin Chuan! Immediately!" As soon as the video connected, Lucas said fiercely. "What the hell are you raving about?" Yu Keke had just returned from the underground level of the pharmacy manufacturing nt when she received Lucas''s video call, and his first words were to "take out Lin Chuan," which perplexed her. "Because of him, we at Morgan Group have lost face!" Lucas said with an icy tone. "What happened now?" Yu Keke asked somewhat impatiently. Clearly, her position within Morgan Group was not low. "Uh." Lucas was silent for a long while before saying, "When we attacked ''International ForumUnderworld,'' Lin Chuan counterattacked and took over our server." "Huh?" Yu Keke''s eyebrows furrowed. "I''ve already advised you that Lin Chuan is not the average web novel writer. He has started a Network Security Company. Could his hacker abilities be bad?" "It''s toote for anything you say now. On Dark Live, our defeats are already being broadcasted everywhere." Lucas said with a cold face. "The data didn''t leak, did it?" Yu Keke eyed him, asking. "No, that server initiated its self-destruct program." Lucas answered, then added, "Don''t worry, even if the data from that server leaked, it wouldn''t have a major impact. At most, we would lose some of our branchpanies outside." The servers used by Morgan Company were regrly purged of their data. This data, would be backed up in a secure domain. "That''s good then." Yu Keke slightly rxed. "Take him out tonight!" Lucas issued themand once more. "You are really losing it! Lucas, think about it, if we can recruit him into our group, then the outside criticism will vanish immediately!" Yu Keke said calmly. "Do you still want to recruit him?" Lucas''s voice was slightly colder. "Right now, simply taking him out will only make the world think we''re throwing a tantrum. If we sessfully recruit him, we will remain the overlords of this region!" Yu Keke slipped into her fantasy moment. "Fine, I''ll give him one more chance. If he doesn''t agree, you must take action immediately!" Lucasmanded sternly. "Naturally." Yu Keke''s lips curled up slightly, and a cold expression surfaced on her face. Tonight, Lin Chuan had defeated the hackers of her Morgan Group, and she felt even more convinced of her keen discernment. Her interest in Lin Chuan had grown! It could even be said that she was determined to have him! ... Linjiang Mansion, the home of Lin Chuan and Little Landy. The night enveloped the entirety of Anling City. It was dark as ink, like a heavy curtain that hid the distant moon and stars, creating a somber atmosphere. The evening breeze gently swept in, carrying a faint chill in the air, lightly rustling the curtains in the room. The curtains rubbed against each other producing a soft swishing sound, almost imperceptible. On QQ. As hisrade-in-arms, Angelina was the first to send a message. "Idol, you''re too cool! /Admiration.jpg." Lin Chuan smiled, sipping the Maojian green tea in his cup, then set down the cup and typed swiftly with both hands on the keyboard: "They underestimated the enemy, otherwise it wouldn''t have been so easy." "Their underestimation has be their modesty cover now. In my opinion, even if they were fully prepared, they''d still lose." Angelina replied with augh. "Their professional level is not inferior to North America''s AW. They are very strong. If they were fully prepared, they could definitely hold on for two more minutes." Lin Chuan replied seriously. That was the truth! "Idol, do you know? Right now on Dark Live, there''s a huge crowd of your fanboys and fangirls. Daring to fight Morgan Group head-on, and to crush Morgan Group''s hacker organization, just this courage is making me excited!" Angelina had the vibe of a little fan of Lin Chuan. "How''s the restoration of Sailing Novel''s overseas edition going on your side?" Lin Chuan asked, seizing the opportunity. "Their target was clear. After they invaded the server of Sailing Novel''s overseas edition, they just deleted the data rted to the novel section. Luckily, I have the source codes for ''Hacker Kingdom'' and ''ck Ice.'' After uploading them, you''ll be able to continue reading ''ck Ice'' and ''Hacker Kingdom'' on Sailing Novel''s overseas edition." Angelina sent a series of messages. Lin Chuan read them and his mouth twitched: "So, right now, Sailing Novel''s overseas edition only has my two novels?" "Yeah, it seems so." Angelina replied, then went on to exin, "I don''t have the data for other novels here. Sailing Novel should have it, and it should be restored soon!" Lin Chuan grimaced: "That shouldn''t be a big problem, but it''s just a bother to upload it again over there." However, it may shock the editors responsible for the overseas division of Sailing Novel. Tomorrow morning, when they woke up, the editors would be stunned. Where are the novels? Where are my novels? Maybe even the people in Sailing Novel''s overseas operation department would bepletely puzzled. Last night, the server of the overseas edition mysteriously copsed, but it was mysteriously restored shortly after, only now there were only two novels left. Ah right, right, right, I also find it very mysterious! Only Sailing Novel''s Network Security Department would be muttering in the corner: "Last night, an evil force from beyond invaded and conquered us in an instant, then suddenly a big shot appeared and helped us repair the server. It really damn mysterious!" This scene was too much like two major sects at war, inadvertently injuring innocent bystanders. But I digress. After ending the exchange with Angelina, Lin Chuan took another sip of Maojian to clear his head. Chapter 290: Chapter 205: The Thing I Dreaded the Most Still Happened! (Please Subscribe)_3 Subsequently, his gaze fell onto theputer screen. Your next chapter is on m v|l-e''-NovelBin On one of theputer windows, there was his "captured trophy." A document. It was a document he had just stolen from a server belonging to the Morgan Group. If he had used normal hacking methods, he wouldn''t have been able to steal the document because the server would initiate a self-destruct program upon intrusion. However, Lin Chuan had disguised himself as a server user and infiltrated the server, fooling the server''s defense system. Then, in a very short amount of time, Lin Chuan stole the data. It was only after this that subsequent attacks arrived, and the server entered the self-destruction phase. Lin Chuan opened the document. The document wasn''trge and didn''t take up much memory. Lin Chuan could tell that the hacker organization of the Morgan Group was very professional, with a strong sense of defense, regrly erasing past traces. "Let''s see what we''ve got, shall we?" Lin Chuan muttered, not holding out much hope. The document opened. The content wasn''t extensiveLin Chuan''s gaze slowly swept over it, line by line, column by column, meticulously not overlooking a single string of code. "Huh, the hackers of the Morgan Group have been in contact with these few IP addresses?" Among the trophies, Lin Chuan found several IP addresses. However, they were virtual IP addresses. Trying to trace a real IP address from a "dormant" virtual IP address was extremely difficult, and even impossible over a vast stretch of time. By dormant, it meant that this virtual IP address was currently not active, but abandoned, without anywork fluctuations. This made the search quite challenging. These few virtual IP addresses were the only valuable thing in the document. Lin Chuan was not willing to give up just yet. He stared at the document, frowning slightly, and mumbled, "ording to this document, the hacker organization of the Morgan Group should clean up once a week. That is to say, if we filter records using this virtual IP during that period, there''s a chance to find the real IP address." Lin Chuan pursed his lips, acknowledging the enormity of the task. He then opened the chat window with Angelina, "Angelina, I need your help with something." "It''s an honor, idol!" At the other end of thework, Angelina was still immersed in the joy of fighting alongside Lin Chuan, and her spirit lifted when she saw Lin Chuan''s invitation. Was there another battle to fight? "Help me investigate a few dormant virtual IP addresses, I''ll tell you how to do it." Lin Chuan sent three of the virtual IP addresses to Angelina. Angelina responded promptly with an ''OK'' gesture, indicating no problems at all. Immediately, they both began the lengthy investigation. Half an hour, an hour, two hours... Nearly three hours passed. Lin Chuan finally finished his investigation. The virtual IP addresses he investigated pointed to Europe, and the rest to Southeast Asia. This was irrelevant to him. Lin Chuan wanted to investigate the ws and teeth of the Morgan Group in Anling, Han River! That was his biggest threat at the moment! "Idol, I''ve also finished the investigation; I''ll send you the file!/File.doc" Soon after, Angelina sent her findings to Lin Chuan. "Thank you!/Rose.jpg" Lin Chuan replied. "It was nothing." Angelina wore a satisfied smile. Lin Chuan was forthright too. After receiving the file, he immediately opened it to review the contents. Of the three virtual IP addresses, two were in the Southeast Asia region, one was in... Han River Province. Suddenly, Lin Chuan''s eyebrows furrowed. His focus locked onto the IP address from Han River, which was followed by rted information about this IP address. An innerwork IP from the Huarun International Export Trade Han River District. "Huarun." Lin Chuan murmured softly, his mind jolted fiercely. His worst fears hade to pass! Chapter 291: Chapter 206: Hes Just a Web Novel Writer! (Please Subscribe) In the room, the bright lights sharply contrasted with the pitch-ck night outside. Lin Chuan''s gaze was fixed on the columnbeled ''Huarun Foreign Trade Export Han River District LAN IP'' as his eyebrows knitted together and his heart skipped a beat. The Little Landy''s mother, Liu Meng, was the general manager of Huarun''s Han River District. Could this IP be rted to her? As this question arose, Lin Chuan already had his answer. Often, questions are asked with answers already in mind. Now, verification was needed. For Lin Chuan, verification was merely a flick of the wrist. He started with the virtual IP to verify. This wasn''t because he distrusted Angelina but because he still harbored a sliver of hope. However, his hope was quickly dashed. "Sigh!" Lin Chuan sighed heavily, slumped into the chair, clutching his heart. After pondering for a long time, he got up, shut down theputer, and returned to his room. At this time, the Little Landy was still awake. The inside of the room was brightly lit; the Little Landy, hugging her knees, was deep in thought about something. Seeing Lin Chuane in, her eyes lit up, "Chairman, are you done with your work?" "Xinxin, why haven''t you slept yet?" Lin Chuan asked in surprise. "I wanted to wait and go to sleep with you." Zhang Xinxin pursed her lips, her delicate and fair face blushing with a shy smile. Lin Chuan felt like she had touched his heart, and he didn''t know what to say in the moment. "What''s the matter, Chairman?" The Little Landy lifted her head, tilted it, and leaned closer to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan chuckled dryly, gently rubbing the top of her head, "Nothing much, just finished my work, and my head feels a bit swollen." "Then let me massage it for you." The Little Landy promptly stood up, guided Lin Chuan to sit on the edge of the bed, and then began gently massaging his head. Her technique was clumsy, but Lin Chuan found it very soothing. It wasn''t long before Lin Chuan grabbed the Little Landy''s hand and said softly, "It''s time to sleep." The Little Landy pursed her lips and smiled, "Okay, Chairman." Lin Chuan gently embraced the Little Landy. She soon fell asleep, her steady and warm breath spreading across Lin Chuan''s neck as hey awake all night. The next day. The sun rose as usual. The breeze swept across the surface of the Han River, dispersing the dense morning fog, cool but carrying a seemingly pure moisture, blowing into the urban area. In the grey and ck areas of Southeast Asia and among the hacker circles, the battle between Morgan Group and Mr. Lin was the talk of the town. The ''International Forum - Underworld'' section was as always open. And today, it was particrly lively. [I heard a big battle took ce herest night!] [Is there a big brother willing to rey it for us!] [I missed it! But... Mr. Lin is awesome!] [Right here, Morgan Group took a nasty fall!] [Isn''t Mr. Lin just a web novel writer, very low-profile. Morgan Group, why did you provoke him?] [...] There is never a shortage of onlookers in the world, especially given Morgan Group''s reputation in the grey and ck areas; many were d to see them stumble! Therefore, they flocked to ''International Forum - Underworld'' and ''Dark Live'' live streaming tform, joining in the online frenzy. Of course. This was a boost to the poprity of the two novels "Hacker Kingdom" and "ck Ice." A torrent of traffic poured in. Many who had never read the novels fully subscribed to "Hacker Kingdom" and "ck Ice" right away, and plenty of enthusiastic readers sent gifts. As a result, the achievements of Lin Chuan''s "ck Ice" soared impressively. [Work: "ck Ice."] [Current status: Published.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 26,539/50,000] [Assessment Task: Produce 95% pure addictive drugs (Completed).] In just under ten hours, the average subscription had risen from eighteen thousand eight to twenty-six thousand five hundred and thirty-nine, a surge that surprised even Lin Chuan. It''s worth noting that this is a novel that has already published a million words and nearly four hundred chapters. It''s not like a newly published book with few chapters, which exins the fast growth. If the rate of increase continues at this pace, it could reach fifty thousand average subscriptions in another few days. However, Lin Chuan''s heart was clearly notpletely on the sess of the subscriptions. He got up early, made a cup of instant coffee, and just as Lin Chuan took a sip, the Little Landy also got up, came to the balcony, and hugged him from behind, "Chairman, is it because of my business that you couldn''t sleep all night?" The wind from outside blew in, hitting Lin Chuan''s face. Lin Chuan set the coffee down on the small table on the balcony, then turned around, gently patting the Little Landy''s back as he consoled her, "I''ll handle this matter well." He had thought about it all night. Liu Meng belonged to Morgan Group and stood on the opposite side to him. If she were just an unrted enemy, she would already be in custody by now. But she had thisyer of a mother-daughter rtionship with the Little Landy. This put Lin Chuan in a difficult position. After much consideration, Lin Chuan wanted to meet Liu Meng to see if he could persuade her to turn herself in as a tainted witness and strive for a reduced sentence. That was something Lin Chuan could do for the Little Landy. If Liu Meng insisted on going her own way, he would arrest and bring her to justice right away. He could contact the police at any time. "Is it about Liu Meng?" The Little Landy, keen-minded, had guessed a little. Lin Chuan looked into the Little Landy''s clear, water-like eyes, unwilling to deceive her, and could only nod his head. "Can you tell me what she did?" The Little Landy pursed her lips and asked. Lin Chuan was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Have you ever heard of the Morgan Group?" The Little Landy shook her head, "No." Chapter 292: Chapter 206: Hes Just a Web Novel Writer! (Please Subscribe)_2 "The Morgan Group is a major conglomerate that operates in the ck industry, engaging in a range of criminal activities including addictive drugs, arms trafficking, human trafficking, and counterfeit currency on a global scale," Lin Chuan exined. The Little Landy listened quietly. Lin Chuan continued, "Last night, hackers from the Morgan Group attacked a section I had set up on the global forum called the Underworld because an addictive drug in my novel coincided with their new type of addictive drugs, so they believed I had leaked this secret." "Was that who you went afterst night? They didn''t seed, did they?" the Little Landy asked, lifting her head and looking concerned. "They didn''t seed; I counterattacked their server," Lin Chuan replied. A touch of pride appeared on the Little Landy''s face, and she said with gratification, "My chairman is so fantastic!" Lin Chuan ruffled the Little Landy''s head, "I entered their server and obtained the server data..." "Does this data pose a difficulty for you?" The Little Landy''s eyebrows knitted slightly as she asked. "Yes," Lin Chuan nodded. "Is it Liu Meng?" the Little Landy asked tentatively. Lin Chuan was taken aback as he met the Little Landy''s gaze. The Little Landy''s mouth twitched with indignation, "I knew her return was no good news!" Lin Chuan let out a light sigh, "I''ve found the contact records between Huarun Company and Morgan Group. If we delve deeper, we should be able to find their trade records." "Are you nning to meet Liu Meng alone and then persuade her to turn herself in?" The Little Landy asked, eyes wide. "How did you know?" Lin Chuan was surprised. "How could I not understand you?" the Little Landy said, then she continued angrily, "Chairman, you can''t meet her alone; it''s too dangerous!" "This..." Lin Chuan was at a loss for words for a moment. However, the Little Landy had already taken action. She took out her phone and dialed a number: "Sister Qianqian." "Xinxin, you''re up early?" The voice of Shen Qianqian came through the phone. The Little Landy looked up at Lin Chuan and pursed her lips, then said solemnly, "Sister Qianqian, I want to report a crime!" "Ah? What sort of crime are you reporting?" On the other end, Shen Qianqian had just reached her desk and was immediately taken aback upon hearing the Little Landy''s words. "I''m reporting that Huarun Foreign Trade Export Company has trade dealings with the Morgan Group, who is engaged in the ck industry, and that Liu Meng, the general manager of the Han River District branch of Huarun, is involved," the Little Landy dered emphatically. At Anling Police Station, Shen Qianqian swallowed hard, "Xinxin, this case you''re reporting, we''ll need to further investigate and confirm." "I can provide the evidence from my end, and I''ll cooperate with the investigation," the Little Landy said, looking up again, "My chairman will also cooperate with the investigation." "Okay, I''ll be right over to pick you up," Shen Qianqian replied immediately. "Sister Qianqian, see you in a bit." The Little Landy hung up the phone. Lin Chuan took a deep breath, "Xinxin, you..." "What about me?" the Little Landy asked, her lips pursed. Lin Chuan was at a loss for words. The Little Landy hugged Lin Chuan, rubbed her little face against his chest, and asked, "Chairman, is the Morgan Group a criminal organization?" Lin Chuan nodded. "Aside from attacking your forum section and novel, could they harbor other malicious intents against you?" the Little Landy asked again. Lin Chuan nodded once more. "So, if Liu Meng is part of the Morgan Group, is she involved in illegal and criminal activities as well?" "Hmm." "Then what are you hesitating about?" "I''m worried about you..." "You don''t need to worry about me; I know right from wrong!" the Little Landy said earnestly, "Chairman, I haveplete faith in you, so I will unwaveringly support you." The Little Landy''s words pierced straight into Lin Chuan''s heart, causing a profound jolt. "It''s hard on you," Lin Chuan said, hugging the Little Landy tight and letting out a sigh. The Little Landy shook her head and added, "If Liu Menges to a realization, that would be great. If she ends up getting shot, I''ll burn a couple of incense sticks for her; it''s the least I can do as we were mother and daughter once, and Old Zhang would support me in this!" "If I get the chance, I''ll advise her," Lin Chuan thought for a moment and said. The Little Landy''s pretty face revealed a smile, "Good!" Lin Chuan let out a sigh. He suddenly felt that the Little Landy in his arms was much more insightful than he was, seemingly more straightforward and decisive. It was him, on the other hand, whose thoughts were more internally conflicted. s... However, the words of the Little Landy shook his mind for a long time, not settling easily. He hugged the Little Landy even tighter, almost as if he wanted to merge her into his body, "Xinxin, during this time, people from the Morgan Group might take action against me, so you shouldn''t go out for business as usual." The Little Landy pursed her lips, nodding gently, "I''ll listen to you, Chairman." Soon. Shen Qianqian and another policerade drove over. Lin Chuan and the Little Landy went straight to the police station. Upon arriving at the police station, the head of the Criminal Police Brigade, Hu Daqiang, personally received them, and Lin Chuan exined the whole story from beginning to end. Also, he handed over the information about Huarun Company that he had investigated the previous night to the police. Lin Chuan knew that it was unrealistic for him alone to tackle the entire Morgan Group''s ws in Anling; cooperating with the police would enable a broader crackdown and a stronger force for arrests. At the same time, it was also safer. ... Anzhou Pharmaceutical, the pharmacy manufacturing nt. In the basement, Yu Keke directed her subordinates to transport the newly produced ''drugs''. At that moment, a middle-aged woman dressed in a beige cheongsam with a whiteb coat draped over and high heels, wearing heavy makeup, walked over. This person was Liu Meng. "Miss Yu, were you looking for me?" Liu Meng approached Yu Keke and smiled. Yu Keke looked up at Liu Meng, her mouth curving up, and pointed to the batch of ''addictive drugs'' in front of her, "President Liu, I''ve put you in the position of General Manager for the Han River District not only to take down Lin Chuan but also to ensure there are no issues with the transportation of these goods!" Liu Meng responded brightly, "Miss Yu, don''t worry, I used to do this overseas, and I guarantee there won''t be any problems." "The environment overseas is not the same as it is domestically!" Yu Keke huffed. "After I arrived at the Han River, I personally visited the main heads of those channels and made sure everything was clear," Liu Meng said with augh. "It''s best that way." Yu Keke nodded, then shifted the topic, "Any progress with Lin Chuan?" As soon as Lin Chuan was mentioned, Liu Meng''s expression changed, and she shook her head, "No progress." "What about your daughter, Zhang Xinxin?" Yu Keke pressed on. "Also no." Liu Meng shook her head again. "Still no?" Yu Keke frowned. Liu Meng immediately exined, "Miss Yu, it''s been over a decade since I separated from her; the blood bond has long been diluted. You saw it yourselfst time at the cafe, she was indifferent towards me." With that, she let out a sigh. Yu Keke''s eyes were icy, "Come with me." Liu Meng nodded and followed Yu Keke into the underground office. A cold expression surfaced on Yu Keke''s delicate face, "Now, there is no progress on the Lin Chuan line; what do you propose we do?" After pondering for a moment, Liu Meng said, "This Lin Chuan, he''s just a web novel writer, what abilities does he have to make Miss Yu so concerned?" "You might as well ask that question to your daughter," Yu Keke said coldly. Liu Meng fell silent, "Do we have to make Lin Chuan join us?" "If he doesn''t join, he will only have one way outdeath. That is the group''s intention," Yu Keke said gravely. Liu Meng raised her eyebrows, somewhat surprised. "Since you can''t handle it, I''m telling you, you will arrange to meet your daughter tonight," Yu Keke''s eyes bore into Liu Meng. Liu Meng, visibly less imposing than Yu Keke, swallowed and asked timidly, "Are we to use Zhang Xinxin to threaten Lin Chuan?" "What do you think?" Yu Keke said indifferently. "Is there anything else I need to do?" Liu Meng asked. "No need, I will make arrangements," Yu Keke''s gaze was fierce, her n already forming in her mind. Chapter 293: Chapter 207: Catching Them All! The sun, sifting through sparse clouds, bathed Anling''s cityscape in a soft, golden glow, while a gentle breeze wafted through the Anling Police Station, rustling with a whispering sound. "Comrade Lin Chuan, by providing us with this document, you have my gratitude on behalf of Anling Police!" Inside the Criminal Police Brigade, Captain Hu Daqiang said energetically. "It''s the least I could do," Lin Chuan smiled. Dressed in his police uniform, Captain Hu''s face turned solemn, "However, Comrade Lin Chuan, this case involves transnational crime. Solely relying on Anling Police might not be enough to bring them down." Lin Chuan nodded, "Indeed, the Morgan Group has entrenched itself across the globe and is a behemoth in the underworld. It is difficult topletely eradicate them in one fell swoop." Captain Hu concurred deeply, adding, "The collusion between Huarun Company and the Morgan Group will likely involve overseas crimes. I need to report this to the higher-ups and work together with INTERPOL on the case." Many countries participate in INTERPOL. Domestic police forces also maintain contact with INTERPOL. For instance, the Han River Province police have close coborations with INTERPOL in the south of the country, specifically dealing with domestic and international crimes. "With INTERPOL''s involvement, this case might get a bit easier." Lin Chuanughed, then quickly shifted the topic, "However, as of now, we''ve only investigated Huarun Company..." "Comrade Lin Chuan, do you have any thoughts?" Captain Hu inquired. Lin Chuan pursed his lips and chuckled, "The Morgan Group is based overseas and has begun operations in Han River. Currently, we''ve only uncovered Huarun Company. The rest of their minions have yet to surface." As the captain of the Criminal Police Brigade, Captain Hu nodded. Indeed, transnational crimes, especially the production and transportation of addictive drugs, involve a vastwork of rtionships and will probably require even more police resources for investigation. Lin Chuan highlighted the difficulty of the investigation. The difficulty was immense! "I will immediately report to Director Zhang and initiate an investigation!" Captain Hu decided resolutely and immediately phoned Zhang Biao. Shen Qianqian was by Lin Chuan''s side and chuckled, "Comrade Lin Chuan, the more I see, the more you seem like a natural-born detective." "Oh?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. The Little Landy pursed her lips, puzzled, "Sister Qianqian, I don''t see it at all?" "Xinxin, you''re not a detective, how could you see it?" Shen Qianqianughed. The Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, grinned broadly, "Then how can you tell?" Shen Qianqian nced at Lin Chuan with a smile, "Well, you can''t praise the chairman to his face." "That''s true," the Little Landy blinked, brimming with amusement. "Officer Shen, what kind of riddle are you and Xinxin ying at?" Lin Chuan quipped. "I don''t want you to get cocky," Shen Qianqianughed. As a member of the Criminal Police Brigade, she had made significant progress during this time. Her perspective on issues had naturally changed as well. In this case, Lin Chuan not only triumphed over the Morgan Group but could be said to have ''gone behind enemy lines'' alone, infiltrating the enemy''s servers. Before their self-destruction, he obtained what seemed like ordinary data, through which he traced the connection between the Morgan Group and the domestic Huarun Company, and from these clues, he inferred the extensive reach of the Morgan Group''s operations in Han River. There was not only a deep inquiry into details but also a control over the bigger picture. Therefore, the more Shen Qianqian watched Lin Chuan, the more she felt he was perfectly suited to be a detective. It would be a pity not to pursue such a career! Lin Chuan, however, touched his nose and said self-deprecatingly, "I''ve been reduced to writing novels, what''s there to be proud of?" Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin "Writing novels isn''t so bad," Shen Qianqianughed heartily. The Little Landy also nodded along, "That''s right, Chairman, writing novels isn''t bad at all." "You''re too good at constion." Lin Chuan teased. Soon after, Captain Hu finished his call, "Comrade Lin Chuan, Director Zhang is taking this case very seriously; it''s been reported to the provincial office. When we work with INTERPOL, we''ll be able to drag out all of the Morgan Group''s ws in Han River and ensure both your and Comrade Zhang Xinxin''s safety." Lin Chuan''s brow rose, "Captain Hu, please convey my thanks to Director Zhang." Zhang Biao''s stance made it clear that he prioritized his and Xinxin''s safety, and Lin Chuan could hear that. Certainly, with Lin Chuan''s current capabilities, he merited the protection of the Anling Police. Ding dong ding dong Just then, the Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin''s phone, buzzed twice. She pulled out her phone and read the text message. Xinxin, are you free tonight? I would like to meet you. The text message was from Liu Meng. Without much thought, the Little Landy handed the message to Lin Chuan, "Chairman, Liu Meng has sent me a message." Lin Chuan frowned and took a look at the message right away. Afterward, he let Captain Hu and Shen Qianqian take a nce at the content. Captain Hu''s expression turned stern. Shen Qianqian''s brow furrowed slightly, specting, "Xinxin, this message could very well be a setup for a trap." Her guess seemed quite usible. If no one had discovered the secret dealings between Huarun Company and the Morgan Group, then to the outside world, this invitation would seem like a mother-daughter reunion. However, receiving such an invite at this precise moment for a meeting in the evening, the group had to approach it with caution. Captain Hu pondered for a moment: Officer Shen. Do you have any good strategies to deal with this?" Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan and asked, "Comrade Lin Chuan, presumably the Morgan Group and Huarun Company don''t know that we''ve obtained their contact information, do they?" Lin Chuan nodded, "In theory, they don''t." Upon receiving Lin Chuan''s response, Shen Qianqian continued, "Since they''re unaware, what could be the purpose of Liu Meng''s invitation for Xinxin to meet this time?" Chapter 294: Chapter 207: Catching Them All!_2 "It''s possible that they want to use me to ckmail Lin Chuan." The Little Landy pursed her lips as she put forth her hypothesis. Shen Qianqian nodded and said, "That''s very likely. So, can we counter their scheme with one of our own?" "How do we counter their scheme?" The Little Landy pressed on. At this moment, a smile appeared on Shen Qianqian''s face as she proposed, "They''ve set a trap for us like a Banquet, there must be an ambush in ce. Why don''t we strike first and take them down in one fell swoop?" Zhang Xinxin fell into thought. Hu Daqiang contemted for a moment before turning to Lin Chuan, "Comrade Lin Chuan, what do you think?" "Countering their scheme is a good suggestion," Lin Chuan nodded and smiled, but then his tone shifted, "However, we need to decline Liu Meng''s invitation now." "Why?" Shen Qianqian asked, frowning. "Given the current rtionship between Xinxin and Liu Meng, logically, Xinxin should refuse," Lin Chuan exined, "Also, I suspect, receiving an invitation at this time, there''s no denying it''s likely a trap, but another point, it could very well be a test by the Morgan Group to see if Xinxin and I have obtained any key information." "A test?" Shen Qianqian''s brow furrowed slightly as confusion spread across her face. "Yes, I just battled with the Morgan Group hackers onlinest night; they may also want to confirm whether I''ve obtained any crucial information. If we ept the meeting invitation tonight out of the ordinary, it would arouse their suspicion." The Little Landy was dizzy trying to follow the train of thought Lin Chuanid out. Shen Qianqian''s brows were knitted tightly together. Only Hu Daqiang understood and added, "Yes, assuming Comrade Lin Chuan didn''t obtain any information from his battle with the Morgan Group hackers and considering that Comrade Zhang Xinxin and Liu Meng do not get along well, it would be unlikely for us to ept the invitation." By then, Shen Qianqian also understood, "I was too eager for quick sess." Lin Chuan nodded, "Another thing, her invitation for a meeting tonightes at a time when we have yet to conduct a more in-depth investigation into this case. Tonight is not the best time for action. So, we need to refuse and control the pace." "So, how should I reply to her?" Zhang Xinxin wasn''t very familiar with case investigations but instinctively trusted Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan nced at Shen Qianqian and Hu Daqiang, seeing no objections, he said, "Xinxin, just say you''re feeling very down and don''t want to go out, that you''ll talk in a couple of days." "Okay." Zhang Xinxin did as instructed and replied to Liu Meng''s message. Soon after, Liu Meng texted back, "Okay, I''ll contact you in a couple of days. I hope you won''t avoid me anymore. I want to have a proper talk with you." "When I''m willing to see you, I''ll naturally seek you out," directed by Lin Chuan, Little Landy Zhang Xinxin replied. "Alright, I''ll wait for your message," Liu Meng responded. "Is this okay?" Zhang Xinxin turned off the phone screen and asked. Lin Chuan nodded, "It''s fine." Ring, ring, ring The ringtone of Hu Daqiang''s phone sounded. The caller ID showed: Director Zhang. Hu Daqiang immediately answered the call, and Zhang Biao''s voice came through, "Old Hu, I have a few words I want to say to Comrade Lin." "Okay." Hu Daqiang quickly handed the phone to Lin Chuan, "Comrade Lin Chuan, it''s Director Zhang''s call." Lin Chuan took the call, "Director Zhang, hello." "Comrade Lin, don''t be a stranger. I''ve just reported your case to the provincial department and had an in-depth discussion with Elder Zhong. Elder Zhong and I hope that you can participate in the investigation and handling of this case. No one is more familiar with this case than you, so we really need your strength." Lin Chuan was momentarily stunned, and after a moment''s thought, he replied, "Director Zhang, I will do everything I can to assist in the police investigation." The opponent was Morgan Company. He, fighting alone, would find it difficult to root out the Morgan Group''s influence in Han River. Working with the police would be more efficient and hit a broader target! "Excellent! I will take charge of coordinating with Interpol to ensure that not a single one of the Morgan Group''s operatives in Han River is left!" Zhang Biao spoke with firm determination. Immediately. Zhang Biao''s order was conveyed to Hu Daqiang. Hu Daqiang closely cooperated with Lin Chuan in the investigation. Meanwhile, specialized personnel from the Criminal Police Brigade, Cyber Security Detachment, Drug Enforcement Team, and other units were assigned to join the investigation of this transnational crime. Undoubtedly. As the lead investigator on this case, Lin Chuan took charge of thoroughly investigating Huarun Company, filtering through their more detailed contacts and transactions with the Morgan Group. The entire Anling Police force began a full-scale investigation around this case. Among them. Lin Chuan firstunched an investigation into Liu Meng. The first step was to pinpoint Liu Meng''s location. Just now, Liu Meng had sent several messages to Zhang Xinxin, and Lin Chuan immediately followed this clue for the investigation. By hacking into the mobile phone to locate, a technique Lin Chuan had used in the Yundian Lincang region to rescue reader Old Bai. Now, it was being used on Liu Meng. The Cyber Security Detachment had specially dispatched Xia Qingqing and a group of elite cyber police to assist Lin Chuan with the investigation. Xia Qingqing was also well-versed in this operation. Suddenly. Xia Qingqing, through technical positioning, obtained Liu Meng''s current location, and her brows immediately furrowed, "Lin Chuan,e over here!" Lin Chuan quickly moved to Xia Qingqing''s side, "What''s wrong?" Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin "I''ve pinpointed Liu Meng''s current position; she''s at Anzhou Pharmaceutical!" "Anzhou Pharmaceutical?" Lin Chuan''s expression changed. "Keke... sister?" Beside him, Zhang Xinxin was also taken aback. Anzhou Pharmaceutical was a ce she was more than familiar with. Recently, Anzhou Pharmaceutical had reached a cooperative agreement with the 720 Company and was discussing further coboration. The general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical, Yu Keke, had also been in close contact with her, and she had often sought Yu Keke''s advice on drug knowledge. Now, Liu Meng was inside Anzhou Pharmaceutical. Didn''t that suggest a connection between Liu Meng and Yu Keke? "I''ll listen in," Lin Chuan immediately took over theputer, opened a window, and skillfully inserted a piece of code he had already prepared. This was a Trojan program to hack into mobile phones. In Lin Chuan''s code library, he had long prepared a variety of programs. Now, there was finally a chance to use them legally! At this moment, Lin Chuan infiltrated Liu Meng''s mobile phone in an extremely covert manner and detected that Liu Meng''s mobile phone was not in use; he silently activated Liu Meng''s phone''s recording feature. Soon, Liu Meng''s voice came through theputer, "Miss Yu, she refused; what should we do?" "If she had really agreed, we would have to leave right away." Another voice replied. Lin Chuan recognized it, and he exchanged a nce with Little Landy Zhang Xinxin. This was Yu Keke''s voice. Liu Meng was talking to Yu Keke, presumably in an office, with no other background noise. "Why?" Liu Meng sounded surprised. Yu Keke, however, seemed very confident, assured, "Normally, she wouldn''t want to see you, andst night Lin Chuan was attacked by a hacker. If she were to meet you now, that would be suspicious." Zhang Xinxin swallowed hard. Lin Chuan had guessed right! They were probing! "So you''re saying that when you proposed to meet her tonight, you were actually testing her?" Liu Meng''s voice came through theputer again. Yu Keke answered, "Now we can be sure that we haven''t been exposed. We just need to wait a couple of days, pretend to run into her, and then make our move." "Alright! What about the goods in the basement, will they be delivered ording to the original n?" "Yes, the n remains the same." "..." Inside the Criminal Police Brigade. Lin Chuan stopped the surveince on Liu Meng''s phone, his eyes turning cold. Now, it was certain that Anzhou Pharmaceutical and Huarun Company were Morgan Group''s ''ws'' in Han River Province''s Anling City! Yu Keke was one of the key figures! Lin Chuan looked at Little Landy beside him, still reeling from the close call; Yu Keke had been scheming all along, and if not for pinpointing Liu Meng''s location, they might still be oblivious to Yu Keke being the mastermind! He took a deep breath! Huarun Company, Anzhou Pharmaceutical, Liu Meng, Yu Keke... he would apprehend them all! Chapter 295: Chapter 208: Writer Lin, Sorry, I Have to Use Force! (Please Subscribe) The night was like ink, the sky covered by thick clouds, with only the asional starlight peeking through the gaps, casting a feeble and mottled y of light and shadow upon the tops of trees swaying in the wind. In the deep of night, Anling City was very quiet. The silent air made people feel a trace of unease. asionally, one or two dark figures would dart across the streets, startling pedestrians into a sudden tremor, who after realizing they were just stray cats, would swear under their breath and hurry away. Inside the police station. From morning till night, Lin Chuan, Xinxin and the Anling Police were engaged in a silent yet tense investigation. Departments such as the Cyber Security Detachment, the Criminal Investigation Detachment, and the Drug Enforcement Team had all allocated substantial manpower, pulling outmunication and transaction records from recent years of Anzhou Pharmaceutical and Huarun Company, conducting a detailed check. Moreover, the Anling Police were in close contact with Interpol, expanding the search range. "Comrade Lin Chuan, you''ve worked hard," said Zhang Biao, personally carryingte-night snacks to the case investigation area, cing them in front of Lin Chuan. Behind him were the logistics personnel of the police force, carryingte-night snacks. Upon seeing Director Zhang Biao arrive personally, Lin Chuan got up and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, Director Zhang. I can manage, but these policerades have had it tough." His words carried no intention of belittling the policerades. In the virtual world, Lin Chuan had experienced various high-intensity tasks, and moreover, when it came to investigating cases, especially those rting towork information, he had strong technical skills and found the work to be easy. For younger policerades like Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing, it was their first time dealing with such arge-scale cross-national crime case, and many aspects of the investigation were fraught with difficulties. "They are all goodrades," Director Zhang Biao said with satisfaction as he looked at these familiar faces, then, he patted Lin Chuan''s shoulder, "Sit down first, fill your stomach. I''ll also take this opportunity to understand the details of the case." As he spoke, he had already personally opened the food he brought over and ced it in front of Lin Chuan. It was a carefully cooked pot of meat porridge, steamed pork ribs, and stir-fried choy sum. Lin Chuan didn''t stand on ceremony. Indeed, the high-intensity work had made him somewhat hungry. "Lin, this case is being taken very seriously by our station and the provincial headquarters. Elder Zhong even called me just now to get an update on the situation," said Zhang Biao in a warm voice, forgoing his usual authority, his tone congenial. Lin Chuan thought for a moment and replied, "Director Zhang, we are currently focusing our investigation on Anzhou Pharmaceutical and Huarun Company, confirming that these twopanies are under the foreign Morgan Group. Anzhou Pharmaceutical is responsible for the manufacturing of ''new types of addictive drugs,'' with Huarun Company managing the transportation channels. Moreover, several rtional chains are involved" Lin Chuan reported the results of the day''s investigation to Director Zhang Biao one by one. Zhang Biao''s brow furrowed tighter the more he listened, growing increasingly indignant, "I never expected the Morgan Group to haveid out their ns here for so long." Lin Chuan nodded, "Tomorrow night, Huarun Company will use a special channel to transport a batch of ''addictive drugs'' out of the country, handing them over to overseas personnel of Morgan Company." "Out of the country tomorrow night" Listening, Zhang Biao''s brow knitted together, "Lin, what are your thoughts?" Lin Chuan pondered for a moment before looking towards Zhang Biao and saying, "Director Zhang, tomorrow night, we catch them all in one swoop!" "Hmm?" Zhang Biao fell into thought and then said, "You mean to say, wait until all the fish on this line have surfaced and then move swiftly to strike them with thunderous force?" Lin Chuan nodded, "Right!" Zhang Biao, with his rich experience, swiftly made a judgment on the case. Acting tomorrow night was indeed the best opportunity. Hence, he nodded in agreement, "I''ll immediately consult with the provincial headquarters and contact Interpol. We''ll nprehensively!" Zhang Biao''s voice was robust, conveying a convincing assurance. Lin Chuan smiled. With the aid of top-level hacker techniques and his keen judgment on the case, coupled with the police force''s deployment, he had almostpleted the investigation on the ''addictive drugs'' production line of Anzhou Pharmaceutical and Huarun Company that day. By tomorrow morning, I should be able to wrap things up. Tomorrow night, we''ll be ready for full-blown action. Currently, Yu Keke and Liu Meng haven''t realized what''s happening. Striking decisively is the best choice. The night was silent and still. Anling City settled into silence, soundless and tranquil, as if brewing a storm. Yes, an operation against the international crime syndicate, the colossal "Morgan Group," was being quietly arranged. The next day. From nightfall to dawn. On the surface, everything seemed normal. But beneath the surface, the currents were raging. The first light of dawn rose, shining on the river in Anling, with Lin Chuan''s window ss reflecting specks of silver. What appeared to be another ordinary day was filled with messages on Lin Chuan''s phone. At eight in the morning. Editor Youyou sent Lin Chuan a message, "Wow, ''Hacker Kingdom'' and ''ck Ice'' are exploding in poprity overseas!" Lin Chuan was busy yesterday investigating Anzhou Pharmaceutical and Huarun Company, so he didn''t pay much attention to the performance of ''Hacker Kingdom'' and ''ck Ice''. [Title: "ck Ice".] [Current status: Published.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 41939/50000.] [Assessment Task: Manufacture 95% pure addictive drugs pleted).] "OMG!" Lin Chuan looked at the system panel in his mind. The Average Subscription for ''ck Ice'' had almost reached forty-two thousand, only eight thousand short of fifty thousand. Meaning, he might reach the target tonight! A new career experience was beckoning Lin Chuan. The morning light spilled onto the balcony, and a radiant smile appeared on Lin Chuan''s face. Besides the system''s career unlock requirements, a significant increase in Average Subscription represented not only money but also indicated that the novel was highlypetitive overseas. ''Mr. Lin''s'' influence was also growing. This was a great primer for his next novel. It was as if Lin Chuan had opened channels overseas with the help of his two novels, ''Hacker Kingdom'' and ''ck Ice''. Considering the system''s nature, the next career could also be rted to prison work. Lin Chuan thought it over. Publishing novels overseas didn''t have as many restrictions as in his home country. Of course, if he managed both domestic and overseas markets, even a requirement of one hundred thousand Average Subscriptions from the system wasn''t impossible to achieve. It seems that taking on the Morgan Group could bring many benefits. Therefore, Lin Chuan replied to Youyou, "It looks like the next one has some security, too." "Of course, there''s security. You are now the face of Sailing Novel overseas. Manager Chu from the operations department ns to fully develop your IP there!" In the Sailing Building, Youyou''s face was beaming with joy. "How will you develop the IP?" Lin Chuan curiously asked. "It''s still in the nning stage, I attended a seminar yesterday, the preliminary n is to construct ''Mr. Lin''s Dark Empire''." Youyou replied. As Lin Chuan''s editor, she naturally was the main person in charge of this project. Once the n was implemented, the Sailing Novel''s overseas operations department would invest a massive amount of resources to build up ''Mr. Lin''s Dark Empire'' as an IP. This wouldn''t be limited to just rmendations on the website; it would also include marketing and momentum-building overseas. Of course. Once sessful, the returns for Sailing Novel would be extremely high as well. "Dark Empire, doesn''t that name feel a bit... adolescent?" Lin Chuanughed as he asked. "/awkwardugh." Youyou replied directly with an emoji, then texted, "This is just a preliminary discussion; the actual name can still be improved." "Do I need to do anything?" Lin Chuan asked. For him, this was a good thing. "I''ll handle the other aspects; you just need to write novels, preferably crime-themed novels," Youyou responded. Crime-themed novels Lin Chuan grinned. This was settled. This system, ifcking anything, certainly wasn''t short on crime-rted professions! "Great, then I''ll just sit back and reap the benefits," Lin Chuanughed and responded. "There''s another piece of news I need to share. Piracy is rampant overseas; currently, ''Hacker Kingdom'' and ''ck Ice'' are very hot, and many pirate websites are setting their sights on them," Youyou said. Lin Chuan nodded, "If piracy bes too rampant, I can provide some technical support." "We''re monitoring all the time. If we need you, this great Buddha, to take action, I''lle and ask for Writer Lin''s supportter. /haha.jpg" Youyou Yanran Yixiao, replying with a smile. "I might not be good at other things, but I do have some insight when ites to dealing with illegal activities," Lin Chuan said, his lips curving into a smile as he replied. "You''re okay afterst time right?" Youyou asked. She had inquired about Lin Chuan and the Morgan Group''s news from the Sailing Novel''s cybersecurity department and felt surprised and worried at the same time. After all, the technical staff from the cybersecurity department had told her some information about the Morgan Group which was quite rming to her. "I''m fine, I can handle it," Lin Chuan smiled. In China, no matter how strong the Morgan Group was, they could only make small moves in secret and couldn''t go too far. And him, he was going to deal with some of the Morgan Group''s minions tonight! Crisply, very crisply! "Be careful with your safety," Youyou reminded him concernedly. "Don''t worry," Lin Chuan replied. Apart from Youyou, another person sent a message to Lin Chuan. Yu Keke. Yu Keke: "Writer Lin, good morning." Lin Chuan looked at the message from Yu Keke, slightly raised an eyebrow, and replied normally, "President Yu, good morning." Anzhou Pharmaceutical. In the general manager''s office, Yu Keke said, "I browsed some foreign websites this morning, and it''s all news about you!" "I didn''t expect it to create such a big stir either." Lin Chuan''s mind stirred slightly, wondering if Yu Keke was trying to probe him by messaging him at this time. "If it weren''t for this news, I wouldn''t even know you''ve been publishing novels overseas. I was wondering why you hadn''t released any novelstely." Yu Keke continued. Lin Chuan replied, "''Addictive drugs'' is a sensitive topic, so I could only publish it overseas." "I was binge-reading itst night, and the addictive drugs you wrote about seemed quite real," Yu Keke teased. "I looked up a lot of information," Lin Chuan replied as usual. Both were showcasing their acting skills. Yu Keke was hiding her identity, pretending it was the first time she had seen Lin Chuan''s "ck Ice." Lin Chuan, on the other hand, was pretending not to know Yu Keke''s real identity. "It''s apparent; the information within must be very realistic. Who would''ve thought you are an expert in this area," Yu Keke joked again. "You can''t just say that; if ites true, I might get taken away! /haha.jpg" Lin Chuanughed and replied. "Don''t worry, the novel is published overseas, and there''s no news about you domestically." Yu Keke smiled as she replied and then sent another message, "Writer Lin, after reading ''ck Ice,'' I found that ''addictive drugs'' and ''pharmacy manufacturing'' actually share some simrities." "Oh?" Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows and asked. "Among the drugs we''re currently developing, we have withdrawal medication for ''addictive drugs.'' I think the addictive drugs described in ''ck Ice'' could provide lots of valuable insights for our research at Anzhou Pharmaceutical. Would Writer Lin be willing to visit us at Anzhou Pharmaceutical?" Yu Keke extended an invitation to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan grinned. She finally revealed her true intentions. A visit? No, she was readying to make a move on him! Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then smoothly yed along, asking, "Can my novels y such a significant role?" "Of course, I take your novels as autobiographical," Yu Kekeughed. "President Yu is catching onto the joke too." "Hahaha, are you free today, Writer Lin? I would like to consult with you," Yu Keke asked again. "I have to deal with somepany business during the day, and there are a few technical issues," Lin Chuan replied. "What about tonight?" "Tonight''s open," Lin Chuanughed. "Then let''s meet tonight, I''ll be waiting for you at Anzhou Pharmaceutical," Yu Keke replied. Lin Chuan nodded with a smile and answered, "Alright, see you tonight." In the general manager''s office at Anzhou Pharmaceutical. Seeing Lin Chuan''s assured reply, Yu Keke''s lips curved upward, revealing a delicate smile on her face, ready to take action tonight! Writer Lin Chuan, I apologize, but I''ll need to be forceful! Chapter 296: Chapter 209: Are You Rejecting Me? (5000-Word Chapter) Anzhou Pharmaceutical. Yu Keke sat in the General Manager''s office. After ending her chat with Lin Chuan, she dialed Lucas''s number. Beep beep beep "Lucas, I am leaving the country tonight. Make the arrangements for me." The moment the call was connected, Yu Keke spoke. "Coco, have you seeded?" Lucas, the head of the Morgan Group''s Asia-Pacific Region, asked. Yu Kekeughed, "Just used some strong-arm tactics." "The operation is tonight?" Lucas asked. "Correct, the operation tonight is foolproof." Yu Keke''s eyes turned cold as she spoke in a deep voice. "Very good, Coco, I have some news for you," Lucas said with a smile. "What news?" Yu Keke, feeling perplexed, asked. "Headquarters has arranged for you to get in touch with the ''Sania'' Weapons Research Company, especially theirtest ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''. Some special areas need arge number of such weapons. It''s a big deal for our Morgan Group," Lucas said with a hint of excitement. Yu Keke frowned slightly, "Does headquarters mean for me to pull out from the ''addictive drugs'' business and move on to handle the arms trade instead?" She was naturally aware that ''Sania'' was a well-known weapons researchpany in Southeast Asia. It had reached agreements with several countries in the Asia-Pacific Region for weapons research, and it also independently developed weapons, selling blueprints, patents, and so on, making it a unique entity among private weapons research firms. The "special areas" Lucas mentioned pertained to regions gued by perpetual warfare. These regions required arge supply of weapons. And the sources for these weapons were the major arms dealers. The Morgan Group had heard that the Sania Weapons Research Company was developing a ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' with immense power, a major weapon of war. Currently, severalrge conglomerates were interested in purchasing the blueprints to produce it. And some regions were eagerly desiring this particr weapon. As a giant in the arms trade, how could the Morgan Group miss this lucrative opportunity? Hence, the Morgan Group''s headquarters selected Yu Keke to be in charge of negotiations with the ''Sania'' Weapons Research Company. "Headquarters does have that intention," Lucas replied. "Okay, the Sania Weapons Research Company, I also have friends there; negotiations won''t be a problem. Once they develop it, I guarantee we will secure it immediately!" Yu Keke was confident. "Excellent!" Lucas greatlymended her! In his heart, he felt that he could always rely on Yu Keke to get things done. Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin Over the years, Yu Keke had been involved in the production and trade of addictive drugs without a single slip-up, her actions meticulous and prudent. Taking charge of arms production and trade was indeed a good development! After another two years of experience, she could return to headquarters. "See you tonight." After Yu Keke finished speaking, she didn''t wait for Lucas''s response and ended the call directly. Sigh Yu Keke took a deep breath, her heart subtly beginning to beat with anticipation. To her, producing ''addictive drugs'' or ''negotiating and producing weapons'' made little difference. Her heart raced because of Lin Chuan. She had beenying ns for Lin Chuan for a long time. She had tried various methods, and finally, tonight, she would see the results. She was going to take Lin Chuan down with a strong hand. Forced fruit isn''t sweet, but it quenches thirst! Besides, the dark industry is a giant dyeing vat; once you''re in, there''s no ''clean'' way out. Nor is there a way to cleanse oneself! Once Lin Chuan entered the Morgan Group, she had a hundred ways to make himply. After all, pleasing a man is an easy task. Money, power, women, games. That''s all there is to it. These, Yu Keke believed, she could all provide to Lin Chuan. She sat in the office, ncing outside the window. The soft golden sunlight sprinkled over Anling City, shining through gaps between towering buildings, reaching the distant waters of the river, which glittered brightly. The scenery was beautiful. And so was her mood. She even began to look forward to the nightfall. As she wished. Time passed, and Anling City once again entered the night. The rolling hills on the outskirts rose and fell unevenly, resembling various beasts crouching on the horizon. The pitch-ck night added ayer of mystery to them. The Anling River flowed like a grey-blue jade belt, meandering eastward. ... Lin Chuan alighted from the taxi alone. The night air was cool. Lin Chuan was wearing light white casual trousers, a ck shirt, and had draped a thin suit jacket over the top, neat and tidy, exuding a business-like aura. His sunny, handsome features looked slightly youthful, yet his demeanor was exceptional, drawing side nces from the female attendants of Anzhou Pharmaceutical. "Good evening, sir. May I help you with anything?" Upon entering, a well-featured female attendant weed him with a smile, her service attitude excellent. Lin Chuan smiled and handed over his business card: "Hello, I have an appointment with your General Manager." The attendant took the business card. It read ''Chairman Lin Chuan of the 720 Network Security Company''. "Director Lin, hello, please follow me." The attendant''s eyes brightened as she led Lin Chuan toward the elevator, speaking into the inte, "Notify President Yu that Director Lin from 720 is here." "Is this your first time visiting ourpany, Director Lin?" In the elevator, the attendant looked at Lin Chuan and started a conversation naturally. Lin Chuan casually assessed the attendant and then nodded, engaging in a friendly and natural conversation with her as they headed to the General Manager''s office. Outside Anzhou Pharmaceutical Company. Under a nearby streetlight, an inconspicuous MPV was parked. Chapter 297: Chapter 209 Are You Refusing? (5000 Words Chapter)_2 In the car, several people were seated. Zhang Biao, Hu Daqiang, Shen Qianqian, Xia Qingqing, Yu Shan, and others. And the Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin. "Falcon has already taken action." Xia Qingqing''s legs supported aptop, on the screen, a moving dot was visible. That was the locator carried by Lin Chuan. Falcon, the codename for Lin Chuan. "What about target number 2?" Bureau Chief Zhang Biao nodded and asked in a deep voice. Xia Qingqing was very skilled, especially with the technical support provided by Lin Chuan this time, she switched windows at lightning speed, monitoring Liu Meng''s whereabouts. "Target number 2 is expected to arrive at the transaction site in ten minutes." Xia Qingqing, with a sharp gaze, replied. Zhang Biao''s eyes became fixed, and he nodded in approval, "Continue monitoring, especially ensure Falcon''s safety." Xia Qingqing and the others nodded emphatically. For this operation, the Anling Police had joined forces with the provincial department, covertly deploying arge number of officers, ready to strike at any moment. The other parties involved had all made preparations for action. Zhang Biao was personally in charge, directing the operation. Stay connected with m-v l|e''-NovelBin Immediately after, Xia Qingqing switched the monitoring screen, always keeping an eye on Lin Chuan''s movements. At this time. Lin Chuan had already reached the office of the General Manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical. The female receptionist politely raised her hand and knocked on the door, "President Yu, Director Lin frompany 720 is here." Not long after. Lin Chuan heard the light and somewhat hurried footstepsing from inside the office. Creak The office door opened. Yu Keke, dressed in a light grey casual suit with ssic ck stilettos on her feet, had her long hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her exquisite Eurasian facial features bore a subtle makeup, and the small pearl earrings beneath her ears added a touch of elegance and yfulness. When she saw Lin Chuan''s arrival, her eyes lit up, "Director Lin, I''m d you''ve finally arrived." "I''ve kept you waiting, President Yu." Lin Chuan showed a faint smile and nodded in greeting. "Pleasee in." Yu Keke extended her hand, gesturing for Lin Chuan to enter the office. Lin Chuan nced around with the corner of his eye and walked into the office withposure, taking a seat on the ck leather sofa. "Would you like something to drink?" Yu Keke asked warmly. Lin Chuan waved his hand andughed, "We''re friends, President Yu, there''s no need for such formalities." Yu Keke blinked and said with a smile, "Since we''re friends, just like Xinxin, you can call me Keke." Lin Chuanughed, "Then I''ll take the liberty." "That doesn''t seem like your style," Yu Keke teased. "Oh?" Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows with a smile and asked, "What is my style?" "Xinxin says you''re cunningly mischievous," Yu Keke smiled sweetly, teasing Lin Chuan using the Little Landy''s words. "That girl speaks ill of me behind my back," Lin Chuan said with a forcedugh. Yu Keke poured a cup of tea for Lin Chuan and took a sip herself before asking, "Why didn''t Xinxine over tonight?" "As for her, I''m not quite sure what she''s been up totely; she seems to be quite mysterious," Lin Chuan casually replied. "Let''s meet up with her next time." Yu Keke said with augh, and then, changing the subject, she asked, "Writer Lin, I''ve spent the whole day studying ''ck Ice'', and I''ve gained a lot from it." "''ck Ice'' is just a novel for entertainment, meant for leisure reading, it doesn''t require study," Lin Chuan smiled and said. "No no no!" Yu Keke rejected the idea thrice, with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, "The information in it is really valuable for research. Those who don''t know might even think you''re a real drug lord." "How could that be?" Lin Chuan quickly denied. Yu Keke, with her radiant eyes, casually stroked a lock of hair by her ear and said with a smile, "Writer Lin, I sense from between the lines of ''ck Ice'' your unique perspective andprehensive understanding of ''addictive drugs''. If you im not to be a major drug trafficker, I doubt the overseas readers would believe it." Lin Chuan waved his hand, "A novel shouldn''t be taken as the truth." Yu Keke, testing the waters, inquired, "I''ve seen in the book review section of ''ck Ice'', and on the ''International Forum-Underworld'', that some special organizations have been extending you an olive branch, what do you think of that?" "Those are all police from different countries fishing for criminals, and anyone who bites is a fool," Lin Chuan said with augh, evasively. "What if there were serious offers?" Yu Keke prodded further. "Serious offers?" Lin Chuan frowned and fell into thought. Through his eavesdropping and investigation over the past couple of days, he naturally knew that Yu Keke was trying to recruit him. The conversation they were having was full of pretense, a contest of acting skills. Judging by Yu Keke''s manner, she seemed ready toy her cards on the table. "It''s just a hypothetical, friends can speak their minds," Yu Keke said with augh. Lin Chuan looked at the representative of the Morgan Group in Anling and smiled, "I''m just a web novel writer. With only a few novels to my name, how could those organizations be interested in me? Even if they were, I couldn''t join them. It''s too dangerous." "What if it wasn''t dangerous?" Yu Keke asked again. "Those organizations are involved in violence and killing every day. How could it not be dangerous?" Lin Chuan countered. "I''ve heard that many in those organizations are perfectly safe and can gain enormous wealth, power, status, women... for them, it''s like taking candy from a baby," Yu Keke persuaded gently. However, Lin Chuan shook his head, "I''m not interested in those things." "Writer Lin is not amon man," Yu Keke remarked, mildly surprised, but swiftly changed tact and said, "Many things might not interest us, but we can''t be without them." "What do you mean?" Lin Chuan asked with interest. Yu Keke beamed cleverly and quite naturally, with a casual tone, "Writer Lin, I''m no philosopher who can expound on these matters at length, I only know from experience that having these things means there''s nothing you can''t do." Chapter 298: Chapter 209: Are You Rejecting Me? (5000-Word Chapter)_3 Lin Chuan did not hold a negative attitude and calmly replied, "You''re right." There was a coffee table between them. Yu Keke gave a light smile. Hearing Lin Chuan''s voice of agreement, she stood up and walked to her desk, took a card out of the first drawer on the right, and ced it on the coffee table in front of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan''s eyebrows sank for a moment, then he looked up at Yu Keke and asked with a smile, "Keke, what is this?" "This is ten billion prepared for you by my foreign bank." Yu Keke''s gaze fell on Lin Chuan''s face, her smile gentle, giving off a kind feeling. Lin Chuan''s heart trembled. Damn it, ten billion! A sheer ten billion is too abstract a concept for many people, too far-fetched. By the standards of web novels. In the web novel circle, a monthly ie of a hundred thousand is definitely top-tier. Assuming a big shot consistently makes a hundred thousand a month, without taking other factors into ount, it would take him ten thousand months to earn ten billion. That''s 833 years. Meaning, starting from 1191 (the second year of Shaoxi in the Southern Song Dynasty), and earning until now. Writing web novels, even if you''re ''making a killing,'' you won''t earn ten billion. No wonder there''s a line in TV shows: Ten billion, oh ten billion, enough tost a lifetime without running out. One has to admit, the Morgan Group really knows how to spend money! Inside the MPV parked outside Anzhou Pharmaceutical, the people listening to the conversation also couldn''t help but be startled. This temptation made them gasp in shock. For five hundred yuan on Pinduoduo, you could get several hundred million people to frantically sh prices. Those ten billion, it seems like no one could resist it! "Lin Chuan is a noble person, a pure person, someone with morals, someone who has risen above low-level tastes, someone beneficial to the people, I believe him..." Inside the car, Zhang Biao coughed lightly. However, before he could finish, Lin Chuan''s voice came through the listening device: "Ten billion, for me?" There was shock all over Lin Chuan''s tone. Even, one could hear that he was somewhat reluctant to make an effort anymore. "Uh..." In the MPV, several people looked at each other. "Of course," said Yu Keke, with a light smile and a gentle nod, in the general manager''s office of Anzhou Pharmaceutical. "Ten billion, eh, life would be set without any more effort," Lin Chuan sighed deeply. "If you want, there could be even more!" Yu Keke blinked. Lin Chuan paused to gather his thoughts, then looked at Yu Keke and asked, "Can pharmacy manufacturing really make so much?" "Pharmacy manufacturing is indeed a profiteering industry," Yu Kekeughed and said. Lin Chuan then asked, "Keke, as far as I know, the entire valuation of Anzhou Pharmaceutical isn''t even ten billion." "That''s just the business on the surface," Yu Keke smiled and said. "Anzhou Pharmaceutical has industries behind the scenes too?" Lin Chuan feigned surprise and asked with augh. "Of course, if you join us, not to mention ten billion, a hundred billion is easily within reach. Power, status, beautiful women, everything you could want, and you can do any interesting thing you like," Yu Keke said in an enticing tone. Lin Chuan thought she could gopete as an orator. However, Lin Chuan chuckled: "You should know, every way to make big money is written about in the criminalw." "How will you know if you don''t try?" Yu Keke winked andughed. "Forget it, forget it." Lin Chuan waved his hand, "There''s something you''re right about, there are some things you might not be interested in, but you can''t be without them, like... a conscience." Suddenly! Keke''s eyebrows tightened, "Are you refusing?" "What do you think?" Chuan''s face was smiling as he retorted. Keke''s face turned cold, and without knowing when, a walkie-talkie appeared in her hand. She spoke into the walkie-talkie, "Come in." Her voice was very cold, a world away from the gentle, refreshing tone she had when Chuan first met her. When Chuan looked at Keke again, he found her aura had changed from ''Little Dragon Girl'' to ''Li Mochou'' in an instant. At the same time. The door to the general manager''s office suddenly opened, and several burly men poured in! One, two, three, four... Chuan leaned back and counted the number of men entering. A full six! All of these men were exceptionally tall and strong, their bodies covered in bulky muscles, their skin rough, hands full of calluses. Among them, two had knuckles covered with thick calluses from punching. Punch calluses don''t signify the level of martial arts skills. But who would ignore a heavyweight with hands full of punch calluses? An ordinary person getting hit by one punch might end up reporting directly to the King of Hell. "Now, do you want to reconsider seriously?" Outnumbered and oppressive, Keke''s face bore a confident smile as she asked. Chuan nced at Keke and the six heavyweights, calm andposed, and asked, "Keke, do you have a cigar?" "What do you want a cigar for?" Keke frowned and asked. "In situations like this, the big shots are usually smoking cigars while waiting for the explosion," Chuan joked. "Writer Lin, this isn''t the world of your novels. Now, you have only two choices in front of you." "Which two?" "One, leave with me. Two, disappear from this world," Keke said indifferently. "Is the clock in your office urate?" Chuan nced at the clock on the wall and suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question. Keke''s eyebrows tightened, "Yes." Chuan leaned forward and asked with a smile, "Keke, if I tell you I know divination, would you believe me?" "Are you ying the fool?" Keke found Chuan''s words utterly baffling. "Keke, I predict that in five seconds, you will receive a phone call. Five, four, three..." Chuan even began to count down seriously. "What are you doing?" Keke''s mind was starting to blur. Chuan''s behavior, while seemingly confident, was erratic and crazy, resembling someone ''texting gibberish.'' Crazy, crazy! "Two, one!" Unexpectedly, Chuan finished the countdown! Ring ring ring Keke''s phone on the desk actually began to ring. The caller ID showed: Lucas. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately answered the call, "Lucas, what''s up?" "Trouble, evacuate immediately!" On the phone was the urgent voice of Lucas. Keke''s pupils shrank suddenly, and she quickly turned her head to look at Chuan! Chapter 299: Chapter 210: Lin Chuan, in Danger! (Please Subscribe) At this time, Lin Chuan leaned on the sofa leisurely as if he were on his own turf, hisplexion calm with a hint of confidence, not at all intimidated by the presence of several burly men. Yu Keke felt a tightening in her heart, her willow brows furrowed, full of confusion. But the emergency situation described by Lucas forced her to focus on the call, "Lucas, what''s going on?" "Liu Meng has been arrested!" Lucas spoke rapidly, "The handover of the addictive drugs was anticipated by the police, both parties have been arrested, for safety, you must evacuate Anling immediately! I''ve sent someone to pick you up!" "Okay, I''ll evacuate immediately." Yu Keke replied, her face turningpletely grim as she looked at Lin Chuan and asked, "You seem to have anticipated that Liu Meng would be caught tonight?" She wasn''t a fool. Lin Chuan''s precise prediction of a phone call to her cell phone meant he definitely knew the insides of the situation. At that moment, the imposing auras of the burly men surged as they pressed closer to Lin Chuan. It had to be said, with their towering figures surrounding Lin Chuan, the light before his eyes dimmed significantly, creating an immense sense of oppression out of thin air. However, Lin Chuan just smiled, "You can say that, but let me rify, I am not a fortune-teller." Yu Keke''s eyebrows remained tightly knitted. The Lin Chuan of tonight was talking nonsense, unlike the one she knew. "Are you stalling for time?" Yu Keke red, her gaze fixated on Lin Chuan. "You discovered it," he said with a grin, "But it''s a bitte." "Late?" Yu Keke muttered. However, in the next instant, her muttering was mercilessly drowned out by a loud police siren. Yu Keke suddenly turned towards the window, the rm sounded sharp and continuous, carrying an undeniable sense of urgency, slicing through the night sky like a de, suppressing all other noise and, at the same time, seizing her full attention. At this moment, shlights cast dazzling beams of light, weaving a of light that sliced the night into fragmented shadows. Bang bang bang It wasn''t the sound of guns, but the beating of Yu Keke''s heart. She could feel her heart rate elerating, her nose filling with the heavy scent of impending doom. Yu Keke swallowed hard, pointing at one of the burly men, "Go check what''s happening!" That man, who looked professionally trained, moved swiftly along the wall, peeked out of the window quickly. In that instant, his eyes widened with shock. By then, dense police lines had already tightly encircled Anzhou Pharmaceutical Company, forming an imprable siege. Beyond the barricades shed red and blue police lights, and officers dressed in ck tactical gear, like ferocious cheetahs, stormed into Anzhou Pharmaceutical Company with unstoppable momentum. "President Yu, there are police everywhere below!" The burly man cried out in rm, hisplexion turning ashen as his face quickly lost all its color. Beads of cold sweat even broke out on his forehead. Thump! Thump Thump! Yu Keke swallowed again, almost able to hear the footsteps of the Cheetah team rushing below. Each step seemed tond squarely on her chest, sending tremors through her mind! At this time, Yu Keke''s gaze hardened, fixed intently on Lin Chuan: "Lin Chuan, what''s going on?" The six burly men tensed, all turning to look at Lin Chuan, their eyes filled with menace. Lin Chuan seemed to have nned for this and grinned, "I''m the one who called the police." Yu Keke''s frown deepened, "You knew about this early on?" "I found out a couple of days ago, just in time," Lin Chuan responded calmly. "A couple of days ago" Yu Keke murmured, "How did you find the clue?" "There was amunication record with Huarun Company on your server," Lin Chuan replied with only a sentence. Yu Keke suddenly paused, then cursed, "Damn Lucas, iming he didn''t leak any information!" It was right before the past couple of days when Morgan Group''s Hacker had a cyber confrontation with Lin Chuan, and yet Lucas had imed the main server had self-destructed without leaking any data. Little did they know, Lin Chuan had already used that information to alert the police, and joined them in deploying an operation that now reached her stronghold. "Lucas, is he your leader?" Lin Chuan inquired curiously. Yu Keke did not respond to his question but instead asked, "You were so confident tonight that you could hold me down?" At this time, Arge police force had surrounded Anzhou Pharmaceutical, many officers had rushed inside thepany, and rapidly took control of several exits and passages. Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin Downstairs, employees held their heads in their hands, trembling with fear. Hu Daqiang and Shen Qianqian led a squad, racing towards the floor housing the general manager''s office. To support Lin Chuan. The situation for Yu Keke was not looking good. In the office, Lin Chuan smiled as he shook his head, "If I hadn''te, you probably would have already run away by now, right?" Yu Keke''s pupils shrank slightly, "So, you were confident enough to hold me back bying here alone tonight?" "Let''s try and see," Lin Chuan smiled. His heart was always prepared. "To think you''d dare to meet me alone, aren''t you underestimating me?" Yu Keke suddenlyughed, her eyes reflecting some cold contempt. Then she walked to her seat and executed a certainmand. Suddenly, nk, nk, nk! A low and powerful rumble resounded near Lin Chuan''s ears, reverberating within the general manager''s office. He recognized it was the sound ofrge machinery operating, like the activation of some mechanism. Chapter 300: Chapter 210 Lin Chuan, Danger! (Seeking Subscriptions)_2 In the corridor outside, the doors to the stairwells mmed shut automatically. "That small room over there must be your escape route," Lin Chuan raised his hand and pointed, his gazending in the small room inside the office, the mechanical sound wasing from there. Yu Keke''s lips curled into a smile, "You really are a clever one." The Morgan Group had be a giant in the global underworld because of their strong sense of security and thorough precautions. As a Morgan Group elite rooted in Anling City and in charge of the addictive drugs supply chain, Yu Keke had prudently designed an escape route early on, in case of situations like today. She had prepared for this very scenario. It was precisely because Lin Chuan had found out about Yu Keke''s secret escape route that he hade to Anling Pharmaceuticals alone tonight, to intercept her. He didn''t want to let the tiger return to the mountain! If he let Yu Keke go, he couldn''t guarantee he''d be able to thwart every move she made. He had a family, a Little Landy. Especially considering every step Yu Keke had taken against the Little Landy, made Lin Chuan feel a flutter of paniche could not allow her to get away. He had approached the meeting alone, as a sign of his resolve! "Madam Manager, we''re running out of time," one of the muscr men said in English. "Alright, let''s evacuate now." Yu Keke nodded. "What about him?" the muscr man asked, nodding towards Lin Chuan. "Deal with him right here!" Yu Keke made up her mind andmanded in a stern tone. By now, she had realized that she couldn''t possibly win over Lin Chuan. Forcibly taking him along would only add to the burden of her escape and cause unnecessary trouble. Better to handle it directly on the spot! One had to admit, this was a wise decision in an emergency! Lin Chuan''s expression turned stern, his hand already in his pocket. The six burly men in front of him were holding weapons, and not far away, Yu Keke had taken out a pistol from the safe next to her seat. "Indeed, making a pistol is no difficult task for them," Lin Chuan nced and spat in his mind. He recognized the pistol in Yu Keke''s hand as a ''Glock 17 pistol,'' which seemed not to be a product of military lines, but rather a homemade or assembled item. This model, often used by military and police, had only 32 parts including the slide, magazine body, follower, locking block, and the recoil spring guide rod, many of which were made of stic. For the Morgan Group, which engaged in producing and trading ''military weapons,'' they had a military technology arsenal. Making a gun or two like this in secret domestically and equipping Yu Keke for self-defense was a piece of cake. "Are you scared?" Yu Keke smiled, slowly advancing on Lin Chuan. The six burly men''s massive figures surrounded Lin Chuan, seemingly making it impossible for him to break through ''this human barrier.'' Lin Chuan was in danger! ... Meanwhile. The elevators at Anzhou Pharmaceutical had been shut down. Shen Qianqian and Hu Daqiang, leading a team, had burst up the stairs. However, the stone-cold doors of the stairwell, which they had nned to quickly breach to ess the Manager''s office floor and support Lin Chuan in capturing Yu Keke, were blocking their way. The door was locked! "What do we do?" Shen Qianqian frowned deeply, eyes filled with urgency. The door before them wasn''t amon hallway fire door but a reinforced ''double-locked security door'' made with a high-strength cold-rolled steel te, seemingly indestructible. With a thickness that far exceeded the standards of ordinary security doors, and being doubleyered, even their forceful charges and prying attempts couldn''t open this security door in a short time. This was an unexpected problem in their n! Every minute they dyed added to the danger Lin Chuan was in! Lin Chuan was undoubtedly in peril now! "Can we pick the lock?" Captain Hu Daqiang, the Criminal Police Brigade chief, furrowed his brows tightly, his sharp eyes examining the lock on the door. In that moment. A team member with a bit of knowledge replied, "It''s a dual-lock system that requires both a mechanical code and an electronic fingerprint to unlock. Directly opening it would likely be impossible even for a skilled locksmith." Shen Qianqian''s heart thumped wildly. She was in turmoil; Lin Chuan could probably pick this lock if he were here, but he was inside! At this point, Lin Chuan and Yu Keke were probably already inbat. "Cheetah to Cheetah, based on monitoring, Target One has a handgun, six thugs surrounding Falcon, Falcon is in grave danger!" At that moment, the voice of Xia Qingqing came through the walkie-talkie in Captain Hu''s hand. Xia Qingqing had always been in charge of monitoring Lin Chuan''s movements. When she heard the word "gun," her heart skipped a beat and clenched tight. This was a situation they had anticipated. But gunbat increased the danger level to the maximum! "Gun?" Hu Daqiang, Shen Qianqian, and the rest of the operation team known as ''Cheetah'' tensed up, "We have reached the stairwell but we''re blocked by a security door, can''t get in, and are trying to figure out a way to break through!" Hu Daqiang picked up the walkie-talkie, his tone heavy. "Received, will notify the technical team to provide support immediately!" Xia Qingqing''s expression was resolute as she reacted instantly. "This door is a double-lock security door, we can also attempt to get internal authorization to enter!" Shen Qianqian took the walkie-talkie, her voice urgent and clear as it transmitted out. "Internal authorization..." Xia Qingqing eximed in surprise, then immediately replied, "Okay, I''m on it right now!" To obtain internal permission undoubtedly meant finding the ''internal security management system'' for the security door and then using administrator authority to grant ess to open it. For Xia Qingqing, this was a formidable technical challenge! However, she did not possess Lin Chuan''s skills. Finding the ''internal security management system'' and obtaining permission in a short time was nearly impossible! At the stairway, outside the double-lock security door. Shen Qianqian was burning with anxiety and tried various lock-picking methods, but to no avail. She suddenly felt some regret! She thought she should not have agreed to let Lin Chuan take the risk alone tonight, holding off Yu Keke by himself. At the very least, she should have apanied Lin Chuan in action! If she had been more adamant at the time, maybe Lin Chuan wouldn''t have gone alone! This won''t do! Sitting idly by was not an option! Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin With her nerves wound tight, an idea suddenly struck Shen Qianqian, "Captain Hu, I''ll take a few team members, try to climb up to the roof, then descend from above, and enter through the window into the general manager''s office!" Hu Daqiang''s gaze met Shen Qianqian''s for a moment. He distinctly saw the determination in Shen Qianqian''s eyes, knowing she was desperate to quickly support Lin Chuan. However, breaking in through the window was extremely dangerous. This wasn''t a scene from movies or TV shows. In reality, if there''s a professional hitman guarding the window, they would attack as soon as they spot someone, making the possibility of entering through the window very low! Moreover, Yu Keke had a gun. Getting shot at a high altitude and falling to the ground almost certainly meant death! Therefore, Captain Hu refused, "No, it''s too dangerous!" "Captain Hu, I don''t want anything to happen to Lin Chuan," Shen Qianqian said in a low tone, her eyes filled with resolve. Shen Qianqian wasn''t overly concerned about her own safety, but was thinking about Lin Chuan''s situation! "You know Comrade Lin Chuan, he always does things he is certain about!" Hu Daqiang spoke earnestly and added, "The technical team will be here soon, they have specialized tools for breaking through doors!" As they spoke, the technical team had arrived. Hu Daqiang, Shen Qianqian, and the others quickly made room for the technical team. The leading technician, an experienced master, nced at the door and judged that opening it using technology alone was unrealistic. So, the technical team resorted to the most straightforward and crude method. Sawing open! For this type of steel te, a metal-cutting saw was needed, and fortunately, these tools had been prepared to ensure the operation''s sess. Soon, the experienced master and two other technicians brought out the metal-cutting saw. They quickly marked a cutting area on the security door. Click! The master pressed the start button, and the saw''s motor roared into life instantly; the de spun at an astonishing speed, with a silvery light tracing a path and holding everyone''s breath. Especially Shen Qianqian. She focused intently on the saw de, ready to burst through as soon as there was a gap in the door! No hesitation! Suddenly! Just as the master''s metal-cutting saw was about to touch the ''doubleyered extra-thick stainless steel security door,'' the door suddenly opened! Chapter 301: Chapter 211: He Must Be Cheating! (Please Subscribe) At this moment, the office was an arena drawn for battle. Lin Chuan was already clutching a dagger in his hand. His gaze swept over the "battlefield" again: a tea table in front of him held Keke''s freshly brewed hot tea. Six burly men stood just in front of the tea table to the right, wielding extendable batons. They snapped their wrists quickly, and two segments of the baton shot out from the casing, about forty centimeters long. Lin Chuan recognized this weapon and knew it well. It was an ASP baton, convenient to use, made in the USA from high-quality aerospace steel and alloy materials, making it extremely durable. In the world of tactical batons, ASP has always been the authority, known as the "indestructible, zero-failure rate" tactical baton. It was evident. Keke had not anticipated the events that unfolded tonight, otherwise, the weapons prepared by these six burly men would not have been blunt instruments like batons but sharp weapons instead. However, Lin Chuan did not underestimate the ASP baton even though it was a blunt weapon. Because there were many of them! As for directly in front of the tea table, Keke had just pulled out a ''Glock 17 pistol'', which, for Lin Chuan, was not a deadly threat. Within seven steps, is a gun faster, or is a knife? There''s a saying, "There are no useless heroes, only ipetent summoners." Therefore, whether a gun is faster or a knife, it depends on the wielder! At this time, with six burly men around, once Keke fired, there was a risk of hitting their own team. This situation was advantageous for Lin Chuan. These six burly men were his meat shields! Of course, he had been wearing a bulletproof vest all along for an extrayer of protection and security. Thump! Keke inserted the magazine, a subtle sound that seemed insignificant amidst the ring rms, but in Lin Chuan''s ears, it was like the signal tomence battle. The Glock 17 pistol doesn''t need the safety to be disengaged. Next, Keke''s move would be to chamber a round and then start firing. Lin Chuan did not just sit back and wait for his demise. His brow furrowed, and immediately, he quickly grabbed the steaming teapot and hurled it towards Keke''s direction with force. This was the ''Jackie Chan'' style of fighting! It may seem rudimentary, but the effectiveness of this method couldn''t be denied. Bang! The teapot hit its mark precisely at Keke''s location, spilling a lot of boiling water in the air; Keke had to turn her body aside to dodge the iing teapot. Otherwise, the scalding water, if it had hit her, could have reduced herbat capability by eighty percent in an instant! Thump, thump! As she rapidly chambered a round and raised her gun again, she found Lin Chuan had already charged toward the six burly men. Keke couldn''t shoot immediately and fell into the rhythm of Lin Chuan. One step behind, and you are behind in all! Lin Chuan''s speed was extremely fast, his right hand firmly gripping the dagger as he leapt over the tea table with a lunge step, closing in on one of the big menthen, with a swift rotation of the knife from regr to reverse grip, he feigned a stab toward the man. This burly man had not anticipated Lin Chuan''s speed and was startled by the sudden thrust of the dagger, leaning back instinctively. In so doing, he exposed his lower body! Lin Chuan quickly changed grip again, from reverse to regr, and made a downward sh. Hisss! In an instant, the big man''s right thigh was sliced open, with blood quickly seeping out, staining his pants red. Just in their initial sh, these few burly men were already frowning deeply. Clearly. Lin Chuan was a master of the dagger! Whether one knows how to use a knife can be discerned from the way one holds it. Gripping a knife generally involves either a forward or reverse grip. The reverse grip, with the de pointing upwards, is known internationally as the hammer grip. Most ordinary people hold a knife in reverse grip, such as when using a kitchen knife to chop vegetables at home. The forward grip, with the de pointing downwards, is also called the ice pick grip. If an average person encounters someone on the streeting at them with a knife in a forward grip, don''t even think about squaring off; run away immediately! Such assants are likely skilled in using a knife. Both forward and reverse grips have their advantages and disadvantages. But with the forward grip positioning the de downward, the opponent can only see the handle and the fist, not the de''s edge, making it extremely covert, and often capable of delivering an unexpectedly lethal strike. "Fuck, fuck!" The burly man who had his thigh shed cursed in English. He meant ''Quick, take down Lin Chuan''! At this point. The five burly men, amidst Lin Chuan''s agile maneuvers, became his meat shields, blocking Keke at the office desk as well as the gun! Five burly men clenched their batons and struck fiercely at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan''s expression turned sharp. It''s hard to fight against many with just two hands; in a one-against-many battle, thest thing you want is to face multiple attacks simultaneously! Because, no matter what, a single person is at a disadvantage in terms of strength and defense. So Lin Chuan swiftly turned, dodging the attacks of the front four, gripping the dagger in a forward grip, he lifted his hand to parry with the knife against the ASP baton. This definitely wasn''t a situation to block with one''s arm. If hit by a baton, the arm might shatter! While parrying and dissipating the force, Lin Chuan stabilized his stance and surged forward in another lunge, sweeping with the dagger and forcing the big man to continuously back away. At that moment, another big man closest to him attacked. A baton swung down towards Lin Chuan''s back. With the baton''s speed, a whooshing sound filled Lin Chuan''s ears; he rolled swiftly, avoiding the blow aimed at his back, and at the same time, his dagger''s edge, using the ice pick grip technique, struck at the big man who had kept retreating. Chapter 302: Chapter 211: He Must Be Cheating! (Subscribe Please)_2 The hand that was holding the dagger now once again demonstrated its effectiveness. Lin Chuan quickly flipped over, correctly gripping the bay, and the big man had no chance to dodge. Puchi! The dagger plunged into the big man''s back from the side! Lin Chuan did not pause, he fiercely withdrew the de and with another sideways flip, elbowed the big man in the chest, causing a spray of fresh blood to gush from his mouth. He had little room to fight back. Lin Chuan skillfully disarmed him of his ASP expandable baton, with a ferocious attack that forced the big man to keep retreating. And the direction Lin Chuan was forcing him to retreat towards... was right where Yu Keke was positioned! At that moment, Lin Chuan was only three to five steps away from Yu Keke. Which is faster? The gun or the knife? It was unknown. Lin Chuan nced at Yu Keke using his peripheral vision, then seizing the moment, he flipped over with added force, executing a high side kick with all his might focused into his leg. Thump! Lin Chuan''s high side kick struck the big man right on the chin! The big man, whose defense had already been disrupted by Lin Chuan''s earlier attacks, lost his bnce and was sent flying backward more than ten centimeters, before crashing down heavily! His towering body, like a mountain, toppled toward Yu Keke, mming down in front of the desk. Yu Keke''s vision darkened as Lin Chuan disappeared from her line of sight; she quickly dodged, while tightly gripping her pistol, ready to shoot at any moment. However. After the big man hadpletely fallen, Yu Keke''s first instinct was not to look for Lin Chuan but to focus all her attention on a dagger spinning toward her. Because the dagger was already in front of her. No more than fifty centimeters away! The dagger was so fast she barely had time to react. In life-threatening situations, the mind often goes nk, reacting purely on instinct. At the young age of twenty-five, Yu Keke, although shrewd and careful, had never faced such a life-threatening crisis before. So she was no exception. Yu Keke''s heart pounded ''thump thump thump''; her face instantly filled with horror as she reacted instinctively. I have to dodge! If I don''t, this dagger will slice my throat, or it might stab into my chest or head! I''ll be dead on the spot! Almost as soon as this thought shed through her mind, her brain subconsciously attempted to control her body to dodge. Her body violently twisted! Swish! The dagger whizzed past her ear, the ''swish'' sounding like the Grim Reaper whispering beside her ear. This time, the Reaper''s scythe did not harvest her life, but the spinning dagger did slice off a lock of hair hanging by her ear. Hu Yu Keke was still in shock, but an iing baton struck her hand hard. The Glock G17 pistol she was holding flew out of her grasp. "President Yu, you can no longer escape," said Lin Chuan picking up the pistol, twirling it expertly in his hand like a toy gun for a couple of revolutions, aiming the muzzle at Yu Keke. Capture the king first! This was Lin Chuan''s strategy! His several skirmishes with the six big men were all intended to use them as human shields and get close to Yu Keke. Once he controlled Yu Keke and the gun, everything else would fall into ce. After all, Lin Chuan had never been defeated in close-quarterbat. Though he hadn''t fought much. Using a gun, Lin Chuan''s first time in the real world, but with the weapon in hand, he could threaten many people. Look, Yu Keke and the six big men dared not move. With the gun in Yu Keke''s hand, Lin Chuan wasn''t afraid. Now, with the gun in Lin Chuan''s hand. Was Yu Keke scared? Were the six big men scared? Only the Grim Reaper knew their fears. "Fuck!" an expletive erupted from one of the big men, apparently ready to take a daring action. Lin Chuan turned the gun and pulled the trigger. Bang! A deafening gunshot echoed sharply, like thunder reverberating in the confined space, making the walls hum. A bullet shot out of the chamber, passing precisely above the head of the big man who had shouted ''fuck'', leaving a ck bullet hole in the wall behind him. The big man instantly felt weak in the knees. The bullet had grazed so close, as if the Grim Reaper had caressed the top of his head. Terrifying! "Get down, hands over your head," Lin Chuanmanded in a stern voice. The gunshot just now had shaken these burly men to their cores. At this moment, Lin Chuan seemed like a hellish judge pronouncing their death sentence; even though they were ustomed to living on the edge of the de, under the muzzle of his gun, they could do nothing to oppose him. Afterward, Lin Chuan nced at Yu Keke and said with a smile,"Suspect Yu, put your hands on your head and squat down." He referred to Yu Keke as ''Suspect Yu.'' Cough, after all, it waspletely reasonable to address a criminal suspect as ''Suspect Yu.'' Yu Keke lifted her head, the dark muzzle of the gun was aimed at her, and behind it was Lin Chuan''s face, wearing a faint smileclean, with a touch of innocent harmlessness. Ah spit, innocent harmlessness! All craft and cunning! Yu Keke took a deep breath, slowlying back to her senses as a tinge of despair appeared in her eyes. From the moment she loaded the magazine into her gun, to the moment the gun slipped from her grasp andnded in Lin Chuan''s hands. No more than two minutes had passed. Fast! Too fast! Yu Keke had never imagined the situation would turn out like this. Because of her nervousness and panic, she was breathing heavily, her chest heaving, her delicate and alluring face gradually turning pale and losing its color. She was no overlord, incapable of keeping extremely calm andposed in a life-threatening situation. At this time. A plea for mercy appeared on Yu Keke''s face,"Lin Chuan, let me go, I can ensure your safety in the Underworld." She knew her security system was no match for the police outside. At most, it would five take minutes for the police to storm in. The rm was still sounding, and the sh of lights outside the window, flickering on and off, told her that her road hade to an end. Lin Chuan stood before her, her faintest glimmer of hope. "Suspect Yu, you should know that''s impossible," said Lin Chuan, shaking his head. Upon hearing this, Yu Keke felt a touch of despair. "Squat!" Lin Chuan ordered again, pressing the gun against Yu Keke''s head, showing no signs of sympathy or mercy. Yu Keke had no choice but toply, the life gone from her eyes. Lin Chuan didn''t care about her; he walked directly to her desk and after a simple search, found how to unlock the doors to the floors. Lin Chuan pressed a button. Themand was transmitted precisely to the management system, opening the doors to the stairwell on the floor where the general manager''s office was located with a bang! Then, Lin Chuan took off his casual jacket and tied it around his waist. This suit, although a bit loose, was truly not suitable for closebat fighting. Lin Chuan''s previous high side kick had hurt the enemy a thousand, self-injuring twenty. He had torn a hole in his pants. Using his jacket to cover up the embarrassment. ... Outside the stairwell. Shen Qianqian and Hu Daqiang''s team saw the double-locked security door suddenly open; they didn''t have time to think, immediately springing into action. Shen Qianqian charged ahead like an arrow released from its bow, dashed across the corridor, heading straight for the office. Her heart was lodged in her throat. Who would have thought Lin Chuan was still inside alone? If something happened to Lin Chuan, she... she wouldn''t know how to exin it to Zhang Xinxin. Before the operation, she assured Little Landy Zhang Xinxin, patting her chest, that she would ensure Lin Chuan''s safety. She didn''t expect a double-locked security door to cause her such nervousness. Panting heavily, Shen Qianqian stormed forward, finally leading her team to the office door. However, the office was eerily quiet, no soundsing from inside, only the ring rm and the mor from thepany''s perimeter could be heard. Shen Qianqian''s heart sank. She twisted open therge office door with one hand, held her gun with both hands, and quickly scanned the inside of the office from a sidelong position. Hmm? First, Shen Qianqian was startled, then her eyes bulged. Inside the office, six burly men and Yu Keke were neatly squatting against a wall with their heads in their hands. Lin Chuan stood unharmed in front of these criminal suspects, holding a pistol and with a jacket tied around his waist. When he saw Shen Qianqian appear at the doorway, he turned and shed a grin,"You''re finally here, cuff them all." Seeing Lin Chuan unharmed, Shen Qianqian''s heart settled. She was delighted! But seeing the seven suspects ''behaving'' and squatting against the wall, she found it incredible. In her mind, Lin Chuan was in extreme danger at this moment, fighting these thugs. Then she''d lead her team out and y a ''hero saves the leader'' scenario! But now, Lin Chuan had single-handedly taken them all down! She didn''t even get to participate! Swallowing hard, Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan, who was grinning broadly, feeling both shocked and delighted, and then spit. He must have cheated! Chapter 303: Chapter 212: You Put on Such a Big Show for Me? (5000-Word Chapter) "What are you staring at, cuff them!" In the office, Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian, who was the first to rush in and was still in a daze, and hurriedly reminded her. "Okay, got it." Shen Qianqian snapped out of it, secured her firearm, and together with Hu Daqiang and others who came in after, quickly cuffed Yu Keke and several burly men. "President Yu, confess properly and strive for a lenient treatment!" As Yu Keke was being led away, Lin Chuan waved his hand to her with a smile on his face. He had wanted to say "goodbye." But then he thought, with Yu Keke possibly facing the death penalty at worst and life imprisonment at best, there was definitely no chance of seeing her again. If there was a next time, would it be in prison or in theherworld? Pah, pah! Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin That''s unlucky! In the office, Hu Daqiang and the others continued with their search. Shen Qianqian nced at Lin Chuan next to her, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and asked with curiosity, "How did you do it, those few big guys could have easily overpowered you in both numbers and strength!" "Maybe... it''s charm," Lin Chuan said half-jokingly. Snort Shen Qianqianughed at Lin Chuan''s ''shameless'' remark, and her heart, previously thumping with tension, immediately rxed, "That means Yu Keke fancied you, I''ll have to tell Xinxin about this." "Hey! That''s not what I meant!" Lin Chuan quickly rified. With a smile Shen Qianqian said, "You look scared, you really shouldn''t take such risks next time!" "Yes sir!" Lin Chuan responded with augh and handed the firearm to Shen Qianqian, "By the way, this Glock G17 is for you." "You fired the gun?" Shen Qianqian took it, the pistol still had the residue of having been fired recently. "Without firing a shot, would they have been this cooperative?" Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Where did you shoot?" Shen Qianqian asked. This was a detail of the case that needed to be recorded in the case report, so Shen Qianqian asked one more question. Lin Chuan pointed with his hand, there was a dark bullet hole in the wall. Shen Qianqian looked at the height of the bullet hole, "This height is just where those big guys'' heads are." "Yeah, it whistled past their hair," Lin Chuan admitted truthfully. Shen Qianqian looked up at Lin Chuan, her expression froze, "That warning shot was extreme." "It''s fine, I''m pretty familiar with this pistol," Lin Chuan said, grinning and adding, "You know about my shooting skills." "Shooting skills..." Shen Qianqian was taken aback, shook her head, "How would I know, the ones you used before were toy guns." She remembered Lin Chuan holding a toy gun on the country road in Yundian Lincang, making a racket and showing off, dumbfounding those fraudsters. "Isn''t a gun just a toy?" Lin Chuan retorted, grinning. "Uh, sometimes you could exin it like that," Shen Qianqian''s mouth twitched, thinking to herself that Lin Chuan always had some quirky notions. "I should be able to go down now, right?" Lin Chuan asked. Having been up here for so long, the Little Landy must be worried. "You''re a hero now, of course you can," Shen Qianqian said with a charming smile, but she sized up Lin Chuan''s attire, "There must be a lot of reporters downstairs waiting, the moment you show up, it''ll be click, click, click of the cameras, you might even be interviewed, if you wear your coat you might look more handsome." "Uh, well, image isn''t that important." Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched. If he didn''t dress up, wouldn''t that be embarrassing? Next time he did a high side kick, he''d have to switch to pants that were loose and of reliable quality! Otherwise, it would really be ''embarrassing''! "Okay, I''ll escort the hero down," Shen Qianqian smiled. Lin Chuan tug at the corner of his mouth, "I always feel like you''re teasing me." "Nothing of the sort!" Shen Qianqian argued cunningly. As the two walked out of the office and through the corridor, Shen Qianqian said with augh, "I feel like you have some real insights about firearms!" "A little," Lin Chuan replied, "Officer Shen, you''re not thinking of investigating me, are you? I''ve just done a good deed!" "Why would I?" Shen Qianqian immediately denied it, "It just so happens there''s a ''National Weapon Innovation Design Contest''ing up, and I''m nning to design a new type of firearm. If you know about it, I could ask for your advice." "You''re shearing my wool!" Lin Chuanughed and scolded. "Aren''t we partners who have cooperated many times?" Shen Qianqian retorted, "What''s wrong with shearing a little wool?" "Fine, but let me say, I don''t know much about innovation, but I understand the basic principles," Lin Chuan shrugged. But he really should help with Shen Qianqian''s request. After all, she was a person he could get along with, and she could be trusted when it mattered! "You can participate too," Shen Qianqian said with a smile. "I can participate too?" Lin Chuan shook his head, "I''m just a web novel writer, not someone who develops weapons, how could I understand all that?" "Really don''t understand?" Shen Qianqian raised her eyebrows. "Really don''t understand!" Lin Chuan replied seriously and affirmatively, "All I know is how to write novels, I don''t have any other skills." Shen Qianqian pursed her lips and nodded earnestly, "You are an honest and down-to-earth person, as your old friend, I trust you very much!" Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched, "Your words sound strange to me." "Your words seem the same," Shen Qianqianughed brightly. "Uh." Lin Chuan''s face darkened, "I really don''t know how!" It''s over, even the truth is no longer believed. "Let''s not talk about that, there are reporters outside ready to interview you now." As they walked and talked, they had already reached thepany''s entrance. Lin Chuan looked up. The shlights were still flickering, and the nighttime lighting was rtively dim, so the scene outside the Anzhou Pharmaceutical Company wasn''t very clear. Chapter 304: Chapter 212: You Put on Such a Big Show for Me? (5000-Word Chapter)_2 However, Lin Chuan could see outside the cordon that many policerades were standing guard. Zhang Biao was standing right in front. Not far outside, led by Anling TV Station, major media with cameras in hand or randomly interviewing passersby were filming the scene within the allowed area. As soon as Lin Chuan came out, Zhang Biao immediately approached him. Obviously. In this operation to "strike at the Morgan Group''s ck industry chain in Han River," Lin Chuan was undoubtedly the greatest contributor. From gathering materials and conducting investigations to making decisions and finally taking action, Lin Chuan was involved in every step. Especially tonight, he alone intercepted Yu Keke and six burly men and also seized a Glock G17 pistol. Looking at the entire case and operation, Zhang Biao reached a conclusion. Without Lin Chuan, it really wouldn''t have worked! The conclusion was simple. But the implication was profound. "Hero, you''ve worked hard!" Zhang Biao looked at Lin Chuan, unharmed and full of admiration, generously offering his praise. "It''s what I should do." Lin Chuan smiled. This was not only about "eliminating harm" but also about eradicating the Morgan Group''s ws in Anling and Han River, which, to him, were potential dangers. More precisely, they were potential dangers to those around him. Lin Chuan wasn''t worried about the Morgan Group making a move against him. In the virtual world, he had experienced the lives of thieves, swindlers, assassins, hackers, fraudsters, antique forgers, tomb robbers, drug lords, and so on. He had seen the pinnacle of each profession. If Lin Chuan wished, he could even replicate his virtual world experiences in reality, bing a giant in the underworld, unafraid of the Morgan Group. Unfortunately, Lin Chuan didn''t want to end up in jail. He knew that this path, which skirted thew, was a road of sin, and once he embarked on it, there would be no turning back. Cough, the life of a web novel writer is just as exciting! "Lin, tonight I will personally prepare a celebration banquet for you!" Zhang Biaoughed heartily. "Director Zhang, there''s no need for such trouble. Our policerades have also worked very hard, and there are still many interrogations to conduct tonight." Lin Chuan said humbly. Zhang Biao nodded and took the opportunity to say, "Once we''re done with this case, I will personally treat you!" "Good." Lin Chuan agreed. Subsequently, the two exchanged information about the case. It wasn''t until after eleven o''clock at night that Lin Chuan and Little Landy returned home. The night was as dark as ink, with Anling City shrouded in darkness. The weak and yellow light from streetmps and alley lights just barely allowed people to see the condition of the road, and asionally, the sound of insects was swallowed by the dark. But, this night was not peaceful. Anzhou Pharmaceutical''s industry chain led by Yu Keke, as well as the "addictive drugs" industry chain of Huarun Company, were uprooted overnight! The criminals involved were all caught! The participants were also precisely exposed! This major case quickly attracted attention from all walks of life and continued to ferment. For example, the Han River Police Department, INTERPOL Asia Headquarters, and the Morgan Group, especially the Morgan Group, were in total disarray. Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin It was not only because their industry chain had been uprooted but also because of Yu Keke''s arrest! That night, the Asia-Pacific Branch of the Morgan Group was sleepless. As the "Executor," Lin Chuan, however, wasfortably at home, taking a satisfying bath and half-lying on the bed with the fragrant and soft Little Landy in his arms. Little Landy was wearing a light purple camisole nightgown, her hair pinned up behind her head, revealing her delicate and rosy face. Suddenly, she sat up: "Chairman, I feel a little useless." Lin Chuan was taken aback and asked, "Why do you think so?" "I couldn''t help much with such dangerous matters," said Little Landy with a pout. It was clear that she had been worried about Lin Chuan all night. "It wasn''t dangerous." Lin Chuan said frankly. To others, it was a matter of life and death, but for Lin Chuan, it honestly wasn''t that dangerous. "I heard from Sister Qingqing that Yu Keke had a gun, and I was terrified," Zhang Xinxin was still shaken. In her mind, she only cared about Lin Chuan''s safety. "She had a gun, and I had a gun too!" Lin Chuan replied earnestly. "Where did you get a gun?" Little Landy was taken aback, her fair little face full of confusion. "What do you think?" Lin Chuan pursed his lips and stared straight at Little Landy. Little Landy was at first startled, then her face flushed with a hint of red: "Chairman, you''re being inappropriate." Lin Chuanughed heartily. "Chairman, why don''t you teach me those skills of yours?" Little Landy blinked and suggested. "Those skills are all very criminal; why would you want to learn them?" Lin Chuan retorted. Little Landy pursed her lips: "I want to act with you." Lin Chuan extended his right hand, Little Landy''s cheek resting against his palm, soft and jelly-like: "You mean like a husband-and-wife team?" "Husband-and-wife team?" Little Landy, her smile brimming, "It''s not a bad idea." Lin Chuan pondered for a moment and then asked half-seriously: "Would you learnbat techniques?" The skills of theft, cheating techniques, hacking, and the like weren''t that useful for Little Landy, but fighting was the most practical for self-defense. "Learn, of course, I''ll learn!" Little Landy nodded repeatedly. "What about shooting techniques?" Lin Chuan asked again. "Great!" Little Landy''s eyes lit up; fighting plus shooting sounded very cool! "Then tonight, I''ll start by teaching youbat techniques and shooting techniques, how about that?" Lin Chuan smiled. "Of course, that''s great!" Little Landy nodded again, then suddenly, she looked at Lin Chuan pensively and asked, "Chairman, are thesebat techniques and shooting techniques reputable?" Chapter 305: Chapter 212: You Put on Such a Big Show for Me? (5000-Word Chapter)_3 "Why aren''t you being serious?" Lin Chuan said earnestly, "Let''s start with hand-to-handbat for our practice!" The Little Landy grabbed a pillow from the bed and stuffed it at Lin Chuan, chiding, "Chairman, you''re being improper!" Lin Chuan moved the pillow aside and pulled the Little Landy into his embrace. At once, the teaching began. The teaching sessionsted an hour. The Little Landy once again experienced Lin Chuan''s vivid and skillful bat fighting'' and ''precise marksmanship.'' "Huff" The Little Landy muttered, "Chairman, you''re sly." "Tomorrow I''ll teach you proper Combat Techniques," Lin Chuan said with a grin. "Will it be like what we just did?" the Little Landy blinked. "It''s not impossible." Lin Chuan tightened his hold on the Little Landy andughed heartily. The Little Landy hummed softly, turned to hug Lin Chuan tightly, hooking a leg around his waist, said ''goodnight, Chairman'', and fell into a blissful sleep. Lin Chuan stroked her hair. Afterward, his attention shifted to the system panel in his mind. [Work: "ck Ice".] [Current Status: Published.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 49,980/50,000.] [Assessment Task: Produce addictive drugs with 95% purity (Completed).] Lin Chuan waited a little longer. As expected. The system''s crisp and pleasant voice arrived on cue. [Always maintain anticipation, always maintain passion!] [A new life, a new experience!] [Host, congrattions, the virtual life you experienced has generated a novel "ck Ice", which reached fifty thousand Poprity Value and the assessment task ispleted, meeting the criteria to unlock the next profession.] [Would you like to begin experiencing the next profession now?] Lin Chuan didn''t hesitate: "Yes." He had been busy with a case these past two days, and tonight he had been through two big battles, but his energy was surprisingly abundant. Therefore,pleting the ''new professional life'' tonight shouldn''t be a problem. These days, Lin Chuan increasingly felt the importance of ''abilities.'' Without acquiring the skills of a ''Hacker'', ''fighting'', ''Shooting Techniques'', etc., dealing with the attention of Morgan Group would have been difficult. Having many skills is never a burden; this saying couldn''t be more urate. Come on, new profession! [Your new professional life is about to begin, please prepare yourself, host.] The system prompted. "I''m ready, bring it on." Lin Chuan murmured in his mind. At that moment. Lin Chuan''s vision began to blur, and his consciousness sank into a virtual space. "ording to the process, it should now draw a criminal profession," Lin Chuan murmured to himself. [Host, please take note.] [Each experience is a beautiful memory.] [This system will preserve this memory for you in the form of a novel.] [We are now randomly assigning your next profession to experience.] [Please wait...] "Getting a profession thatnds you in jail wouldn''t be bad," Lin Chuan thought. Originally, he didn''t really want to draw a criminal profession. Novels generated from these careers always seem to easily cause misunderstandings, leading to unnecessary trouble. However. Not long ago, editor Youyou reminded him that the overseas operations department nned to help him build his "Dark Empire," that is, his criminal universe. Now, he, instead, wished it were a prison-rted career. As for trouble. Picking up money also requires bending over, right? Just as Lin Chuan was thinking. The system had already randomly selected a career for him [Congrattions, the career you will experience this time is...] [Toy factory owner!] [Congrattions, you have obtained the ''toy database''!] [Wish you a pleasant experience!] "Toy factory owner?" Lin Chuan frowned, was this career business-rted? It sounded like a business career. Grow the toy factory into a strong, global toy magnate! "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves, once I enter the virtual world, I''ll know," he said. Lin Chuan took a deep breath. He had already figured out the system; it always came up with beautified names, but in reality, they were careers that ended up in detention. Isn''t this just deceiving oneself? Like saying "I have a friend," but here, there is nobody else! Be honest, it''s just us two! It wasn''t long before. Lin Chuan''s consciousness entered the virtual world. In the virtual world, night fell, and a bright moon hung in the sky, reflecting bright moonlight. asionally, a few thin clouds passed by, making the moonlight look even more hazy. Experience new tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin Underneath the moonlight, a toy factory sat in silence. Lin Chuan stepped out of the office and walked into the factory. At that moment, the factory was brilliantly illuminated by the lights, rows of neatly arranged machinery were performing semi-automated production, and at the end, they assembled toy models that looked as exquisite as the real thing. There were also quite a few workers, dressed in uniform blue overalls and wearing safety helmets. It was apparent that the toy factory wasrge-scale. Several production lines were manufacturing different types of exquisite toys. Lin Chuan picked up a toy, held it under the light. It was a gun. A SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol, a replica. The materials used were all toy-grade, and even if this gun were loaded with bullets, it couldn''t do any real harm. Indeed, it was about making toys. But then, Lin Chuan''s brows furrowed again. He keenly observed that the pistol seemed to be a 1:1 perfect detailed replica of a Sig Sauer-P365 pistol! "Why make a toy gun so detailed?" Lin Chuan murmured to himself. Suddenly! Da da da! Rapid footsteps sounded outside the factory. In the darkness, Lin Chuan suddenly felt uneasy, his brows slightly furrowed. What''s going on? Bang! The factory''s door was easily sted open. A group of armed individuals in ckbat attire and masked helmets, carrying submachine guns and various other weapons, flooded in like a tide. In a short time, they surrounded Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan''s mouth twitched, and he immediately spat out, "Damn it, is this the big show you give me just as I start the experience?" Chapter 306: Chapter 213: New Profession, Arms Tycoon! (Five Thousand Words Chapter) Virtual World. In the toy factory, newly arrived militants surrounded the facility and Lin Chuan. The workers huddled behind the machines, shivering with fear. Suddenly, the air was filled with a deadly seriousness. At this moment, one of the militants shouted loudly, "Who''s in charge here?" He wasn''t speaking Chinese, but My. Throughout his experiences of ''fraud'' in life, Lin Chuan had learned some Southeast Asiannguages, so he could understand and engage in basicmunication. Lin Chuan looked at the militants and reluctantly answered, "Me." Then, the militants parted, and a middle-aged man emerged. Lin Chuan looked up. The man was dressed in a ckbat uniform with a holstered handgun on his waist, his stature somewhat bulky, overshadowing those around him, exuding a strong presence. The moonlight was bright and clear, illuminating his thick ck hair and dark skin as he walked towards Lin Chuan, his piercing eyes like those of a cheetah fixed on Lin Chuan. "You''re the owner of this factory?" The man''s voice was deep, and he also spoke in My. Lin Chuan nodded, "That''s right." The leader of the militants scrutinized Lin Chuan and furrowed his brow, "You look very young, but I am very satisfied with the products you''ve made." "Are you talking about my toys?" Lin Chuan asked with a smirk. The leaderughed, "Yes, your toys are good, especially this ''SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol'' you''re holding. It''s very well made; I''ve brought you a big order." "A big order?" Lin Chuan frowned. Was this man''s big order toys or something else? But this is a toy factory, after all! What else could they make? The leader of the militantsughed, "Let me introduce myself, my name is Karl, General of the Arak Armed Forces." "I am Mr. Lin, owner of this toy factory," Lin Chuan replied. He hadn''t heard these titles in reality and guessed they were made up in the Virtual World. "My men were a bit rude, charging in like that, Mr. Lin, please don''t take offense," said General Karl, politely expressing his apology. Lin Chuan twitched his mouth, "General Karl, did youe here just to ce a toy order?" "Of course!" Karl nodded seriously, "Here''s a list of items we need, you should be able to make them, right?" Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan immediately frowned. He took the list from General Karl and confirmed his suspicions. The list was filled with a host of military equipment. [SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol] [MP5 submachine gun] [HK433 assault rifle] [...] The list was clearly based on firearms and ammunition. Lin Chuan took a deep breath. I knew it wasn''t going to be just as simple as being a ''toy factory owner''; there are Southeast Asian militants cing orders for guns and ammo. So, I''m actually an Arms Tycoon? Shit! Fucking shit! At that moment, Lin Chuan covertly essed the ''toy database'' provided by the system and checked it in his mind. Indeed! The toy database was actually an enormous weapons and equipment database. It contained data and corresponding blueprints for firearms, ammunition, Rocket Launchers, drones, tanks, and more. Lin Chuan was skeptical about the system''s intention. What is it trying to do by giving me this ''database''? Does it really want me to be an Arms Tycoon? Meanwhile, General Karl, noticing Lin Chuan''s prolonged silence, thought Lin Chuan was having difficulties and said, "Mr. Lin, don''t worry, we will pay in cash at market rates. Here is a deposit, and I''ve already taken care of the rtionships here; you just need to produce." Continue reading on m|v-l''e -NovelBin This general sure knew how to do business! Lin Chuan looked up at the sky where the moonlight blurred, took a deep breath, and then smiled, "I''ll take this order!" General Karlughed heartily and reached out to pat Lin Chuan on the shoulder, "Mr. Lin, you''ve got courage, I appreciate that, and I hope we can have a long-term coboration!" In the Virtual World, Lin Chuan made his decision and nodded with a smile, "Certainly, looking forward to our long-term partnership." "I wille to collect the goods next month." After saying this, General Karl waved goodbye. Soon, the Arak militants retreated like the tide, leaving the toy factory cold and silent, a quiet stillness. Only the sound of machinery clicked and cked in the background. "Boss, are we still making toys?" At that moment, an old employee approached and asked Lin Chuan. "The toy factory is now renamed to an ordnance factory!" Lin Chuan nced at the weapons list in his hand and a bank card with Karl''s deposit on it. There''s no future in toys; arms are more interesting. Starting with the order from Karl for guns and ammo, bing an Arms Tycoon! No time like the present to get started. Lin Chuan immediately began making arrangements. "You take charge of procuring a new batch of equipment," Lin Chuan instructed the old employee. The old employee''s face showed some difficulty, "Boss, we used to make toys, now making guns and ammo... " "Don''t feel pressured. We are being forced to do this," Lin Chuan reassured, "Also, there will be a pay raise." "Good!" The old employee immediately perked up. He knew that if the Arak militants, armed to the teeth, were cing orders, then they couldn''t refuse. But looking at the boss, it seemed as if the Arak militia''s order was exactly what he wanted, a ''mutual affection,'' otherwise, he wouldn''t be smiling even now. Chapter 307: Chapter 213: New Career, Arms Tycoon! (5000 Words Chapter)_2 Lin Chuan was, of course, ted. Which boy could resist a handsome gun, not to mention tanks, rocketunchers, and other weapons and equipment? Forget about guns for a moment. Even a long, straight stick by the side of the road could keep a boy upied for ages. Now, Lin Chuan could personally manufacture all kinds of firearms. How could he not be happy? "Let''s get to it, let''s get to it!" Lin Chuan, burning with passion, threw himself into the production of firearms. In fact, making guns wasn''t difficult. All you needed to do was search online to find countless examples of ''young man arrested for homemade firearms.'' Ahem, negative examples that is. Don''t learn from them! Back in the office of the Toy Factory, Lin Chuan got down to business. His first task was to recall the gun data requested by the Arak Armed Forces from his mind. First up was the "SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol." In Lin Chuan''s mind, detailed data, blueprints, and meticulous manufacturing methods for the pistol immediately emerged. [Pistol model: SIG Sauer P365-AXG.] [Caliber: 9mm.] [Capacity: 17+1.] [Barrel: 3.1 inches, carbon steel.] [Material: carbon steel (frame), stainless steel (slide, FCU), aluminum alloy (module).] [Trigger pull: 5 pounds 8 ounces.] [Sights: SIG Sauer X-Ray3 sights; provision for optics.] [Type: striker-fired, recoil-operated, semi-automatic.] [...] Well, that''s quite professional! Then there were the "MP5 submachine gun," "HK433 assault rifle," and so on. That night, Lin Chuan crammed the firearm data, turning the system-provided data and blueprints into knowledge he mastered. Next day. The Toy Factory, no, the arms factory, embarked on its bustling transformation. Equipment unsuitable for producing firearms and ammunition waspletely removed from the nt, and as the production line had previously been used to manufacture "SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol" toys, Lin Chuan used the same process to make the real pistols. It must be said, Lin Chuan was highly efficient. In just a few days, the arms factory had adjusted its production line, ready to start producing the "SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol." First, manufacture the frame. The pistol''s frame was made of aluminum alloy, which required the use of machines to cut the aluminum block. Lin Chuan deemed this process important and was excited. So, he personally adjusted the machines to ensure perfection. With the cessation of the cutting noises, a piece of aluminum already bearing the look of a magazine well emerged; from the front, the outline of the frame was clearly visible. Subsequently, a second precise cut was performed to fully shape the frame. Next, the frame underwent hollowing out using a CNC machine tool, as well as processes like anti-corrosion treatment. Then came the ''upper receiver'' and the ''barrel'' for production and processing. As all theponents werepleted, Lin Chuan was overjoyed and personally assembled the "SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol." Click! Click! Click! Lin Chuan''s hands moved expertly, quickly putting the parts together so fast that his motions almost left afterimages. The veteran employees watched with mouths agape, one eximing in surprise, "Boss, weren''t you formerly in the toy production business?" "The two aren''t ipatible, are they?" Lin Chuan countered before chuckling, "Why don''t you give it a shot?" "Can I?" The veteran employee was first stunned, then his eyes lit up, fixated on the "freshly baked" pistol. It was indeed captivating! "Of course, you can." Lin Chuanughed, his right hand twirling the pistol perfectly in two circles against his palm. This move startled the seasoned employee, "What if it goes off?" "There''s no bullet in it!" Lin Chuanughed heartily. Afterward, he gently caressed thepact pistol, feeling an unusual sensation in his heart. This feeling waspletely different from assembling firearms in the "Assassin" simtion game of life. This time, he was involved in the whole process from production to assembly. It could be likened to when as a child, among peers, he crafted a superb slingshot and with a light pull, urately hit the stem of a roadside weed. His buddies had only one thing to say. Holy shit! Inside the arms factory, firearm production went smoothly. Not long after. General Karl of the Arak Armed Forces arrived with his entourage as promised. "Mr. Lin, you certainly didn''t disappoint me!" Karl, dressed inbat gear with a broad waist, fired hundreds of rounds on the range, peppering the target with bullet holes. "I have strict quality control; I believe the general can feel it," Lin Chuan smiled. "The batch of firearms you produced can totally match up to professional military factories!" Karlughed heartily. After inspecting the goods, he was very pleased with Lin Chuan''s manufacture ofpact pistols, assault rifles, submachine guns, and the like. Indeed, as he said, the production standards were very high! Lin Chuan sat down by the shooting range and smiled, "You''re too kind." "By the way." Karl also sat down, looking at Lin Chuan, "Mr. Lin, how about we deepen our partnership?" "What kind of deeper cooperation?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. "I can tell that you are a professional weapons manufacturer; the toys were just a cover-up. So, I want to team up with you to be Southeast Asia''s biggest arms supplier!" Karl threw out his proposal. Lin Chuan thought it over and found the suggestion to be quite appealing, so he said with a smile, "Just making firearms isn''t enough to meet the needs of armed groups." "That''s for sure." Karl smiled and continued, "Apart from firearms and ammunition, there are rocketunchers, unmannedbat aircraft, and so on, all of which are sorely needed weapons and equipment in various wars. Can you manufacture them?" Lin Chuan smiled, "I know a little." Chapter 308: Chapter 213: New Occupation, Arms Tycoon! (5000-Word Chapter)_3 "So, about this cooperation?" Karl asked with a smile, having understood Lin Chuan''s intention. "We can give it a try," Lin Chuan nodded and replied with a smile. With ''Arak Armed Forces'' backing them, the military factory could avoid a lot of trouble. Karl''s eyes lit up, and he immediately began discussing the specifics of the cooperation with Lin Chuan in detail. Their initial cooperation was very pleasant. Lin Chuan''s military factory grewrger andrger, and his influence increased ordingly, gradually taking a dominant position. Even Karl treated him with great respect. Gradually, the military factory gained a rising fame in the virtual world. Until the advent of ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'', which solidly established Lin Chuan''s status as an Arms Tycoon, unshakable by anyone. In reality, the night had not yet faded. Outside the window, the sky at three or four in the morning was stained deep blue, with few stars hanging, seeming empty. The evening breeze gently fluttered, creeping through the gaps in the window, bringing a breath of fresh air to the quiet room. Lin Chuan''s consciousness gradually left the virtual world. Returning to reality. In his mind, the system''s prompt sounded [Congrattions to the host for fully experiencing the ''toy factory owner'' career life.] [You have acquired the ability: toy database.] [Based on your experience in the ''toy factory owner'' career life, a novel "Arms Tycoon" has been automatically generated, with an approximate length of 1.164 million words, being automatically exported for you; the export will bepleted in approximately 11 hours, please check to receive it.] "Arms Tycoon, this time it provided a weapons equipment database, seems very useful," Lin Chuan''s mouth curved upward as he pondered to himself. Huh! Suddenly, Lin Chuan remembered whether there was also an assessment task this time and he immediately tensed up, quickly checking the system panel. [Work: "Arms Tycoon".] [Current Status: Exporting.] [Current Poprity Value (Average Subscription): 0/80000.] [Assessment task: Create a new weapon that has not been released, and gain recognition from no fewer than 100,000 people (pendingpletion).] Lin Chuan: ??? Lin Chuan looked at these two conditions. If he really could achieve eighty thousand average subscriptions, he was likely to bypass the ''Twelve Heavenly Kings'' and the ''Influent Authors'' directly and aim for tinum status this year. After all, "Hacker Kingdom" "ck Ice" was exceptionally popr abroad with several books that had ten thousand subscriptions. High output, high quality, high performance. The only shoring was that each book had a bit fewer words, generally around 1.1 million words, none surpassing two million words. That was a weakness! It only meant, there was an opportunity! However, Lin Chuan''s main focus was on the assessment task. Create a new weapon that has not been released and gain recognition from no fewer than 100,000 people. Lin Chuan was somewhat surprised by this assessment task. But on second thought, given that he now had the weapons equipment database, it seemed reasonable to craft a new weapon and put it to the test. As for how to gain recognition from 100,000 people. Lin Chuan furrowed his brow. A live stream? No, making weapons privately wouldnd him in jail! Huh? Lin Chuan''s thoughts shifted, and he suddenly remembered something Shen Qianqian had mentioned that night The National Weapons Innovation Design Competition. This event should offer the opportunity to make weapons and then submit them for review. Considering the nature of such events held currently, not broadcasting them online and ranking the contenders would seem odd to people. Therefore, there would likely be arge audience for thispetition, right? And with his level of weapon-making skills, it shouldn''t be too difficult to gain the recognition of 100,000 people... right? As for what weapon to create. "The Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher should be the safest choice." Lin Chuan made up his mind and decided to ask Shen Qianqian tomorrow to see if that was indeed the case. "Chairman, be safe." At that moment, the littlendy in the bed suddenly murmured in her sleep, then turned over, wrapped her arms around Lin Chuan''s, and curled into a ball. The night was a bit chilly, so Lin Chuan covered her with a thin quilt and then heavily fell into deep sleep. ... It was a night of mixed fortunes. Lin Chuan was asleep, but someone else couldn''t sleep. No, he had no chance to sleep! This person was none other than Lucas, the head of Morgan Group''s Asia-Pacific Branch. Tonight, the addictive drug industry chain formed bypanies like Anzhou Pharmaceutical and Huarun Company had been uprooted by police, especially the arrest of Yu Keke had rmed the headquarters of Morgan Group. Because Yu Keke''s identity within the Morgan Group was extraordinary. She had an older sister, named Yu Qin, who was in charge of the Morgan Group''s arms dealing business in the Middle East region. Tonight, Yu Qin hade to Lucas''s office. She looked seven or eight percent simr to Yu Keke, also a mixed-race, but appeared more mature. In the office, Yu Qin frowned and stared at Lucas, "Lucas, you should give me an exnation. Why did the police find coco?" Clearly, she hade to hold someone ountable! Lucas nced at the imposing Yu Qin and tugged at the corner of his mouth, feeling somewhat guilty, "First, calm down. I didn''t want this to happen either, but the police''s sudden action caught us by surprise. At the first moment of Liu Meng''s arrest, I had already informed coco, but she didn''t manage to evacuate in time." "Hmph!" Yu Qin snorted coldly, "From what I know, she was intercepted by a man named Lin Chuan." Lucas nodded. "Two days ago, when you attacked his forum and failed, he counter-attacked and breached your servers. Can I interpret this as, you exposing key information in one step, which led to the discovery of the entire coco drug chain?" "It''s absolutely not true!" Lucas hurriedly denied! "Not true?" Yu Qin''s expression darkened, "Ha, if you didn''t leak key information to Lin Chuan, how could he have happened to appear at coco''s office, ready to intercept her?" Lucas swallowed, speechless. With regard to the leaking of information, he was also unable to rify now. Various signs indicated that Lin Chuan could indeed have obtained some key information. Otherwise, he couldn''t have struck with such precision and without error! Lucas thought and said, "The pressing matter now is to think about how to rescue coco!" "I already have a n for that; you don''t need to worry about it. Now think about how you''ll make your report to headquarters," Yu Qin saidmandingly and coldly. "Before you came, I had already prepared my report." Lucas looked dejected and added, "For coco, I feel ashamed. Let me know your n, and see if I can help." Yu Qin looked up at Lucas and said solemnly, "The only viable option right now is to use the invention patent to reduce her sentence, though coco will have to suffer a bit in there." Thew stiptes that prisoners who obtain invention patents can receive sentence reductions and other rewards. "Invention patent..." Lucas nodded, somewhat relieved, "You have many patents for weapons and equipment in your hands; it''s not a difficult thing for you." Yu Qin shook her head, "The weapon invention patents I have are not enough to exempt her from the death penalty. I need a more powerful new invention patent." "What kind of invention patent?" Lucas inquired. "The Sania Weapons Research Company is working on thetest Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher. It''s the most advanced Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher, with a range that can reach 300 kilometers. They have been researching it for several years, with over a hundred key technologies, of which more than ten are core and critical bottleneck technologies that are being broken through. They have not applied for a patent yet," Yu Qin took a deep breath and said. "Is it the weapon you tasked coco to negotiate forst time?" Lucas''s expression changed. Yu Qin nodded. "I''ll personally go and negotiate with the Sania Weapons Research Company!" Lucas volunteered, determined to take action himself. Yu Qin waved her hand dismissively, "I will go." Lucas, feeling guilty and recognizing that Yu Qin''s position at headquarters was no lower than his, had no choice but to agree with a nod. "That Lin Chuan..." Lucas pondered and then asked. Immediately, Yu Qin''s face turned cold, "Once coco''s matter is settled, I''ll personally take care of that ount!" Lucas''s mouth twitched. He knew that getting onto the bad side of this Arms Tycoon in charge of the Middle East region meant Lin Chuan was thoroughly finished! Chapter 309: Chapter 214: Ah, You Can Also Operate a Rocket Launcher? (5000-Word Chapter) Anling City, Linjiang Mansion. The night sky shed its deep blue, a faint fish belly white emerging on the horizon, and shortly after, a streak of orange-red glimmered with dawn. The morning mist in August and September was thicker than usual, distant mountains looming in and out of visibility, the babbling of the riverbank blending with the sounds of passing cars, and asionally a boat horn would drift high into the sky. "Mmm" Lin Chuan woke up from his sleep, opened his eyes, and the Little Landy was no longer at his bedside, having already gotten up. He fumbled for his phone on the bedside table. He checked the time, it was nearly ten o''clock. The icon for QQ lit up, with messages from the editor Youyou, sent since eight o''clock, several in a row. [You didn''t get hurt, did you?] [I saw the news, are you okay?] [I guess you''re still sleeping.] [...] Lin Chuan smiled and quickly replied, "I''m fine, just woke up." Youyou replied to the message in an instant, "It''s good that you''re okay,st night must have been quite dangerous, right? The news said you caught the criminal leader all by yourself, that''s too risky." "Actually, it wasn''t that dangerous, don''t worry," Lin Chuan replied. "Don''t say I was worried, the chief editor and the operations manager both came to ask me right away if you were okay," Youyou replied. "Thank them both for me. /Haha.jpg" Lin Chuan moved his fingers and attached an emoji. "You''re now a treasure at Sailing Novel, especially the overseas operations department, they''ve singled you out as a key IP to develop," Youyou had a light smile on her face at Sailing Tower, knowing that Lin Chuan was alright. "Right, you mentionedst time that the overseas operations department ns to cultivate ''Dark Empire'' as an IP abroad, that means continuing to publish crime-themed stories, right?" Lin Chuan asked, seizing the opportunity. "Yes, this genre is very popr in overseas markets," Youyou replied. Suddenly, Youyou thought for a moment, then blinked and sent another message, "You''ve already written a new book, haven''t you?" "How did you know?" Lin Chuan replied. "Do I not understand you? Every time you talk about a new book, you already have a manuscript in hand, it''s so obvious!" Youyou replied with a slight tug at the corner of her mouth. Lin Chuanughed dryly, "Haha, I''ll polish it a bit more and then send it to you to see." "What''s the theme, a crime theme?" Youyou asked curiously. "Yeah, Mr. Lin is a toy factory owner who transitions into an arms dealer and bes an Arms Tycoon," Lin Chuan exined with a smile. "Arms Tycoon, you can write about that?" Youyou was surprised. "A little," Lin Chuan replied. "Just a little?" Youyou was somewhat skeptical. "Well... a little more than a little." Lin Chuan smiled and jokingly replied. "I get it, so you''re writing detailed military stuff now," Youyou yfully responded with a smirk. "Cough, readers are pretty savvy these days, you get criticized if you don''t write with a bit of expertise," Lin Chuan exined earnestly. "I''ve gone through thement section of your novels, and no one seems to question your expertise," Youyouughed. "Cough, web novels are toopetitive now, what with writing about cars, harems, having fun, and so on. Authors have to have their own style; I can only get by with a bit more expertise in my crime professions, it''s not easy," Lin Chuan said with augh. "Your path in making a living is quite unique; I always suspect you''re not seriously writing web novels," Youyou teased. "How am I not seriously writing web novels, Youyou as my longtime editor, you shouldn''t nder me!" Lin Chuan replied quickly, defending himself. "Just kidding with you. /Haha.jpg" Youyouughed, then replied, "Alright, you''re okay, now I''ve got to get busy with your work." "Okay, I''m getting up too," Lin Chuan said with a smile, turning over to get out of bed. Sailing Tower. Chu Wanning, the manager of the overseas operations department, clothed in a body-hugging pale blue dress, approached Youyou. "Manager Chu." Youyou looked up, saw Chu Wanning, and greeted her with a smile. "Youyou, is Lin Chuan okay?" Chu Wanning came over and immediately inquired about Lin Chuan''s well-being. Youyou''s face bore a faint smile, "He''s fine." "That''s good," Chu Wanning grinned, "Don''t call me Manager Chu anymore, it''s so formal, just call me by my name." "Alright, Wanning," Youyou said with pursed lips and a smile. "The preliminary n we settled onst time for Lin Chuan''s overseas ''Dark Empire'' IP, that news about Lin Chuanst night, it also exploded overseas," Chu Wanning said with a smile. "Oh, it exploded overseas too?" Youyou''s eyebrows knitted slightly in surprise, "I''ve been scrolling through QuikTok videos all morning, but I didn''t pay attention to the overseas situation." "I just happened to see it, turns out thest time our Sailing Novel''s overseas edition was attacked online, it was because Lin Chuan was engaged in a cyber showdown with the Morgan Group. This time Lin Chuan arresting the criminal head of Anzhou Pharmaceutical, which is also owned by the Morgan Group, so now the foreigners are all excitedly discussing it; let me show you somements I''ve captured," Chu Wanning said. Then, Chu Wanning handed over some of thements she had captured to Youyou. Youyou leaned in closer and looked down [Mr. Lin is taking on the Morgan Group, isn''t he?] [So brave! Amon man actually arm-wrestling with the Morgan Group and winning twice, unbelievable!] [How can Mr. Lin be an ordinary person?] [Yeah, I''ve read his ''Hacker Kingdom'' and ''ck Ice''; he''s definitely a big shot!] [So it''s a sh between two major forces?] [Guys, I''m already looking forward to the next showdown between the Morgan Group and Mr. Lin!] [I''m looking forward to it too, based on the Morgan Group''s usual way of doing things, they will definitely take the next step!] [Am I the only one looking forward to Mr. Lin''s next novel?] [...] Taking in thesements, Youyou couldn''t help but take a deep breath. Chapter 310: Chapter 214: Ah, You Can Also Operate a Rocket Launcher? (5000-Word Chapter)_2 She was somewhat worried, "Hiss, doesn''t that mean Lin Chuan is in danger now?" "Youyou, you''re overthinking it. I asked a friend in the police force, and he said that in this kind of situation, there''s no need to worry too much. After all, our domestic security situation won''t allow the Morgan Group to takerge-scale revenge against Lin Chuan," Chu Wanning exined. Youyou then felt at ease and let out a slight sigh of relief. "Youyou, I was thinking, if Lin Chuan were to ride on this poprity and release another crime fiction novel, it would definitely explode. The ''Mr. LinDark Empire'' IP could really take off, and moreover, it would be of great help for our Sailing Novel to go international." Chu Wanning, her eyes sparkling with excitement, spoke as she held Youyou''s hand. As the manager of the overseas operations department, she urgently needed outstanding results to prove her and her team''s strength and vision. The Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is always a concrete requirement, no matter where you are. If she didn''t do well in the overseas sector, she might be reced! Therefore, Chu Wanning closely followed the dynamics of Lin Chuan''s novels, as well as news rted to him. Focusing on building the ''Mr. LinDark Empire'' IP was a win-win for her and Lin Chuan. "What a coincidence!" Youyou raised her eyebrows and blinked her bright eyes. "You think so too?" Chu Wanning pursed her lips slightly and asked with curiosity. Youyou smiled and said, "It''s not just me who thinks this. Lin Chuan must be thinking the same." "That''s just great!" A radiant smile immediately appeared on Chu Wanning''s face, "What genre is Lin Chuan nning to write?" "It''s not about what he''s nning to write; he''s already written it," Youyou said with a smile. "Ah?" Chu Wanning was immediately taken aback, "He''s already done it, that quickly?" "His speed has always been very fast." Youyou chuckled and exined, "He just told me, he wrote about a new profession, Arms Tycoon." "Arms Tycoon..." Chu Wanning mouthed the words, pondering for a moment. "That should fit the ''Mr. LinDark Empire'' IP, right?" Youyou asked. "Of course, it fits. This theme is perfect for the ''Dark Empire'' narrative," Chu Wanning nodded her head in satisfaction. "I guess he''ll be able to publish it in a couple of days," Youyou added. "Even better, I''ll arrange for the website to start the pre-publication promotion right away," Chu Wanning said, her face beaming with a smile. As for the content of the novel. If Lin Chuan''s new book were a fantasy or a fairy tale genre, she might need to review it a couple more times. But Lin Chuan was writing ''Arms Tycoon.'' Mr. Lin + surefire theme, how could it not be amazing? "Right," All of a sudden, Youyou remembered something and asked, "Wanning, can Lin Chuan''s novels published domestically go international?" Chu Wanning''s face suddenly darkened, and she sighed, "Youyou, every time you bring this up, I get quite frustrated." Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin "What''s wrong?" Youyou asked. "You know about that novel website in Southeast Asia called ''Fries Novel,'' right? They''ve moved several of Lin Chuan''s books over," Chu Wanning said indignantly. Youyou''s brows furrowed, "They moved all of them?" Having one''s novels pirated or giarized ranked alongside "No money received" as the two most uneptable things to an author. When an author learned that their books had been giarized or moved, especially when the giarists or movers were making a fortune, they would toss and turn at night, most definitely cursing those *%#@! across the way! Some giarists were even more audacious. Praising themselves as original in the book review section. Or boasting that the original author wasn''t as popr or profitable as them. giarism killing the original! For an original author, it felt like having a fishbone stuck in the throat! "Right," replied Chu Wanning with a nod, "our legal department has already started negotiating with them." "Defending rights overseas is a bit difficult," Youyou said, pursing her lips and knitting her brows. In the realm of online literature, let alone the difficulty of protecting rights overseas, it''s already tough as climbing to the heavens domestically. Online literary forums are rife with "wars" and "fights" happening daily. "Yeah, it''s indeed tricky," Chu Wanning sighed lightly. "How about I mention this to Lin Chuan? He should be able to solve it," Youyou suggested. Chu Wanning pondered for a moment, "Let Lin Chuan focus on creating first. If our legal department doesn''t get anywhere, we''ll bring it up to Lin Chuan." "Okay," Youyou nodded. Afterwards, the two discussed the international expansion of Lin Chuan''s previously published novels, setting the stage to build a massive ''Dark Empire''. ... Meanwhile. Lin Chuan, dressed in a white T-shirt and ck sports shorts, was in the spacious living room, teaching the Little Landy some fighting techniques. The living room wasrge; the coffee table had been moved aside and the floor covered with ayer of sponge mats. A temporary fighting ring had been established. The Little Landy, in a blue and white tracksuit with her long hair tied back and a few wisps gently framing her face, had a rosy flush to her cheeks from a morning of fighting practice, her youthful cogen abundant. She picked up a dry towel and wiped the sweat off Lin Chuan''s face, her own face beaming with youthful brilliance, "Chairman, I''m very strong now! I could take on five!" "Shall we test that?" Lin Chuan was taken aback, teasing the Little Landy. The Little Landy wiped the sweat from her brow and pouted slightly, "How could I beat you?" "Then what about the five you mentioned?" "Um... five children," the Little Landy said with a grin, batting her clear eyes. Lin Chuan smiled and then remarked, "You''re a fast learner, but you can still improve the way you generate force. As for strength, that is far from sufficient." The Little Landy clenched her fists, "Then I need to work out my muscles more!" Lin Chuan looked the Little Landy up and down, "If you be a muscle woman, I might not be able to handle it." Chapter 311: Chapter 214: Ah, You Can Also Operate a Rocket Launcher? (5000-Word Chapter)_3 ``` "What can''t you handle?" Little Landy brandished her fist with augh, "Chairman, you''re flirting again!" Lin Chuan burst intoughter. Ding Dong Ding Dong At this moment, the doorbell rang. "Who is it?" Lin Chuan, wiping off his sweat, asked. "It should be Sister Qianqian. She asked me this morning if I was free, so I invited her over to the house." Zhang Xinxin exined as she walked towards the door. As expected, it was Shen Qianqian. This time, Shen Qianqian was not in her police uniform but in casual clothesa simple white top with stonewashed blue jeanshighlighting her fair skin, slender figure, and her overall fresh and vibrant aura. "Sister Qianqian." Little Landy showed a delighted smile and pulled Shen Qianqian by the hand into the living room. "Xinxin, what''s with this getup? What are you up to?" Shen Qianqian looked the Little Landy up and down with a smile and asked. "The Chairman was just teaching me some fighting moves." Little Landy grinned broadly, "Sister Qianqian, take a seat. I''ll go wash some grapes for you." "Okay." Shen Qianqian, smiling like a blossomed flower, walked into the living room. She nced at Lin Chuan, also in sportswear, and joked, "Fighting master, when will you teach me?" "My meager skills are no match for someone with your professional training. You''d have me pinned in no time." Lin Chuan poured a ss of water for Shen Qianqian with augh. Shen Qianqian chuckled: "If I were really better than you, you wouldn''t have acted alonest night." Lin Chuanughed dryly: "Speaking of which, has Yu Keke confessed yet?" "Not yet. She hasn''t said anything, beenpletely silent the whole time," Shen Qianqian sipped some water and replied. "Just as I thought," Lin Chuan nodded. "Do you have a way to make her talk?" Shen Qianqian asked. Lin Chuan shook his head: "I suspect she''s an important figure within the Morgan Group, so as long as she wants to stay alive, she''ll keep silent and refuse to confess." "It doesn''t matter if she doesn''t confess." Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin Shen Qianqian smiled, "With the evidence we currently have, it''s enough to prosecute her." "Any more leads?" Lin Chuan unavoidably inquired further about the Morgan Group. Shen Qianqian shook her head and exined: "The Morgan Group has been operating their ck market operations for a long time. They use a mature industry chain model and they do not interfere with each other. Even if we''ve caught Yu Keke and this ''addictive drugs'' industry chain, we haven''t found more leads on other industries." Lin Chuan nodded. Shen Qianqian was right; a group involved in ck market operations would certainly excel in keeping things confidential. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have been able to operate for so long under the strict surveince of various countries. "This case has alsoe to a conclusion for now." Lin Chuan smiled, then looked at Shen Qianqian and asked, "Last night, you seemed to have mentioned a weaponspetition?" Shen Qianqian''s eyebrows lifted, she nodded and said: "Yes, the National Weapons Design Competition. I''m here today because I''d like your advice on it." "Right, the National Weapons Design Competition," Lin Chuan said with a focused look and a smile. "Sister Qianqian, what do you need advice on?" At the side, Xinxin, having washed the grapes, ced them on the table and asked curiously. "There''s a weapons designpetition going on, and I want to design a new type of firearm to enter thepetition. Since Comrade Lin Chuan knows a lot about firearms, I thought I might have him help me with some ideas," Shen Qianqian exined as she pulled Xinxin to sit down. "Designing a firearm?" ``` Little Landy''s eyes lit up, a look of admiration on her face, "It sounds really cool;st night I even asked the chairman to teach me Shooting Techniques." Shen Qianqian plucked a grape, offered it to Little Landy''s lips, then smiled, "He is the King of Guns, let him take you to the shooting range to practice, and within a month you''ll be a Gun God, hitting the target every time." Zhang Xinxin gently bit into the grape, her cheeks puffing out slightly, "Being a Gun God is even cooler! Then I can join you in ying real-life shooting games!" "Ahem." Lin Chuan cleared his throat. The two girls in front of him, Xinxin and Shen Qianqian, once they started chatting, were unstoppable. If he didn''t interject, Lin Chuan would be relegated to a listener. Shen Qianqian smiled, "Comrade Lin Chuan is about to talk business." Little Landy nodded obediently. "It''s not really business; I just want to understand this National Arms Innovation Design Competition a bit better," Lin Chuan chuckled, replying. Shen Qianqian knitted her brows, smilingly inquired, "You seem interested in this contest?" "Yeah, a bit interested," Lin Chuanughed. "Last night, you said that apart from writing novels, you can''t do anything else. Today your hands are itching to get involved personally?" Shen Qianqian asked half-jokingly. Lin Chuan gave an awkward smile, "After thinking about itst night, staying in a small room every day writing novels is so boring. Participating in thepetition can broaden one''s horizons, which is helpful for writing novels." On the side, Xinxin agreed wholeheartedly, nodding repeatedly. It was only when she started writing herself that she realized writing novels was not an easy task. Especially when writing about things she didn''t understand, like real drugs, fake drugs, it was awkward and bumpy, but when it came to ''real estate'' panies,'' these kinds of subjects, writing was smooth and natural. No wonder readers would say, "The novel I read before described poverty in great detail, but once the character suddenly got rich, it was hastily glossed over." Because web novel writers are genuinely poor! In the realm of poverty, a web novel writer could truly be called an ''expert.'' In the living room, Shen Qianqianughed, "You''re really going all out for your writing." "Do I qualify to enter thepetition?" Lin Chuan asked. Shen Qianqian''s smile was luminous as she replied, "Of course, you qualify. This National Arms Innovation Design Competition is the inaugural event, open to everyone." "It''s public, right?" Lin Chuan asked again. "Of course, it is." Shen Qianqian nodded and added, "There will also be online live judging, opening online voting channels, etc., it''s very popr with the public." "Nice!" Lin Chuan felt a surge of joy and couldn''t help but exim. Assessment taskcreate a novel weapon that has not yet appeared in the world and gain approval from no less than 100,000 people. The higher the poprity, the better chance toplete the task. After all, 100,000 is not a small number. "Comrade Lin Chuan, you seem really pumped," Shen Qianqian teased with a smile, "Are you nning on designing firearms?" "Firearms?" Lin Chuan shook his head,ughing, "Since you chose to design firearms, I won''tpete with you. I''m nning to design a Rocket Launcher." "What?" Shen Qianqian''s expression froze, her eyes narrowing, "You, you know how to make a Rocket Launcher?" "Is it that strange?" Lin Chuan countered. "Shouldn''t it be strange?" Shen Qianqian asked, stunned. Gosh, a person whose main job is writing novels ns to make a Rocket Launcherwho would believe that if you told them? Lin Chuan smiled, "Sister Qianqian, I must solemnly dere to you that every web novel writer has a massive database in their head, so it''s perfectly reasonable for me to design a Rocket Launcher!" Chapter 312: Chapter 215: Becoming a Real-Life Arms Tycoon! (5000-Word Chapter) In the living room, the two girls sitting next to Lin Chuan were both bewildered. What kind of twisted logic is this? A web novel writer, a database, manufacturing a Rocket Launcher, can these be connected? Even Lin Chuan''s most loyal little fanLittle Landy, was staring at him dumbfoundedly at this moment: "Chairman, I haven''t heard you talk about Rocket Launchers before." "Ahem, Xinxin, good things are done in secret. Until I''ve made the research breakthrough, I usually don''t broadcast it to avoid being thought of as bragging," said Lin Chuan earnestly. Little Landy pursed her lips, her little head a bit in turmoil. She believed in Lin Chuan. But creating a Rocket Launcher for apetition sounded incredibly unbelievable. "Aren''t you just bragging now?" Shen Qianqian''s mouth twitched, unable to hold back a scoff. "You know me, I never do anything I''m not sure of," Lin Chuan said seriously. Shen Qianqian frowned, her belief in him wavered. She didn''t understand Rocket Launchers; this was outside her knowledge, so she had already taken out her phone to start looking it up. "Which type of Rocket Launcher are you nning to make, a simple one?" Shen Qianqian asked as she searched. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then asked, "What types are allowed in thispetition?" Shen Qianqian''s face froze momentarily. She looked Lin Chuan up and down, feeling like the person in front of her was familiar but somehow a stranger: "There is no limit on the weapon type, you can show your best. I''ll send you the registration link first." "Alright," nodded Lin Chuan with a smile. "I want to see too." Xinxin was also very curious. "I''ll send it to you too." Shen Qianqian fiddled with her phone for a bit, and the registration link was sent to Lin Chuan and Xinxin''s phones. It also included detailed information about thepetition. Lin Chuan clicked to read [The First National Weapon Innovation Design Competition] [Organizers: National Weapons Research Institute, National Ordnance Society.] [Competition Theme: Multidimensionalbat bynd, sea, air, and space, synergistic development of photoelectric mechanization, exploring new thoughts and models in weapon innovation design.] [Participants: Open to all citizens; team participants must register through their schools or workces, while weapon enthusiasts may register as individuals.] [Submission Format: Physical development and conceptual design, including innovative design for conventional and unconventional weapons.] [Competition Process] [Preliminary: This stage will be judged through live video connection, where contestants will exin their weapon''s basic design concepts. Contestants themselves will need to produce simple weapon blueprints or initial models for live disy.] [Finals: This stage will be judged offline, fully live-streamed. Physical development participants need to construct the weapon with detailed blueprints; conceptual design participants need to produce blueprints (not necessarily detailed) and exin the design principles, etc.] [...] Lin Chuan read carefullytrue to form for an official event, every detail was well thought out. "Chairman, if you make it to the finals, doesn''t that mean you''ll have to go in-person?" asked Little Landy curiously. Your next read is at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Shen Qianqian burst into a giggle: "Xinxin, Comrade Lin Chuan''s Rocket Launcher isn''t even ready yet." "Still, I think you''ll at least make it into the finals!" Little Landy said with a toothy grin. Shen Qianqian nced at Lin Chuan and nodded, "If it''s conceptual design, Comrade Lin Chuan could not only make it to the finals but possibly even win a prize." "Officer Shen, you''re teasing me again." Lin Chuan''s face darkened as he began to enter his registration information on his phone, "But I''ve chosen the physical development category." "Hmm..." Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, "I just checked, and it seems that Rocket Launchers aren''t that simple. Even the most basic Rocket Launcher requires principles of ''rocket propulsion'' and ''electromaic drive systems''." "What are those principles?" asked Little Landy, still clueless. "It''splicated to exin, and I don''t quite understand it either," Shen Qianqian said, her lips pursed, offering an awkward smile. She knew more about firearms. Because that''s what she often encountered in her daily work and was required for her professional skills. As for Rocket Launchers. That was far too remote for her. And it went without saying for Zhang Xinxin; she would probably nevere across one in her lifetime. "Exining isn''t thatplicated," Lin Chuan chuckled. At this, the girls both looked at Lin Chuan, simultaneously furrowing their brows, a hint of confusion forming on their faces. Lin Chuan picked up his cup, took a sip of water, and then exined, "The basic principle of rocket propulsion is actually quite simpleit generates thrust through the expulsion of high-speed jets." "Simple, you say?" Little Landy stared at Shen Qianqian next to her, dumbstruck. After considering for a moment, Shen Qianqian replied to Little Landy, "It sounds simple when you say it." Lin Chuanughed again and continued, "Xinxin, you didn''t really pay attention in high school physics, did you?" Little Landy pouted and simply said, "Old Zhang said, you don''t need to learn too much stuff, being happy is all that matters." "Old Zhang just got a scapegoat, but he''s right," said Lin Chuan with augh. Little Landy grinned and said, "Chairman, now you can make up for my high school physics." "I also want to hear the expert opinion of you, the Rocket Launcher specialist," Shen Qianqian added with a smile. "Sure," Lin Chuan nodded andughed, "To take the simple Rocket Launcher you just mentioned as an example, it utilizes thebustion of propent to produce high-temperature, high-pressure gas, which is expelled through the rocket nozzle. This allows the Rocket Launcher to fire arge number of rockets in a very short time, conducting surprise attacks onrge area targets at long distances. That should be easy enough to understand, right?" Chapter 313: Chapter 215: Becoming a Real-Life Arms Tycoon! (5000-Word Chapter)_2 Shen Qianqian thought it over and nodded, "Using high-temperature, high-pressure jets as the propulsion force, I get that. And there''s also an electromaic drive system?" "That is..." Lin Chuan scratched his head. It wasn''t that he didn''t understand, but he was thinking of how he could exin it in simpler terms. After all, he was dealing with two rocketuncher novices. Thinking she had stumped Lin Chuan, the Little Landy immediately said, "Chairman, the propulsion force you just mentioned is enough for me to digest for a day, let''s talk about this electromaic drive system tomorrow." Shen Qianqian thought likewise. So, she followed the Little Landy''s lead and said, "The electromaic drive system must be quiteplicated to exin. Even if you tell us now, Xinxin and I might not fully understand it. Let us first digest the ''basic principles of rocket propulsion'' you just talked about." Lin Chuan chuckled dryly. How could he not know what these two girls were thinking? They just didn''t want him to appear foolish, that''s why they said that. Lin Chuan wasn''t in a hurry to prove anything, so heughed and said, "Alright, once I get the rocketuncher sorted out, I''ll exin it to you. By then, you''ll understand." "Great!" Shen Qianqian nodded happily, "You should just give me some advice on firearms. I can understand it, and it''s your area of expertise." Lin Chuan nodded, "There are many types of firearms. Which kind do you n to design?" "Rifles," Shen Qianqianughed. "I thought you would design handguns, since those are what you often handle," Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I often handle rifles as well." Shen Qianqian grinned, counting on her fingers, "I have a special fondness for rifles, such as the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, Type 81 automatic rifle, Mauser, AK; I''m quite familiar with them all." Lin Chuan pursed his lips, "You''re aiming topete as the ''King of Firearms Design'', huh?" "Haha, not really. I just got a little excited when I saw thepetition announced recently; I wanted to give it a try," Shen Qianqian giggled. She knew that Lin Chuan had rich experience in firearms. "Tell me about your preliminary design concept," Lin Chuan took a sip of water and asked. After a moment of thought, Shen Qianqian then said, "You''ve watched Transformers, right?" Lin Chuan nodded, "Of course, I have." "I want to design a rifle that''s like a Transformer," Shen Qianqian winked and smiled. "A Transformer?" Lin Chuan was surprised but quickly grasped Shen Qianqian''s idea, "You mean to introduce the concept of ''firearms modrization'' to the design of your gun?" "You really know your stuff. Yes, it''s a bit better than your rocketuncher," Shen Qianqian''s eyes lit up, talking with Lin Chuan was always so effortless, he instantly got what she meant. In the pre-21st century, most firearms were in the ''gun family'' phase. Entering the 21st century, ''firearms modrization'' gradually became the mainstream in firearms development. A simple exnation The so-called ''gun family'', for a series of firearms, meant that firearms from the same family could share major parts, with lower processing requirements, which was very suitable for mass production. Whereas ''firearms modrization'', for an individual firearm, meant recing key parts of the gun to transform it into different functional firearms, suitable forbat in various terrains. "This is what a web novel writer has in their databank," Lin Chuan joked. Shen Qianqian gave a thumbs up, "Imagine, designing a ''modr'' rifle that can quickly switch between different forms like assault rifles, sniper rifles, etc., by changing keyponentswouldn''t that be a fulfilling thing to do?" As she spoke, a spark of excitement appeared in her eyes. "That would be really cool!" Lin Chuan nodded in agreement, "But it will be quite challenging to design." "No pain, no gain," Shen Qianqian grinned. "Do you have an idea already?" Lin Chuan inquired. "A bit, let me tell you about it. You can give me some advice on what improvements could be made," Then, Shen Qianqian took out her notebook and pen and seriously discussed it with Lin Chuan. Clearly, she had prepared thoroughly. The Little Landy, sitting nearby, was also listening intently. Lin Chuan remembered the ''modr'' rifle he produced in the Virtual World, which was very popr with various armed forces and had a backlog of orders. However, Lin Chuan certainly wouldn''t feed Shen Qianqian all the design concepts of this firearm; otherwise, it would be his work instead. So, he just shared his opinions. The main design was left for Shen Qianqian to explore. After a while. Shen Qianqian happily packed up her notebook and pen and said, "I''ll work hard on it when I get home tonight, to polish it up a bit more." "By the way, your firearm, is it for the physical development category?" Lin Chuan asked. In the living room, Shen Qianqian nodded, "Yes, what about it?" "Where are you going to construct the final model of the firearm?" Lin Chuan asked. The ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' he wanted to build required an easily manageable model for the preliminary round of thepetition, but the finals required the actual articlea prototype of the weapon, which would need a fairly capable factory to undertake. The Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher was arge weapon. A typical factory, withoutrge-scale manufacturing machinery, couldn''t possibly take on such an order. "You''re asking about that?" Shen Qianqian smiled, "I''ll go to my dad''s ce. He has the machinery, so applying to use the cutting machine and the numerical control machine tool for a bit should be no problem." "You''ve really kept it under wraps!" Lin Chuan was taken aback. With one hand on her water cup and waving the other hand, Shen Qianqian said, "What kept under wraps? My dad is just the director of the Anling Iron and Steel Factory. Although it''s a state-owned enterprise under the supervision and management of Anling City, it hasn''t been doing well for the past two years." Chapter 314: Chapter 215: Becoming a Real-Life Arms Tycoon! (5000-word chapter)_3 Lin Chuan pondered briefly, "Not doing well?" "Yeah!" Shen Qianqian let out a light sigh, "My dad said that a certain bubble economy has started copsing. From construction to decoration, the demand for steel has plummeted. Coupled with the mismanagement of Anling Iron and Steel Factory, it''s now facing closure." Lin Chuan furrowed his brows slightly. Having transitioned from a toy factory to a military factory in the Virtual World, he had a certain understanding of the steel industry. The building industry''s slump would first hit the steel industry. The entire real estate construction''s demand for steel ounted for a third of the national steel output. Now that there''s heavy development in the automotive industry, even though the steel required by automobiles isn''t as much as that for real estate construction, it can still offer some cushioning. However, for Anling, Since Anling doesn''t have an automobile brand, it is indeed difficult for steel factories to operate, and many workers are facingyoffs. Under such circumstances, the steel factory has no other option but to close. "s..." The Little Landy beside him also sighed, "Chairman, ourpany''s technical director Li Qing, his father is an employee of the steel factory and has already beenid off. It seems the steel factory really is difficult to manage." After a moment of silence, Lin Chuan offered this suggestion, "Under these circumstances, there needs to be a transformation." "How do we transform?" Shen Qianqian''s eyebrows knit slightly, showing some curiosity. "Transform into a toy factory." Lin Chuanughed. "A toy factory?" Shen Qianqian was taken aback. "I mean, thoserge-size toys," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Large-size toys, you mean transform into the military industry?" Shen Qianqian''s frown deepened as she seriously pondered the idea. Lin Chuan leaned back against the sofa, recliningfortably, "If it reallyes down to it, aligning with the military industry is also pretty good; the military has a great demand for steel." "Comrade Lin Chuan, your suggestion is very constructive. I''ll mention it to my dad and have him raise the idea to the higher-ups," Shen Qianqian said with a beaming smile. "Then, could Uncle Shen also lend a hand with my rocketuncher manufacturing?" Lin Chuanughed heartily. "How could I say no?" Shen Qianqian chuckled as she spoke, yfully sticking out her tongue. "Then I really appreciate it," Lin Chuan said as he sat up, smiling. "But don''t get your hopes up too high," Shen Qianqian said, changing her tone, "Since the steel factory is facing closure, they''ve sold off manyrge pieces of equipment. I can''t guarantee they''ll be able to whip up your rocketuncher." "No problem at all," Lin Chuan grinned, "When does Uncle Shen have some time? I''d like to pay him a visit." This ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' has a quiteplex manufacturing process, a lot of which needs to be hands-on. Therefore, he needs to prepare in advance. Otherwise, Lin Chuan worried he wouldn''t make it to the finals in time. The exposure of the finals of the ''National Weapon Innovation Design Competition'' would definitely be massive! Securing recognition from 100,000 people, it would be a sure thing! "He''s not busy at all right now, and I can take you to meet him anytime," Shen Qianqian nodded. "That''s perfect." Lin Chuan grinned broadly, "How about the day after tomorrow? I''ll work on the rocketuncher blueprints in the next two days and then list the materials we need." "Hold on!" Shen Qianqian suddenly said. "What''s up?" Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian, a bit surprised. ``` However, Shen Qianqian was even more astonished, "Lin Chuan, you just said that you are preparing the technical drawings thesest two days?" "Yeah, what about it?" Lin Chuan nodded and asked. "Does that mean you''ve already figured out the detailed data for your rocketuncher?" Shen Qianqian asked, frowning. "Uh, that''s correct," Lin Chuan nodded. "Do you have secrets unknown to others?" Shen Qianqian asked, staring nkly. "Shouldn''t I?" Lin Chuan countered. Shen Qianqian was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond. Comparing with others could really kill a person! A web novel writer knows how to make rocketunchers, who would believe that if told? Time to slip away. Shen Qianqian hurriedly made up an excuse to leave. "Chairman, you scared Sister Qianqian away," the Little Landy teased as she popped a grape into Lin Chuan''s mouth. "I''m just telling the truth," Lin Chuan said with an innocent face. Although it might sound unbelievable, I really do know how. "No exaggeration?" The Little Landy blinked her eyes. Lin Chuan nodded solemnly, "Not at all!" "Chairman, how do you fit so much stuff in your head?" the Little Landy asked curiously as she poked Lin Chuan''s head. "Maybe that''s just genius," Lin Chuan joked before looking at the Little Landy, "How about we invest in Anling Iron and Steel Factory?" "Are you really nning on starting a military factory?" the Little Landy asked, taken aback. Lin Chuan nodded. The Little Landy knew quite a bit about thepany''s business and quickly asked, "How do you n to invest, with capital?" Lin Chuan gently stroked the Little Landy''s soft hair and smiled, "We don''t have that much capital, I''m thinking of investing with technology!" "State-owned capital investment, and you contribute technology?" the Little Landy asked. "Right." Lin Chuan nodded in affirmation. "I''d also support you if you need capital," the Little Landy said with a beaming smile. "No need, my technology is extremely powerful," Lin Chuan said with a confident smile on his face. The technology and experience umted in the Virtual World were indeed priceless. "Then you''re about to be the real-life version of an Arms Tycoon!" The Little Landy teased, joking, "After that, no one will dare to mess with you." "The main thing is that no one will dare to mess with you," Lin Chuanughed heartily and ruffled the Little Landy''s head. His intention to invest in Anling Iron and Steel Factory and transform it into a military factory wasn''t actually because he wanted to be a real-life Arms Tycoon. What he hoped for more was to use this as a means of ensuring Xinxin''s safety. After all, with a military background, who would dare to mess with Xinxin? Even the Morgan Group would have to grind its teeth and swallow them! ``` Chapter 315: Chapter 216: Steel Mill Transformation (Please Subscribe) Three dayster, at Anling Iron and Steel Factory. The clouds were sparse, and the brilliant sunshine fell upon this silent steel factory, which should be bustling at this time, but there was no roaring sound of machines operating, only the asional honk of passing vehicles and the chirping of a few birds. Anling Iron and Steel Factory had shut down. A dozen or so workers gathered in the manager''s office, all looking at the manager of the steel factory, Shen Jianhua. Shen Jianhua, father of Shen Qianqian, was around fifty years old, not yet old, but at this moment, his short hair sprinkled with ck and white, his waxy face already wrinkled, full of worries. "Manager, the shutdown hasn''t been just for a day or two, when are we going to resume work?" Inside the office. A worker, frowning deeply and leaning forward, asked anxiously. Beside him, one after another key technician also had sober expressions, their gazes locked tightly on Shen Jianhua''s face. Every subtle expression on Shen Jianhua''s face could tug at that string in their hearts, Shen Jianhua was seen sitting in front of the office desk, hands sped together, his gaze deep andplex, tinged with a trace of despondency, "I understand how everyone feels, I want the steel factory to resume production more than anyone else." He looked around the room, then let out a soft sigh. The technical workers present had followed him for ten or twenty years, some were only a year or two away from retirement. The shutdown of the steel factory touched everyone''s heart. If the steel factory couldn''t resume production and faced closure, it would be a fatal blow to them. More than a dozen workers, seeing Shen Jianhua looking like this, felt their hearts cool by half. They knew, it was most likely there was no follow-up. However, they didn''t make a scene in front of Shen Jianhua, as over the years, they knew Shen Jianhua was a good manager, but the steel factory was not something he could decide on. Shen Jianhua clenched his fists, his gaze bing resolute, "Rest assured, I will do my utmost tomunicate with the higher-ups, striving to rejuvenate our steel factory." "Manager, we can only count on you now." A representative of the workers said earnestly. Shen Jianhua patted the shoulder of this old colleague, took a deep breath, "Things will get better, you all rest for a few days, when we resume work, then we''ll get to it!" After the workers left. Shen Jianhua walked alone into the factory hall of the steel nt, this familiar ce, now showing sporadic spots of rust. He stood lonely in the factory hall, his expression despondent, his face full of sorrow. "Dad." I don''t know how long it had been. A familiar call came from behind Shen Jianhua. He took a deep breath, smoothed his expression, turned around, and saw Shen Qianqian carrying a briefcase, smiling radiantly at him. By his daughter''s side stood a young man over one-eighty in height, dressed simply, with handsome features, a delicate face, not particrly fair skin but very healthy, wearing a faint smile, clean and sunny. That''s right, Shen Qianqian had said she would bring a friend to see him today. "Dad, let me introduce him to you, this is Lin Chuan, my good friend," Shen Qianqian said as she and Lin Chuan approached Shen Jianhua. Lin Chuan nodded as a greeting, very politely, "Hello, Uncle Shen." "Lin, hello." Shen Jianhua''s voice was robust as he reached out and shook hands with Lin Chuan. "Dad, are you still worried about the steel factory?" Shen Qianqian saw Shen Jianhua''s furrowed brow, his waxyplexioncking in luster, and couldn''t help but feel distressed. "Ah..." Shen Jianhua let out a light sigh and forced a smile, "The matter of the steel factory is not something I can control; I can only do my best to fight for it." "It will get better." Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, offering reassurance. "Let''s talk about your matters instead." Shen Jianhua chuckled dryly, changing the subject to Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan''s business. "Okay then." Shen Qianqian opened her briefcase and took out two stacks of documents, handing them to Shen Jianhua. Shen Jianhua took the documents, flipping through them as he asked, "You''ve been interested in guns since you were little, what kind of gun did you design for thepetition?" "Designed a ''modr'' rifle," Shen Qianqian replied with a lightugh, pointing to the preliminary drawings on the documents. Shen Jianhua''s gazended on the drawings. An image of a rifle appeared before his eyes. The rifle had a smooth overall silhouette, with a moderate length, a straight and slender barrel, and a ck spine-like rail straddling the entire top of the gun. The drawings werebeled with ''Picatinny Rail.'' Below the gun body, there were exnations for the telescopic stock, grip, magazine, and other features, showing Shen Qianqian''s attention to detail. "Your rifle looks very good." Shen Jianhuamented while examining it, ncing at Shen Qianqian, appreciation and pride shing in his eyes. Explore more stories with mvl He was a retired soldier who hadter joined the steel factory after his military service. Though it had been many years since he had handled a gun, he still had authority when it came to firearms and weapons. "Getting praise from an old soldier like you, I should be stable in the preliminary round." Shen Qianqian''s face lit up with a shallow smile, like a newly blossomed peony, delicate and bright. "But this doesn''t seem like your level of work." A father knows his daughter best, Shen Jianhua flipped through the documents, carefully examining the drawings, and came to this conclusion. "You have so little faith in your daughter!" Shen Qianqian pouted slightly, arms crossed, her face wearing a bit of yfulness, and some dissatisfaction. "Aren''t I well aware of your capabilities, or did you refer to someone else''s materials?" Shen Jianhua looked at his daughter with a smile on his face. Chapter 316: Chapter 216 Steel Factory Transformation (Please Subscribe)_2 Shen Qianqian said resignedly, "Alright, I did have Lin Chuan help me with some ideas." "Ah, it was Lin, a formidable youngster." Shen Jianhua looked towards Lin Chuan, his eyes filled with a hint of admiration. Lin Chuan smiled and said withposure, "Uncle Shen, I only offered some directions for improvement. Most of it was independently designed by Qianqian." "Dad, you hear that." Shen Qianqian humphed softly, eager to take credit. Shen Jianhuaughed heartily, "Heard it, heard it. Isn''t it good that your skills are improving?" "That''s more like it!" Shen Qianqian''s smile bloomed like flowers, at odds with the rust-stained iron and steel factory. "Qianqian, when do you n to create the model?" Shen Jianhua asked. Shen Qianqian nced at the iron and steel factory, silent and serene, no longer filled with the nging and boisterous noise of the past, nor the loud conversations of workers. So she asked, "Is it still possible to start up the factory now?" The machinery in the iron and steel factory, especially some of therger machines, wasn''t easy to operate. Starting up many machines would incur significant costs. Shen Jianhua flipped through Shen Qianqian''s documents again, "Your gun is a small item; we can manage with some of the smaller machines, no problem." "And... what aboutrger items?" Shen Qianqian frowned and after speaking, she nced at Lin Chuan next to her. "Larger items?" Shen Jianhua looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?" "Lin Chuan is also entering the National Weapons Innovation Design Competition. The weapon he designed, it''s quiterge, and he would like to use the factory to build both the model and the actual object." Shen Qianqian took the two documents from Shen Jianhua''s hand, flipped to the one underneath, and pointed it out to him. Shen Jianhua first looked at Lin Chuan, then lowered his gaze to the document. On the document was a blueprint model of a rocketuncher. This blueprint model was much more detailed than Shen Qianqian''s ''modr new-style firearms.'' It was not a simple rocketuncher; below it was a heavy-duty highly mobile off-road truck chassis serving as theunching vehicle. One could tell that it was a remote box-type rocketuncher. The overall design resembled a steel beast perched atop the heavy-duty off-road truck, poised and ready, with neatly arrangedunch tubes pointing towards the sky at the front of the barrel. Behind theunch tubes wereplex support structures and adjustment mechanisms. As for the rocketuncher, he wasn''t too knowledgeable about it. However, this blueprint gave him a sense of extreme professionalism. "Lin, we can make a model of this rocketuncher in our steel factory, but as for the actual object, I regret to say that weck the necessary equipment toplete it," Shen Jianhua said softly, looking at Lin Chuan with a hint of apology. Lin Chuan had yet to speak. Shen Qianqian immediately asked, "Dad, are the machines in the factory all unusable now?" Shen Jianhua shook his head, "Qianqian, you might not be aware, but the leaders in the city are thinking of selling off the iron and steel factory to transform it into a private enterprise and increase tax revenue. Some of therger machines have already been locked up and we''re not allowed to use them." He looked at the blueprint again. The small parts of the rocketuncher could be made without guaranteeing precision. However, therger actual objects would require machines likerge-scale stamping machine tools andrge alloy te cutting machines. These had all been packaged and mortgaged to a privatepany. This information had not been publicly announced for fear that the workers of the iron and steel factory would petition jointly and protest on arge scale. Therefore, these processes were conducted in private. The closure of the iron and steel factory had an irreversible trend. "Dad, can''t you fight for Lin Chuan a bit!" Shen Qianqian pleaded urgently, her speech speeding up slightly. Shen Jianhua sighed again. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to help, but as just a factory manager, he couldn''t make decisions for the iron and steel factory. On the surface, it was an issue with the machinery. In reality, it was the imminent bankruptcy and shutdown of the entire iron and steel factory. "Qianqian, it''s tough for Uncle too. Just make a model for now, and I''ll find another way for the actual rocketuncher," Lin Chuan said after a moment of silence. "Lin, don''t take it the wrong way, but Uncle couldn''t be of much help," Shen Jianhua said with regret. This was his first meeting with Lin Chuan. However, with Shen Qianqian receivingmendations from the police station and often appearing in the news alongside Lin Chuan, he had heard all about Lin, knowing that he had helped his daughter a lot, so not being able to help Lin this time made him feel quite sorry. Find exclusive stories on mvl "Uncle, what are you talking about?" Lin Chuan waved his hand and quickly said, "If Uncle has time, could you take me on a tour of the iron and steel factory?" "A tour?" Shen Jianhua was slightly startled, then he smiled and said, "That''s a small matter, of course." After speaking, he raised his hand, gesturing for Lin Chuan to walk ahead. The iron and steel factory was veryrge. Sunlight filtered through the few ss panels in the lofty workshop ceiling, casting mottled light onto the steel-crafted space, filling the air with a unique and slightly pungent smell of iron filings and coke. In the workshop, huge pieces of machinery were neatly arranged, like silent steel giants standing guard. The work had stopped, and the vast steel factory seemed extraordinarily quiet. Lin Chuan, Shen Jianhua, and Shen Qianqian walked among them. "Lin, are you particrly familiar with these machines?" Shen Jianhua nced at Lin Chuan and asked. Along the way, Lin Chuan had discussed these machines with Shen Jianhua, leading him to believe that Lin''s knowledge of their data and functions was no less than his own. That was the cause of his curiosity. He had heard from his daughter Shen Qianqian that Lin Chuan was a web novel writer. Now it seemed that this web novel writer mighte from a family of workers. Lin Chuan smiled: "I just have a bit of a hobby; by the way, Uncle Shen, may I ask about the situation of this steel factory?" "What do you know about the situation?" Shen Jianhua asked. "The factory hasn''t been sold yet, has it?" Lin Chuan asked the question he cared about most. "The situation at the steel factory isn''t good, but it won''t be sold in a hurry," Shen Jianhua said with a bitter smile. "Has there been any consideration of transforming the steel factory?" Lin Chuan asked again. "Transform?" Shen Jianhua''s sallow face showed a flicker of puzzlement, "The top brass has not only considered it but also tried it, yet all efforts ended in failure." As a pir of heavy industry in Anling City, the city''s leaders and the department in charge of the steel factory tried everything to save it, including introducing technology, investment, advanced management models, and improving the production line, but they couldn''t withstand the market''s continuously falling demand for steel. In the end, they were powerless to reverse the situation. Lin Chuan thought for a moment, looked at Shen Jianhua with a clear gaze, and asked, "Have you tried transforming into a military industry enterprise?" "Military industry enterprise?" Shen Jianhua was taken aback instantly. Lin Chuan nodded: "Yes." Shen Jianhua slowly collected his thoughts, first looking at Shen Qianqian: "A couple of days ago, Qianqian briefly mentioned this idea to me, I suppose it must be Lin''s suggestion, right?" "Yes, Lin Chuan told me," Shen Qianqian replied. At that moment, Shen Jianhua''s gaze settled on Lin Chuan: "Lin, I reported this to the leadership yesterday, and the reply was only three words." "Which three words?" Shen Qianqian pressed. Lin Chuan also waited quietly for the rest. "Not realistic," Shen Jianhua said slowly, his face tinged with dejection, "On the one hand, the requirements for military enterprises are very strict, and an ordinary iron and steel factory is unlikely to get such a qualification. On the other hand, Anling Iron and Steel Factorycks military technology and doesn''t have enough capital to invest in military research and development." Shen Qianqian also fell silent. Transforming a steel factory into a military nt is not something you can just decide to do. This was a harsh reality. Lin Chuan seemed to have anticipated such a response and smiled: "Uncle Shen, what if I could solve these two issues for Anling Iron and Steel Factory?" "You can solve them?" Shen Jianhua''s heart jolted, he furrowed his brows, and a hint of doubt appeared on his face. Chapter 317: Chapter 217: Hes Just a Web Novel Writer! (Please Subscribe) Steel factory. Shen Jianhua was both surprised and perplexed. He had seriously considered the transformation to a military nt that Lin Chuan spoke of, but unfortunately, the conditions of the Anling Iron and Steel Factory did not permit it. But now, Lin Chuan said that he could solve the two big problems: ''military nt qualifications'' and ''military technology''. In his heart, hope was kindled for the first time. Nobody was more attached to this steel factory than he was. After his military service, he had plunged headfirst into this steel factory, witnessing it evolve from a backward production workshop into the modern factory it was today. He was both a participant and a creator. Now, as the steel factory faced bankruptcy and closure, he felt even more reluctant and pained than the workers who were about to beid off. The words of Lin Chuan suddenly gave him a flicker of an unrealistic fantasy. That''s right, fantasy. ''Military nt qualifications'' and ''military technology'', either of these were not something ordinary people could grasp or resolve. Lin Chuan was just a web novel writer. Shen Jianhua had often heard of Lin Chuan''s exploits from his daughter. For instance, surveying crime scenes, solving cases at lightning speed, catching fraudsters, busting antique fraud rings, and so on. He knew how extraordinarily capable Lin Chuan was in certain areas. But! ''Military nt qualifications'' and ''military technology'' belonged to apletely different domain! It involved the economic development nning of a region and the level of technological productivity of that area, macro-level matters. It wasn''t as simple as just arresting one or two criminals! Of course, arresting criminals wasn''t simple either! Therefore, Shen Jianhua looked towards his daughter, attempting to discern some insider information from her expression. Regrettably, Shen Qianqian was also confused. She hadn''t heard Lin Chuan mention these matters, having only heard the idea of ''transforming into a military factory'' from him. At this moment, she couldn''t help but ask her father, "Lin Chuan, I haven''t heard you mention this before." Feeling the gaze of the Shen father and daughter, Lin Chuan smiled: "After you mentioned the situation with the steel factoryst time, I started thinking about whether there was a remedy, as you know, the steel factory is the backbone of Anling City''s steel industry, and if it closes, Anling''s heavy industry will never recover." Shen Qianqian continued the conversation, "So, you want to do something for Anling City?" Lin Chuan nodded readily, "If the backbone of steel copses, it will affect many aspects, at least halving the number of jobs in the whole industrial chain, which will bring up security issues. This will also trouble the police station, and since I''m in a cooperative rtionship with the police station, I have to consider you guys as well." Shen Qianqian listened, taken aback, and opened her mouth slightly. Her old friend seemed to be making some sense. The closure of the steel factory seemed unrted to her, but in fact, there was a hidden thread that linked it to her. "So, you''re doing this for me for our police station?" Shen Qianqian asked with furrowed brows, in a daze. "A bit of everything," Lin Chuan responded. The impact was too wide-ranging. Macro changes would be thoroughly reflected in the micro details. To exin it properly, Lin Chuan would have to give Shen Qianqian a remedial lesson. Within this, he also took Xinxin into consideration. In short, if the steel factory could transform into a military enterprise, it would be five hundred percent beneficial for him, Xinxin, Shen Qianqian, the steel factory, and even Anling City! Multiple wins! In the steel factory, Shen Jianhua''s rough hands touched the machinery beside him. Concerning the current situation of the steel factory, he had envisioned various impacts, so he clearly understood that ''transformation'' wasn''t just a spur-of-the-moment idea from Lin Chuan but rather a well-considered proposal. Thinking this, Shen Jianhua secretly sized up the handsome young man standing next to his daughter once more. Standing at 1.86 meters tall, he was half a head taller than Shen Qianqian, with a clean face and a tranquil smile, dressed simply yet every move and word of his seemed to have a refreshing impact, his eyebrows carrying a distinct impressiveness, as if bathed in a spring breeze. Appreciation gleamed in Shen Jianhua''s eyes as he nodded, "Lin, you''ve made some good points, but how do you n to solve the ''military nt qualifications'' and ''military technology'' issues?" Lin Chuan always acted with assurance. Now, he had made thorough preparations, "Uncle Shen, I can provide the technology part. As for the ''military nt qualifications,'' why not bring it up directly with the organizers during the ''National Weaponry Innovation Design Competition''?" "You really dare to dream big!" Shen Qianqian said, her mouth agape, looking at Lin Chuan with some astonishment. What a guy! Others entered thepetition to design weapons. This man was entering thepetition aiming for ''military nt qualifications''; he really wanted to be an Arms Tycoon! "Who are the organizers of thispetition?" Shen Jianhua asked, frowning. Shen Qianqian knew thepetition well and answered immediately, "The organizing entities are the National Weapons Research Institute and the National Ordnance Society." "If we can converse with these two institutions, getting a military factory qualification indeed won''t be difficult." Shen Jianhua''s eyes lit up at once, but the brightness in his eyes soon faded, "To get recognition from these two entities, what level of weaponry must be entered in thepetition?" Shen Qianqian also sighed softly, a trace of dejection on her face, "My gun design probably stands no chance." "There is a chance!" Lin Chuanughed softly, "With some more improvements, your gun has a lot of opportunity." Shen Qianqian looked down at the blueprints of the gun she designed, shaking her head doubtfully, "My skills are limited to this point." Chapter 318: Chapter 217: Hes Just a Web Novel Writer! (Please Subscribe)_2 "There is still room for improvement for this gun," Lin Chuan encouraged. "Then I''ll continue to work on it," Shen Qianqian pursed her lips and nodded solemnly before bringing up Lin Chuan''s rocketuncher, "Can your rocketuncher really make it?" "Of course, it will," Lin Chuan replied affirmatively. In the Virtual World, armed forces from Southeast Asia and the Middle East region are scrambling for this rocketuncher. Some countries are spending a lot to dismantle his "Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher" and are willing to pay a high price for his technology. A certain military superpower has also extended an olive branch to him. These achievements are not to be disclosed to outsiders. "Then let''s give it a try," Shen Jianhua, the steel mill director, took a deep breath and said. What more could he ask for in such a situation? The design blueprints of Lin''s rocketuncher looked indeed very professional, giving it more hope to be recognized by the two hosting organizations than Qianqian''s "modr new-style rifle." A desperate situation calls for desperate measures! What if it seeded? Soon, the three of them threw themselves into the making of the weapon models for thepetition. Since Shen Qianqian''s "modr new-style rifle" still needed optimization, they decided to start with Lin Chuan''s "Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher." This time, the model making was naturally led by Lin Chuan. In the steel mill, inside the office. Lin Chuan inserted a USB drive, exported the model blueprints, and nned the production process ording to the machinery avable in the steel mill. Outside the office. Shen Jianhua took his daughter aside, not forgetting to nce back at Lin Chuan. "Dad, what''s going on?" Shen Qianqian, puzzled, looked at the secretive Shen Jianhua and asked. "I need to ask you something," Shen Jianhua chuckled dryly. "Then ask away, once you''re done, I''m going to assist Chuan," Shen Qianqian''s heart was still with Lin Chuan, keen to help him make the weapon model for the "Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher." "Ah," Shen Jianhua''s face twitched, "How long have you known Lin?" Shen Qianqian''s eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion: "About half a year, aren''t you confident about Lin Chuan? Dad, don''t worry, he is a key protected person by the Anling Police, you can bepletely at ease." "Half a year already, so that means Lin is very outstanding?" Shen Jianhua asked again. "Of course," Speaking of Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian''s brows lifted, and she smiled brightly, "Dad, don''t be fooled by his youthfulness, he''s actually very skilled." In her heart, she added a line. Although what he excels at isn''t always respectable. Shen Jianhua let out a long "Oh," and continued with interest, "So what''s your rtionship with him now, friends?" Shen Qianqian immediately took a step back, pouted, andined: "I thought you were worried about Lin Chuan''s expertise, but it turns out you have other intentions!" "Qianqian, this isn''t about having other intentions, you know what I''m most concerned about right now is you and the steel mill," Shen Jianhua sighed softly. Ever since the steel mill started its decline, his spirits had sagged too, and suddenly it dawned on him that he was getting old. Once a person feels old, it''s inevitable to start worrying more. Apart from the steel mill, his main concern was Shen Qianqian. However, Shen Qianqian had been working for quite some time now, her career was thriving, with regrmendations and awards from her unit. But then. There was no progress in her romantic life. Could that not make an old father anxious? "Dad, you don''t need to worry about this," Shen Qianqian nced discreetly towards the office before speaking immediately. The thing young people hate the most is being rushed to marry and have kids. Shen Qianqian was no exception. Love isn''t something you can have just by wanting it, and even if you try to force it, there might not be any fruit to bear! And the marriage market nowadays is not so good either! Shen Jianhua, feeling old and with age, added one more thing, "Qianqian, I think Lin..." But before he could finish, Shen Qianqian interrupted him. "Stop!" Shen Qianqian immediately crossed her hands and said, "He has a girlfriend, don''t go pairing them randomly!" "Uh..." Shen Jianhua, the elderly father, suddenly found himself at a loss for words, and could only sigh inwardly. What a pity. "You should care less about young people''s business and just look forward to your steel mill bing a military factory. If you really have nothing to do, go dancing with mom in the square. Otherwise, there are a lot of old men in the square, so keep an eye out," Shen Qianqian pouted slightly, teasing her father in return. Shen Jianhua grinned: "Excellent men always have confidence; in this respect, Lin and I are very much alike." "Cough cough cough!" Shen Qianqian suddenly choked on her breath and began to cough violently. This dad, shameless! Well, in this respect, he really is somewhat like Lin Chuan! After the small talk, the Shen family father and daughter returned to the office to work with Lin Chuan on the model making of the ''Long-range Box-type Rocket Launcher.'' Lin Chuan had ''frighteningly extensive'' experience in weapons making. So model making was not difficult for him. The Long-range Rocket Launcher, thanks to its ''multiunch rocket system,'' quickunch speed, fierce firepower, good surprise attack capabilities, and strong mobility, quickly became a popr item in military weaponry. For instance, the HIMARS Rocket Launcher is one of the ''hot-selling'' models. The ''Long-range Rocket Launcher'' that Lin Chuan was working on had some simrities with the weapons designed by Shen Qianqian, incorporating a ''box-type modr'' design. This design was already established in reality. ''Box-type modr'' allows rocketuncher projectiles to be sealed in theunch box like missiles. If there is a battle, aunch box can be quickly mounted on the rocketuncher frame, ?enabling rapid deployment and greater convenience. Therefore, the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher became one of the main development directions of rocketunchers. "Lin Chuan, this ''box-type modr'' design you came up with seems really strong," Shen Qianqian said,paring it to her ''modr new-style rifle'' and immediately feeling outssed. Lin Chuan smiled and exined, "The box-type Rocket Launcher I''ve designed can achieve precise strikes at different distances by changing rocket projectiles of different calibers." "What''s the maximum range?" Off to the side, Shen Jianhua asked. Lin Chuan pointed at the Rocket Launcher model on theputer, then switched to the projectile model, a look of confidence on his face: "I''ve prepared three types of rocket projectiles with different calibers, which theoretically could achieve precision strikes within 600 kilometers!" "Even though I don''t quite understand, it seems really powerful," Shen Qianqian admitted, not being very knowledgeable about rocketunchers but impressed by the ''600 kilometers'' part. Shen Jianhua didn''t understand much either. "Uncle Shen, I''ve finished this part; we can start making the model now," said Lin Chuan, knowing that the Shen father and daughter were not very familiar with rocketunchers, he skipped the topic and went straight into the production process. "Good," Shen Jianhua nodded his head. They left the office. Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan walked side by side. She turned to Lin Chuan and earnestly requested, "Lin Chuan, when your model is ready, can you also help me optimize my rifle? I would like to do something for the steel mill." Lin Chuan looked into Shen Qianqian''s bright and clear eyes andughed, "Of course there''s no problem." The preliminaries were approaching. Weapon model making became the primary task for Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian. Chapter 319: Chapter 218 - The Stats of This Weapon Are Too Exaggerated! (Please Subscribe) "The preliminary round of the ''National Weapon Innovation Design Competition'' was set for September 7." During this time, Lin Chuan had been busy with the rocketuncher. At the same time, he also helped Shen Qianqian optimize her "modr new-style rifle," making it more professional and practical than before. "Comrade Lin Chuan, you said you were a firearms research expert, and now I truly believe it." After the new-style rifle model was made, Shen Qianqian''s eyes gleamed with admiration as she looked at the rifle; her fair hands couldn''t help but lightly caress it as though it was a piece of art. An art piece in wartime. "A firearms research expert, you could say so." In the steel mill, Lin Chuan smiled faintly and said. Holding the "rifle model" dearly, Shen Qianqian walked out of the steel mill with Lin Chuan and got into the car. In the car, Shen Qianqian turned towards Lin Chuan, her interest piqued, and asked, "Lin Chuan, you think my ''rifle'' could win an award, right?" Lin Chuan sat in the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt: "I reckon it could take second ce." "Second?" Shen Qianqian felt secretly delighted upon hearing this and further asked, "Why not first ce?" "Because my cannon is fierce, you''ve seen it!" Lin Chuan answered very seriously. "Your cannon is fierce?" Shen Qianqian''s brows furrowed, feeling that it sounded odd, "Nice, Lin Chuan, so now you drive too! I must tell Xinxin!" "I don''t have a driver''s license, I can''t drive!" Lin Chuan wondered aloud. "You were just driving!" Shen Qianqian muttered under her breath. "I was just walking, and you were walking with me." Lin Chuan stated solemnly. Shen Qianqian was both annoyed and amused by Lin Chuan: "Okay, my thoughts were twisted. Your cannon, uh, your Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher, is indeed fierce!" "Thanks for the praise, Officer Shen. This time first ce is secured." Lin Chuanughed. As Shen Qianqian recalled the rocketuncher Lin Chuan had designed, doubts resurfaced in her mind: "Tell me honestly, are you really a web novel writer?" "You''ve asked that question many times." Lin Chuan griped. Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, slightly embarrassed: "You alwayse up with things that are unimaginable, I can''t help but ask." "What''s there to worry about? We know each other inside out," Lin Chuan casually said. "Who knows you inside out?" Upon hearing this, Shen Qianqian spat in irritation, yet her cheeks flushed, "You''re driving again!" "nder! I''m suing you for nder!" Lin Chuan immediately retorted, "I''m sitting in the passenger seat, it''s you who are holding the wheel, clearly, you''re driving!" Shen Qianqian burst outughing in frustration, her face a mix of exasperation, "My driving isn''t about this driving, so which driving is it?" "Which this and that, I honestly don''t know!" Lin Chuan grinned. "I really am going toin to Xinxin!" Shen Qianqian huffed. "Officer Shen, it''s clearly your dirty mind; this is not on me!" Lin Chuan said with an innocent face. Shen Qianqian took deep breaths. Her chest heaved erratically, her heart in turmoil! Clearly, he was driving, yet he said he was sitting in the passenger seat, it was me driving! So frustrating! "How about we just take a taxi back, that way we won''t have to worry about who''s driving?" Lin Chuan suggested. Shen Qianqian red at Lin Chuan and huffed: "No need, I''ll drive!" The roar of the car echoed outside the steel mill. Shen Qianqian stepped on the gas pedal. The car sped away. Now, both had readied their weapon models, just waiting for the preliminary round to start. "By the way, you haven''t been writing your noveltely, huh?" Shen Qianqian calmed down and asked. This woman driver was very skilled. Lin Chuan lounged in the passenger seat, his head leaning towards the window, gazing at the rapidly passing scenery: "I am writing, I''ll publish it after making it to the finals." "What does writing a novel have to do with making it to the finals?" Shen Qianqian wondered, then her expression froze, "Your new book''s theme is about weapons, isn''t it?" Lin Chuan turned to look at Shen Qianqian''s profile and smiled, "Exactly." He had his ns. In his forting book, "Arms Tycoon," there was a lot of descriptions and ideas about weapons and equipment. If he published now, and readers use the weapon concepts from his book in thepetition, wouldn''t that be giving his ideas away for free? The feeling of being exploited was genuinely unpleasant! Lin Chuan nned to wait until he was in the finals and then publish the book. He wanted to leverage the fever of the ''National Weapon Innovation Design Competition'' finals to market his new book "Arms Tycoon." Fortunately, the task of assessment and Poprity Value (Average Subscription) requirements were beingpleted together! Cough, he had beautiful ns. "You, for the sake of writing novels, really dare to do anything!" Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, saying from the heart. "Earning a living, just getting by," Lin Chuanughed. ... Capital City, National Weapons Research Institute. Statistics Office. ''National Weapon Innovation Design Competition'' aimed at arming the popce. And since it was the first edition, the organizers paid extra attention to theposition of the contestants and their weapon creativity. The more participants there are, the better the "National Arms Preparation" is proving to be. "Zhao, have youpiled the data for Han River Province yet?" the head of the Statistics Office asked as he entered the office. The registration deadline had passed, and the Statistics Office was busilypiling the data. "Justpiled it!" The girl addressed as ''Zhao'' promptly responded. Her name was Zhao Xiaoli, a graduate of Jingdu University of Science and Technology, currently a doctoral candidate, mainly researching ''weaponunch systems.'' She had just started her job, assigned to the Statistics Office. "Hard work, send it to me immediately," the director instructed. "Okay." Zhao Xiaoli quickly nodded, her slender fingers tapping on the keyboard, and then immediately uploaded the data to the head of the Statistics Office. The director continued, "Trouble you once more, extract the registration data for ''rocketunchers,'' ''firearms,'' ''tanks,'' bat aircraft,'' and bat vessels'' from the data of various provinces." "Okay." Zhao Xiaoli immediately immersed herself in the work of data retrieval. However, retrieving data wasn''t difficult; in just half an hour, she hadpleted the task, categorizing them and sent it to the head of the Statistics Office. "Finally done." Zhao Xiaoli stretched and yawned audibly. Now, it was already September. At five o''clock in the afternoon in Capital City, the nting sun cast a pale golden light through the partly closed curtains into the office, creating a golden area. Just off work, a few statisticians were organizing documents while chatting and sharing amusing stories. "Just now, the director specifically asked us to pull out some of these types of weapons, like ''rocketunchers,'' ''firearms,'' what''s he up to?" one statistician wondered aloud. "Isn''t that simple?" An experienced middle-aged woman chuckled, "inly speaking, these weapons are the focus areas. Behind closed doors, for instance, that foreign ''HIMARS'' model surpasses us in rocketunchers, and we''re really putting effort into it." Everyone nodded. The middle-aged woman smiled again: "This weapon designpetition isn''t just about the diversity of weapon types; the identities of the participants are also quite unexpected." "Indeed!" One of the statisticians agreed, "I found one here; he''s ate-night food stall owner, and his registration info says the weapon type he designed is an ''unmanned bomber.''" "I also have a participant here that''s quite unexpected." "Quick, let''s hear it." "He''s a ranch owner from Inner Mongolia. In his self-introduction, he mentioned he''s never left Inner Mongolia, yet he registered a design for a ''cruiser''!" "That''s really impressive!" "It seems like we really do have many military enthusiasts!" "..." Zhao Xiaoli also started tough, joining in: "I am responsible for the data statistics of Han River Province, and there''s a web novel writer participating." When the people in the office heard ''web novel writer,'' they became curious. "This time, we have ate-night food vendor, a ranch owner from Inner Mongolia, students of all school levels, and even a web novel writer, pretty much covering all walks of life!" "A web novel writer participating, this is definitely a die-hard military enthusiast!" "I heard that web novel writers have great imaginations; I am a bit curious, what kind of weapon did he design?" Zhao Xiaoli had a rather deep impression of Lin Chuan. She had looked again whilepiling rocketuncher data: "He designed a remote box-type rocketuncher." Everyone began to talk all at once about it. "This rocketuncher sounds quite formidable!" "Our current main focus is also on the remote box-type rocketunchers." "Typical of a web novel writer, a big imagination." "..." Zhao Xiaoli pulled up Lin Chuan''s registration information and nodded, "His imagination is indeed massive. In the weapon''s brief introduction, he mentioned that it could achieve precision strikes within a 600-kilometer range." "600 kilometers?" The few statisticians in the office were taken aback. They were the staff of the ''National Weapons Research Institute - Data Statistics Office,'' and they understood the specifics of various weapons extremely well. Rocketunchers, 600 kilometers... that''s a bit exaggerated! To be aware, the High Mobility M142 Self-propelled Rocket Launcher developed by ''Lockheed Martin Corporation,'' also known as the ''HIMARS'' rocketuncher, has a maximum range of 300 kilometers. A web novel writer aiming to design a ''remote box-type rocketuncher'' directly doubling it to 600 kilometers. This quite startled the staff at the Statistics Office. "600 kilometers, that''s a significantly exaggerated figure!" "I need to pay special attention to this web novel writer!" "Honestly, no offense intended, I am genuinely eager to see how his remote box-type rocketuncher aplishes a 600-kilometer precision strike!" "I''m getting excited too!" "The preliminary round ising up soon; Xiaoli, when it''s time for this web novel writer to demonstrate, make sure you inform us!" Zhao Xiaoli smiled, saying, "You all want to watch the excitement, I''ll definitely notify you then." A special team was established within the National Weapons Research Institute. Specifically responsible for all matters rted to the ''National Weapons Innovation Design Competition.'' Zhao Xiaoli was one of the members. She was responsible for the information statistics of the participants in Han River Province, as well as the preliminary and final assessments, and reporting of weapon data. It could be said that when Lin Chuan''s ''remote box-type rocketuncher'' was tested to see if it could achieve a 600-kilometer precision strike, she would be among the first to know. However. Her specialty was ''weaponunch engineering,'' and she held a 120 percent skepticism toward Lin Chuan''s ''600-kilometer precision strike.'' This strike range was far ahead of anything in the rocketuncher field worldwide! A bit unrealistic! "600 kilometers, being able tounch it would already be a sess." Zhao Xiaoli chuckled and muttered to herself. Chapter 320: Chapter 219 This is definitely a genius! (Please subscribe) September 7th, Saturday. The veil of night fell, dotted with stars, which corresponded to the distant glow of Anling City''s lights and neon, the riverside shone with rippling water like ayer of silver satin spread across the surface, reflecting on the windows of Linjiang Mansion. That night, Lin Chuan and the Little Landy were sitting in front of aputer. On theputer screen was the live broadcast of the preliminaries for the "National Weapon Innovation Design Competition." The screen was split into two halves. Continue your journey on mvl On the left were the host and a staff member from the organizingmittee, standing in front of the podium with promotional posters for the event in the background. The identities of the two were listed at the bottom of the screen. The host was named Zhou Nan, dressed in a suit, tall and straight, with appropriate demeanor andnguage. The other was named Zhao Xiaoli, quite young, with short hair and an oval face; her skin looked good and very fair under the lighting, and she wore a military uniform cinched at the waist, disying a poised and valiant appearance. On the right side of the live broadcast was a man from Inner Mongolia. A participant. His skin was yellowish, and he had a sturdy build; he held a ''ship'' type model in his hand and introduced his ''cruiser'' with a rough voice in great detail: "The cruiser I designed focuses on durability and robustness; I n to use the most solid materials for the hull and equip it with the most advanced electronic systems, as well as electronic interference for enemy radar." "This way, we can withstand damage andunch attacks, and the enemy won''t be able to see us! To give you an analogy, brothers watching the live broadcast who have yed ''LoL'' should know, it''s like abination of Sun Ce and Prince of Lanling! By the time they react, our cruiser will already have closed in on them!" "..." The participant was very enthusiastic in his introduction. Zhou Nan and Zhao Xiaoli listened attentively to his presentation, nodding their heads from time to time, giving him positive affirmation that made him even more animated! The military enthusiasts watching the live broadcast were also excited! [Holy shit! Genius!] [I have to say, if this could really be made, it would definitely be a dominant force in the ocean!] [Electronic system to interfere with radar, cruiser durable and reliable for output, can strike back from dire situations and take out opponents! Amazing!] [I, Wang Duoyu, am voting for this project!] [Inner Mongolian navy, I think it''s feasible!] [If this project really goes into research, I''ll donate the cost of two packs of cigarettes!] [...] Back at theputer. Lin Chuanughed as well, "This guy''s idea is really good!" "Theirments are so funny, haha!" The Little Landy didn''t understand much about military weapons, but watching the live broadcast''s chat stream, she could catch a glimpse and gather some information. After all, the viewers in this live stream were all military enthusiasts. So, thesements were generally not too oundish. As for trolls and anti-fans. They''d be crazy to cause trouble in this live broadcast where minute investigations into three generations of their ancestors could happen, not to mention they could be a "walkingwsuit of 500,000." "Some of thesements are quite professional," Lin Chuan said, resting his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair, appearing rather rxed. "Expertise lies among the folk!" The Little Landy sat beside him, hugging Lin Chuan''s arm, "Chairman, you don''t seem nervous at all?" Lin Chuan turned his head, "It''s not my turn yet." "We''re currently at number 78, Sister Qianqian is 79, it''s almost her turn!" the Little Landy checked the numbers, her face disying an expectant look. She was very curious about the firearm designed by Sister Qianqian with the help of their Chairman. "After Qianqian''s turn, it''ll be mine." Lin Chuan checked his own connection number; he was number 80. Because so many contestants registered for the "National Weapon Innovation Design Competition," this time they split into several live broadcast rooms to stream. Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian were grouped with Zhao Xiaoli. "I too am looking forward to your big gun!" The Little Landy twinkled her charming eyes mischievously. "Xinxin, what kind of suggestive talk is this!" Lin Chuan couldn''t help but ruffle her hair. This girl was daring to flirt at such a time! Too bold! "Your ''600-kilometer precision strike Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' has such a long name, it''s a bit hard for me to remember, so I just call it your big gun," the Little Landy said yfully, smiling. "You remember it now, don''t you?" Lin Chuan retorted. "Chairman, look, it''s Sister Qianqian''s turn!" The Little Landy, Xinxin, pointed out as the live broadcast switched from the ''cruiser'' that had just finished to contestant number 79, Shen Qianqian. "Hello, host and judges, I am Shen Qianqian, a criminal police officer from Anling City of Han River Province." Shen Qianqian started by introducing herself. In the live broadcast, she wore a police uniform, her ck hair tied into a ponytail at the back of her head, showing off delicate features, with fair skin as another plus, giving an impression of freshness like a spring breeze. Although ''appearance'' isn''t necessary for ''criminal police'' and ''weapon design.'' Still, a person with high attractiveness can always quickly catch others'' attention, or rather, more easily win a favorable impression. [Guys, this live broadcast room is really keeping up appearances!] [Definitely held to high standards of beauty, not only is the judge gorgeous, but the contestants are equally stunning and even a police officer, impressive!] [Now I know why I can''t find a partner, they''ve all been dedicated to the nation!] [Guys, it''s only a 23-hour drive from here to Anling City in Han River Province, I''m setting off!] [...] "Sister Qianqian is so popr!" In front of theputer, the Little Landy, Xinxin, sparkled with excitement watching Shen Qianqian, a look of admiration on her face. Chapter 321: Chapter 219: This is definitely a talented person! (Subscribe please)_2 "If you go, the poprity should also be very high," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "I won''t go, I''ll just show it to you." The Little Landy said with a light smile. In the live streaming room. When Zhao Xiaoli saw the appearance of the criminal investigator Shen Qianqian, her eyes lit up, and she revealed a smile, "Qianqian, hello, please introduce the weapon you designed." There were too many participants. So, without any superfluous pleasantries, straight to the point. Zhao Xiaoli looked at the registration information in her hand, very interested in the weapon designed by Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian represented Anling Police Station in thepetition and was now doing a live broadcast from the police station. "Okay." She nodded lightly and then took out a rectangr box from under the table, about 120 centimeters long. Under the focused gaze of Zhao Xiaoli, Zhou Nan, and the live streaming audience, she slowly opened the box. Inside the box, a rifle stood silently. Its stock was supported at the bottom of the box, and the entire barrel presented an aggressive angle. Its surface was covered with ayer of ck paint, a rail extended to the end of the barrel like a dragon''s spine, and the barrel was slender, with a hint of cold light revealing itself. It seemed as if Shen Qianqian only needed a moment to pick it up, pull the trigger, and a cold bullet would shoot out from the chamber, piercing the night sky with the sound of a dragon''s chant. There were several parts at the bottom of the box. Find your next read at mvl They seemed to be rted to the rifle yet did not belong to it. [This rifle looks good!] [As expected of a criminal investigator, she''s beautiful, and the rifle she designed is eye-catching at first nce. This is what true professionalism is!] [With such a criminal investigator, who in Anling City would dare to cause trouble without looking?] [Eh, those parts... this investigator is really professional, Firearms Modrization design!] [Wow, that''s really something!] [...] Shen Qianqian did not see what the barrage was saying but gently picked up the rifle and started to exin it, "The rifle I designed employs the ''Firearms Modrization'' design concept; therefore, it can be either an assault rifle or a sniper rifle." As she spoke, Shen Qianqian began to quickly disassemble the rifle with her hands. It had to be said. Shen Qianqian''s familiarity with firearms was truly high. The way she disassembled the firearm parts was extremely fast; in just a moment, she had removed some of the parts and, in a short period, equipped it with a ''high-power scope'' among otherponents. As Shen Qianqian''s handspleted the movements, a sniper rifle appeared in the live broadcast. Some viewers who were looking down to pick up a mouse or light a cigarette expressed their confusion [The rifle she had just now didn''t look like this!] [How did the assault rifle turn into a sniper rifle?] [Her disassembly is as cool as mine!] [Wait, this rifle seems unseen on the market before!] [...] It wasn''t just the audience who felt this way. Zhou Nan and Zhao Xiaoli in the live streaming room felt the same. Zhao Xiaoli''s gaze never left Shen Qianqian''s live feed; she saw every step clearly. Assault rifle to sniper rifle... A multi-use weapon! Was this not the very weapon style that the higher-ups had mentioned should be a focus of attention? Zhao Xiaoli''s eyes brightened, she leaned forward quite a bit, eager to see the details of the rifle in Shen Qianqian''s hands, "Qianqian, your rifle, aside from the ''assault rifle'' and ''sniper rifle'' forms, does it have any others?" Shen Qianqian nodded lightly, her face wearing a smile, and she responded with ease, "Yes, it can also be switched into a ''squad automatic weapon,'' ''Short automatic rifle,'' and other forms." Zhao Xiaoli took a deep breath and whispered something into host Zhou Nan''s ear before leaving the live streaming room. The host, Zhou Nan, was actually assisting Zhao Xiaoli to control the situation. After Zhao Xiaoli left, he immediately took over the task, "Comrade Shen Qianqian, apart from the multi-use feature, are there any other highlights?" Shen Qianqian picked up the sniper rifle and pointed to a rail on the body of the gun, exining: "Host, this is the Picatinny Rail, it allows easy attachment of ''mechanical sight,'' ''optical sight,'' ''infrared thermal imager,'' and other tactical essories!" "Additionally, I''ve used a transparent magazine and an adjustable stock to fit shooters with different arm lengths; I can demonstrate now." The host Zhou Nan nodded, "All right, please demonstrate." At this moment, the live-streaming room''s barrage ofments was flying all over, military enthusiasts were totally freaking out! [You guys haven''t touched on its truly amazing aspects yet, most of the guns we currently use domestically are still mainly from the Type 95 family.] [If, and I mean if, this gun can really pass professional appraisal and testing and gets put into use, then it will be the new standard issue, a weapon that every soldier can use!] [This is a major innovation in light weapons!] [Damn! Now that you mention it, you just awakened my awareness, that''s so strong!] [Did she develop this on her own?] [Currently, domestic firearms development on ''Firearms Modrization'' hasn''t made much headway, and she''s actuallye up with it!] [The true masters are among the people!] [She is definitely a genius!] [Xiaoli has just left now!] [This is definitely going to be reported to the leaders, the gun is just too awesome!] [...] These military enthusiasts really understand firearms. As they said, if this firearm can pass appraisal, testing and be put into use, it will be a major innovation in light weapons. On the other hand, they guessed right. Zhao Xiaoli left the live-streaming room and immediately found her direct superior, Sun Cheng. "Director, thepetitors I''m responsible for have designed a ''modr new-style firearm'' that can be used for multiple purposes, and they''ve performed a demonstration on-site!" Zhao Xiaoli quickly approached Director Sun Cheng and spoke very fast, showing a bit of urgency! "Modr new-style firearm, one gun many uses?" Sun Cheng raised an eyebrow and asked in a steady tone. He was standing in the main control room, in front of him arge screen disyed the various live streams of the night''s preliminaries. Zhao Xiaoli nodded earnestly. As one of the main persons in charge of the event, Sun Cheng sharply sensed that the situation reported by Zhao Xiaoli was quite extraordinary. Thus, he immediately ordered the staff, "Switch to live stream of Group 2 right away." Group 2''s live stream was precisely the one Zhao Xiaoli was responsible for. At this moment, Shen Qianqian''s live broadcast image and rted information appeared in front of Sun Cheng. He looked at it and gently nodded, "A local detective, a promising young talent, that gun in her hands..." As he spoke, he paused for a moment, inevitably stepping forward two paces, leaning in a little closer to get a better look at the firearm in Shen Qianqian''s hands. Hiss! Sun Cheng took a deep breath, his eyebrows knitting together. "What''s wrong, Director?" Zhao Xiaoli couldn''t help but ask, seeing Sun Cheng''s expression. Sun Cheng didn''t answer Zhao Xiaoli''s question. His gaze was deeply captured by the firearm. He could be heard murmuring softly, "Full-length Picatinny Rail, manual safety, selector lever for semi and fully automatic, transparent magazine design, telescoping stock, bolt hold-open release button... Hiss! Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" Sun Cheng let out a session of exmations. Suddenly, he immediately instructed Zhao Xiaoli, "You go back to the live streaming room right away, and you can''t reveal any more information about that gun; then, contact her immediately!" Chapter 322: Chapter 220: I dont believe it! Hes definitely bluffing! (Please subscribe) In the main control room. Sun Cheng, the director of the Statistics Office at the National Weapons Research Institute, stood at six feet tall. Dressed in a well-tailored dark suit with a white shirt underneath, he stood with hands folded behind him. His broad shoulders and straight back, along with his short hair that was both neat and spirited, revealed just a few wisps of white at the foreheadnot from age, but from the long-term mental strain of his work. At that moment, he was intently watching the electronic screen in front of him, focused on the gun in Shen Qianqian''s hand. He was looking at it as if it were a piece of perfect art. Enjoy exclusive chapters from mvl "Yes, I''ll go right away." At his side, Zhao Xiaoli had received her instructions and immediately set to work. Sun Cheng nodded slightly, his face quietly reflecting a hint of joy, as he thought to himself: "This police officer''s design is currently the most eye-catching weapon, no, it should be said, the most perfect weapon of thispetition!" As the director of the ''Statistics Office'', although he was not an absolute authority, his many years immersed in weapon data made him an all-around talent among weapon experts. He could quickly recite urate data for every kind of weapona connoisseur in his field. This time, upon seeing Shen Qianqian''s ''stunning masterpiece'', he immediately gave it a high appraisal. Had the gun not been in Anling, he would have gone in the dead of night with his team to visit Shen Qianqian, requesting her to thoroughly exin the design process and detailed data of the gun. Moreover, he would have brought along the Institute''s gun experts to assess the data and appraise the technology overnight. If everything passed, the production department of the Weapons Research Institute would start making it with 100% precision the very next day; they must ensure that this gun was demonstrated wlessly! ''Bang, bang, bang.'' Sun Cheng extended his thumb and forefinger, unable to resist making the ''gun'' gesture, itching to try a few shots. He took a deep breath, calming his emotions. By this time, Zhao Xiaoli had returned to the broadcast room, her expression calm, with a faint smile on her face as she gave a slight nod to the host, Zhou Nan. Zhou Nan immediately understood and continued the conversation with Shen Qianqian: "Comrade Shen Qianqian, your time to introduce hase. This gun design is very perfect. The jury is currently appraising and scoring yourpetition entry. The scores will be announced after the preliminaries, so please pay attention." "Okay," Shen Qianqian nodded in response. Then, the connection ended. Zhao Xiaoli took over, smiling as she said, "Audience friends in the live broadcast room, to thank you for your strong support of this weapon design contest, we will draw 100 lucky viewers at random in each event''s live broadcast room, giving away ''Jian 10'' souvenir models." This was an interactive segment during the interval. A little treat for the military enthusiasts. The fans in the live broadcast room were still marveling at the design of the gun by Shen Qianqian. [I dare to guess, that policerade just now should be the top of this design contest!] [I''ve been switching through several event live broadcasts. Honestly, her design is the most stunning!] [Speaking of professionalism! She must be on the level of a gun expert!] [This youngdy has a limitless future ahead of her!] [Did she really design this on her own?] [If she designed it all by herself, that''s too terrifying!] [Genius, definitely a genius!] [...] Inside the Anling Police Station. Shen Qianqian let out a silent sigh of relief. She was still very nervous, not expecting the live broadcast audience to number as many as one hundred thousand. This was equivalent to her disying the weapon she designed in front of a hundred thousand people. Her heart was pounding nervously. Fortunately, this ''modr new-style rifle'', with Lin Chuan''s involvement, had been optimized in every aspect, which gave her a bit of confidence. "That''s amazing, Qianqian!" Xia Qingqing was full of genuine congrattory smiles for her friend. That evening, representing Anling Police Station, Shen Qianqian had many colleagues watching by her side. They were watching the live broadcast and also observing her. They saw the barrage ofments in the live broadcast! "Quick, let me see that gun," said Hu Daqiang, the Criminal Police Brigade captain, without putting on any airs. He moved closer, his gaze burning with enthusiasm as he looked at the model gun in front of Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian gracefully passed the model gun over to him. Hu Daqiang received it cautiously. Then, he examined it closely, gently touching the body, barrel, and stock of the gun like one might caress a cherished treasure, unable to hide his admiration with exmations. Aside. Xia Qingqingughed and said, "Qianqian, your gun has received high praise!" "You know that I''m not really the true designer of this gun," Shen Qianqian humbly replied, without taking all the credit for herself. The real designer of the gun should be Lin Chuan. She had proposed the design concept, and Lin Chuan had helped her realize the gun from conception to implementation. "Are you talking about him?" Xia Qingqing made a little joke. "When the interaction segment is over, it''ll be his turn to showcase his weapon. Maybe you''ll go to the finals and win first ce while he might not even make it to the finals!" "Then I''ll have to mock him mercilessly!" If that actually happened, Shen Qianqian wouldn''t pass up the ''good'' opportunity to kick him when he''s down. However, she had seen the design of the Rocket Launcher. Extremely impressive. The chance of mocking seemed faint. "Bring me along when that happens; I too want to join in the fun," Xia Qingqing said with a lightugh, but then added, considering that this guy had never slipped up before. If he messed up this time, they''d tease him first, then console him properly. "Qianqian, exactly how did you design this gun?" Hu Daqiang, looking at the gun model, asked with a face full of curiosity. Chapter 323: Chapter 220: I dont believe it! Hes definitely bluffing! (Please subscribe)_2 Shen Qianqian was about to exin. Suddenly. Ring, ring, ring On the desk, her cellphone rang. Caller ID: Unknown. "Who''s calling me at this time?" muttered Shen Qianqian before picking up the phone and answering the call. "Qianqian, hello, this is Zhao Xiaoli." From the phone, a familiar voice came through. "Comrade Zhao Xiaoli, hello, hello," Shen Qianqian hurriedly responded, realizing this was a staffer from the Weapons Research Institute. Was she calling about the weapon? "Qianqian, just call me Xiaoli," Zhao Xiaoli''s voice was gentle, her tone soft and breezy, "The ''modr new-style rifle'' you designed is very impressive, so we''d like to discuss with you the detailed information and data about this firearm. Are you avable right now?" "I am," Shen Qianqian was delighted that her firearm design had been recognized. "Qianqian, thank you so much for your cooperation," Zhao Xiaoli was very pleasant and polite, "Did you create blueprints when you were designing this firearm?" "I did," exined Qianqian, "But since it''s a gun model, it''s rtively simple and many parts are unfinished. If you need them, I can send them to you right now." "Great, I''ll add your contact right away." "Okay." "Qianqian, the authorities are taking this firearm very seriously. We hope that you will keep the design, data, and other information confidential. In a couple of days, we will arrange for dedicated staff toe to Anling City to connect with you." Zhao Xiaoli sounded quite solemn. Discover exclusive content at mvl Shen Qianqian nodded, "I understand." "Thank you for your cooperation!" Zhao Xiaoli said earnestly. After ending the call, Shen Qianqian immediately epted Zhao Xiaoli''s friend request and sent her the blueprints and other information. In the live broadcast room. The host Zhou Nan continued to interact with viewers, drawing lucky participants to give awaymemorative models. In the control room. Zhao Xiaoli put down the phone, waiting for Shen Qianqian''s information. Ding-dong. The information arrived. "Director, Comrade Shen Qianqian has sent the blueprints," Zhao Xiaoli looked up and with an inquiring expression, turned to Sun Cheng, the ''Statistics Office Director''. "Quick, project it onto the big screen, let''s take a look at these blueprints right away!" Sun Cheng said hurriedly. Zhao Xiaoli could tell that her immediate superior held Shen Qianqian''s weapon design in high regard. Shortly after. The electronic big screen disyed a 2D model of a rifle blueprint. It detailed the firearm''s various metrics, its individualponents, and offered descriptions of innovative designs for crucial parts. "Upper and lower receivers, handguard, grip, these parts are made of aluminum alloy; the magazine and rapid charger are made of sticgood, very good! Indeed, it''s designed very professionally!" Sun Cheng eximed from the heart. He admired every detail of the ''modr new-style rifle,'' heaping praise non-stop. Then. Sun Cheng took out his cellphone from his pocket, scrolled through his contacts to find a number, pressed the ''dial'' button, and cleared his throat with a light cough. Beep, beep, beep The call connected. "Old Ming, how''s the progress with that ''Firearms Modrization'' you''re working on?" Sun Cheng asked cheerfully, his tone casual as if chatting about everyday matters. On the other end of the line. The person now referred to as ''Old Ming'' replied, "Of course, there''s progress. I''m telling you, within three years, I''ll lead my team to develop a ''modr firearm'' that can be put into usea milestone in the history of firearms!" "Within three years, might that be a bit long?" Sun Cheng teased with a slight smile. "I give you five years. If you can, then do it," Old Ming, presumably Sun Cheng''s good friend, retorted without hesitation. "Hahaha!" Sun Chengughed unrestrainedly, hisughter threatening to pierce through the control room''s floorboards and drift into the night sky. "What are youughing about?" Old Ming felt theughter to be somewhat grating, as if there was a mocking undertone to it. "No need for five years, I can show you the results right now!" Sun Cheng said, his face brimming with pride. "What are you blowing your trumpet about?" Old Ming cut through with a biting remark. "Juste over to my ce; it only takes half an hour, right? In half an hour, you''ll see a new world,"ughed Sun Cheng. "Who are you trying to fool?" Old Ming seemed unconvinced. "If you don''te, you''ll regret it for the rest of your life." Sun Cheng left him with that remark and then pressed the ''end call'' button. These words didn''t quite fit his status, but they were very effective. His friend, Old Ming, intrigued by his words, had no choice but to put down what he was doing and head towards the ''Statistics Office.'' In the control room. Sun Cheng hummed a tune, cing his hands behind his back and pacing leisurely around the room. Just the emergence of this weapon alone had already outshone all others at this ''National Weapon Innovation Design Competition.'' No, it was beyond the scope of thepetition. Indeed, as Old Ming said, it was ''a milestone in the history of firearms''! Thispetition was exceptionally worthwhile! "Let''s take another look at the live broadcast room Xiaoli is managing," Sun Cheng instructed the staff to zoom in on Zhao Xiaoli''s live broadcast room. On the electronic screen, Zhao Xiaoli and Zhou Nan appeared promptly. Inside the live broadcast room. Zhou Nan smiled, "Okay, that''s the one hundred lucky viewers, congrattions to you all. Next, let''s continue with the connection, please wee contestant number 80." The live broadcast split into two screens. On the right screen appeared a handsome young man about twenty-four or twenty-five, wearing a simple white T-shirt, with short clean-cut hair, and a faint smile on his face. However, his eyes held a maturity that seemed beyond his years. Chapter 324: Chapter 220: I Dont Believe It! He must be bluffing! (Seeking Subscriptions)_3 ``` At first nce, he looks like a man with a story. On closer inspection, it must be your eyes ying tricks on you. Considering his youth, his story is probably no more than "the pain of a young heart," "unrequited love." [The girl just now really turned thispetition into a high-stakes game, and now the following contestants are in a very awkward position!] [Right, all I can think about now is that gun!] [I can''t even pay attention to other weapons!] [This young handsome guy is probably going to be overshadowed by that girl from just now!] [...] The livestream was flooded with a barrage ofments. Lin Chuan politely introduced himself: "Hello, host and judges, I''m contestant number 80, Lin Chuan." "Hello, Comrade Lin Chuan." Zhou Nan and Zhao Xiaoli both nodded in a friendly manner. Compared to Zhou Nan, there was an added spark of interest in Zhao Xiaoli''s eyes. The person they were connecting with now was indeed the web novel writer. "Comrade Lin Chuan, ording to the registration information, you are also from Anling City in Han River Province just like the previous contestant. However, you are a... web novel writer?" Zhou Nan was both conversing with Lin Chuan and introducing his background to the audience. [A web novel writer ispeting too, amazing how there are talents in every field!] [It''s said that web novel writers have huge imaginations, is he going toe up with something like "Two-Dimensional Foil," "Space-based Weapon," or "Photolithography Machine" this time?] [Are web novel writers that good?] [Bro upstairs, he''s being sarcastic!] [I don''t read much web fiction, why do you say that?] [Then you should check it out. In web fiction, stuff like "Hand-cranked Lithography Machines" is just basic plotting.] [Yikes! That''s really over the top!] [This guy looks prettyposed. Plus, since this is a seriouspetition, he must have designed some really proper weapons.] [Don''t be so sure, have you forgotten about number 78''s cruiser?] [...] In the control room. Sun Chengughed heartily: "Even a web novel writer ispeting, military enthusiasts indeed span every industry. Let''s see what creative ideas this young man has." Lin Chuan faced Zhou Nan''s question and nodded slightly: "Yes, I am a web novel writer who is also very interested in weapons." "Have you written any novels that deal with weapon development?" Zhou Nan asked an additional question to liven up the atmosphere in the livestream. After all, many viewers were still reminiscing about that gun. Lin Chuan smiled lightly: "I am about to release a novel that is rted to weapons." Zhou Nan and Zhao Xiaoli exchanged looks, silently understanding each other. Zhao Xiaoli seemed to grasp the reason for Lin Chuan''s participation in the "Weapon Innovation Design Contest." Marketing for his new book. Some viewers in the livestream had the same thought. [Case closed, he must be wanting to ride on the coattails of the buzz!] [It''s tough being a web novel writer, you can''t make money just by writing, you have to do your own marketing as well.] [If he''s got the skills, I don''t mind him trying to get some attention, but let''s see if he has what it takes first!] [That''s a fair point.] [...] "Comrade Lin Chuan, introduce us to your weapon." Zhao Xiaoli kept her smile as she gestured for Lin Chuan to start presenting his designed weapon. Lin Chuan had anticipated the host''s and audience''s reactions,ing prepared and maintaining hisposure as he kept his own pace: "Sure, the weapon I''ve designed is a ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher,'' which uses a rocket engine to propel the projectile andbines precision guidance technology for long-distance urate strikes. It can currently achieve precise targeting within a 600-kilometer range." Upon hearing this. Muscles twitched on Zhou Nan''s face. In the control room, Sun Chengughed out loud, his face breaking into a smile, not one of relief but one of rxed resignation. Discover hidden stories at mvl As for the viewers in the livestream, they went wild! [That''s amazing, urate striking over 600 kilometers!] [I don''t believe it! He must be bluffing!] [If this is true, I''d eat my keyboard, on a livestream no less!] [For the sake of our nation''s military development, props to the brother upstairs for hismitment! Respect!] [I could believe 60 kilometers, but really?] [But 600 kilometers, isn''t that beyond the capabilities of any country yet?] [Think about it, he didn''t go for a hand-cranked photolithography machine, isn''t he already much more realistic than many web novel writers?] ``` Chapter 325: Chapter 221 Whoa! A real master indeed! In the live stream. Zhao Xiaoli was professionally trained, with upational etiquette, and she treated everypetitor with respect, even if Lin Chuan''s im of the "Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher" being able to "hit targets urately within a 600-kilometer range" was an exaggeration, she maintained a polite smile: "Comrade Lin Chuan, hello. Currently, the cutting edge of long-range rocketunchers has a range of about 300 kilometers, are you sure your rocketuncher can reach 600 kilometers?" Zhao Xiaoli kindly reminded him. She had expected Lin Chuan to realize the "600 kilometers" figure was way too overstated, yet to her surprise, on the right side of the live stream, Lin Chuan actually nodded slightly and emphasized two words: "Certain." Zhao Xiaoli pursed her lips slightly. She could imagine what the viewers, watching the judges, were discussing in the live stream. But, it didn''t matter. After all, in apetition, there should always be a few contestants livening up the atmosphere and adding to the show effect, otherwise, it would be too boring. "Now, please demonstrate your weapon." Zhao Xiaoli raised her right hand, signaling Lin Chuan to show the rocketuncher. "Alright." Lin Chuan smiled lightly. As he continuously experienced new professions, and various virtual lives, in a sense, his experiences were so vast it was dizzying. This small scene didn''t scare him at all. He wasposed as he adjusted the camera angle, and a rocketuncher model over one meter tall appeared beside him. Lin Chuan was in the living room. Under the golden light, the model of the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher, d in "silver armor," shone with a touch of golden luster. Its body was made of precisely assembled alloyponents. On top, it had neat rows ofunch tubes facing upwards, pointing to the sky, and a silver box on the bottom, where the concealed barrel was housed. Its only w was that its base was not perfected. In Lin Chuan''s design, its base should be connected to a heavy-duty off-road truck, so in the model, he didn''t include the off-road truck. As soon as the model appeared on the screen, the audience in the live chat began voicing their opinions: [You know, this guy''s model looks pretty realistic.] [He''s definitely got the skills; it should be able tounch rockets, right?] [600 kilometers is just his way to attract attention, web novel writers sure know how to y with gimmicks.] [Isn''t that just hanging a sheep''s head and selling dog meat?] [Rocketunchers aren''t as simple as you think!] [...] As the saying goes,ymen watch for fun, while professionals look for the technicalities. Zhao Xiaoli''s expression flickered ever so slightly. Regarding Lin Chuan''s rocketuncher model, she involuntarily leaned forward to get her line of sight as close to the screen in the studio as possible for a clearer view of the model''s details. This model was very well done. Find your next read at ?? Lin Chuan then began to introduce: "The long-range rocketuncher I''ve designed uses a box-type structure, with its main feature being the modr fire unit design." Zhao Xiaoli''s eyebrows raised slightly, noting the contestant''s expertise, and she asked, "Could you exin in more detail about the modr fire unit design?" "Of course." Being cooperative as a contestant, Lin Chuan exined, "That is to say, this rocketuncher canunch different calibers of ammunition by switching out differentunch modules, achieving varying ranges." Zhao Xiaoli''s brow furrowed slightly, "What calibers of ammunition can your rocketuncher be equipped with, and what are their corresponding ranges?" Lin Chuan was very familiar with rocketunchers and responded fluently: "The ''300mm guided rocket'', which can reach up to 70 kilometers, the ''370mm rockets'', which have a range of 370 kilometers, and finally, the ''750mm tactical ballistic missile'', which can reach as far as 600 kilometers." Zhao Xiaoli''s pupils constricted. Others might not be well-versed in these rocketry terms, but how could she not be familiar? Her specialty was "weaponunch engineering". Rocketry was her field of expertise. Seeing Lin Chuan''s effortless responses, for a moment, she felt the illusion that this contestant might indeed be capable of designing rocketunchers. She took a deep breath. Her professionalism was high; exhaling slowly, she inquired, "Does your design include the 750mm tactical ballistic missile you mentioned?" Lin Chuan nodded again, "Yes, but my current circumstances do not allow me to produce it. However, I can send you the blueprints." "First, introduce your design for the 750mm tactical ballistic missile." Zhao Xiaoli''s breathing quickened slightly as she gazed seriously at Lin Chuan. She began to drop her initial skepticism. In her heart, she felt a twinge of regret. It could have been the "600 kilometers of urate hitting capability," or it could have been thebel "web novel writer." These different factors almost made Zhao Xiaolipletely disbelieve Lin Chuan''s "rocketuncher." But through their conversation. She realized Lin Chuan was at ease, with a determined look in his eyes and an aura of confidence that emerged naturally. So, her "disbelief" wavered! It could even be said to have copsed! Even if Lin Chuan''s rocketuncher couldn''t achieve urate hits within a 600-kilometer range, he could very well be a talent in the field of rocketunchers! Talent should not be looked down upon. Lin Chuan certainly noticed the subtle change in Zhao Xiaoli and a smile appeared on his face as he described, "The ''tactical ballistic missile'' I''ve designedes with a high-precision guidance system, divided into an active phase and a passive phase. The active phase is guided by the propelling device, flying ording to a predetermined program, while the passive phase operates on inertial flight..." "If you want your 750mm tactical ballistic missile to achieve precise hits over 600 kilometers, what about your propulsion system?" Chapter 326: Chapter 221 Whoa! A real master indeed!_2 Zhao Xiaoli asked very professionally. Lin Chuan raised his hand to point at the rocketuncher model beside him, "Inside, there''s a built-in rocket engine." Their question and answer session had the live audience alternating between surprise and confusion. [I''m a bit perplexed, does this kid really know his stuff?] [I''m also a bit dazed. You tell me he doesn''t know, yet his answers sound pretty professional. But then, he has the audacity to im the range can reach 600 kilometers!] [I can only say he has some foundation, but not much.] [Isn''t this information avable online?] [This web novel writer is trying to ride the wave for more traffic, did a lot of prep work!] [...] Zhao Xiaoli swallowed. She had to admit, the professionalism revealed in Lin Chuan''s responses had piqued her interest in his rocketuncher. However, just as she was about to ask more questions, a voice in her earpiece left no room for doubt, "Xiaoli, stop asking and end the connection!" This was an order from Director Sun Cheng of the Statistics Office. Zhao Xiaoli''s heart skipped a beat. Lin Chuan''s performance had alerted Director Sun in the control room? But with the little time she had, she couldn''t think too much about it. She chose toply with the order, immediately ended her questions, and turned to say, "Comrade Lin Chuan, rocketuncher design is quiteplex, and with just a model and verbal description, we cannot know the specific design and principles of your ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'', nor can we judge the involved technology which we are currently evaluating." "Alright." Lin Chuan nodded in agreement. "After the preliminary round ends, we will announce the scores collectively. Please pay attention to the information. Thank you for connecting to the live broadcast," Zhao Xiaoli said, regaining her smile. Shortly thereafter, click, the live connection ended abruptly. [Zhao Xiaoli, that''s the end?] [I was not even close to satisfied, there were so many questions left to ask!] [Why didn''t she press on his specific technology, he would have definitely tripped up!] [So this ''Rocket Launcher,'' is it a hit or a miss?] [I don''t think it''s a hit! Miss Xiaoli already said, ''thank you for the live connection.''] [This kid can really talk nonsense!] [...] "Thank you to contestant number 80, next we''ll connect with contestant number 81," host Zhou Nan continued to present. At Linjiang Mansion, at home. Lin Chuan ended the live connection, sat down leisurely, and leaned back on the couch. "Chairman, is it over just like that?" Little Landy came over curiously and asked. She had been watching by his side, feeling that Zhao Xiaoli had ended the connection just when it was getting interesting. "Just wait and see," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "Wait for what?" Little Landy looked puzzled, not understanding. "Wait for them to contact me." Lin Chuan seemed confident, speaking with assurance. "Could such an interruption result in elimination?" Little Landy was somewhat worried. Lin Chuanughed and spected, "Don''t worry, the National Weapons Research Institute and the Society of Ordnance Engineers, holding thispetition, are doing it for the advancement of military weapons. They will respect the ideas of every designer. If they suddenly ended the preliminary live connection, there is only one possibility." "Which is that the Chairman''s weapon is too powerful?" Little Landy followed up. Continue your adventure with ?? Lin Chuan nodded, "The call should being now." And sure enough! ''Ring, ring, ring'' The ringtone of Lin Chuan''s phone began to sound. "It really is!" Little Landy''s eyes sparkled, looking earnestly at Lin Chuan, waiting for him to answer the call. Lin Chuan ruffled Little Landy''s hair with one hand while he answered the phone with the other. "Hello, Comrade Lin Chuan, I am a staff member from the data statistics office of the National Weapons Research Institute..." The other party began with a detailed self-introduction. The tone was very polite and courteous. Little Landy sat quietly beside, making not a sound, so as not to disturb Lin Chuan''s conversation. Lin Chuan replied, "Hello, this is Lin Chuan." "Comrade Lin Chuan, regarding the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' design you just showed, could you send us the blueprints now?" the staff member asked. "No problem," Lin Chuan nodded. "Thank you very much, I will immediately add your contact information and send you the relevant document information to confirm its authenticity," the staff member said in a friendly tone. "Okay." After that, the call was disconnected. The staff member added Lin Chuan as a friend. After Lin Chuan confirmed some document information, he quickly sent over the blueprints and then hummed a tune. Professional matters, once handed over to someone even more professional, require no further exnation. The National Weapons Research Institute, Statistics Office, main control room. "Director Sun, I have added Comrade Lin Chuan as a friend," the staff member reported. "Wait for him to send the blueprints over." Sun Cheng pursed his lips and took a deep breath. He had no expectations of Lin Chuan, especially after hearing phrases like "extreme range," he was somewhat resigned. This web novel writer was probably just joining in on the fun. That''s why he reported such high numbers. But when the model of the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' came out, he started getting a bit surprised. Without a doubt. Sun Cheng was more professional than Zhao Xiaoli, Zhou Nan, and all the viewers in the live stream. He was actually captivated by the model of the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher.'' The design of this model, at first nce, didn''t seem particrly special, but it takes a real insider to understand the true essence. The body, the barrel, the box, and everyponent were made very meticulously. It was a work of high precision craftsmanship. The design was also quite clever. At this time, his attitude to Lin Chuan''s Q&A with Zhao Xiaoli had changed from that of the viewers in the live stream. The audience in the live stream looked at Lin Chuan with prejudiced eyes. First, they thought Lin Chuan had exaggerated the range. Second, they thought that a web novel writer could not possibly create a rocketuncher. Even though Zhao Xiaoli was gradually shedding this prejudiced view, she still hadn''t quickly discovered the intricate beauty of Lin Chuan''s ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher.'' She just thought Lin Chuan was somewhat professional. But Sun Cheng was different! He was one of the main officers in charge of the event and took a particr interest in the development of military weapons. As soon as he noticed how detailed and clever Lin Chuan''s model was and realized Lin Chuan''s professionalism, he immediately sensed that this young man''s ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' could potentially y a certain role in the research of rocketunchers. Even a small role wouldn''t be missed by him! This was his mission! Therefore, he immediately stopped Zhao Xiaoli''s questioning to avoid potentially revealing more information. The design might be military secrets. "Director, his blueprints have been sent over!" the staff member said with a hint of joy in his voice. "Good, project it onscreen," Sun Cheng ordered sinctly, his eyes already fixed on the electronic screen in front of him. The next second, Lin Chuan''s ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' blueprints appeared on the screen. The blueprints were very detailed. Including the overall design of the rocketuncher, specifically divided into designs of the box, precision guidance system, and rocket shells of various calibers, etc. "Start with the overall design!" Sun Chengmanded. "Right away," the staff member began to operate immediately. The ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' overall design blueprint appeared before Sun Cheng''s eyes. He saw a 2D model of the rocketuncher blueprint, first the external appearance of the rocketuncher, mounted on top of a heavy truck, the box-type rocketuncher oriented skyward, linked in the middle by a special connecting structure. Also, the image zoomed in, with each part annotated with small text. Specifically detailing the size and dimensions of eachponent, very meticulous. Just at first nce. Sun Cheng''s eyebrows knitted together as he could not help but exim, "This young man is very professional!" He then took two steps forward. Merely leaning forward was not enough to satisfy his desire to examine the blueprints more closely. It wasn''t enough! He reached into his pocket and took out a small rectangr box, opened it to reveal his reading sses, which he always carried, and then put them on. Sun Cheng pushed the nose pads of the sses up and studied every detail of the blueprints minutely. As he looked over them, his body even began to tremble slightly! Chapter 327: Chapter 222 Military Secrets? (Please Subscribe) The night was deste. Scattered points of light were embroidered into the deep blue canopy of the sky, and looking up, one could still discern the vague outline of the new moon behind the cloud veils. The evening breeze was gentle, tree shadows gently swayed under the dim yellow streetlights, rustling softly, with the asional call of a night bird, crisp and lingering, adding a measure of silence. The location of the National Weapons Research Institute was not in the bustling city. Continue your adventure with ?? But now, it was brightly lit. The Statistics Office, within the main control room. Sun Cheng''s body trembled, his gaze tightly captivated by the blueprint on the electronic screen, as if an invisible force prevented him from tearing his eyes away. To the side. The staff member who had previously been in contact with Lin Chuan saw Sun Cheng with sses on, staring motionless at the blueprint for nearly ten minutes, as if under a spell. "Director, director..." The staff member called out softly twice. Whoosh Sun Cheng came to his senses, took a deep breath, his gaze reluctantly moving away from the blueprint, and then he dered, "ssify this blueprint as a secret document!" "Yes!" The staff member''s face turned solemn. He was not an expert on Rocket Launchers and could not fathom the ''secrets'' of the blueprint, but he knew the weight of ''secret documents''! A thingbeled as ''secret document'' by the Statistics Office of the National Weapons Research Institute was a military secret! He dared not dy and immediately began the procedures! "This blueprint is invaluable!" Next to him, Sun Cheng sighed deeply and then made sure the blueprint was archived as a ''secret document'' himself. Afterwards. He took out his mobile phone, his right hand trembling with excitement, but it didn''t prevent him from finding the ''old leader''s'' mobile number in his contacts. Beep, beep, beep. The call was waiting to be connected. Sun Cheng straightened his back and cleared his throat. Beep! The call connected. "Old leader, please have all the Rocket Launcher experts from the Institute immediately report to me!" Sun Cheng was bold, skipping courtesies and disregarding protocol! "Old Sun, how many times have I told you, you need to be steady, steady!" The old leader repeated with emphasis. "Reporting to the old leader, I think, you need toe as well!" Sun Cheng stood firm and unyielding, audacious to the core. On the other end of the phone. The old leader was perplexed, "You better give me a reason." "Old leader, please forgive my rashness," Sun Cheng said with ''forgiveness'' on his lips but a broad smile on his face, "I have obtained a blueprint for a ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher.''" "And then?" The old leader asked in return. Within the National Weapons Research Institute, there were enough blueprints on Rocket Launchers to fill three or four rooms. Just one more blueprint was not surprising to the old leader. "This ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' blueprint is a bit different, its maximum range can reach 600 kilometers!" Sun Cheng dered with pride. "600 kilometers?" On the phone, the old leader''s volume immediately increased by two notches, his tone filled with surprise. "Old leader, steady, steady." Sun Cheng quickly reminded him. "What nonsense are you spouting?" The old leader immediately retorted, as there had been no research on ''600-kilometer range Rocket Launchers'' during this period. No research meant no results. If it wasn''t bragging, then what was it? "Old leader, you might not believe it if I say it, but it''s designed by a contestant from the ''National Weapons Innovation Design Competition''!" Sun Cheng stated truthfully. On the other end of the phone. The old leader fell silent, momentarily unsure of what to say. Was this usible? Or had Sun Cheng been blinded by his ambitions, making a misjudgment? "Is it genuine?" Two secondster, the old leader asked. "I guarantee with my integrity, it''s absolutely genuine!" Sun Cheng dered confidently. "What''s your integrity worth?" The old leader spat out, "Alright, I''ll first send two Rocket Launcher experts to check it out." "Old leader, all Rocket Launcher experts muste together for an overnight evaluation and appraisal. If it''s confirmed as feasible, I''ll rush to see the designer first thing tomorrow morning!" Sun Cheng was somewhat insistent. But he knew the sooner, the better! If only two experts came for the appraisal, it would take at least three to five days toplete, then a report meeting, a discussion, finally waiting for approval, to go through theplete process would take at least half a month at the very least. If not two to three months. If it went like that, by then, the opportunity would have long passed! And the designer of this ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' was also young; what if, feeling that it was dragging on too long, he changed his mind and sold the blueprint elsewhere. That would be a regret beyond repair. Therefore, Sun Cheng was so adamant, even calling the old leader to the scene! This matter should be handled exceptionally! "I hope you''re not joking!" The old leader''s tone was serious. "Old leader, if there is any issue, I am willing to take responsibility!" Sun Cheng immediately responded, proudly assuring him. "Good!" The old leader pondered for a moment and then agreed. He knew that although Sun Cheng could be impulsive, his decisiveness this evening was rare. He immediately issued themand. All the Rocket Launcher experts in the capital, except for very special circumstances, must go to the Statistics Office immediately. Themand was simple. But its implications were profound. After receiving the old leader''s approval and support, Sun Cheng also showed a smile, clenched his fist, and a surge of pride welled up within him. If Lin Chuan''s ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' passed the evaluation and appraisal of a host of Rocket Launcher experts, it would mean that it could go into mass production, apletely domestically developed cutting-edge Rocket Launcher. Chapter 328: Chapter 222 Military Secrets? (Please Subscribe)_2 Moreover, a range of 600 kilometers is more than enough to look down upon the entire field! This is confidence! Sun Cheng thought for a moment and then made a call to his good friendOld Ming. "Old Ming, you should be almost there, right?" "Almost there, what''s up?" asked Old Ming, the firearms expert. "After you arrive, I''ll have someone give you the stuff, and you can study it on your own. I''m swamped over here, so I won''t be able to entertain you," Sun Chengughed heartily. "You..." Old Ming was at a loss for words. One moment you''re asking me toe over, the next you regret it. I''m almost there, and now you''re telling me to entertain myself? What''s the meaning of this? "I''ve discovered an even bigger project over here, and the old leader is alsoing. You''ll have to entertain yourself," Sun Cheng said with great amusement. As the night grew deeper. National Weapons Research Institute, Statistics Office. In its spacious conference room, the lights were brightly shining, and a group of rocketuncher experts, who usually worked in seclusion, were now gathered together. The room was noisy and bustling, like a swarm of bees buzzing incessantly. Outside, however, not a single sound could be heard. Therefore, those outside had no idea what they were discussing, nor did they know why they had assembled on this ordinary evening. Only the night breeze that never rested, even deep into the night, blew by, brushing past the flowerbeds outside the meeting room. There were no blooms on the branches, just the verdant leaves swaying left and right in the wind, like a naive child nodding and shaking their head while learning poetry. The deep blue of the night sky gradually began to change. A faint hint of dawn''s pale white silently emerged, growing brighter, as a shallow orange-red began to envelop the earth and also tinted the morning clouds. ... Anling City, Linjiang Mansion. Around eight o''clock, Lin Chuan stretchedzily, stepped out of his room, and leisurely brushed his teeth while ncing at his cellphone. There was an abundance of messages on the phone. There were pretty girls offering to doundry, gamepanies inviting him to try new servers and, most outrageous of all, offers of a hefty sum for procreation. Fortunately, all were intercepted and ssified as junk. However, there was no ''finals notice.'' That is, the preliminary results and notifications for the finals of the ''National Weapon Innovation Design Contest'' were missing, which Lin Chuan found odd. Logically, since the blueprints were sent, it''s unthinkable not to make it to the finals, right? In that case, this final round must be of great importance! Lin Chuan then nced at his readers'' group, where a few old readers had mentioned him. [Man, @Mr. Lin stopped writing books and sneaked off to join the weapon innovation contest!] [Six months and still no new book!] [Heard he published one overseas, seems like it got pirated by some ''fry'' website too.] [If it''s overseas and I haven''t seen it, it means no new books have been published!] [No way, howe the suspect @Mr. Lin has turned to explore weapons?] [He went to blow his own trumpet; I watched his live stream early in the morning.] [Let''s see it!] [...] Sure enough, the omnipotent readers quickly shared Lin Chuan''s live stream video, sparking wonder and amazement among everyone. [No kidding, it does seem so.] [He spoke professionally, certainly good at bluffing. If it were a novel, I''d subscribe to the whole thing!] [He mentioned that his new book is about to be published!] [I can tell, he''s just joining the fun.] [Indeed, he''s just joining the fun. The preliminary results are out now, and the policewoman from Anling has already made it to the finals.] [What about @Mr. Lin?] [Didn''t see his name and work, guess he bluffed!] [...] "Bluffed?" Lin Chuan frowned slightly, "It doesn''t make sense not to even make it to the finals. Could it be that the weapon I chose was too powerful?" After much thought, that was the only possibility left. After all, the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' contained many bottlenecks in technology that have not yet been broken through. If they were to follow the due process, it would probably take some time to research. ''Ding dong ding dong.'' At that moment, the doorbell rang. "Who could it be so early in the morning?" Lin Chuan muttered to himself. The Little Landy had already left early to apany Old Zhang for a medical check-up. He opened the door. Upon looking, Lin Chuan was taken abackit was arge group of people! The Five ck Team membersShen Qianqian, Xia Qingqing, Wang Zikai, and his girlfriend, Xue Qiqi. "Howe you''re here?" Lin Chuan grinned and said,ughing. Old Wang, always the most casual among them, rushed over and hugged Lin Chuan,ughing as he said, "Old Lin, it''s been a few days, and I''ve been missing you." "Go away, go away." Lin Chuan quickly pushed Old Wang off, "You''re getting greasier by the day." "I asked Xinxin, and you haven''t had breakfast yet, so we bought you a beef noodle," Shen Qianqian said, handing over the beef noodles she was carrying to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan didn''t stand on ceremony, taking the beef noodles and cing them on the nearby dining table. He then called out to them, "Since it''s rare for you toe, sit down, sit down." "It''s not rare, I''lle again next time!" Old Wang said with a shameless chuckle. The group suddenly burst intoughter, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere. "Speaking of which, you came without letting me know." Lin Chuan said with a smile. Shen Qianqian joined the conversation, "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing." "Whose idea was it?" Lin Chuan''s gaze swept across the group as he ''questioned'' them. Old Wang and Qiqi both shook their heads, Shen Qianqian waved her hand as well, and finally, Lin Chuan''s gazended on Xia Qingqing. Xia Qingqing had short hair, was wearing a knee-length floral dress, still with short hair, showing off a delicate and fair swan neck, and her tender face full of cogen, bursting with youthful energy. "Hearing from Qianqian that you''re a sharp shooter, we had wanted to invite you to join us in a real-life gun battle game. Today, being the weekend, we decided toe over and find you," Xia Qingqing pursed her lips and blinked. Qianqian and Qiqi bothughed behind their hands, while Old Wang coughed ambiguously, the meaning unclear. "Feels a bit odd." Lin Chuan looked at them and said. Shen Qianqian smiled brightly and confessed, "Actually, Qingqing wanted toe and ''mock'' you." "Mock me?" Lin Chuan was taken aback, his eyes unavoidably turning toward Xia Qingqing. Xia Qingqing frowned slightly at Shen Qianqian, then hurriedly exined, "Lin Chuan, I''m not here to mock you, I came to console you." "Console me about what?" Lin Chuan was a bit puzzled. "To console you for not making it to the finals!" Xia Qingqing said, her mouth pursed, her face showing a bit of ''sympathy.'' Lin Chuan responded with a wry smile, "That''s some constion!" Everyoneughed. "Old Lin, actually, you should have asked me to help design the weapon. With me on board, we could definitely have made it to the finals!" Old Wang puffed up his chest and volunteered himself. Lin Chuan argued, "Old Wang, even though I didn''t make it to the finals, Qianqian''s gun had my contribution too." As he said this, Lin Chuan looked toward Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian immediately ''capitted'', leaning towards Lin Chuan: "I also said that you helped me tinker with this gun, but they didn''t believe it. And I said your rocketuncher is powerful, but they didn''t believe that either." Discover more stories at ?? "We believe, it''s just a pity you didn''t make it to the finals." Xia Qingqing said with a smirk. "Fair-weather friends, all of you!" Lin Chuan held his forehead in feigned agony. "Seriously though, did you really not make it to the finals?" At this point, Shen Qianqian looked at Lin Chuan earnestly. Lin Chuan locked eyes with Qianqian and nodded slightly, "I didn''t receive any notification." "Did you receive any other notifications?" Although Xia Qingqing talked about ''mocking'' Lin Chuan, in her heart, she still hoped that Lin Chuan could make it to the finals. Lin Chuan also shook his head, "When I woke up, I hadn''t received any news from the organizers, and then you all came." "I see." Xia Qingqing pouted, "It doesn''t matter if you didn''t make it to the finals. I will definitely subscribe to your new book, and I''ll even ask my seven aunts and eight grannies to help subscribe to it too." This time, Xia Qingqing was genuinely consoling Lin Chuan. Old Wang also took a seat next to Lin Chuan, patted his shoulder, andforted him, "Although writing novels isn''t a long-term n, you must be financially independent by now, right? You''re treating us to the real-life gun battle today." "Old Wang, you call this consoling?" Lin Chuan said with augh and spat out a remark. Old Wang was about to offer morefort. Suddenly. The doorbell rang. "Is it Xinxining back?" Shen Qianqian asked. Lin Chuan shook his head, "It shouldn''t be, she went with Old Zhang for a medical check-up." "Then who is it?" Shen Qianqian muttered to herself. Lin Chuan wasn''t sure who it could be either, and he walked to the door with some doubt, peering out through the peephole. A lot of people! But he didn''t recognize any of them! Chapter 329: Chapter 223: Is There Anything Even More Awesome? (Please Subscribe) Outside the door, five people were standing. The leader was wearing a brown executive jacket, with a white shirt underneath, about 178 cm tall, with a square face and not-so-greatplexion; a few strands of white hair could be seen on his forehead. Behind him to his left, two men each held a briefcase. Further back, two others were dressed in in clothes, wearing embedded earphones, their eyes bright and alert, looking around from time to time, resembling bodyguards. The five of them, looked quite formidable. "Who are you looking for?" For safety''s sake, Lin Chuan asked through the door. If it were enemies, opening the door rashly could mean trouble for the few friends at home, couldn''t it? "Comrade Lin Chuan, hello, we''re staff from the National Weapons Research Institute; here is my ID." A man carrying a briefcase replied, and took out an ID, showing it to the peephole on the door, into Lin Chuan''s line of sight. The voice was very familiar. It was the same staff member who had contacted Lin Chuanst night. Lin Chuan''s eyebrows raised, the people from the National Weapons Research Institute hade to his door directly, they must have flown here overnight. The speed was quick; were they here to talk about the "Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher"? "Comrade Lin Chuan, hello! I am the director of the Statistics Office at the Weapons Research Institute, Sun Cheng, and this is my ID." As soon as Lin Chuan opened the door, the leader looked toward him, his eyes tinged with red bloodshot, full of admiration. The others sized Lin Chuan up one after another. Lin Chuan, early in the morning, was dressed in homey big shorts, casually wearing a gray T-shirt on top forfort; he certainly hadn''t expected such a lively scene this early in the day. It was Qianqian, Qingqing, Old Wang, Qiqi, and now, staff from the Weapons Research Institute. The almanac hadn''t mentioned ''honored guests arriving.'' "Director Sun, hello, I''m Lin Chuan." Lin Chuan nodded as a greeting. This was actually the first time he had met someone of Director Sun''s stature. Sun Cheng didn''t act aloof; he warmly patted Lin Chuan''s shoulder and eximed, "Young man, not bad, a hero in his youth." "Director Sun is too kind." Lin Chuan responded with a frank smile. "Is it convenient at home now?" Sun Cheng was still outside the door, not stepping into Lin Chuan''s home. Clearly, there was another meaning in his question. Lin Chuan frankly said, "Director Sun, a few friends havee to my home." "Friends havee?" Sun Cheng nodded slightly, then smiled and asked, "May wee in?" Sun Cheng''s tone was very gentle, and one could hear the respect he had for Lin Chuan. "Director Sun, among these friends, there is one person you might be particrly interested in." Lin Chuan smiled as he spoke. "Oh?" Sun Cheng''s face showed a hint of surprise. "Last night''s preliminarypetition, there was a criminal investigator from Anling City named Shen Qianqian. She designed the ''modr new-style rifle''; do you remember?" Lin Chuan brought up the topic. Mentioning Shen Qianqian, Sun Cheng might need to think for a while, but mentioning ''modr new-style rifle,'' he reacted immediately: "The modr new-style rifle, of course, I remember! Is she here too?" Lin Chuan nodded: "Yes." "I''vee to the right ce today!" Sun Cheng''s eyes brightened. "Director Sun, and everyone, pleasee in." Lin Chuan gestured for them to enter. As soon as Sun Cheng walked into the living room, Shen Qianqian and the others immediately turned their heads. Especially Shen Qianqian and Xia Qingqing, these two policerades within the system, had a sharp sense of the aura casually disyed by Sun Cheng. This person''s background seemed quite significant! "You must be Comrade Shen Qianqian, right?" Sun Cheng spotted Shen Qianqian immediately, extending his hand in a friendly gesture, a smile on his face. "Yes, may I ask who you are?" Shen Qianqian was slightly startled. "I''m a staff member from the Weapons Research Institute in charge of the Statistics Office; my name is Sun Cheng." Sun Cheng introduced himself. His title prefix wasn''t all that numerous. But for Shen Qianqian, it struck like a thunderbolt. Who could fathom the prestige behind this single title? Was he representing the National Weapons Research Institute? "Director Sun" Shen Qianqian couldn''t help being a little nervous, stumbling over her words. "Shen, we take your ''modr new-style rifle'' very seriously. We originally nned to visit you at the Anling Police Station, but we didn''t expect to find you with Comrade Lin Chuan." Sun Cheng stood in the living room, looking at Shen Qianqian with satisfaction. "Director Sun is too kind." Shen Qianqian hadn''t been expecting Sun Cheng''s visit, was a bit overwhelmed, and now Lin Chuan by her side was her pir of support. Perhaps she didn''t even realize how much she hade to rely on Lin Chuan. Noticing Shen Qianqian''s look of appeal, Lin Chuan smiled and said, "Director Sun, please take a seat." "Alright." Sun Cheng smiled and took a seat. The other two staff members also sat down, and the two bodyguard-like men remained by the door, watching like hawks, very professional. Fortunately, it was in the new house. If a few more people were toe, there would still be plenty of room. At Happiness Community''s one-bedroom rental, it would probably be overcrowded by now. At this moment, Old Wang, Qiqi, and Xia Qingqing were all baffled. At least Shen Qianqian could guess that Sun Cheng and his group hade for Lin Chuan''s "Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher." But the three of them had never seen Lin Chuan''s rocketuncher. All they remembered was that Lin Chuan''s name wasn''t on the final list, but now people from the National Weapons Research Institute had actually arrived, led by a director no less! The plot was developing in an unexpectedly surprising way. Chapter 330: Chapter 223: Is There Anything Even More Awesome? (Please Subscribe)_2 Their minds simply hadn''t caught up yet. Even the genius contestants who made it to the finals didn''t receive such treatment, how could someone eliminated in the preliminary round get treated with such high regard? Old Wang and the others were quite puzzled. "Friends, are you all involved in weapons research as well?" Sun Cheng''s expression was friendly as he looked at Old Wang and the others, smiling as he asked. Old Wang''s expression was not at ease, and he replied somewhat unnaturally, "Director Sun, I am a web novel writer." "So am I." Xue Qiqi also followed suit with a response. Most web novel writers are not adept at socializing with people like Sun Cheng. Old Wang and Xue Qiqi were typical examples. "I am an officer with the Anling Police Station, responsible for the cyber security division." Xia Qingqing, on the other hand, was much more natural, as if she were facing her superiors. Sun Cheng nodded in acknowledgment, chatting with them like a kindly elder about everyday matters. Shen Qianqian could tell from the side. Sun Cheng was trying to build a connection with Lin Chuan. Otherwise, there was almost no intersection in the life trajectories of Sun Cheng and Wang Zikai and the others. "Lin Chuan, we have other matters to attend to, so we won''t disturb you and Director Sun anymore." Xia Qingqing saw the signs and took the initiative to give Lin Chuan and Sun Cheng some space. Lin Chuan nodded and then turned to Sun Cheng, "Director Sun, I''ll see them out, please excuse me for a moment." Sun Cheng''s face held a smile as he gave a slight nod. Lin Chuan then led Shen Qianqian and the others out of the house. Old Wang, clenching his fist, lightly punched Lin Chuan''s shoulder, "You little rascal, you didn''t make it to the finals, how did you secretly get in touch with Director Sun?" "I also didn''t expect Director Sun toe." Lin Chuanughed. Xia Qingqing pouted and hummed, "Looks like I won''t have the chance to make fun of you this time." You could tell. Despite her saying she had ''no chance to make fun'' of Lin Chuan, she was happier than anyone else at heart, never expecting that the weapon designed by Lin Chuan would directly rm someone from the National Weapons Research Institute. How awesome is that? Xia Qingqing didn''t know. But whenever Lin Chuan achieved something, she couldn''t help but feel happy for him, just like she felt sorry and a bit upset that Lin Chuan didn''t make it to the finals. "Don''t always think aboutughing at me." Lin Chuan grinned. "Old Lin, if you''re recognized as a special talent and recruited into a special department, won''t we rarely get to see each other?" Old Wang suddenly started to worry. "What are you thinking, my novel isn''t even published yet!" Lin Chuan said, and everyone immediatelyughed. That''s right. Writing novels was Lin Chuan''s main profession, everything else was secondary. He certainly couldn''t get his priorities mixed up. "By the way, Qianqian, wait for me downstairster," Lin Chuan instructed Shen Qianqian. "You mean?" Shen Qianqian was slightly startled, and guessed. Lin Chuan nodded, and the two understood each other without words, everything was tacitlymunicated. "What kind of riddle are you two ying at?" Xia Qingqing, seeing Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian looking at each other and speaking in half-sentences, couldn''t help frowning. "It''s a secret." Shen Qianqian pulled Xia Qingqing toward the elevator. "Qianqian, you can''t let yourself be blinded by greasy ttery!" Xia Qingqing nced at Lin Chuan and warned. "What nonsense about greasy ttery, it''s serious business!" Shen Qianqian chided Xia Qingqing gently, then they all entered the elevator. Lin Chuan returned to his house, closed the door, and smiled, "Director Sun, sorry to keep you waiting." "Comrade Lin Chuan, that''s not something you should say." Sun Cheng waved his hand and patted Lin Chuan, who was sitting beside him, "Even if I had to wait for a month, I could wait!" Lin Chuanughed, "Director Sun, you''re too kind." Now that Lin Chuan was the only person at home, with no outsiders around, Sun Cheng took the opportunity to get a bit closer, "I''m old, so I''ll use my seniority and call you Little Lin. You just call me Old Sun, don''t be calling me ''Director'' or anything, that''s too formal." "Old Sun?" Lin Chuan opened his mouth. Sun Cheng grinned happily, clearly pleased, "Lin, I won''t keep you in the dark. Last night, we mobilized all the rocket artillery experts we could at short notice to evaluate and judge your ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' blueprints." Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. People from the National Weapons Research Institute really knew their stuff. This time, the effort he put into the rocketuncher had not been in vain. "Do you have a result now?" asked Lin Chuan. "They are still studying it." Sun Chengughed heartily, seemingly even happier about not having concluded the research. "I know, there are many bottleneck technologies in the design of this rocketuncher, so they''ll need more time to verify it. This further shows that your rocketuncher blueprints are solid!" The words ''solid'' were concise and to the point. "What about... the finals?" Lin Chuan hesitated. He suddenly realized he had overlooked a crucial aspect. In his n, the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' making it to the final round was a given. Then, after gaining massive public approval andpleting the assessment task with the acknowledgment of a hundred thousand people, he aimed to transform the Anling Iron and Steel Factory into a military factory, leveraging the military background in the process. However. The ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' might be too advanced! So much so that the experts from the National Weapons Research Institute worked overnight, likely ssifying it as military secret! If that was the case, his n of using the finals toplete the ''hundred thousand approvals'' assessment task was probably going down the drain. As expected. Sun Cheng''s words confirmed his thoughts, "Lin, the technology you possess is somewhat ahead of the curve, and you may not fully understand the current military development. This ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' cannot be exposed before we havepletely grasped it." Lin Chuan pursed his lips and took a deep breath through his nose, "Old Sun, how long do you think you will need to finish evaluating my blueprint?" A hint of embarrassment appeared on Sun Cheng''s face, "Considering the theoretical and practical verification stages, at the very least, it would take two days." Thankfully he had insisted on mobilizing all the rocket artillery expertsst night despite the risk of angering senior leadership. If only one or two experts had been involved, the project wouldn''t be approved for at least six months, by which time it would have been all for nothing. "Two days, that''s manageable," Lin Chuan nodded. "Lin, I didn''t sleep at allst night. I took a special ne overnight, flying directly from the Capital City to Anling," Sun Cheng looked at Lin Chuan and continued, "As soon as Inded this morning, I came straight to your house." "I understand your intentions, Old Sun," Lin Chuan nodded. In truth, both parties were keen. Otherwise, Lin Chuan wouldn''t have participated in the ''National Weapon Innovation Design Competition''. He could have just used his hacking skills to contact an armed group, and the technology rted to this ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' would have sold for a fortune! Enough for three generations to live without worry! As for the assessment task, if he had chosen to take shortcuts, there were indeed many ways toplete it. However, Lin Chuan felt it was best to give this invention to the state. After all, he didn''t trust anyone else with it. If one day someone used this ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' to attack him, that would be the end of it! "As long as you understand, that''s good, that''s good!" Sun Cheng sighed in relief as a weight lifted from his heart. Seeing Lin Chuan''s attitude, he knew the discussion had gone well. "Old Sun, I''ll speak frankly too; I have a request," Lin Chuan didn''t beat around the bush andid it all out. "I like straightforward people!" Old Sun''s eyes encouraged Lin Chuan to speak his mind openly. Lin Chuan nodded with a smile, "Old Sun, we have an iron and steel factory in Anling City that''s performing poorly and on the brink of shutting down. I hope to transform it into a military factory to manufacture military weapons." "Transform into a military factory?" Sun Cheng''s expression shifted slightly. "Yes," Lin Chuan nodded. "I can promise you the qualifications for a military factory on behalf of the National Weapons Research Institute, but keeping a military factory afloat is not simple," Old Sun, an absolute authority on military weapon data analysis, gave a reminder. Lin Chuan smiled, "I can handle the technical side." "You have other technologies?" Lin Chuan nodded, "I have some others simr to the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''." Chapter 331: Chapter 224: Take a Position (Please Subscribe) ``` In the living room. The morning sunlight, streaming through therge floor-to-ceiling windows, spilled into the room, casting several square patches of golden area on the gleaming floor tiles. Sun Cheng, his eyes bloodshot, found it somewhat dazzling and squinted involuntarily before finding Lin Chuan''s recent remarks somewhat unbelievable. "You have more?" he said. Even the two staff members beside him were startled. The ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' was still a subject of intense study by many rocketuncher experts at the research institute. You say you have more? Lin Chuan seemed to anticipate the reactions of Sun Cheng and the others, smiling as he nodded his head. Hiss After Lin Chuan confirmed, Sun Cheng''s back, slightly hunched fromst night''s exhaustion, immediately straightened up, and his whole demeanor became more spirited, though his speech was somewhat stumbling, "Lin, you... I... this..." "Old Sun, have some water first." Lin Chuan poured a ss of water for Old Sun and pushed it towards him. Old Sun grinned awkwardly, took a big gulp of water, exhaled a long breath, and then felt somewhat relieved. "Lin, what other technologies do you have?" he asked. Lin Chuan pondered briefly before saying, "For example, ''Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles''." "Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles?" Old Sun''s eyes widened, and his bushy eyebrows rose, his breath growing heavier. "Lin, this is no joking matter!" he eximed. "I''m not joking." Lin Chuan said earnestly. Old Sun fell silent, once again sizing up Lin Chuan from head to toe. Lin Chuan''s simple and unpretentious attire revealed no secrets, and his mid-twenties face seemed somewhat youthful in Old Sun''s eyes. He searched for any traits that might associate Lin Chuan with the term ''genius.'' At the same time, he was also recalling details about Lin Chuan. On the flight from Capital City to Anling, he had already looked up Lin Chuan''s information. The files showed From childhood to adulthood, Lin Chuan had nothing to do with the words ''genius'' or ''prodigy.'' He was very low-profile; it wasn''t until he entered society that he began to show his exceptional talents. Therefore, Old Sun concluded that this was a young man who knew how to bide his time. To sum it up with an idiom If he did not speak, it was as if he didn''t exist; but when he did, he shocked everyone. Having met him, Old Sun affirmed this thought from Lin Chuan''s behavior and speech. Only. Just the development of the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' was shocking enough, but now there was also the development of the ''Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile.'' Old Sun found it hard toe up with a reasonable exnation. The Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile is a missile capable of high-speed flight, usually traveling faster than the speed of sound, and is primarily used to attack surface vessels, especiallyrge watercraft like aircraft carriers. You must know that global powers ce significant emphasis on naval strength. This type of anti-ship ballistic missile has the powerful ability to strike aircraft carrier fleets and is a top priority in the military development of maritime powers. The National Institute was also researching this, consumingrge amounts of human and material resources. Now, Lin Chuan imed to have developed a ''Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile.'' If it weren''t for the blueprints of the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' he''d seen earlier, Sun Cheng would certainly have cursed What bullsh*t are you spouting? That is not like the ''Hand-cranked Lithography Machine'' or ''Two-dimensional foil'' depicted in novels. In the real world. All these require genuine investment of copious resources for research before any breakthrough can be achieved. Sun Cheng pondered for a long time. He looked up, gazing through the balcony''s floor-to-ceiling windows, seeing the deep blue sky dotted with cotton-like clouds, and the dazzling golden light hurting his eyes. He felt somewhat unreal. The world has gone mad! The world must have gone mad! How could a single person possibly develop a ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' with a range of up to 600 kilometers and a ''Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile''? After a whole minute of silence. Sun Cheng decided to give Lin Chuan a chance to exin and himself a chance to dreamwhat if it was true? "Lin, your ''Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile''..." He trailed off, but the implication was clear. Lin Chuan understood what he meant and continued, "Old Sun, I know you have your doubts, but you should have investigated me and be aware of some of my technologies." Sun Cheng nodded, "I''m aware, the... criminal skills you possess are quite extensive." Lin Chuan went on, "You should know that I am a hacker." "Yes, I''m awareyou once helped Han River Province defeat the foreign hacker organization AW in a cyber war, emerging victorious. Using your hacking skills, you even counterattacked the Morgan Group, eventually capturing two of Morgan Group''spanies operating in Han River," replied Sun Cheng, recounting with familiarity. "So, it would make sense that I could ess some information on military weaponry, wouldn''t it?" Lin Chuan asked, looking at Sun Cheng. Sun Cheng met Lin Chuan''s clear and sincere gaze, mulling it over for a while, "It makes sense, but your rocketuncher seems to be a cut above the current state of the art." The reasoning was somewhat far-fetched. But indeed, it could exin some part of it. ``` ``` Most hackers are active on the dark web, interfacing with all sorts of information. Weapons and arms are also traded on the dark web. Information about weapons and arms is naturallymonce there as well. Lin Chuan had already prepared an excuse, and with a smile said, "You''ve read my profile, so you should know that I am a person with very strong learning abilities, and in the field of weapons development, I seem to have even more talent." "Indeed, quite talented," Sun Cheng''s facial muscles twitched. His words were impable. There are always geniuses in the world that people cannot understand. "Old Sun, the ''Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile'' I developed flies at six times the speed of sound throughout the journey, and at the terminal attack stage it can reach speeds of up to Mach 10," Lin Chuan brought the topic back to the supersonic missile. "Mach 10, that''s equivalent to 3.4 kilometers per second..." Sun Cheng muttered to himself thoughtfully, "With this terminal velocity, at the current stage, there''s no missile defense system that can''t intercept it. How did you achieve this speed?" Lin Chuan offered a smile and began discussing with Sun Cheng. To be precise, Lin Chuan was like a supersonic missile expert, teaching student Sun Cheng by exining difficulties and some technical bottlenecks. Sun Cheng, as the head of the Statistics Office, was renowned as a weapons all-rounder. However, the deeper Lin Chuan''s exnations went, the more confused Sun Cheng became, almost as if he was hearing something as obscure as an arcane text. At first, he was still able to pick out some issues and ask some technical questions. As time went on, the questions he asked became fewer and fewer. Not because he understood. But because he didn''t know what to ask anymore. Only then did he realize He was an all-rounder, not a specialist. Especially in front of a ''Rocket Launcher'' and ''Supersonic Missile'' specialist like Lin Chuan, his own knowledge base was somewhat limited. About an hourter. Lin Chuan stopped his exnations, for if he continued, this head of the Weapons Research Institute''s Statistics Office would bepletely baffled. "Lin, you''ve seen me make a fool of myself," Sun Chengughed somewhat sheepishly and took a sip of water. Lin Chuan did not point this out and simply replied with a smile, "Everyone has their own specialty, Old Sun, you''re an authority on data statistics after all!" "Hahaha," Sun Cheng chuckled in agreement. "Old Sun, speaking of the transformation of Anling Iron and Steel Factory into a military factory..." Lin Chuan steered the conversation toward Anling Iron and Steel Factory. Seizing the opportunity while Old Sun was present, he decided to settle the matter then and there. It would save the hassle of going through a heap of procedurester on, running back and forth, being bounced around by various parties, and possibly even ending up with nothing. Sun Cheng looked at this young man he had met less than half a day ago and silently marveled at Lin Chuan''s efficiency, then said with a smile, "It''s easier said than done. As long as it meets the qualifications for transformation into a military factory, the National Weapons Research Institute can directly issue approval. However, I must remind you that even if you have the qualifications and technology for a military factory, you''re still missing one thing." "Please enlighten me." Lin Chuan said humbly. Sun Cheng slowly uttered two words: "Funds." The transformation of Anling Iron and Steel Factory into a military factory is an endeavor for a local military enterprise, funded by local finance to manage the transformation. Transforming into a military factory requires the purchase of arge batch of new equipment. Fromrge machinery to small molds, as well as a bulk of raw materials, all require substantial funds. What''s more important is Local military enterprises also face marketpetition, survival of the fittest, and they need substantial support from local finance. This could potentially conflict with the development direction of a city. For instance, if a certain city vigorously supports tourism and service industries with the aim to build a tourist city, then fiscal expenditures will bergely tilted toward the main supported local industries. As one grows, the other wanes, and naturally, other local industries can only settle for less. Thus, the transformation of a steel factory into a military factory isn''t as simple as one might think. "Understood." Lin Chuan nodded, and after the conversation, he had be better acquainted with Old Sun, "Old Sun, I hadn''t slept all ofst night, how about resting here for a while?" Old Sun nced at his wristwatch and said with augh, "There''s no need for a nap, it isn''t even time for a noon break yet. I know what you''re thinking, kid. Let''s go, we''ll visit Anling Iron and Steel Factory." "Alright then," Lin Chuan grinned. To obtain the military factory qualification for Anling Iron and Steel Factory, a site visit was a necessary step. Sun Cheng propped himself up with his hands on his thighs and slowly rose to his feet, smiling, "Chief Designer Lin, please lead the way." "Old Sun, it hasn''t been settled yet," Lin Chuan helped Old Sun up. "I have a feeling it won''t be long. Once your ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' passes the assessment and manufacturing begins, it will take only about two months. If we''re quick, it could be done in just a month. Then you''ll be the chief designer, and the sole designer at that. However, for security reasons, we didn''t advance your rocketuncher to the final round. I hope you understand," Old Sun said seriously. Lin Chuan nodded, signaling his understanding. Since he couldn''tplete the ''gain the recognition of 100,000 people'' task through thepetition route, he would have to find another way. If the steel factory sessfully transformed into a military factory and began producing weapons, it should also be able to gain recognition. Although it might be dyed by a month or two, in the end, it could be aplished. All good thingse to those who wait! "By the way, Lin," Old Sun suddenly thought of something and said while walking, "Would you be interested in joining the Weapons Research Institute? Or perhaps, hold a position there?" ``` Chapter 332: Chapter 225 Special Treatment (Please Subscribe) "Join the Weapons Research Institute?" In the spacious living room, Lin Chuan had hardly taken a few steps before he stopped and turned to look at Sun Cheng beside him. "A talent like you is what our institutecks," Sun Cheng said bluntly. Let''s not even mention the ''Hypersonic Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile''; the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' alone is enough to prove Lin Chuan''s capabilities. Such a talent, if not recruited back to the institute, would make Sun Cheng itch with unease, unable to calm down. As expected, Lin Chuan declined: "Old Sun, I''m used to being idle and I''m afraid I wouldn''t adapt to the high-intensity research at the institute. If I end up holding everyone back, I can''t take that responsibility." Sun Chengughed heartily. He knew this excuse was just Lin Chuan''s way of deflecting, so he said, "If it''s just a nominal position, it won''t change your lifestyle. You''ll find it much more convenient to tinker at the Anling Military Factory." Lin Chuan paused, contemtive. "Lin, as far as I know, you currently hold no official positions. If you were to take a nominal position at the institute, I could, on behalf of the institute, appoint you as the technical head of the Anling Military Factory and have you lead its operations." Sensing Lin Chuan''s interest, the ''Old Fox'' Sun Cheng immediately ''turned up the heat,'' set on winning Lin over. "Old Sun, you''re really rolling out the red carpet for me," Lin Chuan said with a smile, his lips curling upward. "Of course," Sun Cheng replied. Since it was just between themselves, Old Sun didn''t mince his words. "Special talents deserve special treatment, and it''s allowed in the regtions." Lin Chuan nodded. "Old Sun, I''ll give it some serious thought." "Sure, these are trifles." Old Sun spoke frankly, "Come on, let''s go check out the steel factory first." Lin Chuan led the way. As they descended in the elevator, Shen Qianqian was waiting downstairs. "Is Comrade Shen waiting for you?" Although they had not known each other long, Old Sun and Lin had be familiar enough for Old Sun to jest. Lin Chuan waved his hands repeatedly: "She''s waiting for us." "Oh?" Old Sun raised an eyebrow. "Comrade Shen Qianqian''s father is the factory director of the steel factory, and he has poured his heart into it, so she cares deeply about the affairs of the steel factory as well," Lin Chuan exined. Realization dawned on Old Sun, and he approached Shen Qianqian, "Comrade Shen, join me and Lin to visit the steel factory." "Certainly, Director Sun." Shen Qianqian beamed, then nced at Lin Chuan. Director Sun''s reaction likely meant he agreed to the transformation of the steel factory into a military factory, or at least he was considering it. Lin Chuan, this fellow, sure knew what he was doing! Old Sun and the group of five shared a car, with Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan leading the way in another. In the car. While driving, Shen Qianqian sneaked peeks at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan, sitting in the passenger seat, noticed Shen Qianqian''s nces and asked with a smile, "What''s up?" "I''m trying to see what charm you have that could get Director Sun to authorize the military factory." Shen Qianqian was curious. "You must have always known about my charm," Lin Chuan joked. Shen Qianqian humphed, "How would I know?" Lin Chuanughed and said, "There''s definitely charm, but the military factory''s qualifications aren''t confirmed yet, so we can''t pop the champagne at halftime. Transforming the steel factory into a military factory is still troublesome." "Troublesome it may be," Shen Qianqian became serious, "but ultimately, it''s developing in the right direction. If it sessfully transforms into a military factory and growsrger and stronger,pleting Anling City''s industrial chain and providing lots of jobs, when it''s time to vote for Anling City''s Top Ten Outstanding Youths, I''ll cast my vote for you!" "Sounds nice. It must be simr to being a model student back in school, right?" Lin Chuan mused, saying. "Seems about right," Shen Qianqian agreed with augh, then changed the subject, "Oh, by the way, I''ve got some good news for you." "What''s the good news?" Lin Chuan asked. "The day after tomorrow, September 10, Tuesday, Yu Keke''s court hearing will be held." Shen Qianqian said as she drove. "Yu Keke..." Lin Chuan nodded, "That is indeed good news." "I am now formally inviting you on behalf of the Anling Police Station to attend this trial," Shen Qianqian said solemnly. "The day after tomorrow, huh? Fine." Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, "It seems like I''ve been quite busytely." "You certainly are a busy man now." Shen Qianqian smiled radiantly, then teased, "I tried to arrange a live-action gaming session with Qiqi and Qingqing; you didn''t even have time for that." "Let''s get through the busy period first." Lin Chuan ced his hands behind his head, slightly reclined the passenger seat, leaned back, and closed his eyes. Driving, Shen Qianqian saw how rxed Lin Chuan looked and humphed, "I''m practically bing your personal driver." The journey from Linjiang Mansion to the steel factory wasn''t too far. They arrived in just over half an hour. Outside the steel factory, Shen Jianhua, Shen Qianqian''s father, stood at the entrance under the zing sun, waiting for Lin Chuan, Shen Qianqian, and Sun Cheng. Next to Shen Jianhua were two factory workers. One of the workers, frowning under the harsh sun, swallowed a spit and asked, "Director, is the person your daughter called over of significant status?" "Significant enough." Shen Jianhua replied. Shen Qianqian hadn''t revealed Sun Cheng''s specific identity to Shen Jianhua, only mentioning that an important figure wasing to visit the steel factory. "Then can our steel factory be saved?" the worker asked again. What they cared about most was still the steel factory. This factory was linked to their jobs and economic sources. Once it was gone, the sky would fall. "Don''t worry, we will definitely keep it!" Shen Jianhua reassured the two worker masters as he couldn''t help but think of Lin Chuan. A father knows his daughter best. He knew Shen Qianqian''s capabilities. Therefore, the hope of saving this steel factory, Shen Jianhua had not ced on Shen Qianqian but had entrusted it to Lin Chuan. Although hope was slim, there was still a glimmer of it. Just as he was thinking. The sound of a car speeding suddenly came from outside the quiet steel factory, exceedingly loud. Shen Jianhua looked up to see it was his daughter''s car. Another ck car followed behind it. Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian got out of the car and greeted Shen Jianhua, "Uncle Shen." "Lin has arrived," Shen Jianhua came up to greet him. On the other side. Sun Cheng did not put on any bureaucratic airs, needing no special officer to greet and open the car door for him; he got out of the car himself and looked at Lin Chuan, "Lin, is this the steel factory you were talking about?" "Yes." Lin Chuan, together with Shen Jianhua, walked towards Sun Cheng, "Director Sun, let me introduce you, this is the factory director of Anling Iron and Steel Factory and also the father of Comrade Shen Qianqian, Shen Jianhua." "Director Sun, hello hello." Shen Jianhua immediately greeted him. "Factory Director Shen, hello," Sun Cheng smiled warmly and shook hands with Shen Jianhua. "It''s too sunny here. Let me take you inside the factory, we can talk and look around," Lin Chuan said. Sun Cheng smiled, "I''ll follow your lead." The group walked toward the steel factory. A worker master pulled Shen Jianhua aside and asked, "This Director Sun, I haven''t seen him before." "Right, he''s not a leader from our city," another worker master added. "He might be from the higher-ups." Shen Jianhua stretched out his index finger and pointed upwards. The two worker masters nced at each other, realizing if he truly was a senior official, then the steel factory really had hope! "Factory Director, your daughter is really capable!" a worker master whispered in praise. "Let''s not talk about this now, hurry up and get back to work. Director Sun will soon tour the factory buildings," Shen Jianhua had no time for idle chat and quickened his pace to catch up with Lin Chuan and Sun Cheng. He had figured it out. This Director Sun, he really respected Lin Chuan. Wherever Lin Chuan took him, he would go. The steel factory was vast. A tour and inspection took more than an hour. Luckily, although the steel factory had ceased operations, it possessed the key conditions needed for a transformation into a military factory. In September in Anling City by the Han River, the midday sun was somewhat scorching. After finishing his tour, Sun Cheng eventually came into the office, sat down, and wiped some sweat beads from his forehead. As the factory director, Shen Jianhua personally poured the tea. Lin Chuan picked up a tea cup, took a sip, and asked, "Old Sun, what do you think?" In terms of scale, it definitely has the qualifications to transform into a military factory. As for the technology, I trust you on that part, but regarding the funding issue, I am unable to help," Sun Cheng said. Funding issues have always been a major difficulty. If the steel factory could secure arge infusion of capital, it wouldn''t have ended up in its current predicament. "I will try to lobby the city for these," Lin Chuan nodded and said. At this, Sun Cheng turned to Shen Jianhua and instructed, "Prepare the steel factory''s documents and submit them to Anling City''s administrative department. I will order someone to retrieve and evaluate them. Once the evaluation is passed, the military factory qualification can be approved." Shen Jianhua and the others immediately rejoiced, "Thank you, Director Sun." Sun Cheng waved his hand, "This is all standard procedure; if you want to thank someone, thank Lin." In his position, when faced with such requests, one typically wouldn''tmit fully and would leave some leeway. But today, he had agreed outright and given a definite response. He was showing his sincerity to Lin Chuan. Moreover, while traveling from Linjiang Mansion to the steel factory, he had also sought approval from his former superior and got it approved. Such special treatment was all for Lin Chuan. Later, the two discussed the topic of transforming the steel factory into a military factory for a while longer before Sun Cheng announced his departure. Lin Chuan chuckled, "Old Sun, you really are a busy man." "Well...the Institute of Equipment Research there has made new progress on your ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' research. I need to go back and check on it," Sun Cheng exined. "When will you visit Anling again?" Lin Chuan made small talk. "When Ie next time," Sun Cheng joked. The two of themughed heartily. In just one morning, Sun Cheng returned to the Capital City to continue presiding over the evaluation and certification of the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''. On the other side. Shen Jianhua watched Lin Chuan respectfully send off Sun Cheng and muttered, "Qianqian, are you blind?" "Why do you say that?" Shen Qianqian asked nkly. "I remember you saying that you knew him because you arrested him thinking he was a thief," Shen Jianhua tsked. "Um..." For a moment, Shen Qianqian''s face was slightly embarrassed, "He did seem very suspicious." Shen Jianhua shook his head, "I see Lin as a man of integrity. How could he possibly be a criminal suspect?" Chapter 333: Chapter 226: Copy Everything? (Five Thousand Word Chapter) Two dayster, on September 10th. It had already passed the ''Start of Autumn,'' but before the ''Autumnal Equinox,'' the lingering heat of summer was still persistent, and Anling City was still enveloped in intense heat. However, the morning was cool, the sun not yet fierce, and a gentle breeze brought a hint of coolness, with ayer of thin mist slowly drifting in the breeze. Lin Chuan took a ride in Shen Qianqian''s car to Anling Court. Today, the Yu Keke case was being heard in court. "The court is now in session, please have all parties and participants take their seats," announced the judge, his voice firm andmanding. Lin Chuan took his ce on the witness stand. He was the main witness and key figure in the case, and his presence was essential to corroborate evidence at Yu Keke''s trial. After a long time. Lin Chuan saw Yu Keke again. Yu Keke, dressed in dark blue casual clothes, was shackled and stood at the defendant''s position. The once high-profile general manager of Anzhou Pharmaceutical and hidden drug lord was without her usual radiance and beauty. Her Eurasian features remained beautiful and pale, but now they appeared lifeless. Although her hair wasbed, several unruly strands hung down in disarray, giving her a fragile and exquisite beauty. But Lin Chuan was not a man whose principles swayed with physical appearance; he felt no sympathy or pity for Yu Keke, just an indifferent gaze. Yu Keke, standing in the dock, instantly noticed Lin Chuan. She knew he woulde. It was somewhat like when, during school days, you walk into a ssroom and instinctively look towards the seat of the person you''re most concerned with. However, Yu Keke''s feelings toward Lin Chuan were not those of an innocent youthful crush, but rather a hidden regret and hatred. A sh of light appeared in her dull eyes as she stared intently at Lin Chuan for a while, her face bearing an inscrutable smile. "Please verify the identities of those in attendance," the judge said again. The trial began. The entire case proceeded smoothly. As expected, Yu Keke, for her "extremely grave crimes and severe social impact," was sentenced to death for multiple offences and permanently deprived of her political rights. As she heard the verdict, Yu Keke''s face did not disy shock or despair, instead, she nced towards Lin Chuan, smiled faintly, then raised her right hand and made a slicing gesture across her neck before quickly being taken down. This action made Lin Chuan frown slightly. However. For him, this case hade to a close. "If it weren''t for you, Anzhou Pharmaceutical could have been rooted in Anling for much longer," Shen Qianqianplimented Lin Chuan unusually as they left the court. "Officer Shen is learning to givepliments; why not give a little more?" Lin Chuan stood on the courthouse stairs, casually looked up, and saw the bright, clear sky. Shen Qianqian, dressed in her police uniform, gave Lin Chuan a reproachful look and said with a huff, "I''m afraid you''ll be arrogant!" "Why would I be arrogant so easily?" Lin Chuan responded nonchntly. "That Yu Keke, she made a throat-slitting gesture at you in the end; it looks like she wants to harm you?" Shen Qianqian asked, changing the topic. "Seems like it," Lin Chuan nodded. After pondering, Shen Qianqian said, "I''ve looked into the Morgan Group; that crime syndicate is dangerous. I worry they might target you." Lin Chuan walked down the stairs andughed, "They''re not so frightening." "I just fear you''re getting arrogant andcent," Shen Qianqian chided while following Lin Chuan. "Don''t worry," Lin Chuan quickened his pace and got into the passenger seat of Shen Qianqian''s car, fastening his seat belt. "Be careful and let me know if anythinges up; I can be there in no time," said Shen Qianqian as she got into the car, started the engine, and prepared to drive Lin Chuan home. Lin Chuan turned to look at Shen Qianqian and teased, "You''re not just my exclusive chauffeur, you''re almost bing my personal bodyguard." "Personal bodyguard..." Shen Qianqian''s lips curved into a slight smile, "Doesn''t that mean you owe me two sries?" "If I paid you a sry, would you dare take it?" Lin Chuan blinked and retorted. Shen Qianqian snorted, "If you dare pay, I dare report you. Bribe a public servant and you''ll get a taste of the jail cell and learn to behave." Prison, a ce that humbles the most defiant of hearts. Lin Chuanined, "Hope springs eternal." Shen Qianqian smiled sweetly and changed the subject, "Let''s talk serious business; has the military factory''s license been approved?" "It has," Lin Chuan nodded. "That was fast?" Shen Qianqian sounded surprised. "Special issues, special actions," Lin Chuan replied simply. "Did you ''sell yourself''?" Shen Qianqian suddenly asked. Lin Chuan was taken aback, then chuckled, "What do you mean ''sell myself''? That''s not a fitting analogy. You could get disciplined for that in formal settings." "Are you already speaking like a bureaucrat?" Shen Qianqian winked, her teasing evident. Lin Chuan responded, "Otherwise, you''re always on the lookout to catch me and send me to jail!" "Did you really sell out?" Shen Qianqian asked. Lin Chuan shook his head, "No, after thinking it over, it doesn''t suit how I operate. Indeed, that title would make things easier, but it would alsoplicate other matters." After Sun Cheng''s proposal. Lin Chuan thought it over for an entire night. Yet, after much consideration, he decided to forgo taking a position at the Weapons Research Institute. There were too many things involved, and if past events resurfaced, it would only lead to more trouble. For instance, the incident at the Old Street Factory District. "I thought you would take a position at the Weapons Research Institute. It would make things much easier for the military factory," Shen Qianqian remarked. Chapter 334: Chapter 226: Copy! Everything is Copied? (5000-word Chapter)_2 "Even though I''m not working there, I can coborate with the Weapons Research Institute and have the technology stationed at Anling Military Factory," Lin Chuan said with a smile. "What do you mean?" Shen Qianqian raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding Lin Chuan''s point. Lin Chuan, dressed in a light gray casual suit, reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian parked the car by the roadside and took the business card. It read in bold letters ''Chairman of Falcon Technology Co., Ltd., Lin Chuan.'' "Falcon Technology?" Shen Qianqian was startled and more perplexed, "Have you started anotherpany?" Lin Chuan smiled and nodded, his finger pointing at the business card: "Since I didn''t join the Weapons Research Institute, Old Sun suggested I start apany to coborate with them. Whatever result mypany researches, the Weapons Research Institute will send someone to assess and then purchase. The name Falcon was also given by Old Sun." Shen Qianqian looked at the business card, then at Lin Chuan, "You set up apany in just two days?" "It doesn''t seem like a big deal, right?" Lin Chuan said frankly. "Not a big deal?" Shen Qianqian countered. "Uh..." Lin Chuan stroked his chin and pondered for a while, "If it were before, it would indeed be a big deal, but now, it''s not a small matter, yet not a big one either." "You''ve changed!" Shen Qianqian spat. "Eh?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. "You''ve be rich. If it were before, you definitely would have treated us to a meal!" Shen Qianqian said earnestly. "So?" "So you owe me a meal," Shen Qianqian said seriously. "Yourst sentence, you said ''us'', so how did it change to treating only you?" Lin Chuan smirked, looking at Shen Qianqian. Shen Qianqian blushed, her little scheme exposed, and she tried to change the subject, "Lin Chuan, think about it, wasn''t it me who told you about the National Weapons Innovation Design Competition?" Lin Chuan nodded. "So, don''t I deserve a tiny bit of credit?" Shen Qianqian made a small gesture. Lin Chuanughed helplessly, "Alright, I''ll treat you to a meal." "That''s more like it." Shen Qianqian beamed, "Yourpany is just getting started; you must need to hire a lot of people, right?" Lin Chuan shook his head, "No need, for now it''s just Xinxin and I, that should be enough." "Enough?" Shen Qianqian''s eyes widened, "How can two people do research and development in such a big technologypany?" Lin Chuan pointed to his head, "I alone can handle the research, Xinxin helps me with the ounts, and also takes care of the cooperation with the National Weapons Research Institute." "Okay then." Shen Qianqian inwardly eximed ''inhuman'', put away the business card, turned the steering wheel to the right, and continued driving at fifty miles per hour. Lin Chuan began to enjoy the scenery outside the window. Under the azure sky, towering buildings basked in the sunlight, glowing golden. When he rolled down the window, a breeze wafted in, carrying the fresh scent of earth and grass, and it brushed against Lin Chuan''s face. "Lin Chuan, my dad said the steel nt''s capital chain had been broken a long time ago. Now that it''s being transformed into a military factory, how is the funding issue going to be resolved?" Shen Qianqian asked. "I''ve already started applying to the city," Lin Chuan replied. "Director Zhang had a meeting yesterday, and he mentioned that Anling City''s main development focus now is on tourism," Shen Qianqian reminded him as she drove. This wasn''t just Lin Chuan''s issue; it also concerned her father. As for the funding, she knew her dad had run out of options, so they could only rely on Lin Chuan now. "No problem, I''ll think of something else." Lin Chuan responded. Now, Lin Chuan was truly a busy man. Falcon Technology Co., Ltd. was actually a shellpany, serving as a vehicle for his coboration with the National Weapons Research Institute. It didn''t require much effort. Currently, there were two pressing matters: First, the funding issue for Anling Military Factory. This needed to bemunicated with the city first to apply for funding, and it wouldn''t be resolved right away. Second, the average subscription requirements and assessment tasks for the new book "Arms Tycoon." This was the most urgent matter. He hoped to take advantage of the poprity from the "National Weapons Innovation Design Competition" for the bookunch. But ns can''t keep up with changes. The ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' was so impressive that despite ''not making the finals'', he had to find another way. Just publish it! After much consideration, Lin Chuan made this decision. After returning home, Lin Chuan opened the chat window with the editor Youyou and sent a message, "Youyou, I''m going to publish my new book." It was 12:30 pm. Lunchtime. In a rare urrence, Youyou replied instantly, "Are you finally publishing?" Lin Chuan sat in front of theputer, his fingers moving, "I checked the almanac, and today is the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, an auspicious day suitable for ''signing contracts.''" Youyou was having lunch and reading Lin Chuan''s message, she pulled out her phone''s ''calendar'' to check the almanac. It disyed [Suitable for: marriage, travel, moving, signing contracts, trading...] [Taboo: none] "Indeed it is." Youyou smiled softly as she mumbled to herself, then replied to Lin Chuan, "Do you also know some spells?" "I only know how to read the almanac, nothing else," Lin Chuan replied with augh. "I feel like you do." Youyou teased, "Are youunching both the domestic and international versions today?" In recent days, even though Lin Chuan had not yet released his new book, Chu Wanning from the overseas operations department of Sailing Novel had been asking repeatedly to prepare an English version of "Arms Tycoon" for simultaneous release. Lin Chuan thought it was a good idea and agreed. "Yes!" Lin Chuan affirmed. "Alright, I''ll contact Wanning right away./OK.jpg," Youyou replied, putting aside her meal immediately to get to work. Chapter 335: Chapter 226: Copy! Everything is Copied? (5000-word Chapter)_3 Chu Wanning, the manager of the overseas operations department, heard that Lin Chuan''s new book "Arms Tycoon" was about to be released and grinned with joy, "Finally, it''s time to release it!" Sailing Tower, within the lounge. Just like pure lotuses and charming peonies gathered together, Youyou asked Wanning, "How is the overseas warm-up going, Wanning?" Chu Wanning snapped her fingers andughed, "The warm-up has been going on for a long time, we''ve nted ads on many websites, just waiting for the book to be released." "There''s a substantial audience overseas, isn''t there?" Youyou asked again. "A lot, of course!" Chu Wanning''s eyes sparkled with excitement, clearly anticipating Lin Chuan''s new book "Arms Tycoon" to perform well overseas. Even without any warm-up, Lin Chuan''s previous works had sparked a huge wave of excitement. This time, after warming up, it was bound to go to the next level. The overseas version of the Sailing Novel APP was also set to rapidly conquer the market and establish a firm foothold. This was the expectation of both Chu Wanning and Youyou. With full confidence, they started to busily prepare for the new book, including activities like the bookunch event, subscription activities, and so forth. By three in the afternoon, all preparations were done. Mr. Lin''s new book, "Arms Tycoon," was released! ... In Southeast Asia, Fries Novel Company. This was an emerging online novel website from overseas, which adopted a ''free with ads'' modelbined with capital investment, rapidly attracting arge readership. However, the novel website didn''t have many web novel writers. Because their source of works was straightforward. Porting. Commonly known as, piracy. Somewhat simr to a certain site in China, cough, SomeFun Pavilion. Novels from all around the world were scoured through methods like ''crawling'' to stock their website''s library. Especially hit novels, which became their prime ''porting targets.'' As for copyright infringement disputes. Transnational literary infringement cases, in particr, are especially tricky to handle. Plus, they have multiple hideouts, today they may be ''Fries Novel'', and tomorrow they might turn into ''Burger Novel''. The ones that pirated your work were Fries Novel, what''s that got to do with Burger Novel? Therefore, these types of websites, like psoriasis, not only disgusted the original authors but were also hard to eradicate. This evening. Night fell, the streetlights came on one by one, the scattering lights like stars dropping down to the mundane world, countless home lights created a picturesque scene like poetry in motion. In a small building, around one hundred and forty to fifty square meters, bright lights were on, and the environment inside wasn''t very good, the only thing quite organized were the neatly arranged more than tenputers. This was the headquarters of ''Fries Novel.'' Knowing full well that piracy was illegal, they operated ''hit and run'' tactics; thus, their headquarters was not conspicuous or grandly furnished, often set in ordinary buildings. At that moment, inside the headquarters, several staff were operatingputers. A man with a small goatee and hands behind his back, a toothpick dangling from the corner of his mouth, walked into the headquarters with a somewhat arrogant gait. "Brother Hao." "Brother Hao has arrived." The few people inside all greeted him. The man known as "Brother Hao" is the founder of Fries Novel. He nodded, walked into the cubicle''s small office, and looked at the data on theputer''s backend, a look of barely concealed joy on his face. Recently, he had discovered a big fish. By pirating the two novels of this big fish, he had made a hefty sum. "Hacker Kingdom," "ck Ice." These two novels were almost phenomenally popr in the overseas web novel market, and in certain circles, they were revered as benchmarks. Fries Novel''s transport of these titles quickly sparked a frenzy in Southeast Asia. Brother Hao struck while the iron was hot and transported several of Lin Chuan''s novels from China as well. "Thief," "Swindler," "This Assassin Is Too Professional," "All-In," "Last Week''s Antique," "Touch Gold Notes," not a single one was missed. Since they were in Chinese, he had even outsourced them to a trantionpany to be tranted. Although these novels were all written in first person, which is not the mainstream style, they were irresistible because they were so well-written. So, in a short time, Lin Chuan''s novels dominated the top of Fries Novel''s charts and were beloved by readers in Southeast Asia. Knock, knock, knock. Three knocks sounded, and a skinny man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks walked in: "Brother Hao, there''s good news!" Inside the office, Brother Hao ced his two legs on the desk, leisurely lifted his eyelids: "Hou, what''s the good news?" "Mr. Lin has released a new book!" Hou walked to the front of the desk, slightly bent at the waist, and grinned. Brother Hao immediately put his legs down and leaned forward: "What new book?" Hou took out his phone and ced it in front of Brother Hao. Brother Hao immediately took the phone, looked down, and saw the interface of Sailing Novel''s international version. It was the opening screen rmendation image. In the center, slightly above, was the book cover, a hand-drawn picture of a rugged man with a cigarette in his mouth, a rocketuncher slung over his shoulder, with ruins engulfed in battle and smoke billowing behind him. On the cover, the title "Arms Tycoon" was written in bold art-deco style next to "Mr. Lin," with the "Sailing Novel" logo in the top right corner. Beneath the cover was the blurb for "Arms Tycoon." Brother Hao''s eyes lit up: "Arms Tycoon, the name alone is captivating, not bad at all!" "Shall we transport it?" Hou asked for instructions. "What are you waiting for, move it now!" Brother Hao stroked his small goatee, proudly dering. "Right away!" Hou immediately turned around, ready to leave the office. "Wait!" Brother Hao seemed to have thought of something. "Brother Hao, is there another order?" Hou turned to inquire. "Get him a full subscription, Mr. Lin also works hard to write books, consider it his service fee." Brother Hao waved his hand magnanimously, as if struck by conscience. Hou immediately ttered: "Brother Hao, you''re so conscientious!" "Mr. Lin is my cash cow, giving a full subscription is only right, haha..." The office was immediately filled with Brother Hao''s unabashedughter. Chapter 336: Chapter 227: Lin Chuan, Indeed Very Strong! (Five Thousand Words Chapter!) Lin Chuan''s "Arms Tycoon" release quickly sparked massive attention. Beyond ''Fries Novel'', there were Lin Chuan''s readers from both home and abroad. Domestically, Lin Chuan''s reader group ''Abide by Law, Everyone''s Duty'' exploded, and many readers who hadn''t shown up for a long time also popped up. Old Bai, as Lin Chuan''s loyal reader and the group''s admin, directly tagged @everyone, shouting that Mr. Lin had started a new book! [The criminal suspect Mr. Lin has risen from the dead!] [The new book is finally here, after such a long time, I''m dying of anticipation!] [Brother upstairs, it''s only been a little over a month since thest book ended. Are you already dying of anticipation?] [Only a little over a month? Damn it! I thought centuries had passed!] [Let me see what the new book looks like!] [Guys, guess where I am reading Mr. Lin''s new book?] [I don''t know where you guys are, but I''m already at the police station. If I notice the slightest thing wrong, I''ll report it. Then I''ll be cashing in thousands of yuan, how delightful!] [Bro, you''re quick!] [You guys are out, now there''s a new way to make money!] [What''s this new way to make money?] [Live streaming, duh! Whatever new technology the author writes about, I''ll live stream myself using that technology, guaranteed to be a hit!] [Aren''t you afraid of getting caught?] [What''s there to fear? If I get caught, I''ll just snitch on the criminal suspect Mr. Lin. Then the reward for providing clues will be credited to my ount, double the earnings!] [Holy shit, genius!] [...] These ''criminals'' chattered on, quickly flooding the reader group with messages. [Messages 999+.] Lin Chuan, the person involved, couldn''t help but grin upon reading these ''criminals''''ments. Especially the brother who wanted to live stream, who even sent out the link to his live stream room; it was truly scary. Phew Lin Chuan exhaled deeply. Thankfully, he had preemptively notified Old Sun and had it on record; otherwise, he really would''ve been done for by his readers. ... Overseas. Lin Chuan''s foreign reader fans mainly gathered in ''International Forum - Underworld''. Angelina could be considered Lin Chuan''s number one loyal fan overseas, and she devoured his new book as soon as it was released, as if starving. Of course. Another group was particrly attentive to Lin Chuan''s activities. Morgan Group. The Morgan Group''s Asia-Pacific division was tucked away in a corner of Southeast Asia, with the bustling city providing perfect camouge. It hid among the rows of tall buildings, with no conspicuous signs on the outside. At a nce, it appeared to be an ordinarypany, unremarkable, but the security at the door had a cold gaze, with multiple cameras watching every intersection, capturing every rustle and bustle around this behemoth. At that moment. An Audi A8 smoothly entered the premises, and a woman stepped out of the car. This woman was beautiful, with a melon-seed face and a pert nose, resembling Yu Keke in facial structure, and had very fair skin. She wasn''t too old, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. It was none other than Yu Qin, Yu Keke''s older sister. She walked into the office with a graceful stride. Inside the office. Lucas, the head of the Morgan Group in the Asia-Pacific region, had been waiting for quite some time. "How did the talk go?" Yu Qin entered the door and Lucas immediately came forward to ask. "Sania Weapons Research Company drove a hard bargain, asking for 30% more than our estimated price," Yu Qin said with a displeased expression, sitting on the sofa with a somber look. These days. She personally negotiated with Sania Weapons Research Company to discuss the transfer of patents for theirtest ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' they were developing. Yu Qin ced a high priority on this ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''. It had broken through more than a dozen critical bottleneck technologies, had great lethality, was suitable for various war zones, and was initially estimated to have a range of 300 kilometers. Only after getting closer did Yu Qin learn that its range could actually reach 350 kilometers50 kilometers more than the most advanced American ''HIMARS Rocket Launcher''! In Yu Qin''s n Securing Sania''s ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' was crucialboth to spare Yu Keke from the death sentence and to manufacture and sell to some armed forces in the Middle East, achieving two objectives with one move. Possibly aware of Yu Qin''s intentions, Sania had raised their price by 30%. "30%..." Lucas mumbled, "In the field of arms, you''re the expert. What do you n to do?" "What else can I do? The verdict on Keke has alreadye out, death penalty. We have no choice but to ept this 30% price increase," Yu Qin said, frustrated. "And the subsequent pricing for the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''?" Lucas inquired. Clearly. In the field of arms, Lucas regarded Yu Qin''s word as authority. Yu Qin pondered for a moment, "The cost will be passed on to the buyer, the price of the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' will also increase by 30%." Lucas hesitated for a bit, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Increasing by 30%... won''t the price of the rocketuncher be too high?" "It''s the only one of its kind, no other branch," Yu Qin tossed out this phrase. After today''s negotiation ended, she had spread the message through her arms channels that the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher with a range of 350 kilometers was for sale, The Haas Armed Forces in the Middle East showed a strong desire to buy and had already arranged to meet with Yu Qin tomorrow. "Alright, you call the shots regarding the arms," Lucas shrugged nonchntly and agreed. "I''ve obtained the blueprints and patents for the rocketuncher, now I''ll transmit these things to Keke through a special channel," Yu Qin said, looking at Lucas. Chapter 337: Chapter 227: Lin Chuan, Truly Strong! (5000-word Chapter!)_2 Lucas nodded and immediately started contacting his people. They had beenying the groundwork for years and had multiple secret channels at their disposal, so passing some things to Yu Keke wasn''t difficult at all. With the rocketuncher blueprints and patents, they could pull Yu Keke back from the brink of death. This was Yu Qin''s primary objective. Death sentence to life imprisonment, then to life without parole... She was all too familiar with these procedures. "Has there been any special news about Lin Chuan?" Yu Qin lit a cigarette, holding it between two fingers, and asked with her leg casually crossed. "He hasn''t made any special moves, just released a new book today," Lucas reported, as told to him by one of his subordinates. Yu Qin exhaled a ring of smoke, "How does releasing a new book count as special news?" "That''s all there is." Lucas shook his head. In the office, the two fell silent. Yu Qin took a few more drags, "Where did Lin Chuan publish that book of his? I want to have a look." "I''ll find out." Lucas immediately inquired and then replied to Yu Qin, "There are three versions of it. The Chinese version was published domestically, the English version on ''Sailing Novel International''." "And the third version?" Yu Qin asked. "Pirate version." Lucas chuckled, "It''s a pirated version by Fries Novel Company, quite popr among the people of Southeast Asia who use this app to read novels." He had a good understanding of the local people''s habits. Chapter Explore: "Lucas, get me a copy too, I want to see what Lin Chuan has written," Yu Qin said, flicking her cigarette ash casually. She remembered Yu Keke mentioning to her Yu Keke wanted to recruit a web novel writer, whose novels were their own criminal records, and one could see their level of criminal expertise from the stories. The ''Haas Armed Forces'' had arranged to meet with her tomorrow, and now she was idling around, so she might as well check out Lin Chuan''s novel. After all, "knowing the enemy and knowing oneself, one can fight without danger in a hundred battles." It would be good to learn about this web novel writer so she could take actions in the future. Before long, a staff member brought over a tablet and ced it in front of Yu Qin. Yu Qin casually flipped through it. Both Sailing Novel''s international and Fries Novel''s apps were downloaded on the tablet. Yu Qin didn''t care about which was the legitimate version or the pirated one; she casually clicked on one of the apps. Afterward, she entered Lin Chuan''s pen name. Mr. Lin. The novel tform immediately showed a series of books, with the new book "Arms Tycoon" at the top. Yu Qin was half-leaning on the sofa in anguid pose. When the tranted words "Arms Tycoon" caught her eye, she suddenly became interested in the book. Whether this book was Lin Chuan''s autobiography or not, she was unsure. But the words "Arms Tycoon" represented her identity, and she was curious to see what sort of story Lin Chuan coulde up with. Gently, she tapped on "Arms Tycoon." The content of the novel immediately unfolded before her ''My name is Mr. Lin.'' ''In a world of turmoil and unrest, I was christened "Arms Tycoon".'' ''The name Mr. Lin, in the eyes of many, symbolizes power, wealth, and technology.'' ''It also represents legend.'' ''Standing in the fading light of my twilight years, I find the recollections of my life to be extraordinary and almost miraculous.'' ''If I were to speak of it, perhaps no one would believe.'' ''I was originally the owner of a toy factory, but by a chance decision, I embarked on the path of arms dealing.'' ''...'' This was the first time Yu Qin was reading Lin Chuan''s novel, and she read the opening with some care, or rather, she savored it. She extinguished the cigarette in her hand on the ashtray and adjusted her position on the sofa, her breathing gradually calming. She could sense the charm of the words in Lin Chuan''s novel. Even more, she could feel as if an arms tycoon, standing at the peak and looking down on the world, was recounting his legendary life to an unknown audience in the memories of hister years. Yu Qin continued to read discerningly. ''I was born into an ordinary family.'' ''Since my childhood, I had a profound curiosity about weapons, and I especially enjoyed making little weapon toys.'' ''I remember clearly, at the age of eight, I broke the neighbor''s window with a toy gun I made myself and got thoroughly punished for it, with my butt blooming from the spanking.'' ''But my passion for guns and weapons didn''t diminish; on the contrary, it grew stronger.'' ''However, academics became an obstacle in my study of guns and weaponry.'' ''I had to spend arge amount of time every day, unwillingly, on subjects that were of no use.'' ''Fortunately, I always scored high in physics, mathematics, and chemistry. The elders always said I was too focused on one field and if I could do well in other subjects, I would certainly achieve great things in the future.'' ''I didn''t take their words seriously.'' ''After the college entrance exam, I got into a very mediocre university.'' ''The only constion was that during those four years, I could fully dedicate myself to the study of weapons, which was my hobby.'' ''However, a hobby cannot feed you.'' ''After graduation, I was caught in a wave of massiveyoffs, and finding a job in the country was very difficult, unless I went to work in a factory.'' ''Later, I went abroad to Southeast Asia.'' ''I started a business there, initially trading toys. Eventually, I simply opened my own toy factory.'' ''...'' As she read on, Yu Qin found herself bing engrossed. The ''Mr. Lin'' in the novel shared some simrities with her, having a strong interest in weapons from their childhood. However, her own growth was much smoother than Mr. Lin''s. Her father supported her interest in studying weapons, even providing her with real guns and taking her to see all sorts of weaponry. Chapter 338: Chapter 227: Lin Chuan, Indeed Very Strong! (5000-word Chapter!)_3 After I grew up, I naturally inherited my father''s mantle and became an arms tycoon, in charge of the Morgan Group''s military weapon supply throughout the Middle East region. My younger sister Keke had a keen sense for drugs. Thus, she started her experience from the "addictive drugs" industry. Unexpectedly, she was wiped out by Lin Chuan. Thinking of this, Yu Qin shook her head, putting the thoughts in her mind aside for a moment. She continued reading. ''This toy factory mainly specializes in making weapon models, very realistically.'' ''This is thanks to my continuous study of weapons.'' ''Soon, my toys gained a certain notoriety among the children of Southeast Asia.'' ''Many children specifically requested toys from Lin''s Toy Factory.'' ''Until one day, my toys caught the eye of a militant.'' ''His name was Karl, a general of the Arak Armed Forces in the Southeast Asia region, essentially their leader.'' ''I clearly remember the toy he was interested in was a SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol; I produced the toy as if it was a real weapon, and this toy pistol was no different.'' ''It was made from toy-grade materials, and except forcking lethal force, it was almost a one-to-one reproduction of the pistol.'' ''But it was such a little toy thatpletely changed my fate.'' ''That night.'' ''General Karl, with his subordinates,id siege to the entire Toy Factory, leaving no way out.'' ''...'' Reading up to this point, Yu Qin''s mouth curved slightly upward as she muttered softly, "Interesting, creating a little toy that''s too lifelike, it drew the special attention of militants." In the office, Lucas was sitting not far opposite Yu Qin, watching her expression and frowning slightly. However, he did not disturb Yu Qin. Yu Qin''s gaze was still on the novel. ''The siege by the Arak Armed Forces made me somewhat panicked.'' ''Especially Karl, wearing a ckbat uniform, dark-skinned, burly, with a sidearm at his waist, looking like a monster in the night, exerting a great pressure on me.'' ''He pointed at the SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol in my hand,menting that my pistol was very finely made and wanted to ce arge order with me.'' ''Later, Karl would recall that he must have been crazy to turn to a Toy Factory to produce firearms.'' ''But, fate is so strange, like a torrent pushing us towards an unknown direction.'' ''That night.'' ''The Arak Armed Forces, led by Karl, indeed ced arge order with us.'' ''SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistols, MP5 submachine guns, HK433 assault rifles, and so on.'' ''Moreover, Karl gave me a substantial deposit.'' ''He also expressed the hope that he could work with me long-term.'' ''After working with him, I found out that the reason he sought cooperation was that an arms supplier in Southeast Asia, relying on unique supply channels, was charging sky-high prices, so he wanted to start his own arms business.'' ''And I was his trial.'' ''It turned out, he seeded.'' ''Starting with Karl''s order, I began with the production of the SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol.'' ''This pistol is quite ssic.'' ''Even now, I can recite its detailed specifications one by one.'' Indeed, detailed data for the SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol was attached below. Looking further down, There was the production process of the "SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol." "The first step is to make the frame." "The frame of this pistol is made of aluminum alloy, I remember I was excited, personally adjusting the machines to ensure nothing went wrong." "Fortunately, my skills are solid." "Once the frame is formed, this piece of aluminum alloy already looks like the beginnings of a sleeve bracket." "The second step is precision cutting, to shape the frame perfectly." "..." Chapter Continue: Lin Chuan wrote very detailed descriptions of the production process and rted data. For example, the hollowing of the frame, corrosion protection for the frame, upper receiver, making the barrel, and other processes were all introduced one by one. Some of the key steps, however, were omitted as a standard practice. Otherwise, it could virtually be called a production manual for the "SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol." Afterward, The production processes of weapons like "MP5 submachine guns" and "HK433 assault rifles" also came into Yu Qin''s view. At this point, Yu Qin had shifted from a semi-reclined position to sitting upright, her formerlyzy expression now showing earnest attention. She was of course familiar with the production process of these weapons. What puzzled her was how Lin Chuan could describe it so minutely, making her feel as if she had walked into a military factory''s production workshop. It''s known that To convey imagery through text, to make someone feel immersed, is extremely difficult. Yet, in Lin Chuan''s descriptions, she could feel that clearly. Not just the production processes of the weapons, but also the types of equipment in military factories, their functions, and exact operation methods, were all clearlyid out by Lin Chuan. By this time, Yu Qin had begun to seriously doubt Lin Chuan''s identity. Was he really just a web novel writer? Clearly! Based solely on this novel, Yu Qin knew that Lin Chuan''s level was at least that of a weapons expert. "No wonder, no wonder." Yu Qin momentarily stepped away from the novel "Arms Tycoon" and repeated to herself. "What''s up?" Lucas asked from across her. Yu Qin took a deep breath, "No wonder Yu Keke is obsessed with him, insisting on bringing him into the group. Lin Chuan is indeed very strong." Lucas''s expression changed instantly, "You don''t share the same thoughts as Coco, do you? That''s too risky!" "What do you think I''m thinking?" Yu Qin countered. "You two sisters are really crazy. Coco has already fallen for Lin Chuan, and if you also want to bring him into the group, isn''t that asking for death?" Lucas said frankly and bluntly as a reminder. Yu Qin''s expression remained unchanged, and she smiled lightly, "I have to say, he is a genius with weapons..." "No! No! No!" Lucas crossed his arms and interrupted Yu Qin loudly, "Put away that dangerous idea right now!" Yu Qin''s eyes held a trace of chill, "Appreciating him doesn''t mean I''ll let him off the hook." "That''s good, I thought you were the same as Coco, that would be madness." Lucas was relieved to hear this response. Otherwise, he would truly question the aesthetic of the Yu sisters, as if they both came from the same mold, a perfect one-to-one copy. The Yu sisters, don''t one after the other offer themselves up! Chapter 339: Chapter 228: This is too fierce! (Five Thousand Word Chapter) Inside the office. Yu Qin no longer paid attention to Lucas and continued to gaze at "Arms Tycoon." ''The time hase to deliver.'' ''Karl, stocky and well-built, was holding the guns I had made and testing them at the shooting rangebang, bang, banga few hundred shots in session.'' ''He rated these armaments very highly.'' ''Comparable to a professional military factory!'' ''From this point on, the path of an arms tycoon wasid out before me, and I didn''t hesitate; I stepped onto it calmly.'' ''...'' Yu Qin didn''t read quickly. As the saying goes, "The writing reflects the writer," indeed, one can also know a person through their writings. Although she had been involved in the arms trade for years, in the quiet of the night, she would also immerse herself in some ssics, like adorning the City of Sin with flowers. "Arms Tycoon," while not a timeless ssic, was undoubtedly a novel tailor-made for Yu Qin at that moment. It depicted a vicious criminal yearning for a piece of purend for the soul. Everyone like her would not repent, but she needed a reason to convince herself to keep doing what she was doing. If she could attribute to it a noble reason, then her soul would be consoled. Therefore. Yu Qin appeared to be reading a novel, but in reality, she was reflecting on herself. She yearned for "Arms Tycoon" to provide her with the reasons she wished to see, such as a noble title for the profession of arms supplier. Gradually, she became wholly engrossed. "I must warn you!" Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts. The speaker was none other than Lucas. Yu Qin was displeased by the disturbance and looked at Lucas with a cold expression. Lucas spoke gravely, "The expression on your face while you were reading the book was offyou had a slight smile on your lips. That''s a very dangerous sign!" Yu Qin''s expression changed slightly, "Is that so?" "I saw it very clearly. I don''t know if Lin Chuan''s novel has any magic, but I must remind you, it''s a novel from our enemy, and your current state is very strange," Lucas spoke quickly and urgently. "Impossible," Yu Qin firmly retorted. "OK, suit yourself. Just don''t dy the negotiation with ''Haas Armed Forces'' tomorrow. They''re our major client!" Lucas reminded her once again. Yu Qin nced at Lucas indifferently, said nothing, and walked straight out. That office was too noisy for her. Even reading a book attracted unwanted chatter. ... The next day. As evening approached, a swath of orange-red spread across the sky, and the afterglow of the sunset bathed a corner of Southeast Asia. Inside a luxury private club. Yu Qin, wearing an elegant red gown, walked through a corridor hung with famous paintings and entered a very private meeting hall. "How much longer until Mr. Leo arrives?" Yu Qin looked at her assistant. The assistant replied, "Mr. Leo will be here in ten minutes." Yu Qin nodded, then sat on one side of the conference table in the hall, propped up her tablet, and leisurely continued reading the novel. Fromst night to now, except for preparing for the negotiation with ''Haas Armed Forces,'' she had spent the rest of her time reading Lin Chuan''s novel. Although Lin Chuan was an adversary. Yu Qin had to admit that Lin Chuan wrote really good novels. Not only did they include the manufacture and use of various types of weapons, but the depiction of the arms tycoon identity was incisive. Yu Qin waspletely drawn into it. In the meeting hall. A faint scent ofvender lingered in the air, a crystal chandelier hung high above, and its soft light fell on Yu Qin''s face, making her seem not like an arms tycoon, but a sincere reader. The ten minutes passed quickly. Knock, knock, knock. The representative of the Haas Armed Forces for the negotiation, Leo, politely tapped on the door three times. Yu Qin put away the tablet and looked up. Leo, dressed in a dark suit, tall and burly with a scar like a shrapnel track running along the right side of his jaw, his eyes sharp as a hawk''s, looked at Yu Qin and smiled as he walked in, "Yu, long time no see." Yu Qin stood to greet him with a smile, "Mr. Leo, it''s been a while, please have a seat." After exchanging pleasantries, both of them took their seats at the negotiation table, facing each other. The assistant poured red wine for both and then retreated to the side. Leo picked up his wine ss, swirled it gently, and seemed to casually say, "We have been cooperating for quite some time now." Yu Qin nodded, "Of course." "Then let''s get straight to the point." The representative of Haas Armed Forces, Leo, spoke in a deep and powerful voice, "I need a batch of heavy weaponry, including anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft machine guns, as well as sufficient ammunition supplies. Additionally, we are very interested in that long-range remote box-type rocketuncher with a range of 350 kilometers." "No problem." Yu Qin answered immediately with a slight smile, "We at Morgan will prioritize and supply you as quickly as possible, how about within a month?" "You''re a good partner," Leoplimented, then asked the question he cared about most, "What about the price?" Yu Qin put down her wine ss and smiled, "Don''t worry, the heavy weaponry will be priced the same as before." Leo inquired further, "And the rocketuncher?" "The rocketuncher..." Yu Qin paused, her gaze settled on Leo, and then extended one finger. Leo immediately furrowed his brows deeply, "Ten million US dors?" "Right." Yu Qin nodded gently, a smile on her face. At the negotiation table. The atmosphere between the two became somewhat tense. "That price far exceeds our expectations," Leo of Haas Armed Forces stared at Yu Qin, his brows knit together, "You should know, the HIMARS M142 system from the US is only five million, with a range of up to 300 kilometers." Chapter 340: Chapter 228: This is Too Awesome! (5000-word Chapter)_2 Yu Qin still appeared confident and nodded, "Of course I know." "Your price is hard to ept," said Leo, his expression somewhat cold and candid. "Expensive has its reasons," Yu Qin replied with a slight smile. "Mr. Leo, as you know, the arms business is tough these days. We''ve put a lot of effort into developing the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher, taking five years toplete. Of course, our Rocket Launcher isn''t just 50 kilometers more in range than the HIMARS M142it''s more powerful and more precise in striking." Leo was silent. He stared at the wine ss in his hand, the soft light casting seductive gleams on the red wine, and he really wanted to drink it. But the wine was too expensive. Just like Yu Qin''s Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher. The Hass Armed Forces urgently needed to acquire more advanced Rocket Launchers to gain stronger military striking capabilitiesa range of 350 kilometers with stronger and more precise firepower was undoubtedly their top choice. But ten million US dors was beyond his expectation. That was just the price of the Rocket Launcher. Additionally, if taking HIMARS M142 as an example, one rocket costs 180,000, then the ones sold by Yu Qin would cost at least 250,000, even 300,000. There''s also wear and tear, recement parts, and other misceneous charges. Overall, it was bound to cost 20 million US dors. They had originally nned to purchase three sets; that would be 60 million US dors, far exceeding their budget. "Mr. Leo, what do you think?" asked Yu Qin, her face still wearing a thin smile, seeming to control the negotiation Yes, this was her domain. In arms trade negotiations, she always held the absolute initiative. "There''s really no room for negotiation on the price?" Leo took a deep breath before asking. Yu Qin shook her head gently, "Mr. Leo, you jest. We''ve been partners and old friends for many years. The prices I give you are always the most favorable." Yes, a regr customer. But the regr still needed to be fleeced! Business is business, charging a familiar face is only reasonable. Leo and Yu Qin looked at each other for a long time before Leo finally chuckled, "Yu, we need to carefully consider this cooperation." He was not just talking about the Rocket Launcher but also about the heavy weapons mentioned earlier. Yu Qin seemed to have expected this oue and smiled, "I''m always here waiting for your call, Mr. Leo." "Goodbye." Leo stood up, left the negotiating table, and walked out of the conference room. Without looking back. His two personal bodyguards followed closely behind. Bang! The conference room door was tightly closed. To the side. Yu Qin''s assistant couldn''t help but ask, "Could Mr. Leo have been scared off by our price?" "Of course." Yu Qin answered casually. "Then why did you still..." The assistant wanted to say more but hesitated and dared not ask further. A sly smile tugged at the corner of Yu Qin''s mouth, "You''re inexperienced in negotiations. I''ve already investigated their situation. The Haas Armed Forces urgently need a batch of Rocket Launchers, so they wille back." "Don''t others have them?" the assistant asked. Yu Qin, with an air of superiority, patted the assistant on the shoulder, "For some reasons, they can''t obtain the HIMARS M142 and want a more advanced Rocket Launcher than the HIMARS; only we have it here." The assistant suddenly realized but still worried, "What if the price is too high for them to afford?" "When they realize that only I can provide cutting-edge Rocket Launchers, ande back to me, I''ll magnanimously lower the price by one to two million, and they''ll instantly ept it," Yu Qin replied, then she took a gentle sip of her wine. Her initial price point started at eight million US dors. Even if priced at eight million US dors, it would still be uneptable for the Haas Armed Forces. It''s better to scare them with a ten million price tag and then lower the price, which makes negotiations much easier. "Brilliant!" The assistant admired with awe. Yu Qin confidently proceeded, then added, "Have the blueprints been sent to Keke?" The blueprints she referred to were of the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher developed by Sania, sent to Yu Keke through special channels to save her life. The assistant immediately nodded, "It''s all arranged. As soon as Miss Keke''s application is approved, she''ll be moved to parole and then we can work on changing it to life imprisonment." "You''ve done well," Yu Qin nodded her approval. Then she left the conference room to continue reading her novel. ... When Leo walked out of the clubhouse, he wore a grim expression and cursed, "Fuck, ten million US dors, Morgan Group really dares to open its mouth wide!" "Boss, what do we do now?" asked a staff officer who was apanying him. "What else can we do, we find the next one!" Leo said with a chill in his tone. It''s true that the Hass Armed Forces had longstanding arms deals with the Morgan Group, but over the years, there was very little bargaining room with some of Morgan Group''s weapons. There are just a few arms dealers that can supply Rocket Launchers," the staff officer sighed. Ah Leo felt resigned, looking up at the sky. The sky had darkened, with scattered points of light across it; tonight the moon was not on duty, and the air still retained the warmth of the day, making it feel hot. The few other arms suppliers had received certain directives and refused to provide them with advanced weaponry. "Do we really have to be fleeced by Morgan Group?" Leo was not willing to ept this. His task was to purchase advanced weapon systems, and the Rocket Launcher was crucial to them. The stance Morgan Group took today clearly meant they were aiming to fleece them heavily. Chapter 341: Chapter 228 This is too strong! (Five thousand word chapter)_3 They still had to take it obediently. What a pain! "Get in the car first," the staff advisor reminded. Leo nodded and got into the car. The low-key vehicle slowly started, driving into the bustling streets, the neon lights shing past his eyes. "Stop the car!" Leo suddenly shouted. Outside the car window, a huge LED screen caught his attention. To be precise, it was the four English letters on it that caught his attention. Arms. Meaning, arms. ... There''s a 1-2 hour time difference between Southeast Asia and the homnd. It was also night in the homnd. At this moment, two whole days had passed since Lin Chuan released "Arms Tycoon." Modu, Sailing Tower. Editor Youyou still hadn''t left work. After Lin Chuan published his book, she had taken on virtually all the remaining work. That included, but was not limited to, arranging major ad pushes, ssh screen ads, intelligent rmendations, and posting advertisements on video tforms like Kuaidou to attract traffic. A sizable amount of advertising had also been invested overseas. Have to say, the effect was tremendous, the results remarkable. A little after nine at night. Youyou, dragging her weary body, made her way with somewhat heavy steps from her station to the lounge, picked up a cup of coffee, and sat down. She took a light sip from her coffee, her gaze drifting to the night view outside the window, to wake herself up a bit. Later, she still had to write several more copy pieces for the ads for "Arms Tycoon." "Youyou, what a coincidence, you''re here too," At that moment, the delicate tapping of high heels echoed in the lounge, apanied by a familiar voice. Youyou turned her head to look: "Wanning, you haven''t left work yet?" "When you, Lin Chuan''s chief editor, are still battling away, how could I dare to leave?" Chu Wanning, wearing a casual zer, took the seat opposite Youyou. Typically, editors rarely worked overtime at thepany. They usually did it at home. These past few days had been an exception, with Youyou working overtime non-stop, almost sick of writing ad copy. But, this time, she was truly working overtime willingly. Who would have asked if it weren''t for Lin Chuan''s business? "I''m still counting on Lin Chuan''s book to boost my performance!" Youyou, also wrapped in a light jacket, joked. "Is it really for performance?" Chu Wanning blinked yfully, her eyes brimming withughter. "If not for performance, what else could it be?" Youyou''s eyes darted away as she took another sip of her coffee, looking down. "Of course, it''s for the person," Chu Wanning teased. "Absolutely not," Youyou denied immediately. "I heard though..." Chu Wanning said teasingly but was quickly stopped by Youyou. "Enough!" Youyou feigned a stern face, "Rumors heard by the roadside, they''re all false." "Okay okay, all false," Chu Wanningughed heartily, then nced at Youyou in her thin outerwear, "Lin Chuan doesn''t even know how to care for you, with the weather turning cooler, and doesn''t give you any warmth." "He is not that kind of warm guy," Youyou retorted. "Then what kind of guy is he, a jerk?" Chu Wanning continued yfully. Youyou suddenly remembered the night when ''Lin Chuan slept on the sofa in her living room'', and she hummed to herself, "I do hope he is a scumbag." But facing Chu Wanning, she had no choice but to say, "How would I know so much?" Seeing Youyou was somewhat reluctant to talk about the topic, Chu Wanning smiled and said, "These past couple of days, our hard work has paid off!" Youyou''s eyes lit up, "How are the overseas results?" "Guess?" Chu Wanning smiled and yed coy. "Ten thousand subscriptions?" Youyou made a conservative estimate. At home, the tform had spent arge amount of money on advertising to direct traffic, and in just two days, it had surged to fifteen thousand Average Subscriptions, continuously dominating the bestseller list at number one. As time went on, it should break through thirty thousand Average Subscriptions very soon. This was not a new book with only a dozen or so paid chapters, but one with a million words. So, this increase in Average Subscription was quite frightening. Chu Wanning shook her head. "Not reached, or has it surpassed?" Youyou asked eagerly. "Of course it''s surpassed!" Chu Wanning said with a smile. "How much then?" Youyou leaned forward, pressing Chu Wanning for an answer. Chu Wanning raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of pride on her face, "Twenty thousand Average!" "How much?" Youyou doubted she had heard correctly. "Listen carefully, twenty thousand Average Subscriptions!" Chu Wanning emphasized thest four words, enunciating clearly. Hisss! Youyou took a deep breath, the rate of increase was even more exaggerated than she had anticipated. That is to say, in two days, the total increase in both domestic and international subscriptions was thirty-five thousand Average Subscriptions. With this trend, isn''t it heading towards one hundred thousand Average? Or even higher? Lin Chuan was truly going to be a legend! That is too awesome! "Is Lin Chuan that awesome?" Chu Wanning asked with a smile, a sly twinkle in her eyes. "Awesome!" Youyou nodded vigorously, then suddenly, she caught on and gave Chu Wanning a reproachful look, "What kind of double entendre is that?" Chu Wanning took a sip of her coffee, "Actually, it could be even more awesome." "How can Lin Chuan be more awesome?" Youyou felt that her question was somewhat inappropriate and quickly corrected herself, "I mean, how to improve the performance of his new book." "s." Chu Wanning became serious and sighed, "If the Southeast Asia market hadn''t been hijacked, we could have broken through thirty thousand Average in these two days." "Why do you say the Southeast Asia market has been hijacked?" Youyou was somewhat confused. Chu Wanning exined, "Do you still remember the ''Fries Novel''?" "You mean, ''Fries Novel'' pirated ''Arms Tycoon'' too?" Youyou''splexion momentarily stiffened. "Yes." Chu Wanning nodded, "But that''s not the worst of it!" "There''s something worse?" Youyou''s demeanor turned somewhat uneasy. Yes, a bit indignant. "Look at this." Chu Wanning took out her phone, cing it in front of Youyou. Youyou looked down. It was a picture with the backdrop of a city street, and in the center was an LED screen disying an advertisement. The advertisement used English font. Arms magnate. Meaning, Arms Tycoon. Chapter 342: Chapter 229: Coming to Find Us! (4000-Word Chapter) "This is outrageous!" In the lounge of Sailing Tower, Youyou eximed indignantly. Her lips were pursed tightly, her face tensed and enveloped by ayer of anger; even the frequency of her breathing through her nose had quickened. Her anger stemmed from this advertisement. The main subject of the advertisement was indeed the "Arms Tycoon." But! In the top right corner of the advertisement, in a very conspicuous position, there was the mark of ''Fries Novel'' along with its QR code. It was tant copyright infringement, and they were using it to promote their novel website! "Try to calm down a bit." Chu Wanning gently patted Youyou''s hand, trying tofort her. "They''repletely shameless. This isn''t the only one, is it?" Chu Wanning nodded, "Just the ads put out on the streets are no less than twenty, and there are plenty of flyers as well." It was evident. This time, Fries Novel from Southeast Asia wanted to use Lin Chuan''s Arms Tycoon to attract new users. "Is there anything that can be done about them?" For the moment, Youyou couldn''t calm her indignation, and all she wanted was to grind Fries Novel into the ground. "Same old routine, gather evidence, sue." Chu Wanning too felt somewhat helpless. Dealing with such overseas infringements, the cost of defending one''s rights was incredibly high. The sess rate was also quite slim. "Isn''t there any other way?" persisted Youyou. "None." Chu Wanning sighed softly. Youyou took a deep breath, sipped her coffee, and then fell into thought for a long while, "It looks like I''ll have to talk to Lin Chuan about this." Chu Wanning thought for a moment and then reminded her, "If Lin Chuan gets involved, he should be careful too." Youyou had just taken out her phone but then put it down again. She heard that Lin Chuan had started a newpany and should be very busy now. It was gettingte; it would be better to talk to him tomorrow, to let him have a good night''s sleep. Otherwise, she would have to battle with Fries Novel tonight and definitely not sleep well. As for Fries Novel. She would spare them just for tonight! ... Elsewhere. On the streets of Southeast Asia. Leo of the Hass Armed Forces looked up at the advertisement on the LED screen for a long time and smiled at himself in self-mockery, "Arms magnate." The bright lights of the LED fell upon his well-defined face, revealing a hint of loneliness. Somehow. Leo took out his phone and scanned the QR code above the advertisement. Ding, download ''Fries Novel''. Back at his ce, he reported the day''s negotiation oues to the leader of the Haas Armed Forces, who said they would have professionals re-evaluate the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' from Morgan Group to determine the room for negotiation. The leader also told Leo to get a good night''s rest. But how could he sleep when today''s negotiation results were so poor? Half-reclining on the couch, he rarely opened the newly downloaded app on his phoneFries Novel. This man, who struggled amidst war, unprecedentedly began to read a novel. He wanted to check out that "Arms Tycoon." ''My name is Mr. Lin.'' ''In this turbulent and chaotic world, I have been given the name "Arms Tycoon".'' ''The name Mr. Lin, in the eyes of many, represents power, wealth, technology.'' ''It also represents legend.'' ''...'' The contents of the "Arms Tycoon" novel fell into Leo''s eyes. He often dealt with arms suppliers and was quite familiar with the profession. However, he did not feel much empathy. So he did not read as carefully as Yu Qin did, word for word. Instead, his reading pace was fast. This was his first time reading an online novel. Thest time he read a novel dates back to his high school days, Back then, he had little time for reading, and if he read every word, he probably wouldn''t have gotten through much content. Therefore, he would often skip around. Choosing only the parts he liked to read. It might have been a while, but the habit of reading novels from his youth still had a significant impact at this moment. In the "Arms Tycoon," he liked the conversations between the arms dealers and the buyers the most. As for the other parts, he just skimmed through them. ''Until one day, one of my toys caught the attention of an arms activist.'' ''His name was Karl, a major general of the Arak Armed Forces in Southeast Asia, which means he was the leader.'' ''I remember clearly the toy he was interested in was the ''SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol'', which I produced as a real weapon at the time, and this toy gun was no different.'' ''...'' ''Karl ced an order with me, and I began the production of the ''SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol''.'' ''This pistol is quite ssic.'' ''Even now, I can recite its detailed specifications one by one.'' ''...'' As he read. Leo noticed something odd. In the novel, he saw the detailed specifications of the ''SIG Sauer P365-AXG pistol,'' and even the manufacturing process. He sat up from the sofa, mumbling in confusion, "Is this how they write online novels?" This waspletely different from any novel he had read before. He could never have imagined that contemporary web novels would detail the specifications and data of firearms so precisely. It could even pass for a military factory''s weapon production manual. However. Leo didn''t give it much thought. It was just a gun, after all; he had seen many, and there was nothing particrly remarkable about including some data. He continued reading. "Holy moly! There''s ''MP5 submachine gun'' and ''HK433 assault rifle'' too. Is he writing a novel or a manual on weapon manufacturing?" Leo was taken aback. He encountered the production methods for two more types of firearms! If it weren''t for the absence of some critical steps, he might even be able to start his own weapons factory with these methods! Chapter 343: Chapter 229: Coming to Find Us! (4000-Word Chapter)_2 ``` No longer would I have to look to any arms dealer''s face! Nor be held in the grasp of the Morgan Group! "The author of this book seems to have a good understanding of weaponry, I''m beginning to look forward to whatever weapons he will produce!" A sense of indescribable anticipation rose in his heart. That''s right. He was looking forward to seeing which weapons would appear in the book. Or rather, he wanted to know exactly which weapons the author was knowledgeable about. So. Mr. Leo from the Hass Armed Forces, almost frantically searched for each and every weapon appearing in the novel. As night deepened, all was silent. The stars sparkled like crushed diamonds against the profound expanse of the sky, silent and still, asionally a breeze would blow by, bringing a chill and rustling the leaves with a whispering sound. Mr. Leo waspletely engrossed in "Arms Tycoon," fixated on the detailed descriptions of the weapons contained within. "I can be sure, this Mr. Lin must be an authoritative weapons expert." As he read, Mr. Leo muttered to himself. There was no doubt about it. If it was just the detailed information of one or two weapons, it might have been coincidental, describing three or five might mean that someone put in a lot of effort. But what about thirty or fifty? This was beyond what mere effort could achieve! And indeed, in "Arms Tycoon," there were truly thirty or fifty different types of weapons, each distinct, each with their respective production process. Pity it was an iplete edition. Too much professional description was unfriendly to the average reader. But for him, it was virtually a divine text. Gradually. The edge of the sky began to lighten with a hint of pale blue-purple, then orange-red. The morning mist at this time of day appeared leisurely, draping over the mountains like a sheer scarf, creating a watercolor painting, refined and distant. "Hahaha!" In the silent early morning, Mr. Leo suddenly burst into strangeughter. The bodyguards on duty immediately knocked on the door, inquiring, "Boss, what''s wrong?" "I''m very happy, go call the staff officer over!" Mr. Leo, looking at his phone with fatigue yet beaming on his face, immediately ordered. "Yes." The bodyguard responded at once. Early in the morning, the staff officer was summoned straight to Mr. Leo''s room. "Leo, what''s the urgent matter?" The staff officer asked eagerly. "Good news!" Mr. Leo hadn''t slept all night, staying up reading the novel, his eyes tinged with fine blood vessels, but they could not hide the smile on his face. "What good news, has the Morgan Group''s rocketuncher dropped in price?" The staff officer''s eyes lit up, immediately asking. Mr. Leo shook his head and instead handed over his phone: "Take a look." At first nce, the staff officer saw the ant-like clusters of words on the phone''s screen, dense and indistinct: "What''s this?" "A novel." Mr. Leo exined. "You have me look at a novel for some purpose?" The staff officer grew more puzzled. What did this novel have to do with them? Even if it was well-written, it wouldn''t be able to fulfill the objectives of their trip to Southeast Asia. The two werepletely unrted! "Just read it and you''ll understand." Mr. Leo spoke unhurriedly. The staff officer furrowed his brow and decided to read it. So he took the phone and began scrolling through the novel. Yet, as soon as he saw the first phrase of the first line of the novel, the staff officer was stunned. Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher. "This..." The staff officer faltered, inevitably looking towards Mr. Leo. Mr. Leo lifted his head: "Keep reading." The staff officer did as instructed. ''The Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher is my preliminary attempt.'' ''I believe it can secure my position as an arms supplier.'' ''In fact, I think with it, I canpletely ascend to godhood in the arms circle!'' ''This is a box-structured long-range rocketuncher.'' ''The greatest feature is that it adopts a modr firepower unit design.'' ''It''s a simple principle, by swapping out differentunch modules, ammunition of different calibers can be fired, achieving strikes at various distances.'' ''Currently.'' ''I am equipped with three types of ballistic projectiles, with ranges that can reach 70 kilometers, 370 kilometers, and 600 kilometers.'' ''...'' Upon reaching this part, the staff member smirked andughed, "Boss, this novel is too boastful, iming a maximum range of 600 kilometers, that''s a bit far-fetched." "Don''t jump to conclusions, keep reading," Leo shook his head. The staff member had no choice but to continue reading. ''I have to mention here.'' ''The maximum range of 600 kilometers uses a "750mm tactical ballistic missile", which has been equipped with a high-precision guidance system.'' ''The flight path is divided into two sections.'' '' the active phase and the passive phase'' ''With the push of the propulsion system, the rocketuncher operator can control its active phase to travel over the city, flying as nned.'' ''The passive phase, then, is inertial flight.'' ''Controlling a ballistic missile during the passive phase is a very difficult technology, but I did it.'' ''...'' Lines of symbols, like tadpoles, entered his brain through his eyes. The staff member was dumbfounded: "This novel..." "Have you noticed?" Leo raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile. The staff member nodded vigorously, "Boss, the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' in this novel is very professional; it seems to be even more powerful than Morgan Group''s, isn''t it?" "Much more!" Leoughed, "With a range of 600 kilometers, if we were the first to possess this system, then we would gain a significant advantage in the field of battle!" "Are you saying the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' described here is real?" The staff member still found it unbelievable. "Didn''t you see the earlier parts of the novel? Aside from the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'', the author describes a plethora of weapons, including design processes, manufacturing methods, and even user manualsexining them all very clearly!" Leo became more and more excited as he spoke. "Boss, what do you mean?" The staff member swallowed a lump in his throat. Leo pped the staff member''s shoulder hard, "Exactly, if we can find this author, wouldn''t his value be limitless?" The staff member''s eyes lit up, "We won''t have to y by Morgan Group''s and other arms suppliers'' rules anymore?" "That''s right." Leo smiled and nodded. The staff member also began to smile, "No time like the present, should we find this author right away?" Leo replied with a smile, "Of course!" The Hass Armed Forces'' negotiation delegation immediately sprang into action. Searching for Mr. Lin. Finding someone wasn''t difficult for them. In fact, they didn''t need to think too hard before they located Fries Novel''s base of operations. The book was published on Fries Novel. And it was clearly marked as ''exclusively released by Fries Novel'', so both Leo and the staff member simply assumed that by locating Fries Novel, they should be able to find Mr. Lin. Half an hourter, they confirmed the location of Fries Novel. As it turned out, Fries Novel was not far from their location, situated unassumingly within an average-looking building. The dawn''s light fell upon the somewhat old building, coating it in ayer of light gold. Leo and his team walked into the buildingplex, meandering through the not so spacious alleys, breathing in the fresh air of the early morning, asionally hearing a dog bark from afar. "ording to our coordinates, the headquarters of Fries Novel should be right above us." One of the staff members said. Leo nodded and led his team upstairs. The headquarters was on the third floor. Outside the third floor was an iron door, now shut. Adopting a ''visitor''s'' attitude, Leo politely knocked on the iron door. Knock, knock. The sound was about fifty to sixty decibels, just enough to wake the gatekeeper of the ''Fries Novel'' headquarters, Hou. "Who are you looking for?" Hou rubbed his eyes and asked. "Is this the Fries Novel Company?" Leo asked, still outside the door. There was silence inside for quite a while. Hou asked, "What is it you need?" Leo smiled, "We''d like to find the person in charge of Fries Novel to inquire about someone." Chapter 344: Chapter 230: As for letting armed militants mess with me? ``` "Who are you inquiring about?" The Fries Novel''s Hou, still somewhat groggy. "I''m looking for an author on your website, the one who wrote ''Arms Tycoon,''" Leo said directly from outside the iron gate. "The author of ''Arms Tycoon''?" Inside, Hou was taken aback, "Wait a moment, I''ll ask Brother Hao." Leo waited outside the door. At this moment, his heart was filled with anticipation. The ''Arms Tycoon,'' especially the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' described in it, held a fatal attraction for him! He couldn''t resist it! If he hadn''t read that novel, had someone told him there were details about the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' in ''Arms Tycoon,'' he would have scoffed at them. He might have said, "Are you kidding me? Do I look like a little cutie to you?" But he had read the novel. In his eyes, it was not just a tale, but an ''Encyclopedia of Military Hardware''! So, wouldn''t the author, Mr. Lin, be a military expert? He was hell-bent on finding Lin Chuan precisely for that reason. At the headquarters. The founder of Fries Novel, Brother Hao, was also there. Hou came to wake him: "Brother Hao, there''s a group of people outside looking for Mr. Lin." "Looking for whom?" Brother Hao was lying in the small office, roused by Hou''s voice, still a bit muddled. These past few days. Brother Hao had been busy promoting Fries Novel by leveraging ''Arms Tycoon,'' contacting people everywhere for advertising, really working himself ragged. Of course, he had made quite a lot of money. "They''re looking for Mr. Lin!" Hou repeated. "Mr. Lin? What do they want with him?" Mr. Lin was his cash cow, and upon hearing this, Brother Hao''s sleepiness vanished almost entirely as he came to his senses. "I don''t know!" Hou shook his head, continuing, "Those people carry a special air about them, I feel they''re somewhat like military personnel." "You''re not still half asleep, are you?" Brother Hao got up and walked out of the small office, "What would military people want with Mr. Lin?" "I don''t know; it''s just a guess." Hou looked resentful. "Don''t scare yourself, even if they are from the military looking for Mr. Lin, it''s none of our business. We are just novel distributors, earning some money, what''s wrong with that?" Brother Hao patted Hou on the shoulder, reassuring him with an air of someone who had seen the world. "Sailing Novel''s cease and desist letters are almost filling up our inbox," Houined with a grimace. "Well, let''s not worry about that for now." Brother Hao headed out, "Whoeveres, just send them away." The two passed through the work area, went down a small corridor, and came to the iron gate, where Brother Hao peered through the door''s peephole to check outside. Outside. A man in a dark suit, burly, filling out his jacket, stood in front of the door, blocking part of the view. A scar on his face was somewhat startling. Behind him, several stern-looking men could be seen. Two of them seemed like bodyguards, their vignt eyes scanning around, potentially watching for any unexpected situations. Sss! Brother Hao secretly took a breath, feeling somewhat panicked. This group of people, either gangs or military, what do they want with Mr. Lin, and it shouldn''t involve me, right? In an instant. A multitude of thoughts flew through his mind. "Are you Brother Hao?" Outside, Leo listened for movement inside, but when no one spoke, he asked. "May I ask, what do you want with Mr. Lin?" The presence of the men outside put pressure on Brother Hao, making him much more polite. "It''s not convenient to say, but could you provide me with his contact information?" Leo, unsure of the rtionship between Brother Hao and Mr. Lin, decided to be cautious and polite. If the person inside happened to be Mr. Lin''s close friend. Barging in guns zing would most likely make any cooperation impossible. "Contact information?" Brother Hao was startled, taking a deep breath. "Yes!" Leo nodded. "Are you here to settle scores with Mr. Lin, or..." For safety''s sake, Brother Hao asked. Leo smiled, posing as if visiting an expert, "We mean no harm, you can rest assured and give me his contact information." Inside. Brother Hao had his doubts. You have no ill intentions, so you are one of Mr. Lin''s people? But I''m just a pirate, where would I find the author''s contact information? He thought for a moment and found an excellent excuse: "I''m sorry, but our website maintains the privacy of our authors and will not disclose their information to individuals arbitrarily, so if you wish to contact Mr. Lin, you can give me your contact details. I will pass them to him, and whether he chooses to contact you is up to his own discretion." His words were very official. Upon hearing this, Leo frowned, wondering if the show of force had intimidated the person inside. Nheless, for the sake of cooperation, he gave his contact information. Brother Hao told him to go back and wait. Leo and his men turned and walked downstairs. "Leo, don''t you think it''s a bit odd?" The moment they descended one flight of stairs, an advisor by his side spoke, frowning. "What''s odd about it?" Leo was still pondering when Mr. Lin would contact him. The advisor, observing their surroundings, said strangely, "Logically, as a military hardware expert, Mr. Lin would only write novels as a hobby, and if he wished to publish, he''d want to do so on major websites to reach a broader audience with his story." ``` Chapter 345: Chapter 230: As for letting armed militants mess with me?_2 Leo only had one thing on his mind, how to contact Mr. Lin. He didn''t delve deeper into these questions, "What do you mean?" "I find it very strange. The office of Fries Novel is too shabby, and it''s nested in a building with poor environmental hygiene, not quite like a legitimate novelpany." The strategist shared his opinion. Leo frowned as he scanned his surroundings. The floor was filthy, with random drink cartons and milk bottles thrown about in the staircase, and cobwebs spreading across the windows, with no one specifically tasked with cleaning. It certainly didn''t resemble a formal novelpany. It was more like a small workshop. "I suspect this is a workshop pirating Lin Chuan''s novels," the strategist continued. "Piracy?" Leo was taken aback. He had been so focused on finding Mr. Lin that he hadn''t considered the possibility that the novels he was reading were pirated. For a moment, he felt insulted in his intelligence. "Let''s go and ask them directly!" Leo immediately turned around, dashing with the speed of a street fighter, quickly reaching the iron gate of the Fries Novel headquarters in just a few swift moves. The apanying staff, with their robust physiques, closely followed. Bang bang bang! This time, the force with which Leo knocked on the door was much greater! Inside the iron gate. Hou was startled, "Brother Hao, they''re back!" "Don''t panic!" Brother Hao swallowed nervously. Just after Leo and his men had left, he began to look for Mr. Lin''s contact information, knowing that this group would surely return. Without Mr. Lin''s contact information, he would not know how to ount for himself. He hadn''t expected them to return so quickly! He had to feign calmness, walking up to the iron gate and asking, "Sir, what seems to be the problem?" "Open the door, I wish to have a detailed discussion with you." Leo''s voice was deep and chilly, sending chills down one''s spine. "I''ve just contacted Mr. Lin, and he will be in touch with you soon," Brother Hao said with feigned calmness. Leo detected the slight tremble in Brother Hao''s voice, confirming his suspicions, "You sound nervous." Brother Hao''s breathing became hurried. Whether Leo was with the gangs or the military, he was someone Brother Hao could not afford to provoke. "Open the door!" Leo''s voice came through again, unsettling hisposure. Standing by, Hou started to tremble. The aura of Leo and his men made it clear they were hardened individuals who hade through life-and-death situations. To Brother Hao and Hou, dabbling in pirated novels in such a sneaky manner was like a mouse facing up to a tiger when confronting Leo and his men head-on. They were clearly overpowered. "If you don''t open the door, I''ll have to force my way in." Just like Jack Torrance with his axe in "The Shining," Leo seemed ready to force entry. And Brother Hao and Hou were like his wife, Wendy. Frightened and helpless. "If you break into a private house, I''ll call the police!" Brother Hao thought of using the threat of police to intimidate. "You''ve pirated Mr. Lin''s novels, viting copyright; if you call the police, who do you think the police uncle will catch?" Leo said humorously. Brother Hao felt guilty. Generally speaking, as long as it wasn''t discovered, the local police would not investigate whether he wasmercially infringing on someone else''s copyright. But if he called the police and there was a direct usation, then it would be a different story. It would be like walking into a trap! To Brother Hao, Leo, being a leader of the Haas Armed Forces, had him easily under his thumb. ng, the door opened. "Are you the person in charge of Fries Novel?" Leo strode in, his gaze immediately falling on Brother Hao. Hou, who couldn''t help but step back, was ignored by Leo and the others. Brother Hao shrank as if he saw a cat, "Yes, I am." "What do I call you?" Leo asked with a smile. "Hao, just call me Hao," Brother Hao quickly replied. "Hao, did you pirate Mr. Lin''s novels?" Leo''s prating gaze was like that of a cheetah, locking onto Hao. Brother Hao nodded and then quickly shook his head, "No, I''m trying tomunicate with them, and we''ll have the authorization soon!" "So, you got on the train without buying a ticket," Leo quipped with a grin. Brother Hao''s mouth twitched, but he dared not retort. Clearly, Leo and his men might even be armed and ready to fight for Chuan. At such a time, if he contradicted them, wouldn''t that be outright foolish? Well, a man''s got to do what a man''s got to do! At worst, we''ll buy a ticket afterward! "Let''s get down to business first," seeing Brother Hao like this, Leo asked, "Where is Mr. Lin''s official ''Arms Tycoon'' published?" "It''s... it''s published on the international edition of Sailing Novel," Brother Hao spoke with some difficulty. "Is there any way to get in touch with him quickly?" Leo got straight to the point. Brother Hao shook his head, "I don''t know." "Don''t know?" Leo''s voice grew stern, "Think again." Brother Hao looked up at Leo, not doubting for a moment that Leo could pull out a weapon and point it at his head. At this time, Hou quickly spoke up, "Brother, Mr. Lin has a section in the International Forum, it''s where his novel readers congregate; you should be able to contact him there." Hou was mainly responsible for pirating Mr. Lin''s novels. He knew about these things better than anyone. "You have aputer here, help us out," Leo finally showed a hint of a smile, having found a way to contact Mr. Lin. Mr. Lin, let''s be friends! Hou looked at Leo and the others, then at Brother Hao. Brother Hao hurriedly urged, "The boss has spoken, hurry up!" "Yes, yes!" Hou quickly sat at theputer, skillfully opened the window to the International Forum, and entered the ''Underworld'' section. Chapter 346: Chapter 230: As for letting armed militants mess with me?_3 At this time, a newbel appeared in the Underworld. Arms Tycoon. "This is the real deal!" Beside him, the military expert also revealed a smile. Hou continued to operate and located @Mr. Lin''s user in the Underworld, then said to Leo, "Brother, this is Mr. Lin''s ount." "Can we contact him now?" Leo''s eyes lit up, like Old Man Wang who had been single for decades, suddenly encountering the attractive widow at the vige entrance, his eyes glittering. Hou stammered, "Brother, I have been lurking in this forum for a long time and haven''t really seen Mr. Lin speak; it''s always his agents who are active. This forum is also managed by his agents." "Agent?" Leo was taken aback and asked, "Which one is his agent?" Hou immediately operated and located @Angelina''s ount, "This is his agent, the admin of this forum, and she''s the one managing it." "Send a message to this agent right away; we need Mr. Lin''s contact details." Leo, undoubting, issued themand directly. Hou didn''t dare to disobey and obediently followed through. Angelina didn''t reply immediately, and Leo and the others could only wait there. However. Looking at Hao and Hou, Leo called the military expert over and said, "Don''t you think it seems insincere to contact Mr. Lin so abruptly?" "Perhaps a little gift for the introduction?" The military expert immediately got Leo''s point. Leo nodded, agreeing, "Mr. Lin, as an arms expert, must be annoyed about his novel being pirated, even though writing is just a hobby for him." The military expert concurred, "Indeed, I would be quite upset if my work was pirated." "So, we should help Mr. Lin resolve this problem." Leo said with interest. Immediately, his gaze fell on Brother Hao. Brother Hao, listening to their conversation, shrank his neck, "Brother, I only pirated, there was no malice!" "Really no malice?" Leo counter-questioned, casually flipping up, the item at his waist shed in Brother Hao''s eyes. Brother Hao''s face immediately turned deathly pale. Woc! They really had a weapon! At this moment, Brother Hao''s thought process was crystal clear, "I will contact their legal team right now, try to get authorization!" "But that''s probably not enough, is it?" Leo made a gun gesture with his hand, his index finger against Brother Hao''s forehead, and grinned, "You must have made quite a sum with Mr. Lin''s novel before, right?" "Not... not much." Brother Hao''s teeth chattered a bit. Damn, I should have called the police earlier. At least the police wouldn''t treat him like this, nor make him fear getting shot! "We''ll check the revenueter; that should be fine, right?" Leo asked again. Brother Hao was caught in a grip, "No, no problem." "Return all earnings to Mr. Lin, plus double the ie amount aspensation; how does that sound?" Leo turned into a judge of justice. Return one,pensate two! Brother Hao''s face was ashen, "But..." "You mean okay, right?" Leo asked with an insider''s grin, his other hand touching the belt at his waist. The implication was clear. Brother Hao originally wanted to say ''but I didn''t earn that much money,'' but at the sight of Leo''s outwardly courteous yet menacing smile, he immediately nodded, prioritizing his safety, "Okay, okay!" "To show sincerity, you can''t forget an apology letter, right?" Leo added. "No problem." Brother Hao yielded without any room for resistance. If Leo made two more demands, he''d practically be Chuan''s worker boy, handing everything over to Chuan! Whimpering, I just pirated a novel, was it necessary for the army toe after me? "Got a response, Angelina replied to the message!" Just then, Hou called out! Chapter 350: Chapter 232: Morgan Group, Take Him Down! (Subscribe Please) ``` Anling City, Linjiang Mansion. Lin Chuan sat in front of theputer, looking at the message sent by Leo on theputer screen, thinking to himself that so far, he seemed not to have encountered a few somewhat normal readers. At this moment, someone hade to buy weapons from him! This was, quite preposterous! Moreover, the Anling Iron and Steel Factory had not yetpleted its transformation, and he wanted to manufacture and sell weapons butcked the power to do so. If there came a substantial order and the funds were in ce, perhaps he couldplete the transformation from a steel factory to an arms production facility. However. Personal purchase of weapons, what else could it serve but crime? When the time came, a backtrace would easily lead to him, and then, it would be a stint in the police station. Such a familiar script! Lin Chuan quickly shook his head and replied, "I don''t sell weapons to individuals." On the other side. Leo, watching for Lin Chuan''s response, hastily said, "I''m not an individual!" "So, you are?" Lin Chuan asked back. "Mr. Lin, this is the inte, and I am worried about revealing my identity, which could implicate you," Leo said, out of concern for Lin Chuan''s safety. "Don''t worry, thismunication has been fully encrypted, no one will know." Lin Chuan signaled Leo to be at ease. You''re not an individual, then I''m reassured! "You''ve encrypted it? How secure is the encryption level?" Leo asked cautiously. He spend his years moving through the throes of war, and for the inte, he also knew it to be another battlefield, with many people specifically targeting theirmunications. This time, contacting Lin Chuan, he was extra cautious. "Rest assured, if someone were monitoring ourmunication, I would know," Lin Chuan replied. Better safe than sorry. Especially when discussing military weapons and arms across borders, all are sensitive words, so it''s good to be cautious. "Mr. Lin, do you also know aboutwork security?" Leo was slightly surprised, curiously asking. "Just a little," Lin Chuan modestly said. At this time. Leo''s adviser logged into the International Forum, found the ''Underworld,'' and entered it, discovering the ''Hacker Kingdom,'' ''ck Ice,'' and ''Arms Tycoon'' sections. He browsed for a while and quickly reported back to Leo. Leo grimaced, muttering in his heart, Mr. Lin knows a lot. Since this connection was encrypted, a lot could be discussed openly. So. He said, "Mr. Lin, my intention is not to purchase arms personally from you but to openly cooperate with you. My true identity is the weapons procurement officer for Haas Armed Forces." On the other end of the inte. Lin Chuan''s face suddenly became serious. Truly, none of his readers were normal! The Haas Armed Forces, wasn''t that the armed faction in the Middle East? I heard, they''re still firing. Usually, such factions have corresponding arms suppliers, many of them closely rted to some states, with stable sources of weapons. So, Lin Chuan was a bit puzzled, "Why would youe to me to purchase weapons?" "Mr. Lin, here''s the thing." Leo began exining, "Right now, we''ve encountered some unfavorable factors, and our usual arms suppliers can''t provide satisfactory weapons. By chance, I discovered the book ''Arms Tycoon,'' and I immediately determined you must be a weapons expert, so I made every effort to contact you." Lin Chuan had a rough understanding. Unfavorable factors = Weapon shortage. The usual arms suppliers can''t provide = Possible fallout. So this Haas Armed Forces might be in urgent need of a batch of weapons. In the room. Lin Chuan picked up his cup of water, took a sip of warm boiled water, and thought, an armed faction''s order would likely be quiterge. Especially for an armed faction that''s constantly in conflict, weapon attrition is scary indeed. How expensive is war? A standard rocketuncher salvo costs hundreds of thousands. Somerge, high-tech weapons cost millions just to activate, quite frightening really. So, could he sell weapons to the Haas Armed Forces? At this thought. Lin Chuan replied, "What weapons does Haas Armed Forces need to purchase?" "Mr. Lin, we are looking to acquire a batch of heavy weapons, such as anti-tank missiles, high-caliber machine guns, and need sufficient ammunition supply. Furthermore, we are very interested in the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher featured in ''Arms Tycoon,'' with a range of 600 kilometers. I wonder if you have it in stock?" After speaking, Leo took a deep breath. His deep-set eyes fixed on the chat screen with Lin Chuan, unblinkingly, breathing somewhat rapidly. The closer one is to obtaining what they desire, the higher the anticipation. Like now, Leo was anticipating Lin Chuan''s reply. The longest-range rocketunchers known at the moment are in the hands of Morgan Group. Yet, Leo was particrly hopeful for a surprising answer from Lin Chuan of the Eastern realm. He knew, the people from thatnd are humble, concealing their prowess. If they really had a rocketuncher with a 600-kilometer range, it would be a work to astound the world! "I do not have any in stock," Lin Chuan replied honestly, and then his tone shifted, "However, if we can reach an agreement, the weapons you''ve mentioned are no problem!" Suddenly! Leo clenched his fists tightly, his whole body shook, muscles tensed. This was an extremely exhrating reaction. Lin Chuan''s words for him were like that of a wanderer, lost in the desert about to die of thirst, when he sees a hint of greenery not far away. "He really is an Arms Tycoon!" ``` Chapter 351: Chapter 232: Morgan Group, Take Him Down! (Subscribe Please)_2 Leo couldn''t hold back any longer. He turned his head and grabbed the staff officer''s shoulders tightly, his speech so excited that he even spewed saliva onto the staff officer''s face. The staff officer rubbed his face with both hands and took a deep breath. "As long as a second supplier appears, Yu Qin won''t be able to control our lifeline anymore!" They all knew it. The reason Yu Qin dared to ask for ten million US dors was that no one else could produce a Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher with a range of 350 kilometers. This was the only option, with no other branches. Yu Qin''s attitude was also clearif you like it, buy it; if not, leave it. But, Lin Chuan had a Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher that far exceeded 350 kilometers. Even if Lin Chuan''s price was high, they could use it to force Yu Qin to lower her price! Lin Chuan''s emergence at least saved them a significant amount of money! The nature of arms trading is alsomercial. In a business model, when there is only one supplier, that supplier has the pricing power. When a second supplier enters thepetition, buyers gain some bargaining power. This was exactly the situation Leo was experiencing. Leo took a couple of deep breaths to calm his excited and exhrated mood, then focused onmunicating with Lin Chuan. "Mr. Lin, may I ask, how can we cooperate with you?" The key was still about making a cooperation! To be honest, During the conversation with Lin Chuan, he could feel Lin Chuan''s humility and gentleness, which was nothing like Yu Qin''s aggressive and domineering manner. If the price was right, he would prefer to cooperate with Lin Chuan. Who would want to endure Yu Qin''s arrogance? "You don''t have the final say on whether or not to cooperate, nor do I," Lin Chuan replied ambiguously. Suddenly, Leo understood, "Mr. Lin, I look forward to your good news." "Okay," Lin Chuan replied. "Mr. Lin, please convey to them that we in Haas hope to be bathed in the glory of the East," Leo added thoughtfully after a moment of contemtion. Lin Chuan smiled. This weapon purchasing officer from Hass Armed Forces sure knew how to speak. Immediately, Lin Chuan pulled out his phone and dialed Old Sun''s number. "Hello, Lin." Old Sun was a busy man, but he picked up Lin Chuan''s call instantly. After the connection, Lin Chuan first exchanged pleasantries with Old Sun, then asked, "Old Sun, how is the evaluation of my Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher going?" "You young man, did you hear some news? It passed the evaluation this morning, and I was just about to give you this good news." On the phone, Old Sun was in a good mood, hisughter booming. Lin Chuan also grinned, thankful that the evaluation didn''t take a year and a half; the efficiency of the Weapons Research Institute was still decent, "Since it has passed the evaluation, does that mean it can now be put into production?" "Chief Designer Lin, I know what you''re thinking," Old Sun said meaningfully. "What am I thinking?" Lin Chuan asked back. "Lin, I received word about your steel factory. Anling City hasn''t allocated much funding, so haven''t you thought about taking over the production of ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' as the first major order for the Military Factory?" Old Sun confidently spected. If the National Weapons Research Institute specifically requests Anling Military Factory to produce the most advanced rocketuncher, it could put pressure on Anling. That is, to force the financial allocation of Anling City to tilt towards the Military Factory. Old Sun, holding a high position, naturally saw through this point. "I did think about the method you mentioned." Lin Chuan nodded and then changed the subject, "However, I just want to know if the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher can now enter the production stage." "That simple?" Old Sun paused, somewhat puzzled. "Not that simple," Lin Chuan chuckled. "Let''s hear it." Old Sun signaled. Lin Chuan hesitated for a moment, "Old Sun, is it convenient for you to talk over there?" Old Sun was alone in his office at the moment andughed, "It''s incredibly convenient." "Then I can say it." Lin Chuan coughed lightly and solemnly said, "I might be getting arge order." "Arge order?" Old Sun was even more confused, "Your military factory hasn''t beenmissioned yet, and no one knows about it; where did therge ordere from?" "Cough, from overseas," Lin Chuan replied. In the office, Old Sun''s hand holding the phone stiffened, the rxed expression on his face quickly faded, reced by seriousness, "This matter isn''t a joke; who overseas ced the order?" "Haas Armed Forces," Lin Chuan answered truthfully. "Huh?" Old Sun''s eyebrows furrowed, "How did you get involved with Haas Armed Forces?" "They are my readers; after reading my novel, they wanted to buy some weapons from me," Lin Chuan replied. "Readers?" Old Sun''s face darkened, and he seemed a bit confused. "Your novel, is it a serious novel?" The question sounded a bit odd. Which reader reads novels with the intention of buying something? And buying military weapons at that? "Erm, I consider it to be quite serious." Lin Chuan''s lips twitched. The novel was serious, the author was serious, it''s just that the readers were not so serious. On the other end of the phone, Old Sun fell silent. The key issue wasn''t with the novel. The main thing was whether Lin Chuan could take on the military weapons order from the Haas Armed Forces. "Military goods being exported need strict control and review," Old Sun thought aloud. "I know." Lin Chuan nodded. "I need to ask the old leaders about this, hold on for me," Old Sun contemted for a long time and decided to consult his superiors. "Okay." Lin Chuan hung up the phone and set his mobile down. This matter wasn''t just a simple business transaction involving production and salesthere was much more at stake behind it. Weapons could be exported. The key was, to whom they were sold, and this was very important. For instance, in earlier years, a camel had boldly bought 35 underdogs in the rabbit''s home with official approval. It was authorized. As for whether the Haas Armed Forces had been approved, Lin Chuan wasn''t sure. About half an hourter. Ring-ring-ring Old Sun called back. "Old Sun, how did it go?" Lin Chuan, having waited so long, was somewhat anxious. Currently. This order from the Haas Armed Forces was a substantial one. It was very possible that they would establish a long-term cooperative rtionship, so Lin Chuan valued this cooperation greatly. The workers at the steel mill also needed the military factory to start operating soon, to support their families. "Cough cough." Old Sun first cleared his throat, his voice deep. "Lin, I haven''t been to Anling these days, have I?" "Huh?" Lin Chuan''s eyes widened slightly. What kind of riddle was Old Sun ying? Before Lin Chuan could respond, Old Sun continued, "I am getting old, and I''ve forgotten a lot. I probably indeed haven''t been to Anling." "Um, no, you haven''t." Lin Chuan nodded. "By the way, that steel mill of yours, you were originally nning to transform it into a toy factory, right?" Old Sun spoke somewhat confusedly. Lin Chuan''s eyes flickered as he caught on to Old Sun''s meaning: "Yes, yes, the steel mill couldn''t keep going, and we had no other choice but to consider setting up a toy factory, otherwise those workers would have to beid off." "Setting up a toy factory, I greatly support that!" Old Sun earnestly said. "Thank you, Old Sun," Lin Chuan''s face was full of smiles. He then asked, "By the way, Old Sun, about these toys, doing some overseas business, that should be fine, right?" "Some little toys, engaging in some export trade, what could be the problem? In the future, juste to me, and I''ll give you special approval!" Old Sun dered generously, his voice hearty. "Then I''m relieved!" A sincere smile of joy appeared on Lin Chuan''s face. The two puzzlers hung up the phone. Afterward, Old Sun sent Lin Chuan many sample contracts about ''toy exports'' and several precautions. Lin Chuan carefully reviewed them. It seemed, bing an arms tycoon was not meant to be; being a toy factory owner was safer. After seriously studying the contract samples and precautions, Lin Chuan then contacted Leo, the weapons procurement officer from the Haas Armed Forces. The two quickly reached a preliminary intention on the ''toy trade.'' "Mr. Lin, I hope our cooperation goes smoothly," Leo could hardly conceal his excitement while speaking on the phone; his voice was quivering a bit. "Of course." Lin Chuan responded, then asked, "Mr. Leo, we need to know the background of your previous supplier. It''s a mandatory requirement." Leo nodded. "There aren''t manyrge suppliers worldwide, and it''s not difficult to investigate, so I''ll just tell you." "Mr. Leo, you''re very frank," Lin Chuanmended. Leo smiled. "Our previous supplier was the Morgan Group." Inside the room. Lin Chuan''s right hand, holding the phone, suddenly stiffened. Chapter 352: Chapter 233: Toy Tycoon! Lin Chuan looked a bit startled. He hadn''t expected that the previous weapons supplier for the Haas Armed Forces was none other than the Morgan Group. That is to say, by sheer coincidence, he had stolen a military weapons order from the Morgan Group, taking their client. Thereupon, a sincere smile spread across Lin Chuan''s face as he replied, "Mr. Leo, when will you arrive in Anling City? I''lle to pick you up." If it had been some other supplier''s client, Lin Chuan might not have been this eager. But, the client was the Haas Armed Forces, a customer of the Morgan Group! Morgan Group, sorry, but from now on, the Haas Armed Forces are my close partners! And more so, after a short time thinking, Lin Chuan even considered another possibility. Steal the military weapons business from the Morgan Group! Indeed. Ever since he had uprooted the Morgan Group''s "Addictive drugs" industry along the Han River, and personally handed over the important figure Yu Keke to the police station, leading to her death sentence, they had be sworn enemies. The Morgan Group would certainly take action against me, so why not strike first? Then, let''s start with the military weapons industry chain and remove this tumor that is the Morgan Group! So Lin Chuan thought. Elsewhere. Far in Southeast Asia, Leo suddenly saw the message that Lin Chuan would pick him up, raising an eyebrow, "Mr. Lin, thank you, I''ll arrive around ten tomorrow morning." "OK, I look forward to weing you." Lin Chuan, wearing a smile, then ended the call, walked out of the room, stretchedzily, and humming a tune, he moved to the balcony. Outside. The surface of the Anling River glimmered, resembling a strip of jade iid with golden diamonds, like a meandering scroll, with several boats slowly moving forward, surrounded by ripples. "Chairman, what''s making you so happy?" At that moment, the Little Landy came up from behind, wearing a homey floral dress that showcased her long, pale, straight legs, holding a ss of milk, which she handed to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan turned around to take the milk, smiling, "I justnded a big client, the initial funding for the steel mill looks promising." "Your munitions factory has clients already, and it hasn''t even opened?" The Little Landy was also constantly keeping track of the munitions factory; after all, she now held the roles of CFO + Deputy General Manager + Director at "Falcon Technology Co., Ltd." Though it was just the two of them, thepany was not to be underestimated. Because Lin Chuan held the roles of Chairman + General Manager + Technical Director. "You might not believe it, but this client, he is one of my readers." Lin Chuanughed, and then recounted the whole story to the Little Landy. The Little Landy was taken aback, "So does it mean, we are nowpletely at odds with the Morgan Group?" Lin Chuan took a sip of his milk, nodding, "If we don''t take them on, they will stille at us, why not take the initiative and mess with them?" "Chairman, you''re right, let''s mess with them!" The Little Landy furrowed her brows, nodding solemnly. A feisty spirit emerged on her face, making her appear inordinately yful. "So, tomorrow we need to discuss the partnership matters with Leo." Lin Chuan said, smiling. The Little Landy thought for a moment, then asked, "Is Mr. Leo''s amodation and reception all set up?" "Not yet." Lin Chuan looked at the Little Landy, smiling, "You know your way around this, you handle it." "No problem, our deal with the Haas Armed Forces shouldn''t be high-profile, so let''s book the Baoying, with hills behind and water in front, the scenery is nice too, and I''ll n out the specifics of the agenda in more detail." Clearly, the Little Landy was far superior to Lin Chuan in this regard. Lin Chuan habitually pinched the Little Landy''s cheek, "My Xinxin has be quite the expert in this area." "I can''t be dragging you down, can I?" The Little Landy smiled with pursed lips. Lin Chuan suddenly remembered something, asking, "How did Old Zhang''s medical check-up go, no problems, right?" "He''s in good shape," the Little Landyughed, "The doctor just rmended he exercise more, nothing else." "That''s good." "Chairman, why don''t you also go for a check-up? You always stay upte, I''m worried..." The Little Landy hesitated. Lin Chuan was startled, "Worried about what?" The Little Landy looked up, "I''m worried you might be weakening." A dark line instantly appeared on Lin Chuan''s face, "I''m as vigorous as ever, where am I weak?" "Hmm... you haven''t paid your rent in a long time." The Little Landy''s face turned a shade of peach, her sparkling eyes fluttering, captivating Lin Chuan. "It''s still broad daylight!" Lin Chuan nced at the bright sunshine outside. "You really have weakened!" The Little Landyughed heartily, teasing, then turned the conversation, "By the way, should we inform Sister Qianqian about this?" Two more lines of irritation crossed Lin Chuan''s face, "What does my weakness have to do with Shen Qianqian?" The Little Landy''s hand reached around Lin Chuan''s waist, pinching a bit of flesh, "I meant the munitions factory order, what were you thinking?" "Oh, that. Lin Chuan chuckled, "I''ll just contact her father; he''s in charge of the steel nt. We''ll need him for worker management and technical supervision." "Okay." The Little Landy nodded. Then, the two began to prepare for tomorrow''s partnership discussions, including hotel amodations, itinerary, cooperation details, weapons pricing, and more. Fortunately, Lin Chuan was well-versed in military weapons trade, particrly the needs of the Hass Armed Forces, so these preparations did not take much time. ... The next day, at 10 a.m. A ne flying from Southeast Asia to Anling crossed the cerulean sky, its engines roaring uniquely as it bathed in golden light and smoothlynded at the airport. Not long after. Dressed in a deep blue suit with his stubble cleanly shaved, Leo, along with his aides and two staff members, emerged from the airport, looking around. "Mr. Leo, hello." Lin Chuan recognized Leo immediately and approached him, greeting him in Arabic. Arabic is one of the mainnguages used in the regions where the Hass Armed Forces are located. In the Middle East, 60% of the poption speaks Arabic. In reality, Lin Chuan had never encountered Arabic, but in the simted world, his military weapons were mainly sold to the Middle East, requiring frequentmunication with people from the region. Initially, he relied on trantors, but often they failed to urately convey his meaning. For example. Once, a representative from an armed group in the Middle East repeatedly emphasized to Lin Chuan that they had no designs on Gansu and Sichuan and asked not to be maligned. Lin Chuan was baffled. Later, he found out that during the weapon price negotiations, when he had offered the best discount possible but the other party wanted even lower prices, Lin Chuan had remarked, "Don''t be greedy." However. The trantor had interpreted it as "You''ve already upied Gansu, now you want to take Sichuan," leading to aplete mix-up. Therefore, Lin Chuan started earnestly studying Arabic afterward. Now, he was fluent in Arabic, fully capable of barrier-freemunication in military weapons trade. Hearing the familiar Arabic, Leo raised his eyebrows and hastily replied in Mandarin, "Hello, Mr. Lin." Although it was a bit awkward, it was the oue of his diligent practice the previous night. The two shook hands amicably. Then Leo said, "Mr. Lin, my Mandarin is not very good, please forgive me." Lin Chuanughed heartily and continued in Arabic, "No problem, we can just speak in Arabic." He spoke very fluently, which took Leo and others by surprise. Beside Lin Chuan, also there to pick up guests, the Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, was also surprised. She had no idea when her boss had learned such gibberish, as she couldn''t understand a word. Nevertheless, she stood beside Lin Chuan with a smile, looking obedient. "Your Arabic impresses me," Leo expressed admiringly. "Actually, I have an indescribable affinity with Arabic," Lin Chuan replied smilingly. "I would love to hear more," Leo followed Lin Chuan, walking out of the airport. Lin Chuan then shared some cultural characteristics of the Middle East known to him and some amusing stories from his studies of Arabic. Lin Chuan was as familiar with the history and culture of the region, especially where the Hass Armed Forces were located, as if it were his own backyard. For example, ancient cultures like Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Persia, Arab, and the Ottoman Empire, as well as the Imic culture Leo followed, were all brought up by Lin Chuan, leaving Leo and hispanions astonished. "Mr. Lin, I never thought you''d understand us so well," Leo expressed, using the honorific "you" out of respect. Walking next to Lin Chuan, he looked up and down at the young man who made him feel extraordinarily familiar. Lin Chuan wore a tailored suit with a white shirt underneath. His stature was slender and his face clean and sunny. Though young, there was a mature insight in his eyes and his every move exuded a unique aura. This feeling was rare for Leo. Yu Qin, who often coborated with him before, had never given him this impression; Yu Qin was more about leveraging power, with a somewhat domineering air. But Lin Chuan was convincing. Young yet experienced, this unusualbination was Leo''s first impression of Lin Chuan. He didn''t dare underestimate this young man. He also looked twice at the young woman beside him. Not because Xinxin was beautiful, but because she carried a calm,posed quality about her, unreserved and appropriate in behavior. Lin Chuan smiled faintly, continuing in Arabic, "Mr. Leo, I haven''t specifically researched these topics, but life has imparted them to me." "You are Ah''s messenger, and I am even more looking forward to our coboration now." Leo gave a high praise. Lin Chuanughed heartily, "So am I." Then, the group got into the car and headed for the Baoying Grand Hotel in Anling City. Lin Chuan''s approach, showing both respect and recognition, undoubtedly maximized the goodwill of Leo and hispanions. He knew that the Hass Armed Forces, represented by Leo, urgently needed a batch of military weapons, which is why Leo eagerly sought him out. If it were just a single transaction, he wouldn''t have shared so much with Leo. But Lin Chuan hoped to turn the Hass Armed Forces into a long-term partner, to make them a "showcase," thereby opening the door to military weapons trade in the Middle East and promoting their weapons vigorously. And so began the era of the Arms Tycoon. Or rather, the Toy Tycoon! Chapter 350: Chapter 232: Morgan Group, Take Him Down! (Subscribe Please) ``` Anling City, Linjiang Mansion. Lin Chuan sat in front of theputer, looking at the message sent by Leo on theputer screen, thinking to himself that so far, he seemed not to have encountered a few somewhat normal readers. At this moment, someone hade to buy weapons from him! This was, quite preposterous! Moreover, the Anling Iron and Steel Factory had not yetpleted its transformation, and he wanted to manufacture and sell weapons butcked the power to do so. If there came a substantial order and the funds were in ce, perhaps he couldplete the transformation from a steel factory to an arms production facility. However. Personal purchase of weapons, what else could it serve but crime? When the time came, a backtrace would easily lead to him, and then, it would be a stint in the police station. Such a familiar script! Lin Chuan quickly shook his head and replied, "I don''t sell weapons to individuals." On the other side. Leo, watching for Lin Chuan''s response, hastily said, "I''m not an individual!" "So, you are?" Lin Chuan asked back. "Mr. Lin, this is the inte, and I am worried about revealing my identity, which could implicate you," Leo said, out of concern for Lin Chuan''s safety. "Don''t worry, thismunication has been fully encrypted, no one will know." Lin Chuan signaled Leo to be at ease. You''re not an individual, then I''m reassured! "You''ve encrypted it? How secure is the encryption level?" Leo asked cautiously. He spend his years moving through the throes of war, and for the inte, he also knew it to be another battlefield, with many people specifically targeting theirmunications. This time, contacting Lin Chuan, he was extra cautious. "Rest assured, if someone were monitoring ourmunication, I would know," Lin Chuan replied. Better safe than sorry. Especially when discussing military weapons and arms across borders, all are sensitive words, so it''s good to be cautious. "Mr. Lin, do you also know aboutwork security?" Leo was slightly surprised, curiously asking. "Just a little," Lin Chuan modestly said. At this time. Leo''s adviser logged into the International Forum, found the ''Underworld,'' and entered it, discovering the ''Hacker Kingdom,'' ''ck Ice,'' and ''Arms Tycoon'' sections. He browsed for a while and quickly reported back to Leo. Leo grimaced, muttering in his heart, Mr. Lin knows a lot. Since this connection was encrypted, a lot could be discussed openly. So. He said, "Mr. Lin, my intention is not to purchase arms personally from you but to openly cooperate with you. My true identity is the weapons procurement officer for Haas Armed Forces." On the other end of the inte. Lin Chuan''s face suddenly became serious. Truly, none of his readers were normal! The Haas Armed Forces, wasn''t that the armed faction in the Middle East? I heard, they''re still firing. Usually, such factions have corresponding arms suppliers, many of them closely rted to some states, with stable sources of weapons. So, Lin Chuan was a bit puzzled, "Why would youe to me to purchase weapons?" "Mr. Lin, here''s the thing." Leo began exining, "Right now, we''ve encountered some unfavorable factors, and our usual arms suppliers can''t provide satisfactory weapons. By chance, I discovered the book ''Arms Tycoon,'' and I immediately determined you must be a weapons expert, so I made every effort to contact you." Lin Chuan had a rough understanding. Unfavorable factors = Weapon shortage. The usual arms suppliers can''t provide = Possible fallout. So this Haas Armed Forces might be in urgent need of a batch of weapons. In the room. Lin Chuan picked up his cup of water, took a sip of warm boiled water, and thought, an armed faction''s order would likely be quiterge. Especially for an armed faction that''s constantly in conflict, weapon attrition is scary indeed. How expensive is war? A standard rocketuncher salvo costs hundreds of thousands. Somerge, high-tech weapons cost millions just to activate, quite frightening really. So, could he sell weapons to the Haas Armed Forces? At this thought. Lin Chuan replied, "What weapons does Haas Armed Forces need to purchase?" "Mr. Lin, we are looking to acquire a batch of heavy weapons, such as anti-tank missiles, high-caliber machine guns, and need sufficient ammunition supply. Furthermore, we are very interested in the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher featured in ''Arms Tycoon,'' with a range of 600 kilometers. I wonder if you have it in stock?" After speaking, Leo took a deep breath. His deep-set eyes fixed on the chat screen with Lin Chuan, unblinkingly, breathing somewhat rapidly. The closer one is to obtaining what they desire, the higher the anticipation. Like now, Leo was anticipating Lin Chuan''s reply. The longest-range rocketunchers known at the moment are in the hands of Morgan Group. Yet, Leo was particrly hopeful for a surprising answer from Lin Chuan of the Eastern realm. He knew, the people from thatnd are humble, concealing their prowess. If they really had a rocketuncher with a 600-kilometer range, it would be a work to astound the world! "I do not have any in stock," Lin Chuan replied honestly, and then his tone shifted, "However, if we can reach an agreement, the weapons you''ve mentioned are no problem!" Suddenly! Leo clenched his fists tightly, his whole body shook, muscles tensed. This was an extremely exhrating reaction. Lin Chuan''s words for him were like that of a wanderer, lost in the desert about to die of thirst, when he sees a hint of greenery not far away. "He really is an Arms Tycoon!" ``` Chapter 351: Chapter 232: Morgan Group, Take Him Down! (Subscribe Please)_2 Leo couldn''t hold back any longer. He turned his head and grabbed the staff officer''s shoulders tightly, his speech so excited that he even spewed saliva onto the staff officer''s face. The staff officer rubbed his face with both hands and took a deep breath. "As long as a second supplier appears, Yu Qin won''t be able to control our lifeline anymore!" They all knew it. The reason Yu Qin dared to ask for ten million US dors was that no one else could produce a Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher with a range of 350 kilometers. This was the only option, with no other branches. Yu Qin''s attitude was also clearif you like it, buy it; if not, leave it. But, Lin Chuan had a Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher that far exceeded 350 kilometers. Even if Lin Chuan''s price was high, they could use it to force Yu Qin to lower her price! Lin Chuan''s emergence at least saved them a significant amount of money! The nature of arms trading is alsomercial. In a business model, when there is only one supplier, that supplier has the pricing power. When a second supplier enters thepetition, buyers gain some bargaining power. This was exactly the situation Leo was experiencing. Leo took a couple of deep breaths to calm his excited and exhrated mood, then focused onmunicating with Lin Chuan. "Mr. Lin, may I ask, how can we cooperate with you?" The key was still about making a cooperation! To be honest, During the conversation with Lin Chuan, he could feel Lin Chuan''s humility and gentleness, which was nothing like Yu Qin''s aggressive and domineering manner. If the price was right, he would prefer to cooperate with Lin Chuan. Who would want to endure Yu Qin''s arrogance? "You don''t have the final say on whether or not to cooperate, nor do I," Lin Chuan replied ambiguously. Suddenly, Leo understood, "Mr. Lin, I look forward to your good news." "Okay," Lin Chuan replied. "Mr. Lin, please convey to them that we in Haas hope to be bathed in the glory of the East," Leo added thoughtfully after a moment of contemtion. Lin Chuan smiled. This weapon purchasing officer from Hass Armed Forces sure knew how to speak. Immediately, Lin Chuan pulled out his phone and dialed Old Sun''s number. "Hello, Lin." Old Sun was a busy man, but he picked up Lin Chuan''s call instantly. After the connection, Lin Chuan first exchanged pleasantries with Old Sun, then asked, "Old Sun, how is the evaluation of my Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher going?" "You young man, did you hear some news? It passed the evaluation this morning, and I was just about to give you this good news." On the phone, Old Sun was in a good mood, hisughter booming. Lin Chuan also grinned, thankful that the evaluation didn''t take a year and a half; the efficiency of the Weapons Research Institute was still decent, "Since it has passed the evaluation, does that mean it can now be put into production?" "Chief Designer Lin, I know what you''re thinking," Old Sun said meaningfully. "What am I thinking?" Lin Chuan asked back. "Lin, I received word about your steel factory. Anling City hasn''t allocated much funding, so haven''t you thought about taking over the production of ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' as the first major order for the Military Factory?" Old Sun confidently spected. If the National Weapons Research Institute specifically requests Anling Military Factory to produce the most advanced rocketuncher, it could put pressure on Anling. That is, to force the financial allocation of Anling City to tilt towards the Military Factory. Old Sun, holding a high position, naturally saw through this point. "I did think about the method you mentioned." Lin Chuan nodded and then changed the subject, "However, I just want to know if the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher can now enter the production stage." "That simple?" Old Sun paused, somewhat puzzled. "Not that simple," Lin Chuan chuckled. "Let''s hear it." Old Sun signaled. Lin Chuan hesitated for a moment, "Old Sun, is it convenient for you to talk over there?" Old Sun was alone in his office at the moment andughed, "It''s incredibly convenient." "Then I can say it." Lin Chuan coughed lightly and solemnly said, "I might be getting arge order." "Arge order?" Old Sun was even more confused, "Your military factory hasn''t beenmissioned yet, and no one knows about it; where did therge ordere from?" "Cough, from overseas," Lin Chuan replied. In the office, Old Sun''s hand holding the phone stiffened, the rxed expression on his face quickly faded, reced by seriousness, "This matter isn''t a joke; who overseas ced the order?" "Haas Armed Forces," Lin Chuan answered truthfully. "Huh?" Old Sun''s eyebrows furrowed, "How did you get involved with Haas Armed Forces?" "They are my readers; after reading my novel, they wanted to buy some weapons from me," Lin Chuan replied. "Readers?" Old Sun''s face darkened, and he seemed a bit confused. "Your novel, is it a serious novel?" The question sounded a bit odd. Which reader reads novels with the intention of buying something? And buying military weapons at that? "Erm, I consider it to be quite serious." Lin Chuan''s lips twitched. The novel was serious, the author was serious, it''s just that the readers were not so serious. On the other end of the phone, Old Sun fell silent. The key issue wasn''t with the novel. The main thing was whether Lin Chuan could take on the military weapons order from the Haas Armed Forces. "Military goods being exported need strict control and review," Old Sun thought aloud. "I know." Lin Chuan nodded. "I need to ask the old leaders about this, hold on for me," Old Sun contemted for a long time and decided to consult his superiors. "Okay." Lin Chuan hung up the phone and set his mobile down. This matter wasn''t just a simple business transaction involving production and salesthere was much more at stake behind it. Weapons could be exported. The key was, to whom they were sold, and this was very important. For instance, in earlier years, a camel had boldly bought 35 underdogs in the rabbit''s home with official approval. It was authorized. As for whether the Haas Armed Forces had been approved, Lin Chuan wasn''t sure. About half an hourter. Ring-ring-ring Old Sun called back. "Old Sun, how did it go?" Lin Chuan, having waited so long, was somewhat anxious. Currently. This order from the Haas Armed Forces was a substantial one. It was very possible that they would establish a long-term cooperative rtionship, so Lin Chuan valued this cooperation greatly. The workers at the steel mill also needed the military factory to start operating soon, to support their families. "Cough cough." Old Sun first cleared his throat, his voice deep. "Lin, I haven''t been to Anling these days, have I?" "Huh?" Lin Chuan''s eyes widened slightly. What kind of riddle was Old Sun ying? Before Lin Chuan could respond, Old Sun continued, "I am getting old, and I''ve forgotten a lot. I probably indeed haven''t been to Anling." "Um, no, you haven''t." Lin Chuan nodded. "By the way, that steel mill of yours, you were originally nning to transform it into a toy factory, right?" Old Sun spoke somewhat confusedly. Lin Chuan''s eyes flickered as he caught on to Old Sun''s meaning: "Yes, yes, the steel mill couldn''t keep going, and we had no other choice but to consider setting up a toy factory, otherwise those workers would have to beid off." "Setting up a toy factory, I greatly support that!" Old Sun earnestly said. "Thank you, Old Sun," Lin Chuan''s face was full of smiles. He then asked, "By the way, Old Sun, about these toys, doing some overseas business, that should be fine, right?" "Some little toys, engaging in some export trade, what could be the problem? In the future, juste to me, and I''ll give you special approval!" Old Sun dered generously, his voice hearty. "Then I''m relieved!" A sincere smile of joy appeared on Lin Chuan''s face. The two puzzlers hung up the phone. Afterward, Old Sun sent Lin Chuan many sample contracts about ''toy exports'' and several precautions. Lin Chuan carefully reviewed them. It seemed, bing an arms tycoon was not meant to be; being a toy factory owner was safer. After seriously studying the contract samples and precautions, Lin Chuan then contacted Leo, the weapons procurement officer from the Haas Armed Forces. The two quickly reached a preliminary intention on the ''toy trade.'' "Mr. Lin, I hope our cooperation goes smoothly," Leo could hardly conceal his excitement while speaking on the phone; his voice was quivering a bit. "Of course." Lin Chuan responded, then asked, "Mr. Leo, we need to know the background of your previous supplier. It''s a mandatory requirement." Leo nodded. "There aren''t manyrge suppliers worldwide, and it''s not difficult to investigate, so I''ll just tell you." "Mr. Leo, you''re very frank," Lin Chuanmended. Leo smiled. "Our previous supplier was the Morgan Group." Inside the room. Lin Chuan''s right hand, holding the phone, suddenly stiffened. Chapter 352: Chapter 233: Toy Tycoon! Lin Chuan looked a bit startled. He hadn''t expected that the previous weapons supplier for the Haas Armed Forces was none other than the Morgan Group. That is to say, by sheer coincidence, he had stolen a military weapons order from the Morgan Group, taking their client. Thereupon, a sincere smile spread across Lin Chuan''s face as he replied, "Mr. Leo, when will you arrive in Anling City? I''lle to pick you up." If it had been some other supplier''s client, Lin Chuan might not have been this eager. But, the client was the Haas Armed Forces, a customer of the Morgan Group! Morgan Group, sorry, but from now on, the Haas Armed Forces are my close partners! And more so, after a short time thinking, Lin Chuan even considered another possibility. Steal the military weapons business from the Morgan Group! Indeed. Ever since he had uprooted the Morgan Group''s "Addictive drugs" industry along the Han River, and personally handed over the important figure Yu Keke to the police station, leading to her death sentence, they had be sworn enemies. The Morgan Group would certainly take action against me, so why not strike first? Then, let''s start with the military weapons industry chain and remove this tumor that is the Morgan Group! So Lin Chuan thought. Elsewhere. Far in Southeast Asia, Leo suddenly saw the message that Lin Chuan would pick him up, raising an eyebrow, "Mr. Lin, thank you, I''ll arrive around ten tomorrow morning." "OK, I look forward to weing you." Lin Chuan, wearing a smile, then ended the call, walked out of the room, stretchedzily, and humming a tune, he moved to the balcony. Outside. The surface of the Anling River glimmered, resembling a strip of jade iid with golden diamonds, like a meandering scroll, with several boats slowly moving forward, surrounded by ripples. "Chairman, what''s making you so happy?" At that moment, the Little Landy came up from behind, wearing a homey floral dress that showcased her long, pale, straight legs, holding a ss of milk, which she handed to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan turned around to take the milk, smiling, "I justnded a big client, the initial funding for the steel mill looks promising." "Your munitions factory has clients already, and it hasn''t even opened?" The Little Landy was also constantly keeping track of the munitions factory; after all, she now held the roles of CFO + Deputy General Manager + Director at "Falcon Technology Co., Ltd." Though it was just the two of them, thepany was not to be underestimated. Because Lin Chuan held the roles of Chairman + General Manager + Technical Director. "You might not believe it, but this client, he is one of my readers." Lin Chuanughed, and then recounted the whole story to the Little Landy. The Little Landy was taken aback, "So does it mean, we are nowpletely at odds with the Morgan Group?" Lin Chuan took a sip of his milk, nodding, "If we don''t take them on, they will stille at us, why not take the initiative and mess with them?" "Chairman, you''re right, let''s mess with them!" The Little Landy furrowed her brows, nodding solemnly. A feisty spirit emerged on her face, making her appear inordinately yful. "So, tomorrow we need to discuss the partnership matters with Leo." Lin Chuan said, smiling. The Little Landy thought for a moment, then asked, "Is Mr. Leo''s amodation and reception all set up?" "Not yet." Lin Chuan looked at the Little Landy, smiling, "You know your way around this, you handle it." "No problem, our deal with the Haas Armed Forces shouldn''t be high-profile, so let''s book the Baoying, with hills behind and water in front, the scenery is nice too, and I''ll n out the specifics of the agenda in more detail." Clearly, the Little Landy was far superior to Lin Chuan in this regard. Lin Chuan habitually pinched the Little Landy''s cheek, "My Xinxin has be quite the expert in this area." "I can''t be dragging you down, can I?" The Little Landy smiled with pursed lips. Lin Chuan suddenly remembered something, asking, "How did Old Zhang''s medical check-up go, no problems, right?" "He''s in good shape," the Little Landyughed, "The doctor just rmended he exercise more, nothing else." "That''s good." "Chairman, why don''t you also go for a check-up? You always stay upte, I''m worried..." The Little Landy hesitated. Lin Chuan was startled, "Worried about what?" The Little Landy looked up, "I''m worried you might be weakening." A dark line instantly appeared on Lin Chuan''s face, "I''m as vigorous as ever, where am I weak?" "Hmm... you haven''t paid your rent in a long time." The Little Landy''s face turned a shade of peach, her sparkling eyes fluttering, captivating Lin Chuan. "It''s still broad daylight!" Lin Chuan nced at the bright sunshine outside. "You really have weakened!" The Little Landyughed heartily, teasing, then turned the conversation, "By the way, should we inform Sister Qianqian about this?" Two more lines of irritation crossed Lin Chuan''s face, "What does my weakness have to do with Shen Qianqian?" The Little Landy''s hand reached around Lin Chuan''s waist, pinching a bit of flesh, "I meant the munitions factory order, what were you thinking?" "Oh, that. Lin Chuan chuckled, "I''ll just contact her father; he''s in charge of the steel nt. We''ll need him for worker management and technical supervision." "Okay." The Little Landy nodded. Then, the two began to prepare for tomorrow''s partnership discussions, including hotel amodations, itinerary, cooperation details, weapons pricing, and more. Fortunately, Lin Chuan was well-versed in military weapons trade, particrly the needs of the Hass Armed Forces, so these preparations did not take much time. ... The next day, at 10 a.m. A ne flying from Southeast Asia to Anling crossed the cerulean sky, its engines roaring uniquely as it bathed in golden light and smoothlynded at the airport. Not long after. Dressed in a deep blue suit with his stubble cleanly shaved, Leo, along with his aides and two staff members, emerged from the airport, looking around. "Mr. Leo, hello." Lin Chuan recognized Leo immediately and approached him, greeting him in Arabic. Arabic is one of the mainnguages used in the regions where the Hass Armed Forces are located. In the Middle East, 60% of the poption speaks Arabic. In reality, Lin Chuan had never encountered Arabic, but in the simted world, his military weapons were mainly sold to the Middle East, requiring frequentmunication with people from the region. Initially, he relied on trantors, but often they failed to urately convey his meaning. For example. Once, a representative from an armed group in the Middle East repeatedly emphasized to Lin Chuan that they had no designs on Gansu and Sichuan and asked not to be maligned. Lin Chuan was baffled. Later, he found out that during the weapon price negotiations, when he had offered the best discount possible but the other party wanted even lower prices, Lin Chuan had remarked, "Don''t be greedy." However. The trantor had interpreted it as "You''ve already upied Gansu, now you want to take Sichuan," leading to aplete mix-up. Therefore, Lin Chuan started earnestly studying Arabic afterward. Now, he was fluent in Arabic, fully capable of barrier-freemunication in military weapons trade. Hearing the familiar Arabic, Leo raised his eyebrows and hastily replied in Mandarin, "Hello, Mr. Lin." Although it was a bit awkward, it was the oue of his diligent practice the previous night. The two shook hands amicably. Then Leo said, "Mr. Lin, my Mandarin is not very good, please forgive me." Lin Chuanughed heartily and continued in Arabic, "No problem, we can just speak in Arabic." He spoke very fluently, which took Leo and others by surprise. Beside Lin Chuan, also there to pick up guests, the Little Landy, Zhang Xinxin, was also surprised. She had no idea when her boss had learned such gibberish, as she couldn''t understand a word. Nevertheless, she stood beside Lin Chuan with a smile, looking obedient. "Your Arabic impresses me," Leo expressed admiringly. "Actually, I have an indescribable affinity with Arabic," Lin Chuan replied smilingly. "I would love to hear more," Leo followed Lin Chuan, walking out of the airport. Lin Chuan then shared some cultural characteristics of the Middle East known to him and some amusing stories from his studies of Arabic. Lin Chuan was as familiar with the history and culture of the region, especially where the Hass Armed Forces were located, as if it were his own backyard. For example, ancient cultures like Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Persia, Arab, and the Ottoman Empire, as well as the Imic culture Leo followed, were all brought up by Lin Chuan, leaving Leo and hispanions astonished. "Mr. Lin, I never thought you''d understand us so well," Leo expressed, using the honorific "you" out of respect. Walking next to Lin Chuan, he looked up and down at the young man who made him feel extraordinarily familiar. Lin Chuan wore a tailored suit with a white shirt underneath. His stature was slender and his face clean and sunny. Though young, there was a mature insight in his eyes and his every move exuded a unique aura. This feeling was rare for Leo. Yu Qin, who often coborated with him before, had never given him this impression; Yu Qin was more about leveraging power, with a somewhat domineering air. But Lin Chuan was convincing. Young yet experienced, this unusualbination was Leo''s first impression of Lin Chuan. He didn''t dare underestimate this young man. He also looked twice at the young woman beside him. Not because Xinxin was beautiful, but because she carried a calm,posed quality about her, unreserved and appropriate in behavior. Lin Chuan smiled faintly, continuing in Arabic, "Mr. Leo, I haven''t specifically researched these topics, but life has imparted them to me." "You are Ah''s messenger, and I am even more looking forward to our coboration now." Leo gave a high praise. Lin Chuanughed heartily, "So am I." Then, the group got into the car and headed for the Baoying Grand Hotel in Anling City. Lin Chuan''s approach, showing both respect and recognition, undoubtedly maximized the goodwill of Leo and hispanions. He knew that the Hass Armed Forces, represented by Leo, urgently needed a batch of military weapons, which is why Leo eagerly sought him out. If it were just a single transaction, he wouldn''t have shared so much with Leo. But Lin Chuan hoped to turn the Hass Armed Forces into a long-term partner, to make them a "showcase," thereby opening the door to military weapons trade in the Middle East and promoting their weapons vigorously. And so began the era of the Arms Tycoon. Or rather, the Toy Tycoon! Chapter 353: Chapter 234: This Military Weapons Dealer is Too Capable! (Subscribe Please) Anling City, Baoying Grand Hotel. The Little Landy chose it, and there was good reason for her choice. This building, situated halfway up the hill, stood at a high point, nestled next to mountains and water, luxurious yet low-key, very suitable for vacations and receiving guests. On the 28th floor, in the luxurious suite numbered SV2888, there was an open-air balcony under two sun umbres where Lin Chuan and Leo were meeting. "Mr. Lin, thank you for your hospitality. I''ve never seen such beautiful scenery," Leo said with a delighted expression, gazing at the view from the balcony. In front of him, the sunshine was bright, the light soft and warm, filtering through a veil-likeyer of clouds, casting sparkling light over the wide, t river surface, with towering buildings on the opposite bank, and lush greenery on this side. To the right, in the distance, one could even see the mottled city wall of Anling Ancient City. This was a peace he had never seen amidst the mes of war. Lin Chuan discerned the yearning in Leo''s words, and sincerely said, "Mr. Leo, peace will soon return to your region, and such beautiful scenery will reappear." Under the sun umbres. Leo was somewhat surprised. He was surprised to hear such wordsing from an arms dealer. As it''s known, the existence of arms suppliers is due to armed conflicts in various regions, needing arge supply of military equipment. In fact, arms suppliers depend on war. They are certainly among those who most desire the onset of war, as the war forms their primary source of ie! "Mr. Lin, I find that you don''t seem like a mere arms dealer," said Leo, swiftly shifting his focus from the scenery to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan smiled, "Here, we adhere to a certain way of thinking." "What kind of thinking?" asked Leo, showing a keen interest, eager to learn. "Winning a battle without a fight," quoted Lin Chuan from an ancient saying. Leo didn''t quite understand, "Mr. Lin, I''ve heard that saying before but I don''t quite grasp its meaning." Lin Chuan exined with a smile, "It''s simple. Once you be powerful, the enemy won''t dare attack you." Leo appeared thoughtful. "Let me give you an example," Lin Chuan continued with a smile, "Suppose you''re a bandit targeting someone''s food supply, and they are unarmed. What would you do?" Without any hesitation, Leo responded, "If I were a bandit, I''d just snatch it!" "And if he had a knife?" "If I also had a knife, I might hesitate a little, but I''d think of a way to ambush him!" "And if he had trained a team of armed guards to protect the food?" Leo said outright, "Mr. Lin, the answer is clear, no bandit would target such a household''s food!" "So, shouldn''t you also be equipping yourselves with more weapons?" Lin Chuan segued smoothly. Leo suddenly saw the light and thenughed, "Mr. Lin, I see your point now. I must admit, you are a very sessful arms dealer. Whether in war or peace, you manage to sell your military weapons." "If I told you my wish is for world peace, would you believe me?" Lin Chuanughed heartily. Confronted with Lin Chuan''s joking remark, Leo pondered for a moment, "I think, I should believe." The two shared a knowing smile. Lin Chuan''s logic was simple. Advanced weapons might remain unused, but one cannot be without them. Because, bandits won''t disappear. They might show a friendly facade, but they haven''t shed their intrinsic nature as bandits; rather, they have just disguised it. Lin Chuan and Leo had a lengthy conversation. Leo and hispanions were very eager, urgently hoping to enter into negotiations for a weapons cooperation with Lin Chuan. Leo stated, "I can see it, Mr. Lin, you are a good partner, and thus, we hope to discuss the cooperation as soon as possible, mypatriots are still waiting for the support of these weapons." Lin Chuan took a sip of orange juice and then asked, "Mr. Leo, you''re a straightforward person, which I like. For an initial cooperation, I need to see your weapons order." "OK!" Leo was indeed direct, pulling out a document from his briefcase and handing it to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan took the document. It was written in English, which Lin Chuan couldprehend. [191 Rifle] [Type 15 Light Tank] [ZBL-08 Wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle] [PLZ-05 Type 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer] [KJ-2000 Early Warning Aircraft] [J-16D Electronic Warfare Aircraft] [PHL-191 Remote Box-Type Rocket Launcher] [...] After reading, Lin Chuan showed a brilliant smile; these were all the weapons he had described in "Arms Tycoon". It seemed that this Mr. Leo was indeed his loyal fan! Others read novels for fun, he treated the novel like a shopping mall. After reading, he made a list and bought goods from the author. If it hadn''t actually happened, who would believe it? "Mr. Lin, these shouldn''t pose any difficulty for you, should they?" Leo raised an eyebrow at Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan smiled lightly, "You should know, weapons are just toys to me." "Truly an arms tycoon." Leo showed a look of admiration, nodded, "About the specific prices, for instance, this PHL-191 Remote Box-Type Rocket Launcher?" He leaned toward Lin Chuan, extending a finger to point at the document, his eyes holding some anticipation and probing. Without a doubt, this was the weapon he was most concerned about. Yu Qin''s ''Remote Box-Type Rocket Launcher,'' with a range of 350 km, was priced at 10 million US dors. What about Lin Chuan''s offer? Lin Chuan slightly turned his head, his eyes meeting Leo''s. Soon, Lin Chuan guessed what Leo was concerned about. Then, he smiled and said, "This ''PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''es in three versions, 70 kilometers, 370 kilometers, and 600 kilometers. The 600-kilometer version is currently not for sale. Which version would you like to purchase?" "370 kilometers." Leo did not doubt it. This range was already leading the world, even 20 kilometers further than Yu Qin''s version with a range of 350 kilometers. Of course. Not only did it lead in range, but its power couldn''t be inferior either. Lin Chuan didn''t know about Leo and Yu Qin''s negotiation, and after thinking, he quoted, "6 million US Dors." This quote was a probing one. Generally speaking, a probing quote in negotiations shouldn''t be too low, otherwise, there would be little room for bargaining. The other party might press the price so low that it goes below one''s anticipated price. Such negotiations could easily end in dissatisfaction. The reason Lin Chuan set this price was based on the market price, using HIMARS M142''s price of 5 million US Dors as a benchmark, and increased it by 1 million US Dors, which was quite fair in market terms. However, there was a fundamental difference between them. As everyone knows. The development of cutting-edge weapons requires a significant amount of financial investment, and a considerable part of their market price is attributed to research and development costs. Buyers must pay for the technology. A significant portion of the HIMARS M142''s price consisted of R&D costs. The ''PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' Lin Chuan offered did not have R&D investments. Thus, its price could be much lower! Lin Chuan could even manage to dump the ''PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' for 1 million US Dors and still have a substantial profit margin! This was a tremendous advantage other arms suppliers did not have! After all, there''s a catch! But the price of 6 million US Dors fell into Leo''s ears, stirring a big wave. It was even lower than his estimated price! He nced at Lin Chuan, trying hard to control the disbelief in his heart, then immediately turned to look at his adjutant next to him. The adjutant''s breath quickened, his eyes widened. Last night, they had already held a video conference with the heads of Haas Armed Forces. If Lin Chuan genuinely had a rocketuncherparable to Yu Qin''s, their ideal price was 7 million US Dors. But with Lin Chuan starting at 6 million US Dors, this threw them off. Leo secretly took a deep breath, pretended to be calm, picked up the orange juice from the small coffee table in front of him, took a sip, and then said, "Mr. Lin, how powerful is this ''PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''?" "Just like the one described in the novel!" Lin Chuan confidently stated. "6 million US Dors..." Leo drank another sip of orange juice. If it indeed had such power, it would be more cost-effective than Yu Qin''s rocketuncher! He hesitated, feeling slightly tempted. He even thought Lin Chuan''s quote of 6 million US Dors was the final price. "Mr. Leo, what do you think of this price?" Lin Chuan noticed Leo''s hesitation, assuming it was because Haas Armed Forces, constantly embroiled in warfare, did not have enough funds avable to purchase weapons. "Is there room for negotiation on the 6 million US Dors?" Leo asked tentatively, his expression stern. Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, "How many units of the ''PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' would you like to buy?" "Three." Leo stretched out three fingers. Lin Chuan stroked his chin, then ''bit the bullet'', "If you purchase four units, I will sell them to you at this unit price." Leo looked up. Lin Chuan stretched out a palm. "Five hundred... five hundred thousand US Dors?" Leo couldn''t help but exim, his brows furrowing deeply. This was frighteningly low! 200,000 US Dors below their ideal price! The adjutant next to him breathed rapidly. He believed that if it were him, he would have agreed to Lin Chuan''s offer of 500,000 US Dors per unit right then! "For a first-time cooperation, I''ll also include four corresponding rockets, as well as training and service fees." Lin Chuanid out an offer they couldn''t refuse! Leo was greatly shaken. He had never encountered such a powerful arms dealer who could achieve a technical upgrade, far surpassing the HIMARS Rocket Launcher, but without raising the price! For the same price, they could purchase the ''PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher.'' This arms dealer was too capable! "How about it?" Lin Chuan asked with a beaming smile. "At this price, we''ll take five units!" Leo suddenly stood up, startling everyone around. He couldn''t sit still! This design not only improved the convenience of using the rocketuncher, Chapter 354: Chapter 235: Is This Really a Coincidence? "Five units?" Lin Chuan''s expression changed, as the number had already exceeded his expectations. Originally, Leo had revealed his interest in the "PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher." Last night, he and Xinxin had discussed it all night long. Three units were their basic estimation of Haas Armed Forces'' needs and capabilities, offering a substantial discount with the chance of selling four. Aiming to secure three and possibly sell four was the oue of their discussionst night. Never had he imagined that Leo would blurt out "five units"; just the transaction volume for the "PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher" alone had reached twenty-five million US Dors. At the current exchange rate of "1:7.2," that was about 180 million yuan. Adding other weapons, the total order this time could potentially exceed 400 million! In Lin Chuan''s military weapons trading record, the number wasn''t huge, but it was definitely a roaring start for the real-world "Anling Toy Factory"! As soon as Haas Armed Forces paid the deposit, the "Toy Factory" would have its operating funds. The beginning is the hardest. Knowing that with the initial operating funds, Lin Chuan was very confident in the subsequent management and development of "Anling Toy Factory." This book "Arms Tycoon" is his autobiography! The azure sky bore a unique cloud that blocked the brilliant sunshine, casting a cool shadow over the Baoying Hotel nestled beside a mountain and by a river. At this moment, Leo still stood in ce. When he caught Lin Chuan''s lifted gaze, realizing his ownpse, heughed and said, "If we go by the price just mentioned, without tacking on any additional fees, we can order five units." "Of course, there''s no problem." Lin Chuan readily nodded, then changed the subject, "I have one more discount, would you like to hear about it?" "Another discount?" Leo was about to sip his orange juice, but upon hearing Lin Chuan''s words, he immediately set it down, his deep eyes finally widening in surprise. Was this arms dealer crazy? The staff beside him waspletely dumbfounded. Following Leo around, he had dealt with over a dozenrge and small arms dealers. Those arms dealers couldn''t wait to drive up the price of military hardware. He had never seen someone like Lin Chuan who aggressively cut the price of military weapons. The buyer had epted the price, and yet he offered another discount? What kind of game was this Mr. Lin ying? "Of course, there''s another discount, Mr. Leo. I would very much like to be friends with you," said Lin Chuan sincerely, continuing, "If you refer a friend to buy my weapons and equipment, 10% of their total purchase price, I''ll convert it into weapons and gift it to you." Upon hearing this, Leo immediately fell silent. This model could often be seen in ordinary business transactions. But in the arms trade, this was the first time Leo heard of it. It requires substantial capital, as well as strong technological capabilities. Because in ordinary business, it''s mostly swapping lower price for volume, even at a loss, to quickly capture the market. The arms trade is different. The trade of weapons requires an extremely strong ability to control costs, supply chains are secondary, and the most expensive aspect is the development of weapons! Even a nation seldom has the capacity to adopt a sales strategy like Lin Chuan''s. "Mr. Lin, your..." Leo paused for a moment, "Do you have a limit on the number of referrals?" Lin Chuan shook his head, smiling, "As long as they are new customers, there is no limit." "Good!" Leo immediately agreed, his face lighting up with joy. He didn''t need to consider for Lin Chuan. What he cared about more was how to obtain the military weapons they needed with less money. It could be said. Conservatively speaking, Lin Chuan''s prices here were 50% of what Morgan Group had offered. For Haas Armed Forces, as long as there were no issues with the weapons, obtaining them meant a win! Buy, buy, buy! Lin Chuan and Leo exchanged smiles. "I''ve never encountered an arms dealer as straightforward as you." Leo generouslyplimented. "Among the clients I have met, you belong to the very straightforward category, which I really appreciate in a partnership," Lin Chuan returned thepliment. "Mr. Lin, aside from this ''PHL-191 Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher,''" Leo pointed to the order document, "our brothers are waiting to use the other weapons." "No problem," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Afterward, the two continued to discuss the prices and quantities of the remaining weapons. Lin Chuan offered ample discounts. Leo was all smiles, feeling more and more that he had made the right trip! Of course. Realistically, closing a 400 million yuan military weapons order in one day was impossible; there were many other details to be ironed out. Fortunately, Lin Chuan was generous with discounts, and Leo made many concessions on some of the details. The preliminary negotiations went smoothly for both sides. In the evening, Lin Chuan dined with Leo and others before leaving the Baoying Hotel. From sunny to dusk, with streetlights kindling and the city of Anling twinkling with lights, Lin Chuan and the Little Landy sat in thepany''s car and returned to Falcon Technology Co., Ltd. For convenience, Lin Chuan had ced this newly openedpany just above the 720 Company. Zhongcheng Building, Floor 17. "Chairman, I didn''t understand a word of the gibberish you were talking about today." Xinxin had a tough day. Throughout the entire negotiation, Lin Chuan and Leomunicated in Arabic, and she didn''t understand a word, simply watching their expressions and bodynguage to assess the amicable state of cooperation. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 355: Chapter 235 Is this really a coincidence?_2 "If you had understood that, now that would be strange," Lin Chuan said with augh as he sat in the vast office. The Falcon Technology Company on the 17th floor was brightly lit, yet eerily empty save for Lin Chuan and the Little Landy, huddled together in the office. Utterly private. "How is the situation looking?" Xinxin asked with concern. Lin Chuan held up four fingers, a faint smile on his face. "They wanted four rocketunchers?" The Little Landy''s eyebrows rose, her charming eyes sparkling even more. Lin Chuan shook his head, "They wanted five!" The Little Landy was momentarily stunned, then joyfully said, "This is a big client, then what do these four fingers mean?" "Four billion!" Lin Chuan chuckled. The Little Landy was dumbstruck, her mouth slightly agape, eyes wide, "Do arms dealers really make that much money?" That''s four small goals reached in one fell swoop; no wonder so many people risk so much to trade arms! That sure beats making money off rent! Lin Chuan tapped her forehead, quickly correcting the Little Landy, "Keep in mind, we are now a toy factory and have nothing to do with military weapons." "Oh oh, toys!" The Little Landy immediately grinned, "If we collect a twenty percent deposit for this order, that''s 800 million; the toy factory''s working capital is secured!" "There''s still some work to be done." Lin Chuan ruffled the Little Landy''s hair, still smiling. Quickly catching on, the Little Landy sat down at theputer and began drafting the contract ording to the preliminary cooperation details discussed today. Lin Chuan wasn''t idle either. He needed to draw out the blueprints for the weapons ordered by the Haas Armed Forces, a project as vast as it was crucial. Approaching midnight. In the Falcon Technology Company, where only Lin Chuan and the Little Landy were present, footsteps suddenly echoed out of nowhere. "Who''s there?" Lin Chuan''s reflex was to go on the alert. "Sister Qianqian said she''d pack us some supper," the Little Landy hurriedly exined. "It''s Shen Qianqian." The tension faded from Lin Chuan''s face, reced by reliefhe had thought it was someone from the Morgan Group taking action. "Congrattions on your opening sess!" Shen Qianqian, dressed casually, walked into the office holding two portions of dessert soup. "Thank you, Sister Qianqian," Xinxin got up to greet Shen Qianqian, her smile full as she took the sweet soup and ced a portion in front of Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan, unceremoniously, greeted her and opened the lid, taking a sip of the sweet soup. "This was supposed to involve my dad, but it''ste and he might not be able to stay up; so I came instead to see if I could help with anything," Shen Qianqian said, ncing at Lin Chuan and the Little Landy, with an air of nonchnce. "You''vee at the perfect time." Lin Chuan waved Shen Qianqian over in a familiar manner, "For this modr rifle, just use your design, and I''ll go to the restroom." "You''re really not shy about it; you''ll have to pay me some royalties for this, you know." Shen Qianqian yfully admonished him. However, as she spoke, she honestly took Lin Chuan''s seat at theputer and began drafting the blueprint. "We know each other well; if the steel factory kicks off, your dad might just be my sworn brother, and then you''ll be my niece!" Lin Chuanughed heartily. "Niece..." Shen Qianqian''s mouth twitched, this guy, how did he suddenly start taking advantage of their generational rtionship? But when old Shen had too much to drink, it really could happen. "Sister Qianqian, by that time Lin Chuan will be your uncle; we''ll keep to ourselves, you''ll call me Aunty, and I''ll still call you Sister Qianqian." Beside them, the Little Landy joked as well. "Fine, Xinxin, you''re teasing me too," Shen Qianqian huffed. "Meh." The Little Landy stuck out her tongue and made a face. For a moment, the 17th floor of Falcon Technology Co., Ltd. pulsed with added life and merriment. With Shen Qianqian joining in, the work efficiency indeed improved significantly. Even safety had more assurance! At least, Lin Chuan didn''t have to worry anymore about encountering danger, without the police being able to arrive in time. ... One weekter. Southeast Asia, Asia-Pacific Branch of the Morgan Group. In the spacious office, a huge wooden desk sat in the center, with Yu Qin and Lucas seated opposite each other. The dim light, filtering in through the half-closed curtains, illuminated the room. Tonight, Yu Qin wasn''t holding her tablet and reading novels as usual. She hadn''t touched "Arms Tycoon" for several days, not because she didn''t like it. On the contrary, the more she read, the more she liked it. But! There was another matter that had entangled her and left her with no way to be distracted. It was about Keke. Her younger sister. Inside the office, seated opposite her, Lucas, the head of Morgan Group''s Asia-Pacific Branch, had a dark and somber expression. His hands were crossed on the table, and he lightly tapped the wood with the tips of his fingers, making a sound that was almost imperceptible. "Ah..." He sighed deeply, "I never imagined it woulde to this." Lucas spoke with a heavy tone, also filled with puzzlement, his voice spreading through the gloom and unsettling the mind. Yu Qin was d in ck, appearing even colder and more mysterious. She was silent for a very long time, her eyebrows deeply furrowed, and after a long pause, she finally spoke, "The ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' of Sania Weapons Research Company passed all technical verification from headquarters, ensuring its uracy and authenticity. So why was Keke''s appeal for clemency rejected?" The previous week. She had started making efforts on many fronts, using Morgan Group''s channels to pass the technology to her sister Keke, allowing Keke to utilize this groundbreaking technology of the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher for a plea for clemency. That means the immediate execution of the death sentence ismuted to a suspended death sentence. The clemency period is generally two years, during which, if the criminal does not intentionallymit an offense again, then after the period, their sentence can be reduced to life imprisonment or a fixed-term imprisonment. Along with the "significant merit" that Yu Qin facilitated, Keke''s sentence would be further reduced, with her release appearing imminent. This was a familiar tactic used by Yu Qin and the Morgan Group upper echelons. In their own words, it was buying life with money or with patent technology, proven many times over in other regions. But this time, there was an unexpectedplication! The patent Keke filed for the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher was rejected! Lucas was very reluctant to ept this oue, "Yu, I''ve already sent people to find out why the patent was rejected, but no information has leaked out. It must be touching upon military secrets!" They were tycoons of a dark industry. But when it came to military secrets, even he could not probe further. Some things were beyond his reach. Yu Qin felt dejected and fell silent once again, not uttering a word. The atmosphere in the office was so oppressive that no one dared to knock on the door and disturb the two. "Is it possible that they''ve already broken through these technologies on their end?" After pondering for a long time, Lucas spected. Yu Qin shook her head, "No, their research on the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher has been stalled for a long time. Moreover, many of their technologies have been bottlenecked, with no way to continue research." "Then, they should be even less likely to reject Keke''s application," Lucas logically inferred. Yu Qin was also perplexed, utterly baffled, "This is what I can''t understand." From the perspective of interests and technological progress, such breakthrough technology would doubtlessly have shortened their years of research. They had no reason to refuse! Yu Qin''s original confidence stemmed from this. "I''m already looking for new technological achievements, hoping to save Keke. Additionally, I have ordered a search for all information rted to the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher, including videos and text. We''re sifting through everything, looking for any possible clues," Lucas said. As the head of operations, his on-the-spot decision-making was impressively swift. Yu Qin nodded. After approximately half an hour. Knock, knock, knock. A cautious knock on the door resonated. "Come in." Lucas called out. A secretary-like young woman came in and handed a USB drive to Lucas, speaking with respectful deference, "General Manager, this contains some of the reports on the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher.'' Among them, there is also a video regarding Mr. Lin." Lucas frowned, "What does Mr. Lin have to do with the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher?" "In the video, he ims to have designed a weapon, called the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher,''" the young woman exined. Inside the office. Lucas and Yu Qin both looked surprised, exchanging nces, each seeing the puzzlement in the other''s eyes. Lin Chuan designed a ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''? Was this a coincidence? Chapter 356: Chapter 236 Are You Crazy? (Please Subscribe) "Let''s see it first," Yu Qin said calmly within the office. Lucas gave a signal to the secretary who immediately understood, plugged the USB into the port, and began to y the video about Lin Chuan on the electronic screen in office one. Then, Lucas waved his hand, instructing her to leave. On the electronic screen, the video started to y. Yu Qin and Lucas turned their heads, their attention drawn by the video. It was a live broadcast clip. The video screen was split into two sides, the left side showing a man and a woman, Zhou Nan and Zhao Xiaoli. On the right side was a man Yu Qin was all too familiar with. It was indeed Lin Chuan. "Hosts, judges, hello, I am contestant number 80, Lin Chuan," the voice of Lin Chuan transmitted from the video. Yu Qin and Lucas''s Chinese proficiency was not as good as Yu Keke''s, so the secretary provided them with a version of the video that included English subtitles. Lucas''s phone also received the information sent by the secretary. "This web novel author has entered a weapon innovation designpetition," Lucas exined. Yu Qin nodded and continued watching the video. "My designed weapon is a ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher.''" "By using a rocket engine to propel the projectiles and incorporating precise guidance technology, it achieves long-range urate strikes." "At present, it can achieve precise strikes within a range of 600 kilometers." "..." In the video, Lin Chuan, with a smile on his face, was confidently introducing his weapon and even took out a model of the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' to show in the live studio. Then, the host and Lin Chuan entered the question-and-answer session. Their Q&A flowed smoothly. "Yu Qin, what do you think of his exnation?" Lin Chuan''s answers seemed quite professional to Lucas, who was ayman in the field. However, only an expert could really evaluate such highly specialized content, andymen were usually just onlookers. After a moment of contemtion, Yu Qin said: "His introduction, it''s indeed quite bluffing." "Bluffing?" Lucas asked with a puzzled expression, furrowing his brows. "But it''s just bluffing. Look at his im, a range of 600 kilometers, do you think that''s possible?" Yu Qin looked at Lucas and spoke indifferently. In the industry, she was considered a veteran arms dealer. The principles of weapon construction, patentsshe didn''t need to delve into those as much, so she wasn''t like Lin Chuan, a true weapons expert with profound knowledge. Still, her many years of experience allowed her to clearly understand these weapons'' figures, capabilities, pricing, and market trends. "A range of 600 kilometers," she scoffed at this im. "Hmm?" Lucas couldn''t judge it himself and just frowned. "Do you remember the range of the rocketunchers we purchased from Sania Weapons Research Company?" Yu Qin''s face was still somewhat stern. Lucas shook his head. Yu Qin slightly opened her lips and slowly uttered two words: "350 kilometers." "Lin Chuan''s range exceeds that by 250 kilometers?" At this point, Even Lucas, as ayman, understood the difference. A high-speed train traveling at a standard speed of 350 kilometers per hour would take more than 40 minutes to cover that extra 250 kilometers. A range of 600 kilometers. This was a monumental leap in the field of rocketunchers, necessitating an unknown amount of manpower and resources. How could Lin Chuan possibly design such a thing alone? Yu Qin remained silent because the answer was obvious. "So, Lin Chuan is just boasting." Lucas said, speaking to himself before looking back at Yu Qin as a reminder, "There are seven more days on Keke''s side." The death sentence was to be executed immediately, which normally meant seven dayster. Because a patent had been submitted in thest round to apply for a stay of execution, it was postponed by seven days. Yu Qin nodded. "I''ve already had our headquarters seek some advanced patents, during these seven days, we should have no problem submitting another application." "That''s good, I hope Keke can return to us soon and work with us," Lucas expressed a hopeful desire. "By the way, any new developments with Lin Chuan?" Yu Qin thought for a moment and asked. Despite her obsession with "Arms Tycoon," and her changed view of Lin Chuan, that wouldn''t alter her original intention After rescuing Keke, take necessary action against Lin Chuan. "He''s been going out frequentlytely, but he''s very cautious, and our people didn''t dare to follow too closely, so we lost him soon after. It wasn''t till the evening that he returned home," Lucas responded. For arge corporation like the Morgan Group, purchasing a few informants wasn''t a challenge. However, those informants weren''t professionals, andpared to Lin Chuan, the ''King of Killers,'' they were simply amateurs. Thus, losing him was expected. "As long as we know where he is, it''s fine. Don''t let him notice and do not affect our subsequent actions." Yu Qin nodded her head. "This small matter, you don''t need to worry about." Lucasforted her, his face showing a gentlemanly smile, "Besides the matter with Keke, you also have an arms deal to discuss." "Arms deal..." Sitting opposite Lucas at the office desk, Yu Qin suddenly muttered. She had been busy with Yu Keke''s situation these days, neglecting the arms trade with the Hass Armed Forces. Yu Qin calcted the time, thinking, "It''s been a week since thest negotiation, Leo should have finalized the details with the representatives of the Hass Armed Forces by now." Based on their past cooperation experience. Chapter 357: Chapter 236 Are You Crazy? (Please Subscribe)_2 The Haas Armed Forces should begin their second round of price negotiations with her within three days. Now, seven days had passed, and Leo should have contacted her by now. So, she took out her phone, logged into themunication tool specifically for contacting Leo, and wanted to take advantage of these two days to finalize the order. "Huh, no messages?" Yu Qin nced at her phone and couldn''t help but mutter to herself. On thismunication tool, Leo hadn''t sent her a single message, which was very strange. "What''s wrong?" Lucas asked from across her. "Logically speaking, Leo should have started contacting us a long time ago," Yu Qin said with a puzzled look on her face, not avoiding Lucas. "Seven whole days without any contact?" Lucas furrowed his brow, also finding it strange. Yu Qin shook her head: "Yes, he hasn''t reached out to me." "They''re in desperate need of weapons, why aren''t they in a hurry now?" Lucas''s eyes widened, further puzzled. In his understanding, the Haas Armed Forces were currently amidst the mes of war, needing a substantial amount of weapon supplies. Last time, which was the first negotiation between Yu Qin and Leo, he even inquired about the orders in question with Yu Qin. Originally, the Morgan Group had preliminarily decided that Yu Keke would handle the military weapons trade of the Asia-Pacific Branch, serving as the supplier, but Yu Keke was arrested by the Anling Police. The incident happened so suddenly that the headquarters temporarilymissioned Yu Qin to take over, responsible for military weapon transactions in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, with Lucas assisting. Yu Qin put her phone aside, crossed her arms, and fell into contemtion. Lucas''s conjecture was quite urate. Right now, the Haas Armed Forces should indeed be in a hurry, but they hadn''t contacted her at all for seven days! There must be demons when things are abnormal! Lucas spected, "Yu Qin, is it possible that the Haas Armed Forces found another military weapons supplier?" "Impossible!" Yu Qin immediately rejected the idea, "Lucas, you might not know, but currently, therge arms dealers like ''Lockheed,'' ''Raytheon,'' ''Grumman,'' thesepanies, couldn''t possibly supply them with weapons." "What about the others?" Lucas asked. "There are ''Sukhoi,'' ''Grumman,'' ''Finmanica,'' whose prices are much higher than ours, and the Haas Armed Forces haven''t cooperated with them before. In a short period, it''s impossible to reach any partnership." Yu Qin exined. Lucas''s brow twisted, recalling some bans. Indeed, interests and positions determined that, for the short term, the Haas Armed Forces could only choose the Morgan Group as their arms dealer. "So what''s going on now?" Lucas pondered a bit, then asked. Yu Qin was momentarily at a loss for words: "Well, perhaps they are still in the stage of preparing funds, which ismon in military weapons transactions." Many armed groups don''t operate on cash flow. More often, they engage in debt settlements with goods. "That''s possible." Lucas nodded but then suggested, "How about we ask Leo and see what their situation is?" Yu Qin opened her mouth. She originally wanted to say confidently, ''No need,'' but after the unexpected turn of events where Yu Keke''s execution went from immediate to a suspended sentence, her heart filled with doubts. Just to be on the safe side, better ask. Thus, Yu Qin picked up her phone, dialed through a virtual IP, and called Leo''s number. Dial tone...Dial tone...Dial tone... The call tone rang for about ten seconds before Yu Qin heard the other party''s voice, "Yu, I''m very d to receive your call." On the other end of the line, Leo''s voice sounded very warm and cheerful, not at all in a hurry. Yu Qin''s brows furrowed, but she asked calmly, "Mr. Leo, what has you in such high spirits?" "I ate a piece of candy tonight, you know, I haven''t had sugar in so long, the sweetness flooded my taste buds, so I''m very happy." Leo casually found an excuse to fend off Yu Qin. Yu Qin rolled her eyes, her lips twitching slightly: "A piece of candy can make Mr. Leo this happy." "Of course, I''m easily satisfied." At this time, Leo was at the Baoying Grand Hotel in Anling City, having just taken a bath, ready to lie down and wait for the signing tomorrow. Through a week''s negotiations with Lin Chuan, the details of the cooperation had been settled; the original total price was 60.48 million US dors, but Lin Chuan directly rounded it down. Tomorrow, they would formally sign. This deal was only 60 million US dors! How could Leo not be happy? If it were from Yu Qin, just 3 remote box-type rocketunchers would cost 30 million US dors. The same quality equipment from Lin Chuan only required half the price! Leo truly tasted sweetness like candy. As for Yu Qin and the Morgan Group... Leo had long thrown them to the back of his mind. He only regretted why he hadn''t encountered a conscientious andpetitively priced arms dealer like Lin Chuan sooner! Damn, he had been badly cheated by the Morgan Group before! On this side, Yu Qin calmed her emotions: "Mr. Leo, what have you considered regarding the weapons order we discussedst time?" Leo replied unhurriedly, "Still considering." "Still considering?" Yu Qin detected something in Leo''s tone and decided to put some pressure on him, "Currently, our newly developed ''remote box-type rocketunchers'' are in high demand. I already have several clients inquiring about them, and two armed forces are even more eager to get their hands on the rocketunchers and put them to use." Her implication was clear. If you don''t ce an order now, I''m going to sell to someone else. When you''re left with nothing, don''t me me. Chapter 358: Chapter 236 Are You Crazy? (Please Subscribe)_3 ``` "That''s how it is." Leo pretended to be troubled, but in reality, he was ted, "Is it still the price of 10 million US Dors?" "Leo, we''ve been partners for many years, and I know that the Haas Armed Forces have been going through tough times recently. Even when customers were moring for our products, I couldn''t bring myself to give it to them first. So, I wanted to consult with you guys first. As for the price, can we talk about it a bit more?" Yu Qin was an old hand at business negotiations. In her speech, she effortlessly took the initiative into her own hands. At least, in her view, that was the case. "Yu, I appreciate your kindness." Leo said with a smile, "As for the price, what kind of discount can you offer?" "Shall we set a time to meet and discuss?" Yu Qin asked tentatively. This was a routine part of the negotiation process, but to her surprise, Leo outright refused, "Sorry, Yu, I have an emergency right now and can''t meet with you to discuss this coboration in person. Could we first talk about the price over the phone?" Yu Qin''s expression falteredshe hadn''t expected to be rejected, "Over the phone, it''s not as convenient as in person." "No matter, it''s a bit of a hassle, but at least we can still talk." On the other end of the phone, Leo spoke with a smilecing his words. Yu Qin looked up, her gaze meeting Lu''s across from her, but he was unable to offer her any help. With gritted teeth, she conceded, "Alright then, since you have an emergency, let''s talk about the price over the phone for now." Through this conversation, Yu Qin sharply realized that she might have lost the initiative and fallen at a disadvantage. This was a big taboo in negotiation. But the exact reason, she couldn''t fathom. "The price is too high; we can''t afford it," Leo''s straightforward voice came through the phone. Yu Qin pursed her lips and said, "Leo, we invested a lot of money and time developing this ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher.'' The cost was huge, and the price is already very favorable. However, to give benefits to a long-standing customer, I''ll make the biggest concession. Lowering it by one million, just 9 million US Dors, what do you think?" On the other side, Leo chuckled. He had been in Anling for several days, and aside from negotiating the partnership, he spent his spare time watching online live streams, including some that featured sales. Suddenly, he realized that Yu''s pitch was very much like that of those live stream sales. If she were to add "my dear friends," it would be the icing on the cake. "9 million is still too expensive!" Leo replied without hesitation. "Leo, it might be expensive, but its only w is its price. I believe that once you buy it, it will be unrivaled," Yu insisted. "Can it be lowered further?" Leo asked. Yu took a deep breath, clearly struggling, "8.5 million!" "8.5 million..." Leo pondered, "Can''t it be lowered any further?" "Mr. Leo, do you really have the intention to buy?" Yu asked seriously. "Of course." "Then, a t rate, 8 million!" Yu lowered the price again. Compared to 10 million US Dors, she had already dropped 2 million, believing she had shown enough sincerity. This was also her estimated bargain price. "The situation of Haas Armed Forces, you are well aware of it. We truly cannot bear this price. This coboration of ours..." Leo didn''t finish, but his meaning was clear. Yu''s eyes widened in surprise, her face showing deep confusion. By that logic, did Haas no longer need weapons? War wasn''t like life; you can''t just throw in the towel! Or was it that Haas had genuinely found a second weapons supplier? In a short amount of time, Yu couldn''t think too much. After a brief silence, not wanting to lose this order from Haas, Yu bit her lip, "Mr. Leo, how about this, you name a price, and I''ll see if I can talk with headquarters." 8 million was indeed a bit pricey. The market price for the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' should be between 7 and 7.5 million US Dors; if Leo''s offer fell within this range, she could ept it. Then, she could recoup some profit elsewhere. In short, they wouldn''t be at loss, just earning slightly less. "May I state my ideal price?" Leo raised his eyebrow, asking. "Of course," Yu responded, "Mr. Leo, please speak freely." "Well, my ideal price is 4 million." Leo threw out a bold and crazy price! Upon hearing it, Yu''s eyes nearly popped out, and she stood there, stunned, "Are you out of your mind?" ``` Chapter 359: Chapter 237 Who the Hell Did I Offend? (Seeking Subscriptions) Morgan Group, Asia-Pacific Branch. The atmosphere in the office tightened to an extreme with Miss Yu Qin''s almost questioning words. Lucas had been watching Yu Qin''s expression closely to gauge the progress of this phone negotiation. "Are you crazy?" this line deeply furrowed his brow. What kind of price did Leo from Haas Armed Forces quote to cause Yu Qin, who had been rolling in the arms trade for many years, to lose herposure? "What''s happening?" Lucas asked urgently. Yu Qin, realizing she was out of line, raised her hand and pressed down in the air, signaling Lucas to stop talking for a moment. She said to Leo, "Leo, please don''t joke." A quote of four million US dors was far below that of the leading previous generation productthe HIMARS Rocket Launcherit must be a joke from Leo. So Yu Qin thought. She had no other exnation. She believed that there was no arms supplier in the world who could sell a Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher for four million dors. It was simply impossible! She was certain! Unexpectedly, Leo spoke very seriously, "Yu, I always take negotiations very seriously, especially with pricing, I would never joke." He had done precise calctions. Lin Chuan had offered substantial discounts, including gifted rockets, training, maintenance, and other services. After ounting for these, the bare Rocket Launcher would be around four million US dors. If Yu Qin couldn''t match this price... Then, it only meant that Morgan Group''s military weapons capability was far inferior to Lin Chuan''s. What was more important was that Lin Chuan had given them sufficient respect and recognition, offering a discount he had never received before. Working with such a person feltfortable for him and his Haas Armed Forces. "So, you''re sure it''s four million?" Yu Qin furrowed her brows, unable to imagine why Mr. Leo from Haas Armed Forces would blurt out such a price and insist it was no joke. "I''m quite sure." Leo gave a very affirmative reply, his tone steady and confident. Yu Qin found it difficult to breathe, "Mr. Leo, I think there will be many obstacles in our cooperation this time." "Yes, I believe we all need to calm down." Leo gave a very sensible opinion on this negotiation. Calm down. One side quotes 10 million and then drops by 2 million; the other merely wants 500 million, offering key and essential services. Both sides made him excited, agitated. So, he thought he needed to calm down. If he calmed down tonight, he would sign the contract with Mr. Lin tomorrow. Bravo! Beep "Miss Yu, goodbye." Yu Qin didn''t respond, and Leo chose to hang up the phone. Inside the office. Yu Qin fell silent, her expression darkenedpletely. Lucas still had his eyebrows tightly knitted, "Yu, how did the negotiation go?" Yu Qin''s voice was hushed, "He quoted four million." "Four million, is that the total fee for the new weapons training, maintenance, and service?" Lucas keenly sensed that there was something special about this figure. This price was indeed too low for new weapons training, maintenance, and service. Wouldn''t it be at least five million? Yu Qin shook her head, "No, Leo wanted to purchase a ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' for four million US dors." Lucas''s reaction was the same as Yu Qin''s moments ago, his eyes widened like bells, his voice raised several notches, "Is he crazy?" The vast office was empty. Lucas''s voice echoed and dissipated within it. The nightscape outside deepened. The night sky, profound with dimming starlight, asionally broke with the chirping of autumn night insects, quickly overshadowed by the passing roars of night riders speeding by. Silent, yet noisy. Lucas stopped pacing and stood still, hisrge shadow elongated under the office lights. Yu Qin''s hands rested on her forehead, elbows propped on the table. Then, her fingers entwined in her slightly curled hair in frustration, she pulled them out, clenched her right hand into a fist, and thumped it on the table, producing a muffled ''thump.'' Keke''s ''death sentence to life imprisonment'' appeal was rejected, suddenly the arms deal with Haas Armed Forces fell through. A restless sense of helplessness spread over her. It spread swiftly. In just a minute or two, it had woven a over her heart, suffocating her. Lucas stopped his steps, turned, and said, "Yu, calm down a bit; maybe this is Leo''s negotiation strategy?" Yu Qin shook her head slightly, "I can tell, he''s truly confident, he''s not pretending." Lucas crossed his left arm, propped his right hand under his chin, and pondered, "So, they really found a new supplier of military weapons?" "It''s not out of the question!" Yu Qin was reluctant to admit it. But now, there was no doubt this ''possibility'' was highly probable. "You just mentioned Lockheed, Raytheon, Grumman... thesepanies couldn''t possibly supply them with weapons. Sukhoi, Grumman, Finmanica would quote even higher. Does Haas Armed Forces have someone else to choose from?" Now, Lucas was much calmer than Yu Qin. "I''m not sure." Yu Qin felt defeated. Having dealt with arms trades for so many years, weathering many storms, and experiencing all sorts of emergencies, still, she felt afflicted. Chapter 360: Chapter 237 Who the Hell Did I Offend? (Seeking Subscriptions)_2 She had a full grasp of the situation with the Haas Armed Forces, which is why she dared to ask for 10 million US dors per rocketuncher, squeezing Haas. But! She had not anticipated that she would be the one squeezed by Leo. "Yu, you must understand now!" Lucas said gravely, his voice echoing in the office, "If Leo indeed found a second weapons supplier, it means we are facing a newpetitor!" Perhaps Lucas''s words had some effect. Yu Qin lifted her head, "The second arms dealer... Could this supplier offer a low price of 4 million?" After a brief silence, Lucas responded, "The fact that Haas Armed Forces are not in a hurry to buy our weapons has already spoken volumes." Yu Qin leaned back, slumping into her chair, her brows tightly furrowed. She was thinking. Thinking about where exactly things went wrong. Thinking about where else could be another group capable of supplying Haas with a vast quantity of military weapons. But there were no answers to these two questions. "Go check where Leo has been," Yu Qin sighed deeply and turned to speak to Lucas. Lucas and she were in the same boat. He nodded, and immediately arranged for the most professional personnel to start tracking all of Leo''s movements these past days. From the day Yu Qin started negotiations with Leo until now, almost ten days, it was undoubtedly a colossal task for the search. This night. Yu Qin couldn''t sleep. Nor could Lucas get any rest. On one hand, he had to find a new ''life-saving'' patent for Yu Keke. On the other, they were waiting for the search results, the whereabouts of Leo. The night began to fade. As dawn broke, the light, soft and feeble, entered the office. Looking through the window at this early hour, it was the time when darkness and light intertwined. A gust of autumn wind blew into the room. The curtains fluttered, brushing Yu Qin''s hair. The chill of early autumn crept into the office, making her shiver and breakout in goosebumps. Having stayed up all night, her eyes were red with tiny blood vessels creeping around her eyeballs. ''Tap tap tap.'' The sound of leather shoes on the floor reached Yu Qin''s ears. She looked up to see Lucas quickly entering the office and asked, "Any news?" Lucas''s expression was odd as he ced a stack of documents in front of Yu Qin, "My technical staff are not there just to eat their paychecks." Yu Qin snorted lightly. Then, she picked up the documents to review. The files detailed the whereabouts of Leo and his party in these ten days. "He secretly switched nes three times in Southeast Asia, then flew to Han River?" Yu Qin''s brows furrowed. She didn''t understand what Leo was doing in Han River. Lucas nodded, pointing to the document, "Our people found that he flew to Han River incognito. We are currently locating the exact ce. After he got to Han River, we lost track of him." "Did you find out why he flew to Han River, whether he arranged to meet with a partner there for discussion?" Yu Qin''s brows were tightly knitted together, full of various doubts. "We haven''t found any specific clues yet." Lucas replied. "Is he still in Han River now?" Yu Qin''s gaze fell on the document, which indicated that after Leo flew to Han River, there was no further information. Lucas pondered for a moment, "After entering Han River, there has been no trace of his actions; he should still be there." Yu Qin took a deep breath. She and Lucas were both very familiar with Han River. Especially Anling City in Han River Province, where their aplice, Yu Keke, was still in the police station. That''s right, there was also that web novel writer. Lin Chuan. He was also in Anling, Han River. Hmm? Yu Qin''s expression suddenly changed as she thought of an unlikely possibility. In the ''Weapons Innovation Design Competition,'' Lin Chuan boasted he had designed a Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher with a range of 600 kilometers. And then, Leo went to Han River? "These two, they couldn''t possibly have run into each other, could they?" At once! Yu Qin shook her head again, discarding the impractical thought from her mind. How could that be?! While Lin Chuan had some abilities, Leo needed weapons. How could Lin Chuan possibly provide what the Haas Armed Forces wanted? After a night of cool-headedness, Yu Qin had still regained her rationality and shifted her thinking: "We must have overlooked something. Why did Leo suddenly make a transit in Southeast Asia, then run off to Han River?" Lucas fell into thought, muttering to himself, "Indeed, they had just had their initial negotiation with us. Logically, they should have stayed put." "Check!" Yu Qin immediately made up her mind, "Check where he went on the day he finished negotiating with us." Lucas nodded, agreeing with Yu Qin''s decision. Then, at once, they gathered professional technicians again to continue tracking Leo''s whereabouts. Just as Lucas said. Though these technicians acted like Teletubbies in the face of Lin Chuan, for now, they were as strong as Superman. Merely an hourter, they unearthed the result. The day after the negotiation ended, Leo went to a strange address, then started his secret transit to Han River. "What was he doing there?" Lucas spoke with puzzlement. "Let''s go check it out first, bring more hands just in case," Yu Qin paused, "And bring the ''tools''." Lucas nodded. At once, the two hurried out of the office, hopped into the prepared car, and headed to the address Leo had visited. That address was about an hour''s drive from the Asia-Pacific Branch. Two MPVs sped along the road, passing through the early morning rush hour streets, and following the navigation, they arrived at their destination close to nine o''clock. It was an ordinary urban area with old-style buildings. The bright sunlight sprinkled down, coating the mottled exterior walls with a thinyer of gold. asional moss could be seen between the bricks and the streets were somewhat narrow, looking quite unremarkable. Yu Qin and Lucas got out of the car. Someone holding the address led the way for them. They crossed the narrow streets, stepped on a few patches of moss, and finally climbed a staircase. This staircase was blocked by an iron gate. "This must be where Leo and the others came," the guide looked at Yu Qin and Lucas. Lucas, taking the lead, gave a slight nod and then signaled to the people behind him with a nce. Being in the dark business, Morgan Group''s personnel were, of course, not to be trifled with; a burly man behind understood, grabbed a "tool", and knocked at the iron door. ''Bang bang bang''. The noise immediately resonated through the stairwell, startling everyone inside. Brother Hao and Hou, along with a group of Fries Novel''s pirated workers, had just started work not long when they heard someone smashing the door, causing their brows to furrow. "It couldn''t be those people fromst time, could it?" With a sour face, the thin and monkey-like Hou said to Brother Hao, "I told you we should have moved ces!" Hearing it might be the same people fromst time, Brother Hao''s legs began to tremble, "Don''t scare yourself, I''ve already applied for Sailing Novel''s authorization. How could those peoplee back again?" Bang! The sound of the door breaking was especially harsh, making Hou shiver in fear. In no time. A group of people barged in! At the forefront were Lucas and Yu Qin, side by side, with Lucas''s face cold and his eyes as sharp as an eagle, while Yu Qin was d in ck, exuding chilliness. Behind them, followed a dozen men in suits, tall and burly with solemn faces, clearly well-trained and tough cookies. The staff inside had never seen such a scene and immediately panicked, shrinking to the side. Hou was even worse. Once bitten, twice shy, his legs were trembling and he hid behind Brother Hao. Brother Hao watched this ill-intentioned group, his lips twitching non-stop, his heart overrun with terror, silentlymenting. Who the hell did I provoke? Chapter 361: Chapter 238: So it was him who did it! (Please subscribe) In this small workshop that got its start from piracy, it was especially crowded at the moment. The folks from Fries Novel, although engaged in illegal activities like piracy, felt like little mice facing a gigantic tiger when confronted by the Morgan Group, a behemoth in the ck industry. Suppression by bloodline. The people from both sides had different auras about them. "Are you the leader here?" Lucas stepped forward, using his experience to identify Brother Hao as the person in charge here. He spoke in the local dialect, which Brother Hao understood. "I..." Brother Hao was about to confess, but he immediately shook his head, "I am not!" Lucas frowned, stepped forward aggressively, making a handgun gesture like Leo did thest time, and pressed the "barrel" against Brother Hao''s forehead, "Who is?" "He!" Brother Hao''s legs were a bit wobbly, tremblingly pointing towards Hou behind him. Hou: ??? Yu Qin shook her head, pulled out her phone, disying Brother Hao''s image on the screen, "This is the Fries Novel studio, and you are the person in charge here, known as Brother Hao?" Brother Hao''s lips twitched, extremely scared inside, but his face smiled apologetically, "Just call me Hao." "Don''t waste words. I ask something, you answer, got it?" Lucas''s face showed a hint of ruthlessness, pressing the "gun barrel" harder. Brother Hao nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay." At that moment, A man handed over a tablet, which Lucas took, set it upright in front of Brother Hao and asked, "Have you seen this person?" Brother Hao raised his hand, rubbed his eyes, then opened them wide. On the tablet screen was a full-body photo of a man. How could Brother Hao not recognize this man? It was Leo! But Brother Hao didn''t answer immediately; he nced momentarily at Lucas and Yu Qin with an unfriendly and cold expression. Both of them were waiting for his response. Brother Hao hemmed and hawed, unwilling to answer. He worried that if he revealed Leo''s whereabouts, would Leoe back to settle scores with him? These people here seemed like they were out for vengeance against Leo! "We have found out that Leo was here 10 days ago. I will ask one more time, have you seen him?" Lucas stated in a deep voice. Brother Hao was terrified, swallowed his saliva, and answered, "I have, I have seen him." Lucas raised an eyebrow, exchanged a nce with Yu Qin, showing a trace of happiness on their faces, having found the right person. Then, Lucas pressed on, "He came to find you, what for?" "It was, it was..." Brother Hao hesitated, still worried, "What if hees after me if I told you?" "Don''t worry, I can take care of you around here," Lucas''s tone carried a hint of cruelty, "If you don''t talk, you know what could happen." Saying this! Lucas grabbed Brother Hao by the hand, ced it on his waist, letting him feel. This was not one of Lucas''s peculiar habits. With this feel, Brother Hao''s eyes widened, fully confirming his thoughts. That was a gun. God damn it! Who exactly are these people, marching around with guns strapped to their waistsing to trouble me? I was just quietly running a piracy operation, is all this necessary? "Still not talking?" Lucas urged. Brother Hao had no choice but to admit honestly, "I don''t know who they are. That day, they came to me looking for someone." "Looking for whom?" At this point, Yu Qin couldn''t help asking. Her tone quick, carrying urgency, she was eager to know who exactly Leo was looking for. For a moment, Brother Hao was at a loss for words, thought for a while before saying, "He was looking for a web novel writer." "Huh?" Yu Qin immediately furrowed her brow. Lucas was no different, his expression turned stern, disying deep puzzlement, "The web novel writer he was looking for, was it Mr. Lin?" Brother Hao was stunned for a moment, nodding repeatedly, "Yes, that''s him." "What did he want with Mr. Lin?" Lucas''s brows tightened, surprised by this answer. "I don''t know!" Brother Hao''s head shook like a rattle drum. Lucas looked at Brother Hao and then at Hou behind him; both shook their heads vigorously, showing horrified expressions, indicating they knew nothing. Lucas nced between Brother Hao and Hou, realizing they weren''t bold enough to lie, then leaned close to Yu Qin and whispered, "Leo is looking for Lin Chuan, and Lin Chuan is in Han River, doesn''t that mean they..." He didn''t finish his sentence when Yu Qin raised her hand and cut him off. She slowly walked towards Brother Hao, her gaze sharp, "Hao, he wanted to find Mr. Lin, why would hee to you?" "This person saw Mr. Lin''s novel on my novel website, it''s the ''Arms Tycoon'', he thought Mr. Lin was one of my authors, so he came to me, wanting to contact Mr. Lin." Brother Hao was caught in a tight spot, not daring to hide anything. "Arms Tycoon..." Yu Qin furrowed her brows, murmuring lowly, "So, you pirated ''Arms Tycoon'', and then he saw it?" "Yes, it should be that." Brother Hao nodded. Yu Qin fell into thought, not speaking again. Lucas then instructed the men to separate Brother Hao and Hou into different rooms to start a detailed interrogation. The entire Fries Novel studio was filled with a suffocating atmosphere. Even the sunlight pouring in outside gave Brother Hao and Hou goosebumps, not daring an iota of concealment, answering everything truthfully. If there was any discrepancy in the details, they would have to consider the possibility of losing their lives. Fortunately, after a full hour of questioning. Lucas and Yu Qin, with their people, left. Phew Chapter 362: Chapter 238 It was him who caused the trouble! (Subscribe please)_2 Brother Hao''s legs hadpletely given out, and he copsed onto the hard floor, his face turning pale green, his lips white, as if he had just narrowly escaped death. Hou wasn''t faring much better. He staggered into Brother Hao''s room like a refugee seeking asylum, the two of them sharing a sense of life-or-death dependency. As for the other people in the studio. They had already fled swiftly not long after Lucas and Yu Qin had left. Who would dare stay in this studio anymore? "Brother Hao, I told you we needed to change locations, but you wouldn''t believe me!" Hou said, frightened yet regretful. Brother Hao took several deep breaths, slightly recovering hisposure, and looked at Hou, "You think if we changed ces, they wouldn''t be able to find us?" Hou pouted and nced around the studio. At that moment, the ce was deserted. The vast studio was empty except for the two of them, bright sunlight pouring through the windows, illuminating the dust particles in its beams. But the brighter the sunlight, the darker the corners of the studio seemed. A breeze blew in. The autumn wind was chilly, causing Hou to shiver and get goosebumps, "Brother Hao, do you think we''ve gotten involved with something unclean?" "Are you getting superstitious now!" Brother Hao, submissive in front of people like Leo and Lucas, held absolute authority in front of Hou, where he was the boss. So, he stood up again, smacking Hou on the forehead. But as the autumn breeze brushed over him, he also rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, feeling a bit uneasy. "Brother Hao, I''m not being superstitious!" Hou cautiously nced at the door, seeing no one, he said, "Everything was fine, just doing a bit of piracy, making quite a bit of money. But in thest half month, two groups havee after us with weapons in handthere must be something dirty we''re involved in!" Brother Hao, still somewhat weak, pondered, "Cough! Luckily, with my quick wits, I managed to handle it smoothly." "Uh..." Hou tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Brother Hao, let''s move somewhere else, this ce has bad feng shui." Another smack from Brother Hao to Hou''s forehead, "What nonsense about feng shui, no superstition allowed, you''re scaring yourself!" "So, do we still stay here?" Hou''s face turned the color of bitter gourd. Brother Hao considered, "Definitely not here anymore." "Good, I''m going to pack up now, and then find a new ce." Hou immediately set to work, ready to act. "Wait a minute!" Brother Hao stopped Hou, "Before that, let''s get rid of the dirty stuff!" "Ah?" Hou gaped, shocked, "Brother Hao, I''m not the expert here, that''s a job for a master!" Smack! Another p from Brother Hao, he took great authority in his voice, said sternly, "I''m talking about Mr. Lin''s books!" Hou: "Ah?" Brother Hao exined, "Clearly, all our misfortune, the root of all these evils,es from those books by Mr. Lin. If we hadn''t pirated his books, none of this would have happened!" Hou, dumbfounded, mused, "Seems like it." If Fries Novel hadn''t pirated "Arms Tycoon," hadn''t advertised using that book, Leo wouldn''t have seen it, Leo wouldn''t havee, Lucas wouldn''t have followed. So, the root cause was Mr. Lin''s books! "What are you waiting for, pull them all from the shelves now!" Brother Hao urged. "But we just paid a huge royalty to Sailing Novel, wouldn''t pulling them now cause a big loss?" "Just consider it losing money to avoid disaster!" "This..." "What''s more important, money or life?" "Life!" Immediately, Hou operated the backend management system of Fries Novel, swiftly removing all of Lin Chuan''s novels without hesitation! When done, Hou asked, "Brother Hao, whose books are we going to pirate now?" Brother Hao thought about the twists of the recent times and made a decision, "We''re not going to pirate anymore, we''re going legit with a genuine novel website!" "A legit site can''t beat the earnings of pirating?" Hou queried. In his understanding, pirating novels involved just setting up a few programs, data scraping with bots, then uploading to scam user clicks and visits, once the traffic was high, advertisers woulde knocking, and money would roll in. "Pirating from two more authors like Mr. Lin, and sooner orter our lives will be ruined by piracy," Brother Hao solemnly said. Hou pursed his lips. Every time he thought of Mr. Lin''s works as something filthy, the name ''Mr. Lin'' involuntarily made him flinch, best not to mess with it. "So, how do we go about legit novels?" Hou asked. Brother Hao sat deep in thought for a long while. Suddenly! Brother Hao stood up, looking at Hou, "Your Chinese is pretty good, right?" Hou frowned, "I only worked there for a few years." "Reading Chinese novels shouldn''t be a problem, right?" Brother Hao asked. Hou cautiously answered, "Shouldn''t be a problem." Brother Hao then said, "This time, we''re starting a major legit novel website, not just targeting Southeast Asia, but all of Asia!" "Isn''t that a bit too ambitious?" Hou grimaced. "Cough, just puffing ourselves up a bit, but the novel market in Southeast Asia really isn''t that big, not many authors writing either. We''ve got to include Chinese novels, targeting both Chinese readers and, through trantion, Southeast Asia readers!" Brother Hao began to dream of his grand ns! "Brother Hao, genius!" Illumination dawned on Hou, seeing the idea as killing two birds with one stone, highly feasible! Chapter 363: Chapter 238: So He Was Behind It! (Please Subscribe)_3 "So, you are responsible for collecting Chinese manuscripts," Brother Hao immediately began delegating tasks. "Are we still going to collect submissions under the name ''Fries Novel''?" Hou asked. Brother Hao shook his head, "We need a new name!" "What should we change it to?" "Let me think it over." Brother Hao paced back and forth in the office, chin in hand, "Lin, doesn''t that mean ''wood''?" "Yes, in Chinese, the character is made up of two ''wood'' characters," Hou nodded. "Gold ovees wood, then we shall call it... Golden Star Novel!" Brother Hao pped his forehead and decided on the website''s new name. "Brother Hao, you said no to being superstitious," Hou couldn''t help but remind him. "That''s not superstition, that''s metaphysics. Ever since we encountered Mr. Lin, we''ve had bad luck. The new website definitely needs to be able to counter Mr. Lin. So, Golden Star Novel, perfect!" Brother Hao couldn''t help feeling smug, a smile on his face. Hou inwardly spat out ''double standard'' but then said, "Let''s call it Golden Star Novel then. A big should definitely keep Mr. Lin in check!" "Good! Start right away, set up the website, collect Chinese novel manuscripts! Oh, and advertise morethe authors are numerous and poor over there, offer more benefits, it''s easy to get submissions that way." Brother Hao was back in full force, ready to start anew. ... Elsewhere. After Lucas and Yu Qin left the ''Fries Novel Studio,'' they sat in the car on the way back, both puzzled. "Those two guys didn''t lie." Lucas recounted his interrogation process to Yu Qin, and the details from Brother Hao and Hou matched up. "That means Leo really did look for Lin Chuan," Yu Qin furrowed her brows in confusion. "Probably." Lucas nodded, "We can now be fairly certain that Leo has met with Lin Chuan, and it''s very likely that Leo''s weapons order is rted to Lin Chuan!" "Ordinary weapons, Lin Chuan might be able to help Haas Armed Forces..." Yu Qin paused, certain that the ''Arms Tycoon'' indeed had many specialized weapons, though what she saw were all rtivelymon ones. Rifles, light tanks, wheeled infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled grenadeunchers, etc. While the models differed, there were plenty of alternatives on the market. "What about more special weapons?" Lucas asked. Clearly, the target for Haas Armed Forces this time was the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher.'' Could Lin Chuan provide the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher''? That was the key question! Yu Qin pondered for a while: "Do you think, Lin Chuan is a true arms dealer?" Lucas shook his head, frowning, "I can''t make that judgment, but after Leo met with Lin Chuan, he became much more confident, obviously bolstered. That ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' might really be connected to Lin Chuan!" Suddenly! An idea shed through Yu Qin''s mind, her expression quickly darkened: "If Lin Chuan has the technology rted to the ''Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher'' and he turns it over to the state, then the patent Keke filed for rocketuncher technology would be useless, right?" Once this hypothesis was voiced, it quickly took root and grew in her heart! Lucas''s expression changed, his eyes wide as bells, immediately agreeing with Yu Qin''s guess, he had a sudden realization: "So it was Lin Chuan messing things up!" Two MPVs drove down the street, passing through the city, under the autumn breeze and golden sun. The car windows already had the curtains drawn up; Yu Qin wasn''t reclining in her seat but sat up straight, a hint of resolve shing in her eyes: "Lucas, dispatch more people immediately to investigate Lin Chuan! Only the most professional. Also, I think we can take action against Lin Chuan now." "You mean..." Lucas''s expression darkened. Yu Qin''s eyes hardened, and she nodded. Chapter 364: Chapter 239: All-Around Siege! Extremely Cruel! "But..." Lucas, as the head of the Morgan Group''s Asia-Pacific Branch, inevitably thought more, "If Lin Chuan possesses the technology of the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher and has handed it over to the country, this doubtlessly serves as a life-saving token for him." In the MPV vehicle. Yu Qin''s face darkened; Lucas'' guess made her warier. If the guess was true, then Lin Chuan was untouchable. At least, they couldn''t brazenly organize professional assassins to act! They were not foolish enough to provoke the Military Department of a country. "Are we just to let him roam free?" Each time Yu Qin thought of her sister and the military weapons trade involving the rocketuncher, which were very likely sabotaged by Lin Chuan, murderous intent rose from the depths of her heart. First and foremost, she was a figure who thrived in the underworld, and only secondarily an arms dealer. "Think again." Lucas suggested. Yu Qin supported her forehead with her hand and closed her eyes. Lin Chuan''s presence seemed to be at odds with her at every turn, even resembling the nemesis of the Yu sisters, constantly thwarting them. Suddenly! A sh of inspiration struck her mind: "Lucas, I have a n." Lucas leaned forward, inching closer to Yu Qin with a grave expression, "What n?" "We have too many scruples." Yu Qin murmured, "As long as we''re discreet enough, creating a regr ident, even if they investigate, they won''t trace it back to us. Moreover, they may not value Lin Chuan as highly as we fear on their side." Lucas pondered for a moment, "This is a bit tricky." "What if we use another''s hand to kill him?" Yu Qin spoke with profound meaning. Lucas raised his brows, puzzled, "Whose hand would we borrow?" "His enemies, of course." "What enemies does he have?" Clearly, although Lucas had investigated a lot about Lin Chuan, he was not aware of any enemies Lin Chuan had. Yu Qin shook her head, "Arrange for someone to thoroughly read all of Lin Chuan''s novels, and have another teampile all relevant information about Lin Chuan for me to review! Once we find an enemy, we''ll have that enemy take the knife." After listening, Lucas lit up, "That''s a good strategy." "Also, Lin Chuan has strong hacking skills. We should find a powerful hacker organization to enhance our cybersecurity, to prevent him fromunching another cyberattack!" Yu Qin''s thoughts grew clearer as shemanded. Although Lucas was in charge, when it came to cybersecurity, the group''s hackers had indeed been defeated by Lin Chuan, a reality he couldn''t wash away. He could only say, "Yu, do you have any rmended hacker organizations?" Yu Qin considered for a moment, "AW perhaps, I have an acquaintance. I''ll call him over now." "Okay!" Lucas nodded, then asked again, "What about the military weapons order for the Haas Armed Forces?" Yu Qin pondered for a moment: "If Haas Armed Forces don''t take it, we''ll sell it to someone else! You should know about the Baisheng Group in the Myanmar area; their fraud factory was suppressed by armed forces, and now they urgently need a batch of weapons too." "In addition, I''ll call the Sania Weapons Research Company to check for any signs of Lin Chuan''s intrusion. If there are, then the usation of Lin Chuan using his hacking skills to steal weapon secrets is confirmed!" At this moment, Yu Qin waspletely different from the Yu Qin of yesterday. A series of actions arranged, Lucas was somewhat surprised at Yu Qin''s abilities. Deserving of the title of arms tycoon! However, Lucas worriedly said, "But if Lin Chuan hasn''t intruded Sania and stolen the secret data of the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher?" "How could he alone manage to develop the Remote Box-type Rocket Launcher? Even if we can''t find traces of his attack, can''t we fabricate some? You should know, AW isn''t just idling around; such a small operation is easy for them," Yu Qin confidently stated. She believed AW to be a world-ss, top-tier hacker organization, more than enough to deal with Lin Chuan. Falsifying evidence that ''Lin Chuan cyberattacked Sania Weapons Research Company'' was all too easy. Hiss At this, Lucas took a deep breath, casting a wary nce at Yu Qin. Seeking an enemy, utilizing another to kill, fabricating evidence... This series of operations was nothing short of an all-out encirclement of Lin Chuan. This time, Lin Chuan was doomed! The crime was set, the punishment imminent! At least, he couldn''t think of any way out. Lucas rolled down the car window, letting the outside breeze blow in, musing to himself, never to provoke this woman, too frightful indeed. Provoking her, one wouldn''t even know how they died! ... Compared to Yu Qin and Lucas, Lin Chuan and Leo were in much higher spirits. In Anling City, at the Baoying Grand Hotel. In a very private room. Lin Chuan, dressed in a sharp suit with gleaming shoes, wore a sunny and handsome smile, extending his hand to shake with Leo, "Mr. Leo, a pleasure to work with you!" This very morning, as a representative of the Anling Toy Factory, Lin Chuan officially signed the contract with the Haas Armed Forces. Delivery time: Three monthster. "Mr. Lin, a pleasure to work with you!" Leo also wore a bright smile. Honestly, he had never experienced such a pleasant cooperation. From start to finish, Lin Chuan had delivered one surprise after another. He was very astonished and quite satisfied! "Don''t forget to rmend a few new friends to us." Lin Chuan released his hand, patting Leo''s shoulder as if they were friends. Leo was burly, yet standing next to him, Lin Chuan''s presence was in no way inferior, more like a tall and sturdy pine tree. Leo chuckled, "Of course, we''re close partners." Chapter 365: Chapter 239: All-Around Siege! Extremely Cruel!_2 "It''s a friend thing." Lin Chuanughed heartily. Both parties had signed the contract and were very satisfied. Over the past week, Lin Chuan had drawn up the blueprints for the weapons needed by the Haas Armed Forces and had contacted Sun Cheng from the National Weapons Research Institute in advance to help order a batch of equipment. Now, they just waited for the funding toe through, and then Anling Toy Factory could officially start production! Lin Chuan walked out of the Baoying Grand Hotel. After autumn arrived, the sky looked vast, and white clouds floated halfway up, resembling the azure drawings of children. It was midday, the sun was bright and a bit dazzling. Lin Chuan squinted his eyes, momentarily not quite used to the light. Next, he got into a private car where Shen Qianqian was sitting. In front of the hotel, there were several cars like this one. Among them was the chief of the Criminal Police Brigade, Hu Daqiang. These days, they had received special instructions from their superiors to stay on guard here in in clothes, ready to respond to any situation Lin Chuan might face to avoid leaving him unsupported. As for what Lin Chuan was actually doing, neither Hu Daqiang nor the others knew. Shen Qianqian knew, but she wouldn''t tell. This matter was top secret. Lin Chuan sat in the passenger''s seat of the car, buckling his seatbelt and said, "All set." At that moment, Shen Qianqian sat in the driver''s seat, wearing a moon-white dress with small, light purple flowers printed on it, which made her look full of youthful vitality. Her face was fair and sweet, and with a pair of sunsses perched on her nose, she looked somewhat cool: "Got more business to take care of?" "Today I can take a day off, doing this is more tiring than writing novels," Lin Chuanined a little. "Well, let me take you out for a meal then," Shen Qianqian said, pushing her sunsses up slightly, her lips curling into a smile. "Sure!" Lin Chuan assented. "Let''s go." Shen Qianqian, as Lin Chuan''s private driver and an expert behind the wheel, swiftly whisked Lin Chuan away, disappearing from the Baoying Grand Hotel. As for Leo and the rest, Lin Chuan had also made arrangements for them. The itinerary was absolutely confidential. However, once they left the country, Lin Chuan couldn''t guarantee their safety anymore. Shen Qianqian had taken the day off specially to drive Lin Chuan around the city. From the Baoying Grand Hotel, they entered Qingxiu District, then stopped outside an older neighborhood. The environment here was much better than the Happiness Community where Lin used to rent, butpared to the newly built neighborhoods, it felt like a relic from a bygone era. "Aren''t we going to eat?" Lin Chuan got out of the car and turned to Shen Qianqian with some confusion. "Right, I''ll do the cooking!" Shen Qianqian took off her sunsses, revealing bright eyes with a glint of humor. "Hmm?" Lin Chuan was startled, "You, cooking?" "Have you never seen that before?" Shen Qianqian lifted her chin slightly and hummed. "Should I have?" Lin Chuan retorted. "Well, it seems you actually haven''t." Shen Qianqian smiled a bit awkwardly and then exined the situation, "Actually, my dad wants to invite you for a meal." "You mean Uncle Shen." Lin Chuan finally understood, "You should have said so earlier; I''d have brought a couple of bottles of liquor. It''s a bit embarrassing to show up empty-handed." Shen Qianqian walked around Lin Chuan to the car''s trunk, took out two bottles of Wuliangye, and handed them to Lin Chuan: "Here, he likes this. But make sure he doesn''t drink too much." Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian thoughtfully: "You had this prepared too?" "No, I just bought it on the fly." Shen Qianqian took Lin Chuan''s hand, hanging the two bottles of Wuliangye on it, "Let''s go. I still need to wash the veggies and cook. It''s going to take quite some time." Lin Chuan smiled and followed behind Shen Qianqian. Themunity wasn''trge; it was an apartment building previously allocated to workers of the Anling Iron and Steel Factory. Shen Jianhua had been given a two-bedroom t, which was considered quite good treatment back then. Shen Jianhua lived on the fifth floor. Creak Pushing open the old iron gate, Shen Qianqian called out, "Dad, Mom, Lin Chuan is here." At that moment, Shen Jianhua immediately came out to greet them, and behind him, was a woman wearing an apron. This woman looked almost like she was cast from the same mold as Shen Qianqian, well-kept, but age had left its mark, and the traces of time were evident on her face. She must be Shen Qianqian''s mother. Mother Shen''s face lit up with a smile, wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes as she craned her neck, eagerly trying to get a nce at Lin Chuan''s face. "Uncle, Auntie." Lin Chuan entered, politely greeting them, a good virtue from his university days. "So you are Lin, what a handsome young man!" Mother Shen nodded approvingly, as if sizing up a son-inw. The one-bedroom and two-living room apartment was not big, and with four people standing at the door, it felt a bit crowded, so Shen Qianqian said, "You two are blocking the door, how is Lin supposed toe in? Right, Lin?" As she spoke, Shen Qianqian turned to Lin Chuan with a beaming smile. ''Taking advantage of me,'' Lin Chuan thought to himself with disdain. Father Shen and Mother Shen hurriedly pulled Lin Chuan inside, serving him tea and fruit with great enthusiasm. Shen Qianqian put on her apron with some fussy movements and joined Mother Shen in the kitchen to prepare dinner. "Qianqian, this boy is not bad." In the kitchen, Mother Shen whispered to Shen Qianqian. "What''s so good about him?" Shen Qianqian retorted, thinking to herself that she had never been treated this way at home, but as soon as Lin arrived, the enthusiasm spiked. "Everything is good about him!" Mother Shen nodded affirmatively by herself, "How far have you two gotten?" Shen Qianqian looked at Mother Shen in confusion, then touched her forehead, "Mom, what are you babbling about?" "Shen said he was inviting an important guest today, isn''t this young man your boyfriend?" Mother Shen asked in surprise. Shen Qianqian took a deep breath and scoffed, "That Shen, never tells the whole story." So, Shen Qianqian exined the reason for inviting Lin Chuan to dinner, omitting the confidential parts, only mentioning that Lin Chuan was the savior for the revival of the Anling Iron and Steel Factory. Mother Shen opened her mouth as if to speak but then closed it, and then asked, "This Lin is really nice, don''t you have any thoughts?" "He has a girlfriend!" Shen Qianqian dered solemnly! "So, you mean you do have thoughts?" A mother knows her daughter best, Mother Shen said with a knowing smile. "Uh, shouldn''t the focus be on the fact that Lin Chuan has a girlfriend?" Shen Qianqian was somewhat puzzled by her mother''s train of thought. "I''m just considering your lifelong happiness, you''re always on missions, when do you have the time for romance? A potential target finally shows up, and you won''t take the initiative, like a blockhead," Mother Shen muttered while washing the vegetables. "I only take the initiative against criminal suspects!" Shen Qianqian huffed. Outside in the living room. Lin Chuan was chatting with Shen Jianhua about some matters regarding the Anling Toy Factory, and the men''s conversation was much more straightforward. Almost two hourster. The two seated themselves at the dining table. It had to be said, the Shen family''s hospitality towards Lin Chuan was of the highest standard. A full table of dishes, all to Lin Chuan''s liking, was the result of Shen Qianqian''s attentive record of Lin''s preferences after several meals together. However, Shen Jianhua wasn''t as meticulous, urging Lin Chuan to drink, "Lin, I toast to you for the Anling Iron and Steel Factory!" "Dad, Lin Chuan doesn''t drink," Shen Qianqian interjected, she had never seen Lin Chuan drink. "Lin, do you drink? If not, we can have some juice instead." Taken aback, Shen Jianhua didn''t force the drink but instead inquired about Lin Chuan''s preference. "I can drink a little," Lin Chuan said with a smile. Shen Qianqian red at Lin Chuan as if to say, if you get drunkter, I won''t take care of you. Shen Jianhua nced at Shen Qianqian, reading her thoughts, and smiled, "Qianqian, if Lin gets drunk, just take him to sleep at that house of yours, there are plenty of rooms anyway." "Cough, cough!" Shen Qianqian coughed twice. Soon after, Shen Jianhua and Lin Chuan started drinking. Lin Chuan didn''t drink much. Shen Jianhua, excited about the factory''s revival, drank several sses, gradually bing tipsy and started to talk less coherently, "Lin, I feel a bond with you, although there''s an age difference, it doesn''t prevent us from bing sworn brothers!" Chapter 366 Chapter 240 The Ultimate Fantasy of a Web Novel Writer (Please Subscribe) At that moment, Shen Jianhua''s face was flushed from drinking, and even his breath wasced with alcohol. Before Lin Chuan could respond, Shen Qianqian snatched away Shen Jianhua''s wine ss with a huff, "Shen, you sure are getting bold!" "Qianqian, what are you doing?" Shen Jianhua, boozy and bewildered, looked at his daughter, slightly confused. "If you drink any more, I''m going to end up with one more uncle!" Shen Qianqian also gathered up the wine bottle. Right then, Mother Shen poured a cup of clear tea for Shen Jianhua, "Stop drinking. If you loseposure in front of Lin, how are you going to continue being the factory director?" Upon hearing this, Shen Jianhua momentarily subdued his drunkenness, "Lin, if I talk nonsense after drinking, don''t mind me, huh." Continue reading at empire Lin Chuan first nced at Shen Qianqian, then answered, "Brother Shen, actually, it doesn''t bother me." "Young Brother Lin, hahaha!" Shen Jianhua immediately burst intoughter, with the effects of the alcohol rushing to his head again. Shen Qianqian''s face turned green at the side; this guy Lin Chuan was really about to be her own uncle. Not willing to let Lin Chuan surpass her in seniority without reason, she said, "Lin, you''ve drunk too much too!" "I''ve only had three cups." Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow at Shen Qianqian, "And besides, you should call me Uncle Lin, not Lin." "That''s right, no respect!" Shen Jianhua immediately chimed in. Shen Qianqian silently clenched her fists, fuming, but she had no way to deal with her Uncle Lin. During that meal, Shen Jianhua drank to his heart''s content. Lin Chuan also ate heartily. After they had their fill of food and drink, Shen Jianhua waspletely inebriated and had to be helped back to his room by Mother Shen. Shen Qianqian took Lin Chuan out the front door for a walk. "Let''s go for a walk." Shen Qianqian suggested. Lin Chuan touched his slightly bloated stomach and readily agreed. When the two of them left the house, it was already past six in the evening, and the setting sun cast its glow on the slightly old-fashioned neighborhood, stretching their shadows long all the way across the road. Shen Qianqian''s previously worn floral dress had picked up the scent of the kitchen. Therefore, she changed her clothes. She changed into a light white gauze shirt, with a denim skirt that didn''t extend past her knees, tall and slender with a thin waist and long legs, she walked in the lingering sunlight like a girl from aic. "What are you looking at?" Shen Qianqian turned her head to look at Lin Chuan. Not far from the neighborhood, there was a river embankment along the Anling River with a promenade dedicated to pedestrians. Leaning on the railing, Shen Qianqian faced the autumn breeze that was bing denser with the river from Anling City. She hadn''t tied her hair up in the usual efficient ponytail but instead let it cascade down, swaying slightly in the evening breeze. Truth be told, she was indeed very beautiful. In Lin Chuan''s view, Shen Qianqian''s attractiveness was impable; evenpared to those made-up popr starlets, they would at best only be equally matched. Especially those long legs, only two words could describe them. Perfect. Thus, Lin Chuan, having drunk a few cups, looked down a bit longer at those legs. Hearing Shen Qianqian speak, he subconsciously responded, "I''m looking at legs." "Pervert!" Shen Qianqian immediately spit out disdainfully. Lin Chuan chuckled nervously, then earnestly exined, "I''m just puzzled, given that you''re a detective and you must be quite active on the job and frequent on missions, it stands to reason that the muscle lines in your legs should be quite pronounced. But why can''t I see them?" "Sophistry!" Shen Qianqian didn''t buy Lin Chuan''s excuse at all, "Do you think I''m Xinxin?" Lin Chuanughed, still not free from the slight drunkenness, "As you know, I''m not interested in women; my profession makes me pay more attention to details." "Really?" Shen Qianqian moved closer to Lin Chuan, extending her leg, "Why don''t you feel it?" "Could I?" Lin Chuan looked at the long, fair, and delicate leg and asked with a smile. "Dream on! I''m not just any girl!" Shen Qianqian huffed. "You''re twenty-five, not exactly a little girl anymore," Lin Chuan replied, teasingly. "You..." Shen Qianqian took a deep breath, trying to calm herself from wanting tosh out. Don''t swing, you can''t beat him! Honestly, at twenty-five, you''re not that mature. Instead of saying twenty-five, it''s better to describe it as being a university graduate of just two years. Therefore, Shen Qianqian still retained some immaturity. Especially in front of Lin Chuan. The evening breeze blew across the river, cool and refreshing. Lin Chuan was dressed in a white shirt, carrying a suit jacket, walking with Shen Qianqian on the riverside promenade. They walked for about half an hour. Shen Qianqian pointed, "Pass this road, and we''ll reach where I live. Do you want toe up and sit? I can make you some tea to sober you up. You seem a bit drunk." She didn''t live with her parents. The apartment that Shen Jianhua had been allocated wasn''t veryrge, with only one bathroom, which was inconvenient. So the couple decided to buy an apartment for Shen Qianqian. It was also much closer to the police station, saving a lot of travel time. After all, as a detective, she was on a 24-hour call and could be dispatched for missions at any time; living farther away, waiting for three or four traffic lights on the road would dy her by ten to fifteen minutes. "Is that really okay?" Lin Chuan looked in the direction Shen Qianqian was pointing but shook his head. He was a web novel writer and understood the storyline well C what could follow could be a melodramatic plot. No, really, no good. He hadn''t yet crossed that barrier in his heart. He had strange feelings for Shen Qianqian. To say there was fondness, certainly there was. Men naturally have a preference for beautiful women. Moreover, Shen Qianqian was not just any beauty; she had a deadly allure to any man. Chapter 367 Chapter 240 The Ultimate Fantasy of a Web Novel Writer (Please Subscribe)_2 Especially those legs, Lin Chuan felt he was having a hard time coping! "Are you thinking about something naughty?" Shen Qianqian turned her head and looked at Lin Chuan with her eyebrows furrowed. "No, nothing. Don''t nder me!" Lin Chuan quickly shook his head, thinking to himself, did this girl turn on the Mind Reading Technique or what, he just nced at her legs and she immediately asked about it. Seeing Lin Chuan''s reaction, Shen Qianqian couldn''t help but chuckle. "If you''re upright, you shouldn''t fear a crooked shadow. Why aren''t you going upstairs?" "Uh..." Lin Chuan was somewhat at a loss for words, unsure of what to say. "Such a hypocrite!" Shen Qianqian spat and pursed her lips, "Come on, I''m not going to eat you. There''s something I need to discuss with you." Lin Chuan nced at Shen Qianqian''s retreating figure, thinking to himself, a crook need not fear an upright shadow. He had dared to face off against giants of the Underworld like AW, Baisheng Group, and Morgan Group. Was her home something like a tiger''s den? Go! No backing down! After that, the two crossed the street, walked into the residentialplex''s garden path, took the elevator, opened the apartment door, and walked into Shen Qianqian''s home. It was a very typical single girl''s apartment. One bedroom, one living room, tidy, with no TV but rather a projector. There was a small desk in the middle, and next to the projector was a special storage rack with a little doll hanging on it, quite conspicuous. Lin Chuan felt that the doll looked familiar. He picked it up and scrutinized it: "This little yellow duck... it seems like..." "Cough, cough." Shen Qianqian quickly took the little yellow duck away and then ced it in the room, treating it like a treasure not to be touched by Lin Chuan. "But it was a gift to you after all." Lin Chuan remembered that it was a little doll he had won at a balloon shooting stall not long after they had met. "Have a seat, I''ll make some tea." Shen Qianqian didn''t continue the topic and turned around to make tea. It wasn''t long before. Tea was ready, and Shen Qianqian brought over a thermos, poured a cup of weak tea, and handed it to Lin Chuan, "Here, you looked like you were about to get drunk today." "This thermos looks a bit like the style used by middle-aged men, doesn''t it?" Lin Chuan took it, looking at it with interest. "Last ''May Day holiday'', when we caught a dozen fraudsters together, this was the prize my unit gave out, just this thermos and a fountain pen," Shen Qianqian pursed her lips. Lin Chuanughed, "This thermos is pretty good, practical." Stainless steel, indeed very hard to break. It''s the kind thatsts ''three generations, even when the owner''s gone.'' Lin Chuan took a couple of sips of the tea, which was weak and slightly warm, then said, "You mentioned you wanted to discuss something with me?" That''s when. Shen Qianqian took out a document: "Do you remember the ''National Weapons Innovation Design Competition''?" Lin Chuan nodded, "Of course, I remember." "This is the document for the finals. It''s about the ''modr new-style rifle'' we designed. I want you to sign it," said Shen Qianqian, pointing to the document. "Sign it?" Lin Chuan was puzzled. "Yes, we designed this rifle together. Of course, you have to sign," Shen Qianqian said with a natural and sunny smile. "I''ve been eliminated, why should I sign?" Lin Chuan waved his hand, taking another sip of tea. "You have to sign!" Shen Qianqian said decisively, with an unyielding spirit. "Eh, why?" Lin Chuan frowned. "Just sign," insisted Shen Qianqian, pouting, thinking to herself, letting the names ''Lin Chuan + Shen Qianqian'' appear together on the rifle made it like their ''baby.'' In the future, if she used this rifle to snipe enemies, she''d be sure to hit with every shot! That would satisfy her! Shen Qianqian''s self-considered romantic line of thought would never ur to Lin Chuan. Continue your saga on empire Lin Chuan looked at Shen Qianqian. Her eyes were bright and clear, with a touch of earnest hope, and her pupils reflected his image. "Alright," Lin Chuan agreed. "Sign here," with a burst of joy, a beaming smile spread across Shen Qianqian''s face as she pointed to a spot on the document and said to Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan looked down at the ce for signatures and then asked, "I''ll sign here, where will you sign?" "I''ll sign right below you." Shen Qianqian pointed to the area below the signature line, where a space for signing was reserved in the document. "No, I should be at the bottom!" Lin Chuan knew well the order of signing. "You on top, that''s okay, this is your work as well," Shen Qianqian said with pursed lips. "I need to be at the bottom." "I want you to be on top!" "Qianqian, you should be on top!" "No Lin Chuan, you on top, me on the bottom, that''s most suitable." "Oh..." As the two argued, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat flirtatious. The issue of who signed on top or bottom became oddly suggestive between Shen Qianqian and Lin Chuan. The living room''s light wasn''t that bright white but rather a cozy pale yellow. At this moment, it cast their shadows close together, merging into one. Shen Qianqian wore a light white gauze shirt paired with a denim skirt, possessing a yful yet intellectual beauty. Under the intery of light and shadow, her features appeared particrly delicate, each inch of skin snow-white and tender, in the prime of youth, like a flower in full bloom, so alluring it seemed Lin Chuan could, with a single thought, pluck this beautiful flower like a hungry wolf. Lin Chuan took a deep breath. Towards Shen Qianqian, besides some fondness, he felt an indescribable emotion. Xinxin gave him a sense of docility andpliance,fortable to be around, with no pressure. And what about Shen Qianqian, this rose of Anling? She gave him the feeling that she was always by his side. Just turn around, and there she would be, blossoming. It was a habit. Humans are creatures greatly dependent on habits. Afort zone, a haven, that makes one reluctant to leave. A hacker gets used to a keyboard, an assassin to a knife; without these habitual things, they feel an emptiness, as if something is missing, ufortable in every way. Lin Chuan suddenly sighed. It would be great if this were a fantasy novel. No need to think too much, just marry whoever you like; free from rules and norms, and conventional morality wouldn''t judge these matters with its strange eyes. Or, perhaps being born in Saudi wouldn''t be so bad. It''s said there that a man can marry four wives. Lin Chuan didn''t delve deeply, it was only hearsay, but the Shen Qianqian before him once again plunged him into a dilemma. ''s, I am just too outstanding!'' Lin Chuan sighed inwardly. Back when his writing career flopped, he hadn''t even managed to properly hold a girl''s hand. Now, this must be the ultimate fantasy for a web novel writer! "We don''t need to dwell on this issue anymore, I''ll sign first." Shen Qianqian, realizing the inappropriateness, took the lead to break the stillness and ambiance, picked up the pen, and quickly signed her name on the document. Without another word, Lin Chuan immediately signed his name below Shen Qianqian''s. He couldn''t get tangled up with who was on top or bottom any longer, otherwise, he''d end up spending the night here. "Lin Chuan, do you think I''m a casual girl?" Shen Qianqian suddenly asked, a trace of mncholy shing in her eyes. If just then, Lin Chuan had really pounced on her... Her wish would have been fulfilled, and she probably wouldn''t worry about these things anymore. But Lin Chuan didn''t. That just added a tinge of emptiness to her heart, as if wishing into the void with not even a demon answering her call. Lin Chuan took a sip of tea and said solemnly, "Of course you are not." Shen Qianqian bit her lip, propped herself up with her hands on the couch, took a deep breath, and revealed a smile, "Alright, we''ve finished our business, let''s go downstairs, I''ll take you home." As she spoke those words, her heart clenched. Shen Qianqian suddenly regretted that she had met Lin Chuan through a case; otherwise, she might have beaten Xinxin to the punch. "Okay," Lin Chuan nodded. Just as they stood up, a ''thud, thud, thud'' of knocking on the door echoed. Chapter 368 Chapter 241 The Knife Used to Kill by Borrowing a Hand! (Please Subscribe) "Who''s there?" Shen Qianqian muttered, puzzled. She mostly lived alone and had few visitors aside from Xue Qiqi and Xia Qingqing, with male friends being even rarer C Lin Chuan was probably the first. And most likely, the only one. Father Shen was drunk, and Mother Shen should have been at home tending to him, so she was somewhat perplexed as to who would be knocking on her door at this hour. The reasoning of a professional detective. Under the dim yellow light, Shen Qianqian stood up and walked toward the door, peering through the peephole, only to find an empty, pitch-dark space outside C she saw nothing. No one? Shen Qianqian was somewhat startled. "Who is knocking?" Lin Chuan came out too, and several seconds had passed without Shen Qianqian opening the door, prompting his curiosity. Shen Qianqian shook her head: "No one." "No one?" Lin Chuan frowned. "It might be some kids ying a prank," Shen Qianqian guessed. "Let me check." Lin Chuan took Shen Qianqian''s hand and pulled her behind him, then approached the door and peered through the peephole. The next moment, his brow furrowed. "What''s wrong?" Shen Qianqian, seeing Lin Chuan''s unusual reaction, asked softly. Lin Chuan ced a finger on Shen Qianqian''s lips, signaling her to be quiet. He then picked up his suit jacket from the shoecab, where he had ced it upon entering. Shen Qianqian pursed her lips, confused. Lin Chuan''s left hand slowly reached for the doorknob, and then suddenly he flung the door open, while his right hand pressed the suit jacket in front of him. Bang! The door swung open with great force, creating a noise louder than usual, and the voice-activated light outside immediately lit up. The door was open. But there was nothing outside. Lin Chuan stepped out and nced around before turning back to the entrance, deep in thought. "Is something wrong?" Shen Qianqian, startled by Lin Chuan''s abrupt actions, felt her heart rise with concern. Lin Chuan smiled: "I was worried that someone might knock and then hide in a blind spot of the peephole, ready to attack as soon as we opened the door." "You''re really vignt, but it was probably an overreaction," Shen Qianqian said with a relieved smile. Lin Chuan pointed to the ceiling light and asked, "Was the light on when you looked out?" "No, it wasn''t," Shen Qianqian replied. "The voice-activated light takes about 30 seconds to turn off. From hearing the knocking to opening the door, it took about 15 seconds, so if it were a prankster, you should have seen the light on through the peephole," Lin Chuan exined. "Hmm?" Shen Qianqian''s face showed confusion. With Lin Chuan pointing this out, she went from rxed to vignt again. Lin Chuan then pointed to the elevator. "What about the elevator?" With Lin Chuan beside her, she asked almost subconsciously. This building had two elevators for every four units. Currently, one elevator was stopped on the 1st floor, and another was ascending from the basement level. "ording to the typical elevator speed for this building, it takes about 25 seconds to travel from the 30th floor down to the 1st floor. When I stepped out, the status of the elevators was as it is now, so it ruled out the possibility that the person who knocked on the door took the elevator down. When we were at the door, we didn''t hear the elevator open, nor did we hear any of the three neighboring units open their doors, so that person must have been in the stairwell." Lin Chuan finished speaking and his gaze fell on the slightly ajar stairwell door. It was very possible that the person was right behind that door or listening to everything from within the staircase. Lin Chuan''s first career experience had been as a thief. So he knew these tactics inside out. He guarded Shen Qianqian behind him and then suddenly kicked at the door. Bang! A harsh noise echoed through the air as the stairwell door was forcefully kicked open. Inside, it waspletely empty. "A misjudgment?" Lin Chuan muttered, furrowing his brows as he stepped into the stairwell. The voice-activated light had already turned on, illuminating the stairs, floor by floor. "How can there be no one?" Shen Qianqian also frowned, following behind Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan crouched down, his gazending on the ground just behind the door to the stairs. They were on one of the upper floors. Even if there was a power outage, it was rare for anyone toe up here, especially to the corner behind the stairwell door. Such ces were usually only made glossy in luridic books or illicit films. "Did you find something?" Shen Qianqian inquired. Lin Chuan pointed to the floor: "Look here, there are slight friction marks from shoe soles." Shen Qianqian looked in the direction indicated, and on a thinyer of dust on the floor, there were two extremely fine marks, like the grind of a pestle, with some messy patches nearby. It was clear someone had been here, squatting on the balls of their feet. Shen Qianqian''s heart tightened: "Where did he go?" Lin Chuan didn''t respond but instead examined the scene up and down the stairwell and on the rooftop. Chapter 369 Chapter 241 The Knife Used to Kill by Borrowing a Hand! (Please Subscribe)_2 ``` Unfortunately, no tracks were found. "He''s an expert and has already run away." Lin Chuan frowned; the person who could hide footsteps and escape right under his nose was definitely a Rong Sect expert. "I thought I could chalk up another aplishment," Shen Qianqian said regretfully, pursing her lips. "You should stop thinking about aplishments all the time; safety is more important than achievements," Lin Chuan couldn''t help but remind. "If that thief really dares to break in, it''s not certain who will win or lose!" Shen Qianqian huffed. "You might not necessarily be able to beat him." Lin Chuan gave a wry smile, but suddenly, his smile froze on his face, and it quickly turned solemn! Something was not right! Why would such an expert knock directly on the door to break in and steal? Typically, those who use knocking as a means to break in are urgently in need of money, and they usually target luxury neighborhoods. Where wealthy people abound, home possessions are more valuable, with gold and silver jewelry, watches, and priceless pieces, each worth tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands. But at Shen Qianqian''s ce... Clearly, it was an ordinary neighborhood, and Shen Qianqian''s personal attire andck of essories wouldn''t typically be the target of a Rong Sect expert. Thinking this through, Lin Chuan''s expression grew even more grave. The person''s target was not for money and not for lust; that kind of person wouldn''tck women around him, and it wouldn''t make sense to risk breaking in for assault; it was too risky! So, it could be that they were after Shen Qianqian! And Shen Qianqian was a criminal police officer. Though she had many aplishments, most were done together with him. This means! The Rong Sect expert was here for me? Lin Chuan''s logic was clear; he deduced step by step, ultimately attributing the source to himself. Who could be targeting him? The answer was self-evident! The Morgan Group. "What''s wrong with you, you''re turning all shades," Shen Qianqian asked with a slight tilt of her head, looking up at Lin Chuan. Seeing the girl in front of him, Lin Chuan suddenly felt a sense of guilt. He had inadvertently brought immense danger to her. Yet he could give her nothing in return. Lin Chuan sighed in his heart, opened his mouth, swallowed back the words he wanted to say, and just said, "Qianqian, you need to be more careful about your safety." Shen Qianqian''s expression changed. Lin Chuan had never said such caring words to her before. His voice in her ears, why did it sound so pleasant, like the breeze blowing through the willow branches in spring, sweeping across the riverbank in summer, ringing the swaying wind chimes. "What did you just say?" Shen Qianqian pretended not to hear clearly. "I said, be extra careful about your safety." Lin Chuan said solemnly. Shen Qianqian''s face brightened with a smile, her lips slightly pursed, her clear eyes wide open: "Okay, I got it!" "Then..." Lin Chuan didn''t know what to say. "Are you going to sit for a while longer?" Shen Qianqian blinked and asked. Lin Chuan, as ifpelled by some force, nodded: "I''ll see if anyone else knocks on your door." "If he dares toe, I''ll dare to be a deputy brigademander tomorrow!" Shen Qianqian huffed, and Lin Chuan agreed to stay a little longer, which made her very happy. The two returned to the living room. Although Lin Chuan had experienced many aspects of life, learned many skills, and met many female friends in reality, he had never learned how to break the ice when alone with a woman. Except with the Little Landy. When alone with the Little Landy, there was generally no need to break the ice; it was more like breaking down walls. Shen Qianqian alsocked experience in this area. So, the two ended up watching a nearly two-hour movie. It wasn''t a romantic movie, but a mystery and deduction genre. "Sheep Without a Shepherd." After watching the movie, Shen Qianqian regretted it. The movie was good, the plot was great, but it wasn''t suitable for the asion. They should have watched "Titanic," "Roman Holiday," "A Chinese Odyssey," "Flipped," or at the very least, a couple of episodes of "Romance in the Rain," which had more kissing scenes and cheesy lines, apt for two people. ''Shen Qianqian, what are you thinking!'' ''Thank goodness you didn''t watch those movies with Lin Chuan, or what silly thing might you have done!'' Suddenly, a voice in Shen Qianqian''s heart stopped her. Lin Chuan, on the other hand, seemed somewhat obtuse. His main intention was to stay and see if the Rong Sect expert dared to act again; if he appeared once more, Lin Chuan was confident he could take him down directly! Ding, Shen Qianqian achievement +1! Regarding the movie''s plot, Lin Chuan and Shen Qianqian shared: "The montage technique, Li Weijie did a great job, and the sheep''s acting was also good." "Yeah, right!" Shen Qianqian responded half-heartedly. "That person probably won''t act anymore, I should head back, please be careful," Lin Chuan reminded again. "I''ll walk you out," Shen Qianqian stood up and said. "Then you''ll have toe back alone, just in case there''s danger..." Lin Chuan gestured as he walked towards the door. "Right!" Lin Chuan walked to the door and gave one more piece of advice, "Remember to lock the door, and if someone knocks, don''t open it carelessly." "Don''t worry! I''m a police officer, not a little girl!" Shen Qianqian said with a beaming smile, not too concerned about her own safety. She was confident that even if she faced that person alone, she could get away unharmed. Just that Lin Chuan didn''t know about her progress during this period. He still thought of her as the Officer Shen he met at the beginning. Lin Chuan walked out the door, took the elevator down, and hailed a taxi outside the neighborhood. The autumn night breeze was cool. Fortunately, it wasn''t far from Shen Qianqian''s ce to Linjiang Mansion; he soon arrived home. "Chairman, you''re back?" As soon as Lin Chuan entered the door, the Little Landy came up to meet him, affectionately wrapping her arms around him. ``` Chapter 243 The Battle for Rectification! (Please Subscribe) - Part 2 He wanted to perform a verification. The opinions of AW headquarterspletely matched his! Their operational efficiency was incredibly fast. In just half an hour, AW had already established a special task force to conduct a series of investigations on Lin Chuan. Previously, searching for the mysterious person was like finding a needle in a haystack for AW. Now, with a suspect to doubt, the speed of the search could almost be described as divine. Just by the efficiency of information retrieval alone, one could tell that AW was indeed no amateur group. It was at least several levels stronger than the Hacker department led by Lucas from the Morgan Group. At that time, the sun had not yet set. The horizon was still far from the setting sun, gentle remnants of sunlight, like strands of golden silk, pierced obliquely through the clouds and slits of the window, leisurely and unhurriedly spilling into the office. It fell on the desk, on scattered documents, on Karl''s face, casting half brightness, half darkness on his gaunt cheeks, reflecting his sunken, deep eye sockets. Ding! Ding! Ding! A special and urgent ringing sound, the sound of AW headquarters connecting with Karl. Continue your adventure at empire Karl''s tranquil eyes, like a resting predator, immediately opened upon hearing the ringing and began a conversation with AW headquarters. The conversation was simple. Karl asked, "Is it him?" The other party replied, "Based on the current data and analysis, the probability is 95%." Karl nodded, said, "I understand." The conversation ended. He knew what to do next. He slowly stood up, walked out in the nting sunlight, then pushed open a door and, guided by a secretary, entered another office. "Sit." At this time, Yu Qin and Lucas were not in a hurry. Seeing Karl enter the office, Yu Qin, as a friend, reached out her hand to point at the seat beside her, signaling him to sit. Lucas sat opposite him. At this oval-shaped office table, sat three people, precisely speaking, three giants of the ck industry, two major ck industry groups. Decisions made at this table were of consequential importance. The secretary brought Karl a cup of coffee, "Your coffee." "Thank you." Karl gentlemenly expressed his thanks, then gently stirred his spoon and took a sip, his eyes lighting up, "Brewster Coffee, Yu, you still remember my taste." Yu Qin smiled, raised her hand, and pointed at Lucas, "This time, Lucas prepared it especially for you." Karl chuckled, "Lucas, I misunderstood you, your hackers, they lost without anyints." Lucas snapped his fingers, straightened up from leaning back in his chair, leaned forward, crossed his arms on the table, and smiled, "It seems, AW already has the results." "Of course, our efficiency is always fast." Karl took another sip of his coffee andughed self-deprecatingly. Hackers, especially when in action, race against time, every second is money. "Lin Chuan is not an ordinary person, anyone, even a country''swork department losing to him wouldn''t surprise me." Yu Qin perceived the implication in Karl''s words and gave Lin Chuan a high appraisal, very fittingly. At the same time, she was also elevating AW. Losing to such a person wouldn''t affect AW''s standing in the Martial World. Karl nodded, corners of his mouth lifted, his tone confident, "He is indeed formidable, but we need not be overly wary, if AW can ess his data, naturally we can also find a way to defeat him, it''s just a matter of which method to use." Yu Qin''s eyes brightened, Karl''s confidence also gave her more assurance, "Karl, shall we talk about a coboration next?" "Of course." Karl readily said. The first time he entered this office, it was for Yu Qin, doing a favor for a friend. This time, he was sitting here again, for Lin Chuan. Because they had amon enemy. Last time, Lin Chuan had counterattacked AW, causing AW''s n to fail, and for a lengthy period, their business had suffered severe impacts. Thus, their interests were greatly harmed. Yu Qin and Lucas exchanged a look, then smiled, "Karl, my friend, we can now say we are close partners, I think, you should also talk about how AW ns to deal with Lin Chuan?" Karl pinched the top of his coffee spoon and stirred gently, smiling, "We found that Lin Chuan owns awork securitypany called 720. We had already deployed a number of people into the Han River to establish awork securitypany and disrupt the market. This time, we n to take down 720 in the most direct way!" "Is that all?" Yu Qin was on good terms with Karl and spoke frankly. "After taking down 720, I have a hundred ways to make his life worse than death," Karl''s expression darkened, a hint of hatred shing in his eyes. As the initiator of the Han River project, how could he not hate? Had the n against Han River seeded, he would have already made his mark in the hacker circle and obtained what he wanted. Control of AW! At least, no one would dare ignore his voice. But a loss was a loss, and his position within AW had diminished significantly. This time, to expose and eliminate Lin Chuan, he must take the lead; this was his battle for redemption! "Karl, how confident are you in taking down 720?" Lucas asked timely. "100%." Karl was full of confidence. "Really?" Lucas frowned and countered, "Han River, having learned fromst time, must have strengthened their protections with Lin Chuan, something I deeply understand. Moreover, although 720 is small, there might be support from the Han River Network department behind it. Are youpletely sure?" Karl sneered, "Han River is nothing special." Had it not been for Lin Chuanst time, the Han River Network would have already been conquered by them. "What about Han River''s higher-ups?" Lucas continued. "The higher-ups?" At this, the hand Karl used to stir his coffee suddenly stiffened, and his brows knotted. Lucas nodded, "There''s a saying: ''Remember the past, and it will guide the future.'' Have you heard of it?" "I haven''t heard this saying," Karl shook his head. But what Lucas said next made him ponder. Lucas stated, "Their ability to learn from past experiences is strong. It''s difficult for you to replicate the absolute advantage you had before. Therefore, even if you want to take down 720, the chances are slim and, even if you really seed, it woulde at a great cost." After a moment of contemtion. Karl had to admit Lucas had a point. Further considering it, even if he really managed to take down 720, if the officials backed Lin Chuan, he couldn''t do anything to Lin Chuan, unless he resorted to assassination. But from the data AW had gathered, Lin Chuan had also written "This Assassin Is Too Professional"; seemingly, Lin Chuan also had rtively professional knowledge and capabilities. Assassination wasn''t guaranteed to seed! In case they got exposed, then they would have no chance afterward. Thus, their first move had to be extremely cautious. Seeing the right moment, Yu Qin sorted the documents in his hands and then handed them to Karl, smiling, "Karl, this is our n, you can consider it." Karl looked at Yu Qin with surprise and couldn''t help butugh, "It seems you were well-prepared." "Of course." Yu Qin''s expression was rxed as he spoke, "In dealing with Lin Chuan, we can''t afford to ck even a bit." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!