Chapter 9 Self-Destructive Professionals and "Work Injury" Compensation

Ever since Yan Linye accidentally touched Yun Zhan's face, Yun Zhan has become awkward (a side effect of a virile man's harem) and has been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding Yan Linye.

Several days later, when Yun Zhan woke up and touched his neck, the thought of it possibly becoming an artwork displayed on Yan Linye's bookshelf finally made him restless again. No! For the sake of the skull's integrity, it must stand upright!

If poisoning doesn't work, then create an accident! That should do, right? Heaven can't always perfectly dodge Yan Linye's attacks, can it? Yun Zhan comes from the information age, his mind is full of the essence (and dross) of "Detective Conan" and "Final Destination"!

No sooner said than done! This time he learned his lesson and didn't rush to exchange for the items, but instead conducted an on-site investigation. He had noticed before that Yan Linye would take a walk alone in the small bamboo grove in the backyard every evening, where there was a section of path near a small pond, and the path was a bit slippery.

The opportunity has arrived!

In an instant, Yun Zhan conceived a perfect "accidental drowning" plan. He could make a simple tripwire with branches and vines, hide it under fallen leaves, and wait for Yan Linye to walk by... hehe, fall into the pond! Although the pond wasn't deep enough to drown, the water in early spring was cold enough! Giving him a cold and confining him to bed would weaken the enemy's fighting strength, creating favorable conditions for a subsequent assassination! (Yun Zhan: I'm such a clever little devil!)

[Host, your plan sounds... very simple.] System Xiaoqi couldn't help but comment.

"What do you know? This is called returning to simplicity! The simpler the trap, the less likely it is to be detected!" Yun Zhan said confidently. "Besides, I don't have any points to buy high-end goods yet! Quick, assess how many points this action is worth?"

[Initial Assessment: Construct a simple trap to lure the target into the water. Risk: Low (for the target). Creativity: Low. Estimated Reward: 50 points.]

"Only 50? That's too stingy!" Yun Zhan complained, but every little bit helps. "Alright! Let's get started!"

Taking advantage of the quiet afternoon, Yun Zhan sneaked into the bamboo grove and found the slippery path. He bent over, huffing and puffing, using gathered branches and torn vines to set up a tripwire. After working for a long time, he finally finished what he considered a "flawless" trap.

"Perfect!" He patted the mud off his hands, admiring his "masterpiece" with pride, as if he could already see Yan Linye looking like a drowned rat.

In order to witness the moment of victory (and confirm the points were credited to his account), he decided to hide behind the nearby artificial hill and observe secretly.

As evening approached, Yan Linye arrived right on time. He walked with a leisurely pace, lost in thought, completely unaware of the "danger" beneath his feet.

Yun Zhan held his breath, his heart pounding with excitement: "It's here! Step on it! Step on it now!"

Just as Yan Linye's foot was about to touch the vine, he seemed to accidentally step on a particularly slippery pebble. His body adjusted its center of gravity and landing point very naturally and imperceptibly, and just... stepped over the vine.

Yun Zhan: "???"

This is actually possible?!

Seeing that Yan Linye was about to walk past unharmed, Yun Zhan panicked! 50 points! He instinctively tried to move forward a little to get a better view, but his foot slipped—

"Holy crap!"

He was so focused on staring at Yan Linye that he forgot the wet and slippery ground beneath his feet! He lost his balance and tumbled into the pond beside him!

"Thump!"

Water splashed everywhere! The icy pool water instantly enveloped him, choking him and causing snot and tears to stream down his face.

"Help...help!" Yun Zhan couldn't swim and struggled desperately in the water, feeling like he was about to meet his maker prematurely. What was this? A premature death before even starting a mission? Digging his own grave?

Just when he thought he was going to die there, a strong hand grabbed the back of his collar and easily pulled him out of the water.

Yan Linye looked at the drenched boy in front of him, feeling both amused and helpless: "Yun Zhan? What are you doing here? And you fell into the water?" He had just heard the noise and turned around to see Yun Zhan floundering in the water.

Yun Zhan's lips were purple from the cold, and he was shivering all over. He could barely speak: "I...I was passing by...and my foot slipped..."

Yan Linye sighed when he saw his disheveled and pitiful appearance. He took off his outer robe and wrapped it around him, then picked him up and said, "Don't say anything more. Let's go back and change our clothes. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Holding the princess, Yun Zhan felt the warmth from Yan Linye's chest and smelled his clean scent. He felt cold and ashamed, and wished he could jump back into the pond to calm down.

Back at the charitable institution, Yun Zhan indeed developed a low-grade fever. Yan Linye frowned as he looked at Yun Zhan's flushed and delirious face. The conditions at the charitable institution were too poor for his recovery. After a moment's thought, he made a decision.

"Pack your things and come back to the manor with me," Yan Linye said to the sickly Yun Zhan.

“Go back...go back where?” Yun Zhan’s mind was a little fuzzy.

"I live in a villa in the city," Yan Linye said succinctly. After all, he was a descendant of the imperial family of the previous dynasty, and although he was living in seclusion here, he still had his own foundation.

And so, Yun Zhan was taken to the legendary "Prince Yan's Mansion" in a daze. Although it was just an inconspicuous courtyard, it was heaven compared to the charitable home! The room was clean and tidy, the bed was soft and comfortable, and there were two pretty maids serving him.

Yun Zhan lay on the soft bed, drinking hot medicinal soup, feeling as if he had returned to the human world from hell.

Once he had recovered a little, he immediately started calculating the costs and benefits in his mind: "Little Seven! See? I really put in the effort this time! I almost died a heroic death! That counts as a work injury! 50 points, quick! Also, compensation for emotional distress, medical expenses, nutritional expenses... Look, I even have a fever! This won't be over without 500 points!"

[…Host, your trap had no effect on the target and ultimately backfired. According to the rules, you can only be awarded basic action points: 50 points.] The system's electronic voice remained completely unmoved.

"Bullshit!" Yun Zhan retorted. "If it weren't for assassinating him, would I have set a trap? Would I have fallen into the water if I hadn't set a trap? Would I have gotten a fever if I hadn't fallen into the water? Can't you see this chain of cause and effect? ​​In the end, it's your rules that led me to court death... ah, I mean, to take action, which resulted in my injury! This is system negligence! You must compensate me! Otherwise, I'll report you! File a complaint against you! I'll fire you!"

He fully embodied the spirit of "extortion" in the modern workplace... oh no, I mean "rights protection".

[...] The system seemed speechless at his shameless remarks. After a long while, it replied in an almost crashing tone: "...Rules are in the process of forced mediation...Given that the host suffered unexpected injuries or illnesses during the operation, humanitarian compensation points are granted: 250 points. Total points awarded: 300. Please stop your unreasonable behavior."

"300?!" Yun Zhan's eyes lit up, and he immediately felt his dizziness and sore throat disappear. "Hehe, that's more like it! It would have been better if it had been like this earlier!"

[...] The system completely lost its temper.

Having received the "work injury" compensation, Yun Zhan was in a great mood, and even found Yan Linye much more agreeable. After all, if it weren't for Yan Linye pulling him out of the predicament and bringing him to this good place to recuperate, he might really be dead.

Yan Linye truly had nothing but praise for him. He personally came to see him take his medicine, asked him how he was feeling, and even instructed the kitchen to prepare light and palatable meals for him as a patient.

That night, Yun Zhan was half asleep when he felt someone gently check his forehead and tuck him in. He barely opened his eyes and, through his hazy vision, saw Yan Linye sitting by the bed. The candlelight softened his profile, and his eyes held a worry and…tenderness that Yun Zhan couldn't understand.

Was it just my imagination? He must be delirious from the fever. Yun Zhan turned over and fell asleep again.

Looking at his peaceful sleeping face, Yan Linye sighed softly. This Yun Zhan was truly a worry. He seemed so innocent and impulsive, yet he always managed to stir his emotions unexpectedly. He reached out and gently brushed away the damp strands of hair on Yun Zhan's forehead, his movements as tender as if handling a fragile treasure.

"Get some sleep," he whispered before quietly leaving.

Meanwhile, Yun Zhan, fast asleep, smacked his lips, dreaming that he had used 300 points to exchange for a Gatling gun, riddling Yan Linye with bullets, and was grinning foolishly. One harbored pity without realizing it, while the other dreamed only of getting headshots.