Chapter 47 The Infinite Boss Invites You to "Eat Melon" 47. (Two-in-One)...
Jiang Yan: [The first piece of intelligence is that Qian Yue believes the severity of pollution is somewhat related to whether or not one will fall in love with Ji Chengchuan, but it's not the decisive factor. Getting rid of the pollution doesn't necessarily mean giving up on Ji Chengchuan.]
She said what we've seen is only a part of the picture. In reality, many new players with almost no contamination fall head over heels for Ji Chengchuan after just a brief encounter. Some of them even have a grudge against him; one second they're at each other's throats, the next they're blushing inexplicably at his slightest gesture. She knows something's fishy about this, and she knows we're exploiting this issue, so she hopes we can be careful.
It wasn't surprising that Qian Yue guessed that Lu Yu and his group were involved in purging and turning Ji Chengchuan's associates against him; her advice was indeed very valuable.
This confirms some of Lu Yu's guesses.
[The second piece of information is a conclusion Qian Yue reached after long-term observation,] Jiang Yan continued, [She stated that Ji Chengchuan's perception of game contamination is extremely dull, to the point that he is practically completely unaware of its existence. All the contamination detection items, whether they are strange objects or points redeemed from the Smiling Game, are ineffective against Ji Chengchuan.]
Aside from Ji Chengchuan himself, only Zeng Ming knew about the item being tested; no one else, no matter how close they were to Ji Chengchuan, was aware of it. Qian Yue also found out by accident.
She suspected that Ji Chengchuan's pollution level was not simple, and was likely not the light pollution everyone thought, but rather severe. Although she didn't know why such severe pollution hadn't affected him, detonating his pollution at the right time should be advantageous to us.
After repeating the information, Jiang Yan added: "We are currently verifying both pieces of information. Based on the existing clues, the discrepancies should not be significant."
Furthermore, I personally suspect that Qian Yue might use the second piece of information she mentioned—the secret of Ji Chengchuan's deep-seated pollution—to do something. Detonating the pollution isn't just a suggestion to us; it could very well be part of her own plan.
Lu Yu pondered for two seconds, then moved his finger: [Ji Chengchuan and Smiling Game have a close relationship, possibly that of the main body and the clone. Have you revealed this appropriately?]
"She revealed it," Jiang Yan said, "She said she'll be careful. Hopefully, she'll surprise us."
Lu Yu didn't dare place too many expectations on others: "...As long as it's not a fright, it's fine."
After finishing their business, Jiang Yan, as the intelligence chief, didn't mince words and went straight to probing for information: "Boss Lu, you and Captain Pei have cleared up your misunderstanding, right? Can you explain in detail how you misunderstood each other? One of you thought the other would die from purifying even a little pollution, and the other thought the other was afraid of normal married life and didn't even dare to have any direct contact?"
Lu Yu: [?]
Jiang Yan: [Please don't misunderstand, we don't mean anything by it. It's just that this information is quite valuable. After the game is finished and the relevant information is made public, this inside information can sell for at least a million Mercury Coins. This is my rough estimate; the actual value may be even higher.]
Lu Yu: [...]
“See that?” Lu Yu said to the gossip-eating system, “This is the person you should bind to the most.”
The Gossip System: 【…Thank you for the recommendation, host. I'll definitely do it next time.】
Lu Yu was surprised: "You even know about 'Amway'? Looks like you've been slacking off online these past few days."
[Please do not slander this system! This system has been working normally all along. It is the host who cannot trigger the entry, not the system slacking off!]
The "melon-eating system" panicked at the mention of "slacking off." It didn't want to be compared to its lazy host. It only occasionally surfed the internet, played games, and read novels in its spare time; it didn't slack off at all.
"I see..."
Lu Yu pushed up his glasses, eating quickly while trying to trick the system into giving him keywords.
He was particularly concerned about the memories he had lost in the core area of the game and the main reason why Ji Chengchuan was so popular. His intuition told him that this was crucial to their operation to lure Ji Chengchuan into a trap. So, starting yesterday, apart from the time he spent with Pei Yanzhi, he had been organizing various clues and ideas, trying to unlock them. When that didn't work, he started trying different ways to get information out of Ji Chengchuan.
However, the gossip system, though seemingly flexible in its thinking, is actually mechanical in its rules. After trying to figure it out for a long time, Lu Yu could only come up with the crucial phrase "limited by".
Having failed to elicit any further information, Lu Yu didn't press the matter. He glanced at the time, disconnected from the system, and put down his knife and fork with a ding.
Across from him, Pei Yanzhi had finished his meal a few minutes earlier and was leisurely sipping a glass of juice.
Hearing Lu Yu's movement, Pei Yanzhi slightly raised his eyes.
Their eyes met, and Lu Yu said, "Shall we go have a chat?"
This time, he took the initiative to speak first.
Pei Yanzhi showed two expressions of surprise, but didn't say anything. He just nodded and got up one after the other, leaving the restaurant under the watchful eyes of their colleagues.
"Let's do it here."
Lu Yu stopped near the beach.
It was midday, and it should have been very sunny here, but because a dark cloud had drifted in from somewhere overhead, most of the sunlight was blocked. In addition, the trees were lush and the sea breeze was strong, so it didn't feel hot at all, but rather quite cool.
Pei Yanzhi scanned the nearest surveillance camera.
“It’s nothing,” Lu Yu said. “I used electromagnetic interference.”
Pei Yanzhi felt relieved and turned her gaze to the man in front of her.
Meanwhile, in a hotel room, Ji Chengchuan's expression suddenly brightened. He shoved aside the player, Doctor Sanqian, who was examining his vital parts, and leaned in to stare at the monitor screen.
"Lu Yu thought that his ability to interfere meant everything would be fine, but little did he know that we also have the ability to restore order..."
Ji Chengchuan sneered.
Pei Yanzhi's spatial abilities can influence strange objects, but it's difficult for him to influence the surveillance system while ensuring its integrity.
Previously, this realm lord was quite domineering, often destroying surrounding surveillance cameras or even distorting space to prevent them from capturing him, effectively turning people into living beings. However, during this SSS-level mission, he seemed more concerned about the NPCs' reactions and didn't do this as frequently.
Ji Chengchuan was initially suspicious, but after nothing unexpected happened, he became happy, which gave him a very good opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
Zeng Ming, standing to the side, ordered someone to zoom in on the screen so that Ji Chengchuan could get a closer look at their "chat".
Just then, the door opened, and Qian Yue arrived.
She remained expressionless as she stepped into the room, stopping at a distance from Ji Chengchuan as usual, and said calmly, "You should rest well. These matters can be handled by others."
"Watching them fight like dogs will only benefit my recovery," Ji Chengchuan said with a smile.
Qian Yue looked at the screen: "Dogs fighting? I think they're about to make up."
"Make up?" Ji Chengchuan scoffed. "Impossible, they..."
Qian Yue slightly raised her chin and pointed to the screen: "Look, isn't this a sign that they're making up?"
Ji Chengchuan paused, then abruptly shifted his gaze from Qian Yue to the screen. Zeng Ming and the others in the room, upon hearing this, also instinctively looked over.
Qian Yue's eyes darkened slightly. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was distracted, she silently tapped her fingertips on the Heart-Piercing Sword in her bosom. A flash of light appeared at the tip of the sword, illuminating Ji Chengchuan's silhouette.
Qian Yue's words were meant to distract them, but she wasn't lying to them.
In the enlarged surveillance footage, Pei Yanzhi had a pleading expression. After saying only two sentences, he pounced on Lu Yu and hugged him, wanting to kiss him.
Lu Yu seemed surprised by Pei Yanzhi's actions, and was a beat slow to react before turning his face away, his long eyebrows furrowed deeply, to avoid the situation.
“I knew it,” Ji Chengchuan breathed a sigh of relief. “Look, Sister Yue, the disgust on Lu Yu’s face and Pei Yanzhi’s suppressed repression as he forced himself to compromise are clearly visible!”
Qian Yue: "..."
She wasn't quite clear about the current relationship between Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi. They were clearly hiding things from her and didn't trust each other enough, but her woman's intuition told her that the truth was probably different from what Ji Chengchuan had seen and analyzed.
But she didn't remind him.
Why should she remind him?
Is it possible that he used her, disgusted her, took things from her, made her risk her life for him, and even allegedly spread his corruption to her?
She's not that shameless.
Qian Yue lowered her eyes slightly and replied perfunctorily to Ji Chengchuan, "Let's take another look."
On a corner of the beach, Lu Yu pushed Pei Yanzhi away.
Pei Yanzhi looked at him with a sorrowful expression: "I've apologized and explained so many times, but you still don't want to believe me, you don't want to give us another chance, do you?"
Lu Yu's knuckles tensed, and he almost couldn't control himself and reached out to hug her.
He couldn't stand Pei Yanzhi like this.
When Pei Yanzhi lunged at him, he instinctively reached out to embrace him and return the kiss. Fortunately, even in his dazed state, he remained rational and managed to snap back to reality, forcefully turning his head away. Pei Yanzhi's lips brushed against his cheek, the touch like a butterfly landing, almost making his heart flutter for a moment.
We kissed this morning.
He subtly swallowed, his expression hardening, his gaze unfathomable.
"Whether or not someone apologizes is not the key issue between us," he said.
Pei Yanzhi immediately said, "Then tell me, what is the key to the problem?"
Lu Yu looked at him: "Don't you know? Why ask when you already know the answer?"
Pei Yanzhi scoffed: "You know the answer already? Yes, I know the answer already, so what? So what if there's a problem? Are we just going to break up like this? Let's solve the problem! We're not just lovers, we're comrades-in-arms, we're allies. Facing Ji Chengchuan, facing Smiling Game, our chances of winning together are definitely greater than if we were alone or on a separate side!"
"Trust is broken, so we rebuild it; if that's still not enough, we add more. It's only the second piece; there's still time, as long as we're willing..."
“Easier said than done,” Lu Yu said, his eyes filled with an almost ruthless scrutiny. “What kind of person are you, and what kind of person am I? More than half a month has passed. Who can we hide it from? After one breakdown, it’s incredibly difficult to place trust again. You can’t do it, and neither can I. Our relationship is destined to be…”
“I can,” Pei Yanzhi interrupted him abruptly, his eyes burning as he stared at him. “I know you don’t believe me now, but… name your price, and I will definitely do it.”
Lu Yu's expression faltered.
"You..." He met his gaze, as if persuaded, yet still questioning, "Is it genuine? Or are you willing to compromise yourself for the sake of purification?"
Pei Yanzhi's brows and eyes stiffened for a moment.
Almost simultaneously, a bitter smile appeared, perfectly masking his guilt and impatience: "Is this how you think of me, Lu Yu? I really like you, I really hope to fight alongside you, and I don't want us to end up like this."
Lu Yu seemed oblivious to the subtle change in Pei Yanzhi's expression.
His cold expression softened slightly, revealing a hint of hesitation.
Seeing this, Pei Yanzhi gently moved closer again, tilted his head back and kissed him, softly stroking his lips and tongue.
Lu Yu's breath caught in his throat. He looked down at the young man's face so close to his own, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not pull away. He accepted the kiss, grasped her slender waist with both hands, took a step forward, and pressed her between himself and the thick tree trunk, kissing her passionately and unrestrainedly.
Qian Yue said, "So we've made up, haven't we?"
Zeng Ming was a little uncertain and looked at Ji Chengchuan.
Ji Chengchuan smiled with satisfaction: "Make up...yes, we've made up, but this kind of hypocritical reconciliation with ulterior motives is more dangerous than a real falling out."
"Each has their own ulterior motives?"
Zeng Ming looked up.
Since they were outside, Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi didn't dare to go too far. After a brief kiss, they separated, whispered a few words to each other, one stayed where he was, and the other went to the convenience store across the street.
The moment they parted, from an angle where they couldn't see each other, one blinked and his expression turned cold, while the other's brows flashed with barely suppressed irritation.
All traces of the tenderness and affection from the previous moment have vanished.
"What a pair of ill-fated lovers, forced to feign compliance for the sake of profit and the situation," Ji Chengchuan clapped his hands and laughed. "Things are going as smoothly as I imagined. It's time to prepare for the final step; the story's ending, and the true protagonist is about to make his appearance..."
Ji Chengchuan shook his head proudly.
Qian Yue stared at the dark back of the head in front of her, narrowed her eyes, and concealed all her emotions with her long eyelashes.
During the short lunch break, the relationship between Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi seemed to have undergone another change—at least that's how their colleagues at Xiaoxi Media saw it.
They watched them leave coldly, one after the other, and then welcomed them back hand in hand, their eyes gentle.
At first, they were both relieved, thinking the two had definitely made up. Young people, after all, often argue, say hurtful things, and break up – it's not uncommon. But they were both mature enough to calm down and talk things through. As long as they still loved each other and hadn't made any fundamental mistakes, what couldn't they resolve?
See? The ice melted and they made up in the blink of an eye.
My colleagues all thought so.
But as time went on, some colleagues gradually noticed something was wrong.
The team-building afternoon activities included a choice of water sports such as beach volleyball and surfing. Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi each surfed for a while, but after returning, they didn't go back into the water and instead joined the beach volleyball team. After a few rounds, the gossip group, which had finally quieted down for a while, started popping up with messages again.
Don't you guys think... something's a little strange?
You mean the two masters?
[Yes. They've clearly made up; Sister Liu confirmed it. They interacted a lot all afternoon, holding hands and hugging, and they played volleyball together very well. But for some reason, something just doesn't feel right?]
Is it the kind of relationship where people seem much closer than before, but actually feel more distant? Is the intimacy no longer natural, but rather all contrived?
You think so too?
【I also……】
We also...
So, is it just our imagination? Or are things really not quite right with CEO Lu and his team?
No one could give a definite answer.
Lu Yu, who was secretly lurking in the group, caught a glimpse of it and sent a message to Pei Yanzhi, giving a thumbs-up: 【Actor Pei.】
Pei Yanzhi drank water half a meter away from him, swiped to unlock his phone with one hand, and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute: 【Actor Lu.】
The two of them each sent a cheeky cat wiggling its butt emoji, then put down their phones, looked up, and gave each other a perfect smile that was both tender and secretly impatient.
The afternoon ended just like that, with the two of them engrossed in their performance.
The gossip group was flooded with messages, and colleagues were racking their brains to find out what was going on, unaware that they had become part of the two actors' play, or rather, plan.
As dusk fell, the team-building group embarked on their return journey, enjoying the sunset over the sea as they sailed from Rainbow Shell Island back to Sealand Island.
When the speedboat arrived at Hiroland Island, it was exactly 7 p.m. A group of people boarded a bus and swayed along, squeezed together with a group of brightly colored local taxis and buses.
The roads were congested, horns blared incessantly, and the salty sea breeze blew in. Motorcycles carrying tourists with large backpacks darted through the gaps, leaving long trails of exhaust fumes.
Sister Liu was discussing sun protection with someone in front, saying that she had gotten much darker. If it hadn't been a bit cloudy when she played volleyball in the afternoon, she would have gotten even darker. Getting her skin whiter would be a huge undertaking.
Old Gu was exhausted and had already started snoring with his head tilted to the side.
The young people behind them, unaffected by motion sickness and still full of energy, were playing video games, occasionally spouting a classic Chinese saying: "Playing video games, how can you not go crazy?"
Caught between the exotic scenery outside the window and the familiar local accents inside, Lu Yu enjoyed the gentle evening breeze on his face, a rare moment of comfort and relaxation.
With my lover on my shoulder, my heart beats freely.
At that moment, he suddenly and inexplicably felt a sense of reality that he was on vacation.
"Look over there."
My lover's finger gently poked at me.
Lu Yu looked in that direction and saw the barbecue spot from yesterday. At mealtime, new people had taken up seats and were having a picnic. On the railing, the familiar stray cats still appeared, lined up, waiting to be fed. A rather unfriendly black and white cat perched at the highest point, its eyes fixed on another person busy grilling for their lover.
The streetlights came on, casting a dim, yellow glow that swayed in the breeze.
An indescribable, strange feeling filled Lu Yu's heart.
"I had my doubts about it."
Pei Yanzhi's voice was close to my ear, very low.
He was pointing to the cow cat.
Lu Yu knew.
When they saw the cow cat last night, Pei Yanzhi became alert. On the way back, he sent a message in the group, asking everyone to pay attention and investigate. Not long after, he met Qian Yue and learned from her about Ji Chengchuan's general plan in the Godfall Ruins and his use of the cow cat. Only then did he feel a little relieved.
However, after thoroughly searching the ruins of the fallen god and initially suspecting that there might not be a second fragment of the godhood there, they began to investigate other possible options.
Cow cats are naturally included in this category.
Although the fragments of divinity are not living things, what if something unexpected happens?
Unfortunately, no.
Friday was another fruitless day.
While acting and participating in team-building activities, Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi, as usual, used their spatial powers to wrap the strange object in their hands and investigate all the items they suspected that had approached them. They also used exploration points in some places.
This is what's out in the open.
Secretly, Jiang Yan, Xiao Qian, Lin Xiaoman, and the Great Prophet were all working against the clock, following Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi's trail, searching wherever they went. In one day, they had used six exploration points and had already checked off many areas on the map.
However, there wasn't a single substantial clue. The difficulty in finding this second fragment of divinity was far greater than that of the first.
Oh no, as for clues, it's not that there are none at all.
Mai Dadan has crucial information: he said that when he explored the beach on Rainbow Shell Island in the afternoon, he used an exploration point and received a hint that there were fragments of divine essence.
This is also why Lu Yu and Pei Yanzhi turned back to play beach volleyball halfway through their surfing trip.
But they sifted through every single grain of sand on the entire beach.
No, still no.
Jiang Yan had an idea and suggested that Mai Dadan use the exploration point on the beach again after Lu Yu and the others left in the evening. Mai Dadan did as instructed, only to find that the exploration point again indicated that there were no more divine fragments in the area.
"The divine fragment was already on Boss Lu. Did it leave with him?" Mai Dadan said in the group chat. "Or is the exploration point broken? I really can't think of any other possibility besides these two."
But the fact is that when Pei Yanzhi received Mai Dadan's message on the ship, he immediately used the exploration points to check Lu Yu himself, and the exploration points showed that Wu had awakened the fragments of the unclaimed godhood.
Is the exploration point really broken?
Now even Jiang Yan had her doubts.
"What's the Godfall Ruins like?" Pei Yan asked.
"There's nothing there," the Great Prophet replied, "but it still indicates the presence of fragments of divinity."
[Could it be that the remaining two fragments of divinity have arrived?] Lin Xiaoman boldly guessed, then immediately dismissed it. [Wait, that's not right either. If they really had arrived, Smiling Game would definitely have updated the storyline and information; that's the rule. The possibility of the exploration point being broken is also very small...]
Players who were used to making decisions in many past missions were now somewhat at a loss.
This was not only because the fragments of divinity, which seemed to be playing tricks on everyone, could not be found, but also because of the strange unease that they all vaguely felt.
Let me make a prediction.
The great prophet said, "Tomorrow night, my prophetic interval will be complete, and I can begin a new prophecy."
Lu Yu thought of the ability he had copied. As he and Pei Yan got out of the car and entered the resort, he typed: "I haven't used the prophetic ability copied from you yet. I have a feeling that it can only be used once. I originally wanted to save it for the third fragment, but I'll use it now."
Two predictions, for added assurance.
No one else had any objections.
The group chat quieted down, and everyone went about their own business.
This is my third night on Hellolan Island.
Compared to last night, this was an eerily peaceful night.
Ji Chengchuan remained silent. Pei Yanzhi, having reconciled with Lu Yu, returned to the resort and spent what others perceived as a passionate and harmonious night with him.
The next day was Saturday, which was also the last day of the team-building trip on Hiloland Island. They would board a plane early the next morning to return to China.
Everyone, including Lu Yu, felt that by this point, Ji Chengchuan should have made a move. But in reality, nothing happened all day long. Not only did they not see Ji Chengchuan, but Lu Yu and his group didn't even see a single extra player.
All players, except those in our faction, seem to have vanished into thin air.
Even with Jiang Yan's intelligence capabilities, she only knew that the players' disappearances seemed to be related to Ji Chengchuan, but she had no clear explanation.
Lu Dan, Lu Shuang, Qian Yue, and others also lost contact.
It was like the calm before a storm.
Lu Yu smelled the scent of gunpowder in his sleep.
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Author's Note: [Kiss] Bonus chapter of 6,000 words (combined with two chapters) is here!
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