In the end, Huan Zixu didn’t get his apartment. 

Relying on his silver tongue, he persuaded a headhunting company to accept the funds and, after deducting service fees and taxes, to return the rest entirely to Huan Zixu. Huan Zixu, meanwhile, promised to introduce the advertising companies he encountered to the headhunting company. What the headhunting company needed most was businesses that hired people. Through the studio, Huan Zixu knew quite a few businesspeople; this was an important resource. 

25% of an annual salary of five hundred thousand was fully 125,000 yuan. After deducting the services fee and paying off the twenty thousand on his credit card, there would still be some left. Huan Zixu planned to take this money and discuss installment payments with the developer. At worst he would have to pay some service fees. He had confidence that he could succeed in negotiating. 

When Yu Hua received the public account number Huan Zixu provided, he laughed and privately said to You Zhengping, “Look, see how vast human potential is. His methods are truly astonishing.” 

Naturally You Zhengping understood that Feng Kui hadn’t been introduced by a headhunting company and that Huan Zixu had turned up a regular company out of nowhere to accept the money for him. In spite of himself, he sighed emotionally over the valiance of this person, who could smoothly operate in the gray areas of society. 

All the same, faced with Yu Hua, Huan Zixu’s abilities weren’t worth mentioning. 

You Zhengping looked on as Yu Hua called the phone number provided with the transfer information. He talked his way all the way to the responsible individual at the company, exposed the swindle they and Huan Zixu had arranged, and indicated that he had grounds to sue them for their fraud. 

After a round of browbeating, Yu Hua reassured the other side, saying that he didn’t want to make a fuss. He was willing to make friends and let the whole thing go. Since he had a hold over them, he now had another cooperative partner, and he could block off another of Huan Zixu’s paths, making the headhunting company harbor bad feelings towards him. 

The business circle was very small. If Huan Zixu got into one headhunting company’s bad books, then the majority of headhunting companies wouldn’t recommend him to other businesses. In the future, if Huan Zixu wanted to change jobs, it would be hard to do. 

At this point, You Zhengping finally understood why Yu Hua hadn’t exposed the lie about the headhunting company at the very start. It turned out that he had been waiting for Huan Zixu, waiting to make one fatal attack and knock Huan Zixu down into the dust.  

“Do you feel a little bad for him?” Yu Hua asked, seeing You Zhengping’s sympathetic expression. 

“A little.” You Zhengping thought about it and said frankly, “I don’t completely understand. You can buy such a big studio for them, so why won’t you let Huan Zixu get his apartment?” 

Yu Hua said, “The essence of my ability is ‘rules.’ I understand rules better than anyone, and I understand the attitude people look upon rules with.” 

When Yu Hua mentioned his ability, You Zhengping listened in earnest. 

“You can separate people into five categories based on how they view rules. People who formulate the rules, people who protect the rules, people who observe the rules, people who disobey the rules, and people who use the rules. Huan Zixu is a person who uses the rules,” Yu Hua said. 

You Zhengping thought of everything Huan Zixu had done lately; that was in fact the case. 

Yu Hua said, “A person who uses the rules fundamentally hasn’t taken them seriously. He roams in the gray areas that the rules can’t reach, striving for power. If you want to punish him, it will be very difficult. 

“Currently, everyone has special abilities, and Huan Zixu is still constantly testing the Protection Organization’s bottom line. If there comes a day when everyone loses their special abilities and stands at the same level, no one will be able to hold him back. 

“So I must spare no effort to beat him down, and I have to use the rules to do it. Beat him down so he feels it, beat him down so he sincerely realizes that even without special abilities, there are still limiting powers in the world. Only then will Huan Zixu be willing to respect the rules.” 

Then Yu Hua gave Huan Zixu a phone call. He told him that the money had been transferred. During the call, he maintained a grave expression, though You Zhengping still saw a trace of cheerfulness in Yu Hua’s face. 

There was nothing wrong with his reasoning, but there were other means he could have used to beat down Huan Zixu. But Yu Hua only enjoyed the method of letting a person exhaust his efforts, then dashing his hopes in the end. This was another one of Yu Hua’s bad habits. 

Recalling the treatment of each of the studio’s members, You Zhengping found that Yu Hua was unusually considerate towards simple and kind-hearted people. Zhen Li and Feng Kui were like this, and Yuan Luori and Director Ha had received preferential treatment after they had stopped making trouble. 

Only Huan Zixu was left as a target for Yu Hua’s entertainment. 

Yu Hua put down the phone and quietly waited for Huan Zixu to come upstairs to find him in exasperation. Instead, he felt arms encircle his waist. 

You Zhengping had hugged Yu Hua from behind. He leaned his head against his back. 

Yu Hua held his husband’s hand and asked, “What is it?” 

“Nothing.” You Zhengping shook his head. “I was just thinking, these days are very good.” 

Yu Hua seemed to understand the unfinished meaning in You Zhengping’s words. He quietly said, “They are.” 

He longed a little for “Guan Shaoguang”’s ability. It would be good if they could slow down time. 

You Zhengping forced down the distress he felt. He sat on the couch and quietly enjoyed the scene of Huan Zixu charging into the office in exasperation and finally being left speechless by Yu Hua. 

That made twice—once in the plans for Feng Kui’s future, and once in what Yu Hua had just said. 

Yu Hua had twice mentioned that in the future, everyone would lose their special abilities. 

This had made You Zhengping awaken from a false reality and realize that the current state of affairs couldn’t last. When Yu Hua had been alone in the little world, what arrangement had he made with the world law? 

There had been no reaction from the System since It had sent five high grade levelers to attack the Xuyang District on all sides. What was Its plan? 

There was a clock hanging in the office. You Zhengping gently closed his eye and listened to the sound of the second hand moving, tick, tick, as though the steps of time were incessantly pressing forward. 

“I don’t know where you dug up a talent like Feng Kui,” Yu Hua said unhurriedly with his hands folded on his desk, “but I investigated Feng Kui’s materials. He’s a good employee. I’m willing to hire him. But as for this headhunting company’s intermediary’s fee… Huan Zixu, are you very short on money? Why do you absolutely need this money?” 

“I’m only trying to take back what I’m due,” Huan Zixu said, forcing down his anger. 

Yu Hua shook his head. “What I give you is what you’re due. Perhaps you believe that you’ve brought the greatest profits to the company by haggling with the advertising company, so this money ought to belong to you. But that doesn’t make sense. The studio’s popularity comes from everyone’s engagement. Without that foundation, do you think any advertising company would come to us? The money doesn’t belong to you alone. It’s the studio’s property.” 

Huan Zixu didn’t speak, but his eyes were full of plans. It seemed he still hadn’t given up. 

Then Yu Hua said, “You, Feng Kui, and that headhunting company are under suspicion of fraud. I’ve preserved a recording of my phone call with the company, as well as that forged contract you made with them. On the strength of your ability to make money, I won’t pursue it this time, but I reserve the right to bring an action against you and Feng Kui at any time.” 

Hearing that Yu Hua wanted to sue Feng Kui, Huan Zixu couldn’t hold back anymore. He slammed his hand on Yu Hua’s desk. “I was the one who wanted to make money. None of this has anything to do with Feng Kui!” 

“As someone aware of the circumstances, Feng Kui aided you in falsely obtaining the intermediary’s fee. That makes him an accessory. He isn’t innocent,” Yu Hua said. 

Huan Zixu was well aware that if he lost his temper again, he would only be dragging Feng Kui further into it. He took a deep breath, calmed down, and adapted to the circumstances. “You ought to have waited for the money to go through to my account before telling me. Then the fraud would have succeeded, and you would have had a greater threat against us. But the money hasn’t gone through yet, so it’s only an attempt. Even if you bring action, we’ll only have to hire a good lawyer. We won’t necessarily be faced with heavy penalties. You don’t intend to go all the way, so I still have latitude to redeem the situation, right?” 

Yu Hua gave Huan Zixu a stack of materials. “There’s an e-commerce platform that wants you to do a promotional livestream on their channel. You can discuss the concrete agreement with them yourself, though you have to sign the agreement in the studio’s name. After the profits reach our account, I’ll distribute them. You won’t get a percentage.” 

“Understood.” His face serious, Huan Zixu accepted the contract. Before leaving, he glanced at You Zhengping. 

The time he had arranged with the developer soon came. Huan Zixu had no money at his disposal. He was unilaterally violating the agreement. But the sales office also returned 20,000 yuan to Huan Zixu, which would be just enough for him to pay off his credit card. 

After all this work, Huan Zixu hadn’t bought his apartment, and he had lost 80,000 yuan. All the money he had put his sweat and blood into earning was gone. 

The most angering thing was that when he left the sales office, he saw Yu Hua walk in with You Zhengping and, at the favorable price, buy the apartment Huan Zixu had just been forced to give up. 

Seeing Huan Zixu so angry he was about to cough up blood, Feng Kui worriedly tugged on his shirt collar and said in concern, “A-Xu, I could—get a loan.” 

“No need.” Through the window, Huan Zixu watched the sales office’s manager personally receive Yu Hua, looking extremely deferential. Outside the window, Huan Zixu lightly narrowed his eyes. 

While Yu Hua was waiting to sign the contract online, Huan Zixu hurried back to the studio, dragged Lian Yufan into his individual office, and asked, “Didn’t you say that the company only had enough ready money to rent this office space for a month?” 

“That’s right,” Lian Yufan said. “Today is the day you’re supposed to make your down payment. Did you get your advance back?” 

Lian Yufan had guessed that Huan Zixu would be unable to buy the apartment. From about the time the complex had blown up, it had been determined that that apartment was doomed not to belong to Huan Zixu. 

Huan Zixu said heavily, “I suspect that there’s a problem with either Yu Hua or You Zhengping.” 

“Oh? Really?” Lian Yufan had been casually sitting down. Hearing this, he straightened up in spite of himself, leaning back instinctively against his chair, quietly looking at Huan Zixu. 

Huan Zixu said, “I have a reason. As an auxiliary policeman, isn’t Yu Hua’s husband taking too long a vacation? Also, would a normal person constantly laze around at his husband’s company? You Zhengping seems more like he’s temporarily working at our studio.” 

“Haha, no way.” Lian Yufan’s smile was increasingly stiff. 

“We both understand Yu Hua’s economic situation. Before, he was unbearably stingy. Why is he suddenly so liberal now? Why did he rent such an expensive office?” Huan Zixu asked. 

“But I’m also certain that Yu Hua hasn’t been replaced by a Destroyer. So has something happened to change him?” Lian Yufan said. 

“Something did happen,” Huan Zixu said. “I followed Yu Hua and You Zhengping before. I remember that while they appeared deeply in love, in reality, they didn’t understand each other. They chose the wrong movies and snuck out to eat jianbing before meals, but now their interactions have changed. You Zhengping seems to understand better what Yu Hua is thinking.” 

“Then maybe they’ve had a talk and their relationship has improved?” Lian Yufan did his best to steer Huan Zixu away. 

“No!” Huan Zixu said decisively. “Nothing must have changed. I suspect that You Zhengping is the one who’s been replaced. He’s controlling Yu Hua’s mind and infiltrating the studio, getting close to us, attacking us one by one!” 

Lian Yufan:  “…” 

---

Author's Note

Lian Yufan: Is Huan Zixu actually clever or not? In his guesses concerning Yu Hua, all along he’s had exactly the right line of thought but exactly the wrong conclusions. Isn’t this display too consistent?