Lian Yufan considered his wording, then said, “Behave yourself and do your job. Though you don’t have your special ability, with your brain, you can still provide a great deal of information to the Protection Organization. Adding in the meritorious service you rendered in taking down Destroyer 217, even if you can’t become a Protector, you can still be an outside staff member. You’ll have rank and pay, you can…” 

“Can get by clinging to the Protection Organization’s coattails, live out my days at ease?” Huan Zixu coldly interrupted Lian Yufan. 

“If you must take it like that, then yes,” Lian Yufan said. 

Huan Zixu shook his head. “You seem to keep misunderstanding something. The Protection Organization as you see it is different from what I see. You belong to this world. You’ve grown up being cultivated by the Protection Organization. You’re one of their branches. The Protection Organization is your foundation. You supplement and complement each other. You’re a unified entity. You think of joining the Protection Organization as a good thing, but it’s different for me.

“I’ve survived in broken worlds where trusting the rules was tantamount to death. If I can’t control my own future, then I won’t feel secure.” 

There was nothing Lian Yufan could say. Their experiences were different. Anything he said would be futile. 

“I have in fact decided to survive in this world, but even so, I still have the power of self-determination,” Huan Zixu said. “A stable residence is one of the basic safeguards in life. Money will determine mine and Feng Kui’s future living standard. I won’t be satisfied with the present situation.”  

Lian Yufan sighed almost inaudibly. “I’ll help you get your advance back from the sales office. Though you did unilaterally violate the agreement, from the standpoint of feeling, they really did take too much. Don’t get up to your tricks again. Work hard to earn money. With your abilities, the down payment won’t be a problem.” 

“Whoever loses is in the wrong. I’ve lost to Yu Hua this time. I’ll take the eighty thousand as my tuition cost.” Some unnatural redness appeared in Huan Zixu’s cheeks when he finished speaking. He bit his lip, turned his face away, and said, “But if I could get a bit back…that would be better.” 

Lian Yufan laughed lightly. 

“I-I’ll owe you a favor,” Huan Zixu said, turning his back. 

“There’s no need for that,” Lian Yufan said. “You bought that healing medicine from Destroyer 217 for me. That medicine far surpasses current human technology. It could fetch a sky-high price.” 

“Huh? Oh, that’s right, I’d nearly forgotten about that. In that case, shouldn’t you also split me a part of your 30% bonus? Then we’ll be even.” Huan Zixu turned quickly and began to bargain. 

Lian Yufan had picked up his phone to call a friend to ask about the money. His finger paused. He looked at Huan Zixu and said, “You really are… I was just feeling sorry for you a second ago, and now I don’t want to help you get the money back.” 

“I don’t need your pity.” Huan Zixu pointed at the phone. “Dial!” 

Lian Yufan shook his head. He got in touch with a friend, hoping to get the contact information for the developer. 

To get the advance back, it would probably do no good trying to go through the law, because the advance payment was a guarantee. If the payer violated the agreement, the payee had the right not to refund it. If the payee violated the agreement, then the payer could demand double the advance payment in compensation. 

Of course, if Yu Hua hadn’t been in the middle making difficulties, the developer wouldn’t normally have taken so much money. This wasn’t entirely fair, either. 

Lian Yufan’s friend did in fact know the developer and after reaching out to them called back: “No, there’s something wrong, that apartment was sold to Huan Zixu himself. The developer remembers it particularly. The name signed on the online form is Huan Zixu’s. He’s already bought the apartment, so how can he still want his money back?” 

“What?!” Hearing this, Lian Yufan was all at sea. “What’s going on?” 

The developer had made an arrangement with their valued customer Yu Hua not to divulge information about Yu Hua’s property, but Huan Zixu’s apartment had been signed through an online agreement. An individual with an identity card could investigate it online. The two of them quickly went to the relevant site and investigated it; the name was in fact Huan Zixu’s. 

“What the hell.” Huan Zixu looked at the online contract in disbelief. 

They went to the sales office with the proof and found the saleswoman who had initially been responsible for Huan Zixu’s apartment. The saleswoman saw that the truth couldn’t be concealed and could only say, “Mr. Yu said that Director Huan is a valuable member of the company with exceptional abilities. He wanted to give Director Huan a surprise, so he bought the apartment in secret. The eighty-thousand yuan was playacting. When we saw how angry you were, we felt we were doing you a disservice, but Director Yu urged us to keep the secret at all costs so there could be a surprise. We didn’t expect you to find out about it.” 

“No!” Huan Zixu said. “That can’t conform with the rules. What power or right does he have to ask you to keep his secrets?” 

“Well…that’s our customer’s private business, we can’t divulge it,” the saleswoman said politely. 

Huan Zixu and Lian Yufan looked at each other helplessly. The two of them were privately calculating what kind of order could make the sales office willing to play along with Yu Hua. There really was an answer—the two floor of office space worth most of a hundred million. 

Lian Yufan said, “I asked around. The same developer is responsible for that office building as for your new complex. The down payment on commercial office space is 50%. Over thirty million yuan. Where did he get that kind of money?” 

“I suspect that You Zhengping is a mental type leveler. He controlled a rich person into giving them the money, bought the office space, then controlled Yu Hua to get close to us. He’ll definitely use this apartment to draw me in when the time comes to make me spy on the Protection Organization, then use that to find out the black-cloaked man’s whereabouts,” Huan Zixu analyzed gravely. 

When Lian Yufan heard this, he simply wanted to pry open Huan Zixu’s head and have a look. He was a fairly clever person. How could his reasoning go so far in the wrong direction?

“I know you don’t believe that, but if we want evidence, there’s an easy way,” Huan Zixu said. 

He quickly returned to the studio with Lian Yufan. As soon as they walked into the livestreaming room, they saw Zhen Li clinging to a rather cheerful, rather handsome man. Zhen Li was choked with sobs. The man was looking helpless. Seeing Lian Yufan walk over, he quickly raised his hands and aid, “I haven’t been bullying him!” 

“Officer Cen? What are you doing here?” Lian Yufan asked. 

This was in fact Cen Xiao. He said, “I’m off today. I came to see Captain You and President Zhen.” 

“So he…” Lian Yufan glanced at Zhen Li, who was crying his makeup off. 

Cen Xiao didn’t know either! 

He had heard that since going on leave, You Zhengping had spent every day hanging around the studio. He had guessed that You Zhengping was unhappy about being suspended and had deliberately infiltrated the studio to take part in the work from another angle, saving the nation by circuitous paths. Cen Xiao was worried that You Zhengping was bashing his head against a brick wall, so after getting off work he had changed into civilian clothes and come to see him. 

Cen Xiao had always been on good terms with Zhen Li. He knew Zhen Li didn’t have much money, so when he had time off, he always found an excuse to invite Zhen Li out to a big meal. Zhen Li was the studio’s president, so Cen Xiao hadn’t thought there would be much problem if he came for a visit. 

The new office had been decorated. There was a mirror filling one wall. The other wall was a big screen where the livestream could be projected so the employees could see how they looked on the livestream and adjust their poses to look best on camera. 

When Cen Xiao had first walked in, he had seen countless barrage comments floating over the big screen:

[A week ago it was pockmark makeup, three days ago it was clown makeup, yesterday it was bruise makeup, and today it’s red cheek makeup. Does Beauty Zhen not want to work anymore? He makes himself up to look so ugly every day.]

[Beauty Zhen, taking the advertising company’s money and using their high quality makeup to make yourself look so ugly—are you planning to scare the advertising companies off?]

[By using another uglyfying technique every day, are you telling me how beautiful a face without makeup is?]

[Bring back my original true beauty, I don’t want this Beauty Zhen!]

[Lately Yuan Luori has been using an iron hoop to keep his glasses welded to his head. If I can’t see him looking everywhere for his glasses, I’m not entertained.]

[Director Ha also hasn’t been appearing on camera much. You’ve all lost your spirits after moving.]

[I think it’s because the office before was so small and everyone was crowded into one room, so there were always real life scenes accidentally getting caught on camera. For example, Director Yu’s demonic voice. For example, the security director’s sturdy muscles when he picks up the marketing director. But now, there’s nothing. There’s only Beauty Zhen with his disfiguring makeup and Yuan Luori with his glasses that never fall off.]

[That livestream isn’t natural enough. It’s too scripted. It’s no good.]

[To tell the truth, I want to see everyone crowded into one office like before, being forced to knuckle under by Director Yu.]

[Everyone says a man turns bad after getting money. I didn’t think our Beauty Zhen would be like that, but even you’ve changed. Can I still believe in love?]

The barrage was relatively gentle. There was no cursing. But it still showed the fans’ displeasure. 

As a fan of the livestream, this was Cen Xiao’s first time seeing the Zhen Li Studio getting so many bad reviews. He looked at Zhen Li’s two drawn red cheeks; it was so ugly he nearly ran to the bathroom to wash his eyes. He asked, “What’s been…going on with your makeup lately?” 

As soon as Zhen Li saw Cen Xiao, he felt sadness welling up inside him. He remembered that You Zhengping and Cen Xiao were on the same squad, and all the grievance he felt surged up. He began to wail. 

Cen Xiao quickly went up to comfort him. He picked up a makeup round to wipe Zhen Li’s tears away. He also pledged that he was going to invite Zhen Li out to eat.

When Zhen Li heard this, he cried harder and harder. In the end he simply threw himself into Cen Xiao’s arms to weep, crying out all the fear of these last few days of disfiguring makeup. 

On the barrage, however, it was all positive reviews. Everyone was asking who this dashing young man in casual clothes was. Some people also began to @ Yuan Luori. The shippers were displaying their displeasure. 

Cen Xiao looked helpless. He could only carefully pat Zhen Li on the back. He was well aware that Zhen Li had an optimistic disposition. He could find pleasure even in suffering. What must have happened to make him cry like this?!

For a time, Cen Xiao took no notice of appearing on the livestream camera. He began to comfort Zhen Li in a quiet voice. When Lian Yufan and Huan Zixu walked in the door, that was the scene they saw. 

“You guys should…turn off the livestream!” Lian Yufan said, frowning. 

Ignoring the livestream fans’ screams, he apologized and turned off the livestream. Then he asked Zhen Li, “Why are you crying?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing, it’s just that the fans are unhappy with my recent transformation. I feel stressed out.” Zhen Li, sobbing, made up an excuse. 

Zhen Li’s face was a mess. Cen Xiao used a makeup round with makeup remover on it to carefully wipe the makeup away for him. 

“Thank you,” Zhen Li said, gasping. “I’ve made trouble for you by forcing you to appear on camera.” 

“It’s all right. Hey, we even got on the popular searches together over the passenger on an electric scooter business,” Cen Xiao said. 

Huan Zixu wasn’t in the mood to pay attention to Zhen Li’s tears. He asked, “Where is Yuan Luori?” 

“Upstairs putting up the studio’s rules and regulations. What do you want him for?” Zhen Li said. 

“I need Yuan Luori to help me check something,” Huan Zixu said obscurely after glancing at the “outsider” Cen Xiao. “I’ll go find him!” 

Lian Yufan: “!!!”

Now it wasn’t just a question of You Zhengping’s identity being revealed. Cen Xiao was also here! 

---

Author's Note

Lian Yufan: Crap, crap, crap! 

Cen Xiao: Shit, if Yuan Luori takes off his glasses, I’m a goner!