Chapter 41

Mo Di went to report the case at the police station. Coincidentally, he met with the policewoman who was also part of the team in charge of taking in Mo Shi Hong during the time he broke off with the Mo family.

The policewoman’s name was Yu Fang Yu. She was kind and responsible. She and several of her colleagues took Mo Di and his schoolmates’ statements with care. And because the interviews were done separately, Mo Di gave Yu Fang Yu the surveillance camera as evidence.

“Miss, this was something I accidentally recorded, can it be used as evidence?”

“Yes. With this recording, in addition to the bottle of shampoo and the witnesses, we can make a case quickly.”

The video would prove to be very useful. Yu Fang Yu did not question whether it was truly an accident that Mo Di was able to get the footage. People who had such family members and been through these experiences, she felt that it was justifiable to be hypervigilant. On the contrary, those who did not take caution after experiencing trauma would be the baffling ones.

After giving the police his statement, the first thing Mo Di did was to call Mu Tian Heng and report everything to him. After all, it was not right of him to hide such a big matter from him. 

Mu Tian Heng was furious after he got the news. He was enraged at Zhao Chun Cheng for being so vicious and at Mo Di for knowing that something was fishy with Zhao Chun Cheng but still decided to test him. He was also hurt that Mo Di did not consult with him about his suspicions. 

“You knew how to buy the camera but you don’t know how to tell me about this in advance? Little one, have you ever thought that he might get impulsive and decides to attack you head-on, then what will you do?”

“Brother, I’ll be fine. I was always cautious around him. But… but I know I’m wrong. Brother, I’m sorry. I won’t be like this next time.” Mo Di’s voice was soft and timid, and his attitude in apologizing was good and sincere, “I’m really sorry. Brother, please don’t be mad anymore.”

Dealing with an apologetic and obedient Mo Di, it did not take long for Mu Tian Heng’s anger to be doused. Other being comforted, there was really nothing else he could say.

“You really know your mistake?”

“I know. I really do.” Mo Di responded with a series of repeated nodding, like a chicken pecking at rice. He had a good attitude in admitting his mistake even though Mu Tian Heng was not able to see it.

“Do you dare to do this the next time?”

“I dare not. I dare not.” Mo Di promised compliantly.

“In the future, if you found out something like this, you have to inform me, got it?”

“I get it. I will.”

Mu Tian Heng was mildly satisfied. But he was not completely worry-free. He said calmly: “I will ask Commissioner Wang to supervise this case and get a verdict asap. You stick with your roommates and classmates for the next few days and don’t go anywhere alone. Also, if you find out anything else, you can tell me or send me whatever that you’ve found. Get it?”

Mo Di agreed but thought to himself that he really did find out something else. It’s just that now was not a good time to reveal it yet.

After Mo Di and the others left the police station, the officers went directly to the school to apprehend Zhao Chun Cheng.

Mo Di was not in a hurry to return to school and witness Zhao Chun Cheng’s downfall. He wanted to invite everyone to dinner but they obviously did not have Mo Di’s honed mental capabilities to stomach the situation. They only wanted to go back and have a rest. 

“Let’s just put it aside for today. We’ll have this meal next time.” Sun Ru Ru waved her hand and said: “This event was too disgusting and also very stimulating. Whenever I think of that Zhao Chun Cheng I feel nauseated and even chilling.”

“He’s too heartless. Really!” Sun Ru Ru’s roommate said: “Don’t these frightening scenarios only happen in movies? This is too cruel. It’s not just disfigurement we’re talking about, you can actually go blind!”

Mo Di bought a few beverages and passed to each of them, “The world is big, what’s there that’s not possible. It’s fine.”

Seeing how calm and collected Mo Di was from the beginning till now, Sun Ru Ru and the others looked at each other and inadvertently thought back to Mo Di’s ex-family members….

It was indeed adversities that made one grow. Being able to calmly say ‘it’s fine’ after such an ordeal, they could tell what kind of storm he had weathered before.

None of them had the appetite so Mo Di did not force them. He noted down this favor and decided to treat them at a more appropriate time.

When they got back to the school compound, there were already murmurs of the police coming here to arrest a student trying to harm someone with sulfuric acid.

Lin Jun Feng and Sun Ru Ru who got the inside scoop quickly joined in the discussion and confirmed the fact to relieve their tension. They revealed the whole crime with details on who was involved and how the crime was committed, causing an uproar in the whole school.

And yet Mo Di, the central figure of the incident, did not pay much heed to this. As soon as he got back to his dorm, he brought his laptop to bed and closed the bed curtain.

In fact, he was curious about Zhao Chun Cheng’s motivation to commit this crime. He did not believe that he was simply bought by Mo San Zhi. 

Mo Di had Zhao Chun Cheng’s QQ and WeChat account information but after hacking into it, he could not find any chat logs between him and Mo San Zhi.

Mo Di suspected that he had a separate account and began his search. About an hour later, he finally found Zhao Chun Cheng’s hidden account. He accessed it and recovered the chat record which did prove what was expected…

Zhao Chun Cheng did come in contact with Mo San Zhi.

But Mo San Zhi was meticulous and cautious. Had Mo Di not overheard his talk through the hidden camera, he would not be able to ascertain he was the mastermind.

Mo Di then hacked into Mo San Zhi’s hidden account and recovered the chat logs as well. Next, Mo Di combined the information, which included the IP addresses of both Zhao Chun Cheng and Mo San Zhi’s hidden account and their chat records, and sent them to Mu Tian Heng.

Since he promised that he would inform Mu Tian Heng everything that he found, he would naturally follow through. More importantly, Mu Tian Heng was acquainted with Commissioner Wang. Having him pass the evidence to the upright commissioner would yield better results and also help to cover the fact that the evidence was obtained through hacking.

After sending the files, Mo Di pulled open his bed curtain, wanting to go to the toilet when he saw his three roommates staring at him from below. 

Mo Di was startled for a while.

“You guys…. What are you doing?”

“Xiao Di, you should not keep things bottled up. Don’t be scared. Don’t hold back if you feel like crying. We brothers will not laugh at you and we’ll protect you. Don’t just shut yourself in bed.” Xian Yu Chao said with a sincere expression.

“Xiao Di, I thought you were pretty calm at the police station but I didn’t think that you were still scared. Don’t be scared. Whoever wants to harm you, I will sit on them and crush them.” Lin Jun Feng proclaimed with might: “If there’s one, I’ll sit on one, if two came, I’ll crush the pair of them. This father will protect you from now on.”

“That’s right Xiao Di, don’t stay cooped up in bed and keep hitting the keyboard. How about we go for a ride? It’ll help ease up your mood.” Said Chen Zhao.

Mo Di: “…..”

“What wild thoughts are you guys having? I’m fine. I just had a few inspirations for my character designs and had to record it down immediately or else it’ll be forgotten.”

Mo Di got out of bed and strode to the bathroom, telling them as he went: “Thank you for your concern but I’m really fine. I’m going to the bathroom now, don’t follow me!”

Mo Di said the last three words in an assertive tone. The three who were behind him stopped on their track. They coughed awkwardly and found something to say: “Well then… Xiao Di, you should be pee with care!”

Mo Dis’ hand on his pants froze: “….”

What the hell is ‘pee with care’?!!

After flushing, Mo Di washed his hands and came out of the toilet. He said to the few who still had their eyes on him: “You guys should study, play, do some programming or coding. Stop staring at me. I’m really fine.”

Lin Jun Feng and the gang wanted to speak up but stayed quiet.

Finally, it was Xian Yu Chao who spoke: “Xiao Di, you’re sure you’re alright?”

“I’m really fine.” Mo Di climbed on his bed again and smiled at them: “Thank you but really, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Tucking in, he pulled the bed curtain and continued his investigation on Zhao Chun Cheng. As a result, through one of Zhao Chun Cheng’s deleted messages, Mo Di found that he had opened a bank account using his mother’s identifications.

There were no big deposits but suspiciously large amounts of internet loans.

Over the summer, Zhao Chun Cheng had been accumulating debts from several online money lending websites, and now, the interests had snowballed into a terrifying number. His current debt was over three hundred thousand yuan.

But for this few hundred thousand, he had tried to cause him harm? This was something he would not be able to understand. Just like he couldn’t understand those who kill after they have robbed or killing someone over an argument, and even killing for love. Sadly, these incidents were numerous.

Mo Di continued to trace Zhao Chun Cheng’s financial records to find out where he had spent the money, and again found another Weibo account. This account was very well hidden, almost seemingly had no ties to Zhao Chun Cheng, or even used in this city. The account was logged on with an IP address in the capital, but after that, the IP address was pinging all over the country and sometimes even abroad.

It appeared that Zhao Chun Cheng was getting more cautious in the later period. But the more cautious he was, the more suspicious it was.

Mo Di recovered all the information from the Weibo account and combed through the information. At one point, he hit a clue that he would never have guessed before.

There was an ongoing exchange of texts with another user, under the pretense of a joke, discussing methods of harming someone without getting caught. The person even gave details such as where to obtain sulfuric acid and other lethal substances, how to make an alibi, and also after cooperating with someone to carry out the crime, how to get rid of him to spare future troubles.

The messages sounded like two people with similar interests planning out the perfect crime.

Mo Di traced the other account and realized it was also not a fixed IP, but that did not mean it was infallible. In the end, it was just another batch of IPs provided by the operator. As long as one is willing to look, it can still be discovered.

It took another half an hour to pin the location of the account owner, which at this point, caused Mo Di to stiffen.

The IP address’s true location was in the most luxurious villa area of the capital: Emerald Sea Heaven.

That was where Qin Cheng Yi lived!

But what did this mean? It was impossible that all this was just a coincidence. There was no way Zhao Chun Cheng just happened to establish a friendship with a millionaire living in The Emerald Sea Heaven and discuss such topics at length. 

But then what would Qin Cheng Yi’s motive be? If he wanted to deal with him, why use Zhao Chun Cheng as well? And hid it under so many layers, and even at one point….

…he suggested how to get rid of the partner?

Qin Cheng Yi has an enmity towards Mo San Zhi?

But where did this enmity stem from? Mo San Zhi was Mo Liu Gui’s cousin and had always been devoted to helping her, why would Qin Cheng Yi set him up?

What was going on, a dogfight?!

Chapter 40

Thinking of how the oaf Lin Jun Feng had tear-inducingly scrubbed Chen Zhao and Xian Yu Chao’s back during their baths together, Mo Di shook his head relentlessly at him: “No need, I’ll do it myself. Have you guys waited long?”

“Hahaha, no, I’ve only just finished packing and spoke with Zhao Chun Cheng here a few words.” Lin Jun Feng patted his tummy and made a loud chortle that trembled with each pat.

Mo Di could not understand this newfound behavior of his. He bent to pick up his things and said to Lin Jun Feng and Zhao Chun Cheng: “Let’s go.”

Zhao Chun Cheng smiled and responded: “Alright, let’s go.”

Mo Di grinned briefly.

In actuality, Mo Di was not sure if Zhao Chun Cheng would be able to do anything just now, the timing was too short. He wanted to plan this out slowly as it went.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Chun Cheng was too eager to make him suffer.

The camera was connected to his phone and he saw very clearly that in the two minutes of his absence, Zhao Chun Cheng had swiftly changed his shampoo bottle.

He was curious about the bottle’s contents. If he were to switch it back… maybe he would be able to watch a good show.

Um, but he had to calm down. What if the bottle held something more dangerous than he had expected. This could cause irreplaceable damage were Zhao Chun Cheng to use it, and also make it difficult to pin this on the Mo family.

It was still better to take it one step at a time.

They had to walk almost through the whole school, passing the boy’s basketball court and also the girls’ dorm to reaching the bathhouse. 

Coincidentally, they met up with a familiar face at the girls’ dorm. 

“Hey! Juniors!” Sun Ru Ru was just coming out with her roommate when she saw them and called out: “Where are you going?”

“Bath House. Our dorm’s water pipe is broken.” Lin Jun Feng said bitterly, “Senior, we’re so miserable.”

“That’s indeed troublesome. Lately, our school has been undergoing a lot of renovations but it’s the first time a water pipe was hit, and you guys just got the short end of the stick.” Sun Ru Ru walked to them with a smile and said: “It should be fixed by tomorrow.”

“Senior, what’re you up to? The counselor is making you work again?” After Lin Jun Feng became the class monitor, he came to realize how busy the school committee was.

“No, we’re going to the supermarket.” Sun Ru Ru looked at Mo Di’s bath basket and made an “ah” sound. She grinned teasingly: “Little junior, you’re still using baby shampoo?”

“…” Mo Di: “It’s a raffle prize. It’s just a waste not to use it.”

“Being economical is of good quality.” Sun Ru Ru nodded with a smile. “Oh, I’ve also heard that this shampoo is really good for washing brushes.

“Brush? What brush?”

“Make-up brush, the kind that girls use. Not something you boys would understand.” Sun Ru Ru unscrewed her water bottle and took a sip, “it’s said that the shampoo does not damage the bristles while cleaning.”

Mo Di had no idea what to say, female makeup was like another science to him.

“It’s true. I’ve also heard this shampoo works really well.” Sun Ru Ru’s roommate said. “I wanted to give it a try but was worried that it was a hoax. After all, it’s not a professional makeup item.”

Sun Ru Ru pursed her lips, she looked at Mo Di and said: “Little junior… why don’t you lend us some to use and I’ll send you a red packet later?”

“We don’t need much, just enough to fill this bottle cap.” Sun Ru Ru held the mineral bottle cap out, “I’ll try it on the brush. If it works, I’ll buy a big bottle.”

Before Mo Di could refuse, Zhao Chun Cheng already opened his mouth for him. He said with slight anxiety: “No, that’s not good.”

“Why not? I’m not asking from you.”

Sun Ru Ru was a little embarrassed as she gave Zhao Chun Cheng an annoyed look. “I’m only asking for a small amount, and I’ll be giving the little junior a red packet later. I don’t intend to take advantage of him.”

“No… it’s not what I meant. Senior please don’t misunderstand.”

Zhao Chun Cheng was in an awkward situation after that, but he quickly dug his way out: “You can use mine. It’s also the same baby shampoo.”

“Why should I use yours? We’re not that familiar.” If Zhao Chun Cheng had told her right in the beginning to use his instead of Mo Di’s, she might still think he was interested in her but now…… she only felt inexplicably suspicious and annoyed with him. 

Mo Di eyed the two of them and instinctively felt he could manipulate this situation to his advantage.

Zhao Chun Cheng’s nervousness, was it because the little stunt that he pulled could easily be discovered in a non-foggy and less scented environment?

“It’s ok seniors. But I don’t want the red packet.”

Mo Di pretended to agree. He put his stuff on the ground and took out the shampoo bottle and said: “Senior, pass me the bottle cap.”

“Not too much, just a few drops will do.” Sun Ru Ru said as she handed him the cap.

“En.” Mo Di took the cap and opened the lid. After pouring a tiny amount, his brows suddenly creased. “Something’s wrong….. The shampoo seems to have gone bad.”

Sun Ru Ru: “What?”

Mo Di: “I think the shampoo is thinner. And…. the smell isn’t right, there’s a strange acidic odor. It was not like this the last time I used it.”

“Acidic odor? Even if it’s expired, it shouldn’t produce that smell.” Sun Ru Ru closed in to give it sniff, “tsk, it does smell a little sour.”

“Ha, don’t you guys think that’s quite frightening?” Sun Ru Ru’s roommate suddenly laughed and said: “I’ve watched a horror movie about two sisters competing for status and one actually poured sulfuric acid into the other’s shampoo while she was washing. As a result, she used it and screamed bitterly! Just think how painful that was!”

“Ai, let’s not talk about this.” Zhao Chun Cheng interrupted. His face was a little unnatural. “Since the shampoo is spoilt, just throw it away. Mo Di, you can use mine later.”

“I don’t think I should throw it. It’s unlikely that this shampoo had expired. The acidic smell is definitely a problem.” Mo Di put the bottle back in his bag, “I think I need to get some explanation from the supermarket.” 

Zhao Chun Cheng was acting even more abnormal. “What’s there to ask about. Didn’t you get this for free? If you went there to ask, they’ll just think you’re making trouble.”

“Why would they think that my family’s Xiao Di is making trouble? We can’t even ask? It’s not like we’re demanding a new bottle or anything.” Lin Jun Feng was getting uncomfortable with Zhao Chun Cheng: “I find that today you’re particularly targeting my family’s Xiao Di.”

“I don’t think to do this is causing trouble.” Mo Di looked at Zhao Chun Cheng and said: “Are you misunderstanding something?”

“What could I possibly misunderstand.”

Mo Di said: “I said I wanted an explanation, not to blame them. I just wanted to ask if they knew about this and also as a reminder for them to check their goods and see if there’s another batch with the same problem.”

“Oh you’re quite outspoken.” Zhao Chun Cheng’s face was turning pale by the minute. “But is there really a need for this, just throw it away.”

“After I have a talk with the people at the supermarket, of course, I’ll throw it away. Why would I keep it when it’s obviously spoilt.” Mo Di turned to Sun Ru Ru and said: “Senior, I’ll go with you to the supermarket, I’ll have to get a new shampoo anyway.”

“I want to come too.” Lin Jun Feng hurriedly said.

“Then …I’ll go take a bath first.” Zhao Chun Cheng was obviously relieved when he heard that Mo Di was going to throw out that bottle of shampoo, but his eyes were still uneasy as he left with his things.

Zhao Chun Cheng was no longer in the mood for a bath. He walked back to his dorm, preparing his report to that person.

He did not understand how things could get so out of hand. His plan was foolproof and he had always been meticulous!

Even knowing that his fingerprints would be erased after washing, he still wore gloves when handling the bottles, there was no way to trace that he was the one who switched them out. Mo Di would not be able to accuse him even if he took it to the police.

In the worst-case scenario that the police found that the shampoo was his, he could still claim that Mo Di was the one who mistook their bottles. Regarding the sulfuric acid inside, he could attribute it to someone else trying to cause him harm. 

Were the police to check up his testimony, they would find that he did have an ongoing feud with Lu Ding Zhou, an old chemistry classmate who was also studying here at Jing Da. Maybe he could even take advantage of this situation to drag Lu Ding Zhou into trouble. Fittingly, Lu Ding Zhou also majored in chemistry and thus, had easy access to chemicals and such. Moreover, he even visited him this morning at his dorm and they got into a heated argument.

This is killing two birds with one stone!

No matter how things unfold, he should be cleared of suspicion. It’s just that this time, Mo Di got away unscathed and he would be more vigilant in the future. That was just too …unpredictable!

Mo Di’s luck was just too good!

After Zhao Chun Cheng left, Lin Jun Feng was not only unhappy but felt a little odd: “Zhao Chun Cheng is a little weird today.”

“How could he not be?” Mo Di took out his phone and his face was frigid: “Later when the police arrived, please be my witness. You only have to tell the truth of how Zhao Chun Cheng was acting.”

“What’s going on? Why are the police involved?!” Lin Jun Feng’s expression changed drastically.

“Because I know that he actually switched my shampoo bottle.” Mo Di slowly unlocked his phone and explained briefly in a calm voice: “At first I thought that he was just being frugal, switching his half-used bottle with my newer one so I wasn’t planning to make a big deal out of this. But then just now I realized that there was something amiss with this shampoo and it was not just a simple swap.”

“Sh*t! Zhao Chun Cheng that motherf**ker!” Lin Jun Feng was both aghast and infuriated, “He did something to the shampoo?!!”

“My god.” Sun Ru Ru also turned pale: “No wonder he was acting so strange and refused to let little junior give me some.”

“Could it possibly be … sulfuric acid?” Sun Ru Ru’s roommate grimaced at everyone in horror and said: “For real? I guessed right?!”

“We’ll know after we checked it.” Mo Di dialed 110 but the line was busy (TN:???? That’s really what the author wrote). He said to the others: “Can we… go to the nearby police station together? I’ll treat everyone to dinner after this.”

Chapter 39

Mo Di hung up the phone with a heavy heart.

He could not ascertain if Zhao Chun Cheng had ulterior motives but he was definitely suspicious.

Also …

If Zhao Chun Cheng wanted to harm him, what would he do to his shampoo and thermos? Poison? Or sulfuric acid?!

Mo Di pondered for two seconds before turning off the surveillance and opened a well-known online shopping site. He searched for a camera that was less inconspicuous as it could be bought easily without Mu Tian Heng’s help.

Later that night, when Mo Di was almost done with the new game’s details and script, only then did Mu Tian Heng came back.

“Sorry I came back late today.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair gently. “Have you had dinner yet? How about I take you out for supper?”

“I’ve eaten. Brother, are you particularly busy lately?” Mo Di could clearly see that Mu Tian Heng was tired. There were even dark circles under his eyes.

“It is quite a busy time. To stabilize the company here, a little hard work is inevitable.” Mu Tian Heng took a look at the time and said: “Would you like to go out for supper with me?”

“Brother, you haven’t had dinner, right? It’s not good to always eat out. Let me make you something to eat.” Mo Di put aside his laptop, wanting to go to the kitchen but was stopped by Mu Tian Heng.

Mu Tian Heng was beaming when he looked at Mo Di, “No need. I’ll do it myself. There’s also takeout. You’re busy working on your games recently. There’s rarely a free day so you should have more rest.”

“I’m not tired, and cooking for my brother is even less tiring. This can be considered as my break.” Mo Di insisted. “Brother, you have not tasted my cooking yet. I’m a pretty good cook as well. I’ll give you a try today.”

That said, Mo Di bent down to pick up the furball that was circling around Mu Tian Heng’s feet and put it in his arms. “Brother, you keep Suan Suan accompanied. Just leave the kitchen to me. You can’t object, and you can’t help either, otherwise, Suan Suan will be unhappy.”

A storm was raging in Mu Tian Heng’s heart as he looked at Mo Di’s little domineering attitude and the decree that was for his own good. He reached to touch Mo Di’s hair and said: “Alright. When my family’s little one is this ferocious, I really dare not go against him. I’ll obey.” 

Mo Di’s face was heated, he gave a slight cough, “I’ll go to the kitchen then .”

But when he turned to leave, Mu Tian Heng was following behind him.

“Didn’t you promise not to help in the kitchen?” Mo Di frowned. “You can’t just turn back on your words.”

“I meant what I said. I’m just going to admire our little Mo Di’s valiant skills.” Mu Tian Heng looked at Mo Di fondly. “If you can’t even approve my tiny request then it’s just too pitiful for me.”

“Wh…what’s there to pity? How can that word even be used in this situation?” Mo Di’s temperature increase, he dared not look directly at Mu Tian Heng. He turned around and strode off, stuttering: “If…if you want to watch th… then go ahead.”

Mu Tian Heng witnessed Mo Di’s shyness and couldn’t help but smiled and shook his head. He then followed him at a leisure pace.

His little one was just too amusing to tease. How cute.

Mo Di only made three dishes: stir-fried lotus root, braised chicken wings, and fish-flavored tofu. Each dish was full of fragrance and mouth-watering colors. 

Mu Tian Heng was not expecting Mo Di to be this skillful and adept. After his bewilderment, there was also a sense of endearment. 

But he kept a cool expression.

After all, whatever he said would negatively affect their moods.

Mu Tian Heng held his chopsticks and picked up a piece of attractive golden tofu and took a bite.

The rich and delicious tofu slipped down his throat. The fresh and tender tofu seasoned with fragrant fish sauce jolted his taste buds. From his mouth to his stomach, warmth and comfort cascaded in with each bite. 

Mu Tian Heng sighed in satisfaction as he got hungrier. He smiled at Mo Di and said: “This is too delicious. It’s only making me hungrier. I feel like I can sweep all this cleanly.” 

“I’m glad you like it.” Mo Di smiled as he brought Mu Tian Heng rice and a bowl of oatmeal and millet soup. “Brother, please dig in.”

“Stop busying yourself, come and eat with me.” Mu Tian Heng pulled out the chair next to him. “Come sit here.”

“Ok. But I’ll just have few nibbles. I already had dinner earlier.” Mo Di came over with a small bowl and picked up Suan Suan who had been grabbing the bottom of his pants.

Suan Suan let out a baby whimper and the tiny body pounced onto the table.

“You can’t eat these.” Mo Di chuckled and pulled Suan Suan away from the food. But the fluffball refused to sit still. Its front paws remained outstretched and the eyes stayed on the food. It then turned its head back to Mo Di, then back to the food, as if saying: I want food, quickly give it to me.

Mo Di laughed harder. He rubbed Suan Suan’s head, “you glutton!”

Mu Tian Heng was also laughing, “Little Suan Suan looks pitiful. Now I feel bad for eating this.” Then, he picked up a piece of the braised chicken and put it in his mouth.

Suan Suan exclaimed: “Awooo!” 

Mo Di the mediator went to get some doggie snacks for Suan Suan to have fun with. Suan Suan had his food and finally quietened down. As he chomped on his food, he turned to give Mu Tian Heng a ‘don’t envy me, I also have food’ look. 

Mu Tian Heng smiled at Mo Di and said: “Is this Suan Suan going to reach another level of cultivation?”

…

The next day, Mo Di finalized the script and setting for the new game and sent it to Pang Qiang Lang and Han Chao.

Pang Qiang Lang and Han Chao were fired up after they received the information.

Pang Qiang Lang: ah ah ah ah ah Infinite flow pathfinding. I love it! I love it! This script is just incredible! It’s a bomb! (TN: I’m not sure the correct translation for the game genre 无限流闯关 so I just used the direct google translation. If anyone knows a better translation, please tell me, I’m not familiar with gaming terms)

Han Chao: I love this! I want to play this! Now!!!

Mo Di: We’ll all play when it’s done [smiley]

Pang Qiang Lang: There are so many identities to choose from. I played a very popular infinite flow game before but there are a lot less playable characters. And the plots are mostly fixed. Even playing with another character, the outcome did not change much. But your game, Xiao Di…. each role has great autonomy and the flow of the plot will deviate through multiple possibilities. I think this will take a lot of thinking and effort to write the program. Several times more advanced than our previous game.

Mo Di: It’s ok, our next step has always been to do our best.

Han Chao: I only read several pages and it moved me to tears.

Han Chao: I love the ability to get different skills throughout the plot, and with this, the storyline will further open up. This is just too grand with so many NPCs and characters to choose from, each with their own skill sets. There are so many possibilities! This will be so fun, I really love it!

Pang Qiang Lang: but making this will be much more tedious. I don’t think we can finish this anytime before the third elimination round. No, it’s not even that, I don’t think we’ll even have one-fifth of it done.

Mo Di: No worries. The new version of Xin Wei Dao should be fine and we can leave it aside. The big final rounds only begin near the end of November, so we’ll have more than two months to work on this.

Mo Di: I’ll try to finish about a quarter to a third of it by the beginning of December.

Pang Qiang Lang: Ha? But if we can’t finish it, how are we going to join the competition?!

Mo Di sent a voice memo instead of typing: “It’ll be fine.”

Mo Di: I heard from a reliable source that for the finals, the games do not have to be perfectly completed. As long as we have a good foundation for the game, we can still make improvements and changes to it during the competition.

When the competition progressed to that stage, the teams would be moved to the official base and work under the camera, bringing a closer sense of familiarity and raising enthusiasm in the audience.

Pang Qiang Lang: Are you certain? Is this trustworthy?

Mo Di: Yes, it’s certain.

Han Chao: This game is wonderful, it’s just like a novel. Xiao Di, you did a great job planning this out. But if this is the case, I’m afraid we can’t accept the revenue for this game. Even one percent is too much.

Pang Qiang Lang: That’s right. It’ll make me guilty.

Mo Di smiled and typed: You guys are very important as the leading members. Have confidence in yourself.

Han Chao: Anyway, just don’t give me too much or I can’t sleep at night. Moreover, this game will require more money to make than the last, and you’re always the one having to pay the most. It just doesn’t make sense that we always take advantage of you.

Mo Di thought and said: Five percent for each of you, and one percent for each of the new artists. I’ve already written the contract, you guys better not refuse.

Han Chao: That’s ten percent for us, that’s too much!

Pang Qiang Lang: Although I love money…. This is not right! I won’t take it!”

Mo Di was firm: I said it’s fine. My total share is eighty percent. The remaining amount will be given to the future members and my brother. 

Pang Qiang Lang was shocked: Your brother?! You mean Mu Tian Heng?

Mo Di: Yes. He had helped me out a lot. 

Honestly, he wanted to give more to Mu Tian Heng but was worried that it would sow discord with the members. So for now, this would have to do. When his company was established, he would give Mu Tian Heng his shares.

In the afternoon, Mo Di signed an agreement with the members. He also explained the specific tasks and schedules to be completed each week. After that, he went back to school.

It was already late September but the temperature was still humid. The last few days’ temperatures were abnormally high.

Mo Di was drenched in sweat when he got back to the dorm. He wanted to take a shower but realized that the water supply was cut.

“It’s been cut for more than a day now.” Chen Zhao patted Mo Di’s shoulder to comfort him. “Let’s go to the bathhouse. We’ve been doing that for the past two days, wash and scrub with the brothers.”

Mo Di had no choice. He did not like using the bathhouse but there was no other way. He went to the bathroom to gather the shampoo and other bath supplies, then to the cupboard to get his change of clothes.

“Xiao Di, wait for me, this father will come as well.” Lin Jun Feng poked his head from the balcony, “I want to take a bath too.”

“Mo Di, you guys are going to the bathhouse?” A voice suddenly came through the ajar dorm door.

It was Zhao Chun Cheng.

“I want to go as well, shall we go together?” Zhao Chun Cheng had his upper body in the door and smiled at Mo Di.

Mo Di eyed Zhao Chun Cheng for a while before smiling back and said: “Ok.”

He then casually placed the camera disguised as a USB drive into his shampoo bag and put them on the stool near the door with the clothes at the bottom and the bag of bathing supplies on top. “Lin Jun Feng is still packing his stuff. I have to use the toilet, why don’t you come in first?”

“No need, no need. You go.” Zhao Chun Cheng waved his hand in courtesy and said: “It occurred to me that I forgot to pack my underwear, I have to go back and get it.”

Zhao Chun Cheng went back to his dorm in the opposite direction and closed the door.

Mo Di went back to his room and entered the toilet. He played with his phone for a few minutes before coming out again.

Lin Jun Feng already had his things in hand and was chatting with Zhao Chun Cheng at the door. He saw Mo Di came out and waved to him: “Let’s go Xiao Di, let’s help each other scrub and wash!”

Chapter 38

“Well, I have some in my thermos. You can use it later.” Xian Yu Chao said to Zhao Chun Cheng.

“Thank you.”

After saying his thanks, Zhao Chun Cheng went to use the bathroom. When he came out, he went to where Mo Di was standing to get the thermos.

“Ai ai ai, not that one. That’s Mo Di’s. Mine is the one with the blue band and sun motif.” Seeing Zhao Chun Cheng almost took the wrong bottle, Xian Yu Chao stopped him in time.

“Sorry.” Zhao Chun Cheng smiled awkwardly and went over to Xian Yu Chao’s bed to get the thermos. He randomly picked a topic and said: “I saw there are several types of shampoos in your bathroom. You guys seemed quite particular about this. Everyone in my dorm just shares a bottle of Rejoice.”

“It’s not that many, we only have three types.” Lin Jun Feng said as he climbed onto the bed, causing it to shake momentarily. “What I use is the Clear promotion pack from the supermarket which Salted Fish shamelessly uses as well. Chen Zhao that stinker uses some sort of foreign brand of men’s shampoo. Ai, every one of them just makes this father worry ….”

“Then the Beike bottle is Mo Di’s? Isn’t that a children’s shampoo?” Zhao Chun Cheng laughed and said.

“That’s because he’s too thrifty. That bottle was something he won from a supermarket raffle which he just didn’t want to waste.” Lin Jun Feng said and then sighed: “I suddenly feel a pain in my chest. Xiao Di is so thrifty and he still sent us red packets which we just accepted.”

Xian Yu Chao clicked his tongue twice and said: “Don’t pretend to be decent, you gambling king!”

“Let’s treat Xiao Di to some food when he gets back then.” Chen Zhao said: “How about the self-service BBQ place behind our school?”

The three held a meeting on how to treat Mo Di. Zhao Chun Cheng stood to one side and after a while, unable to join in, left with Xian Yu Chao’s thermos.

…

Meanwhile, Mo Di went to see Pang Qiang Lang and Han Chao right after he left the dorm.

Because of the pressure from Mo Di, Pang Qiang Lang finally made up his mind to have an upfront conversation with his parents. In exchange for enduring a soft beating, he was given a year of total freedom. He now lived in Han Chao’s rented apartment near his university.

“You’ll never guess how mad my mom was. You only saw her lady-like demeanor right? When she gets mad, it was almost like the earth exploding, no, more like the universe exploding!” Pang Qiang Lang pulled up his sleeve, “See, my mom gave me this with a clothes hanger.”

“…” Mo Di looked at the pinkish scratch mark and thought to himself without any sympathy: how light.

“Hai…” after Pang Qiang Lang was done with his complaints, he huddled his legs on the sofa and started eating watermelon.

“But the good thing is she eventually agreed and gave me a year to achieve something with my art and earn four hundred thousand, if not I’ll be shoved right back to high school immediately. Even if I’m super overaged, I’ll have to repeat until I can pass the College Entrance Exam! That’s why Xiao Di, to me, you’re extremely important! In this competition, we have to advance and at least get a good ranking at all costs. If not, I’ll be very very miserable.”

Han Chao at this moment suddenly yelled at him: “Pang Qiang Lang you’re dripping watermelon juice all over the sofa! And put down your legs!” 

Pang Qiang Lang looked down and saw two red droplets of watermelon stains. He quickly put down his legs and said apologetically: “I’ll wash it for you tonight, ok?”.”

Ai, it’s pitiful to depend on others. In this one year, he has to make his mark!

“Therefore making a good game is very important for our group. For the next few months, we should give it our all.” Mo Di assumed the role of a veteran leader giving his team a prep talk, he looked at the other two and said: “After this update for Xin Wei Dao, it should be able to pass the second and third elimination rounds, but after that, using it to move forward could prove to be very difficult. So the day after tomorrow, we’ll start work on the new game. I’ll be sending you guys the documents tomorrow.”

“What’s the new game like?” Pang Qiang Lang was fired up: “Is it still this kind of online game?!”

“It’s not the same but you’ll know tomorrow.”

Mo Di took a notebook out of his bag: “What we need to do now is to recruit new members. Didn’t you guys pick out a few games with a good art style from the two hundred teams that passed the audition? Amongst them, six were eliminated and I have contacted the artists of these teams. Three of them expressed their interest in joining us. So you’re going to have new teammates. Here’s their information, you should try to get acquainted.”

Mo Di handed the notebook to Pang Qiang Lang and said: “After the three new members joined, the design team will take shape. So between the two of you, one has to be the leader and designate tasks accordingly. This role, which of you is willing to take?”

“I want to do it!” Pang Qiang Lang slapped his thighs, “but I know I’m not suitable to be a team leader, so…so Han Chao should be the one.”

“Um… I can try.” Han Chao although a little reserved, would never shirk his responsibilities.

“Ok.” in fact, Mo Di also agreed that Han Chao was more reliable as a team leader. There will be more programmers joining us in the future. I’ll keep you guys informed.”

“Our team is really frugal in both labor and costs.” Han Chao said with a smile. “Producer, planner, director, head hunter, Xiao Di, all these are on you. Only the illustrations and testing are done by others. You alone make up eighty percent of the work, we’re really guilty about this.”

“Don’t be. You guys are also crucial to the team. And I will need everyone’s help with the sequence for the upcoming game. And the testing as well.” Mo Di smiled as he checked the memo on his phone. “I’ve already had some interactions with the three new members. They’re quite decent, you guys should get along pretty well. As for the other miscellaneous parts, I’ll outsource them.”

Besides, they were not at the phase of the competition that required them to be isolated. The voice dubbing, sound effects, and other team members, he could take his time to source out the most suitable candidates which he preferred over getting shoddy ones.

“Ok. We’ll follow your lead. When will we sign our next contract?” Han Chao asked.

“Let’s do it tomorrow.” Mo Di looked at the time on his phone then put it away, “that’s it for the main points. If there is nothing else, then I’ll be leaving. See you guys at the same place tomorrow.”

“Don’t you wanna eat something here?” Pang Qiang Lang threw away the watermelon peel and said with a disapproving look: “Why are you in such a hurry to go back? Are you going back to see that old….old man?”

Pang Qiang Lang maintained his calm but was breathing a sigh of relief inside. He almost let it slip.

“…” Mo Di: “Don’t give others improper nicknames. He’s only twenty-eight, how is he old?”

“Twenty-eight is not old? He’s older than you by eleven years!” Pang Qiang Lang retort with concern.

Mo Di felt ridiculous, “Being eleven years older than me does not mean that he is old. Why are you only old-fashioned in regard to this?”

“I really have to go now. I have to go over the details and settings for the new game when I get back, otherwise, I won’t be able to give it to you guys in time.”

Pang Qiang Lang swallowed back whatever else he wanted to say.

Forget it. Maybe his head was filled with rubbish and that was why he was overthinking this? Mu Tian Heng is co capable and talented, he shouldn’t be that animalistic…. right?

Mu Tian Heng was not back when Mo Di came back to the villa. He coolly picked up Suan Suan who had been frisking about at his feet non stop. He went back to his study room to work over the details of the new game.

Suan Suan laid obediently on his lap, acting like a soft and fluffy hand warmer. It gazed at Mo Di with its black round eyes and wagged its tail joyously.

After completing a tenth of his task, Mo Di abruptly remembered that he did not monitor the Mo family’s activities for the past two days. He opened his laptop and brought up the surveillance two days ago.

Mo Di put on his headphones and fast forward until the screen shifted from daytime to nighttime when Mo Liu Gui and Mo Wu Hang appeared in the corridor outside his old room. They both had a troubled look.

“Anyway, I hate this about him very much. Who does he think he is to have so much control over me. He even got someone to monitor me!” Mo Liu Gui’s voice was faintly heard from the headset.

“Qin Cheng Yi is indeed at fault for this but he’s just trying to protect you. Xiao Gui, didn’t you see how many men approached you since you started school? They’re just a bunch of toads wanting to eat swan meat. They deserved to be kicked out of school.”

After Mo Wu Hang had broken his nose twice, although the nasal bone had grown back, it was still slightly crooked. With this, he would no longer be able to charm any more girls with his sunshine and elegant looks.

“Fifth brother, if you help him say any more good things, I will ignore you!” 

“Ok ok ok, I won’t say it anymore. But Qin Cheng Yi should really get someone to watch that animal, find a chance to give him a beating, and kill him.”

Mo Liu Gui slowed her steps and said with some agitation: “It’s not right to monitor Xiao Di, fifth brother, don’t talk nonsense.”

…

After that, the two of them were out of the frame and the sound gradually muted. Mo Di was not looking good. He fast-forwarded the recording but there was nothing else that was informative.

Mo Di closed the window for this camera and opened the one in Mo San Zhi’s room.

This time, the useful information came even later. Near the end of the recording, Mo Di saw Mo San Zhi and Mo Wu Hang entered the screen. 

“Third brother, you’re sure that Song Yu’s arrival here was that animal’s doing?”

“Correct. I found that Song Yu’s nephew is in the same class as Mo Di. It has to be that garbage’s scheme!”

Mo San Zhi, with an unshaven face, ground his teeth: “Song Yu had never suspected a thing before. He was also easy to deal with. It must be that animal’s handiwork. He tried to harm me! I have to kill him!”

“We should’ve just beat him to death when he was young! If it weren’t for Xiao Gui’s kindness, stopping us every time we teach that thing a lesson, he would be dead or disabled by now! How can he be this aggressive and vicious?!” Mo Wu Hang was indignant, “but now, it’s not wise for us to lay a hand on him. He’s no longer a Mo, beating him up is not just simply a family feud anymore.

“It’s ok. I have a way.” Mo San Zhi scoffed. “I want him to be worse than me tens and thousands of times.”

“Third brother, what are you planning?”

“Mo Di’s surrounding is not an iron plate, sooner or later, something will happen.”

“Third brother…” Mo Wu Hang stared at him in astonishment, “did you bribe someone?”

“Don’t ask anymore. More words, more mistakes. You’ll know when the result is out.” Mo San Zhi laid down on the bed: “Well then, you should go back to your room now.”

Mo Wu Hang was still curious but seeing Mo San Zhi’s irritative mood, he decided to leave in the end.

…

The footage ended. 

Mo Di’s eyes were cold. He played the last two minutes of dialogues over and over again.

“Not an iron plate…” What did he mean by this?

Was Mo San Zhi planning to use the people around him to get to him?

Mo Di was furious and disgusted but he kept his cool. Now there were only three groups of people that he was in contact with. Mu Tian Heng and Lai De Si, he completely trusted the two of them and they could be excluded from any suspicion. The second group was his roommates, and the third group was the game production team.

In these two groups of people, he believed in the character of Xian Yu Chao, Lin Jun Feng, Chen Zhao, Pang Qiang Lang, and Han Chao, so they could also be excluded for the time being. But still, he would not put his guard down. As for the rest of the school and the three new artists, he would have to be hyper-vigilant against them.

According to Mo San Zhi’s motive, the person had to be someone who could have a lot of contact with him. This further eliminated another batch that left the two seniors, Zhao Qing Gong and Sun Ru Ru, the instructor Liu Chao He, the library administrator, Teacher Sun, and also…

Zhao Chun Cheng who repeatedly wanted to talk to him.

Mo Di’s eyes changed focus as he realized something was amiss. 

He seemed to have overlooked a small detail this morning.

When Zhao Chun Cheng came to borrow their bathroom and water, his line of sight was always on Mo Di and his living area. His bed, his chair, and table, all seemed particularly interesting to him.

Mo Di immediately pulled out his phone to call Xian Yu Chao and the gang.

“Old Han, where are you?”

“Ah? I’m in our Go club. Why? You want to come back?” Xian Yu Chao’s side was quite rowdy.

“No, I just wanted to ask you something. Did Zhao Chun Cheng say anything about me or do anything after I left? Why did he text me an apology on WeChat?”

“Ha? ! No there was nothing in particular. He just went to use the bathroom and then borrowed some water.” Xian Yu Chao was baffled. After mulling over, he said: “Oh, when he knew that you use Baike shampoo, he said that it’s a kid’s brand. And after that, he almost took your thermos by mistake. But this is not worth mentioning, why would he apologize to you?”

“Perhaps he was too polite. Apologizing over this little thing. It’s alright.” Mo Di smiled, “but old Han, what I just asked, can you don’t talk about it. This just makes people think that I’m petty and Zhao Chun Cheng would be scared to hang around.”
“Don’t worry, why would I even spread this? Oh no, oh no, I’m busy here. Xiao Di, I can’t talk to you anymore, bye!”

Chapter 37

The Mo family’s shares fell again, and Mo San Zhi…

He was completely left in the dust.

Known as a passionate and gentleman in his previous life, touching countless women’s hearts countrywide and Hua Xia’s visionary designer Mo San Zhi, was never to rise again.

Truly a delightful event.

Mo Di was in such a good mood that even Lai De Si could tell by just looking. He asked curiously: “Little Mo Di, what are you so happy about?”

“Oh, the results of the first elimination round in the game competition are to be announced soon. Of course, I’m happy.” Mo Di replied with a poker-face.

“Ok then….can you lend Suan Suan to me for a while? “ Lai De Si was coveting the white fluffy Suan Suan in Mo Di’s embrace.

“I’m afraid for now it’s not possible. Suan Suan is still not familiar with you, he’ll be scared if you hold him.”

“No that won’t happen. I’m just going to hug him for a little while. Just a short while!” Lai De Si came to Mo Di’s side.

“You just don’t believe me…” Mo Di sighed and tried to put Suan Suan next to Lai De Si. As it turned out before he even let go, Suan Suan’s tiny body shook and the furry little paws scratched his arms frenziedly, trying to drill back into his body.

Mo Di was quite touched. He quickly took Suan Suan back and rubbed his small head. He coaxed: “good Suan Suan, good boy, don’t be afraid. There’s nothing to be scared….” 

Then he turned to Lai De Si and said: “See, I wasn’t lying to you. Let’s give it a couple more days. After two days, when he’s familiar with you, you can try to hold him again.”

When Lai De Si wanted to say something else, Mu Tian Heng came over with a cup of fresh grape juice and passed it to Mo Di. He then fished Suan Suan up with his long arm and said: “I’ll hold him for a bit while you drink the juice.”

“!” Lai De Si was provoked. “Wait! Why isn’t Suan Suan afraid of him?!”

“Because Suan Suan is already familiar with me. Too bad he’s just unfamiliar with you.” Mu Tian Heng smiled and said.

Lai De Si was pissed. He pounded his head on the sofa.

“I can’t live out my days anymore. Everyone, including the dog, is bullying me!”

Mo Di finished his sweet and sour grape juice finally comforted him with some humane words: “He’ll open up to you sooner or later. It might even be tomorrow.”

“Wan woo~”

Suan Suan felt the familiar scent as he laid in Mu Tian Heng’s embrace comfortably. His paws curled up and his eyes narrowed, then he made a baby whimper.

“Look, Suan Suan is also comforting you.” Mo Di smiled.

Lai De Si raised his brows and sulked at Mo Di and Suan Suan: “Although I’m a big-hearted man, now I’m hurt. I don’t want to talk to you people anymore.”

“Ignore him.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair lightly: “The host already started to announce the name list, let’s watch.” He then picked up the remote control and turned up the volume.

Mo Di quickly shifted his focus. The host on the stage was opening the envelope handed over by the staff. He then began to introduce the games that had passed the test one by one. Just like in the audition round, the HD screen behind the hosts will broadcast a short trailer for the game at the same time its title was introduced. 

But this time, the games received a better treatment with almost a minute of allocated introduction time.

Mo Di’s Xin Wei Dao passed without incident. It even received ninety seconds of screen time which could be considered a luxury treatment. In the one hundred games that passed, only eighteen games received such an honor.

“Brother, in your opinion, do you think that our game is safe from elimination even in the next round?” Mo Di asked Mu Tian Heng as he noted down the numbers of the other outstanding games along with their strengths and weaknesses. 

“If everything goes well, this should be the case. But it’s still hard to say. After the broadcast, the other competitors most likely won’t be sitting ducks. If they see that the other games are way ahead of them, they may make dramatic improvements. If you guys relied too much on your past achievements, it could be risky.”

Mu Tian Heng took a pen and jotted down several numbers on Mo Di’s notebook, “The elimination rate for this competition is particularly high. The audition alone only accepted less than one percent of the applicants which was two hundred titles. And this first elimination had knocked out another fifty percent with only one hundred teams remaining. The next round should cut off another forty to fifty percent which will result in roughly fifty to sixty teams left. And the one after that might only leave thirty teams around. Therefore, you have to constantly stay in the lead.”

“Isn’t the elimination a little too severe?” Lai De Si was lying on his back and snacking from the tea-table. “What are they planning? Leave behind a dozen or fewer teams then film a live broadcast of game making? Otherwise, this competition won’t last long.”

Mo Di glanced at Lai De Si and thought: You’re absolutely right.

In every Hua Xia Innovative game competition that was held, after the third knockout round, the remaining teams were invited to stay in a castle-styled villa where they would carry out their game making routines. From time to time, a camera crew would come in to film their everyday activities to broadcast, quite alike a variety show.

And thanks to this, there was a new wave of fans admiring the game makers for their appearance, character, or talent. This would also help to promote the game and competition as a whole.

Although the fandom alone would not be able to determine the team’s victory, it could sway the investors and the competition’s judging committee. After all, games were made for the masses and popularity is never a bad thing.

Mo Di closed his laptop and said to Mu Tian Heng: “I will continue to improvise the upcoming version of Xin Wei Dao and it has to be done by this month. We’ll start to work on the new game next month.”

“Good plan.” Mu Tian Heng looked at him with gentle eyes. He was very fond of the focused and enthusiastic Mo Di. The brilliance and passion in his eyes were truly alluring.

“But you have to pay attention to your health. You can’t stay up late like before.”

“En.” Mo Di smiled and nodded.

“Also, I have something important to tell you.” Mu Tian Heng said suddenly.

“What is it, brother?” Mo Di looked at Mu Tian Heng.

“It’s about Suan Suan’s name.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Suan Suan’s tender belly and raised his tiny head towards Mo Di, “Don’t you think it’s missing something?”

“What’s missing?” Mo Di smiled at the round and glistening eyes of the puppy and the little legs that were waving at him. He reached out and hugged him. “Isn’t the name Suan Suan good enough?”

“No. The name itself is good but he doesn’t have a surname yet. Do you think he should be Mo or Mu?” Mu Tian Heng asked with a gentle smile.

“Mo…. Mu?” Mo Di gazed into Mu Tian Heng’s teasing eyes and somehow, there was ‘buzzing’ in his head and he blushed.

“What the hell?!” Lai De Si who was laying dormant all this time suddenly flopped like a fish and stood up. He grabbed Mu Tian Heng’s clothes: “Please have some dignity even if you’re a beast. Quickly get out of the kid’s sight!”

Mu Tian Heng did not retaliate Lai De Si’s tackle and let him drag him upstairs. As he was leaving, he smiled and said: “Truth is I saw that you were too uptight so I just wanted you to relax a little. Don’t bury your head in the competition all the time. Little one, don’t worry too much.” 

“…” Mo Di’s face turned a darker shade of red.

The following day, Mo Di returned to Jing Da.

Arriving at the classroom, Mo Di received several complaints from Xian Yu Chao and the gang.

“Xiao Di, did something happen? You didn’t come back last night. Did you have too much fun outside and forgot about us?” Xian Yu Chao put his arm around Mo Di’s shoulder.

“Exactly. This father is very upset. The child is all grown up, he doesn’t think about home anymore.” Lin Jun Feng shed invisible tears for the vicissitudes of life.

“My little uncle wanted to invite you for dinner yesterday but you never came back.” Chen Zhao interrupted: “Did you know my uncle came to the dorm yesterday?”

“Uncle Song came to our dorm?” Mo Di was a little surprised.

“Yes. One was to visit me, two was to see you so we could go out for a meal but it turned out to be an empty trip.” Chen Zhao shrugged.

“I’d like to treat Uncle Song to a meal whenever he’s available.” Mo Di said apologetically: “but in the next half month, I might not have the time.”

“Why? Didn’t your game pass the elimination round? The next round is in another half month.”

“I can’t be complacent. I have to constantly update and enrich the game. And also…” Mo Di’s voice was cut off and he cast an unobtrusive glance at the back door. 

“And what?” Xian Yu Chao patted Mo Di on the shoulder: “Xiao Di, don’t make me nervous, why did you stop halfway?”

“Nothing. I just had a sudden thought.” Mo Di smiled but his heart was heavy.

He certainly felt someone eyeing him and that the look was definitely ill-intended.

“Then go on.” the simple Xian Yu Chao did not sense anything wrong with Mo Di.

“Anyway, I’m very busy lately.” Mo Di did not explain much and took out his textbook, “I have to study, to make games, I even have to go home and raise a puppy.”

“Che….” Xian Yu Chao was speechless. “I thought you were going to say something out of the ordinary like dating or something.”

“You bad child stay away” Lin Jun Feng gave Xian Yu Chao a push. He pinched his throat and spoke in a shrill voice: “If you want to do bad things, do it yourself. Don’t drag our Xiao Di into it. Our Xiao Di is still a baby!”

Immediately after, Xian Yu Chao pulled up his collar and acted like a tyrant speaking to the common people: “Today I just have to make this baby do bad things!”

Mo Di: “…”

Thanks to the gang’s gags, Mo Di was a lot more at ease. However, when they went to the cafeteria after class, Mo Di once again noticed several watchful eyes on him.

This caused Mo Di to be in a very bad mood.

But he did not tell Mu Tian Heng about this. He was not certain whether the glare was from someone who simply did not like him or someone else was keeping tabs on him

He did not want to be paranoid and make a fuss over every little thing.

That said, he still had to keep his vigilance up.

Mo Di began to take Chen Zhao and the others to the self-study class, the library, then back to their dorm to make games and taught them some programming. Basically, he was never alone.

On the other hand, Chen Zhao and the others were in tears. School had only started and they had not had enough fun. But seeing Mo Di’s gaze towards them, they did not dare to refuse. After all, Mo Di was doing them a favor. He not only urged them to study but also taught them how to make games and allowed them to join his team.

If they were to refuse him, then they were too ignorant of his kindness.

With this, several days passed and Mo Di noticed that the watchful eyes had disappeared. 

Mo Di was relieved. He continued to wholeheartedly focus on his studies and game production, not daring to slack off.

…

This was Mo Di’s routine for the following two weeks. Other than going home on the weekends to accompany Mu Tian Heng and Suan Suan, the rest of his time was mostly spent on the computer.

And his efforts were not in vain. The game’s background was improved, more NPCs were added, and a new batch of playable characters was also introduced. On the day before the submission deadline, Mo Di uploaded the perfected new update for Xin Wei Dao on the competition’s official webpage. 

At the same time, Xian Yu Chao urged Mo Di to get out and have fun, and more importantly, stop staying in to supervise their studies.

Mo Di couldn’t help smiling: “Of course I’ll be leaving, but before that…” Mo Di fidgeted with his phone, “I have to send you guys some red packets to spend on snacks.”

“Woo! Red packets!” Xian Yu Chao released Mo Di immediately and went to grab his phone. “Forty!!” Chen Zhao screamed.

“Damn it! I only got ten! Why?! Why is it only a quarter of the Salted Fish.” Chen Zhao exclaimed.

“Hahaha … This father got fifty! The king of gambling!” Lin Jun Feng touched his stomach and chortled.

“Anyone in?” At this time, a sudden knock came from the door. “Excuse me, can I come in?”

“Come in.” Mo Di opened the door and standing outside was Zhao Chun Cheng whom Mo Di had previously spoken to.

“Sorry for the trouble but our dorm’s toilet is out of order, can I use yours?” Zhao Chun Cheng asked shyly.

“No problem.” Mo Di knew that Xian Yu Chao and the others wouldn’t mind and so he replied on everyone’s behalf. He then turned to his roommates and said: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving now. You guys have a good rest for the next two days.”

“Go ahead and go. Xiao Di, you have a good break as well.” Xian Yu Chao waved.

Lin Jun Feng: “Son, remember to come back early. Don’t wait till Monday morning to come back like last time, this father will worry!”

“Xiao Di, if you’re free tomorrow, we can go visit my uncle.” Chen Zhao said: “We have to empty his wallet with an expensive meal!”

“You’re leaving school?” Zhao Chun Cheng saw Mo Di about to leave and asked with a smile: “Mo Di, where are you returning to?”

“I’m just going out to play, not returning anywhere.” Mo Di answered casually. “You should quickly use the bathroom.”

“Okay. I’ll get to it. Can someone give me some hot water? I want to wash my hair but there is no more hot water, and the heater in the water room is also broken.”

“You’re a big boy and still have to use hot water to wash your hair?” Xian Yu Chao was surprised.

“I currently have a cold.” Zhao Chun Cheng smiled. “I only need a small amount.”