Chapter 77

After seeing Ye Cheng Feng being carried to the ambulance in a half-dead state, Mo Di turned and left with a smile on his lips. 

Ye Cheng Feng, he was indeed a cruel one.

Too bad he had to swallow the evil fruit he planted.

Were he to have drunk that wine, his end would have been a lot more ridiculous. His name would have skyrocketed to the top of the ‘country’s most infamous’ list.

When Mo Di returned to the villa, he went straight to his room and locked the door. He retrieved the recording onto a USB drive and connected it to his computer.

Mo Di muted the sound before playing the video.

Before him was a two minute R-rated clip with an eye-scorching dynamic view of what happened.

Mo Di watched the clip of Ye Cheng Feng acting like a savage animal with ridicule and irony.

Ye Cheng Feng had always been someone who maintained a good temperament and elegance in the eye of the public. The man who could even keep an upright and justified attitude when witnessing his tortures in the mental hospital was now revealing his animalistic side in such an unsightly way. And regardless of the medicine, the ugliness of a man rid of inhibitions is deeply rooted in his true nature.

Mo Di quickly placed a mosaic over Bai Wenwen’s face. Even if her clothes were still intact, she might not want to see her own face on the video.

Mo Di had no intention to spread this video. He planned to send it to Bai Wenwen anonymously at an appropriate time to help her out. 

And his help was detrimental to her survival.

The reason being that this matter had turned serious. Ye Cheng Feng was likely to be ruined healthwise. Even with extreme luck and he could recover, Bai Wenwen would still have to bear the brunt.

In any case, the Ye family would never let her off and Mo Di did not want Bai Wenwen to be threatened by them. Whatever she wished to do with the video, whether to sue Ye Cheng Feng, keep the Ye family at bay, or for her own protection, Mo Di would give her his support.

The truth was, his intended revenge against Ye Cheng Feng was notorious and unyielding. He wanted to tear off his fake mask and expose it nationwide. However, since this involved Bai Wenwen, he would have to put aside his vengeance and respect her decision. 

To Mo Di, everything in this life was turning for the better. He had friends, a wonderful lover, and a new home. He still intended to have his revenge without any mercy but he was not willing to turn into someone who disregarded everything else just for revenge.

Meanwhile, after Zhu Chenglang was notified that Ye Cheng Feng was drugged and had his ‘life stalk’ kicked, he almost lost his balance. In a horrified state, he staggered into the ambulance and called Uncle Zhang.

Upon hearing the news, Uncle Zhang’s voice was both furious and terrifying. Zhu Chenglang listened to his words as he held the phone with shivering hands.

He really wished he could just run away. But sadly, both his parents were working for the Ye family. If he ran, they would surely go after them. He was too familiar with how that family operated. He was not a good man and had done many bad things but he would not let his parents suffer in his place.

Zhu Chenglang was under severe pressure. He felt as though he could die from a heart attack in the next second. And that would actually be a preferable ending for him. At the very least, he would not have to face the punishment from the Ye family. Thinking of his bleak future, Zhu Chenglang was very scared.

Why didn’t Mo Di drink it? Why didn’t Mo Di drink it?!

Where did he go wrong?! 

If only Mo Di had drunk the wine, he would be the one making a fool of himself instead. The young master would still be fine and he would be rewarded. There’s even a possibility that his parents would receive a bonus. But now that this happened, it was all over!

Why didn’t Mo Di fall into the trap?!

At the same time, Uncle Zhang who had just reprimanded Zhu Chenglang furiously was facing the same fear. To the Ye family, although he was a high ranking subordinate, compared to Ye Cheng Feng, he was just as expendable as anyone else.

Furthermore, he was the one who came up with the plan for Ye Cheng Feng. No matter how glib his tongue was, the best he could do was shift the blame to Zhu Chenglang. Even so, he still would not be better off. On top of that, he knew too many of the Ye family’s secrets. They would not openly punish him but he knew how capable they were of operating in the dark.

Uncle Zhang thought quickly and found a way out. Nonetheless, he still had to come up with a backup plan.

It would be best if he could just up and leave, away from the line of fire.

…..

When Ye Cheng Feng was taken to the hospital, only Zhu Chenglang from his team came along. The others were not allowed to follow under Zhu Chenglang’s insistence. 

Bai Wenwen got out of her clothes and put them in a garbage bag. She then immersed herself in a hot bath.

To be under your male god while he vented like an animal was a traumatizing experience. She was disgusted but most of all, heartbroken. She had always looked up to him like the prince from a fairytale, a kind and gentle man one could only dream of as a lover. But that dream suddenly turned into a nightmare.

Now that she had calmed and was resting in a quiet place, she could finally sort out her thoughts. Whether it was the ridiculous end to her one-sided love or the shame of being seen in such a situation, she just could not take it.

She did not know how to face Ye Cheng Feng or anyone else on the team. She did not think she could continue taking part in this competition. She wanted to leave.

However…

To leave or to stay, it was no longer Bai Wenwen’s choice to make.

The moment Ye Guosheng and the Ye patriarch heard of the accident, they exploded in rage. They quickly left for the hospital and at the same time, had the whole game base under surveillance.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Ye Cheng Feng was mostly relieved of the medicine with only a small amount left in his system. But that should not pose a problem because, after that kick, Ye Cheng Feng’s little buddy was already crippled. Even with the lingering effects from such a powerful drug, there was no reaction from it.

Upon hearing the shocking news, Ye Cheng Feng’s mother broke down in tears and almost fainted. The Ye patriarch’s blood pressure skyrocketed and he nearly had a stroke. For that reason, he was directly sent to another ward.

The Ye family was in a mess. After Ye Guosheng was done with the hospital procedures, the first thing he did to vent his anger was to order Bai Wenwen’s removal from the game base!

However, due to the mess he made previously by dipping his hand into the game competition, his words were powerless in the eyes of the competition committee. Besides, his old-time nemesis, Zhao Zhiqiang, had been on the lookout for him, fearing he would cause more trouble. Therefore, when Ye Guosheng gave out his order, it was not long after that it reached Zhao Zhiqiang.

He immediately nullified his orders, claiming that he had no right to remove someone from the team and out of the base.

Ye Guosheng certainly would not expose that he wanted Bai Wenwen because she ‘crippled’ his son. And since he refused to believe his son was trying to rape Bai Wenwen, he felt that Zhao Shiqiang was deliberately getting in his way!

Ye Guosheng smashed his cup in anger. Madame Ye was crying beside him.

“Those vile people! Every single one of them, heartless! They all bullied my son! They all bullied my innocent son…”

Madame Ye cried so hard her head was in pain. She could not open her eyes but the tears kept falling. “Teach them a lesson! You have to punish them! Make Bai Wenwen pay! How dare she do this to my son! I want her to die a painful death! Wooo…”

“Be quiet! Now is not the time to say all these! Our family will be investigated!” Ye Guosheng’s brain was swelling with anger. “Do not say such things again. And don’t you dare order someone to deal with Bai Wenwen!”

“You’re trying to protect Bai Wenwen?! Cheng Feng was harmed! Isn’t he your son? Isn’t he our son? Ye Guosheng, if you don’t love our son and refuse to avenge him, just tell me! I’ll do it myself!”

“You know nothing!”

Ye Guosheng was getting incredibly annoyed: “Do you know that our family is being watched? If you act recklessly, we’ll be ruined!”

“Besides, I was not trying to protect Bai Wenwen. Of course I’ll have to deal with her but for now, we can’t do it that way. We’ll sue her and put her in jail for a few years. When the time comes, I can arrange anything, even if you want her to die of an illness. But for now, just stay still!”

Madame Ye was still sobbing: “But… you said it yourself that there are too many eyes on us. Can you really make sure that she goes to jail? What if you can’t? What if we can’t avenge our son? We can’t let that Bai Wenwen go scot-free. My son had suffered for no reason!”

“Your way will not get us revenge and only bring trouble to the Ye family!”

“What’s going on? Why are you both arguing?” Ye Guosheng’s sister who had just come over from the patriarch’s ward when she heard the couple’s voices. “What’s wrong? Don’t you think we have enough problems already?”

“It’s fine. Sis, please have a talk with Chunrui. I said we have to sue Bai Wenwen first but she disagreed and kept insisting on taking matters into her own hands. Isn’t that just reckless!” Ye Guosheng waved his hand and turned to leave.

Hearing this, Ye Guosheng’s sister began to console Zhang Chunrui: “Sister-in-law, you cannot be impulsive. After putting Bai Wenwen in prison, you can do whatever you want to her. But if you touch her now and something goes wrong, we’ll all be in trouble. If the Ye family is not stable, it will affect Cheng Feng as well, am I right? You have to calm down…”

“…..”

Ye Guosheng left to see the locked up Zhu Chenglang. He immediately gave him a kick on the chest the moment he entered the room.

Zhu Chenglang groaned in pain but he dared not say anything. His legs trembled and he could only grit his teeth while kneeling and begging for mercy.

Uncle Zhang was also present but their positions were obviously different. Bowing low, he spoke to Ye Guosheng respectfully: “Sir, Sir, please calm down. Zhu Chenglang was incompetent and allowed such things to happen to the young master. Punishing him is a must but first, we should hear from him what really happened if we want to sue the girl who hurt the young master.”

Ye Guosheng gave Uncle Zhang a cold stare. He sneered softly and said: “Is that so? Then you ask the questions, I’ll listen.”

Did Zhang Dachen think that he was stupid or that he himself was so smart he could fool the Ye family? Did he think pushing the blame to someone else could save his skin?

If it wasn’t for the untimely troubles, Zhang Dachen would not even be standing here!

Uncle Zhang saw the way Ye Guosheng looked at him and was certain of his impending demise. His back was drenched with sweat but he dared not let his fear show.

He went straight to Zhu Chenglang and yelled at him: “Exactly what happened with the medicine? Under what situation was the young master found in? How many were at the scene and what did they see? Tell me clearly!”

“I don’t know. I don’t know why or how the young master was the one who took the wine. We had this all planned out, Mo Di should be the one to drink it. I don’t know why the young master was drugged instead. I don’t know, I really don’t know.”

Zhu Chenglang cried his eyes out: “Sir, for the young master to have drunk this wine, Mo Di and Bai Wenwen must’ve done something. Both of them are the ones who tried to hurt the young master. It must be them. Sir, you can’t let them off. You have to avenge the young master…”

Chapter 76

Feels like I should put a warning for this chapter so here goes: 

Warning: drug use and attempted rape but there’s nothing really explicit.

Having heard that, the two women immediately went back.

Seeing them go, the man had no choice but to follow.

Meanwhile, Zhu Chenglang was chatting with Zhang Meng Jie. He was trying to get her to eat a piece of cake dosed with a sleeping agent. Unfortunately, it was not working out and he was rejected repeatedly by her due to her weight loss program.

Zhu Chenglang was getting annoyed. He finally decided to get her some juice and spike it instead.

As he returned to the tent, he saw several of his members dashing away from the party and the direction they were going was towards villa #3.

“Why are you guys going back so early?” Zhu Chenglang ran over and asked the man. “Is the party over already?”

“No, but the captain seemed to be sick. Bai Wenwen went after him but we were worried she might need some help.” The man explained.

“The captain is sick? What sickness? What happened?!” Zhu Chenglang was panicking the moment he heard his young master suddenly got ill.

“Dunno. We’re going there to have a look. You want to come with us?”

Zhu Chenglang was grimacing.

Of course he wanted to check in on Ye Cheng Feng but he had not accomplished his work here. Without Zhang Meng Jie, Mo Di’s show would not be as exciting. All their efforts would be in vain!

He mulled for two seconds and decided that the matter at hand was more important. If this plan did not go accordingly, Uncle Zhang and Ye Cheng Feng would absolutely make him pay.

“It’s ok. I have something else to do. You guys go and check on the young master first, I’ll be there in a moment.” He said to the man: “Make sure to take good care of the captain.”

Zhu Chenglang said and went back to a tent at the side.

Mo Di narrowed his eyes when he saw his reaction. He quickly sent Zhang Meng Jie a message then left villa #1 to follow quietly behind the plump man.

At this time, Ye Cheng Feng’s body was burning up. The reaction at a certain place was getting unbearable. It had already been five minutes from the time he first realized that something was wrong. His reasoning was sinking fast.

Uncle Zhang was right. The medicine was incredibly potent, especially its hallucinogenic effects. 

Ye Cheng Feng used all of his willpower and only managed to stagger back to the front of villa three. His head was filled with Mo Liu Gui and a ringing pierced his ears. His heart thumped violently as the passion from within took over and everything else was a blur.

The female member was still following behind Ye Cheng Feng. She genuinely wanted to help him.

In the beginning, Ye Cheng Feng was still conscious and he managed to push her away. However, as time progressed, he could not help but be attracted to the warm body and the desire to hold on to someone.

Bai Wenwen had always liked Ye Cheng Feng. Many companies had offered her way higher wages but she decided to stay and work for Ye Cheng Feng’s startup company. Oftentimes she even had to do the job of a secretary with the pay of an intern. And yet she was still meticulous and considerate towards him, serving him tea and coffee.

When he was upset, she would feel the same; a smile from him would make her happy for the whole day. Her biggest dream was to have a date with him… and yes, it was just a dream because she knew it was impossible.

But now Ye Cheng Feng was holding her!

Bai Wenwen was ecstatic. She did not even mind that there was something wrong with Ye Cheng Feng. The important point was that he was hugging her!

… he even, even kissed her!!!

Bai Wenwen gazed adoring at Ye Cheng Feng’s face, feeling his intense strength around her and his passionate kisses. She put her arms around him as her heart softened. Dreams do come true.

But gradually, the situation was getting out of hand.

Ye Cheng Feng was grabbing at her clothes.

This was still outdoors!

“Captain, captain…?!!” Bai Wenwen tried to fend off Ye Cheng Feng, “Captain, captain, we’re still outside!”

Ironically, if Ye Cheng Feng was still rational then this medicine would have been in vain. On top of that, to make sure he would get a reaction out of Mo Di, Ye Cheng Feng did not hold back on the dosage.

“Captain, captain, Cheng Feng, Cheng Feng!” Bai Wenwen was becoming anxious. She pushed him off and tried to run but he caught up in just two steps. He pounced on her and they both rolled on the grass beside the villa entrance. 

The grassy ground was lined with fallen leaves and it strewed across their clothes as they struggled.

Bai Wenwen was infatuated with Ye Cheng Feng. If this was inside the villa, she might struggle for a bit but would ultimately let it happen. But this was the outdoors and it’s right outside the villa’s entrance!

No matter how much she loved him, she just could not accept this. Anyone entering or exiting the building could easily see them!

She did not want to be famous like this!!!

Bai Wenwen began to panic. She was now wholeheartedly rejecting Ye Cheng Feng’s advances. However, a man who had lost his reason to desire was no different than an animal. Ye Cheng Feng was terribly strong and Bai Wenwen could not get him off her. He kissed her aggressively while trying to tear off her clothes.

Bai Wenwen was ever so thankful that she wore a thick cashmere sweater and tight jeans. Ye Cheng Feng pulled vigorously multiple times but could not get them off. He eventually began to move with her still clothed.

The way he looked… it was like a dog in heat, mating on the side of the road.

Bai Wenwen looked at Ye Cheng Feng and his image shattered right in front of her. He was no longer the person she had been longing for.

Looking at Ye Cheng Feng now only made her sick.

Bai Wenwen struggled to push him away but she was not strong enough. 

After a minute, she heard footsteps coming. 

At this point, her panic meter had reached its max. Since her pushing was futile, another method came to mind. Maybe kicking his lower half would help but she still did not have the heart to do so.

She worried Ye Cheng Feng would be destroyed or even die. Although she did not love him like before, he was still someone she cared for. She just could not bear to hurt him.

As Bai Wenwen was still entangled with the decision to kick him or not, two female voices were screaming.

“Ah!”

“Captain?!!!”

When the two female members came running back and saw their captain with his pants down and moving like a dog in heat over their teammate, the two screamed in shock and disbelief.

And it was at this time that Ye Cheng Feng reached the pinnacle and let out a loud groan. His ‘desires’ stained Bai Wenwen’s clothes and as he shook, he called out the name ‘Xiao Gui’. 

Instantly, the disgust and anger in Bai Wenwen’s heart increased in heaps and bounds. The hesitation from before was completely gone as she raised her leg and gave him a brutal kick.

“Ah—!!!”

The direct assault to his lifeblood caused Ye Cheng Feng to screech in agony.

The plump man arrived at the same time as his female teammates. They witness the scene from the point Ye Cheng Feng venting his desires to whence he was kicked. At first, they were still in shock but at the final scene, they held their breath, thinking: Gosh that must really hurt! Their captain is going to be impotent.

Although the big man was deep in thought, his reaction was prompt. He ran to Ye Cheng Feng who was paralyzed with pain and helped him up. He wanted to bring him back to the villa first. Even if he needed to be hospitalized, he should still get dressed.

“What are you two doing? Go help Bai Wenwen up! Take her to get a change of clothes!” He said to the female members.

The women came to their senses and went to help Bai Wenwen with a complicated thought.

Before tonight, they would have died of jealousy knowing their captain and Bai Wenwen were making out but now, they did not know what to feel.

The sight of Ye Cheng Feng a moment ago was branded in their minds.

It was very much like dogs on the roadside….. A little disgusting.

Bai Wenwen saw the looks in their eyes and said: “Do not look at me like that! It was not consensual and we were never in a relationship!” Having said that, she pushed away their hands and ran straight into the villa.

She looked at her sullied jeans and was all the more disgusted with Ye Cheng Feng. Her previous feelings for him were now completely cleansed. She even contemplated leaving the competition.

What Mo Di did not know was that he had consequentially changed the fate of another cannon fodder.

In the previous life, Mo Liu Gui’s charm could cause a man to devote his whole life to her. And the important second male lead, Ye Cheng Feng, had a similar ability, only not as strong as Mo Liu Gui’s. 

And Bai Wenwen was the unfortunate soul that Ye Cheng Feng had hooked by the neck. By the time she was forty, she had rejected people who truly loved her and career paths that she could excel in. She toiled for Ye Cheng Feng’s company and finally made it to the position of general manager. 

However, a few rumors about her and Ye Cheng Feng happened to reach Mo Liu Gui. In her own ‘unintentional’ way, Mo Liu Gui subtly said to Ye Cheng Feng that it was good of him to have someone he liked and she hoped when they get married, she would be invited.

And so to show his undying love for Mo Liu Gui, Ye Cheng Feng publicly dismissed Bai Wenwen.

At the age of forty, Bai Wenwen had wasted her precious youth and hard work to end up being loveless and jobless.

With how things turned out this life, Bai Wenwen could free herself from the hook before it was too late.

Mo Di left after he saw the group of people entering the building from a distance.

Ten minutes later, the sound of sirens could be heard approaching the base and went straight to villa #3.

Mo Di acted surprised and went to watch the commotion with everyone else. He happened to see Ye Cheng Feng, who was now properly dressed, being carried into the ambulance.

Mo Di squeezed towards the big man and stealthily removed the badge. He then asked: “Brother, your captain was that ill?”

The man turned and when he saw Mo Di, there was a complicated look on his face. He responded with an ‘en’. He thought to himself: It’s quite a serious illness. With Bai Wenwen’s kick, even if it wasn’t broken, it will still be unusable.

Chapter 75

As soon as Zhu Chenglang finished his dialogue, someone came to take another bottle. Now, only one remained.

“See what I mean?” Zhu Chenglang shrugged.

“You’re right.” Zhang Jie Meng went on to accept the wine. “I’ll keep this for Xiao Di or else he won’t have any.”

“You should. This wine is not bad, the alcohol content is very low, even children can drink it. The organizers are just too thrifty with their wallets and gave us only a few boxes.”

Zhu Chenglang expressed his disapproval but in truth, the wine was sponsored by the young master, or else, there won’t even be any.

“Even if its alcohol content is low, it’s never good to drink too much.” Zhang Jie Meng had a good temper and gentle nature, she would never say anything bad about anyone.

Zhu Chenglang sneered in his heart thinking that this otaku girl is quite boring. But thinking about her fate in a couple of minutes, he decided to keep her entertained.

…..

When Mo Di reached the villa, he went straight to the northwest corner of the hall. Many came up to say hello and it took him another seven or eight minutes to leave the crowd. 

“Xiao Di, you’re so popular.” Xian Yu Chao enviously said after seeing the ladies swarmed towards Mo Di to talk!

“You’re quite popular yourself as a ladies’ best friend.”

“I don’t want that title! It generally means that they only treat me as a friend and I’ll get nowhere with them!” Xian Yu Chao immediately objected.

Mo Di: “…..” And you still haven’t got my hint.

“Xiao Di, this is for you.” Zhao Chun came over and gave Mo Di a bottle of sparkling wine, “This has a very low alcohol content. It’s honey and peach flavor, give it a try.”

Mo Di took the bottle: “Where did you get it?”

“It’s from the organizers. They sent twenty or thirty boxes. Penny pinchers.” Xian Yu Chao complained, “There are so few left.”

“Some even drank to quench their thirst. I’m surprised there’s any left.” Zhao Chun said, “I got this from Meng Meng. There are only two bottles left so she took this for you.”

“I have to thank her then.” Mo Di smiled. Nonetheless, him drinking this was impossible after what happened with Du Wen Jing. Even more so with this type of bottle that could be easily tampered with.

The tin bottlecap could be opened and then replaced with a specialized tool and no one would be the wiser.

And yet if he vocalized his theory, most would only find him paranoid and mentally unstable. But with his life experience, he simply could not afford to be reckless.

“Where’s Zhang Jie Meng?” Mo Di looked around and did not see her.

“Oh her? She was having fun with this hot dude. Maybe they wanted to go somewhere more private?” Zhao Chun snickered. “Meng Meng is too introverted, it’s rare that she could talk to a stranger like that.”

“A hot dude?” Mo Di’s eyelids twitched. “Who? Which team?”

“He was wearing a gray windbreaker. He’s staying in villa three but I don’t know which team.” Zhao Chun looked at Mo Di, “What’s wrong?”

Alarms were ringing in Mo Di’s head as his vigilance gave out a warning. “Nothing. But we should go find her. There are too many men here, you girls should be more careful.”

“Pfft…” Zhao Chun burst out laughing. “You’re the youngest among everyone here and yet you act and think like an old man. Alright alright, don’t look at me like that, I’ll give her a call.”

Zhao Chun took out her phone and dialed Zhang Jie Meng. After two rings, the other side picked up.

“Hello, Meng Meng, where are you?”

“You’re having bbq outside? Oh, ok, I’ll go find you.”

Zhao Chun hung up and said to Mo Di: “Xiao Di, Meng Meng is outside.”

“Then you should go look for her. You two be careful, don’t drink too much.”

“Aiya aiya, I got it. You’re so young yet so old. You don’t have to worry about your sister here.” Zhao Chun patted Mo Di on the shoulder and left with a piece of cake.

Mo Di scanned the area and felt that someone was eyeing him. He pretended to look for someone then merged into the crowd. 

In a small villa that housed almost two hundred people, it was quite easy to stay hidden.

Mo Di sneaked through the crowd and went up the second floor. 

On the second floor were several pairs having a conversation and a bunch of people waiting in front of the men’s bathroom. 

Several of the men in the queue stayed at the same villa as Mo Di. They saw him and said: “Little Team Leader Mo, do you need to use the toilet as well?” They were very much older than Mo Di so as to not make things awkward, they called him ‘little team leader.’

“Hi, why are there so many people here?” Mo Di asked

“Well, the male to female ratio is the problem. There are less than thirty girls here and the rest are men. Of course there’ll be a queue.” A skinny youth replied.

“Another reason is we men could really drink and this is the result.” A tall man answered and laughed: “Plus the wine tastes like juice and we just kept drinking. After drinking that much, how can we not want to go to the toilet.”

“We did drink a lot and now there’s none left.”

“I just saw a female member from team Yiyesheng wanting to get one for her captain. She said he came in late and did not get to have any of the wine. But too bad she couldn’t find an unopened bottle.”

“The team with the really handsome captain?” The skinny youth asked, “The ladies of that team are all pretty cute. If I had any I would definitely give it to her.”

The tall man next to him said: “So what if you’re gallant to her, doesn’t mean she’ll like you. Have you seen their captain? Even his name sounds elegant. She’s definitely into him.”

“If you really like her then go for it. Who knows, you might still have some hope.” Mo Di smiled and passed the wine to the skinny youth. “Here, she might still be looking for the wine. You can help her out and start a friendship.”

“What you said makes sense. I’ll take this wine then. I’ll come back and pee later.” The man gave Mo Di a pat then ran downstairs.

Mo Di revealed a subtle smug on his face.

If the person who gave Zhang Meng Jie this wine had nothing to do with Ye Cheng Feng and no tampering had been done to it, then it’s Ye Cheng Feng’s gain. On the contrary, if Ye Cheng Feng did something to this wine then he had to reap what he sowed.

The tall man left behind was bitter: “I wanted to have a chat with those beauties too!”

“You didn’t say anything. Sorry, I didn’t know.” Mo Di swept his sight through the remaining people in the queue and was relieved that none of them was from Ye Cheng Feng’s team. “If I find another bottle I’ll give it to you.”

“Ai, forget it. There’s none left.”

…..

Mo Di initially did not want to use the bathroom but nature suddenly called and he stepped in line. He sent Han Chao a text asking him to deliver some toilet paper.

He did not want to ask Xian Yu Chao because he would then gloat and tease him about it. Han Chao was the most mature one in the group.

After Mo Di went in for about seven minutes, Han Chao came with the toilet paper for him. He also took a leak and they both came downstairs together. Mo Di looked at the time and it was one minute to ten.

“Return before ten-thirty.” Mo Di texted the whole group: “Any later and it’ll affect your work tomorrow. Don’t get too crazy.”

Zhao Chun: Alright, alright. Xiao Di, you should have some fun too.

Since only Zhao Chun responded, Mo Di knew that the rest was getting wild.

He sighed.

Bang!

A bright light flashed and music boomed as the main door of the villa was closed.

Mo Di covered his ears in surprise but he saw that everyone else was only getting more energized. He had no idea what was going on.

Seeing Mo Di’s baffled look, Han Chao explained: “They do this every hour! It started at eight! The last person the light touched had to entertain everyone with his or her group! And there’s no escaping from it!”

Mo Di finally understood. He looked at the light as it spun wildly and finally landed on a woman in a white dress.

It was Li Qingqing.

She gaped her mouth then smiled helplessly. She coughed lightly and said: “Fine… Don’t bother my team, I’ll do this by myself.”

“I… I’ll sing a song.” Li Qingqing smiled. “Give me the tunes to ‘Love is like a Tide.’”

Almost all eyes were on Li Qingqing except for Mo Di. He was looking about and happened to see two people at the door. One was Ye Cheng Feng and the other was a female member of his team.

Ye Cheng Feng’s expression was troubling. His face was red and he seemed to be in pain but the girl next to him was quite normal. She was helping him stand.

Mo Di hurriedly sneaked over.

The rule was to close the door while the performance was still ongoing but seeing that Ye Cheng Feng was in discomfort, the person guarding the door let them out.

Ye Cheng Feng immediately stumbled out and the woman followed. She wanted to help him but was pushed away.

Mo Di’s keen senses told him that something was amiss.

The wine…

Could there really be something wrong with it?

Mo Di took a minute to strategize. He then pulled out a badge imbued with a microcamera Mu Tian Heng gave him in the afternoon and turned it on.

The tiny device had only three hours worth of memory and compared to the ones placed at the Mo house, it was of a lower end.

However, in this situation, it was perfect.

Mo Di squeezed back into the crowd. Without anyone noticing, he stealthily attached the badge to the thick overcoat of a plump man from Ye Cheng Feng’s team.

Five minutes later, when Li Qingqing’s performance was over, Mo Di patted him on the shoulder. 

The plump man turned and looked at him suspiciously. 

Mo Di pointed outside: “You should go check on your captain, he looks sick.”

“Ha?!” The big man shouted: “I can’t hear you!”

Mo Di raised his voice and said: “Let’s talk outside!”

The man looked back at Li Qingqing. Seeing that she had disappeared into the crowd, only then was he willing to leave the hall with Mo Di. 

The music subsided as soon as they reached outside.

“What do you want?”

“It’s about your captain. I saw him and another of your female team member ran out. He wasn’t looking well. I think something’s wrong, you should go take a look.”

“What’s the matter?” Coincidentally, two other female members of Ye Cheng Feng’s team were also present. “What happened to the captain?”

“Your captain wasn’t looking well. He’s probably upset about something. Anyhow, his complexion was quite pale. You should go have a look.” Mo Di sounded serious: “There’s another one of your female teammate with him but I don’t think she’s able to support him.”

Chapter 74

Ye Cheng Feng stayed silent. When Uncle Zhang on the other end did not hear a response, he said: “Young master, if you don’t have the heart to do it then leave it to Zhu Chenglang.”

Zhu Chenglang was one of the many confidants fostered by the Ye family since childhood. He was the son of an old driver and had been put to work for Ye Cheng Feng. When Ye Cheng Feng picked computer science as his major, he did the same and was now a programmer on the team.

He was trained to be tactful and sly, characteristics needed to do the dirty work his gentle and refined master could not do.

Ye Cheng Feng’s eyes converged slightly. He contemplated and said: “It’s fine. I’m representing justice by teaching him a lesson. It is time I stop being merciful.”

“Uncle Zhang, in another two weeks, the teams will be allowed to leave for half a day. I’ll go back to get the stuff from you.”

“Yes, young master. I’ll have it ready.”

Uncle Zhang hung up the phone after receiving Ye Cheng Feng’s order. He then gave Zhu Chenglang a call.

Even though the young master decided to personally deal with the person, they just could not let him dirty his hands. If this matter was badly executed and leaked, it would be disastrous. The lesser the young master’s involvement, the better.

Meanwhile, Mo Di had walked everyone through tidying their rooms. Thanks to the cleaning staff, they did not have to clean the corridor. By dinner time, the whole floor was in order.

Chen Zhao was texting with Xian Yu Chao and Lin Jun Feng in the group chat: your room was cleaned by Xiao Di and me, I expect a treat when you guys come back. Or you can bring me some of your local snacks, the especially delicious kind.

Xian Yu Chao: [you don’t even have to mention it] sticker

Lin Jun Feng sent a voice message: We’ll be flying back tomorrow, what do you want specifically, tell me now.

Xian Yu Chao: Fatso, have you seen the stuff I’m taking back? My mom was overjoyed when she knew that I got to be Xiao Di’s roommate. She was even happier knowing that Xiao Di taught me how to code. She prepared a large hamper of New Year’s products for Xiao Di and told me to take it back. It’s gigantic! If she wasn’t too busy, she would’ve flown there with me!

Lin Jun Feng: ….. Your mom is so cool.

…..

The next day, Xian Yu Chao came in carrying a large suitcase. There were all kinds of dried goods and uniquely flavored ice cream. There was even a whole box of ginseng at the bottom.

Mo Di was at a loss. Her gift was too extravagant.

“You have to accept it. Do you know how much work it took me to carry it here? Plus she had this prepared a long time ago, she’ll be hurt if you declined!” Xian Yu Chao pushed the stuff to Mo Di, “I have to take a bath now. There are so many sisters downstairs, I have to look presentable.”

Xian Yu Chao left the items there and went back to his room with Lin Jun Feng, preparing to revitalize his hope for finding a girlfriend.

Mo Di was a little perplexed but he was appreciative.

Her goodwill he was thankful for but this was a little overboard.

In the end, Mo Di had to accept the gifts and decided to properly send his thanks to Xian Yu Chao’s mother. He made a list of specialties to be purchased from the capital and had Mu Tian Heng send one bacth to them and another to Xian Yu Chao’s home.

By Friday, the team members had fully gathered and adapted themselves to living in the villa. It was also then that they officially resumed their busy schedule.

The camera crew was only allowed to film the workplace with the captain’s approval, therefore, most of the footage was of the team’s daily activities.

After two days, everyone had smoothly transitioned into the new working environment. Mo Di had also formed a friendship with other teams’ leaders. 

Even though they were competitors, at the same time, they had the same passion and most likely would still meet up in the future, hence, it was better to have a good relationship. Furthermore, neither team was working under a company, this would work in his favor should he decide to headhunt them for his company.

And Xian Yu Chao was all the happier to play gentleman with the ladies downstairs, helping them with their baggage and shopping. The women from the other teams were very pleased with him and they would regularly chat. Nonetheless, they only saw him as a little brother. Even if he added two years to his age, most of them were already twenty-five and a few were over thirty. 

Ignorant to the fact that he was being treated like a little brother, Xian Yu Chao was pumped and tried to show his good side through his work, thinking that he would soon get a girlfriend. Mo Di was conflicted about whether he should clear things up for Xian Yu Chao but seeing his work efficiency, he decided otherwise. Who knows his hard work might pay off.

Sunday came and after completing the work for the day, Mo Di left the compound.

Other than Mo Di, no one else was ever able to complete their work within half a day so they decided to stay. Moreover, the living condition was too cozy that most preferred to linger in for the weekend. 

After Mo Di left, the group decided to further explore the base and its nearby vicinities, searching for eating places that might suit their tastes.

On the other end, Ye Cheng Feng also left the base.

Having received Uncle Zhang’s order, Zhu Chenglang had to tag along as well.

Uncle Zhang was waiting for them at a French restaurant under the Ye family’s ownership. When he saw them come in, he ordered Zhu Chenglang to close the door to the private room.

“Uncle Zhang.” Ye Cheng Feng greeted.

“Young master, are you used to living there? I heard the living conditions are unsightly.” Uncle Zhang looked concerned at Ye Cheng Feng, “Should I tell your father to have someone deal with it?”

“There’s no need.” Ye Cheng Feng frowned, “My father and grandfather, how are they doing?”

“They’re fine. Didn’t they give you a call yesterday?”

“They always tell me the good news and not the bad. My grandfather has high blood pressure but he still loves to eat soy-braised pork. Uncle Zhang, please keep an eye on him for me.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Young master is most filial.” Uncle Zhang praised Ye Cheng Feng endlessly. “In this age, filial piety is rare in the younger generation. Just take a look at Mo Di, he willingly broke ties with his family. You can tell at a glance he’s a poisonous one. An ungrateful white-eyed wolf.”

“He is unfilial but his biggest sin is hurting his sister.” Ye Cheng Feng turned cold, “Uncle Zhang, is the medicine ready?”

“It’s done, it’s done.” Uncle Zhang took a quick glance around and decided to close the curtain just in case. He came back to his seat and pulled out a small bag from his pocket.

“Young master, this is a very powerful aphrodisiac brewed from abroad. It has a unique and rarely seen composition. A strong hallucinogenic drug is mixed in which works particularly well with the medicine. With just one gram of this, it could drive anyone to their limits.”

Uncle Zhang handed the bag to Ye Cheng Feng, “Young master, keep it well hidden.”

“It’s very effective?” Ye Cheng Feng accepted the bag and asked: “What should the dosage be?”

“One-tenth should be enough. Furthermore, this medicine is quite harmful to the body.” Uncle Zhang whispered: “Because of its effects, it’s no longer considered a stimulant. And with the hallucinogenic properties, it can make the person lose control of their inhibition. Even if it’s a public place, they would still indulge themselves in lustful fantasy.”

“It only takes three minutes for the effects to kick in. After that, no amount of willpower can prevent him from fulfilling his desires. He will forget his surroundings as the medicine enchants him into seeing his person of desire … be it in another person or even objects like pillows or pillars.”

Ye Cheng Feng’s face flashed with disgust.

“It’ll indeed be an ugly sight. To what extent does it harm the body?”

“It’s actually not that bad, he’ll most likely take a long time to vent. With heavier doses though, it could cause some mental complications and in more serious cases, a heart attack is also possible.”

“Mo Di is quite healthy. I don’t think he’ll get a heart attack.” Zhu Chenglang interjected, “Young master, if you don’t have the heart to do it, allow me. In the past two days, I have established a good relationship with the Ruyi Team staying on the first floor of his building. I’ll visit them in a couple of days and sneak out to dose him. I’m sure it will not attract too much attention.”

“How will you do it?” Ye Cheng Feng glanced at Zhu Chenglang, “Do you know how to use this medicine to its full potential?”

“Young master, what do you have in mind?”

Ye Cheng Feng’s brows were raised. It was unbecoming of him to resort to such a method which was very inconsistent with his usual code of conduct. 

In the end, he suppressed his misgivings.

“If we want to make this a big deal, we can’t simply have him attack a pillow in his room, that’s not enough. Understood?”

Zhu Chenglang was enlightened. He quickly responded: “I understand. Young master, you’re saying that we could take it a step further and make him do it on another person.”

If a video of him harassing another female member or even rape someone, such obscenity was sure to cause an uproar. His reputation would be washed down the drain. Everyone would be disgusted by him.

Ye Cheng Feng did not elaborate further. He looked at Uncle Zhang: “What about the micro camera?”

“It’s all here.” Uncle Zhang took out a small box and handed it to Ye Cheng Feng.

“Young master, when recording is done, you have to inform me right away. Such a big scandal happening inside the premises will give the competition a bad name. It is bound to be investigated. Should they find out that the video was leaked through your team, I will have the master put some pressure on them to look the other way.”

Uncle Zhang then looked at Zhu Chenglang sternly: “Do not let the young master dirty his hands, understood?”

“Yes, I understand.” Zhu Chenglang nodded.

…..

Mo Di and Mu Tian Heng had dinner together and by the time Mo Di returned to the base, it was already nightfall.

He returned to the team villa and realized no one was in. 

A member of the Ruyi team saw Mo Di and explained: “Team leader Mo, your team members have all gone to a party. If you want to go, it’s at villa #1. It should still be ongoing.”

“Thank you.” Mo Di smiled and said.

He knew that Xian Yu Chao and the others were at the party as they had texted him beforehand, saying that someone organized an outdoor bbq event. The officials approved it and several tents were set up in front of the villa.

“Why didn’t you go?” Mo Di asked.

“I went but it’s too noisy and cold, plus I can’t drink so I came back. Two more members from the Puppet team also came back. If you’re not going to the party, why don’t we start a game of mahjong?” The team member laughed.

“I’ll go have a look at my team then come back and have a good game with you.” Mo Di smiled and waved his hand. He wrapped his scarf and left.

Villa #1 is not far from villa #2, only about three hundred meters apart.

Mo Di texted the others asking for their whereabouts. 

Several replies pointed him to the northwest corner of the first floor.

“Has your captain returned?” Zhu Chenglang in a long windbreaker asked Zhang Jie Meng with a smile: “The party is almost over.”

Zhu Chenglang has decent looks and when he smiled at her, Zhang Jie Meng was feeling a bit shy. She said: “Our captain will be here soon. The party should last at least another half an hour.”

“That’s true. Oh right, there are sparkling juice handed out, does your captain have any?”

Zhu Chenglang took out a bottle from the beverage box under the table and gave it to Zhang Jie Meng. “Those guys are too stingy. They only gave us these few boxes and it’s almost out. There are three bottles left, take one to your captain, or else they’ll be gone in a few minutes.”

Chapter 73

A flash of enmity crossed Ye Cheng Feng’s eyes the moment he saw Mo Di. Ye Cheng Feng quickly retrieved his gaze and showed a gentlemanly smile: “Hello, you are…”

“Mo Di.” Mo Di pointed to his nameplate.

“Oh, so you’re Mo Di. I’ve heard so much about you. You ranked first in the College Entrance Exam, and a dark horse at that.” Ye Cheng Feng smiled and continued: “I heard that your scores from before were vastly different though. It’s quite unbelievable that you excel at the last minute.”

“Cough …that… shall we go out to wait for the other teams’ captains? It’s getting boring here.” Li Qingqing deliberately broke off the conversation. Something seemed off about the way Ye Cheng Feng talked, it was obviously different from when they were chatting previously.

“Fine by me.” Ye Cheng Feng responded politely but in fact, was very displeased.

Seeing Mo Di reminded him of the pain he had caused Xiao Gui and Ye Cheng Feng lost himself for a moment. But he refused to display his aggression as it will taint his public image.

The same goes for Mo Di, he remained indifferent and smiled at Li Qingqing: “I have to use the bathroom first, you guys go ahead.”

“Alright, alright.” Li Qingqing pointed: “It’s on the left corridor.”

“Thank you.”

After exiting the break room, Mo Di hurried to the bathroom. He sent Mu Tian Heng a text then took out a miniature recorder in the form of a cufflink and placed it in his pocket.

When Mo Di returned, there were three new arrivals in the room. All of them were men and one of them was a bald man of about thirty in age. Mo Di unconsciously touched his hair and decided to stay up late as little as possible. The occupational hazard of a programmer was quite devastating in the long run.

When Mo Di came in, everyone was chatting lively.

“Oh me? I’m the captain of Puppet Games.” Li Qingqing introduced herself, “There are ten girls and ten boys in our team. Very well balanced.”

“That’s hard to come by. I’m envious.”

Talking to Li Qingqing was Hua Tian who was wearing a black shirt with suit pants, “I’m the captain of Four Seasons. We have seventeen dudes and only three girls. The gender ratio is just too different.”

“I’m the captain of Poison Kiss.” Shao Changkang, a chubby man in the plaid shirt interjected: “We’re all men but our team mainly makes shojo games that are more appealing to females. It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? Hahaha.” 

Mo Di was not at all surprised by the reveal since he knew all these facts beforehand. However, the others were thoroughly shocked. Li Qingqing exclaimed: “You guys are the creators of Love Cards?!!”

“That’s right.” Shao Changkang raised his eyebrows with pride.

The camera crew circled them enthusiastically, making sure to capture the first explosive news.

A group of men making popular games for girls, the revelation was quite unexpected.

The other top game was Legend, also created by a team entirely made up of males and several of them were foreigners.

Oddly enough, the game made by Ye Cheng Feng was an unimpressive sports game currently in the eighth position.

However, Mo Di was fully aware that that was not Ye Cheng Feng’s highest potential, surely he had an ace up his sleeve. And he had to bring it out soon since only six teams could advance to the next round.

Mo Di would have to wait and see.

If he guessed right, Ye Cheng Feng’s trump card would be the game he used to win the championship in his last life. According to his acceptance speech at that time, it was a game three years in the making.

And now that he had one less year, what would the result be?

By eleven, the rest of the team leaders had arrived. The staff then proceeded to guide them towards the several villas, allowing the captains to choose their residence of choice.

And the order they get to choose went according to their game’s ranking.

Clearly, Ye Cheng Feng did not anticipate such a regulation. His face turned dark for a moment.

If he had known, he would have used his ace card instead of having to be put in such a passive situation.

Villa one had four floors, two and three had three floors each. Villa three was the most secluded.

The team ranked first with the game Legend chose the top floor of villa #3. It seemed everyone recognized that the top floors would provide the most privacy.

Mo Di chose the top floor of villa #2.

Next was Shao Changkang’s team. He chose the last top floor of villa #1.

The fourth team picked the second floor of villa #3 and the fifth and only team with a female captain, Li Qingqing’s team, picked the second floor of villa #2.

“Little brother, we’re going to be neighbors.” Li Qingqing beamed at Mo Di.

Mo Di returned with a smile: “We’re a small team and don’t usually make a lot of noise. I guarantee we won’t disturb you.”

“Small team?” Li Qingqing’s interest was piqued, “How many are there in your team?”

“About half of yours.”

“That few?!” Li Qingqing was amazed. “With so few in the team, how did you manage to meet the deadlines? We have twenty members and only barely made it every time.”

The other leaders also eyed Mo Di with admiration. If their members were any fewer, they were eighty percent certain they would fail the task.

“Well, we’re all very determined.” Mo Di smiled.

The leader of the sixth team struggled for a while and finally picked the second floor of villa #1.

The leader of the seventh team was in an even bigger dilemma. He was only left with the third floors but which villa should he pick? Villa #1 had four floors so they would not be at the bottom but the place would accommodate eighty people. Villa #2 would only have at most fifty occupants and a lot more girls which meant the place would be much cleaner.

With that, he picked the same villa as Mo Di, villa #2.

After the seventh team had taken its pick, Ye Cheng Feng was starting to feel his rage accumulating.

He had been planning to choose the first floor of villa #2 where Mo Di was to facilitate his plans…. to think someone beat him to it.

Ye Cheng Feng pushed down his agitation and decided on the first floor of villa #3.

The ninth and tenth team moved to the second and first floors of villa #1.

Finally, the staff handed each captain their corresponding access card.

There were only three to four teams to a villa, but appropriate privacy and protection were provided in the form of access gates with key cards to get through. Although the gate was quite short and could be easily breached, it still provided a small sense of security.

Pang Qiang Lang and the others arrived in the afternoon and were guided to the villa by the staff. It was then that they were elated for ranking second.

There were seven rooms available on their floor. Mo Di picked out a room to use as a public space and the remaining six should be enough for everyone to live in.

After the teams settled in, they were required to allocate the members to their room in order for the staff to install extra beds.

Mo Di and the others decided to let the girls have one room each and the guys would have to split the remaining four rooms. They used a dice game to decide who got to have a room to himself. 

Mo Di and Chen Zhao were the lucky two while Lin Jun Feng, Xian Yu Chao, Pang Qiang Lang, and Han Chao had to bunk together two to a room.

Mo Di’s group had it easy compared to the other teams. Their teams consisted of twenty people meaning there would be three or four to a room. Li Qingqing complained that she felt as though she had returned to her university days living in the dorm.

When Xian Yu Chao knew that the group below them had ten girls in their mix, he excitedly tried to form friendships with them but instead was asked to scram by his own teammates.

….

As Mo Di was settling in with ease, Ye Cheng Feng’s team was getting a little tense.

They had seven rooms and one was left to be used as a living room. The three girls in the team would share a room and Ye Cheng Feng would have a room to himself, leaving four rooms left for the sixteen men to pack in.

Of course Ye Cheng Feng would not allow others to think badly of him. The several members he had on his side would help him say a few superficial words and no one would think any less of him.

Nonetheless, dissatisfaction arose when the members had to set up their tiny room for four. Some couldn’t help but complain that they should have brought out their ace in the previous evaluation but Ye Cheng Feng refused to listen, saying that he wanted to lower the other teams’ guard and take them by surprise.

Now, they only hope that it was really worth the sacrifice.

At present, Ye Cheng Feng was in his bedroom talking on the phone with his father’s confidant. The other party was proposing several solutions for the problem he wanted to be solved.

One of them he knew would effectively yield the result he wanted…

To make Mo Di infamous throughout the whole country and ultimately, his participation in this competition will be affected.

It’s just that this method was a little too vicious for his taste, quite a contradiction with his gentle and elegant self.

Chapter 72

Ye Cheng Feng had a change in mood when he heard Mo Liu Gui’s request. He couldn’t bear for her to be treated as the bad person even when she tried to show concern for that ingrate. Ye Cheng Feng hesitated: “Xiao Gui, why do you even care about Mo Di? He’s a white-eyed wolf, he won’t appreciate your concern.”

“Caring for someone doesn’t require them to reciprocate this feeling.” Mo Liu Gui smiled and then as though she was saddened thinking about Mo Di, her eyes drooped as she said: “Even if Xiao Di doesn’t understand me, hates me, I will always treat him as my younger brother.”

“Xiao Gui, you…” Ye Cheng Feng felt immense heartache for her. He wanted to say something but only sighed instead.

“You’re too kind and also too silly.”

“Cheng Feng, don’t say that. Just promise me, ok? When you meet Xiao Di, help me to look after him, ok?” Mo Liu Gui sulked, “I haven’t seen him for such a long time, I feel bad about it.”

Ye Cheng Feng suppressed his anger and disgust at Mo Di. He agreed: “Alright, I promise.”

“That’s great. Cheng Feng, you’re the best!”

“I will always fulfill your request.” Ye Cheng Feng looked at Mo Liu Gui affectionately while in his heart, he had already condemned Mo Di to the depths. This kind of vicious and ungrateful person was not worthy of his Xiao Gui’s care. What’s worse was that he had been causing Xiao Gui a lot of pain. 

This person should’ve been ruined a long time ago.

Mo Liu Gui blushed shyly, she closed in and said: “Cheng Feng, come to my house the day after tomorrow. I have a gift for you…”

“What is it?”

“It’s a secret for now.”

“…..”

What was discussed between Mo Liu Gui and Ye Cheng Feng, Mo Di was unaware. At the moment, he had just put down his phone ready to cook some wonton soup as supper for Mu Tian Heng and Lai De Si when they came back.

He was wearing a newly bought light-grey pajama set, playing with Suan Suan while walking towards the kitchen.

The thermostat was turned to twenty degrees, suiting Mo Di’s need for warmth. He went to the fridge and took out the thirty pieces of ready-made wontons and placed them on a large plate. As he busied with cooking, an email was sent to his inbox from the gaming committee.

It was an official invitation for the team to live in the housing area provided.

The news was sent to the team’s public mailbox and soon, everyone else was informed. The group was excited again.

Xian Yu Chao: Did you guys read the email? So this is what the host meant, we’re invited to live in an official base!

Han Chao: Does that mean it’s a closed-off competition?

Zhao Chun: Boys, read carefully. They said we will be filmed and then broadcasted on TV. We’re going on TV!!!

Pang Qiang Lang: Ha! I’m gonna be famous! The deal I made with my mom can now be fulfilled!!!

Xian Yu Chao: Never thought that I’ll ever appear on TV. Shouldn’t this aid in finding a girlfriend?

Lin Jun Feng: It’s possible!

Chen Zhao: I’m going to show the whole country my coolness!

Zhang Jie Meng: Is it a variety show? I don’t want to be on camera, a little scared….

Lin Jun Feng: We might even get to have fans!

Zhao Chun: Oh please, there are so many in a group, they most likely will only film the whole group once and then focus on the more presentable faces. Not everyone looks good in front of the camera ok!

Zhao Chun: Have you never watched variety shows? I can already tell you guys aren’t cut for it. 

Han Chao: I think they’ll focus on the group leader. Which means Xiao Di will have more screen time.

Han Chao: Now that I mentioned it, where is Xiao Di? Why isn’t he saying anything?

“…..”

Mo Di at this point had already finished making the soup. He poured the aromatic liquid into two bowls with wontons and then added relish and fresh shrimps. A few drops of chili oil was added as a final touch.

The spicy flavor instantly triggered his stomach, making Mo Di a little hungry as well. 

“Wow, it smells great! What is it?” Lai De Si’s voice could be heard coming from the living room. The two men were back.

Mo Di put on his mitts and brought the bowls of hot wonton soup out for them.

“Brother!”

As soon as the fragrance hit his nose, Mu Tian Heng already knew his little friend was cooking for them again. And when Mo Di came out of the kitchen with two bowls of soup in his hands, smiling brightly as their eyes met, Mu Tian Heng’s heart melted into a puddle.

He quickened his pace and received the bowl from Mo Di, “Why are you cooking for us again? It’s troublesome.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Mo Di smiled: “Brother, eat while it’s still hot.”

“It smells delicious!” Lai De Si rushed to the table. Picked up a wonton and stuffed it into his mouth. He hissed as it was still too hot, “Hmm it’s so good. Xiao Di, your food is just too good. I’ve grown fat these few days thanks to your cooking. Ah, this is bliss!”

“Are you hungry?” Mu Tian Heng gently gave Mo Di’s face a pinch. His eyes were glued to him, “Go get another bowl and we’ll share mine.”

Mo Di wanted to decline but feeling certain happiness from sharing food with Mu Tian Heng, he nodded and ran to get another bowl.

Lai De Si was feeling the sourness again. He grumbled: “There’s plenty, do you guys have to share from your bowl? A certain someone is acting like a beast…”

“Even eating cannot shut you up. Would you rather I take from your bowl?” Mu Tian Heng glared at Lai De Si.

“Xiao Di made this for me, you have no right to take it from me!” Lai De Si immediately pulled his bowl closer, putting his arms around it defensively.

When Mo Di came back, he sat next to Mu Tian Heng with a small bowl. Mu Tian Heng scooped a piece of wonton for him.

When Mo Di finished, Mu Tian Heng scooped for him another one, just like feeding a small animal.

Lai De Si rolled his eyes at Mu Tian Heng. That guy is definitely doing it on purpose, giving him one piece at a time like that.

After having five pieces, Mo Di said he did not want anymore. Mu Tian Heng stopped feeding and felt a loss. The obedient appearance when his little one was waiting to be fed was just too cute to let go.

Mo Di sat for a while then checked his phone which was now overwhelmed with messages. He opened the mailbox and sure enough, there was the email sent from the organizers.

“Brother, there’s a new rule for the game competition.”

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

“This one.” Mo Di passed his phone to Mu Tian Heng: “We have to live on the premise they provided. The program will also be broadcasted once a week. I think they are going to show clips of us working.”

Mu Tian Heng read through the email but he was not too thrilled about it.

“They want all of you to move there and occasionally shoot your work?”

“En…” Mo Di could feel Mu Tian Heng’s reluctance and said: “Brother, you don’t have to worry about invasion of privacy. They will only be filming us once a week for two hours. And the time is divided amongst every member of every team. One person will have at most two minutes of footage.”

“No.” Mu Tian Heng frowned, “The less important members will not be shown for too long. It’s the team leaders that they will focus on.”

“You have to go?”

“Um. It’s mandatory. We’re reporting in on Wednesday and Thursday.” Mo Di knew the ‘unspoken rule’ that Mu Tian Heng mentioned. It’s present in every part of society.

“Little Mo Di, that means that you’re leaving in two or three days?” Lai De Si sighed, “Looks like I’m going to lose my nightly supper.”

Seeing that Mu Tian Heng was still unhappy, Mo Di said softly: “Brother, we’re not going to be imprisoned there all the time. We’re allowed to go out on the weekends, I’ll come home during that time.”

“I’m not worried about this. I’m scared that someone would…” Mu Tian Heng sighed. He reached and rubbed Mo Di’s hair: “It’s a segregated environment, if anything happens to you I can’t get there in time. I can’t help but worry.”

“I’ll be fine, brother. Since the incident with Du Wen Jing, I’ve been very careful. You can rest assured.” Mo Di grabbed Mu Tian Heng’s big hand on his head and wrapped his hands around it, “You don’t have to worry, I’m going to be fine.”

How could Mu Tian Heng ever feel relieved? However, stopping his love from going was also out of the question, this would make all his previous effort in vain.

“Then you have to be extra careful. Got it? If anything happens, run to your friends then call me.”

“En!” Mo Di made a strong nod. He suddenly lunged into Mu Tian Heng’s body and buried his head into the nook of his neck, “Brother, I will miss you very much!”

Mu Tian Heng immediately reciprocated with a kiss on Mo Di’s ear and locked his arms tightly around Mo Di, pressing him against his chest: “Um, brother will miss you too.”

Lai De Si was violently choked by the scene. The spicy chili oil went up his nasal causing him to burst into tears.

“Ah! Ah….can you pay a little attention to your surroundings? Don’t do that in front of a single dog, it hurts!!”

…..

Very soon, Wednesday arrived. Early that morning, Mu Tian Heng drove Mo Di to the designated location on the outskirts of the city.

Xian Yu Chao and Lin Jun Feng were still back in their hometown and would only arrive tomorrow. The other members agreed to come in by Wednesday night.

However, their presence was not required this early. Only the captain had to come in advance to choose the place of residence and the necessary supplies.

Mo Di arrived at nine and was led to a break room.

From the moment he entered the base, the camera was already rolling. Mo Di held his breath and his face blushed vividly. Under the camera, he looked a little shy and restrained.

When the shot was later broadcasted, immediately, a group of sisters and mothers were enticed. The fans were screaming how cute little Mo was!

However, that was not Mo Di’s aim for acting shy. His purpose was to appear weak and less threatening when meeting with the other team leaders. After all, their game was in the top two positions even with only seven chapters available.

Mo Di pushed open the door to the lounge. At a glance, three team leaders had already arrived. Mo Di said greeted with a smile: “Hello everyone.”

“Hello.” The three stood up and greeted Mo Di.

There were two men and one woman. Both men were a little stout, one was wearing a typical programmers’ style plaid shirt while the other was more formally dressed in suit and trousers. The lady was wearing a white dress with exquisite makeup, looking quite attractive.

Mo Di had some information on these people, especially the one in the plaid shirt as his team was the runner up in this competition in his previous life.

“You’re here early. And I thought I’m going to be the earliest.” Mo Di closed the door behind and smiled amiably at them.

“Actually we’re not the earliest. The first one here just went to the bathroom.” The woman approached Mo Di to shake hands. She had a small build and less than one meter six. The nameplate said her name was Li Qingqing. The other two were Ma Chao and Shen Jiajia.

“That means only five team leaders are here?” Mo Di asked.

“Um but I think more will come soon.”

As soon as Li Qingqing said that, footsteps could be heard coming in, “Here they come.”

The next second, the door was opened and in came a glamorous looking man in a white shirt and beige pants.

“Oh, it’s team leader Ye. I thought someone new was coming.” Li Qingqing introduced to Mo Di: “This is the team leader who just went to the gents. He’s the first to come and also head of the team Yi Ye Sheng.”

Mo Di looked at Ye Cheng Feng without any change in his expression. He was taken by surprise but it did not bring him much shock.

In his previous life, Ye Cheng Feng did not participate in the first game competition, but he was the champion of the second one. There were just too many deviations in this life that he was already used to the unexpected.

“Nice to meet you, captain Ye.” Mo Di smiled at Ye Cheng Feng.

Chapter 71

When they reached home, Suan Suan, who had not seen Mo Di in days, jumped at him excitedly. The tail attached to its back was shaking non-stop.

Mo Di picked Suan Suan up and gave it a kiss.

“Suan Suan, did you miss me that much?”

“This little guy is too snobbish. I’m with him every day and he doesn’t even move his butt. Now he’s almost shaking his tail off.” Mu Tian Heng came over and gave Suan Suan a nudge. “Snobbish dog.”

Mo Di laughed.

Seeing Mo Di’s hearty laughter, Mu Tian Heng smiled along. Nonetheless, he did not forget the topic at hand: “You said that you wanted to go to see the Mo house, what was that about?”

Mo Di gave Suan Suan’s head a scratch. He then explained slowly: “According to the timeline, no matter how busy Mo Er Qian was, he would come back for the Spring Festival every year. He’s a highly intelligent and cautious man. I’m worried that the camera I planted in the house might be discovered. And even if they weren’t discovered, he can still use jamming devices and by then, the two cameras would be useless.”

“So you want to plant another camera near the Mo house?”

“I want to set up one in front of the house and also hack into several feeds from the nearby shops and fast-food restaurants.” Mo Di was getting pale as he explained further: “Mo Er Qian is not on the same magnitude as the others from the Mo family. He has a high IQ and is incredibly forethoughtful. If he wants to deal with me, it’ll be very difficult for me to escape unscathed.”

“That’s why I wanted to have more surveillance so we might be able to detect something ahead of time. Whether it’s for defense or counterattack, we’ll be more flexible.”

Recalling Mo Er Qian’s information, Mu Tian Heng’s eyes turned dark, “Mo Er Qian is indeed troublesome.”

But he felt that it was not as difficult.

He and Mo Er Qian were alumni from H University and they are roughly the same age. 

His circle of friends extended all over campus including those who studied together with Mo Er Qian. And two of them were currently in the same research team as him and could not be contacted for the time being.

But their professor should still be reachable.

“No need to worry.” Mu Tian Heng decided on his next move and rubbed Mo Di’s hair. “We’ll be able to resist whatever that comes. There’s always a way. Mo Er Qian is intelligent but he’s not the only one. Smart people are everywhere and it’s not like they are outside the law. As long as he steps out of line, there will be evidence and he will go to jail.”

“I know.” Mo Di sighed and showed a faint smile, “I’m just a little anxious but he doesn’t scare me.”

“Don’t be a worry-wart at such a young age.” Mu Tian Heng pinched Mo Di’s face and looked at him adoringly: “You’re rarely free so just relax for today. We’ll go out for lunch later, how’s that?”

“Ok.” Mo Di nodded with a smile.

Suan Suan was whining at the side. It grabbed at Mo Di’s pants with its white fluffy limbs, indicating its desire to tag along.

“You can’t go with us to the restaurant but when we come back, I promise to take you for a walk, how’s that?” Mo Di caressed Suan Suan’s paws and went to its food bowl, “I’ll open a can so you can eat first. Good boy.” 

…..

Mu Tian Heng took Mo Di out for lunch and drove him around for another half an hour. When Mo Di’s mood was improved, Mu Tian Heng sent him back to the villa before rushing off to work.

Mo Di kept his word and brought Suan Suan out for a walk. However, the weather was a little harsh for him and as he also feared for Suan Suan’s health, Mo Di carried Suan Suan home after only thirty minutes.

Mo Di then focused on finishing chapter seven of Infinite Life.

Maybe the correct balance between work and rest does contribute to improving work efficiency, Mo Di had managed to complete the basic draft to chapter seven by nighttime.

After breakfast the next day, Mo Di added the final touches to the chapters five to seven and they were uploaded to the game competition website.

In less than ten minutes after the chapters were submitted, the judge that had threatened them with a bad review posted a comment on his Weibo.

His name was Ru Wen Han: “It’s due tonight and you only uploaded it now! Just because Infinite Life is a highly anticipated game you think you can keep me on the edge by sending it in this late! I’m so mad I don’t want to talk anymore. I have to play the game now.”

This post made Infinite Life an immediate hot search but the ranking was not very high until the Weibo account of the game competition commented to Ru Wen Han’s post: “HAHAHA! Thank you, brother, for the reminder! We also have to start playing right now!” 

Infinite Life was shot to the top ten on the hot search.

A large number of people began to access the official game page to play Infinite Life. Since thirty percent of the score would come from the public, after the games were uploaded to the competition website, everyone would have access to test out the games.

With that, Infinite Life had gathered quite a number of players awaiting its update. Currently, it stood in the third position even with the limited chapters and zero marketing campaign.

The other games competing against Infinite Life were a mobile game Love Cards, a love simulation game, and Legend, a hardcore action game. These two were already running an ad campaign since they entered the competition.

Love Cards was aimed at players who like relationship strategies and beautiful character designs. Most of their marketing was through bloggers and idols, appealing to the teenage demographic.

Legend targeted competitive players who prefer fast-paced action and therefore, their marketing was through livestream players and mainly the male demographic.

However, Infinite Life had never paid for a proper marketing campaign. The game’s popularity solely depended on its quality and appeal to a wider range of people. There was no specific target audience and people of all gender and age could play the game.

With its rich features and extremely diversified plots, it was highly rated for the replay value as each character has unique abilities that can shift the plotline in different directions. This was a huge pull for the game.

Besides, some NPCs were particularly likable and sympathetic due to their stories and personalities. There was even fanfic based on them. Mo Di thought of how he could give the characters more screen time… maybe add a feature for players to build their own adventure and include the NPCs into their team…

In short, according to the players’ reviews, Infinite Life was a fresh and addictive game with glamorous characters and intriguing plots. There were countless ways to delve into the game and that everyone could enjoy the adventure. 

Mo Di knew the hype Infinite Life had created and while it was on the rise, took the initiative to learn the marketing tactics of the other two games and planned a promotional campaign which he placed in a hard drive.

There were only fifteen games to be judged this round and hence, the results should be out by the end of the week. The program would once again be on live television and after that, would continue to be broadcasted once a week. 

As soon as the news was announced, many were confused with the ‘weekly broadcast’ part of the news. There was no way they could add new materials to their games in just a week. Only Mo Di knew what the organizers were planning.

The weekend came and the results were announced along with trailers of the games. There was never a doubt that Infinite Life would advance to the next stage. What was pleasantly surprising was that it firmly grasped the second position on the list.

Wen Ru Han who said that he would give them a bad review if they couldn’t give him at least eight or nine chapters to play with did not have one bad thing to say about the game. However, he still kept his threat that if he did not have at least four more chapters the next time, he would really give them a bad score.

The host smiled and continued to stir up the scene by announcing the winning teams. He then dropped a bomb and stated that for the next round, all the teams would make a formal appearance on TV!

Right after, Mo Di’s phone was bombarded with messages.

Pang Qiang Lang: What did the host mean? Are we invited to the stage?

Xian Yu Chao: AH AH AH We’re going to be famous!!!

Lin Jun Feng: So we’ll go on stage the next time they announce the winner? Should we try to give the game some publicity like talk about its creation story?

Zhao Chun: Damn! We’re going to be on camera? It’ll make me look fat! Zheng Jie Meng, wanna go have a liposuction tomorrow?

Zhang Jie Meng: ….I, I don’t think that’s necessary.

Han Chao: Calm down. We don’t even know what they really meant. Maybe they just need a video of us and then play it during the program.

Zhao Chun: AH AH AH That means I’m going to look even worse on HD.

Chen Zhao: Why are you so concerned with your big face? Pang Qiang Lang and Lin Jun Feng should be the ones who are worried.

“…..”

Seeing the notifications had reached 99+, Mo Di decided not to get involved since his words might not even get to stay on screen for too long.

At the same time, this topic was also being discussed by someone else.

The Mo house.

Mo Liu Gui was on a video call with Ye Cheng Feng, talking about the game competition.

“Cheng Feng, I just saw that your game was promoted again, congratulations.”

Ye Cheng Feng gazed deeply at Mo Liu Gui, his eyes filled with infatuation: “Thank you, Xiao Gui. Can I see you tomorrow? We haven’t seen each other for days. I’ll take you to the restaurant you wanted to go to last time.”

“Well… how about the day after? I’m busy tomorrow.”

Mo Liu Gui was going to meet another director with Qin Cheng Yi the following day, of course she had to decline Ye Cheng Feng’s invitation. Again, she brought back the game competition, “The host’s announcement at the end, what did he mean by that? Are you going on stage?”

“That’s not it.” Being rejected by Mo Liu Gui, Ye Cheng Feng was a little disappointed but he still answered her in a gentle tone: “Then I’ll pick you up the day after tomorrow?”

“Ok.” Mo Liu Gui completely did not want to talk about this. She returned to the previous topic: “So what did the host mean then? Cheng Feng, do you know?”

“About that, I did hear something. The top ten teams will be living in an official base but I don’t know the exact details.”

So it’s true!

Mo Liu Gui frowned. It was the same as the dream she had.

Mo Liu Gui hid her emotions and said: “Maybe you’ll get to meet Xiao Di. I heard that he also took part in this competition and his game is very well received. That’s just great. If you see him, can you help me check if he’s been living well?”

Chapter 70

“En.” Mo Di knew that Mu Tian Heng was only concerned for health so he nodded and accepted his preaching.

“Good boy.” Mu Tian Heng smiled. Mu Tian Heng wanted to touch Mo Di’s head but realized that he was too high up on the bed and reaching up would turn out to be awkward.

Mu Tian Heng clenched his hand to diminish the desire and reminded him tenderly: “Have a good rest and quickly go to bed, it’s already late. I’ll be leaving now.”

He was here for a surprise inspection and did not intend to stay for too long. Furthermore, the dorm would be locked at twelve midnight and he won’t be able to leave afterward.

“Brother, let me see you off.” 

“There’s no need. It’s cold outside, you’d better rest up and go to bed.” Seeing Mo Di about to get out of bed, Mu Tian Heng had to accentuate his tone: “Are you not listening to your brother’s words anymore?”

Mo Di stopped his movement and looked at Mu Tian Heng in aggrievedness.

Mu Tian Heng turned soft immediately. He said in a gentle tone: “You’re badly affected by the cold, going back and forth might give you a fever. Listen to me, alright?”

In his need to dissuade Mo Di, Mu Tian Heng spoke to him in an indulgently coaxing tone that he usually used when they were alone. Xian Yu Chao and the others had their eyes wide open, gawking in awe.

The big man was just too doting on their Xiao Di. This tone was like coaxing a child.

Mo Di detected the reactions of his roommates and his face turned red. He stopped what he was going and said: “Then, then brother, I won’t be seeing you off.”

“Um. You all should rest up as well.” Mu Tian Heng also felt the change and coughed: “I’m going now.”

After Mu Tian Heng left, Xian Yu Chao and Chen Zhao immediately stared at Mo Di while Lin Jun Feng looked curiously at Mu Tian Heng’s back as he closed the door.

“Xiao Di, isn’t Boss Mu a little too kind to you? And … and also…” Xian Yu Chao was unable to describe his exact thought on the matter. After stuttering briefly, he was just concluded with: “It’s nothing like how one would treat a younger brother.”

“Exactly! It was more like how a husband coaxes his wife.” Chen Zhao suddenly burst into laughter.

His uncle liked men and therefore, he felt there was nothing wrong with it.

“You shut up. That’s crazy.” Lin Jun Feng walked back to the bed and patted Chen Zhao’s shoulder, “Boss Mu is obviously a bro-con!” 

The group continued to discuss this topic, causing Mo Di terrible embarrassment. He covered his blanket and said to them: “If you’re not going to sleep then I’ll send you guys the work for the next chapter of Infinite Life. Do you want to do it now?”

“!!!” And then there was silence in the room as the rowdy three looked at each other in dismay.

…..

With the precise review topics to work on and the exams taking place one after the other, time flew by quickly.

A week went by and so did several of Mo Di’s exams. Jing Da had begun the self-study week and also compulsory revision classes.

Mo Di would return home every weekend. And on the weekdays when he stayed at the dorm, he would make sure to go to bed on time since Mu Tian Heng had three informants by his side, there was no way for him to cheat!

Every bedtime, Mo Di would sigh in a complicated way before sleeping.

The next stage of the competition would be to fight for the top ten spots and everyone was baffled why Mo Di was working himself to the bone. Even if they only managed to upload one or two chapters, they were pretty much guaranteed to be promoted.

Mo Di had words that he could not divulge.

Only he knew how things would change as the competition ushered into the next stage. After the top ten was selected, which was also when the hype for the competition reached its peak, all the teams would have to cohabitate in a base provided by the committee. Like popular variety shows, a camera crew would film their game making progress day by day.

However, as this was the first-ever game competition in Hua Xia, sponsorship was not adequate for every team to have their own villa. The choice of living quarters was very limited and it all came down to the rankings. The higher up they were on the list, the more probable they would be able to pick a place to their liking. This would change in later years when the competition had garnered enough popularity and investors were willing to pour capital into it.

But in this premier competition, things were not as perfect. From what he could remember watching the episodes in his last life, there were only three villas available: One with three floors and the other two with four floors each. Just enough for the ten teams.

He had to stay in the top three positions to ensure that he could pick one of the top floors. In regard to privacy, comfort, and safety, the highest floor was always a good choice.

Ai….

Life is not easy, Mo Di sighed.

Time zipped by as Mo Di busied with his studies and work. When he realized it, the last day of the exams was here and he had only one subject left to hurdle.

Not only the dorm but the whole class was filled with a festive mood.

Early this morning, Mo Di did not have to call and everyone was already out of bed.

The last exam would commence at 10:30 but the room would be occupied till 10:00 for an earlier class. 

Before ten, everyone was waiting outside the exam room discussing their plans for the holidays: when were they leaving for home, by rail or plane, where would they spend their vacation etc.

Xian Yu Chao and the others already had this discussion last night. They would be going home for the time being and when the game results were announced, they would then plan the next part of their winter holiday.

….but they knew they could plan all they want, Mo Di was not going to let them have it easy.

As Mo Di entered his last exam, a hot search popped up on the internet out of the blue.

“Release Date For The Film ‘Silence’ Is Set”

Silence is a film directed by renowned director Sun Yi Lun starring Mo Liu Gui and another actor on the rise. It told the story of first love and unrequited love.

Due to Sun Yi Lun’s reputation, the film attracted a lot of publicity once it had been announced. However, because of the Mo family’s scandals being exposed one after the other, Mo Liu Gui was in no position to buy any hot search and even when she did, more serious articles would drown out her own. Without these obstacles, the movie would have been top of the search list.

Recently, the Mo family had quietened down and when Mo Liu Gui stepped on Mo Si Lang to wash white, although it did not fully recover her image, proper publicity and marketing could now be carried out.

And so, in the sixth and eighth position of the hot search were “Mo Liu Gui, the newcomer in the lead role of Silence” and “Mo Liu Gui, the school goddess”. Several other buildups were also started. Most sounded objective on the surface but they were all a publicity stunt.

In it, Mo Liu Gui was described as a gifted and beautiful actress with great potential. She had flexible acting skills, captivating beauty, and on top of that, an academic achiever currently studying at Jing Da.

In the past, Mo Liu Gui’s reputation was nothing commendable. Coupled with the Mo family’s soiled reputation and the video confrontation between her and Mo Di, the netizens were skeptical at first with all the news involving her.

However, the water army was not there for nothing. Collaborating with Mo Liu Gui’s fans, they began a massive spread of propaganda on Weibo and major entertainment websites, aiming to help her wipe away all the previous rumors.

The so-called rumor-wiping was a common viral marketing method in the entertainment industry. Fans and water armies organized a large number of fabricated materials to refute anti-fans and whitewash their idols.

With their help, Mo Liu Gui was painted in a wholly different light: a rich, talented, intelligent, and innocent girl who had been misunderstood and bullied by the common people. When someone refuted them with evidence from the video, the water army would shut them out with claims that it was just a misunderstanding and deflect all the bad rumors. As long as the fans were shameless enough, they could go along with anything.

Under the forceful indoctrination, the truths and lies about Mo Liu Gui became a highly discussed topic for a while but with the water armies on her side, any opposers were immediately discredited. Eventually, Mo Liu Gui was promoted to the good side and managed to gain some popularity on Weibo.

Mu Tian Heng had just left his company on the way to pick someone up from Jing Da…. when news about her was notified on his phone. 

He immediately knew the farce behind all this.

After reading a few manuscripts written by the water army lying through their teeth, Mu Tian Heng’s mood was dampened. Needless to say, he did not waste time on meaningless anger. He immediately gave his PR department a temporary task and promised them a bonus were they to do a good job.

And so, by the time Mo Di came out of the examination hall and found the numerous absurd articles regarding Mo Liu Gui going viral, the whole hype was actually beginning to die down.

Not only that, the tables were now turned against Mo Liu Gui. 

The acts of the Mo family were dug up once again and were documented throughout the net along with the analysis of Mo Liu Gui’s caught on camera moments with Mo Di. The netizens were sarcastically praising her outstanding acting in that footage. 

The general masses were not idiots. Even with the fake articles circulating, Mo Liu Gui was still getting the cold shoulders.

With that, the publicity of the film Silence was once again affected.

Director Sun Yi Lun was a fuse ready to explode. He never paid attention to his casts’ personal life and only cared about their performance on the set but Mo Liu Gui had time and again hindered the publicity of his film, it was inevitable that he was getting dissatisfied with her.

He had planned for her to be the female lead in his next film but he seriously needed to reconsider that.

With just a quick browse of the internet, how could Mo Di not know what had transpired. He turned and gave Mu Tian Heng a smile.

“Brother, your countermove is too timely. Did you give the sisters and brothers who helped out drumsticks?”

“I did. I gave them a bonus big enough to buy thousands of drumsticks.” Mu Tian Heng rubbed Mo Di’s hair, “Congratulations on getting through all your exams. You’re finally free, anywhere particular you want to go?”

“Hmm…” Thinking of Mo Er Qian coming back in January, Mo Di hesitated: “I want to have a look at the Mo house.”

“The Mo house?” Mu Tian Heng instantly frowned. “And what would your purpose be?”

“That…” Mo Di was drawing a blank, “I’ll tell you when we get home. I can’t give a clear explanation at the moment.”

Chapter 69

Du Wen Jing was distraught. Why did they break his fingers? Didn’t they say that as long as she obeyed they wouldn’t hurt him?!!!

Du Wen Jing jumped hysterically at sister Meng, wanting to grab the photos. The cuffs on her wrist which were chained to the chair clattered harshly.

“What happened to my brother?! Where is he?! What happened to him?!”

Sister Meng witnessed her reaction and turned to look at the policeman there with her.

“Stop pretending. If you didn’t work with the people at the casino, how would your brother end up like this?”

“I didn’t! I didn’t! I did not want to hurt my brother! I love him the most! How could I hurt him?!!!”

Du Wen Jing’s tears flowed endlessly. “Tell me what happened to my brother?! Aren’t you the police? How can you let this happen to him?! Why didn’t you save him?! What kind of trashy police are you?!”

“You better have some respect!” The young officer snapped at her angrily.

Sister Meng was more accustomed to dealing with interrogation. She smacked two photos in front of Du Wen Jing and spoke to her calmly: “We have been working with the Myanmar police on a case and when the crimes committed in the gambling den were about to blow up, the police went after everyone in that place. But somehow they knew the police were coming and decided to use your brother as a hostage. Our hands were tied and they escaped. Now, do you still want to cover for them? Are you still willing to work with these people?!”

Du Wen Jing’s eyes were fully red: “How could they do that? They clearly said… They said…”

Sister Meng deliberately ignored her words. She told her gravely: “You’re still not willing to tell us?”

“It seems you’re trying to protect them. You’re helping each other get rid of your targets. You hated your brother because your family treated him better than you. And the person you’re working with hated Mo Di for some reason so he helped you harm your brother and you help him to deal with Mo Di. Am I right?”

“That’s nonsense!” Du Wen Jing glared at sister Meng with rage, “If something happens to my brother I won’t let you off, I won’t let them off!”

“Those people are not trustworthy! I’ll kill them! They deserve to die!”

“They gave me their word. They said if I gave Mo Di drugs and turned him into an addict, they would write off my brother’s debts and let him go. They lied to me! They should all go to hell!”

“So you worked with them to ruin Mo Di and save your brother?” Although she had expected this, sister Meng was still furious, “Do you know that what you did brought danger not only to your brother but also others?!”

“Did you know that those people set it up so your brother would turn into an addict and owed them that much debt?” The policeman next to sister Meng said in anguish: “Those people deliberately targeted your brother and you’re still willing to be used by them?!”

“Ah!!!” Du Wen Jing cried and wailed hysterically.

“Are you going to stay quiet to protect them or will you start talking?”

“If you delay us further, we won’t be able to track the people who took your brother and the longer he stayed with them, the more dangerous his situation is!”

“I… I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you!” Du Wen Jing choked up and said with tears and snot all over her face: “I’ll tell you everything…”

“You have to save my brother. Quickly save my brother!”

…..

Du Wen Jing retold her story from the beginning.

It started a month ago when a group of men came to her door and demanded a payment of 12 million yuan. They said it was the gambling debts her brother owed and she had to pay up or his hands will become obsolete. 

Of course she had her doubts and wanted to call the cops but they showed her a picture of his toe being chopped off and threatened that if she went to the police, the next time it won’t be just a finger or a hand, it’s going to be her family’s bloodline.

Du Wen Jing was scared witless, she dared not take any reckless actions. She cried and begged them to let her brother go but they refused and kept threatening her with photos of her brother being beaten to a pulp. 

Then finally, they put up a proposal as compensation. 

She was reluctant at first. She did not want to promise them anything, definitely not to hurt people, let alone go to jail! But there was nothing she could do, her brother owed them too much money and even his life was in their hands. She had no choice but to cooperate.

She is innocent! She is also a victim!

Sister Meng could not sympathize with her willingness to harm innocent people instead of going to the police. She told Du Wen Jing to give a description of the men and how to get in touch with them. Then with a cold face, she left the interrogation room.

The police immediately launched an operation.

Unfortunately, once those people heard that Du Wen Jing was in police custody, they scattered and only two were caught after two days of pursuit. They pleaded guilty to everything and insisted that no one else was giving them instructions.

At the same time, Du Wen Long was successfully located with two fingers and two toes missing. He was rescued and was sent home from Myanmar. After knowing everything, he hated Du Wen Jing.

When they were allowed to see each other, he only threw insults at her. He was being held for so long because she did not go to the police immediately and even cooperated with the people who tortured him. He felt that Du Wen Jing did it on purpose and wanted him dead.

Seeing Du Wen Long hating herself, Du Wen Jing was devastated. She cried to the point of fainting.

It was a tragic story of retribution.

Du Wen Jing’s crime of deceiving others into taking drugs was finalized. As for how long she will be imprisoned was up to the court.

And Mo Di had put Du Wen Jing aside for the time being and focused on the Qin family alongside Mu Tian Heng.

Cases whereby victims were enticed into gambling and eventually turned into habitual gamblers like Du Wen Long’s were not rare. These schemes were usually run by underground gambling dens and in Myanmar, it was operated in a grey area which included the rich, both dirty and clean. The Myanmar police could not lay their hands on them without reasonable cause but now that a foreign nationality was harmed on their soil, the police could no longer turn a blind eye.

Mu Tian Heng cooperated with the Myanmar businessmen in his acquaintance and had them put a lot of pressure on the local law enforcement to flush out the illegal activities of the casinos. With each successful arrest, the Myanmar police had gained a lot more support and momentum.

With the additional help of the Hua Xia police force and the information provided by Mu Tian Heng and Mo Di, Commissioner Wang had managed to put the Qin family onto the dissecting table. 

Amongst the people the Qin family sent to overlook their casinos, two were Qin Cheng Yi’s closest confidants and they were arrested, sending Qin Cheng Yin into a spiraling rage.

But his anger was useless. The most he could do now was send them a message, warning them not to say anything stupid.

With them under police custody, he could not simply make them disappear and cut off any ties they had with the Qin family.

Mu Tian Heng and Mo Di worked with several I.T. officers to trace the connection between the Qin Group and the gambling dens. Their ceaseless work eventually led to finding clues one after the other, even the malpractices committed in Du Wen Long’s case.

Even with his utmost effort, Qin Cheng Yi could only remove himself from the case while several of his confidants and an important right-hand man were put in custody and awaiting their sentences.

The Qin’s casinos in Myanmar were sealed off and they were put under serious surveillance.

Commissioner Wang’s interest in the case naturally did not allow him to give them any breathing room. He directly gave the report to his superiors and with the glaring evidence, the central government had to get involved.

Ultimately, the government made a swift decision to directly manage and control resources coming in and out of the Qin Group. The two major projects currently under their development had been banned indefinitely.

The news that their funds were being investigated spread like wildfire and even though the Qin Group was able to block outgoing news to the public, many in the circle had already caught wind of it. The Qins’ share immediately saw a four percent drop, meaning their market value had shrunk by nearly a hundred billion yuan. Many of their affiliated projects had also been shelved.

Qin Guang Jie had to fly back from Europe overnight.

…..

Mo Di heaved a sigh of relief when the government decided to make their move.

However, he was not overly surprised. This was bound to happen one day and it was only the beginning. His goal was to doom Qin Cheng Yi eternally.

After their crack on Qin Cheng Yi, Mo Di went back to his busy days working on his games and reviewing for the finals.

The air was getting frosty as mid-December arrived. Due to the experience from his previous life, Mo Di was particularly averse to the cold. He would wrap himself up like a bun every day.

Even the girls could not help but tease him. It was only seven or eight degrees, what would he do when the temperature got any lower.

Mo Di could only smile and continued to cover himself in layers.

Their classes had come to an end; they were now entering the final review week. The exams would commence at the end of December all the way to the eleventh of January.

In a bad case of coincidence, the deadline to upload their game for the next part of the competition was January twelfth.

With that, Mo Di’s time was squeezed dry. He was juggling between school and work which diminished his sleep to only three hours a day.

Xian Yu Chao and the others could not bear to see Mo Di go on like this but their persuasion was just falling on deaf ears. Without any other choice, they secretly gave Mu Tian Heng a call.

On that same night, Mu Tian Heng came straight to his school.

When Mo Di was busy coding while drinking water in bed, Mu Tian Heng was being smuggled in by several traitors.

“I’ve heard from somewhere that someone has been lying to me. He promised to go to bed at twelve but as it turned out, he would only sleep at three in the morning.”

Suddenly hearing Mu Tian Heng’s voice, Mo Di received quite a shock.

He looked up in a daze and was stupefied at the sight of Mu Tian Heng standing in his dorm.

“Bro…brother?”

Mo Di’s face that was revealed through the little opening in the blanket was blushing red. Mu Tian Heng’s anger was partly soothed at the humorous sight. “Isn’t today Friday? Why didn’t you come home? Don’t tell me you have class because I know that your classes are over.”

“But there’s an exam tomorrow morning for elective courses.” Mo Di replied in a timid little voice.

“Then I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow at noon.” Mu Tian Heng said: “There shouldn’t be any exam tomorrow afternoon and Sunday, is there?”

“No exam, no exam.” Xian Yu Chao and the others said in unison. “And the next week is for review so there are no classes, only a few exams on Saturday.” 

Mo Di was planning to ambiguously say that he had exams next week but was cleanly exposed by the others. 

The group of traitors!

“Well then, I’ll be bringing you back home tomorrow. You can review or work on your games at home.” Having said this, Mu Tian Heng looked straight at Mo Di and smiled, “Little one, do you have any objection?”

“No…” 

Mo Di answered like a good boy. With Mu Tian Heng supervising, he could only sleep on time. If so, then he could only produce up to chapter seven of Infinite Life. Chapter eight would have to wait.

Hopefully, the judge that claimed he would give them a bad review if they did not let him play another four chapters was only joking.

Looking at Mo Di’s cute and submissive look, Mu Tian Heng soon turned soft and wanted to hold his hand but seeing where they were, he took back the thought.

“I know you’re very busy with reviewing for the exams and working on the game but your health is more important than anything else, got it?”

Chapter 68

Du Wen Jing watched Mo Di rushed out of the room and heard his footsteps heading for the public toilet on the east corridor.

She surveyed the room. Seeing that the others were busy celebrating, walked to the bedroom and closed the door.

Du Wen Jing took off her hairband decorated with shiny cubes, each filled with a white powder.

Du Wen Jing had a hesitant look but thinking of her brother, she kept at it after all.

She quickly uncorked the sparkling wine and emptied three cubes of powder into it.

Mo Di was watching the surveillance on his phone in the men’s room.

The hidden camera was placed inconspicuously between the sofa cushion, facing the table where his school bag and the two bottles of wine were.

Du Wen Jing’s every action was caught on camera and it was all her own “initiative”.

There are two situations whereby recording from a hidden camera is unsubmissive in court. The first is that there were no illegal activities such as violence, coercion, illegal restraining, etc. The second is that it violates legal rights which includes privacy and the maintenance of the individual’s daily lives. Without infringing these two laws, the video can be used as evidence in court.

And Mo Di was well within these guidelines.

The camera angle he set was to monitor his own school bag and wine, it was to secure his own personal property. After all, there was valuable data in his bag and this was not a private space, what if someone sneaked in without his knowledge.

As for Du Wen Jing, she just happened to enter the frame on her own volition.

Mo Di had no intention to play the confronting game with Du Wen Jing. Without any delay, he reported to Mu Tian Heng, and eventually, the police were called in.

The police’s arrival was swift, in less than fifteen minutes, they were already at the hotel gate.

Even with the police at their door, Xian Yu Chao and the others were still in the dark. Only when they barged in amidst their high jinks that the group was shocked silly and stood frozen in place.

Wha… wha… What just happened?!

They had just ordered food, why did the police come instead?!!!

Du Wen Jing panicked. She pretended to be in need of the toilet in order to leave but was stopped by a policewoman who then handcuffed her.

“You’re Du Wen Jing right? Why don’t you come with us?”

“What are you doing? Why are you arresting me?!” Du Wen Jing struggled to break free and escape.

“That’s because you broke the law of course.” The policewoman was very much accustomed to apprehending criminals who tried to act innocent. She grabbed Du Wen Jing with force and pinned her on the ground.

“Ah!” Du Wen Jing screamed with pain.

“What’s going on? Why are you arresting my friend?” Seeing Du Wen Jing’s predicament, Zhao Chun stepped forward briskly, “Officer, is there a misunderstanding? My friend did not commit any crime, why are you arresting her?”

“We suspect she has drugs in her possession with the intention to intoxicate others. We’re taking her back for questioning.” The policewoman passed him her card, “If you have any doubt about our arrest, you can file a complaint at the station.”

“No, no… I certainly don’t mean any offense but…” Zhao Chun was full of disbelief looking at Du Wen Jing on the ground. “It’s just that there’s no way my friend has any drugs on her.”

Xian Yu Chao and the others also came out of their shock and started asking questions: “Who was she planning to intoxicate?!”

That’s the most important point!!!

“It’s me, I reported.” Mo Di’s voice faded in.

“Xiao Di?!!!”

Everyone’s had a change in their expression. Chen Zhao ran to Mo Di and asked him frantically: “Du Wen Jing tried to drug you? Xiao Di, please don’t scare me, this is serious!”

“Xiao Di, how are you feeling? Do you need to go to the hospital?” Pang Qiang Lang and Han Chao immediately shifted their attention to Mo Di. Han Chao insisted that Mo Di leave for the hospital right away.

“Can we get rid of the drugs by gastric lavage?”

Mo Di smiled sincerely looking at the group who were concerned for his safety even in their confusion, “It’s ok, I’m fine now.”

“The caller also has to come with us to the station.” Two male policemen who had collected the evidence and placed them in the evidence bag said to Mo Di: “You’re Mo Di, right?”

“En.” Mo Di nodded. He looked at Du Wen Jing on the ground and she was looking up at him with bright red eyes.

“You framed me!” Du Wen Jing had started the waterworks. “Why did you frame me?! I have never been exposed to drugs! I never drugged anyone! You’re the one trying to trick me into taking drugs!”

Mo Di was quite surprised at Du Wen Jing’s last-ditch effort. He could only laugh. He expected her to resist and deny but he never thought she would turn around and blame him.

Him tricking her to take drugs? 

This could get interesting.

“What rubbish?! Xiao Di has been with us all this time, don’t you dare accuse him of anything!” Lin Jun Feng was fuming. He could not imagine that the Du Wen Jing they had been feeling sorry for was such a person! She tried to drug Xiao Di and when that failed, she tried to slander him instead!

“Your accusation is invalid.” Mo Di pointed to the evidence in the hand of the police, “Everything has to be based on evidence.”

“I do not possess drugs, I don’t use drugs, and I definitely was not trying to make anyone take drugs! It’s you, you framed me! You want me to take the fall. You know I’m poor and powerless so you used me, I ….ummm!”

“Stop making a scene! It won’t help your case. I’ve seen this many times.” The policewoman gagged her with a napkin, “Stay still! Do you think you can get away with this by causing a ruckus? Dream on. Take her back.”

“Yes, sister Meng.” A young policeman immediately received her order and took Du Wen Jing away.

It was apparent that the policewoman was of a higher rank.

“Can you come to the station to make a statement?” the policewoman clapped her hands and said to the Xian Yu Chao and the others, “It won’t take long.”

“Of course, no problem.” They nodded repeatedly.

And so, everyone got in the police car.

After some time, Xian Yu Chao could not hold his curiosity and asked: “Xiao Di, what the hell is going on? How did Du Wen Jing trick you into taking drugs? Are you sure you’re alright?”

“That’s right, Xiao Di, are you now…” Han Chao looked at Mo Di: “feeling any discomfort?”

“I’m fine.” Mo Di replied calmly.

“I discovered something was wrong with her and after she spiked my drink, I have not eaten anything from her since. It was the last time we went to karaoke that I found out that she drugged me. I was not able to confirm back then but today I’m certain.”

“Last time?!” Pang Qiang Lang was flabbergasted

“En. I don’t want to talk about the details but it was pure luck that I discovered it.”

The group wanted to know more but seeing Mo Di keeping it short, they no longer asked.

Zhao Chun was still in disbelief: “But why would Wen Jing drug you? Could she have drugged us too?”

“No. She has another motive.”

“Ha?! What motive?”

“That’s the truth behind this case, we better not discuss it now.”

(TN: in case anyone was confused with the names like I was, Zhao Chun is the girl who introduced Du Wen Jing to Mo Di. Chen Zhao is one of Mo Di’s dorm mates and Song Yu’s nephew. Han Chao is one the first members of the team who joined with Pang Qiang Lang.)

…..

As Mo Di was driven to the police station, Mu Tian Heng had also made his move.

He brought everything he found on Du Wen Long to Commissioner Wang, the upright officer who had worked with them on the College Entrance Exam fraud case.

In fact, Commissioner Wang had been paying close attention to the Qin family for some time now but he just could not find any critical evidence of their crimes. With the evidence provided by Mu Tian Heng in the College Entrance Exam fraud case and Mo Si Lang’s case, his interest in the Qin family deepened and he had been keeping an eye on them. However, there was no strong evidence to topple the Qin family and so he had to be passive for now.

For this reason, Commissioner Wang was more reliable than any other government official and most suitable to exchange information with.

This time Mu Tian Heng contacted Commissioner Wang in the hope that he could use De Wen Long to make Du Wen Jing reveal everything that she knew.

However, Mu Tian Heng acknowledged that even if she spilled everything, the most they could prove was that Du Wen Long was kept in the Qins’ gambling den in Myanmar. The thread that tied the drugs to the Qins were fickle and would be unable to put garbage like Qin Cheng Yi in prison. And even if they found more incriminating evidence, there were plenty of people who were willing to be his sacrificial lamb.

In the beginning, Mu Tian Heng was reluctant to use underhanded means against the Qin family but their ruthlessness disgusted him to no end. Qin Cheng Yi cannot be left to inherit the Qin Group, he should be in a prison cell instead.

At the station, the locked up Du Wen Jing gradually calmed down as she remembered the words of the person she had been in contact with.

It’ll be fine, as long as she stays strong and sticks to her claim that Mo Di was the one who framed her, she’ll be fine.

Even if… even if there was evidence against her, it’s not that bad. She did some research, the crime of coaxing others to take drugs only has up to three years sentence unless it was serious to the point of life-threatening. She only spiked his drink twice and Mo Di was not affected at all, her sentence should be light.

At most, it would cost her three years of her life. She would be thirty by the time she got out but that was acceptable. As for now, she must not tell them anything or her brother’s hands and legs would be chopped off by those in the gambling den!

How could her brother live a normal life after that? And her parents and her, how could they live with themselves for letting this happen?!!

Du Wen Jing was determined to stick to her story unless there was concrete evidence to convict her. But even so, she would claim that she did it out of jealousy for Mo Di’s talent and wealth. That would be all she was willing to say.

Du Wen Jing had everything mapped out in her head. Just as she braced herself for what to come, no one came to interrogate her even after three hours.

After an unknown amount of time passed when she slowly drifted into sleep, the door to the interrogation room opened.

The policewoman who had handcuffed her came in with her colleague.

When Du Wen Jing was about to open her mouth to claim her innocence, the police officer’s words stumped her first, then turned her complexion pale.

“Is Du Wen Long your brother?”

Sister Meng then went on to show Du Wen Jing photos of Du Wen Long with broken fingers: “He was lured into gambling and had turned into an addict. His enabler tricked him into going to Myanmar, to an underground gambling den where he almost had his limbs amputated. And you, you were working with the people who were trying to hurt him, why? Tell me!”