Chapter 47: Sigh! Getting Rich & Capitalism

After the long meeting finally ended, it was already close to midnight.

Because Lu Weixi had already behaved improperly twice during the meeting, the guards confiscated every device except his communicator when he returned to the chamber. So for the rest of the meeting, he remained trapped in a state of extreme irritation—with nowhere to vent it.

What the hell was wrong with that person?
Once he found out who it was, he was definitely going to kill them.

Lu Weixi endured the whole night full of rage. The moment he got his terminal back, the first thing he did was make a call. The instant it connected, the other side answered in a rapid, emotionless voice:

“Everything handled, efficiency first, customer satisfaction guaranteed.”

“I’ll pay double whatever they’re paying you,” Lu Weixi shot back even faster. “Help me investigate two accounts. They’ve already been deleted, but see if you can recover the data.”

He hung up and sent over several screenshots. But the second he sent them, Lu Weixi quickly withdrew the messages, censoring the chat logs and leaving only the profile screenshots.

“Bzzzz—”

The vibration from the terminal woke Lin Zhiyan in the middle of the night. Her brain still felt stuffed with cotton as she squinted at the screen. The moment she saw the messages, she jolted upright.

[AAA Takes Any Job: 【Image】]
[AAA Takes Any Job: You used those accounts for fraud?!]
[AAA Takes Any Job: Can you explain what the hell was going through your mind?]

Even through the short messages, Lin Zhiyan could sense his shock and disbelief. Her drowsiness faded slightly, replaced with a strange sense of reality.

Good.
The fact that Lu Weixi hired this guy to investigate meant he was genuinely confused, but the situation still wasn’t too serious.

After all, she’d already mentally prepared herself to wake up being dragged away for interrogation. She’d even pre-set emergency dialing to simultaneously contact Jiang Yi, Zeffi, Aiwen, Li Siheng, Le Mans, plus several hotline numbers she copied from news channels.

A mountain need not be tall if immortals dwell there.
Relationships need not run deep as long as there are enough of them.

Lin Zhiyan replied:

[yzy: Casual chatting costs 101 credits. One extra credit is the withdrawal fee.]

[AAA Takes Any Job: ? Are you insane]

[yzy: Help me keep this secret and I’ll pay you. We can cooperate long-term afterward.]

[AAA Takes Any Job: There’s an afterward?]
[AAA Takes Any Job: Scamming a little money is one thing, but provoking him again? Are you trying to die?]

[yzy: No wonder you take every job and are still poor.]
[yzy: Every job I make money from starts at seven figures.]

[AAA Takes Any Job: …Who told you I’m poor?]
[AAA Takes Any Job: LMAO I just like working, okay?]
[AAA Takes Any Job: And who was the one bargaining over a few thousand in script fees? Speak!]

Lin Zhiyan waited until he finished spamming messages before lazily replying.

[yzy: I’m not trying to offend Lu Weixi. I’m pursuing him.]

[AAA Takes Any Job: ?]

[yzy: Seriously. It’s because of love that I want to leave a deep impression on him.]
[yzy: You just don’t understand romance yet.]

[AAA Takes Any Job: …Go see a neurologist. This kind of idiot courtship strategy won’t work.]

Of course it wouldn’t work.

Because what she really wanted was to torment that bastard to death.

Still, Lin Zhiyan responded confidently and spun an elaborate tale of love. The other party ended up half-believing her, half-worrying whether her “pursuit” might actually succeed.

Love really was the most convenient excuse.
Even if she butchered Lu Weixi alive later, this guy would probably think she was “loving passionately.”

[AAA Takes Any Job: 20,000 credits.]
[AAA Takes Any Job: 12,000 for keeping quiet, 8,000 bundled with a job opportunity.]

[yzy: ? Dude are you sick? I’d already let it slide that you tried to bundle a washing machine in before.]

[AAA Takes Any Job: This job might give you chances to get close to Lu Weixi.]

[yzy: If there were really opportunities, you wouldn’t have said “might.”]

[AAA Takes Any Job: …]

But honestly, it was perfect timing.

Ever since finishing her final elective today, Lin Zhiyan had already planned to find part-time work while she had free time. Still, she couldn’t expose her hand yet, so despite her exhaustion, she continued bargaining.

[yzy: Someone hired you to recruit people, didn’t they? Trying to scam money from both sides?]
[yzy: You suddenly brought this up because you can’t find suitable candidates, right?]

[AAA Takes Any Job: Stop pretending, sis. Didn’t both your accounts follow local part-time job bloggers?]

Lin Zhiyan: “…”

Damn it. Somehow he’d seized the initiative again.

She slowly inhaled and exhaled before continuing negotiations.

[yzy: But I can still find other jobs.]
[yzy: I’m not paying a single extra credit, and you’re rounding down the price for me. The desperate one here isn’t me.]

The terminal started vibrating wildly—probably filled with profanity.

Now Lin Zhiyan wasn’t afraid of angering him anymore. He clearly had interest in conspiring against Lu Weixi. At the very least, they were already on the same boat.

After waiting two minutes, she reopened the terminal. Sure enough, she saw a furious but reluctant message.

[Fine. 10,000. I’ll throw in an account for free.]

She’d actually bargained it down successfully.

Looks like the commission for recruiting people was pretty high.

Lin Zhiyan transferred the money. The job details only included a location and phone number. The work description simply read: miscellaneous tasks.

Miscellaneous tasks.
Her specialty.

Satisfied, she went back to sleep.

As the dark night slowly faded away, Lin Zhiyan slept soundly despite being woken up earlier.

Lu Weixi, meanwhile, paced restlessly around his room all night. He couldn’t understand why someone would go through such effort to buy anonymous accounts just to harass him.

Part of him was furious enough to want to abuse his authority to investigate.

But another part of him knew that if this incident got out, he’d become a laughingstock.

Unable to sleep, he slumped onto the sofa and angrily posted several new microblogs.

[Do some people seriously think they’re funny? Even their scam website reeks of cheap plastic webpages worth a few cents. If you’re that broke, sell your brain to a restaurant so they can make hotpot pig brains out of it.]

[People who start every sentence with “AAAAAH” give off the vibe of stomping their feet eighty times before speaking. Pathetic.]

[How poor do you have to be to scam only fifty thousand credits? Don’t tell me that tiny amount already satisfies you? No way, no way, no way?]

After posting them, Lu Weixi finally exhaled in relief.

Then his terminal vibrated.

A comment.

[Arlo-Lu: ?]

f*ck! That scammer still dared show up?!

Lu Weixi immediately opened the private messages and sent several insults involving entire family trees.

A few seconds later, his communicator buzzed again.

[Lu Suiyuan: ?]
[Lu Suiyuan: Your wings really grew tough, huh?]
[Lu Suiyuan: Nice. Just wait.]

Lu Weixi: “……”

His eyes widened in disbelief as he frantically opened the microblog profile and checked carefully.

In the end, he grabbed his head and let out a low growl.

Damn it. He genuinely couldn’t tell which one was the real Lu Suiyuan anymore.

What was real?
What was fake?

Lu Weixi wanted to explain, but the moment he imagined Lu Suiyuan’s mocking face, he choked on the words. Instead, he sprinted into the training room, ripped off his uniform jacket, and started viciously punching the sandbag while roaring.

The sky slowly brightened with every punch.

By the time dawn arrived, Lu Weixi looked like he’d been fished out of water.

After letting out a long breath, he decided to stop thinking about it. Today he needed to leave for the cities in Districts 11 and 12. His fight with Jiang Yi had delayed things long enough, and afterward he still had plans in District 4.

He needed to hurry.

The noon sunlight bathed every passerby in warmth.

Lin Zhiyan replied to messages while riding in the car.

[Le Mans: Today’s lunch 【Image】]
[Le Mans: God, how much longer do I have to keep eating this?]
[Le Mans: When are you coming already?]

Lin Zhiyan pulled the bread from her mouth and snapped a photo in reply.

[yzy: They sent out a notice about the field trip a few days ago, but there’s still no update.]
[yzy: Look at my lunch.]

[Le Mans: Why are you always eating bread?!]

[Le Mans: 【Transfer Request】]
[Le Mans: 【Location】]
[Le Mans: Go here. It’s one of my favorite restaurants. Hurry and eat something good!]
[Le Mans: Send me the menu when you arrive and I’ll order for you.]
[Le Mans: Let’s pretend we’re eating together!]

[yzy: But I’m already full. Can I go in the afternoon instead?]

[Le Mans: Then throw it up and eat something decent.]

Lin Zhiyan: “……”

She found it a little funny.

[yzy: Probably impossible. I’m on my way to a job interview.]
[yzy: But if the interviewer’s an asshole, I’ll puke in their face.]

[Le Mans: Very creative. Assuming your aim is accurate.]

After finishing the last bite of bread, Lin Zhiyan opened Li Siheng’s messages. She’d already muted him because he sent too many texts for her terminal to handle.

Ignoring the dozens of earlier messages, she finally replied.

[yzy: Was just eating. Sigh, bread again.]

She forwarded the photo.

[Li Siheng: Why won’t you use the card I gave you?]
[Li Siheng: That meal has no nutrition.]
[Li Siheng: I miss you.]
[Li Siheng: When are you coming to District 4?]

[yzy: That’s too many questions.]

After a while, Li Siheng finally replied.

[Li Siheng: So that’s second place.]

[yzy: Then what would you ask as your first question?]

[Li Siheng: Would you change your heart?]

Lin Zhiyan: “……”

Wait, weren’t they flirting? Why did it suddenly get so heavy?

It felt like asking someone what they wanted, only for them to answer: “A lifetime.”

[yzy: My heart is right here. Neither up nor down, neither left nor right. Perfectly in place.]

[Li Siheng: You always say such beautiful things.]

[yzy: Then I’ll say something less beautiful.]
[yzy: I actually really want to, but I’m shy.]

[Li Siheng: …I want to hear your voice.]

[yzy: But I’m going to an interview.]

[Li Siheng: 【Transfer Request】]
[Li Siheng: Don’t go. Stay on a call with me instead?]

Lin Zhiyan neither replied nor accepted the money. Otherwise it would seem like she wasn’t busy at all.

Li Siheng sent a few more messages while she closed her eyes and took a short nap.

Not long later, she got off at a shopping plaza station that looked oddly familiar.

Looking up carefully, she froze in shock.

Wasn’t this the luxury mall where even breathing the air supposedly put you tens of thousands in debt?

The stores here were hiring miscellaneous workers?

She’d always imagined the staff and cleaners inside would all be impeccably elegant.

…Though now that she thought about it, even the United Military Academy—a gathering place for celestial dragon nobles—had still produced someone like her, a person sending scam messages.

That thought made her feel much better.

Using the access code attached to the recruitment notice, Lin Zhiyan entered the employee elevator, followed the directions through several turns, and soon stopped in front of a flower shop.

At that moment, she closed her eyes tiredly.

No wonder they couldn’t find employees.

That shop owner looked like a virtuous, gentle beauty, but his words were always velvet hiding needles. And when he spoke to Zeffi, it was outright verbal warfare.

She didn’t dare imagine what working here would be like. Maybe he’d smilingly lock someone in the restroom and slap them.

No, wait. That sounded too thug-like.

Actually, Zeffi felt more like the type who’d do that.

The shop owner seemed more like someone who’d have others do it for him.

As Lin Zhiyan’s thoughts spiraled wildly and she considered simply running away, someone inside the shop escorted a customer out. Seeing her, the man greeted warmly:

“You’re the one here for the interview today, right? Come in, come in. Madam Kui is waiting for you.”

She froze. “Madam Kui?”

The young man nodded. “Yep, the acting shop owner. Waiting to interview you.”

Oh… thank god…

So he wasn’t actually the owner.

Still, “Madam Kui” sounded mysterious.

Did someone actually have the surname Kui? Or was it an alias used by some powerful figure? And “Madam” meant he was their lover or proxy?

Back in District 16, Lin Zhiyan had seen plenty of luxurious stores run by beautiful men and women backed by powerful people. Those places usually served only other elites, and even ordinary goods cost astronomical prices.

Those shops were great. If anything happened, she’d just be the hired worker.

And if nothing happened, there’d definitely be benefits.

Running through all these calculations in her head, Lin Zhiyan cheerfully stepped into the store.

Compared to last time, the two-story flower studio had even more fresh bouquets and greenery. Much of the original furniture and décor had been replaced with a new style that made the entire place feel refreshed.

Following the employee through winding glass corridors, she eventually entered a greenhouse.

It was enormous. Tropical plants grew densely everywhere, the temperature extremely high. Massive thick leaves released a fresh green scent into the air.

The moment Lin Zhiyan entered, the humid heat immediately made her sweat.

Passing through the lush plants and strangely vivid flowers, she soon spotted a round table deep inside.

A person sat beside it.

That should be Madam Kui.

Sitting in a wheelchair, they gazed out through the greenhouse glass. Jagged green leaves hung from above, obscuring even their silhouette.

Despite the sweltering greenhouse, they still wore a shawl.

Perhaps hearing her footsteps, the person turned and smiled.

“Sorry. I was spacing out.”

Lin Zhiyan slowly widened her eyes.

The person before her had chestnut-brown hair and amber eyes full of smiling warmth. Their lips were moist and red, curving upward softly against pale porcelain skin.

Only then did Lin Zhiyan realize they weren’t wearing a shawl at all, but a black high-collared coat with tassels. Beneath it was a crisp shirt adorned with silver chains.

—Wasn’t this the exact same shop owner from before?

Why was he Madam Kui?

Was he actually a woman with a masculine voice?

No, impossible. That build was practically double-door broad, and he had an Adam’s apple too…

Ah. Wait. Wait—

So he really was “Kui’s” husband?!

No wonder Zeffi had called him a dodder flower.

Lin Zhiyan’s thoughts spiraled while the heat made her entire body burn. After a pause, she asked:

“I’m here for the interview. Are you Madam Kui?”

He raised a brow before smiling gently.

“What else would I be?”

“Come, sit here.” Madam Kui tapped the table warmly. “Sorry, I have chronic health problems. Sometimes I feel cold all over, and only the greenhouse helps. Sorry to trouble you.”

Sweat already dotted Lin Zhiyan’s forehead and nose. Feeling half-delirious from both the heat and her own theories, she sat across from him, throat dry.

“My name’s Lin Zhiyan. Someone introduced me here for miscellaneous work. I’ve done all sorts of service jobs before, but never flower shops. I honestly didn’t expect the work to involve this.”

Madam Kui coughed several times, sickly redness blooming on his face. His amber eyes shimmered.

“Sorry,” he said, smiling with narrowed eyes and resting his chin on one hand.

Lin Zhiyan felt even thirstier. “It’s okay.”

“You’re hot, aren’t you?” Madam Kui smiled faintly before wheeling himself away. Soon, he returned with an ice bucket and set it on the table. “Would you like a drink?”

Lin Zhiyan glanced inside and saw several bottles of alcohol chilling beside glasses.

She licked her dry lips and shook her head. “No thanks.”

She really wanted one.

But who knew whether it was poisoned?

These rich nobles were all terrible people!

Meanwhile, her overheated brain was running around screaming nonsense internally.

Madam Kui, however, hadn’t sweated at all. He merely pulled his clothes tighter and looked at her with a smile.

“True. You look too young. Drinking isn’t good for children.”

Then why bring it out?!

Deeply confused, Lin Zhiyan tried steering the topic back.

“So… regarding the job, what do you think? Personally, I feel like I don’t understand flower shop work well enough. I might not be suitable.”

“It’s fine. I can teach you.” Madam Kui coughed again, the mole beside his lips vivid red like blood. “I happen to be free lately, so I don’t have any complaints about you. And since you know Zeffi too, you’re basically trustworthy.”

Lin Zhiyan wiped sweat from her face and swallowed hard. Her throat felt like it was on fire.

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity, but I think I—”

“No need to be modest.” Madam Kui interrupted her gently. “My shop pays 100 star credits an hour. Twenty hours of attendance per week is guaranteed minimum, though you’re welcome to work more. Business hours are from one to seven in the afternoon, and you can arrange your own schedule.”

One hundred credits an hour.

Six hundred a day.

Eighteen thousand a month.

Lin Zhiyan wasn’t sure whether the heat or the money had stunned her more. She nodded frantically, strands of hair sticking to her face.

Madam Kui tilted his head, smiling at her reaction before standing and retrieving a towel from the ice bucket.

After wringing it dry, he handed it to her.

Lin Zhiyan was shocked. “How did I not see there was a towel in there before?”

“I hid it at the very bottom.” Madam Kui handed it over, the tips of his pale fingers flushed red. His teeth lightly grazed his lower lip as he spoke softly:

“If you were willing to drink with me, you wouldn’t feel so hot. What a pity.”

Lin Zhiyan: “……”

What a terrifying person.

Not only was he constantly radiating a strangely sensual charm, he also clearly enjoyed teasing people far too much.

No wonder he became Madam Kui.

If she were a powerful figure, she’d probably fall for him too.

Touching a powerful figure’s lover meant death.

She needed to tread carefully and play dead for now.

That was eighteen thousand credits.

Lin Zhiyan forced out an innocent, grateful smile as she wiped her face with the cold towel.

“So when do we sign the contract?”

“The contract’s outside. Sign it with… ah, that person.” Madam Kui thought seriously for several seconds. “My memory isn’t very good. I can’t quite remember who he is. Once you sign, you’ll replace him. He won’t be coming tomorrow.”

Wait.

Was this flower shop running on ghost-replacement rules?

Could employees only quit after finding the next victim?

Though suspicious, Lin Zhiyan couldn’t bear to give up eighteen thousand credits. So she resolutely left the greenhouse.

Just before turning the corner, she heard soft laughter behind her.

Light as feathers.

It vanished quickly.

A chill crawled across her scalp as she hurried out. The cool air outside finally let her breathe again.

Walking over to the employee, she said, “Madam Kui said I can sign the contract.”

“Great, I’ll get it for you.” The employee smiled brightly. “So? The boss is nice, right? Want me to show you around the store?”

Lin Zhiyan smiled back. “Thanks.”

Then she asked casually, “So why are you quitting?”

“Oh, I…” The employee rubbed his nose awkwardly. “Personal reasons.”

Lin Zhiyan stared at him and smiled.

“I see. That’s good. I was worried this might be a scam. It took me forever to find a job this good. I’m really excited.”

The employee glanced at her several times before finally leaning closer.

“Well… this place is really good. You should treasure it. But there are a few things you should be careful about.”

Lin Zhiyan raised a brow. “Careful about what?”

“Well…” He scratched his head before finally saying, “Madam Kui is great in every way. He’s just… too enthusiastic.”

He hurriedly waved his hands.

“N-no, not like that! It’s just… he really likes communicating? He loves talking to people and teaching them things. But… I’m stupid. Somehow I always feel like I accidentally upset him. Even though he’s never actually gotten angry, I still end up feeling awful…”

Apparently realizing he’d said too much, the employee awkwardly went to fetch the contract.

Lin Zhiyan skimmed through it and found nothing suspicious. She signed and stamped her terminal particle-ID seal.

Only then did she finally notice Madam Kui’s real name.

…Wei Furen.

Wait.

So it wasn’t “Madam Kui” at all?!

The employee immediately understood her expression and laughed.

“Did you mishear it as ‘furen’ (madam)? I noticed that too—his name really sounds like that when people say it fast.”

No wonder he’d raised his eyebrow earlier when she called him Madam Kui.

Which meant… had he hidden the towel at the bottom just to tease her?

Lin Zhiyan couldn’t figure it out.

She’d always been slow at noticing these small social traps. It felt like someone exiled to the cold palace for ten years before suddenly realizing they’d actually been schemed against all along.

After signing the contract, she didn’t linger. She took the train home.

On the ride back, while replying to Li Siheng and Le Mans, she also couldn’t resist provoking Zeffi.

[yzy: Long time no see. Where’ve you been making money lately, Zeffi?]

[yzy: I found a new line of work today, haha. Want to join me?]

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