piratefiction Chapter 42 Is this guy crazy?
Chapter 42 Is this guy crazy?
Zhang Mingyuan was very confident in what he said!
He had already learned through his skills that Chen Fu was the seller.
If this matter is exposed, Chen Fu will be charged with exploiting the organization, and all the advantages he has worked so hard to build will be lost. He may even be sentenced to prison!
Even if they don't, they'll still be expelled from the Department of Paranormal Investigations. If they want to join a conglomerate, people will be wary of whether they'll continue doing this, which means they've lost credibility. After all, nobody wants to spend real money only to raise an ungrateful person.
Of course, Chen Fu could also choose to be a solo player. But that would drastically reduce his access to information, and the most direct impact would be a significant slowdown in his game progress.
Zhang Mingyuan assumed that Chen Fu had relied on the strategy provided by the Spirit Investigation Bureau to get to where he was today, and even thought he had found the boy's weakness.
"Beg me not to tell anyone, or you'll be ruined."
Zhang Mingyuan whispered to Chen Fu, a hint of smugness in his smile.
"Is this guy crazy?" Chen Fu asked, puzzled.
He quickly understood what Zhang Mingyuan meant.
Oh well, so what if they know I'm the seller? Zhou Jianbang knows that too.
What are you showing off for?
Chen Fu's achievements today are related to the Bureau of Spirits Investigation, but not by much.
He achieved so much entirely through his own efforts.
"Just say what you want to say, it's not a big deal."
Chen Fu's voice was calm and composed, without any sign of panic. He didn't even lower his volume, seemingly unconcerned about whether others could hear him.
Everyone present was stunned, wondering why Chen Fu would suddenly say such a thing.
Only Zhou Jianbang figured out the reason and realized that Zhang Mingyuan must be threatening Chen Fu with the matter of the trading house.
He shared the same view as Chen Fu.
So what if you know? I'll handle whatever comes up. Do you think I, a regional manager, am afraid of a department head?
"Aren't you afraid?" Zhang Mingyuan was somewhat surprised. Wait a minute, shouldn't you be kneeling down and begging me not to tell? Why are you acting so fearless?
Chen Fusong released Zhang Mingyuan's hand and smiled, "Who would believe what you say?"
This is not alarmist.
Unless he admits it or Zhou Jianbang says anything, and unless Zhang Mingyuan provides enough evidence to prove it, it's just baseless slander.
Chen Fu had previously checked and found that among all the players, only Zhang Mingyuan was a member of the Quanzhen Longmen sect.
The strategies that the other party previously posted on the Spirit Investigation Bureau forum were mostly based on reasonable speculations made from seeing the future.
But now, thanks to Baidatong's post questioning him, Zhang Mingyuan's reputation has been affected. How many players will still believe him?
Unless another Quanzhen Longmen member stands up to support Zhang Mingyuan, or uses his real-world power and status to verify the authenticity of this matter, its credibility will be greatly reduced.
Zhang Mingyuan also realized this at this moment.
He stubbornly took out his phone and logged into the Paranormal Investigation Bureau forum, but his face turned ugly after just one glance.
After a night of fermentation, many posts questioning and mocking him appeared on the forum.
The implication is that if he could rescue the player from Jiangcheng, once that player gained access to the Forbidden City, he would definitely prioritize giving any unused items to the personnel within the Spirit Investigation Bureau.
But now it's all too late.
How much identification and dependence can a person who does not receive care from the organization have for it?
Baidatong went so far as to portray Zhang Mingyuan as the eternal sinner of the Spirit Investigation Bureau, nailing him to the pillar of shame.
"You're not a child anymore, don't do such childish things in the future, it's embarrassing."
Chen Fu said in a mature and sophisticated manner, while patting Zhang Mingyuan on the shoulder.
That's like he's educating a younger person.
Although the others didn't know what had happened, they couldn't help but laugh when they saw this scene.
Even the girl with round glasses turned her attention away from the game, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Zhang Mingyuan was breathing heavily. After looking around, he fixed his gaze on Zhou Jianbang.
It was only then that he belatedly realized that the person in charge of Wujiang District in Jiangcheng must have known about this matter, otherwise he would never have been so calm.
Okay, so I was the clown all along.
Zhang Mingyuan's face turned red, and he felt a deep sense of defeat.
"Ahem." Zhou Jianbang coughed lightly. "Now that we all know each other, let's sit down and discuss how to deal with the Sidu Lake matter."
Zhou Jianbang did not include programmers, whose professions are more data-oriented and would not play a significant role in paranormal events.
"I think we should dive into the lake and retrieve the stones first."
Chen Fu was the first to express his opinion.
The main problem is that we don't know how well the monkey fights in the water; otherwise, we could have sent it down there.
"How do you know that no accidents will happen during the salvage operation?"
Zhang Mingyuan, having shaken off his feelings of defeat, began to sing a different tune.
One of the reasons he came to Jiangcheng was to resolve the issue of the stone; he already knew about the situation.
"Minister Zhang is right! Then please dive to the bottom of the lake and solve the problem."
Chen Fu feigned shame, indicating that he hadn't thought things through, and continued speaking in accordance with Zhang Mingyuan's words.
"you!"
Zhang Mingyuan was furious, feeling that he had been tricked by Chen Fu again.
How infuriating! If this happened in Yanjing, I'd make things difficult for you!
Minister Zhang had no way to express his grievances, so what could he do? After all, this was Jiangcheng, not his territory.
The girl with round glasses and Bai Ruhua didn't express their opinions. Surprisingly, their thoughts were in sync: they would just do whatever the leader arranged.
"I already have a preliminary plan," Zhou Jianbang said, and after everyone looked over, he continued, "I had the relevant personnel investigate last night, and moving the stone won't have any impact."
He looked at Chen Fu: "So I think it's feasible to retrieve the stone and then make further plans."
There were no related personnel involved. It was just that Zhou Jianbang went to Sidu Lake last night, relied on his tough skin and thick skin to dive to the bottom of the lake, found the stone, and personally tested it.
With the added benefit of the Blood Gluttonous Inner Realm Fragment, he wasn't afraid of encountering any vengeful spirits or fish monsters. Besides, this kind of thing definitely required him, the person in charge, to take the lead. Did he expect his subordinates to go first?
"What you did was...very good!"
Zhang Mingyuan initially wanted to refute, but suddenly changed his attitude, shrugged, and stopped insisting on his opinion.
He thought of a situation that would be advantageous to him.
The conclusion that the stone could be retrieved must have been reached through Zhou Jianbang's experiments, so there's no need to refute it now.
Why not just wait until the players in Wujiang District can't solve it, and then step in to solve it yourself?
By then, this group will also know his strength. He can then post on the Spirit Investigation Bureau forum, describing the process and praising his achievements, and his reputation will be restored.
He even came up with a title.
The people of Wujiang District fought valiantly against the strange rock but were no match for it. The disciples of the Quanzhen School stepped in and turned the tide!
Simply perfect!
"Is this guy planning some weird trick again...?" Chen Fu wondered to himself, watching Zhang Mingyuan's ever-changing expressions.
He turned his head and secretly sized up Zhou Jianbang, discovering that the other man had also noticed.
The two exchanged glances and began to communicate silently.
Chen Fu: "Captain Zhou, after becoming a member of the Quanzhen Dragon Clan, will you develop some kind of ailment?"
Zhou Jianbang: "Why do you say that?"
Chen Fu: "Look at his expression, it's like he's having epilepsy."
Zhou Jianbang: "I haven't heard of that. Let's deal with the stone issue first."
After the exchange concluded, Zhou Jianbang began to outline the plan.
In the afternoon, Sidu Lake will be closed off under the pretext of temporary repairs, and tourists will not be allowed to enter.
Zhou Jianbang will lead the personnel from the Spirit Investigation Bureau to the lake. He will personally dive to the bottom of the lake to retrieve the stone. Except for Chen Fu, everyone will launch an attack simultaneously, striving to destroy the stone as soon as possible.
Chen Fu's task is to keep watch; if nothing happens, he doesn't need to do anything. But if anything unexpected happens, he needs to improvise and take action to resolve the situation.
Zhou Jianbang arranged the plan in this way to put Chen Fu in a safe position and not want him to encounter danger.
The girl with round glasses and Bai Ruhua noticed this and naturally assumed that this was the way it should be, without offering any objection.
Zhang Mingyuan gained a deeper understanding of Chen Fu's status in Wujiang District. After thinking for a moment, he remained silent. In any case, once the plan succeeded, he would take back a thousandfold the grievances he had suffered before, so he didn't care about the time it took.
Seeing that no one raised any objections, Zhou Jianbang proceeded with the plan.
At noon, the group had lunch at the Spirit Investigation Bureau's canteen. Chen Fu asked his counselor for leave and skipped class, then set off for Sidu Lake.
Du Fanyu was still driving, but he had changed into a bulletproof vest and had a pistol tucked into his waistband.
"Are firearms effective against rocks?" Chen Fu asked curiously from the passenger seat.
"Judging from previous actions, they have been effective, except for dealing with unseen wronged spirits."
Du Fanyu replied as he drove, secretly preparing himself. He couldn't let it be like when he dealt with the fishmen before, where he hadn't even fired a shot.
The ghost groom floated between the two, pondering whether he should use Chen Fu to pass on some experience to his younger brother.
"I felt a chilling aura spreading around me."
Sitting in the back row, Zhang Mingyuan wondered, "What's wrong with these players from Wujiang District? They all seem to have something fishy going on with them."
"You're mistaken." Chen Fu turned to look at him. "It's probably because the air conditioning is on too high."
Neither the girl with round glasses nor Bai Ruhua spoke; both were playing games, one advancing the plot and the other exploring the Forbidden City.
"Strange," Zhang Mingyuan muttered, feeling the car slowly come to a stop, and then saw Zhou Jianbang get out of another car.
"We're here, let's get started."
Zhang Mingyuan said he couldn't wait to start the plan.
But nobody paid any attention to him; the others all sat still in the car.
"There's no danger, get off the bus."
Chen Fu saw Zhou Jianbang make a hand gesture and immediately opened the car door.
Only then did Du Fanyu and the others gradually come down.
Zhang Mingyuan's lips twitched. "Fine, my words as a minister don't carry as much weight as those of an ordinary staff member. Are you trying to turn the world upside down?"
He had already mentally categorized Chen Fu as a staff member, and was secretly plotting how to retaliate later.
Chen Fu had no idea what Zhang Mingyuan was thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.
He watched as Zhou Jianbang changed into his diving suit and jumped into the lake with a splash.
What a great leader! He's always at the forefront. Once the mission is complete, I must post on the forum to praise Team Leader Zhou… Chen Fu thought to himself.
Due to the martial law, there was no one around Sidu Lake at this moment. The scorching sun baked the ground, and there was no wind. Even standing by the lake, one could not feel any coolness.
The girl with round glasses put down her phone. She had died in the game, but the good thing was that she had successfully reached Bloodblade Town thanks to Chen Fu and the guides on the forum.
She took out a parasol, one for herself and one for Bai Ruhua, and then took out another one from her bag and handed it to Chen Fu.
"My name is Li Xintong," the girl with round glasses introduced herself, without any hesitation.
"They're not even holding an umbrella for your Brother Du anymore. New faces definitely trump old ones."
Before Chen Fu could speak, Du Fanyu started joking.
He and Li Xintong had known each other for a long time, had collaborated several times, and had a good relationship.
"Once you get the beta test code, I'll buy you a whole box of sun umbrellas."
Li Xintong replied, a smile playing on her lips.
"Can I exchange it for money? I'm pretty poor," Chen Fu chimed in, pointing to the umbrella as he spoke.
Bai Ruhua, who had always considered herself invisible, glanced at Chen Fu and thought to herself, "I don't even know how many zeros are in your bank account, and you're still pretending to be poor."
"Okay." Li Xintong added Chen Fu on WeChat and sent him a red envelope.
Chen Fu clicked on it with a grin, realizing he had made a net profit of twenty-five yuan. He was happy!
Looking at the group of people who seemed to get along well, Zhang Mingyuan couldn't help but feel envious.
We're all employees of the Department of Paranormal Investigation, so why are you all chatting and laughing while leaving me hanging? I haven't done anything wrong.
Although he is the head of the Beijing headquarters of the Bureau of Spiritual Investigation, Zhang Mingyuan is not old, only twenty-five years old this year. However, everyone treats him with utmost respect, and he can't find any close friends.
Baidatong was someone who would seize any opportunity to attack him, and the people in the WeChat group didn't really like him either, which made Zhang Mingyuan always keep to himself.
"We don't seem to have a group chat yet, let's add each other face-to-face."
Before Zhou Jianbang came online, Chen Fu started a group chat. He mainly found that the players in Wujiang District were all communicating one-way, which was not good. It was important to chat in the group regularly.
Besides Zhang Mingyuan, everyone else joined in. Li Xintong even brought in the programmers, and then sent out five red envelopes in one go to celebrate that Wujiang District had its first internal group.
"Um, can I add it?" Zhang Mingyuan blinked and pointed out his advantage: "I can put all the guides that haven't been posted on the forum in here."
"We also have people making strategy guides," Chen Fu said, pointing to the programmer's avatar.
As soon as the group chat was created, the other party posted the completed strategy guide and asked where they were and if they needed help.
Chen Fu wasn't intentionally targeting Zhang Mingyuan. Du Fanyu and Bai Ruhua were busy grabbing red envelopes and didn't have time to deal with this person, so he had to speak up.
"I can also send red envelopes," Zhang Mingyuan said, pulling out his trump card.
Chen Fu curled his lip: "Why would someone from Yanjing like you join our Wujiang District group?"
Despite saying that, he still brought Zhang Mingyuan into the discussion.
It's stupid not to make money when you can. Kick the person out after you've grabbed the red envelope.
While the two were talking, Zhou Jianbang had already fished the stone out of the lake.
To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, he gently placed it on the ground, then quickly created some distance and signaled to the others to proceed.
Chen Fu and the others put away their phones and formed a battle formation, ready to make their move.
Du Fanyu fired first, six shots in a row, hitting the stone surface accurately. He then began to reload, preparing for the second round of attack.
Li Xintong's eyes, hidden behind her glasses, emitted a faint golden light. Without any visible movement, several sharp blades, gleaming with a cold light, appeared out of thin air, their blades embedded in the stone, leaving only the hilts sticking out.
This is her professional skill; she can teleport and make other items appear in designated locations.
Zhang Mingyuan clenched his fist. The Quanzhen Longmen profession had given him two skills. Cultivating both body and spirit was fundamental, while the Five Qi Gathering Fist provided protection against enemies.
He charged forward rapidly, twisting his waist and swinging his fist as he moved. His fist flashed crimson, leaving a trail of afterimages as he slammed it into the stone surface with a powerful gust of wind.
Three flowers gather at the top, and five energies converge at the origin!
"Bang!"
The stone was struck until it cracked, and a stream of ink-like liquid flowed out under the multiple attacks.
Zhou Jianbang, who had already obtained the long knife, immediately stepped forward.
He originally intended to use the Blood Gluttony Inner Realm Fragment to intensify the damage, but for some reason, a feeling suddenly arose in his heart, as if doing so would lead to great danger.
He then heard Chen Fu's voice in his ear.
"Be careful!"
The heat that had enveloped Lake Sidu disappeared without anyone noticing, and the lake surface began to ripple, trembling at a visible speed like boiling water.
A cold, chilly wind, seemingly coming from nowhere, brushed against my skin, as if trying to seep into my bones in the dead of winter. The willows planted along the roadside began to sway, their branches waving and undulating wildly.
Immediately afterwards, Zhou Jianbang saw a dark figure rushing towards him.
……