Chapter 41: The Operation
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
The first morning at the resort hotel was quietly cozy. Shi Wenze was remotely reporting work, Lin Su was tutoring Xu You on exam material, and on the table lay fresh bread while seabirds perched on the balcony railing—the perfect picture of a warm little family. Except Xu You still couldn’t shake his habit of talking too much when studying. Suddenly, he asked Lin Su, “What’s your main job in the inspection team?”
Lin Su answered simply, “Catching those who fail their exams.”
Xu You was surprised. “That’s all?”
Lin Su nodded. “Yeah.”
This gave Xu You a bit of reassurance — lots of people must be failing if they needed a dedicated person for this. But Lin Su replied coldly, “This year, you’re the only one I caught.”
Xu You didn’t believe it. “But it’s almost November.”
“So as long as you pass, the Chengdu Monster Inspection Committee will achieve a 100% pass rate for the professional exams this year,” Lin Su said flatly.
If anyone else had said this jokingly, Xu You might have questioned why no one ever mentioned it before. But sitting right in front of him was Lin Su—stern, upright, and elegant like a swan—and Xu You immediately believed it. The honor suddenly felt as official as an imperial decree. He looked solemn. “So I’m the hope of the whole village.”
Shi Wenze interjected from the side, “You’re not the hope of the village—you’re the village’s deadweight.”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Xu You flipped open his book. “But just so we’re clear—even if I pass this time, it’ll only be one subject. Overall, I’m still failing. Can I still get the prize?”
Lin Su said, “Yes.”
Xu You hesitated, lowering his voice, “Isn’t that kind of… cheating? Are you sure it’s okay for you to help me sneak through?”
Lin Su’s posture remained proud and serious. “It’s fine.” Silent and serious, he looked like he was in total control. Xu You believed him without doubt.
Shi Wenze sat nearby, wondering if he should intervene and stop this unprofessional behavior—but then thought, whatever, let them have their fun. After all, they were all on the same team.
Meanwhile, Lin Lu’s efficiency in Chengdu was impressive. Thanks to her good relations in the fan club, she had already organized a small weekend dinner group within two hours. Linghu Tangtang originally didn’t want to join but finally agreed after some friends persuaded her.
At around eight that evening, Linghu Tangtang posted photos and a sentimental message on her Moments. Perhaps a little tipsy, her emotions were raw and unfiltered. Lin Lu drove her home, then called Shi Wenze to report the “mission accomplished” — but admitted, “I think I might have opened some old wounds.”
Shi Wenze comforted her, “Look at it another way—you’re helping her.”
“Hopefully,” Lin Lu replied. “How’s it going over there?”
Before Shi Wenze could answer, he received a notification from Bai Tianchi: Yu Feizheng had finally ordered the same hotpot delivery.
The monster inspection committee in Qiongcheng and the human police had already coordinated, so Shi Wenze and Xu You quickly changed into delivery uniforms—masks and low-brimmed caps hiding their faces. Lin Su didn’t want to stay alone in the hotel, but with no combat skills and his only stun baton confiscated, he sulked in the $18,888 suite, drinking wine by the infinity pool, feeling like a fragile leaf blown by the wind.
But this gloomy mood didn’t last long. Hotel staff soon arrived, flanked by two burly men over six feet tall, politely saying, “Shi Ge sent us to pick you up.”
Alarm bells rang in Lin Su’s head. He wasn’t part of the capture team. Why were they picking him up? And those muscle-bound men in tight black T-shirts looked more like villains than helpers. Lin Su imagined himself tied up in a warehouse, surrounded by criminals with fire-breathing effects—his expression hardened as he warned the staff, “I don’t know these men. They might be traffickers. I’m calling 110 now.”
The big men yelled, “STOP!”
Meanwhile, Shi Wenze received a call from the Qiongcheng colleagues. “Shi Ge, your friend wants to call the police on us… yes, we told him… alright, you deal with it.”
But Lin Su wouldn’t even answer his phone. Who knew if it was some trap with evil monsters or bombs? These things were never simple. He took a step back, reached for his phone—and saw a WeChat message from Shi Wenze sent minutes ago saying he’d sent two colleagues to pick him up.
“…”
On the phone, Shi Wenze explained, “I know you don’t want to stay at the hotel.”
Lin Su thought: Yeah, I don’t want to stay here, but this love thing is complicated. And the world isn’t just WeChat—next time if I don’t reply, please call me, okay?
Shi Wenze asked, “So will you come?”
Lin Su said simply, “I’m coming.”
He hung up without changing his expression, getting into the van with the burly men. Beyond the polite thanks, he offered no extra explanations, trying to channel an artist’s aloofness to turn the thick awkwardness into an inscrutable coolness. But the other two weren’t embarrassed at all—in fact, they felt reassured. The public’s high vigilance meant the government’s anti-fraud campaigns were working well, and their recent street efforts to get people to scan QR codes for the app hadn’t been in vain.
The business van carrying Lin Su stopped on an old street behind the Jin Yu residential complex. Meanwhile, Shi Wenze and Xu You had already arrived at the apartment building’s elevator, pushing a large food cart piled with neatly packed takeout bags. The door to unit 1605 remained tightly shut. Shi Wenze pressed the doorbell three times before hearing Yu Feizheng’s voice, “Leave it at the door, thanks.”
“Uh, sir,” Xu You addressed the camera, “there’s quite a lot of food, and without the cart, it would spill out over half the hallway. Are you sure you don’t want us to bring it inside?”
“No need.”
“All right,” Xu You said, “but could you please sign a satisfaction form? You’d get a complimentary fresh cut ‘hanging tender’ as a gift.”
“No, thank you.”
“We also have a ‘Heart sign to the camera and loudly say I love you’ promotion—”
“I don’t need anything!”
The voice grew noticeably agitated. Xu You was startled by the sudden mood swing, and naturally his hands wobbled. The bag he was holding slammed heavily to the floor with a loud bang. Soup and sauces splattered everywhere, filling the hallway with the rich aroma of tomato broth.
Panicked, Xu You bowed repeatedly toward the door, “Sorry, sorry! We’ll go get a replacement right away!”
Yu Feizheng, watching through the electronic peephole, saw the whole scene. Though he knew it was just a delivery mishap, his mood sank along with the reminder of his isolated, hidden life. He had no appetite left for the hotpot. Meanwhile, outside, the delivery guy kept apologizing, “Sir, may we at least bring in the rest of the food? I’ve reported this to my supervisor; a new pot base and two large coupons will be delivered within twenty minutes.”
“No, thanks,” Yu Feizheng said flatly. “I want to cancel the order. Just leave.”
Xu You looked troubled and exchanged a glance with Shi Wenze. Then he carefully asked, “Sir, is there something wrong with our compensation offer?”
“Just go!” Yu Feizheng snapped, impatient. “I said I want to cancel!”
“All right, all right, very sorry,” Xu You hurried to say. “We’ll take these away now and come back later to clean up at your door.”
No more sound came from inside; it was clear Yu Feizheng didn’t want to deal with them any further. Xu You and Shi Wenze wheeled the cart back to the elevator lobby, clicking their tongues in exasperation.
“Yep, this guy’s on high alert,” Xu You muttered. “If I’d known it’d be like this, I wouldn’t have rushed to learn Indian flatbread tricks and ramen dances. Too many skills can be a problem—undercover work isn’t easy.”
Plan A failed; time for Plan B. They went to the convenience store near the door to buy a broom and mop. After three or four trips, they finally cleaned up the mess. Xu You looked ready to apologize again but was stopped by Shi Wenze, who raised a finger to his lips and tried to express a silent “Shh” toward the camera with a meaningful gesture—“The customer’s angry now. You, be quiet. Got it?”
Xu You stayed silent but bowed deeply toward the door. Such sincere service was hard not to soften a customer’s heart—even Yu Feizheng behind the door. He even regretted his earlier outburst. A delivery person’s wages were low and their work hard-earned; there was no reason to take it out on them.
A cold steel hand suddenly reached out and gently tapped on the table in front of him…
Outside, the sky was gradually darkening.
Yu Feizheng lay on the sofa, absentmindedly scrolling through chat logs with his girlfriend, gradually becoming lost in thought. Another person in the room dragged heavy steel wings as he approached, sneering as he glanced at the screen. With a loud thud, he placed a self-heating hotpot bowl in front of him. “Stop looking. No matter how long you stare, she’s not yours anymore. But don’t worry—once you’re abroad, you’ll have plenty of girls.”
“Cut it out,” Yu Feizheng said irritably, standing up to go to the bedroom for a nap. Just then, the elevator chimed.
In this one-elevator-per-floor layout, no one else was supposed to be on this level. Both men tensed instantly, rushing to the monitor connected to the camera. To their surprise, it was the same two delivery guys, now carrying a huge fruit basket. The steel-winged monster cursed under his breath, “Damn, this lousy hotpot place never quits.”
The elevator doors opened again, revealing three people: a man in a black suit with a work badge who looked like the hotpot restaurant manager, and two chubby chefs—one older with a white chef’s hat and a younger assistant.
Yu Feizheng muttered, “…”
“Sir, sorry to bother you again,” Shi Wenze said politely. “After hearing about the delivery mishap, our boss was very apologetic. He’s already reprimanded us and has invited his friend, Qiongcheng’s most famous chef Wang Dazhong, to come cook dinner for you. Would you like to schedule a time, or shall we start cooking right now? We brought fresh ingredients.”
“No thanks.”
Xu You forced a smile, eyes wide and innocent, repeating carefully to the camera, “Sir, are you still dissatisfied with our compensation offer?”
“Satisfied, but I don’t need it.”
Xu You hesitated and glanced pleadingly at the “manager” beside him.
The “manager” bowed politely. “Understood, sir. Sorry for disturbing you—we will go back and draft a new proposal.”
Yu Feizheng felt his blood pressure spike. Taking a deep breath, he was about to refuse again when a dark voice beside him said, “Open the door. Let them leave.”
“Why open the door?”
“Be polite. Accept the fruit basket as a gesture of goodwill, then send them on their way,” said the steel-winged monster. “Otherwise, this place won’t stop. They’ll keep coming back with new tricks.”
Though it sounded absurd, this was a legendary hotpot chain famous for endless customer service antics—even customers fighting at the door were offered sunflower seeds and small stools. So maybe it wasn’t so crazy after all.
Yu Feizheng still doubted, “Are you sure?”
“I just checked. The guy in the middle really is Wang Dazhong. If they had other motives, they wouldn’t bother sending such a famous chef,” the monster said. “Go ahead.”
Yu Feizheng nodded, fixed his clothes, and opened the door.
“Really sorry about this,” Xu You apologized repeatedly, bowing like a parrot the moment the door opened.
“No problem, really no problem. Maybe I was just in a bad mood today and misunderstood you.” Yu Feizheng forced a smile. “Spilling the soup is fine, just cancel the order. I’ll order again when I want to. I’ll accept the fruit basket, but no need for home cooking.”
Xu You handed over the basket with both hands, confirming once more, “But Chef Wang is very famous, and this is a special favor from our boss—”
“Really no thanks. I’ve been working overtime and am exhausted.” Yu Feizheng closed the door. “That’s it, thanks. Goodbye.”
“Have a pleasant weekend,” Shi Wenze called after him.
Back in the elevator lobby, Wang Dazhong remained solemn, standing straight until they left the neighborhood, then sighed deeply and asked excitedly, “How did I do?”
“Very well,” Xu You patted his shoulder. “But compliments can wait.”
“I get it, you have work to discuss.” Wang was sharp and ready to leave for his own car.
The chef cameo was Xu You’s idea, added to make the scenario feel authentic. Wang Dazhong was notoriously hard to book online, so hiring a real famous chef for this operation was unexpected. Usually, for a police sting, they’d fake a chef with a hat, since no one would really know.
Lin Su never imagined that inviting Chiwen out to dinner would lead to such results. Since Wang was human, Xu You approached him undercover as a civilian. Before Xu You finished explaining, Wang excitedly nodded, saying he’d watched the Black Cat Detective show as a kid and dreamed of being a cop. “When do we start? Are we chasing drug dealers? Will you give me an M2 Browning heavy machine gun?”
Xu You: “No. Don’t even think about it.”
Though there was no shootout or lines to deliver, Wang was satisfied and planned to bring truffles to the police celebration banquet. Xu You slammed the van door shut. The “manager” pulled off a fake mustache, revealing himself as a Qiongcheng bounty hunter colleague. They asked in unison, “Well?”
Shi Wenze answered, “It’s that Qiongqi’s aura.”
“Qiongqi? The one you clipped the wings off at Qinghu Garden, and who grew steel bones himself?” Xu You realized. “Makes sense, we suspect Yu Feizheng—he made a steel-boned bird like that. Both together is logical.”
“Any other monsters?” the colleague asked.
“No other auras,” Shi Wenze replied. “Just those two. Tonight, we move.”
Xu You rubbed his hands together. Originally expecting only one target, now there were two big ones. This trip to Qiongcheng was definitely worth it. He slapped Shi Wenze on the shoulder. “All the bonuses this time go to you. Consider it your down payment for a house, brother!”
“Let’s just catch them first.” Shi Wenze glanced at the time. “What time do they usually sleep?”
“After ten at night,” the colleague said.
Lin Su sat in another car, listening to Bai Tianchi and Shi Wenze on the phone. When he learned that the mutated Qiongqi was with Yu Feizheng, he frowned.
Despite his thick “Shi Wenze filter,” the fact remained: in their last fight at Qinghu Garden, his boyfriend had been battered by Qiongqi, bruised but still irresistibly handsome—a painful and memorable battle, but pain doesn’t negate charm.
He reminded Bai Tianchi, “Maybe Yu Feizheng has been upgrading that Qiongqi again.”
Bai Tianchi nodded, “We’ll consider that.”
Only now, just hours before the 2 a.m. operation. Lin Su didn’t want to delay the mission, and as a government employee’s partner, he knew his duty—but duty and his handsome, dinosaur-loving boyfriend were different things. He couldn’t help but ask, “How many people are on the arrest team?”
“Ten,” Bai Tianchi answered.
Lin Su wasn’t satisfied. In his mind, a city’s guardian beasts were the strongest, but if you could get overwhelmed eating buffet and lose to a single formidable monster, then ten underlings might as well be nothing.
He sent another WeChat: tell Shi Wenze to be careful. Catch the criminals if you can; if not, just let it go for now.
Xu You, nosy, leaned in: “Any special orders from the inspection team?”
Shi Wenze stuffed his phone in his pocket. “Tell them, since there are still hours before the operation, cram a few more questions.”
His colleague was shocked. Even now, the inspection team cared about exams? Too intense. Chengdu really is competitive.
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