Lin Feng stared at the text glowing on his phone screen. The message was short, sharp, and dripping with menace.
"We have your man. Eastside abandoned factory. Come alone."
Instead of fear, a grin tugged at his lips.
Well, well. The fun had finally arrived.
By "your man," they clearly meant Hei Sha, the demonic sect assassin.
But the sender wasn't from the Demon Sect. That bunch only ever screamed about killing in over-the-top, pseudo-ancient lingo, like characters stuck in a bad period drama. Even their text messages carried a ridiculous faux-classical tone.
This, though—crisp, modern, businesslike.
A third-party force.
Now this was interesting.
Lin Feng didn't reply. He didn't even get up. Instead, he swiped his screen, punched in three digits, and lifted the phone to his ear.
"110."[1]
The call connected almost instantly.
"Hello, police? I need to report something!"
He lowered his voice, layering in urgency and drama.
"You remember the flasher I reported the other day—the one streaking naked in the street? Yeah, yeah, the one named Hei Sha. You caught him, right? Good. Well, now his accomplices are threatening me! They texted me, told me to meet them at the Eastside abandoned factory. Judging by their tone, it's some shady illegal deal!"
He paused, then whispered conspiratorially, "Officer, I suspect they have guns! This is serious! You have to take it seriously!"
When the call ended, Lin Feng clapped his hands with satisfaction.
They wanted a little show? Then he'd build a whole stage and invite the audience. Only then was it truly lively.
He changed into inconspicuous sportswear, hailed a cab, and rode leisurely toward the factory.
The Eastside industrial zone was long dead—crumbling walls, weeds reclaiming the ruins. Moonlight slipped through shattered windows, casting fractured shadows across the dusty ground.
Lin Feng pushed open a squeaking iron gate and stepped inside.
At the center of the factory floor stood four figures.
Not the robed, melodramatic cultists he'd expected, but three men and one woman, all in black suits, their posture sharp and professional.
At their feet knelt Hei Sha, shackled by heavy restraints.
His gag had been torn away. The moment he saw Lin Feng, his dead eyes flared with terror and venom.
"You! You devil!"
Lin Feng scratched his ear, ignoring him completely.
The woman at the front adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, eyes like scalpels as they locked onto him.
"Lin Feng?"
"Oh? You know me? Am I that famous already?" He looked genuinely delighted.
Her face remained unreadable.
"Who gave you the power to subdue Hei Sha, a low-level member of the Demon Sect?"
The words cut like an interrogation knife.
The atmosphere went rigid.
But Lin Feng didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled out his phone, opened the camera, and lazily aimed it at the suited group.
"Hey, hey, credentials first. Which department are you with? You know kidnapping's a serious crime. If you don't explain, I'll livestream this. I already have the title prepared."
He cleared his throat dramatically.
"#Mysterious Organization Abuses Young Man in Abandoned Factory—Twisted Human Nature or Moral Collapse?#"
For the first time, the suits' expressions shifted. Even the woman's brows creased ever so slightly.
She'd dealt with monsters, lunatics, even cosmic anomalies—but never someone who treated a life-or-death standoff like TikTok content.
Then—
Woo-woo-woo!
Sirens howled outside, piercing the night, red-and-blue lights slicing through the broken windows.
The suited figures' faces darkened.
They hadn't expected Lin Feng to actually call the cops.
"Freeze! Police!"
"You inside, you're surrounded!"
The factory doors burst open. Armed officers stormed in, rifles raised, forming a tight perimeter.
The scene descended into absurdity:
Police encircled the suited agents.The agents encircled Lin Feng.Lin Feng, meanwhile, stood calmly in the middle, phone raised, filming the whole historic moment.
Three-way standoff.
The air buzzed with awkward tension.
The woman exhaled, then made her move.
From her suit pocket, she produced a black-leather badge case and handed it to the lead officer.
"Special operation in progress. We request your cooperation."
The officer's eyes scanned the badge. In a single instant, his suspicion flipped to solemnity.
Snapping the case shut, he returned it with both hands and saluted.
"Yes, ma'am!"
He spun, barking to his men: "Fall back!"
As quickly as they'd come, the police withdrew, leaving only barricades and cleared ground behind.
The farce—Lin Feng's farce—had ended.
Crisis, averted.
The woman turned back, her gaze sharper than ever behind the glint of her glasses.
"Lin Feng. Online ID: Feng Shen. According to our scans, you're an unregistered Awakened."
Her words rang through the cavernous factory.
"You have two choices. One, come with us, register, and cooperate. Two, be… contained."
The last word carried a weight that chilled the air.
Lin Feng tilted his head.
"'Contained'—you mean like prison? Free meals, a bed, maybe better food standards?"
One young agent snapped.
"Show some respect! This isn't a joke—"
Lin Feng grinned at him.
"And 'cooperation'? Sounds like contract work. Is that temp or full-time? Do you cover insurance? Paid leave? Weekends off? Triple pay for overtime, or just compensatory time?"
The questions came like bullets, leaving the elite agents dumbstruck.
They were one of the most secretive, most powerful branches of national security. When had anyone ever interrogated them like an HR recruiter at a job fair?
"Enough!" the young man roared, energy flaring around him.
"Stand down, Xiao Wang," the woman—Han Ling—ordered sharply.
Her forehead vein twitched, but she forced her voice steady.
This Lin Feng seemed more unstable than half the anomalies they'd dealt with.
"'Cooperation' means becoming an external consultant for our Bureau."
She explained evenly.
"You'll retain limited freedom but must follow Bureau regulations, and when needed, assist us with special incidents."
Her tone grew heavier.
"More importantly, the Demon Sect has already marked you. According to intel, you're under their highest-level Bloodhunt Order. Without Bureau protection, you won't survive three days."
Lin Feng's ears perked up.
"Protection? Oh, like bodyguard service. Now we're talking business."
His eyes lit up with mischief.
"So how's the pricing? By the hour? By the job? Do you offer monthly packages? Free trial period?"
Han Ling could practically feel her blood pressure spike.
But she pressed on, for the sake of extracting the truth about his strange powers.
"Agree to cooperate," she said, voice low, "and we'll provide maximum protection. More than that… we'll show you the true nature of this world."
For the first time, she dangled a genuine lure.
"This world isn't what ordinary people think. Above them exist beings with supernatural powers: Awakened."
She gestured toward Hei Sha, still shackled on the floor.
"Awakening is only the beginning. With cultivation, Awakened can transcend human limits. The first step is the Awakening Realm—when body or spirit mutates beyond the ordinary.
Above that lies the Foundation Realm. There, one can sense and wield the ambient spiritual energy of heaven and earth, opening an inner energy sea, casting incredible arts.
Beyond that, the Golden Core Realm—where energy condenses into a core, lifespans lengthen, and every gesture holds immense power. In ancient times, such figures were called 'earthly immortals.'"
She studied Lin Feng carefully.
He listened like a child at storytime, nodding along with great interest.
"Our scans show you've borrowed some powerful external force to push into Awakening's peak. But your foundation is unstable. Your control is crude."
Lin Feng stroked his chin.
Nine-Turn Golden Pill, huh? That still sounded way cooler.
So the world had layers upon layers like this…
Suddenly, his phone rang, shattering the solemn atmosphere.
The screen flashed three mocking words: "Iceberg Idiot."
It was Su Qingxue.
He answered, putting her on speaker.
Her voice exploded from the line, icy with fury.
"Lin Feng! Get your ass to the principal's office—NOW!"
Her tone was so loud even Han Ling flinched.
Lin Feng spread his hands innocently.
"You see? Client's calling."
Lin Feng waved his hand casually."Your 'offer'? I'll think about it. Call me if you've got business—price is negotiable."
And with that, under the stunned gazes of the Bureau's operatives, he swaggered straight out of the abandoned factory.
Han Ling, the short-haired woman in gold-rimmed glasses, watched his back disappear into the night. Behind her cold professional demeanor, her expression twisted into something far more complicated.This man—Lin Feng—could not be measured by common sense.
Jiangcheng University, Principal's Office.
The atmosphere was thick with tension.
Su Qingxue stood off to the side, her beautiful face frosted over, glaring at Lin Feng as though she wanted to swallow him alive.The principal looked helpless behind his desk.
But the one holding court was a middle-aged man in a tailored suit, a luxury watch gleaming on his wrist. His presence alone radiated authority.This was Su Wenhua, Qingxue's father—and the university's most powerful sponsor.
Without a word, Su Wenhua tossed a folder onto the coffee table."Take a look."
Lin Feng flipped it open. Inside was a formal disciplinary notice listing his "crimes":
Malicious verbal abuse during a public match, causing "severe negative influence."
Deliberate damage of school property, "serious misconduct."
The verdict: public apology, followed by expulsion.
Lin Feng whistled softly. Straight to the death penalty, huh?
From the side, Qingxue smirked. This was exactly the outcome she wanted—to crush Lin Feng beneath the weight of her father's influence. On this campus, in this city, she believed her family's power was enough to bury him a hundred times over.
But instead of fear, Lin Feng smiled. He set the folder down, turned to Qingxue, and said cheerfully:"Boss lady, you lost the match and rage-kicked the table. Now you can't win so you called Daddy? Isn't that, y'know… kinda playing dirty?"
The words hit like a dagger.
[Ding! 'Su Qingxue' Broken-Defense Value +500!]
Qingxue's face flamed scarlet. She opened her mouth to retort, but Lin Feng had already shifted his gaze to Su Wenhua.
"Chairman Su, I'll admit, my words were… not very pleasant."He leaned forward, tone calm yet sharp."But have you considered—this is actually a form of intense psychological resistance training?"
Su Wenhua raised an eyebrow. "Psychological… training?"
"That's right." Lin Feng spoke with the poise of a seasoned lecturer."Your daughter's gaming skill, in the national collegiate scene? Top-tier. No question.But she has one fatal weakness: her mentality.
She thrives in smooth sailing, but the moment the tide turns, or if she's rattled by outside interference, she collapses—her hands shake, her judgment falters. Such a player will never win a true championship."
His tone sharpened, words falling like hammers."What I do—what I specialize in—is forging a champion's mentality through the harshest possible trial. Under my fire, she'll learn to stay calm no matter the pressure."
He leaned back with a faint smile.
"Expel me? Easy. Just one word from you. But her inner demon will never be defeated. Every future match, every training session, she'll remember today. She'll remember the man who shattered her confidence with ease. And the only thing she could do was—go home, cry to her father, and make him sweep the board with power."
The office fell silent.Qingxue paled, her body trembling. Lin Feng's words pierced deeper than any insult.
Su Wenhua stayed quiet for a long while. He was a businessman. Results mattered more to him than face. Against his will, he had to admit—there was logic in this outrageous speech.
Finally, he waved his hand."You two—out."
The principal fled the room like a pardoned criminal. Qingxue hesitated, then stormed out, seething.
Now only Su Wenhua and Lin Feng remained.The older man leaned forward, eyes sharp.
"You say you can lead her to a championship? The National Collegiate Esports League championship?"
Lin Feng shrugged lazily. "That depends. You'll have to sweeten the deal."
Su Wenhua chuckled."Fine. Bring Jiangcheng University the national title, and the one-million-yuan prize pool is yours. I'll match it with another million out of pocket.But if you lose…" His gaze turned razor-sharp."There will be no place for you in Jiangcheng—or anywhere else in this country."
Lin Feng grinned. "Deal."
The gamble was on: two million at stake. Pressure and motivation all rolled into one.
"But I have one condition." Lin Feng held up a finger."From today, I'm head coach and captain of Jiangcheng's varsity esports team. Absolute authority—every player, including your daughter, answers to me."
"Done." Su Wenhua didn't even blink. He summoned his secretary, who quickly drafted the contract:
Party A: Lin Feng
Party B: Su Wenhua
Goal: National Collegiate Championship
Reward: 2 million RMB
Penalty: industry-wide blacklist under Su Wenhua's business empire.
When Qingxue was called back in to sign, her world crumbled. Watching her father's stern face and Lin Feng's smug smile, she felt like she'd just been sold to the devil.
Outside, along the tree-lined path, Qingxue finally snapped. She blocked Lin Feng, her voice a hiss."Don't think you've won. On the team, I'll show you true despair."
Lin Feng picked his ear and smiled.
"Yeah, yeah. Remember, wage earners should have the right attitude. Work hard, and you'll even get a share of the prize money… enough for milk tea."
[Ding! 'Su Qingxue' Broken-Defense Value +888!]
Watching her tremble with rage yet utterly helpless, Lin Feng's mood soared.
Time to tally the gains. From mocking the Bureau, to out-talking Su Wenhua, to breaking Qingxue again—the "Broken-Defense Value" in his system had skyrocketed. And now, his long-saved reward was waiting.
[Silver-Tier Lottery Chance ×1]
"System, roll it!"
The silver wheel spun, dazzling with treasures: advanced driving skills, rare spirit blades, alchemy pills, cold hard cash… and that cursed gray slot: [Thank You For Playing].
The pointer slowed. His heart sank—it was going to land on the gray slot!
But then—
[Ding! Detected bound target 'Yao Yue' suffering severe Dao-heart disturbance. Host receives minor Fate boost. Lottery result positively influenced!]
Meanwhile, at the Demon Sect's Black Yin Palace…
Saintess Yao Yue sat in meditation, trying to stabilize the cultivation Lin Feng had disrupted. But no matter how she focused, his smug face and venomous insults kept intruding.
"Argh!" She slammed a jade table into dust with an out-of-control burst of qi—obliterating the rare "Nine Nether Soulflower" her master treasured for alchemy.
Her master's furious scolding only deepened her humiliation. Hatred for Lin Feng, that mortal devil, surged higher than ever.
Back with Lin Feng.
The pointer, nudged by fate, slid gracefully past the gray slot and landed on a glowing scroll.
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the rare artifact—Eye of Insight (Beginner)!]
Description: Consume mental energy to view the basic info, cultivation realm, and emotional state of any target not exceeding two realms above your own. Note: Use may alert the target.
Lin Feng's eyes lit up.An emotion scanner? For a professional trash-talker like me, that's basically a cheat code!
Before he could test it, his phone buzzed again. This time, it was Han Ling.
Her voice was sharper than ever:"Something's happened. We've detected an immense energy signature entering Jiangcheng. At least Foundation Establishment level. Our two field agents sent to investigate—are missing.And its target…"
She paused.
"…is you."
[1]110: China's national emergency number, equivalent to "911" in the U.S.