Imperial Capital Grand Hotel.
After the Program Crew arranged for Xiao Fen to stay in Room 1907, the lead person spoke up. “Mr. Xiao, I am Wang Ze, the person in charge of your dedicated production team. During the variety show filming period, if you have any problems or questions, you can contact us through this in-ear wireless earpiece.
“This program uses the latest tech equipment—micro drone cameras—for full tracking shots. It broadcasts live across the entire web with a delay of half an hour to an hour. Viewers can choose their preferred personal live stream rooms based on their favorites. Meanwhile, the Pursuit Team and Criminal Team cannot watch the live stream during recording.
“From now on, please mind your personal words and actions. We only provide answers and issue tasks. There will be no post-production editing or script interference.”
After taking the earpiece and putting it on, Xiao Fen saw two cameras even smaller than mosquitoes fly out from the box in Wang Ze’s hand. Just as he focused on them, the two cameras abruptly vanished from in front of his eyes. Moments later, they reappeared up and to his right, silent as could be, then slipped away in a flash.
It was hard for ordinary people to notice their presence. Even if spotted, they would just seem like insignificant little flying insects.
After explaining some precautions, the Program Crew invited him to the downstairs restaurant for lunch. Xiao Fen nodded in agreement, tidied up simply, took a nice soak in the bath, changed clothes, and came out right at 12:30 noon.
He stepped into the elevator. The doors were about to close when they opened again, and a tall figure walked in.
When Lu Jin saw the person in the elevator, he raised his rugged eyebrow and quickly shifted his indifferent gaze away, standing on the other side of the elevator.
The elevator doors closed slowly, and the electronic display showing “19” began to change numbers gradually.
The elevator space was fairly large, but the aura of pressure radiating from Lu Jin filled it completely.
The atmosphere was silent and oppressive. A rich rose fragrance wafted past his nose, livening up the stuffy space a bit—this was the scent of the hotel’s complimentary bath products.
A cool, sharp cliff cypress aroma from somewhere balanced the tacky stuffiness, soothing the restlessness and adding a touch of aloofness.
After smelling it for a while, the cold bitterness faded, leaving a subtle sweet milk note lingering in his nostrils.
His gaze unconsciously dropped, landing on the person half a step ahead and to his right.
The young man was about a forehead shorter than him, wearing a cheap, oversized suit that didn’t fit his slim, tall frame. The sleeves on his wrists were rolled up twice from the inside out, revealing slender wrists. This softened the overly serious business vibe, adding a bit of casualness.
His slightly long, messy black hair wasn’t styled much, covering part of his forehead and obscuring his eyes. He wore heavy black-rimmed glasses, stood ramrod straight, and looked like a model student fresh out of school.
Perfume that didn’t match his style, an ill-fitting suit, stiff and uneasy body language, a wooden expression.
Lu Jin stared at the snow-white nape peeking from the collar and impatiently let out a heavy breath.
Suddenly, the person in front of him turned his head, looking toward the side and back.
Their gazes collided unexpectedly.
Lu Jin’s face stiffened instantly.
He had only glanced briefly before his jet-black lashes lowered again. Under the elevator’s harsh lights, the cognac-colored depths of his eyes reflected dense, thick shadows. Then his gaze turned back.
Lu Jin was momentarily stunned but casually shifted his eyes away as if nothing happened.
With his hands in his trouser pockets, his bored gaze wandered around before landing on the person again.
This time, he didn’t linger. The elevator stopped—it was the third-floor restaurant.
Afternoon sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Gentle, soothing music floated through the restaurant, mingled with occasional low conversations and the clink of cutlery.
Xiao Fen casually took a sip of a drink from a server’s tray, sat down at a corner table, flipped through the menu, and subtly observed the people present.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He tapped it open to see a message from the Program Crew.
“Mr. Xiao, as an excellent criminal, today marks your first trial performance…”
At the same time, the live stream chat opened.
A bunch of viewers flooded in, while others fiddled with how to enter.
“Eighteen and under prohibited… Where’s my dad’s account… Damn, why facial recognition? It’s just a live stream room—what’s the big deal…”
“What’s with this live stream? Guarding viewers like criminals.”
“Forget it, can’t get in. This boring show—whatever.”
In the main station’s broadcast studio live stream room, the host and director appeared on screen.
“Welcome to No Escape. To educate the public on preventing and responding to illegal crimes, deter would-be offenders, showcase powerful modern criminal investigation tech and professional talent, and maintain social harmony and stability, Blue Pearl TV under Lu Corporation presents this groundbreaking variety show.”
“For this program, we’ve invited retired members of the Hunter Fox Special Forces to form the Action Team. The team leader is Bai Zhu, former captain of the Hunter Fox Special Operations Unit with fifteen years of counter-terrorism combat experience.”
As the host explained, headshots and bios of individuals appeared on screen one after another.
“Serving as professor of criminal psychology at Imperial Capital University and the officially appointed chief criminal profiler consultant, Peng Xiaoxiao.”
“And the genius teen who crashed M Country’s entire web for three days at age ten and became the youngest world-first hacker in Red Hat Network Contest history at thirteen—now a top expert in the National Security Bureau’s cyber tech team, Xu An.”
“Then there’s Tang Shen, dubbed the ‘human encyclopedia’ and ‘living microscope,’ who serves as the Forensics Team leader and Pursuit Team deputy leader this time.”
“Finally, making his appearance as the overall Pursuit Team leader for the entire manhunt, Fang Si Ting!”
Unlike the casual lifestyle photos of the others, his was a blue-background ID photo: sharp, deep features, stern and upright without a trace of expression, eyes fixed forward, emotions deeply restrained and not showing on his face.
The live stream chat exploded instantly.
【Who is this guy? Even his ID photo is this handsome—bet he’s even hotter in person. Why no more intro?】
【Doesn’t look that old. Can he handle those big shots?】
【Gotta be some nepotism pick. Watch the Pursuit Team implode.】
【No infighting, no drama—how’s it fun? Tech’s so advanced now, case cracked in minutes. Why bother airing?】
【This variety show sucks. Know the ending already.】
【Stronger the background, shorter the bio. Definitely a big shot.】
【Yawned ten times already. Bailing.】
In the control room, Station Director Chen, who had just walked in, saw the flashing negative comments and asked, “Current online viewers total?”
“Just under 120,000, and more are leaving than joining.” The staff replied, “It’s still early.”
Station Director Chen snorted with a chuckle, muttering to himself, “Spent nearly ten million on promo and marketing, and this is the traffic? As expected from the Crown Prince.”
In the live stream chat, the director continued his enthusiastic introduction.
“The Pursuit Team is stacked, but don’t underestimate the Criminal Team.”
“We’ve selected fifteen top amateur experts from across the nation, teaming up with fifteen celebrity artists, to engage the Pursuit Team in a life-or-death game of cat and mouse.”
“For the Criminal Team, we’ll use a special reveal format.”
“What could it be?”
The host and director bantered back and forth, whetting the audience’s appetite again.
The director said confidently, “We’ll have them get to know each other through a special warm-up mini-game.”
“Right now, all thirty scheming potential criminals have successfully infiltrated the Imperial Capital Hotel. They have various identities, blending in with ordinary guests. Some have been lurking for months already, and all will commit crimes today.
“Within two hours from receiving the text message, regardless of murder, arson, theft, or fraud, every Criminal Team member must commit a crime. If they can escape the Pursuit Team’s detection and chase within seven hours after, that criminal wins. Otherwise, the Pursuit Team wins.”
“Crime scene for this round: Imperial Capital Hotel!”
In the restaurant, Xiao Fen finished reading the text message and quickly deleted it.
He glanced around. Only two or three others were checking their phones like him, and their expressions showed nothing unusual.
Did they receive the task text at different times? Or were all these people just regular guests, and he was the only “criminal”?
By now, the Pursuit Team members had entered the hotel following Program Crew orders. The Action Team patrolled randomly, while Xu An, Peng Xiaoxiao, and Tang Shen gathered around Fang Si Ting.
Less than five minutes later, their earpieces received intel from the Program Crew.
“The guest in Room 1205 had their jewelry stolen from their person.”
Xu An had already hacked into the hotel network with his laptop and pulled up surveillance from the hallway outside the crime scene room. In the footage, a man passed by the robbed lady. Just brushing by, the jewelry slipped silently into his pocket—no clear face shown the whole time.
“Committing a crime with cameras everywhere—hard not to get caught.” Bai Zhu cracked his neck, looking thoroughly bored.
“Not bad, at least dodging the direct cams.” Peng Xiaoxiao said. “But profiling traits are everywhere—one look and it’s obvious.”
Fang Si Ting didn’t jump to conclusions. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he uttered a few curt, icy words.
“Check the scene.”
A commotion stirred at the door as a man walked in.
He looked about twenty-six or twenty-seven, with mild, refined features and a beauty mark under his left eye. Dressed in a black-and-white casual suit, he greeted everyone crowding over with a poised smile.
Not just the banquet hall—hundreds of thousands of viewers flooded his personal live stream room in a blink.
Ten minutes after going live, Weibo hot search #Movie Emperor Ou Appears on No Escape# hit the top spot.
【The Film Emperor on a live variety show? Can I see him shower?】
【What are you thinking? No cams in bathrooms or private spots.】
【OMG, I see Fen Treasure.】
A few sharp-eyed Xiao Fen fans spotted the guy in the corner and howled, but their comments were instantly swept away by the flood.
Xiao Fen’s fans switched to their idol’s stream, only to find a sparse thousand-plus viewers—mostly Ou Yu fans who couldn’t squeeze into Ou Yu’s room.
Dead quiet.
【Fen Treasure, not the time to zone out. Go schmooze, snag some Film Emperor traffic!】
【Sickos. Where’d these moochers come from?】
【Personality’s so worrisome. Hope he doesn’t get cut first episode.】
【Well-behaved, no pushiness—gonna get bullied to death.】
【Too harsh on him. His agent’s an idiot for taking this gig.】
Xiao Fen watched the Film Emperor surrounded by the crowd, then glanced at Lu Jin nearby, unable to get close. Finally, he set down his wine glass, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and pushed through the throng.
“Excuse me, Movie Emperor Ou needs to discuss something with our Program Crew staff. Please make way.”
Xiao Fen kept apologizing and nodding as he parted the crowd, hand on Ou Yu’s shoulder, half-hugging him out of the tangle.
【Who’s this guy, so familiar? Actually put his arm around our Ouyou’s shoulder.】
【Smells like drama.】
【Fen Treasure, you’ve made it! Wuuuuwuuuwuuu】
Ou Yu said friendly goodbyes to the others. Seeing Xiao Fen nod at Lu Jin in the distance, he politely smiled back at him too.
Lu Jin nodded at the two, turned away, and tried to set his wine glass on the nearby table. For some reason, it paused mid-air. He looked up, but they were already gone.
He tossed back the wine in one gulp.
“Who’s that?” Ou Yu asked curiously.
“Lu Jin.”
“A guest?”
“Yeah. No idea why, but he swapped in right before filming started.” Xiao Fen led him away from the crowd to the side and replied, “Seems like he came specially for someone.”
“You know a lot.” Ou Yu said.
Of course. You’re the shou protagonist from the book, and Lu Jin’s the gong protagonist.
【Successfully latched onto Movie Emperor Ou—our Fen Treasure rocks!】
【Fen Treasure, future’s looking up.】
【Been calling him Fen Treasure nonstop. Who are these people? Sick of it.】
【But this is Fen Treasure’s stream…】
【Isn’t he a regular?】
A few fans got excited the moment they saw someone asking.
【Is our Fen Treasure obedient? Isn’t he pretty?】
【He’s been starring in short dramas all along, plus supporting roles in movies, and even took a few ad gigs.】
The fans risked account bans to post links.
【Wait, since he’s an 18th-tier celeb, he has to be a guest. Could be from the pursuit team or a criminal, but no way he’s program crew staff.】
【Holy shit!】
The two had unknowingly walked to the balcony outside the banquet hall, away from everyone.
Ou Yu looked at Xiao Fen and revealed a leisurely smile. “The program crew said before that once broadcasting starts, unless there’s danger to life, they won’t interfere with any accidents our guests encounter.”
“Those guys surrounding you just now would delay the recording…”
“You, a criminal—what do you want by getting close to me?”
Xiao Fen’s stammering explanation died on his lips.
He licked his lips, and an obedient smile slowly spread across his fair, soft face.
He leaned in closer, his body tilting slightly forward. His warm breath brushed the other’s neck, right over the artery throbbing with hot blood.
“Of course, it’s to kill you.”
