The Scum Gong’s Redemption Manual (Quick Transmigration) 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, Lin Zhiyan woke up to his biological clock at around seven.

He sat up, still a bit groggy, and opened his phone. His eyes slowly cleared.

There was a new message notification on his chat app.

【Lz: Good morning, Senior.】

The message was sent at six-thirty, accompanied by a picture of the sky above the stadium. It was as clear as washed jade, limpid and clean, making one feel open-hearted just by looking at it.

Lin Zhiyan blinked, his expression softening without him even realizing it.

Lin Zhiyan woke up at seven every day, right on time. After breakfast, he would go to class or the lab, arriving at exactly eight. This daily routine had become his biological clock. This was already rare among his peers, but he couldn’t bring himself to go for a morning run at six-thirty like Lu Ze.

He had never been fond of exercise, so his constitution wasn’t the best. He held a certain admiration for people who were diligent about working out.

He replied: 【Good morning.】

After washing up, his day’s work began.

***

Lu Ze received the reply and chuckled, stuffing his phone back into his pocket.

777 asked him: 【Aren’t you going to reply, Host?】

Lu Ze: 【Being too enthusiastic might make him suspect my intentions.】

777 said: 【But don’t you have bad intentions to begin with, Host?】

Lu Ze paused. 【You’re right.】

He lazily typed on his keyboard: 【But I can’t let him know that yet.】

777 seemed to only half-understand.

Lu Ze said: 【A pursuit should only begin after a certain level of favorable impression has been established.】

777 was silent for a moment, then asked curiously: 【Host, have you really never been in a relationship before?】

Lu Ze: 【Why do you ask?】

777: 【You seem so good at it. You don’t seem like someone who’s never been in a relationship at all.】

Lu Ze laughed. 【Even if you’ve never eaten pork, you’ve seen a pig run. Besides, love isn’t that different from other things. It’s nothing more than grasping the human heart.】

In the hundreds of worlds Lu Ze had transmigrated through, he had been a CEO whose employees all obeyed his every word; he had been a regent with immense power, holding the strings of politics and people’s hearts in his hands; he had even been the revered God of Light in a Western fantasy world, with believers all over the continent.

He had never been in a relationship, but as long as he put his mind to it, it couldn’t be harder than governing a country.

777 hesitated for a moment, then said in a small voice: 【But Host, the most important thing in a relationship is sincerity.】

Lu Ze’s movements paused, and he slowly smiled. 【You think I’m not sincere enough?】

777 didn’t know how to answer. The Host’s actions were visibly earnest, but to say how much heart he was putting into it, it didn’t seem entirely so.

If one had to say, he was clearly a bit too skilled and at ease.

But in the knowledge instilled in 777 at the factory, love was not supposed to be rational.

But the Host was on a mission, so being rational didn’t seem like a bad thing?

777 couldn’t quite figure it out. After struggling for a long time, it only asked: 【Host, do you really like Lin Zhiyan?】

Lu Ze smiled nonchalantly. 【I do.】

【If I didn’t like him, why would I go through all this trouble?】

The mission requirement was to protect the target and ensure he lived a safe and smooth life, but the method of completion was not limited to just falling in love. If Lu Ze had no such intentions, he could have just looked out for him from the shadows. Why would he take the initiative to get close?

777 said: 【Then what do you like about him? His looks?】

Lu Ze said: 【He’s good-looking and has a good personality. Isn’t that enough?】

777 said, conflicted: 【But Host, those are the most superficial elements…】

Lu Ze’s hand, resting on the keyboard, paused for a moment. He understood what it was thinking. He couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. 【Baby, I’ve only known him for a few days. We haven’t even met that many times.】

【For you to demand that I be deeply in love with him already, isn’t that a bit much?】

777 was speechless for a few seconds, then stammered: 【I-I-I-I didn’t mean that, Host, I-I-I-I…】

The missions in the Redemption Department were simple in a way. After all, the target’s tragic fate was often inseparable from the Host’s original self. Because of this, many hosts chose to complete their missions by falling in love, and over time, it became a tradition in the department. So later, to assist the hosts in completing their missions, newly manufactured systems were generally programmed with some knowledge about love.

777 was one such system.

Lu Ze soothed it with a gentle voice: 【I know.】

He didn’t call it naive, but used a different word: 【777 is just too kind.】

777 itself was a bit bewildered: 【I-I-I-I am?】

Lu Ze spoke to it in a calm voice: 【In any case, I quite like him now. As for what happens later, it would be best if we can continue smoothly. Even if we find that we’re not suitable halfway through, at the very least, an amicable breakup won’t be a problem. I’m not the original host, and I wouldn’t do the kind of scummy things he did.】

【The situation you’re worried about won’t happen.】

777 said guiltily: 【I’ve wronged the Host.】

Lu Ze’s voice was gentle: 【It’s okay. You’re still young. You’ll grow up slowly.】

777 sniffled with a non-existent nose and said in a muffled voice: 【Host is so nice.】

Lu Ze smiled. He was no saint. After hundreds of worlds, what situation hadn’t he experienced, what hadn’t he done? How could he be as pure and harmless as he appeared on the surface? It was just that this world was generally peaceful and the mission was relatively simple, so he had relaxed his mindset.

In any case, he was going to live a lifetime in this world, so there was no need to be as rushed as in the previous face-slapping worlds. Having a good relationship and enjoying life wasn’t a bad idea.

***

The basketball game started on time at four-thirty in the afternoon. Before going on the court, Lu Ze bounced the ball idly, looking around. 777 kindly reminded him: 【Host, Lin Zhiyan isn’t here.】

Lu Ze hummed in acknowledgment. 【I know.】

777 couldn’t help but ask: 【Aren’t you disappointed, Host?】

Lu Ze chuckled. 【No rush.】

With that, along with a sharp whistle, Lu Ze strode to the center of the court. The basketball game officially began.

The two teams in this game were the School of Business and the School of Life Sciences. The School of Business had Lu Ze, while the opposing team had a fourth-year senior, Qin Yiming. Both were exceptionally handsome figures. Coupled with the fact that all the basketball team members were tall with long legs, they attracted countless female students. The cheers and shouts made even passersby take a second look.

When Lin Zhiyan rushed over, it was almost four-fifty. The first half of the game was about to end.

He couldn’t help but feel annoyed. According to his original plan, he should have been able to arrive by four-thirty, but halfway through an experiment, a team member miscalculated the data, and they had to rush to correct it, which delayed him until now.

Beads of sweat covered his forehead, and he was panting lightly. His gaze fell on the court, and he spotted the exceptionally dazzling person almost at first glance.

The game was intense and deadlocked, with the scores of both teams tightly entangled. But it was clear that Lu Ze’s mind was not entirely on the game. He would glance around from time to time, his gaze casual and random, as if searching for someone.

Lin Zhiyan stood on the side, lips pursed, listening to the excited girls beside him say, “Who is he looking for like that?!! Which girl is so lucky!”

Lin Zhiyan’s heart paused for a moment, and his tongue unconsciously licked his dry lips.

On the court, the opposing team scored another basket. Just as Lu Ze was about to retract his gaze, his peripheral vision seemed to catch something, and he abruptly looked towards a corner.

Lin Zhiyan’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. He saw the flamboyant and handsome young man break into a warm and brilliant smile, his eyes filled with a dazzling light.

Lin Zhiyan’s breath caught in his throat, and he unconsciously smiled back at him.

The screams from outside the court no longer registered in his ears. The captain of the School of Business team called out:

“Lu Ze!”

Lu Ze’s expression sharpened. He turned and caught the ball that came flying towards him, then leaped into the air. His loose basketball jersey rode up, revealing the young man’s fair waist and toned eight-pack abs.

Then, with a “thump,” a beautiful three-pointer went into the hoop. The next moment, the final whistle blew with a “buzz.”

The first half of the game was over.

The score was fixed at 37:35.

The court was silent for a moment, then erupted in fervent cheers.

The players from the School of Life Sciences wiped the sweat from their faces, their expressions not looking too good. One of them couldn’t help but curse, “Damn it, what’s wrong with this Lu Ze?”

He usually didn’t score, but would only make a basket right after they did, keeping the score just two or three points ahead of them, as if he were toying with them.

Qin Yiming frowned, his eyes dark, but his face still wore its usual gentle expression. He patted his shoulder and said, “It’s okay, there’s still the second half. Everyone, be serious and keep an eye on that Lu Ze.”

His teammate nodded, his expression still somewhat resentful.

Qin Yiming picked up a bottle of water to drink, but his eyes lit up when he saw Lin Zhiyan in the corner, and the smile on his face instantly deepened. He was about to walk in that direction when he saw Lu Ze from the opposing team stride forward and stand in front of Lin Zhiyan with a beaming smile. And Lin Zhiyan looked up at him, his usually cold face softening a little.

Qin Yiming’s steps faltered, and the smile on his face faded.

“Senior.” Lu Ze stood tall and straight in his loose basketball jersey. The muscles on his exposed arms were well-defined, and the passion in his eyes could almost burn someone.

Lin Zhiyan’s gaze shifted down unnaturally, only to land on his exposed neck. Crystalline beads of sweat covered his prominent Adam’s apple, rolling up and down with every swallow.

His gaze was flustered, and the tips of his ears turned red without him noticing. He said, “Sorry, I’m a little late.”

Lu Ze noticed his actions, and the smile in his eyes deepened. “It’s okay. I’m just happy that Senior could come.”

He was all smiles, looking down at the fine beads of sweat on Lin Zhiyan’s forehead. He frowned and said, “Why are you sweating so much?”

Lin Zhiyan subconsciously wiped his forehead and said, “I didn’t see a campus bus on the way, so I was in a bit of a hurry.”

Lu Ze opened his mouth but said nothing. He just looked around, then took his wrist and said, “Come with me.”

Lin Zhiyan was momentarily bewildered but followed him subconsciously.

There were benches around the basketball court. Some held the players’ belongings, while others were occupied by people.

Lu Ze led him to the bench where their things were. He first bent down to move the water bottles and other people’s belongings to the other side, clearing half the space. Then he picked up his own jacket and pressed down on Lin Zhiyan’s shoulder to make him sit. “There’s still about half an hour left. You can sit here.”

Before Lin Zhiyan could say anything, he handed him an unopened bottle of water. “Have some water.”

Lin Zhiyan held the water, blinking, feeling a bit at a loss from being taken care of like this. “I’m fine. You should sit and rest for a while. There’s still the second half.”

Lu Ze kept his hand on his shoulder. “Be good.”

As he spoke, he placed the jacket he was holding in his arms and said with a warm smile, “Senior, be a good boy and watch my jacket for me, okay?”

Lin Zhiyan wanted to say that the jacket wouldn’t get lost, but meeting Lu Ze’s gaze, he was too embarrassed to refuse and just said softly, “Okay.”

Lu Ze looked down at the whorl of hair on top of his head. He restrained himself for a long time but couldn’t resist in the end. He reached out and stroked his thick black hair, saying, “My teammates are waiting for me over there, so I’ll go now?”

Lin Zhiyan was stunned by the unfamiliar touch on his head. It took him a while to say, “You can go.”

After Lu Ze turned and left, he raised his hand and unconsciously touched his own hair, the tips of his ears turning red without him even noticing.

Not far away, Qin Yiming, who had witnessed everything, tightened his grip on the water bottle, his expression cold and his gaze dark and unreadable.

“Captain?” a teammate beside him called out. Qin Yiming came back to his senses and regained his usual gentleness, though it seemed a bit forced. “It’s nothing.”

The teammate found it a bit strange. “The second half is about to start.”

Qin Yiming stood up, his gaze falling on Lu Ze on the other side, his eyes cold and grim. “Alright.”