Chapter 7

“Good, come over quickly. I’ll head downstairs right away…” Ouyang Yuyuan received Mu Jiajun’s notification and hurriedly began packing up the scattered files on his desk.

He locked his office door and glanced at the General Manager’s office next door. After a slight hesitation, he decided to say something.

The administrative secretary in the outer office knew Ouyang Yuyuan’s identity and didn’t stop him at all. She merely nodded calmly when he reached toward the inner room to ask, signaling that no one was inside and he could enter.

Ouyang Yuyuan pushed open the gilded door and poked his head in. “Heh heh, Cousin Xian.”

Yu Qingxian looked up from the open files, glanced at him, and frowned. “What is it this time?”

This guy always dropped the “President Yu” title and called him cousin whenever he needed something—it was obvious.

Ouyang Yuyuan quickly slipped inside, closed the door behind him, and grinned obsequiously. “Cousin Xian, do you remember that extra actor I told you about last time, the one who’s really good at reading physiognomy? He’s back, and I was thinking…”

He gestured toward the outside. It was clear that just an hour into work, he was already planning to sneak off.

Yu Qingxian’s brow twitched. “Didn’t you always act first and report later? Why bother asking for leave from me now?”

How could he forget that scrawny, dark-skinned young man? He’d just “seen” him a few days ago!

“Heh heh, wouldn’t want to mix public and private matters too much—that wouldn’t look good, right?”

“You still know about mixing public and private?”

Seeing his cousin’s face darken, Ouyang Yuyuan hurriedly explained, “Cousin Xian, you know Yun Kai’s been in a coma this whole time. That guy could spot my issues, so maybe he can figure out Yun Kai’s too… After so many years as childhood friends, I can’t just do nothing, can I?”

Yu Qingxian knew his cousin felt guilty, which was why he’d turned a blind eye to him running between the company and the hospital lately.

If it had been any other time, he’d have disciplined this useless cousin on behalf of their aunt.

Still, Yu Qingxian felt complicated about the young man who had saved his cousin’s life. Logically, whether the guy had real skills or had stumbled into it by luck, his warning had helped his foolish cousin dodge a disaster. Their whole family owed him thanks.

But he hadn’t forgotten how the man had fainted and fallen into his arms first, then that “dream” happened… Yu Qingxian still couldn’t figure out if the dream had been real or just his imagination. Everything was too coincidental—he worried the guy might have ulterior motives.

Li Yunkai’s injury did involve his cousin’s role, though, so he couldn’t just forbid him from going. After pondering for a moment, Yu Qingxian asked, “That extra actor—what’s his name?”

“Chu Yi,” Ouyang Yuyuan replied. He’d already looked into it thoroughly and recounted Chu Yi’s background.

He wasn’t a total fool; he had to confirm the guy wasn’t some plant sent to set him up.

Seeing that his cousin had things figured out, Yu Qingxian didn’t pry further. “Fine, your leave is approved. Go.”

“Yes, sir.” Ouyang Yuyuan grinned and turned to leave.

“Wait.” Yu Qingxian called him back, hesitated, and then said with a slightly odd expression, “A’Yuan, do one more thing for me…”

***

Ouyang Yuyuan’s reaction upon seeing Chu Yi was about the same as Landlord Liu Quan’s—his eyes nearly bulged out.

It had only been seven days since their last meeting, and in that short time, the malnourished, dull black-skinned kid had transformed into a radiant, handsome guy. How could anyone not be shocked?

“Yuanzi, is this the super accurate Master you were talking about?” Mu Jiajun nudged his childhood friend with an elbow. Though he kept his voice low, the doubt in his eyes was unmistakable.

This guy looked more like a Little Fresh Meat from Yuanzi’s cousin’s company than some Master. Had Yuanzi gotten it wrong?

Ouyang Yuyuan: “…” He was pretty doubtful too. Had the landlord mistaken someone?

Chu Yi smiled. “Just a little trick, nothing to laugh at.”

Ouyang Yuyuan instantly understood. It was some mystical technique—he’d figured as much! Even plastic surgery couldn’t work that fast!

Ouyang Yuyuan had seen entertainment companies makeover their artists, but those always left traces, and a person’s spirit couldn’t change so quickly. He could tell real debilitation from fake.

With that, any lingering unease in his heart vanished—this guy definitely had real skills!

“I heard you were looking for me?” The two kept beating around the bush, so Chu Yi had to speak up.

Ouyang Yuyuan snapped back to attention. “Right, right, we do have something!” He paused, a bit embarrassed. “Thanks to Master’s warning last time, I dodged that disaster…”

He hadn’t believed it at first, and now he had to eat his words and beg for help. No wonder he seemed awkward.

Mu Jiajun couldn’t stand it anymore. He smacked Ouyang Yuyuan and took over. “Master, here’s the deal…”

That day, after Li Yunkai took a bottle to the head for Mu Jiajun, he underwent emergency debridement surgery. The lead surgeon said it went perfectly and he’d wake up in a couple days. But a week later, he was still comatose, and his vitals were weakening.

Father Li had no choice but to ask the main family head for the country’s top neurosurgeons, plus foreign experts for consultations, but they still couldn’t find the cause.

If this kept up, Li Yunkai might die from brain cell failure and become a true vegetable.

Mu Jiajun and Ouyang Yuyuan were desperate. After racking their brains, they suspected it was related to “Disaster Blocking,” so they rushed to find Chu Yi for help.

“There’s something like that?” Chu Yi tapped his fingers. Disaster Transfer wasn’t impossible, but the victim staying comatose was odd.

After all, what he’d seen for Ouyang Yuyuan had just been minor injuries. Something else must have happened in between.

Mu Jiajun said, “Master, saving him comes first. Let’s talk in the car?”

Chu Yi agreed it was worth checking out and nodded.

The three got in the car. Mu Jiajun had driven himself, so he took the wheel again. Ouyang Yuyuan figured it might be awkward sitting with Chu Yi since they weren’t close yet—and he preferred the front anyway—so Mu Jiajun really ended up as the driver.

Ouyang Yuyuan sat shotgun while Chu Yi had the entire back seat to himself.

As Mu Jiajun started the car, Ouyang Yuyuan turned around with his phone. “Master, mind giving me your number? Last time I left without asking, and tracking you down through others was such a hassle.”

He conveniently skipped mentioning how he’d been too skeptical to ask before.

Chu Yi thought for a moment, pulled out his second-hand phone, and opened it while saying, “Young Master Ouyang is too polite. Just call me Chu Yi.”

He looked young now—he didn’t want to be called old.

“That doesn’t seem right. How about Yi Ge?” Ouyang Yuyuan didn’t care about ages; this was a Master who held their lives in his hands with a word. Better to show respect.

Chu Yi gave him an exasperated glance. “Whatever.”

Ouyang Yuyuan had already eyed the phone—it matched his cousin’s description… Though he had no idea why his cousin wanted this junker, he dutifully pulled out a brand-new smartphone he’d prepared. “Yi Ge, your phone looks pretty worn out. I’ve got a new one here—want it? Don’t get me wrong; it’s just that the battery and signal on old ones suck, and I don’t want to lose contact next time.”

Ouyang Yuyuan felt guilty saying it. If not for his cousin’s orders, he wouldn’t risk offending someone like this.

Real experts usually had tempers. What if Chu Yi thought he was looking down on him and got mad?

Chu Yi glanced at him with a half-smile. “Sure, I was thinking of trying a new phone anyway.”

The box in Ouyang Yuyuan’s hand screamed expensive, and the guy was practically shoving it at him—why refuse?

He already knew about the connection to that President Yu. If they didn’t trust him and thought he’d tampered with the old phone, refusing would look even more suspicious.

Chu Yi removed the SIM card, swapped it into the new phone, and fiddled around for a good while using the number Ouyang Yuyuan gave him.

Ouyang Yuyuan waited but heard nothing. He turned back and saw Chu Yi still messing with the startup settings!

He couldn’t help suggesting, “Yi Ge, just hit confirm on these—it’s quick…”

“Is that so? Then how do I pick this?” Chu Yi held up the phone dead seriously for Ouyang Yuyuan to see.

Ouyang Yuyuan had to twist around and guide him through each option one by one. Should’ve sat in the back after all!

Mu Jiajun caught Ouyang Yuyuan’s eye during a lull: Real or fake? People who couldn’t use phones still existed in this era? Was he really some cultivator from a mountain sect?

Ouyang Yuyuan twitched his mouth: Or maybe he just couldn’t afford one?

He was puzzled too. With skills like that, why had Chu Yi lived so poorly and borrowed an Extra Actor Permit for gigs?

But Chu Yi didn’t seem like a fraud—the Blood Light Disaster prediction had been spot on. Must be some cultivation trial…

Chu Yi had no idea what they were muttering about him. Under Ouyang Yuyuan’s guidance, he registered an account and painstakingly typed in the guy’s name and number.

Ouyang Yuyuan said, “Let me show you how to download WeChat too? It’s handy—no typing needed, just voice messages.”

Might as well go all in.

Chu Yi: “Okay.”

By the time they finished setting up WeChat, the car had pulled up to City Hospital.

Mu Jiajun had listened to the whole beginner’s phone tutorial, his face stiff. He parked and said, “We’re here.”

For some reason, he now had a lot of confidence in Chu Yi too. A living relic like that wouldn’t survive without real skills, right?