Chapter 10 - Surprise, Surprise!
Early that morning, Lin Quan stepped out of his room right on time to bump
into Qian Gu who also came out of his room, and the two of them headed
downstairs to wait for breakfast to be served together.
Seeing the XL-sized bowl placed in front of him, Lin Quan started mentally
drawing circles[1]. Did Auntie Zhang think of him as some bottomless pit? The
consequence of binge eating previously has already come back to bite him.
He waved his hand at Auntie Zhang, saying, "Auntie Zhang, I'd like a bowl that
is just like Qian Gu's. His bowl looks much nicer; I'm sure the food would
taste better in it too."
Auntie Zhang: "…"
Qian Gu: "…"
No one ever knew what sort of shenanigans this Young Master Lin would get up
to each day.
As breakfast was about to come to an end, Lin Quan suddenly leaned in close to
Qian Gu. "Are you going to the company later?"
Qian Gu gave him a brief response and patiently waited for Lin Quan's next
words. If Lin Quan were to ask about visiting the Qian family company, he
would refuse without hesitation.
However, in the next second, Lin Quan was all smiles. "I feel like going out
for a stroll today. Could I borrow a driver and some bodyguards? Don’t worry—I
promise I'll be home early and won't cause any trouble."
Lin Quan's request was both unexpected and not unexpected—Qian Gu agreed.
Between keeping Lin Quan cooped up at home and letting him go out to play—the
latter was less destructive than the former. Without Qian Gu around, Lin Quan
would probably turn the house upside down.
Before leaving, Lin Quan asked, "Is there anything you want? I can pick it up
while I'm out."
"No need," Qian Gu shook his head.
But Lin Quan persisted and said with a grin, "Well then, I'll just browse
around and if I see anything suitable, I’ll bring it back for you."
Lin Quan's "casual stroll" wasn't just aimless wandering. Most of the places
he chose to visit were businesses under the Lin family—it was essentially a
discreet inspection of his inherited wealth.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, this department store is owned by the Lin family?
This heir must really love shopping.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, this restaurant chain is owned by the Lin family?
This heir must really love eating.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem…
…
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, is there anything you like? I’ll get it for you.
System: Host, I appreciate the thought, but I have no need for these things.
System: If you really want to gift me something, take good care of yourself.
The better your condition, the faster I can complete my mission.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, will you get a big reward for completing your
mission?
System: Yes, and it’s something very important to me.
Lin Quan: Then let's work hard together and speedrun this mission. I won't
make you wait too long; I'll do my best to get my HP up to 60 soon, trust me.
System: Alright.
Shortly after, a bodyguard approached Lin Quan and spoke in a hushed tone,
"Young Master Lin, someone has been tailing us the entire way."
Without turning around, Lin Quan asked in response, "Have you found out who
sent them?"
"We're still investigating. It'll take some time," the bodyguard replied
honestly.
Lin Quan stopped in his tracks and started surveying the shops nearby. Then
his eyes lit up suddenly. "I was getting a little tired anyways. Let's go in
and rest for a bit."
Lin Quan's chosen rest stop was an arcade. It was bustling with activity,
packed with kids and quite a few adults. Girls were dancing skillfully on the
dance machines while guys were showing off their basketball skills, and the
shooting and racing games were as popular as ever.
System: Host, your choice of entertainment is a bit low-class for your status
as an heir; you're surely going to be mocked again.
Lin Quan: Being stuck in that sanatorium was what really made me a
laughingstock. Besides, it's not like you don't know that I'm not the real
young master of the Lin family, so where would I even get "high-class
hobbies"?
Lin Quan: Fancy balls? I can't dance. Networking with rich tycoons? I'm not
fluent in multiple languages. Since I was a child, I've never driven a sports
car. Racing? I can't. Flying a plane? Nope. Sailing a yacht? Still no.
Lin Quan: When I was in the sanatorium, all anyone cared about was my illness
and tricking me into signing papers. Nobody cared about what I knew or didn't
know. Now that I'm out, I'm bound to slip up when dealing with other wealthy
young masters.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, any ideas on how I can save myself?
System: Yes. See that claw machine on your left? Catch a stuffed toy, and you
can ask your Lucky Lifesaver Charm for help with it.
Lin Quan: Seriously? Qian Gu has such a playful side? Wow, you really can’t
judge a book by its cover.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, have you finally been moved by my sincerity and are
willing to tell me about Qian Gu? But I've always been terrible at claw
machines. Why don't you help me calculate my chances of success.
System: You can do it, Host. Believe in yourself.
Putting his faith in those words, Lin Quan started battling with the claw
machine. After burning through hundreds of game tokens, though drained, he
finally snagged a small grey stuffed dog. At that moment, he almost cried
tears of joy.
Lin Quan was exhausted from his ordeal, but good thing this stuffed toy worked
on his Lucky Lifesaver Charm—it was all worth it. Beaming, he snapped a
cheerful photo of himself with the grey dog plush and posted it on Weibo with
the caption: The result of hundreds of tokens. Do you like it?
However, after waiting and waiting, instead of a reply from Qian Gu, Lin Quan
received a comment from his older brother: I like it. It's very cute, just
like you.
Lin Quan let out an awkward laugh. Could life get any worse? In what way
exactly did he resemble this silly-looking plush dog?
While Lin Quan was having a blast at the arcade, his bodyguards were
diligently investigating the identity of the person following them.
The bodyguards returned with an update. "It's someone from the Lin family.
Would you like to meet them, or continue to ignore them?"
Lin Quan deliberated over it for a couple of seconds, then casually pinched
the little grey dog plush's ear. "Let's ignore them for now. Meeting them will
only lead to endless headaches. I don't have time to deal with them. I want to
go home early and give Qian Gu his present."
Staring at the soft toy, the two bodyguards instantly fell silent. Did they
hear it wrong, or was the young master of the Lin family's gift-giving simply
this unusual? Giving a little grey puppy plush to Qian Gu was bizarre beyond
belief.
A few minutes later, one bodyguard left to scout the area, while the other
handed Lin Quan a bottle of water. "Young Master Lin, shall we head back now,
or do you want to hang around some more?"
Just as Lin Quan took the water, the System's warning popped up out of
nowhere.
System: Don't drink it. Bad luck.
Lin Quan: This water is spiked?
Lin Quan: Isn't Qian Gu supposed to be all-powerful? Even he messes up
sometimes? Did someone buy off the Qian family's bodyguards, or is this
bodyguard just not fond of me?
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, is there a glimmer of hope for getting out of this?
System: Yes. I've calculated the directions, there's a surprise waiting for
you after you escape this.
Still holding the water, Lin Quan smiled at the bodyguard. "I'm feeling
a little hungry, could you help me grab some food? Braised ribs, BBQ wings,
and pan-fried dumplings… the more the better."
The bodyguard hesitated, staying rooted in his place. He didn't dare to stray
too far from Lin Quan. Lin Quan waved him off. "I'll play a few more games.
Hurry off and be back soon. Remember to buy a few more ribs, the super meaty
kind."
After finally getting rid of the bodyguard with much struggle, Lin Quan was
about to ask the System when the best time to escape was, when suddenly,
someone shouted, "Fire! Run! There's a fire!"
Lin Quan: "…"
Wow, this crappy luck is truly… It's just too terrible. The safety hazard was
seriously deadly, and the fire was spreading from the electrical circuit at
lightning speed. Lin Quan could only cry internally as he ran towards the
opposite direction of the fleeing crowd. He could hear the crackling of the
electrical sparks and see flames rushing towards him, the air scorching hot.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem!
System: You're going the right way/ Keep running, host.
Lin Quan: Didn't you say before that upgrading my skills in driving or flying
planes was better than training myself in running?
System: That's if you have bodyguards with you. Without bodyguards, I'd
suggest you’d better run fast. Quick, quick, the fire is coming, your hair is
about to get singed.
Lin Quan: Ahhhhh! Starting tomorrow, I'm going to run every single day! I'm
going to keep fit, no excuses, I can’t give up on myself!
Lin Quan darted through the fire, feeling he was going to choke to death. Just
when he thought he was doomed, he got lucky and managed to push open an
unlocked door and escaped the terrifying inferno.
Even after getting through to the door, he didn't stop. He continued
sprinting, covering a good distance before his strength gave out, and he
slowed down, panting heavily.
Talk about the importance of exercise. What would happen when a sickly rich
young master, who had been bedridden for a long time due to illness,
encounters a fire and has to run for his life? Without the System, no matter
how strong Lin Quan’s survival instincts were, he would only be able to lie
down and await death.
Lin Quan subconsciously felt for his pocket, and then he froze.
Could someone please tell him why he managed to keep a death grip on the grey
dog plushie but his phone was nowhere to be found? Where was the "surprise" he
was supposed to get for escaping the fire? He was 200% certain that this was clearly a
scare instead.
He had no idea where he was at all. Was there some kind-hearted soul nearby
who could lend him a phone to call for help? Was the next step going to be
"find the police if you are in trouble"?
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, I have a very serious question for you.
Lin Quan: Do you remember Qian Gu's phone number?
System: Are you sure you want to contact him, instead of enjoying your
newfound freedom? All the circuits of the surrounding security cameras have
been fried by the fire; the current path you're on is quite secluded. You've
escaped this disaster, you're free. Aren't you surprised?
Lin Quan: Surprised; I am so surprised by this freedom. My pockets are empty
and I haven't got a single cent on me, all I've got is a dog plush that I can
look at but not eat. There's simply no better surprise than this. The price of
freedom is that I won't last a day.
Lin Quan: I've barely managed to move into my Lucky Lifesaver Charm's house; I
haven't even gained any HP yet. Little Temtem, I can't just go missing, my
Lucky Lifesaver Charm is going to be snatched away by Childhood Friend No. 7.
System: Temporarily being out for a few days will do you more good than harm.
According to the plot, you'll fall unconscious for a week and when you're
about to wake up, there will be another great misfortune waiting for you. If
you stayed at Qian Gu's place, you won't be able to survive it.
Lin Quan: A great misfortune!
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, you should tell me about these important things
earlier next time. I could've prepared in advance and we can run away with
plenty of cash. I don't have money to buy any food. My spare ribs, BBQ wings,
and pan-fried dumplings… Boohoo Hoo!
Lin Quan hugged his little grey dog plush tightly in his arms, clinging on to
his few hundred game coins, imagining a time when he still had money.
Lin Quan: What do we do next, Little Temtem? Are we going to act out a tragic
tale of starving to death on the streets?
System: You won't starve to death. You can borrow money.
Lin Quan: Borrow money? From whom? From that trustworthy childhood friend?
Don't those people have him on watch?
System: I've calculated a direction with a glimmer of hope. It's up to you
whether to try it or not.
After a sudden fire at the arcade, the young master of the Lin family
mysteriously disappeared from the burning building. Neither of his bodyguards
was by his side at the time, and no one knew what had happened.
There was no sight of Lin Quan to be found among the crowd that escaped the
arcade centre, only his phone was found deep in the fire. The
whereabouts of the Lin family's young master had become a mystery, his fate
unknown.
Currently, the missing and presumed dead Lin Quan was climbing over a garden
wall.
Lin Quan: Little Temtem, aren't we supposed to be borrowing money? Why is
there a part where I have to climb walls?
System: Naturally, it's to make it more convenient to borrow money.
Lin Quan didn't even have time to ask why when he suddenly felt a pain shoot
through his forehead. He heard someone roar, "I'm going to beat you to death,
you thief! Climbing over walls to steal things in broad daylight? Do you think
I'm dead or something?"
Lin Quan: "…"
Mhm, that was very convenient indeed.
1. Same energy as when an anime character is growing mushrooms lol↩
A/N:
Lin Quan: My Lucky Lifesaver Charm, wait for me to come home, I've got a gift for you.
Qian Gu: What happened to coming home early and staying out of trouble?
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Thank yous!! (˶‾᷄ ⁻̫ ‾᷅˵)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a great day!!
You can support me by sending some love in the comments or through the button below
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