Damn. I'm incredible. This sweet-talking routine is coming out in full combos.
Solid. Absolutely solid now.
As he walked down the stairs, Li Lin's mind was overflowing with self-satisfaction.
If Sora weren't right behind him watching, he would've been tempted to hop in place and give himself a perfect-score hand sign.
Who else, huh? Just tell me—who else? After a move like that, wouldn't her favorability be completely maxed out? Once they all went on to become big shots, as a person standing next to big shots, he could surely get a little bite to eat, right?
To be honest, Li Lin had zero trust in his own moral character.
At the end of the day he was just a normal young man—no lofty saintly feelings, no pitch-black twisted schemes either. Small perks? Sure, he'd take a bit. Big right-and-wrong? He wouldn't dare mess that up.
So given his moral baseline and his actual capability, what was the simplest choice?
Cling to the big leg, obviously.
How could he possibly delude himself into thinking a woman who might one day become a city lord, or a top-tier idol, or some commercial tycoon, would genuinely fall for him? Even if it happened briefly, they'd still inevitably drift further and further apart. Fewer days together, a messy household, ugly scenes—no thanks.
But now? He knew the traces of their rise. He knew these people would become great figures in the future. So what else could he do besides invest early and offer unconditional trust?
Founders' shares. Don't look at the monk—look at the Buddha. He'd managed to get himself connected, and that alone already meant something.
Texas and Exusiai—one cold outside and warm within, the other hot outside and cold within. Honestly, even now Li Lin didn't know what either of them really thought. They felt close… but he didn't dare confirm it.
Exusiai was the sunshine type—warm to everyone, making it feel like anything was possible. Texas was the moon type—treating everyone the same, leaving you unable to tell. In short, both were impossible to read.
As ordinary friends, feeding them sometimes and stacking goodwill was enough. Anything more than that, he'd only tap at the edges—he wouldn't go too far.
But Sora was different.
She was an idol desperate for freedom and trust.
With everything he'd just said—and feeling that silent gaze behind him—Li Lin could already confirm it. His "detour to achieve the same end" strategy was basically a guaranteed win.
What resources did Lungmen's top idol have?
Too many.
Even if he didn't aim for fellow idols, just someone reliable would do. The entertainment industry might be rotten, but this was Sora. Her status was different—so her resources were different.
Ah. Life was sweet.
Knowing in advance who was good and who was bad really was the best thing ever.
If he didn't need to maintain his "image," he would've been whistling a victory song right now.
But just as he rounded the first flight, he saw a black figure standing there.
Emperor stood at the landing, cigar in his mouth. For some reason, he looked oddly contemplative. Behind sunglasses, his gaze fixed on Li Lin.
"Li Lin. Come talk for a moment."
"…?"
"About you."
"???"
My Yanese residency is about to run away!
Seeing Emperor's serious expression, Li Lin immediately thought of the most terrifying possibility.
Sora, coming down behind him, patted her cheeks and stepped closer, looking at the two of them with mild confusion.
"May I ask what happened?"
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Sora seemed to be standing a bit closer to him now.
Li Lin could practically feel the warmth from her body every time he breathed. That trust and goodwill were obviously a good thing—proof his plan was working—but right now the top priority was confirming whether his residency was in danger.
Everything hinged on whether his household registration book was about to get unhooked.
"It's fine. Emperor just wants to chat with me. The boss giving tasks to an employee is normal, right? Sora, you go join everyone first. I'll talk to Emperor. Try to have fun—this is your welcome party."
"…Okay. Then I'll go."
Sora glanced at them with concern. In the end she didn't say anything, and headed toward the noisy private room.
Once Li Lin confirmed she'd entered, he turned back to Emperor and put on his usual warm, mild smile.
"What is it? Something serious enough to pull me aside?"
"Ah. It's not that serious."
The usually carefree Emperor looked oddly hesitant. In the windy stairwell, he scratched at his head, and even the cigar's glow seemed to flicker uncertainly.
"It's just… how do I put it… I've been thinking about some things. Like you."
"I haven't done anything lately, have I? Did someone annoy you?"
"No, not really. It's more like the LGD asked about some things. Your recent situation. What you've been doing."
"Oh, so it's because of the gangsters."
So it wasn't about his household registration.
And while he was at it, he should maintain that mysterious persona. This was the moment to leak just a little.
With a huge sigh of relief inside, Li Lin gave a confident smile and spoke smoothly:
"As far as I know, it shouldn't be a big issue. Columbia is too busy worrying about how they don't have the ultimate weapon to dominate Terra. They won't do anything. Besides, their bigger core interests are in the Pioneer Corps and the frontier regions—they won't bother us."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. So regardless of who's behind those Columbian gangs, they don't have the power to influence anything bigger. They're just bluffing. It's fine to deal with them completely."
"…I see. But how do you know that so clearly?"
"Well, I have my own channels and my own knowledge. It might be a little off, but not by much. In any case, on the Columbian side, the official government angle isn't something to worry about. And if they're bluffing, you can always ask what they're doing out in the wastes… how Rhine Lab HQ is doing. If either of those blows up, that'd be major news. If your 'level' is high enough, you'll know what I'm talking about."
"What are they doing?"
"Oh, that I can't say," Li Lin replied. "Strictly speaking it's classified. Only vague statements are persuasive. Exposing your cards is never good."
He smiled and mimed zipping his lips.
That was the foundation of his survival: a bit of informational advantage, plus ambiguity, could package a nobody into someone with a mysterious background.
After all—out in the world, identity was something you wrote yourself.
Emperor had sheltered Texas from Zaaro's grasp. A slightly mysterious man shouldn't be a problem either. For Emperor, this sort of thing was basically entertainment.
Foreknowledge was truly glorious. Everything in this world was interference and integration of information. Without mind-reading, the other side had no idea he was actually useless. And he'd always been a dutiful deliveryman. Even if they wanted to kick him out of Penguin Logistics, they didn't have a reason.
This free meal?
He was definitely eating it.
Looking at Emperor—who seemed lost in thought—Li Lin maintained a calm, steady smile and asked softly:
"Anything else?"
"No. Just gangsters talking nonsense."
"Good… By the way, Emperor—do you know if there are any dessert shops still open at this hour?"
"There's one by the intersection… Why?"
"The banquet is too loud, and Sora seems to want to get closer to Texas," Li Lin said, pointing toward the private room, shrugging with an easy smile. "If I go interrupt a girls' gathering now, it'd kill the vibe. I can read the room, you know. I won't go to the later part of the party. Also, I promised Exusiai this morning I'd bring her dessert. Even if we ate a bit today, I still want to bring some back for her. So I'll head out first. One apple pie and one crown tart would be good—does that shop make those?"
"..."
Watching Li Lin speak as if it were completely natural, Emperor stood there with his mouth slightly open. In the end, he let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Ha… Li Lin. Let me give you one piece of advice."
"Be careful around women."
"I think I've kept my distance pretty well? I get along with everyone fine, don't I?"
Who's trying to curse me?
Was there some woman I'd offended, someone who wanted me as an enemy—and Emperor was hinting at it?
Who?
It couldn't be Croissant holding a grudge because I didn't help at the stall a few times… could it?
Seeing Emperor deliver that line so earnestly, Li Lin frowned. The situation suddenly felt… complicated again.
-------
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