He Mu returned home carrying large and small bags. He Xiaosa, sitting at the front desk of the shop on the first floor, winked at her, signaling that someone was waiting in the reception room.
He Mu set down her things and walked to the doorway to take a look. It was Lin Yi.
“What a shame—this time, I can’t embark on a spontaneous trip with you. But can I make a deal with you instead?”
“This is a special brooch with a hidden camera. I hope you can carry it with you when you travel through time. In return, I promise to give you a thousand yuan.”
“A thousand yuan?”
He Mu curled her lip. “Guess how much Su Mu offered me?”
Competition breeds pressure. Lin Yi immediately revised his offer. “Whatever he gave you, I’ll double it. But you can’t take his device with you.”
He Mu said, “Su Mu offered me two hundred thousand. Are you going to give me four hundred thousand?”
Lin Yi instantly panicked. “Two hundred thousand? Is he crazy?”
He Mu chuckled. “Not just two hundred thousand—also a black credit card.”
When shock reaches a certain level, it turns into numbness. That was Lin Yi’s state—he stood there dumbfounded, instinctively reaching for his pocket to pull out a cigarette to calm his nerves.
He Mu cleared her throat softly. Lin Yi stopped his movement and instead took out his phone. “Director He, please wait a moment. I need to make a call for approval.”
Clearly, four hundred thousand was not an amount he could decide on his own.
Lin Yi stood up and walked over to the window, speaking softly into the phone.
After a short while, Lin Yi regained his confidence. “Four hundred thousand, plus a comprehensive family health checkup package.”
It seemed both were willing to spend generously.
He Mu cleared her throat and said, “Since both of you are showing such sincerity, and I truly find it hard to choose between you, let’s do this fairly—open bidding.”
He Mu then called Su Mu and explained the situation.
As soon as she hung up, Lin Yi’s phone rang, and an angry voice roared through the speaker: “You’ve got some nerve, Lin Yi! I treat you like a brother who’d take a knife for me, and you stab me in the back instead? Just you wait—competing with money? I’ve never been afraid of anyone!”
In less than two minutes, Su Mu stormed in.
At this point, Su Mu had likely been lying in wait near He Mu all along.
In the end, Su Mu secured the video rights for five hundred thousand yuan, laughing heartily as he dragged a miserable-looking Lin Yi away.
He Mu then went upstairs to find Zhao Meimei to discuss the matter of Old Zeng.
“My goodness, my dear sister, this Old Zeng doesn’t seem as simple as you described!”
Meanwhile, Su Mu dragged Lin Yi into his car and shoved him into the back seat. “You little rascal, behave yourself!”
Lin Yi tried to struggle, but Su Mu was far too strong now, leaving him no room for resistance. All he had left was his stubborn mouth. “What do you want? I admit I can’t compete with you. Take your dirty money and get lost!”
Su Mu, however, broke into a grin. “We’re brothers, best friends! Don’t say I never look out for you. Give me two hundred thousand, and I’ll share a copy of the video with you to complete your task.”
“Two hundred thousand?”
“Two hundred thousand. I’ll cover the other three hundred thousand, and we’ll share the video.”
Lin Yi rolled his eyes. “It’ll be an edited version, won’t it?”
Su Mu chuckled slyly. “I’ll have to review it first before giving it to you.”
The next day.
At 8:50, Lu Shiyan and Zeng Keyu arrived, pushing Lu Lang in a wheelchair. Following behind them was the arrogant Sheng Yang, whose gaze made everyone seem like clowns.
Li Dashan, however, was nowhere to be seen.
He Mu called him. “Old Li, where are you? It’s almost time.”
“What terrible timing. My mother-in-law suddenly showed up. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it.”
What a huge pigeon!
He Mu glanced at her phone screen—fifty-nine minutes. Time was up.
He Mu sighed and motioned for everyone to board. The minibus was already parked nearby. He Xiaosa had originally wanted to drive them himself to broaden his horizons, but upon seeing the lifelike robot in the driver’s seat, he slunk off the vehicle dejectedly.
He Xiaosa felt that if he stared at the robot for another two seconds, its eyes might shoot lasers at him, warning him not to mess with the driver.
Lu Shiyan carried Lu Lang on his back, while Zeng Keyu hoisted the wheelchair onto the bus.
Before boarding, Sheng Yang shot He Mu a couple of glances, saying nothing yet conveying everything.
Sheng Yang didn’t believe in time travel at all. If it weren’t for not wanting to offend Old Zeng, he would never have participated.
Even someone as shrewd as Zeng Keyu had joined, likely for the same reason.
So this beauty was a fraud, huh? Just wait—he’d expose her!
Sheng Yang swaggered onto the bus, only for someone inside to shout at him, “Hey, idiot! What are you standing there for? Sit down!”
Sheng Yang, with his sky-high ego, couldn’t tolerate being called an idiot. He immediately shot a glare in the direction of the voice and saw Lu Shiyan beside the disabled man.
Sheng Yang retorted, “Calling me an idiot? You’re the biggest fools here! Half-dead cripples, yet you still come running—”
Thud—
Sheng Yang was lifted into the air as someone behind him grabbed his belt, hoisting him up like a chick before slamming him heavily into a seat. He was completely stunned.
He Mu patted her hands as if dusting off nonexistent dirt. “Move. You’re in my way.”
Lu Shiyan whistled loudly in approval. “Director He, you’re awesome!”
Lu Lang’s face was sickly pale, the corners of his eyes slightly reddened. His student was defending him.
He Mu’s gaze swept over Sheng Yang. “We’re about to leave. Fasten your seatbelt.”
Sheng Yang shivered instinctively, a flicker of fear toward He Mu’s violence surfacing. But he didn’t obediently fasten his seatbelt. Instead, he slipped away like greased lightning, squeezing into the seat beside Zeng Keyu and grabbing his arm.
Sheng Yang said, “Brother Zeng, you’ll protect me, right?”
Zeng Keyu replied expressionlessly, “My orders are to cooperate with Director He and ensure her personal safety.”
Sheng Yang’s eyes widened. “With her monstrous strength, who could possibly hurt her? I’m the one who needs protection here!”
Zeng Keyu said, “Don’t ask for trouble if you don’t want it. Behave yourself. This journey is anything but ordinary.”
The minibus started and headed for the highway.
At the Li household.
Li Dashan nervously handed his mother-in-law a cup of tea. “Mom, did you come because of Xiaoli…”
“Don’t call me Mom. The divorce proceedings between you and Xiaoli are already underway. I’m here today to take Xiao Bao away!”
“I won’t allow it!”
Even if Xiao Bao drove him to the brink of madness every day, Xiao Bao was his one and only. No one could take him away.
“You won’t allow it? With the measly income you earn each month…”
Before his mother-in-law could continue, her expression suddenly changed drastically. She pointed at Li Dashan in horror. “You! Are you human or a ghost?”
A Pillar of Light shone down from the ceiling onto Li Dashan’s body, and he gradually turned transparent.
Li Dashan was also stunned, but he seized the moment to throw out a threat: “If you dare take Xiao Bao away, I’ll haunt your family even as a ghost!”
Before his words faded, Li Dashan vanished in an instant, and the Pillar of Light disappeared along with him.
Bang—
A loud bang echoed, and the other people in the car turned to look back, only to see Li Dashan still frozen in terror on the seat.
All five tourists had arrived.
Sheng Yang couldn’t help but exclaim, “Holy shit! A person just appeared out of thin air!”