The name Meng Shu used while traveling through the Great Wilderness was Su Meng. It was simply his real name reversed, with a slight adjustment to the pronunciation. That was how straightforward the old fashioned Long Aotian protagonists used to be.
“What is it?”
Meng Shu opened the door only halfway, his tall figure blocking the entrance and preventing the person outside from peering into his bedroom.
He was exceptionally handsome, with striking features and eyes that resembled dark jade tempered by frost. His cold demeanor didn’t make him unpleasant to approach. Instead, it simply felt as though such a temperament was perfectly natural for someone like him.
Standing outside was a beautiful young woman who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore a fitted martial outfit that emphasized her neat, capable appearance and gave her an air of spirited confidence.
The young woman’s name was Zhao Huier, and the escort agency where Meng Shu was currently staying belonged to her.
The two of them had met while hunting a Ghost Faced Bat. Meng Shu wanted the materials that could be obtained from the demonic beast but didn’t know its exact whereabouts. Zhao Huier, on the other hand, knew where the Ghost Faced Bat could be found but lacked the strength to kill it.
Their interests had aligned perfectly, and the two had joined forces to hunt the beast.
Only afterward had Meng Shu learned that Zhao Fuyuan, the former head of the Fuyuan Escort Agency and Zhao Huier’s father, had been killed in an attack by that very Ghost Faced Bat.
Zhao Huier was deeply grateful to Meng Shu for helping her avenge her father’s death. Upon learning that he had only recently arrived in the area and had nowhere to stay, she invited him to lodge with her escort agency.
Since Meng Shu discovered that he could stay there without paying anything, he had accepted the offer without hesitation. He had been living there for nearly half a month now.
Perhaps something good had happened, because Zhao Huier was already smiling brightly before she even spoke. She lifted the food container in her hand and said, “I didn’t see you all morning, so I came to check whether you’d gotten up yet. I also brought you breakfast while I was at it.”
Meng Shu accepted the food container and thanked her, but he made no move to invite her inside.
Zhao Huier was accustomed to his personality and didn’t mind. “There’s another piece of good news. We just received a major commission. The client wants to hire our entire escort team to accompany an important person to Qingzhou.”
The escort agency primarily accepted commissions from merchants’ associations and private individuals, providing protection for people and goods during their journeys.
After the former head of the agency passed away, many of its experienced members had been poached by rival organizations. The agency’s strength had declined considerably, and many of its former business partners had also been taken away by competitors. It had been a long time since they had received any work.
This major commission had arrived like timely rain during a drought, offering the struggling escort agency a chance to weather the crisis.
Meng Shu remained expressionless. “Congratulations.”
It was certainly good news, but it had nothing to do with him.
Zhao Huier continued, “The client is extremely generous. I came here because I wanted to ask whether you’d be willing to participate in this commission.”
“I don’t have time. I-“
Meng Shu instinctively began to refuse, but his thoughts shifted halfway through the sentence.
“How much is the commission worth?”
“Four thousand spirit stones!” Zhao Huier replied excitedly.
Most commissions from ordinary mortals were paid in gold and silver. Opportunities to earn spirit stones were already rare, let alone commissions worth such an enormous sum. Even when her father had still been alive, the escort agency had received a commission of this magnitude only once.
Meng Shu’s eyes widened slightly as he looked directly at Zhao Huier.
Since when had working for an escort agency become so profitable?
Noticing his surprise, Zhao Huier took the initiative to explain. “We weren’t receiving any business in the first place, so I was planning to charge the client the standard rate for an ordinary escort commission. However, the client insisted on paying the much higher rate for an exclusive escort assignment. They also mentioned that they would have numerous additional requirements and voluntarily increased the commission fee.”
An exclusive escort assignment meant that the escort team couldn’t carry any additional passengers or goods for other clients. As a result, the payment was considerably higher than that of a standard escort mission.
The client was so generous that Zhao Huier almost felt embarrassed accepting the offer.
“If Brother Su is willing to participate, the escort agency will split the payment with you fifty fifty.”
Her offer wasn’t based solely on gratitude. There were practical considerations behind it as well.
With the escort agency’s current strength, they simply couldn’t handle such a large commission on their own. They would have to hire outside help.
Meanwhile, Meng Shu had already demonstrated formidable combat abilities. Everyone in the escort agency believed that he possessed a cultivation level of at least the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
For an escort agency that primarily served ordinary mortals, such a cultivator was already an exceptionally powerful expert.
Furthermore, Meng Shu had established a certain degree of mutual trust with the agency’s members during his time there.
Without a doubt, he was currently the most suitable helper they could find, and also the one they were most likely to recruit successfully.
Zhao Huier gazed at Meng Shu expectantly, waiting for his answer.
As the male lead, Meng Shu’s charm was naturally beyond question. He was tall and handsome, with a cold and imposing temperament. He was decisive in killing, rarely wasted words, and always got straight to the point whenever he spoke. There was an air of reliability about him that ordinary people simply couldn’t match.
In the novel, quite a few female characters who crossed paths with him secretly developed feelings for him.
Unfortunately, there were two problems. First, his character was designed to be a cold faced lone wolf who preferred to act independently. Second, A Big Goose Stewed in a Milk Pot was still a novice author whose writing skills weren’t yet strong enough to balance the main plot with the romantic subplots.
As a result, many of Meng Shu’s potential love interests would show the beginnings of romantic feelings for him, only for their storylines to abruptly disappear without further development. They eventually became little more than background female characters.
And now, even as a pretty young woman gazed at him with such focused attention, Meng Shu’s mind was occupied solely with rapidly weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the offer.
A commission paying such an unusually high premium must have some hidden complications…
*
“Will he really come?”
Shi Zhaorong leaned against the soft cushions inside the carriage, holding an iron token in his hand as he yawned.
After returning the mortal who had been kidnapped and used as bait to the city the previous night, they had followed the system’s instructions and located Zhao Huier’s escort agency. They had then placed the commission with her team. The iron token in Shi Zhaorong’s hand was the proof Zhao Huier had provided after the escort contract had been finalized.
The system was brimming with confidence.
[He’ll definitely come. Nobody understands him better than I do.]
Its son was genuinely poor.
Whenever Meng Shu obtained the spoils of battle, he would immediately invest all his resources into improving his strength. As a result, his pockets remained almost perpetually empty. There was absolutely no way he would pass up such a lucrative commission.
Moreover, the system had deliberately set the payment at a very particular level. It was high enough to resolve Meng Shu’s immediate financial difficulties, yet not so high that it would arouse suspicion.
[If you don’t believe me, we can make a bet!] the system suggested enthusiastically.
Shi Zhaorong’s eyes curved slightly as he smiled. “There’s no need to bet. I believe you.”
The moment he raised his hand, the system immediately extended its goose head toward him.
By now, it had completely adapted to being kept as a pet.
Shi Zhaorong’s hand was smooth and delicate, and both the pressure and the sensation of his touch were just right. Being stroked felt exceptionally comfortable.
The system was thoroughly satisfied.
Of course, it hadn’t forgotten Shi Zhaorong’s disastrous performance the previous night. It felt that some proper training was absolutely necessary.
[Boss, let me emphasize this one more time! You must not casually reveal the information I’ve told you.]
“Why can’t I tell him?” Shi Zhaorong asked. He was confident that he had nothing to hide and had always been straightforward and honest. There was no reason to conceal anything.
[Well… that is… the reasons are rather complicated.
I’ve gained omniscient knowledge about the male lead by opening my Heavenly Eye. Under normal circumstances, you shouldn’t know any of these things. If you casually reveal them, he’ll become suspicious of you and keep his distance. That would be completely contrary to our goal.]
Shi Zhaorong still didn’t understand.
“I have no ill intentions toward him. Why would he avoid me?”
All he wanted was to become the male lead’s master, or adoptive father, and raise him into a towering, outstanding individual who could stand proudly beneath the heavens: a loyal dog of a second male lead.
The system could only offer an example to help him understand.
[Suppose someone you don’t know suddenly reveals that they know absolutely everything about you. What would you think?]
Shi Zhaorong considered the question before answering, “If he’s so concerned about my affairs, he must really like me.”
The system fell silent.
[…]
[Wouldn’t you at least consider the possibility that he might be trying to harm you?]
“Well, if he’s planning to harm me, he’ll eventually make his move. There’s no point overthinking things before anything has happened. It’s exhausting.”
The system sank into silence for the second time.
[…]
The supporting male character and the male lead were practically polar opposites.
One was wary of everyone and everything, while the other didn’t guard against anyone at all.
Then again, if Shi Zhaorong had been as suspicious and vigilant as the male lead, he probably wouldn’t have so casually taken the system into his care in the first place.
The system had no other options left.
[If you reveal the information I’ve given you again, I’ll… I’ll go on a hunger strike!]
Shi Zhaorong finally adopted a slightly more serious expression.
“All right. I promise.”
The system hadn’t expected its words to carry so much weight. It proudly puffed out its chest, feeling rather pleased with itself.
Shi Zhaorong seized the opportunity to give it a couple more strokes.
I mustn’t let it go hungry. If it gets thinner, it won’t feel as nice to touch.
Having finally reached an agreement about keeping secrets, the system moved on to the second stage of its training.
[Because your first encounter with the male lead was so explosively disastrous, the original plan of gaining his trust first and then going through thick and thin together is no longer viable. We can only do the opposite now: go through thick and thin together first, and gain his trust along the way. According to the plot, the next thing that should happen is…]
The system continued explaining for quite some time.
However, there was no response from behind it.
It raised its head.
Shi Zhaorong was already resting his cheek in his hand, his eyes closed as he quietly drifted off to sleep.
The system pecked at Shi Zhaorong’s wrist.
“What’s wrong?” Shi Zhaorong opened his eyes leisurely.
[Boss, did you fall asleep?]
Shi Zhaorong turned his face away. “No.”
He had clearly fallen asleep!
It was only after transmigrating into this world that the system discovered just how prone Shi Zhaorong was to dozing off.
In the original novel, to emphasize how profound and unfathomable the male supporting character was, the author had written him as someone who would close his eyes to rest whenever he appeared, provided he wasn’t engaged in battle.
But after the world had been filled in and brought to life, had all that supposedly profound meditation turned into secretly sneaking in naps?
The system stared intently at Shi Zhaorong, making sure he didn’t close his eyes again before continuing. [If you want to win over the male lead, you have to understand him first. I’m going to share the information I’ve been keeping up my sleeve with you!]
The system brought up its system interface and granted Shi Zhaorong permission to view it.
The interface contained popular reader comments about the male lead. Their content was absolutely objective and truthful, and reading them would help Shi Zhaorong quickly grasp the male lead’s personality. In addition, the system had a little ulterior motive of its own: it wanted to show its boss some of its special abilities and broaden his horizons.
, I’m a very capable goose too, you know! It held its head high and puffed out its chest.
The strange magical artifact immediately piqued Shi Zhaorong’s interest. This was much more entertaining than listening to a dry lecture, so he carefully read through the information displayed on the page. When he reached the bottom, he naturally raised his hand and swiped upward to scroll through the page.
The system’s feathers nearly stood on end.
[How do you know how to use that?!]
Shi Zhaorong couldn’t understand why it was so astonished. “The Mountains and Rivers Diagram works the same way.”
The Mountains and Rivers Diagram was an innate divine artifact that contained a miniature projection of the entire Great Wilderness. According to legend, it had once been used by an ancient sage to survey and determine the world’s spiritual veins.
It ranked seventh on the Great Wilderness Divine Weapons List.
Once again, the system was at a complete loss for words.
Sorry. I didn’t realize I’d accidentally wandered into the imperial palace.
Shi Zhaorong noticed some unfamiliar terms in the comments that he couldn’t quite understand. “What does ‘straight man’ mean?”
The system translated the term into simpler language. [A heterosexual man. In other words, a man who likes women rather than men.]
Shi Zhaorong asked, “Then what about ‘hopelessly straight man’?”
[It’s used to describe a man who doesn’t understand romance or know how to respond to other people’s feelings. But those comments are all based on misunderstandings. The male lead is just a child who isn’t good at expressing himself.]
“Mmm… ‘cold, heartless heartthrob’ and ‘walking incubus’?”
Why were those two terms in there as well?!
The system hurriedly tried to patch things up. [Ahem! Those are misunderstandings too. He’s the type who’s cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He’s just a little shy and bashful. And yes, he does attract quite a few women, but he absolutely doesn’t flirt around or lead women astray. He’s always been a chaste little virgin who’s kept himself out of trouble.]
The system didn’t explain the two terms directly, but Shi Zhaorong more or less understood what they meant. He continued reading and asked, “What does ‘One Hand Brother’ mean?”
Why had that nickname appeared too?!
The system was starting to sweat.
In the original novel, the male lead, Meng Shu, didn’t trust anyone other than himself. He was constantly holding something back, always keeping an extra card up his sleeve just in case. Because of this habit, readers had jokingly nicknamed him “One Hand Brother.”
[Well… you see… the poor kid has been through far too much at such a young age, so he’s rather sensitive and cautious.]
“What about the ‘Ancestor of the Spirit Stone Clan, Venerable Spirit Stone,’ who cherishes spirit stones even more than women?”
The system was getting anxious. What is wrong with these readers? Why are they all slandering my son? They don’t even know how to look beyond appearances and understand the truth beneath the surface. How shallow!
[You know perfectly well that the male lead has had a difficult life since childhood, so he’s simply very careful when it comes to managing his spirit stones. But that absolutely doesn’t mean he values money over women, goose… no, I mean, that he values money over loyalty!] The system raised a wing and shut down the page. [Forget it. Don’t look at this information anymore. Let’s go over our plan again instead.]
Shi Zhaorong’s quest for knowledge was forcibly interrupted.
What a pity. He had actually found these unfamiliar terms rather interesting.
The system brought out a second reference document. [I’ve prepared a reference guide for you. It lists several possible scenarios that might trigger certain plot developments between you and the male lead, that is, situations you might encounter, and explains how you should respond to increase his trust in you.]
The contents had all been “borrowed” by the system from similar novels. They had been tested and proven effective through the practical experience of its “seniors,” so they were absolutely reliable.
[Adapt to circumstances as they arise, and try to earn the male lead’s trust as soon as possible.]
This was the instructional material the system had planned from the beginning to hand over to Shi Zhaorong for careful study. It had even copied everything out in advance.
Shi Zhaorong picked up the scroll that the system had dug out from beneath its leg band and unrolled it.
The writing on it was crooked and irregular, with the occasional webbed foot print stamped across the page. By relying on guesswork and piecing things together, he could barely make out seventy or eighty percent of the contents.
He quietly glanced at the system. Not wanting to undermine his pet’s confidence, he decided against commenting on the handwriting.
After all, a goose being able to write at all was already a remarkable feat.
Come to think of it, this handwriting was rather…
Yawn.
…soothingly hypnotic.
[Author’s Note:]
Many years later, when the young master looked back at this character profile, he could only sigh helplessly. “Stupid system. You bought fake intelligence. Not a single thing in here matched reality.”