```
After settling the debts and studio matters, Feng Yi enjoyed another good night's sleep.
However, another individual wasn't so lucky with the quality of his sleep.
Because of Feng Yi's words, Lu Yue, having taken the item for testing, waited the entire night with extremely complex emotions, all for the test results.
It was at the crack of dawn when Lu Yue finally received a call.
The person on the other end sounded as if they were hiding somewhere, speaking secretly, their voice hushed as if about to reveal something dreadful.
"Brother Lu, have you gotten yourself into some serious trouble?"
A sense of dread sank into Lu Yue's heart just from hearing these words—he knew things were far from good.
"Tell me the results first!"
The person on the other end took a deep breath, then continued in a subdued tone, "It's real snake skin, likely wild, and probably of a rare variety. It's difficult to tell the specific species since the leather has been processed, which makes it impossible to match, but it's mostly a rare variety.
"I used the company's newly-acquired state-of-the-art equipment and testing kits, which took a little extra time. Fortunately, these instruments are only in the calibration phase recently, and I was the only one on duty tonight, so I didn't dare keep the test results.
Brother Lu, how did you come by this?"
Lu Yue closed his eyes tightly, and when he re-opened them, his eyes were filled with fierce determination. He squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth, "It was a gift from someone else!"
The relief was palpable from the person on the phone, "Brother, it's better you stay away from those people. I heard there's an ongoing investigation into a batch of wild animal skins that entered the market. Given the nature of your company, not so long ago your old man was in the official news advocating the use of more environmentally safe materials in response to the national call. Getting caught up in this, even if you're cleared, will lead to a lot of trouble, with so many people waiting to find faults with you! It's not easy to build and maintain a brand, nor is it easy to have reached your current position; you can't afford a stain like this!"
"I am aware of all that! Dispose of your operating records on that side, and I'll transfer the money to you in a moment."
After hanging up and transferring the money, Lu Yue dug out Feng Yi's contact information and sent him a message, "Thanks! I owe you one!"
…
In the early morning, Feng Yi saw the message upon waking up and smiled.
Although Lu Yue didn't show it on his face, he had listened to the advice. Anyone who could fight their way to where he is in a large conglomerate is no simple character.
After a polite reply, Feng Yi put the matter behind him as he had a major task ahead!
It was still dark outside, and the sun had yet to rise.
Feng Yi slid open the glass door to the living room balcony to enjoy the cool morning breeze for a while before heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
He cooked a plate of frozen dumplings and steamed three eggs. The fridge only held these items, he had been too busy lately to restock.
Feng Yi stuffed a dumpling into his mouth and was pondering things as he tapped an eggshell when he saw a shadow emerge on the balcony.
Feng Yi had nearly forgotten about the shadow if he hadn't seen it; the community was recently plagued by a rodent infestation!
A grey-brown rat, longer than a palm, brazenly walked in from outside the balcony.
Feng Yi tapped the eggshell.
The noise caused the rat to pause its steps.
The creature looked up at Feng Yi, then continued to walk into the room.
Feng Yi: ???
Not afraid of humans?
It has the audacity to be this bold in my presence?
No wonder the residents have been so aggrieved!
Remembering Wu Ji's words, Feng Yi quickly rose to his feet and closed all the doors in the apartment, including those to the bathroom and kitchen. The gaps under the doors were not big enough for the rat to squeeze through.
After closing the bedroom door, Feng Yi sat back down at the dining table and returned to cracking his egg.
When Feng Yi had stood up, the rat had scurried under the couch, and now that Feng Yi was seated again, it didn't take long for the creature to reappear from under the couch, giving Feng Yi a glance before it resumed rummaging through the trash can.
Feng Yi stomped his foot, and the rat darted back under the couch, but after just five seconds, it reemerged and continued nonchalantly rifling through the trash can.
This time, stomping his foot didn't help.
Feng Yi froze.
Truly the city's tyrant!
There were no handy tools at home, and Feng Yi had more important matters to attend to today; he wouldn't waste time chasing rats.
After thinking it over, he peeled off a piece of egg white with his chopsticks, wrapped it in a paper towel, and placed it on a low plant stand outside on the balcony. He then retreated into the room, continuing his breakfast while keeping an eye out for activity.
As expected, it wasn't long before the rat abandoned the trash can and ran towards the balcony, making an effort to climb the plant stand in search of the egg white.
Seizing the opportunity, Feng Yi quickly slid the glass door closed, trapping the rat outside before snapping a photo through the glass door and sending it to Wu Ji—
"Please be cautious downstairs."
"...Crap! That scared me awake this morning!" Wu Ji asked, "How did it climb up there to you?"
"I'm not sure if it came from up or down, but it moved along the exterior wall and climbed in from the air conditioning platform next to the balcony. My window wasn't shut since I only thought to close the balcony door yesterday."
"I'll mention it to my parents to thoroughly check the doors and windows! Especially the balcony's! Oh, and the resident's group chat mentioned last night that the community is organizing a rat extermination in the next few days, so watch out for that." Wu Ji added.
"I'm going to be out of town today, and won't be home. I've double-checked all the doors and windows; they won't be able to get in," Feng Yi reassured him.
After speaking with Wu Ji, Feng Yi opened the community homeowner's chat to scroll through the conversation and catch up on the progress of the rat extermination.
```
After breakfast, when I looked out to the balcony again, the rat that had been gnawing on the egg had already left.
After double-checking the doors and windows, and ensuring that no food was left exposed, Feng Yi packed his luggage and hurried to the airport.
I had dozed off on the plane and woke up to find that we had already arrived in the territory of Yang City.
I left here after the college entrance examination, five or six years ago, and now I have returned once again.
Standing at Yang City Airport, Feng Yi's feelings were indescribable.
Of course, there was no time for sentimentality.
After searching for the nearest outdoor equipment stores, Feng Yi took a taxi to buy some gear.
Xiao Feng Mountain is also known as Snake Mountain, and even with an isolation belt, there's no telling if snakes might come over it—I'd feel safer with extra equipment.
After buying the equipment and changing into better protective clothing, pants, and shoes, I didn't wear a helmet yet—it'd look strange to put it on before I got to the place—so I only wore a disposable mask I bought from the pharmacy.
These days, with many people wearing masks to protect against dust, respiratory allergies, and infectious diseases, wearing a mask didn't make Feng Yi stand out. Besides, he had been briefly famous, and since this was where he had lived for eighteen years, being recognized could be a little embarrassing.
I ordered a ride-hailing car on my phone, selecting Xiao Feng Mountain as the destination. It was supposed to cost around 200 according to the distance.
However, I waited ten minutes and no one accepted the order.
The only driver who did accept called to say it was a mistake and asked me to cancel the trip, offering a red packet as compensation.
Feng Yi sat on the public bench, staring at the screen of his phone.
No one was willing to take the order!
Thinking about the posts online that mentioned how many people were reluctant to go to Xiao Feng Mountain, Feng Yi clicked the option to add more money, but a pop-up indicated that this feature was being updated and would be available after 24:00 tonight.
What Feng Yi lacked now was time!
He had told the old butler that he would finish his business as soon as possible!
He searched for subway and bus routes next.
The equipment I had just bought couldn't be taken on the subway, and no public transportation went directly to Xiao Feng Mountain—the closest bus stop was at least two kilometers away from the destination.
The area around Xiao Feng Mountain, being a protected zone, according to netizens, wasn't within the operational range of the shared bikes—ride there and warning pop-ups would appear, with the bike even locking itself automatically.
Feng Yi looked around and saw a taxi dropping off a passenger not far away.
I hurried over and stopped it before it could drive off.
"Master, will you go to Xiao Feng Mountain? I'll pay extra."
The driver was about to refuse at the mention of Xiao Feng Mountain, but paused when he heard the last two words, looked at Feng Yi, and said, "500, if that's okay, let's go."
"Deal!"
Getting a taxi ride there was good enough, saving the trouble of renting a car myself. I was short on time.
"Scan this code, and then, on the payment page, add 300 as a tip, checking 'passenger agrees voluntarily,'" the driver instructed.
After putting my large backpack in the trunk and getting into the car, Feng Yi responded, "Okay. Just like that? Will your company say anything to you afterwards?"
"After I finish this ride, I'll submit a note and that'll be all. The company understands. Not many people are willing to go to Xiao Feng Mountain.
"It's still fine during winter, but as it gets warmer, people are less willing to go, especially since it is Snake Mountain, after all. Although there's an isolation belt, it might not be foolproof. Just a while ago, my colleague took a job there, driving two people who said they were going to inspect some company. There are quite a few agriculture and animal husbandry companies around Xiao Feng Mountain—I can't remember which company exactly. Anyway, after dropping them off and having a meal, his car ended up being detained on the way back."
"Why?" asked Feng Yi.
"He picked up another fare on his way back into the city, and then that passenger found a snake in the car. The passenger was screaming, followed by complaints, police reports, and a barrage of accusations!"
The driver lamented, "That's just bad luck!
"Then, an excess of concern from the company ensued, the police invited him for a 'chat,' and he even drew the attention of various departments. Rumors spread that day alleging he was a ride-hailing driver on the surface but secretly trafficking in wildlife!
"Fortunately, there was surveillance footage, and witnesses from Xiao Feng Mountain could vouch for him, otherwise, ten mouths wouldn't have been able to clear his name!
"Luckily, there was no fine in the end, just a few extra scoldings. The company also held a meeting specifically to caution drivers heading in that direction not to linger too long and to check their vehicles more thoroughly upon departure to avoid ending up in the news."
The driver sighed about the times when people were less important than snakes.
"My grandparents' generation used to eat snakes, and the policy tightened slightly by the time it got to my parents. For my generation, forget it; we can't even get close enough to avoid them, with the strictest protection laws hanging over our heads. It's not that we're afraid of snakes, but once you get involved, sometimes you can't clear your name, and some reporters are desperate for a story.
"The thing that happened to my colleague caught the attention of a self-media marketing account that turned it into a video. They made it sound so twisty and turny, with a mysterious and eerie soundtrack, flashy flashback effects, and twist after twist until it soared to the top of the trending searches!
"Although in the end, it did help to clear the air for my colleague, not everyone wants to become famous in such a way."
Feng Yi understood; that's what it was all about. He hadn't kept up with this kind of news online because of the studio's business. No wonder so many drivers refused to go to Xiao Feng Mountain—there was more to the story.
While waiting at a red light, the driver glanced at Feng Yi in the back seat through the rearview mirror.
"Are you a celebrity?" the driver asked.
Feng Yi was startled. He had only played a supporting role in a web series, which, although it gained him brief recognition due to luck, hadn't been managed due to his studio's affairs, and its popularity had already cooled off—surely the driver couldn't really recognize him?
Considering his response carefully, Feng Yi cleared his throat and with certainty said, "No."
What kind of celebrity is an out-of-favor minor web star from the eighteenth tier?
I'm not worthy!!!