They sat by the fishpond, gazing at the tranquil surface. The slightest ripple signaled a fish taking the bait. It was a pleasant feeling. The process was admittedly boring, but the joy always came later.
"It's fun, but fishing is something old people like to do."
Xiaobao's hobbies weren't extensive. Besides video games, he didn't have any others.
"Is that so?" Lin Fan asked.
"Really," Xiaobao said. "My teacher likes to fish. He says fishing is an essential outdoor activity for middle-aged and elderly people. It kills time really fast. A day goes by in a blink of an eye."
Just then, a delicious aroma wafted over.
"Lin Fan, you're fishing too?" The Demon God's younger sister, shouldering a fishing rod and carrying a bucket, approached Lin Fan as if by chance. Looking at the bucket, she remarked, "Huh? You haven't caught a single fish after all this time? Your skills are a bit rusty."
"None of your business, we're having fun," Xiaobao retorted. He hated it when people spoke ill of Lin Fan. Throwing down his fishing rod, he put his hands on his hips and glared at the Demon God's sister.
His small stature didn't diminish his courage. His eyes were wide with anger.
The Demon God's sister smiled and patted Xiaobao's head. "What an unpleasant child."
Xiaobao impatiently swatted her hand away. "You're so mean!"
Only Lin Fan was allowed to pat his head.
No one else.
It had been a while since he'd seen this woman getting close to Lin Fan. He thought she had given up, but she had reappeared.
So annoying.
Lin Fan soothed him, "Xiaobao, don't be angry."
"Hmph, I'm not angry," Xiaobao said.
The Demon God's sister was truly impressed with Lin Fan. Any other man would have been interested in her, a woman as beautiful as she was, and would have even taken the initiative. But he seemed to have no such thoughts, remaining indifferent.
She wondered what he had done to her older sister. Her sister hadn't had any particular opinion of Lin Fan until that one time she returned. After that, whenever Lin Fan was mentioned, her eyes were filled with hatred.
"Want to fish together?" the Demon God's sister asked.
"Sure," Lin Fan replied.
Xiaobao leaned close to Lin Fan and whispered, "She has an ulterior motive. Don't be fooled by her. I, Xiaobao, have met countless people. I've seen it all."
"Mm, I know. Thanks for the reminder, Xiaobao," Lin Fan said with a smile.
The bodyguards responsible for Xiaobao's safety stood at the distant entrance.
"That woman is really beautiful."
"She didn't even look at me when she arrived. Am I not handsome enough?"
"That's stating the obvious."
They knew that Xiaobao was safest when he was with Lin Fan. If anyone could harm Young Master Xiaobao in front of Lin Fan, their presence wouldn't matter anyway.
The Demon God's sister wanted to sit next to Lin Fan.
Old Zhang and Xiaobao were already sitting on either side of him, leaving no space for her. Even worse, several animals had taken up the remaining spots, forcing her to sit in a remote corner.
"Shh! Be quiet, everyone. Fish are very sensitive; they can hear us."
Lin Fan signaled everyone to be quiet and remain silent.
The Demon God's sister wasn't there to fish.
She was there to obtain his blood.
After a long silence, she was ready to try again.
But he was impervious to all her attempts. Having observed Lin Fan for a while, she realized that since he liked fishing, she had to seize this opportunity. She couldn't let it pass.
At that moment, the Demon God's sister pretended to slip into the water. With a splash, she went under, then resurfaced in the center of the pond, slapping her hands on the water.
"Help me!"
"Gurgle..."
"Help me quickly!"
Having run out of options, she had resorted to this tactic. There might be problems, but it would definitely get his attention.
Then she would pretend to faint.
Requiring artificial respiration.
Knowing Lin Fan's kind nature, he definitely wouldn't stand idly by.
Today, this artificial respiration was happening, no matter what.
Old Zhang asked, "What is she doing?"
"I don't know," Lin Fan replied.
"She says she's drowning."
"Can someone really drown here?"
They looked at each other, confusion in their eyes.
Lin Fan stood up and shouted towards the Demon God's sister, "Hey! If you want to swim, don't do it here! You're scaring the fish away."
"I'm drowning!" the Demon God's sister yelled, cursing inwardly. How could this be? She thought she had Lin Fan figured out. He was so kind-hearted, yet he remained indifferent to someone drowning. Was she too far out, or had she misjudged him?
Lin Fan said, "But this fishpond is only one meter deep. Aren't you standing in the water?"
Xiaobao asked curiously, "How do you know?"
"I've been here before. The water is very shallow. It's to prevent people from drowning while fishing," Lin Fan explained.
Hearing this, Xiaobao said "Oh" and looked at the Demon God's sister with a changed expression.
She really was a scheming woman.
She actually used such a low tactic to trick his Lin Fan. Did she really think Lin Fan was a fool? He had already seen through her. What a silly person, trying to trick someone without even checking the situation.
The Demon God's sister, still splashing in the pond, suddenly stiffened, her mind filled with question marks.
One meter deep?
She looked down. Her upper body was indeed exposed.
"Ah, it's so shallow."
Thinking back to her earlier performance, she felt incredibly embarrassed.
Lin Fan said, "Yes, it's really shallow. Come on out quickly, be careful not to catch a cold."
It was incredibly awkward.
The Demon God's sister wanted to die. She roared internally, who made this fishpond? Couldn't they dig it deeper? It was so shallow, and they still raised fish in it. Weren't they afraid of them being stolen?
Li Laifu, who was in the hospital, sneezed and rubbed his nose. Who's thinking about me?
Xiaobao looked at the Demon God's sister with a strange expression, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Don't underestimate my youth. I saw through your scheme at a glance. You just wanted to pretend to drown, be rescued by Lin Fan, and get him to give you artificial respiration. Dream on! I have so many bodyguards here, plenty of people to give you artificial respiration."
The Demon God's sister, feeling utterly humiliated, glared at Xiaobao.
"Wah, Lin Fan, she's glaring at me!" Xiaobao cried, hiding fearfully in Lin Fan's arms. Then he peeked up, looking triumphantly at the Demon God's sister, as if to say, "You dare glare at me? I'll tell Lin Fan."
Lin Fan stroked Xiaobao's head and smiled. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The Demon God's sister, feeling utterly mortified, vanished.
Her plan had failed again.
Not only had she made an enemy of Xiaobao, but she now resented the owner of the fishpond as well.
"What a strange person."
Lin Fan shook his head, thought for a moment, but couldn't figure it out. It was better to continue fishing.
The Demon God's sister returned, soaking wet. Her older sister was sitting on the sofa, eating instant noodles and watching a drama. She laughed heartily at the funny parts. Seeing her sister's state, she remained calm.
"Failed again?"
"Mm."
"It's okay, failure is the mother of success. Just fail a few more times."
The Demon God's sister glanced at her older sister and went into the bathroom.
"Haha, that actress is so bad, but it's so funny. Come watch with me after you change, it's hilarious."
In the past, she would have asked her sister what had happened.
But now...
She wasn't interested.
Calmness was best.
Such incidents were normal when it came to Lin Fan.
Several days later.
September 10th!
Special Department.
One-Eyed Man watched the scene on TV with a grave expression.
"Chairman Li, what do you have to say about the upcoming Starry Sky Clans Friendship Association that you're hosting? As we know, the Starry Sky Clans are very mysterious. Their arrival on our planet has had a significant impact. Some time ago, your grandson was controlled by an evil Starry Sky Clan member and later destroyed by our Guardian. Even after such an incident, do you still believe the Starry Sky Clans are friendly to us?"
At the entrance of the Li Group, a group of reporters surrounded Li Guofeng, broadcasting live.
One-Eyed Man pondered.
He couldn't understand what Li Guofeng was trying to do.
Even the Special Department hadn't actively contacted the Starry Sky Clans, yet Li Guofeng had somehow established a connection with them.
He continued watching the television.
Leaning on his cane, Li Guofeng calmly stated, "Everyone, the Starry Sky Clans are indeed mysterious, but that's because we haven't interacted with them. As for what you said about my grandson being harmed by an evil Starry Sky Clan member, I just want to say that there are good and bad people, and naturally, there are good and bad Starry Sky Clans as well."
"My grandson's death was an unbearable blow to me, but in order for us humans to understand the Starry Sky Clans, to familiarize ourselves with them, and for them to familiarize themselves with us, I have put aside my hatred. I only hope to make some contribution to humanity, a contribution that the Special Department cannot make."
"I, Li Guofeng, hope to become a bridge between humanity and the Starry Sky Clans."
The reporters at the scene were moved by Li Guofeng's noble sentiments.
Reporter: "Chairman Li, when will the Friendship Association be held? Will it be voluntary or conducted in secret?"
Li Guofeng replied, "This Friendship Association will be by invitation only. Because we haven't had contact with the Starry Sky Clans before, and to prevent any accidents, everything will be done by invitation, inviting authoritative figures in our human society who are dedicated to understanding the Starry Sky Clans. The event will be held in three days."
Reporter: "Will the Friendship Association be held in Xiadu?"
Li Guofeng said, "Of course. Xiadu is the capital of our country. To welcome these esteemed guests, only this place is most suitable."
One-Eyed Man's expression grew even more serious. To him, Li Guofeng's actions were a gamble. What he feared most was the infiltration of the Starry Sky Clans into the human world.
Take the Starry Sky Clans he had contact with now, for example.
He had personally received them.
He knew their character, and with Lin Fan's protection, he could ensure they wouldn't dare to act rashly.
If Li Guofeng really brought the Starry Sky Clans into Xiadu, it could very well lead to irreversible and terrifying consequences.
Through these events, the Starry Sky Clans had gained a preliminary understanding of them, and they also knew that Lin Fan's existence was not to be trifled with, so they hadn't caused any trouble.
And the way to destroy the unity of a nation was simple.
Assimilation!
Faith!
And so on.
This was assimilation from the depths of one's heart, weakening their will, and thereby achieving the goal of division.