After Sun Xiao figured out the situation online, his eyes glazed over, and he looked completely stunned.
He slapped himself inexplicably, his face full of regret.
"I actually missed something like this, damn it!"
As the top streamer, he never missed a thing, big or small. Yet, he'd unexpectedly missed such a monumental event.
Regret was useless now. He felt like crying.
Sun Xiao couldn't pretend he'd worked late and overslept. He had to fake it, pretend he'd already filmed it. Whether anyone had seen it or not didn't matter; at least it would prove that he, Sun Xiao, was a dedicated streamer. How could he miss out on something like this?
He stayed home, searching for information online, asking his colleagues for videos. Nothing else mattered. He wouldn't do anything else today; he had to get this video done.
At the Special Department…
One-Eyed Man personally greeted Lin Fan, his face beaming with a brilliant smile. He'd said it before: any task given to Lin Fan would be handled flawlessly.
"You've worked hard," Lin Fan said.
"Not at all. It was quite interesting," Lin Fan replied.
One-Eyed Man sighed inwardly. What Lin Fan found "interesting" was often life-threatening for others. He planned to focus on his cultivation. The Buddhist scripture translation was almost complete; he'd already translated quite a few classic Buddhist secret manuals. They were ancient texts, far superior to current manuals.
With these Buddhist scriptures released, the Buddhist Academy would surely flourish.
The Medical Academy, on the other hand, was suffering. Enrollment had dropped by 30% compared to previous years – a terrifying figure. If nothing changed, in a few years, the Medical Academy might become history. No one would want to study there.
This was related to the emergence of the Starry Sky Clans. The current state of the Medical Academy being somewhat impractical also played a role.
"I'm going on patrol with Old Zhang. See you later," Lin Fan waved, leaving with Old Zhang. Their daily work was simple, but sometimes interesting. When there was nothing to do, they enjoyed the scenery; when there was trouble, they helped people.
"Such a carefree life requires absolute strength as a foundation. It's wonderful."
One-Eyed Man was envious. He also longed for Lin Fan's carefree existence. But this was just a fantasy. The reality was harsh. As the head of the Special Department, he had endless tasks and responsibilities. Every area needed his oversight; others couldn't handle it.
Lin Daoming watched Ren Shen's retreating figure, smiling, revealing his missing front teeth. It had been a while since he'd gotten anything good from Ren Shen. He'd have to find an opportunity to follow him.
Although the taste wasn't great, the benefits were substantial.
One-Eyed Man beckoned Jin He Li, instructing her to publicize this incident extensively. Months of publicity wouldn't be excessive. He wanted the whole world to know that Longguo had Lin Fan, and even terrifying behemoths wouldn't dare to act recklessly.
Jin He Li nodded.
She was very interested in Lin Fan. He was powerful, had a good personality, and no bad habits. In her opinion, having a husband like him would be a great choice.
Of course, she was just fantasizing. Without power, she had already dedicated her life to the Special Department.
On the street…
Lin Fan observed the people around him, noticing curious glances. But when he met their gaze, they would smile and greet him.
He returned their smiles politely.
"Brother Lin, can I take a picture with you?" A little girl ran over excitedly, a little nervous and shy, glancing at her parents standing nearby. It seemed she had mustered the courage to speak to Lin Fan with their encouragement.
The recent near-apocalypse had frightened everyone. Lin Fan's act of saving the world had deeply moved them.
"Sure, I'll hold you." Lin Fan picked up the little girl. She raised her phone, nestled her head against Lin Fan's face, and made a gesture with her hand. "Yay…"
Finding Lin Fan friendly and his aura warm, the little girl became bolder, kissing Lin Fan's cheek and taking another picture.
Lin Fan put her down.
Beaming, the little girl bowed to Lin Fan. "Thank you, Brother Lin."
Then she ran back to her parents.
The family of three huddled together, looking at the photos the little girl had taken, sharing their joy.
"Wonderful," Lin Fan smiled. This was the world he wanted to protect, the people he wanted to protect, bringing them endless security.
Perhaps inspired by the little girl's initiative, the onlookers felt that if they didn't take a photo with Lin Fan, they would truly miss this opportunity. They rushed forward.
"God Lin, can I have a photo?"
"Daddy Lin, I love you! Take a picture with me!"
Everyone felt a sense of relief after the near-disaster. Their affection for Lin Fan reached new heights, mixed with respect and awe.
"Sure, let's take a photo together." Lin Fan didn't refuse anyone. He thought that if he refused, they would surely feel regretful and disappointed. He felt that being liked by others was something to be happy about.
Since he was happy, he naturally wanted to make others happy too.
"God Lin is really approachable."
"Yeah, not arrogant at all."
"Like I said, God Lin is my idol now. I'm his die-hard fan. Anyone who dares to speak ill of God Lin, I'll bash their head in."
"Badass, bro."
"Not at all, not at all. Here's my business card. Take one. I have a cooperative relationship with the Special Department."
"Whoa, impressive! An adult company?"
"Not bad. We're planning to make a life-size silicone doll modeled after God Lin. If you're interested, check out our website."
"But I'm a guy."
"Embrace it, then."
Lin Fan and Old Zhang were surrounded for a long time before finally breaking free. Old Zhang touched the red mark on his face, his hand gentle, as if reminiscing.
"Someone kissed me just now. My heart was racing."
Lin Fan asked curiously, "Did you like it?"
"No, I felt defiled."
Ren Shen, riding on the hen, said, "That's an illusion. It must have been the crowd; someone kissed you by mistake."
"Oh, so that's what happened. Then I'm relieved." Old Zhang was thankful. He was afraid it was intentional, which he couldn't tolerate. If someone kissed him against his will, it was a violation of his wishes. In serious cases, he would call the police and have them arrested.
Lin Fan patted Old Zhang's shoulder. "Let's go find my wife. I miss her again."
Mu Qing remained calm and composed during the near-apocalypse. For her, even if it were the end of the world, she had no regrets.
And she always believed that Lin Fan could resolve these matters.
Although they hadn't been together long, this trust felt natural, almost instinctive. It was a strange feeling.
Knock, knock!
Hearing the knock, Mu Qing knew who it was without thinking. The only person who would come looking for her was Lin Fan.
She opened the door.
It wasn't Lin Fan.
"Yao Ji, why are you here?"
Mu Qing was surprised. She had no connection to the organization anymore. They had deemed her incompetent and sent Yao Ji to seduce Lin Fan. But Lin Fan had shown no interest in her, leaving Yao Ji almost frantic. Was it her lack of charm, or was her seduction technique lacking? She had been so proactive, yet there was no reaction. It was truly hurtful.
Yao Ji looked exhausted, lacking her usual confidence and arrogance.
"Sister Mu, can you help me?"
The moment she spoke, Mu Qing was stunned. Yao Ji never addressed her with such respect as "Sister Mu."
In the past, Mu Qing might have teased her, asking why the always-successful Yao Ji was like this, whether she had been rebuffed, and so on.
"Come in and talk," Mu Qing said.
Inside…
Mu Qing brought a cup of tea and placed it in front of Yao Ji. She spoke gently, "What happened?"
"I found my sister."
"Your sister?"
Mu Qing was puzzled. She had never heard Yao Ji mention having a sister. Yao Ji had never revealed her background, and everyone assumed she was an orphan.
"Yes. I've never told anyone, but I've always had a sister. When we were little, we were taken by the Shadow Society. You know, we both survived through slaughter. I thought my sister was dead, but recently I met someone who told me she's not dead, just being used as a test subject by the Shadow Society. I want to save her, but I'm powerless. I hope you can ask Lin Fan to help me."
Yao Ji knew she couldn't do it alone. Even if she charged into the Shadow Society and fought to the death, it would only lead to her demise.
Mu Qing hadn't expected Yao Ji to come to her.
Thinking about it, perhaps for Yao Ji, she was the only person she could turn to for help.
Seeing Mu Qing's silence, Yao Ji quickly knelt before her. "I was wrong to oppose you before. Please help me. As long as I can save my sister, you can do anything to me."
"Don't do this. I just didn't expect you to have a sister," Mu Qing quickly helped Yao Ji up.
Knock, knock!
At that moment, another knock came.
A voice followed.
"Honey, open the door, it's me."
"He's here."
Mu Qing got up to open the door.
"What brings you here?" Mu Qing asked.
Lin Fan smiled. "I missed you, so I came to take you shopping. Honey, you wouldn't believe what Old Zhang and I saw today. A huge crocodile! Absolutely massive! Neither of us has ever seen anything like it. Next time, if there's a chance, I'll definitely take you to see it."
Mu Qing knew what Lin Fan was talking about. She had seen the photos of the behemoth from the depths of the universe. It was truly gigantic, an existence beyond imagination if not seen with one's own eyes.
"Huh! Who is she?" Lin Fan saw Yao Ji, but he had no recollection of her.
Yao Ji wanted to greet Lin Fan with a smile, but hearing those words, she knew there was no hope. He had already forgotten her. It seemed they had only been apart for a few months.