Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Picking an Auspicious Day to Avoid Misfortune
Lin Chuan looked at messages in the reader group like “crime suspect,” “turn oneself in,” “confess,” “be lenient,” and other such phrases.
Dumbfounded!
He leaned back in his chair, his shoulders shaking, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly as frustration turned to laughter.
After two seconds, Lin Chuan finally typed out a line.
“My book hasn’t even been released yet, is this really appropriate?”
One of the readers asked a tricky question: Mr. Lin, can you swear on your manuscript fee that you’re not a professional assassin?
Lin Chuan’s fingers stiffened on the keyboard.
Manuscript fee, the lifeline of a writer!
In the online writing circle, when verbal arguments fail to settle a dispute, someone would suggest a solution: Show off your manuscript fee!
No matter how eloquently one argues, without a manuscript fee, everything is treated as pure bluff.
Because aside from the top echelon, the only standard by which online writers are judged is the manuscript fee!
Lin Chuan dodged the question: “I solemnly declare that I am a professional writer, and I’ve never engaged in any illegal activities!”
[Ah, right, right, right, I believe the words of the crime suspect Mr. Lin!]
[It makes sense for Mr. Lin, a Gambling King, to have taken out a few people, right?]
[I’ve found the secret to making a fortune!]
[Brother, do tell, let’s make money together.]
[Mr. Lin must have some cases on him, wait for him to be on the wanted list, then there’ll be bounty money, right?]
[Brother, you’re fierce, Bounty Hunter!]
[When your new book comes out, I’m going to subscribe to the entire series and ferociously look for your criminal evidence!]
[The brother upstairs, how exactly are you going to ferociously look?]
[I want to look too!]
[+1]
[+1]
[+1]
[…]
Dark lines appeared on Lin Chuan’s face.
Every single one of them is talented!
If we chat a bit more, I’m going to start suspecting myself as the crime suspect.
Thankfully, the purpose of the warm-up has been achieved.
Just waiting for the settlement on the 21st after the “Heroes Compete” event to release the new book.
Bang, bang bang.
At that moment, three knocks sounded on the iron door outside the rental.
Lin Chuan stepped out of the room and opened the iron gate, his expression astonished, “Old Zhang, why are you here?”
Compared to when he was in the detention room, Old Zhang looked much more spirited, “Chuan, I just saw your posts in the group and came up to chat with you, there’s no one else in your place, right?”
Lin Chuan smiled, “I haven’t scheduled anyone for laundry service, how could there be anyone?”
“Chuan, it’s not good to hand-wash all the time either,” Old Zhang laughed.
Lin Chuan’s expression faltered, “Old Zhang, could it be that you’ve already experienced these adverse effects?”
Old Zhang’s face developed a streak of annoyance before he handed over a bag of ripe mulberries to Lin Chuan, “Chuan, I heard mulberries are good for your eyes.”
“Brought something over, huh? Well then, come in,” Lin Chuan said cheerfully, taking the mulberries.
Another streak of annoyance crossed Old Zhang’s face.
With that said, if one didn’t bring something, they wouldn’t even be allowed in the house?
Is this how you treat your Alliance Hierarch and Landlady?
But, Old Zhang knew he was in the wrong. If he hadn’t learned Cheating Techniques from Lin Chuan’s books, Lin Chuan wouldn’t have been detained by the police for an interrogation.
“Chuan, you’re still single, aren’t you?” Old Zhang asked with a smile after inspecting Lin Chuan.
After washing the mulberries, Lin Chuan popped one in his mouth, “Old Zhang, are you thinking of setting me up with Zhang? Zhang is great in all aspects, just has a small quirk.”
Zhang Xinxin, the Little Landlady, often dressed in loose clothing, but her enviable figure was hard to conceal.
She was attractive and had tight, vibrant skin.
The only flaw was her love for watching films.
Such a pity.
Old Zhang put on a straight face, “What wishful thinking are you entertaining, picking out faults now, huh? I only have one daughter, and here you are, a swindler and an assassin. I can’t feel at ease handing Zhang over to you!”
A swindler and an assassin?
Lin Chuan almost choked on a mulberry, “Old Zhang, don’t talk nonsense, that’s legally actionable!”
“How is this talking nonsense? It’s all deduced!” Old Zhang said with a grin.
Deduced?
Lin Chuan frowned slightly, “How did you deduce it?”
Old Zhang found a stool to sit on in the narrow rental space, then turned into Holmes, “Chuan, I know you. Not only are you skilled in cheating techniques, but you can also pick locks.”
“So what?” Lin Chuan retorted.
Old Zhang laughed, “You can pick locks, so you wrote ‘Thief’, and you know cheating techniques, so you wrote ‘Swindler’. Next up, you’re going to write about assassins, doesn’t that mean…”
Hiss!
Flawless logic!
Lin Chuan curled his lip, “If you know I’m an assassin, why would you dare come here alone?”
Old Zhang chuckled, “I was just joking. I came up to chat with you, mainly to remind you of something.”
“Old Zhang, remind me of what?” Lin Chuan slightly furrowed his brows.
Old Zhang glanced out the window, confirming it was empty, and spoke mysteriously, “Don’t go to the casino these days.”
Lin Chuan was startled, “I haven’t been to any casinos.”
“A master of cheating techniques claiming he doesn’t go to casinos, who would believe that?” Old Zhang countered.
A bitter smile appeared on Lin Chuan’s face.
Logically speaking, it was a bit difficult to explain.
“Alright then, why shouldn’t I go to the casino?” Lin Chuan asked.
Old Zhang leaned close to Lin Chuan, whispering, “This morning, a murder was discovered at the underground casino in the south of the city. Before dawn, the Criminal Police Brigade had sealed off the scene.”
“How do you know that?” Lin Chuan’s eyes narrowed immediately.
Another murder case?
The reason for the ‘another’ was because Shen Qianqian mentioned at last night’s dinner at the food stall that she was investigating a murder case.
Anling City seems a bit restless.
Old Zhang explained, “Remember Chen Ming, the anti-gambling expert? He invited me to join the Anti-Gambling Association. The news came from the people there.”
Lin Chuan nodded.
After giving Lin Chuan a once-over, Old Zhang spoke up again, “Chuan, with those skinny arms and legs of yours, if you ever encounter a bad guy, wouldn’t you be done in with a single strike?”
Lin Chuan flexed his muscles a bit.
What Old Zhang said seemed to make some sense.
Indeed, his physique was on the weaker side.
After experiencing the ‘assassin’s professional life’, he acquired the skill ‘combat fighting’. But that was only about technique and experience; it didn’t mean his constitution or strength had improved.
It looked like it was time to work out and get in shape.
Otherwise, a basic attack wouldn’t even break through an enemy’s defenses, and that would be embarrassing.
Unless he aimed for vital points.
But that could easily land him in hot water!
Lin Chuan understood Old Zhang’s good intentions, and laughed, “Didn’t you say I’m an assassin? What do I have to fear?”
Old Zhang smiled briefly, “I don’t know you as well as I thought, if you’re the assassin, then I’m the King of Killers!”
Since graduating, Lin Chuan had been renting here.
He had frequent dealings with Old Zhang, and as a landlord, he had a basic ability to read people.
Lin Chuan also smiled, “Come on, have some mulberries, don’t be shy.”
“Thank you, haha,” Old Zhang happily popped a mulberry into his mouth.
Suddenly!
Old Zhang looked at Lin Chuan, frowning, feeling something was amiss, “These mulberries – I bought them!”
Meanwhile, Lin Chuan was eating mulberries, his gaze drifting out the window.
The overcast sky was draped in a grey veil, the wind had picked up since morning, howling into the room.
Rain was coming.
Lin Chuan muttered in his mind, “The new book is coming out in a few days; it shouldn’t be tangled up in a murder case, should it?”
“Better safe than sorry, I should check the almanac and pick an auspicious ‘disaster-avoiding’ lucky day.”
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