"Ah..." Man Suling quickly composed herself and stole a glance at Chen Gu. He really did fit the mold of a classic Prince Charming.
Chen Gu, for his part, had indeed grown increasingly handsome.
"The President is a vulture... We call those scumbags who specifically prey on freelancers for profit vultures."
"I don’t know her real identity; we met through the ’Secret Rod.’ Communication between freelancers is difficult, and the Secret Rod is the most important medium for us."
As Man Suling spoke, she pulled out her Secret Rod—a Social Crystal Stick—and continued, "Veteran freelancers all have one. For us, this kind of communication is indispensable!"
Chen Gu’s expression turned knowing. A mysterious stick that everyone was secretly using, and they couldn’t do without it! Huh, was there anything wrong with that thought? Not at all!
"After communicating with her several times, I realized she might be a vulture, so I deleted her icon."
Man Suling tapped the air a few times, and an interface materialized, featuring a search box at the top and a dense array of icons below.
Man Suling explained, "Each icon represents a professional. It could be a freelancer or a ’fisherman’ from a large organization."
Chen Gu seemed to grasp something. "Fisherman? Are they specifically out to capture you?"
Man Suling pondered for a moment before answering, "To say ’capture’... isn’t entirely accurate or comprehensive. It’s more like they’re looking for people like us. Large organizations and national governments have varying attitudes toward freelancers. Some are lenient, while others are strict. National governments are primarily interested in gathering data on all freelancers. This allows them to easily conscript individuals when needed or quickly identify perpetrators if a freelancer is involved in a crime."
"But some organizations are quite brutal. A few constantly capture freelancers for experiments."
She said just enough, but Chen Gu could imagine what kind of experiments she meant.
Gao Mengjiu, the gorilla, watched from the side, somewhat puzzled. This wasn’t Man Suling’s usual demeanor. She was rarely so talkative. She’d been prattling on to Chen Gu for a long time and showed every sign of continuing. Even if Chen Gu had saved her life twice, that wouldn’t cause such a drastic change in a girl’s personality, unless...
Gao Mengjiu tensed, glaring at Chen Gu as if facing a formidable enemy. An entertainer announcing a romance was a huge deal! Moreover, there was a significant age difference between him and Man Suling. Gao Mengjiu had discovered her when she was very young and had always taken great care to nurture her. Their bond was more like that of a father and daughter. His greatest wish, as her father figure, was for Man Suling to become the second diva under his banner! But now, watching the two of them, he felt as if his carefully cultivated cabbage, just about to mature, was suddenly being ravaged by a brazen ’Pig-Hiccup’ beast... This bastard! He’s always flirting with the Ossosa family’s daughter, and now he’s trying to poach mine! I’ll blast your little sprout to bits with an [All-Things Shatter Wave]!
Meanwhile, Man Suling had already entered "Independent Nightshade Female President" into the search box. An icon popped up, and Man Suling added it. Chen Gu’s Social Crystal Stick—his Secret Rod—received the notification.
The two naturally added each other as friends. Gao Mengjiu lunged over. "What are you doing!"
That feeling... was like catching a predatory wolf on the front doorstep, trying to sneakily hold his daughter’s hand!
This intense vigilance startled Chen Gu. "Huh? Gao Mengjiu, have you completely lost your mind?"
Man Suling also looked at her boss strangely.
Gao Mengjiu chuckled shrewdly. "You’ve all added each other as Secret Rod friends, how could I be left out!"
Chen Gu nodded, looking a bit disdainful. "Alright then."
Man Suling whispered, "Boss, we’ve already added each other."
Gao Mengjiu kept a straight face and exchanged friend requests with Chen Gu. He then also added the "Independent Nightshade Female President." Afterward, he surreptitiously dragged Man Suling’s icon, [Spotlight Microphone], next to the President’s icon to closely monitor any future interactions between the two of them on the Secret Rod.
"Even though I had deleted the President as a friend, I had already leaked some information. She still managed to find me in secret and launched a surprise attack, gaining the upper hand," Man Suling said. "If it weren’t for you that day, I would have been done for."
"Her profession is [Psychological Spy]. While this class isn’t suited for direct combat, it’s unbeatable for surprise attacks or carrying out secret missions!"
Chen Gu had a question. "The President is a Second Energy Level powerhouse, and you..."
Gao Mengjiu couldn’t help but glance at Man Suling. This question touched upon a huge secret of hers. Of course, he trusted Chen Gu, but Man Suling...
Unexpectedly, Man Suling stated frankly, "When I was inaugurated into my class, I integrated a piece of ’super-life remains’ I had come across by chance—I can’t say for sure what it is, something like a supermaterial, but not quite. This allowed me to awaken an additional skill: [Wolf Heart Fortress], which gives me a naturally high resistance to psychic abilities."
"When the President ambushed me, I pretended to be controlled by her power and didn’t resist. Then, when she got close, I suddenly struck and injured her. Plus, since a [Psychological Spy] isn’t suited for head-on combat, I was able to fight her to a mutually destructive draw."
Gao Mengjiu covertly covered his face. Silly girl, it’s all over now.
Chen Gu looked at Man Suling with envy. "You’re so lucky—your smile is really beautiful. Do you smile often?"
It took Man Suling a moment to understand. If any other man had made such an outdated and niche joke, she would have been politely courteous on the surface while cursing inwardly. But the advantage of being good-looking is that people tend to find whatever you do pleasing. So, Man Suling genuinely smiled.
Gao Mengjiu rolled his eyes from the side and started to shoo Chen Gu away. "Alright, alright, you got the answers you wanted. Anything else? If not, then scram. Our Man Man is very busy, you know—a rising diva, she needs to practice her singing..."
"Boss," Man Suling said, clutching her throat and looking at him with pitiful eyes, "I’ve already practiced for over six hours today. Can I take a break, please?"
Gao Mengjiu was aghast. Is she trying to sweet-talk *me*? You have no idea what a [Mountain Werewolf] is truly like in private! When had this little girl ever acted coyly? It was always a fist thrust forward with, "This young lady isn’t singing anymore!"
And Chen Gu, as usual, ribbed Gao Mengjiu, "You heartless capitalist! She’s practiced for over six hours, and you still won’t let her rest!"
Man Suling’s eyes sparkled. He truly is my Prince Charming, sword in hand, ready to protect me!
Gao Mengjiu was agitated. "Sing or don’t sing, suit yourself."