Chapter 3: Video

“Is it that little?”

Is that reasonable? Is it fair?

The butler replied, “Probationary wages are generally not high. You can become a regular spare tire after half a month, and the salary will be one hundred thousand after that.”

Lin Jindu asked, “What are the conditions for becoming a regular spare tire?”

“All performance indicators must remain satisfactory.”

Lin Jindu fell silent for a moment. “What if I fail to become a regular spare tire?”

“You’ll be dismissed. Before leaving, you can go to a specialty counter in one of the Yu family’s stores and choose a luxury item valued at up to seven hundred thousand, or you can take the equivalent in cash.”

“…What comprehensive rules and regulations.”

The butler said coldly, “In any case, put away your less than ten thousand’s worth of goodwill.”

His disdain made Lin Jindu inwardly frustrated.

Trying to bribe the butler as soon as he arrived, he had no idea what the original owner was thinking.

But in essence, playing a supporting role who was foolish to the point of being exasperating was indeed an easy way to attract animosity and to manipulate the reader’s emotions. If he were an outsider, he would definitely applaud this clever narrative technique.

But now, he had become the original spare tire.

Lin Jindu turned and headed downstairs.

With the lesson of secret snacking in mind, the butler warned cautiously, “Don’t forget your role.”

Isn’t it just a spare tire?

Lin Jindu replied calmly, “I’m going to have a ‘pregnant moment.'”

“…”

The small garden lay exposed outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The arrival of the substitute immediately drew the attention of the gardener.

Lin Jindu ignored the gaze and continued walking. On both sides of the path were various flowers, and whether they were beautiful or not was secondary; the main point was their preciousness.

“Guess which is more expensive, these flowers or me?”

System 40 replied matter-of-factly, [That depends on whether you’re sold as a whole or dismantled for parts.]

“…”

Lin Jindu sat down in a pavilion and opened the chat interface on his phone.

Yu Yizhi’s profile picture was a jasmine flower, which was completely at odds with his flamboyant personality. It was probably connected to White Moonlight in some way.

“Tell me more about the male lead.”

【Believe not in what’s written, but rather in what’s not written.】

“Just tell me.”

【What’s written on paper is shallow, true understanding comes from personal experience.】

Playing hard to get, huh?

Lin Jindu chuckled and began to shake his head from side to side. The system, firmly rooted in his brain, suddenly felt motion sickness.

【Stop shaking your head.】

It explained, 【There seems to be a problem in this world, and the information I have may not be accurate. Just like when I mistakenly blacklisted the wrong room for you, nearly causing you to sleep with the wrong person remotely.】

Lin Jindu stopped his head from swinging like a pendulum. “It’s okay, go on, I can make my own judgments.”

【Yu Yizhi, male, born twenty-four years ago at the Second People’s Hospital. The delivering doctor was…】

Lin Jindu interrupted and mentioned several traits typical of early-stage tyrannical CEO characters. “Sleep disorder, delicate stomach, complex background—does he have any of these?”

Since malicious cannon fodders were created based on standard templates, the tyrannical CEO characters usually had some of these standard characteristics. Finding an entry point was essential.

【All of them.】

【The tags I have for the male lead are: paranoid, extreme in love and hate, domineering and self-centered.】

Lin Jindu immediately put on an attentive expression.

System 40 began to narrate Yu Yizhi’s background: 【Yu Yizhi is an adopted son of the Yu family. The only biological son of the Yu family was weak and sickly from a young age. When the old lady of the Yu family was alive, she consulted a fortune teller who suggested that because of the child’s fate being too weak, it would be better to adopt a child with a stronger fate to balance things out. Holding the belief that it’s better to have faith in something, they adopted Yu Yizhi from an orphanage.】

Lin Jindu was puzzled. “Don’t children in orphanages usually know their specific fate based on their birth details?”

【Yu Yizhi’s parents died when he was very young, and he had no relatives willing to adopt him. After going through several transfers, he was eventually sent to the orphanage.】

【Experiencing the ups and downs of life too early made him have an extreme personality and severe sleep disorders.】

【The eldest son of the Yu family has been mainly developing overseas business in recent years, while Yu Yizhi is responsible for domestic affairs. However, there have been ongoing efforts to integrate the businesses in both areas, so he often travels back and forth.】

Lin Jindu raised an eyebrow. “One mountain can’t have two tigers. Does Yu Yizhi want to take over the entire Yu family?”

【Not really.】

【This time, he’s on a regular business trip.】

【Yu Yizhi is actually quite afraid of his so-called older brother.】

System 40 suddenly mumbled to itself, 【Maybe that’s the reason affecting my judgment. The male lead’s energy is actually weaker than the supporting role’s. This world is indeed quite unstable.】

Lin Jindu was concerned about something else, his brows furrowing. “So, it’s highly likely that the person I had a video call with earlier was the male lead’s brother?”

【En.】

En, you arrogant idler!

Lin Jindu took a deep breath, hoping that he wouldn’t run into the male lead’s brother in the future. Otherwise, explaining the incident of hacking into someone’s computer would be difficult.

Fortunately, Yu Yizhi’s nominal older brother had been abroad for a while, so the chances of running into him directly were slim. In Yu Yizhi’s eyes, Lin Jindu was just someone who couldn’t be seen on the same level and would never voluntarily appear in front of his family.

【Yu Yizhi has been living alone for a long time, and there are no other members of the Yu family in this luxury villa.】

The system’s words reassured Lin Jindu.

Next, Lin Jindu checked the weather forecast, but he didn’t do anything else and returned to his room. Due to his “bad habit” of snacking, he had only eaten one meal all day, and it was already 8:00 PM.

At night, Lin Jindu kept the lights on and fell into contemplation.

When he worked as a security guard, he occasionally helped take care of children and putting them to sleep was a basic skill. Now, even though the nature of his work hadn’t changed, the target he needed to put to sleep was a bossy little demon.

To deal with a target that refused to sleep, the first step was to create a conducive sleeping environment. For adults, rainy weather was conducive to sleep.

Luckily, he had three days for this task, and the weather forecast predicted rain for the entire next day.

“Another important aspect is storytelling, singing songs, and offering rewards as incentives,” Lin Jindu muttered to himself. “These may not be very effective, but you never know, Yu Yizhi had a deprived childhood, so maybe he’ll fall for it.”

【I can further develop the ability in your voice to temporarily provide a mild and brief hypnotic effect.】

Lin Jindu’s eyes lit up. “Is that really possible?”

But he soon couldn’t smile.

【System 40 is dedicated to serving you. The service includes giving your voice a ten percent hypnotic effect. The one-time fee is ten thousand yuan.】

System 40 emphasized, 【You’ll earn a hundred thousand once you complete the novice mission. You won’t lose out.】

If the system really had this ability, it would significantly increase the probability of success in the task.

“I can…”

【You can’t.】 As if it knew what he was going to ask, the system directly shattered Lin Jindu’s beautiful fantasy, 【No services are offered on credit for any project experience.】

Following that, the system reported the original host’s total assets: five thousand yuan.

“But didn’t he bribe the butler with ten thousand yuan?”

“No, the original host wanted to pay two thousand in advance, and he planned to give the rest after he received his salary next month.”

“…”

“I do offer lending services here, and you can borrow the remaining amount. The loan benchmark interest rate is 10% per annum for up to three days (including three days), and 30% per annum for three to seven days (including seven days).”

Lin Jindu: “What about after seven days?”

“If you can’t repay within the first seven days, then go to hell.”

“…”

If the system is really this ruthless, Lin Jindu wouldn’t have thought of trying to take advantage of it in the beginning. Lin Jindu knew that not being able to repay wouldn’t mean death, so he wouldn’t directly provoke the other party.

The beginning is always tough.

Having realized this, Lin Jindu turned off the lights and went to bed.

The next day, as expected, it was a gloomy day, with dark clouds in the sky, giving a sense of melancholy.

For breakfast and lunch, there were only a few vegetables and nutritional supplements, plus a small bowl of porridge. Lin Jindu instantly lost half of his enjoyment of life.

“You can order takeout.”

With so many eyes on the villa and being in debt, Lin Jindu said, “Making money is more important.”

After his friend’s request yesterday, he hadn’t contacted Yu Yizhi again, which could be considered a little bit of a cat-and-mouse game.

Taking into account the time difference, at a time similar to yesterday, Lin Jindu finally initiated the first video call.

Ding, ding, ding, ding…

He patiently waited for a response from the other side.

…

Country H.

As the male protagonist of “Moonlight on the Horizon,” Yu Yizhi was unquestionably a romantic, otherwise he wouldn’t resort to finding a substitute everywhere. However, due to the setting of the “early death” of the white moonlight character, Yu Yizhi’s lack of intelligence was only reflected in his pursuit of a substitute, and the substitute couldn’t interfere with his decisions. Therefore, fundamentally, Yu Yizhi was still a career-oriented and outgoing person.

At this moment, Yu Yizhi was resting with his eyes closed, thinking about his plans. He had a strong desire to prove himself and hoped to make a breakthrough with this acquisition.

This desire to prove himself partly came from his original family, but more of it came from his brother, Yu Hui.

Yu Hui, originally named Yu Hui, was often ill in his childhood. When the old lady was alive, she found his name inauspicious, sounding like the afterglow of the setting sun. However, there was also a belief that changing one’s name too easily could bring bad luck, so they compromised by adding the character “讳(hui)” to his name, which had a hidden meaning, hoping to conceal the illnesses and pains.

*晖(hui) – sunshine(previous name)
*讳(hui) – to avoid mentioning/taboo word(his current name)

It could be seen that the old lady was a somewhat superstitious person, and it was because of this that she allowed Yu Yizhi’s parents to bring him to the Yu family for adoption based on fortune telling.

However, unlike his frail body, Yu Hui was ruthless in his actions. Once he made a decision, he would execute it with thunderous force.

Yu Yizhi was inferior to Yu Hui in every aspect.

The current acquisition was crucial, and he had finally fought for a chance to be fully responsible. At this critical juncture, he couldn’t allow any room for error.

“As long as this acquisition goes well, I might catch the attention of those old folks in the board…”

Half-leaning on a luxurious wooden chair, Yu Yizhi felt extremely exhausted but unable to fall asleep.

Buzz~ The phone suddenly vibrated incessantly.

The flickering profile picture on the screen was very enticing.

Before he could react, his hand had already connected the call.

The video call was successfully connected€€€€

A young and beautiful face appeared on the phone screen.

Yu Yizhi squinted slightly. He had left for a business trip on the same day he brought the person back to the villa. He couldn’t tell if it was an illusion, but he felt that the person looked somewhat different from when they first met.

On the other side, Lin Jindu was also scrutinizing the original male lead.

There was no need to mention Yu Yizhi’s appearance; he had a handsome and sharply defined face. Even his hair exuded a somewhat rebellious aura, as if he had an endless source of energy.

Lin Jindu couldn’t help but compare him to the man he saw in the video yesterday.

As the male lead, Yu Yizhi had a naturally strong presence, but surprisingly, he didn’t give the same impression as the pale and thin man from yesterday.

“I don’t like people who play clever tricks,” Yu Yizhi’s voice pulled Lin Jindu out of his thoughts.

He hadn’t given out his phone number, and the butler couldn’t have done anything extra; it must have been the other person’s unorthodox methods.

Lin Jindu thought, “I get it; your brother doesn’t like it either.”

He could sense a hint of irritation in Yu Yizhi’s expression. When he saw the bloodshot eyes of the man, he instantly understood that this anger was a result of poor sleep.

“You better have something important to talk to me about,” Yu Yizhi raised an eyebrow, and the diamonds on his wristwatch gleamed in the dim light of the night lamp.

He emphasized the word “important” as if to imply that if Lin Jindu couldn’t provide a reasonable explanation, he would be kicked out of the villa immediately.

The next moment, he got his answer.

“I’ve come to perform.”

“I’m really good at helping people sleep,” Lin Jindu looked at Yu Yizhi with an inquiring gaze. “Would you like to experience it?”

Because it was too absurd, Yu Yizhi was momentarily speechless. “…”

Six seconds of silence was interpreted as consent.

Lin Jindu sat on the edge of the bed, adopting a lazy and casual posture. Behind him, there was a continuous rainy weather, and the sound of the pouring rain transmitted through the tablet on the opposite side, creating a perfect atmosphere for falling asleep.

His lips moved, and after making a loan transaction with the system, he started using a more lazy tone to lull someone to sleep.

The system issued a reminder: “The hypnotic effect can only last for half an hour, please make good use of the time.”

Lin Jindu began with, “Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and in that mountain, there was a temple…”

The system: ?

Yu Yizhi: ??

“In the temple, there was an old monk telling stories to a young monk. The old monk said, ‘Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and in that mountain, there was a temple, and in the temple, there was an old monk telling stories to a young monk…'”

While the story may not be particularly exciting, Lin Jindu had an endless supply of it.

Just as he was about to transition into a more normal bedtime story, he noticed that Yu Yizhi had somehow closed his eyes at some point, and he placed the phone on a stand on the table beside him.

So lacking in love, huh?

Telling a story can make you fall asleep in seconds.

In reality, Lin Jindu’s voice naturally possessed a soothing quality, and the system added a ten percent boost to the hypnosis effect—a perfect combination.

But the most crucial factor was that Yu Yizhi had been in a highly tense state for several days. He was dealing with top-notch individuals in the business world and couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

In Yu Yizhi’s eyes, Lin Jindu was nothing more than a fool who would do anything for money, exuding cheapness from head to toe.

Faced with such a low-level person, Yu Yizhi didn’t need to maintain too high a level of vigilance.

In that moment of relaxation, drowsiness immediately swept over him.

Too easy. Lin Jindu was pleasantly surprised.

As long as Yu Yizhi slept a little longer, by the time morning came, he would have a hundred thousand in his hands.

May heaven be on my side.

Ding, ding, ding…

The next second, the doorbell rang particularly loudly.

Lin Jindu: “…”

Which grandson dared to disturb his grand plan?

Yu Yizhi was instantly awakened, got up, and went to open the door.

“Brother?” As soon as the door opened, his eyes were filled with surprise, followed by unease.

It was so late, and the other person suddenly came to find him. It must be something major, and probably not something good.

Although Yu Hui was in poor health, his narrow eyes still exuded an unusual sharpness. On closer inspection, one could even discern a hint of severity.

His gaze fell on the table.

Yu Yizhi had rushed to open the door, and his phone was still on the table stand, clearly displaying Lin Jindu’s face.

On the other side, Lin Jindu was peering in, trying to see who had ruined his good fortune.

This sudden encounter caught both Yu Hui and Lin Jindu off guard.

It was him.

Lin Jindu was taken aback.

Yu Hui clearly recognized Lin Jindu as well. His gaze lingered on him for a moment.

At this moment, Yu Yizhi’s heart sank as well.

He had always feared this seemingly gentle yet ruthless older brother. Every time he made a mistake, his brother would always see through it. In the years since Yu Hui had been abroad, Yu Yizhi had felt some relief. But now, seeing that familiar look in his brother’s eyes, even though it wasn’t directed at him, his first reaction was still guilt.

His family didn’t know about his preference for the same sex.

Yu Yizhi’s initial thought was that some rumors had reached Yu Hui’s ears, and he had come to question him.

Why else would he show up in the dead of night like this?

He subconsciously wanted to deny it.

“Brother, let me explain, this person is actually…”

Exhaustion, headache, shock… Various mixed emotions intertwined. Faced with the pressure from Yu Hui, Yu Yizhi didn’t know how, but he blurted out, “He’s here to perform.”

As soon as he said it, he immediately scolded himself for being foolish.

Yu Hui squinted his eyes, his expression ice-cold. “To perform? Is he an entertainer?”

Clearly, he had recognized Lin Jindu and subtly mocked the hacker’s pretentious job interview.

Lin Jindu responded seriously, “Performing *oral skills.”

*口技 – this has multiple meanings. Beat boxing, vocal mimicry and ventriloquism. Or as separate words, mouth skill.

Yu Hui’s gaze grew even colder.

System: “It seems like he doesn’t believe you. Maybe you should demonstrate your oral skills.”

“… You shut up okay!”

Author’s Note:

System: I am your military strategist, providing you with plans and strategies. You scold me.

Lin Jindu: … Let me thank you.