Upon hearing this request, the members of the Miracle Team exchanged glances and all wore very kind and benevolent smiles.
The production team had prepared the segments quite thoroughly; they had even rented computers, and ten of them were carried into the yard, which had just been washed clean by the rain.
"How about this, so that the audience can understand it, you guys change your nicknames, for example, change 'Director' to 'Director' and 'Cinematographer' to 'Cinematographer' or something like that, right?"
Yao Yao Ling offered a very "thoughtful" suggestion.
That makes sense. The production team readily changed their nicknames, and the director and others all pitched in, took their positions, and the game began.
The game lasted an unexpectedly long time, not because the Miracle Team went easy on them, but rather because they were too brutal.
The forward chosen by the director was almost guaranteed to die the worst death. Every time he showed his face, he would be focused down. But the Miracle Team was cunning. They wouldn't eliminate him directly. Instead, they would leave the director with a drop of health, and then continue to beat him up after he recovered. The worst time was when the sharpshooter Viper and the long-range control expert Jiang Shuiyun completely suppressed the other opponents. Then, Jianmang, Yaoyaoling, and the Killing Apostle surrounded the director and beat him up without using any weapons.
A game, mixed with too many personal grudges and emotions.
After tormenting the director, the group felt refreshed and invigorated. The frustration they had endured over the past two days had finally dissipated. They picked up their luggage, bid farewell to their neighbors amidst the director's resentful gaze that seemed to suggest he was quitting the trip, and embarked on their journey home.
Xi Rong came to pick them up and take them back. While they were chattering to Xi Rong about what had happened in the past two days, Jiang Shuiyun took out her phone, turned it back on, and saw the text message that Fu Xian had sent her.
The trial went smoothly, but the other side was clearly still unwilling to give up. After all, the two sides had dragged it out for so long, and they were just one step away from victory, but Jianghe Group turned the tables on them. They were really unwilling to accept this, so they tried their best to delay the time. However, according to Fu Xian's prediction, the other side was just making a last-ditch effort, and the matter would be completely over by next week at the latest.
Jiang Shuiyun felt relieved. Jianghe Group was no pushover either. He had given them a breakthrough, so they would naturally be able to complete the next task. If they continued to investigate along this line, they would probably find a lot of evidence. This lawsuit was basically a sure thing.
After reading the message, Jiang Shuiyun replied "Received" and turned off her phone, but she felt like something was missing.
Jiang Shuiyun turned her phone on again and checked it thoroughly. Apart from Fu Xian's message, there were no other notifications or missed calls. She then turned her phone off again.
As soon as Jiang Shuiyun got in the car, she silently looked at her phone, which obviously attracted the attention of those around her. Yao Yaoling teased her and leaned close to Jiang Shuiyun, "Oh my, the captain is a married man and he's different from us single dogs. We don't care about looking at our phones. Anyway, nobody cares. Look at the captain, he just got his phone back and he's already holding onto it. Tsk tsk tsk."
Reminded by 110, Jiang Shuiyun realized something was missing. She opened her phone again and sent Yi Jinbai a message saying it was over. Yi Jinbai didn't reply immediately, so Jiang Shuiyun closed her phone again.
"Now that we're here, and our flight has plenty of time, why don't we take a look around? This is a tourist hotspot."
"I can't breathe," Viper suggested, glancing out the car window.
“Yeah, it would be nice for us to take a stroll. It’s just a pity that Sister Jinbai isn’t here this time. But when the captain goes back later, he can bring a bouquet of flowers back to Sister Jinbai. I heard this place is a famous flower city!” Jiaoyang joined in the fun.
Everyone looked at Jiang Shuiyun expectantly. Jiang Shuiyun thought that she hadn't had a good impression of the place these past two days, so it would be good to go for a walk and relax. She readily agreed.
They were all in their early twenties, like birds released from their cages or huskies let loose. They told the driver to take them to the nearest lively place, and the group immediately got excited. As soon as the car arrived at the station, they disappeared in a flash.
Jiang Shuiyun wasn't really interested in sightseeing, but the environment here was indeed quite nice, with its antique charm, vibrant flowers everywhere, a dazzling array of trinkets, and tempting snacks.
Xi Rong was getting old and lacked the vitality of a young person. He walked slowly with Jiang Shuiyun, and after glancing at Jiang Shuiyun several times, he finally spoke with some difficulty, "Teacher Jiang, did you already know about what Shen Dao did?"
A note from the author:
I've realized I'm just not on the right time for updates anymore. So, from now on, I'll update once in the morning and once in the evening, at 6 AM and midnight each day. No more slacking off! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2:59:05 AM on May 24, 2022 and 12:20:34 AM on May 25, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 朕慕林 (1);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Wife is Shen Mengyao 9 bottles; Good Name 3 bottles; Sanjiu 2 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 45
Hearing Xi Rong mention the divine blade again, Jiang Shuiyun raised an eyebrow slightly, "Brother Xi, what have you found out?"
"You don't know until you check, and what you find out is quite shocking."
Xi Rong shook his head helplessly. Once he started talking, things would be easier to discuss. However, he was somewhat conflicted. "After knowing you for so many years, my eyes have really gotten old. I can't even recognize people anymore."
"Don't say that. Humans are a complex species, and it's normal to make mistakes occasionally. What exactly did you find out, Brother Xi?"
Jiang Shuiyun offered Xi Rong a few words of comfort. She was actually quite curious to know if it was as she had guessed. Although she had many guesses, she hadn't had time to investigate the Divine Blade yet, so she wanted to hear the results of Xi Rong's investigation.
Xi Rong invited Jiang Shuiyun to sit down at a roadside stall, ordered two bowls of snacks, and started talking about the divine knife.
"Teacher Jiang, didn't I listen to your advice and go investigate the Divine Blade? It just so happens that in the last two days, I asked some of my friends to investigate it in detail, and coincidentally, it gave me a big surprise right away."
Ever since Xi Rong heard Jiang Shuiyun say that, he immediately asked people to help him investigate. When he came here with the Miracle Team to record the variety show, news came back from there.
"Teacher Jiang, I'm so sorry, you see."
Xi Rong took out his phone, found the photo album, and showed the photos to Jiang Shuiyun.
Jiang Shuiyun took the document with some confusion, and only after looking at it did she realize that it contained chat logs between Shen Dao and another person. The content of the logs was exactly the negative information about Jiang Shuiyun that had suddenly been exposed online some time ago. The source of those rumors was Shen Dao.
In the chat logs, Shen Dao confidently told the other party that Jiang Shuiyun had usurped the position and only joined the Miracle Team through Shen Yunyi's connections. He also presented chat logs of other members of the Miracle Team as evidence, specifically the "evidence" exposed by that marketing account.
"So that's how it is."
Looking at these things, Jiang Shuiyun wasn't too surprised. On the contrary, she was a little disappointed. It seemed that she had overthought things. Jiang Shuiyun had always thought that spreading rumors about her at this time and stirring up public opinion about Jianghe Group was a scheme orchestrated by someone more powerful. But she didn't expect that it was just Shen Dao pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Xi Rong didn't bother to observe Jiang Shuiyun's expression, listlessly eating the snacks in front of him, and took back his phone. "Actually, it's not just that. I always thought Shen Dao was just a big spender and didn't know how to manage his savings, which is normal for kids his age. But now I understand why he had so much money back then but is now so destitute."
Xi Rong swiped a couple of times on his phone and opened a picture. It was a black paper with white writing on it. The name of the debtor at the end was Chen Xu, which was also Shen Dao's real name. The number on the IOU was a staggering seven digits.
“He got involved in things he shouldn’t have, a bottomless pit. He squandered all his wealth. And this is just what I can find out; I don’t know how much more he has.”
Now, just thinking about this player who was once his most prized teammate makes Xi Rong feel like he's having a heart attack. He can't even eat snacks anymore, and he slams his chopsticks down on the table.
Jiang Shuiyun understood Xi Rong's feelings. He had always treated these people like his own children, but now he realized that the children he once thought were the best had done such a thing. It was more than just disappointment and heartache.
Just as Jiang Shuiyun was wondering how to comfort Xi Rong, Xi Rong had already suppressed his emotions and continued speaking in a deep voice.
“It’s not just this. My friend also found out what happened back then. He was lying through his teeth. Not a single word of the truth. He was completely deceiving us,” Xi Rong said, his eyes reddening. He wiped his face angrily. “He wasn’t threatened into fixing the match. He injured his hand and couldn’t play, so he wanted to make a quick buck. He tricked people into believing he was willing to fix the match, and then planned to announce his injury during the match so he could withdraw from it as a matter of course. That way, even if the Miracle team lost, no one would blame him; they would even sympathize with him. Unfortunately, the company found out about this beforehand.”
This was exactly what Jiang Shuiyun had expected. When they first met, she noticed that Shen Dao's hand looked a little unnatural, probably because he was injured. "It's all in the past now, Brother Xi, don't be too angry."
"How could I not be angry? Teacher Jiang, do you know why I was able to find out so much and know such details? It's because Shen Dao was too greedy! He returned the money in front of the company, but he was secretly doing something else. He didn't return the money at all. As a result, after the other party found out that Shen Dao was not participating in the competition and was retiring, they got angry and beat Shen Dao, who had taken the bribe, so badly that he ended up in the hospital and the police station. My friend found the person who went to the police station to bail Shen Dao out, and that's what that person said."
Xi Rong was so angry that his skull felt like it was about to burst, but he still tried to keep his voice down so as not to attract too much attention.
Jiang Shuiyun was at a loss for words and could only continue to listen silently.
It took Xi Rong a while to calm down. "Teacher Jiang, don't worry, I will have a good talk with Shen Dao. What happened back then is in the past. Shen Dao has nothing to do with our Miracle Team anymore, and he has already paid the price. We can let it go. But this time, the wanton rumors and slander will never happen again."
"Brother Xi, I think you might have a hard time communicating with him. He's not the same Shen Dao you remember. He's been driven to the brink of despair. Going to him again might not be effective and could even be dangerous. Just cut off all contact with this kind of person and stay away from him."
Jiang Shuiyun had actually seen those desperate criminals who were driven to the brink of despair. Those kinds of people were extremely dangerous. Just by looking at what Shen Dao had done and the debts he owed, it was clear that he was very likely that kind of person. So there was no need to let Xi Rong take the risk.
Xi Rong originally wanted to say that Shen Dao would never dare to hurt him, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, Xi Rong remembered the things he had investigated. Before this evidence was presented to him, hadn't he also been so skeptical that Shen Dao was that kind of person?
Swallowing the words on his lips, Xi Rong nodded in agreement this time. After listening to Jiang Shuiyun's words, they no longer needed to get entangled with someone like Shen Dao. When they got back, he would explain to Jian Mang and the others what Shen Dao had done, cut off all contact, and that would be enough.
"Teacher Jiang, I really don't know how to thank you for all this. If it weren't for you, and if I had brought back that ingrate Shen Dao, the Miracle Team might have been ruined in my hands. I'm really useless, I've lived so many years in vain."
Xi Rong shook his head with a wry smile, and as he said those words, he seemed to have become more weathered.
"How should I put it? In a word, it's fate," Jiang Shuiyun finished her snack, stood up, and patted Xi Rong on the shoulder. "By the way, Brother Xi, has Jin Bai asked you about me?"
Changing the subject, Xi Rong stopped thinking about those upsetting things and stood up. "Jinbai, I called her yesterday to ask if she was okay at home. We chatted for a while, and she told me that President Shen had just given her some basic sheet music yesterday. It's very precious, and she's studying those two sheets of music now. She's quite busy."
"oh."
Jiang Shuiyun glanced at her still unresponsive phone, and this time it was her turn to feel a little down.
"Teacher Jiang, weren't you going to bring flowers back for Jinbai? Look here, they're blooming so beautifully."
Xi Rong also realized what was happening and, seeing Jiang Shuiyun walking forward absentmindedly, quickly reminded her.
Jiang Shuiyun glanced over and saw that the place was full of fresh flowers, all kinds of them. You could choose flowers on the spot and have the vendor wrap them for you, or you could wrap them yourself for more meaning. Of course, you could also choose not to wrap them and take them home to arrange as flowers. It was all up to you.
"Teacher Jiang, it would be more meaningful for you to personally wrap a bouquet for Jinbai."
Xi Rong offered his suggestion and brought over a chair.
Xi Rong's words made sense. Jiang Shuiyun sat down in front of the stall and asked if she could mix and match freely. After that, the stall owner brought over several bases of different shapes and let Jiang Shuiyun choose one.
"Teacher Jiang, this heart shape is pretty."
Seeing that Jiang Shuiyun was out of sorts, Xi Rong tried his best to guide her back to the right path.
Jiang Shuiyun then looked down and selected a round one, saying, "Let's keep this one; it looks more convenient."
Xi Rong watched Jiang Shuiyun begin choosing flowers and said nothing more. After all, it was up to them to decide what they liked.
Jiang Shuiyun casually picked up a few bunches of white and pink flowers, along with some green foliage, and then used scissors to trim the flower branches, gesturing to indicate the height. The flowers were arranged in a pleasing, staggered pattern, and the light colors were quite elegant, making it look rather charming.
"Teacher Jiang has such good taste and artistic talent. Even if I had ten or eight years, I still couldn't arrange such beautiful flowers. I was thinking of just a big bunch of red roses, which is really too tacky compared to Teacher Jiang's."
After watching Jiang Shuiyun fill the flower arrangement with flowers, she slowly wrapped them up with light blue and light pink paper, and Xi Rong praised her in a fancy way, with the stall owner echoing her sentiments.
Jiang Shuiyun looked at the flowers in front of her. Actually, she had just been thinking about Yi Jinbai, and then picked some colors that looked related to Yi Jinbai and casually put them on the flowers.
"Boss, could you please wrap a bouquet of... yellow roses for me? Thank you."
Jiang Shuiyun didn't glance at the flowers she had wrapped herself, then checked her unresponsive phone, stood up and spoke to the stall owner, which surprised Xi Rong.
"Teacher Jiang, what about this bouquet?"
Jiang Shuiyun swiped the money for two bunches of flowers to the shopkeeper, watching as he skillfully picked out a bouquet of yellow roses, saying, "I don't want it."
“We already paid for it, and it’s so beautiful…” Xi Rong looked at the bouquet and felt it was a pity. She wanted to say something, but seeing Jiang Shuiyun’s expression, she swallowed her words. “Then why did you wrap yellow roses, Teacher Jiang? You should have wrapped red roses, right? To make it festive.”
Hearing the two talking, the stall owner looked up, his hands still busy with his work. "Actually, red and yellow roses have different meanings. Yellow roses can express apologies to a lover and are a good way to make up. It's all about what flowers to give at what time!"
Xi Rong blinked and looked at Jiang Shuiyun, "Teacher Jiang, did you and Jin Bai have a fight?"
"Apologize? Why should I apologize when I did nothing wrong? I don't want those two bunches." Jiang Shuiyun had no idea what the yellow roses meant; she had just happened to glance at them. Now, hearing the stall owner's explanation, she frowned slightly and walked away.
"Oh dear! Miss, if you don't want the flowers, the money is non-refundable!"
The stall owner, looking at the already wrapped yellow roses in his hand, quickly explained loudly.
"No refund? Then we want the flowers, both bouquets." Although Xi Rong was a little confused, she knew she couldn't waste the money, so she quickly grabbed two bouquets and followed Jiang Shuiyun. "Teacher Jiang, what are you doing? Is the money hot to handle?"
Jiang Shuiyun realized that she had acted impulsively just now, but looking at the two bouquets of flowers in Xi Rong's hands, she still found them somewhat irritating. "It's nothing, I just don't really like the meaning behind these flowers, and I'd like to find some more."
"You should have said so earlier. Next time, let's ask about the meaning of the flowers before buying them."
Xi Rongzhen took it seriously and followed Jiang Shuiyun to the next flower shop.
"What does pink rose mean?" Jiang Shuiyun stopped and asked about the flower's meaning.
"Pink and sweet, like first love!"
"That's inappropriate," Jiang Shuiyun said expressionlessly, looking away and asking something else.
"Where's the green rose?"
"Love that never fades!"