Salted Fish is a Rebellious Person – Chapter 08

This was a dance class.

Xing Shi took off his baseball jacket, walked to the back of the group, observed for a few seconds, and began to follow the rhythm.

The original owner of this body had practiced dancing for several years and had a solid foundation. The skills Xing Shi had honed in high-risk environments during his time in the magical world were the icing on the cake, earning him frequent praise from his teachers.

The system, however, was still fuming. “He’s definitely a pervert!”

Xing Shi stayed focused on the dance, his movements smooth and graceful.

The system continued, “This isn’t normal thinking! He’s impossible to deal with!”

Xing Shi executed another move, taking the time to roll up his sleeves mid-dance.

The system, unable to contain its frustration, exclaimed, “Will you just pay attention to me?!”

Still looking relaxed, Xing Shi replied mid-jump, “You said at noon that the favorability value would probably go back to -10. See? It’s back now. I already expected it, so why are you so angry?”

The system wailed, “But I had a -8! I feel so wronged!”

Xing Shi suggested, “Draw a line in the middle of the 0 and pretend it’s an 8.”

The system immediately cried harder: “That’s -18!”

Xing Shi quipped, “What should we do? Why don’t you drink some hot water?”

The system: “?”

Could you be more perfunctory?

Realizing it was pointless to expect this unmotivated donkey to care about the favorability value, the system sulked off to calm down on its own.

Xing Shi had arrived late to class, so it was already in its final stages.

During the wrap-up, the teacher reviewed what they had learned, with the last few moves being new choreography introduced that day. Xing Shi found himself gradually falling behind, so he stepped aside to watch the others dance.

The teacher led the group through the routine one more time and then dismissed the class.

She walked over to Xing Shi, intending to give him some individual instruction during the break, but a colleague suddenly came in and called her away. She gestured to the others to help teach Xing Shi and left in a hurry.

Xing Shi’s “preassigned” roommate walked over.

His name was Yu Yi. He had delicate, sweet features—a completely different type from Xing Shi. Like Xing Shi, his foundation in dance was weak. Coincidentally, the two of them were not only roommates but also assigned to the same class, which seemed like fate.

Yu Yi was about to start teaching when Xing Shi raised a hand to stop him. “Wait a second. I have something to say.”

Yu Yi looked curious. “What is it?”

Xing Shi replied, “We need to call everyone together.”

He opened the trainee group chat and sent a message that immediately caught everyone’s attention:

[I have something to confess about Mr. Fu, and I have a surprise for you. Come to the third practice room, quick!]

The effect was immediate.

Half a minute later, people from nearby practice rooms began to pour in.

Feng Zifan approached Xing Shi with a grin.

Although they weren’t in the same class, they often ate together and had a good relationship.

After spending more than half a month with Xing Shi, Feng Zifan had a decent grasp of his personality. Xing Shi was someone who would rather lie down than stand, avoided unnecessary trouble, and only showed real enthusiasm when it came to food.

“What’s with all the fuss?” Feng Zifan asked.

Xing Shi made a mysterious “shh” gesture and said, “Let’s wait for everyone to get here first.”

It was break time, so most people arrived quickly, with only a few stragglers still in the bathroom or asking the teacher questions.

Once he felt the crowd was sufficient, Xing Shi glanced around and began.

“Do you remember the day of the class division? The boss stood next to me, and later, at dinner, someone asked me what my relationship with him was. I said I didn’t know him. Remember that?”

The trainees nodded in unison.

Feng Zifan and Da Zhuang, who knew the truth, were startled. They thought back to that day when they had met Fu Xiuning together and wondered if Xing Shi was about to claim they had known each other all along.

Xing Shi continued, “I didn’t tell you the whole truth that day.”

Everyone perked up.

He admitted, “I don’t know him personally, but he’s actually a student at Z University and my senior.”

Gasps filled the room, and the trainees exchanged looks of surprise.

“I had only heard rumors that he was pretty wealthy,” Xing Shi explained. “I didn’t know he was our boss until the day of the class division. I didn’t dare say anything then, but recently, the boss reached out to me.”

He looked around the room. “Z University is holding its anniversary celebration, and the boss asked me to perform a show. But after thinking about it, I realized it’d be better if we performed together instead of me going solo!”

He launched into a persuasive pitch. “Z University is a prestigious institution with over a century of history. The alumni attending the anniversary will be outstanding figures from all walks of life. Our boss is one of the school’s most famous graduates and will also be attending that day.”

The trainees were visibly moved.

June Culture’s first batch of trainees had been a success, focusing on quality over quantity. Out of five male and five female trainees, nearly all had debuted. Two of the girls were currently competing in a popular talent show, ranking in the top ten. Whether or not they ultimately made the final group, they were already considered successes.

This summer, a major platform would launch a talent show for male trainees, and the company would select participants from their current group.

However, the competition was fierce. Dozens of entertainment companies would push their trainees onto the platform, and each company had a limited number of slots. Missing out this year would mean waiting for the next opportunity.

Now, with a chance to perform in front of the boss and stand out, who wouldn’t be tempted?

Still, someone cautiously asked, “Did the boss specifically say you could bring us along?”

Xing Shi replied, “Not exactly. He just asked me to put on a show, and you guys are the ‘external help’ I’m inviting.”

Feng Zifan hesitated. “Are we even allowed to bring external help?”

“I’ll confirm right now,” Xing Shi said confidently.

He sent a message to Lin Kecheng, briefly explaining the situation. Lin Kecheng quickly replied, agreeing without hesitation.

Hearing this, everyone felt relieved. If the school had no objections, they could go.

Xing Shi laid out his plan: “I want everyone to have a chance to shine. We can divide into groups. Each group will perform a short segment, and when one finishes, the next will take over. After all the groups have performed, we’ll come together for a final group number. This way, we can all participate without requiring too much extra training. What do you think?”

The trainees visualized the scene and were immediately sold. They gave him a thumbs up. “Genius!”

The system, watching this unfold, couldn’t help but ask, “Won’t Fu Xiuning be upset when he sees you dragging a whole group onto the stage?”

Xing Shi said nonchalantly, “Was he happy when I saved his life? Just look at that -10.”

The system, which had just started to feel better, collapsed again and muted itself in despair.

Meanwhile, Fu Xiuning was meeting with staff from the training department, including several teachers.

He wanted to ask about Xing Shi’s progress. After all, Xing Shi saving him earlier was a valid reason to inquire without arousing the system’s suspicions.

The first question he asked was about Xing Shi’s dance performance.

“He’s very talented,” the dance teacher said generously. “He picks up choreography quickly, and his body is already well-conditioned. He seems like someone who’s had years of training, but he’s actually a complete novice—a natural talent.”

Fu Xiuning nodded thoughtfully. He suspected the foundation had been laid by the body’s original owner, but the current occupant had to relearn everything from scratch.

After the teachers left, Fu Xiuning worked quietly in his office. As evening approached, he picked up his phone and sent a message to Xing Shi.

Fu Xiuning: [Are you free tonight?]

The system instantly perked up, feeling a surge of hope.

But before it could celebrate, it saw Xing Shi’s reply:

Xing Shi: [No.]

The system was horrified. “What are you doing?! Why are you refusing?!”

Xing Shi, who was exhausted from skipping his nap, simply said, “-10.”

The system: “…But Fu Xiuning initiated contact!”

Xing Shi: “He also initiated contact at noon.”

The system was speechless.

Fu Xiuning stared at the blunt “No” and calmly typed:

[When are you free? I want to treat you to a meal to express my gratitude.]

Less than a minute later, Xing Shi responded:

[Oh, it’s the boss! Sorry, I didn’t change the note and thought it was someone I hated. I’m free tonight, but there’s no need to treat me. It was just a small favor, not worth mentioning.]

Fu Xiuning chuckled. “Quite the smooth talker,” he thought, insisting on treating Xing Shi anyway.

After agreeing to meet, Xing Shi’s system finally snapped: “You suddenly don’t care about -10 anymore?”

Xing Shi replied righteously, “People shouldn’t retreat in the face of difficulty. They should face it head-on!”

The system: “…I don’t believe you!”