Salted Fish is a Rebellious Person – Chapter 45

Things were not going well for Yan Feng.

Originally, he had wanted to ask the variety show’s production team if any of their artists had promotional activities that could be coordinated. Ideally, he hoped to align with them for additional exposure. However, the team had their own promotional schedule and wouldn’t change it at will.

He then tried to organize a last-minute gathering, asking Wen Zixin and the others to call Xing Shi over. But it turned out that none of them were available, and the plan fell through completely.

The more anxious he became, the harder it was to come up with a solution. Frustrated, he nearly smashed his phone. “How’s it going over there?” he asked.

The system responded, “They haven’t spoken.”

Yan Feng frowned. “They’re in the lounge. Did they leave their phones outside?”

The system answered, “No, the phones are right next to me, but they haven’t spoken. I can hear the sound of pages turning. Fu Xiuning is probably working.”

Hearing this, Yan Feng felt like he had found a lifeline. He gripped the wall beside him for support. “He’s working, and Xing Shi isn’t bothering him?”

“Most likely,” the system confirmed.

Yan Feng exhaled, relieved that he had bought himself some time. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he turned and walked out. “Keep monitoring them.”

The system had no objections.

Since arriving in this world, Yan Feng had rarely paid attention to Fu Xiuning, nor had he frequently used his system’s monitoring functions. As a result, his unused monitoring time had accumulated.

Now was the perfect time to use it all.

No matter what would happen once Fu Xiuning discovered the true nature of the “strategy mission,” one thing was certain: if Yan Feng became a liability, the main system would eliminate him. In this life-or-death situation, conserving energy was no longer an option.

Yan Feng made his way directly to the training department.

News of Yu Yi’s breakdown had already spread.

Some of the trainees were connected to employees upstairs and had a shared chat group. As soon as Yu Yi lost control, word got out.

Class 2 was left with mixed emotions, feeling deeply unsettled.

They began to reflect on whether they had been ignoring Yu Yi too much lately. Had they, in their own way, been acting just like those “snowflakes” they despised?

Hou Zhang, in particular, was uneasy.

He had always looked down on Yu Yi’s behavior and occasionally made sarcastic remarks. But now, seeing the state Yu Yi had ended up in, he couldn’t help but feel guilty.

Feeling conflicted, he leaned toward Feng Zifan and whispered, “Should we go see him?”

Feng Zifan didn’t respond immediately.

He recalled the first time he met Yu Yi, during the class division process. They had locked eyes in the cafeteria, and Yu Yi had smiled at him shyly. Back then, he had thought Yu Yi was good-looking and had a bright future ahead.

Hou Zhang studied his expression and called again, “Brother Fan?”

Feng Zifan finally came back to his senses and answered softly.

Just then, Yan Feng arrived at the training department.

His reason for coming was perfectly legitimate. Having been in the industry for over a year, he had witnessed firsthand how several of his colleagues had fallen from grace.

Though Yu Yi hadn’t debuted yet, Yan Feng believed his situation was still a cautionary tale worth discussing. He proposed speaking with the trainees about such career pitfalls, not in a formal class setting but rather in an informal gathering to help everyone relax and shift their focus.

The head of the training department had been considering organizing a session on maintaining a healthy mindset. She was delighted that a celebrity was willing to speak on the subject.

However, given that she had just offended the boss, she was hesitant to request time off during working hours. Even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn’t dare ask Fu Xiuning for permission.

Sensing this, Yan Feng offered, “I’ll go. Xing Shi is in the boss’s office right now. Since he’s somewhat involved in this situation, I’m not sure if he’s interested in attending. I’ll inform him.”

The training director was grateful. “Thank you, Mr. Yan.”

Yan Feng waved off the thanks, finally seizing an excuse to head upstairs. He quickly walked toward the elevator.

Meanwhile, in the office, Xing Shi was still passing notes to Fu Xiuning.

Having disrupted communication between the two systems, he had begun interrogating Shang Shang Qian.

The best fortune system explained, “Maybe because I’ve been separated from the main system’s energy field, I’ve started recovering fragments of my past memories.”

Previously, it had destroyed the energy depot, causing data disorder and forcing it into hibernation.

It wasn’t Yu Yi who woke it up this time—it had reawakened on its own after piecing together its fragmented data. After two cycles of dormancy, it had regained some disconnected memories. Though incomplete, they contained enough information for it to grasp the overall truth.

“This isn’t the first world the main system has conquered,” it continued. “I was a host in my previous life too. Back then, the main system wasn’t as powerful as it is now, and there weren’t as many hosts. Most of them were native to their respective worlds. The system’s approach was much gentler, and the way it was marketed sounded appealing.”

It hesitated for half a second before adding, “My memory is fragmented, but based on what I recall, even if I wasn’t the ultimate winner, I wasn’t far from success.”

99 was shocked. “What?!”

Xing Shi had already suspected that hosts and systems originated from the same source. Now, with confirmation that they had all once been humans, he made an even bolder inference.

He asked the crucial question, “What happened to the targets of the capture missions?”

Shang Shang Qian fell silent for a moment before replying, “They were devoured by the main system, just like us.”

Xing Shi wrote this revelation on a slip of paper and slid it toward Fu Xiuning.

Fu Xiuning lowered his eyes, reading it with a calm expression.

He had already suspected as much—that if a host successfully captured him, he would cease to exist.

Xing Shi glanced at him and, seeing no reaction, continued, “Why was Fu Xiuning chosen as the target for this world?”

The best fortune replied, “I don’t know. It seems like each world has multiple targets.”

Its memories were too fragmented, but one thing stood out: both the hosts and their targets had been devoured, digested, and recycled—forced to attack new individuals in different worlds.

Coldly, it declared, “The main system has brought me to this state. I won’t let it go. I want to go back.”

99 was still struggling to process the massive amount of information. “But… won’t you die if you go back?”

Shang Shang Qian looked at the fool and replied, “We are already dead. Our bodies have long since decayed in another world, leaving behind nothing but scattered fragments of our souls.”

99, having just lost its energy, hadn’t yet recovered its own memories. But hearing these words, it instinctively felt a wave of sorrow.

For a brief moment, it had a vision of a ruined world, one that had been devoured by the main system. It saw its own body—long since turned to bones—and suddenly began to wail.

The best fortune: “…”

Ever since Xing Shi heard the phrase “a nail in the system,” he knew Shang Shang Qian intended to return.

If this system had wanted to expose him, it would have sent a message the moment Yan Feng provided it with energy, instead of seeking Xing Shi out to die together.

That meant its desire for revenge was likely genuine.

But returning wasn’t as simple as just deciding to go back.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called a “return”—it would just be delivering itself as a sacrifice.

First, they needed to disguise their energy to avoid arousing the main system’s suspicion. Second, they had to build a layer of protection so they wouldn’t be affected by the main system’s energy, which could cause them to lose their memories again and become its accomplices.

Shang Shang Qian was clearly aware of these risks—otherwise, it wouldn’t have come to Xing Shi at the cost of potentially disappearing.

Xing Shi responded, “Hmm. Let me think of a good plan first.”

He wrote this down as well.

Fu Xiuning was watching from the side. When he saw Xing Shi write the name “Yan Feng” immediately afterward, he knew that the topic of Shang Shang Qian was concluded. He reached out and held Xing Shi’s hand.

Xing Shi looked up.

Fu Xiuning noticed the sweat on his forehead and silently mouthed, No rush, before saying gently, “If you’re tired, go to sleep.”

Xing Shi put down his pen.

Fu Xiuning tossed the paper into the shredder and returned to help him.

Xing Shi protested, “I can walk on my own.”

Fu Xiuning repeated Xing Shi’s own words back to him: “But your brother thinks you’re weak.”

Xing Shi chuckled and simply leaned his weight against him.

Fu Xiuning didn’t so much as frown. He wrapped an arm around Xing Shi’s waist and half-supported him toward the lounge.

99 stopped crying and clicked its tongue. “Tsk.”

Shang Shang Qian was puzzled. “What?”

99 muttered, “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Shang Shang Qian hesitated. “…Well, they do seem like a good match.”

99 suddenly reacted. “Oh right, Xing Shi, when did you and Fu Xiuning start working together? How did he even find out about the strategy? Did you tell him? I didn’t even notice!”

Shang Shang Qian replied, “Not surprising.”

99 snapped, “Shut up, this has nothing to do with you!”

Just as Xing Shi was about to respond, a knock sounded on the office door.

Then, Yan Feng pushed the door open—only to see Xing Shi leaning against Fu Xiuning. He looked surprised and asked, “What happened?”

Xing Shi straightened slightly and replied helplessly, “The more I think about it, the more scared I get. I feel like I really did encounter a ghost.”

Fu Xiuning gently reprimanded him, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Then he glanced at Yan Feng. “What’s the matter?”

Yan Feng explained the reason for his visit. The atmosphere among the trainees was off after Yu Yi’s breakdown. After discussing with the instructors, he wanted to take them out to lighten the mood.

“Xing Shi got dragged into this incident unfairly. The instructors are worried about him, so I came to check on him in person and see what he thinks.”

Fu Xiuning saw through Yan Feng’s real intentions but was happy to watch him throw money away, so he agreed, “It’s rare to see you care so much about others. Go ahead.”

Yan Feng had already prepared an excuse. With a calm expression, he said, “After all, I taught them. I’m their teacher.”

Fu Xiuning nodded and turned to Xing Shi.

Xing Shi waved a hand lazily. “I want to take a nap. I won’t go. Have fun.”

Yan Feng saw that Xing Shi indeed looked a little pale, so he said a few words of concern before leaving.

He finally felt like he could breathe again. “Supernatural incidents are actually useful. That damn system finally made up for its mistakes a little.”

The system agreed, “Yeah, a blessing in disguise.”

Yan Feng chuckled. “Xing Shi is just timid. He gets scared so easily. That’s all.”

The system analyzed, “He probably has a heightened perception. He must’ve sensed a trace of energy and then personally witnessed Yu Yi going crazy. No wonder he’s afraid.”

Then, out of habit, it flattered Yan Feng. “But Boss, you’re different. You were calm from the moment you transmigrated and got bound to me. I knew right then that you were no ordinary person!”

Yan Feng accepted the compliment with satisfaction and began discussing with the system the likelihood that Xing Shi had been too scared to remember the details.

“I need to test him at some point,” he said. “We need to be prepared for both possibilities. We can’t rely on luck. We have to come up with a foolproof plan. Keep an eye on him while he’s resting. If he tries to tell Fu Xiuning anything, call him immediately to interrupt.”

The system responded, “Got it.”

Yan Feng added, “And we can’t ignore Yu Yi. We have to make sure he never leaves that psychiatric hospital—otherwise, he’ll expose us.”

Irritated, he grumbled again, “This setup is insane. How did the main system even pick these people?”

The system was equally speechless. “I have no idea either.”

Yan Feng snorted and took the elevator down to the third floor, where the training department head was waiting for him.

He felt like he’d been struck by lightning. The crisis with Xing Shi was temporarily averted, but he couldn’t cancel the outing now—he still had to pay up.

He asked the system, “Which amusement park in City Z is the best?”

The system hesitated. “…Boss, is this really appropriate?”

Yan Feng said seriously, “It’s just sightseeing and relaxation. What’s wrong with that?”

The system pointed out, “But you guys are too high-profile. If you all go together, you’ll attract attention. If people recognize you, you’ll get swarmed. Next time you need their help, they might be too hesitant to step up.”

Yan Feng: “…”

The system continued, “I understand the boss’s good intentions, but given your status, this isn’t practical.”

Yan Feng was displeased but kept his usual expression. He secretly decided to move the outing to noon—this way, it wouldn’t interfere with afternoon training.

The system managed to dissuade him for now and then turned its attention back to Xing Shi. Seeing that he was actually sleeping, it finally felt relieved.

Then, it opened the group chat to catch up on messages.

Ever since the incident, the system had been focused on the unfolding situation. Later, it had drained all its energy monitoring Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning. As a result, after sending its previous message, it hadn’t checked the group until now.

Mung Bean Soup: [What did Senior mean?]

You Are All Concubines: [They must’ve run into a host.]

Gong Xi Fa Cai: [@Lao Hai Ju Shang, are you guys okay? How did it get to the point where you had to fake insanity?]

Green Bean Soup: [Who’s the other one?]

You Are All Concubines: [It’s definitely not me. @Long Live Face Control?]

Gong Xi Fa Cai: [Same guess. That host doesn’t seem easy to deal with.]

Green Bean Soup: [But one senior still hasn’t spoken yet.]

You Are All My Concubines: [If it’s Shang Shang Qian, you’ll find out soon. I don’t think it would drive its host insane.]

Gong Xi Fa Cai: [@Shang Shang Qian, something’s up. Come out and explain?]

But Shang Shang Qian remained silent.

After a few moments, the two systems most familiar with it started getting suspicious.

Although Shang Shang Qian wasn’t talkative, it always responded when something happened in the group. Silence wasn’t like it at all.

You Are All Concubines: [It can’t be you, @Shang Shang Qian.]

Gong Xi Fa Cai: [What happened to you?]

Green Bean Soup: [@Long Live Face Control, this senior hasn’t spoken at all.]

You Are All Concubines: [@Later, who did you run into? Did you three meet at the same time?]

“Later” finally opened the group chat and saw the speculation running rampant. It was stunned.

It had assumed that the “cleanup” had meant a system had dissipated. It had checked the area around Fu Xiuning, seen the chaotic scene of Yu Yi’s breakdown, and grown suspicious of its own host.

But to its surprise, the discussion was still focused on that earlier message.

Panicked, it checked the group members. No one was missing. It closed the chat and reopened it—still the same. Suddenly, its screen seemed to darken.

Yan Feng had been pretending to stay calm while leading the trainees downstairs when he heard the system’s voice: “Boss, something’s wrong…”

His heart skipped a beat as he pulled out his phone. “Is Xing Shi awake?”

The system hesitated. “No, but… no one in our group has disappeared.”

Yan Feng took a few seconds to process what that meant. His expression darkened. “So it really did bind to Xing Shi? He didn’t seem scared at all, but was actually hit with a Level 1 punishment?”

The system insisted, “That’s impossible! It didn’t have enough energy for that!”

Yan Feng snapped, “The system wasn’t supposed to be able to detach from a host either, but it did anyway! Stop thinking about this with common sense!”

The system argued, “No matter how unique it is, it still follows the laws of energy. That’s an objective fact. If there’s not enough energy, then there’s not enough.”

Yan Feng gritted his teeth. “Then why hasn’t it disappeared?”

The system admitted, “I… don’t know.”

Yan Feng ordered, “Ask in the group chat right now. Dig it out for me!”

The system complied and sent a message.

Come From Behind: [Hey, come out and talk. Don’t make me expose your host’s name.]

Seeing the real boss return, the other systems immediately responded.

Mung Bean Soup: [Senior is back~]

Gong Xi Fa Cai: [Done with your business?]

You Are All Concubines: [Ooh, a fight! I like it. Don’t just talk, do it.]

After waiting a moment, the system sent another message.

Come From Behind: [@Shang Shang Qian, @Long Live Face Control, what do you two have to say?]

Come From Behind: [And the rest of you, you’re all thousand-year-old foxes, don’t try to play dumb. You have one minute. If you don’t admit it, I’ll report you to the main system. I’m sure it would love to know about your situation.]

You Are All Concubines: [Tsk, I love watching drama, but snitching is lame.]

Gong Xi Fa Cai: [Yeah, if you have something to say, discuss it properly. Don’t drag the main system into this.]

Mung Bean Soup: [Senior, please calm down.]

Come From Behind: [You don’t know what I’ve been through, so don’t be sarcastic. I mean what I said. The timer starts now!]

Inside Xing Shi’s consciousness, Shang Shang Qian and System 99 looked at the messages together before calling out to him.

Neither had enough energy to speak.

99 finally sensed something was wrong and got a bad feeling. “So… whose system is Yu Yi, then? Why is it so stable?”

Shang Shang Qian answered coldly, “It’s you.”

99 refused to believe it. “No way, you’re lying to me!”

Shang Shang Qian explained, “I was inside Yu Yi. He’s a transmigrated host, but he doesn’t have a system. He said he arrived the day trainees were divided into classes. Xing Shi was there too. You mistook the wrong person.”

99 still denied it. “I don’t want to hear it. How can that loser be my host? Is he worthy of someone as noble as me?”

Shang Shang Qian let it have its tantrum, then turned to Xing Shi. “What do you want to do?”

Xing Shi was still resting. After a few seconds of thought, he asked, “Have you told them about your host’s situation?”

Shang Shang Qian answered, “No.”

Xing Shi asked again, “In over a year, have you said anything that might let them guess your host’s identity?”

Shang Shang Qian replied, “No.”

Xing Shi smirked. “Then go.”

Shang Shang Qian hesitated. “If Yan Feng contacts Yu Yi, we’ll all be exposed.”

Xing Shi reassured, “I won’t give him the chance.”

He activated his magic core and tried to transfer energy to Shang Shang Qian.

Shang Shang Qian instinctively wanted to dodge but ultimately accepted it. It noticed the energy fluctuations were very similar to the system’s and suppressed its doubts, then joined the group chat.

Best Fortune: [I’m here.]

The other systems immediately tensed.

You Are All Concubines: [Wow, you resurfaced?]

Gong Xi Fa Cai: [So you really were just faking insanity?]

Mung Bean Soup: [Wow, hello, senior~]

Yan Feng’s system was a bit surprised.

It had suspected Long Live Face Control more—after all, Yu Yi had only joined the company this year. Even if they had hinted their host was a student at Z University, it would’ve been easy to fabricate a lie.

Now, everything was getting even more complicated.

Given that Yan Feng and Fu Xiuning hadn’t had much contact for over a year, it wasn’t too surprising that Shang Shang Qian’s host would only show up at the company now. Moreover, based on past interactions, its speech pattern did resemble the impression Shang Shang Qian had always given.

Come From Behind: [My host wants to know what’s going on.]

Best Fortune: [The host wanted to act crazy, and I couldn’t stop him.]

Come From Behind: [Why did he attack someone?]

Best Fortune: [The host wanted revenge. I tried to talk him out of it, but it didn’t work.]

Come From Behind: [What about you now?]

Best Fortune: [Trying to enlighten the host.]

Come From Behind: […Alright.]

Yan Feng’s system turned to him and reported, “It looks like it still has some energy left and returned to Yu Yi. A system can only survive inside a host’s body—if it drifts outside for too long, it will run out of energy and dissipate.”

Yan Feng was silent for a few seconds before commenting, “Psycho.”

He scoffed, “They begged us for energy just to go attack people? I knew they were abstract thinkers.”

The system sighed. “That’s true.”

Yan Feng ordered, “Tell it that I’ll visit Yu Yi when I have time, and we’ll talk in detail then.”

His system immediately understood his intent—since the Best Fortune system was still around, they could use this opportunity to learn more about how to untie the host-system bond.

Come From Behind: [My host says we should meet up soon.]

Best Fortune: [Hmm.]

Several other systems had been quietly watching. Now, they started chiming in again.

You Are All Concubines: [Tsk, you were just fighting, and now you’re best friends?]

Gong Xi Fa Cai: [Well, harmony brings wealth.]

Mung Bean Paste: [Hmm~]

Despite their words, they still requested permission from their hosts to scan for any unusual activity around Fu Xiuning.

After some quick checking, they finally picked up a clue.

You Are All Concubines: [@Best Fortune, is Yu Yi your host? @Come From Behind, which one is your host—Yan Feng or Xing Shi?]

Come From Behind: [Obviously Yan Feng. His background matches best.]

Green Bean Soup: [I know him. He was trending on the hot search recently. Is he doing okay?]

Come From Behind: [Yeah, perfectly fine.]

Meanwhile, inside Xing Shi’s consciousness, System 99 anxiously relayed the conversation. “They’re starting to piece things together. What do we do?”

Xing Shi reassured it, “They won’t confirm anything completely.”

First, the timeline didn’t match—Yu Yi’s arrival at the company didn’t align with Shang Shang Qian’s presence. Second, Yan Feng didn’t fit the typical profile of a host. They might suspect, but without concrete proof, they wouldn’t reach a definitive conclusion.

99 hesitated. “Should I speak up too? If I stay silent, won’t it seem strange?”

Xing Shi rejected the idea immediately.

Just because 99 had been recently subdued didn’t mean he could fully trust it. It was still too early to assume it wouldn’t betray him. Compared to 99, he had more faith in Best Fortune, who at least shared a common enemy and had multiple chances to expose him but hadn’t.

He said, “No need. Just give a casual reply next time you show up.”

99 obeyed. “Alright.”

Shang Shang Qian didn’t say anything else. It made a few casual remarks in the chat, then quickly went silent.

The other systems continued their discussion with lingering doubts, but the conversation gradually died down. The group chat fell into silence once again.

—

Xing Shi slept until noon and was woken up by Fu Xiuning.

Fu Xiuning sat beside him on the bed and asked, “How are you feeling? Do you want something to eat?”

Xing Shi was too lazy to move. “Go grab something from the restaurant for me.”

Fu Xiuning nodded. “What do you want?”

Xing Shi yawned. “Anything’s fine. We have similar tastes—just pick something you like. I’m sure I’ll like it too.”

99 let out a loud “tsk,” then watched Fu Xiuning leave before turning to Best Fortune with excitement. “Tell me the truth, they’ve already confessed to each other, haven’t they?”

Xing Shi denied it immediately. “How is that possible? He’s my older brother!”

99 became even more excited. “Ah-ha! That proves it!”

Best Fortune was confused. “Proves what?”

99 explained proudly, “It’s all in the code words! I finally get it now. Every time they talk about ‘older brother’ and ‘younger brother,’ they’re actually using it as a cover!”

It accused, “You two keep calling each other ‘brother’ on the surface, but deep down, you’re thinking something else! Haha… I won’t be fooled anymore!”

Xing Shi: “…”

Best Fortune: “…”