Salted Fish is a Rebellious Person – Chapter 51

He came from behind and stood there motionless.

99 observed for a few seconds before floating forward. “Are you awake or not?”

It woke up later than expected, but honestly, it would have preferred to stay asleep.

Because it knew that the current situation was definitely not in its favor.

Why on earth would Xingshi be the host with such a background?

And why was Face Control completely drained of energy?

Didn’t Shang Shang Qian re-bind Yu Yi according to the main system’s instructions?

And that advanced energy core not far away—what the hell was that?!

It stiffened again after catching up, its brain nearly freezing from the shock.

99 floated left and right in front of it. “Say something.”

Finally, it managed to find its voice. “Why am I here?”

99 replied smugly, “My host caught you~”

The newcomer: “…”

Thanks, bro. No doubt about it.

The word “caught” not only clarified their opposing relationship but also made it painfully obvious that The Best Fortune had set a trap for it.

It cut straight to the point. “What do you want?”

Xingshi smiled. “I’m just here to play with you.”

Before it could even react, it felt strands of energy wrapping tightly around its body.

It instantly shrieked. “AHHH! What are you doing?!”

It struggled, but to no avail.

It screamed again, “If you want to talk, just talk properly! I never said I wouldn’t cooperate! Ask me anything—I’ll tell you everything Yan Feng said to insult you! No, wait—how can you just start torturing me right away?! That’s not how normal procedures work!”

“Boss! From now on, you are my true boss!” it shouted desperately. “I swear absolute loyalty to you! If you tell me to go east, I’ll never go west—ahhh, stop, stop, STOP!”

99 was horrified and quickly floated to hide behind The Lucky Number.

Shang Shang Qian observed the scene calmly. Whether it could return safely all depended on the results of Xingshi’s experiment.

A thin layer of sweat gradually formed on Xingshi’s forehead.

Destroying a system was easy, but refining its energy without waste was another matter entirely—especially since his magic core had only recently been fully activated and was still adjusting to this new body.

He scanned the structure of his target twice more before finally pulling back.

The newcomer, having escaped immediate danger, didn’t even care about its numb body. It quickly floated over to huddle near Shang Shang Qian and the others, planning to use them as a shield in case the energy surged again.

Shang Shang Qian moved aside in disdain and asked, “How is it?”

Xingshi said, “I’ve almost figured it out. I need to use energy to inscribe a magic formation inside… In your terms, I need to reprogram it.”

The Best Fortune asked, “Is it complicated?”

Xingshi replied, “A little, but it’s doable.”

The Best Fortune let out a long sigh. “That’s a relief.”

Xingshi said, “I’m doing this for myself too.”

The newcomer felt uneasy, as if they were treating it like some kind of test subject. “Boss, what exactly do you mean?”

Xingshi closed his eyes to rest, motioning for the two systems to explain things themselves.

99, being considerate, lowered its voice and started explaining the truth about the host-system relationship.

The newcomer had just disconnected from the main system and hadn’t fully processed everything yet. Instinctively, it blurted out, “Impossible!”

As someone who had personally experienced this, Shang Shang Qian asked, “Did you have any strange dreams while you were hibernating this time?”

The newcomer froze in place, suspicion flashing across its face as it fell silent.

99 asked, “So you did dream about it?”

Still silent.

99 took that as confirmation and asked in confusion, “Then why haven’t I recovered my memories yet?”

The Best Fortune guessed, “Maybe it’s because you’re still in a bound state, or your data hasn’t been disrupted yet. Try entering self-hibernation mode.”

99 was reluctant to give up on the CP (couple pairing), so after a moment of hesitation, it came up with a solution. “Alright, I’ll go to sleep at a fixed time every night and wake up during the day.”

The newcomer gradually regained its composure. It didn’t press further about the soul fragments and decided to investigate that matter on its own.

It then asked Xingshi, “How could he be the host?”

The Best Fortune replied, “He wasn’t supposed to be. Face Control kidnapped the wrong person.“

The newcomer was stunned. “—What?”

This unexpected revelation was just too absurd.

They actually let that kind of system handle missions?! They were all doomed!

It immediately turned to glare at 99. “Look at what you’ve done!”

99, utterly shameless, didn’t feel guilty at all. “If I hadn’t kidnapped the wrong person, you’d still be slaving away for the main system!”

The newcomer felt an urge to pry open its tiny head. “You don’t even have your memories back—how are you so sure this is true?”

99 asked, “So you don’t believe it?”

The newcomer, still traumatized by Yan Feng, immediately snapped back with arrogance, “Was that a question? I should be the one questioning you.”

99 didn’t buy it and immediately shouted, “Xingshi, it doesn’t believe us!“

The newcomer: “!”

Damn it! Can we not throw people under the bus like this?!

Without hesitation, it slid to its knees. “I believe! Boss, I believe you! I swear!”

Through gritted teeth, it declared its loyalty. “That bastard main system has done so much harm to everyone!”

Xingshi casually acknowledged them with a nod, then took out his phone and started browsing the internet. Seeing that Yan Feng was still trending at the top of Weibo’s hot search, he asked, “Is your host ever going to wake up?”

The newcomer immediately corrected him with a serious expression. “From the moment I unbound him, he stopped being my host. From now on, I only acknowledge you.”

Xingshi raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

The newcomer quickly added, “I think the chances of him waking up are very low.”

Satisfied with the answer, Xingshi closed Weibo and started watching short videos instead.

Seeing that he didn’t care much about the past events, the newcomer let out a sigh of relief, ignored the idiot beside him, and resumed chatting with Shang Shang Qian.

Then, it learned a series of shocking truths—

• Yu Yi was actually the host of “Long Live the Face Control.”
• The Best Fortune’s real host was Yu Shu.
• Although Xingshi wasn’t a host, he was also a time traveler!
• And worst of all, Fu Xiuning had known about their existence for a long time—and had already teamed up with Xingshi!

The newcomer’s brain completely short-circuited.

In the end, it could only utter four words: “The water runs deep…”

99 sighed in agreement. “Exactly.“

I came from behind and gave it a cold look, thinking to myself, What are you sighing about? Even a fortune-teller could tell you that you bound to the wrong host, and yet you still have the nerve to act like this?

But now that they were using Xingshi’s system, it couldn’t afford to offend them—so it just pretended not to hear anything.

After the three systems finished discussing everything, they tactfully fell silent.

Xingshi continued watching short videos, though only half of his focus was actually on the screen. The other half was busy working on the arrangement of the magic formation.

He didn’t understand programming, but the system itself was made up of circuits formed by energy. A magic formation, in essence, was just an energy-driven circuit board, so he could completely replace it.

Not only could he modify the newcomers and The Best Fortune, but he could also rewrite 99’s program and add an advanced defensive magic formation. That way, whenever the main system attempted to absorb them, he would sense it in advance.

If used correctly, he could even launch a counterattack—because the moment the main system could touch them, they could also touch it. This might be the perfect opportunity to destroy it.

The bedroom door wasn’t closed, so any sounds from outside were clearly audible.

Xingshi kept watching videos until around eight o’clock when he suddenly heard the sound of a door closing. He tossed his phone aside, got out of bed, and headed to the living room.

Fu Xiuning had just changed his shoes at the entrance. The moment he looked up, he saw Xingshi.

Xingshi greeted him with a smile. “Brother, you’re back~”

A memory of Xingshi’s childhood flashed through Fu Xiuning’s mind. His expression softened as he walked over. “Yeah.”

[Ding—]

[Current Favorability Value: 90]

Xingshi: “?”

Fu Xiuning: “…”

99 & The Best Fortune: “!”

The newcomer: “???!!!”

It immediately thought it must have misheard. “How much?!”

How could the favorability value be 90?! Was this a real number? Was it crazy, or was the world crazy?

99 immediately boasted, “90! What do you think? Are you envious?”

Before Xingshi could set up the magic formation for 99, he walked in with his brother and quickly started singing.

Surprisingly, it seemed that Fu Xiuning had either gotten used to it or couldn’t control his emotions anymore—because Xingshi’s singing didn’t work at all. He had to belt out two more songs before he finally heard the familiar notification sound.

[Ding—]

[Current Favorability Value: 89]

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

The newcomer, on the other hand, had been subjected to Xingshi’s atrocious singing for so long that its sanity levels had practically dropped into the negatives. It thought to itself, How can a trainee sing this badly?!

Before it could recover, 99’s voice rang in its ears again: “89 points! What do you think? Are you envious?”

The newcomer felt dazed. “Why do I feel like I’ve heard this before?”

99, still not satisfied with its bragging, continued, “That was 90 just now, and now it’s 89. Look at how high this fraction is. Is your fraction as high as mine?”

Of course, it wasn’t. Forget 89—even 90 was completely out of reach.

99 snorted, “You guys are always bragging in the group about your sibling bonds, but I don’t even want to waste my time on you.”

The newcomer was greatly provoked and couldn’t help retorting, “Is this really your host? If you have the guts, try switching to Yu Yi’s body!”

99 refused to listen. “What I bind is mine!”

The newcomer: “…”

Fu Xiuning could only hear 99’s voice, but he could guess what was happening.

After returning to his room to take a shower and changing into pajamas, he came out and saw Xingshi sitting in his usual spot, waiting for him. He walked over.

Tomorrow was the second-to-last day of summer vacation, with school starting the day after.

Although Xingshi had makeup exams, he had been reviewing over the holidays and felt confident that he would pass this time. There was no need for last-minute cramming, so he planned to head to the company as usual the next day.

The next morning, the moment he stepped out of the elevator on the third floor, he was immediately surrounded by trainees.

These people didn’t know the truth. They still thought Yan Feng was a kind and dedicated person.

They had been checking Weibo constantly, but unfortunately, there was still no news of him waking up.

Hou Zhang asked, “Brother Shi, what’s going on with Brother Feng? What did the doctors say?”

Xingshi replied, “The company’s statement was accurate. The situation is quite serious—he’s still in a coma.”

Someone asked, “Did they say when he’ll wake up?”

Xingshi answered, “No.”

Everyone’s expressions grew solemn. Another person asked, “Then… is he at least out of danger?”

Xingshi said, “They need to observe him for three more days.”

Everyone became even more worried. “How could he suddenly have a cerebral hemorrhage when he was perfectly fine before?”

Xingshi took the opportunity to lecture them, “That’s why you all need to take care of yourselves. Train within your limits. Don’t stay up late just because you’re young—otherwise, your body will break down before you even debut.”

The group quickly nodded in agreement and decided to stock up on goji berries.

Feng Zifan also placed an order, then followed Xingshi to the rest area. He couldn’t help but steal a few glances at him.

Back when they were on the same team, he had personally seen Yan Feng collapse twice. Something about it just didn’t sit right with him.

Later, when Yan Feng took them mountain climbing, he had seemed to be in a bad mood. Feng Zifan had assumed it was because Xingshi wasn’t there. Then the whole incident with the stalker fans happened.

Xingshi noticed his gaze and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Feng Zifan hesitated for a moment before saying, “It’s nothing.”

What should I even say? Should he mention that Yan Feng had organized the trip for Xingshi? But whether it was for pursuing him or something else, there was no point bringing it up now.

Xingshi guessed that Feng Zifan had noticed something, but he didn’t pry further. Instead, he asked, “Don’t you have any upcoming events?”

Feng Zifan replied, “I have one in a few days.”

Their variety show had already aired and was well-received. Xingshi had even ended up on trending searches.

Feng Zifan was naturally charismatic and good at hyping up the atmosphere, which earned him a lot of fan support. He now had a manager and had started accepting jobs.

Xingshi, however, still had unfinished business with the other hosts and didn’t want to waste energy on anything else—so he postponed all his gigs and continued focusing on training.

The two artist hosts were still busy filming their drama, and the new host had yet to appear.

Recently, he had discussed this matter with his brother and concluded there were two possibilities:

1. The new host was waiting for the right moment to join the company.
2. The new host was from Z University or the University Town, meaning they were a minority ranking host.

Regardless, it was only a matter of time before they showed up.

The day flew by, and the next morning, Xingshi and Fu Xiuning went to school early.

Fu Xiuning was now a senior, and his course load was very light.

Fu Xiuning didn’t have any classes that morning, but he still came to campus, wondering if he would encounter the new host.

Meanwhile, Xingshi had a full schedule of morning classes.

Following the class schedule posted in the group chat, he found his way to the teaching building—only to be surrounded before he even stepped into the classroom.

The Yan Feng incident was still trending, and Xingshi had been one of the key witnesses. On top of that, his variety show had been a hot topic over the summer. He was practically a real celebrity now.

However, since his classmates weren’t close with him, they kept a respectful distance, merely observing curiously. The ones who had gathered around him, however, were all Yan Feng’s fans.

Seeing them block his way, Xingshi instinctively stepped back into a more open corner—but ended up bumping into someone.

A familiar hand reached out from behind and steadied him.

Turning his head, Xingshi asked, “Weren’t you going to the library?”

Fu Xiuning’s chest lightly pressed against his back. Feeling the tension in Xingshi’s body ease, he said softly, “I remembered that Yan Feng just had an accident, so I came to check on you.”

Xingshi smiled. “It’s fine, we’re all civilized people here. I can handle it.”

With that, he turned his attention back to the crowd.

The students who had surged forward suddenly halted, stopping about a meter away.

They had mentally prepared themselves before approaching, summoning the courage to come forward. But now that they were actually face-to-face with him, they realized their approach had been too rash, and hesitated.

Xingshi decided to take the initiative. “Just say what you want to say.”

They looked at each other, grateful for his patience, and tentatively brought up Yan Feng.

Xingshi gave them the same response he had given his fellow trainees. One after another, they thanked him and even stuffed small gifts into his hands.

As he walked forward, he remarked, “They seem pretty upset… Brother Feng still has such devoted fans?”

Fu Xiuning commented objectively, “His professional skills are solid.”

Thinking of Yan Feng’s relentless drive, Xingshi nodded in agreement, then asked, “Since you’re already here, why not just sit in on my class?”

Fu Xiuning had no objections. Whether it was the library or the teaching building, the new host had a system—so he would encounter them eventually. As for how to create a coincidental meeting, that wasn’t his problem to solve.

99, watching them enter the classroom, whispered, “Attending classes together… You know, this is a classic couples’ daily routine.”

The newcomer, overhearing this, was confused. “Aren’t they a couple?”

99 whispered back, “Nope. They’re half-brothers, just pure-blooded college boys. So if you ever see them holding hands, hugging, or even kissing, it’s just a moment of excitement—got it?”

The newcomer: “?”

The Best Fortune: “…”

Xingshi shot them a warning glare, signaling them to shut up, before stepping into the classroom.

Everyone in class was stunned to see Fu Xiuning sitting next to Xingshi.

They had all heard of Senior Fu, the legendary metaphysical prodigy, known for his mysterious aura—but they never expected him to show up just to sit through a lecture with Xingshi.

A few students, secretly shipping them, were thrilled. The two most handsome guys in the school, sitting side by side? A perfect visual match! They could eat two extra bowls of rice at lunch just from looking at them!

Despite the attention, Xingshi calmly completed his morning classes.

At lunchtime, he and Fu Xiuning ate together in the school cafeteria.

Looking around, Xingshi commented, “Seems like no suspicious individuals have approached us yet?”

Fu Xiuning replied with a simple “Hmm.”

Xingshi thought for a moment. “The new students haven’t enrolled yet… Could they be a freshman?”

Fu Xiuning nodded. “That’s a possibility.”

They continued their routine, going back and forth between home, school, and the company. Before they knew it, a week had passed—and still, there was no sign of the new host.

This made them increasingly suspicious that the new host might be a freshman.

During this period, the newcomer system followed 99’s example and started sleeping at night.

While 99’s memory still hadn’t fully recovered, the newcomer had finished its data integration.

Like The Best Fortune, its memories were incomplete, but based on the fragments it recalled, it finally accepted that everything The Best Fortune said was true.

This time, it had completely switched sides—now, they were truly united in hatred against the main system.

Meanwhile, Xingshi had continued experimenting with the magic formation.

The newcomer, realizing what was happening, immediately screamed, “Boss! I’m on your side now! You can’t just use me as a test subject!”

Xingshi ignored it.

The Best Fortune calmly said, “Be patient.”

The newcomer raged, “Easy for you to say! Why don’t you be the guinea pig?!”

The Best Fortune: “I’m next.”

The newcomer wailed, “I get it now! You went through all this trouble just to catch me and use me as a test subject!”

The Best Fortune coldly replied, “What else?”

The newcomer burst into even louder sobs. “We’re supposed to be brothers! Couldn’t you have at least lied to me?!”

The Best Fortune: “No.”

The newcomer shrieked, “Even if I become a ghost, I won’t let you go!!!”

99: “…”

Xingshi ignored its screaming and continued engraving the energy lines into its system.

The entire process took a full week, and by mid-September, it was finally complete.

As freshmen arrived on campus, the atmosphere grew lively.

Colorful flags fluttered in the wind, and the main roads were packed with new students and their parents, dragging suitcases. Rows of departmental welcome booths lined the pathways, bustling with activity.

That afternoon, Xingshi had a mandatory class, so he didn’t go back to the company for lunch.

Instead, he went to the cafeteria with his three former roommates.

Looking at the massive crowds, they hesitated. “Should we just eat outside?”

One of his roommates sighed, “The restaurants outside are probably just as packed. Everyone’s here with their parents or friend groups.”

Xingshi suggested, “What about takeout?”

His roommate nodded. “Sounds good. Let’s just head back to the dorm.”

Just as they stepped out of the cafeteria, a hesitant voice called out—

“Xingshi?”

Their first thought was that it was a fan. After all, Xingshi was a star, and with the campus packed during orientation, it was only natural for him to be recognized.

His roommates instinctively formed a protective barrier, shielding him before they looked over.

Standing in front of them was a boy of average height, with above-average looks, staring at Xingshi in surprise.

Xingshi nodded politely. “Hello.”

The boy grinned. “It’s really you, boss! Do you still remember me? I’m Chai Xiaoyu.”

Xingshi stopped in his tracks, studying him carefully.

Chai Xiaoyu reminded him, “When we were little, we lived in the same neighborhood. A bunch of us used to follow you around all the time. Remember?”

His roommates glanced at him curiously, wondering if it was true.

Xingshi remained calm as he looked at the boy in front of him.

Chai Xiaoyu…

Back then, he was short and chubby, and he’d cry in fear over something as small as a lizard.

Now, though he’d lost weight, he hadn’t grown much taller—and certainly wasn’t as tall as Xingshi.

The chubby little boy who used to stand on tiptoe just to touch Xingshi’s head could now reach it effortlessly with a simple raise of his hand.

Xingshi stared at him for a few seconds, reminiscing, before it finally clicked. “Oh, I remember now—it’s you.”

Chai Xiaoyu smiled. “Yeah, what a coincidence! I never thought I’d run into you here.”

Xingshi asked, “Why are you here?”

Chai Xiaoyu pointed behind him and explained, “My friend’s younger brother got into Z University, so I came along to help out.”

As they spoke, a group of people approached from the other side and stopped when they saw them.

Chai Xiaoyu briefly introduced Xingshi to his companions, then turned back and pulled out his phone. “It’s rare to meet again, Boss. Can I add you on WeChat?”

Xingshi added him as a friend, then watched as Chai Xiaoyu and his group headed into the cafeteria.

The moment they were out of earshot, he ordered, “Check him.”

The Best Fortune followed his command and quickly returned the results. “Chai Xiaoyu, from City C. He really did live in the same neighborhood as you when you were kids. Your families even traveled together a few times.”

Xingshi asked, “What’s his family situation now?”

The Best Fortune paused for a moment before replying, “His family went bankrupt when he was in junior high, and they moved out of the neighborhood. You two haven’t been in touch since. His family’s financial situation is now average.”

Xingshi asked, “Does this fit the host criteria?”

The Best Fortune replied, “Barely.”

Xingshi fell silent.

The Best Fortune added, “He might not be the new host.”

Xingshi nodded. “I know.”

If he really was the new host, it would become clear through his actions.

For now, Xingshi dismissed the thought and focused on the present, following his roommates for a few steps—until a sudden movement from behind caught his attention.

Shang Shang Qian and 99 also looked over simultaneously.

Last night, the newcomer system had completed its transformation and entered hibernation.

Now, it had finally woken up.

99 saw it stir and cautiously asked, “How do you… feel?”

The newcomer stared at them, not moving.

99 tried again. “Do you still recognize us?”

The newcomer frowned in confusion. “Who are you?”

Xingshi: “…”

The Best Fortune: “…”

99 took a deep breath and thought, Shit. The experiment failed.

It quickly asked, “What do you remember? Do you know where you are? Do you know your name?”

The newcomer responded immediately, “Of course I remember. My number is 75, and my boss is Xingshi. I swear absolute loyalty to him—until death!”

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, it narrowed its eyes at 99 and The Best Fortune.

“…You two seem different from me. I feel like something’s off. Are you spies sent by the enemy?”

It immediately turned to Xingshi and shouted, “Boss! I think there’s something wrong with these two! We should both get an energy upgrade package. What do you say?”

99: “…”

The Best Fortune: “…”

Why are you acting like this? Your abacus beads are bouncing all over our faces!