Chapter 138: Should I Just Bite a Lighter?

What Jiang Yun didn't realize was that if he were just an ordinary internet celebrity with millions of followers, a simple greeting would have sufficed as a small Easter egg.

But he was Jiang Yun.

A man who stood on the trending list every single day.

If one were to count the days since Jiang Yun started streaming on Douyin, there were only a handful of days he hadn't appeared on the trending list. He had topped the charts more than once. It would be no exaggeration to call him the man with the greatest ability to trend on Douyin right now.

A person who only streamed for two hours a day, offered no giveaways, followed no scripts, and rarely even posted videos, yet commanded the top traffic on the platform. Add to that the constant cycle of discussions surrounding him... If the director had let him walk away, it would have been the director who had a screw loose.

This was a man they couldn't even pay enough to get on their show!

Besides, this wasn't a live broadcast. They could just change the script in post-production and edit in more of Jiang Yun’s segments. That was essentially getting a guest for free! At worst, they could just pay a little appearance fee later. They had intended to invite him anyway.

As a seasoned veteran of variety shows, Xue Zhiqian immediately saw the director’s intention. He took the initiative and said to Jiang Yun, "I know you. I’ve actually watched your stream before."

Jiang Yun smiled a bit awkwardly. "You're too kind, you're too kind."

Xue Zhiqian was referring to the time Jiang Yun had wildly remixed one of Xu Song's songs. Xue Zhiqian had even sent a "Carnival" gift during that stream, which had startled Jiang Yun.

"Not at all, you sang very well," Xue Zhiqian complimented him, then pivoted. "The director also said, since you're already here—and if I recall correctly, you're a Chengdu local, right? Then there’s no one better to show us around Chengdu!"

This was a classic Xue Zhiqian tactic: kill them with kindness. Most people fell for it.

Jiang Yun, for one, was no exception. After all, as the saying goes... well, actually, the saying is that you can’t hit a smiling face. Since the man was giving him this much face, it wouldn't be polite to keep refusing. Besides, it wasn't as if the production team wouldn't pay him.

Thinking this over, Jiang Yun nodded. "Since you've put it that way, Mr. Xue, it would be rude of me to refuse again. Let’s record that Easter egg together."

"Great! Then show us around Chengdu." Xue Zhiqian made a welcoming gesture.

Jiang Yun laughed. "I wouldn't call it 'showing around,' more like sharing a few superficial bits of trivia."

As they walked toward Taikoo Li, Xue Zhiqian opened the conversation again. "Since Taikoo Li is so famous in Chengdu, as a local, do you have any special recommendations?"

Jiang Yun frowned, thought for a moment, and said with a strange expression, "Pull up a small stool on the sidewalk and watch all the 'fairies' walk by?"

Xue Zhiqian: ...

You couldn't argue with that. You really couldn't. That was, in fact, the most famous "specialty" of Taikoo Li, known across the entire country!

"Anything else?" Xue Zhiqian tried to broaden the topic.

"Strolling through luxury brand stores that you can find in every city in the country?"

"And besides that?"

Jiang Yun opened his mouth, but he truly couldn't think of anything else unique about the place. He looked at Xue Zhiqian helplessly. "Mr. Xue, how about I bite a lighter for you? I really don't see what's so fun about this place."

"Sure, go ahead and bite it," Xue Zhiqian said, looking at Jiang Yun with complete sincerity.

Jiang Yun: ????

No, buddy, are you seriously asking me to do that?

Fortunately, Dai Xiaomei chimed in from the side, laughing. "Mr. Xue, stop teasing Brother Yun. He doesn't know anywhere else besides Chunxi Road."

Hearing this, Xue Zhiqian chuckled. "True, the 'God of War of Chunxi Road,' I've heard the name. Any conquests at Taikoo Li today, God of War?"

"Actually, yes," Jiang Yun nodded, looking quite serious. "I just caught a spy."

Xue Zhiqian: ????
Dai Xiaomei: ????
Tunshu: ????
Ying Zheng: ????

Everyone stared at Jiang Yun in shock. Dai Xiaomei, suspecting she had misheard, confirmed, "You said you just caught a what?"

"A spy," Jiang Yun blinked. "Caught him during the stream. He just confessed."

With that, Jiang Yun waved his phone. Fang Siqi had sent him a message. He wasn't sure if interrogation techniques had become more advanced or if that guy’s mental defenses were just pathetic, but the man had cracked within minutes.

Hearing this, everyone locked their eyes onto Jiang Yun’s phone.

Fang Siqi: He admitted to being a spy. Still interrogating him further, but since he folded so easily, I doubt there's any valuable intel.

Huh????

The group was even more bewildered after seeing the message.

Wait. Are you playing for real? We thought you were joking, but you actually caught a spy?

After a long silence, Dai Xiaomei finally managed to squeeze out: "So, you came to Taikoo Li to grind for XP, is that it?"

Jiang Yun spread his hands. "It wasn't intentional! I thought I’d change up my streaming style by going somewhere else. Who knew I’d get involved in something this big? If I’d known, I wouldn't have come. I should've just stayed and solidified my status as the God of War of Chunxi Road."

Dai Xiaomei: ...

"So you just happened to run into us after catching the spy?"

"No," Jiang Yun shook his head. "I was planning to drive home, but I had a bad feeling. Then I saw you, so I came over to see when you were leaving so I could drive home safely."

Dai Xiaomei: ...

"If you're here, how am I supposed to get back later!"

"Take the subway."

"If I take the subway, what about my car? What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Hire a designated driver!"

"Then why don't you hire a designated driver?!"

"Is my money not money?"

"Well, is my money—"

Seeing Dai Xiaomei and Jiang Yun bickering intensely, Xue Zhiqian couldn't help but interrupt. "Stop, stop!"

He looked at Jiang Yun. "Why do you wait for Dai Xiaomei to leave before you drive home?"

Jiang Yun kept a straight face as he began counting on his fingers. "Ever since I met her, whenever we're both in the same place and our cars are nearby, something goes wrong. Currently, there’s an Audi A8L, a Ferrari SF90, and a Passat sitting in the repair shop. Her Porsche just came out of the shop, and she totaled a Ferrari before that. Oh, and she caused a taxi to get a flat tire yesterday."

Hearing their track record, Xue Zhiqian gulped. "Is it really that cursed?"

Dai Xiaomei added gloomily from the side, "Yesterday I treated him to a meal, and then we met at the subway station."

Xue Zhiqian: ...

Tunshu, who had been quiet until now, couldn't help but say, "Is it possible that it's just a coincidence?"

Ying Zheng chimed in, "I think so too. It has to be a coincidence, right?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun pulled out his car keys and handed them to Tunshu.

"My car is parked right over there. Both of you get in. I’ll watch you drive. If the car breaks, I’ll pay for the repairs myself; if anything happens to you, that’s on you."

The two looked at the McLaren nearby, hesitation flickering in their eyes. It wasn't that they were cowards, but Jiang Yun made it sound so ominous. They were just here to film a show; there was no need to gamble with their lives!

Just as they were hesitating, Jiang Yun’s right eyelid twitched...