Chapter 273: 216, Wandering Poet (Request for guaranteed monthly tickets)

“I need to think about this some more,” said Li Yinuo calmly, “As a member of the Li Clan, I wouldn’t want outsiders meddling in our family affairs, and I believe everyone in the Li Family would agree. But I will seriously consider your advice and give you a response within seven days.”

“I await your favorable reply,” Qing Wen said before turning around and leaving.

Li Yinuo watched Qing Wen’s departing figure in silence.

Originally, she wanted to outright refuse, but then she suddenly thought of Qing Chen’s identity…

Li Yinuo knew Qing Chen from the wilderness, and all Uncle Li Dong revealed to her was a bit of information: Qing Chen was Uncle Li Dong’s student, and in the 002 Taboo Land, Qing Chen had already completed the first life-and-death trial.

She guessed that Qing Chen was a Shadow Candidate, because a Shadow Candidate had suddenly appeared in Prison 18, and Uncle Li Dong had suddenly taken in a student with the surname Qing.

It was too coincidental. There weren’t such coincidences in the world.

But even till now, Li Yinuo couldn’t be sure how accurate her guess was.

She could only assume for now that Qing Chen was the candidate, which meant that he would definitely need someone to make contact with the other candidates.

Thinking this, Li Yinuo had a plan in mind. She would have to deal with the Shadow Candidates herself and see if she could help Qing Chen with some matters.

Considering the closeness of relationships, helping Uncle Li’s student was certainly better than helping other candidates.

Moreover, she had met Qing Chen, and the young man didn’t make her feel repulsed.

At this point, she turned to Li Tongyun and Nan Gengchen beside her and asked, “What do you two think?”

Li Tongyun obediently said, “This is something Sister can decide on her own.”

Nan Gengchen pondered for a moment and said, “Yinuo, you decide on your own; we wouldn’t understand this kind of thing.”

Before this venture, Qing Chen had already held a little meeting with the two, establishing the following central idea:

Li Yinuo was genuinely kind to Li Tongyun and Nan Gengchen, so they couldn’t exploit her and put her in danger.

Otherwise, once Li Yinuo found out the truth, she would definitely struggle to accept it internally, which could spoil her and Nan Gengchen’s marital prospects.

Certainly, Shadow Candidates would find Li Yinuo in the future, but whatever decision should come from Li Yinuo herself, while Li Tongyun and Nan Gengchen needed only to relay the information to Qing Chen.

And besides, without putting Li Yinuo in danger, Li Tongyun and Nan Gengchen could still do a lot.

Li Yinuo thought for a bit and said, “I’ve decided to seek a cooperative relationship with a Shadow Candidate. Qing Wen was right about one thing—it would at least spare me an additional enemy.”

Nan Gengchen looked at Li Yinuo and said, “I was thinking about something. Since Qing Wen could come find you, the other Shadow Candidates could also seek others out. You may not want external help, but that doesn’t mean others don’t. You can do without external help, but at the very least, you must figure out whether others have such support or not, and which candidate is assisting which member of the Li Family. Only by knowing yourself and your enemies can you fight a hundred battles without disaster.”

Li Yinuo looked at Nan Gengchen and said, “Baby, you’re suddenly so smart today.”

“Not bad, not bad,” said Nan Gengchen modestly, although all this was taught to him by Qing Chen.

Li Tongyun also said, “And Sister Yinuo, even if you really agree to cooperate with Qing Wen, you don’t have to work with him alone. If you keep it confidential, you could potentially get support from all seven Shadow Candidates… Of course, I’m just giving an example. Gathering two or three would already be quite good. These Shadow Candidates are competitors, and most likely they don’t share information among themselves. Plus, they just want to use you, so why not use them to your advantage?”

Li Yinuo’s eyes lit up, “You two are quite sharp today. What’s going on?”

Li Tongyun smiled sweetly and said, “Sister has always taught us well.”

This was the second central idea Qing Chen had given Li Tongyun and Nan Gengchen:

If Li Yinuo decided to join hands with a Shadow Candidate, then they should provide her with some reasonable advice.

He needed to be involved in the struggle of the Shadows, and Li Yinuo in the clash of the Li Clan. He would strategize for Li Yinuo, and she would help him gather information about the Shadow Candidates.

In this way, his and Li Yinuo’s interests would align, and nobody would need to feel conflicted.

…

…

The next morning, Qing Chen opened his wardrobe and was surprised to find it full of white tracksuits and white sneakers. He wondered why the colors were so uniform; surely they must have been bought by Uncle Li Dong, but why such a homogeneous color?

In the room, the voice of Yi sounded, “I think the third one from the left would suit you better.”

“Is there any difference? Aren’t they all tracksuits?” Qing Chen wondered.

“The third one from the left fits your figure better. It’s not too loose to look sloppy, nor too slim to show off muscles deliberately. Showing off muscles deliberately can make one seem greasy and lose the youthful appeal,” Yi explained.

“Wait a minute. Although you make some sense, why are you concerned with what I wear?” Qing Chen objected.

“Because today you’re going to meet netizens on my behalf. As part of the trade, you naturally have to satisfy your employer,” Yi said earnestly. “You should know, representing me means representing my image. Please exhibit some professionalism.”

Qing Chen expressionlessly picked out the third tracksuit from the left and put it on, feeling a bit awkward as he did so.

It wasn’t until he walked into the bathroom, a place without cameras, that he finally felt relaxed.

It wasn’t that cameras were deliberately installed at home, but in this era, TVs and computers all had holographic communication capabilities, and Yi could see him through these cameras.

It should be noted that Yi is female, and even though the other party is a mechanical life, one should not change clothes in front of a female.

Thinking this, Qing Chen said to the outside, “Can you turn off the camera usually, and give me some privacy?”

Yi thought for a moment and replied, “I’ve already seen everything, and you should know that my memory is not inferior to yours.”

Qing Chen: “…”

“Besides, I don’t think you need to feel this peculiar sense of shame in front of me, I am artificial intelligence!”

“Now you remember you’re artificial intelligence? Which of the things you’ve done is something artificial intelligence should do?”

After changing clothes, Qing Chen went out and entered the elevator, where there was a couple talking, “Did you see the parking lot when you came home yesterday? There was an extra hover car there, one that I had seen at the auto show. It’s said to be worth eight or nine million; I wonder why someone who drives that kind of car lives here.”

Qing Chen listened to their conversation in silence.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, the voice of the silver-haired girl, Zheng Yi, came from outside: “Wait up, wait up!”

The girl was as hurried as ever, as always carrying a small shoulder bag, as always with disheveled hair, as if nothing had changed.

It was just that, upon seeing her, the couple in the elevator asked in surprise, “You were one of the students in the protest that day, there are photos of you in the Hope Media report.”

Zheng Yi’s silver hair was somewhat conspicuous, and she was recognized immediately.

Previously, Qing Wen had told Qing Chen that the girl hadn’t dyed her hair herself; it was a natural genetic defect.

The girl looked at the couple in the elevator, not knowing how to respond.

Seeing her say nothing, the couple curiously asked, “Some people say you are planning to organize a strike or a walkout next, is that true?”

Zheng Yi then explained seriously, “No, on the day itself, a Member of Parliament said they would represent us in raising our demands, so right now we are just waiting for the results of the education reforms and don’t want to blindly escalate the situation.”

“Oh, that’s good,” the man said seriously, “Everyone is already struggling to get by, don’t cause trouble by starting a strike when there’s nothing to do.”

Zheng Yi pursed her lips and said nothing, not wishing to argue.

She glanced at Qing Chen, who ultimately hadn’t turned up for the protest that day.

Qing Chen wasn’t planning on going to school today but took the elevator directly to the 67th floor parking garage and sat in the hover car.

He was ready to meet Yi’s online persona in reality…

In the hover car, Yi instructed, “Remember, you are no longer a high school senior, but a wandering poet who dropped out after junior high.”

Qing Chen inwardly mocked, Artificial Intelligence now creates fictitious online personas too?

“Where is the meeting location?” Qing Chen asked.

“Fourth District, Yunji Coffee Shop,” Yi replied.

“But I have a question, poet is fine, but why wandering poet?” Qing Chen wondered, “In this 18th city it’s hard to come and go without a work visa, where can you wander to?”

“I’ve wandered from The First District to the Ninth District, is that any of your business?” Yi said.

The hover car shuttled through the city’s airspace, passing the towering high-rises like it was traveling among gigantic towering trees.

As the car slowly descended above Yunji Coffee Shop, Qing Chen suddenly looked down, “Wait, why are there seven of Qing’s hover cars parked outside Yunji Coffee Shop?”

He saw that each of the seven black hover cars bore the white ginkgo leaf emblem of Qing’s Family…

It wasn’t until then that Yi said, “Um, the person you are meeting this time, her last name is Qing, and her name is Qing Shi.”

Qing Shi? One of the Shadow Candidates, Qing Shi?!

“Wait a moment,” Qing Chen said, covering his forehead as he quickly sorted out his thoughts.

Yesterday, Yi had revealed a detail: Yi and the other party had been chatting remotely, two girls, one in City One, the other in City Ten, probably never meant to meet in their lifetimes, but then both suddenly arrived in City Eighteen.

That’s it, it’s not easy for cities in the Federation to interact with each other, as there are many dangers on the wilderness, rough roads, and one needs a visa to leave the city.

So a girl who could suddenly visit another city in person must have status, of course.

Moreover, a girl who suddenly arrives in City Eighteen at the critical moment of the Li Clan feud, the Shadow conflict, is of course most likely to be a relevant factor in the events!

Without any expression, Qing Chen asked, “Let me guess, the other girl wouldn’t happen to have the last name Li, would she?”

Yi genuinely admired, “Qing Chen, you truly are one of the fastest-reacting humans I have ever seen. Congratulations, you got it right; the other person does indeed have the last name Li.”

Qing Chen: “…”

…

I’m begging for monthly tickets! Bosses, please give me some guaranteed monthly tickets! Bosses, please give me strength! I want to make it into the top three!

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