112 Good heavens!

Bang!

At the Baohua Mountain shooting range, Li Jie was practicing his marksmanship. After much trial and error, his aim hadn't improved much, but one thing was certain: a gun was far more useful than a telescoping baton.

If he could get his hands on an anti-materiel sniper rifle, Young Master Yang would definitely be in for a rough time. However, the moment Li realized that the Yang family was the one most capable of easily obtaining such weaponry, his sense of security evaporated.

He still had work to do.

After playing with the pistol for a while longer and breaking the Baohua Mountain shooting range record—though he didn't log his data, so the range staff remained unaware of his performance—he took a break. With a temple just over the hill, this shooting range was likely considered part of the Vajra Zen Monastery.

The shooting club was a melting pot of people: men, women, young, and old. Li Jie was a new face. Wearing sunglasses and a denim scarf, he was simply seen as another young man trying to look cool.

In reality, Li Jie was indeed being flashy. He had arrived riding a "Jianyuan Dark Knight." The moment he parked the hybrid motorcycle, the tough guys at the club all stood up in unison.

The girls didn't get it, including the "lady riders," who glanced at it and assumed it was the "Jianyuan Champion" series—a line of auto-parts-store-style bikes that had flopped in sales.

The commercial Li Jie had filmed for the Emperor-brand motorcycle was pure "Yan Shuangying" style, striking a chord with the vanity of wealthy middle-aged men who didn't want to just let themselves go.

The "Jianyuan Dark Knight" model was identical to the "Jianyuan Champion" series in every way except for the number of wheels, but for those buying such a thing, who the hell cared about cost-effectiveness?

Vanity came first.

So, long before the "Jianyuan Dark Knight" orders exploded, the "Shence Frost" series of trench coats, leather jackets, and overcoats from Shence Apparel had become so popular they were hotter than a spring cold snap. Even sunglasses sales soared; the style was just too on-point—how could one resist?

Swipe the card!

It had to be swiped!

With Li Jie’s permission, a group of men, young and old, ran over to take photos with the "Jianyuan Dark Knight." They spoke of its specs with the familiarity of a connoisseur, noting it was just a minor modification of the "Jianyuan Champion" series, with the same powertrain.

Back in the club restaurant, Li Jie was chatting with "Hulatang Dejin."

"Wait, Old Hu, this person on the screen looks familiar. Is that 'Nie Xiaoqian' played by Joey Wong?"

"Who is Joey Wong?"

"Never mind the details."

"This is Wang Shiyin, Crab Brother. It’s absolutely her. I’d recognize her even if she were burned to ashes."

"Wait, I can accept you recognizing me if I were burned to ashes, but what’s this about? You’d recognize 'Celestial Wang' if she were burned to ashes too?"

"Stop with the chatter. Guess where I am right now?"

"..."

Boss Li finally understood why Old Hu had asked if he was hardcore—because this place was actually the Kaohuang Sanatorium in Xuzhou.

He did the math: Young Master Yang had a blind date?

"Good heavens, this Young Master Yang is quite something. He can actually invite 'Celestial Wang' to perform at a matchmaking banquet."

"Duh, that’s the Yang family for you."

Old Hu was currently squatting in the warehouse of an outbuilding. It was lucky that, like Li Jie, he used a phone with a telephoto lens, allowing him to capture some spectacular shots.

"No, I told you to get out of there early. You’re still there?!"

"I just finished getting paid. I’m leaving in a bit."

For the past few days, Old Hu had been photographing the exterior of the Kaohuang Sanatorium. Because his phone had a built-in level-distance measurement function, Li Jie had already mapped out a floor plan of the facility. Later, after Old Hu shared his phone's altitude data and synced his movement logs, Li Jie managed to construct a 3D model of the entire Xuzhou Kaohuang Sanatorium.

With over six hundred photos of architectural details provided by Old Hu, Boss Li could now find his way to the restroom in the Kaohuang Sanatorium without ever getting lost.

The sanatorium even featured a "subterranean palace," with complete underground facilities including hot springs and a spa. Above ground, there was a golf course and a massive expanse of water for boating and boat fishing.

The world of the rich was truly enjoyable.

What was even more enjoyable was that finding a good spot for a sniper... was quite difficult.

There were thickets of trees blocking the line of sight, and all the vantage points were guarded by professional security. Ordinary people without special abilities shouldn't even dream of getting inside.

To pull off a "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun," one would at least need a bulletproof vest and suppressive fire. Whether or not a dump truck was needed to smash through and find an assault entry point was a gamble, as the external landscaping was filled with fountains and fish ponds, making it completely unsuitable for a "dump truck iaijutsu" maneuver.

In short, it required technical skill.

This wasn't a game for the poor.

You had to watch the performance of rich guys like Batman; at best, a poor slob would only ever be a ratman.

Besides, poor guys didn't have the years of equipment and brothers that Du Yao had. They couldn't even get close; the commotion would be too loud. If things went south, the entire city of Xuzhou would hear that some pauper was approaching the Kaohuang Sanatorium.

Why such a big commotion?

Because they were dirt poor.

Boss Li’s mind was filled with the sound of clinking coins. He slapped his thigh hard and cursed inwardly: I’m such an idiot, why didn’t I think of the song "Jingle Bells"?

Then he gave up, suddenly realizing that the lyrics he remembered weren't "Jingle Bells," but "Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell~."

Before transmigrating, it seemed to be the melody from the time Old Man Yu "passed away."

Damn it!

What kind of brain-dead videos was he watching before he transmigrated? He hadn't gained a single shred of decent artistic value.

"By the way, Crab Brother, a lot of people have arrived. I’ve seen rocket launchers and armored vehicles."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I’m not lying. But they don't allow phones in that area, so I’m just watching. My dad said they’re all veterans. There’s also a 'Fifth Boss' from the main corporation who’s been to space and deep-sea." Fearing Li Jie would misunderstand, Old Hu quickly added, "I mean, he’s actually been to the deep-sea research station, and he’s actually been to space—the 'Lingxiao' space station. Back in the day, he’d have been a Major General."

"Holy crap? He’s that intense? Is his name Yang Shiren?"

"Huh? That sounds like the name. I couldn't remember it just now; I was looking it up on my phone."

"Damn it, this guy called me and even said he wanted to make peace."

"Holy crap, Crab Brother, you didn't just reject him outright, did you?"

"Naturally."

"..."

Old Hu fell silent for a moment, then asked a deeply ironic question: "Crab Brother, is there something wrong with us, or is it you? You didn't choose to wrestle with illness, you chose to go insane yourself?"

"Cut the crap and get out of there. Also, it’s March already, get something nice for your dad."

Boss Li sent him a link.

Old Hu clicked it without thinking and found it was a Shence Apparel New Year’s coupon: five thousand off for every five thousand and one spent.

"Thank you, Master Li! I’m leaving right now!"

With a quick tap, "Hulatang Dejin" bought his father a full set of casual wear and a leather jacket. A genuine Shence Apparel leather jacket cost over six thousand, but the New Year’s coupon page had additional discounts. Next to the spring arrivals were the off-season best-sellers, including the "Shence Frost" series that had previously sold out.

After calculating his part-time earnings, Old Hu gritted his teeth and bought one for his dad, his mom, and himself.

Follow Crab Brother, get a leather jacket!

It’s great to have meat to eat.

Got it!!

Actually, Old Hu’s mental state was also questionable; he just wanted to confirm if Li Jie was the one losing his mind—for instance, whether or not Li Jie was the one who broke Young Master Yang’s legs.

If it was, then great; he was ready to blow up the bunker at any time.

He’d lived long enough anyway.

But having known him for so many years, Boss Li knew the mental state of these "sons of utility poles" all too well. He could lead them to act cool, but leading them to soar... that was probably out of the question.

These brain-dead idiots just wanted to spiral into the heavens.

Taking advantage of the time he had, Boss Li contacted "Boss Mei." "Teacher Mei, could you help me look into something? Quietly, mind you."

"Master Li, just give the order!"

Mei Xingyu was currently raking in the cash from his gigs. Most importantly, the "Creative Talent" side provided plenty of resources. As long as they were partners with *The Masked Calabash Hero*, they all recommended Mei Xingyu to sing *Good Luck Arrives*, and several major supermarkets in Sanjiang Province had already bought the commercial rights.

Although Mei Xingyu wasn't making as much as Boss Li, it was still a vast fortune.

A single song had more commercial value than all his artistic works from the past thirty years combined, and it was a continuous stream of income.

He was almost guaranteed a spot at this year's "Spring Festival Gala," and he was expected to head to Luoyi mid-year to record a demo and check the stage effects. Then, the Direct-Controlled Province's "Beidu Satellite TV" and the provincial capital's "Youdu Cable" had also booked Mei Xingyu for April and May. The promotion was definitely on point, and with two extra endorsements thrown in, he was pulling in a good amount of pocket money.

With over a million in hand, "Boss Mei" felt like he was making money standing tall. It felt amazing!

Calling him "Teacher Li" or "Boss Li" wouldn't do; it had to be "Master Li!"

And he meant it from the bottom of his heart.

"It’s like this: I had a bit of a misunderstanding with Wang Shiyin during an interview, so I was thinking of explaining it to her in person. But now I can't reach anyone at 'Gaolianghe Entertainment.' You’re the local king of Beidu; could you help me look into it? Of course, keep it low-key and avoid attracting attention."

"Done, leave it to me."

He couldn't speak for other things, but when it came to industry matters—even if it were just gossip about someone’s mother having an affair—Mei Xingyu had ways to find out.

That’s why he was called "Boss Mei." He kept an entire opera troupe, and there were plenty of high-ranking officials and noblemen he communicated with. When necessary, when the capital's elites attended arts or variety festivals, could they really leave him out?

Mei Xingyu took the job immediately. He didn't ask about "Celestial Wang" directly; instead, he had his godson, who worked as an "information broker," first probe the foundations of "Gaolianghe Entertainment."

It wasn't that he didn't know Zhao Jiong or Zhao Zeping, but even if they were familiar, it was only on a professional level. What went on behind closed doors was anyone's guess.

So, he went straight to the source: searching the archives. If that wasn't enough, sneaking into the chairman's office to "clean" in the middle of the night wasn't out of the question.

Besides, that bastard Zhao Jiong had run off to the "Dijindu Racecourse" to go racing.

The electronic file arrived on February 30th. Mei Xingyu sifted through the materials and felt that this "Celestial Wang"... she was truly heaven-defying.

"Good heavens!"

Mei Xingyu now felt like he had boarded a pirate ship; the information he’d found was like a hot potato.

He threw it to Master Li as quickly as possible. If anything went wrong later, he hoped Master Li would take the hit. He was tall, and if the sky fell, he’d have to rely on Master Li to hold it up.

"Master Li, you’ve really... harmed me this time."

Mei Xingyu wondered how he, at middle age, had stepped on such a massive landmine.

And nineteen-year-old Li Jie, who had already reviewed the "landmine" twice, felt that "Boss Mei" was lacking in stature for saying such things. He took the materials, gave a small tap, and Boss Li's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Good heavens!"

The "Celestial Wang" on the screen looked like the Joey Wong version of "Nie Xiaoqian"; it turned out she was playing a costume party game.

The introduction in the archive was truly heaven-defying. Her ID photo looked just like Jennifer Connelly in *Once Upon a Time in America*.

The only difference was the color of her pupils and a slight variation in the baby fat. She looked great when smiling without showing her gums, and there was no trace of the demonic "Hyogo North.jpg" expression.

But none of that was the point. The point was that "Celestial Wang" was a nickname, her stage name was Wang Shiyin, and her real name was... Ji Shengnan.

"Heaven help me, my old baby!"

No wonder "Boss Mei" was having a heart attack. Ji Shengnan's father was the Deputy Commander of the Beidu Garrison Command. Who couldn't he put pressure on if he wanted to?

If things went south, "Boss Mei" figured he’d be singing "The Soul Returns" all night long—to himself.

It was too much!

His godson, who did the "information gathering" work, had boarded a train in the middle of the night and fled to the south. His godfather, Mei Xingyu, was purely setting him up.

Fortunately, "Boss Mei" had connections and said he’d introduce him to work as a staff reporter for "Creative Talent," so he stopped panicking.

This matter had to be kept secret—known only to heaven, earth, and his godfather. He wouldn't dare leak half a word; that wasn't how one sought death.

Boss Li, however, soon regained his composure. After his training the next day, while teasing Gan Xingnu with a cat wand, he asked himself a question: Do you want to be a coward for a lifetime, or a hero for a minute?

"Long live One-Ear!"

The shouts of the villains from *Black Cat Detective* echoed from the TV!

HI, One-Ear!

As a powerful piece of music began to play, Gan Xingnu’s hands finally gave out, and she buried her upper body into the sofa cushion: "I’m going to be completely ruined, meow~~"

Long live One-Ear!