Chapter 1 Two Reporters

The camera lens blinked a few times, gradually zooming in until its focus settled on a girl stepping out of a convenience store. She wore black sunglasses and a simple, everyday outfit. Though she looked quite ordinary, an air of unique charm radiated from her.

"Wow, she's even more stunning in person. I wonder which fat, thuggish guy is keeping her," grumbled a burly man inside a battered old car parked across the street from the store. His name was Hu Guozheng, twenty years old. Despite his youth, he was notably skilled.

"Can you be quiet for a moment? This is the ninety-eighth time you've said that," complained the man beside him, the protagonist of our story, Du Bin, age twenty-five, recently graduated from university.

Hu Guozheng was not pleased to be interrupted. He put down his camera and, in a lecturing tone, launched into a tirade: "You be quiet, your whole family be quiet. I have this habit—my upper and lower lips can't touch. As the saying goes, sound is God's gift for making noise. Without noise, there's no language; without language, there's no communication; without communication, men have no romance to court women; without women, there's no next generation; without the next generation, there's no harmonious society, and without..."

"Alright, alright, now's not the time for your rambling—the target's leaving, start the car," Du Bin cut in, noticing the girl was already getting into her car and about to drive off. He quickly changed the subject before Hu Guozheng could continue his grand theory, saliva already spraying onto Du Bin's face in his excitement.

Hu Guozheng grumbled about being interrupted, but reluctantly started the decrepit car and followed the girl's BMW.

The BMW's owner was Qin Ling, twenty-three years old, a former online streamer with stunning looks and a captivating figure. Her popularity among male fans had skyrocketed her value on streaming platforms, drawing widespread attention and, recently, a case of fan harassment.

The two men followed her to a thirty-story hotel called the Star Guest Hotel. Watching Qin Ling drive into the underground parking lot, Hu Guozheng put on a detective's air, saying, "Looks like her sugar daddy's inside. We're about to catch them in the act and expose them to the world, heh heh."

Du Bin was at a loss for words. They worked at Beasts Publishing House, but secretly took jobs catching cheaters—paparazzi, to put it politely, or 'journalists.' This particular assignment came from a boss with designs on the beautiful Qin Ling, who had hired Beasts Publishing at great expense. Their own boss, Lin Xiuwu (nicknamed "Beast Wu"), passed the case to the two of them, whose regular careers had already hit a dead end.

After parking, the pair quietly tailed their target. As they neared the hotel lobby, Du Bin suddenly froze at the entrance. Hu Guozheng, noticing, scoffed, "What's with this fancy Star Guest Hotel? It's just a glorified motel for affairs."

He teased Du Bin about the hotel's name, but quickly understood the real reason for his hesitation—Du Bin was wary of running into someone he knew inside.

"Forget it. If you don't want to go up, just wait in the car," Hu Guozheng suggested.

Du Bin considered it, but then remembered this was just work. "No need. As long as we don't run into her, it's fine."

"Let's go, buddy," Hu Guozheng said with a grin.

"Yeah." Du Bin knew she cared deeply about her image. She had risen quickly to become the hotel's deputy manager in just two years. There was no way someone in her position would be seen mingling with someone of his lowly status, especially since she publicly claimed to be single. The gap between them had only grown, so to keep his job here a secret from her, Du Bin had to avoid her if he wanted to finish the assignment.

At the entrance, two beautiful hostesses greeted them. Hu Guozheng was immediately smitten, his eyes glued to their plunging necklines. "Such an elegant hotel—I should come back someday for some special services," he whispered.

"Do you know which room she's in?" Du Bin asked, exasperated by Hu Guozheng's wandering thoughts.

"Would I be here if I didn't? For sightseeing?" Hu Guozheng replied confidently, pulling a notebook from his jacket and flipping to the right page. "Room 1058. She's here for a hotel ad shoot, so a whole crew is staying for free."

"Looks like the Star Guest Hotel is investing heavily in advertising, hoping to use Qin Ling's popularity to boost their five-star rating."

Hu Guozheng grinned. "If you want to know more, you could just ask Yilin. Her position here isn't low."

"Well..." The two men headed to the front desk. A reception clerk greeted them professionally. "Hello, gentlemen, would you like to book a room?"

"Give me a double on the tenth floor."

"One moment, please," she replied with a smile. After a short wait, she apologized, "I'm sorry, the tenth floor is fully booked. Would another floor be alright?"

"Fine! Idiot, pay up," Hu Guozheng said, acting as if he'd discovered something monumental, then walked away from the desk. Du Bin was so frustrated he wanted to smash a brick over his head, but in the end, they booked a double room on the ninth floor.

They took their room cards and headed to the elevator. As they waited, Du Bin noticed a girl outside in a black uniform, her face bright with a smile as she chatted with a friend. Before he could get a good look at the person beside her, the elevator doors closed.

A little disappointed, the two men slung their travel bags over their shoulders and walked to Room 962. After tossing their things onto the sofa, Hu Guozheng immediately pressed his ear against the wall like a gecko, trying to eavesdrop on the next room. There was, of course, nothing to hear.

"Are you nuts? This hotel has soundproof walls," Du Bin said in annoyance, wondering if Hu Guozheng had lost his mind.

"Not at all, I was just curious," Hu Guozheng replied.

Du Bin glanced at his watch—about 9 p.m. "We haven't eaten all day. I'm starving!"

The mention of food delighted Hu Guozheng. As they exited the elevator and walked toward the lobby, he suddenly exclaimed, "Hey... that silhouette looks really familiar. Wait, who's that guy with her?"

Du Bin followed his gaze, froze for a moment, then walked straight for the exit without a word.

"Why are you walking so fast? Go say hi!" Hu Guozheng called after him, baffled by his urgency.

"Say hi to your sister. Don't make things worse! Let's go," Du Bin snapped.

As they stepped outside, the girl in formal attire was discussing work with a middle-aged man. For some reason, she noticed the two men leaving. As she made to follow, the man behind her called out, "Yilin, are you listening?"

"Sorry, Jiahao, what did you just say?"

This handsome man was the hotel’s general manager, Wu Jiahao, who had played a key role in Fang Yilin’s rapid rise. Smiling, he reopened his folder and continued, "Oh, as I was saying..."

"Why are you walking so fast?" Hu Guozheng glanced back at the middle-aged man, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Do you know him?"

"I've met him once. I think he's the general manager here, but I don't really know him."

"Looks like you’re in for some trouble."