Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 31: Don’t underestimate my intelligence network

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Don’t underestimate my intelligence network

Jiuyue slept soundly that night, and after breaking ties with Wangxu, she actually felt refreshed. The thought of no longer needing to work with a bunch of riddlers filled her future with hope.

Get out of Yunlong City, riddlers!

No wonder people always say that.

She tiptoed to Mr. Mingyuan’s door and pushed it open slightly. What she saw was Duan Mingyuan, who was already in a work state, his back to her.

Jiuyue felt a bit disappointed, as she was very interested in Mr. Mingyuan’s sleeping face. Would the always serious and earnest Mr. Mingyuan kick his blankets? Would he drool like other people when he slept? It would have been great if she could take a photo as a keepsake.

"Mr. Mingyuan, what are you doing?"

"Drafting industry guides and finalizing various items for full employment."

Duan Mingyuan’s face was solemn as his laptop screen was filled with dense text. He had been on the phone with Da Jiang for an hour after getting up in the morning, confirming his safety and discussing the situation in Yunlong City at length.

That hour-long call made something clear to him.

Da Jiang was a good person, but also an incompetent leader. In Duan Mingyuan’s view, the gradual decline of the branch in Yunlong City couldn’t be separated from Da Jiang’s influence.

There were no clear industry standards, no stable sources of revenue, and even the division of duties among staff was in utter chaos, resembling an amateur hobby group. The branch had persisted to this day purely on passion. But now, more and more people were realizing this approach wasn’t reliable, resulting in a situation where the organization lost members one by one.

"Trial Suggestions for Trios."

"Company Promotion Assessment Guidelines."

"Some Thoughts on Establishing Long-Term Stable Revenue."

...

Jiuyue only leaned in for a glance and felt her head buzzing. She recognized every word on the page, but put together, they just confused her.

"Go lie down on the bed,"

Duan Mingyuan said after finishing a line of text.

"Oh,"

"I didn’t tell you to lie on my bed."

"Mr. Mingyuan," Jiuyue ignored his advice, wrapped herself in the blanket, and curled up into a ball, "Why do I feel like your blanket is warmer than mine?"

"You’re allowed to turn on the air conditioner."

"Electricity is so expensive, and you know my family’s situation."

"What exactly did you come here to do?"

Duan Mingyuan took a deep breath and clicked the save icon on his document. He turned his computer chair toward Jiuyue—having this fox around seriously impeded his work efficiency.

This time, the fox wasn’t hugging her tail but had pilfered his pillow instead, sitting cross-legged on the bed and wrinkling the bedsheet with her weight.

"Mr. Mingyuan, I have to report something!"

The "Auspicious Fox Cultivation Manual" stated that daily interactions should be brief; a superior Ruihu knew to stop before the other person’s blood pressure rose. This way, she not only got to enjoy Mr. Mingyuan’s warm blanket but also steered the conversation back on track, "A group of nefarious spirits have set their sights on Yang Ping. They are plotting an attack for this afternoon."

"How did you find out?"

"Don’t underestimate my information network. Monsters possess a natural talent we are born with—we can understand the language of animals and can use them as our informants. You might see this as an ability to listen to the voice of all beings."

Jiuyue puffed out her chest proudly, but of course, that was a lie.

The real intelligence network stemmed from monsters loyal to her, possessing their own unique ways of exchanging information. As soon as Yang Ping’s presence became known, the monsters that had turned to Wangxu were rubbing their hands together, eager to carve out their mark. The precise time was set for 17:20 in the afternoon, just after Yunlong City’s Number One High School dismissed its students. Like his schoolmates, Yang Ping was on his way home.

After exiting the subway station, there was a short tree-lined path, the perfect spot for an ambush.

"The attackers this time are the same group that broke into your office last time, coming with a clear purpose, and they might also have awakened some difficult abilities."

"I know."

"Eh? Is that all?"

Jiuyue expressed her thoughts plainly on her face, tilting her head with a hopeful gaze, the very picture of ’I deserve a reward.’

"Your reward is a big plate of chicken tonight, but no noodles. I’ll pick some up on the way back, and before that, you just stay home and rest well."

The information provided by Jiuyue wasn’t exactly shocking. As she had said, as long as Yang Ping and Tang Qianqian lived in Yunlong City, it was only a matter of time before they drew the attention of the monsters, no matter how much they tried to conceal their identities and stay away from the industry.

It seemed, apart from drafting industry proposals, a combat manual tailored for special monsters needed to be authored sooner rather than later.

"Oh, and Mr. Mingyuan, can you take these to them?"

Jiuyue pulled out two small brocade bags edged with gold, the mouths tied tightly with red cords. These were little sachets she had made, following the instructions from the Auspicious Fox Cultivation Manual. Her father had said that they carried the blood of Ruihu, who indeed could bring good fortune to humans in ancient times, and their potential extended far beyond mere agricultural assistance.

Her cultivation had also begun.

If she were to assess herself, her Ruihu abilities were probably at an "intern" level now.

Moreover, she was used to being a loner and wasn’t good at strategic planning or teamwork. She also lacked ideas on how to integrate the monsters of Yunlong City into a thriving industry.

But fortunately, there was Mr. Mingyuan.

She had successfully infiltrated Mr. Mingyuan’s house and firmly grasped hold of Mr. Mingyuan; she could simply plagiarize his research when the time came.

"Three-Person Squad Pilot Proposal,"

"Company Promotion Assessment Standards,"

"Thoughts on Establishing Long-Term Stable Revenue"...

You made good points, but now all of this is mine!

I’ll copy it to a USB drive as soon as you leave.

Jiuyue was brimming with confidence; she could already envision the future where all the monsters of Yunlong City bowed down to her. However, before that, some discordant voices needed to be dealt with.

For instance, those who had sided with Wangxu, rebels trying to stir up trouble in Yunlong City.

Jiuyue watched Duan Mingyuan shut down the computer and close the laptop screen, while she nestled into his warm bed and took root.

Look at that, she hadn’t just infiltrated Mr. Mingyuan’s home but had also taken over his bed; this undoubtedly served as another powerful testament that she had Mr. Mingyuan well in her grip. From today on, this bedroom shall be known as Jiuyue’s...

"Jiuyue."

"Present!"

"Go sleep in your own room."

Duan Mingyuan, now clad in a suit jacket, merely glanced at Jiuyue; the little fox’s arrogance vanished in an instant, "Fold the blanket and straighten the sheets before you leave. I’ll be checking when I get back."

"...Oh."