Chapter 87: The Grand Magician Has Taken the Stage

Just as Chen Fan took off his glasses, he caught sight of Xiao Yuhe making a victory sign in front of him.
“How about that? Pretty impressive, right? The MVP title is well-deserved,” Xiao Yuhe said with a smirk, her face all but demanding praise.
“You played really well—both wolves fell by your hand.”
Glancing at the post-game analysis, Chen Fan couldn’t help but offer his own compliment. Xiao Yuhe’s Magician had a perfect hit rate, and she’d taken down both wolves herself.
“Pfft—what a perfunctory response. That’s no fun at all.”
Xiao Yuhe turned away to boast to Xie Yuqi, but when she saw the dark cloud on her friend’s face, she quickly stowed her grin.
“Come on, Yuqi, don’t be like that. There’s a great shaved ice place off campus—let’s go after this, my treat.”
Xie Yuqi’s eyes widened, the gloom on her face instantly swept away. “Really? You said it, you can’t go back on your word.”
After receiving Xiao Yuhe’s emphatic nod, Xie Yuqi wrapped her in an exuberant hug.
“What a foodie. There’s just no helping you,” Chen Fan said, nudging Li Peijun with his elbow. “Who did you investigate last night?”
Li Peijun scratched his head, trying to recall. “I think Number Two? Not that it mattered—even if I’d found the head wolf, I never got a chance to speak.”
Chen Fan grinned mischievously. “Serves you right, always fiddling with that jade ruyi. What, did you think it was a cat’s back you could pet? Was the feel really that irresistible? You just couldn’t put it down.”
Li Peijun waved him off. “You don’t understand. It’s a symbol of power. Maybe if I touch it enough, some of that fortune will rub off on me.”
Chen Fan’s brow twitched in mock disdain. “Don’t tell me you’ve confused the tiger tally with the jade ruyi. The tiger tally was a military token, while the jade ruyi was just a back-scratcher in the Spring and Autumn period.”
“Hahaha, so that’s what it is!” Li Peijun laughed awkwardly, trying his best to hide his embarrassment.
“Hey, are you two still playing?” Xiao Yuhe finally managed to extricate herself from Xie Yuqi’s bear hug, her cheeks tinged with red.
“Of course, let’s start another round.” Li Peijun resumed his role as host.
“Which map should we pick? How about the Republican Era Police Station?”

“Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? Don’t play with fire—let’s not use that one. Hey! Hey!”
...
“Say, why didn’t you go with them for lunch earlier? They invited you themselves, and you turned them down.” Li Peijun poked Chen Fan’s back, puzzled by his friend’s wooden-headed logic.
With a look of self-righteousness, Chen Fan replied, “A lone man and two single women going out to eat together—if someone we knew saw us, that wouldn’t be good. We guys don’t mind, but what about those girls’ reputations? It’s just a meal; nothing wrong with eating separately.”
Li Peijun unleashed his full firepower on Chen Fan, his raised middle finger practically pressed against Chen Fan’s nose.
“How can you be so old-fashioned? Your head is full of feudal nonsense. It’s the 21st century! Sharing a meal doesn’t cost anyone their virtue. Admit it—you’re just scared of slipping up in front of pretty girls. You want to keep up your lofty image.”
Chen Fan frowned, pouting in silence. Li Peijun, seeing his reaction, guessed he’d struck a nerve and continued, “If you want to pursue someone, don’t act cold and aloof. If you keep giving off that come-close-stay-away vibe, even the gods would be scared off. If you’re interested, show a bit of warmth at least—ask after her, show you care. Feelings grow slowly; there’s no need to rush.”
“Oh.”
Chen Fan replied coolly, unsure what else to say. As for his feelings for Xiao Yuhe, he couldn’t quite pin them down.
“Maybe I’m past the age of impulsive passion. I see things differently now.” Chen Fan suddenly blurted.
“Hey, what’s with the pointless brooding? Let’s go get some skewers and sober you up.”
Chen Fan changed the subject. “So, how many slaps did you take in that last Republican round?”
Li Peijun gave a wry smile. “Don’t even mention it. I was lashed so much I barely recognized myself. I spent most of the night roasting on the rack.”
Chen Fan struggled to suppress a laugh. That’s what you get for provoking NPCs—being trussed up and delivered to the interrogation room serves you right. When it came to courting disaster, Li Peijun’s talents far exceeded Chen Fan’s.
It was the same familiar barbecue joint. If Chen Fan remembered correctly, he ended up there almost every time he went out.
“Got any plans this afternoon? The campus network’s awful right now, and going back to play games would just be frustrating. I thought I’d tag along with you for the day.”
Li Peijun gnawed enthusiastically on a lamb skewer, not sparing even the scraps on the stick, while Chen Fan ate with much less finesse, stripping the meat from the skewer in one go, oil smeared all over his lips.
Chen Fan pointed at the Winnie the Pooh pajamas Li Peijun was wearing. “I’m heading downtown. Are you sure you want to go out dressed like that?”

Li Peijun looked down and hesitated. Wearing those pajamas around campus was one thing, but going out in public would be mortifying—especially with curious bystanders snapping photos. It was as if he’d be stripped bare for all to see.
“Downtown’s so far. Forget it—maybe I’ll just go back to bed.”
His reply surprised Chen Fan, who’d expected him to go back and change before coming along. But this worked out better—no need to explain his own peculiar plans.
“Boss, check please.” Li Peijun waved his empty skewer sticks and paid up. After tallying their orders, the two each settled their share.
“If you see any routers or the like being sold, pick one up for me, would you? I can’t stand the campus internet anymore.”
Chen Fan scratched his head. “Things on the pedestrian street are expensive. Plus, there’s an electronics store nearby—you just have to walk a few hundred meters.”
Full and a bit tipsy, Li Peijun yawned. “I’m too lazy to walk. Maybe you can pick one up for me on your way back? Money’s no object—just need faster internet.”
Chen Fan was exasperated. With a 2M campus network, even a gold-plated router wouldn’t get you 20M speeds.
He suggested, “The network’s probably stuck like this unless you pull your own fiber line in from outside.”
Li Peijun seemed to take that seriously and pondered a moment. “I’ll discuss it with my family then. As for the router, just buy what you see fit. I’ll pay you back. Gotta run.”
“Alright.”
Chen Fan exhaled. Having money did make things easier—he handled everything so swiftly, never second-guessing himself.
The university town was at least fifteen kilometers from downtown. Taking the bus and subway, Chen Fan’s round trip took almost an hour and a half.
“Now, where’s a good spot to perform?”
He wandered about but found nothing suitable. It wasn’t evening yet, and the streets were filled with groups of girls out shopping, with the occasional tourist group passing by. There was no obvious place where the crowds gathered thickest.
“Maybe I should do a roving performance?”
A bold idea suddenly occurred to Chen Fan.