A few more days had passed since the public uproar. Whether someone behind the scenes was manipulating things or not, the discussions about Meng Zimu and Shen Yun gradually began to die down.
Jiang Ze had just come out of school. Meng Zhiyuan had finally agreed to let him attend classes these past two days. He waved to Cheng Feng, who was waiting at the school gates, then climbed into the car.
But before he could settle into his seat, the system's mechanical voice suddenly rang out.
"Host, big news! Shen Yun has made another move!"
"Shen Yun? He's been quiet for a few days. Has he finally run out of patience?"
"Since he knows the plot in advance, he might cause some important events to happen early. Host, do you remember the mysterious man who helped the protagonist bottom in the novel?"
At the system's mention of the mysterious man, Jiang Ze vaguely recalled him.
As the protagonist bottom of a White Lotus wish-fulfillment novel, Shen Yun had been written along Mary Sue lines. Almost every man he met was drawn to him.
From initial attraction to flirtation to falling deeply in love, the entire process took no more than a single plot arc.
One of Shen Yun's suitors who had left the deepest impression on Jiang Ze was that so-called mysterious man.
The author had never described how the two met, or even revealed a single identifying detail about this mysterious man, yet he had provided considerable help with Shen Yun's later success.
He had also laid a solid foundation for the protagonist bottom and the protagonist top to bring down the powerful villain later on.
"Did he go looking for that mysterious man ahead of time?"
"Exactly. Shen Yun knows the plot in advance, so he's probably making preparations early."
Jiang Ze rubbed his chin. Their main priority now was to find out who this mysterious man was.
"System, keep an eye on Shen Yun's movements. Since the plot never explained who this mysterious man was, we'll have to find him ourselves. We need to know ourselves and our enemy if we want to win every battle."
"Got it, host! No problem!"
The system kept watching for changes in the plot, while Jiang Ze began asking around about Shen Yun and Meng Zimu.
Unexpectedly, his inquiries revealed that the earlier public uproar seemed to have caused a serious falling-out between Shen Yun and Meng Zimu.
The two were currently giving each other the silent treatment.
Fair enough. No one could just shrug off being cheated on that blatantly. So many people online saw the undeniable evidence. I wonder if Meng Zimu is half-dead with anger right now.
Jiang Ze found it rather amusing. The protagonist bottom and protagonist top were the novel's official couple, a match made in heaven under the author's pen, a fixed pairing.
Now that something like this had happened and driven a wedge between them, he wondered whether the rules of the world would still force them to stay together.
"Host, that's hard to say~ Their bond is very deep, but this world's order is still in chaos. Nobody knows how things will turn out~"
Jiang Ze nodded. He couldn't concern himself with all that anyway. His immediate priorities were still luck points and changing key plot events.
A few more days passed before the system finally had news.
"Host, I've detected a change in Shen Yun's plot events. He seems to have gone to considerable trouble to get into a mysterious club. The rules there are quite strange."
"A mysterious club? What kind of place is it?"
The system told him Shen Yun's approximate location, but Jiang Ze would have to investigate the specific rules himself.
Looking at the outfit he had gone to great lengths to obtain, Jiang Ze fell silent.
A skintight leather outfit with cutouts, paired with a silver mask.
No matter how he looked at it, the combination seemed incredibly bizarre.
He had made inquiries based on the system's information. The place really was mysterious, and only the rich or powerful could get in. He had only managed to uncover a little information by using Meng Zhiyuan's name.
There were two types of people allowed inside: spectators and performers.
Those admitted as spectators were almost exclusively B City's rich and powerful elites, while the requirements for performers' backgrounds were far less restrictive.
There was one condition, though: they had to be attractive and have a good figure, regardless of gender, and wear the outfits and masks provided by the club.
The club protected the privacy of both performers and spectators.
"Wait, system. Why does this place sound a bit like..."
He left the rest unsaid, but the system knew exactly what he meant.
"I told you this place didn't sound very respectable. Host, why don't you reconsider?"
Jiang Ze raised an eyebrow. "Since Shen Yun went to so much trouble to get in, there's a very good chance this is where he met that mysterious man. Opportunities like this don't come twice. No matter what, I have to go take a look."
"What's wrong, system? Do you have no confidence in me, or no confidence in yourself as my cheat?"
"Go for it, host! You've still got me, after all. It's all for Points and luck points!"
After giving the system a pep talk, Jiang Ze looked at the outfit and mask again and sank into thought.
"This feels a bit like one of those mysterious masquerade balls. Come to think of it, didn't I tell them I could dance?"
As the name suggested, performers needed a talent. To secure a chance to get inside, he had made up that excuse on the spot.
"That's right, host. They only let you in because you're good-looking and can dance. You also have to arrive at their meeting point on time tonight. So, host, can you actually dance?"
Jiang Ze gave two awkward coughs. "Uh... does pole dancing count?"
The system replied, "..." He thought his host was rather indecent, too.
Jiang Ze had seen other people do it in his previous life and learned a few moves. Since men needed considerable strength to perform it, it suited people with a martial arts foundation, though he had only learned the basics.
"Whatever. Let's get inside first."
They were supposed to meet that evening. Jiang Ze made sure to leave Meng Zhiyuan a message saying he had a class get-together and would be home late.
The so-called mysterious club looked unremarkable from the outside, but there was far more to it within.
Following the system's instructions, Jiang Ze quickly spotted Shen Yun when he arrived. Shen Yun must have been there in his previous life, because he seemed thoroughly familiar with the place.
"Since you've all agreed to take part in tonight's performances, you must follow every rule set by the club. Whatever your backgrounds, I imagine you're all here for one thing: money."
The middle-aged man addressing them also wore a mask. He seemed to be the person responsible for managing the club's performers.
"The spectators arriving later are not people you can afford to offend. Since you've signed the agreement and want to get paid, you'd better be prepared."
He never said what they should be prepared for, but every performer present understood.
Put plainly, this club was a nighttime playground for the rich and powerful, where performers were treated like merchandise for them to pick and choose at will.
Of course, both sides were willing participants, so Jiang Ze had little to say about it. He merely lowered his eyes and listened quietly while keeping a discreet watch on Shen Yun.
"All right. In a moment, you'll go onstage according to the numbered tokens you're holding. It's up to each of you to show what you can do. The spectators will bid based on your performance. Of course, you'll also have one chance to choose a spectator. Afterward, the club will take thirty percent of your final earnings."
Once the middle-aged man finished explaining, he said nothing more and led them into a small room to wait for their turn to go onstage.
The corner of Jiang Ze's mouth twitched. Why did this feel like a talent competition?
Before you continue