Chapter 89: The Hall Incident

“Hello.”

The silence stretched between them, spreading steadily.

Yu Qing tried to break it, lowering his voice to make himself sound even hoarser.

Li Ming’s eyes flickered as he looked at the timid boy in front of him, that strange illusion surfacing again.

He opened his mouth, and after a long pause, finally squeezed out a single word.

“Hello.”

The atmosphere didn’t seem to improve.

Outside the window, the rain fell even heavier.

Lead-gray clouds hung low, as if pressing directly onto the buildings.

It brought a suffocating mood to everyone who saw the scene.

Fu Mingxuan had already left the Seminar Room of the Library and arrived at the rooftop of the Automation Academy building.

Someone followed him, holding an umbrella, but a few raindrops still managed to fall on him.

The smell of damp mildew and dust lingered at the tip of his nose.

This place had been neglected for years, and on rainy days, the environment became even harsher.

But the view here was excellent.

Through the not-so-high floors, he could clearly see the silent gray silhouette of the Library, and further away, the Main Hall—now brightly lit and filled with voices, the main venue of the School Anniversary.

Fu Mingxuan didn’t like this kind of weather.

The feeling of dampness always made him irritable, but today was different.

This curtain of rain was the perfect cover for his actions.

With such heavy rain, even standing in a conspicuous place, it was hard to be noticed.

Chen Jing sat in a temporary Tent behind him, continuing to handle the messages sent from all sides.

The fine rain pattered on the Tent, making a “da da da” sound, but she wasn’t affected at all.

Like a precise machine without emotion, she focused on operating the makeshift Command System before her.

The dim glow from three Notebook Computer screens illuminated Chen Jing’s profile.

Her calm expression looked even more eerie under the blue light, like a puppet without feelings.

Only the crisp and swift sound of the keyboard echoed, declaring that she was still at work.

“The fish on the Old Arts Building side has taken the bait. The struggle is a bit fierce, but still within control.”

Classifying the messages in front of her, Chen Jing summarized concisely.

Her voice was steady, without any emotion.

“All eight people sent by the other side have been held back. Our personnel stationed there are locked in a stalemate, and it’s expected to last over thirty-five minutes.”

“Heh, just as expected.”

Listening to Chen Jing’s reports, Fu Mingxuan didn’t turn around.

He just pulled the corner of his mouth into a cold arc.

His tone was light, but the pride in it couldn’t be hidden.

Good.

The first move landed without error.

Fu Mingxuan’s eyes were deep as he gazed toward the distant Old Arts Building on the other side of the school.

If he could, he would have liked to see the anxious faces of those trapped inside the building with his own eyes.

Unfortunately, the Main Hall blocked his view, so he couldn’t clearly see the results of his efforts.

Fu Mingxuan knew very well that the layout he had set up in that remote Old Arts Building now acted like a magnet, firmly drawing in some of the people Fu Yi had dispatched.

He could almost picture those under his good little sister, tense and at a standoff with his men inside the dusty Art Studio.

There were eight on the opposing side, while the people Fu Mingxuan stationed there numbered exactly nine.

In terms of manpower, he had the advantage.

Not only could he effectively tie down these people, but it also didn’t weaken his own forces too much.

Wasting manpower in the wrong place was the greatest mistake a commander could make.

“And the Library?”

Coming back to his senses, Fu Mingxuan continued to ask.

His gaze was still fixed on the tall building glowing not far away, as if he didn’t care about what was happening inside the Library at all.

But deep down, he knew that Yu Qing, who was desperately fleeing at this very moment, was the most unpredictable variable that needed to be contained quickly.

“Target is still inside the building.”

Chen Jing’s reply was still concise and certain.

Not long ago, the group sent to capture Yu Qing had just reported their current status to her.

She only needed one glance to memorize the result.

“Yi Fu is maneuvering around our people inside the Library using the complex structure. She’s unusually alert and agile, making a quick capture difficult.”

“Additionally, some unrelated students were accidentally caught up in the process, briefly interfering with our people. To avoid alarming too many bystanders, our forces temporarily ceased the chase. The encirclement has been restored, and they’re now sweeping the floors again.”

She paused, then continued.

“According to our plan, all we needed was to force Yi Fu into a constant escape. In terms of achieving our objective, this operation is undoubtedly a success.”

“Let them continue the pursuit.”

Fu Mingxuan nodded, issuing the order, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.

“It’s just a little mouse. We shouldn’t waste this much energy on it. Tell them—I want results within ten minutes.”

“Hmm?”

Chen Jing made a confused sound, but obeyed without question, relaying Fu Mingxuan’s orders down the chain.

She lowered her head, fingers flying across the keyboard, converting the instructions into an Encrypted Signal before sending it out.

Fu Mingxuan, of course, heard the doubt in Chen Jing’s tone, but offered no further explanation.

He understood exactly how the mercenaries he hired operated.

If he simply told them to catch a person, they would hardly give their best effort.

Only by setting a clear capture target and applying pressure would they go all out to execute his orders.

And if they actually succeeded in catching the person?

All the better.

It would save a great deal of trouble.

Fu Mingxuan could already picture the game of cat and mouse unfolding within the Library at that moment.

But that place was just a small playground.

The real battlefield was still the war about to break out between the Inheritance candidates of the Fu Family.

His attention soon left the Library.

Catching the little mouse was important, but the true prey remained calmly seated in the Student Union office.

“Execute B Plan.”

Fu Mingxuan finally turned around to face Chen Jing.

His voice was low and clear, filled with powerful confidence and certainty.

A smile hung on his lips as he spoke unhurriedly.

“Continue helping our Miss Fu Yi, and please guide her people to the places where they’re most needed.”

Chen Jing nodded slightly, her fingers gliding quickly across the touchpad, bringing up the real-time Monitoring Grid and personnel distribution around the Main Hall.

Her fingertip tapped.

In just a dozen seconds, several preset commands were activated.

***

At the same time.

Backstage at the Main Hall was packed with people.

A third of the School Anniversary had already passed, and everywhere, students rehearsing at the last minute and staff checking equipment bustled about.

Amid the crowd, a middle-aged man wearing a gray work uniform and a staff hat listened to the command in his earpiece without changing expression.

He glanced around, confirmed his final target, then quietly blended back into the crowd, moving slowly toward a suspended cable.

While pretending to repair it, he naturally shifted his body closer.

When no one was paying attention, his elbow knocked over a poorly secured truss lamp beside him, and he quickly lowered his cap and left the scene.

“Bang!”

A loud crash.

The heavy metal lamp fell, not directly hitting anyone, but knocking over a row of neatly arranged plastic chairs, causing a massive commotion.

Debris flew.

Nearby, several female students screamed in panic.

Backstage was thrown into a brief state of chaos and confusion.

Beneath the surface of the small School Anniversary, hidden currents finally began to surge.

Just as Fu Mingxuan had said, the battle between the Fu Family’s Inheritance candidates had officially begun.

In an unnoticed corner, a figure watched everything unfold.