He Lin had thought Mu Li only knew Wu Bing, but now, hearing Mu Li’s words, he realized that Mu Li was probably not just a contestant who had trained with Wu Bing, as he had once claimed.
He Lin, who had reached his current position in the entertainment industry and was even hailed as having the strongest network in the entire industry, naturally had a sharp mind. Combining the previous circumstances, He Lin quickly deduced Mu Li's identity.
Didi was also very curious: “A Li, you even know people from the Pokémon National Team?”
Mu Li nodded, offering his usual explanation: “I used to train with them.”
But He Lin subtly remarked: “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
Hearing He Lin’s words, Mu Li naturally knew He Lin had guessed something. He Lin’s eyes were already full of gossip, and perhaps because Didi had just met him, He Lin didn't directly expose his identity.
However, Mu Li never intended to deliberately hide his Champion identity from his friends. The main reason he didn't proactively reveal it stemmed from his own mischievous nature—he wanted to see how long it would take them to guess if he didn't say anything.
In Mu Li's words, everyone needs to maintain some mystery to pique others' interest in them.
Secrets make a man more attractive.
Mu Li had no idea where he learned this theory, and the people around him had complained about it for a long time, including his parents.
However, over time, the people around Mu Li also became mischievous like him—the principle being, “I shouldn’t be the only one kept in the dark.” Following this idea, everyone even started covering for Mu Li, their goal being to witness the look of shock on the other person’s face when the truth was revealed.
“It seems Teacher He, you’ve guessed it!” Mu Li probed.
Guessing and hearing the other party admit it are two completely different things. When He Lin heard Mu Li's indirect admission, he was immediately astonished. He couldn't help but point to the sky and tentatively asked, “Are you really that person?”
Mu Li smiled: “If I’m not mistaken, then yes.”
He Lin couldn't help but take a deep breath of South Island's hot air, trying to calm himself down.
Didi, however, was a bit confused: “What’s wrong with you two? Why are you suddenly speaking in code?”
He Lin smiled mysteriously and asked Mu Li: “Can I tell him?”
“It’s fine, I didn’t plan on hiding it from everyone anyway,” Mu Li also smiled, “Just don’t say it in public, that’s all.”
Then He Lin leaned into Didi's ear, and with each word he spoke, Didi's eyes widened a bit more. Mu Li genuinely worried that Didi's eyeballs would pop out from being stretched too wide.
Even after arriving at the hotel, Didi still couldn't believe the news he had just heard.
Early the next morning, the Mushroom House crew would depart first to the Mushroom House to await the guests.
“Wow, after not being back for so many days, I actually miss this place a bit,” Mu Li said with some emotion.
Zhang Xiaoyang retorted exasperatedly: “Don’t you remember last time you woke up with your pants soaked?”
Mu Li’s face flushed: “Wasn’t that because the weather by the sea was too humid?”
“Indeed,” Peng Xiaochang echoed, “It’s a good thing A Li brought Arcanine. Fire-type Pokémon are surprisingly useful in such situations, even saving us the need for a dehumidifier.”
Arcanine = large dehumidifier = large dryer…
Zhang Xiaofeng also released Gible.
Having not returned here for a long time, Gible seemed quite happy, running wildly on the beach.
Mu Li, as usual, released his Pokémon. As he prepared to release Gyarados, he instinctively looked at Gible, a mischievous smile appearing on his lips.
“Gible! Come here for a moment!” Mu Li called out.
“Wu Ha?” Gible ran to Mu Li’s front with its short legs, tilting its head, looking quite cute.
But Mu Li was not the kind of person who could be fooled by cuteness, let alone a male child trying to be cute.
“Gible, do you still remember that Golden Magikarp?” Mu Li asked.
Gible nodded happily. If it weren't for that Golden Magikarp, it would have probably starved to death.
“Since you want to see it, then let’s meet,” Mu Li said with a schadenfreude-filled smile, “Come out.”
Following a familiar red flash, a Gyarados, four or five stories tall, instantly appeared before Gible.
Gible strained to lift its head, looking at Gyarados’s face.
Gyarados also recognized its little playmate and deliberately lowered its head to roar at Gible, completely forgetting its terrifying intimidation.
Gible's eyelids fluttered, and it immediately collapsed onto the beach, completely unconscious.
Mu Li’s mouth twitched: “No way? This… it just fainted?”
Seeing Zhang Xiaofeng’s resentful gaze, Mu Li shifted his focus to Gyarados and shouted loudly: “It’s all your fault! I told you to come out and greet your little friend. Is that how you greet someone?”
With that, he winked at Gyarados: “You, quickly go to the sea and catch a few fish to apologize to Gible. Remember to catch big ones.”
Gyarados let out a pitiful cry and plunged into the sea.
After seeing Gyarados disappear, Mu Li forced a fawning smile and said to Zhang Xiaofeng: “Sis, I’ve already taught him a lesson. He really doesn’t know how to act. He doesn’t even look at what he is now. I’m punishing him to catch fish as compensation for scaring us.”
Mu Li glanced over and saw Director Wang taking out his loudspeaker, preparing to say something. He immediately preempted him: “Director Wang, this has nothing to do with the production team. I’m just like this; when you make a mistake, you must be punished. Don’t plead for Gyarados either. When you make a mistake, you have to own up to it. These fish caught are for an apology, and we must eat them. This is education!”
Director Wang was stunned after hearing this: Was that what I meant by taking out the loudspeaker?
“Director Wang, don’t worry, I have experience in raising Pokémon,” Mu Li patted his chest and said, “Don’t let Gyarados’s size fool you, it needs to be educated. This mischievous kid won’t do without it. If he dares to scare Gible today, tomorrow he’ll dare to challenge Kyogre. Such dangerous thoughts must be nipped in the bud.”
“So, tonight’s fish, we must eat!” Mu Li said seriously, “Not only must we eat, but we must eat beautifully, deliciously, and with many variations, so that the child will remember!”
Director Wang: Huh? Your education, my education, they seem different?
Huang Xiaochu and He Lin, following behind, were practically dying of laughter.
“This kid, when he gets mischievous, he’s really mischievous,” Huang Xiaochu laughed.
“You wouldn’t believe it, this kid caused a huge commotion recently,” He Lin told Huang Xiaochu the news he heard from the “I Live Alone” crew, and also informed him of Mu Li’s identity, “Apparently, CCTV even created a special archaeological program for him.”
“They value him that much?” Huang Xiaochu asked, somewhat surprised.
“He’s not simple,” He Lin smiled, “I went and looked at their raw footage. That Gyarados just now, with one Hyper Beam, it split the seawater in half. Its strength is definitely Champion-level.”
“That’s amazing!” Huang Xiaochu exclaimed, though what he was thinking now wasn't about Champion-level strength at all, “So, that means we’ll have fish tonight?”
He Lin said exasperatedly: “When will you stop thinking about your kitchen?”
“Aren’t you curious why that Gyarados was just a Magikarp last time, but this time it’s Champion-level?” He Lin said, feigning mystery.
“How so?” Huang Xiaochu asked, following He Lin’s lead.
“A Li told me this last night,” He Lin explained, then recounted the story of Tapu Fini to Huang Xiaochu, finally sighing, “This kid is really something.”
Huang Xiaochu also sighed: “Exactly, that’s a legendary Pokémon. How many people wouldn’t be tempted upon seeing it? He even released four of them at once.”
“That’s why he was able to lead the National Team to victory back then, isn’t it? Just that mindset alone is something ordinary people can’t compare to,” He Lin exclaimed.
Huang Xiaochu looked at the four people walking ahead and suddenly asked: “The other three kids don’t know this news, do they?”
He Lin paused, then replied: “They shouldn’t know. I haven’t had a chance to tell them yet.”
Huang Xiaochu revealed a mischievous smile: “Let’s not tell them. Let’s see when they’ll figure it out.”
He Lin glanced at Zhang Xiaoyang and the other two, a mischievous smile also appearing on his lips—the Evil Gardenia Plan has begun.
The three naive people walking ahead had no idea what kind of plan they had fallen into.
After a short rest, Didi arrived at the Mushroom House.
“Everyone, let’s go fishing together!” Mu Li suggested after finishing lunch.
“Didn’t Gyarados go catch fish? Why do we still need to fish?” He Lin had just finished speaking when he caught a glimpse of Director Wang’s mouth twitching behind the camera, and he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“This is mainly to let Brother Didi experience sea fishing, isn’t it?” Mu Li explained.
Peng Xiaochang complained exasperatedly: “Teacher He, don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s just resentful because he can’t catch any fish.”
He Lin looked enlightened: “I remember now. I heard from Yijia that you went fishing for several days before and didn’t catch a single fish…”
“Those were all accidents, mainly… mainly…” Mu Li’s eyes darted around, and he pointed to the sea, saying, “It’s all Gyarados’s fault. It’s him; he kept swimming next to us and scared all the fish away.”
“Alright, alright, it’s all Gyarados’s fault,” He Lin said helplessly, “Who knows how many blames Gyarados has taken today already.”
“If he hadn’t come back yet, he’d probably be afraid of being blamed again,” Zhang Xiaofeng also learned to complain, “Who would have thought he’d be swimming in the sea, and the blame would come from the sky.”
Mu Li immediately clutched his left chest, looking at Zhang Xiaofeng with a pained expression: “Sis, you’ve changed. You’re not the gentle and quiet sister you used to be. Peng Peng has corrupted you!”
“Hehe…” Peng Xiaochang rolled his eyes directly, “Who corrupted whom is still debatable. Anyway, before a certain person arrived, little sister was very well-behaved. But after only a few weeks of knowing a certain person, her mouth is like it’s been poisoned. She doesn’t even dare to lick her lips when eating, for fear of poisoning herself.”
“Wow, Peng Peng, your sharp tongue is quite impressive too!” Mu Li felt like he had been stabbed in the heart.
Peng Xiaochang said exasperatedly: “Anyway, netizens are telling me online to take good care of little sister, saying that you, young man, are a rich playboy, and that I should guard little sister against you.”
He Lin also asked, somewhat curious: “There’s such a saying?”
Peng Xiaochang nodded and said: “Didn’t Wu Ha air recently? A Li attracted a lot of hate in it. Before coming here recently, they even said he was disrespectful to Wang Xin and didn’t show proper respect to the older brothers.”
“Is that so?” He Lin smiled and said, “But you don’t need to worry about that much, just be yourself.”
Mu Li also nodded, asking softly: “So, can we go fishing now?”
He Lin suddenly felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, so he just nodded and said, “Go ahead, go ahead, and come back early.”