Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Chapter 99 How Could I Be Deceived? (Please Subscribe) (2/2)
“You’re the alliance hierarch of my new book, so I still want to remind you; with advanced AI synthesis technology these days, it’s always better to be extra vigilant,” Lin Chuan chuckled and said.
“Old Lin, rest assured, the hotel was booked by me, and I planned the travel route as well; there shouldn’t be any problems,” Old Bai said with a smile.
“Well, to your successful meet-up, cheers.”
Lin Chuan raised his Long Island iced tea and clinked glasses with Old Bai.
After taking a sip of Gin Tonic, Old Bai patted Lin Chuan on the shoulder, “Old Lin, looking at you like this, you don’t have a girlfriend yet, do you?”
Lin Chuan was taken aback, “No, what’s up?”
“Do you want me to give you a couple of tips so that you can also experience an online romance, meet up and, you know, shed your single status?” Old Bai raised his eyebrows, a smile spreading across his face.
Lin Chuan shook his head with a smile: “I don’t do online dating.”
“It’s not easy to encounter one or two beautiful ladies in reality, so you’ve got to cast your net wide. Old Lin, as a writer with no social engagements, if you don’t go for an online meet-up, you’re destined to stay single,” Old Bai earnestly advised.
“That shouldn’t be the case… right?”
Lin Chuan laughed heartily.
“Old Lin, heed advice and you’ll benefit from it,” Old Bai chuckled.
“Lin Chuan!”
Suddenly, a soft voice called out, and Shen Qianqian waved to Lin Chuan.
Old Bai was taken aback, “Old Lin, is she calling you?”
“Yeah, excuse me for a moment,” Lin Chuan nodded and said with a smile.
Old Bai’s face darkened, thinking to himself, well played Mr. Lin, with such a beautiful girl beside you, and you’re still single?
“How does this group photo look?”
“I have a group photo here too, do you like it?”
“…”
Xia Qingqing and Shen Qianqian, both holding group photos, surrounded Lin Chuan from the middle.
Old Bai’s face was green with envy, feeling uncomfortable all over, thinking to himself, well played Old Lin, wait until my girlfriend and I meet up, then I’ll have to show off in front of you too.
Tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll have my meet-up!
Old Lin, just you wait!
The competition between men doesn’t have to be that sophisticated; a simple “I concede to your prowess” is already enough.
…
The night deepened, and the trio returned to their homestay.
Huddled in the living room, they started a casual chat.
“Comrade Lin Chuan, was that young man in the bar one of your readers?” Shen Qianqian half-leaned on Xia Qingqing’s shoulder, her face covered in a mask.
“Not just a reader,” Lin Chuan said with a smile.
“Is he a close male friend?” Xia Qingqing, also wearing a mask, giggled softly.
Lin Chuan sat by the window in the living room, the breeze from Erhai Lake blowing in, his face turning pale: “That’s the Alliance Hierarch, a super true fan!”
“A level higher than a full subscription?” asked Shen Qianqian with curiosity.
“Readers shouldn’t be classified by rank but unfortunately for most authors like me, who haven’t made much money, when we receive a tip, naturally, we get excited.”
Lin Chuan laughed.
That was indeed what he thought in his heart.
Readers are just ordinary people; to be willing to spend money on reading his novels and support the legitimate version is already precious.
Even if some unsubscribe, it’s understandable because many readers also find it hard to earn money.
Lin Chuan was grateful for both full subscriptions and tips.
So, when Old Bai happened to come to Dali too, Lin Chuan happily agreed to meet up.
“Is that young man from Dali?”
Shen Qianqian occasionally popped out one or two questions.
Lin Chuan replied with a smile, “No, he came to Dali to meet up.”
“To meet up?”
Xia and Shen both sat up from the couch, all curious like gossipmongers.
Lin Chuan then repeated Old Bai’s words.
“Online dating meet-ups, a hotbed for fraud,” Xia Qingqing, as a cyber police officer, often dealt with investigating such cases.
Like tracking the money involved in online romance fraud and pinpointing IP addresses.
The amounts involved in the frauds were also significant, ranging from tens of thousands to even millions.
Lin Chuan said with a smile, “That’s true, but Old Bai will meet up tomorrow. He even said he’d bring her to meet us, and I told Old Bai to be extra careful and to text us or call the police if anything unexpected happens.”
“That’s good then.”
Xia Qingqing nodded her head and lay back down to apply her facial mask, checking the travel guides she had made on her phone.
“Comrade Lin Chuan, tomorrow we’ll continue to stay in Dali, but it’s the peak season for tourism right now, and it’s too crowded. The day after tomorrow, let’s go somewhere with fewer people, Lincang,” Shen Qianqian suggested.
Shen Qianqian chimed in, “The scenery in Lincang is also great, with relatively fewer people, so it’s more suitable for you to gather material and inspiration.”
Lin Chuan chuckled, “I have no problem, I’ll follow the two officers’ arrangements.”
…
The night faded away into the cool evening breeze.
The morning sunlight, having circled the Earth once more, appeared again over the lands of Dali in Yundian, casting a warm light that highlighted Dali’s unique charm.
The next day, Lin Chuan continued to tour Dali with Shen and Xia.
Old Bai and his online girlfriend had a successful meet-up, but since his girlfriend was rather shy, Old Bai opted to cancel another meeting with Lin Chuan.
However, he did send Lin Chuan a photo; in the picture were him and his girlfriend together.
“Isn’t she pretty?”
“Indeed, very pretty. /Big_thumb.jpg,” Lin Chuan replied.
“Hehe, mission accomplished in showing off!” Old Bai was obviously very satisfied.
The Yundian Dali trip came to a quiet end.
On May 3rd, Lin Chuan and the party headed to Lincang, a relatively less-known tourist destination in Yundian.
But shortly after arriving in Lincang, Lin Chuan received a strange message.
The message was from Old Bai.