Ji Boda supported Chu Lintian, with the pot-bellied Zhu Ligang standing beside them.
Zhu Ligang kept his hands clasped behind his back, maintaining a proper distance from Chu Lintian the entire time, appearing utterly composed.
Ji Boda, too, assisted the half-drunk, half-conscious Chu Lintian with utmost propriety.
To any onlooker, there was not the slightest hint of impropriety between the two.
Lin Mo could roughly guess the situation—the Wanhao Hotel was an international chain, and a couple of local business tycoons held no sway to bend its rules.
Under the watchful eyes of surveillance, they had to maintain a facade of decorum.
Lin Mo opened his eyes and pointed to a nearby room.
"Miaomiao, hide in that room for now."
"Huh?"
Chu Miaomiao glanced at the room, then back at Lin Mo.
Noticing the hesitation on the girl's face, Lin Mo suddenly remembered the room was pitch dark.
He quickly strode over and switched on the light.
"Forgot you're afraid of the dark," Lin Mo said apologetically.
"Lin Mo, will my mom be okay?"
Lin Mo reached out and gently patted the girl's head.
"Of course. Trust me."
The girl nodded obediently and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
Now, all that remained was to wait.
Lin Mo sat calmly on the sofa and cast an invisibility spell.
Beep.
The door lock clicked open.
"Here, careful now, President Chu," Ji Boda said as he dumped Chu Lintian onto the bed.
He then walked to the side, casually poured a glass of water from the hotel’s supply, and pulled a packet of powder from his pocket, emptying its contents into the cup.
Zhu Ligang smirked at the woman on the bed.
"Heh, President Chu, President Chu… If you’d just spent one night with me, I’d have handed over the contract. Why force me to take the hard route? Was it really necessary?"
Ji Boda handed the glass to Zhu Ligang.
"President Zhu, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."
"Go on, go on. Don’t worry—your cut is guaranteed. I won’t forget your share."
Zhu Ligang took the glass, ready to force the drugged water down the woman’s throat.
Once Chu Lintian drank it, he’d set up the camera.
After that, she’d be as pliable as dough in his hands.
And those curves—they really did look as soft as dough.
He rubbed his hands together. "Since she’s already drunk, no harm in getting a little handsy first, right?"
Just as he was about to indulge, he noticed Ji Boda still lingering.
"What? You want a taste too? Don’t worry—once I’m done with her, she’s all yours."
Hearing this, Ji Boda couldn’t help but grin.
"Then I’ll thank you in advance, President Zhu."
With that, he turned to leave, though not without a trace of reluctance.
At that moment, a figure blocked the doorway.
"I think you should stay for the next act."
Ji Boda’s eyes widened.
"Who the hell are you?!"
But in the next second, his pupils dilated, losing focus.
If this were a book from a certain forum, Lin Mo’s soul-controlling ability would already be pushing boundaries.
But this was a proper novel.
So Lin Mo merely took control of Ji Boda.
Hearing the commotion, Zhu Ligang stepped forward.
The moment he saw Lin Mo, he opened his mouth to speak—only for two beams of light to shoot from Lin Mo’s eyes.
Nightmare Illusion: A technique to bewitch others, plunging them into hallucination.
Lin Mo yanked the controlled Ji Boda forward.
"In your eyes, he is Chu Lintian. Whatever you planned to do to her tonight, do it to him instead."
With that, Lin Mo herded the two into the room, flung Ji Boda onto the bed, then lifted the drunken Chu Lintian effortlessly.
He knocked on the door where Chu Miaomiao was hiding.
"It’s me."
The door opened, and Chu Miaomiao’s eyes brightened at the sight of Lin Mo and her mother.
"Mom, are you okay?"
Chu Lintian’s consciousness flickered back at her daughter’s voice. She squinted and reached out weakly.
"Sweetie, why are you here?"
"Lin Mo and I came to pick you up."
Lin Mo glanced at the room where the "performance" was about to begin and said to Chu Miaomiao, "Let’s get your mom home. The taxi driver’s still waiting downstairs."
Chu Miaomiao peeked nervously at the source of the noises.
"Eyes forward, kid."
Lin Mo gently turned her head away.
They left the hotel, returning the key card to the front desk. In ten minutes, the receptionist’s mind control would wear off.
The taxi driver, also under Lin Mo’s spell, regained his senses while aimlessly driving around after dropping them off at the neighborhood.
None of them retained any memory of encountering Lin Mo or the others, yet nothing felt amiss.
As for Ji Boda and Zhu Ligang? Their ordeal wasn’t over.
Lin Mo hadn’t just used his powers on them—he’d also left a spiritual mark.
Now, he could track them anytime.
Back in the neighborhood, power had been restored.
Lin Mo carried Chu Lintian into the elevator with one arm.
The apartment was brightly lit when they arrived.
He laid Chu Lintian on the sofa—she was fast asleep by now.
If not for Lin Mo’s superhuman physique, bringing her back would’ve been impossible.
Lin Mo turned to Chu Miaomiao.
"I think we need to get our stories straight."
Chu Miaomiao blinked.
"Huh? What story? How do we ‘straighten’ it?"
Lin Mo thought for a moment. "When your mom wakes up, tell her we went to the hotel to pick her up, saw Secretary Ji and President Zhu trying something shady, and I scared them off before bringing you both home."
Chu Miaomiao nodded.
"Repeat it back to me," Lin Mo said.
She recited it verbatim.
"Good. And remind your mom to be more careful in the future. I won’t always be around to help."
Lin Mo knew he’d intervene when he could, but the world was full of darkness he couldn’t possibly oversee.
Chu Miaomiao nodded again. "I won’t tell anyone about your… superpowers."
Lin Mo wasn’t surprised she’d noticed something. Innocent as she was, the girl wasn’t stupid.
Even if she blabbed about his abilities, who’d believe her?
Still, he clarified, "It’s not superpowers. It’s qigong. The art has many applications, but true practitioners are rare these days. Just keep it to yourself."
Chu Miaomiao nodded solemnly. "I understand. I’ll keep your secret."
Good kid.
"Since you and your mom are safe now, help her change into clean clothes. I’ll head out."
The rain had stopped outside.
Moonlight pierced through the clouds, casting silver streaks across the balcony.
As Lin Mo walked away, Chu Miaomiao suddenly called out, "Lin Mo! Thank you!"
Without turning, he simply waved a hand.
"Don’t mention it. I’ve eaten enough of your rice to owe you one."