"Director, don't listen to his nonsense," Li Fang nervously denied. "There was never any bet. Lin Xuan is lying to you, Director. You can't believe him."
Jiang Yutong frowned and said, "I was there. It happened exactly as Lin Xuan described—they did make that bet. What? Dr. Li, are you trying to back out now?"
Jiang Manting nodded in agreement. "I can also confirm that the bet did take place."
"Young Miss Jiang, Second Miss Jiang, since Lin Xuan saved your grandfather, of course you'd side with him and lie for him," Li Fang sneered.
"You—!"
Jiang Yutong's expression darkened.
Li Fang had always seemed like a decent person, but who knew he could be so shameless?
Li Fang shot Lin Xuan a smug look.
As long as he refused to admit it, there was nothing Lin Xuan could do to him.
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. "You do realize there are surveillance cameras here, right?"
"I have nothing to hide. Go ahead and pull up the footage if you want," Li Fang retorted coldly.
He had a relative working in the surveillance room.
During the surgery, he had already instructed them to delete the footage from that exact time.
Without the recording, he wanted to see what evidence Lin Xuan could possibly produce.
Lin Xuan smirked.
So there was some trickery involved—no surprise the footage was missing.
But did Li Fang really think this would let him off the hook?
The Hospital Director, hearing their exchange, took out his phone and made a call.
"Pull up the surveillance footage for me."
Soon, the surveillance room staff called back. "Director, I’ve checked. All footage from the past day is gone."
The Hospital Director’s frown deepened.
Li Fang glanced triumphantly at Lin Xuan. With no footage left, what could Lin Xuan possibly do now?
Lin Xuan chuckled. "What a coincidence—the footage just happens to be missing. Doesn’t that seem like something someone would do to avoid consequences?"
Li Fang scoffed. "Lin Xuan, if you can produce evidence that we made this bet, I’ll admit defeat willingly. But if you can’t, then stop slandering me."
Lin Xuan tilted his head. "Li Fang, you don’t actually think deleting the footage solves everything, do you?"
"Then what else can you do?" Li Fang sneered.
The only proof was that footage, and now it was permanently erased—no way to recover it.
Lin Xuan grinned. "Funny enough, I know a thing or two about restoring deleted footage."
Li Fang snorted in disbelief.
Lin Xuan was clearly bluffing.
Once something was permanently deleted, there was no bringing it back.
"Hold on, I need to make a call." Lin Xuan picked up his phone and stepped away briefly.
This time, he called Butler Wang.
He’d been gone for a while, and if Hua woke up without seeing him, she might worry.
"Young Master Lin, the young miss hasn’t woken up yet," Butler Wang answered.
"Got it. Call me immediately if she does," Lin Xuan reminded him, still concerned.
"Understood," Butler Wang replied respectfully.
Hanging up, Lin Xuan returned and asked the Hospital Director, "Director, would it be possible for me to visit the surveillance room?"
"Of course, of course! No problem at all."
The Director was more than willing to accommodate Lin Xuan.
This was a genius doctor—he had to keep him happy.
A wave of unease washed over Li Fang.
Lin Xuan looked so composed—could he really restore the footage?
No, impossible.
He shook his head vehemently.
There was no way. Even the experts who designed surveillance systems said permanent deletion was irreversible.
Lin Xuan was probably just trying to mess with his head.
Reassured, Li Fang followed them to the surveillance room.
Lin Xuan sat down at the computer and began working on the footage.
His fingers flew across the keyboard, movements almost too fast to follow.
Jiang Yutong mused, "Sis, I think Lin Xuan can actually do it. What do you think?"
"Mhm."
Jiang Manting nodded.
Every doctor who had seen their grandfather’s condition had declared it incurable.
Yet Lin Xuan had pulled him back from death’s door—even cured him completely.
It made her feel like anything unbelievable was just… normal when it came to Lin Xuan.
Jiang Yutong sighed wistfully. "I wish Lin Xuan were my little brother. If I had a treasure like him, I’d wake up laughing from dreams."
"You…"
Jiang Manting poked her sister’s forehead and shook her head in amusement.
Twenty minutes later, Lin Xuan stopped typing.
Li Fang glanced at the still-blank screen and relaxed.
So it had all been a bluff.
"Lin Xuan, where’s the footage?" Li Fang taunted. "I thought you said you could restore it?"
Lin Xuan smiled. "The footage is saved in another folder. Don’t worry, I’ll open it now."
He moved the cursor and clicked on a folder.
A lengthy video suddenly appeared on the screen.
Lin Xuan clicked to open it.
The surveillance footage was now exposed before everyone’s eyes, the timestamp clearly visible.
“This… it’s really been restored?” Everyone present looked shocked.
No one had expected—
Lin Xuan had actually pulled it off!
Lin Xuan dragged the progress bar directly to the exact moment of their bet.
“Li Fang, how about we make a bet? Let’s wager…”
Lin Xuan’s voice echoed from the recording.
Li Fang’s face turned pale.
Lin Xuan had really managed to retrieve the surveillance footage…
It was over.
Completely over.
Once the video finished playing, the Hospital Director fixed a stern gaze on Li Fang. “Li Fang, do you have anything to say for yourself?”
With a loud thud, Li Fang dropped to his knees before Lin Xuan.
“Mr. Lin, I admit I was wrong,” Li Fang pleaded, his eyes red. “At the time, I thought you were too young, and since you didn’t graduate from a prestigious university, I was afraid you’d harm Old Master Jiang. I just wanted to stop you from performing the surgery. That bet was only meant to deter you—if you lost, I never intended to take your company.”
“Lin Xuan, I truly meant no harm.”
Lin Xuan scoffed. “All this rambling just to avoid honoring the bet, huh?”
“A bet is a bet, Li Fang. Whether you like it or not, you will fulfill your end of the deal today.”
The smile faded from Lin Xuan’s face, replaced by icy resolve.
Tomorrow’s update: Young Master Huo.
Thank you to Yi Kewen, Alexander III of Qinglong Mountain, and other dear readers for your gifts.
Hello, my lovelies! Good afternoon~
UwU
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"