I'm in Love Apartment, and the system is making me cultivate immortality.

Chapter 254 An unexpected encounter with Zhang Wei, and Xu Hongdou, the lobby manager?

"What spawn point?"

Zhang Wei was taken aback and looked at Gu Yifan with suspicion.

You wouldn't know unless you looked closely, and once you did, you'd be shocked.

A face with jade-like skin and a gentle, refined demeanor came into view.

Wow, so handsome, I'm almost blinded by his good looks.

Zhang Wei muttered subconsciously, "Anyway, I'm sure I've never seen you before."

If he had met her, he should have had a deep impression of her.

"It's nothing, I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."

“I have a lawyer friend named Zhang Wei, who is quite similar to you, brother.”

Gu Yifan said naturally that he could now be sure.

The only people who can spout such meaningless nonsense and exude such shabbyness are Lu Mingfei and Zhang Wei.

But to be fair, Zhang Wei is much more inspiring than that loser.

If you fall down, get up there, dust yourself off, and keep going.

Even if there are one deep pit after another on the road ahead, you can always persevere and climb out.

"You also have a lawyer friend named Zhang Wei?" Zhang Wei immediately became excited and said with a simple smile, "What a coincidence! What a coincidence!"

“Perhaps the name Zhang Wei is too common,” Gu Yifan said with a smile.

Honestly, seeing Zhang Wei felt quite heartwarming.

Perhaps the lives of the other people in Love Apartment are too idealistic.

Only Zhang Wei, who constantly suffers setbacks, looks like a doormat, but still silently grits his teeth and perseveres, is more in line with the lives of ordinary people.

Zhang Wei's expression froze, his eyes filled with resentment.

He knew his name was common; if he shouted it out in the street, four or five people would respond, but there was no need to say it aloud.

"But my buddy opened his own law firm and married a woman twenty years his junior," Gu Yifan added.

Zhang Wei: ∑(O_O；)——o(*≧▽≦)ツ

"really?"

“Yes, we all envy him,” Gu Yifan said earnestly.

Zhang Wei was overjoyed, forgetting his earlier embarrassment, and scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin.

"That's what a winner in life. I wish I could be like that."

Gu Yifan then pointed to Zhang Wei's bulging shoulder bag, where the cord of a pink hair dryer was still sticking out, swaying gently.

"Could I borrow your hairdryer too? I need to dry my hair."

"Of course." Just because Gu Yifan was a friend of a winner in life, Zhang Wei happily took out a hair dryer and handed it over.

"Thank you."

Gu Yifan stood in front of the mirror and quickly dried his hair.

Zhang Wei stood somewhat reservedly to the side, looking at the refined, handsome, and tall Gu Yifan with a touch of envy.

"This guy is so handsome. If I could look like that, hehehe, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"

Gu Yifan quickly blew on the hair dryer and handed it back to Zhang Wei.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome~"

"Hey bro, why do you always carry a hairdryer around?" Gu Yifan continued chatting with Zhang Wei, having finally run into him.

In case it triggers a system notification or something.

Zhang Wei was about to leave, but he felt embarrassed to just walk away, so he stopped again.

"Oh, that's because everyone likes to borrow fire, and I thought maybe someone would borrow wind, so I always carry it with me." Zhang Wei said in a serious tone, trying to be abstract.

"Look, I lent out two today!"

Zhang Wei (looking left and right): Actually, he's my college roommate. He always uses my hair dryer and doesn't put it back. I feel bad about not letting them use it, so I just carry it with me.

"Dude, you're pretty interesting." Gu Yifan chuckled. "Can I get your contact information? I'll introduce you to my friend later."

Zhang Wei had the same idea; he also wanted to meet the 'successful Zhang Wei' who owned his own law firm and had married a young wife.

"My surname is Gu, Gu Yifan."

"Alright, Brother Yifan, I'll be going now. My mother-in-law and fiancée are still waiting for me outside." Zhang Wei smiled shyly.

Watching Zhang Wei's hurried departure, Gu Yifan seemed lost in thought.

Is it his fiancée, Xiaoli?
Could it be that short-haired girl outside, the one with the impatient look on her face?

Gu Yifan stood there and thought for a moment; it did indeed seem like it.

Judging by the timing, Zhang Wei is indeed going on blind dates, preparing for his wedding, and getting ready to marry himself off.

"..." Gu Yifan pondered for a moment, then decisively turned and went into the restroom.

Regardless, it's more important to release the water first.

One minute later.

Gu Yifan walked out feeling refreshed, washed his hands, dried them, and quickly left the bathroom.

Inside the lobby, Zhang Wei, his future father-in-law and mother-in-law, and his fiancée were nowhere to be seen.

It seems they've already left.

Gu Yifan stood for a while, then took a step, turned around, and leisurely walked towards the venue.

If fate allows, we will meet again.

I didn't notice when I came in.

Unexpectedly, the hotel was quite luxurious, with spotless smooth marble floors, a faint and pleasant fragrance in the air, and bright yet soft lighting.

It appears to be a five-star hotel, so this comic artist exchange event certainly seems quite high-end.

Gu Yifan thought of those cartoonists who wore otaku-style short-sleeved shirts and dressed casually, and found the contrast funny.

Nobody says that rich people have to wear suits and ties every day and look smart and energetic.

Gu Yifan strolled to the entrance of the venue.

Coincidentally, he heard hurried footsteps coming from inside.

As they approached the door, they could faintly hear a clear and melodious female voice, "Okay, you can keep the guests here for now, I'll be right there."

Gu Yifan quickly moved to stand by the door and waited.

next second.

A woman in a business suit, her steps slightly hurried, emerged from inside.

If Gu Yifan hadn't had sharp hearing and dodged just in time, they might have bumped into each other.

Even so.

The other person was also startled by Gu Yifan standing by the door.

When people are focused on something, they are often startled by people or cats and dogs that appear unexpectedly.

The phone slipped from her slender, pale hand.

Gu Yifan discovered.

He could clearly see the trajectory of the phone as it fell.

At that moment, breathing seemed to slow down, and even the girl's bowed head and the noisy sounds in the venue seemed to be playing in slow motion.

No, it should be said that Gu Yifan's reaction speed increased in an instant, causing the surrounding world to appear as if it were in slow motion.

He can catch the phone simply by reaching out his hand.

"Snapped!"

"."

A cell phone clattered as it hit the marble floor.

Gu Yifan didn't reach out; he just quietly watched the phone smash onto the floor tiles.

The girl, who appeared to be a hotel employee, was also stunned for a moment before quickly bending down to pick up her phone.

With the collar unbuttoned, fair collarbones and smooth skin came into view.

Gu Yifan withdrew his gaze, turned around, and calmly walked towards the venue.

Feeling irritable.

He mentally gave the hotel a bad review.

"gentlemen."

Unexpectedly, the girl behind me chased after me.

It's 2007 now, and there are already little fairies?

Gu Yifan turned around, wanting to see what she wanted to say.

She questioned him about why he was standing at the door and scaring her.
When I turned around, I saw the girl's face clearly.

"."

Wow, girl, you're a fairy!

A pretty face that looked just like Liu Yifei appeared before my eyes.

This is different from the 'life-affirming question' that Gu Yifan was thinking of.

The girl, who looked remarkably like Liu Yifei, paused for a moment upon seeing Gu Yifan's face, then her pretty face showed a hint of apology.

"I'm so sorry to have disturbed you, sir. I'm truly sorry."

Gu Yifan raised an eyebrow and silently withdrew the negative review he had given the hotel.

"It's okay, I didn't scare you, did I?" Gu Yifan's gaze lowered slightly, and he happened to see the name tag that looked just like the celestial beauty.

"Xu Hongdou, Front Office Manager"

This name.
"No, no, no, I was in too much of a rush. Luckily I didn't bump into you. I'm so sorry," Xu Hongdou said, bowing slightly to Gu Yifan.

This made Gu Yifan a little embarrassed.

"It's okay, you go ahead with your work."

Gu Yifan sighed, realizing he was such a good person. The girl's apology made him wonder if he should have helped her answer the phone earlier.

Xu Hongdou nodded and watched Gu Yifan turn and walk into the venue.

Her gaze lingered on the poster for the cartoonist exchange meeting for a moment before she turned and walked towards the lobby.

Gu Yifan walked in and then realized what was happening.

"Xu Hongdou, isn't she the female lead in the TV series 'Where the Wind Blows' starring Liu Yifei?"

In the drama, Liu Tianxian plays the female lead, who is also the manager of a high-end hotel.

The unexpected death of her best friend plunged her into a period of turmoil and a low point in her life, ultimately leading her to resign and go to Dali to clear her head.

I had a chance encounter with Li Xian—no, I mean Xie Zhiyao—and my heart was healed by the beautiful scenery and handsome man.

Gu Yifan hadn't watched it, but he'd scrolled through most of the short videos.

I never expected to run into you here, what a coincidence.

"System, Liu Yifei, the female lead, why aren't you giving me a hint?" Gu Yifan asked the system in his mind, distracted.

The contact time was too short.

Gu Yifan: "."

Well, system, you're getting lazier and lazier these days. Before, you'd give me a notification after just one meeting.

They're telling me now that the contact time was too short.

In the future, when the kids are all out in the world, will I finally get a hint like, "Please help me win over a stranger who has feelings for you?"

Gu Yifan's complaints were of no use.

Gu Yifan had expected this, but he couldn't help but vent, especially since it might be useful in the end.

I wonder if Xu Hongdou's best friend, who died in the first episode, has been diagnosed with an illness yet.

Gu Yifan walked to the spot where Guan Gu and Du Jun had just been, but when he looked up, he found...

"Hey, why are there so many people?"

The cartoonists who were just chatting in small groups have now gathered together.

A large group of people gathered together.

Gu Yifan stepped forward out of curiosity.

I saw a guy wearing black-rimmed glasses having a heated discussion with a girl next to him.

This is the third, no, the fourth cartoonist he's seen today who wears black-rimmed glasses.

Guan Gu is one, the eldest brother is one, and Mu Wei is one.

Why are all comic book artists nearsighted?
"Dude, what's with everyone gathered here?" Gu Yifan asked, patting the man on the shoulder curiously.

The other person turned their head.

This time, Gu Yifan had a faint smile on his face. "Give me a boost in favorability!"

The boy didn't change much, but the girl he was talking to stared wide-eyed at Gu Yifan, somewhat stunned.

The male cartoonist noticed the change in the girl he had finally managed to strike up a conversation with, and his face immediately darkened.

Gu Yifan seemed to hear this prompt from the system.

"Affection with the unfamiliar cartoonist +10"

"Favorability with the unfamiliar cartoonist -100"

Fortunately, the male cartoonist didn't want to talk to Gu Yifan, so the cute, round-faced female cartoonist took the initiative to speak.

"It's a new masterpiece by Mr. Du Jun, who is known as the Little White Dragon in the Waves. We are all admiring and appreciating it."

"Oh, thank you."

Gu Yifan nodded, wisely choosing not to stay any longer.

This relieved the wary male cartoonist.

just
Dude, even if I leave, it doesn't mean you can win over the girl next to you, Gu Yifan thought to himself.

Also, when did the eldest brother create a new masterpiece?

Just as Gu Yifan was trying to find a place to squeeze in and hear what was going on...

The crowd suddenly fell silent.

Gu Yifan vaguely heard his own name, but before he could hear it clearly, he saw Guan Gu jump onto the table and point in his direction.

"it's him!"

The surrounding crowd turned their heads in unison, following the direction Guan Gu was pointing.

Finally, their gaze settled on Gu Yifan, who looked completely bewildered.

Gu Yifan: "Huh? Me?"

Point to yourself with your finger.

No, what did I miss?
To find out what happened, we have to go back a few minutes.

Five minutes ago, when Gu Yifan went to the restroom.

In the center of the crowd.

Du Jun hadn't experienced this feeling of being the center of attention, right in the eye of the storm, in a long time.

Even his usually expressionless face wore the most polite smile as he spoke slowly and deliberately.

"The idea for this comic comes entirely from my own painstaking and long-term planning."

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd.

Guan Gu stood to the side, glancing frequently at his senior brother with disbelief.

Guan Gu: Senior brother, you feel like a stranger to me!
He couldn't believe that his senior brother would attribute all of Yifan's achievements to him.

Those who are involved in the arts often possess a certain literary flair, and having their ideas plagiarized or shamelessly copied is the most shameful act.

This made Guan Gu, who had always been the moral standard of the apartment, feel very ashamed, and his anger continued to rise.

"Idea. Bullshit!"

If it weren't for the fact that Gu Yifan's newly established studio was really short-staffed, it would have been a different story.

Guan Gu had just been thinking of exposing his senior brother Du Jun's lie in front of everyone.

Oh, right, we're hiring!
"Senior brother, don't you still need some assistants?" Guan Gu couldn't help but remind Du Jun, who was speaking freely.

Stop showing off and get down to business!

Du Jun realized that he had boasted too much and was about to lose control, so he quickly nodded.

"However, I alone cannot complete this work!"

"Here, I sincerely invite all of you who share the passion for revitalizing the comics industry at Dongda University to help me complete this work together."

"Teacher Du Jun, do you need an assistant? I'm good at martial arts films and can help you."

Before he could finish speaking, several cartoonists around him had already raised their hands.

This comic is really good.

In the eyes of many top-tier comic artists who at least have their own works.

The concept, art style, plot, and content are all excellent.

In the world of novels, even if he's not a prodigy with extraordinary talent like Potato, he certainly has the potential to become a literary god with one book.

If this comic becomes a hit, even if I, as an assistant, don't have the right to be credited, it will still count as a resume.

Thinking about it this way, some cartoonists who are currently unemployed are actually tempted.

Du Jun glanced at Guan Gu and said, "Those who are interested in signing up can go to my junior brother's place to register and leave their phone number."

As he spoke, Du Junchong raised an eyebrow triumphantly at Guan Gu.

Although he shamelessly plagiarized his boss's work, he achieved his goal.

In the end, these people will find out the truth anyway; it was just a joke at best.

But Guan Gu didn't think that way; deep down, he carried a bit of the Japanese people's seriousness and stubbornness.

At this point, a female cartoonist asked another question.

"Mr. Du Jun, may I have your contact information? We can chat privately."

As she spoke, the somewhat attractive female cartoonist gave Du Jun a shy smile.

“Of course!” Du Jun’s eyes lit up immediately.

The child's stepmother has arrived!

"We can exchange more comic-writing experiences~"

With the first, there is the second.

Seeing his senior brother basking in the glow of being worshipped and showing no intention of explaining, Guan Gu's anger had reached its peak.

"Guan Gu: I cannot allow such despicable behavior to happen before my eyes! I will stand up for Yi Fan!"

Guan Gu could no longer hold back and rushed forward.

"Senior brother, I think the joke should end here!"

Seeing Guan Gu rush over, Du Jun, who was lost in his fantasy of finding a stepmother for his son, panicked.

Silly junior brother, what are you doing?!
"Junior brother, you..."

Before Du Jun could even feel a jolt of fear and sense something was wrong, he spoke.

Guan Gu then turned around and bowed to everyone.

"Smith Marseille! Everyone!"

The crowd gradually quieted down, looking curiously at Guan Gu, wondering what he was going to say.

Guan Gu also threw out a bomb directly.

"Actually, the author of 'Under One Person' is not my senior brother Du Jun!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

calm down.

"If it wasn't painted by 'Little White Dragon in the Waves,' then who was it?"

"But didn't Teacher Du Jun say that it was his work alone?"

"Yeah, what do you mean? Are you kidding us? Are you just teasing us?"

Du Jun raised his finger with trembling hands, looking at his junior brother's face full of righteousness, feeling a mouthful of blood stuck in his throat.

Du Jun: I never imagined that the person who betrayed me would be the one I trusted most! I was wronged; all the brotherhood I had with my fellow disciples was misplaced!!!

"Guan Gu: I'm sorry, senior. I am a detective and a comic artist! In my eyes, there is only right and wrong, not senior! Perhaps that year, when the apricot blossoms were in the light rain, you said you were the author of this comic, and from the very beginning, that was a mistake!"

"My senior brother was just an assistant on this comic; the person who actually conceived, planned, and drafted the first draft was someone else!"

With great emotion and a look of admiration, Guan Gu said, "To be honest, before I met him, I always thought there were no real geniuses in the comic book industry."

"But I personally witnessed the entire process of someone who was not a complete novice in the comics industry, going from independently completing a comic!"

"He is my roommate and also my senior's boss—Gu Yifan!"

As he spoke, Guan Gu, with his sharp eyes, spotted Gu Yifan, who had just strolled back from the doorway, looking distracted, and pointed at him.

"it's him!"

Before they could even react in surprise, everyone looked in the direction Guan Gu was pointing.

"Isn't this the newbie who was just looking for an assistant?"

"Exactly, I just rejected him."

"Did he draw this comic?"

"This guy is a newbie?"

"Really? Is this a joke by the organizers?"

Guan Gu immediately swore, "I guarantee it with my reputation as a cartoonist, it's absolutely true!"

Then look at Gu Yifan, who still doesn't understand.

Seeing all those pairs of eyes staring at me, I panicked.

What's going on?

Could it be that they've discovered he's not a proper cartoonist and are planning to kick him out of the event?
(End of this chapter)