Even blind box hunters don't choose their partners? I got Su Daji from my blind box!

Lin Xiao's gaze was like a knife, as if it could directly dissect Chu Shanhe's mind and see through all his secrets.

With the blessing of the [All-Knowing Eye], every twitch of Chu Shanhe's facial muscles, and even every contraction of his pupils, could not escape his eyes.

He is waiting.

Wait until this seemingly shrewd and worldly principal reveals his true fangs.

Perhaps, this is the true hidden master?

Perhaps, this is the peerless master who suppressed the fortune of Huayang Martial Arts University for countless years?

however.

one second.

two seconds.

Three seconds passed.

Chu Shanhe's expression shifted from initial astonishment to confusion, and finally settled into a...

An embarrassing situation akin to constipation.

He scratched his head, his eyes darting around, and stammered for a long time before finally breaking down completely under Lin Xiao's increasingly dangerous gaze.

"Oh dear! Lin Xiao! Good heavens!"

Chu Shanhe slapped his thigh suddenly, his chubby face scrunched up like a bitter gourd, and he almost burst into tears on the spot.

"You've really stumped me!"

Lin Xiao frowned slightly: "What do you mean? Playing dumb?"

"Why would I pretend to be stupid!"

Chu Shanhe looked aggrieved, like a wronged little wife.

"To be honest... I've only been in charge of this lousy school for three years!"

"I was fooled by those old foxes in the Ministry of Education! They said it was a prestigious university with a thousand-year history, and that I could just relax and retire here."

"And what happened? When I got here, I realized it was a complete trap! It's nothing but debt and evil spirits; even I got dragged in, and there's no way to escape!"

"Don't even mention secrets, I still don't know where the gutter oil drums from our school cafeteria are buried!"

Lin Xiao: "..."

The air suddenly became quiet.

A crow seemed to fly overhead, cawing.

Lin Xiao looked at the fat man in front of him, whose face was sincere and who even seemed about to cry, and his lips twitched wildly.

The All-Seeing Eye reveals: [This is just a complete straggler; he's not lying.]

Depend on!

I've been deceived in my feelings!

This thing is really a mascot!

Then what the hell is that red bar flashing above your head?!

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to throw the cup of premium Da Hong Pao tea in his face, and stood up to leave.

It's a waste of time and energy.

"Hey! Don't go!"

Seeing Lin Xiao about to leave, Chu Shanhe seemed to suddenly remember something, slapped his forehead, and called out to him.

"However! Even though I'm a newbie and don't know anything, there's someone... there's someone who definitely knows!"

Chu Shanhe lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously, as if he were talking about some state secret.

"Who?" Lin Xiao stopped in his tracks.

"That old jerk, Liu Bo, the director of the admissions office!"

Chu Shanhe spoke with certainty.

"Don't let his appearance fool you; he always wears baggy shorts and slippers, looking like a homeless person."

"But I checked the records, and this guy has been at Huayang Wuhan University for a full twenty-five years!"

"He outlived three principals! He saw more than a dozen classes of students graduate! He was even there when this school building was being renovated!"

"If this school really has some shady secret, or is hiding something earth-shattering..."

Chu Shanhe swallowed hard and pointed to the lewd figure squatting by the flower bed outside the window, smoking.

"He must be that gatekeeper bastard!"

Lin Xiao looked in the direction Chu Shanhe was pointing.

At sunset.

The bald man, wearing an ill-fitting suit and a crooked tie, was grinning foolishly at a stray dog ​​passing by.

He was holding a leftover bone and teasing the dog.

Huayang Wuda used to be a place where you could hardly see any living creatures, but now even stray dogs are willing to visit. It's really thriving!

A gratified and kind smile appeared on Liu Bo's face.

Lin Xiao's pupils suddenly contracted.

Good guy.

So the real hidden master had been guarding the gate all along?

……

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the newly paved asphalt road of Huayang Wuda a scarlet red.

A somewhat forlorn figure squatted by the flower bed below the teaching building.

Liu Bo was wearing an ill-fitting suit that was two sizes too big, and his tie hung crookedly around his neck like a garter.

He was feeding a dirty stray dog ​​half-eaten, pitted sausage.

A person, a dog, and the setting sun.

Against the backdrop of the opulent, nouveau riche-sounding new campus behind him, this guy somehow managed to project a sense of loneliness reminiscent of "fishing alone in the snowy river."

Lin Xiao stood on the steps, his eyes slightly narrowed.

This is the "gatekeeper" in Chushanhekou who has outlasted three principals, seen off more than a dozen classes of students, and witnessed the rise and fall of the school.

interesting.

According to the classic tropes of online novels, these seemingly insignificant passersby who are easily lost in a crowd are often the truly ruthless individuals.

For example, the old monk sweeping the floor in the library, or the old beggar selling a copy of "The Buddha's Palm" for two yuan on the street.

The saying "true hermits live in the city" probably describes this kind of situation.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and tried his best to appear respectful to his teacher as he slowly walked down the steps.

The footsteps startled the man who was feeding his dog.

Liu Bo paused, then slowly turned his head.

Backlit, half of his face was hidden in shadow, and his eyes appeared somewhat dim and unclear.

next second.

"Oh dear! Lin Zuzong!"

The moment Liu Bo saw who it was, his previously expressionless face instantly lit up with a smile as bright as a chrysanthemum in full bloom in October.

He sprang up from the ground with a "whoosh," not even having time to wipe the greasy sausage stains off his hands.

He rushed to Lin Xiao in two steps at a time, bending his waist into a ninety-degree right angle.

"Why did you come down here in person? You could have just called from upstairs if you needed anything! I, Liu Bo, am always available!"

"Without you, our school wouldn't be where we are today. I'd probably still be starving!"

"You're not just a student, you're like a second parent to Huayang Martial Arts University, a living god of wealth!"

Liu Bo extended his greasy hands, instinctively wanting to shake hands, but then felt it was inappropriate.

He quickly and awkwardly wiped his face on his suit pants, his face full of that kind of obsequiousness that gave people goosebumps.

That instant.

What loneliness, what desolation, what the lofty demeanor of a hidden monk?

It shattered into pieces on the ground, and couldn't be put back together.

Lin Xiao's lips twitched violently.

This feeling is like thinking the opponent is a top-tier player, only to find out they're a bronze player, and a stubborn one at that, with a sycophantic attitude at that.

But he did not draw a conclusion immediately.

Some old monsters are best at playing dumb to fool others, disguising themselves as petty scoundrels to play the game of life.

The more humble someone is, the more suspicious they are!

Lin Xiao's mind stirred, and a golden light flowed deep in his eyes.

[The All-Seeing Eye], open!

hum-

A pale blue data panel, visible only to Lin Xiao, instantly floated above Liu Bo's balding head.

[Target: Liu Bo]

[Position: Director of Admissions Office at Huayang Wuhan University / Seasoned Career Man / Top-Tier Opportunist]

[Level: Fourth-tier Martial Artist (achieved through years of experience and kickbacks; practical combat ability is approximately zero; it is not advisable to expect him to fight)]

Special skills: opportunistic, sycophantic, plumbing, plumbing, unclogging drains, and taking the blame for superiors.

[Hidden Attribute: None.]

[Actual return rate: -5% (Listening to his nonsense is a waste of your life and may even lower your IQ; it is recommended to ignore him.)]

[Note: Aside from his shiny bald head and somewhat kind heart, this person has no secrets.]

Oh, by the way, he hid his secret stash of money in a hidden compartment in the ceiling of his office; it totaled 2,300 yuan, mostly in coins.

Lin Xiao: "..."

The air suddenly became awkwardly quiet.

Lin Xiao looked at the glaring "-5%" on the panel, and then at Liu Bo in front of him, who was looking forward to praise and whose tail was practically wagging in the air.

That's it?

Is this the "elder" that Chu Shanhe was talking about?

This guy is nowhere near the Sweeping Monk!

He's just a complete slacker who works as a gatekeeper!