It's obvious—the problem definitely lies in that nickname "Little Feifei."
If Lin Xiangdong hadn't gone on and on about Bai Shenfei back then, calling her "Little Feifei" so naturally, and claiming Bai Shenfei just loved when he called her that—so much so that she'd get mad if he didn't—Lin Shen would never have adopted that nickname.
*Honestly, Lin Xiangdong was a total con artist—the kind of guy who digs traps you can't crawl out of.*
*Right now, Lin Shen could only count his blessings that when he called her "Little Feifei," he didn't reach out and pinch Bai Shenfei's cheeks. Lin Xiangdong had been so confident back then, swearing Bai Shenfei had a touch of baby fat and the cutest little face, and that he'd squeezed those chubby cheeks more times than he could count given their close relationship.*
"Good thing," Lin Shen thought quickly, his mind cycling through seven or eight possibilities in an instant. He sat up straight, his gaze falling to his nose, his nose to his heart, like a monk deep in meditation. "From what Bai Shenfei said, it seems like she doesn't plan to expose me."
"Who exactly are you? Why are you impersonating Lin Xiangdong?" Bai Shenfei asked again, frowning, when Lin Shen still didn't respond.
"What are you saying? It's far too noisy here—this isn't the place for a conversation. Why don't we wait for the recruitment assembly to end and head over to my place for a proper chat?" Lin Shen decided he'd die before admitting here and now that he wasn't Lin Xiangdong.
As long as he didn't confess, whatever Bai Shenfei said, he'd still have room to maneuver.
*If he admitted it here, and Bai Shenfei had bad intentions—what if she recorded it or something? Then he wouldn't even have a chance to argue later. He'd be totally finished.*
Bai Shenfei looked at Lin Shen briefly but didn't press the matter further.
As those two spoke in hushed tones, Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er were whispering on the other side of the room.
"It looks like we might have been wrong after all. Lin Xiangdong hasn't left the base," Qi Shuheng remarked, glancing at Lin Shen and Bai Shenfei—who appeared to be in a close and private conversation.
Wang Tian'er frowned, replying, "With the move he just pulled off, there are hardly any people in the Lin Family outside his brothers who could manage it. Even if someone else could, there's no way they'd look so much like Lin Xiangdong. But still—I feel like something isn't quite right."
"What's not right?" Qi Shuheng asked.
Wang Tian'er shot a quick look toward Lin Shen's direction but shook his head, saying, "I can't really put my finger on it. Since there's news like this circulating, even if Lin Xiangdong hasn't left the base, something still seems off."
Qi Shuheng gave Lin Shen another glance and then said softly, "No matter. We'll have a chance to test him later during the segment where the three families show off their strengths."
"With the speed he demonstrated earlier, our usual alloy creatures won't reveal anything," Wang Tian'er mused.
"That's why we'll switch it up." Qi Shuheng responded confidently, "I recently acquired a rare alloy-level pet—perfect for testing him."
"Will an alloy-level pet be enough?" Wang Tian'er frowned.
"Not just any alloy-level pet would suffice, but this one will. With the right setup, unless he truly is Lin Xiangdong—even Ye wouldn't stand a chance, let alone any other alloy-level members of the Lin Family," Qi Shuheng said assuredly.
"What kind of pet?" Wang Tian'er grew curious, intrigued by Qi Shuheng's apparent confidence in this mysterious creature.
"Have you ever heard of the alloy-level Supersonic Gunman?" Qi Shuheng asked.
Wang Tian'er was momentarily stunned before lighting up with joy. "Are you talking about the Supersonic Gunman with speed attributes hitting twenty—the one hailed as the fastest alloy-level pet?"
"That's right, it's exactly that one," Qi Shuheng confirmed with a smile and a nod.
"That's fantastic! If the Supersonic Gunman faces him, unless he really is Lin Xiangdong, there's no way he'll dodge suspicion under such tight restrictions," Wang Tian'er exclaimed, delighted.
During the three families' strength demonstration segment, participants weren't allowed to use equipment or base mutation pets—only their innate base mutation abilities.
The stakes couldn't be higher. With bare hands, and without Mr. Lin Zongzheng present in the base, Lin Shen would have to face off against the Supersonic Gunman—something only Lin Xiangdong could likely handle with ease.
Though Lin Shen's earlier show of speed was impressive, both Wang Tian'er and Qi Shuheng thought it still paled in comparison to the Supersonic Gunman. Competing with it on raw speed simply wasn't feasible.
Even if the true Lin Xiangdong were present, he'd likely rely on other strategies to win rather than attempting a direct speed contest.
The Supersonic Gunman was considered the pinnacle of speed among alloy-level base mutation creatures—finding something faster was nearly impossible.
"Still, you saw it too. That guy could very well be Lin Xiangdong. If he really is Lin Xiangdong, my Supersonic Gunman might be a total loss—like throwing a meat bun at a dog, gone forever. You know how rare the Supersonic Gunman is—the value…" Qi Shuheng trailed off, though his implication was clear. If he were to use the Supersonic Gunman, Wang Tian'er would have to share the risk.
"You and I are in this together. If anything happens to the Supersonic Gunman, we share the consequences," Wang Tian'er replied without much hesitation, offering Qi Shuheng solid reassurance.
"Then it's settled," Qi Shuheng said, decisively sealing the deal.
The recruitment assembly continued smoothly, with one base mutation contestant after another showcasing their strength. Most aimed to gain recognition—not just from the crowd, but more importantly from the three major families at Dark Bird Base.
The stronger the display, the better the treatment and benefits they'd likely receive. If a contestant managed to gain the interest of all three families simultaneously, they might even land an astronomical contract.
Of course, the contestants also had the freedom to choose which family to join—they weren't obligated to decide on the spot.
Dark Bird Base was a small facility with a limited talent pool. The recruitment assembly, held twice annually, typically drew only a few dozen participants—including some returnees. Among them, only four or five ever truly caught the eyes of the three families. As for standouts, this time there seemed to be only one—the alloy-level base mutation participant, Wei Wufu.
In a small base like Dark Bird, an alloy-level contestant was considered top-tier talent. Even without attending the assembly, Wei Wufu could walk into any family and secure a decent deal.
It was only because Wei Wufu was new to the base and yet to make a name for himself that he hadn't already been approached by the families. Otherwise, they would've beaten a path to his door long ago.
Wei Wufu's performance was nothing short of spectacular. Without activating his Alloy Body, he casually lifted and swung a thousand-pound barbell one-handed—an effortless display impossible for anyone at the Steel Level.
All three families extended olive branches to Wei Wufu, but he didn't immediately choose. Instead, he said he'd think about it.
Once all the base mutation participants had demonstrated their abilities, it was finally time for the three families' representatives to showcase their own strength.
"I didn't expect there'd be an alloy-level participant at the assembly today. With someone like Wei Wufu here, the planned display seems a bit childish now. If we bring out our usual lineup, we'll only embarrass ourselves. I have a suggestion—would either of you be interested in hearing it?" Qi Shuheng asked casually.
"Qi, you make a good point. With Wei Wufu in the mix, our previous preparations do seem rather underwhelming. What's your suggestion?" Wang Tian'er chimed in immediately.
"I recently acquired an alloy-level pet. How about we use it as the test?" As Qi Shuheng spoke, he pulled a Pet Capsule from his coat pocket and threw it outward.