I Rule Fortune-Telling Livestreams

Chapter 185: Kneel Down and Apologize to the Streamer

Only then did the director remember Shen Zhiyao. He asked anxiously, "Miss Shen, can you divine where Meng Xiaoxiao is?"

Shen Zhiyao glanced impassively toward the factory. "Go take a look over there."

The Bell Factory was the same as before. The secondary plant was bustling with overworked laborers, while the main plant remained a stretch of ruins.

They entered through the main gate and quickly reached the basement.

Compared to their last visit, the smell in the basement had dissipated quite a bit.

Sun Yingbin recalled the corpse from the other day and pointed toward the iron chains. "Let’s check inside. We found the body there before. Let’s see if there are any clues."

After Master Qin was killed, the police were made to close the case with a confession in order to cover up all traces of the crime.

The body was sent to the crematorium and immediately incinerated. In any case, Master Qin was just an empty shell of power. So what if he was dead?

The production crew couldn’t pry into the details of the case. They just wanted to find Meng Xiaoxiao quickly.

Soon, the door to the compartment was opened.

A clean, tidy compartment came into view.

Sun Yingbin found it strange. "Yesterday, this place reeked, but today there’s no smell at all. And the compartment is much cleaner."

Qin Feng explained patiently, "This place is meant for performing rituals. It’s only used a few times a year. We clean it occasionally, so it looks pretty presentable, don’t you think?"

The last time they were here, the place had been filled with instruments of torture. This time, however, they only saw a talisman on the floor and iron chains on the walls.

The talisman on the floor was massive, so large it nearly covered the entire compartment.

It was Sun Yingbin’s first time seeing a talisman, especially one drawn so large. He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it. "When was this drawn? What’s it for?"

His hand brushed across the talisman, smearing red pigment onto his skin. It looked like it hadn’t been drawn long ago.

’Are they trying to cover something up, or do they really need this thing?’

Qin Feng responded with a cheerful laugh. "This talisman was drawn this morning. It’s for warding off evil, attracting good fortune, and ensuring safety. If you like it, I can give you a few."

Sun Yingbin quickly waved his hands. "No, thanks. I don’t need any."

Shen Zhiyao suddenly interjected, "Last night, you were rushing to put a warrant out for us. This morning, you’ve already moved the body, cleaned up the bloodstains, and drawn such a large Array Map on the floor. Isn’t that all a bit too fast?"

Qin Feng gave a sly chuckle. "There’s no law in our country against drawing talismans."

’Master Qin’s death might cause a bit of trouble.’

But Qin Feng wasn’t worried. The people around him were all in high positions. Even if he really did kill someone, nothing would happen to him.

’Once I’ve exploited Meng Xiaoxiao’s value to its absolute limit, those villagers will come swarming.’

’Not only will they help me get rid of any suspicion, but they’ll also offer up immense fortunes.’

He glanced at Gu Shi, who was standing to the side. ’What an idiot. Still searching so hard for Meng Xiaoxiao!’

’Does he have any idea how useful Meng Xiaoxiao can be to us?’

’Meng Xiaoxiao will become the raw material for producing Chi Ling, providing us with a continuous supply.’

’Wealth, Cultivation—we’ll have it all. The Island Country will rise to prominence because of this!’

Perhaps because the talisman on the floor was so eerie, the director held a close-up shot on it for over ten seconds.

But no matter how strange the talisman was, they couldn’t forget their primary objective.

They searched the entire basement but saw no sign of Meng Xiaoxiao.

At that moment, Meng Xiaoxiao heard the commotion upstairs. Just as she was about to scream for help, a hand clamped over her mouth, muffling any sound she could make.

In an instant, Meng Xiaoxiao felt her heart sink to the depths of despair.

...

The director was about to ask Shen Zhiyao another question, but when he turned, he saw her staring intently at the talisman on the floor, lost in thought.

The director approached her. "Stop looking at that. Come on, try to divine where Meng Xiaoxiao is and if she’s in any danger."

Shen Zhiyao’s gaze shifted away from the talisman. "She’s only missing. There’s no danger."

The director pressed, "But where is she?"

"Keep looking. When it’s time for her to be found, she will be."

With that, Shen Zhiyao turned and walked away.

Meanwhile, in front of the livestream, Meng Xiaoxiao’s fans were infuriated by Shen Zhiyao’s unhurried attitude:

[Yesterday, when she should have been saving someone, Shen Zhiyao insisted on starting the stream. Now she’s acting all high and mighty again. She doesn’t give a damn about our Xiao Xiao!]

[Fuck, what ’infallible predictions’? I think she can’t divine shit and is just pretending to be profound!]

[Don’t talk about my streamer like that. She must have her reasons for doing this.]

[How can there still be mindless stans defending her at a time like this! We’re not even allowed to say her predictions are wrong?!]

[She should just admit she can’t do it. Pretending to be profound when she can’t even get a reading is just disgusting!]

The production crew’s camera panned away as the on-site guests began to leave one by one.

However, the talisman on the floor had been smeared by someone, leaving a long streak and sticky pigment all over the ground.

As the basement lights were turned off, the talisman on the floor began to emit a red glow.

Slowly, the talisman’s position started to shift, and its original purpose began to change...

In the sublevel below, Meng Xiaoxiao glanced at the ceiling, a cold glint in her eyes, and began to cackle.

...

After a full day of searching, no trace of Meng Xiaoxiao was found, neither near the sea cliffs nor within the Island Country’s interior.

The authorities had already begun to dispatch more personnel to search the area around the sea cliffs.

As time ticked by, Meng Xiaoxiao’s disappearance became like a giant stone pressing down on everyone’s hearts, making it hard to breathe.

Everyone knew that the longer someone was missing, the smaller their chances of survival became.

Moreover, with Meng Xiaoxiao’s shoes found at the edge of the sea cliff, it was hard not to suspect she had fallen into the ocean.

Although no one wanted anything to have happened to Meng Xiaoxiao, they were all keenly aware that she might have already perished.

Search terms like "Top Hua Country Actress Missing During Show Filming" began trending on networks both at home and abroad.

Meng Xiaoxiao’s fans were constantly posting hashtags online, such as "#HopeMengXiaoxiaoIsOkay," "#PrayForMengXiaoxiao," and "#ShenZhiyaoGetOutOfShowbiz."

While praying for Meng Xiaoxiao, these fans were also spreading negative stories about Shen Zhiyao online.

They cursed her for not saving people and for her inaccurate divinations.

It was as if Shen Zhiyao herself was the main culprit behind Meng Xiaoxiao’s disappearance.

When Chen Yan saw the malicious comments online, he grew furious. "Have these people even bothered to find out what happened? They’re just slinging mud!"

Shen Zhiyao, however, didn’t seem to mind. "It’s fine. Let them curse. I’m used to it."

Just then, the director came over. "The police are ordering us to evacuate. You should hurry and pack your things so you can leave with us!"

"Hasn’t Meng Xiaoxiao been found yet? I’ll wait for her to come back, and we’ll leave together." Shen Zhiyao’s tone was perfectly level, as if Meng Xiaoxiao had simply wandered off and would be back any moment.

Since the livestream was still running, her words once again drew a torrent of abuse from the online viewers:

[When Xiao Xiao was in trouble, you didn’t go look for her. What are you pretending for now? So disgusting!]

[How can someone so beautiful be so cold-blooded? Meng Xiaoxiao was so close to you and even took you under her wing, but ever since she went missing, I haven’t seen Shen Zhiyao look worried for a second!]

[She’s probably just putting on an act because everyone’s flaming her!]

[Are you all deaf? The streamer is saying that Meng Xiaoxiao will come back safely!]

[Exactly! If you don’t know anything, don’t just start cursing people. Our streamer just looks cold on the outside, but she’s actually kind-hearted. People who don’t know her shouldn’t be so quick to judge!]

[If my Meng Xiaoxiao comes back, I’ll get on my knees and apologize to the streamer in front of the entire internet.]

[If Meng Xiaoxiao comes back, I’ll get on my knees and apologize to the streamer too!]

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