66: Red wine stains

The scarlet liquid, like thick ink spilled on a pristine canvas, rapidly spread across Lin Da's expensive dark blue velvet suit, forming a glaring stain.

A faint scent of wine permeated the air, mixed with a unsettling strangeness.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Teacher Lin! I... I really didn't mean to!"

The young waiter's face was filled with panic and unease, his tray trembling slightly from nervousness. He stammered apologies while fumbling in his pocket for a white napkin, ready to wipe Lin Da's suit.

However, just as his fingertips were about to touch Lin Da's lapel, Lin Da subtly stepped back half a pace, cleverly avoiding his touch.

"It's fine." Lin Da's voice was calm and even, devoid of any anger or panic. He simply gazed at the waiter, whose face was full of "apology," his eyes as deep as the sea, as if he wanted to see through him completely.

Under the Eye of Truth's insight, the waiter's current inner thoughts flooded Lin Da's mind like a tide:

Target: Hotel Waiter (Li Ming)

Personality Traits: Greedy for small gains, timid and weak, easily manipulated.

Current Emotions: Extremely nervous (9/10), fear (8/10), guilt towards host (3/10), and... a subtle ruthlessness (2/10).

Attitude towards Host: Hostility under instruction (primary), mixed with fear of the host's identity.

Key Relationships: No special background, urgently needs money due to gambling debts.

Recent Abnormal Behavior: Two hours ago, had a brief encounter with an unknown man in the hotel's back alley and received a sum of cash. The man instructed him to "accidentally" spill a glass of red wine on Lin Da at an opportune moment and use the chance to place a miniature listening device into Lin Da's inner suit pocket. If Lin Da resisted or noticed, he was to act accordingly, create greater chaos, or even...

"Listening device..."

Lin Da's pupils sharply contracted!

He never expected the other party's methods to be so despicable and direct!

This was no longer a simple frame-up; this was clearly an attempt to steal his privacy, or even... orchestrate a larger conspiracy!

No wonder the Crisis Warning Card hadn't given an early warning, because this "accident" itself might not constitute a direct "moderate danger," but the hidden murderous intent behind it was chilling!

"Teacher Lin, are... are you alright?" Seeing Lin Da only staring at him without speaking, the waiter became even more flustered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he tried to approach again to "help" wipe.

"No need." Lin Da stepped back again, his tone still calm, but his eyes now held an undeniable chill. "I'll handle it myself."

He paused, his gaze like a sharp sword piercing the waiter's eyes, and the Aura Control - Intimidation skill quietly activated at that moment:

"However, I want to know, young man, were you... a little too nervous just now? Your hands are shaking so much, it doesn't look like a professional hotel waiter."

The waiter felt a chill run down his spine from Lin Da's gaze, an invisible coldness rising from his feet and instantly spreading throughout his body. He instinctively wanted to explain, but the words caught in his throat, stifled by Lin Da's all-seeing eyes.

"I... I..." He stammered, incoherent.

Just then, Su Wanqing and Li Shengshi, who had been standing not far away, also noticed the anomaly and quickly walked over.

"Teacher Lin, what happened?" Su Wanqing looked at the glaring red wine stain on Lin Da's chest, a flicker of concern and... a hint of vigilance in her beautiful eyes.

Chairman Li's brows also furrowed tightly. He glanced at the trembling waiter, then at Lin Da, and asked in a deep voice, "Brother Lin, what's going on?"

"Nothing major, Chairman Li, Miss Su." Lin Da smiled slightly, saying in a relaxed tone, "This young man just accidentally spilled wine on me. It's a small matter, I'll just go to the restroom to clean up."

As he spoke, he subtly observed the reactions around him with his peripheral vision.

He noticed that in a corner not far away, Vice President Huang of Tianyu Media was conversing in low voices with several other high-ranking Tianyu executives, their eyes occasionally glancing his way, a faint, almost imperceptible sneer on their lips.

And behind Vice President Huang, a man wearing a baseball cap, acting suspiciously, was pretending to fiddle with his phone, but in reality, he had its camera pointed towards them, seemingly taking candid photos.

Indeed, this was a meticulously planned series of schemes!

First, "accidentally" dirty his clothes to lure him to the restroom, and then... he suspected there would be an even bigger "surprise" waiting for him in the restroom!

Lin Da sneered inwardly.

Since you want to play, I'll play along with you!

He offered an apologetic smile to Chairman Li and Su Wanqing: "Chairman Li, Miss Su, I apologize, I'll excuse myself for a moment."

With that, he turned and walked towards the restroom.

The waiter who had "accidentally" spilled the red wine, seeing Lin Da leave, flashed a look of relief in his eyes, but it was immediately replaced by deeper fear. He knew his task was not yet complete.

He gritted his teeth and quietly followed.

And as Lin Da stepped into the restroom, a cold curve formed on his lips.

He knew the real confrontation was just beginning.

He wanted to see what tricks those hyenas hiding in the dark would pull!

And he was ready to face this new, even more dangerous... covert battle!

In the VIP restroom backstage of the Golden Tripod Award ceremony, the marble floor gleamed like a mirror, and the air was filled with the subtle fragrance of high-end aromatherapy. However, beneath this seemingly calm and luxurious facade, a chilling murderous intent lay hidden.

Lin Da entered the restroom, gently closing the door behind him. He didn't immediately attend to the glaring red wine stain on his chest. He walked to the washbasin, turned on the faucet, and unhurriedly washed his hands, his gaze, however, subtly observing the young waiter—Li Ming—who had followed him in, through the mirror.

Li Ming's face was somewhat pale, his eyes darting around, and fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead. He still tightly clutched the white napkin in his hand, his fingers slightly white from tension, appearing flustered.

Lin Da knew that this young man was the first pawn the other side had thrown at him. And this small restroom was the first trap they had meticulously set.

"Teacher Lin, I... I'll help you wipe it?" Li Ming mustered his courage, his voice carrying a subtle tremor as he tried to approach Lin Da.

"No need." Lin Da turned off the faucet and turned around, a gentle smile on his face, but deep in his eyes, there was a cold serenity. "This small stain, I'll handle it myself. You, on the other hand, young man, look a bit pale. Are you feeling unwell?"

As he spoke, he seemingly casually took off his dark blue velvet suit jacket, stained with red wine, and draped it onto a clean shelf beside the washbasin, inner pocket facing outwards, as if completely unaware of any danger.

The Aura Control- Affinity skill made his smile and tone at this moment full of relaxing deceptiveness.

Li Ming looked at Lin Da's "within reach" suit jacket, a flicker of struggle and... a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. He knew this was his last chance. If he couldn't discreetly place the miniature listening device into Lin Da's pocket, a more brutal retaliation from those people awaited him.

Just as he took a deep breath, preparing to step forward again to "help," Lin Da suddenly seemed to remember something, turned, and walked into a separate cubicle nearby, casually leaving the cubicle door ajar.

"Young man, please wait for me a moment, I'll be right back." Lin Da's slightly apologetic voice came from inside the cubicle.

Li Ming froze for a moment, then his heart swelled with delight. This was a godsend opportunity!

He quickly glanced around, confirming there was no one else in the restroom, then, like a thief, tiptoed towards the shelf where Lin Da's suit jacket lay.

With trembling hands, he pulled out a black miniature listening device, smaller than a fingernail, from his pocket, and was about to slip it into Lin Da's inner suit pocket...

However, he didn't know that at the very moment he acted, inside the cubicle, a cold curve formed on Lin Da's lips.

"System, exchange for [Evidence Collection Drone (Miniature, Disposable)]."

"[Evidence Collection Drone] successfully exchanged, consuming 500 points. Please specify deployment location and monitoring target, Host."

Lin Da's gaze, through the tiny gap in the cubicle door, precisely locked onto Li Ming's hand reaching towards his suit jacket.

"Deployment location: Restroom vent. Monitoring target: Li Ming, and... anyone he might contact via communication devices."

"Command confirmed. Drone successfully deployed and entered stealth monitoring mode."

A miniature drone, smaller than a fly, silently flew out from the cubicle's vent, like a ghost, hovering in a hidden corner of the restroom ceiling, clearly recording Li Ming's every move, and any communication he might make next.

Having completed all this, Lin Da unhurriedly adjusted his collar, pushed open the cubicle door, and walked out.

"Click."

A faint sound of the door closing made Li Ming, who was fully engrossed in his "crime," jump like a startled bird, almost dropping the listening device in his hand.

He hastily shoved the listening device into Lin Da's pocket, then quickly straightened up, forcing a smile uglier than a cry: "Tea... Teacher Lin, are... are you done?"

"Mm." Lin Da nodded, looking at him calmly, as if completely unaware of what had just transpired.

He walked to the shelf, picked up the "stained" suit jacket, seemingly casually shook it, and then...

A small black object, smaller than a fingernail, "accidentally" slipped out of the suit's inner pocket and fell onto the gleaming marble floor with a soft "clatter."

The sound wasn't loud, but it struck Li Ming's heart like a bolt of lightning!

His face instantly turned ashen, devoid of all color!

"Oh?" Lin Da feigned surprise, bent down, picked up the black miniature listening device, and examined it carefully in his palm, a perfectly feigned look of confusion on his face, and... a hint of cold understanding.

"Young man," he slowly raised his head, his gaze like two sharp ice blades piercing Li Ming's eyes, which were filled with fear and despair, "What... what is this? It doesn't look like hotel property, does it?"

The Aura Control - Intimidation skill activated with full force at that moment!

Li Ming felt an invisible, suffocating coldness envelop him from all directions. He looked at Lin Da's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and his psychological defenses completely collapsed!

"I... I..." He dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice tearful, pleading incoherently, "Tea... Teacher Lin! Please spare me! It's... it's not my fault! Th... they forced me! They forced me!"

Lin Da looked at him coldly, his voice devoid of emotion: "They? Who are 'they'?"

He knew the real show was just beginning.

And the miniature drone hidden in the vent was faithfully recording everything happening in this confined space...