Chapter 161: This Kind of Person! A Bet!

Chapter 161: This Kind of Person! A Bet!

Someone had just completed the Bamboo Forest Maze in an astonishing 48 minutes!

Zhang Lin's eyes widened as he read the notification.

It was simply unbelievable.

The current episode of the "Strongest Brain" show was being filmed at the Bamboo Forest Maze, with the main challenge being to solve the maze.

However, even the most brilliant contestants had only managed to clear the first three stages after a considerable amount of time. Even then, they often made mistakes, remembered things incorrectly, and ultimately wasted a lot of time.

The best time recorded for the first three stages was 40 minutes, achieved by a contestant named Guan Hong, the annual champion of "Strongest Brain," who had managed it three days ago.

This was due to the maze's attributes of "Confusion +1" and "Exploration Stupidity +1."

Now, just three days later, someone had completed the entire Bamboo Forest Maze in 48 minutes, just 8 minutes more than Guan Hong's best time for the first three stages.

Guan Hong was already the most skilled contestant on "Strongest Brain" and among the visitors.

Could there be a pattern to the Bamboo Forest Maze that they had discovered?

But even Zhang Lin didn't know the pattern himself!

"President Zhang, what's wrong?" Lin Muxue noticed Zhang Lin's unusual reaction and asked.

Zhang Lin couldn't explain it directly and instead said, "Senior Sister, let's go to the Bamboo Forest Maze!"

It was inevitable that the Bamboo Forest Maze would be solved eventually, and he was prepared for it. However, he wanted to see who had managed to break through it.

"Why are we going to the Bamboo Forest Maze all of a sudden?" Lin Muxue was puzzled, but she followed her boss out of the office.

Outside the office, Zhang Lin hopped on a scooter and said to Lin Muxue, "Get on!"

Lin Muxue didn't hesitate and climbed onto the back seat. Before college, she had also ridden such scooters, though she hadn't done so since then, nor had anyone ever given her a ride on one. It was a rare experience.

Zhang Lin started the scooter and took Lin Muxue toward the Bamboo Forest Maze.

If he were riding alone, it wouldn't have drawn much attention, even though he was somewhat handsome. However, a handsome young man on a mud-stained scooter with a beautiful woman like Lin Muxue, who was both mature and stunning, sitting behind him, drew a lot of attention.

Men passing by would subconsciously think, "Where did I go wrong?"

Zhang Lin noticed this and wished he had let Lin Muxue walk while he rode alone.

When they arrived at the Bamboo Forest Maze, they found the entrance surrounded by a crowd of tourists.

They were all watching a live stream video and making curious comments.

"This is the rest area of the fourth stage, it's so beautiful!"

"I've never seen it before!"

"It's truly amazing."

Zhang Lin also looked at the video, which showed the rest area of the fourth stage. It was filled with various flowers and had a special bamboo pavilion. A stream ran through it, and there was even a bamboo bridge for visitors to walk across.

A bespectacled gentleman was walking on the bridge.

It seemed he was the one who had solved the Bamboo Forest Maze.

Lin Muxue, seeing this, looked at Zhang Lin with confusion, "President Zhang, did you come here because you knew the Bamboo Forest Maze was solved?"

"How could I? I'm not a god!" Zhang Lin quickly replied, then changed the subject, "But Senior Sister, we should prepare for the award ceremony. After all, the first person to clear the maze will receive a 200,000 yuan prize from our farm, a 300,000 yuan promotional grant from the tourism bureau, and a 500,000 yuan prize from 'Strongest Brain'!"

Lin Muxue understood and immediately called the operations department to prepare for the ceremony.

They had already prepared for such an event. With a 500,000 yuan prize, it would attract a lot of attention, comparable to the buzz generated by the black bear spirit.

The farm already had 6.8 million followers, and the next goal was to reach 10 million.

Zhang Lin soon spotted Chu Heng, the producer of "Strongest Brain" (Chapter 76), standing in front of some equipment with a dumbfounded expression.

Zhang Lin approached him, puzzled, "Mr. Chu, shouldn't you be happy that 'Strongest Brain' has finally cleared the Bamboo Forest Maze? Why do you look so troubled?"

"Boss Zhang!" Chu Heng looked even more distressed, "This person isn't one of our 'Strongest Brain' contestants. We were nearing the end of the filming and wanted to add an interactive episode. We invited a few tourists to join Guan Hong, hoping to highlight our contestants' skills. But one of the tourists started out faster than Guan Hong and even cleared the fourth stage in just 48 minutes."

"Uh!" Zhang Lin was taken aback.

It seemed that "Strongest Brain" had intended to highlight their own contestants but ended up being outshone by a tourist.

With so many tourists watching and filming, this was quite embarrassing. It seemed "Strongest Brain" was set to be the subject of ridicule tomorrow.

Just then, He Rou ran up to Chu Heng, "Teacher Chu, they say you're looking for the identity of the person who solved the Bamboo Forest Maze?"

Zhang Lin recognized her; she was the first person to solve the first stage of the Bamboo Forest Maze.

"Do you know who he is?" Chu Heng asked, unable to hide his urgency.

If the photos were taken privately, it would be easier to handle, but with so many tourists around, Zhang Lin needed to quickly find the person and negotiate a deal, turning him into a powerful external resource for their team.

He Rou quickly explained, "His name is Sun Xuan. I just mentioned the Bamboo Forest Maze to him, and he became interested. He even asked me for the path data for the first three levels that we had solved. Oh, and he's a recipient of the Longke Institute's Bgavt Young Dragon Award."

"Damn!" Chu Heng blurted out, his expression immediately changing.

"Longke Institute's Bgavt Young Dragon Award?" Zhang Lin knew about the Longke Institute, the highest research institution in their country.

But he had no idea what this Bgavt Young Dragon Award was.

Chu Heng immediately smiled and asked, "Boss Zhang, you know that math genius, Wei Shen, right?"

"Uh-huh!" Zhang Lin nodded.

He had seen the math genius online, who had made significant breakthroughs in fluid mechanics.

To put it simply, the guy was a legend.

Chu Heng continued, "Even someone as brilliant as Wei Shen doesn't qualify for the Longke Institute's Bgavt Young Dragon Award because his research isn't deep or significant enough. In other words, every recipient of the Bgavt Young Dragon Award is even more impressive than Wei Shen."

"Damn!" Zhang Lin couldn't help but exclaim.

What did his Bamboo Forest Maze have that could attract such a person?

This was someone who could support the scientific backbone of an entire nation.

Chu Heng sighed, "Boss Zhang, I have to say, your Bamboo Forest Maze is truly amazing. It attracted someone like him, who even came to challenge it personally."

Indeed, in the eyes of such a person, any maze or puzzle created by humans would be like a child's play.

Yet, the Bamboo Forest Maze at Liyuan Farm had managed to draw him in.

Lin Muxue hurried over and reported, "Boss Zhang, there's an issue. The tourist who solved the Bamboo Forest Maze refused the 1 million yuan prize and asked us to donate it. He also declined to appear on camera and has already left."

This news made Zhang Lin and Chu Heng exchange glances.

Neither of them was stupid. Normally, appearing on camera wouldn't be a problem. The fact that he refused suggested there was a special reason, possibly related to some important research.

Thinking this, Zhang Lin quickly told Lin Muxue, "The person has a special identity, so let it go. However, since he donated the 1 million yuan, we can release a video and let the netizens decide which organization should receive the donation to avoid any suspicions of internal manipulation."

"Sure!" Lin Muxue nodded.

Hearing this, Chu Heng looked bitter. He had hoped to talk to the person and have him participate in a video for their show to save face, but now that was impossible.

This was likely to become another black mark on their show.

At that moment, Lin Muxue received another call. After listening to the report, she frowned, "Boss Zhang, the 'Brainiest' contestant, Guan Hong, is causing a commotion at the safety exit. He claims we're cheating and gave the successful tourist a complete path map!"

Zhang Lin, hearing this, smiled and looked at Chu Heng, "Mr. Chu, it seems your contestant can't handle losing."

Chu Heng's face turned red with embarrassment, and he quickly promised, "Don't worry, Boss Zhang, I'll handle it right away!"

He rushed off.

Their show still needed to cooperate with Linyuan Farm.

Zhang Lin shook his head.

This was a classic case of not being able to handle defeat. Guan Hong might be the annual champion of 'Brainiest,' but this scripted show always had some watered-down elements. Clearly, he didn't understand that there are always people who are better and smarter.

The Bamboo Forest Maze at Linyuan Farm had always been a popular attraction, a must-visit for tourists.

There was even a popular saying online: "Before entering the Bamboo Forest Maze at Linyuan Farm, I can do it! Inside the Bamboo Forest Maze, I can't do anything!"

Moreover, the 1 million yuan prize for the maze challenge had never been claimed.

With the combined prize money from three sources, the first person to solve it would receive 1 million yuan, and no one had managed to do it, not even the contestants from 'Brainiest.'

So, when the Bamboo Forest Maze was finally solved by a random tourist chosen by 'Brainiest,' who even outperformed a contestant like Guan Hong, everyone was stunned.

Was this a case of hidden talent in the masses?

At first, some people suspected it was a publicity stunt or a rigged prize, but seeing Linyuan Farm allow netizens to vote on which organization should receive the donation dispelled those doubts.

...

In the afternoon, after eating lunch and resting for a while, Zhang Lin received a call from an unknown number. When he answered, a pleasant female voice said, "Boss Zhang, my name is Zhong Miaoying. My father asked me to find you. I'm already at the office center."

Zhang Lin was taken aback but quickly understood her identity. "Alright, I'm in my office. You can come in directly."

After hanging up, he realized that the Zhong Bureau was arranging a position for his daughter.

However, her voice was truly beautiful, better than any woman he knew.

A moment later, he heard a knock on the door. A girl in a white short T-shirt and simple jeans was led in by a human resources staff member.

"Boss Zhang, this is Miss Zhong Miaoying," the HR staff member reported before leaving.

Zhang Lin looked at Zhong Miaoying, his eyes brightening. She was very beautiful.

Her black hair was pulled back behind her ears, her lashes thick and long, fluttering like little fans. Her nose was long and straight, giving her a naturally chiseled look. She was truly a natural beauty.

From this, it was clear that the Zhong Bureau's wife must also be very beautiful, as the Zhong Bureau himself was not particularly good-looking, to put it mildly.

It’s clear that his daughter's beauty must come from her mother’s good genes, as there are no other possibilities.

"Mr. Zhang, hello!" Zhong Miaoying greeted him with a hint of nervousness.

"Sit down!" Zhang Lin nodded and invited her to sit at the tea table.

After sitting down, Zhong Miaoying hastily took out her resume from her bag and passed it to him. "Mr. Zhang, here's my resume!"

Her words came out in a rush.

Zhang Lin took the resume and frowned slightly.

This girl was beautiful, but she seemed to have an introverted personality, feeling uneasy and anxious around strangers.

He understood why Zhong Bureau didn’t arrange for his daughter to join the public service.

"Zhong Miaoying, I’ll call you Miaoying. Don’t be nervous!" Zhang Lin smiled and put down the resume. The interview was just a formality, and he continued, "I promised Zhong Bureau that I would give you a project manager position. We have some projects at the scenic area that need managers, but each project has many employees. You’ll need to manage them and interact with visitors."

As he spoke, Zhang Lin observed Zhong Miaoying, noticing that she looked even more nervous when he mentioned dealing with employees and visitors.

Realizing that the project manager role wasn’t suitable for her, he didn’t want to break his promise to Zhong Bureau.

After some thought, he came up with an idea. "Additionally, our scenic area is getting busier, and I haven’t hired a secretary for my office yet. The salary is the same, so you can choose which position you prefer!"

The idea of a secretary's office came to him spontaneously. Every large company and CEO has a secretary's office and several secretaries. Setting up a secretary's office in advance was a perfect fit for Zhong Miaoying, who had an introverted personality. She wouldn’t have to interact with too many people, just relay his instructions, serve tea to guests, and her good looks and pleasant voice would be a nice addition to the office.

Zhong Miaoying didn’t hesitate. "Mr. Zhang, I’ll take the secretary position!"

"Alright!" Zhang Lin knew she would choose this. He called Lin Mengyao and instructed, "Mengyao, this is Zhong Miaoying. She will be the manager of my secretary’s office, with the same salary as the project managers at the scenic area."

"Sure!" Lin Mengyao nodded, surprised. "Manager Zhong, please follow me!"

She wasn’t sure when the farm had added a secretary’s office manager position, but she understood that this girl might be a connection, just like her. Given that she would earn the same salary as Lin Mengyao, she must have a strong background, so Lin Mengyao was very polite.

After Lin Mengyao left with Zhong Miaoying, Lin Muxue hurried into the office. "Mr. Zhang, as you instructed, I donated 1 million to the fund recommended by the highest number of netizens, which is the one for the singer Ms. Han. The money has been transferred, and she has already thanked us on her public account."

"Good!" Zhang Lin nodded, finding Ms. Han trustworthy.

Lin Muxue continued, "Mr. Zhang, the Bamboo Maze is gaining more popularity. We should organize another event to capitalize on its success and apply for some funding."

Zhang Lin smiled. "Besides the 200,000 yuan prize for the first place, there’s also 800,000 yuan in prizes for those who complete the maze, with 2,000 yuan for each successful completion. Since the Bamboo Maze has been completed, let’s organize an event where lucky visitors can receive the complete path. I’m sure this will be very attractive."

"The prize money has been sitting in a notarized account, so we might as well use it to make the maze easier for visitors. However, let’s schedule this event three days from now, to give the Brain Power show time to wrap up this season."

Lin Muxue was taken aback. "Mr. Zhang, I don’t recommend this. If we give out the complete path, won’t that ruin the Bamboo Maze? People will post the path online, and everyone will have access to it."

"That would significantly shorten the maze’s lifespan, and it might lose attention very quickly. That’s not a good thing!"

Zhang Lin laughed. "Sis, you’re underestimating the Bamboo Maze I created. Do you really think having the path will make it easy to complete? How about we make a bet? I’ll give you the complete path, and you can try to navigate the maze with it."

"If you can’t complete it with the path, you’ll have to do a dance and post it on the farm’s Douyin account, a hot dance to show the visitors the charm of our project director!"

Lin Muxue perked up at the idea of a bet. "Mr. Zhang, a bet should be fair. If I complete it, you’ll have to do a dance and post it on the farm’s Douyin account, so the visitors can see the charm of our boss!"

"Deal!" Zhang Lin agreed.

With the attributes of +1 Exploration and +1 Deception, he was confident that even with the complete path, most people wouldn’t be able to navigate the 1,000-acre maze, especially with the complex intersections.

At least the first time, especially for someone like Lin Muxue who hasn’t had specialized training.

Naturally, if she did complete it, he could just disappear and deny the bet.

If she failed, he would have the visitors enjoy a hot dance, and that would likely be the end of it.

Besides, he could always call her a couple of times to distract her while she’s in the maze.

"Let’s do it, but Mr. Zhang can’t give me the wrong path." Lin Muxue was genuinely skeptical. With the complete path, how could she not navigate the Bamboo Maze?

After all, the opportunity to see the boss dance was rare, and she wanted to secure this benefit for everyone.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end