Don't get married if you're reborn.

Chapter 494 I'll Never Bend Down (10K)

After the start of the school year, Zeng Wenjie basically never showed up at school.

It was also thanks to the fact that after Hao You Lai opened, Xue Lu was focused on building a reputation, so he took on a lot of work willingly.

After Hao You Lai opened, Zeng Wenjie and President Yu's collaboration served as a blow to those unscrupulous entrepreneurs in the business world. However, their joint efforts generated too much buzz, and suppression followed in quick succession.

Zhuang Aimin directly invited Zeng Wenjie to his office for a meeting, and the two fellow students talked behind closed doors for a long time.

The following day, Zeng Wenjie announced a 30% reduction in the wages and benefits of his own company's employees in order to support the healthy development of other companies.

At a young age, Zeng Wenjie has unknowingly already enjoyed the treatment of a future world's richest man.

The reduction in employee benefits caused a huge uproar, after all, his image had always been positive and he was known for being good to his employees.

He couldn't withstand the pressure and announced a 30% cut in salary and benefits, which was tantamount to ruining his public image.

Lin Dong, the head of Nine City Capital, was overjoyed upon learning the news.

Zeng Wenjie is the kind of person who has become too big to handle, and even Lin Dong could never kill him with a single slap.

However, it's a good thing that Zeng Wenjie has ruined his reputation; it will be much easier to target him in the future.

Recently, Lin Dong received a stern warning, which made him dare not cause Zeng Wenjie any more trouble.

Not only did Zhang Yuanqiao warn him, but Zhuang Aimin also took action, causing Jiucheng Capital to suffer a heavy loss.

"That bastard surnamed Zeng has made himself out to be a saint, and now he's incurred public wrath. Unable to withstand the pressure, he's started cutting employee benefits, which is tantamount to him destroying his own invincible image!" Yan Xueyou was equally amused.

The more unlucky Zeng Wenjie was, the happier he became.

Lately, he's been playing Hollow Knight at home every day. I have to say, every game produced by Game Science is quite addictive.

He is a loyal player of all kinds of games produced by Game Science, but also the number one hater of the founder of Game Science.

It's like Michael Jordan's haters. The basketball god is strong, but you still have to criticize him. They insist that he can't play without Pippen and Rodman.

Lin Dong remained calm and said, "Don't make any further moves against him. Secretary Zhang has already warned me. From now on, Jiucheng Capital will not be involved in anything related to him."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xueyou felt embarrassed and regretful.

Lin Dong said, "Watching from the sidelines and quietly giving him a push is far better and more effective than directly targeting him."

Yan Xueyou immediately became excited again and said, "Young Master Lin is right. By cutting the salaries of his own employees, he's essentially smashing the golden image he's built up! This guy surnamed Yu is already hated in the business world. He could have just made some money in Xudu and been fine, but Zeng Wenjie had to drag him into this huge scandal. Now he's angered everyone, hahaha..."

Lin Dong raised his wine glass slightly and said calmly, "This is the principle of 'too much of a good thing.' He kept trying to create a halo and a golden body for himself, but in the end, he ruined himself."

Xu Yuhuan couldn't help but interject, "Does that mean there's no solution to this situation? He and DL's CEO Yu have been too high-profile, provoking public anger, and they can only ruin their own reputation."

Lin Dong thought for a moment and said, "Unless he has the guts to withstand this pressure, but I don't believe he dares to do so. If he does, he'll only be able to stay in his own territory like DL, and never think about venturing out."

This time, it wasn't just one large company targeting Zeng Wenjie; even his senior, Zhuang Aimin, who strongly supported him, felt unprecedented pressure.

Therefore, after a detailed discussion between the two brothers, Zeng Wenjie decided to cut his salary and benefits by 30%.

The next day, Zeng Wenjie held a press conference and announced that all employees of his companies would receive triple year-end bonuses, which he, as the boss, would distribute as a personal gift.

The year-end bonus is usually three months' salary, but Zeng Wenjie increased it to three times, which is equivalent to nine years' salary. Even if the annual salary is reduced by 30%, it is equivalent to no reduction at all.

Then, Tsang Man-kit also announced that all of his companies would launch "unhappy leave," totaling 15 days a year, which employees can take a total of 15 days off on the grounds of being in a bad mood.

When everyone thought this young man had compromised with the prevailing environment, he was just fooling those guys. The very next day, he unleashed a powerful punch in retaliation.

The announcement caused widespread shock.

Yesterday, Zeng Wenjie announced cuts to employee salaries and benefits, sparking widespread lamentation online and countless criticisms of him.

But as soon as the press conference was held today, and he announced these measures, online opinions immediately reversed, with praise pouring in.

Mr. Yu called Zeng Wenjie, his voice trembling with emotion, and said, "Brother, you're being too impulsive. Responding in this way is too extreme. You're not leaving yourself any way out."

Zeng Wenjie said, "I've already reached such a high level of public attention, it's absolutely impossible for me to tarnish my own reputation. They wanted me to bow down, and I did, but what's wrong with me making amends to my employees in my own way?"

Mr. Yu sighed and said, "I just don't want you to be limited to doing business within one province and unable to expand beyond. We two are different, and some people can't tolerate us."

Zeng Wenjie chuckled and said, "Brother, you're overthinking it. My most promising company is actually Game Science. The WG platform has already gone global, and Tencent's stock price has skyrocketed because of WG's overseas expansion. No matter how powerful these bastards are, they can't shut down my WG. I'm going to make sure they can't stand me and can't take me down!"

"Your move is really ruthless; it's like putting them on the hot seat," said General Manager Yu. "Watching you do business is enjoyable, but you need to be careful! What you're doing is making too many enemies."

Zeng Wenjie said helplessly, "The way we do business is inherently going to offend those unscrupulous companies. Since they've put pressure on me and tried to force me to back down, of course I'll fight back hard. Don't forget, I'm a young man, and I have a lot of temper..."

Mr. Yu was left speechless, both amused and exasperated.

Zeng Wenjie was confident in doing this because of WG's success in going overseas.

After a summer of development, Tencent has accumulated a certain user base overseas, and with the support of the government, it has also opened up recharge channels for overseas users.

Zeng Wenjie's future still lies in the internet industry, which has endless potential, so he is not afraid of offending those bad guys who run real businesses.

These scoundrels set up companies and factories overseas, and even the local government couldn't stand it anymore, feeling that they were treating their employees too harshly, and issued them a lot of fines.

Zeng Wenjie felt that he had finally made a name for himself and had many supporters. With a future on the internet, why should he lower his head?

Even a businessman like Mr. Yu only became widely known to the public in the era of information explosion on the Internet.

"Seeing you do this makes me feel relieved. Actually, I've felt wronged all these years."

“I’m good to my own people, but I’m ostracized and suppressed.”

“If it weren’t for the support of the people of Xudu, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and DL wouldn’t have achieved anything.”

Mr. Yu sounded very emotional on the other end of the phone. He wished he could fly back to Fengzhou to have three bottles of strong liquor with Zeng Wenjie.

Zeng Wenjie laughed and said, "Brother, just watch me. I will work hard to spread our ideals and spirit so that more younger generations can learn from us. I hope that one day, our spark can start a prairie fire!"

President Yu laughed heartily and said, "Great, great! A single spark can start a prairie fire... Keep it up, let's strive to meet in the future."

After hanging up the phone, Zeng Wenjie felt extremely satisfied.

Yesterday, after the announcement of the welfare cuts, he was bombarded with a deluge of criticism and abuse, almost drowning him.

Even within his own company, there was some instability. Fortunately, Feng Xiao, Zheng Shouyun, Shi Jing, Ye Qiansheng, and others were of one mind with him, and they quickly quelled the internal chaos.

After all, even if Zeng Wenjie's subordinates had their wages and benefits reduced by 30%, they would still be much better off than working for most companies.

The very next day, Zeng Wenjie held a press conference to increase year-end bonuses, not only making up for the 30% reduction in another way, but also adding a very humane holiday, allowing employees to take leave on the grounds of being unhappy.

When asked why, he said that only by working happily can one have a smile, and only by having a smile can one better serve customers.

Instead of working with negative emotions, it's better to rest and adjust your mood. This will not only improve work efficiency but also ensure customers have a good experience at all times.

This response went viral online, with many people posting anonymously, tagging the boss of a certain company to come and take a look, and making all sorts of jokes, which was quite funny.

"My phone was almost ringing off the hook yesterday, and with this happening today, it's going to be ringing off the hook again," Zeng Wenjie thought to himself.

Sure enough, first, a leader from the General Administration called;

Then, Yan Xinyi and Teacher Sa also called;

Qin Yixuan was slightly behind; her news intuition was still somewhat lacking.

Our partners also expressed their concern and support.

At Fengcheng Academy, this incident caused a huge uproar. One group of students believed that Zeng Wenjie had made money and was starting to morally decline in line with unscrupulous capitalists; the other group believed that he was forced into this situation and must have had a reason to do so.

But today's press conference, the announcement of the year-end bonus program, and the introduction of the "unhappy leave" have directly restored Zeng Wenjie's shattered image.

It's just pressure. Just bear it. At worst, we can just quietly develop our business for the next few years and then make a big move when online shopping becomes more developed.

He thought this was for the best, as it allowed him to slow down the pace of expansion and abandon the idea of ​​opening branches in Marlenia. This year, he could focus on online sales and expand his channels and sales network.

As for the snack food shortage, there's no need to worry. It's already spread all over the country. As long as food safety doesn't go wrong, no one can touch it.

The undisputed king of the snack industry is not so easily shaken.

After finishing the phone call, Feng Xiao couldn't help but tease, "Are you still going to pretend?"

Zeng Wenjie perked up and said, "I still have to pretend. A young man who doesn't show off is a wasted youth!"

Feng Xiao, however, asked meaningfully, "Are you really a teenager?"

Anyway, she had never seen a boy like this before.

"Seven times a night is enough to prove whether I'm a teenager or not," Zeng Wenjie said proudly.

"Tch!" Feng Xiao scoffed dismissively. "Alright, I'm going back to hold a meeting to set the tone and plan for the rest of the year."

She was also well aware that Zeng Wenjie was going to shift his focus to online sales, and that it was not advisable for Marleneia to expand offline at the moment.

Not only will those gold giants gang up on him, but the companies he has offended this time will also try to trip him up.

Why waste so much effort expanding territory? First, take the lead online, and when the time is right, develop physical stores. Sooner or later, we'll beat these idiots to a pulp.

"We also need to stabilize the morale of the business alliance members," Feng Xiao added.

"Let's have a meeting in a couple of days, pick out two companies, and help them with their marketing," Zeng Wenjie said calmly.

To put it bluntly, the members who joined the business alliance initially did so simply to give face to the provincial government, but after witnessing Yan Peng and Chen Lianfang, they are now starting to think about making money.

As long as Zeng Wenjie can help them make money and expand their business, everything is negotiable, and their morale will not waver.

Feng Xiao nodded and said, "Is there anything else you want me to do?"

Zeng Wenjie said thoughtfully, "Buy me a JK uniform and let me see."

Feng Xiao smiled helplessly, turned around and left.

Zeng Wenjie later returned to Fengyuan College, where new students had arrived and military training had ended.

The other three handsome guys in 621 were busy flirting with freshmen girls all day long, but it wasn't just them, who were already sophomores, who were eyeing the freshmen girls; juniors and seniors were also eager to make their move.

Among the freshmen, there was a girl named Shan Yuchan who stood out. She was from the Department of Physical Education and attracted the attention of many students as soon as she entered the school.

The arrogant and foolish freshmen unilaterally declared that Shan Yuchan was the campus belle of Fengyuan.

However, the senior students dismissed this idea with disdain.

School beauty?

Ask the god who controls the 208 keys to the startup base and defeated Yao Na, the president of the major martial arts club.

Mu Qingyang kept a low profile at school, at most participating in martial arts club activities and organizing classmates to go to 208 to fight.

Shan Yuchan was still a little arrogant. After learning that the senior students didn't support her, she thought disdainfully, "What Mu Qingyang? I'm still using Head & Shoulders!"

Seeing a large number of students gathered ahead, and reporters squeezing into the crowd with cameras in hand, Shan Yuchan was a little puzzled.

"It's Senior Zeng Wenjie! Come quick, let's go see what's going on!"

One of the freshmen shouted, and then the rest of the freshmen rushed forward in a swarm.

Knowing that she was too big to squeeze in, Shan Yuchan chose a high spot where she could see through the crowd.

Then she saw a tall, casually dressed man standing in the crowd. He didn't stand out in terms of his demeanor, but the aura of his wealth made him seem to radiate a golden light.

Zeng Wenjie gave the reporters a brief reply, then looked around at the people around him and couldn't help but ask, "Am I a monkey? Why are you all gathered around watching me?"

Yang Huan from 626 jumped out and said, "You little rascal, you've managed to produce a big news story after being gone for a while. It's no wonder I, Yang Huan, always protect you!"

Zeng Wenjie put his arm around his shoulder and laughed, "Brother Huan, you're arguing with everyone on the forum again? Are you banging your keyboard until it's smoking?"

Yang Huan then said, "The laptop has crashed several times already, what do you think?"

Yesterday, after Zeng Wenjie announced cuts to employee salaries and benefits, there was a lot of buzz and a lot of criticism.

Yang Huan's classmates, who were close to him, fiercely argued with the trolls online.

Although Zeng Wenjie felt it was useless, he was still very grateful.

After the initial excitement wore off, most of the freshmen dispersed, finding it uninteresting.

Shan Yuchan specially bought a bottle of Gatorade and walked up to Zeng Wenjie, smiling as she said, "Hello, senior, I'm Shan Yuchan!"

Zeng Wenjie was taken aback, looked at the girl, and said, "Hello, do we know each other?"

Shan Yuchan shook her head and said, "It's our first time meeting, but I've long admired your name, so I'd like to get to know you."

"Oh, okay!" Zeng Wenjie nodded and took the drink as she handed it to him.

The freshmen girls had heard his name so many times since they entered university that they were sick of it, but from the moment they arrived until now, not one of them had dared to come up and strike up a conversation so directly.

But Shan Yuchan is a rather confident person. She has been confident since elementary school, through high school, and now in college, she remains confident.

She dared to do what others wouldn't.

Just as she was about to speak, Shan Yuchan saw a girl suddenly touch Zeng Wenjie from behind, pat him on the shoulder, and shout, "Hey!"

It was Mu Qingyang.

Zeng Wenjie turned around and smiled, "Hey, this is a drink my junior treated me to."

As he spoke, he unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to Mu Qingyang.

Mu Qingyang jogged over, still a bit hot. After taking the bottle, she drank half of it in one gulp and said, "Thank you, junior!"

Dan Yuchan's expression froze instantly. She hadn't expected Zeng Wenjie to use her as a pretext to flatter her, and she felt embarrassed.

Moreover, the woman in front of her was so beautiful that even she was quite amazed. If it were a real competition, it would only be a 90/10 chance? She would be 1, and her opponent would be 9.

These factors combined made her feel that her nose should be red and her hair should be multicolored, so she could stand at the entrance of McDonald's as a mascot.

"Hello, senior, my name is Shan Yuchan."

The little girl has lost all her confidence. She just said "I am Shan Yuchan," but now her self-introduction has only changed one word.

Mu Qingyang nodded at her, then said to Zeng Wenjie, "What brings you back to school today?"

Zeng Wenjie said, "I'm a student. If I don't go back to school, where can I go?"

This remark drew boos from his classmates who knew him well. Wasn't this bastard just trying to show off?
As a result, Shan Yuchan was completely ignored by Zeng Wenjie, as if she were invisible...

"Let's go eat at the cafeteria!" Zeng Wenjie snapped his fingers and smiled at Mu Qingyang.

"Okay, the cafeteria is selling spicy chicken hot pot today!" Mu Qingyang said.

Shan Yuchan was completely ignored. This was the first time in her life she had experienced such a sense of defeat, and it happened to a boy!

She even felt that the girls around her were looking at her with a hint of schadenfreude.

Shan Yuchan comforted herself, at least she had the courage to strike up a conversation with Zeng Wenjie, while these guys didn't even dare to say a word to him!
Zeng Wenjie had no interest in paying attention to the freshmen. After becoming rich, he attracted a lot of attention, and he couldn't even count the number of beautiful women who deliberately flaunted themselves in front of him every day.

Most freshmen are arrogant and a bit cocky, and he has no interest in slowly training them.

He felt it was enough to torment Qin Yixuan and mold him into a docile state.

Drinking too much tea can harm your health and kidneys.

The sudden appearance of Zeng Wenjie, who hadn't eaten at the second canteen in a long time, caused quite a stir, as he was, after all, the number one star of the Fengyuan Academy.

And now, even the TVs in the cafeteria have been shaped like him...

They're broadcasting his press conference again.

Zeng Wenjie also knew the principle that too much of a good thing can be bad and make people hate him, so he told his dear teacher Gao not to do any looping, but only to broadcast it when there was big news.

Mu Qingyang looked up at the TV and then asked, "If you do this, won't you make a lot of enemies? Those who forced you to take a pay cut will feel that you tricked them and slapped them in the face."

Zeng Wenjie said dismissively, "If someone bullies you, are you just going to sit there and not fight back?"

Mu Qingyang was embarrassed and said, "I'm not like that anymore! Now, no one dares to bully me."

Even without Zeng Wenjie protecting her, no one dared to bully her at Fengyuan Academy. After all, her battle with the Chongqing University Martial Arts Club had made her famous.

Then, she and Zeng Wenjie said in a somewhat indignant tone, "These people are really despicable. They don't treat their own subordinates well, and they don't like to see others treat their subordinates well either."

"This is an evil unspoken rule. They have profited greatly from it. When someone tries to break this rule, they will often join forces to suppress them at all costs." Zeng Wenjie shook his head. "Why can't such an outstanding entrepreneur as President Yu leave Xudu and Central China Province? This is a big reason."

Zeng Wenjie even thought that once the environment changed, he could expand Haoyoulai, cooperate deeply with President Yu, cross-shareholding, and work together to create a nationwide retail legend!
DL is too lonely. Even if there are entrepreneurs who share the same ideas as Mr. Yu, they often don't get much publicity.

Zeng Wenjie is different. He became famous at a young age, has many accolades, and attracts a lot of attention. It is difficult for others to suppress him.

Just like Lin Dong, he ultimately shot himself in the foot.

Mu Qingyang said, "It will get better and better, because you are becoming more and more outstanding!"

Zeng Wenjie asked, "Have you completed all the achievements in Hollow Knight?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I achieved it not long after the start of the semester, and then I bought a hundred activation codes and gave them away in a school raffle," Mu Qingyang said happily.

One hundred activation codes would cost two thousand yuan, but that's nothing to Mu Qingyang.

Zeng Wenjie, however, was calculating that Tencent would take 30% of those two thousand yuan!
Game Science's self-developed games have a smaller revenue share with Tencent, but Tencent takes a larger cut of the copyrights it acquires from other companies.

Although Zeng Wenjie is a freeloader, WG's user base was built up by Tencent giving out generous gift packages to its own users, so they should definitely give back what they deserve.

WG is now his biggest source of confidence and reliance; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand this wave of pressure.

After all, this is pressure that even Musk has to compromise on.

Mu Qingyang suddenly said, "I really can't wait for Dark Souls to be released! I wonder if it'll be even more fun than Hollow Knight?!"

Zeng Wenjie revealed a mysterious smile and said, "It will be released no later than 09, and there will be a huge promotional campaign in 08. This game is no less difficult than Hollow Knight, so you'd better be prepared!"

Mu Qingyang said, "Be ready to meet the challenge at any time!"

Zeng Wenjie said, "Just don't get so angry that you smash the computer."

Dark Souls was still in development, let alone a demo, but Zeng Wenjie had already seen some of Miyazaki Hidetaka and Feng Ji's level designs, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

After witnessing the success and reputation of high-difficulty games like Hollow Knight, Zheng Shouyun no longer had any objections to Game Science's focus on studying how to torture players with high-difficulty games.

He was even puzzled as to when players started to be so enthusiastic about such challenging games. Shouldn't the fun of playing games come from mowing down enemies?

After dinner, Zeng Wenjie asked Mu Qingyang to gather the classmates to play "Hero Kill" in room 208.

Although you can play online now, offline board games are more lively and fun.

Mu Qingyang knew that Zeng Wenjie had been under a lot of pressure recently and wanted to relax by releasing it all today. So, he immediately called Ouyang Yun and asked the class monitor to send someone to help.

When Ouyang Yun heard that Zeng Wenjie had come to the school, she was surprised and said, "He's coming to the school again?"

Mu Qingyang said seriously and solemnly, "He is still a student."

Then, a lot of students from the Statistics Class 2 gathered in 208. Even Professor Ge, who had somehow gotten wind of it, made a special trip to 208.

"Xiao Zeng, are you alright?" Professor Ge asked.

“Teacher Ge, what could possibly be wrong with me? Don’t forget, I am your student. As your teacher, in addition to teaching me professional knowledge, you also taught me how to be a person, and that I should not give up when I encounter setbacks, but resolutely face them head-on… Teacher Ge, you are the guiding light in my life. Without Teacher Ge’s guidance, where would I be today?” Zeng Wenjie immediately started patting the camera wildly.

The students were speechless. Wow, so that's why Zeng Wenjie got a bonus even though he didn't take the final exam!
Other professors, lacking Professor Ge's qualifications and brazenness, only gave Zeng Wenjie a passing grade.

But Professor Ge didn't care about any of that and directly allocated the bonuses to his top disciple.

Yang Huan walked up, her face flushed, and said to Professor Ge in a humble voice, "Professor Ge..."

"What Professor Ge? My rank is associate professor." Professor Ge interrupted him before he could speak.

Yang Huan's expression froze, and he couldn't say anything more. He turned around and went back to the table to continue playing cards.

He cursed inwardly, thinking, "That Zeng guy is a hypocrite, and Professor Ge is a hypocrite too!"

Given Professor Ge's attitude, he knew there was no need to say anything more. Saying more would only humiliate him and might even make him a target.

Ah Ge is really strict!
Professor Ge pulled Zeng Wenjie aside to the corridor for a chat, expressed his concern for him, and said that he had some connections and could introduce him if needed.

Don't underestimate university professors; they may be the most high-level people you'll ever meet in your life.

“You have high aspirations now, and you act uprightly and honestly, so you don’t have to worry about what others might do to you. However, you are still young, so you must remember to keep your future steps as upright as you are now.” Professor Ge patted Zeng Wenjie on the shoulder and said gently.

"Don't worry, Teacher Ge, I will definitely keep it up! This year, I still need to strive for the top ten in the country," Zeng Wenjie said seriously.

Professor Ge paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you very confident?"

Zeng Wenjie thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Eight or nine out of ten."

He told Zhang Yuanqiao everything about it. Even if he had no chance of winning the award, let alone being targeted by that old woman named Lin Ying, his words would greatly increase his chances of winning.

Professor Ge widened his eyes and laughed, "Little Zeng, you're really something!"

Zeng Wenjie said proudly, "If I really win the award, I will thank Teacher Ge for his guidance and care in front of the whole country!"

Professor Ge left happily, his steps even a little unsteady as he walked.

Looking at the old man's bouncy manner, Zeng Wenjie couldn't help but think that it resembled the way Mu Qingyang walked when he was happy.
Back in activity room 208, Zeng Wenjie sat down next to Mu Qingyang and said with a smile, "Let's play cards! After we finish playing cards, I'll treat everyone to a late-night snack and some ice-cold beer."

Jiang Yu retorted, "Why does it have to be ice-cold beer? Are you testing me on purpose?"

Chu Qingbai became excited and asked, "You must be planning to abduct Mu Qingyang and stay out all night, right?"

"Get lost, you bunch of bastards whose brains are only filled with pornography," Zeng Wenjie cursed irritably.

"I don't know who said yellow was good when they opened the shop, but no one in the world dislikes yellow," Jiang Yu said with a half-smile.

Zeng Wenjie's face darkened, and he said, "Don't tell anyone about these dark histories!"

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.

That being said, it wouldn't hurt to say it out loud. There are plenty of strange rumors about Zeng Wenjie circulating online these days.

Even Mu Qingyang was dragged into the gossip, but because of her good looks, the gossip wasn't too outrageous.

Everyone played until 9:30, then left the school, and Zeng Wenjie treated everyone to barbecue.

"President Zeng, everyone's already checked out Village BA, how about we arrange a Village Super?" Ouyang Yun asked while eating skewers.

Zeng Wenjie thought for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "Of course I can arrange it. You can pick a time to discuss it with Lao Li, and then I will provide the funding."

Yang Huan praised, "That's why I'm protecting you. They call you a profiteer, and I'm the first to disagree."

Mu Qingyang, his mouth stuffed full like a hamster, nodded repeatedly at Yang Huan, mumbling, "Yang Huan is a good person!"

"Xiao Mu, don't use the word 'good person' on me. It gives me a headache just hearing it," Yang Huan said, his face changing in annoyance.

Zeng Wenjie knew immediately that this guy must have tried to pick up a female student but failed and got friend-zoned!

He laughed loudly, looked at Xu Chuan, and asked, "How's Brother Gou doing lately? Have you made any moves?"

"My reputation is ruined." Xu Chuan said with a sullen face. "I really don't understand why freshmen would dig up old posts. Dig up that old post about taking a senior to the martyrs' cemetery for a date, damn it!"

Zeng Wenjie grinned. Choosing a cemetery for a date with a girl is something you can't come up with without a brain hemorrhage in ten years!

"And another thing, that senior student whose grandmother passed away keeps ruining my reputation. It's all your fault, she holds a grudge against me," Xu Chuan said with a mournful face.

Zeng Wenjie recalled how Xu Chuan had been tricked, and how he had helped Xu Chuan reply with, "My grandma is calling me home for dinner tomorrow." He then delivered a stunning counterattack.

"Don't tell me that with so many beautiful female students enrolling, you didn't manage to catch up with a single one?" Zeng Wenjie said seriously.

Silence reigns at the barbecue restaurant tonight.

Zeng Wenjie felt that they were really quite depressed.

After finishing the barbecue, it was almost time for the dormitory to close, so Zeng Wenjie paid the bill and announced that it was time to call it a day.

Seeing him holding Mu Qingyang's hand and walking towards the school, everyone felt there was nothing more to gossip about.

"Why don't you take me to Yunhu Lake to rest?" Mu Qingyang asked softly.

“No, I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist,” Zeng Wenjie said.

"It's alright," Mu Qingyang said in a voice barely audible, lowering her head as her face, which hadn't blushed in a long time, turned red once more.

Zeng Wenjie grabbed her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "I promised Ninth Master that I would slap the old witch before I could bully Snow White."

Mu Qingyang was stunned, staring blankly at him, and asked, "Really?"

Zeng Wenjie nodded and said, "This is a promise between men, it must be true! Otherwise, do you think Ninth Master would trust me so much that he would send me his bank card and then have me give it to you?"

Mu Qingyang thought it made sense.

Thus, this well-intentioned lie completed a perfect closed loop.

After saying goodbye midway, Zeng Wenjie returned to the men's dormitory.

This is the first time I've gone back to my dorm to sleep since the start of my sophomore year.

Although he hadn't been back for a long time, his bedding and other items were kept in the closet, and his roommates would help him take them out to air them, so he could use them as soon as he laid them out.

Zeng Wenjie thinks Room 621 is good enough to compete for the Best Dormitory Award in China!
He deliberately went to Xu Chuan's desk to take a look at the calendar, and sure enough, it was still day zero, which made him feel at ease.

There will always be someone who works harder than him!

Lying on the bed, Zeng Wenjie calmed down and thought about what had happened recently. He felt that although he had been a bit too aggressive this time, he had not done anything wrong. Moreover, this gave him a sense of venting his anger and even helped President Yu vent his frustration!

Strangely enough, lying back in my dorm room gives me a sense of peace and security.

Perhaps it was the care he received from the school and the concern from his teachers that gave him a deep sense of belonging and security here. Therefore, lying in the school felt much more reassuring than lying in a big bed in a villa.

Wake up from sleep.

Hearing Zeng Wenjie fiddling around, Lin Zhenshan muttered, "Still up this early?"

Zeng Wenjie said, "Yeah, I'm going to the playground to practice with Xiao Muchen for a bit, and I'll bring you guys breakfast when I get back."

Lin Zhenshan said, "Just bring a few beef patties and a cup of soy milk."

“Okay!” Zeng Wenjie said.

After saying this, he hurriedly went out.

Wang Bo and Xu Chuan were actually woken up by his noise, but they were pretending to be asleep.

"Big Brother is amazing! He bosses our billionaire around like this! He even makes him bring breakfast!" Wang Bo couldn't help but exclaim.

"Yes, I think Wenjie's aura is terrifyingly strong now, and it's hard to get along with him like before. I didn't expect that he would still be willing to bring us breakfast," Xu Chuan said, somewhat moved.

Lin Zhenshan laughed and said, "Wenjie isn't the kind of person who gets ahead by being a petty person. Apart from being a little pretentious, he doesn't have any other flaws. However, the feeling of being with him is indeed a little different from before. Perhaps it's because he goes back to school so infrequently?"

When a friend you spend every day with experiences a dramatic increase in wealth, even if you maintain the same relationship as before, subtle changes will still occur.

Wang Bo and Xu Chuan both looked at Zeng Wenjie with a hint of admiration.

Lin Zhenshan is alright; his family is also very wealthy, so he treats everyone equally.

Zeng Wenjie, blinded by his own involvement, failed to perceive this subtle change. Even if he had, he was powerless to change it and simply thought it was nothing.

When they arrived at the playground, Mu Qingyang hadn't arrived yet. He probably hadn't slept well last night because he was overthinking things, so he got up a little later than usual.

After hearing Zeng Wenjie's words, she thought of Xie Jiu again and guessed that Xie Jiu was most likely no longer around.

It would be strange to sleep well when thinking about these painful memories...

Shan Yuchan is from the Department of Physical Education and has a habit of exercising in the morning. When she saw Zeng Wenjie appear on the school playground, she was taken aback for a moment, and then she laughed.

She didn't think Zeng Wenjie had any habit of exercising in the morning. A boss like him must be too busy with work to have time for morning exercises.
With a touch of arrogance, she even subjectively believed that Zeng Wenjie had found out about her habit of morning exercise, so he deliberately went to the playground early this morning to "accidentally" meet her behind Mu Qingyang's back.
So, Shan Yuchan walked up to Zeng Wenjie with a confident smile and asked, "Senior, are you here for morning exercise too?"

Zeng Wenjie was taken aback when he saw her. She looked like the freshman girl from yesterday. What was her name again? Oh, Shan Yuchan!

"Hello, junior sister Shan!" Zeng Wenjie greeted her.

Shan Yuchan handed him the unopened bottled water she had brought from her dorm room and asked, "Want some water?"

Zeng Wenjie felt he couldn't refuse someone's kindness, so he accepted it without hesitation. In reality, he was used to getting things for free and was just making an excuse for his habitual behavior.

"Hey! Zeng, I'm here!"

A spirited Mu Qingyang appeared, seemingly appearing in a flash and leaping to Zeng Wenjie's side.

Zeng Wenjie handed her a bottle of mineral water and said, "Here, have some water, it's on me, junior!"

Mu Qingyang happily accepted it and said, "I was in such a rush this morning that I didn't even have time to drink water. Thank you, junior!"

She unscrewed the cap and drank most of it in one gulp.

Dan Yuchan stared at this scene, dumbfounded, feeling as if she were wearing the red nose cover again...

(End of this chapter)