The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Bai Yanzhi looked up at Uncle Chen beside him, and when he spoke again, his tone returned to its usual calm and decisiveness, but every word carried the chilling intent of a drawn blade.

"Uncle Chen."

Uncle Chen immediately stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Yes, young master."

"Find out who is managing the young master's monthly allowance, and when the allowance started to shrink. Get all the records, question each person involved, and start investigating now."

"Yes!" Uncle Chen didn't dare to delay. He turned around and walked out of the tea room quickly. When he closed the door, he couldn't help but look back at Bai Ci, who was sitting obediently. His eyes were full of heartache.

The tea room fell silent again.

Bai Yanzhi's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he shifted his gaze from Bai Ci's face to the transparent plastic bag at his feet.

The bag was thin, filled with folded clothes. On top was a jacket, and underneath was a dark blue garment with the St. Andrew's school emblem faintly visible. The bottom was also bulging.

"What's in the plastic bag?" he asked.

Bai Ci subconsciously glanced down at the bag at her feet, then suddenly snapped back to reality, grabbed the plastic bag and hugged it tightly, shrinking back like a little rabbit guarding its food.

The speed and magnitude of the movement caused Bai Yanzhi's outstretched hand to freeze in mid-air.

This was the second time tonight that Bai Ci had interrupted him with an unexpected action. The first time was when he held up an empty cup and said "It's empty," and this time it was when he was holding a plastic bag.

"...What are you doing?" Bai Yanzhi frowned.

"Don't look." Bai Ci hugged the bag tighter, her cheeks slightly puffed out, her voice muffled, with a hint of unnatural tension.

Why?

"Just don't look." Bai Ci refused to back down, her ears turning bright red.

Bai Yanzhi withdrew his hand, leaned back in his round-back chair, and regained his calm and composed demeanor, but a very subtle hint of doubt flashed in his eyes: "Bai Ci, what are you so nervous about?"

Bai Ci bit her lip, quickly stuffed the plastic bag behind her back, used her back to block it, then sat up straight, placed her hands neatly back on her knees, and resumed her well-behaved and upright sitting posture.

The entire sequence of movements was executed flawlessly, with impeccable facial expression control and an open and honest gaze as if nothing had just happened.

Only his bright red ear tips subtly betrayed his embarrassment.

"Just don't look." Bai Ci couldn't imagine what Bai Yanzhi's expression would be when he saw that school uniform.

The collar was torn, with loose threads from when Huang Mao pulled off the school badge. There was a tear in the fabric at the collarbone area. Although Song Shiyu's coat covered most of it, the shirt underneath was exposed once it was turned out.

Bai Yanzhi was already checking his living expenses. If he saw that his school uniform had been torn... that would be too embarrassing. He should have thrown away the torn shirt, but he didn't know if he would need the new one.

Bai Yanzhi frowned slightly as he looked at the way the man was protecting him so thoroughly.

This kid was so open and honest with him about his expenses just now, but now he's protecting a plastic bag like this. Something's not right.

"The school uniform is too old and not very nice," he said, his voice steady and his pace normal, without even flinching.

But the fingers he was protecting behind his back were gripping the handle of the plastic bag so tightly that his knuckles were white.

Bai Yanzhi's gaze lingered for a moment on the tips of his reddened ears before moving to his hands, which were tightly gripping the plastic bag.

He wasn't nervous. He really wanted to ask the kid, "Do I look like I don't have eyes?"

But looking at Bai Ci's expression—clearly nervous but trying hard to remain calm—he suddenly didn't want to expose her.

"Never mind," he said, picking up his teacup.

Bai Ci had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Bai Yanzhi calmly add, while looking at his teacup, "If you won't let me see it, I'll have Uncle Chen bring it over when he comes back later, and I'll see it just the same way."

Bai Ci gripped the plastic bag handle even tighter, pursed her lips, and realized she probably couldn't escape tonight.

Not long after, there was a gentle knock on the door of the tea room.

Uncle Chen left quickly and returned even faster, his steps heavier than usual, his face devoid of any composure, his eyes filled with anger and guilt.

"Young Master."

Bai Yanzhi lightly tapped the rim of his cup with his fingertips, and when he looked up, his eyes were already covered with a layer of frost: "Speak."

Uncle Chen took a deep breath, his voice low and steady:

"It's been investigated. The Bai family allocates the young master's living expenses to his personal account in full every month, but the 'daily management authority' for that card has always been registered under the name of Zhang Ma, who is in charge of housekeeping. This is an old practice from when the young master first returned to the Bai family and was still young, when the master instructed her to withdraw his daily expenses. Later, the young master grew up, but the authority was not revoked."

Bai Yanzhi frowned for a moment, but did not interrupt.

"Zhang Ma used this access to transfer most of the money from the young master's account every month, leaving only a small amount to cover his expenses. On the books, every transaction had a name such as 'clothes purchase,' 'tuition fees,' and 'meal allowance,' and she even forged receipts and signatures."

Bai Yanzhi's face grew colder and colder.

"A small change?"

"Yes." Uncle Chen lowered his head, his tone filled with barely concealed indignation. "In the past seven or eight years, she has embezzled a total of nearly eight figures, all of which she used to pay off her son's gambling debts. I've already detained her; she's waiting in the side hall now."

Bai Yanzhi closed his eyes.

Eight figures, for seven or eight years, hundreds of thousands were transferred out every month, leaving only a small amount for the daily expenses of a teenager.

He recalled Bai Ci's earnest tone when she said, "The school uniform is too old, it's not very nice," the boy's white knuckles as he protected the plastic bag, and the "empty" cup of tea...

What can you do with that little bit of money in a place like St. Andrew?

Bai Yanzhi didn't speak, but the temperature in the tea room seemed to drop by ten degrees.

"Does the young master know?" His voice was very soft.

Uncle Chen shook his head: "He never checks his account details, he only uses his current account balance each month. He probably thinks... that's all the money his family gives him."

He could spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the business world without batting an eye, but now, hearing that someone dared to cut his brother's living expenses, the anger in his heart almost burst out of his chest.

Bai Ci, sitting opposite him, listened quietly, her light brown eyes showing no emotion, as if she had long been accustomed to being forgotten and controlled.

This calmness is more heartbreaking than crying and making a scene.

Bai Yanzhi's fingers clenched so tightly they turned white, his voice as cold as ice: "Expel Zhang Ma from the Bai family and never hire her again. Compile all the materials related to her falsifying accounts and embezzling funds, and transfer her, along with herself, to the Economic Crime Investigation Division of the Public Order Bureau. Tell the person in charge there—the Bai family will send their best team of licensed defense lawyers to handle this case, and I want her to be sentenced to the maximum penalty according to the city's laws."

"Yes." Uncle Chen bowed in response.

"Her son was also sent in. He'll be charged with gambling and transferring illicit funds. We'll have the chartered defense team file a complaint with the arbitration tribunal as well."

Uncle Chen nodded, then whispered, "Young Master, her son still has a mountain of gambling debts. The creditors were only lenient with him because of his connections with the Bai family. Now that both mother and son are in jail, what will happen if the creditors find out the Bai family is refusing to honor the debt..."

Bai Yanzhi picked up his teacup, speaking casually, as if he hadn't just said anything about cutting off someone's path to survival.

"The Bai family doesn't acknowledge it." He took a sip of tea. "He was only granted leniency because of the Bai family's connections. Now that those connections are gone, it's only right that he pays back his debts. Even if he gets out in the future, he'll be constantly harassed and pursued by creditors, and he'll never have a peaceful life again."

Uncle Chen lowered his head, understanding perfectly: "Yes, it has nothing to do with the Bai family."

Bai Yanzhi put down his teacup and said, "Also, send a notice to the entire industry. Write down her name, what she did, and how many years ago the arbitration tribunal ruled. Let everyone know that anyone who crosses the Bai family will never find a job again."

"Yes."

Bai Yanzhi paused again: "From today onwards, all escrow authority over the accounts under the young master's name will be revoked, and you will be in direct contact with them. Every expenditure must be reported to me."

"clear."

"Do it now."

Uncle Chen turned to leave, but Bai Yanzhi suddenly spoke up: "Wait."

Uncle Chen stopped.

Bai Yanzhi's gaze shifted slightly and landed back on Bai Ci.

The boy remained sitting obediently, but his back was still pressed firmly against the plastic bag, and the tips of his ears were still tinged with a faint red, like a little rabbit hiding a secret.

He clearly didn't quite understand what Bai Yanzhi was saying about "delegated authority," such as "investigation department," "maximum sentence," and "industry notification." He only vaguely knew that he seemed to have had money deducted and that Zhang Ma had been arrested. Bai Yanzhi's tone was quite frightening.

But more than the huge sum of money, he was concerned about whether the plastic bag could be saved.

Bai Yanzhi's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply looked up at Uncle Chen, his tone as calm as if he were instructing him on the most mundane task:

"Uncle Chen."

"Young Master."

"Go and bring me that bag behind the young master."

Bai Ci: "!!!"

My whole body tensed instantly, my back straightened, my fingers gripped the plastic bag so tightly my knuckles turned white, and I inwardly groaned—

It's here, it's here! It's finally here!

He looked up quickly, his eyes filled with panic and weakness, trying to make a last-ditch effort: "...It really doesn't look good."

Bai Yanzhi looked at him, his ears turning red with nervousness, yet he was still trying to act obedient. His heart softened for some reason, but he didn't give in at all:

"Even if it's not good, you still have to watch it."

Uncle Chen, with his keen eyesight, immediately saw that his eldest young master was deliberately teasing the young master. He chuckled inwardly, but remained respectful and composed on the surface as he slowly walked towards Bai Ci.

Bai Ci shrugged, watching helplessly as Uncle Chen drew closer and closer. He couldn't run away, he couldn't hide, and he couldn't even conceal himself.

He slowly released his grip as if resigned, glancing at Bai Yanzhi with a pitiful look in his eyes, his expression a silent accusation—

You are bullying people.

Bai Yanzhi caught that look and felt a slight tingling in his heart.

He calmly picked up his teacup, concealing the barely concealed smile on his lips.

Okay, there's plenty of time later.

Slowly bully them.