After Lin Zhiyu and his family moved, Yan Po and two men tried various ways to sneak into the community, but all their attempts ended in failure.
A month and a half passed in the blink of an eye, and Yan Po still hadn’t succeeded. She grew more and more anxious, but the other two men showed no concern.
They had become fascinated by this stable, peaceful, and orderly society…
Their status in the Golden Triangle was low. Every day, they crawled under others’ feet like dogs. The extravagant and luxurious pleasures had nothing to do with them.
Even though they occasionally received rewards, they were just servants!
But now, they could walk freely on the streets with their heads held high and enjoy all kinds of delicacies without spending too much money. They hadn’t seen poisonous green and red centipedes or maggots for a long time. They no longer had to endure mud and filth on the streets, nor did they have to grovel like dogs.
Life here felt much safer.
Though they would never dare betray their superiors, they wished they could live this kind of life for one more day.
The only difference was that one of them genuinely envied this life, while the other grew increasingly jealous, twisted by resentment.
Sooner or later, they would have to return to their old lives. Why could the people here live so stably and happily?!
Yan Po had no time to worry about her subordinates’ mental states. Every day, she focused on figuring out how to complete her mission.
Playing the role of an old scavenger was no longer effective beyond gathering information. She then pretended to be a wealthy old lady, trying to get acquainted with people in the community.
Lin Zhiyu might have been moved by Yan Po’s persistence, but he was currently busy taking care of his students.
Summer vacation had passed, and Lin Zhiyu’s students began reporting in one after another.
Six students—three boys and three girls—all arrived three days earlier than the school required. The oldest was thirty-one, and the youngest was around twenty-four or twenty-five.
In fact, this was a very normal age range for Ph.D. students, but Lin Zhiyu was unusually young to be their supervisor.
However, none of them would ever underestimate him because of his age. They were well aware that studying under a genius professor like Lin Zhiyu was like striking gold in their ancestors’ graves!
All of them were thrilled to meet Lin Zhiyu. They became even more ecstatic when they saw him spending every day in the lab. Their motivation skyrocketed, and they felt like they could spend every night sleeping in the lab.
In less than a week, Lin Zhiyu’s lab had earned the nickname “The Madman’s Laboratory.”
Inevitably, this group of students met Xie Youzhou, who frequently came by to take their professor home.
After Lin Zhiyu left that night, the students couldn’t resist gossiping.
“Is he just Professor Lin’s younger brother? What kind of younger brother picks up and drops off his older brother every day? Their relationship is too good… ahem,” Wu Tiantian, the youngest of the group with a round face, said with a sparkle of excitement in her eyes.
Liu Xinfang, who wore a ponytail, chimed in, “Professor Lin’s younger brother is so handsome. He didn’t even have a date tonight. That’s unusual…”
Zhuang Chenggong, the eldest in the group, coughed. “It’s perfectly normal. They just have a good relationship and live together. So, it makes sense that they go home together.”
“But they don’t seem to be biological brothers. I learned this from some students in other labs,” said Zhao Ping, a tall and thin boy sweeping the floor nearby.
“But they live in the same community,” Zhuang Chenggong noted. “Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is, we need to decide where to invite Professor Lin for dinner. We can’t delay any longer. Other labs have already invited their professors.”
“But Professor Lin told us not to. He’s already refused us twice.”
Wu Tiantian scratched her head.
Zhuang Chenggong frowned slightly. “Professor Lin is a nice person and doesn’t want us to spend money, but we still need to invite him. It’s normal for students to treat their teacher to a meal. How about booking a table at Xiaozhu? It’s tasty, affordable, and not expensive. Professor Lin should agree.”
“But it’s so cheap there, and it’s always crowded. Even if the six of us go with the professor and don’t order drinks, it’ll only cost about 250 yuan.”
“Hahaha, yeah, it sounds like ‘250’.”
“Xiaozhu won’t work. There aren’t any private rooms. The six of us will have to squeeze into a small space.”
“How about Jingxiaoxi Restaurant? I’ve been there once. The environment is nice, the food is good, and it’s not too expensive. It’ll cost around 200 yuan per person, which is affordable on our scholarship.”
“Alright, that’s the place. I agree.”
“Same here.”
“Let’s go with that…”
“…”
The six students finally decided to book a private room at Jingxiaoxi Restaurant. The next day, they would persuade Lin Zhiyu to go with them.
Lin Zhiyu, though reluctant, eventually agreed, but he had no intention of letting the students pay.
Jingxiaoxi Restaurant was located eight kilometers away from the Institute of Biochemical Sciences. It had gained some popularity a couple of years ago when an internet celebrity visited, but the prices hadn’t gone up. It was known as one of the most affordable trendy restaurants in Beijing.
The group drove over in two cars. When they arrived, the parking lot was full. Zhuang Chenggong circled several times before finally finding a spot.
But instead of parking, he called Lin Zhiyu over to park the car himself. Lin Zhiyu smiled and said, “Just park it. I’ll find a spot myself.”
Zhuang Chenggong, however, kept urging Lin Zhiyu to park. When Lin Zhiyu refused, Zhuang Chenggong persisted. Wu Tiantian and Liu Xinfang, sitting in the back of Lin Zhiyu’s car, exchanged embarrassed glances, unsure of what to say.
Perhaps Zhuang Chenggong once had a very strict tutor, which made him so cautious.
Lin Zhiyu sighed inwardly.
He understood Zhuang Chenggong’s caution and eagerness to please. Many Ph.D. and Master’s supervisors were indeed harsh, sometimes going so far as sabotaging students over small mistakes. While not common, cases of students being driven to desperation were not unheard of.
But Lin Zhiyu had seen Zhuang Chenggong’s academic background. He had previously studied under Professor Liu Yuhua at Peking University. Although Liu Yuhua was an authoritative teacher, he wasn’t particularly harsh with students. Lin Zhiyu wondered if Zhuang had been disciplined for some mistake, which had left him overly cautious now…
Seeing that Zhuang Chenggong wouldn’t give up, Lin Zhiyu was about to agree when he noticed a car pulling out of a spot about 20 meters away.
“Park here. I’ve found a space,” Lin Zhiyu told Zhuang over the phone.
Lin Zhiyu slowly drove over.
Just as the car pulled out and he was about to park, he heard a happy voice call out to him.
“Hey, Zhiyu?! What a coincidence, it’s been a while!”
Lin Zhiyu turned around, confused. The window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.
“Dr. Cao?”
Lin Zhiyu was a surprised, he hadn’t expected to run into Cao Chengfei here.
Cao Chengfei was the psychiatrist and psychologist whom Jiang Weihua had arranged to provide psychological counseling for him during his hospital stay. Although the explosion hadn’t caused him any psychological trauma, he had accepted the kind gesture nonetheless.
After parking his car, Lin Zhiyu noticed that Cao Chengfei hadn’t left. Cao Chengfei glanced at Lin Zhiyu and then at the two girls stepping out from the backseat of his car, raising his eyebrows in curiosity.
“Who are these two?” Cao Chengfei asked.
“They’re my students. We’re having a dinner together,” Lin Zhiyu replied, gesturing for Wu Tiantian and the others to head into the restaurant to join Zhuang Chenggong before turning back to look at Cao Chengfei.
“Did you just finish eating?” Lin Zhiyu asked.
“Yes, I brought my cousin here. I heard the food is quite good,” Cao Chengfei replied, his eyes glinting behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Seated in the passenger seat was a young man, around Lin Zhiyu’s age, who leaned forward and greeted him with a half-smile.
“Hello, Professor Lin. My cousin talks about you often. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” the young man said.
“Dr. Cao is an outstanding individual, and I see that his cousin is just as talented. The Cao family is full of remarkable people,” Lin Zhiyu replied, his expression unchanged.
Although he could sense a hint of hostility from this cousin, Lin Zhiyu wasn’t too concerned.
“My students are waiting for me inside, Dr. Cao. We’ll catch up another time,” Lin Zhiyu said with a light smile before heading toward the restaurant.
Cao Chengfei seemed to want to say more but held back, watching Lin Zhiyu walk away. He narrowed his eyes slightly before smirking.
The boy in the passenger seat commented sourly, “If you’re interested in someone, why don’t you pursue them? It’s unlike you to hesitate.”
“Are you jealous?” Cao Chengfei chuckled softly before planting a light kiss on the boy’s head. He had always followed the philosophy of living in the moment. He liked men, had numerous boyfriends, and most of his relationships were open.
However, he was wary of unnecessary complications. People like Lin Zhiyu weren’t someone he could casually involve himself with. Even though he was particularly drawn to Lin Zhiyu, he hadn’t reached out since their counseling sessions, not wanting to stir up any trouble.
Yet, he couldn’t help feeling intrigued about when that young man might win over Lin Zhiyu and even found himself tempted to cause a little mischief.
Smiling meaningfully, Cao Chengfei stepped on the accelerator, merging his car into traffic.
As Lin Zhiyu entered the restaurant, a message from Xie Youzhou popped up on his phone.
“Gege, when will you be back?”
“I’ll probably be done by 9:30,” Lin Zhiyu replied. His face softened slightly upon reading Xie Youzhou’s message, without realizing the depth of his affection and closeness toward him. Their bond had quietly grown stronger, becoming as natural as his relationship with family. Lin Zhiyu didn’t even notice that this was quite an intriguing emotion.
He sent a voice message next: “This restaurant is known for its Wellington steak. I’ll bring some back for you later. Don’t eat too much tonight.”
Xie Youzhou’s response came instantly, his excitement and joy barely concealed. His Gege was offering to bring him food from a restaurant? What could that mean?
His Gege was thinking of him, considering his preferences! This was a sure sign of progress, something usually seen between romantic partners.
“Gege, I’ll wait for you,” Xie Youzhou replied.
He wanted to sound reserved, but since his rebirth, he had mastered the art of pretending to be young and innocent. Now, this skill had become second nature, and his reply carried the tone of an eager little puppy.
Lin Zhiyu nearly laughed out loud, shaking his head slightly, his eyebrows arched in amusement.
“Alright,” he replied.
After sending the message, he walked into the private room. Meanwhile, on the other end, Xie Youzhou felt like he’d just gained superpowers. He immediately jumped up and began doing pull-ups on the doorframe, full of energy.
His face radiated joy and excitement as his dark hair became damp with sweat. Originally, Xie Youzhou had resigned himself to silently standing guard by his brother’s side for the rest of his life. But now, unexpectedly, his brother was showing interest in him!
Even though his brother might not fully understand or even realize the meaning behind his actions, the fact that he was being included in his brother’s thoughts was enough. It meant that this fight was worth it!
Buzzing with energy, Xie Youzhou powered through 200 pull-ups, followed by 800 push-ups. As he exercised, his mind raced with thoughts of how to further his “attack.” Though he had considered many strategies before, now that the time had come, none seemed quite perfect.
Before he could overthink things, a distinct notification sound broke his focus.
Xie Youzhou’s expression instantly changed.
The corner of the wall-mounted screen flashed, and his entire aura shifted. In that instant, he seemed like a completely different person.
He stood up with a cold expression, dusting his hands off. His deep blue eyes now carried the weight of someone accustomed to being in charge. With long strides, he approached the screen and raised his hand to open the gray envelope, revealing a message full of thanks, temptations. A new commission.
A sneer tugged at the corner of Xie Youzhou’s lips as he quickly typed his response.
“I can take on the new task, but I’ll need more money.”
Thousands of miles away, Marceau blinked in surprise, frowning as he read the message. He replied: “How much more are you asking for?”
This hacker was already the best Marceau could find. Wright had previously mentioned collaborating with him to bring down Hortez, and Marceau had agreed. But there was no way he’d fully trust Wright.
Hortez, Wright… he had to keep his guard up against all of them. He needed to crush every one of them to ensure Jiaojiao would be his, along with the wealth and power at the top.
“Three million U.S. dollars,” Xie Youzhou replied, a sneer playing on his lips.
Marceau’s face darkened. The last time, the hacker had charged 1.5 million dollars, and now he was asking for double. But this was a critical moment, and he needed the Wright family’s evidence.
“Fine,” Marceau gritted out.
With that evidence, he could work alongside Wright to eventually take down Hortez. And after Hortez was out of the way, the Wright family would be next on his list.
Marceau made the down payment of $500,000, and just as he did, another message popped up on his second phone.
“Marceau, are you free tomorrow at 3 p.m.? We need to talk. I’ve got some leads on Hortez, but it’s not enough.”
“What a coincidence. I just found something useful as well,” Marceau typed, his fingers dancing across the screen. “Let’s meet at the usual place.”
