Lin Zhiyu was unaware he was once again being targeted.
He was only briefly surprised by the news of Ruan Jiaojiao’s disappearance before regaining his composure.
If his guess was correct.
This was all Hortez’s plan.
Hortez was obsessively in love with Ruan Jiaojiao and would do anything for her.
Anything but harm her.
Now, rather than worrying about Ruan Jiaojiao, it was the people of Country M who should be concerned for their safety.
After all, Hortez in his madness…
He was simply a madman who would recklessly eliminate any “stumbling blocks” in his path.
……
Lin Zhiyu’s prediction proved accurate.
Within days of Hortez taking Ruan Jiaojiao and her family out of Country M, several shootings occurred.
Anyone who happened to see Hortez and his entourage was dealt with swiftly by Hortez himself.
By the time Ruan Jiaojiao fully awoke, she was already thousands of miles from Country M.
She hadn’t expected that those first ten minutes she spent pretending to sleep and thinking of a way to escape after waking would be her only moments of wakefulness.
Once Hortez discovered she was only pretending to sleep, his madness and obsession grew fiercer. After one whiff of incense, Ruan Jiaojiao slept for two days.
When she finally woke and saw her surroundings, she nearly lost her mind. Her cleverness had backfired. If she hadn’t pretended to sleep, maybe she could have negotiated with Hortez to change the situation!
“Where is this? Where on earth is this place?!!”
Seeing that nearly everyone outside the car had a skin color different from her own, Ruan Jiaojiao couldn’t believe her suspicions and was close to breaking down.
Hortez smiled and said, “Where is this? Jiaojiao… this is the land that will help me rise to power. It’s also the sweet home where we’ll get married, have children, and live together in love.”
“Are you crazy?”
Ruan Jiaojiao looked at Hortez with tearful eyes, the corners of her eyes reddened by anger and fear.
“Where am I crazy?”
But Hortez pulled her close, and though she struggled frantically, he held her tightly.
He laughed, his voice disturbingly gentle: “Jiaojiao, you have no one to rely on now. Only me.”
“Why are you doing this? Do you hate me instead of loving me? Don’t you want me to have a good life? This place is so backward—do you expect me to spend the rest of my life here?!”
Ruan Jiaojiao dropped all pretense. After all, Hortez already knew she no longer loved or wanted to be with him.
But her years of habit made her look pale, weak, and innocent.
Ruan Jiaojiao wept with tears in her eyes.
“Send me back, send me back! I won’t tell anyone where you are… okay, okay?!”
Despite his twisted nature, Hortez still felt a soft spot for Ruan Jiaojiao. He leaned over and gently kissed her cheek.
“Jiaojiao, don’t rush, and don’t underestimate this place. At first glance, it might not seem impressive, but remember, there are wealthy people in every poor place. Even where people are starving, there are still the rich, who can have a chef prepare ninety-nine dishes daily, only to discard the rest after a taste.”
“And here…” Hortez laughed, “I’m the boss. Believe me, soon I’ll be as wealthy as a king, and I’ll bring you back to the top. Jiaojiao, you are the first lady here.”
“First Lady?!”
It was a small piece of land in a poor, rundown country, and yet Hortez dared to make such a claim!
Ruan Jiaojiao was livid.
But at the moment, she had no choice but to comply.
She clenched her fists, trying to control her emotions, and gritted her teeth. “Did my grandfather and the others… also get kidnapped by you?”
“What do you mean by kidnapped? Jiaojiao, that’s so rude.”
Hortez replied softly.
“I just wanted your family to be together. After all, it wouldn’t be enough for just the two of us to be happy here. What if you got homesick? So, I brought them along.”
Hortez pointed outside. “Look, Jiaojiao, isn’t it beautiful here? We’ll be home soon. I’ve ordered the house to be decorated beautifully. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
Ruan Jiaojiao looked outside.
A dusty, dry landscape, filled with impoverished people, was somehow being called “beautiful.” She had zero expectations for the so-called “beautiful” house!
As she observed everything, hatred for Lin Zhiyu seethed inside her, as she felt he had led her to this wretched state.
If it weren’t for Lin Zhiyu, the Ruan family’s most powerful weapon—her third uncle Ruan Yanzheng—wouldn’t have been arrested and jailed!
If it weren’t for Lin Zhiyu, the Ruan family wouldn’t have lost face and suffered public condemnation!
If it weren’t for Lin Zhiyu, the Ruan Group wouldn’t have gone bankrupt!
If Lin Zhiyu hadn’t existed, she could have been admired by everyone. Instead, she had to appease both Hortez and Marceau to maintain her status, which led to this current mess!
…
It’s all because of Lin Zhiyu; it’s all because of him!
Perhaps Lin Zhiyu was born to be her downfall. He was the most vile, harmful person in her life.
“Do you really love me?”
Ruan Jiaojiao suddenly looked at Hortez, her eyes wet with tears, pitifully red.
“If you truly love me, then avenge me. Make Lin Zhiyu pay.”
*
This year’s Chinese New Year was the latest in recent decades, with Lunar New Year celebrations set for February 14.
Students had a shorter winter break than other universities, lasting only twenty days, from February 8 to February 28, and it was currently exam week.
Soon, it was the last day of exams, and Lin Zhiyu was working on a research report while monitoring the exam.
The invigilator approached and, noticing Lin Zhiyu engrossed in his report, coughed.
“Professor Lin, could you step outside for a moment?”
Lin Zhiyu looked up, closed his computer, and slowly walked out.
“Professor Sun, how can I help?”
“I just wanted to remind you that if you stay focused on your work, you might miss any mischief in the classroom.”
“They won’t.”
Lin Zhiyu paused, smiling slightly.
Professor Sun hesitated, then added, “Of course, I believe our students are honest, but occasionally issues arise. Supervising them carefully is part of our responsibility.”
“Professor Sun, perhaps you misunderstood,” Lin Zhiyu pointed to two small rag dolls on the table. “These are my monitoring devices. They continually scan and record from all angles. If they detect any cheating, they save evidence and send it directly to my phone. They’re more reliable than me or even our school’s cameras.”
As he spoke, Lin Zhiyu showed a photo of a student discreetly using a cheat sheet, enlarged on his phone.
“This is the only student caught cheating in recent days.”
The monitoring program Xiaoyou had developed for him was invaluable, freeing his hands and making his work enjoyable.
Next, he planned to have Xiaoyou sell this program specifically for exam monitoring. He expected it to be adopted by more than half of the major universities.
“This student?”
Professor Sun’s eyes widened as he scanned the room and spotted the cheating student in the corner, now in different clothes.
“This isn’t today’s exam, so why haven’t I noticed him until now?!”
“Let him finish. He’ll face punishment, but he can at least take his other exams calmly. Who knows, maybe he’ll perform better, and it’ll reflect better overall.”
Lin Zhiyu wouldn’t tolerate cheating under his watch. It wasn’t just about dishonesty but raised questions about the student’s future research integrity.
However, graduate students bore heavy academic burdens and psychological stress, and some tragically resorted to drastic measures.
He didn’t want the student to break down after being exposed for cheating.
“I understand.”
Professor Sun’s expression turned serious. “Our school’s policy has always been to revoke the degree certificate immediately if cheating is confirmed.”
“Yes, I know.”
Lin Zhiyu frowned slightly.
“But this boy seems to come from a poor background. I looked into his academic record after yesterday’s cheating incident and found his family is struggling. Other students say he’s hard-working, juggling two part-time jobs.”
Professors often didn’t involve themselves in students’ personal lives.
But Lin Zhiyu paid close attention to such details.
Truthfully, he struggled to offer advice on handling such cases.
Following standard punishment…
He worried that the student might not withstand the consequences.
But failing to uphold the rules could foster resentment among other students, and it wouldn’t help the student learn his lesson.
“Let’s leave it for now. I’ll discuss it with the vice president. Professor Lin, please carry on with your duties,” Professor Sun said before turning away.
Though their conversation outside the classroom was inaudible to the students, a few words about “cheating” sparked a buzz inside.
Only Tian Yuhao, seated in the back corner, suddenly looked alarmed. He glanced toward the door, then quickly looked away.
