"Crash."

That was the sound of a glass shattering on the wooden floor, immediately followed by another sound.

"What did you say? You failed?" The young man speaking sounded utterly shocked, even enraged.

Before him, a middle-aged man stood humbly, his head bowed, allowing the much younger man in front of him to vent his fury.

"Trash."

The youngster waved his hands agitatedly, his face flushing an unhealthy red with anger. "You can't even handle a mere middle school student. Why am I spending so much money supporting you people? You might as well feed it to the dogs."

The middle-aged man offered no defense. He knew arguing at a time like this would only invite greater wrath.

After a long moment, the young man managed to rein in his runaway temper, pouring himself another glass of red wine. "What about the men I sent out?" His tone had returned to its usual calm.

"Dead at the scene," the middle-aged man stated concisely, aware his employer disliked unnecessary details.

"Hmm." The young man gently swirled the wine, his gaze fixed on the swirling liquid in the glass, lost in thought.

"Should I send more people..." the middle-aged man suggested.

The young man hesitated. The proposal clearly tempted him. However, he ultimately shook his head. "No need. Put this matter aside for now. Go attend to other things."

After the middle-aged man quietly withdrew, the young man narrowed his eyes. He murmured, "Zhong Yun. It seems I underestimated you."

"Xiao Lu. Come in."

At his call, a beautiful young woman entered from outside, dressed in a maid's uniform. She approached the young man with downcast eyes and called out softly, "Young Master."

Her voice was delicate and sweet, making her appear even more fragile and pitiable.

The young man pointed to the floor. "The floor is wet. Clean it up."

Hearing this, the woman knelt down, bending over to wipe the spilled red wine with the fabric of her uniform.

The Young Master took a couple of steps, moving behind her, his eyes flashing with a spark of heat as he observed the rounded curves of her back.

He drained the wine in his glass, tossed the goblet aside, and lunged toward the woman.

"Ah..."

A startled and ashamed cry echoed through the vast, empty villa.

On the floor, the pristine white wood held a silently lying glass, and beside it, a pool of crimson liquid.

Outside the window, a bright moon was slowly being eroded by dark clouds, becoming veiled and finally entirely obscured.

=======================================================================================

Just as Zhong Yun was immersed in immense joy, Chen Wen’s call came through.

"Didn't you say you were going shopping? Why are you still at home? Hurry up and get going." Chen Wen appeared in the video feed, seated inside a hovercar.

"Leaving right now," Zhong Yun replied.

"I’ll wait for you on City Center Avenue. Be quick," Chen Wen said before hanging up.

Zhong Yun stood up and headed to the bathroom for a shower first.

Originally, he had considered canceling the date with Chen Wen; the assassin had left him with a significant shadow of fear, and he preferred to stay indoors if possible.

But after obtaining that vest, Zhong Yun’s confidence soared. With this protection, what was there to fear from an assassin? If some foolhardy killer dared cross his path, he’d let them experience the "crystallization" of Earth civilization—the Ten Great Tortures of the Qing Dynasty.

After showering, he equipped the protective vest, fastened the bracelet, slipped into casual clothes, and headed downstairs feeling refreshed.

The moment he opened the door, Yang Siqing materialized silently. "Where are you going?"

Zhong Yun jumped, startled. "Damn, why are you so quiet when you walk? I’m going out for a bit." With that, he left.

"I'm coming too," Yang Siqing followed behind.

Knowing he couldn't stop him, Zhong Yun didn't object and let him trail along.

Taking a taxi to City Center Avenue, he felt the clamor of the bustling crowd as soon as he stepped out.

City Center Avenue was located in the heart of Mingzhou City, the most prosperous street in the area, hosting nearly every famous brand store in the country.

Towering buildings lined the roadside, the streets were packed with pedestrians, and gigantic panoramic advertisements flickered high above on the buildings, featuring women—some pure, some seductive—looking down like colossal figures upon the crowd below.

"Zhong Yun, over here." As soon as he exited the taxi, he heard Chen Wen’s voice. Turning, he saw Chen Wen waving at him from across the street, standing next to a beautiful woman.

"This is what you two decided to wear?" Chen Wen said, looking between them with a mixture of amusement and exasperation as Zhong Yun and Yang Siqing approached.

Zhong Yun glanced down at his own clothes—nothing seemed wrong, just a slightly cartoonish design on his T-shirt and somewhat relaxed trousers.

Then he looked at Yang Siqing beside him; his clothes were crumpled, unsure when they were last washed. Not only was the collar inside out, but he had even rolled up one pant leg, revealing white socks—truly the image of an elderly country farmer from Earth.

"Do we have to wear formal attire?" Zhong Yun was slightly displeased. The formal wear here was similar to Western suits from his previous life, which were equally uncomfortable to wear.

Besides, what business did a seventeen-year-old boy have wearing a suit?

"Actually, dressing like this is fine," Chen Wen said quickly, sensing Zhong Yun’s aversion to formal wear. "But, my friend, it would be nice if you looked a little tidier."

Standing next to Chen Wen was a tall woman in her early twenties who towered over Chen Wen by nearly half a head, even without heels. She was someone Chen Wen had struck up a conversation with while waiting for Zhong Yun.

She looked at Chen Wen, then at Zhong Yun, with a hint of confusion, unable to understand why Chen Wen, a wealthy young master driving a high-end hovercar and clad in designer brands, would be so polite to this ordinary-looking teenager.

"Let me introduce you," Chen Wen gestured toward the tall woman beside him. "This is Yinyin, a charming and youthful white-collar beauty."

Then he pointed to Zhong Yun and Yang Siqing. "These are my classmates, Zhong Yun. And this is..." He hesitated when introducing Yang Siqing, unsure whether to call him Zhong Yun’s savior.

"Bodyguard," Yang Siqing mumbled, the term paired with his country-farmer appearance, providing genuine comedic effect.

Yinyin burst into laughter, shaking with mirth. "Your friend is quite humorous."

"Don't listen to his nonsense; he's my savior," Zhong Yun said, reaching out to try and smooth out Yang Siqing’s inside-out collar.

"Savior?" Yinyin’s eyes widened with curiosity.

"A few days ago, I accidentally fell into the river and nearly drowned. Luckily, this elder saved me," Zhong Yun lied smoothly, pulling hard to try and flatten Yang Siqing’s wrinkled clothes. He didn't expect the creases to be as stubborn as springs; once pulled flat, they snapped back the moment he let go. He couldn't iron them out no matter how hard he pulled.

"Fell into the river and nearly drowned?" Yinyin’s eyes grew even wider.

All the river embankments in Mingzhou City were encased in two-meter-high, hard glass; falling in was genuinely difficult. At least, she had never heard of such a thing; it truly was unusual.

"Don't listen to his rambling," Chen Wen explained. "He just choked while swimming. He's too embarrassed to admit it, so he insisted it was a river."

Yinyin suddenly understood, covering her mouth with a smile.

"Damn it, what kind of clothes are these?"

Having failed for so long to fix Yang Siqing’s outfit, Zhong Yun grew frustrated and pulled hard. With a sharp rip, a piece of the cloth tore off.

"Uh..." Zhong Yun froze.

P: Already hit twentieth place. There are five more books ahead. Brothers, keep pushing, hit their weak spots.