The dormitory area was comparatively quiet in the evening, as most students had gone to the cafeteria or off-campus for food.

This was especially true on the third floor where Wang Zhuo’s dorm room was located; due to special consideration from the school administration, no new occupant had moved in after his roommates left, resulting in him having a three-bedroom suite all to himself.

Xu Chu was still sobbing. Seeing her reduced to such a state, Wang Zhuo found himself unable to utter the reprimand he intended. He rubbed his face in frustration, his freshly washed hands still carrying a faint scent of blood.

“Stop blaming yourself. What happened with Li Mengru wasn’t entirely your fault; you’re a victim too.” “Waaaaah…” “Alright, that’s enough. If you cry any louder, people will think I did something to you!” “Waaaaaah…” “…”

Wordlessly, Wang Zhuo swept the area with his X-ray vision. Thankfully, the corridor and the neighboring room were empty; otherwise, he’d have to hand out benefits again to silence any “in-the-know” classmates!

“Thud!”

A package was suddenly dropped onto the coffee table in front of Xu Chu. The startled girl’s crying instantly ceased.

“Here, open it and see,” Wang Zhuo said testily.

It was a square paper box, about fifteen centimeters on each side, wrapped in brown paper with no markings, giving no clue as to its contents.

Casting a doubtful look at Wang Zhuo, Xu Chu wiped away her tears and slowly reached out, tearing open the box’s wrapping.

Inside were an opaque white plastic medicine bottle, two black glass bottles, and two colorless glass bottles, along with two medical syringes and a measuring cup.

Besides these, there was a folded sheet of printed paper. When Xu Chu unfolded it, she froze.

“Transcendent? Usage Instructions?”

“A new product I’ve been developing recently. It just finished its second round of clinical trials,” Wang Zhuo explained with a shrug. “It has some toxic side effects, but the results are excellent. Take a look first.”

Xu Chu’s eyes widened in astonishment. She knew a fair bit about Wang Zhuo’s affairs, and she was aware that he was personally involved in Wang Chaowuliang’s research. But this item before her was something she had never heard of. Furthermore, Wang Zhuo had just stated that the second clinical trial was complete, which meant he must have been engaged in this field for quite some time already?!

“I need to take a shower. You do as you please,” Wang Zhuo finally couldn't stand the smell of blood on himself, waved his hand, and headed toward the bathroom.

The sound of running water soon drifted out. Xu Chu could no longer afford to think about anything else; hair removal was the paramount concern in her life right now. She quickly spread out the printed sheet, only then realizing it was densely covered with tiny script, supplemented by diagrams and complex tables.

Reading line by line with care, she discovered that the opaque white bottle contained an oral medicine. The liquid in the black bottles was for “lightening,” while the colorless bottles contained the substance for “removal.”

Anything requiring “removal” would definitely be the arms, thighs, lips, and underarms. The cheeks and the lower body were suited for “lightening.” The final decision could be made based on personal preference.

After scanning the extremely rudimentary instructions, Xu Chu felt a mix of belief and skepticism. The high degree of belief stemmed largely from her trust in Wang Zhuo. Moreover, the package in her hands looked so simple and amateurish that it hardly resembled a miraculous elixir capable of rooting out her persistent ailment.

Should she try it? As Xu Chu hesitated, she suddenly noticed a brown paper envelope tucked tightly against the side of the box that she hadn't seen before.

She pulled out the envelope. Judging by the feel, it clearly contained a stack of photographs. A line of text on top immediately caught Xu Chu’s attention: “Internal materials. Do not remove.” These were actually twenty comparative photos showing before-and-after usage. After viewing them, a fiery warmth surged in Xu Chu’s chest, her excited heart nearly pounding out of her ribcage. And this excitement wasn't because she saw the private parts of naked men in the photos, but because she saw the perfect effect after “lightening” and the complete erasure after “removal!”

Yang Feng was a man who held himself in high regard and never sought help from his family unless absolutely necessary.

Of course, when resources needed utilization, he never showed restraint, such as leveraging his family’s connections, sphere of influence, interests, and privileges.

Up until now, every troublesome issue he encountered had been resolved smoothly under his management, giving him genuine cause for arrogance. But this time, he discovered that seeking revenge on Wang Zhuo far exceeded the scope of his own capabilities.

Playing it clean? Wang Zhuo was already on the radar of various law enforcement departments in Jiangzhou. Friends in the police force, upon hearing that "Young Master Yang" intended to move against Wang Zhuo, wished they could shake their heads until they became scrambled eggs.

Mobilizing police forces from other provinces for an “inter-provincial” takedown of Wang Zhuo? Yang Feng had considered this approach, but it remained only a thought. If Wang Zhuo were forcibly taken out of Jiangzhou, the Qin family might dispatch a special forces unit by air to chase down and snatch him back.

What about playing dirty? Yang Feng certainly didn't lack such power, but after careful deliberation, he still dared not deploy it. This was because it was a double-edged sword; if handled poorly, it could end up wounding him instead.

Only now did Yang Feng realize how unwise it was to oppose a local hegemon. Although the Yang family possessed influence in Jiangzhou, they were, after all, an established power. Wang Zhuo, however, was backed by Qin Xue, the newly ascended local sovereign. When the Qin family wasn't in direct conflict with the Yangs, they might grant them some courtesy, but in a true showdown, no matter how strong the Yang family was, they could never overpower the authority of the host’s home turf!

Yang Feng grew annoyed. If he had defeated Wang Zhuo that day, the matter would have ended there. Given the Yang family’s foundation, neither Wang Zhuo nor the Qin family would likely seek retribution or retaliation over such a minor conflict. But since he was the one beaten, regaining face within Jiangzhou territory had become exponentially harder.

“Damn it!”

The more he mulled it over, the angrier he became. With a sweep of his hand, Young Master Yang flung the wine glass against the wall of the private room.

With a sharp smash, the glass shattered into fragments. The few people dining with him didn't dare breathe, terrified of offending Young Master Yang at this sensitive moment and receiving a slap or a kick.

After a long while, when Yang Feng’s expression finally softened and he reached for his food with chopsticks, a guy as thin as a bamboo pole ventured tentatively, “Brother Feng, I heard something this morning.”

“Spit it out,” Yang Feng glanced at him.

“Uh…” The bamboo pole quickly nodded and said, “I heard from someone that He Ye was among those who begged Li Mengru that day, and it seems he helped… quite a lot.” “Hmm?” Yang Feng’s expression hardened. The name Yang Feng omitted was Wang Zhuo’s, which he immediately recognized!

His gaze drifted for a few seconds, then he stood up expressionlessly and beckoned Yao Yuwen over: “Come out, we need to talk about something.”

Yao Yuwen followed Yang Feng out. As soon as the door to the private room closed, someone immediately urged the bamboo pole for the specific details.

Just then, a tremendous crash echoed from the hallway, accompanied by Yang Feng’s curses. Everyone exchanged glances but dared not speak.

“Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on her? How could you not tell me about something this important?!” Young Master Yang’s heavy boots rained down on Yao Yuwen, who curled up in the corner, repeatedly begging for mercy.

The pampered arrogance Young Master Yang had suppressed for years finally resurfaced. Misfortune never comes singly; he had reached his limit of tolerance!

After venting for a long time, Yang Feng pointed at Yao Yuwen’s nose and roared, “Idiot, go check her recent mobile phone call records! Get me an itemized statement!”

Those who serve as lackeys to scions of prominent families are rarely complete fools. Yao Yuwen procured the electronic file of He Ye’s phone call details in less than an hour—and it was the type that included communication node information, exactly like the data Siyuan had hacked and stolen.

The only difference was that Siyuan took it without permission, whereas Yao Yuwen obtained it by calling in a favor from a police friend to pull the data from the mobile company's system.

Whether a written authorization certificate was issued, or what major case the query was purportedly for, were not things he and Yang Feng needed to worry about.

He Ye only knew Wang Zhuo’s most frequently used phone number, and that number wasn't much of a secret; Yang Feng had already learned it the day Wang Zhuo gave him a thorough beating.

Checking the communication logs, he found records of calls with Wang Zhuo: two were missed calls, one connected for a minute and a half. She had also sent Wang Zhuo three text messages, to which Wang Zhuo replied twice.

Although the communication statement didn't contain the content of the text messages, these records were enough to send Yang Feng into a furious rage!

“You wicked He Ye, keeping me at arm's length while secretly colluding with Wang Zhuo! He rejected you, so you gather intelligence for him and suck up to him?!” Young Master Yang gritted his teeth, tearing the printed communication sheet into shreds. A vicious scheme rapidly formed in his mind!

For people inherently cold-hearted, love is cheap.

Yang Feng’s admiration for He Ye was slightly more than that of a playboy pursuing romance; he sought the process of a graceful lady being wooed by a gentleman. As for how long he would keep her after conquering her, that depended entirely on his mood.

He Ye was merely his current biggest target. The satisfaction derived from conquering the campus belle admired by other boys was what Yang Feng relished in his games. But when the game twisted, and his target was exchanging glances with his enemy, Yang Feng was enraged. If he couldn't take revenge on Wang Zhuo, couldn’t he at least deal with this cheap woman?!

This wasn’t some grand drama born of love turning to hate; it was merely a petty tactic to teach a disrespectful minor figure a lesson, while simultaneously slapping Wang Zhuo in the face. Yang Feng didn't treat it as a major event at all. He gave casual orders to a few followers, and everything was fully prepared by the next day.

By this time, a full week had passed since the previous confrontation. Hu Zhiyuan was still missing, the plump Li Mengru had taken leave to recuperate at home after being discharged from the hospital, and Xu Chu’s first course of treatment was nearing its end.

Early the next morning, He Ye was back on the track, running. Her flawless pretty face and tantalizingly shapely behind attracted the envy of countless female students and the adoration of male students. Every time she passed the edge of the sports field, the boys playing would constantly make mistakes.

However, after finishing her three kilometers, she still hadn't seen Wang Zhuo, and she returned disappointed.

As she approached the dormitory building, Pan Shanshan intercepted her enthusiastically: “Let’s go to the mountain villa this afternoon for Big Rooster! My brother is treating!” Within Yang Feng’s plan, Pan Shanshan was merely a pawn being utilized, completely unaware of the scheme. He Ye hesitated for a moment before nodding her acceptance.