Compared to the Korean agency Dynasty Unlimited, Wang Zhuo was even more pleased by the secret purchase of the Jade Watermelons by an American consortium.

The sixteen billion price tag made the Americans believe they had snagged an incredible bargain, unaware that this Jade Watermelon was by no means unique; deep within the gloomy, lightless underground warehouses of the Prosperous Dynasty, there were three, four, or even five more!

It is a truism that rarity dictates value. Wang Zhuo had kept the other Jade Watermelons under stringent guard, even spending a fortune to silence anyone who knew of their existence, all to maintain the perceived preciousness of the first pair. Even after the initial sale, he had no intention of bringing out the others—after all, money was no object to him, and they wouldn't fetch much more anyway; he preferred keeping them for his own amusement!

According to Qi Fei and Guan Yingying's estimation, if the second pair of Jade Watermelons were to appear, their price would likely plummet to under five hundred million, and the value of the first pair would instantly shrink by two-thirds. In essence, the four watermelons combined would be worth less than the original two.

Wang Zhuo agreed with this assessment. However, the Jade market seemed overheated, showing signs of an impending crash. To liquidate those two watermelons at this juncture aligned with the principle of maximizing profit. Moreover, the core profit focus of the Prosperous Dynasty had already shifted from its jade storefronts to the Taoyuan copper mine, signaling it was time to redirect the operational emphasis toward the mining sector.

Having matured over more than two years, Wang Zhuo had come to realize many things. Take, for example, using his X-ray vision for stone gambling: it was certainly lucrative, but it was a one-and-done deal, over and finished once executed. Developing pharmaceuticals, conversely, promised long-term benefits and contributed to societal progress. Regardless of whether he possessed X-ray vision, jade was already embedded within the stone and would eventually be cut open by someone. But the hangover cure, the hair removal medicine, and the yet-to-be-perfected weight-loss drug—all developed with the aid of his vision—represented entirely new creations.

...

A chilling rain follows an autumn shower. After a rare two-day stretch of sunshine, the drainage pipes on the basketball court were completely clogged, leaving standing water everywhere, making play impossible.

He Ye, the campus beauty who seemed to have vanished into silence for a long time, appeared on the court that day. However, upon seeing the deserted court, her disappointment was evident.

Dejected, she turned to leave. Her stunning beauty drew the gazes of many men, a fact she was accustomed to, and she walked on without sparing a glance.

Perhaps if Wang Zhuo wasn't at the court, he might be in the library reading?

Just as she was about to turn toward the library, a tall girl approaching her suddenly caught her attention.

Xu Chu?!

He Ye hesitated for a moment, considering a detour down a side path to avoid her, but Xu Chu's gaze had already landed on her. With a slight smile, Xu Chu walked over to greet her.

Xu Chu was wearing a shimmering, long, dark-purple trench coat that day, her thick, glossy black hair meticulously coiled atop her head. Perhaps nurtured by Wang Zhuo’s influence, her exotic features were even more dazzlingly captivating. Adorning each earlobe was a pair of crystal-clear jade studs, their green hue refreshingly breathtaking.

Recently, she had become the most talked-about student on campus—a classic rags-to-riches transformation from an ugly duckling to a swan. Her unrestrained beauty was unforgettable, creating a sensation on the campus message board.

Especially since she was rumored to be involved with Wang Zhuo...

He Ye managed a strained smile for Xu Chu. They say gossip ceases with the wise, and many students had confidently jumped in to clarify, claiming Xu Chu’s condition had been cured by the imported new medicine provided by Wang Zhuo, leading Xu Chu’s parents to specially thank him at the school. Therefore, the relationship between the two was supposedly purely platonic. But He Ye was an eyewitness to the private intimacy between Wang Zhuo and Xu Chu, knowing the true "depth" of their underground affair.

"What a coincidence, running into you here."

He Ye initiated the greeting first, maintaining the gentle neutrality expected between ordinary acquaintances on campus.

Although she hadn't communicated with Wang Zhuo during this period, she strongly believed that Wang Zhuo hadn't mentioned the time she had peeked at their intimate moment to Xu Chu. Why she felt this confidence, she couldn't explain to herself.

Xu Chu asked with a smile, "You were coming from the direction of the basketball court?"

That question was awkward. He Ye was caught off guard and couldn't conjure a suitable excuse, so she could only nod slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"You came to watch Wang Zhuo play, didn't you?" Xu Chu chuckled. "He's in the library. He asked me to take you to him."

"Uh..." He Ye was stunned, unsure how to respond. After a brief pause, she asked with a wry smile, "How did you know I was here?"

Xu Chu giggled, "Someone saw you walking toward the court and sent him a text message, and then he asked me to come get you."

He Ye was speechless. It seemed Wang Zhuo truly had eyes and ears everywhere on campus—spies lurking around every corner!

She hesitated, feeling the need to clarify her intentions to Wang Zhuo's underground girlfriend on campus. "I... I just wanted to watch the game, not look for him."

What surprised her was that Xu Chu didn't seem bothered by her attempt to distance herself. Instead, she smiled and urged her, "We should talk about it at the library anyway. If we stand here chatting too long, who knows what gossip will start circulating again."

He Ye had no choice but to nod, walking alongside Xu Chu toward the library, utterly bewildered. Xu Chu’s swift adoption of the campus beauty persona, handling the stares and comments with such ease, made He Ye reflect inwardly: there was clearly more than one outstanding girl in the world.

As she was musing, Xu Chu was quietly sizing her up.

This autumn, He Ye's life had endured too many upheavals, severely disrupting her routines; she hadn't even had the heart to shop for new seasonal clothes.

So, today she wore a cashmere sweater purchased when she first started university. The creamy yellow fabric set off the fair complexion of her delicate face, and the cute style still carried a hint of mischief and youthfulness. Her still-damp long hair cascaded smoothly over her shoulders. Contrasted with her black knit dress, black leggings, and small black chunky-heeled boots, she resembled a girl next door still in high school.

At 1.65 meters tall, she wasn't short, but standing next to Xu Chu, she appeared more petite and charmingly sweet. The only slight disappointment might be that the black knit dress concealed her proud, shapely rear, which was less overtly sexy than the jeans she usually favored.

Xu Chu suddenly let out a soft chuckle. He Ye looked at her curiously; her thick-lashed eyes were sparkling with a hint of playful amusement.

He Ye couldn't suppress her curiosity. "What are you laughing at?"

Noticing the question, Xu Chu didn't hide it, saying cheerfully, "I saw a guy in the QQ group yesterday saying that since you haven't come to watch Wang Zhuo play in a long time, the male students who watch the games have decreased."

He Ye froze, then offered a self-conscious smile. She wanted to explain that she watched the games for more than just Wang Zhuo, but she felt that any attempt to deny it would only confirm it in Xu Chu's eyes, so she remained silent.

"He also said..." Xu Chu lowered her voice slightly, leaning in closer: "He loves hearing you cheer for Wang Zhuo when you get excited."

He Ye’s face instantly flushed crimson. Ever since Wang Zhuo's slam dunk was called a "dunk explosion" by the girls from the Nursing College—and the word "dunk" itself turned into a crude colloquialism—a new, racier set of cheering slogans had emerged on the court. Correspondingly, one-on-one basketball practice was nicknamed "color play." Of course, the pronunciation of "color" and the more explicit word differed by the rolling of the tongue, but every contemporary college student understood the innuendo.

He Ye had used those exact slogans to cheer for Wang Zhuo a few times. While she had deliberately feigned wild excitement at the time, it had still caused quite a stir, even leading to a conversation with her class advisor.

If anyone else had brought this up today, He Ye might have just laughed it off. But the person saying it wasn't just anyone; it was the very girl whose enthusiasm had inspired Wang Zhuo to bestow that crude "slogan." She could still vividly and sharply recall the titillating scene!

This realization made her instantly blush with shame!

Xu Chu smiled mysteriously and continued walking briskly ahead. He Ye couldn't fathom what this radiant, beautiful girl was thinking and could only follow nervously.

Wang Zhuo had somehow managed to secure the staff lounge in the library.

He Ye had expected to speak with him in the small seating area by the corridor, so arriving in a quiet, secluded little room was quite unexpected.

"Long time no see."

Wang Zhuo first greeted her with a smile and a raised hand, then turned to Xu Chu, saying, "Go grab some drinks. You know what He Ye likes, the fruit mix, and you know what I like."

"Okay," Xu Chu smiled. "I think the library only has bottled water. I'll go to the convenience store outside the building."

He Ye quickly waved her hands. "I'll just sit for a moment and leave, no need to buy anything for me."

"You might be sitting here for a while," Xu Chu said with a smile, patting her shoulder before turning to leave.

What was going on? He Ye was perplexed. She instinctively glanced at the small bed in the room.

Wang Zhuo stood up leisurely, walking toward the door while asking with a smile, "Do you still remember the promise you made in my room last time?"

It was finally the subject! He Ye jumped in alarm, stammering, "Th-that was just a suggestion, not a promise."

"Is that so?" Wang Zhuo clicked the door shut and locked it with a snap, then walked back in. "So, you telling me you didn't want to continue studying at this school anymore—was that just something you said casually?"

So it was about that matter... He Ye felt a wave of inexplicable relief, followed by a faint, lingering disappointment. She sighed lightly, "But what else can I do besides going to school?"

"Come and sit," Wang Zhuo said, returning to the bed and beckoning her over.

He Ye hesitated. Although this was the staff lounge of the campus library, separated only by a thin wall from a reading room filled with dozens of students quietly studying, having witnessed Yang Feng's influence and Wang Zhuo's domineering aura, she had every reason to believe Wang Zhuo absolutely possessed the audacity to take her down right here.

Seeing that her feet were rooted to the spot, Wang Zhuo smiled kindly. "You said you wanted to properly give it to me once, right? How come you don't even have the courage to sit next to me?"

He Ye wrestled internally, wavering. This was the man she loved; she wanted him, and she wanted to give herself to him, but not in this setting, and certainly not under this atmosphere.

Wang Zhuo, who had been watching He Ye's expression, immediately saw through her internal conflict, and a broad, delighted smile spread across his face.

Pushing aside the materials he had intended for her to take back and review closely, he used his X-ray vision to observe Xu Chu, who had bought the drinks and was now sitting in the reading room, casually flipping through a book. Wang Zhuo beckoned the constrained, timid campus beauty with his fingers again.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you today. But you didn't complete what you promised me, and then you avoided me for so long. You have to pay some interest, don't you?"