Mi Xue's eyes instantly sharpened, and the Versace in front of her now occupied the same hated position in her heart as Zhou Yichen.

Hu Xin, Xiao Bin, and Gu Cheng all glared angrily at Versace. If this hadn't been right outside the school gate, Hu Xin would have already lunged to hit the kid.

"Sizhe, have you and Zhang Yang had some kind of misunderstanding?"

Zhou Yichen suddenly spoke, pulling on Fan Sizhe’s arm with a forced, unnatural smile on his face.

"Old Zhou, what are you talking about?"

Fan Sizhe frowned sharply. He had called Zhou Yichen over specifically to pressure Zhang Yang, never expecting him to speak up for him instead.

Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could there be with Zhang Yang? He had been looked down upon by this kid today, and he needed to save face by crushing him ruthlessly, making him look foolish. This wasn't what he had intended. Zhou Yichen should have harshly reprimanded Zhang Yang first, followed by some cutting remarks to humiliate him; then his goal would have been basically achieved.

Only then would he be satisfied and able to leave with a clear conscience.

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, glancing over at Zhou Yichen.

Under Zhang Yang’s cool sweep of his eyes, Zhou Yichen felt a sudden jolt of panic. He had been plotting to get Zhang Yang out of the Student Union lately, but that was always when Zhang Yang wasn't around.

Ever since he walked out of the last meeting without a word, seeing Zhang Yang now always brought a sense of unease. Perhaps his voluntary retreat back then had left a subconscious shadow.

It was like if someone was scared or hit by a certain person in childhood, they would always feel slightly uncomfortable seeing that person later in life, even as adults.

"Sizhe, I think you might be mistaken. Zhang Yang is much stronger now than before. Just the other day, he secured twenty thousand in sponsorship for the Student Union!"

Zhou Yichen grit his teeth and defended Zhang Yang again, though not for Zhang Yang’s sake, purely for his own.

He truly couldn't carry this confrontation, nor did he dare to, so he couldn't side with Fan Sizhe. If he truly used his authority as Student Union President to suppress Zhang Yang, even without Zhang Yang saying a word, Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng standing nearby would be enough to force him into an untenable position.

It was better not to try and lose face entirely than to try and fail spectacularly. Advising Fan Sizhe might cost him a little dignity, but it was better than losing everything.

He regretted rushing over without clarifying the situation first, which had now dragged him into this awkward mess.

"Twenty thousand in sponsorship, him?"

Fan Sizhe was momentarily stunned, looking at Zhou Yichen with profound disbelief. He knew nothing about the Student Union's affairs and had never cared to.

However, twenty thousand wasn't a small sum. His family spoiled him and gave him a high allowance, but giving him twenty thousand at once was an absolute impossibility.

"Exactly, that's why I said perhaps there’s a misunderstanding—just talk it out clearly!"

Zhou Yichen nodded immediately. He wished he could leave this spot right now; he didn't want to stay another second, utterly unwilling to face Zhang Yang like this.

Unfortunately, he couldn't leave. Doing so would mean offending Fan Sizhe, and while he couldn't help with this specific issue, he absolutely could not afford to make an enemy of him.

"There is no misunderstanding!"

Fan Sizhe’s face turned ashen. Only now did he realize that Zhou Yichen wouldn't back him up.

This left him dejected and furious. Not only had he failed to achieve his initial goal, but the outcome had reversed, worsening his mood considerably.

"No misunderstanding is better. Sizhe, I see you’re driving; I happen to have something to do, give me a ride?"

Zhou Yichen quickly offered, trying to give Fan Sizhe a graceful exit. Just leave here, I can't help you, it's better to go sooner.

Zhang Yang gave Zhou Yichen a deep look from the side.

Zhou Yichen was certainly clever and knew how to play the game—knowing what could and couldn't be done, and always considering the ramifications before acting.

Moreover, he didn't hold his pride too highly; he would do things that cost him face for the sake of benefit. Zhang Yang even admired this trait; it was the perfect temperament for navigating bureaucracy. If he entered civil service after graduation, he would undoubtedly thrive and achieve great things.

However, if he became an official, he would be a corrupt official only looking out for himself, not the common people. In that case, Zhang Yang felt it would be a loss for the populace.

This realization made Zhang Yang decide he needed to deal with Zhou Yichen sooner. Previously, Zhang Yang thought about waiting a while, perhaps until next semester, before taking over the Student Union presidency. Now, he decided to make him step down sooner.

He had to ensure Zhou Yichen stepped down disgracefully, leaving a stain that would impede his future advancement, even if he entered politics.

If Zhou Yichen didn't advance, fewer people would suffer his harm. That was all Zhang Yang could manage right now.

Poor Zhou Yichen had no idea that his performance had made Zhang Yang change his mind, ultimately leading to a painful lesson that would affect his entire life.

"Fine, I’ll drive you. We have a car, we can go wherever we want, unlike these few people who have to wait for a ride just to pretend they’re treating someone to dinner!"

Fan Sizhe stared at Zhou Yichen for a moment before turning back and spitting out the jab, laced with resentment.

Since Zhou Yichen wouldn't help him, he had no leverage over Zhang Yang. He was definitely going to lose face today, pushing his grudge against Zhang Yang to the absolute extreme.

He blamed Zhang Yang for everything that happened today, which made him unable to resist a final, acidic remark aimed at deliberately striking at Zhang Yang and his friends as he turned to leave.

Screeech!

Before he could even get into the car, a black sedan rapidly approached from a distance and pulled to a stop directly in front of them.

Everyone turned their heads, staring in astonishment at the newly arrived vehicle. Even Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen looked on with envy.

Parked there was a fine car, a brand-new Mercedes-Benz, the '98 model, its pure black chassis gleaming beautifully. Furthermore, it was a brand-new car without license plates.

Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen instinctively straightened their clothes and took a step forward.

It was highly likely that one of their acquaintances had arrived. Having such a wealthy acquaintance pull up in a luxury car at that moment would be a massive boost to their prestige.

The car door opened, and a vibrant, smiling young man stepped out, holding a set of gleaming keys.

Seeing that he was someone they didn't recognize, Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen both paused. They exchanged glances.

The two subconsciously assumed this person was a friend of the other. They completely ignored Hu Tao and the group beside Zhang Yang, believing they wouldn't—and shouldn't—have friends like this. The young man scanned the surroundings, his eyes landing directly on Zhang Yang, his face breaking into a brilliant smile.

Just as Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen were about to inquire, the man walked past them without giving them a second glance.

"Zhang Yang, what do you think of this car?"

The young man was naturally Su Zhantao. As soon as he spoke, Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen froze. Both had never expected this person to be here for Zhang Yang.

"It's alright, just a little dated!"

Zhang Yang shook his head with a slight smile. Su Zhantao was still young, having just made money and already trading up cars. This Mercedes was far from cheap.

Su Zhantao blinked sharply, then said with a touch of dejection, "Dated? I thought you’d like something like this!"

"But it's fine, if you don't like it, we can go back and exchange it. The dealership owner is a friend of my second uncle; he has plenty of cars there—BMW, Audi, Ferrari, Porsche. I got mine from there!"

Su Zhantao added, causing everyone, including Zhang Yang, to stare at him in shock.

Only then did they realize: this person had come specifically to give Zhang Yang a car, a luxury vehicle worth over a million.

Zhou Yichen knew the price of this car well; it was at least 1.7 million currently. His uncle, Zhou Ming, had wanted one recently but gave up because he didn't have that much cash on hand, opting for a different vehicle instead.

"Zhantao, you mean this car is for me?"

Zhang Yang also processed the situation, asking with a wry smile.

He genuinely found the car old-fashioned. Not just this one, but all cars gave him that feeling now, having experienced the newest supercars in his past life; these models held no appeal.

"That’s right. Don't refuse yet. You helped us so much this time, so giving you a car is completely normal. If you don't like this one, we’ll exchange it until you’re satisfied!"

Su Zhantao nodded firmly, quickly stating his willingness to exchange, afraid Zhang Yang might refuse again.

He genuinely worried Zhang Yang might reject this gift as he had before.

Also, after returning home yesterday, he had told Su Shaohua everything about the incident, including how Zhang Yang had refused the extra money he tried to offer.

Su Shaohua had given Zhang Yang the highest praise. The sum Su Zhantao intended to give was substantial, at least ten million. He had rarely encountered anyone who could refuse such a massive sum.

Giving him a nice car was Su Shaohua’s suggestion. The more Zhang Yang acted this way, the more they needed to solidify the relationship, striking while the iron was hot while their rapport was at its best.

Following Su Shaohua’s instructions, Su Zhantao went to the dealership this morning to pick out a car. He felt Zhang Yang was very level-headed, so he chose this black Mercedes, only to be dismayed now that Zhang Yang disliked it. He was truly frustrated.

Su Zhantao was unaware that his words nearly made the eyes of everyone around him pop out.

A luxury car worth over a million, offered as a gift, and the giver was worried the recipient wouldn't want it—a story unlikely to be believed. Yet, it was happening right before their eyes, leaving no room for doubt. Hu Xin and the others knew a little about Su Zhantao’s background and were sure he wouldn't joke about something like this. Su Zhantao could indeed afford such a vehicle.

The most stunned were Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen, especially Zhou Yichen. He never imagined someone would eagerly rush to give Zhang Yang such an expensive car.

Considering his own uncle hadn't dared to buy a car like this, yet Zhang Yang had one being gifted, with the giver worried he might refuse—Zhou Yichen felt a surge of cognitive dissonance.

The disparity was simply too vast. This was not the Zhang Yang he knew; he even suspected he was hallucinating.

Fan Sizhe felt the same overwhelming confusion.

"No need to exchange, this one will do. I’ll take this car!"

Zhang Yang smiled and nodded. He could feel Su Zhantao’s sincerity. Regardless of the exact reason, Su Zhantao was genuinely grateful to him.

Besides, refusing again now would likely make Su Zhantao overthink things.

"Just this one? Great, you drive it first, and I’ll handle the paperwork for you; it’ll be ready in a few days!"

Su Zhantao paused slightly, then exclaimed happily. He hadn't completed any registration when picking up the car, precisely because he feared Zhang Yang wouldn't like it.

Saying that, Su Zhantao tossed the keys to Zhang Yang and asked, "Zhang Yang, give me your ID card, and I'll help you get a driver's license too. Drive this car worry-free; I guarantee no one in Changjing will dare to stop you!"

Su Zhantao had known Zhang Yang could drive back in Jiaoyi, just lacking the license.

Zhang Yang did have a license, but it was from his past life. The current Zhang Yang hadn't learned to drive yet and had no license, though he had considered getting one eventually. A driver's license was essential for convenience later on.

"That works. We’re about to go eat; let’s go together. I’ll give you my ID then!"

Zhang Yang nodded again. Having Su Zhantao handle the licensing process was perfect; it would be done in a few days without him needing to show up—saving him a lot of hassle.

Su Zhantao immediately agreed, "Great, let’s go together! To Triumph Tower—it’s close. My treat today!"

"That won't be necessary. Zhang Yang already said he was treating today!"

Mi Xue said with a smile. She was the one who best understood the situation, knowing why Su Zhantao was gifting Zhang Yang such an expensive item, so her reaction was surprise, but not shock.

"Alright, it won't bankrupt the kid anyway!"

Su Zhantao chuckled and didn't insist on paying. Zhang Yang accepting his gift already made him very satisfied; who paid for the meal was trivial.

"Are these few your friends? Do you want to come along?"

One car couldn't fit everyone, so Su Zhantao planned to have Zhang Yang drive back and forth to pick up the others. As he was about to get into the car, he noticed Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen nearby and asked out of courtesy.

"No, we aren't together; we have somewhere to go now!"

Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen shook their heads almost simultaneously. Fan Sizhe immediately turned and got into his Santana, Zhou Yichen sliding into the passenger seat, leaving Hu Tao to sit in the back for the moment.

Once inside, Fan Sizhe immediately started the car and sped away.

Watching the car retreat in defeat, Su Zhantao looked somewhat puzzled—he had no idea what had just transpired.

"It’s nothing, you guys go ahead!"

Zhang Yang chuckled, handing the keys back to Su Zhantao, asking him to take Hu Xin and the girls first, while he waited with Xiao Bin and Gu Cheng.

With Fan Sizhe and Zhou Yichen gone, the remaining group felt their spirits lift considerably. You could say Su Zhantao’s car arrived at the perfect moment—just after someone mocked Zhang Yang for lacking transport and having to wait, this magnificent car appeared. It was a timely downpour.

This rain had utterly slapped Fan Sizhe in the face.

Monthly vote bonus chapters; more to come! (To be continued)