Gu Cheng and Hu Xin exchanged glances. They both recognized the spark of excitement; Zhang Yang's proposal was genuinely excellent—having their own vehicle for hauling goods meant earning significantly more than relying purely on brute strength.

Their most pressing obstacle right now was capital, and Zhang Yang conveniently had the money to help them out. Naturally, they wouldn't accept his money for free; once they earned enough, they’d pay him back, interest included.

This arrangement would save them a significant amount of startup time, sparing them the daily grind of sweating over heavy manual labor—it was far better than what they had initially envisioned. “Chengzi, I think it’s a go.

This way you guys can earn a lot more!” To everyone's surprise, the first person to voice approval was Nannan. Gu Cheng and Nannan had grown much closer recently.

In fact, Nannan also needed to work during the summer break because her mother’s surgery had left her owing Zhang Yang six thousand yuan. She was determined to pay this debt back before graduation.

“Hu Xin, I think it works too!” Xiao Dai also nodded slightly. The group had good relationships, and Zhang Yang's idea was indeed a huge help to them.

The biggest worry now was that Hu Xin and Gu Cheng might be too proud to accept Zhang Yang's assistance, as many university students in this era held their dignity quite highly. “Then it’s settled.

Chengzi, come see me later to pick up the money. I’ll find someone to handle the driver’s license stuff.

You two just need to find the gigs and start looking as soon as the break begins!” Zhang Yang smiled faintly and stated it directly. Gu Cheng and Hu Xin no longer hesitated and both nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yang's plan offered them immense help; who would choose to carry loads manually when they could drive and deliver? As for this favor, they had been together for several years; they had no idea how many obligations they already owed one another.

It was just that this particular favor was a bit larger. With that settled, Zhang Yang immediately pulled out his phone and called Su Zhantao, asking him to join them at Wangyue Tower.

Young Master Su had connections who could facilitate obtaining a driver’s license. Such connections were meant to be used, and his network company was doing well now.

Furthermore, he praised Hu Tao, calling him a promising young talent and thanking Zhang Yang for the recommendation and introduction. Su Zhantao later invited Zhang Yang to partner with him several more times, but Zhang Yang showed no interest, so he eventually dropped the matter.

“Sorry, did I keep you waiting long?” Just as he hung up, Zhang Yang felt a wave of delicate fragrance behind him as Mi Xue stepped out, dressed in a white sundress. When she appeared, she drew countless gazes.

Seeing Mi Xue leaning against Zhang Yang’s back, many of the "beasts" inwardly cursed: What a waste of good flowers on manure. Whether Zhang Yang was manure or not, the sight of a beauty with another guy inevitably sparked such thoughts.

“Not at all. We just got here.

We were just finalizing plans to head to Wangyue Tower in a bit!” Zhang Yang turned, took Mi Xue’s hand, and their relationship was now completely public; they were blissfully together wherever they went. “Wangyue Tower?

Great! When are we leaving?” Mi Xue’s eyes brightened slightly.

The seafood at Wangyue Tower had also left a deep impression on her. Beautiful women, too, had a small resistance to exquisite food.

“Right now!” Zhang Yang took Mi Xue’s hand and started walking forward. The others quickly followed.

Hu Xin even shouted that Zhang Yang was prioritizing romance over friendship, abandoning everyone the moment his girlfriend arrived. Little did they know that far from them, someone was watching them with venomous resentment.

If Zhang Yang had noticed this person watching from a distance, he certainly would have recognized him as Zhou Yichen. After the School Disciplinary Committee took Zhou Yichen away, all the facts were investigated, confirming Zhou Yichen’s crimes of misappropriating public funds and using his position for personal gain.

However, since he was still a student, his uncle was a department head, and his father and uncle lobbied hard, he was released relatively quickly. He fully reimbursed the student union funds and repaid every penny spent.

In the end, he received a major demerit and a probationary status requiring him to remain under school observation. This was the power of money and connections.

For anyone else with those offenses, expulsion would have been the minimum sentence, with a high probability of criminal charges. After his release, Zhou Yichen remained quiet for a time, but the hatred in his heart had not subsided.

He would certainly not let Ouyang Yu off the hook. Afterward, he realized that some of the evidence Zhang Yang held had been provided by Ouyang Yu.

Ouyang Yu dared not refuse, as Zhang Yang had leverage over him; if he hadn't provided the materials, the Disciplinary Committee might have taken him next. Anyone in that situation would prioritize self-preservation first.

Besides Ouyang Yu, Zhou Yichen’s target for revenge was Zhang Yang. When he was still in the student union, his status as Chairman imposed some restraint; now that he was outside the union and a free agent, revenge came without any ties holding him back.

He intended to make Zhang Yang pay a steep price. His recent downfall had been severe.

Even though his uncle spent a lot of money and his other uncle helped out, this major demerit could not be erased. Most critically, the charge was related to profiting personally and embezzling funds.

With such a demerit recorded, any future prospects of entering the civil service were ruined; how could any organization consider someone with a record of suspected corruption? For Zhou Yichen, who had set his sights on a political career after graduation, this was a devastating blow, akin to total annihilation.

Discouraged and disheartened, all he sought was vengeance—vengeance against everyone who betrayed or deceived him, and vengeance against Zhang Yang. After watching Zhang Yang and the others leave until they were completely out of sight, a vicious look crossed his face, and he pulled out his phone, dialing a number directly.

“Brother Long, I have the money ready. When would be a good time for you to collect it…” After hanging up, Zhou Yichen spat forcefully, turned, and walked away.

Zhang Yang remained unaware of the storm Zhou Yichen was preparing to unleash. Even if he knew, he wouldn't worry; if it was just against him, as long as there were no lethal firearms, he wasn't afraid of any number of opponents.

The state had very strict controls over such weapons; obtaining them was not easy. Wangyue Tower was in the city center.

As Zhang Yang pulled out his Mercedes-Benz, Su Zhantao arrived in his BMW. To Zhang Yang’s surprise, Su Wei was also in the car—the girl had tagged along.

“Old Su, what’s going on here?” Zhang Yang pulled Su Zhantao aside and asked quietly. Their relationship had deepened recently, which was evident even in their form of address.

“She finished her exams and was home. When she heard I was coming to find you, she insisted on coming along!” Su Zhantao shook his head, clearly exasperated by Su Wei’s insistence.

He was keenly aware of his sister’s knack for causing trouble. Zhang Yang turned to look at Su Wei.

The girl was already hugging Mi Xue, acting like long-lost sisters, while Mi Xue was introducing her to Gu Cheng and the others nearby. “Let her come, fine, but she absolutely cannot cause trouble again, or don’t blame me if I don’t help you!” Zhang Yang sighed.

Su Wei’s talent for stirring up incidents was too strong, and her tongue was sharp. Bringing her along felt like carrying an explosive package; everyone felt the headache.

“Alright, I know. I warned her before we left!” Su Zhantao nodded.

With his arrival, they now had two cars. Including the two Su siblings, there were nine of them, so two cars were just right.

One BMW, one Mercedes-Benz—both fine cars—naturally attracted attention on the road. Under the high rate of turned heads, the two cars soon arrived at Wangyue Tower.

Wangyue Tower had dedicated parking and attending security staff. Seeing the two luxury cars approach, the guard immediately directed them where to park.

Zhang Yang had already arranged with Su Zhantao to book a room beforehand; since they had a large group, they were heading to a larger private room. Zhang Yang took charge of ordering the food.

While doing so, he eyed Su Zhantao with some concern. Since he had seen him today, Young Master Su’s usual spirited demeanor seemed absent, and he appeared distracted—clearly preoccupied.

Zhang Yang didn't know what the matter concerned, and he didn't ask at that moment. If it was career-related, Zhang Yang might offer advice, but if it involved romance, Zhang Yang would definitely steer clear.

It wasn't a lack of loyalty; such matters could only be truly resolved by the person involved. Meddling carelessly could lead to blame if things went wrong.

While ordering, Gu Cheng and Hu Xin were whispering quietly again. With Zhang Yang lending them money and helping secure their licenses, their original plan had to change.

Their new focus would be finding delivery jobs independently; the more gigs they secured, the more money they would make. As they got animated discussing this, their voices occasionally rose, both men currently consumed by bright visions of the future.

Zhang Yang noticed them too, a faint smile slowly spreading across his face. Many people, when first stepping into society, share the same boundless optimism for the future, aspiring to become titans like Li Ka-shing, building empires from scratch.

But reality is harsh; only through collision and hardship does one realize that phenomena are reality, and ideals are merely ideals. Zhang Yang understood this situation, yet he couldn't change it.

Never mind him; no one could alter this. It was the law of nature; one could only adapt to it; nature would not adapt to you.

While Hu Xin and Gu Cheng talked, Mi Xue and Su Wei were chatting softly. Nearby, Nannan and Xiao Dai were leaning close, murmuring about something unknown.

Xiao Bin sat alone, studying a document. The new Chairman was very busy lately, even bringing official work to dinner.

The remaining people were just himself and Su Zhantao. Su Zhantao was slumped over, looking as dejected as if tens of millions in accounts were unrecoverable—utterly spiritless.

“Old Su, what on earth is wrong with you?” Zhang Yang couldn't hold back and finally asked. Su Zhantao was usually extremely optimistic, and Zhang Yang had never seen him like this.

Su Zhantao looked up at Zhang Yang, let out a slow sigh, and spoke softly, “My good days are probably numbered. My old man is about to step down, and he’s coming here!” “Old man?” Zhang Yang frowned slightly, immediately understanding that Su Zhantao was referring to his father.

Zhang Yang had heard a little about Su Zhantao’s father—a high-ranking official in a central ministry. If he was "coming down" here, it likely meant a transfer to their province.

His father held a ministerial rank (Zheng Bu Ji); moving to a local post meant he would surely be a high-ranking official, perhaps even the top leader. Moving from the central government to become the top leader in a locality was promotion, not a demotion.

Su Zhantao should be happy, so why the long face… Third update, continuing to type; there’s more to come! (To be continued…RQ

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