The journey back was relatively smooth, involving an overnight stop in a prefecture-level city before arriving in Changjing by noon the next day.

This hunt had been an unexpected detour for Long Cheng and his group, but for Zhang Yang, it was a massive windfall. It wasn't just their proposition; without it, Zhang Yang wouldn't have acquired so many treasures.

Then again, had Zhang Yang not accompanied them, those people might well have met a grim fate. Venturing into the Golden Crown Python’s territory would have been certain death.

Every interaction, every piece of luck, was fate—they were fortunate, and Zhang Yang was fortunate too.

“Brother Cheng, I’ll return your car in a few days!”

After exiting the expressway, Zhang Yang greeted Long Cheng. Much of his gear was still in the vehicle, and he wanted to take it home first.

“I rarely drive this car; you don’t need to return it to me. Just keep it!”

Long Cheng immediately shook his head, glancing toward Long Feng as he spoke.

He had once asked Long Feng if he needed anything, but since Long Feng had declined, he hadn't dared bring it up again. Now that Long Feng was with Zhang Yang, using everything Zhang Yang provided, he hoped to at least offer this car, considering Long Feng was an elder from the Long family.

Zhang Yang turned his head and glanced at Long Feng as well.

He knew that Long Cheng’s words were actually meant for Long Feng, just that he hadn't dared say it directly to him.

“Keep it, then!”

Long Feng smiled faintly. Long Cheng froze for a moment before his face lit up with ecstatic joy.

Long Feng had finally accepted something he offered, which proved he was also accepted by Long Feng. Now, he could openly visit to ask for guidance and pointers. Ever since witnessing the scene of that earth-shattering battle, Long Cheng’s yearning for cultivating inner strength martial arts had intensified. Faced with money, beautiful women, and enhancing his inner strength, he would unquestionably choose the latter.

After bidding farewell to Long Cheng and the others, Zhang Yang drove straight back to his residence.

Since Long Cheng insisted he keep the car, Zhang Yang didn't need to return it. It was perfect; Long Feng now had a car of his own.

“Send two more cars out, immediately. I don’t care how you do it. Have them delivered within two hours!”

The moment Zhang Yang opened his apartment door, he was hit by a booming voice shouting orders.

“Zhang Yang, you’re back!”

The living room was quite full. Mi Xue immediately stood up when she saw Zhang Yang, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. Zhang Yang had called before returning, but hadn’t specified an exact arrival time, so she knew he was coming back today and had made a point to wait at home.

Mi Xue wasn't the only one waiting. Hu Xin, Gu Cheng, Xiao Dai, and Nan Nan were all there. The person shouting just now was Hu Xin; he still held a cell phone, yelling into it.

“Gotta go!”

Hu Xin hastily hung up the phone and rushed to his feet as well.

“Boss, you’re finally back. Do you know how much I’ve missed you these past few days!”

Hu Xin dramatically spread his arms, intending to embrace Zhang Yang, but was stopped by Gu Cheng after taking a single step. This guy was utterly tactless; he hadn't noticed Mi Xue was already walking over.

“Are you tired? Do you want to take a shower first?”

Mi Xue approached Zhang Yang, looking deeply into his eyes. Zhang Yang’s absence these past few days had made her miss him terribly, and she regretted not going with him. Thankfully, Xiao Dai and Nan Nan had been with her, otherwise, she might have impulsively gone looking for him—Mi Xue was the type to do such a thing.

“No, I’m not tired!”

Zhang Yang smiled and immediately drew Mi Xue into an embrace. During the fight with the Golden Crown Python, in that moment of life and death danger, the person he thought of and wanted to be with was the beloved in front of him. At that time, he truly believed he might never see Mi Xue again.

“You’re not tired, but I am. I drove the whole way. I’m going back to take a shower first!”

Long Feng suddenly interjected, then walked out of the room without another word. His residence was in the adjacent unit; he needed to return to clean up and change.

“The blockhead can talk?”

Hu Xin stood stock-still in utter astonishment, pointing at the doorway. Even Gu Cheng wore a look of shock. They had known Long Feng for a long time. He had always been aloof and wooden, ignoring everyone, which led them to gradually disregard his presence. No one expected him to speak up immediately upon Zhang Yang’s return, acting like a completely different person.

“It’s fine, he’s right. He drove the whole way, let him go rest first!”

Zhang Yang chuckled softly. Long Feng had indeed changed significantly. The biggest change was that he had accepted Zhang Yang, and by extension, the people around him. Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't have said anything of the sort; Long Feng was an incredibly proud man.

“Squeak squeak!”

Lightning suddenly darted out, waving its paws and chattering loudly. Mi Xue spotted it immediately and scooped it up, cuddling it affectionately. Mi Xue had missed Lightning too, not having seen it for days.

Lightning kept chattering and gesturing wildly. Mi Xue didn’t know what it was saying, but Zhang Yang understood perfectly. It was telling Mi Xue that they had encountered a formidable opponent on this trip, and with its help, they finally defeated the enemy and enjoyed the spoils of victory; it was stronger now.

Sensing Lightning’s meaning, Zhang Yang couldn’t help but shake his head. It was a good thing this little creature couldn’t speak; otherwise, many secrets would have been exposed. With its big mouth, it would blab everywhere, letting the whole world know everything.

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

Shadow also appeared, leaping onto Mi Xue’s lap as well. It recounted the events too, though it focused more on its own contributions. Zhang Yang could faintly sense what it meant and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. These two little fellows were competing for credit right upon returning, but unfortunately, they had chosen the wrong audience; Mi Xue couldn't possibly understand them.

“Boss, I heard your hunting trip this time yielded quite the haul?”

Hu Xin finally managed to squeeze closer, looking at Zhang Yang with excitement. He had wanted to join the hunt too, but he knew he didn't have the clout for that circle Zhang Yang moved in. They treated him politely, but only out of respect for Zhang Yang. He still needed to work hard, strive harder, so that one day he could genuinely earn everyone’s recognition.

“The haul was decent. You’re doing well too; you’ve already bought a cell phone!”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, looking at the device in Hu Xin’s hand—ShuShu Net.

“Boss, this phone model was on special promotion, so it was much cheaper. Chengzi and I each bought one. It’s impossible to get by without a phone now; coordinating business is too inconvenient. It’s not like the old days with pagers where just receiving a call was enough!”

Hu Xin quickly explained, his expression slightly tense. Zhang Yang had only recently invested in them, and their logistics company was just starting out; buying cell phones right now seemed a bit ostentatious. However, they truly had a reason for the purchase. Although the company was new, they weren't short on work. Hu Xin and Gu Cheng had tirelessly run deliveries and worked on the road before, meeting many people—almost all of whom were involved in delivery driving or logistics. Once their new company launched, they contacted these contacts extensively. Because they were honest and dependable, people were willing to do business with them, and within a few days of launching, they became swamped. Many operations required urgent phone contact, forcing them all to buy a mobile phone. In fact, they hadn't owned the phones for long, but their work efficiency had definitely improved significantly since getting them; they were very practical.

“Not bad. If business is busy, tools are necessary. The way you spoke just now had the air of a real big boss!”

Zhang Yang chuckled and then sat down nearby. He honestly didn’t mind Hu Xin buying a phone. In his past life, cell phones were common—one, two, sometimes even three per person. Hu Xin and Gu Cheng were now handling hundreds of thousands in business; it really was impractical not to have phones.

“Boss, you’re not mad at me?”

Hu Xin asked cautiously. Ever since Zhang Yang invested in them, he started calling Zhang Yang 'Boss,' saying the title felt intimate, as everything he had came from the Boss.

“What’s there to be mad about?”

Zhang Yang seemed puzzled. Hu Xin buying a phone meant more business, and more business meant success—that was a good thing. Zhang Yang felt no blame whatsoever.

“I’m glad you’re not mad, Boss. We’ll treat you to a proper welcoming dinner tonight!”

Seeing that Zhang Yang truly wasn't bothered, Hu Xin let out a long sigh of relief. He had genuinely feared Zhang Yang would think he was showing off just because he had earned a little money. If that had been the case, he probably would have burst into tears on the spot; he and Gu Cheng had debated buying the phones for a long time, considering they weren't cheap, and they still owed Zhang Yang a lot of money.

“Sure, you guys treat tonight!”

Zhang Yang smiled lightly. Xiao Dai and Nan Nan also trotted over, asking Zhang Yang about the hunt. Their demeanor had changed subtly from before; the environment truly changed a person. Having been business owners for only a short while, they had already transformed completely. It wasn’t that they had become arrogant, but rather they possessed more poise and confidence. Hu Xin and Gu Cheng had also changed, just not as dramatically. Zhang Yang believed that if they continued like this, they would all truly mature and become genuine proprietors. Seeing them prosper made Zhang Yang happy; these were a few of his closest friends.

“Right, Boss, school starts in three days. Hu Xin and I have discussed it, and we’ve decided to take a leave of absence for a year to get the company running properly, then we’ll come back to study next year!”

Gu Cheng looked up, glanced at Hu Xin, and then quietly told Zhang Yang. Their logistics company was very busy, and business was booming now. Starting school would inevitably interfere. They weren't like the three girls—Mi Xue’s restaurant could be managed by one person; having one person go in turns was enough to handle everything at the restaurant while still attending classes.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Yang finally spoke slowly: “Taking a leave means you’ll be a year behind us, doesn’t it? If it’s just about time, there’s no need to do that. We’re all in our senior year; the courses aren’t that demanding anyway. You can easily set aside time for your business. There are plenty of classes you don't need to attend; at worst, you just need to run a few extra trips to the academic advisor!”

Zhang Yang’s words caused Hu Xin and Gu Cheng’s eyes to light up slightly. They understood that Zhang Yang was advising against taking a leave, but he had also offered them an alternative solution.

………… Fifth update. I typed out five chapters straight through the night; my fingers are sore and tired. Xiao Yu will rest briefly and then start on the sixth chapter. It will still be six chapters today. Before the next chapter updates, can my friends give Xiao Yu another ten votes? Seeing the monthly ticket count rise after a night of exhaustion would make Xiao Yu very happy. (To be continued)

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