Secretary Liu, a graduate of a prestigious university with high credentials, had achieved a coveted position as a confidential secretary at a young age—truly enjoying the prime of his career. Faced with Li Yundong, a mere undergraduate from some fly-by-night college, he naturally possessed an air of detached superiority.

This wasn't his first time handling such situations; girls like Zhou Qin naturally attracted numerous suitors. Usually, a mere threat was enough to achieve his objective. However, with the young man before him, Secretary Liu had heard rumors. Incredibly strong? Ha! What era is this? So what if he’s good at fighting? Violence and brawling are things for triad members! I truly don't understand what Zhou Qin sees in a guy like this. If it weren't for the fact that Zhou Qin seemed genuinely serious this time, why would he be offering this unformed kid such a high price? Secretary Liu felt nothing but disdain in his heart.

He watched Li Yundong return, fully confident, hands crossed over his chest, and declared, "Well, have you seen sense? That’s right. How often in life does one get to earn this much? Rest assured, this money is completely clean. Once you take it, you just disappear!" With that, he swiftly signed the check and extended it towards Li Yundong.

Li Yundong’s gaze locked onto Secretary Liu. He took the check, glanced at it, and suddenly smiled—a smile both fleeting and utterly dismissive. Secretary Liu’s expression darkened slightly. "What are you smiling at?" Li Yundong shook his head with a laugh, "I’m laughing because why are there always people in this world who think money can solve everything? Why are there always people who think they can manipulate others like puppets?"

Secretary Liu replied with a grim face, "What do you mean?" Li Yundong shredded the check into pieces and said coldly, "Let me state this again: Zhou Qin and I are just ordinary friends. Whether she likes me or not is her right and freedom, and I respect that. I, Li Yundong, only love Su Chan, and she will only ever be my girlfriend. Do you understand? Don't use things like this to insult Zhou Qin and me!"

Secretary Liu stared at Li Yundong for a long moment, then suddenly chuckled, "I genuinely can't tell if you don't realize what marrying a girl like Zhou Qin means, or if you are cunningly playing hard to get." Li Yundong scoffed, "What is there not to realize? Isn't it just skipping twenty years of struggle? So what? To skip twenty years of effort, I would sell my character and self-respect, live subserviently afterward, pretending to be a tough guy outside while being a wuss at home—is that something worth boasting about? Ridiculous!"

Li Yundong spoke eloquently, "The woman I value must be one who shares hardship and joy with me. She never abandoned me when I was at my lowest and most useless; therefore, I will never abandon her for a single moment!" As he delivered the last two sentences, Li Yundong’s gaze and tone softened considerably as he thought of Su Chan, who was with him day and night.

Secretary Liu was silent for a moment, then remarked lightly, "In that case, you are quite the romantic." Li Yundong countered, "Romantic is too strong a word; I just want to prove that her initial choice was correct!"

Secretary Liu suddenly felt unable to gauge what kind of person this young man truly was. Was he deliberately saying noble words, or was he genuinely such a hot-blooded, devoted fool? But regardless, as long as he understood the matter, that was enough. Secretary Liu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Since you don't want the money, fine. We will arrange a new school for you—one much better than this university. By the time you graduate, we'll secure you a good job. You will marry your beloved and have children. See? What a beautiful life, isn't it? Now, tell me, when do you want to leave so I can make arrangements..."

Li Yundong looked back at him and countered, "That’s strange. When did I agree to leave here?" Secretary Liu was instantly choked off, his face flushing crimson as he stammered, "Didn't you already agree to stop associating with Zhou Qin? Leaving her life is the best way!"

Li Yundong burst into loud laughter, "Preposterous, utterly preposterous! You can’t handle Zhou Qin, so you try to force me into compliance! I’m staying right here, not going anywhere! No one will dominate my life, do you understand?" Secretary Liu’s anger boiled over, "Are you refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit?" Li Yundong sneered, "I think you’re the one refusing the toast only to drink the forfeit! Take your things and get out! Don't appear before me again!"

Secretary Liu roared in fury, "Are you threatening me? Do you know who you are intimidating?" Li Yundong’s eyes flashed like lightning, "And do you know who you are threatening! Don't think being an official makes you great. Let me tell you, I, Li Yundong, stand firm and upright; I am never afraid of any demons or evil spirits! You people had better not provoke me, or I will show you what a common man’s fury means—blood spilled five paces, and within ten paces, you’ll face the entire nation!"

As he spoke, Li Yundong slammed his palm down onto the stone table in the pavilion with a loud bang. With a sharp clatter, the stone table cracked, and a fragment of stone fell away. Li Yundong flicked his toe, sending the broken stone fragment upwards, snatching it in his five fingers. With a sharp exertion of force, he actually crushed the rock into fine dust!

Secretary Liu, long accustomed to the pampered life within bureaucratic offices, had never witnessed such a scene. He recoiled in terror, stumbling two steps back, his eyes wide as saucers, looking at Li Yundong as if he were a demon. He pointed a trembling finger at Li Yundong, stammering for a long time, unable to speak.

Li Yundong let out a cold chuckle, shook the stone powder from his hand, left behind a stern gaze, and then turned to leave.

After Li Yundong left the pavilion, Director Qian, who was standing not far from the teaching building, happened to see his unhappy departure with Secretary Liu. A look of profound meaning crossed Director Qian’s face, and he smiled sinisterly.

Li Yundong walked to the base of the teaching building and greeted Su Chan, who was waiting for him downstairs. Su Chan had been waiting so long her stomach was growling with hunger. She skipped over, beaming, and linked her arm through Li Yundong’s, "What did you talk about just now?"

Li Yundong smiled slightly, completely devoid of the terrifying aura of rage he had just displayed, "Nothing much, just a casual chat. Are you hungry? Let’s go back and I’ll cook you something delicious!" Su Chan cheered happily, "Yes, yes! I want to eat beer-braised duck!" Li Yundong laughed, "We just had that yesterday, you want it again today?" Su Chan giggled, "It’s too tasty!"

As the two walked out of the school gates, Zhou Qin watched their receding figures through the car window with a complicated expression. She then tossed the phone back to her father, Zhou Keqiang, and said with a cold sneer, "Are you satisfied now?"

Zhou Keqiang's anger had subsided considerably. He stated flatly, "Shouldn’t I ask if you are satisfied? He clearly has zero interest in you, and he’s devoted to someone else. Stop throwing yourself at him!"

Zhou Qin looked at her father with an indefinable sorrow in her eyes, "Dad, how can you still not understand? The reason I like this young man is precisely because he possesses something that boys nowadays lack!" Zhou Keqiang sneered, "What thing? That 'common man's fury' just now? That’s a joke, utterly childish!"

Zhou Qin shook her head and sighed, "Dad, I think you are the truly childish one! Always trying to control things, always thinking you can manage everything! Give it up. You have officials far above you, and even if you reach the highest position, you still have Heaven above you! I like him precisely because of his devotion and fidelity to Su Chan. If he were a fickle and promiscuous person, how could someone like that be worthy of my affection?"

Zhou Qin looked at her father, "Unyielding in poverty, unbending in the face of might, uncorrupted by wealth and honor—this is what defines a true man! Dad, I like such a man; you should be happy for me! You want me to marry He Shao; whether I’ll be happy is another question, but even if the two families form an alliance through marriage, so what? If something were to happen, would a mere marriage contract really keep things stable?" "Come on, we’re birds of a feather in prosperity, but in times of great difficulty, we each fly our own way. Dad, you should understand this principle better than I do! Besides, how can you be so sure that Li Yundong’s future achievements will surpass those of He Shao, that skeleton in the tomb?"

Zhou Keqiang snorted coldly, "What starting point did He Shao have? What starting point does this fellow have? Would he even consider entering the official system? Even if he did, given his temperament, he'd be played to death within a year!"

Seeing her father's attitude soften momentarily, Zhou Qin stopped maintaining such a fiercely resistant posture. She sighed softly, "Dad, you haven't dealt with this young man, so you won't understand. But I have witnessed that incredible power he possesses several times; therefore, I firmly believe there is a force in this world that can transcend worldly power and money!"

Zhou Keqiang fell silent, taking deep drags from the cigarette between his lips. Father and daughter lapsed into silence for a moment. After a while, Zhou Qin opened the car door, saying, "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Zhou Keqiang said sternly, "Don't you find it exhausting constantly inserting yourself between others?" Zhou Qin turned back and replied, "This is my choice, not one forced upon me by others. No matter how bitter or tiring, I will accept it willingly!" With that, she shut the car door with a decisive thud and walked away without looking back.

Long after Zhou Qin had left, the car door suddenly opened, and Secretary Liu slipped inside. The two large men stared at each other inside the car, both faces dark, lost in silence.

Zhou Keqiang threw him a cigarette, "Have one yourself." Secretary Liu lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and then let out a long breath, as if venting something from his soul.

Zhou Keqiang watched him, then suddenly smiled after a moment, "How did it feel to be threatened with 'a common man's fury, blood spilled five paces'?" Secretary Liu shivered internally, shaking his head with lingering fear, "Terrifying!"

Zhou Keqiang sounded slightly surprised, "Oh? What was the feeling like? Describe it to me?" Secretary Liu let out a self-mocking laugh, "It felt like having my very life held in the palm of someone else's hand!"

Saying that, Secretary Liu shifted slightly toward Zhou Keqiang, leaned in, and lowered his voice, "This guy effortlessly shattered a stone table just now, and then he squeezed a piece of rock into dust right in front of me! Boss, I won't hide it from you—damn it, I was so scared I almost wet myself! The look in his eyes was too terrifying. Please, never let me meet him again; I’m afraid I’ll have nightmares!"

Zhou Keqiang froze, "It was that exaggerated?" Secretary Liu sighed, "Yes, that was a genuine bluestone tabletop, not made of flour! Is my head harder than that table? That fellow was right; we are the ones wearing shoes, and he is the one who is barefoot!"

Zhou Keqiang stopped talking, lowering his head, smoking incessantly until the car interior was thick with smoke, "If that’s the case, this matter cannot be resolved so lightly. Let's put things on hold for now and see how the situation develops." He then looked up and let out a profound sigh, "Unyielding in poverty, unbending in the face of might, uncorrupted by wealth and honor... Hmph, do people like that really still exist in this world?"