Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 118: Expired Beer

After reaching this conclusion, Chu Tianyu suddenly felt an urge to kill—just because of the despicable actions of that Tianxing Group. External enemies weren’t scary; everyone knew their hatred and was cautious in advance. Yet there were scoundrels like Tianxing Group who, for personal gain, lost all dignity, forgot their ancestors, and abandoned their heritage…
At this thought, Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but imagine drawing his sword and chopping them all to pieces. But this was no longer the era of heroic vendettas; it was a modern economic, legal society with rules and restrictions. Killing them all silently would be easy, but their numerous joint ventures, employees, and industries would only benefit those foreign forces.
Moreover, given the scale of their plans and the long preparation time, completely eradicating them without causing major economic upheaval or a domino effect required careful planning. A detailed and thorough strategy was needed to ensure success—so they could be made to pay back double for everything they had taken!
…
Early the next morning, his elder brother Chu Tiancheng called, saying there were too many preparations to make, and he asked Chu Tianyu to handle matters at school today before rushing to Huihuang early the next day to get ready. There were also some documents he needed Chu Tianyu to review urgently.
After hanging up, Chu Tianyu called Zi Yi and Bai Lei. Bai Lei had managed to take Lan Yue back yesterday, and they had probably said everything they needed to. According to Zi Yi, Lan Yue was taking a flight that afternoon, so she suggested having lunch together as a farewell. She would ask Bai Lei to help him take leave at work.
As for surveillance and tracking, the brothers from the Xuanji Sect would handle it. Under normal circumstances, everything should be foolproof.
Chu Tianyu first spoke with Ouyang Zi Yi, and they exchanged updates on their experiences from the previous day. When Chu Tianyu heard about Ouyang Zi Yi’s methods against Qin Nianran and the extraordinary words she used, he was stunned, sweating profusely, unable to utter a word!
Hearing her mention something like “eldest wife” nearly made him pass out. All that flashed in his mind were three words: “You’re so strong!”

Ouyang Ziyi was also greatly interested in Chu Tianyu’s accidental discovery and kept asking various questions, occasionally pondering for a while. It seemed she had a plan in mind, and the conclusion she reached finally made Chu Tianyu pass out under her continuous barrage of words! The conclusion was: “Well, it seems I still don’t quite understand these business matters. But that ‘Big Sister’ must be very skilled at them. I should find an opportunity to invite her over to discuss it. After all, her Dufu Industrial Group is also involved. With such a great ‘brain,’ it’s a shame not to use it…”
…
When they met Bai Lei at noon, Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi were shocked. Bai Lei looked resentful, clearly unhappy and reluctant, holding Lan Yue’s hand reluctantly, glancing at her from time to time as if there were still many tender feelings left unsaid.
After sitting down, Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi couldn’t bear to watch and tried to persuade him, “Bai Lei, there’s no need to act like this just because Lan Yue is leaving. Think about it—once she gets into Tsinghua in a few months, you’ll be together again! We understand how you feel, but showing such excessive affection now is a bit much, right? Hehe…”
Hearing this, Lan Yue pulled back her left hand, which Bai Lei was tightly holding, and said angrily, “Sis, brother-in-law, don’t be deceived by his act. This guy is the type who tries to manipulate others. We agreed to hold hands before he left, but he unexpectedly made other unreasonable demands. After I firmly refused, he started being stubborn and kept holding my hand, claiming it was the next best option and that we couldn’t waste a single second…”
“What unreasonable demands?” Ouyang Ziyi asked curiously.
“Hmph, you scoundrel, tell them yourself!” Lan Yue pointed at Bai Lei.
Bai Lei seized the chance to grab her hand again and held it tightly, refusing to let go. Lan Yue gave them a helpless look before giving up on arguing and letting him act as he pleased. From her attitude, it was clear that she had already been “infected” by Bai Lei’s persistent hand-holding before they arrived, silently enduring his repeated rubbing and “caresses” on her hand!

After grabbing Lan Yue’s small hand, Bai Lei caressed it indulgently once more before slowly saying, with Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi looking like they might vomit, “Is it wrong to love someone? Is it wrong to touch one’s loved one’s hand? Is it wrong to have thoughts of kissing those beloved lips a bit? How can you not understand the pure feelings of a passionate young man who longs for love and to be loved? Besides, I’m still a virgin—both spiritually and physically, I’m extremely pure…”
“Ugh~~” Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi finally vomited. Even Lan Yue, who had been exposed to Bai Lei’s words for a long time, couldn’t help but get goosebumps all over her body…
After seeing Lan Yue off, Bai Lei insisted on dragging Chu Tianyu out for a walk and a couple of drinks. Looking at Bai Lei, Chu Tianyu and Ziyi thought that though his words were a bit cheesy, they came from a sincere heart, and honesty was valuable. Moreover, after vomiting a few times, they gradually got used to it and understood.
So Ziye didn’t interfere much. She made an excuse to take care of the four bodyguards Chu Tianyu had arranged for her and Qin Nianran, leaving Chu Tianyu with Bai Lei.
Along the way, Bai Lei said many nonsensical things to Chu Tianyu, along with plenty of love philosophy, leaving Chu Tianyu at a loss as to whether to laugh or cry. Besides, what could two grown men achieve by just wandering around? So not long after, at Bai Lei’s request, they stopped at a small convenience store. They borrowed two stools from the owner, got a few bottles of beer, and bought some sausages and peanuts, then started chatting with Chu Tianyu!
Chu Tianyu helplessly watched Bai Lei. People say those who’ve gone through a breakup are the most in need of comfort, but Bai Lei, who had only been separated from Lan Yue for a few months, was acting even more extreme. Those who didn’t know the situation might think he was going through some life-or-death separation. The old man in the convenience store kept shaking his head and sighing at Bai Lei, even sneaking away to wipe away his tears while muttering, “Sigh, when Xiao Hua broke up with me, I was also utterly heartbroken! It seems that young man is also a passionate person. Well, I’ll sell him those expired bottles later…”
Chu Tianyu was sweating at this. That old man was definitely also a “passionate” type—truly capable of both showing sympathy and exploiting others!
Just then, Chu Tianyu’s phone suddenly rang. It was a strange number in normal mode—probably from a classmate. Although he often skipped class, he still held the position of class president.
“Hello, are you Chu Tianyu?”

“Yes, and who are you?” Chu Tianyu asked doubtfully, hearing a somewhat familiar voice on the phone.
“I’m Zhan Zifeng. I want to talk to you alone!”
“Whose call is it?” Bai Lei, also turning grief into strength, curiously leaned in and asked.
Chu Tianyu frowned upon hearing this and then turned to Bai Lei, saying, “Zhan Zifeng!”
“Do you have time now? I couldn’t find you at your school. Don’t worry, I’m coming alone this time. I just have some issues I’d like to discuss and resolve with you,” Zhan Zifeng continued on the phone.
“No problem. I’m right in front of a certain convenience store on so-and-so Road, in so-and-so Alley, eating peanuts and drinking beer. If you’re interested, come over and have a drink. Hurry up—time is of the essence!”
Without waiting for a reply, Chu Tianyu hung up the phone and shouted at the convenience store owner, “Boss, bring out those expired beers of yours!”
“Sure…” The owner instinctively agreed. Only after holding the beers did he realize what was happening and quickly explained, “Heh, sir, we don’t have any expired beers here. Everything we have is freshly delivered…”
“Stop talking nonsense! Just bring them over quickly. It’s not like we won’t pay you!” Bai Lei, hearing Chu Tianyu’s words, immediately snapped at the owner.
…
Zhan Zifeng was indeed quick. Within ten minutes, a black sports car stopped at the entrance of the alley. When Zhan Zifeng appeared in front of Chu Tianyu and Bai Lei, Bai Lei handed him an already opened bottle of beer without saying a word. “Don’t say anything. My buddy’s in a bad mood today. If you want to talk to Third Brother, drink this bottle first. Otherwise, no talks!”
Zhan Zifeng seemed to really have something to say and didn’t argue with Bai Lei. Instead, he took the beer and downed it in one gulp. After finishing, he even flipped the bottle upside down to show he hadn’t left a drop. Yet he frowned slightly, as if he noticed something wrong with the beer’s taste. But seeing the empty bottles in Chu Tianyu and Bai Lei’s hands—all of the same brand—he thought this might just be the taste of ordinary beer, so he didn’t pay much attention. Meanwhile, the convenience store owner secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Chu Tianyu, I’m here this time with genuine intentions to talk to you about Qin Nianran! Can we find a quiet place to talk?”
As he spoke, Chu Tianyu suddenly sensed the sound of rapid energy approaching from afar. Although they didn’t know how they had managed to muffle such sounds using some secret technique, it still didn’t escape Chu Tianyu’s ears.

At first, he thought it was assistants brought by Zhan Zifeng, but as those auras kept approaching, Chu Tianyu changed his mind, because one of those auras was one he was extremely familiar with.