Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 178: Summer Vacation Plans

The moment the plane landed at the capital airport, Chu Tianyu finally realized he had encountered a truly “simple task”—not easy at all!
Logically, this world military competition should have been the main event, but for Chu Tianyu, it turned out to be the simplest part. Especially toward the end, he almost became a bystander, yet still received widespread respect, which was completely unexpected for him.
Therefore, Chu Tianyu also held deep respect for the soldiers from various countries. No matter whether they were called political tools or killing machines, the term “soldier” itself meant dedication and sacrifice!
So when they saluted Chu Tianyu, he in turn saluted them in his heart, though one side used their own unique way while the other simply expressed it silently…
Only when the plane came to a stop did Chu Tianyu bring his thoughts back. With a calm expression, he packed his things and started getting off the plane with Angel.
Upon reaching the exit, Chu Tianyu was stunned to see Ouyang Ziyi, Li Rou, Bai Lei, Da Ge, Bao Cai, and many other classmates waiting outside to pick them up. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say there were so many—even Chen Qing and his girlfriend were there.
As Chu Tianyu approached, he realized even Lan Yue had come, which was truly unexpected! With greetings coming from all sides, Chu Tianyu felt overwhelmed, wondering what special day this was for him.
However, Angel, who was with Chu Tianyu, was clearly uncomfortable seeing so many people waiting to pick them up. She kept her head down, moving subtly behind Chu Tianyu as if that could protect her.
Chu Tianyu didn’t notice this. While hugging Da Ge, Bao Cai, and the others warmly, he said emotionally, “Thank you so much! I’m truly moved. So many of you took time off just to pick me up. I really…”
Before he could finish his heartfelt words, Ouyang Ziyi and the others started covering their mouths and laughing. Kind-hearted Li Rou gave him a few subtle signals, turning what should have been a lively welcome scene into something strange. Chu Tianyu was completely confused, especially not understanding Li Rou’s signals, and could only stand there awkwardly, at a loss.

At that moment, Bai Lei gently pushed everyone aside with one hand. He stepped forward, cleared his throat at Chu Tianyu, and said seriously, “Ahem, ahem, Classmate Chu, although we were extremely excited to welcome your return and gave you a big welcome, you don’t need to be so narcissistic, thinking that everyone would take time off just to pick you up after skipping class to go out and have fun. After all, the school announced the summer vacation schedule yesterday—how could you not know that?”

At the end, Bai Lei deliberately added another sarcastic remark, seemingly not satisfied enough. Before Chu Tianyu’s face could turn red with shame, he continued to mock him, “And according to Zi Yi, there’s a place near the airport where they cook wild vegetables and game dishes really well. So, we all took this opportunity to enjoy some ‘wild’ food. Hehe, who would have thought that our Classmate Chu, our great team leader, would get so emotionally moved? What a sin, really!”

With Bai Lei’s exaggerated teasing tone and the others eagerly discussing which wild vegetables were delicious and which game dishes were tender and tasty… Chu Tianyu was so angry that his nose almost twisted. He realized they were deliberately teaming up to tease him. Judging from Ou Yang Zi Yi and the others’ expressions, although he couldn’t say if they were the masterminds or key participants, it was clear they were definitely important people who knew about it but didn’t report it!

Of course, except for Li Rou!

While Chu Tianyu gently looked at Li Rou, her attention had already been drawn to Angel behind him. So all she responded to his gentle gaze was her beautiful long hair and the back of her head.

Soon, led by Li Rou, everyone’s attention shifted back to Angel. Ou Yang Zi Yi and Li Rou already knew about Chu Tianyu’s conversation and also knew about Angel. They had even chatted with this little girl on the phone, and their conversation had been very pleasant. So when Angel figured out which one was Sister Ou and which one was Sister Li Rou, she naturally stood beside them. Perhaps girls all have this kind of affinity when meeting for the first time, and they quickly became close friends.

As a result, Chu Tianyu, who should have been the main recipient of the welcome, was left aside. All he could do was watch the crowd gathered around Angel, shaking his head helplessly with a mix of frustration and amusement.

It took a good while before everyone’s attention turned back to Angel. Led by Bai Lei, they slowly began to pay attention to Chu Tianyu. But thinking of Bai Lei’s mouth, what good outcome could he possibly bring? Moreover, from his tone, it seemed Chu Tianyu always abandoned his brothers unfaithfully to go off by himself, leaving everyone to clean up his mess—something utterly unforgivable. If not for his beloved Yueyue by his side today, his insults and harsh words would have been even worse!

These words made Chu Tianyu shiver with fear. He quickly picked up one of his own phrases and said, with a hint of flattery, “Hehe, really thanks to you, scumbag. I’ll treat everyone to this wild game meal—whatever you want to eat, anything is fine! Of course, it’s you I really need to thank, whether it’s getting me a leave of absence or solving my exam problems… By the way, scumbag, how did you handle my exam? Last time I asked you and Zi Yi, they acted mysteriously and refused to say. Did you manage to bribe all the teachers and get me a chance to retake the exam next semester?”

These words sparked another round of snickers among everyone, leaving Chu Tianyu even more puzzled. He couldn’t help but look at Zi Yi and Li Rou.

“Although Li Rou and I were the main ones who did the work, it was you who came up with the idea,” said Ouyang Zi Yi with a smile. “You idiot, you really should thank them properly.”

With Ouyang Zi Yi’s words, Bai Lei immediately straightened up, became proud, and tilted his head slightly upward, keeping his eyes looking down at Chu Tianyu in a condescending manner, waiting for him to thank him.

Chu Tianyu knew he was being arrogant, so he didn’t bother arguing with him. In fact, for Chu Tianyu, thanking him was almost unnecessary. What really interested him was how he had solved his exam problem. Although he knew it must have been solved, the process still piqued his curiosity.

“Well, brother Scumbag, thanks really for everything you did during my absence!”

“Mm, easy enough…” Bai Lei nodded slightly and spoke in a theatrical tone.

“By the way, may I ask how you handled my exam?” Chu Tianyu asked carefully, giving him enough face.

“Haha, I was waiting for you to ask!” Bai Lei slapped his thigh and shouted excitedly.

Chu Tianyu was startled, and even the people around them turned to look at this group who had been chattering from the start.

Bai Lei didn’t care if anyone was listening or not. As soon as he caught up with Chu Tianyu, he started talking nonstop. It was then that Chu Tianyu finally realized he had been played! And obviously, Ouyang Ziyi was the mastermind this time!
When everyone stepped out of the airport and sat down at the small farm where Ziyi had prepared a meal, and the steaming dishes were served, Bai Lei finally wrapped his arms around the sweating Chu Tianyu and said the last word.
Even Bai Lei, with his impressive “talent for talking,” had to catch his breath after finishing, before adding one last sentence: “Ah, today was really great! Third brother, you have no idea—while you were away, Da Ge and Bao Cai spent the whole day teasing the girls. I was almost driven crazy, haha! What a great time!”
Chu Tianyu was speechless. It was a very simple matter that could be summarized in one sentence: Bai Lei had come up with the idea of having Ouyang Ziyi and Li Rou, those talented girls, take the exam on his behalf. He would handle all the details and connections with the school. After all, anything that happened at Beifu Academy could be easily resolved as long as you had the means and connections!
It was just a few sentences, but it gave Bai Lei the chance to show off dramatically in front of them, torturing their ears for half an hour—what a crime!
“But to be honest, Bai Lei, although your words are annoying and long, you dared to think of having those talented girls from Peking University and Li Rou take the exam on third brother’s behalf. And you even managed to handle all the connections in the school without any mistakes. You really do have skills!” Da Ge said objectively.
Da Ge’s words immediately resonated with everyone, who nodded in agreement. Bai Lei was so proud that he seemed to forget his own name. First, he looked up proudly at Lan Yue, then slowly scanned the people around him with the corner of his eye, before calmly saying, “Of course. After all, this world needs geniuses!”
“Damn!!!” Everyone present, except Angel, made disgusted gestures at Bai Lei.
Bai Lei, unfazed, shook his head leisurely amidst the anger and sighed, “Sigh, for you ordinary people, it’s the loneliness and sorrow of a genius!”
“Die…” Everyone finally roared in unison, followed by a flurry of punches and kicks.
…
After the fight and after eating and drinking their fill, even Angel gradually relaxed in such a lively atmosphere and started chatting and laughing with everyone, though she could only speak a little English.

“By the way, Bai Lei, Da Ge, Bao Cai, how do you plan to spend your summer vacation?” Chu Tianyu asked casually, now free from any worries.
“How can we spend it? Going home, of course! My parents are getting older, and they do physical work. During the holiday, I can help out at home,” Da Ge said first.
“I’m going home too, but this time I’ll bring Xiao Xue to meet my parents and let her have a good time with us,” Bao Cai said sweetly.
“Lan Yue and I are really going to take a risk in nature this time, to experience the purest natural atmosphere. So we’ve decided to travel towards the northwest, and if time permits, head southwest…” Bai Lei said thoughtfully.
“Chen Qing, what about you and your girlfriend?” Chu Tianyu didn’t forget to ask.
Chen Qing held his girlfriend’s hand tightly, looked at her, and saw support in her eyes. He mustered up the courage to say, “Well, the two of us will stay and work. She’s already found a tutoring job. I’ll go out and find some short-term work. It’s better to stay and earn some money—maybe we can even send some back home to help with expenses.”
The atmosphere suddenly grew quiet. Hearing Chen Qing’s words and their decision, everyone felt a sense of oppression, as if a heavy stone was pressing on their chests.
Chu Tianyu was struck by this, as if inspired. He broke the silence and asked Chen Qing, “Chen Qing, aren’t the conditions where you come from that bad?”
Chen Qing didn’t answer right away. After thinking for a while, he said, “I don’t know what standard you mean by ‘good’ or ‘bad’ conditions. I’ll just say this: Potatoes are the main food there. We usually don’t cook them too mushy—they’re a bit crispy and firm, which tastes pretty good. But…”
He paused, then suddenly raised his voice, “But you can imagine eating this every day, at every meal, nothing but this…”
Before he could finish, Chen Qing was already choking up. But by then, his meaning was clear enough!
At that moment, Chu Tianyu suddenly had a clear idea: the future earnings of half of Europe and the entire Xuanji Sect’s goal lay in the west—a place that had been called for development for decades yet remained stagnant, almost unchanged…

Originally, regarding the unexpected gains from this trip to Europe, many of the decisions were made on the spot by Chu Tianyu. Although he had seized these resources first, there was no clear plan for how to use them. In fact, ever since that night in the dense forest when he talked with Fernando, what Fernando mentioned about the Red Cross Association had given him great inspiration. Although Chu Tianyu didn’t express his thoughts at the time, the idea took root in his heart. Now, with Chen Qing bringing up such a topic, it made it easy for Chu Tianyu to come up with this idea all of a sudden. Yet, despite its seemingly crazy nature, Chu Tianyu took it seriously at all—only that at this moment, he couldn’t help but think of one person…