Mr. Sun watched as his daughter walked through the room, drawing the gazes of numerous young masters from prominent families. A hint of smug satisfaction flickered across his face, but it soon faded when he noticed the dazzling sapphire pendant around her neck. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he glanced in the direction she had come from, spotting the young man named Xu Ze gazing tenderly at her retreating figure.
Mr. Sun’s brow furrowed briefly, but as Sun Lingfei approached, he quickly replaced his expression with a warm smile. Gently taking her hand, he said, “Lingfei, come, let me introduce you to some uncles…”
Nearby, Li Yue looked at Xu Ze with a mischievous grin. “What were you and the beauty up to outside? You looked pretty happy.”
“Heh… nothing much, just gave her a gift,” Xu Ze replied, unable to maintain his usual calm demeanor around Li Yue. He broke into a happy smile.
“You sly dog… who would’ve thought someone as seemingly dull and wooden as you would be so smooth with girls?” Li Yue patted Xu Ze’s shoulder and sighed with a smile.
As the two chatted, numerous elegant young women glanced shyly in their direction. Though not as strikingly handsome as Xu Ze, Li Yue was undeniably good-looking and widely known as one of the most eligible bachelors in Beijing. Together, the two made an irresistible magnet for the starry-eyed daughters of influential families.
While some viewed Li Yue with caution, the young women saw only his charm. In their eyes, he was an incredibly attractive man. Had he not been already engaged, he would have been swarmed long ago.
Finally, one of them mustered the courage to approach. With a graceful smile, she greeted Li Yue, “Young Master Yue… it’s been a while.”
“Oh… Miss Yue Ni… indeed, it has been too long,” Li Yue replied with a smile.
“I heard you were injured recently… I haven’t had the chance to visit you,” Wu Yueni said coyly, though her eyes subtly drifted toward Xu Ze.
Li Yue immediately understood that Wu Yueni, one of Beijing’s most famous socialites, was actually here for Xu Ze. Using him as an excuse was merely a pretext.
Happy to play matchmaker and help Xu Ze integrate into their circle, Li Yue smiled and said, “Thank you for your concern, Miss Yue Ni. I’ve fully recovered.” Then, with a light chuckle, he added, “But I suspect you’re not really here for me, are you? Could it be that you’ve taken an interest in our Young Master Xu?”
Blushing at his teasing, Wu Yueni playfully retorted, “Young Master Yue… what nonsense are you saying?”
“Haha… it’s not every day we get to see Miss Yue Ni blush,” Li Yue continued his playful banter before finally saying, “Alright, Miss Yue Ni, let me introduce you. This is Xu Ze, from Xing City.”
Turning to Xu Ze, he added, “Xu Ze, this is Miss Wu Yueni… one of Beijing’s great beauties.”
“Pleased to meet you, Young Master Xu,” Wu Yueni said, relieved that Li Yue didn’t seem bothered by her true intentions.
“Likewise, Miss Yue Ni,” Xu Ze replied politely, understanding Li Yue’s intentions.
Seeing Wu Yueni successfully engage Xu Ze, other young women soon gathered around, forming a circle of cheerful conversation and laughter.
Surrounded by the faint, mingling scents of various perfumes, Xu Ze couldn’t help but inwardly sigh. “Lingfei is still the best. She doesn’t wear perfume, yet she always smells wonderful.”
While chatting with one beautiful woman was enjoyable, being surrounded by a group was overwhelming. As one of the centers of attention, Xu Ze had no choice but to engage in small talk, navigating the social intricacies of this world.
Watching the crowd of women surrounding Xu Ze and Li Yue, Zhang Libao sneered, “What a bunch of lovestruck fools.”
“Young Master Bao… Xu Ze has been sticking close to Li Yue. How do we deal with him?” someone whispered enviously into Zhang Libao’s ear.
“No rush…” Zhang Libao replied coldly. “He’s in Beijing now. He can’t escape. We’ll have plenty of chances to teach him a lesson.” He added, “Have someone keep a close eye on him. Find out where he’s staying and track his every move.”
As the night deepened, the banquet drew to a close. Reluctantly, Xu Ze bid farewell to Sun Lingfei and got into Li Yue’s car, heading back into the city.
“Those women you met today are from influential families in Beijing. It’s good to get to know them, but be careful. This circle can be complicated, and it’s easy to offend people accidentally,” Li Yue advised. “But don’t worry too much. I’ve got your back. If anyone bothers you, just give them a piece of your mind.”
Xu Ze smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, I know how to handle it.”
“Good. Don’t go back tomorrow. Stay in Beijing for a couple more days. I’ll introduce you to a few people,” Li Yue said after a moment’s thought.
“Alright,” Xu Ze nodded.
Back at the hotel, after a shower, Xu Ze called Sun Lingfei. They talked intimately for a long time, making plans to meet the next day before reluctantly ending the call.
After hanging up, Xu Ze opened the fridge, took out a can of cola, and settled on the sofa. He turned on the TV and took a sip, savoring the moment. It had been years since he’d enjoyed such simple pleasures.
Looking at the cola in his hand, Xu Ze smiled faintly. The last time he’d drunk cola was over two years ago. Once he’d decided to support himself, he’d given up these once-beloved drinks.
Drinking cola while watching TV—this kind of relaxation was something he’d only experienced in high school.
As the sweet, fizzy sensation spread in his mouth, Xu Ze leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes, reflecting on the past two years. It was almost unbelievable how much had changed.
From a struggling student juggling classes and part-time jobs to make ends meet, he had, in just half a year, entered this elite circle. It felt surreal.
And all of this started because he’d bought a jade pendant that day…
He thought of the shattered pendant and the beautiful figure who had walked away. Xu Ze let out a long sigh. It had been a while since he’d seen Zhang Linyun. He wondered how she was doing with Tao Zhixiong. Whatever the case, he hoped she was happy.
After all, they had spent several months together, and she had been his first deep love. If not for her, he would never have met Xiao Dao—the opportunity that changed his life.
If not for her, he would never have had the chance to be with Sun Lingfei…
With these thoughts, Xu Ze sighed softly, tilted his head back, and drained the can of cola. He smiled, turned off the TV, and headed to the bedroom. Lying down, he closed his eyes and gradually entered the virtual space to meet Xiao Dao, that increasingly endearing companion.
As Xu Ze appeared, Xiao Dao greeted him with his usual cheerful grin. Recently, he had been in high spirits. After reaching Level 2, his capabilities had expanded significantly. Previously, when navigating the lower levels of the network, he had to tread carefully, conserving energy to avoid depletion.
But now, with the system upgrade, the Galactic Microchip operated at much higher speeds. Xiao Dao’s reach extended instantly to any corner of the network, with significantly reduced energy consumption. His ability to analyze and filter information had also improved dramatically, unlike before when he could only briefly scan for critical updates.
When Xu Ze entered, Xiao Dao greeted him with a grin. “Xu… would you like to see the profiles of those people you encountered today? I have a very comprehensive collection here…”
“Comprehensive?” Xu Ze blinked.
“Haha… I recorded everyone you came into contact with today. I even took a little tour through their personal computers and such while also helping them remove a few low-level computer viruses… Of course, I also combined some scattered information from the internet to compile a thorough overview. It’s quite entertaining…”
“You… recorded everything?” Xu Ze asked, astonished.
“Everything. Whether you noticed them or not, as long as you encountered someone there today, I recorded them. I thought it might be useful for you…” At this point, Xiao Dao suddenly chuckled mischievously. “This is one of the inherent privileges of the Super Medical Soldier System, you know? Xu… as long as it benefits the host, you can’t restrict it…”
“Heh…” Seeing Xiao Dao’s nervous expression, Xu Ze shook his head with a light laugh. “As long as you’re not prying into my privacy, I certainly won’t stop you.”
“Alright then… What interesting stuff do you have? Show me,” Xu Ze said with a smile.
“Sure… There’s plenty of fun stuff…” With a wave of Xiao Dao’s hand, a screen materialized before Xu Ze’s eyes.
As he scanned the content displayed on the screen, Xu Ze was left speechless… He never could have imagined that these seemingly upright and respectable individuals had so many shady secrets hidden beneath the surface…
The information Xiao Dao had gathered was crystal clear. For instance, one kindly elder he’d met today turned out to be a pedophile in private.
Of course, this was something almost no one knew. However, Xiao Dao had dug up a wealth of material from both the man’s private computer and his secretary’s—including highly confidential videos, photos, and written records.
As for that Miss Wu Yueni he’d met today, she was quite the narcissist. Her computer was filled with intimate videos of herself with dozens of handsome men, including several major celebrities from Hong Kong and Taiwan. She truly put Brother Edison Chen to shame…
As Xu Ze continued reading, his face flushed red…
