A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1402 Hua Twelve: I can't even imagine how I lost! (Please subscribe!)
In the chilly March, the basketball courts of Beijing South University of Science and Technology were already bustling with activity. Young students, dressed in light sportswear, ran, jumped, and shot hoops on the court, displaying their youthful energy and vitality.

Hua Shier, Xu Kaiyang, and Zhang Kai are playing a three-on-three streetball game against three freshmen in one half of the court.

Xu Kaiyang is technically versatile and has sharp breakthroughs, while Hua Shier is as leisurely as a stroll in a garden. Whether it is accurate long-range shooting or powerful dunks, he does it all with ease. His movements are graceful and elegant, drawing cheers from the students watching on the sidelines.

In contrast, Zhang Kai seemed somewhat powerless, with numerous defensive loopholes and frequent unsuccessful attacks.

Another round of attack and defense ended. He spread his arms, supporting himself on his knees, panting heavily, his face flushed, and waved his hands repeatedly, saying:

"I can't take it anymore, I really can't. Look at me, I'm panting like a dog. If you keep pumping like this, I'm afraid I'll cough up my lungs and that'll be the end of me."

Xu Kaiyang also wiped the sweat from his forehead, his breathing slightly uneven:

"Let's take a break, I'm a little exhausted too. These junior students are too fast."

Hua Shier smiled, casually tossed the basketball to the other students waiting to play, signaling them to continue playing, before walking to the sidelines with the two to rest.

On the sidelines, Ruan Wan and Zheng Wei were watching from a bench. Seeing them leave the field, Ruan Wan picked up a bottle of energy drink and handed it to Hua Shier with a smile.
"Have some water. You must be tired after playing for so long."

Zheng Wei also picked up two bottles of water and handed them to Xu Kaiyang and Zhang Kai:

"Here, this is for you! Look how tired you all are."

Xu Kaiyang and Zhang Kai took the drinks, unscrewed the caps, and gulped them down.

Looking at their disheveled appearance, and then at Hua Shier, whose breathing was even and whose forehead was only slightly damp, Zheng Wei teased with a look of disdain:
"Look at Twelve, he fought for ages and he's like nothing happened. And look at you two, panting and sweating buckets. Are you two just weak?"

Xu Kaiyang was drinking water when he heard this and almost spat it out. He glared at Zheng Wei with annoyance:
"Don't you know whether I'm weak or not!"

Zheng Wei's face instantly flushed red, both ashamed and angry, and she kicked Xu Kaiyang in the shin:
"Shameless bastard, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Xu Kaiyang winced in pain, but still chuckled, clearly enjoying the flirting.

Zhang Kai, panting heavily, complained:

"Weiwei, you're going too far with your criticism! Twelve's condition is definitely not that of an ordinary person!"

"Haven't you heard the saying that people who achieve great success in a certain field are often monsters with energy far exceeding that of ordinary people!"

“Look at Twelve, he played with us for over half an hour, he was driving, shooting, and dunking, he did the most exercise, and he didn’t break a sweat! And look at us, we’re exhausted like lambs to the slaughter, it’s obvious that something’s wrong with him, it’s not that we’re weak!”

Upon hearing this, Ruan Wan and Zheng Wei both nodded thoughtfully, feeling that there seemed to be some truth to it.

Hua Shier smiled and shook his head, patting Zhang Kai's shoulder:

"Old Zhang, stop making excuses, are you? Look at Old Xu, he only broke out in a sweat, and his breathing returned to normal very quickly."

"Unlike you, panting so hard, and in this cold weather, your clothes are almost soaked with sweat. What else can you call that but weakness?"

Ruan Wan and Zheng Wei both covered their mouths and chuckled upon hearing this, and Xu Kaiyang joined in the teasing:

"That's right, Lao Zhang, just admit it!"

Zhang Kai immediately became anxious, stiffening his neck as he said:
"Twelve, don't talk nonsense! Unlike the two of you, I don't have girlfriends and can party every night. I don't even have a girlfriend, so what am I being shy about? I'm just lacking in exercise!"

Hua Shier raised an eyebrow and revealed a meaningful smile:

"You may not have a girlfriend, but you have a computer!"

Xu Kaiyang immediately understood and tacitly followed up with a teasing remark:

"Exactly! There are so many 'foreign language teachers' on your computer waiting for your tutoring. It's exhausting, both mentally and physically, and it's bad for your health, Lao Zhang."

Hua Shier feigned sudden realization: "No wonder Old Zhang's arm muscles are so well-developed, now I know the reason!"

"Slander! They're slandering me!"

Zhang Kai immediately blushed deeply, pointed at Hua Shier and Xu Kaiyang, and hurriedly explained to Ruan Wan and Zheng Wei:

"They are slandering me!"

Seeing his hurried and flustered appearance, everyone couldn't help but laugh.

Zhang Kai muttered "bad choice of friends" as he tilted his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls of his drink, then said defiantly:
"Next time! I'd rather die than play ball with you guys again! Go find someone else, it's too humiliating!"

Xu Kaiyang scoffed and mercilessly exposed their shortcomings:
"Come on! If Xiao Bei hadn't grown his hair long and stopped playing basketball to maintain his image, our 'Handsome Guy Duo' would be short one person for 3-on-3. Do you think we'd want to bring along a big sieve like you? You're the one who scores on whoever you defend and blocks whoever you attack!"

Just as Zhang Kai was about to explain, Zheng Wei, who was standing to the side, asked curiously:
"Wait, you guys are a group? What's your name, 'The Incredibly Handsome Group'? When did that happen?"

Xu Kaiyang chuckled, a look of reminiscence on his face:
"That was the name Twelve gave me back in my first year of high school. What do you think? Isn't it incredibly vivid and fitting?"

Hua Shier then stood up solemnly, cleared his throat, and imitated the tone of a stage self-introduction:

"Hello everyone, I'm Handsome!"

Zhang Kai was the first to react, immediately following with a mischievous grin, equally serious:
"Hello everyone, I'm part of a group!"

Then the two of them stared intently at Xu Kaiyang, suppressing smiles.

Zheng Wei and Ruan Wan were stunned for a moment, then they realized the pun on "逼人" (biren) and burst into laughter.

Xu Kaiyang stood there stunned, pondering for several seconds before realizing that he had become the one "forcing" the situation. He immediately laughed and scolded:
"So this is what they were waiting for! You tricked me, didn't you! I hereby declare that the 'Handsome and Charming Duo' is disbanded indefinitely, effective immediately!"

After saying that, he angrily chased after the culprit, and the two of them laughed and joked around on the sidelines.

In this relaxed and cheerful atmosphere, Hua Shier's phone, which she had left with Ruan Wan for safekeeping while playing basketball, suddenly rang.

Ruan Wan took her phone out of her bag, glanced at the caller ID—it was an unknown number—and handed it back to Hua Shier.

Hua Shier took the phone with a smile, but his smile quickly vanished as he listened to the story being told on the other end. His eyes gradually sharpened.

"Okay, I understand. We'll be right there."

He hung up the phone and said in a deep voice to Xu Kaiyang and Zhang Kai, who were still laughing and joking:
"Stop fooling around! Xiao Bei's in trouble!"

The caller was another classmate who hurriedly told Hua Shier that Zhu Xiaobei had a fierce argument with the shop owner at the school supermarket, and they had even gotten into a physical fight. Now, the supermarket staff had taken him to the school security office.

Hua Shier's eyes narrowed, thinking to himself that what was bound to happen had finally arrived.

In the original storyline, Zhu Xiaobei was falsely accused of theft and forced to drop out of school. However, after his intervention, the plot still unfolded in a different form.

He couldn't help but admire Zeng Yu's courage. Knowing that Zhu Xiaobei and he had a good relationship, she still dared to make this move. Did she really think she wouldn't dare to touch her, or was she so blinded by greed that she was willing to do anything?

Meanwhile, in the graduate student dormitory, Zeng Yuzheng was talking to her boyfriend Chen Xiaozheng.

"Ah Zheng, don't worry, I've already made all the arrangements."

Zeng Yu sat next to Chen Xiaozheng, her tone light and cheerful:

"Today, Zhu Xiaobei will be disciplined! She will automatically lose her eligibility to compete for government-sponsored study abroad."

"In school, the only people who could compete with you were Zhu Xiaobei and me. Now that Zhu Xiaobei is out of the running, we can go abroad to study together and live happily ever after!"

Chen Xiaozheng frowned slightly, a lingering worry on his face:

"Xiao Bei and Hua Shier have a very good relationship. Given Hua Shier's current status and methods, I'm afraid."

Zeng Yu smiled dismissively and interrupted him, saying:
"Don't worry! No matter how capable Hua Shier is, he's still a student in our department. My dad is the vice dean! Would he offend my dad for such a 'trivial' matter as Zhu Xiaobei getting a disciplinary action? He's a big businessman! Such a shrewd person, he can tell what's important."

Looking at his girlfriend's confident demeanor, Chen Xiaozheng felt a little uneasy, but thinking of the readily available study abroad opportunity, he finally suppressed his doubts.

Inside the security office, the atmosphere was completely different. Zhu Xiaobei, the tomboy who used to have short, neat hair and was as fast as the wind on the basketball court, now had long, smooth, shoulder-length hair. The strands softened her originally somewhat masculine features, making people realize that the athletic girl had unknowingly transformed into a fashionable woman who was both capable and beautiful.

However, at this moment, the completely transformed Zhu Xiaobei had her lips tightly pursed, her hands clasped in front of her, and her eyes filled with anger and stubbornness.

Standing beside her was Li Weijuan, who also looked indignant. The two of them were confronting the plump owner of the school supermarket and her burly nephew.

However, in stark contrast to the youthful and beautiful appearances of Zhu Xiaobei and Li Weijuan, the fat proprietress and her nephew had clearly visible scratches on their faces, making them look quite disheveled.

Section Chief Li from the security department, with his slightly overweight belly, sat behind his desk, giving Zhu Xiaobei a 'heartfelt' critique:
"Look at you all, what kind of behavior is this! Who gave you permission to start this? Huh? Why can't we resolve this through negotiation instead of resorting to violence?"

"Why didn't you report this to our security department first? Why resort to such barbaric methods to solve the problem! Look at what you two have done to the boss and his employees! This is a serious matter, and I will definitely report it to the institute as a whole. It must be dealt with severely."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Xiaobei and Li Weijuan objected.

Zhu Xiaobei's face turned pale with anger: "Why didn't you say anything about their tricks? Those bastards deserve to be beaten!"

Li Weijuan stood with her hands on her hips, pointing at the aunt and niece, her voice shrill:
"Exactly! You guys think you're right to play the durian game?"

The plump supermarket owner immediately jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and shouted at the top of her lungs:

"What do you mean by 'playing with mangoes'? Who played with mangoes? Don't you dare slander me, you little brat!"

Before Zhu Xiaobei could retort, Li Weijuan preemptively launched a full-scale attack:

"You two are just playing dirty tricks! You're the ones who sent this guy to search us! He's a grown man, and he wants to search two female classmates. What else is that but playing dirty tricks? I think you two have ulterior motives!"

This time, before the plump proprietress could speak, Section Chief Li slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, attempting to quell the situation.
"Enough! What nonsense about playing tricks! We're talking about your assault! Stop bringing up other things and making a mountain out of a molehill! Let's keep things separate!"

Just then, the door to the security office was suddenly pushed open from the outside without anyone knocking, and Hua Shier led Xu Kaiyang, Zhang Kai, Ruan Wan, Zheng Wei and others straight in.

Zhu Xiaobei and Li Weijuan, who had been forcing themselves to maintain their composure, felt much more relaxed and confident when they saw that all their good friends had arrived, especially Hua Shier walking at the front.

Li Weijuan was overjoyed, as if she had seen a savior, and immediately cried out, "Twelve! You've finally arrived! They ganged up on us and even tried to assault Xiao Bei!"

Ruan Wan and Zheng Wei quickly walked over to their two roommates, whispered the details of the situation, and gently comforted them.

The previously stern-faced Section Chief Li's expression changed instantly upon seeing Hua Twelve. His previous official air vanished in a flash, and he quickly stood up, his face plastered with a fawning, even obsequious, smile.
"Oh, Mr. Hua! What brings you to our humble place?"

Hua Shier glanced at Zhu Xiaobei and Li Weijuan, and seeing that although they were emotional, they showed no signs of injury, he felt somewhat relieved. He then turned to Section Chief Li and said with a forced smile:
"Section Chief Li, what an imposing air of authority!"

"What, my classmate was assaulted by a mango and forced to defend himself, and you won't even let me tell you the truth?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Section Chief Li's face, and he quickly waved his hand with an awkward smile:

"Mr. Hua, you're exaggerating! The matter is still under investigation and hasn't been determined yet. Calling it a 'troublesome' situation is a bit much; it's just a small misunderstanding and minor friction."

Hua Shier rarely went to the school supermarket, so the plump shopkeeper didn't recognize him at all. Seeing his young age and impressive bearing, she didn't take him seriously. But when she saw that Section Chief Li's attitude had completely changed upon his arrival, she was even more displeased. Confident in her connections, she sneered sarcastically:

"Who do we have here? You found a stink bug while cracking sunflower seeds, what are you pretending to be so important about! Oh, I get it, you're one of Zhu Xiaobei's gang, aren't you? I was wondering why my supermarket has been losing so much stuff these past two years, turns out there's a mole, it must be your gang!"

Upon hearing this, Section Chief Li turned pale with fright. He quickly gave the plump proprietress a meaningful look while simultaneously shouting sternly:

"What nonsense are you spouting! Shut your filthy mouth! Who does President Hua think he is? Would he steal your pittance? Do you even know who President Hua is?"

Hua Shier ignored the shrewish proprietress and turned directly to Zhu Xiaobei and Li Weijuan, his tone gentle but carrying an undeniable force:
"Don't be afraid, tell me, did you two get hurt? Are you alright?"

Seeing Hua Shier's calm yet powerful gaze, Zhu Xiaobei felt a release for her pent-up grievances and anger. Her eyes reddened slightly, but she stubbornly shook her head: "I didn't suffer any loss, I was just furious. Luckily, Li Weijuan was here today, otherwise..."

Li Weijuan raised her fingernails, which were still slightly bloodied, and said in a tone that was both frightened and relieved:

"Trying to bully us? No way! We'll scratch him to death!"

Seeing this, the plump proprietress called out to Section Chief Li again:
"Li Ke, did you see that? They stole things, hit people, and were so arrogant! You can't take their side just because you know them!"

Hua Shier, too lazy to waste any more words on this unreasonable woman, spoke directly to Section Chief Li:

"Li Ke, I have a general understanding of what happened. I'm taking the person away now. I hope the security department, or rather, the school, will give me and my classmates a clear and fair explanation!"

As he spoke, he gestured for Zhu Xiaobei and Li Weijuan to leave with him.

"That won't do!" The plump proprietress insisted, rushing forward to block the doorway and shouting at the top of her lungs.

"She stole our things and thinks she can just leave like that? No way! Xiaoming! Hurry up and stop them all, we can't let them get away!"

Her nephew, the burly young man named Xiaoming, hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up the courage to step forward and try to stop him.

Hua Shier stopped, not looking at the aunt and nephew, but turning his gaze back to Section Chief Li, whose expression was constantly shifting, and asked with a half-smile:
"Li Ke, what do you think? Can I take this person with me today?"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Section Chief Li's forehead. He couldn't afford to offend Hua Twelve, but he could afford to offend the daughter of Vice Dean Zeng.
He was torn internally, but thinking of Vice President Zeng's power and the benefits promised by the other party's daughter, and considering that a local official is more powerful than a distant one, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to say:

"Mr. Hua, please...please don't make things difficult for me."

"You're making me make a mistake! The boss and his employee were indeed beaten, the evidence is conclusive. I... I have to handle this impartially! If this matter is reported, your friend will at most... at most get a warning or a demerit, it's no big deal. Why ruin our relationship over such a small matter?"

"A minor matter? A disciplinary action?"

Hua Shier seemed to have heard something amusing; the corners of his mouth widened slightly, but his eyes grew even colder.
"Li Ke, I'm giving you one last chance because you're a school staff member. Think carefully before you answer, and don't choose the wrong path."

Section Chief Li felt a chill run down his spine under Hua Shier's seemingly smiling but actually icy gaze; his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat. But he was already in a bind, and could only force himself to remain calm, his voice trembling as he said:
"Mr. Hua is joking. I'm just being fair and following the rules!"

"Good! Excellent! Handling matters impartially and according to the rules!" Hua Shier nodded, his smile becoming intriguing. He pointed a finger at Section Chief Li from a distance.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, he took out his phone and expertly dialed the police.

"Hello, is this 110? I want to call the police."

Hua Shier's voice was clear and calm: "My friends, two female college students, were sexually harassed and illegally detained by supermarket staff on campus. They are also suspected of making false accusations and framing me."

After giving his address and a brief description, Hua Shier hung up the phone decisively.

Section Chief Li's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he said awkwardly:

"President Hua... this... this isn't worth it, is it? School matters are always resolved internally by our security department. Taking this to the police won't have a good impact on the situation."

Hua Shier looked at Section Chief Li and chuckled, but there was no warmth in his laughter:

“A trivial matter? Section Chief Li, what you consider a trivial matter is a huge deal to me!”

He turned his gaze to Zhu Xiaobei, raising his voice slightly to ensure everyone present could hear him clearly:

"First of all, Zhu Xiaobei is an early employee and a minor shareholder of our Jingnan Mall Group! According to our company's latest financing valuation, her shares are worth more than five million RMB! Tell me, would a young tycoon worth several million RMB steal from your supermarket for such a small amount? Does that make any sense?"

Upon hearing this, not only were the plump proprietress and her nephew stunned, but even Section Chief Li's eyes widened.

He knew Hua Shier was rich, but he never expected that even his seemingly ordinary female classmate was actually a millionaire!
Before they could process this information, Hua Shier dropped another bombshell, his tone becoming extremely serious:
"Secondly, and more importantly! Our Jingnan Company is currently pushing forward with its plan to list in the United States! This is related to the company's strategic development over the next few years, the vital interests of thousands of employees, and the rights and interests of countless investors!"

"And now, someone is openly framing and slandering an important employee and shareholder of our company during this sensitive period! I have every reason to suspect that this is a premeditated and organized malicious business competition targeting our Jingnan Mall!"

"Their aim is to smear the image of our company's senior executives, damage the company's reputation, and thus obstruct our company's normal listing process!"

"Section Chief Li, tell me, is this a minor matter? This is suspected of being an illegal and criminal act that disrupts production and business operations! Can your security department really 'resolve this internally'? Do you even have the authority to do so?"

When this huge charge was slapped on his head, Section Chief Li felt his legs go weak and his vision go black. Disrupting production and business operations? Obstructing a listing? If these were proven true, how serious would the case be?

Hua Shier, no longer looking at his shaky appearance, picked up her phone again and called Shi Jie, the CEO of Jingnan Mall, her tone concise and clear:
"Have the company's legal counsel come to the school; I have some things to take care of!"

Have you heard of "Nanshan Invincible"? Hua Twelve is now a major shareholder of Tencent, one of the wealthiest people in China, and his company's legal counsel are all top lawyers. If there were any legal issues, he wouldn't even imagine how he could lose!

Thank you to 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, Starry Sky 696, and God of Death Li Meng for the donations. Thank you also to the brothers who voted with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!