I agreed to be a kept man, but I'm still being punished by the system.

Qin Xue's condescending voice echoed in the courtyard, carrying a hint of approval.

"Young man, what's your name?"

Lin Yang leaned on the grass, the tingling sensation from his chin making him move a little slowly, but he still stood up, brushed the grass clippings off his body, and looked directly at the female CEO with an amazing aura.

"Lin Yang".

"Okay, Lin Yang." Qin Xue nodded, a hint of interest curving her lips. "I've got this bet. One million, if you can beat either Wu Tong or Li Fei."

Her gaze lingered on Lin Yang's face for a moment.

"Of course, I have to give you a time limit, a year, I guess. Otherwise, it'll be quite annoying if you keep coming to see them every day."

"Thank you, Mr. Qin." Lin Yang grinned, although the pain aggravated his jaw injury, causing him to gasp, but his eyes were unusually bright. "Next time I come, I'm sure I'll be fully confident."

Upon hearing this, Li Fei, who was standing to the side, scoffed dismissively.

"Do you think you're a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy? And you're so confident?"

Lin Yang turned to look at her, his smile carrying a hint of roguishness.

"Sister Fei, what if I really am a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy?"

Li Fei was speechless at his stubbornness and didn't know how to retort.

Su Man, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, her voice revealing an undeniable weariness.

"Let's go, Kobayashi, take me back to the company."

"oh."

Lin Yang responded, waved to Wu Tong and Li Fei as a farewell, and then turned to follow Su Man.

He got into the driver's seat, drove the dark blue Cayenne, and slowly drove away from the heavily guarded estate.

Through the rearview mirror, the huge black carved iron gate slowly closed, completely isolating the world inside from the outside world.

……

Qin Xue only looked away after the dark blue car disappeared at the end of the mountain road.

She turned around, wearing woven slippers, and walked step by step back to the spacious and luxurious reception room.

Sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a lonely silhouette behind her.

"Xiaoman..."

Qin Xue walked to the window, looked at the outline of the city in the distance, and murmured to herself.

"You've been with the company for six years, always so diligent and hardworking, so perfect that you can't find a single mistake."

Her voice was soft, tinged with a sigh.

"So perfect... I don't have any leverage over you, how can I feel at ease?"

"What am I supposed to do if you betray me one day?"

She picked up the tea that had long since gone cold from the table, took a sip, and the icy liquid slid down her throat, causing the temperature in her eyes to drop as well.

"Now is the most crucial moment in my fight against them."

"So, I'm sorry, Xiaoman."

In her mind, Lin Yang's face, bruised yet full of provocation, appeared.

"However, your little lover is quite interesting."

……

On the way back to the company, the Cayenne was deathly silent.

The deep roar of the V6 engine was effectively blocked out by the excellent sound insulation, leaving only a slight hissing sound from the air conditioning vents.

Lin Yang was focused on driving, but out of the corner of his eye he could see Su Man leaning against the car window, motionless, her gaze unfocused as she watched the street scene rushing past outside.

She exuded a cold aura that kept strangers at bay.

Lin Yang wisely kept quiet.

He knew that Su Man must have learned something earth-shattering from Qin Xue at Yunxia Manor.

And this matter is very likely related to me.

The world of the wealthy is a treacherous place, and his current strength is not enough to stir up any trouble.

The most urgent task is to earn 100,000 Soft Rice Points to redeem the Intermediate Fighting Skill.

When the time comes, I might not lose to Li Fei in another match.

When the car returned to the underground parking lot of Enwei Group, it was already past closing time.

Su Man remained silent the entire way until the car came to a complete stop, at which point she stirred, her voice hoarse.

"Let's go home, I'm a little tired."

"oh."

Lin Yang restarted the car, turned around, and drove towards Tianheng Garden.

When I got home, Aunt Chen had already prepared a sumptuous dinner, which was steaming hot.

"Miss Su, Xiao Lin, you're back! Wash your hands and eat."

Su Man simply changed her shoes expressionlessly, without even glancing at the dining table, and went straight back to her room.

With a "bang," the door slammed shut.

Aunt Chen came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food, and when she saw this scene, the smile on her face froze.

She walked over to Lin Yang and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Lin, what's wrong with Miss? She hasn't eaten a single bite of dinner."

Lin Yang was shoveling rice into his mouth when he heard this, and replied vaguely, "Maybe... she just wants some peace and quiet."

"Jingjing?" Aunt Chen paused, looking confused. "Who's Jingjing?"

Lin Yang almost spat out the food in his mouth. He waved his hand and decided not to explain anymore.

He ignored Su Man and devoured the food on the table like a whirlwind, filling his rumbling stomach.

After finishing his meal and saying goodbye to Aunt Chen, he drove his dark blue Porsche Cayenne towards Tianyue Huafu.

……

As night deepens, on the other side of Huahai City, in Shipai Village, south of the city.

This is a typical urban village, with buildings standing close together, narrow and damp alleys, seemingly a different world from the glitz and glamour of the CBD.

However, hidden deep within this chaotic and crowded complex lies a sprawling mansion.

With its blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, the antique architectural style is out of place with its surroundings.

As evening fell, Huang Mao, who had been agonizing all day, finally mustered up his courage and, with the one-armed Black Bull, arrived at the gate of the mansion.

In the courtyard, an elderly man with gray hair, dressed in a Tang suit, was slowly scattering a handful of fish food into the pond full of colorful koi.

He saw the blond-haired man walk in, a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes, and his voice revealed impatience.

"What's wrong, Liu'er? Have you caused me trouble again?"

The blond-haired man quickly stepped forward, forcing a fawning smile on his face.

"Dad, I really didn't cause you any trouble this time. I was the one who got bullied! Brother Black Bull's hand... was broken!"

The old man stopped feeding the fish.

He slowly turned around, a terrifying glint flashing in his cloudy eyes, and his entire aura instantly became fierce.

"Do you really think I, Liu Laohu, am too old to wield a knife? You think anyone can attack my men?"

Seeing this, the blond-haired man immediately added fuel to the fire, saying, "Yeah, Dad! The gang fight isn't long, and with Black Bull's condition, he probably can't fight!"

Liu Laohu's gaze passed over Huang Mao and landed on Hei Niu, who was standing with his hands at his sides behind him.

"Black Bull, who hit you?"

Black Bull stepped forward and replied in a deep voice, "It's a young man named Lin Yang. His kung fu skills are about the same as mine, but his punching power is much stronger than mine."

"Oh?" Liu Laohu raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised.

Just then, a tall woman with a voluptuous figure, wearing a slit cheongsam, walked out of the main room.

She looked at the scene in the courtyard and spoke in a charming voice.

"What's wrong, Liu'er? Have you gotten into trouble again?"

"Third Sister, no! I was really bullied!" As soon as Huang Mao saw her, he was like seeing a savior and recounted the whole story with embellishments.

Liu Laohu looked at the woman known as "Third Sister," and the sharpness in his eyes softened considerably.

"San'er, what do you think of this matter?"

San'er walked to the edge of the pond, picked up a small pinch of fish food, and gently tossed it into the water. Watching the koi carp scramble for it, she parted her red lips slightly.

"How about this, I'll go and meet him first. Someone with this kind of power probably doesn't have a simple background."

Her voice was soft and charming, but her thoughts were exceptionally clear.

"If we can recruit them to help us in next month's guild tournament, that would be ideal. If not... we can always think of another way."

Liu Laohu paced back and forth for a moment, pondering.

"Hmm, that's a good idea."

He looked at his daughter, his eyes revealing his reliance on her.

"San'er, you take care of this matter."

"Okay, Dad."