CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 41 INTIMIDATION

At 6 a.m., Han Lie got up on time.

A 5-kilometer run, pull-ups, and parallel bars didn’t tire out his back or legs, but his eyes certainly got a workout.

Shanghai International Studies University had many foreign girls who would just head out to exercise in their yoga shorts... SLURP!

But the best view wasn’t at that time; it was at the swimming pool in the afternoon.

Those well-built girls in bikinis... they seem like a completely different species compared to domestic swimsuits...

Han Lie used to love swimming, but because of their presence, he simply didn’t dare to go.

Was it because he was shy?

No, no, no, it was because he was damn skinny!

Foreign girls don’t like skinny guys. They think such men aren’t healthy, lack vigorous hormones, and wouldn’t last if they were on top...

Han Lie didn’t want to give them a weak first impression, so he forcibly suppressed his desire to go enjoy the view.

Until his physique bulked up, he was determined not to go to the swimming pool!

Once he had a broad chest and six-pack abs...

You just watch me show off then!

At 7:30 a.m., Han Lie took a quick shower and went to the cafeteria for breakfast on time.

Just as he arrived at the entrance, Fang Feifei blocked his path.

"Brother Lie, Brother Lie, what do you want to eat? I’ll get it for you!"

It was an offer he couldn’t refuse, so Han Lie could only sit quietly and watch her bustle around.

During the meal, Yu Yun appeared again, shooting Fang Feifei many dirty looks.

Girls’ conflicts? What’s it got to do with me?

Han Lie unconcernedly buried his head in his food.

In the end, Fang Feifei didn’t win, and Yu Yun didn’t lose. Anyway, Han Lie didn’t take sides and happily ate to his heart’s content.

This scene was observed by many, and rumors about "two beauties from the Business School fighting over one guy" began to spread quickly.

Arriving at the classroom, Duan Xiaoyi and Lou Zhi hid in a corner, far from Han Lie.

But Chen Ping and Ah La came over, seizing any opportunity to fawn over him.

Han Lie didn’t look up, focusing instead on grinding through practice problems.

By noon, he had completely mastered mathematical analysis and geometry. In the afternoon, he went to the library to borrow sophomore textbooks and continued to bury himself in math.

Time passed day by day like this, and the sight of girls constantly around him gradually became routine.

The campus was really too small, and Han Lie gradually became famous.

Many girls were secretly cursing: PAH! That shameless flirt!

Many guys were secretly cursing: PAH! Scumbag!

Many classmates started guessing when Han Lie would get into a relationship with someone.

But the thing was, scumbag Han Lie’s daily life followed a straight line – sports field, classroom, dormitory.

Go ahead and ask me out. If I set one foot off campus, I lose.

Gradually, Fang Feifei and Yu Yun started to get anxious.

Time quickly advanced to the 30th. There was no evening self-study session, and with no classes scheduled for the afternoon, it was the perfect time for the planned get-together.

So, starting in the morning, the temporary group chat was constantly bombarded with various messages.

"Happy Valley, Happy Valley!"

"Go to Happy Valley during the National Day holiday? Are you kidding? You won’t even be able to move with the crowds!"

"Didn’t we all agree to go to the wildlife park yesterday?"

"Who agreed with you? What’s so great about the wildlife park?"

"Exactly! We Magic Capital folks are sick of it, okay!"

"Then why didn’t you say so yesterday?"

"We’re leaving this afternoon, and you’re changing your mind now?"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Watch your mouth! We’ve been there so many times, why should we have to accompany you to get sunburnt again?"

"Just because you’re from Magic Capital, you think you’re so amazing?"

"Hah! Always bringing up regional issues..."

Just like in my previous life, right before we were about to leave, everyone started arguing again.

You can’t put all the blame on the Magic Capital local students for being exclusionary; this issue was really a mess.

In one class, everyone learned the same things and took the same courses, yet some would end up with second-tier diplomas while others received third-tier ones. It’s no wonder they couldn’t get along.

Sometimes you couldn’t tell who was right or wrong. Perhaps it was just a careless remark, and the conflict would escalate.

After two or three such incidents, the divide would naturally form, and the class would be completely split.

Do you blame the locals for their sense of superiority?

Or do you blame the out-of-town students for being too sensitive?

Both sides had issues, but neither had made any major mistakes. Some conflicts were just inevitable.

Han Lie had experienced it once and saw things very clearly.

It was obviously the school’s fault, a burden no single person could bear.

Xi Luting was frantically busy, privately messaging everyone one by one, which was actually pointless.

She can suppress it temporarily, but can she suppress it for four years?

However, this was a good opportunity to earn some goodwill, not to be wasted.

Han Lie went ahead and publicly called people out in the group chat.

"@Duan Xiaoyi: If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to, but stop arguing in the chat."

"@Lou Zhi: Does arguing with girls make you feel accomplished?"

"@Chen Ping: Come on, insult me."

After these three messages were sent, the group chat calmed down by more than half.

If this had happened when Han Lie first enrolled, he wouldn’t have gotten involved in such matters at all.

But now it was different.

Ever since the day he pinned Duan Xiaoyi down and gave him a thrashing, rumors about ’Young Master Han’s’ powerful background had gradually started to circulate in the class.

Nobody kept Duan Xiaoyi’s secret. The conversation from that day spread throughout the class, word for word. After a few rounds of artistic embellishment, even Han Lie himself was unclear which prominent family he supposedly belonged to.

Anyway, it was kind of terrifying.

As a result, Young Master Han’s prestige skyrocketed.

Many times, he was able to control the situation even better than Xi Luting.

Little Cucumber relied on her personal charm to handle matters. People respected her as the class president. If they got upset and stopped giving her face, she could only try to soothe them individually.

But Han Lie was different.

When Young Master Han cursed someone out, it carried an intimidating aura.

Against those guys from Dorm 1918, there was an extra layer of intimidation.

Whoever he called out would tremble.

He effortlessly shut down the Financial Five Tigers, and the rest of the classmates immediately had a realization: Oh my, we still have a BOSS in the class!

With apprehension in their hearts, the quarreling naturally subsided.

What’s the most important thing about killing a chicken to scare the monkeys?

The chicken has to be big!

Duan Xiaoyi, whose family owned eight properties in the inner ring; Lou Zhi, who had no bottom line; Chen Ping, who acted wild and respected no one...

The targets were big enough.

One swift verbal takedown, silencing them instantly. Who would dare act up then?!

With the group chat quieting down, Xi Luting let out a sigh of relief.

After hesitating for a long time, she sent a private message to Han Lie.

"Thank you!"

Just two words, and she pondered over them for so long?

Oh, it seemed it wasn’t just two words—the chat interface displayed ’the other party is typing.’ She was still hesitating.

Han Lie thought for a moment and replied with two words as well: "No worries."

He ended the topic abruptly, giving her no chance to continue.

What am I supposed to talk with you about?

Anyway, nothing I say will reach your heart.

I only chat with Little Cucumber!

Compared to Xi Luting’s hesitation, Yu Yun and Fang Feifei were much more enthusiastic.

Yu Yun: "Brother Lie, so cool!"

Yu Yun: "Super domineering! It’s making my heart race..."

Yu Yun: (shy) (shy) (shy)

PFFT!

Is that your heart racing?

I can’t even be bothered to expose you!

Yu Yun was the ’green tea’ type, whereas Fang Feifei was all courage, boldness, the type to go all out.

She sent a selfie on the spot—

Facing the mirror, holding a phone in her right hand and giving a thumbs up with her left.

But none of that was the point. The point was...

She was only wearing a little nightgown!

Everyone in Magic Capital knows how hot it gets. No one can stand a thick nightgown, so ’sheer,’ ’breathable,’ and ’short’ were the keywords.

How short exactly?

With both her hands raised, her shoulders pulled the nightgown slightly upward, and Han Lie felt like he had seen the end of the world...

How sheer exactly?

Better stop describing. I’m a reformed man now.

Anyway, Han Lie felt a bit hot and bothered.

He decisively turned off his phone and ignored the two bootlickers.

When dealing with bootlickers, letting them keep on fawning indefinitely is the greatest mercy.

Otherwise, how could they develop such profoundly touching devotion?

Giving in to them easily would be a desecration of such pure feelings.

Got it?

Class dismissed!

「 」

Han Lie put down his phone, casually opened his laptop, and logged into Jinjiang.

He had just clicked on the first book when he received a huge surprise—the author had finally made a move!

[Proud Little Cucumber] replied to [Ham in Exchange for Cucumber]: "Thank you for your recognition! It’s so precious! Tears of joy!!!"

It was evident that Little Cucumber, the struggling author, was very excited, using three exclamation marks.

Han Lie was even more thrilled.

No need to thank me! No need to thank me!

If you are the real deal, then your days of crying tears of joy are far from over...