CHAPTER 57: ROYAL SCAM

In the evenings, she went to the secluded training room she had rented off-campus, one where no nosy classmates could interrupt. There, she practiced combat techniques, blade handling, and most importantly, mental resilience. Every strike of her practice sword against the wooden dummy carried her frustration and her fear. She remembered the countless corpses from her past life, the despair of fighting too late, and the regret of not being prepared.

This time, she wouldn’t make that mistake.

Between each training session, she sat cross-legged in meditation, regulating her breath, guiding the faint energy of the core that flickered within her. She could feel it growing stronger by day; it wasn’t much yet, but her body was stronger, sharper, quicker than the ordinary girl she had once been.

By the fifth day, the pressure mounted.

[Remaining Time: 2 days 4 hours]

She stood in front of the dormitory mirror, examining herself. Her once pale and slightly fragile appearance was now laced with a healthier glow. Muscles were faintly toned across her arms and legs, her posture straighter, her eyes sharper than ever. Even Ru Feifei had noticed, remarking teasingly that Ling Yu looked more intimidating than some of the University’s combat instructors.

"Did you train so hard just to gain muscles? Oh my, now you look like my ideal boyfriend! Too bad that you, my best friend, are a girl... no, actually, I’m fine with a girl-girl relationship too. What do you say? Become my girlfriend, will you, Yu’er?" Ru Feifei was fawning over Ling Yu as she sized her up, drooling over her sturdy muscles and puckering her lips to kiss her.

Ling Yu put the girl away from her by pushing her face away, laughing freely. "Come on, no thanks. Get away from me, we are already girl friends putting a space in between."

"Come on, Yu’er! You don’t know what these stinky guys have been saying these days. How dare they badmouth you? The audacity of those stinky teenagers! I beat them up nicely, now just stay and see who dares look at you!" Ru Feifei was referring to the rumors the guys at the gym spread around with puffy cheeks, to which Ling Yu responded by pinching her cheeks.

"Good," Ling Yu muttered to herself as she squished Ru Feifei’s soft cheeks with both hands. "Let them underestimate me."

But she also knew that none of this would be enough when the waves came. The System hadn’t given her much detail about what awaited, only that the "first wave" was tied to this sea tour. And that was why she couldn’t afford to let her guard down, not even for a second.

***

The morning of the sea tour dawned bright and deceptively peaceful. The port was alive with activity, a blend of youthful excitement and aristocratic pride. Students milled around the docks, their chatter blending with the cries of seagulls overhead.

The ship that awaited them was magnificent. An enormous, gleaming vessel adorned with banners carrying the University crest. Its polished decks gleamed under the sun, the sails stretched proudly in the wind. For many, this was a grand excursion, a leisurely voyage meant for sightseeing, camaraderie, and entertainment.

But for Ling Yu, the sight of the ship filled her with a heavy premonition.

Her best friend, Ru Feifei, was already bouncing with excitement. She tugged at Ling Yu’s arm with the enthusiasm of a child on her first trip. "Look at this! It’s like something out of a drama! Can you believe we get to ride this beauty? It’s practically a floating palace!"

Ling Yu allowed herself a small smile. Feifei’s innocence was one of the few things that hadn’t yet been tainted by betrayal or despair. "Yes, it’s impressive," she replied calmly, though her gaze lingered on the horizon, searching for the unseen.

It didn’t take long for the other familiar faces to appear.

Jiang Meng arrived with the kind of arrogance that only royalty could carry. Dressed immaculately in white and gold, her dark eyes swept over the crowd until they landed on Ling Yu. Her lips curled into something between disdain and hostility. Even in this festive setting, she radiated tension like a drawn bow.

Trailing her were her brothers, similarly striking in their noble attire. They whispered among themselves, their gazes flitting toward Ling Yu now and then, as though gauging her presence.

It was obvious that they were displeased with the outcome of that day; the way she scammed money out of the Royal family was something others couldn’t even dare to imagine.

A smirk formed on her face as Ling Yu remembered the Royal scam she had carried out recently. And looking at those Royal family guys broadened her smirk even more.

It’s true that the mines and land were given up to the Royal family, but it was under a strict contract that stated that outsiders couldn’t know of this deal. Once the nobles knew about the handover of the mines, they would immediately try to interfere in the business, which wouldn’t benefit the Royal family in any way.

They kept the deal a secret and took over the mines. However, what they deemed to be a golden goose turned out to be a scam. After they sent people to inspect the mine ores, they discovered that the mines that were now abandoned were actually empty both inside and outside!

It was the sole reason Ling Yu didn’t have any problems handing over the mines!

Because all the ores were already excavated and sold, she paid the mine workers to leave the place and abandoned that place. Then started buying lots of gold using the money she had.

Literary all of her money was converted into gold, and no one could find it since they were stored in her space.

Now that everything was said and done, the Imperial family couldn’t go back on their words and arrest her, so they had to bite the bullet and swallow it in silence. It’s no wonder their faces were black like the bottom of a pot.