The Poor School Heartthrob Was Secretly a Financial Titan - Chapter 37

“That kind of person,” he said casually, “what does it have to do with a poor student like me?”

He appeared indifferent, but his heart was in turmoil.

It seems the landmine I planted has exploded.

Precise decapitation.

Although the later methods were somewhat hastily executed due to time constraints—sending the whistleblower letter and planting a fake business card were rushed into action after the father’s sudden return of the money disrupted the plan—it’s alright, at least the result is good. I only have so many resources at my disposal right now, and achieving this much is acceptable.

Two generations of enmity, settled in one day.

In his previous life, Zhou Jianguo had sent him to prison, but in this life, he finally fell into his own hands. All the pent-up frustrations from his two lifetimes seemed to be swept away by something at this moment.

He suddenly felt a strange sense of relief.

Once this relaxation sets in, I feel completely different. It’s like a magnet has drawn the sunlight in, and my face inexplicably becomes radiant.

Li Man was walking beside him when she turned her head and saw his profile.

The setting sun shone from the other side of the river, casting a soft golden glow on his face. His brows and eyes were relaxed, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, completely different from his usual aloof demeanor.

She paused for a moment.

Luo Diandian and Yu Ling always said that this guy was handsome, but she hadn’t thought so before. Now that she looked at him… he did seem quite sunny and good-looking.

The thought of going to the same university with him soon filled Li Man with a small sense of joy.

Once this beautiful feeling arises, time seems to stretch out.

The two walked along the riverbank, the bicycle wheels turning slowly, occasionally running over a small pebble with a clattering sound. The twenty-minute walk felt like an entire day.

…

We’ve arrived at the riverside park.

The park itself is free, but the newly opened barbecue area inside charges a fee. This is an activity organized by the park management to generate revenue during the summer vacation, specifically targeting students. Renting a barbecue spot costs 2.5 yuan. It’s a bit pricey, but these days there aren’t many new things to see, and with students on summer vacation, it has indeed attracted quite a few people.

The barbecue area was set up beside the artificial lake, with dozens of cement platforms lined up in a row, each with two stone benches beside it. Wire mesh was strung across the platforms, with charcoal burners underneath. It was afternoon, and the area was bustling with noise, filled with young people in school uniforms or T-shirts. Some platforms already had fires burning, meat skewers sizzling on the wire mesh, the smoke mingling with laughter and shouts.

When Han Xuetao and Li Man found Ma Hui and the others, the two of them were squatting by a platform, busy with something.

Ma Hui brought a lot of things from home—sliced ​​meat, chicken wings, eggplant, and a large handful of bamboo skewers. He and Luo Diandian were busy skewering the meat, their movements clumsy, and the skewers went astray several times. On the table next to them were bottles of soy sauce and vinegar, as well as a bag of salt.

Upon seeing them, Luo Diandian immediately stood up: “Why are you two so late? If you had come any later, we would have finished grilling and you would have been eating right away!”

Han Xuetao walked over with a smile: “You haven’t even skewered the meat properly, and you haven’t even lit the fire, yet you dare to say you’re going to let us eat it ready-made?”

Luo Diandian curled her lip: “Then why don’t you two hurry up and help!”

Li Man immediately took on the role of class monitor. She looked at the platform and asked, “Where’s the charcoal? Haven’t we gotten it yet?”

She took five yuan out of her pocket and handed it to Ma Hui: “You two boys go pay the fee, get the charcoal, and then you’re in charge of starting the fire. Ma Hou, this should be your forte. Diandian and I will be in charge of skewering the meat. As for grilling the meat, we’ll all pitch in together, and whoever grills the best will be in charge!”

Ma Hui didn’t take the money, waving his hand: “How can I let you girls pay? It’s my treat today! There’s not much charcoal, I can go by myself.”

After saying that, he ran away in a flash.

The remaining three people skewered the meat at the counter. Luo Diandian was quick and efficient, soon finishing a skewer. Li Man was a little clumsy at first, but got the hang of it after a few tries. Han Xuetao helped by cutting eggplants, making neat slices.

About ten minutes later, Ma Hui returned.

But his hands were empty, with only a few pieces of charcoal in his hands, and his clothes and face were covered in black ash, making him look like he had just crawled out of a coal mine.

The three people were stunned.

“Monkey, what’s wrong with you?” Luo Diandian asked.

Ma Hui’s face turned red with anger: “The charcoal I got was snatched away by those guys from Class Two! They even tore the charcoal bags! I wanted to go to the management office to ask for another bag, but they said they wouldn’t give me any more! I could only bring back some broken charcoal!”

Li Man frowned: “Class Two? Who? Why did they steal from us?”

“It’s Wang Feng, Zhu Yan, and their group!” Ma Hui gritted his teeth.

Li Man put down the half-eaten skewer of meat, stood up, and said, “Come on, take me there.”

Ma Hui’s eyes lit up; with his squad leader backing him up, he immediately perked up. He led the way, with Li Man following behind, and the two of them walked through a series of barbecue grills to the other side.

Han Xuetao glanced at them, didn’t move, and continued cutting the eggplant.

…

The group from Class Two occupied two tables further inside, with about ten people gathered around, chatting and laughing. When they saw Li Man coming over, their laughter paused for a moment, then resumed.

Li Man walked up to them and pointed at their table: “This charcoal is ours, what right do you have to take it?”

Wang Feng was a tall, thin man with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He glanced at her sideways and said, “Why? Because we got it first.”

“You got it first?” Li Man sneered. “When Ma Hui went to collect the charcoal, you weren’t even here yet!”

Zhu Yan chimed in from the side, “So what? The charcoal is with us now. Go ahead and take it back if you dare.”

Several boys nearby joined in the laughter.

Li Man stared at them: “We paid for these things, and you think you’re in the right to steal them?”

Wang Feng threw his cigarette butt on the ground, stood up, and was much taller than Li Man: “Li Man, we’ve already graduated, and you’re still acting like the class monitor?”

Zhu Yan chimed in, “Exactly! Even if you haven’t graduated, you’re not the class monitor of our Class Two. Mind your own business!”

Li Man’s face flushed with anger. She wanted to say, “Should I tell your homeroom teacher what I said?” but she swallowed the words back. What’s the point of talking to the homeroom teacher after graduation?

A girl next to them said sarcastically, “Oh dear, Li Man is the school champion, how can we afford to offend her?”

Another boy said, “What are you pretending for? You always look so serious, but aren’t you just hanging out with guys on the back of a bicycle?”

Everyone laughed when he said that.

Wang Feng crossed his arms: “Why didn’t you send Han Xuetao? The guys are too scared to come, so you’re sending the girls? Are you all cowards in Class One?”

Zhu Yan remembered something and laughed even louder: “Han Xuetao? The one who only knows how to hit women? And who throws mud at people? Let him come over here and see if he dares to say a word against it?”

The students from Class Two were laughing so hard they were doubled over. Several girls covered their mouths with laughter, glancing at Li Man as if they were watching a good show.

Li Man stood there, her face flushed red, but she couldn’t say a word.

She was the class monitor, and from childhood to adulthood, she could solve any problem as long as she stood up for herself. But this time, not only did she fail to get the charcoal back, she was also publicly ridiculed by these people she used to look down on.

Feeling both frustrated and angry, he couldn’t back down for a moment.

Just then, a voice came from behind:

“Are you guys in Class Two bored? You’re talking about me even while having a barbecue, are you all stuffed?”

Han Xuetao walked over.