8 A Delightful Revenge

Stay calm, I must stay calm. No matter what happens—even if I get beaten up, even if I get expelled—that’s something eleven years in the future. Besides, Jiangbei should stand up for me and keep me from being expelled. So, as long as Jiangbei wins this game, according to the rules, Fang Yuan must obey Jiangbei’s every word. That means I won’t be expelled, for sure! Ha! You damn skeleton, I swear I’ll find an opportunity to dismantle you and sell you for scrap!

Wang Fu took several deep breaths, regaining his composure. The commotion in the conference room lasted for about half an hour before everyone finally settled down and turned to the proper business at hand. Wang Fu tapped the table and began to speak.

“You’re all familiar with the rules of the game, so I won’t repeat them here,” he said. “Today’s meeting is mainly to inform you of something: just this evening, Jiangbei and Fang Yuan finished their college entrance exams, which means the first phase of the game has ended, and we now officially enter the second phase.”

“As always, before the meeting ends, you will place your bets. The betting items include who will ultimately win the game, who will confess to the wrong person in the next eleven years, how many mistakes will be made, who will propose marriage, whose business will grow the most… The details are all in the email I sent each of you—you can check them later.”

“The usual rule: one hundred billion dollars per bet. Place your bets, no turning back, though you can add more later, but never withdraw.”

“...”

“Now, we come to the real focus of this meeting,” Wang Fu said. “The rules state that, before the college entrance exam ends, we cannot interfere in the game. Do you all understand what I mean?”

Wang Fu looked around. Nine-Tailed Fox Lady was the first to respond in surprise, “Are you saying that, from now on, we can interfere?”

Wang Fu grinned, “Exactly. Since you’ve placed your bets, you’re free to protect your interests however you see fit.”

“But a word of caution—don’t go too far,” he continued. “Even though their memories are sealed and they won’t recognize you, that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want to them. Don’t even dream of laying a hand on them.”

“Sealing memories doesn’t mean losing their abilities… In fact, as they don’t remember you, if you mess around and end up getting killed, you’ve only yourself to blame.”

“And don’t forget—eleven years from now, they’ll know everything. When they recall what you did, well, you know what that means.”

The gathering of powerful figures grew excited.

To tease Jiangbei and Fang Yuan, both now only nineteen years old—ah, the thrill of it!

Nine-Tailed Fox Lady’s eyes gleamed with a strange light; her nine tails quivered in delight. “Hehe, I think I’ll go in person. I’m certain Jiangbei will fall at my feet instantly!”

Dracula rubbed his forehead. As a vampire, his appearance was impeccable. “Then I’ll take care of Fang Yuan…”

“I choose Jiangbei!”

“I choose Fang Yuan!”

That night, in the top-floor conference room of Fangjiang International Group’s headquarters in the Magic City, a crowd of extraordinary beings, bursting with excitement, lost all semblance of their usual dignified bearing…

But really, it was nothing new.

After all, to Jiangbei and Fang Yuan, these so-called powerful figures were nothing more than amusing little brothers and sisters… In past years, whether Jiangbei or Fang Yuan, they’d often bullied these supernaturals.

Turning the Skeleton King into a decorative piece.

Having the mummy disguise itself as a scary toy to frighten the other.

Keeping the Nine-Tailed Fox as a household pet.

Racing astride the White Tiger.

Using the Elf King as a photography prop.

…

Now, the chance for revenge had come. Everyone was eager to settle scores, to repay grievances side by side!

----------------------

With no time during school, but now that high school was over, Jiangbei slept until he woke naturally. After washing up, he strolled out to have breakfast and planned to sign up at the driving school for a license.

He already knew how to drive and thought cars were fascinating. During holidays, he’d practice with the family car and was pretty much a seasoned driver.

Yang Xue hadn’t planned to learn to drive, but now with nothing to do, she decided to join him.

“What do you plan to do after you get your license?” Yang Xue asked.

“Buy a car and go on a road trip,” Jiangbei replied, stretching lazily. Despite sleeping for ages, he still felt tired and a bit drowsy. “With more than two months, if we hurry, we should be able to see plenty of places. What about you?”

Yang Xue shook her head. “I haven’t decided yet, but I’ve made plans with a few classmates to visit Lijiang.”

“That sounds great.”

“I’m not sure if I can make it yet.”

They chatted as they walked to the driving school. Jiangbei paid for the VIP course, which would help him get his license faster without wasting time waiting.

Soon, they met the instructor. After a brief conversation, Jiangbei made his intentions clear: it was mid-June, and he hoped to have his license by the end of the month.

Of course, just saying so wasn’t enough. After he finished, Jiangbei took an envelope from his pocket and placed it in the instructor’s hands.

The envelope wasn’t sealed. Its thickness made it easy to estimate—probably five thousand in cash.

The instructor beamed and assured them there was no problem.

“I’ll arrange your written test today. Do you want to start practicing today, or…?”

Jiangbei thought for a moment. The car he wanted needed to be ordered, which would take some time. “Xiao Xue, how about we start tomorrow?”

Yang Xue agreed.

So, tomorrow it would be.

They had lunch together. A female classmate called Yang Xue out, so they parted ways. Jiangbei took a taxi to the car market.

The car market was somewhat remote, with dealers of every brand scattered everywhere. He searched for a while before finding the authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership.

Wucheng was just a small city, and this dealership didn’t have a G500 in stock.

After inquiring, he learned that ordering a car meant it had to be shipped from abroad, with all the paperwork taking several months.

That would mean missing out on the summer holiday.

That wouldn’t do.

Jiangbei thought for a moment and said he’d pay extra to get the car by the end of the month.

The salesperson couldn’t make that decision and had to consult the boss.

“Let me check for you. I’ll step outside for a cigarette,” Jiangbei said.

The afternoon sun was fierce. Jiangbei lit a cigarette and looked up, watching the clouds drift overhead.

As he stared, he suddenly thought of something he hadn’t considered before coming to buy the car.

He pulled out a black card from his pocket and called the number on its back.

“Hello, Mr. Jiang. I am your personal lifestyle concierge, Alice. Is there anything I can assist you with today?”