C17 He Had a Plan

"Hey, hey, why have you gone silent?"

Su Yue grew increasingly concerned after a long silence from Chu Yang's end. She feared he might not handle the shock well and possibly do something reckless.

"I just spaced out for a bit. I'm heading back to school now."

Finally, after half a minute, Chu Yang's voice came through the phone.

Hearing his response, Su Yue breathed a sigh of relief. Chu Yang's composure was unexpected.

Still, she wondered how he would cope with the challenges that lay ahead.

...

Riding the bus to Northwich University, Chu Yang could feel the immense spiritual energy within his dantian, stirring an unspeakable excitement within him.

Earlier, when Su Yue had called, he was so thrilled that he had broken through his bottleneck and entered the Foundation Building stage.

As the God of Cookery had explained, cultivators new to the immortal path needed to undergo Body Tempering and Qi Refining before reaching Foundation Building.

This journey could take several years or even decades, depending on the cultivator's innate talent.

Yet, Chu Yang had achieved this in just one night, as if he had activated some sort of cheat code!

"Brother God of Cookery, do you have any quick spells that can make people tell the truth?"

After much thought, Chu Yang decided to consult the God of Cookery on the matter.

The God of Cookery responded promptly, "There are quick spells, but they require three to five days of practice."

Three to five days?

Chu Yang worried that by then, it might be too late.

"Is there another way to get someone to speak the truth?"

"There are plenty of methods to compel truth-telling, such as using the Heart Gu, Truth Talisman, or Opening Pill..."

The God of Cookery listed numerous options, and Chu Yang, elated, immediately searched Amazon for them.

After reviewing his choices, Chu Yang settled on the Truth Talisman.

The other methods were more complex and easily detectable, whereas the Truth Talisman was more discreet, requiring only a minimal infusion of spiritual energy to activate.

However, the Truth Talisman was quite pricey, costing five hundred soul stones each. Chu Yang had no choice but to ask the God of Cookery to confirm the receipt of yesterday's order before he could afford to purchase the talisman.

Ten minutes later, the bus pulled into the station.

As soon as Chu Yang hopped off, he spotted Su Yue with her phone, pacing nearby.

"Boss, what are you doing here?"

Chu Yang inquired.

Upon seeing him, Su Yue hurriedly pulled him aside and said with a sense of urgency, "Things have escalated. The counselor wanted me to give you a heads-up. The dean is livid and wants a word with you!"

"A word with me?"

Chu Yang clenched his jaw and said, "This has to be Yang Wanli's handiwork. He's trying to get the school to back up his claim that I owe him money."

"I realize that, but there's no point dwelling on it now. What's your plan for handling this?"

Su Yue asked, her anxiety evident.

Chu Yang gave her a glance and let out a cold chuckle, "I've got a trick up my sleeve!"

With that, he left a bewildered Su Yue behind and strode towards the school.

It was lunchtime, and the campus was bustling. Many who recognized Chu Yang steered clear of him as if avoiding a curse.

Unperturbed, Chu Yang walked confidently toward his classroom.

Outside his classroom, the hallway was crowded with people, all straining to overhear the discussion inside.

Now in the Foundation Building stage, Chu Yang's hearing was far superior to the average person's. He could make out the conversation inside the classroom with clarity.

"You're Yang Wanli, right? This IOU was initially written by Chu Yang to Yu Wei, but how did it end up in your possession?"

Dean Liu Meng's authoritative voice echoed from the classroom.

Yang Wanli answered smoothly, "Director Liu, Yu Wei lent Chu Yang the money, expecting repayment at the start of the semester. But Chu Yang has been stalling and still hasn't settled his debt. I heard Yu Wei needed the money urgently, so out of goodwill and a desire to help a fellow student, I took on the debt. That's why the IOU ended up with me."

Liu Meng then turned to ask, "Yu Wei, is what he's saying true?"

"Yes, it's true."

Yu Wei nervously swallowed before responding, "I've asked Chu Yang for the money several times, but he hasn't paid me back, so I passed the IOU to Yang Wanli."

After a moment of contemplation, Liu Meng turned to the counselor, Xu Zhiwen, and inquired, "The rumor around campus is that he's been gambling with the money. Do you think there's any truth to it?"

Xu Zhiwen fell silent for a moment, poised to speak, when Yang Wanli cut in ahead of him. "Director Liu, I think it's highly likely! Chu Yang mentioned he was starting a business on Amazon, which is why he borrowed money from Yu Wei."

Yet, after all this time, none of his classmates have seen what his shop looks like, nor have they heard any updates on his entrepreneurial progress. This inevitably raises doubts about where the money has gone."

Liu Meng listened and seemed to share the sentiment, his expression growing grave.

In recent years, there's been a surge in college students getting caught up in online gambling, borrowing more and more as they chase their losses, sometimes with tragic outcomes.

As such, the university administration has been taking this issue seriously, even factoring it into their evaluations.

Now, if it turns out that a student who applied for an entrepreneurship grant has been using the borrowed funds for gambling, it could have repercussions for the entire department.

While they were discussing this, Zhao Chen and some others in the crowd spotted Chu Yang behind them and quickly made their way over.

"Yang, what's going on? Didn't you say you only borrowed a little over ten thousand from Yu Wei? How did it turn into a hundred thousand?"

Zhao Chen asked in a hushed, incredulous tone.

Chu Yang didn't answer directly but countered, "Do you think Yu Wei has a hundred thousand to lend?"

"Uh, he doesn't strike me as someone flush with cash. So, the money isn't his?" Zhao Chen replied, uncertain.

"That scoundrel handed the IOU over to Yang Wanli, and then they doctored the amount, aiming to set a trap for me together!"

Zhao Chen was stunned, taking a while to grasp the situation. "Damn! I knew there was something off about how he was so attentive to you yesterday, even inquiring about your business. He was plotting against you!"

"What did you tell him?"

"We had your back, of course. We boasted that you'd just closed a big deal a few days ago and were about to hit it big."

"That explains why Yang Wanli was so eager to stir up trouble, even at the risk of offending Su Yue. He's worried I'll make enough money to be out of his reach."

Chu Yang had his epiphany.

"Yang, our crew will always have your back, but I can't say the same for everyone else. Even if you clear the air, I doubt many will take your word for it," Wang Lei expressed, concern etched on his face.

Chu Yang seemed completely unfazed by the situation. As he made his way through the crowd, he casually remarked, "If you don't believe me, then we should have Yang Wanli confirm it himself!"

Zhao Chen and his companions watched, utterly bewildered, as Chu Yang parted the crowd and walked through.

Tampering with the amount on a promissory note amounted to fabricating evidence, a crime that carried criminal liability.

Yang Wanli wasn't out of his mind. Expecting him to personally confess was as likely as the sun rising in the west!

Upon Chu Yang's arrival, the students in the hallway instantly stirred into a flurry of activity, eagerly clearing a path for him.