C7 The Reality Changes

Faang Yu was once again astounded by the sheer magic of the system at his command. The ability to conjure up the nonexistent, to effortlessly alter the course of time—or at the very least, to change the memories of certain individuals—was a power beyond the reach of mere mortals. At times, Faang Yu even believed that the system within his mind held the potential to obliterate the world.

"Faang Yu, why the silence?" The middle-aged man's smile was warm as he took a seat across from Faang Yu, who was deep in thought. He was just about to engage in a detailed conversation with Faang Yu when the door burst open.

"Who's Faang Yu? Show yourself!" A brash voice, accompanied by the sound of the door slamming open, invaded the off-limits room.

A man in his forties, with a bulging forehead and a protruding belly, reeking of alcohol and spewing obscenities, glared at Faang Yu. "So it's you, you little wretch! How dare you lay a hand on my nephew. Lee, handcuff this scoundrel and take him to the station. I'm going to give him a thorough interrogation."

Lee, the young man trailing behind Soong Juncheng, snapped to attention. "Yes, boss!" He advanced with a menacing look, only to be stopped by the enigmatic middle-aged man.

Zhou Cheng was seething. As the third-in-command of the Secret Service, he had sought out Faang Yu, a retired young ace, to aid in a departmental investigation. Finding a way in had been a concern, given his recollection of Faang Yu as a particularly obstinate former special forces soldier.

The incident at the school had been an unexpected boon for Zhou Cheng. If he could just sort out Faang Yu's troubles, surely the young man couldn't decline his request. But now, this drunken fool had derailed their discussion.

With a sharp "Crack!" Zhou Cheng rose to his feet and delivered a slap across Lee's face, sending the young detective sprawling to the floor.

Soong Juncheng was initially startled by Zhou Cheng's action, then erupted in rage. "You've got some nerve! Attacking my man? You must have a death wish!" he bellowed, reaching for the gun at his waist.

Zhou Cheng let out a cold laugh. Forged in the crucible of life-and-death battles, he had earned his prestigious position. The thing he despised most was someone like Soong Juncheng, a good-for-nothing who had climbed the ranks solely through nepotism.

"Trash!" Zhou Cheng spat out the insult and delivered a kick that sent the portly Soong Juncheng rolling away like a barrel.

He then cast a cold glance at Lee sprawled on the ground. The young man, accustomed to doling out flattery, had never encountered such a vicious glare. Terrified, his heart skipped a beat, and he scrambled out of the room in a panic.

"Now that the barking dog is gone, Faang Yu, we can talk. The organization has a task for you. After this, you can continue living as a normal person, and any troubles you have, the organization will take care of them."

Faang Yu observed the unfolding scene, fell silent for a moment, then nodded. Whether it was gratitude for the man before him or the system's influence, he had no choice but to take on the mission.

"Animals! I'll kill them all! Call for backup, now! This is an attack on an officer! Get the Counter-Terrorism Unit here, fast!" Soong Juncheng, who had thrived under the protection of his superiors in Paton, was unaccustomed to such indignity.

"Captain Soong, you need to calm down. You're not in a position to provoke the man inside," said Bureau Chief Sun Bin, an aging cop on the verge of retirement, his voice laced with a touch of mockery towards Soong Juncheng, who was all bluster and no action.

"Calm down? Why should I? What agency is he from, anyway? Even if he were royalty, he'd still have to bow down to me!" Soong Juncheng fumed, but he didn't dare enter; he was a man who had coasted through life on money and indulgence, and his anger was largely fueled by a desperate attempt to salvage his bruised ego.

Despite being a good-for-nothing, Soong Juncheng wasn't a fool. His rage subsided when a phone call turned his face pale as if he'd swallowed something foul. He and his men beat a hasty retreat.

"You witless fool! You think you can stand up to the Secret Service? Do you want to give the old man a heart attack? Get back here, now!" Soong Juncheng's brother berated him over the phone, sending a jolt through him. The Secret Service? They were like the emperor's own guards! Who was this college student Faang Yu, and why were the Secret Service stepping in to protect him?

While strategizing with his trusted allies in the graduate student council on how to rally some faculty members to pressure the undergraduate administration, Soong Haoran was blindsided by the news that the administration had already resolved to severely discipline Faang Yu. His ultimate aim was to have them expel Faang Yu.

In the midst of this, Soong Haoran received a phone call. His confidants could only watch as the usually unflappable Soong Haoran's expression darkened with each word he heard. Eventually, he exploded in a tirade of curses and violently hurled his phone to the floor. He then sat brooding, breathing heavily with a stormy look on his face.

The graduate student council's leadership exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to utter a word. After an agonizing half-hour wait, Soong Haoran finally spoke.

"Go find some of the seniors," he instructed, his voice heavy with anger. "Have them vouch for Faang Yu and get the administration to revoke his punishment. Tell them it's an order from me!" Without waiting for his stunned subordinates to respond, Soong Haoran stormed out of the conference room.

His subordinates were left in confusion but had no choice but to follow Soong Haoran's commands.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Soong Haoran raged, furiously smashing objects in his room as he bellowed, "Faang Yu! Faang Yu! Faang Yu!"

The humiliation Soong Haoran felt was unbearable, far surpassing the embarrassment he had endured in front of his juniors. His own father had demanded that he make amends with Faang Yu, even going so far as to instruct him not to compete with Faang Yu for a woman's attention and to ingratiate himself with Faang Yu. Soong Haoran was seething with rage and shame. To think he was expected to grovel to someone who had shamed him, someone he had utterly despised. And now, his father had revealed that the power behind Faang Yu was formidable enough to overshadow their family's influence. For the proud Soong Haoran, this was too much to bear.

Meanwhile, in the office, Faang Yu was just as mystified by Zhou Cheng's request.

After ensuring that it wasn't a joke, Faang Yu's face registered sheer disbelief as he asked, "You're telling me you want me to work as a bodyguard?"

Zhou Cheng nodded with solemnity. "Correct, Prof. Lee is under my protection, and I've devised a plan. We'll use a decoy test subject and her daughter as bait. Her daughter will arrive at the University of Paton as an exchange student in three days. You're the only one who can protect her without raising any red flags with those people!"

Faang Yu internally rolled his eyes at the bizarre scenario the system had concocted, all the while weighing the mission's complexity. After a brief pause, he stated, "I have three conditions. If you agree to them, then I'll consider taking on the task."

Zhou Cheng's smile widened, sensing Faang Yu's inevitable acceptance. "Name them. I won't hesitate as long as they're within my power to grant."

"Alright," Faang Yu nodded. "First, I need to know the capabilities of these adversaries you're talking about. Second, I need the full profiles of Prof. Lee and Ms. Lee. Third, I require an arsenal at my disposal."

Zhou Cheng's grin was infectious. "If you're on board with this mission, consider your conditions met."

Faang Yu gave the oddly cheerful man a piercing look before responding, "Fine, I'm in."