C18 Definitely Not Him

In the Rose Hall, they took their seats. Sister Chiang personally brewed a pot of exquisite tea and served it to Lee Zihao and Zhang Ze.

"Zhang Ze, you've brought honor not just to Tianfeng City, but to me as well. I'm truly grateful," Lee Zihao expressed, sliding a Consumption Card loaded with 500,000 yuan across the table to Zhang Ze.

In Great Xia Country, electronic currency was the norm for transactions. However, for those who preferred not to disclose their account details, these anonymous Consumption Cards were the solution.

Zhang Ze accepted the card without hesitation, his current financial straits making the decision an easy one.

Lee Zihao's smile grew even more radiant upon seeing the card taken. "Zhang Ze, are you aware of the feud between Wu Tiancheng and me?"

"It seems to be a business-related dispute," replied Zhang Ze, whose two lifetimes had given him insight into such matters.

"Let's get straight to the point then. I'd like to extend an invitation for you to join my Mountain and River Corporation," Lee Zihao proposed with fervor. "Wu Tiancheng sought out Chen Feng to secure an expert capable of protecting the Heavenly Star Corporation. In business, it's not just about being shrewd; it's also about having strong allies. Without an expert's protection, we're at the mercy of the underworld, with no chance of thriving."

"I may be a retired Devil Domain Expert, but I'm still capable of safeguarding Mountain and River Corporation. Yet with Wu Tiancheng bringing Chen Feng into the fray to challenge us, I fear I may not be up to the task. That's why I'm hoping you'll join me in protecting what is not only my enterprise but also Tianfeng City's largest commercial group. If it were to fall to outside forces, the repercussions for Tianfeng City would be severe."

"If you decide to join Mountain and River Corporation, I assure you the compensation will be substantial," Lee Zihao declared with conviction. "Whatever Wu Tiancheng is paying Chen Feng, I can match it."

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Ze responded, "Boss Lee, I get where you're coming from. But I'm still a student and not looking to commit to any organization right now. Maybe after I graduate, I'll give it some thought."

Lee Zihao's offer was certainly tempting, but Zhang Ze had no interest in working for someone else.

Zhang Ze was fully capable of securing resources on his own, so there was no need for him to seek favors.

A look of disappointment crossed Lee Zihao's face, but after a moment's thought, he conceded, "Well, I won't press the issue. I just hope that if the Mountain and River Corporation's people ever face bullying, you'll lend a hand."

"Consider it done," Zhang Ze replied with a nod. He had, after all, accepted a sum of money from Lee Zihao, which meant he was willing to offer his assistance.

Their conversation continued for a bit longer, and through his discussions with Lee Zihao, Zhang Ze deepened his understanding of the world.

After departing the Cloud Cauldron Club, Zhang Ze and Zhang Feng made their way home.

Standing before Zhang Ze, Zhang Feng looked up at him apologetically. "Brother, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken a job in that place with Panpan. But the pay was really good."

"The salary doesn't matter; you shouldn't be working there! I'm just glad I got there in time. The outcome could have been much worse," Zhang Ze said sternly.

Zhang Feng was his only family in this world, and Zhang Ze valued her well-being above all else. He couldn't stand to see her in any distress.

Seeing tears in Zhang Feng's eyes, he softened and reassured her, "Don't go back there, okay? I've already made quite a bit of money. I'll have enough for our rent soon. Just focus on your studies and don't worry about working."

"I understand, brother," Zhang Feng replied, nodding meekly. Her face then brightened into a smile as she added, "Brother, you looked so cool during your fight at the club today!"

"It wasn't a fight. It was a friendly match," Zhang Ze corrected her with a slight frown.

The next day, as Zhang Ze arrived at school, he encountered Wang Yang at the entrance.

"Zhang Ze, you nearly missed seeing me today!" Wang Yang exclaimed, rushing toward him. He appeared to have narrowly escaped a dire fate, clinging to Zhang Ze and sobbing.

Zhang Ze gently pushed him away, asking with a neutral tone, "What happened?"

"I almost got kidnapped yesterday!" Wang Yang recounted, still visibly shaken. "If it hadn't been for a hero who rescued me, I'd surely be dead! Unfortunately, he didn't leave his name. If I knew who he was, I'd do anything to repay his lifesaving kindness."

Zhang Ze noticed that Wang Ze's expression remained unchanged. "You're really lucky!" he exclaimed, giving Wang Yang a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Come on, we've got to get to class."

"Hold on, it just came to me! The hero in the Devil Domain is called Rakshasa. He was involved in the Lau Yueying incident too!" Wang Yang's eyes sparkled with excitement as he blurted out.

Zhang Ze couldn't help but roll his eyes internally. 'This guy's memory is scarily good,' he thought.

"Zhang Ze, you have to let me know the moment you run into Rakshasa next time. I want to be his apprentice!" Wang Yang said, his face alight with enthusiasm.

"We'll see if that happens," Zhang Ze replied with a shake of his head, and they both headed into the school building.

After the day's lessons, Zhang Ze hurried to his job at the school's Martial House. With the weekend approaching, he was keen to get out and find opportunities to make some extra cash.

Upon entering the Martial House, Zhang Ze saw Zheng Hao and several others questioning the students training there.

"Excuse me, did anyone use the Strength Measuring Machine after school yesterday?" they inquired.

"No. But there are cameras you could check," came the reply.

"The Martial House's gear is old. The camera that covers the Strength Measuring Machine has been out of order for ages."

"Well, that's a dead end," they concluded.

Despite his inquiries, Zheng Hao came up empty-handed. Then, he caught sight of Zhang Ze, now donned in his work attire and busy mopping the floor.

'I'll ask him,' Zheng Hao thought.

Approaching Zhang Ze, he introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Zheng Hao. Did you happen to see anyone using the Strength Measuring Machine while you were cleaning yesterday?"

Zhang Ze paused, recognizing the name. Zheng Hao was the top student in the adjacent class, rumored to possess a Level A talent, and was widely expected to secure a spot at Qing University Martial Arts School.

"No, I didn't," Zhang Ze replied, shaking his head. He knew that if it got out he had used the Strength Measuring Machine while on the job, it could cost him his position at the school.

Zheng Hao remarked with confusion, "That's odd. I clearly remember when I left, you were the only one left in the Martial House. How could you possibly be unaware?"

Zhang Ze simply shook his head and replied, "I'm sorry, I truly have no idea. Please, don't hinder my work, thank you." With that, he sidestepped Zheng Hao and resumed his cleaning duties.

A male student standing next to Zheng Hao chimed in, "Let it go. It's possible the machine is malfunctioning. The individual we're searching for isn't here."

Another female student added, "Exactly. We've questioned everyone and still haven't located them. It's likely that no one has used the Strength-measuring Machine after all."

Zheng Hao, fixating on Zhang Ze's retreating figure, declared, "No, I believe I've just found our person!"

The others were taken aback, their attention drawn to Zhang Ze following Zheng Hao's intense gaze.

"You think the cleaner is the one?" someone questioned.

"I recognize him. That's Zhang Ze from Class Eight. Zheng Hao, you might be mistaken. There's no way he could score that high on the Strength-measuring Machine. He didn't even make the top hundred in the school during the monthly baseline test. He can't be the one who used the Strength-measuring Machine!"