C13 The Melon Field Was Actually in My Own House

Zhang Zhicheng found himself unable to control his own body, a terrifying realization. The words bubbling up inside him were dangerous—uttering them would be a death sentence!

Zhou Yuvwei watched as a tormented Zhang Zhicheng continued to kowtow before her, her brow furrowing in concern. She had wanted an apology, sure, but his extreme reaction puzzled her.

The other patrons, witnessing the spectacle, instinctively distanced themselves. Was Zhang Zhicheng losing his mind? They thought it best to keep clear—getting caught in the crossfire would be unfortunate.

Faang Cheng understood the situation. Zhang Zhicheng was desperately trying to use his physical agony to keep his mouth shut. Faang Cheng couldn't help but think how incredibly handy this feature was. If only it could be activated at will, not just during missions.

The system chimed in with a tease, "You certainly have lofty dreams for someone not so lofty themselves!"

Eventually, Zhang Zhicheng's self-inflicted punishment left him looking like a bruised pig, and he collapsed in a dizzy heap. Zhou Yuvwei felt a twinge of pity and considered stepping forward.

But then, the seemingly incapacitated Zhang Zhicheng burst out, his words spraying with saliva, "You wretched girl, you'll be mine eventually! Did you really think your Zhou family wasn't compromised? We've planted spies within your ranks, which is why your finances have taken such a hit!"

Zhou Yuvwei's eyes went wide with shock, but before she could respond, the delirious Zhang Zhicheng continued, his laughter chilling. His gaze was hazy, his demeanor far from sane.

"So what if that kid gave you five billion yuan today? As long as your mother remains with the Zhou family, your wealth is as good as ours!"

The revelation sent a wave of dramatic expressions through the crowd. So, the Zhou family matriarch had ties with the Zhang family? These onlookers might not have the deep pockets of Jiang City's elite, but that didn't stop the envy—or the appetite for scandal. And this was one juicy piece of gossip.

Some people were secretly relieved that they had decided to dine at this restaurant today. Otherwise, they would have missed out on the excitement.

Faang Cheng hadn't anticipated the issue at hand to be of such nature. The wealthy truly lived up to their reputation. What a juicy story!

"You liar! My mother would never do such a thing!" Zhou Yuvwei was so upset that tears swirled in her eyes. Despite her vocal denial, doubt had crept into her heart.

Zhang Zhicheng, still riding his wave of enthusiasm, let out a sly chuckle upon hearing Zhou Yuvwei's disbelief, as if he had more to reveal. But his corpulent body had reached its breaking point; he rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot.

"System Notification: Mission completed to perfection, surpassing expectations. Reward: a Moonview Century Villa!"

"Due to exceeding expectations, a free system upgrade will be credited to your account tonight!"

A free upgrade opportunity?

Upon hearing this, Faang Cheng immediately checked the system interface. The shock value displayed was a staggering 13 million, well over the 10 million needed to upgrade the system to the second level. This was an absolute windfall!

"Don't be upset. He's only told one side of the story. You need to verify it for yourself, right?" Faang Cheng gently patted the still dazed Zhou Yuvwei.

Zhou Yuvwei wiped away her tears and nodded with determination.

"I intended to treat you to a meal as a way of saying thanks, but it seems I've ended up owing you even more," Zhou Yuvwei said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

Her gaze then shifted to the unconscious Zhang Zhicheng.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. He won't cause any trouble for you or me. After all, I wasn't the one forcing his head down to bow to you, right?" Faang Cheng said, his easy demeanor putting her at ease.

Somehow, Zhou Yuvwei's residual concerns had been effortlessly dispelled by Faang Cheng's few words.

"Faang Cheng, you're an enigma!" Zhou Yuvwei exclaimed, genuinely amazed.

In the crowd, someone who thought Faang Cheng looked familiar was taken aback when they heard Zhou Yuvwei call out his name, their eyes widening in recognition.

His breathing had quickened noticeably.

"You! You! He! He!"

The man was visibly excited,

And began to stutter unexpectedly.

The bystanders, thinking he was influenced by Zhang Zhicheng's earlier outburst, stepped back.

As the crowd distanced themselves, the man took a deep breath,

Just as he was about to speak his mind.

Faang Cheng looked up and offered the man a smile.

"Yes, I am Faang Cheng, the one everyone's talking about on the trending list!"

At those words, the man's eyes sparkled with recognition.

"I knew it was you, but I never thought I'd actually meet you in person!"

Upon hearing this, the people nearby whipped out their phones and scurried to check the trending list.

In that instant,

Their demeanor toward Faang Cheng transformed.

Gone was the earlier scorn; they now regarded him with eager attentiveness.

"What's the matter? Weren't you just criticizing me for using a pineapple to diminish your status?"

Faang Cheng's voice dripped with irony.

Meanwhile, a teenager in the corner stealthily took out his phone and began a live stream.

[Check it out! The trending Faang Cheng is right here!]

Unaware of the live broadcast, Faang Cheng was also oblivious to the swarm of media and internet celebrities racing towards him.

Zhou Yuvwei's brow furrowed slightly.

Hmm?

Is Faang Cheng some kind of big deal?

Why has everyone's attitude toward him shifted so suddenly?

Zhou Yuvwei was tempted to check her phone too,

But with Faang Cheng standing right there, it seemed impolite. She decided to wait until she got home.

Suppressing her curiosity, Zhou Yuvwei turned her attention back to Faang Cheng.

At that moment, he pulled out his Pineapple brand phone.

"Pineapple phones are our nation's pride, our very own domestic brand! Get it?"

Still on the live stream, Faang Cheng was unaware that the comments were flooding in: Daddy is so cool! He's handsome even with a knockoff phone!

"True to his reputation as a courageous and righteous youth! Wealthy, yet still supports local products!"

"If you don't buy it, you're not a true Huaxia citizen!"

Unbeknownst to Faang Cheng, his simple words breathed new life into the phone factory teetering on the brink of closure.

At that moment, inside the workshop of the nondescript phone factory, a bald man with a prominent belly and a face etched with worry exhaled a plume of smoke. He clutched a piece of paper in his hand. Arrayed before him were his employees, each one wearing a look of deep concern.

The bald man cleared his throat, preparing to address them.

"Cough, cough. Due to prolonged mismanagement, we've been unable to maintain normal operations," he began solemnly. "It is with a heavy heart that I must declare, effective today, this facility will shut down."