Yet a flicker of amusement danced at the corner of Chu Yi's lips.
Could it be that this so-called school beauty, born of humble origins in the original tale, was merely a sanctimonious hypocrite?
Would she now speak up and plead for Sun Lin's release?
Chu Yi found himself, unexpectedly, intrigued—curious to see how Lin Yunhan would perform.
At that moment, Lin Yunhan stood by, gazing at Sun Lin, who now looked more like a beggar than a man, sprawled in filth upon the ground.
After a moment's hesitation, she finally couldn't resist addressing Chu Yi.
"You… could you perhaps…" So, she was nothing more than a pretty vase with a hint of a bleeding heart.
Unappetizing, yet too much a pity to discard entirely.
Chu Yi's eyes swept over the girl before him—still radiant, still youthful.
But something had cooled within him.
He had hoped Lin Yunhan would show some spine, some vengeance toward Sun Lin.
After all, the man had tried to force her into selling her body.
And yet, her naivety was almost endearing in its foolishness.
"Very well, I'll grant your request," he said calmly. "But in return, I will be buying an antique from your family."
His tone remained indifferent.
Of course, he would agree to her plea—if it meant acquiring the ancient elixir she held, then spoiling her a little was of no consequence.
"No—you misunderstand."
"I meant… as long as he doesn't die, I don't mind if he rots in prison for the rest of his life."
Her clarification made Lin Yunhan's heart clench instinctively.
She hurried to explain.
Then, turning on her heel, she delivered a fierce kick to Sun Lin's abdomen with her pristine white sneaker.
"This is the last time I'll ever call you Uncle."
"Scum like you doesn't deserve that title."
"I only spoke up today because you're my mother's brother—otherwise, I wouldn't bat an eye if you died."
"Niece…"
Sun Lin stared at her, struck by a sudden and chilling unfamiliarity.
Was this truly his once gentle, unassuming niece?
But Lin Yunhan gave no reaction to his attempt at closeness.
Instead, she turned back to Chu Yi, eyes shining with tentative hope, like a child yearning for praise.
"So… what do you think?" she asked nervously.
"Quite satisfactory," he replied, applauding lightly, a trace of approval softening his expression.
Perhaps this school beauty wasn't as submissive as she seemed—there was promise to shape, to mold.
Lin Yunhan, catching that subtle change in his gaze, felt a strange flutter stir within her.
"Young Master, we've caught another one."
"This idiot actually followed us straight from the electronics factory. Walked right into our hands."
"Says he's a manager from some Ding Sheng Company or something—I don't really know."
A rough, booming voice interrupted.
A towering figure approached, dragging a middle-aged man in tow.
"Da Niu, you're here too?" Chu Yi raised a brow in mild surprise.
This hulking youth, simple-faced and loyal, was Da Niu—his childhood friend.
In the original story, Da Niu had served as his bodyguard, eventually meeting a tragic end at Ye Fan's hands.
Looking at the man before him, Chu Yi felt a faint surge of emotion.
This time… he would not let Da Niu meet such a fate.
"Haha! I heard someone was giving you trouble, so I came running!"
"This guy kept babbling—I didn't catch much, but he mentioned something about the Chu Group and subsidiaries."
"Seems like he works for the old man's company," Da Niu said, baring his pearly-white teeth in a grin, then unceremoniously flung the man—Zhang Feng—onto the ground.
"Ahh! That hurts like hell!" Zhang Feng cried out, clutching his rear.
Meanwhile, Sun Lin, still sprawled nearby, glared at him with venomous resentment.
You. It was all because of you.
If you hadn't gotten lustful and dragged my niece out to sing…
Would I have ended up like this?
Worse—he could've used Lin Yunhan to climb his way into power.
The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he became, until he finally snapped and lunged at Zhang Feng, striking him square in the chest.
"What the hell, are you insane, you filthy tramp?!" Zhang Feng yelled, failing to recognize the ragged figure before him.
Assuming Sun Lin was some deranged vagrant, he fought back.
The scene devolved into chaos, the air thick with grunts and groans of pain.
But Chu Yi remained aloof, uninterested.
"Ding Sheng… Zhang Feng… subsidiary of Chu Group."
These words stirred something deep within his memory.
So, they were traitorous dogs feeding off the same hand they'd bitten.
Where there are people, there are politics—and in a corporate empire worth hundreds of billions, treachery was always lurking.
In the original timeline, the Chu Group had collapsed swiftly.
While Ye Fan's power and network had played a role, the deeper wound came from within—betrayals by those inside the family's own house.
But now was not the time to purge the rot.
He still had business with Ye Fan, and with Chu Jianguo at the helm, the company wasn't in immediate danger.
After a brief pause, he spoke to the men beside him.
"Take Zhang Feng and Sun Lin to the police."
"As for the charges, I trust you know what to do."
"Understood," a man in black replied, dropping to one knee with reverence.
He knew all too well—the two men's fate was sealed.
Endless imprisonment awaited them.
With that, he dragged them away, ignoring their desperate cries.
"Boss, I was wrong! Please forgive me!"
"Master Chu, please—remember my years of loyalty to the company! Spare me!"
Their voices faded into the distance, eventually swallowed by silence.
Chu Yi's face remained utterly impassive, unmoved.
He was as still as an ancient, undisturbed pool—deep, cold, and terrifyingly calm.
Around him, the bodyguards were gripped with awe.
Da Niu grinned from ear to ear, proud of this transformation in his young master.
This—this was the true heir of the Chu family.
"Young Master, are we heading home now?" Da Niu asked.
"Not yet. There's still one matter left," Chu Yi replied, eyes shifting to Lin Yunhan.
At that moment, a silver Lamborghini rolled to a stop beside him—a car worth tens of millions.
It was Chu Yi's former favorite, his signature vehicle in the metropolis.
Its arrival was a declaration.
Where this car appeared, the prince of the Chu Group had arrived.
Previously, Chu Yi had refrained from driving it—too conspicuous.
But today, it had returned to him, as if summoned by fate.
With a glance at Da Niu, he climbed into the driver's seat.
"Well? Get in," he called to Lin Yunhan.
"You mean… me?" she asked, startled.
"No shit. Of course you."
"What, thinking of backing out of your promise?"
Irritation flickered across Chu Yi's face.
"N-no," Lin Yunhan stammered, seeing something dark behind his expression.
Fumbling, she climbed into the passenger seat.
Still, a quiet sadness tugged at her chest.
"Heh."
Her expression didn't escape Chu Yi's notice.
She was already caught in his web, whether she knew it or not.
He'd been foolish not to use the resources at his disposal sooner.
Why pretend to be some aloof protagonist?
He wasn't Ye Fan—there was no halo of destiny watching over him.
Smirking, he slammed on the gas.
The silver Lamborghini shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
In a nearby Ferrari, Da Niu shouted with glee.
"See that girl next to the Young Master? That's his girlfriend!"
"He's taking her to meet the future mother-in-law! Everyone, look sharp!"
"No more soft looks—you embarrass me!"
"Understood, Captain!" came the roaring reply from the convoy behind.
A fleet of luxury cars thundered into motion, steel beasts chasing after the Lamborghini.
One by one, they surrounded it, forming a regal procession.
It was a sight to behold.
"What the hell… what kind of scene is this? Some big shot?" a passerby exclaimed.
"Country bumpkin," scoffed another. "Keep up with the news, will you?"
"That limited-edition Lamborghini—fewer than ten sold nationwide? That's the Chu Group's crown prince, Chu Yi."
The second speaker's eyes shone with envy.
To live like Chu Yi—now that was life.
And such conversations echoed wherever the convoy passed.
Meanwhile, in a dim room, a middle-aged man in a white shirt sighed deeply.
His name was Ye Zhenghai, district head of the North Ward of the metropolis.
Though his position seemed prestigious, he knew the truth.
He had backed the wrong side and was now relegated to a pit of chaos.
North Ward was riddled with crime—poverty rampant, order elusive.
Its crime rate far exceeded national averages, and there was no major enterprise to lift it out of squalor.
To make a name for himself here… it was like cooking a feast without grain.
He frowned, staring at the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts.
"Good news, Old Ye—good news!" a colleague burst in, report in hand.
"Oh? What is it, Lao Xiao?" Ye Zhenghai straightened, hope kindling in his tired eyes.