Chapter 24
That child has severe mysophobia and always keeps his custom-made suit spotless and clean.
He loved to stand up for the weak and dreamed of traveling the world with a sword, righting wrongs. He would coldly help up a maid who had fallen, and he would also hold an umbrella to shelter a swaying sapling from the rain.
...Until that night, he limply gripped a blood-dripping knife in his hand, and at his feet lay a mangled corpse, covered in dust and mud.
When he saw me running towards him, he laughed foolishly, "Teacher, give up on me."
*
"Young Master Jiang, this way, the CEO's office is just ahead."
The receptionist led Jiang Kaile to the office door, raised his hand but hesitated to knock.
A closer look reveals that his legs are trembling, and beneath his smiling face lies an uncontrollable fear, as if he is terrified of facing Yan Shuo in person.
Jiang Kaile glanced at him, knocked on the door a few times past him, and said impatiently, "Alright, you can leave now. We don't need you here."
The assistant, feeling as if granted a pardon, ran away without looking back.
Jiang Kaile was left standing in the empty corridor, coldly staring at the office door.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
The door remained completely still, making the corridor even more deathly silent; you could even hear your own heartbeat clearly.
Jiang Kaile stared at the intricate and ancient patterns on the door, his vision suddenly becoming somewhat blurred.
He could almost see ripples spreading across the door, with a colossal beast dwelling within, its slippery, icy tentacles slowly writhing in the darkness, its bloodshot pupils revealing its ferocious nature.
Jiang Kaile's heart rate quickened, his hair stood on end, and he had an urge to run away. Suddenly, a cold, deep voice came from inside the door: "The door is open. Come in."
The boy jolted awake, pinched himself hard to wake up, and pushed open the door while holding the deluxe gift box.
Squeak—
The door opened.
What comes into view is a lacquered red sandalwood table, on which sits not calligraphy or paintings for cultivating one's taste, or a pen holder, but a globe.
If someone has preconceived notions, they would definitely think that a globe that can be placed in such a room must be exquisitely carved and custom-made.
However, what Jiang Kaile saw was just an ordinary globe, with a plastic stand and cheap stickers, costing only a dozen yuan at the wholesale market.
The old globe is covered with cracks, its color is dull, the stickers are torn, and some of the words are blurred. It looks rather shabby even if you just take it out as a decoration.
But Yan Shuo not only placed it in the most conspicuous position in the entire office, but also put it in a transparent bulletproof glass cabinet to protect it.
Jiang Kaile looked at the people in the office: "Third Uncle..."
A tall, handsome man stood in front of the table, holding a brush dipped in ink. He leaned slightly forward, completely absorbed in writing something on a red talisman.
He didn't look up until Jiang Kaile spoke, at which point he lifted his eyelids to look over and snapped his fingers.
An invisible blade of energy circled around Jiang Kaile, severing all the forces binding the boy.
In an instant, Jiang Kaile tumbled forward like a kite with a broken string, losing her balance and falling to the ground.
His eyes widened as a searing pain surged back, causing him to clutch his wrists and ankles, curl up in a ball, and grit his teeth, letting out a soft groan of pain.
"Ahhh...!"
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Kaile, who was covered in cold sweat from the pain, slowly recovered.
His face was deathly pale. He clutched his still throbbing wrists and ankles and looked up at Yan Shuo in a daze.
After a long while, as if realizing something, he stared wide-eyed in disbelief and waved his arms.
There was absolutely no stiffness or lag!
In an instant, joy burst forth from Jiang Kaile's eyes like magma, and he couldn't help but shout, "Thank you, Third Uncle, for lifting the spell for me!"
In Jiang Kaile's mind, every member of the Jiang family is bound by evil magic from birth. If they violate the clan rules or disobey the head of the family, they will experience the pain of having their flesh and bones cut off.
It is said that this technique originates from one's bloodline and is unsolvable throughout one's life. However, Jiang Kaile is a rebellious and skeptical individual who has dedicated himself to fighting against this power since childhood.
Although each confrontation ended with him fainting from the pain, his pain tolerance had indeed improved considerably.
Now, the pain of having his bone cut no longer threatens him. But who wants to experience pain if they can avoid it? He's not a masochist.
Jiang Kaile was overjoyed to see that Yan Shuo could actually break this evil spell.
"It's only temporary," Yan Shuo said calmly. "Where is the person who was originally responsible for delivering the items?"
Upon hearing the first part of the sentence, the boy's sparkling eyes instantly dimmed, and he let out a disappointed groan before picking up the brocade box that had fallen to the ground.
Seeing that the box had a broken corner, Jiang Kaile was a little uneasy. Fortunately, Yan Shuo didn't seem to care about such a small matter. He took the brocade box and casually placed it on the table.
Jiang Kaile breathed a sigh of relief and explained, "He's alright. I knocked him and his bodyguard unconscious and locked them in the bathroom. That's how I found the opportunity to kidnap the driver and escape."
Yan Shuo declined to comment on his actions: "What do you want from me?"
Jiang Kaile pursed his lips and slowly began to recount some of the Jiang family's dark, sordid, and shocking secrets.
If an ordinary person were standing here listening, they would probably turn pale with fright.
Jiang Kaile, who was in the know, was no better than the average person; the more he spoke, the more numb he became. His empty eyes and cold, hoarse voice seemed to add a darker hue to these heinous events.
Finally, he asked blankly, "...What should I do?"
"My father, mother, and the rest of the family have become completely obsessed with fame and fortune. Sometimes I feel like they're not even human, but monsters in human skin! The worst part is that they want to drag me and DouDou down with them into that bottomless abyss!"
As if he had been suppressing his emotions for too long, the boy couldn't help but vent loudly. For a moment, a chilling madness also appeared on his face.
Jiang Kaile looked up at Yan Shuo and asked pleadingly, "Third Uncle, you are the only one who has broken away from the family. Can you tell me how I can escape successfully?"
Yan Shuo put down his pen and placed the red talisman he had written on the shelf. While waiting for the ink to dry, he replied indifferently, "You are different from me. You have the blood of the Jiang family flowing in your veins, which is a curse that will forever bind you."
“Once you are away from your family for too long, the evil magic you know will bind your body again and drag you back.”
This means that he wants to be bound to that rotten and foul family forever.
The boy clenched his fingers, his youthful face contorted with despair.
Just as Jiang Kaile was about to break down, Yan Shuo suddenly asked, "How old are you this year?"
Jiang Kaile was taken aback and replied, without understanding, "Sixteen."
"Sixteen years old, and all you do is wallow in self-pity?" Yan Shuo said coldly. "I have known since I was born that if anything dares to restrain me, hinder me, or make me unhappy, then I will destroy it completely."
"..." Jiang Kaile looked at Yan Shuo's serious face and listened to this ridiculously cheesy remark, and for a moment he didn't know where to start his吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to criticize or roast).
But Yan Shuo clearly wasn't joking with him.
“All of the Jiang family’s projects, both overt and covert, are handled entirely by the family head; that’s the rule. Even if someone wants to rid the people of evil, it’s all up to the family head’s whim.” Yan Shuo emphasized the word “rules” and said calmly, “And you are the Jiang family’s only direct heir.”
Jiang Kaile's pupils dilated, and he suddenly understood the deeper meaning in Yan Shuo's words. His heart pounded violently.
He wasn't some spoiled brat oblivious to the ways of the world. After a brief moment of shock, he returned to reality, his voice extremely dry: "But the Jiang family's methods are insidious. I can't possibly sit in that position innocently, I..."
Yan Shuo raised his hand to interrupt him.
When the man made that gesture, Jiang Kaile knew that the matter had been discussed to this point, and the rest was up to him to decide.
He was somewhat dazed. As someone who was deeply mired in the quagmire, he suddenly learned that he could escape, but at the cost of first becoming part of the quagmire and then overturning it completely.
But by then... can he still be considered himself, covered in mud?
Suddenly, Jiang Kaile saw Yan Shuo open the brocade box and take out a heavy gold brick.
The man examined the gold brick in his hand, looking at it repeatedly, and finally a look of satisfaction appeared on his indifferent face.
Jiang Kaile watched all this and thought with a sense of loss, "Is the allure of money and power really that great? Even the mysterious and unpredictable Yan Shuo can't resist it?"
Perhaps because his uncle, whom he had only met a few times, was not the gloomy and violent man he had imagined, but rather surprisingly kind, the boy couldn't help but ask, "Third Uncle, with your abilities, you could have as much gold as you want. Even an entire gold mine would be eagerly delivered to you."
"So, why do you insist on taking the Jiang family's gold?"
What he wanted to say but didn't say was—Don't you find it dirty?
Yan Shuo replied, "It's different."
"Different? How could they be different?"
"It has been blessed."
"??"
Jiang Kaile almost didn't understand.
"The Jiang family ancestors were charitable and blessed with good fortune. They were also well-versed in Buddhism, which is why they were able to protect their descendants and bring prosperity to the family. It's a pity now."
Yan Shuo sighed with rare regret: "The little novice monk you knocked unconscious is one of the few relatively clean people in the Jiang family. He is the only one who has learned 30% of the ancestral blessing and consecration techniques. Don't forget to release him when you get back."
Little novice monk?
Jiang Kaile realized that Yan Shuo must be referring to the Jiang family scion who was in charge of delivering gold bricks. She paused for a moment, then asked, "Doesn't he have hair?"
"He probably wore a wig because he thought it was ugly. To learn this art, one must first go to a temple to be ordained and cultivate one's mind."
Jiang Kaile: "..."
At this point, the ink on the red talisman finally dried.
Before Jiang Kaile could recover, something even more shocking happened.
Yan Shuo solemnly brought out the item from the display case, which turned out to be... a statue of the God of Wealth?!
The man's eyes were sharp, and his tone was cold and solemn. His demeanor made it seem as if he were about to deliver an important speech or lead an army of 100,000 into battle.
But he simply held the red talisman between his index and middle fingers and clasped his hands together in prayer: "May the God of Wealth bless us so that Shengtian Group may successfully win the bid for the land in Hongyin Ancient Town, Xicheng."
Jiang Kaile: "…………"
Just like a simp suddenly realizing that even goddesses need to use the restroom, Jiang Kaile was instantly shocked. Her eyes glazed over, and she left unsteadily.
After the boy left, the little tentacle, carrying the gold brick, emerged from the shadows dejectedly.
It had just been harshly told by Lü Xiangcai that if taking the gold bricks made Yan Shuo notice Xie Xubai's existence, it would be an unbearable disaster for the YMCA, and the only option was to take the gold bricks back.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Yan Shuo glanced at him expressionlessly: "What, didn't you send it out?"
Even though the man's face was expressionless, the little tentacle seemed to hear the sneer in his heart, and it became somewhat embarrassed and angry.
[Because he's not a greedy monster, that's why he won't accept it; it's not that I can't give it away!]
Yan Shuo replied perfunctorily, "Hmm."
A single word of disdain is worse than open mockery!
The little tentacles howled in protest.
[If you're so capable, you try delivering it yourself and see if he'll accept it, humph!!!]
Yan Shuo looked at the little tentacles jumping around, said nothing, picked up his phone and dialed Lü Xiangcai.
No sooner had the little tentacle left than Yan Shuo called. Lü Xiangcai was a little nervous: "What are your instructions, Mr. Yan?"
Yan Shuo said, "Consider this a wish for the project's success in the election. This month, I will give all employees a bonus of 10,000 yuan."
"Huh?" Lu Xiangcai hadn't expected this and was taken aback. "Give it to everyone? But the liquidation is about to begin..."
“Then we’ll pay them after they die.” Yan Shuo’s tone remained unchanged as he lightly tapped the table with his knuckles, leaving no room for argument. “This is an internal company issue that caused the delayed pay, which could very well affect the employees’ daily lives. I’ve decided to pay them an extra 10,000 as compensation.”
As the secretary, Lu Xiangcai on the other end of the phone felt like he had been struck by lightning. Even after the liquidation was over, there were still hundreds of people left, totaling nearly ten million!
Yan Shuo's casual remark silenced his unspoken whistle: "A red envelope. Not a salary or bonus, not in the company's name, but from my personal account."
Lu Xiangcai, who almost killed his master, barely managed to shut up: "..." Do you have too much money and nowhere to throw it away?
He suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Xie Xubai, who was still looking up information not far away.
Thinking of the number of ghosts hidden in the young man's sleeves, and the hungry ghost king at home.
Lu Xiangcai's lips twitched slightly, and he decisively said, "Yes, Mr. Yan."
After hanging up the phone, Yan Shuo looked at the little tentacle, everything was understood without words.
That calm and collected glance made the little tentacle jump up and down in frustration.
This is cheating!
Yan Shuo ignored it and returned to his desk to continue working on the documents.
The little tentacle made a fuss for a while, but when it saw that Yan Shuo didn't even bother to look at it, it immediately felt that this man was annoying and boring, and turned around to go back to find Xie Xubai.
It suddenly stopped, simply because it saw blood everywhere.
The blood wasn't a normal bright red, but a thick, sticky black like tar.
Moreover, this black blood is fundamentally different from the black blood flowing from the small tentacles. It smells extremely foul and is highly poisonous. The poor floor was directly corroded, with a layer of skin being shed, hissing and emitting white smoke, and emitting a pungent stench.
This was a scene Jiang Kaile didn't get to see, but the little tentacles were easily affected by the filth and immediately curled up in discomfort.
[It stinks! It's disgusting! Why did you let a rotten, mutated monster in?]
Yan Shuo did not respond.
The little tentacles had gotten used to his cold and taciturn nature, and they didn't feel embarrassed talking to themselves.
Upon closer inspection, it realized something was amiss.
[Okay, it hasn't turned into a monster yet, but it's close. It's already been corrupted to this extent... Hmm?]
The little tentacle seemed to have made a new discovery. Suppressing its nausea, it moved closer to the viscous black blood. After observing it, its sharp tone gradually softened.
So he's still just a little kid who hasn't grown up yet. No wonder you were willing to let him in. I seem to remember someone telling us that children are the future of this world...
The little tentacle's voice faded, and it raised what should have been a pointed bulge, looking bewildered for a moment.
Who told us this?
Jiang Kaile had just stepped off the elevator when Lu Xiangcai, who was standing guard beside her, grabbed her and pulled her away.
"Secretary Lü? What are you doing... ugh!"
Facing the angry-looking boy with his mouth covered, Lü Xiangcai grinned like a wolf in sheep's clothing: "Young Master Jiang, don't be afraid. May I ask how many points you got on your final exams this time?"
Jiang Kaile was initially just displeased, but upon hearing the second half of the sentence, his face instantly darkened horribly: "Are you trying to cause trouble?"
Lu Xiangcai's gloating expression was incredibly irritating: "Looks like you failed again. Chinese? Math? Or all of them?"
Before he could finish the last half-sentence, Jiang Kaile had already raised his clenched fist.
Before it hit him in the face, Lü Xiangcai changed the subject: "In order to make you bow down to the family, the Jiang family head ordered the school teachers and classmates to give you 'special treatment', causing you to drop from first place in the whole school to outside the top four hundred, in order to prove that without the family's protection, you as a student can't even maintain your grades."
"Don't you want to teach them a lesson?"
Jiang Kaile, struggling to breathe, shoved Lü Xiangcai away and sneered, "You actually think this childish way of resisting can teach them a lesson? Did you get your head squeezed by a door or do you think I'm stupid?"
“Indeed, if the Jiang family head truly cared about your grades, how could he have done such disgusting things?” Lu Xiangcai’s smile deepened. “But what if I said that the way I would help you improve your grades was to put someone with no connection to noble families, someone even the Jiang family head couldn’t control, into the Jiang family to become your tutor? What would that be like?”
He deliberately dragged out the second half of his sentence.
As expected, the boy, who had initially been dismissive, suddenly narrowed his eyes and stared intently at him: "Are you serious? You want to plant a clean-cut person for me on the Jiang family's territory?"
Lu Xiangcai denied it categorically: "No, no, no, I have to emphasize again, he will be your tutor, not someone you can just order around."
"..." Jiang Kaile's face darkened. "Then what use is he to me?"
"It's incredibly useful, for example, it can improve your abysmal exam scores." Lu Xiangcai smiled like a cunning fox. "Or, you could try to persuade him to do something for you under the Jiang family's nose that you can't do on your own after class or in your spare time?"
“You…” Jiang Kaile understood Lü Xiangcai’s intentions.
A subordinate who can be ordered around at will is cheap, so Lü Xiangcai specifically emphasized that he must first beg that person for help.
Therefore, Jiang Kaile would never underestimate that person.
The boy disliked this kind of cunning, but... since it was someone recommended by Lü Xiangcai, perhaps he really could help him?
He wasn't worried that Lü Xiangcai would join forces with the Jiang family, after all, Lü Xiangcai's former status was something even the Jiang family couldn't match.
"Alright." Jiang Kaile crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow arrogantly. "Who are you planning to send to my side? I don't expect them to be an all-rounder, but at the very least, they should know some magic."
"Look, that's the one over there."
Jiang Kaile followed Lü Xiangcai's gaze and looked at Xie Xubai.
He was first taken aback, then frowned in confusion, and finally stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Lü Xiangcai with a fierce look: "Are you kidding me?"
"That guy has neither spiritual energy nor evil energy; he's just an ordinary person! And what can those skinny arms and legs do? He probably couldn't even beat the weakest bodyguard I have!"
"Calm down, Young Master Jiang, calm down." Lu Xiangcai pressed his hands down. "You may not know, but there is a kind of power that is invisible and intangible..."
Jiang Kaile said coldly, "But I know his body will definitely be hot before it cools down. Give me someone else."
Lu Xiangcai looked at him with a smile.
Jiang Kaile stared intently at his smiling face, realizing there was no room for negotiation.
Rather than questioning whether Lü Xiangcai had ulterior motives in throwing an ordinary person into the ruthless Jiang family, he preferred to believe that the other party was just teasing him.
Jiang Kaile turned around with a gloomy face, when he suddenly heard Lü Xiangcai say from behind, "You can't refuse, Young Master Jiang."
"Under the absolute control of the Jiang family head, do you think you can find another clean and innocent person around you?"
Jiang Kaile froze, these words striking a nerve. In an instant, the young man was enraged, shouting hatefully, "Then let him come! I want to see how long he can live!"
Watching the boy stride away, Lü Xiangcai knew that Jiang Kaile must have taken Xie Xubai to heart now.
After all, Xie Xubai is an ordinary person so fragile that he could die at any moment. More importantly, he is the only helper the boy can use right now.
What can you do if you don't protect a fragile lifeline?
Lu Xiangcai scurried over to Xie Xubai's seat: "It's all settled! It's just that the kid is very unwilling, so you might face some minor difficulties."
“I heard your conversation. That child seemed unusually angry.” Xie Xubai was still looking at the Jiang family information that Lü Xiangcai had given him, without looking up. “Are you sure it’s just ‘minor’ trouble?”
Lu Xiangcai said confidently, "Definitely, just a little difficulty."
He realized that the hot-tempered boy hadn't noticed the transformation happening to him at all... But if he hadn't completely turned into a monster, who could have predicted it?
At the latest, within two months, Jiang Kaile will understand just how incredible Xie Xubai is to the monster.
Xie Xubai didn't know where Lü Xiangcai's blind confidence in him came from.
As he looked at the various bloody cases described in the Jiang family's files, his eyebrows twitched violently, and he felt like vomiting. An indescribable aversion and disgust erupted several times when he saw the words "Jiang family." Never before had he missed the civilized and harmonious world of the past as much as he did now.
However, Lu Xiangcai had previously said that he had an extremely strong ability to adapt, and Xie Xubai also realized that he was able to persevere and finish reading all the materials.
After reading it, Xie Xubai took a deep breath and rubbed his throbbing temples. In just two or three seconds, he regained his composure and began to think of a solution.
“I don’t think your original plan will work. I can’t go directly to Young Master Jiang’s side. If the Jiang family is really as tight-lipped as an iron barrel, then it’s just going from one person being imprisoned to two people going to jail together.”
Xie Xubai pondered for a moment and said to Lü Xiangcai, "I have an idea that I need you to rearrange."
One month later.
Jiang Kaile finally met the tutor she had been "longing for".
Before this, he felt like a donkey being led around everywhere.
On the first day, he was filled with righteous indignation and vowed that when Xie Xubai came to the Jiang family, he would make him pay, and it would be best if he would back down and not try to hold him back.
On the third day, he was still indignant, feeling that taking matters into his own hands was too tiring and beneath him. He could simply watch others make things difficult for Xie Xubai and enjoy a good show.
On the tenth day, he couldn't help but frequently observe the flow of people coming and going at the Jiang family's gate. The initial resentment was gone, replaced by an indescribable irritability and gloom.
Since his last successful escape, which took him to the Shengtian Group, a place that terrified the Jiang family, the number of people guarding Jiang Kaile immediately doubled. He was confined from morning till night, and he was even forbidden from going to school.
Unable to find an opportunity to contact Lü Xiangcai, Jiang Kaile secretly cursed the smiling fox for playing tricks on him again, and could only wait patiently with a sullen face.
After that.
On the eleventh day, Xie Xubai did not come.
On the twelfth day, Xie Xubai still did not come.
On the thirteenth day, Xie Xubai still hadn't arrived.
On the fourteenth day, why hasn't Xie Xubai arrived yet? Don't tell him he got lost and went abroad!
...
Day 30.
With a loud bang, Jiang Kaile's door was smashed open from the outside. The homemade simple lock could not withstand the pressure and broke off, with several fragments scattered on the ground.
Servants and bodyguards swarmed into the room in groups of three or five, blocking the door and giving Jiang Kaile no chance to escape.
The person involved didn't even think about running away. Looking at Xie Xubai, who came in with the butler, his gloomy eyes became even darker.
The butler was an elderly man with gray hair and deep wrinkles on his face. His face was long and wrinkled, like a crumpled orange peel. He wore a well-tailored suit, was tall, and had unusually long and thin hands and feet, resembling a gaunt shadow from a horror story.
Looking at Jiang Kaile, who sat motionless in the chair, the old butler's brows furrowed so deeply they could have crushed a mosquito.
He said to Xie Xubai, "I'm sorry, Teacher Xie, the Jiang family spoils the young master too much, to the point that he has no basic manners or manners when meeting guests. But it's okay, I believe that with your guidance and efforts, the young master will gradually improve."
The old butler clapped his hands as he spoke.
The servants immediately brought out a large, open box containing a row of grotesque and terrifying instruments of punishment, with faint traces of blood still visible on them.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Kaile's face twitched violently.
"The head of the family has already given instructions that you are someone he trusts, and you are free to use these tools to punish disobedient children." The old butler stared at Xie Xubai's face, his eyes so sharp it seemed they could scrape off a layer of his skin. "What do you mean?"
Xie Xubai looked at the tools, picked up one of them with a very self-satisfied expression, lightly touched the spikes on it with his fingertips, and smiled: "--Of course."
"I have always believed that appropriate punishment can help correct students' bad behavior."
Upon hearing this, the old butler's face relaxed, revealing a satisfied expression: "You truly deserve to be called a master teacher."
"Alright." He looked at the others. "Let's leave this place to Teacher Xie. Everyone, please leave."
The servants answered in unison, "Yes!"
They filed in and out, completely ignoring the room's owner, Jiang Kaile.
Xie Xubai put down his tools and walked over to close the door when a tremendous force struck him from behind, slamming him against the door.
Bang!
"'Appropriate punishment helps correct students' bad behavior'? Ha!" Jiang Kaile's eyes were bloodshot.
He never expected that Xie Xubai and Lü Xiangcai would prepare such a big surprise for him! So, they hadn't come for so long because they had been hanging out with his "kind and respectable" father!
In an instant, Jiang Kaile's expectations of Xie Xubai transformed into a raging fury of betrayal, almost driving him mad.
He asked coldly, violently, and deliberately, "You want to punish me with those things? Teacher? Don't forget you're just an ordinary person! Before you even try to pick them up, I promise I'll snap your fingers first—"
“Jiang,” Xie Xubai began, “I hope you remember this from today onward: before you realize how pitiful your situation is, never try to show your immature teeth, or you’ll break them.”
As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly to the side and used his fingers to lift his collar so that Jiang Kaile could clearly see what was hidden underneath.
A tiny, constantly flashing red light.
Jiang Kaile was taken aback; it was a miniature listening device.
Xie Xubai calmly pushed him away, saying "It's so hot," and then took off the coat that had been fitted with a listening device and hung it on the coat rack next to him.
At the same time, he bent down, touched his trouser leg, and flicked his fingertips upwards, letting Jiang Kaile see what was between his fingers.
It's another eavesdropping device.
While Jiang Kaile was still in a daze, Xie Xubai pulled out five or six of these little gadgets from his body one after another and casually placed them aside.
"Why aren't you saying anything, Young Master Jiang? Do you want to play a game of 'Statues' with me? Fine, let's see who has the longer endurance."
Before he finished speaking, Xie Xubai silently picked up the paper and pen on the desk and wrote a line of text.
Jiang Kaile looked over in that direction.
Are there security cameras in the room?
Looking at Xie Xubai's gentle features, the boy finally realized that the other party was acting to avoid being noticed. He relaxed his clenched fist and shook his head.
He also wrote: "I smashed them all."
Xie Xubai's eyes crinkled into a smile: "I thought so too."
Jiang Kaile stared at those four words for several seconds, then, for some reason, felt a sense of relief wash over him. He scoffed dismissively: "What, you're going to find the old man first, planning to become a double agent?"
Xie Xubai wrote: "No, it's not two-sided."
What does that mean? Jiang Kaile continued reading, puzzled.
Xie Xubai calmly wrote: "[Now, I am not only the tutor sent by the Jiang family head to control and monitor you, but also Madam Jiang's beauty consultant, Uncle Jiang's secret accountant, and Miss Jiang's private investigator...]"
Jiang Kaile's pupils widened, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. He eagerly wrote: "[So many people in the Jiang family, you've contacted them all? Without arousing any suspicion, you've even gained their trust?!]"
Xie Xubai: [It's not a matter of trust; they're very suspicious. We'll have to take it slowly.]
To prove he wasn't lying, Xie Xubai took out his phone, swiped through the contacts, and showed Jiang Kaile a brief look at his chat history with the Jiang family.
Some had very pleasant conversations, while others only exchanged a few words and could not be considered close friends.
This was enough to overturn Jiang Kaile's values and worldview, and he almost couldn't help but shout it out!
From the boy's trembling pupils, Xie Xubai seemed to see three big words full of doubt and incomprehension: Why?
—How can an ordinary person like you achieve this in just one month?
Xie Xubai thought for a moment and wrote: "Because I'm just an ordinary person."
Because he is an ordinary person, a synonym for weakness and ordinariness, everyone thinks they can control him, looks down on him, and is completely unguarded against him.
Jiang Kaile hesitated, unable to speak.
If his initial expectation of Xie Xubai was that he wouldn't die too quickly, then now, the other party's actions have far exceeded his expectations.
He suddenly felt a strange, inexplicable sense of admiration for the young man who was about to become his tutor.
"Your breathing is erratic. It seems I've won. What a pity you lost to an ordinary person." Xie Xubai laughed. "Well then, this is the first lesson I'm going to teach you: never underestimate anyone, even if they are an ordinary person."
As he spoke, Xie Xubai picked up the book on the table.
From the moment he entered until now, his expression has not changed much; he remains calm and composed, yet the arrogant young man cannot take his eyes off him.
"Now, let's begin the lesson," Xie Xubai said.
Author's Note:
Apologies for the late update. I'm adding 50 small red envelopes, making a total of 200. Muah muah~
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