Chapter 41 - 40: Goodbye Ye Zhenzhen (Please Follow)

Chapter 41: Chapter 40: Goodbye Ye Zhenzhen (Please Follow)It was over. The moment Jiang Shu uttered his first sentence, that single thought consumed Jiang Hongfei’s mind. He shouldn’t have let Jiang Shu stay! Knowing that he was there to call him back, he still had him handle affairs. He was truly foolish! Now, the words had been spoken. Should he go back, or stay here? Going back would be disrespectful to Director Zheng. If he stayed, would it leave Director Zheng with the impression that he was unfilial? Jiang Hongfei’s scalp tingled, and his steps halted. No joy remained on his face, which was flushed red. He had absolutely no idea what to do. However, at that moment, before his very eyes, Director Zheng—a man he considered to be at the pinnacle—actually called out his cousin’s name. And his cousin had actually responded with "Uncle Zheng." What is happening to this world? Cousin Jiang Shu, isn’t he just in high school? His second uncle, isn’t he just a retired worker who drives for DiDi? His aunt, isn’t she just running a small clothing store? A family like that... How could Jiang Shu possibly know Director Zheng?!!! At the dinner table, Chief Guo, who had been about to stand up and say a few words, also felt his expression change. To be able to call Director Zheng "Uncle Zheng," could it be that this young man has some special status? With numerous thoughts whirling through his mind, he looked at Zheng Yanbo with a flattering expression and said, "Director Zheng, you know this young student. Come, come, come, student, have a seat here. Let’s have a casual chat and something to eat." As he spoke, Chief Guo stepped out of his seat, beginning to greet Jiang Shu. He changed his expression quickly, accommodating and resilient. Having reached such a position, he was far beyond what a greenhorn like Jiang Hongfei could compare to. "Jiang Shu, if you’re not in a hurry, come sit. I have a small matter I might need your help with," Zheng Yanbo said. Only after hearing Zheng Yanbo speak did Jiang Shu take a few steps forward and walk into the private room. In this real world, not many people had genuinely helped him. Zheng Yanbo was one of them. Those few words in the principal’s office had been truly enlightening. Although he had guessed a lot himself, his guesses only covered the broader trends, not the details. It’s said that true teachings can be conveyed in a single sentence. Knowing the existence of Heaven and Earth Treasure Medicine and exotic beast meat, his purpose had truly become clear. On Xuanxing, by leveraging a Martial Arts Realm far surpassing his peers, he had obtained a vast amount of Martial Arts resources. Then, using these various resources, he could rapidly enhance his strength in the other world where resources were monopolized! This would form a virtuous cycle! "Uncle Zheng, if there’s anything, just say it directly," Jiang Shu said, walking up beside Zheng Yanbo and maintaining a few steps of distance from Ye Zhenzhen on the side. "Let me introduce you. This is Miss Ye, Ye Zhenzhen, a highly popular star among young people; you must have heard of her. She will be filming a Martial Arts promotional film in Ji City soon. You’re both young; you can discuss the key points of the Horse Stance with her." "Even though it’s just a promotional film, a bit of rigor is a good thing. Moreover, since it’s a promotional film, having one male and one female is naturally just right. I was worried before about which male star to invite. Now, looking at you, your image is even more suitable than those male celebrities, if not better." Zheng Yanbo put his teacup aside and said, "Of course, this is your decision. After all, with your college entrance exams coming up, time is tight. If you have the time, take some out to film. This matter has more pros than cons. Besides a decent paycheck, you can also build some popularity." "In this day and age, popularity is money, and Martial Arts Cultivation doesn’t work without money, you know." Zheng Yanbo was quite optimistic about Jiang Shu and was once again smoothly doing him a favor. If Jiang Shu’s future could truly soar along with the grand trend of Xia Country, then his actions today, and those from a few months prior, would bring him endless benefits. Of course, apart from investment, he genuinely liked Jiang Shu’s character: direct and straightforward, repaying kindness with kindness, and vengeance with vengeance. Such people are the most suitable to deal with. "I should have some time recently," Jiang Shu replied immediately without much thought. In Pingling County, he had already become an official disciple of the Famished Tiger Martial Arts Hall. He only needed to master the Three Methods of Practice, Nurturing, and Combat to Perfection to smoothly begin learning ’Famished Tiger Roar Mountain Strength’ and become a Martial Artist of the Skin Grinding Realm. In reality, with the major circulation of his Qi and Blood already established, if he spent a bit more time perfecting the Horse Stance, he was one hundred percent certain he could get into an academy. Carving out a few days to shoot a Martial Arts promotional film wasn’t a big problem. "Good, good, good. Then you should communicate more with Miss Ye," Zheng Yanbo said, squinting with a smile. Jiang Shu, with his established Qi Blood Transport, was already a shoo-in for a key university and aiming for a top academy. Now, if he also participated in a Martial Arts promotional film, even with no further progress, he could still add some prestige to the film after the college entrance exams purely based on his status as a student from a key university. And if he managed to advance another step, this Martial Arts promotional film would undoubtedly gain even more traction. It would surely stir up another wave of excitement in Ji City! It was truly a win-win situation with multiple benefits. "Hello, Student Jiang Shu, I look forward to our collaboration," Ye Zhenzhen said, tilting her head and extending her hand. From their brief exchange of words, she could roughly understand that this Student Jiang Shu was indeed a Martial Arts Student, and his talent was exceptionally impressive. Perhaps he also had some familial connection with Director Zheng, though this was uncertain. After all, if they were indeed relatives, Director Zheng wouldn’t have called him ’Student Jiang Shu’ at the outset. It was more likely that Director Zheng simply thought highly of Jiang Shu. If that were the case, she would need to pay more attention to this young man. "Yes, I look forward to your guidance then," Jiang Shu replied. Their hands clasped and parted quickly. Jiang Shu’s eyes were calm, like the deep waters of an abyss, as if the person he had just shaken hands with wasn’t the extremely popular star Ye Zhenzhen, but just an ordinary person. 「In the private room of the Jiang Family.」 The dishes on the table had gone cold. Jiang Yongyi frowned several times. Wasn’t that Chief’s private room supposed to be on the second floor? Why has my son been gone for so long? Hasn’t he found Hongfei? He wanted to call Jiang Shu to ask, but his older brother and parents were still boasting about how well Hongfei was doing at his unit, saying he had caught his superior’s eye and might have been kept behind by his superior for drinks in their private room. How could he rashly call? What if his son Jiang Shu was also at that gathering? If his phone suddenly rang out loud, how embarrassing would that be? "Yanyue, what academy is Shu planning to apply to?" Jiang Yinglei, their cousin who had just finished her shift and was the last to arrive, sat next to Jiang Yanyue and asked out of curiosity. "How would I know? Maybe Shengjing, maybe East Sea. Definitely not Tian Shu; he doesn’t eat spicy food," Jiang Yanyue replied listlessly, absently stuffing fruit into her mouth. When she was younger, she used to enjoy these big family gatherings because she could always eat various dishes that weren’t available at home. But as she grew older and more perceptive, Jiang Yanyue gradually began to see the undercurrents hidden beneath the ostensibly harmonious conversations at the table. Their grandparents were extremely biased. Jiang Hongfei had secured a stable position, but if Jiang Shu could get into a prestigious academy, how would he be any worse? Today was supposed to be about her older brother, Jiang Shu. Yet, with just a few words from their eldest uncle, the conversation had all shifted to Jiang Hongfei. And they still wanted to call Jiang Hongfei over? Really. If he wanted to curry favor with the leadership, let him. Why call him over? Was he even missed at this dinner table? "I really envy Big Brother Hongfei; he landed a stable job right after graduation. I couldn’t manage it. I prepared diligently for a whole year and didn’t pass anything. What’s the use of graduating from a key university now? I’m just working at a foreign-owned enterprise. Even though I make twenty to thirty thousand a month, it’s still not as stable as Big Brother Hongfei’s job," Jiang Yinglei said, pouring herself a glass of red wine and taking a sip, seemingly sighing but actually showing off. Jiang Yanyue had no desire to listen any further. "Dad, should I go call brother?" she asked her father in a low voice, already starting to rise from her seat. At that moment, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open. Jiang Shu stepped inside. Following closely behind him was his cousin, Jiang Hongfei—the very same Jiang Hongfei their Eldest Uncle Jiang Yongren had been boasting about for nearly an hour at the dinner table. The light shone on his face. His face was blank, head hanging low, completely devoid of his former spirit and energy.