Chapter 527: A Scumbag
The soft moonlight was as though water as a cool breeze pervaded through the window screen, giving off a cooling feeling. Under the slightly bright lights inside the study room, Tang Xiu sat on the sofa while quietly observing the three objects on the tea table in front of him; the Qin Emperor's Imperial Jade Seal, the ancient bronze lamp, and the Guanyin vase.
Among the five treasures he got from Beijing, the Nine Phoenix Hairpin was the one that he was most familiar with, so there was no need to study, while the golden dragon head was just an ordinary object in his eyes. But he did have hopes and anticipation for the three objects in front of him.
"I don't have any means to use or invoke the power of fate and destiny contained within the Qin Emperor's Imperial Jade Seal, for the time being. With my current cultivation level, even seeping my spiritual sense into it could cause a heavy injury to my soul, let alone trying to use star force. If I were to use it, the star force inside my body would probably turn chaotic and even directly lead to qi deviation. Hence, studying it is a no for now.
"The Buddhist Sarira inside the ancient bronze lamp wouldn't be of much help to me for the time being as well. Nevertheless, it's a pseudo-immortal tool, so it would be a suitable treasure to be used by the current me."
Tang Xiu thought for a short while before he took out a lighter and lit the lamp.
Suddenly, a peculiar exotic fragrance fluttered out. The unique fragrance was intoxicating to the mind and consciousness, and the indescribable feeling sprung up unbidden deep inside the mind. With his formidable mental force, Tang Xiu could keenly perceive that the spiritual qi of Heaven and Earth began to gradually rise and move toward the room, while a wisp of a special energy appeared gradually in the surroundings. After this energy seeped into his body, Tang Xiu could feel a cool, comfortable sensation and his cultivation speed increased a lot.
Focusing psyche, calming qi.
These two lines emerged out of nowhere inside Tang Xiu's mind, causing his expression to change. Shock instantly appeared on his face, because he realized his psyche and mind turned particularly clearer the moment after. It was because he could screen and straighten out many of the previously confusing thoughts that sprung up inside his mind, giving him all sorts of understanding and comprehension at the same time.
"Buddhism devotes particular care to awareness and enlightenment… So to say, the most miraculous effect of this ancient bronze lamp is actually to improve one's perception?"
An extraordinary light bloomed inside Tang Xiu's eyes. He immediately picked up the last item, the Guanyin vase. While staring at the dazzling golden liquid inside, he instantly released his spiritual sense. Unfortunately, he was somewhat helpless as he could not figure out what the golden liquid inside was regardless of the means he used to observe it.
"My cultivation level is to low. I'm unable to refine it!"
Tang Xiu eventually took back the Guanyin vase with a helpless expression. He then sat cross-legged and began to cultivate. A night then passed by in an instant, and despite Tang Xiu's cultivation not progressing much, the fragrance permeating from the ancient bronze lamp that penetrated his whole body made his psyche and perception full of vigor.
After extinguishing the ancient bronze lamp's light, he took a shower and changed his clothes, and then went to campus after breakfast. Before going out, he disguised himself wearing sunglasses and a cap. If one couldn't recognize his appearance, they would think he was just an ordinary young student.
Last night, he had contemplated his interconnected life with Han Qingwu, and for the time being, he finally decided to compromise. As of now, Han Qingwu was not Xue Qingcheng, and even if she was indeed the embodiment of Xue Qingcheng's reincarnation, Han Qingwu was just another person before her memory was completely restored.
What's more, if hiding was not an option then he could only face it straight on. Not to mention that he would have to live a university life for four years, which meant that he must get along with her during this time, and face her as a normal student would his teacher. Although mutual respect and love was not a viable option, striving for a harmonious life as a university student was still a necessity.
As expected, when Tang Xiu arrived at the campus, his change of his attitude toward Han Qingwu made her very happy. Although Tang Xiu made an excuse to refuse her offer to have dinner together, the two still got along well after that.
Day after day passed by, and Tang Xiu's life waltzed through without a hitch. Besides attending classes, reading books in the library, and going to the cafeteria for meals, he spent most of his time at campus even at night.
Gradually, many people began forgetting Tang Xiu's 'celebrity' identity as new topics and new events garnered their attention.
At the end of the month, Tang Xiu, as always, left the classroom building along with Hu Qingsong, Yue Kai and the rest, as they headed to the nearest cafeteria to their classroom building.
"Brothers, since we don't have class this afternoon, you have any plans?" While fiddling with his BMW keys, Yue Kai asked Xue Chao after he put the book in his hand.
"I must go to work," said Xue Chao.
"You're no fun!" Yue Kai rolled his eyes at him and then asked Hu Qingsong, "How about you?"
"I'm preparing to go out as well, to find a job and feel the taste of having a job while studying," said Hu Qingsong.
"Huh?" With an odd expression, Yue Kai replied. "Say, Old Hu. You have your belly full already, so you don't have to go out to torture yourself, no? Besides, with our classes, we're practically unable to go out at all. Yet you want to use your free time to have a job outside class time for only a few bucks? Also, it's hard to get a good job even for college graduates nowadays. You're just a freshman, dude. Don't tell me you are going to deliver leaflets door to door?"
"I don't expect to find a good job, nor do I expect to have a decent paycheck," said Hu Qingsong. "I just want to see all sorts of life, and experience the feeling of earning money by myself. To be honest with you, I've never ever gotten a penny on my own since I was born."
Stumped and stunned, Yue Kai fell into silence for a while. He then turned to Tang Xiu and asked, "Eldest Bro Tang, you couldn't be thinking of going to the library again, right?"
"Your guess is spot on. I'll be going to the library again, indeed," said Tang Xiu with a nod. "I haven't found the recent studies on economics, so I'm going to double-check."
Yue Kai shook his head as he gazed at Hu Qingsong, "Old Hu, you want to go out to observe and learn from real life, and I'm kinda bored with my idle life as well. Alright then, I'm gonna risk it all and go along with you, buddy! But, have you thought about what kind of job we're going to take?"
"I've already thought about it. There are two that crossed my mind. The first one is a marketing sales and service business, and the second one is a express delivery service. But what I'm looking for is the more relaxed express delivery," said Hu Qingsong.
Yue Kai stared blankly, as he patted his forehead and exclaimed, "Ah, I suddenly remembered that I have an appointment with Sister Meng to talk about life and ideals, so I won't go with you. Anyhow, you guys are going to the cafeteria to have a bite, right?! Then I'll go find Sister Meng!"
Having said that, this chap straightly blasted himself out of everyone's sight!
After looking at the departed Yue Kai's back, Tang Xiu turned to Hu Qingsong and smilingly said, "The two jobs you picked are really great. Regardless of the type of job, it will be a very good exercise for you, nonetheless. Work hard, buddy! The earlier you strive, the more you will understand the hardships in life."
"Sure thing!" Hu Qingsong grinned. "Rest assured, I'm not going out to play."
Afterward, the trio had lunch together, and then Hu Qingsong and Xue Chao left. As for Tang Xiu, he returned to his dorm and took a few books he borrowed two days ago, and then went alone to the campus library. Just as he entered the library he knitted his brows, because the scene he had seen a few times already unfolded again in front of him. There were a lot of male students gathered in the reading area on the first floor, as their eyes kept glancing at several female students in the corner.
It must be Mu Wanying again!
Tang Xiu secretly shook his head. After spending a little time to find several economic books on the bookshelf, he went straight to spot next to the window on the second floor, as he sat down and quietly read the book.
Time fleeted by, and half an hour passed by in the blink of an eye.
With his fast reading speed, Tang Xiu had already read the second book, and he also had turned over several pages on the third book. He even had made a dozen pages with notes within this half an hour as well.
"Just go! We're not a suitable for each other."
Vague voices came floating from afar.
Tang Xiu raised his head, since he recognized the voice -- Mu Wanying. Shortly after, a loud voice came following:
"Wanying, I really like you from the bottom of my heart! Please give me a chance, I promise that I'll make you happy."
"Sorry, I don't need it."
"Wanying, you wanna leave it like this? It won't do. I'm the campus beau and you're the campus flower. A gifted man and a beautiful woman have always been a good match, so we should be together. You know, I've been preparing for a long time to make this confession to you today. Tell me if you have something you don't like about me, and I'll definitely try to change myself to become a man you like."
"Fellow student, let me make it clear for you. I don't even know your name, so why must I accept to become your girlfriend? Besides, I already have someone I like. If I were to agree to be your girlfriend, then it won't be fair to you. Please make way, we need to leave."
"Mu Wanying, you are being deliberately perfunctory with me, aren't you? I've already investigated it. You don't have a boyfriend at all!"
"Hey! Let me go!"
"No, I won't let you go!"
The ruckus got bigger and louder downstairs.
Tang Xiu closed the textbook, as he got up and walked to the second floor stairway. He looked at the scene below, where a lot of people had already gathered there, and let out a forced, wry smile. He knew that male student, a third-year senior who won the popularity vote as the most handsome male student in Shanghai University for three consecutive years in a row. Not only did he possess good looks, his academic GPA was also remarkable, as well as being the vice-captain of the university's basketball club. It was said that his family was also rich and powerful as well.
However, Tang Xiu knew something! About two years ago, he made a female student pregnant, after first abusing and then abandoning her in the end. Another case was when he was in his sophomore year, as he had an affair with 12 girls. He had sex with a female student in his car and was caught red-handed by his real girlfriend. His real girlfriend was also swift enough as she recorded the scene with her mobile phone and uploaded it to the campus forum. The footage was deleted quickly after, but many people had already seen it.
Put shortly, this male student called Lian Kang was a real scumbag to the core in the eyes of the public, yet not many people at Shanghai University dared to provoke him due to his family background and his figure on the surface as a pretty good male student.
For instance, what was happening at present. There were definitely more than a hundred male students around, yet even though Lian Kang took so many liberties toward Mu Wanying, causing the male students to turn indignant and itching to beat up Lian Kang, yet no one really dared to come forward and stand up for her.
Chapter 528: Goading
Pulling out your blades to help when seeing injustice was the style of a chivalrous warrior in the Jianghu world. Chivalrous he may not be, yet Tang Xiu was unable to not act upon facing such a scene.
Ring, ring, ring…
A faint ringtone sound came from the mobile phone inside Tang Xiu's pocket. Just as he was about to take it, Jiang Feiyan, who was next to Mu Wanying, dashed toward Lian Kang, as her cherry-like, small mouth bit Lian Kang's hand that was grabbing Mu Wanying's wrist.
"What the hell… are you a fucking dog?"
Due to the pain, Lian Kang released Mu Wanying. He slapped Jiang Feiyan's cute little face with his backhand, causing her to stumble and fall to the floor.
This caused a turmoil among the watching students around.
Tang Xiu frowned, yet he didn't act immediately, and took out the mobile phone instead. As he looked at the screen and saw that the caller was Kang Xia, he pressed the answer button and said, "Wait a bit, there's something I need to deal with. I'll call you back you later."
"All right!" Replied Kang Xia.
While going toward the stairs, Tang Xiu clapped his hands and loudly yelled, "This is really amazing, awesome! A respected, seven feet big man unexpectedly slapped a small female student until she fell to the floor. The most unbelievable thing for me is all those faces around. Each and every one of them is filled with anger, yet they're all actually cowards, for nobody even dares to come forward to say anything nor stand up for her… Tsk, tsk, don't you realize that this is exactly the best chance for you guys to play the hero saving the belle? Do you really want to miss this golden opportunity to hold a belle just because of your groundless fears?"
Hundreds of eyes fell on Tang Xiu in a flash. Even if there were only a few people who paid attention to Tang Xiu recently, he was still a quite popular individual in the campus, so everyone still recognized him.
Furthermore, Tang Xiu's speech made all the male students look ashamed and regretful and causing their faces to turn red.
At this time, a well-built male student stood forward and loudly shouted, "Don't talk nonsense, Tang Xiu. We're too late to stop it. We just saw that this scumbag surnamed Lian is an eyesore, but we never thought that he would hit someone like that. If I knew, I'd definitely be the first one to help her."
"Yeah, we were too late. That chap Lian is really shameless, to think that he even dares to hit a female fellow student, and even took so many liberties toward others. What a motherfu*cker scumbag!"
"I'm really ashamed to have an alumnus like Lian Kang. I will certainly spread what happened here today, to let all the students and teachers know his ugly face. I really regret it… why didn't I step out to punch his fucking face and give him a good memory."
"This damn chap deserves to be beaten! How dare he moved a finger toward the first Goddess of our Shanghai University? Hasn't he reflected on his previous attitude when chasing chicks?"
Amid the scene where numerous male students took their stand and loudly voiced their support, Mu Wanying, Li Xinjie, as well as Jiang Feiyan, who was being propped up by the two girls, had their eyes lit up at the same time as they shot glances full of gratitude at Tang Xiu.
"Beat him up!"
Suddenly, some people in the crowd shouted, and in just a couple of seconds, dozens of male students rushed toward Lian Kang, punching and kicking his lackeys and easily beating them up.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mu Wanying's group of three squeezed out of the crowd and hurriedly marched toward Tang Xiu.
"Tang Xiu, thank you!" Mu Wanying whispered.
Tang Xiu slightly smiled and shook his head. He then turned to Jiang Feiyan and asked, "Are you all right?"
Jiang Feiyan touched her swollen cheek, as she shook her head and said with a smile, "I'm fine. Plus, I also bit him! This damn Lian Kang is really sick and disgusting. Had I known that he would beat me, I would have kicked his crotch and made him unable to have a son in this lifetime."
"Ugh…"
No matter how big Tang Xiu's boldness was, hearing Jiang Feiyan's words sent a coldness ran down his spine and made his neck shrunk. At this time, her reply was as though completely verifying the saying that women's heart was the most poisonous one after the hornet's sting.
Mu Wanying's beautiful face turned red. She reached out to hug Jiang Feiyan's shoulder and said, "Feiyan, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? We're sisters." Jiang Feiyan shook her head and smilingly said. "If we want to thank someone, let's thank Tang Xiu. If it weren't for him, maybe that damn Lian Kang would beat me as well!"
When Mu Wanying's eyes shifted to Tang Xiu, her eyes were particularly bright and dazzling. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Tang Xiu, like sending Buddha to the West, helping someone must be done until the very end. Will you help me solve this problem completely?"
"Relax!" Tang Xiu nodded.
"I'm not talking about Lian Kang. It's the matter with all the male students," said Mu Wanying, shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" Tang Xiu asked with a puzzled expression.
Gathering her courage, Mu Wanying seriously said, "Let's announce to the outside that I'm your girlfriend, and that we're a couple. So I can tell straightly to whoever confesses to me that I already have a boyfriend and won't accept anyone. B-But… But this may be very unfair to you, and may bring you some troubles, though."
Tang Xiu thought for a while. He recalled what happened a few times in the library, when he encountered Mu Wanying surrounded by many male students. Then, he finally nodded and lightly said, "All right! I also received a lot of confessions from female students, so this will be mutual beneficial for both of us!"
Mu Wanying suddenly turned excited as she nodded repeatedly, "Thank you."
Tang Xiu waved his hand as he turned his attention to the chaotic scene and shouted, "EVERYONE, STOP! If that surname Lian chap is dead, then you guys will all be dead too. Besides, the campus will severely punish you if he is severely injured."
In a flash, several male students who were currently beating Lian Kang and his fellow classmates realized what kind of consequences their actions would bring, as they halted beating them and retreated.
In the opened, cleared spot, Lian Kang and his three classmates were all beaten, bruised black and blue, with bloodstains all over their bodies. The one in the most miserable state was Lian Kang, for one of his arms was obviously broken in an unnatural shape.
Shaking his head, Tang Xiu walked toward him and then squatted to grab his arm despite Lian Kang's struggle. With a slight effort, he pulled his hand and mended the bones of his broken arm back to its original position.
"Aaaargh…"
A scream like a pig being butchered made everyone present shudder.
"If you don't want to become disabled, then don't move," said Tang Xiu lightly. "I just helped you put your bone back to its original position. But in the next couple of days, don't move about and lift heavy things. Also, go to the campus clinic to deal with your other wounds."
While enduring the severe pain, Lian Kang furiously growled, "FUCK YOU, TANG XIU! I don't need your crocodile tears, you fucking asshole! If it weren't for you, how could this father be beaten like this?"
"Do you dare say it again?" Tang Xiu frowned.
"I just said it! What the fuck can you do to this father, huh?" Shouted Lian Kang angrily.
Shaking his head, Tang Xiu stretched out his hand and twisted the bone he had just mended, and then trampled his face. As his blood flowed from his nose, he sneered at him and said, "You're nothing but a rotten cretin in my eyes, a dog that snarls and snaps at others kindness. The instant the news about you assailing a girl with obscenities when you confess to her and then turned into you beating up a female student is to spread around, I'm afraid that you will lose your reputation and may even be criminally liable. Of course, you indeed have been beaten up by your fellow students, but that was because you've aroused public anger. I'm sure that if the campus authority hears about this, they will also treat them with leniency."
Having said that, Tang Xiu turned around and walked to Mu Wanying's side, as he said with a deep voice, "Although Mu Wanying is my girlfriend, I was not the first one to beat you. That can be said as me giving you a face, yet you're so shameless and didn't give a damn care about it. You have only yourself to blame for that. And now, we still have our talk about our love life, so we won't waste more of our time with a scumbag like you."
Immediately, he reached out to grab Mu Wanying's little hand and walked upstairs.
His girlfriend?
All the male students who were originally secretly appreciating Tang Xiu's act of violence had their eyes turn hostile after hearing Tang Xiu's announced.
And those good brains also realized that Tang Xiu seemed to have used them, for they began to savagely beat up Lian Kang just because Tang Xiu sarcastically satirized them in his comments.
On the second floor…
Tang Xiu brought Mu Wanying, Jiang Feiyan, and Li Xinjie to the desk he was using before and spoke to them, "You girls can stay here. I have a trivial matter to deal with, and need to make a phone call."
"Go! I'll be here reading a book," Mu Wanying nodded gently and replied.
After taking out his mobile, Tang Xiu dialed Kang Xia's cell number and then inquired, "Alright, I took care of the thing here, more or less. What is it that you need me for?"
"Boss, the executives of our company have been discussing the release date of our health products. We currently have a lot of stocks in inventory, so I decided to throw them into the market on November 1st. Do you think this date is appropriate?" Asked Kang Xia.
"Have you arranged the stores all over the country?" Asked Tang Xiu.
"It's about done. As we made a lot of income, we've set the shops next to the Gods Nectar's exclusive agency in each city. The refurbishing is currently in the last stages and it should be done in the next few days, at the most."
"What about the marketing and sales staff?" Asked Tang Xiu.
"All of them have been trained for their posts. However, there is still another issue that has yet to be decided," said Kang Xiu.
"What is it?" Asked Tang Xiu.
"It's about security," said Kang Xia. "I'm afraid that a insane rush to snatch all the products will happen once our health products hit the market. Thus, security problems will surely arise at that time."
"How many manpower do you need, exactly?" Asked Tang Xiu.
"We have calculated. With the help of the security guards assigned to the Gods Nectar exclusive agency in each city, we can reduce the needed number of manpower. But we still need about 80 people, at the very least," said Kang Xia.
"OK, got it!" Said Tang Xiu. "I will think of a solution. Also, I'm going to survey a every large business district in the vicinity of Shanghai in the near future. If it's not feasible, then we'll build our own site. I happen to know some real estate developers here."