LWDC Chapter 69

Chapter 69 – Disintegration

Ning Fei quickly noticed that there seemed to be genuine friction between Ji Xingzhe and Zhu Yueting.

A few times, he saw Ji Xingzhe walking around campus, either up close or from a distance. The group of people around him had shrunk from three or five to just one or two. Sometimes it was classmates from the same grade, sometimes that senior from the third grade, but Zhu Yueting was never there. This was very strange. Usually, it was very common for Zhu Yueting to go to Ji Xingzhe as soon as class ended, and it was even more common for them to leave and enter together. If Ji Xingzhe’s image as a good student wasn’t there, and if they didn’t gather with other childhood friends once they went out, the school would probably be addressing their “puppy love problem.”

But now, it was hard to say whether Ji Xingzhe just didn’t like crowds anymore or if he just didn’t want to be around Zhu Yueting, but whoever he walked with, it wasn’t Zhu Yueting.

…Ah…did Duan Yunhong tell his father that he revealed the Ji family’s plans to develop in Shenzhen, leading him to vent his anger on Zhu Yueting?

But whether it was the “accusation of cheating” or the revelation of the Shenzhen plans, weren’t the main problems Ji Xingzhe’s own fault? Moreover, Ji Xingzhe didn’t seem like the type of person to abandon someone just because a “companion made a mistake,” especially since Zhu Yueting was clearly still “quite useful.” For Ji Xingzhe to choose this way of treating her, there must be a special reason.

Either the Ji family gave him some advice, or…he’s preparing to use this method to silently influence others, to make other companions, and even the Ji family, think that the “responsibility for these two farces lies with Zhu Yueting.”

However, Ning Fei wouldn’t idly stare at these two, so he handed over the task of “continued observation” to Lin Shengjia. Lin Shengjia was a little speechless: “I avoid these plague gods like the plague, and you still want me to observe them? What if Ji Xingzhe thinks I’m going to do something and decides to strike first?”

“I’m asking you to pay attention, not to stare directly at him. You can’t even do that?” Ning Fei said, “You’ll be taking over the business in the future. If you don’t even have the most basic ability to read people, I advise you to find a professional manager early, otherwise, no matter how much you have, it won’t be enough for you to mess up.”

Lin Shengjia was a little unconvinced: “Then can’t I just buy a few apartments to rent out and wait for demolition?”

“Great dream,” Ning Fei scoffed. “Then I wish you won’t be scammed when you sell your shares to buy properties.”

Lin Shengjia: “…Aren’t you going to help me sell?”

“Why don’t you just ask me to live your whole life for you?” Ning Fei retorted teasingly, “You can’t afford to pay me to be your lifelong butler, even if a few buildings are demolished, so stop dreaming. You’re lucky to have met Duan Yunhong, who’s making money for you now. If it weren’t for him, who would care about Shenzhen?”

Lin Shengjia asked, “If it weren’t for him, how would you help me live a good life?”

“Humorous question,” Ning Fei said matter-of-factly, “You want to live a good life yourself, of course, you have to spur yourself on to work hard. Why should I just create it and give it to you for free?”

Mainly, this kind of top-down giving would either require Ning Fei to spend a large number of luck points at the beginning to exchange for a good identity or require him to work hard for many years first. For Ning Fei, both options were extremely cost-ineffective. This time, with Duan Yunhong around, Ning Fei directly “adopted the principle of taking what’s available,” otherwise, Lin Shengjia shouldn’t think it would be so easy.

Lin Shengjia asked, “Even if you spur me on, there has to be a way for me to become rich, right? What method are you going to use?”

Ning Fei answered with a question: “What, you want to get something for nothing, trick me into telling you a way to make money? Dream on.”

Lin Shengjia saw that he was impervious to persuasion and wanted to provoke him: “If you don’t say it, is it because you have no way at all?”

Ning Fei didn’t fall for it at all and used the classic line: “If you want to think that way, then I can’t help it.”

Lin Shengjia: “…”

Afterward, Ning Fei mentioned this to Duan Yunhong, and Duan Yunhong also asked Ning Fei if he didn’t have himself, how would he prepare to let Lin Shengjia “get rich quickly.” This time, Ning Fei actually answered: “Ask the Ji family.”

Duan Yunhong was puzzled: “But wouldn’t that violate the principle of staying away from the Ji family?”

“It’s just taking money, it’s not about returning to the Ji family. You can ask Ji Xingzhe or Ji Zhenwei depending on the situation. One is afraid of losing his position, and the other is afraid of the family losing face, so there are ways to manipulate both of them,” Ning Fei shrugged. “Analyze the specific situation. At the extreme, it’s not impossible to use the Ji family’s power to send Lin Shengjia abroad to study and live. Asking for a few million as hush money would be enough for his adoptive parents to live on.”

“Dancing on the edge of a knife,” Duan Yunhong commented. “This is not a long-term solution. Lin Shengjia’s identity is a time bomb. Even if Ji Zhenwei is willing to spare him because Lin Shengjia is his biological son, Ji Xingzhe won’t. Once this brat has the ability, it would be easy to find someone abroad to take care of Lin Shengjia.”

“But by then, I would have already completed my debt collection mission. Transaction completed, no responsibility,” Ning Fei shrugged. “He’s been given a good university, he’s been given money, and he’s even been sent abroad. If he still can’t live like that, then don’t live.”

Duan Yunhong said, “It seems you’re also good at exploiting loopholes. If you were to become a ‘Wanderer,’ your life would probably be much more comfortable than it is now.”

“No thanks, I’m not going,” Ning Fei spread his hands and smiled. “I’m fine now, I can lower someone else’s luck if I want to, and pull it back if I want to. It’s quite interesting.”

“Do you debt collectors all like this?”

There was a hint of mockery in his words. Ning Fei glanced at him, and surprisingly didn’t refute immediately, but smiled slightly: “Yeah, so what?”

Duan Yunhong thought: That’s bullshit.

Compared to using luck to torment transmigrators, Ning Fei definitely prefers to play with people’s hearts.

*

As for Lin Shengjia, even if he didn’t pay special attention, Zhu Yueting and Ji Xingzhe’s movements would be enough for him to notice.

Because one morning, as soon as Zhu Yueting arrived at the classroom, she rushed aggressively towards Ji Xingzhe: “Ji Xingzhe! Did you tell others to isolate me? I asked you out on the weekend, and you said you were busy. I asked Brother Ran and the others, and they all said they were busy. But you guys were all partying outside yesterday?!”

Her volume wasn’t suppressed at all, causing the whole class to look over, including Lin Shengjia, of course. Ji Xingzhe, who considers himself thoughtful and deliberate, is most afraid of Zhu Yueting’s “straight punch.” When the whole class’s attention focused on him, Ji Xingzhe couldn’t help but panic for a few seconds, barely maintaining his composure on the surface: “What are you talking about, Tingting? How could we isolate you? We just happened to run into each other on the street yesterday and wandered around together.”

“But my friend said you were all chatting and laughing, and you even ate and bought clothes together. Such a long time, and no one thought to call me?” Zhu Yueting, who was in a fit of anger, was not so easy to coax, and continued to question, “And why haven’t you been calling me to eat lately?”

Ji Xingzhe looked helpless: “I haven’t called anyone else either. I’ve been a little busy lately, and it’s not convenient for me to act with everyone, so I’ve been going by myself. Occasionally I bump into others on the road, so I just walk with them for a while, but I don’t go back together.”

“But if you don’t call me, why don’t the others call me either?”

“Then you have to ask the others, how would I know?”

“You really didn’t lead the way?” Zhu Yueting confirmed again, “Is it because you were criticized by your family for saying…that thing last time, so you’re blaming me? But it’s not my fault, I was just listening to what you said…”

“Tingting!” Ji Xingzhe saw that Zhu Yueting was getting more and more worked up, and quickly interrupted, “Morning reading is about to start, go back to your seat. We can talk about anything during lunch break at noon.”

Zhu Yueting still wanted to say something, but she suddenly realized that the whole class was silent at this moment. She glared at the classmates who were watching the show most openly. Just as Ning Fei stepped into the classroom and said, “Why aren’t you all doing morning reading?” Zhu Yueting had no choice but to return to her seat unhappily.

*

When Lin Shengjia was catching up on lessons at home that night, he relayed the events that happened before morning reading to Ning Fei and commented, “Is Ji Xingzhe stupid? They’re a bunch of guys, and Zhu Yueting is the only girl. Can’t he just say that some topics between boys aren’t suitable for Zhu Yueting to participate in?”

“He’s a true teenager, just a little more cunning, but not very good at handling emergencies,” Ning Fei commented. “He shouldn’t be so blatant in alienating Zhu Yueting. Zhu Yueting is the most useful ‘card’ in his hand, impulsive, easily agitated, and has a certain family background that allows her to show off. Ji Xingzhe gave up this ‘thug’ after only knowing you for less than a semester. He played a good hand so badly, will he fall before you even go to college?”

“Why do you talk as if his friends are all pawns he’s using? He can’t fight you if he doesn’t have pawns, right?” Lin Shengjia said. “Moreover, whether he falls or not has nothing to do with me. I don’t want to be recognized back into the Ji family.”

“He originally treated others as pawns,” Ning Fei scoffed. “Those few…even all your classmates, as long as they target you, if you assume Ji Xingzhe is instigating them from behind, you wouldn’t be wrong.”

Lin Shengjia thought for a while: “It’s hard to say, I feel like that senior in his little group is also acting pretentious. He probably has a lot of bad ideas too.”

Ning Fei looked surprised: “Qin Ran? Have you had contact with him?”

Lin Shengjia: “No. But I’ve bumped into him face-to-face a few times, and the way he looks at me is very disdainful, very unreserved.”

“Haha, just the characteristics of teenagers. However, he’s also the one who said I helped you cheat for good grades for my so-called ‘teaching career’,” Ning Fei thought for a while. “I’ll see if there’s a chance to alienate him too.”

Lin Shengjia: “…Your remarks are terrifying. So Zhu Yueting was also alienated by you!”

“What are you talking about, student Lin? Isn’t everything Ji Xingzhe and Zhu Yueting’s own fault?” Ning Fei smiled and suddenly thought of someone he hadn’t taken care of for a long time. “By the way, how’s Luo Chenghong doing?”

“My uncle? He’s still in Nancheng,” Lin Shengjia thought for a while. “However, he often asks about you and that Mr. Duan…”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything. I just said that you’re still helping me with tutoring, and I don’t know anything else.”

Ning Fei chuckled: “I’ll teach you, next time say that actually it’s just the two of us…”

——————–

Good luck to all students taking the college entrance exam!