When Tang Qiaolian started walking around in a circle and her face seemed to darken a bit, Lei Zhen was concerned about the situation.
"What's the matter, Qiaolian? Why is it a disaster for Shan Lin to know about it?" He asked, hoping to get an answer from her.
Shan Lin was the person who helped him obtain the MagnoPod and began his adventure in Magnolia. Besides, he was the one that had been guiding him and giving him the basic information.
"Ugh, this is now more complicated than I thought." Tang Qiaolian heaved a sigh and sat back down.
Her eyes looked deeply into his eyes as she asked, "I'm just going to ask this one question. Did you decide to play Magnolia yourself or did Shan Lin convince you to play?"
"I was the one that decided to play Magnolia."
"And your reason for that?"
"..." Lei Zhen remained silent for a few seconds.
His reason for playing Magnolia was not something grand. It was more of a disgrace because he failed to pass the medical exam to become a full-fledged doctor with a license.
When he knew he had failed to become a doctor, he needed to find another way to earn money. No matter how advanced technologies had become, money was always an essential thing to survive in this world.
Without any hope left, that was when he saw a poster in the hallway at the examination site. A poster that talked about becoming a millionaire by playing Magnolia.
"My dream of becoming a doctor is shattered, but giving up is impossible for me. There is still Qingxuan that I need to take care of and with the blacklist from the Lei Enterprise. The only way I can make a lot of money is through Magnolia." Lei Zhen said, his hand slowly turning into a fist.
He was clenching his fist tightly because of how much humiliation he received from the very own enterprise that betrayed them.
Tang Qiaolian nodded her head.
She understood where he was coming from since he was reduced to working in a convenience store that was not part of the influence of the Lei Enterprise.
"Since it has come to this, then I guess it's time to tell you something important." She took a deep breath and said in a solemn tone.
"What is it?"
"The reason why I said it was a disaster for Shan Lin to hear of your error is that he's from the Aries Guild, one of the 12 Zodiac Guilds in Magnolia."
"Zodiac Guilds?" Lei Zhen raised an eyebrow in confusion. This was his first time hearing about the zodiac guild in Magnolia.
"Shan Lin didn't mention anything about that." He added.
Given how solemn her tone was, Lei Zhen could deduce that the 12 Zodiac Guild must be popular in Magnolia. Yet Shan Lin had never given him a heads up regarding this matter when he had mentioned every other thing.
He couldn't help but feel a bit weird about him neglecting this part of the detail.
Meanwhile, Tang Qiaolian's face turned serious when her concern was proven to be true.
"Lei Zhen, listen carefully now. You must promise me to be calm and collected when you listen, okay?" She asked. "If you can't promise me this, then I won't tell you."
Scratching his head, Lei Zhen agreed with her request even though he doesn't know what could be so serious about this matter.
"I promise that I won't throw a fit of rage." He said in a joking manner, trying to ease the atmosphere.
Alas, that was a futile effort because Tang Qiaolian was extremely serious. There was not an ounce of her playful and teasing manner from before.
Her attitude prompted Lei Zhen to understand that she was about to reveal something big. Big enough to fluctuate his emotion to go out of control.
A few seconds later, Tang Qiaolian opened her mouth and began speaking.
"The Aries Guild is sponsored by the Lei Enterprise, and Shan Lin is currently an Acting Guild Leader. And the reason why he obtained that position is that his father is now a major shareholder in the Lei Enterprise."
Once she finished talking, she made sure to check on Lei Zhen. His face was void of a smile now and was replaced with a resentful expression.
Throughout the years, he had managed to learn to control his temper after the setback of getting kicked out of the Lei Enterprise. He had been successful in always keeping a calm demeanor and occasionally smiling.
However, that had all gone down the drain today when he finally heard a revelation that was big enough to deal a huge blow to him.
"When did Shan Lin's father become a major shareholder in the Lei Enterprise?" He asked in a deep voice.
If he recalled correctly, Shan Lin's father does not have a connection with the Lei Enterprise. Shan Lin's father, Shan Zhikong operated in a different business direction compared to the Lei Enterprise. Hence, the two never had any interaction or adversary.
"Shan Zhikong became the major shareholder shortly after you were kicked out of the Lei Enterprise. As for the precise details, even I'm on the dark side in this." Tang Qiaolian said, standing up and walking toward him.
Her hand was then placed on top of his shoulder, rubbing it gently. "I don't know what has happened behind the scenes, but I do know one thing. You should be careful around Shan Lin and not reveal to him any more secrets such as our achievement today."
Her words may seem subtle, but Lei Zhen understood what she meant; be wary of Shan Lin.
At the same time, she wished for him to be rational and not try to do anything dumb in the meantime.
After all, the opponent was not some fish on a chopping board, but a great white shark that dominates the ocean.
"Rest assured, Qiaolian. I didn't come this far just to be an irrational brat and try to fight without a fist." Lei Zhen held her hand and said calmly.