The Dean of Students wasn't just acting this way because he had taken money; he was genuinely angry. As someone responsible for moral education, he couldn't ignore such issues.
Hearing the word "police" and the dean's firm tone about not needing "scum" like this at the school, Zhou Ming turned pale with fear.
"It's very simple—three conditions," Xu Zhengyang said sternly, looking directly at Zhou Ming:
"First, return the account to me, and you can keep the money.
Second, make a public statement to the entire school so everyone knows that Zhou Ming is a fraud.
Third, inform his parents so they understand what kind of person their son is."
After Xu Zhengyang finished speaking, he stared at Zhou Ming in silence. Zhou Ming's face turned a sickly shade of green, and his eyes filled with terror.
Xu Zhengyang hadn't chosen to involve the police, but the consequences he was imposing were far worse than that. If his parents found out, his future allowance would be in jeopardy, especially after they discovered how much he had spent on the game. And once the entire school knew, it would be a permanent stain on his reputation, leaving an indelible psychological scar.
"I… I know I was wrong! I'll give the account back to you, and the money too! Please, just let me go—I know I was wrong!" Zhou Ming sobbed, pleading with Xu Zhengyang.
He was crying so pitifully that even the teacher couldn't help but intercede: "Sir, your nephew hasn't suffered much of a loss, the account is being returned, and he knows he's made a mistake. Admitting one's mistakes and correcting them is no small feat, and your goal was to educate him, right? Informing his family should be enough; there's no need for a school-wide announcement. It could leave him with lasting trauma. How will he continue at the school?"
The teacher made a valid point, but Xu Zhengyang merely looked at him, his gaze so intense it made the teacher uncomfortable. Then, Xu Zhengyang spoke coolly:
"I want him to have lasting trauma. I want him to remember this for the rest of his life!" Xu Zhengyang suddenly grabbed Zhou Ming's hair, forcing him to face him. The teacher frowned and instinctively reached out to stop him, but the Dean of Students held him back.
Xu Zhengyang glared at Zhou Ming. "Crying? Who are you crying for? Weren't you feeling pretty smug before? If I hadn't found you today, would you be celebrating right now? Proud of yourself? If you have the guts, try taking the account back again and see if I can't have you rot in jail!"
The teacher began to doubt Xu Zhengyang's character. What kind of person was this, intimidating a student like this? Threatening to send someone to prison over a game account? Isn't that punishment a bit too severe?
"I won't, I won't," Zhou Ming finally realized the true meaning of the words he used so casually. In this world, there really are all kinds of people. When we make mistakes, we hope to act without consequences, but often, we find ourselves helpless in the end.
After Xu Zhengyang finished, he left with Lin Yourong and her nephew. As they walked through the school, Xu Zhengyang strolled casually, taking in the atmosphere and listening to the students recite their lessons. It seemed to awaken some memories in him.
Lin Yourong's nephew, following behind, whispered to her, "Auntie, Uncle is so scary... Does he eat children?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Lin Yourong gave him a light flick on the head.
Once they got in the car, Xu Zhengyang received a text message with the account details. He handed it to the boy. "Here you go!"
"Thank you, Uncle!" the boy said cheerfully. Lin Yourong couldn't help but smile as she realized she hadn't even had a chance to explain anything to her nephew.
"So, are you really good at this game?" Xu Zhengyang asked with a teasing smile as he patted the boy's head. He also pulled out his own phone.
"Of course! I'm really good with Baili!" the boy replied confidently.
"Ha! Then I'll have to test you. Want to play a match?" Xu Zhengyang suggested.
"Bring it on!" the boy said, unwilling to back down.
Xu Zhengyang laughed and opened the game. Nowadays, who doesn't have a mobile game on their phone? Xu Zhengyang wasn't great at the game before, but during his rough times, he played a lot. He just hadn't had the money for any in-game purchases back then.
As soon as the game loaded, Xu Zhengyang opened the store. "Let me get Wu Zetian first."
Before starting the match, he needed to gear up. The boy came over and watched, tearing up as he realized Xu Zhengyang had topped up a whopping 10 million points, an amount equivalent to a house purchase!
The boy was practically in tears as he watched Xu Zhengyang engage in the treasure draw. Xu Zhengyang's hand grew tired, so he passed the phone to the boy, and they took turns drawing, turning a competitive game into a lottery event.
Seeing how much fun they were having, Lin Yourong didn't have the heart to interrupt, although they still hadn't had lunch. She found a hotpot restaurant online and planned to take Xu Zhengyang there to eat.
In the end, Xu Zhengyang won two crystals, which he exchanged for Wu Zetian and her Nyx Oracle skin. The boy was completely defeated—his Wu Zetian had to make do with the ugly "Oriental Undefeated" skin.
The two battled it out, sniping with Baili and dueling with Wu Zetian. The boy couldn't win against Xu Zhengyang with Wu Zetian.
As they got out of the car, Lin Yourong chided them, "Stop playing, we need to eat!"
They reluctantly agreed to a rematch another day and got out of the car.
The boy, still bitter, muttered, "It's all because of money. I didn't lose because of skill—I lost because of money! Uncle, are you the richest man in the world? Auntie, is Uncle the richest man in the world?"
He kept pestering Xu Zhengyang and then turned to Lin Yourong, looking like an overly curious child, full of energy.
His loud voice didn't attract much attention from passersby, but it did catch the ear of two beggars nearby. One was a disheveled woman who looked to be in her thirties, with slightly messy hair but expressive, watery eyes. Despite her somewhat ragged appearance, her features were striking. In three words: seductive, charming, stubborn.
There was something in her eyes—a fire that Xu Zhengyang had never seen before. She wasn't alone; she had an eight or nine-year-old boy with her. Their clothes, though dirty, were not torn, and they were of relatively new styles. The boy looked frail but was clearly not a beggar.
The woman stepped in front of Xu Zhengyang and his group.