Was the Rolls-Royce rented?
"I knew it! Those two 'bodyguards' walked weirdly; they weren't very professional..."
"So it was all just acting after all?"
This guy's really going all out, trying to win back his ex-girlfriend?
"Tsk, this is incredibly embarrassing..."
The surrounding discussions immediately shifted direction.
What began as shock and envy turned into undisguised mockery, contempt, and gleeful excitement. Gazes, like searchlights, focused on Zhang Yu, filled with amusement.
Wang Li was stunned at first, then her face flushed, her expression a mixture of anger at being fooled, shame at being humiliated, and a kind of "I knew it" disdain.
She glared at Zhang Yu fiercely, her voice shrill:
Zhang Yu, what do you mean?
Hiring actors and renting cars to pretend to be rich kids?
Do you think this will make me change my mind?
You disgust me!
Her new boyfriend, beaming with pride, put his arm around Wang Li's shoulder, looked down at Zhang Yu, and spoke with disdain:
"Kid, if you don't have money, you don't have money. Just be an ordinary person and no one will laugh at you."
Is it really worth it to try to appear more important than you are and resort to these Evil Dao?
"Don't you even know your own worth? Do you deserve to drive Rolls-Royce?"
The two "bodyguards in black" were clearly not expected to be exposed so suddenly. Their movements froze for a moment, and their eyes behind their sunglasses showed some panic as they looked at Zhou Hengliang for help.
Zhou Hengliang's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and cold sweat poured down his face.
He had planned everything meticulously, even instructing the "actors" to pay attention to details, but he completely forgot about the car rental company's damn anti-loss tag.
This is all over. Not only did it not bring honor to his brother, it put him in a very difficult position and made him the biggest joke of the whole place!
"I... Brother Yu, I..."
Zhou Hengliang was incoherent and wished he could disappear into the ground.
Zhang Yu stood still, his expression surprisingly calm.
There was no outburst of anger, shame, or utter embarrassment that Zhou Hengliang had anticipated.
He even tilted his head slightly, looking at the "Shenzhou Car Rental" label, then at his arrogant ex-girlfriend and new love, and then at Zhou Hengliang, whose face was ashen.
Finally, their gaze fell upon the two bewildered "bodyguards."
Then, under the gazes of everyone—some mocking, some disdainful, some pitying— Zhang Yu suddenly, softly, and extremely abruptly, laughed.
It wasn't a forced smile, nor was it a laugh born of anger; rather, it was a faint smile, tinged with helplessness, absurdity, and even a touch of... amusement.
"Well done."
He actually nodded to the two "bodyguards" in a calm tone, as if he were commenting on a play:
"Thanks for your hard work."
Then, he turned to Wang Li, whose face was ashen, and her smug boyfriend, his tone still flat:
"You're right, the car was rented, and the people were hired."
This play was indeed quite boring.
His straightforward "confession" surprised Wang Li and her boyfriend, leaving them speechless with the more sarcastic remarks they had prepared.
"But,"
Zhang Yu changed the subject, his gaze calmly sweeping over them, then over the crowd of onlookers, and finally towards the distant city skyline, where the setting sun was slowly sinking behind the towering buildings.
"Do you really care whether you have money, can afford a nice car, or are you an actor?"
His voice wasn't loud, yet it strangely possessed a quality that could penetrate the noise.
"It doesn't matter to me anymore."
After saying that, he looked away from everyone and patted the still-dazed Zhou Hengliang on the shoulder:
"Let's go, Hengliang."
The show's over, time to get down to business.
Then, right before everyone's eyes, amidst countless gazes that were either mocking, doubtful, or curious, Zhang Yu acted as if nothing had happened.
He took the distraught Zhou Hengliang in his hand, and with unhurried steps, calmly walked away.
The setting sun cast a long shadow of him.
His back was straight, his steps were steady, and there was not a trace of dishevelment or panic.
It was as if the embarrassing farce that had just occurred—enough to cause social death for an ordinary person—was nothing more than a speck of dust brushing past his shoulder, easily shaken off without a trace.
Only a group of passersby at the school gate, looking at each other and discussing amongst themselves, and Wang Li and her boyfriend, whose expressions changed constantly, as if they had punched cotton.
"Yu, Brother Yu..."
After walking a distance, Zhou Hengliang finally recovered slightly from the enormous blow and shame.
Looking at Zhang Yu, who remained calm beside him, he said with deep shame, "I'm so sorry... I messed up... and made you lose face in public."
"Alright, that's enough."
Zhang Yu interrupted him, his tone gentle:
I understand your feelings.
Just don't do these things again.
Really, there's no need.
"But... Wang Li and her boyfriend must be laughing at us behind our backs..." Zhou Hengliang was still bothered by it.
"Let them laugh, what does it have to do with me?"
Zhang Yu smiled, his gaze fixed on the streetlights coming on in the distance, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
"The world is vast, and there are many interesting things."
Dwelling on a single grain of sand from the past will only cause you to miss the entire ocean in front of you.
Zhou Hengliang stared at him blankly, feeling that his best friend seemed to have really changed.
It's not just about temperament, but a kind of indescribable... transcendence that comes from within.
At that very moment--
Rumble rumble rumble--!
A deep, powerful, rhythmic hum of propellers filled the air.
Suddenly, it came from the distant sky, rapidly approaching and growing louder, instantly drowning out the noise on the street!
What was that sound?
"Helicopters! Lots of helicopters!"
"Oh my god, look at the sky!"
The crowd on the street looked up and gasped in surprise.
On the distant horizon, a dozen black dots rapidly enlarged, transforming into rows of military helicopters painted in dark green and dark gray camouflage, with a rugged appearance!
They formed neat tactical formations, skimming low over skyscrapers, the air currents from their propellers even causing the branches and leaves of trees lining the streets to sway violently and billboards to rustle.
Most notably, these helicopters are painted with striking red lightning bolt and shield symbols representing special authority and emergency missions, along with clearly visible military identification numbers!
This is by no means an ordinary civilian or police helicopter, but a genuine military armed helicopter belonging to a powerful national agency!
"It's a military plane!"
What happened?
Military exercises?
Or is it to apprehend a wanted criminal?
"That symbol... I think I've seen it in the news before. It's a special emergency response unit directly under the highest level!"
The crowd instantly stirred, filled with shock, curiosity, and unease.
Many people instinctively raised their phones to take pictures, but were immediately blinded by the bright warning lights projected from the helicopter, and the subtle sense of intimidation made them dare not act recklessly.
At the school gate, Wang Li and her new boyfriend, who were about to leave, were also stunned by the sudden and Grand Formation.
They looked up at the sky, their faces filled with horror.
The smug satisfaction from the successful "slap in the face" had long since vanished under the overwhelming military pressure.
The mocking voices around Zhang Yu vanished instantly, everyone captivated by the sight in the sky.
Zhou Hengliang was also terrified, stammering, "Brother Yu... what... what happened?"
Zhang Yu also looked up at the dozen or so military helicopters circling in the sky, and several more began to descend.
He frowned slightly, but he already understood.
This commotion... was probably caused by that "Number Eight" Xu Xinwu.
He had previously thought that Xu Xinwu easily locate a mobile phone meant that she must be someone special.
Now it seems, it's more than just extraordinary!
The ability to mobilize a military helicopter formation of this size, with special authorization markings, to fly directly at low altitudes over the city center.
This is something that ordinary people, or even ordinary powerful people, cannot achieve on Earth!
This energy is simply boundless!
"Is it really necessary to make such a fuss..."
Zhang Yu silently complained to himself.