Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, one of the large transport helicopters, with its particularly striking paint scheme, slowly descended, its powerful airflow sending sand and stones flying across the ground.
When the fuselage was about one meter from the ground, the cabin door opened, and a figure leaped out nimbly and landed steadily.
The movements were clean, crisp, and decisive, without any hesitation.
The man appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a tall and upright figure.
Wearing a well-tailored dark suit and sunglasses that covered most of his face, he exuded a cold and aloof aura, which seemed out of place yet strangely blended into the somber military environment around him.
After landing, he ignored the panicked and curious crowd around him, his sharp gaze sweeping around before finally settling on Zhang Yu and Zhou Hengliang.
He seemed somewhat uncertain, pointed at the two of them, and his voice, though coming through the roar of the propellers, was unusually clear. "Which of you is Zhang Yu?"
Zhou Hengliang was quite frightened by this scene; his legs were even a little weak. Hearing this, he looked at Zhang Yu tremblingly and said, "Brother Yu... looking for... looking for you?"
Zhang Yu remained calm, his gaze sweeping over the newcomer for a moment with a hint of scrutiny, before asking, "Number Eight?"
Upon hearing this, the visitor's lips seemed to curve into a very faint smile.
He took off his sunglasses, revealing a face with sharp features, a hint of cynicism yet an undercurrent of authority—it was Xu Xinwu.
Xu Xinwu stepped forward and patted Zhang Yu on the shoulder. "Why call me Number Eight? That's too formal. Call me Brother Xu."
"Okay, Lao Xu."
Zhang Yu readily agreed, but secretly thought to himself, "You Old Monster who has lived for over three thousand years, still pretending to be young."
Xu Xinwu clearly didn't care about being addressed, and said directly, "Stop talking nonsense and come with me."
After saying that, without waiting for a reply, he pulled Zhang Yu towards the helicopter.
Zhang Yu was pulled along for a few steps when he suddenly stopped.
He turned to look at Zhou Hengliang, who was still standing there in a daze, and asked, "Want to come along?"
"Me?" Zhou Hengliang pointed to his own nose, his face filled with disbelief.
Xu Xinwu frowned and looked at Zhang Yu: "Why did you bring him along?"
Zhang Yu calmly replied, "Isn't the Hong Yue lacking a vessel?"
Upon Xu Xinwu's gaze swept once more towards the uneasy Zhou Hengliang.
A scrutinizing glint flashed in his eyes, followed by a noncommittal "tsk": "Kid, you're lucky. Come on up."
His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
When Zhou Hengliang saw that the imposing "Brother Xu" had spoken, although he had a million questions in his mind, under Zhang Yu's calm gaze, he still mustered up his courage and carefully climbed up the helicopter ladder.
He had no idea that this step would drastically change the course of his life.
Wang Li stood there blankly, still somewhat dazed even after the dozen or so military helicopters with special markings on the horizon had completely disappeared into the clouds.
The commotion at the school gate gradually subsided, and the crowd of onlookers dispersed, their voices filled with shock, envy, and gossip.
Only she, her equally pale-faced boyfriend, and two bewildered "fake bodyguards" remained.
What had just happened seemed like a brief and absurd dream, yet it was imprinted on her retina with uncanny realism.
Armed helicopters... Special Forces Soldiers... that mysterious man in a suit, with a powerful aura, whom Zhang Yu called "Old Xu"...
And Zhang Yu's calm gaze at the end, as if he were just going to an ordinary date, and Zhou Hengliang's proud yet uneasy expression as he climbed up...
All of this completely overturned her perception of Zhang Yu.
In her memory, her ex-boyfriend came from an ordinary family, was somewhat introverted, and even seemed a bit down on his luck and clingy when they broke up...
How did I suddenly come to associate this with a spectacle I'd only ever seen in movies?
"Your ex-boyfriend... just who is he?"
Beside her, her new boyfriend suddenly grabbed her arm, his voice filled with barely concealed urgency and lingering fear, even trembling slightly.
The more smug he was when he mocked Zhang Yu, the more panicked he felt inside.
Wang Li's arm ached from his grip, and her mind was in complete turmoil.
She was unwilling to believe, or rather, dared not admit, that Zhang Yu, whom she had despised and abandoned without hesitation, had in the blink of an eye become someone she needed to look up to, someone who even made her current boyfriend feel fear.
"What... what could his identity be?"
Just an ordinary student, with no special connections from his family...
Wang Li instinctively retorted, but her voice lacked confidence, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself:
"Maybe... maybe he paid to rent it too."
Or they hired someone to act it out! Just like that broken-down car from earlier.
Yes, that must be it.
By the end, she was practically gritting her teeth, as if only by firmly believing in this guess could she maintain her pitiful self-esteem and the "correctness" of not regretting leaving him.
"Pah!"
Her boyfriend, however, acted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, shoving her arm away and giving her a look of disdain and disdain as if she were an idiot.
"Wang Li, are you out of your mind?"
Luxury cars can be rented, and actors can be hired.
Could his mother possibly rent those military helicopters?
Tell me, where can I rent it?
Her boyfriend's words were like a heavy hammer blow, shattering Wang Li's last shred of self-comfort and illusion.
Yes... luxury cars can be rented, and people can be hired.
Those heavily armed military helicopters and those menacing Special Forces Soldiers are not something ordinary people, or even ordinary wealthy and powerful people, can access!
She recalled Zhang Yu's eyes when he left, so calm, so indifferent.
Just like the farce that had turned her and her new boyfriend into clowns, and this earth-shattering scene of being picked up by helicopter.
To him, they were all trivial matters.
That calmness wasn't feigned; it was a genuine detachment from worldly affairs, a detachment that looked down upon All Beings.
A chilling coldness instantly shot from the soles of Wang Li's feet to the top of her head, making her feel cold all over, with her hands and feet icy cold.
Regret.
A wave of heart-wrenching regret washed over her in an instant.
She personally pushed away a tremendous fortune and unimaginable opportunity that could have befallen her.
No, it was thrown away like trash, with disgust!
Ridiculous.
That's ridiculous.
Wang Li's face was deathly pale, her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.
She suddenly realized that she was the biggest joke.
And Zhang Yu, whom she once considered "unworthy of her," is probably now sitting in that helicopter representing Supreme power, flying towards a world she can never imagine or reach.
A profound sense of loss, resentment, regret, and an indescribable fear gripped her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
Just then, her new boyfriend's cold and urgent voice came from beside her:
Let's break up.
Wang Li suddenly turned her head and looked at him in disbelief.
The man's face had lost its previous smugness and intimacy, leaving only barely concealed panic and a resolute desire to sever ties.
He didn't even look at Wang Li's pale face, speaking rapidly:
"Wang Li, let's part ways amicably."
Your ex-boyfriend... is not simple.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, let's stop contacting each other.
After saying that, he didn't give Wang Li any chance to react or question him, and turned around and strode towards his Mercedes-Benz- Benz.
He walked hurriedly, even with a hint of panic, as if some ferocious beast was chasing him.
He is a person who knows how to protect himself, or rather, a sophisticated egoist.
Zhang Yu's demonstrated background and capabilities, including the ability to mobilize military helicopters for a evacuation, instilled in him a deep-seated sense of dread.
He didn't know who Zhang Yu was or what his background was.
But he knew very well that offending such a person, even unintentionally, could have unbearable consequences.
In order to avoid being caught in the crossfire of possible retaliation, he did not hesitate to choose the "safest" way.
Immediately and completely sever ties with Wang Li and distance yourself from her.
The Mercedes-Benz engine let out a low growl, quickly drove away from the school gate, merged into the traffic, and soon disappeared from sight.
Only Wang Li remained, standing there all alone.
She understood her boyfriend's considerations and why he broke up with her so decisively.
Faced with absolute power and unknown dangers, their fragile emotions, built on money and vanity, are utterly vulnerable.
But understanding is one thing, but when all of this actually happens to you...
The coldness and humiliation of being abandoned, used, and then discarded like trash still gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.
Her ex-boyfriend's career skyrocketed, making him someone she could never reach.
Her current boyfriend avoided her like the plague, dumping her as if she were a hot potato.
Onlookers pointed and whispered, treating her as the subject of their amusement.
In less than half an hour, she went from a self-righteous "victor" to a complete loser and a clown.