Choice Determines Destiny

While investigating Professor Chi, Wu Wei discovered the websites she frequented.

At the time, he hadn't identified the true identity of Professor Chi, but he did spot Professor Wang. Even though Professor Wang had blurred himself out, to an expert like Wu Wei, it was no different from running around stark naked.

Of course, the most important factor was that Wu Wei and Professor Wang were well-acquainted.

The two had dealt with each other many times, and Wu Wei held deep admiration for Professor Wang's scholarship.

As for Professor Wang's peculiar hobbies, Wu Wei didn't actually have any strong opinions.

It was just that since he had become entangled in this matter, Wu Wei could only offer his apologies.

Furthermore, the location where Professor Wang filmed his videos had also caught Wu Wei's attention.

Out of caution, he had made these preparations.

However, the subsequent turn of events was so spectacular that it was something Wu Wei could never have imagined at the start.

"Old Wang, I know you've been wallowing in self-destruction ever since God Lin rejected you back then. But there has to be a limit to such depravity. Mixing with the demon race—have you lost your mind?" the bearded man asked sternly.

Compared to Wu Wei, he naturally understood Professor Wang much better.

It was precisely because of this that he felt even more heartbroken.

That was why he hadn't hesitated to stab Professor Wang.

Their conversation completely ignored Professor Chi. The vixen felt insulted and, letting out a sharp shriek, charged directly toward Wu Wei.

Clearly, she knew how to bully the weak and fear the strong.

However, she was kicked back halfway by the bearded man.

Wu Wei's eyes lit up as he watched.

This was a battle on an entirely different level.

Although he knew this "Old Man Liu" was a badass, his actual combat prowess still exceeded his imagination.

Professor Wang waved his hand, stopping Professor Chi from attacking further.

"Give it up. While there are certainly demons capable of contending with Sixth Child, you are definitely not one of them."

"Sixth Child?"

"In the demon race, he is also known to you as one of the Six Emperors."

Professor Chi's composure shattered in an instant.

"It's you? Why would an old antique like you appear here?"

The bearded man: "..."

Damn it, speak clearly! How am I an old antique? I'm not even as old as you are.

"Sixth Child, you ask why I've fallen to this point, but don't you understand the reason yourself?"

"Don't call me Sixth Child. Call me by my name." The bearded man clearly disliked this nickname.

"Fine, Ji Xiang, that name of yours is truly... hard to describe."

Wu Wei was startled: "The founder of Ji Xiang Company? Your company's branches are everywhere, like the Ji Xiang Club, the Ji Xiang Club, and the Ji Xiang Club."

Ji Xiang: "..."

Damn it, I knew someone would say that.

Do you think I want to run clubs?

It's just that I didn't seize the chance to go legit back in the day, didn't I?

"Is it a pity? Regretting that you turned down God Lin's invitation back then and lost the chance to become one of the Six Emperors?" Professor Wang asked with a smile.

Although he had been stabbed in the back by Ji Xiang, he seemed more relieved than resentful.

To be more precise, the look he gave Ji Xiang held a hint of pity.

It was this very pity that infuriated Ji Xiang.

"Old Wang, you know I hate it when people pick at my scars. It wasn't that I didn't want to put up the money back then; my family wouldn't give it to me, so what could I do? I was desperate too!" Ji Xiang's tone became instantly agitated.

Professor Wang scoffed, slapping him down with the truth: "How did Old Lan manage to convince his family? A lack of courage is just a lack of courage. That's why Old Lan stands shoulder-to-shoulder with God Lin, Emperor Ye, and Madman Gu as a business emperor, while you watched that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip through your fingers and are now reduced to keeping company with me."

"Old Wang, keeping company with you isn't so bad."

Professor Wang waved his hand, saying desolately, "We're all our own people, so stop fronting. Do you really have no idea in your heart whether you regret it or not?"

Ji Xiang: "..." Can you not expose the harsh truth?

Professor Wang clearly couldn't be bothered to care.

"Choices determine destiny. Ever since you made that choice, you were destined to live in a different world from God Lin, Emperor Ye, and Old Lan. Who among those who know you doesn't secretly pity you?"

Ji Xiang's heart ached even more.

However, Professor Wang immediately changed his tone: "But I don't."

Ji Xiang was stunned.

"Actually, I don't understand why those people pity you behind your back. Clearly, you were the one who held the power of choice. Back then, they invited you, after all."

"But what about me? I didn't even have the qualifications to be invited."

Although Wu Wei did not fully understand the context of what Professor Wang was talking about, he could hear the pain in the professor's heart.

"The most terrifying thing for a person isn't making the wrong choice; it's not even having the opportunity to choose at all. Ji Xiang, you cannot understand me. You simply cannot understand someone who, back then, could only watch you all silently from the shadows. In your eyes, I didn't even exist."

"That year at eighteen, at the alma mater dance, standing like a nobody. Back then, I swore through tears that everyone must see me."

Wu Wei couldn't listen anymore and cut Professor Wang off directly: "That's my mom, not your mom. Why should she cater to your emotions? Why should she have had you in her eyes?"

Professor Wang: "..."

"You're such a grown man, can't you have some backbone? This is so pretentious; all those years of schooling were a complete waste on you."

Wu Wei didn't hold back at all with those two verbal stabs.

However, Professor Wang clearly wasn't hurt too deeply.

He merely shook his head and smiled bitterly: "The ignorant are fearless. Wu Wei, you have no idea what kind of opportunity that was back then."

"I truly don't, but I don't think it was that big of a deal."

Wu Wei had always believed that he could create his own opportunities.

Rather than having to seize the opportunities given to him by others.

However, Professor Wang's next words still managed to surprise Wu Wei.

"That was a heaven-shaking plan led by God Lin back then, requiring the investment of massive resources and wealth. God Lin invited five people, and only Ji Xiang refused.

After the plan succeeded, the four people who had fully supported God Lin back then are now: one is the Dean of Night Emperor Academy, one is the richest person in the Qin Kingdom, one has won the highest scientific award three times, and the last one is known as Heaven Beyond Heaven, recognized as the number one expert in the Qin Kingdom.

Those four, plus God Lin, are known within our circle as the Five Emperors, the absolute Heaven-tier overlords among the upper four levels."

Wu Wei's pupils dilated. He turned his head to look at Ji Xiang seriously, then patted him hard on the shoulder.

"Sixth Child, I sympathize with you."

Ji Xiang wanted to die.

"Ji Xiang, I tried. God Lin once said that academia is the public instrument of the world and the nation, and scholars are the treasures of the Nine Cauldrons. I believed God Lin's words, so I studied knowledge very hard, wanting to replicate her success."

"But it was truly too difficult, and giving up was really easy."

Especially after discovering a vixen.

Ji Xiang let out a long sigh: "The two of us, when it came to making choices, were both very stupid."

"Yeah, so we both have to pay the price. What you paid was your future. What I paid was my life."