The Miraculous Skull

Tiansheng Group headquarters building.

Big Boss Qin Dongbei looked over the report summarized by his subordinates.

The report highlighted that First Consortium had recently acquired a batch of rare items worth a fortune, numbering no less than fifty pieces. This was enough to arm at least ten mid-to-high-level tower climber squads, providing a small but significant boost to the group's mid-tier strength.

Qin Dongbei frowned as he flipped through the pages.

There was very little detailed explanation regarding this report.

Even the acquisition method for the corresponding items was listed as "Unknown," meaning that even the spies who had been embedded for years could not uncover the information. It only carried a note: speculated to be private, non-public intelligence from the group's Intelligence Department, provided by an independent external tower climber.

"What do you think?" Qin Dongbei asked, looking up at the scarred young man sitting opposite him, appearing casual. "It seems First Consortium is truly blessed by heaven. The world only seeks to cooperate with them and looks down on our Tiansheng. Such good intelligence is only sold to them, and Tiansheng doesn't even have the qualifications to bid?"

The scarred young man scoffed with disdain. "Just some rare items from low tower levels. Is our group lacking these?"

"How could we not be?" Qin Dongbei was clearly unsatisfied with the other's answer. "Wealth and strength are accumulated bit by bit. You cannot underestimate any minor growth of an opponent, especially when it is our number one competitor!"

Seeing Qin Dongbei's tone grow heavy, the scarred young man put away his nonchalant expression, thought carefully, and said, "Then we kill the chicken to scare the monkey. If we wipe out everyone who chooses the wrong partner, no one will have the guts to go to First Consortium anymore."

"Too reckless." Qin Dongbei only offered this one comment before falling into silence.

A long while passed.

He saw the young man opposite him sitting restlessly.

He shook his head, summoned his patience, and instructed, "At least it cannot be such an obvious targeting. If First Consortium gets a handle on us, it will be difficult to explain."

The young man nodded, appearing to understand only half of it.

At this moment, a listener behind the young man, clearly a trusted aide, suddenly spoke up: "Boss, Young Master, this person selling the intelligence actually has a record inside Mirror."

Qin Dongbei let out an "Oh?" and looked curiously at the scarred young man.

The young man turned half-way around, looking behind him in confusion.

The listener took a small step forward, bowed, and said, "Young Master, it is that Wang Wen. As for the intelligence traded, it is almost certainly the [Earth-Shaking Talisman] inquired about within the Guard Department."

"Him again?" the young man asked suspiciously. "This guy is eating from two plates with one piece of intel?"

The listener couldn't help but laugh. "I reckon he's too busy trying to save his own skin to care about that."

"Clang, clang."

Qin Dongbei tapped the table opposite them. "You two, say something I can actually understand."

The young man rolled his eyes, followed suit with a laugh, and said to Qin Dongbei, "Dad, I have a great idea! It can kill the chicken to scare the monkey while ensuring First Consortium can't catch us in any wrongdoing!"

"And while I'm at it..."

A trace of malice flashed through his eyes. "I can vent my frustration."

Wang Wen timed his arrival back at The Academy to catch dinner at the cafeteria.

Eating was one of the few moments in his day when he could calm his mind and relax.

Therefore, he cherished it and took it very seriously.

Unfortunately, he was blocked just as he reached the gate of The Academy.

Wang Wen checked the time; not wanting to get entangled, he pretended not to see the person and tried to brush past toward the side of the gate, hoping to just slip through.

The blocker stood in his way with an amused expression. "Mr. Wang, everyone is very busy, so why don't you stop being naughty?"

Wang Wen stopped helplessly. "Speak, what is it?"

The blocker introduced himself politely: "I am Shen Rushuang, the head steward of Mirror for Tiansheng Group. I am here to ask Mr. Wang, could you please stay a bit further away from Miss Cheng Queyi?"

"What era is this that you're still using such clichéd tactics? Isn't it disgusting?" Wang Wen asked him curiously. "Those thugs were also sent by you, right? Shuang'er?"

Shen Rushuang's expression remained unchanged as he nodded. "Since you know it's us and still won't back off, does Mr. Wang intend to play a game with Tiansheng?"

"Don't misunderstand, I have no thoughts regarding Tiansheng Group." Wang Wen's first half of the sentence made the other man smile.

Unfortunately, as soon as the second half came out, Rushuang turned as cold as frost.

"I certainly wouldn't interfere with a normal pursuit of Cheng Queyi. If they were in love, I would even hope she finds a good home. But why must you use such low-class methods?"

"Understood." Shen Rushuang did not say anything more and stepped aside, leaving the gate of The Academy.

The very second he vacated his position.

Several figures, who had been nowhere to be seen, suddenly appeared in the air and lunged at Wang Wen.

"BOOM!"

The poor ground suffered a miserable cracking.

Wang Wen, who had ducked into The Academy gate a step early, pointed at the shattered ground and shouted outside: "You have to pay for damaging public property!"

After shouting, he turned and ran toward the cafeteria.

The figures looked at the ground in confusion, then rose and chased after Wang Wen, who was running with lightning speed into The Academy.

And then.

They were hauled out and tossed past the gates by the guards as if they were mere chicks.

Shen Rushuang's face was cold as frost as he walked over and asked, "Is The Academy planning to block Tiansheng Group?"

A man among the guards, dressed in a supervisor's uniform, cupped his hands and chuckled, "It is naturally no problem for Lord Shen to enter The Academy for a visit, but is there really a need for these two or three hundred layers of Mirror? The Academy is a place for study."

The two or three hundred layers of Mirror were furious, howling and screeching about tearing The Academy apart.

Shen Rushuang reached out to hold them back, straightened his collar, and walked into The Academy gates: "Then this Shen will come for a visit today to see exactly what gives The Academy the confidence to lock horns with Tiansheng Group."

The supervisor kept saying "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," while taking the lead and gesturing toward the direction of the Dean's Office.

The Academy cafeteria.

Wang Wen rushed through the entrance, hurriedly grabbed some food, and quickly found an empty, unoccupied table to start shoveling it down.

He was like a heartless machine for producing waste.

Halfway through his meal.

A tray was set down beside his hand.

A faint scent of shampoo drifted into Wang Wen's nose, cutting through the chaotic smell of cooking oil and grease in the cafeteria.

He looked up to see the crazy woman, frowned, and picked up his tray to move to another table.

Just as he set his tray down, he saw Yu Zhi following him, refusing to give up as she carried her own tray.

He picked his up again, only to hear a weak, choked sob from across the table: "If you walk away again, I will cry."

"What exactly do you want?" Wang Wen said, somewhat impatiently: "I am currently being hunted, stay away from me!"

Yu Zhi rubbed her eyes and shook her head: "Don't worry, I have already made them stop; no one will make things difficult for you anymore."

Wang Wen's eyelid twitched as he repeated these words in his mind, feeling a bit shocked.

He tentatively asked: "They... would listen to a little girl like you?"

Yu Zhi smiled bleakly: "I couldn't command them, but the person who likes me can. I have already promised him; my only requirement was that he stop bothering you."

"You???" Wang Wen was greatly alarmed, looking Yu Zhi up and down.

Come to think of it, although Yu Zhi was only a department beauty and perhaps couldn't compare to Cheng Queyi from an extreme perspective, one could not deny that she was a one-in-a-hundred beauty.

Judging by the low-class methods of that person from Tiansheng, it was entirely possible he was desperate enough to lie to Yu Zhi, trick her into his grasp, eat his fill, and then discard her before continuing to cause trouble for Cheng Queyi.

Looking at it this way, this crazy woman was doing something entirely futile.

Not only did she fail to cut off the root of the problem, but she also sacrificed herself for nothing.

It even forced Wang Wen to passively accept such an unwanted favor.

"You are foolish!" Wang Wen finally put down his tray and said to Yu Zhi: "That person is a beast! He is only lusting after your body!"

Yu Zhi smoothed a lock of hair that had fallen onto her forehead and smiled bitterly: "Aren't all men like that?"

She raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and stared unblinkingly at Wang Wen: "I waited for you for such a long, long time, but you haven't come to class in such a long, long time. I just wanted to say I'm sorry to you. Are you willing to forgive me?"

"No." Wang Wen's brain was a mess.

How did another woman turn into this ghost of a person?

Following Cheng Queyi, Yu Zhi had also become like this. What kind of creatures were women? Did they not follow logic, principles, or reason?

A middle-aged man who had lived two lifetimes, he had encountered a problem that plagued most men for their entire lives.

What on earth was inside a woman's head?

Wang Wen carefully reached out to touch Yu Zhi's shoulder and whispered to her: "How about this, let's discuss this calmly. Do you think you could go back to being your usual arrogant, unyielding self? Don't do things you don't want to do for anyone's sake. Just pretend I never appeared, or treat me like a fart, can you? Just act like you've never met me and live your life normally, can you?"

His words were incoherent.

Yet, they made the girl across from him cry.

Yu Zhi didn't make a sound, but large tears fell, tracing the arc of her cheeks and dropping into her collar.

Seeing this, Wang Wen's face wrinkled into a chrysanthemum.

He reached out, gritted his teeth, and pinched that tear-stained face hard.

Then, with a "smack," he slapped her with all his might.

He rubbed his palm, which was now mixed with tears.

It felt explosive!

Yu Zhi was stunned.

She stared blankly at the boy in front of her, who stood there in a daze without saying a word.

At times he gritted his teeth.

At times he grinned foolishly.

From time to time, he would rub his palm.

She had no idea what he was thinking.

She was crying so sadly, couldn't he at least come over and coax her?

What on earth is inside a man's head?

She reached out cautiously and tugged at the corner of Wang Wen's shirt.

Wang Wen jolted awake, staring vigilantly at her hand near his crotch.

He immediately realized this was The Academy, where such things could not possibly happen.

Unlike the mindless attacks from enemies inside the World Tower just to secure a win.

He sat down in his chair.

Sitting face-to-face with Yu Zhi like close classmates, he analyzed the situation bit by bit: "Look, at the very beginning, you returned my love letter and said you didn't want to be distracted before graduation. I agreed with you and thought you were right. I clearly recognized my own mistakes, so I promised you there wouldn't be a next time and that I would stay far away so as not to upset you, right? So look at yourself now. Why has it turned into this? Why would I need to forgive you? You haven't done anything wrong."

It would have been better if Wang Wen hadn't said anything.

The moment he spoke.

The tears Yu Zhi had finally managed to stop could no longer be held back, and she burst into loud sobs: "I knew it! I knew it was because of this! I already said I was sorry, but you still won't forgive me! Then what exactly do you want me to do!!"

Wang Wen hung his mouth open.

Completely stunned.