Almost simultaneously, Lawyer Zeng stepped forward, positioning himself squarely between Chu Lintian and the man reeking of alcohol.
The atmosphere instantly turned tense.
The polite, businesslike smile had vanished from Lawyer Zeng’s face, replaced by a cold, professional detachment. His voice dropped three degrees as he said,
"General Manager Li, I suggest you show some respect to my friend."
The man addressed as General Manager Li had a greasy, flushed face, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused from drink. He blinked in surprise, struggling to fix his gaze on Lawyer Zeng, clearly taken aback by the sharp reaction.
"Friend?" General Manager Li let out a drunken scoff, his lecherous gaze sliding past Lawyer Zeng to land on Chu Lintian again.
"What kind of friend is so precious? Lawyer Zeng, you’re being stingy—introducing a woman with such a stunning figure should be a priority."
Chu Lintian ignored the drunk, her gaze drifting past Lawyer Zeng’s shoulder as she remarked in an indifferent tone,
"Lawyer Zeng, it seems you’re occupied. We won’t disturb you further."
Only then did her cool eyes settle on General Manager Li, her lips curling into the faintest smirk as she added, lightly,
"Sir, between alcohol tolerance and basic decency, at least one should be present."
The words were soft as a feather, but they landed like a boulder in General Manager Li’s ears.
Provoked, his face darkened to an ugly purple, and he exploded,
"What the hell do you mean, you bitch? You dare lecture me? I’ll make you regret this!"
With that, he lunged, his meaty hand reaching for Chu Lintian’s hair.
But Lawyer Zeng was faster. His arm shot up like an unyielding wall, intercepting General Manager Li’s grab.
There was no trace of courtesy left in Lawyer Zeng’s voice now—only icy warning.
"General Manager Li, you should understand—Ms. Chu is not someone you can afford to provoke."
It was both a warning and a reminder.
But for a drunk man devoid of reason, it only poured fuel on the fire.
"Go to hell!" General Manager Li snarled, swinging his arm with all his strength—
Slap!
The sharp crack echoed through the quiet hallway.
"Who the hell can’t I provoke? Not even the gods could stop me!" he roared, spittle flying.
Lawyer Zeng staggered from the blow, his cheek already swelling with a vivid handprint. He pressed a hand to his face, stepping back as he glared at General Manager Li, fury simmering in his eyes.
Yet he held back his anger, still blocking the drunkard from reaching Chu Lintian.
Just as tensions peaked, a figure suddenly darted in from behind—
A swift, brutal side kick slammed into General Manager Li’s ribs.
The heavy thud sent his bulky body flying like a sack of garbage, crashing into a decorative wall painting. The glass frame shattered on impact.
Before he could even groan, a white sneaker stomped down on the back of his head, grinding his face into the plush, expensive carpet.
The hallway fell dead silent.
Lawyer Zeng stood frozen, still clutching his cheek.
Chu Lintian’s expression finally flickered with something unreadable as she studied the newcomer’s straight-backed figure.
Auntie Zheng covered her mouth in shock.
Lin Mo stood impassively, his foot planted on General Manager Li’s skull, even giving it a slight twist for good measure. He leaned down, his voice quiet but razor-clear.
"Didn’t your mother teach you to apologize when you insult someone?
Today was going just fine..."
Drunken fools like this were easy to handle.
It wouldn’t take long for the restaurant staff to arrive.
And sure enough, people from General Manager Li’s private room began pouring into the hallway.
Lawyer Zeng was competent, but not yet at the level of a full law firm partner. Tonight’s dinner had been arranged by one such senior partner—a man now stepping forward.
His hair was streaked with gray, but his bearing was sharp. His gaze swept the scene, quickly landing on Chu Lintian’s unassuming figure—and recognizing her instantly.
He approached with deference, extending a hand.
"Ms. Chu, it’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well?"
Chu Lintian accepted the handshake with polite grace.
"Likewise, Lawyer Xu. Is this man your client?"
Lawyer Xu nodded—then shook his head.
"A recently concluded case." His eyes flicked to Lawyer Zeng’s bruised face.
"Though it seems we may have grounds for a new one."
Beneath Lin Mo’s foot, General Manager Li writhed, drunkenly trying to break free.
But the pressure on his skull didn’t budge.
When he flailed an arm, Lin Mo simply stomped on his hand.
The restaurant manager hurried over, his face tense as he addressed Chu Lintian.
"Ms. Chu, our deepest apologies. Should we call the police?"
The manager was shrewd—his delayed arrival had been spent reviewing security footage. His offer was clear: if needed, the restaurant would testify.
Chu Lintian turned to Zheng Yuan.
"Yuan-jie, why don’t you take the children home first? Lin Mo and I may need to visit the police station."
Zheng Yuan hesitated, eyeing Lin Mo’s still-pinned victim. "Will... will they be alright? Lin Mo, he—"
Chu Lintian smiled reassuringly. "It’s fine. With Lawyer Zeng and Lawyer Xu here, there won’t be any trouble."
Lin Mo grinned and waved at Zheng Yuan.
"Auntie Zheng, don’t worry. Take Yuling and Miaomiao back. It’s not my first time at the station—feels like home."
"Enough of that talk," Zheng Yuan chided, glancing at Chu Lintian.
"Really, it’s nothing to worry about," Chu Lintian repeated.
Still uneasy, Zheng Yuan finally nodded, weaving through the crowd toward their original private room.
At the doorway, the two girls stood watching Lin Mo’s back from a distance.
"No need to fret. Let’s head back," Zheng Yuan urged.
To her surprise, the girls exchanged a glance, then nodded calmly.
"Alright, let’s go."
Zheng Yuan blinked. "You’re not worried?"
Chu Miaomiao shook her head. Xie Yuling shrugged.
"Why worry? We’ve got the upper hand!"
Though something felt off about their confidence, Zheng Yuan decided to escort them home first.
Meanwhile, the restaurant had already called the police.
The manager bowed apologetically to Chu Lintian.
"Ms. Chu, this reflects poorly on our service. Please allow us to cover your meal tonight."
Lin Mo cut in abruptly.
"Don’t comp us—charge him!"
His foot pressed down slightly, making General Manager Li yelp.
A female secretary, who had been hiding by the private room door too afraid to intervene, immediately dialed a number.
"Hello, cousin, your husband just got beaten up."
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
