It wasn’t that Lin Ran looked down on the Yu Ai family—it was just that he trusted Luo Yao too much.
If the prominent families in the Demon City weren’t up to par, did that mean the ones in the capital would be?
In their past lives, they had failed. Did they really think they could succeed in this one?
And even if, by some remote chance, Luo Yao failed, the two of them could still live out the rest of their days in comfort with her cold billions.
That was their confidence.
What Lin Ran and Luo Yao truly cared about was never status or wealth, but love and happiness.
Not to mention, there was still Airan Capital.
The fundamental difference between Luo Yao and those other families was that she fought under the banner of Luo Corporation while channeling all the profits into Airan Capital.
"Uncle Fu, prepare the car. I’m heading out."
Lin Ran wasn’t as flashy as he used to be. In the past, he’d always driven eye-catching supercars.
Now, he didn’t even drive himself.
He had a chauffeur, and he simply sat back.
And not just any car—a low-key Rolls-Royce.
There were only four people in the car: Lin Ran, Abu, Little Tong, and the driver, Wang Bao.
As for the rest of the bodyguards, they followed in separate vehicles.
Truthfully, Lin Ran didn’t think he needed so many bodyguards. Abu and a few others were enough.
It wasn’t like there’d be some massive riot—what was the point of having so many?
But Luo Yao disagreed. The whole reason she’d assembled such a formidable security team was for Lin Ran’s sake.
The understated limited-edition Rolls-Royce pulled out of the estate, and Lin Ran made his way to Jingda University.
The moment he stepped onto campus, students seemed to materialize out of thin air, as if drawn by his presence.
Lin Ran was far too famous now—his and Luo Yao’s fanbase spanned every corner of the country.
But when those students caught sight of Abu, his sharp gaze made them think twice about approaching.
Lin Ran didn’t mind the peace and quiet.
Before heading to the principal’s office, he stopped by the new library to check on things—and to see Old Wu.
That is, Wu Zhishang’s father.
"Uncle, I was too busy during the New Year to visit. Here’s a little something for you."
"Oh, Chairman Lin, you really shouldn’t have, haha!"
Wu's Father couldn’t hide his smugness as he glanced at the engineers nearby.
See that? The chairman himself brought me a gift and called me "Uncle." None of you get that kind of treatment.
After chatting for a while, Wu's Father suddenly pulled Lin Ran aside and lowered his voice.
"Xiao Ran—you don’t mind me calling you that, do you?"
"Uncle, what kind of person do you take me for? You’ve always called me that."
Wu's Father grinned from ear to ear.
"Xiao Ran, you’re a damn prophet! Remember my old workplace? It actually blew up—if I’d still been in that position, I’d have been thrown under the bus for sure."
"Enough said. Thank you for pulling me out of there. From now on, I’m your real uncle. Whatever you need, just say the word. If you tell me to go east, I won’t go west. If you tell me to beat a dog, I won’t kill a chicken."
Lin Ran was a little surprised. The scandal at Wu's Father’s former workplace had erupted much earlier than expected. The butterfly effect really was something else.
"Uncle, no need to stand on ceremony. You’re Wu Zhishang’s father, so of course you’re family. If I ever end up starving, I might have to knock on your door for a meal."
Wu's Father’s expression darkened. "Nonsense! You’ll always be at the top, never falling. I’m counting on you to make me rich!"
Lin Ran laughed. He loved Wu's Father’s straightforwardness. If Lin Tianba had been even a tenth as decent, he wouldn’t have ended up the way he did.
"I should go see the principal now. Let’s catch up another time."
"Sure, go ahead."
As Lin Ran waved goodbye, he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. He’d offended Wu's Father more than once in the past.
After all, he’d played "daddy" to Wu Zhishang on more than a few occasions.
Jingda University, Principal’s Office.
Knock knock knock!
"Come in!"
Lin Ran stepped inside, and Principal Tang immediately rose to greet him.
"Lin Ran, what brings you here?"
Lin Ran smirked. "Cut the act. You’re the one who had someone call me back, aren’t you?"
At this point, who didn’t know Lin Ran was Luo Yao’s husband?
If higher-ups hadn’t given the green light, Lin Ran doubted anyone would dare order him around.
Principal Tang chuckled awkwardly, his face flushing.
"Lin Ran, no need to be so formal. You’re one of our biggest benefactors—why would I ever make things difficult for you?"
"The reason I asked you here is because there’s a small issue with the library. I wanted to discuss it with you."
Lin Ran spread his hands. "Let me guess—you need more money."
Principal Tang shook his head quickly. "No, no, the funding is settled. It’s just that you’ve donated the library, helped with admissions campaigns, and this year, we’ve had more inquiries from parents than ever before."
"The university wants to honor you by naming you ‘Person of the Year’ and adding you to the Hall of Fame. What do you think?"
Lin Ran: "Not interested."
Principal Tang blinked. "Huh?"
"First, I can’t be ‘hung on a wall.’ Second, I don’t care about empty titles. If you really want to do something, help the hardworking students instead."
"Also, I hope this is the last time I step into Jingda as a student. I’m here to tell you one thing today."
"Give. Me. My. Diploma!"
Damn it.
The only reason he was still bound to this place was because he was technically a student.
Once he had that diploma, no dean or principal would ever boss him around again.
If he felt like it, he’d show up for appearances. If not, he’d never set foot here again.
He was a chaebol’s husband now—being ordered around by a school? How embarrassing would that be for his wife?
So damn embarrassing.
Principal Tang’s face twisted into a pained expression.
"But you still have a few months until graduation, and… and…"
"Do I need to have my wife come here and explain it to you?"
Principal Tang straightened up instantly.
"Lin Ran, you’re an adult. You can make your own decisions—no need to involve family. But given your outstanding contributions to the university, an early graduation is perfectly reasonable."
"Still, I hope you’ll remember Jingda as your alma mater and lend a hand when you can in the future."
Lin Ran nodded. That much wasn’t an unreasonable request.
"Fine. Now, your old principal here has ambitions for a promotion. Think you could help with that?"
Ah. So this was what he’d been leading up to all along.
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
