Chapter 064

Liu Ruxue huddled in the corner, stammering, "I... I don’t have that much money. Please, give me a few more days, big brothers. My boyfriend has money—I’ll get him to pay you. That debt was originally owed to him anyway."

The Yellow-Haired Man suddenly raised his hand, making Liu Ruxue scream in terror before he lowered it again.

"You’ve got three more days. If you don’t pay up by then, I’ll have to take action. And don’t even think about doubting my word. Unless you want your family, your school, and all your classmates knowing about your debt, you’d better come up with 1.1 million ASAP."

Liu Ruxue’s eyes widened. "Wasn’t it just a million?"

Huo Haini crouched nearby, silent the whole time.

The Yellow-Haired Man smirked. "That was before. Now it’s 1.1 million. And if you don’t pay in three days, the interest increases by 10,000 every day. That’s the rule."

Mustering a shred of courage, Liu Ruxue retorted, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll call the police?"

Slap! The Yellow-Haired Man struck her across the face, drawing blood from her lip.

"Go ahead and try. Sure, you’d only have to pay the principal if the cops get involved—but you’ll regret the consequences."

Terrified into silence, Liu Ruxue could only nod meekly.

She didn’t dare gamble. She was too afraid.

1.1 million! If it were before, it might’ve been manageable, but now, even if the Liu and Lin families pooled everything, they couldn’t scrape together a million.

And just when things couldn’t get worse, Lin Ran had transferred the debt to her—clearly setting her up.

Once the thugs left, Huo Haini helped Liu Ruxue up.

"Ruxue, you’ve got to find a way to pay. Otherwise, they won’t let this go."

Mostly sober now, Liu Ruxue blinked back tears. "But how? My cousin’s family borrowed heavily to acquire shares, and even my family’s funds are tied up. It’ll take time before we get any back. Besides, I can’t bring myself to tell them."

Huo Haini said, "I have an idea."

Liu Ruxue’s eyes lit up. "What?"

"Go to Lin Ran. He definitely has money—otherwise, he wouldn’t be driving such an expensive car."

Liu Ruxue frowned. "But didn’t you say he doesn’t care about me anymore?"

Huo Haini shook her head. "Not necessarily. I’ve been thinking, and something feels off. Maybe Lin Ran transferred the debt to force you to beg him—he’s still angry. Why else would he pressure you when your family’s struggling? It’s worth a shot."

Well, she spins it however she wants.

After a long silence, hope flickered back into Liu Ruxue’s eyes. She nodded firmly.

"You’re right! I’ll try. I’ll win Lin Ran back—he’s just upset. The freshman welcome party is the day after tomorrow. I’ll confess my feelings in front of the whole school and prove my determination to him."

Huo Haini was stunned. She hadn’t expected Liu Ruxue to go this far.

"But your performance slot was canceled."

Liu Ruxue smirked. "I’ll find a way."

"Then… good luck."

For the longest time, Liu Ruxue had believed Lin Ran would never truly demand repayment. But these past few days had proven her wrong—he would push her to the brink.

---

The next day, Principal Tang, acting on a whim, called Luo Corporation.

Ten minutes later, Liu Meng, Luo Yao’s assistant, returned the message:

"President Luo has accepted your invitation. She will appear at tomorrow’s event to deliver a five-minute motivational speech for the freshmen…"

Principal Tang nearly danced a cha-cha on the spot, bursting with excitement.

Luo Yao—who was she? Most people rarely even caught a glimpse of her, let alone secured her presence at a university welcome party. This was a huge coup.

But Principal Tang knew the truth: it wasn’t his influence that had swayed her. It was that man.

The thought only deepened his admiration for Lin Ran, elevating him in his mind to near-equal footing.

Soon, the school announced: A Forbes-listed heavyweight will speak at the welcome party. All students are invited.

The news electrified the campus, especially the seniors. For soon-to-be graduates, seeing and hearing a business titan in person was invaluable.

Principal Tang also informed Lin Ran that he’d speak backstage at the freshman event. Lin Ran accepted with a grateful smile.

---

Another day passed. The fourteen-day military training for freshmen finally ended, and the welcome party arrived.

At 6 p.m., the massive open-air stage on the sports field—lavishly decorated despite its simplicity—was packed.

Under the crowd’s gaze, Principal Tang took the stage, launching into a ten-minute speech filled with encouragement for both new and returning students. Then, the show began.

The senior class reps kicked things off with an opening act, followed by a dazzling array of performances. Thanks to the school’s generous budget, the production rivaled professional stages.

Soon, it was the freshmen’s turn. A delicate but determined girl stepped up—Zhang Xiaonuan, the newly elected campus belle—singing an original song with surprising vigor.

Lin Ran and Wu Zhishang exchanged surprised glances. Who knew Zhang Xiaonuan, coming from such a background, could be so talented?

As the event neared its end, Lin Ran finally took the stage—not to perform, but to recruit on behalf of his company, a privilege arranged by the school.

The moment he appeared, students—especially the girls—erupted.

"Wow! He’s so handsome! Is this our campus heartthrob?"

"Lin Ran, I love you! Ditch Liu Ruxue—come to me instead!"

"Did he just say he’s inviting us to join his venture? Did I hear that right?"

"Yeah! Sounds like he founded a media company?"

"No way! That’s insane! I still need my internship certification—can I sign up?"

Wu Zhishang assisted with the pitch. After five minutes of highlights, Lin Ran wrapped up:

"Warm Yao Media and Warm Yao Real Estate may be new, but as the PPT shows, our prospects are bright. We welcome all of you to join us. For interviews, contact my good friend Wu Zhishang. Thank you."

Amid thunderous applause, Lin Ran and Wu Zhishang exited. Now, they’d wait for the results.

This campus exposure would at least solve their staffing shortage. As for quality? That was Wu Zhishang’s job—to sift through the applicants like panning for gold.

After Lin Ran left, instead of moving on, the host yielded the stage once more to Principal Tang.