The Thrill of the Nouveau Riche

The underground boxing arena.

After everyone had left, the chubby referee quietly took out his phone and dialed a string of numbers—though the caller ID displayed nothing but garbled code.

"Hello, Boss Nie. Red Poison has been defeated. His current condition is unknown."

Far away, in a seaside villa in Yunzhou City.

A middle-aged man with graying temples frowned as he held the phone. "What happened? Explain it to me in detail."

"Some kid showed up at our underground boxing ring—insanely strong. He used the Fang family's Flash Fist technique and took down Red Poison in just five punches, leaving him coughing up blood."

The man gazed at the ocean view through the glass, his tone indifferent. "What’s his background?"

"Name’s An Yi, looks about twenty. Limited info so far, but according to our investigation, he’s a freshman at Donghai University."

"A freshman? Dig deeper. I want everything on him."

Hanging up, the man’s mood shifted slightly.

Twenty years old—at that age, most would have just begun dabbling in ancient martial arts. Yet this kid took down Red Poison, meaning his strength was at least at the Mingjin level.

"Truly, heroes emerge from the young. Jiangbei City is getting more interesting by the day."

The man smiled faintly.

His name was Nie Chengwen. But because it sounded too refined for his tastes, he preferred to be called Boss Nie.

A name that commanded fear across the entire southeastern province.

"Boss Nie, who was that?"

Behind him, a long-legged mixed-race beauty wrapped her arms around his broad frame, pressing her head against his back as her hands wandered toward the knot of his bathrobe.

"Enough playing. It’s time to begin the plan."

Boss Nie untangled her arms and walked over to a whiteboard, where he wrote down "An Yi" with a marker.

The board was already filled with various names. And if one looked closely, they’d notice—

"Lin Chen" was among them.

The mixed-race beauty sipped her coffee, watching as Boss Nie placed An Yi’s name near the top. She smirked. "Seems like you think highly of this kid."

"No. He’s a problem."

Boss Nie stared at the name, his eyes turning icy.

His instincts were never wrong.

This kid would never work for him.

"An Yi… I feel like I’ve heard you mention that name before," the woman mused, tapping her chin.

Boss Nie replied flatly, "His other name—or rather, his alias—is Night Emperor."

Her expression shifted slightly. "Ah. That explains it."

"Let’s just hope he doesn’t interfere with my plans."

Rubbing his temples, Boss Nie asked in a low voice, "How’s Qing Lan doing?"

The woman shrugged. "Same as always. That girl’s rebellious as hell. Who’d have thought she’d actually get into Donghai University? Boss Nie, aren’t you going to rein her in? Your daughter’s turning into a delinquent."

"Let her be. She never listens to me anyway."

Boss Nie waved it off casually.

The woman sighed, massaging her forehead. "Fine, I’ll have people keep an eye on her. But if something happens, don’t blame me. She’s got a grudge against me."

"Relax. No one would dare lay a finger on my daughter."

Boss Nie’s voice carried absolute confidence. A murderous aura flickered in his gaze.

---

Jiangbei City.

An Yi’s rented apartment.

"Know what this is?"

An Yi pointed at the appliance hanging on the bedroom wall, grinning smugly.

Shen Muxuan looked up at the long metal box and shook her head. "No idea. What is it? Can we go to Aunt Zhou’s supermarket instead? It’s so stuffy and hot in here."

"Hold on."

With deliberate showmanship, An Yi pressed the remote.

Instantly, a cool breeze began to flow.

Shen Muxuan’s eyes widened in shock.

She had never imagined that in the sweltering heat of summer, inside this sauna-like room, she could feel such refreshing air.

The metal box on the wall had just shattered her worldview.

"A-An Yi, what is this?"

The cool air left her so exhilarated that she stumbled over her words.

"Come on, dummy, it’s an air conditioner!" An Yi gloated.

Shen Muxuan gasped, reaching out to touch it, her eyes sparkling with amazement. "So this is an air conditioner?! Oh my god, oh my god! It’s so comfortable! I never thought summer could feel this good! This is heaven…"

Watching her childlike excitement, An Yi chuckled and pulled out a box. "Got one more thing for you. Here."

Shen Muxuan froze as if struck by lightning. Her delicate hands trembled as she took it. "A-An Yi, this is…"

"A phone! You’ve always wanted one, right?" An Yi grinned.

He knew how badly she’d craved a phone.

Just a phone—no big deal.

"AHHH! An Yi, I love you so much!"

Overwhelmed, she lunged at him, planting a fierce kiss on his cheek before snatching the phone.

Working at the supermarket checkout, she’d watched enviously as others used their phones—watching videos, playing games, chatting, even paying with them.

To her, a phone was nothing short of magical.

Never in her wildest dreams did she think An Yi—a guy so broke he’d mooch dry buns off her—would actually buy her one.

An Yi stood there, stunned as if struck by lightning.

He touched his cheek where she’d kissed him and sighed inwardly.

Ah, the struggles of a virgin who’d never dated—getting flustered over a single peck.

Still, being rich sure had its perks.

This was the power of money!

Shen Muxuan was too absorbed in her new phone to realize what she’d done.

But what An Yi didn’t see was how her face had turned crimson, her delicate ears burning red.

BANG!

The rickety security door swung open.

Aunt Zhou stormed in, holding a bag. "An Yi, get your ass out here!"

An Yi and Shen Muxuan exchanged glances.

"Uh… You didn’t tell Aunt Zhou about the snacks, right?" An Yi gulped, hoping for the best.

Shen Muxuan tilted her head. "I did. I said you came to stock up and took some."

An Yi: "…"

The air suddenly felt colder.

Putting on his most charming smile, An Yi turned to the frosty-faced Aunt Zhou. "Ah, Aunt Zhou, I was just about to—"

"You little brat! Taking snacks is one thing, but you were trying to clear out my entire store!"

Without hesitation, Aunt Zhou smacked the back of his head. Then she glared at Shen Muxuan. "And you! I put you in charge, not to be his lookout!"

Shen Muxuan stuck out her tongue, wisely staying silent.

"It was on credit! Just a few snacks—I’ll pay you back right now."

An Yi waved it off casually, pulling out three thick stacks of cash from his pocket. Aunt Zhou’s jaw dropped.

Where the hell did this kid get so much money?!

An Yi proceeded to count the 30,000-plus yuan meticulously—left hand to right, right hand to left—repeating the process four or five times before stuffing it all back into his pocket.

Then, from his pants, he fished out three crumpled bills and a handful of coins.

With an air of grandeur, he handed them over. "Three hundred and three yuan. Count it, Aunt Zhou."

Aunt Zhou: "…"