Chapter 36: Taking Advantage of the Chaos

Chapter 36: Profiteering

Lin Zhou pursed her lips. "Do you know who she is sitting with?"

Lu Shangjin looked at Lin Zhou’s cold, stern face and pondered for a few seconds. "Seeing you so furious, is it Gu Mang?"

"Yes." Mentioning this, Lin Zhou’s anger flared up. "It was my mistake to misunderstand your relationship with Gu Mang before, and I had no objections to you getting her into Mingcheng High School, but I will not allow her to lead Lu Yang astray. That is my bottom line."

Lu Shangjin laughed aloud. "Lu Yang? Does he even need someone to lead him astray?"

It wasn't that he looked down on his son; the boy was proficient in nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun. He only blamed himself for being too busy with work in the past and neglecting his discipline.

Lin Zhou’s expression grew colder. "What is that supposed to mean? Are you siding with an outsider instead of caring about your own son? Don't think I don't know what Gu Mang has done in the past. Fighting, causing trouble, skipping classes—hasn't she done enough of that?"

Lu Shangjin frowned. "Gu Mang isn't as bad as you think."

Lin Zhou sneered. "She’s even been to a juvenile detention center. How can you still call her a good student?"

Lu Shangjin moved his lips, but couldn't be bothered to explain further. "If you are dissatisfied, have Lu Yang ask his teacher to change his seat."

...

After evening self-study, Lu Yang returned to the Lu family villa.

At the dinner table.

"I’m not changing it," Lu Yang said indifferently as he picked up a piece of pork rib.

Lin Zhou felt a lump of anger in her throat. Not wanting to affect the mother-son relationship, she handed a file folder she had prepared in advance to Lu Yang. "Look at this yourself."

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, unwound the string of the file folder, and pulled out Gu Mang’s records.

When he flipped to the page with her exam scores, the corner of his mouth twitched.

All zeros. Not even he was that impressive.

How did she manage that? It was so uniform!

"You see now," Lin Zhou said, watching Lu Yang’s shocked expression, feeling a bit more at ease. "Gu Mang is not a good student. Stay away from her in the future. I don't expect you to be as outstanding as your sister, but at least don't disgrace the family."

Lu Yi curled her lips, eating quietly.

After finishing the records, Lu Yang looked up. "Mom, you don't need to worry about this. I’ve grown up; I know how to handle my own affairs."

Seeing that his attitude was vastly different from what she had anticipated, Lin Zhou’s eyes darkened. "What do you mean by that?"

Lu Yang set the file aside and picked up his chopsticks. "I won't be changing my seat. It’s useless even if you go to Teacher Xi. You know my temper."

Lin Zhou’s face turned livid instantly, and she glared at him with cold fury.

Lu Yang smiled and placed a piece of fish into Lin Zhou’s bowl. "Mom, don't be angry, it’ll make you age. Just eat."

Her hopes dashed, and seeing that he had no intention of distancing himself from Gu Mang, Lin Zhou’s eyes were filled with cold light.

...

After the eight o'clock evening self-study, Gu Mang greeted Meng Jinyang, then walked out of the school gate with the leave slip she had gotten signed by Xi Yan that afternoon.

Tianque.

There was an important transaction tonight.

Gu Mang sat down at the bar. "A Mojito."

Lin Shuang turned her head and saw the young girl sitting next to her, wearing her signature black baseball cap and a black hoodie.

Gu Mang asked, "What’s the situation? Why do you need me to step in?"

Lin Shuang sighed. "I wouldn't want to bother you either, especially with the college entrance exam countdown and you being a senior."

Gu Mang raised an eyebrow and said with a straight face, "It's good that you know. I still have to get into college."

Lin Shuang nearly choked on her drink. The world’s number one hacker saying she had to get into college—what a bizarre image that was.

She wiped the spilled alcohol from the corner of her mouth with her thumb and got back to business. "I can't hack into Tianque’s surveillance system. Help me out, and I’ll give you ten percent once it’s done."

Gu Mang raised one eyebrow and nonchalantly held up two clean, slender fingers. "Twenty percent."

Lin Shuang: "..."

Profiteering, she’s truly ruthless.

Gritting her teeth, she said, "Deal."