That evening, Zhao Rong arrived at Yu Lan's dormitory entrance as promised.
Does Yu Lan really have a crush on me, just like Lili said?
Just as Zhao Rong was about to knock, Yu Lan opened the door.
At that moment, Yu Lan was as beautiful as a lotus blossom fresh from the water. Before Zhao Rong could say a word, she grabbed him and pulled him inside.
"Don't be afraid," she said, tugging him into the room. "My roommates are all out for the night."
Hearing her speak so bluntly, Zhao Rong's heart began to pound. As his imagination ran wild, Yu Lan suddenly looked at him with a shy expression. With bright red lips and pearly teeth, she said, "Zhao Rong, did you know? In this whole Noble Manager Training Center, a man with your kind of masculine charm and commanding presence is truly rare."
Hearing this, Zhao Rong was stunned. This must be the first time in my life a girl has ever complimented me to my face for being assertive and masculine.
Looking at Yu Lan, who sat beside him exuding an enchanting feminine aura, he was too nervous to speak. Yu Lan, however, interpreted his nervousness as a man's coolness.
Looking at the silent Zhao Rong, she thought, This man has real depth. He hasn't said a single word since he walked in. So cool, so stylish.
She moved closer and said shyly, "Zhao Rong, tonight..."
Faced with her hint, Zhao Rong grew even more tense. Just as he was about to make his move, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
Yu Lan sat up in frustration, her brow furrowed. "Didn't I tell those two to stay out for the night? Why are they back now?"
Muttering, she went angrily to open the door. Zhao Rong was also annoyed. What thoughtless woman is ruining my good time?
However, when Yu Lan opened the door and Zhao Rong saw the man standing there, he was completely stunned.
"Assistant, why are you here?" Zhao Rong exclaimed, his eyes wide.
There at the entrance stood the assistant. With his mature-looking face and full beard, he was dressed like a manager. Yu Lan didn't recognize him and immediately started cursing. "Who are you looking for? If it's nothing, then get lost!"
The assistant stood in the doorway with a cheeky grin. "I'm a friend of Zhao Rong's. I'm here to see him." With that, he pushed his way inside.
Zhao Rong looked at the assistant's punchable face and demanded, "What are you doing here?" He took in the assistant's older-looking face and manager costume, and felt an overwhelming urge to punch him.
The assistant leaned close to Zhao Rong's ear and whispered, "I heard this woman is into you, so I came over to..." He finished with a broad, toothy grin.
Lili was repulsed by Zhao Rong, but out of selfish possessiveness, she didn't want Yu Lan to have him either. So, she had called the boss of the Love Chasing Company and had him send someone to disrupt their evening.
Zhao Rong angrily scolded the assistant and told him to leave, but no matter what he or Yu Lan said, the assistant shamelessly refused to budge. Left with no choice, Zhao Rong stood up to say goodbye to Yu Lan.
Yu Lan looked at him, seeming as if she had something more to say. As they parted, she warned him, "Zhao Rong, this afternoon in the hallway, I overheard Lili on the phone. Her boyfriend, Wang Jingang the Killer King, is bringing several experts to the training center in three days to teach you a lesson. You have to be careful."
Hearing that an Assassin was after Zhao Rong, the assistant was the first to cower. "Zhao Rong, when you die, don't drag me down with you!"
The news that an Assassin was bringing experts for revenge made Zhao Rong's own stomach churn. I may have the reflexes of a cat, but I'm no good in a real fight. What am I going to do?
Despite his worries, he returned to his dormitory as if nothing was wrong.
At the Noble Manager Training Center, each dorm room housed three people. However, when Zhao Rong and the assistant walked into their room, they were met with the sight of more than a dozen burly men standing stiffly inside.
Zhao Rong stared at the men. Don't tell me Lili's boyfriend is already here for revenge?
The assistant, like a turtle pulling its head into its shell, immediately ducked behind Zhao Rong. He looked at the intimidating figures and stammered, "Hey, big guys, I'm just Zhao Rong's assistant, not his friend! Please don't hit the wrong person!" A traitorous smile spread across his face as he spoke.
The leader, a hulking man who was 1.9 meters tall and weighed nearly 275 pounds, stepped forward. He pointed a finger at Zhao Rong and said viciously, "Shorty, are you the new student, Zhao Rong?"
Compared to the behemoth before him, Zhao Rong, at 1.7 meters tall and weighing less than 125 pounds, looked as frail as a kitten.
Zhao Rong nodded. "I am Zhao Rong. Are you the men sent by Wang Jingang the Killer King to get revenge?"
The big man roared with laughter. "What Wang Jingang the Killer King? I'm the boss of this training center."
Hearing that these men weren't sent by the Assassin, Zhao Rong breathed a sigh of relief. His assistant whispered a reminder from the side. "Zhao Rong, this guy's name is Dasha. He's the boss of this training center and specializes in collecting protection money."
Realizing he was being shaken down, Zhao Rong quickly explained his situation. "Boss, I'm just a poor guy, completely broke. If you're looking to collect protection money, you're barking up the wrong tree."
Dasha grinned maliciously. "No money? How can someone with no money get into this Noble Manager Training Center and chase the chairman's daughter, Lili? Who do you think you're fooling?"
"Please, don't misunderstand," Zhao Rong explained. "I'm just a salesman for the Love Chasing Company, and chasing Lili is just part of my job. If I can win her over, I get a bonus of 100,000. If you're not in a hurry, how about you wait until I succeed and get that bonus? I'll be happy to pay you some protection money then."
Seeing that Zhao Rong was trying to weasel out of paying, Dasha flew into a rage. "I've been collecting protection money for years, and no one has ever dared to refuse me! If you don't want a beating, you'd better wise up and hand over five thousand right now!"
Hearing Dasha's outrageous demand, Zhao Rong refused flatly. "You can have my life, but I don't have any money."
Refused again, Dasha grabbed Zhao Rong's collar and effortlessly lifted him off the ground. The contrast between them was stark: Dasha, tall and formidable; Zhao Rong, thin and small. Hoisting Zhao Rong, Dasha started walking toward the door, calling back to his men, "Wait here a minute. I'm going to take this punk to the restroom and teach him a lesson."
Just as Dasha was dragging Zhao Rong away, Lili happened to be returning from the library and passed by their dorm. When she saw Dasha hauling Zhao Rong into the restroom, her heart leaped with delight. Zhao Rong is definitely going to get beaten to a pulp today. With Dasha's power as a second-level cultivator, the untrained Zhao Rong would surely be left dead or crippled.
The assistant covered his eyes. Zhao Rong is definitely doomed today.
Dasha's brothers, meanwhile, waited in the dorm, eager to see their boss handle Zhao Rong. Just before they entered the restroom, Zhao Rong grabbed the doorframe, trying to resist. "Brother, a gentleman uses his words, not his fists! Let's just talk this out. Why resort to violence?"
Dasha glared at him fiercely. "I prefer getting physical, and I hate talking, so what? Get in here and watch how I beat you to death!" With that, Dasha yanked Zhao Rong into the restroom.
The moment the door closed, a series of CRACKS and THUDS, punctuated by miserable screams, erupted from within.
Just when everyone assumed Zhao Rong was being beaten half to death, he walked out casually. There wasn't a single scratch or bloodstain on him. He straightened the tie of his school uniform and headed back toward his room.
Behind him, Dasha crawled out of the restroom, covered in blood and beaten to a pulp.
Lili stared, utterly shocked. She never would have expected the plain, skinny Zhao Rong to be capable of defeating Dasha, the training center's long-reigning bully. The assistant was also stunned. He had been sure Zhao Rong would be the one crawling out. Instead, it was Dasha, his face swollen like a pig's head.
Dasha's brothers were so shocked their jaws hung open. They couldn't believe it. Their boss, who had dominated the training center for years and seemed invincible, had been beaten into this pathetic state by the young kid before them.
Back in the dorm, Zhao Rong drank a large glass of water. As he went to sit down, he saw Dasha's brothers, who had been so arrogant moments before, now scrambling to get out of his room in a panic.
Zhao Rong watched the fleeing bullies and called out, "I only came to this training center to pursue Lili, not to pick fights. I hope you all understand."
The bullies rushed to the restroom door and helped Dasha up. "Boss, how did you get beaten so badly?" one of them exclaimed in shock.
Dasha spat out a mouthful of blood. "That kid… he's a total poser. At the door, he was all, 'A gentleman uses words, not fists…' but the second we were in the restroom, he grabbed me and just started whaling on me… Damn it, I've seen posers before, but I've never seen anyone who could act that well!"
After saying his piece, Dasha fainted.
Standing in the corner, Lili watched Zhao Rong with a new sense of awe. He was so strong that he had taken down Dasha, the tyrant who had terrorized the training center for years.
She pulled out her phone and sent a message to her boyfriend, Wang Jingang the Killer King, telling him to call off the revenge plot, as they were probably no match for Zhao Rong.
However, Wang Jingang refused to believe it. He told Lili that not only was he still coming to the training center to settle the score, but he would also do it in front of everyone, humiliating Zhao Rong and ensuring his death would be uglier than a pig's.