“Su Jie, you’re leaving already? You haven’t even finished learning from Master Ma and Master Luo!”

That day, seeing Su Jie packing his bags to return to S City, Zhang Manman couldn’t help but ask.

“They’ve already taught me the essence of physiognomy and feng shui. But I can’t grasp it all at once—there’s too much to digest. Trying to absorb more now wouldn’t be productive. Besides, I’ve already taken a month off,” Su Jie replied.

In terms of regular attendance, Su Jie was definitely not a model student. By the time he reached his third year of high school, he was frequently taking extended leaves—sometimes disappearing for a month at a time.

His homeroom teacher had gotten used to it. As long as his grades didn’t slip, she turned a blind eye.

Moreover, after speaking with his parents, the teacher, Chen Juan, knew that Su Jie was learning other valuable things outside of school, which gave her peace of mind. After several exams, she realized Su Jie had completely mastered the high school curriculum and was already self-studying university-level courses. In class, there really wasn’t much left for him to learn.

“Aren’t you going to explore B City a bit more? I know it pretty well since I used to come here often. How about I show you around?” Zhang Manman offered.

“Sure. I plan to apply for college here anyway, so it’s good to get familiar with the area. It’ll be convenient to get back too—just a two-hour flight,” Su Jie nodded.

Traveling from B City to S City took only two to three hours by plane, with over a dozen flights daily. It was almost like taking a bus. Both were international metropolises with excellent transportation.

“Huh?” This time, it was Zhang Manman’s turn to be surprised. “I’ve invited you out a few times in the past few days, and you kept turning me down, saying you needed to study. Why the sudden change of heart today?”

“Really? I don’t remember,” Su Jie was momentarily stunned, then recalled she had indeed brought it up more than once.

Seeing that Su Jie wasn’t pretending, Zhang Manman laughed. She didn’t know exactly why, but ever since she met Su Jie at Minglun Martial Arts Academy, she had felt he was an incredibly disciplined and regimented person.

After spending some time in Master Ma’s courtyard with him, she became even more certain—he dedicated nearly every second to learning. Back then, she had other matters to attend to and didn’t stay long.

Now that they were both studying and living together here, she had a firsthand look at how intense Su Jie really was.

He woke up on time, practiced martial arts, ate, studied, trained again in the evening, and then went to sleep.

Every single day, without deviation. Practically down to the second.

She felt like Su Jie was a machine—some sort of cyborg, or an AI in a human shell.

She had seen plenty of academic overachievers, but none had the kind of precise structure and discipline that Su Jie exhibited.

He never lost focus. Every moment was spent thinking, learning, training, and understanding. His every move was upright and dignified, radiating a monk-like solemnity. He didn’t exhibit any of the traits expected of young people—not even those common among middle-aged or elderly folks.

‘Even my dad isn’t like this. Does his thirst for knowledge really run that deep?’ Zhang Manman didn’t know how to evaluate Su Jie. His lifestyle seemed inhumanly structured—too sterile.

But just now, Su Jie had unexpectedly accepted her invitation, which surprised her and made her feel that maybe there was still a bit of “human warmth” left in him after all.

“By the way, how’s your company going?” Su Jie suddenly remembered something.

“Take a look at this news first,” Zhang Manman replied, pulling out her phone and handing it to him.

> Massive Shake-Up in the Xu Family!

> Xu Qiaomu’s Will Revealed – Xu Jiazhi from the Third Generation Takes the Helm

> Xu Ziming, Xu Zide, Xu Ziqiang, Xu Jiahao, and Xu Jiaren Under Investigation for Embezzlement; All Shares Transferred to Haoyu Group

> Xu Jiahong Also Transfers Shares to Haoyu Group

> Xu Family Stock Plummets; Haoyu Group Takes Advantage for Acquisition

> Haoyu Executive Li Xiaozhen Leads the Charge to Seize Board Control

> Xu Group’s Overseas Trade Paralyzed by Militant Interference – Facing Massive International Claims

> The Xu Empire Teeters – What’s Next?

A barrage of headlines flashed across Su Jie’s eyes—it was nothing short of an earthquake.

He had spent a month studying under Masters Luo and Ma, disconnected from online news, and had no idea such a monumental upheaval had occurred in such a short time.

“How could this happen? Haoyu again! Their attack was brutal—coordinated, multi-pronged, and clearly premeditated. Even such a massive group like Xu’s is being overwhelmed without resistance.” Su Jie wasn’t a business expert, but he understood enough to see that Haoyu had been planning this for a long time. Even high-ranking executives within the Xu Group had likely been compromised.

Particularly concerning was the massive overseas shipment that had been seized by militants. Without timely delivery, the Xu Group now faced enormous international penalties—a blow straight to the core, and Su Jie suspected Haoyu’s involvement behind the scenes.

He couldn’t help but think of Feng Hengyi again.

The subsequent share acquisition and boardroom takeover were aggressive and lethal—like a master duelist aiming straight for the heart.

“Hmm?” Su Jie noticed something—Haoyu’s executive in charge of the takeover was none other than Li Xiaozhen, the woman he had once saved on a whim, and the ex-girlfriend of Xu Jiahong. She lived in a fifty-million-yuan mansion that was worse than a landfill.

“Xu Jiahong got played. Dated a woman and didn’t gain anything—ended up leaking tons of family intel instead. Now Haoyu’s going for the kill. The Xu family doesn’t have any real heavy-hitters left—they probably won’t be able to withstand the assault,” Zhang Manman commented. “If Xu Qiaomu were ten years younger and full of energy, Haoyu wouldn’t stand a chance. But right now, they’re in serious danger.”

“Is there any way to turn this around?”

The Xu family was Su Jie’s mother Xu Ying’s side of the family. Although she had cut ties, never taken a cent from them, and wanted nothing to do with them in the future, Su Jie still didn’t want to see the family wiped out by Haoyu like this.

“If they succeed in swallowing the Xu Group, Haoyu will become fully-fledged,” Zhang Manman said. “The Xu family owns a lot, especially overseas—companies, real estate, unique trade channels. Domestically, they have real estate, hotels, supermarkets, and manufacturing businesses. Though these are capital-heavy and less profitable now, for Haoyu—a lightweight online business—they offer exactly the kind of foundation and assets they lack.”

“I get that. Haoyu’s strength lies in online networks, but they’re weak in traditional industries, which is Xu’s strength. If Xu Qiaomu were still in good health, Haoyu wouldn’t have an easy time. He could even reverse the situation and trap them. But he’s dying—if he passes, the whole house of cards will fall. The Xu family will truly be finished,” Zhang Manman continued. “Their decades of accumulated wealth would be devoured, and Haoyu would gain access to international markets, becoming a global giant.”

Su Jie listened in silence. He knew Zhang Manman wasn’t speaking idly.

“There is a way to turn things around,” she said. “Right now, the most critical issue is the seized overseas shipment. That’s what triggered the stock crash, investor panic, and general instability. If that crisis is resolved, everything else can be handled. Xu Qiaomu already begged my dad and promised generous returns. He knows the Feng family behind Haoyu is like a starving wolf—they won’t stop until there’s nothing left.”

“And what can I do?” After hearing all the news and analysis, Su Jie felt powerless.

So what if he was good at martial arts? So what if he aced his studies?

In this kind of corporate war, he was just a regular nobody—completely out of his depth.

His little club with Hua Xing might earn some money, ease the financial pressure, but it was still just a small-time operation. Even if it ran for ten thousand years, it could never compete with Haoyu.

“Come with me overseas. Help me get that shipment back,” Zhang Manman said bluntly. “It’s a great opportunity to train.”

“What?” Su Jie’s voice faltered. “You mean take the goods back from militants? Are you serious, or are we filming a Hollywood action movie?”

As a model student, that sounded like pure fiction to him.

“You think this is a movie?” Zhang Manman shot back. “Doing business in warzones is lucrative, but incredibly risky. China is stable and safe, but many places abroad are in total chaos. If you want to take your martial arts further, this is a chance to see the real world. Of course, we don’t have to fight—we can negotiate. But muscle is essential. You’re stronger and more focused than I am. You’d be my best assistant. If we pull this off, I’ll help your sister break free from Haoyu’s grip. Deal?”

“Really?” Su Jie’s biggest concern had always been his sister.

“Of course. These days, changing jobs is easy. Worst case, she just pays a penalty fee. Haoyu may be ruthless, but this is still a country ruled by law—they can’t do whatever they want. If we help the Xu family survive, you’re Xu Qiaomu’s grandson. That alone opens up all kinds of strategic options for counterattacking Haoyu.”

“I really don’t know much about this,” Su Jie admitted after a moment. “But I’ll go overseas with you. I want to see the bigger picture—and hopefully, solve this crisis once and for all.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep