Chapter 141: Quick, Take the Initiative!
To fully embody her "Ye Zhen" persona, Ye Zhen had long contemplated whether to actually take over a chicken farm.
After all, she wasn't short on cash now—whether she made or lost money, it didn't matter.
Otherwise, Ye Fuli and the others kept investigating and checking up on her—she was getting tired just watching them tire themselves out.
Seeing Jiang Zao like this now, Ye Zhen decided it was time to put this plan into action.
She had no intention of offering Jiang Zao any heartfelt words. As Lu Chengcheng, the dorm's resident philosopher, had said, "Everyone must bear the consequences of their own mistakes."
Mainly, Ye Zhen found all that inspirational nonsense disgusting herself.
Ever since Jiang Zao pried open their dorm door, it was clear she’d never be friends with her.
But Jiang Zao hadn't taken the money she kept in her drawer, nor had she touched any of the other roommates' belongings. This made Ye Zhen think that perhaps this person wasn't completely rotten after all. Maybe giving her a job would work.
Whether they choose to take it is their decision.
Whether they could do it well was also their own business.
Of course, if they didn't do it well, Ye Zhen wouldn't pay them.
Her money might have come from the wind, but she wasn't about to feed a freeloader with it, right?
Jiang Zao remained silent for a long while before offering a wry smile. "Ye Zhen, don't be so kind to me. I don't deserve it."
"Raising chickens isn't exactly a walk in the park. Why would you think I'm being kind? You put in the labor, I pay you—that's all there is to it. Don't get any fancy ideas."
Ye Zhen shrugged her shoulders.
"Besides, you need to study up on the relevant knowledge and keep up your diligence. Nothing about this is easy."
She spoke from the heart.
But to Jiang Zao, it felt like a ray of light piercing the darkness.
She'd vented her frustration thoroughly today, but having offended so many wealthy brats, the moment she stepped outside the academy gates, misfortune was bound to rain down on her.
What's more, once the academy concluded its sponsorship drive, they would surely settle accounts with her.
She would likely never receive her diploma.
A person without a diploma, without looks, without family connections, and who had offended numerous big shots—in this world, living would be no different from being dead!
An offer of employment was nothing less than a lifeline.
Jiang Zao's tears fell in heavy, unstoppable streams.
She felt utterly undeserving of life.
It shouldn't have come to this…
Why did she have to give in to that greed?
"Ye Zhen, I swear on my life, I'll work my hardest."
Ye Zhen sighed. "This is too much. You're raising chickens, not zombies. Why are you acting like it's life or death?"
She turned back to face her roommates.
Lu Chengcheng, the dorm's resident philosopher, fell silent for a moment before finally processing: "Wait, your family really keeps chickens?"
Ye Zhen nodded. "Yeah, what else?"
Wang Xiaoya gasped: "You seriously have over ten thousand chickens?!"
Ye Zhen smiled without comment.
Qiao Xin couldn't help but cover her face with her hands. "Nine out of ten lolis are rich, and the tenth is filthy rich."
"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier? Ah, Zhenzhen, why didn't you tell us sooner?!"
"I did tell you—did any of you believe me?"
Furious, Wang Xiaoya… got angry.
Then she turned to the other two in the dorm.
"I'm pretending I didn't hear what Zhenzhen said today. What about you guys?"
Lu Chengcheng stroked her chin thoughtfully.
As for Qiao Xin, she nodded solemnly: "I just had a memory lapse. Did you guys say anything? Ha, probably not! Alright, let's wrap this up. Back to writing reports."
Ye Zhen: "…"
What? So you heard it all along and were just pretending not to!
Does that mean I'll have to face their campus dad's wrath too?
…
News of Jiang Zao's situation quickly spread throughout the academy.
Of course, the school's response was swift. Before the incident could break, they'd spent considerable resources to suppress the news.
But a single stone can stir up a thousand waves.
Jiang Zao did make a significant contribution to purifying the academic atmosphere at Mondstadt Academy.
Openly bullying others became much less common.
Those once arrogant rich kids were now scared out of their wits, too afraid to cause trouble anymore.
Not long after, Jiang Zao chose to withdraw from school.
Carrying her meager belongings, she moved to the chicken farm Ye Zhen had acquired in the suburbs. There, she worked dawn to dusk, learning the trade from the seasoned masters at the facility.
Ye Zhen, ever cautious, ensured the senior workers regularly reported on Jiang Zao's performance at the facility.
"Her? She gets up before the chickens crow and stays up later than the dogs. She volunteers for every task."
"And she's incredibly frugal! Just steamed buns and pickles every day. After work, she even collects scrap to resell. Who knows why she's so tight-fisted?"
"But she's incredibly sharp—picks things up fast."
"It's a shame she didn't get a proper education."
……
…
When these rumors reached Ye Fuli, she was sitting at the dorm supervisor's desk, fiddling with a game.
Gossip? Not her thing.
Games, she wasn't good at them.
After all, she truly hadn't had much of a childhood.
"Dorm supervisor, playing games?"
Hearing that infuriating voice, Ye Fuli lifted her head slightly to see Zhao Mengde returning with a large bag of tissues.
Zhao Mengde giggled, still looking somewhat cute.
Unfortunately, his cuteness was to Ye Fuli like a boxy off-road vehicle on the grasslands—nothing but irritation and disgust.
"Aren't you into Ye Zhen? What's the point of hiding here like a shut-in instead of going after her?"
Ye Fuli took a deep breath, fighting the urge to grab his hair and slam his head against the front desk cabinet.
"Zhao Mengde, originally from South City. Spent ten years as a mercenary abroad, skilled in all kinds of street fighting. Dabbled in underground boxing for several years. Net worth over a hundred million…"
Ye Fuli recited his background details with a blank expression.
Zhao Mengde, who had been smiling adorably moments before, suddenly darkened. A murderous intent surged in his eyes.
"Ye Fuli, head of the Ye Group. In just one year, she amassed a fortune of tens of billions through her own efforts alone. She is now the largest shareholder of He's Yuancheng Group… with a current net worth exceeding one hundred billion."
Ye Fuli gave a cold laugh. "You sure did your homework fast."
"Not bad yourself, Ye Fuli."
The two exchanged cold, probing glances.
Finally, Miss Zhao sighed and said, "For me, glory is a thing of the past. There's no need to dwell on it. Now, I just want to be an ordinary person. I want to experience a sweet romance, or perhaps taste the bitterness of love."
At the words "sweet romance," Ye Fuli had already risen and grabbed her ponytail.
"…I'm straight, thanks."
The hand gripping the ponytail released its hold.
Ye Fuli apologized earnestly: "Sorry, you can continue."
"But! You know as well as I do—there's no room for true feelings on the battlefield!"
Zhao Mengde wore a look of earnest distress, propping his chin on his hands with elbows resting on the counter.
Sticking out her butt~
The allure of a black pencil skirt—those in the know get it.
Unfortunately, to Ye Fuli, it was still like a boxy off-road vehicle on the grasslands.
"I sense a kindred spirit within you. Therefore, I hope you'll speak first…"
"I'm not good at romance."
"I know! That's exactly why I want you to talk first," Zhao Mengde declared with deadpan seriousness. "That way, I can learn from your mistakes and avoid them myself, right?"
Before she could finish, Ye Fuli yanked her ponytail again.
She suppressed her violent impulses, gritting her teeth as she spat, "Get lost."
"Waaah~"
Zhao Mengde swiftly snatched her hair back and shot her a menacing glare.
"I was once stranded on a deserted island, surviving alone for a year. Back then, the only thing I had was a Sailor Moon comic. That's what got me through those endless nights… You get my point?"
Ye Fuli was on the verge of killing her.
Watching the girl run off triumphantly, Ye Fuli finally realized she should take the initiative occasionally.
Admittedly, waiting was her default mode…
But if she kept waiting forever, she feared Ye Zhen might completely remove her from the options.
"Dating."
Ye Fuli pushed her glasses up and looked at the computer screen.
At that moment, she spotted Ye Zhen's avatar in the game.
She should say hello, right?
But what should she say?
Glancing at the game world's public chat, Ye Fuli seemed to understand.
After a moment of silence, she sent a message to the other player's character.
Big shot, please take me along. I know how to be cute and won't fight over gear.