Qian Zheng was slacking off, so Su Jie carried his backpack alone to the Starshine Combat Fitness Club.
It was his daily routine.
Normally, high school seniors had to attend evening self-study until 10 p.m. before resting. They’d rise at 5:30 a.m. to study. But Su Jie had gotten permission from his homeroom teacher and school leaders to skip evenings.
Other students would’ve been scolded, even disciplined or had parents called, but Su Jie got his leave easily.
Why? His grades were stellar. Even without studying, he always ranked first, acing every test.
Sometimes, questions that stumped teachers were solved with a glance from him.
This left teachers and school leaders speechless.
More importantly, they knew he went to the Starshine Combat Fitness Club for fitness. His excellent grades were tied to his physical health, so they supported his training.
They even asked him to share his fitness and study tips multiple times.
He squeezed onto the subway with a large, heavy backpack containing knee pads, hand wraps, gloves, water, various ointments, medicinal oils, and supplements for stamina.
This top-tier gear was bought from the Minglun Martial Arts Academy’s official website, costing a fortune. Some supplements were prescribed by Uncle Mang.
Uncle Mang stayed in touch online. Every week, he had Su Jie get medical checkups, test various metrics, and send the data. Then he’d prescribe supplements.
Daily intake of trace elements was meticulously calculated.
Su Jie’s rapid progress over the past two months owed much to Uncle Mang.
Of course, Su Jie was also studying nutrition and human physiology, consulting Uncle Mang when stumped, practically becoming his research student.
Uncle Mang, a Cambridge Medical School Ph.D., was more than qualified to guide him.
After a half-hour subway ride, Su Jie emerged at a bustling intersection.
The Starshine Combat Fitness Club was ahead.
Suddenly, a young man with a briefcase appeared. “You’re Su Jie, right?”
“Who are you?” Su Jie eyed him. The man exuded sharpness, with thin lips suggesting he lived by his words.
“I’m Dai Xing, department manager at Heisen Headhunting.” He handed over a business card.
“Headhunting? For me? To be a coach?” Su Jie was about to decline.
“I’m here on behalf of someone hoping to contact your sister, Dr. Su Muchen,” Dai Xing said quickly.
“For my sister? Who’s trying to poach her?” Su Jie paused. He’d long felt Haoyu Group wasn’t a place to stay.
From witnessing Feng Yuxuan’s disgraceful behavior to Feng Hengyi’s tyranny, and subordinates like “Gray Wolf” who casually brandished daggers, the company seemed far from simple. He’d urged his sister to leave multiple times, but she brushed it off.
If a reliable major company was interested, he’d want her to jump ship.
“Come with me,” Dai Xing said, seeing a chance, and led the way with a bow.
A car pulled up, weaving through twists and turns to a small building tucked in the city center.
“This is…” Su Jie noticed a traditional Chinese courtyard amidst towering skyscrapers. This was City B’s famous wealthy district, where surrounding high-rises cost over 200,000 yuan per square meter. These courtyards? Three to five billion yuan, and even money couldn’t buy one without special status.
The car entered, stopping at the deepest courtyard. The garage door opened automatically. Su Jie and Dai Xing got out.
“Self-driving?” Su Jie realized the car had no driver. It navigated autonomously, with brakes and steering moving on their own—eerie.
“I’ve read about self-driving online, but seeing it today…” Su Jie was stunned. The car’s precision in dodging, turning, reversing, and parking surpassed any driving instructor.
“Technology shapes the future,” Dai Xing said with a smile. “Let’s go. The company’s owner wants to show you their strength. Whatever Haoyu Group offers, they can match.”
‘Self-driving at this level is impressive, top-tier tech. It’s a form of AI, and since my sister’s an AI research expert, it makes sense they’d want her,’ Su Jie thought, following Dai Xing into the courtyard.
“Magnificent.” The classical Chinese courtyard blended modern simplicity and brightness. A small pond with clear water and large koi fish created a serene atmosphere. A breeze made it refreshing. The courtyard, roughly estimated, spanned over a thousand square meters.
The main living room had a huge floor-to-ceiling window. Inside, a few people were brewing tea, surrounded by walls lined with books, exuding scholarly charm.
‘If my family could own a place like this…’ Su Jie mused. ‘When I was little, my sister brought me here and pointed at these courtyards, saying she’d buy one for Mom and Dad someday.’
“Boss, Su Jie’s here,” Dai Xing said, entering the living room with a servile demeanor.
“Good job. Your reward’s coming. You’re dismissed,” one man waved.
Dai Xing left with a gleeful expression, knowing a hefty bonus awaited.
“You’re Dr. Su Muchen’s brother, Su Jie, right?” The man beckoned him to sit and sip tea.
Four men, all under thirty-five, dressed casually but radiating wealth and status, sat there. Two looked familiar from entertainment news—rich second-generation heirs.
“Hello,” Su Jie greeted, unfazed, sitting down confidently.
The lead young man’s eyes flickered at his boldness.
“Su Jie, what do you think of this courtyard?” he asked without introducing himself.
“Very nice,” Su Jie replied, noting the decor’s understated quality. Simple details used the finest materials.
“We’ve started a new AI company, including self-driving tech, which you saw on the way here,” the leader said. “I’m Lu Shu, chairman. If your sister leaves Haoyu Group with her team, this courtyard is her signing bonus. How’s that?”
“This courtyard?” Su Jie was shocked. Even as a high schooler, he knew it was worth billions. Could they really give it away?
“Don’t believe me? I, Lu Shu, keep my word. Once she signs, it’s hers, written in the contract,” Lu Shu said casually, as if the courtyard meant nothing.
“Just a trifle for us,” another young man added. “We know your sister’s deal at Haoyu Group. Even if Feng Yuxuan keeps his promises, her gains would be this much. We can offer ten times that, and Feng might not even deliver.”
“I can’t decide this,” Su Jie said, unmoved. After donating 200,000 yuan once, he’d mastered his desire for wealth. “But if you’re serious, I can discuss it with her.”
“Good,” the men exchanged glances. “Let’s set a time—tomorrow. Bring your sister here to discuss the contract. As a token of sincerity, take these small gifts.”
Lu Shu handed over a card and a phone. “I know you’re into fighting. Log into the website on this card with this phone. You can buy things unavailable on the market to boost your physique.”
Su Jie was about to refuse when he glanced at the card’s web address—it resembled one Odell had given him. He took it instantly.
When Odell left, he’d provided a URL, account, and password for purchases, but Su Jie could never log in.
“Could it be…” Su Jie’s heart stirred. He accepted the phone and card, not trusting these rich kids but trusting Odell.
“It’s settled then,” Lu Shu said, hinting for Su Jie to leave.
Su Jie felt he had little to say to these heirs and took his leave.
They didn’t offer a ride, a slight snub.
“Brother Shu, why not send him off?” one young man asked.
“If we did, we’d miss a good show. You think Feng Yuxuan won’t know we’re poaching Su Muchen?” Lu Shu said coolly. “Let me be clear: the Feng family’s intelligence network is far superior. They’ve likely planted people in our company or bugged it. After all, Feng Shoucheng’s youngest son is back.”
“Who’s his youngest son?” The others were clueless.
“Feng Shoucheng sent his youngest to a secretive training camp at a young age for world-class espionage training—over a decade,” Lu Shu explained. “Now he’s back, building a commercial espionage system for Haoyu Group.”
“So we have no secrets?” The heirs exchanged worried looks.
“No worries, I’ve got a plan,” Lu Shu waved dismissively. “We must poach Su Muchen’s team. Their breakthroughs in AI’s toughest areas are incredible. With their core tech, our self-driving system can go into mass production globally. Our company could become a super-giant. Look at foreign companies like ‘Mask’—a few young guys built a social platform and hit a $500 billion valuation in five years. Our conditions are far better than theirs were. There’s no reason we can’t succeed.”
“Su Muchen’s team started as college dormmates, all becoming grad students and Ph.D.s, then founding a company. They’re academic stars but terrible at business, bankrupting multiple times until Feng Yuxuan scooped them up,” one said.
Lu Shu clenched his fist. “I have a feeling whoever controls Su Muchen’s team will shape the future of global business.”