On a pitch-black night, in a run-down alley, a few men had gathered in a dilapidated house.
"Bastard! How did Old Six leak the information? Didn't we tell him to be careful?"
"I heard he got reported while eating."
"Why would he get reported? Is there a spy among us?"
The men looked at each other suspiciously, suddenly doubting their own.
One who seemed to be the leader took a puff of his cigarette, "What are you guys doing? Infighting?"
"No, dare not," the others immediately lowered their heads.
One of them kept sharpening a dagger, eyes downcast, lost in thought.
The leader spoke again, "I've investigated, word is the police sent a banner to Boss Chi of Chi Security Services."
"So Chi Xin reported us?"
"Who's Chi Xin?"
"Chi Xin, I heard he used to be in the army. After being discharged, he started a security company filled with ex-soldiers. They collaborate with the government, and he's the third son of the Chi Family."
"The Chi Family?"
"Yeah, the wealthy tech mogul family. Billionaires."
"Damn! His report caused several of our lines to be exposed. Does he have a wife or kids? We could..."
"He's not married yet! But he has two older brothers and two nephews. One nephew studies at B University."
"Which university?"
"B University. It's near where Old Six got caught last time."
"Son of a b***h, should we grab his nephew and..." The man made a throat-slitting gesture.
Someone said, "Can we do that? What if we get caught?"
The throat-slitter glared at him, "Qi Mao, what's your deal? You opposing? Are you the mole?" He eyed him suspiciously.
Qi Mao stood up abruptly, "Gou San, what did you say? When I risked my life for the boss, you were still nowhere to be found! I think you're the mole." The two were about to come to blows.
The others quickly intervened.
The leader glanced over indifferently, "Enough! Why are you fighting? Afraid the cops will come?"
Everyone immediately settled down upon hearing that.
The leader stubbed out his cigarette and blew a smoke ring, "Si Tiao, go grab Chi Xin's nephew. Their family's loaded, right? Make him cough up some cash for us to spend." He made a money gesture.
Si Tiao immediately agreed, "Got it."
"Oh right, a big company like the Chi Family must have enemies, we could..."
Late that night, the gang scattered cautiously, leaving only Gou San and the leader behind.
Gou San said, "Boss, I really suspect Qi Mao. Did you see how he acted earlier? I think he's guilty."
The leader looked at him, his gaze making Gou San uneasy, "Boss, what's wrong?"
The leader said, "Don't try to sow discord. It's not Qi Mao." He had witnessed Qi Mao's loyalty to the boss firsthand. "Alright, you should head back too."
Though unsatisfied, Gou San left. But he still suspected Qi Mao.
Recently, there was a collegiate programming contest that Chi Yan had organized his own team and registered for. However, the competition wasn't held in Jing City, but in Canghai City, requiring a two-hour flight.
The preliminary round was an online contest, fairly easy for Chi Yan and his team as they quickly advanced to the finals.
The finals were scheduled for the weekend, so on Friday, Chi Yan set off with his team to Canghai City to prepare.
After bidding farewell to Chu Yang, Chi Yan boarded the flight to Canghai City.
News of his trip to Canghai City soon reached those men, and they immediately made a call, "The guy's nephew has gone to Canghai City, let's change our plan..."
"Got it."
With her boyfriend away, Chu Yang stayed in her dorm over the weekend. She even called home to check on things.
She had visited the antique street recently but couldn't find a suitable crystal ball. Those crystal balls just didn't cut it. Chu Yang felt she needed to go abroad. She'd discuss it with Chi Yan when he returned.
Meanwhile, Chi Yan had arrived at the competition venue, amidst the noisy crowd. He calmly took his seat, waiting for the contest to begin, flanked by teammates and their coach.
Cameras were rolling for the live broadcast when one panned over Chi Yan's face before cutting away, lingering on him for a few seconds.
Viewers of the livestream were in awe, "Damn! That guy they just showed is handsome as hell."
Some at the venue also found Chi Yan incredibly attractive, whispering, "Which team is that? They're all so good-looking, especially the one in the middle. My god, is he a celebrity?"
"Nah, I checked online, no such person in showbiz. But he's clearly here for the contest."
"He may be handsome, but who knows about his abilities."
"You don't know? That's B University, they're all top students. Sure, they might not win, but to get into B University, their skills must be no joke. And they qualified for this contest, so they're definitely the cream of the crop."
"Whoa, handsome and smart, of course they're from that school. Looking around, those B University guys really stand out. The A University team over there isn't bad either, but in terms of looks, B University takes the cake."
"I agree."
The contest soon began, and as expected, B University clinched first place along with a prize of 100,000 yuan.
The host interviewed them, "Now that you've won first place, anyone you want to share the good news with?"
The host held the microphone to Chi Yan, having noticed this dashing yet brilliant student earlier.
Chi Yan said, "My girlfriend."
The crowd went, "Whoa!"
His teammates laughed too.
The host was surprised, "You have a girlfriend?"
Chi Yan nodded, and one of his male teammates couldn't help but add, "Everyone at school knows Chi Bro really dotes on his girlfriend."
The host laughed, "I didn't expect to get fed some juicy gossip too."
He then interviewed the others, some wanting to share the news with family, others with friends. Only Chi Yan said his girlfriend, as the rest were single.
After the contest, the team explored Canghai City to buy souvenirs and local specialties for family and friends. Chi Yan went to a jewelry store and used his prize money to buy Chu Yang a hairpin.
The next day, Chi Yan and his companions headed home.
Upon landing at the Jing City airport, some returned home while others went back to their university. Chi Yan was also heading to A University. As soon as he got off the plane, he texted Chu Yang that he'd come see her. Chu Yang replied that she'd wait for him.
Chi Yan exited the airport and got into a car, but not long after, he sensed something amiss with the driver...
The driver brandished a knife, "Stay still."
Chi Yan didn't dare move but looked for an opportunity while wondering who wanted to harm him, as he didn't recall offending anyone.
