Chapter 24: Summer Break, Work!

Chapter 24: Summer Break, Work!

Did Hana and I make sweet, sweet, sweet love all night long? No.

After those four hours of passionate lovemaking thoroughly drained my essence, we cleaned ourselves up and headed out for another round of Sunday Night Downhill Racing. It was a reliable way for me to pocket a quick thousand dollars, and Hana absolutely loved the socializing and the high-energy atmosphere.

Hana wore her super sexy, black miniskirt dress this time around. She made sure to lay it on thick that we were an official couple, effectively marking her territory and turning away all the new female fans I had started pulling in after my dominant run the previous week. Having a woman who looked exactly like a real-life Barbie doll claiming you in public did wonders for a guy’s pride.

Jim and Akeno arrived together in her customized pink race car, and my best friend looked completely whipped. Still, she was a cute woman, and the massive height difference between them looked downright comical. Their contrasting personalities fit together perfectly.

Fortunately, there was no sign of Chris Honda, Scott Tang, or Tina Feng to ruin the vibe, making the entire night remarkably peaceful. My actual race turned out to be an effortless victory. I didn't perform any flashy, high-stakes stunts to shock the crowd this time, focusing instead on a clean, tactical win.

By the time we got back to her estate, we had already swapped out the soiled bedding from our earlier session. We didn't engage in another round of sex, but I fell asleep holding her tightly in my arms, wearing the satisfied grin of a certified winner in life.

That brought me straight to the present moment...

I woke up the next morning cradling Hana from behind. She was already awake, gently tracing her fingers along my arm as if she were holding onto a bar of precious gold.

"Good morning, Rick," she murmured softly. "Sleep well?"

"So well I didn't even have a single dream, actually," I replied, tightening my grip around her waist. "I’m just incredibly glad to wake up right next to you. Have I mentioned yet how absolutely amazing you are?"

"Let's see... out of bed, a couple of times. During our session? Easily double digits. Now get up, honey. You saw my gym room earlier, so it's time to go work out."

Being a professional doctor and an incredibly attractive woman, Hana dedicated an immense amount of time to keeping her physique in peak anatomical condition. Her private indoor gym setup was deeply impressive, resembling a high-end commercial club scaled down for personal use. The room was packed with premium weight benches, advanced treadmills, heavy-duty stationary bikes, and an assortment of the highest quality training gear. For a guy focused on physical conditioning, this place was an absolute goldmine.

"I am officially moving my training sessions here, dear!" I yelled, looking around the space. "This is exactly what I need."

Hana leaned against the doorframe, watching me explore. "Your eyes are scanning my equipment the exact same way you looked at my body last night. Should I be feeling a bit jealous?"

I ran from machine to machine like a hyperactive kid who had just been granted unrestricted access to a candy factory. "Yes, be very jealous!"

Once she finished laughing at my childish excitement, she offered a warm smile. "Then feel free to come over and train whenever you want. We can work out as a couple and handle the shower together afterward. I do have an active shift at the hospital today, though, so let's avoid anything that completely drains my stamina. My shifts are notoriously long."

The two of us spent a solid two hours pushing through an intense physical conditioning routine before stepping into the glass enclosure for a quick, refreshing shower together.

Sadly, all good things have to come to a temporary halt. After fuel-injecting our bodies with a heavy breakfast of bacon and egg wraps, we left her estate and headed toward our respective destinations. She was bound for her medical shift, while I was heading back to the high school to pick up my official diploma.

Naturally, I touched base with Mary to let her know the weekend went perfectly and outlined my schedule for the day. She was in a great mood, having packed up a massive portion of my home-cooked leftovers to fuel her own belly during her shift at the precinct.

For my outfit today, I selected a casual pair of loose-fitting blue jeans paired with a white graphic tee featuring the band Metallica on the front. I threw a lightweight black jacket over the shirt, utilizing the loose fabric to completely mask the printing profiles of my two concealed handguns.

Now that the school year was officially wrapped up and my legal status as a student had expired, I had absolutely no intention of leaving my guns locked away in the car. I secured the BMW and stepped past the threshold of Star High one final time.

The interior corridors were mostly quiet, populated only by a handful of former students lingering around the lockers to exchange final goodbyes with their old social circles. The individuals who had attended the formal graduation ceremony on Saturday already possessed their physical documents, meaning the foot traffic this week consisted entirely of people stopping by the administrative office to retrieve their diplomas manually.

My reinforced black boots let out a heavy, echoing thud against the polished tile with every step I took down the empty hallway. For any high-level fighter, your choice of tactical footwear is a critical operational variable.

Heavy combat boots offer the maximum baseline of physical protection for your toes, your ankles, and the lower soles of your feet. The primary tactical drawback is the slight loss of fluid flexibility in the ankle joint, which can marginally slow down precise pivots and high-angle martial arts kicks.

However, the absolute reason I select them for daily streetwear is their specialized lug soles. The rubber compound is engineered to maintain a vice-like grip even if the floor surface becomes entirely coated in slick red liquids during a live engagement.

Standard leather dress shoes represent a calculated trade-off between weight and structural density. They are highly optimized for navigating upper-class social gatherings to maintain a classy appearance while still providing a basic layer of lower foot protection.

Athletic sneakers prioritize pure physical comfort, delivering exceptional traction for high-speed sprinting and explosive agility. They serve as an excellent casual choice depending on the immediate environmental constraints of the mission.

Lightweight cloth shoes provide virtually zero physical protection outside of a paper-thin sole, but their capacity for silent movement and unrestricted martial arts flexibility is unmatched. This specific style is what typically accompanies traditional kung-fu uniforms, making it my immediate secondary choice behind heavy combat boots. It is the definitive footwear you slip on when your operational objective requires absolute stealth, climbing, or low-profile burglary. It also serves as the absolute best platform for performing high-level acrobatics.

In the real world, the simple gear you choose to put on your feet can easily make or break your survival parameters.

James was leaning against the wall right by the administrative office, clearly waiting for me. He looked like he hadn't slept a single wink last night, but the massive, unavoidable grin plastered across his face gave everything away.

"Was your night with Nurse Akeno Minamoto good?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Brother, thanks for introducing us," he beamed, his voice practically radiating heat. "I think I am genuinely in love!"

"Wow. That's actually a good thing?"

James immediately threw a heavy arm around my neck, pulling me close to whisper because of the loud, echoing acoustics of the hallway.

"Brother, Akeno is one of those deeply submissive women who just lets you handle absolutely anything! You know exactly what I mean, right? She even let me go all the way, cough. I officially lost my virginity last night!"

I patted his shoulder firmly, offering my casual congratulations before the two of us walked through the door to collect our diplomas. We needed the physical documents immediately to submit our final registration packets to Star University. That was our next destination for the morning—dropping off our letters of intent.

The moment James and I stepped back out of the administrative office, the sound of a wounded beast roared through the quiet corridor.

"Rick Lee, you fucking bastard!"

We turned to see a small entourage walking toward the office, likely arriving to pick up their own graduation paperwork. The guy screaming at the top of his lungs—wearing a metaphorical green hat of a cuckold—was none other than Scott Tang.

I offered a wide smile, waving at him casually while pulling out my smartphone to snap a quick photo of his unhinged face.

"Damn, bro," I called out. "You must have spent your entire weekend consummating those new marriages instead of sleeping. Those massive bags under your eyes and your pale complexion look terrible!"

The picture caught him looking completely furious and physically drained. It was perfect. I immediately set it as my phone's new background image.

"You piece of shit! You had my Mei Xia targeted and deported as a foreign spy!" Scott roared, his face twisting in rage.

The Ning twins were walking a few paces behind the main line of Tang family servants, silently watching the confrontation unfold. I caught the complicated, anxious looks flashing through their blue eyes. They were clearly terrified that I was actively judging them for legally belonging to this absolute retard. I kept my face entirely neutral. I had no intention of letting them know that I already uncovered their massive bait-and-switch operation until they gathered the courage to confess it to me themselves. Even though I was incredibly relieved to know they hadn't actually slept with this human trash, they were still legally bound as his wives. For now, at least. That was a toxic piece of Tang family drama for a future loop.

Following Scott's wild accusation, my high-level acting training kicked in instantly, allowing me to channel my inner defense attorney.

"Scott, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," I said, putting on a perfectly blank, confused expression. "I don't even know anyone named Mei Xia. I might have legitimate beef with you, but I would never stoop so low as to deport your personal staff."

My tone radiated total innocence. Everyone standing in the hallway knew damn well I was the architect behind it, but what actual proof did he possess? Zero. The only loose thread was that I knew her name during our last encounter.

"Don't play dumb with me, Lee!" Scott snarled, stepping closer. "You explicitly called out her name and promised me a surprise present! You engineered this entire hit!"

I scanned his group of bodyguards, slowly scratching my chin as my demeanor shifted entirely. The casual high school student vanished, replaced by the cold, heavy gravity of a seasoned syndicate operator. I locked my eyes straight onto Scott's face.

"How did it feel to almost kill me multiple times?" I asked, my voice dropping to a low, chilling register. "It felt incredibly satisfying, didn't it? Well, I hope you thoroughly enjoyed my little wedding gift. It felt amazing executing it. So, what exactly are you going to do about it now, Scott? Do you seriously think the Tang clan will protect your life if you cross the line with me? Do you believe me when I say that I am fully prepared to drag you down into the flames of death with me? Yes, I am perfectly willing to completely vanish from this Earth just to ensure you go down too, Scott Tang. So come at me right now."

Scott froze. The raw killing intent bleeding from my eyes completely snapped him out of his tantrum. It was the exact look you would expect from a cornered, heavily wounded boar—a creature that had completely abandoned its survival instincts and would gladly embrace its own destruction just to rip your throat out.

"If you think I’m bluffing, Scott Tang, just remember how my father died fighting off fifteen heavily armed men," I whispered, the psychological weight filling the quiet corridor like dense gun smoke. "To me, you are nothing more than a common bank robber."

The hallway fell into absolute silence. The tension remained thick until Nichole stepped forward, her voice cutting through the ice as she looked at Scott.

"Your father would strongly disapprove of your behavior today," she said coldly. "We came here to collect our diplomas. Let's go."

The mention of his father—the single individual Scott genuinely feared displeasing—instantly shattered his bravado. He attempted to recover his noble bearing, deliberately ignoring my presence as he pushed past us into the office.

As the twins walked by my side, I caught their eyes, giving them a subtle wink. A visible wave of relief washed over their expressions when they realized I didn't look at them like tainted trash. Once they passed, James and I headed straight for the exit.

"Hey, Rick," James muttered as we hit the parking lot. "Did you seriously tip off immigration to get her deported?"

"No, a government agent definitely handled the actual paperwork," I replied smoothly. "But Scott doesn't need to know the specifics. It feels great knowing he's bleeding from the loss, so a good portion of my old rage is satisfied. I don't mind taking the credit for his maid's downfall if it keeps him awake at night."

The two of us climbed into the front seats of my BMW and pulled out of the school lot. Jim leaned back against the headrest, a sudden look of worry crossing his features.

"Man, I wonder who is ruthless enough to drop a hammer like that on someone," he mused. "If anyone ever pulled a stunt to get Akeno deported, I would literally break down and cry."

I smiled at my best friend, knowing full well that her legal residency status was completely ironclad. I had personally cracked the immigration servers over the weekend to review her file, just in case Scott tried to target Jim's love life out of spite.

"Don't worry about it, brother. Your Akeno isn't going anywhere. In fact, I think she might find a solid way to secure her permanent residency very soon."

"Really?!" Jim's eyes lit up. "How?"

I delivered a knowing, heavy smirk as I shifted gears. "Did you pull out last night?"

The look that hit James’s face was priceless. His eyes went completely wide and his mouth dropped open so far you could have easily thrown a baseball right inside. He sat there in a total catatonic shock, failing to recover his speech until the BMW rolled right through the front security gates of the Star University campus.

The two of us double-checked our administrative paperwork in the front seats, ensuring every required document and legal addition was properly sorted. James had never actually expected to secure a spot at an elite institution like SU due to his completely average academic grades. When my backend hacking system artificially manipulated the final entrance scores to rank him ninth overall in the region, his entire family had been absolutely thrilled. Sure, I completely rigged the parameters, but I had no intention of navigating four years of higher education without at least one loyal friend at my back.

"So, Jim, what specific track are you focusing on inside the university?" I asked.

"Don't laugh at me," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "But I plan on entering the Business course."

"No way, man, that's actually pretty cool," I said, hitting the steering wheel. "We can study the material together. It's a highly respectable career path."

"Plus, the women enrolled in that specific department are hot as shit!" Jim grinned ear to ear. "I want to lock down at least three wives, Rick!"

"..."

I stared at him in dead silence. I knew he originally joined the track just to stick close to me, but the sheer volume of wealthy women on the roster was clearly a major operational variable for him, sigh.

The two of us stood in the registration line, finalized our formal applications, and secured our official confirmations. The administrative clerk informed us that official acceptance notifications would be dispatched to our addresses by the end of the month. Given our exceptionally high entrance rankings, the process was a total formality. My personal recommendation letter from Mr. Chi made my entry a complete slam dunk.

As we walked down the concrete steps toward the student parking structure, Tina Feng appeared from the opposite direction, accompanied by a late-teen woman who carried the distinct, polished look of a personal secretary.

"Rick, the assignment is officially confirmed for Thursday and Friday," Tina said, stopping right in front of me. "Come straight to this address to pick up me and my vehicle. Oh, and what specific course did you two end up selecting?"

Just as I was about to fabricate an innocent lie and claim we were entering computer engineering, my so-called best friend blurted out the truth.

"We are joining the Business course to hunt for hot wives, he-he!"

Facepalm.

I slammed my palm straight against my forehead, groaning internally at how incredibly sleazy he made the choice sound. Tina and her secretary immediately traded a pair of highly amused glances.

I quickly stepped in to clarify the situation. "He is looking for wives. I am looking for a legitimate business degree so I can legally launch my own corporate firm down the road. I already have two wonderful women in my life, so only one of us standing here is an actual scumbag."

Tina’s lips curled into a playful, highly teasing grin. "Oh, so you must have heard the rumors that the newly appointed professor for the Business department is a top-class, legendary beauty. That’s why you two signed up, I see, I see! Plus, I heard the statistical ratio of women to men in that course sits at roughly four to one, so the eye candy is exceptional. Maybe I should consider enrolling in business myself, ha-ha. See you on Thursday, Rick."

The secretary offered a formal, deeply submissive servant's bow before turning on her heel to follow closely behind Tina.

"Man, I am so fucking glad I followed you into the business track!" Jim shouted, punching my shoulder as we reached the car. "I am absolutely working for your company in the future, brother!"

"Fine, but you actually have to study your ass off and pull real grades," I warned, unlocking the doors. "Otherwise, I will fire you before I even hire you. Now get in, let me drop you off at home."