Chapter 58: Long Night In Star University!

Chapter 58: Long Night In Star University!

Monday was an interesting day. I found out my older cousin Helen was a keeper, and she let me know only two of the Tangs are total jerks. I

t is Friday today, but I managed to get a lot done as a cyber-hacker during the week. First, I said screw it to blackmailing that pig Debby Tang and straight up emailed all the dirt I found on her to her husband, Uncle Tang. Frankly, she is his problem, not mine. Why am I not concerned with Debby right now? I transferred all of her hidden money to many good charities around Eurasia. I even transferred the special Song bank account into a few different sources to hide its trail. To the Songs, the paper trail will just show that Debby stole it. Then I used that money to buy Tang stock under an assumed name. This way, the money that was stolen actually goes back into the Tang family where it belongs.

But what I never imagined was that by Thursday at the university, I found out Head Anthony Tang filed for divorce from his long-time first wife, Debby Tang. The official reason given to the public was actually the private investigators and school bribes. At the Ball, the Head announced no one was to get involved with me and Scott, and he actually followed through with solid proof. But based on my phone hacks, the real reason was what she did to his second wife. If Christmas was a thing in this world, I would say it came early for me. Well, it is the start of September now, but I digress. Helen seems completely unbothered, like she expected this from her petty mother, and she has not taken a stance except to say the house rules must be followed.

Scott is absolutely devastated. Naturally, he keeps giving me eyes like it is my fault his mother is being kicked out. Yeah, because me being targeted by her was totally me making her do it. The past three nights, he has been drinking his heart out at his Song family bar. I found out through my digital deep-dives that the Song and Ning families are actually partially tied into the Crouching Tigers group as a small faction. The twins' father is a notorious crime figure under the Tang family. Reading about him, I understand why the twins have a mean, trickster side. With a father as bad as he is, they turned out to be absolute angels compared to how they could have been. The very reason the twins hated men in the first place was because of how cruel and heartless their father was. The two of them just figured all men were trash ready to exploit women and the weak. Then they met me and learned some men are powerful and kind. They finally had a glimpse of a man who actually cared for his women.

On Wednesday, I noticed the same private investigator watching me again. I used my physical instincts and crept up right behind him. I placed the cold barrel of my Judge Revolver directly against his temple and asked him nicely to beat it. I have not seen him since.

Hmm, what else... Number 3, Alex found a new contender for the number four rank match, but Danny Shu told Alex his injuries from the previous number four are still healing, so that fight is still pending. Alex even offered him one million dollars to throw the fight, but Danny rejected it because he feared Tony Feng's wrath for cheating.

Due to the missing computer teachers, the university has been showing course-related movies for a few days while they get replacements. The school administration was smart enough to create simple material for all the main courses to help fill the teaching time.

With Hana and Mary, I made the mistake of sitting down to watch soap operas, and now I have been dragged into their daily show-watching routine. Worst of all, I am actually getting invested in the ridiculous plot. Now we have to wait a whole week to find out who is the father of the baby the head nurse is carrying. Hint, it is a noble, comatose patient that she slept with while he was completely passed out.

Tina and Linda have been engaged in small eye-battles, and the smell of gunpowder is constantly in the air. It is nothing serious, but the two are just naturally repelled by one another, and they constantly use me as the rope for their tug-of-war games in business class.

Victoria has been leaving all of the quizzes for us to grade tonight, and she has become ever so slightly more friendly around me after Monday's lunch.

Oh, that is right, Steve Woo and Cat Woo had a huge fight over Mary when Cat found out about his behavior. It seems he is terrified of her family, and she is making his life completely miserable. This was a very pleasant surprise.

Kung-Fu class has been going incredibly well, and I have been teaching a few talented students some animal styles for them to practice with. It seems my Frog Style made quite an impact, and some of the girls absolutely love it. I told my Kung-Fu coach, Love-Triangle, that I would miss Fridays due to my late nights with my business teacher, allowing me to go home and take care of my two wives during the afternoon. Love-Triangle had her eyes glittering when she heard that the new Teacher Long was my business teacher and that I had to go tend to my wives. With Tina around, she keeps getting new story ideas for her online novel. And this more or less touches on the notable spots of the week...

We are halfway done with our longer Friday business class, Principles of Management. I finish the quiz and walk up to place it directly on Victoria's desk. She only looks up at me with an expression that says it was exactly what she expected, while the other students look like they want to throw things at me for raising the curve.

"Mr Lee, could you watch the testers while I make some calls," Victoria asks as she stands up from her chair. "My business partners are impatient for me to make some decisions, and since you are already finished, I could use the help."

I pull out my device and nod. "Sure, I will just use the desk to do some work on my smartphone then."

Victoria nods and steps out of the room to take her call. I sit down right in her high-backed chair and keep an eye on the classroom. Scott has dark bags under his eyes from his heavy drinking, depression, and severe lack of sleep. He looks completely terrible. The first student to finish the test is Linda.

She walks up to the desk to turn it in, leaning closer to whisper directly to me.

"I will be waiting to study with you tomorrow, Rick, so do not stand me up."

Though her expression and words sound incredibly cold, for some reason I can tell she is actually happy. I offer her a smile as I respond. "My schedule looks completely free so far, and I will make sure to check your test for the week so I know exactly where you need some help."

Linda gives a small nod and walks straight back to her seat. Soon after, Jennifer and some of the other sharp students turn in their work. Finally, Tina comes up to leave her test on the desk in front of me.

"Seeing you sitting there makes me think of you as Teacher Lee, and I feel like I need to be disciplined," she murmurs.

She squints her golden eyes directly at me, trying to use her innate charm to mess with my head, but I am building up a solid immunity to her games. I can easily tell when she is only playing around like right now, and when she is being completely honest when we are completely alone.

"Miss Feng, I can only change your grades if I receive proper compensation," I tease, keeping my voice low. "Okay, go back to your seat before you really get me in trouble."

She sways her hips deliberately for me as she walks back down the aisle, making sure Linda sees the entire interaction. Man, she really does not get along with poor Linda at all. Soon the last two students come down to drop off their tests, James and Scott. Both guys look like they did not do too well on the material. I look over at James to give him some reassurance.

"Do not worry about it, Jim. It is only a quick quiz and not a major exam, plus classes have only started, so go home and relax."

At this time, Victoria walks back to the desk, and I stand up to give her back her seat. She looks visibly irritated by her phone call, but I decide not to press her about it.

"Thanks, Mr Lee," she says, sighing slightly as she adjusts her papers. "I was dealing with an old university acquaintance, and his company is doing a joint space project with one of my Long corporations. He is proving to be a bit too pushy for my taste."

I just nod along because I do not really care about corporate drama, but I make sure to keep my expression friendly. "No problem at all. I will go back to my regular seat now."

She nods in appreciation, and I walk back to my desk. Class ends shortly after, and it is lunchtime for most of the students, but I am heading straight back home for mealtime with Mary and Hana.

Victoria has another late class after the lunch break that ends right at five in the evening, so I make sure to come a few minutes early and stand right by the exit doors. The students walking past this classroom are looking at me incredibly strangely, as if I am some random hobo who just wandered onto campus to hit on their instructor. This happens to be a second-year class.

Why am I getting all these bizarre looks? It is because I am wearing my custom black bodyguard outfit to the campus right now. The weather is starting to get much cooler outside, and this heavy material is far warmer and more comfortable for a long night.

Victoria, seeing that it is time, looks out over the classroom and addresses the students. "All of your tests are over, and I will post the results next Monday. Have a safe weekend."

She immediately gathers the test papers and places them into her bag. A few of the guys, clearly afraid I am some kind of creep, linger out in the hallway to make sure she is safe, or more likely hoping to play the hero and make their teacher fall for them. Unfortunately for the wannabe heroes, Victoria walks straight up to me instead.

"Mr Lee, my office is on the first floor, so we can be much more comfortable there while we grade these."

I nod and follow her out of the classroom toward the elevator. We step inside, but two other male students squeeze into the tight space right after us, causing me to sigh internally. This is exactly the kind of situation I warned Tina and Jennifer about.

I immediately back myself into the corner of the elevator car so I can keep a clear view of everything and everyone in the space. Victoria notices me slowly unbuttoning the front of my jacket and frowns slightly, leaning in to whisper.

"Something wrong?"

I shrug slightly to loosen up the fabric. "No, it was just getting a little warm in here."

When the elevator reaches the bottom floor, I make a subtle gesture with my hand to wave the two students out first, and they begrudgingly step through the doors.

I can tell from the angle of their heads that they desperately want to linger and stare at Victoria's ass, but they know it would look way too obvious if they completely fumbled around the doorway.

Soon enough, the two of us step out into the hallway alone. We walk down the corridor about forty feet until we reach an office door displaying a printed sign.

[Teacher Victoria Long, Business Department]

She unlocks the door, flips on the overhead lights, and waves me inside before closing the door behind us. She walks straight over to her large desk. The office is arranged with two armchairs directly in front of her main desk, while the far corner holds a three-person couch, a small coffee table, and a mini-fridge. As a seasoned expert in couch-sleeping, I can tell at a glance that this room is specifically set up for long late-nights and overnight stays. In the very back of the space is a small private bathroom equipped with a toilet and a sink.

I shrug off my heavy overcoat, giving Victoria a clear, unobstructed look at the three firearms strapped to my body. The two HK P30 pistols rest securely under my arms in their dual shoulder holsters, while my new customized handgun, Assassin's Affection, is clipped into position against my lower back. She stares at the hardware for a long moment before speaking.

"Students should not be carrying firearms inside the university, right?"

I offer her a calm smile as I adjust my stance. "My firearms are completely university approved. I have a valid concealed carry permit through my professional work, and I already have an official record of being targeted by enemies. You could say I just naturally attract danger."

She gives a slow nod, fully aware that her own family was directly involved in one of my recent security troubles. I walk over to the couch, make myself comfortable, and wait for her to set up. Victoria rolls her desk chair over to the low coffee table right in front of me and drops three massive stacks of paper onto the surface. She points to the different piles in order.

"These are for the first three grade levels and the advanced courses that I teach. Go ahead and start on the first-year stack, and I will begin working on the third-year papers. We can both tackle the second-year pile together once we finish."

I pick up one of her red pens and immediately start flipping through the grading sheets at high speed. Using my Business Basic skill, the principles and correct formulas are completely hardwired into my mind, allowing me to spot the incorrect answers instantly. I slash red ink across the mistakes and write the final total score at the top of each page. Victoria watches my hands move like a blur, her jaw dropping slightly before she speaks up.

"Rick, I have not even handed you the official answer sheet yet."

I shake my head, not even slowing down as my pen flies across another quiz sheet. "No need. All of this material is completely memorized and hardwired into my head already, so you better just start on your own pile before I end up taking over your third-year stack too."

Victoria reaches out and snatches one of the sheets I just scored, clearly unable to believe her own eyes as she reviews my markings with a deeply surprised expression. I completely ignore her shock and just keep scoring the papers. One hour later, I finally finish the last two sheets from the second-year pile and drop the red pen onto the table, rubbing my sore fingers. Yeah, writing furiously for an hour straight still absolutely sucks for the hands. I look up and notice Victoria still has about ten sheets left from her third-year stack. I offer her a smug smile.

"Teacher Long, would you like some help finishing those up?"

Victoria looks at my grin, feeling completely helpless against my speed, and sighs. "I am not so proud that I won't ask for help when I clearly need it, so yes, please."

I pick the red pen back up and decide to stop making things hard on her. My hands move rhythmically across the paper, slashing corrections into the margins. As I finish marking the final sheet, I look over at her. "This whole mountain of paperwork would have taken you at least four hours on your own. Why don't you grade them during the week instead of letting them pile up until late Friday night?"

She opens her heavy filing cabinet, sliding the three completed stacks neatly inside before turning back to explain. "Not only am I teaching here at the university, but I still actively run my share of the Long family companies. The ones I kept for myself are mostly the businesses I built entirely from the ground up, and I refuse to give them up to anyone else. They are like my children. Because of that, I spend my week running them at our corporate office downtown late into the night."

[Ding Ding]

A sharp alert sounds directly from my pocket. I pull out my smartphone and check my Cat and Mouse tracking application. A bright crimson hostile icon is rapidly approaching the three-hundred-foot perimeter, and the specific digital signature confirms it is Alex Renaldo.

I instantly stand up from the couch, pulling my Taurus Judge revolver smoothly from its holster. I stride over to the office door and turn the deadbolt to lock it tight, making a metallic click that immediately alerts Victoria. She jumps slightly in her chair, her eyes widening.

"Rick, what is going on?"

I keep my eyes fixed on the hallway window. "A man named Alex Renaldo has a lot of hostility toward me, and his signal shows he is heading directly for this room right now. Stay back from the door."

Victoria hears the name and takes a step forward, shaking her head. "No, wait. He is the business partner I told you about earlier, the one from my university days. He is probably just coming here to talk to me about our joint venture."

I look at Victoria like she is being completely stupid, letting out a heavy sigh. "Alex Renaldo is coming to see you late at night inside an empty school building while absolutely no one else is around, and you seriously think that is just normal business? I am really going to have to reassess your genius status in my heart, Miss Long."

Realizing a direct shootout right inside her office will just complicate my life, I slip the revolver back into its position. I throw my long coat back on to completely hide the three firearms strapped to my body and sit back down on the couch.

I am deeply annoyed at this completely cliché development, running into the Number 3 ranked fighter while hanging out with yet another one of his potential love targets.

[Click Click]

[Knock Knock]

The sound of the handle rattling proves the guy was literally trying to barge straight into the room without even waiting, only knocking after he realized the door was firmly locked from the inside.

[Vicky, it's me, Alex. Open up. I came down here to talk to you.]

I wave my hand toward the door, giving Victoria a mocking smile. I bet this dip-shit brought a bundle of flowers based on that cheesy tone.

Victoria walks over and unlocks the door. Immediately, a dozen bright red roses are shoved directly into her face. She looks completely taken aback by the gesture, while I have to cover my mouth with my hand to hide my massive grin from the couch.

"You look as beautiful as always, Vicky," Alex says smoothly, stepping into the room. "It has been a few months since we last caught up."

Victoria instantly puts on her professional corporate smile, keeping her voice polite but distant. "So, what brings you all the way out here, Alex? It is getting a bit late, and I am just finishing up my grading for the week. If this is about our business project, we should really discuss it at my corporate office where I actually keep all of my relevant documents."

He flashes his most charming smile, completely ignoring her boundary. "I was just stopping by to say hello to some of my old professors on campus, and I thought taking you out for a nice dinner would be absolutely perfect. It has been a while since I got back from my overseas trip, after all."

Victoria shakes her head, refusing the offer without hesitation. "My teacher's aide and I are already heading out for dinner together, so I can't make it. Sorry."

Alex finally shifts his gaze past her shoulder and notices me sitting comfortably on the couch, just grinning right back at him. I raise a hand and give him a casual wave. "Sup, Alex Renaldo! Did Ana Zi stand you up for dinner tonight or something? I thought you two were supposed to be getting married pretty soon."

He points a finger directly at me, his face twisting in sudden agitation as his composure slips. "Why the hell are you here?!"

I decide to mess with his head completely, leaning back with a theatrical villain chuckle. "Alex, in order to totally defeat you, I am going to break your Martial-Heart by going out with every single woman you are trying to marry. First it was Tina Feng, now it is Victoria Long, and I think I will end my week with Ana Zi. Mwahaha! But seriously, you are incredibly stupid if you think you are actually important enough for me to plan all that. She just told you the deal. I am her teacher's aide, stupid."

"Why, you little bastard!"

Swoosh

Click

The moment he takes a fast step forward to lunge at me, my hand blurs into motion. I draw my revolver and pull the hammer back with a heavy, distinct click that echoes through the quiet office. He freezes instantly in his tracks. I don't bother telling him that the cylinder is currently loaded with non-lethal rubber bullets, keeping my voice deadpan.

"Tony Feng explicitly said we are not allowed to fight, kill, or mess with each other's families. But if you launch an unprovoked attack on me right now, it is fully within my legal rights to put a brand new hole directly into your stupidly handsome face. I am recording this entire conversation on my phone right now, so I can easily prove my innocence to the police and to Feng. So go ahead and make a move, stupid."

Victoria, who had been left completely speechless by the sudden escalation, steps right between us and addresses both of us with a firm, commanding tone. "Alex, you should never have come into my office to start a physical fight with one of my students. And Rick, please do not redecorate my walls."

I slowly ride the hammer back down with my thumb and slide the firearm away, not wanting to escalate things into a massive headache.

Alex realizes that I am intentionally baiting him into a trap, forcing himself to calm down and plaster his charming persona back onto his face.

"Vicky, Rick, I am truly sorry for my aggressive behavior," he says, adjusting his collar. "Let me buy dinner for both of you tonight as a proper apology."

Victoria looks over at me to see how I want to handle it.

"It is totally fine," I reply, standing up from the cushions. "I don't need a free meal from you, and I accept the apology. As for dinner, I really don't want to play the third wheel on a business date. I can just grab some food from Big-Burger or something on my way home."

I start walking toward the exit, and Alex looks completely surprised that I am just willingly leaving the space to give him his chance. Unfortunately, just as I am about to step past them, Victoria reaches out and tightly grabs the fabric of my long coat. The sudden yank instantly makes me think of that old superhero movie where the characters keep dying because of their capes.

"Sorry, Alex, but I already made a firm promise to Rick in exchange for his help tonight," Victoria states, keeping a tight grip on my coat. "And in my world, if I break a promise to someone, then they have every right to break their agreements with me too. Rick told me earlier that it was a matter of integrity, and in the business world, integrity is absolutely everything. So I will be going to a meal with my student as a direct payment for his hard work."

Okay, now she is pulling the exact same trick Hana used on me at the grocery store, but I have to admit she makes a solid point. I was fully intending to bail on her and head home, but she managed to read my exact movements perfectly.

"Then how about Monday night instead?" Alex asks, hiding his frustration behind a tight smile. "I can visit you at your corporate building downtown."Victoria keeps her face neutral. "Let me see what I have planned for that evening, and I will have my secretary try to fit you into the schedule if there is an opening."

Alex reluctantly turns around and leaves the office, giving me a parting look that mirrors someone discovering a piece of garbage stuck to the bottom of their shoe. Once the hallway door clicks shut and his hostile icon moves outside the perimeter, Victoria turns around to face me."You are a little bit despicable for trying to abandon a maiden to a pervert like that."

I point a finger back at her, turning the situation over in my mind before giving an honest shrug. "Yes, I am. But I also really don't want to be used as a doormat or a shield for your dates."

"Rick Lee, do you honestly think I am the kind of person who would do that to you?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

I raise my hands casually. "Honestly, I don't know you well enough yet, but I don't think you are."

Victoria grabs her purse and her car keys from the desk, walking past me toward the exit. "Let's go then, Rick Lee. We have a lot of things to talk about over food. I am driving."

I shrug my shoulders and follow her out into the corridor, fully prepared to enjoy my hard-earned free meal.