Chapter 67: My Master Tang!

Chapter 67: My Master Tang!

It was about ten o’clock in the evening by the time I finally finished putting my wives to bed, but my night was far from over because I still had to sit in the den and listen to Mei’s endless hysterics.

"Oh! No, no, no! This maid can't take it anymore, young master Tang! Haha, I seriously can't stop, ufufu!"

Mei was currently rolling around on the den's new single bed tucked right behind the couch, holding her belly tight as tears of pure amusement squeezed out of the corners of her eyes. She had been trapped in this exact loop of ridiculous laughter for the last few minutes, and I could only thank my lucky stars that the walls were thick enough to keep my sleeping wives from overhearing her outburst.

"Listen to it just one more time, young master Tang, fufufu!"

[ And if I kick you out, I will replace you with Rick. How is that? ]

I slowly ran my hand down my face, letting out a heavy groan because this was easily the tenth time she had hit replay on the audio clip pulled directly from her laptop. Every single time the recording finished playing, I was forced to watch this normally stoic woman crack up into a fresh fit of tearful giggles.

"Mei, is this some highly specific form of China Empire humor that I am just missing? I honestly cannot fathom why you find this entire situation so completely hilarious."

Mei wiped a stray tear from her eye, her laughter finally tapering down into a lingering grin as she sat up on the edge of the mattress to look over at me.

"It is just like a massive cosmic joke, Rick. I spent years serving as the personal maid for master Tang, and then through a bizarre twist of fate, I just happen to end up serving a brand new master Tang."

I shook my head firmly, leaning back against the couch cushions as I processed her words. "No, first of all, I don't think my uncle was being serious at all when he said that. He was probably just using the threat to shake Scott up and push him onto the right path. Plus, I don't even want to be a part of the Tang family. I do like Helen, though; she has always been really kind to me."

In an instant, all of Mei Xia’s playful joy and teasing energy vanished into thin air. She leaped up off the single bed with a sudden, fluid sharpness, stepping into the narrow space in front of the couch to tower over me. She reached down and extended her index finger, repeatedly tapping it right against the center of my forehead to emphasize her point.

"This exact naivety is the literal reason why you desperately need me by your side, young chick. Let me break down the reality of high-society politics for you. Anthony Tang is absolutely not the kind of man to ever go back on his word. If he states openly that he will do something, he will execute it. Case in point, Debby Tang was tossed completely out of the hierarchy without hesitation. He doesn't play childish games like bluffing."

She held up two fingers close to my face, her expression turning deadpan as she continued to lecture me. "You and I both know that Scott simply cannot help himself when it comes to trying to make your life miserable, which means his next mistake is not a matter of if, but when. Now, to address your silly point about not wanting to be a Tang. Rick Lee, you are a Tang whether you like that reality or not. I know you don't want to live the life of a wealthy noble, but the world simply doesn't care about what we want. Bad things happen, and you just have to eat it. But look at the brighter side."

She reached down, framing my face by placing both of her palms firmly against my cheeks and forcing me to look her directly in the eyes. "The twins can easily divorce Scott whenever the time is right so you can marry them yourself. That way, both they and your future children will still legally remain part of the Tang lineage through their real father, leaving absolutely zero shame or stain on your part. Your other wives will be able to live a significantly better, safer life under the protection of a major clan name. And with Scott and Debby permanently gone from the equation, the estate will naturally become a much kinder place to exist. Additionally, Helen is already designated as the next official Head, so you won't even need to be responsible for the heavy political burdens of the Tang clan. At most, you will just end up running a few Tang-owned businesses, and you are already taking that exact business course at the university anyway."

I reached up, gently pulling her hands off my face before leaning forward to look at her closely. "But if my uncle Tang truly never goes back on his words, then what exactly happens to you in that scenario?"

Mei looked down at me, her features softening into a complex mixture of surprise and genuine pity for my softer side. "The entire context of that threat was strictly between him and Scott, you silly kid."

I pointed an accusing finger back at her, a wry smile touching my lips. "You always call me kid, young man, or brat. You know you're only like two and a half years older than me, right?"

The familiar, emotionless mask that she usually shared with Tina settled over her features, her voice dropping into a serious, heavily grounded tone. "Rick, those are just simple numbers on a page. I already told you before, I have been a functioning adult since before I could even remember. I have personally crawled my way out of bloody, vicious battles, and I have seen all of the absolute darkest corners this world has to offer. My entire time spent serving Scott was an easy picnic compared to the horrific things I had to witness in the cruel world outside. I have already experienced the dangers of the big pond, while you are still just a tiny tadpole in my eyes. Honestly, I wish I could be as happy as you are right now. So yes, Rick, to me you are still completely wet behind the ears. But the truth is, I think I actually like you just the way you are now, rather than watching you turn into some cold, unfeeling killing machine."

The cold mask slipped away just as quickly as it had appeared, her charming smile returning in full force as she reached out to pat the top of my head. "I have one specific wish for you, Rick Lee—or maybe I should start saying Rick Tang. I want you to become a genuinely kind Yellow Emperor. I will gladly take in all of the ambient darkness of this world for you, just so you can keep your core humanity intact. That is my true wish for you. Now, what do you have prepared for our upcoming trip on Wednesday night?"

She was so incredibly intelligent and captivating that I often forgot how, just like Tina, she had rarely been allowed to experience many happy moments in her life. At least Tina had the luxury of a warm, loving family to support her, whereas Mei had truly been completely alone for her entire existence.

Watching her smile, a renewed personal goal formed in my mind: I needed to keep improving my active skills until she finally stopped viewing me as just a kid. I refused to let her carry the darkness alone, and I had absolutely zero intention of living a life shrouded in shadows like the one that took my father away from me.

I smiled at her, pointing directly toward the glowing monitor of my laptop as she slid onto the soft cushions of the couch right beside me to get a better view of the display.

"This is the Bar Di, the exact establishment where we are going to be operating, and these are the primary building floor plans, the real-time security feed access points, and the complete roster of the employees scheduled to work there that night. Tina also handed me a comprehensive list of all active Fire Birds currently stationed within North City, so I compiled them all into this isolated file. Over on this side is a detailed map of the surrounding urban buildings, complete with their corporate ownership registries. And finally, these are the main arterial roads leading directly in or out of the area if the situation turns ugly."

Like a literal sponge, Mei Xia absorbed every single detail I pointed out, her eyes scanning the blueprints as she committed the entire setup to memory.

I continued detailing the operational area for another twenty minutes before my lecture finally neared its conclusion.

"Taking into account the heavy-duty capabilities of the Barrett M107 .50 Caliber Long-Range Sniper Rifle, these specific ten spots will provide you with the absolute best shooting angles based on the latest satellite imagery of the location. I have already equipped a high-end night scope onto the weapon system, and I have plenty of armor-piercing ammunition ready to go. Do you have any questions?"

Mei looked directly into my eyes, her expression mixed with genuine awe. "You operate exactly like a professional intelligence officer, Rick. This level of tactical detail for what should be a standard, easy mission is incredibly expansive. Is all of this preparation really just a direct byproduct of the skills you have learned?"

"Yeah, I just know a lot of highly specialized things now. The only reason I was able to build this entire digital setup from scratch is due to my practical infiltration skills, and my advanced hacking capabilities come in incredibly useful for pulling hidden files. Sigh. But honestly, unlocking all of these abilities came with a pretty heavy emotional toll on my heart."

Mei placed her knuckle against her chin, her intense curiosity clearly getting the better of her as she asked a heavy question that absolutely no one else in my life had ever brought up before. "If this topic is simply too personal for you to share, feel free to ignore me entirely, but... what exactly is it like to experience reincarnation?"

The question caught me completely off guard, striking a surprisingly deep chord the moment I tried to articulate the feeling. I could still vividly remember the vast majority of my past life, even if certain insignificant pieces of information had been systematically erased during the transition. My personal theory regarding the specific mechanics of the System moving my soul from one world to another was that it was actively spreading innovative knowledge from one version of Earth to the next.

Based on my clear memories of an alternate Earth, combined with the historical fact that the mythical Yellow Emperor of this world arrives roughly once every four hundred years, I estimated there were likely a total of five parallel Earths in existence. The Dragon or the System simply moved my soul across these worlds in a continuous, grand cycle. The entity had explicitly told me during my awakening that I had completely wasted my previous life, which meant that particular version of Earth had failed to benefit from my presence.

With the massive influx of hardwired knowledge unlocked automatically at the age of eighteen in every single lifetime, I was meant to use those past-life memories to actively innovate, create, and expand the boundaries of human capability in whatever world I inhabited.

For all I knew, I could have easily been someone like Einstein or Da Vinci in a previous cycle—not them specifically, of course, but just a similar example of a human being destined to push human civilization forward.

Even the ancient legends surrounding the very first Yellow Emperor stated he was a supreme innovator who had descended directly from the Heavenly Realm, proving that old myths always carry a grain of truth behind their grand exaggerations.

Mind you, this was entirely my own calculated guess based on my previous life's extensive reading of manga, anime, and light novels. I could be completely wrong about the cosmic scale of the System, but in my gut, I believed I was incredibly close to hitting the mark.

Mei waited patiently for my response, her quiet gaze fixed on my face while the crushing weight of my past life's isolation flashed through my mind in an instant. "I remembered the constant, suffocating fear of the outside world, the bitter rejection from my own family, and the long line of deeply disappointing interactions with every fellow human being I had ever encountered. Back then, by the time I finally managed to unlock my System at the age of eighteen, my mind was already completely broken by a severe downward spiral of depression, and I had chosen to end my own life."

Catching the look of deep concern in Mei's dark brown eyes as she examined my shifting expression, I forced a relaxed, easy smile onto my face to break the heavy tension. "Or, you know, I could just be completely pulling your leg right now and narrating the plot of a generic online web novel, haha!"

Mei let out a soft smile, rolling her eyes playfully as she shook her head. "It is getting incredibly late, so you should go upstairs to bed with your wives. I am going to stay up a bit longer to thoroughly study all of these blueprints. See you in the morning."

Feeling the sudden exhaustion of the day washing over me, I gave her a quick nod of agreement and headed up the stairs to get some sleep...

Down in the den, Mei watched my retreating figure disappear into the shadows of the staircase, whispering quietly to herself. "So the Heavenly Realm is not a particularly nice place to exist, it seems. The ancient legends must heavily exaggerate just how wonderful the Celestial Court truly is."

The following morning, Mei was the one dropping me off at the campus entrance, driving the massive Feng family Hummer instead of her usual sedan because she needed to run a few errands to stock up on our operational supplies. Her primary destination for the day was a highly secure, government-sponsored black market where she could easily procure specialized surveillance hardware that was completely banned from the open commercial market—a luxury perk that came directly with her elite spy status.

The moment she stepped out of the vehicle to smoothly open the passenger door for me with a bright, radiant smile, I caught sight of Scott standing over by his personal limo in the distance. He was staring intently in our direction, clearly trying to verify if yesterday’s interaction had been a random, one-time fluke or if Mei was truly locked into my service. Mei handed me my school bag, her voice dripping with a cheerful, performative sweetness as she ensured her words carried across the driveway.

"While I am out running these errands, I will be live-monitoring his personal calls and digital actions from my laptop, so you can completely ignore his existence and just go about your school day like normal. I promise you he won't even attempt to make a single hostile move against you in public until whatever childish little game he is playing is completely finished. See you at lunch, bye Master~♪!"

The eager maid hopped right back into the driver's seat of the Hummer and took off down the campus road, leaving me grinning to myself at the sheer brilliance of her Acting skill.

Walking into the classroom, I immediately froze as my eyes locked onto the front row. James was standing right at Ashley's desk, talking and laughing so happily his face practically glowed. Early morning surprises were one thing, but this was completely outside the realm of reality. Then I noticed the cheap, plastic-wrapped merchandise in his hand, and my jaw dropped. Was he seriously trying to woo a high-society syndicate heiress by giving her promotional Quick-Mart freebies? A wave of profound secondhand embarrassment washed over me, making me want to sink straight through the floorboards.

I navigated down the aisle and slid into my seat in utter wonderment, trying to process the absurd sight.

Right next to me, Linda leaned in, her voice low as she immediately caught my attention. "I had asked my father about your new maid, and her record really is completely cleared of everything. Did you only hire her to get back at Scott, or is her situation like Nadia and Nichole?"

The subtle undertone in her voice was impossible to miss. It felt exactly like a sad childhood friend who had just been completely shafted in favor of an easier target. I looked over at Linda, finding her slightly pouting expression incredibly adorable, and let out a reassuring smile.

"Mei Xia and I do not have a romantic relationship like the one she shared with Scott. Is she acting as my maid specifically to piss him off? I would definitely be lying if I said no. If Scott absolutely hates seeing her with me, then I don't mind playing along. But to be completely fair to her, she is just a really excellent maid, much like Mercy Mu is for you."

Linda nodded slowly, her shoulders relaxing just a bit as she processed the explanation. "My only real concern was ensuring she didn't turn around and betray you the exact same way she did to Scott, but if you trust her judgment, I won't worry about it anymore. By the way, are you feeling alright after getting kicked out of class yesterday?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see James already making his way back down the aisle, sporting one of his classic, overexcited grins. I quickly turned back to Linda to answer her question before he arrived. "I was perfectly fine. I just sat under a tree outside, looking at a few beautiful, black-fluttering-butterflies."

Well, a brief flash of black lace panties from a maid's skirt could technically count as a butterfly.

Before Linda could question the analogy, James practically threw himself into his seat, immediately wrapping his arm around my shoulders with a massive, triumphant grin. He was practically vibrating with excitement, desperately waiting for me to take the bait and ask him why he was riding such a massive high. Deciding to be a good friend, I sighed and played along.

"Alright, spill it, chatterbox. Why exactly are you in such a ridiculous mood so early in the morning?"

"I am so glad you asked, brother!" James beamed, leaning in close as his voice dropped into an excited whisper. "I officially have a date with one of the absolute hottest girls in this entire university on Friday night."

I noticed Cat Woo sitting just a row ahead, her shoulders subtly shifting as she blatantly listened in on our conversation. Seizing the perfect opportunity to hit two birds with one stone, I raised my voice just enough to carry forward. "Cat is already happily married, James, so you definitely can't go out with her!"

Snap!

The sharp crack of a wooden pencil fracturing in Cat's hand echoed clearly over the morning chatter. Poor James looked completely dumbfounded by the sudden interruption, his mouth hanging open as Cat whirled around in her seat, her eyes flashing with pure annoyance.

"I will absolutely not cheat on my husband, and most definitely not with him!" she hissed.

I just grinned right back at her, waving my hand dismissively. "Chillax, Cat. I only threw your name out there because it was completely obvious you were eavesdropping on us, so you can just go right back to your usual snooping."

James quickly shook his head, pulling my attention back to him to clarify the situation. "No, you idiot! Ashley Hue said yes when I asked her out just now. Then she suggested we do it this Friday evening! I am so incredibly happy right now."

My brain struggled to calculate the logistics of how this had actually manifested. I leaned back, trying to clear the basic facts of the timeline. "Wait a minute. You actually asked her out on your own?"

"Yes!" James exclaimed, a proud, manly grin spreading across his face. "We just started talking at the front of the room, and she seemed genuinely happy to see me. I just thought, fuck it, and decided to ask her out on a date. She immediately blushed, said yes, and suggested Friday night. And get this—it's apparently her first real date ever. She has never had a boyfriend or even been in a relationship before! Hey, Rick, why is your lip twitching like that?"

My lip was twitching because James was walking right into a romance with someone raised like Tina Feng—a future underworld Syndicate leader—and his naive ass had absolutely no fucking idea what he was getting into. Still, looking at his radiant expression, I didn't have the heart to rain on his parade or shatter his joy.

"Jim, just promise me you will remember to tell Akeno about this before you go, alright? I really don't want you to mess things up on that front. She is very good friends with my wife, after all, so keep it transparent."

"Yeah, I promise I will tell her the second I call her at lunchtime," James said, nodding vigorously. "You are honestly so good at dealing with your own wives, I will gladly take your advice on this one, brother!"

As James settled back into his workspace, I felt a sharp gaze drilling into the side of my face. I turned to find Linda giving me heavy, judgmental eyes, looking at me as if I were actively leading my friend down a corrupt path with my own chaotic romantic affairs. I quickly leaned across the gap between our desks, whispering low so only she could hear.

"My wives know absolutely everything about my life, so don't look at me with those suspicious eyes, you silly girl."

Linda's dark grey eyes widened slightly in surprise at the revelation, her mind clearly racing as she realized both Hana and Mary were fully aware of the twins' situation. I honestly didn't know how she would react if she ever uncovered the fact that I was planning to marry Tina as well, even if it was completely unofficial for now. Then again, I had no obligation to explain the finer details of my love life to Linda anyway; we weren't in a relationship.

The sudden hush across the room signaled the arrival of Victoria Long, who smoothly walked through the main doorway.

As she passed her niece's desk near the front, the two women shared a brief, hushed conversation. Victoria looked visually surprised for a split second, her eyes darting over to James for a quick evaluation before she offered a supportive nod to Ashley. It was a classic exchange; the girl had clearly just asked her aunt for formal permission to go out with him.

A minute later, the morning attendance was fully settled. I finished compiling the roll and walked up to the podium, placing the paperwork neatly on Victoria's desk. As I set the sheets down, she looked up from her computer and offered a warm, professional smile.

"Mr. Lee, it is good to see you back in attendance after yesterday's incident. And thank you for your automated text notification; it allowed me to completely avoid a massive amount of trouble yet again."

"Did it really?" I replied, offering a casual shrug. "The tracking script is fully automated on my device, so I had no idea it had even triggered, but I am incredibly glad it worked out in your favor."

I turned on my heel, preparing to head back to my row, when her voice softly called me back.

"One moment, Mr. Lee. Regarding this Friday night when I am treating you to dinner... would you mind if we perhaps chaperoned my niece's very first date with your friend James? She has never dated a boy before and is incredibly nervous about the whole thing. I think if the two of us are present in the background, they will both be able to feel much more at ease."

I paused, considering the proposal for a quick second. The arrangement actually sounded significantly better than a standard, potentially awkward one-on-one dinner with a teacher. Plus, getting a front-row seat to watch James squirm under Victoria’s watchful gaze sounded highly entertaining.

"Sure, that actually sounds like a lot of fun. But maybe we should keep our presence a complete secret from James for now; if he knows his professor is watching, he might completely freak out and ruin his own chances."

Victoria smiled brightly at my acceptance, a conspiratorial glint appearing behind her glasses. "Then it's a plan. I will personally make reservations for a table of four at the BBQ House directly across the street from the campus, and I will take care of the bill for everyone. How does that sound?"

I nodded in immediate agreement, knowing the quality of the food there. "Sounds perfect. I really love that place."

Victoria leaned in slightly, exposing a well-kept secret with a quiet laugh. "Just don't tell anyone else, but I am actually the private owner of that specific restaurant. It was the very first independent commercial business I established back when I was a student in university, so don't be surprised when you notice that I have already implemented several of your core business ideas into the current management layout."

The puzzle pieces instantly clicked together in my mind. It made perfect commercial sense why a flagship establishment like that was situated right in front of the university gates.

"My lips are sealed, I won't tell a soul. We will both act as the official chaperones this Friday, then. I will head back to my desk now."

As I began walking down the front aisle toward the rows of desks, Ashley nervously cleared her throat, her voice quiet and hesitant as I passed her position.

"I really find James to be a genuinely kind person, so... I truly hope you don't mind? Also, why have you not told him anything about my family background yet?"

She was visibly trembling with nervous energy around me, her posture tight. I could read the absolute honesty in her eyes, sensing no hidden malice or schemes. I let out a relaxed, friendly smile to put her at ease.

"I would be a pretty shit friend if I stepped in and ruined his natural chance to get to know you, Ashley. Plus, I already know you won't allow anything bad to happen to my only real companion, right?"

Ashley's expression turned instantly solemn, her eyes locking onto mine with absolute intensity. "No. I will personally ensure he is completely safe at all times. I promise my life on it."

I gave a casual shrug, my smile widening as I offered a parting thought. "Jim... he is a genuinely kind idiot, so good luck dealing with him."

Ashley watched my retreating figure as I finally reclaimed my seat, a soft, thoughtful look crossing her features as she muttered quietly to herself. "Oh? So he calls James, Jim... I think I will start using that name, too, fufu."