Pretending To Be A Boss

The Trial of the Chosen brought some slight changes to Tang Xian's life. But looking back, Tang Xian still thought the days at school were pretty good.

The female students around him were very pretty, and the boys all had potential in some area. Apart from being criticized a few times for giving private lessons at school, and encountering some minor troubles from the envy of others, Tang Xian's school days were quite comfortable.

Among them, Yu Xiaozhe was a talent. He was just a bit timid, shy, and awkward around people.

The math teacher at the time said it was very hard for someone to draw regular objects in an orderly manner while using both hands simultaneously.

The teacher called several students to test this, asking them to draw a cube with their left hand and a circle with their right, and they had to finish both within ten seconds. No one succeeded. Tang Xian had intended to try, but Yu Xiaozhe was the one called upon in the end.

Yu Xiaozhe easily accomplished the task, earning hearty praise from the math teacher.

Later on, Tang Xian found Yu Xiaozhe.

This guy didn't have many friends and seemed rather loner, always sitting at the back of the classroom, his mind on who knows what.

Tang Xian, on the other hand, was a celebrity at school. In the eyes of the teachers, he was notoriously disobedient and famously studious, the kind of person who was welcomed by some and envied by others.

In his dealings with Yu Xiaozhe, Tang Xian did not change his ways, and he asked directly,

"When you use both hands simultaneously, what's the most complex thing you can draw?"

There were few in the school who could surprise Tang Xian, but Yu Xiaozhe was one. He pulled out two different bills.

Not many people used paper money; the credit system was now the norm, and students also used academic research credits.

But the complexity of paper money had always been changing.

Yu Xiaozhe displayed remarkable talent, drawing two different kinds of paper money simultaneously with his left and right hands.

This was the first time Tang Xian had seen such precisely detailed lines drawn by someone's hands.

Not only his ambidextrous skills, but Yu Xiaozhe also dabbled in micro-sculpting and had eyes that were more precise than many.

Tang Xian took the initiative to become friends with Yu Xiaozhe—a memory from when he was fourteen.

...

...

Following the scent, before Yu Xiaozhe attracted the attention of the forest creatures, Tang Xian found him.

"Are you really hanging out in such a haunted place?" Yu Xiaozhe was surprised.

"You really came here alone," said Tang Xian.

"The forest isn't huge, but isn't it said to have had a nine-tailed fox appear?"

"It has."

"And you're still staying here?"

"People here don't eat foxes, and the foxes don't eat people."

Yu Xiaozhe didn't understand, and Tang Xian, just like before, always had a calm expression while speaking somewhat bizarre words.

"Here, these are the documents for your daughter, born to you and some old flame I don't know about."

Without further delay, Yu Xiaozhe handed over the documents Tang Xian needed for Tang Xiaojiu.

Tang Xian glanced at them and noticed, despite Yu Xiaozhe's malicious emphasis that Tang Xiaojiu was his daughter, the parents' section on the documents was marked with parents missing, having spent a few years at the Fortress Thirty-Nine Welfare Institute.

This was a good arrangement in Tang Xian's view.

"Thanks. As a reward, my yard will be open to you from now on, and the forest can be your safe haven," said Tang Xian.

"Tsk, bragging much? You really think you're the boss around here?" Yu Xiaozhe didn't care much about the so-called reward.

During their school days, Tang Xian had helped him a lot.

Some people in this world are like that; if you help them, they will always remember it.

Tang Xian nodded earnestly and said,

"After I'm done convincing all the creatures here, the whole forest will indeed be my turf, but that will take some time. For now, only my yard is relatively safe."

Seeing Tang Xian's seriousness, not seeming to joke, Xiaozhe frowned.

Could it be this guy had some kind of adventure in the forest?

Feeling the atmosphere around them, Tang Xian said, "I'll take you to where I live first. I don't have much to offer you, but we're having fish for lunch. You should at least stay for a meal before you go."

Zhe didn't refuse. As an old schoolmate, he certainly hoped Tang was doing well and wanted to see how Tang was really faring.

They didn't walk long before Zhe noticed that although the forest should be full of mining creatures, for some reason, when they saw Tang, some creatures turned and walked away.

Some creatures that were often by the river even showed a fearful gaze.

Zhe found this more and more strange as he observed.

Upon reaching the treehouse, Dong Ran had already set up a basic fence, and the efficiency of the four talented warriors was evident. Tang led Zhe into the yard.

Zhe was truly astonished this time.

"Damn, did you really build yourself a nest in the forest?"

"Haven't I always said this was my turf?"

"Who's that girl? She's really... uh, pretty and vibrant."

"My assistant."

"You're so poor you can't even afford a call, and you have an assistant?"

"Yeah, who says poor people can't have assistants?"

Zhe nodded, giving Tang a look that said 'you've got a point' and spoke,

"I know some rich folks on the third tier have two houses, one for living with their wife and the other for meeting their mistresses. Even back in school I thought you were up to no good, with all the girls keen on being around you, but I still underestimated you."