Chapter 26: Dad, Something Terrible Has Happened

“All right, since you’re barely my friend, I’ll humor you. What’s up? Is this about the paint last night?” Bai shrugged with feigned reluctance.

“Barely your friend? What’s that supposed to mean? Hey, wait a minute! You know about the paint? You actually knew?!” Lan Tian was indignant. “Why didn’t you tell me then?”

“You were in the middle of your strength training. A little paint is hardly a big deal, so I didn’t want to disturb you. If they’d tried to break in, of course I would’ve warned you,” Bai replied matter-of-factly. In its view, nothing was more important than training.

“Well, that means you’re partly responsible too, so you have to help me,” Lan Tian said, resigned. He couldn’t really argue with Bai’s logic, since it was all for his own good.

“Fine. How do you want me to help?” Bai nodded indifferently.

“Aren’t you the so-called god of the internet on Earth? Help me look up information on Ning City’s richest man. Better yet, find me some dirt on him,” Lan Tian said after a moment’s thought.

“No problem. Give me a second.” Bai didn’t hesitate, immediately connecting to the net. In just a few seconds, it spoke again: “Got it.”

Then it transmitted the information to the new laptop Lan Tian had just bought.

“Whoa… that was fast!” Lan Tian exclaimed. Bai’s efficiency was as impressive as ever.

“Hmm… Zou Linsen. Not a bad name,” he muttered as he browsed the files. His exclamations grew more incredulous. “Corrupt! Seriously corrupt! The internet was right—none of these rich folks have clean hands!”

Lan Tian quickly compiled what he found on Zou Tao’s father, Zou Linsen, the wealthiest man in Ning City: 55 years old, Han Chinese, founder and chairman of Ning City Forest Realty Corporation, which went public on the NASDAQ in 2012. Zou Linsen’s personal assets exceeded 30 billion yuan.

After reading through it all, Lan Tian realized that although Zou Linsen was undeniably capable to have built such a vast enterprise, the man had no shortage of skeletons in his closet. If even a fraction of this dirt went public, Zou Linsen would be spending the rest of his life behind bars.

Compared to his father, Zou Tao was a petty crook at best—his misdeeds little more than childish pranks.

“Hmm… Exposing all this at once is too boring. What if I… heh heh…” Lan Tian began to laugh wickedly. After conferring with Bai, he left the matter in its hands and turned his focus back to practicing the first foundational movement.

Compared to yesterday’s agony, today’s training was much easier. He no longer needed Bai’s assistance. With his improved physical condition, he could now execute the first movement flawlessly on his own.

As time passed, he could feel his body steadily growing stronger. After half an hour, he had absorbed far more cosmic energy than he had the previous night.

As Bai put it, when the vessel grows larger, it can hold more water.

Bai also noted that in two more days, Lan Tian would complete the first stage of energy gathering training, and soon step into the second stage.

Of course, just as Lan Tian was about to get excited, Bai added, “Don’t celebrate just yet. This isn’t because of your talent—it’s thanks to my master’s training methods. If it weren’t for the exquisite design of these foundational movements, your below-average aptitude would never let you progress to the second stage so quickly!”

To this, Lan Tian simply thought… Say what you want, I’m already quite satisfied~

Bai was so exasperated, it wished it could manifest a whip and lash him twice, furious that this kid was such a disappointment!

After the usual strength training, another night passed. After slaughtering countless beasts, Lan Tian was nearly sick of it, but he finally reached a new level. His rate of progress actually surprised even Bai, who was quite pleased.

“Your talent isn’t much, but your comprehension is impressive,” Bai remarked, nodding with satisfaction. “All right, this kind of practice won’t help much anymore. Further improvement will take time. Tomorrow, I’ll start teaching you the basic combat techniques. And since you’ve worked so hard, I’ll be merciful and take care of that so-called tycoon for you.”

“Don’t! No need. Vengeance should be personal—it means nothing otherwise. I just need you to help me with the online stuff, that’s all,” Lan Tian said quickly. If he truly wanted to deal with that tycoon, he could easily do it himself. With his current abilities, he could make them disappear without leaving a trace.

But that wasn’t the outcome he wanted. He wanted Zou Tao to experience what it felt like to be powerless, penniless, isolated, and without recourse, just as he himself had felt before!

The next day, as always, Ning City’s wealthiest man, Zou Linsen, rose before dawn, setting out just after five.

Morning runs were a healthy habit, especially for a man of his age—far more effective than any supplements. He’d kept up this routine for years.

As usual, he ran for an hour before returning home for a sumptuous breakfast.

When it came to food, he was quite particular: it had to be fine as well as healthy. He had even hired two top chefs to cook at home.

But halfway through his run, he sensed something was off.

Everyone in the neighborhood knew who he was. No one who lived in Xuanxin Gardens was ordinary, but even among them, his status was second to none—only a couple of residents with powerful connections could rival him. The rest were always warm and respectful.

Normally, people would come up to greet him, or at least nod in acknowledgment.

But today, he noticed the looks he was getting were strange. Whenever he met someone’s eyes, they’d quickly look away, pretending not to see him.

What was going on?

Though puzzled, Zou Linsen didn’t feel it appropriate to question anyone. In a rare mood, he cut his run short, heading home after just half an hour.

At home, the lavish breakfast was nearly ready, the servants bringing dishes out one by one.

“Is Taozi still asleep?” Zou Linsen asked after taking a shower.

“Yes, sir. The young master didn’t come home until after three last night. As usual, he’ll probably sleep until around ten,” the servant replied respectfully.

But before she finished, Zou Tao burst out of his room, hastily throwing on a robe, one foot bare, a look of terror on his face as he clutched his phone.

“Dad, something terrible’s happened!”