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Jeremy Ling strode up to Shawn Young, first glancing at Lilian Grace on his left, then at Yvonne Hu on his right. Seeing these two campus queens clinging so intimately to Shawn’s arms, the jealousy in Jeremy’s eyes burned so fiercely it could have reduced Shawn to ashes.
He let out a few cold laughs, then said directly to Shawn, “Well, aren’t you something! Hogging two beauties at once—aren’t you afraid you’ll choke?”
Shawn was feeling the pressure, frustrated and pent up, ready to blow. Jeremy’s arrival was just the spark he needed. Shawn shot back with a cold smirk, “Heh—what’s wrong, Master Jeremy? Jealous? You’re handsome, rich, and powerful. If you wanted, you could be just like me!”
Jeremy Ling retorted angrily, “Hmph, punk! I’ve been looking for you for days and you finally show your face. Good—saves me a lot of trouble! Lilian, you see? This guy’s no good. Why stick with him? Come with me instead! Staying with him is just asking for trouble.”
Lilian Grace shot him a frosty look and said, “Master Jeremy—I like things just the way they are! It’s none of your business!”
Jeremy was stunned for a moment, then turned to Yvonne Hu, saying, “Hey, beautiful, this guy’s a total player. Don’t stick with him—he won’t last long!”
“Who are you? Who I hang out with is none of your business! Stop getting in the way—you’re just annoying!” Yvonne fired back, even more bluntly.
“Uh—listen! I’ve already got someone coming to teach this punk a lesson. If you don’t want trouble, you’d better cut ties with him!” Jeremy threatened, face darkening.
“Hah, you think you can handle Shawn Young? Dream on!” Yvonne shot back, not bothering with politeness. She rarely attended high-society events, so she didn’t even know who Jeremy Ling was.
Jeremy Ling didn’t care, instead putting on a look of pity as he pointed at Shawn’s face. “Feeling cocky, huh? Think I won’t have someone take you out?”
Shawn raised an eyebrow. “Oh—Master Jeremy, itching to teach me a lesson, are you?”
Jeremy Ling made no effort to hide his contempt. “Heh, damn right, punk. I can’t stand you. You think Lilian’s protection means I won’t touch you? If you’ve got guts, wait right here—I’ll have someone toss you in the lake to feed the fish!”
Shawn sneered, teasing him, “So after all that talk, you came here alone? In that case, you really shouldn’t run your mouth. What an idiot!” Shawn shook his head, slipped free from Lilian and Yvonne’s hands, and walked straight toward Jeremy.
Jeremy realized things were going south and panicked. His swagger vanished, and as Shawn closed in, Jeremy shouted, “Punk, what—what do you think you’re doing?”
Shawn grinned menacingly. “Heh—Master Jeremy, what can I say about you? You’re just plain dumb. Not average dumb—spectacularly dumb!”
“You—you’re insulting me!” Jeremy blustered, desperate to save face.
“Of course! Because you’re dumb! Seeing me like this, you should know I’m about to bully you. You shouldn’t ask what I’m doing—you should run! Oh, and by the way, I hold a grudge. Didn’t you just say you’d toss me in the lake? Heh—”
As he spoke, Shawn struck like lightning, grabbing both of Jeremy’s wrists. Jeremy’s hands instantly went limp, but he kept struggling and yelling, “Let me go! If you touch me, you’re dead!”
“Yeah! I really don’t care about consequences! And now I’m touching you—what are you gonna do about it?” Shawn laughed, channeling his strength. One hand grabbed Jeremy’s chest, the other yanked his belt, lifting him clean off the ground. With a toss—rip!—Jeremy sailed through the air and crashed to the floor, bruised and battered. His Italian designer belt snapped off, his pants slid down, and there he was, pale skinny legs sticking out and, most embarrassingly, sporting a pair of Limited Edition Captain Justice Kids’ Underwear!
“Whoa—Limited Edition Captain Justice Underwear! Never thought you’d be so flashy, man! Let me get a good look—” Shawn exclaimed, genuinely surprised. It was his first time seeing the legendary underwear, rumored to have been blessed by Japanese monks. Supposedly, wearing it meant all the gods would protect you! Ridiculous, sure, but it was a popular internet meme for a while.
Seeing Shawn approach again, Jeremy Ling turned pale. He scrambled up from the floor, clutching his fallen pants, and bolted for his fiery red Ferrari convertible. He dove inside, fired up the engine, and sped off—only to stop and reverse back. Jeremy stuck his head out and yelled at Shawn, “Punk! Just you wait! If I don’t get revenge, I’m not Jeremy Ling! You’re dead!”
“Oh, really? Do you even realize how dumb you are? You just made a huge mistake,” Shawn sneered.
“You’re the dumb one! Listen up—tonight at nine, the abandoned construction site south of the development zone behind Southern University’s gate. If you don’t show, my guys will come find you at school!” Jeremy shouted viciously.
“Heh—fine! I’ll be there! I’m curious what kind of losers Master Jeremy’s bringing to deal with me. So, are we enemies now?” Shawn asked with a sinister grin.
“Of course! We’re mortal enemies—sworn rivals!” Jeremy spat, not hesitating for a second.
Shawn grinned wickedly. “Good—just so you know, Master Jeremy, I’m no gentleman. Forget that ‘a gentleman waits ten years for revenge’ nonsense. If I’ve got beef, I settle it now. Drive safe!”
“Hmph—don’t need your advice! I know what I’m doing—get lost!” Jeremy snapped, stomping the gas and driving off for about ten meters.
Just then, Shawn focused his energy, raised his right hand in a sword gesture, and quickly chanted a spell: "By the guardian stars, let confusion reign, cloud the mind, ignite chaos—now!"
Then, Shawn pointed his sword fingers toward the direction Jeremy Ling’s car had gone—whoosh! A faint white light shot forward, striking Jeremy right in the back.
Jeremy jolted as his body shuddered. Suddenly, his hands moved on their own, spinning the steering wheel to the right, and his feet slammed the gas pedal. His fiery red Ferrari convertible tore off at breakneck speed—straight toward Lovers’ Lake.
“Whoa—what the—what’s happening?!” Jeremy shrieked, his hands and feet refusing to obey his brain. The car bolted like a wild horse toward Lovers’ Lake. Bystanders scattered in panic as Jeremy and his Ferrari soared into the air and splashed down into the lake five or six meters away.
Splash—thud! The car sank quickly. Luckily it was a convertible, and Jeremy knew how to swim. He surfaced, coughing up lake water and flailing his arms, looking totally miserable.
The commotion drew a crowd. Curious onlookers watched the unbelievable scene. Some snapped photos, and a few recognized the struggling guy in the lake as Jeremy Ling, one of the notorious campus princes. But since most folks were fed up with Jeremy’s usual arrogance, they pretended not to know him, just crossing their arms and enjoying the show. Not a single person called the cops or tried to help.
Just then, a tall, skinny student came by. Spotting the commotion, he rushed over and saw it was Jeremy Ling—the same jerk who’d stolen the girl he’d once chased. Grinning, he said, “Well, well, isn’t it Master Jeremy? What’s up? Too hot, so you drove into the lake to cool off? Haha, make sure you splash around a bit more!”
Still unsatisfied, he picked up a big clump of mud and hurled it at Jeremy—smack! It hit Jeremy right on the head, leaving him covered in mud.
Jeremy was furious, steaming with rage, and cursed from the lake, “Bastard! You dare hit me? When I get out, you’re dead!”
The tall, skinny student paled, remembering Jeremy really was a campus bully. He started to worry, but Shawn strolled over, clapped him on the shoulder, and said, “Nice shot, bro! Don’t worry about him—he’s all bark and no bite. Look, I throw stuff at him too! What’s he gonna do? If he tries to get out, I’ll just toss him right back in! Heh!”
As Shawn spoke, he picked up several more clumps of mud and tossed them, all landing squarely on Jeremy’s head. Jeremy howled in protest but didn’t dare swim to shore—he was sure Shawn would just toss him back in.
“Exactly! That’s the way to deal with jerks like him—feels great! Hurry, throw a few more! You don’t get chances like this often!” Shawn said, grinning at the tall student.
“Heh, you’re right—it’s really satisfying! I’ll throw a few more!” The tall student started grabbing more mud and kept pelting Jeremy in the lake, making him shriek and howl.