A whole bunch of things just went down in Clearview City—stuff that had everyone cheering! First, the big guns from the province teamed up, swooped in like a thunderstorm, and grabbed enough dirt to nail the Tiger Mafia boss, Goldtooth. Then, they yanked out the entire gang, root and branch. Next, the former police chief, Mr. He (the one who’s been cozy with the Tiger Mafia for years), and some other bigwigs got busted for helping out the gang, taking bribes, and living the sleazy life. The province’s special squad hit them with the double whammy—evidence and interrogation. One by one, these crooks got kicked out. Finally, after all the mess they made, Clearview City is back to being, well, clear!
And guess who was the mastermind behind all this? Shawn Young! But instead of basking in the glory, he’s busy trying to cure his dad, Sam Young, of late-stage stomach cancer. With a little help from a thousand-year-old earth dragon lady in the Skyreach Secret Realm, plus some Dragon Spirit Herb, Shawn whipped up a batch of Earth Dragon Miracle Pills. Magic, right? After Sam took one, he flushed out some seriously nasty black gunk and felt like a brand-new man. The hospital docs were totally gobsmacked—the cancer was just gone. They wanted Sam to stick around for more tests, but Shawn knew exactly what was up. So, after the checkup, he took his dad home.
The dark cloud hanging over the Young family finally lifted with Sam’s recovery. And here’s more good news—they moved into a swanky new villa! Shawn bought the place out in the eastern suburbs of Clearview City, and the whole fam moved in. Ivy Tian and Sam Young couldn’t figure out how Shawn had so much cash for a villa, but Rainie Cheng stepped in and explained, ‘Hey, Shawn got a big reward from the higher-ups for helping take down the Tiger Mafia!’
Of course, Ivy and Sam totally believed Rainie—she’s a top Interpol inspector, after all. So, they happily accepted their new reality. On moving day, Rainie Cheng, Joanna Gong and her family, and even Shawn’s childhood buddy, ‘Chicken Little,’ all got together for a feast. That’s how the Youngs officially moved into their fancy new digs.
After dinner, Rainie had to rush back to Hong Kong for work. Meanwhile, Southland University was about to start summer break. Shawn and Joanna spent an extra day at home before heading back to Southbright City.
As soon as the two got off the bus at Southland University, Shawn walked Joanna back to the girls’ dorm. On his way to his own dorm, his phone suddenly rang. He picked up, and a sweet female voice chirped, ‘Hey—are you done with your busy stuff yet?’
‘Huh? Wait—who is this?’ Shawn thought the voice sounded familiar, but couldn’t quite place which lovely lady was calling him.
‘Oh my god! Seriously, how could you forget me? It’s Minnie Wang! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already? You took a million bucks from me and promised to be my personal bodyguard! You seriously don’t remember any of that?’ Minnie sounded totally exasperated on the other end.
‘Oh! Oh! Miss Wang, of course! No way I’d forget someone as gorgeous as you! Things have been super crazy at home lately, so my brain’s been a little fried. I’m really sorry, Miss Wang!’ Shawn apologized quickly, finally remembering he’d promised to be the bodyguard for Minnie Wang, heiress of Oceanic Holdings Group.
‘Oh! Oh! I heard you had something urgent to handle, so I’ll let it slide—hehe! So, where are you now? Got some free time?’ Minnie Wang perked right up after getting complimented.
‘Yeah, I just got back to Southbright City. Our university’s about to go on summer break, so I’ll finally have time to keep my bodyguard promise!’ Shawn replied quickly.
‘Awesome! I’m in the States right now, but I’m flying back to Southbright tomorrow. There’s a big charity gala for the city’s business elite, and I’m representing Oceanic Holdings Group. I need a handsome date—so you’re in! Come with me, okay?’ Minnie laughed, totally excited.
‘Sounds good! I’ll go with you. Just call me when you land in Southbright tomorrow!’ Shawn agreed right away. Honestly, Minnie Wang was a total knockout and clearly into him. He figured, with a bit of luck, he might finally score! Plus, Shawn was building up his own business empire now—he wanted to network with the city’s movers and shakers, attract investment, and turn Raveneye Mountain into a booming special zone!
‘Hehe—deal! See you tomorrow!’ Minnie hung up, sounding super happy.
Shawn put away his phone, feeling pretty jazzed as he walked back. Soon he was outside the boys’ dorm for the history department. He headed for Room 2, but noticed the door wasn’t locked—just ajar. Weird. It wasn’t the weekend, and it was only three in the afternoon. Usually, everyone had class, and Room 2 was locked up tight. So, who was inside?
Shawn pushed open the door, and instantly a cloud of cigarette smoke hit him. There was Big Bro Xu Dong, slumped alone on his bed, surrounded by a mess of cigarette butts. The place was a total smokehouse. Xu Dong looked rough—scruffy beard, bare-chested, baggy shorts, staring blankly at the ceiling and chain-smoking like his life depended on it. He didn’t even notice Shawn walk up.
‘Uh—Big Bro! What’s up with you?’ Shawn waved a hand in front of Xu Dong’s face.
‘Oh—hey, Third Bro! You’re back! Haha—good to see you. I’m fine, really…’ Xu Dong finally snapped out of it and tried to smile.
‘Yep, just got back. But dude, I’ve never seen you this down before. What’s going on?’ Shawn could tell Xu Dong was hiding something and pressed him gently.
‘I swear, it’s nothing. Just not in a great mood, that’s all…’ Xu Dong took a hard drag on his cigarette, trying to play it cool.
‘Come on, Big Bro! Don’t lie to me. I can see it all over your face. We’re bros, right? Just tell me—whatever it is, I’ve got your back!’ Shawn insisted.
‘Uh—Third Bro! I… I got dumped! Boohoo—I, Xu Dong, actually got dumped! The hell, man, a girl ditched me! For real! First time I’ve ever been this miserable! And I call myself a love guru? Got dumped and laughed at! Damn it!’ Xu Dong rubbed his eyes, tossed his cigarette, and started wailing like a banshee.