Li Xiaohui's face instantly turned pale as she frantically pulled out her phone again, ready to call the police.
She never expected these people to be so brazen—barely moments after the officers had left, they came chasing after her.
At this point, she didn’t care if her father found out. Getting scolded was the least of her worries now.
Just as she unlocked her phone, the group of thugs seemed to realize her intention and lunged forward to snatch it from her.
"Trying to call the cops? Too late!"
A bleached-blonde thug grabbed her wrist roughly.
"Ah!" Li Xiaohui cried out in pain, her grip loosening as the phone clattered to the ground. Luckily, modern phones were sturdy enough to survive the fall.
Yu Fei leisurely bent down to pick it up, blowing off nonexistent dust from the screen.
Two of his lackeys had already seized Li Xiaohui by the arms, holding her firmly despite her desperate kicks and struggles.
"Let me go!" Her voice trembled. "Do you even know who my father is? Touch me, and you’re dead!"
Yu Fei burst into laughter at her words. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up. "Oh? Trying to flex connections? Well, do you know who my father is? Chairman of Yu Corporation! You picked the wrong person to mess with, little girl."
Thanks to his father’s influence, Yu Fei had long been used to throwing his weight around the university district. His lavish spending also ensured that even the underworld figures in Bright Pearl City gave him face.
After all, Yu Corporation was a behemoth not to be trifled with.
As the saying went—money was power. And when you had enough of it, both the law and the underworld would step aside for you.
Li Xiaohui forced herself to stay calm. "Y-you… let me call my uncle, then. Or at least my best friend."
It only now occurred to her that reaching her father late at night would be difficult—urgent matters usually had to go through his secretary, and she didn’t even have the secretary’s number saved.
Uncle Gao was in a similar situation. The only person left was her best friend, Liu Yutong.
If she could just make the call, she’d tell Liu Yutong to contact the police immediately.
Yu Fei’s lackeys couldn’t help but laugh at her frantic bargaining.
"Boss Yu, this girl’s hilarious—first her dad, then her uncle. She’s really spinning tales, huh?"
"Hahaha…"
From the start, they never believed she had any real connections.
If she did, why would she be hanging around with lowlifes like Sky Eye?
Sky Eye was lucky if he didn’t end up calling her "mom."
"Boss Yu, she mentioned a best friend. Should we invite her over too? Best friends should stick together—it’ll be more fun that way," the bleached-blonde lackey said with a lewd grin.
The idea made Yu Fei’s pulse quicken. He tossed the phone to the lackey. "Check if it still works. If it’s fine, find out who this ‘best friend’ is."
Li Xiaohui’s face twisted in horror, her voice breaking. "No! Let me go!"
Since the phone was already unlocked, they didn’t need to fiddle with it further.
Moments later, the bleached-blonde lackey’s eyes widened. "Boss Yu, she actually has Liu Yutong’s contact info—the new campus belle from Finance University! Judging by their call history, that’s definitely her best friend."
"Liu Yutong? Who’s that?" Yu Fei didn’t recognize the name.
"The one we mentioned last week," the lackey whispered excitedly. "The new top beauty at Finance U. Heard the line of guys chasing her stretches from the lecture halls to the school gates..."
Liu Yutong had become a campus sensation within a month of starting school.
No matter the era, students never stopped gossiping about their school’s most beautiful girl, and word had inevitably spread beyond campus.
Aside from Finance U students, even the thugs who loitered around school gates had caught glimpses of the girl whose looks and figure were nothing short of stunning.
But few could get close to her—whenever she stepped off campus, Yun Cheng would appear like clockwork, deterring any would-be suitors.
The reminder made Yu Fei’s eyes gleam.
"Oh, it’s her!"
He’d been meaning to swing by Finance U to see this so-called campus belle for himself. Now, the opportunity had fallen right into his lap.
This girl’s best friend was that very beauty—what were the odds?
"Call her. Tell her her friend got drunk while hanging out and needs a ride home."
Yu Fei wasn’t stupid—he wouldn’t let Li Xiaohui make the call herself. If she screamed for help, his plans would be ruined.
Not that he was worried about Liu Yutong refusing. If they were best friends, she wouldn’t just abandon her, right?
The call connected quickly.
A cool, magnetic voice answered—pleasant to the ear yet detached.
"Alright, send me the address. I’ll be there."
The bleached-blonde lackey immediately texted the location and flashed Yu Fei a thumbs-up. Mission accomplished.
Li Xiaohui’s heart sank as she realized they’d successfully lured her best friend into danger.
Regret washed over her. She should have listened to Liu Yutong—she never should have gone out this late.
Now, she finally understood that the world she imagined—where tough guys and girls commanded respect, surrounded by loyal followers—was nothing but a fantasy.
Against these vile men, she couldn’t even fight back.
If she could turn back time, she swore she’d never dabble in this underworld nonsense again.
But it was too late for regrets.
Yu Fei’s gang had arranged to meet Liu Yutong at the small park behind Internet Café Street.
The park, no bigger than two basketball courts, was lively during the day. But nearing midnight, it was deserted—not a soul in sight.
One side bordered a narrow canal, its banks lined with a red-brick walking path for leisurely strolls.
Occasionally, night joggers would pass through.
Gao Min, a rookie cop who had just joined the Lijin District Police Department, had a peculiar habit of jogging after 11 p.m.
Only those who knew her well understood why she ran at this hour—her father had died around this time.
Nine years ago, her father—also a police officer—had been fatally stabbed by a criminal while on duty.
The killer was never caught.
Since then, she’d taken up night jogging.
At first, it was to conquer her fear. But over time, a sliver of hope took root—that she might one day cross paths with her father’s murderer and bring him to justice.
Just as Gao Min reached the bridge, a handsome young man in a tank top and shorts appeared at the intersection.
He smiled and waved.
"Hey, Miss Gao! What a coincidence!"
