The drive from Xie Guanyan’s villa to Jingbei No.3 High School was quite long.
By the time they arrived, the second class of the day had already started.
As usual, the school didn’t stop their car at the gate, so Zhang Nan drove in without any trouble.
Even during class hours, a few students could still be seen wandering leisurely around the campus.
Lin Mo stopped one of them to ask for directions to Class Six.
When she reached the classroom, she peered through the window.
Inside, she saw a sea of brightly dyed hair—some students were asleep, others whispering to each other.
Almost no one was paying attention to the teacher.
After scanning the room, she didn’t spot her fourth brother, nor did she see Huang Mao.
Did that brat skip class again?
Most likely.
But since class was still in session, Lin Mo didn’t want to barge in. She decided to wait outside.
Zhang Nan handed her a bag of teddy bear-shaped cookies.
Lin Mo absentmindedly took them and started munching.
Only after finishing did she think to ask, “Where’d you get these?”
Zhang Nan smiled. “Assistant Jiang told me to always keep snacks on hand!”
At the company, she totally shipped Lin Mo and Jiang Tang as a couple.
“Jiang Tang really thinks of everything!” Lin Mo sighed in admiration.
Ding-dong!
The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
The teacher stepped out, and Lin Mo approached her. “Hello, ma’am. I was wondering—did Ji’an come to class today?”
The teacher had already noticed the stranger at the door. She glanced back inside. “Huh? He’s not here? I didn’t notice. He skips a lot.”
Lin Mo frowned. “I see. Did he at least submit a leave request? What was the reason?”
The teacher shook her head. “No idea. I’m not his homeroom teacher.”
By now, many students had noticed Lin Mo, their eyes lighting up.
“Whoa, she’s gorgeous!”
“I just woke up—thought I was dreaming!”
“She’s here for our boss. As expected of him!”
Lin Mo’s brow twitched slightly.
Oddly, even though Ji’an was the school’s delinquent, his classmates didn’t seem to dislike him.
Except for one red-haired boy, who sneered, “What do you want with him, pretty girl? His mom’s a psycho—like, legit crazy!”
Another boy nearby scowled. “Why’d you say that?”
The red-haired boy kicked him hard. “Keep sucking up to him, and one day his mom’ll take a dump on your head. See how you like it then!”
The other boy raised his fist to retaliate, but several others stepped in. “You looking to die?”
Lin Mo studied the red-haired boy closely, her fingers tightening slightly.
Clearly, this was Ji’an’s rival, with his own little gang.
Taking a deep breath, she held back her anger. Right now, finding her fourth brother was the priority.
She pulled out her phone and texted Shen Yihan, the so-called “Buddha of Beijing’s elite circle”: Send me Ji’an’s home address. I’m going to check on him.
Shen Yihan replied almost instantly with a voice message: That neighborhood’s dangerous. Don’t go alone—I don’t like this.
Lin Mo: It’s broad daylight. What’s there to worry about? Address.
Eventually, Shen Yihan relented and sent the location, though his frown deepened.
Jiang Tang, sitting beside him, said, “She’ll be fine. Secretary Zhang Nan grew up in the slums.”
Shen Yihan, who knew nothing about such places, lifted his cold eyes to her. “Really?”
“Mm.” Jiang Tang nodded. “I had a feeling Lin Mo might go today, so I sent Zhang Nan to pick her up.”
Shen Yihan’s gaze flickered, his fingers idly spinning the Buddhist beads around his wrist.
He’d always known Jiang Tang was sharp and capable.
But now he realized she was even more meticulous than he’d thought.
“Sis, I know the slums like the back of my hand—I grew up there. I can guide you,” Zhang Nan said once they were back in the car.
Lin Mo never would’ve guessed Zhang Nan had such a background. Smiling, she said, “Great, thanks!”
Lin Mo had always known about the slums in Jingbei.
Tucked away in a remote corner, it was a place where the city’s poorest gathered.
She’d visited a welfare center there as a child, tagging along with her parents for a charity event.
But it was 2025 now—with the economy so advanced, she hadn’t expected the slums to still exist.
Logically, societal progress should’ve lifted that area too.
Guess that’s just how it goes in fictional worlds.
The moment they crossed into the slums, Lin Mo felt like they’d entered another universe—one completely cut off from the rest of Jingbei.
Filthy, chaotic, crumbling buildings. The air reeked. Homeless beggars lined the streets.
Groups of thug-looking guys sped by on motorcycles.
Two of them whistled at Lin Mo, leering. “Hop on, gorgeous. We’ll show you a good time!”
Zhang Nan, with her sweet, doll-like face, didn’t miss a beat.
She shrugged off her blazer, rolled up her sleeves, and her entire demeanor shifted.
“The hell you will! One more word and I’ll cut your dicks off!”
Lin Mo’s eyes widened slightly.
But it made sense—a girl who’d clawed her way out of here to work at a major corporation couldn’t afford to be meek.
In places this rough, soft girls never stood a chance.
The thugs, who’d assumed the two were easy targets, exchanged glances at the vicious retort. Without another word, they revved their engines and sped off.
Unseen in the shadows, two burly men loosened their clenched fists.
"Nan Jie, you were so cool just now!" Lin Mo praised sincerely.
Zhang Nan instantly switched back to her sweet-girl demeanor, her dimples showing as she smiled. "Don’t laugh at me, Jie. You have to be tough with these people, or they’ll stick to you like glue."
"Let’s go this way," Zhang Nan said when they reached a fork in the road.
Ahead lay a wide, smooth path, but Zhang Nan pointed toward a narrow side street.
"Oh, is this a shortcut?" Lin Mo had been checking the house numbers—her fourth brother’s home should be at the very end.
"No," Zhang Nan replied. "I’m just a very compassionate person. There’s probably someone I know begging on the main road, and if I see them, I might end up giving them money. So it’s better to take the detour and avoid the temptation."
Lin Mo: "…"
She followed Zhang Nan as they zigzagged through the alleys.
Zhang Nan kept up a running commentary along the way. "This place looks much better now than it used to. Back then, it was way worse. At least now, any kid who wants to go to school can afford it."
"Where does the money come from?" Lin Mo asked.
There were hundreds of thousands of poor people here, and plenty of children. Beyond the nine years of compulsory education, many couldn’t afford to continue studying.
"Mr. Xie set up a charity fund here," Zhang Nan explained with a smile. "Anyone who wants to study can apply, and the fund covers all their tuition and living expenses."
"I was able to finish high school and college thanks to that fund!"
"Xie Guanyan?" Lin Mo was surprised.
She’d heard he was involved in charity work, but she hadn’t realized his efforts extended here.
Zhang Nan nodded. "Yeah. I heard he used to live in this slum, but I don’t know if it’s true."
Lin Mo’s long, curled lashes fluttered slightly as Xie Guanyan’s image grew even more admirable in her mind.
After achieving success, he had truly dedicated himself to giving back.
Did her fourth brother’s education come from Xie Guanyan’s fund too?
