Chapter 24: Zhou Baijun!

Ever since the appearance of the space-time rifts, the lifeforms of Earth have undergone earth-shattering changes.

Trees have become towering and lush, animals have grown gargantuan, and racial characteristics have become more pronounced—the ferocious have become even more ferocious, and the dim-witted have become even more dim-witted.

In the wilderness areas, hundred-meter-long giant eagles soar through the heavens, lion kings the size of heavy trucks occupy the grasslands, and ferocious tigers with wings of fury roar through the mountain forests...

Of course, in the cities, there is no shortage of idiotic Huskies still dedicated to the cause of destroying homes, and soft, adorable cats doing their utmost to act cute...

The mutated star beasts are kept outside the cities by martial artists, allowing humans and animals to continue living together happily within the urban walls.

Bao'an Mountain was not actually considered the wilderness; it still fell within the jurisdiction of East Sea City.

The trees here were lush and verdant, reaching dozens of meters in height, creating a magnificent spectacle.

Occasionally, birds with brightly colored feathers would fly out from the woods and perch by the roadside, completely indifferent to the passing vehicles.

In the past, these birds were nothing more than ordinary wild birds, but now, with their vibrant plumage, beautiful eyes, and elegant postures, they were no less impressive than the expensive exotic birds of the previous life.

But now, they were merely wild birds seen everywhere in the mountains.

A white rabbit poked its head out from the grass; its fur was smooth and shiny, its eyes were like rubies, and its long ears were folded back!

"A little white rabbit! Such a cute little white rabbit!" Bai Wei cried out in pleasant surprise.

Driving the car, Wang Teng caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

"This little white rabbit isn't... little at all!"

The car soon drove away, and the little white rabbit disappeared back into the grass, leaving Bai Wei greatly disappointed.

The two cars drove halfway up the mountain.

A manor was built against the mountainside, backed by lush greenery, blending seamlessly with nature—classy without being ostentatious.

After parking the cars, Wang Teng and the others walked toward the villa.

Waiters greeted them at the entrance.

The group entered the villa, walked through a corridor, and arrived at a large hall.

Many people were already inside, chatting and laughing.

Upon seeing Wang Teng and his group, someone immediately approached them, smiling. "Cousin, you're here! Won't you introduce these people?"

"Sun Gaoyan, my cousin!"

"This is my eldest brother, Wang Teng. The other two are also my best friends, Yu Hao and Bai Wei."

Xu Jie introduced everyone to one another.

Sun Gaoyan was quite surprised to hear Xu Jie call Wang Teng "big brother."

He and Xu Jie were cousins and usually stayed quite close.

Because of this, he knew Xu Jie well; Xu Jie was normally a rather unruly person, so for him to call Wang Teng "big brother" meant that Wang Teng must have something that commanded his respect.

"Since Xu Jie is my cousin and calls him big brother, I should call him brother as well," Sun Gaoyan said with a smile to Wang Teng.

As the saying goes, one shouldn't strike a smiling face, so Wang Teng also smiled. "Let's just stick to our own terms. We're all the same age, so let's not bother with 'brother' this or 'brother' that. Just use our names."

Sun Gaoyan then turned to Yu Hao and Bai Wei, chatting with them in a manner that was attentive to everyone, ensuring no one was left out.

With Sun Gaoyan acting as the social bridge, Xu Jie and the others quickly blended in with the rest of the crowd.

Although Wang Teng did not enjoy socializing, since he was already there, he would smile and respond when others approached him to chat, ensuring he didn't offend anyone.

As a "rich second generation," even if he hadn't specifically studied social etiquette, he could pick it up just by watching.

Moreover, he wasn't some naive youth who understood nothing and found everything irritating.

One still had to do the superficial work!

Among them, the most popular person was actually Bai Wei.

The young girl was highly attractive; standing among several other girls, she frequently drew the gazes of other young men.

Watching this made Yu Hao feel quite uneasy.

Subsequently, more people arrived one after another, totaling about twenty people, all of whom were children of the wealthy and powerful.

Wang Teng couldn't help but marvel at the host's significant influence.

"Gaoyan, who exactly is the host this time? Give me a heads-up," Xu Jie whispered to Sun Gaoyan from the side.

"Zhou Baijun!" Sun Gaoyan chuckled before uttering the name.

"Zhou Baijun!"

Xu Jie was startled. "The Zhou family?"

"Yes, the very Zhou family you're thinking of," Sun Gaoyan nodded.

"Then who is this Zhou Baijun?" Xu Jie was puzzled, his curiosity nearly exploding.

"The third child of the Zhou family. She had been abroad for a long time and has just returned," Sun Gaoyan said.

"She's back and not leaving?" Xu Jie reacted immediately.

"Yeah, she's not leaving. I'm afraid there's going to be a fierce struggle for power within the Zhou family next," Sun Gaoyan said with a meaningful smile.

Bai Wei and Yu Hao were also listening nearby. As children of wealthy families, they could naturally imagine what was to follow.

Wang Teng didn't care; none of this had anything to do with him.

Regardless, he would not get involved, and as long as he became a martial artist, so-called family struggles would be nothing more than a joke.

"They're here!"

A voice suddenly shouted.

Footsteps echoed outside the hall, and then four people walked in.

"Apologies, everyone. We stopped to pick up a friend on the way, making you all wait," said the woman walking in the middle of the four, looking around the room.

The woman appeared to be in her early twenties, tall in stature, and her beauty was easily rated above ninety. However, she carried an overbearing aura; with her chin slightly raised, exposing her slender neck, she looked much like a proud white swan.

"Not late at all, we just arrived ourselves," the crowd responded politely, offering their support.

"Why is that guy Li Rongcheng here too?" Xu Jie leaned toward Wang Teng and frowned.

"Didn't Miss Zhou say that he is her friend?" Yu Hao said with a pout.

"Li Rongcheng has a grudge against us. He won't try to sabotage things or badmouth us in front of Zhou Baijun, will he?" Bai Wei asked.

"If he dares to gossip behind our backs, isn't he afraid Brother Wang Teng will beat him up? I haven't seen him at school for the past few days; he's probably hiding from Brother Wang Teng," Xu Jie said disdainfully.

"Alright, this is her home turf, so let's say less," Wang Teng said.

Zhou Baijun was a socially adept individual; maneuvering among the various wealthy and powerful youths, she quickly made them forget any annoyance caused by her tardiness.

As for Li Rongcheng, he stayed by her side throughout, clearly indicating that Zhou Baijun placed great importance on him.

As for whether they were truly friends, that remained unknown.

A moment later, holding a glass of red wine, Zhou Baijun walked up to Wang Teng and his group.

"These faces look a bit unfamiliar. May I ask which families these talented young gentlemen belong to?"

As the saying goes, "everyone carries the sedan chair for the bride"—meaning everyone helps to praise someone.

As soon as the third princess of the Zhou family spoke, she elevated Wang Teng and his friends to great heights.

Talented young gentlemen?

If idle youths like Wang Teng and his friends counted as "talented," then the standard for talent had truly plummeted into the abyss.

The moment Li Rongcheng saw Wang Teng, his expression changed.

Yuan Zhenghua, who was following behind Li Rongcheng, also had a change in expression.

The expressions of the two men were virtually identical.

Before Sun Gaoyan could introduce them, Zhou Baijun keenly noticed the strange atmosphere between them and smiled. "What? Do you know each other?"

"We know each other, of course! We're old classmates and old acquaintances!" Xu Jie chuckled.

"Young Master Li, you look much better lately."

Seeing that everyone was an old acquaintance, Wang Teng offered a polite greeting.

To his surprise, Li Rongcheng's expression became even more unsightly.

Zhou Baijun had no idea what was happening, and the smile on her face became somewhat stiff. Sun Gaoyan hurriedly stepped in to introduce them.

--Newbie Divider--

Everyone sit down, sit down! My boy Wang Teng is about to start showing off!

(End of Chapter)