Chapter 321: Temptation

This conglomerate seems to be in the metallurgy business, but there are rumors outside that they might be involved in smuggling and have military connections. Initially, they dismissed these as mere rumors, but now, looking back, they feel a sense of shock.

Their gaze toward Nie Yan had completely changed, now filled with more determination.

Nie Yan stepped down from the podium, and the female employee named Xiao Su took the stage. She began assigning specific tasks for the War God Tribe, and her orders were much smoother and more readily accepted than before.

“Didn’t expect you to have such a commanding presence,” A Chen teased Nie Yan with a smile as he approached.

Nie Yan smiled calmly. Years of experience had taught him to remain composed regardless of praise or criticism.

Nie Yan’s father nodded slightly, clearly satisfied with Nie Yan’s performance. He thought to himself that Nie Yan had finally grown up.

Nie Yan and the others chatted for a while.

“Aren’t those three auction houses in Nisod City owned by the Tuoba family?” Nie Yan’s father suddenly recalled something and asked.

Nie Yan explained how Tuoba Shih had transferred ownership of the auction houses. The internal conflict within the Tuoba family, along with various signs, indicated that Tuoba Shi was definitely planning to target Tuoba Hongye.

Suddenly, Nie Yan’s father seemed to recall something and turned to the people behind him. “Xiao Li, report on the Tuoba family’s recent activities.”

“The Tuoba family has a total of seven listed companies. Tuoba Hongye and Tuoba Fengyuan are currently selling off part of their stock holdings. They’ve encountered some financial issues, having been double-crossed by the Century Financial Group during their collaboration. The Century Financial Group is now acquiring shares of two of their listed companies, aiming to take control. In response, the Tuobas are preparing a counterattack by selling off parts of other companies’ stocks…”

The Tuoba family and the Century Financial Group were now locked in a bitter conflict, and many people were likely waiting on the sidelines to reap the benefits.

“What a great opportunity!” Nie Yan’s father’s eyes lit up. Nie Yan had resolved the War God Tribe’s funding issues, leaving him with a large surplus of cash. With such a substantial amount of capital, why not take advantage of the power struggle between these two financial giants to make a quick profit? If handled well, it could yield significant gains!

Nie Yi assigned tasks, and Nie Yan and others implemented the War God Tribe’s affairs.

By the time everything was sorted out, it was already very late. It seemed impossible to go to school today, so Nie Yan gave up and drove back to his villa, where he could have dinner and then log back online.

At Huada Affiliated High School, another day had passed in the blink of an eye.

The sun was setting, casting golden rays through the classroom windows.

Xie Yao sat at her desk, her neighboring seat empty. Every time she saw the vacant seat beside her, she felt a sense of anxiety. Today, Nie Yan hadn’t come to school for some unknown reason. After logging out of the game, she had been a bit angry with Nie Yan, but seeing that he wasn’t here, her anger had dissipated, leaving her feeling strangely empty.

Xie Yao absentmindedly gazed out the window.

“Xie Yao, school’s out. Let’s go,” Xia Ling approached.

“Huh? Oh, I’ll just pack up,” Xie Yao snapped out of her daze and started gathering her things.

Xia Ling looked at Xie Yao and gave a knowing smile. “Nie Yan wasn’t here today?”

“Yeah,” Xie Yao nodded.

“What a shame. He used to walk you to the school gate every day when he was around,” Xia Ling teased playfully.

Xie Yao’s gaze swept over Nie Yan’s computer, and a sense of loss welled up inside her. “Let’s go.”

Seeing Xie Yao’s low spirits, Xia Ling refrained from mentioning Nie Yan further and instead talked about other things.

Not far away, a tall boy in white sportswear approached. It was Liu Rui, his facial injuries having healed, giving him a somewhat handsome appearance.

“Oh, Liu Rui, you’re back! How’s your face? Is it okay?” Xia Ling feigned surprise. In reality, she wasn’t particularly fond of Liu Rui. She used to think Liu Rui was decent enough, but compared to Nie Yan, Liu Rui’s flaws became apparent. Liu Rui was too flashy and not grounded enough. Although Nie Yan had his own share of shortcomings, he was much more likable than Liu Rui, so Xia Ling’s tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

“I’m fine. Xie Yao, long time no see,” Liu Rui masked his awkwardness and greeted Xie Yao.

“Uh-huh,” Xie Yao replied indifferently.

“I just leveled up to 42 recently and got a set of golden equipment. Once I log in, I can take you leveling. We can go to Zolong Canyon, where there are monsters around level 45. Normally, we wouldn’t be able to handle such high-level monsters. I’ve got some friends from the Triumph Empire who will help us level up quickly,” Liu Rui said proudly. He hadn’t seen Xie Yao in the game for a long time and had no idea what level she was now.

“Ha-ha-ha!” Xia Ling burst into laughter, almost doubling over. Liu Rui really didn’t know his limits. Xie Yao was now at least level 47, wearing a set of top-tier golden equipment at level 45, and had already collected several pieces of dark gold gear. This guy was only level 42 and dared to offer to take Xie Yao leveling.

Liu Rui frowned slightly at Xia Ling’s reaction, feeling somewhat annoyed, but refrained from saying anything since Xie Yao was present.

Xia Ling quickly waved her hand and laughed apologetically, “I couldn’t help myself. You two can continue talking.”

“Sure, you can take me leveling, but can I bring a friend?” Xie Yao suddenly had a mischievous idea. By now, Nie Yan was probably logging in. She wondered what expression Liu Rui would have if he encountered Nie Yan in the game. Would he be stunned? Shocked?

“Is your friend a guy or a girl? If it’s a girl, my buddies will definitely welcome her,” Liu Rui said with a self-proclaimed sunny smile.

“Sorry, it’s a guy. Disappointed?” Xie Yao replied in a neutral tone.

Liu Rui’s smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered and said generously, “It’s fine if it’s a guy. What level is he?”

“Only around level 30.”

“Only level 30? That’s a bit low. Not sure if my buddies will accept him, but I can talk to them. It should be okay.”

“Then I’ll count on you. Where should we meet?”

“Let’s meet at the east gate of Carol City in 30 minutes after logging in,” Liu Rui said.

Xia Ling couldn’t help but giggle again. Xie Yao was usually calm and elegant, but she could be quite playful when she wanted to.

“Xie Yao, let me give you a ride,” Liu Rui said, glancing at Xia Ling, implying that Xia Ling, the third wheel, could leave now.

“Let’s all go together. It’ll be more fun,” Xie Yao said, linking arms with Xia Ling. “Xia Ling, let’s go.”

The two walked out chatting together.

“Xiaoyue said she’s coming back to visit us.”

“Really? When is she coming back?”

“Not sure yet. I heard she’s helping her family manage the business and is really busy every day, so she only occasionally logs into the game to meet us.”

As the two chatted, Liu Rui trailed behind, unable to join the conversation, feeling left out. His expression darkened. His subordinates often messaged him with updates about the school, especially anything related to Xie Yao. He had heard that Xie Yao often spent time alone with Nie Yan, and whenever she was with Nie Yan, she was always smiling and chatting happily. This made him extremely uneasy. He harbored a deep sense of apprehension toward Nie Yan, whose physical abilities were formidable. That was why he only dared to show up today when he knew Nie Yan wouldn’t be there.

“I’m leaving first,” Xie Yao said goodbye to Xia Ling without even acknowledging Liu Rui beside her, then got into her private car, which sped away.

Liu Rui clearly sensed Xie Yao’s coldness and muttered a curse under his breath. “Stupid woman, just because you’re a bit pretty, what’s there to be so arrogant about?” Compared to Xie Yao herself, he was more interested in the wealth she possessed. How many women with a net worth of billions could there be?

Nie Yan drove back to his villa when his phone suddenly rang. It was Xie Yao calling.

Nie Yan pressed the answer button. On the video screen was Xie Yao’s beautiful face. What made him almost nosebleed was that she was sitting cross-legged on the sofa wearing a short pink lace-trimmed nightgown, revealing her fair arms and delicate shoulders. Her beautiful face was radiant, with a hint of shyness and a rosy blush, as if she were slightly intoxicated, making her look endearing. The tight short dress accentuated her chest, showing a patch of fair skin, her perfect figure creating a seductive scene that made Nie Yan’s nose instantly fill with blood.

He couldn’t believe that Xie Yao would answer his video call dressed so provocatively.

Nie Yan’s gaze was fixed on the video call screen, unable to look away.

Xie Yao, looking at Nie Yan on the video call, also felt her heart racing, her face burning. She seemed to sense Nie Yan’s gaze wandering over her body, which stirred a strange feeling inside her. She felt shy about her bold decision just now. Nie Yan’s absence all day had left her feeling empty, as if something were missing. To her surprise, she realized how much she had come to rely on Nie Yan.

Her parents had gone traveling and wouldn’t be back for several months, leaving her completely alone at home. She had a strong urge to call Nie Yan.

“Nie Yan, why didn’t you come to school today?” Xie Yao finally found the courage to speak first.

“Oh, there was some business at my parents’ company, so I went to help out,” Nie Yan explained. Xie Yao’s concern made him feel unexpectedly cherished. This was the first time he had felt so close to his ideal goddess, and this video call had brought them much closer.

Looking at Xie Yao, Nie Yan felt a sense of déjà vu. Seeing her so sexy and charming, like a delicate porcelain doll, stirred up emotions from both of his lifetimes, feelings that were long and profound.

“Anything new at school today?”

“Not much. Liu Rui recovered and came back to school.”

Nie Yan’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint. Calculating the timing, that kid should have recovered a while ago but hadn’t returned to school until today. Since Nie Yan didn’t attend class today, it was easy to guess the reason!