Inside the training grounds of Songyang High School.

With a deep breath, Zhou Chechen swiftly retracted the surrounding chill, his Frost Heaven Freezing Qi Field gradually subsiding.

Before Zhou Chechen stood Lan Ling, his face pale purple from the cold. He shivered, and as his blood and qi circulated, surges of heat brought him a semblance of relief.

However, Lan Ling disregarded the frostbite, saying with a hint of glee, “Chairman, you’ve finally gotten serious, even mobilizing the Zhou family’s resources, haven’t you?”

In Lan Ling’s view, Zhou Chechen’s ability to use the Zhou family’s power to retaliate against Zhang Yu indicated a higher standing within the family than Lan Ling had initially estimated.

Lan Ling continued, “Why not press on and find a way to expel both Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen…”

Watching Lan Ling’s excited demeanor, Zhou Chechen thought to himself, “Lan Ling, if only you were my opponent… how wonderful that would be.”

He could never agree to Lan Ling’s suggestion. Following Zhou Yang’s instructions, he needed to apply pressure to Zhang Yu little by little, ensuring Zhang Yu felt increasingly suffocated without being crushed outright.

Zhou Chechen mused, “To step on someone without killing them with a single blow, that’s the challenge in this endeavor.”

“Currently, the martial arts class is leading him down a dead end with basic cultivation methods.”

“Through physical education, he’s gradually becoming addicted to addictive drugs.”

“Remedial Daoist classes are cutting into his time for earning money and cultivating after school…”

Zhou Chechen could imagine that as Zhang Yu lacked time for cultivation and making money, his strength and grades would inevitably decline.

Even the path of immortality, in this aspect, was like most skills in the world. Insufficient practice not only prevented maintaining the original level but also led to regression.

Muscles and bones would weaken with reduced training, leading to a decrease in physical strength.

Mana would gradually diminish with reduced breathing exercises, even affecting the control over mana.

The Dao Heart would generate self-doubt and introspection due to insufficient cultivation time, gradually losing control.

“Not to mention, without money, he can’t afford the drugs.”

“With long-term drug use, sudden withdrawal… the decline in cultivation will be even more obvious.”

Although Zhou Chechen knew Zhang Yu wouldn’t get into the top 10 universities, even among the non-top-10 schools, there were vast differences.

“The 36 Upper Schools, 72 Lower Schools, and the pile of miscellaneous vocational colleges, the gap between them is considerable.”

“What would it feel like to see your level gradually drop from being able to test into the 36 Upper Schools, to just a vocational school?”

Zhou Chechen couldn’t imagine it, but he could guess it wouldn’t be pleasant.

He had seen many similar examples. Every year, Songyang High School had its share of impoverished geniuses whose grades plummeted due to bullying.

For students in elite high schools, declining grades were the easiest thing to break them.

His former classmate and top of the grade, Shuang Youpeng, had collapsed after watching his grades steadily decline.

In Zhou Chechen’s eyes, Zhang Yu had even greater talent and better grades, but if one didn’t consider the people behind him, dealing with him would only require a little more resources and money than Shuang Youpeng.

Furthermore, as Zhang Yu grew accustomed to and addicted to the Mad Dragon Serum, Zhou Chechen could imagine the despair if the addictive drug supply was cut off.

“If that’s not enough, lead him to gambling, or set up some other pig-butchering scheme…”

“And Bai Zhenzhen, even if she’s unwilling to betray Zhang Yu now, as the difference in their treatment gradually emerges, conflicts will inevitably arise between them…”

Zhou Chechen had witnessed many examples of poor people being toyed with until their minds and bodies collapsed, willingly becoming obedient dogs.

Although those poor people might not have had Zhang Yu’s grades, in Zhou Chechen’s view, human nature was the same.

“When Zhang Yu’s grades decline continuously, but he sees Bai Zhenzhen not being targeted like him… what will he think?”

“When poor people are in dire straits, discovering that their former good friends are also unreliable is often a fatal blow.”

Zhou Chechen sighed inwardly. With the Zhou family’s power, guiding such a poor student step by step into the abyss was too simple for him.

His biggest concern now was the retaliation from the person behind Zhang Yu, worrying about the backlash he might face.

After all, according to Zhou Yang, the intention was to gradually force Zhang Yu to seek help.

Zhou Chechen thought, “I need to figure out a way to protect myself.”

Just then, Lan Ling’s voice interrupted Zhou Chechen’s thoughts.

“Chairman, Chairman!”

Lan Ling looked at Zhou Chechen and said, “Chairman, did you hear what I said? Find a chance to expel them directly.”

Although he had swiftly reconsidered the situation in his mind, Zhou Chechen knew he couldn’t discuss these matters with Lan Ling, especially since Zhou Yang had asked Zhou Chechen to force Zhang Yu to seek help in his own name. How could he share this with outsiders?

After a moment of thought, Zhou Chechen finally said, “Rather than expel him and let him freely work and earn money outside, I think it’s better to keep him in school to play with him slowly.”

Hearing this, Lan Ling’s eyes lit up, and he smiled, “Indeed, you’re the one who knows how to play. Then let’s slowly torment him.”

Looking at Lan Ling, who believed him and was eager to try, Zhou Chechen sighed inwardly, “Alas, if all the senior high school students in Songyang City… were like you, I could confidently get into the top 10 universities.”

At the same time, at the gate of Songyang High School.

Having just finished four hours of paper-work, Zhang Yu frowned, constantly contemplating the current situation.

When he saw Bai Zhenzhen, he saw her pick up her phone and send him a message.

Bai Zhenzhen: Be careful, someone is watching us.

Zhang Yu’s brow furrowed even tighter, and after activating the Detection Ritual, he indeed sensed the presence of cameras.

Zhang Yu sent a message back: Let’s try to shake them off.

The next moment, the two of them accelerated, shooting out like lightning, leaving a trail of sonic booms in their wake.

But soon, they discovered that no matter how much they accelerated, how sharply they turned, or how they changed direction, they couldn’t shake off the pursuer in the dark.

Even after entering the subway, they could still detect the surveillance cameras tracking them shortly after exiting the station.

Bai Zhenzhen took out her phone and sent a message: Very strong, the person following us is far above us in strength.

Bai Zhenzhen recounted her experience of seeking out Zhou Chechen and being repelled by a security guard named Zhou Hao, and sent another message: The guy following us now is likely an expert who has reached the peak of Qi Refining for many years, just like Zhou Hao.

Bai Zhenzhen: He might even specialize in candid photography, tracking, and surveillance.

Zhang Yu understood that if they were continually tracked, it would mean they couldn’t go to the black market for extra lessons to make money, nor could they borrow the spiritual veins in the protected area from An An for cultivation.

Just as Zhang Yu was pondering countermeasures, Fuki spoke in their minds, “Endure for now.”

Bai Zhenzhen sent a message: Zhou Chechen is gradually reducing our time for cultivation and making money. Are we just going to sit and wait for death?

Fuki looked at Zhang Yu’s phone screen, gazing at the message sent by Bai Zhenzhen, she continued, “When we were dealing with Huoshan and Song Xu, we were so successful because we had the advantage of information, mastering intelligence they didn’t know.”

“But this time, Zhou Chechen and the Zhou family behind him are constantly monitoring you, investigating you, constantly mastering your information. The more you act, the more information you expose.”

“And you know too little about Zhou Chechen and the Zhou family, not even knowing what Zhou Chechen’s ultimate goal is…”

“Furthermore, the resources and energy they possess are unmatched by you.”

“Based on my life experience, in this situation, if you act blindly and counterattack blindly, there will often be no good results.”

Fuki sighed and said, “So… endure for now. In many times in life, you will encounter opponents that are currently irresistible. At this time, you must learn to lie low.”

“The more it is at this time, the more you must calm down, focus on your own growth during the endurance, and then silently look for flaws and wait for the opportunity to counterattack.”

“And from the current situation, you have the conditions to endure.”

“After all, the methods they are using have not really hit you, and some aspects can even be used by you.”

“Your own abilities, potential, and the ritual power I have given you are all information gaps you have when facing them. Only by exerting the role of these information gaps can you persist in your confrontation with them until you find a chance to win.”

So, in the days that followed, Zhang Yu seemed to return to the life of an ordinary elite high school student, traveling between school and apartment, living a monotonous life of going to school and going home.

In general knowledge class, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen seized the time to operate their cultivation methods, breathing out and drawing in spiritual energy, improving their Dao Hearts and Mana bit by bit.

September 38th.

In physical education class, under the watchful eye of Teacher Lin Hui, Zhang Yu injected the Mad Dragon Serum delivered to him in one go, feeling the violent drug power pumping out wildly in his body, and began to cultivate the Scarlet Marrow Primordial Qi.

On the other side, Bai Zhenzhen was flashing with electric light, and after injecting the Dragon Elephant Serum, she used the drug power, Thunder Mana, and True Spiritual Root to frantically promote the Thunderclap True Body.

Especially the Thunder Mana possessed after stimulating potential, made her cultivation of the Thunderclap True Body even more effective, and with the True Spiritual Root, it was a thousand miles a day.

In addition, she occasionally ran to the toilet to suck a few mouthfuls from the power bank, making her body refining progress even more rapid.

Fortunately, when she originally cultivated the Thunderclap True Body, there were flashes of electricity, and although there was now an additional blessing of Thunder Mana, it did not attract much attention.