Chapter 62: To Save or Not to Save?

The three of them finished dinner with lighthearted chatter, and by the time they parted ways, it was nearly nine o'clock. Zhou Xuan stayed at the Qiushui Hotel, planning to return to Rongzhou early the next morning.

Everything for the upcoming plan was already in place. Once Liu Ze’s Tengfei Internet Cafe Management System sold at least one thousand copies in half a month, Zhou Xuan would set his plan in motion. By utilizing the back-end program he had created, he would remotely disable the system’s functions, effectively catching Liu Ze completely off guard.

"Heh, enjoy your success for another two weeks," Zhou Xuan thought, holding a glass of red wine and gazing at the night sky outside the window.

At three o'clock that afternoon, Zhou Xuan returned to school and immediately went to his homeroom teacher, Mr. Liu’s office, to cancel his leave.

"Zhou Xuan, this is the final semester. Can’t you take fewer leaves?" Mr. Liu asked, looking somewhat worried about Zhou Xuan’s frequent absences.

In truth, Zhou Xuan did not enjoy the constant trips to Rongcheng. The ten-plus hours spent on the road each round trip were exhausting. However, when issues arose at the company, he had no choice but to go. It was truly frustrating; he wished he were already in college.

"Teacher, I don't want to take leave either. But there are urgent matters in Rongcheng that require my help. Please don't worry about my studies; my grades will never slip," Zhou Xuan promised sincerely.

Seeing his resolve, Mr. Liu could not say much more. "Very well. But you must rank first in the grade for every monthly exam, otherwise, I won't approve your next request. Oh, by the way, Teacher Li Yunxi was looking for you this morning. You should go find him."

"Understood. Thank you, Mr. Liu, goodbye." Zhou Xuan turned and left the office, wondering why Li Yunxi wanted to see him.

Since the winter break, Zhou Xuan and Li Yunxi had not met. Ninth-grade physical education classes had been suspended, and although the ninth graders gathered on the track for morning exercises, he hadn’t seen Li Yunxi there.

Walking into the physical education office, Zhou Xuan found Li Yunxi present.

"Teacher Li, Mr. Liu said you were looking for me?" Zhou Xuan felt a genuine warmth toward Li Yunxi, who had been a great help to him the previous semester.

Seeing Zhou Xuan, Li Yunxi was delighted. He put down his book and smiled, "Zhou Xuan, it’s been a long time. Have you forgotten about me?"

"How could I? Ninth grade is just so busy. Plus, you know I have other things on my plate, and I’ve been taking leave often," Zhou Xuan laughed.

Li Yunxi nodded in agreement, patted Zhou Xuan on the shoulder, and said, "Come, let’s talk outside."

Among the ninth-grade faculty, Li Yunxi was the one who knew Zhou Xuan best. He was aware of Zhou Xuan’s writing, his parents’ clothing store, his operation of the "hao123" website, and even that he was the author of novels like *Things About the Ming Dynasty* and *Under the Hawthorn Tree*.

In a sense, Li Yunxi had watched Zhou Xuan’s rapid ascent step by step since his "rebirth." He held a deep admiration for the boy; the achievements Zhou Xuan had already made were beyond what many people accomplished in a lifetime.

If Li Yunxi knew that Zhou Xuan had also opened a company in Rongcheng worth tens of millions, he would have been even more stunned. Still, he was comforted that Zhou Xuan had come to find him immediately upon hearing the message; success had not made the boy distant.

Walking across campus, Li Yunxi looked at Zhou Xuan’s athletic physique and praised, "Zhou Xuan, your build is excellent. Very well-defined. Do you have a six-pack now?"

Zhou Xuan gave a thumbs-up. "Teacher Li has a sharp eye. After months of training, I’ve finally achieved it. Not bad, right?"

As he spoke, Zhou Xuan lifted his shirt and flexed his core, revealing a perfect set of six-pack abs.

"Tsk tsk, impressive, very impressive..." Li Yunxi joked, "If the girls saw those abs, they’d be swooning and pouncing on you."

"Pfft..." Zhou Xuan, surprised to hear such a joke from the usually serious Li Yunxi, burst out laughing. "Teacher Li, it sounds like you’ve been there yourself. Perhaps you could share some advice?"

As a PE teacher, Li Yunxi also had a fit physique—if not six, he certainly had four abs. He likely had his fair share of romantic adventures in college to have won over his wife.

"Haha, let's move on," Li Yunxi said, changing the subject. "Zhou Xuan, you promised me you’d participate in the city’s middle school track and field meet. You have to bring back a few first-place finishes for me."

Recalling the promise, Zhou Xuan remembered the events of the previous semester—the pressure Li Yunxi had put on him regarding athletics and the conflict with his former classmate.

"Don't worry, Teacher Li. I keep my word. This time, I’ll be sure to teach that classmate of yours a lesson and show him what a true talent looks like." Zhou Xuan was a man of his word, and he had no fondness for that particular rival either.

Delighted by the commitment, Li Yunxi patted his shoulder. "Good. Thank you. Come to my place for dinner tonight; let’s have a drink."

Zhou Xuan accepted the invitation. After not seeing each other for months, it was time for a proper catch-up. Moreover, he had his own plans; he needed to deepen his relationship with Chen Yulin, the wealthiest man in Jiangbei, as future business endeavors would require such connections.

Zhou Xuan realized from their last encounter that the bond between Li Yunxi and Chen Yulin was significant. To succeed in business, cultivating key relationships was essential, as no company could grow in isolation. Of course, he only cared to associate with people of good character like Li Yunxi, Chen Yulin, and Deng Ting'an, unlike the unscrupulous businessman Liu Teng.

After school, Zhou Xuan went home with Li Yunxi, skipping his evening self-study session. At Li Yunxi’s house, his wife, Chen Lin, had prepared a delicious meal. However, when Zhou Xuan saw their son, Li Tianyi, sitting on the sofa, his heart sank; the boy’s condition had not improved.

Zhou Xuan suddenly remembered the brain development reagent he had stored away—the very thing that could cure congenital intellectual disabilities. Yet, in the context of current technology, such a reagent was priceless, worth far more than millions or billions.

He hesitated: Should he take it out to save Li Tianyi?