Chapter 49: Our Goal Is...

Seeing a burly man over two meters tall, built like a massive black bear, the men and women walking on both sides of the corridor began whispering among themselves.

Some young men and women even pulled out their mobile phones to take pictures. Yang Jie raised an eyebrow, figuring they were lucky to be living in their home country.

If they were in America and someone dared to take close-up, uninvited photos of him like that, getting shot might be out of the question, but getting a severe beating was a certainty.

Through the glass wall, he could see over twenty women clad in tight yoga pants, continuously executing high-difficulty poses.

Leading the group was a tall woman.

She had exquisite features, a three-dimensional facial structure, and deep-set eyes, exuding a natural aura of gentle yet magnificent beauty. However, her expression was rather cold, giving off the vibe of an ascetic beauty.

Perhaps due to years of yoga practice, her figure was not only tall but exceptionally well-proportioned, with smooth lines—especially her firm, peach-like buttocks that swayed slightly. It was a physique simply unattainable by ordinary people.

When executing challenging movements, she often appeared completely at ease, radiating composure and confidence, displaying elegance and intellectual charm in every gesture and motion.

This was Zhan Ting, the woman Li Siyao and Sophia could never stop talking about. Yet, right now, Yang Jie's eyes were filled with utter contempt and disdain.

She had brought this predicament upon herself through her own fault, and it had nothing to do with him. Who told her not to listen to his advice in the first place?

To be honest, deep down, Yang Jie still admired this woman. However, having grown up domestically, she constantly turned a blind eye to dangers and lacked sufficient vigilance.

Sometimes, dying oneself wasn't the scariest thing; what was truly sickening was dragging your teammates down with you.

Yang Jie stood outside the glass wall with his arms crossed over his chest, causing the young men and women in the corridor to lower their voices even further.

Half an hour later, the yoga class finally ended.

Women of various body types streamed out one by one. Zhan Ting walked out leisurely, holding a towel and biting down on the nozzle of a sports water bottle.

She was exceptionally pretty, yet her eyes revealed a deep sense of exhaustion.

Just as Zhan Ting stepped out, she caught sight of a robust figure and instinctively raised her head to look at the newcomer's face.

"Clatter!"

She froze, and the water bottle slipped from her grasp, falling to the floor.

"You, you..."

Yang Jie shrugged. "Aren't you going to offer a hug? After all, we aren't enemies!"

Zhan Ting's expression gradually grew complicated as she looked at him, filled with a mix of admiration, gratitude, lingering resentment, and disdain.

Taking a deep breath, Zhan Ting stepped forward and hugged Yang Jie.

Yang Jie stood well over two meters tall, while Zhan Ting was 1.85 meters. Despite her impressive height, she looked like a little kitten in his embrace.

"When did you return to the country?"

Yang Jie chuckled. "I'd say I'm a pretty good friend. After all, the moment I got back, I came to see you!"

Zhan Ting curled her lips in disbelief. A man's words were as deceptive as ghosts.

"What brings you here to see me?"

"I haven't had dinner yet."

Zhan Ting wiped away her sweat. "I'll go take a shower first, then I'll treat you to dinner!"

"That's more like it!"

Soon enough, Zhan Ting emerged from the locker room wearing white sneakers, gray sweatpants, and a pink short-sleeved shirt, with a light touch of makeup on her face.

The ascetic vibe had faded slightly, replaced by a refreshing youthful charm.

After the two of them left, the people lingering in the corridor immediately started buzzing.

"Holy crap, is Teacher Zhan's boyfriend really that massive?"

"No way, I heard Teacher Zhan doesn't have a boyfriend!"

"Oh, bro, impressive. You even heard about that? You must have specifically asked around."

"Cough, cough! I just pay occasional attention!!!"

"Comparing their statures like that... I can't even imagine it, too wild to think about!"

Talk was cheap; the women were relatively calm, but the men looked ready to shoot fire from their eyes. With such an elite-tier woman walking off with a giant black bear, tonight was bound to be a wild night of non-stop action.

Wondering if Teacher Zhan's frame could even handle it!

Damn it, go easy on her!!!!

The two went downstairs, casually found a restaurant, ordered their food, and began to eat.

Glancing at the menu where items averaged over eight hundred yuan, Zhan Ting fell silent.

"You jerk, this is a restaurant where people spend a hundred per person, yet you ordered all this food. Do you have any idea that eight hundred yuan covers half a month of my living expenses?"

Yang Jie took a large bite of his food and glanced at her sideways.

"Hmph, if you had followed me, even if you aren't a billionaire now, making a few million US dollars a year wouldn't be a problem."

"What do you look like now? A dog wagging its tail?"

Zhan Ting knew Yang Jie had a sharp tongue, but being provoked the moment they reunited was a bit much for her to take.

She had been back in the country for so many years; although she hadn't found a boyfriend, plenty of men had pursued her. After dealing with too many simps, a person naturally developed a sense of pride.

"Your mouth is really foul!"

"Heh, am I wrong? Working three jobs a day—yoga, fitness, archery. Sure, the monthly salary is high, but compared to Shanghai's housing prices, it's just a drop in the bucket! You'd be much better off working for me, you'd have everything."

"Look at the pathetic state you're in now. Where is the vibrant Zhan Ting from the past?"

"Look at the exhaustion at the corners of your eyes. Are you really not afraid of working yourself to death?"

Zhan Ting brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and let out a soft sigh.

"You don't understand. I still have a younger brother, and our family only owns one apartment. While I'm still young, I need to work hard and strive to buy another place. If all else fails, once my brother starts working, he'll have fewer years of mortgage payments to worry about!"

Yang Jie gave her a thumbs-up.

"Factually speaking, I admire you. But from a family relationship perspective, you've probably already prepared yourself never to get married, haven't you?"

Zhan Ting fell silent. She was essentially a sister devoted entirely to her brother—what could she do? Their parents were gone, and an elder sister was like a mother; could she really just wash her hands of her brother and ignore him?

Downing her beer in a single gulp, Yang Jie smacked his lips.

"Originally, I had a big plan this time around—of course, you weren't included in it originally, but Siyao and Sophia strongly recommended you. Seeing your current state, I imagine your brother has also been spoiled rotten by you. Once we finish eating, we'll each go our separate ways, and you can just pretend I was never here."

Zhan Ting looked at Yang Jie with a mixture of doubt and anxiety.

"What big plan? You—don't do anything reckless. This is China, not abroad!"

"Pfft~~"

Yang Jie shrugged. "Have you forgotten? Our motto is!"

"No cavities?"

Yang Jie was left speechless.

"Obviously, it's to only fight favorable battles and avoid hopeless ones. China is like a hell-difficulty dungeon for mercenaries, why on earth would I cause trouble here?"

After finishing the last bite of his food, Yang Jie patted his stomach and prepared to leave.

Since he had made the trip, he would at least have an explanation for Li Siyao and Sophia.

Just as Yang Jie turned to leave, Zhan Ting grabbed the hem of his trousers.

Yang Jie spread his hands, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "What do you want now?"

"What is this big plan you were talking about?"

"Anyone who doesn't join our team has no right to know the big plan."

"You came all this way, why do you always leave your sentences half-finished?"