Chapter 80: Protecting Ling (5)

"Give him a rope," Zhai Yunsheng ordered with a calm but menacing tone, "Before this matter is settled, he must complete 5,000 jumps. If he reaches at least 3,000, I'll only take one arm and one leg. But if he doesn't even make it to 3,000, then you can forget about the Ji Corporation's new project."

Upon hearing the final sentence, Ji Junfeng's face turned deathly pale. The Ji Corporation had recently staked everything on a new project, pouring massive amounts of capital into it. They were on the verge of a financial breakdown, with the company's future hinging entirely on the success of this venture. The project was supposed to be their lifeline, and they were desperately waiting for the funds to come back.

If the project failed, Ji Corp would almost certainly face bankruptcy. And Zhai Yunsheng, with his immense power and connections, could easily ensure its downfall without lifting a finger. He wasn't bluffing—he was fully capable of ruining them.

Ji Ming, wide-eyed and stunned, stared blankly at Zhai Yunsheng, trying to process the gravity of the situation. Before he could react, one of the bodyguards handed him a jump rope. He stood frozen, unsure of what to do next. 

"Time's already ticking," Yu Xi casually reminded him, breaking the tension with his nonchalant voice. 

At that moment, Ji Junfeng lunged at his son in panic, grabbing him by the shoulders and shouting, "You fool! Start jumping! Don't you usually have so much energy to mess around? Where is it now? Hurry up, or you'll ruin everything!"

Ji Ming, still in shock, finally came to his senses as his father's words sank in. He realized how dire the situation was—not just for him, but for his entire family. This was no longer a matter of personal consequence; it was life or death for the Ji Corporation. With no other choice, he grabbed the rope and began jumping with all the strength he could muster.

A bodyguard stood nearby, calmly counting the jumps as they progressed. Another guard pulled out a phone and handed it to Zhai Yunsheng, showing a live video feed from the entrance of Shenghua High School. Clearly, Zhai Yunsheng's people had already arrived at the school to take care of the situation there as well.

In the video, the scene at the school entrance was chaotic. A large group of students and onlookers had gathered, but among the crowd, something unusual caught everyone's attention. A sleek, black armored vehicle suddenly pulled up to the school gate, its ominous presence standing out sharply among the smaller cars parked nearby. The vehicle's thick, sturdy exterior radiated authority.

As soon as the vehicle came to a halt, a line of uniformed security personnel emerged in perfect unison. These guards were no ordinary security; their movements were sharp and disciplined, revealing their elite training. They were worlds apart from the typical neighborhood watchmen or school guards.

Stepping out from the vehicle last was a tall, striking woman. Her presence was commanding, and she moved with purpose. Gone was her usual white lab coat—today, she was dressed in a black trench coat that made her look even more formidable, like a leader of a powerful syndicate.

The crowd at the school gate stared in confusion. Who was this woman? And what was going on? As they exchanged puzzled glances, the woman, Luo Xiu'en, strode directly toward the man standing at the gate holding a bouquet of roses—the same thug who had been planning to humiliate Jian Yiling.

Without hesitation, she raised her fist and delivered a powerful punch to the man's face.

"You little bastard!" she spat, her voice filled with fury. "You seriously think you're good enough to confess to our girl? Have you even looked at yourself? Who the hell do you think you are, showing up here to embarrass us like this?"

Another punch followed, sending the man, Ah Hui, reeling. Blood oozed from his nose, and he stumbled backward, dazed. Luo Xiu'en was far from finished. 

"You've got some nerve, coming here with your stupid flowers, thinking you can humiliate Jian Yiling. Do you even know who you're dealing with?" she continued, her anger building with each word. "You look like trash, and you think you can stand next to someone like her?"

Each sentence was punctuated with another punch, her blows knocking the wind out of him. Ah Hui could barely keep his balance, his vision blurring from the force of her hits. 

"You call this a confession? Confess to who? You're nothing but a filthy toad thinking you can eat swan meat!" she roared, landing yet another punch squarely on his jaw. "Saying you're a toad is an insult to toads, you disgusting idiot!"

With a few more punches, Luo Xiu'en sent Ah Hui crumpling to the ground, seeing stars. The thug's bravado had completely evaporated. He had thought he was tough, but Luo Xiu'en's strength was on a whole different level. She wasn't just physically strong—she was relentless. It was common knowledge among her colleagues at the research institute that no one dared challenge her, not even in arm-wrestling, where she had defeated every single one of them.

The crowd at the school gate was in stunned silence. No one knew what to say or how to react. Luo Xiu'en wasn't just throwing punches—she was delivering a brutal reality check to everyone watching. Ah Hui lay on the ground, his nose bloodied, his body aching, and his pride shattered, the crumpled roses scattered around him like a mockery of his foolishness.

Back in Ji Ming's apartment, the scene from the school unfolded in real-time on Zhai Yunsheng's phone. Without lifting his eyes from the screen, Zhai Yunsheng spoke in his usual calm but deadly voice, "You'd better keep jumping, Ji Ming. Your timer's still going."

Ji Ming, drenched in sweat, gasping for air, continued to jump, his legs feeling like lead as he fought to keep the rope moving.