Chapter 508: Child of Destiny: It's My Time to Show Off!
Night fell.
In Hangzhou, at the well-known Thorn Crown Bar.
Tang Kun stepped in, his face full of smug satisfaction and excited anticipation:
'I spent seventy million to buy a luxurious Villa. Tsk, tsk, it was too cheap. When I earn more money from delivering takeout in the future, I'll switch to a Villa that costs billions to match my identity as a Tycoon.' Tang Kun's thoughts swirled with a giddy, almost unreal sense of triumph. He could practically feel the cool marble of his new floors under his feet, see the city lights twinkling from the floor-to-ceiling windows of his new home. Seventy million had felt like an impossible, astronomical sum just weeks ago. Now? It was pocket change, a mere stepping stone. The Takeout Tycoon System had completely inverted his reality. One delivery, one simple order of pig trotters over rice, could net him a cool million. It was more absurd than any get-rich-quick scheme he'd ever heard of, yet it was his life now.
'University class reunion, hehe, this time, I'll definitely make those who looked down on me drop their jaws and come begging and fawning over me.' A bitter, yet thrilling, smile tugged at his lips. The memory of last year's reunion was a scar on his pride, still raw and stinging. He remembered walking into the lavish KTV room, his off-brand jacket feeling two sizes too small under the condescending gazes of his former classmates. They had gathered around Zhao Fansheng, the class monitor and wealthy heir, like moths to a flame, while he was relegated to the furthest corner of the sofa, an awkward ghost at the feast. He recalled the snide questions disguised as polite inquiries. "Still doing deliveries, Tang Kun? It must be tough work." The way they'd nod with feigned sympathy, their eyes dripping with contempt.
And then there was Zhou Luyao, his goddess, the woman he'd loved since they were children. She had looked at him that night with an expression he would never forget. It wasn't just disappointment; it was pure, unadulterated disgust. As if his very presence, his worn-out sneakers and the smell of exhaust fumes clinging to his clothes, was an insult to her. He had watched her laugh and toast with Zhao Fansheng, her back turned to him for the entire night, a perfect, glittering icicle he could never hope to touch.
A university class reunion is a stage built for the successful to perform, a hunting ground for old flames to be rekindled. For those who had fallen behind, it was a crucible of humiliation. Even if no one mocked you to your face, the whispers that died when you approached, the pitying glances, the subtle way conversations shifted to topics of luxury cars and foreign travel—it was a form of social torture that could crush a person's spirit.
Originally, Tang Kun had no intention of ever attending one again. Why willingly walk into the lion's den to be devoured?
But everything was different now. He had risen from the ashes, empowered by a force beyond their comprehension. He possessed the Takeout Tycoon System. This reunion wasn't a trap; it was his coronation. And most importantly, the announcement in the group chat confirmed it: Zhou Luyao would be there.
'Luyao, this time I'll show you my strength, Tang Kun, and make you regret it.' A surge of adrenaline coursed through him. He replayed the scene of their breakup in his mind. Her cold, pragmatic words that had shattered his world. "We're not kids anymore, Tang Kun. Love doesn't pay the bills." He had pleaded, cried, promised he would work harder, but she had been resolute, her eyes devoid of the warmth he once knew. Tonight, he would be the one standing on high ground. Tonight, she would be the one looking up, filled with a regret so deep it would haunt her. He would make sure of it.
'And Zhao Fansheng, isn't he just a rich second generation? This time, I, Tang Kun, will slap you hard!' Thinking of Zhao Fansheng, Tang Kun snorted, a cold fire igniting in his chest.
If there was one person in the class he despised above all others, it was Zhao Fansheng. The man was the perfect package: handsome, from a wealthy family, and possessing a smooth, practiced charisma that won over everyone. He'd effortlessly become the class monitor, always on good terms with the professors and counselors, the golden boy of their year.
Throughout their university days, Zhao Fansheng had pursued Zhou Luyao relentlessly, making grand, public gestures without a shred of respect for Tang Kun, her supposed childhood-sweetheart boyfriend. Back then, Zhou Luyao had maintained a semblance of loyalty, but the moment they stepped into the harsh reality of the working world, her resolve crumbled. The constant pressure, the endless comparisons, had worn her down until she became just another materialist, looking down on the man who loved her with a gaze colder than winter.
'Hmph, this class reunion is the first act of my, Tang Kun's, triumphant rise!'
Filled with a potent cocktail of anticipation and righteous fury, Tang Kun strode through the pulsating, dimly lit corridors of the Thorn Crown Bar. The bass from the main floor vibrated through the soles of his shoes as he swaggered toward VIP Room Seven.
He pushed the door open. The air inside was thick with the smell of expensive liquor and cloying perfume. Over twenty of his former classmates were already there, packed into the opulent room with its plush leather sofas and shimmering crystal lights. Most of them were clustered around a single figure, a young man in a flashy, immaculately white suit, their words a sycophantic torrent.
"Brother Zhao, wow, your family's business has just exploded these past few years! I heard you're preparing to go public. Soon enough, you'll be the young master of a publicly listed company! We're not even in the same league anymore."
"That's right! Brother Zhao's family business has been on a rocket ship, growing more than tenfold! He's already a billionaire scion. In a few years, he'll be the heir to a ten-billion-dollar empire!"
"Brother Zhao, I… I just lost my job. The market's terrible. Do you think you could… you know, help me out? Just give me a leg up?"
"Brother Zhao…"
The man in the white suit, Zhao Fansheng, was soaking it all in, a smug, self-satisfied grin plastered on his face as he accepted their flattery like a king receiving tribute.
Tang Kun wasn't surprised by the scene. In university, family backgrounds were a subtle undercurrent. After graduation, they became an uncrossable chasm. Friends who once shared cheap noodles from the campus canteen were now separated by entire worlds. Some, like Zhao Fansheng, were driving luxury cars and living in villas, their paths gilded by their elders. Others were like the old him—scraping by, delivering takeout, running express packages, or grinding away in dead-end sales jobs. The disparity was as vast as heaven and earth.
A flicker of emotion crossed his face, a sigh for the man he used to be. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by an ironclad confidence. That was the past. He was now a man with the Takeout Tycoon System. He had endured some… bizarre punishments for failing certain system tasks—his manhood shrinking, losing a kidney—but those were trivial prices to pay for his current status. He was a magnate worth hundreds of millions. Delivering a single meal earned him what these people slaved a decade for. This money printer was his alone.
Zhao Fansheng, the rich second-generation he once looked up to with a painful mix of envy and resentment, was now nothing more than an ant in his eyes.
Tang Kun lifted his chin, his posture radiating an arrogance that was entirely new. The shift in his demeanor immediately caught Zhao Fansheng's attention, pricking his ego. A sneer formed on the rich heir's lips.
"Oh, look who it is. Tang Kun is here," Zhao Fansheng drawled, his voice cutting through the chatter. "Why didn't Goddess Zhou Luyao come with you? Don't tell me you two broke up?"
The sycophants surrounding Zhao Fansheng, sensing their patron's displeasure, immediately pivoted, their verbal weapons turning on the new target.
"Do you even need to ask? How could a goddess like Zhou Luyao possibly fancy a delivery driver? They must have broken up ages ago."
"Exactly! Goddess Zhou Luyao is a swan. Is a toad like him even worthy of eating her meat?"
"Hehe, I knew it from the start. They called him her childhood-sweetheart boyfriend, but let's be real. Tang Kun probably never even held her hand. He was just a convenient shield to keep other guys away."
"Seriously, why did Tang Kun even dare to show up this time? Is he here to freeload?"
Listening to the cascade of mockery, Tang Kun's expression tightened, a flash of his old insecurity threatening to surface. But then he remembered the balance in his bank account, the villa keys in his pocket. He smothered the anger and let a proud, dismissive smile spread across his face.
"Zhou Luyao and I did break up," he announced, his voice clear and steady. "But the one who regrets it isn't me. It's her!"
His declaration dropped into the room like a bomb. For a moment, there was stunned silence. Zhao Fansheng and the others stared at him, their brains trying to process the sheer audacity of his words. Then, the silence shattered, replaced by an eruption of derisive laughter.
"Hahaha! Hahaha…"
"Oh my god, did you hear that? Tang Kun must have actually lost his mind! He said she's the one who regrets breaking up with him? Does he live in a fantasy world?"
"Hey, go easy on him. The breakup must have hit him pretty hard. He's clearly not mentally stable. For the sake of our old classmate connection, let's just… not engage."
"Good point. We should probably keep our distance. What if he has a psychotic break and starts swinging a knife?"
"Wow, you think he was driven mad by the breakup? It's a real possibility!"
"Hahaha! Hey, Tang Kun, quick, what's one plus one? Let's check if you're still with us!"
Zhao Fansheng was laughing so hard he had to bend over, clutching his stomach as tears of mirth streamed from his eyes. It took him a long moment to regain his composure, and when he finally looked up, his face was a mask of utter mockery and contempt.
"Tang Kun, I really hope you have the guts to say that again when Goddess Zhou Luyao gets here. She posted in the group chat, you know. She said she's definitely coming tonight."
At his words, the other classmates adopted playful, predatory expressions. They were practically salivating at the thought of the impending drama.
Who among them didn't know about Tang Kun's history? He was the ultimate simp, a doormat who existed only for Zhou Luyao's whims. If she craved a steamed bun from a century-old shop across town, Tang Kun would be in line at four-thirty in the morning, rain or shine. They all remembered his endless, bottom-line-free acts of devotion. In front of Zhou Luyao, Tang Kun had never stood up straight a day in his life.
Would he really dare to repeat that boast to her face?
Tang Kun shrank his neck, then immediately raised his head and puffed out his chest, saying proudly:
"What's there not to dare say? Even if Zhou Luyao comes, I'll still say that!"
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]