Chapter 85: Getting a Swelled Head, Aren’t You?

Whenever Pony felt proud, he tended to get a bit carried away. Seizing an opportunity, he mischievously reached out to touch Zhen Yuqi’s thigh.

“?”

Zhen Yuqi was startled and pleasantly surprised, finding his actions rather indecent—this wasn’t at all the typical behavior of a tech geek. She stole a glance at him; he was handsome, with a hint of roguishness. Putting aside his entanglements with Jiang Yaowen, the mere fact that a prominent figure like Zhou Dongyun brought him here was proof enough of his capability and quality. If she weren’t afraid she couldn’t handle him, he’d make an exceptionally qualified husband.

After her daydream, Zhen Yuqi deliberately rolled her eyes at him and whispered, “Stop fooling around, there are so many people here. This is a crime scene. It wouldn’t look good for a prosecutor to be tangled up with you; it could easily have a negative impact.”

“Does that mean... it wouldn’t matter as long as we’re not at the crime scene?” Pony asked.

Zhen Yuqi didn’t answer verbally; instead, she pinched his leg in response. Pony, still something of a rookie, wasn’t entirely sure what her reply meant.

Meanwhile, Tian Jia, burdened with a heavy air of hostility, sat there as if mourning a loss—head hung low, silent and despondent, waiting for the authorities to handle the situation.

Just then, the beautiful woman from earlier walked over. Only now did her graceful figure truly catch the eye. It seemed she had some connection to Tian Jia. She quietly approached and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, saying nothing, but her gesture was one of encouragement.

At this point, anyone still supporting Tian Jia could only be explained by blind loyalty or genuine love.

Zhen Yuqi felt that Pony was being too much; where were his eyes wandering? He was blatantly checking out the woman’s figure.

Pony leaned in and asked Zhen Yuqi, “Who is she?”

“Seriously? Do you think I’m some kind of information hotline? I don’t know her,” Zhen Yuqi replied irritably, not at all pleased with his lecherous curiosity about the beauty.

Zhou Dongyun also found herself at a loss, feeling Pony was quite the character. “Pony, can’t you be serious for once? There’s been a major incident and loss here, and you act as though nothing happened.”

“I know, but it’s not my problem,” Pony replied.

Zhou Dongyun sighed and lowered her voice, “Tian Jia is in big trouble this time. He’s devastated—this is the lowest point in his life.”

Carefree as ever, Pony said, “That’s his problem, not mine. By the way, Teacher Zhou, do you remember you owe me a favor?”

Zhou Dongyun, exhausted by his antics, said, “You really are something. You came here without asking anything or making demands; you’re right, I do owe you a favor. So, what do you want me to do? As long as it’s legal, I’ll do it—or, if you don’t mind my looks, you can invite me for a late-night snack tonight.”

While laughter and banter filled this side of the room, the beautiful woman with Tian Jia cast a resentful glance their way and raised her voice, “Can’t you be quiet? Is it possible not to kick someone when they're down? Don’t you see something serious has happened here?”

Pony replied, “Sorry, President Tian said I’m the restroom operative. I really don’t know what happened in this grand setting. The prosecutor advised me to stay at the scene; otherwise, I’d already be back at the company cleaning the restrooms.”

“You...” The beautiful woman frowned but said nothing more.

Zhou Dongyun quietly explained, “She’s Han Siyi. Back in college, she admired Tian Jia’s talent. Later, she became his doctoral student and was mentored closely by him, often substituting his classes or guiding students. After graduation, for some reason, she didn’t pursue her own career; instead, she worked at Tian Jia’s company, where he entrusted her with important responsibilities and treated her well. Overall, my impression is that she’s capable—her papers back then were solid, not superficial like Sinan’s. As for the rumors about ‘Tian Jia seducing female students,’ I don’t know who was involved or what role she played. That’s all I know.”

Pony turned to Zhen Yuqi, who quickly shook her head. “Don’t ask me. I’ve handled more than one case involving Tian Jia, but I don’t recall Han Siyi ever being involved.”

Han Siyi sensed their chatter and stared at Pony again. Despite his peculiar actions earlier, she found his character lacking.

“What’s the big deal? A bit of talent, knowing Zhou Dongyun—so what? You stand by and watch, chase profit and abandon loyalty, gloat over others’ misfortune, and feel superior?” Han Siyi spoke loudly. “There’s always someone better—hopefully, when you face trouble, you’ll encounter someone just like yourself.”

If it were only Zhou Dongyun, Han Siyi might have shown some courtesy due to her special status, but that was mere politeness. As for Zhou Dongyun’s friend—a pretty boy living off his looks—what was he to her?

Pony was taken aback. “Are you talking to me?”

“If you heard, then yes. Who doesn’t have ears and a mouth?” Han Siyi retorted.

Pony said, “All right, let me defend myself. Whether it’s turning a blind eye or chasing profit, it depends on the situation. In this particular context, I don’t see those words as negative, so I’ll take it you’re complimenting me.”

“Since we entered, your President Tian defined this as a business forum, a commercial contract. In business, everything is about negotiation. Without a contract and deposit, no project gets started. I’m not a good person, but I don’t think I’m bad either. We simply failed to reach an agreement. Double standards are fine, but you can just express your anger directly—no need to twist the facts and accuse someone of being indifferent or gloating. You’ve operated in high society for so long, with such a high education, following Tian Jia in a ‘responsible high-tech national enterprise,’ and you still say things like that? I don’t think you’re stupid—I think you’re malicious.”

Zhou Dongyun and Zhen Yuqi were speechless once more; the eccentric man’s style had shifted, now he was locked in a battle of words.

Han Siyi sneered, “Fine, you’re right, I can’t win against you. You—an expert at restroom management, friend of the eminent Zhou, out of reach. Your skills are impressive, yet you just stand aside and throw words, right?”

Zhou Dongyun felt something was off; Han Siyi used to be quite reasonable—why was she now so quarrelsome?

Pony said, “However, if you’d said all this to your President Tian before the incident, that would have shown true skill and loyalty—like our esteemed Sister Zhou, that’s grace and responsibility. Now, you’re merely trying to shift the blame, like a brain hacker persuading President Tian it’s not your fault, but mine, right?”

“You!” Han Siyi shouted angrily, “We’ll see about that!”

At this point, Zhen Yuqi stood up and intervened, “Enough, the atmosphere is getting too heated. If this keeps up, it’ll turn from words to threats.”

“You, I remember you now!” Tian Jia suddenly pointed at Zhen Yuqi. “I finally recall—you were involved in the case where I was falsely accused! I overlooked you because you weren’t on the front lines stirring hatred. This time, it’s definitely not simple. It feels like a conspiracy—someone’s deliberately framing me, like a sting operation.”

Zhen Yuqi was annoyed. “You need a frame-up? Maybe I’m a minor character and know nothing of power, but you always claim our bureaucracy is inefficient and backward. When even such a system is ready to prosecute a public figure like you, I truly doubt you’re innocent. There must be something you’re hiding. The issue of seducing female students isn’t that serious, but my logic is: you’re involved in more serious matters, and some big shots, fearing they can’t protect you, choose to halt proceedings before things get out of hand. All of this is just idle talk, artistic license, not naming names. If there’s any resemblance, it’s purely coincidental.”

Tian Jia’s expression darkened, but he said nothing more.

Han Siyi slammed the table and pointed at Zhen Yuqi, “Zhen Yuqi, right? You just wait—we’ll see about that.”

Zhen Yuqi had only been speculating, gossiping based on logic, but the response she got frightened her—could she really have hit a nerve, and were they planning something?

Desperately, Zhen Yuqi dared not continue, feeling helpless as she gripped Pony’s hand.