THE REJECT SYSTEM

CHAPTER 8

The slap cracked down the corridor as Chu Jing ran towards chairman Xie.

Chu Junmo stumbled sideways into the wall, one hand pressed to his burning cheek, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Dad?"

"Kneel," Chu Jing said through his teeth.

"But he—"

"I said kneel!"

Junmo's knees hit the floor. Chu Jing turned and bowed deeply to the man standing in front of him, his back bent so low it looked painful.

"Chairman Xie, please forgive me. This boy is ignorant and has no respect for his elders. I will discipline him properly at home. I beg you not to take his words to heart."

Chairman Xie looked down at the kneeling boy, then at the man bowing before him. His expression didn't change.

"Children speak carelessly," he said at last. "Get him up. We came here to eat."

"Yes, yes, of course. Chairman, please, this way." Chu Jing hurried to lead the way, still dabbing sweat from his forehead.

While the adults exchanged stiff pleasantries at the door, Junmo's mother pulled her son aside and fussed over his swollen face.

"Mom, it was him," Junmo whispered, his eyes fixed on Lingtian's back. "That scholarship loser. He's the reason Dad hit me. In front of Chairman Xie, in front of everyone!"

"Hush." Madam Chu's eyes narrowed. "Your father is too soft. Don't worry, leave it to Mom. In that dining hall, I'll make sure he regrets ever walking in here."

Junmo's lips curled upward, bruise and all.

***

The private dining hall was all dark wood and warm lamps. Chairman Xie took the seat at the head of the table. Xie Wuchen sat beside her father, and Lingtian sat next to her in his faded white shirt, completely at ease, as though he'd been to a hundred dinners like this.

Madam Chu glanced at the shirt and smiled thinly.

Chu Jing waited until the tea was poured, then rose and presented a small black box with both hands.

"Chairman Xie, I heard you've been troubled by headaches lately. This is a medicinal ruby. Wear it close to the skin, and the pain will ease. A small token of respect."

Chairman Xie lifted the lid. A deep red stone lay on the silk lining, glowing softly under the lamps. He held it up to the light.

Lingtian's Eye of the God flickered.

*Item: Dyed synthetic stone. Value: 80 yuan.*

High possibility of a small gu worm.

Beside him, Xie Wuchen noticed his eyes narrow slightly. She said nothing.

"This is a fine piece," Chairman Xie said, a rare warmth in his voice. "Very thoughtful."

Chu Jing seized the opening like a drowning man grabbing a rope. "To be honest, Chairman, it was Junmo's idea. He heard about your headaches and insisted we find something suitable. He's young, but he has a good heart."

Junmo lifted his head, his face blank for a moment before he caught on and put on a modest smile.

"Is that so?" Chairman Xie looked at Junmo, and the disappointment that had clouded his face in the corridor melted away. "Thoughtful at such a young age. Good. Very good."

"Thank you, Uncle Xie," Junmo said, bowing his head.

Madam Chu didn't waste a second. "Our Junmo has always been like this, Chairman. Attentive, filial, always thinking of others. Not like some young people who show up to a dinner like this in rags, empty-handed just here to take advantage and wolf down good like an animal." Her eyes slid toward Lingtian. "Some people just don't know their place."

Xie Wuchen's brows pulled together. "Madam Chu, that's enough."

Lingtian set down his teacup.

"It's fake."

The room went silent.

Chu Jing's smile froze. "What did you say?"

"The ruby." Lingtian's tone was calm, almost bored. "It's dyed synthetic stone. It's worth about eighty yuan."

"You—" Chu Jing's face flushed a deep red. "Do you have any idea how much I paid for this? I had it appraised by three experts! Lin Mohan, one of the top names in the jewelry design industry, personally confirmed it. Master Qiu of the Jiangnan Gem Association signed off on it too!"

"Lin Mohan," Lingtian repeated, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "That explains it."

"How dare you!" Madam Chu snapped. "Chairman, this boy is jealous. He sees someone give a real gift and—"

"Enough." Chairman Xie's voice was quiet, but it cut across the table like a blade. He turned to Lingtian, and his gaze was no longer warm. "Young man, I invited you here as my daughter's friend. But making wild claims about a gift from a guest, with nothing but a glance, is short-sighted. Confidence is fine. Arrogance is not."

"Dad," Xie Wuchen said quickly, "wait. He wouldn't say something like that without a reason. Let him explain—"

"Wuchen."

She stopped.

Lingtian looked at Chairman Xie. There was no anger in his eyes, just the helplessness of someone who was looking at a dead man and can't do anything.

"If you don't believe me, Chairman, wear it for three days," he said. "Then see if your headache doesn't get worse."

He pushed back his chair and stood.

"Thank you for the tea."

He walked out without looking back. The door closed softly behind him.

"Arrogant," Madam Chu said into the silence, with a satisfied sigh. "And ungrateful."

Xie Wuchen was already half out of her seat. "I'll go after him—"

"Sit down."

"Dad, he—"

"I said sit." Chairman Xie's voice dropped. "Where do you think you're going? Chasing after a boy like that? He doesn't know the difference between a gift and a gimmick. He comes from a poor family, and poor families breed that kind of pride. Stop mingling with people like him."

"Dad—"

"If you want friends, make friends with people like Junmo. Boys with manners. Boys from good families."

Across the table, Junmo smirked into his teacup.

Xie Wuchen sat down slowly. Her fingers curled into fists under the tablecloth.

***

Outside the restaurant, the evening air was cool. Lingtian stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked down the steps.

Nothing was chasing him. No debtors, no thugs, no security guards, no one demanding anything. For the first time in two weeks, he had nothing to do.He was happy

*Finally,* he thought. *A little peace.*

His phone rang.

"Master Ye." Wan San's voice came through, careful and respectful. "Are you free? I'm already outside. I'd like to pick you up."

Lingtian looked up. A black car rolled to a stop at the curb, and Wan San stepped out and bowed slightly.

So much for peace.

The car took him through a back entrance he hadn't seen before and up a private elevator, and the doors opened onto a hall that made the restaurant he'd just left look like a roadside stall. Gold lanterns hung from the ceiling. A single long table stood in the middle, set for two.

"The supreme dining hall of the Pavilion," Wan San said quietly, pulling out a chair. "Only the head of the Pavilion uses it."

Lingtian sat. He didn't touch the food.

"Say what you want."

Wan San hesitated, then lowered himself into the opposite chair. "Master Ye, I wouldn't trouble you if I had any other choice. There's a mountain in Jiangnan, known to the locals as the Mountain of the Dead."

"Sounds friendly."

"No one has ever climbed it. The highest anyone has gone is the foot of the mountain. The deeper you go, the heavier the air gets, and it feels like an invisible force is pushing you back. Some people who went in were never seen again." Wan San's fingers tightened on the edge of the table. "But the blood flower grows there, and nowhere else. I need it, Master Ye. I need you to come with me."

Lingtian looked at him for a long moment, then stood.

"No."

"Master Ye—"

"I've had a long day." He turned toward the door. "Find someone else."

His hand was on the door handle when a sound rang in his head.

*Ding.*