Chapter 22: Zhang Lin

After Lu Ran moved back to the Shen family, his demeanor became even more audacious.

Madame Shen was furious but helpless, so she decided to go on another trip, hoping to avoid the annoyance by not seeing it.

Thus, Lu Ran enjoyed a period of tranquility.

Most of the final exams were over by now, but Lu Ran's involvement in a laboratory project continued, so he still went to school every day.

He put on his lab coat and checked on the bacteria samples he had isolated, then resumed cultivating them.

Not long after he started, a boy approached him.

The boy had a clean-cut appearance and a familiar attitude. He prodded Lu Ran with his elbow and said, "I've got a problem with my experiment; the data just won't match up. Could you take a look?"

Without waiting for Lu Ran's consent, he bent down to examine Lu Ran's experimental data.

Lu Ran glanced up at the boy.

This person is named Ding Wei, the best friend of Lu Ran – at least in their previous life, up until a certain point.

For later on, Ding Wei had become an ardent admirer of Shen Xingran.

If in a novel, Lu Ran was the villainous side character who futilely attempted to snatch the protagonist's possessions and needed to be defeated, then Ding Wei would be the one swayed by the protagonist's influence, eventually turning against his former ally.

Lu Ran didn't have many friends.

Having grown up in an orphanage, no matter how good the conditions were, resources were never abundant. Each child had little that was truly theirs.

While within the orphanage's walls, this wasn't as much of an issue. But once they stepped out, a strong sense of resource preservation would kick in.

Just like Lu Ran, he seldom shared anything with others without expecting something in return.

Not even a cheap white steamed bun costing just a few cents.

But Ding Wei was an exception.

They had known each other since high school, and Ding Wei was the only one to whom Lu Ran would proactively offer everything he had.

Later on, they entered the same university and pursued the same major.

Lu Ran also accommodated Ding Wei by choosing the same research direction based on Ding Wei's needs, generously sharing the fruits of his experiments without any selfish intentions.

During every holiday, when Ding Wei felt too lazy to stay in the lab and preferred to go home, Lu Ran would take over his responsibilities.

It wasn't until his previous life, during the presentation of their experimental results, that Ding Wei reported his findings.

This left Lu Ran, who was up next, in an awkward position.

Up until that point, Lu Ran had believed that their similarity in research interests was merely a coincidence.

Later on, when he witnessed Ding Wei's constant presence around Shen Xingran,

Lu Ran realized that he had lost his only close friend as well.

Ding Wei continued to peer curiously.

Lu Ran reached out to close the laboratory notebook.

Departing from his usual acquiescence to Ding Wei, Lu Ran simply said, "Take your time to review it. I have a lecture to attend, so I'll be on my way."

Ding Wei was taken aback, a hint of displeasure surfacing. "Alright then."

Lu Ran tidied up the items on the laboratory bench and captured a video of today's experiment.

At that moment, the corridor outside the lab buzzed with activity.

Looking up, Lu Ran saw a group of unfamiliar students chattering as they passed by.

"Woah, it's someone from the Elite Academy!" Ding Wei craned his neck to look outside.

Lu Ran continued with his task, glancing up and, as expected, spotting Shen Xingran amidst the group.

Shen Xingran stood at the center of a circle, like the moon surrounded by stars.

A few girls were engaged in conversation with him.

He smiled faintly, his expression relaxed.

Unlike the others who wore lab coats, he donned an expensive-looking cashmere sweater that exuded elegance.

The warm white sweater indeed accentuated his ethereal charm, akin to a bright moon on campus.

He casually glanced into the lab, nodded at Lu Ran from his elevated position, and smiled.

Lu Ran carried on organizing his belongings.

Shen Xingran was also studying at Y University.

However, he was applying to an elite joint-venture college with steep tuition fees and requirements for students to have overseas study plans, with parents also needing to attend an interview.

Lu Ran couldn't afford the tuition, nor did he have the funds for studying abroad.

Not to mention, he didn't even have parents who could come for an interview.

Naturally, he had no chance of attending this college and could only toil away in the lab to earn innovation credits.

It seemed that this scene piqued someone's interest.

Having endured a period of frustration at the Shen family, Shen Xingran stepped forward, ready to approach the lab.

Lu Ran raised an eyebrow and put back the experimental materials he was about to discard on the table.

Shen Xingran glanced down, paused, then retracted his steps.

Only then did Lu Ran finish tidying up the dung in his hand.

Ding Wei, standing by, couldn't decipher the subtle exchange between the two, but he noticed Shen Xingran waving at Lu Ran.

"Ding Wei inquired, "Was that young Master Shen from the Shen family who just greeted you?"

"Didn't see him," Lu Ran replied.

Ding Wei seemed displeased. "When did you start knowing people from Elite Academy and not tell me?"

In his previous life, at this point, Lu Ran had already confided in Ding Wei about his background.

But not now.

Lu Ran had no intention of revealing it either. He merely checked the time and reminded, "The lab is closing soon, and aren't you working tonight?"

Only then did Ding Wei depart.

Over the next few days, Shen Xingran didn't show up again.

Ding Wei subtly probed for information on the side.

One evening, after finishing his part-time job, Lu Ran made a detour to the lab before heading home.

He discovered that the incubator he had securely locked in the morning was tampered with.

The petri dish labeled with his name, along with the nearby stored experimental materials, were all discarded into a trash bin.

Lu Ran furrowed his brow.

He retrieved the items from the trash, carefully inspecting the state of affairs.

The lids of the petri dishes were open.

The colonies inside had been contaminated and were now unusable.

A senior labmate who had stayed behind entered and, upon seeing what he held, clicked her tongue in sympathy. "Who could have done such a despicable act? All your progress these past few days is wasted. The group meeting is next week; will you be able to catch up?"

"No worries," Lu Ran collected the items calmly. "I still have bacterial strains stored in the fridge."

"Thank goodness for that," the senior labmate said, as she started to help him check the surveillance footage.

In the undergraduate lab, people constantly came and went, and the perpetrator seemed well-prepared, so no useful footage was captured.

The senior could only adjust the surveillance camera to focus on the incubator in this area.

She also replaced the lock on the incubator.

Lu Ran repeated the experiment from scratch.

It was unlikely that Ding Wei was behind this.

Their relationship hadn't deteriorated to the point of open conflict, and Ding Wei probably hadn't made contact with Shen Xingran yet.

However, Shen Xingran was likely involved.

Lu Ran placed the newly inoculated Petri dishes back into the incubator.

He retrieved the experimental materials that had been discarded in the trash.

The next day, after his class, Lu Ran rushed into the lab.

Only to see a crowd of people gathered around his frequently used workbench.

Upon spotting him, Ding Wei promptly waved in his direction.

Lu Ran threaded his way through the crowd.

There was a gruesome sight on the laboratory bench, splattered with blood.

A hamster, skinned and gutted, lay belly-up on an experimental table, nailed into place.

The person responsible had left the laboratory bench in a mess.

They must have wanted to experiment on an animal.

But Lu Ran's experiment hadn't reached the stage of requiring experimental animals, and their school had strict regulations on laboratory animals. The acquisition and demise of such animals were subject to meticulous record-keeping and reporting.

With no other choice, the perpetrator had simply purchased a pet hamster to dissect.

"Did you offend someone?" Ding Wei asked.

Lu Ran remained silent, calmly removing the nail and gently wrapping the hamster's body in a tissue.

He then wiped away all the bloodstains from the workstation.

That very evening, Lu Ran quit his current part-time job and found a new one.

The nightclub pulsed with deafening music.

Shen Xingzhuo sat alone in a corner, lost in deep thought with a furrowed brow.

Someone oblivious to the mood approached him, "Brother Zhuo, come play some cards!"

"Get lost," Shen Xingzhuo tersely replied.

The man slunk away.

Ever since that day when he returned to the Shen residence only to be barred by Lu Ran, Shen Xingzhuo had been in a foul mood.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what was bothering him.

There was an indescribable sense of frustration.

He was troubled.

A familiar voice echoed, "Sir, your drink."

Shen Xingzhuo froze, lifted his head, and followed the sound.

There, the one who had been bothering him relentlessly not only appeared in the private room but was also dressed in the club's uniform, bending over to pour drinks for others.

Shen Xingzhuo was the least capable of handling such a scene. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he had imbibed too much and was seeing things wrong.

Last time, after selling steamed buns for a whole morning, most of the people in the private room turned out to be acquaintances of Lu Ran's.

Moreover, quite a few of them had witnessed Lu Ran's "achievements" previously.

When they saw Lu Ran pouring wine for himself, they nearly leaped off the sofa.

Chen Sheng, on the other hand, was different.

He instinctively greeted Lu Ran, "Hey, Brother Lu! What brings you here?"

"I'm working," Lu Ran replied frankly.

Chen Sheng gave him a thumbs up and lifted his glass to take a sip.

Suddenly, he remembered the steamed buns from last time.

He awkwardly stopped and cautiously asked Lu Ran, "Brother Lu, how much is this... this wine?"

A steamed bun from Lu Ran's hands had cost a hundred yuan.

This glass of wine better not be in the millions.

"In that case, you should ask the boss," Lu Ran shrugged in response.

Only then did Chen Sheng feel relieved and drink his wine.

Lu Ran pushed the cart, opening all the bottles of wine ordered in the private room.

Shen Xingzhuo gazed intently as he poured, all the way until he reached his side. It was as if he didn't recognize him at all; after pouring, he continued on his way forward.

Not everyone in the private room was an acquaintance.

There were newcomers who didn't know Lu Ran and, seeing that he looked quite attractive, couldn't resist teasing him, urging him to have a drink.

Lu Ran didn't decline.

The bartender responsible for serving the wine did indeed occasionally need to taste it.

Just a small sip.

Moreover, this club was well-managed and unlikely to witness any vicious incidents.

As Lu Ran was about to lift the glass, Shen Xingzhuo, sitting beside him, suddenly stood up and reached out to snatch the cup away.

"Haha! You drink just because I say so?"

The guest who had teased Lu Ran immediately felt awkward.

He didn't understand how a mere waiter could make Shen Xingzhuo angry: "Young Master Shen..."

"Scram!" Shen Xingzhuo cursed.

He turned his head and saw the alcohol on the surrounding tables. He said coldly, "I'd like to see who dares to pour me a drink."

The atmosphere grew silent, with some still confused about the situation.

Hearing Shen Xingzhuo's words, they assumed he disliked the new waiter.

In the next moment, Shen Xingzhuo continued, "Do you think you're worthy to have him pour you a drink?"

Chen Sheng's hand trembled.

He stealthily hid the empty glass.

In the hushed silence, whispers began to speculate about Lu Ran's status as the "illegitimate son" within the Shen family.

"Are you out of your mind?" Lu Ran tucked away his wine.

He ignored Shen Xingzhuo and instead apologized to the guest he had just scolded, then tilted his head back and drained the glass.

This left the guest feeling rather awkward.

Shen Xingzhuo's anger flared up in a flash.

"Do I have a problem or do you? Didn't I tell you not to work here? Yet, here you are pouring drinks for others?"

Lu Ran looked at him as if he were an idiot and asked, "Do you really think that just because you pay me a salary, I would give up all other job opportunities?"

"Y-you!" Shen Xingzhuo was fuming.

He pointed at Lu Ran for a while before dragging him outside the private room. "Tell me, how much is your boss paying you?"

Lu Ran remained composed.

He tactfully replied, "The job opportunities I have now are quite precious. If I can't get triple the price, I'd at least need quintuple."

With that, he promptly displayed his payment QR code.

Shen Xingzhuo begrudgingly made the transaction.

Afterward, he suddenly felt something was off.

Why was Lu Ran coincidentally working at the club he frequently visited?

Fixing his gaze on Lu Ran, he realized, "Did you come here specifically to scam me?"

"Hardly, it's just that the boss here is being exceptionally generous," Lu Ran said modestly.

A foolish person with plenty of money – not scamming them would be a waste.

The two returned to the private room.

Only to find the atmosphere inside somewhat tense.

Lu Ran lifted his gaze to see that the private room had gained a few more occupants.

At the head of the group, a young man sat on the main sofa.

Two people stood by his side, surveying their surroundings.

The man was fiddling with a car key in his hand.

The keychain was designed as a matte gold lion's head.

Upon noticing Lu Ran in his service staff uniform, the person standing next to him promptly pointed at Lu Ran and informed the man,

"Brother Lin, it's him."