Chapter 117: The Smiling Tiger, Calm Waters are Never Still

"Keep an eye on Leon Chen at H University. If he comes out, run him over," Chase Wei said, his face still bandaged. Every word made him wince with pain, twisting his already sinister face into an even more malevolent expression.

"Remember to make it look convincing. Don't hold back. I'll take care of the aftermath," he snarled. "A car accident is easy to arrange, right?"

Chase Wei hung up the phone and stared at himself in the mirror.

He loathed the face staring back at him. The humiliation he had suffered a few days ago was something he could not swallow.

"Leon Chen, you want to be hot-blooded? I'll make your blood boil."

"Chase, you really shouldn't do that," came a mocking voice from the room.

"Who is it?" Chase Wei was startled, turning to see a man sitting casually on the sofa. When he saw who it was, Chase's eyes filled with murderous intent instantly cooled, replaced by respect.

"Victor Gallant, when did you arrive?" Chase Wei forced a smile, sitting down on the sofa. He was unnerved. How had this man entered his heavily guarded bedroom? But then he remembered Victor's past feats, like infiltrating the White House, and stopped pondering the question.

Victor Gallant had a thoroughly good-natured face, with eyes that always seemed to be smiling. He looked honest and slightly gullible.

But Chase Wei knew better. He knew how terrifying the man in front of him was. If there was anyone in the world that even Chase feared, it was this man with the perpetually smiling eyes.

The nickname "Smiling Tiger" was a fitting description for Victor Gallant, as everyone who knew him would attest.

Chase couldn't help but think of Leon's honest face, feeling a surge of frustration.

"Heh, I made you think of Leon Chen, didn't I?" Victor said with a smile.

"You told me not to do it? Victor, you and your fiancée are really in sync," Chase Wei said coolly.

"Are you blaming Grace?" Victor asked, looking amused. "By the way, my engagement with her is a family arrangement. Honestly, I can't conquer her."

"The man who conquered the nation presidents can't conquer a woman? That's rich," Chase Wei said, not in the mood to dwell on the matter. "Thanks to her, I got beaten up by a student, and my father even apologized. It's absurd." He grumbled, believing that Leon was just an arrogant student relying on that woman to settle everything.

Victor made a sound of disapproval, his eyes sharp beneath his smiling facade. "Chase, compared to your father's 'dragon and tiger' strategy, you're really immature."

"What do you mean?" Chase Wei asked, irritated.

"This has nothing to do with Grace. Even if she hadn't stepped in, your father would have apologized," Victor maintained his smile, leaving Chase bewildered.

"Remember, no matter how powerful the Wei family is in West Capital, you can't forget the other significance of H University. You were too blatant. When the entire school rises against you, what do you think the central authorities will do?"

Chase was taken aback.

"Given your usual behavior and the student protest, you would be the ultimate scapegoat. Your father's humble apology was the perfect touch to quell dissatisfaction from above and even score some points for the Wei family," Victor paused, smiling. "Grace was just a convenient liaison."

"The president of the student council's involvement was symbolic. It allowed both sides to save face and painted Leon as someone who needed a woman's intervention. Compared to your father's 'dragon and tiger' strategy, don't you feel a bit immature?"

Chase was speechless, not having considered the deeper implications. He realized Victor was right. Despite the Wei family's dominance in West Capital, if the central authorities decided they were too much trouble, they could be wiped out in minutes.

"By the way, I've got a little insider information for you," Victor said, still smiling.

Chase looked at him.

"Leon is Scarlett Ning's boyfriend!"

Chase was stunned. "Scarlett Ning? From the Ning family in North Capital?"

"No need to guess. Same status as me," Victor said with a faint smile.

"Isn't his girlfriend Lily Lin?" Chase frowned.

"Is it rare for a man to have two women?" Victor's smile turned mocking. "Our clan doesn't care about such things. Multiple wives or husbands are fine as long as you can manage it."

Chase was taken aback.

"What are you trying to tell me..." Chase asked after a moment of silence.

"Just a reminder not to underestimate Leon. A man who can fire hundreds of shots at the Red Soul Club might be hiding more than you think..." Victor said mysteriously.

Chase paced back and forth, irritated. "So, Victor, what do you think of Leon?"

"I find it annoying how Grace and Scarlett are entangled with him," Victor said with a harmless smile.

Chase felt relieved. If Victor, the Smiling Tiger, said so, then Grace and Scarlett's opinions were less important.

Leon was definitely doomed.

"Good. I hate that kid having two girlfriends," Chase said with a cold smile.

Victor's smile didn't change, but his eyes held a hint of approval as he clapped his hands.

An elderly man with a sinister look appeared silently behind Chase, making him shiver.

"If your plan fails, I can lend you my people to quietly resolve this problem."

Chase was overjoyed. With Victor's men, he couldn't imagine how Leon would survive.

"Thank you. I'll treat you to a meal sometime."

"You're welcome," Victor said softly. As Chase reveled in his success, he didn't notice the hidden malice in Victor's smile.

"By the way, Victor, why do you want to deal with Leon? You two seem like similar people to me," Chase asked, suddenly curious.

Victor replied with an enigmatic smile. "I hate looking in the mirror."

"I hate looking in the mirror!"

Leon muttered to himself, feeling awkward about his honest appearance in the mirror. It reminded him of how people misinterpreted his actions as those of an honest man pushed to his limits, resulting in stories like "Don't be fooled by Lily Lin's honest boyfriend; when pushed, he dared to take on Chase Wei," which annoyed him greatly.

At least it gave Lily some peace.

"Leon, why hate such a handsome face?" Michael Fang said, striking a pose in the mirror.

"By the way, I recently discovered a secret," Michael suddenly said seriously.

The three roommates perked up, listening intently.

"Although there's no scientific proof yet, I believe it will be confirmed soon!" Michael said confidently.

"You can't be serious," Daniel Zhang doubted.

"It's true. I discovered it while Leon was looking in the mirror."

"What did you find?" Leon asked.

"When you first look in the mirror, you might not think you're very handsome. But don't be afraid. Just keep staring at the mirror for a few minutes, and you'll gradually become more handsome. The longer you look, the more handsome you'll feel. If you look for a full fifteen minutes, you'll think there's no one more handsome than you; if you look for half an hour, you'll feel like you're floating on air," Michael said with a professional demeanor.

Pillows were thrown at him.

"Becoming God, huh? God's gonna slaughter you."

"Enough nonsense. I'm off to pick up Sienna," Leon said, smiling as he tidied his clothes. Michael's antics had lightened his mood.

Michael stared at Leon as he left, turning to the others. "Did Leon just say he's picking up Sienna?"

"He did mention that," Daniel said, glancing up.

"He called her by name, not 'teacher'..."

"Seems like it," Daniel smiled. "Leon and Sienna get along well."

"He's so lucky. I need to wash my face with Leon's towel. Maybe I'll catch some of his luck."

A pile of junk flew at Michael's face.

Leon left the dorm, noticing the curious glances from both male and female students. Some even greeted him or gave him small gifts.

If Leon's previous appearances in the school newspaper were minor, this time he had become a hero, standing up for them against Chase Wei.

Some students who had scorned Leon as an honest fool now hesitated to make any moves on Lily.

Unlike their excitement, Leon remained surprisingly calm. Even if Grace had resolved the dispute and the entire West Capital seemed peaceful, he wasn't naive enough to think it was over.

As Luna Hu had warned: Calm waters often precede a storm. Leon needed to think of a way to give Chase Wei a clear warning, preventing him from doing something irreparable. With this in mind, Leon exited the school gates.

He glanced at the van across the street, narrowing his eyes before checking the time and hailing a taxi to the airport.

Not long after the taxi left, the van followed.

"Brother, he's out," a skinny youth in the van said. "Should we hit him?"

"Hit yourself, idiot. Don't be impulsive. It needs to look like an accident," a blonde man scolded.

"But hitting someone doesn't look like an accident. It will draw attention," the youth muttered.

"Fool, hitting him is less conspicuous than killing him. Didn't you see on the news? Unless you're driving a BMW at 70 km/h, nobody cares. Follow him and see what happens," the blonde man sneered.

"Okay."

Leon glanced back at the van following him, his eyes cold.