Chairman, Something Big Has Happened

"Please, Goddess Aqua, protect those five guys from getting crushed to death when I jump down!"

"If I end up killing them by accident, not only will I lose a bunch of excellent villainous talents, but will I be charged with intentional harm or even premeditated murder...?"

"Guys, stay strong—Tang Ao is coming!"

With that, Tang Ao spread his arms, bent his legs, and with his feet angled down at forty-five degrees, pushed off from the anti-theft window, fully embracing the blue sky and white clouds as he leaped into the air.

A chorus of gasps erupted from below:

"Oh my god! He really jumped!"

"I didn't see that coming—this guy's got guts! I'm sorry, man. If you die, please don't come back to haunt me. I was just talking smack earlier. I'll burn paper money for you on your death anniversary!"

The thugs below turned pale one by one:

"Boss! He really jumped!"

"Boss! We need to run! This guy's crazy—he's aiming right for us!"

"I'm not blind!" The leader of the thugs looked at his lackeys, who were on the verge of wetting themselves, and the fear in his heart eased a bit, replaced by a sense of satisfaction. "Look at you all, scared out of your wits. Weren't you the ones who were so cocky just a moment ago? Stand your ground!"

"Boss, it's too dangerous now! We need to prioritize staying alive!"

"Boss, he's already at the third floor—if we don't run now, it'll be too late!"

"Boss!!! I'm sorry, but I want to live!"

One lackey turned and bolted from the scene at lightning speed.

As soon as the first one ran, the second and third followed suit.

In the blink of an eye, all four of the leader's lackeys had left him behind, each apologizing before they fled.

The leader glared at the rapidly approaching Tang Ao, his eyes full of anger, and closed them in frustration.

So much for brotherhood!

All that talk about standing by each other through life and death, and yet, when it really came down to it, none of them could be relied on!

Thinking this, the leader's face filled with sadness and rage.

Then...

He quickly stepped back several paces.

Survival trumps face.

You can always regain your honor, but once your life is lost...

It's gone for good!

"Nooo!!!"

In Zhou Ling'er's heart-wrenching cry, Tang Ao landed heavily on the ground. With a dull thud, the solid marble tiles met Tang Ao's body with an intimate embrace.

Dust rose from the impact, and the leader of the thugs, who had narrowly avoided being crushed, looked on with fear.

If he had run just two seconds later, he would've been flattened by Tang Ao and lost his life!

"Tang Ao! Why did you have to be so foolish? I'm not worth it—I'm not worth you risking your life like this..."

Zhou Ling'er was the first to rush over to check on Tang Ao.

Onlookers shook their heads with pity.

Jumping from the sixth floor with no protection, face-first... it was almost a guaranteed death sentence.

The four surviving thugs were all in shock, staring at Tang Ao in disbelief:

"He's a lunatic... He's a complete lunatic! How could he actually do it?!"

"How did such a fool survive this long? The world is really full of all kinds of people. I would never have done something so stupid!"

"Boss, are you okay? We should leave now. If the police show up, we'll be in trouble."

The leader slapped away the hand of the lackey who tried to help him. "Get your dirty hands off me!"

He then glared at his lackeys with fury. "Do you all remember what you just said?"

The lackeys hung their heads in shame. "Boss... we were just trying to stay alive... And besides, you ran too, didn't you? Isn't it fair not to impose on others what you wouldn't want for yourself, Boss?"

The leader's face froze, and his anger flared even more. He raised his hand and smacked the lackey who spoke. "Don't give me that 'do unto others' nonsense! We're all slippery eels here, so don't try to act like a cultured person with me!"

Recalling the bold promises he had made before Tang Ao jumped, the leader's face flushed with embarrassment.

But the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Pointing at one of the lackeys, he said, "You were the one who said you'd walk backward from now on. If I ever catch you walking normally, I'll beat you every time I see you!"

"And you! Weren't you the one who promised a backflip while peeing? Go on, do it now. If you don't, I'll break all three of your legs!"

"As for you..." The leader glared at the first lackey who had run. "Do you remember what I said? Either you do it yourself, or I'll help you."

This was the lackey who had fled first after seeing Tang Ao jump. He was so terrified that he nearly fainted. "B-Boss..."

"Don't call me Boss—I don't have such a disgraceful lackey!" The leader smacked him hard across the face. "Go buy a wheelchair. If you don't want me to break your legs, then from now on, you'll be like a cripple who can't walk on his own. You'll have to use a wheelchair to get around!"

After dealing with his lackeys, the leader turned his attention to the motionless Tang Ao lying on the ground. "This guy... I respect him. Listen up—all of you. From now on, if you hear anything about 'Ye Chen,' you come and tell me immediately. Anyone Tang Ao fears is bound to be trouble for us, and we need to strike first!"

The lackeys nodded frantically, their heads bobbing up and down like chickens pecking at grain. The leader pointed to Sister Hong. "Take this woman back with us. With that card, we can finally withdraw the millions we've been investing for years. Cheer up, everyone!"

One of the lackeys hesitantly pointed at Zhou Ling'er, who was sobbing over Tang Ao's body. "Boss, what about this girl? She could be our new cash cow."

The leader responded with a solid whack on the lackey's head. "What nonsense are you spouting? Didn't you see that Young Master Tang jumped from the sixth floor for her? What's the most important thing in our line of work?"

"Is it... integrity?"

The leader smacked him again. "At least you've learned something after all these years!"

After watching the lackey perform a backflip, the leader gathered his men and Sister Hong and left the scene.

As soon as Tang Ao hit the ground, he lost consciousness.

It wasn't until Zhou Ling'er shook him that he slowly regained consciousness, and the system's voice rang in his head:

[Niu's Coffin has been activated. Health reduced by 30 points. Host is advised to quickly improve appearance.]

A 30-point reduction in health...

But his back didn't ache, his legs didn't hurt—only his head felt a bit dizzy.

What a great ability!

...

Meanwhile, across the ocean, at the headquarters of Zhou Pharmaceutical, an assistant frantically knocked on the chairman's office door.

Zhou Ling'er's father lay leisurely in a rocking chair, legs crossed. Seeing his out-of-breath assistant, he asked, "Why the rush? What kind of behavior is this?"

"C-Chairman, something big has happened!!!"