Mu Wan turned toward the source of the voice and saw a group of girls dressed extravagantly, looking as though they had just stepped out of a private karaoke room. However, she didn’t recognize them.

Thinking they might be acquaintances she’d met briefly at a banquet, she nodded politely in acknowledgment and then withdrew her gaze. As the daughter of the Mu family, she didn’t need to ingratiate herself with strangers. Her greeting was purely out of good manners.

Kuang Ye lowered his head and asked, “Someone you know?”

Mu Wan answered honestly, “Can’t recall.”

Hearing Mu Wan’s response, the ST team members didn’t bother to engage with the girls either. Instead, they continued chatting as they headed out.

“It’s about dinner time now. Let’s eat before heading back.”
“Shen Lele, you’ve been snacking on fruit platters the whole time. How are you still hungry? Are you a pig?”
“My girlfriend and I want some alone time, so we’ll skip dinner with you guys.”
“Eww~~”

Suddenly, a piercing voice came from behind.

“Mu Wan, you gave up the accomplished, polite Kuang Shuyu for a useless gamer like Kuang Ye? You really have no taste.”

The sharp words made everyone freeze mid-step. They turned around, faces darkening.

“Hey, Miss, did you just come back from a meal in the restroom? Your mouth smells awful,” Shen Lele retorted. Though he didn’t know who Kuang Shuyu was, he understood that the woman was insulting their captain.

Zhuang Shanshan, her face slightly flushed from drinking, glanced at Kuang Ye in the group. She pushed past the people trying to stop her and sneered sarcastically.

“Am I wrong? Kuang Ye even hit someone in public at the Yuan family’s banquet. Aren’t you afraid this thug will end up abusing you in the future?”

Mu Wan’s expression darkened. “Shut up!”

Zhuang Shanshan’s face twisted with ridicule. “What’s wrong? Did I hit a nerve? Everyone knows Kuang Ye is nothing but trash who can’t make it anywhere in life.”

“A 23-year-old gaming addict? The Kuang family would rather support an adopted son than this biological one.”

“And you, have you even thought this through? He’s got no skills, no career prospects. Do you expect to live off his gaming income, you pampered little princess?”

Her words, full of malice and disdain for Kuang Ye, enraged the ST team members. To them, Kuang Ye was a god in the esports world and the backbone of ST. How dare someone call him trash!

Looking at Mu Wan’s increasingly stormy expression, Zhuang Shanshan felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. Why should this despicable woman get to throw away what others could only dream of?

Seeing the fury in the ST team members’ eyes, Zhuang Shanshan sneered even more.

“And you gamers—what are you glaring at me for? Do you want to hit me? I know your rules. If you hit someone, you get banned from competition, don’t you?”

Smack!

The sound of a slap rang out.

A heavy slap landed fiercely on Zhuang Shanshan’s face.

Mu Wan, who had just stepped forward intending to act, was stunned. She looked in shock at Jiang Shixi’s girlfriend, Liu Xue’er, an HW^[1]HeroWorld tournament commentator.

“They might get banned for hitting someone, but I won’t! I’ve had enough of you looking down on gamers.”

“What’s so great about your Kuang Shuyu? Can he represent the country in international competitions? Can he raise the national flag on the stage of competitive arenas?”

“So what if someone plays games? Does playing games make them inferior? Are they second-class citizens under modern socialism?”

“My boyfriend is a gamer, and he’s amazing. If I hear one more insult about gamers, I’ll rip that mouth of yours apart!”

Liu Xue’er, a northeastern woman and a well-known “Tyrannosaurus Rex” in the esports commentary community, stood tall and defiant.

Mu Wan was speechless: …Is this the same person who was singing “Sweet Honey” in the private room earlier?

Zhuang Shanshan, completely dumbfounded by the slap, clutched her face in disbelief and glared at Liu Xue’er.

“You dare hit me? Do you know who I am? I’m the heiress of the Zhuang Group! I’ll make sure you pay for this!”

Jiang Shixi’s expression shifted. The Zhuang Group, with its wide array of electronic products sold across the country, was not a force ordinary people could contend with. He quickly pulled Liu Xue’er behind him and stood between her and Zhuang Shanshan.

“If you’ve got a problem, take it out on me,” he said firmly.

Zhuang Shanshan was livid. “None of you will get away with this!”

The atmosphere grew tense and oppressive. Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a dialing phone broke through the silence of the hallway.

Zhuang Shanshan sneered at Mu Wan, who was making the call. “What is this, elementary school? Are you going to tattle on me now?”

Mu Wan glanced at her indifferently and replied without hesitation, “Yes, didn’t you already accuse me of throwing my weight around^[2]an idiom meaning, they act aggressively and use their authority over other people more than they need to.?”

Zhuang Shanshan froze, her expression stiff.

The call connected, and a calm, icy voice came from the other side.

“Wan wan?”

Mu Wan got straight to the point. “Gege, can I borrow your legal team? Someone just publicly insulted me and my fiancé and even made threats against my friends.”

Mu Yanci, who had been reviewing documents, paused. “Do you need me to come over right now?”

Mu Wan shook her head. “No need. Ah Ye and his friends are here, so I won’t get bullied. I just don’t feel great about being cursed at for no reason.”

Mu Yan Ci’s tone turned cold. “Send me the address. I’ll dispatch the legal team and my secretary immediately.”

Mu Wan gave him the address crisply, then glanced at Zhuang Shanshan, whose face had turned visibly paler, and casually added another question.

“By the way, Gege, does the Mu Group or your company have any collaborations with the Zhuang Group?”

“The Zhuang Group?”

“Mm-hmm.”

It sounded like Mu Yan Ci called his secretary for confirmation before answering her.

“Yes, we do.”

Mu Wan asked decisively, “Can we terminate them?”

Mu Ya Ci shot back with his own question: “Was the person who insulted you from the Zhuang family?”

Mu Wan’s tone was firm. “Yes!”

Mu Yan Ci’s reply was equally resolute. “Then we can!”