Chapter 40: I Just Want to Succeed

“Brother, could you please tell us who you really are? If we’ve offended you in any way, just name it and I’ll accept the consequences,” the middle-aged man said.

He realized that none of the three of them could defeat this one person, so he chose to back down.

A wise man knows when to retreat; it was better to get through this ordeal first.

Jiang Zheng snapped, “Shut up! Just stay where you are and don’t move!”

The middle-aged man shrank his neck at these words, clearly frightened by Jiang Zheng.

Tao Luna wanted to ask several times, but seeing Jiang Zheng’s fierce and menacing expression, she didn’t dare speak.

Jiang Zheng had no intention of explaining anything to Tao Luna either; once the police arrived, she would understand everything.

It wasn’t long before the police arrived.

When they walked in, all three faces turned pale with fright, especially the middle-aged man, whose legs were visibly trembling.

“What’s going on? Who called the police?” the officer asked sternly.

“I did,” Jiang Zheng replied, then explained the whole situation.

The police looked down at the three on the floor, their expressions changing.

“A hundred thousand yuan—a rather large appetite!” one officer sneered.

“Officer, I wasn’t lying,” the middle-aged man said, forcing himself to speak.

“That’s not for you to decide. Come with us—we have a few things to talk about.”

With that, the three were escorted away, all looking utterly dejected.

Tao Luna finally realized she had been swindled. She wasn’t a fool; seeing their faces, she understood everything.

After everyone left, she asked, “Were they really swindlers?”

“You still don’t believe it?” Jiang Zheng countered.

Tao Luna fell silent. She simply didn’t want to believe it.

“How did you meet that con artist?” Jiang Zheng asked.

“He approached me,” Tao Luna replied.

“So you just went off with a stranger without telling anyone? Do you have any idea how worried Zhou Quanyi was?” Jiang Zheng said.

“S-sorry,” Tao Luna murmured, keeping her head down.

Jiang Zheng stared at her for a while. Seeing her head bowed, he sighed deeply. “Forget it. Let’s not talk about this now. Come with me back to the hotel.”

Tao Luna nodded softly, then got up and followed Jiang Zheng out.

As they walked in the direction of the hotel, Jiang Zheng called Zhou Quanyi, telling him Tao Luna had been found and to return directly to the hotel.

On the way, Tao Luna was silent, not saying a word. Jiang Zheng had nothing else to say either, so he too remained quiet.

As they walked, Tao Luna suddenly spoke: “Could you keep what just happened a secret?”

She had almost been deceived—her money and her dignity nearly lost. If things had gone that far, she knew she would have been driven mad by the consequences.

Having almost made such a foolish mistake, she didn’t want anyone else to know.

“I can,” Jiang Zheng replied.

He wasn’t the type to gossip. Even without her request, he would never spread such things.

“Thank you,” Tao Luna whispered.

“No need for thanks. I’m just curious—his tricks weren’t even clever. Why did you fall for it?” Jiang Zheng asked.

Meeting someone on the street who promises to make you a star—nine times out of ten, it’s a scam. Tao Luna didn’t seem foolish, so why had she believed it?

Tao Luna didn’t answer, falling into a long silence.

Seeing that she wouldn’t respond, Jiang Zheng didn’t press the matter.

They walked on until they reached the hotel. Neither hurried inside; they waited for Zhou Quanyi.

After a while, Tao Luna said, “I want to be a star.”

Jiang Zheng glanced at her. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be a star. But on the road to your dreams, I think you should keep your eyes open and not let yourself be deceived.

Whatever you do, work hard and keep your feet on the ground. One day you’ll succeed. Don’t always think about shortcuts—there aren’t that many shortcuts in the world.”

Tao Luna replied, “For people like me, ordinary with no money or connections, if we don’t try to take shortcuts, how can we possibly succeed? You’re too naïve.”

Jiang Zheng responded, “In any case, now you know the price of trying to take shortcuts.”

Tao Luna smiled bitterly. “Yes, I almost got cheated. If you hadn’t come, I might have lost both my money and my dignity. I suppose I should be eternally grateful to you—is that what you want?”

Jiang Zheng frowned. “That’s not what I want.”

He had never expected her to be eternally grateful; he just didn’t want her to go down the wrong path.

She was someone Zhou Quanyi cared about. Jiang Zheng didn’t want Zhou Quanyi to be hurt by her downfall.

“You don’t? You just like preaching, standing on your moral high ground and criticizing me, so you can feel superior,” Tao Luna said.

Jiang Zheng felt a surge of anger. He had only meant well, but Tao Luna was lashing out at him instead.

“Think what you want,” he said.

She gave a cold laugh. “People like you are the most annoying—talented and confident, as if nothing is ever difficult for you. But what about ordinary people like me? Success is not so easy for us!”

“Why can’t you succeed? Just look at your own dream. There are plenty of people who started from nothing, spent years as extras, and then became stars overnight,” Jiang Zheng said.

“I admit that happens. But how many actually succeed? Why don’t you talk about all those who keep struggling and never make it?” Tao Luna replied.

She took a deep breath and continued, “Jiang Zheng, I’m grateful you saved me, but that doesn’t mean you get to lecture me. I know exactly what I’m doing—I have my own choices.

I understand your innocence, and sometimes I even envy it. Maybe university is the last ivory tower where it’s possible to be innocent. Once you step into society, perhaps you’ll understand why I made the choices I did today.

I’m just an ordinary person—no money, no connections, not even your talent. But what’s wrong with wanting to succeed?!”

“I never said there’s anything wrong with wanting to succeed. Ordinary people have dreams too—they can succeed too. But always looking for shortcuts isn’t the way. Even if you succeed, it’s an illusion built on sand,” Jiang Zheng said.

A tense atmosphere hung between them.

Tao Luna closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and said, “Forget it. I don’t want to argue with you anymore. No matter what, I’ll stick to my beliefs.”

“So will I,” Jiang Zheng replied.

At that moment, he finally understood why Tao Luna had been so easily deceived—it wasn’t stupidity, but a desperate longing to be a star. She wanted it so badly that she was willing to believe in even the slimmest chance.

“There you are!”

From a distance, Zhou Quanyi returned to the hotel, calling out as he walked toward them.