Chapter 7 — The Mistress of Moon-Gazing Pavilion

The remaining students were sentenced one by one, receiving terms ranging from one to three years in prison or suspended sentences. Every single one of them was left with a criminal record. As the verdicts were read aloud, the parents seated in the gallery broke down in desperate, ragged sobs. Some turned on each other, slapping faces and hurling bitter accusations, blaming one another for corrupting their children. The brutal reality of the situation hammered home the painful price they had all paid for their own unchecked greed and arrogance.

A few days later, the prisoner transport van wound its way through the city streets. Huo Yunting, dressed in coarse prison garb and shackled in cold steel handcuffs, sat behind the reinforced iron grate. A red light signaled for a stop right before a massive billboard attached to a shopping center. On the giant screen, the city’s annual business forum was being broadcast live. I stood on the podium, dressed in sharp professional attire, looking directly into the camera as I articulated the future growth strategy for our corporation.

The contrast was absolute, a chasm between two worlds. Huo Yunting’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he lunged against the vehicle’s window, desperate to shatter the glass. The prison guards reacted instantly, pinning him firmly against the seat. Immobilized and trembling, he could do nothing but stare at the figure on the screen. Tears streamed down his face, splashing onto the cold metal of his handcuffs. Henceforth, he would spend the rest of his life in agony, confined behind towering, silent walls.

At that very moment, in the corporate office suite, the floor manager pushed open the door and placed the previous quarter’s financial report on my desk.

"Miss, ever since that incident, the reputation of our club has only grown," the manager noted, voice tinged with respect. "A significant number of high-net-worth clients have sought us out, drawn by the prestige of the name."

"Business performance for this quarter has not only remained unaffected, but it has actually doubled."

With all the trivial annoyances finally swept away, the business had flourished beyond expectation. I flipped through a few pages of the financial report with a casual flick of my wrist before tossing it back onto the mahogany desk. I took a slow, measured sip of my coffee and drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling window to gaze out at the city below. Shredding the labels and expectations forced upon me by others was merely the first step toward finally taking full command of my own life.