230: He wouldn't do that.

He lowered his voice, leaned in closer, and said in a cautionary tone: "Young man, looking at how young you are, don't go looking for trouble for yourself. The person who arrived today can make the entire Linzhou shake just by stamping their foot. The bosses of our Four Major Companies are currently waiting respectfully in the lounge in the back!"

"If you offend this distinguished guest, or accidentally break something and delay important matters, let alone you, even your entire family wouldn't be able to pay for it!"

Sun Zhi spoke with a serious expression, as if Lin Yu and the others staying even one more second would trigger the apocalypse.

"Listen to me, leave quickly, go around that way. If there really is something, come back tomorrow—no, come back next week!"

"It's useless no matter who comes today!"

Watching his earnest, sincere demeanor as he tried to look out for them, Lin Yu suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

This guy, he looked rigid and arrogant, but unexpectedly, his heart wasn't bad.

Before Lin Yu could even open his mouth, a hesitant, slightly trembling voice suddenly came from the crowd.

"Lin... Lin Yu?"

The commotion on Sun Zhi and Lin Yu's side wasn't loud, but everyone present was highly tense, and any slight stir seemed exceptionally jarring.

Sun Zhi's brows furrowed even tighter.

He followed the sound and looked, only to see that the one who spoke was a young man standing in the very front row of the New Star Project queue.

That young man was staring fixedly at Lin Yu, as if he had seen something unbelievable.

A girl beside him also followed his gaze, and after seeing Lin Yu's face clearly, she also shuddered.

Sun Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

He had an impression of these two; they were promising talents in this New Star Project, one named Zhang Hao and the other Li Qian, but in reality, they had only luckily secured their spots because they had replaced certain geniuses who had given up on signing.

They knew this wild kid wearing cheap street-stall clothes?

"You know him?" there was a trace of questioning in Sun Zhi's voice.

Zhang Hao didn't answer; he just stared straight at Lin Yu, his lips moving as if he was confirming something.

Li Qian, beside him, couldn't help but gasp in a low voice.

"It really is him!"

"The one who rejected the S-Rank contract from Fengxing Technology, and... and at the Awakening Ceremony..."

Her words weren't finished, but they were already enough to stir up a ripple of moderate size in the surroundings.

Rejected an S-Rank contract?

There are still people like this these days?

The surrounding administrative staff in suits, as well as those arrogant Researchers, had their gazes toward Lin Yu change instantly.

It was no longer looking at an ignorant wild kid, but rather, there was an added trace of scrutiny and curiosity.

Sun Zhi was also stunned.

Rejected an S-Rank contract? Why hadn't he heard of this?

No, wait, the company's upper management had indeed been furious recently because of a genius's refusal; could it be this person right in front of him...

"He is that Lin Yu?"

"That madman who wants to challenge the 32-times difficulty College Entrance Examination?"

"Not 32-times! The latest news, his final difficulty coefficient is 288-star!"

In the crowd, someone blurted out.

288-star!

Boom!

This number, like a blockbuster bomb, exploded in everyone's minds.

The entire scene instantly spiraled out of control.

The previously forcibly maintained, solemn and grave atmosphere vanished completely.

Everyone was whispering and discussing, and their gazes toward Lin Yu were filled with shock, horror, and the incomprehension of looking at a madman.

"288-star? What a joke! What is the highest record in human history?"

"Seems to be over 80 stars, right? That was still a Mythic Rank powerhouse from three hundred years ago!"

"This kid must be crazy and wanting to die, right?"

"I get it, he knows he offended the capitalists and will definitely die in the College Entrance Examination, so he just decided to break the pot and smash it, choosing the most exaggerated way to die to gain some fame!"

All kinds of guesses and discussions merged into a noisy wave of sound.

Lin Yu remained in that same posture, hands in his pockets, looking lazy.

As if the person they were discussing was someone from another world.

Sun Zhi's brain also completely crashed.

288-star...

As an R&D supervisor, he understood the value of this number more deeply than ordinary people.

That is suicide.

It is 100%, without any suspense, actively seeking death.

He stared blankly at Lin Yu, the previous condescending arrogance having long since been washed away by immense shock.

He finally understood why there was such an incongruous calmness about this young man.

That was not the fearlessness of the ignorant.

That was the composure of a madman before rushing toward death.

"You..."

Sun Zhi opened his mouth, but found he couldn't say anything.

Persuade him?

Would someone who dares to choose a 288-star difficulty listen to your advice?

Scold him?

He doesn't even want his life anymore, would he still care if you scolded him a few times?

After a long while, Sun Zhi finally managed to recover his train of thought.

He took a deep breath and looked at Lin Yu with an unprecedentedly complex expression.

"If you... have regrets."

He carefully chose his words, trying to make his voice sound less like he was bestowing charity.

"The door to the New Star Project hasn't actually closed completely. Given your talent, the company still values you highly. The previous contract terms can even... can be renegotiated."

"Of course, not today. There is a major event today, you should leave first. Another day, you can come directly to Fengxing Technology to find me."

Sun Zhi felt that his words had already given the other party enough face.

This was almost equivalent to telling Lin Yu that as long as you are willing to turn back, we will let bygones be bygones.

The surrounding people, hearing this, also cast envious gazes toward Lin Yu.

This kid really got lucky.

He's been acting so self-destructively, yet Fengxing Technology is actually still willing to give him a chance.

However, Lin Yu hadn't spoken yet.

The young man named Zhang Hao suddenly said in a low voice.

"He won't sign."

His voice was very soft, but it carried an unquestionable certainty.

Sun Zhi's brows furrowed again, and he looked at him displeased: "And how would you know?"

Zhang Hao didn't look at Sun Zhi; his gaze remained fixed on Lin Yu, a complex emotion mixed with jealousy, unwillingness, awe, and a hint of... relief.

"Supervisor Sun, you... don't understand."

Li Qian took over the conversation, a bitter smile on her face.

"Only us people who have signed can finally understand why he won't sign."

She laughed at herself.

"It's nothing more than... jumping from one cage into another, more magnificent cage."

"A life like this, someone like him would absolutely never accept it."

Li Qian's words caused the scene to fall into a dead silence once again.

Those who had signed for the New Star Project all instinctively lowered their heads, feeling a sense of empathy.

And the management staff were all looking embarrassed.

Sun Zhi was speechless and wanted to refute, but found that every word Li Qian said was the truth.

The essence of commercial companies is to pursue profit.

The geniuses they sign are their highest-quality investment products.

Squeezing every bit of value out of their investment products is an instinct carved into their bones.