189 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System

# Chapter 189: Threatening Phone Call Su Qi didn't understand why her mother became so enthusiastic after her outing. She was overwhelmed by the intense look in her mother's eyes, feeling a warmth she couldn't resist. Yet, Su Qi could distinctly sense that her mother genuinely liked her now. As they chatted, Su Qi, who was having her belly gently rubbed, felt so comfortable that she drifted into sleep. Lu Ran seemed to be engaging in small talk while subtly probing into how Su Qi was doing. Unlike boys, girls are often in a vulnerable position when in relationships. Thankfully, Su Qi's roommates didn't know she was a girl before, and she had rented an apartment nearby. Looking at Su Qi's curvaceous figure, Lu Ran could completely understand her reason for renting a place. She touched Su Qi's short hair that only reached her shoulders; this little girl must surely like having long hair, right? Recalling how back in middle and high school, Su Qi had once debated whether to keep her hair short for a more spirited appearance, Lu Ran shook her head at the memory. She felt that she herself was not much better than Su Lu Jun. She was not a great mother either. Gently embracing Su Qi's small frame, Lu Ran felt a sense of peace; her precious daughter could not be lost again. The next day, the weather remained overcast, with a misty drizzle. Although it was already past eight in the morning, the sky was still gloomy, giving off a drowsy vibe. Inside the villa, Su Lu Jun, who had stayed up late, had just fallen asleep when a phone ringing awoke him. With his eyes shut, he felt for the phone. Unlike the feel of his old, burned-out phone, this new sensation brought him to alertness. He remembered this wasn’t his own destroyed phone but his daughter’s. Carefully placing it on the bed, Su Lu Jun sighed in relief. He didn’t want to risk dropping it and further souring his daughter's already limited goodwill. The call was from an unfamiliar number. Su Lu Jun hesitated, unsure whether to answer it. While he deliberated, the call ended, only for the phone to ring again with the same number a second later. Guessing it might be urgent, Su Lu Jun decided to pick up the call. No sooner had he done so than anger flared up within him. He heard an insolent male voice, “So you dare to pick up, Su Qi!” “Who are you?” Su Lu Jun demanded. The voice continued with a mocking tone, “Oh, you found yourself a sugar daddy, huh? But I assure you, nobody can protect you, nobody at all!” Despite recognizing that it wasn't Su Qi's voice, the caller's arrogance increased rather than subsided. Veins visibly pulsed on Su Lu Jun's temple as he listened. His daughter, being threatened like this? “Who are you?” His cold, authoritative voice carried the weight of his over thirty years in military leadership, intimidating the other party for a moment. The caller quickly recovered, though, reminding himself it was just a phone call, and resumed his haughty demeanor. “Don’t worry about who I am, and I don’t care who you are. Just know this, if Su Qi doesn’t explain the situation about Yang Ming to the school authorities within two days, she should watch out.” Yang Ming? That name stood out to Su Lu Jun. Just as he was about to inquire further, the caller added, “Su Qi, I know you’re there. Let me warn you, if this escalates, you have nowhere to run. We've seen your photos; a pretty little thing like you should be careful when walking alone at night—” “And as for you, old man, you can’t fight us!” With that last taunt, the caller hung up. Listening to the blatant threats and disrespect toward Su Qi filled Su Lu Jun with rage. He clenched his teeth so hard that a molar cracked, his gum beginning to bleed, but he didn’t care. Staring at the phone, a grim smile spread across his face. After a lifetime as a soldier, he was being challenged by the underworld? He decided to see if he, an old soldier, could take them on. Meanwhile, in a high-rise building in Su Cheng, Wang Biao spoke, “Don’t worry, Boss Yang, I will handle this for you!” He was a robust man known as Brother Biao on the streets, and the mastermind behind the call to Su Lu Jun. Operating in the vicinity of Su Cheng University, Wang earned a living through high-interest loans and occasionally accepted underworld jobs, including cases of violent debt collection. Having just bid farewell to the naïve businessman, Yang Da Shuai, who offered a million to spare his son from prison, Wang was tasked to obstruct legal proceedings. Yang Ming, his son, was accused of attempted assault, facing serious charges. When Yang Da Shuai showed Su Qi's sweet and innocent photo, Wang Biao privately belittled Yang's son. He couldn’t fathom how such a frail-looking young girl could have resisted a grown boy’s advances. After doing some homework on Su Qi, an emerging social media personality at Su University, Wang found her easy to intimidate. Without any backing, not even from her parents, threatening Su Qi seemed like a straightforward task. After all, as the saying goes, there’s nothing more dangerous than a rogue with connections. In the 21st century, Wang prided himself as an updated version of a rogue, appropriately navigating legal waters. He knew that to preemptively thwart litigation effectively, the simplest method was through intimidation — persuading victims to retract their claims and dismiss legal representation. The court subpoena bore two key names: Wang Zi Jin as a witness, and Su Qi as the victim. Recognizing that the attorney hired was another university student, An Ning, Wang saw this as easy prey, viewings them as sheltered and naive, just stepping out into the world. Threatening these students, in his eyes, was as simple as drinking water, two or three words enough to reduce them to terror. Yet, the initial call didn’t go smoothly. His contact reported a man answering the phone, contradicting Wang’s impression of Su Qi as a lone figure. Considering the possibility of a “sugar daddy,” as mentioned by his underling, Wang thought nothing much of it since Su Qi did have a certain allure. He dismissed the anomaly, sending his crew to scour Su University's campus for Su Qi. As long as they found her, half the job was done. As for the man mentioned by his subordinate, Wang assumed he was irrelevant; after all, what man would involve himself in such a mess if he wasn’t the father? Contrary to Wang’s assumption, that man indeed was the father. At that moment, Su Lu Jun was speeding in his Volvo towards the military district. He intended to see if a retired brigade commander like himself could overpower a few of these criminal elements.