Young Chen Botao didn't sense that anything was amiss.

The fearsome reputation stemming from Brother Lie's 'Bodhisattva Manifestation' was confined to a very small circle; his public image was merely that of a wealthy young master from out of town.

After all, to protect Dan Zihao and Zhou Ci's dignity, Liu Yingjun and Fang Tongzhi's associates couldn't publicize what happened that night.

Pfft, pfft, pfft—an *accident*, I should say.

As for Yellow Hair and his crew, it was even less likely they'd mention it; they were too busy playing dead.

In fact, for the past few days, the door to the opposite dorm room, 405, hadn't opened even once.

That group of young men was so terrified they didn't dare return to school, fearing Brother Lie would show up at their door.

How terrifying!

As a result, infamous moments like Dan Zihao wetting his pants, Kong Yize having explosive diarrhea, and Zhou Ci crashing into the door seemed as if they'd never occurred.

Of course, some rumors were undoubtedly spreading.

However, whether anyone heard these rumors, and whether they believed them if they did, was another matter entirely.

Chen Botao certainly hadn't heard of Han Lie's formidable reputation and just thought Han Lie was some nouveau riche from out of town.

What's there to be scared of?

We're all from out of town. Maybe your family is richer than mine, but so what?

Plenty of rich second-generation kids ignore Qin Fen; what can he do about it?

In the end, can't he only amuse himself?

Chen Botao's provocation was blatant and undisguised; he clearly looked down on Han Lie.

The reasons could have been numerous, but none of that mattered anymore.

Brother Lie paused, then turned to Fang Tongzhi. He said nothing, offered no response, merely stared intently.

This stance put immense pressure on Fang Tongzhi, Wang Xiaotian, and the others.

There's a phrase, "commanding awe without anger."

It originates from Xunzi, where the original text states, "When the noble man possesses the ultimate virtue, he instructs without words, influences without action, commands awe without anger."

The original meaning refers to benevolence, but in real life, such 'awe' more often stems from 'authority' and 'strength.'

Han Lie lacked formal authority.

But his strength, he had already proven.

The memory of that night—two arrogant young masters kneeling behind the door, trembling as they listened to Brother Lie's lecture—was still vivid.

Was Fang Tongzhi afraid of Han Lie? Certainly not. He was amicable, always treated Han Lie with respect, and they had a good relationship; there was no reason for him to be afraid.

But was he afraid that Han Lie might disregard his 'face,' turn hostile on the spot, and escalate the situation beyond control? That, he was terrified of!

Extraordinary individuals do extraordinary things, and Brother Lie was precisely such an individual.

It would just be Chen Botao's own misfortune; no one would pity him.

But to be implicated because of that idiot... was it worth it?

In an instant, Fang Tongzhi understood and hurriedly distanced himself.

"Brother Han, do whatever you wish. Don't worry, I'll handle everything else."

Hearing this, Liu Yingjun also grasped the situation and quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, Little Chen just has a mule's temper. He hasn't been beaten enough and lacks discipline..."

Good heavens, that was rather blunt.

"What do you mean by that?!"

Chen Botao was fuming, his face flushed crimson.

Ma Ke and the others, witnessing Fang Tongzhi's rare display of weakness, stopped what they were doing and exchanged bewildered glances, somewhat at a loss.

In less than ten seconds, Han Lie had subdued the entire room with a single look.

The principle was simple: angry, contorted expressions held no real deterrent power; they merely exposed one's weakness.

Anger is a form of losing control.

Truly confident people never get angry. They can crush everything you rely on with a single phone call, so why would they feel anger at your offense?

Thus, the key to "commanding awe without anger" was the "without anger" part.

Calmly apply pressure, and let the other party contemplate the consequences themselves.

Han Lie continued to gaze at Fang Tongzhi. After at least three more seconds, he slowly nodded.

His aura was overwhelming, his timing impeccable—he had truly elevated the art of showing off to new heights.

And Fang Tongzhi completely fell for it.

He was a smart man, and smart people tend to overthink and are more observant of details.

When Han Lie nodded, for some reason, Fang Tongzhi felt a sudden sense of relief.

Just as he was about to offer a few more placating words to ease the atmosphere, Han Lie turned, sat back in his original seat, and calmly said, "Continue. Deal the cards."

"Uh..."

Old Hu was about to fill the empty seat and had already reached it. He hesitated for a moment, then quickly moved to hold the back of Han Lie's chair.

"Brother Lie, today, I'm fully committed to backing you!"

He was not only adept at easing awkwardness but also quite the flatterer.

In Thirteen Cards, there were only four players at the table, but spectators could freely bet on any one of them. The number of participants and the minimum bet were unrestricted, making it very flexible.

Old Hu had been quite dissatisfied with Han Lie previously, but now he no longer dared to be.

Not only did he not dare, but he also demonstrated his support for Han Lie through his actions.

Seeing this, the onlookers who had previously thought Chen Botao was on a lucky streak and had bet on him also backed away, moving to stand behind Ma Ke and Liu Yingjun.

Thus, only Ma Ke, Liu Yingjun, Han Lie, and Chen Botao remained at the card table.

Chen Botao was arrogant, not stupid.

Even if he were a complete fool, he should have realized by now that the sophomores and juniors were extremely wary of Han Lie.

He was still furious but dared not spew vulgarities anymore.

"Exactly! There should be some rules at the card table. If you had said beforehand when you were leaving, I wouldn't have said a thing. Otherwise, doesn't it spoil the mood?"

Han Lie didn't even raise his eyelids, much less respond. He casually tossed out a ten-thousand-value chip.

Then, he crossed his arms and waited for Ma Ke to shuffle the cards.

His attitude was utterly infuriating.

In Thirteen Cards, players took turns dealing and drawing cards, placing their bets before looking at their hands.

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