The person speaking was Wang Lei, the son of the deputy captain of the Criminal Investigation Division of Z City's Public Security Bureau. He was surrounded by a dozen male classmates who, after hearing him, burst into enthusiastic applause and immediately started flattering him, saying things like "a joyous day" and "may you live as long as the heavens," just short of breaking into a chorus of "Happy Birthday" on the spot.

To be honest, what Wang Lei was doing was a bit shameless. Everyone could clearly understand that attending his birthday party that evening definitely wouldn’t be free; at the very least, they'd have to contribute 100 yuan each. With over 60 students in the class, that would amount to more than 6,000 yuan, while the restaurant he reserved, Tiancheng Hotel, was a small, low-end place. Seven tables there wouldn't cost more than 2,000 yuan at most.

Although many of the students were unhappy with Wang Lei's actions, no one showed it. No matter how much they disliked him, they'd still have to go that evening, even if it was just to drop off the money and leave after a few polite words, to avoid any trouble from Wang Lei in the future.

After making his announcement, Wang Lei swaggered off the podium, followed closely by his sycophantic lackeys, all eager to gain his favor on his birthday.

In the classroom, Chang Le suddenly sneered, casting a contemptuous glance toward the door and muttering to himself, "What a disgrace. It’s just a hundred yuan. Can you spend it to death or something?"

After cursing Wang Lei, Chang Le turned to see that Shen Xingkong had already packed up his books and was about to leave his seat. He quickly caught up and tapped Shen Xingkong on the shoulder. "Hey, old Shen, are you going tonight?"

"Going where?" Shen Xingkong asked indifferently.

"Come on, to Wang Lei's birthday party, of course. Are you going?"

"No, I don't have the money," Shen Xingkong answered simply and clearly.

One hundred yuan was Shen Xingkong's weekly food budget. If he gave it to Wang Lei, was he supposed to starve for a week? Besides, even if he did have that 100 yuan, he wouldn’t go; he didn’t feel particularly close to Wang Lei, so why bother?

"Well... old Shen, if you're short on cash, I could—" Chang Le didn't expect Shen Xingkong to be so firm, which made him start to worry.

"Sure!" Shen Xingkong suddenly stopped, extending a hand to Chang Le. "I really am short on money. How about you give me three or five hundred thousand to buy a house first?"

"Come on, I wasn't trying to show off..." Chang Le realized that Shen Xingkong was subtly mocking him. He pulled Shen Xingkong to a quiet spot nearby and said, "You know what Wang Lei's dad does. You don't need me to tell you. It's fine to curse that bastard behind his back, but why provoke him and cause trouble for yourself?"

"What did I do to provoke him? Just because I don't go to his birthday party, that means I'm provoking him? That's insane! Does he think he's a bandit or something?" Shen Xingkong was still sticking to his principles.

"Sigh, forget it, forget it. You're stubborn as a mule, and it'll bite you someday. But, as your friend, I can't just leave you hanging. I'll cover your gift money tonight." Chang Le was indeed a loyal friend, and sometimes even a bit considerate.

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"Don't even try. Let me tell you, if you pay for it, that's your business. I won't pay you back. I'll say it again—his birthday has nothing to do with me. I have plans tonight and no time to attend. If you're going, just tell him 'Happy Birthday' for me."

"Hey, hey, old Shen..."

Chang Le wanted to persuade Shen Xingkong further, but Shen Xingkong ignored him, kicking the dust as he headed home. Watching him leave, Chang Le sighed helplessly, knowing there was nothing he could do about Shen Xingkong's stubbornness.

Once home, Shen Xingkong quickly made himself something to eat. After a few bites, he went to his bed, pulled out his needle case, and took out the wasp's tail needle.

Under the indoor lighting, the golden needle glinted with a cold gleam. Shen Xingkong wrestled with himself for a long time before finally mustering the courage to roll up his left sleeve and slowly bring the needle towards the Hegu point on his left hand.

After two unexpected incidents, he had realized that the needle had to be inserted into a human acupoint to trigger the heat flow in his body, which produced a miraculous healing effect. Since he couldn't find anyone else to experiment on, he had no choice but to try it on himself.

Shen Xingkong had never undergone acupuncture treatment before, but he guessed it wouldn't be too painful—probably just like getting a shot. Still, he was nervous. The last two times, he had used someone else's body; this time, it was his own, and he wasn't sure if there would be any adverse effects.

Everything went according to plan. As the needle slowly pierced into the Hegu point on his left hand, his entire body shivered, and a surge of heat rushed up from his spine, down his right shoulder and arm, into his right hand, and finally through the needle into his left hand's Hegu point. It was more like the Hegu point was sucking it in.

"Damn, so that's how it works..." Shen Xingkong finally understood what the old worker from yesterday's practical class meant by that strange sensation of soreness, numbness, and distention.

At this moment, his entire left hand felt weak with soreness, and his left arm, shoulder, and the left side of his face felt tingly and numb. The sensation was uncomfortable but not unbearable.

Then, another familiar feeling emerged—the same one he'd experienced during yesterday's practical class. It was a sensation brought by the heat flow, something that words couldn't describe.

Through this new sensation, Shen Xingkong discovered a slight roughness in his Hegu point. Before he could react, the heat flow in his body unexpectedly intensified.

In an instant, his left hand and left side of his face felt like they were being electrocuted, rendering his nerves completely numb and without sensation.

"Is this for real?" Shen Xingkong, now too panicked to continue his experiment, tossed the needle aside, scrambled off the bed, and rushed to the bathroom to turn on the light and look in the mirror.

His left hand and arm were completely numb, hanging limp like a dead snake by his side, but he ignored that and pressed close to the mirror to examine his left face.

This was no joke. If his left face remained paralyzed, he'd be stuck with a permanent facial palsy. Over time, the muscles and skin on that side would droop like melting wax, turning him into a monstrous figure that no one could bear to look at.

Thankfully, the worst-case scenario didn't happen. After observing for over ten minutes, his left face showed no signs of abnormality, and his left hand and arm began to slowly regain sensation. This confirmed that the paralysis was only temporary, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Though not exactly handsome, turning into a freak was a fate worse than death.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Shen Xingkong noticed something else strange in the mirror. His left face had somehow become smooth and tender, even more radiant than an egg white. By comparison, his right face looked rough, dotted with a few pimples and blackheads. Normally, Shen Xingkong didn’t use any skincare products, considering that something only for women.

It was clear that his "perfect" left face was somehow related to his acupuncture on the Hegu point of his left hand. Could it be that the Hegu point also had cosmetic benefits? Considering how many women are desperate for beauty—willing to drink urine and inject expensive placenta extracts—if his acupuncture could keep them young and restore their youth, he'd be rolling in cash in no time.

The money might flow in so fast that he wouldn't be able to refuse it, counting cash until his hands went numb.

"Hahaha..." Shen Xingkong stood in front of the bathroom mirror, laughing out loud. If anyone saw him now, they'd probably think he'd gone mad.