While Chen Yanluo was in Japan, exploring underwater relics with the leader of a cult...

「In Jinling City...」

It had been nearly twenty days since the college entrance exam ended. Zhang Linsheng seemed to live each day in tranquility, yet he felt somewhat dazed and confused inside. He couldn't check his scores yet, but by his own estimation, his parents' hoped-for Electromechanical College was likely out of reach. Nobody knew how he did on the exam better than himself.

His father, Zhang Tiejun, had actually gathered the college tuition already. This middle-aged man was prepared to endure a few more years of hardship to put his son through school—not that he was foolish. Knowing his son's capabilities, he had made a backup plan. Just over a week after the exams ended, Zhang Tiejun took his son to work with him in the repair department of the 4S shop where he worked. Officially, it was just a part-time job for the summer holiday, offering two meals a day and a so-called "subsidy" of one hundred and fifty yuan a month. That's how Zhang Linsheng began to learn some basic mechanics in the repair shop each day.

His father didn't say it outright, but he hinted to Zhang Linsheng, in so many words, to behave well in front of his coworkers and the team leader, and to maintain good interpersonal relationships. This was the fallback plan Zhang Tiejun had prepared for his son. If he got into college, all would be well; he could stop coming to the factory and spend the rest of the summer holiday enjoying his time before embarking on university life. If he didn't get in... then Zhang Tiejun had a generous gift prepared for the team leader. In that case, he would keep his son, Zhang Linsheng, at the factory under the guise of an "internship" so he could work as a repairman and slowly cultivate his skills and learn the trade. It was, after all, an honest living.

Zhang Linsheng showed no resistance or objections to this. Though he didn't particularly enjoy working in the workshop, he did feel a bit guilty towards his parents. At the same time, even though he felt he could follow Chen Nuo in the future, Chen Nuo had been away on a business trip and hadn't returned, leaving him unreachable. So, for the time being, he quietly stayed in the car repair workshop.

In the past half-year, due to various encounters, Zhang Linsheng's temperament had indeed changed significantly from before. At eighteen or nineteen, he already seemed rather adult in his behavior and mannerisms. His actions and speech became more grounded, unlike many other boys his age who were still desperately showing off their flamboyance and rebelliousness. On top of that, with the fist-fighting training from Old Jiang and the cheating tricks from Chen Nuo, Zhang Linsheng had actually made significant progress in cultivating his energy.

Sometimes, when Zhang Tiejun saw his son behaving steadily and quietly in the workshop, not speaking out of turn or trying to stand out, just steady and confident in his work and speech, he felt a certain paternal pride and satisfaction. And yet, there's also a hint of regret: if only this boy had wisened up a couple of years earlier, how great would that have been!

One noon, an urgent job came in. A car was towed in with a blown-out tire. The other workers had gone to lunch. Since Zhang Linsheng was young and willing to endure hardship, the team leader had him assist another mechanic in changing a tire. He was also tasked with performing some maintenance, like an oil change. Zhang Linsheng didn't voice any complaints; he silently accepted the work, and Zhang Tiejun said nothing. Older generations often believe that when you first join a workplace, enduring some hardship, even if it means a slight personal loss, is ultimately beneficial for cultivating good relationships. It's considered a good thing to leave colleagues and superiors with the impression that you're a young man who can work hard without complaining or vying for attention.

So Zhang Linsheng ended up missing lunch, busy working with his coworker changing tires and doing oil changes until around two in the afternoon. Since he missed the cafeteria's meal, Zhang Tiejun, feeling sorry for his son, had already bought four meat buns, wrapped them in one of his clean work shirts from a change of clothes, and kept them ready for his son. When Zhang Linsheng finished his tasks and came back to rest, Zhang Tiejun stuffed the wrapped buns into his son's hand and then walked out of the break room. Someone called him outside to do some metalwork on a car.

Zhang Linsheng unwrapped the paper bag, which was enveloped in his father's shirt, and found the buns still warm, having retained most of their heat. He felt a complex mix of emotions as he glanced at his father's retreating back, not bothering to wash his hands before he began to eat. Next to him was his father's usual teacup—made from an upcycled glass honey jar from a few years back, cleaned and reused, complete with a lid. Inside was strong tea—not good quality with plenty of broken leaves; the liquid was orange-yellow and tasted somewhat bitter. Zhang Linsheng made no comment and washed down the four buns with the tea in one go.

If I fail to get into college... even if I don't follow Chen Nuo, just staying and working in this repair shop with Dad, as long as he's happy and the family is at ease... Actually, this kind of life wouldn't be so bad.

As he was thinking, his phone rang. He fished out the cellphone from his pocket and saw it was an unfamiliar number. Zhang Linsheng hesitated for a moment, looked around to see no one else was in the break room, and then answered the call. Upon connection, a polite voice came through.

"Brother Haonan, are you busy right now?"

Zhang Linsheng's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the voice, somewhat aged, but still identifiable.

"Hall Master Li?" Zhang Linsheng verbalized as he instinctively glanced outside the break room.

Li Qingshan seemed to heave a sigh of relief. "Yes, it's me, Li Qingshan. Please don't call me Hall Master. In front of you, there's no need for such formalities."

Zhang Linsheng hesitated. "What do you want with me?"

Li Qingshan's tone attempted to be warm. "Well, there's not much really. Recently, I heard you must have just finished your college entrance exams. A few days ago, I thought you must be tired after your exams, so I didn't dare disturb you, letting you rest for a bit. Now that some days have passed, I figured you must be well-rested, and I dared to bother you with a call. I mean, I didn't have any other intention, just thinking someone like you, once the college entrance examination ends, should have some sort of ceremony to mark the end of these youthful, green years. I've arranged a meal. I was wondering, would you be free today? I'd like to celebrate the conclusion of your high school life with you. I've heard that young people nowadays are into something called a coming-of-age ceremony, and this old man also wants to join in on the excitement."

Zhang Linsheng was stunned for a moment. But he quickly came to understand. This Hall Master Li Qingshan, he's here to suck up to me, isn't he? Inviting me to dinner after the college entrance exam, to celebrate my coming of age? He thought of refusing right away, but listening to the implicit meanings in Li Qingshan's words, it seemed there was another layer of unspoken intentions, so he hesitated.

This connection with Li Qingshan, although, truth be told, he was merely borrowing Chen Nuo's prestige, a substitute riding on another's coattails, like a fox borrowing a tiger's might. But Chen Nuo seems to be intentionally maintaining contact with Li Qingshan, perhaps with some future plans in mind. In front of Li Qingshan, I'm practically representing Chen Nuo. Given that, I probably shouldn't make our relationship too cold and stiff. Actually, Zhang Linsheng was overthinking. With how much Li Qingshan feared Chen Nuo, even if Zhang Linsheng coldly refused now, Li Qingshan probably wouldn't dare utter a peep.

"Then... alright, you name a time and place, and I'll come over."

"How could I! You pick a place, and I'll send a car to pick you up."

Zhang Linsheng looked around the workers' rest area in the repair shop and declined decisively, "No need to pick me up. Just tell me the place, and I'll go there when it's time."

"Done! I'll send you a text in a bit with the place."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Linsheng sighed. I can't let Li Qingshan pick me up. If Dad saw and found out, it would be a whole lot of trouble to explain.

But, two minutes later... DING. A text message was sent to Zhang Linsheng's phone. A place to eat and the time. Zhang Linsheng knew the place, but he grimaced as soon as he saw it: a Chinese restaurant in a five-star hotel. Zhang Linsheng felt a bit uneasy—it was the very hotel where that girl named Xia Xia worked, in the nightclub. However... I'm just going to the hotel for dinner, not to the nightclub for drinks. I probably won't run into that woman, right?

Xia Xia was actually still sleeping at two o'clock in the afternoon. Last night, the patrons in the private room she served drank until after two in the morning. Although their spending was considerable, and she earned a good amount from their bill and her commission, by the time she went home, washed up, and went to sleep, it was already after dawn. She hadn't woken up by two in the afternoon when the phone rang and disturbed her sleep. In her line of work, sleeping with the phone off—or even on silent—wasn't an option. She had to be available for regular clients calling to catch up or reserve private rooms.

Shortly after two, Xia Xia woke from the ringing and picked up the call energetically, rubbing her eyes while answering. But on the other end was the voice of Red Sister, the manager of her group at the company.

"What's up, Red Sister," Xia Xia said, her tone losing its courtesy upon recognizing the voice. She complained, "I'm still sleeping."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Red Sister's voice was a mix of anxiety and excitement. "Alright, get up quickly! There's something important tonight."

As soon as she heard there was something up, Xia Xia understood—it definitely meant she had another important patron to accompany. "Tonight? But it's only two in the afternoon! I could sleep until five and still have time to get there."

"No way!" Red Sister swiftly responded, "The guest wants to have dinner at the hotel tonight, and he asked me to prepare a few people to dine with him to set the mood at the table."

Xia Xia resisted, "Can I not go to the dinner? I'll just wait in the private room at night."

The crafty fairy really wasn't up for it—although accompanying patrons for dinner was a rite of passage for Red Card Fairies, at her level, she could manage to be a bit more selective about such matters. And some clients were stingy. Accompanying them in the private room for the evening would still yield the same amount in tips. Joining them for an extra dinner wouldn't earn her a penny more. It also meant spending an extra hour or two and drinking more alcohol than usual. Xia Xia, standing at the pinnacle among her peers, had little interest in engaging in such time-consuming efforts. It's not like she couldn't earn money; she didn't need to bother with efforts that might not even pay off.

"No choice! Tonight's dinner is very important!" Red Sister flatly refused. "Tonight we're hosting a very powerful boss! If you do a good job with this client, let me tell you... it'll be huge."

Xia Xia was even less interested now. She got a hint from Red Sister's description of this "powerful boss"—it was likely a big shot from the underworld. Actually, Xia Xia least liked to accompany such underworld big shots. Those people were too dangerous to offend, and they operated in very unscrupulous ways. Though she had mastered the art of "keeping fish," if she wasn't careful enough and upset these big shots, they didn't care about decorum—one wrong move, and they'd pull all sorts of strings! What Xia Xia preferred were clients who had some money in their pockets but didn't hold much power or status—like small bosses or local rich men. The money of those men was fair game for her to pull whatever tricks she wanted. If she got what she wanted, she could just leave them behind, and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. But underworld bosses weren't to be handled that way. Moreover, being a client of Red Sister's, even if he were the fattest sheep, Xia Xia couldn't just rudely snatch him away. In that situation, going would be equivalent to serving oneself up on a platter for Red Sister to gift away. Xia Xia really didn't want to get involved in such unrewarding work.

After Red Sister cajoled and pestered her for a bit, softening and hardening her tone, Xia Xia finally reluctantly agreed. After hanging up the phone, Xia Xia sighed, turned over, and got out of bed. Although it was only two o'clock, she calculated the time needed to get up, wash up, take a bath, put on makeup, and get dressed. Plus, she had to arrive early to wait at the dining place, so actually there wasn't much time left to spare. There was no chance of going back to sleep now.

She got up, stood in front of the bathroom mirror to wash up, and observed her still charming face in the mirror, though with some dark circles under her eyes. Lifting her top, she touched her abdomen... her waist was still slender and smooth. But only Xia Xia herself knew that, because of years of staying up late and drinking daily, her belly might seem flat, but upon pinching it, there was already some fat to grab. This won't do. I need to go work out in a few days. Hmm... The other day, I heard one of the girls mention she got liposuction, and it seemed pretty effective. I can ask her about it later. If it works, it's definitely much less hassle than working out and running.

Once a person gets used to taking shortcuts, they develop a mindset where, no matter what the problem is, they subconsciously think about whether there is an easier and faster way to do it... Yet they often overlook the fact that in this world, every shortcut comes with a price.

After the bath, Xia Xia picked up her phone, selectively replying and sending greetings to some of her familiar regular customers. When she scrolled to the name "Little Brother" on her contact list, Xia Xia hesitated for a moment. That Little Brother named Zhang Linsheng, Xia Xia had put a lot of effort into him before. Truly a lot of effort. However, that guy... he seemed occasionally interested, but for some reason, after showing any interest, he'd just disappear. Especially recently, he's been completely unreachable—not answering calls, not replying to messages. Although I was full of ambition before, determined to win this guy over... but how persistent can an escort really be? Besides, as a Red Card Fairy, I have plenty of options. There are suckers everywhere; I'm not short this one. As time passed, her interest faded. After thinking it over, she didn't send Zhang Linsheng a message. Instead, she casually threw her phone onto the bed and went to open her wardrobe to choose clothes.

School belle Sun hasn't been having a good time lately. Originally, during the summer vacation, she finally had some free time. With Sun Keke's nature, she naturally wanted to grab hold of her little boyfriend and spend some affectionate days together. In the first few days of the holiday, Sun Keke could still reach Chen Nuo, but at that time, following the Old Sun family traditions, Sun Keke had to visit her grandmother's place first and stay with the old lady for a few days. Having barely returned to Jinling City... that little rascal Chen Nuo had vanished!

A couple days earlier, he had sent a message saying Brother Lei had asked him to go on a business trip to sit in at the manufacturing plant. In the end, it's been almost half a month and he hadn't returned. Sun Keke called and messaged every day, but Chen Nuo only occasionally replied to a message. He never picked up the phone. His texts would say he was tired or he had drunk too much with clients and gone to bed early. At least the daily text messages still came through. Although the young girl was somewhat annoyed, she also read messages describing her boyfriend diligently maintaining customer relations at the factory, appearing very ambitious. Most importantly, hearing that he'd been drinking heavily with clients on several occasions made her worry if Chen Nuo's stomach could handle all that alcohol. Annoyed as she might be, she still worried about him.

School belle Sun had no idea that these past days, the person on the other end of the phone, holding the device and wracking his brains to send her greetings and reassurances every day... was not that little rascal of hers! It was a big, bald man with a fierce, fleshy face!

(Man, when will Boss Nuo come back? If he doesn't return soon, I'll run out of excuses!!) Brother Lei, clutching the phone Chen Nuo had left him before he left, fretted while scratching his head.

Sun Keke deftly took out the keys and unlocked the door to Chen Nuo's house. Upon entering, she rushed in to check the bedroom—no one. So he hasn't returned yet. The notes she left on the table hadn't been touched. The young girl waved her fists in annoyance and smashed them down on the pillows and quilt on Chen Nuo's bed. After venting her frustration, she got up and meticulously straightened up the bed, then turned and went out to the kitchen to grab a broom. She carefully swept the floor first, then whistled as she fetched water, wrung out a rag, and wiped down the dining table and the coffee table.

In the afternoon, the young girl was busily bouncing around in the living room. These days, Sun Keke came back every three or four days to clean up. If Old Sun knew about it, he would probably be moved to tears. Even in her own family's home, Sun Keke was never this diligent!

After cleaning, she heated a kettle of water on the kitchen stove, then sat on the living room sofa flipping through a magazine, waiting. The last step, once the hot water kettle was filled, she could leave. Every time she visited, Sun Keke would change the water in the hot water kettle. This way, if Chen Nuo comes back from his business trip, he'll immediately have hot water to drink without needing to boil it himself.

She took out a piece of paper and wrote another note.

"There are popsicles in the fridge, and the water in the hot water kettle was just boiled today.

Give me a call when you get home!"

Having written this, a thought struck the girl and she hastily added a haphazard, fiercely wicked-looking ghost face underneath. It signified her displeasure and unhappiness.

The clock on the wall struck six, beginning to chime. But the sound was somewhat feeble, probably because the batteries were dying. I'll bring some AA batteries next time to change the clock's batteries, Sun Keke made a mental note.

After refilling the hot water kettle and taking a look at the Chen Family's spick-and-span living room, Sun Keke exhaled, wiping the sweat beads from her forehead, ready to head home. It was six o'clock; if she didn't return soon, Old Sun would start to call. Today she had made up an excuse that she was going shopping with classmates in the afternoon to get out of the house.

At six o'clock in the summer evening, the sun hadn't set yet, and it was still quite bright outside. Standing at the door changing shoes, Sun Keke suddenly heard a few forceful bangs on the door! BANG! BANG!

Chen Nuo? the girl's heart stirred. No, if Chen Nuo came back to his own place, why would he knock? He'd just use his key and come in, she quickly realized.

"Who's there?" Sun Keke called out.

No response from outside.

Sun Keke walked over and opened the door.

As she pulled the door open...

"AH!!!"

A short, sharp scream escaped the girl. Outside the door, a stocky man who had been leaning against it fell inward as soon as the door was opened! Sun Keke quickly stepped back, only to see the man collapsing onto the floor inside the door!

"Who... who are you!"

Sun Keke was dumbfounded. There was so much blood on the man's head, half of his face was dyed red with it! And his T-shirt was filthy, as if he had been rolling around in a pile of dust and ash!

The man struggled for a bit and then got up with great effort, slamming the door shut and turning to look at Sun Keke, who was petrified.

Sun Keke snapped out of it and started screaming, "Who are you!! AH!!"

"Quiet, don't yell!"

The man quickly covered Sun Keke's mouth and pushed the girl backward, then suddenly pulled out a sharp knife from his waistband that looked like it was used for cutting meat!

Sun Keke was terrified! Her eyes darted around, and suddenly she twisted and ran toward the room, screaming at the top of her lungs, "HELP!!!"

The knife-wielding man grabbed Sun Keke's clothes, pulling her close to him. He was incredibly strong; Sun Keke staggered and nearly fell, but the man steadied her again.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person," the man released Sun Keke and quickly wiped the blood off his face with his hand, gritting his teeth. "I won't hurt you! I just had nowhere to hide and thought I could take refuge here." He paused, lifting his eyes to look at Sun Keke, then took a glance around the house. "Where's Chen Nuo?"

Sun Keke was stunned. She looked at the man in shock, staring at him for a long moment, then recognized him.

"Ah! You, you are the... the noodle shop owner, Boss Guo, from downstairs?"

Old Guo gave a wry smile. "You recognized me... Little sister, I recognize you too; you're Chen Nuo's girlfriend, right? Don't be scared. I won't hurt you, and I'm not a bad person. I've gotten into some trouble and had no place to hide. Desperate, I thought of my acquaintance with Chen Nuo and came here to take cover. Please don't scream, I won't harm you!"

Sun Keke was still trembling, but facing this noodle shop owner, whom she somewhat knew but certainly wasn't close to, and seeing the sharp knife in his hand, she hesitated and dared not scream anymore.

Old Guo sighed. "Little sister... I'm sorry to bother you, but is there a first aid kit at home? Bring it to me, please! First... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH... thanks in advance!"

With that, Old Guo's body weakened, and he almost lost his balance, barely supporting himself against the wall to keep from falling. However, the pristine white latex-painted wall was now marked with a bloody handprint!

Sun Keke felt so frightened she could barely breathe, but still managed to say tremulously, "The medicine, the first aid kit... Wait, you wait a moment, I'll look for it..."

[I really need to ask for monthly votes; my ranking isn't great. Can you all help out? If you have a vote in hand, please don't save it. Can you manage it?]