Zwilling

Kapitel 11

Sanwen took out his Nokia 7250 phone, ready to call Nuonuo. The screen displayed "1 message received." Without thinking, Sanwen pressed the operation key to read it.

A line of text appeared on the screen, which he found incredible.

"You have finally seen my naked body. From this moment on, you must publicly display your naked body for the next twelve hours, or you will face misfortune."

Including punctuation, there are a total of forty-two characters.

Sanwen sat against the long table for a full three minutes without moving.

He received the message at 12:01, after witnessing the change in the painting. At that time, he was frantically running out to find Nuonuo, pulling up his pants, and failed to notice the notification sound and vibration of the message.

The phone number that sent this message was 13901673693. 139 is a China Mobile number, which is completely unfamiliar to Sanwen.

Sanwen hesitated for a moment, then pressed the call button, wanting to hear the guy's voice, communicate with him/her, and ask him/her why he/she played such a prank. The phone clearly said, "Sorry, the user you dialed is currently unavailable."

It's 4:30 PM now, and Sanwen has decided to leave work early.

Sanwen rode his Yamaha to the Starbucks on Zhaojiabang Road where Nuonuo worked, intending to show her the text message. Unexpectedly, his colleagues told him that Nuonuo had left work early. As for where she went, they didn't know.

Sanwen ordered a cappuccino, sat in the shop, and dialed Nuonuo's cell phone. It rang several times, but no one answered.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 25: "Otherwise, you will be doomed."

Several questions suddenly popped into Sanwen's mind.

Was she with that guy named Ah Hu? Because of this beating, she apologized to him, treated his wounds, and rubbed this and that for him...

Sanwen immediately reminded himself not to let his mind wander, as there were more important things to deal with at the moment.

Sanwen sent Nuonuo a text message: "Where are you? Why aren't you answering?"

A few minutes later, without a reply, he sent another message: "I received a strange text message and wanted to show it to you."

There was still no reply. Sanwen realized that Nuonuo was definitely sulking. She did the same thing during their last argument, not answering her phone or replying to text messages for three days straight, and not even answering the phone at home; her mother always answered the phone.

"Sanwen, Nuonuo isn't feeling well and has gone to bed. Call again tomorrow."

That would be best; as long as she doesn't spend time with that teapot, everything is negotiable.

You damn shrew, you're so stubborn, don't you even consider the time? He has something important to discuss with you!

Sanwen's fingers moved involuntarily, entering his "Inbox" and reading the text message again, especially the last sentence: "Otherwise, you will face misfortune."

Car accidents, drowning, being robbed, food poisoning, having a heart attack during sex, dying suddenly from the joy of winning the lottery... these are all considered bad luck, right?

Sanwen reviewed the entire incident in his mind and came up with the following two possibilities:

First, that painting is not an ordinary oil painting, but a high-tech product. The canvas can produce special visual effects, similar to computer animation. As for the "clothes," "shoes," and "mask" falling on the ground, they are just virtual elements created by the computer.

With the rapid pace of technological development, it's suggested that the word "impossible" be permanently removed from the dictionary. What is impossible now? It's said that next year, the world's first man to receive a uterus transplant will become pregnant and give birth.

If I hadn't panicked and run away, but instead calmly tried to pick "them" up, perhaps the truth would have come out, because virtual things are visible but intangible.

Secondly, I must have been possessed by an evil spirit.

I encountered a female ghost, an exhibitionist female ghost.

The former is high technology, the latter is an ancient and decaying legend; the two are worlds apart. Which one is it?

After finishing his cappuccino, Sanwen walked to the counter in a daze and asked for a refill. The waiter politely reminded him that this was not McDonald's, and coffee could not be refilled, but free iced water was available.

At 6 PM, he went to "Physical Fitness Center." He usually went to this chain gym, which claimed to be the largest in Shanghai, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. There, he would sweat profusely, mainly working out his arm and abdominal muscles, and casually glance at the pretty girls around, hoping to find a chance to pick one up. But today, he had other intentions, harboring ulterior motives.

He strolled around the fitness area twice. It was closing time, and more and more customers were coming to work.

I first rotated back and forth on the waist twister a few times, using 40-pound weights. Then I ran on the treadmill for five or six minutes to work up a sweat.

On the treadmill next door, a short but voluptuous girl was running and panting like a little pig being chased, occasionally stealing a glance at Sanwen.

Sanwen guessed that she wouldn't usually run so hard, but today there was a handsome guy next to her, so it was a different story.

Alas, the world is going to the dogs; even women are so lustful…

Normally, Sanwen would first slow down the treadmill and switch to walking, then turn around and say to her with concern, "Don't run so fast, or your calves will get thicker. You need to take it step by step. Here, let me slow down the speed for you..."

They chatted while strolling on the treadmill. An hour later, they were sitting face-to-face in a KFC downstairs, eating chicken wings. An hour later, they had each other's phone numbers in their phones. Two days later, their treadmill workouts moved to bed. A month later, Sanwen wouldn't go to the treadmill anymore, to avoid running into her again. Three months later, even if they brushed past each other on the street, they might not recognize each other.

However, to be fair, although Sanwen is a womanizer who frequently sleeps with a woman, he is quite serious about Nuonuo, even somewhat infatuated. So far, apart from kissing and touching those two "stars," nothing else has happened, which is practically a miracle for Sanwen.

Sanwen smiled at the "little pig" on the treadmill, then left and went straight back to the men's changing area.

By this time, the changing area was already quite crowded with customers. Some had just arrived, putting their belongings into their lockers and starting to change into their workout clothes; some were drying themselves after showering; some were squatting on the floor tying their shoelaces; some were sitting in front of the mirror, using hairdryers to dry their wet hair; and others were engrossed in their phones, chatting and laughing as if no one else was around. Only two male staff members were keeping a watchful eye on the area, wiping up any water stains on the floor to prevent customers from slipping.

Everything is normal.

Sanwen stripped naked, barefoot, and walked along the passageway of the changing area. While walking, he tried to keep his head up, chest out, eyes straight ahead, and steps steady. He walked back and forth like this five or six times.

This should be considered "public nudity", right?

Let's make a couple more trips; that's the safest way.

Looking at this unusual guest, the waiter was puzzled, because the way he walked didn't look like he was taking a stroll, but more like he was demonstrating. If he weren't naked and wearing an expensive suit, the waiter would have thought he was the president of Comfort Zone's East China region on an inspection tour.

Sanwen walked eight laps in total, taking 9 minutes and 36 seconds. If it weren't for a loud sneeze reminding him that walking barefoot on the smooth, cold tiles would make him more susceptible to the cold, he would have wanted to walk two more laps to make it ten.

Entering the shower area, he turned on the tap, and hot water gushed out—it was scalding! Sanwen turned the regulator to the right, adding cold water, and the temperature instantly softened. The water splashed against his body, forming countless tiny droplets that sprayed in all directions. A wave of unprecedented comfort washed over him; the tightness in his chest disappeared, his heart and pulse returned to normal, and a hunger pang rose in his empty stomach. He craved greasy food: French fries, chicken burgers, apple pie, and a large glass of ice-cold cola…

Sanwen wrapped himself in a large bath towel, dried himself off, and quickly put on his underwear. He didn't want anyone to see his naked body again, lest he attract the attention of "gay" people.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 26: A dining table by the window in the "Golden Room"

As for Nuonuo, it doesn't matter whether she looks at it or not. She won't believe it anyway, and she'll just say I made it up.

He took out his phone and found a missed call. He thought it was Nuonuo calling, but when he looked at the caller ID, it belonged to someone else—someone Sanwen didn't want to see.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Zhao Sande sat at a dining table by the window in the "Jinyue Room" and watched his son slowly walk into the dining room, which made him furious.

Zhao Sande is the branch manager of a district branch of Bank A. Although his official title is not high, he holds great power in issuing loans and is a powerful figure.

Shanghai, in a period of rapid economic development, has a great need for loans. Just like in the news, when the UNHCR distributes relief food in Africa, staff members stand on trucks facing countless hands asking for help, but can only satisfy one or two of them.

Therefore, many people sought his help, and Zhao Sande had to keep a tight rein on his finances to see if the other party was eligible for a loan.

When his father named him, he hoped that he would have "three virtues"—benevolence, business ethics, and morality.

Zhao Sande only had this one son. When naming his son, he was clearly influenced by his father. He hoped that his son would have "three virtues"—being cultured, civilized, and gentle and refined in his dealings with others.

Later, someone reminded him that there is a type of fish called salmon in other countries, but he just laughed it off.

Unfortunately, his son is disappointing, at least in his eyes.

He dropped out of university after only two years and then drifted through life. While others were taking the TOEFL, pursuing MBAs, and carrying laptops, he picked up a hair clipper.

Zhao Sande once wanted to arrange for his son to study abroad, whether it was Japan, Australia, the United States or Europe. As long as Sanwen really wanted to go, Zhao Sande would make the arrangements and prepare enough travel expenses for his son. Whether there was a scholarship or not, whether he worked or not, it didn't matter.

Zhao Sande had reached the point where he had no other desires. Even if his grades weren't good, as long as he didn't drop out and persevered until he finished university, he would consider it a victory. If he could marry a white woman and have a beautiful baby who no longer had black eyes and black hair, thereby obtaining residency, then his journey would have been worthwhile and something to celebrate.

Unfortunately, the son's thinking was completely different from his father's. In Sanwen's words, he only liked doing two things: cutting hair and chasing women. Originally, communication between the father and son was entirely maintained by Sanwen's mother, but since her death, Sanwen spoke less and less with his father. Less than six months after his mother's death, Sanwen saw his father bring another woman home, leave without looking back, and start renting a place outside, officially becoming independent.

Aside from Zhao Sande's birthday, his mother's death anniversary, and the Lunar New Year's Eve dinner, Sanwen has never been back.

Last Christmas, Zhao Sande gave his son a Yamaha motorcycle, repeatedly reminding him that motorcycles are "meat wrapped in iron," so be careful, don't speed, and don't race. He added that most of the first batch of motorcycle license plate holders in Shanghai had already died.

Today, Zhao Sande called his son over, saying he had something to discuss with him. He ordered several dishes, including stir-fried mixed vegetables with coconut meat, frozen young coconut pigeon, Vietnamese rice noodles, mango sole, and seafood sour soup. Although they might not be authentic Vietnamese dishes, Jin Yue Fang's Vietnamese cuisine is quite famous in Shanghai, and Zhao Sande knew his son would definitely like them.

Sure enough, Sanwen ate with great relish, and Zhao Sande felt a little more at ease seeing this.

"Dad has a client who is Singaporean and is willing to sponsor your studies in Singapore. Although Singapore is a bit small, it is cleaner than Shanghai, at least no one spits or blows their nose on the street."

Singapore uses a bilingual education system, with English as the primary language and Mandarin as a supplement. Your English foundation is really too weak, so Dad has found you an English tutor. He's an American exchange student in Shanghai. It's one-on-one tutoring, three hours a day, five days a week. Dad will pay him $1000 a month. After six months of hard work, I guarantee your English will improve by leaps and bounds.

Zhao Sande has said enough, and Sanwen has eaten enough.

"Dad, I really don't understand. I'm happy and fulfilled every day. I love my job and my lifestyle. Why do you insist on sending me away?"

Zhao Sande slammed his chopsticks down on the table, his face grim. He didn't want to scold his son loudly in public.

Ultimately, the argument between the father and son inevitably erupted.

"What's wrong with Shanghai? Why force me to leave my hometown? Don't forget, you're from Shanghai yourself. This is betrayal!"

"Dad's been through it all; Dad's suffered more than you've eaten!"

"Dad didn't say Shanghai was bad, but for your future, Dad hopes you can develop in a better place. What's wrong with that?"

"I will plan my own future. At least for now, I am content and do not want to change."

"You good-for-nothing, you'll regret it someday. By the time you understand your father's good intentions, it will be too late."

"You'll understand sooner or later that being a prisoner outside is better than being a citizen here!"

"That's reactionary! You could go to jail for saying that!"

The father and son parted on bad terms, and Zhao Sande was so angry that he almost forgot to pay the bill.

"alright."

Ms. Park came up and removed a screen, revealing Nono to everyone. She wasn't dressed; in fact, she was naked. Dozens of eyes stared at her, but Nono didn't feel awkward, as this wasn't the first time. Each class was two and a half hours long, and she was paid 200 yuan. That was indeed much higher than what she earned working at Starbucks.

Nono found the job online. The private C Culture Academy's painting class urgently needed models, semi-nude or even fully nude, with no age or body type restrictions. Since they weren't runway models, but rather subjects to be painted, different body postures could improve painting skills. In addition, a certain level of artistic cultivation and physical strength were required to maintain a pose for an entire class.

Nono registered online without hesitation and sent her digital photos (one close-up of her face and one full-body photo) as required. A week later, she was notified of an interview and signed a work agreement. She had three classes a week, all in the evening, because most of the students were working professionals.

Nono set her sights on a Sony Ericsson camera phone with a 65,536-color screen, a 300,000-pixel digital camera, and a design resembling a TV remote control. It cost 2,800 RMB. Nono decided to own it as quickly as possible, provided she could earn the money as quickly as possible. Becoming a nude model was the only way she could think of.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 27: Father and son part on bad terms

The air conditioner hissed and blew out cold air. Teacher Park asked Nono in a low voice if she felt a little cold.

Nono lay half-reclined on a table—actually half a ping-pong table. The surface was smooth, and it felt cool against her skin. Nono started to worry that she'd catch a cold after the class, which would affect her work at Starbucks the next day. How could she greet customers while sneezing?

Teacher Park picked up the remote control and turned up the air conditioner temperature from 25 degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celsius.

The students were all painting diligently. Most of them were office workers who came here to study at their own expense because of their deep love for art.

During the inspection, Teacher Park reminded everyone of some precautions:

When outlining the figure, use simple straight and curved lines to sketch the general shape of the female body, paying attention to the harmonious proportions of the head, neck, chest, hips, and legs. Divide the body into blocks and use the light and shadow relationships of a sketch to further depict the curves of the female hips and the volume of the chest cavity.

Two and a half hours passed by in the blink of an eye. Teacher Park put the screen back up, had Nono get dressed, and the students packed up their paintbrushes and drawing boards to prepare for the end of get out of class.

The payment will be made at the end of the month, by which time the price of the phone should have dropped again.