"What's weird?"
"Old Dong!" Chen Xu sighed, "Although there's nothing wrong with college students working part-time, I still feel quite stifled. We're having fun inside, and he's standing at the door; it's just too awkward."
Guan Yi said, "So what? You're overthinking it. But since you think that way, we won't come to this place again."
After hearing what she said, Chen Xu perked up, because singing with this woman was a very comfortable experience. Thinking of how she had just gotten him out of a tight spot, Chen Xu smiled and said, "Thank you too, otherwise Old Dong would have been in trouble."
Guan Yi smiled and said it was nothing, so working part-time was also a form of training.
At this point, Chen Xu asked, "Beautiful lady, I heard you often go to fashion shows, and you were a video game hostess last time. You're not short of money, so why do you still go? Is it just for training?"
Guan Yi chuckled and said, "Yeah, there's plenty of time in college anyway. Money isn't the main thing; it's about the experience that helps you grow."
Chen Xu asked curiously, "Do you want to develop your career in the entertainment industry? Let me tell you, the water there is very dirty. If you really become a big star, I'll definitely tell everyone that I don't know you!"
As Chen Xu said this, he thought of the Edison Chen photo scandal, and how one should be like Edison Chen, bringing a camera to every encounter. He said dejectedly, "Actually, I quite like TWINS, especially Gillian Chung, but, sigh..."
Guan Yi asked, "What happened to Gillian Chung?"
Chen Xu quickly laughed it off, saying it was nothing, nothing at all. He'd just heard that Emperor Entertainment was incredibly corrupt, and that actresses had to entertain clients. He didn't know if it was true or not!
Guan Yi smiled and said, "Don't worry, that kind of thing won't happen to me. And I don't really intend to go down this path; it's just a hobby for now. These four years of university are the only four years that will allow me to fulfill my wish."
Chen Xu sensed something strange in the woman's words, but couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he simply stopped thinking about it. The two strolled along, casually buying a bag of popcorn and bubble tea, which they munched on. By this time, the pedestrian street was packed with people; "crowded" was an understatement. Shops along the street were seizing this rare opportunity to run various promotions, and the streets were teeming with people, pushing and shoving each other. Every shop was overflowing with customers—it was truly bustling.
This pedestrian street has a long history, having become the city's most bustling commercial street around the mid-1990s. Therefore, the buildings on both sides of the street aren't very tall. Apart from a few larger shopping malls, the ground floor shops are the most popular.
Beside these buildings are many winding alleyways, the kind cars definitely can't drive into. There are some shops inside these alleyways, but they're relatively dilapidated and deserted. However, Chen Xu knows that those shops on the pedestrian street that greet customers with, "Want some sneakers or sportswear? Brand-name export items?" are located in these alleyways. Of course, they're not brand names; although they say Adidas, Nike, and Li-Ning, they're all actually low-quality counterfeit goods. But because they're much cheaper, look quite nice, and have those fake brand logos, they still attract many customers.
The two walked to the front of an alley when suddenly a figure rushed towards them, shoving Guan Yi aside and dashing into the alley beside them. Guan Yi was not paying attention and stumbled from the force of the push, but because her reaction time, strength, and flexibility had greatly improved after practicing that set of movements, she did not fall down.
Chen Xu didn't react in time and was about to start cursing when he suddenly saw the crowd in front of him scatter in an instant, and a sharp female voice shouted: "Throat-slitting man! That perverted throat-slitting man!"
Chapter 74: The Throat-Slitting Man?
Upon hearing this, Chen Xu immediately took off to give chase, but after glancing at Guan Yi, the woman also hesitated for a moment before shouting, "Hurry up and chase after her!" Chen Xu then dashed off like a wild dog that had been released from its reins!
Chen Xu could only perform a dozen or so of those moves, but the repeated practice had made his physical abilities even stronger. He sprinted forward and exploded forward instantly. The person in red who had been blocked when he bumped into Guan Yi earlier was about to accelerate again when Chen Xu had already caught up and tripped him, sending him sprawling to the ground!
Of course, Chen Xu also fell to the ground. The two of them got up at the same time. The guy knew that he would not be able to escape if he did not knock Chen Xu down. So he punched Chen Xu in the face as soon as he got up!
Having been tormented by the one-eyed instructor for so long, if Chen Xu could still be hit by such an attack, he might as well be dead. Without even thinking, Chen Xu met the incoming punch with his left hand, pulling it inward, followed by a fierce right elbow strike to the man's abdomen. Then, in a Bruce Lee-esque move, he swiftly raised his right fist, striking the man squarely in the chin! Next, he grabbed the man's arm with his left hand, used his shoulder to brace his body, and forcefully flipped him over!
A beautiful back throw! He flipped this guy over and slammed him to the ground!
A swift, fluid motion—a punch to dodge, an elbow strike, a punch, a back throw! Before the person behind him could even gasp in surprise, Chen Xu slammed the throat-slitting man to the ground. Then, Chen Xu grabbed his hands, pinning the man down with a grappling move, exhaling a breath at Guan Yi and chuckling.
"Got him! Got the throat-slitting man!" someone finally shouted, and a group of people swarmed forward, surrounding Chen Xu and the throat-slitting man in layers. If someone had shouted "Kill him!" at that moment, the group would probably have kicked the guy to death with each of them.
Of course, if that's the case, Chen Xu won't fare much better. With so many people around, it's not impossible that they might kick him to death too.
So Chen Xu shouted, "Call 110! Call 110! And was anyone injured just now?!"
Upon hearing the mention of the injured, the others realized what was happening and all turned to look in that direction. It's important to understand that in the past month or so, five girls had been attacked by this perverted man who slit throats. One died, one was seriously injured and nearly died, and the other three girls who miraculously survived—some because the man was in a moment of panic and didn't completely sever their throats, and others because they reacted quickly and screamed—most of them only suffered a cut on their necks, but fortunately, they were not seriously injured.
This caused widespread panic and fear, with many girls too scared to go out. According to the investigation, the five girls who were attacked had no connection whatsoever. Two of them were students at the same school, but police speculated this was merely a coincidence, as the two didn't know each other. This suggests that the throat-slitting man's targets lacked any common characteristics; any girl could have been attacked!
This made the girls on holiday very scared. When they saw that the man who slit the throat had been caught, they excitedly took out their phones to call their friends. Now they were really safe!
Just then, a gasp rang out from the side, and then the girl who had been surrounded by a group of people got up from the ground, followed by several people running over, calling out, "Xiao Bao! Xiao Bao, are you alright!"
The woman stumbled and rushed into the crowd. Seeing the man groaning and unable to utter a complete sentence on the ground, she screamed and pounced on him, shoving Chen Xu aside. "Xiao Bao, are you alright? Don't scare me!" she cried. Seeing blood trickling from the man's mouth—he'd been punched in the chin by Chen Xu and bitten his tongue—the woman glared at Chen Xu angrily: "How could you do this?! You hit so hard!"
Not only Chen Xu, but everyone was stunned on the spot.
What's going on here? Is this some untold story between the victim and the man who slit her throat? But some observant people noticed that the woman had no injuries on her neck, even though she had been rolling on the ground clutching her neck for a while.
Chen Xu was also stunned. What exactly was going on?
Just then, a man in his late twenties wearing a down jacket ran over and said to everyone around him, "Excuse me, everyone! We need to explain that he is not the man who slits throats. This is just an event we are holding at our store, haha. Please make way, make way."
These thugs helped the "throat-slitting man" to his feet, forcing a smile as they said, "This was just a performance, uh, like a magic show. These two are actors we hired to promote our 'neck protector.'" Then, holding up what looked like a scarf, they continued, "Because these perverted throat-slitting men are rampant, girls need to be careful. Our neck protector is both beautiful and stylish. The outer layer is made of cotton wool, making it comfortable and warm. Plus, it contains asbestos, making it very durable—a blade can't cut it! So, for your safety, girls can buy our product; each one only costs fifty yuan!"
Everyone present was taken aback; it was someone doing advertising and sales?!
Chen Xu and Guan Yi exchanged a wry smile. They had to admit that people these days were incredibly business-minded. Chen Xu even wondered if the real throat-slitting man was someone they had found, just to get rid of these scraps.
The girls all wore their disappointment on their faces. They thought everything was fine, but who knew... sigh.
However, some people actually did buy these "neck protectors." A group of girls looked at Guan Yi with considerable envy, thinking that if they had a boyfriend with such skills, they wouldn't have to worry about any throat-slitting men. Seeing so many people looking at her, Guan Yi was startled and quickly took out her large sunglasses from her bag and put them on... because she had become quite famous lately, with her photos flooding the internet. Guan Yi wasn't afraid of rumors, but she was afraid of being surrounded by people asking for photos or autographs... This had happened many times before.
The fake throat-slitting man was badly injured by Chen Xu's blow, but he was put in a police car before he could even get to the hospital. Someone had already called the police, and as soon as they heard they had caught the throat-slitting man, they immediately dispatched vehicles, and even people from the TV station rushed over, only to find out it was a fake.
This guy is probably not going to have a good time. This kind of behavior should be considered disturbing public order. He'll probably be detained for at least fifteen days, or at least spend some time in jail.
This guy playing the throat-slitting man must be incredibly frustrated, but what can he do? He's just unlucky. If he hadn't run into Chen Xu, he would have disappeared into the alleyway a few steps further. It's like a spider's web, full of twists and turns. It would have been a miracle if they had caught him.
Chen Xu, as a Good Samaritan, was also called in by the police for a few questions, but since it was a minor incident, he didn't need to go to the police station to give a statement. When Chen Xu returned, he saw Guan Yile happily wearing a black neck brace and holding several other items in her hand.
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Miss, you didn't actually go and buy it, did you? Fifty yuan for a scrap piece? He might as well rob someone!"
Guan Yi laughed and said, "Do I look like such a stupid person? I just went to that shop and asked if they should give me some compensation since they bumped into me. Unexpectedly, the person recognized me and gave me a few. I just grabbed them."
Chen Xu rolled his eyes and said, "Fine, you can take it, but why take so much? One, two, three, four, you just took two hundred yuan worth of their stuff!"
Guan Yi spat and said that these things probably cost at least twenty yuan to make. "Hmm, this thing is fairly warm to wear, and the wind won't get under your neck. How about it, isn't it nice?"
What could Chen Xu say? He could only put on a neck warmer, just like the scarf he used to wear when he was a child, and it was indeed quite warm.
The two walked along, looking at the items, and discovered that quite a few girls had indeed bought these "neck warmers," in a variety of colors, all matching their outfits. Some girls had even cleverly adorned their neck warmers with hair accessories, making them look quite pretty. Then there was a group of young people who looked quite young, all wearing red Santa hats, and two of them even had white cotton mustaches stuck to their chins, greeting everyone they met with "Merry Christmas!"
The atmosphere was still quite cheerful, but the only downside was that the music playing on the street was "Jingle Bells," which I got tired of hearing all the way. After walking a few steps, some little girls carrying flowers came up to me and said, "Brother, can you buy a flower for your sister? Look how pretty she is!"
Chen Xu exclaimed "Oh!" and said that this little girl had a sweet tongue. When asked how much it cost, she replied, "Twenty yuan?!" That was several times more expensive than usual. But since he had already said it, Chen Xu took out his money and bought a red rose, handing it to Guan Yi and saying, "Hey, don't get me wrong, it's just a little something to give her."
Guan Yi smiled enigmatically: "Red roses represent love, you know. If you want to confess your feelings, just say so!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Xu felt dizzy and accidentally bumped into someone next to him. Chen Xu quickly apologized, saying he didn't mean to.
The person bumped into was a girl handing out flyers. She was dressed in a cute Santa Claus costume with a hat on, obscuring her face. The girl patted her trouser leg and said it was okay, then handed over a flyer: "Please take a look, Christmas special offer..."
Chen Xu had collected quite a few flyers along the way, mostly glancing at them before tossing them in the trash. But since he'd bumped into her, it wouldn't be right to refuse the flyer. However, when Chen Xu took the flyer and saw the girl's delicate face beneath her hat, he immediately froze: "It's you?!"
Chapter 75: The Throat-Slitting Man!
The girl was also stunned and said, "It's you? Oh? You two are on a date?!"
Guan Yi turned around and was also taken aback. He said, "Gao Xiaojie? What are you doing here?"
Who else could this delicate and petite girl be but Gao Xiaojie? Right now, we can see her wearing a loose, cute red Christmas robe with white trim, and an adorable Santa hat, though she doesn't have a mustache on her face.
Seeing her outfit, Chen Xu couldn't help but think of Ah Sa from "Rob-B-Hood," who was dressed as a hen selling things on the street, her little bottom wiggling, which was very cute.
So Chen Xu laughed and said, "Oh my god, what are you doing handing out flyers here?" He took the flyer and looked at it. "Uh, the cake shop? And Zhan Jing is here too, isn't she here?"
Gao Xiaojie stared at the red rose in Guan Yi's hand, seemingly lost in thought. Chen Xu asked her again before she realized what was happening and said, "Oh, Zhan Jing is in the dorm and didn't come."
Chen Xu found this strange. He was quite familiar with Gao Xiaojie and knew that this girl and Zhan Jing were practically inseparable. If it were anywhere else, it wouldn't matter, but judging from her current appearance, she was clearly working. Given their relationship, Zhan Jing should be with her.
However, seeing Gao Xiaojie looking a bit sneaky, Chen Xu laughed and said there was nothing to be embarrassed about. They were classmates, and there was nothing shameful about working. Besides, it wasn't like you were doing it to make money.
"Who said I'm not here to make money?" Gao Xiaojie glared at him and said, "What would I be doing here if not to make money? Do you think I'm just bored and have nothing better to do?"
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Really? You're short of money? You must have made several thousand yuan in red envelopes from reporters last month, right? You're still short of money?" Previously, because of the game, many media outlets invited Gao Xiaojie and others to be guests. Besides online media interviews and reports, there were also reports from print media, and even television stations conducted exclusive interviews.
Interviews with newspapers and magazines are usually arranged by appointment, and portrait rights fees are typically only paid when a person's photo is used for a cover. However, when appearing on a television program, a substantial red envelope containing at least 500 yuan is given after each episode. The television station also treats the host to dinner at a nearby hotel after the program.
Oh dear, how corrupt!
Gao Xiaojie rolled her eyes and said, "I'm poor, how can I compare to you rich people?" But she spoke strangely, always glancing at Guan Yi.
Guan Yi was a very shrewd person. He smiled and said, "Actually, this has nothing to do with you. Why do you insist on taking on this debt?"
Gao Xiaojie pouted and said, "Who said it's not related?! Uh, you know it now. I don't have money right now, but I can earn it back. I'll pay you back as soon as I've earned enough."
Chen Xu was a little confused by the two women's conversation and asked curiously, "What, do you owe her money?"
Guan Yi smiled but remained silent. Gao Xiaojie rolled her eyes and said, "You idiot, have you forgotten? On the day of the exhibition, Guan Yi had to pay Yinfeng 50,000 yuan because he spoke up for us!"
As soon as she mentioned it, Chen Xu immediately remembered and said, "Oh, so that's what it is!"
Guan Yi had very stylishly tossed over a check. Later, Chen Xu realized that the woman had suffered a huge loss; not only had she not made any money, she had actually lost money—fifty thousand yuan, no small sum! So Chen Xu wanted to make up the difference privately, but the woman dismissed him with a single sentence: "Forget it, look at me, I have a checkbook, why would I need this little bit of money?"
Chen Xu thought about it and realized it made sense; the woman was a rich woman, so he felt justified in not paying. A month passed, and he was so busy with work that he completely forgot about the whole thing!
Who would have thought that Gao Xiaojie would still be concerned about this? And that she would actually try to repay the money herself?
Chen Xu immediately thought this girl was pretty foolish. Fifty thousand yuan! She actually thought about working to pay it back? You have to understand, fifty thousand yuan is no small amount. These days, many college graduates only earn a little over a thousand yuan a month... Okay, let's say two thousand yuan a month. Even if she didn't eat or drink, it would take her 25 months, more than two years!
Chen Xu couldn't help but tap the girl on the head... They had gotten to know each other quite well when they were making the game the previous month, and he said, "You silly girl, how long are you going to keep working like this? Okay, even if you have to pay back the money, it's not just your problem."
Gao Xiaojie rubbed his head and said, "This is originally my own business! Oh dear, don't worry about it! Of course I know that I can't make much money just by doing this kind of part-time job. I've discussed it with Jingjing, and we plan to open a cake shop next to the school. Jingjing has learned how to make Western pastries, and they taste really good! I'm here to learn how to run a business, what things to pay attention to, and so on, to get some advanced experience."
Then she said to Guan Yi very seriously, "I know you have money, but you are you and I am me. I owe you, and I will definitely pay you back."
Guan Yi laughed and said, "Then it's up to you." Chen Xu, seeing her serious expression, felt a strange emotion. Through his interactions with Gao Xiaojie over this period, he knew her personality well; once she got serious, nothing could stop her. It was the same with making games, and it was the same now. As for her saying this was her own responsibility, it was probably because she felt she owed her classmates too much. Everyone had worked tirelessly behind her, without seeking fame or fortune, and even the final celebration banquet was split equally among them.
So Gao Xiaojie felt she couldn't trouble others any further, and she knew Guan Yi was wealthy. Even though her clothes and bags were only a few hundred yuan, maybe a thousand at most, ordinary items, women are naturally gossipy. She had already heard about the brands of skincare products Guan Yi used, and a quick online search revealed they were shockingly expensive.
But it's their money, and what she owes is theirs. Gao Xiaojie doesn't want to owe anyone money, and more importantly, she doesn't want to owe Guan Yi a favor of 50,000 yuan!
Chen Xu thought for a moment and then said, "Alright then. If you need any help in the future, just come to me. Hmm, or how about this? I'll invest in you?"
Gao Xiaojie said, "Oh, no, I've already discussed it with Jingjing. We'll talk about it again if we don't have enough money. I've calculated that 100,000 yuan should be enough to open a small shop. If the shop is too big, we won't be able to handle it."
Chen Xu and Guan Yi both knew that she was probably keeping quiet to avoid owing anyone more favors, so they didn't say anything more. Chen Xu looked around and said, "Wait a minute, why are you handing out flyers here? What about the cake shop?"
Gao Xiaojie said the cake shop is at the intersection, where there aren't many people, so the manager heartlessly made me come here to hand out flyers. "How about I take you there? Buy two cakes and pretend you're customers I brought, hehe."
So Chen Xu agreed, and the three of them walked towards the intersection, chatting and laughing. While walking, Guan Yi suddenly remembered something, took a neck brace from his bag, and handed it to Gao Xiaojie, saying, "Wear this. Heh, I just got it for free from there. Be careful of the razor-wielding man! Because I saw someone on the forum say that the five girls who were attacked were all petite and delicate, like you. I guess that perverted throat-slitting man has a soft spot for girls like you."
Gao Xiaojie gasped, instinctively clutching her neck, then grabbed a neck brace and put it on. After feeling it for a moment and finding it quite comfortable, she said gleefully, "Thanks! But if that pervert really dares to come after me, hmph, I'll cut off his dick!"
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat, while Guan Yi covered his mouth and chuckled. Then they heard Gao Xiaojie singing loudly, "I'm not afraid of perverts, I'm wearing a neck brace, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid!"
The cake shop at the intersection wasn't very big, and it was tucked away in a side alley, so there were far fewer people than before. However, Gao Xiaojie had said their chocolate cakes were delicious, and she was secretly learning how to make them. So Chen Xu and Guan Yi went inside to order a small chocolate cake. Gao Xiaojie stood outside, smiling, handing out flyers.
As they entered, a tall man wearing sunglasses, a hat, and a mask brushed past them. Guan Yi was momentarily stunned.
Chen Xu was also taken aback. He sensed an unpleasant aura emanating from the man, a feeling he had only developed after long periods of training. He couldn't help but turn around and look at the man, then tugged at Guan Yi's sleeve and asked, "What's wrong?"