The young woman casually walked over to the stalls of the two veteran craftsmen, standing next to Ouyang Ying and Xu Rouyue. She was a little taller than Ouyang Ying and slightly shorter than Xu Rouyue. Ouyang Ying and Xu Rouyue turned their heads, looking at the young woman with slight surprise, then turned back, exchanged a smile, and continued browsing the trinkets they wanted to buy. Perhaps they also thought the girl in camouflage was quite pretty?
Xu Zhengyang noticed a flicker of heat in Chen Chaojiang's usually cold and aloof eyes, which seemed uninterested in women. Following his gaze, Xu Zhengyang looked at the pretty girl again and chuckled, teasingly whispering, "Chaojiang, you've got your eye on this girl?"
Chen Chaojiang ignored him, but seemed a little embarrassed as he shifted his gaze to the protruding artificial rock in the small pond.
"Hey, I just noticed you were staring at that girl's chest!" Xu Zhengyang said with a wicked grin.
"How would you know I was watching if you weren't looking?" Chen Chaojiang suddenly turned his head and replied very seriously.
Xu Zhengyang was extremely embarrassed. He turned his head away with an awkward laugh, looking around. In his heart, however, he was screaming, "Heaven and earth bear witness! Everyone has a love of beauty, and I absolutely did not have any filthy thoughts!"
And that is indeed the case.
However, Xu Zhengyang was curious about something. Chen Chaojiang didn't seem to be a saint either; he also stared at beautiful women, trying to feast his eyes on them.
Ouyang Ying and Xu Rouyue each bought two small items, then walked back in hushed tones, laughing and chatting.
After casually browsing for a while, the woman in camouflage, probably finding nothing she liked, turned and walked down the corridor towards the interior displaying artworks. As she passed Xu Zhengyang and his group, she glanced at Chen Chaojiang seemingly casually, then turned away, her face slightly tilted back as before, chewing gum, her ample bosom, which even the thick camouflage couldn't conceal, was exceptionally impressive in the eyes of men. She walked inside like a proud little peacock, leaving behind a camouflage silhouette and the slightly swaying shadow of her long, black hair.
Xu Zhengyang stared at Chen Chaojiang's face with a mischievous smile, nudged him with his elbow, and whispered with a laugh, "Hey, stop looking, don't just think about it, take action! I support you, bro!"
Chen Chaojiang slowly turned his head, coldly silent, staring at the artificial rock in the pool, as if lost in thought, as if savoring the moment.
“Brother…” Xu Rouyue pinched Xu Zhengyang’s hand in dissatisfaction.
Xu Zhengyang suddenly snapped out of his daze. Oh dear, his sister was right there. Why was he making such a joke with Chen Chaojiang? Oh no! Wouldn't his tall, pure, and radiant image in his sister's and Ouyang Ying's eyes collapse in an instant? Xu Zhengyang chuckled awkwardly, "I was just teasing Chaojiang, haha."
Ouyang Ying pouted and glared at Xu Zhengyang, seemingly in a huff.
Xu Rouyue stood up and said, "Let's go, let's go look around somewhere else."
"Alright, alright, we should head back after a while." Xu Zhengyang chuckled as he stood up, eager to change the subject. But when he turned to look at Chen Chaojiang, he found the guy giving him a gloating smile.
Looking at the time, it was 4:30 PM. The sun was already hanging in the western sky, tinged with red. Several thick clouds had their edges burned red by the sunlight, while the areas below appeared increasingly dark. The temperature had also dropped considerably, and a cold wind howled through the air from time to time.
As tourists began to walk towards the park gate, the four of them paused briefly, waiting for the group to exit before heading towards it. Just as they reached the gate, they heard a surprised shout from behind: "Hey, what are you doing?"
The four turned around and saw that the beautiful woman in camouflage had walked out of one of the rooms into the corridor. Behind her, at the door of the exhibition room, stood three well-mannered-looking boys and two pretty girls, all of whom looked to be students in their early twenties.
The two girls were the ones who were shouting just now.
The woman in camouflage held her own camera in her left hand, but now had a small, exquisite silver-gray digital camera in her right.
Suddenly, she stopped and turned to look at the three men and two women. With a cold snort, she casually tossed the silver-gray digital camera in her hand out of the corridor. A silver-gray arc flashed through the air before landing in the pool with a soft splash, sending ripples spreading.
"Hey, hey!" several young people exclaimed.
The woman in camouflage curled her lips into a contemptuous sneer, then turned her head away from the group and strode toward the courtyard gate.
Several young people snapped out of their daze and hurriedly chased after them:
"Hey, you can't leave! You have to pay for our camera!"
"Are you crazy or what? What did we do to you?"
"Call the police! She's robbing us!"
...
Just a few dozen seconds ago, the five students had come out of the house, and two of the boys were whispering to each other.
Unexpectedly, the woman in camouflage emerged from the building and, as she walked through the group of five, snatched a digital camera from one of the boys. Amidst the surprised and puzzled gasps of the crowd, she strolled into the hallway and tossed the camera into the water. The woman in camouflage didn't bother to explain, continuing her haughty peacock-like walk, her military boots clicking softly on the pavement.
"Don't go! Stop right there!"
Several young people caught up with them.
Seeing this, Xu Zhengyang stepped forward and blocked the doorway, stopping the woman in camouflage. He smiled and said, "Miss, you threw away someone's camera. You have to explain what happened. You can't just leave like this."
"What's it to you?" The woman in camouflage stopped, tilted her chin up, chewed gum, and said with a disdainful look.
Several young men had already surrounded her, berating the woman in camouflage and demanding compensation for their cameras.
Seeing the haughty look on the woman in camouflage, Ouyang Ying became a little angry and took out her phone, saying, "Call the police!"
"Looks like you're all in camouflage, humph!" The woman in camouflage suddenly turned around and kicked one of the boys wearing glasses with a loud thud. Amid gasps of surprise, the boy with glasses staggered back a few steps after being kicked, and hurriedly reached out to grab a pillar, narrowly avoiding falling into the icy pool.
"Hey!" Just as one of the men was about to say something, the woman in camouflage suddenly delivered a low side kick, the hard front of her military boot striking his shin. The boy cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.
The woman in camouflage seemed to have no intention of stopping, turning her head to throw another punch at Xu Zhengyang.
A pale, slender hand appeared out of nowhere, stopping the delicate fist of the woman in camouflage and grabbing her fair wrist.
"Even if you have a strong fist, you can't be unreasonable," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile.
At this moment, Ouyang Ying was somewhat dazed, holding her phone but not dialing the police.
The two elderly people selling trinkets a few steps away, as well as several tourists in the corridor, all looked over with curiosity.
The woman in camouflage ignored Xu Zhengyang's words and looked at Chen Chaojiang with some surprise. He was a young man with a pale face, sword-like eyebrows, and icy eyes. The woman in camouflage struggled a few times in frustration, but found it was futile. His pale, thin hands with long, slender fingers gripped her wrists tightly like an iron clamp.
"Ah!" The woman in camouflage let out a soft cry, and suddenly swung her other hand to punch Chen Chaojiang in the face.
As a result, Chen Chaojiang reached out and grabbed him again, holding him firmly so that he could not move or break free.
The woman in camouflage raised her foot to kick Chen Chaojiang, but before she could even lift her leg, Chen Chaojiang swiftly stepped on her military boot with a ghostly kick. The force caused her foot to swing backward involuntarily, making her lose her balance and fall forward.
Chen Chaojiang leaned back slightly and used his hands to support the other person, preventing them from falling into his arms.
However, amidst the violent shaking, the brown sunglasses perched on the camouflage-clad woman's nose swung and landed on Chen Chaojiang's chest, sliding to the ground.
"You can't beat me, don't bother." Chen Chaojiang's cold tone carried a rare hint of kind gentleness in his reminder.
"You, let go! How dare you grab me!" The woman in camouflage blushed and her eyes blazed with anger.
Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "Miss, you'd better explain what happened. You snatched someone's camera, threw it into the water, didn't explain why, and even beat the person up... That's really a bit unreasonable, isn't it?"
"What's it to you?"
"Didn't you say we were in cahoots?" Xu Zhengyang still smiled, but inwardly he was extremely surprised. Such a proud and beautiful girl couldn't possibly come from a poor family. Although she was wearing camouflage and military boots, he didn't think she was a soldier, but she had her own camera, snatched a stranger's phone, and then threw it away—there must be a reason. However, this arrogant girl didn't even bother to explain. Hmm, truly skilled and daring, skilled and even more awesome!
Her skills are indeed impressive. The moves she just showed clearly demonstrate that she's not just putting on a show; she has real, solid skills.
But we can't just be unreasonable, can we?
The woman in camouflage gritted her teeth, but still couldn't be bothered to explain. Instead, she said, "Fine, then call the police!"
Chen Chaojiang said coldly, "Tell me the reason. I don't want to misunderstand you." As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Chaojiang released his hands.
"Huh?" The woman in camouflage paused for a couple of seconds before putting down her slightly sore wrists. She rubbed her wrists with both hands, bit her lip, and hesitated for a moment. She looked at Chen Chaojiang and explained, "They...they took pictures of me with a camera."
Everyone was taken aback.
The two girls and one of the boys looked at the two boys who had just been beaten.
"No, who took a picture of her? So self-important! Does she think she's some kind of beauty?" the bespectacled man, who had almost been kicked into the pool, said, his face flushed.
However, after hearing what the girl in camouflage said, everyone was already 99% inclined to believe her. The reason was simple: would such a beautiful girl randomly steal their camera and throw it into the pond without any reason or grudge?
"Oh, you guys took pictures of that girl?" Xu Zhengyang said calmly, looking at the two men.
"No, no!" The two boys who had been hit shook their heads in unison, denying it. Then the boy who had been hit first suddenly realized something and quickly said, "Forget it, let's just accept our bad luck and go." With that, he walked past the group and left the courtyard.
The others naturally understood what was going on, and the four people who were with him slunk away with their heads down, too embarrassed to raise their heads again.
Chen Chaojiang had intended to stop them, but seeing Xu Zhengyang shake his head slightly, he gave up trying to stop them. He simply turned to look at the camouflage-clad beauty with a stern face and eyes that still revealed anger and a hint of grievance. Chen Chaojiang bent down, picked up the brown sunglasses from the ground, handed them over, and said very seriously, "I'm sorry."
The girl was stunned, staring blankly at Chen Chaojiang for several seconds before she came to her senses, reached out and took the sunglasses, and said softly, "It's okay."
"My name is Chen Chaojiang."
This self-introduction is rather inexplicable.
The girl smiled curiously and said, "I didn't ask you."
Chen Chaojiang seemed a little embarrassed, but his expression and eyes didn't reveal anything. He didn't say anything more and turned to walk out.
"Chen Chaojiang, my name is Ye Wan!"
The girl in camouflage suddenly smiled and called out to Chen Chaojiang, who had already walked to the park gate. Her voice was clear and melodious, like the chirping of a nightingale.
The people inside the courtyard were surprised, then smiled.
The four people who had walked outside the courtyard were also stunned and turned to look at the pretty girl named Ye Wan.
Chen Chaojiang tilted his head slightly, seemingly wondering why the other person had told him his name, or perhaps he was hesitating about something. However, his pale face and narrow, icy eyes made it difficult to discern his inner thoughts.
"Chaojiang, go ask for a phone!" Xu Zhengyang, with his back to the courtyard, avoiding the gaze of his sister and Ouyang Ying, gently nudged Chen Chaojiang with his arm and whispered with a mischievous smile.
Chen Chaojiang looked into the courtyard, and Ye Wan was also looking at Chen Chaojiang. She raised her beautiful, proud face, lifted her right hand holding sunglasses, and gently brushed back a few strands of black hair that had fallen across her forehead.
Ouyang Ying and Xu Rouyue, standing nearby, looked at each other and chuckled softly, occasionally glancing at the two of them, secretly hoping for some kind of legendary love-at-first-sight romance to unfold.
Chen Chaojiang looked at Ye Wan for a while, then lowered his head, turned around, sighed almost imperceptibly, and walked away into the distance.
Ouyang Ying and Xu Rouyue pouted in disappointment. Xu Zhengyang looked into the courtyard, both amused and exasperated, only to see a hint of disappointment in the beautiful girl's proud eyes.
"What are you standing there for? Let's go." Xu Zhengyang smiled and reminded Ouyang Ying and Xu Rouyue, then quickly took a few steps to catch up with Chen Chaojiang.
Xu Rouyue and Ouyang Ying left, whispering to each other, glancing back at the courtyard every now and then. The girl named Ye Wan was still standing there, lost in thought.
Ye Wan felt a little strange and slightly disappointed. She had thought the other person would come over and ask for her contact information, so she could take the opportunity to ridicule him and vent her resentment. But instead, the pale-faced and cold-looking boy just left without a word...
In most cases, such events are like a fleeting ripple in the long river of everyone's life, disappearing in an instant without leaving a trace. Many people meet by chance, but after passing by in haste, there is no chance of meeting again.
However, extraordinary people always do extraordinary things or encounter extraordinary events.
because……
After walking a dozen meters, Chen Chaojiang suddenly turned to Xu Zhengyang and said, "I'm going to find her and ask for her phone number."
"Oh." Xu Zhengyang was a little slow to react.
Chen Chaojiang had already started walking in that direction. In the sunlight and amidst the cold wind, Xu Zhengyang suddenly felt that Chen Chaojiang's journey carried a sense of desolation and foreboding. Xu Zhengyang, filled with admiration, once again praised him to himself, "Chaojiang, a true warrior!"
Ouyang Ying and Xu Rouyue looked at Chen Chaojiang's thin back with surprise, astonishment, and a little excitement.
When the forest is big, you'll find all kinds of birds.
The prologue to Chapter 158 of Volume Four, "The City God," has begun!
It's 10:30 p.m.
Inside the brightly lit courtyard of Jinghui Logistics' Beijing branch, a large, high-sided truck was parked. Its rear door faced the warehouse platform, where four loaders were loading goods. Warehouse manager Zhang Shihong stood above the truck, watching the loading progress, recording the quantity and destination of each item, and occasionally reminding the loaders to be careful not to mix up the goods destined for Fuhe City and Hedong Provincial Capital.
Amidst the blaring of car horns, two small vans drove in from outside the gate; these were vehicles heading to various distribution points to pick up goods.
Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang stood at the office door, watching the bustling scene inside the park. As Wu Juan had hoped, if things continued this way, within two months, they would be shipping two truckloads of goods every day, and they wouldn't need to collect large shipments from the logistics information network to fill the empty trucks and make up for the freight costs.