In a first-tier city in southern China - Yuehai City.
It was noon on April 27, 2017.
In an ordinary restaurant, almost all the men's eyes were focused on a table by the window, some sneaking glances, and others blatantly staring, all salivating.
At that table, a man and a woman were seated.
The man looked like he was in his early twenties, sporting a clean and handsome look, albeit ordinary. His clothes looked cheap at first glance.
The woman, however, was gorgeous. She looked like she was in her mid-twenties, around 1.67 meters tall. She had fair skin like jade, a pair of enticing fox-like eyes that were particularly alluring. Her fluffy short hair gave her a somewhat lazy look.
She had a charming little face, and her full-bodied figure didn't seem fat at all. Below her slender waist were attractive long legs. The curves on her chest were impressive, giving people a soft and alluring feel.
The men in the restaurant looked on with shock at her stunning figure. Coupled with her peach blossom-like charming face, which seemed to emanate an enticing fragrance, they all sighed internally at the heavenly beauty before them.
Lin Chen, looking at the beautiful woman in front of him presenting an antique book, asked curiously, "Sister Xixi, why did you suddenly think of giving me this?"
The gorgeous woman across smiled at him, "Yesterday I strolled around the antique street and saw this book. It seems to have some history. The stall owner said it was an ancient medical book. I remembered you seem to have some interest in traditional medicine, and it wasn’t expensive, so I bought it for you."
Lin Chen was somewhat moved. He hadn't expected her to remember such casually spoken words.
Two years ago, he left the village alone and came to this big city. After performing an old-fashioned act of saving the damsel in distress, she had helped him a lot.
At that time, Su Xixi was almost dragged into an alley by a drunkard. Picking up a brick, Lin Chen rushed over and knocked the drunkard out. Their meeting and his heroic action seemed almost clichéd.
However, since then, Su Xixi had been taking good care of him and gave him a lot of help. Had it not been for her, he would have spent his first night in the city under a bridge.
The book on the table, its pages already yellowed, seemed to have a long history. But it was more likely that the book was a counterfeit antique, after all, antiquities are valuable nowadays and not that easy to come by.
The cover of the book was inscribed with four fiery characters - "The Eastern Secret Store".
Not to comment on the authenticity of the book, the four characters alone were powerful and full of charm. Even someone like him, who knew nothing about calligraphy, felt that these characters embodied a sense of unrestrained dominance.
Lin Chen packed away the book and said to Su Xiuran earnestly, "Sister Xi Xi, you have been so good to me. I swear to make something of myself and repay your kindness."
Su Xiuran brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and laughed lightly. "Silly boy, Sister Xi Xi doesn't need any repayment from you. Don't always think about making it big, just take care of yourself. That will make me happy."
Lin Chen laughed, but he felt a bit heavy-hearted. As someone with no background or education, how on earth could he rise to the top in a big city like Yue Hai? It didn't seem possible at all.
Looking at Su Xiuran, who was smiling beautifully, he gritted his teeth in secret. Even if it was hard, some people in the world would always succeed. So why couldn't he be one of them?
The two continued their meal. Lin Chen would occasionally tell some jokes to make Su Xiuran happy, and seeing her laugh made him happy too. He paid absolutely no mind to the envious glares from the other men in the restaurant who looked like they wanted to kill him and take his place.
After they finished eating, Lin Chen went back to the company alone after parting with Su Xiuran.
The company was called Qixing Model Agency, which was somewhat famous in Yue Hai City. Su Xiuran was the company's top flat model. Lin Chen was introduced by Su Xiuran and currently worked as an assistant in the photography department. But in reality, being an assistant was just another term for doing miscellaneous tasks and running errands.
"Yo, look who's back after his dinner date with the stunning Su?" As soon as Lin Chen walked into the office, a sarcastic voice rang out.
Lin Chen furrowed his brows and turned to look at a man sitting not far away, engrossed in his phone.
The man's name was Huang Wenbin, the company's chief photographer. He was twenty-eight, wore glasses, and looked gentle. However, those familiar with him knew he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Rumors said that many women, eager to become flat models or secure more opportunities in the field, ended up in bed with Huang Wenbin. He accepted all the women who came his way.
Although Huang Wenbin was lascivious, he was indeed skilled in photography. Hence, the company turned a blind eye to his behavior as long as he didn't cause any scandal, considering that all his relationships were consensual.
The reason he disliked Lin Chen was because of Su Xiuran.
Even in this model agency brimming with beauty, Su Xiran was the most attractive one. Huang Wenbin had long coveted Su Xiran. Despite his numerous hints, Su Xiran refused to give him any attention, which led him to frequently poke at Lin Chen.
Everyone in the company knew that Lin Chen was under the protection of Su Xiran.
Without responding to Huang Wenbin's odd remarks, Lin Chen walked straight back to his seat.
Huang Wenbin, without raising his head and busy playing with his phone, continued in his strange tone:
"Some people, they come to the city, join big companies, and still they are mere working class. Does he really think that a woman of Su Xiran's caliber would fancy a country bumpkin? Rural people never like to think, have no self-awareness. Such ignorance nearly makes me laugh to death."
The other few people in the office wore a look of amusement.
Their thinking was similar to Huang Wenbin, they believed Lin Chen was truly lacking in self-awareness. A woman like Su Xiran, they themselves weren't worthy of, let alone Lin Chen, an uneducated lad from the countryside.
Lin Chen looked at Huang Wenbin, and stated, "I'm a countryman, I'm a bumpkin, I don’t think, but I can have meals with Sister Xiran, I can also go to her house anytime, can you?"
“How dare you, a pauper, talk to me like this?” Huang Wenbin's face turned pale, slapping his hand heavily on the table in rage.
"Why wouldn't I dare, can you possibly fire me? I simply have been ignoring you all along, don't flatter yourself too much!"
Lin Chen said earnestly, "I may be poor now, but I won't be poor forever!"
"Pff! Hahaha! Did all of you hear that, he said he wouldn't be poor forever! Looks like, he's planning to get rich by laying bricks?"
Huang Wenbin pointed at Lin Chen, laughing boisterously with an exaggerated face, rocking forward and backward, and addressed other people in the office.
Someone could not help but laugh out loud, shaking his head, thinking that Lin Chen had an inflated sense of his abilities.
All of them knew that Lin Chen was from a remote rural area and hadn't attended university. In this era where resources are almost all allocated, a person of his ilk dreaming of becoming rich was simply daydreaming!
Just then, a woman walked in and announced that the General Manager wanted to see Huang Wenbin. Huang Wenbin put a stop to his current task, and followed her to leave.
A few minutes later, Lin Chen went to the HR department to retrieve a document. Passing by the General Manager's office, he suddenly heard Su Xiran's name coming from inside. He couldn't help but pause, frowning slightly before he leaned closer to the door to listen intently.
The conversation inside was between Huang Wenbin and the General Manager.
The General Manager swore angrily, "Huang Wenbin, what on earth is going on? Why are the things you're producing getting increasingly negative reactions in the market? Especially Su Xiran's work - why was her photoshoot this time also not successful?"
Huang Wenbin answered in a flustered manner, "Manager, as you know, no remarkable new talent has joined us recently. The models for our sexy photoshoots are always the same, which will naturally bore the readers over time. As for Su Xiran, she always dresses too conservatively, not cooperating with me at all. Considering this, the current response is already quite spectacular."
The General Manager sneered, "So, you're suggesting I sit back and watch as our performance declines, and then pack my bags when I'm asked to leave? You don't believe that I would have you leave first?"
Huang Wenbin said through clenched teeth, "Manager, I do have an idea!"
The General Manager snorted, "Speak!"
Huang Wenbin, in a stunning statement, said, "With Su Xiran's beauty, if we could get her to undress and pose for a sensual photoshoot, we'd make a fortune! If she's willing to do it more often, our revenue for this year could at least double! You also know, the restrictions on such things are not too strict recently, the profits from this would be insane."
Upon hearing this, Lin Chen was so furious, his head was buzzing. He was itching to burst in and destroy Huang Wenbin's mouth, but he kept his anger in check and continued to listen.
The General Manager was obviously tempted, "Are you certain our revenue could double? Su Xiran would definitely not agree to do such a thing. However, based on the contract she signed, she is pretty much at our mercy. But you must understand that forcing her into doing a sensual photoshoot would ruin her modeling career, which would also be a loss for our company."
Thinking of Su Xiran's attractive face and spectacular figure, Huang Wenbin confidently said, "I guarantee that the revenue will absolutely double! If it doesn't, I will resign immediately!"
Huang Wenbin sneered in his heart: Su Xiran, you're always acting all high and mighty in front of me. In the end, aren't you just stripping naked for everyone to see? This was just the first step. The next move will be getting you in bed!
The General Manager furrowed his brow in contemplation. The performance last year was quite disappointing. If there's no improvement this year, he might indeed have to pack up and leave. After considering the bonus he could receive at the end of the year if the performance were to double, he finally nodded and said: "Alright then, we'll proceed as you suggested!"
Lin Chen, standing outside the door, was both surprised and angry after hearing the conversation between the two people. However, he couldn't think of any method to turn the situation around. Even if he stormed in now, it would be futile and would only alarm the enemy.
He knew that Su Xiuran had indeed signed an unequal contract with the company, and if she breached it, she would be required to pay a considerable penalty that she wouldn't be able to afford.
Moreover, the general manager was well-known in both decent and indecent circles. How could Su Xiuran possibly be his match?
Lin Chen returned to his office and immediately rang up Su Xiuran to ask where she was. After learning that she was at home, he told her he would be on his way and then hung up the phone and left the company.
This matter required a thorough discussion with Su Xiuran to decide a course of action.
In his hurry, Lin Chen ran all the way and dashed across the road without looking both ways. He didn't expect a sedan to be racing in from the side. With a loud bang, he was sent flying.
Lin Chen was thrown five to six meters away. His body ached unbearably; he could barely breathe from the pain. It felt like all his bones had been crushed, and all his internal organs had shifted. However, he didn't faint immediately.
The desperation in his heart grew stronger. Was his life about to end just like this?
He just felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier until he finally succumbed to the darkness.
An adult hurriedly dismounted the car, upon seeing the gruesome sight of Lin Chen, who was covered in blood, and quickly dialed for an ambulance.
No one noticed as Lin Chen's blood stained the book Su Xiuran had given him a deep crimson. From the book, a strange greenish aura accompanied the flow of blood from his wound into Lin Chen's body. Then, the book was swept away by the wind and disintegrated into dust, disappearing without a trace.
