Chapter 13
The two got dressed, tidied up briefly, and walked out of the restroom separately.
Lin Fei then accompanied Zhang Ting to buy a pure gold bracelet worth twenty thousand yuan. Under Zhang Ting's reluctant gaze, he took a taxi back to school. He had originally wanted to get a room with Zhang Ting to spend the night together, but he had already promised Zhao Xiaoxuan that he would have dinner with her, so he had no choice but to leave.
It was almost four in the afternoon when he returned to the dorm. Lin Fei took a shower and was about to rest for a bit before heading to his meeting with Zhao Xiaoxuan when the trio from his dorm insisted on dragging him to the internet cafe to play some games. He didn't really want to go, but he was afraid that he had been too arrogant lately and might have incurred public wrath. Besides, he had been neglecting them for the past few days, so he agreed to play just two rounds. The group then headed to the internet cafe near the school.
"Zhao Xiaoxuan? What are you doing here!?" As soon as he entered the cafe, Lin Fei saw two girls sitting behind the counter, one of whom was Zhao Xiaoxuan.
"This internet cafe is owned by my family. Hubb-… I mean, Brother Lin Fei, you didn't know?" Zhao Xiaoxuan had almost called him "husband" but quickly changed her address when she remembered her own staff was present.
She was overjoyed that she had run into Chen Yu here.
Her family owned seventeen internet cafes. Due to the pandemic, business had yet to recover. The cafe had six or seven employees who hadn't been paid for three or four months, and the rent was due soon. The rent for internet cafes was always paid at least a year in advance. This particular cafe was in a prime location near the school, with an annual rent of two hundred thousand yuan.
Zhao Xiaoxuan had come today to pay the employees their salaries and to pay the rent. The five million yuan Lin Fei had lent her was more than enough to sustain her family's internet cafe operations and pay off their loans.
"'Zongheng Internet Cafe'? Your family's cafe is a chain, right? I remember there are many cafes with this name in the city," Qin Zhiyuan said with a sigh.
"Yeah, but business is bad for all internet cafes now. They're basically operating at a loss. My family is almost bankrupt!" Zhao Xiaoxuan admitted openly, her eyes deliberately glancing at Lin Fei. Without his financial support, this cafe would probably have already closed down.
"Fourth brother, I think you should just go for it with Zhao Xiaoxuan. Look at the number and specs of the machines here. They're worth at least a million. And with so many chains, she's a rich girl! You've hit the jackpot," Qin Zhiyuan whispered in Lin Fei's ear.
"You're shallow..." Lin Fei looked at him with disdain.
"Fuck, you little..." Qin Zhiyuan made a motion to hit Lin Fei, and the two started to play-fight.
"Let's find a spot with five computers set up together," Zhang Qingshan said.
"Who else is coming?" Hu Dahai asked.
"Oh, Liu Yinyin is coming over later," Zhang Qingshan said with a chuckle.
"I've actually been pursuing her for several months now. I feel like she has a pretty good impression of me. Just now, I told her that a few of my roommates were going to play games at the internet cafe, and she thoughtfully offered to be my support. It's perfect for a five-man team. Haha, I can finally show off my skills in front of a girl!" Zhang Qingshan said excitedly.
Just as they sat down, Liu Yinyin appeared at the entrance of the cafe. She was clearly dressed up for the occasion.
She wore light makeup, looking elegant yet not vulgar. Even more strikingly, she was wearing a uniform with a short skirt, beautiful legs, a campus student vibe, complete with a small hat, making her look youthful and cute, yet undeniably sexy.
Lin Fei's roommates were dumbfounded!
They never knew Liu Yinyin was so beautiful. The uniform with her long legs... if you were to fuck her... Even Lin Fei felt a bit stirred.
"Liu Yinyin is a dark horse. She used to have a bit of baby fat, but now that she's lost weight, her looks and figure are no less than Lin Shutong's!" Qin Zhiyuan commented.
"Second brother, you're the man! The girl even dressed up specially for you!" Hu Dahai nudged Zhang Qingshan with his elbow.
Zhang Qingshan was feeling incredibly proud at that moment and smiled smugly.
"Hey, beauty, what's your WeChat?" As soon as Liu Yinyin walked into the cafe, a young man with a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, looking like a hooligan, blocked her path and asked for her contact information right off the bat.
His gaze was audacious, scanning her chest and thighs several times.
"Sorry, I'm here to meet someone," Liu Yinyin refused, shaking her head.
"Don't go, beauty. Adding me on WeChat won't cost you anything!"
"I don't want to add you. Please let me pass!"
"Fuck, such an ungrateful bitch. Dressed like that, you're obviously looking to sell yourself. Why act so high and mighty?" The hooligan seemed unwilling to give up and actually grabbed Liu Yinyin's arm.
"Fuck, who the fuck are you asking WeChat from, you son of a bitch? Try touching her again and see what happens."
Zhang Qingshan stood up, his face filled with rage. The girl he had invited was being harassed right in front of him. How could he tolerate that?
Zhang Qingshan rushed forward and kicked him.
"Motherfucker, you little bastard, how dare you hit me..." The hooligan was about to fight back when he saw three more people walking up behind Zhang Qingshan. They were clearly together. It was four against one, he couldn't win.
"So what if I hit you? You dare to hit on my buddy's girl? Are you fucking looking to die?" Qin Zhiyuan roared, trying to sound tough.
"Fine, you guys have more people. You win this time!" The hooligan threw down his cigarette and walked away as if he had conceded.
"Tch, I thought he was such a big shot, but he's just a coward!"
"Second brother, not bad! You always seem so honest, but I never thought you'd be so reliable when it counts. You didn't hesitate to throw down. You're a real man!" Hu Dahai and Qin Zhiyan praised him one after another.
"Hehe! It was nothing. People like that just bully the weak and fear the strong!"
Zhang Qingshan scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed, then glanced at Liu Yinyin.
Who knew, Liu Yinyin's gaze was actually fixed on Lin Fei.
"Lin Fei, thank you for helping me out just now. And Qingshan, thank you guys too!"
"I... I don't think I did anything, though. You should be thanking Qingshan!" Lin Fei was baffled. From start to finish, let alone lift a finger, he hadn't even said a single word. He was just standing behind Zhang Qingshan watching. She was thanking the wrong person while ignoring the one who actually helped her. Is there something wrong with your head?
Just then, Zhao Xiaoxuan walked over.
"Lin Fei, why don't you guys leave first? That guy looks like a troublemaker. He won't let this go. He might come back with people to ambush you!" What Zhao Xiaoxuan said made sense.
Lin Fei figured it was better to avoid trouble. If that guy really did come back with people, they would be the ones to suffer. Just as Lin Fei was about to speak, Zhang Qingshan interrupted him with an ugly expression on his face. "Fourth brother, if you want to leave, go ahead. I'm not leaving today. He's just a coward, what's there to be afraid of? If he brings people, I won't be scared of him!"
Zhang Qingshan was obviously speaking out of anger. He wasn't an idiot, he could clearly see that the way Liu Yinyin looked at Lin Fei was a bit different. Of course, guys care a lot about saving face, and having a girl like Zhao Xiaoxuan come over and tell them to leave, to back down, wasn't something any man would like to hear.
Besides, it wasn't even certain that the guy would come back with people. To be scared off by a hypothetical possibility would make them look even more cowardly!
"Don't worry, Qingshan. We're all brothers. We're definitely not leaving. We'll face any problem together and fight together!" Hu Dahai patted Zhang Qingshan on the shoulder.
"Come on, come on, let's get online and start playing. Liu Yinyin, you can sit next to Qingshan." Qin Zhiyuan subtly schemed, making Liu Yinyin sit next to Zhang Qingshan.
"Alright then." Liu Yinyin nodded in agreement without much enthusiasm. She actually wanted to sit next to Lin Fei, but she couldn't make it too obvious.
Lin Fei felt like he was caught in the crossfire for no reason. He understood Zhang Qingshan's feelings.
The girl he had invited was showing unusual interest in another roommate. That was just too heartbreaking!
But Lin Fei hadn't been flirting with Liu Yinyin. Although he had just had a fleeting impulse to lift her short skirt and fuck her, it was just a thought, not a serious intention. The proof was that the system hadn't even classified it as a "simp" activity.
"Xiaoxuan, can you get us a few bottles of water? It's fine!" Lin Fei patted Zhao Xiaoxuan's head, acting as if he was already taken, clearly intending to stick with his roommates through thick and thin.
"Okay." Zhao Xiaoxuan nodded happily, thrilled by Lin Fei's sudden intimate gesture.
"By the way, hubby, come to my house tonight. I'm going to cook for you personally. Don't forget!"
As she brought the water, Zhao Xiaoxuan whispered in Lin Fei's ear in a voice only the two of them could hear. Lin Fei felt a shiver run down his spine, and the blood in his body began to stir. He glanced at Zhao Xiaoxuan's hot figure, and his lower body reacted again. Fuck, didn't they just do it this afternoon?
Focus on the game, focus on the game. We'll talk about it tonight.
The group turned on their computers, matched with opponents, and just started their first game when more than a dozen young men suddenly swarmed into the entrance of the internet cafe. Some of them had tattoos, some had dyed-yellow hair, some had buzz cuts. They looked like a motley crew, but they all had cigarettes in their mouths and an aggressive, trouble-making demeanor.
Among them was the hooligan Zhang Qingshann had kicked earlier.
"Fuck, you little bastards, get the fuck out here! Weren't you so fucking cocky just now? Try being cocky again!"
A loud roar interrupted everyone in the cafe who was playing games.
The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.
Zhang Qingshan's face was ashen. Hu Dahai and Qin Zhiyuan's eyes also darted around nervously. Although they were young and full of vigor, they weren't delinquents who fought regularly. Facing more than a dozen opponent, it would be a lie to say they weren't intimidated.
"Boss, Zhiyuan, you guys stay out of this. I was the one who kicked him. At worst, I'll just get beaten up. It's just a beating, it's not like it'll kill me, right?" At the critical moment, Zhang Qingshan was very loyal and planned to take the blame himself.
While Zhang Qingshan was speaking, the group of hooligans had already surrounded them.
Liu Yinyin screamed in terror, "You hooligans, don't come any closer! I'll call the police if you come closer!"
"Call the fucking police! Take this bitch's phone! Goddamn it, today I'm going to fuck you little bastards up!" The young man who had been kicked roared and violently slapped Zhang Qingshan across the face. He thought that this time, no one would dare to stop him. After all, he had more than a dozen people behind him. These students would have been scared out of their wits by now and wouldn't dare to fight back, nor could they.
But the outcome was often unexpected. Just as his heavy slap was about to land on Zhang Qingshan's cheek, a powerful hand firmly grabbed the young man's arm, rendering him immobile.
No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.
"Fuck me, you dare to fight back? You fucking dare to fight back?"
"Why wouldn't I dare to fight back? You hit my brother without even asking for my opinion?" Lin Fei said forcefully. "Who the fuck do you think you are..."
Bang!
Before he could finish, Lin Fei kicked him fiercely, sending him flying.
Lin Fei's strength was already at 14 points, about 1.5 times that of a normal adult.
This kick sent the man flying two or three meters, tumbling several times on the ground.
Once he fell, he didn't get up again, just lying on the ground groaning.
"Fuck! You dare to hit my brother! Get him, all of you! Fuck these little bastards up!" A burly man with a buzz cut, seeing one of his own get hit, rushed over in a rage.
Because the aisles were narrow, flanked by computers, the large group could only charge forward one or two at a time. This gave Lin Fei an opportunity. He took them down one by one with a single punch, knocking down four or five of them. A strength 1.5 times that of a normal person wasn't as simple as just multiplying by 1.5. A normal person's explosive power is greater than their usual strength, and Lin Fei's current explosive power was 1.5 times that of a normal person's explosive power, so the force was considerable. So, what everyone saw next was this scene.
This young man, who didn't look particularly strong, was incredibly heroic, taking down five or six men by himself with single punches, without showing any sign of fatigue. His posture was as if he were possessed by the spirit of Ma Dong-seok (the Korean Actor).
The remaining hooligans, seeing how fierce Lin Fei was, froze in place, not daring to step forward.
"Lin Fei, you're amazing!" Liu Yinyin looked at Lin Fei with worship in her eyes, little pink hearts almost appearing in her large eyes. She never imagined that besides being rich, Lin Fei was also such a good fighter.
His heroic appearance just now was deeply imprinted in her mind. This man was so brave, so masculine. She felt that Zhou Xinyi was truly an idiot.
Zhao Xiaoxuan was also stunned for a few seconds. The way she looked at Lin Fei grew more appreciative, even to the point of infatuation. Lin Fei was not only brave but also responsible. It was his roommate who had caused the trouble, but he was the one who stepped in to solve it. From beginning to end, he hadn't said a single bad word about his roommate. A man like this gave her a great sense of security. Moreover, he was handsome, rich, and capable. If she missed out on a man like this, Zhao Xiaoxuan felt she would regret it for the rest of her life.
[Name: Zhao Xiaoxuan. Favorability: 96. Total Favorability: 96]
[Congratulations to the Host for a successful counter-attack. This simp operation consumed a total of 6.2 million in reserve funds. The system will return 620,000 to the Host's personal account. Zhao Xiaoxuan has become the Host's simp. Rewarding the Host with 25 attribute points. (For every 1 point of favorability over 95 with a target, the Host will receive 20 enhancement points.)
Lin Fei: Strength 14, Constitution 9, Spirit 9, Mind 10, Agility 9, Perception 10 (Normal person's stats are 10). Status: Healthy. Skills: None. Enhancement points: 5. Please allocate.]
Just as Lin Fei was glaring at the remaining opponents, the system's prompt sounded again.
So many rewards, and just at the right time. I'll enhance 6 points into Strength, 6 into Constitution, and the rest all into Agility.
[Enhancement successful. Host's current stats: Strength 20, Constitution 15, Agility 22.]
The next second, a familiar warm current flowed through Lin Fei's body. He felt his body become lighter and sturdier, and the stamina he had just expended was also restored.
"A whole group of you ganging up on one of my brothers. Do you really think I'm just for show?" Just as the standoff continued, Zhang Qingshan roared and charged forward, grappling with one of the hooligans.
"Fuck, Second brother, Fourth brother, you guys are so fierce. Why the fuck would I be a coward? Let's get them!" Boss Hu Dahai and Third brother Qin Zhiyuan also joined the fight.
Perfect, I can test my new stats too. With the help of the other three, Lin Fei was under no pressure. He charged directly into the crowd, moving like a butterfly through flowers. Each punch he threw took down a man. Soon, the floor of the internet cafe was littered with groaning hooligans.
"Who is that guy? Damn, he's too fierce. Fighting more than ten guys by himself?"
"Badass! I should have recorded a video and posted it on my Moments!"
"Well, mainly because they didn't use knives. If they had knives, do you think he could still take on ten guys?
"Can you not be such a contrarian? Would it kill you to admit someone else is awesome?" A few of the young internet addicts in the cafe discussed among themselves.
"Get lost! Don't let me see you again, or I'll beat you up every time I do!" Zhang Qingshan kicked the young man who had brought the others, who was already on the ground, and said fiercely. He felt that his performance today had been incredibly heroic. Four of them fought more than a dozen, winning against the odds, and beating the other side to a pulp. This was a badass story he could brag about for at least a year.
He thought Liu Yinyin would see him in a new light, but when he looked back, he saw the girl had already scurried over to Lin Fei to fawn over him, and his face darkened again.
"Fuck, Fourth brother, how are you so fierce? I never noticed before. Have you been practicing martial arts or something?" Hu Dahai asked, his face full of astonishment.
"He must have trained. Otherwise, he couldn't be so brutal. It seems he was just pretending in the dorm before. If he really went all out, the three of us together wouldn't be a match for him!"
"No wonder all the girls like him. Turns out this kid is a trained fighter!" His roommates looked at him with envy and jealousy. They seemed to have finally discovered the reason for Lin Fei's popularity.
However, what they didn't know was that the reason these girls fawned over Lin Fei wasn't because he could fight, but because he had the power of money.
*****
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