Chapter 28: The Queen Arrives

"Handsome!"

Chu Linfeng was just about to leave when he was called back.

"Handsome, wait a moment! I just remembered another youth hostel. It’s all bunk beds, with four-person and eight-person rooms. You can stay there. I know the owner, so I can arrange a yearly lease for you. You might as well just book the whole place."

A moment ago, this scalper had experienced a roller coaster of emotions. Initially, when this wealthy second-generation heir mentioned needing accommodation for a hundred employees, he thought he had landed a big contract. Who would have thought this stingy boss would ask for those crowded dorms meant for a dozen people per room? That sounded exactly like a pyramid scheme den!

He had intended to refuse flatly, but as the saying goes, there is always a way for a resourceful scalper. If he had to find a spot under a bridge, he would still find a way!

Chu Linfeng was just about to take the two women to another agency when he heard about the youth hostel. That sounded good; it was a hostel, after all. They had left in such a rush that they hadn't brought any bedding, so they wouldn't need to buy any if they moved there.

The two sides hit it off immediately, and Chu Linfeng led the sisters to follow the woman toward the hostel.

"Sister, do you have the feeling that we are being followed?" Tang Xie whispered to Tang Cai as they walked.

"I felt the same way after we got off the plane last night. I looked back several times, but there was no one there. I suppose it must be a delusion."

"Hmm, maybe it's because so many things have happened these past few days that we're feeling lightheaded."

In the bustling city of Shenzhen, skyscrapers stood side by side, and a woman in black was nimbly leaping across the rooftops.

Before long, the three of them arrived at the hostel. After intense price negotiations, they finally reached an agreement. The hostel owner felt as if he had been usurped by a chairman.

Helping the hostel do all the work for free? Including providing security for free?

Chu Linfeng thought that once the female laborers from Hundred Flower Valley arrived, he would set up a roster for them to handle the cleaning. As for Old Mo and Tang Ying, since jobs were hard to find, they could just handle security for the hostel. This would save a significant amount of rent.

The scalper left with a dark face. He hadn't expected to run into such a penny-pincher today; after haggling over the price, the man had even shaved off the service fee, paying only the remainder.

"Boss!" Chu Linfeng called out to him again.

"Handsome! You’ve already paid so little, don't tell me you're going back on your word!"

"No, no. Boss, I just wanted to ask, what kind of work is there in Shenzhen..."

"Wait, are you asking for information or seeking an agent? I’m not doing anything for free anymore!"

"Hey, we've come this far, let's just chat. If you don't want to say, that's fine too!"

"Forget it. You look like a bankrupt boss, but since you're still thinking about your employees, I suppose you’re a decent guy. I'll help you out, but let’s be clear: I’ll only tell you what I know. If you need me to run errands, you’ll have to pay!"

"Thank you, Boss. I just wanted to ask if there’s any work suitable for me."

"You?" The scalper looked Chu Linfeng up and down, thinking he looked quite handsome but far too young. "Are you eighteen yet? What’s your educational background?"

"Uh... I just turned eighteen. No diploma. I used to practice martial arts."

"Ah, you're a cultivator? That’s a hot commodity in Shenzhen!"

"Uh... there was an accident, I don't have any cultivation base anymore..."

"Then that’s useless. You can only work part-time or go to a factory to tighten screws!"

Chu Linfeng thought it over. Since everyone wasn't settled yet, it wasn't the right time for factory work. He would start with part-time jobs.

"For part-time work, you can deliver food. If you want fast money, go to a bar and see if there’s an opportunity! Part-time pay is quick, and if you’re lucky, there are tips."

...

In the evening.

"No, my sister and I want to go too!" Upon hearing that Chu Linfeng was going to a bar to find work, the sisters both wanted to tag along, but Chu Linfeng stopped them.

"Enough. These are extraordinary times, so stick to your duties. You stay at the hostel and receive training from the owner; when the others arrive, you can teach them hands-on. I’m just a temp, there’s nothing for you to learn there."

"Alright then. By the way, husband, change into this pair of leather shoes." Tang Cai said, handing Chu Linfeng a shoe box.

"Wait, your suitcase wasn't very big to begin with, how did you fit a pair of men's leather shoes in there?" Chu Linfeng asked in surprise.

"I learned how to make these shoes from Uncle Mo. They were meant for my father. He only wore them once during the sect competition a few years ago... After he passed, his belongings were burned, but I wanted to keep these shoes as a memento." Tang Cai couldn't help but tear up as she spoke.

"Ah? If that's the case, these shoes are very important to your father... and to you! I can't take them!" Chu Linfeng quickly closed the box, intending to return it to Tang Cai.

"It's fine. It's your first time looking for work, you need to look decent. Look at those tattered shoes you're wearing; they don't suit your image at all. Besides, if Father knew you were wearing them, he would be very happy!" Tang Cai said, covering her tears with a smile.

Tang Xie, standing by, couldn't stop the tears from welling up either, using a tissue to wipe her sister's eyes.

"Sister, don't cry. Let’s help our husband try them on to see if they fit." Tang Cai and Tang Xie knelt down together to change Chu Linfeng's shoes.

"Is it a bit tight?"

"No, not at all. Leather shoes are supposed to be snug; they’ll get looser the more you wear them."

Chu Linfeng tried hard to curl his toes to fit his heels into the shoes.

Afterward, Chu Linfeng followed the navigation to a famous nightclub in Shenzhen. Having just turned eighteen and previously only having the path of immortality in his heart, he had never seen the bustling life of the mortal world. Regardless, he needed to earn quick money, so no matter how bitter or tiring it was, he had to try.

When Chu Linfeng stepped inside, Shen Luoxi, watching from a distance, shook her head in disdain.

"Pah! You little scoundrel! It turns out no man is honest unless he’s hanging on a wall. It’s only the first day, and you’re already succumbing to the temptations of the mortal world!"

Because of his good appearance and temperament, the bar manager took a liking to him immediately and arranged for Chu Linfeng to start by clearing tables. Fearing Chu Linfeng wouldn't want to do it, he even painted a grand picture of his future, promising him a promotion to captain if he did well. During this time, several female colleagues responsible for entertaining guests couldn't help but steal glances at Chu Linfeng.

Night fell, neon lights flickered, and the world was filled with noise.

Several times, Chu Linfeng wanted to smash the tray and walk out because he couldn't bear the thumping music, but the thought of the large family waiting for him made him grit his teeth and endure it.

Yes, he didn't even know how Old Mo and the others were handling their assets; he might still be a man in debt. If he failed on his first day of work, how could he command respect? If the people from Hundred Flower Valley started acting up later, he wouldn't have the face to scold them.

"Hey! Are you deaf?"

"Huh?" Chu Linfeng, who had been zoning out, was startled by the roar, but the music was too loud to hear what was said.

"Do you even know how to do your job? You slammed the bottle on the table! Do you want me to open it with my teeth?"

"Oh, oh, I'm sorry, miss, I forgot!"

Chu Linfeng, on his first day, was clumsy, constantly forgetting things. Just as he turned to leave after opening a bottle, he suddenly felt a hand on his arm.

"Little brother! I haven't seen you before. Are you new here?"

"Huh?" Chu Linfeng leaned his ear closer, trying to hear what the young woman holding him was saying.

"Come here, get closer and you'll be able to hear me!" The woman pulled Chu Linfeng down onto the sofa and wrapped her arm around his.

Chu Linfeng was startled and shouted, "Miss, have you had too much to drink? Would you like me to get you a glass of hot water?"

"No, I haven't had too much! Come, have a drink with me!"

"I'm sorry, I don't drink!"

"How can you work here and not drink? Come on, if you don't drink, you’re not giving me any face!"

The woman picked up a glass and tried to force it on him. Chu Linfeng reacted instinctively and shoved back, splashing the drink directly onto her face.

"Sister Jiang!" The people on the sofa rose in shock. A few quickly grabbed tissues to wipe her face, while two others grabbed Chu Linfeng by his arms.

"Let's go!" the woman known as Sister Jiang roared and headed toward the bar exit. The men dragging Chu Linfeng followed.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Chu Linfeng struggled and kicked, his cries drawing onlookers. The floor supervisor noticed and rushed over, bowing and scraping, "President Jiang! I’m so sorry, this kid is new, it's his first day, he doesn't know the rules. Please, be the bigger person and don't hold it against him."

"Hmph! Get lost, or I'll take you out and teach you the rules too!"

Seeing that the plea was fruitless, the supervisor ran to the struggling Chu Linfeng and whispered, "Just stop struggling! Protect your face, don't resist, and let Sister Jiang vent her anger. Just consider it a lesson..."

"Get lost, this has nothing to do with you!" Before the supervisor could finish, a man pushed him to the ground.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Chu Linfeng struggled all the way. The two burly men eventually got tired and dragged him by his arms. Chu Linfeng kept trying to get up, but they pressed his chest down hard, grinding the soles of his leather shoes right off.

The group surrounded the woman until they reached the entrance of the bar, where they threw Chu Linfeng onto the ground.

"Sister Jiang! Do you want to teach him a lesson yourself, or should we do it for you?" The man asked, cracking his knuckles.

The woman circled Chu Linfeng and let out a cold snort. "Hmph! In all these years in Shenzhen, you're the first person who dared to splash drink on my face!"

"Yo, Sister Jiang, look at this kid. His leather shoes are empty—no soles!" The man bent down, picked up a piece of black debris from the ground, rubbed it into dust, and the group burst into laughter.

"You're dirt poor, wearing broken shoes, and you come here to be a waiter? And you’re still acting high and mighty! Having a drink with Sister Jiang is a blessing you wouldn't get in a thousand lifetimes!"

"You... pay for my shoes!" Chu Linfeng lay on the ground, staring at the shoes, bloodshot eyes brimming with rage!

"What? Did I hear that right? Pay for your shoes?"

"Hehe, little brother, I don't think you understand the situation. This Chanel dress you just splashed is a custom piece, worth more than you'd earn in several years of working. Why don't you think about how you're going to pay for this first!"

"Sister Jiang! Stop wasting time with this kid. Why don't we just break one of his arms to compensate you! Looking at him, he doesn't have the money anyway!"

Shen Luoxi, watching from afar, heard every word. She had wanted to rush over earlier, but felt it was inappropriate. Now, hearing that they were going to break his arm, she became anxious.

"So he was just working here. What should I do? Chu Linfeng is such a proud person; he definitely wouldn't want me to see this!"

No one would have guessed that the former War God of Peach Blossoms, the second-ranked prodigy on the China Immortal Quest Ranking, would be reduced to this—working as a lowly servant in a bar, his beloved shoes ruined, and now being humiliated by a group of power-tripping mortals!

As Shen Luoxi hesitated, she saw one of the men run to a sports car, pull out a baseball bat, and walk toward Chu Linfeng.

She couldn't wait any longer. She had come here to protect him, and that was all that mattered. Gritting her teeth, she prepared to fly over and tear them to pieces.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of police sirens. Two officers arrived—the supervisor had called the police when he saw things going south.

"Stop!" The two officers rushed over with batons but were met by the woman before they could reach the scene.

"Oh, it's President Jiang!"

The woman was well-known in Shenzhen, capable of handling both the underworld and the police. They exchanged a few words, the gist being that they shouldn't commit crimes in the street, making things difficult for the authorities.

The group then threw Chu Linfeng into a Maybach business van. Shen Luoxi followed closely behind.

After driving for about half an hour, they arrived at a villa. Chu Linfeng was thrown to the ground once more.

"Yo, little brother, the lights were too dim earlier. Now that I see you, your skin is quite nice—fair and clean. You really are handsome." The woman sat on the sofa, looking down at Chu Linfeng on the floor with a smirk. "How about this: just apologize to me, and if I'm in a good mood, I might just let you go."

"You... pay for my shoes!"

"Oh, interesting. You've been shouting about your shoes the whole way here. I have quite a few pairs of good leather shoes in this house. Which brand do you want? I can buy you whatever you don't have."

"I want... the same ones as these!"

The woman grew impatient. The interest she had felt due to his face vanished. She stood up and said, "I'm sleepy. You guys finish him off, leave one person to keep me company, and the rest can leave. Oh, right—since he likes wearing shoes so much, from now on, make sure he doesn't have the qualifications to wear them at all."

"Understood!" The burly men exchanged evil grins; it was clearly not the first time they had done such things.

As the woman walked into the room, the men pulled a chainsaw out of a cabinet.

The moment the chainsaw roared to life, Chu Linfeng stopped asking for his shoes. His eyes became hollow and lifeless.

Was this the urban wealth he had dreamed of? Was this the urban cultivation of the reform and opening-up era? How pathetic, ridiculous, and lamentable!

If he had known it would be like this, why seek revenge? Wouldn't it have been better to just lie flat in the academy and be a salted fish for the rest of his life?

Thinking this, Chu Linfeng closed his eyes. Forget it, no more struggling. Just let it end!

Just as the chainsaw was about to strike, the villa gate was violently blown open. The two men standing at the door were sent flying into the wall.

"Fine by me. Killing people here saves quite a bit of trouble!" Shen Luoxi muttered to herself as she stepped into the house.

Chu Linfeng stared blankly at Shen Luoxi, rubbing his eyes twice to confirm he wasn't dreaming.

"Teacher... Teacher Shen! Why are you here!"

"I said I would watch the sunset with you in the future. Since you don't want to stay, I'll abandon everything to wander the world with you!" Shen Luoxi looked at the stunned Chu Linfeng and smiled enchantingly.

Hearing Shen Luoxi's domineering words of love, Chu Linfeng's heart trembled. "Damn, as expected of a queen! Even her sweet talk is so domineering!"

Not long after, a fire broke out in the villa, and ambulances and fire trucks rushed to the scene.

"Should I... get down and walk myself?" Chu Linfeng, clinging to Shen Luoxi's neck, felt a bit awkward.

Shen Luoxi just pursed her lips and smiled. "It's not the first time, why aren't you used to it yet?"

"Hey! Actually, I heard there were shoes in the villa earlier. The fire burned too fast, I didn't have time to look..."

"Enough, hold on tight! Tonight, I'll take you to see the moon!"