Chapter Eight: To Tread on Others, One Must Wear Good Shoes

Scarface’s real name was Li Shihong. He had dropped out of middle school and spent his days running with gangs, doing all sorts of mischief. Perhaps because he’d been hustling on the streets for so long, Scarface had seen far more of the world than most people. The more roads you walk, the more people you meet, and the more people you meet, the sharper your eyes become. Just from the meaningful choice of Encounter Hotel, it was clear this man had a strong sense of logic.

Encounter Hotel, in HJ City, was a place that offered both food and lodging—its theme was a couples' restaurant. In Scarface’s view, men conquer the world, women conquer men. He wasn’t yet clear on the precise relationship between Chen Hongxu and Xue Xi, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to win Xue Xi’s favor. After all, it’s said a woman chasing a man is separated only by a thin veil; big brother, just let it happen.

The hotel wasn’t far from the alley; a large group marched grandly to its entrance. At the door stood a handsome young man, clearly a security guard. He eyed the crowd and raised his arm to signal them to stop, his tone serious: “There are too many of you.”

Scarface nodded toward Chen Hongxu and strode up to the guard, shedding the amiable manner he’d worn near Chen Hongxu. His face contorted, “What? Too many people so we can’t go in?”

There was no denying the scar on his face was intimidating; standing there, his scar curled across his cheek like a centipede, giving him a natural air of authority. The security guard, just another poorly paid worker, wasn’t about to risk his meager salary squaring off with these obvious gangsters. Perhaps out of a flicker of professional duty, he finally murmured, “But this is a place for couples…”

Scarface, a minor celebrity among the street crowd, had long mastered the art of listening to everything around him. The guard’s words reached him easily. Scarface laughed—a genuine, cheerful laugh. He grabbed the guard, who was trying to turn and flee. “Brother, I’m an honest man. Everyone calls me Honest Li. I won’t mess with you. If I didn’t know this was a couples-themed hotel, I wouldn’t even be here.”

The guard looked perplexed as Scarface turned and shouted, “Shunzi, Monkey, you two kiss—let everyone know we’re here for some fun.”

The two named broke into a cold sweat. Amid the laughter, they stepped forward, glaring fiercely at the guard, as if to say, “Kid, do your job and just wait.” The guard dared not actually make them kiss; he wasn’t stupid enough to offend them. With a grimace, he looked up at Scarface, who appeared calm and indifferent, and pleaded, “Brother, you’re like my own brother. Can’t I just let you all in?”

Truthfully, the guard had long wanted to quit. Seven hundred a month, no food or lodging, and worst of all, he was just a normal guy. Greeting guests every day, he often ran into men who liked to show off in front of women, as if bullying someone was the only way to prove their worth. He’d been bottling up his anger for a while.

Chen Hongxu, oblivious to the hotel’s theme, had been through hardship himself and could easily sense the guard’s predicament. With a furrowed brow, he interrupted Scarface’s little show. “Forget it. Let’s find somewhere else. We’re all just poor souls.”

Scarface would never go against Chen Hongxu. After all, this dinner was meant to soothe him; if he wasn’t happy before even eating, what was the point? Unless something unexpected happened, the group would have left. Even Xue Xi, who really wanted to go inside, thought that eating with Chen Hongxu in a couples’ hotel, surrounded by a crowd of burly men playing drinking games, was enough to turn her stomach; so she agreed.

Just as the group was about to leave, a Guangqi Toyota appeared, roaring with modified exhaust. With a dazzling maneuver—a tailspin—it ended its flashy performance before the crowd. The car door opened, and out stepped a man in his mid-twenties. His hair was slicked down, sparkling with gel, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses gave him a refined look. His tailored shirt and suit suggested a successful professional.

The man glanced curiously at the crowd blocking the entrance, twisted his neck left and right, a faint smile on his lips. He walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and made a gentlemanly gesture of invitation.

Curiosity is universal; after witnessing his driving, everyone wondered what sort of companion would emerge from the passenger seat.

A woman, certainly. Everyone was simply curious whether she matched this obviously cultured man.

“Hmm? It’s her…” Chen Hongxu recognized her before she even turned around. That silhouette had once been his nightmare.

Xue Xi had been watching Chen Hongxu closely and caught his expression. She knew the woman well—not from personal acquaintance, but from researching a certain someone’s life story. That woman had played a pivotal role later on, so how could she be overlooked?

Xue Xi’s pink lips parted, her face full of disdain as she murmured, “A truly shameless woman.”

The man approached with Xiao Fei on his arm. The gangsters saw Xiao Fei’s beauty clearly, but weren’t especially impressed—after all, Xue Xi was standing right there. In their eyes, Xue Xi might be naïve, but she was genuinely beautiful; you couldn’t say she wasn’t just because she was silly.

The man and Xiao Fei reached the entrance, both their gazes drawn to Xue Xi. As for the extras nearby—who cared who you were?

Before the man could act, Xiao Fei released his arm, stepped forward with an eager smile, and called out, “Isn’t this Xue Xi? Are you here with your boyfriend for dinner?”

Xiao Fei was shrewd. She knew the gap between herself and Xue Xi, and had once believed she could never match her. But who would have thought Xue Xi would fall for someone as useless as Chen Hongxu? And recently, with her own calculated approach, she’d hooked the man at her side. Now, it was time to compete.

Xue Xi, clever as ever, saw right through Xiao Fei’s intentions. She scoffed, “Do we know each other?”

Xiao Fei hadn’t expected such a reply. How could a rich heiress not understand the most basic courtesy? Sensing the awkwardness, she turned and gazed passionately at the man with impressive driving skills, her voice saccharine: “Darling, what shall we eat tonight?” Her exaggerated performance made everyone shudder.

But the man had no eyes for Xiao Fei. Ignoring her question, he strode forward, reached out his hand, and smiled brightly at Xue Xi. “Hello, Xue Xi. I’m Wang Bingcai.”

“Do we know each other?” This time, Xue Xi was genuinely puzzled.

“When your father came to invest last time, I was there. I saw you,” Wang Bingcai replied—though he had only seen her from afar.

Xue Xi glanced at Wang Bingcai’s outstretched hand, blinked, and stepped aside, naturally linking her arm tightly with Chen Hongxu, making it clear their relationship was anything but superficial. She smiled apologetically, “I have a boyfriend. It’s improper for men and women to touch—better not to have any physical contact.”

Only now did Wang Bingcai really take stock of the unremarkable young man before him, inwardly cursing Xue Xi for her poor taste while retracting his hand in annoyance. He sneered, “It’s only a polite gesture. Who would have thought the daughter of Xue Baishu could be so rude? Your father has plenty of projects that pass through my hands, you know.”

Xiao Fei, hearing Wang Bingcai pick a fight with Xue Xi, hurried to cling to him, her lips curling smugly. “Darling, don’t make things difficult for my classmate. Her family’s quite wealthy, you know.” She seemed to have completely forgotten being ignored moments earlier.

Wang Bingcai was about to make some triumphant remarks when Xue Xi, oblivious to everyone, pulled out her phone. “Dad, do your HJ City projects have to go through someone named Wang Bingcai?”

“Wang Bingcai? Who’s that? What’s going on, sweetheart?” came the puzzled reply from the other end.

“After school today, a government worker named Wang Bingcai blocked me, said he was holding up your project and wanted me to accompany him—to dine, to drink, to sleep. I thought, Dad, it’s hard enough for you to earn money for the family. Maybe I should just agree?” Xue Xi’s expression was cold, but her voice was sweet.

A sharp crack sounded, and then the line went dead.

“You’re finished,” Xue Xi said, putting away her phone. She stared at Wang Bingcai, who was clearly stunned, and murmured, “My father’s only response will be to withdraw the investment. I wonder, for your HJ City’s new industrial and trade hub, if you suddenly lose several billion, can you bear that responsibility? I hope you’re as impressive as you think you are. Good luck.”

Wang Bingcai wasn’t sure if it was true, but he believed business was business. Xue Baishu was too shrewd to withdraw investment over something so trivial. After all, you can’t just say you’ll pull out and be done with it—the contracts, engineering, materials, and so forth. Even if the city government didn’t delay payments and let him withdraw smoothly, Xue Baishu would still lose at least a hundred million.

Wang Bingcai smiled nonchalantly, shook his head, and said with feeling, “If you really cared about me, maybe I’d be happier.”

Xiao Fei, standing beside him, was little more than a decorative vase at this level of conflict. This was far beyond the reach of a high school student.

Xue Xi shrugged, paid no more attention to Wang Bingcai, and gently tugged the arm she was holding, speaking softly, “Hongxu, let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”

Since Chen Hongxu hadn’t responded, Xue Xi turned to look at him. Their eyes met—one looking up, one looking down—each focused on a different part.

Everyone knew that shrugging inevitably made the chest move, and at that moment, Xue Xi was clinging to Chen Hongxu’s arm, feigning sweetness. That subtle, soft movement was something Chen Hongxu, inexperienced as he was, could hardly resist.

He masked his anxiety with cold indifference, gave a faint “Hmm,” then pulled his arm free and led the group away.

As she left, Xue Xi glanced disdainfully at Xiao Fei, laughing, “If you want to climb up by stepping on my man, you’ll need better shoes.” Then she tapped her head in mock exasperation, shot Wang Bingcai a half-smile, and followed Chen Hongxu.

The two left behind stood in the wind, speechless, their thoughts in disarray.