Chapter Two: The Beauty Rescues the Bear

The surge of male hormones is mainly triggered by external stimuli—alcohol and beautiful women are the most potent. Right now, in Chu Dong’s car, sat a stunning beauty. Though she was a bit young, she still made his blood boil, igniting an urge to unleash his inner energy.

He was here for a blind date. Besides a bouquet of fresh flowers prepared by his secretary, which was hardly suitable as a weapon, there was nothing else in the car. With no other choice, he grabbed a bottle of cola and charged forward with an aggressive air.

“Guys, that’s the one who took the girl away! Get him!” shouted a blond-haired youth, waving a baseball bat and pointing at Chu Dong. Instantly, a crowd poured out of the van, surging toward him.

These boys were all young, barely twenty at most. Chu Dong was unarmed, and even if he had something to use, he had no grievance with them and couldn’t bring himself to strike hard. The other side, however, cared little for such scruples; batons were aimed straight for his head and vital points.

“Damn it, is this for real?” Chu Dong cursed, darting into the fray with bizarre agility. With the cola bottle in hand, he swung and blocked, kicking at their hips and thighs as if he were a tiger thrown among wolves. In no time, several were down. His slightly curled black hair was tousled by the wind, and his not-quite-large eyes flashed with an intimidating brilliance, making him look like an invincible war god. The remaining boys, stunned by his display, lost their initial bravado and became hesitant.

These kids were only driven by fleeting bravado; compared to the real toughs of the underworld, they were nothing. They fancied themselves as gangsters, but when faced with a real adversary, panic soon set in.

“Misbehaving at such a young age? Let’s see how this uncle teaches you a lesson!” Chu Dong cried out, advancing toward a few of them.

Frightened by his ferocity, the boys retreated continuously. However, behind Chu Dong, one had been knocked down—not seriously hurt, just toppled over. Seizing the chance while Chu Dong’s attention was elsewhere, he quietly stood up, grabbed a baseball bat, and swung it hard at Chu Dong’s back.

By the time Chu Dong noticed the shadow behind him, it was too late. He turned sideways, taking the blow head-on. Luckily, the attacker hesitated and didn’t use full force, but the impact still left half of Chu Dong’s body numb. Seeing one of their own land a hit, the others regained their courage and charged again, realizing this noisy guy wasn’t as invincible as he’d seemed.

Chu Dong had been treating this like a game, toying with the kids as a cat would with mice. But a moment’s carelessness and his pretense caught up with him; the sneak attack left him genuinely struggling. Even then, he couldn’t bring himself to seriously injure them, so he shielded his head with both arms, searching for a chance to break free.

Just as Chu Dong found himself in a tight spot, the door of his car suddenly burst open. A white figure, screaming like a fighter jet, shot into the melee.

The boys attacking Chu Dong actually made way; for a long moment, no more bats fell upon him. Raising his head from behind his arms, Chu Dong saw one boy who’d been beating him now stood frozen, clutching his head. Beside Chu Dong stood the girl who’d gotten into the wrong car, holding his long steering wheel lock. Blood stained the end, dripping steadily to the ground.

Seeing someone injured didn’t inflame their bloodlust—it left the boys dumbstruck. They just stood there, lost.

“What are you standing around for? Take him to the hospital!” Chu Dong shouted, then grabbed the girl—her hands still clutching the “weapon”—and bolted.

Once inside the car, he started the engine and sped off.

“You really went all out! If you’d hit him any harder, where would you go to cry about it?” Chu Dong noticed the girl’s face was pale and her body trembling, but she was sharp-tongued as ever.

Kids these days really had no sense of depth. Whether it was some subculture or just excessive freedom, they bristled against any authority, taking pride in being unconventional, caring little what others thought.

“And you’re one to talk? If you hadn’t played the hero and tried to take them all on, would this beauty have had to step in to save your sorry self?” Though still a bit afraid, the girl refused to admit defeat.

“A coward, am I?” Chu Dong was so irritated by her words that he slammed on the brakes. The car screeched to a halt. The girl, having fastened her seatbelt at some point, was unscathed, though jolted. Chu Dong, on the other hand, had forgotten to buckle up in his haste and slammed his chest into the steering wheel, coughing for a while before recovering. Rubbing his chest, he muttered, “Just my luck today, but at least my ribs are intact.”

Then, recalling her words, he retorted, “A coward, am I? If it weren’t for me, the modern-day Good Samaritan, risking life and limb to save you, you’d have been dragged off to be some bandit’s little wife by now!”

“Oh, please. Did you see how you got all those lumps? If I hadn’t descended like a fairy at the last moment, you’d have more bumps than a Buddha’s head!” The girl curled her lip, showing no gratitude.

“You—get out! Not another minute, not another second do I want you in this car. Disappear right now!” Normally a master debater, Chu Dong found himself utterly at a loss with this sharp-tongued girl.

“Oh, touchy, are we? Where’s your grace? Not only are you refusing to thank your savior, but now you’re going to abandon me in the middle of nowhere? Repaying kindness with ingratitude, is that it? You wouldn’t want to be that kind of person, would you? You may not be much to look at, but at least you don’t look like a villain. But if you really did something so heartless, and word got out, how would that look?” The girl ignored Chu Dong’s fury, speaking with cool logic.

“The city is full of cars—how is this the middle of nowhere? You don’t even blink when you make things up!” Chu Dong refused to take the bait.

“So what if I don’t have money for a ride? Surely you’re not going to abandon your lifesaver here and let me wander the streets? Just take me home, that’s all.” She acted as though his request for her to leave was some cruel injustice, mouth agape in disbelief, then whined like a spoiled child.

“I’ve got things to do, stop making a fuss.” Chu Dong wasn’t fooled; though she wore nothing flashy, her bearing alone revealed her privileged background.

“Then go do what you need to. I’ll wait right here,” she said sweetly, suddenly as obedient as a well-behaved child.

“Fine, wait then. I don’t know when I’ll be done.” Chu Dong parked the car in a coffee shop’s reserved spot at Zhongshan Square, pulled out the keys, and got out.