Chapter 131: A Peculiar Professional Ethic

Good news: the big guy isn't a hitman.
Bad news: it would be better if he were.

Wang Chen immediately said with ironclad resolve, "I like women! I like girls who are female in both biological and psychological gender!"

A-Jie was stunned, finding Wang Chen's reaction strangely intense. He pondered for a moment and then realized, "Could it be that he still can't face his own orientation?"

Thinking this, A-Jie complained inwardly about the Association President's inaccurate intelligence while offering comfort: "You don't need to be so worked up. Even if you like men, it's not like..."

Wang Chen interrupted him: "I just like women! That is non-negotiable!"

Trying to brainwash me into swinging the other way? Not a chance! How devious!

He was dying to leave immediately, but he refused to stand up out of the water in front of A-Jie. Before, this would have been perfectly normal, but now it felt incredibly creepy. He decided to wait it out until A-Jie left first.

Seeing Wang Chen's firm attitude, A-Jie thought to himself that the kid was clearly struggling internally. Once he joined the Association, he would definitely have to have him see a psychologist; otherwise, wouldn't he end up leaping off a rooftop sooner or later? As for the present, it clearly wasn't the right time to discuss this topic further.

A-Jie rubbed his brow, not expecting to hit a landmine with this issue. How was he supposed to continue the conversation? He thought for a moment and decided to jump straight to the final point: money. Once Wang Chen realized the Association provided a stipend, given his difficult family situation, he might just join on the spot.

"Speaking of which, after the Grand Competition, you'll probably be leaving Luzhou to attend school in another city, right?"

Wang Chen looked at A-Jie warily and nodded.

"Out there, especially in those developed coastal cities, the cost of living won't be small," A-Jie said with the air of a concerned older brother.

Wang Chen couldn't figure out what kind of trick A-Jie was pulling, so he just nodded again to show agreement.

"I remember when I went away to university, I was always short on money, so I took part-time jobs," A-Jie said, looking nostalgic. "That was my first experience in the real world; I suffered quite a bit from lack of experience."

Wang Chen realized sharply that this old geezer was up to no good again.

A-Jie continued: "You'll probably be the same. Better to get some experience early. Why not find a job after the competition to build up some savings?"

"I happen to have a job opening right here..."

***

Wang Chen’s eyes widened. This old geezer had finally shown his true colors; he actually wanted to use money to lure an ignorant young man. How terrifying!

At this point, he no longer cared if he might be seen naked. If he stayed any longer, there was no telling what disgusting things this guy might say. Better to run while he could.

Before A-Jie could finish his sentence, Wang Chen stood up with a "whoosh," covered his lower body, and scrambled out of the hot spring pool. He took quick steps to the clothes rack, grabbed his bathrobe, threw it on, and fled toward the changing room.

The entire sequence of events was so fluid that A-Jie was left dumbfounded. "Wait... we were talking just fine, why the sudden departure?"

A-Jie grew anxious. He had been coaxing him for so long; he couldn't let it all go to waste and let Wang Chen just run off. He quickly climbed out of the pool and chased after him.

By the time he pulled back the plastic curtain of the changing room, Wang Chen had already hurriedly put on his clothes. Seeing A-Jie chase after him, Wang Chen shrieked in terror: "Stay back!"

He finished shouting and turned to run.

"Hey! Student Wang!" A-Jie pulled his clothes on in a flash and chased out after him.

The two began a cat-and-mouse chase through the streets.

Wang Chen looked back: "Damn! Why is this old pervert still following me?"

A flash appeared between his fingers, and the Forest Storm staff appeared in his hand. "Power of Speed!"

A flicker of light erupted from the head of the staff, and a wave washed over Wang Chen. He felt his body become much lighter, his feet moving like the wind, and he immediately widened the gap between himself and A-Jie.

"Wait, why are you using skills? That's not necessary!" A-Jie called out anxiously.

Although Wang Chen had put some distance between them, the latter was still firmly on his tail—such was the agility of a Diamond-tier professional. Wang Chen was chased into an alleyway.

"Crap. I was too focused on watching if that old pervert was following me, I forgot to watch where I was going. I ran into a dead end."

Wang Chen stared at the end of the alley, thinking things looked grim. Today’s events had been too surreal, and he was panicked in a way he had never been before—even more so than when he faced the Deep Pool Toad—which was why he had made such a rookie mistake.

*Tap, tap, tap...*

Hearing the footsteps behind him, Wang Chen pressed himself into the corner like a cornered animal, a flash of light between his fingers as he readied his Earth-Piercing Bead.

***

A-Jie stopped not far from him, asking anxiously: "Student Wang, what is wrong? Why did you run off without saying a word?"

Wang Chen was furious when he heard this: "You have the nerve to ask! Don't you have any self-awareness? Your dark circles are so heavy, yet you still don't know how to conduct yourself properly!"

"No, wait, what is your obsession with dark circles?" A-Jie retorted angrily. "If I hadn't been waiting downstairs at your house for a day and a night, would I have these dark circles?"

"What?" Wang Chen was terrified. So this old geezer had been planning this all along.

Driven by panic and rage, he brandished the Forest Storm, ready to take down the old pervert. A-Jie, seeing this, tried to calm him down, saying he could explain.

Just then, footsteps sounded from the entrance of the alley. A plain-looking, middle-aged man in a polo shirt walked over.

"Uh, excuse me." The man picked his nose with his pinky and looked at Wang Chen. "You're Wang Chen, right?"

"And who are you?" Wang Chen suspected that A-Jie had an accomplice.

As the man got closer, Wang Chen suddenly realized that this was the same guy from the bathhouse who had been snacking on treats. The other person he had been suspicious of.

"Who I am doesn't matter. You're Wang Chen, right?" The man pulled a photo out of his synthetic silk pants and compared it to Wang Chen. "Yeah, looks like there's no mistake."

"Someone paid me to break your limbs," the man said, stating a terrifying fact with a calm expression. As he spoke, he was still picking his nose.

Wang Chen was horrified. He suddenly understood: it wasn't just A-Jie following him, but also this snack-loving man. The gazes he had sensed weren't just one—there were two.

"Who sent you?" Wang Chen asked coldly.

"I have professional ethics; how could I easily leak the client's information?" the man said. "He paid 700,000 to have your limbs broken. Can you offer a higher price?"

A-Jie was stunned. "You'd sell out your client for more money? That's 'highest bidder' ethics, not professional ethics!"

The man glanced at him indifferently and turned back to Wang Chen: "It’s not selling out the client. If you pay a higher price, I'll help you break the other guy's limbs instead."

"But I'm still going to break your limbs; after all, I have to stick to my professional ethics."

Wang Chen couldn't help but laugh out loud. His limbs were actually only worth the price of a few pieces of equipment; he really had been underestimated.