Chapter Thirty: The Pretty Boy

Let’s have a little burst today—one more chapter, but the midnight update is still on schedule.

After class that afternoon, Fu Xinxin and Zhuo Nan had been passing notes through two entire periods. Then, as usual, Zhuo Nan went off to ask the old man for leave and slipped out. He was going to meet Long Kun to arrange the details of tomorrow’s transaction with Wang Zhenguo. Zhuo Nan could get away with requesting leave, but Shi Yang wasn’t so lucky, which is where skipping class at crucial moments really pays off.

Once again, it was in that filthy little room—so grimy it made one’s skin crawl—that Zhuo Nan presented the final plan to Long Kun and his men. Tomorrow, they would act according to this plan.

In truth, as the Brain had said, there are countless ways to make money. Now that the Brain was wholeheartedly helping Zhuo Nan, any random idea it came up with could probably net him far more than a mere million. But Zhuo Nan wasn’t after money. He wanted to thoroughly bring down Wang Zhenguo, to completely topple him. Especially now, with Long Kun and all his people involved, backing out would ruin his reputation—and make it impossible to command these underworld subordinates in the future. Zhuo Nan was already mapping out a much bigger plan in his mind.

Once the discussion ended, Zhuo Nan left, while Shi Yang stayed behind to continue his boxing practice with Long Kun—after all, Long Kun was an excellent hands-on coach.

As for Zhuo Nan, he no longer needed to train. The reason the Rapid Mastery Combat Technique was named “rapid mastery” was because it was, quite simply, fast. If it took thirty or fifty years to learn, it wouldn’t deserve the name. More importantly, with the Super Brain at his command, every move and counter-move of the technique had already been directly uploaded to Zhuo Nan’s body. In other words, he had already learned it—all that remained was real combat experience.

As for physical strength and conditioning, Zhuo Nan had no worries; the Brain had already taken over his nervous system and devised a scientific, rational training regimen for him.

When he got home and put down his bag, the house was empty as usual. At that moment, the phone rang. Zhuo Nan was puzzled—normally, calls at home were for his parents. He walked over and picked up the receiver, politely saying, “Hello, who’s calling?”

A cautious female voice on the other end asked, “Is this Zhuo Nan?”

“Yes, this is he. And you are?” Zhuo Nan asked, curious.

“Stupid Zhuo Nan, can’t you recognize your own sister’s voice?” Who else could talk to him in such a tone except our own Lan?

“Wow, Sis, how did you get my home number?” Zhuo Nan asked, clueless.

On the other end, Lan Qian rolled her eyes. “I thought you were supposed to be smart? You had an incident at the Criminal Investigation Unit—of course there’s a record of your contact info.”

Zhuo Nan smacked his forehead. “What an idiot I am.”

“So, Sis, what’s up?” Zhuo Nan asked.

“Little brother, I need to thank you this time…” Zhuo Nan knew what she was referring to, but feigned ignorance. “What for, Sis?”

“You silly boy… Du Fanhao’s case, of course! After I collected the new evidence, I reported it to Captain Liu. He took it very seriously and immediately ordered Sun Yan to cooperate with an investigation into the housekeeper’s hometown. The housekeeper was just brought back and confessed—it really was her who stole the *contraceptives*.” Her voice dropped to a near-whisper at the last three words.

“Wow, that’s great news! Sis, aren’t I clever!” Zhuo Nan boasted into the phone. Though Lan Qian couldn’t see him, she could easily imagine him puffing out his chest and shouting with pride.

“Yes, yes, little brother is the smartest. As a reward, how about I treat you to dinner tonight?” Lan Qian laughed.

Dinner? Zhuo Nan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “Sis, let’s skip dinner. If you really want to reward me, how about agreeing to another request?”

Lan Qian hesitated. Her mind immediately jumped to that incident in the morning—could this rascal want another feel? If he made an improper request, she’d never speak to him again. With this in mind, she said, “Go ahead, what do you want?”

Zhuo Nan grinned. “I’m not interested in food, Sis. I’ve never been to a disco before—how about you take me tonight?” The only reason Zhuo Nan wanted to go was because he’d promised the Brain last night to show it some girls. The disco was full of attractive women, dressed provocatively, which would definitely suit the Brain’s tastes.

“Thanks, bro.”

“My pleasure…”

Lan Qian let out a sigh of relief. At least he hadn’t asked for anything inappropriate. But a disco? That’s not a good place for a kid! “What do you want to go there for, little brother? Kids aren’t allowed in those places.”

“That’s exactly why I need you. I wouldn’t dare go alone. You’re a police officer—if you take me, it’ll be fine. Besides, if you don’t take me, I might sneak off one day and get into trouble. Don’t worry, I just want to see what it’s like—once is enough.”

Lan Qian thought it over. Kids are curious; if she didn’t take him, who knows what trouble he could get into by going alone. Better to satisfy his curiosity now so he’d behave in the future. With that, she decided. “Alright, I’ll take you tonight. Come to the Criminal Investigation Unit now—after dinner, we’ll go to the disco.”

“Hooray! Sis, you’re the best—mwah!” Zhuo Nan even kissed the phone before she could respond and hung up.

Lan Qian stared at the receiver for a couple of seconds, stunned. “That rascal kissed me…” An odd sweetness bloomed in her chest, startling her. Could I actually be falling for this kid? Her face flushed, and she rushed off to wash it.

Lan Qian in uniform and Lan Qian in plain clothes were two different people. In uniform, she looked authoritative and competent; out of uniform, she transformed into a stylish, vibrant young woman. After all, she was still quite young.

She wore a lilac Joe&Jules cropped jacket that accentuated her perfect figure, paired with a pale yellow Chanel velvet skirt that stopped at her knees and black PINKY&ROSE high boots. All designer labels, only adding to her aura of elegance and sophistication.

Her clear, bright eyes, gently arched brows, long lashes quivering ever so slightly; her flawless, fair skin tinged with a faint blush; her lips, delicate as rose petals and glistening with youth…

Her look made Zhang Ning, standing some distance away, light up with lustful admiration. Gaining courage, he walked over. “Lan Qian, how about dinner tonight?”

Lan Qian glanced at him sideways. “Sorry, I already have plans,” she replied, picking up her purse and leaving.

Watching her walk away, Zhang Ning gritted his teeth. “You little tramp, I’ll find out who you’re meeting.”

Lan Qian had told Zhuo Nan to wait for her at the entrance to the Criminal Investigation Unit. But he’d been there for nearly half an hour with no sign of her. Bored, he squatted in a corner, fiddling with his watch in such an undignified way that anyone passing by would think he was relieving himself right outside the station.

After squatting for ages with no sign of a woman in uniform, Zhuo Nan, growing anxious, got up to go in and look for her. Just then, he heard someone call his name.

He looked up, and saw a stunning, fashionably dressed young woman walking toward him. “No way…” he thought. When she reached him, it really was Lan Qian. His eyes darted, lips twitching, and Lan Qian spread her hands. “What’s wrong?”

Zhuo Nan smiled. “Sis, you look so beautiful I almost didn’t recognize you.” The flattery worked—Lan Qian blushed. She’d dressed up like this, after all, at least partly for him.

“You cheeky boy, always with the sweet talk. Come on, let’s go eat.” Lan Qian laughed, praising him.

The mention of food made Zhuo Nan shudder. That dinner with Sun Yan had nearly ended in disaster. But he didn’t try to act tough in front of Lan Qian. “Sis, I’m broke, you’ll have to cover me.”

Lan Qian smiled. “Don’t worry, it’s my treat. Afterward, I’ll take you to the disco.”

“Great!” Zhuo Nan didn’t really care about the disco—he just wanted to give the Brain a treat.

Lan Qian hailed a taxi and they got in. From a distance, Zhang Ning watched, grumbling to himself, “So it’s that little punk.” He flagged down a cab and followed.

When deciding what to eat, Lan Qian genuinely treated Zhuo Nan like a kid. KFC? He shook his head. McDonald’s? Another shake.

“So what do you want?” Lan Qian asked.

“Anything but KFC or McDonald’s,” Zhuo Nan replied with a smile.

“Alright, let’s have Western food then.” Western food again—why did everyone love it so much these days? Only then did Zhuo Nan realize that “country-style” restaurants hadn’t caught on yet. Still, they were small earners, but perhaps something for Long Kun’s idle men to do in the future. No need to rush.

To his surprise, Lan Qian picked the very same Western restaurant where he’d dined with Sun Yan. Unfortunately, as soon as they entered, the waiter recognized him. Pretty boys were a rarity, so he stood out. Under the waiter’s suggestive gaze, Zhuo Nan could only bury his head in the menu.

Lan Qian ordered a steak with practiced ease, then looked up at Zhuo Nan. “What about you?”

It was his second time with the menu, but he delayed ordering, wanting to save Lan Qian some money.

Under the waiter’s knowing gaze, Zhuo Nan finally picked the cheapest steak. The waiter smiled, “Please wait a moment,” then left, shooting Zhuo Nan another look on his way out.

Lan Qian was puzzled. “Zhuo Nan, does that waiter know you? He keeps staring.”

Zhuo Nan, completely embarrassed, had no choice but to explain about the previous dinner with Sun Yan. When Lan Qian heard it, she burst out laughing, tears nearly streaming down her face. “You really do have a knack for being a gigolo, little brother!” she gasped between laughs, clutching her stomach.

Seeing her laugh herself silly, Zhuo Nan could only roll his eyes. Was it really that funny?

Sensing Zhuo Nan’s discomfort, Lan Qian quickly stifled her laughter, though her smile lingered. She pulled out three hundred yuan and handed it to him. “Here, take this, little brother. You can’t play the big shot without money.”

“Sis, what do you mean? I won’t take your money.” He knew she meant well, but Zhuo Nan had his pride.

Lan Qian smiled. “I know you’re a man of principle. But ever since I accepted you as my little brother, I haven’t bought you anything. Think of it as a gift—just take it.”

“No, Sis. If you really want to give me something, I’ll be glad and grateful. But money—I absolutely can’t accept.” Seeing his determination, she took the money back.

At that moment, the waiter came with the food, catching sight of Lan Qian handing Zhuo Nan the three hundred yuan. He was briefly stunned, then quickly recovered—thinking, “So this kid’s going rate is three hundred a night? What a gigolo…”

Seeing the waiter’s expression, Zhuo Nan realized his reputation as a pretty boy was probably solidified in this restaurant.

“Please enjoy your meal…” said the waiter politely as he left.

Zhuo Nan only wished to finish the meal and escape. Meanwhile, Lan Qian’s opinion of him rose yet another notch. Zhuo Nan wasn’t just clever—he had backbone and principles. Such boys were rare these days. Even if he was a bit cheeky, it was a charming sort of cheekiness.

Through the restaurant window, Zhang Ning watched Zhuo Nan and Lan Qian enjoying their meal, and angrily took a vicious bite of his meat bun.