"His internal energy is immense? A martial arts master? Is that for real? He doesn't look like a martial arts master at all!"
Li Ziqing was puzzled. She found it hard to believe that a martial arts master would stoop to such a scam. After all, they had so many ways to make money!
Chen Xiao said, "Exactly, that's why I'm curious. Let's follow him and see what he does with the money he scammed."
Chen Xiao and Li Ziqing quietly followed the flat-faced man, keeping a distance of over ten meters. The flat-faced man, holding the money, walked directly towards a massage parlor. The pink light box at the entrance of the massage parlor was still lit, indicating it was open all night. And what kind of place this was, was self-evident.
Li Ziqing's confusion deepened. "Chen Xiao, are you sure you're not mistaken? Would a martial arts master come to a place like this?"
"Uh, well... martial arts masters have physiological needs too, so let's be understanding!" Chen Xiao coughed awkwardly.
Li Ziqing rolled her eyes upon hearing this and snorted, "Hmph, men..."
The flat-faced man didn't enter the massage parlor. After knocking a few times at the door, a woman with heavy makeup and dressed sexily came out to open it. The woman was yawning, clearly having not slept all night and working diligently.
"Why is it you? Why are you back again?" The woman, seeing the flat-faced man, suppressed her yawn.
"I've done what I promised you," the flat-faced man said, pulling the woman out from inside and shoving the plastic bag into her arms. "Here's ninety thousand yuan. I've counted it. If you don't trust me, count it again."
Chen Xiao had withdrawn ninety thousand yuan to make the amount round, not the eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan the flat-faced man had mentioned. Upon hearing this, the woman's expression was one of utter shock, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight. She glanced into the plastic bag and saw stacks and stacks of crisp banknotes.
"You're really going to give me this money?" the woman asked incredulously.
"Of course, I keep my word. But now that you've taken this money, you should live a good life and stop working in a place like this..." the flat-faced man earnestly advised.
At this scene, the woman was on the verge of tears. She choked out, "Brother, how can I ever thank you..."
"No need to thank me. I'm leaving. You must remember my words, repent and start anew!" The flat-faced man waved goodbye to the woman and turned to leave. The woman looked at him with reluctance before turning back into the massage parlor.
After witnessing the entire event, Li Ziqing was speechless. "That's it? Chen Xiao, do all you men like to persuade prostitutes to reform?"
Chen Xiao was also extremely awkward, not knowing what to say for a moment. However, at that moment, the flat-faced man was already walking towards them.
"Oh no, he's spotted us!" Li Ziqing exclaimed inwardly, feeling a bit guilty.
Chen Xiao smiled, "What if he spotted us? I had ninety thousand yuan scammed from me, so I at least need to know where it went." Chen Xiao had known all along that with the flat-faced man's skills, he wouldn't fail to notice he was being followed.
"Are you two done watching the show? You can disperse now!" the flat-faced man said to them with a smile, not showing any anger at being followed.
"You scammed our money just to do this?" Li Ziqing was indignant. Although she was wealthy, she couldn't stand seeing money wasted, especially in such a manner.
The flat-faced man didn't refute Li Ziqing's words. Instead, he smiled and said, "Heh heh, as the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I had a connection with this woman, and she was in trouble, so I couldn't just stand by."
"What connection do you two have? And what trouble was she in?" Li Ziqing was determined to get to the bottom of it, otherwise, the ninety thousand yuan felt too unjustly spent.
"Uh, well, last night I came here..." the flat-faced man paused, as if thinking about how to phrase it, "to patronize her business..."
Li Ziqing immediately understood. It turned out the connection the flat-faced man spoke of was the connection between a prostitute and her client.
"Miss, please don't look at Xiao Hong with prejudice. She has her reasons."
"She's in this line of work only to raise eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan for her brother's betrothal gift. Once she earns enough, she'll quit."
"And I was her first customer... Since I encountered this situation, it's my duty to pull her out of the mire and help her escape suffering..." The flat-faced man delivered a passionate speech, as if he were a magnanimous hero. Li Ziqing's eyes were practically rolling to the heavens.
"Two questions. First, I'm not a miss, so don't call me miss. Second, how old are you?"
"Oh, I've passed the age of knowing the Mandate of Heaven..."
"You're saying you're over fifty, and you still believe such old and worn-out nonsense?" Li Ziqing simply didn't know what to say. If it weren't for her trust in Chen Xiao, she wouldn't waste her time on such trash.
The flat-faced man frowned slightly. "Madam, please don't speak nonsense. You don't understand Xiao Hong at all, so how can you say she's speaking nonsense? You know, I had a heart-to-heart talk with her all night yesterday, and I believe her."
"I may not understand her, but I have eyes. Why don't you look back yourself?" Li Ziqing said with a cold smile.
The flat-faced man turned around and saw that 'Xiao Hong' was enthusiastically trying to lure customers into the shop. He was stunned. After a moment of silence, he sighed and beat his chest in regret.
"Alas, it seems I've been a fool once again..."
At this moment, Chen Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly, "I know! You are the great fool!"
Li Ziqing looked at Chen Xiao inexplicably. "He is indeed a great fool, but is there anything to be so excited about?"
Chen Xiao smiled, "Ziqing, the great fool I'm talking about is not the one you're thinking of."
Li Ziqing was completely bewildered. Was there a difference?
At this moment, Chen Xiao asked, "Ziqing, have you ever heard of the Four Absolutes of the Heavenly Rankings in the martial arts world?"
"I have," Li Ziqing replied, slightly taken aback. Although she wasn't a martial artist, having been involved in the Jianghu for years as Bamboo Leaf Green, she had naturally heard of the Four Absolutes of the Heavenly Rankings.
"Aren't they the Madman of the South, the God of the North, the Hero of the East, and the Fool of the West... Wait, you said he's the West Fool?"
Chen Xiao smiled slightly and looked at the flat-faced man. "If I'm not mistaken, you are the West Fool Lu Datou from the Four Absolutes of the Heavenly Rankings?"
The flat-faced man didn't deny it and chuckled freely. "I didn't expect you two, at such a young age, to have heard of my name. That's right, I am Lu Datou!"