The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 147 Death and the Fat Receptionist (1)

Jiang Ying had long thought of Zhao Xiaochui. Several videos of his inhuman speed had circulated, and people thought it was just a brief burst of talent, but she had other ideas.

But she believes that kind of person exists.

She vaguely guessed what the fat receptionist was planning, but she wouldn't say anything.

She has a loving family, and she doesn't want them to be at any risk, so all she can do is stand by and watch!

But inside, she was devastated—this woman was the fate of the nation!
If something happens to her, the already fragile morale will truly crumble!
Unfortunately, she didn't realize—

History books are filled with stories of emperors and generals, but what truly drives the times forward are always those whose names are never even remembered—the common people.

…………

Jinchan North Road was unusually quiet tonight.

The shops along the street seemed to have heard the news and closed early.

Zhao Xiaochui stood at the store entrance, watching the last employee leave safely. His gaze unconsciously fell on the streetlight in the distance—Ma Jinfang was bending over, cleaning up the kitchen waste in front of the store, her figure appearing particularly thin in the dim light.

A dilapidated tricycle creaked and groaned as it drove by.

Grandpa Qin's eyes darted around, clearly not expecting to run into Zhao Xiaochui.

Inside the truck bed, a small figure was huddled up furtively; it was obvious who it was.

"Aren't you afraid of straining your back from working on such a heavy flowerpot?"

Grandpa Qin chuckled awkwardly, his face crinkling with wrinkles, while Yangyang poked his head out from behind him and made a face at Zhao Xiaochui.

The grandfather and grandson ignored his advice and stubbornly pedaled their tricycle toward the old shop.

Since he couldn't rely on his grandfather, Zhao Xiaochui decided to take matters into his own hands and, once he was done with his work, properly correct Yangyang's sense of right and wrong.

Otherwise, with increasingly heavy flowerpots falling, something bad will happen sooner or later.

"Little hammer~"

A clear, crisp voice interrupted his thoughts.

Guo Ruixue and a group of classmates happened to pass by. The campus belle of the United University was wearing a pair of slim-fit jeans today, which perfectly outlined her budding hip line.

Although she is not yet voluptuous, her youthful and vibrant aura is enough to make her stand out in a crowd—you can tell from the group of boys surrounding her.

"Going out so late?"

"A newly opened KTV, wanna join us?" Guo Ruixue glanced at Qing Song Man Xing, whose lights were already off, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Zhao Xiaochui shook his head: "We have distinguished guests tonight."

"Then next time." Guo Ruixue was a little disappointed. She was about to say something more when she was interrupted by her companion's wary look.

She waved helplessly, and the "ghost fire boys" who had been waiting by the roadside immediately surrounded her.

The leader, Young Master Qiao, braced himself on one leg and sized up Zhao Xiaochui: "Closing up so early?"

"A big star came for a massage; it's too chaotic outside."

“Don’t worry,” Young Master Qiao grinned, “My dad has people stationed at all the major intersections, and my brothers are keeping an eye on this area.”

Watching the group of young people leave noisily, I could still vaguely hear their conversation:

"Is it really him? The owner of that popular online store?"

I heard that the actress's massage was done by him personally.

"I'm so envious and jealous. He got to touch the Best Actress."

"Ruixue, how do you know him?"

"Drip drop~"

The words in my ear were interrupted by a hurried notification sound.

The big star updated his Weibo.

Because powerful figures intervened, the update immediately jumped to the top spot.

This time, there is only one set of pictures.

There was no caption, just a psychological assessment report and a nine-grid photo of exercise.

In the photo, she is wearing a tight vest, sweating profusely as she lifts dumbbells, her muscle definition clearly visible.

The genuine smile on his face showed no trace of depression.

The comment section exploded instantly: How can this look like someone who has just recovered from a serious illness?
…………

Hong Kong - Victoria Harbour
Chen Linna, who was far away in Hong Kong, carefully observed each photo. Then, without hesitation, she booked a plane ticket and sent a screenshot of the order to Yu Xiaoning.

"I'll be there tomorrow, please help me make an appointment."

…………

A high-level office in Beijing's Financial Street

The buzzing of her phone interrupted Yu Xiaoning's work. She glanced at the screen and a smile appeared on her lips.

She cropped out the name field and threw the flight ticket order into multiple group chats.

"Radical mastectomy for breast cancer: surgery plus post-operative rehabilitation – number one in China!"

After sending the message, she looked at the robust driver who had already returned to report:

"Two people?"

The burly driver nodded.

"Let's get going, we're already late."

"Received, I'll pick up the car right away."

…………

Beijing Traffic Police Command Center
Lei Zhen kept an eye on the intersections that dotted the city, coordinating with traffic police to inspect large vehicles and directing his colleagues to set up checkpoints at key intersections to prevent vehicles from running over.

Yu Xiaoning had special security personnel around him, and there wasn't much the three of them could do except start with the car accidents and other methods that were commonly used by those people.

"We would like to request that police officers be dispatched to set up checkpoints at Dongzhimen Interchange, Chaoyangmen Bridge, and Jianguomen Ramp to focus on checking vehicles without license plates."

…………

Fatou Police Station - Guard Room

Under the dim light of the desk lamp, the phone screen suddenly lit up.

Old Lou squinted his cloudy eyes, staring at the brief message—

"If you die today, you will get $200 million."

A strange smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. His withered fingers tapped the screen a few times, sending a screenshot of the death order.

Then, he slowly put down the thermos, the bottom of the cup touching the table with a dull "thud".

A chilling change has occurred—

The old gatekeeper, who used to be hunched over and walked with a shaky gait, now straightened his back like a beast awakening.

The bones cracked and popped, and beneath the loose skin, muscles bulged like steel bars, stretching the faded uniform into sharp lines.

He reached out and took off his reading glasses, revealing a pair of cloudy eyes behind the lenses that were now sharp as knives.

...At the entrance of the new KTV in Fatou
Before I knew it, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

The neon lights cast eerie reflections on the rain-soaked pavement.

After seeing off the college students who were still chattering away, the Ghost Train convoy of modified electric motorcycles parked haphazardly in a circle.

Young Master Qiao sent a photo to the Ghostfire group.

"You all saw how easy and leisurely he was walking, right?" He exhaled a smoke ring, his voice low. "Our old folks have all benefited from that kid's kindness quite a bit. This morning's video—" He paused, "...was fucking outrageous."

"Yeah, I was so angry when I saw the video this morning! Wasn't that blatant bullying?"

"Exactly. If I find out who put in the way, I'll teach her a lesson."

"Brother Qiao, tell me, what do you want everyone to do?"

"..."

These reckless young lads, if they follow good people, can be considered heroes; if they follow bad people, they can be just as impulsive and reckless.

"The photos have already been sent to everyone. The negative reviews online, other businesses poaching customers, and the connections made by legitimate people are all the work of this woman. She was here today."

Some netizens looked at the photo with doubt: "How come she looks so young? I remember she was trending on social media not long ago."

Young Master Qiao smiled slightly: "You've all seen the big star's Weibo, so what's there to doubt about that kid's abilities?"

The group of friends suddenly realized what was going on.

"Did you bring all your gear?"

"of course."

"How can you forget to bring your tools of the trade?"

The young men, wielding ghosts, pulled out baseball bats, chain locks, and modified riot batons from their modified vehicles, which gleamed coldly under the neon lights.

One skinny guy even pulled out his family's heirloom Tai Chi sword—although the scabbard still had a label that read "Souvenir of the Square Dance Competition".

Young Master Qiao nodded in satisfaction: "Then let's set off and ambush at the intersection to wait for news."

"Okay~"

The impulsive teenagers roared off.

As the convoy disappeared, Young Master Qiao turned to look at a boy he had deliberately left behind.

He had once helped the boy settle a matter, saving him from imprisonment.

"Erhu, we'll have to use your old skills later. Sneak a car to the intersection where you're on duty."

Upon hearing the name of the duty station, Erhu grinned and agreed without hesitation.

"Let's go then."

Young Master Qiao's gaze was deep and complex, and he let out a long sigh in his heart.

…………

The drizzling rain in Beijing made the city very dirty.

The light pollution from Happy Valley not far away allowed Zhao Xiaochui to see the low-hanging, light gray clouds in the sky.

The glow of the streetlights spread through the rain and mist, shrouding the entire Jinchan North Road in a hazy, dim yellow light.

A black sedan broke through the rain and mist, rolled over the puddles, and slowly came to a stop at the entrance of Easy Slow Drive.

The three people filed out of the car.

The burly driver glanced around at the group. The unusually quiet Jinchan North Road tonight made him involuntarily frown.

Yu Xiaoning approached Zhao Xiaochui, ready to speak.

"and many more."

This is a warning for robust drivers.

A blurry figure approached from not far away.

Zhao Xiaochui thought for a moment, then took out his tablet from his bag and tapped it twice.

The entrance lighting is turned on for easy, slow-moving traffic.

The image reflected a face that Joe recognized.

"Little Hammer, you were looking for me?"

Zhao Xiaochui breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He saw the bulge around Qiao Suo's waist, and his sense of security soared.

"Uncle Qiao, could you please stand guard?"

Director Qiao glanced at Yu Xiaoning. The notice from his superiors regarding special talents was about this woman, so of course he knew her.

"The duty lies."

He smiled and saluted.

The burly driver glanced at his wet uniform, released his arm, and let Chief Qiao stand beside him.

Zhao Xiaochui, along with Yu Xiaoning and another security guard, walked through the glass doors.

He didn't go into the waiting area, but stayed at the main entrance, because most of his mind and attention were focused on the direction of the old shop.

"What is it that we have to meet in person to talk about?" he asked absentmindedly.

Yu Xiaoning knew that a lot had happened today, but she didn't take his condition seriously.

“I want to talk to you about Aunt Chen, but she can hear both of our phones.”

Zhao Xiaochui nodded knowingly.

Seeing that he understood what she meant, Yu Xiaoning continued, "You and Aunt Chen's child look very alike."

Zhao Xiaochui paused for a moment, then nodded: "That's what I can think of."

Yu Xiaoning nodded: "It happened two years ago. Before a mission, due to a shortage of manpower, he was needed as a logistics staff member to support the front line."

"His job is simple—sit in the support vehicle and keep an eye on the equipment."

Zhao Xiaochui's expression was grave: "The result was unexpected?"

Yu Xiaoning nodded: "I don't know why, but he got out of the support vehicle and got into a car accident!"

“At that time, fighting broke out on the front line, and casualties occurred immediately, so the communication channel canceled the peace report.”

"Nobody knows what happened back there."

"Where is Skynet?"

Zhao Xiaochui asked, suppressing his anger.

What the government promotes every day, the people all know, but when it comes to crucial moments, it becomes something that nobody knows?

Yu Xiaoning lowered her head: "The surveillance footage from that period has been lost."

Zhao Xiaochui: "Is this normal?"

“It’s not normal,” Yu Xiaoning sighed. “But it’s also normal, because the only suspicion is the least likely scenario, so…”

"Is the person who caused the surveillance footage to go missing someone very powerful?"

(End of this chapter)