Underworld: Starting with conquering countless lustful beauties

"Fine." Hao Mei raised her chin, reverting to her haughty demeanor. "But I'm a picky eater; I won't go to places that are too awful. Also, don't take me to those smoky, unpleasant places!"

"Don't worry!" Chen Feng opened the passenger door and made an exaggerated "please" gesture. "This is a perfectly respectable place! Miss Hao, please!"

"And another thing!" Hao Mei glared at him, "Don't call me Miss Hao anymore, it sounds awkward."

"What's her name? Sister Mei?"

"Get lost! Who called you 'sister'?"

"Then... Hao Mei?" Chen Feng called out tentatively, then grinned, "Hao Mei? So beautiful!"

"..."

Hao Mei was speechless after being choked by his lame joke, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

That bastard has a really sharp tongue.

Hao Mei sat in the passenger seat.

As evening falls in Donghai City, the city lights begin to twinkle.

Chen Feng drove his beat-up van, winding his way through the streets until he entered an old street. The street was lined with old houses, their blue bricks and gray tiles giving it a distinctly Jiangnan water town feel.

"This is it?" Hao Mei looked out the car window, somewhat surprised.

"Don't let the small storefront fool you, the food is absolutely amazing." Chen Feng parked his car on the side of the road. "This restaurant has been open for many years. The owner is from Zhejiang, and he makes authentic Shanghainese cuisine. Clean, authentic, and absolutely delicious."

The two entered the restaurant, which was decorated in an antique style, with polished wooden tables and chairs and several ink paintings hanging on the walls. Although it was not large, it was clean and tidy, and most of the diners were old neighbors from the neighborhood.

"This is a good seat." Hao Mei sat down by the window, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction.

Chen Feng skillfully ordered several signature dishes: braised pork belly, steamed sea bass, crab roe tofu, and pickled bamboo shoots with pork.

"I didn't expect you to have such a good eye for places," Hao Mei said, resting her chin on her hand and sizing up Chen Feng. "I thought you'd take me to some fancy hotel and have a feast of delicacies."

"That's so tacky," Chen Feng poured her a cup of tea. "Besides, I'm treating you to dinner to thank you, not to show off."

The dishes were served one after another, and the two ate and chatted.

Hao Mei picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in her mouth, her eyes lighting up: "Mmm! It's really delicious!"

"That's right, it's a place I, Chen Feng, recommended, how could it be bad?"

"Stop being so vain." Hao Mei rolled her eyes at him, but a smile played on her lips.

Halfway through the meal, Hao Mei suddenly put down her chopsticks, her expression turning serious.

"Chen Feng, there's something I need to make clear to you."

Chen Feng was gnawing on a pork rib when he heard this and looked up: "Huh?"

"That report wasn't entirely for you," Hao Mei said, looking directly into his eyes. "People like Mad Dog Qiang, who bully and exploit the people, deserve to be dealt with long ago. I'm a journalist; exposing such evil forces is my duty. You just... happened to be there."

Chen Feng put down the ribs and wiped his hands. "I understand."

"What do you understand?" Hao Mei frowned slightly. "What I mean is, don't think that just because I helped you once, I'll keep helping you in the future."

She paused, her tone becoming more serious: "Chen Feng, I've investigated you. The battlefield, the arcade, the nightclub… some of your businesses are clean, and some…"

Chen Feng's heart tightened, but he remained outwardly calm: "Is Reporter Hao going to interview me?"

"Don't try to be all frivolous with me," Hao Mei said, emphasizing each word. "I'll only say one thing—I'll be watching you. If you dare to do anything immoral, my pen can still send you to jail."

The air was still for a few seconds.

Chen Feng looked into Hao Mei's clear and determined eyes and suddenly smiled.

"Alright, Mr. Hao." He picked up his teacup, making a toasting gesture. "I, Chen Feng, will remember this. If I do anything wrong in the future, feel free to investigate."

Hao Mei was stunned for a moment, not expecting him to agree so readily.

"However, there's one thing I need to make clear." Chen Feng put down his teacup, his expression turning serious. "It's true I, Chen Feng, am a man of the underworld, but I have my bottom line. I don't bully ordinary people or cheat and swindle. I only earn what I should earn, and I fight back where I should fight."

The two looked at each other for a moment, then Hao Mei looked away first and continued eating.

"Say what you want, I'll be watching you."

……

At 8 p.m., the beat-up bread truck stopped at the entrance of the villa area.

Chen Feng got out of the car, opened the back door, and took out the bouquet of roses that, although slightly deformed from the bumpy ride, were still dazzlingly red.

"Look, you can't refuse this time, right? We're practically at your doorstep." Chen Feng handed over the flowers.

Hao Mei looked at the large bouquet of roses, then at Chen Feng's face, which held a mixture of roguishness and sincerity in its smile. The dim yellow light of the streetlamp shone on him, making him seem less unpleasant, and even... somewhat handsome.

"Who...who cares about your tattered flower?"

Despite saying that, her hands honestly accepted the bouquet.

"Alright, go back now, it's cold outside." Chen Feng waved his hand and turned to get into the car.

"Hey!" Hao Mei suddenly called out to him.

Chen Feng turned around: "What's wrong? You're reluctant to part with me?"

"Get lost!" Hao Mei blushed, took a few quick steps while holding the flowers, and said to him with her back to him before entering the gate, "Go back and give your little lackey a beating." She even made a fist gesture.

After saying that, Hao Mei, like a startled fawn, carried the flowers upstairs and entered her home.

She put the flowers in a vase and placed it on the windowsill. Then she took out the card she had secretly kept from her pocket, looked at the few lines of crooked doggerel on it, and burst out laughing.

"You are the wind, I am the sand... What a fool."

She tucked the card into the back of the drawer, lay down on the bed, and looked at the bouquet of roses on the windowsill that shone brightly in the moonlight. A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

That bastard is actually quite interesting.

……

Chen Feng drove away from the villa area in his beat-up van, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, but he seemed a little out of control.

The image of Hao Mei holding that huge bouquet of roses, blushing, telling him to "get lost" at the entrance of the residential area kept flashing through his mind.

It was clearly a tone of disdain, but somehow it didn't sound so unpleasant.

"Hao Mei? So beautiful..."

He laughed out loud when he thought of this ridiculous joke.

As he laughed, his face darkened again when he thought about his embarrassing moment that afternoon.

Ninety-nine roses were carried around the newspaper office like a parade.

"You are the wind, I am the sand; you are the honeydew, I am the melon."

"You monkey..."

Chen Feng, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, gradually darkened his expression.

"I'll hang you up and beat you when we get back."

The van sped through the night, heading back towards the battlefield.

Fenghua Sand Field Office.

The machines on the night shift were still running, and the lights illuminated the entire sand field as if it were daytime.

In the office on the second floor, Monkey was sitting with his legs crossed, bragging to a few of his underlings. On the table was a stack of loose cash and ledgers, next to the takeout box he had just finished eating.

"Let me tell you something!" the monkey slammed his hand on the table, looking all mysterious. "When it comes to pursuing girls, the two most important words are—impressiveness! Got it?"

The underlings looked at him with admiration: "Brother Monkey is awesome!"

"Of course! I may not have much money, but I'm a seasoned veteran in the dating scene!" Monkey lit a cigarette, puffing out smoke. "What your brother Feng did today, wow, ninety-nine red roses, delivered to her workplace—that was so romantic, and so ruthless!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but chuckle: "I just want to see how everyone at the newspaper will look at Reporter Hao when she goes to work tomorrow, hehehehe..."

Before he could finish speaking, the office door was kicked open.

"Bang--!"

The door slammed against the wall and almost bounced back.

Everyone in the room jumped in surprise.

Chen Feng stood at the door, a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips, a dangerous yet calm smile on his face.