Which way to go is the road?

Lao You's weight loss efforts have been effective; it's no longer just his own boasting, but a consensus among everyone.

She's still quite chubby, but her belly has shrunk noticeably. The flesh on her arms, legs, and face has gradually become firmer, like a corn cob that has grown from a straight tube to have angular features!

In the morning, in the university dormitory, Lao You returned from his run and changed his shoes. Everyone else was already awake, lingering in bed and finding their own enjoyment. Du Xinpeng saw that Lao You had become noticeably thinner and looked heartbroken.

"Old You, how could you do this?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"You can't lose any more weight! I want to have a good New Year!"

"What does my weight loss have to do with your Chinese New Year?"

Du Xinpeng looked aggrieved: "The pigs are all thin, how are we going to celebrate the New Year? How many pounds of meat can we even slaughter?"

"Get lost!" Old You laughed and threw the slipper over.

……

It's the weekend again. After a morning cleaning, "Shuiyunjian" is spotless and refreshingly pleasant. The weather is also great; the sun is low, and the sunlight streaming through the windows can penetrate half of the internet cafe, illuminating the dust particles bathed in its serene glow.

Qian Luomei lay on her back on the sofa, serene and natural, just like the beige floral pajamas she wore, bathed in sunlight, her brows languidly furrowed.

At the front desk on the first floor, Xiang Fei picked up a pen and threw it at Zhang Chu, who was deep in thought with his chin in his hand.

"Stop fooling around! I'm thinking!" Zhang Chu put down his pen and continued to ponder.

Xiang Fei spun around on the bar stool: "What are you thinking about? What will Lao You look like if she successfully loses weight?"

Speaking of this, Zhang Chu excitedly ran over, leaned over the bar, and gestured wildly: "Hey, what if Lao You, who's so fat, suddenly becomes as thin as lightning in a few months? Wouldn't that be a huge contrast? How hilarious would that be!"

"I think you're joking. Old You can't possibly get as thin as lightning. How thick would lightning have to be?" Xiang Fei deliberately provoked Zhang Chu. "Don't worry, Old You's just enthusiastic for three minutes. He'll lose a few pounds and look presentable, that's enough! Do you really think he can keep it up for six months?"

"How can you look down on people like that? You two are supposed to be good buddies, but I think Lao You can definitely stick it out!" Zhang Chu stood up straight and argued when he heard Xiang Fei say that!

Xiang Fei suppressed a laugh: "Are you so sure? I don't believe it. I've known Lao You for months, I know him better than you do, right?"

"That's not necessarily true! Your understanding is just that of buddies, all superficial banter and pretense. You only have a superficial understanding at best. It's only with women that men will bring out everything they can to win favor, and even unleash their full potential!"

"That statement—it sounds plausible!"

"What do you mean by 'like that'? That's exactly how it is!"

"Okay, that's how it is. Now, tell me, who was the girl who brought out Lao You's potential?"

"I—how would I know? Go ask him!" Zhang Chu ran away, her face flushed.

Xiang Fei picked up the pen and twirled it in his hand, not revealing the answer, and looked up at the ceiling with a smile: "No matter which girl it is, she is happy, and a man who loses weight for love is absolutely worthy of entrusting his life to!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chu pondered it carefully and nodded to himself.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded, and a group of people walked in through the revolving door.

The leader was a man in his forties with a buzz cut, wearing a Zhongshan suit and gold-rimmed glasses, walking and laughing. However, a scar on his head was very conspicuous, like an irrigation ditch in a wheat field in spring, creating a stark contrast with his amiable appearance.

Xiang Fei couldn't believe that this group of people came to use the internet, especially when he saw the three thugs following behind them, who were clearly the three hooligans who had caused trouble a few days ago.

"Go up to the top floor right away and tell Sister Luomei that something's happened. I'll handle things here!"

When Xiang Fei saw Zhang Chu run up, he took two deep breaths to calm his nerves and then stepped forward.

"Hey buddy, you're here to use the internet? There's no one here right now, you can sit anywhere! Would you like to use the computers, or...?"

The scarred man waved his right hand, interrupting Xiang Fei: "Where's your boss?"

"Our boss is upstairs and hasn't come down yet. Are you looking for her? I'll call her for you!"

Xiang Fei returned to the bar, picked up the walkie-talkie, and changed the channel when the scarred man wasn't looking: "Sister Luo Mei, someone's looking for you downstairs, please come down!"

Without being greeted, the scarred man walked to the sofa, sat down, picked up the newspaper beside him, glanced at it, then crumpled it up and used it to polish his leather shoes.

"Brother, have some water!" Xiang Fei took out a paper cup, poured water, and placed it on the coffee table.

"What kind of water is this? It's so bland it'll make your mouth water!" The scarred man grabbed the glass of water and splashed it in Xiang Fei's face. "Get me a drink!"

Hot water splashed all over his face, causing a burning pain. Luckily, Xiang Fei closed his eyes in time.

After wiping his face and licking the hot water from the corner of his mouth, Xiang Fei was no longer nervous, and a flame suddenly ignited in his heart.

"What kind of drink do you want?" Xiang Fei asked, emphasizing each word.

The scarred man didn't seem to care and continued laughing, "Cola!"

Xiang Fei took a bottle of cola from the freezer and placed it on the table; "Five yuan!"

"What did you say? I didn't hear you!" The scarred man stood up with a smile.

"Five—pieces!"

The scarred man smiled and nodded, picking up the bottle of cola, as if to smash it over Xiang Fei's head. Xiang Fei raised his hand to block, and the cola flew out, the cap exploding and hitting the henchman on the head, spraying cola everywhere!

"What's your name?"

"Xiang Fei!"

"Everyone calls me Fourth Brother, today I'm going to make you remember that name!"

The scarred man retreated on his own, and with a wave of his hand, all his henchmen surrounded him, and a brawl broke out in an instant.

"stop!"

"What's up?"

Qian Luomei and Bai Xue each called out in turn.

The former made two phone calls upstairs, changed his clothes, and brought Wang Haoming and Xiangzi up to the front desk on the first floor.

Bai Xue, Dong Lu, Zhang Fang, and Lao You had just arrived from school.

The scarred man gestured for his henchmen to disperse, pushed aside Xiang Fei who was standing stiffly in the middle, and walked to Qian Luomei's side.

"Boss Qian, is it? A pleasure to meet you! My surname is Li, and my given name is Qi. Please call me Fourth Brother!" The scarred man extended his right hand, stroking the air to ease his embarrassment. "Qian Ruofeng's daughter certainly has a touch of arrogance!"

Upon hearing this so-called "fourth brother" mention their father's name, Qian Luomei was a little puzzled: "You know my dad?"

"I wouldn't say I know him personally, but I've heard a lot about him! Our boss is quite familiar with him and even asked me to give him his regards!"

"What brings you here today? Are you here to seek justice for your two henchmen? Or are you here to cause trouble and disrupt the event?"

"Look at what you're saying, do you think I'm that bold? Qian Ruofeng's daughter, and the head of the criminal investigation team protecting her!" The scarred man grinned, his expression exaggerated. "My three underlings were ignorant and caused trouble here! I've come to apologize!"

The scarred man turned around and slapped each of the three thugs across the face: "Apologize to Boss Qian!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Qian!"

Qian Luomei gave a cold laugh, remaining noncommittal with an expression that was neither humble nor arrogant, her eyes fixed on the scarred man.

"Now that the apology is over, let's talk about something else. Our boss recently took on a project and is short of funds! So he's borrowing some money from Boss Qian!"

"How much do you want to borrow?"

"1000, every month! Here's a bank account number, you can just transfer it directly!" The scarred man's eyes were fierce as he leaned forward, getting close to Qian Luomei, forcing her to dodge to the side!

"What if I don't lend it to you?" Qian Luomei turned around, glanced quickly at the revolving door from a hidden angle, and said in a low voice with disappointment.

The scarred man chuckled twice, casually walked to the bar, placed a slip of paper with his bank account number on it, and then held up a feng shui cabbage figurine: "This is nice. It looks good, and the meaning is even better! It will definitely bring you a lot of good fortune!"

"Smack!..."

The "cabbage" fell to the floor and shattered into pieces, the loud crash jolting everyone on edge.

Xiang Fei stepped in front of Qian Luomei to protect her. Lao You, Zhang Fang, Du Xinpeng, Tian Hai, Wang Haoming, Xiangzi, and even a few girls also moved closer, instantly splitting into two opposing camps.