“That's not acceptable.”
“You've done so much to help me; how could I possibly accept your things?”
Xia Mu Zhu firmly declined, though without any intention of removing the stun baton from her bag—after tonight's ordeal, she felt a dire need for self-defense.
“It’s free, no charge,” Lin Yu insisted, maintaining his generous offer. “We’re actually still trying to promote this product. How about this: consider yourself one of our trial users. Let’s exchange contact information, and you can give me your feedback on it. That can be your payment for the stun baton.”
As he spoke, Lin Yu took out his phone, preparing the screen to add her as a contact.
“Alright, sure,” Xia Mu Zhu agreed readily, adding Lin Yu's contact details to her phone. Afterward, recalling Lin Yu’s outfit when she first saw him at the tavern, she couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Sales? Weren’t you wearing a school uniform last time I saw you? And now you’re doing sales?”
Lin Yu put his phone back and chuckled bittersweetly. “No option. My folks passed early, so I’ve gotta earn a living in addition to school.”
“Ah?” Xia Mu Zhu gasped in surprise, then quickly covered her mouth and apologized, “I'm sorry.”
“No worries,” Lin Yu smiled broadly, confidently. “Taking care of oneself has its merits, too.”
Hearing his words, Xia Mu Zhu viewed him with even higher regard, feeling more sorrowful for his plight. A life filled with struggle, taking on life’s full burden while still in school—it was hard to contemplate the difficulties he faced daily.
“Where's your home?”
“Do you need me to walk you back?” Lin Yu kindly inquired.
Xia Mu Zhu hesitated. Although she didn't want to impose on the young man any further, the empty streets and the thought of the white-haired man possibly lurking nearby sapped away her courage to walk alone into the dark.
After a brief pause, she nodded, offering a remorseful smile, “I’ll have to trouble you, then.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Lin Yu waved his hand with a warm and sunny smile...
...
“Sis, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-four. And you?”
“I'm eighteen this year. By this time next year, I should be in college.”
“That’s great. How are your studies coming along?”
“They’re not too good at the moment, but I'll work hard. I believe with my abilities, getting into a top-tier or second-tier university shouldn’t be a problem.”
“That's fantastic. Once you get into college and find a job, things will start looking up.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Absolutely, I feel the same way!”
Lin Yu nodded in hearty agreement.
“Oh, by the way, sis, you better not wield that stun baton openly as a deterrent like I did, you being a girl and all. Often, even if girls have a weapon, it’s still difficult to scare men.”
“It's best used as a surprise weapon. When the person gets close, just zap them!”
“Of course, that’s an exaggeration. While the stun baton has a strong charge, it won’t cause any real harm. At the most, it’ll just render them weak and immobile.”
After his explanation, Lin Yu concluded confidently: “Just zap with peace of mind, sis. Nothing bad will come from it.”
Xia Mu Zhu nodded solemnly, then smiling at Lin Yu, she said, “You’re so thoughtful. Whoever becomes your girlfriend in the future will surely be very happy.”
“Uh...” Lin Yu’s expression turned a bit awkward as he scratched half of his face not covered by the dyed hair. “That’s still a long way off. I plan to date at sixty. By then, everyone's an old man or woman, and we can live together without the hassle of dating or marriage. Just get married and be happy till the end. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Xia Mu Zhu couldn’t help but burst into laughter, having been amused by Lin Yu's utterly preposterous statement. She chuckled and eventually calmed down, her sea-blue eyes gleaming with mirth as she told him, “You're quite a character.”
...
So, under the moonlight, the two chatted as they walked, soon arriving at Xia Mu Zhu’s residential area.
Standing before the open gate, Lin Yu frowned and asked, “Sis, how come your community gate is left wide open like this? Aren't you afraid of bad people getting in?”
Xia Mu Zhu's previously curved lips turned downwards at his question. She sighed with a tone full of helplessness, “The property management company that used to run the community absconded with the funds earlier this year. Afterward, a homeowner tried to bring in a new property manager...”
“But that homeowner turned out to be a fraudster too. The new property manager was fake as well, just a few people hired to dress up as security at the community entrance for a few days. After collecting all the property fees, he ran off with the money too.”
“Being cheated twice in a row, some homeowners in the community got mad and refused to pay any more fees. So, the community has been without management ever since.”
“That’s just awful,” Lin Yu blurted out, then expressed his concern, “Aren’t you scared of accidents happening without any management?”
“Of course, we're frightened, especially families with children. They've been trying to convince those who refuse to pay property fees, but those people are too scared of being scammed again. They won't pay another dime.”
“The situation has just dragged on, with no end in sight,” Xia Mu Zhu shrugged.
After walking Xia Mu Zhu to the bottom of her building and noting the location, Lin Yu was about to leave when she stopped him.
“Anything else?” he asked curiously.
“Wait here for me, I’ll be right back,” she hastily said before quickly ascending the stairs.
Seizing the opportunity of her absence, Lin Yu swiftly scanned the surroundings and nearby buildings to reinforce his memory, to avoid any panic-induced mistakes if he had to remember doors in an emergency.
During his observation, he made an alarming discovery: the entrance to Xia Mu Zhu's building had a broken gate! The community already lacked guards, which was unsettling enough. Now the broken gate—this was far too risky.
No, that wouldn’t do. Lin Yu rubbed his chin, pondering. He'd have to find an opportunity to get someone to fix it.