"Shen Xixi, where exactly is this place you mentioned? I've been driving around this street for half an hour and still haven't seen it," Jing Yi said as she slowly drove down the street, looking around for the place Shen Xi had described.
Not only had she not found the place, but she hadn't seen Shen Xi either.
"Yi-yi! I'm so sorry, my car was hit! I haven't arrived yet, I'm waiting for someone to come tow the car," Shen Xi replied.
Jing Yi immediately asked with concern, "Are you alright?!"
There was some noise in the background, making it difficult for Jing Yi to hear Shen Xi clearly. "I'm... I'm fine. The car was just parked on the side of the road when it got hit. I wasn't hurt."
It was hard to say whether this was lucky or unlucky.
Shen Xi had already left in her car and was passing by a familiar dessert shop. She had planned to buy some treats to bring along, but just as she came out with her purchases, she heard a loud crash.
She looked up to see her car had been badly dented.
She couldn't imagine how fast the other car must have been going to damage her parked car like that!
Hearing that Shen Xi was unharmed, Jing Yi felt somewhat relieved. Looking at the street signs, she asked, "Should I come pick you up?"
"No need, you're already far from here, and I've already contacted my family's driver to come get me," Shen Xi replied. She then added, "Oh, by the way! If you're already in the area, you could check out that amusement park. It's quite lively over there."
Even though she couldn't go herself, she didn't want Jing Yi to have come all this way for nothing.
Jing Yi sighed and pulled over to the side of the road.
"Don't worry about me. Besides, what's the point of going alone? Since you have something come up, I'll just head home. We can meet up another time."
Jing Yi peered out of the car window. This place hardly looked lively; there were only a few people on the street.
"Alright then, let's go out another time!" Shen Xi agreed.
"Okay, take care," Jing Yi said as she hung up the phone. She looked around again, her almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion.
She had followed Shen Xi's directions exactly, but she couldn't see the giant Ferris wheel or the shopping mall with the huge display screen that Shen Xi had mentioned.
Where she was standing now was just a large empty lot. Forget about a mall, this looked more like a demolition site...
Had she gotten lost?
Jing Yi felt a headache coming on. She was about to start filming for a variety show soon and had just wanted to go out with Shen Xi for a bit. Now it seemed she had been too optimistic.
She might as well use the GPS!
Without further ado, Jing Yi tapped a few times on the car's display screen to navigate her way home.
As the navigation voice started, Jing Yi started the car and set off again.
Watching the trees along the road whiz by, Jing Yi drove through the wide highway and entered a quieter area.
'Please continue on the current road. In 500 meters, turn left onto a small road.'
Jing Yi looked at the road signs with some doubt. Not only was this completely different from the way she had come, but she didn't recognize any of the buildings either.
However, she hadn't been in North River for long, so she wasn't about to challenge the authority of the GPS just yet.
Following the navigation instructions, Jing Yi spotted the small road it mentioned. She skillfully turned the steering wheel, guiding the vehicle smoothly around the corner.
Meanwhile, on the small road the GPS had directed Jing Yi towards, an ambush was taking place.
"Boss, that car has stopped. Should we get out?"
The man in the back seat smacked him hard on the head, his tone vicious: "Are you in a hurry to reincarnate?!"
The speaker shrank his neck, quietly waiting for the man to speak.
"The client hired us to teach him a lesson. Even though they said to be rough, if we actually kill someone, we'll be the ones going to jail!"
The man narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the black sedan in front.
The underling who had spoken earlier quietly added, "But it doesn't look like there are any security cameras around here." The man looked around suspiciously, and indeed, the area seemed somewhat abandoned, not the type of place likely to have surveillance.
But he couldn't afford to be careless. He knew that the person sitting in that sedan was Shen Huaichu, who had been the talk of the town recently.
Just judging by the director's methods lately, it was clear that this was no ordinary person.
Even if there were only two people in that car, it wouldn't be easy.
"Boss, is that really Shen Huaichu from Huarui Group?" one of the underlings asked.
The man glared at him fiercely. "Are you blind?! Didn't you see him get in the car earlier?!"
The underling rubbed his nose. He had seen it, but he hadn't expected the boss to actually take on that woman's job.
"Tell the boys to grab their gear and get out of the car!"
"Yes, boss!"
No matter how extraordinary the target might be, they had to get out and deal with it. They were paid to do a job, after all!
Shen Huaichu watched the two cars surrounding them, his cold eyes filled with impatience.
He hated this kind of car chase. The moment the sedan had accelerated, he had already become irritated.
Shen Huaichu told the driver to stop the car, and the two vans behind them pulled up as well.
At this point, there was no movement from the vans. They were probably discussing how to deal with him.
Shen Huaichu closed his eyes, leaning his neck against the back of the seat.
The driver in the front seat tentatively asked, "Mr. Shen, should I go out and deal with them first?" Indeed, Shen Huaichu's driver was also his bodyguard.
Shen Huaichu parted his thin lips slightly, "Let's see what they want to do first."
"Understood."
The bodyguard turned around, keeping a close eye on the surrounding vehicles.
The doors of both vans opened, and several burly men carrying clubs got out and gathered in front of Shen Huaichu's car door.
The bodyguard tensed up. Until Shen Huaichu gave the order, he couldn't take action, but faced with this aggressive group, his body had already instinctively reacted.
The middle-aged man called "Boss" stood in the middle of the group. There were six men in total, all carrying wooden clubs.
"Mr. Shen, please step out of the car."
Shen Huaichu slowly opened his eyes. Even in this tense situation, his gaze remained completely indifferent.
"Get out," he said.
The bodyguard was the first to open the driver's side door. The thugs waiting outside instinctively took a step back, earning a fierce glare from their boss.
Then the six men watched as the bodyguard went to open the back door, and Shen Huaichu leisurely emerged from inside.
The middle-aged man seemed somewhat annoyed, gritting his teeth as he said, "Mr. Shen really is calm under pressure, isn't he?" Even in this situation, he remained so unruffled.
What an act! Soon enough, they'd have him crawling on the ground like a dog!
But Shen Huaichu truly didn't take these few men seriously at all, nor did he intend to say another word to them.
He had only gotten out of the car to get some air because the earlier speed had given him a slight headache.
"It seems Mr. Shen already knows why we're here. Aren't you curious about who hired us?"
Shen Huaichu gave him a bland look, his pupils devoid of any warmth.
Who hired them? The identity of whoever hired these men made no difference to him; the outcome would be the same.
His gaze shifted to his bodyguard, who immediately understood Shen Huaichu's meaning. He nodded, turned to face the group, and rolled up his sleeves.
The group also tightened their grip on their wooden clubs, eyeing the bodyguard warily. The big showdown was about to begin.
