Chapter 50: A Strange Bargain
Xu Youyou immediately perked up.
The moment she saw the bargain-hunting mission, all her sleepiness vanished.
She glanced at the clock on the wall—10 PM.
She called Xu Fang: “I need the car.”
Xu Fang, who had just lain down to sleep, jumped up like a carp flipping out of water. “Got it, boss. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Although Xu Fang used to live in the suburbs, Xu Youyou had rented her a two-bedroom apartment near Tomson Riviera for convenience.
A few days ago, Xu Fang had brought her mother and children from their hometown to live with her.
Hearing the commotion, Xu Fang’s mother got up from bed and asked, “At this hour? Where are you going again?”
Xu Fang put on her coat, grabbed the car keys, and said, “The boss needs to go out. Mom, just watch the kids at home. Don’t worry about me.”
“This late at night? That’s way too exhausting…” her mother muttered.
But Xu Fang shook her head. “Mom, don’t say that. Fifty thousand a month, and just the other day, she gave me a thirty-thousand bonus. Plus, we get to live in this apartment. With such a good boss, I’d drive for her 24/7 if needed.”
Xu Fang knew she didn’t have many skills—driving smoothly was the one thing Xu Youyou valued in her. She couldn’t afford to slack off for even a moment, fearing she’d lose this great job.
Only now did her mother realize how high her daughter’s salary was. Sleep forgotten, she rushed her out the door. “Go, go, go! Don’t keep the boss waiting!”
The roads of Shanghai weren’t too congested at night. Xu Fang arrived at the underground garage within ten minutes, but Xu Youyou was nowhere in sight.
After waiting another two minutes, she finally saw Xu Youyou emerging from the elevator.
Xu Fang quickly opened the car door. After Xu Youyou got in, she jogged back to the driver’s seat.
She didn’t ask any questions—she knew from experience that Xu Youyou often gave directions on the spot.
This time was no different.
“Turn left up ahead.”
“Go straight.”
“Left at the light.”
The bodyguards in the following car had no fixed destination either. The driver kept his eyes locked on Xu Fang’s car, afraid of losing sight of it.
After nearly an hour of driving, they reached a bridge.
“Stop the car,” Xu Youyou ordered.
The streetlights on the bridge seemed broken, leaving the area eerily dark.
Xu Youyou got out and turned on her phone’s flashlight, heading directly under the bridge. Her four bodyguards and Xu Fang followed closely, ready to protect her.
Everyone knew Xu Youyou’s rules—she hated unnecessary questions. So, despite her odd behavior, they all remained silent and followed her lead.
In the pitch-dark night, only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.
And… faint sobbing carried by the wind.
Xu Fang felt a chill down her spine. The eerie wind, combined with the crying, made the hairs on her back stand up. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was something supernatural lurking in this darkness.
If not for the four strong bodyguards by her side, she would have dragged Xu Youyou away already.
Xu Youyou herself felt uncertain. If not for the system’s persistent guidance pointing her under the bridge, she wouldn’t have thought to come here.
The system’s indicator finally stopped. Xu Youyou’s flashlight landed on a hunched figure.
The person flinched at the light and tried to run.
But her bodyguards reacted swiftly. Two of them leaped forward and pinned the person to the ground.
“Easy! Don’t hurt them!” Xu Youyou ordered.
The two former soldiers loosened their grip slightly but still held the person firmly.
“You—” Xu Youyou had barely spoken a word when the person suddenly struggled.
“Why won’t you leave me alone?! Do you all really want me dead?!”
Xu Youyou had no idea what was going on, but the smell of unwashed clothes and sweat confirmed the person was homeless.
She glanced around and saw a pile of old clothes and blankets forming a makeshift “home” under the bridge.
“This isn’t the place to talk. Bring them somewhere with light,” she instructed.
The bodyguards half-carried the person two hundred meters away, stopping under a bright streetlight.
“I won’t give in! Even if I die, I won’t let you people win!” the person shouted.
Xu Youyou was getting a headache. She tried to get a good look at their face, but their long, greasy hair and dirt-covered skin made it difficult.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
The person didn’t answer, but wary black eyes peered at her from beneath the tangled hair.
Xu Youyou pressed on. “I mean no harm. I’m here to help you.”
The person let out a cold laugh. “You lapdog… you people are all rotten to the core…”
“Watch your mouth!” one of the bodyguards barked.
The guards wouldn’t stand by and let someone insult their employer, but the outburst didn’t faze the homeless man.
“As long as I’m breathing, I’ll fight you people to the end,” he declared.
Xu Youyou was utterly confused—what was he even talking about?
“Forget it. Take him back, clean him up, and give him some food. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Taking care of a vagrant wasn’t exactly in the bodyguards’ job description, but with the hefty bonuses Xu Youyou had given them from her last deal, they weren’t about to complain.
Even though they were reluctant to handle someone so filthy, they pinched their noses and obeyed.
But the homeless man screamed and resisted. “This is kidnapping! You’re violating my rights! I’ll call the police!”
Luckily, they were in the outskirts where no one was around. The bodyguards successfully got him into the car.
Because of the late-night ordeal, Xu Youyou slept until 11 AM the next day. After eating the lunch delivered by her building’s butler, she called for the man to be brought to her home.
Her bodyguards and Xu Fang lived in the same complex, so they arrived quickly.
Four towering men escorted a frail, ragged vagrant. With that kind of security, Xu Youyou had no fear of him causing trouble in her house.
In the daylight, she finally got a clear look at his face.
Her heart pounded.
She never expected the system to bring this person to her.
This was truly an incredible find.
The man still glared at her with hostility. “I won’t back down! I’ll fight you all to the very end!”
