Chapter 7: Keep Calling and Someone Will Die

Chapter 7: Keep Calling and Someone Will Die

Shen Qing's expression darkened the moment she was hung up on. She clutched the phone tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"You said my father hung up?" Yu Feifei laughed, her tone laced with disdain. "My relationship with Shen Yimin won't be broken by your complaints...” She continued provocatively, "In this house, your father loves me the most, and he listens to everything I say."

"So that's why you can act so recklessly, trying to get rid of me?" Shen Qing's face grew even more ashen.

Since there was no one else around, Yu Feifei didn't bother pretending anymore. "So what if I want to get rid of you? You're just a mainland girl; nobody would know if you died in Hong Kong. Do you really think your father cares about you? As you've seen, he doesn't give a damn. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left you at home for over ten days without checking on you. In his heart, he never treated you like his daughter..."

"Hear that?" Shen Qing suddenly spoke into the phone. "The reason I'm cold to you and constantly defy you is entirely because your mistress has been stirring trouble between us, sabotaging our father-daughter relationship..."

Shen Yimin's face was grim on the other end of the line. After hanging up, Shen Qing had called back.

Just as he was about to explode in anger at his daughter, he heard Yu Feifei's arrogant voice. It was a side of her he had never witnessed before—bitter and sarcastic, as opposed to her usual gentle and composed demeanor.

"Dad..." Shen Qing suddenly called out to him. "I actually want to have a good relationship with you, to be a filial and obedient daughter. But my stepmother puts on a facade in front of you, then stirs trouble behind your back, spoiling our bond..."

Shen Qing's voice was particularly low and pained. "I am your biological daughter, and this house is mine by right. When I don't receive fair treatment at home, it hurts me too..."

Shen Yimin felt a sudden pang in his heart. In the past, he had only held disdain and anger towards Shen Qing. But today, she made him realize that the rift between them was all due to Yu Feifei's scheming.

"Darling, let me explain..." Yu Feifei hurriedly tried to clarify. "I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to protect our home..."

"Enough." Shen Yimin impatiently hung up the call, unwilling to hear any explanations.

"Shen Qing, you did this on purpose!" Yu Feifei, furious after being hung up on by Shen Yimin, glared at Shen Qing with fury, her fake sweetness vanishing from her face. "How could you, a Mainlander, be so wicked?"

"Not as wicked as you," Shen Qing replied, hanging up the phone on speaker mode with a contented expression as she looked at Yu Feifei.

No matter how much Shen Yimin cared for Yu Feifei, which man could tolerate a two-faced woman who constantly stirred up trouble?

Men were creatures that avoided hassle, especially when it came to family matters.

In families, they often used their busy work lives as an excuse to evade their responsibilities!

With this call, Shen Qing aimed to tear away the facade of their home, exposing Shen Yimin and Yu Feifei's true selves, leaving Shen Yimin nowhere to hide.

As Yu Feifei, seething with anger, lunged forward to pull Shen Qing's hair, Shen Qing swiftly tripped her with her foot.

"Mainland girl, you've gone too far!" Yu Feifei's body ached from the fall, distorting her face with anger.

"I'll treat you the way you treat me," Shen Qing said with a cheerful smile as she looked down at the sprawled Yu Feifei. Feeling particularly satisfied, she walked out of the villa, still able to hear Yu Feifei's hysterical screams, "I hope you get hit by a car outside!"

"Miss, you're incredible!" The Filipino maid looked at Shen Qing with admiration, her hands now holding the burn ointment that Shen Qing had brought back from the hospital.

"Thank you, Miss. I'll guard the door and wait for you to come home tonight," the maid's eyes were red-rimmed.

In this house, where everyone could bully her, she found solace in being able to protect the entrance for the young miss, ensuring her safe return at any time.

But the young miss was unfamiliar with the place—where could she possibly go? The maid watched Shen Qing's quickening pace with some concern.

Shen Qing chose this moment to leave because she had an urgent matter to attend to in Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei.

However, with little money left, Shen Qing had to take a bus to Temple Street.

By the time she arrived, it was already completely dark.

Temple Street was the most distinctive night market in Yau Ma Tei, and even in the bustling 1970s, its vitality left Shen Qing in awe.

Gazing at the bustling street before her, her eyes sparkled with excitement, for she saw endless opportunities to amass wealth in every corner.

At this time, Hong Kong was indeed prosperous, but it still had decades of growth ahead. The subway system, the new airport, and the so-called land reclamation projects were mostly just ideas yet to take root...

In her previous life, she had once attended a lecture by a wealthy Hong Kong entrepreneur who detailed how he seized opportunities and prospered during the 60s and 70s.

Unfortunately, despite being in 1970s Hong Kong, filled with opportunities, she lacked the capital to start a business...

"Bang!"

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

The collision of two vans and a subsequent torrent of curses jolted Shen Qing back to reality.

She snapped out of her thoughts to witness a gangster leap out of one van, brandishing a knife, and charge at another person without hesitation, ready to strike.

Within moments, another seven or eight individuals rushed out from the vans, and the gangsters from both vehicles instantly engaged in a fierce clash on the busy street.

Fearful of getting caught in the crossfire, Shen Qing darted away faster than any passerby.

At this time, Hong Kong was genuinely prosperous, but it was also genuinely chaotic. Brawls and gang fights could break out anywhere, anytime.

As Shen Qing turned the corner, a blood-stained metal rod flew out from a hidden alleyway.

If not for her quick reflexes, that rod would have shattered her skull!

Still reeling from the scare, a wail of agony echoed from the alleyway.

"Brother Yao... please stop, I was just joking. I don't dare to collect your protection money..."

"It was all Young Master Xizai's idea. He's the one who told us to collect protection money from you!"

"How can you blame me? It wasn't my idea. You all assumed Brother Yao was a transfer student and thought he'd be an easy target, so you dragged me into it..."

Shen Qing lifted her gaze just in time to witness a scene where three extortionists, planning an ambush, were being mercilessly pummeled by a teenage boy of around seventeen or eighteen. Each of them was left with swollen noses and bruised faces, wailing in agony from the blows.

As the saying goes, he who initiates the tease is the lesser person. In response to the gang of hooligans seeking protection money, the young man addressed as Brother Yao unleashed another flurry of punches, forcing them to kneel and beg for mercy.

"Brother Yao! Brother Yao! You'll kill someone if you keep hitting!"

"We were truly in the wrong!"

"Never again, Brother Yao!"

These hooligans were thoroughly subdued, all of them crying and raising their hands in surrender, "Brother Yao, spare us! Brother Yao, spare us!"

The dim light at the alley's entrance cast upon the youth who coldly stared down the three hoodlums. His eyes were slightly lowered, and with impatient gestures, he wiped away the blood on his fists with a handkerchief. About him hung an air of wildness and sharpness that warned strangers to keep their distance.

"Pick up the cash."

At the youth's chilly command, the small-time hooligans hastily scooped up the Hong Kong dollars that had fallen to the ground and presented them with both hands.

By this point, Shen Qing had regained her composure and was ready to step over the fallen steel pipe and slip away quietly. Little did she expect that just as she lifted her foot, a beer bottle came crashing down from upstairs, its descent punctuated by the arguing voices above.

A sharp slap echoed through the alley, catching the attention of everyone present.

Shen Qing's gaze met the four individuals', and the atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Shen Qing, attempting to slip away discreetly, smiled at the group. "I was just passing by. Carry on with your conversation." As long as she wasn't embarrassed, then it would be the others who would feel awkward.

As Shen Qing turned and walked away, her slender silhouette evoked a fleeting sense of confusion in the young man known as Brother Yao.

"Brother Yao, do you know that pretty lady?" Xizai inquired.

"I don't," Jian Yao replied nonchalantly.

He merely found Shen Qing's face vaguely familiar, but he was certain he had never met her before.

Within just a few short minutes, Shen Qing had stumbled upon two altercations, giving her a stark taste of Hong Kong's disorder and peril.

Thus, for the remainder of her journey, she was extra cautious and ran even faster than before.

Approximately two minutes later, Shen Qing dashed into a funeral shop located on Temple Street. "Boss, I'd like to buy a copper bell and a compass..."

Shen Qing's subsequent words vanished the moment she saw the figure emerging from the funeral shop.

Brother Yao?

The teenager who had ruthlessly beaten up the protection racket collector in the alley earlier was actually the owner of this funeral shop?!!!

"Could there be a mistake here?"

Shen Qing looked up at the funeral parlor in disbelief, his eyes wandering from the flower wreaths and paper figurines adorning the shop to the indifferent young man currently wrapping gauze around his hand.

Jian Yao glanced at Shen Qing, standing fair and lovely under the lights, resembling a lily. He asked, "What are you buying?"

"I'll take the copper bell and the compass," Shen Qing said promptly.

These two items will be of great use to her later on.

Jian Yao retrieved the brass bell and compass from a cabinet, handing them to Shen Qing. "Eighty yuan."

Upon hearing the price, Shen Qing felt a twinge of regret. Under Jian Yao's icy gaze, she attempted to haggle. "Can you lower the price?"

Jian Yao was firm. "No way!"

...

A minute later, Shen Qing left the funeral parlor, content with her purchase, while Jian Yao's cold stare followed her out.

"Boss, I'll be back to support your business," Shen Qing declared cheerfully, waving the copper bell and compass she had purchased for 50 dollars in front of Jian Yao. It was her first radiant smile since arriving in Hong Kong.

Jian Yao closed the door expressionlessly. Shen Qing thought she heard an elderly lady's voice from behind the door: "Yao, my child... You've lost money."

...

With the copper bell and compass in hand, Shen Qing made her way to the theater on Temple Street. Inside, a Cantonese opera was being performed, its lively sounds audible even from outside. As Shen Qing scanned the parked Bentleys at the entrance, she confirmed her destination when she noticed the license plate ending with two eights.

She intended to wait for the Bentley's owner to emerge so she could offer her services as an astrologer. However, it was still early, and she estimated that the opera wouldn't end anytime soon. So, Shen Qing took a seat at a nearby fish ball stall.

She read the sign clearly stating that a bowl of fish ball noodles cost five dollars – a bargain in expensive Hong Kong. "Boss, one bowl of fish ball noodles, please, and a soda as well," Shen Qing ordered, unwilling to deny herself such a treat due to her hunger.

The handmade fish balls were firm and chewy, complemented by the seafood broth made from tiny fish and shrimp, which made Shen Qing's eyes instantly close in delight at the rich flavor.

A youthful and charming maiden, with her fair and pristine complexion, sat there quietly, drawing attention merely by focusing on her noodles.

Su Qilan, seated in the car, lifted her gaze to see Shen Qing sitting at a street corner.

Startled, Gu Shaoqian, who was seated beside her, promptly asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

The young master of the prominent family, who has captured the attention of the newspapers and citizens of Xiangjiang, is actually just a teenager around seventeen or eighteen years old. Having been groomed as the heir since childhood, the young and handsome Gu Shaoqian appears more composed and proper than his peers.

Observing someone he cared about in distress, the refined and noble Gu Shaoqian also felt a pang in his chest. "Should I take you back to the hospital?"

"I'm doing fine..." Su Qilan smiled and shook her head, pointing at Shen Qing who was seated at a table, enjoying fish ball noodles. "I just spotted someone from back home."

Following Su Qilan's gaze, Gu Shaoqian looked over and happened to see a group of hooligans take seats beside Shen Qing.

Gu Shaoqian didn't catch Shen Qing's full face; only her youthful and slender profile was visible. Her long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail, revealing ears that glowed under the streetlight.

Su Qilan observed the hooligans sitting next to Shen Qing and furrowed her brow. "Why would she associate with these people?"