Chapter 2 The Ever-Changing Radish

Chapter 2: The Ever-Changing Radish

He You opened his camera and took several continuous shots of Chi Luoxi.

Click, click.

In the photos, the young man wore old, rustic clothes against the backdrop of the rental apartment, but his face was clean and pure.

He You raised an eyebrow in satisfaction, his fingers swiftly moving across the screen as he sent these unedited photos directly to the club manager, with a caption: "From the mountains, face is a stunner."

After doing this, he tucked his phone back into his pocket, a warm, brotherly smile returning to his face.

Chi Luoxi had just finished tidying up and turned around, standing somewhat nervously in the middle of the room: "Brother You, when can I see Brother Chunsheng?"

He You chuckled inwardly. Chunsheng? He heard that guy was hauling bricks at a construction site and probably wouldn't be turning up here. But he didn't show it. He walked over, patted Chi Luoxi on the shoulder, and spoke in a gentle, reassuring tone: "Soon, soon. Chunsheng is busy with an urgent job these past couple of days. Once he's done, he'll definitely come see you. Just settle in here for now, get familiar with the place. Sleep here tonight, and let me know if you need anything."

Chi Luoxi nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He instinctively trusted He You. After all, when he'd gotten off the train, lost and uncertain, He You was the only one who had reached out a helping hand and brought him to such a clean, decent place to stay.

Just then, the apartment door lock clicked softly, and someone opened it from the outside with a key.

A young man, wrapped in a strong mix of cheap perfume, smoke, and alcohol, shuffled in wearing slippers.

He looked to be in his early twenties, wearing a tight, glittering silver sequin top and ripped jeans, with a waist so slim it seemed almost fragile. His face was made up, his hair styled with gel, but it was now a bit messy.

As soon as he entered and saw He You, he called out, "Brother You."

Then his gaze fell on Chi Luoxi, scanning him up and down, from his rustic clothes to his canvas shoes, to that overly clean and handsome face.

"Oh, Brother You, is this some antique you dug up from an archaeological site? That outfit is retro enough."

He You's expression soured at the remark. He shot him a glare and interrupted, "Don't talk nonsense. This is the new guy, his name is..."

He paused for a moment. He had been so focused on the face and taking photos that he might have forgotten to ask for his full name.

He You turned to Chi Luoxi, "By the way, little buddy, what did you say your name was?"

Chi Luoxi: "Chi Luoxi. My name is Chi Luoxi."

The sequin-clad man stepped closer, the mixed scent of his perfume growing stronger. He extended a hand toward Chi Luoxi, fingers adorned with several flashy metal rings, and introduced himself: "Chi Luoxi? Interesting name. I'm Bai Man, but around here, everyone calls me Mana. Looks like we'll be roommates. Take care."

Chi Luoxi hesitated for a moment, then reached out and shook his hand briefly: "Hello."

Bai Man seemed amused by his shyness, let out a light giggle, said nothing more, and swayed his hips as he walked into the small bedroom inside, shutting the door with a bang.

That night, Chi Luoxi lay on the small bed He You had arranged for him, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

The apartment's soundproofing was poor, and he could faintly hear music from the room next door.

He missed home.

He missed Grandpa, the wind in the mountains, the clear chirping of insects at night, the scent of earth and grass.

Finally, unable to stay still any longer, he quietly got up, tiptoed barefoot to the windowsill.

Moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains that weren't fully drawn, falling onto the flowerpot filled with mountain soil, casting a hazy silver sheen over the dull, gray earthenware.

Chi Luoxi looked at the pot of soil. He hesitated, glanced back at the closed bedroom door, listened to the sounds outside, then closed his eyes and gave a slight shake.

The next moment, the young man in the room was gone.

Instead, in the originally plain, gray flowerpot filled with soil, there was now a plant.

Not a flower, not grass, but a pure white, plump, and juicy white radish.

Its leaves were a vibrant, tender green, gently swaying in the moonlight.

The radish's body was buried in the soil, with only the top part and its leaves exposed, stretching comfortably, finally returning to its most reassuring and comfortable nest.

In his heart, Chi Luoxi said: Grandpa, just for one night. I'll turn back into my original form and sleep in the soil for one night. This place is too unfamiliar; I'm a little scared. Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll obediently be human again.

The white radish spirit, Chi Luoxi, fell deeply asleep in the pot, its leaves rising and falling gently.

The next day, just as the sky was turning light, Chi Luoxi woke up.

He carefully sensed his surroundings, confirmed it was safe, then quickly transformed back into human form, fumbling to put on his clothes. He put the flowerpot back on the windowsill, carefully patting the soil to smooth the surface.

Just as he finished tidying up, there was a knock at the door.

He You had arrived, and he wasn't alone. Beside him was a middle-aged woman in a suit, looking quite capable, holding a document folder.

It was the manager, surnamed Yang.

As soon as Manager Yang entered, her eyes swept over Chi Luoxi like searchlights, scrutinizing him thoroughly from head to toe, lingering especially on his face.

"Xiao Chi, right?" The manager's face broke into a professional, amiable smile as she walked over and extended her hand. "My surname is Yang. You can call me Sister Yang from now on. He You told me everything. You're here on Chunsheng's recommendation, looking for a job, right?"

Chi Luoxi nodded a bit nervously and shook her hand.

"Sit, sit, don't just stand there." Manager Yang gestured for him to sit, pulled a chair over for herself, and sat opposite him. She opened the document folder and pulled out several printed papers.

"Our club is a legitimate operation, pretty well-known in Jiangzhou. We treat our employees properly, with formal labor contracts that are legally protected."

She pushed a contract in front of Chi Luoxi, her finger pointing at the clauses, speaking at a steady pace with a sincere tone: "Look, base salary: eight thousand a month. Meals and accommodation are included. You'll live here. You've seen the conditions—pretty good, right? And that's just the base. If you're willing to work hard and know how to handle things, there are drink commissions, tips from guests—all extra, no cap. You could earn tens of thousands, even over a hundred thousand a month. It's not a dream."

Manager Yang was also afraid that if she delayed, someone else might snatch him away, or he might come to his senses and run. So she came early in the morning to get the contract signed and lock him down.

For a club like theirs, of course they signed formal labor contracts—base salary plus commissions, all legal.

As for what the employees chose to do beyond that, that was their own choice and skill. The club didn't interfere or force anything.

But once the contract was signed, wanting to resign?

That wasn't a simple matter of leaving.

The contract was filled with harsh penalty clauses: training fees, uniform fees, accommodation fees, resource usage fees...

Add it all up, and it was enough to trap a country boy fresh to the city with no background.

A lot of their profit came from these penalty fees. Otherwise, just relying on the legitimate business, how could they make such high profits?

Chi Luoxi had no idea about the dangers of the outside job market or these underhanded tricks. All he heard was a base salary of eight thousand a month, with meals and accommodation included, and no cap.

Eight thousand!

In the mountains, a family working hard for a whole year might not save that much.

This was a godsend for him, like an unexpected pie falling from the sky, leaving him dazed.

He looked at the densely packed contract with its complex terms. He recognized most of the words, but their combined meaning was largely beyond him.

Chi Luoxi raised his head, glancing at He You, who was smiling encouragingly beside him, then at the manager, who wore an expression that said "I've got your back." "I'll sign."

The manager's smile deepened, and immediately handed him a pen.

Chi Luoxi took the pen, signed his name—Chi Luoxi. His handwriting was a bit childish, but neat.

He You and the manager exchanged a glance, both seeing satisfaction in each other's eyes.

It was done.

After the contract was signed, the manager gave a few more instructions, left He You behind, and departed.

He You put away the contract, patted Chi Luoxi's shoulder, and spoke with unprecedented warmth and the closeness of a brother: "Alright, Xiao Chi, from now on, we're brothers! Come on, let me take you to get you some proper threads first! You can't go around looking like this. This is a high-end place; image is everything!"

Still reeling from the shock of a monthly salary of eight thousand, Chi Luoxi was dragged along by He You and pulled out the door.

Dazed, he followed He You into a car. After winding through the streets, they stopped in front of a hair salon and styling studio that looked upscale, with bright lights and mannequins in the window wearing trendy outfits.

He You walked in with him, exchanged a few words with the trendy hairdressers and stylists who came up to greet them.

Then Chi Luoxi, like a puppet, was sat down in a chair.

Wash hair, cut hair, dye hair, perm hair, trim eyebrows, apply face mask, do skincare...

A series of processes he had never heard of, let alone experienced, came at him in waves.

He was like a country bumpkin who'd stumbled into a high-end place, dazedly letting the scented hands mess with his hair and face.

He looked in the mirror at his originally plain buzz cut, now trimmed into layers, dyed a fashionable ash gray, and given a slight wave.

His face had been smoothed and brightened, his eyebrows trimmed into a neat shape, and even his nails were buffed and coated with clear polish.

Chi Luoxi stayed in a daze the whole time.

He watched the gradually unfamiliar, fashionable, and even... almost too pretty figure in the mirror, feeling a strong feeling of surrealness.

Is this... still me?

He You, arms crossed, stood off to the side, looking at the reflection in the mirror with satisfaction. "See? This is our new hire orientation. From now on, you have to look like this. Remember, you're no longer the Chi Luoxi from the mountains. Here, you need a new name, a new image, a new life."

Chi Luoxi looked at the unfamiliar handsome guy in the mirror—ash-gray hair, fair skin, delicate features—and thought it was pretty good.

So this is what city folks look like.

Chi Luoxi smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother You."

Knowing Chi Luoxi didn't have a phone, He You took him to buy a smartphone and handed it to him.

Chi Luoxi took it, turning it over in his hands, a little embarrassed. "Brother You, you bought so many things for me—the haircut, the facial, this phone... must have cost a lot. I'll pay you back later."

He You patted his shoulder, speaking in a generous tone: "Ah, what's a little money? I believe in you. This is an investment in you. With the way you look now, just work hard, and I guarantee you'll score a big deal your first month and earn your commission! Then this money will be easy to pay back."

Of course, He You didn't tell Chi Luoxi that all these expenses would be deducted from his salary.

Chi Luoxi, hearing this, felt even more grateful.

He thought He You was so good to him. Not only giving him such a great job with such a high salary.

They believed in him so much; he had to work hard and not disappoint their expectations.

On the first day of having the phone, Chi Luoxi was like a child with a new toy. He was from the mountains and hadn't seen much of the world, but he wasn't stupid.

After He You gave him a simple lesson on how to turn it on, unlock it, make calls, and send texts, he held the phone, poking and tapping the screen curiously, figuring it out as he went.

He quickly found out how fun a smartphone was—so many colorful icons, each opening up endless content.

News, videos, little games, all kinds of software he'd never heard of. This world seemed to unfold infinitely before him through this small screen.

He You also registered a WeChat account for him, casually typing in the nickname "Xiao Luo," and added him to a group chat called "Chunhui Club Elite Group."

The group immediately became lively, with notification sounds "ding-dong ding-dong" nonstop.

"Welcome, newbie!"

"Welcome to our warm family!"

Flower, applause, and heart emojis flooded the screen, along with warm and enthusiastic welcome messages, some even flirty or teasing.

Chi Luoxi watched the rapid scroll of text and images, not fully understanding them. His finger hovered over the screen, unsure how to respond.

Clumsily, he switched to the keyboard, using the T9 pinyin layout from his old flip phone, and typed two words.

"Thank you."

After sending it, he felt it was too short, not polite enough. After a moment's thought, he added, "Hello everyone, I'm Chi Luoxi."

The message was quickly buried under a wave of welcome emojis.

Someone @ed him, telling him to change his group card and profile picture.

He You leaned over, looked, and said, "Yeah, you need to change your profile picture. Later, get Bai Man—oh, Mana—to take some nice photos of you. Pick one for your avatar. Make it look lively and handsome, got it?"

Chi Luoxi nodded. "Brother You, can this phone watch TV?"

He You was taken aback, thinking the mountain kid was so pitiful it was heartbreaking that he didn't know a smartphone could watch videos.

"Sure, of course you can. Watch whatever you want. Xiao Xi, work hard. I'm telling you, with a face like yours, you can completely change your fate, step out of the mountains, settle down in this big city, and live a good life. TV? That's no big deal. From now on, you can get anything you want."

The phone was way too much fun.

That night, Chi Luoxi barely slept a wink.

The next day, following He You's instructions, Chi Luoxi had to report to the company.

He put on the work uniform He You had given him yesterday—a well-tailored black suit and a crisp white shirt underneath, no tie, the top button undone. The suit was fitted at the waist, emphasizing his already slender waist, and his legs looked long and lean in the matching trousers.

With his newly dyed ash-gray short hair and his smooth, fair face, who would have recognized him as the mountain kid carrying a woven bag and wearing school pants?

He looked like a cool, slightly aloof handsome young man straight out of a fashion magazine.

The only thing was his eyes, red from lack of sleep, and the obvious drowsiness and exhaustion on his face, adding a touch of dazed naivety.

Bai Man also got up early that day and offered to take him to the company. Chi Luoxi had changed into a new outfit, still flashy, but a bit more normal than yesterday's.

She gave the transformed Chi Luoxi a once-over and let out a whistle. "Clothes make the man, Little Chi. Dressed up like that, you're something else! Come on, I'll show you the ropes."

They went to work in the afternoon.

The place was a private club tucked away behind a busy street, with a modest front but lavish yet understated interior. There wasn't even a sign at the entrance, just two burly security guards in black suits.

Bai Man greeted the guards familiarly and led Chi Luoxi inside.

The lights inside were a warm, dim shade, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive aromatherapy, alcohol, and a cloying, sweet smell he couldn't quite identify.

The hallway was covered in thick carpet, muffling their footsteps.

Manager Yang was already waiting in the office. She saw Chi Luoxi being brought in by Bai Man.

"Little Chi's here? Have a seat. Today's just to get you familiar with the place, you'll start officially tomorrow." Manager Yang pointed to the sofa across from her, her tone gentle.

Chi Luoxi sat down a bit nervously.

Manager Yang looked at Chi Luoxi with a warm smile, making small talk. "How are you? Settling in? Did you sleep well last night?"

Chi Luoxi nodded, then shook his head honestly. "It's okay... just didn't sleep much last night."

Manager Yang noticed he couldn't hide his sleepiness. "Oh? Didn't sleep well? Homesick or not used to the bed?"

Chi Luoxi replied sheepishly, "...I watched TV all night."

Manager Yang was taken aback. "TV? What show was that good?"

Chi Luoxi answered earnestly, "...Calabash Brothers. I didn't know there was a new one, Calabash Brothers: The Little Superhero."

Manager Yang: "...Ah?"

Chi Luoxi loved watching *Calabash Brothers* the most. They didn't have a TV at home, so back in the village, he always watched it at Aunt Chun's place.

He watched the calabash brothers each using their unique powers, working together to fight the demons, risking everything to save their grandpa. Especially at the end, when the seven calabash brothers turned into a seven-colored mountain, sealing the demons and rescuing their grandpa, he couldn't help but tear up.

Both were plants that had become spirits—the calabash was a plant, and he, as a white radish, was also one. Look at how capable the calabash brothers were: spitting fire, spitting water, an iron-hard head and bronze-like arms, invisibility, telescopic vision and superhuman hearing—each with amazing abilities, able to save grandpa and defeat the bad guys.

What about him? Besides turning into a radish and burying himself in the soil to sleep, he didn't seem to have any other skills.

Oh, right, he was probably a bit stronger than ordinary people? But compared to the calabash brothers, that was nothing.

Most importantly, the calabash brothers loved their grandpa the most. They would go to any lengths for him. That part made Chi Luoxi's heart both ache and warm at the same time, feeling a kindred spirit.

Plant spirits were all so loyal.

Author's note:

A bit late, had something come up.

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Guess what our Little Radish's favorite game is—the male lead will show up in the next chapter.

Our Little Radish does have a high school freshman education, so he's educated, but not that much.