Urban Soldier Young Master

After a lot of polite refusals, Xiao Wu eventually accepted the money that Chu Ge insisted on giving him.

Seeing Chu Ge's determined attitude, Xiao Wu hesitated for a while. In the end, overwhelmed, he expressed his gratitude and assured Chu Ge that he would be at his service whenever needed. With that commitment, he left the room with the fifty thousand yuan.

Chu Ge turned off the lights and lay back down on the bed, internally memorizing Xiao Wu's phone number, a slight smile on his lips.

While giving Xiao Wu the money just now, Chu Ge had been subtly observing his expressions. When he took the initial twenty thousand yuan, it was more of fear than hesitation.

Yet facing the temptation of thirty thousand yuan, although deeply tempted and assured of his safety, he genuinely wanted to refuse it, even wanting to return the previous twenty thousand yuan to Chu Ge, presenting an attitude of being honored to serve Chu Ge.

Hmm... this guy named Xiao Wu is quite interesting and smart enough. Maybe he could come in handy someday?

In the darkness, Chu Ge glanced at the box filled with cash, pondered for a moment, and then adjusted to a comfortable position, closing his eyes to sleep.

Initially, he didn't plan to let Xiao Wu go; he intended to let Xiao Wu book another room and stay with the money box overnight. After all, Xiao Wu seemed quite smart; since he could work for the man suspected to be Deputy Director Zhou, he probably wouldn't do something foolish like running away with the money. This could be a chance to see if Chang Xin had any back-up plans.

However, he later reconsidered, thinking that Chang Xin was probably avoiding him now. No matter how much that guy might resent him, the possibility of him causing trouble at this time was minimal. Additionally, Chu Ge found Xiao Wu quite interesting, so he decided not to do that and instead sent Xiao Wu away.

The next day, Chu Ge woke up, grabbed a quick bite at the hotel, went back to his room to apply some ointment, and took a shower around noon. He then checked out and took a taxi to the bus station, carrying the box full of cash.

Until the coach Chu Ge was on started, no one came to trouble him. Watching the scenery outside the window retreating from view, a signature smile appeared on his face.

Reflecting on the past few days, it was quite amusing, especially with Chang Xin and Huang Yourong. Their plot to set him and Mu Lingshan up failed; one ended up being manipulated in various ways by him, while the other gave him five million yuan. In the end, he managed to gain both wealth and beauty.

Sitting in the bus, Chu Ge pretended to nap for a while, and made a call to Song Baijia midway, informing him that he was on his way back to Lidu and asked to meet for dinner that night.

Chu Ge was truly curious about Song Baijia's appetite. He claimed he was never full. Chu Ge had been wanting to treat him to a meal for a while, and if Song was available, today would be the day to witness it. He must make sure Brother Song gets full at least once.

A few hours passed, and the bus pulled into Lidu. Seeing the familiar sights outside the window, Chu Ge felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity, as if he had been away for a long time.

As the bus slowly stopped at the terminal, Chu Ge got off and immediately saw Song Baijia grinning and walking towards him.

Today, Song Baijia wore his usual clothes again: a white T-shirt costing just a few dozen yuan, baggy khaki capri shorts, and a pair of slightly worn-out leather shoes on his feet.

Seeing Song Baijia, Chu Ge's mood instantly lifted, and he approached with a cheeky grin, "Brother Song, you're so eager to eat? Didn't we say to wait for my call?"

Song Baijia blushed a little, feeling embarrassed, "No, uh, I just, didn't have anything else to do…"

Chu Ge playfully punched Song Baijia, "Just joking with you. Why aren't you wearing the clothes I bought you? Were you getting too many phone calls from girls asking for your number because you dressed too handsomely?"

Song Baijia laughed awkwardly, scratching his head, "Well, not exactly, I just feel that going out for dinner dressed up doesn't leave much room to enjoy the meal."

Chu Ge burst out laughing. Song Baijia was just too adorable. Although describing a big guy as adorable might sound odd, that's exactly how he felt. Plus, he was only teasing Song Baijia earlier; he didn't really expect that, after the incident at the hair salon, girls actually started asking for Song Baijia's number.

Seeing Chu Ge laughing so heartily, Song Baijia felt more embarrassed, so he changed the subject, "So, your wife didn't come to pick you up today?"

"I didn't tell her. Planning to sneak into bed tonight and give her a scare."

"Oh, you're so wicked!"

"Hahaha… I've been wicked for some time now, you're just realizing?"

"There's a saying, what was it again? Something about friendship and distrust, is that the situation here?"

"It's 'betrayed by friends', well done Brother Song, you're starting to master idioms?"

"Hehe…"

The two chatted and laughed, then discussed what to eat before hailing a cab and heading straight for Shangpin Barbecue.

Neither Chu Ge nor Song Baijia could resist the allure of grilled meat. Coincidentally, Chu Ge's last barbecue meal in the provincial capital was not satisfying, so this time he was ready to indulge in a feast.

On the way, Song Baijia shared with Chu Ge what had happened over the past few days. He had already resigned from his job at the Green Garden Resort.

When he announced "The world is so big, I want to see it" in his heavy rural accent while wearing a sleek suit, his boss was flabbergasted. His eyes popped wide open like light bulbs, and he stood there slack-jawed even after Song Baijia walked away briskly.

Unlike the resort owner's shock, the other staff and chef friends were both happy for him and reluctant to see him go. However, seeing that he was determined, they offered their blessings.

Besides resigning, he also informed the elders in the village that he would be leaving soon, though he hadn't yet gathered the courage to call Qin Ruojing.

As they chatted, the taxi pulled up in front of Shangpin Barbecue. The moment Song Baijia stepped out of the car, he felt a bit dazed. He glanced up at the posh storefront of Shangpin Barbecue, and an unease crept into his heart.

"Bro, uh, maybe... we should find another place to eat."

Seeing Song Baijia's reaction, Chu Ge chuckled, "I've eaten here before. The ambiance and food are really good, plus we're already here. Just come with me."

Song Baijia grimaced. Considering the high occupancy rate and the poised demeanor of the staff amid the refined decor, he could tell this was a nice place. But that's precisely why he felt uneasy.

Chu Ge was back today, and Song Baijia wanted to treat him, but he was worried the money he had wouldn't cover the bill.

He knew Chu Ge didn't view him as an outsider, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he spoke honestly with a troubled expression, "You know how much I can eat. This place looks super expensive. Really, let's find somewhere else."

With that, Song Baijia tugged on Chu Ge's arm, not noticing someone passing by. The tug caused his elbow to inadvertently bump into the passerby.

Feeling he had bumped into someone, Song Baijia quickly turned around and saw a young man in his twenties frowning at him, muttering, "Ah shi be."

Song Baijia didn't understand what that meant, but from the tone and the displeased look on the young man's face, he figured it wasn't anything good. He was about to apologize when a displeased voice came from another direction, "Are you *bleeping* blind?"

Following the voice, Song Baijia saw seven or eight fashionable young men walking toward him. It was clear they were with the person he had accidentally bumped into, and their gazes were unfriendly.

The one who cursed him nodded provocatively, "What the *bleep* are you looking at? You bump into someone and don't apologize? Idiot."

Chu Ge frowned and glanced at the group, but before he could say anything, Song Baijia gently tugged on his arm again, evidently signaling him to stay silent.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it."

Song Baijia apologized to the person he had bumped into. The person gave him a disdainful look, mumbled something in a language Song Baijia couldn't understand, and then walked toward the door of Shangpin Barbecue with long strides.

As he walked, he wiped the area Song Baijia had touched on his clothes, as if it had become extremely dirty.

The others also muttered in a foreign language as they swaggered past, casting sidelong glances at Song Baijia, who stood rooted in place.

Especially the one who had sworn earlier, he spat a glob of phlegm at Song Baijia's feet, and had Song Baijia not stepped aside, it would've landed on his shoes.

Chu Ge couldn't take it any longer. While Song Baijia didn't understand what the person was muttering, Chu Ge understood it perfectly.

The guy was speaking Korean. The phrase "Ah shi be" was equivalent to a common curse involving a derogatory term for someone's mother, and the following words weren't nice either.

This in itself was enough to irk Chu Ge, but the fact that another person in the group twice insulted Song Baijia in Mandarin made him even more upset.

Because of the angle, Song Baijia couldn't see how he had bumped into the person, but Chu Ge saw it clearly.

It was obvious that the guy was in such a rush he almost ran into Song Baijia, which led to the bump. If anyone wasn't paying attention, it was that guy, not Song Baijia.

After all, whose eyes can grow on the back of their head instead of on their face?

Aside from these two issues, what incensed Chu Ge the most—what he found utterly intolerable—was because of another matter.