Free Web NovelChapter 8: The End of the Workaholic Ways
According to the system prompt in the wristwatch, the dial itself was some kind of progress bar reflecting the wearer’s condition.
Once that half golden zero turned fully gold, he should be able to complete the breakthrough and become an official Chosen One. That would put one in his zero... wait, no, that sounded wrong[1]. Anyway, something like that.
Who knew what kind of company that so-called Skyrail Corporation was to be able to create something this bizarre. Aside from system reports, it never said a word. However, whenever Ji Jue felt his spirit matter running dry and realized he could not go on, fresh matter would quietly well up and cover the consumption.
Compared to Ji Jue’s own capacity, which was like a half-full bottle, this tiny wristwatch seemed to hide a massive water tank inside. No, it was next level, like a bottomless reservoir. Sadly, what Ji Jue could actually mobilize and use was a tiny, negligible fraction of it.
Who knew whether there would be new changes once he officially became a proper employee. As for now... forget it. He was just a temporary off-the-books worker, so it was already generous of them to let him leech off, even a little.
What more can I ask for, a bike?
“What bike?” a curious voice spoke up right beside him.
Ji Jue jolted in shock. When he snapped his head around, he finally noticed the long hair that had somehow fallen onto his shoulder, and that face that seemed to always wear a sly smile. With her eyes slightly narrowed, the woman examined him closely.
Ji Jue was stunned. “Senior Sister Ye? What are you doing here?”
“I’m shopping.” Ye Chun[2] shook the plastic bags in her hand with a grin. “I was waving at you from outside the window for ages, and you didn’t notice at all. Still, it’s unusual to see you taking a break and drinking tea. I thought your workaholic ways would never change, that even over summer break, you’d keep grinding.”
Workaholic ways?
Irritated, Ji Jue said, “Can’t I take a break and have some tea for once?”
He lifted the cup of red tea on the table, which was already almost cold, and took a sip. He straightened up theatrically and said, “I haven’t touched my thesis all day today, okay? I’m seriously enjoying life.”
“Oh? If only that were true.”
Ye Chun dragged over a plastic stool without any hesitation and plopped down beside him. She couldn’t have cared less about the bag that made someone as broke as Ji Jue feel suffocated just by its logo. She tossed it onto the grimy table, grabbed her chopsticks, and started digging into his oat bun with absurd ease, just like when she swiped his chicken leg back in the cafeteria.
“I wanted to ask you out yesterday, but my aunt said you were still busy with your thesis and wouldn’t let me bother you. How much have you written? Can you finish before the break?”
Thinking about that thesis gave Ji Jue an instant headache. “I’ve barely started.”
“Wow, there you go again. Every time you say you haven’t done much, you’re about to go full grind mode.” Ye Chun shot him a look, not believing him at all. “You’re making me sound really dumb.”
“This time I’m serious. I only just passed the proposal. I haven’t even started the rest.”
Ji Jue raised his hands in surrender. He could not exactly say, Relax sis, I’m busy tracking down a gang of bloodthirsty old freaks, I really don’t have time to write my thesis right now.
Ye Chun immediately beamed. “Then let’s just slack off together. Neither of us hands in our thesis, deal?”
Ji Jue was speechless. He thought, Look, Professor Ye is your aunt, not mine. And besides, when school starts I’ll be in my third year, while you’ll still be in grad school. We’ll be in different grades. What’s the point in slacking off together?
Ye Chun always seemed to enjoy watching him struggle. She clearly took good care of him, yet loved teasing him all the time, leaving him completely helpless. He was like poor Tom[3], completely at her mercy.
Crap. She’s toying with me. Is she gaslighting me?
Just as Ji Jue was spacing out, Ye Chun said, “Hmm... So that’s the type you like?”
“Huh?” Ji Jue was confused. “What type?”
“That one. A slut with big tits and big ass, as well as bouncy curls, wearing shiny black stockings, short skirt and red-soled stilettos. Nice taste.” Ye Chun followed the direction Ji Jue had been staring and clicked her tongue in appreciation.
“Where? Where?” Ji Jue followed her gaze blankly. Then he stopped smiling and froze in place.
Right by the street, behind that white van, the trunk was open. Two burly men were bowing and scraping as they took a heavy looking box from the hands of a woman standing nearby. That slender figure and those expressive big eyes glancing around with effortless charm overflowed with allure, making it impossible to look away from.
That woman...
Ji Jue felt a shiver down his spine. She was clearly the woman from yesterday afternoon, the one at the auto shop who kept trying to flirt with him and lure him out. She had even flirtatiously told him to look at her headlights.
Yesterday she had looked seductive and captivating, but when he looked at her again today, all he felt was disgust. Behind the light blue-tinted sunglasses, those eyes framed by long lashes were an unmistakably deep, vivid crimson.
So it was not just his toolkit on her menu—he was on it, too. She wanted to devour him, literally.
He stayed stiff in shock for a long time, until Ye Chun waved her hand in front of his eyes, confused. “Hey, hey, snap out of it. She’s already gone. How long are you planning to stare?”
Ji Jue snapped back to reality. “Huh?”
“Ji Jue, listen to me. Women are full of tricks. You’re underage. You can’t handle her,” Ye Chun advised solemnly. “Once an innocent boy like you is tricked into her house, you’ll get locked in a basement, chained up, and turned into a rich woman’s toy. Then, you’ll live a miserable life as her slave. You really have to be careful.”
Ji Jue fell silent for a long while, hesitating. “Ye Chun...”
“What?” free𝑤ebnovel.com
“Well, um, I’m already nineteen.”
“Doesn’t count if it’s nominal age[4].” Ye Chun pinched his cheek irritably. “Is that really the point? You didn’t object at all to the ‘becoming a slave’ part. Besides, if you leave with her, what about me and the two kids? Boo hoo hoo!”
Under the shocked gazes of the people around them, Ji Jue sighed, completely done with life. “Ye Chun, next time you go full drama queen mode, can you at least try to make it convincing?”
“I’m just worried you might take the wrong step and stray onto the wrong path.” Ye Chun patted his shoulder with a grin, clearly wanting to say more. However, after glancing at the time on her phone, she let out a small sigh. “Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. I still have to buy groceries. Time for me to head out. Enjoy your break.”
Ji Jue felt like he’d been granted amnesty. If this kept going, he honestly did not know how much longer he could keep up the act, or whether she would notice something was off.
After watching her walk away, he finally let out a long exhale.
“Check, please.”
“It’s already been paid, lad.” Behind the counter, the boss with a cigarette in his mouth glanced at him with a hint of wistfulness in his eyes, like he was seeing his own youthful past reflected in Ji Jue. He flicked the ash and sighed softly. “Ah, back in my day...”
Still a little dazed, Ji Jue could not help turning his head to look in the direction Ye Chun had left, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Then his phone vibrated, and an emoji came through via text. Ye Chun had sent a sticker of a dog pointing at the screen judgementally[5].
Ye Chun: We agreed to slack off, okay?
Ji Jue froze for a while, but he could not help smiling softly.
Ji Jue: Okay.
The screen went dark, reflecting his smile. Honestly speaking, he looked pretty dumb, but he also felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. It was as if, all of a sudden, the panic and unease receded like a tide, even if they might come back later. frёewebnoѵēl.com
First he got rammed by a truck, then he gained strange abilities, got introduced to the concept of the Chosen One, and became a temp worker. Plus, there were the bloodthirsty old freaks, ill-intentioned seductions, and all those inexplicable attacks. So much crap had happened at once. He had been dragged headfirst into these bizarre whirlpools, and he had no idea where they were taking him.
Yet for a brief moment, he felt like he was still standing on solid ground, still living his own life. He was still alive, properly alive, just as he wanted. Even with bad luck clinging to him, a bright future was still waiting ahead.
So he really had to hurry up.
Ji Jue rubbed his hands together and headed in the direction the car owner had gone. He wanted to settle this early and go home to write his thesis.
That’s right, I’m back to my workaholic ways.
***
Uh oh. This looks like it might not be so easy.
Ten minutes later, Ji Jue realized he might not be able to continue working himself to the bone after all.
He stood at the intersection, looking from afar in the direction the woman had vanished in the surveillance footage.
The building stood out among its peers like a crane among chickens. There was a massive parking lot outside, and neon lights blazed brightly as dusk fell. Ji Jue had never set foot in this nightclub.
Heavy music and pounding beats could already be heard faintly from inside. A long line had formed at the entrance. Scantily-dressed girls leaned against the people beside them, while luxury cars drove nonstop into the parking lot in front. Every single one radiated a kind of brilliance that made Ji Jue’s heart tremble.
If I scratch that car, it’ll cost me twenty thousand. That one, forty eight thousand. This one’s serious. It has to be sent back to the original factory in Central City of the Federation for a full repaint. It’ll be eight hundred and sixteen thousand. This one might even need to go to the Empire on the Southern Continent. And that car’s brake pads sounded a bit off. I could swap them out with aftermarket parts at some Mainland Auto Shop and easily scam the owner for at least thirty-six thousand.
Smack!
Ji Jue slapped his forehead, cutting off his intrusive thoughts.
In the shadows where neon and streetlights could not reach, he stared blankly at the lights, just like any other young passerby with not a cent in his pocket.
While he was hesitating, he saw something. The van he had been tailing during the day actually bypassed the front entrance and headed toward the back of the building.
By the time Ji Jue circled around, the vehicle had been parked in the nightclub’s staff lot. The license plate had been swapped out for a brand new one, and there was no one inside.
Even the back entrance had tight security. Through the half-open metal gate, he could see several burly security guards strolling around the parking lot. Each one carried a walkie-talkie and held a rubber baton that clearly was not just for show.
And the moment they noticed Ji Jue getting close, they stopped and looked straight at him. Ji Jue could only lower his head and hurry away.
Back at the front, he looked at the bouncers by the entrance.
Everyone lining up had to hand over something that looked like membership cards. Some showed their cards, while others gave the bouncers money. Some did not even line up at all, wrapping an arm around some girl and getting ushered in by a floor manager, or straight up wrapping an arm around the manager himself.
Just watching this scene gave Ji Jue a headache.
Once in a while, someone without a card tried to sneak in and got politely invited aside by the big, beefy security guards. At least no one seemed to be getting beaten.
Damn, did it really have to be this hard to sneak in? The security’s watertight, huh?
Ji Jue was overwhelmed by frustration. Unless he suddenly conjured a pile of cash, or sprouted wings and flew in from above, getting inside today was nearly impossible.
There was no way he was supposed to latch onto some rich lady and sneak in with his looks, right? Wouldn’t that make him a gigolo?
Ji Jue looked at the young women, the mature women, and the elderly women dressed in haute couture stepping out of luxury cars with their handbags in hand. Somehow, he started to waver.
Should I just brace myself and go for it? Who knows, I might even earn a little side income.
1. In Chinese gay slang, "1" represents the top and "0" represents the bottom. This terminology is widely used to describe sexual roles within same-sex relationships. ☜
2. The surname 叶 Ye, meaning “leaf,” is a common surname. It is listed 257th in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames, and is the 43rd most common surname in China. The given name 纯 Chun, means “pure” or “innocent.” To me, 叶纯 conveys a sense of clarity, simplicity, and moral integrity, and suggests a character who is gentle, straightforward, or admirable. ☜
3. I think this is referring to Tom from Tom and Jerry. ☜
4. Nominal age (虚岁) is a traditional Chinese way of counting age, where a person is considered one year old at birth and gains a year with each Lunar New Year. It measures the span of life experienced rather than the exact passage of time, and is usually one to two years older than the actual (full) age. In daily life, this age system is mainly used for customs and traditions, such as celebrating birthdays according to East Asian age. ☜
5. I’ve attached an image for your reference. ☜
