The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 217 Spending Money for Oneself, Ji Wenfeng

At the entrance of the old shop, Zhao Xiaochui and Rocket 3 instantly became the focus of attention.

Amidst good-natured cheers and praise, Zhao Xiaochui laughed and chatted with the elderly folks enjoying the cool evening air.

However, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a scene at a street corner in the distance—a group of well-dressed figures, looking out of place under the dim streetlights of the old street, were talking in hushed tones, their eyes frequently glancing toward the tenement building where the old shop was located.

He glanced at it once and then looked away.

His full attention was drawn to a closer target: a person cautiously peeking inside the old shop right at the entrance.

"Brother Chen?"

Zhao Xiaochui has always had a good memory for customers, and he quickly recognized the real estate agent, Chen Ye.

Caught red-handed, Chen Ye's face flashed with embarrassment. He then quickly walked up to Zhao Xiaochui and exclaimed sincerely, "Xiaochui, your car is so cool!"

"Thank you." Zhao Xiaochui readily accepted the compliment, then his gaze sharpened, and he asked directly, "What are you looking at so suspiciously here?"

"Hehe..." Chen Ye chuckled dryly, momentarily speechless.

Zhao Xiaochui didn't press further, but instead looked the real estate agent up and down. Compared to their last meeting at the store, Chen Ye had completely transformed, his outfit was quite expensive, especially the eye-catching H-shaped logo on his waistband, which Zhao Xiaochui had seen in the SKP window display that afternoon.

Noticing Zhao Xiaochui's gaze, Chen Ye explained somewhat embarrassedly:
“This was a gift from my client. I recommended Relaxing Travel to him and also sold him an apartment. My client is very satisfied.”

"I don't care if you're satisfied or not," Zhao Xiaochui shifted his gaze to Chen Ye's face and asked, word by word, "What are you looking at?"

"I received a business call from a female executive at a foreign company," Chen Ye said, realizing he couldn't lie anymore. "She specifically requested properties in OCT (Overseas Chinese Town), but I've already sold out most of the good ones there. So... I'm looking for other options."

Chen Ye continued to beat around the bush, avoiding a direct answer. Zhao Xiaochui frowned, staring at him in silence.

This silence was more unsettling than any questioning. Chen Ye finally couldn't take it anymore, scratched his head, and tentatively asked, still using the old shop's name, "Little Hammer, what exactly are you thinking about that person inside?"

"The one inside?"

Zhao Xiaochui's mind raced. At this time, the newly arrived trainee technicians would have already been picked up by special vehicles from the neighborhood committee and the Disabled Persons' Federation.

If there are still people in the store, besides Wang Jianlian at the front desk, there is only that old colleague who is the only "oddball" who did not go to the new store and was not fired!

Ji Wenfeng. A beautiful name, fresh and modern, carrying the beautiful expectations of his parents. Unfortunately, his parents are gone, and this young visually impaired technician, only two years older than Zhao Xiaochui, has become a lifeless, unambitious slacker.

By the way, his parents are the fat receptionist's colleagues, and he is the owner of the old store property!
"Mr. Chen, if you have something to say, please say it directly. If not, please leave!"

Having figured things out, Zhao Xiaochui's expression instantly turned cold. "Mr. Chen, if you have something to say, just say it. If not, please leave!"

The person in front of me seems to be blinded by sudden wealth. He clearly made his fortune through leisurely and slow living, and now he wants to steal his business?

Zhao Xiaochui didn't even bother calling him "Brother Chen" anymore.

Having spent many years navigating the complexities of society, Chen Ye immediately sensed the distance and warning in the words and panicked.

“Little Hammer… no, Mr. Zhao! Please let me explain, I didn’t mean anything by it! If you don’t have any plans for the person inside, could you please ask for his guardian’s phone number? I want to buy that apartment in OCT that he has.”

He finally made his point clear. Chen Ye took a deep breath and offered his bargaining chip: "Boss Zhao, the client is willing to pay a 20% premium for this deal! I won't take a single penny of my commission, and I'll return all my earnings to you!"

Hearing this, Zhao Xiaochui's expression softened slightly, but he still shook his head, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "I am his guardian. The house is not for sale."

Those eccentric parents left him a large apartment in Overseas Chinese Town and the facade of an old shop.

The responsibility Zhao Xiaochui took on was to protect this young man named Ji Wenfeng.

Based on what he had seen and heard before his rebirth, he should have sold the house whose value was rapidly declining, but the current situation was something Zhao Xiaochui couldn't understand.

"Brother Chen," Zhao Xiaochui changed his form of address back, nudged Chen Ye with his elbow (who looked disappointed), and gestured towards the distance with his chin, "What are those people doing?"

Chen Ye followed his gaze and lowered his voice, saying, "Secretary Liu is over there. It's probably related to the recent rumors about demolition." Zhao Xiaochui was very surprised: "Didn't Fatou say they wouldn't demolish anything?"

"This isn't a government-led demolition; it's a commercial transaction!" Chen Ye pointed to the figures. "Take a closer look; do any of them look familiar?"

Zhao Xiaochui's eyesight far surpassed that of ordinary people. He focused his gaze and immediately recognized several figures. The most striking was Jiang Ying's somewhat goofy male assistant, and there was another one he vaguely remembered; he had seen him when he was receiving Qian Mankun—his bodyguard and driver. Now it seemed that the other person clearly had another identity.

"What's so special about this wretched place that warrants such a huge fuss?" Zhao Xiaochui pondered deeply.

He still has nearly 40 million yuan in cash. If he could know some inside information in advance, he might be able to get a share of the profits.

"We've been talking about expanding the CBD eastward for so many years, but we haven't seen the housing prices here rise at all."

Seeing Zhao Xiaochui's troubled expression, Chen Ye rolled his eyes inwardly and reminded him irritably, "You're here!"

Zhao Xiaochui was stunned: "..."

Chen Ye continued, "Little Hammer, do you know how much an invitation code for Easy Travel is being sold for these days?"

“No matter how much it’s sold at, it’s useless. Anyone who buys it is a fool!” Zhao Xiaochui shook his head and said seriously, “The invitation code is just a way to open the mini program. You can’t register as a member at all. The money is wasted. Brother Chen, please help me spread this word.”

"Just because it didn't pass today doesn't mean it won't pass tomorrow." Chen Ye clearly didn't completely agree with Zhao Xiaochui's opinion, but he still nodded. "Okay, I'll pass on the message for you, but I don't think it will be of much use."

"Thanks," Zhao Xiaochui said, then asked in confusion, "Just because I'm here, those people want to carry out a demolition?"

"Even leisurely lifestyles are getting into the health industry, can't you at least let them have a taste?"

Zhao Xiaochui understood, but his doubts deepened: "But I'm only one person, and I can only serve a limited number of customers. This 'soup bowl' isn't very big, is it?"

"Isn't Da Qiao human? Isn't Gu Qiang human? What about the five new technicians? What about the twelve girls?"

"And how many trainee technicians from this old shop will become easy-going, slow-paced, top-level technicians in the future?"

Chen Ye gently reminded him, "Little Hammer, I've indirectly confirmed this through a friend at the community hospital. Those five experienced technicians, including Da Qiao, have already helped at least ten long-term patients in the community stop taking their medications that they've been taking for years."

Zhao Xiaochui: "..."

…………

After dismissing the real estate agent who was trying to take advantage of the situation, Zhao Xiaochui entered the deserted old shop.

Wang Jianlian, the receptionist, was wearing headphones and humming an off-key tune as she diligently wiped the counter with a rag, her face beaming with an undisguised smile.

Zhao Xiaochui knew that the finance department had just reissued the 8,000 yuan signing fee to her and Ma Jinfang, which was of great significance to them.

He didn't want to disturb her good mood, so he tiptoed through the empty hall and headed towards the inner room.

The further you go in, the clearer the catchy, repetitive background music, typical of short videos, becomes.

It was still that massage bed leaning against the innermost wall, and Ji Wenfeng, whom everyone privately called a "weirdo".

He maintained his signature posture without fail—sitting on the edge of the bed, his upper body limply lying on the massage bed, a brand-new flagship phone almost pressed against his face. He squinted slightly, using his limited remaining vision to focus intently on the rapidly flashing light and shadow on the screen.

The whole world seemed to be compressed into that seven-inch screen, both noisy and deathly silent.

Zhao Xiaochui stood behind him for a long time, listening to the monotonous music and the exaggerated laughter in the video, which formed an incredibly absurd contrast with the overwhelming information in his mind, such as "ten people stopped taking medication" and "commercial demolition".

Finally, he spoke, his voice as calm as a deep pool of water.

Are you planning to live like this for the rest of your life?

(End of this chapter)