The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 351 Current Situation
Chaoyang District, Beijing, Overseas Chinese Town.

Zhao Xiaochui opened the door to the large room using the password sent by Gao Ya. The aroma of food and the sizzling sound of oil in a wok wafted out. He paused for a moment, then quietly stepped inside.

In the open kitchen, Liu Li stood with her back to the door, wearing a floral apron. She was stir-frying vegetables with a spatula in one hand and chopping scallions on a cutting board with the other. She was humming an off-key tune, her hair casually tied up and swaying gently with her movements.

Zhao Xiaochui watched quietly for a while, then quietly walked behind her, reached out, and gently wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Ah—!" Liu Li screamed in fright, almost dropping the spatula. She turned around abruptly and saw Zhao Xiaochui; her eyes widened instantly.

"You...when did you get back?!" Her voice trembled with surprise and joy, and she didn't even notice the scallion pieces she was holding falling to the ground. "Why didn't you tell me beforehand! You scared me to death!"

She turned around, not caring about the oil on her hands, and playfully punched him, her face beaming with joy: "Oh dear! Really! You didn't even say goodbye before coming back! I didn't even cook many good dishes!"

Seeing her overjoyed and incoherent expression, Zhao Xiaochui couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out and brushed the damp strands of hair from her forehead, saying, "I found it by the smell. Anything is fine, but yours is always the best."

Liu Li felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She didn't ask him what he had been doing for so long, but instead urged him to wash his hands: "Go quickly! Perfect timing, try my new braised pork ribs! Don't say it's not good!"

The small kitchen was instantly filled with the warmth of a long-awaited reunion and joyful laughter. Outside, the streetlights were just coming on, illuminating the new home that had finally welcomed its new owner. After dinner, the two began tidying up together.

Liu Li was in charge of unpacking and arranging various small items, humming a song as she laid out a pretty cushion on the windowsill; Zhao Xiaochui quietly hung a few old clothes into the wardrobe and placed various well-worn tomes in the most convenient position on the new desk.

There were no thrilling battles, no intricate schemes, only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and casual chatter between lovers.

At this moment, the long-wandering traveler finally tasted the most longed-for and most precious ordinary warmth.

……

A new day dawns in Fatou Park.

The mist had not yet dissipated, the morning light was faint, and there was a crisp coolness in the air.

In a corner of the park, members of the morning exercise mutual aid group had already gathered on time. Old Zhou stood at the front of the group, his posture relaxed and his expression peaceful.

"Alright, calm down and regulate your breathing—" He slowly raised his arms, palms down, as if holding a ball, and made a starting posture. "Today we will start with the 'exhale' technique. Take it slow and don't rush."

He took a deep breath and guided, "Come on, follow me... 'Whoosh'—"

Old Zhou pursed his lips slightly, slowly exhaled a long breath, and made a soft and long "shh" sound. At the same time, he slowly pressed his hands down to guide his breath downward.

The newcomers in the group followed suit, and although their movements were not very synchronized, they were all very serious and dedicated.

All around were a group of elderly men and women watching the spectacle. Since most of the new members of the mutual aid group were blond-haired, blue-eyed old men and women, they had seen many foreigners, but it was rare to encounter so many foreigners in the dilapidated Fatou.

Old Zhou slowly finished his exercise, exhaling a breath of stale air, thus concluding his morning workout. He smiled and nodded goodbye to the members of his mutual aid group, then turned and walked towards Secretary Liu, who was standing under a tree not far away. He wiped the fine sweat from his forehead with a towel and asked in a low voice:

"Old Liu, who are these people? Why do I have to train them?"

Old Liu pointed to the plainclothes officers in the surrounding crowd and said with a wry smile:
"They are all Little Hammer's guests in the United States, each with an extraordinary background. I heard that the private jet tarmac at the international airport is already full, and the later ones can only land at Daxing Airport."

Following the direction Secretary Liu pointed, Lao Zhou looked and indeed saw several plainclothes officers on guard in the crowd.

"What are they after? Why do they have to come all the way to this run-down park to learn from me?"

Following the direction Secretary Liu pointed, Old Zhou looked and indeed saw several tall, imposing figures silently standing guard in the crowd. He gasped and lowered his voice:

"Are they all Little Hammer's customers? This is terrifying! What are they after? Why do they have to come all the way to this lousy park to learn from an old man like me?"

Secretary Liu's wry smile deepened as he leaned closer: "What are they after? Old Zhou, you don't know... there are several elderly people inside who were in wheelchairs and needed to be pushed around just a month ago! What do you think they're after?"

Old Zhou: "..."

He wasn't surprised—this was indeed something Zhao Xiaochui was capable of doing.

Secretary Liu continued, "They spent hundreds of millions of dollars at major hospitals and research institutions but couldn't get their health back. Then, a few taps from a little hammer and hey, they're standing up again! Who do you think they should believe now?"

Old Zhou immediately understood.

These foreigners believe in this kind of thing to the core—if Zhao Xiaochui were to establish a sect abroad, these people would definitely rush to convert and worship him.

As they talked, they unknowingly walked to the park entrance.

"This demolition speed... commercial projects really move fast!" Old Zhou couldn't help but exclaim, a hint of envy in his voice. He glanced at Secretary Liu, "Sigh, it's true what they say, different people have different fates..."

He shook his head, clicked his tongue, and nudged Secretary Liu with his elbow: "I heard that this plot of land will be used to build a high-end community, a five-star hotel, and a super-large-scale retirement community? If that's the case, Lao Liu, I'm afraid your positions as the director of the subdistrict office and the district assistant are in jeopardy."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Liu couldn't suppress the joy on his face. He nodded reservedly and lowered his voice, saying, "The organization just had a discussion... it's decided, the deputy district head will be promoted to the Standing Committee."

Old Zhou: "..."

Looking at the construction site, he sighed, "What a pity for those old neighbors..."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Liu's face flashed with disdain, and he sneered, "They deserved it! The massage parlor treated them kindly back then, but they dared to let that ugly donkey in his yellow vest into the shop to scare the girls!"

"Later, when this area was slated for demolition, several developers even consulted with Little Hammer, which was quite a show of respect. And what happened? They ruined all the goodwill they had built up with the old neighborhood! Now they're all getting generous compensation and should be content to leave. In a way, Little Hammer even made them a fortune in the end, which was more than enough."

"Of course!" Old Zhou nodded with a sigh. "I heard that two more international groups have recently gotten involved?"

“Look,” Secretary Liu gestured with his lip toward the group of foreigners who were practicing diligently, “the two leading them are the ones. These capitalists have noses that are sharper than dogs; they pounce on meat as soon as they smell it.”

Old Zhou glanced at the group of distinguished students and sighed, "In the end, whether Fatou will become a dragon or a worm depends on Little Hammer... Old Liu, when exactly is his new shop opening? Has he come up with a new name yet?"

Upon hearing this question, Secretary Liu's expression turned somewhat strange. He touched his nose and said in a complicated tone:

"The name has been decided, it will be called 'New Relaxed Slow Travel'."

"The opening date... is not set yet, it depends on Little Hammer's mood."

"The affordable price of 288 that used to be available to the public is completely gone."

"The starting price is now 888."

"Also..." he paused, "the number of senior technicians on the second floor has tripled..."

(End of this chapter)