The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 461 Not Open for Business

First, three senior technicians, carrying only their personal belongings and expressionless, pushed open the heavy glass door "openly" in full view of everyone, just as Zhou Yaqin had instructed. They walked straight through the crowd without looking to either side and headed directly for the taxi waiting by the roadside.

Immediately afterward, before everyone could recover from the departure of the three people, an even more surprising scene unfolded: a row of black Yutong T7 minivans drove up neatly and parked orderly in front of the Easy Slow Drive gate.

Then, these people stared in disbelief as all the technicians, expressionless and orderly, filed out of the vehicle and quickly boarded it.

The convoy then drove away and disappeared at the end of the street.

The glass doors that once allowed for easy, leisurely walking were now firmly locked from the inside, leaving only an empty building and a group of people outside, bewildered in the wind.

Seeing EasySlowCare once again "willfully" stage a store closure, netizens who witnessed the whole process via live stream were instantly amused by this move, and the chat exploded with comments:

"Haha, it has to be my Hammer Bro, ruthless and taciturn. Protest? Protest for nothing."

"Hahahaha!! You disagree? I'm just closing the door and quitting!"

"This is what it truly means to be rich and willful!"

"Big stores bully customers? No, this is 'big stores shut down directly'! This is seriously high-class!"

Of course, there were also a large number of haters and critics who fiercely attacked:
"This is utterly lawless! Extremely irresponsible towards its members! Closing down just like that, what do you take your customers for?"

"Closing down just ten minutes before opening? Have they no business integrity at all? This is a classic case of a big company bullying its customers!"

"What's the point of a triple refund? We want service! This kind of company has absolutely no sense of social responsibility!"

"..."

Just as the entire internet was abuzz with discussion, the official account of "Easy Slow Travel" suddenly responded to a popular comment criticizing it for being "irresponsible":
"Oh, so you're saying we're taking advantage of our size? A massage parlor of less than 2000 square meters, I don't know if that counts as big."

"Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention—our first branch in Sichuan and Chongqing is open as usual today! Services for customers who have made appointments in Sichuan and Chongqing will remain the same!"

"Who are you? Did you make an appointment before you started babbling on?"

"Business integrity, my foot! Three of our senior technicians were poached this morning! If they're all being robbed, what's the point of running a shop? If you're so sure about integrity, why don't you come and fill in for us?"

"Come if you want, leave if you don't! This is our shop, we can open it whenever we want, close it whenever we want! What's it to you? Mind your own business!"

Where have netizens ever seen such an aggressive official merchant account?
This move had everyone in stitches, and the comments section was instantly flooded with laughter:
"Hahaha! Is this official account run by Chris Hemsworth himself when he's drunk? That's outrageous!"

"This imagery is so vivid! Sorry, haters, I'll laugh first!"

"The Sichuan and Chongqing branches are open as usual? Holy crap, the Sichuan and Chongqing guys really pulled off a major success this time!"

"Hey upstairs, didn't you see the news at 7 PM yesterday? There was a female tyrant. She's certainly got a lot of trouble in Beijing, but in Sichuan and Chongqing, who would dare to cause trouble?"

Beijing Investment Promotion Official: "..."

"Jinghai City boasts superior industrial policies and a first-class business environment. We sincerely invite @EasyWalking to come and explore the possibility of setting up a branch store and seek common development."

"As an international consumption center, Shanghai has always welcomed outstanding companies like @EasyTravel to set up operations here with an open attitude, and we will provide comprehensive service support."

Shenzhen Stock Exchange…

"Hahaha~~~~"

"These official statements are hilarious!"

"Even though I can't afford it, I'm on the store's side this time! This is so satisfying to see! This store really doesn't treat rich people like human beings~"

The tsunami of memes and jokes instantly shattered the criticisms and haters' comments.

This sudden surge of public opinion has silenced the members who were initially dissatisfied with the cancellation of their reservations and even prepared to jointly pursue Easy Slow Travel for breach of contract.

Looking at the official account's nonchalant response and then at the official investment invitations in the comments section, they suddenly remembered what kind of massage parlor this was.

They have no shortage of resources and connections. Massage parlors themselves are a scarce resource, so they don't need to care about conventional business rules at all.

Should we confront it head-on?
Don't end up losing your precious membership instead of winning the argument!
Upon realizing this, many members immediately changed their attitude. Some even avoided clicking the refund link on the mini-program altogether, instead proactively contacting online customer service and cautiously leaving messages such as: "We're not in a rush for a refund or compensation; we'll just keep the money in the store for now... When will we be able to reopen? We're willing to wait as long as we can continue to make appointments!"

This is what countless people are thinking. Faced with massage parlors exposed to the public, whether they are members or not, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, many people are willing to wait patiently.

Guo Fulai is just such a person.

……

January 1, 2021, 10:00 AM.

Chemical Industry Road, a leisurely and comfortable talent apartment.

The obese Guo Fulai slowly opened his eyes, the blinding sunlight making him feel somewhat disoriented. It had been a very, very long time since he had slept until he naturally woke up like this.

As a patient with moderate to severe chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), his sleep has been an endless torment for the past two years.

The severe fatigue kept him awake all night, or he fell into a vicious cycle of light sleep with vivid dreams, waking up feeling even more tired than if he hadn't slept at all.

Last night, in the middle of the night, as he was enduring the familiar torment of insomnia, he vaguely sensed a figure approaching his window. Then, a strange drowsiness washed over him, and for the first time ever, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, only waking up at this moment.

He sat up and felt a long-lost sense of ease, and his mind was also very clear.

He actually had the idea of ​​going out for a walk, something that had been a luxury for him for the past year.

He pushed open the bedroom door and walked into the one-bedroom apartment that the relaxed and leisurely travel agency had rented to him for the incredibly low price of only 79 yuan per day.

Although this talent apartment is not large, it is cleverly laid out and fully functional, with a kitchen, bathroom and balcony, which provides great convenience for him, a long-term patient.

What's even more thoughtful is that two service personnel who also serve as senior cleaners and senior technicians provide two free services every day—one is a thorough cleaning, and the other is a professional soothing massage.

The technicians were very frank with him, telling him that because the massage oils are generic formulas rather than personalized ones, the concentration of some ingredients might be slightly higher.

However, they added with a smile, "Compared to these troubling ailments you have, what is this tiny excess of all-natural ingredients?"

Guo Fulai gave a bitter laugh and muttered to himself:

"Those people online who criticize massage parlors for being heartless probably haven't seen how they pay us 'medicine addicts' to prolong our lives."

……

At the same time, a fleet of black Yutong T7 commercial vehicles, like a silent guard, slowly pulled up at the entrance of the talent apartment.

The technicians, dressed in uniform, filed out and entered the building quickly and orderly. Zhou Yaqin was the last to get off the bus. Instead of going inside, she stood beside the bus, looking down at her phone screen.

On the screen, a large, overweight man is live-streaming his cycling trip, sweating profusely. He's panting heavily and giving the camera a憨厚 (honest and simple) smile.

"Hey guys, have you eaten yet?"

"Hello everyone, I'm Guo Fulai, a fat guy who plans to lose weight by cycling."

"This stop is Yuanshi County, our 'ancient county with a thousand-year history'! I've heard it has a long history, and I want to go and soak up some of its mystical aura!"

In the footage, he clumsily maneuvers his bicycle, wobbling along a country road, his back soaked with sweat.

Zhou Yaqin stared intently at the screen, her gaze sharp. She gently pressed her earpiece and whispered:

"Shen Yan?"

A response immediately came through the earpiece: "Boss Zhou?"

"see it?"

"I see it. Yuanshi County is next to Shijiazhuang, the provincial capital. The target... is in Shijiazhuang now!"

(End of this chapter)