Chapter Five: Scratching the Maserati

“Hello?” Ling Xuan’s voice was magnetic and confident, answering with a single word.

I smiled and asked, “Miss, where are you?”

There was a moment of silence before the call was abruptly disconnected.

When I tried calling again, it went straight to an unreachable signal.

This girl really knows how to be ruthless!

Just as I was about to head directly to the company, Liu An, the head of security, called. He praised me for last night’s efforts and mentioned that all the security staff would be treated to a meal this afternoon.

I agreed and then asked, “By the way, did President Ling come to the company?”

“No, she hasn’t. Are you looking for her?”

After a few casual words, I hung up.

She really is a handful! I can’t get in touch with her now—how am I supposed to find her?

Thinking it over, I dialed Qin Ruhua’s number.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end was clear and sweet, somewhat familiar but tinged with sorrow.

“Qin Ruhua, I’m Chu Fan, your brother’s friend.”

“Oh... Chu Fan, I’ve heard about you from my brother.”

“What are you doing now?”

There was hesitation and a shy low voice. “My brother said you’d help me, right?”

I sensed she was in trouble and recalled that she didn’t yet know about Qin Wei’s death. My tone became resolute and generous: “No matter what it takes, I’ll help! Where are you now?”

I had guessed she wouldn’t be doing well. Qin Wei and I had some similarities. He and his sister lost their parents early, supported by their grandmother selling vegetables. He dropped out of school to work and support his sister’s education.

Later, after his sister was bullied, he accidentally killed someone and fled.

Eventually, he entered the underground boxing scene. Though he earned a lot, he lied constantly, claiming to work at a small coastal factory and sending only two thousand a month home.

Two thousand a month, supporting an aging grandmother—it was hardly a comfortable life.

Both Qin Wei and I were fugitives, but neither of us were intentional criminals. That was part of the reason we connected.

Qin Ruhua sounded relieved. “Really? I’m at the exit of the underground parking lot of Jin Hui Tower. I need...”

“I’m on my way!”

I hung up, activated navigation, and sped out of the garage straight to Jin Hui Tower.

Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at the underground parking entrance of Jin Hui Tower.

Inside was a bustling shopping mall, packed with people. Today was Saturday, and the plaza outside was densely crowded.

I parked by the roadside.

After stepping out, my presence with the BMW drew some curious glances.

As I dialed again, I scanned around. Soon, a tall, graceful young woman answered the call, glancing around nervously.

I walked over and called out, “Qin Ruhua... is that you?”

It was the same girl who nearly bumped into me yesterday outside the company.

Today she wore a beige dress revealing a hint of her elegant collarbone. Her gentle makeup made her skin look flawless, almost translucent, drawing attention from passersby.

“You’re Chu Fan?” Qin Ruhua looked me over, eyes tinged with disappointment.

“Yes, I’m Chu Fan.” I studied her more closely.

Yesterday I’d only thought her beautiful, but now I saw the resemblance to Qin Wei in her brows and eyes.

Thinking of Qin Wei made me sad. I wondered how Qin Ruhua would react to her brother’s death.

Oh, she would never hear this news.

“Are you in some kind of trouble?” I set aside other thoughts and smiled gently.

Perhaps because she knew I was security, Qin Ruhua’s disappointment deepened. She glanced at me, frowned slightly, then looked to the right.

I followed her gaze and spotted a red Maserati Quattroporte parked nearby, worth over two million yuan. Leaning against it was a young man in a white casual outfit, arms crossed, wearing a superior smirk—a typical rich second generation heir.

Noticing my gaze, the young man smiled and said, “Miss Qin, has your friend gathered enough money?”

His eyes barely glanced at me, treating me as invisible.

I was dressed plainly, and with the crowd, he likely hadn’t seen me get out of the BMW, so he dismissed me as an ordinary person.

Ignoring him, I looked at Qin Ruhua and asked, “Gather money for what?”

Her mood was clearly sour. She pointed impatiently and said, “Look for yourself!”

By the Maserati’s front bumper, I saw Qin Ruhua’s scooter. A closer look revealed a scratch on the Maserati.

So that was it—Miss Qin’s driving skills I had witnessed yesterday had caused damage to this luxury car today.

A scratch like that would cost at least ten to twenty thousand yuan to repair.

I walked over and examined it, smiling: “It’s fine, no damage to the bodywork, just a scratch.”

Seeing my smile, Qin Ruhua’s face twisted in anger. She glared at me and turned away.

For her, this must be a catastrophe! She had high hopes for me but was deeply disappointed. Now, she probably despised me.

“How much?” I asked the rich heir.

He sneered and said to Qin Ruhua, “I asked you to have a drink with me earlier, but you insisted on paying. It’s been over half an hour and you still haven’t raised the money. My time is valuable. If you’re really in trouble, you have one last chance to choose. I’d be happy to be your friend. But this is the final offer.”

Qin Ruhua’s face was anxious as she took out her phone and dialed. “I’ll urge my other friends. It should be soon.”

Sigh. Clothes make the man, and horses are judged by their saddles.

Here I was, a hellish assassin, casually ignored.

I habitually pulled out a Zhongnanhai cigarette, lit it with unhurried ease, leaned against the Maserati, and exhaled smoke. Calmly, I said, “Just say the price. My time is valuable too.”

The rich heir’s expression instantly darkened. Standing straight, he glared fiercely: “Who the hell are you? Don’t you dare lean on my car! Get lost!”

His tone was like scolding a beggar blocking the road. Most people would blush with shame being reprimanded like this by a Maserati owner.

Qin Ruhua’s face fell, glaring at me with hatred and disdain.

A few bystanders slowed down, ready for some entertainment.

“Damn, a Maserati, so rich.”

“That’s thirty years of my salary right there.”

A pair of friends admired the car enviously.

My expression darkened. Silently, I pulled out my keys and lightly scratched the Maserati’s front bumper, leaving a clear mark without damaging the metal. Then I stared coldly at the rich heir: “Now can we talk about money?”

The car’s paint is sprayed in full panels, so one scratch looks no different from two.

But my move was undeniably bold.

From employee to forced payer—I was quite something.

“Damn, my heart bleeds! Who is this guy, scratching such a flashy car?”

“That’s some nerve. The owner’s obviously a powerful rich kid.”

The crowd was growing, mostly weekend office workers and nearby college students.

The rich heir’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot. Raising an eyebrow, he was about to explode, but Qin Ruhua suddenly lost it. Blushing with anger and shame, she shoved me and cursed, “Are you here to help or just cause trouble?”

I frowned and looked at Qin Ruhua. Her eyes shimmered with tears, clearly on the verge of crying.

My resentment faded. I smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I promised your brother I’d look after you. I can afford this money.”

“Hmph! Afford it?” The rich heir glared at me viciously. “I wanted twenty thousand just now. Without fifty thousand, you’re not going anywhere.”

He then pulled out his phone and called someone named Dongzi to bring reinforcements.

“You said the dealer only wanted twenty thousand. Why now fifty?” Qin Ruhua’s face turned pale with fear.

The rich heir sneered, crossed his arms, and leaned on the car again, glancing down on me. “That’s on your incompetent friends.”

“Twenty thousand was reasonable!” Though bold, I knew the rules. I glanced to the side and spotted a row of ATMs. “I’ll go withdraw the money.”

Qin Ruhua ignored me, continuing to call her friends.

The rich heir, meanwhile, calmly lit a cigarette and stopped looking at me.