This Was a Great Deal

Bi Yuxue's parents promised that once their daughter had recovered, they would bring a generous gift to thank Shen Qiong in person.

Shen Qiong smiled politely. "Then I hope she gets well soon. She's such a beautiful young woman. Even Heaven wouldn't want her to suffer through a long illness, which is why we were brought together."

"Indeed! It must be fate..."

The couple, who had grown up in a big city, hadn't believed in such mysterious things. In the past, whenever they encountered someone claiming to be a master, they would go out of their way to avoid them. But now, Shen Qiong had left them with no choice but to marvel that there really were masters in this world!!!

As he watched the three family members who'd come to thank him leave, Shen Qiong felt fantastic! He turned back to look at the group who'd come to collect management fees. All right! Now let's see whether you believe me...

Zhu Deshou's attitude changed completely. "Master, you really can tell fortunes?"

A hint of a smile played at the corners of Shen Qiong's mouth. "I can give you the eighteen hundred yuan, but..." He deliberately let his voice trail off.

Zhu Deshou thought that since they were all from the same neighborhood, he might need the master's fortune-telling services sometime. He quickly smoothed things over. "There's no need for you to spend money, Master. Really, there's no need."

Shen Qiong raised a hand. "No, I have to give you this money."

The lackeys around them exchanged puzzled glances. Zhu Deshou thought Shen Qiong was deliberately giving him a hard time, and his expression immediately changed. The most important thing to people who lived by the code of the streets was trust.

Brothers had to trust one another, and a person had to keep his word. I'm giving you face now because I believe you're a master, but you can't push your luck.

"Don't misunderstand. The eighteen hundred yuan is to give Big Brother Zhu a piece of advice," Shen Qiong said with a smile.

"Oh? Advice worth eighteen hundred yuan?" Zhu Deshou asked with interest, looking at Shen Qiong.

Shen Qiong pulled a small slip of paper from a drawer beside the bookshelf. He took his pen from his collar, wrote a line on the slip, and handed it over.

Zhu Deshou took the slip and read it. "You have a hidden ailment. Don't assume you're healthy just because you're strong."

After reading it, he frowned. He'd always been in great health. He ate and slept well every day. What hidden ailment could he possibly have?

From the look on Zhu Deshou's face, Shen Qiong knew he didn't believe him. It didn't matter. With a Health Value of just 67, Zhu Deshou was definitely sick. There was no way he was wrong.

Zhu Deshou shook his head. A moment ago, he'd called Shen Qiong "Master" at every turn, but now he changed his tune. "Young man, your big brother isn't stupid. Those words on that slip of paper aren't worth much."

Shen Qiong smiled faintly. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Zhu Deshou met Shen Qiong's gaze.

You don't believe me? I, Shen Qiong, specialize in dealing with people who refuse to accept the truth. "Fine! Want to make a bet? If I'm wrong, come by another day, and I'll pay you ten times the amount—eighteen thousand yuan." Shen Qiong spoke with confidence.

Seeing how serious Shen Qiong looked, Zhu Deshou hesitated. Ten times? That was eighteen thousand yuan, no small sum. Could Shen Qiong really be that confident?

Could there be something wrong with my body that even I don't know about?

"Fine! You said it yourself. All my brothers heard you. I hope you're not just talking big, young man," Zhu Deshou said with a smile.

The lackeys around them were also curious about what the slip of paper said.

Shen Qiong was fearless, so he wasn't afraid of making a big deal out of it. He continued, "And if I'm right?"

Zhu Deshou was taken aback, then replied with bold confidence, "If what you wrote is true, you can use my name whenever you're in Gudao West Street. I'll protect you."

"Deal!" The people in his line of work feared nothing more than someone coming to cause trouble. With Zhu Deshou's promise, Shen Qiong felt at ease. This was a great deal.

It was a sure win. No matter how he looked at it, he was coming out ahead. Shen Qiong smiled as he saw the group out, though he secretly shuddered at the danger he'd just faced.

He was still too poor! If he had money, he wouldn't need to go to all this trouble. He could've just tossed them a thousand or two and sent them on their way.

If he hadn't happened to find Zhu Deshou by searching on WeChat, and if Bi Yuxue's family hadn't happened to come by to thank him, Shen Qiong figured he could've talked himself hoarse and Zhu Deshou still wouldn't have believed him.

Having to rely on luck to get through situations like this left Shen Qiong feeling very insecure. He had to build up his fame as soon as possible. That way, WeChat would let him find more people and see more data. Having access to only a Health Value wasn't enough.

In the past, Shen Qiong had always looked down on celebrities who manufactured scandals to attract attention and get on trending lists. Now, he wished he could trade places with them. His fame would shoot up in no time.

He logged in to WeChat's People Nearby page.

User: Shen Qiong

Level: 0 (A complete beginner)

Increase your Fame and Reputation to raise your level. Current reputation: 6 (Nobody)

Compared with the first time, his reputation had increased by six points, but it was still too low.

He glanced at People Nearby without much thought, then suddenly spotted a beautiful woman with an elegant air about her.

Ren Tianxue (within one thousand meters), pure and charming. Shen Qiong's first thought was that she was naturally beautiful. After all, the photos on his WeChat were all bare-faced. This girl looked even better without makeup than many celebrities.

Looking into other people's private information wasn't a good thing, but Shen Qiong couldn't help clicking on her profile.

Age: 21. Health Value: 88. Height: 167.

Shen Qiong smiled ruefully. "We're destined to meet, but not to be together! Her Health Value is so high. Looks like I have no chance of hitting on her."

While Shen Qiong was checking out the girl, Zhu Deshou couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Perhaps Shen Qiong's confidence had made him start wondering whether there really was something wrong with his body that he didn't know about.

"Forget it. I'll go to the hospital and get checked out. Then I'll take the medical report to that kid and collect my money. Let's see what he has to say then."

Zhu Deshou told his lackeys to keep collecting the fees while he drove to the Oriental Affiliated Hospital.

When he arrived, he went to the front desk and asked the nurse, "Um, if I want to get a checkup, how do I register?"

The nurse glanced at him briefly, then went back to what she was doing. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me," Zhu Deshou said with a smile.

The nurse pursed her lips. Why come to the hospital if nothing's wrong? Of course, she didn't say that out loud. "All right, fill out a medical history form. You don't need to write anything else. Just check 'complete examination' under the tests."

After filling out the form, Zhu Deshou queued at the registration window. The Oriental Affiliated Hospital was the best hospital nearby, so there were plenty of people waiting to see a doctor. If he hadn't made that bet with Shen Qiong, he wouldn't have waited in such a long line just to get a checkup.

An hour and a half later, it was finally his turn for the examination.

"Over here. Stand up straight..."

"Ah... Open your mouth wide. Yes, don't move!!!"

"What color is this?"

"Can you hear what I just said?"

"Come over here and stand there. Cover one eye. I'll point to something, and you make a gesture. If you can't see it, switch to the other eye," the doctor doing the examination said.

Everything came back normal. Zhu Deshou's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled. "Looks like that kid really was talking nonsense. How could I have a hidden ailment?"

The last examination was an ultrasound...

Zhu Deshou lay down on the bed and lifted his shirt. The doctor called out, "Hold still. Don't move..."

"Shift a little to the left. Good, right there. Turn onto your side... Don't turn too far."

After a while, the doctor said, "All right, you can get up now!"

The doctor picked up his examination report, glanced at it, and said quietly, "Zhu Deshou, right?"

Zhu Deshou was startled. "Yes, that's me."

The doctor frowned and sighed. "There's... something wrong."

"Huh? What's wrong? Nothing's wrong. I'm in great shape," Zhu Deshou said.

"No..." The doctor shook his head and sighed. "No, there's a problem, and it's a serious one."

Zhu Deshou's heart lurched. He swallowed. No way...