A new book takes off—begging all you big shots to add it to your libraries!!!٩(♡ε♡ )۶
(Brain parking lot... You can retrieve yours at any time. All kinds of super-satisfying system are already waiting here. One brain will be randomly selected for activation, and a reward will be issued.)
Blue Star, Magic City.
Inside a dormitory at Magic City University.
Click... clack...
Ye Chen sat in front of an old, secondhand computer. Racing against the clock for his eight-hundred-yuan perfect-attendance bonus, he frantically typed away on a keyboard whose paint had long since worn off.
His roommate Cheng Tong patted Ye Chen on the shoulder and asked, "Bro Chen, quit typing for a bit. I've got a big gig lined up—five thousand for one night. You in?"
Ye Chen was the oldest and a loyal friend, so all the guys in the dorm called him Bro Chen.
"How much for one night?" Ye Chen stopped typing, picked at his ear, and looked at Cheng Tong as he asked.
Cheng Tong held out his phone for Ye Chen to look at and said with a grin, "Five thousand. It's not an opportunity just anyone can get. Brother Hao Ren hooked us up. I heard it's a jewelry show put on by a rich woman named Zeng Fu, who has some great connections. They're picky about height and looks—you have to be tall, handsome, and in good shape to walk the show."
Ye Chen and Cheng Tong were both handsome, but in different ways.
"Is she one of those rich ladies who uses steel-wool scrubbers? What kind of show pays five thousand for one night? We're not professionals. You think they'd really pay that much? Don't get scammed. What if they knock you out and steal your kidneys?" Ye Chen asked with a frown.
There were too many scammers these days. One careless mistake and you could end up with a kidney stolen.
Sure, money was important, but what was the point if you were dead?
Money didn't just fall from the sky. What fell were traps.
Even if they weren't after your kidneys, these kinds of gatherings were full of rich, lonely older women.
They were all as ravenous as wolves and tigers, able to suck the dirt right off the ground and rats through walls. They'd devour you without leaving a bone, snatch the Buddha from the heavens, and get up to all sorts of kinky stuff.
They were hiring young, strong, good-looking guys like them for a reason. It wasn't just to watch them walk the runway.
Cheng Tong patted his chest and said, "Relax. We've been brothers for years. Would I ask you to come if it wasn't legit? It's a proper jewelry show. I worked hard to get us this rare opportunity. Zeng Fu is a big name in Magic City, and a few other major influencers are going too. It's definitely safe."
"Really?" Ye Chen still wasn't entirely convinced. Out of habit, he touched the faint scar above his left temple.
Cheng Tong grabbed Ye Chen by the arm and pulled him up. "Truer than a pearl! I'm going with you, so what are you worried about? I know you—you're still a virgin. If some rich lady takes a fancy to you, I'll take your place and make sure you get out of there in one piece. Right now, making money is what matters. Doesn't your family urgently need it? Quit dragging your feet."
Cheng Tong was handsome and had dated several girls, but they had all dumped him because he was too poor. So he'd come around to the idea that he absolutely wouldn't be anyone's lapdog anymore. Making money was his top priority.
Just then, Ye Chen's pants pocket vibrated.
It was a message from his younger sister, Ye Yao: "Bro, there's only a hundred left on Dad's medical insurance card, and I only made twelve hundred from my part-time job this month."
After seeing that he had only a hundred yuan left on his own card for food this month, Ye Chen said to Cheng Tong, "You're right. Making money is what matters right now. Let's go."
Five thousand was no small sum. To Ye Chen, saving his father was worth putting up with a rich woman feeling him up—as long as she didn't take his kidneys. That kind of life-threatening business was out of the question.
Cheng Tong grinned. "Great. Bring your ID and get cleaned up before we go. They're providing styling and formalwear. I heard it's all high-end custom stuff, so don't stain or damage the clothes. They're expensive."
"Got it. Give me five minutes." Ye Chen grabbed a clean outfit and went into the bathroom.
Thirty minutes later.
Ye Chen and Cheng Tong took a cab to Peony Hall at the Magic City International Hotel.
Hao Ren, the runway coordinator, looked Ye Chen and Cheng Tong up and down when he saw them. He was very pleased, especially when he laid eyes on Ye Chen—his eyes practically lit up.
Hao Ren had seen plenty of handsome guys in this line of work, but it was rare to find someone as good-looking as Ye Chen, with such great skin and physique and such a bright, wholesome vibe. He was the cream of the crop, exactly the kind of guy rich women liked best.
If a rich woman took Ye Chen away tonight, Hao Ren would earn himself a hefty sum too.
Hao Ren smiled and said, "You must be Ye Chen and Cheng Tong. I'll hold on to your IDs. Once you've finished the show, taken off the jewelry, and changed out of your outfits, I'll give them back."
"That's right." Ye Chen and Cheng Tong answered in unison, handing over their IDs.
"Go to that dressing room to get your makeup and clothes done." Hao Ren took their IDs and eagerly led them into a room.
The room was full of young, handsome men.
Some had already changed into expensive formalwear and were getting their hair styled.
Ye Chen recognized two of them vaguely. They were probably the major influencers Cheng Tong had mentioned.
The makeup artists' eyes lit up as soon as Ye Chen walked in.
Among all the young, handsome men with perfect physiques, Ye Chen stood out the most.
So handsome! He was the best-looking guy here tonight, even a few notches above those pop idols. It'd be such a waste if he didn't make his debut on the spot.
A pretty, short-haired makeup artist who looked to be around forty quickly finished the job she was working on and hurried over to Ye Chen.
The makeup artist smiled at Ye Chen and said, "Hello! I'm Guan Xiaoxia. I'll help you pick out an outfit and style your hair today, okay? If you ever need styling in the future, you can come to me."
"Thanks!" Ye Chen said.
Cheng Tong folded his arms. "What about me?"
"You're handsome too, of course. I'll style both of you and make you the best-looking guys in the whole place," Guan Xiaoxia replied with a smile.
Guan Xiaoxia could tell Ye Chen and Cheng Tong had come together. Cheng Tong wasn't quite as handsome as Ye Chen, but he was still very good-looking, especially when he smiled. It was infectious.
Apart from the admiration in the eyes of the others in the dressing room, there was naturally some jealousy too.
It couldn't be helped. In this line of work, being handsome really could put food on the table.
Once they were done with their makeup, two men in black suits walked into the dressing room carrying a pair of cases.
Hao Ren smiled and said, "In addition to the appearance fee we discussed earlier, you can also earn a ten-percent commission if you sell jewelry on the spot. If you want to make money, you can promote the jewelry after the show. Give it your best, everyone."
"Wow, that's amazing! I'm going to work really hard," one of the men, who was walking in a show for the first time, exclaimed excitedly.
Quite a few of the others present looked pleased too.
Sell one hundred thousand yuan's worth, and ten percent of 100,000 is 10,000 yuan.
Every piece of jewelry here was a fine treasure worth hundreds of thousands, even over a million. If they worked at it, they could turn a bicycle into a car.
Cheng Tong leaned close to Ye Chen and whispered, "Bro Chen, did you hear that? We're going to get rich. You won't have to worry about your dad's medical bills anymore. Everyone here is a potential customer, and at a banquet, the most they'll do is touch you a little. We're guys, so we're not losing out. For the money, can't you put up with it?"