Chapter Five: I Despise Women Like You!

Wang Zheng carried his burlap sack as he walked through the streets of Jinghua City. The towering skyscrapers blocked the setting sun, and the endless stream of traffic, accompanied by noise and exhaust fumes, made his head ache.

He was lost.

Eight years of rapid development in Jinghua had passed him by, unseen. When he returned, he was utterly disoriented in this international metropolis, a stranger in his own city.

Wang Zheng stopped, sat down on a roadside bench, and shook the pebbles from his straw sandals. Walking on the hard stone streets in shoes woven from prairie grass was indeed exhausting. Watching passersby cast curious glances at him, Wang Zheng chuckled, suddenly thinking that African tribes had their advantages—at least the women there didn’t bother with clothes in this season.

Just then, a cute little girl of about seven or eight stood before him, peering at him in confusion. She looked down at the one-yuan coin tightly clenched in her hand, then placed it on the bench beside him before turning away. Her big, innocent eyes were filled with compassion.

What did that mean? Charity?

Suddenly, Wang Zheng frowned, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes and vanishing as quickly as it came. He smiled faintly, slipped on his straw sandals, picked up the coin, and stood, retracing his steps. As he passed a shopping mall, he went inside.

“Hey, filthy beggar, get out!” He had barely stepped onto the stairs when two security guards appeared out of nowhere, pointing at him and shouting, “You! Get out, out, out!”

Beggar? Wang Zheng paused, startled—did he really look like a beggar? Seeing the two arrogant guards approaching, Wang Zheng suddenly reached out and slapped them.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

Each received two hard slaps, leaving them dazed and seeing stars.

“Have you ever seen a beggar as handsome and wealthy as me?” Wang Zheng retorted loudly, striking a pose to show off his vest, shorts, and sandals. “This is authentic tribal attire—handmade by African women. The vest is crafted from lion’s mane, the shorts from zebra hair, the sandals woven from wild prairie grass, the bag from buffalo hair, and even these feathers on my head are from a vulture. You’re blind as bats!”

With that, Wang Zheng pushed past them and strode into the mall.

Africa wasn’t all sand and poverty; many countries were flush with wealth—Mauritius, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco—and boasted cosmopolitan cities. Wang Zheng was no stranger to big cities. He left Africa not because it was poor, but because the people—including the girls—were too dark. No matter how advanced your camera, every photo came out black and white...

Eventually, Wang Zheng entered a Chinese restaurant and ordered six dishes in one go. Partly because he missed Chinese food dearly, and partly for luck—the auspicious number ‘six’ for smooth fortunes ahead.

He burped contentedly, full and satisfied.

“Sir, your bill is two hundred and thirty yuan,” the waiter announced, while two others edged toward the door, wary of a dine-and-dash.

“Ask her!” Wang Zheng gestured toward the outside of the restaurant.

The restaurant was inside the mall, so outside meant the bustling crowd. The waiter looked where Wang Zheng pointed but saw nothing.

“Sir, it seems you came alone,” the waiter said.

Wang Zheng, without turning, casually beckoned toward the window. Moments later, a beautiful woman in a black suit entered and approached him.

She glanced at the man sipping his green tea and asked the waiter, “How much?”

“Two... two hundred and thirty yuan,” the waiter stammered, puzzled as to why this elegant beauty was involved with the apparent vagrant.

The woman took out two hundred and thirty yuan from her wallet and handed it over, then sat opposite Wang Zheng.

“Letting me pay—does that mean you recognize me as your partner?”

“Ha!” Wang Zheng rolled his eyes at her. “I told you, if anyone follows me, I’ll kill them. That two hundred and thirty yuan is just your payment for risking your life. You should know I was planning to kill you after my meal! What’s your name again? White... Bone Demon?”

“Bai Bing,” the woman replied, watching Wang Zheng intently, not missing a single movement. “So I should thank you for your mercy?”

“Don’t talk romance with me. I’ve already said I despise women like you—arrogant and self-important!” Wang Zheng glanced at her contemptuously, showing no gratitude for the meal. Any earlier flirtation was long forgotten. He hated the Captain—once there were a dozen brothers and sisters, now only two remained. This was a wound Wang Zheng could not accept; he would never forgive the Captain, nor his lackeys.

Bai Bing included.

“Sometimes self-importance is called confidence,” Bai Bing replied, her eyes sharp, demeanor calm. From her expression and aura, she truly was a confident woman.

“How old are you? Professor of Chinese? Or a language ‘expert’? Don’t play word games with me!” Wang Zheng sneered, drained his tea, and immediately rose to leave.

Bai Bing was undeniably beautiful, but she wasn’t Wang Zheng’s type. Perhaps at first glance, but this wasn’t a one-night stand. Besides, she was the Captain’s lackey, and an overconfident one at that. A partner? There were only two people left in the world who could partner with him, and neither was her.

Having failed, Bai Bing was undeterred. She got up and followed close behind.

“Mr. Wang, you’ve just returned from South Africa. If you have nowhere to stay, you can come to my apartment,” Bai Bing hurried to catch up.

Wang Zheng stopped abruptly, turning to look at her.

“You said it!”

Seeing him halt, Bai Bing’s eyes lit up. Her role was to persuade this man to become her partner and embark on a new mission. The Director had said, however long it took, it was worth it. Bai Bing had never witnessed Wang Zheng’s skills firsthand, but she’d heard many legends. She worried he’d slip away, so she suggested he stay at her place—never expecting him to agree. This would greatly benefit her future efforts.

“Indeed, I said it. Follow me,” Bai Bing smiled, flagged down a taxi, and gave the driver an address.

Wang Zheng disliked her, but having just returned from South Africa, apart from a few bottles of liquor and the coin the little girl gave him, he was penniless. Night was falling, and though he was full of food and drink, he had nowhere to go. Suddenly, a bed dropped from the sky—lucky!

Wang Zheng was a man of principle. He disliked this woman, and even under the same roof, he would never sell his soul for shelter...

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a beautiful residential community. Bai Bing’s apartment was on the third floor—living alone in a hundred-square-meter home was a luxury.

“You can stay in the guest room as long as you like. The bedding is new. Here’s the key,” Bai Bing handed him a set of keys.

“You trust me that much? Aren’t you afraid I’ll sneak into your bed in the middle of the night?” Wang Zheng surveyed the cozy apartment, surprised that someone as icy as Bai Bing didn’t live in a cave. But for now, a roof over his head was enough; he wouldn’t stay long.

“My bedroom is right next to yours. But remember to knock before entering!” Bai Bing smiled warmly at him. Stern, she was cold as ice, but when she smiled, it was as if the glacier melted—beautiful, charming. She pointed to another room, “This is the bathroom. There are spare towels and bathrobes, and you can use my shampoo and soap. Also...”

Bang! Before she could finish, Wang Zheng had already entered the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Soon, the sound of the shower echoed from within.

“Would you like coffee or tea?” Bai Bing called out, intent on getting closer to Wang Zheng.

“I have liquor!”

Bai Bing laughed. So young, yet so devoted to drink—she’d never met someone like him. She pressed her ear to the door, listening carefully. Only the sound of water. Satisfied, she returned to her bedroom.

Wang Zheng pulled his ear away from the door. Once he heard Bai Bing leave, he sat on the toilet, took out an old blue-screen phone from his bag, and dialed a number.

“I’ve arrived safely. You can bring the goods over,” Wang Zheng spoke in an extremely rare African tribal dialect, then hung up. He looked at the phone, then at the toilet, lifted the lid, and tossed it in.

With a flush, the phone began its journey through the pipes.

After a quick rinse, Wang Zheng wrapped himself in a towel and emerged from the bathroom. Bai Bing had changed—white short-sleeved T-shirt, denim shorts, looking youthful and stylish, her arms and legs long and slender... everything but her head, Wang Zheng rather liked.

With no concern for propriety, Wang Zheng sat bare-chested on the sofa, exposing his muscular torso to the air, completely unconcerned about being a guest. He absentmindedly turned on the TV, which was broadcasting the news. He was about to change the channel when the screen switched to a beautiful, dignified woman, her fair, exquisite face smiling slightly as she delivered the local news.

She... Su Xue?