Chapter Forty-Four: Young People These Days—How Did They End Up So Broke?

The next morning.

Bai Qingming, with nothing better to do, was scrolling through videos on Douyin. For some reason, the algorithm kept pushing transformation clips and ones with girls in black stockings. Bai Qingming was utterly speechless. What kind of families did these girls come from, that they could maintain such figures and nutrition while exposing themselves like this? Besides, was he really the kind of lecherous old man who obsessed over legs and black stockings? Obviously not!

Just then, Little Dumb Sister slipped in beside him as if out of nowhere.

“What good stuff are you watching?” she asked.

From a distance, she’d already noticed Bai Qingming lounging on the sofa with a lascivious grin, looking entirely improper. Curiosity got the better of her, so she came closer. Before Bai Qingming could respond, she’d already spotted the black stockings on his phone screen.

“Electric Mouse?” she scoffed.

Suddenly, her tone turned sour. “You dog, if you want to see black stockings, I could wear them for you. Is there any need to watch someone else’s video?”

As she spoke, Little Dumb Sister lifted her leg, and only then did Bai Qingming notice the Balenciaga on her feet.

To be fair, if one just considered looks and figure, this older woman was absolutely on par with anyone else. There was only one shameful detail…

Thinking of that, Bai Qingming couldn’t help but purse his lips.

“You’re acting weird, you dog,” Little Dumb Sister said, giving him a strange look.

“Maybe you should eat more papaya,” Bai Qingming advised.

“As a woman, I can tell you with absolute certainty—papaya is useless,” she retorted, giving him a serious lesson.

“Then how about cupping therapy? Just two cups, where it’s needed and no more,” Bai Qingming suggested.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Little Dumb Sister was baffled, having no idea what he was getting at. Instinctively, she looked down, realized she could see her toes, and immediately understood.

“You dog, I’ll kill you!”

…

Near noon.

Bai Qingming suddenly received a call—from Brother Wang, of all people. As soon as he picked up, Wang asked if he was free and wanted to treat him to lunch. Bai Qingming couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

“Brother Wang, do you need a favor? Just say it outright.”

“That’s why I say you’re clever, little brother. Yes, I do need something. How about this: come out, I’ll buy you lunch, and we can talk slowly,” Wang replied, his tone mysterious.

Since Wang wouldn’t explain over the phone, Bai Qingming simply hung up and hailed a cab.

…

Half an hour later.

Outside a Hunan-Jiangxi family-style Sichuan restaurant, Brother Wang stood with his phone held high, streaming live. Over the past few days, Wang had grown fond of being a streamer, hardly ever turning off his broadcast.

Across the street, in a window seat at KFC, sat a young couple, glued together as they shared a single French fry, mouth to mouth, drawing envious glances from other patrons. This scene was perfectly captured in Wang’s live stream.

“Folks, do you see these two? Never be like them,” Wang announced.

His viewers assumed he’d scold their public display of affection, but then he continued, “Look at this couple—so young, all they care about is romance. Spend all their money on women and end up so poor that they have to fight over a single French fry. Pitiful, truly pitiful.”

“Remember, love is a trap. Making money is the real way to live. If you don’t hustle today, your place won’t be secure tomorrow!”

After saying this, even Wang felt impressed with himself. Such profound words, coming from his own mouth—remarkable.

It’s true what they say: you are the company you keep. After spending so much time with Bai Qingming, even his eloquence had improved.

Wang’s viewers were momentarily stunned, then the comments flooded in:

“Brother Wang never disappoints, cutting straight to the truth.”
“Exactly! Being single is way more fun—total freedom.”
“Single for a day, happy for a day; single forever, happy forever!”
“To be honest, you’re starting to sound like the Single Life Guru.”
“Is Brother Wang about to become our new spiritual leader? I think he’s got what it takes.”

…

At that moment, a taxi stopped across the street. Wang waved to Bai Qingming, who had just stepped out.

“Over here, brother!”

For some reason, whenever Bai Qingming saw Wang now, he couldn’t help but remember that disastrous live-stream sales stunt and had to suppress a laugh.

“So, what’s up, Brother Wang?” Bai Qingming asked as he approached.

“Glad you made it! Come on, let’s eat first—then come with me to buy a car!” Wang said excitedly.

“Buy a car?” Bai Qingming was taken aback, not understanding what Wang was up to. Could he really afford a car? That didn’t sound likely. He even started to wonder if Wang was showing off again, maybe about to tell his viewers he was picking up some luxury sports car for a joyride.

At that moment, Wang spoke again.

“Little brother, what kind of car do you think suits my style?” he asked smoothly, then leaned in and whispered to Bai Qingming, out of the camera’s view.

“I was at home on my phone and saw a video saying you can get a luxury car for just twenty thousand. I haven’t spent the reward for catching that murderer last time, so I thought I’d get a car—it fits my status,” Wang explained earnestly.

Hearing this, Bai Qingming understood, but was also bewildered. Twenty thousand for a luxury car? How was that possible? Anyone with half a brain could see it was the oldest marketing trick in the book—once you got there, there’d be endless extra charges. You wouldn’t save a penny.

Clearly, Wang hadn’t caught on to the scam and was convinced he’d found a real bargain.

Even more amusing, though Wang had whispered, his live-stream audience had still heard everything.

“Brother Wang, you’re too naive. You believe that scam?”
“Exactly! Twenty thousand isn’t even enough for a real luxury car’s door.”
“Any car enthusiasts here? Can someone recommend a sports car between eight and ten million? Not Ferrari—tried both the big bull and the little bull, but they’re just so-so. I need one with great performance, fast acceleration, big horsepower, excellent handling, and above all, it must be stylish and high-res—I want it as my phone wallpaper, thanks!”

…

“To be honest, I don’t know much about cars either,” Bai Qingming admitted.

“No problem, no problem. You’re educated and cultured, I feel at ease with you around,” Wang persisted, clearly set on buying a car.

Seeing this, Bai Qingming had no reason to refuse.

“By the way, Brother Wang, did you suddenly decide to buy a car just because it’s cheap?” Bai Qingming asked after thinking for a moment. He had a feeling things weren’t that simple.

At this, Wang grinned slyly.

“Little brother, I won’t hide it from you. You know there’s a university near our neighborhood, right?” Wang replied with a question.

Bai Qingming nodded.

Wang continued, “Do you know that every time school lets out, there are all these luxury cars parked at the gate, with bottles of water on their roofs? Do you know what that means?”

“Of course I do! I know exactly what that means,” Bai Qingming recalled the words of his class beauty from years ago. In an instant, he understood Wang’s motive for buying a car.

Wang had more money than he knew what to do with and was looking to find a few impoverished female university students for a game of cards.