The Peculiar Bodyguard and the Terrified Client

No sooner had Old Zheng departed than a peculiar individual, wrapped head-to-toe, emerged from the cafeteria, grumbling as she gnawed on a steamed bun.

‘Where did he run off to? One moment I wasn’t looking, and he vanished. No wonder his sister worries so much. Couldn’t he just stay put? Always wandering around.’

Having finished speaking, she used her tongue to scoop the meat filling into her mouth, then casually tossed the remainder of the bun onto the ground.

‘Littering will cost you three points. Classmate, what is your student ID number?’

A steady, calm voice drifted from her side.

The peculiar individual started abruptly, turning her head to find a bespectacled girl standing a short distance away, observing them intently.

The armband on her left arm clearly identified her as a member of the Student Council.

‘Uh… uh…’

She scratched her head awkwardly.

Despite her outwardly calm demeanor, the peculiar individual’s mind raced, frantically devising a strategy to evade her pursuer.

Ultimately, unable to conjure a solution, as the Student Council member’s footsteps drew nearer, she steeled her resolve, accelerated in the direction Old Zheng had vanished, and bolted, leaving the stunned girl shouting after her:

‘Stop, classmate! That’s a disciplinary offense!’

Alas, Liu Yu, enhanced by the shadows, was far beyond the capabilities of a normal person to pursue; in a flash, she vanished from the girl’s sight, leaving her fuming and stomping her foot.

Meanwhile, Old Zheng, weary from his run, was about to pause for a rest when he suddenly heard the sound of vigorous footsteps approaching.

Curious, he turned his head, only to be immediately startled by the sight before him: a ‘short man,’ whose entire being screamed suspicion, was kicking up a cloud of dust as he sprinted directly towards him.

Terrified, Old Zheng dared not stop, instead leaping three feet into the air and continuing his escape at a speed far exceeding his usual pace.

In this chase, the origins of which remained unknown, the two figures raced one after another until they reached the entrance of the training building.

‘Please enter.’

Swiping his student card, Old Zheng, still shaken, passed through the glass door, thinking, ‘Surely, I’ll be safe here… right?’

‘After all, unauthorized individuals from outside the school couldn’t possibly gain entry…’

‘Please enter.’

The mechanical voice sounded once more, and he rigidly turned his head, only to see the peculiar individual retracting a student card she held, then following him inside.

Their eyes met.

The peculiar individual, speaking in a deliberately lowered, gritted voice, remarked, ‘You certainly can run, Zheng Yi.’

Zheng Yi was Old Zheng’s given name, a name so utterly provincial it seemed to hail from a bygone era.

‘I-I’m finished.’

‘I’m going to be killed.’

‘No, no, no, no, it’s more likely I’ll be captured, used to threaten Unique, forced to lure her to the factory alone, then… then subjected to all sorts of unspeakable things… Wait, why are these lewd thoughts surfacing now!?’

‘Thump-thump-thump.’

Each approaching step echoed in his heart as the peculiar individual’s silhouette drew closer.

Zheng Yi slumped against the wall, utterly helpless and consumed by terror.

‘Help me!’

He cried out desperately, attempting to attract students from the combat department.

However, it was still far too early; even the most diligent students were still on their way.

‘You can scream until your throat gives out, but no one will come.’

Having delivered her chilling warning, Liu Yu pondered how to punish this fellow who had made her chase him for so long.

Her gaze swept up and down, scrutinizing the ‘rich dog,’ finally settling on the flagship phone Zheng Yi had furtively pulled out.

‘Hmm… indeed… hehe.’

A brilliant idea striking her, Liu Yu, under Zheng Yi’s fearful gaze, also produced a somewhat familiar-looking phone.

‘…You want me to call Unique? I absolutely won’t! You can forget about that!’

Despite his defiant words, he hugged himself and cowered in a corner, looking exactly like a respectable woman being coerced.

‘What are you talking about? I just want money. Scan the QR code and transfer!’

‘Huh?’

Zheng Yi froze, bewildered.

‘Is this person insane?’ he wondered.

‘Asking for money via electronic transfer instead of cash? Wouldn’t that completely expose their information?’

‘Are they truly a killer?’

His doubts, however, vanished the moment the peculiar individual stomped her foot, cracking the floor.

Whether she was a killer or not, she was clearly beyond his ability to contend with.

‘Money it is, then…’

‘Hopefully, they only want money and not my life.’

‘Once I escape this predicament, I swear I won’t let you get away! I’ll put a bounty on your head!’

Trembling, he pulled out his phone and opened ZhiO Bao, but not without asking again, ‘We agreed, just money, right?’

‘Just money! Why are you so damn verbose? You’re dawdling like a woman!’

The peculiar individual’s tone had grown impatient.

‘Alright, alright, alright, immediately, right away, I’ll give it to you…’

Just as Zheng Yi was about to give in, a voice interrupted their sordid transaction.

‘What are you two doing here?’

A curious black-haired girl casually lifted the flailing peculiar individual to her side, straightened her hat, brushed off the dust, and then asked Zheng Yi, who was still sitting on the ground:

‘I believe you’re Liu… Liu Yu’s classmate?’

Seeing the black-haired girl, whom he had met once before, effortlessly subdue the peculiar individual, he exclaimed excitedly:

‘Yes, I, I’m Zheng Yi, Liu Yu’s classmate!’

Then, he nervously pointed at the peculiar individual, asking, ‘And this is…?’

‘She is…’

As if she had discovered something amusing, the black-haired girl stifled a laugh and revealed, ‘This is Miss Liu Yu… your sister Unique specially hired her as your bodyguard.’

‘That’s right, at least within the school, I’ll guarantee your safety.’

The peculiar individual declared, thumping her chest, showing not an ounce of shame for having just attempted to extort her employer’s younger brother.

Regardless of how the two of them knew Unique, the clear voice that had just emanated from the peculiar individual sounded suspiciously like… a girl’s?

Moreover, upon closer inspection, the peculiar individual’s thick clothing revealed distinct curves, and a few strands of long hair subtly peeked out from beneath her hat.

‘What about outside school?’ he asked instinctively.

Liu Yu regarded the audacious fellow with disdain, then spoke indifferently:

‘I operate on an under-eight-hour work system, understand? That means the maximum time I’ll protect you is eight hours, and the minimum is zero hours. Is that clear?!’

‘…’

‘Are all employees this bold nowadays?’ he mused inwardly, not daring to voice his thoughts aloud.

Zheng Yi then ventured another question:

‘Excuse me… were you the one following me all morning?’

‘What? I only started following you after I saw you in the cafeteria.’

‘…’

‘…’

The two exchanged bewildered glances.

Liu Yu offered a rather tactless comfort, ‘I think even if that stalker really is a killer, they probably don’t intend to kill you right now, since it would be far too easy to do so.’

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi’s expression crumpled as if he had just failed his exams.

Undoubtedly, he was being targeted.

An unknown viper, with unknown motives, had fixed its gaze upon him.

‘This is terrifying!’

‘Can I stay here as a transfer student?’

Zheng Yi tremblingly raised his right hand.

‘You’d have to find Senior Chen Gu, but he happens to be on leave today,’ Villy replied.

‘Oh, if he’s not here, does that mean no class? Bye-bye then!’

‘Get back here! Even though he’s absent, he still assigned training tasks and delegated a senior to supervise.’

Finally, Zheng Yi departed the training building, his expression a complicated mix of emotions.

‘Will something happen to him?’

Villy worried aloud. Compared to the carefree Liu Yu, she took this matter far more seriously.

‘Don’t worry, at least within the school, I can guarantee his safety,’ Liu Yu declared confidently.

She carried an alarm device given to her by Unique, capable of monitoring Old Zheng’s physical condition and location, allowing her to arrive in time unless he was instantly killed.

As for being instantly killed…

Old Zheng himself carried some self-defense equipment, but if he were truly instantly killed… well, unless someone watched him twenty-four hours a day, an opportunity would always present itself.

‘So, we still need to lure the fish out.’

‘But why does Unique think the killer would target her family…?’

‘Forget it, I won’t think about it.’

Students began arriving one after another.

To avoid disturbing others, Liu Yu was pulled into the training area by Villy.

Class was about to begin.