Liu Ruòruò delivered the third bucket of water to the doorstep. As he turned to go downstairs, he saw the black sedan still parked in the same spot. The front of the car was aimed at the alley entrance, half of its body crossing the white line, clearly blocking the way on purpose. He didn't stop, walking straight towards his electric scooter.
Just as he reached the car, the driver's side door opened. A pair of long legs stepped out first, the white high heels making a crisp sound on the concrete. Then a woman emerged, wearing a beige long dress, her hair tied up in a simple bun, earrings catching the sunlight. She walked around the front of the car and stopped in front of him.
"Are you Liu Ruòruò?" Her voice was neither warm nor cold, as if confirming a minor detail. Liu Ruòruò glanced at her, said nothing, and reached out to push his electric scooter.
"My name is Lín Qiānxuě." She didn't move. "The driver handed you a business card earlier, but you didn't take it."
Liu Ruòruò propped up the scooter, his gaze fixed on her face. "I don't know you," he said.
Lín Qiānxuě's lips curved slightly, as if she had heard something amusing. She took out a black wallet from her bag, pulled out a stack of bills, and stuffed them directly into his work uniform pocket. "One hundred thousand, cash," she said. "Accompany me for three months, two hours a day, at a location I will decide."
Liu Ruòruò stood still, his hand still on the handlebars. "I'm working right now," he said.
"I know you're delivering water," Lín Qiānxuě said, her tone unchanged. "So I'll wait until you finish your last order."
"I don't do this sort of thing," he said, then pushed the scooter, making it glide forward a short distance.
Lín Qiānxuě didn't stop him, just clapped her hands lightly. The rear door of the car opened, and two more people emerged, a man and a woman in black suits. They stood behind the car, motionless.
She walked back to the car and leaned against the door. "I'm not asking if you want to, I'm telling you that you've already accepted the money."
Liu Ruòruò lowered his head, looking at his full pocket. He reached in and pulled out the stack of bills. Without even looking, he casually threw them on the ground. The banknotes scattered, a few fluttering in the wind.
"I didn't take it," he said.
Lín Qiānxuě stared at the money on the ground, the smile on her face fading slightly. "You're very poor," she said. "You live in the old district in the west of the city, renting a place for no more than eight hundred a month. You don't dare to repair your damaged scooter, and you take the cheapest delivery jobs. One hundred thousand is not a small sum for you."
Liu Ruòruò straddled his scooter, his toes touching the ground. "Are you finished?" he asked.
"I've finished," she nodded. "But you haven't answered yet."
"I've already answered." He twisted the throttle, and the scooter emitted a soft hum.
Lín Qiānxuě suddenly raised her hand and snapped her fingers. The two bodyguards immediately stepped forward. Liu Ruòruò didn't look back, only feeling their footsteps approaching from behind. He gripped the handlebars with his left hand, his right hand hidden in his sleeve, his fingertips feeling warm.
The next second, he slammed the accelerator. The scooter shot out like an arrow released from a bow, brushing past the front of the Maserati. The distance between the tire and the car body was less than ten centimeters, his trouser leg scraping the chassis and leaving a black mark.
Lín Qiānxuě stood in place, watching the battered scooter rush out of the alley and disappear around the corner. She slowly squatted down, picked up a hundred-yuan bill that had been stepped on, gently blew off the dust, and put it in her bag. "Interesting," she murmured.
Liu Ruòruò rode for two blocks before slowing down. The wind whistled past his ears, and the palm of his right hand was still hot, as if he had a warming patch on it. He lifted his sleeve to look; the dark red pattern was still there, a shade deeper than in the morning. He didn't look further, pulled down his sleeve, and continued riding.
The phone vibrated in his pocket. He freed his left hand to pull it out. The screen lit up with a new message.
[Station Group]: @Everyone Has anyone seen that water delivery guy today? Threw a twenty-kilogram water bucket into a cabinet with one hand, bent the metal door?
Below were many replies.
[Station Group]: I saw him! Just at the office building in Zone A. He held it overhead with one hand and threw it!
[Station Group]: That's not special effects, is it? I suspect it's an edited video.
[Station Group]: How could it be fake if I saw it with my own eyes? The guy's name is Liu Ruòruò. I heard he didn't even take a day off after yesterday's car accident and is working as usual today.
[Station Group]: Lǐ Jídù's face turned green. He kicked over a metal rack, and water buckets rolled all over the floor.
Liu Ruòruò finished reading, put his phone back in his pocket, and didn't reply. He turned into a narrow road, planning to take a shortcut back to the station to return the empty buckets.
As soon as he turned in, a flash of red light appeared before his eyes. A red Maserati was blocking the middle of the road, its front facing him, the engine growling. He squeezed the brakes, and the scooter stopped.
Lín Qiānxuě sat in the driver's seat, the window rolled down, her hand resting on the steering wheel. "I said," she looked at him, "I would find you again."
Liu Ruòruò didn't move. "What else do you want?" he asked.
"A different offer," she said. "I don't want the hundred thousand anymore. Come work for my company, pick any position you want, your salary will be five times, and no need to 'accompany' me."
"I'm not short of money," he said.
"You are," she shook her head. "Your mother has been hospitalized for three years, her medical expenses are overdue, and there's a debt of seventy-six thousand. Your father had an accident years ago while hauling goods, and the million-dollar compensation was used to pay off the house. The place you're living in now was borrowed from your cousin."
Liu Ruòruò's eyes changed. "How do you know all this?"
"I can find out," she said, getting out of the car. "And I can help you solve all your debts. All you have to do is agree to come with me."
Liu Ruòruò was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. "You've done your research very thoroughly," he said. "But you missed one point."
"Which point?"
"I'm not that kind of person," he said. After speaking, he twisted the throttle, preparing to go around the car.
Lín Qiānxuě raised her hand and snapped her fingers again. Two more bodyguards got out of the back seat, this time carrying short batons. They stood on either side of the car, blocking the way. Liu Ruòruò stopped.
"One last time, I'm asking you," Lín Qiānxuě walked two steps closer. "Are you coming with me?"
Liu Ruòruò looked at her, slowly bringing his right hand out from his sleeve and resting it on the handlebars. "You shouldn't have mentioned my family," he said.
The moment he finished speaking, he slammed the accelerator. The scooter shot towards the gap on the left, passing by so close to the bodyguards that they could only grab at the air. Lín Qiānxuě didn't give chase, just stood there watching him rush out of the alley. She took out her phone and dialed a number. "Target confirmed, two contact attempts. Refused cooperation, attitude is strong," she said. "Initiate Plan B."
Something was said on the other end of the line. She hung up and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering.
Liu Ruòruò returned to the station around three in the afternoon. He unloaded the empty buckets and placed them in the designated area. The registration clerk looked up at him and said nothing, silently stamping a paper. He turned to walk towards his scooter and found that a tire was flat. The front tire was completely deflated, as if it had been punctured. He squatted down to inspect it; the valve core was missing.
"It was fine just now," a voice came from behind him. It was the old worker, a cigarette dangling from his lips, leaning against the wall. "Not long after you left, two men came. They were wearing black clothes, circled the car, and then left."
Liu Ruòruò stood up, not saying anything. "They did it," the old worker exhaled a puff of smoke. "Who did you offend?"
"I don't know," Liu Ruòruò said.
"Stop pretending," the old worker chuckled. "Lǐ Jídù trashed things this morning, and your scooter got messed with this afternoon. That's not offending someone?"
Liu Ruòruò looked at him. "What do you want to say?"
"I want to say..." the old worker stubbed out his cigarette. "You'd better be careful. Some people are not to be crossed by a mere water deliveryman."
With that, he turned and left. Liu Ruòruò stood in place, glanced at his scooter, then looked in the direction of the alley entrance in the distance. He took out his phone, opened the map, and found a repair shop about two kilometers away. He started pushing the scooter out.
Just as he exited the station gate, a red Maserati slowly stopped in front of him. The window rolled down, and Lín Qiānxuě looked at him. "I'll give you a ride," she said. Liu Ruòruò stopped. "I'm not riding in your car."
"Your scooter is broken," she said. "Walking two kilometers is more tiring than it needs to be."
"I can manage myself."
"Then push it," she smiled. "But I'll remind you, there are my people at the next three intersections. For every hundred meters you walk, someone will take photos, record it, and report it. Where you sleep tonight, what you eat, who you meet – I'll know everything."
Liu Ruòruò stood his ground, his hand on the handlebars. "What exactly do you want?" he asked.
"I want you to understand one thing," she said, looking at him. "You can't escape."
Liu Ruòruò stared at her, his right hand slowly rising and pointing towards the ground. "Then remember this," he said. "Next time we meet, I won't be walking."
Lín Qiānxuě narrowed her eyes. "You're going to drive?"
Liu Ruòruò didn't answer. He turned and started pushing the scooter away. The tires made a rustling sound on the concrete. Lín Qiānxuě watched his retreating figure and slowly rolled up the car window. The car turned around and drove away from the station.
As it neared dark, Liu Ruòruò finally reached the repair shop. The owner inspected the scooter and shook his head. "The tire was tampered with. The valve core was removed, and sand was poured inside. The tire needs to be replaced."
"How much?"
"Two hundred." Liu Ruòruò took out his wallet and counted; he only had one hundred and thirty-seven yuan. He put the money down. "Change the tire first, I'll pay the rest tomorrow."
The owner hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll install it for you then."
He squatted down and started working. Liu Ruòruò stood nearby, his right hand in his pocket, his palm growing hotter. He looked up at the sky. Rain was coming.