chapter 9 debt collection

Fei Shen was surprised when he saw Ruoxue Yao waving at him, holding a set of black suit.

"I don't usually try on clothes for others, except if you're paying me," Fei Shen said casually.

"Making me try on clothes for your boyfriend? Am I some kind of free model?" Shen thought. Yao Ruoxue glared fiercely at this guy who was always talking nonsense just to make money.

"Do you think I would make you try on clothes for someone else? These are for you. Try them on to see if they fit!" Ruoxue Yao said irritably.

"This good?" Fei Shen blinked, then glanced at the price tag, which had four digits.

"You won't deduct it from my salary, right?" Fei Shen asked cautiously.

He had to make sure, as he couldn't afford such expensive clothes on his current salary. If she deducted it, he would have nowhere to cry.

"It's free. Just try them on!" Ruoxue Yao replied, a bit annoyed.

"Free? Have you suddenly discovered my virtues and want to take care of me?" Fei Shen raised an eyebrow playfully.

"Let me make it clear, I have principles. Don't even think about it unless you want me on top," Fei Shen said with a smirk.

"Get lost!" Ruoxue Yao was furious, especially when Fei Shen made her words sound dirty.

"If it weren't for you affecting the company's image, do you think I'd spend money to buy you clothes?" Ruoxue Yao scolded.

"I see! You should have said that earlier. You made me worry," Fei Shen said before heading into the dressing room.

Soon, he emerged from the fitting room, and even Ruoxue Yao, who was quite picky, couldn't help but be impressed. Despite Fei Shen's usual lazy and disinterested demeanor, when he put on the well-fitted suit, his overall appearance underwent a remarkable transformation. It was a testament to how clothing could change a person's demeanor.

However, his eyes remained unchanged, still lacking any spark. Ruoxue Yao reached for a pair of sunglasses on a nearby shelf and handed them to Fei Shen.

"Now you look a bit more presentable," Ruoxue Yao nodded in approval.

"What do you mean, 'a bit more presentable'? Wasn't I a person to begin with?" Fei Shen muttered indignantly, though he kept this thought to himself. He didn't want to give Ruoxue Yao any reason to hold something over him.

"Yao CEO, isn't this a bit too high-profile?" Fei Shen chuckled.

Though the suit elevated his status by several notches, it felt uncomfortably tight on him.

"It's not too high-profile. This is how a bodyguard should look," Ruoxue Yao replied.

Fei Shen shrugged, neither confirming nor denying his identity.

Wearing the new outfit, they got back into the car. Fei Shen followed Ruoxue Yao's directions to arrive at a company's entrance.

Ruoxue Yao got out of the car, and Fei Shen followed suit. As soon as they entered the company, Fei Shen furrowed his brow. The people coming and going here didn't look like typical office workers. They appeared to have a strong presence resembling the underworld.

This woman is quite audacious, showing up here on her own, isn't she?

"I'm looking for your boss, Mr. Yu!" said Ruoxue Yao casually.

"Mr. Yu is upstairs, follow me!" a man led Ruoxue Yao and Fei Shen.

On the second floor, in an office that seemed to be about several dozen square meters, as soon as they entered, smoke filled the air. There were over a dozen burly men with their shirts off, displaying fierce tattoos on their bodies, and several knives scattered on the ground.

"Hey, this little lady is really beautiful!" one big guy exclaimed when he saw Ruoxue Yao, his eyes lighting up as he unabashedly assessed her figure. Ruoxue Yao furrowed her brows lightly, finding that guy's gaze even more unpleasant than that of the scoundrel next to her.
Now, Ruoxue Yao measured people by the standard of Fei Shen. Anyone more unpleasant than Fei Shen was considered as bad as a festering sore in her eyes.

"Third Brother, don't be unreasonable with Miss Yao. Miss Yao, please forgive my men's rudeness. They don't know any better!" a big, fat guy stood up and said with a forced smile.

Fei Shen stood aside, watching the scene unfold. It was clear that they were trying to intimidate Ruoxue Yao. But Ruoxue Yao, as the CEO of Tianxue International, should not have any dealings with these thugs.

"You must be Mr. Yu, right? I'm here to collect the debt your company owes Tianxue!" Ruoxue Yao said casually.

"What the heck? How has this woman survived until today?" Fei Shen muttered to himself.
Given the situation, they were clearly reluctant to pay up. They were making it obvious that they didn't want to give anything away.

"Mr. Yu said he had to personally handle this debt. Well, here I am. Mr. Yu, do you have an explanation?" Ruoxue Yao said calmly.

"Miss Yao, please have a seat and let's discuss this!" the chubby Mr. Yu signaled for his men to bring over a chair.

"And the gentleman can sit as well!" Mr. Yu added.

Fei Shen found a corner, sat down casually, lit a cigarette, and stared at the ceiling, appearing lost in thought.

"Damn, the boss doesn't understand the way things work in society, but how come this kid looks like a complete idiot too?" someone nearby muttered quietly.

Usually, when someone came to collect a debt, the boss would show some fear. The bodyguard should be the one to tremble first. Did this kid have some kind of backing?
"Hey, buddy, where are you from?" one guy asked with a smirk.

"Tianxue International, following Miss Yao!" Fei Shen replied with a grin.

While negotiations were ongoing here, Ruoxue Yao's side was proceeding much more straightforwardly.

"Miss Yao, I hope you can understand that we're currently facing some liquidity issues. I hope you can give us some time. After all, I have so many brothers under me who need to eat," Mr. Yu said with a bitter smile.

"I don't care about your situation. I just want the money. The repayment deadline has passed. In business, one must uphold integrity," Ruoxue Yao said calmly.

"So, Miss Yao is determined to get the money?" Mr. Yu sneered.

"Yes!" Ruoxue Yao replied, enunciating the word firmly.

"Brothers, it seems that Miss Yao isn't planning to give us a single bite to eat!" Mr. Yu laughed coldly
.
"Whoever doesn't feed us, I'll kill them!" someone chimed in.

Their act was pretty well-rehearsed.

Feeling the intimidating presence of the group, Ruoxue Yao couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive. Dealing with these outlaws was different from dealing with people in the business world. The latter had their limits, while these guys seemed to have none.

Ruoxue Yao turned her gaze towards Fei Shen but found the jerk casually chatting with a burly bald guy, completely oblivious to the situation here.

"Fei Shen!" Ruoxue Yao exclaimed.

"Yao Boss, you called me?" Fei Shen stood up.

"These people are your responsibility now!" Ruoxue Yao said with a hint of annoyance.

Fei Shen chuckled and made a money-counting gesture, clearly more interested in the financial side of things.

"Scoundrel!" Ruoxue Yao gritted her teeth. Although she had made prior arrangements, she still needed Fei Shen's cooperation. She didn't want this scoundrel to completely wash his hands of the situation. While she believed Fei Shen wouldn't abandon her, he was far from reliable.

Seeing Fei Shen, Ruoxue Yao raised two fingers and then retreated behind him, giving the impression that she was setting him loose like a hunting dog.

Regardless of the posturing, for Fei Shen, money was the bottom line. Without making money, he'd probably end up on the streets.

"Alright, guys, take a little from this kid, but regarding the girl, take some revealing photos of her. Let's see if she still dares to ask me for money!" The once servile fatty named Yu now exuded a bone-chilling coldness.

This kind of person would bow to profit and didn't mind using any means necessary.

"I don't mind you taking some revealing photos of the girl. In fact, I'd like to see that. However, when it comes to taking my blood, you've crossed the line. My blood is too precious, and you can't afford it!" Fei Shen smirked coldly.

Every drop of his blood was shed for his country, and these people had no right to make him bleed.

Ruoxue Yao furrowed her brow. This scoundrel was spouting nonsense again!

However, Ruoxue Yao had faith in Fei Shen's abilities. This guy had single-handedly taken down the elite security team of her company within minutes. Dealing with these thugs was a walk in the park for him.

As the crowd rushed towards him, Fei Shen remained in his lazy demeanor. He had no interest in fighting these guys. If it weren't for the need to make a living, he wouldn't even consider it.

Three minutes later, only Yu remained standing, and that was because Fei Shen hadn't bothered to fight him.

"All done, let's wrap it up!" Fei Shen clapped his hands.

Ruoxue Yao nodded. She knew this guy could fight, but she didn't expect him to be this good.

"Yu, it's time we talk about our debts," Ruoxue Yao said coldly.

This woman was always like this when dealing with others—serious, unsmiling, and exuding a strong presence.

"Yao Boss, I'll write you a check right away. My business is small, and I can't afford to offend you. I hope you can spare me," Yu said, smiling and glancing at Fei Shen standing beside him.

Where did this kid come from? He's too good at fighting. In terms of money, he couldn't compare to Ruoxue Yao, and in terms of influence, the difference was even more significant. He relied on some lowly means, but now that path was blocked. Besides repaying the debt, he had no other option.

"Write the check," Ruoxue Yao said calmly.

Fei Shen blinked as he saw many zeros on the check. He hadn't even counted them all before Ruoxue Yao put the check away. In any case, it was a lot of money.

It seemed that there were dividends in debt collection too!

"Ten percent? Five percent is fine too!" Fei Shen thought happily.

The two of them left the company together. "Yao Boss, do you think my performance was worth it?" Fei Shen grinned.

"Hmm, not bad, worth 200 Yuan," Ruoxue Yao said indifferently.

"What? How much did you say?" Fei Shen asked Ruoxue Yao, his eyes wide.

"200 Yuan!" Ruoxue Yao raised two fingers.

"What the hell? 200 Yuan? Ruoxue Yao, are you kidding me?" Fei Shen was furious.

"Too little? What did you think it would be?" Ruoxue Yao asked calmly.

"I thought it would be 20,000!" Fei Shen said weakly.

"20,000? Do you really think you're worth that much?" Ruoxue Yao said disdainfully.

"Ruoxue Yao, 20, 200, you're treating me like I'm worth two cents!" Fei Shen exclaimed.

..