Twisted Dreams-Chapter 184 - 156: Collecting Debts (2)

The car drove along the streets of the South Sea.

Qian Lele was silent for a long time before finally speaking:

"Could it be that the woman didn’t really love her man?

Didn’t she become beautiful for her husband?

How did it turn out like this?"

Qian Lele was destined to become a Desire Merchant at the Desire Trade Bar, and Li Yang had just told her everything about the woman to prepare her for this unique job in the future.

Li Yang, with a cigarette in his mouth, turned the steering wheel and said:

"The man loved the beautiful, stubborn woman from ten years ago.

The woman loved the ambitious, considerate man from ten years ago.

Now, both of them have become different people, merely holding onto the names they used in the past."

Qian Lele sighed:

"So, there’s really no love in this world, is there?"

Qian Lele felt it was pointless to ask such a question.

How could someone like Li Yang believe in love?

If you ask a taxi driver now whether they believe in love, they might just worry you’ll vomit in their car.

Li Yang rested his hand holding the cigarette on the window edge, steering with one hand, and said:

"Of course, there is love in this world, but the two of them never had love in the first place.

I believe it was a rush of hormones; they never found true love."

Qian Lele raised an eyebrow:

"A rush of hormones?"

In an era of rapid short video development, when everyone criticizes love, those who believe in love are rarer than pandas, and Qian Lele is among them.

Asking that previous question was just a pure-hearted girl’s lament.

Hearing Li Yang say there is love in the world, she couldn’t help but retort:

"With so many unfaithful men and women in the world,

so many nagging women and men reluctant to go home after work,

is it all because they haven’t found love?"

Li Yang took a gentle drag from his cigarette, exhaled smoke, and said:

"Some women look for ambitious potentials, only to find a handsome, charming man.

Eventually, they realize this man is lazy and become complainers.

That’s the woman’s own choice.

Some men look for gentle and caring women, only to find a sexy, beautiful woman.

Eventually, they discover she’s sharp-tongued and bitter and become unfortunate men.

That’s the man’s own choice.

They wanted a phone for calls, but were attracted to a gaming console, so they must accept it can’t make calls.

Adults have to pay the price for their choices."

Surprise flashed in Qian Lele’s eyes.

Listening to Li Yang, she suddenly remembered a phrase.

Going south to catch fish while traveling north.

When she heard this story as a child, she laughed at the merchant sitting in the carriage.

It turns out the world is full of merchants sitting in carriages like that.

Everyone mocks the foolishness of going south to catch fish while traveling north, yet they all do foolish things.

After pondering for a moment, Qian Lele said:

"You are special; I thought you were a person without feelings."

Li Yang’s eyes dimmed slightly:

"The world is full of people who say grapes are sour when they can’t reach them.

Unable to find a suitable partner, they claim there’s no love in the world.

After hanging out with bad friends, they say there’s no friendship in the world.

Growing up in an orphanage, they say there’s no kinship in the world.

The only things in this world that cannot be desecrated are love, friendship, and kinship."

Li Yang indeed never experienced love or friendship, but he had kinship.

He loved his grandmother dearly.

Listening to Li Yang, Qian Lele found him impressive.

She couldn’t say Li Yang’s views were all correct, but he truly understood the concepts of ’going south to catch fish while traveling north’ and ’sour grapes.’

Those were all amusing childhood tales; everyone knows them, but few truly understand them.

Qian Lele remembered something and asked:

"I remember that woman reverted to her previous appearance after her ’desire’ was taken back. Was it because her ’desire’ was taken back?"

Li Yang extinguished the cigarette:

"No, she could maintain her improved appearance, but I thought it would be interesting for her to change back."

That didn’t breach the contract, as the contract didn’t state he had to ensure Li Yingxin’s beauty forever.

Li Yingxin even dared to lecture the King of Hell about desire, which wouldn’t please Li Yang.

Terror was hidden in Qian Lele’s eyes.

This man was becoming more like the legendary Devil.

No, he should be called the legendary Satan.

Possessing wisdom, transcending mundanity, yet... somewhat sinister.

...

In the alley.

A second-hand Santana was parked there.

A woman with heavy makeup and skimpy clothes linked arms with a buzz-cut thug covered in tattoos in front of the car.

She looked at the man in the wrinkled white shirt, reeking of alcohol, with eyes full of mockery.

The woman’s name was Zhao Yuting, and she once bought a drink from Li Yang.

That drink brought her endless rotten suitors, drawing in gamblers, thugs, and junkies around her.

The man in the shirt pointed at Zhao Yuting, his fingers trembling:

"You, why did you lie to me!

I’ve already broken up with her, why did you do this!"

The man in the shirt was a kept man, and today was his girlfriend’s sixtieth birthday.

At the banquet, the old baby found chat records on the man’s phone, angrily breaking up with him.

Heartbroken, the man asked Zhao Yuting out, only to witness her passionately kissing the buzz-cut thug right in front of him.

Was this deceiving his feelings?

Was he just an ATM for her?

Zhao Yuting got sick initially, and it was he who paid for her treatment!

Old baby got angry, Zhao Yuting also left him, and he’s left with nothing.

Zhao Yuting curled her lips:

"Look at yourself, a leech, not as strong as my Brother Hu."

The buzz-cut thug grinned:

"Bro, I spent a lot of your money, too, consider it the price for sleeping with my girlfriend.

Just get lost now, I won’t hold it against you."

"Fuck your mother!" the shirt man roared.

The buzz-cut thug’s face turned cold:

"You’re asking for it."

He picked up a brick and smashed it against the man’s body.

This thug fought often and knew where to hit without causing permanent damage.

The man in the shirt screamed continuously, begging for mercy.

The buzz-cut thug spat, wrapped his arm around Zhao Yuting’s waist, and walked toward the car.

Zhao Yuting sweetly held the thug’s arm, mocking the shirt man with her gaze.

She loved manipulating people like this, making men around her revolve like planets.

The sight of the happy couple extinguished the fear on the shirt man’s face, replaced by malice.

Slowly, he reached for his lower back, drew a knife, and his breathing grew rapid, like an engine before a race.

"Fuck you!"

The man in the shirt screamed, charging with the knife, stabbing it into the thug’s lower back.

The thug turned around in disbelief:

"You mother...!"

The shirt man roared, his eyes bloodshot, repeatedly stabbing the knife into the thug’s abdomen.

The thug gripped the shirt man’s neck tightly, a look of terror appeared on his face, losing strength and collapsing, unconscious.

Zhao Yuting stared in horror, her hand covering her mouth tightly.

This kept man had killed someone!

Oddly, she wasn’t scared, but felt a bit proud.

Having a man kill another for her, didn’t that prove her allure?

Isn’t that a story to tell?

The shirt man suddenly turned around, staring intently at Zhao Yuting.

Zhao Yuting sensed something was wrong and forced a smile:

"Don’t be rash, I still want to be your girlfriend, you..."

Before she finished, horror swept over her eyes as she looked down in shock.

A knife was embedded in her abdomen!

Zhao Yuting stared blankly at the man before her.

The man, like a beast out of control, stabbed the knife into her abdomen repeatedly, more viciously than with the thug!

Finally, Zhao Yuting fell into a pool of blood and lost her voice.

Only then did the shirt man snap out of his madness, dropping the knife in fear and screaming as he fled toward the alley entrance.

Two figures appeared at the entrance of the alley.

A tall man’s silhouette stretched long under the streetlamp as he walked into the alley.

The woman covered her mouth, her face full of panic.

They had clearly witnessed the murder scene.

The woman’s anxiety contrasted sharply with the man’s indifference.

The man let the shirt man run past him before stopping, not far from the bodies, and murmured:

"Failed to collect the debt."

The woman dared not speak.

Those in ’debt’ weren’t normal people.

Li Yang turned back and walked toward the car.

Qian Lele quickly asked:

"What should we do next?"

Li Yang replied:

"Call the police, then I’ll teach you how to mix drinks."

Li Yang couldn’t devote all his time to the Desire Trade Bar.

He had a lot to do.