HCB Ch. 91 - What Research? Being Researched.
Ch. 91 - What Research? Being Researched.
New Event: Global Dungeons Daily Releases"Bro, I was wrong, really wrong!"
Song Xu's face was full of pain as he surrendered on the spot.
He'd thought dealing with a high schooler would be easy pickings for a college student, but he never expected things to turn out like this.
"Now, take me to Capital South Station. Got a problem with that?"
Chen Shu's gaze shifted to the driver as he took advantage of the opening to throw another punch at Song Xu.
"Brother Liu, take him there!" Song Xu tilted his head back, looking absolutely pathetic.
The driver had no choice but to take Chen Shu to the train station.
The streets were bustling with people, but inside the car was dead silent.
Soon, the driver pulled up to the train station.
"A trash-tier fighter[1] actually thought he could play kidnapper?"
Before leaving, Chen Shu delivered another brutal beating. Wails echoed through the car as the whole vehicle shook, drawing weird looks from passersby.
Feeling much better, Chen Shu walked off without a care.
"Mission failed. That kid was too ruthless."
Song Xu sighed. To this day, he still couldn't figure out how Chen Shu had seen through them.
He'd planned to wait until they drove somewhere secluded before making a move, but instead got straight-up destroyed.
......
Chen Shu pulled out his phone and called Fang Si.
"Hey, Sister Fang Si! Be careful—Su Han sent people to get revenge."
Fang Si's voice carried a hint of anxiety. "Are you okay?"
"I'm obviously fine. I'm heading back to Nanjiang City. You and Dali be careful."
After chatting for a bit, they hung up.
Fang Si's face showed no worry. As long as Chen Shu could leave safely, that was all that mattered.
And Zhang Dali stayed on campus long-term. As the nation's top Spirit Chef university, even Su Han wouldn't dare cause trouble there.
As for herself, she didn't care about Su Han at all.
Chen Shu smoothly boarded the train, leaving the bustling city behind.
"One year from now, I'll be back..."
Chen Shu murmured, eyes full of longing.
......
"You didn't catch him?"
Su Han's expression was ice-cold as the glass in his hand shattered.
"Young Master Su, let me explain!"
Song Xu spoke in a panic.
"Can't even handle a high schooler—what good are you?!" Su Han said coldly. "Go scrub toilets at the company for half a year!"
"..." Song Xu's face showed complete defeat as he left the room.
I'm a college student, dammit, and I have to scrub toilets!
Su Han sighed. He'd originally wanted to capture Chen Shu, strip off his clothes, stuff him in a urea bag, and dump him on the street.
He never expected Song Xu, who supposedly knew "martial arts," to actually fail.
That day on Taiqing Mountain, Su Han had been woken by the freezing cold, wearing nothing but pink underwear and a urea bag.
Just thinking about it made him want to bash his head against a wall. As a genius of Huaxia Academy, he obviously hadn't done what Chen Shu expected—
Either come down the mountain in pink underwear or wearing the urea bag.
He'd made a decisive choice instead: put the urea bag over his head and sprint down the mountain.
The process was social death, but at least no one saw his face.
And the internet gained a trending topic: Urea Wildman Spotted on Taiqing Mountain! Wearing Pink Underwear!
The driver, Old Liu, asked tactlessly, "Young Master Su, what exactly did that kid do to you?"
"You go scrub toilets with Song Xu!"
Su Han waved his hand dismissively, looking utterly annoyed. He couldn't be bothered thinking about Chen Shu and Zhang Dali anymore.
His only rival was Fang Si!
Once he became a Silver-rank Beast Tamer, he'd definitely get his revenge!
......
A day passed.
Chen Shu returned to Nanjiang City. Looking at the familiar buildings around him, he felt much more relaxed.
"The Nanjiang Bandit is back!"
Standing in front of the train station, Chen Shu shouted loudly, his melancholy about parting swept away.
People around him stared with weird looks.
A few minutes later, just as Chen Shu was about to hail a taxi home, he was suddenly stopped.
"Police?"
Chen Shu looked completely baffled, not understanding what he'd done wrong. "No way, Officer, I just got back from the Capital."
The officer's face was dead serious. "You're the Nanjiang Bandit?"
"..." Chen Shu was speechless. They responded that fast?
He explained, "I was joking, Officer. I'm a student from Nanjiang Second High. Here's my ID."
After checking it, the police finally let him go.
Chen Shu hailed a taxi and started the journey home.
He suddenly sighed. Realizing school started the day after tomorrow, he felt a faint melancholy.
School starting meant losing bathroom freedom...
Just as the vehicle was driving along, the taxi driver suddenly stopped.
The driver said, "Kid, I can pick up another passenger, right?"
"Sure, if it's on the way." Chen Shu nodded, not thinking much of it.
The car stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the guy about to get in.
The person wore glasses, had refined features, and pale skin. When he saw Chen Shu looking, he even smiled shyly.
He looked like just another introverted student, but the key issue was the building behind him.
Nanjiang City Psychiatric Hospital!
The guy wore a white shirt, but in his hands was a set of blue and white striped clothes—obviously what psychiatric patients wore.
Chen Shu couldn't help but scoot farther away, even considering moving to the front seat.
These days, the ruthless feared the reckless, the reckless feared the suicidal, and the suicidal feared the mentally ill.
Clearly, psychiatric patients were at the top of the food chain, while Chen Shu was at the very bottom.
The boy obviously realized something and smiled gently. "I'm here doing research at the psychiatric hospital."
"Oh." Chen Shu breathed a sigh of relief.
Looked like he'd been overthinking. Made sense—how could a patient just leave the hospital whenever?
Chen Shu smiled. "I see you're about my age. Didn't expect you'd already be doing research."
"By the way, what research?"
"Being researched."
"..." Chen Shu's mind jolted. "Driver! I want to get out!"
Give me a break—being researched meant he WAS a psychiatric patient!
The boy grabbed Chen Shu's sleeve. "No, I'm a student, just working part-time during summer break!"
"Part-time? Part-time as a psychiatric patient?! The job market really has diversified, huh?"
Chen Shu shook off his hand, face full of panic.
Even though his thought process was different from normal people, he should still count as normal. Meeting an actual psychiatric patient? Of course he was scared.
"Bro, I really am a student, just making some extra cash!" The boy held Chen Shu in a death grip, then said to the driver, "Driver, weld the door shut[2]—nobody's getting out today."
"You're actually insane." Chen Shu looked completely done.
"I'm just afraid you'll run off! What if you don't pay and the driver makes me cover it?"
Don't let his refined appearance fool you—the guy's strength was no joke.
The two struggled back and forth. In the end, Chen Shu couldn't get out, and the driver—worried Chen Shu would bail without paying—didn't stop the whole way.
"Fine, fine, fine! I give up! I give up!"
Chen Shu cursed his bad luck. Today had been absolutely bizarre.
First he'd run into the two clowns Su Han sent, then got questioned by police, and now on the ride home he'd encountered a psychiatric patient.
Half an hour later—
Chen Shu sighed. "I'm here. Can I get out now?"
The driver finally stopped. Chen Shu paid and prepared to get out.
"Bro, I'm Xu Xingxing. Let's get to know each other—maybe we'll meet again."
"Give me a break. I never want to see you again."
Chen Shu opened the car door and ran all the way back to his apartment complex.
[1] Trash-tier fighter (战五渣 zhàn wǔ zhā): Reference to Dragon Ball Z where Raditz mocks an opponent as having "a combat power of only 5—trash" (战斗力只有5的渣滓). In Chinese internet culture, 战五渣 became shorthand for "pathetically weak," especially when someone talks big but can't back it up. Chen Shu is mocking Song Xu for claiming martial arts skills but getting destroyed by a high schooler.
[2] Weld the door shut (焊死车门): Chinese internet meme from "老司机" (old driver/veteran) culture. The full phrase "老司机带带我，我要上车了！车门焊死，谁也别想下车" (Veteran driver, take me with you! I'm getting in the car! Weld the doors shut, nobody's getting out) originated from online communities where "driving" is slang for sharing NSFW content or taking people on wild rides. Xu Xingxing using this phrase makes him sound unhinged—like he's trapping Chen Shu in an absurdist nightmare scenario.