parentshiftbook Chapter 56 Shanghai's Number One Male Prostitute
Chapter 56 Shanghai's Number One Male Prostitute
With a thought from Li Fulan, the "Pioneer-III" vehicle, which resembled a steel behemoth, vanished into thin air and was stored in the inconspicuous storage ring on the middle finger of his left hand.
"I have to say, this thing is much more convenient than finding a parking space." Li Fulan shook his finger, and the wonderful feeling of controlling the space made him smile slightly.
The two took the elevator back to the underground Seventh Base. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Lin An raised his wrist to look at the non-existent virtual watch.
"Based on the timing, the guests should already be waiting in the rest area."
"Guests?" Li Fulan raised an eyebrow. "Who did you invite?"
"A professional advisor." Lin An's tone was as calm as ever. "Given the nature of your upcoming mission, the staff believes it is necessary to bring in an external advisor."
Li Fulan didn't ask any more questions and followed Lin An to the rest area.
On the leather sofa sat a man who seemed completely out of place in this hardcore sci-fi base.
The man was wearing an extremely fitted, even somewhat "flashy" sequined suit. The sequins shimmered dazzlingly under the lights, as if he were wearing the neon lights of a nightclub.
Her collar was undone up to the third button, revealing her delicate collarbone and an expensive-looking platinum necklace with a small dollar sign pendant. Her hair was meticulously styled with a generous amount of hairspray, combed into a slicked-back look, exuding an expensive and overpowering cologne scent that was so strong it could almost kill a cow.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around, and the smile that appeared in that instant was so perfect it was as if it had been measured with a ruler—three parts cynicism, three parts nonchalance, and four parts professional flattery.
"Oh, the main character has arrived?"
The man stood up and scanned Li Fulan from head to toe. His gaze was extremely professional, assessing everything from her hairstyle and figure to her demeanor, as if he were conducting a silent evaluation.
"Butler Lin, is this the boss you were talking about?" The man stroked his chin. "Not bad, not bad at all, truly the best of the best. That figure, that face, he'd be a top-tier courtesan even back in our area."
As he spoke, his expression suddenly turned serious, and he crossed his arms, adopting a businesslike demeanor.
"But let me make this clear from the start." He held up a finger and shook it. "I am Xia Chanming, Shanghai's number one male escort. I've been in the business for ten years and I've never cheated a client nor been cheated by one. This job of yours, with the confidentiality agreement and blindfolding, is making it all very mysterious. It's clearly a high-difficulty job."
He held out his palm, his five fingers spread wide.
"You have to pay more. It's professional ethics."
"How much?" Lin An asked.
"We'll see." Xia Chanming calmly sat back down on the sofa, crossing his legs. "You guys tell me what kind of job it is first. Regular consultation, 50% extra. High-difficulty private customization, double the amount. If it involves those messy, gray areas..."
He shook his head, looking every bit the gentleman.
"Then we'll have to discuss it another time. Although I, Xia, love money, I also have principles."
"We need you to provide some professional services," Lin An said.
"Serve?"
Xia Chanming raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on Li Fulan's excessively handsome face for two seconds, then sweeping over his perfect figure with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, instantly conjuring up a dramatic scene in his mind.
He suddenly sprang up from the sofa, took a big step back, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and struck a pose like a chaste and virtuous woman who would rather die than submit.
"Wait, wait, wait! Pause!"
Xia Chan's voice rose eight octaves, his face filled with righteous indignation.
"While I, Xia Chanming, may love money, I have my bottom line! I'm Shanghai's top male escort, not a gigolo! I only serve wealthy women, not male clients! This is a matter of principle! No amount of money can change that!"
Li Fulan's expression at that moment was like that of someone who had swallowed a fly that had just crawled out of a sewer.
He turned to look at Lin An, his eyes clearly saying, "Are you kidding me?"
"Lin An, is this the 'expert' you found? I think throwing him into the incinerator might be more effective in improving air quality."
"Please calm down, sir." Lin An remained as calm as ever, took a step forward, and very naturally pressed Xia Chanming's shoulder, forcibly pushing him back onto the sofa.
"Mr. Xia, please put away your overly vivid imagination. We have no intention of having you sell your body. Although, from a market valuation perspective, your physical value is indeed far lower than Mr. Li's."
"That's right, that's right, this boss looks like he's trained." Xia Chanming went along with it, awkwardly straightening his wrinkled suit collar. "So what exactly do you want me to do? You're being so mysterious."
"Romantic tactics guidance." Lin An pushed up his monocle, his tone as serious as if he were discussing nuclear weapons launch codes. "We need to know how to win over a female target named 'Xiao Wu'."
Xia Chanming was stunned for three seconds.
Then he burst into a deafening laugh.
"Hahaha! So this is what it was all about? Chasing girls? I thought it was something else! You scared me to death!"
He instantly changed his sitting posture, crossed his legs, and exuded an aura of "professionalism".
"You should have said so earlier! Dating? Winning over a goddess? I'm an expert at that! As long as you swing the hoe well, no corner is too steep to break down! So, tell me, what's up with this girl?"
Lin An did not answer immediately, but instead projected a holographic image into the air.
It depicts a young girl with long, flowing hair, bright, expressive eyes, and a playful smile. Even in just a portrait, one can feel the vibrant energy and exuberance emanating from her.
"Target name: Xiao Wu. True identity: Soft Bone Rabbit, a 100,000-year-old soul beast, in human form."
"Ten thousand years? A soul beast?" Xia Chanming blinked. "What kind of setting is this? Are you filming a web series?"
"It's not a web series," Li Fulan finally spoke, her voice low. "I have a special ability to travel to another real world—Douluo Continent. Everything there is real."
The air seemed to freeze.
Xia Chanming stared at Li Fulan for a full half minute, trying to find a trace of a joke on his face. But all he saw was seriousness and a kind of certainty that sent chills down his spine.
"Holy crap...time travel? Really?"
"Reality is often more absurd than fiction." Li Fulan picked up the iced cola on the table and took a sip. "So, Teacher Xia, can we start the lesson now? It's about how to deal with a rabbit spirit that has lived for 100,000 years and transformed into a human."
Xia Chanming took a deep breath, forcing himself to accept this absurd reality. After all, he was a seasoned veteran of the entertainment industry for ten years, and he quickly adjusted his mindset.
"Fine, time travel it is, rabbit spirit it is." He slapped his thigh. "But—it costs extra. Cross-dimensional romance counseling, a first in the industry, starting at three times the price."
"Deal." Lin An said crisply and decisively.
"Great!" Xia Chanming's eyes lit up, and he straightened his collar. "Then let me first tell you about Xiao Wu's situation in the original work."
He cleared his throat and his expression became professional.
"First and foremost, the most crucial point—strength."
Xia Chanming raised a finger, her tone resolute.
"What is Xiao Wu? A 100,000-year-old soul beast. What does that mean? It means she stands at the top of the food chain in this world. She has seen countless humans, and in her eyes, ordinary humans are probably no different from ants to us. You want to pursue her? First, you have to make her take you seriously, you have to make her feel that you are someone she can take seriously."
He stood up and began pacing around the room.
"Why was Tang San able to win her over in the original novel? It wasn't because he was handsome, nor because he was sweet-talking and good at flattering people. It was because he was strong. He grew from an unknown nobody to become the strongest being in the Douluo Continent, and eventually even stormed the God Realm. This growth trajectory, this never-give-up spirit, is what truly attracted Xiao Wu."
"So strength is a prerequisite?" Li Fulan asked.
"It's not just a prerequisite, it's the foundation," Xia Chanming said firmly. "You may not have Tang San's abnormal talent, but you must demonstrate sufficient potential and ambition. Make her feel that you are a promising prospect, a man worth investing her emotions in."
"Secondly, shared experiences."
He raised another finger.
"How did Tang San and Xiao Wu develop feelings for each other in the original story? They went to school together, cultivated together, fought together, and faced life-or-death crises together. This kind of bond, built under extreme circumstances, is the deepest and hardest to sever. If you want to pursue her, you have to go through something with her. Ideally, it should be a life-or-death situation, so she knows that you would risk your life for her in crucial moments."
"The third point, and also Tang San's greatest success, is his focus."
Xia Chanming's expression became somewhat complicated.
"To be honest, from our perspective, Tang San is simply an anomaly. So many stunning beauties surround him, yet he only has eyes for Xiao Wu. This unwavering, almost obsessive, view of love is precisely what touches Xiao Wu the most. She has lived for 100,000 years; what sweet talk hasn't she heard? What hypocrisy hasn't she seen? But Tang San's foolish, single-minded devotion is the most precious thing."
He stopped and looked at Li Fulan.
So here's the question—can you do it?
Li Fulan remained silent for a moment, then a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.
"The word 'devotion' depends on how it's defined."
"Oh?"
"If it means becoming the most devoted person to her, that's indeed a bit difficult." Li Fulan picked up her cola and gently swirled it. "But if it means—becoming the only one by her side..."
He raised his head, a dangerous glint flashing in his deep eyes.
"That's something I'm very good at."