Chapter 70 All Men Are Cut from the Same Cloth

After replying to the message, Lin Bai put down his phone. The breathtakingly gorgeous face of Xu Youmeng flashed across his mind, a smile crept onto the corners of his lips, and he drifted off to sleep.

***

The next day.
At 3:00 PM, Central Cafe.

The cafe was located inside the entrepreneurial park, quite close to the e-sports studio.
When Lin Bai entered the cafe, Xu Youmeng was already waiting. She waved at him as he walked through the door.

There weren't many people in the cafe. Lin Bai sat down opposite Xu Youmeng, his gaze fixed directly on her.
She was still wearing that white T-shirt—a bit worn out, but very clean.
Her soft, dark hair cascaded naturally over her shoulders, making her look like a fairy who had descended into the mortal world.

Out of curiosity, Lin Bai checked Xu Youmeng's attribute panel.

[Name: Xu Youmeng]
[Age: 20]
[Beauty Score: 9.5]
[Favorability towards the Host: 4.0]

A favorability score of 4 was pitifully low compared to Li Ruonan, but it was understandable under the circumstances.

"Why do you suddenly need so much money?" Lin Bai asked proactively.
Xu Youmeng tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and looked out through the glass window.
"My younger brother crashed into someone while riding his bike, and we need money."

Lin Bai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How bad is the crash? Is it serious?"
"A fractured lower leg plus a concussion. My brother is entirely at fault, and the other party is demanding one hundred thousand. If we can't pay, my brother goes to jail."

Hearing this outcome, Lin Bai stroked his chin and fell into thought.
This was just Xu Youmeng's side of the story. Although he trusted her, Lin Bai always felt she was hiding something from him.
"Where are you from? What does your brother do? What's his name?"

Xu Youmeng looked at Lin Bai, her delicate brows knitting together slightly. "You don't believe me?"
"It's not that I don't believe you. I'm the creditor, isn't it reasonable for me to know these details?"
Xu Youmeng turned her gaze back to the window. "Perfume Town. My brother is called Xu Zhonghao. He's a senior in high school."

Hearing this, Lin Bai finally understood why Xu Youmeng was in such a rush.
For a high school senior, going to jail meant his future and the rest of his life would be completely ruined.
Lin Bai memorized the information Xu Youmeng had provided, stroked his chin in thought, and said:
"I can lend you the one hundred thousand, but... when will you pay me back?"

Xu Youmeng lowered her head.
She knew her family's situation better than anyone. One hundred thousand yuan—how long would it take a college student like her, unwilling to sell herself or act promiscuously, to earn that kind of money?

***

"Sorry to bother you."

Her dignity wounded, Xu Youmeng whispered those words, stood up abruptly, and prepared to leave in a hasty stride.
As she passed by him, Lin Bai caught her wrist.
"I didn't say I wouldn't lend it to you. What are you rushing for?"

Xu Youmeng looked at him, the sorrow in the depths of her eyes welling up and hidden remarkably well.
"I can't afford to pay it back. Even if I could, it would take a very long time."

Lin Bai smiled and gestured to the seat opposite him. "Sit."
Left with no other choice, Xu Youmeng sat back down. At that moment, Lin Bai said:
"One hundred thousand is nothing to me. Sleep with me, and I'll give you two hundred thousand."

As soon as those words fell, Xu Youmeng, who had just sat down, sprang to her feet, staring at Lin Bai in absolute disbelief.
"You! You shameless scoundrel! I thought you were different from other guys! Now I see I was wrong—all men are cut from the exact same cloth! Pui!"

Accompanying her words was Xu Youmeng's plummeting favorability, which crashed from 4 points down to 0 in the blink of an eye!
This also proved from another angle that Xu Youmeng was a remarkably genuine girl.

Lin Bai didn't get angry. "Do you know what two hundred thousand means? You aren't going to save your brother anymore?"
"That's none of your business!"

Hlinging that harsh threat at him, Xu Youmeng turned around and walked away, giving Lin Bai no chance to make her stay.
"Whenever you figure it out, come find me. My offer remains valid for you indefinitely," Lin Bai said loudly without looking back.
With an ugly expression on her face, Xu Youmeng reached the exit and hurried away.

After Xu Youmeng left, Lin Bai chuckled and shook his head, pulled out his phone, found Bai Kewei's number, and dialed.
"Hello, Brother Bai?"
"Help me run a check on someone. Xu Jiahao, Perfume Town, Jiangcheng City, high school senior."
"Got it, Brother Bai. I'll get back to you later."

Hanging up the phone, Lin Bai picked up the classic latte in front of him, took a small sip, and smiled.
"As long as you are short on money, there's no fear of you escaping my grasp."

Money wasn't everything, but without money, life was impossible.
Just like Xu Youmeng's current predicament—aside from selling her own body, thinking she could scrape together one hundred thousand in a short time was pure fantasy.
And as a sophomore in college, the most valuable things she possessed were her face and her body.
As a normal male, Lin Bai didn't think his demand was shameful at all. Those people who committed heinous acts under the guise of benevolence were the truly shameless ones.

"Pui, pui, pui... So bitter..."
Lin Bai glanced at the coffee, pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, frowned, and left.

***

The temperature in Jiangcheng dropped rapidly after the National Day holiday.

Unlike northern cities where autumn served as a transition, Jiangcheng jumped straight into the thick of it. Almost overnight, everyone went from short sleeves and shorts straight into winter wear.

Lin Bai was still wearing a shirt, a T-shirt, and cropped trousers, and the students passing by him cast obvious "lunatic" glances his way.
Lin Bai was speechless; he felt fine and didn't think it was that cold.

An hour later, while Lin Bai was rummaging through his dorm room searching for winter clothes, Bai Kewei's call finally came through.
"I found out, Brother Bai. There really is a high school senior named Xu Zhonghao, but it seems he's in a bit of trouble lately."

The other roommates were not in the dorm. Lin Bai hit speakerphone, placed the device on the table, and asked while packing his clothes.
"Tell me, what kind of trouble?"
"This Xu Zhonghao crashed an electric bike into someone a week ago, and it seems pretty serious. The other person is still in the hospital, and Xu Zhonghao's actions have been classified as malicious assault. He's currently being detained."
"Isn't he a student?"
"Xu Zhonghao just turned 18 this year. He's already an adult."

Lin Bai had a realization. "You just said, malicious assault?"
"Yes. The person he hit is named Liu Xiaojun, a local hoodlum in Perfume Town. His father runs a sand quarry locally and has thrown his weight around quite a bit over the years."

Hearing this, Lin Bai guessed the rest. "Understood. Send me the location of the police station where Xu Zhonghao is being held. You don't need to worry about the rest."
"Got it, Brother Bai. I've already sent the location to your phone."

After receiving the address, Lin Bai hung up and checked his course schedule.
Today was Wednesday, tomorrow was Thursday, and he didn't have many classes.
Having made up his mind, Lin Bai changed into an out-of-style down jacket he had brought from home and headed out.

***

Perfume Town was just over fifty kilometers away from Jiangcheng City—not very far.
Shortly before 8:00 PM, a Mercedes-Benz pulled up in front of the Perfume Town detention center. Lin Bai stepped out, his black trench coat fluttering sharply in the cold wind.
Passing by a shopping mall earlier, Lin Bai had bought this black trench coat. Matched with his height of 1.82 meters and his athletic build, it suited him extremely well.

Perfume Town was situated in the northern part of Jiangcheng City. After a drive of just over fifty kilometers, the temperature here was much lower than in Jiangcheng.
"Hello, I'm here to see someone."
Approaching the guard post, Lin Bai stated his purpose in a loud voice.

A police officer stepped out and walked up to Lin Bai. "Who are you looking for?"
"Xu Zhonghao."
The officer looked Lin Bai up and down, logged the information, and then opened the automated gate to let Lin Bai in while taking his walkie-talkie back into the guard booth.

The Perfume Town detention center wasn't large. After entering, Lin Bai walked straight toward the central building.
As soon as he stepped inside, the temperature rose considerably. The room was heated with air conditioning, and two police officers were on duty.
"Lin Bai, right? Fill out this form."