78:The Enigmatic Beauty

"You're the one who can't see straight, aren't you? I've been watching you harass this young lady the whole time," Shen Yifei retorted with a cold sneer.

Shen Yifei's voice was loud, echoing clearly for everyone on the subway to hear.

"Who the hell are you, punk?! If you claim I harassed her, you better have proof! And what right do you have to butt into my business anyway?" the blonde-haired youth bellowed furiously.

"By the right of my friend!" Liu Xiaoxiao interjected, her voice brimming with righteous indignation, feeling it necessary to speak up for Shen Yifei. "He's... a military man! He can't stand your shameless behavior!"

The surrounding passengers, upon hearing this, immediately cast disdainful glances at the blonde youth. Military personnel are highly respected, and their presence, especially in such a situation, easily stirred up public outrage.

Su Muqing's beautiful eyes flickered. She admired Liu Xiaoxiao's readiness to champion justice, but her blatant lie left her a bit speechless.

To be fair, Shen Yifei was tall and stood with a straight posture; aside from his lazy expression, he did have a certain military bearing.

The young woman beside them, her beautiful eyes brightened. She sized up Shen Yifei, a playful smile touching the corners of her lips. *This man is quite interesting!* she mused.

Seeing the disdainful gazes of the crowd, the blonde youth immediately felt utterly humiliated. He wouldn't feel right if he didn't vent his anger.

"Military man?" The blonde-haired youth sneered as he eyed Shen Yifei, stepping forward to tug at his clothes. He clicked his tongue. "Buddy, you're out of the service, aren't you? This suit fabric is pretty nice, which online vendor's knock-off (a replica of a high-end brand sold at a much lower price) is it from?"

Shen Yifei merely shrugged. A soldier? He had indeed served for a time, though not in any ordinary capacity.

"Yes, I'm discharged. So what?" Shen Yifei replied indifferently.

"Heh," the blonde sneered. "Where I'm from, only those who can't get into university, those with no real talent, end up joining the military. The capable ones go to university, then come out to make money. Those without skills or ability can only join the military to escape reality. They always think serving will lead to some grand post-service placement. I had a friend who served for five years and only got forty thousand of our currency (a relatively small sum of money), barely enough to live on for two years."

The blonde-haired youth spoke with a cold sneer, his words dripping with contempt for military personnel.

Liu Xiaoxiao's temper flared. "Who said soldiers are all untalented?!" she retorted, seething.

The blonde-haired youth scoffed. "Is that even a question? Who with any real ability would damn well go be a soldier? If you could get into university, would you willingly join the military? Not making money and running off to a military camp to waste your youth—only a fool would do something like that!"

Su Muqing had heard enough. She spoke sternly. "Everyone has different pursuits. Going to the military isn't necessarily a waste of youth; it can temper a person, forge them into something greater. Military life might be the most important and deeply memorable period of their lives—a truly valuable experience! Protecting our homeland and defending our people is the mark of a true man. You have no right to mock military personnel!"

"Well said!"

"The lady's right, my brother's a soldier!"

The surrounding passengers couldn't help but applaud, casting admiring glances at Su Muqing.

"Tch, no matter how valuable, it's not as valuable as money," the blonde youth scoffed, unable to find a proper rebuttal. So he let his eyes wander restlessly over Su Muqing and Liu Xiaoxiao, surprised to have stumbled upon two such stunning beauties at once.

The blonde-haired youth had originally intended to belittle Shen Yifei to elevate himself, but unexpectedly, he ended up humiliating himself instead.

The blonde-haired youth glanced at Shen Yifei, his eyes turning sinister. He decided to give the kid a good beating once they got off the subway.

*Military man? Heh, after a good beating, let's see if he still dares to act tough using that title.*

Shen Yifei's expression remained calm. It was good that the blonde youth had backed down; he really couldn't be bothered to bully people further. Once he started, Shen Yifei always found it hard to control himself, and he might accidentally cripple someone…

"Thank you, handsome," the girl beside him said with a smile.

Shen Yifei turned his head and glanced at the girl. She looked about eighteen or nineteen, undeniably beautiful, though her demeanor struck him as a little *too* serene.

"No problem," Shen Yifei replied with a smile, slowly turning away.

A hint of surprise flickered across the girl's pretty face. She had always been very accurate at judging people.

The gazes of ordinary men, no matter how naturally they composed themselves, would always carry a hint of admiration, fascination, or even subtle desire. Failing that, at least a glimmer of surprise or interest.

But she saw nothing of the sort in Shen Yifei's eyes. His gaze was remarkably clear, even… a little cold.

This coldness wasn't a facade put on to seem aloof or impressive; it was an innate, deep-seated indifference. Shen Yifei's gaze seemed to carry not the slightest hint of any ulterior thought.

Shen Yifei, however, was oblivious to how much the girl before him had perceived in that brief moment.

"Little sister, that brute didn't do anything to you, did he?" Liu Xiaoxiao leaned in, grasping the girl's hand with genuine concern.

Ye Xingkong (pronounced Yeh Shing-kong), not quite accustomed to such effusive warmth, simply offered a faint smile. "He didn't do anything. Hello, my name is Ye Xingkong."

"Hello, I'm Liu Xiaoxiao (pronounced Lyoo Sheaow-sheaow)," Liu Xiaoxiao replied.

They shook hands.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Ye Xingkong asked curiously, gesturing towards Shen Yifei.

"No!" Liu Xiaoxiao's pretty face inexplicably flushed, and she quickly waved her hands. "Just ordinary friends!"

Ye Xingkong's pretty face calmly nodded. She didn't say anything more, but she casually glanced at Shen Yifei, a hint of interest appearing in her expression.

Liu Xiaoxiao also found the girl's personality a bit strange, and discreetly said nothing more.

Meanwhile, the blonde-haired youth was still plotting how to deal with Shen Yifei.

After a few stops, a voice echoed through the subway car.

A salesperson walked over, holding several strands of golden-yellow bracelets. They were quite dazzling and exquisite, their color remarkably translucent.

"Listen up, everyone! Behold, the latest innovation from abroad: magnetic therapy bracelets!" the salesperson announced. "Crafted from top-grade magnetic jade, these bracelets, when worn, can cure all sorts of chronic ailments in the body! They have significant effects on stomach problems, joint pain, cervical spondylosis, cardiovascular diseases, and more!"

The salesperson enthusiastically promoted the so-called magnetic therapy bracelets. The price wasn't set high, and many passengers were fooled into believing his claims.

These bracelets truly seemed amazing; any metal object could be attracted to them. It certainly *looked* like "magnetic therapy."

Su Muqing and Liu Xiaoxiao were also quite surprised. However, their social experience was profound; no matter how much the salesperson embellished his claims, both still felt it was definitely a scam.

Anyone accustomed to doing business knew one truth: there was no such thing as a free lunch.

The blonde-haired youth also became interested in these magnetic therapy bracelets and was about to step forward to ask the price.

An elderly man nearby picked up a bracelet and observed it for a long time before finally asking the salesperson, "Young man, how much is this bracelet?"

"This is a newly developed magnetic therapy bracelet from abroad, not yet officially released," the salesperson began, his voice taking on an air of urgency. "Currently, we're just trying to gauge the market in advance. If the product is officially launched, the price will definitely exceed two thousand of our currency (roughly 270 USD). But since we're just observing the market now, we're selling them at a dramatically reduced price! All those interested in buying, please pay attention!"

The salesperson's spittle flew as he spoke, his enthusiasm almost palpable. He pressed on: "These magnetic therapy bracelets, normally valued at two thousand, are now only six hundred and fifty! What an incredible bargain! For those with chronic ailments—joint pain, cervical spondylosis, and so on—wearing these bracelets will show significant, immediate effects. Within a month, we guarantee to eliminate the root cause of your illness, leaving you feeling completely refreshed and renewed!"

"Is it that miraculous?"

"These bracelets seem to have magnetic power!"

The surrounding passengers began to chatter amongst themselves, a babble of excited voices.

The old man was somewhat swayed, and just as he reached for his wallet, Liu Xiaoxiao stopped him.

"Old sir, please don't buy that," Liu Xiaoxiao urged. "It's a scam! Don't fall for their trick!"

If she couldn't see through such an obvious scam, she wouldn't be fit to be a director.