Futile Devices Scans

Leaning his arm on the car window, Xue Bao Tian sat inside the car, sizing up Zhang Chi standing by the roadside.

He pushed his sunglasses up onto his head. “What are you holding?”

Zhang Chi hoisted the woven sack onto his shoulder. “Luggage.”

“Quitting the construction site?”

“Said my grandpa was sick and took a long leave.”

“Damn, are you cursing me?”

Zhang Chi smiled warmly. “Those coworkers we drank with last time asked me to send their regards.”

Xue Bao Tian lowered his head, and the sunglasses slid down to rest on the bridge of his nose. He got out of the car, opened the trunk, rummaged around, and pulled out a few bottles of alcohol.

He whistled toward the security guard at the construction site entrance and beckoned him over. When the man approached, Xue Bao Tian stuffed the bottles into his arms. “Help me give these to—”

Meeting Xue Bao Tian’s gaze, Zhang Chi finished, “Old Xu.”

“Right. Take these to Old Xu and the others.” Xue Bao Tian also shoved his cigarettes into the guard’s pocket. “Keep these for yourself. Thanks, man.”

After the guard left happily with the bottles, Xue Bao Tian walked up to Zhang Chi and casually patted his face. “From now on, you’re my dog. Call me ‘Master Xue’ and let me hear it.”

Zhang Chi let him pat him, his tone helpless. “Master Xue, it’s a new society. You should at least give some respect.”

Xue Bao Tian stepped back half a pace, his smile vanishing as he rolled his eyes. “I’ve been way too nice to you!”

He lifted his leg and kicked hard. Zhang Chi took the blow to his leg, letting out a muffled grunt as he staggered back a couple of steps, looking a bit disheveled.

Having vented his anger, Xue Bao Tian opened the car door and looked at him coldly. “If you’re following me, then listen properly. When I tell you to call me that, you call me that. Bite whoever I tell you to—especially if you bite your master, I’ll kill you. Get in.”

“Hey,” Xue Bao Tian said with disgust as he fastened his seatbelt, “throw that bag away. You think you can just put filthy junk in my car?”

Zhang Chi carried the woven sack and negotiated softly, “Can’t throw it. I’ll still need it later.”

“I won’t shortchange you. Hurry up, toss it and get in.”

Zhang Chi walked around the car, opened the back door, and—under Xue Bao Tian’s glare—placed the woven sack inside before sitting in the passenger seat.

He explained good-naturedly, “Used it for a long time. Got attached. Can’t bear to throw it away.”

Starting the car, Xue Bao Tian sneered. “Could your feelings be any fewer—like your money? You’re destined to be poor your whole life.”

They drove into the bustling downtown area, the sports car stopping in front of a high-end shopping mall.

“What are we doing here?” Under the mall’s overly bright lighting, Zhang Chi glanced around, noting the emergency exits.

“Getting you some clothes.” Xue Bao Tian glanced at Zhang Chi’s dark brown jacket. “No one wants to walk around with a pile of crap all day.”

Before they even reached the store, a sales assistant hurried over from afar. “Mr. Xue, you’re here. What would you like today?”

Xue Bao Tian cast a lazy glance at Zhang Chi. “Pick two outfits for him.” He sized up Zhang Chi’s figure and added, “Dark colors, low-key, something cool.”

The assistant quickly agreed and led Zhang Chi to try on clothes. Zhang Chi handed his jacket to Xue Bao Tian. “Hold this for me. Don’t throw it away—I can still wear it later.”

Xue Bao Tian looked disgusted but took it anyway, tossing it onto a sofa in the lounge area. “You’re not worth wasting my time. Go try them on.”

The wrapper of a truffle chocolate was unfolded, then folded again, eventually turned into a small paper airplane. With a flick of his fingers, it was thrown forward, gliding briefly through the air before dropping along a parabolic arc onto the marble floor.

A polished leather shoe stepped beside the little plane, the breeze flipping it over so it lay belly-up, pitiful.

Xue Bao Tian’s gaze shifted from the paper plane to the shoe, then slowly upward, finally meeting Zhang Chi’s eyes.

Zhang Chi was dressed in a black suit, paired with a simple white shirt. No tie. Two buttons undone at the collar, revealing his sharp Adam’s apple.

The suit was perfectly tailored, making his tall frame appear even more upright. His deep features and calm gaze gave off an effortless sense of elegance and composure.

Xue Bao Tian knew Zhang Chi had a good body—the kind that made people jealous when naked—but he hadn’t expected him to look this irritating even when dressed. Barely in his early twenties, yet he carried himself with the steadiness of a mature man.

“Does it look good?” Zhang Chi picked up the paper plane and walked over calmly. “I checked the tag—it’s expensive.”

Xue Bao Tian looked away. “It’s not about the price. It’s that you look damn awful in it.” He instructed the stunned sales assistant, “Find something even more low-key for him. The more low-key, the better—something that disappears into a crowd.”

Zhang Chi tried on several outfits repeatedly, but Xue Bao Tian was dissatisfied with all of them, and in the end, they had no choice but to give up.

As they were leaving, Xue Bao Tian pretended to tie his shoelaces and quietly called over the sales assistant. “Those outfits just now—send them to my apartment in my size.”

“My size, Mr. Xue?” The assistant, afraid she had misheard, confirmed again.

“Obviously. Do you think he could carry that kind of presence?”

At a roadside budget shop.

“Turn around, let me take a look,” Xue Bao Tian said, sitting on a small stool and grabbing a handful of the shop owner’s popcorn.

The dark striped suit was of average quality, and the tailoring wasn’t particularly well-fitted either, yet Zhang Chi’s broad shoulders and long legs still made it look stylish and well-cut.

Crunching on popcorn, Xue Bao Tian thought for a moment and asked the shop owner, “Is there anywhere nearby that sells even cheaper clothes? Do night markets sell suits?”

Zhang Chi smiled and walked closer, ruffling the back of Xue Bao Tian’s head. “Master Xue, after all, I’m your person. If I dress too poorly, won’t it hurt your image?”

He lowered himself to meet his gaze and coaxed gently, “Two hundred yuan for a set of clothes isn’t expensive. Let’s just go with this one—I don’t want to try any more.”

Two hundred yuan? The more Xue Bao Tian heard it, the more uncomfortable it sounded. He brushed the dust off himself and stood up lazily. “Not expensive? Then let’s add a bit more—two hundred fifty. Suits you.”

Zhang Chi carried the plastic bag with the clothes and followed Xue Bao Tian into the car. After closing the door, he asked, “What are we doing next?”

Xue Bao Tian, who had just started the engine, paused for a moment. Recently, he had been busy writing the proposal, hadn’t stirred up any trouble, and now Zhang Chi suddenly seemed to have no use.

“Tonight we’ll set up a gathering. You’re coming with me.”

Zhang Chi agreed. He looked at Xue Bao Tian’s profile, hesitated several times, and finally asked in a low voice, “Last time… did you have a fever?”

Xue Bao Tian glanced at the rearview mirror, stepped on the gas, and subconsciously answered, “Yeah.” Then he realized something was off. “How do you know I had a fever?”

Zhang Chi’s ears turned slightly red. “Sorry, I didn’t know that not using protection… could cause…”

The brake pedal was slammed down. The tires screeched sharply against the ground. Xue Bao Tian steadied himself and turned to look at Zhang Chi. “My fever—it was because of you?”

“I looked it up afterward. Not using protection can cause fever. I didn’t expect it would really… And afterward, I cleaned you up…”

The anger flaring in Xue Bao Tian’s eyes made Zhang Chi swallow the rest of his words. He watched as Xue Bao Tian shifted gears, stopped the car, then suddenly leaned over and pressed him down fiercely.

“Zhang Chi, you’ve perfectly avoided every basic thing a human should know! Not using protection in bed—isn’t that a huge taboo? I’m going to kill you today!”

Zhang Chi was grabbed by the collar and shaken around, taking a few hits as well. He barely resisted, letting Xue Bao Tian vent in the cramped space until he noticed the faint sweat on the other man’s forehead, then pulled him firmly into his chest.

“Two hundred,” Zhang Chi murmured gently, “I really didn’t mean it. I’ve never stayed in a high-end hotel. The protection wasn’t in the bedside cabinet—I couldn’t find it… and I was in a hurry…”

“Your mom must’ve raised the placenta instead of the baby—you’re complete trash!”

Zhang Chi smiled helplessly. “Making you sick was my fault. Isn’t that why I’m here to make it up to you?”

Xue Bao Tian glared. “Do you even know how to make it up to me?”

“Two hundred,” Zhang Chi leaned in and kissed away the bit of popcorn crumb at the corner of his lips, “I’ll protect you well.”

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