Chapter 127: Chapter 126: Girls Helping Girls

It takes three years to learn to be good.

But to turn bad? That can happen in a flash.

At Liu Junfeng’s few short words, Lin Chu felt like his mind had been infected by a meme, his imagination instantly kicking into high gear. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

This was the thrill of breaking taboos.

Wearing a bikini through customs in front of everyone—what kind of person would do something like that?

But as a penalty for the loser of a game, wasn’t this kind of punishment way more fun than something like Truth or Dare?

"First, no one is allowed to sit out."

"Second, you have to honor the bet."

"Third, we can discuss the specific punishments. Heh, that part’s negotiable. Whether we go wild or keep it tame, there’s still some wiggle room for everyone."

Liu Junfeng added with a quick laugh. The third point wasn’t important; the first two were the real focus. He was boxing them in with his words first.

Li Kai quickly chimed in, "Tame, tame! Let’s start with tame! Eat your veggies before the meat. Damn, I’m shy, you know."

He was met with several middle fingers.

’What a shameless flirt.’

Lin Chu couldn’t help but shake his head and smile. He might have more money than them, but when it came to games like this, he was a total novice.

The most he’d ever done was hit up a Business KTV or a bar, and he’d never even left Peng City for fun, let alone tried any of these outdoor activities.

"Alright then, we’ll keep it tame. First, let’s pick dive buddies."

Liu Junfeng’s gaze swept over the group, and he didn’t object. It made sense. They were just getting started, so it was better not to get too wild and to keep things by the book.

For safety, diving always requires a buddy.

Normally, you dive in pairs. You go down together so that if you run into trouble on the seabed—say, a problem with your oxygen tank or regulator—you can use your buddy’s equipment. It’s an extra layer of safety.

As for... whether your dive buddy is the same sex or the opposite, that was entirely up to you.

So, in a way, diving was also a social sport.

Lin Chu was aware of this bit of common knowledge. He glanced at Li Kai, then over at Lin Xiwan, and a smirk played on his lips. "Hey? Who was Teacher Meng’s dive buddy before?"

At his words, the atmosphere instantly became visibly, palpably awkward.

Li Kai glanced at Lin Chu, his lips moved, but for a moment he didn’t know how to respond.

It wasn’t him.

But it was a man.

’But this was before she met Lin Chu, and it’s not like anything necessarily happened.’

But now, with Lin Chu asking, it felt a bit like he was grilling her about an "ex-boyfriend."

The topic was too sensitive. A sudden, complete silence fell over the group.

"It was me, Brother Chu. Sister Wan and I have been partners for years."

A woman with delicate features and a great figure quickly spoke up, a charming and perfectly natural smile on her face as she spoke.

Lin Chu glanced at her, guessing internally that this was a classic case of ’girls helping girls.’

’Makes sense.’

’Men cover for each other, so why wouldn’t women do the same?’

"Oh? So I stole your dive buddy, then?"

Lin Chu said with a wry smile.

But everyone could hear the sarcastic, passive-aggressive tone.

In the corner, Lin Xiwan, who had been doing acclimatization exercises, heard the conversation. After a moment’s hesitation, she put down what she was doing and walked over.

She stood before Lin Chu, looking rather demure, and linked her arm through his, saying coyly, "Of course I’m going to be in your group..."

Lin Chu beamed at her but replied firmly, "That won’t do. You two have been partners for years. How could I just swoop in and steal her away?"

"You two stick together. I’m out. I’ll find someone else."

She...

For a moment, she couldn’t maintain her composure.

She never expected Lin Chu to bring up a topic like this at a time like this. It was just so... awkward.

’Initially, seeing Lin Chu bring along an exceptionally pretty assistant with a fresh-faced vibe had made her a little jealous, so she’d deliberately kept her distance. Doesn’t I have a reputation to uphold? If I’m treated like this in front of my friends, what will they think of me later?’

And now, Lin Chu was stirring the pot, pushing the situation to this point.

’So ruthless.’

’He’s not letting me get away with anything.’

"Go on, go on. Get back to your practice. Both of you, go. You’ve already got a partner, what’s there to choose?"

Lin Chu laughed again, not giving her—or either of them—any face in front of so many people.

Of course, he still left her with a final shred of dignity by not getting angry in public.

’Does he take me for a fucking idiot?’

’The situation just now was so awkward. If it was really you two, why was Li Kai stammering?’

He hadn’t admitted it, so Lin Chu knew it wasn’t him.

"Darling, you..."

Lin Xiwan called out in a cloyingly sweet voice, wanting to try one more time to see if there was any room to salvage the situation.

But Lin Chu just gave her a sharp, emotionless look and said, "Be a good girl. Listen."

The look in her eyes changed. She knew Lin Chu had made up his mind. She backed down immediately, pouting. "Fine. Xiaoxiao, come on, let’s go over here."

Xiaoxiao was mortified, even a little panicked.

The two of them linked arms and retreated back to the corner.

Lin Chu watched them go, shaking his head with a smile. "Alright, we’ve successfully matched one pair. Anyone else already privately paired up? If so, step forward. Don’t waste public resources."

From the beginning until now, Lin Chu’s tone had been relatively mild, but the sense of power he exuded truly made people feel uneasy.

Now, seeing him finally relax, many of them also let out a small sigh of relief.

’What a show-off.’

’So arrogant.’

’Such a tough guy.’

Lin Chu might have been the youngest man there, but he was footing the bill for everything, which made him the boss.

Even Teacher Meng was completely under his thumb, utterly docile.

Li Kai laughed. "Me, me, me! I’ve got a pair too! Qianqian, come on, let’s go over here."

He waved at a girl with a baby face. The girl hesitated for a moment before walking over, looking a little shy but gradually relaxing.

Liu Junfeng teased, "Oh, Brother Kai, so that’s how you’re gonna play it, huh?"

Li Kai grinned shamelessly. "Cut the crap. We’re a talented man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven. Who are you to criticize?"

Liu Junfeng tossed a water bottle cap at him, and the others all broke out into laughter.

Jokes on this level were nothing. They all hung out in the same group chats, where the sticker battles they had daily were enough to get the chat shut down by the internet police.

No one else stepped forward.

Liu Junfeng quickly organized the next step. "Okay, there are a lot of us, so I’ll take the lead to speed things up."

Just then, a girl who looked like a total goddess, with long, flowing hair, suddenly raised her hand. "I’d like to apply. Can I volunteer myself?"

Liu Junfeng was slightly taken aback, but he couldn’t help but smile. "Normally, no. But since you asked, I guess that means yes. Consider it a reward for your courage."

"Okay, thank you, Brother Feng!"

"Brother Chu, I wonder if I might have the honor of being your dive buddy?"

She was quite brave, trying to conquer Lin Chu—a high-difficulty target—right in front of everyone. It showed extreme confidence in her own looks.

She wasn’t even afraid of earning Teacher Meng’s resentment.

Lin Chu glanced at her. She certainly had the assets to back it up: a model-like, nine-head body proportion and a curvy figure. Her face wasn’t the generic "internet celebrity" type, either; instead, it had a hint of heroic spirit. Among this group, her looks were easily in the top three.

"Sure."

"I also admire the brave."

Lin Chu agreed with a smile.

...

...