Hoodlum 011

The loan advertisements plastered on Xie Xiaoli and Luo Chenghui’s doorstep were put up by Fang Zhiyi—not their own company, but a rival firm. Compared to Fang Zhiyi, Xing'an Loans employed far more ruthless tactics.

One toxic motivational quote after another, one predatory lending trap after another—yet the two "refined couple," blinded by vanity, had long lost their rationality. Soon, their strategy of robbing Peter to pay Paul began to crumble. With Xie Xiaoli losing her job, the delicate balance of their meticulously maintained repayment life collapsed entirely.

The mountain of accumulated debt came crashing down on them.

Multiple credit cards fell into overdue status, and the people from Xing'an Loans gradually revealed their true colors. Gone were the polite greetings—now, they only called to demand repayment.

Xie Xiaoli’s car was repossessed in the dead of night, leaving her utterly panicked.

Luo Chenghui, meanwhile, had already taken refuge at his workplace. Both he and Xie Xiaoli were inherently selfish, and now he was desperate to sever ties with her. Admiring his luxury watch and basking in the flattery of new junior colleagues, he felt deeply satisfied.

But the debt collectors’ calls reached his phone too. Luo Chenghui simply swapped his SIM card, telling friends and relatives his phone had been lost—any calls claiming he owed money were scams, he insisted.

He thought he was untouchable. But he had underestimated the loan company’s methods.

One morning, as Luo Chenghui stepped out of a cheap motel—he hadn’t been home in days—he arrived at his office to find a crowd of colleagues gathered outside. They stared at him strangely, whispering among themselves.

Approaching the entrance, his heart sank like a hammer had struck it. The company’s doors were plastered with printed flyers.

"Luo [surname omitted] and his wife refuse to repay debts!"

"Wage-slave pretends to be rich!"

"Pay what you owe—it’s only right!"

Some even featured photos of him and Xie Xiaoli—though carefully pixelated, anyone who knew them could easily recognize the couple.

"Who... who is this?" Luo Chenghui forced a laugh, reaching to tear them down—until a voice stopped him.

"Luo Chenghui, my office. Now."

The boss’s darkened face filled him with dread. Inside, the man hurled a stack of documents at him. "What the hell are you playing at? Do you have any idea how much you’ve cost this company?"

Bewildered, Luo Chenghui tried to explain.

"Every client you handled got calls all night about your unpaid debts! Today, they all canceled contracts!" the boss roared. For a small firm like theirs, these clients were everything—and now Luo Chenghui had ruined it.

"Get out! And when I find a lawyer, I’m suing you too!"

Staggering out of the office, Luo Chenghui glanced back and sneered. "Screw you. Plenty of other places want me." He headed to where he’d parked his car—only to freeze. It was gone.

Furious, he dialed the loan company.

"Have you lost your minds? I’ve been making payments on that car! And harassing my clients? Xie Xiaoli’s the one who owes you—go after her! I’ve paid on time! Don’t make me call the cops!"

A pause. Then, Xie Xiaoli’s voice erupted from the phone. "Luo Chenghui, you bastard! Think you can cut me loose? Dream on!"

Luo Chenghui blinked. Was this...?

"Mr. Luo, under Beiguo law, since you’re still married, her debts are yours too. Paying your own loans doesn’t absolve you," the collector said. "We’re at your house now. Come home and negotiate."

After a tense hesitation, Luo Chenghui gritted his teeth and turned toward home.

Fine. He’d call the authorities. Surely the law was on his side.

His apartment was occupied by several burly men. Xie Xiaoli sat sobbing, her makeup ruined. Before Luo Chenghui could speak, contracts were slapped onto his face.

"Clauses 532 and 640 make it clear—we’re legally entitled to collect, and you’re jointly liable. Funny coincidence, though—you’re both our clients."

Xie Xiaoli and Luo Chenghui locked eyes, each looking ready to tear the other apart.

"We follow the law. You have until sunset to repay," the leader said, adjusting his collar.

"You got me fired! How am I supposed to pay?" Luo Chenghui mustered his courage.

"That job wouldn’t cover your debt in ten years. Look at you—living in this dump, eating instant noodles, yet driving a luxury car? Nice watch, by the way." On cue, someone yanked the timepiece off Luo Chenghui’s wrist.

Their methods were brutal but calculated—Luo Chenghui took several blows, each painful yet leaving no visible marks. By nightfall, the couple agreed to sell their apartment to settle the debt. Under escort, they left together.

Fang Zhiyi chewed gum as he watched them go, a flicker of pity in his eyes.

"Busy as I am, squeezing in time for drama’s a hassle," he muttered, shaking his head before climbing into a car. His team sped off toward another target.

Lately, Fang Zhiyi’s boss had been pleased. Not only had he removed obstacles, but he’d also crushed competitors. This small city teemed with underworld factions—and Fang Zhiyi had fought his way through them, seizing illicit assets for their company.

The boss sighed. "Ten years earlier, this kid would’ve been a legend."

But age demanded an exit strategy. Sacrificing talent was inevitable—in the underworld, loyalty was a child’s fairy tale.

Xie Xiaoli and Luo Chenghui soon learned their apartment sale only covered part of the debt. Xing'an Loans produced the contracts again, revealing countless traps they’d missed in their haste to borrow.

Too late. Now, collectors shadowed their every move.

In the end, Xie Xiaoli broke. She accepted Xing'an’s "repayment plan"—forced labor in a southern city’s underground brothels. Luo Chenghui’s new job? A drug mule, or "donkey," as they called it.

Locked in a cage together, the couple hurled blame before turning violent.

That very night, Fang Zhiyi and his men stormed the place.