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Chapter 20: Master Yang, Save Me!

Jiang Zhenzhen’s warm invitation was truly hard for Yang Haoran to refuse. Besides, the matter of the girlfriend, as mentioned by Li Jie, had indeed stirred something within him.

Yang Haoran’s next plan was to buy a house, get married, have children, and then bring his elderly parents to the city to enjoy a comfortable life.

He had been working diligently towards buying a house, and now he had saved a considerable sum. With another two or three years of hard work, buying a home in Lecheng shouldn't be a problem.

As for marriage and children, that was the tricky part. After all, he couldn't have a child by himself; he needed a wife, and to have a wife, he first needed a girlfriend.

Everyone has their vulnerabilities, and Yang Haoran was certainly no exception.

Without a doubt, Yang Haoran eventually closed the rolling shutter door and accompanied the two beautiful women away from the convenience store.

With two women and one man sharing a late-night snack, Yang Haoran naturally became the center of attention. Both Li Jie and Jiang Zhenzhen were extremely enthusiastic towards him, especially Jiang Zhenzhen, who kept thanking him profusely and from the bottom of her heart. Even with his thick skin, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

At 11:50 PM, Yang Haoran returned to the convenience store. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend more time with the two beauties, but rather that he absolutely had to return to make offerings to the Death God statue.

He had only just brought the Death God statue back today, and he certainly didn't want to be unpunctual with his offerings on the very first day. That would show a lack of sincerity, and if he were the Death God, he wouldn't favor such a devotee either.

Whether male or female, if a person consistently desires not to be single yet remains so at the age of thirty, there are usually some underlying issues, either with their personality or other aspects. Yang Haoran was one such individual.

Upon returning behind the green curtain, Yang Haoran spent ten minutes washing up. The cold tap water helped to dissipate some of the alcohol's effects.

At midnight, he lit incense promptly, his attitude devout.

After completing everything and ensuring nothing was overlooked, he collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

In his dream, he saw himself buying a new house, marrying a wife, having children, and bringing his parents to the city. His family was joyful and harmonious, and after so much effort, his dream had finally come true.

However, just as he was immersed in his beautiful dream, the phone suddenly rang, jolting him awake.

"I'm free like the wind, like your gentleness, unable to be retained. . ."

The ringtone was peculiar and off-key, not the original song. Though he didn't know who sang it, it sounded quite humorous and usually evoked a lighthearted, pleasant feeling.

But at that moment, woken by the jarring ringtone, Yang Haoran didn't find it funny at all. Instead, he felt intensely annoyed.

In reality, dreams were like bubbles, bursting with the slightest touch. Yang Haoran naturally didn't dare to harbor such extravagant hopes in waking life, so he could only indulge in them while dreaming. Now, after finally having a wonderful dream, he had only just finished the appetizer; the main course hadn't even been served, and he was already woken up. His vexation was palpable.

Drowsily, he grabbed his phone and, after answering, grunted an impatient "Hello? " to express his current displeasure.

What responded to Yang Haoran was a terrified, hoarse cry: "Master Yang, save me! Save me! Come to my house quickly and save me!"

Yang Haoran, who had still been half-asleep, instantly lost all his drowsiness. He shot upright from the bed.

"What's wrong with you? " Yang Haoran's expression changed dramatically, and he spoke anxiously.

"I—"

The phone went dead, and the terrified, hoarse crying no longer came from the other end.

The person who had suddenly called Yang Haoran was none other than Jiang Zhenzhen.

What had happened to Jiang Zhenzhen?

Yang Haoran wondered, checking the time. It was almost three in the morning. He didn't know what danger Jiang Zhenzhen had encountered, so he immediately called her back—

But the call wouldn't connect. Yang Haoran was somewhat persistent, trying several more times, but the result was always the same.

"Could she have run into a pervert? " The thought suddenly popped into Yang Haoran's mind.

Though Jiang Zhenzhen was petite, and her height was her only real drawback, other aspects of her figure were quite striking. What needed to be ample was ample, and what needed to be slender was slender. Her delicate frame, combined with her exquisite, adorable face and flawlessly smooth, pale skin, indeed made her a "loli-type" beauty.

This type of beauty was quite devastating to men who favored it, so it wouldn't be surprising if some scoundrel tried to harass her.

"Could she have been targeted while we were having supper earlier, and then followed all the way home? " Yang Haoran couldn't help but recall those melodramatic scenes from various TV dramas.

Shaking his head, he banished these chaotic thoughts from his mind. After a moment of hesitation, he flipped out of bed, swiftly got dressed, and then yanked open the rolling shutter door, rushing out.

Yang Haoran thought Jiang Zhenzhen was a good person. This had nothing to do with her looks, but rather a feeling. Perhaps it was because Jiang Zhenzhen had a good personality, or perhaps it was because he saw a shadow of his former self in her, giving rise to a sense of shared misfortune. Regardless, since she had called for help, he couldn't possibly ignore her.

Jiang Zhenzhen was not only his client, but she had also sincerely treated him to supper that evening. As the saying goes, "eating a person's food makes one soft-mouthed, taking a person's money makes one short-handed"—and he had done both. In such a situation, to abandon Jiang Zhenzhen in danger was something Yang Haoran truly couldn't do.

In his opinion, though he was a charlatan, he was a charlatan with principles.

Just as he was about to leave, he felt too vulnerable empty-handed, so he rushed back behind the green curtain and grabbed a kitchen knife.

On the road, Yang Haoran hailed a taxi. The driver saw him holding a kitchen knife and, before even letting him get in, hit the gas and vanished from sight.

Perhaps it was fate; no sooner had that taxi driven off than another one approached. It was already three in the morning, and hailing a taxi at this hour usually required some luck. For Yang Haoran to encounter two taxis consecutively right after stepping out, his luck was undeniably extraordinary.

This time, Yang Haoran was smarter. He wrapped the kitchen knife in his clothes, doing his best to keep the driver from seeing it. Otherwise, the outcome would surely be the same as before.

His cautious approach proved correct; the driver didn't notice anything amiss and allowed him to get in. Without hesitation, he told the driver the name of Jiang Zhenzhen's residential complex.

The driver didn't respond, perhaps too tired to speak, or for some other reason. As soon as Yang Haoran finished speaking, the driver floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Vehicles were scarce at night, and the taxi sped quickly. What would normally be a ten-minute drive during the day took only three or four minutes to reach their destination.

Paying and exiting the car, Yang Haoran rushed directly into the complex. He had intended to call the security guard for help, but the guard was nowhere to be found, having apparently disappeared.

With such a guard watching the gate, it was no wonder outsiders could come and go as they pleased. It wasn't surprising that something like this had happened.

Time was pressing, and Yang Haoran certainly wasn't going to stand around foolishly waiting for the guard to return. Based on his memory, he located Jiang Zhenzhen's apartment and immediately hurried towards it.

This complex consisted of older, non-elevator buildings, and there weren't many of them. So, even though Yang Haoran had only been there once, he still remembered which building and unit Jiang Zhenzhen lived in.

A moment later, Yang Haoran arrived at Jiang Zhenzhen's building. There was no security door at the entrance, so he rushed directly into the stairwell.

Jiang Zhenzhen lived on the fifth floor. Yang Haoran swiftly ascended, without a moment's pause. Suddenly, he remembered that he had foolishly forgotten to call the police!

When encountering something like this, calling the police was a must. With police assistance, apprehending some audacious scoundrel would be effortless. But the incident had happened so suddenly, and he hadn't been fully awake, his mind still foggy, so he had actually overlooked this crucial step.

However, it wasn't too late to remember now. He would call the police first, then go inside to help Jiang Zhenzhen. If he could successfully subdue the target, that would be ideal. If the opponent was too strong and he was no match, he could at least try to stall until the police arrived.

With a plan in mind, he hastily reached into his pants pocket for his phone. But the next moment, he froze. His pocket was empty; not only was his phone missing, but there wasn't even a single strand of hair. He had actually forgotten to bring his phone.

Without a phone, calling the police was naturally impossible.

Normally, Yang Haoran wouldn't make such a low-level mistake, but he had drunk too much alcohol last night, and the effects hadn't fully worn off, leaving his head cloudy. Combined with the suddenness of the event, he had left his phone at home.

Yang Haoran cursed himself internally for being so careless, which had led to his current passive situation.

However, despite his carelessness, his speed was truly impressive. Only about ten minutes had passed from the moment he received the call until now. Arriving so quickly was not only due to his own swiftness but also the crucial role played by the taxi driver.

Of course, another reason was that Jiang Zhenzhen's residence wasn't too far from his convenience store; otherwise, he couldn't have made it here in such a short time.

Yang Haoran, kitchen knife in hand, dashed up to the fifth floor in one breath. When he stopped, he was already at Jiang Zhenzhen's door.

The door was tightly shut. Yang Haoran was gasping for breath. Just then, terrified screams came from inside the room,

"Don't come closer! You, don't come closer! Get away!"

The frightened cries were filled with helplessness, and he could even detect a hint of sobbing.

Yang Haoran's face was grim. Holding the kitchen knife, he couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, are you starving? How brazen!"

Muttering curses, he pounded fiercely on the door with his fist. The dull thudding sounds echoed throughout the stairwell.

"Open the door! Open the door! If you don't open up, I'm calling the police! " Yang Haoran roared.

At his furious roar, a door creaked open, but it wasn't the door to Jiang Zhenzhen's room; it was from behind Yang Haoran.

"What the hell are you shouting about? ! Can't you sleep? ! I need to sleep! Are you young people these days too open-minded? It's past three and you're still at it! Are you crazy? ! Don't you have any manners? !"

An angry roar came from behind him. Yang Haoran spun around. The person was a middle-aged man, tall and robust. Seeing him, Yang Haoran not only felt no anger at being scolded but, on the contrary, was suddenly delighted!

His joy showed on his face. Yang Haoran, brandishing the sharp kitchen knife, rushed towards the middle-aged man. This greatly startled the man, who had intended to unleash more curses but swallowed his words mid-sentence, preparing to close the door and hide in his own room.

Yang Haoran was quick-witted; he grabbed the edge of the security door, preventing it from fully closing.

"What the hell do you want? " The middle-aged man feigned composure, but his eyes betrayed an unconcealable panic.

"Brother, please help! There's a pervert inside! He's trying to do something awful to my friend! I can't open this door alone! " Yang Haoran was too desperate to pay attention to the man's expression and urgently pleaded for help.

"Do something awful? What do you mean? " The middle-aged man looked confused.

Yang Haoran was frantic. "Something awful! A man doing something awful to a woman! You know!"

"I don't know! " the middle-aged man retorted angrily, trying to close the door.

How could the middle-aged man not understand when Yang Haoran had made it so obvious? He claimed not to understand simply because he didn't want to get involved.

"Wait! " Yang Haoran called out, stopping him. Then, he forcefully pulled the security door open, poked his head through, and quickly said to the middle-aged man, "I'll pay you! Just help me!"