"Ah... the promotion report is finally out. Elite Level One, from now on I'm practically a War God! Hmm!"
Li Fang stood as straight as he could, walking with a not-yet-familiar parallel stride towards Wang Panpan's residence.
"Proper posture, head held high, chin tucked, abdomen pulled in, straight strides, level shoulders..."
This was basic etiquette knowledge taught by Wang Panpan, who stressed the importance of always remembering it and treating every second of daily life as training.
Only after mastering these simple "rituals" would Wang Panpan teach the advanced courses: the ultimate Image Manipulation Secrets and the profound Art of Seduction!
"Ah! I stumbled again!" Li Fang exclaimed irritably, looking at his reflection in a street-side glass window.
This is so hard!
"Damn it! How can I give up so easily! Starting again!"
"First the right foot and right arm, then the left foot and left arm... wrong, wrong, wrong! First the left foot and right arm..."
Meanwhile, at Wang Panpan's mansion,
Wang Panpan was anxiously waiting for news while sitting on the living room sofa.
A subordinate hung up his communication device and rushed to his front, speaking in a flustered yet excited tone, "Big Brother, Sixth Brother has been found! In a廢棄 (fèi qì - abandoned) hovercar parts junkyard in the northern suburbs! He was taken by the loan sharks!"
"Let's go!"
Before Wang Panpan could lead his men out, the door was violently kicked open.
A group of burly men in black clothes, without any preamble, subdued his subordinates and forcibly took Wang Panpan away.
When Li Fang arrived at Wang Panpan's mansion with his awkward parallel steps, he saw the chaotic scene and was instantly filled with rage.
"What happened here? Was the house robbed? Who would dare do something like this in broad daylight?!"
Li Fang grabbed a downed subordinate and demanded loudly, "Who did this? Where's my brother Wang!?"
...
Half an hour later, Wang Panpan was roughly pushed into a chair and the black hood was removed.
The blinding light made Wang Panpan take a moment to adjust before he could clearly see his captors.
"Brother Wang! I've long heard of you! Hahaha!" A man dressed in a floral shirt, as thin as a stick, stood before Wang Panpan, holding a baseball bat and grinning mockingly.
Wang Panpan immediately saw his Sixth Brother kneeling on the ground, covered in injuries.
Around him stood eight or nine burly men.
"It's just about the debt! I'll pay it back! Why go through all this trouble," Wang Panpan said calmly.
"Pay?" The floral-shirted man raised his eyebrows and roared, "You think you don't have to pay the interest? Ten percent compounded interest, eighty million white star coins! Hahaha!"
"Damn..." Wang Panpan cursed fiercely. Why didn't these guys just rob a bank?
Sixth Brother crawled to Wang Panpan's feet, weeping, "Brother Wang! I'm sorry I failed you! They promised 0.1% and now they're reneging!"
The floral-shirted man grabbed Sixth Brother by the collar, yanked him back, and leaned in close to Wang Panpan, whispering, "You still don't know? This kid not only slept with your fangirls, but he also stole ten million from you to gamble!"
Wang Panpan suppressed his anger, thinking to himself, "Sixth son, you truly are a 'sixth brother' (a term for someone who betrays their friends)!!"
But he had to face reality. Wang Panpan gathered himself and said with composure, "I'll pay for him!"
"Good! Everyone heard that! Wang Panpan has agreed to pay the debt for his Sixth Brother!!"
As soon as the floral-shirted man finished speaking, he stood up straight, swung his baseball bat, and brought it down heavily on the back of Sixth Brother's head.
Sixth Brother coughed up blood and died on the spot.
Wang Panpan's heart leaped, and he felt numb.
It was only then that he realized they had used Sixth Brother to set a trap for him, to hook this big fish!
Ordinary thugs wouldn't dare to be so brazen! There must be a protector behind them!
The floral-shirted man patted Wang Panpan's face and sneered, "You're really something! You've already made four installments of 'Extreme Dao Mech Shadow'. You went from an obscure, nobody extra to the main actor, and I heard the scripts were rewritten for you! You're quite inspirational!"
"Cough cough!" Suddenly, a man's voice came from behind a large curtain behind everyone.
The curtain slowly parted, revealing two men eating hot pot and toasting each other.
Wang Panpan's eyes widened, and a chilling killing intent instantly filled his face.
Seated there was the movie lead actor he had displaced.
The other old man was someone Wang Panpan had gone to borrow money from two years ago to help Gu Ya redeem his mech in a mech bounty competition, only to be humiliated and thrown out.
Both of these men held grudges against Wang Panpan, and now they had joined forces.
Especially that old man, who had made his fortune through illegal dealings and possessed significant financial power and influence.
No wonder these thugs dared to be so lawless!
"Debt must be repaid, it's only right. Every month on this day, I'll send people to collect the money," the old man said to Wang Panpan with an evil grin.
The floral-shirted man punched Wang Panpan in the face, and then the many men behind him rushed forward to beat and kick him.
They repeatedly shouted, "Did you hear that! Go back and act obediently! Earn money to support our boss!"
The male lead said flatteringly, "Elder, you still have the best methods! I'll toast you!"
"Hahaha!" The old man chuckled, "I heard your cousin works in the Mech Guard and is a senior mech technician. A talented individual! Call him over for dinner sometime."
"Absolutely, absolutely!" The male lead quickly said obsequiously, "I often mention you to him, saying you are righteous, loyal, and wealthy. I'll be the intermediary, and with my cousin's connections and your strength, making a fortune will be no problem, hahaha!"
"You kid, hahaha!"
Wang Panpan curled up, enduring the pain of the blows, and glared venomously at the two villains happily toasting each other.
Suddenly, an incredibly loud roaring sound came from outside the abandoned factory!
With a tremendous "CRASH!", the factory ceiling was smashed by a giant mechanical hand!
Countless stones and debris rained down, causing chaos amongst everyone, except for Wang Panpan.
The massive mechanical head of a giant combat mech slowly emerged from the sky, looking down at the entire factory.
The male lead, helping the old man up from the rubble, shouted up at the mech, "Who are you! Are you tired of living! My cousin, Xing Dayong, is a senior mech technician in the army! I'll have him deal with you!!"
"Senior?"
Li Fang's voice came from the mech, filled with anger, "A senior mech technician dares to flaunt himself! Ask around about who I, Li Fang, am! Xing Dayong, is it? Fine! I'll deal with him as soon as I get back!!"
"Brother Wang! Let's go!!"
"Wait!!" Wang Panpan's killing intent surged. He picked up the blood-stained baseball bat and, amidst the constantly falling debris, walked steadily towards the old man and the male lead like a god of slaughter.
Sparks "sizzled" as the tip of the bat scraped the ground.
The old man and the male lead now resembled startled mice, cowering and clinging to each other in fear.
Wang Panpan swung the baseball bat down hard, creating a deep pit in the concrete floor, and asked sternly, "Where did your arrogance go just now?"
"You, you, what do you want to do? Kill people in the street!" the male lead yelled in panic.
"I'm a law-abiding citizen!!" Wang Panpan shouted, "Go explain yourself to the Public Security Bureau!!"
Just then, three security hovercars arrived, their red and blue police lights flashing in the sky, representing justice.
The two men instantly deflated like pricked balloons, no longer able to stir up trouble.
Before being taken away, Wang Panpan stopped the old man and said fiercely, "You humiliated me back then, and I endured it. You dare to provoke me again, fine. No matter what method, I will make you die a clear death!"
The old man hung his head dejectedly and got into the police hovercar.
...
In front of the mansion,
Wang Panpan and Li Fang, having returned after giving their statements, were escorted back to the mansion by their cheering subordinates.
After some pleasantries and explanations, the subordinates joyfully went to prepare a meal.
Wang Panpan looked at Li Fang and got straight to the point, "Brother, I really owe you this time! I consider you a true brother. I've decided to pass on all my lifelong knowledge to you!"
"Brother Wang!" Li Fang exclaimed gratefully.
Wang Panpan waved his hand and said, "Some men can have ten different women a night without repetition, while others can't even marry a fool! This society is cruel, and quality resources are always held by a minority! What you need to do is not just improve your own charm, but also learn to integrate resources!"
Li Fang nodded repeatedly like an attentive elementary student and asked, "Brother Wang, how many girlfriends have you had?"
Wang Panpan's pupils trembled. He maintained a calm expression, stopping Li Fang's question, but internally he was panicking: "I absolutely cannot let anyone know that I'm over thirty and still a virgin!"
"Brother Wang, I only have one person I like, so I don't need to integrate resources. What exactly should I do!" Li Fang asked again.
Wang Panpan calmed his mind and said, "If you only want one, it's simple. First, cater to her preferences. What kind of man does that girl like?"
"She likes watching your movies and likes you," Li Fang affirmed.
Wang Panpan exclaimed in surprise, "Really? She's my fangirl? Is she pretty?"
Li Fang was stunned!
Wang Panpan realized he had lost his composure and quickly corrected his posture, "Ahem, I'm not trying to steal someone else's beloved. Since she likes my type, then you should change your style!"
"Start by capturing her heart through your image, then play hard to get, slowly reeling her in, and tormenting her emotions. Finally, make her completely obedient to you!"
Li Fang scratched his head and asked doubtfully, "Brother Wang, isn't this PUA? Isn't it bad?"
"Tsk! This is called 'pickup artistry'! It's a skill, learn it well!"
Li Fang quickly took notes. This was the ultimate Image Manipulation Secrets and the profound Art of Seduction. He had learned something valuable!