Dad, Please Try a Little Harder

The quest for longevity was mankind’s simplest desire

from ancient times to the present, without exception.

In the real world, immortality didn’t exist, but a long and healthy life was still something to strive for.

After sharing the document with his family in the family group, Qian Quan’s mom asked, “Rocky, what did you send?”

Qian Quan replied, “Exercise mnemonics. You and Dad should practice them every morning and evening to boost your health and beauty.”

Soon after, Qian Wenlin responded, “This is Qi Art, isn’t it?¹

Afraid of stirring up unpleasant memories for his dad, Qian Quan replied, “A friend who practices Tai Chi sent it to me. I’ll share it with Mr. Ding and Mrs. Ding as well.”

Qian Wenlin said, “No need, I’ve already shared it with them. The content looks rather scientific and useful. It complements Wing Chun training nicely; we could do a balanced internal-external routine.”

Qian Quan asked, “Dad, which group did you share it in? I didn’t see it.

Qian Wenlin answered, “The group with just the four adults, we didn’t add you and Linlang.”

Qian Quan was speechless.

After chatting with his parents, Qian Quan sent a separate message to Ding Linlang, and ratted out, “Did you know that my mom and dad and Mr. and Mrs. Ding have their own private group?”

Ding Linlang replied, “Of course. What did you send me?”

Qian Quan answered, “A martial arts guide. Practice it daily, and let’s start our own group without our parents.”

Ding Linlang said, “Are you nuts?”

As Qian Quan was chatting with Ding Linlang, he heard Bai Yuanzhi say, “What about making a video on weapon combat for our next episode?”

Qian Quan replied, “Sounds good.”

Zhang Xiang’er chimed in, “I could make a cameo too.”

After finishing their meal, the trio left the restaurant. Qian Quan and Bai Yuanzhi were heading back to school when Zhang Xiang’er suddenly pulled Qian Quan aside. “Don’t go back yet; let me show you the real Azure Bay.”

Bai Yuanzhi immediately protested, “Mentor, he’s still a student.”

Qian Quan was about to decline too.

Zhang Xiang’er reassured them, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. He’ll have to face this sooner or later; better sooner than later.”

Qian Quan said, “I’m socially anxious, I’m not really into parties.”

“It’s not just about the parties; trust me just this once. This is a chance to explore yourself and see another side of the city.”

“Besides, where can’t we go in the world, just the two of us?”

Qian Quan found the last line uplifting and agreed.

Rather than being a participant, he saw it as an opportunity for observation and broadening his horizons.

Most importantly, he sensed no malice from Zhang Xiang’er.

Before leaving, Bai Yuanzhi reminded Zhang Xiang’er one last time, “He’s still a student.”

Zhang Xiang’er waved her off with a smile.

Suddenly, the roar of the engines came from the distance.

Soon, six or seven luxury cars that Qian Quan had seen in videos pulled up in a line before Zhang Xiang’er.

Lamborghinis, Porsches, Aston Martins, Ferraris… and a couple of unidentifiable ones.

“Xiang’er, get in!”

Zhang Xiang’er placed Qian Quan in a Porsche 918, gave a brief introduction to the young driver as “my younger brother,” and then hopped into a Lamborghini herself.

The roaring engines came to life again as the convoy sped away.

Qian Quan had heard such roars in the night before, but they had always seemed far away. He never thought he would be in one of those cars.

It felt surreal, yet he wasn’t overly excited.

The cars zoomed like they were in a race, heading to an unknown destination.

As Qian Quan looked around the car, a sense of familiarity emerged from the depths of his soul, permeating every cell of his body.

He could drive this car, too.

About half an hour later, the convoy came to a halt, forming a circle in an empty warehouse.

Parked nearby was a fleet of luxury cars, all in a league of their own: Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Bentley, Maybach, Rolls-Royce…

Upon disembarking, everyone chatted and laughed as they walked in a particular direction.

No one deliberately ostracized Qian Quan, nor did anyone go out of their way to befriend him.

This young, affluent crowd carried themselves with a sense of swagger, each following their own unique code of conduct.

Cordial, yet distant.

Qian Quan wandered along with everyone else until they reached a small door. One person approached it and knocked in a specific pattern.

The door opened, revealing a burst of colorful lasers and deafening music as if a cacophony from another world suddenly filled the air.

Soon after, a tall and muscular bald man appeared before them. His eyes swept over everyone, finally resting on Qian Quan.

“This is Xiang’er’s brother,” the driver of the Porsche 918 introduced.

Zhang Xiang’er raised his hand with a smile and pointed to himself.

The bouncer stepped aside to let everyone in, but not before reminding them.

“Please store your phones first.”

Qian Quan noticed that everyone expertly locked their phones in available lockers.

He chose a locker, stored his phone, and joined the others inside.

“Drinks and food here are free and safe,” Zhang Xiang’er briefly informed Qian Quan. “The women here are all tigresses. If you can’t resist their allure, find me for help. And if you don’t want to resist-”

Zhang Xiang’er flashed an ambiguous grin, “Just make sure you take precautions, so things don’t get out of hand.”

Qian Quan didn’t know how to make a reaction.

Both men entered the venue.

Not wanting to make a spectacle of himself, Qian Quan decided to blend in. He ordered a drink and sat on the sidelines, observing the men and women engaged in flirtatious behaviors, mingling effortlessly, and exchanging flirtatious glances…

Is this your first time here?” A beautiful woman with flaming red lips, a sexy outfit, and a voluptuous figure took a seat next to Qian Quan.

“Yes,” Qian Quan responded honestly after glancing at her.

“A college student?”

“Pardon?”

“I have a thing for college students. They’re naive, shy, curious, energetic, and inexperienced but enthusiastic.”

Qian Quan chuckled.

The woman peered into Qian Quan’s eyes, asking intriguingly, “Got a girlfriend?”

Qian Quan shook his head.

“Still a virgin?”

Keeping his smile, Qian Quan replied, “Let’s change the subject.”

The woman looked at him for a few seconds and then courteously said, “My apologies.”

Then she walked away.

Qian Quan took a sip of his drink and continued his people-watching, entertaining himself by guessing people’s backgrounds.

Not long after, another young woman approached with a drink in hand. She had a pure face, exquisite features, appropriately applied makeup, and a slim figure. The appealing waist-to-hip ratio sketched out an alluring curve.

As she gracefully took a seat, that seductive curve became even more pronounced, leaving one’s imagination running wild.

“Are you Mr. Zhang’s younger brother?” the young lady softly inquired.

“We’re just friends,” Qian Quan instantly understood who Mr. Zhang was referring to.

“Do you know physiognomy?”

“A bit, just scratching the surface,” Qian Quan replied.

“Then have a look at me.

She said as she extended her delicate, slender right hand toward Qian Quan.

Qian Quan studied her hand carefully and advised, “Oh…I suggest you don’t bet with anyone for a while. You might lose money.”

A look of surprise flickered across the woman’s eyes, and she immediately followed it up with a coquettish tone, “Can you make me win then? I’ll split the winnings with you.”

It turned out she was betting 5,000 right there that she could win over Qian Quan.

Shaking his head, Qian Quan said, “Changing fate is beyond my abilities, and even if I could, I shouldn’t.”

“Just dance with me.

“I can’t dance.”

I’ll teach you! Plus, you can put your hands wherever you want,” she said, making the implication quite clear.

Qian Quan still shook his head in refusal.

Annoyed, the woman muttered, “So mean,” and left.

Witnessing Qian Quan’s refusal, Zhang Xiang’er approached him, asking, “How do you feel?”

“When are we leaving?”

“In about 20 minutes. We’re going racing.”

“Where to?

“The racetrack.”

Is the racetrack even open at this time?”

“If you want to go to the zoo to see pandas or go to an amusement park to ride the carousel right now, they can easily make it happen.”

“What I’m talking about is the real Azure Bay, not this venue, but these people.”

Qian Quan remained noncommittal.

Zhang Xiang’er gave a slight smile and mused, “When everything is too easily attainable, learning where to place one’s desires becomes an art.”

“Well said,” agreed Qian Quan.

“Of course.”

Twenty minutes later, someone signaled for Zhang Xiang’er and Qian Quan to leave.

Qian Quan glanced around and noticed that a few more people were joining them for the outing compared to when they arrived. Moreover, almost everyone had brought along female companions, each with figures and looks rivaling internet celebrities.

Zhang Xiang’er downed her drink in one gulp and snapped her fingers in a certain direction.

The second woman who had struck up a conversation with Qian Quan approached with a flickering smile. She linked arms with Zhang Xiang’er and playfully gave Qian Quan a flirtatious look.

Qian Quan responded with a smile.

After leaving, the driver of the Porsche 918 arranged for his female companion to ride in a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, while he continued to carry Qian Quan.

The new convoy, amidst the roaring engines, weaved its way into the colorful night, heading to the next place of amusement.

Zhang Xiang’er was right; he had indeed seen another side of Azure Bay.

In this city, some hustled every day just to make ends meet, like passersby.

Others had all the luxuries-fast cars and beautiful women were the true owners of this cosmopolitan playground.

To Qian Quan, however, they were all the real Azure Bay.

The new convoy, amidst the roaring engines, weaved its way into the colorful night, heading to the next place of amusement.

“Old rules, one lap for five hundred thousand,” announced the owner of the Lamborghini, who was wearing a green baseball jersey.

The others flashed the OK sign.

“Do you want to race, Xiang’er?”

Zhang Xiang’er waved his hand, “You guys go ahead.”

“What about your brother?”

Zhang Xiang’er glanced at Qian Quan and asked with a teasing smile, “Do you want to race?”

Qian Quan shook his head, “Maybe for fifty.”

Zhang Xiang’er paused, then laughed, “If you want to race, win or lose, it’ll be on me. Have you ever driven a sports car?”

Never, but I picked up a little when I was sitting in the car just now.”

Zhang Xiang’er and everyone else were speechless. That’s hardly last-minute preparation.

The Lamborghini owner chimed in, “No problem at all. Let’s have a warm-up round. Let Xiang’er’s little brother take a lap himself. We’ll guess his time, the closest guess wins. How’s that?”

“Sounds good.”

“No problem.”

After all, they were just having fun; there were no set rules.

The owner of the Porsche 918 vacated the driver’s seat and said, “Go ahead, let loose but stay safe; that’s all that matters.”

Qian Quan didn’t hesitate and took the driver’s seat.

“Han Li, what’s your lap record? Let’s use it as a reference.”

“Three minutes and 25 seconds.”

“Alright, I’ll go first, 15 minutes and 30 seconds.”

“10 minutes and 25 seconds.”

Everyone casually guessed their times.

“I’ll take a shot-5 minutes,” said Zhang Xiang’er.

After everyone had announced their guesses, a girl in a tight, ultra-short skirt waved a flag.

The crowd heard the car engine start up and watched it inch forward a bit.

Someone laughed, “If he keeps this pace, it’ll take at least half an hour.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the car shot forward like a bullet.

Everyone’s expression changed.

“Damn it, he’s lost control!”

Zhang Xiang’er quickly followed and realized that although the car was moving fast, it was very stable, especially around turns; it exhibited a smooth, elegant drift.

“Damn it, we got played!”

It was clear that Qian Quan had been playing dumb to catch the clever.

“Xiang’er, you tricked us.”

Zhang Xiang’er just smiled and shrugged, not admitting that he had been fooled as well.

The sound of the Porsche grew louder.

Soon, a silver shadow appeared and smoothly parked in front of everyone.

“Two minutes and 52 seconds,” the girl announced the time.

Everyone was shocked.

Qian Quan unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and said with a smile, “Driving this car is pretty fun.”

Han Li quickly walked up, extended his hand, and introduced himself, “Han Li.”

“Qian Quan.” They shook hands.

Then, a few more people gathered around, introducing themselves..