Red Line Resurrection Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Come back with me.

The small circle indicating the video was loading spun two or three times before the video began to play automatically. The image quality was blurry, and the camera shook slightly, as if someone was adjusting the position. It finally settled in front of a slightly old, leather computer chair, the angle perfectly framed to show only the scene from the waist down.

A few more seconds passed, and two fair, long legs entered the frame, crossed and curled up in the chair. He seemed very unfamiliar with the situation, pausing for a long time before taking the next step. After a few minutes, he changed his posture, seemingly curling up, his legs pressed tightly together.

[Newbie?]

A Danmu floated across the screen, but no one responded. The comment section had a sparse dozen or so messages, mostly complaining about the video quality.

[Landline Quality is bad enough, but why come to this platform if you aren’t showing anything!]

[First commenter didn’t watch the whole thing, did he?]

[There’s water on the chair, the water marks are so obvious on the black leather…]

[Such a thin waist, but the lower abdomen looks soft, so beautiful oh]

[So few comments, is everyone having trouble typing with one hand?]

Shen Lingjun’s heart pounded wildly when he logged into the backend. He only quickly glanced at the Danmu and comments, afraid to look closely. However, the fact that this seven-minute video had nearly fifty thousand views still stunned him. He checked the backend revenue: over three thousand two hundred Candy Particles. Based on the 10:1 ratio, he could earn three hundred and twenty yuan.

However, he wasn’t a contracted streamer. The platform only allowed him to withdraw half, plus they deducted over ten yuan in handling fees. After the withdrawal, Shen Lingjun would receive 138 yuan. He was quite happy. Looking at the successful withdrawal notification, he nervously turned back and reread the comments from beginning to end.

He was even happier.

No one called him a freak, and no one found him disgusting.

Most comments were merely curious inquiries, but they all shared a single, unified purpose.

He flipped over in bed, about to order takeout to reward himself with a meal, when a sound suddenly came from outside the window. Meng Jinfei, two floors down, shouted as if he had a megaphone in his throat, “Shen Lingjun! Come play games!”

Afraid he hadn’t heard, he shouted two or three times. Shen Lingjun reluctantly climbed out of bed and poked his head out past the security bars. “Got it, I’m coming down now.”

He pulled on a hoodie and jeans, and two minutes later, he was downstairs. Meng Jinfei slung an arm over his shoulder like they were best buddies. “Why didn’t you reply to my message? Were you sleeping?”

Shen Lingjun lowered his head. “Yeah, I stayed up too late yesterday, just woke up.”

He grumbled internally: I didn’t reply because I didn’t want to. If I reply and come out to play, I have to treat. If I don’t reply, I can still eat a full meal.

But he said aloud, “The usual spot. I’m treating today.”

Meng Jinfei had been waiting for those words. He hopped onto his electric scooter in his sneakers. “Let’s go.”

“Ji Yuxuan is coming later. Tell him what you want to eat, and he can bring it.”

Shen Lingjun sat on the back of the scooter, opened his phone’s chat box, tapped and pecked for a long time, and finally sent a message—Bring me a serving of fried noodles, slightly spicy with hot dogs, and an extra scoop of pickled long beans.

The Internet Cafe owner was familiar with them and only cared about making money, not whether they were adults or not. He waved his hand and told the attendant to open four machines for them. Shen Lingjun felt a little pained after paying.

But playing games was great, much better than zoning out at home. He got so engrossed in the game that he didn’t notice someone standing behind him until Ji Yuxuan gently pinched his cheek. “In a team fight?”

Shen Lingjun didn’t turn his head, only staring at the screen, but he tilted his face slightly to the side, avoiding the strong smell of cheap cigarettes on Ji Yuxuan.

Only after finishing the match did he turn around and smile at Ji Yuxuan. “Did you bring me food?”

“I forgot. I just came from the pool hall.” Ji Yuxuan chewed gum, but the mint flavor couldn’t mask the smell of smoke when he spoke.

Shen Lingjun wasn’t surprised, but his eyes drooped. “But I haven’t eaten all day.”

He was good-looking; otherwise, Ji Yuxuan wouldn’t have been so infatuated as to date another guy. Seeing him look so pitiful, Ji Yuxuan felt a pang of sympathy. He patted Shen Lingjun’s head. “I’ll get you a cup of instant noodles. What flavor do you want?”

Shen Lingjun said anything was fine. Five minutes later, a cup of spicy beef noodles with a braised egg and hot dog was handed to him. He sat down nearby and slurped it up, the steam making his eyes moist. He secretly checked his account balance again, and tears almost fell into the soup.

But since the money was spent, he definitely had to play enough to make it worthwhile. Anyway, no one at home cared about him. The group didn’t head back until after one in the morning.

Ji Yuxuan walked him home—no wheels, just pure leg power. He originally wanted to hold hands, but he felt a little awkward about Shen Lingjun being a guy, so he didn’t. After walking for a while, he couldn’t help but stare at him, noticing the lingering baby fat on his cheeks, and he wanted to kiss him again.

Shen Lingjun didn’t allow it because he noticed a car parked below the old Tube Building.

He didn’t recognize the car’s make, only that it looked very impressive. As they got closer, he realized a middle-aged man was standing beside the car, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, like a character from a TV drama.

The man leaned toward the lowered car window and said something. The car door opened, and another person stepped out.

Shen Lingjun struggled to use his limited vocabulary to describe the situation. He had initially thought that a rich person showing up at his door late at night, under the cover of darkness, meant he should extort them—it only made sense. Although he didn’t know why he felt entitled to extort others, perhaps he was just desperate for money. But now that this person stood before him, all thoughts vanished from his mind.

He was very tall, at least half a head taller than Shen Lingjun. From a distance, his face wasn’t clear, but his overall demeanor was already intimidating enough. Shen Lingjun felt an inexplicable fear.

Ji Yuxuan leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Who is he?”

“I don’t know.” Shen Lingjun whispered back. “Maybe he’s looking for someone else.”

However, the next second, the man addressed him. “Shen Lingjun?”

Shen Lingjun instinctively answered. The man then said, “Come here.”

His tone was too natural. Although it didn’t sound like a command, it made refusal impossible. Shen Lingjun felt uncertain but obediently walked over. The middle-aged man smiled kindly at him. “The Master has been waiting for you for a long time.”

Shen Lingjun was confused. He had a belly full of questions for these two strangers, but finally, he just asked, “Who are you?”

“Liang Ji’an,” the man replied. “Your older half-brother.”

Up close, Shen Lingjun could finally see his face: a pair of silver-rimmed glasses rested on a high nose bridge, and his expression carried a cold indifference that kept people at a distance.

Liang Ji’an looked at this half-brother he had never met, then glanced at the Delinquent peeking nearby, and his voice became even colder. “Pack the things you need to take, and come back with me.”

Author’s Note

Kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss!

Here is the first chapter. I haven’t finished editing the rest of the manuscript yet.