The Mechanic's Double Life

Indeed, the scratch wasn't made by the girl.

But Luo Ao's gaze locked onto her the moment he saw her. For someone like him—a spoiled second-generation rich kid—when he set his sights on someone, he had countless ways to get what he wanted.

It wasn't the 200,000 yuan that caught his interest; it was the girl herself. Given her humble background, there was no way she could come up with such a large sum right away. But if she went with them, they could easily settle the debt with something else—perhaps even her dignity.

When Su Ming mentioned getting the scratch professionally appraised, the two men visibly tensed. If an expert confirmed the truth, their whole plan would fall apart.

By now, a crowd of tourists visiting Yulin Village had gathered around to watch the spectacle. Luo Ao and the young man exchanged a quick glance, silently agreeing to wrap things up quickly.

"All right," the young man barked, trying to sound confident. "If you don't believe us, let's take this to an auto repair shop. Are you brave enough to follow through?"

There were too many people here, making it inconvenient for them to handle things discreetly. They needed to leave as soon as possible.

"Heh… no need to complicate things," Su Ming said with a faint smile. He could see right through their ploy. After glancing at the growing crowd, he raised his voice: "Everyone, is there anyone here who has experience in auto repair? I'll pay 200,000 yuan to have someone determine whether this scratch is new or old."

"Whoa!" The crowd erupted in murmurs.

Two hundred thousand yuan! Even in a city like Shanghai, that was no small amount. And all they had to do was inspect a tiny scratch? This was practically free money.

The young man and Luo Ao's expressions shifted uneasily.

Luo Ao shot the young man a meaningful look. Understanding, the latter stepped forward and whispered menacingly, "Kid, do you know what happens when you cross Young Master Luo? Back off while you still can!"

Su Ming gave him a dismissive glance, clearly unimpressed. Just then, a figure burst out from the crowd, carrying a large backpack.

"Hey… bro! Long time no see!"

Su Ming froze. Damn, that voice and face were unmistakable. Who else could it be? The former delivery guy, later a waiter—and now, apparently, a traveler!

"What are you doing here?" Su Ming asked, bewildered.

"Oh, well…" The delivery guy sighed dramatically. "During my travels, I've come to understand the true essence of life. I've decided to pause and savor the world's diversity, tasting every flavor life has to offer."

Su Ming rolled his eyes. "Can you just speak normally?"

"Uh, fine! I'm actually scouting locations here. I'm planning to return to Jiangzhou and open a snack stall!" The delivery guy shrugged casually. Then, his eyes lit up as he turned to Su Ming. "Bro, did I hear you right? You'll pay 200,000 yuan to appraise this scratch?"

"Of course," Su Ming replied firmly.

"Great!" The delivery guy didn't hesitate. "This scratch is clearly old—it's been there for about seven or eight days. It was caused by something sharp, exposing the metal underneath. There's even some rust forming."

"Oh!" The delivery guy spoke with such authority that the crowd immediately reacted, turning their attention toward Luo Ao and the young man.

Luo Ao's face darkened. What the guy said was spot-on—but admitting it wasn't an option.

"Kid, don't talk nonsense. Do you even know anything about cars?" Luo Ao snapped.

The delivery guy's expression hardened. "Are you questioning my expertise? Watch this!" Without waiting for a response, he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a green certificate, slamming it onto the Ferrari's windshield.

"Take a good look! Advanced Auto Repair Certification! With skills like mine, I could work at any top-tier 4S shop earning tens of thousands a month. If I can't tell whether this scratch is real, those three years of experience were wasted!"

Su Ming stared wide-eyed. Damn, this guy was full of surprises—advanced accounting, advanced auto repair… Was there anything he couldn't do?

Luo Ao was stunned. He hadn't expected to run into someone who actually knew what they were talking about.

"Bro, so about that 200,000 yuan…" The delivery guy quickly stowed away his certificate, suddenly timid again.

"I'll transfer it to you," Su Ming said, pulling out his phone and opening Alipay.

The delivery guy didn't hesitate, pulling up his payment code. Within seconds, the notification rang out: "Payment received: 200,000 yuan."

"Holy crap, he really paid!"

"Damn, I should've studied auto repair instead of becoming a male nurse!" one bystander muttered bitterly.

"Well?" Su Ming turned to Luo Ao and the young man, raising an eyebrow.

Their faces twisted with rage, glaring daggers at Su Ming.

"You haven't seen the last of me!" Luo Ao spat before jumping into his car and speeding off.

The crowd dispersed, muttering amongst themselves.

"Um… thank you," the girl's soft voice broke the silence. "But I don't have the money to repay you."

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You've completed the task and obtained the Yulin Village Food Encyclopedia, stored in your personal space!"

Hearing the system's cheerful announcement, Su Ming shook his head indifferently. "No need to thank me. Consider it a favor."

"But… but that's 200,000 yuan!" the girl stuttered, clearly overwhelmed.

"Don't worry, miss," the delivery guy chimed in. "This is my bro we're talking about! Didn't you hear? He once spent three million yuan on wedding gifts during a livestream. A true tycoon!"

"Three… million? Wedding gifts? Livestream?" The girl looked utterly shocked.

Su Ming cringed inwardly. Did this count as embarrassing history?

"Well, I have somewhere to be. See you," Su Ming said hastily, eager to make his escape.

"Wait! Can I treat you to a meal as thanks? Please?" the girl pleaded, her eyes shining with hope.

Su Ming hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright."

"And me too, miss! I played a big part in this!" The delivery guy grinned shamelessly.

"Thank you both,"

The girl laughed, her smile blossoming like a field of flowers in full bloom—stunningly radiant. The delivery guy was left staring, utterly mesmerized.

Soon after, she led them both to a small street food stall and ordered an array of delicious dishes.

Su Ming took a bite and found the flavors surprisingly delightful. More importantly, this kind of taste simply didn't exist in Jiangzhou.

If they could really get a food court up and running here, it would practically be a one-of-a-kind operation—definitely worth pursuing.

Su Ming ate slowly, carefully sampling each dish.

The delivery guy, on the other hand, devoured the food as if he hadn't eaten in days, looking like he might start grabbing things with his bare hands at any moment.

As he stuffed his mouth, he mumbled praises through half-chewed bites, his eyes wide with delight. Watching him made Su Ming cringe inwardly. This guy is embarrassing all of us from Jiangzhou.

The girl, however, couldn't stop giggling and kept handing him water, worried he might choke.