Chapter Two: Welcome to Yuchuan Street

Yuchuan Street.

Last century, it was ground zero in the war against gangs and criminal syndicates.

But gangsters were like weeds—pull one out, and another sprouted in its place. Even after a massive crackdown, the chaos never truly vanished. When the gangs disappeared, other criminals flooded in. Some came to turn over a new leaf... others, not so much.

Bottom line: Yuchuan Street wasn't just chaotic.

It was a different breed of chaos.

There were rumors of people getting robbed at knifepoint just for walking home late at night.

So when Li Si mentioned he lived there, Director Yang nearly choked on air.

What kind of person called that place home—and looked happy about it?

Li Si, as cheerful as ever, volunteered to sit in the front passenger seat and guide the driver. Unsurprisingly, the driver's first reaction was a hard no.

Li Si tried a polite approach at first. But when persuasion failed, he sighed, rolled up his sleeve, and flashed something to the driver.

The driver went quiet instantly, face pale.

Director Yang, curious, leaned forward—but only caught a glimpse of something metallic before Li Si pulled the sleeve back down.

He slumped back in his seat, brain short-circuiting.

Was that a… knife?

The car finally started.

The driver gripped the steering wheel like it was his lifeline, constantly checking the rearview mirror.

Director Yang tried to pretend that the driver's expression didn't scream "call the police, call the police!"

Time to focus. He was a professional. He'd done countless documentary interviews. This was no different… right?

"Don't worry about formality," he said, voice a touch shaky. "Just be yourself, like chatting with friends."

He glanced at the camera crew, then back at Li Si. "First question: how was your day?"

Li Si tilted his head, thoughtful. Then his eyes brightened.

"Ten hours of interrogation was a little tiring. But the pork cutlet rice at the station? Surprisingly good!"

The driver's knuckles went white.

Director Yang forced a laugh. "Are you performing? If you don't remember, just give a general idea of what you did—"

His voice trailed off as Li Si turned to him under the faint glow of the car's interior light.

"I'm sorry, Director Yang. I was answering a summons today, so I didn't really do much."

Clatter.

Director Yang dropped his pen.

He ducked to retrieve it, buying himself a moment to panic.

Summons? Wait a second… didn't we pick him up near a police station?

The van bumped along a rough road, his thoughts rattling as hard as the tires.

By the time he straightened up, a fine layer of sweat clung to his forehead.

He met the photographer's eyes—and saw the same silent terror.

What do we do now?

The photographer mouthed something. Director Yang gave a nervous pat on his shoulder, then turned back with a forced grin.

"Alright, second question… what's your occupation?"

He braced himself for the worst.

"Actor," Li Si replied, smiling.

"Oh, an act—wait, just an actor?"

Director Yang blinked.

Li Si grinned. "Why? Do I look like I have a side hustle?"

"I signed with Fengsu Performing Arts Company. It's a small firm—maybe 18th line, or honestly, more like 19th. Haven't landed a single gig yet."

The photographer tapped his phone and whispered, "Yang-ge, it's legit. They do exist. Pretty formal."

Director Yang sat back, stunned.

He stared at Li Si, who just waited with that same calm, patient smile.

Eventually, the van stopped at the curb.

"We're here," the driver said, relief bleeding into his voice.

Technically, they hadn't reached Yuchuan Street proper—it was still a block away. But neither the driver nor the crew were about to complain.

Li Si jumped out first. Director Yang followed, still dazed.

The moment everyone was out, the driver hit the gas and vanished down the road.

"Huh," Li Si blinked. "Guess he forgot about the fare."

He shrugged it off quickly and turned to lead them.

Ahead was a run-down apartment complex, the kind that leaned a little more than it should. A few windows were lit by warm yellow light. Crickets chirped lazily in the quiet summer night.

The peaceful atmosphere helped Director Yang finally relax.

Get a grip, he told himself. You're a seasoned director, not some rookie spooked by a pretty face and a weird vibe.

Li Si waved from up ahead, still smiling.

"Careful where you step," he warned. "Construction around here's sloppy—might be sharp stuff lying around."

They followed, treading carefully.

Li Si chatted with them as they walked—casual, friendly, charming. The assistant was already giggling at his jokes.

Even Director Yang was starting to feel better.

See? Just a nice guy in a rough neighborhood. Nothing suspicious about—

"We're here," Li Si announced, stopping at an iron gate. "One sec, I'll unlock it."

"No rush," Director Yang said, cracking open a bottle of water. He was finally feeling human again.

The photographer leaned over and whispered, "Bro, I really thought we were done for in that van."

Yang chuckled, taking a sip. "Same. If we survive this shoot, I'm giving everyone two weeks off."

"Seriously?!" the assistant squealed.

Just then, Li Si reached the gate and—casually—slid a thin blade into the keyhole.

Pfft!

Water sprayed from Director Yang's mouth.

Li Si twisted the blade expertly—one hundred and eighty degrees.

Click.

The gate creaked open like it had been oiled.

The entire crew froze.

A long silence followed.

Then Li Si turned and flashed a sheepish smile.

"Ah, sorry. Habit. It's just… easier this way."

Easier!? Who in their right mind opened doors like they were breaking into a vault?

Inside, the hallway was dark. No lights, no movement.

Before anyone could speak, Li Si stepped behind them—cutting off the only way back to the street.

"Don't just stand there," he said cheerfully. "Come in. No need to take off your shoes."

The photographer swallowed hard. "Yang-ge… he cut off our exit."

"Shut up," Yang hissed, face pale.

This is it, he thought. These 200 pounds of flesh… aren't making it out tonight.

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To be Continued...