Chapter 15: A Chance Encounter in Passing

Words : 1352 Updated : Sep 20th, 2025

Chapter 15 of "Rebirth: The Ascent of a Socialite" begins revealing exciting developments: Su Ziceng asked quite a few people but still couldn’t locate where "Sixth District Automobile... Don’t stop now!

Su Ziceng asked quite a few people but still couldn’t locate where "Sixth District Automobile Shop" was. After roaming around the Sixth District, she barely even saw a car; opening a car shop in the Sixth District, where would the business come from? "Big sister," a series of bicycle bell rings, Su Ziceng turned around and saw a vaguely familiar person, dark-skinned and thick-lipped, with a build like a stone pier, then her gaze shifted to his hand. Isn’t this the man who swung his fist and smashed the car that night? "Big sister, why haven’t you been seen for several days? Your car is fixed; come and take a look." With the guidance of someone familiar, Su Ziceng quickly located the shop. No wonder she couldn’t find it; Su Ziceng saw a piece of iron board written with "Sixth District Bicycle Shop" and suddenly realized. It’s also because of that triangle-eyed man who valued face, who only mentioned "Sixth District Car Shop"; who could have guessed he meant a bicycle shop? The Ferrari, which had broken down a few days ago, was now haughtily parked under the big sun; its streamlined body, even the knocked-out headlights, had also been repaired. Proudly standing beside, the repairmen had proud expressions, but Su Ziceng couldn’t quite bring herself to smile. Although she didn’t know much about the price of car repairs, a rough estimate told her repairing such an imported car would definitely not be something she could afford now. "Young lady," the triangle-eyed man sprang out of nowhere, the youngest in the entire bicycle shop, looking only three or four years older than Su Ziceng. At this moment, he was also holding a wrench, probably just fixing cars. "Why don’t you take it for a spin and see if it’s all nimble now?" "No need, no need," Su Ziceng quickly waved her hands, her small bag swaying. She had just spoken and regretted it a bit but also felt a touch of gratitude; these people weren’t afraid that she would just step on the gas and run away. "How much is the repair fee?" "Boss," the stony man who brought Su Ziceng here noticed the triangle-eyed young man hadn’t gotten to the point and bluntly said, "Ask the big sister if she’s willing to rent the car to us." Rent the car? The shiny polished car body reflected several different expressions. Triangle eyes quickly glanced at Su Ziceng, hesitantly saying, "Little sister, I don’t have any bad intentions; the car has been sitting in the shop for a few days, attracting quite a few inquiries." In other spots of the bicycle shop, there are quite a few bike frames and tires lying horizontally, and oil stains cover the floor. Only the spot where the Ferrari is parked is swept clean. The mechanics also consciously avoid working nearby, and the place where the car is parked has a hanging, dismounted headlight, attracting glances from passersby. This ordinary bicycle shop had become a high-end showroom because of this car. Su Ziceng felt an inexplicable touch of emotion; this car and her current situation were alike. When it was parked in the Su Family’s garage, it was just an expendable spare car, awaiting the owner’s favor. But here in this bicycle shop, it could feel everyone’s admiration. If the car could answer, it would surely choose to stay here, especially since she couldn’t afford to maintain it now. Su Ziceng was relieved that she didn’t have to make much effort to negotiate the rent with the triangle-eyed man. In fact, from start to finish, it was Han Fang, the young shop owner, who set the price. He didn’t even mention the repair cost, and the final agreed rent was five thousand yuan a month. Seeing that Su Ziceng agreed immediately, Boss Han and the shop’s workers were very grateful. Originally, the rental price for a Ferrari would be much higher, but considering the limited renting opportunities in the Sixth District, they gave such a price. Hearing that Su Ziceng was looking for a job and a place to stay nearby, Boss Han and the workers discussed it. He could help with the accommodation; there was an empty house just above the bicycle shop. As for work, he suggested that she should look for a job in Zone 5. The Sixth District mainly offered physical and rough work, which wasn’t suitable for her. Taking advantage of the daylight that had not yet faded, Boss Han took a break from his work and took her to the place where he last made a phone call. There were no artificial sentries set up between Zone 5 and the Sixth District, only a line like a telephone wire marking the boundary. Yet, the feel between the two places was completely different. Boss Han, who was relatively neatly dressed among the mechanics, felt somewhat embarrassed to walk with Su Ziceng, so he followed her from a distance, his keen eyes occasionally pointing out job advertisements posted on the shop fronts to Su Ziceng. The streets of Zone 5, compared to Xiangye Avenue in Zone 3, are more fitting to be described as alleys, where occasionally one could spot a few domestically made coffin-like vehicles. In the afternoon, there weren’t many people on the streets. Su Ziceng had visited several shops, and Boss Han greeted her with a smile each time she entered, but when she left, his expression was slightly sour. As she continued, her smile increasingly became forced, and she couldn’t help but ask, "Not going well?" "They asked if I had any experience in sales. I... only have experience in buying," Su Ziceng said, staring at the ground with her long hair covering her eyes, barely audible as she sighed deeply. "No worries, let’s keep looking." Boss Han gazed at the endless stores featuring vibrant advertising signs, each looking like a little matchbox, but it seemed that Su Ziceng, this unlit matchstick, would just extinguish as soon as she entered them. As the day gradually darkened, "Why not? Let’s try in office buildings. A college student who used to live next to me found a clerical job in Zone 3. It’s not far away, just a few bus rides," he suggested. "No need," Su Ziceng hastily refused, as the Su family's enterprises were in Zone 3, and she often heard from Secretary Wang that now even a minor company assistant needed a university degree, whereas she, who didn't even attend her high school graduation, no longer knew where her high school diploma was. "Young lady," Boss Han called out softly. "Ziceng, my name is Su Ziceng." Su Ziceng spoke while walking, and just as she was about to finish walking down the long street, a figure emerged from around the street corner, colliding head-on with her. Su Ziceng looked down and saw that the person who bumped into her was a girl about her age. The girl had her hair up high, with a face of delicate makeup, an oval face, and a petite figure. She was wearing an over-the-knee cocktail dress in nude pink and seemingly wore a pair of earrings that flashed past her ears. Having bumped into someone, the girl was somewhat flustered; she apologized while awkwardly standing up, wearing a pair of gold high heels. It seemed she wasn’t accustomed to wearing high heels, but she still tried hard to manage the splendid foot shackles, as from behind came a series of calling voices. Boss Han quickly pulled the girl over and asked, "Xiao Xu, what are you doing here?" "Brother Han, hurry, take me home." As Boss Han had come out on a bicycle, hearing the girl’s plea for help, he glanced at Su Ziceng, nodded, and then rode with her towards the direction of the Sixth District. The nude pink cocktail dress blended with the evening sky on the horizon. In the window of the upscale ready-to-wear shop at the street corner, a tall and slender mannequin stood starkly naked on the clothing rack, eerily positioned inside the shop window.

Chapter 15: A Chance Encounter in Passing

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