Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Lethal**

At half past five in the afternoon, the bank, which had closed for the day, left Liu Dong, who was carrying a large amount of cash, with no choice but to come back the next day to deposit it. Of course, the ATM on the street could also be used for deposits, but Liu Dong was not very confident about it. Therefore, he only used it occasionally for withdrawals, while for deposits, he always went to the counter inside the bank.

Riding swiftly, Liu Dong, who was in the prime of his life, pedaled the slightly cumbersome old Jinlu bicycle with great speed. In less than half an hour, he returned to the residential complex where he rented a place. The security guard at the entrance, who was already very familiar with this young man who frequently entered and exited on an old bicycle carrying a black wooden box, did not stop him when he saw him ride in directly.

After parking the bicycle downstairs and locking it, Liu Dong, carrying the wooden box, ran up to the third-floor rental unit. He quickly took out the key from his pocket, opened the door, and was about to rush back to his room, feeling excited about today's substantial earnings. In his excitement, he even forgot something important.

However, before Liu Dong could close the door, a seductive and alluring female voice rang in his ear, "Xiao Dong, have you changed your shoes? Have you forgotten what I told you before? Don't you know how tiring it is to clean the room?"

Hearing this, Liu Dong's body stiffened, and he turned around with a pained expression, thinking to himself, "How could I forget about this young lady!"

He looked at the super beautiful woman standing in front of him, wearing a red silk nightgown that exposed her smooth, white thighs and legs, her feet in pink sandals with butterfly bows, her wavy black hair naturally falling behind her, her face delicate, her figure slender, and her chest high and firm, exuding a mature and alluring charm.

Liu Dong's Adam's apple involuntarily moved, and a strong desire flashed in his eyes. There was no way to resist; the alluring aura and stunning beauty of the woman in front of him were too captivating. Even though they had been living under the same roof for almost half a year, he still felt amazed every time he saw her.

Seeing the embarrassed expression on the young man's face, Wang Qiang's beautiful face showed a faint smile. She, who was well aware of her stunning beauty, felt a mix of curiosity and inexplicable anger towards Liu Dong, who had lived with her for almost half a year and had always maintained his principles, never making any inappropriate moves.

For, apart from this young man, no other man, not even those from high society, had shown such self-control in front of her. Women's hearts are strange; what they can't get often piques their curiosity.

Looking at the somewhat awkward Liu Dong, Wang Qiang suddenly had an idea that even she found unbelievable. Her face turned red for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and made up her mind.

With a determined look, Wang Qiang lifted her left foot and walked gracefully towards the still stunned Liu Dong.

"Wang Jie, I'll clean the room myself later, I won't trouble you!" Liu Dong said awkwardly as the alluring woman approached him.

"What? Am I that scary? Every time you come back, you rush into your room without even looking at me properly. Do I look so terrible?" As she spoke, Wang Qiang raised her smooth, tender right hand and gently placed it on the man's shoulder, her expression alluring, her breath like a fragrant breeze, and a hint of resentment on her face.

Smelling the enticing rose scent emanating from the woman, Liu Dong felt a surge of desire. The alluring white skin and deep cleavage in his line of sight made his breathing heavier.

"Wang Jie, if you have nothing else, I'll go back to my room first!" With a hoarse voice, Liu Dong fled back to his room and slammed the door shut!

"Phew," placing the wooden box on the floor by the door, leaning against it, and closing his eyes, Liu Dong took a deep breath. His face gradually relaxed, and the burning desire in his heart slowly subsided. He had almost lost control just now.

"Fortunately, I have strong self-control; otherwise, I would have made a mistake!" Liu Dong thought to himself. But then he slapped himself, "Damn, why did I run just now? I missed such a good opportunity. If anyone was going to suffer, it would be her!" Although he thought this, he didn't have the courage to go back now.

At this moment, Wang Qiang, standing outside the door, also felt a bit relieved. She was genuinely afraid that Liu Dong might lose control and do something out of line.

However, now, looking at the tightly closed door not far away, Wang Qiang's face turned a charming shade of red, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. She couldn't help but chuckle. Suddenly, she found it quite amusing to tease this young man, who was five or six years younger than her.

Hearing the clear laughter from outside the door, Liu Dong shook his head and cursed her in his heart as a "demon." Although the slightly erotic scene just now had stirred some desire in him, the rational Liu Dong knew very well that a top-tier beauty like Wang Qiang was not for him, at least not now. It wasn't a matter of affection but of his inability to support her. The house he lived in belonged to Wang Qiang, and he was just a tenant. This made Liu Dong, who had inherited his father's somewhat patriarchal nature, feel particularly uncomfortable.

As for "intimacy," he was sorry, but in the year 2000 in China, it was still a rare thing. Liu Dong, who had few hobbies other than carving and reading, had never even thought about it. Coming from the countryside and with a simple nature, his current goal was to save more money and, once his carving skills improved, to open his own shop in the antique market.

At that time, after making a lot of money and solving his family's poverty, he would bring his parents and younger sister to the city to enjoy a better life. This was his greatest dream.

"Phew," taking a deep breath, Liu Dong stood up straight and turned on the light switch to the left of the door. Under the bright white light, the room, which was only about ten square meters, became visible. In the middle was an old wooden bed, with bedside tables on both sides. At the foot of the bed, against the wall, was a yellow wooden bookshelf filled with books. By the window, there was an old writing desk, covered with various carving tools, and the floor was tiled with light yellow square tiles.

Picking up the wooden box from the floor and placing it on the empty space next to the writing desk, Liu Dong bent down to open it and took out all the money he had earned today. He then sat down on the bed and, using his right index finger to moisten it with saliva, began counting the money excitedly. This was his favorite activity besides carving and reading.

"Today I earned 15,650 yuan. After setting aside 1,500 yuan for buying goods, food, and rent, I'll deposit the remaining 14,000 yuan in the bank. If I add the money I've already saved, my total savings will be 100,000 yuan!" Liu Dong calculated in his mind.

However, he also knew that although his income today was good, it wasn't every day that he could earn this much. The carving industry, while not as extreme as the antique market where "three years of no business, one deal to last three years," still had its ups and downs. It was common to go a week or two without selling a single wooden carving.

Especially in the early years when his skills were not yet refined. It was not uncommon for him to have no income for a month.

Back then, he couldn't even afford a place to live and had to sleep under a bridge like the homeless in Quancheng, surviving on pickled vegetables. Those hard times were something Liu Dong could never forget.

However, it was precisely those difficult days that forged Liu Dong's current indomitable will. He had relied on the carving skills he learned from a carpenter in his hometown during his childhood, and without a formal master, he had relied on his own research and perseverance to reach where he was today. His early struggles had played a significant role in his development.

"However, 100,000 yuan is still too little! The smallest shop in the antique market, about 80 square meters, costs more than 500,000 yuan! If I add the costs of inventory, hiring staff, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses, I need at least 600,000 yuan." Thinking about this, Liu Dong couldn't help but sigh, "I need to save more money as soon as possible!"

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**End of Chapter**