116: Chapter 116 Loan sharks come knocking
The story splits in two.
After Chen Hao left yesterday, Zhang Menglu washed the old clothes clean, then took her phone and posted all the short videos of pantyhose she had recorded recently in her WeChat Business groups, officially starting to market the 'original scent' pantyhose.
Following Chen Hao's instructions, everything went very smoothly. The fans were extremely enthusiastic, sending private messages one after another to purchase the original scent pantyhose.
Horse Oil Gradient Pantyhose, Fishnet 3D Heart Pantyhose, Over-the-Knee Leopard Print Black Stockings, Dark Lolita Leg Straps, Purple Hollowed-Out Ripped Stockings, Fluorescent Pantyhose, Rainbow Socks...
With all sorts of colors and styles, Zhang Menglu could set the price however she wanted; even the cheapest pair could sell for 500.
The sales volume in just one night reached over 100,000 yuan!
The entire trip to Guangcheng was paid for by Chen Hao, and she didn't spend a single penny on restocking goods. This meant Zhang Menglu's savings finally met the repayment standard.
Because of opening this pantyhose shop, Zhang Menglu and her Best Friend jointly borrowed 300,000 yuan from a microloan website. After her Best Friend withdrew her shares, all the debt fell onto Zhang Menglu.
Originally, she had no way to repay early, but times had changed; repaying sooner meant being relieved sooner.
That very night, she contacted the microloan company and scheduled the repayment for the next day.
That morning.
As soon as Zhang Menglu opened the door, several young boys were waiting outside.
"The Goddess has opened the door!"
Their gazes were burning hot.
"You guys?"
Zhang Menglu was still a bit confused.
One of the young boys said, "We live nearby. We're here to pick up our orders."
"Come in then."
After all, they were Financial Backers, and one of them had even won the 1,000 yuan Supreme VIP prize. Zhang Menglu had no choice but to invite them in.
Since they agreed on 'Goddess Original Scent Pantyhose' and had all placed orders, Zhang Menglu took out brand new pairs from the shelves, unwrapped them, and put them on to ensure they were 'original scent'.
These young boys were overjoyed and made all sorts of requests, hoping the Goddess would spray some perfume on the pantyhose.
They were all potential customers, so she tried her best to accommodate their requests.
In the past, she would definitely have been very shy, but after the trip to Guangcheng, she understood: it was for making money, so it wasn't shameful.
There was nothing to be embarrassed about.
Just as Zhang Menglu was trying her best to satisfy the requests of these young boys...
Three more men walked in from outside. They all had buzz cuts, looked fierce and menacing, and were covered in tattoos—it was obvious they weren't good people.
"Debt collection!"
The buzz-cut leader shouted, making the atmosphere inside the pantyhose shop extremely eerie.
"You've come so early. Please wait a moment."
Zhang Menglu greeted them with a smile and began negotiating.
One of the men discussed the repayment process with Zhang Menglu, while the other two looked at her with ill intentions, repeatedly scrutinizing her figure.
"Nice figure!"
"Those legs are really beautiful."
"Brother, why don't we have some fun?"
They winked and glanced at the young boys, who immediately understood and stepped forward, shouting rudely.
"What are you kids doing here instead of being in school? Get lost!"
The young boys also sensed the atmosphere was wrong and immediately transformed into protectors of the fair maiden, arguing vehemently with the three thugs.
"We are here to buy things!"
"Why are you kicking us out!"
"Slap!"
A slap landed squarely on one of the young boys' faces. The force was so great that it knocked him directly to the ground.
"Stop the nonsense! She owes us money, and we're here to collect. If you know what's good for you, scram, or you'll regret it!"
Zhang Menglu suppressed her fear and rushed forward, shielding the young boys.
"Why are you hitting people?"
"Oh, you're quite protective!"
The three men smirked wickedly.
Zhang Menglu tried her best to protect the boys and said with a hardened face, "I do owe you money. I'm going to pay it back, I'm not refusing. If you dare to hit anyone again, I'll call the police!"
"Call the police? I'm telling you, the lump-sum repayment is 450,000 yuan. Your 300,000 yuan isn't nearly enough!"
Zhang Menglu was stunned.
"How is it 450,000? If the deadline hasn't passed, shouldn't I only have to repay the principal?"
The three men smirked.
"You're really naive. It's written clearly in the loan contract. It's your own fault for being too foolish to read it; you can't blame us!"
"Brothers, what are you waiting for? Such a beautiful sight is rare. Make a move!"
At this point, the young boys couldn't stand by. There was no way they would let the Goddess be bullied. They all rushed forward to act as her protectors.
But they were just young boys and were no match for the thugs.
They were quickly beaten to the ground and unceremoniously thrown out.
"You little brats, get lost!"
The young boys couldn't fight back and jumped up and down at the doorway in anger.
"If you dare cause trouble, just wait!"
"Clang!"
The rolling shutter door was pulled down, plunging the shop into darkness.
Zhang Menglu turned and fled in terror, rushing into the restroom and locking the door. Panicked, she dialed Chen Hao's number.
"Ah~ Chen Hao, save me...!"
"Bang bang!"
"Get out here! Debt must be paid! Where else can you hide!"
The sound of them smashing the door was deafening, and the door shook violently. Terrified, Zhang Menglu dropped her phone. She didn't dare to pick it up and instead used her body to brace against the door.
This turn of events left her completely bewildered, and she screamed in panic.
"What you are doing is illegal!"
The buzz-cut man kicking the door sneered, "Don't think we don't know what kind of transaction you were conducting with those little brats just now. If you can do business with 'little puppy boys,' why can't you do it with us!"
"Be smart and open the door so we can have some fun. We'll count it as your 150,000 yuan interest, and you only need to pay the principal."
"If you don't open the door, once I break in, I'll deal with you while recording it. If you dare call the police, I'll make sure you're ruined!"
"Open the door!"
"Bang! Bang!"
The sound of smashing was incessant. Zhang Menglu braced against the door with all her might, but she felt her strength giving out.
Finally, under the frantic assault, the door panel couldn't bear the strain and was kicked through, creating a hole. Zhang Menglu, thrown back by the force, collapsed weakly onto the floor.
An evil hand reached in and fumbled around blindly, searching for the latch.
In sheer terror, Zhang Menglu grabbed a toothbrush and fiercely jabbed it into the evil hand.
"Ah!"
The back of the hand was stabbed until it was bloody and mangled. The man cursed loudly.
"Damn bitch, you dare stab me! Today, I'm taking care of you, and not even the Heavenly King can protect you!"
Just as he was shouting, a violent banging sound erupted against the rolling shutter door.
"Thump, thump, thump."
The sound made the three thugs exchange glances, their anger flaring.
"Who the hell is making trouble!"
Leaving one to guard the restroom, the other two menacingly went outside. The moment the rolling shutter door was opened, the two thugs froze.
Outside, the area was packed with people—mostly young boys, numbering over a hundred, filling the entire residential area.
Most importantly, they were holding either baseball bats or pieces of bench legs. Their presence was imposing, and their morale was sky-high!
"Whoever dares touch the Black Stocking Goddess, we'll take them on! Beat them!"
Without another word, the young boy at the very front swung his baseball bat in a wide arc, sending the two thugs scrambling away, holding their heads.
The remaining boys, desperate to rescue someone, rushed into the pantyhose shop in a swarm. The scene looked exactly like a triad movie being filmed.