Chapter Fifty-Two: The Dragon Riders of the Northern City

The bald youth parked his motorcycle and strode towards the sports car. At that moment, another five or six chopper bikes followed from behind, stopping in the middle of the road. Among them, a young man wearing a helmet shouted, “Third! Stop causing trouble after downing a few drinks. You really can’t afford to mess with someone who drives a car like that!”

The bald youth scowled at the words. “Damn it! I’ll do what I please! Who asked for your meddling? Don’t try to act like a big shot just because you’re second in command—I’m not taking orders from you, so what are you going to do about it?”

The helmeted youth replied, “With the boss not here, I’m in charge. If you won’t listen, don’t expect me to clean up your mess if something goes wrong.”

The bald youth snorted disdainfully, then continued towards the sports car, pounding on the body with his fists and shouting, “Come out, come out! Let’s see what this Lamborghini’s got inside! Maybe let me take it for a spin, ha!”

Sitting inside, I saw that both the front and rear of the car were blocked by motorcycles, making it impossible to move. The only way out would be to run them down, otherwise we were trapped. I turned to Xu Shu and said, “I’ll go out and try to talk to them. Wait here for a moment.” With that, I unfastened my seatbelt and reached for the door.

Of course, I knew I was dealing with a gang of drunken, troublemaking bikers. Negotiating with them would likely be pointless, and I might even get a beating for my trouble. But at a moment like this, I couldn’t just cower in silence. Sometimes, a man simply has to step up and take responsibility. If I didn’t do it, was I supposed to let the delicate lady beside me handle it? I braced myself for a fight, prepared to take a beating if need be. My goal was to get the bikes out of the way up front, so Xu Shu could seize the chance to drive off.

Just as I was about to open the door, Xu Shu stopped me. “Wait! Going out won’t do any good.”

Outside, the bald youth was kicking the car and spewing obscenities, his companions jeering and urging him on. It was clear they were unreasonable. Even so, staying put might only encourage them to smash up the car, so I figured it was better to go out and try my luck than sit idly by.

I said, “You’re right, it probably won’t help. If I crash through the bikes up front, you drive off as quickly as you can—and don’t forget to call the police.”

Xu Shu chuckled softly. “No need for anything that risky. Watch me.” She gave me a calm look, signaling me to stay put. Then, she lowered the window, smiled, and addressed the bald youth outside, “You’re kicking pretty hard—you’ll break my car, and then you’ll have to pay for the damages!”

The bald youth’s eyes lit up. “Hey! It’s a chick! Let’s have a look—see if you’re as pretty as your car.” Xu Shu deliberately turned her face toward him, letting him see clearly. The bald youth, reeking of alcohol, pressed his ugly face against the window without shame.

Suddenly, upon seeing Xu Shu’s face, the bald youth’s mouth fell open and he froze as if struck by lightning. After a long moment, he stammered, “You… you’re… you’re…”

Xu Shu nodded. “Would you mind letting us through?”

The bald youth’s face erupted in delight. “Of course! No problem! But… um…” He fumbled all over himself, barely able to speak from excitement.

Xu Shu understood at once. “You want an autograph?”

The bald youth nodded vigorously, then turned and shouted at his crew, “Hey! Who’s got a pen and paper? Look, dammit!”

These idle thugs, who spent their days getting into trouble, naturally didn’t carry anything as refined as a pen. At the boss’s order, they searched every pocket but found nothing—not even a pen cap. The bald youth scratched his head in frustration, then turned to Xu Shu with an awkward grin. “Uh… could you wait just a little longer? It’s amazing to run into you here—I’m your biggest fan, really, I…”

Xu Shu put on her professional fan-meeting smile, amused by his incoherent excitement. “Can’t find a pen and paper?” Just as she finished, a fountain pen and a small notepad appeared before her. Someone said, “It’s such a surprise and joy to meet Miss Xu here. Could you sign and maybe write a few words? Thank you!”

The bald youth turned and saw it was the helmeted second-in-command, now with his helmet off, revealing a long-haired youth in his early twenties, rather handsome.

The bald youth bristled, “Come on! Even this you have to compete with me for? What did I ever do to you?” The long-haired youth just smiled and pretended not to hear. Xu Shu took the pen and notepad, amused by the contrast between these two gangsters. “So, what should I write? Why don’t I make it out to all of you?”

The bald youth grinned. “Great! We’re the North City Dragon Riders—I’m Tang Jinhu.” The long-haired youth shot him a look, then said politely, “Better write it to all the North City Dragon Riders, Miss Xu, not just one of us—it’ll keep things fair.”

By now, more members of the North City Dragon Riders had realized the stunning superstar Xu Shu was sitting in the car. They crowded around, excited and thrilled to meet their idol. Xu Shu had seen scenes like this countless times. Calmly, she wrote her message, greeting each of them in turn. When she finished, she flourished her signature, then handed the notepad and pen back to the long-haired youth.

It was immediately obvious to Xu Shu that this gang had two factions, led by the bald youth and the long-haired youth, who clearly weren’t on the best of terms. So she said, “I’m glad to meet my fans here, but I have urgent business and it’s getting late. Would you let us through?”

“No problem.” Several riders mounted their bikes and cleared the road. Xu Shu waved, “Thank you! Goodbye, everyone!” Then she started the car and was about to leave. Suddenly, the bald youth chased after her, calling, “Hey, can I get your phone number? I’d really like to keep in touch.”

Xu Shu smiled sweetly. “Of course! Remember this: 137xxxxxxxx. Contact me when you can!” With that, she hit the gas and sped away, vanishing down the long road.

The bald youth continued waving after her, reciting the phone number to himself, his face alight with happiness and pride. The long-haired youth, coming up behind, burst out laughing. “Third, do you really believe superstar Xu Shu gave you her real number? You’re too naïve!”

The bald youth glared. “What makes you so sure it’s not? I say it is. Don’t ruin my good mood, alright?”

“Fine! I’ll bet you when you call it, it’ll be disconnected.”

“You want to bet? I’m not afraid of you!”

“Go ahead, call!”

“I… I’m not calling now. I’ll do it after you all leave—let you stew in envy!”

“Haha, fine! Take your time, after all, that’s the number Xu Shu gave you.”

“Listen to yourself! By the way, let me see that autograph—what did she write?”

“Sorry, that’s from the superstar to me, not for you. Get lost.”

“Don’t get cocky! That autograph is for the whole North City Dragon Riders, not just you.”

“True, but it’s my notebook. I’ll show it to whoever I like. Nothing you can do about it!”

“You…”

Sitting beside Xu Shu, I watched as she effortlessly handled a gang of rowdy bikers, marvelling at the power of fame. Had it been an ordinary person in the car, the only choices would have been to submit to bullying or risk life and limb arguing or fighting. There was no other way. Yet all Xu Shu needed was to show her face, and these unruly young thugs—who grew up with her songs, from the days of her girl group to her status as the top female star—were immediately subdued. Her music had the broadest reach: not just among young people, but, according to some, even the elderly and little children were among her devoted fans. Xu Shu could meet her fans anywhere, and their adoration could solve problems that would stump anyone else. Sometimes all it took was a smile from her.

Xu Shu drove on, glancing at me as I stared at her in amazement. She laughed, “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

I asked, “That phone number you gave the bald guy, was it real?”

Xu Shu stuck out her cute tongue. “It’s a real number—but it belongs to my agent. She handles all the calls and messages from fans, which can be overwhelming. I don’t have time to answer them myself. My own phone only has numbers for family, key colleagues, and important friends. My agent takes care of everything else, so I don’t have to worry.”

I nodded. “Being a superstar isn’t bad—famous, wealthy, your problems are solved with a smile or a name, and you have people to help with everything.”

Xu Shu fell silent for a moment, then said, “That’s just how it looks on the surface. Both the path to stardom and life as a superstar are full of hidden hardships and bitterness that outsiders can’t imagine.”

“Really? With your talent and beauty, is it really so hard?”

Xu Shu smiled faintly. “Let’s not talk about me. I’ve told you my thoughts just now. Now it’s your turn—tell me the truth. Are you and Jingjing truly in love?”