Chapter 11: Another Unfortunate Soul Surrounded

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"Shi Yi, I never thought you really weren’t just a little trickster—you actually have some skill!"
"Hey, could you take a look for me? My barbecue never sells this year. Did I offend some taboo?"
Uncle Wu, who sold barbecue nearby, clearly knew about the video incident and walked over, grinning at Shi Yi.
"And me, my fried skewers—why do students complain about them so often? I’ve lost so much money..."
Grandpa Sun chimed in, troubled.
In an instant, all the vendors around gathered before Shi Yi, talking over each other, eager for her to read their fortunes.
Shi Yi had never faced such a scene; she was momentarily overwhelmed.
"Look! Blue hair, an aloof face, a big sign ‘Fortune-telling, one hundred per session. If not accurate, no charge’—that’s her!"
"She’s the master from the video! Quick, before she raises her price, let’s have her tell our fortunes. If she charges more, we’ll regret it!"
"That’s right! I came all the way from the east side of town just for this master."
"Master Shi, Master Shi!"
Shi Yi heard a familiar voice and stood up.
Zhao Yong approached, carrying a briefcase, trailed by several middle-aged men in suits with big logos, all rushing after her.
"Master, these are my business partners. They all heard how you saved my family and know your fortune-telling is accurate. They specifically came to have you read their fates!"
Zhao Yong, squeezed outside the crowd, shouted to Shi Yi.
"Make way, make way."
Shi Yi sensed things were getting out of hand. Before long, a swarm of young men and women appeared from who knows where.
"Master, please read my fortune! I’ve been divorced five times. Will I ever find true love?"
"Master, help me! My girlfriend cheated on me eight times—why does this always happen? Is the location of my ancestral grave unlucky?"
"Master, I’ve failed the civil service exam six times. Am I just not cut out for it?"
"Master, please, look for me!"
...
Outside the crowd, everyone clamored and cried out.
The whole street buzzed like a marketplace.
Shi Yi was tightly surrounded, layer upon layer, her mind buzzing.
This scene was too frightening.
Shi Yi took a deep breath, grabbed the coconut juice by her side, placed it on the back of her tricycle.
She quickly packed up, got on the tricycle, and sped away.

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"Master, don’t leave!"
"Master, we rarely get the chance to come—please read our fortunes!"
"If you don’t help us, we’ll wait here every day until you do!"
...
The crowd behind kept shouting relentlessly, and Shi Yi pedaled her tricycle desperately, as if the wind itself fueled her.
A battered tricycle, forced by Shi Yi, had the aura of a Harley.
Only after turning at a traffic light did Shi Yi glance back, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
She managed to shake them off—barely.
Shi Yi wiped sweat from her forehead, took a deep drink of cold coconut juice from the small basket by the door, feeling instantly refreshed.
It was the first time she closed up so early; she was a little unaccustomed.
Now the sun was fierce, scorching the earth.
Shi Yi, seeking to avoid the heat, chose the side roads.
But as she turned into an alley, she heard a noisy commotion from ahead.
The sound resembled a fan gathering.
Shi Yi was not a particularly curious person, but the increasingly loud screams inside made her wonder.
Recalling the chaos she just escaped, Shi Yi couldn’t help but be curious.
Who was this unlucky soul facing the same situation as her?
She looked around; there was nobody nearby.
She parked the tricycle and walked through a narrow alley onto a main street.
At the corner of a pedestrian bridge staircase, a tall figure was surrounded by a group of young women.
The tall figure wore a hat, sunglasses, and a mask—fully disguised—completely encircled, fumbling awkwardly.
"Don’t rush, don’t rush! It’s easy to cause a stampede—safety first, safety first!"
"Ah—"
"Gu Hansheng! Gu Hansheng!"
"Husband, I love you, I love you! You’re so handsome!"
"Sign for me, please—my whole family loves you!"
"Take off your hat and sunglasses—can we take a photo together?"
"We’ve come a long way to see you!"

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Shi Yi stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching the lively scene above, tilting her head in curiosity.
The man trapped in the center struggled desperately to break free.
In their frenzy, the girls accidentally knocked Shi Yi down, who was just watching from the side.
"Ah—"
"Someone got stepped on, someone got stepped on!"
"Don’t panic, don’t panic, someone’s been stepped on!"
Shi Yi clasped her hands over her head, caught in a dilemma.
Seeing the situation, the man in the circle pushed his way out, scooping up Shi Yi, who had been trampled several times.
He saw the footprints on her and grew anxious.
"I told you not to push! Your behavior is seriously affecting me. I keep telling you, I’m not a celebrity—I’m just an ordinary police officer. There’s no need for this!"
Shi Yi was held tightly in his arms, the fresh scent of citrus floating straight to her nose in the sweltering summer, making her nose itch.
Her face flushed, but not from shyness at being held by a stranger.
It was the moment he picked her up, when she briefly touched his arm—she saw a vision.
In the vision, a tragic stampede would soon happen right here.
Many people would be badly injured.
Afterward, the man before her would be severely punished by the authorities for causing the incident.
Shi Yi looked at him. To solve the problem, she had to deal with the source.
The source was this man.
Without hesitation, Shi Yi grabbed his arm,
used all her strength, forced her way through the crowd, dragging the man behind her, breaking through the encirclement.
She ran into a nearby alley, pulling him along.
"Hey, Gu Hansheng, don’t leave! Gu Hansheng, Gu Hansheng!"
"Don’t go! Sign for me, take a photo with me!"
"Gu Hansheng, I love you! Husband, I’ll always love you, always support you!"
Shi Yi looked back at the horde of girls surging like a zombie army, wiped sweat from her forehead.
The man was stunned, but let Shi Yi drag him out of danger.