Chapter 60: The Free Chauffeur

“Ahahaha... um... I... we...”
One of the paparazzi was about to explain, but before he could finish his sentence, Su Chen, with unexpected familiarity, opened the back door and climbed in.
The cameraman was left outside, utterly bewildered, forced to film through the car window.
“Gentlemen, you’re here to take pictures of me, right?”
Before the two paparazzi could protest, Su Chen continued, “I need to pick someone up from the airport, but I can’t get a ride. Would you mind taking me there?”
As soon as he said this, the two men exchanged a look, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
You could practically see question marks pasted across their faces.
What in the world is happening?!
They glanced at Su Chen in the back seat, then at each other, their small eyes filled with enormous confusion, so much so that they forgot to reply.
In nearly twenty years of chasing celebrities, they’d seen it all—beaten by stars, their bodyguards, their assistants, even their fans.
They’d experienced so much, seen so many faces, they believed nothing could shake their iron-clad hearts.
But this scene was entirely new.
It was absurd!
Everyone knows that celebrities and paparazzi are natural enemies.
They never expected a star would willingly get into their car!
It was as if the monk had washed himself clean and walked straight into the spider’s lair.
“Gentlemen, are you helping me or not? If not, I’ll get out and find someone else—I’m really running out of time!” Su Chen urged.
“We’ll do it! You need to go to Shashi Airport, right? We’ll take you!”
Now understanding the situation, the two quickly agreed.
The paparazzo behind the wheel stomped on the gas, his face alight with joy, and they sped off.
It made no sense, but Su Chen was their main target today.
It was like the monk had handed them his own flesh—how could they refuse?
If Su Chen wanted them to drive him to Hangzhou, they’d go!
From this moment, whatever Su Chen said, they’d obey.

But before the car left the hotel grounds, Su Chen suddenly remembered something and asked them to stop.
“Wait, gentlemen, just a moment—I still have someone else who needs to get in!” Su Chen said.
He rolled down the window and looked back, spotting the cameraman running frantically behind them.
“Wait for me, Su Chen! I haven’t gotten in yet!”
The cameraman didn’t even have the strength to complain.
He hadn’t opened the door for Su Chen in the morning, now he was forced to chase the car; the most ridiculous part was that Su Chen had left him behind!
If Su Chen escaped today, his paycheck would be gone.
Su Chen was, without question, the hardest star the cameraman had ever tried to film.
In the streaming room, the camera bounced wildly as the cameraman ran, and viewers would normally be nauseated by the shaky footage.
But not a single viewer left; instead, they sent a flood of comments.
“Hahaha! Su Chen is killing me with laughter!”
“Go ahead and laugh; I’m going to feel bad for the cameraman for three seconds first!”
“Don’t you think these two paparazzi are kind of adorable? The confused yet delighted look when the celebrity climbed in—I'm dying!”
“Su Chen: Go ahead and film, you might profit, but I never lose!”
…
Meanwhile, the car was already speeding along the city ring highway, and Su Chen was chatting with his two lucky companions.
At first, the paparazzi were stiff, unsure how to interact with him.
Su Chen felt awkward too—there were cameras everywhere, both for the show and for the livestream.
Even after two lifetimes, this was still a novel experience for him.
But as Su Chen’s approachable aura spread, the atmosphere in the car gradually relaxed.
“Er... Brother Chen, we’ve been secretly filming you for ages—don’t you mind at all?”
“Yeah, you’re the first celebrity to get in our car voluntarily, and you haven’t even cursed at us!”
Unable to resist, they finally asked the question burning in their hearts.
Su Chen replied candidly, “It’s impossible to say I don’t mind, but what good does it do? You’ll take photos regardless.”
He shrugged helplessly. “Rather than being secretly filmed, we might as well do it openly. At least when you’re shooting, I know about it and can prepare.”
“And honestly... I know your job is tough. In the end, everyone’s just trying to make a living. It’s nothing shameful.”

In his past life, Su Chen had been harassed by paparazzi countless times; with all his experience, he knew they could never be chased away.
In fact, the more you tried to avoid them, the more determined they became—the simplest form of reverse psychology.
It was better to cooperate—it benefited everyone.
And, after all, who wouldn’t want a free chauffeur?
Hearing Su Chen’s words, the two paparazzi scratched their heads awkwardly, feeling both moved and guilty.
“Sigh... Brother Chen, sorry! But we really have no choice—it’s how we feed our families. If we don’t work, everyone goes hungry...”
“How about this, it’ll soon be lunchtime. Let us treat you! We can’t afford lobster or abalone, but any chain restaurant—eat as much as you like!”
Su Chen laughed. “That’s a different matter! There’s no reason for you to treat me. Here’s what we’ll do—I'll buy you milk tea later. It’s hot, and everyone’s working hard!”
“When I meet the person I’m picking up, I’ll pose for you—make sure you get some good shots, fair and square!”
Hearing this, the two felt even more ashamed.
Strictly speaking, they’d been called by Xu Fangyuan specifically to dig up dirt on Su Chen.
But Su Chen treated them with sincerity, and they didn’t know how to respond except to continue,
“Brother Chen, really, don’t spend money on us! After what you just said, we insist on buying your lunch!”
“Yeah, and honestly, there’s something we shouldn’t be embarrassed to say—even to you and the live viewers! You’re the first celebrity to treat us like people!”
“Exactly! Most stars have terrible tempers—take Zheng Huayu, for example. He’s a completely different person on and off the screen!”
“Oh? Is that so?” Su Chen raised an eyebrow.
“Zheng Huayu’s not only bad-tempered, but we also heard some news about him and...”
The paparazzi lowered their voices, avoiding the live feed, whispering in Su Chen’s ear.
“Wow! There’s more?”
“Much more! Another person—wait till you hear this explosive news...”
When the paparazzi finished their stories, Su Chen’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
Well, well...
The dirt on Meng Xiaotian and Zheng Huayu was even juicier than he expected.