ABT ### Chapter 62: Landlubber and Mermaid

The company was facing a significant crisis, but the boss, Li Fanyu, had no clue. At that moment, he was clinging to the plastic ladder by the swimming pool in his briefs, determined to hold on for dear life.

“I’m not learning! I’m absolutely not learning!” he declared indignantly.

Nearby, Cheng Ke was in the water, wearing a black one-piece swimsuit that accentuated her slightly plump yet tender body. She grabbed Li Fanyu's arm and shook it playfully. "Brother Fan, Brother Fan... Just swim one more time."

Li Fanyu clung tightly to the ladder. "I can't. I've had enough to drink already. If I drink any more, I might wet the bed tonight. Ugh..." He finished with a satisfied burp. Ah, the taste of sodium hypochlorite...

Cheng Ke's big eyes twinkled mischievously. She let go of him and dived underwater, performing a graceful spin around him. Without a swim cap, her long black hair spread out in the water, making her look like a little mermaid.

Just as Li Fanyu was spitting out water, he felt a warm touch on his ankle. He instantly lost his balance and, with a yelp, fell into the water. He flailed desperately, thinking, "The city is full of traps!"

The reason Cheng Ke had dragged him to learn to swim was due to a small gathering of their group of five the previous day. While having hot pot, they idly discussed their dreams. Following Xu Fufang’s suggestion, each of them made a list of their recent aspirations. Li Fanyu, with no grand ambitions, quickly wrote down four goals: build his own car, get a driver's license within six months, go diving in the ocean if he had the chance, and get married before turning thirty.

However, he reconsidered and crossed out the diving goal. Despite his fascination with the colorful underwater world, he couldn’t swim. Cheng Ke, curious about his change of heart, confidently offered to teach him how to swim. This led to today’s visit to the swimming pool.

Even though Tiancheng was a coastal city, Li Fanyu was a hopeless landlubber. During primary school, his class had organized swimming lessons, but he nearly drove the coach insane. Unlike others who naturally floated, Li Fanyu sank immediately, earning the nickname "submarine" from his classmates. Humiliated, he abandoned any desire to learn swimming and focused on being a land creature.

Now, dragged into the water by Cheng Ke, he screamed and flailed, causing a commotion and splashing water high enough to alarm the lifeguard. Cheng Ke quickly pulled him up and waved off the approaching lifeguard, signaling that she had it under control.

“Oh, you need to relax. If your body is tense, of course you’ll sink.” She pushed her hair back and floated in the water.

Li Fanyu, paddling awkwardly like a frog, pleaded, “Ke Ke, I think not knowing how to swim is really fine! Please let me go up!”

In the water, Li Fanyu's attributes were almost zero. He was like a powerless ragdoll. This feeling of control made Ke Ke reluctant to let him go. Enjoying herself too much, she wouldn't allow Li Fanyu to get out of the pool.

“Come on, I’m teaching you! I’ll support you from behind. Just relax and practice treading water. Once you can stand in the water, you’re almost there.”

With that, Cheng Ke turned Li Fanyu around, wrapped her arms around his waist, and held him up slightly. Her breath brushed his neck, and a soft sensation on his back sent a shiver down his spine.

He wore a bewildered expression as he mechanically treaded water, but he didn't notice the blush on Cheng Ke's cheeks behind him.

After tossing and turning all morning, Li Fanyu still hadn't learned to swim.

Well, it wasn't because Cheng Ke was a bad teacher.

It was just that having such an energetic beauty teach him so intimately was bound to be distracting! Damn it!

Frequent physical contact made Li Fanyu, who was already nervous, stiff all over — including a certain hidden area.

What's the point of learning to swim like this? Instead of concentrating on reciting the Heart Sutra silently, he was busy trying to hide the tent in his swim trunks!

After Cheng Ke finished showering and wrapped a large towel around her head, looking as fresh as a lotus, she felt a little shy when she saw Li Fanyu waiting for her at the door.

A moment later, she pretended to be disdainful and said coquettishly to Li Fanyu, "You're really clumsy. Even I, such a good teacher, can't teach you. But I like challenges. Let's continue next week. I'll call you then. I'm off now, bye!"

With that, she quickly walked away.

Li Fanyu watched her leave and resolutely returned to the swimming pool. He grabbed a lifeguard who was teaching a group of children and solemnly said, "Coach, I want to learn to swim!"

The lifeguard looked at him earnestly, his eyelids twitching — wasn't that girl clearly hinting at something? Are you an idiot?

Adhering to the principle of being a gentleman and helping others achieve their goals, the lifeguard politely refused his request.

Feeling frustrated, Li Fanyu left the swimming pool. When he checked his phone for the time, he realized there were more than ten missed calls from the company.

After calling Pan Qiang and inquiring about the situation, he learned about everything that had happened that morning.

He quickly hailed a taxi and rushed to the company.

The company was crowded with people, and the threshold of the cashier area was almost broken through. Customers waiting to exchange and buy cars formed long queues.

Knowing the ins and outs of the situation, Li Fanyu was no longer worried and began to wander around the company.

When he reached the X modification workshop, he exclaimed, "Oh!" — The modified Toyota Hilux was missing!

After the modification was completed, he parked the car in front of the modification workshop, but since it was almost closing time, he didn't inform the sales department.

Could it have been taken back by a salesperson who didn't know the details and sold it?

He quickly found the head of the sales team and asked about the whereabouts of the Hilux, making the head look worried.

The salespeople who didn't know the situation were almost in tears. This was the boss's car. If it was sold, how could it be justified?!

He quickly used the intercom to inquire with each sales group, and soon found out where the Hilux had gone.

"Mr. Li, wasn't that car delivered to the police station? Since the car wasn't painted, the salespeople thought it was specially prepared for the criminal investigation team by you, so they drove it away. Do you want me to retrieve it for you?"

Damn it! That was the car I had modified and was planning to keep for myself! They've taken it away, and now there's a reason to get it back?

Li Fanyu felt a twitch in his heart. He had wasted so much of his materials.

Well, there's nothing he could do about it. When his driver's license arrived, he would find another good car to modify. Let it go cheap to the criminal investigation team!

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