Gray led the way, dragging Chen Fan onto a train that sped west. During the journey, Chen Fan constantly grumbled about his stomach rumbling and needing to use the toilet, making Gray only groan in annoyance. They got off in a city that was unfamiliar to Chen Fan, then walked through the dense crowd.
"Wait!" Chen Fan held out his hand, stopping Gray in the middle of the street.
"Huh? What is it now?" Gray turned, his impatient expression clear. "All this time, you've been saying you're hungry or you need to go to the bathroom. What is it this time?"
Chen Fan was not embarrassed at all. He pointed his thumb at the people on the street, then pointed at himself. "Don't you think what I'm wearing is too conspicuous?"
Gray glanced around. Sure enough, many pairs of eyes were staring at them, especially Chen Fan. His clothes, although no longer his own, still attracted attention.
"In that case, just wear mine," Gray said as he began to take off his shirt.
"Oh, for goodness sake...!"
"Bang!"
A sharp kick from Chen Fan sent Gray flying. He tumbled along the sidewalk, causing several pedestrians to dodge out of the way.
"What are you doing?!" Gray got up furiously, jumping to his feet.
Chen Fan pointed at the clothes on the ground, then at the people whispering around them. Gray looked down; the people around him were giving him strange looks, whispering words like, "Pervert, weirdo, exhibitionist." Gray's expression changed from anger to embarrassment, his face turning beet red.
"Ah, damn it." Gray quickly picked up his shirt and put it back on, then glared at Chen Fan with annoyance.
Chen Fan looked to the left and right, then waved his hand. "Follow me."
Gray, who was confused, followed Chen Fan. They stopped in front of a very luxurious clothing boutique. Gray saw that the logo on the store was a 'swoosh', a brand called 'Nike' that was very popular.
As Gray followed Chen Fan inside, all the sales staff stood neatly in two rows and shouted loudly, "Welcome, Boss!"
Gray's eyes widened. He was half-dead from shock, but Chen Fan casually waved his hand. "Good job, everyone."
"No problem at all!"
"Alright, get back to work." After Chen Fan spoke, everyone dispersed, leaving one person at Chen Fan's side.
Gray was completely bewildered. He grabbed one of the passing attendants and asked, "Who is Chen Fan to you all?"
"He's the Boss! You're with the Boss, but you don't know? The Boss's business is very extensive; he has ventures in almost every industry. Brands like Adidas, Li-Ning, Kappa... they're all his!" The more the attendant spoke, the more excited he became, as if he had been poisoned by Chen Fan's influence.
Gray's mouth opened wider and wider. He knew Chen Fan was rich, but he had never imagined he was this rich. Chen Fan's businesses had spread throughout the country. No wonder the Magic Council had to bend to his will.
A moment later, someone walked out of a room, patted the still-gawking Gray, and said, "Alright, let's go."
Gray stared at the person blankly. "Uh, who are you?"
"Bang!" Chen Fan pressed Gray down. "Who else but me? It's me, Chen Fan, your Brother Chen!"
"Chen Fan?!" Gray's eyes widened as he scrutinized Chen Fan from head to toe. Chen Fan was wearing all-white sports attire with the 'Nike' logo—a jacket, pants, sneakers, and a trendy, casual cap. His black stubble framed his face perfectly, neither too long nor too short. He looked like a bright, handsome young man.
The contrast with the usual "degenerate uncle" image he displayed was so great, it left Gray dumbfounded.
"Bang!" Chen Fan smacked Gray's head. "Had enough staring? If so, let's go." He walked ahead, with Gray following behind him in a daze. It wasn't until Chen Fan started walking in an odd direction that Gray snapped out of it and took the lead again, though his eyes still occasionally darted towards Chen Fan, making Chen Fan feel uneasy.
After reaching the port, Chen Fan and Gray saw Natsu and Lucy. Natsu was busy looking for a boat to Galuna Island. Gray quietly approached, while Chen Fan followed him slowly.
"Found you!" Gray patted Natsu and Lucy on the shoulders from behind, making them jump in surprise.
"Gray! What are you doing here?!" Natsu yelled in shock.
Gray said with a helpless tone. "That old man sent us to pick you up."
"Ah... have we been found out?!" Natsu looked around with a fearful expression, "By the way, who is 'us'? Is it Erza?!" When he didn't see Erza's figure, he breathed a sigh of relief. And our protagonist, Chen Fan, was completely ignored, making his eyebrow twitch in annoyance.
"You might not be expelled from Fairy Tail yet. Let's go back," Gray continued.
"Expelled..." Lucy mumbled with a little fear on her face.
Seeing that Erza wasn't there, Natsu's confidence returned. He said firmly, "No! I'm going to complete the S-rank mission!"
"With your strength, you won't be able to complete it. If Erza finds out about this, you two..." Gray exaggerated the danger, scaring Natsu, Lucy, and Happy.
And Happy, the little cat, unfaithfully flew right behind Gray's shoulder to hide. "Gray, save me! They're the ones who forced me!"
"Traitor!" Lucy yelled at Happy.
"I want Erza to see me in a new light. I won't give up here," Natsu said with a serious expression.
"This is a direct order from the Master. Even if we have to use force, we'll take you back. Don't blame us if you get hurt." While speaking, Gray activated the magic circle in his right hand, and ice shards appeared in his palm.
"Let's fight, you bastard!" Fire also appeared in Natsu's hands.
"Now, now, now, let's talk nicely, don't fight," Chen Fan, who couldn't take it anymore, waved his hand and interrupted.
Natsu turned to Chen Fan with a little confusion. "I've been wondering for a while, who is this guy?"
Gray also turned and looked at Chen Fan, then replied with a confused expression, "I don't know him either."
Chen Fan closed his eyes, his forehead twitching with a "well" symbol on his head. He roared at Natsu and Gray, "IT'S ME, CHEN FAN! AAAAAH!"
Natsu and his friends covered their ears in pain, kneeling on the ground. Seeing them like that, Chen Fan felt much more relieved. He closed his eyes, feeling immense satisfaction.
"Chen Fan..."
"Chen Fan..."
"The pervert..."
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