At that moment, the old phone on Zhang Tao's bedside suddenly buzzed with vibration.
The caller ID showed it was his mother.
Zhang Tao took a deep breath, rubbed his face vigorously, and forced a relaxed tone before answering the call.
"Hey, Mom, have you eaten yet?"
His mother's worried voice immediately came through the phone.
"Tao, how’s your dad? What did the doctor say?"
Zhang Tao glanced at his father, still asleep on the hospital bed, and replied, "Mom, don’t worry! The doctors here are very experienced with this condition. A specialist will perform the surgery, and the success rate is really high."
"Really? That’s good, that’s good…" His mother’s voice noticeably relaxed.
"Tao, do you have enough money? I sold all the eggs we saved at home and borrowed some from Aunt Liu in the east end of the village. I managed to scrape together three thousand yuan—I’ll wire it to you tomorrow. I’ll also check with your uncle to see if we can borrow more…"
"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? Don’t worry about the money. Your son’s doing great now—I work at a big company, a really proper one. They even give me insurance, and my bonuses have doubled. Money’s not an issue!"
Zhang Tao emphasized the company because his rebellious past had left a terrible impression on his parents, making them skeptical he could ever hold a decent job.
If he hadn’t genuinely changed and turned his life around, his mother probably wouldn’t have believed him.
"Tao, if the company’s that good, won’t taking leave cause trouble? Once I gather more money, I’ll come relieve you. You can’t afford to lose such a good job."
"It’s fine. The b—boss treats me really well. Just stay home, eat well, and take care of yourself. Don’t overthink it. I’ve got Dad covered, so don’t worry!"
"Oh, and Mom, Dad’s room has a window—he can even get some sun. The doctors and nurses are super attentive, so just relax, okay?"
"Alright, alright, that’s good…"
"You’re working hard taking care of your dad. Make sure you eat on time and don’t exhaust yourself."
"Yeah, yeah, I’m eating fine, Mom. Don’t worry!"
"Mom, the doctor’s here for rounds. I’ve gotta go. Take care of yourself!"
"Okay! You go ahead!"
The call ended abruptly.
Zhang Tao gripped his phone, the forced smile vanishing instantly as pressure weighed on his chest like a boulder.
Having a sick family member was mentally and physically exhausting—no wonder the old saying went, "No filial son by a long-sickbed."
He checked his phone messages again, feeling a pang of disappointment.
Just then, his father woke up.
Zhang Tao quickly composed himself and hurried over.
"Dad, you’re awake? How do you feel? Want some water?"
"I’m not thirsty."
"Then do you want something to eat? I’ll go buy you something."
His father didn’t seem hungry, but seeing his son’s expectant look, he nodded. "Something light will do."
"Got it."
Zhang Tao helped his father sit up. "I’ll go get your food. Enjoy the sunlight for now."
The area around the hospital was always crowded, especially at mealtimes, with small restaurants packed with patients’ families and medical staff.
Not wanting to go far, Zhang Tao headed toward an alley behind the hospital, where several affordable eateries served reasonably priced meals.
He had barely stepped into the alley when frantic footsteps and angry shouts erupted ahead.
"Stop right there, you little shit! Keep running and I’ll skin you alive, you hear me?!"
"Damn brat, daring to peep at Big Sis’s bath? Today, we’re stripping you down to your underwear!"
"Brother Pao! He ran into a dead end—nowhere to escape now!"
"........"
Before Zhang Tao could process what was happening, a white-haired youth darted past him like a startled rat, even stirring up a gust of wind.
The way he ran looked oddly familiar.
Come to think of it, back when he was with Brother Ma, they’d chased a guy named Hua Muying just like this, cornering him in a similar dead-end alley.
That guy had almost been stripped naked…
Hua Muying?
Huh? No way it’s him, right?
Before Zhang Tao could recall whether the fleeing guy resembled Hua Muying, the white-haired youth backtracked and stopped right beside him.
From both ends of the alley, five or six thugs with dyed hair emerged, blocking their escape.
"What a coincidence, Brother Tao! Fancy meeting you here. Are the Wanlong Brotherhood guys coming too?"
To his surprise, Zhang Tao took three steps back, distancing himself, and clasped his hands at the thugs. "Gentlemen, I don’t know this guy. I’m just passing through. Do what you gotta do—I need to buy food for my dad, so I’ll skip the drama."
Hua Muying: "........"
Seriously? That cold?
After all, he’d once helped Miss Liu Yutong. Even if Zhang Tao wouldn’t lend a hand, pretending not to know him was too much!
"Hey, hold on, Brother Tao! Where’s the Wanlong Brotherhood loyalty? Back when you chased me, you were the one leading the pack, almost got me running naked! Now you’re playing dumb?!"
Zhang Tao kept denying it. "Gentlemen, I swear I’m not close with him. This guy’s clearly a pathological liar. And let’s be real—a decent guy like me would never associate with a pervert who peeps at women bathing!"
Hua Muying nearly choked on anger. "Damn it, Zhang Tao, you bastard! Who peeped? I just happened to pass by, happened to open the door, and happened to hear the bathroom faucet leaking. Water waste is shameful, so I tried to help turn it off—next thing I know, I’m framed as a peeping Tom!"
"Hua Muying, shut the hell up! Keep yapping and I’ll help them strip you myself!"
Brother Pao crossed his arms, sneering at their back-and-forth.
"Ha! Keep acting! Putting on a show for me? Think I’m stupid enough to buy this?"
"Whether you know each other or not, since you’re here, you’re both screwed. Let’s teach ‘em a lesson!"
The thugs closed in, gripping baseball bats.
Zhang Tao was beyond frustrated. All he wanted was to buy his father a meal—he had no intention of fighting.
Winning wasn’t even the issue; if he got arrested, who’d take care of his dad?
Keeping a wary eye on Brother Pao’s gang, he shot Hua Muying a glare.
"Running into you always means trouble!"
"Relax, Brother Tao! Let’s team up and show ‘em what the Wanlong Brotherhood is made of—OW! What the hell?! Who just stabbed my kidney?!"
Seeing the stick about to come down again, Hua Muying instantly surrendered, raising both hands in panic: "Big bro, big bro, spare me! I give up, I surrender!"
Brother Pao, noticing how spineless this guy was, sneered in disdain but still raised a hand to signal his lackeys to hold off.
"Now you admit you’re wrong? Where was this attitude earlier? Let me tell you, kid—"
Brother Pao, playing the classic villain, sure loved his monologues.
But just as he was mid-sentence, Zhang Tao struck without warning.
From whipping out the telescopic baton to lunging forward, to the baseball bat clattering to the ground and Brother Pao crumpling while clutching his groin—the whole thing took mere seconds.
...
