Chapter 902: The Meeting

Zhou Xiao, bored and restless, lay down on the tattered bed and told Tao Yueyue, “Wake me up if anything happens.”

Sitting in the dark, Tao Yueyue grew bored. She took out the syringe several times, glancing at Zhou Xiao. She knew she couldn’t act with so many beggars around.

A soft thud interrupted her thoughts. In the moonlight, she saw a ball roll to the door. She picked it up and saw a little boy sitting among the junk. She tossed the ball back, and he caught it and threw it again.

They played catch for a while. The boy’s smile grew brighter. At one point, Tao Yueyue threw the ball too far, and the boy moved to retrieve it. She then noticed he had no lower body, just a board with four wheels.

The sight shocked her, making her appreciate the simple blessing of having all her limbs. When the boy tossed the ball back again, her distraction caused her to miss it. The boy rolled over and looked up at her, saying, “Sister, let me show you my treasures!”

“Oh, okay…” Tao Yueyue smiled. A few beggars played cards and smoked under a dim lamp nearby, ignoring the two children.

The boy excitedly showed her his collection of junk. Tao Yueyue, not good with children, simply smiled and listened. The boy asked, “Sister, can you play with me every day?”

“I’m afraid not. I have to leave when the sun rises.”

“But ‘Daddy’ said you’d stay with us.”

“Which one is your ‘Daddy’?”

“He was here just now. He must have gone out.”

A chilling premonition hit her. She immediately woke Zhou Xiao, saying, “The beggars are planning to attack you.”

“Are you sure?”

She relayed the boy’s information. Zhou Xiao sneered, “Damn it, even beggars want to take me down.”

“Please don’t kill anyone…”

“I’m not stupid enough to fight the city beggars.” Zhou Xiao got up.

As they prepared to leave, the boy looked sad. The beggars playing cards suddenly stood up. “Where are you going?”

“We have something to do.”

“Sorry, you can’t leave.”

“Why not? There were five of you earlier. One’s missing. Did he go to snitch? Want to claim the bounty on my head?”

“People die for money, Zhou. You have to understand.”

Despite the friendly tone, four knives appeared in their hands. The beggars surrounded them.

Tao Yueyue hid behind Zhou Xiao, who laughed and pulled out his own knife. “Come on if you’re not afraid to die!”

His roar made them hesitate. They exchanged nervous glances but none dared to be the first to attack.

In this tense standoff, Zhou Xiao slowly moved to the staircase with Tao Yueyue. “Run!” he yelled. Tao Yueyue dashed down the stairs with Zhou Xiao close behind.

Realizing their prey was escaping, the beggars shouted, “Get them!”

Zhou Xiao grabbed a shovel from the ground and hid behind a pillar. As the beggars charged, he swung the shovel, knocking one out. He then swiftly took down the remaining three, leaving them unconscious or groaning on the ground.

“Let’s go,” Zhou Xiao said, dropping the shovel.

They found a safe place, and Zhou Xiao exhaled in relief. “Damn maggots!”

He turned to Tao Yueyue, “Remember, in this world, the weak are preyed upon. You need to shed some blood to make people fear you. Survival of the fittest is the only law.”

As dawn broke, Tao Yueyue asked, “Where are we going now?”

Zhou Xiao checked the wallet Tao Yueyue had stolen. “We’ve got some money. Let’s get breakfast.”

Tao Yueyue nodded.

On the streets, cleaners began their work and early risers exercised. The city felt different through Tao Yueyue’s eyes. For Zhou Xiao, it was a primitive jungle.

The smell of breakfast wafted through the air. Zhou Xiao approached a stall selling fried dough sticks. He grabbed one from the fryer, eating it as he ordered, “Twenty sticks and four bowls of tofu pudding.”

“I can’t eat that much…” Tao Yueyue said softly.

“How much do you want?”

She eyed the large, greasy sticks. “One stick and one bowl of tofu pudding.”

“Twenty-one sticks and five bowls of tofu pudding,” Zhou Xiao corrected.

They sat down, and Zhou Xiao devoured the dough sticks with his dirty hands, shoving them into his mouth and washing them down with hot tofu pudding.

Nearby, a mother and son were eating. “Eat slowly. The exam starts at 8:30,” the mother said.

“I’m done.”

“Wipe your hands. Here, drink this tonic.”

“Mom, I want soda.”

“Drink the tonic first, then you can have soda.”

Tao Yueyue watched them with envy. Even if Zhou Xiao let her take the exams now, it was too late. She had no admission ticket or the qualifications to take the test. Zhou Xiao said, “Still thinking about the exams? They’re useless. A college degree doesn’t stop you from getting exploited by a boss. To make money, you can’t go the straight path.”

“Ling Shuang is a college professor,” Tao Yueyue retorted.

Zhou Xiao was momentarily speechless. He wiped his greasy hands on an old man’s hat nearby, saying, “Ling Shuang joined us later than you.”

“Alright,” Tao Yueyue didn’t want to argue.

Zhou Xiao finished the last dough stick. His phone rang, and he had a brief conversation before removing the SIM card, breaking it, and tossing it into a chili sauce jar. “Let’s go.”

They crossed the street to another neighborhood, watching from behind a fence. Zhou Xiao’s paranoia was extreme. Even for a meeting, he wouldn’t stand in one spot.

Every time he finished a cigarette, he stuck the butt into the flowerbeds. After defiling all the flowers, the fat man appeared with a small backpack.

“Yueyue, bring him over,” Zhou Xiao ordered.

Tao Yueyue approached the fat man, who clutched his bag defensively. “Who are you?!”

She pointed across the street, “Uncle Zhou is waiting for you.”

Recognizing Zhou Xiao, the fat man crossed the street. “Zhou, why did you leave? I’ve been wandering with all this cash.”

“Let’s see it.”

The fat man opened the bag, revealing bundles of cash. Zhou Xiao picked one up, flipping through it and smelling the money. “Your wife is already dead.”

“No, ex-wife,” the fat man corrected with a smile.