"The cleaning staff should park in the regular parking lot. This is the staff parking lot. How did you get in?"
The man stammered, "I... I..."
As it happened, the man and one of the parking lot guards came from the same hometown.
This staff parking lot was close to the arena.
If he parked in the public lot, it would be a long walk to the area of the arena he was responsible for cleaning, so he'd asked his fellow townsman to make an exception and let him park here.
But he couldn't tell the truth now. That would be like betraying his fellow townsman.
Wang Yi could see the man was in a difficult position.
He held up a hand to stop the guard from escorting the man out, then said:
"Maybe it's more convenient for him to work from here. Let him park here."
The guard was taken aback, then nodded. "All right, Brother Yi."
The man looked at Wang Yi gratefully. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.
But the child in his arms rubbed his eyes and whimpered, his little hand clutching the man's clothes.
The man hurriedly lowered his head to soothe him, speaking in a soft voice:
"Be good, baby. Once Daddy finishes sweeping, I'll take you home for noodles. You can have the instant noodles you like."
Wang Yi stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling on the redness around the child's eyes and the dusty sleeve of the man's shirt.
He remembered what the guard had just said: this was the staff parking lot, close to the arena. The man had probably brought his child along because he was worried it wouldn't be safe to leave him alone somewhere else.
"You're going inside to clean?"
Wang Yi turned