Saving a life

Zhang Xiu'e and Chen Yuan sat resting on a bench in the mall. Beside them was a bag containing the T-shirt and pants they had just bought.

After a whole morning of shopping, those were the only two things Chen Yuan had bought.

He was fiddling with his new phone, still caught up in the novelty of it.

Zhang Xiu'e watched the people passing by, but her mind kept drifting back to what had happened at the company that morning.

That heavily made-up woman, Li Yan, was Manager Wang Dahai's mistress.

She had no idea what that bitch was thinking. She was already Wang Dahai's mistress, yet she was helping that creep get his hands on Zhang Xiu'e too.

What a fucking bitch!

And that balding Wang Dahai looked like a toad that had taken human form, short and fat.

How could that bitch Li Yan bring herself to kiss him? She would do anything for a few perks.

The more Zhang Xiu'e thought about it, the angrier she grew, and her expression darkened.

Chen Yuan looked up, noticed her expression, and asked, "Sister Ezi, what's wrong?"

Zhang Xiu'e snapped out of her thoughts and waved a hand. "Nothing."

She slipped her phone into her pocket and stood up.

"Come on, I'll take you back. There's nothing else to do this afternoon, so you can get some rest. I'll take you to look at a few factories tomorrow."

Chen Yuan nodded and stood up with her.

They had barely walked out of the mall when Zhang Xiu'e's phone rang.

She took it out and looked. A name flashed on the screen: Wang Dahai.

Zhang Xiu'e frowned.

She hesitated, but answered in the end.

"Hello?"

"Zhang Xiu'e! Where the fuck are you?"

Wang Dahai's voice sounded like a cracked gong over the phone, loud enough to hurt her ears.

She held the phone farther away. "Manager, I'm out."

"Out?"

Wang Dahai's voice grew even louder.

"Li Yan told you to come to my office. Why didn't you come? You've been missing all morning! Do you still want this fucking job or not?"

Zhang Xiu'e took a deep breath. "Manager, I took the morning off. My little brother came to town, and I was helping him buy a few things..."

"Took the morning off? Who approved your leave?"

Wang Dahai wouldn't listen to her explanation.

"Do you even fucking respect me as your manager? Get your ass back to the company right now! If you're not here in half an hour, don't bother coming tomorrow!"

Click!

He hung up.

Zhang Xiu'e gripped her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned pale. Her chest heaved, and her whole body trembled slightly.

Chen Yuan watched her, his brow furrowing.

"Sister Ezi, was that manager giving you trouble?"

Anger flared inside him, burning until his chest felt tight.

Chen Yuan remembered what he had seen outside that office that morning—the creep pawing at Sister Ezi.

Now he was calling to swear at her too.

He stepped forward. "Sister Ezi, how about I go..."

Zhang Xiu'e looked up at Chen Yuan and forced a faint smile.

"It's fine. When you're at someone else's mercy, you have to swallow your pride. I've had this job for two or three years, and the pay is decent. I can't just lose it."

Chen Yuan looked at her and swallowed the words he had been about to say.

"Then go to the company, Sister Ezi. Don't worry about me."

Zhang Xiu'e hesitated. "Will you be okay on your own?"

"I'm not a kid. It's not like I'll get lost."

Zhang Xiu'e realized he had a point, but she was still worried and gave him detailed instructions.

"Head back on your own when you're done looking around. Take the number 10 bus and get off at Garden Gate Station. Walk another two hundred meters, and you'll see an alley. Go in, and it's the third building."

Chen Yuan nodded. "Got it."

Zhang Xiu'e reminded him again, "Call me if anything happens, understand?"

"Understood."

Zhang Xiu'e glanced at him, then turned and hurried away.

After a few steps, she looked back again.

Chen Yuan waved to her.

Only then did Zhang Xiu'e relax and disappear into the crowd.

Chen Yuan stood there, staring for a moment in the direction Sister Ezi had gone. His fists clenched without him realizing it.

That balding creep. Sooner or later, I'll make him pay!

Bag in hand, Chen Yuan turned and walked in the other direction.

He didn't feel like shopping anymore. He had only said he wanted to look around some more so Sister Ezi could go to work without worrying.

He didn't intend to take the bus either.

He just wanted to walk, take in the city, and learn his way around.

Deep City was enormous!

The buildings were tall, the roads were wide, and there were people everywhere.

Everywhere he looked were things he had never seen before. Chen Yuan took it all in as he walked and didn't feel tired.

After about half an hour, a piercing screech suddenly came from up ahead.

Then there was an enormous crash!

Chen Yuan jerked his head up, his gaze snapping to the intersection ahead as his pupils contracted.

A black sedan had flipped completely upside down and lay crooked on the road with all four wheels in the air. An ugly dent marred its body, and wisps of black smoke rose from its underside, spreading an acrid, scorched smell through the air.

It was as if someone had hit pause on the bustling intersection, leaving a stunned, deathly silence.

The cars on the road had all stopped, but no one dared approach.

The smoke grew thicker, and faint tongues of flame began flickering beneath the car.

"Run! It's going to explode!"

Someone shouted, and all the onlookers backed away.

But instead of retreating, Chen Yuan charged forward.

He reached the overturned sedan and crouched down. Someone was trapped in the back seat.

It was an elderly man with graying hair, suspended upside down in his seat by the seat belt. His face was covered in blood, but he was still conscious.

The door was warped and wouldn't open.

Flames crept toward them from the front of the car, drawing closer and closer!

Chen Yuan grabbed the door and pulled, but it wouldn't budge.

He stood up, took a deep breath, gripped the edge of the door with both hands, and heaved.

Creeeak—

Chen Yuan wrenched the door open by sheer force!

He bent down and crawled inside, reaching to unfasten the old man's seat belt.

Click!

The seat belt released.

The old man dropped, but Chen Yuan caught him and dragged him out of the car.

The fire had already reached the middle of the car, and the thick smoke stung their eyes so badly they could barely keep them open.

Chen Yuan hoisted the old man onto his back and ran.

He had barely made it a dozen meters when a deafening blast erupted behind him.

Boom!

The car exploded.

Flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke billowed. A wave of heat struck Chen Yuan from behind, making him stumble forward a step.

He steadied himself and glanced back.

The entire car was burning, with flames leaping higher than a person.

He carried the old man farther away at a brisk pace, then gently set him down once he was sure they were safe.

The old man sat on the ground against a roadside tree, panting heavily. His face was bloody and he had injuries elsewhere, but he still seemed alert.

As he looked at the exploded car, a hard glint flashed through his eyes.

Chen Yuan noticed it, and something stirred in his mind.

He had a feeling this old man was no ordinary person.

After catching his breath for a while, the old man turned to Chen Yuan.

"Young man, thank you for saving my life."

Chen Yuan shook his head. "It's nothing."

The old man looked him up and down.

"What's your name? Could you give me your contact details? I'd like to thank you properly later."

Just as Chen Yuan was about to speak, hurried footsteps approached.

A group of seven or eight men in black rushed over. Every one of them was broad and burly, wearing a black suit and an earpiece.

Leading them was a man in his forties with a fierce face who looked like someone best not crossed.

He rushed up and shoved Chen Yuan aside.

"Move!"

The shove sent Chen Yuan stumbling to one side.

The middle-aged man crouched down and supported the old man, his face full of worry.

"Sir! Are you all right? Where are you hurt? I'll call an ambulance right away!"

The old man looked at him, speechless.

The middle-aged man kept babbling. "I told you not to come out alone, but you wouldn't listen. And now look! If something happened to you, how would I explain it to..."

"Get away!"

The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it carried unmistakable authority.

The middle-aged man froze. "Sir..."

The old man raised a hand and shoved him aside.

"Get out of my way!"

The middle-aged man landed on the ground, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

The old man hurriedly looked for the young man who had saved him, only to find that he had already slipped away without a sound.

The old man frowned.

The middle-aged man climbed to his feet and came closer. "Sir, who are you looking for?"

The old man glared at him.

"A young man just saved my life, and the moment you arrived, you shoved him aside."

The middle-aged man froze. "I... I didn't know."

The old man said nothing and looked around again.

There was still no sign of him.

He turned back to the middle-aged man, his gaze as cold and sharp as a blade, almost murderous.

The middle-aged man shrank back and scratched his head awkwardly.

The old man took a deep breath and ignored him.

He looked at the burning car again, his gaze sharpening once more.

There was more to this than met the eye!