Chapter 30

Just as he was searching around the railway hospital like a headless fly, following his childhood memories to find the registration and payment point, Liu Changyuan’s parents arrived, their faces tense. "What’s wrong with San’er?"

Bake was also at a loss: "He’s in the emergency department, getting an IV and oxygen. The doctor ordered a bunch of tests like blood and urine..."

The parents quickly took over: "Thank you, little Bake. You should go back to your stall, don’t delay. We have a medical card..."

Alright, Bake looked at the still unconscious Liu Changyuan. The young man’s thin and frail appearance made him feel that being poor was really not an easy job. He shook his head, went out, got on his bike, and closed his stall.

Liu Shufen, probably having heard some gossip, also came to help at the stall. The house was just a few steps away, and she helped the two sisters tidy up. But she left a table for Fang Lingying, and the two sisters tried to put the remaining dishes on a few plates, arranging them nicely. Xiao Yi even had the sense to go to the supermarket and get a bottle of juice to win Bake’s favor.

But when Bake came back, Old Yang had already brought Xiao Shao over and they were sitting down. They had bought two bottles of cold beer from the supermarket and were chatting happily with the small dishes the two sisters had served. The young police officer was openly enthusiastic about Fang Lingying, fussing over her and serving her, which made the family of three feel like they were doing all the work for someone else, making them quite annoyed!

Bake didn’t care, but he subconsciously asked his mother to take his sister home when he saw the old police officer. He sat on the curb, smoking a cigarette, waiting to close the stall.

After all, when he saved Xiao Zhao, he saw Old Yang arrive at the scene and didn’t want him to notice anything. As for the young police officer, Bake didn’t care at all.

But Fang Lingying did care. When she saw him return, she looked like she had seen a savior: "How is Xiao Liu? You didn’t even call to let me know." It wasn’t that she was using Bake as a shield; she just preferred to chat with Bake rather than be harassed.

Old Yang had already discussed the case details with Fang Lingying and had a clear idea of the progress. With the discovery of the initial point where the bullet entered the skull, many of the subsequent deductions were logical. He was more professional and skilled, but it was just that the details were too small, and they hadn’t seen them as sensitively as Bake. Now, he had a few suspects in mind and felt much more relaxed: "This friend’s grilled meat is really good. Why don’t you come sit down and have a drink? Meeting is a kind of fate."

Fang Lingying wasn’t stupid and immediately realized that she had brought some trouble to Bake. The old police officer’s professional habits were completely different from hers. She was first a doctor or a technician, and only secondly a legal worker. She didn’t dig into Bake’s somewhat vague background and suspicious points, but the old police officer was definitely different, especially Xiao Shao, who was a bit jealous of Bake.

So she stood up to defuse the situation: "Alright, we’ve finished talking about the case. I’ve been up for several days, so I’m going to rest. They’re waiting to close the stall."

This time, Xiao Shao wanted to clarify things: "It’s still early. It’s rare for the case to have a lead, and we can take a break. Work is never done. I’m very interested in having a few drinks with this friend. Although I rarely eat at street stalls, it’s really unique." The disdainful tone was no longer hidden.

Bake got up and walked over, casually picking up a plastic chair and sitting down gracefully. He didn’t show any dissatisfaction or arrogance, just a carefree attitude. Only he knew that he truly didn’t care about such words or the invisible class differences, and he could be so open: "It’s just a new experience. If you two are interested in coming again, just let Xiao Fang know. Her friends are my friends, and I’ll prepare some special dishes for you."

He deliberately used a tone that suggested a closer relationship with Fang Lingying, and placed the plastic chair between Old Yang and Fang Lingying, not next to Xiao Shao, to avoid any obvious confrontation. He was also helping Fang Lingying, and even if he was elevating his own status, it was what a friend should do.

But as he stood tall, Fang Lingying stood next to him. In the night, for a moment, they stood side by side. A few strands of her medium-length hair were blown by the night wind in front of his face. Bake casually brushed them away, as if he was helping Fang Lingying tidy up, and then sat down without any fuss. Fang Lingying noticed his deliberate tone and actions, smiled at the corner of her eye, and sat down. Her attitude was a bit different from when she first asked Bake to deliver food.

Sitting down, she leaned slightly toward Bake and whispered: "I told you to call me and tell me about his condition. Why didn’t you say anything?"

Bake responded in a low voice: "His parents came, so I left..."

On the other side of the table, Xiao Shao was fuming!

If he hadn’t tried to maintain his composure, he might have slapped the table and jumped up. Old Yang could see this and knew how to handle it. He extended his right hand: "I’m Yang, just call me Old Yang. I do enjoy good food, and I’ve traveled a lot, enjoying various flavors. I have a bit of a... Northern taste?"

Bake casually shook his hand: "Just call me Bake... I just started this stall, so any advice is welcome." But only he and Old Yang knew that in the dark, after their hands quickly separated, there had been a lot of friction, especially since Bake had taken off his gloves when he went to deliver food!

Old Yang’s eyes had an indescribable look: "A few days ago, there was a hit-and-run accident at the market entrance. Have you heard about it?"

Bake thought, "Here it comes," but his face didn’t change: "I heard about it. It was a group of human traffickers, two men and one woman, with drugs in the car. A lot of people went to see the commotion. I heard about it the next day when I set up my stall."

Fang Lingying really didn’t know about it and was a bit surprised: "There were really human traffickers?"

Bake looked at her: "Do you think it’s all just in storybooks?"

Fang Lingying laughed.

Old Yang’s gaze was fixed on Bake: "But after their accident, they were cut with knives when they got out of the car!"

Bake was unperturbed: "Those scoundrels deserve to be cut! Oh, I’m law-abiding, I’m just expressing my opinion. If I saw something like that, I would definitely report it."

Xiao Shao finally found an opportunity to interject: "Report? I see those two kitchen knives of yours are controlled weapons. You should go to the police station to explain the situation."

Bake casually leaned back in his chair and pointed: "This friend, if you’re interested, you can go through my tricycle. There’s nothing like what you said. Obeying the law is every citizen’s duty."

Xiao Shao knew that Bake had switched things around: "Tricycle... Lingying, you’re a doctoral student with a job. After completing your academic goals, you’ll be a technical director. Eating at street stalls is a new experience, but don’t eat it too often, it’s unhygienic."

Fang Lingying was annoyed by his roundabout way of speaking and couldn’t confront him directly, so she just made a few sounds and picked up the juice to drink, but she secretly made a face at Bake.

Bake’s face was expressionless, and he didn’t bother to argue with the young man. Although they were about the same age, some of his views were different, and he hadn’t been paid to educate him. He picked up the beer bottle and prepared to open it for himself. He had several ways to open a bottle cap by hand, but he didn’t show off and simply reached for the bottle opener.

Perhaps his complete indifference to the young police officer’s existence further irritated him: "I’m talking to you! Know your place. If you’re riding a tricycle, talk to those who ride tricycles. Don’t act like a toad trying to eat a swan!"

Bake didn’t pause in opening the bottle, pouring himself a glass as if he didn’t hear the barking. He was about to clink glasses with Old Yang, and didn’t mind clinking with Xiao Shao, when his phone rang. He picked it up, and it was Liu Changyuan’s parents, almost crying: "Bake! San’er was preliminarily diagnosed with a serious illness and needs surgery immediately. It sounds really scary!"

Bake had bought a cheap knockoff smartphone, and the volume was loud. Fang Lingying and Old Yang both heard it, and Xiao Shao shook his head in derision. Of course, anyone who saw this would categorize Bake as part of the working class.

Bake was brief: "Okay! Don’t worry, I’ll be there soon. If we need to transfer, we’ll do it. Wait for me..." He hung up and got up to leave: "I won’t keep you company. I’ll leave the stuff here; someone will clean it up." After all, it wasn’t worth much.

Fang Lingying also got up: "I’ll go with you. If we need to transfer, I can contact the relevant hospital."

Xiao Shao couldn’t hold back, maybe because he had had a bit of alcohol: "Is this it?! Do you really think you should be sitting on something like this?"

Fang Lingying finally answered directly: "Shao Qiming, I have the right to make any friends. This has nothing to do with our work, and it has nothing to do with you. I hope you pay attention to your words."

Xiao Shao was almost heartbroken: "This jobless, penniless guy has no future, living at the bottom of society. He just wants to deceive girls like you, who are naive, for both money and affection..."

Bake didn’t bother to argue with this gentleman and stepped out onto the road, planning to hail a taxi. The tricycle was already loaded with the grill, and he didn’t want to take it apart.

Unexpectedly, Shao Qiming didn’t let him go, reaching out to pull Fang Lingying: "Don’t be silly. Do you really believe in romance, preferring to laugh on a bicycle rather than cry in a BMW..."

Crunch! A brand new white BMW 3 Series stopped in front of Bake. Ba Dacheng and a coworker jumped out and handed him the keys: "Bake, I heard Xiao San is diagnosed with uremia and needs to be transferred. Use your own car to take them! We’ll clean up the stall!"

Oh, Shao Qiming’s mouth was so wide open that a bottle could fit in!