Chapter 65

After getting back on the motorcycle, Zhou Xiaoli was mostly silent. Only when they got off and returned to the real estate agency did she ask, “Do you think... the car wash business is real?”

Bak might have been pondering why people often didn’t trust him, given his past few years’ experiences that were hard to believe: “If I did it alone, I wouldn’t have much confidence. You’re a hardworking and reliable person. If you’re interested, we can do it together. If we save some money from buying a house, we can use it as startup capital. If not, I’ll have to borrow money from my sister.”

Zhou Xiaoli was sharp: “You have a sister?”

Bak steered the motorcycle towards the car wash: “I also have parents. Hurry up with the house purchase procedures; we can’t live at home anymore.”

The black girl’s mind was filled with many thoughts as she turned back to the office. Of course, what greeted her was a chorus of noisy colleagues: “Is it real? Can a car washer really buy a white-collar housing complex?”

“Did you check the bank card? Is the password real? Is there money in the account?”

“Come on, I have a POS machine here. Open it and check your account?”

Zhou Xiaoli, known for her straightforwardness, resumed her usual self, taking out the agency contract to fill it out: “I checked, no problem. Why are you all so picky? This is a client I’ve been following for over half a month. Hard work pays off. You all look down on car washers, but if I’m serious, I should get my commission.” Generally, the company charges buyers a commission, plus various fees, totaling over ten thousand yuan, with salespeople getting a commission of one or two thousand. It’s definitely more than what Fang Lingying and her team earn from solving a case.

For some reason, she didn’t want to check the card to see if it was real. Regardless of whether it was real or not, it was better to maintain a good mood for a while. Besides, she truly believed there was money in the card.

She also didn’t want to check the account immediately. She felt that doing so would make their relationship seem like a purely financial transaction, which she disliked.

However, when the sly Manager Chen came out, the crowd immediately dispersed: “Are you all idle? Without registering the transaction at the market, anything can happen. Haven’t you closed any sales? Get back to work. Is this month’s sales performance good?”

He glanced at the black girl, who was straightening her back and signing the agency contract, with a hint of barely suppressed resentment.

Zhou Xiaoli ignored him and focused on her work. There was still a lot to do: contacting the owner to negotiate the price, signing the sales contract, and then a series of procedures for the property certificate and stamp duty. She was determined to handle everything.

Bak didn’t have such determination. He went back to the car wash and continued his lazy work. The young guys found time to ask if he had won over the black beauty next door. If he had, they insisted he treat them to a celebration. After a round of laughter and scolding, the car washers took out their phones to show him the expensive SUVs they had seen today, asking Bak to confirm their arguments.

Bak was confident: “Yeah, it’s definitely not the original. It’s a modified version. I haven’t seen this new model before, but it’s definitely expensive.”

The others laughed and asked about the white supercar he had driven last time, purely for the fun of it. Bak talked about his experience while working, thinking that running a car wash seemed like a good choice.

But since Fang Lingying had introduced him to a friend’s car wash, would it be unfair to become a competitor?

Bak, who was used to being fair, was a bit hesitant. Of course, he could open the car wash somewhere else.

In any case, he had many thoughts in his mind. He felt that the things he was considering were quite practical. At least he was thinking about problems in a way that a person in the lower-middle class should. He would wait a few more months until he had more money, then decide what to do. If necessary, he could give the car wash to the hardworking black girl.

Bak didn’t mind being a living Lei Feng. Why not give hope to someone willing to work hard?

Even if he wasn’t a military doctor anymore, he was still treating people’s lives!

Thinking this way, the rough Bak felt even more noble.

However, after eating noodles and squatting outside the real estate agency to look at the beautiful billboards, more agency employees came out to greet him: “Mr. Bak, do you have any other property needs?”

Especially Gu Qian, who treated him like a VIP with a smile: “Would you like me to treat you to beef noodles?”

Bak politely declined: “I’m broke! I only have this much left.”

Gu Qian, familiar with his ways, sneered: “Just because Xiao Li is pretty, right? Humph! Wait until I lose weight... I’ll show you!”

Bak laughed heartily with the car washers, but his eyes caught Manager Chen coming out and walking towards the billboard. Unconsciously, he looked at Bak, then turned and walked to the other side of the street.

Bak was suspicious. If he had beaten him up before, it would be understandable, but yesterday he had only teased him with a chair. The nervous look on his face was strange.

There’s a saying that no story is complete without coincidences. Many stories are full of coincidences, but in reality, everything happens around each person. The key is whether one has a keen eye and a heart that pays attention to the surroundings.

If Bak hadn’t noticed the human trafficker carrying Xiao Zhao across the street, the family of three might have disappeared into the crowd, and the fate of the little girl could have been tragic. He might not have even known about it.

If Bak hadn’t subconsciously reacted to the danger on the road, the kidnapping might have taken a different course.

In fact, Bak, like the old police officer surnamed Yang, had a suspicious and vigilant heart.

He casually asked: “Where’s Xiao Li? Why haven’t I seen her out for a walk with you?”

Gu Qian mocked him: “Do you really think buying a house means you’ve got Xiao Li? Many big clients ask about her every month.”

Bak didn’t argue with her, stood up, and asked: “Not in the office?”

Gu Qian noticed a change in his tone: “Yeah, she got a call. A client wanted to see a house, so she went out.”

Bak stood up, using his height to glance at Manager Chen, who seemed to be circling around and deliberately crossing the street, casually avoiding attention and taking a taxi.

He hesitated, wondering if he was being too paranoid. Even in the war zone, he didn’t have such a sure feeling. So, he hesitated, and the taxi sped away.

Bak almost comforted himself to relax like a normal person and squatted back down. But this time, he felt uneasy.

He had a strange sensitivity to Manager Chen’s evasive behavior.

He chatted with his coworkers absentmindedly, then stood up and told the young guys: “I’m going out for a bit. If a car comes, help move it. Be careful.” Getting their response, he rode the motorcycle and slowly followed the direction the taxi had taken.

He had no idea what he was doing, just trying to ease his mind, like a lookout before a battle, feeling something was off.

As if by telepathy, the old flip phone suddenly rang. Bak, who had been holding it, answered immediately: “Hello?”

The voice was calm but distant: “Sunshine Garden, Building 3, 4-3... I...” and then it went silent, but the call didn’t disconnect!

Bak couldn’t hear anything else, but the weak tone of Zhou Xiaoli made him feel regretful!

He had missed the crucial moment, maybe just those few minutes of hesitation!

He thought of Nan Nan’s mother. Later, he had reflected that if he had acted immediately when he first saw Xiao Zhao, grabbed the child, and followed the direction to find Xiao Yi, he might have found her before her mother passed away. As long as she had a breath left, he had more than a 50% chance of saving her life!

Of course, his current reaction was swift. He had been working in the area for a while and knew the layout of the surrounding housing complexes. The old motorcycle screeched to a halt, avoiding a car that was also braking and cursing, then sped into a side alley, heading straight for the neighborhood three blocks away.

An old neighborhood built over ten years ago, with low-rise buildings but large areas, it was a place where the early rich had moved in.

The square neighborhood was large, with grand arch-style gates on all four sides. Though old, the security guards were still quite intimidating: “What’s the motorcycle doing... not allowed...”

Before they could finish, they were stunned to see the motorcycle suddenly rush onto the sidewalk, ignoring the barrier, and precisely pass through the narrow stainless steel fence!

Bak even managed to grab a rubber baton from the guard’s window!

With his habit of using anything as a weapon, grabbing the baton was just a reflex.

He then rushed to Building 3 according to the sign inside the gate. He saw Manager Chen, looking panicked, coming down the elevator. Without waiting for the guards who were shouting and following, Bak swung the baton horizontally!

The speed of the motorcycle, the force of the swing, and the fact that Chen was running towards him, not noticing Bak, combined to knock him down with a powerful blow!

A hard hit to the chest, and Chen’s vision went black!

His glasses flew off, and he was thrown back!

Bak didn’t even look at him, letting the motorcycle slide into a flower bed, and jumped off, rushing up the stairs with the rubber baton.