Chapter 21

Even now, Fang Shimian still firmly believes the information Xu Long told him at the pizza place that day. He indeed saw those vehicles lose control due to speeding, resulting in a violent collision, even flying into the opposite lane. The piercing roar of engines and screeching brakes still echoed in his ears. Fang Shimian could even recall the gust of wind that almost blew him off course.

However, as soon as he spoke, Fang Shimian began to regret it. His life was already a mess, and yet he dared to speak arrogantly to someone with more power and status than himself. It seemed he was too comfortable with his life.

Fang Shimian hung his head, pretending to be dead.

After a moment of shock, Huo Zhongshan finally realized this wasn’t a joke. The tall, mature man showed an amused expression, smiled lightly, and nodded slightly, maintaining the boy’s dignity. “Alright, as you wish, this activity will no longer be on my schedule.”

Fang Shimian looked up at him, surprised. His grip on the armrest of the single chair slowly loosened, and he awkwardly scratched the back of his head, replying, “I don’t understand these things. You don’t have to listen to me.”

The boy leaned against the bright sunlight, the soft indoor light reflecting the youthful innocence on his face. The property uniform with a work badge added a touch of restraint to the handsome boy, a completely different feeling from the white suit he wore that night.

Outside the small building, the picturesque garden echoed with the melodious calls of birds.

“Can I take that outfit?” Fang Shimian couldn’t find a suitable topic, so his gaze kept wandering around the outfit. He had already returned the down jacket given by the police and was worried about spending money to buy a new thick coat…

“Of course.” The man on the hospital bed seemed to smile again. “It was yours to begin with.”

Fang Shimian looked relieved.

Huo Zhongshan recalled the surveillance video of the Yan Mountain highway, where the fierce wind carried raging flames. Amidst the dust and ash, the thin boy sat beside him, pressing on his wound in panic and helplessness, looking almost desperately at the surveillance for help.

The scorching hot tears seemed to burn through one’s heart.

He had watched those surveillance clips many times in the quiet of the night, from summarizing negligence and analyzing problems to finally lingering on the crying boy.

Huo Zhongshan looked at Fang Shimian’s lowered eyes and slightly trembling eyelashes, and softly asked him, “Why did you save me?”

There was no need to ask why. Fang Shimian couldn’t explain it himself. Should he use the 120,000 as a shield? But his intuition told him to choose a more pleasant-sounding answer.

“Maybe at that time, I thought it would be a pity if someone like you died…”

In a way, this was also Fang Shimian’s true feelings.

He knew that such a large group enterprise would pay a huge amount of taxes, provide many people with jobs to survive, and donate a lot of money for charity every year, not to mention the medical products and public welfare under Hengshi.

Huo Zhongshan, or rather the existence of the Hengshi leader, was beneficial to the country and the ordinary people.

Fang Shimian lowered his head, fiddling with his fingers, probably feeling that saying such things might be impolite, so he added, “We’ve met before, haven’t we? I recognized you at that time. If I just ran away, I might feel guilty later.”

This was also the truth.

Fang Shimian looked up and gave Huo Zhongshan a clumsy smile.

He could have been proud of his achievements, even if he swaggered and ordered him around, Huo Zhongshan wouldn’t mind, and would even be willing to satisfy all his needs.

But this kid chose to face him with such an attitude.

It’s really…

Huo Zhongshan’s gaze deepened, and some indescribable emotions arose in his heart. Some distant memories from his youth slowly surfaced, like plant roots beneath the sand, unseen but not nonexistent.

In this brief silence, Fang Shimian felt uneasy, so he looked around and whispered, “Mr. Huo, I should be at work now…”

And I already know you’re very healthy… at least you look healthy.

Fang Shimian actually wanted to ask about Huo Zhongshan’s recovery, but he knew that Huo Zhongshan’s health status should be confidential. He sensed a dangerous signal from the subtle hesitation in Ming Ke’s expression in the office.

“No rush.” Huo Zhongshan’s eyes held a barely noticeable smile.

“You were injured that day too. How’s your recovery?”

Fang Shimian spread his palm to show Huo Zhongshan. The abrasions had long scabbed over, and some areas showed new skin, pinker compared to other places. “It’s long healed. I just had some scrapes, nothing serious.”

As he spoke, Fang Shimian noticed Huo Zhongshan calmly listening to him, feeling more pressure, and slowly withdrew his hand, only wanting to leave quickly.

The boy’s uneasy and resentful expression was unprecedented among Huo Zhongshan’s many conversation partners, so the man asked with interest, “Is there anything you want?”

This question was like a fairy tale Fang Shimian read in the elementary school library, where a demon trapped in a bottle would grant wishes. If Huo Zhongshan were that demon, Fang Shimian would have unhesitatingly voiced his one wish.

But Huo Zhongshan wasn’t, and his wish was something humans couldn’t fulfill, even saying it out loud seemed ridiculous.

So Fang Shimian mumbled, “You’ve already given me a reward in advance.”

Huo Zhongshan didn’t speak, just quietly watched the increasingly uneasy boy in front of him.

“Don’t you remember? It’s… it’s the 120,000.” Fang Shimian blushed, deciding to be straightforward.

“That was for last time.” Huo Zhongshan’s expression cooled a bit, turning his gaze to the clear sky outside the window, saying meaningfully, “It’s unrelated to this time.”

Outside, the breeze swayed the treetops, and the light floated, shattered by the shadows of the branches, falling in patches on the light-colored striped hospital bed.

Fang Shimian was choked by Huo Zhongshan’s casual tone, momentarily unsure how to respond.

“It’s okay if you can’t think of anything now. Let me know when you have an answer, okay?” Huo Zhongshan’s voice was low, with a hint of gentle persuasion, sounding very warm.

A wish that could be stored.

Fang Shimian immediately nodded in agreement, recalling Huo Zhongshan’s pale, cold appearance that day. He wanted to say something but suppressed it, warning himself that saying less was the right thing to do.

Then there was another moment of silence.

“Go ahead, someone outside will take you back to work.” Huo Zhongshan withdrew his gaze, lifting the computer beside him to review the unfinished documents, his expression seemingly returning to indifference under the cold light of the screen.

Fang Shimian stood up, took a few steps, but couldn’t help turning back to ask, “Are you… recovering well?” Before Huo Zhongshan could answer, he added in a low voice, “I won’t tell anyone, I can sign another confidentiality agreement.”

Huo Zhongshan’s hand paused slightly, his eyes showing a momentary change in emotion, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the computer, his tone steady, “Recovering well, nothing serious.”

His most severe injuries were actually two gunshot wounds, but fortunately, they didn’t hit any vital areas, and the rescue was timely. Anhe’s medical team was adept at handling such injuries, and with Huo Zhongshan’s consistent fitness routine, his physical condition was good, and his recovery speed was optimistic.

“That’s good, uh, Mr. Huo, take care and rest well. I’ll be going now.” Fang Shimian’s hands had nowhere to go, trying to put them in his pockets but missing the spot, his face turning red with embarrassment.

Huo Zhongshan nodded, seemingly not noticing the boy’s awkwardness, and continued reading the documents without saying more.

The ward returned to silence, and Fang Shimian carefully walked out, trying not to make any noise when opening the door.

Outside, as Huo Zhongshan said, two tall plainclothes bodyguards were waiting quietly.

Once outside the small building, Fang Shimian noticed the surroundings. It was just a branch hospital’s inpatient center, yet the landscaping was exquisite. The stream in the middle of the yard was actually live water, and the pavilions and towers were intricately carved and painted, with many patterns Fang Shimian had never seen before.

Fang Shimian thought of the carpet in the corridor of Yunjin Building Six, the pattern named “Sacrifice” facing that room. After all, it was associated with killing, and many people found such patterns ominous, rarely used in decoration. Did Huo Zhongshan and the others not know, or was it intentional?

Re-entering the Yunjin gate, Fang Shimian greeted the guard at the entrance, unexpectedly seeing Manager Yang sitting in the security room looking at his phone.

Manager Yang also saw Fang Shimian, put away his phone, and walked out, following Fang Shimian for a while. Neither spoke, Fang Shimian found it strange and didn’t know how to start, while Manager Yang had too many questions and didn’t know which was appropriate to ask first.

“Shimian,” Manager Yang suddenly stopped, looking at the young surveillance operator in front of him, struggling to speak, “Uncle wants to ask you something, but doesn’t know if it’s appropriate.”

Fang Shimian was made uncomfortable by Manager Yang’s affectionate “Shimian,” “Manager, you should just call me Xiao Fang.”

Manager Yang coughed, a bit embarrassed, and asked, “Give Uncle a straight answer, which family young master are you? We need to know to have peace of mind. Uncle’s job didn’t come easy, you should understand.”

“I’m not any young master.” Fang Shimian lowered his head, poking at the small stones underfoot, “Mr. Zhu Ze used to be neighbors with my family, we were familiar back then, but now we’re distant. We only started contacting after that day. Manager, don’t overthink… I also, don’t have much education, but I can stay up late. Now that I’ve got the certificate, I just want to stay here and work well.”

“Oh, I see. You’re doing very well, we all have high hopes for you. As long as you don’t voluntarily leave, no one will ask you to go, rest assured.”

Manager Yang was still a bit skeptical, but his words were true. The turnover rate for grassroots positions in their property was high, the surveillance room had poor air circulation, required overnight shifts, and if something went wrong, they had to take the blame. Often, people would leave just as they got the hang of it, and staying for half a year was considered a veteran. There was never a case of the company actively dismissing someone.

Fang Shimian nodded, actually fearing Manager Yang would think he often took leave and was an employee who wouldn’t last long. Now he felt relieved and happily went downstairs back to the surveillance room.

Xu Long was about to order takeout when he saw Fang Shimian return, snorted coldly, and put down his phone, “You went to the bathroom for a whole morning, I’m bored to death down here.”

Fang Shimian glanced at the time, feeling a bit embarrassed, so he sat down next to the console, “In the afternoon, you can go to the back and sleep, I’ll handle the front alone.”

Xu Long grinned, smugly, “Smart kid.” He opened his phone, a bit conflicted, “What to eat, cafeteria or takeout?”

“Today is Wednesday, the cafeteria will have stir-fried bitter melon, I want to eat noodles.” Fang Shimian sat at the console checking today’s software information.

Among the foods Fang Shimian hated most, bitter melon was definitely at the top. No matter how much he liked an ingredient, if it was associated with bitter melon, it immediately became akin to poison in his eyes.

And very coincidentally, on Wednesdays, a chain noodle shop outside Yunjin Community offered discounts, with several classic noodle dishes Fang Shimian loved at half price, very affordable.

“Only you never get tired of those noodles.” Xu Long saw Fang Shimian had made up his mind, ordered takeout for himself, and warned fiercely, “I’m having a burger, you go eat noodles. If you disappear for half a day again, you’re done for.”

Following the order, Fang Shimian climbed the stairs back to the surface. The chain noodle shop was next to the community gate, and since he had just spoken to the guard, he was embarrassed to greet them again, so he slowly strolled over.

Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to spot a familiar car, but Fang Shimian didn’t pay attention, heading straight for the noodle shop.

He hadn’t reached the entrance when someone stopped him.

Fang Shimian was forced to stop, looking up.

A dark trench coat, elegant demeanor, handsome and gentle face, and slightly tired eyes.

It was Zhu Ze, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

“Zhu Ge, what brings you here?” Fang Shimian was a bit surprised.

Zhu Ze stood still, looking at him, his expression not very good, not speaking for a moment, as if pondering something.

Both of them were quite striking in appearance, standing in such a conspicuous spot. Fang Shimian noticed the frequent glances from people around them, and the security colleagues in the booth were peeking out with smiles. He could only awkwardly ask, “Zhu Ge… do you want to eat noodles?”

On a weekday, the main gate wasn’t very crowded, but there were some elderly people sitting on the opposite flower bed basking in the sun, also staring at them.

Fang Shimian, confused, led Zhu Ze into the noodle shop. As soon as they sat down, a table of customers arrived next to them.

Zhu Ze’s condition wasn’t particularly good.

Seeing the dark circles under the man’s eyes, Fang Shimian couldn’t help but frown slightly and ask, “Zhu Ge, have you not rested for a long time?”

Zhu Ze discreetly observed Fang Shimian, shook his head meaningfully.

Worried that Zhu Ze might not be used to the noisy dining environment, Fang Shimian quickly said, “If you don’t want noodles, there’s a private kitchen next door. A colleague of mine went there and said it was pretty good.”

“No need.” Zhu Ze scanned the code and randomly ordered two bowls of the recommended beef noodles from the homepage. He put down his phone, glanced at the hot soup the waiter brought first, and spoke in a tone difficult to discern, “I heard you went to Hengshi this morning?”

Fang Shimian was taken aback, suddenly remembering that Zhu Ze worked at Hengshi and might have seen him in the morning. So he nodded, vaguely saying, “Uh… went to handle something.”

Zhu Ze stared at him, his tone a bit cold, “What business could you have at Hengshi?”

“A small matter…” Fang Shimian didn’t want to tell the truth, nor did he want to lie to Zhu Ze. He took chopsticks from the dispenser and handed them to Zhu Ze, “Zhu Ge, the noodles here are really good.”

Despite Fang Shimian’s cautious attempt to please, Zhu Ze’s expression gradually darkened. He didn’t take the chopsticks handed to him, only saying, “I know you spent some time in Huo Jun’s office.”

“…He had something to ask me.” Fang Shimian placed the chopsticks on Zhu Ze’s soup bowl.

Zhu Ze chuckled, not saying whether he believed it or not.

The noodles were ready, and the waiter brought them over. Both bowls were the same beef noodles. Seeing Zhu Ze not moving, Fang Shimian picked out all the cilantro from his bowl, cleaned it up, and swapped it with Zhu Ze’s. “Zhu Ge, try it. It’s delicious, but if you order this next time, you can ask for it without cilantro…”

“When did you two start contacting each other?” Zhu Ze interrupted Fang Shimian, asking the question slowly, with a hint of intensity in his tone.

Fang Shimian didn’t quite understand why Zhu Ze was fixated on this question. Although he was very hungry now, speaking kindly and smiling at Zhu Ze was useless. He put down his chopsticks, “I have no contact with Mr. Huo, or anyone else. Your questions are pointless.”

Zhu Ze stared at Fang Shimian for a while, skeptical, “Then tell me, why were you in Huo Jun’s office?”

Fang Shimian was a bit angry, lowering his head, not looking at him, “I have no obligation to report to you.”

He knew about Huo Jun’s preferences, and Zhu Ze was clearly aware too. His condescending, already judgmental attitude, repeatedly questioning, even someone as slow as Fang Shimian understood what Zhu Ze was suspicious of. Fang Shimian felt more hurt and humiliated than angry.

In fact, he originally didn’t want to get involved with the Huo or Li families, including Zhu Ze. It was Zhu Ze who dragged him into this power struggle, and now he was being accused of making random connections.

He preferred the orderly life in the surveillance room, but things never went as he wished.

Zhu Ze didn’t expect Fang Shimian to defy him with such words. In his impression, Fang Shimian’s greatest weapons were silence and tears.

Fang Shimian saw the noodles were getting cold, so he didn’t care if Zhu Ze ate or not, and picked up his chopsticks to start eating.

“Xiao Mian has grown up.”

Zhu Ze was indeed blinded by anger, and now, after calming down, he realized his actions might have been hurtful. “Brother believes in Xiao Mian, just got too anxious.”

Fang Shimian ate his noodles, his attitude towards Zhu Ze’s change not fluctuating much, his tone unusually cold, “It’s nothing.”

“Xiao Mian.” Zhu Ze was made uneasy by Fang Shimian’s attitude, “You’re the person I care about most. Brother is just afraid you’ll go astray…”

Fang Shimian finished his noodles in two bites, gently pushing the bowl aside, “Zhu Ge, I understand what you mean. I’ve finished eating, so I won’t accompany you. I can’t take another leave this afternoon after missing the whole morning.”

Zhu Ze seemed unwilling to let Fang Shimian leave without clarifying things, so he suddenly reached out to him. When Fang Shimian dodged, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the customers at the next table suddenly stood up, quietly settling the bill and leaving a few seconds later.

“Zhu Ge, I don’t mean to blame you.” Fang Shimian’s voice was very low, seemingly no different from before, “I’m very satisfied with my current life and don’t want to make any changes.”

The boy didn’t have much emotional fluctuation, and his words didn’t firmly promise or express anything.

But Zhu Ze understood, watching Fang Shimian’s departing figure, suppressing those unspeakable malicious thoughts, feeling a faint pain in his heart. The exhaustion from days of sleepless nights seemed to surge all at once.

The community road was very quiet, and the winter sun had no warmth, chilling to the bone.

Fang Shimian didn’t immediately return to the surveillance room. He was still thinking about the pregnant white cat. After informing Xu Long, he wandered around the community until he met the old lady who fed the cats. She led Fang Shimian to the back of Building Two, under the air conditioning unit.

“Maybe she gave birth last night, had four kittens, but one was taken by those kids and killed, so she moved her nest.” The old lady, with her gray hair, muttered as she walked back, “When the kittens are a month old, I’ll take the big cat for spaying.”

Fang Shimian sent her back to continue sunbathing, then crawled into the bushes himself. Squatting down, he indeed saw the white cat and three kittens under the air conditioning unit. The white cat looked listless, lazily licking the kittens who hadn’t opened their eyes.

After watching quietly for a while, Fang Shimian poured all the cat food in front of the white cat, murmuring, “Don’t be sad, I’ll buy you canned food online, salmon flavor, it should be delicious.”

Saying that, he immediately placed an order online.

After watching for a while longer, Fang Shimian slowly stood up, but his legs were numb from squatting for too long. After taking a breath, he patted his hands and walked out of the bushes.

Returning to the surveillance room, Xu Long was playing a game. Seeing Fang Shimian enter, he automatically went to the back to sleep.

Fang Shimian cleaned up Xu Long’s takeout, took out the trash, and took the last black garbage bag from the big iron cabinet to replace it.

“Long Ge, we’re out of garbage bags.”

“Yeah, when you see the cleaning lady, say something nice, and she’ll give you some.” Xu Long was engrossed in his game, casually brushing it off.

Previously, it was Ma Liang who went to the cleaning department to ask for garbage bags. At that time, Fang Shimian wasn’t around, and among the big guys in the surveillance room, only Ma Liang was sweet-talking and coaxing. But recently, Ma Liang’s big mouth got him into trouble, spreading gossip the cleaning lady told him to the security guards, leading to a fierce argument between two team leaders. Now, Ma Liang wasn’t well-liked by either side.

Fang Shimian didn’t find it difficult because, to him, all his colleagues were older, and everyone got along well. He was familiar with the cleaning ladies responsible for this area.

Not long after, Fang Shimian saw on the monitor that a cleaning lady was sweeping the garage outside the surveillance room, so he went out.

Xu Long heard the commotion and cheerfully got up from the single bed, ready to watch the show.

Thanks to Ma Liang, the cleaning department now disliked the gossiping surveillance room guys the most.

But Fang Shimian actually brought back ten or so garbage bags, seeing Xu Long still grinning foolishly with a handful of bags.

“Damn, a face can be a meal.” Xu Long was disappointed in this face-valuing world, directly ignoring everything outside, sleeping until the end of his shift.

The next day at work, Fang Shimian and Ma Liang were notified that they would be temporarily transferred to another newly acquired project for two days in mid-next month.

Xu Long was a bit unhappy, but this time the list was directly selected by the higher-ups, and Fang Shimian’s name had already appeared in the work group, so it couldn’t be changed. However, since Ma Liang was also going, the two could accompany each other, so Xu Long wasn’t worried about Fang Shimian being bullied.

This newly acquired project was a significant move by Mingheng, a real estate company under Hengshi Group. Although the location was relatively remote, it was situated between the relocation points of Haishi’s First and Second People’s Hospitals, with a large health care hospital under construction to the north.

Most importantly, it was said that Anhe would also build a branch here. Although not entirely confirmed, it was almost certain. Houses near large hospitals were good for both living and investment.

The property management responsible for this community was also a company under Mingheng. However, now that Hengshi was investing in Qihe, the investors just wanted to transfer a few people to use, and the higher-ups here agreed without much thought.

In December, the forms for the day shift increased, and the accumulated information from the year was required to be processed immediately. Xu Long worked quickly, while Fang Shimian sat beside him, occasionally helping Xu Long with calculations or urging completion in the group, doing some auxiliary work.

These days, the temperature kept dropping, making commuting by bike very cold. Xu Long would rather freeze than install windshields on his motorcycle. Sitting in the back, Fang Shimian was fine, as he could keep his hands in his pockets. Xu Long’s hands were always red and numb from the cold after getting off the bike.

Fang Shimian bought a pair of seemingly high-quality windproof gloves on a video app, but Xu Long accepted them without using them, saying they were too thick and affected his grip on the brakes. So, after much selection, Fang Shimian spent a lot of money on a pair of gloves that exposed the fingers, which Xu Long used the next day.

The day before going to support the project, Ma Liang took a day off. Xu Long specifically called Ma Liang for ten minutes, telling him not to sneak off and leave all the work to Fang Shimian.

The next morning, after clocking in, Fang Shimian and Ma Liang, along with colleagues from the order department, took the company car to support the project. Ma Liang had taken a day off yesterday, so he was still a bit energetic today, chatting with Fang Shimian about company gossip along the way.

Upon arrival, because their uniforms were different, the dispatched personnel were all assigned to do miscellaneous tasks, like pressing elevator buttons for owners, checking red carpets, and moving things…

Fang Shimian and Ma Liang got a relatively easy job, doing their old work.

Since the surveillance room didn’t require face-to-face interaction, and the work content was similar, plus it was the first day of the new building’s handover, there wouldn’t be any renovation or electrical issues from the owners. They just needed to monitor the elevator surveillance to ensure normal operation and respond to emergency calls if someone got trapped.

After a simple handover, Fang Shimian and Ma Liang had some free time. It was even more relaxed here than at Yunjin, with only one issue: the surveillance room had no internet connection, and the basement’s signal was weak, almost unusable.

Moreover, because it was newly renovated, the air was not circulating, and there was a strong smell of formaldehyde, which was why the original surveillance operators didn’t want to stay down here.

Ma Liang couldn’t play on his phone, so he went to find a bed to sleep on, but Hengshi was stricter than Qi He, and beds weren’t allowed in the surveillance room. Ma Liang was frustrated, jumping around the surveillance room in a fit.

But soon, Ma Liang found a way to pass the time. He started bragging to Fang Shimian, who was a very attentive listener, remembering every detail and sometimes asking questions that Ma Liang couldn’t answer.

“Do you know how I got my name? A god gave my parents a dream, saying I was a reincarnated deity from the Ma family, destined to be an official! Everyone in our village knows, and when I was a kid, wherever I went, they treated me well, waiting for me to become an official and give them money.”

Fang Shimian immediately looked at him with envy, “The whole village, everyone treated you well?”

Ma Liang’s head was almost tilted back, “Of course.”

The surveillance room door suddenly opened, and a young guy in uniform poked his head in, “Is this the surveillance room?”

Fang Shimian quickly stood up, “Yes, it is.”

“Oh, you guys can go eat now, I’ll watch here. The dining area is right next to the main gate, you’ll find it when you walk over.”

Ma Liang finally checked the time on his phone, “I was wondering why I was a bit hungry, let’s go, let’s go.” Saying that, he pulled Fang Shimian along, shouting back to the young guy, “We’ll go first then, thanks.”

The two of them took a while to find the main gate. Ma Liang saw the security guard standing there and was about to ask when he saw the guard impatiently pointing to an unfinished storefront nearby.

Sure enough, in a nearby unfinished storefront, people wearing two types of property uniforms were eating inside. There were several rows of plastic stools, some people sitting on them eating boxed meals, while others used the stools as tables, squatting beside them to eat.

A white sign with black letters was posted by the door, prohibiting takeout.

“They’re afraid we’ll take it out and eat it, making it look bad and embarrassing them.” Ma Liang looked at the sign and whispered.

Fang Shimian shared his opinion, “Maybe they’re worried the owners will see it and think it’s bad.”

The boxed meals were packed in large white plastic bags, stacked high on the entrance table, with empty paper bowls and a bucket of hot soup beside them. The thick dust on the ground floated with the footsteps of people coming and going, swirling in the steam from the soup, and the room had a strong smell of dust.

The boxed meals had two meats and two vegetables. Fang Shimian saw his favorite stir-fried pork and shredded potatoes, happily blowing on his frozen hands, his eyes shining.

Ma Liang was the first to scoop soup, taking two bowls and bringing them inside to find a stool. Fang Shimian followed behind, taking two boxed meals, and was looking for chopsticks when a burly manager suddenly walked over, sizing up Fang Shimian, and coldly said, “One person can only take one serving at a time, finish it all before coming back for seconds, don’t waste food!”

“I…” Fang Shimian was about to speak when he was harshly interrupted.

“What do you mean, you? Can you finish two boxes with your size? You’ll probably just pick out the dishes and leave a pile of rice to waste.” The manager’s tone was certain, his expression fierce, with a hint of disdain.

Everyone in the room looked over. Most of them were from Mingheng Property, and hearing the commotion, they unconsciously gathered around the entrance.

Ma Liang was so scared he almost lost his soul, rushing back after putting down the soup, pushing through the crowd with force, and squeezing in front of Fang Shimian, his face looking very unpleasant as he smiled and loudly explained to the manager, “We’re together, I just went to get soup, and he was helping me.”

Fang Shimian nodded, holding the boxed meals.

At this point, the people from Qi He also gathered around. Everyone was already annoyed by Mingheng’s condescending attitude, not to mention they had come all the way to do some odd jobs.

The Qi He manager had specifically chosen well-dressed people to help, and now they were being criticized for taking an extra boxed meal, especially since the one taking the meal was the youngest among them. Mingheng’s snobbishness was simply disgusting.

“Xiao Fang, if you want to eat, take it. We’re all here. Such a big company, and they can’t even spare an extra meal, it’s really something.” A brother in an order uniform sneered.

Mingheng naturally couldn’t stand being criticized, “Oh, your master didn’t teach you well before sending you over to embarrass yourselves, huh? Look at how shabby you are, like starving ghosts who’ve never eaten before.”

With a few curses from the crowd, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The manager who initially accused Fang Shimian of taking too much food finally realized the seriousness of the situation. He turned back and shouted angrily, “What’s going on, what’s going on!”

“Alright, it’s all a misunderstanding, what’s the fuss about.” The manager glanced at Fang Shimian, who was standing behind Ma Liang with his head down, and with years of experience, immediately identified the soft target in the crowd.

“The brothers from Qi He are all good, they helped a lot today. This young man too, helping someone with their meal without saying a word, causing a commotion. Don’t come again in the future, tell your manager to send someone who can speak next time.”

With these words, he neatly shifted the blame for his own mistake, praised the other people from Qi He, and those who didn’t want to make a fuss immediately quieted down, returning to their stools to eat silently. Only the brother who spoke first wanted to say something, but was held back by his colleagues.

This matter getting out of hand wouldn’t be good for anyone, and Fang Shimian was new, no one wanted to get caught up in this kind of thing. Besides, the day shift order people weren’t particularly close to the surveillance center, only having a strong relationship with Xu Long. Thinking of this, everyone fell silent.

This external assignment also came with a daily 100 yuan field allowance.

Seeing his goal achieved, the manager didn’t say more, returning to the entrance to continue talking with another person.

The crowd dispersed, with only a few people still watching Fang Shimian.

Ma Liang had been smiling, but hearing the manager directly tell Fang Shimian not to come again, his expression immediately changed. But the words he wanted to say were stuck in his mouth, unable to come out, and he felt very guilty.

He really needed this job, otherwise, he would have flipped out long ago.

At this moment, Fang Shimian had already come out of his fear, feeling somewhat relieved because he heard the manager only telling him not to come tomorrow. He didn’t like working in such an unfamiliar environment.

He touched Ma Liang’s drooping wrist, “Ma Ge, where did you put the soup? I’m so hungry, let’s eat.”

Ma Liang chose a spot inside, near the corner, and since they had soup, they placed the boxed meals and soup on the stools to eat.

When there’s food he likes, Fang Shimian eats a bit slower. He arranges his favorite dishes in a certain proportion on the rice, takes a big bite, and then continues to prepare the next bite.

Seeing Fang Shimian eating seriously, Ma Liang suddenly leaned over, “Xiao Fang, don’t worry, when I become an official, I’ll get revenge for you.”

Fang Shimian, with his mouth full of rice, bumped into Ma Liang, and after swallowing, said, “Ge, no need to get revenge for me, being a good official is more important.”

Ma Liang thought for a moment, then whispered, “Then I’ll give you some private money when the time comes.” He still felt bad for not standing up for his good brother.

Fang Shimian shook his head while chewing, mumbling, “I’m happy not to come tomorrow.”

This place was boring, not as interesting as the Yunjin surveillance room. The only downside was missing out on the external assignment allowance, but he didn’t care much about it.

Just then, there was another commotion at the door. Ma Liang thought they were fighting again, ready to join in and give that manager a black eye.

But he only heard the manager and a few uniformed managers bending slightly, smiling brightly, their voices filled with flattery.

“Who are you looking for? I know everyone here.”

“The general manager came to see today, but they’re not eating here, they’re in the office, I’ll show you the way…”

“Yes, there are people from Qi He here to support… they should all be here.”

“It’s dusty in here, just give me a name, and I’ll find them for you.”

Ma Liang watched for a while, coldly observing the manager’s flattery, then suddenly felt a bit stiff. After a few seconds, he suddenly elbowed the serious-eating Fang Shimian.

“Xiao Fang, Xiao Fang, something’s not right, why does it look like he’s coming towards us?”

This place wasn’t decorated, so naturally, there were no lights. It was deep inside, and relying on that bit of natural light made it blurry. Fang Shimian and Ma Liang were squatting in the innermost corner, especially Fang Shimian, with his head down eating, half of his face blocked by the soup bowl, completely in the shadows.

Fang Shimian was completely detached, just finishing his carefully assembled last big bite of rice, his cheeks moving, carefully cleaning up the remnants of the tomato and egg, mumbling, “Huh? Who’s here?”

“No way, damn, he’s looking at you, damn.” Ma Liang watched the approaching crowd, cold sweat dripping, quickly pulling Fang Shimian’s sleeve, “Stop eating for now, ge!”

Fang Shimian didn’t react much, swallowing the food, slowly raising his face.

Ming Ke happened to lead people to Fang Shimian, standing against the light, his posture upright, nodding at Fang Shimian with a warm, friendly smile.

“Mr. Fang, you’re here.”

Such a polite tone…

The manager’s face instantly turned as white as a ghost.

Everyone looked this way.

The world seemed to experience a cosmic explosion, silent and soundless.