Chapter 570: The Pushover

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Ai Ai Lao San finally had dinner, since the last time's thirty-one dollars had been unclear, and this time he paid in cash.

But he ate the meal in gloom, feeling none of the pleasure of fine food, only intense frustration.

During the day he'd misjudged them, thinking they were fat sheep, only to find out they were tigers—he nearly capsized in a ditch.

Back then, if Li Ye and the others had forcibly bought his jade ring, Ai Ai Lao San truly wouldn't have known how to save face, especially since they had a white companion—if they accused him of fraud, he'd be in trouble even if he got arrested.

Later, he thought of going to Cao's Restaurant to bully the new international student, but another long-term student ruined it.

"Fuck, a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs—if Old Liu hadn't tricked my father into going to East Asia and vanished, how could I suffer such humiliation?"

As Ai Ai Lao San walked home, he grumbled angrily—he'd once been a small business owner with property.

But since his father vanished together with his sixth brother, his family had collapsed, one misfortune after another, until even his own shop was bought out from under him.

Ai Ai Lao San, who'd relied all his life on his family's "salary," suddenly lost his income and, with no other choice, turned to shady means, surviving on irregular meals, waiting for a chance to rise again.

"You all wait—I'll settle accounts with each of you once I get back on my feet. So what if you're international students? You're still just slaves to a green card, hah, I wouldn't even deign to serve you."

As Ai Ai Lao San swore, he turned into a pitch-black alley.

Just ahead was his tiny home, his one source of pride—he was still a man who owned property in the city.

But as soon as Ai Ai Lao San entered the alley, he felt a chill crawl up his back—he spun around sharply, but saw nothing.

"Hss"

Ai Ai Lao San sucked in a breath and quickened his pace.

In San Francisco, if the danger level on the streets at night was ten, then alleys were fifty, and dark alleys without lights were two hundred.

Though Ai Ai Lao San had no cash, he had one jade ring—it was his only valuable possession, his last resort for deception, and absolutely could not be lost.

But as if fate mocked him, when Ai Ai Lao San reached the middle of the alley, two figures appeared at the alley's entrance.

Ai Ai Lao San turned to run back, but found a third figure behind him.

Ai Ai Lao San gasped—he didn't recognize these men, but from their builds and movement, he identified them: Vietnamese.

"Friends, I'm with Brother Hua, you can't—oh! Don't hit, don't hit!"

The three men closed in fast, said nothing, and immediately started beating him—each punch landed hard.

Ai Ai Lao San lay on the ground, curled into a shrimp-like ball, screaming for mercy while shoving the jade ring into a crack between the wall and pavement.

The three beat him for two minutes, then began searching him—but Ai Ai Lao San truly had no cash on him.

The three Vietnamese found no money, grew furious, and beat him another three minutes before leaving.

Ai Ai Lao San trembled as he crawled up, clutching the jade ring tightly, fleeing like a man escaping death back to his tiny home.

Only after returning did he feel searing pain in his right leg—it felt broken.

Shit, did he have to go to the hospital?

After leaving the alley, the three Vietnamese took two hundred dollars from a bald man's hand.

If Ai Ai Lao San had been there, he'd have recognized the man paying—the man was one of Li Ye's bodyguards.

After the three Vietnamese left, the white bodyguard asked in halting Chinese: "Brother Jin, why waste two hundred dollars? Why not just take the money ourselves?"

The bald man named Jin glanced at the white man coldly: "Weng, giving money to them is hiring someone to do a job. Giving money to you? That's fraudulent reimbursement. Do you still think you deserve it?"

The white bodyguard named Weng stood stunned for several seconds, then helplessly said: "Brother Jin, you know my Chinese isn't good—don't use so many idioms. I don't understand."

"Hmph"

Jin snorted inwardly, smug: "Good—you don't understand. If you could speak fluent Chinese, you'd be climbing over my head."

After finishing dinner, Li Ye and Wen Watching Wen Leyu didn't return to the hotel immediately, but strolled along Chinatown, waiting for Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong to finish work.

As they walked, Li Ye saw Jin return.

They exchanged a glance, understanding without words.

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong was only working a few days in Chinatown—so long as Ai Ai Lao San couldn't get out of bed for those days, it was enough.

At ten p. m., Li Ye saw Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong emerge from the restaurant with Zhen Jie, carrying a food box.

"Huh? Li Ye, you're still here?"

"Yeah, we just wandered around. The night market here is livelier than back home."

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong and Zhen Jie both pushed their bicycles, walking as they told Li Ye: "It's lively at night, but after eleven, don't stay out—it's not safe."

Li Ye asked: "If it's unsafe, how do you manage? Isn't your school twenty kilometers away?"

Zhen Jie smiled: "We're used to it—we avoid danger: never enter quiet alleys, don't talk to strangers, don't pity vagrants, especially those missing front teeth."

Li Ye asked curiously: "Missing front teeth? Why's that important?"

Zhen Jie chuckled: "If you pay attention, you'll notice that vagrants who drink heavily, shoot drugs, or are mentally unstable often lose their front teeth—they're more dangerous than ordinary people."

Li Ye nodded: "Makes sense. I learned something today."

"Heh, it's all forced by life."

As they talked and walked, they reached the edge of Chinatown. Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong waved: "Go home! Don't stay out too late."

Li Ye smiled: "Wen Watching Wen Leyu said we're taking you back to school—let us find your dorm door."

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong blushed: "No need—it's so late."

Li Ye looked and seemed to understand.

Both Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong and Zhen Jie had come by bicycle—Lighthouse's bikes had no rear seat, no fenders; they couldn't carry anyone, and even in rain they'd splash water all over your backside.

Li Ye pointed to the car parked by the curb: "My internship company provided a car—might as well use it. Let's go."

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong still felt awkward—she'd planned to treat them, but Wen Watching Wen Leyu paid first, and now she was troubling Li Ye again—it felt wrong.

But Zhen Jie was easygoing—she'd already put her bike in the trunk.

At Lighthouse, companies routinely provide cars for market research staff—she probably thought, why not use it?

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong reluctantly took the food box off her bike handlebar and let Li Ye load the bike into the trunk.

After getting in, Li Ye smelled the food and asked: "Does your restaurant provide night snacks? That's a good benefit!"

Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong smiled helplessly: "Capitalists aren't that kind. This is the nutritious meal I'm bringing for a classmate—she's sick."

Li Ye nodded: "When you're away, friends are your support—classmates should help each other."

But Zhen Jie rolled her eyes and said to Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong: "You're too soft-hearted—you'll get hurt someday."

"Huh?"

Li Ye was puzzled.

Zhen Jie was clearly a sharp girl, and she got along well with Zhen Seeing Zhen Rongrong—why would she criticize her so openly in front of him?

(End of Chapter)