Chapter 65: Trust and Connections
Huh?
Huai Yu stood there innocently, while Uncle Zao seemed confused for a moment, before suddenly grabbing the greasy middle-aged man by the arm and forcefully slapping him across the face with a loud smack.
“Eat shit!” he shouted.
Then, as the man stumbled backward, Uncle Zao stepped forward and kicked him sharply in the knee. After hearing the man yelp in pain and fall to the ground, he let go of him.
He clapped his red hand and turned to Huai Yu, saying, “Did you see that, girl? Next time you see someone saying disgusting things, just smack their head with a shovel first!”
“Knock some sense out of their stupid brain!”
“If you’re done with the beating and there’s a misunderstanding, you can apologize afterward.”
Huai Yu: …
Meanwhile, the police officer, who had been called over and was wearing a uniform similar to the defense forces, stood dumbfounded:
“Huh?”
They had just arrived and hadn’t understood what was going on yet, but now, the two of them had already started fighting?
He glanced at the lonely cardboard lying on the ground and then at the man clutching his knee, groaning. Finally, he looked at Uncle Zao and Huai Yu and waved his hand:
“Didn’t you know that no conflicts are allowed in the trading market? Come with me.”
A moment later, a car stopped outside the Hongsheng Trading Market. A man in a guard’s uniform stepped out, followed by Captain Zhou.
However, his appearance was somewhat disheveled. A thin but long bloodstain ran from his temple down to the side of his face, with a deep red scab forming a line.
The guards beside him were in similar disarray, their white uniforms still appearing pristine from afar, but up close, the fabric had deep gashes, as though powerful winds from all directions had slashed through them like sharp blades.
The two of them looked so ragged that many onlookers gathered. Zhou Qian frowned, deeply regretful.
When they reached Huaxia Golden, the guard beside Zhou Qian pulled out his ID and asked, “Is there a girl about sixteen or seventeen who frequently makes transactions here? Do you know where she is?”
“Huh?” Boss Tang was startled and instinctively replied, “What’s going on?”
Zhou Qian quickly responded, “It’s General Wu. General Wu is looking for Xiao Yu for something. I heard she mentioned coming here to sell things.”
Boss Tang didn’t know why Wu Yue was looking for Huai Yu, but remembering the woman who had just left, he remained calm and replied, “I don’t know. Young people, right? She’s probably out shopping somewhere… Why don’t you try looking through each shop?”
They couldn’t find anything after searching around, so they had no choice but to return to the car, dejected.
“Sorry, General Wu, but Xiao Yu is not here.”
The man who hadn’t gotten out of the car, General Wu Yue, also appeared quite disheveled.
His uniform, once snow-white, now had deep cuts across his chest, and there were faint bloodstains visible on his arm. His hair on one side had been shaved off, with subtle blood clots visible above his eyes, making him appear more dangerous and diminishing the melancholic charm he usually had.
He sighed, then spoke to Zhou Qian with a touch of guilt, “I’m leaving tonight, so please apologize to her for me.”
“Also, please ask if there’s anything she needs. Whatever I can do to make up for it, I’ll try my best.”
He let out a bitter laugh—Huai Yu always left a strong impression on him, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Zhou Qian didn’t refuse, but his brows remained tightly furrowed, clearly troubled.
He couldn’t stop thinking about the mess at Huai Yu’s treehouse. He knew how hard she had worked to create a home, and now…
Sigh…
Huai Yu had no idea what was happening at home and, for now, was curiously being taken to the police station, where everything felt fresh and new to her.
Meanwhile, Uncle Zao had his hands on his hips, looking smug and proud. As they walked, he gave Huai Yu some advice:
“I’m telling you, we’re not in the pre-catastrophe days anymore. Self-defense can easily lead to trouble… Xiao Yu, go ahead, just punch them! Hit them hard!”
“If you can’t beat them, run. Don’t get entangled.”
“If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, punch them if you can. If you can’t, just run. You can’t go wrong.”
“Ah-hem!” A police officer cleared his throat.
Next to him, the man who had been slapped held his swollen, burning face, limping as he followed, looking defeated.
Huai Yu nodded seriously. Soon, a female officer took her to a separate room.
“Come on, we need to make a record. Be honest; if we find out you lied or fought in the trading market, you’ll get fined.”
Huai Yu nodded obediently. She didn’t mention that it wasn’t her who hit the man—thankfully, Uncle Zao had done it. If it had been her, she wouldn’t have been as swift.
“Name?”
“Age?”
“What brought you to the trading market?”
After going through all the questioning, Huai Yu waited outside the police station until Uncle Zao arrived. He was clearly in a good mood.
“Ha! You’re a habitual offender! Just go dig some land for two years, and behave!”
Then, looking at Huai Yu, he exclaimed, “Oh! The chickens!”
Huai Yu also exclaimed, “What now?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Uncle Zao said as they ran. He checked his watch and said, “We’re still good! We’re just a little over our agreed time, but we might still make it.”
“Ah, I messed up! My daughter’s so talented, but I didn’t buy her a drawing board. Now look, all this misunderstanding.”
Huai Yu, panting, managed to ask, “Uncle Zao, what exactly did you negotiate?”
Uncle Zao wasn’t hiding anything: “You know your Uncle Zao has connections at the livestock office! I arranged to privately buy a few chicks… that’s why I wrapped my head in a scarf, so he couldn’t see. We agreed to a low price of five points…”
Well, after all that trouble, could they even get the chicks?
They managed to buy the chicks, but the other man had a few complaints:
“Really? You thought this was a good idea? Next time, I’m not doing this anymore.”
“I didn’t see you anywhere, and I thought you were deliberately sneaking a ten-point deal in there. I just asked if five points could work… but guess what? I got scolded, called a shameless capitalist.”
The man wearing a red scarf on his head stood out in the street, clearly noticeable, as he and Uncle Zao bickered and disappeared into an alley. Huai Yu was a little too embarrassed to follow.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before they came back, looking normal again. Uncle Zao lifted his coat to reveal small mesh pockets, each holding a chick: “Four chicks, one male and three females, probably. Special price for you—1000 points!”
Huai Yu eagerly handed over her hand ring, opened her basket, and her eyes lit up.
Once the transaction was done, Uncle Zao waved at his buddy and said, “Fast sell, huh? This is all my trust and connections built up over time! Here, as usual, I take four, you take six!”
