The arcade owner, startled by the loud noise, jumped to his feet, thinking his gas canister had exploded. Seeing his game machine wrecked, rage surged within him.
"What are you doing?! This is how I make a living! You broke my precious machine without my permission! I'll fight you to the death!"
But money talks, and smells delicious too.
"Boss, is the machine not working right? I'll start another one for you."
The owner, humbled by the prospect of money, diligently turned on another game machine. "Please, honored customers, move over here." Making a living was hard, and opportunities to encounter generous patrons like these were rare. If he couldn't even serve them well, he deserved to be poor forever.
The eleventh round began.
Although Qian Xiaobao was only seven years old, he carried himself with the composure of Yanhai City's future wealthiest heir.
He wasn't as excited as before.
He pressed the buttons slowly.
"Wow! So awesome!"
"Oh no, I'm going to be beaten!"
"Why can't I even touch you?"
"You're too strong!"
Qian Xiaobao controlled his character, moving around but refusing to press the kick or punch buttons. Don't ask why. He simply didn't dare.
He was still a child, after all.
K.O.
"Lao Zhang, I've avenged you," Lin Fan said, releasing the controls and turning to Lao Zhang.
Lao Zhang applauded. "Good, fantastic!"
For some reason, Qian Xiaobao found everything had become dull. It shouldn't be like this. He had never lost a game before. Looking at the game machine, now punched through, he thought, Forget it, it's nothing. Losing is losing.
After some time, a group of men in black suits rushed in. Seeing Qian Xiaobao, they hurried over.
"Young Master, we've finally found you!"
They had been terrified when they learned the Young Master had disappeared from school.
They mobilized all their resources to search, but to no avail.
It wasn't until they saw a transaction on the Young Master's bank card that they finally located him. Heaven had answered their prayers.
Qian Xiaobao, seeing his bodyguards arrive, stood up listlessly.
"So soon? I haven't even finished playing yet."
He had planned to go shopping after playing games, but it seemed he couldn't escape his family's search.
The arcade owner, seeing the men in black, hid behind the counter, too scared to speak.
As expected, they're important people.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be so…extraordinary.
Outside, the sky gradually darkened.
"Where are you going? I'll take you home," Qian Xiaobao offered, standing beside a long, black limousine. Though young, he was more mature than his peers. These two were his saviors, and they played games with him. That made them his friends.
Taking friends home was a normal thing to do.
"Let's go home," Lin Fan said.
"Alright," Old Zhang agreed.
Their conversation was normal, but the overall impression was strange.
The bodyguards standing next to the Young Master noticed the tags hanging around their necks and became wary. These two were mental patients. Their mannerisms and conversation confirmed it.
The Young Master was actually with mental patients.
How terrifying.
"Thank you then."
Although they were mental patients, they were still grateful.
At the gates of Qingshan Mental Hospital, Lin Fan and Old Zhang waved to Qian Xiaobao.
"Goodbye."
Qian Xiaobao leaned against the car window, waving excitedly. "Goodbye! I'll come and play with you again sometime."
"You're welcome," Lin Fan replied.
The limousine drove away, gradually disappearing from their sight.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang looked at each other.
"He said goodbye to us. He wants to be friends with us," Old Zhang said happily.
"He's a good person," Lin Fan agreed.
Smiles spread across their faces, and they said in unison, "So happy."
The two orderlies stared at the mental patients, bewildered. What just happened?
Judging by the child's attire and the limousine, he was clearly from a wealthy family. But why was he with mental patients, and even driving them back?
They couldn't understand it no matter how hard they tried.
They longed to befriend a wealthy person, but never had the chance.
Now, even mental patients had rich friends. The blow was rather significant.
At the hospital, Li Laifu was in despair. He and the security guards had searched for the two mental patients, asking everyone they encountered, but no one had seen them. He didn't know what to do.
He sighed.
There was no way to hide this. If he couldn't find them tonight, the situation would become dire.
He took out his phone and called Director Hao.
The phone connected.
"Brother Hao, what are you doing?"
Guilt weighed heavily on him, and his tone was humble, even calling him "Brother."
"Hmm."
"I need to tell you something, but promise me you won't get agitated, okay?"
"Hmm."
"Well, it's like this. Something happened at the hospital today. Those two patients…they're gone. You know I'm not irresponsible. I've been searching with everyone for a long time, but we can't find them. Now, I have no choice but to ask my esteemed senior, Brother Hao, for help. I admit this is my negligence, but I truly didn't want this to happen."
Li Laifu was helpless. Where could they have gone? They had turned the vicinity upside down, yet still couldn't find them. They were incredibly elusive.
At Qingshan Mental Hospital, Director Hao stood there, listening to the phone call. Lin Fan and Old Zhang, having returned, were gathered with the other patients, watching the news intently. They whispered to each other occasionally, pointing at the television.
He quietly slipped outside, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"How could you let this happen? I entrusted those patients to you because I trusted you, and now you've lost them! Do you know how serious this is? They're mental patients! Their behavior is unpredictable! If they harm someone, I'm telling you, you can say goodbye to your position as director."
"Don't give me that 'senior' and 'brother' routine. The moment you blocked me, our relationship became that of strangers."
"What? You want to unblock me now? I'm telling you, it's too late. None of that matters now. Just find them and bring them back! I'll tell you this much, their conditions have been worsening lately. They're very aggressive towards strangers. If something happens, you'll be held responsible."
"Don't apologize to me. Blocking me was your right. How could I interfere with your rights? You won't be sleeping tonight until you find them."
"Are there trackers in their tags? Are you kidding me? How could I afford something like that? This Qingshan Mental Hospital has no income. I'm doing charity work, providing for them for free. Where would I get the money for trackers?"
"You'll be searching all night!"
"Goodbye!"
Director Hao smirked. Trying to outsmart me, blocking me, snatching my red envelopes…Let's see how I scare you to death.
He returned to the room, approached the two men, patted their shoulders, and bent down to ask, "Enjoying the show?"
Lin Fan and Old Zhang nodded in unison.
"Yes."
Back at the hospital, Li Laifu stared at his phone, tears welling up.
What is this mess?
No sleep for me tonight. Time to search.
Please, just show up! I've worked so hard for this opportunity to become director. You can't do this to me. For old times' sake, remember I'm the one who saved your life last time.