Dongzi, listening to the young repairman’s endless questions, felt a messy irritation bubbling up. “I said, why are you talking so much? That’s going to be my future sister-in-law. Are you going to fix the glass or not?”
“Oh, oh, just asking, just asking!” The young man’s mouth wouldn’t stop moving. “How did this glass break?”
“I broke it with my fist.” As he said this, Dongzi’s expression shifted, his brows furrowing slightly, his small eyes glaring angrily at the young man. “Are you raised on soybeans, you son of a bitch? I’m telling you, I can break glass, and I can just as easily smash your head in. If you keep spewing nonsense, I’ll turn you into glass!”
Hearing Dongzi speak, the young man’s lips curled up slightly. “Fine, fine, I’ll shut up!” Then he shouted toward the garage door, “Houzi, bring the glass!”
In a short while, two people emerged from the repair shop building, carrying a pane of glass. They installed it into the window groove of the car, and the young man then used sealant to secure the glass. While applying the sealant, his hand, already smeared with grease and adhesive, pressed against the newly installed window. After finishing, he leaned close to Dongzi’s window and asked, “It’s done. Do you want to pay now or later?”
“I don’t have the money on me. I’ll pay you later!” Dongzi immediately got out of the car, walked up to the window, and examined it seriously. His eyes immediately caught the dark, greasy handprint on the glass. He beckoned the young man over. “Buddy, come here, look how dirty you left this glass. Wipe it clean!”
The young man thought Dongzi was too straightforward, bordering on foolish, and planned to trick him into wiping it himself. “Hey, big brother, don’t worry about that. Once the glue dries, it’ll peel right off!”
“Oh, alright then. You come tear it off for me later. I’m not leaving; I’ll wait right here!” Then Dongzi took a deep breath and blew forcefully onto the glue residue on the glass.
The young man, with a mocking expression, went back inside with the two apprentices.
Dongzi blew for a while until he felt a bit tired, and oddly, he felt the urge to pee. He looked around, but the roadside was bustling with people. No matter what, he couldn't just relieve himself right there. He strode into the repair shop building. A woman, stout as a pig and in her forties, sat at a desk. Dongzi asked, “Ma’am, do you have a restroom here?”
“Oh, yes!” The woman turned and pointed toward a small door behind her. “Go through there, the toilet is in the back courtyard!”
Dongzi was feeling a bit urgent now. He just managed to say, “Thanks!” and hurried out the small door into the large yard, where a clearly marked toilet sign stood on the wall. Dongzi rushed toward it.
As he reached the outside wall of the latrine, he overheard two voices chatting inside. “That idiot from before, acting all big and tough. I’m going to toy with him until he’s done for.”
“Hahaha, having glue on the glass without thinner—it’ll wear him out trying to scrub it off. Then I’ll mess with him some more!”
“Yeah, when the time comes, the two of us will team up. It would be even cooler if we could nail that policewoman sister of his!”
Hearing this, Dongzi’s urgent need to urinate vanished, replaced by a surge of pure rage. He turned the corner of the latrine structure and saw the two mechanics—the four-eyed young man from before, and one of the men who carried the glass—both squatting over the pit latrine, smoking cigarettes and talking about him.
“Are you motherf*ckers asking for a beating?”
The two men looked up and were startled to see Dongzi. They hastily jumped up, trying to pull up their trousers.
Dongzi kicked out instantly, landing two hard blows that sent both young scoundrels tumbling down into the septic pit below.
The two boys thrashed in the excrement, getting covered in filth. Fortunately, the pit wasn’t too deep; they could reach the edge with their hands and pull themselves up. As they scrambled, they shouted incoherently, “You little bastard, you dare touch us two! Don't think you’re safe just because you’re a cop! Wait until I get out, I’ll kill you!”
Dongzi ignored their threats. “You damn sons of bitches, teaching you to be wicked, teaching you to be wicked!” While speaking, he pulled out a water gun and turned the nozzle on full blast, spraying the four-eyed young man directly.
The other mechanic in the pit managed to climb up and reached out to grab Dongzi.
Even though Dongzi sometimes acted without thinking, when it came to a fight, he was quite formidable. While still urinating, he swung a punch with his free hand, knocking the charging mechanic down with one blow.
Dongzi pulled up his pants, pointed at the two, and laughed grimly. “This is a lesson for you, to make you remember this!”
“Fine, you wait! Houzi, call Qiang Ge!” the four-eyes shouted from the pit.
Dongzi paid him no mind and walked toward the yard exit, muttering, “You look for me? I’m not leaving. I’ll wait right here at the door.”
Leaving the yard, Dongzi sat on the curb, pulled out a cigarette given to him by Officer Li from the station, lit it, and started puffing deeply.
“You brat, stop playing coy! Get over here, you hear me!” The middle-aged woman who had directed Dongzi to the restroom earlier ran out, a cigarette clamped in her mouth, looking furious.
Dongzi heard her yelling, glanced back coolly, and then turned away to smoke, completely disregarding them.
The woman stormed up to Dongzi, extending her pig-like hands to grab the back of his collar. Clutching his shirt collar with one hand, she placed the other on her hip, jutting out her two colossal breasts toward Dongzi, all the while muttering, “You must be blind, you dare touch my people? You don't even show respect for the dog’s owner, you’re too arrogant, don’t you want to live anymore?”
Dongzi suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing like fire snakes, staring unblinkingly at the formidable woman. “What do you mean by that?”
The woman showed a flicker of surprise, glancing back at the two mechanics following her, then feigned composure, pushing her massive chest out further. “What? You want to hit me! Come on! Come on!” While tugging at Dongzi’s clothes, she chattered incessantly.
Dongzi didn’t care if she was a man or a woman; he raised his hand and slapped her across the face, drawing blood from the corner of the fat woman’s mouth.
“Aiya! He hit a woman! You shameless thing, I’ll fight you to the death!” It must be said, this woman had true grit. After taking Dongzi’s slap, she refused to back down. The two mechanics following her lunged at Dongzi, wielding wrenches and hammers.
Dongzi responded with a few swift punches, knocking them both flat on the ground. “Damn your mothers, what the hell are you yelling about? If you try that again, I’ll beat you so you can’t take care of yourselves.”
The fat woman shrank back, slowly shuffling backward, staring blankly at Dongzi, terrified he might strike again.
Dongzi turned back, glared viciously at the fat woman, and roared, “Harlot! Don't be shameless! Get lost from your grandpa!”
The two young whelps Dongzi had kicked into the latrine scrambled out of the building, and Dongzi was hit by a wave of stench that almost made him gag.
“Boss lady, Qiang Ge is hospitalized! We called him. One of his brothers said, ‘If you’re interested, go see Qiang Ge at the hospital; Qiang Ge will figure things out for us.’” He watched Dongzi’s every move with fearful, darting eyes.
When Dongzi heard Qiang Ge was hospitalized, knowing it was that bastard Wang Qiang, he smiled faintly. “You fools who don’t know death—Wang Qiang probably doesn't even know if he can save himself right now, and you still think of asking him for help?”
The fat woman looked half-believing, half-skeptical, and cautiously asked, “Who exactly are you people?”
“I’m nothing special, but what I’m saying is true. If you don't believe me, you can come with me to the hospital and see. You can have him recognize me on the spot and see if he still has the ability to plot against me!” Dongzi was naturally straightforward and didn’t mince words. Although these people were not exactly honorable characters, Dongzi didn't want to bother with them too much.
The four-eyed mechanic stepped forward and interjected, “Kid, if you have the guts, come with us to the hospital. Whoever runs is a grandson!”
Dongzi burst into loud laughter. “Good! Anyway, arguing with you here is pointless. Let’s go!”
The fat woman led the four mechanics, and Dongzi walked between them as they headed toward the hospital.
Zhou Huan and Xiao He had left the repair shop. Xiao He said, “That four-eyed mechanic is such a perv. I didn’t like the look of him!”
“Heh heh, just ignore him. Don’t waste your energy on people like that!” Zhou Huan was calm.
“Brother Huan, what do you think is happening with Wang Qiang now?”
“He’s probably not far from death. Let’s go check the situation. Also, I need to see Old Song. If he’s conscious, I have a few things I need to ask him.”
Talking as they walked, they reached the hospital entrance. Xiao He put on the police cap she held and patted her pocket.
“What are you looking for?” Zhou Huan asked when he saw Xiao He touching her pocket.
“I’m looking for my badge. If we need to question Wang Qiang later, the hospital staff won’t tell us anything without credentials.”
“Oh!”
After speaking, Xiao He walked to the front and headed straight into the nurses' station in the inpatient department. Two young nurses were preparing medications according to prescription lists.
Upon entering, Xiao He presented her identification. “I’m from the precinct. I want to see Wang Qiang. Is this person admitted here? Do you know if he is conscious right now?”
“Wang Qiang, right? He’s not seriously injured, just some scattered dead skin and peeling dry skin on his hands and body, but he is conscious!” one nurse replied immediately, suggesting Wang Qiang was indeed notorious locally.
Zhou Huan stepped forward too and asked, “Which room is he in?”
“Third floor, 314!”
“Alright, thank you!” Xiao He tucked her police badge back into her pocket, and then she and Zhou Huan headed upstairs. Old Song was also on the third floor, but in room 304; 314 was in the opposite direction from 304.
Zhou Huan and Xiao He arrived in front of room 314. Two smartly dressed bodyguards, wearing sunglasses and standing with their hands clasped behind their backs, guarded the door. Seeing Zhou Huan approaching, the two were suddenly startled. “Who are you?” The bodyguards exchanged a look, then scratched their heads, looking like twins. “We think we’ve met before.”
“Yes, we’ve met. I fought with you before. But I’m not here to cause trouble today. I need to see Wang Qiang; I have some things to ask him.” Zhou Huan was very calm now, his tone brimming with confidence.
“We fought? Oh! I remember now. You’re that beggar from outside Baoguang Temple, aren't you? Hahaha, you want to see our Qiang Ge? Have you lost your mind?” The two bodyguards swaggered slightly. “If you’re here for money, I can give you a few yuan to buy some steamed buns. Our Qiang Ge is sick and isn’t in the mood to deal with riffraff like you.”
Wang Xiaohe gently nudged Zhou Huan and displayed her credentials. “I am a police officer. I need to question Wang Qiang about some matters.”
“What if you’re a cop? Our Qiang Ge won’t see you. He can’t talk right now!” These two bodyguards were quite persistent.
Zhou Huan gave a slight smile. “Heh heh, how about this: I’m not here to beg today. I’m here to save your Qiang Ge. You can tell him that if he doesn't want his girlfriend to get him killed, he should let us in.”
The two bodyguards laughed out loud. “Don’t try to scare us, buddy. You should leave quickly. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—it won't be good if I have to physically escort you out!”
“You dare assault an officer?” Xiao He asked, slipping her hand into her pocket and bowing her head.
“I wouldn’t dare assault you, but I won’t hesitate to lay hands on this beggar. At worst, you can arrest us, and our Qiang Ge will get us out immediately. So, beggar, do you still want to come in?”
“Hahahaha, fine. Here’s what we’ll do: just tell Wang Qiang what I just said. I can help him now, but I have to leave. By the time he contacts me, I might not be able to help him anymore!” Zhou Huan spoke with firm conviction, though he wasn't merely trying to intimidate the bodyguards.