Which way to go is the road?

Yandu City not only has the prosperity and splendor of big cities, but also the poverty and helplessness of small alleys. Due to years of disrepair, the alleys are filled with gray tiles and crumbling walls, withered grass and locust trees, potholes on the road, and various power lines tangled together in the air, presenting a dilapidated scene on the verge of death.

Xiang Fei walked through the area, checking each address one by one according to the address he had copied from the contract, and finally found Wang Haoming's house at the very back, next to a crooked elm tree.

The door was ajar. Just as Xiang Fei was about to knock, a person rushed out, carrying an elderly person on their back and some daily necessities in their hands. They didn't notice that there was another person at the door and bumped into each other, scattering their belongings all over the ground.

Who else could it be but Wang Haoming? He gave Xiang Fei a cold, disgusted look, said nothing, and bent down to pick up the scattered things, but unfortunately, with an old man on his back, it was very inconvenient.

Xiang Fei squatted down, gathered all the things together, and picked them up: "Let's go, I'll help you carry them!"

The elderly man was somewhat overweight and was currently unconscious, lacking any independent thought, making it very difficult to carry him. He had to frequently adjust his position to prevent him from slipping. Wang Haoming wanted to refuse Xiang Fei, but unfortunately had no third hand to use, so he nodded and carried the old man outside.

It's quite a long way from the innermost part of this alley to the main street. Wang Haoming's strength began to wane as he carried the old man on his back. His hands, which were holding the old man's body, gradually lost their grip, and the old man's legs were dangling on the ground.

"You're too tired, let me do it! Let's take turns carrying you!"

Xiang Fei put the things on the ground, intending to switch the old man with him, but Wang Haoming refused to let go: "I don't need your fake compassion, I can manage on my own!"

"What are you talking about? What time is it and you're still arguing? The old man is in critical condition. What if we delay the best time for treatment? Let's get him to the hospital first!"

A few words left Wang Haoming stunned. He gradually loosened his grip and placed the old man on Xiang Fei's back. The two took turns carrying the old man to the street, hailed a taxi, and took him to the hospital!

Watching the elderly man enter the emergency room, Wang Haoming took out a pack of cigarettes, offered one to Xiang Fei, but Xiang Fei declined, saying, "Thank you, but I don't smoke!"

"Fine, don't take it! You're really asking for it!" Wang Haoming threw the cigarette he had given Xiang Fei on the ground, took out another one, and lit it with a lighter from his pocket!

Xiang Fei snatched the cigarette from his mouth and threw it on the ground: "This is a hospital. If you want to smoke, go outside. Can't you follow the rules?"

"If this were outside, I would have punched you already!"

"If I'm afraid of getting a beating, I won't come looking for you!"

"What do you want? I'm no longer with 'Shuiyunjian,' I'm no longer your subordinate, and Sister Luomei isn't here either. Aren't you afraid I'll stab you again?"

"Who are you trying to scare? If Xiangzi hadn't held me back yesterday, making me less agile, you wouldn't have been able to get close to me. What kind of big bad wolf are you, charging at me with a fruit knife! Have you forgotten how you got beaten up yesterday?"

"Let's go outside and have a one-on-one match!"

"No rush, I'll stay with the elderly person until they're safely out!"

"It's okay, I know my grandma. This isn't the first time. She won't be out for at least half an hour. I'll take care of you in ten minutes!"

"Okay, let's go!"

Xiang Fei and Wang Haoming arrived at a quiet place behind the hospital.

"Will no one bother us while we're fighting? What if security comes and detains us?"

"Stop dawdling. I come to this hospital often. The morgue is right next door, which is where you keep the bodies. Normally, nobody comes here!"

"Alright, how about this? I struck first yesterday, so you strike first today to make up for yesterday's mistake. I have to teach you a lesson today!..."

Before Xiang Fei could finish speaking, Wang Haoming punched him in the right cheek: "Why are you taking so long to finish a fight!"

Xiang Fei tasted a salty, metallic flavor in his mouth, spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, and charged straight at Wang Haoming. The other man kicked at him, but Xiang Fei grabbed him with both hands, lifted him up, and caused him to lose his balance and stumble to the ground.

Pressing their advantage and beating a drowning dog is a tried-and-true tactic in fights. Xiang Fei ran over, twisted Wang Haoming's hands behind his back, sat on him, rendering him unable to move, and freed one hand to slap his head repeatedly: "I'll teach you to not study properly, to spend your tuition money on internet cafes, to steal things, and to fight here without regard for your seriously ill grandmother..."

At first, Wang Haoming struggled, but when he could no longer resist, he simply lay on the ground motionless, listening to Xiang Fei's ramblings and being hit on the head. He actually cried, and the more he cried, the more heartbroken he became, until he burst into loud sobs!

Xiang Fei glanced at the words "morgue" next to him, then looked at Wang Haoming who was wailing loudly. He felt something was very strange, even a little creepy, so he let him go. Unexpectedly, he sat on the ground and continued to cry, as if he wanted to cry out all the grievances and resentments of his life. He cried so purely, so unrestrainedly, so hysterically.

After about 10 minutes, she seemed to have cried herself out. Her loud sobs gradually turned into sobbing with her shoulders shaking, and then she returned to normal emotions.

"Okay, I've cried enough, let's go home! My grandma should be coming out soon!"

After saying that, Wang Haoming stood up and walked towards the emergency room without looking back, leaving Xiang Fei standing there in astonishment. Xiang Fei glanced at the three words again and then ran quickly into the hospital building, as if someone was chasing him.

Back in the emergency room, the two sat on opposite sides of the corridor. Although both had bruises and swelling, the tension and verbal sparring from before had vanished, replaced by a relaxed atmosphere and a desire to chat.

"Why were you crying just now? Did I hit you that hard? I didn't even hit you hard!" Xiang Fei was still very puzzled.

Wang Haoming didn't want to explain why: "What does it have to do with pain? If I want to cry, I'll just cry for a while!"

"Nonsense, you can cry anywhere, anytime, but not at that time, in that place!"

"Why? Who does my crying bother?"

"Damn, you cried so suddenly and so recklessly just now, I thought you were possessed! Don't forget, there's a morgue right next door. Anyone walking by would be terrified!"

Wang Haoming chuckled coldly twice and remained silent.

The emergency room is located at the far east end of the building. Unlike other areas, there are many people coming and going. The fluorescent lights shine on people's faces, making even healthy people look as pale as patients, revealing a frailty and thinness that is not usually seen.

"Thank you, Xiang Fei!"

"What are you thanking me for? For beating you up? Or for kicking you out of 'Shuiyunjian'?"

"Thank you for waking me up just now, you know? Since my dad went to jail and my mom left home to remarry, this is the first time anyone has hit me or taught me a lesson! Actually, I'm the kind of person who deserves to be hit and taught a lesson. I know I'm a bastard, a scoundrel, and not human, but nobody cares about me, not even a few words of abuse!"

As Wang Haoming spoke, his eyes filled with tears again, like a ragged child wandering the streets.