133 Stray Dog (Part 1)

"Alright," I replied. "I'm at the economic development zone near Zhuang Village. You'll need to drive the electric scooter over to pick me up."

Fatty seemed somewhat surprised. "Feng, didn't you drive yourself?"

I figured this guy must be complaining about how cold it is to ride an electric scooter and didn't want to come. I said, "If you don't want to come, I'll just take a taxi."

"No need for that," Fatty said. "Just wait there, I'll drive over to get you."

Seeing me ready to leave, Sister Yang asked uneasily, "Feng, if you’re leaving, and the old security guard isn't coming back tonight, what am I supposed to do?"

"Sister Yang," I said, "if I’m here, that thief might not dare to show his face. If I leave, he might return."

"I'm scared," Sister Yang said.

"Don't be," I replied. "I've already set a trap. If there's any sign of trouble, just call me, and I’ll be back in a flash."

Sister Yang grabbed my arm like a little girl, acting coquettish. "I’m still scared! You’d better not go!"

I patted her shoulder to comfort her. "Don't worry. Just lock the villa gates, and that thief won't be able to break in and hurt anyone."

Seeing that my mind was made up, she sighed helplessly. "Fine, you can go now, but if I call you because something happens, you have to come back immediately."

I smiled. "Of course. If anything happens here, I’ll be back in no time."

"Then take my car!" Sister Yang insisted. "That way, if I call, you can get back here quickly."

"No need," I said. "If I drive your car away, the thief will think I’m still coming back and won't dare to make a move. To catch him, I have to make him believe I’ve truly left."

As I left, Sister Yang accompanied me out, looking reluctant to see me go. I leaned in and whispered in her ear, "An insider is the hardest to guard against. Don't tell anyone about the trap I set." I figured that since work hadn't started yet and there were no other employees in the factory, I didn't have to worry about anyone else getting hurt.

"What about the old security guard?" Sister Yang asked.

"To lure the thief into the trap, you can give him a few more days off," I suggested.

"Giving the guard time off is fine," she said, "but you really should come back to keep me company tonight. I really need you."

I smiled helplessly. "Alright, but I might be a little late."

Sister Yang nodded. "Okay, I'll be waiting for you."

I walked to the main road outside the factory and called Fatty. To my surprise, Tie Tou answered the phone.

"Fatty is driving," Tie Tou said. "I'm riding with him." I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Fatty had bought a car.

Before long, Fatty pulled up in a second-hand domestic vehicle. He hopped out and said, "Brother, what do you think of my ride? A used Geely King Kong, bought it for seven thousand. With all the fees, it was less than ten thousand!"

I offered a casual compliment: "Not bad! The name is imposing, the price is affordable—who would have thought big Fatty would own his own car."

Fatty laughed. "Feng, it’s certainly not as good as your wife's G-Wagon, but I bought this with my own hard work."

I nodded. "Fatty, I never thought you'd be such a big shot, buying your own car. Look at me, I have nothing..."

"Stop putting on an act," Fatty scolded. "Everyone knows you have a wealthy, beautiful wife."

I looked downcast. "Don't mention it. We've already split up..."

Tie Tou looked shocked. "So soon? What happened?"

Fatty sighed with regret. "Feng, what were you thinking? Your wife was so gentle and kind to you, not to mention beautiful and wealthy. If I had a wife like that, I’d wake up laughing in my sleep. I would cherish her."

"It's a long story," I said. "Let's talk about it when we get back."

"Feng," Fatty asked, "is it because you still have feelings for Jin Yulian and made her angry?"

I didn't answer. Tie Tou patted my shoulder. "Don't be sad, Feng. If she doesn't want you, that Miss Jin is quite nice too. She even gave you such a big house to stay in. You can go back to her."

"Tie Tou, what do you know?" Fatty interjected. "This guy must be greedy and was messing around behind her back..."

I couldn't help but snap, "Fatty, enough talk. Let’s just head back."

Fatty drove, and we soon reached the Oasis residential complex. Tie Tou and I hopped out, and Fatty drove into the underground parking lot.

Suddenly, I heard a miserable yelp. I turned to see a black-and-white puppy scurrying toward me, chased by a young man with a stick. It was clear he had just struck the dog.

The puppy was thin and scruffy, wearing no collar or leash—obviously a stray. Stray dogs were a plague in the neighborhood, and many people loathed them, so seeing one being beaten wasn't unusual.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have interfered, but the puppy was so panicked that it collided with my shin. When it looked back at me, I saw eyes filled with terror and helplessness. My heart gave a violent tug. In my most lonely and desperate moments, how was my fate any different from this stray dog?

Just then, the young man chasing the dog shouted, "It's a stray! Kill it before it bites someone!"

Another shrill yelp followed. As the puppy tried to dash past, a man ahead of us kicked it, sending it flying. The puppy let out a sharp cry and landed at my feet, struggling in terror, unable to get back up.

The young man with the stick caught up and prepared to deliver a fatal blow. I grabbed the stick mid-swing and shouted, "Stop!"

The young man looked stunned. "What are you doing? Is this your dog?"

"No," I barked. I let go of the stick, knelt down, and scooped up the whimpering, trembling puppy.

"If it's not your dog, why are you being a busybody?" the man raged. He swung the stick again, aiming directly for the dog in my arms.

I didn't want the puppy to get hit, so I turned, and the stick struck my arm. A stinging, numb pain shot through me.

That did it. My temper flared. *Damn it,* I thought, *can I not even protect a single puppy today?* I kicked him squarely in the stomach, sending him sprawling.

The young man scrambled up, furious, but when he saw my eyes burning with a blood-red rage, looking as if I might tear him apart, he didn't dare approach. Instead, he started shouting, "Everyone, come and judge this! His dog bit my girlfriend, and now he's hitting people!"