ATAPOW Chapter 23
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Chapter 23: The little girl that sells sweets
Under the pitch-black curtain, a stream of unremarkable black and tiny organisms streaked across the silent night skies in large numbers. As the street lamps had stopped functioning, this left only the dim moonlight to illuminate the skies, the insignificant scene that was occurring was undetected by humans nor the road surveillance center. Even if they had discovered it by chance, they wouldn’t have been too overly concerned…
…………
In a toilet located at the boundary of Ink Town.
“It’s about time.” As he loitered around here for almost half an hour, Ji Bai looked at his bright cell phone screen with knitted eyebrows. Only when he saw the time above the screen had successfully turned from 5:59 to 6:00, did his mind start to relax as heaved out a sigh.
Rationally speaking, nobody was willing to stay for more than 5 minutes in a toilet if they were able to. However, he had no choice, because in reality, 5 minutes after he had hung up Lin Tuo’s call, Ji Bai had successfully arrived into Falling Origin District, one of Ink Town’s—toilets.
This period of time was perhaps the most awkward moment of his life. He would only invite suspicion upon himself if he were to immediately call Lin Tuo back. More importantly, his allowance would probably be canceled by that resentful four-eyes. Ji Bai would probably die on the spot if that happened!
Since this was the case, he could have only waited for a while. However, Ji Bai had no intention to squander the time away. To him, the idea of stinginess didn’t only apply to just money, but to time as well.
Perhaps he could have done something meaningful. For example, ideas like burying himself in a street-wide search to see if there was any money left behind, etc. Maybe he could use this time and turn it into cold, hard cash!
‘There’s no need to praise me for having such amazing crisis awareness skills. You would do the same thing when you’re driven crazy by poverty!’
However, Ji Bai eventually decided against doing any of his so-called ideas this early in the morning. This was because after getting into a toll-free toilet with great difficulty, it would have been a big shame If he were to immediately leave like that.
‘If I don’t squat until my legs turn numb today, I won’t be going out!’
…………
Today was like any other day for old man Zhang, who was past his sixties. As he carried the breakfast box and water bottle his wife passed him and a recently bought newspaper wedged in his armpit, he punctually arrived at his post. He glanced at the minute and hour hand on his watch. As he saw that they were properly pointing towards 6, a trace of a smile formed on his wrinkled filled face.
Even though his salary wouldn’t be docked if he was late, he was exactly punctual as he had arrived neither a minute more, or less. This job was a position with no obligations and the wages were fairly average. Yet, Ol’ Man Zhang didn’t mind the meager wages; He had long retired for many years and had both the pension and deposits that would ensure a carefree life in his later years. The reason he had taken this job was simply so he could keep himself occupied.
It was the same old as usual. He comfortably sat in the pavilion beside the toilets, he opened the lid of his lunch box and began to leisurely read his newspapers.
Right at this time, a human silhouette began to leisurely walk out of the toilet and move past Ol’ Man Zhang’s vision.
‘Hmm? Other than an old buffer like myself, there’s actually a teenager that’s up this early?’
Ol’ Man Zhang slightly took note of this and moved his line of sight back to the newspaper once again. Following which, his eyes sprang wide open as something felt wrong to him.
‘Wa-Wait… Why did this boy walk out from the female’s toilet??’
“Hey, culturalized… ahem, Lin Tuo. I’m at Ink Town. Where is the contact you’re talking about?” Ji Bai had almost failed to rein his mouth in. As he was just about to finish his insult, his mind suddenly thought of how Lin Tuo might be the financial backer that was going to give him his allowance. As the saying went, ‘One should not bite the hand that fed you’. Before Ji Bai would receive his allowance, it would be best not to be at the receiving end of the hand’s ire.
“Hey! You wanted to say ‘culturalized gangster’, didn’t he?!” On the other side of the call, Lin Tuo’s mouth twitched. He then felt a trace of astonishment. “You’re there already? I still thought you needed another hour.”
“Really? I took a cab here. My god, did you know, the number from the fare meter was about to burst from this trip alone? The subsidy…”
“I got it! I got it! Why does everything that comes out from your mouth have to do with money! You can tell me how much it is when you reach here. Tell me your precise location.” Lin Tuo unhappily said.
“Haaah… Alright. Alright.” Ji Bai had a face filled with smiles, his heart overdosed with sweetness and satisfaction as if he had eaten a mouthful of honey.
“Proceed ahead and stop once you see a big building whose sign reads, ’Starlux Book City’. You can just wait at the bus stop in front of it. I will inform the contact at once…” Lin Tuo said after Ji Bai had reported his current location.
Before Ji Bai could clearly inquire about the unique characteristics of his contact and how to differentiate him/her from everyone else, a busy signal tone resounded from the other end. When Ji Bai dialed back, the only thing that’s waited for him was a series of automated lines stating; ‘The user is currently engaged at the moment’.
“Haaaah! You culturalized gangster! This must be retaliation from how I hung up on you earlier, right?” He said as he spat a mouthful of phlegm to the ground, Ji Bai placed his phone and hands inside his pockets and proceeded ahead. Sure enough, a big, tattered building with a large, horizontal sign appeared in his vision after a while.
As the skies had not completely brightened and it was the winter season, there were only a few people in the bus stop.
Even with his strong physique, squatting in the toilet for nearly an hour still took quite a lot out of Ji Bai. His body quickly shifted downwards as he sat on the bench in front of the bus stop and took a break.
“Mister~ Do you want to buy some candies?” A gentle and adorable voice directly entered Ji Bai’s ears, who was currently closing his eyes and relaxing. He opened his eyes and looked around, he couldn’t see anybody.
‘Hiss… Have I encountered a ghost in the middle of this great winter?’
“Mister, I-I’m here~”
Ji Bai was slightly shocked. What entered his vision as he shifted his eyes down was a girl whose small figure barely reached Ji Bai’s waist. She had a head full of soft and fluffy silver hair while the features of her face were cute and delicate, almost like a doll’s; her smooth and white skin was like that of a superior white jade, while below her long and compact eyelashes laid a pair of violet, gem-like eyes.
At this moment, her sparkling and translucent gem-like eyes carried traces of faintly discernible tears. She puckered her small, rosy and cherry-like lips, a few traces of nervousness and fear could be heard in her tone. The dress she wore was mended with an assortment of patches and there were still some traces of holes lying about… It was a small loli that would arouse faint feelings of love and affection from the people who saw her.
In such a cold winter, these clothes were simply not enough to protect against the cold; Ji Bai could even see that her cheeks were red due to the winter air and that her small legs were shivering.
“M-Mister, d-do you want to b-buy some candies? ~I-It’s very cheap…”
Only after she spoke again did Ji Bai, who was in a daze, notice the contents of the broken fruit basket that the silver-haired girl was carrying. There was a mixed assortment of sweets contained in it.
‘This image, as well as it being winter. Could this be the upgraded version of the matchstick girl?’
Ji Bai very much wanted to refuse. After all, he was already as poor as a beggar. Where did he have the spare money to buy sweets? …However… Even though the words have reached his throat, he wasn’t able to say it.
“D-Do you think y-you can buy a c-couple…i-if it’s possible? M-Mother…My mother really n-needs the money…”
These words instantly stabbed into the softest spot of Ji Bai’s heart. All of a sudden, he suddenly recalled a scene: a leaf floating in the heavy rain.
As knights, cutting down criminals was the only manner they knew to protect the people around them, yet, they were incapable of cutting down every injustice and disaster that existed in this world. Thus, there was only one thing that he could do right now.
Without looking, Ji Bai placed all the money he had in his pockets inside the small girl’s broken basket.
“That’s all that I have on me. I hope it will be of assistance to you.”
“T-This… Thank y-you, thank you b-big brother!~” The small girl felt wild with joy. As she was reaching out into her basket to grab some candies in accordance to how much he paid, she was stopped by Ji Bai.
“Just this one will do.” Ji Bai looked at her and gave her a smile.
“B-Big Brother~…Thank y-you, truly…”
………..
Under Ji Bai’s eyes, the small girl with the shabby outfit carried her basket and walked into the distance.
“Tch, what a pauper. He only has that much money on him.” Her pitiful expression quickly faded away, the girl wore an expression filled with disdain as she looked into the basket.