173: Chapter 173 Tian Ningning makes an appointment with Cao Kun

A week later, Zhang Genshuo was discharged from the hospital.

He had no family to pick him up.

The hospital contacted a Relief Station for him.

He was sent to the Relief Station and lived in a room for six people.

His roommates were all homeless people, disabled individuals, and psychiatric patients.

On the first night, someone stole his meal.

On the second day, someone robbed him of his only fifty yuan.

On the third day, he was pushed off the bed because he was "taking up space."

He was blind and couldn't resist.

He could only curl up in a corner and endure in silence.

The staff at the Relief Station couldn't manage everyone.

There were too many people here, and it was too chaotic and complicated.

A month later, Zhang Genshuo left the Relief Station.

He didn't want to stay there.

But where could he go?

He fumbled his way through the streets, listening to the roar of traffic, the laughter of people, and the sound of the world turning—but none of it had anything to do with him.

When he was hungry, he rummaged through trash cans.

When he was tired, he slept under overpasses.

When he was cold, he huddled in corners.

Back when he used sweet words to deceive women, he never imagined he would have a day like this.

He thought he was the hunter who could toy with his prey forever.

Only now did he realize that the true hunter was behind him.

One evening...

Under an overpass in the East District of Zhongzhou City.

Zhang Genshuo curled up in a corner, filthy all over and emitting a foul stench.

The gauze over his eyes was long gone, leaving only two deeply sunken sockets.

The wounds on his waist and abdomen occasionally still throbbed with pain, but more than that was a sense of emptiness.

He didn't know how long he had been there.

He only knew that the sky grew dark and then bright, and bright and then dark.

People hurried past him; occasionally, someone would stop and drop a coin or two.

The sound of coins hitting the ground was his only hope.

A set of footsteps stopped in front of him.

A coin dropped.

But the footsteps didn't leave.

Zhang Genshuo sensed someone watching him.

"Who is it?" he asked, his voice raspy.

There was a few seconds of silence.

Then, a familiar voice spoke:

"Zhang Genshuo, long time no see."

Zhang Genshuo's entire body stiffened.

It was Tina.

"Ti... Tina..." His lips trembled.

"Yes, it's me," Tina's voice was very calm. "I was passing by and saw you here, so I came to take a look."

Zhang Genshuo didn't know what to say.

Tina was silent for a few seconds before saying, "You know, I used to hate you so much I wanted you to die."

Zhang Genshuo lowered his head.

"But now, I don't hate you anymore," Tina said. "Looking like this, you're worse off than if you were dead."

She paused and dropped another coin.

"Take this money. From now on, we're even."

The footsteps faded away.

Zhang Genshuo sat there as tears streamed down his face.

Even?

How could they be even?

He had lost two kidneys, a pair of corneas, and his entire life.

Meanwhile, they were starting new lives with the money they got from selling his organs.

Was this retribution?

He didn't know.

He only knew that the weather was getting colder and the nights longer.

And he would spend the rest of his life in this endless darkness.

...

At Cao Kun's home.

Cao Kun looked at the notification on his phone regarding the system reward arrival.

He was very pleased.

Helping Tian Ningning this time was the fifteenth mission he had completed.

The system had given him an additional reward.

Ten million huaxia coins.

Looking at the more than thirty million yuan in his Bank account.

Cao Kun felt incredibly secure.

Just then,

His phone suddenly vibrated.

It was an unknown number, but the caller ID showed it was from Zhongzhou.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Cao?" a woman's voice asked, sounding a bit nervous and shy. "This is Tian Ningning."

Cao Kun was slightly stunned. "Nurse Tian? Is something the matter?"

"Um..." Tian Ningning paused for a moment. "I'd like to treat you to a meal to thank you for helping us. I was wondering if you have any time?"

Cao Kun instinctively wanted to refuse.

He had helped them because of the system mission and because he couldn't stand people like Zhang Genshuo.

He didn't need thanks.

But as the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back.

There was a hint of cautious anticipation in Tian Ningning's voice.

"I have time."

"Um... is tonight okay? What would you like to eat? My treat."

"Tonight is fine. As for what to eat, it's up to you. You pick the place."

"Great! Then we'll meet at six. I'll send you the address in a bit!"

Hanging up the phone, Cao Kun checked the time.

Four in the afternoon.

Two hours left.

He went back to playing on his phone.

...

At five-thirty in the afternoon, Tian Ningning stood in front of the mirror in her rented room, having already changed through three outfits.

The first set was her everyday hoodie and jeans.

She felt it was too casual, so that wouldn't work.

The second set was a dress.

She felt that was too formal.

The third set was a white knit sweater paired with a light-colored midi skirt.

This one seemed okay...

She turned back and forth, but nothing seemed quite right.

"Oh, why is this so hard!"

She complained to her reflection in the mirror.

...