101: "Special" water replenishment at service areas

Old Zhang's words made the atmosphere in the cabin, which had just relaxed, tighten once again.

Wang Fugui caught a glimpse of a rusty road sign flashing past the dim window; on it, three large characters were painted in red: Heishi Service Area.

Accompanied by a piercing screech of brakes and a violent shaking of the vehicle, the large truck came to a stop in a dimly lit clearing.

"I'm going down to add water, do as you please." After throwing out those words, Old Zhang pushed open the door and jumped down, walking without a backward glance toward a small building with a lit "Boiled Water" sign, his steps hurried as if he were avoiding something.

The three people in the sleeper compartment exchanged a silent look.

"Let's go down and get some fresh air." Chen Yun spoke first. She smoothed out her slightly messy clothes and nimbly climbed out of the sleeper.

Curling up for a long time had left her body somewhat stiff, but the moment she stood up straight, her mature and graceful curves remained breathtaking in the narrow cab.

Wang Fugui and Lin Xiaocao followed her out of the truck.

At four in the morning, the air at the service area was a mix of diesel, dust, and the smell of low-quality instant noodles. A few other long-haul trucks were scattered about, and groups of silhouettes squatted by their truck heads or in corners, the sparks from their cigarette butts flickering in the darkness.

Just by standing there, Wang Fugui's height of over 1.9 meters and his terrifyingly broad shoulders made him an impossible presence to ignore. He instinctively shielded Chen Yun and Lin Xiaocao behind him, his hulking frame forming a natural barrier.

However, this barrier could not block out the ill-intentioned gazes.

Although Chen Yun and Lin Xiaocao were wearing the most ordinary work uniforms, one had a plump and provocative figure while the other had a pure and slender frame. Having spent a long time in factory dormitories away from the sun, their skin was so white it seemed to glow; to this group of rough men of the road, they were more eye-catching than the most fashionable girls in the city.

Several greedy, undisguised gazes scraped over them like knives.

“Gurgle~ Gurgle-lulu~~~”

Wang Fugui's stomach once again issued an earth-shattering protest, the sound drowning out the engine noise of the distant trucks.

He was now so hungry his head was spinning, and even the dry heat in his body could barely suppress his physical weakness. The instinct to protect the two women filled him with a beast-like alertness toward those stares, but the emptiness in his stomach was the most agonizing torture.

"I'll go buy something to eat." Chen Yun immediately noticed his state.

She pulled Lin Xiaocao along and walked quickly toward the only lit Canteen in the service area.

Wang Fugui followed behind them, feeling lightheaded with every step.

The Canteen didn't have much, but the prices were outrageously expensive. Without even looking at the prices, Chen Yun shouted directly at the dozing owner.

"Ten white flour steamed buns! And that braised beef in the pot, cut three catties for me!"

The owner was startled by her big purchase. His sleepiness vanished, and he nimbly began slicing the meat and packing it up.

When Chen Yun paid, she clearly felt the sting in her wallet, but she said nothing, merely stuffing a plastic bag full of food into Wang Fugui's arms.

"Eat! You only have strength once you're full!"

Wang Fugui took the bag and didn't bother looking for a place to sit. He squatted directly on the steps of the Canteen entrance, grabbed a bun larger than his fist, tore it open, and stuffed it into his mouth. Then he grabbed a large piece of still-warm braised beef and took a massive bite.

The way he ate wasn't human at all.

It was more like a beast that hadn't eaten for three days.

He devoured everything like a whirlwind. Large chunks of beef and buns were swallowed in just a few bites; his Adam's apple bobbed as he let out satisfied, heavy breaths.

The few drivers huddled nearby smoking had been pointing at Chen Yun and Lin Xiaocao, but now they were all stunned by his ferocious eating manner.

Is this a fucking human or a bottomless pit? Can one person eat this much?

Chen Yun and Lin Xiaocao stood beside him—one with her arms crossed, the other nervously pinching the corner of her clothes—silently shielding him from the stares of others.

Just then, Lin Xiaocao tugged on Chen Yun's sleeve and whispered, "Sister Yun, I need to go to the restroom."

"I'll go with you."

Chen Yun nodded and led Lin Xiaocao toward the foul-smelling public restroom in a corner of the service area.

In the shadows by the restroom entrance, four or five youths with multi-colored hair were squatting and smoking. Seeing two women with eye-catching figures approaching, their eyes instantly lit up.

A yellow-haired youth stood up and intentionally blocked their path, grinning with a mouthful of yellow teeth and whistling in a vulgar manner.

"Yo, you two ladies, not sleeping so late?"

Another green-haired hoodlum scanned Lin Xiaocao's straight, slender legs, laughing obscenely.

"Those long legs, tsk tsk. Why don't you come play with us brothers?"

Lin Xiaocao turned pale with fear and instinctively hid behind Chen Yun.

Chen Yun, however, looked like ice. She tilted her chin and coldly spat out three words.

"Get lost!"

She pulled Lin Xiaocao along, bypassed the hoodlums, and walked quickly into the women's restroom.

"Heh, the chick's got quite a temper!"

Being snapped at didn't anger Yellow Hair; instead, he became even more excited. He gave his companions a look, and they stood up grinning and followed, clearly intending to block the restroom entrance to do something.

They had just reached the entrance of the women's restroom and hadn't even had time to start their taunts.

A massive hand, like a palm-leaf fan, reached out from the side without warning, so fast it stirred up a gust of wind.

That hand directly grabbed the back of the leading Yellow Hair's neck, five fingers clamping down like iron pincers.

Yellow Hair felt his neck tighten as his feet left the ground. He was lifted into the air by an irresistible force; he couldn't even manage a cry of alarm, only able to make strange "clucking" sounds from his throat.

Wang Fugui had appeared there at some unknown moment.

His left hand still held half a bun, and he was still chewing vigorously. There was no expression on his honest face, but his eyes as he looked at Yellow Hair were cold, without a trace of warmth.

He didn't say a word.

He simply freed his right hand and picked up a flattened, empty soda can from a nearby trash bin overflowing with sewage.

Under the terrified gazes of the remaining hoodlums, he placed the can in his palm and slowly closed his fingers.

“Creak~ Screech~ Crunch~”

A series of tooth-aching sounds of twisting metal rang out.

The aluminum soda can was crushed by his hand into an irregular, high-density solid metal lump.

Only after finishing this did Wang Fugui toss the completely deformed metal ball at Yellow Hair's feet.

Yellow Hair looked at the metal lump that was completely unrecognizable, then felt the strength in the hand on his neck—enough to crush his vertebrae. An urge to urinate rushed to his bladder, and his legs began to shake like chaff.

Wang Fugui tossed him aside casually, like throwing away a piece of trash.

Yellow Hair was thrown over three meters away, landing face-first and unable to get up for a long time.

Only then did Wang Fugui swallow the bun in his mouth. He spoke calmly to the remaining hoodlums, who were already scared witless, in his usual simple tone.

"My wife is using the restroom. Don't be noisy."

The hoodlums didn't dare make a sound. They scrambled to help Yellow Hair up and fled into the darkness as if for their lives.

A few minutes later, Chen Yun and Lin Xiaocao came out of the restroom.

Seeing the scene, Chen Yun merely raised an eyebrow, not at all surprised.

Lin Xiaocao, however, was shaken. She saw the crushed metal lump at Wang Fugui's feet and the fleeing backs of the hoodlums.

He had protected them again.

A scalding warm current surged from the depths of her heart, dispelling all fear and chill.

She looked at the corner of Wang Fugui's mouth, which had some bun crumbs on it from eating so fast, and saw the fine beads of sweat on his forehead from his high body temperature.

Back at the truck, Lin Xiaocao suddenly took a faded white wet towel from her small bag.

Under Chen Yun's surprised gaze, she walked up to Wang Fugui, ignored the strange looks from the other drivers around, stood on her tiptoes, and reached out her small hand. Using the towel that carried her faint fragrance, she very seriously, bit by bit, helped Wang Fugui wipe away the food residue from the corner of his mouth.

Her movements were very light and gentle.

Wang Fugui's entire body froze.

He could feel the girl's cool fingertips occasionally touching his skin and smell that fragrance that put his mind at ease. This was a completely different feeling from Chen Yun's teasing—a kind of tenderness that made him feel lost but also instinctively want to draw closer.

Amidst the eerie silence of the service area, the sound of panicked footsteps approached from a distance.

Old Zhang, the driver, came running back, scrambling along. His face was deathly pale, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Quick! Get in the truck! Let's go!"

His voice was trembling as he pointed in the direction the hoodlums had fled.

"Those guys just now were scouts for the 'Heishi Slope' road bandits! They've definitely gone to call for backup! The road ahead won't be easy to pass!"