Chapter Twenty: Money Arrives

Zhang Xiaorui’s eyes lit up. Forgetting all about calling Uncle Wang, she sprinted toward the fried chicken shop.

A middle-aged woman in a work uniform was busy packing fried chicken for customers. Zhang Xiaorui looked over—there were drumsticks and wings, and her mouth watered uncontrollably. Noticing her expression, the woman couldn't help but smile. "Young lady, what would you like to buy?"

"Um, give me five drumsticks, ten wings, and a whole chicken."

The woman muttered to herself, "This little girl, she wants so much... can she even finish it?" Looking at Zhang Xiaorui’s exquisite, youthful face, full of collagen, the woman felt an urge to reach out and pinch those cheeks.

"Alright, dear, are you sure you can eat all that?" The woman was worried about waste.

Zhang Xiaorui waved her little hand dismissively. "Don't worry, whether I can even get full is the real question." She wasn't exaggerating; despite her slender, delicate frame, her appetite was legendary—not to mention she hadn't eaten properly for days.

"Alright then, as long as you can finish it." The woman said no more, packed up the order, and handed it to her.

After paying, Zhang Xiaorui couldn't wait. She grabbed a large drumstick and took a huge bite. The crispy texture combined with the savory flavor of the chicken was simply divine. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh my, what's wrong with this child? Why is she crying? What’s going on?" The woman asked, "Miss, what's the matter? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Zhang Xiaorui looked so young—only seventeen or eighteen—and so frail.

"Huh? Nothing! I just think this fried chicken is too delicious."

Goodness, she was crying because it was good? The woman beamed, her face creasing into a wide grin. Anyone enjoys a sincere compliment, and being a kind-hearted person, the woman tossed in two extra drumsticks. "These are on me, eat slowly so you don't choke." She also poured a glass of water for her. "Thank you, ma'am."

Just as Zhang Xiaorui was enjoying her meal, she looked up and spotted a notice on the wall. She walked over to read it. It was a wanted poster, but that wasn't what caught her attention; the key was the fifty-thousand-yuan reward offered for any information leading to an arrest.

"A major criminal case has occurred in the Shuncheng District of Jing City. Investigation reveals that Meng Shan is a primary suspect and is currently at large. Suspect Meng Shan, ID number 522... The public is urged to provide information to the police... A reward of 50,000 yuan will be given..."

Along with the suspect's photo and ID number, the fifty-thousand-yuan reward stood out clearly. This was exactly what she needed—like someone handing a pillow to a person who was already falling asleep.

Zhang Xiaorui trembled with excitement. She no longer had the heart to eat. Her mind was entirely consumed by the fifty-thousand-yuan bounty. She stuffed all the fried chicken into her canvas bag. While staring at Meng Shan’s face in the photo, her right hand began to calculate rapidly.

Her smile grew wider and wider. "Hahaha! It seems this master is about to make some money. Oh my, isn't this just like someone delivering cash right to my doorstep?" She shook with laughter. Food and drink were forgotten; in the face of money, everything else had to step aside.

She was spirited, rubbing her hands together, eager for action. Her beautiful eyes blinked repeatedly as she stared intensely at the photo posted at the bottom left. Her gaze was so scorching, it was as if the suspect were standing right in front of her. How to describe that look? It was full of anticipation, as if the fifty thousand yuan were already within her grasp.

"Money! So much money! All of this will soon be mine."

She felt confident again, her face beaming so brightly that her eyes turned into crescents.

"Miss? Miss? What's wrong with you? Do you have Parkinson's? Why is your hand shaking? How unfortunate to have such an illness at your age." An old man passing by saw Zhang Xiaorui standing there, giggling and muttering about how everything was hers. He was startled by her shivering and incoherent babbling, so he stepped forward to see if she needed to be sent to a hospital.

Zhang Xiaorui glanced at the old man. "I'm fine, sir. Haven't you eaten yet? Let me treat you to some fried chicken." She reached into her bag and held out a drumstick. The old man recoiled, genuinely frightened. "Miss, which psychiatric hospital did you escape from? Tell me, and I'll take you back. Oh, you poor child! So young and already like this. Whose daughter are you? How pitiful!"

Zhang Xiaorui rolled her eyes, put the drumstick back in her bag, and said, "You go on with your walk, sir. I have things to do." Before the old man could respond, she had already vanished.

When the old man finally snapped out of it, she was nowhere to be seen. He felt a sense of melancholy. "That girl is truly sick. How pitiful to be like that at such a young age." He sighed, shaking his head.

...

In a dilapidated residential complex in the New City District—a place built in the 1990s, now over thirty years old—the buildings were short, six-story walk-ups without elevators. The complex was old and neglected, with paint peeling from the exterior walls.

In Room 101, Unit 1, Building 3, a scruffy, unkempt middle-aged man sat in a dim living room, slurping noodles. The room reeked of foot odor mixed with the musty stench of rotting trash, a combination that could rival an open-pit latrine. This man was none other than Meng Shan, the criminal currently wanted by the city police.

The fact that Meng Shan could eat with such gusto in such a room showed that one should never judge a book by its cover. He was quite a character. After finishing the last of the broth, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

*Click.* The lighter ignited. Meng Shan took a deep drag, the smoke swirling around him as if he were ascending to heaven. The way he smoked didn't look like he was enjoying tobacco; it looked like he was consuming something illicit. He had been hiding in this room for half a month. To avoid the police, he only ventured out in the dead of night to buy essentials, never leaving his door otherwise.

Just then, a crisp knock at the door caught him completely off guard.