Chapter 70: You're So Dark! And You're So Pale!

The shop closed.

Sensible Old Zhang said he didn't want to drink anymore.

He leaned against Lin Fan's back, sleepiness overtaking him, and slowly drifted off.

Lin Fan looked back and saw Old Zhang fast asleep. He slowed his pace and walked forward.

He remembered where his kind benefactor's house was.

Although it was nighttime,

He only needed to put the milk at her door and leave. He would visit his good friend Liu Kai in the hospital tomorrow morning.

Many drunken men and women filled the night streets.

They laughed and shouted, freely releasing their inner pressures.

When they saw Lin Fan and Old Zhang,

They stared curiously. After passing by, they laughed loudly, as if they had seen something amusing.

Arriving at the familiar alley, he found the right house.

He placed the milk at the door.

Looking at the closed door, he didn't knock. They were probably asleep.

The last time this kind woman helped them turn the adorable snake into a delicious meal, he wanted to thank her, but it was a pity he had no money then.

"I have one hundred and twenty-five yuan. I spent fifty-five on milk, so I have seventy left. Buying a carton of milk for my good friend costs fifty-five. Yes, that's right."

He took out fifteen yuan and placed it on the milk carton.

Then he looked at the closed door for a moment, turned around, and left with Old Zhang on his back.

The alley was dark, so dark that he couldn't see the road ahead. But he slowly moved his feet, feeling his way forward. Before long, he reached the intersection. The faint light from the street lamp shone down, illuminating the path beneath his feet.

Old Zhang slept soundly on his back.

He could even hear him snoring.

Lin Fan scratched his head. He hadn't figured out where to go for the time being. He had to wait until tomorrow morning to go to the hospital. If he went now, he would definitely disturb his friend's sleep.

As he walked onto the main road,

The sound of a motorcycle came.

Lin Fan looked to the side. The "ghost fire" (modified scooter) was approaching fast, as if it would hit him in the blink of an eye.

The sound of the tires screeching against the ground was ear-piercing.

Thick white smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe.

"Gorilla..."

Lin Fan opened his mouth.

Gorilla was riding the ghost fire. His massive size made the scooter look tiny. His green wig swayed in the wind, adding a touch of unexpected elegance.

He had a half-smoked cigar, picked up from who knows where, dangling from his mouth, and took a few habitual puffs.

The evil Gorilla was speeding down the road in the middle of the night,

And yet he hadn't been discovered.

Were the people from the Special Department blind?

The darkness of the night, coupled with Gorilla's shiny black fur, made him indeed difficult to spot.

They stared at each other.

Neither spoke.

After a long time,

Lin Fan finally spoke.

"You're so dark!"

Gorilla shouted: "Gargamel!"

Translation: And you're so pale!

Gorilla rolled his eyes at Lin Fan, showing a disdainful expression, then started the ghost fire and vanished into the distance with a whoosh.

Lin Fan wanted to wake Old Zhang to show him Gorilla riding the scooter, but seeing how peacefully Old Zhang was sleeping, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Amazing."

He shook his head, marveling at the vastness of the world and all its wonders.

March 10th!

Sunny!

Another beautiful, sunny day, with birds chirping.

Morning!

In the small alley,

A prostitute opened her door as usual and saw a carton of milk and fifteen yuan at her doorstep.

"Who put this here?"

She was very curious.

Who could have sent it?

A door opened across the alley. An old man saw the milk and the fifteen yuan in front of the prostitute's door. Hearing what she just said, a wicked idea sprang to his mind.

"I bought it. That person delivered it to the wrong door."

The old man promptly picked up the milk and skillfully pocketed the fifteen yuan.

"Really yours?" the prostitute asked casually.

This simple question, however, enraged the old man.

The old man angrily retorted: "What do you mean by that? Are you doubting me? Do you know I was a writer in my younger days? And you, a prostitute, dare to question me? Back in the day, I would have..."

"I didn't mean anything else. How can you be like this?" the prostitute said sadly.

The old man held his head high, acting very tyrannical. "So what? I said what I said! If you dare to talk back to me again, I'll go to your daughter's school and make a scene. Let's see what people will think when they know your daughter has a mother like you."

These hurtful words stung deeply, like reopening a freshly healed wound, not only painful but also sprinkled with salt, making it even more agonizing.

The prostitute's eyes reddened. She closed the door, unwilling to argue with him.

The old man stood at the door and cursed for a few more minutes.

He spat at her door.

He walked away with the milk, feeling pleased with himself.

Just like you want to argue with me? Look at yourself!

The old man returned home.

"Dad, where did this milk come from?"

"Someone sent it to the lady across the alley, but I snatched it. I just scolded her, and she didn't dare to say a word. She should know her place."

Thump!

"Dad, what's wrong? Why did you faint?"

The family across the alley was in an uproar. The old man suddenly fainted, his head hitting the ground with a loud thud. He fell hard.

Lin Fan and Old Zhang were asleep on a park bench.

The two of them had slept head to head last night,

Leaning against each other.

"It's dawn."

Lin Fan rubbed his eyes and then woke Old Zhang.

When Old Zhang woke up, he habitually reached for his soy milk, but his hand met with nothing. Then he remembered they weren't at home; they were outside.

"Let's go buy something."

The two got up and left.

Citizens who came to the park for their morning exercise saw the oddly dressed pair and whispered amongst themselves, pointing.

They were wearing clothes from Qingshan Mental Hospital.

How did they get here?

Of course,

They didn't think Lin Fan and Old Zhang were mental patients. They felt it was unlikely they would have escaped. Perhaps they dressed like this to attract attention.

After all, the world is a big place.

There are always strange people.

At the store,

The male owner, who almost pulled a knife last night, opened the shop, ready to greet a beautiful day. But to his surprise, his first customers were the mental patients who came to buy things in the middle of the night.

He was nervous.

He even kept his distance from them.

Lin Fan skillfully picked up a carton of milk and a sausage.

A total of fifty-five yuan.

The owner didn't say a word from beginning to end.

It wasn't that he didn't want to speak,

But he didn't dare.

The two carried the milk out of the store. As they left, they gave the owner a bright smile.

Seeing this smile,

The owner felt a chilling, malicious aura.

"Damn it, I've seen a ghost."

On the road,

Lin Fan handed the sausage to Old Zhang. "Eat."

Old Zhang took the sausage, unwrapped it, and broke it in half.

"Half for each of us."

Lin Fan smiled and took half of the sausage, stuffing it into his mouth. Old Zhang also stuffed his half into his mouth. The two of them looked at each other with bulging cheeks,

Smiling, their eyes narrowed to slits.

If they opened their mouths to laugh,

The sausage would fall out.

Wouldn't that be a waste?