It was exactly 10 PM. As usual, Cao Cường greeted the manager and a few colleagues in the shop, then went to change his clothes and clock out.
Cao Cường had only been working at Coffe Ánh Trăng for just over two months. Although the monthly salary wasn't much, the owner was very understanding.
Specifically, according to the regulations of the school Cao Cường was attending, first-year students like him were required to live in the dormitory. Entry and exit times were somewhat strictly controlled.
On top of that, there were conduct points to consider, so even students from well-off families, with plenty of money, never slept outside the dorms.
Naturally, those from influential families were an exception. That crowd didn't even care whether they attended classes or not, let alone being forced to stay in a cramped dormitory.
If Cao Cường had worked regular shifts like the other employees in the shop, he definitely wouldn't have made it back to the dormitory before curfew.
Fortunately, the owner made an exception, allowing him to work shifts that were slightly different from the other employees. Thanks to this, Cao Cường had some income to cover his living expenses.
He hadn't walked more than a few steps after leaving the shop when a young man wearing a slouchy hat blocked Cao Cường's path. The man, a cigarette pinched between his fingers, brought it to his mouth and spoke:
"Hey, buddy, got a light?"
In Tân Long City, snatch-and-grab robberies happened all the time. With that slouchy hat covering almost his entire face, the man looked extremely suspicious.
Although as a poor student he had nothing valuable to be robbed of, Cao Cường still thought it best to be a little cautious. He took a few steps back and replied with a smile:
"Sorry, I don't smoke, so I don't have a light. You could try asking inside the shop."
As soon as Cao Cường finished speaking, he saw the other man smirk. An extreme sense of danger suddenly washed over him, causing his heart rate to rapidly accelerate in his chest.
Just then, an arm wrapped around Cao Cường's neck from behind, clamping down tightly. Before he could react, the man who had asked for a light pulled a small knife from his hip and repeatedly stabbed Cao Cường in the stomach.
"Thwack... Thwack... Thwack..." Excruciating, flesh-tearing pain from his abdomen assaulted his senses. Cao Cường instinctively thrashed violently, flailing his arms and legs wildly, hoping to escape.
But all of Cao Cường's efforts were in vain. By the time he collapsed, Cao Cường no longer knew how many times the man had stabbed him.
The sudden turn of events, coupled with the attackers' swift and decisive actions, left the surrounding witnesses still reeling in shock. By then, the assailants had already finished their deed, jumped into a waiting getaway vehicle, and fled.
Cao Cường lay there convulsing in a vast pool of crimson blood. Even breathing had become incredibly difficult. In his ears, the loud shouts and screams continuously echoed.
Blood gushed from more than a dozen stab wounds in his abdomen, causing Cao Cường's body temperature to drop continuously. His eyes blurred, and his ears rang so loudly that he could no longer clearly hear the surrounding commotion.
Losing consciousness in this situation would be life-threatening, so Cao Cường struggled to stay awake. But his mind grew increasingly hazy, and then his consciousness slowly sank into darkness.
Although the hospital wasn't far from here, no one wanted to take Cao Cường to the emergency room. Even the people who worked with him at the Moonlight Coffee Shop showed reluctance to do so.
In today's society, there's no shortage of cases where helping others leads to undeserved trouble. To avoid unnecessary complications, people treat each other with increasing coldness and indifference.
Instead of lending a hand to someone in distress, they simply made an emergency call and considered their duty done. Afterward, the whole crowd stood around, filming and taking pictures, then speculating wildly and spreading baseless rumors.
It took a full ten minutes for the ambulance to arrive, sirens wailing. Because his injuries were too severe, the paramedics immediately loaded Cao Cường into the ambulance to take him to the hospital.
No sooner had the ambulance disappeared from sight than a car pulled up. The driver's side door opened, and a plump, benevolent-looking middle-aged man stepped out.
This man was none other than the owner of the Moonlight Coffee Shop. Cao Cường and the other employees weren't entirely clear on the owner's specific name.
They only ever heard others call him Phùng Laoban, so that's all they knew. Besides, what good would knowing the boss's full name do for mere serving staff?
Phùng Laoban had, of course, rushed over after receiving a call from the manager. Catching sight of the pool of blood and the crowd still pointing and gesticulating, Phùng Laoban couldn't help but frown in displeasure.
Such a brazen stabbing incident, one that horrified and frightened everyone, yet it took more than half an hour for two minor officials from the authorities to be dispatched to investigate.
What was noteworthy was that these two minor officials came to investigate but didn't even bother to photograph the scene or take any notes. They merely asked a few perfunctory questions, then simply packed up and left.
The onlookers were astute enough to realize this was a subtle message the authorities wanted to convey. Given the situation, lingering and talking too much here would only lead to trouble, so they immediately dispersed.
This chilling display made Phùng Laoban sigh. But common folk don't contend with officials; what could Phùng Laoban do, even if his heart was filled with indignation?
He instructed a few employees to clean up the pool of blood Cao Cường had left behind. After quietly giving the manager a few instructions, Phùng Laoban got into his car and drove straight to the hospital.
To be honest, Phùng Laoban wanted to stay out of this matter. However, Cao Cường's circumstances weren't very good, and Phùng Laoban felt a pang of reluctance at the thought of abandoning him.
Arriving at the hospital, Phùng Laoban inquired with the nurse on duty at the emergency room and learned that Cao Cường was currently undergoing emergency surgery.
The mere mention of "emergency" was enough to understand the critical situation Cao Cường was in. Briefly praying for the surgery's success, Phùng Laoban looked at the nurse and continued to ask:
"So, may I ask what the estimated cost of the surgery will be?"
When Phùng Laoban asked about the hospital fees, the duty nurse's expression became a little strange. However, she was just a junior nurse, and there was no need to conceal this information. When asked, she naturally had to answer politely:
“Sir, the hospital used the victim’s phone contacts to reach out to their relatives. Someone has already stepped forward to cover all expenses, including hospitalization and rehabilitation costs, should the surgery be successful.”
Boss Feng had rushed to the hospital, worried that medical expenses would be a barrier delaying Cao Cuong’s treatment. Now, hearing the nurse’s reply, he couldn’t help but feel a little surprised.
No wonder Cao Cuong had been immediately taken into surgery. In this day and age, where money talks, without it, you might as well lie down and wait to die. Boss Feng, feeling a bit curious, continued to ask:
“Cao Cuong once said he had no relatives left. Did a classmate cover his expenses?”
Upon arrival, Boss Feng had introduced himself as Cao Cuong’s employer. The nurse, impressed by such a caring employer, immediately explained in detail:
“Only two contacts were saved in his phone: Lao Fei and Little Mouse. To find Cao Cuong’s relatives, the hospital called both, but neither knew anything about his family.”
“Although he introduced himself only as an online friend, Lao Fei was the one who took responsibility for all the expenses and has since transferred the full amount to our hospital.”
“As for the person saved as Little Mouse, he introduced himself as a dorm-mate. Upon receiving the call, he immediately came to the hospital and is currently waiting outside the operating room.”
To be honest, before coming to the hospital, Boss Feng had merely intended to perform a good deed. He had planned to assess the situation and then help cover a portion of the medical costs.
Now, learning that Lao Fei was merely an online friend of Cao Cuong, yet was willing to spend such a significant sum, Boss Feng couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for him.
With his questions answered, Boss Feng asked for directions to the operating room. The nurse said a word to her colleague on duty, then led the way for Boss Feng.
Soon, the two arrived in front of the operating room. Along the waiting chairs in the hallway, they saw only one young man sitting anxiously. With his small, scrawny build, it wasn’t hard to connect him to the name ‘Little Mouse’.