"Enough."

Before Xu Ke could speak, Wong Teng, who had just pulled out 50,000 yuan, cut him off. "What do you need so much for?"

The next moment, Wong Teng slammed the cash onto the ground.

"There you go," Li Jun said, his eyes filled with mockery.

Want my money? Then go ahead and pick it up!

"You motherfucker..." Xu Ke gritted his teeth.

"You're swearing at me?" Li Jun met Xu Ke's fierce gaze, his face a mask of feigned panic. "We'd better get out of here."

Wong Teng added, "To think he'd still act like this after getting the money. He's truly hopeless."

"Exactly!" Siao Jia sneered. "How shameless."

The bystanders frowned.

"They gave him 50,000 for a minor injury, and he's still whining. What a sissy."

"I can't even look."

"Let's go."

The passersby didn't want to watch any longer; they found Xu Ke utterly shameless.

Hearing their words, the anger and humiliation in Xu Ke's eyes reached their peak, but he was powerless.

After the crowd dispersed, a pile of bright red bills lay scattered on the ground. Li Jun looked down on Xu Ke with smug superiority. "I told you before, Xu Ke, you can't fight me."

"So what if I spent a few tens of thousands to hit you? What can you possibly do about it? Nothing!"

"Let me tell you, money solves everything. I was more than happy to spend that cash..."

Smug expressions appeared on the faces of Li Jun and his companions.

A 50,000-yuan loss? Hitting Xu Ke and settling it for 50,000? You call that a loss? This is what we call entertainment!

Yang Qing tugged on Siao Jia's arm, a smug smile playing on her lips. "See? I told you Young Master Li was the best choice for you."

"Indeed." Siao Jia now completely ignored Xu Ke.

"Alright, that's enough fun for today," Wong Teng laughed heartily.

Silently, Xu Ke stood up, ignoring them completely. More words would be useless. He limped over and righted his scooter.

"You're not taking the money?!" Li Jun jeered when he saw Xu Ke walk away, leaving even the cash he'd thrown at his face earlier. "That could pay for your treatment and your mortgage!"

But Xu Ke remained silent, simply pushing his electric scooter away. He would never take that money.

The four of them sneered at the sight before climbing into the Ferrari. Wong Teng even bent down to pick up the money from the ground.

Then, Li Jun whistled. The engine roared to life, and the Ferrari peeled away, kicking up a gust of wind that made Xu Ke stagger before it sped off into the distance.

Watching the car's receding figure, Xu Ke gave a bitter laugh, slowly mounted his electric scooter, and headed toward the hospital.

As he stopped at a red light, a notification popped up on his phone: a complaint had been filed against his delivery due to the delay.

At the red light, Xu Ke's knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists, only to slowly release them.

What else can I do? There's nothing I can do!

The sunlight was blinding, making the traffic signal blur and flash in his eyes.

The countdown ended.

The light turned green.

Life goes on.

Amid the roar of other engines, Xu Ke silently rode his scooter across the crosswalk.

「Tianhai City First Hospital.」

It was afternoon. The entrance to the department was bustling with medical staff and patients, creating a cacophony of noise. Xu Ke sat silently in a chair, waiting for his number to be called. He worried about the one thousand-odd yuan left in his account, terrified the examination would reveal some new injury that would cost him even more.

"Number fifty-six, Xu Ke."

The automated call rang out.

Xu Ke stood up and limped toward the room.

Just then, an angry shout came from the side, "Xu Ke, stop! Pay me back right now! How long have you been dragging this out?"

Startled, Xu Ke turned to look. A man as burly as an iron tower stood not far away, pointing an angry finger at him. His sheer presence was oppressive.

"Brother Cong, didn't we agree on the tenth of next month?" Xu Ke was dumbfounded.

How did he suddenly show up here? And how did he know I was at the hospital?

The man's name was Nie Yuncong, a senior from Xu Ke's university days. The two had a good relationship. Xu Ke had even helped Nie Yuncong, who was new to Tianhai at the time, connect with some of his own students to broker a few deals. That was why Nie Yuncong was the first person Xu Ke thought of when he needed to borrow money. He never imagined his old friend would hunt him down at a hospital to demand repayment.

"The tenth?" Nie Yuncong, with his muscular build and dark expression, brandished the IOU. "Think about it. Why did I agree to the tenth? It's because you told me you got paid on the tenth! I lent you the money based on that, and you lied to me."

"You borrowed money from me without even telling me you'd been fired? Were you planning to become a deadbeat?"

"If your girlfriend hadn't told me you were fired, I would have waited until I was dead and never gotten this 10,000 yuan back!"

At Nie Yuncong's words, all the patients waiting outside the clinic turned to stare at Xu Ke. Their scorching gazes felt like thorns on his back.

He had never intended to default on his debt. Being slandered so publicly made his face burn with shame. But more than shame, he felt rage. Rage at Siao Jia! He understood now. Siao Jia must have orchestrated this whole thing—telling Nie Yuncong he was at the hospital just to make sure he couldn't even get treated for his injuries.

Xu Ke took a deep breath and tried to explain. "Brother Cong, listen to me. I only lost my job yesterday. I never planned on not paying you back."

Nie Yuncong cut him off. "Save it! Just pay me back now. What's the difference between losing your job yesterday and being a liar?"

"I only lent you the money because we were college buddies. I can't believe you'd lie to me over 10,000 yuan. You've really disappointed me, Xu Ke!"

Nie Yuncong's thunderous voice drew the attention of the entire floor. Everyone turned to look. Some people began to shake their heads. Xu Ke looked decent enough—a clean-cut young man—but to think he had such a rotten character.

An intense frustration welled up in Xu Ke's chest, but he knew any explanation was futile. With Nie Yuncong acting like this, caring only about money and not their past, any attempt to explain would only make things worse.

"Brother Cong, how about this," Xu Ke pleaded, "Let me just get my injury treated first. I'll pay you back right after, okay?" He had to calm him down and stop him from causing a bigger scene in the hospital. He'd have to figure out the money later.

By now, the doctor inside the clinic and the others in line were growing impatient.

"No!" Nie Yuncong bellowed. "You're just planning to run off! Don't think I can't see right through you!"

A chill went through Xu Ke's heart.

He couldn't believe their college friendship wasn't even worth a chance for him to explain himself.

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