Hades Crown Prince

6.A fateful one

Bi Jia carefully carried the small black wooden plaque back home. As he walked upstairs, he saw his wife sitting by their 6-year-old child's bed, her face filled with concern. She looked weary, and when she noticed Bi Jia entering, she simply nodded.

"How's the baby?" Bi Jia asked as he walked over to check.

"Still not eating much, just had a little bit of porridge," his wife replied anxiously.

"Alright, go rest in the room, I'll stay here for a while," Bi Jia said, placing the small black plaque gently next to the child’s pillow.

"What’s this?" his wife asked, surprised.

"Don’t worry about it, just go sleep in the room," Bi Jia urged, somewhat impatiently.

Once everything was arranged, Bi Jia felt uneasy. He sat beside the child, waiting for what seemed like an eternity before he quietly stood up and gently closed the door behind him.

A few days ago, Bi Jia had taken their child to visit the grandparents in the neighboring village. By coincidence, a funeral was being held in the village, and the curious child looked at the coffin for a while. Soon after, the child fell ill. The couple rushed to several major hospitals in Yangcheng, but no one could identify the issue. Eventually, Bi Jia’s wife heard from someone about a temple where they could pray for help, so she visited and burned incense. The temple’s old monk gave her a small charm, and miraculously, the child’s condition began to improve. Still, the child would wake up occasionally, eat a little, and then drift back into sleep, weak and exhausted.

Unable to neglect his shop business, Bi Jia asked his elderly parents to help his wife take care of the child. On his first day back at the store, he unexpectedly saw Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan standing by the window, peering inside. Driven by a sudden impulse, Bi Jia invited them in for a meal, perhaps in hopes of forming some good connections.

Meanwhile, outside the police station, Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan were counting the cash in the envelope. Upon seeing the 2,000 yuan, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

“Buqi, where should we stay tonight?” Yu Xuan asked, grinning.

"Let’s find a hotel first. It’s too dangerous here. If we sleep in the park, we’ll be broke again by morning," Chen Buqi replied, a hint of worry in his voice.

By 11:30 PM, the two young men were walking toward a hotel, their steps quick. The streets of Yangcheng were just as crowded at night as they were during the day. People were everywhere, and the roadside food stalls were packed with diners. The girls passing by wore revealing outfits, flaunting their charms. Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan couldn’t help but feel their hearts race, their noses almost bleeding from the sight.

Back home, none of this would ever happen. By 9 PM, everyone would already be tucked into bed.

"Bro, this place is amazing!" Yu Xuan, momentarily forgetting their struggles, stared greedily at a group of women with large chests.

“Maybe we still don’t fully understand this city," Chen Buqi remarked, his eyes also drawn to a woman with black stockings.

"Street punk, kill them all!"

Just as Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan were soaking in the sights, a group of young men with watermelon knives and cleavers began fighting with another group at the food stall.

Bottles, benches, and slippers were thrown through the air as the two groups fought fiercely. Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan were stunned, but couldn’t look away, caught up in the spectacle.

“Fatty, are you sure 'street punk' means 'good guy'? Do they really greet each other before fighting?" Chen Buqi asked, craning his neck to see the action better.

"No doubt, it’s just like in the movies," Yu Xuan replied, standing on a bench, his blood racing, flicking his bangs so he could see better.

The fight didn’t end until the police arrived. The scene was chaotic, with the food stall owners shouting angrily, "D*mn punks, street punks, food eaters!"

"Street punks, get down and cover your heads!" the police shouted.

Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan, confused and scared, didn’t understand what the police were saying.

“D*mn it, get down!” the police shouted again, brandishing their batons.

Realizing the situation, the two immediately dropped to the ground and covered their heads, mimicking those around them who had already done the same.

“Bro, what’s going on?” Yu Xuan asked, growing anxious.

“If you ask me, who should I ask?” Chen Buqi sighed in frustration.

They were only spectators, yet they found themselves caught up in the chaos. Why did the police seem to be focused on them? The answer was simple: Chen Buqi was tall, with long hair tied in a bun, and he didn’t look like a good guy. As for Yu Xuan, his messy hair and the bruises on his face made it obvious that he had been part of the earlier fight.

The police were also confused by their bags. Were they just getting out of school?

At the police station, the two squatted in the corner, their legs going numb. After what felt like an eternity, they were each taken to separate rooms for questioning.

"Why were you fighting?" the officer slammed the table.

“We weren’t fighting! We were just watching," Chen Buqi explained helplessly.

"Really? Then how do you explain the injuries on your face?" the officer snapped.

“We just arrived in your fine city this morning, and as soon as we got off the train, we were robbed…” Chen Buqi said tearfully, recounting their encounter at the train station.

The two officers exchanged surprised glances, then one left the room to speak with the officers questioning Yu Xuan.

Yu Xuan wasn’t as lucky. The officers already disliked his hairstyle, and when Yu Xuan tried to imitate the gangsters from the movies, saying “Street punk, you m*th*rf*ck*r…”, he quickly received three strikes from a baton. His dream of being a righteous hero was shattered in an instant. After that, he answered every question honestly.

After reviewing their testimonies and checking their train tickets, the police realized they had the wrong people. They gave the two a brief lecture and told them not to get involved in such chaos again before releasing them.

Outside the police station, Yu Xuan, with red eyes and tears streaming down his face, looked at Chen Buqi. "Bro, if things don’t work out, let’s just go home."

"Sigh…" Chen Buqi sighed heavily.

At that moment, Chen Buqi, too, was considering leaving. This city seemed like nothing but trouble. In just one day, they had encountered so many problems.

"Fatty, let’s find somewhere to sleep," Chen Buqi said, grabbing Yu Xuan’s backpack to comfort him.

They found a random hotel, washed up quickly, and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Just as they were about to fall asleep, the door suddenly burst open. A heavily made-up middle-aged woman walked in, followed by several young women.

"Good-looking boys, why are you sleeping so early? I brought a few girls to keep you company," the woman said with a smile, exhaling smoke from her cigarette.

Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan exchanged helpless glances. "What the hell is going on here?" Both were exhausted but felt their frustration building. Just as they prepared to vent their anger on the women, Bi Jia stormed in, cursing.

"Chen brother, we meet again!" Bi Jia greeted them warmly, extending his hand to shake Chen Buqi's.

Chen Buqi blinked in confusion, staring at Bi Jia. Bi Jia immediately turned and scolded the madam, who quickly smiled and left with the young women.

"Chen brother, this place isn’t safe. Without familiar faces, it’s really dangerous. If you don’t mind, you can stay at my place for the night. Tomorrow, I’ll help you find a place to rent," Bi Jia smiled sincerely.

"Your child is better?" Chen Buqi glanced at Bi Jia.

"Yes, you’re really amazing," Bi Jia clapped his hands excitedly.

It turned out that the previous night, after Bi Jia and his wife had finished washing up and were about to rest, their son suddenly knocked on their bedroom door. Bi Jia and his wife rushed to open it and found their son crying from hunger. The sight almost brought tears to Bi Jia’s eyes. Their son soon recovered, and their nearby relatives, shocked by the sudden change, rushed over to offer their support.

Bi Jia realized he had met a true expert and couldn’t let the opportunity slip by. He immediately told his family and, with his brother-in-law, younger brother, and other relatives, began searching for Chen Buqi.

Bi Jia used his local connections and networks to track down Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan. He rushed to their side, worried they might run into trouble. His arrival helped ease the tension that had been building in their hearts.