Chapter 98: Eat While It’s Hot
"Damn it! You dare take back one yuan?"
The middle-aged man’s comment immediately drew the attention of everyone in the previously quiet carriage.
"You’re not mute, huh?"
"You filthy liar!"
"You’re truly shameless, doing this without fear of karma!"
Everyone in the carriage who had given money crowded around, quickly surrounding the middle-aged man in a circle while voicing their curses.
The middle-aged man was tightly encircled by the crowd; escape was impossible, and he could only resist desperately.
But he was alone in resistance, which only further incited public anger.
It was unclear who started it first, but soon the verbal battle escalated into a mass brawl.
"Oh my God! Stop fighting!"
"Ouch~ It hurts like hell!"
"Don’t kick my family jewels!"
At this moment, the middle-aged man could no longer pretend to be mute, his cries of pain growing louder and louder.
"The station is here, stop watching!"
Lin Tian noticed the subway was slowing down, knowing it was time to get off.
Wu Yong still wanted to join the commotion, but helplessly followed Lin Tian out of the carriage: "Lin Tian, why are these people so annoying!"
"They have perfectly functional limbs, yet insist on engaging in these trades that deceive the kind-hearted."
Wu Yong was particularly furious, his warm-hearted nature felt betrayed by such an outcome, who wouldn’t be angry.
"There are many professions in this society that are looked down upon, like the security guards at subway entrances, many people despise them, like the aunt cleaning trash bins, she’s also despised!"
Lin Tian pointed to a middle-aged woman cleaning a trash bin in the distance.
"And the sanitation workers who sweep the streets before dawn every day!"
Lin Tian said softly, "There are so many jobs like this that people look down on, thinking they’re without prospects or skills!"
"But without these people, who would clean the trash bins, who would guard the gates, who would sweep the streets?"
"At least their work earns money by their hard work and effort!"
Lin Tian patted his chest, "They earn their money with a clear conscience!"
"They earn their money without guilt!"
"But people like them?"
Lin Tian pointed to the subway carriage: "They make money by exploiting people’s sympathy, these are the ones who should be despised!"
"Yet, when these fake beggars change their clothes and drive luxury cars, it’s the people who used to despise them who feel inferior!"
Lin Tian chuckled, "This is society! This is reality!"
"You can’t change it; you can only adapt to society!"
"These days, identity is not determined by how much one contributes to society, but by wealth!"
Wu Yong nodded in agreement.
"Stop worrying unnecessarily, let’s go eat!" Lin Tian sighed.
Even if you have the heart to rid the world of evil, you are powerless to turn the tide!
As they approached the subway exit, Lin Tian, hurrying forward, was suddenly pulled back by someone.
Turning his head to see Wu Yong holding onto his clothes, Lin Tian looked confused: "What are you doing?"
Wu Yong pointed next to the subway exit: "Do you think that person is also a fraud?"
Lin Tian followed Wu Yong’s finger to see a young man kneeling on the ground, a pile of words written in white chalk before him.
"Don’t meddle, let’s go!"
Lin Tian didn’t care whether the person was a fraud or not.
"No way, if this is also a fraud, I’ll never do another good deed again!" Wu Yong felt his warm-hearted nature growing colder and colder...
Lin Tian glanced at the time, seeing it was still early before noon and Charm Street was just across the road, time was on their side.
"Let’s go, have a look!"
Lin Tian and Wu Yong approached the young man, who had a tattered backpack on and looked like a student.
"Came here for study, can’t afford a ticket home, haven’t eaten for a day and a night, please kind-hearted people spare some money for a meal!" the crooked white chalk words read.
"He’s still a student, probably not a fraud!" Wu Yong took out that one yuan coin again, wanting to give it to him.
"To deal with these deceitful scoundrels, you have to tackle them directly and test them!"
Lin Tian said to Wu Yong, "Don’t give that one yuan, go buy three steamed buns instead!"
"Buy steamed buns?"
"What for?"
Wu Yong looked puzzled.
"You’ll see in a moment!"
Lin Tian’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"Alright, I’m off!" Wu Yong turned and left.
"Wait... Don’t forget to buy a bottle of mineral water too!"
"Okay!"
Wu Yong ran off, soon returning with a bag of steamed buns and a bottle of mineral water.
"Lin Tian, what are you going to do?"
Wu Yong still didn’t understand what the steamed buns and mineral water were meant to accomplish.
"Watch carefully!"
Lin Tian, holding the bag of steamed buns and the bottle of mineral water, approached the young man.
"Classmate, you’re hungry?"
Lin Tian had his hands behind his back.
"Yeah, I’ve been hungry for a day and a night, I haven’t had a drop of water!"
The young man’s murky eyes bore a touch of pitifulness, lacking the naivety of his age, with an added touch of craftiness.
"I know you’re hungry!"
Lin Tian took out the bag of steamed buns from behind him: "Here, eat this bag of steamed buns first!"
Lin Tian’s kind action unintentionally attracted the attention of the surrounding people, the young man stared at the bag of steamed buns, bewildered.
What was going on?
People usually would either give some money or none at all!
This was the first time someone had given him steamed buns...
The young man was stuck between eating or not eating.
"What are you hesitating for? Aren’t you hungry? Didn’t you say you haven’t had a drop of water?"
Lin Tian took out a white steamed bun: "Eat up while it’s hot!"
Being watched by the surrounding people, if the young man didn’t eat, the chalk words in front of him would be like a slap to his face, telling all the onlookers he wasn’t hungry, and that he was a fraud!
The young man gave Lin Tian a meaningful glance, reluctantly taking a steamed bun and starting to eat it, with Lin Tian’s warm-hearted concern prompting him to finish all three steamed buns.
"Have some mineral water, don’t choke!"
Lin Tian handed over the mineral water.
The young man, having eaten three steamed buns, couldn’t not be thirsty, he drank the entire bottle in one go, glancing at Lin Tian: "Thank you, kind-hearted person!"
"No need to be so polite!"
Lin Tian raised an eyebrow at him: "Had enough to eat this time?"
"I’m full!"
The young man feigned gratitude, stood up, and left the area.
How could he still ask for money after what Lin Tian did?
Better to leave quickly and change locations!
"He didn’t seem to be a fraud!"
Wu Yong said, watching the young man’s receding figure.
"You’ll know if you follow him!"
Lin Tian smiled slightly.
Lin Tian and Wu Yong trailed far behind the young man to see what he would do next.
After a few steps, the young man went to a flower bed, knelt down, and started writing chalk words on the ground again.
"Did you see that?"
"He’s a fraud too!"
Lin Tian looked at the dumbfounded Wu Yong beside him: "Just another idiot playing pitiful to scam money!"
"These people are truly abhorrent, I swear I’ll never do another good deed again!"
Wu Yong silently made a decision in his heart.