City S was a famous hub for entertainment. It was a concentration of large casinos, bars, hotels... Because of this, the cost of living there could be said to be very expensive. All around were towering skyscrapers or even several houses designed like magnificent and splendid castles that made passersby unable to take their eyes off them. Outside, luxury cars were piled up. When it was daylight, that was the case, but when night enveloped the entire city, that was when the casinos and bars there opened, and the city's bustling life began... But behind the glamorous and splendid facade, city S was a center for many illegal activities, not just gambling but even drug trafficking, pimping,... or even murder. But strangely, although everyone knew about this, the fact that many people regularly came to the city for entertainment still happened every day.
Major newspapers all praised the young doctor's talent to the skies. Entering school and graduating three years early meant that he became an official doctor at just 20. But because of an incident at the hospital where he worked, he suffered an unforgiving fall, losing his medical license at the peak of his career. Unlike before, he now resembled a soulless corpse, affected by the scolding and contempt of those who once praised him profusely; to them, he was now just a cowardly and weak person who didn't value patients' lives, only cared about money. Around city S, there was a rumor about a man named Leidende, famous for being a skilled doctor, but the fee to hire him for treatment was extremely high.
At the warehouse of the Fragrant Paper Company, a surgery was taking place. The doctor injected the patient with anesthesia and then started an IV drip. After the patient's heart stopped, he connected it to a heart-lung machine to maintain the organs' life. He disinfected the patient's wound, took the scalpel in his hand, and gently made an incision in the patient's skin, blood starting to seep from the cut along the midline of the sternum. He used instruments to retract the heart. After a quick assessment, the doctor likely understood the problem. Once he reached the heart valve, he began to cut away the damaged valve leaflet, cutting it into shape and then removing it. Choosing the appropriate suture, he began to sew the edges together... The doctor finished the surgery gently, step by step, slumping down beside the sofa. A woman emerged from the operating room, looking towards the young man lying flat on the sofa. "The surgery was successful. I will pay you the agreed amount, Leidende."
Joy Hotel was said to be the hotel with the highest revenue, a 5-star hotel due to its exceptional service quality. In the hotel's banquet hall, a lavish party was taking place, a class reunion with influential figures in society. Although called a class reunion, it was actually a way for some of them to show off. "It seems Hy is missing?" "I heard he's become an underground doctor now, that kind of quack..." "I think he got fired for causing a patient's death." "That's right, and what's more, this guy dared to come to the party." They looked towards him, who was standing chatting with a group of close friends. Luckily for him, he had friends who always believed in him. "How adorable, is that your son?" Everyone gathered around the little boy in front of Y, looking at the cute child, gently stroking his head. "Yes, my precious son. His name is Felix ."
Behind the glamorous and splendid facade, city S was a center for many illegal activities, not just gambling but even drug trafficking, pimping,... or even murder. But strangely, although everyone knew about this, the fact that many people regularly came to the city for entertainment still happened every day. The impoverished slums were home to all sorts of people. All sorts of people lived there, and the pleasure-seekers who passed through often called it the poor people's area. It wasn't without reason that they said that, because there were all kinds of people there, from thieves and junkies... to even prostitutes. All kinds of people in that area.
It was 11:30 PM. Darkness enveloped the city. Y and his friend stopped at a nearby bus stop, and the two of them headed to the slums. The man was about 40-45 years old, gaunt, his thin arms clearly visible beneath his flimsy shirt. His wooden prosthetic leg was slightly worn, making it difficult for him to walk, but his face was very hard for others to trust. Before even reaching the slums, just stepping in, a red liquid splashed up to Y's ankles, the viscous fluid feeling sticky under his shoes. The sky was dark, so Y himself couldn't see anything clearly. The man told Y, "You stepped on a dead rat. Be careful, no one here wants to clean up. So just hire me to guide you; safety is better."
The two refused and shone their lights as they entered the slums, relying on a map to find the hotel they had booked in advance. But they didn't know what would happen next. The slums were far different from the prosperity of city S. Shabby houses, children bullying each other, a few junkies in the alley corners. During that time, theft, and even child molestation, occurred openly. Moans came from a house. Temporary houses were crammed together... Going deeper into the slums, the two finally found the Liberi Hotel. Stepping into the hotel, the female receptionist looked at Y. "Do you need babysitting services?" "I don't need it." "What services do you have? Can I see the service list?" Y asked unconsciously. "Well, if you want, come into this room for a photo?" "Photo?" Y asked. "Yes, and then go to staircase number 2 to drop off the child." "Can I speak to you privately?" Y said, waving towards his friend. His friend sneaked off to staircase 2 to go upstairs, while the young woman led his friend to the room next door... Y entered the room with the hotel receptionist, looking around the room and noticing a few flickering red dots, and he could guess he was being watched. The receptionist took out a camera and asked Y, "Are you sure you want to try the babysitting service here?" "Didn't Richard give me the choice? Do you need it?" Y held up his phone, showing it to her. She nodded and gave him a room card. The two went outside, holding the room card in their hands. Y followed the receptionist's directions to go upstairs. "Wait a moment, someone will bring your food."
After walking for a while, right in front of a room door, Y's friend called back, pointing towards the sound, a slightly open room with a bit of light showing outside. The two approached it. Before room 34, a young boy, probably just in elementary school, appeared before their eyes, his clothes being torn by a man, the boy's weak cries for help audible. The two rushed in to stop the man. Y hugged the child and took him away, his friend following behind. They quickly took the child to an empty room. Y told his friend to quickly take the child to the operating room. Y told his friend to prepare surgical equipment while he changed clothes. In the operating room, Y was stunned by the scene before him. A ravaged body full of scabbed wounds, a thin and weak frame. After a quick observation, Y could guess what had happened to the boy; one arm and one leg were severely broken... Breaking down the door of a hotel room, the two hugged the child and carried him into the room...
"Is the boy okay?" "Yeah, luckily the guy hadn't done much yet." "How's the case going?" "The little guy is the last witness. All the other children have disappeared, and that receptionist... she committed suicide..." "Really? How messed up." "Let's take him home for now." In Y's rest room, the child lay peacefully on the bed, gentle sunlight shining on his face, making the room feel warm. He gradually woke up, looking around the room, his face showing weariness, as if waking up in a strange place wasn't the first time for him. Y and his friend entered the room. "Are you alright?" Y's friend asked. When the boy saw them, he said nothing, wrapping himself tighter in the blanket. The blanket trembled slightly. "Do you want to go outside and play?" "If you feel better, we'll go outside and play, okay?" He still said nothing, shivering under the blanket. The two seemed not to have considered the boy's feelings.
"Meow~" The boy lifted the blanket, looking towards the cat, hugging it in his arms, which made him smile. The two men peeked through the crack in the door, feeling a bit of warmth in their hearts. A few days later, Y's friend moved away. Every three days a week, Y's friend and a psychologist came to talk with the boy. Gradually, Y would sit quietly, waiting for the boy to get food so he could start a conversation. After a while, a hand reached out from the door. "I didn't know what you liked, so I cooked the dishes you've eaten a lot these past few days. What would you like to eat so I can cook it?" The arm jerked back, the door slammed shut. Perhaps the boy still hadn't opened up to him. Every time, Y would talk to him alone, like a monologue. He would bring the boy food every day, sit behind the door, and just tell stories, then advise him that what had happened wasn't his fault. Based on the boy's fondness for the cat Y kept, the little boy gradually opened up more. Every day, Y brought food and water to him, and it slowly became a habit. Finally, one day, the sound of the door opening made Y turn his face towards the boy. It seemed the boy had opened up to him, sitting beside him... "I still don't know your name." "...or should I call you Felix or...? Just the two of us here."
One day, outside, thunder rumbled loudly, and the pouring rain made the little boy scared. He hugged the cat, unable to sleep soundly. Y rushed to his room, hugging the frightened child who was curled up like a cat in his arms. The next morning, after the rain had stopped, Y woke up with the child and the cat nestled in his arms. The little boy gradually woke up, looking at the scenery outside the window. "You see, after the rain, the sky is even clearer and brighter, right? That's why overcoming your difficulties is also how you shine brighter." Y smiled at him.
