City S was a well-known playground for the wealthy and hedonistic. It was home to massive casinos, bustling bars, luxurious hotels, and more. Consequently, the cost of living there could easily be described as exorbitant. All around stood towering skyscrapers and even several buildings designed like magnificent, majestic castles, leaving anyone passing by utterly spellbound. Outside were parked rows of luxury cars.
That was how it looked by day. But once night blanketed the entire city, the casinos and bars swung open their doors, and the city's true hustle and bustle began...
Yet, behind that dazzling and extravagant facade, City S was a hub for numerous illegal activities—not just gambling, but drug trafficking, prostitution, and even murder. Strangely enough, though everyone was well aware of this, people still flocked to the city every single day to indulge in its nightlife.
Major newspapers everywhere showered praise on the young doctor's talent. Having entered school and graduated a few years early, he became an official doctor at just 18 years old. However, an incident at the hospital where he worked pushed him down mercilessly, stripping him of his medical license right at the peak of his career. Unlike before, he was now like a hollow shell, battered by the curses and contempt of the very people who had once praised him to the skies. To them, he was now nothing more than a weak and cowardly wretch who didn't value patients' lives and cared only for money.
Around City S, a rumor circulated about a man named Leidende, renowned as a brilliant doctor, though the price to pay for his treatment was exorbitant. Inside a warehouse belonging to the Fragrant Paper Company, a surgery was underway. The doctor administered anesthesia to the patient, then started an intravenous drip. After stopping the patient's heart, he connected them to a heart-lung machine to keep the organs alive. Disinfecting the patient's wound, he picked up the scalpel and gently sliced through the skin; blood began to ooze from a vertical incision down the midsternal line. He used retractors to expose the heart. With a quick assessment, the doctor likely understood the issue. Reaching the heart valve, he began to excise the damaged leaflet, trimming it into shape before setting it aside. Selecting the appropriate suture, he began stitching the edges together...
The doctor finished the surgery smoothly, step-by-step, and collapsed onto the sofa. A woman stepped out of the makeshift operating room, looking toward the young man slumped on the couch. "The surgery was a success. I will pay you the amount we agreed upon, Leidende."
Joy Hotel was reputed to have the highest revenue, a five-star hotel renowned for its exceptionally stellar service. In the hotel's banquet hall, a lavish party was underway—a class reunion attended by prominent figures in society. Though nominally a class reunion, it was in reality just a way for them to show off and boast about themselves.
“Doesn't it seem like Hope is missing?”
“I heard he’s an illegal underground doctor now, a total quack...”
“Apparently he got fired for causing a patient's death.”
“That's right, and on top of that, this guy actually dares to show up at a party.”
They glanced toward him, the one standing and chatting with his close group of friends. Fortunately for him, he had friends who always believed in him.
“How adorable! Is this little boy your son?” People crowded around the little boy in front of Hope.
Hope looked at the pretty little boy in front of him, gently patting his head: "Yeah, my precious son. His name is Hạnh."
Behind that dazzling and extravagant facade, City S was a hub for numerous illegal activities—not just gambling, but drug trafficking, prostitution, and even murder. Strangely enough, though everyone was well aware of this, people still flocked to the city every single day to indulge in its nightlife.
The impoverished slums were home to all sorts of people. All kinds of individuals lived there, and affluent party-goers passing by would often refer to it as a place for the poor. It wasn't for nothing that they said so, because the area harbored everyone from thieves and drug addicts to prostitutes. All sorts of people populated that district.
It was 11:30 PM. Darkness enshrouded the city. Hope and his friend stopped at a nearby bus stop and walked together toward the slums. A man around 40–45 years old stood there, his figure scrawny, his emaciated arms visible through a thin shirt. His wooden prosthetic leg was slightly worn down, making it difficult for him to walk, and his expression was one that made it hard for anyone to trust him.
As soon as they arrived at the slums and stepped inside, a red fluid splashed up onto Hope's eyes and legs, a sticky sensation felt under the soles of his shoes. The sky was pitch dark, so Hope couldn't see a thing. The man told him: "You just stepped on a rat carcass. Watch your step; nobody around here bothers to clean up. You'd better hire me to show you the way—it's safer."
The two of them refused, turned on their flashlights, and walked into the slums, following a map toward the hotel they had booked in advance. But little did they know what was about to happen next.
The slums were worlds apart from the prosperity of City S. Dilapidated shacks, children bullying one another, and a few junkies lurking in dark alleyways. During that time, acts of theft and even pedophilia took place out in the open. Moans echoed from a shack. Makeshift houses crowded closely against one another...
Venturing deep into the slums, the two of them finally found a hotel named Liberi.
Stepping inside, the female receptionist looked over at Hope.
“Do you need babysitting services?”
“I don't need any.”
“Are there other services available? Can I see the service list?” Hope asked involuntarily.
“Well, if you want, would you step into this room to take a few photos first?”
“Photos?” Hope asked.
“Yes, and once that’s done, go to staircase number 2 to drop off the child.”
“Can I speak with you in private?” Hope said, gesturing to his friend with a wave of his hand.
His friend slipped away toward staircase number 2 to head upstairs, while Hope was led by the young woman into the adjacent room.
Stepping into the room with the hotel receptionist, Hope looked around and spotted a few flickering red dots, allowing him to guess that he was being watched. The receptionist took out a camera and told him: “Are you sure you want to try the babysitting service here?”
“Isn't it Richard who gave me the choice? Do you need this?” Hope said, holding up his phone to show her.
She nodded and handed Hope a room key card. The two of them stepped back outside. With the room key in hand, Hope followed the receptionist's directions and headed upstairs to the room.
“Wait a moment, someone will bring food up for you.”
As they walked for a bit, right in front of a room door, Hope’s friend called out to him, pointing toward the source of some noise—a room with its door half-open, casting a sliver of light outward. The two of them walked closer. In front of Room 34 stood a young boy, probably only in elementary school, having his clothes ripped off by a man, his faint cries for help muffled.
The two of them rushed in to stop the man. Hope scooped up the child and carried him away, his friend following closely behind. Rushing the child into an empty room, Hope told his friend to quickly prepare the surgical supplies while he went to change.
Inside the operating room, Hope was shocked by the sight before him. The frail body was covered in scabbing wounds, emaciated and thin. At a glance, Hope could already guess what had happened to the boy; one of his arms and one of his legs were severely fractured...
Breaking through the door of a hotel room, the two of them clutched the child tightly and brought him inside.
“Is the boy alright?”
“Yeah, luckily that guy hadn't managed to do much yet.”
“How’s the case going?”
“The little guy is the last witness; all the other children have vanished without a trace, and as for the receptionist... she committed suicide...”
“Is that so? What a mess.”
“Let's take him home first, shall we?”
Inside Hope's resting room, the child lay comfortably on the bed, gentle sunlight streaming across his face, giving the room a warm and peaceful atmosphere. The boy slowly woke up, looking around the room with a weary expression, as if waking up in a strange place wasn't the first time for him.
Hope and his friend walked into the room.
“Are you okay?” Hope's friend asked.
Seeing them, the boy said nothing, wrapping himself tightly inside the blanket. The blanket trembled slightly.
“Do you want to go outside and play?”
“If you feel better, we can go out later, okay?”
The boy still didn't say a word, shivering inside the blanket. The two of them seemed to have overlooked the boy's fragile emotions.
“Meow~”
The blanket was lifted slightly as the boy looked toward a cat, hugging it close to his arms, which finally brought a small smile to his face. Peeking through the door gap, the two men felt a wave of warmth in their hearts.
A few days later, Hope's friend moved out. Three days a week, Hope's friend and a psychologist would come over to talk to the boy. Gradually, Hope would just sit quietly in place, waiting for the boy to reach out for food so he could strike up a conversation.
After waiting for a moment, a small hand finally poked out from behind the door.
“I didn't know what you liked, so I cooked the dishes you've been eating the most these past few days. Tell me what you like to eat, and I'll make it for you.”
The hand jerked back, and the door slammed shut; perhaps the boy still hadn't opened his heart to him. Every time that happened, Hope would talk to him all by himself, like a monologue. Day after day, he would bring food, sit behind the door, tell stories, and comfort him by repeating that what had happened wasn't his fault.
Using the cat Hope raised as a common interest, the young boy slowly began to open up. Every day, Hope brought him food and water, until it gradually became a daily routine. Finally, one day, the sound of the door opening made Hope turn his head toward the boy, who seemed to have finally opened his heart, coming to sit right beside him.
“...We still don't know your name after all this time.”
“...How about I call you Felix, or whatever name you prefer? Just between the two of us, uncle and nephew.”
One day, outside, thunder rumbled violently and rain poured in torrents, frightening the little boy so much that he hugged his cat tightly, unable to sleep peacefully.
Hope hurried to the boy's room, gathering the frightened child who was curled up like a kitten into his arms. The next morning, when the storm had passed, Hope woke up to find the child, still holding his cat, nestled fast asleep against his chest. The boy slowly woke up and looked out the window at the scenery outside.
“You see, after the storm, the sky becomes even clearer and brighter, right? That's why overcoming hardships is also a way to make yourself shine brighter.” Hope smiled as he looked at him
