Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1588 Moral Blackmail?

In the hospital corridor late at night, the fluorescent lights were blindingly white, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, mixed with an indescribable chill.

Xiao Ran sat on a plastic chair outside the emergency room, his hands in his pockets, clutching a few crumpled bills. He counted them three times; it totaled four hundred and sixty yuan plus a few cents—that was all he had after emptying his pockets.

The emergency room door opened, and a young nurse came out, holding a stack of forms in her hand.

"Chen Qiming's family?" The nurse glanced at Xiao Ran, who was sitting in the corridor.

“I’m not a family member, I’m his friend.” Xiao Ran stood up.

"A friend is fine too. Go to the payment window and pay your hospital deposit, three thousand yuan." The nurse handed over the form, her tone businesslike.

Xiao Ran took the order, his gaze falling on the words "three thousand," as if he had been stung by something.

Three thousand?

“Yes, a three-thousand-yuan hospital deposit.” The nurse glanced at him. “Further examinations and treatments can only be arranged after the deposit is paid.”

Xiao Ran held the form in his hand, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

Three thousand yuan.

His monthly salary is only 1,200 yuan. If he gets commission, he can earn 1,500 or 1,600 yuan in a lucky month, but that depends on the volume of his purchases that month. Moreover, he just started working and there are still more than half a month before payday. Right now, he only has about 400 yuan left in his pocket.

Three thousand yuan was not a small amount for him; it was an astronomical figure.

"Could we... treat him first, and I'll slowly raise the money?" Xiao Ran asked tentatively.

The nurse's expression remained unchanged; she'd heard this kind of thing far too often: "It's hospital policy; we can't arrange treatment without a deposit. Go pay it quickly, don't delay."

Xiao Ran stood there for a while, clutching the form, his mind racing.

borrow.

I have no choice but to borrow it.

He didn't know many people in Shenzhen to begin with; among his college classmates, only a handful had managed to make it to the city. And of those people, only two were truly successful—Qin Hao and Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan was the first option he ruled out.

It wasn't that Liu Yuan was poor. He worked for Qin Hao, earning a vice president's salary and owning a mobile phone—living a very comfortable life. But Liu Yuan's past fervent pursuit of Han Ling was like a thorn in Xiao Ran's heart, impossible to remove. He still remembered how, back in college, Liu Yuan would frequently visit Han Ling's dance troupe, bringing flowers, snacks, and hand warmers, practically doting on her. Although Han Ling eventually ended up with him, the thought of Liu Yuan's obsequious behavior towards her still made Xiao Ran feel suffocated.

Asking him to bow down and borrow money from Liu Yuan? He couldn't do it.

Then came Qin Hao.

Xiao Ran felt even more conflicted.

Qin Hao had helped him before; last time he was arrested by the city management officers, it was Qin Hao who bailed him out. But when Qin Hao hired Han Ling as his assistant, he always felt that Qin Hao had ulterior motives towards Han Ling. Why should an administrative assistant get so much money during the trial period? The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he felt.

He was unwilling to ask Qin Hao for help.

But Chen Qiming was still lying in the emergency room, covered in injuries, his face swollen like a steamed bun. He couldn't just do nothing.

Seeing that Xiao Ran was still not moving, the nurse urged, "Do you still want treatment or not? The patient is still waiting inside."

Xiao Ran gritted his teeth: "I need to borrow the phone."

He took out a phone book from his bag, stared at the name "Qin Hao" in the contacts for several seconds, took a deep breath, and dialed.

I answered the phone after it rang twice.

"Hello, who is it?" Qin Hao's voice came through the receiver, sounding somewhat surprised. Making a phone call at this hour was unusual.

"Qin Hao, I have something I want to talk to you about." Xiao Ran tried to keep his tone calm: "Chen Qiming got into trouble. He was beaten up and is in the hospital now. He needs to pay a 3,000 yuan deposit for hospitalization, and I—"

"Chen Qiming?" Qin Hao's tone immediately changed, the surprise mixed with impatience clearly audible: "What happened to him?"

"I was beaten up, quite badly, I might have broken a rib—"

"What does it have to do with me that he got beaten up?" Qin Hao interrupted Xiao Ran directly.

Xiao Ran was taken aback, not expecting Qin Hao's reaction to be so cold: "Qin Hao, I know you and Chen Qiming had a conflict because of Sun Yumei..."

"Xiao Ran, if you want to be a savior, that's your business, it has nothing to do with me." Qin Hao's voice was neither cold nor warm.

Xiao Ran's face flushed red instantly: "We've been roommates for four years! You can't just stand by and watch someone die, can you?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Qin Hao's voice became somewhat irritated: "Don't try to morally blackmail me. Someone like Chen Qiming, even if I saved him, he wouldn't appreciate it; he'd only thank you. Why should I pay for your kindness?"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Xiao Ran's head, leaving him speechless.

Qin Hao continued, his tone now completely cold: "Chen Qiming's current state is entirely his own fault. If you have the ability, then save him; if not, don't try to be a hero."

After saying that, the phone rang with a "click".

Xiao Ran stood in the corridor holding the microphone, as if frozen in place.

"Damn it!" Xiao Ran cursed under his breath and slammed his fist against the wall.

He leaned against the wall, catching his breath, forcing himself to calm down. If Qin Hao wouldn't lend him the money, he'd have to ask Liu Yuan. Although he was extremely reluctant to ask Liu Yuan, did he have any other choice now?

Xiao Ran opened the phone book, found Liu Yuan's number, and dialed it.

The call connected quickly, and Liu Yuan's voice came through the receiver: "Who is it?"

"Liu Yuan, it's me, Xiao Ran."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Liu Yuan had never had a good impression of Xiao Ran.

"What is it?" Liu Yuan asked, his tone revealing his displeasure.

"Chen Qiming is in trouble; he was badly beaten..."

"Chen Qiming?" Liu Yuan's voice suddenly turned cold: "Whether he lives or dies is none of my business."

"Liu Yuan—"

"Beep—beep—beep—"

The phone hangs up.

Even more decisive than Qin Hao.

"How did this person become so selfish after getting rich?" he murmured, his voice filled with anger and a hint of inexplicable sorrow.

After putting down the microphone, Xiao Ran dragged his heavy steps back to the entrance of the emergency room.

The nurse was still waiting for him, and she understood most of what was going on just by looking at his expression.

"You haven't raised the money yet?" the nurse asked.

Xiao Ran shook his head, his voice so low it seemed to be squeezed out of his throat: "No."

The nurse sighed; she'd seen this kind of thing countless times. Shenzhen was so big; every day, people who couldn't afford hospital fees were turned away at the hospital. She felt sorry for them, but rules were rules.

"Then we can only proceed with conservative treatment." The nurse's tone softened slightly, but she remained direct: "Try to save his life, as for the rest..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear.

Conservative treatment means just trying to save the patient's life; we can't worry about anything else.

Xiao Ran stood at the entrance of the emergency room and glanced at Chen Qiming lying on the hospital bed through the glass window in the door. Chen Qiming's wounds had been treated simply, the blood on his face had been wiped away, but the swelling was still there, his lip was cut, his right leg was wrapped in thick bandages, and one leg was crookedly placed on the bed.

He pushed open the door and went inside.

Hearing footsteps, Chen Qiming turned around with difficulty. His eyes were swollen shut, but he still recognized Xiao Ran.

“Xiao Ran…” His voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

Xiao Ran sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at Chen Qiming's miserable state, feeling a mix of emotions.

"To be honest with you," Xiao Ran said, his voice heavy. "I only have a few hundred yuan in my pocket. I've called Qin Hao and Liu Yuan, but they won't lend me any. I can't afford the deposit at the hospital, so they can only offer conservative treatment."

He paused for a moment, as if to encourage himself, before continuing, "My abilities are limited; this is all I can do to help you."

Chen Qiming didn't speak. He lay on the hospital bed, staring at the pale fluorescent light on the ceiling, his lips twitching slightly, it was hard to tell whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

In the end, he simply closed his eyes.

……

The conservative treatment lasted for two days.

The bruises on Chen Qiming's face had subsided somewhat, but his ribs were still very painful. However, his right leg was the most seriously injured – the bone may have been damaged when he was hit. Conservative treatment could not provide precise repositioning and fixation, so it was only treated in a simple manner.

On the day he was discharged from the hospital, Chen Qiming got out of bed and walked for the first time.

He stood up, holding onto the edge of the bed, but as soon as his right leg touched the ground, he swayed. He gritted his teeth and took a few steps, each step feeling like walking on cotton, his right leg weak and his gait unsteady.

"What happened?" Chen Qiming looked down at his right leg, his face pale. "My leg... how did it get like this?"

He broke free from Xiao Ran's support and took a few more steps on his own. Limping, limping, like a bird with broken wings, he fluttered and staggered on the ground.

Chen Qiming's face turned completely pale.

He turned to find the nurse, his voice trembling, "What happened to my leg? Why am I limping?"

The nurse, who was organizing medical records, looked up at Chen Qiming upon hearing this. She had seen this scene many times—people couldn't afford the treatment, opted for conservative therapy, and then came back to argue with her when problems arose. Her expression was calm, and her tone even carried a hint of disdain.

"You can't even come up with the three thousand yuan hospital deposit; it's a miracle you're alive."

Chen Qiming was rooted to the spot by those words.

His lips trembled a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but he found himself unable to utter a single word. Three thousand yuan—just because of three thousand yuan, his leg was ruined like this? He had been so full of ambition when he ventured to Shenzhen, but in the end, he couldn't even come up with three thousand yuan.

Chen Qiming subconsciously looked at Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran looked helpless; he had indeed tried his best.

“I only had a few hundred yuan in my pocket, and it all went to your medical expenses.” Xiao Ran’s voice was bitter. “When I called Qin Hao, he hung up as soon as he heard it was about you. When I called Liu Yuan, he was even more adamant, hanging up without saying a word. Qin Hao is one thing, you two never got along. But Liu Yuan? How did you offend him?”

Chen Qiming opened his mouth, his expression as if he had been slapped.

He certainly knew how he had offended Liu Yuan. After losing all his money in the stock market, he called Liu Yuan to complain and ask him to lend him money to make up for his losses. When Liu Yuan refused, he berated Liu Yuan on the phone for being disloyal. At the time, he felt he was in the right, but now, looking back, he realizes how incredibly stupid he was.

Chen Qiming was on the verge of tears.

He stood in the hospital corridor, his right leg trembling slightly, his limping gait making him look particularly disheveled. He had come to Shenzhen full of ambition, believing he would one day make a name for himself, but when he left, he couldn't even keep a good leg.

Life's ups and downs are nothing more than this.

……

Chen Qiming's parents came from Beijing.

Two elderly people with gray hair appeared at the hospital entrance, looking travel-worn. Upon seeing their son's condition, their eyes immediately welled up with tears. Chen Qiming's mother hugged her son and cried her heart out, while his father stood to the side, his lips pressed into a thin line, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen even further.

Chen Qiming's mother held Xiao Ran's hand and thanked him profusely. Xiao Ran just waved his hand and said, "It's my duty," but his heart was heavy with sorrow.

The train station's waiting hall was bustling with activity, filled with travelers carrying large bags and rushing home for the Spring Festival. Chen Qiming, leaning on a makeshift cane and supported by his father, limped towards the ticket gate. His mother followed behind, occasionally wiping the corner of her eye.

Xiao Ran stood at the entrance of the waiting hall, watching the family of three walk away, and stood there for a long time.

He recalled hearing before coming to Shenzhen that it was a land of opportunity, where you could pick up riches just by bending down. At the time, he thought that while it was an exaggeration, it wasn't entirely without merit. Indeed, Shenzhen is a land of opportunity; just look at the neon lights and the endless stream of cars, and you'll know that this city is never short of money.

But when they actually arrived, they discovered that while the gold did exist, it was covered with countless bones.

Behind every neon light is a loser like Chen Qiming. They came to this city full of enthusiasm, thinking they would be the lucky ones who would bend down and find gold, but when they bent down, all they found was a handful of sand.

Xiao Ran wondered if she would be the next Chen Qiming.

He's still holding on, with a purchasing job that pays little but at least provides some income, and Han Ling is by his side. But who knows? Maybe one day he'll end up like Chen Qiming, chewed up and spat out by this city, leaving not even a bone fragment.

But right now, he doesn't have time to think that far ahead.

Because he had a more pressing problem to face: he was out of money.

The remaining four hundred yuan or so was almost all spent in the two days Chen Qiming was hospitalized, leaving him with less than one hundred yuan in his pocket. There was still more than half a month until next month's salary.

One hundred yuan is barely enough to last a person half a month in Shenzhen, let alone with Han Ling on the side.

Xiao Ran dragged his tired body back to the rented room. When he opened the door, Han Ling was cooking noodles in the kitchen. The water in the pot was bubbling and steaming, blurring her delicate face.

"You're back?" Han Ling asked, peeking out from the kitchen when she heard the door open. "How's Chen Qiming?"

"His parents came to pick him up and took him back to Beijing." Xiao Ran sat down at the table, buried his face in his hands, and said in a muffled voice.

Han Ling watched Xiao Ran's retreating figure, her heart tightening. She turned down the stove, walked to Xiao Ran's side, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Xiao Ran remained silent for a while before slowly lowering his hand. He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, looking as if all his energy had been drained away.

“I’ve spent all my money,” he said, his voice calm, but with a heartbreaking helplessness in it. “After paying Chen Qiming’s medical bills, I had less than a hundred yuan left in my pocket…”

Han Ling did not hesitate.

She turned and walked to the bedside, took out a wallet from under the pillow, opened it, and found several banknotes and some change inside. She counted the banknotes, took out two hundred yuan, and handed it to Xiao Ran.

"for you."

Xiao Ran looked at the few banknotes but did not reach out to take them.

"And what about you?"

"I still have a few dozen yuan in change, that'll be enough." Han Ling stuffed two hundred yuan into Xiao Ran's hand with a grin. "I eat at the factory every day now. The food in the canteen isn't great, but it's filling, and it doesn't cost much."

Xiao Ran looked down at the money in her hand, and her nose stung with tears.

He wanted to say something, his lips moved, but he didn't know how to start. He was a man, he should be the one supporting Han Ling, he should be the one handing Han Ling money and saying, "Don't be afraid, I'm here"—but now it was the other way around, he couldn't even support himself and had to rely on Han Ling for help.

Han Ling looked at Xiao Ran's expression and guessed what he was thinking. She deliberately smiled easily.

"See, it's pretty good that I have a job, isn't it?" Her tone was slightly playful. "It can also help ease some of your stress."

Her intention was to lighten the mood and make Xiao Ran feel less serious.

But these words, when they reached Xiao Ran's ears, were like a needle, making him tremble all over.

Unfortunately, what Han Ling said was true. She now earns more than him; during her probationary period, she earned two thousand, almost double what he did. In fact, Han Ling is the one supporting the family now.

Xiao Ran didn't say anything, but silently clutched the two hundred yuan in his hand, holding it very tightly.

Han Ling didn't notice the change in Xiao Ran's expression. She went back to the kitchen, ladled the noodles into two bowls, and placed them on the table.

"Let's eat first, the noodles are getting soggy."

Xiao Ran picked up the bowl and lowered his head to eat the noodles. The noodles were overcooked, mushy and lacking chewiness, but he ate them bite by bite without saying a word.

The overhead light bulb cast a dim, yellowish glow, making their shadows long and faint. Outside the window, the sounds of the urban village mingled—people arguing downstairs, children running around in the alleyways, and construction noise in the distance.

The nights in Shenzhen are never quiet. (End of Chapter)