Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 164 Human Suffering
These past two days have been incredibly busy, and last night I even got completely drunk with my colleagues. Although today is a workday, Chen Shu took advantage of his boss's influence by sending a WeChat message to the office clerk Zheng Huihui before going to bed, and then slept soundly until dawn.

After getting up and washing up, Chen Shu still couldn't stop thinking about Yan Chenxi. She had promised Xiao Lin last night, and although neither of them mentioned Zheng Tianyou's KTV, Chen Shu was determined to go to the KTV today no matter what and settle the matter.

The online community for those obsessed with officialdom must not allow another incident like the one last time to occur!

Chen Shu, dressed in casual clothes, went downstairs, touched his stomach which was growling, and walked straight into a local Dongzhou noodle shop outside the street. The shop owner was very honest and always generously threw noodles into everyone's bowls, as if the noodles were worthless.

He boasted that his shop was the first in Dongzhou to offer "free extra noodles." Whether that claim is even worth examining is another matter, but just considering his audacity, he's definitely a cut above the rest.

When Chen Shu arrived at the noodle shop, he originally planned to order a bowl of beef and egg noodles and eat two bowls as usual. But then he thought about how he had used up all his savings to buy a car last month and was now burdened with a year's loan. He also remembered that he had hosted a large group of people last night. Furthermore, he had to invite his classmates and friends to a dinner at the end of the month to celebrate his promotion.

"A bowl of clear broth noodles with shredded pork," he blurted out.

"Alright, almost done, just a moment. Officer Chen, today's beef came from my mom's village, would you like to try some?" The shop owner, who was also the chef, offered an enticing suggestion from behind the large transparent glass partition in the store.

Locals in Dongzhou city particularly enjoy farm-grown vegetables from the rural areas below Dongzhou, believing them to be highly nutritious.

Chen Shu didn't hesitate: "No, I just want something simple today. Like before, give me some chili sauce."

Many people from Yunnan and Guizhou come to Dongzhou, bringing with them their love of spicy food. Over time, this has influenced the locals to eat spicy food as well. For example, Chen Shu, although he still can't handle very spicy food, usually adds a little spice to his meals.

I picked up a chair on the sidewalk outside the shop, rested my elbows on the table, and waited for my noodles while looking at the WeChat work group messages on my phone.

"Hello! Did you see my electric scooter that I just parked here?"

Chen Shu's professional instincts kicked in, and he immediately understood what was going on when he heard those words.

Judging from their accents, they're probably from Yunnan and Guizhou. Most of the people coming to Dongzhou are from Yunnan and Guizhou.

He looked up in the direction from which the sound came.

A young and beautiful woman, around twenty years old, wearing a yellow helmet and matching yellow work clothes, was seen frequently asking pedestrians and shop owners about the whereabouts of her electric scooter.

A few minutes later, the woman came to the noodle shop along the road. She saw Chen Shu sitting by the roadside and anxiously walked over to ask him what was wrong.

Chen Shu glanced at the spot where she had come from, hesitated for a moment, and then told her the truth: "Young lady, your car must have been stolen."

Just then, the noodle shop owner came out carrying the chili sauce and shredded pork noodles that Chen Shu had ordered. He placed the bowl in front of Chen Shu and said nonchalantly, "It must have been stolen. People around here often report stolen cars."

After hearing this, the woman turned back to look in the direction where she had lost her car, repeatedly twisting the hem of her shirt with her right hand, her eyes almost brimming with tears.

As the noodle shop owner went home, he left with the words, "I advise you not to waste your time; you won't find it!"

These words shattered the woman's last hope. She didn't ask anyone else; instead, she took off her helmet, threw it on the table, and sat down.

"Ugh……"

"Boss, give me a bowl of noodles."

Chen Shu took a pair of wooden chopsticks from the chopstick holder, picked up some noodles and started eating, recalling the data on stolen electric bicycles in the Zhongshan jurisdiction during this period.

"Hello, sir. Your meal has been stolen. Could you please send me your Alipay account information? I'll pay you back in a bit, is that alright?" The woman held up her phone, her attitude sincere.

"Stolen? I've waited so long, and you're telling me the food's gone? What am I supposed to eat? If I order again, I'll have to wait even longer! I'm starving!"

A frustrated voice came through the phone receiver, which Chen Shu, sitting next to him, heard clearly.

"I'm so sorry, I'm really sorry. I'll have to trouble you to click again. Could you please give me your Alipay account first?"

"Dudududu!"

The other party hung up the phone immediately.

The woman closed her eyes, and her hand holding the phone slipped limply to the ground.

It's heartbreaking to see.

"The noodles are here." The owner brought out a bowl of noodles and placed it in front of the woman, then went straight back into the shop without even looking at her.

This world is tough for everyone; no one should pity anyone else. "Ring ring!"

The woman bent her forearm, glanced at her phone screen, and immediately answered the call.

"Child, are you busy today? Have you eaten? Do you have enough money?"

My mother's gentle voice came through the phone.

Chen Shu had interacted with them a lot in his daily life, so he could understand some of their local dialect.

The woman immediately changed her expression, holding her phone in her left hand and reaching into the chopstick holder with her right to take a pair of chopsticks. Her tone was relaxed: "Mom, I'm doing well today! I'm eating noodles at the noodle shop right now."

As he spoke, he casually picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth, deliberately making some "plop" chewing and swallowing sounds.

"Mom, don't worry at all. It's great here. The boss treats us well, and the office is air-conditioned when it's cold."

"Don't worry about the food. Would I let myself suffer? You know me, I've never skimped on myself since I was born! Today I ordered a big bowl of beef noodles, it's so delicious."

As she spoke, she picked up a large mouthful of noodles, held it up to her eyes, and took a deep, satisfying breath: "Mmm~ Mom, this beef is so incredibly delicious!"

After hanging up the phone, the woman's expression returned to its previous furrowed brows. She put her phone on the table and lowered her head to eat her noodles.

"You have a negative review complaint. Please handle it promptly."

Not long after, the phone emitted a cold, electronic sound.

The woman, who was eating noodles with her head down, didn't reach for her phone this time. She just sat there stiffly with her head buried in the bowl, her hair hanging down on the table.

The hand that had been frequently scooping noodles with chopsticks was now motionless.

"Boss, give me a serving of beef!" Chen Shu slammed his hand on the table and shouted into the shop.

"Okay, come right away!"

A moment later, the shop owner brought over the beef. He added some chili peppers to the beef according to Chen Shu's taste.

Without even glancing at it, Chen Shu picked up the beef that the shop owner had put down and complained loudly into the shop, "Why did you put so much chili sauce on it! How am I supposed to eat this!"

Turning back, she muttered to herself, "I can't eat spicy food. Sigh, it's such a waste to throw this away."

Chen Shu suddenly raised his voice and said with a grin, "Hey, little sister."

The woman did not react and kept her head down.

Chen Shu patted the other person's shoulder without ceremony, and said with a smile, "Hey little sister, I'm talking to you."

The woman slowly raised her head and looked at the smiling man in front of her who was determined to disturb her.

Chen Shu pretended not to see the pair of bloodshot eyes opposite him and grinned, saying, "Little sister, I can't eat spicy food, you can have this beef."

The woman was somewhat surprised and embarrassed: "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"What's wrong with it? It would be really bad if you didn't eat it either." With that, he pushed the bowl of beef directly in front of the woman.

"Um, thanks, bro."

"Alright, you can sit and eat slowly. I'm going to work. The boss is keeping a close eye on things." With that, Chen Shu stood up and walked into the noodle shop. After thinking for a moment, he finally only paid for his noodles and beef before leaving.

As he passed the woman, he smiled and waved, saying, "This is just a hurdle; once you get over it, everything will be alright."

Without waiting for a response, he walked away.

He left behind a self-assuredly handsome silhouette.

Even though they themselves are not living a satisfactory life, they still cannot bear to see the suffering in this world.

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(End of this chapter)