National Tide 1980.

Perhaps because it was late at night, neither of the two girls sat in the front passenger seat. Instead, they chose to sit together in the back, huddling together for warmth.

After Liu Mei got into the car, fearing that Xiao Tao might not hear her clearly, she took the initiative to move closer to the back seat of the driver to tell him the address.

"Master, let's go to South Street. Do you know Galton there?"

The words were spoken politely, yet carried an undeniable urgency.

"know."

Without wasting words, Xiao Tao lowered his voice and uttered only two words before starting the car.

The other girl was just as anxious and couldn't help but urge him on.

"Driver, it seems my friend is all alone over there now. I heard her on the phone earlier that several foreigners are harassing her, so please drive as fast as you can. I'm afraid she might be taken away by someone else, and then we'll probably have to call the police."

"Alright, you'd better hold on tight."

Xiao Tao gave another brief response, then turned around abruptly, displaying a level of skill approaching that of a professional race car driver amidst the exclamations of the two girls.

The Changhe minivan sped up quickly and headed rapidly towards South Street.

At that time, North Street in Sanlitun didn't have bars yet; it was still a gathering place for auto parts and craft shops.

Only on South Street are there a few small bars catering to foreigners in the embassy district.

Galton was one of the earlier shops to open on South Street, and therefore it was quite famous.

Although Xiao Tao had never been there before, he knew about this kind of landmark shop, so he didn't hesitate at all and drove towards the direction the girls wanted to go in the shortest distance and at the fastest speed.

Moreover, because the distance is so close, just a few intersections apart, the entire journey is only about two kilometers.

Almost instantly, Xiao Tao drove the car to its destination.

The night was darker now, and a light rain was falling, which made the neon lights at the bar entrance even more conspicuous, clearly guiding Xiao Tao to the parking spot.

He turned the steering wheel and stepped on the brake, displaying near-professional driver skill, stopping almost perfectly at Galton's gate. Even Xiao Tao was very satisfied with his performance.

However, it was clear that the two girls were not quite able to handle such stimulation.

"Driver, here's the fare."

Liu Mei looked like she was carsick and covered her mouth.

She slipped twenty yuan to Xiao Tao from the back of the carriage, and without saying anything else, she and her companion quickly pushed open the carriage door and got off the train.

Judging from their figures, it was even more obvious that they were walking unsteadily on the wet ground; anyone who didn't know better would think they were drunk.

But because they were worried about the safety of the person who called for help, they persevered, supporting each other, and quickly walked towards the entrance of the bar.

This place is definitely much more lively than the area in front of the Zhaolong Hotel.

The band inside the shop was still playing, and you could vaguely hear the loud music coming from the bar.

There were a few scattered figures at the door who looked like they were about to leave, having just been drawn over by Xiao Tao's ear-piercing braking sound.

Logically speaking, Liu Mei and her friend got off the bus in such a hurry that they didn't ask Xiao Tao to wait for them.

Moreover, the group of people at the bar entrance, who looked like they were about to take a taxi, waved and shouted that they wanted to go to the Asian Games Village, and came over after a few steps.

If Xiao Tao immediately pulled this group of customers away at this moment, it would undoubtedly be another sweet job that could earn her twenty or thirty yuan.

Moreover, it makes perfect sense both logically and morally; it's entirely justified, and he hasn't wronged anyone in any way.

But at this very moment, for some inexplicable reason, he hesitated.

Xiao Tao suddenly remembered the undisguised anxiety and worry that Liu Mei had shown on her face the whole way.

As the saying goes, concern can cloud judgment; her appearance was so genuine and real, that she seemed to be someone who would risk her life to save her friend.

The Liu Mei he remembered was completely different from the one who always had her face held high, always glanced at him with a slightly smug look.

Then he remembered Liu Mei's fiery temper and how she had slapped a Hong Kong businessman across the face in the parking lot just a few days ago.

This inevitably made him worry that Liu Mei was unaware of his own strength and might suffer losses if a fight broke out while she went in to find someone.

You should know that in Beijing in the 1990s, any place that was still open at night, whether it was a bar, a coffee shop, or a nightclub or dance hall, was a mixed bag of people.

There are all sorts of people in society who get rich through various means, and it's easy for them to get into physical fights over trivial matters.

Even Maxim's restaurant is like this, only because it's a higher-end establishment, the probability of this happening is a little lower.

So he made up his mind almost quickly and spontaneously decided to be a good person.

Not only did he refuse several customers who wanted a ride, but he also removed the car keys and got out of the car, intending to go into the bar to find someone directly.

Sure enough, he saw the person he was looking for as soon as he walked in.

Right in front of the bar, two foreign young men, one black and one white, were grabbing the arm of a drunk girl and pulling at Liu Mei and the others, seemingly unwilling to let them leave.

The girl's hair was disheveled, her face was streaked with tears, she was holding Liu Mei in her arms, and she was crying out incoherently, looking extremely helpless.

As for Liu Mei and the girl who came with her, the two of them were arguing with the two foreigners over the drunk girl while talking to the two foreigners.

Their English wasn't fluent, and some sentences even had awkward pauses, but every word was filled with determination.

Because the bar was too chaotic, Xiao Tao couldn't hear exactly what they were negotiating, but given the situation, he could guess pretty accurately.

Clearly, the other party was up to no good. They were unwilling to let the "fat meat" they had already obtained leave, and it even seemed that they intended to keep the two girls that Liu Mei and her companion had brought with them.

It has to be said that Liu Mei was really lucky, and it was right for Xiao Tao to come along.

Because the two foreign guys who looked like international students were obviously drunk as well; everyone was intoxicated, irritable, and arrogant.

In particular, a tall, blond-haired man, his face full of impatience, even reached out and pulled Liu Mei into his arms amidst the noise, seemingly uttering a rude curse.

As a result, Liu Mei panicked and instinctively pushed him.

Unexpectedly, the foreigner didn't suffer any loss and pushed her away again.

Liu Mei, who was already unsteady on her feet from fighting with them for her companion, was pushed so hard that she staggered backward a few steps, bumped into a pillar, and almost fell on the wet ground.

Xiao Tao's heart tightened suddenly, and a surge of inexplicable anger welled up instantly, completely igniting her inherent sense of justice.

As the old saying goes, "Since ancient times, the Yan and Zhao regions have produced many righteous men."

For thousands of years, this place has witnessed Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the Qin emperor, Zhang Xun's defense of a besieged city, Wang Wu's dedication to upholding reform, and Kang Xiaoba's fearlessness in the face of death by a thousand cuts...

Whether they are remembered for their good deeds or infamous for their bad deeds, those who leave their mark in the capital can all be summed up in four words—people of strong character. Xiao Tao was such a person.

Even though he was arrogant and domineering when he was young and inexperienced, he always adhered to the principle of "new cannons beat old cannons" and would fight only the toughest guys.

In society, he absolutely cannot tolerate any bullying of the weak.

I can't stand seeing girls being bullied, especially when they're being bullied by foreigners.

So, without even thinking, he rushed over and used the same tactics against the foreigner who had pushed him, throwing him to the ground.

Then, before the other black man could react, he pried open his wrist, snatched the drunk girl from his hands, and put her in Liu Mei's arms.

Then he stood in front of Liu Mei, blocking her from the foreign guy, pointing his finger at him and shouting rudely, "What the hell are you doing? Bullying us Beijing girls? Get the hell away from me!"

His voice was rough and hoarse, carrying lingering anger, and he exuded a powerful aura. The two foreign lads were stunned by his shout.

But the foreigners, with their inherent arrogance and sense of superiority, quickly revealed expressions of anger and dissatisfaction.

The person who had just fallen was particularly unwilling to accept being taken advantage of. He stepped forward, grabbed Xiao Tao's hand, and tried to push her away.

Xiao Tao wasn't going to back down either; he rolled up his sleeves and his eyes sharpened.

He's a fighter who's always getting into fights, and he's even practiced wrestling with Luo Guangliang. How could he possibly let the other guy just touch him?

With a quick grab of his clothes and a trip over his feet, he skillfully caused the other person to lose their balance again and fall heavily to the ground.

This time it was a headstand, and the foreigner was so badly injured that he couldn't get up for a long time. He rubbed his waist and hips, lying on the ground and crying out, "Ouch!"

These foreigners are, at heart, all bluster and no substance, bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong.

When the black man saw how good Tao was at fighting, he easily crippled his companion.

His arrogance vanished instantly, his eyes cleared immediately, and he retreated while waving his hands repeatedly, indicating that he dared not make a move to harass him anymore.

At this moment, because the commotion was so loud, the bar owner came over with his men.

But they realized it was completely unnecessary; in just a few seconds, Xiao Tao had completely taken control of the situation.

Not only did he subdue his opponent, but he also used his skill quite accurately, without drawing blood or damaging valuables.

It was just because it collided violently with the tables and chairs, breaking a few wine glasses and bottles.

The key point is that the girl who got beaten deserved it, and the girls were in the right.

A bystander described the general course of events to the owner, who then said nothing.

Seeing that the two foreigners didn't seem to be in any serious trouble, they decided to let it go and allowed Xiao Tao to leave with the three girls.

It wasn't until they left the bar that Liu Mei and her companions recovered from the shock.

Liu Mei and her companion helped the drunk girl up, caught their breath, and then looked up at Xiao Tao.

The two men's voices trembled slightly as they thanked him sincerely.

"Thank you, thank you, brother. I'm so grateful to you today."

"Big brother, you're really awesome. But... do we even know each other? Why are you helping us?"

But when Liu Mei saw Xiao Tao's face clearly, her voice stopped abruptly, and her expression instantly turned awkward.

While disbelief flashed in his eyes, a hint of barely perceptible doubt made his tone turn cold almost subconsciously.

"Why is it you?"

Xiao Tao didn't say anything, but walked directly to the taxi, opened the car door, and then turned around.

Looking back at Liu Mei's disheveled hair, wrinkled coat, and lingering panic in her eyes, he said with a sarcastic tone, "You think I followed you? I didn't want to run into you either, but it was just a coincidence. You two insisted on getting in my car today, so I drove you here. What? You've already forgotten in such a short time? Or did I make a mistake by helping you, and that I was just being a fool?"

These words were like needles, piercing Liu Mei's heart and clearing up all the previous misunderstandings.

Liu Mei then realized that the taxi driver they had taken that night was actually Xiao Tao.

Liu Mei's face flushed instantly. She didn't refute as usual, nor did she show her usual arrogance.

She simply lowered her head, her voice softening, like a child admitting their mistake, more obedient than ever before.

"No... I didn't say that... I just didn't expect it. Anyway, you saved us today. Thank you. I owe you this, and I'll definitely thank you properly when I have time."

As for the other girl, she was too scared to speak. She finally realized that Liu Mei and Xiao Tao in front of her had known each other for a long time, but their relationship didn't seem to be very harmonious.

However, on the other hand, Xiao Tao is a man after all, and even if he finds Liu Mei annoying, he can't keep bothering her endlessly.

Moreover, the rain was still falling gently, and it seemed to be getting heavier, wetting Liu Mei's hair and blurring the neon lights at the bar entrance, softening the night.

Looking at her reddened earlobes and her helpless expression as she clutched her clothes, Xiao Tao's sarcastic anger quietly dissipated, leaving only a vague and awkward feeling.

He didn't argue with her anymore, but just pursed his lips, reached out and pulled on the car door. His tone was still harsh, but less sarcastic. "Alright, I'll take you home. You paid me twenty yuan, after all. Hurry up and help your friend into the car. The rain is getting heavier; don't let him get too cold."

Liu Mei paused for a moment, then looked up at him. The light from the streetlamp fell on Xiao Tao's face, highlighting his strong jawline and the awkward tenderness that couldn't be hidden in his eyes.

Without saying anything more, she and her companion carefully helped the drunk girl into the back seat.

He hesitated for a moment.

This time, instead of squeezing in with her companions as she had done before, she gently opened the passenger door and got in.

The carriage was quiet, with only the gentle sound of the windshield wipers and the soft murmurs of the girl in the back seat.

Xiao Tao started the car, but instead of driving as fast as he had come, he slowed down considerably and drove smoothly on the wet streets.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Liu Mei secretly glanced at him. Looking at his profile as he focused on driving, and at his neck, which was still slightly red from the fight, she felt a faint warmth instead of the usual disapproval she had felt.

She spoke softly, her voice as light as raindrops. "Xiao Tao, about what happened just now... I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have said that."

Xiao Tao paused for a moment while holding the steering wheel. He didn't turn around or look at her, but just muttered a sentence.

"You can apologize? That's surprising."

But Liu Mei smiled, a faint smile curving her lips, the panic in her eyes completely dissipating, leaving only a gentle sense of relief.

The rain was still falling, and the night was still dark, but inside this small Changhe minivan, because of this unexpected rescue and because of two awkward conversations, a subtle yet warm atmosphere quietly filled the air.

It lingers, settling deep in my heart, impossible to shake off. (End of Chapter)