He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

The child looked at him with clear, big eyes, sobbing and hiccuping, "I...I want to help you, Uncle, can you help me? Hiccup..."

"Then you'll have to cooperate with me."

"How, hiccup, do you want to cooperate?"

“Well,” Zhang Beixing stood up again, pinched the child’s little face, and gave a mysterious smile, “No rush, let me write a proposal first.”

One hour later.

Zhang Beixing and the shop owner's child stood in front of a toy store, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Uncle," the child asked hesitantly, "we're already here, why are we standing at the door and not going in?"

Zhang Beixing looked at him very seriously: "Are you sure there are bear costumes like the one in this kind of place?"

"Yes, yes, look, that's the one in the shop window."

Zhang Beixing looked at it and was still not satisfied: "I can't wear this size, but it'll be okay for you. Or, how about you make a matching set?"

"Great! Great!" the child exclaimed excitedly. The cartoon characters, Xiong Da and Xiong Er, were adorably silly, and while other kids had bought sticker books and picture books, the child felt neglected by his parents.

Even the story of Xiong Da and Xiong Er, "Boonie Bears," was something he watched on the TV hanging inside the convenience store on his way home from school, craning his neck to watch it.

He watched until his neck ached and his eyes were tired, and only after the episode of "Boonie Bears" on TV ended did he reluctantly return to the home of his father, whom he deeply feared.

The light in the child's eyes dimmed again at the thought of that father.

He never cared whether he lived or died.

School ends at 4:30. Other children's parents are already waiting at the gate, each holding an ice cream. The child takes the ice cream, licks it, and smiles sweetly at his parents, the three of them enjoying a happy family time. He had never experienced anything like this before.

After school, he would always lower his head and hurry home, stopping in front of the convenience store to watch cartoons until 5:30 before finally getting home, starving. The dining table at home was always empty, and several overturned wine bottles lay outside his father's room.

He silently put the bottle away, went to the kitchen to cook a simple bowl of noodles, or simply soaked cold rice in boiled water for dinner. Eggs were out of the question; his father's meager salary was all spent on alcohol, and he never even considered that he had a son who needed to eat.

Seeing the light dimming in the child's eyes, Zhang Beixing felt a pang of pity again.

He strode into the toy store, trying hard to recall the toys he had seen at his cousin's house. His eyes quickly searched the store and soon found several similar ones.

He wasn't good at socializing and didn't want to ask the price. He simply pointed and said, "Wrap up all of these little bears and that cat doll. I'll also take that big bear costume in the window."

The male shop assistant looked at Zhang Beixing with surprise. The toys he had just pointed out were all limited editions, but they had remained unsold due to their high prices.

Zhang Beixing bought them all at once, which puzzled the shop assistant. She tentatively tried to remind him, "Sir, these few..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Beixing pulled a black card from inside his suit jacket. As he pulled it out, Zhang Beixing asked, "Do you still have any of those big bear suits in a larger size? Something that would fit someone my build?"

"Ah, there's another two-meter-long one in the warehouse..."

"Alright, wrap them all up for me."

After paying the bill, Zhang Beixing simply picked up his things and left, leaving the shop assistant bewildered in the wind.

A man who uses a black card is wearing a bear costume?
Then a striking sight appeared at the entrance of the cake shop: a two-meter-tall "Big Bear" leading a "Little Bear" who was just over one meter tall, carrying a cake.

"Bear Two" waved enthusiastically to passersby, while "Bear One" stood at attention, holding a plate of cake and remaining motionless. That's right, this is our special forces soldier, Zhang Beixing.

A sign stood at the entrance of the cake shop: Today's Special Offer - Buy a cake and enter a lucky draw for prizes: Xiong Da and Xiong Er dolls, and Bald Qiang dolls.

Soon, a steady stream of people came to the cake shop, mostly drawn by the "Big Bear" standing at attention. The children took the opportunity to call out to customers to buy cakes, and in no time, all the cakes were sold out.

The store manager was deeply moved by Zhang Beixing's selfless help and felt very guilty about secretly taking his money before.

The son quietly approached his father and said, "Dad, actually, Uncle knew the day you took his money. He was just pretending to be asleep."

The store manager was overwhelmed with shame upon hearing this and knelt down before Zhang Beixing: "Mr. Zhang, I'm so sorry, I'm a bastard, I stole your money..."

Zhang Beixing quickly helped him up with both hands: "Don't be like this, I understand you. But what exactly is going on?"

The store manager grabbed Zhang Beixing's hand, refusing to get up: "I'm so sorry, I stole your money, and not only did you not expose me, you even helped me sell cakes to increase my sales. I, I, I used all the money for drinking... Oh, right..."
"This is my salary for this month. I just received it today, and I haven't spent it yet." The store manager hurriedly pulled a crumpled envelope from his pocket. It was thin, and Zhang Beixing could tell at a glance that this poor man's salary was less than a thousand yuan.

"I know this amount isn't enough to pay you back, but I can write you an IOU. I'll repay you little by little, paying back the money I stole from you. If you think that's too slow, how about we include interest?"

"Shopkeeper, you're too kind. You don't need to pay back the money. Please get up."

"No, no, no, this is money I stole, I can't not return it. You've helped me so much. I know Mr. Zhang, you don't need this little bit of money, but if you don't accept it, my conscience won't allow it!"

"If you really want to repay me, forget about the money. But I have a favor to ask."

"Please speak, please speak."

"Treat this child well and show him more care. He's still so young, and this is the time when he needs his family's love and affection."

Upon hearing this, the child abruptly looked up, his eyes filled with surprise and a touch of emotion. The little boy stared at Zhang Beixing, tears welling up in his eyes without him even realizing it. He hurriedly wiped his face haphazardly and then quickly wiped it on his clothes.

Zhang Beixing had long since taken off his bear costume, but the child lingered on it, wiping his tears all over the bear's belly, leaving a large, sticky, wet tear stain.

"Oh dear!" the child exclaimed in frustration. This dress must be very expensive; Uncle Zhang definitely didn't rent it. He had to return it. But now that he'd gotten it dirty, how could Uncle Zhang possibly return it?

Zhang Beixing saw the worry in the child's anxious expression: "It's alright, I bought this dress as a gift for you."

The child was so anxious that tears and snot were streaming down his face again. When he heard Zhang Beixing's words, he looked up in a panic, his snot running down his face. He didn't even bother to wipe it away: "How can this be? Uncle has helped us so much. I... I can't accept such a valuable gift from you!"

Zhang Beixing, who was a clean freak, took out a tissue from his pocket, squatted down, and wiped the snot from the child's nose: "I saw you looking at that birthday cake when you passed by the cake shop today. So I guessed that today must be your birthday, and this is your birthday present."

A birthday present?

It seems like the child hasn't heard this word in a long time.

Since my mother left, my father has been drinking and smoking all day, and he also frequently steals. He spends all his money on alcohol and cigarettes. Forget about the child's birthday; he's probably too drunk to even remember what day of the week it is, let alone buy his son a birthday present. The child hasn't celebrated his birthday in a long time.

Every year on his birthday, he would come home from school without a word, neither eating nor washing up. He would take off his shoes, crawl into bed, and wrap himself tightly in the covers, completely oblivious to the sweltering summer heat and the buzzing mosquitoes in the room. His mind was in a blank state. And at that moment, he would always think of his mother.

The mother who pushed her own son into a speeding car to avoid her father.

At times like this, he would feel a cold sweat break out all over his body. Despite the sweltering heat, his heart felt icy cold.

At this moment, Zhang Beixing's concern—from a complete stranger—made him suddenly feel incredibly wronged, and his already swollen and sore tear ducts finally couldn't help but release.

The store manager felt deeply ashamed as he looked at his son, who was wailing uncontrollably.

He hadn't cared for his son for so many years, and he had no idea that his son needed so much care and attention.

"Mr. Zhang, thank you so much," the store manager said sincerely. Zhang Beixing nodded slightly, reverting to his usual aloof demeanor.

Just then, the shop manager seemed to remember something and said, "Mr. Zhang, this place is called Villain Island, and it's very dangerous. Please try to stay away from the outside as much as possible. You're not a local, so I can't guarantee you won't get hurt here."

Hurt? Zhang Beixing chuckled softly to himself.

As a special forces soldier, would he be afraid of some wicked civilians? However, he really needed to leave this place as soon as possible.

"Do you know how to leave here?" Zhang Beixing asked.

"I can introduce you to Master Ta at the port. Once his ship sets sail, you can go with him." The shopkeeper was very happy to be able to help Zhang Beixing in some way.

"Thank you very much."

After saying this, Zhang Beixing fell silent, not uttering a single word.

The shop owner asked cautiously, "Mr. Zhang, what are your plans for the next few days?"

"What about you?"

Unexpectedly, Zhang Beixing would ask him a question in return. The shop owner was stunned for a moment, then quickly replied, "Work hard and raise your son."

Zhang Beixing smiled and asked, "You've stopped drinking?"

"No, no. Why don't you stay at our shop for the next few days? I want to repay you properly."

“Alright.” Zhang Beixing narrowed his eyes slightly, and the shop owner noticed a faint smile on his face, which made him feel a little closer to him. “I’ll patronize your shop for a few days.”

"Mr. Store Manager."

After patronizing the store for a few days, Zhang Beixing found the store manager.

"Mr. Zhang, please tell me what's on your mind."

"I've been here a bit too long. When are you planning to take me to see Master Ta?"

"Anytime. Whenever you want, I'll take you to see Master Ta right now."

The shop manager hurriedly untied his apron, sticking cream all over his body, but he didn't bother to wipe it off. He threw off the soft-soled shoes he wore in the cake shop, put on heavy leather shoes, and set off with Zhang Beixing to find Master Ta.

"Manager, we have a new order!"

The young man who answered the phone shouted, "Big order! A custom-made birthday cake, as tall as a person!"

"I'll cancel it. The port is so far away, I don't have time today."

“No need,” Zhang Beixing said, stopping the shop manager. “Just write me a letter of introduction, and I’ll go find Master Ta myself.”

"But you don't know the way to the port."

"I've figured it out these past few days." What a joke! Zhang Beixing hadn't been here for nothing these past two days. He walked around and looked around. Since this place was called Villain Island, out of a soldier's duty, Zhang Beixing subconsciously began to study the terrain to prevent any unexpected events from happening.

"Oh well."

When writing letters, the shopkeeper would always try to make small talk, subtly probing for Zhang Beixing's personal information. Zhang Beixing could tell that the shopkeeper still felt indebted to him and wanted to know some information so he could repay the favor later. But Zhang Beixing was a man of his word; if he said he didn't need it, he didn't need it. Although the shopkeeper's behavior was well-intentioned, it only made him feel annoyed now. He was currently stranded in a strange place, the army didn't know his whereabouts, new recruits were waiting for him to train, and his old man at home was waiting for him to return to visit him… He had so many things to do, and he had already been delayed here for so long, while this shopkeeper was still rambling on and on… Zhang Beixing was really annoyed.

"Mr. Manager." After the manager had been rambling on for ages without finishing the recommendation letter, Zhang Beixing finally couldn't take it anymore and interrupted him. "I need to get back to where I am right away. If you really want to repay me, please finish the recommendation letter quickly, I'm in a hurry."

The store manager was taken aback.

From the moment the shopkeeper first saw Zhang Beixing, he sensed an extraordinary air about him, with a striking and heroic presence, leading him to guess that Zhang was a soldier. However, his refined and scholarly attire suggested he might be a scholar or a writer. So what was this sudden sense of pressure?

"Oh...oh, I understand." Snapping out of his daze, the shopkeeper quickly responded and buried himself in writing. Feeling the gaze above him that seemed to see right through him, a thin layer of sweat inexplicably broke out on his back, and he wrote even faster.

“Write it down, it’s done. Take the letter to Master Ta, and he will take you out to sea.”

Thank you.

Zhang Beixing accepted the letter of recommendation, gave a brief thank you, and turned to leave. He moved so fast that he created a gust of wind, blowing the long hair of a female customer waiting for her cake next to him.

The store manager silently wiped his sweat—this person's identity was unclear, and perhaps it was best for him to leave.

"Manager, I've been waiting for my cake for hours, why isn't it ready yet?"

"Oh, here it comes!"

Zhang Beixing was walking briskly when he suddenly heard a little girl's cries for help coming from the alley to his left: "Help! Help!"

Zhang Beixing's eyes darkened, and he turned into the alley.

Several burly men, as strong as oxen, were seen blocking a little girl at the end of the alley, seemingly kicking and beating her.

"You lot! What kind of skill is it to bully a little girl with your big size?"

"Kid, mind your own business and get out of my way, or I might spare your life."

A burly man reached out, intending to shove Zhang Beixing. (End of Chapter)