I felt a persistent dull ache and weakness in my head ever since I got into the car.
The right side of my face, all the way to my ear, where Shi Jianguo had struck me with great force, throbbed with pain and a ringing sensation.
Just as I was about to roll down the window for some fresh air and to clear my head, my hand hadn't even moved when a wave of dizziness washed over my brain.
I knew it had to be a lingering effect from Shi Jianguo's powerful slap.
That guy, like Cheng Minglang, practiced martial arts. Not only was he strong, but he also knew exactly which parts of the body were most sensitive to pain, and he had a precise control over his strength.
Although my face wasn't the most sensitive spot, his slap was clearly aimed at venting his anger, so the force must have been immense.
Fighting back nausea and weakness, I fumbled in my pocket for a cigarette. But before I could even light it, my vision went black, and I fainted.
...
When I woke up again, I found myself lying on a small bed that reeked of mildew and foot odor. Camel was sprawled on a table not far from me.
"Where are we, Camel?" I asked weakly.
"You're awake, boss!" Camel said, rubbing his slightly red eyes. "This is a friend's place. The guy who introduced us to rent the car earlier!"
Hearing this, I immediately struggled to sit up from the bed.
"That friend of yours scammed us even on the car rental. He's clearly someone who only cares about money and not people. Aren't you afraid of being sold if you stay here?"
Camel shook his head with a wry smile. "Boss, do you think I wanted to come here?"
"The commotion we caused earlier was too big. It's not safe to stay out in the open. Your enemies might be tracking you!"
That made sense!
Yu Shuang was never one to give up easily. If she couldn't deal with me alone, it didn't mean she would give up on me entirely.
Staying in a crowded hotel would make it easy for her to have me tracked by her informants.
After a moment of thought, I stopped dwelling on where we were staying and asked, "By the way, why did I suddenly pass out?"
"You're asking me?"
As the topic came up, Camel's voice became agitated. "I didn't know what was wrong with you at the time. I was scared to death!"
"I didn't dare to let the driver keep driving. Instead, I immediately asked him to help me take you to the nearest small clinic."
"The doctor said you were already fatigued from the journey and the change in environment. When a person is in a state of extreme fatigue, their bodily functions can become disordered."
"Coupled with the force of that slap, it directly caused you a mild concussion and traumatic eardrum perforation!"
"The doctor prescribed some medicine for you, some for recovery and some to prevent infection... Oh, right. During the healing process, your right ear might experience intermittent tinnitus."
"If you want to recover quickly, it's best to keep your right ear dry during this period. Once it's fully healed, the tinnitus symptoms should subside and disappear!"
...
Camel's words left me speechless.
Honestly, I never expected Shi Jianguo's slap, meant to vent his anger, would leave me in this state.
Fortunately, I reacted quickly at the time. Otherwise, if he had landed two solid slaps on the same spot, my right ear might have been completely ruined by Shi Jianguo!
That damned scoundrel!
I've noted this grievance!
Next time we meet, I'll make him pay double!
Just as I was secretly vowing revenge on Shi Jianguo, a young man with a buzz cut but shiny, slicked-back hair entered with a large bag of food and daily necessities, accompanied by the sound of a door opening.
Seeing this, Camel immediately stood up, pointed at the newcomer, then pointed at me lying on the bed, and introduced us to each other.
I had to admit, Camel still had some emotional intelligence and brains.
He knew that because of the car rental incident, I disliked his friend intensely. He was afraid that if he hadn't stepped forward to introduce us, I would have simply ignored the other person.
To be honest, that thought had crossed my mind just then.
But now, since Camel had already paved the way, and I was in a state of recuperating under someone else's roof, I decided to play along. After Camel finished the introduction, I proactively greeted his friend.
To my surprise, Gao Jing, Camel's friend, sneered and said, "Stop pretending, man! I heard everything you said to Camel earlier!"
"You clearly don't like me or trust me, so why put on this act?"
Before I could speak, Gao Jing continued, "Yes, I scammed you and Camel, but did you ever ask me why?"
"You easily label me as 'unreliable' without understanding the full story, and try to drive a wedge between me and Camel. Don't you think that's abrupt and excessive?"
From Gao Jing's tone, it seemed he and Camel were close friends, not just casual acquaintances.
At this point, Camel smiled awkwardly. "Heh heh~ We're all friends, why the fuss?"
"Gao Jing, can you say a little less?"
Gao Jing looked at Camel earnestly and pointed at me, asking, "How long have you known him? How many years have you known me?"
"Why are you immediately siding with this outsider and defending him?"
Camel shook his head and smiled wryly. "I can't help it, he's my boss."
"Him? Your boss? Hmph—"
After glancing at me dismissively, Gao Jing casually asked, "How much did it cost him to hire you?"
"Not much, just a few million," Camel replied vaguely.
Upon hearing this, I was certain of one thing: Camel and this Gao Jing were definitely not just ordinary friends.
The principle of not flaunting wealth was well understood by those in the know.
Since Camel could openly tell Gao Jing the cost of hiring me in front of me, it proved he trusted the man implicitly.
"Heh heh~ Before you brag, please draft your speech first. 'Just a few million'? Really?"
Gao Jing still looked unconvinced, pointing at me. "He looks only in his early twenties. Unless he's a second-generation rich kid."
"But a second-generation rich kid wouldn't hang out with scum like you, so save it. Stop bragging!"
This time, Camel didn't retort. Instead, he stared at Gao Jing with the look one reserves for an idiot.
Seemingly understanding Camel's personality and temper very well, seeing him adopt this stance and his expression growing increasingly serious, Gao Jing immediately realized his mistake.
He quickly walked to the bed, sat down, and immediately adopted a fawning tone, looking at me. "Boss, be generous and hire me too!"