Early in the morning, Su He received a phone call from Liu Wen.
"Su He, are you free this morning?"
"I'm not sure if I'm free."
"What are you going to do this morning?"
"I'm going to deliver takeout."
"Then take a day off. The city is holding an awards ceremony for brave citizens today. You weren't originally included, but Director Fu considered your special situation and added you at the last minute, otherwise you'd have to wait until next year..."
"How much is the prize money?"
"Su He, can you not be so materialistic? Being a brave citizen is about doing good deeds and is an honor. Even if it's just a certificate..."
"Officer Liu, I'm really busy. You can hold on to that certificate for me. I'll come by your police station to deliver takeout later and you can give it to me then."
"There's also 50,000 RMB in prize money."
"Oh... Officer Liu, I'm on my way... I'm out the door!"
Su He deliberately changed into decent clothes and bought some buns downstairs before riding his e-bike straight to the Jinan Municipal Government.
Shen Yue needed to go to the Capital for treatment, and the medical fees were astronomical for her family. The compensation money from the driver responsible for the accident had long since run out. Even if they sold the house, no one knew how long they could hold out...
For Su He, every extra penny meant a little more hope. He wasn't a doctor. All he could do was work desperately hard to earn money.
He had been hoping the System would give him some choices to treat Shen Yue, but unfortunately there had been no choices triggered yesterday.
It took just over ten minutes for Su He to arrive at the municipal government building. He had just locked up his bike when Liu Wen, dressed in her police uniform, walked over.
"Su He, hurry up. The ceremony is about to start..." Seeing Su He dressed casually, Liu Wen couldn't help sighing to herself that he looked so handsome. No wonder Zhao Luyao was always going on about him.
Su He followed behind Liu Wen and laughed, "Thank you so much, Officer Liu."
As they walked, Liu Wen looked back and said, "Let's not stand on ceremony, Su He. This is just part of my job. Your brave actions are even more deserving of praise... Oh, right, Luyan asked me to apologize to you. She wants to take you out for dinner tonight... What exactly happened between you two? She's being all mysterious about it..."
Su He looked at Liu Wen and scratched his head awkwardly. "Nothing happened. Sister Zhao takes good care of me. Forget about the dinner. I still have to deliver takeout at night..."
Liu Wen looked at Su He in surprise. "There's still the evening! We can meet later."
"I get higher rates for delivering takeout at night, plus there's a subsidy..." Su He replied honestly.
Liu Wen glared at Su He. "Let's go inside. Your seat is the first one on the left in the second row."
As soon as Su He sat down, the ceremony began. Several leaders gave speeches briefly reviewing the brave acts, followed by half an hour of words of gratitude. Su He couldn't stand it halfway through and went to the bathroom. When he came back, they finally started handing out the money.
On stage, Director Fu personally handed Su He the certificate of honor and a sign for 50,000 RMB.
Su He took a group photo with all the brave citizens being awarded. Then the ceremony was over.
After everyone dispersed, Su He gave his bank account number to staff as requested. The bonus would be deposited within three days.
As Su He walked out of the municipal government building, he saw Liu Wen waiting at the bus stop, so he rode over on his e-bike and asked, "Officer Liu, want me to give you a ride?"
Liu Wen smiled and said, "Jinan city regulations prohibit riding electric bikes to carry passengers in urban areas. As a public security officer, I can't knowingly break the law."
"Oh, I see. Anyway, thanks again for today. I'll treat you to a meal if I get the chance..."
Su He took out his phone and saw that it was already noon. Unfortunately his delivery uniform was back at the dorm, otherwise he could start accepting orders now. He decided to head back first to try and get a few orders.
Liu Wen's eyes lit up. "That sounds good! Why not do lunch today?"
"Sure...ah!" Su He wanted to smack himself. If it was one of those animals in his dorm, there's no way he would've agreed for today. But he soon frowned and said, "But you don't have a car, and there's nothing good to eat around here... How about..."
"No problem! You pick the place! I'll meet you there soon!" Liu Wen waved her phone at Su He to indicate they could contact by phone. Then she turned and ran back into the municipal government building.
Su He was confused by her maneuver... He opened WeChat to check his balance, then sent his location to Liu Wen's WeChat.
"Liu's Family-Style Cooking (48 Wujin East Road, Jinan)"
Usually Su He just had fried rice for lunch, but since he was treating, he took it very seriously.
"Hello, Sister Liu. One order of Kung Pao chicken, one order of mapo tofu, and an egg drop soup with seaweed... I'll be there in about 20 minutes..."
After making the call, Su He rode his e-bike towards Wujin East Road. Just then, an Audi passed by him and the window in the backseat rolled down. Liu Wen yelled loudly, "Su He, I'm going back to change first. Go ahead to the restaurant!" Before Su He could reply, the Audi had already driven away.
When he arrived at Sister Liu's restaurant, Liu Wen was already sitting inside, along with another woman - Zhao Luyao.
"Su He, what are you standing there dazed for? These two beauties have been waiting for you for a while."
At the door, the owner Sister Liu winked at Su He and whispered, "You got some skills, boy. These women are clearly rich. So you're bowing down to reality?"
"How could that be, Sister Liu? This old frog is still lining up for you. When is your husband going to die?" Su He lecherously eyed Sister Liu's chest. Many delivery riders in the area liked to eat here, though not for the food - because Sister Liu was busty.
"You little punk, ogling my wife again? I'm not putting any chicken in your Kung Pao chicken!" The Mediterranean chef by the open kitchen counter yelled playfully at Su He.
"Then just give me a plate of peanuts."
The restaurant was small and noisy. Many people were eyeing the fashionably dressed Liu Wen and Zhao Luyao.
When Su He walked over, both women stood up.
"Officer Liu, Sister Zhao, please sit." Su He smiled awkwardly. For a moment, no one knew what to say.
"I made plans with Luyao to go shopping this afternoon. I hope you don't mind I brought her along without warning?" Liu Wen broke the silence.
"Of course not! The more the merrier. Sister Zhao has helped me a lot too. I'm grateful to you both for coming. I ordered two dishes and a soup, let me know if you'd like anything else..."
In the corner, Wu Xiaodong stared intently at Su He as he shoveled down fried rice, tears falling from his eyes.
As she cleared the tables, Sister Liu noticed and quietly asked, "Xiaodong Wu... are you going through some difficulties? Tell big sis, maybe I can help think of a solution!"
Wiping his tears with a napkin, Wu Xiaodong said, "No, eating the fried rice just made me think of my mom."
Sister Liu nodded, "I see, your mom passed away years ago?"
Startled, Wu Xiaodong said, "My mom's not dead..."