Chapter 34: Lord Bo Is the Coolest

"Creak—" With the jarring sound of hinges turning, the door slowly swung open. A tall, imposing figure stood in the doorway like a wall, severing the darkness outside from the dim, yellow light within.

"Ah!" Caught completely off guard, Jiang Yaru paled in fright at the sudden appearance of the shadow. She let out an instinctive scream and scrambled backward, her footsteps thudding in a hurried retreat.

The mysterious figure did not hesitate for a moment, stepping into the room in one swift movement.

Only then could the others see that the man wore a wide-brimmed black fedora and a black cloth mask over his face, revealing only a pair of deep, enigmatic eyes. He was dressed in a long black trench coat that fluttered slightly in the breeze, his black leather shoes polished to a mirror shine, and his fingers encased in tight black gloves.

A handsome revolver was tucked into his waistband, the metal frame glinting coldly. His right hand rested naturally on the grip, as if ready to draw at any sign of danger, while his left hand carried a small wicker crate.

The sudden intrusion of this stranger left the director, Sister Lucy, along with Jiang Yaru, Nurse An, and Nurse Chen, filled with terror. They huddled together instinctively, their bodies trembling slightly, their eyes wide with fear and wariness.

The director, forcing herself to stay calm, gathered her courage and stepped forward, shielding Jiang Yaru behind her. Her voice trembled, yet remained firm: "Sir, this is an orphanage. It is home to poor, homeless children—a place of charity. We have already run out of food; we do not have what you are looking for!"

The man in black said nothing. He simply bent down slowly, placed the small wicker crate on the floor, then turned and walked away with a steady, measured gait. His departing silhouette appeared all the more mysterious in the gloom.

Seeing the man exit, Jiang Yaru’s heart steadied, and curiosity and courage began to take hold. She took a deep breath and hurried over, giving the wicker crate a light kick.

Though the crate looked worn, it was actually fragile. Under her kick, it burst open, and with a clatter, its contents spilled across the floor.

Everyone stared, gasping in shock. They were solid gold bars, glinting with a dazzling radiance in the weak candlelight.

"Ah! It’s gold!" Jiang Yaru blurted out, her eyes filled with shock and delight.

The director also snapped back to reality. She hurried over, shoved the jade pendant she had placed on the table into Jiang Yaru’s hand, and urged her anxiously, "Teacher Jiang, quick! Take this jade pendant to that gentleman! May heaven bless kind souls."

"Ah! Oh!" Jiang Yaru subconsciously took the pendant and turned to chase after him.

The night was deep, and the orphanage courtyard was lit only by the faint glow of a few dim streetlamps.

Jiang Yaru groped her way through the darkness, following the direction in which the man had disappeared, guided by memory and instinct.

"Sir, please wait!" she called out, finally catching up just as the man prepared to scale the wall.

Hearing her call, the man stopped and slowly turned around. Jiang Yaru hurried forward and held out the jade pendant. "Sir! The director asked me to give this to you!"

The man tilted his head slightly, looking at the pendant in her hand and then at her sincere eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he reached out and took it.

"May heaven bless you, sir!" The blessing from the director escaped Jiang Yaru’s lips instinctively.

The man nodded slightly, then braced his hands against the wall, vaulted over with ease, and vanished into the darkness.

Watching the direction he had gone, a strange emotion welled up in Jiang Yaru’s heart. She couldn't help but whisper to herself, "What a strong man."

When she hurried back to the director's office, the others were still lost in the shock of the moment, staring blankly at the twenty gold bars shimmering with an alluring light, unsure of what to do.

The director broke the silence first. She slowly bent down, picked up one of the bars, and placed it in Jiang Yaru’s hand, her eyes filled with trust and expectation. "Teacher Jiang, take this bar to your father and see how much grain it can buy. The children’s hunger depends entirely on this."

Jiang Yaru gripped the gold bar tightly and nodded firmly. "I will!"

The director turned to Nurse An. "Nurse An, put the rest of the gold away. Tomorrow, we must buy meat to make porridge for the children. They haven't had a proper meal in so long; they are far too weak."

Nurse An hurried forward, carefully gathering the gold. "Understood!"

The director then looked at Nurse Chen. "Nurse Chen, tomorrow, contact all our followers and have them help bring in the street orphans. Now that we have this gold, we cannot stand by and watch those children starve and freeze."

Nurse Chen replied solemnly, "Yes!"

...

Walking down the street, the man in black suddenly let out a laugh. "Hahaha! Lord Bo is the coolest!"

"I have no K, I have no K, blue bill, blue bill, dinosaur carry wolf, carry wolf..."

He sang and danced as he went, looking utterly ridiculous—a stark contrast to his mysterious, cold image just moments before. He continued his song and dance, unrestrained, until he disappeared into the end of the street.

Jiang Yaru hurried all the way home. Her house was not far from the orphanage, located on Robinson Road in the Western District of the International Settlement. After leaving the orphanage, she only needed to turn a corner and cross Suzhou Creek to reach it.

As soon as she stepped inside, a beautiful middle-aged woman hurried over, looking worried and chiding her, "Oh, Yaru! It’s chaotic out there, so dangerous! You mustn't run around alone like that again. If something happened to you, how could we go on living?"

Jiang Yaru smiled sweetly, comforting her mother. "Mom, I'm fine!"

With that, she walked straight to her father, held out her hand, and said decisively, "Dad! Grain!"

Jiang Daya, who was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, frowned and replied instinctively, "None!"

Without another word, Jiang Yaru slammed the gold bar onto the table with a loud *clatter*.

"Gold!" Jiang Daya’s eyes went wide, fixed on the bar on the table. Almost without thinking, he grabbed it and took a small bite to confirm it. Once certain, a brilliant smile bloomed on his face, and he laughed excitedly, "Hahaha! Don't you worry, daughter. Although your old man hasn't the power to support your charity forever, I promise not to make a single cent off the grain for your orphanage. Tomorrow—tomorrow I’ll have someone deliver the grain!"