Chapter 42: A New Beginning at the Shelter

Hao Yang’s expression was troubled as she asked, “Uncle Wang, where are you taking me?”

“You’ll know once we arrive,” Wang Jian replied, his gaze flickering to Hao Yang’s uneasy face in the rearview mirror. “Police Uncle won’t harm you. For now, this is the only place Police Uncle can take you.”

Observing Hao Yang’s visible apprehension, Wang Jian felt a pang of helplessness. He then continued.

“Police Uncle has done all he can,” he said. “Once you’re there, you must listen to the staff, and learn to take care of yourself, understand?”

Wang Jian finished speaking and deliberately averted his gaze from the rearview mirror, focusing instead on the road ahead.

“I understand, Uncle Wang,” Hao Yang said slowly, taking a deep breath. At this point, she had no choice but to trust Officer Wang. After all, he was a police officer, and she believed he wouldn’t intentionally harm her.

Hao Yang’s maturity, far beyond her years, unsettled Wang Jian. Finally, he turned on the car’s CD player, switched to the radio function, found a random station, and increased the volume.

The radio played an obscure yet rather pleasant song, which helped Wang Jian relax considerably.

The two sat in silence, neither speaking again. As time passed, they drew ever closer to the address they had been given.

Wang Jian glanced out of the car window, noting the extreme remoteness of their surroundings. No other vehicles passed by; it felt as though their car was the only one on the entire stretch of road.

A quiet unease began to stir within Wang Jian. He questioned if he had taken a wrong turn, yet the navigation system insisted this was the correct location. Could a homeless shelter truly exist in such an isolated area?

Hao Yang, too, observed the desolate landscape outside, a subtle tremor of apprehension taking root in her heart. The sheer remoteness was unsettling.

Ultimately, Wang Jian steeled himself, deciding to reach the destination first before figuring out their next steps.

Upon reaching their destination, Wang Jian exited the car. He switched on his flashlight and surveyed the surroundings, his eyes immediately falling upon a large gate adorned with the prominent characters: “Homeless Shelter.”

The shelter appeared quite substantial. Peering through the main entrance, he could discern at least several buildings within, one of which was even a three-story structure.

It looked surprisingly decent. Hao Yang should be able to live comfortably here.

At that moment, Wang Jian noticed someone on duty at the entrance. He quickly opened the car’s trunk and began retrieving items from within.

Hao Yang, carrying her clothes and backpack, opened the car door and hopped out. She had already seen the words on the building’s exterior and understood that Wang Jian was bringing her to a homeless shelter.

Truthfully, she supposed she was a homeless person herself now, so being sent to a homeless shelter seemed logical. Hao Yang quietly reassured herself with this thought.

“Xiao Xiao,” Wang Jian instructed, holding the items in his hands, “follow Uncle and don’t speak for now. Just listen to Uncle’s arrangements.”

He then closed the trunk and slowly began walking towards the homeless shelter.

Hao Yang stayed close behind him, fearing she might be left behind.

The Duty Officer at the entrance watched Wang Jian approach, clad in his police uniform. Behind him trailed a person of short stature, their features obscured by a hat. The officer quickly stepped forward and inquired.

“Officer, is there anything I can assist you with?”

“I have a homeless person here,” Wang Jian stated directly. “Can they be admitted into your shelter?”

“Yes, yes, of course!” the Duty Officer quickly replied. “We just need to process some paperwork.”

“Does the paperwork require an ID card?”

“No, no, it’s very simple here,” the officer assured him. “The homeless person just needs to sign their name.”

“Can they sign now?” Wang Jian pressed, noting that it was already 10:00 PM. He wasn’t sure if paperwork could be processed at such a late hour.

“The staff member responsible for paperwork has already left for the day, so it might not be possible to sign now,” the officer explained. “However, there’s no need for such trouble. You can simply hand over the homeless person to us. Whether the paperwork is signed or not is actually irrelevant.”

“In that case, I’ll entrust her to you. I’ll be leaving now.”

Having said this, Wang Jian placed the items he was holding beside Hao Yang and prepared to depart.

At that moment, Hao Yang suddenly clutched at Wang Jian’s jacket corner, refusing to let go. Frowning, Wang Jian turned back, then crouched down and spoke softly.

“Uncle has been so good to you, buying you so many clothes,” Wang Jian said, gesturing to the two bundles of items he had set down. “Look, Uncle even bought you all this food.”

“Uncle has been so kind to you. You must be a good girl and listen to Uncle. Now, let go, be good.” Wang Jian tried his best to soften his tone.

“Uncle, can you promise me something?” Hao Yang asked softly, her voice tinged with a slight sob.

“Alright, alright, Uncle promises,” Wang Jian quickly said, unable to bear a child’s tears. “What is it you want to say first?”

“Uncle,” Hao Yang asked cautiously, “will you come to see me sometime?”

“Yes, yes, Uncle will come to see you in a while,” he promised. “Remember to be a good girl here and listen. Uncle has to go now.”

Wang Jian finished speaking and did not linger. He immediately got into the police car and drove away moments later.

Hao Yang stood rooted to the spot, watching the police car disappear into the distance. Would Officer Wang’s promise really hold true? Would he truly come to see her? His words had felt so perfunctory.

“You understand what I’m saying, right?” A cold voice came from beside her.

Hao Yang, who had been gazing at the receding police car, turned her head.

Turning, Hao Yang faced the stern, unfeeling Staff Member. She unconsciously swallowed, a feeling that this person would be difficult to deal with settling in her gut.

“Gather your belongings and follow me,” the Staff Member commanded before turning and walking into the shelter’s entrance.

Hao Yang quickly reacted, struggling to pick up the items from the ground, then laboriously followed behind the Staff Member.

Only when Hao Yang held the items did she realize what Wang Jian had bought for her: a carton of pure milk, and a bag filled with an assortment of food. There was bread, candy, and various snacks designed to be filling.

This large bag of snacks alone likely cost several hundred yuan.

Officer Wang truly was good to her. He had bought her so many things, easily spending a thousand or two thousand yuan, and it was likely out of his own pocket. Since he was so kind, perhaps he really would come back to see her soon.

Following behind the Staff Member, Hao Yang exerted nearly all her strength just to carry these heavy items.

After walking for a while, they finally arrived before a large factory-like building constructed from foam steel panels.

A large padlock hung on the main door. The Staff Member halted, then began fumbling for keys.

Hao Yang placed her heavy burdens on the ground, finally able to catch her breath. While she rested, she took the opportunity to observe her surroundings.