The snow on the Sixth Ring overpass melted into clear, warm puddles under the golden benevolence light.
Lin Mo remained on one knee in the slush, holding the small black-and-gold Benevolence POS terminal steady in his right hand. The glass scanner surface gleamed with a soft, pulsing white glow against the dark midnight sky.
In his left hand, the carved sandalwood box lay open. The Rank 4 Nine-Turn Jade Marrow Pill pulsed with nine concentric rings of golden mist, filling the cold air with the fragrance of sweet lotus blossoms, morning dew, and ancient mountain herbs.
Beside them, Grandma Chen held Qin Haoran’s bruised head against her chest, her wrinkled face wet with quiet, streaming tears.
“Haoran,” Lin Mo said, his voice mild, calm, and clear. “Reach out your hand.”
Qin Haoran opened his swollen eyelids with great effort. His cracked, bloody lips trembled in the freezing wind.
“Boss Lin...” Qin Haoran whispered, dark blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “My fingers... are covered in road dirt, diesel soot, and blood. I will get your screen dirty.”
“Dirt wipes off with a wet rag,” Lin Mo replied with a faint, deadpan smile. “And blood spilled from protecting an old lady who feeds frozen firefighters is the cleanest thing in this entire city. Press your thumb.”
