Dexter slept soundly.
He had no choice. He was overdrawn.
Svetlana brought four of her "sisters" over. Who could handle that?
Slept like the dead until past 9:00 AM.
He woke up, checked the time, and realized he had a lot to do today. He needed to speed things up.
After a quick shower, Dexter rushed out the door and headed straight to a car dealership.
With money in his pocket, buying a car was easy.
Twenty minutes later, he had a brand-new delivery van.
"Please deliver the van to this address." Since he drove his own car there, he couldn't drive the van back himself. He gave the address of Dex Fruit Stand.
"Of course, Mr. Ding." The salesman recognized him and agreed readily.
Car sorted. Dexter hit the road again, looking for a shop that could make encrypted membership cards.
Encrypted cards weren't hard to make; there were plenty of shops for that.
Found a place.
Dexter laid out his requirements.
Not complicated. Besides printing "Dex Restaurant" and "Priority Meal Voucher" on the face, the key requirement was that each card had to be single-use and required a scanning device for validation.
Done. Next, Dexter found a print shop to order custom envelopes. He ordered a batch of black cardstock envelopes with text printed on them.
The plan was to seal each voucher inside one of these envelopes.
Once the envelope was opened, the voucher inside would immediately become invalid.
This condition would be clearly printed on the front of the envelope.
This was, of course, to prevent counterfeiting.
He knew if he didn't safeguard it, he'd issue a hundred real cards and get back thousands of fakes.
After all, this was the South Side of Chicago. Home of the shameless.
Running around non-stop, he finished his errands and checked the time. Past 11:00 AM.
Great. Back to the restaurant for service.
---
Just past 11:00 AM.
Paperwork complete.
Lip and Ian walked out of the Juvenile Detention Center, reclaiming their freedom.
Outside the gates, Ian took a deep breath and stretched long and hard, savoring the taste of freedom.
Lip pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took two harsh drags. "Don't waste time. Let's go!"
No one came to pick them up.
They didn't have a dime on them, so they had to walk back.
Lip walked fast, almost jogging.
Ian knew why. He hesitated, but couldn't be bothered to argue. He stayed silent and kept up with Lip's pace.
At an intersection.
"You go home. I'm going to school," Lip told Ian.
Ian shook his head. "I'm coming with you."
Ian really didn't want to deal with Karen, but he was worried Lip would lose his cool and make things worse.
"What for? Go home. This is my business," Lip knew exactly why Ian wanted to tag along and rejected him flatly.
Ian insisted. "I listened to you obsess over this for three months. Now it's suddenly your private business? I'm coming to see!"
Lip paused. He was desperate to see Karen and didn't want to delay. "Suit yourself."
They stopped arguing and sped toward the high school.
It wasn't too far, but not exactly close either.
They walked until noon, arriving just as the lunch break started. The school was buzzing with noise.
It didn't take long.
Lip, practically radiating anxiety, found Karen eating lunch in the courtyard.
Karen saw Lip and Ian. Her face was calm. She didn't look happy to see them, didn't speak, and just kept eating.
Lip, arrogant to the bone, couldn't stand being ignored. He flared up instantly but held it back. "Karen, I'm out."
"Mmh," Karen responded indifferently.
"How's the baby?" Lip, with his strong (and slightly misguided) family values, softened his tone immediately.
"None of your business," Karen snapped back.
A vein throbbed on Lip's forehead. His anger spiked, but he suppressed it again. "That's my kid. Of course it's my business."
"Heh," Karen sneered, looking up at Lip. "That's not what you said before."
Lip couldn't take it anymore. "Karen, it's been three months. Do you have to be like this?"
Karen raised an eyebrow. "Fuck you! I'm telling you, this baby is mine. It has nothing to do with you. I don't want to see you again. Get the hell away from me!"
With that, Karen quickly packed up her lunchbox and stood up to leave.
Lip panicked.
That was his baby in her belly!
He couldn't imagine, couldn't accept being shut out.
Seeing Karen about to leave, Lip instinctively reached out and grabbed her arm.
This is America.
That action, strictly speaking, counts as assault.
"Let go of me!" Karen was secretly delighted, but outwardly she showed only anger, shouting loudly.
Lip didn't let go. "That's my kid! I don't care if you don't want to see me, I have to have contact with my child!"
"Fuck off!" Hearing this, Karen felt the timing was right. Without hesitation, she smashed her lunchbox into Lip's face.
The box wasn't empty; it still had leftover food in it.
So, naturally, Lip got a face full of leftovers.
A second later.
Lip's violent nature could no longer be contained. He lost all reason, roaring with a twisted face, "You crazy bitch!! I'm telling you, that's my kid!! I am NOT Frank!! I will be responsible for my child!!"
It was laughable.
Lip had been agonizing over this baby for three months...
The root cause wasn't love for the child, but a desperate need to prove he wasn't Frank.
Facing Lip's roar, Karen wasn't afraid.
In fact, she was thrilled. She was ready to take a beating. "Fine, fine, I'm a crazy bitch! Then I'll show you crazy!"
"I'm going to have this baby, and then I'm going to give it away to someone even more disgusting than you or Frank! I'll make sure you never see it for the rest of your life!"
To Lip, those words were unforgivable!
Smack!
Rage erupted. His violent instincts took over completely.
Lip slapped Karen across the face. "Bitch!"
It was a loud, stinging slap.
Seeing this, hearing the sound...
Ian's brain exploded. He couldn't believe the worst-case scenario had actually happened. He rushed forward, grabbing Lip and dragging him back with all his strength.
At the same time.
Feeling the stinging pain on her cheek, Karen yanked her arm free from Lip's grip. Without a word, she turned and walked away.
Lip tried to chase after her.
Ian held on for dear life. "Calm the fuck down! Are you crazy? You hit her!"
"Let go of me!!" Lip roared, face red, struggling violently.
Ian gritted his teeth and held on. "Lip, are you fucking brain-dead?"
Ian genuinely couldn't understand how Lip had turned into this.
Lip heard him and snapped. He swung a fist and punched Ian.
Ian cried out in pain and was forced to let go.
Lip ignored him and sprinted after Karen.
Karen saw him coming. She didn't hesitate. She ran, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Help! Help me!"
This was a school.
A girl screaming for help was no small matter...
Instantly.
Several teachers heard the cries and sprinted toward the sound.
Moments later, Lip was intercepted.
Karen smirked internally, then ramped up her acting, crying to the teachers, "He hit me! Look at my face!"
The handprint on her left cheek was still clearly visible.
The teachers took one look and believed her.
"Philip Gallagher! Get off campus! Now!" a teacher shouted with authority.
The problem was, Lip had lost his mind...
Predictably, Lip acted like a raging gorilla...
The teachers had to call security to forcibly remove him from the school grounds.
Karen left, got in her car, and sped straight to the hospital.
Ian, nursing the punch Lip gave him, watched Lip being dragged away. His eyes grew cold. Without a word, he turned and went home.
---
Prison.
Fiona was on her knees again, "working" hard.
Dozens.
She had serviced dozens of female inmates.
Fiona wept silently, her stomach churning, desperate to vomit.
---
Dex Restaurant.
Business as usual.
Dexter finished the last order and walked out of the kitchen, planning to grab a smoke outside.
As he walked.
Suddenly.
Dexter froze. He saw someone completely unexpected.
A second later, Dexter didn't hesitate. He walked to the fridge, took out a fruit platter, and walked over to the person. "Hello. Is the food to your liking?"
Bianca was eating her noodles with her head down. Hearing the voice, she looked up, surprised. She paused for a moment before nodding with a smile. "It's delicious."
Dexter smiled too and placed the fruit platter in front of her. "Glad to hear it. This is on the house."
"Huh?" Bianca was currently just a resident doctor, and her income wasn't high. Today was her first time splurging at Dex Restaurant. Even so, thanks to the internet, she knew enough to know this fruit platter was expensive. She was surprised.
"You're very beautiful, so it's free," Dexter said with a smile.
Hearing this.
Bianca: "?????"
Veronica, not far away: "????"
Vivian grinned. "(#^.^#)"
Bianca, the person in question, was stunned for several seconds before she recovered, feeling a bit awkward. "Thank you, Mr. Ding."
"You're welcome," Dexter smiled. "I'm Dexter. May I know your name?"
"Bianca," she replied honestly.
"Beautiful name. Are you a doctor?" Dexter asked.
Bianca was wearing casual clothes, not a white coat, so she was startled again. "Do you know me, Mr. Ding?"
Dexter shook his head. "First time meeting you. You have the scent of a hospital on you. You don't look like a patient, so you must be a doctor."
Bianca instinctively sniffed herself, reacting adorably. "Hospital scent? I don't smell anything."
"My nose is quite sensitive."
"Oh, I see."
"May I ask which hospital you work at? I might come find you for a checkup in a few days," Dexter teased.
Bianca looked at him closely. "Are you sick?"
"Yeah," Dexter nodded.
"Have you been diagnosed? What is it?" Bianca asked with concern.
"Haven't checked yet, but it's probably a heart condition. Because I only caught it the moment I saw you just now," Dexter said shamelessly, beaming.
The words hung in the air.
Instantly.
The entire restaurant went silent.
Everyone's eyes focused on Dexter.
Bianca's face flushed slightly. She lowered her head shyly, her instinct telling her to run.
A second later.
Clap, clap, clap.
Vivian started clapping first.
Applause erupted.
The guests in the restaurant, even Mickey, joined in.
Thunderous applause rang out.
"Way to go, Boss!"
"Smooth, Mr. Ding!"
"Go for it, Mr. Ding!"
"..."
Some rowdy guests started cheering.
Bianca's pretty face turned even redder.
Dexter stood there, smiling at her.
Bianca could feel his gaze. helpless, she forced herself to look up. "Mr. Ding, I'd like to eat now..."
"Okay. So, which hospital do you work at?" Dexter repeated the question with a smile.
"..." Speechless for a moment, Bianca hesitated, then answered truthfully. "XXXX Hospital."
"Thank you. I won't disturb you for now. Enjoy your meal. Let me know if you need anything," Dexter said, then turned and walked away.
Bianca, face burning, let out a long breath and hurriedly buried her face in her noodles.
After a few bites.
She quietly turned her head slightly, glancing at Dexter, who was now standing by the curb outside.
He was handsome, he could cook... undeniably a catch.
Bianca didn't dislike him; she just found it strange. It was too sudden.
---
Veronica and Vivian were both staring at Bianca, so naturally, they saw her look at Dexter.
Step, step, step.
Veronica rushed over to Vivian and whispered, "Vivian, you're smart. Can you tell what's going on?"
Vivian blinked and gave a mischievous smile. "Maybe because it's spring."
Veronica didn't get it. "And?"
"And in spring, everything comes back to life. The Boss wants a girlfriend," Vivian explained.
"But this is too sudden. Love at first sight?" Veronica found it unbelievable.
"Not strange at all. That girl is very pretty, and she's a doctor," Vivian said calmly. "Love is just two strangers catching each other's eye. It happens."
Veronica was speechless. "..."
The logic held up.
But it just felt... off.
"This is a good thing," seeing Veronica's reaction, Vivian added.
Veronica gave a bitter smile.
The truth was.
Deep down, Veronica still held onto a tiny fantasy about Dexter and Fiona getting together.
In that moment, that fantasy was completely shattered.
---
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