Chapter 93: Double Standards

The man with glasses was thoroughly cowed by An Nan’s imposing manner and didn’t dare chase after her to cause more trouble.

Still, he grumbled, “What kind of adult is so petty, picking on a kid like that!”

After a while, once the pain subsided, he got up to check on the child.

“Hey kid, are you alright?”

The little boy rubbed his head, tears still glimmering in his eyes. “I’m okay, uncle.”

Glasses Man asked, “Where are your parents?”

The boy pointed to the mall entrance. “My dad and grandma are inside looking for things! I’m out here drawing.”

Glasses Man frowned. These parents are way too careless, just leaving their kid outside like this. What if he gets lost?

He said, “Uncle’s going inside to look for supplies too. Why don’t you come with me and find your dad? That way that mean lady won’t bully you again.”

The boy shook his head. “I’m not going. I want to draw.”

No matter how much he tried to persuade him, the boy wouldn’t budge.

He sighed. What a stubborn kid! Probably the parents can’t control him either, which is why they let him stay out here.

All he could do was warn him,

“If that mean lady bullies you again, just run inside and find your dad, okay?”

The boy nodded.

Seeing this, Glasses Man went back to his car, grabbed a few big bags, and hurried into the mall to scavenge for supplies.

Inside the armored vehicle,

An Nan had just finished three meat buns and was about to drive off.

She glanced up and saw that bratty kid running over to the white SUV to “draw” on it again.

Raising an eyebrow, she stopped, intrigued.

She was curious to see how the man with glasses would react when he came out and saw this.

Leaning back in her seat, An Nan closed her eyes to rest.

Might as well take a break.

It wasn’t long before a familiar voice rang out.

“Hey! You little brat, what are you doing?!”

An Nan opened her eyes. Sure enough, it was the man with glasses.

He was carrying two big bags, storming over to his car in a rage. He dropped his things on the ground and yanked the boy away.

“How can you scribble all over my car like that?!”

The boy replied seriously, “Please don’t disturb me while I’m drawing.”

Glasses Man was furious, staring at his now-ruined car in distress.

“Is the street your home? You think you can draw wherever you want? Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?”

The boy struggled in his grip, shouting, “You’re bullying me! I’m going to find my dad!”

Glasses Man hadn’t expected the advice he’d given the kid about dealing with An Nan would now be used against him. That made him even angrier.

He grabbed the brat and gave him a spanking,

scolding as he did, “You little brat! Bad kid!”

The boy burst into loud wails.

Watching this scene, An Nan couldn’t help but laugh.

What a double-standard guy.

Both wore glasses, but Zhao Ping’an looked clever and sharp, while this one just seemed clueless.

She started up her car.

As she passed the white SUV, she rolled down her window:

“Hey! What kind of adult are you, being so petty and picking on a little kid?”

With that, she rolled up her window and drove off.

The man with glasses was already fuming from the brat, and hearing his own words thrown back at him by An Nan made him even angrier.

How could this woman be so petty and vindictive!

He looked down at the still-wailing boy and grew even more annoyed.

“What are you crying for? This is all your fault! You scratched up my car and you think you’re in the right?”

Still unable to contain his anger, he gave the boy another smack.

“What are you doing?!”

A furious shout rang out.

A burly man and an old lady came running from the mall, each carrying a sack and looking furious.

The man punched Glasses Man to the ground.

“Why are you bullying my son?!”

This was the second time Glasses Man had been knocked to the ground today.

He felt his face burning with anger. “Who’s bullying your kid? Your son scratched up my car with a rock!”

He pointed at his now-unrecognizable car for emphasis.

The old lady pulled the boy behind her and put her hands on her hips.

“What proof do you have that my grandson did it?”

Glasses Man was beside himself. “I saw it with my own eyes! What more proof do you need?”

The old lady glared at him. “Just because you say you saw it doesn’t make it true! Where’s your evidence? Go ahead, pull up the mall’s security footage if you can!”

Glasses Man’s hands were shaking with rage.

The power and internet had been out for ages—what security cameras could there be?

This family was clearly just being unreasonable.

He shot back, “If that’s how it is, then what proof do you have that I was bullying your kid? Is there any footage? Any evidence?”

The burly man grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up. “I’m the evidence!”

With that, he punched him in the face again.

The boy, hiding behind his grandma, added fuel to the fire,

“Daddy, he even said he was going to kill me just now.”

Glasses Man: ???

“You little brat! When did I ever say that? That was that woman, not me!”

“Woman? What woman? You just want another beating!”

The heat made everyone irritable and quick to anger.

Seeing him still babbling about some woman, the burly man hit even harder.

The old lady fanned her grandson and cheered,

“Hit him! Harder! How dare he bully my precious grandson!”

…

An Nan hummed a tune as she continued sweeping through the remaining stores on her map.

After finishing each one, she marked it off.

By the time she checked off the last one, dawn had fully broken.

Her spatial ability’s range had finally increased to fifty meters.

Stretching, An Nan prepared to head home and sleep.

On the way, she saw many people hurrying home.

During the extreme heat, daytime meant even more danger.

In the past, a seven- or eight-degree difference between day and night was nothing.

But now, with the extreme temperatures, every extra degree could push someone past their limit and kill them.

Some people might be fine at 53 degrees, but suddenly collapse at 54.

So as soon as the sun rose, everyone would tacitly rush home and lie motionless in bed.

Only after dark, when the temperature dropped, would they venture out to look for supplies.

An Nan glanced at the slowly rising sun and sighed inwardly.

It had only been five days since the extreme heat began, and people had already adapted to a new way of life and schedule.

Survival of the fittest, indeed.

Driving home, she saw many who had already succumbed to the heat, collapsed on the ground.

Near her building, she put her car away and walked into the complex.

She hadn’t gone far when someone grabbed her ankle.

Looking down, she saw a face sunken and yellowed with dehydration.

Cracked lips moved, “Help me… take me to the hospital…”

How could she help?

The person was already delirious.

Just as she tried to pull her foot free, the hand let go, the person’s breath gone for good.

An Nan sighed and quickened her pace toward home."