Chapter 130: Chapter 108: Young Wade

Every day after the dinner service, there were inevitably some leftovers. Youzhen and a few others would usually pack them up to eat for lunch the next day. After all, with the hired cleaning lady, there were now eleven people working at the restaurant. That was a lot of mouths to feed for lunch, and making everything from scratch was impractical in terms of both cost and time.

But now, the large metal tray on the first-floor dining table, which had been piled high with leftovers, had vanished without a trace.

Only a few salt-and-pepper potatoes scattered on the floor hinted at what had just happened.

"Did you get a clear look at who it was?" Ning He asked.

Youzhen shook his head.

"I just heard a series of footsteps. The moment I turned around, the person was already running off with the tray. I only saw their back. They were tall and thin, probably quite young."

"Don’t worry, we have a security camera at the entrance. Give the footage to the Security Patrol, and they’ll definitely catch the guy. Stealing right under our noses... they’ve got some nerve. I’d like to see just who’s so tough," Connie scoffed.

Seeing that nothing else was lost and that Youzhen wasn’t hurt or too shaken, Ning He waved her hand. "Let’s do that. It’s getting late, so everyone should head home and rest. Vance, sorry to trouble you, but tomorrow morning, please pull the security footage, contact the Security Patrol, and hand it over to them."

And with that, the matter was settled for the time being. The loss wasn’t significant, anyway, so Ning He didn’t give it much thought.

But when she slept in and arrived at the restaurant the next day, she found it unusually bustling. Not only were there members of the Security Patrol present, but a woman from the community office was also there with a few colleagues. In addition, there were several unfamiliar faces, and without exception, they all looked pale and weak.

When they saw Ning He, everyone turned their attention to her.

"What’s going on?" Ning He asked, startled.

Vance quickly came over and gave her a brief explanation.

"They found the person who stole the leftovers last night. He actually turned himself in and asked the Security Patrol to bring them here to apologize in person."

Ning He was slightly surprised.

’That was surprisingly easy?’

A fit of coughing erupted, and a gaunt middle-aged man pushed himself up, leaning on the leg of a table for support. Though he looked extremely weak, his eyes were clear. He looked at Ning He and said, "I’m sorry. My son, Wade, acted on impulse last night and caused you trouble. It’s all my fault for not being a stricter father. I am truly sorry."

As he spoke, the man gave Ning He a deep bow. Before he could straighten up, he began to cough violently again. Just then, a blond teenager suddenly appeared from behind him. Biting his lip with his eyes downcast, he silently helped the man sit back down.

"Go on. Apologize to them yourself."

The middle-aged man’s gaze was stern. The blond boy turned his head away. After a long moment, he finally turned back, his eyes fixed on the floor, and mumbled a quiet, "Sorry."

He was clearly reluctant.

The man’s face darkened. He opened his mouth to say something but was overcome by another coughing fit. Even Ning He felt bad for him just listening to it.

"Forget it. It was just a tray of leftovers," Ning He said. "Now that we know who did it, just handle it however you’re supposed to. I have no objections."

She had barely finished speaking when the woman from the community office suddenly took her hand.

"Xiao Ning, I’d like to put in a good word for Wade. He—"

However, before the woman could finish, she was interrupted.

"Please, don’t say any more, COUGH, COUGH," the middle-aged man said, his expression grave. "He made a mistake, so he must bear the responsibility. I didn’t come here to plead for him."

"But if Wade gets a criminal record, he’ll be expelled from the Police Officer Academy! How will he ever join the Security Patrol? That’s been his dream since he was a kid!" the woman said urgently.

"That’s right. Wade just felt bad that we don’t have many days left and wanted us to eat something nice before we go. Even if he did something wrong, it should be us greedy ones who are punished. Why drag the boy into it?" a few of the other sickly-looking people chimed in.

"I brought you here to be witnesses, not to make excuses for him. He knew it was wrong and did it anyway, which means his punishment should be even more severe!" The man was completely unmoved. His gaze fell on the Security Patrol officer. "Ah Xin, do as she said. Handle this however you’re supposed to."

The man leading the Security Patrol, who was in his early thirties, nodded with a complex expression.

From beginning to end, the blond boy remained silent with his head down, his straight back revealing a stubborn pride.

"Since the matter is resolved, we won’t disturb you any longer."

The middle-aged man stood up. The blond boy reached out to support him, but the man brushed his hand away and struggled out of the restaurant on his own.

The woman from the community office sighed, offered another apology to Ning He, and followed them out.

Soon, everyone was gone.

"How will the boy be punished?" Ning He asked, watching their retreating figures.

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