” . . . Really, he’s a good man. I like him very much because he always helps others, but the person who needs help the most is him. I want to help him, I don’t know how to do it. I think he likes Kobe, I mean who doesn’t like Kobe . . . “
The white child, who was clearly not good at communicating, began to talk in a confused way. He at last seemed to lose himself, becoming more and more anxious until he was almost ready to cry.
Li Du raised his hand and patted him on the head. “Don’t worry, what do you want to say? I’m listening attentively.”
He could not hear him clearly, and the cheers around the court were loud. The surrounding was noisy .
The white child gulped. “I don’t know what to say. Would you like to come with me? Please, I should help Bruce.”
Li Du laughed and said, “Okay, okay, what’s your name? I’d like to go with you.”
The child was pleased and said, “I’m called Mini Donkey because I’m small and people say I’m stupid, just like a donkey. That’s why I’m called Mini Donkey.”
Upon hearing this, Li Du couldn’t laugh. The name was too insulting.
But, living in a slum, it was considered lucky to be alive. Why would they care so much? If you want dignity, you had to leave the the slum. What dignity would there be living in this place?
Like his shadow, Brother Wolf quietly came up behind Li Du.
Mini Donkey left the basketball court with Li Du and entered the factory building, which had an apartment building for employees in the back.
There were almost a dozen buildings arranged in that area.
The building had also been converted into a home, with simple wood and brick walls spaced around like beehives, and densely packed with people.
They entered a well-kept factory considered neat and clean even though there was still a bit of a smell. It was an unknown smell, similar to a mixture of rotten food.
Most of the people there had been drawn to the stadium by the charity event, and even if they didn’t go to collect free items, they went for the arrival of Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.
Therefore, the tall factory building was very quiet—there was no sound, a bit like a haunted house. There were only things such as messy beds and broken furniture.
They followed Mini Donkey and climbed two floors of wooden staircases to the top of the building, which was even more cramped and smelly.
Walking up the shabby stairs, Mini Donkey peered out. “Hi, Bruce, where are you?”
Hearing his voice, a young man popped up in the compartment from the front and said, “Hey, big onkey, come here. I’m telling stories to Loft.”
Mini Donkey climbed up. The space was a little cramped, so Li Du walked slightly bent and Brother Wolf, who was over 1.9 meters tall, was stuck at the door of the compartment.
With the sunlight that came in through the window, Li Du could see the boy named Bruce. He was about fourteen or fifteen years old, yellow-skinned, with dark hair and dark eyes.
Bruce looked at him and, with surprise, said, “Hello, Sir, you must be a kind treasure hunter. Like Mr. Chris Bell?”
Li Du laughed, “Something like that. Your deductive skills are very good.”
Bruce laughed as well. His laugh was brighter than the sunlight coming through the window. “Oh, I’m Batman. Of course, I have great deductive skills.”
Mini Donkey turned and said, “Yes, Batman Bruce. He’s Batman. This is his Gotham city.”
“Hello, Mr. Batman, I salute you on behalf of the citizens,” Li Du said with an “understood” expression.
The few children around laughed.
In addition to Mini Donkey and Bruce, four or five children emerged from the compartment, almost all of them under the age of ten. They looked young and were all yellow skinned.
Bruce asked him to sit down. He poured a glass of water for Li Du. Noticing his awkward gait, Li Du noticed that Bruce’s leg was limp.
After pouring the water, he asked, “What can I do for you, Sir?”
Li Du looked at Mini Donkey and quickly said, “He’s here to help you, Bruce. You need help. Kobe is here. This treasure hunter and Kobe are good friends. They can help you.”
Bruce laughed, “I don’t need help, Big Donkey. My right leg isn’t very good, but that doesn’t stop me from living and taking care of you. Everything is okay.
“I’m sorry, Sir,” he continued, “my buddy may not have explained the matter clearly, which led you to misunderstand. Actually, we are very good.”
Li Du grasped the implication and asked, “You take care of them?”
“We take care of each other,” he corrected.
Mini Donkey added, “Bruce is helping us. Loft has a brain problem. They say I have a brain problem. Borg and Bernie have problems with their eyes. And Chasel is a white devil.”
“Stop it, Donkey. Your brain is all right. Loft’s brain is alright. Don’t listen to them. We are alright,” Bruce said with a laugh.
Mini Donkey tried to argue, and Bruce asked, “How are we doing? Are you hungry? Are you unhappy?”
“Not at all. We’re happier than the b*stards down there,” muttered Mini Donkey.
Bruce said, “Yes, you see, we live better than they do. How can people with mental problems live better than they do? Is that right?”
Mini Donkey winked. “Well, yes, it is, but you’re not happy, I know you’re not happy.”
“Yes, you’re not happy, Bruce,” said a little girl. “You don’t need to care about us. We all have parents.”
Bruce went to touch her hair and smiled. “I’m happy. I’m happy with you.”
“Actually the child is right. Their parents can take care of them,” said Li Du.
Bruce stopped laughing and whispered, “Their parents? Their parents can’t manage themselves. Sir, you’re not from Salem Harbor. You don’t know what it’s like here.”
Mini Donkey said, “I know Claire’s father is a gambler, afraid to come back. Loft’s parents haven’t been seen for a year, and . . . “
“Okay, stop it, Donkey,” Bruce said with a glare. “Stop it, they have their own lives, and we have our own lives. I can take care of you all and live happily.”
“Bruce, where are your parents? I know what Big Donkey means. It looks like you really need help,” said Li Du.
The adults in the slum must have had problems, and he thought Bruce had a point—they were already lucky if they could take care of themselves.
So Bruce had to manage these kids, but he was still a teenager and should have been in school at that age. How would he be able to take care of these kids?
