บท 4: Chapter 4: Car Accident
At precisely 3:30 in the afternoon, Max descended the stairs punctually, slipped into his Cadillac, and began his usual journey back home along the well-known route.
Elena, stationed on the roadside in her old Toyota, which had changed owners several times, spotted the Cadillac turning into the intersection. She swiftly retrieved her mobile phone and dialed a number, reporting, "The fool is on the road!" After receiving an acknowledgment, she trailed behind, maintaining a discreet distance.
With few vehicles on the road, Max was driving briskly when he received an incoming call. "Darling, why don't you pick up the kids, and I'll bake chocolate chip cookies for them tonight," he answered. As the car transitioned onto a narrow two-lane road, a small stone littered the path. Max instinctively slowed down, slightly veering to avoid the remaining gravel.
Cursing the person who carelessly scattered gravel on the road, Max decelerated once more. However, his attention was suddenly captured by an unusual sight at a nearby intersection on the left.
There stood a giant teddy bear, holding a colorful flag that read, "All sorts of teddy bears on sale this weekend." The two children in his family were avid teddy bear enthusiasts, and even Max himself had a soft spot for them. He couldn't resist stealing more than a few glances.
...
On the opposite side of the intersection, lush green shrubs thrived. Harris lay low on his bicycle, one foot firmly planted on the ground, eyes locked onto the teddy bear across the road, waiting for the signal.
Despite having practiced this maneuver several times, the excruciating pain from his broken left arm contorted his face into a grimace.
Harris gritted his teeth, determined, thinking to himself, "The chances of success are as high as 60%. I can do this!"
Just then, the teddy bear puppet on the other side of the road discarded its colorful flag.
With that, Harris forcefully pressed the bicycle pedal and darted forth. Clenching his teeth, he managed to utter, "For the money!"
In the face of financial temptation, the impoverished could muster unparalleled strength.
...
The teddy bear at the intersection, with a flourish, tossed aside its colorful flag. Then, it clenched its left hand into a fist, positioned it in front of its furry belly, and began a rapid sequence of waist twists and hip movements, resembling an airplane soaring in the sky.
This was Max's first encounter with such an absurd teddy bear doll, and he was nearly reduced to fits of laughter.
A substantial portion of his attention, however, remained riveted on the figure to his left.
Harris surged forward from behind the greenery on the right side of the intersection.
Max spotted this approaching figure and instinctively slammed on the brakes.
There was a collision, the car shuddered, and someone toppled onto the road.
Max was momentarily dazed but quickly regained his senses. He uttered a curse, unfastened his seatbelt, and hurriedly exited the car to assess the situation.
The car hadn't been traveling at high speed, so he believed there couldn't be significant harm.
A crooked old bicycle lay in front of the Cadillac, its rear wheel still spinning. Meanwhile, the Cadillac's right headlight cover was cracked.
A young white man lay sprawled on the road, crying out in pain.
Max swiftly inquired, "Are you alright?"
Harris was in so much pain that he initially didn't feel like answering. It was only after Max repeated the question that he replied, his face pale, "My left hand, it's broken!"
Max's heart sank. He had been contemplating whether to swerve out of the way when he noticed the audacious teddy bear approaching from the intersection.
There were witnesses.
Martin retrieved a small camera from a bench by the roadside and rushed over. Just as Elena arrived in her car, he stashed the camera on the passenger seat and waved.
Elena glanced at Harris on the ground, then quickly drove away, heading to a prearranged location to make a copy.
Holding the large teddy bear head in one hand, Martin pulled out his mobile phone and called out loudly, "Mr. Max, should we call the police?"
Max couldn't allow anyone to summon the police now. He had regained his composure by this point.
A typical car accident was nothing to fret over, even if it resulted in a broken arm. However, a drug-related accident causing severe injury could lead to felony charges and potential jail time.
"There's no need to involve public resources over such a minor incident," Max said, adopting a compassionate tone as if he were prepared to accept responsibility fully. "I'm primarily at fault for this accident, and I deeply apologize. I'll cover your medical expenses and compensate you for lost wages, as per regulations." He glanced at the bicycle with its twisted handlebars. "There are other losses I'll compensate for."
Despite the pain, Harris grinned and clenched his teeth. "I'm applying to college, preparing for the SAT exam. With my arm broken, my chances of getting into my target university have dropped by 80%."
The warmth on Max's face gradually faded. He scrutinized the young man's shabby clothes and worn-out bicycle and stood up. "Very well, let's proceed through the proper channels. Find yourself a lawyer and file a claim with my insurance company. They will handle your compensation."
As long as this financially struggling young man had sound judgment, he would understand the path to his best interest.
Martin reached for his phone, ready to dial 911. "Mr. Max, allow me to call 911 for you."
"Stop! This is none of your business!" Max wanted to push this interfering fellow away. He crouched down in front of Harris. "Young man, I genuinely want to settle this matter with you. I am deeply sorry for today's incident. But my sincerity is conditional on your sincerity. You must show me your commitment, right?"
After pre-negotiating Max's psychological boundaries, Harris raised three fingers. "I've suffered a serious injury, and it will also affect my exams. $3,000! $3,000 can compensate for my losses."
The gentleness on Max's face vanished. "I can offer you a maximum of $1,000."
Harris looked at Martin and said, "Please call 911 for me. Thank you."
Two cars passed by. Max didn't want to attract more attention, so he forced a smile. "I'm a responsible person. $2,000, but not a cent more."
Harris agreed, "Alright, $2,000, but you have to pay it right away."
Max breathed a sigh of relief, returned to his car, fetched his checkbook from his bag, and wrote two checks for $1,000 each.
Harris, having scrutinized many checks in Scott's store to ensure they were legitimate, accepted them.
Max opened the driver's door, ready to return home to bake chocolate chip cookies for his children. He turned to Martin, who was blocking the way, and asked, "Could you move out of the way?" Unexpectedly, Martin's hand reached over and closed the car door.
Realizing this, Max reached out and patted the teddy bear costume Martin was wearing. "I've got some business to attend to today. I'll get in touch later."
Martin responded with a smile. "Mr. Max, I'm just a civic-minded person who enjoys helping others. If I don't call 911 to seek assistance for the injured, my conscience will trouble me, and I won't be able to sleep for days due to guilt."
Max grew wary. "Young man, what's your agenda here? I'm warning you, don't get involved in something you shouldn't."
Martin was eager to wrap things up quickly. "The new boss was concerned that I wouldn't work diligently, so he installed a small camera to monitor me. The camera was pointed at this intersection."
Max's face darkened, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, scanning Martin's every move.
Worried that Max might be armed, Martin added, "The boss passed by here just now and removed the camera. If necessary, I can call him back."
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