The car parked by the roadside for a moment before Neil started it up again. The car moved slowly as it passed the park. The road was busy with both vehicles and pedestrians since it was Sunday. A few meters ahead, the traffic light turned red. Neil reduced his speed, as if searching for something, and after passing the traffic light that had turned green, there was a long slope.
Neil turned left and stopped in front of a bar. He got out of the car, opened the door, and took Zoe's hand to lead him inside. Zoe didn’t understand why they were going to a bar in the morning, but before he could ask, Neil had already pulled him in and pushed the door open.
Inside, there were no customers at the moment, only a person sweeping the floor. When the person saw Neil, his blue-black eyes behind his glasses sparkled with a smirk as he greeted them with a half-joking, half-serious tone.
"Officer, what brings you to check out my bar at this hour? The place opens at 8 PM. Why not come back tonight?"
"I know." Neil smiled as he approached the young man, who had put aside his cleaning tools. He turned to Zoe and said, "This is the owner, Roger. He’s a good friend of mine."
Roger, with a cheeky grin, replied in a somewhat mocking tone, "I wouldn’t dare. Being friends with a police officer, if my customers knew, they probably wouldn’t come here for drinks anymore."
Roger glanced at Zoe and then asked Neil, "Who’s this kid?"
"I’m bringing you the person you needed." Neil said calmly, "Didn’t you say you needed a server the other day?"
"I never said I needed a server..." Before he could finish, Neil’s hand covered Roger’s mouth. Neil smiled and turned to Zoe.
"Wait here for me. I need to discuss something with my friend."
With that, Neil pulled Roger into a back room, leaving Zoe confused as he watched them go. He slowly found a seat and observed the bar. Although not large, the bar was very tastefully arranged, especially the liquor cabinet behind the counter, which had many kinds of alcohol Zoe had never seen before. There were bottles of all colors and sizes, large and small, in various shapes and designs, all very visually appealing. The bottles had foreign labels that Zoe couldn’t read.
 If he worked at this bar, remembering all the names of these bottles would be the hardest part, and just thinking about it was overwhelming.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Roger was trying to push Neil’s hand away from his mouth.
"What are you doing? When did I say I needed a server?"
"Roger, can you hire him here?" Neil said earnestly. "I only trust you with this. I’d feel more at ease knowing he’s working here."
"Why should I? This is the first time I’ve seen you so troubled and almost begging. It’s rare to see you in such a state after being friends for so long. Nothing has ever been a challenge for you." Even though Neil remained silent, Roger noticed that his gaze was directed towards the bar where Zoe was sitting. It was clear that the issue was related to the kid out there.
Roger asked quietly, "Could it be that this kid is the one you’ve been searching for all these years?"
Neil nodded slightly. Roger took on a detached attitude. "Even if that’s the case, why does it concern me? If you want to make amends, that’s your own problem. You’re a cop; finding a job shouldn’t be difficult for you."
"Roger," Neil said dejectedly, "But I only trust you. I’d be more comfortable knowing he’s working here."
"That’s quite an honor." Roger scoffed. "My bar is quite empty these days. I don’t have enough money to hire new staff. Didn’t you see that I was cleaning the place myself just now?"
"Let him work here, and I won’t take any profit from the bar each month. You’ll have an extra staff member, and if the business runs into trouble, just call me. How does that sound?"
Roger’s blue eyes behind his clear glasses sparkled once again. He smiled widely and patted Neil on the back. "That sounds good. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him for you."
Neil gave Roger a cold look and pulled his hand away. "No need to take care of him. Just assign tasks and teach him how to do the job. No exploitation, no scolding, no..."
"Alright, alright." Roger nodded vigorously. "I’ll handle him with care, like handling eggs and flowers. Can’t believe I have an employer like this."
Zoe watched as the two men returned. Roger, wearing glasses, approached him with a friendly smile. Zoe stood up respectfully, as if he were at a job interview waiting for the result. Roger, with a deeper smile, nodded at Zoe.
"I’ve heard about you from Neil. Out of respect for the officer, I’ll hire you."
Before Zoe could react, Roger was nudged in the ribs by someone next to him. Roger grimaced but forced a smile, displaying the professional demeanor of a bar owner.
"Be here at 7 PM tonight. You don’t need to be overly diligent since you’ll have a salary each month."
He was nudged again, wincing in pain as he said to Zoe with a grin, "I’m just kidding." He extended his arm towards Zoe. "Welcome to Night Bar."
Zoe quickly grabbed Roger’s arm, afraid he might pull it away. "Thank you, boss. I’ll work hard."
Neil took Zoe’s hand. "Alright, let’s head home." He turned to Roger. "Thank you, boss. See you tonight."
Roger, holding his ribs, watched as the two walked away hand in hand.
—----------
"Roger and I have been friends since childhood. His family couldn’t afford to send him to college, so he decided to start his own business and open a bar."
Once they were in the car, Neil noticed Zoe seemed curious but hesitant to ask. Neil started the car and spoke.
"I have a stake in that bar too. Initially, Roger didn’t have enough money, so he asked me to join him. But I wasn’t interested in business, so I let him run it himself. I just invested."
Zoe nodded in understanding and didn’t ask further. The atmosphere became quiet, and Neil thought Zoe might not want to talk anymore. But after a while, Zoe’s voice broke the silence, with a hint of hesitation.
"Are you... a police officer?"
Neil nodded. "Yes, I am." His voice lowered with a hint of embarrassment. "Actually, I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I know you’re feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious because of your past, but you’re back to a normal life now, starting fresh. I want to help you... Cops and criminals are all just people. You need to look forward, not let your past hold you back. You can’t stay in the darkness forever; you need to step into the light. My being a police officer doesn’t affect your life. Do you understand?"
After a long silence, Zoe finally looked up and spoke. "Thank you..."
Accompanied by his words was a warm, approachable smile, his dark, gentle eyes like a still lake, captivating and impossible to escape. Neil looked at Zoe’s face, and for a moment, his own eyes brightened as he smiled.