This day, Cheng Shixu was studying English. He was holding the key vocabulary list that Ning Shen had compiled for him and memorizing it intensely. During study hall, most students were doing their own work in various subjects.
In this honors class, there was not much idle chatter in the back rows, but the sound of everyone reciting made the classroom somewhat noisy.
Suddenly, a voice came from the back door: “Cheng Shixu.”
This shout caused many students to turn their heads. Cheng Shixu, being the person called, stood up and walked out immediately. “What is it?”
It was a strange face, wearing an unfriendly expression. “Someone is looking for you on the playground.” He pointed toward the outside.
Looking for him on the playground? Do they think he has a lot of time on his hands right now?
Cheng Shixu grumbled to himself and followed. Who could be looking for him at this time? Before he had taken two steps, he was grabbed by Ning Shen, who had rushed out clutching a stack of thick exam papers. Ning Shen pushed up his thick glasses and said, “I will go with you.” As he spoke, he glanced at the strange student.
“It is fine. Go back and memorize your notes. It is probably a friend from my old high school.” Sometimes in their QQ group, he would hear them talk about wanting to come find him, but his schedule was so tight that he really could not spare the time.
“It is Wednesday, A-Xu.” Ning Shen’s round face was very serious. He tugged on Cheng Shixu’s hem, looking as though he were ready to face death, which successfully amused Cheng Shixu. He patted Ning Shen’s arm and looked up at the impatient student not far away. “Go back and study. Do not let this affect your learning.”
Ning Shen’s family had high expectations for him, and Ning Shen himself was very passionate about his studies. To successfully get into the art department at East University, he studied until very late every day. Even in the morning while eating breakfast, he would hold a small notebook to memorize knowledge points, and Cheng Shixu did not want him to waste time.
Looking at that student’s rogue-like demeanor, he guessed it was the group from the vocational school again.
They had been scared off last time, so they were back to settle the score.
He was not afraid to go alone.
It would be a way to find some entertainment in his dull and boring school life.
He repeatedly comforted Ning Shen, persuading him to go back to study. Once he finally got him to leave, he followed the student to the playground. From a distance, he saw a group of people standing under the basketball hoop. One person was spinning a basketball back and forth; out of ten shots, nine missed. They were really no match for Lu Jian, as Lu Jian was a very accurate shooter.
“Brother Lu, I have brought him here.”
The man addressed as Brother Lu still did not turn around. He was looking down, dribbling the basketball. Cheng Shixu narrowed his eyes, staring at his back. He felt a bit familiar. From the back, the man was tall, big, had a buzz cut, and wore a black shirt, looking very much like a gangster.
Cheng Shixu rolled up his sleeves and slowly walked to the edge of the crowd before stopping. The men in black t-shirts were all standing on one side. One of them covered his mouth and whispered something, and Brother Lu let out a low laugh. While shooting the ball, he said, “I heard you are always pestering Lu Jian. Are you his boyfriend?”
“Heard? Heard from whom? Tell me about it.” Cheng Shixu stopped at a safe distance. The moment Brother Lu turned around, the men in black t-shirts stood behind him. Under the light of the streetlamps and moonlight, Cheng Shixu saw Brother Lu’s true face. He did not recognize him; he looked a bit old and certainly was not a student from the vocational school.
“Cheng Shixu, my name is Lu Ye.”
As soon as the name was mentioned, Cheng Shixu froze in place. He stared at that unfamiliar face.
In his past life, he had accidentally heard Lu Jian mention this name while on the phone with someone. Lu Jian’s eyes had been very dark then, and his words carried an unmistakable gnashing of teeth: “Found Lu Ye? Even if you have to drag him, bring him back…”
He had not heard the other details; he did not have the habit of eavesdropping on others’ phone calls. If he had not gone to the study to find Lu Jian after picking up some white fungus soup, he would not have heard it.
“They all call me Brother Lu, or sometimes Master Lu, depending on what you are used to.” Lu Ye stepped on the basketball. Someone beside him helped him light a cigarette. He turned his face to the side, revealing a scar extending from his jaw to the collar of his shirt. Smoke drifted from his mouth. Seeing the young man in front of him take a step back and cover his nose, he asked, “What? You do not smoke?”
Cheng Shixu had stopped smoking a long time ago. At that time, he was acting like a “good boy” in front of Lu Jian. When Lu Jian asked him if he smoked, he said no, and he quit very quickly afterward. He did not really have a cigarette addiction anyway; he only smoked when out with friends because it was hard to refuse offered cigarettes.
That was a stupid question anyway. Who wants to smoke secondhand smoke?
“No, I do not.”
Hearing his answer, Lu Ye laughed, and the scar seemed to move with it, wickedly. He did not look like a good person at all. Cheng Shixu could not help but ask, “Why does Lu Jian know you?”
Did they have a grudge? Otherwise, why would Lu Jian be in such a bad mood whenever he mentioned “Lu Ye” in his past life?
“Nothing. I was just seeing what you look like.” Lu Ye had the cigarette hanging from his mouth as he walked toward him, smiling in a way that was far from kind. As he passed, he patted Cheng Shixu’s shoulder. “Little student, go back to class.”
With that, he left.
Cheng Shixu stood there feeling bewildered and unhappy. Who was that, really?
Just as he was about to chase after him, Ning Shen’s sneaky voice came from the side, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around and saw Ning Shen hiding under a tree, poking his head out and beckoning to him. “A-Xu! Come here quickly!”
Cheng Shixu had to leave his questions for Lu Jian for later. “Why did you come?”
Ning Shen waited until the crowd was far away before letting out a breath. “You are really careless. If something happens, tell the teacher. If so many people block you, be careful of getting into major trouble.”
“Let us go! Let us go to the small shop and buy some popsicles!” Cheng Shixu changed the subject at the right time. Ning Shen was truly the first good brother he had met here; he must have snuck over to follow him because he was worried.
On the other side, Lu Ye and his men swaggered out of the vocational school. The guard at the gate did not even glance at them. He sat in a Bentley parked by the side of the road and lit another cigarette. The man in the driver’s seat asked, “Brother Lu, is that wet-behind-the-ears kid really important?”
Lu Ye raised his eyes and sneered, silencing the man.
“Lu Jian ran off to other fight clubs. We could just finish him off, why go through so much trouble?” the man in the passenger seat asked in confusion.
Inside the car, three or four people were smoking, and it was thick with smoke. Lu Ye’s eyes, hidden behind the haze, flashed with a sinister light as he said in a low voice, “If we finish everything off, where will we find good fighters? Now, does he not have a weakness?”
“Right! I have been following Lu Jian for the past few days, and he and that Cheng Shixu are very close. Jin Yi has people protecting him, so he is hard to move, but a tender little kid like Cheng Shixu should be easy to squeeze. I bet Lu Jian will have to sign the life-or-death contract and enter our ring then.” The man slapped his palm, suddenly enlightened, and said gleefully, “That will show him for being so defiant.”
“Look into his background carefully to see where he comes from.” Before coming today, they had only done a shallow search. He wanted to recruit Lu Jian for his own use too much; he could help him make a lot of money.
Lu Jian had visited Lu Ye’s underground fight club before, but that place did not host legitimate boxing matches; most of the people who stepped into the ring were desperadoes looking for quick money.
Once, he saw Lu Jian learning from some boxers and sparring; he was definitely a good talent. So, he wanted to train Lu Jian to fight in the ring. At first, it went well, and Lu Jian seemed excited, but as soon as he heard about the life-or-death contract, he refused and ran off to a rival club.
He had plenty of ways to deal with an orphan, but unfortunately, he appreciated talent.
Half a month ago, Lu Jian suddenly called him and said he was willing to sign a life-or-death contract for one match, asking for 300,000. Lu Ye agreed immediately. It was only 300,000, and the betting pool for that match alone, where the opponent was a famous “dirty tricks” master, already reached millions. Lu Jian’s punches were fast and ruthless. Someone who desperately needed money would bet their life, and psychologically, Lu Jian had already won.
But at the last second, Lu Jian backed out again.
Being played for a fool time after time, he was not exactly patient, and he felt Lu Jian needed a lesson.
After his subordinates investigated, they found that someone had given Lu Jian the 300,000. As he followed the trail, he found something unexpected.
An orphan is hard to control, but someone with emotional attachments is easy to control.
Airport.
A young man walked out wearing sunglasses, his thin long coat fluttering with every step. He pressed the Bluetooth headset in his ear. “Speak.”
“…”
“Check A-Xu? Who?” He did not know what he heard, but he chuckled softly. “Tell him to come find me himself to check.” He took off his sunglasses, revealing a heroic face, brushed his waist-length hair behind his ears, and rested his long fingers on his earlobe, smiling with hidden meaning. “What status do you have to be investigating my people? Tell him to get out of West City.”
After hanging up, he pressed three more keys and dialed the home number “009.”
Cheng Shixu, who had just returned from a shower and was looking at chemical formulas, had his phone ring. When he saw the name, his eyes lit up. It was Fu Chenming, who was abroad for business. “Brother Chen! You are back in the country?”
Among his childhood friends, Fu Chenming was the most elusive. He had skipped grades since elementary school, went abroad to study at sixteen, and returned after only two years having completed his university courses. He had completely inherited his genius postdoc mother’s genes and looked very much like Aunt Fu.
“You kid, I have been abroad for two years, and you have already been bullied? People are running to your school, and you did not know to call me?”
One more thing: Fu Chenming was the “gangster” friend Cheng Shixu had mentioned. West City was still quite chaotic right now, and the worlds of light and shadow stayed out of each other’s way. In the future, Fu Chenming’s casinos, night clubs, and underground boxing clubs would all be converted into legitimate businesses. He had even dated a police officer once (or so Fu Chenming claimed; no one had ever seen them together).
Therefore, Cheng Shixu was not surprised that Fu Chenming knew so quickly. His childhood friends were all quite omnipotent; he was the only one just waiting around, and even then, he had waited for Lu Jian.
“I am not afraid. Are you leaving again after returning this time?”
“Not leaving anymore; the food abroad tastes terrible. I am planning to start an entertainment company for fun.”
Chenming Entertainment would become one of the top companies in the future, with many A-list artists, best actors, best actresses, and singers under its banner. He had even tried to get Lu Jian to work as a male model at his entertainment company, but he had been severely scolded by Cheng Shixu for that.
“Then let us hang out after I finish the college entrance exam. I am really too busy right now.” Cheng Shixu was drawing auxiliary lines while talking on the phone, biting on a ruler, his speech a bit slurred. Fu Chenming, whether he learned about his “dating” from He Yu or not, smiled meaningfully. “Are you eating something? Do not swallow it the wrong way.”
“Get lost.” Cheng Shixu cursed, “What is on your mind? You are corrupting a minor!”
“Hehe, when we watched movies together, why did you not say I was corrupting a minor?”
Cheng Shixu suddenly turned back to look at Ning Shen, and seeing that Ning Shen was wearing headphones and listening to English, he breathed a sigh of relief. He covered the microphone and ran out to the balcony, whispering, “That is enough. It was A-Yu who found those movies, not me.” Moreover, he had only watched for a few seconds before going back to playing Tetris; those things were an eyesore.
“Forget it, I will not talk to you anymore. I am going to go check on your little white horse. Come to the horse racing track this weekend.”
Cheng Shixu said, “I have to attend tutoring this week, I really do not have time to hang out with you. Go find A-Yu; I have to get into college first.”