Yama Reborn-Chapter 428 - 425: [I’m Here to Find You] (Happy Lantern Festival, wishing everyone an abundance of blessings!)
(A 12,000-word mega-Chapter is here~ Wishing everyone the God of Wealth visits their home and the Five Fortunes arrive at their door!)
Chapter 425 [I’m Here to Find You]
The morning at No. 8 Middle School was the same as ever. After the morning bell for classes rang, the playground was already empty. In row upon row of classrooms, some resounded with the sound of reading, while others occasionally saw a mischievous student being sent out to stand at the classroom doorway in the corridor.
Chen Nuo walked unsteadily on the old campus playground. Seeing a boy being punished by having to stand at a classroom entrance, he couldn’t help but chuckle. He remembered... when he first came to this world two years ago, it was also because he couldn’t answer a math question that he was sent out to stand at the door. He shot a "take care, tough guy" look and casually strolled away.
「 」
"What? You want to repeat the year?" Worker Liu—no, to be precise, now Director Liu of the Academic Affairs Office—sat behind his desk, dumbfounded after Chen Nuo explained his purpose. It took him a while to wrap his head around it before frowning and saying, "This..."
"Can’t do it?" Chen Nuo asked.
"No, it’s not that I can’t." Worker Liu wouldn’t dare offend Chen Nuo. He had vaguely learned that his position as director was largely thanks to Chen Nuo’s behind-the-scenes help. In other words, this young man before him was a benefactor in his career. Besides, even if Chen Nuo had initially relied on others’ help and not his own ability... people shouldn’t forget their roots, right? He owed Chen Nuo a huge favor. "What I mean is, that... Principal Sun... Why don’t you go find Principal Sun?" Liu Ang looked at Chen Nuo. Between you and your father-in-law, a small matter like this is just a word away for Principal Sun.
How could Chen Nuo dare to go to Old Sun? By now, Old Sun should have heard that he was back, right? But he definitely wouldn’t be showing him a happy face, and considering Sun Keke’s recent state, Old Sun must know that something had gone wrong between him and Sun Keke. Seeing his daughter getting more haggard day by day, wouldn’t Old Sun eat him alive if they met?
"It’s just a small matter; I don’t want to bother Old Sun. I just need a spot to repeat the year so I can take the college entrance exams. I won’t be coming to school much anyway. You know, if I went to Old Sun, he might end up making me attend school every day."
Chen Nuo casually made up a reason, but Liu Ang immediately believed it. He pondered for a moment before tentatively asking, "So, you’re planning to do this behind Principal Sun’s back?"
"Just don’t let him know about the extra name on the roster, or it’ll be trouble for me," Chen Nuo sighed.
"I’m afraid that won’t be possible," Liu Ang shook his head. Then, fearing Chen Nuo would be unhappy, he hurriedly explained, "If you had already graduated, this would actually be easy to handle. With a high school diploma, you’d just need to register as a repeater at our school to take the college entrance exams. But... your situation is different. You... haven’t actually graduated from high school."
Chen Nuo was stunned, then it hit him. Indeed, he hadn’t graduated from high school! Having been stranded in Antarctica for a year, he had missed his senior year of high school, including graduation.
"So, you see, this isn’t technically ’repeating’ because you haven’t graduated from high school yet. To be accurate, you need to finish your senior year... Therefore, there’s no way this can be kept from Old Sun. The school has a limited number of students, and Principal Sun keeps a close eye on the senior graduating classes; they’re very important to him. If another name suddenly appeared on the student roster, Old Sun isn’t blind..."
Chen Nuo’s eyes darted around. "Then... do you have any way for me to take the college entrance exams?"
"If you insist on doing it through our school, you’ll have to transfer from the International Division to the old campus and join a senior year class. There’s no way Principal Sun won’t know about it," Liu Ang said.
Then... Chen Nuo thought for a moment. Arranging the transfer wasn’t difficult; Niveer could help, let alone Worker Liu. The real difficulty lay in keeping it secret from Old Sun, which was practically impossible.
"Why are you so insistent on taking the college entrance exam?" Worker Liu looked at Chen Nuo, puzzled. In this era, 2002, the educational system reforms were just getting into full swing, not yet at the point where college graduates were a dime a dozen. In these times, a high school diploma still meant something. Moreover, Worker Liu knew Chen Nuo was capable and had family businesses and properties. He really didn’t need a college diploma. Besides... with his academic abilities, he wouldn’t get into any prestigious universities anyway.
"I need to go to a university."
"Any specific major required?"
"No, any major will do, even excavator repair. But it has to be the university I want to get into."
"...Tsinghua, Peking University, Fudan, Jiaotong University?" Worker Liu ventured a guess.
"..." Chen Nuo glanced at him and shook his head. "Not that outrageous, just a local one."
"Do you care about the prestige of the degree?"
"I don’t care. Just being there for two years is enough."
Liu Ang nodded and then suddenly smiled. "If you don’t care about the major or the prestige of the degree, why are you so set on our school? You could just sign up for the adult college entrance exam out in society. However, even if you pass the adult college entrance exam and get into a university, you’ll be entering the university’s School of Continuing Education... As for the value of the diploma, you know, many big companies don’t recognize it."
Chen Nuo laughed. "That’s a good idea! Do you know someone?"
In a few words, Worker Liu had taken on the task. After all, he had spent several years in the education sector. Currently Director of Academic Affairs at the model reform school, No. 8 Middle School, he naturally had some friends within the system. Finding a spot for Chen Nuo to register for the adult college entrance exam was a piece of cake for him. It was merely a matter of running errands and delivering documents, no fees involved.
"Your documents and records... Ah, you don’t need to prepare anything. You’re a student from our school; we have all your information. I’ll just make a photocopy, and I’ll get this sorted out for you," Worker Liu said, waving his hand.
Once the task was settled, Chen Nuo leaned back on the sofa in Liu Ang’s office, lit a cigarette, and laughed, "Old Liu, still hitting the bars these days?"
"No more!" Liu Ang’s face twitched, his gaze drifting towards the door as he whispered, "Don’t talk about that stuff at school, okay?" After a pause, Worker Liu laughed and said, "Well, my sister introduced someone to me at her workplace. I’ve just met her twice recently. She’s quite nice—a civil servant in the local community government, and her family are just ordinary locals too. She’s pretty gentle, so I’m just seeing how it goes."
Chen Nuo chuckled, "Old Liu, you’ve finally reached your destination."
"Ah, just seeing how it goes, just seeing how it goes," Old Liu said, though his eyes and the corners of his eyebrows were filled with joy, clearly very pleased and satisfied with his new prospect.
"Let’s have a meal together sometime, and you can introduce her to me. I want to see what the future Mrs. Liu is like."
Not to mention that Chen Nuo had helped with the matter of him becoming the director in the past. Even organizing the purchase of electric scooter vouchers as a benefit had earned Old Liu a good reputation among the school staff. The school leaders also praised his work. They said he did a good job securing a great benefit for everyone without spending a penny. It even subtly included some "high-end concept" of social capital sponsoring education.
Even though Old Liu didn’t make any money and was very precise with the accounting, he did accept some gifts of cigarettes and alcohol—as is the way people in China handle such affairs. Old Liu wasn’t greedy, nor was he particularly bold. The project involved selling two thousand electric scooters. In the end, all he accepted were a few cartons of cigarettes and bottles of alcohol gifted by the scooter shop, plus the shop owners had treated him to a couple of meals. He could be considered incorruptible. The key was that the project didn’t cost the school or the education company a penny, yet it provided benefits for everyone. That earned him points with the leadership.
Old Liu had now realized that Chen Nuo was indeed capable. By staying at No. 8 Middle School, even as a minor director—as long as Old Sun was at No. 8 Middle School, Chen Nuo would surely look out for it, and he himself would also do well.
After chatting idly for a while, Chen Nuo strolled over to Liu, glanced at his computer where he had minimized the *Legend* game interface, and laughed, "Old Liu, maybe take it easy on the game. Without pouring money into this kind of game, you’re just a nobody."
"I know. Sigh, players privately trade a Dragon-Slayer Sword for... *that* much! I was just thinking, if I got one someday, I could sell it to some rich guy and have enough to buy a car."
Having finished their small talk, Chen Nuo thought for a moment. "Oh, by the way, a friend of mine is getting married in a few days. You should come too."
"Ah?" Old Liu was taken aback.
"The owner of the scooter shop, Wu Lei, Brother Lei, the one with the big bald head... oh, he’s not bald anymore."
"Oh, oh, oh, Boss Lei! Of course, I’ll go! I dealt with him before over the purchase vouchers, and I’ve even had drinks with him."
"Yeah, Brother Lei doesn’t have many relatives, so we should all go to his wedding to liven it up. I’ll have him send you an invitation tomorrow."
"No, no, don’t trouble yourself to send an invitation. It’s too much hassle to run around in this cold weather. Just tell me the date, and I’ll be there."
「 」
About half an hour later, Chen Nuo wandered out of Old Liu’s office, then made his way down the office building, furtively trying to avoid running into Old Sun. Once he reached the ground floor, on his way through the teaching building, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure...
「 」
Zhang Shuhua had been sitting in the classroom for about one period. Today was his first day "on the job," and he actually felt somewhat amused and playful about it. He had not imagined that in such a short time, he would have returned to sit in a No. 8 Middle School classroom again. Sitting in the last row, he was actually taking notes for a teaching research survey.
The teacher lecturing at the podium was someone he also knew. It was the physics teacher, Mr. Chen, who liked to glare and scold. He was very strict but never hit the children and was particularly thorough when checking homework. The teaching staff at No. 8 Middle School was generally average, and Mr. Chen was not particularly outstanding either—his teaching level was mediocre at best. But he was very dedicated to his work.
This was Class 1-3 of the first year. These kids had only moved up from junior high less than a year ago. The difference in age between himself and them was not that much... But now, looking at them, they really seemed like children to him.
The first period was instruction, and the second period was for a test paper. While the students worked on the test, Mr. Chen smiled at Zhang Shuhua, who was observing from the back row, then sat down at the podium and began flipping through a book. Zhang Shuhua thought for a moment, then got up and walked to the front. He bent down and whispered, "Mr. Chen, shall we go out for a smoke?"
Upon hearing the word ’smoke,’ Mr. Chen was about to glower, but then he immediately realized something and laughed, waving his hand. "Go ahead, go on. Hey! It seems I wasn’t strict enough with you guys back then... Did you start smoking a long time ago?"
"No! Picked it up later, picked it up later..."
Zhang Shuhua chuckled and bent down to walk out of the classroom door. He got to the corner behind it and was just about to light a cigarette when suddenly, someone softly kicked him from behind, and he heard a stern shout, "What are you doing?! Sneaking a smoke!!"
Startled, Zhang Shuhua jumped, his body shuddered, and he dropped the cigarette from his hand in fright. It had rained that morning, and the cigarette fell into a puddle on the ground—a Yuxi cigarette, not even a single puff taken, ruined in the water. Zhang Shuhua felt so frustrated! Yuxi, quite expensive! He didn’t usually indulge in smoking them. Hadn’t he kept this pack in his pocket specifically to offer cigarettes to teachers? He turned around intending to scold, but when he saw the sly, smiling face behind him, he paused. "Chen Nuo?"
Chen Nuo laughed, "Did you get expelled from university and come back here to repeat a year? Class President?"
「 」
Yes, Zhang Shuhua, the former class president from high school. Joining that "welcoming committee" with Chen Nuo, who had given him one of the spots, had changed the course of his life. Through diligent performance—well, mainly by being a good assistant to Niveer and keeping a tight lip—he got on board with an education company. He became a sponsored student, and the company reimbursed all his college tuition fees. It was as if he had already secured a job even before attending college.
That’s right, the class president. His name wasn’t Gong Juren, nor Mei Mingzi, nor Wu Ming... His name was Zhang Shuhua. What a great name! When he joined the company, a senior executive from the education company found out about it and even joked, "It takes ten years to cultivate a tree, but a hundred to cultivate a person, nurturing talents for Huaxia! Shuhua! Good, this name suggests that you were born to work in education." Whether it was good or not, he himself hadn’t felt his name was anything special for over ten years. But if the leader said it was good, then it had to be good, whether it truly was or not!
And he knew even more so that the deputy general manager was so amiable towards him mainly because he had seen his resume when he joined the company and knew that he had been an assistant to Miss Niveer. Miss Niveer was that foreign director’s assistant. He was Miss Niveer’s assistant. Rounding up, that practically made him part of the foreign director’s staff, too.
Moreover, he actually harbored a regret. After officially becoming a sponsored trainee in college, his role in the company was no longer as Miss Niveer’s assistant... Actually, he felt a bit regretful about that. Being by Miss Niveer’s side, as she was a shareholder’s confidante—what a great prospect for future development... Chinese people have an ingrained belief: the closer you are to the leadership, the easier it is to get promoted. Now, at least the sponsored training procedures were in order, and he had also joined a teaching research project at the company... But as for his former boss, Miss Niveer, it had been two months since he’d last seen her. As someone without connections, if he lost that backing for long, he feared that after graduating and joining the company, he’d just end up warming the bench. There was nothing he could do about the anxiety in his heart...
The moment he saw Chen Nuo, the class president was first shocked, and then delighted! Shock because... hadn’t this guy disappeared for a year? When did he come back? He’s still alive? Weren’t there rumors that he had died out there? Delighted because... Suddenly, an idea popped into his head... This guy... he had something going on with Miss Niveer! He had personally witnessed in the hotel lobby, Miss Niveer taking the initiative to kiss him! Then Miss Niveer even went to his house, following his grandmother around!
"Chen Nuo, how long have you been back? Where have you been this past year...?"
"I went to take care of some things. Once I had them sorted out, I came back. Family matters are kind of complicated, so I won’t go into details with you."
"Oh, oh, oh, it’s fine, it’s fine... It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back..." The class president rubbed his hands and then took out a pack of cigarettes. "Want one?"
"...No thanks, I just quit. I just came from Old Liu’s office."
Old Liu? The class president’s mind clicked; he immediately understood. Oh, Director Liu. He was also a graduate of No. 8 Middle School and one of the directly sponsored trainees from the education group associated with No. 8 Middle School. When he returned to No. 8 Middle School and saw Liu Ang, he had to respectfully call him Director Liu. Look at that—the esteemed Director of Academic Affairs of the school was just ’Old Liu’ to him. And rightly so, given this guy’s relationship with Miss Niveer... Ah, and also with Sun Keke and Principal Sun. Old Liu... was indeed just Old Liu to him.
Chen Nuo declined the class president’s cigarette; recently, he had been consciously cutting down on smoking. It wasn’t for any other reason than that he had a child at home now, and the little one didn’t like it if he smelled too strongly of smoke.
As they chatted, Chen Nuo learned that the class president was doing fairly well. As a sponsored trainee, he had joined an educational research project launched by the education company right in his first year of university. Each month, he would return to a middle school to research teaching methods, collect live teaching materials, and keep track of teaching progress... This kind of project was actually a training initiative set up by the education company for their trainees, without any short-term benefits. But aside from training personnel, in the long term, it wasn’t for nothing. After all, for a company in the education industry, conducting more educational research built its foundation.
To be honest, Chen Nuo wasn’t averse to the education company behind No. 8 Middle School. At the very least, the company did its business well, and although it was profit-oriented, it really got things done. It wasn’t like those other outfits that faked teaching credentials and then scammed parents by selling diplomas.
After chatting for a while and talking about the purpose of Chen Nuo’s visit to the school, the class president’s eyes lit up when he heard about it! "For that, you can just ask me! Isn’t it just about finding a place to register for the adult college entrance exam? It’s really just a matter of running errands. Alright, I’ll handle it for you. I’ll go to Director Liu later to get your information, and then I’ll help you sign up. Our educational company also conducts social training. We’ve set up several adult education centers. These are essentially for students in society who want to take the adult college entrance exam and need training classes. We have classes for math, physics, chemistry, foreign languages—you pay the fee, sign up, and you can attend. We also handle the final exam registration for them. A fellow sponsored trainee from my cohort, whom I get along with well, is interning at one of the adult education centers. I’ll just send your information over, and you don’t have to worry about a thing. Once everything’s sorted out, I’ll deliver the materials to your home."
He was just thinking about how to get back into the good graces of Miss Niveer, that little princess. And look, her consort-apparent was right in front of him.
Chen Nuo nodded, thought for a moment, and smiled. "Alright, then. I’ll thank you in advance. Um... are you free in a couple of days? A friend of mine is getting married; you should come and join the fun. Oh, you don’t know my friend who’s getting married, but you know everyone in the groomsmen’s party. There’s me, our classmate Luo Qing, Young Master Luo, and from senior year of high school, Brother Haonan Zhang Linsheng. They’re all going to be there. Just come for the fun. We’ll play cards together and have some drinks in the afternoon."
The class president had originally planned to decline—after all, he didn’t know the person getting married. But hearing the latter part, that was no problem at all. Luo Qing was a classmate. Zhang Linsheng wasn’t a stranger either; they had tutored together at Old Jiang’s house. All classmates.
In the end, Chen Nuo added, "Niveer will probably be there too..."
Then it was settled! He had to go no matter what! Even if he broke his leg, he would still go!! This was the chance to get back by the boss’s side! Being an ordinary sponsored trainee, what was so interesting about participating in some teaching research project? There were twenty-eight company-sponsored trainees involved in this project! And he clearly had no backing and was being marginalized. It would be better to find a way back to Niveer’s side as an assistant or something.
「 」
Two days later.
December 19, 2002.
At seven-thirty in the morning, at Wu Lei’s house—actually, the residence behind the car dealership. The groom’s party had already assembled. Brother Lei, with a full head of short, jet-black, lustrous hair! All real! Well, he told outsiders he’d spent a fortune on a hair transplant. Luckily, the common folks didn’t quite understand, not knowing that hair transplant technology couldn’t possibly produce such black, shiny, smooth, dense hair of adequate length. Even if it could, the price would be astronomical, enough to buy a house. In fact, some neighbors, relatives, and friends who suffered from hair loss had asked. Brother Lei would just vaguely claim he had it done abroad for a lot of money. When others heard "overseas" and "very expensive," they didn’t inquire any further.
Brother Lei today... how to put it? It’s like they say: clothes make the man, a saddle makes the horse, and a dog with a bell runs with more joy! Well, the latter half wasn’t quite right, but never mind. He wore a black suit with a white shirt, ironed to crisp perfection. Brother Lei’s older sister and aunt had been busy all night, even ironing his socks until they were perfect. His leather shoes gleamed brightly. The tie was a bit tacky—bright red. From Chen Nuo’s perspective twenty years in the future, it seemed a bit rustic, but... for a wedding, if not red, then what color would you use? It was all for the festive spirit. The boutonniere was pinned nicely, and there was some gel and styling water in his hair. When Brother Lei stood before everyone, before one even mentioned his suit, what hit first was a burst of fragrance. His only issues were heavy bags under his eyes and somewhat dark circles.
The previous night, Brother Lei had taken Zhang Linsheng, Zhu Dazhi, Luo Qing, and other buddies out for a ’pre-wedding party,’ carousing until three-thirty in the morning before heading home to sleep. He had barely slept two hours before he had to get up. Chen Nuo hadn’t joined them for the pre-wedding party, nor did he participate in any so-called "farewell to bachelorhood" activities. He looked down on it all! He was a father now; he wouldn’t join these single ’dogs’ in their revelry.
In the room, led by Chen Nuo, Zhang Linsheng, Zhu Dazhi, and Luo Qing—each in a suit—stood as the groomsmen’s party. The concept of a ’groomsmen’s party’ wasn’t popular yet, but Chen Nuo had somehow arranged one. Brother Lei thought it was great—the more, the merrier.
As they left the house, Zhu Dazhi set off firecrackers at the door. Amidst the CRACKLE! POP! confetti flew everywhere. The cameraman followed, filming as they got into the cars. The lead car was sponsored by Luo Qing, who had brought Luo Dachanzi’s personal ride: a Mercedes-Benz that was quite flashy and imposing for the era, its body a gleaming black. A large red ’double happiness’ character was affixed to the front windshield, and both side mirrors were adorned with red streamers. The convoy following was more varied: a Hummer H2, a Passat, a Buick GL8, and two Boras at the rear, all driven by Brother Lei’s old friends to show support.
The impressive fleet set off in great numbers, heading for the bride’s home. The bride, Zhu Xiaojuan, lived in an old residential area in the southern part of the city. The streets were too narrow for the cars, so the convoy had to stop at the entrance to the lane, and they walked the remaining fifty-odd meters. Brother Lei, usually so brash and fearless, seemed to have somewhat shaky legs today as he walked, clenching his teeth and puffing out his cheeks as if still psyching himself up. Chen Nuo walked beside him, laughing and smoking with Zhang Linsheng and the others, also handing out cigarettes and candy to the neighbors.
Brother Lei had style; he handed out premium Huazi cigarettes and gave away wedding candies by the entire pack. He had bought twenty cases of Huazi cigarettes in advance, plus a van full of Ferrero Rocher chocolates as wedding candy. In this era, while perhaps not for high officials and nobles, among ordinary people, this was the ultimate display of status.
Jinling was a large city, so welcoming the bride didn’t involve too many complicated customs, like passing through numerous ’gates’ or trials. There weren’t that many. Just two gates: the main entrance of the bride’s home and the door to the bride’s bedroom.
The main entrance was easy to pass. Zhu Xiaojuan and her brother Zhu Dazhi had lost their parents, and there were no elders in the family. They had enlisted relatives from the bride’s side to help—two women, perhaps aunts—who didn’t put up much of a struggle. Chen Nuo shoved a few red envelopes through the crack of the door, and it opened.
The second ’gate,’ the bride’s bedroom door, held them up for quite some time. It was probably because Zhu Xiaojuan was well-liked and her close friends were particularly fond of teasing and creating a lively atmosphere. What particularly left Brother Lei speechless was that the ringleader stirring up trouble inside the room was none other than... Xia Xia! Yes, to match the groom’s "groomsmen group," the women had to form a "bridesmaids group." Zhu Xiaojuan had just two close girlfriends, and since they were short on people, they dragged Xia Xia in to make up the numbers. And who was Xia Xia? To put it bluntly, if physical force wasn’t an option, her words alone could talk circles around all the men outside until they were dizzy! Everyone except for Chen Nuo, that is!
In no time, the groomsmen had stuffed all their prepared red envelopes under the door, down to the last cent. A few nicely wrapped large red envelopes had also been contributed. After enough red envelopes were stuffed, the girls inside started making more absurd requests. Demands for heartfelt confessions, pledges of ’manly virtue,’ promises like ’you earn money to support the family, I’ll be responsible for being beautiful,’ and so on. It was all in good fun for the wedding celebration. Brother Lei had a forehead full of sweat as he uttered countless cheesy lines he never had before in his life.
Finally, a final demand came from inside. "Recite something sophisticated! Everyone says Brother Lei is skilled in both literature and martial arts; don’t let us down!" Sure enough, it was Xia Xia’s voice.
Cultured words? Brother Lei looked pleadingly at Chen Nuo, who looked at Zhang Linsheng, who in turn looked at Luo Qing... Every last one of them was a terrible student!! As for Zhu Dazhi... The man was a genuine graduate from a technical school, specializing in mechanics! Besides, on a day like this, would you dare let Zhu Dazhi open his mouth?!!!
"Ahem!" A soft cough came from the side as someone stepped forward. It was the class president. Well, the class president hadn’t waited until evening; he had come in the morning, ostensibly to help. The class president wasn’t stupid... Some of his most capable high school classmates were here. Building good relationships now meant strengthening his future network!
"Repeat after me..." The class president sidled up to Brother Lei.
Brother Lei instantly perked up and, following the class president’s whisper, loudly recited, "A thousand times I’ve searched for her in my dreams... where the lights are dim..."
There was a moment of silence inside. "No way! What Baidu? We don’t want Baidu!"
Then they heard Xia Xia say, "Brother Lei, Sister Xiaojuan says you have to promise you’ll only be good to her from now on!"
The class president’s eyes whirled, and he whispered something into Brother Lei’s ear again.
Brother Lei immediately bellowed, "Henceforth, of the three thousand leagues of water, I will take but one ladle to drink!"
Perhaps because of the commotion, those inside didn’t hear clearly. "What? What did he say? Didn’t catch that!"
Zhu Dazhi, beside him, couldn’t stand it anymore! Zhu Dazhi, who had been waiting anxiously with sweat on his brow, couldn’t hold back any longer and blurted out, "Sis! My brother-in-law says he’ll only solicit you in the future!"
...
In the end, the door eventually opened... Zhu Xiaojuan opened it herself! She charged out, grabbed a clothes hanger, and started whacking her own brother, Zhu Dazhi, with it!! Brother Lei stood by, letting Zhu Xiaojuan land more than twenty blows before he stepped in to stop her. Then, gritting his teeth and stamping his foot, he decided, "That’s enough!" Forgetting the formalities, he swept Zhu Xiaojuan up in his arms bridal style and charged out of the Zhu family home.
The Zhu family had no elders present, so there was no need for a tea ceremony. They went straight to the cars, with a lively crowd chasing and cheering them on. The entire group got into the vehicles, completing the bride-pickup.
In the afternoon, the group relaxed at home: some played cards, some drank tea, some chatted and boasted. Several graduates from No. 8 Middle School gathered at one table and played Golden Flower poker all afternoon. The class president lost two hundred yuan but was grinning from ear to ear.
They didn’t opt for a five-star hotel for the wedding banquet that evening. Luo Qing had recommended a restaurant. The owner was an old buddy of Boss Luo (Luo Dachanzi) from way back, someone Luo Qing respectfully called ’Uncle’. They booked an entire floor for the wedding banquet. Balloons, streamers, and banners lined the street-facing side of the building. The restaurant had its own parking lot, which was convenient.
Brother Lei, with Zhu Xiaojuan by his side, greeted guests at the entrance. He was bowing himself silly, his head spinning, while the photographers’ and videographers’ flashes never stopped. After the wedding banquet started and it was time to go on stage, Chen Nuo noticed Brother Lei seemed to be on shaky legs. "What’s wrong, Brother Lei?"
Brother Lei let out a sigh, looked at Chen Nuo seriously, and replied with one word: "Hungry!"
「 」
Brother Lei got really drunk that night. He wasn’t using fake alcohol or watering down his drinks, as some do when making wedding toasts. Brother Lei used real liquor! Jinling, being the capital of Su Province, didn’t follow the trend of serving famous brands like Moutai or Wuliangye. Instead, they favored the local Yanghe liquor. He had chosen the highest grade and bought ten cases.
Halfway through the toasts, Brother Lei was already staggering. For the remainder, Chen Nuo and Zhang Linsheng had to support him on either side to get through it. When they finally returned to the bridal chamber, Zhu Dazhi had to carry him on his back. After entering the room, a group of young friends gathered animatedly in the living room, while Brother Lei was placed on the bed to lie down.
Chen Nuo patted Brother Lei’s hand. "Brother, you’ve now officially completed a major life event."
Brother Lei had recovered a bit by then. He sat up to take a breath, but suddenly looked towards the door and whispered, "There’s something I forgot to tell you today. I drank too much."
"What is it?"
"Today, Principal Sun came."
Chen Nuo was taken aback. "When?"
"This evening, while you were drinking, Principal Sun came by." Brother Lei sighed. "Old Sun gave me a red envelope, and then he gave me a bank card too, saying... that the remaining final payment of the two hundred thousand I borrowed back then is all in there."
Chen Nuo nodded, remaining silent. The matter of Old Sun’s high-interest loan, where Chen Nuo had Brother Lei lend money to Old Sun, had happened over a year ago. Two hundred thousand was not a small sum. Although Old Sun had become principal, he was a genuinely upright man and wouldn’t engage in corrupt practices. He relied solely on his salary from the education company. While not low, scraping together two hundred thousand yuan in just over a year must have been a real struggle for him. He must have gritted his teeth and exhausted many avenues.
Chen Nuo asked, "Why didn’t he stay for the meal? Did he not say anything else?"
Brother Lei sighed and said quietly, "Regarding the money, Old Sun understands now. He told me that the Sun family doesn’t want to owe you anything. Also, he knew you were inside, so he didn’t come in."
Chen Nuo fell silent. Old Sun’s meaning was quite clear. He hadn’t explicitly said things like, ’You’re not to harass my daughter anymore.’ However, the message had been conveyed.
「 」
Chen Nuo didn’t participate in the boisterous teasing of the newlyweds in their bridal chamber. Brother Lei was also quite drunk; after everyone went through the motions, they dispersed, leaving the couple to themselves. Whether they set about making a baby that night or just lay on the bed counting red envelopes was unknown to outsiders.
When Chen Nuo got home, it was already very late. The house was quiet. Lu Xixi was already asleep—in Chen Nuo’s room, on Chen Nuo’s bed. Chen Nuo, however, was staying in Xiao Yezi’s room, who had come from far away. The others in the household had gone to the apartment across the hall.
It wasn’t that Chen Nuo didn’t want to share a room with Lu Xixi. Rather, Lu Xixi herself didn’t dare let her consciousness fully awaken. Even though Gray Cat had said it was fine, Lu Xixi refused to believe it. So they slept in separate rooms. This was because Lu Xixi feared that if her mind wasn’t fully lucid, she might get up in the middle of the night and strangle Chen Nuo as he lay beside her.
In fact, she could have completely awakened right then, but Lu Xixi told Chen Nuo that she felt like she still had one more hurdle to overcome. If she were to fully release her soul and recover now, she had an intuition that she would miss a very important opportunity.
「 」
That night, Chen Nuo lay in bed. His eyes, initially wide open in the darkness, gradually began to close. And then... Chen Nuo realized he was dreaming!
He was acutely aware that he was dreaming! This lucidity within the dream instantly put Chen Nuo on high alert, yet, try as he might, he couldn’t wake up. In his ’dream,’ Chen Nuo seemed to float through a corridor... More accurately, he was floating through it. He couldn’t see his own body; it was as if his vision was a camera lens sweeping through the corridor. The corridor was filled with gore, with mutilated corpses scattered around! The stench of blood was overpowering! The corridor looked dim and grim, yet it possessed a cold, technological feel, like some kind of constructed base.
At the end of the corridor, a heavy door looked like it had been forcibly blasted open; half of the mangled door lay collapsed to one side. Inside was a vast hall. The ceiling was arched and very high. Corpses were piled up like a mountain in the hall!! Roars and howls filled the air...
Below a high platform, a few figures huddled together, supporting each other. One in the middle, with a robust physique, charged forward, his deep roar echoing, "Go! I’ll hold him off!!!" He flung two figures aside; with a WHOOSH, they flew past Chen Nuo’s dream-vision and landed outside the door.
In the dream, Chen Nuo’s perspective managed to glimpse someone atop the platform, but the light twisted, and the face and body couldn’t be made out at all. The burly figure below wore a vest-style combat suit. He held a chipped and broken blade, his boots caked with blood and gore. With furious roars, he charged towards the platform...
BOOM!!
After a tremendous sound, the hall seemed to shake violently! Then, the figure on the platform suddenly burst with numerous sharp rays of light, bombarding the burly figure below! The burly figure was instantly riddled by countless beams of light. He stood there, limbs splayed in an X-shape, mouth open in a roar, frantically swinging the broken blade in a futile attempt to parry.
Finally... With a thud, he knelt to the ground.
At this moment, the dream’s perspective suddenly shook, and the world spun around. The perspective shifted to a position on the platform, looking down from above... And the burly figure knelt on the steps of the platform, one hand gripping the blade, propping himself fiercely against the ground, his head bowed, panting heavily. His vest-style protective suit was riddled with countless holes, a bloody, mangled mess. But the exposed flesh was healing at rapid speed... However, the healing of the wounds made the burly figure’s breath grow even weaker.
TAP!
In the dream’s perspective, from below, a foot stepped out. In the dreamlike sensation, it was as if Chen Nuo himself had become the figure on the platform, him "watching" as he took one step, then two, three... Upon reaching the burly figure, the entity on the platform suddenly flicked a finger. Several steel bars broke off swiftly and shot over, instantly impaling the man! Blood gushed. The man kept his head low and roared. Then... he reached out, grabbed one of the steel bars impaling him, and slowly began to pull it out of his body. Blood splattered everywhere. He seemed unwilling to give up, pulling out one, then another... The wounds were still healing, but the speed was evidently much slower now.
"I... even in death... don’t understand... why!"
Finally, the man lifted his head. His expression was savage, his eyes filled with despair as he stared into the dream’s viewpoint... With a plop, he fell backward from the platform...
In the dream, Chen Nuo’s heart suddenly convulsed fiercely!! Just when he raised his head, Chen Nuo clearly saw the face of the burly man...
It was... Brother Lei!
Instantly, an overwhelming surge of emotion erupted within Chen Nuo! In the dream, Chen Nuo roared madly, but no sound escaped. Turn around! Turn around!! Who killed Brother Lei?! His emotions churned frantically. He waited, hoping this ’camera perspective’ would shift again, allowing him to see who it was that had killed Brother Lei in this dream...
As the footsteps below moved again, Chen Nuo, still seemingly inhabiting the perspective of the figure on the platform, walked down step by step. Suddenly, it seemed he stepped on something. He looked down and saw a hand still clutching a dagger, though its blade was already chipped in several places. Following the line of the hand, he saw a person lying prone on the platform steps. Their combat armor was shredded like old rags, riddled with holes. One shoulder was blasted open, a bloody mess revealing terrifyingly shattered bone. The person rolled over, breathing faintly. Then, with great effort, they twisted their neck, lifting half their face to stare into the dream’s viewpoint.
"...why."
With that, he closed his eyes and breathed his last.
In the dream, Chen Nuo felt his heart plunge into an icy abyss! This person... was Zhang Linsheng!!
He desperately tried to shift the perspective, but the dream’s viewpoint seemed to ignore his commands... His gaze swept across the surrounding area... Chen Nuo suddenly saw, on the wall of the hall, a person was hanging! A thick, long spear had impaled a man, pinning him to the wall right beside a pillar! The person was already dead, head slumped down. But the face could still be vaguely recognized...
It was... Old Jiang!
Then, Chen Nuo saw who was sprawled at Old Jiang’s feet—it was Teacher Jiang’s wife, Song Qiaoyun! To the left of the platform, lying beneath a pillar, splayed out with only one leg remaining, was his senior brother, Wu Daodao. Clutching his wrist tightly, a sword still in her hand, was Wu Daodao’s wife, that middle-aged woman. Boss Guo, the owner of the ramen shop, lay dead behind the door. He was tightly clutching someone in his arms—the Fourth Miss of the Guo Family. The couple embraced, impaled together by a single steel bar.
Chen Nuo also saw some familiar faces... The Captain lay dead ten paces away, his torso sliced open, his organs and intestines spilled across the ground... Xicheng Xun sat in a corner, her face covered in blood, yet she still cradled a small tachi, her head lolling weakly. Li Yingwan lay before her. Beside her was an assault rifle snapped in two and a broken three-edged bayonet. Niveer knelt on the ground, her body already stiff. Her forehead was shattered, blood drenching half her body.
Just then, a figure burst in from outside the door, roaring furiously, "I’m not leaving! I’ll fight you to the death!!!"
It was Dazhi!!
As Chen Nuo looked, he saw the figure on the platform in his dream casually flick a finger. Zhu Dazhi, who had just charged into the hall, suddenly let out a great roar as his body was torn to pieces... Not far from him, in a corner, lay Situ Erya and the others. Nangong Tiezhu sat on the ground, his head split open...
Chen Nuo’s emotions had already exploded! This horrific dreamscape seemed to depict the gruesome deaths of everyone he knew!
At that moment, Chen Nuo suddenly felt a convulsion in his consciousness! He ’saw’ the figure on the platform slowly turn, craning its neck to look back at the high platform itself. Only then did he notice another person on the platform. There was a large chair, and seated upon it was a person... but a sword was embedded in their chest! This sword had pierced the person in the chair, pinning them to the seat! Her seaweed-like long hair, matted with blood... now hung limp and lifeless... Those eyes, once as gentle and clear as autumn waters, were now hollow, staring blankly ahead...
Strangely, Chen Nuo’s roiling emotions instantly plummeted to a freezing point. He no longer attempted to speak or control the dream’s perspective. Instead, he focused all his attention, waiting with bated breath! He waited, hoping for even the slightest shift in this horrifying viewpoint!
And then... Everything went dark before his eyes as he awoke from the dream.
Opening his eyes, Chen Nuo shot up from the bed, his forehead and back drenched in sweat! Chen Nuo’s expression was savage. He took a deep breath and said coldly into the darkness, "Controlling my mind, forcing such a nightmare upon me... Who are you?!" His gaze hardened. He silently slipped out of the room and vaulted swiftly onto the rooftop. Simultaneously, Chen Nuo hadn’t forgotten to dispatch a wisp of his spiritual power, which rapidly detached and seeped through the wall towards Lu Xixi’s room.
「 」
On the rooftop, the night seemed utterly silent, save for the twinkling lights of distant buildings. Chen Nuo stood on the rooftop and saw a familiar silhouette.
"Electric General?" Chen Nuo frowned. Then he quickly shook his head. "No, you’re not Electric General. Who are you?" Then, he frowned again, "You’re Seed! Lu Xixi is your Chosen One! You’re that Seed! The one that escaped from Antarctica!"
The figure resembling Electric General watched Chen Nuo calmly and smiled faintly.
Chen Nuo took a deep breath, internally cursing. Didn’t Gray Cat say this guy wouldn’t make a move? Turns out that cat is unreliable after all!
"Are you here for Lu Xixi?" Chen Nuo asked coldly.
"No. I’m here for you."
「 」
Under a certain tree, Gray Cat lay, twitching its body helplessly. Before Gray Cat stood Kamisou Ichiro, hands clasped behind his back. He said softly, "There’s no violation. It and I merely cooperated once, so it doesn’t count as breaking the rules."
"You don’t actually need to block me here. I’ve already forfeited. I won’t interfere with whatever you plan to do," Gray Cat said, sounding somewhat timid.
"I don’t believe you." Kamisou Ichiro’s expression was calm as he turned to look at the cat. "To be precise, among the four of us, none would trust any of the others."
Gray Cat sighed. "You’re here not just to guard against me, but also to shield everything that happens here... Are you trying to hide this from Seed?"
