Ji Yongtao: How are you doing academically? What about the scholarship?
Chu Jiajun: Oh, tuition? I earn money for it by working...
Ji Yongtao: You have a scholarship, so why work? Just focus on your studies. That vocabulary book you left on the sofa is still like new. How many words did you memorize?
Two cyclists passed by behind, both of them were neighbors from the Aiyahe residential complex. Seeing Ji Yongtao scolding someone, the two neighbors rode by on their bikes and joked: "Brother Yong, are you taking care of your younger brother again?"
Neighbor: Your brother doesn't look like a cousin at all; he looks more like a real family member. Where will he go after graduation? Will he join your company?
Neighbor: When college students become police officers, they won't even be able to lift a gun.
The two neighbors left with a smile. Chu Jiajun turned his head and looked at their backs coldly.
Ji Yongtao: Xiaofei.
Chu Jiajun came back to his senses.
Ji Yongtao: After graduation, will you return to your hometown or move to a big city? Have you ever thought about it?
Chu Jiajun thought for a while and said: Brother Yong, work hard and get promoted.
Chu Jiajun: If you get promoted and move to a big city, I will follow you.
Ji Yongtao looked at him with a smile: "You want to stay with me? Don't you want to go back to your hometown to be with your parents?"
Chu Jiajun: They have older brothers and sisters. Hometown, hometown, the home they return to when they get old.
Chu Jiajun looked into Ji Yongtao's eyes and thought for a while.
Chu Jiajun: Yes, I want to stay with you.
Ji Yongtao seemed to want to say a lot, but the words lingered in his mouth for a long time. In the end, he only said one sentence: "Very good."
Ji Yongtao: Just think of it as having one more person at home, it's nice.
-
Next Thursday, Ji Yongtao has a rare day off. His company is having a social dance after get off work at the Baile Dance Hall across from the Friendship Shopping Center. Several young people are excited, having been looking forward to it since Monday.
It is said that among the participants there are teachers from the Ai Yang Overseas Chinese Nursery School, and they all look like Yamaguchi Hui.
Ji Yongtao said in the morning: Come and play with us.
Chu Jiajun wanted to go, but then she remembered that the social dance was full of police officers; but she really wanted to go, and she was torn for a long time.
Ji Yongtao: Are you going or not?
Chu Jiajun looked at the vocabulary book, then at Ji Yongtao, and finally chose to go dancing.
Chu Jiajun: Brother Yong, can you dance? Don't step on Yamamoto Hui's feet and make them break.
Ji Yongtao danced a few times, obviously not knowing how to do it. Chu Jiajun smiled and grabbed his hands: "I saw on TV that this is how ballroom dancing is done."
He led Ji Yongtao, moving the body in front of him to guide the dance steps. This was something he had learned from hanging out in dance halls for a long time.
In the morning, both of them wore the white vests and gray shorts they slept in. Ji Yongtao had many scars on his body, and as they danced, Chu Jiajun ran her fingers over them and asked him where they came from.
Every time Ji Yongtao made a contribution, he almost paid with his life.
Chu Jiajun had only minor injuries, a few bruises and scrapes, which he said were from playing ball. Chu Jiajun smiled and said, "I'm different from you. I'm very afraid of death."
As they continued teaching, it became a competition of stepping on each other's feet, making the floor thump loudly. Soon, he would be leaving for college. Chu Jiajun's body was half in the sun, basking in the warmth along with the pot of salvia.
He suddenly had an idea. What if he continued to use Xu Fei's identity, play for a while in the morning, then go to school, go out for supper with him after work, and play ball with classmates on weekends...
Chu Jiajun thought, what a cute idea, how could such a thing come out of his head.
-
There is a quiz in the college English class next week. The teacher is notoriously strict. If you fail the quiz, you won't even be eligible to take the final exam.
Chu Jiajun had to go to school for a few days. The little boy with glasses who had been collecting money to help him sign in, take attendance and do homework was always around him.
Little Glasses: Brother Fei, you really can't fool that old woman. It's impossible for me to help you write two papers by myself. She has to call on everyone one by one to count the number of people...
Chu Jiajun: What should we do then?
Chu Jiajun really couldn't find anyone on the street who knew English. In his world, those who could read 26 letters fluently were considered high-level international talents, and a high school diploma was enough to look down on the world.
Little Glasses: Find a gunman.
Chu Jiajun was stunned. He didn't expect a college student to say such harsh and sharp words.
Little Glasses: Find a gunman that no one knows to help you.
Chu Jiajun: ...Are you serious?
The man with glasses nodded. If Chu Jiajun gave him money, he could help him find a senior student.
Chu Jiajun sneered in his heart, do I still need your help to find a gunman?
It's so easy to find a gunman, he can do it himself.
On the day of the exam, Chu Jiajun took five minutes to scribble on the test paper.
The old lady collected the papers and went back to the office. The other teachers had gone for lunch, and she was the only one in the office.
Chu Jiajun walked in with a smile and placed a wad of money on her desk. The teacher looked up in surprise, and he adopted the demeanor of negotiating with a gun dealer: "Take the money, and pick out Xu Fei's paper."
Chu Jiajun put another stack of money on the table: How many points you give him is how many stacks of money you can put on the table today.
The old lady looked at "Xu Fei's" paper and put it down: Only five points, he guessed five multiple-choice questions correctly.
Chu Jiajun: Did I pass with five points?
teacher:...
Chu Jiajun was kicked out by the old lady along with his money, and the office door slammed shut behind him.
He stood outside the door for a moment, his ears ringing with rage, his eyes bloodshot. He reached into his backpack and expertly grasped the butt of the rifle.
Chu Jiajun was about to kick the door open. As he raised his foot, he suddenly remembered that Ji Yongtao was going to take him to the Baile Ballroom to dance tonight.
He had been teaching Ji Yongtao how to dance ballroom dance for many days, and every time the man could do a few steps, he would take the opportunity to step on Ji Yongtao's feet.
Chu Jiajun really wanted to go dancing, and he wanted to see how Ji Yongtao danced.
So, the old lady in the office needs to end it cleanly, very cleanly.
The next second, the office door was thrown open. Behind the desk, the teacher looked up in surprise.
Chu Jiajun rushed to her, fell to his knees with a plop, tears in his eyes: "Teacher, I beg you to let me go! As long as you let me go, I can give you anything you want to kill... or find!"
Chu Jiajun: My mom is sick, and I don't want her to know that I didn't do well on the exam…
Teacher: Get up! What a mess!
Chu Jiajun: Teacher, please save me... My adoptive father would beat me to death if he found out...
Teacher: Adoptive father?
Chu Jiajun nodded with tears in her eyes: "My father sold me because he owed gambling debts. My adoptive father has a bad temper and beats me every day. Only my adoptive mother...my mother, is kind to me...
Teacher: But where does the money come from?
Chu Jiajun: I stole it from my adoptive father... But I was really scared. When I was little, I saw my own mother being beaten to the ground by debt collectors. Her back was broken, and she lay on the door panel for three days. I went to pull her out, and I felt her cold hands... I would also be beaten to death by my adoptive father like this...
Half an hour later, he was escorted out of the office by the teacher. The old lady showed mercy and allowed him to take the final exam.
——
To be continued
Love River Mystery: Bound Ears 7
Chu Jiajun's original plan changed.
He had planned to stay in City A only until June, and then he would use the excuse of going back to his hometown for the holidays to leave.
He now needs to stay longer because of a newspaper advertisement: In mid-June, a well-established Japanese jewelry company will exhibit jewelry in City A.
This is a scene that would never happen in a small county town. It is no longer those small savings banks that can only rob a few hundred thousand or one or two million. The exhibition halls filled with high-end jewelry look like a drowning person leaking blood in the eyes of sharks.
On his way back from university, he passed by Gaoxing Yingbin Hotel, the most upscale hotel for foreign guests in City A, which opened to ordinary customers last year.
The venues for Japanese jewelry exhibitions are limited to a few places: a conference center and a reception center for foreign guests.
Chu Jiajun wandered in and bought a bottle of Coke. It was getting dark outside, and the social dance was about to begin.
Ji Yongtao was waiting for him at the gate of the community. Under the street light, his motorcycle was leaning against the lamppost. He was smoking beside the car and watching the ants crawling past his feet.
Ji Yongtao took him to the Baile Dance Hall on his bicycle. Music emanated from inside, and the dance floor was packed with men and women.
A few colleagues were outside getting some fresh air with their beers in hand. When they saw Ji Yongtao coming, they immediately pointed the way: "Lily Flower District, hurry up! Boss Li has already sat down!"
Ji Yongtao: Where is Lao Liu?
Colleague: Then he must have arrived half an hour early, Lao Liu.
In the dance hall, ablaze with colorful lights, a female singer sang Teresa Teng's music. Chu Jiajun hummed along, holding Ji Yongtao's neck as they crossed the dance floor. The lily area had about seven or eight round tables, all filled with men and women from several units.
This kind of social dance, ostensibly a chance for single young people to get to know each other and foster camaraderie among their units, was actually just a social gathering. At the round sofa at the corner, the atmosphere was noticeably different from elsewhere. There sat Li Yu, the team leader, and Liu Weide, the leader of the second team. At the main seat sat an even older man.
Ji Yongtao asked Chu Jiajun to sit down and went over to say hello.
Chu Jiajun asked the young policeman next to him: Who are those over there?
——The older man is Li Yu's father-in-law. His daughter also invested in this dance hall, so the dance hall is always set up here for every brigade gathering.
Liu Weide sat next to Li Yu and the big shot. No one was holding a seat, so Ji Yongtao tactfully said he was going to dance and left the table.
Ji Yongtao's surroundings suddenly grew colder. People at nearby tables were observing his movements, and a few young men from Team One couldn't help but speak loudly. They'd only spoken a few words when they were silenced by those around them.
Chu Jiajun accompanied him into the dance floor: Where is Yamaguchi Hui?
Ji Yongtao smiled while biting his cigarette: You think our cigarettes are too big.
There are more men than women in their unit, and there are few non-smokers in the entire area, so the air is filled with smoke; the kindergarten teachers across the street are fanning themselves with their hands, and the atmosphere is very awkward.
Chu Jiajun took a cigarette from his pocket. Ji Yongtao's lighter was out of gas, so she used her own cigarette butt to light it for him. The next song began. On the left side of the dance floor, female teachers and male accountants danced gracefully; on the right side, the men gathered in booths, drinking and chatting, or dancing around in groups.
The two danced slowly in the gap in the middle of the dance floor. Chu Jiajun initially tried to step on his foot, but since there were so many people on the dance floor, Ji Yongtao didn't try to hide and just let him step on it.
Chu Jiajun found it boring and simply stepped on his insteps with both feet.
Ji Yongtao suddenly grabbed him tightly and started dancing with him. The steps were not standard, but the movements were very big. Chu Jiajun almost lost his balance and fell down, but he was caught back by him.
Chu Jiajun was a little panicked: "Why are you angry? I'll step on you a few times..."
Ji Yongtao's face looked blurry under the colorful lights. His beard had not been shaved for many days and there was cigarette ash on it.
Chu Jiajun flicked the ash off his beard with his fingers. He noticed Ji Yongtao was looking at him.
Ji Yongtao: Do you want to go somewhere else?
Chu Jiajun: What?
Ji Yongtao: Move out of Ai Yahe and go to a new place.
Ji Yongtao: A more spacious house, with your own bedroom, cola, cake, and a mobile phone, so you can make long-distance calls home every day.
Chu Jiajun chuckled: Robbing a bank?
Ji Yongtao also laughed: Just tell me whether you want it or not.
Chu Jiajun: I do.
Ji Yongtao: Okay.
He left Chu Jiajun behind and walked back to the round seating area. Chu Jiajun didn't know what he was going to do—Ji Yongtao walked to that special table, opened a bottle of beer, toasted, and then drank the entire bottle in one gulp.
Then he said a few words to Li Yu and Li Yu's father-in-law.
Chu Jiajun couldn't hear clearly. He only knew that after Ji Yongtao finished speaking, the two men stood up. Several people nearby, with varying expressions, also stood up a few seconds later. Liu Weide's eyes shifted, as he thought rapidly.
Li Yu's father-in-law patted Ji Yongtao on the shoulder and opened another bottle of wine. This time, each of them had a glass and they clinked glasses to drink.
There was applause from the side.
Chu Jiajun heard someone loudly announce to those around him: Brother Yong has issued a military order!
Several tables in Team One were instantly in an uproar. Amidst whistles and cheers, Ji Yongtao walked through the crowd, carrying the remaining bottle of wine, and returned to Chu Jiajun.
Ji Yongtao: Can you take a bite of my military order?
Chu Jiajun: What military order?
Ji Yongtao: Arrest people.
Chu Jiajun: Who are we arresting?
Chu Jiajun's voice trembled slightly, but he also sounded excited. Ji Yongtao said, "Catch the bad guys, what else can we do?"
There are many bad guys, but the bad guy listed in the military warrant will only be the guy who has been causing trouble in City A recently.
Ji Yongtao put the bottle to his lips; he took it, hesitated for a few seconds, then looked up to the sky and drank it in one gulp.
The next song started. Ji Yongtao wanted to go back, but he was pulled back. Those innocent eyes, clear as fire, fixed their gaze on the man.
Chu Jiajun's tone was filled with gnashing of teeth.
Chu Jiajun: Dance with me seriously - and then, go catch the bad guys.
-
After the dance was over, the organizers of the social evening asked everyone to gather together and take a group photo.
Chu Jiajun didn't want to leave any photos, but Ji Yongtao embraced him. Because of the military order, Brother Yong and his cousin Xu Fei were surrounded by everyone and placed in a prominent position in the center.
Li Yu: You are a family, stand together.
Chu Jiajun was stunned. Although he had been pretending to be Xu Fei for some time, he still felt unfamiliar with some of the words.
Ji Yongtao pulled him close to him, with the motorcycle key ring hooked on his finger. The key ring also encircled Chu Jiajun's finger, like a small handcuff and ring.
After the photo, Ji Yongtao handed him the motorcycle keys. He was going to accompany Li Yu and the others to the next show, leaving Xu Fei to ride home on his own. Chu Jiajun stood by the motorcycle for a long time, recounting his previous movements.
Are there any flaws?
Is it because he revealed a flaw and was noticed by Ji Yongtao that he felt confident enough to issue a military order?
He was so nervous that his stomach was churning and he had to squat down to calm down. Ji Yongtao's colleague passed by and asked: Xiaofei, are you vomiting?
Chu Jiajun looked up and stared at him coldly. A second later, his cold gaze turned into a smile: Yeah.
Colleague: Can you still ride your bike? Do you want us to take you back to Ai Ya River?
Chu Jiajun: I made an appointment with my classmates to go to the video hall to watch movies all night.
Colleague: Why don't you leave your car here? We can lend you money for a taxi…
Before he finished speaking, he had already got on the motorcycle, started the car and drove out.
-
Fang Ping squatted in the corner of the alley, standing up every few minutes, hesitating whether to leave.
He had been waiting for nearly two hours. This man was practically at his wit's end. Fang Ping was his real name, his real identity, and it had already been discovered. He definitely couldn't return to his hometown. Apart from finding a backer to continue his crimes, getting some money, and then running away, there seemed to be no other way out.
Just then, car lights came from the entrance of the alley. Before he could react, a motorcycle rushed into the narrow alley and almost knocked him away.
Chu Jiajun: Let's go to the western restaurant at Jinghe intersection.
Leaving this sentence, the car drove away again.
Fang Ping bravely walked to Jinghe Road and found a small Western restaurant at the intersection in the dark. It looked like it was about to go bankrupt, with a faded gray sign. But there was a motorcycle parked at the door, and the door was not locked.
He took a look inside and saw Chu Jiajun sitting with his back to the door in the dark shop, concentrating on eating something.
Fang Ping walked in and stood by like a waiter. The light was too dim, and he tried hard to see what was on the plate - it looked like a steak, but there were several thin things extending out...
He suddenly realized what it was and fell back in horror, his face pale.
Chu Jiajun finished his meal and went to the kitchen to clear the dishes. He returned with a normal expression, tied his hair up, and fumbled for the light switch on the wall. The light turned on, and on the table where he had been eating, lay a hand-drawn map.
Chu Jiajun: Let's do something together. I'll give you 100,000. Take 10,000 today, and I'll give you 90,000 when the job is done.
Fang Ping was still in shock and didn't dare to answer.
Chu Jiajun: Go ask around on the street and ask about the name Chu Jiajun. I'll give you a fixed price, and I won't give you a penny less.
He suddenly leaned closer to the screen, frightening the man so much that he fell back down again. His face, so close at hand, his childlike eyes, wet with tears, looked at him against the light, devoid of any brilliance.
Chu Jiajun's eyes seemed to speak: But after we have agreed on the price, you still dare to bargain with me, that makes no sense.
Fang Ping: What were you eating just now...
He had heard the name and the legends surrounding it in the underground dance halls of his old friend. Just now, he had personally verified a certain rumor. This legend of the underworld suddenly appeared before his eyes so real.
It's not the cool, brotherly, lone-hero kind of thing you see in Young and Dangerous movies...
——It is evil.
The evil is clean and neat, without any impurities mixed in.
The desperate criminals in the dance halls relished recounting "legends of the Jianghu," like storytelling about the Three Kingdoms or Zhao Zilong's blood-stained robe at Changban Slope. It was a thrilling experience. Everyone imagined themselves as the ultimate dragon of the underworld, but standing before Chu Jiajun, they suddenly realized they were just a tiny blade of grass at Changban Slope.