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At dawn, Jufeng quietly bid farewell to his five sisters. Even the most foolish of thieves would not choose this time to plot mischief, so Romain could confidently and boldly visit Xue at the hospital.
When Romain arrived at the hospital, Tong Bailong was sprawled on the caregiver's bed next to the ward, sound asleep, while Xue had already woken up, turning his head to gaze out the window, lost in thought.
Hearing the door open, Xue turned his head and saw Romain's slightly haggard face, a warm current flowing through his heart.
"Why aren't you sleeping a bit longer? The priority now is to recover."
"And you? Getting up this early isn't exactly responsible for your health after working continuously."
Romain sighed and shook his head; his dear friend was indeed blunt with his words.
"Anyway, I brought you breakfast. Since you're awake, you should eat it while it's hot."
Romain prepared the still-warm congee and century egg for Xue and brought it over. Xue accepted it with a slight smile and began to eat in silence.
Halfway through the meal, Tong Bailong finally managed to open his sleepy eyes. Not missing the opportunity to tease him, Romain remarked, "Looks like Tong Bailong woke up because he caught a whiff of the food; what a keen nose you have!" This made the big guy blush, causing Xue to burst into laughter.
After Xue finished eating, Tong Bailong polished off the leftovers. Once satisfied, Romain suggested that Tong Bailong return to school since military training was only halfway through and he needed to perform well.
After the meal, Xue and Romain engaged in a deep conversation. In retrospect, they realized that this discussion planted the seeds for a change in their life trajectories.
"Wind, what do you think about Underworld?"
Romain suddenly became serious upon hearing Xue's words and fell into contemplation. He was an intelligent man and understood what opportunities his performance in Red Gang could bring him. Now that Xue had brought it up, it was likely related to this matter.
"Did someone from Red Gang come looking for you?"
Xue was momentarily taken aback by the words, but soon understood. Indeed, he was someone capable of taking the head of a general among the crowd; with just one sentence, he had managed to guess the essence of the matter almost perfectly.
"That's right. Last night, a member of the Red Gang came to me, hoping we could take over the Red Gang. You know how they are—a bunch of aimless youths. Aside from the Underworld, they have no other skills for survival and are unwilling to do anything else. This society has always been one where the strong bully the weak. The previous Red Gang Leader was too cruel and had no support among his followers; he only had a decent backing. Now that the tree has fallen, the monkeys scatter, and naturally, they seek better trees to roost in."
Betrayal? Jufeng thought to himself with a smirk.
He had never considered getting involved with the Underworld, let alone becoming a leader of a gang. Perhaps since running away from home, Jufeng had never had a clear goal; in reality, he was just drifting through life.
Flowers bloom and fall, clouds gather and disperse; tranquility was enough for him.
However, just like during his meeting with the King of Football, when asked if he would be willing to live a mediocre life, he had been searching for an answer ever since.
In his youth, he only wanted to survive, but now that he was an adult, the responsibilities were piling up, and these questions could no longer be postponed.
Seeing Jufeng lost in thought and struggling with his decision, Xue felt a hint of urgency in his brow. Yet he would absolutely respect his friend's choice; he just wanted to help Romain analyze the pros and cons as best as he could.
"Wind," Xue said, "even though I never went to school, I understand that life is infinite and that human life is as fleeting as dawn. I have been an orphan for nearly thirty years now, and looking back on those years, I realize I have gained nothing. I don’t even have money for hospital bills; if it weren't for you and Tong Bailong, I might have already died on the streets."
Upon hearing this, Jufeng wanted to say something comforting to Xue but was stopped by him. His gaze turned toward the window where sunlight streamed onto the milky floor; his eyes were filled with longing.
"Life can be long or short; even if it's short, it's just a fleeting moment like a shooting star. Who would want to waste it sinking into mundanity?"
Xue turned his face toward Jufeng. "Wind, I know we are alike. I also know what you want. You don't need to give me an answer right now; I respect your choice."
"No matter what, we are good brothers!"
Xue's words were like the warm sun in winter, clear yet intense, piercing straight into the heart. They forced Jufeng to reflect on the true meaning of life. In the past, he would never have acted so dramatically, but now, with everything converging, he had to learn from the melancholic students in ordinary campuses and recognize sorrow.
Ultimately, he needed to think carefully; Jufeng had no clear thoughts in such a short time.
He borrowed a month's salary in advance from Lu Qijia and used part of the money to hire a caregiver for Xue. He had not yet made a decision; he still needed to attend university, participate in military training, and continue with life as usual.
Taking advantage of the time before the afternoon break, Jufeng returned to school. Under the "concern" of Instructor Diao Xiaocheng and the curious gazes of his classmates, he fell back into line. However, he was puzzled to find that Tong Bailong's position as deputy squad leader had been revoked and replaced by Diao Ke. He could see that Tong Bailong looked somewhat dejected and angry, but he didn’t dare to ask directly and could only wait until lunch break.
During lunch, the four roommates sat together as usual, but the atmosphere at the table felt strange.
"Tong Bailong, you were doing well; why were you removed?"
Jufeng's relationship with Tong Bailong was naturally different from that of the other two. With his straightforward personality, he didn’t dwell too much on other matters.
"I don't know either. That guy just removed me this morning without any reason. When I asked him, he wouldn’t say anything."
Tong Bailong shoveled food into his mouth angrily, seemingly venting his frustration as if the rice on his plate was Diao Xiaocheng, wishing he could swallow it whole.
Hearing this, Jufeng pondered for a moment before turning to Diao Ke. "Well, we all live in the same dormitory. Although we don’t spend much time together, I don’t think you’re someone who would undermine a friend behind their back. Why did the instructor change you to deputy squad leader?"
Usually serious and unsmiling, Jufeng’s sudden stern tone made Diao Ke tremble slightly as he reached for his food.
"Brother Jufeng, I really don’t know what’s going on. This morning he called me over and made me deputy squad leader; I couldn’t even refuse! I have no idea why! How could I possibly undermine Tong Bailong?"
Jufeng was deeply puzzled, despite Diao Kede's sincere intentions. He couldn't understand where things had gone wrong. To ensure Tong Bailong performed well in his role, Romain had taken numerous days off, putting in a lot of effort. How could it be that Diao Xiaocheng had suddenly revoked it all?
Unable to make sense of it, Romain decided to set the matter aside for the moment. However, he didn't expect that the answer would soon reveal itself.
As the four of them were finishing their meal, a group of unexpected guests arrived—none other than Andland, who had been recuperating at home for the past couple of days, along with his entourage.
The newcomers were not here for friendly reasons. Andland sat down beside Jufeng, scanning his three roommates before fixing his gaze on Romain with an unfriendly tone. "Let me introduce myself. I am Andland, the young master of And Group."
Jufeng felt no fondness for this arrogant and self-righteous rich kid. Watching Tong Bailong nearly finish his meal, he stood up slightly bowed and ignored Andland completely as he walked straight out.
Seeing this, Andland was furious but restrained himself from showing it due to his upbringing. He called out loudly to Romain's retreating figure, "Your friend's position was replaced by me."
At those words, Romain halted abruptly, and Tong Bailong immediately turned around with a fierce expression, striding toward Andland but was blocked by Andland's followers.
The atmosphere, already tense, became even more charged due to Andland's remark. Tong Bailong glared back defiantly but remained composed; he was used to following the slightly slender youth behind him.
Jufeng turned around and placed a hand on Tong Bailong's shoulder before stepping into the space between them and the opposing group. His gaze sharpened as he stared at Andland, making him feel a chill run down his spine.
Yet Andland managed to maintain his composure.
After a moment, Romain's expression softened gradually. He spoke politely, "Young Master An, you are an important person; why bother with us? If you have any requests, please let me know. I will do my best to accommodate you."
Romain's calm tone did not sit well with Andland; despite the scorching heat of the day, he felt a chill creeping up his spine.
Andland feigned indifference, sneering as he said, "Throughout history, those who understand the times are the true heroes. If you can grasp this principle, it will save me some trouble. From now on, you'd best keep your distance from Lu Qijia. If you do so," Andland leaned slightly forward and continued in a low voice, "I will overlook the embarrassment your friend caused me in front of everyone and allow him to continue as the deputy. Think it over."
Jufeng realized at this moment that Andland was not primarily upset about Tong Bailong's actions; there was a deeper meaning behind his words. It resembled a scene from a soap opera where a wealthy heir, with an air of righteousness, tells someone to stay away from the person who clearly loves them but does not reciprocate, all while pretending to be generous.
Jufeng then thought that Andland must have learned about his role as the bodyguard for those five older sisters. However, he had only stayed one night, yet Andland seemed to know already. It appeared that he had indeed put considerable effort into monitoring Lu Qijia.
As he pondered this, two unrelated figures suddenly merged in Jufeng's mind. Instinctively, he looked at Andland with a gaze full of meaning.
"Young Master An, I’ve taken note of your words. However, I just remembered something. Since you care so much about Sister Lu Qijia, why not visit the police station? I hear there’s new progress regarding the five thieves captured recently. You could show off in front of someone you like."
After Jufeng finished speaking, he closely observed Andland's expression and noticed a hint of tension in his demeanor. This reassured him greatly; with his keen perception, Jufeng felt confident that he could discern some clues from Andland's subtle changes in expression.
Standing up straight, Jufeng led his four roommates out, leaving Andland with a face clouded by uncertainty. His companions sensed the shift in atmosphere and fell silent.
(To be continued)
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