thefictionvixens Chapter 4 Showing Off Military Power
Chapter 4 Showing Off Military Power
Along the way, they chatted and laughed, sharing their experiences after graduating from elementary school. Wang Yuxin said that she read a lot of books during the summer vacation and was also taken to the city by her father. She said that the city was great and that she definitely wanted to live there in the future.
Although the "city" they saw at the time consisted of only two main streets, one horizontal and one vertical, and a three-story department store building, in those days, urban and rural household registration was strictly controlled. Let alone wanting to have an urban household registration, even going to the city was something many children wouldn't dare to dream of—if they were financially strapped, what was the point of going to the city if they didn't buy anything?
Hong Liguo also told her some interesting stories about working in the fields with his father after graduating from elementary school.
Wang Yuxin glanced back at him and said, "What's so good about farm work? It's dirty and tiring. I don't want to do farm work. I want to study hard, pass the exam, get a good job, and become a city dweller."
Hong Liguo didn't take her words to heart at the time—he was still young and didn't have any other thoughts. But he never expected that later, a decent job and an urban household registration would become an insurmountable obstacle between him and Wang Yuxin.
When Hong Liguo and his companions arrived at the township middle school, the playground was already filled with students from various villages. Like newly blossoming flowers, they were simple and energetic, huddled together in twos and threes, their chattering voices weaving a prelude to youth, discussing the various possibilities of class assignments and their expectations for the future.
Hong Liguo and his companions parked and locked their bicycles in the designated area as instructed by the teachers maintaining order at the school. They then joined the crowd on the playground.
Standing beside Hong Liguo were Jun Ge (real name: Lin Dajun), who stood tall and straight like a poplar tree, his eyes revealing determination and courage; Fa Zi (real name: Sun Qingfa), who had a somewhat honest and simple appearance, his slightly furrowed brows suggesting he was always thinking about something; Jie (real name: Wu Jie), who was slightly thin, his eyes occasionally revealing a hint of tension and unease, deliberately hiding behind Jun Ge, afraid that someone would see the hole in his trousers; Hong Bo (real name: Yu Hongbo), who grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his smile full of anticipation for a new life; and Yan Bin (real name: Zhou Yanbin), who stood with his hands in his pockets, quietly listening to everyone's discussion, occasionally interjecting a few words with his long, slurred tongue.
Hong Liguo and his companions, like nimble fish, squeezed into the crowd, their eyes wide and ears pricked up, trying to find out about the class assignments.
Unwittingly, through the gaps in the bustling crowd, Hong Liguo spotted Wang Yuxin standing not far away, talking to someone. She was like a fresh daisy, quietly blooming amidst the crowd, softly chatting with familiar classmates about what had happened since elementary school graduation. Her focused expression, the slight upturn of her lips, and the sparkle in her eyes all spoke of her beautiful expectations for future class life, and the matter of class assignments was naturally the focus of their conversation.
Just as Hong Liguo was paying attention to Wang Yuxin, suddenly, a powerful force came from behind and hit the unsuspecting Hong Liguo head-on. Hong Liguo staggered forward several steps and almost fell.
Displeasure and anger surged into his heart instantly. After regaining his footing, Hong Liguo turned around abruptly, about to angrily confront this reckless brat. However, when Hong Liguo's gaze fell upon the "plague god"-like boy behind him, all his anger instantly receded like a tide, leaving only a heart full of apprehension.
The man before him was tall and imposing, standing like a small mountain in front of Hong Liguo. His broad shoulders seemed capable of supporting the entire world; the thick flesh on his face trembled slightly with his expression, like surging waves; his large, round eyes, like copper bells, were wide open, as if they were about to spit fire; his thick eyebrows were tightly furrowed together, like two dark clouds, giving people a strong sense of oppression.
Despite feeling immense pressure, Hong Liguo still managed a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth: "Why did you bump into me?"
Hong Liguo stared at this plague god, knowing he might not be a match for him, but still stubbornly prepared to take the blow.
He glared at Hong Liguo, his thick eyebrows furrowed, and blurted out, "What? Are you made of paper? Can't be touched?"
The voice was deep and hoarse, like muffled thunder exploding in Hong Liguo's ears, making his eardrums ache. This was the most intimidating opponent Hong Liguo had encountered since his debut. However, Hong Liguo did not show any fear. He knew that even if he was no match for his opponent, he absolutely could not lose to him in terms of aura.
Although Hong Liguo was filled with resentment, reason told him that he was new to the rural middle school, unfamiliar with the people and things there, and even less aware of this plague-like figure before him. Fighting such a "plague-like demon" would likely only lead to trouble. Therefore, Hong Liguo gritted his teeth and swallowed all his dissatisfaction. He coldly replied, "It's not that I can't do it."
The "villain" seemed determined not to let Hong Liguo go, like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey, staring intently at him, his gaze seemingly trying to see right through him. He glared again with his round, leopard-like eyes, the ferocity in them sending chills down Hong Liguo's spine. He demanded, "What's your name?"
Hong Liguo initially wanted to stubbornly keep his lips tightly shut and ignore him, but when he thought of his unreasonable appearance, he was afraid that he would become even more persistent in pestering him, so he had no choice but to reluctantly reply to him word by word: "Hong Liguo".
He nodded slightly, a gesture tinged with arrogance and disdain, a sinister smile playing on his lips. He said, enunciating each word clearly, "Hong Liguo, alright, I'll remember you. My name is Sun Changlin, and that's who I am in this area."
As he spoke, he raised his thumb high and waved it triumphantly in front of Hong Liguo. The thumb seemed to be a flag proclaiming his hegemony to the world, waving it recklessly in front of Hong Liguo, as if showing off his so-called "status".
Sun Changlin knew that if it were an ordinary person, they would have been scared out of their wits by his swagger, either fawning and begging for mercy or disappearing in front of him in a heartbeat. There were very few people who dared to look him in the eye without fear, and Hong Liguo should be one of them, which aroused his great interest.