Seizing Dreams

The principal, teaching director, and form teacher were extremely grateful and pleaded with Xiao Yujun to not send a manuscript off to be printed yet. After all, this matter could erupt into a scandal. Something like this has not happened in No. 3 High for many years; one of the most terrible things that could happen in a school was their students committing suicide. Xiao Yujun was obviously unsettled now too and could only nod her head.

“What about now?” Yu Hao asked Zhou Sheng.

“What do you think?” Zhou Sheng smiled.

The principal realised that Zhou Sheng appeared to be their leader, as even the reporter listened to him, so he asked, “How can we express our gratitude......”

“Will there be a silk banner?” Fu Liqun asked expectantly.

“Ai that’s right, give a silk banner ba?” Zhou Sheng said, “A lion dance, set off some firecrackers, and beat gongs and drums as you send it over?”

“That......our school doesn’t have a lion dance troupe.” The principal clearly didn’t get Zhou Sheng’s cold joke.

The teaching director quickly stepped forward to save the show and repeatedly promised them a reward. Zhou Sheng knew that Yu Hao wanted to see Ou Qihang, so he motioned for him to go first. Ever since Yu Hao came down from the rooftop, he had obviously been absent minded. Ou Qihang’s words shocked him greatly and left him feeling conflicted. Talking about pity at this kind of moment would practically be an insult to Ou Qihang.

“Remember to come back to practice in the afternoon.” Fu Liqun reminded, “I’ll head back first.”

Outside the school grounds, Xiao Yujun called Huang Ting. She grasped one side of the earphones and asked who between Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao would listen by motioning to them; Zhou Sheng took it and put it on.

“This case now involves three stations.” Huang Ting said, “It’s no longer something I can interfere with. Yujun, when you go back, shelve the news first, and don’t publish it. Your leaders will surely put pressure on you too.”

Xiao Yujun said, “I just want to ask one thing: Huang Ting, will the situation improve?”

Zhou Sheng listened quietly for awhile. Huang Ting didn’t say much before hanging up.

Xiao Yujun looked at the two of them, “Then......that’s all for now?”

Zhou Sheng nodded. Xiao Yujun sprained her ankle yesterday and still had a slight limp. Zhou Sheng said, “Jun Jie, I’ll get a cab for you.”

Xiao Yujun was about to refuse when Yu Hao had already hailed one and escorted Xiao Yujun to the car. Yu Hao suddenly felt a little uneasy, as if there was a heavy gloominess pressing down on him, yet he didn’t know what he was feeling gloomy about.

“She’s already that badly hurt.” Zhou Sheng said, “After we get back, we’ll need to share some of our medicinal wine and drugs with her.”

They have a frequently used medicinal wine in their dormitory that Cen Shan had asked someone to give to Fu Liqun. It was common for sports students to get a sprain. Yu Hao hadn’t realised that Xiao Yujun’s sprain from the day before was so serious.

“She wants to save up money to buy a house.” Yu Hao answered, “And she’s usually very thrifty, similar to how I was before. She would get an apple and yoghurt from the newspaper office for lunch, and eat a biscuit or two-dollar buns for dinner.”

Yu Hao has always had a good understanding of Xiao Yujun; she’s someone who lacks a sense of security.

“1.2 million,” Zhou Sheng said, “can buy the lives of Ou Qihang and his father, this world is just... Hungry? Let’s go get lunch?”

An SUV was parked outside Ying city’s No.3 High. Yu Hao thought it seemed a little familiar, but Zhou Sheng directly went up and pulled the door open. Yu Hao saw the person in the driver’s seat —— Zhou Laichun!

“Yo, you caught wind of it pretty fast ma.” Zhou Sheng said, “You came over so quickly?”

Zhou Laichun was still in his pajamas and didn’t say a word. The tension in the car made Yu Hao’s heart beat violently. He didn’t answer his son and didn’t ask any questions either, he just drove the car onto a turnabout by the river. Zhou Sheng, however, looked indifferent as he played games on his phone and messaged Yu Hao.

Zhou Sheng:【It’s such a bright and windy day today, why don’t we give him a huge surprise?】

Yu Hao:【I think that’s a little terrifying, don’t mess around.】

Zhou Laichun’s expression was completely dark. He drove his car into the underground garage of a restaurant near the river. It was still under renovation; the landing windows were already installed, and the place was really spacious.

“Another one?” Zhou Sheng stood in the empty restaurant that should have been a luxurious room; there were even messy piles of wires and aluminium alloy strips on the ground.

The wind from the river blew the door shut with a loud “bang”.

“What the hell are you doing?” Zhou Laichun approached and seized his son by the collar, but Zhou Sheng was quick to react. “Old man, you’re not my opponent now, you really want to fight here?”

“Uncle!” Yu Hao spoke up.

“What are you doing.” Zhou Sheng said, “Kidnapping?”

“I’m asking you! What the hell do you want to do?!” Zhou Lai Chun’s voice was like thunder, and Yu Hao couldn’t help but diss in his heart, the words ‘what are you doing’ really is suitable for all ages, even this irritable father-son pair can’t escape from it. They’ll probably start looping the words ‘what are you doing’ for a while, so they won’t be getting to the point anytime soon. Thus, he went to sit down in front of the wooden box by the landing windows.

“Be careful, there are splinters in the wood!” Zhou Sheng said.

Yu Hao waved his hand and got him to focus on his quarrel. Zhou Laichun was so angry he picked up a wooden board and roared, “Do you want to die?!”

Yu Hao thought, it ended so soon?

“Why are you mingling with Ou Weihong’s son?” Zhou Laichun said, “That shameless, stubborn bastard didn’t even want his own life, do you understand how serious this is?”

“Oh.” Zhou Sheng said, “Then should I have let him die?! Let his head smash into the ground, then have everyone take photos, and circulate it around the internet and tear all your backstages down?!”

Zhou Laichun was practically roaring, “Have you ever thought about how your Laozi can account for your involvement in this?!”

“We’re talking about someone’s life here!” Zhou Sheng angrily roared back, “Do you understand what a ‘life’ is?!”

The two of them roared at each other, and Yu Hao was almost instantly rendered deaf. This building built over the water was currently under renovation and only recently had soundproof glass installed; it was spacious and echoey. To begin with, Zhou Laichun and Zhou Sheng have always had very strong diaphragms when they spoke, and now even the glass was about to shatter from their roars.

“Stop arguing!” Yu Hao looked back and said, “Can’t you talk properly?!”

Zhou Laichun was a bit stunned by Yu Hao’s roar. Yu Hao frowned, “Zhou Sheng! Talk properly!”

Zhou Laichun would have never even dreamed that someone would dare discipline his son in front of him, so astonishment spread across his face.

But what shocked him even more was that Zhou Sheng’s anger gradually subsided, and he said while suppressing his anger, “Okay, I’ll talk properly. Old man, how much money did you give Huang Baiguang?”

“It’s none of your damn business.” Zhou Laichun said coldly.

These words immediately provoked Zhou Sheng again. Yu Hao immediately glanced at him to stop Zhou Sheng’s rising anger. Zhou Sheng said, “Make it clear, what’s your relationship with Huang Baiguang? Would it cause you to get arrested and imprisoned?”

Zhou Laichun remained quiet for awhile. Zhou Sheng said, “If you could have given him the money, you wouldn’t have needed me to date Huang Baiguang’s daughter, right?”

Zhou Laichun looked at Zhou Sheng — his gaze was filled with a mixture of hatred and reluctance. He didn’t say anything in the end, only retrieving a pack of cigarettes to light one up.

Zhou Sheng beckoned, took a cigarette, and lit it up.

Zhou Sheng said, “Who approved the plots for Yun Lai Chun in Ying city? Does it have anything to do with Ou Weihong? How much money did you give out?”

“No.” Zhou Laichun said, “Ou Weihong jumped off a building last winter, and Yun Lai Chun only entered Ying City after this year’s Spring Festival. Don’t you know how to count? These few plots went through all the proper formalities.”

“It was really proper?”

“Proper.” Zhou Laichun said, “After Ou Weihong jumped off a building, everyone was on tenterhooks. Why don’t you tell me who would dare to take money on the cusp of a storm?”

Zhou Laichun felt as if he was getting to know his son again and sneered.

Zhou Sheng, “If you’re going to do business, then just do business. I don’t want to fucking be like Ou Qihang. Restrain yourself a bit, and don’t go too crazy; there are still many days ahead.”

“You’re fucking pulling the rug from under my feet!” Zhou Laichun became angry again and shouted, “Are you going to try to force me to jump off a building too before you’re satisfied?!”

Zhou Sheng immediately felt his throat constrict and became so angry his whole body trembled.

“My Dad passed away early, but if he were still alive,” Yu Hao suddenly said, “He definitely wouldn’t have talked like you, uncle.”

Yu Hao’s actions today had really gone way beyond Zhou Sheng’s expectations. When they heard these words, Zhou Laichun and Zhou Sheng both fell silent. Although Yu Hao’s voice was calm, his words were tinged with anger. He had been facing the river scenery ever since he arrived, as if contemplating about how to best phrase his thoughts.