Chapter 4, Coming of Age Ceremony

The right hands of Qiao Si and the other two were suspended high above their heads by steel pipes, with their heels raised high off the ground, making it impossible for them to touch the floor. The handcuffs were fastened tightly; at first, the three did not think much of it, but as time passed, their feet began to struggle to hold up, and they constantly yearned to touch the ground. Consequently, the handcuffs tightened even more, and blood began to drip from the wrists of the three.

Although Hao the Cripple was lame, he was quite fierce in a fight. He swung his fists vigorously, and if he couldn't win, he would bite. Despite his face being covered in blood, he managed to catch one of them and beat him mercilessly

My name is Huang Tingli, and I am a professional thief. Damn it, I got caught last night while trying to steal something.

I said, "Bro, how did you all get in here?"

After stopping, Qiao Si and the others began to feel a bit of fear, which is common for many. When plunging the knife into another's body, their eyes turned red and their minds heated. However, once they came to their senses, they were terrified. This was fully reflected in the three young men, Qiao Si and his companions.

"Damn you, I will kill you..." Qiao Si shouted, swinging the iron shovel wildly at Zhang Ye. Upon seeing him wield the shovel, Xiao Ke and Hao Quezi immediately followed suit.

The three young men, being quite young, had not anticipated the severity of the situation at all. Early in the morning, as they stepped through the threshold of the school, they were seized by a group of officers. The officers treated these three youths with particular harshness, resorting to punches, kicks, belts, electric batons, and handcuffs. It is well-known that prior to 1998, officers in China favored severe torture and violence, especially in northern cities. Of course, the princelings in Beijing would not experience such treatment, as their fathers were high-ranking state leaders. Thus, it can be said that excelling in physics and chemistry is not as beneficial as having a good father. As for the term "officer," it originated from Hong Kong and Taiwan, while in mainland China at that time, they were referred to as "dogs." Nevertheless, I am a law-abiding citizen, and although I strive to authentically recreate that period of history, facts are one thing, and what is written is another. The People's Republic of China, after all, has a relatively short history since its establishment, and every dynasty experiences some instability in its early stages. To be precise, it was not until after 2000 that China began to stabilize its legal and public security systems, emerging as a world power.

"Hey, brother, what brought you in here?" The speaker was a frail young man who had arrived much earlier than Qiao Si and the others. It was evident that he had endured more beatings, as his wrists were already dripping with blood. Yet, the young man didn't even flinch, casually whistling and smoking a cigarette.

I said, brother, do not overthink it; it is not a big deal. At our age, no matter what we do, it will be treated lightly, so do not be afraid. Come, have a cigarette...

Xiao Ke was trembling with fear just a moment ago, but once he took action, his expression immediately turned fierce. This fully proves the saying that no matter how weak a person from Northeast China may be, they will never stand by and let someone hit them; people from Northeast China are not that cowardly.

The young man, feeling a bit dissatisfied with no one paying attention to him, continued to stir the two pieces of flesh above and below.

Due to the involvement of many high-ranking officials' children in this incident, the school did not respond immediately to the fighting event. Zhang Ye was urgently sent to the hospital, and Hao Quezi had already decided to go all out, even if it meant dropping out of school. Qiao Si was indifferent as well; leaving school would allow him to help alleviate some of his mother's pressure and earn some money. Only Xiao Ke remained silent; the school was everything to him, and obtaining a university diploma was his ultimate goal.

Night gradually descended, and the school did not make things difficult for Qiao Si San and his companions; they merely asked them to invite their parents to the school. A snowstorm began to quietly brew in the shadows, and amidst the storm of books and images, Qiao Si San and his companions were filled with a sense of foreboding.

Bang... Blood splattered as Xiao Ke's iron shovel struck Zhang Ye's head with great force. Upon seeing the blood, everyone's eyes turned even redder. Northeasterners are the most bloodthirsty among the Chinese; it is no surprise to use a shovel, and even using a knife is not something to make a fuss about. (You may ask why! If they weren't so fierce, how could they have fought against beasts for eight years? This is an occupied area; even when the Japanese occupied the Northeast, they acted collectively. To dare to wander out alone would guarantee a gruesome death.)

Although I am a thief, I have principles. I never steal from the poor, nor from farmers, nor from women and children. I only steal from the wealthy, from high officials, so I am a chivalrous thief, not an ordinary one

Qiao Si and the other two looked at the young man with a sense of helplessness, unable to comprehend how, in such a state, he could still find anything to be happy about after being tormented to this extent. Thus, all three silently cursed, "Fool..." and then lowered their heads in silence, each staring blankly at the ground. Qiao Si's expression was grim, Hao Quezi's face was dark, while Xiao Ke had tears welling up in his eyes.

"What is a rogue? How does it differ from a thief?" The question left Qiao Si and his companions somewhat perplexed. They were too lazy to delve into the matter, simply indulging in their cigarettes and savoring this rare moment of tranquility. However, some individuals are not fond of silence. Just as the three were lost in the numbing haze of tobacco, contemplating the challenges they each faced, Huang Tingli's mouth opened once more.

At night, Qiao Si attempted several times to speak to his mother and share what had happened that day. However, seeing his mother, who was only in her thirties yet already had a head full of white hair, he opened his mouth several times but could not utter a word. Xiao Ke was not much better off; he randomly picked at some coarse grains and lay in bed, unsure of what to do.

The teachers could no longer remain seated when a fight escalated into a bloody incident, and they hurriedly ran out.

Huang Tingli noticed a change in the expressions of Qiao Si and the others, realizing that his profession was looked down upon. He quickly began to explain.

Hao Quezi is the most ruthless among the three. Not only was he not afraid, but he also regretted not carrying a knife during the day, which resulted in him sustaining quite a few injuries. He lay in bed, gritting his teeth and tossing and turning.

Damn it, I’m going all out. I’ll find a chance to take down these little bastards in the future. Damn it, what’s so great about them? At most, I’ll just stop studying. With that thought, Hao the Lame fell into a deep sleep.

Yan and Qiao Si raised their heads and saw half a box of cigarettes with filters, which were indeed a rare find. Most people could hardly afford them. The young man placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it, then flicked it with his left hand, accurately sending it into the hands of the three. The faint aroma of tobacco relaxed the spirits of the three, easing their moods significantly and quickly bringing the feelings of the several young men closer together

Zhang Ye was being kicked in the face by several soldiers in green uniforms. Joe Si, who had been knocked to the ground, crouched there, holding his head. He initially thought these fools would stop after a while, but to his surprise, they continued for a long time without pausing, as if they wanted to kill him. The rabbit had turned aggressive and was biting. He glanced at the snow removal tools not far away, particularly a shovel. Joe Si suddenly pushed away the person behind him with force and ran over to grab one of them.

"Stealing things" startled Qiao Si and the other two. It is well known that in Northeast China, thieves are looked down upon; a real man should rob if he wants money, as stealing is not considered a skill. However, the three of them quickly realized that they too had been caught for eating someone else's food and getting into a fight. Although they had made every effort to explain to the police that they thought the food was abandoned and that the fight had been initiated by the other party, the police firmly insisted that the three were guilty of theft and had assaulted the owner. The three wanted to defend themselves, but they could not withstand the severe coercion from the other side and ended up confessing completely, thus harming themselves. Although they had made every effort to explain to the police that they thought the food was abandoned and that the fight had been initiated by the other party, the police firmly insisted that the three were guilty of theft and had assaulted the owner. The three wanted to defend themselves, but they could not withstand the severe coercion from the other side and ended up confessing completely, thus harming themselves