Chapter 1

What? Fighting? Damn, why didn't you wait for me? Where are the people? Where are they? I'll come back for a couple more rounds. Liu Lei rolled up his sleeves and looked around.

This matter is no exaggeration. When I was in high school, one night, a few of us couldn't sleep, so we got up in the middle of the night and climbed over the wall to go online. As we crossed the bridge, perhaps due to excitement, Zhang Shaoyu spotted a police car from the 110 patrol and urged Li Dan to stop it. This guy really swaggered right to the middle of the bridge and struck a pose like a 'stop' sign. Fortunately, Zhang Shaoyu was quick-witted and pulled him back just in time; otherwise, not only would we have missed going online, but we probably would have had to spend the night at the police station.

One remark left his grandfather speechless, so he simply followed his own opinion and decided to attend Southwest University of Information Technology for a diploma. In fact, Zhang Shaoyu made this choice entirely because Li Dan, Liang Jin, and a few others planned to go there as well. It was better for the group to look out for each other. However, it was unexpected that these lively characters remained restless in college. While they did not engage in fighting or brawling, they skipped classes, surfed the internet, and pursued girls—everything that young people of this era enjoy doing. The most outrageous was Li Dan; this guy was the least considerate. In pursuit of momentary pleasure, he got his girlfriend pregnant, and ultimately, with no other option, he dragged Zhang Shaoyu and the others to the hospital for an abortion. The doctors could only sigh at how wild the youth of this generation truly are.

Zhang Shaoyu chuckled mischievously and said to the girl next to Liu Lei, "Sister, let me tell you, Liu Lei is not a good guy at all, you must be careful." Upon hearing this, Liu Lei became furious and rushed to confront him, but Zhang Shaoyu nimbly dodged and quickly ran out of the square.

Zhang Shaoyu did not expect this tactic to be so ineffective, and he was momentarily stunned, unable to speak. After a quick thought, he hurriedly said: "Yes, yes, yes, I was going to buy a fountain pen, but the stationery store was closed."

Zhang Shaoyu did not want to waste words with him; his expression changed, and he impatiently said, "I told you to let go, did you hear me!" That guy, unaware of Zhang Shaoyu's depth, was momentarily at a loss for what to do and could only reluctantly release his grip. Li Dan, being sly, acted as if nothing had happened when others let him go, straightening his clothes. Taking advantage of the moment when the other party was unprepared, he swiftly delivered a slap, which echoed sharply, stunning the person instantly.

I am friends with him. If you also know him, I really have to give him some face and not touch his friends. The young man exhaled heavily, as if looking for a way out for himself; he realized that these three guys were not good people. As soon as he finished speaking, Li Dan swiftly pulled out his belt and struck the long-haired man's face, immediately leaving a blood mark. As soon as Li Dan moved, Liang Jin pounced like a leopard. This guy usually doesn't say much, but when it comes to serious matters, he is never ambiguous. Just as he finished speaking, Li Dan swiftly pulled out his belt and struck the long-haired man's face, immediately leaving a blood mark. As soon as Li Dan moved, Liang Jin pounced like a leopard. This guy usually doesn't say much, but when it comes to serious matters, he is never ambiguous. Meanwhile, Zhang Shaoyu lagged behind; seeing that his two brothers had already started fighting, he hurriedly picked up a brick from the ground and shouted, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Wait for me!"

Zhang Shaoyu's expression darkened. His parents both worked in other cities and rarely returned home, even once every few years. In his memory, he had hardly ever reunited with his parents. While other children grew up beside their mothers and fathers, he was raised by his grandparents. Whenever he saw other children with their parents, he often questioned whether he was adopted. Although he had grown up and was no longer at the age of clinging to his mother's embrace, he still harbored a deep yearning for his parents. Whenever his grandfather mentioned his parents, the playful demeanor he had just displayed would immediately vanish.

"Fool, go after her. Ask her which school she attends," Zhang Shaoyu urged relentlessly, eager to stir up trouble. Li Dan also felt he couldn't lose face; after all, someone had once said he resembled Takeshi Kaneshiro. To let it end like this would be too embarrassing. Gritting his teeth, he chased after her again.

"You ran off a long time ago, and you're still knitting. Where did you go just now? You didn't make a trip to Hongqiao in such a short time, did you?" Zhang Shaoyu mocked. Hongqiao is the name of a regular inn, which they were all familiar with from their middle school days in the county town. The boys liked to take their girlfriends there to rent a room. It was simply because it was cheap; a single room could be had for twenty yuan.

Do you know XXX at the North Gate

I was just about to buy a fountain pen when I passed by the square and saw a group of people fighting. Oh dear, Grandpa, you didn't see it. Those people were really ruthless; they picked up bricks and hit each other, and one of them even had his head smashed open, blood flowing profusely... Zhang Shaoyu felt a bit regretful for initially coming up with such a clichéd excuse, so he had to resort to his usual skill of talking around the subject.

"I wondered all this time why my left eyelid kept twitching; it turns out something good is about to happen." Zhang Shaoyu adjusted his clothes, casually flicking his not-so-long hair, already prepared to take action. At that moment, Liang Jin, who had been silent for a while, spoke up: "Isn't that inappropriate? Just look at all the people in the square; if they think we're hooligans, that would be quite embarrassing." Upon hearing this, Zhang Shaoyu felt displeased. Among the brothers, it was always Liang Jin who talked too much whenever something happened. It wasn't that he was timid; it was just that he tended to think more than others when faced with a situation.

When Zhang Shaoyu and the others finished the battle, reminiscing about the situation just now with a sense of loss, Liu Lei came over with his girlfriend

Suddenly, I spotted a girl with long hair walking towards the northwest corner of the square, wearing a pink tank top and tight jeans. A hint of a smile flashed across her lips, and I quickly nudged Li Dan beside me: "Hey, did you see that? This girl is something else; just look at that figure, it's amazing!"

"Find Mao, we just had a fight, three against five, and those few kids couldn't even fight back." Li Dan seemed to still be somewhat unsatisfied.

Hey, Brother Zhang, where are you running off to?" Li Dan shouted from outside

Li Dan turned around and saw a young man about fifteen or sixteen years old, with long hair, a decent appearance, and dressed quite fashionably. One hand was tucked into the pocket of his jeans, while the other hand was under his nose, sniffing provocatively at him, accompanied by several other young people of similar age behind him. At first glance, they looked like students. Zhang Shaoyu and his friends had grown up in this county town, and now that they were in college, they had come back to have some fun during the summer vacation. While they were mingling in the county town, these young men were probably still in school, being good students.

"Where did you come from? What the hell does it matter to you what I want to do?" Li Dan scolded, with his neck stiffened, completely disregarding the other person. He has a flaw in his character; he judges others based on their appearance. If you look like a criminal in his eyes, he will certainly not give you a pleasant expression.

I am going back; you all can continue playing. Otherwise, my grandfather will start scolding people," Zhang Shaoyu said without turning his head.

"What does it matter if we know each other or not?" Zhang Shaoyu asked, tilting his head as he observed the expression of that young man. He had a very peculiar habit, which Li and Tushudan referred to as abnormal; he enjoyed observing and analyzing the changes in people's expressions and gazes in different situations. This habit seemed to have been with him since he could remember. At this moment, the young man's jaw was visibly twitching, his eyes slightly squinted, and his face was ashen, which was a clear sign of anger. He had a very peculiar habit, which Li and Tushudan referred to as abnormal; he enjoyed observing and analyzing the changes in people's expressions and gazes in different situations. This habit seemed to have been with him since he could remember. At this moment, the young man's jaw was visibly twitching, his eyes slightly squinted, and his face was ashen, which was a clear sign of anger.

"Alright, in a couple of days you will be returning to school, so hurry up and get ready," Grandma came out from the inner room, timely alleviating the situation for Zhang Shaoyu. It was as if he had grasped a lifeline, and Zhang Shaoyu hurriedly dove into his own room. Grandma was extremely fond of this grandson; although she had another grandson, she practically indulged Zhang Shaoyu. In her eyes, whatever her grandson did was right. As long as he didn't commit murder or arson, there was no need to take anything else too seriously. Since he started kindergarten, Zhang Shaoyu had caused countless troubles, but Grandma had always protected him, and this continued even when he went to university.

You are not a child anymore; you are about to graduate from university. How can you still be so irresponsible? Your mother just called and asked how your studies are going. What did you tell your grandfather? That you have failed three courses and need to return to school for make-up exams in the next few days? That your department head personally called home to inform that you often skip classes?" The volume of grandfather's voice grew louder, and Zhang Shaoyu's head lowered further. He always considered himself a good speaker, but when being reprimanded by elders, he never retorted. "That your department head personally called home to inform that you often skip classes?" The volume of grandfather's voice grew louder, and Zhang Shaoyu's head lowered further. He always considered himself a good speaker, but when being reprimanded by elders, he never retorted.

Gently opening the door, Zhang Shaoyu peeked in and saw his grandfather sitting on the sofa watching television. Normally, at this time, his grandfather would be taking a nap, so it seemed that today he could not escape it.

Li Dan is a hot-tempered person. Recently, feeling bored, he has been eagerly looking forward to a fight to stretch his muscles and bones. Finally seizing this opportunity, he has long wanted to rush over and pull that long-haired guy's hair out. Seeing him asking questions here and there, he impatiently scolded: "Why are you acting like a woman? Kid, weren't you just being tough? Come on, you five against our three, the disparity in strength is obvious, so what are you hesitating for? Let's go. Why are you still asking about schools? Are you planning to find a chance to take revenge later?"

Hey! What a strange thing, I have been away for a few years, and how is it that upon my return I keep running into you blind fools? Kid, open your eyes and see clearly who I am? Li Dan said this not as a mere show of bravado; three years ago, the names of the three brothers were quite well-known in the student circles of this county.

"Hey, what are you talking about? Who's the thug here? Have you ever seen such handsome thugs? Li Dan, you go ahead, don't waste that handsome face your mother gave you." Zhang Shaoyu knew that Li Dan was notoriously impulsive; he was most afraid of being provoked. If someone dared to provoke him, he would even go out into the middle of the road to stop a police car.

Grandfather was very angry, his face darkened, and he said sternly: "Still making excuses! Just look at yourself, you have been out for several hours. How did that footprint on your clothes get there? Did you get into a fight with someone again?" Zhang Shaoyu looked down and indeed found a shoe print on his waist. But those guys didn't fight back just now, so how did this footprint come about? Damn, next time I catch those little punks, I will make them sing the national anthem in the park square.

"Hey, I said, brother, what are you chattering about? If you want to fight, come on," Zhang Shaoyu said nonchalantly. For him, fighting used to be as routine as the flag-raising ceremony at school every Monday. But now it was different; it had been a long time since he last fought, and the few of them had almost forgotten what it felt like to have their fists hit someone else's face.

"I f*** your mother!" The young man reacted, cursing before raising his hand to strike. Zhang Shaoyu remained calm, gesturing in a direction and smiling, "Hey, there are police over there. You don't want to have dinner in the detention center, do you?" The young man turned his head to look, and indeed, not far away, two police officers were patrolling. His teeth ground together, veins bulging on his forehead, he pointed at Li Dan's nose and said angrily, "If you have the guts, let's find a place to settle this one-on-one. If you get hurt or crippled, it's on you!" Zhang Shaoyu remained calm, gesturing in a direction and smiling, "Hey, there are police over there. You don't want to have dinner in the detention center, do you?" The young man turned his head to look, and indeed, not far away, two police officers were patrolling. His teeth ground together, veins bulging on his forehead, he pointed at Li Dan's nose and said angrily, "If you have the guts, let's find a place to settle this one-on-one. If you get hurt or crippled, it's on you!"

At that moment, the girl named Zhao Jing remarked, "You all take your time fighting, I am leaving." After saying this, she indeed left her friends behind and walked away

I don't see anything special about your appearance, I don't know you, and I have no interest in getting to know you. Please do not continue to bother my friend, otherwise, do not blame me for being rude! The young man was not one to shy away from trouble; facing Li Dan's fierce gaze, he acted as if he were oblivious. The few young people behind him also stepped forward, adopting a stance of support. Young people care about their reputation; losing their lives is not a concern, but they must maintain their face. Li Dan, while glancing sideways at Zhang Shaoyu and the others, stubbornly said, "Who are you trying to scare? I'm standing right here today; let's see what you dare to do to me!" The young man's expression changed, and he grabbed Li Dan by the collar.

"We just wandered around," Liu Lei said irritably, indicating that he was still brooding over the fact that they had not gotten into a fight earlier

Zhang Shaoyu was dressed in a white casual shirt and jeans, his sharply defined face exuding a sense of cynicism. With his hands in his pockets, his eyes were scanning the passersby, rotating 180 degrees from side to side. Young men in their twenties were particularly drawn to this, much like cats have an innate preference for the smell of fish. The weather today was quite pleasant; the once scorching sun was hiding behind the clouds, reluctant to show itself, and a gentle breeze felt refreshing against the skin. Zhang Shaoyu was out with a few brothers to undertake something they had been discussing for at least two months.

Something has happened, go!" Zhang Shaoyu shouted, throwing away the cigarette in his hand and rushing forward

Liang Jin was tall and robust, with a broad back and strong waist. As soon as he approached, he spread his arms to encircle two individuals, pulling them together with force, causing the two fools to collide with a loud "bang," both clutching their noses and crouching down. The other two, upon seeing Zhang Shaoyu approaching with a brick, felt a wave of fear. One of them turned and ran. Zhang Shaoyu swung the brick, aiming to strike that guy hard. However, he reconsidered; if he brought the brick down, it would surely knock the person down. So, he simply threw the brick aside and charged in barehanded. With a swing of his arm, he struck the guy on the head, causing him to stagger. The other one stood there, unable to run away or take action, left standing there in a daze, at a loss. After taking down one, Zhang Shaoyu turned to the other and said, "What's wrong, buddy, frozen?" After saying this, he swung his arm again, directly knocking him over.

Zhang Shaoyu and Liang Jinyi, who were following behind them, couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this. This kid Li Dan has such a temperament; if things don't go his way after a few words, he immediately starts cursing.

Li Dan showed a look of difficulty; today is the first day of the "Cultural Square" opening, and many people from the county have come to join the excitement. The square is bustling with people, with at least a thousand present, and it would be troublesome if anything were to happen.

"Grandfather," Zhang Shaoyu called out, lowering his head as he walked towards his room

"Not daring to go? Hehe, that doesn't seem like your style. Remember last time when Liang celebrated his birthday, we had a few extra drinks and you ended up kicking over all the trash cans on Renmin Street in the dead of night? That kind of boldness truly earned my respect. Why are you not in the mood today?" This remark was undoubtedly effective, as before he could finish speaking, Li Dan had already staggered over. Zhang Shaoyu excitedly patted Liang Jin on the shoulder: "Hey! There's a good show to watch!" After saying that, he hurriedly followed suit.

This girl is really inconsiderate; people fought for her, and she just turned and walked away, truly ungrateful. Zhang Shaoyu looked at the girl swaying her hips, shook his head, and said with a look of disdain on his face

The young man was gripping Li Dan's collar and about to make a move when Zhang Shaoyu approached and said lightly, "Let go." The young man initially thought that Li Dan was alone, intending to bully him because he was outnumbered. However, upon realizing that there were only three of them, he felt reassured and sneered, "So you have backup, huh? What now, do you want to take us all on together?"

Zhang Shaoyu's face twitched, as if he were the one being hit: "Oh, that was quite a blow." With this sound, at least ten people around simultaneously turned their gazes towards them. Fights among small ruffians are no novelty in the county town; everyone merely regarded it as a spectacle, and no one had any intention of stepping in to mediate.

"I don't know, I'll call you then," Zhang Shaoyu said this as he had already run quite far away.

Which school are you from? That young man is quite cautious; he wants to ascertain the background of his opponent before engaging in a fight

That girl was no pushover either. Upon seeing the little thug reveal his true nature, she also scowled and shouted, "You idiot, who do you think you are? Get lost quickly, or I won't hold back!" Her outburst drew the attention of passersby, who turned to look at them. Li Dan felt embarrassed; he hadn't expected this woman to have such a sharp tongue. Just as he was about to curse, a voice from the side interrupted, "Where did this little thug come from? What do you want?"

Li Dan suddenly became angry: "I said, how can you be so ungrateful, you silly girl? I value you and want to be friends with you. If you looked like a pig and were unappealing, I wouldn't even bother to pay attention to you."

"Young man, remember this: my name is Zhang Shaoyu." Zhang Shaoyu smiled as he patted Chang Mao's face, which had been deformed by Li Dan's punch.

"Hey, MM, are you still studying? Which school do you attend?" Li Dan followed closely behind the girl, incessantly questioning her.

On which date should we report? The brothers will go together

"What are you doing? In broad daylight, do you want to act like a rogue?" The girl stopped, filled with caution. Li Dan, with a playful smile, said, "Don't say that, I just want to be friends with you, it's not that serious. I am not worthy of such an honorable title as a rogue."

Li Dan disdainfully curled her lips and said, "Whatever you want."

"Of course, I would. You are so beautiful; if I don't make a friend with you, I won't know how to explain it when I go back." Li Dan's words were quite straightforward. The girl had actually noticed the two people behind Li Dan long ago, and upon hearing him say this, she understood what was going on. She cast a disdainful glance at him, tossed her small handbag, and turned to leave. Li Dan was momentarily taken aback, shrugged helplessly, and decided to head back.

Zhang Shaoyu stood there in a relaxed manner, wearing a peculiar smile on his face. His appearance was quite ordinary, belonging to the type that could be knocked down by a brick thrown on the street, taking down five or six people. However, once he smiled, the entire impression changed; in Li Dan's words, his smile was truly wicked. Facing a few angry young men, Li Dan and Liang Jin stood on either side of Zhang Shaoyu, with Li Dan's hand resting on his belt. Zhang Shaoyu knew that this belt was specially bought by Li Dan, designed to be easily unbuckled with a pull, making it quite handy. In the past, during fights, this belt had proven its worth, earning Li Dan the nickname 'Pimp'.

Where have you all gone? I have been looking for you everywhere

Upon hearing him say this, the young man’s lips twitched unnaturally. In this county town, one must be particularly vigilant; if one inadvertently provokes the people from the North Gate, it could spell disaster. It is worth noting that the layout of this county town is quite intriguing, as it is enclosed by a square wall, divided into four gates: East, West, South, and North. When small-time thugs introduce themselves, they only mention which gate they are from. It is worth noting that the layout of this county town is quite intriguing, as it is enclosed by a square wall, divided into four gates: East, West, South, and North. When small-time thugs introduce themselves, they only mention which gate they are from. All the young people in the county town are aware that the North Gate has produced several tough characters in the past. Although it seems that they have all gone off to university now, the people from the North Gate still instill a sense of fear in the eyes of these middle school students

"Where did you just run off to? Didn't you say you were going to buy a fountain pen? Let me see it." Although Grandfather's voice was not loud, it carried an air of authority. There was no way around it; as a retired official from the county committee who had started working in the 1950s, this tone of leadership was likely something he would never change.

The girl frowned in disgust: "Who wants to be friends with you? Don't follow me anymore, or I won't be polite to you!"

The young man let out a cold laugh, not angry at all, and asked the child in a friendly manner: "Zhao Jing, what happened? How did you run into these little rascals?" It turned out that the child's name was Zhao Jing. While he remained calm, Li Dan was indeed furious; that kid clearly disregarded him, treating him as if he did not exist. This attitude was something he could never swallow.

Li Dan rushed towards the girl, calling out loudly behind her: "Hey! What’s your name?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Shaoyu quickly turned to leave. This guy really has a one-track mind; who is so direct? The girl was startled by the sudden loud voice behind her and was about to react when she turned around and saw that it was a handsome guy. Her tone softened: "Is it necessary to tell you?" With just one sentence, she pushed Li Dan back. This guy is really clueless; when asked like that, he didn’t know what to say next. He glanced back at Zhang Shaoyu and Liang Jin, who were pretending to be engaged in conversation, completely ignoring him. Damn, how ungrateful. But there was no way out; the words had already been spoken, and the show had to go on. So, he blurted out something particularly cheesy, almost begging for a slap: "Shall we be friends?"

The young lady seemed to be amused by his antics, and with a smile that was neither fully a smile nor a frown, she asked, "Is this really necessary?"

Zhang Shaoyu is a third-year student in the Department of Computer Science at Southwest University of Information Technology. It is all his fault for not being ambitious enough, as he did not get into a key university. Originally, a leader from a prestigious university, who was an old subordinate of his grandfather, was prepared to help him gain admission through connections. However, this foolish boy unexpectedly responded indifferently, saying, "What’s so great about key universities? I’m not impressed at all"

Li Dan had striking features, with red lips and white teeth, resembling a delicate young man. Upon hearing Zhang Shaoyu's words, he followed the direction of his finger and looked over. Oh, indeed, it was quite impressive. He nodded and said, "Tsk tsk, truly exceptional."

"Fountain pen," Grandfather raised his voice and said, having been fooled a few times, this trick seems to no longer work.

Zhang Shaoyu smiled. The person he mentioned had often followed him closely three years ago, offering cigarettes and money as a form of respect. Over the past two years, it seems that this person has been doing quite well in the county, having taken on a role as a brother.