Chapter 17: What am I, Pan An, afraid of with Deng Xiaowan?

  "So now you can only compete with these few pieces of rotten wood, so you can't become a king or a Li, because the goal you set for yourself is too low, it's not enough to let you play out your life's full potential. If I were you, I would establish such an ideal: strategize in the tent, indulge in mountains and rivers, moonlight, make a name for myself in various academic forums, and finally hide in the market, read Taibai, do Yuanming, white-haired without regret, until the ancient Buddha's green lamp, residual volume ash. That is your kind of temperament, the ultimate goal of life."

  Ye Haodong said, not even looking at Song Shicai who was full of surprise. He turned his head and stared at Song Chao Du who was also somewhat surprised, continuing the topic: "If I were you, with a steel city's richest old dad and a deputy-level old mom, I would establish such an ideal: to be a man like Pan Rui Deng Xiao Xian - young and rich, handsome and sentimental, words sweeter than honey, charming countless girls to compete for my favor, endless hugs and cuddles, uncountable romantic nights, who cares if it's syphilis or gonorrhea in the end? There are antibiotics to protect me. Even if I lose all my skills and die penniless, as long as I've lived a happy life and brought happiness to others, isn't that great? Why bother with your current detestable appearance, unloved by everyone, forever stuck in this hopeless situation?"

  Song Chao Du had a rough idea. Young people are very sensitive to sex, and Song Chao Du, due to his superior family conditions and his own wealth, had indeed attracted several beautiful girls before he came in, but unfortunately, he was only 15 years old at that time and didn't understand the subtleties of it all. Now, being trapped in this juvenile detention center for four years, he had learned about the wonders of sex through various channels, and hearing phrases like "casting sheep's eyes" and "a night of love", how could he not be moved?

  He tried to maintain a consistent gloomy tone, but his voice couldn't hide the awkwardness: "The middle few sentences sounded pretty good, but the later ones didn't sound so great. It's quite interesting though. The only thing is that I was confused by the sentence 'Pan Lü Deng Xiao Xian' at the beginning. Yehao Dong, can you tell me what the hell it means?"

  Then Ye Haodong told him about the story of Wang Po pointing out Ximen Qing's affair with Pan Jinlian in Water Margin.

  Song Chao's expression suddenly turned gloomy: "What you're saying now is all hot air, I've been here for four years already. Initially, I was sentenced to twenty years because the incident was too big and resulted in loss of life, with extremely bad influence, it's a top-heavy crime. Even my dad could only get me a few more years before going back to prison; you also know what impression those leaders at the juvenile detention center have of me. Originally, my dad planned to get them to give me a good evaluation to help me apply for commutation of sentence, but after finding them several times, it turned out that those two were unyielding and wouldn't agree no matter how much money was given; damn! By the time I finish serving these twenty years, I'll be almost forty, still like Xi Menqing Deng Xiaoxian, 'unprecedented' and 'unequaled' are about right."

  Ye Haodong's face was expressionless: "If you always think like this, twenty years will be too little. With your attitude, something will go wrong sooner or later, and when that happens, your sentence will be increased to life imprisonment."

  Song Chao's brain is the most useful among these four people, and he heard a different meaning from Ye Haodong's words: "You mean that if I behave well now, you can help me speak beautifully in front of Qi like you did for Zhang Shaowei?"

  Dongzi Ge's words in front of Qi Suo are quite effective now, and have already spread throughout the Shaoguan Department. Song Chao Du had always been disdainful of this before, but now he is taking it seriously with a mixture of trust and doubt.

  Ye Haodong: "Actually, Qi Suo and others have also talked to you about letting you reform properly before, right?"

  "Uh-huh, that's what happened. At the time, I also agreed, but I couldn't help myself. I was honest for a few days, but then I lost control and knocked out Chang Lao Er's teeth. If my dad hadn't found someone to clear things up, those two might have sent me to jail."

  Ye Haodong: "When you can't help but want to beat someone up, come find me and I'll accompany you in a fight. I can also tell you about the story of Jin Ping Mei. Afraid that Song Chao wouldn't understand, he added another sentence: It's the story of Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian. With a sly smile, he continued: If I were you, even if there was just a tiny bit of hope, I would put in 100% effort. The good times in life only last about twenty years, are you really going to waste them all in prison?"

  Song Dynasty nodded: "Alright, I'll give it a try, but you have to help me with the Qi family's side."

  Ye Haodong: "A promise is a promise."

  "Remember, if you want to hit someone, come find me, I'll accompany you to vent your anger anytime."

  Song Dynasty looked at Zhang Shao Wei's thick arms and the just-swollen chin opposite him: "I won't find Yang Jun Hu, nor will I find you."

  When it comes to Yang Junhu, Ye Haodong's gaze shifts to Yang Junhu's face. This guy looks rough and unrefined, but is actually the only one among the Four Great Kings who is not yet eighteen years old. He is also the only one who has no connections outside, having grown up in an orphanage since childhood.

  Yang Junhu's notorious reputation today is largely due to his own despicable character. The mistakes he made are also the most pitied by others, as he has a sister named Fan Xue who grew up with him in an orphanage since childhood and is the most important person in his life. This is a clichéd, annoying yet brutally realistic story.

  That year, Yang Junhu was 14 years old and had grown tall and strong. Fan Xue was two years older than him, but they were not biological siblings, more like close siblings. It was the prime of their youth, and they were warm and lovely. During an outing activity at the orphanage, a "philanthropist" who had just donated money to the orphanage took a liking to Fan Xue and wanted to adopt her as his own daughter. He even promised to support her education and send her abroad for further studies. When the news spread throughout the orphanage, everyone was thrilled for her. The day she left, Yang Junhu was the one who found it hardest to let go. She worried that without her, Little Tiger would get into trouble; she worried that he wouldn't have enough food, and others wouldn't save half a bowl of rice for him like she did at every meal. But she was also extremely happy, thinking that after she graduated and got a job, she could take care of Little Tiger and everything would get better. Yang Junhu was also very happy that day, having heard many good things about the wealthy man from the deputy director. He thought to himself that his sister would have a great life ahead of her, wearing beautiful clothes and attending school, and he genuinely felt happy for her.

  But what happened later drove the young Yang Junhu completely crazy. That night, Yang Junhu was woken up in his bed and told that his sister Fan Xue had fallen from the fifth floor of the hotel and was now being rescued in hospital.

  The incident wasn't complicated. The 'philanthropist' had a bit to drink that day, and under the influence of alcohol, he tore off his hypocritical mask and attempted to rape the little girl. The terrified little girl struggled free and ran away, falling from the balcony railing in the process.

  Of course, this was the truth that Yang Junhu later learned from a hotel service staff member. What he first knew was that his sister had taken a liking to the philanthropist's money and proposed to accompany him as a condition of her advancement. However, the philanthropist disagreed, and during their argument, his sister unexpectedly fell from the upstairs floor. This statement was unbelievable to Yang Junhu, and he did not think his sister would do such a thing. So he quietly left the orphanage and wandered outside for three days before finally learning the truth from a hotel service staff member who happened to be on duty that day and witnessed the whole process. The service staff member initially didn't want to say anything but couldn't withstand Yang Junhu's sincere pleas, and thinking that Yang was just a 14-year-old kid who wouldn't cause much trouble, he told him everything.

  That night, Yang Junhu hid a sharp knife and sneaked into the hotel, but what he waited for was the news that the man had already left Steel City. So Yang Junhu thought of the second person responsible for this matter, Vice President Gu Mingjun. Later, things were simple, Gu Mingjun was stabbed thirteen times by Yang Junhu, but fortunately did not die. Yang Junhu hated him extremely, as soon as he saw him, he took out his knife and stabbed him, only to remember later that he wanted to ask for the name and address of that "philanthropist". Because the adopter's information is usually kept confidential by the orphanage, generally only the person in charge knows. All the adoption procedures for Fan Xue were handled by Gu Mingjun alone. Gu Mingjun suffered severe bleeding, fell into a coma on the bed for three months, and when he woke up, Yang Junhu had already been arrested and was in juvenile detention. So until now, Yang Junhu still does not know what that person's name is or who he is.

  This matter had been weighing on his mind for three years, causing him to feel depressed and anxious, adding to the frustration in his heart. Originally, he was a hot-headed person, so it was easy for him to get into trouble. In the juvenile detention center, he encountered many people who were eager to provoke him, but due to his physical condition and intense training, he was invincible every time he faced such challenges, earning him the nickname "Four Great Kings". Among the four of them, he was the only one who relied on his fists to gain a reputation in the underworld. Ye Haodong only needed one sentence to make Yang Junhu submit: "If you can get out within five years, I'll help you find that person and hand him over to you personally, for you to deal with as you please!"

  Yang Junhu's sentence is eight years, he has served three years, which means that as long as he serves the remaining five years without adding a penalty, Ye Haodong will help him achieve his wish.

  After dealing with Yang Junhu, it's Chen Hong's turn next.

  This guy is the most overrated among the Four Heavenly Kings. The reason he was able to "join the immortal ranks" is mainly because he once gave Song Dynasty a big slap in the face, and the latter initially refused to give up, but after being notified by his mother to come over once, he became tame and never dared to challenge Chen Hong again.

  What he did would have been at least twenty years' imprisonment if it were an adult - playing with guns, hurting people, either one of these things alone is no big deal, but when combined, they cannot be taken lightly. Huaxia Country is a country with strict gun control, and individuals who possess firearms without a license will be sentenced to prison. Chen Hong not only stole the rifle from the guard post at his home but also caused harm to others. It's said that he deceived the soldier on duty and took out the assault rifle from the sentry box. During the test firing, a stray bullet accidentally injured an old revolutionary who was herding sheep one kilometer away. The old man had fought in the War of Resistance against Japan, the Liberation War, and the Korean War, and had been awarded two First-Class Merits, but his body didn't have a single gunshot wound. He never thought that after the revolution succeeded and he had sat securely in power for many years, he would be shot by a young whippersnapper! In his rage, he ordered the duty soldier to bring Chen Hong over and wanted to severely punish him without leniency! However, in the end, he still let it go because Chen Hong's deceased grandfather was an old comrade-in-arms. The old man didn't take it too seriously but also didn't simply let Chen Hong off easy. After thinking for a long time, he finally thought of a way to send this young whippersnapper to the juvenile reform school for discipline. Thus, Chen Hong became the only youth offender who entered the East District Juvenile Reform School through the back door since its establishment.

  Chen Hong saw that the next one was about to arrive, and before Ye Haodong could speak, he took the initiative: "I still have a few months left, my dad is a big shot in the army, with a major general rank, and he's on good terms with our city mayor. Before and after the New Year, I'll be able to return from abroad, so I won't need your help at that time. Besides, I'm not someone who likes to cause trouble. However, I do want to hear what kind of ideal you would establish if you were in my shoes."

  Ye Haodong smiled brightly and said, "If I were you, with a father who is a rising star in the military with unlimited prospects, and a family background that's deeply rooted, I would definitely strive to be a man who can hold his cup in the grand hall, shock the world with one word, wear a crown of glory in the capital city, make my name known throughout the land, and make petty people jealous, treacherous parties resentful, and even make life and death change color for me!"

  Song Dynasty asked: "You've said enough about us, what kind of person do you want to become?"