Insufficient balance

  His father gazed out the window at the bright moon, lost in thought. After a long while, he let out a deep sigh. It was the first time I saw him show his weak side, and in that instant, he seemed to have aged ten years. Even his body, which had always been as straight and proud as a spear, now appeared slightly bent.

  "Get out, get out of my sight and never come back. Do whatever you want from now on, but starting today, I am no longer your father and I won't ask about any of your affairs again." The father threw Yun Ying's clothes at her, turned his head and coldly said: "Change into your own clothes and leave this place immediately!"

  "Dad......!" Wan Ying let out a mournful cry and collapsed softly onto the ground.

  "Nothing more to say!" Father waved his hand without looking back: "I, Fu Honghua, have lived a bright and upright life, not ashamed of the heavens above or the earth below. Even if I dare not say that my name will be remembered for generations, at least I am not ashamed of the useful body given to me by my parents. Yin Xue, I had placed so much hope and effort on you, hoping that you could continue the pride and dignity of a soldier, but what have you done now? What qualifications do people like you, who can't even conquer your own desires, have to become my child?"

  I slowly knelt down in front of him and knocked three loud heads on the ground, "Dad, take care!"

  Blood and tears pounded the carpet simultaneously, making a "puffing" sound. Father's tall body trembled slightly, but he still didn't turn his head around.

  With my uninjured right arm around Wan Ying, the moment I walked out of the bedroom, I felt a flash in front of my eyes, and Wan Ying and I had already been photographed.

  An officer cautiously walked to the outer edge of the life-and-death line drawn by Liu Mu with a submachine gun, saluted us: "I am Captain Zhang Tie of the 110 Rapid Response Team in Xiaodian District. We received a report from the masses that there was a gunshot here, and it is our duty to enter the house for inspection. Please assist us in the investigation."

  Upon hearing the commotion, Father slowly emerged from the bedroom. Zhang Tie's gaze immediately fell upon the gun in Father's hand, then shifted to my shoulder wound, which was still seeping blood despite being bandaged. His eyes darted back and forth, lost in thought.

  I walked up to my father, slowly taking the heavy handgun from his hand, touching his icy skin, and I only felt a sour nose. This might be the last time in my life that I stand so close in front of this man I respect the most. Turning my head to look at Zhang Tie, I said coldly: "If you made a mistake, you should punish yourself, this is the tacit understanding and rule between us father and son. If you want to know why there was a gunshot just now, then open your eyes wide and take a good look, I can demonstrate it again for you right now!"

  I reversed the muzzle and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger against my right shoulder.

  Blood flowers and a few screams rose from the house at the same time, I never knew that after being shot twice, I could still stand upright. I stared at Zhang Tie and roared: "Now you see clearly, is there anything else we need to assist with in the investigation? If not, please get out!"

  Looking at the big boy in front of him, who was covered in blood and had a desperate aura on his face, Zhang Tie, who had once fought unarmed against two knife-wielding thugs and brought them to justice, involuntarily took a step back. The kind of mournful and frenzied gaze made him think of a wild wolf that had received a fatal wound.

  Look at the boy in front of him, his face twisted in agony, and then look again at the special forces soldier holding an MP50 submachine gun, ready to unleash a bloodbath at any moment. Add to that the elder who exudes an aura of majesty just by standing there quietly, Zhang Tie hesitated for a moment, saluted, and then led his men away in silence.

  "Who needs him to help me? I, Fu Honghua, will never accept anyone's kindness for no reason. Little Liu, you send him to the hospital, and once he recovers from his injuries, kick him out immediately..." These were the last few words I heard before losing consciousness.

  I should perhaps be grateful that Liu Mu Shi used special bullets that could penetrate level 4 bulletproof vests, so at least I didn't have to go through the pain of having the bullet extracted in the operating room. Having been thrown into the army for steel education many times, I had a strong physique, and two days later I woke up from my coma, with even the doctors exclaiming it was a miracle.

  When I woke up, I found myself lying in a special care ward. Liu Mushi was smiling at me. I had never known that this man with facial lines harder than granite could smile. He punched me heavily on the body and casually said: "What a miracle! The two shots you took are just minor injuries that don't hurt much, neither breaking bones nor disabling your limbs. After resting for three to five weeks, you should be as energetic as before!"

  "Haha......" I couldn't help but shake my head and smile wryly. I'm a patient now, after all. He's a super pervert who can chop nine red bricks with one palm, yet his hands are so heavy-handed.

  "I can't accept your behavior towards your own sister, but at the same time I have to admit that you're a real man!" Liu Mu Shi looked into my eyes, and for the first time, there was no disdain in them. "Usually, you always pester me to teach you martial arts and firearms, although I acknowledge that you have great talent and work hard during training, but I still thought you just wanted to learn some superficial skills to show off in front of girls. But until yesterday, I realized that you actually have the potential to become a true soldier!"

  "First of all, you're ruthless enough to shoot yourself without hesitation or any qualms in order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for your father. Moreover, you're strong enough to remain standing even when you're on the verge of passing out, exuding a chilly aura that only warriors possess, making me cautious enough to approach you with trepidation after triple-checking. I have to admit, you possess nerves of steel that surpass those of us professional soldiers!"

  "If you want to laugh, then laugh with all your might. Originally, no matter how hard I tried, you would never praise me. But now, I can responsibly say that you're really great, and I believe you can withstand any blow!" Liu Mushi handed me a morning newspaper, saying proudly: "From the moment I stepped out of this door, you and your father are officially estranged, whether you're alive or dead. Don't expect to get any help or support from him again. I hope that one day you'll still be able to stand in front of us and tell your father that although you've made mistakes, you can still become a pride of his military career, a true hero!"

  Patting my shoulder, Liu Mu Shi walked out of the ward with his usual pace. After listening to his footsteps fade away, I slowly unfolded the newspaper by biting one corner with my teeth, and was shocked by what I saw. On the front page of the morning paper, there was a large color photo, which was taken when Yanying and I came out of the bedroom that night. At that time, Yanying had been scared to death, and I could only hold her tightly in my arms. With our disheveled clothes, anyone with a little imagination could come up with dozens of exciting scenarios about us.

  On the photo, there is a line of blood-red title: Yesterday's fighting heroes, how to face today's children who have suffered a tragic event?

  The reporter of this article, with a lengthy and tedious narrative of over a thousand words, recounted the father's life achievements, adding bold assumptions and presumptuous reasoning, cleverly "reconstructing" everything that happened that night, including the two gunshots that echoed throughout the residential area, and Liu Mu Shi using an MP50 submachine gun to fight off more than a dozen 110 police officers.

  Attached to this report is a lawyer's letter signed by the father, solemnly declaring to society that he has severed his father-son (daughter) relationship with Fu Yuxue and Fu Wanying.

  This newspaper has completely pushed me to a dead end. From today on, in this city, I only have one friend and relative left, which is my younger sister Wan Ying.