Chapter Eighteen: The Eve of Parting (II)

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  Neither side is willing to give in.

  "Alright." Old Cow finally stood up and said, "It seems that it can't be helped! To be honest, starting a business is better than working for others. With our brothers working together, we will definitely achieve something! Consider this money as borrowed from you, and we'll return it when we make some. Grandma's, in this day and age, there are still people forcing others to give them money!"

  Everyone burst out laughing and scolded the old cow for being shameless. After a commotion, the monkey asked: "When are you leaving?"

  "En, about a month or so, these days are spent on visa application and their business has not been finalized yet. Later I will go to school for off-campus internship, this graduation certificate is still needed, after all it's a witness of my several years!"

  Everyone laughed and said "When the time comes, we'll also be discharged from the hospital and go to the airport to see you off! Earn all the foreigners' money!"

  "Great! Whoever doesn't send me off will be in trouble!" Everyone burst out laughing, and the gloom of the past few days was finally lifted.

  After leaving the hospital, I took a taxi directly to school. Anyway, Hei Xiong and Cai Dao gave me quite a bit of "pocket money", as a mercenary, I definitely wouldn't lack money to spend, no need to save for them. Besides, this injury hasn't fully recovered yet! How could I bear to squeeze onto a public bus? The taxi quickly left the city area and soon stopped at the school gate. After getting out of the car, looking at the campus where I had lived for four years, which was extremely familiar, I couldn't help but sigh. The pig-like school life is gone from me, one month later, waiting for me is another kind of life that I dare not imagine.

  First went to the college supermarket to buy a pen and a stack of letter paper, walked into the library to write an off-campus internship application. Then ran to the head teacher's office, after dealing with the old class, then it was the complicated and cumbersome departure procedures, I ran so much that I was drenched in sweat. My poor wound that hadn't healed yet was soaked in sweat, hurting to death, could only silently curse the school for being worthless.

  Gritting my teeth and going all out, I finally completed the necessary procedures. Back in the dormitory, I packed a few clothes, and threw away everything else in the dormitory. Turning back to take one last look at the dormitory that had accompanied me for four years, leaving behind countless laughter and unforgettable friendships. Locking the door and leaving school, returning to the underground room in the residential area.

  The black bear is practicing boxing, with his gloved hands quickly and heavily hitting the sandbag, which weighs tens of kilograms, like a small boat in a stormy sea. I'm afraid that the creaking chain will not be able to withstand it and break off. Fortunately, I didn't fight him, or else I would have been knocked out by his bear paws and wouldn't have gotten up for a week.

  The knife told me that the school things have been handled, and threw me a few forms to fill out. The whole page of English made me stare blankly, what is this written? The knife looked at my bewildered face, and had no choice but to help me translate. As I filled it out, he muttered to himself: "You don't even know this English, what kind of university student are you!"

  I feel a burning sensation on my face, I hate English the most, and I've never studied it seriously. I learn a little and forget a little, now I'm afraid I can only say good morning, good evening, nice to meet you, doggy bow wow and so on. Looking at this English form, a big problem is in front of me: English is an internationally used language, and it must be the same in the mercenary group. Moreover, we have to go to the US military base for training, how can I communicate with others if my English is so poor?

  The chef listened to my question and said with a look of disdain: "Study! Not only must you study English, but also at least two languages from Western or Middle Eastern countries, it's a rule."

  "Damn it," I muttered under my breath, wiping away the sweat on my face. "Looks like we have to learn three languages... being a mercenary isn't easy either!"

  The next day, I bought several English textbooks and boarded the long-distance bus back home. Six hours later, I arrived at my doorstep. I didn't call home before arriving, so my family was surprised to see me return, but then they were very happy and went to cook for me. The feeling of being at home is great, no need to think about anything in the world, just warmth.

  I told my family I was going to the US for the same reason, and my dad looked up the company online and found out it was real through his connections. After considering it for a while, he finally agreed. In his opinion, such an opportunity wasn't something you could easily get, and in life, there were only a few chances like this. Working abroad was better than working in some domestic factory getting covered in dust and oil. The path had been paved by my parents, but how I mixed it up was my own business.

  I spent the last month enjoying a carefree holiday at home, and the time flew by quickly. These days I've been staying at home every day to make up for my English studies. If only I had this kind of studying mindset from the beginning, which school wouldn't I be able to get into? Unfortunately, my foundation is really poor, and a month's time was just enough to pick up the basics that I had already forgotten in Java. Looking back, I found my old English books and reviewed them again. Simple conversations are no problem now.

  Sitting in the car away from home, my heart is filled with the bitterness of parting. My family's few words of advice keep echoing in my mind: be broad-minded and value harmony, never be a leader or a coward. Don't do anything that will bring shame to our family, and don't learn bad habits from others. You have your skills to protect yourself, which makes us feel at ease, but it's easy to avoid open attacks while hidden dangers are hard to guard against. This world is too complicated, so always be cautious and leave some room for maneuvering in all things.

  A month's time had passed and the wounds on my body had completely healed. Fortunately, I was very careful at home and hid well, so my family didn't discover anything. After getting off the car, I first returned to the basement to find Hei Xiong and Cai Dao. The two of them found out that everything was already taken care of, then told me that tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock we would depart for America. I nodded in agreement, telling them I had to go back to school for a bit, and again asked them for some money. Then I took a taxi back to school to find my brothers who had already been discharged from the hospital and returned to school. Everyone was discussing what to do with that 100,000 yuan.

  I told everyone that I'm going to the US tomorrow, then made a few phone calls and invited a large group of friends. We booked a small restaurant outside school and had a big feast. Listening to everyone's blessings, my heart could only secretly sigh in sorrow. This trip is really risking my life!

  At the banquet, she led her dormitory sisters to rush over with wine glasses. Busy and dizzy, I didn't notice her standing behind me until Old Niu kicked my foot. She happily raised her glass and smiled: "Congratulations, you're going abroad! Don't forget us when you've made it!"

  The old cow was happily thinking of interrupting, I took a look at this kid and knew he was going to be unreasonable, without waiting for him to speak, I kicked him aside with one foot, raised my cup and clinked it against hers, saying "How could I possibly forget..." and downed the drink in one gulp, then was pulled away by other classmates.

  That night, I got drunk and was completely out of it. In a daze, I seemed to feel myself crying, but didn't know where I was, surrounded by darkness and emptiness, with only me holding a cup of white wine, silently swallowing my tears. It wasn't until the next day when I was woken up that I realized I had fallen asleep in my dorm bed still wearing my clothes. After hastily washing up, I rushed to the airport under the watchful eyes of my roommates.

  When she arrived, many classmates were already standing in the waiting hall, and she was also there...

  Black Bear and Kitchen Knife were chatting and laughing surrounded by their classmates, looking at these two mercenaries who had killed countless people standing there in their neat suits and elegant demeanor, I couldn't help but feel a chill. The ancestors said it right, you really can't judge people by their appearance!

  Everyone saw me coming and suddenly swarmed around me.

  The current me...

  Wearing a T-shirt that's already gotten a bit dirty, wrinkled jeans with a few drops of last night's sauce still on them. The crowd lets out a chorus of snickers, and I awkwardly tug at my clothes, not knowing what to say. This isn't my fault, though - after getting drunk like that yesterday, I didn't even change out of my clothes before going to bed, and all my luggage is still in the storage room downstairs, so it's not like I had a choice. Considering the circumstances, this is already pretty clean!

  After laughing and joking with classmates for a while, it was time to board the plane. Taking the simple luggage and ticket from Hei Xiong's hand, I waved goodbye to everyone, took one last glance at her in the crowd, nodded, and walked into the gate. From the corner of my eye, I seemed to see someone's eyes welling up with tears, but I didn't dare look closely, and turned away, trying hard to hold myself back. Who was it? Her? Or my roommates?

  Crossing over is another beginning of fate.

  The plane slowly climbed into the air and soon rose above the clouds. The excitement of taking a plane for the first time gradually faded, and when I turned my head to see that both "human traffickers" were snoring loudly, I also adjusted my posture and closed my eyes.

  After more than a dozen hours of flying, the plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport. I followed Heibao and Caidao off the plane and stepped onto foreign soil.