Chapter 120

“You two, why are you only just arriving now?” Zheng Fang complained to Tan Yunlong and Tan Wenbin, her hands full of bags.

Her long-distance bus had arrived a while ago, and she had been waiting here for quite some time, annoyed by the persistent questions from illegal taxi drivers trying to solicit passengers.

Tan Yunlong said, “I arrived at your son’s dorm building at noon.”

Zheng Fang asked, “Was our son not in his dorm?”

“He was, and I happened to see him come out.”

“Then you...”

“After he came out, he went for a meal and a walk with a girl, so I waited for him to return.”

“Then you... you definitely should have waited.”

Zheng Fang patted Tan Wenbin, who was loading his luggage into the car, and asked, “Son, what kind of girl is she? Tell Mom about her.”

“Mom, it’s not what you’re thinking; we’re just friends.”

“Don’t couples just start out as friends before things ‘degenerate’?”

“Mom, how can you say that? Can’t there be pure friendships between boys and girls?”

“Is the girl very ugly?”

“Mom, it’s really nothing. The bags are loaded, let’s get in the car. Dad, drive quickly. Let’s take Comrade Zheng Fang to a restaurant for a good meal to welcome her!”

“What restaurant? You’ve already eaten, haven’t you? Let’s go back to your dad’s assigned place first. I can tidy up for him; he lives alone, who knows what kind of pigsty he’s created.”

“Exactly, exactly!” Tan Wenbin immediately chimed in. “Mom, you don’t know how messy Dad is. It’s only because it’s not cold yet. If it were winter, he could wear a pair of smelly socks until they became stiff as a truncheon.”

Tan Yunlong, who was driving, glared at his son through the rearview mirror, then said:

“I can’t live without your mom in this life. I have her to take care of me anyway, but what about you?”

“Exactly, son, where’s that girl from?”

“Mom...”

Tan Yunlong said, “She’s also from Nantong.”

Zheng Fang clapped her hands. “That’s great! They can travel home together during holidays, and after graduation, whether they stay in Jinling or go back to Nantong to develop their careers, it’ll be convenient.”

Tan Wenbin leaned his forehead against the car window, feeling a bit helpless.

Zheng Fang continued to ask, “Where in Nantong is she from? The city proper, Tongzhou, or Rugao-Haian?”

Tan Yunlong replied, “Shigang.”

“Ha!” Zheng Fang laughed out loud. “Good, son, try your best to get her...”

At this point, Zheng Fang stopped, looked at her husband who was driving, and asked, “Zhou Yunyun?”

Tan Yunlong rolled down the car window, ready to light a cigarette to refresh himself. He had stayed up late last night to finish his work, freeing up today for a day off to pick up his wife.

He felt for his cigarette pack; it was empty.

Tan Wenbin leaned forward, put a cigarette into his father’s mouth, and then placed the nearly full pack into his father’s jacket pocket.

Tan Yunlong glanced at his son with a hint of surprise, then silently lit the cigarette.

“Is it Zhou Yunyun, is it?” Zheng Fang lightly patted her husband’s seat back.

Tan Yunlong exhaled the smoke out the car window and said nothing more.

Tan Wenbin could only reply, “Yes, it’s Zhou Yunyun. We had a reunion of old classmates today, just a normal gathering of people from the same hometown having a meal together.”

“Just a reunion meal? Did that girl specially come to your school? And waited for you downstairs at your dorm? Son, it’s not like your mom has never been young before.”

“Mom, why did you bring so much stuff?”

“This time, Zhou Yunyun’s mom also asked me to bring some clothes and food for her, and I added a bit myself. I was planning to take it to her school when I had time, but this is even better, son, you can take it to her.”

When Tan Wenbin was in his third year of high school, Zheng Fang overheard a conversation between father and son and learned that her son’s relationship with their class monitor was somewhat unusual. She then found a way to get to know Zhou Yunyun’s mother.

Shigang was just a town; at the end of the day, it was only so big, so it wasn’t difficult to specifically get to know someone.

Zhou Yunyun was an only child, and both her parents worked at a town textile factory. They were a very down-to-earth couple.

Once they got acquainted, when Zheng Fang mentioned that her son was in the same class as their daughter, the couple immediately showed resistance and distance.

Girls from the countryside generally married early, but they hoped their daughter would get into university and have a good future and career development, so they didn’t pursue that possibility.

Zheng Fang was also just not busy and too idle at work, and later her son mostly lived at Grandpa Li’s house, so she let the matter drop. After that, it became something they remembered during holidays, with both families exchanging gifts, neither truly relatives nor truly friends.

After both children got into university, Zhou Yunyun’s parents’ attitude immediately changed, becoming proactive and enthusiastic.

Many parents in China strictly guard against early relationships before the college entrance exam, but as soon as the exam is over, they start pushing for marriage.

Before, their daughter’s male high school classmates were “detestable scoundrels,” but now her male high school classmates are “childhood sweethearts.”

The old Tan family’s conditions in the town were considered quite respectable. If the two children could get together, both families would know each other well, and even from their own perspective, it would benefit their future retirement.

“That particular suitcase, the one with the pull handle and wheels, your mom personally picked it out at the city department store, and I even put some cartoon stickers on it. You can take it to Zhou Yunyun later.”

“Mom, what about my suitcase?”

“What do you need a suitcase for? Work hard and try to put your stuff together when you go home, so the two of you can push just one suitcase back.”

Tan Yunlong said, “Alright, the children have their own thoughts about their affairs.”

“You shut up! If our son had your ambition from back then, would I need to worry about not getting Zhou Yunyun as my daughter-in-law?”

Tan Yunlong honked twice and overtook the tractor in front.

When they arrived at Tan Yunlong’s unit apartment, it wasn’t large, but it had three bedrooms and a living room, which was considered quite good.

Originally, as someone transferred from out of town, and with Tan Yunlong being too lazy to network, this apartment wouldn’t have been allocated so quickly. However, he had accumulated too many merits recently, receiving commendations every now and then, and his superiors repeatedly expressed concern about his living arrangements.

Entering the apartment, Zheng Fang said with some surprise, “I didn’t expect it to be quite clean.”

Tan Wenbin glanced around the living room and said, “My dad has never actually lived here.”

Zheng Fang immediately looked at Tan Yunlong. “Do you usually just sleep in the office to make do?”

Tan Yunlong chuckled, “This apartment is too big. Without you at home, I’m just too lazy to come back.”

Zheng Fang reached out and playfully punched her husband.

Tan Wenbin rolled his eyes.

Sometimes he admired his dad’s methods. When he was busy with cases, he was often not home, and he even managed to get his job transferred from the city to a rural police station. Yet, he still maintained a good marital relationship with Comrade Zheng Fang. In any other family, the home would have fallen apart long ago.

Indeed, no one had lived in the apartment, and there weren’t many groceries. Zheng Fang took out the fried dough twists she brought from home.

She broke them apart into three bowls, then, after boiling water, added some brown sugar and let them soak until they puffed up.

The family of three sat at the table and had a simple meal.

Next, came a thorough cleaning of the apartment. Tan Wenbin also helped, and his quick and nimble work truly surprised his parents.

Zheng Fang couldn’t help but tease, “Tan Yunlong, look how clumsy you are with these chores, and then look at your son’s efficiency! Son, when did you learn to do all this?”

Tan Wenbin replied while washing the rag, “I didn’t learn; I just see what needs to be done.”

Over the past year, Grandpa Li’s family raised two mules. One was named Runsheng, and the other Zhuangzhuang.

Tan Yunlong nodded and said, “That’s good. This way you can take better care of Xiaoyuan. Your son is benefiting from Xiaoyuan’s presence; the two of them share a large, very spacious dorm room.”

“Brother Xiaoyuan doesn’t need my care; we take turns cleaning.”

After the apartment was cleaned, Tan Wenbin went with Zheng Fang to buy groceries. By the time dinner was ready, it was completely dark, and the family of three officially had their first reunion dinner in Jinling.

After dinner, it was too late, so Tan Wenbin didn’t go back to school. He showered at home and went to bed.

Early in the morning, both father and son woke up early.

They heated up last night’s leftovers in a pot, added some pickled vegetables brought from home, and that was breakfast.

“Let’s go. I’ll drop you off at school, then head to the bureau.”

After getting into the car, Tan Wenbin patted the seat and asked, “Captain Tan, isn’t this using a public vehicle for personal use?”

“I paid for the gas myself.”

While driving, Tan Yunlong lit a cigarette and said, “Let your mom say what she wants. Your affairs are still up to you to decide. As parents, the most we’ll do is back you up; we won’t interfere with your life.”

“Understood.”

The car stopped at the school gate, and Tan Wenbin got out.

Tan Yunlong said, “The suitcase.”

Tan Wenbin replied, “Haha, I intentionally didn’t bring it down from the apartment.”

Tan Yunlong said, “Hmm, I intentionally brought it down from the apartment and put it in the trunk.”

“Dad, does this still count as me deciding my own affairs?”

“When parents say nice things, you actually believe them?”

“Alright, drive safely.”

Tan Wenbin dragged a suitcase covered in cartoon patterns through the campus. Although it was the weekend, there were quite a few people, drawing considerable attention.

Along the way, he encountered a group of young men wearing white shirts with ties dangling, deliberately tearing open their collars to reveal large areas of skin below their necks.

When they walked, their hands were in their pockets, bodies leaning forward, walking on their tiptoes. Every few steps, they would flick their heads back, then lower their heads and lightly pat their bangs.

These five individuals, if encountered in broad daylight at school, would just seem odd. But if Tan Wenbin saw them at night in Min’an Town, he would only suspect they were possessed by evil spirits.

At the time, there were two prevalent avant-garde styles. One involved brightly colored hair, leather jackets and pants, tattoos and piercings, raising a middle finger, glaring, and intentionally shouting hoarsely, “Rock never dies!”

The other involved long hair, constantly covering one eye, walking as if they had no bones in their body, and even when rushing to the restroom, they wouldn’t forget to display what melancholy looked like.

Clearly, these five belonged to the latter style.

As he passed them, Tan Wenbin heard them cursing:

“That guy, he’s acting like a shrinking turtle, such a coward!”

“Don’t worry, A-Can, girls won’t like a wimp like him. You’ll definitely win him over.”

“Exactly. Anyway, the morning classes aren’t important, so we’ll skip them. After breakfast, by noon, I don’t believe he won’t come out.”

“Let’s wait until he’s alone. We’ll guard outside the dorm building. His classmates are pretty united, damn it.”

“Come on, I’ll treat you to breakfast.”

Among the five, the one named A-Can in the middle seemed to be the leader. His clothes were brighter, and he wore a necklace around his neck and a watch on his wrist.

“Tsk, this suitcase, what kind of fetish is that?”

“Hahaha!”

One of them pointed at Tan Wenbin’s suitcase and mocked it, causing the others to burst into laughter.

Tan Wenbin ignored them and continued on his way.

He entered the dorm courtyard, went to the first floor, and as he was going up the stairs, he ran into two male classmates. Upon seeing Tan Wenbin, they immediately came over and said:

“Class monitor, a group of guys from another school just came looking for you.”

“Yes, they said you’re a toad trying to eat swan meat, and they wanted to teach you a lesson.”

“Huh?”

Tan Wenbin was a bit confused, genuinely not understanding why he would encounter such a thing. It sounded incredibly childish, as if their brains were waterlogged.

“Class monitor, didn’t you leave with the class monitor from the class opposite yours in the social event yesterday? Could it be because of her?”

“Yes, yes, yes, those guys who just came, they seem to be from her school, but not the same department.”

Because of Zhou Yunyun?

Tan Wenbin couldn’t help but smile. It seemed their old class monitor was very popular at her school.

Actually, what he said yesterday about her “becoming more beautiful” was not an empty compliment.

She had a naturally good foundation, and after starting university, she learned how to dress up. She was like a night-shining pearl that had shed its shell, radiant and dazzling.

Tan Wenbin said, “I think I just ran into them, but they didn’t recognize me.”

“Class monitor, why don’t you shout out, and we’ll gather everyone from our class in the dorms and go teach them a lesson together?”

“Right, when they came to ask for your dorm number and were about to knock on your door, we all came out and confronted them, asking what nonsense they wanted to spout.”

“If Lin Shuyou hadn’t talked us down, we would have started fighting right there in the hallway!”

“Hahaha, thanks everyone, I owe you all a favor. But next time something like this happens, just call campus security. Let them deal with those guys. We’re still students. If a fight gets out of hand, it could easily jeopardize everyone’s future.”

“Class monitor, just say the word, and we’ll do it!”

“Right, we’re not afraid of them!”

After reassuring them, Tan Wenbin went up to the third floor, where most of his class’s male dorms were located. Along the way, he met many more classmates who brought up the earlier incident, all suggesting he call people to grab brooms and dustpans and go fight.

Tan Wenbin was actually a very unqualified class monitor. He hardly participated in military training and even took leave after the semester started.

However, he had, firstly, received commendations from the police bureau that were announced school-wide, and secondly, he was generous, often treating the whole class to drinks and snacks. The class members were still very convinced by him; he truly could let out a shout, and dozens of boys would clamorously follow him to engage in a group fight.

He returned to his dorm room and put the suitcase inside.

Tan Wenbin breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Brother Xiaoyuan went to Grandma Liu’s house every morning to see A-Li, so those guys hadn’t been able to disturb Brother Yuan when they came.

He was the Dragon King’s foreman, whose duty was to handle outside affairs for the Dragon King cleanly. If he had attracted such troublesome nonsense because of himself, it would be a serious dereliction of his duty.

Most importantly... do you five little idiots know the consequences of angering my Brother Yuan?!

Those five guys hadn’t left the school yet; it looked like they were still planning to block me.

Tan Wenbin left the dorm, intending to go to the campus security office.

At that time, the power of security departments in various units was considerable, not even inferior to local police stations.

Just as he was about to leave, Tan Wenbin looked at his desk. On it were paper and pens, an answer sheet, and a huge water cup that clearly wasn’t his.

“Huh, where’s A-You?”

Under the bicycle shed.

The five men had each found a bicycle to sit on, holding breakfast in their hands, sharing cigarettes and drinks, and grumbling.

When female students and teachers passed by, the five would turn their faces to the side, letting their bangs search for the wind direction.

They were more cultured than thugs, yet softer than thugs.

They were preparing to ambush someone, but hadn’t even bothered to figure out what the person looked like.

However, their mouths never stopped. The other four constantly flattered the wealthiest A-Can, while helping him fantasize about a beautiful future with Zhou Yunyun.

Above the shed.

Lin Shuyou held a palette in his left hand and a paintbrush in his right, applying makeup to his face.

Earlier in the dorm, a conflict almost broke out.

The reasons it didn’t escalate were, firstly, the other side got a bit intimidated seeing the number of people on their side, and secondly, Lin Shuyou’s intervention.

However, Shuyou’s purpose in intervening wasn’t to eliminate the conflict, but to resolve it in his own way.

Because at that time, Brother Xiaoyuan wasn’t in the dorm, but he was.

He was sitting at Brother Bin’s desk, beginning today’s torturous problem-solving. He had just started to get a grasp, seeming to find a bit of inspiration, when loud shouting and kicking at the door came from outside.

Li Zhuiyuan gave Lin Shuyou problems to put him into a state of contemplation, so he could gradually train him, and then, through him, carry out a series of experiments targeting Yin gods like the White Crane Boy.

It could be said that whether Lin Shuyou could solve the problems or not wouldn’t change Li Zhuiyuan’s plan. What he needed was just Lin Shuyou’s attitude; it was like a warm-up for him.

But in Lin Shuyou’s eyes, this was the Dragon King’s test for him!

Only by passing the test could he gain Brother Xiaoyuan’s recognition and further opportunities.

Therefore, in Lin Shuyou’s eyes, these five people who came to cause trouble and interrupt his thought process were enemies to the grand development plan of all the temple generals in his hometown!

Then, let them bear the wrath of the temple generals.

The face-painting was complete.

Lin Shuyou’s eyes darkened.

His figure dropped, landing beneath the shed.

The five people who were still chatting immediately jumped in surprise.

“What the hell is that!”

“A performer?”

“In broad daylight, trying to scare people!”

“Let me see what this thing is, is it male or female?”

One of them walked towards Lin Shuyou, with a mocking smile, intending to touch his painted face.

Lin Shuyou grabbed his wrist.

“Hm?” The person struggled, but not only couldn’t break free, he couldn’t even cause the slightest tremor, as if fixed by pliers.

The arm snapped.

“Ah!!!”

The person fell to his knees, screaming in agony.

“Thud!”

Lin Shuyou kneed him in the face, instantly smashing it open, and he fell backward onto the ground.

With three steps, Lin Shuyou arrived in front of another person. The person was sitting on a bicycle, and Lin Shuyou kicked him.

The shin snapped.

“Ah!!!”

Then, following through, he pushed the bicycle, causing it to quickly fall over, bringing the other three down to the ground with it.

Lin Shuyou walked over to them one by one, breaking either a hand or a foot, randomly breaking their limbs except for their necks.

After breaking all their limbs, only A-Can remained.

“You... you, you... don’t come any closer... don’t come any closer!”

Those with real courage in society wouldn’t become bullies who gang up on others.

As for bullies in schools, because they pick on those who are more obedient and weaker, they are even more despicable.

“Ahhhh!!!”

Lin Shuyou crippled A-Can’s right arm and left leg.

Turning around, he intended to start a second round.

Two of those with broken legs were still crawling on the ground.

The other two, who only had broken hands, had already gotten up, crying and trying to run away.

The corners of the painted face curved into an arc.

Yin gods were originally the ghost kings of old, not benevolent devotees. Influenced by the Yin god’s nature, Lin Shuyou now felt a genuine joy in his heart.

It was as if some kind of forbidden constraint was being broken step by step.

He craved more screams and wails.

With three steps, his figure flickered. Like an eagle, he grabbed the back of the two fleeing people’s necks with both hands.

“Thud!”

He pressed the two of them onto the ground, their faces having an intimate encounter with the concrete.

Shuyou moved his arms, making the two people’s faces and blood draw patterns on the ground.

He had only applied the face paint, but hadn’t entered a trance.

But even with just the face paint applied, he possessed skills that could dodge bullets.

Dealing with these five “melancholy-tempered” young men was simply effortless.

“Boy, stop!”

From outside the wall where the shed was located, Tan Wenbin’s shout came.

He didn’t show his face, nor did he call out “A-You.”

As the son of a criminal police officer, he did have some family tradition.

Lin Shuyou paused, then continued to exert force with both hands.

“Boy, I told you to stop!”

Tan Wenbin raised his voice, making it deeper and more serious.

Lin Shuyou’s eyes revealed unwillingness and anger.

Just as he was about to continue exerting force with both hands, his left hand suddenly went out of control, sweeping across his own face. The freshly painted face revealed a flaw.

Lin Shuyou’s eyes returned to clarity.

He stood up, kicked the two people beneath him away with both feet, then lowered his center of gravity, ready to jump onto the shed.

Tan Wenbin, from outside the wall, said, “Jump onto the building opposite.”

Lin Shuyou immediately changed position. In front was a five-story staff dormitory building. He leaped onto it, then used his hands and feet, scaling the outer wall at an incredibly fast speed under the gaze of the five people on the ground below, reaching the rooftop, and then disappearing.

Tan Wenbin breathed a sigh of relief. This way, when those five little idiots gave their statements to the police, they would describe:

A person with a painted face, dressed in black, descended from the sky, beat them up, and then “whoosh” flew onto the rooftop and disappeared.

This way, the statements would be completely corrupted.

Ignoring the cries of pain and calls for help from just beyond the wall, Tan Wenbin walked back to the dorm, went upstairs, and pushed open his room door.

Lin Shuyou was sitting at the desk, holding a pen in his right hand and biting his left fingernail.

His face was damp, and there were still traces of paint on the corners of his face.

Tan Wenbin pulled out his towel and threw it onto his face.

“Wipe it clean.”

“Okay.” Lin Shuyou immediately began wiping.

“Have your dorm mates seen your opera costume?”

“No.”

“Next time you encounter something like this, you must get my permission before you act, understand?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Lin Shuyou nodded like a pecking chick.

Tan Wenbin took a breath and suggested, “Why don’t you paint your face again? That way it’s easier for us to communicate.”

Lin Shuyou immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum.

Tan Wenbin picked up a banana, peeled it, and took three bites in a row.

“Brother Bin, these problems are so difficult. How do you usually solve them?”

“I just do them.”

“Huh? Brother Bin, you’re amazing! You can understand such complex things.”

“It doesn’t matter if I don’t understand them. Brother Xiaoyuan will custom-make secret techniques for me.”

Lin Shuyou: “...”

Tan Wenbin glanced at the suitcase. “You continue working on the problems. If Brother Xiaoyuan comes back, just tell him that my mom brought some things for Zhou Yunyun’s family, and I went to deliver them.”

“Okay, Brother Bin, good luck.”

“Good luck, my foot.”

“Sister-in-law is very nice and gentle.”

“Huh, I thought something was off yesterday. Did you talk to her?”

“No, no, how could I!”

“Why are you so nervous?”

“No, I’m not nervous.”

“We haven’t reached that stage yet.”

He didn’t want to think about these things before he finished “walking the river” with Brother Xiaoyuan and helped Zheng Haiyang get revenge.

But he couldn’t use this as an excuse, or simply make up a reason, to ask her to wait for him.

“Oh, right, when Brother Xiaoyuan comes back later, you should proactively confess your ‘crime’.”

“Crime?”

“Disobeying orders and acting on your own is a big taboo for a team.”

“I... I can join the team?”

“You wish.”

Tan Wenbin vigorously ruffled Lin Shuyou’s hair until it looked like a bird’s nest, then pointed at the answer sheet:

“Don’t try to write the most perfect answer. You don’t have that level. Write as much as you can think of. Brother Xiaoyuan doesn’t want your answer; he wants your attitude.”

Lin Shuyou suddenly had a feeling of enlightenment.

Tan Wenbin pushed the suitcase out of the dorm, went to the store, and picked up the phone.

Runsheng was squatting behind the counter, tinkering with a color TV and a VCR. Next to him was a stack of video tapes, all gangster films.

Tan Wenbin said, “Oh, you’ve been craving this, huh? Haha, now you’ll have something to watch.”

Runsheng smiled. He had indeed wanted to watch movies for a long time, but he still said, “They’re all second-hand.”

Tan Wenbin asked, “Why not buy new ones? It’s not like you can’t afford them.”

Runsheng shook his head. “I need to save money to buy a pickup truck.”

“When will you buy it?”

“Soon. Mengmeng is preparing to enroll in driving school. Which one did you enroll in?”

“The one next to the school. Students get a special price, and they can prioritize you for practice and tests.”

“Is getting a driver’s license difficult?”

“Not difficult. Just spend some time practicing.” Tan Wenbin took out his wallet, pulled out a piece of paper, and prepared to make a call.

Runsheng pointed outside and said, “Campus security and the infirmary staff just came and carried away a few people with broken arms and legs.”

“Yes, Lin Shuyou did it. They came to the dorm looking for me.”

“Xiaoyuan...”

“Brother Xiaoyuan isn’t in the dorm.”

“You should clarify things better.” Runsheng picked up a rag and wiped his hands. “Will they come again?”

“In that state, how would they dare? Students from other schools coming to our school to cause trouble, do you think campus security just sits around doing nothing?”

Runsheng said nothing more and continued to tinker with his VCR.

Tan Wenbin dialed the number, and the dorm supervisor picked up.

It was said that some very well-equipped schools would install a telephone in each dorm room, but that was extremely rare, as the cost of installing a telephone at that time was very expensive.

After stating the dorm number and name of the person he was looking for, Tan Wenbin originally expected a waiting period, but the dorm supervisor on the other end of the line immediately said:

“Zhou Yunyun? Zhou Yunyun was just sent to the hospital.”

Tan Wenbin’s heart immediately thumped, and he hurriedly asked, “What happened to her?”

The other end of the line hesitated for a moment, then said:

“She’s at the hospital. As for the rest, I don’t know either.”

“Which hospital?”

“The Sixth Hospital.”

Tan Wenbin hung up the phone, his expression grim.

“Something happened?” Runsheng turned to look at Tan Wenbin.

“Runsheng, can you make a call for me? Dorm 519, ask for Xiao Wang. You’re her father’s colleague.”

Runsheng picked up the phone, dialing while asking, “Who is Xiao Wang?”

“There’s a high probability someone named Wang in their dorm.”

The call connected, and Runsheng repeated Tan Wenbin’s earlier words.

Then, Runsheng moved the receiver away, “There really is someone named Wang! She went to the dorm to call someone to answer the phone.”

Tan Wenbin took the receiver and waited for a moment. Then a girl’s voice came through, seemingly with a sob:

“Hello, may I ask which uncle this is?”

“Hello, classmate. I’m Zhou Yunyun’s friend. Did something happen to her?”

“Yunyun, she... Yunyun, she... *sob sob sob*...”

Tan Wenbin took a deep breath and bit his lip.

“Please tell me what exactly happened to Zhou Yunyun, okay? You can cry later.”

“Yunyun, she was feeling unwell this morning. Just now, she was like crazy, shouting not to tear her skin, not allowing anyone near her, and she drove all of us other girls out of the dorm. Just now, the counselor and the school doctor broke down the door and forcibly took her away to the hospital, *sob sob sob*...”

“The Sixth Hospital, right?”

“Yes.”

The Sixth Hospital specializes in mental illnesses.

From a realistic perspective, if a university student is sent to such a hospital, even a slight mishandling could severely impact their future prospects.

From a non-realistic perspective, these symptoms... clearly carried an oddity, as if influenced by something unclean.

The dorm supervisor’s earlier hesitation and refusal to speak clearly also indicated she thought the same.

Has a new wave arrived?

Impossible. According to Brother Xiaoyuan’s theory, it couldn’t be this fast.

So that means, is Zhou Yunyun simply an individual case who encountered something unclean?

But no matter what, he couldn’t just ignore it.

“Runsheng, something happened to Zhou Yunyun, something abnormal.”

Hearing this, Runsheng bent down, took a bulging hiking backpack from under the counter, and put it directly on his back.

“Let’s go. Let’s get Xiaoyuan, and we’ll go together.”

Li Zhuiyuan returned to the dorm, glanced at Lin Shuyou’s answer sheet, and seeing that he had written quite a bit, nodded.

Then he poured himself a glass of water, and just as he was about to sit back down at his desk, Lin Shuyou turned to face him and said formally:

“Brother Xiaoyuan, I am guilty.”

Li Zhuiyuan finished listening to Lin Shuyou’s narration.

He asked:

“Are they dead?”

“No, they’re not dead. Just broken arms and legs.”

“Oh.”

Li Zhuiyuan responded, took a sip of water, and sat back at his desk.

Lin Shuyou blinked. He felt Brother Xiaoyuan’s reaction was a bit too nonchalant, as if he didn’t care at all.

Scratching his head, Lin Shuyou suddenly realized that he himself used to belong to the ‘completely indifferent sequence.’

Now, he should have progressed to caring a little, right? Even if... it’s just a tiny bit?

Li Zhuiyuan opened ‘The Zhuiyuan Secret Scroll’.

Yesterday, he had merely recorded the ‘Big Fish Incident,’ neglecting its implications and further thought.

Normal summary and conclusion were simple, but the current issue was that, through the ‘White Gloves’ conjecture, he felt he should prepare something in advance.

If a person lacks foresight, trouble is at hand. Single-mindedly focusing only on answering problems would be too mechanical and dogmatic.

He needed to put himself more into the mindset of the problem setter.

Was blindly pursuing absolute perfection truly a good thing?

What consequences would arise from resolving every incident cleanly and efficiently?

Would it secretly give him a very high performance score, then factor that into the hidden difficulty of the next ‘wave’?

Furthermore, could consistently excellent performance prematurely trigger a weakening of the White Gloves?

Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes showed contemplation.

He was considering something:

Controlling scores/difficulty.

Perhaps, when the next wave comes, he could try to manipulate it.

If he could figure out the principles and succeed, then in the future, he would not only be able to choose problem types independently but also adjust the difficulty of those problem types.

This was absolutely a path never conceived by previous ‘river walkers’.

Moreover, if this step was achieved, there were even higher levels beyond.

Until the ultimate goal, which was what Li Zhuiyuan truly sought:

I set my own problems and test myself.

But these were still too distant.

The first wave was solved early, the second even earlier. Theoretically, as long as he didn’t actively trigger it, there was still a long time until the third wave arrived.

During this time, he planned to do two things.

Firstly, to preliminarily adjust the White Crane Boy and design a basic ghost-controlling technique for Zhuangzhuang.

Secondly, to complete a new round of iteration for the team’s equipment.

Actually, everyone having a hiking backpack and a set of supplies and equipment was already much more standardized than before, but it wasn’t enough.

There was no need for everyone to carry the exact same set of things. Instead, while retaining a basic allocation, each person could be specifically equipped according to their own needs.

For example, Runsheng’s Yellow River Shovel could be remade into a new one, sturdier, more durable, and better suited for his characteristics.

Yin Meng’s exorcism whip could be custom-made again to facilitate the application of poison. Additionally, some camping supplies could be carried to facilitate poison preparation.

Tan Wenbin... should probably get a container for ghosts.

Also, should they customize a set of clothing and boots better suited for outdoor operations? Should they unify their dressing style?

Actually, Li Zhuiyuan still had one more thing to do: using ‘The Evil Book’ to complete the numerous fragmented array formations left by Master Yuxu.

Master Yuxu’s mastery of high-level grand array formations was mediocre, but he excelled at creating various subtleties within small array formations, which perfectly suited Li Zhuiyuan’s practical use.

Because in most cases, to set up a high-level grand array formation, a few people are far from enough; you’d need at least a construction team.

For the new equipment and clothing design, A-Li could be asked for help. Currently, A-Li was drawing the Big Fish and Master Yuxu. Once she finished, she would have something else to do.

They couldn’t play chess all day, and A-Li wasn’t suited for crowded places, so Li Zhuiyuan really enjoyed working with A-Li. The feeling of them dividing tasks and completing things together was truly satisfying.

Li Zhuiyuan took out a notebook and started listing materials.

Just as he finished writing, the dorm room door was pushed open, and Tan Wenbin and Runsheng walked in. Tan Wenbin was still panting.

“Brother Xiaoyuan, something happened to Zhou Yunyun.”

“What happened?”

Tan Wenbin quickly relayed the information he learned from the phone call.

“Oh.”

Li Zhuiyuan responded, handing the notebook to Runsheng. “Brother Runsheng, please get the materials listed above ready. Also, notify Mengmeng and ask her to make a separate list for me of the properties and storage conditions of some common poisons.”

“Okay.” Runsheng took the notebook, then naturally took off his