Volume 1: The Beginning Chapter 2: Acquaintance

  "My best friend was killed by him."

  That person looked at Xia Wenjie with a puzzled expression.

  The latter continued: "It's Snow Song, you should have seen him in the bar."

  "Oh." The man nodded thoughtfully and said: "It seems... I have some impression. Is he dead?"

  "Yes, that's right, he was killed by Jin Er." As soon as he mentioned this matter, Xia Wenjie became both sad and angry, with a fierce glare in his eyes. He clenched his fists and said in a low voice: "Last week, Xue Song and Xiao Jing went to the dance hall to have fun. In the dance hall, they had a dispute with Jin Er, but nothing happened at that time. However, when Xue Song and Xiao Jing left the dance hall, they were taken by Jin Er and a group of people to a nearby abandoned building. They pushed Xue Song down from the top floor in front of Xiao Jing... He fell to his death. Xiao Jing is still lying in the hospital..." As he said this, his eyes turned red, his voice choked with sobs, and he couldn't continue speaking.

  "So, you're here for revenge tonight." The man said calmly, as if asking a question.

  "Yes." Xia Wenjie gritted his teeth and said: "Xue Song was clearly pushed down the stairs by Jin Er, but the police said it was Xue Song's own fault for falling off the building. Since the police are covering up for him, I'll take matters into my own hands to punish him."

  He shrugged and chuckled, saying: "Are you going to use that watermelon knife of yours? Fortunately, you're inexperienced and didn't actually stab him to death. Otherwise, your life would be ruined."

  "Did you see it all?"

  "Do you think I just happened to be passing by? Never believe in coincidences, there aren't that many coincidental things in this world." He said with a hint of a smile.

  Xia Wenjie blinked his eyes. He had wanted to ask him why he appeared here, but after thinking about it, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

  He said solemnly, "I'm not yet sixteen years old, I'm a person with limited capacity for civil conduct. Even if I killed someone, the death penalty wouldn't apply to me. According to the law, I would receive a lighter sentence. Using my ten or so years in exchange for Jin Er's life, it would be worth it."

  That person was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, turned his head and looked at him deeply again, and laughed: "You know quite a lot, it seems that you have done your 'homework' in advance, but you are so clever, yet the things you do are very foolish."

  "Do you think I shouldn't avenge my dead friend? Letting the murderer go scot-free?"

  "I think a person's life is only one, if you don't have absolute confidence, then don't take your own life to lightly risk it." The man shrugged again and slowly smiled: "For example, like what you did tonight, it was an utterly unnecessary foolish move."

  Now thinking about it, Xia Wenjie also felt a lingering fear. He overestimated himself and underestimated Jin Er at the same time. He swallowed his saliva and asked: "Th...then what should I do?"

  "I'm nobody to you, so I can't teach you anything." The man smiled and asked: "Where's your home? I'll send you back now."

  For such an answer, Xia Wenjie was naturally not reconciled. He had limited experience, but he could also see that this regular at Brother Bar was no ordinary person. Perhaps, he might have the ability to help him take revenge.

  As he thought of this, his emotions suddenly became excited, but when he looked up at the other person, that person was concentrating on driving, so he changed his mind and didn't continue to ask questions, honestly reporting his home address.

  For a while after that, neither of them spoke. The carriage was as quiet as the grave.

  Fortunately, this awkwardness did not last long. The streets were empty at midnight, and the man drove very fast, arriving at the gate of Xia Wenjie's residential area in less than half an hour.

  "Do you need me to take you in?" The man turned around and smiled at him.

  Xia Wenjie shook his head and said, "No need, I'll go back myself." He pushed open the car door and got out. When he was about to close the door, he suddenly remembered something, bent down and said to the person inside, "Thank you."

  That person still wore a mask-like smile and nodded slightly.

  Xia Wenjie patted his own head and said: "Right, I still don't know what your name is."

  "It's better if you don't know my name. You're under sixteen and I'm more than twenty years older than you, so calling me 'uncle' shouldn't be a loss for you."

  Hearing his words, Xia Wenjie was obedient and immediately said: "Uncle, goodbye."

  The man laughed twice, waved his hand at him, and then drove away.

  Staring in the direction where the car disappeared for a long time, Xia Wenjie finally let out a long sigh.

  For him, what happened tonight was too thrilling and unthinkable. Fortunately, he was shocked but unhurt.

  When he returned home, it was almost two o'clock in the morning. Before entering the house, he wiped the blood stains on his face hard, making sure they were all clean and left no marks, only then did he take out the key to open the door.

  The room was pitch black, without a single ray of light. He secretly let out a sigh of relief, it seemed that his brother had already fallen asleep. Fortunately, he was asleep, otherwise if he saw himself in this state now, who knows how long he would nag on and on.

  He slowly took off his shoes and tiptoed towards his room. But just as he had taken two steps out of the entrance, there was a sudden "click" sound, and the living room lights turned on. At the same time, a low voice came: "Why are you back so late?"

  Alas! Xia Wenjie closed his eyes, pouted silently, and sighed inwardly. Big brother was indeed patient and determined, and had not fallen asleep even at this hour.

  He hung his head and muttered unclearly as he walked towards his room, "Brother, didn't I tell you on the phone? Tonight is my classmate's birthday, I'll be back a bit late."

  "Stop right there." Xia Wenhao, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room, stood up and walked over to Xia Wenjie. Seeing the red swelling on his face, his eyebrows immediately furrowed into a knot.

  Xia Wenhao is ten years older than Xia Wenjie, although they are biological brothers born to the same mother, but the two have a world of difference in terms of personality and appearance.

  His older brother Xia Wen Hao has a robust and tall physique, with a height of around 185 cm. His skin is a healthy wheat color, and his appearance is also handsome, with sharp facial features and deep facial bones, giving off an air of majesty at first glance.

  His younger brother Xia Wenjie looks relatively ordinary compared to his older brother, with a medium and slightly thin build, not handsome in appearance, at most can be said to be delicate, the whole person looks white and quiet, honest and obedient, is the kind of good student.

  If an uninformed person saw them, no matter what, they would never associate the two as biological brothers.

  Xia Wenhao walked up to Xia Wenjie, bent down and asked in a low voice: "Did you fight with someone?"

  "Neither... nor."

  "Still saying nothing?" Xia Wenhao's eyebrows furrowed even deeper, he reached out to pinch his chin, forcing his head up, looking at the red and swollen side of his face, as well as the clear fingerprints. He took a deep breath, remained silent for a moment, then turned around and walked towards the kitchen, seemingly casually asking: "Who did you fight with?"

  "We were playing crazy at a classmate's house and accidentally bumped into each other..."

  "So your face just ran into someone's hand?" Xia Wenhao took out the first-aid kit from the cabinet, walked back, and slammed it heavily onto the coffee table.

  Seeing that his brother was really angry, Xia Wenjie immediately hung his head again and muttered: "Brother, don't ask, it won't happen again in the future."

  "Come over." Xia Wenhao opened the medicine box and said without raising his head.

  Xia Wenjie looked like a kid who had done something wrong, hanging his head and slowly and carefully sneaking up to his brother's side.

  Xia Wenhao roughly pulled his arm, pulling him to sit beside him, then took out a cotton swab from the medicine box, dipped it in hydrogen peroxide, and gently wiped his cracked mouth corner.

  Hydrogen peroxide was applied to the wound, and it bubbled up with small bubbles, also hurting Xia Wenjie so much that his eyes almost welled up with tears.

  "Does it hurt?" Seeing this, Xia Wenhao subconsciously made his wiping gentler.

  "It's okay, doesn't hurt."

  "It doesn't hurt? Good! This time let you have a lesson, next time don't do such stupid things."

  "Yes, brother."

  "Our parents passed away early, and you're the only younger brother I have. If something unexpected happens to you, I don't know how I'll be able to face mom and dad."

  "Brother..."

  Upon hearing this, Xia Wenjie's eyes reddened and tears welled up in her eyes.

  It has been more than eight years since their parents passed away. For these eight years, the two brothers have been dependent on each other for survival.

  When his parents had a car accident, Xia Wenjie was less than eight years old and Xia Wenhao was only eighteen years old. The family suddenly encountered such a major change, and the situation can be imagined.

  At that time, Xia Wenhao didn't even consider it and resolutely chose to drop out of school. He used his parents' compensation money to open a small bar.

  Perhaps adversity can indeed bring out a person's potential, and Xia Wenhao, who had yet to attend university, demonstrated extraordinary business acumen.

  Eight years have passed and that originally unremarkable small bar has been developed by him into a large-scale bar with several times the original size, having some local fame.

  Now, although the two brothers cannot be said to have lived a life of great wealth and honor, at least they are better off than before, and more than enough compared to those below them.

  Because he couldn't go to college at first, it became a lifelong regret for Xia Wenhao. However, he still had hope, and his hope was his younger brother Xia Wenjie. As long as he could guarantee that his brother would get into college and make something of himself in the future, he would be content.

  His parents died, and his elder brother became a father. In these eight years, he has indeed done both as a father and a mother, bringing up his young brother, which is also one of Xia Wenhao's proudest things.

  "Scholars' families fight, if you can win, it's okay, but if you can't win, in the end, aren't you still suffering?"

  "Xia Wen Hao muttered meaningfully: 'You're in high school now, you can't be like before, playing and fighting whenever you want. Your most important task now is to study, and later get into a good university. No matter how much money I make, people will still say behind my back that I'm uncultured, rough, and a nouveau riche...'"

  When Xia Wenjie heard his brother start rambling on again, the sadness in his heart dissipated a lot, replaced by drowsiness.

  His eyelids drooped, and he nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, brother, I'll listen to you, and I definitely won't fight again. Brother, don't always nag me like mom."

  "Don't pretend you don't want to hear this, it's all for your own good." Xia Wen Hao put away the medicine box and muttered discontentedly as he walked back to the kitchen: "Why do I always have to be like mom, can't I be like dad?"

  Xia Wenjie stood up, rubbed his nose and said: "Brother, I'm going to sleep."

  "Wait, I'll leave dinner for you, eat it and then go to sleep."

  "I'm full, I'm not hungry." Saying that, Xia Wenjie walked towards his own room with sleepy eyes.