But seeing the security guard's rubber baton coming at him, Chen Xu couldn't just sit and wait to die! He'd played with those batons in both the virtual and real worlds; they were quite heavy, and a single blow from one would hurt terribly. He dared not take it head-on. Seeing the guard's baton slam into his shoulder, he slightly lowered his shoulder, and with a whirlwind ground kick, he knocked the guard down and snatched the baton from him! With the baton in hand, Chen Xu was like a tiger with wings, easily defeating the several boys who rushed at him. Each one was clutching their stomachs, arms, or legs, groaning on the ground—thirteen in total!
No one dared to come forward now. The girls screamed in terror, and the boys cowered, too afraid to approach. A group of people surrounded Chen Xu, and seeing the commotion, more and more people gathered, quickly numbering several hundred!
Chen Xu stood in the middle, holding a stick, with more than a dozen groaning students lying beside him, including a security guard.
To face hundreds of people without showing any fear—what incredible courage that is!
Some girls were already swooning over how handsome this man was, and some guys were thinking to themselves, "If this guy isn't here to cause trouble, I really should get to know him."
Actually, Chen Xu is panicking inside too... How could he not be? Anyone who dares to say they're not panicking, try taking on hundreds of people single-handedly!
Chen Xu's biggest fear was that they would pull out some serious weapons, like a campus police officer coming with a stun gun, then he wouldn't dare to fight back. And what if some guy yelled, "Smash him with a rock!"? Chen Xu would really be in trouble.
The standoff lasted for two minutes, Chen Xu's heart pounding wildly. Suddenly, a voice shouted, "Who are you? What are you doing? Which college are you from? We must get your dean to punish you!" Then, a middle-aged, slightly overweight, balding man pushed through the crowd and walked up, raising his hand to hit Chen Xu, yelling, "Damn, the vice principal is too fierce!"
Before they could even finish shouting, Chen Xu beat the bald vice principal to the ground!
Chen Xu was also wondering why an old man had appeared. Then he saw the old man raise his hand to hit him... You see, Chen Xu was incredibly nervous! Every nerve in his body was taut like a cheetah ready to pounce, ready to explode at the slightest spark!
Chen Xu was still pondering whether or not to hit him, but his body reacted instinctively... well, he stabbed him in the stomach with a stick, punched him in the face, and then kicked him.
A gasp rippled through the crowd. It was their idol!
This vice-principal didn't seem to have a good reputation; after he was beaten, quite a few people cheered and applauded. Chen Xu was wondering why people were cheering even though he had hit someone, when suddenly sirens wailed and a police car sped up. The door opened, and several police officers jumped out, shouting, "Who's causing trouble!"
Chen Xu was truly dumbfounded, because he had noticed the gun slung over the man's waist. But Chen Xu immediately shouted, "Police officer, help me! They're going to gang up on me!"
The entire room was drenched in sweat. The students from the university all thought to themselves, "This guy is absolutely a beast! He's a monster!"
You clearly took on thirteen people at once—oh, no, with the vice principal included, it was fourteen—and you're still complaining?!
The police pushed through the crowd and came in. The leader, an older policeman in his forties, said, "Put down your baton first."
Chen Xu decisively let go... They have guns! What can he do with just a rubber baton? The rubber baton fell and hit the vice principal on the head, causing another scream.
"Officer! I'm calling the police!" Chen Xu shouted preemptively, "I've spotted the man who slit the throat!"
"The throat-slitting man?!" This name was truly thunderous; everyone in the room was stunned. The senior police officer at the head of the group paused for a moment before saying, "You mean the throat-slitting man?!"
Chen Xu nodded like a chick pecking at rice and said, "The man who slit the throat is from this school. He's a teacher named Huo Hu!"
These words were like pouring water into a boiling oil pan, causing an immediate explosion. Many people discussed it, and many others cursed. Chen Xu ignored them and said, "I am a student at Hexie University. Yesterday, on the pedestrian street, I personally witnessed the man who slit my throat attacking my friend! I smashed the back of his head with a rock. If you don't believe me, you can call the police station next to Hexie University to inquire. I've already sent the rock I used to smash the man's head there."
Then Chen Xu bent down, pointed to the fallen blade on the ground, and said, "I saw Huo Hu trying to attack those two girls, so I rushed out to help. This is the blade he dropped. I didn't touch it, but it definitely has Huo Hu's fingerprints on it. Those two girls can testify to that."
Seeing that Chen Xu was speaking with such conviction, one of the policemen quickly dialed a phone. Someone nearby exclaimed, "Oh, no wonder this guy looks so familiar! He's Chen Xu from Hexie University! The one who developed Jin Yong's Heroes with Gao Xiaojie!"
Then someone said, "Yeah, yeah! I checked Gao Xiaojie's personal blog today, and she said she was attacked by a man who slit her throat on the pedestrian street yesterday. Luckily, her friends saved her, and she's not seriously hurt. Was it him?"
The policeman on the phone confirmed the information and asked, "Your name is Chen Xu? A student in the Information Science Department of Hexie University?" Seeing Chen Xu nod, he said to the officer in charge, "That should be right. This student brought a bloodstained stone to the police station over there yesterday." His tone was much more polite.
The police officer leading the group softened his expression slightly, asked a few more questions, and basically concluded that the man wouldn't lie. The commotion had escalated because students from the university saw their teacher being assaulted and rushed to his aid.
"Then what about Huo Hu?! Where is Huo Hu?!"
Chapter 84 of the main text: Understanding
When the group found Huo Hu and the classmate who had seen him off in the grove behind the library, they discovered that Huo Hu was hitting the classmate on the head with a rock, and the classmate was already unconscious.
Several police officers immediately pushed Huo Hu away and handcuffed him. At this moment, the others who had rushed over saw this scene and their mouths dropped open in disbelief.
"Call an ambulance immediately!" Seeing the student's head had been smashed in several places and was bleeding profusely, the police officers shouted immediately. The student had already lost consciousness, and his fate was unknown.
Chen Xu rushed over to his classmate and checked his artery and breathing. He found that the boy was still breathing, so it must have been Huo Hu who had just committed the crime... As for why he committed the crime, Chen Xu could figure it out without even thinking. Huo Hu must have discovered that he had come over, realized that his identity as the man who cut the throat had been exposed and wanted to escape, so he took the opportunity to knock the boy unconscious and then tried to kill him to silence him.
Thankfully, we arrived in time!
Chen Xu quickly stopped several people who were about to carry the injured boy to the infirmary, shouting, "Don't move him! Spread out! Keep his airway clear! He has a severe head injury and can't be moved like this! Call 120! And get the school doctor here immediately!"
Unconsciously, Chen Xu's ferocity in taking on a hundred men single-handedly earned him a degree of authority among the students at the university. Hearing this, they immediately parted to form a circle. Chen Xu carefully followed the one-eyed instructor's instructions, having the boy lie on his side with his head tilted back to ensure an unobstructed airway. Upon inspection, the injury didn't seem too serious; at least there was no blood flowing from his nose or ears, indicating no major intracranial hemorrhage, only external trauma.
After the chaos, police cars and ambulances arrived and took Huo Hu and the injured student away. Given the magnitude of the incident, the university president also arrived. Upon hearing that one of his school's teachers was the throat-slitting man, he turned deathly pale. The vice-principal, who had been severely beaten by Chen Xu, was furious, but since Chen Xu wasn't a student at their school, and considering he had discovered and apprehended the throat-slitting man, he couldn't touch him. So, he had no choice but to swallow his anger and suffer in silence.
The police were extremely grateful to Chen Xu, because while Huo Hu's unusual behavior didn't definitively confirm he was the throat-slitting man, it was close. Following Chen Xu's lead, the police searched Huo Hu's residence and found his disguise—a hat and clothes—as well as an encrypted diary on his computer. After Chen Xu entered what he claimed was the "cracked password" to open the diary, those who read it were all filled with a sense of awe.
This evidence, combined with the recent lab results from the hospital, showed that Hohu's blood type matched the blood found on the rock perfectly—the evidence was irrefutable! And the motive was clear. The mystery of the throat-slitting man, which had plagued the police for a month and a half, was finally solved on Christmas Day.
Although it was somewhat embarrassing for the police that the person who caught the throat-slitting man was a student, not a police officer, the case was solved, and that was that. Chen Xu also received a warm reception from the city's Public Security Bureau Chief. Upon learning that Chen Xu was a freshman in college and had previously been a minor celebrity in the media, the Chief praised him lavishly. The 30,000 yuan reward (originally 10,000 yuan, but increased to 30,000 yuan after Gao Xiaojie's attack) was also readily awarded to Chen Xu in front of numerous reporters.
Chen Xu has once again become famous.
When reporters asked him how he found the man who slit the throat, Chen Xu recounted his prepared lie. He said he had come to the university to visit his friend Wu Yu. He happened to see Huo Hu and noticed bloodstains on the back of Huo Hu's hat, which aroused his suspicion. After entering Huo Hu's room, he saw the same red down jacket from the previous day and a photo of Gao Xiaojie on the desk, further confirming his suspicions. Finally, he found the encrypted diary on the computer, cracked the password, and learned Huo Hu's motive.
The lie was so convincing that no one suspected it, so the next day's newspaper headlines were all about "Evil has its retribution, the throat-slitting man is finally caught"... Everyone thought this was the throat-slitting man's retribution. There was nothing they could do; he was just so unlucky to run into Chen Xu.
That's not entirely wrong; the man who slit the throat was really unlucky to run into Chen Xu. But as for the details, well, only Chen Xu knows.
Chen Xu's best friend, Wu Yu, was quick-witted and covered for Chen Xu's lie. However, after extorting chicken legs from Chen Xu for a month—eight a day—Chen Xu transferred 800 yuan to his meal card, saying, "I'll feed you to death!"
However, Chen Xu knew his best friend was very upset because the teacher he had always liked turned out to be a perverted throat-slitting man, something he himself couldn't accept. But the evidence was conclusive, and the news from the other side was that Huo Hu had confessed to all the crimes and was awaiting the court's verdict. The unfortunate boy with the head injury was also rescued; he was only knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion.
Chen Xu's reputation spread instantly at the university. Many of the students at the university played "The Legend of Jin Yong," and after witnessing Chen Xu's impressive feat of taking on a dozen opponents single-handedly and his fearless demeanor in the face of hundreds of people, many said, "Could this guy be the martial arts director of 'The Legend of Jin Yong'?"
Many girls even managed to get Chen Xu's number and secretly contacted him... But that's a different story. While some departments at Hefei University might have a few beauties, a university like the University of Technology, a science and engineering institution, is a veritable paradise for dinosaurs... Of course, there are some beauties among the dinosaurs, but their numbers are pitifully small, and Chen Xu didn't believe that beauties comparable to Guan Yizhan, Jing Gao, and Xiaojie would come to him to talk about life and ideals...
When Chen Xu returned to the university, he received unanimous praise from the leaders of Hexie University, because Hexie University and the University of Technology were basically rivals. The two schools were ranked similarly and were in the same city, making them absolute competitors. Seeing the University of Technology suffer a setback, especially since it was their own students who made them suffer such a defeat that they were speechless, naturally made the leaders of Hexie University extremely happy.
After returning, Chen's counselor told Chen Xu that he had basically been reserved for the school's top scholarship, provided that Chen Xu did not do too badly on the exam.
Will Chen Xu do poorly on the exam?
Haha, this is really a joke!
Chen Xu has six more hours a day than others, and even when he crams before the exam, he still has much more time than the average person.
And then there's Xiaomin! Checking his watch occasionally during the exam shouldn't be a problem, right? And even if he can't, he can wear a Bluetooth headset and have Xiaomin swipe across the exam paper to transfer it. Then Xiaomin can write out all the answers in a second and tell Chen Xu through the Bluetooth headset… Hehehe, is there a more awesome method than that?
He wasn't worried about Xiaomin being discovered, because Chen Xu had transformed Xiaomin into one of those ordinary digital watches that cost 3 yuan on the street. Although the screen was a bit wider, it only had a few buttons. Even if someone held it and pressed the buttons for a long time, as long as Chen Xu didn't enter a password, they wouldn't be able to find out.
Seeing Wu Yuan and the others cramming before the exam, Chen Xule sobbed uncontrollably, almost collapsing and dying. Then the bunch of idiots said, "Damn it, third brother, if you don't study, don't expect us to let you cheat on the exam!"
For college students, exams are a truly frustrating experience. The weekdays are too leisurely; college life is far too relaxed. Compared to high school, where students battled problems day and night, barely getting six hours of sleep a day and spending the rest of their time studying and doing exercises, with no respite even on weekends, college only has a few classes a week. Sometimes there are only three in the morning, sometimes no classes in the afternoon, and then they have to take courses on both Saturday and Sunday.
This kind of life leaves many high school students, who are working day and night, in a state of confusion.
Life's too leisurely!
At first, I would go to evening self-study sessions and get up early to memorize English. But without anyone forcing me or putting any pressure on me, I quickly became lazy. Now the group of people skipping classes is growing bigger and bigger. If you go to an internet cafe and say hello, you'll find that you know quite a few of them.
So now that exams are approaching, many people are cramming at the last minute. They might sneak into the all-night study room at any time of night, and lo and behold, it's full of familiar faces! Some even bring their own blankets… The classrooms don't have heating, so it gets really cold at night.
Gao Xiaojie also joined this cram school, which directly resulted in her classroom having one or two times more students than the other classrooms! You see, although it's cold in winter, you don't really feel it during class. But because there were so many people, the classroom was filled with exhaled carbon dioxide, and with everyone packed together, the temperature was actually quite high.
So at night, because it's too cold, many people want to find a classroom with more people. As a result, a group of people, either for pretty girls or for warmth, make this all-night study room even more crowded.
However, the animals didn't dare to squeeze in with Gao Xiaojie, so the space next to her was quite empty. But that made it even colder. Gao Xiaojie rubbed her hands, hugged a Snoopy hot water bottle, wiped her slightly red nose, and thought to herself with frustration, "Why didn't Jingjing come with me?!"
Chapter 85 of the main text: A Couple Destined for Each Other
Actually, Gao Xiaojie isn't a child who doesn't like studying; she's just been very busy lately. First, there was gaming, which started at the beginning of the semester and continued until the end of October. Then there were interviews and such, followed by a part-time job at a cake shop, which was exhausting, leaving her with almost no time to read.
Life at the cake shop was alright; at least she ate plenty of cakes and learned a few things. However, she also attracted a lot of trouble... First, there was that man who slit her throat, who almost killed her. Then her identity was exposed, and a group of people would be blocking her way every day asking for autographs... This did boost the cake shop's business, but it wasn't her own cake shop!
What's even more infuriating is that a pot-bellied, bald man, clearly in his forties or fifties and a womanizer, came up to her offering to be her sugar daddy, buying her cars, houses, and all sorts of things… Gao Xiaojie was so enraged that she grabbed a large cake and smashed it over his shiny face. Just because he drives a BMW doesn't mean he's all that!
However, after such a setback, he couldn't continue working. With the exam approaching, Gao Xiaojie simply resigned and returned to prepare for the exam.
It's already late January. The New Year of 2000 comes quite late, even after Valentine's Day. So the exams are also late. The last exam is in February, which coincides with the beginning of spring. After the exams, I can happily go home for the New Year.
But Gao Xiaojie couldn't feel excited at all. She had just received a call from her parents saying that her cousin was getting married during the Spring Festival, so they wouldn't be spending it at home but instead going to her uncle's and cousin's place in Northeast China!
Gao Xiaojie didn't think she was crazy. Why would she travel all the way to the Northeast in this freezing weather? She'd heard that the temperature there was already below -10 degrees Celsius; a bucket of water thrown out would freeze into an ice sculpture in mid-air. And although almost every home in the Northeast had heating, the air inside those houses was just too dry; a girl from the Jiangnan region like her simply couldn't get used to it.
Most importantly, she didn't have a good relationship with her cousin's family. The two families lived too far apart and had almost no contact in recent years. Moreover, Gao Xiaojie disliked her as a relative.
This uncle and Gao Xiaojie's father are brothers. The problem is, Gao Xiaojie's father left his hometown in Northeast China a long time ago to start a business in the south. Starting a business was very difficult at first. Gao Xiaojie remembers living in a very small house until she was seven years old, when she moved into her current home. There was no way around it; housing prices in Hangzhou have always been high.
In contrast, this uncle's family had sold their land when prices rose and now, as landlords of several storefronts, they earned ten to twenty thousand yuan a month without doing anything. So they lived a leisurely life. Gao Xiaojie's mother had often told her that when Gao Xiaojie's father didn't own any land or property, this uncle frequently mocked him. Gao Xiaojie also remembered visiting them once when she was a little over ten years old and meeting her cousin and uncle; their arrogant attitude made her and her brother feel resentful for a long time.
So when Gao Xiaojie heard that it was her cousin's wedding, she gritted her teeth and said, "I'm not going. Dad, you can go by yourself. Let Mom stay here with me."
But my dad said on the phone that wouldn't do. He said it's fine if you don't come, but my husband and I definitely have to go.
Gao Xiaojie said dejectedly, "Then how am I going to spend the New Year alone after you all leave? And hey, I left my house key with me when I came to school, so I don't even have a key on me now. I won't be able to get into the house when I go back!"
Then Gao Xiaojie's father said, "How about I mail you the key? Or you can go spend the New Year with one of your uncles or aunts."
Upon hearing this, Gao Xiaojie said, "Forget it, Dad, just send me some money. I'll stay at school. Anyway, the school won't close during the Spring Festival."
Gao Xiaojie's father knew her temperament and that his daughter didn't particularly like her brother's family... so he didn't blame her. It was mainly because they didn't like him much. So Gao Xiaojie's father sighed and said, "Daughter, take good care of yourself. I'll send you two thousand yuan. Buy yourself whatever you see that's good to eat or fun. Don't deprive yourself."
And so, Gao Xiaojie could only stare blankly at her phone, bored.
"Not letting people go home for the New Year? What kind of nonsense is this?!" Gao Xiaojie had never spent a New Year away from home before. When Zhan Jing heard about this, she offered to take Gao Xiaojie home. Gao Xiaojie thought about it and said, "Never mind. You guys are all busy during the New Year, with so many relatives coming and going that I don't even know. I'll just stay here. I can use this time to prepare for the cake shop and open it when school starts in the second half of the year."
Gao Xiaojie is actually very averse to trouble, especially the thought of going to someone's home, meeting their parents and friends—people she doesn't know—and having to introduce herself would be a hassle, making her feel like an outsider and very awkward. Knowing her temperament, Zhan Jing thought for a moment and said, "Then take good care of yourself. If anything happens, call me. My home is only a three-hour train ride from here; I can get over in a bit."
Upon hearing this, Gao Xiaojie exclaimed, "Jingjing, you're so sweet! Give me a kiss!" Zhan Jing laughed and said, "Go to hell!" Then she said very seriously, "It's so cold in winter, you, a girl from the south, need to be especially careful. If no one is in the dorm, the room will be very empty and cold. You need to use more blankets. If you don't have enough blankets, take mine—it's very warm. After the holidays, the cafeteria and hot water room will be closed. You can eat outside, and for hot water, go to Teacher Chen's office. Remember to get several bottles, drink plenty of hot water, and don't drink water that's been sitting overnight."
It was rare to see Zhan Jing say so much. Gao Xiaojie knew that she cared about him, so he nodded with great emotion and hugged Zhan Jing.
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
Just as Gao Xiaojie was worrying about what to do for the New Year, Chen Xu was also having the same worry.
He also received a call from his parents. His father got straight to the point: "Son! Your old man has been invited to give a speech at a hospital in New Zealand and discuss cooperation with them. Your mother has decided to come with me to Australia for the Chinese New Year holiday. Do you want to come along?"
Chen Xu's mouth watered at the thought. New Zealand! You know, it's freezing cold in the Northern Hemisphere right now, but the Southern Hemisphere is like spring all year round! Plus, New Zealand is right next to Australia, so you can see kangaroos. What a great travel opportunity!
However, Chen Xu's father's next words infuriated Chen Xu. He said, "Actually, your mother and I suggest you don't come, so as not to interfere with our time together. Especially your mother, she's been spending who knows how much money on beauty treatments and spas lately. She's clearly in her forties or fifties, but she dresses like a young, alluring woman. You'll probably have to call her 'sister' when you see her again. Of course, if you actually call your mother 'sister,' I'll definitely kill you on the spot. So, what your mother means is that you shouldn't come along as a third wheel. Otherwise, when we get back to New Zealand and people introduce her, saying that her son is already so grown up, it'll really damage her image!"
Chen Xu snorted and said dejectedly, "Why don't you just not let me go? Why all the nonsense? Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?"
Chen Xu's father chuckled on the other end of the phone, saying, "Son, you've grown up. The little bird has hardened its wings and it's time for it to fly solo. Let you spend the New Year out there; it'll be a rare experience."
Then he heard Chen Xu's mother chuckling on the other end of the line. Chen Xu cursed inwardly, "What a pair of adulterers!" and said, "So that means I can't go home for Chinese New Year this year?"
Over the phone, he could hear the two of them laughing together. Chen Xu said dejectedly, "Damn it, then I'm not going back! I'm doing just fine here on my own, hmph!"
When Chen Xu hung up the phone, he felt that his parents were so fashionable and avant-garde! Compared to them, he was an old-fashioned person.